Welcome From DC

Welcome from DC! That’s right. Robbie’s spending his Spring Break at a conference in Washington. As a Latin American Studies major, there are many different avenues to turn the stuff you learn in class and in the books and apply it to everyday life. As a Freshman, I taught English to a group of ESL adults ranging from 20 years of age to 70! And I was only 19 years old!

This week I am engaging in a Latin American public policy seminar called the Model Organization of American States. 10 other Tulane students are taking part on this adventure with me representing the country of Nicaragua as its primary delegation. The class consisted of a seminar based learning environment were the information we gathered about Nicaragua was done by collecting our independent research outside of class. And to top it all off, Tulane has completely provided a trip for all students and faculty to Washington DC to represent the University in the Model!

Get excited guys – I’m going to be studying abroad in Spain next year! More details coming later…

February!!!! A million reasons to live in New Orleans

SAINTS!!! They won the Superbowl, we all know. The city went wild!

I went to an amazing tailgate thrown by the biggest Saints fans of all time. This family completely decked out a schoolbus with Saints gear and got a nice Saints paint job. The party couldn't have been complete without an authentic New Orleans brass band that led the party to the Superdome for the NFC championship.

Superbowl day! Party in the French Quarter! Met this lady.

Second go around with Mardi Gras!!!!

Playoffs in New Orleans - ringing in the New Year

You cannot mention New Orleans without thinking about the mighty New Orleans Saints. The Saints have called New Orleans their home since November 1, 1966. Have you ever wondered why the city picked the team name? Well, November 1st is All Saints Day in the Roman Catholic community. So, since there is a large community of Roman Catholics in the greater New Orleans area, it seemed that the name of the team couldn’t be anything else but the New Orleans Saints. The Saints started in Tulane Stadium back in 1966, but would eventually make their way over to the stadium they now call home, the great Louisiana Superdome, 9 years late in 1975. Since then, the city of New Orleans rallied around the beloved football team, a devotion that continues today for fans all across the city and Tulane...and the country.

Today the Saints will take on the Cardinals here in the New Orleans Superdome determining who will go on to compete for the title of NFC champion. It shall be an exciting day for both Tulane and New Orleans indeed.

Where Vampires Play

I hope everyone has had an exciting Halloween weekend. Here in New Orleans we love the holiday. As you soon shall see, people come all over just to crowd the streets of the French Quarter and the Marigny.And what would New Orleans be without its vampires?

Mario and Luigi

On the streets of the Marigny, east of the French Quarter. Lots of eclectic locals live in this historic neighborhood. Tennessee Williams once lived here. Lady Bug Queen now calls it home.

When The Saints Come Marching In

You may or may not be aware that the New Orleans' Saints are currently undefeated. Today's game against the New York Giants proved that the team is a forced to be reckoned with. Needless to say, Saints QB Drew Brees shredded New York for 369 yards passing and four touchdowns. Next week we will see New Orleans very own facing the 2-3 Miami Dolphins. Given the teams record, it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Enough with the stats. The New Orleans Saints do more than give New Orleanians and Tulanians alike a team to root for but also deeper pride in their city. After the hurricane, New Orleans was thrust into the the spotlight displaying the tragedy of the flood. However, the hurricane could never wash away the pride its citizens have in the city. When the New Orleans Saints had their first game after the storm in the Superdome, an aura of victory filled the 60,000 + capacity of the dome, a symbol for the catastrophe following the storm. This victory was felt before the Saints led an outstanding win over the Atlanta Falcons back in September of 2006. Then, the Superdome symbolized more than the anguish of its citizens but also their since of triumph that led so many back to start anew in their beloved city.

Whether you are a Saints fan or not, you must recognize that they are returning to become a team that has overcome the worst of odds - just like the city of New Orleans itself.

Not Too Far Up the River...

I decided to take a small hiatus from New Orleans and the excitement of New Orleans this labor day weekend. Instead, I traveled back home to Shreveport to celebrate my father's birthday, visit friends in Baton Rouge, and rediscover my home state. While Tulane students find New Orleans has everything that they could want, many don't realize that there is a old and beautiful world outside of this waterlocked city not too far up the river.

Deciding how to spend my labor day weekend was a task in itself while I was staying with a friend in Baton Rouge. What would be the best way to spend a day near Baton Rouge? At first, we wanted to go tubing or lay out on a inflatable tube while slowly cruising down a small river near Baton Rouge for four hours. Not quite ready to invest so much time into one particular activity, we ended up deciding to head out to the River Road that winds along the Mississippi from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. River Road is famous for its many plantation estates including Oak Alley, perhaps the grandest of them all.

Having lived in Louisiana for my whole life, it is strange that I had never been to Oak Alley before. Whenever you read books about Louisiana, the 34 live oaks and grand mansion would probably be the cover of the book. Picturesque as it is old, the grounds tell a story about love during winds of change, restoration and reconstruction. Make sure to travel up to Oak Alley and drive down the River Road to catch the grandeur of old time rural Louisiana.

The Frosh is Here

Welcome to Tulane!!!

It is great to see everyone and catch up with people from over the summer. It has been a busy time for me and a busy time at Tulane. I am an RA in an all freshman dorm which has been very rewarding and big time commitment. My residents are very excited to be here at Tulane which makes me excited. And let me just say that the men of Sharp 5 will dominate this year in flag football intramurals!

The freshman experience cannot be complete without the dormitory experience. The two go hand in hand. Living amongst 400 of your closest friends with your first taste of independence from parents is unbeatable. Everything from the community bathroom, the study lounge, the roommate – things that won’t probably miss after your freshman year but things necessary for an authentic freshman experience.

Our freshman have been doing everything from going on riverboat cruises, listening to Pulitzer Prize winning authors (Junot Diaz, author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao), and slip n’ sliding during the rain on the quads. Tulane is as fun as ever now.