Sunday, lazy Sunday

Due to it being our last day of rest (and the fact that much of the group had a lot of fun on Bourbon street last night), today was pretty laid back. We spent the afternoon on Magazine Street (pictured above), famous for its old houses, good food, and many fancy boutiques. It feels strange to be living the good life with so much post-Katrina destruction just around the corner, but all that will change very soon. And by soon, I mean tomorrow at around 7:00 AM, which is when I will somehow make myself wake up.

Out on the town

Nothing really starts until Monday, so today was mostly just full of fun things to do. The entire group had a meeting at 10:00 to discuss what the next two months will be like. Generally, we'll be working from 9-5 with classes from 6-9 on Tuesday and Wednesday. Every other week there will be a special lecture or panel discussion; Ray Nagin may be a speaker.

After lunch, I went to the New Orleans City Park (pictured above) with a friend from home. The botanical gardens and artwork were breathtakingly beautiful.

Afterwards, we went to a free Save the Wetlands concert in the French Quarter. It was mainly jazz musicians, all of whom were incredible. The goal of the concert was to gain congressional funding for wetland restoration in the area (politicians are currently debating the amount of funding that may or may not be given). The wetlands, besides being ecologically unique, are an extremely important part of hurricane protection. Roughly, a mile of wetland prevents an entire foot of storm surge. For more info: http://saveourwetlands.org/

I have arrived!

I got in at noon today after a very uneventful flight. Above is St. Martin Deporres Hall, where I'll be living for the next two months. My room is downright palacial: I get an open double complete with a bathroom, a fridge, and a microwave. What did I do to deserve this. . .?


And, as the building I'm in (seven stories!) is just about the tallest around, there's a pretty great view of the city:
The Xavier campus is beautiful and unique; the buildings are a mixture of old and new and are quite interspersed with the surrounding area. The University is historically black and Catholic, so, needless to say, I stick out like a sore thumb. But sticking out like a sore thumb is a useful experience to have.