TCNJ Bonner NOLA 2019

As we departed from Magazine Street, we left the gentrified areas of NOLA to see the Tree of Life and then headed to the Lower Ninth. The land there looked desolate and abandoned. There was so little life surrounding the area.  I’d say that the city of New Orleans is deceiving. You have the beautiful and green and built up areas of the French Quarter and then you have the lower ninth which looks like it was forgotten about long ago. People come to New Orleans for the culture of the city which is definitely found in the tourist areas but the true culture and history I believe is found in the resilience of the lower ninth and the culture of withstanding harsh conditions and unfair treatment and lack of care. The real culture of New Orleans is found in the lower Ninth and the people who live there because they have such a strong love for the city and its people. I look forward to hopefully talking to residents of this area and get more knowledge of how this city and its people have...

The trip so far has met my expectations in the sense that the work is very challenging and time consuming. However, I didn't expect my class to he bonding as well as we are. Not to say that people don't like each other, but there are times when the synergy amongst us is depleting and times were it strengthens. The most suprising part of the trip so far is how limited the bathrooms are. There is an average 1 bathroom per 11 people here, and it obviously makes things more difficult. Other than that, nothing else was unexpected or surprising. I would honestly like to learn more about the community and visit some places with actual culture. Seeing main streets and famous places is so generic and not true to the work we are doing. I get that there sre dangers and what not with interactiomng with deeper parts of New Orleans, but at least making are way through the safer parts would be more enlightening for me than just driving through the lower 9th.

As I prepare to head to NOLA, I have a couple of hopes and expectations. Such as, how I hope to meet survivors and listen to their stories, learn about non-profits in NOLA and compare it to back at home in DC and in Trenton and finally watch musicians play jazz fest. My expectation for myself is that I can look at Katrina in the perspective of a resident instead of an outsider through feeling the energy and physically looking at the area in person. I want to paint and help build houses alongside my peers. What I know about NOLA is that mainly known for Katrina but also the music that is mixture of culture such as Afro-Cuban Jazz and I learned that the hurricane was predicted pretty early and many believe a little more could've been done to prevent some of the destruction and also many are still suffering today after over a decade since the Katrina.

Initial hopes for the trip to New Orleans is to learn about the city overall as well as develop a deeper comprehension of the effects of Hurricane Katrina that affect the locals to this day. I also hope that first year Bonners will get to bond more as we spend more time together through the drive and the service that will be completed together. I know that New Orleans is a melting pot of cultures that proudly display/celebrate their culture. The city is also the birthplace of jazz and many dishes such as gumbo. During service there, I hope to further advance my knowledge on the city as well as experience the culture (music, monuments, food, etc.), as well as to complete the houses we are assigned to build! Overall, I hope that first years, as a group, construct a deeper bond with one another as we complete the service task at hand and gain a better understanding of the city of New Orleans as a whole.

Growing up as a disney-obsessed and imaginative girl my first thought of New Orleans was always the setting of The Princess and the Frog. I always anticipated kind people, the heart of jazz music, and an evolving culture. Ten years later, although I may have realized that life is not always a fairytale, I truly hope for this experience to be both culturally enriching and eye-opening. As a Bonner Scholar, this past semester has allowed me to understand the social injustice and several forms of environmental racism implemented among the innocent citizens of New Orleans who continue to suffer from the effects of the recent hurricanes. In knowing this information, as a team, I know the service project will be an opportunity to provide assistance in the process of reconstruction for the disasters that have occured. Most importantly, even if the ultimate goal is to dedicate our time and make a difference, I also hope to have a memorable experience alongside my peers. Other than finally be...

I have never been to New Orleans and besides Mardi Gras I don’t know much about it. Through our FSP I learned a lot more about New Orleans and how the hurricane had such a big impact on the community. I have learned that the community is still very little and broken, and we are given the opportunity to help rebuild the city. My initial hopes and expectations of this trip is to learn more about the city, rebuild a house, and make stronger connections with my fellow Bonners. I hope to explore the city while I am there, try different places to eat, and visit the French Quarter. I also hope we can accomplish a lot with the house we are working on and hopefully we get to do some painting!

I hope that I get the opportunity to learn about the reality of racism and poverty in our current society. I hope that I am able to help the people and community I am serving as much as possible. I expect that I will be able to make a difference in New Orleans with my service. I know that New Orleans has a lot of poverty, contains a lot of pollution, and was severely damaged bu Hurricane Katrina in 2005. I hope to learn about the truth about how people are living in New Orleans. I am looking forward to any type of service that will the people and community of New Orleans.