With public transportation restored and Reggie Bush running around a packed Superdome, life is slowly returning to normal for the 32 students who attended Dartmouth after Katrina displaced them from universities along the Gulf Coast. After two terms at Dartmouth, students returned to their respective universities. Almost nine months since their departure from Dartmouth, a lot has changed for these students and for New Orleans.
The Dartmouth caught up with three Tulane students that enrolled at Dartmouth last year.
All three students stated that Dartmouth made a large impact on them by opening doors when they were most in need, and providing them with a secure environment to keep to their studies.
"Dartmouth was good for me because the school helped me and other students when we were in need of a place to go and continue school," Tulane sophomore Ollie Kiel said. Kiel added that he was grateful for the chance to experience an Ivy League school.
As a freshman, Damion Mathis, now a sophomore at Tulane, felt that academics at Dartmouth were challenging, but they allowed him to prove he could get into the swing of college-level work, he said.
Krista Saubert, a current senior at Tulane, felt her time at Dartmouth was well spent and that she gained a lot.
"Being at Dartmouth helped make sure that I finished up one of my minors, which was useful," Saubert said. "Professor Levey is, without question, one of the coolest professors I've ever had. Taking his philosophy of language class is making me consider pursuing philosophy for a master's [degree] so I can look at that particular area more deeply."
While all three students expressed that they were excited to return to Tulane and settle into a routine, the transition has been a difficult one.
Upon returning, Mathis temporarily resided on a cruise ship while his apartment was under construction. Saubert experienced the difficulty of not having a car for the period of time when public transportation remained inconsistent.
Although Kiel was not very familiar with New Orleans prior to the hurricane, he feels that things are much better now than they were in January.
"The Tulane community feels back to normal and is as strong as ever," Keil said.
Despite an uptick in local business, entire areas of the city, including the Lower Ninth Ward, remain desolate.
"There are still empty areas in the city; tourism is still not back to normal," Kiel said. "The Lower Ninth Ward is still almost the same as it was after the hurricane, and I don't think a final plan has been made for what to do with the land."
Kiel added that the levees are still very weak and that increased crime has become an issue.
All three students are responding to the needs of their community by volunteering whenever possible.
"Doing community service and seeing other students from other universities coming down and doing the same is really inspiring," Mathis said.
Kiel has been involved in projects like painting an elementary school and gutting houses, while Saubert has centered his efforts on supporting local businesses and establishing patterns of patronage.
Although life has changed dramatically for the citizens of New Orleans, the city is getting back on its feet. All three students expressed that they perceived a new level of energy in the rebuilding city.
While all three students expressed gratitude for what Dartmouth provided them, they all agree that New Orleans is their home.
"New Orleans is alive and kicking, as it always should be," Mathis said.
