Noah Shussett

Welcome Back New Orleans?

Posted by Noah Shussett on April 7, 2008 in 2008 Spring National Meeting, ACS Meetings

Dear readers of C&EN,

Yes, the weather is beautiful, the Hornets are in first place, and the annual week of debauchery known as Mardi Gras has returned to the French Quarter. But make no mistake, all is not well in New Orleans.

Two Halloweens ago, I came to the Crescent City and volunteered in the recovery effort after Hurricane Katrina. The work–throwing out ruined children’s toys, tearing down family photos with a crowbar, or reading FEMA markings on the front door of someone’s home—was hard to stomach. But helping was something I simply felt I had to do. Just writing about the experience brings back the choking smell and taste of the inside of damaged houses to the back of my throat.

Unfortunately, three years after the storm, not much has changed. Yesterday, I took a tour of the city with Isaiah Warner of LSU, his lovely wife Della, and Father Charles Andrus of Corpus Christi Church in the 7th Ward. As we traversed the damaged streets, I was able to return to places I saw—and worked in—before: Gentilly, Old Gentilly, Lakeview, the Upper 9th Ward, the Lower 9th Ward, and Ponchitrain Park. Swathes of land are sitting untended in these areas; it seems as if you are miles away from civilization rather than in a city. It looks all too familiar. (more…)

Posted in 2008 Spring National Meeting, ACS Meetings | 3 Comments »