DukeEngage | Duke Center for Civic Engagement

I have a confession to make, and I feel as though it’s a slight personal failure on my part. While, before I arrived in NOLA I had decided that I would quickly partake in the activities which the city is known for… crawfish boils, Café Du Monde, Bourbon, the river, and of course the music (which I have yet to get enough of), just to name a few. However, it wasn’t until my seventh week here that I tried a dessert that is known as a NOLA staple; a snowball
It was a lucky circumstance that I was even able to try the frozen treat when I did, when I found myself with an unexpected day off, and no plans made yet. One of my friends found herself back from work early, and thus with an afternoon ahead of us, we decided not to waste it in the dorms doing things we could do back at home. Instead, we took the streetcar down to magazine, and decided to find a place we had heard from a reliable source had the best snowballs in town, Madam Globe’s Snowballs.
For those of you who don’t know, a snowball is similar to a snow cone, in that it consists of shaved ice and flavored syrup. But while, this is basically where the story of a snow cone ends, a snowball does so much more. The ice used is of a much finer variety, where the ice in a snow cone is much coarser. Also, instead of just ice and syrup, snowballs are packed down, and have something in the middle. This can be condensed milk, cream, or (my personal favorite, and the norm) ice cream. When I walked into the shop I knew I wanted one with the latter, I just didn’t know which flavor. However, I was momentarily distracted from my internal struggles by the sight of the actual shop. I’m not sure what I had been expecting, but it was by no means what I saw. The entire shop was pink and black, with very colorful, very cheery decorating. My personal favorites were the four beaded chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The shop isn’t very spacious, but it gives the whole place a very intimate feel, with its four tables and painted stools, and a sit-down counter in front of the windows.
Once I took in the appearance of the place, which I quickly decided that I loved, it was time to pick my snowball. I won’t even try to remember all the flavors available, but I will say that there are A LOT to choose from…something for even the pickiest palate. I was feeling consistent that day, so I decided on a butter cream vanilla snow cone, with vanilla ice cream in the middle, and my friend decided on a strawberry cheesecake syrup, also with vanilla ice cream. We hadn’t decided on staying before hand, but once we were inside the shop and met the friendly people who worked there, it was impossible to leave. Because the setting is so intimate, it’s impossible not to chat with the people sitting around you. And it was through our chatting that we learned that the lady with the overactive toddler sitting a table away was a Duke alum.
We talked excitedly about Duke then and now, and were midway through explaining our internships and the Duke Engage program when her little girl decided that she was ready to go, and then proceeded to run outside. The lady, who rather impressively noticed this even though she hadn’t been facing the girl at the moment (I’m convinced it’s the Mommy Sense), quickly gathered her things and ran after her with a quick goodbye and a “nice to meet you.” My friend and I left shortly after, extremely glad we had come, and already planning for our next visit.
 

I have about three weeks left in NOLA, but I am happy to say that when I leave, I won’t be leaving as just another tourist. At this point in my Duke Engage experience I am happy to say that I already feel like part of the city, instead of just a visitor to it. I remember our first meeting as a group back at Duke, where we ate Dillo and chatted while sitting on the floor outside the multicultural center (we were unfortunately locked out of the actual room). Students from the pilot program last year met with us and told us about their own experiences here. A common sentiment was that by the end of the program, they also felt like regular NOLA residents. I understand this feeling now, though I by no means have done everything I want to do here. However, I have learned several bits of knowledge that I believe tourists simply don’t stay long enough to gain. Here are some examples:

1. Most of the people who frequent Bourbon are tourists. Residents simply don’t do this
2. Café du Monde is graciously open 24 hours a day (but not the outside portion of the Café…if you simply look at this portion you will think it’s closed)
3. The best places to get Po Boys are the places that look the most run-down (we learned this lesson very early, thanks to Ashley)
4. You can always tell someone who has been in the city for a long time, versus someone who has only just arrived or is visiting. People who live here rarely wait for the pedestrian “green light” before crossing; others do.
5. The streetcar, according to the schedule posted on the transportation website, stops running at 12. In actuality, it could stop around 11:15. Those waiting at stops around 11:30 could be in for some disappointment
6. One of the best kept secrets (well at least I didn’t know about it) here is Riverview. There’s a park, and of course the river and patios and places for grilling. And also very interesting people
7. It’s in your best interest to go to as many different restaurants as you can
8. Streetcars take exact change only…I still feel bad for the people who come on and try to get change for a five.
9. Since it’s so hot and humid, the normal dress in New Orleans is somewhat skimpier than in most other places. But it still considered socially acceptable here.
10. And finally, the most important piece of knowledge I’ve gained concerning true immersion in the city is getting to know the people here. As trite as it sounds, it makes all the differences. My experience here would have been so much more touristy had I not heeded this advice.

I’ve only included ten things in this list, but I could make it make it much longer. We’ll save that for later. But in the meantime, I’ve still got about three weeks left as a NOLA resident, and I’m extremely grateful for it.
 

This past holiday weekend was a busy one, with the Essence festival happening and of course having an extra day to sleep in. The concert we went to on Friday was a good one, with several artists present, and the one that I was most excited to see, Kanye West. While I could go on and on about the concert and the subsequent events composing the remainder of our Friday night, I will instead skip that and talk about my Sunday. Sunday was an especially enjoyable day because myself and fellow NOLA engager Brintey Peguese had the opportunity to attend church with Patrick Thompson, the director of Black Campus Ministries back at Duke. He is also from New Orleans and was in town for the Essence Festival. His father serves as Pastor of a local Baptist church not too far from Loyola. I am the first to admit that I am not a morning person, even when I do get enough sleep (this unfortunately seldom happens). I will just say that it was exceeding difficult to wake up Sunday morning, but I’m very glad that I did.
One of the first group activities we took part in here was the Katrina Devastation bus tour, in which we got a small glimpse of the most damaged parts of the city, and of the on-going rebuilding efforts. While this was helpful in helping us see first-hand why we had come to NOLA, we watched from the comfort of our air-conditioned charter bus, and all the information we garnered from the trip was giving to us by our tour guide. And while he was definitely well-informed, I ended the tour feeling exactly how one would expect: like a tourist. This didn’t sit well with me, because I didn’t come here for sightseeing or pictures, I came because I wanted to feel like a contributing part of the community here. I wanted to become invested in the politics of the city and the progress being made; a tourist simply cannot do this.
This is why when Patrick had asked us how we had been exposed to the storm-damaged areas of the city and I told him of my doubts, he took us on a drive again, but this time we heard about New Orleans from his point of view. I realized that this is more of what I had wanted in the first place. Yes, it’s true that I was still in an air conditioned vehicle, but it wasn’t simply another tour. Every time Patrick pointed out something of significance, there was a story behind it. It wasn’t simply another house where you could still see the water line from the flooding. It was the house where he’d grown up and spent his childhood.
When we arrived at the church, we learned that they had had to locate to another building after the storm, and were still there. Once inside, Britney and I were immediately recognized as visitors and welcomed accordingly. Patrick delivered the sermon for that day, and afterwards his father discussed the refurbishing efforts. Apparently, the church is having a difficult time with the contractors rebuilding in the desired time frame, and are even considering taking legal action. Britney and I were treated to lunch with Patrick and his family, and from his father I learned a lot about rebuilding efforts and the trouble that has befallen some families and individuals. He agreed that for the most part rebuilding was going well, but contends that there is still much progress to be made.
 

A typical weekday for me involves waking up by 7:30, meeting Danny (the other intern for LPHI), by 8:15, and making it to the streetcar stop by 8:30. We’re walking through the doors of 1515 Poydras by 8:55. By approximately 9:00 we’ve taken the elevator to the twelfth floor of the building, the headquarters of the Louisiana Public Health Institute. Danny stops in the front where he is stationed occasionally (people unfortunately mistake him for the receptionist), and I make my way to the intern room, where my desk, computer and identity as “Intern 6” are all waiting. My boss Kara Wayman (who is affectionately called “Kay Way” by her co-workers) is the program manager for two of the programs that LPHI implements. I meet with her mostly every morning after we’ve both had our coffee (we both agreed that this is essential for friendly and productive meetings), and discuss what needs to be done for the day. By 9:15 it’s time to get started. After three weeks of this routine, I can honestly say that I love my job. I’m a pre-med student, and all of the internships that I’ve previously done have been in hospitals or clinics, shadowing different types of doctors. Many of the employees at LPHI are doctors or medical school students. However, instead of focusing on individual patient care, they also work in health policy.
The purpose of LPHI essentially is to rebuild and replenish the depleted healthcare system of Katrina-damaged New Orleans, as well as improving the health of the entire state of Louisiana. This is a lofty goal; the state of Louisiana suffers from levels of diabetes, obesity, and tobacco use well over the national averages (which are themselves too high). What’s worse, New Orleans suffers from specific problems induced by the hurricane that I hadn’t even considered before. For example, a major problem for the city is the fact that many of the displaced individuals who worked in healthcare haven’t come back yet. This means that while much of the city has regained some of the vibrancy that it had prior to Katrina, the healthcare system is seriously lacking. Imagine being encouraged to come back to NOLA only to find that there aren’t enough doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to serve your community? This is a problem that LPHI works to ameliorate.
On my very first day as an intern, I was pleasantly surprised when the founder of LPHI took the time out of his day to meet with the two new (lowly) interns. He has both his M.D. and his PhD. He asked both Danny and I our career aspirations, and we’d told him that we’re both interested in medicine. Danny mentioned that he was also interested in health policy, while I admitted that I hadn’t thought about it before. Dr. Kimbrell shared the reason why he himself had opted to work with health policy after serving as a practicing physician for a number of years. “With medicine,” he said, “you work trying to save the world one patient at a time. It’s a worthy field, but you find at the end of the day that you can only see so many patients.” He told us that with health policy, you view medicine from an entirely different perspective. The work that you do affects thousands, and even millions of people.
I’ve remembered this conversation every day since it occurred. It is one of many things I keep in mind while going about my daily work routine. And speaking of that, it’s work until 11:30 or so and then walking back to the elevators and going down for lunch with the other interns. We stop at the front desk to pick up Danny the Secretary (I’m kidding Danny, I’m kidding), and then walk to a nearby restaurant for food. By 12:30 it’s back to work again, with the occasional break of course. One that many of the interns take everyday is going to chat with AJ, the guy I inherited my desk, computer, and identity as “Intern 6” from. AJ is one of the first people to make the move from intern to full-time employee, and now he has his own office. I visit him daily with the pretense of talking to him, but quietly, I love the view from his office. It’s a perfect view of downtown, but the best thing about it is that you get an amazing glimpse of the infamous Superdome. LPHI headquarters is located directly across from the Superdome, ironically enough. Thus everyday around three or so I sit facing the building I saw on the news for months during news coverage of Katrina. The building now thankfully looks vastly different than the images from years ago. However, no amount of refurbishment could erase the memories I have of watching as thousands of families lived in that very building in poor, unsanitary, and simply unacceptable conditions for weeks.
I think it ironic that this building is located across from LPHI, an organization dedicated to improving the health conditions for the people of Louisiana. However, it is what it is, and by 3:30 it’s time for me to go back to my desk. From here I work until 5:29, shut down my computer, and prepare for the 0.7 mile walk back to the St. Charles streetcar. It’s back through the hall and down the elevator and through the doors (this event is usually accompanied by some remark about the heat and humidity), and around the corner. One last glimpse of the Superdome and then the walking begins again.
 

“When you see the Garden District, you’ll be wondering why you’re here.” This is what I was told as I rode from the airport to Loyola University where we would be staying for the next six weeks. Sure enough, the Garden District of New Orleans is absolutely beautiful…the flowers, the trees, and especially the houses. It’s clearly an affluent part of town. So for the past week, I have been living here and commuting downtown to the Health Institute for work via the St. Charles streetcar. Interestingly enough, at the moment it’s St. Charles street and not the more prominent Bourbon that is my favorite street here so far…It’s lined with shops, clubs and restaurants that I am looking forward to visiting.
Thus far, my Duke Engage trip sounds suspiciously like a vacation…so maybe the question that I was told I would pose to myself, “Why am I here?” is one that I should think about. And after two days in the Garden District I was prepared to do so. Well, interestingly enough that was the amount of time I needed to find my answer.
What I’ve learned about New Orleans so far is that it seems like several different cities instead of just one. The affluent Garden District is just one part of the story. I experienced another part of the story when a group of us were hungry on the way to one of what I am sure will be many Wal-Mart runs. Being new to the city, of course we had to stop for Po Boys. Instead of opting for a fancy restaurant, we went to a random hole-in-the-wall where you can find the best ones (remember this!). It was a neighborhood place on Washington Avenue, where everyone who usually comes in is from close by. So when we rolled up 10 deep in our van and walked in, the inquisitive stares we received made it clear that people knew that we weren’t’ from around.
So we ordered, got our food, and ate in front of this place, all sitting down in a line on the curb. This was both my first introduction to New Orleans humid heat (I thought I was ready for the heat being from Atlanta, but this humidity is not a joke…it makes a difference!), and to another New Orleans…a part that didn’t have houses that could make it on cribs. I didn’t feel unsafe or uncomfortable, but I no longer felt like a tourist. By the time I’d eaten all I could of my shrimp Po Boy, we noticed a homeless guy. He asked us where we were from, and we told him that we went to Duke in North Carolina. He told us if we wanted to kidnap him and take him back with us, he would tie his arms together himself, because it had to be better back there than it was here. We laughed at his dry humor and when we were ready to throw our food away, he gave us a box and told us to put our leftover in it, because he knew people who would want it. So we did this, and we left. Back in the van, I thought about the reasons why I had initially decided to come to New Orleans, and I decided that my preconceived notions weren’t necessarily correct. The city has made a lot of progress, and it is a lot different from the images that I saw on the news two years ago. But going to the city and just seeing the Garden District is misleading as well…the city isn’t perfect either. The reason that I’m here is because there’s still a lot of work to be done.