#saexplorers

Wednesday started in New Orleans after a fun dinner on the town. Tulane was generous enough to provide a lovely breakfast of eggs, grits, bacon, pastries, orange juice, and coffee! 

Tulane University is a research and educational concentrated institution. Today we got a chance to sit down with a few members of their College and Student Affairs staff. The Tulane history was rich with culture and it was amazing to hear how the school has evolved.  We also had the opportunity to discuss the Tulane’s culture before and after hurricane Katrina, and it was interesting to hear the different perspectives.  It was inspiring to hear how the staff, faculty, and the president rebuilt the school after the catastrophe. Each professional was gracious enough to share their journey to the world of higher education. The last portion of our day, was spent touring the beautiful campus where we visited the residence halls, academic quarters and significant land marks like the Mardi Gras tree.

Here are some fun facts about Tulane University

 Tulane University . . . . .

·         Started off as a public college, then became private

·         Began as a medical college after a yellow fever out break

·         Has nearly 300 student organizations

·         Is on the list of top 50 LGBQ friendly universities

·         Last freshman class represented over 40 states and nearly 20 countries

·         Over half the student population travels over 500 miles to attend Tulane  

The visit to Tulane University was an eye-opening, enjoyable experience.  From our discussion with Tulane administration to our campus tour, it was clear that the university has strong ties to the surrounding community.  When we spoke with the administrators, one of the first things they emphasized was their relationship with the community.  It was apparent that Hurricane Katrina heavily impacted the ways in which Tulane interacted with the other New Orleans universities and community.  The administration also spoke about newer initiatives to promote community service and service-learning.  They pointed out that, while this has a positive impact on many students, it is important to have faculty and staff buy-in to these types of initiatives.

We also talked about the rise of passion for service among the student body following Hurricane Katrina.  The faculty mentioned that a number of students took a year out of school to assist with recovery efforts. This passion for service seemed to hold true for the administrators with whom we spoke, as well.  We were impressed by the ways they seemed to support one another and the community, and we appreciate Tulane's efforts to improve the surrounding community and foster global citizenship among students.

After our enlightening visit with Tulane Student Affairs professionals, we changed into travelling clothes and prepared for our long drive to West Memphis, Arkansas and our next stop Mid-South Community College! However, the trip was broken up with a brief stop at Morgan Freeman’s restaurant Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksville, MS. We arrived late enough to catch part of the nightly performance and grab a bite to eat.