Who Dat! - Tommy Mladenetz

It's been more than a week now since we've been back from New Orleans. After watching the Saint's win last night, I had a funny feeling when I saw the game winning field goal sail through the uprights. I never really cared for the Saints until going to NOLA on our trip. After the announcers continued to discuss how great the Saint's fans are, and how much they have been through, I knew exactly what they were talking about, since we saw the devastation of Katrina, firsthand. After showing shots of how happy the fans in the Superdome were, they then showed a live feed of Bourbon Street and the craziness that was ensuing there. I vividly remember the exact spot they showed, and then shouted at my TV, "I was there!". Basically, what I am trying to say is that I am more than happy that the Saint's are going to the Super Bowl, because it brought great joy to the city and to the citizens that we all got to meet. I don't want to jinx them, but if the Saints do indeed win it all, I can't even imagine how crazy the fans will go in New Orleans. They have been through so much and I believe they would appreciate a SuperBowl win as more than just championship rings for the team, but also a win for the city that truly deserves it. Who Dat!

Looking Back - Dave Karas

It is hard to believe that it has been exactly a week since I was last in New Orleans, wrapping up after a week of working at Mr. Alvin's house. I feel as though our work there is not over, and that I should be at the job site, ready to work again on Monday morning.

It is hard to collect all of my observations gathered in our journey. From viewing the devastation left by Katrina, to experiencing the culture of New Orleans, to driving through the night and spending time with friends, it seems like we were there for much longer than a week.

I could not be more grateful and appreciative of the opportunity to take part in this service trip, and to have a hand in the rebuilding of the city. Ever since the storm first hit, I felt that there was something that I personally should do, and now I feel that I have been able to fulfill that duty, at least to a small degree. And I hope to have the opportunity to return to New Orleans again to pick up where other volunteers leave off, and to see how Mr. Alvin is doing!

It has been difficult to watch coverage of what has happened in Haiti. I often find myself avoiding the news channels and stories, afraid to see more photos of the great tragedies and casualties. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for residents there, and my heart and prayers go out to all who have been affected.

Complete Reflection- Ryan Gale

Almost a week after getting back from New Orleans, the memories of the trip are still fresh. In the wake of the tragedy in Haiti, it almost seems that our work was trivial in New Orleans, seeing as the city is not still in total ruin, and the casualty rate is incomparable. However, the work we did was nonetheless important. It is important to be able to come back and inform others that New Orleans still needs a lot of work and volunteers are still needed. It is hard to impress upon people the need that there is still, especially in the wake of Haiti.

I hope to be able to go down again for the next two years, as I am beginning to learn the areas of New Orleans in the short two weeks that I've been there between this year and last year. Although the weather driving back made the trip difficult, we made it back safe and without any complications which is all anyone can ask for. I look forward to continuing to tell the story of New Orleans and the help that is still needed down there.

All in All- Courtnee Wright

As much as I may have complained or believed that we were not making enough progress from the late starts, the week was a terrific outcome. My group completely gutted a room, and the period left, we were able to put in the flooring and the dry wall for the ceiling. As much as I would love to see a finish product, our house owner was rejoiced to see the progress that we had made. In addition, seeing her happy and content made me realize how proud I should have been to see our result. I learned differnet skills, and I gained an experience that I would never change. Ultimately, I was happy to be apart of my group and produce all the results we made.

Can't Believe It's Over- Jackie

I still cannot believe today is our last day. It seems so odd that by Tuesday I felt like I was just settling in and then by Thursday I became aware that we would be leaving soon. I felt sad yesterday to say goodbye to my homeowner and the house. It felt like we had been almost living there for so long and before we knew it, it was time to go. We made a lot of progress on the room we were working on. We had finished the floor, finished putting sheetrock on the cealing and we were almost done with the walls. I had a lot of fun measuring and sawing wood and I am glad Brian was confidence in us to let us use tools we were not familiar with. I am going to miss Mrs Rosaline as well as her dog Jewel who kept us entertained the whole time we were there. Dinner yesterday was really fun. I ate aligator for second time and tried frog legs which were delicious. I got to dance with the dancing instructor which was also fun, and had a ball with the conga line we created in the restaurant. I also got a chance to experience the french quarter again in all its craziness on a Friday night. I really wish we were staying here longer and it saddens me to know that we are leaving. I am very glad I came and had a chance to hear the stories of victims and to contribute to their homes. These memories will always stay with me and it has been a blessing to have been part of this Katrina effort once more. Still, this really cannot be my last time here and I am going to make every effort to come back.

My site- Jacqueline Abbey

I have been having a great time working on my site and with fellow Bonners. Our responsibilities were to demolish a room at our home owner's house and rebuild the room back up. I have to admit, it was pretty fun hammering and ripping everything apart since we never get a chance to do something like that. I do not think I have seen so many pieces of wood in my life. With the guidance of Brian (our site leader) we were able to take the ceiling, floor and walls apart efficiently with no casualties. My team really worked well together to coordinate our tasks for the day and everyone contributed to the work at hand. I could tell that our homeowner (Mrs Rosaline) was very happy with our progress and her company along with her humor lightened our spirits and kept us going. I am not sure if we are going to be done with the room but I always like to look at the glass half full. We have made a lot of progress and have made contributions towards the completion of our homeowner's home.

End of the Week - Tommy Mladenetz

Well with today comes the end of our five solid days or work. We have pretty much finished drywalling and mudding at our site. It has been an awesome week at our site and it is amazing how much work we have done. At the beginning of the week, I had never even held a spackling knife in my life and at the end, I have had the experience of even doing whole walls and corners. I really enjoyed working with my team and we had moments that will be great stories for a long time to come. After working today, we had the chance of visiting the neighborhood of Hollygrove, in which Lil' Wayne was born and raised. Now we are back at Olive Tree and I am looking forward to going out tonight in the French Quarter again. It's sad that we are leaving tomorrow but I hope to make the best of our last night here in New Orleans.