by Mike Schnitzel
After graduating South in 2005, Goldman was all set to begin her freshman year at Tulane when Katrina struck and forced the evacuation of the city. Goldman attended Columbia University in Manhattan during the semester that Tulane was closed, but felt that the Tulane experience was much better and worth coming back for.
Since returning to New Orleans in January, Goldman has been part of the city¹s revitalization efforts, cleaning up garbage on the side of highways in St. Bernard¹s Parish and repainting the basement of a school.
³It was a no-brainer for me to come back,² said Goldman. ³I love it here. This city has so much character and it¹s such a unique place to go.
³Academically, [Columbia] was a great experience, but the people weren¹t that friendly,² said Goldman. ³The energy [at Tulane] is just spectacular because everyone who came back here after the hurricane really wanted to be here.² Tulane President Scott Cowan said in a phone interview that he is proud of students like Goldman who have shown their commitment to the university and city by returning to help out. Beginning this fall, Cowan said that public service will become a requirement for graduation, a way to help rebuild New Orleans and teach life lessons to the students.
³I think the students of Tulane have distinguished themselves as no other college students in the United States have distinguished themselves,² said Cowan.
³It has been extremely gratifying.² Incoming freshman Zach Steingam is excited by the Tulane energy and environment. Steingam, who graduated from South this June, was impressed with the beauty of the campus, and how it looks so different from pictures taken in the wake of the hurricane.
³The campus is back to 100 percent from what I¹ve seen,² said Steingam. ³On the way from the [Louis Armstrong] airport, you still see a lot of devastation around the lakeside area when you drive along the I-10, but the school has come back.² Goldman agreed, saying, ³The area around the campus has been reinvigorated.² While the French Quarter and the Garden District have also seen major improvements, Goldman said that many areas around New Orleans still show signs of devastation.
³There is a glimmer of hope for recovery,² said Goldman. ³I don¹t think it will ever be like it was before, but people are coming back and it¹s still a great place to be.²
Andrew Coen contributed to this story. Comments about this story?
Mschnitzel@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 265.
