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BY APOLLINE BERTY

In print | November 8, 2007

The newly formed group New Orleans Louisiana rising, also known as NOLArize, will be hosting a New Orleans Week on campus focused on encouraging students to get involved in various issues and connect with the New Orleans community. New Orleans Week will last from Sunday Nov. 11 to Nov. 17.

NOLArize was recently founded by students who had been involved with various Katrina Relief groups on campus in the past.

“In the past, efforts from Swarthmore have been on the more [physical] rebuilding of the city. NOLArize is all about raising awareness about the social, racial, economic conditions in New Orleans that the storm obviously exposed, as well as highlighting the vibrant culture and community of New Orleans, of this honestly one of kind city, and getting other people to fall in love [with it],” said Mara Phelan ‘10, a member of the NOLArize Steering Committee. The group is thus centered around several elements, one consisting of rebuilding the city and addressing problems and issues brought to awareness by the hurricane, and another concerned with the appreciation of the city’s community and culture.

“Two pieces [emerge]: there’s the issues side and the community and culture. That’s what our mission’s about, those two separate parts,” Phelan said.

The group is not as much focusing on Katrina Relief as on the culture of New Orleans. “We’re not relieving people from Hurricane Katrina anymore, we’re just helping New Orleans at this point because we love it,” said Nabta Idries ’10, another member of the Steering Committee.

The week will begin with King Cakes and music from New Orleans, followed by a screening of the documentary “When the Levees Broke.” There will be another screening later that week on the Indian Mardi Gras tradition, “All on a Mardi Gras Day,” and a Sharples takeover. NOLArize has also invited two speakers from New Orleans whom Marissa Davis ’08 met during the summer as she interviewed them for her thesis and worked on opening the first Cut-Off Youth Library in New Orleans.

One of the speakers, Carol Bebelle, is the leader of the Ashe Cultural Arts Center and had worked with Davis at a summer camp prior to the interviews. “Every time I’ve spoken with her there’s just this hope that comes out of what she speaks of, but at the same time I think she tries to be realistic of the situation in New Orleans and I’m hoping that that is what she’ll be able to share,” Davis said. The other speaker is the Mardi Gras Indian Queen Cherise Harrison-Nelson, founder of the Mardi Gras Indian Hall of Fame.

Davis stressed that most of the week would focus on these speakers as only rarely would it be that people from the Swarthmore community would be able to benefit from the presence of speakers from New Orleans directly on campus. “My biggest wish is that people will be in attendance at these events, particularly for the speakers because for too long the media has portrayed this image of [people] who have done a lot more than what they would be credited for, and to have those voices from those communities actually here on the campus and to have the Swarthmore community have access to these people — I think that is exactly what NOLArize is about and what we’re trying to do,” Davis said.

“This is a new group, a lot of people don’t know what we’re all about. So, it’s basically introducing ourselves and our greater mission and also pressing help from the community to see how they can work with us in accomplishing what we’re trying to do, which is rebuilding New Orleans, Louisiana, not just physically but emotionally,” explained John Boucard ’10, yet another member of the Steering Committee.

Phelan also emphasized the importance of New Orleans as a pillar of American Culture. “We understand that we are not experts on New Orleans culture and particularly New Orleans black culture. We are neither the greatest politicians [nor] the movers and shakers of this community but we are friends and we are vehicles for the voice of the people to be heard,” Davis said.

Boucard explained that after New Orleans week, NOLArize will focus on working directly with youths by possibly starting a pen pal program and also bringing twenty to thirty students to Swarthmore College to “them to things that they’re not seeing in New Orleans.”

“Last year we worked with a community center in the cutoff region of New Orleans, Algiers, and our main focus right now is those kids and once we have more experience, see how successful that program is we can expand,” Boucard said. NOLArize is also fundraising to provide the Cut-off Youth Library with computers.

There will be another trip to New Orleans at some point during the school year to rebuild marshes, continue working with the Cut-Off community center and build more libraries.

“Please, people, show up,” Davis said. “I think it’ll be very powerful when people from New Orleans, who have been almost forgotten, will see that there are people still invested and care about continuing the efforts to rebuild their city and to understand that we can build a partnership.”

New Orleans Week HighLights

Sunday, November 11 – New Orleans Week Kickoff

Music of New Orleans with a side of King Cakes, 1p.m. – 4.p.m in Shane Lounge

Wednesday, November 14

Socialist and Culturist Activist Carol Bebelle on Culture and Community

Before and After the Storm, 4:30p.m. – 6p.m. in Bond Hall

Sharples Takeover New Orleans Style, 6p.m. – 7:30p.m. in Sharples

Thursday, November 15

New Orleans Public School Educator, Community Activist and Mardi Gras

Indian Queen Cherise Harrison-Nelson on Education and Mardi Gras

Indian Culture Before and After the Storm, 8p.m. – 10p.m. in Science Center 101

Friday, November 16

NOLArize! Panel / Workshop, 5p.m. – 6p.m. in Kohlberg 116

Saturday, November 17

NOLArize! Benefit Concert / Party, 9p.m. – 12a.m. in Olde Club

Schedule Courtesy of Steering Committee of NOLArize

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