HPH NOW, March 31, 2006, Students Stranded by Hurricane Katrina Leave Gift to HSPH

Tulane and Louisiana State University students who attended HSPH last fall after Hurricane Katrina swamped New Orleans have now returned to the Big Easy or have moved on with their careers-but not without leaving behind a poignant gift to HSPH.

On view in the corridor between the Kresge and FXB Buildings is a small, wooden door adorned with icons of New Orleans and of the disaster that brought 20 public health students to HSPH. The door is featured in the new Student Services display case there.

"We decided to use a door as a symbol because we were forced to close our own doors and leave New Orleans right after the hurricane, and then we found a new door opened to us by HSPH," explained Rob Maestretti, a student who helped organize the gift, which was given as a surprise to the Office for Student Services during a luncheon in December.

Kathryn Austin, James Glover, and Joann Wilson-Singleton

Kathryn Austin (l), James Glover, and Joann Wilson-Singleton with the door, which is now on display in the corridor between the Kresge and FXB Buildings

Stanley Hudson, Associate Dean for Student Services, accepted the gift on behalf of the Office and of the School, noting that there were many faculty and staff throughout HSPH who provided significant personal and professional support in order to help the New Orleans students during this difficult time.

The aged door, donated by The Old Bostonian furniture shop, measures about four feet high and a foot and a half across. The students crowned the top with a gold-colored fixture of a fleur de lis, a nod towards Louisiana's French-influenced history. Below the fixture is a symbol of New Orleans and its once thriving art community-an elaborate imprint of one of the city's water meters covers. These covers had dotted the city's streets-like beautifully wrought, small manhole covers-and the designs have been taken up by New Orleans artists. The students purchased a replica of a cover, which is near the top of the door and is the background to a working clock.

"We are very grateful to have been welcomed here, so the door is a thank you to HSPH," said Tanya Santiago. "It is also a symbol of New Orleans, where so much has happened. There is a lot of mourning and a lot of rebuilding, but people are still upbeat. That's New Orleans." Both Santiago and Maestretti will graduate from the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine this May.

Said James Glover, Director of Student Affairs, "This is a powerful and utterly unique gift that reflects these students' personal story as well as a chapter from our country's history."

The door also has affixed to it photos of the students and of New Orleans. Strings of brightly colored Mardi Gras beads hang from a crystal doorknob.

"I was amazed at the time and effort that these students put into this gift," said Kathryn Austin, Director of Student Financial Services. "They could have easily signed a thank you card, but they chose to give us something that will be remembered years from now."

Added Registrar Joann Wilson-Singleton, "The door really brings home that Hurricane Katrina wasn't just a tragic event. It was also an historic event. Individual people's lives were changed, and I'm glad that we had the opportunity to have a positive impact on a handful of those people. The door is an absolutely beautiful gift."

A Message to HSPH

The students from Tulane and Louisiana State Universities included a note explaining their gift, which they framed and affixed to the door. The note reads:

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina closed the doors to our homes, our schools, and our city. We thank HSPH for opening its door and extending a hand of friendship to make us feel at home, so that we may continue our education.
Our lives will be forever touched by your kindness,
hospitality, and generosity.

Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and Louisiana State University Students
Fall 2005