A Word from the Gazette ...

New Orleans week began on Sunday with New Orleans king cakes and music on Parrish Beach. Sponsored by NOLArize!, it aims to focus on the situation in New Orleans through speakers, film screenings, and fund-raising events. According to Marissa Davis, one of the organizers of the week of events, NOLArize is a way for students to understand the different factors that make up life in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. “NOLArize is an organization that serves to raise awareness of the current situation in New Orleans and to bring up the social, political, cultural aspects of the city. New Orleans week is to introduce what NOLARIZE is about. We’re bringing speakers to campus who will create dialogue on issues of racism and classism,” Davis said. Davis came up with the idea for NOLArize after working for Katrina relief and working in a New Orleans youth camp last summer. However, she emphasizes that New Orleans week is the product of many Swarthmore students’ hard work. “The [NOLArize] steering committee has been the driving force behind New Orleans week”, she explained. Swarthmore students on the committee are Davis, John Boncard, Mara Phelan, Marsha-Gail Davis, Kyleh Field, and Nabta Idries. Davis believes that the New Orleans week began well on Sunday, but she hopes that more students will come to the lectures. “I think it was a decent turnout for the kickoff, but we are really hoping that when speakers come more people will be in attendance because the speakers are the main bulk of the week. The speakers we have will bring a fresh perspective as to what is going on,” Davis said. This week’s speakers include a social activist and a New Orleans public school educator, on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. Davis hopes that interest in New Orleans will remain after this week of events. “We don’t want to end it there. We want to encourage people to act,” Davis said.

Today:

This issue is from the time when we didn't save our weather jokes.

Tonight:

Utterly barbaric, I know.

Tomorrow:

But honestly? You're not missing much.