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Prior to the trip, the nine students participated in a “mini-mester” course that discussed equality, history, and local politics. Once in New Orleans, they participated in several service projects which included clean up, painting, gardening, and working with local agencies.

“It is hard to believe that it has been nine years that we’ve been going,” said Matthew Smith, director of student life and housing. “It was initially a response that Student Life helped students set up because they did not want to do something passive, like a clothing or food drive, after Hurricane Katrina. Each year we have taken nine to 15 students for the week and have worked on a variety of different projects.”

Smith said the first year, students were in full respirators taking moldy drywall down to assist residents with the recovery effort. “While there is still substantial work to be done, each year allows students to do something different, learn something about the area, the residents, and about themselves. The type of learning that is realized is very apparent through the journals they keep and the final projects they present in our course,” he added.

Images of their trip are posted on Instagram under #ciaasb2014.