Ring the Bells !! We have Good News!!

It's time to celebrate! (Yes, I know, I'm bragging now, but good news is so scare in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans that we need to enjoy it when we get it.) I have successfully completed my first year with AmeriCorps and got a certificate (see the story below). In recognition of this and my work at St. Vincent de Paul -- Adult Learning Center, I received a certificate of appreciation from the school as well -- officially signed by Sr. Lory herself. (See photo at left.)

It has been a great year, and I look forward to year two at SVDP-ALC and with Literacy*AmeriCorps New Orleans. My thanks to everyone who has helped make this day possible.

-- Adrian

Time to Celebrate!!

As the photo shows, I have just received my Certificate of National Service for AmeriCorps -- L*AC, Literacy*AmeriCorps New Orleans.

This is evidence of my completing one full year of teaching and tutoring with our AmeriCorps group. It was a great year, and there is plenty more where that came from. I am still with SVDP-ALC and will return again to L*AC in late September... and still be with SVDP-ALC then too.

Yes, it is something to celebrate and be thankful for. Our Literacy*AmeriCorps New Orleans group finished a few days ago with 17 of us getting certificates. Life in post-Katrina Greater New Orleans has been very, very difficult; but Literacy*AmeriCorps has helped to educate many, many students. And L*AC helped to make possible the first ever regional GED graduation held in Louisiana (held in May at Loyola University). Our group sent teachers/tutors out to eleven different service sites around Greater New Orleans to Delgado Community College, the Hispanic Apostolate, YMCA Educational Services, various programs at the New Orleans Public Library, Ochsner Hospital, NOPLAY, YEP, a host of others ... and, of course, to the St. Vincent de Paul -- Adult Learning Center where I taught and represented L*AC. Furthermore, L*AC helped out many times in our community in various service projects from participating in Earth Fest at Audubon Park, helping with the Literacy Alliance and One Book One New Orleans event supporting the Katrina-flooded 9th Ward and, of course, helping to fix the outside of a house severely damaged in Hurricane Katrina in Lakeview, where many houses were under 8 to 10 feet of toxic flood water.

Our L*AC group did a lot this year to help recovering New Orleans. My thanks to everyone who has helped make this possible.

-- Adrian

Sunset and the Station -- a photo from Weeks Heist, USAP pen pal

Another great photo of the sunset over the South Pole Station in Antarctica sent to us from our school's pen pal, Weeks Heist, from his website. Notice that the sun always sits low on the horizon. In the photo you can see the Eleveated Station and the giant telescope used by the scientsts there. Also, note the guidelines at left designed to help people find their way in the ice field. (See Weeks' website for more info and photos: http://www.weeksjr.com/ Weeks permitted us to use this and other photos from his website to post to our blog. If you visit his site, you will see many wonderful photos of Antarctica. But please ask permission from Weeks first before using or re-posting these photos and be sure to credit Weeks for the photos if you use them, thanks.)

-- Adrian

Weeks Heist, USAP pen pal, at the South Pole

Here is a very fine photo from our pen pal Weeks Heist who lives and works at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica. He is standing in front of the new Elevated Station near a sign indicating where the actual South Pole is. (They stuck a pole in the ground there just like in the Bugs Bunny cartoons.) The U.S. flag flies nearby. What a great photo! Thanks, Weeks.

-- Adrian

Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in "Summer"

Our school's pen pal Jason McDonald, who lives at the South Pole, sent us this cool photo of the Elevated Station.

If you notice the semi-circle of flags in front, you will also see a small pole in the middle of the circle. That is the actual "South Pole." That is where the geographic South Pole is. (They really did stick a pole in the ground there, just like in the Bugs Bunny cartoons.)

Right now it is still dark at the Pole, but the sun should return in late September. (See the other photo below which Jason also sent to get a different view of the area.) Jason and the other Antarctica pen pals have been helping to educate our students -- and our teachers too-- about life in Antarctica. All of our pen pals are with the U.S. Antarctic Program which is a part of the National Science Foundation. Jason is also an LSU Tigers fan since he is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana which is right up the road from New Orleans. Thanks for the cool photos, Jason -- Adrian

South Pole Station in Sunlight, From Jason McDonald USAP

Jason McDonald of the US Antarctic Program sent us this great photo of where he lives at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica. The photo was taken in the Antarctic "summer" which occurs in our winter months. It is still dark right now in Antarctica, but the sun should return in late September.

This photo is good because it helps us see both the new elevated station -- where everyone lives now-- and the old dome which is where people used to live but is now a supply base.

Jason was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, so he knows all about life in both exotic Antarctica and exotic New Orleans. Thanks for the photo, Jason! -- Adrian

The Baby has Arrived !!

Meet the latest addition to Literacy*AmeriCorps: Gibson Fischer. He weighs 8 pounds, 3.2 ounces. He is 20 inches long. And like most New Orleanians, he is a Night Owl, having arrived in this world at about 3 AM on last Thursday.

His mom Sarah, our Literacy*AmeriCorps New Orleans director, and his dad Owyn are both doing just fine (see other photos below); and we at St. Vincent de Paul wish them well and every happiness!!

Welcome to New Orleans and the World, Gibson, from all of us at SVDP-ALC
-- Adrian

The Story of the Year for Literacy*AmeriCorps: Sarah and Baby

Literacy*AmeriCorps (L*AC) has a new family member -- Gibson. This beautiful photo is of Sarah Fischer, the director of L*AC in New Orleans, and her new baby, Gibson, who arrived just last week.

We at SVDP-ALC are thrilled by the new arrival and are very glad that mom, dad, and baby are healthy and doing just fine.

Congratulations, Sarah, from all of us at SVDP-ALC !!

-- Adrian

Baby Gibson and his Mom and Dad -- New Addition to Literacy*AmeriCorps Family

The wonderful photo (above) is of Baby Gibson and his dad, Owyn Fischer. Owyn is Sarah's husband; and Sarah is the director of Literacy*AmeriCorps New Orleans (L*AC).

Sarah and Gibson are in the second photo. Read much more about Sarah in our "Story of the Year 2008" article at http://svdpalc.blogspot.com/2008/08/story-of-year-for-literacyamericorps.html

L*AC works with SVDP-ALC to help educate adult learners in New Orleans.

Gibson just arrived last Thursday; and he is already wildly popular with the students, teachers, volunteers, and staff at SVDP-ALC. The photos of Baby Gibson, Owyn, and Sarah are now on our Antarctica Bulletin board too at the school!

Congratulations and Best Wishes

From all of us at SVDP-ALC!!

-- Adrian

Miss Sharon's Jazzy New Orleans Red Beans and Rice Recipe

(In an effort to improve literacy skills, we at SVDP-ALC have decided to take advantage of one of the things Hurricane Katrina could not destroy -- our great food! So, we asked some of our students to write their recipes for great New Orleans dishes. Here is Sharon Kenney, a wonderful student at SVDP-ALC and her recipe for home-made New Orleans Red Beans and Rice. This is a very, very popular dish in the Crescent City; and it is traditionally served every Monday. Historically, Monday was wash day in New Orleans; and the beans would cook all day while the washing was done. Sharon's recipe jazzes up the dish with some extra flavors and spices.

-- Adrian)

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice Recipe

By Sharon Kenney

Red Beans and Rice is a really famous dish in Old New Orleans, and it really tastes great. It is healthy too.

List of Ingredients:

1. Smoked Sausage; 2. Ham cut in chunks; 3. Onions cut up, garlic, parsley; 4. Dry red beans.

Cook rice separatly, season to taste.

How to cook Red Beans:

1. Wash beans first, then throw away water.

2. Soak beans in new water for many hours, if possible. Then throw away water.

3. Onion, cook in a big pot with garlic and parsley.

4. Add beans and new water to cover beans, cook on low, stir.

5. Sausage and ham must be pre-cooked already. Cut them up and add to the beans, cook.

6. Add salt and pepper to taste while cooking. Add Louisiana-style hot sauce (or cayenne) to taste to individual plate after cooking, if you want.

7. Cook beans down for 2 and 1/2 hours or more, add water as needed, stir. Cook until soft and creamy. Cover pot while cooking.

How to Serve the Beans:

Serve over rice with French Bread or dinner rolls. Serve with lettuce and tomato salad with olive oil or mayonnaise. Pecan pie or apple pie are good for dessert.

(This sounds great, Sharon. I can't wait to try it. Gumbo, Red Beans and Rice, and Jambalaya are really the main three dishes in New Orleans especially to feed a large crowd for Mardi Gras gatherings at home, parties, or anytime really. -- Adrian)

Pop Quiz: Are these photos from Antarctica or New Orleans?

The Quiz Question is which of these photos come from Antarctica and which come from New Orleans?

The answer is that all come from the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica EXCEPT the one photo of the street with the building with a "Spanish Lace" balcony. That one I took on Frenchmen Street in the Faubourg Marigny in New Orleans near the French Quarter.

Yes, these Polies look like they could make it big in the Big Easy with that great looking food and the proper Mardi Gras costume attire. Actually, the great looking cuisine comes courtesy of the lady in charge of the food supply at the Pole, Leah Webster. (That's Leah in the red dress.)

Polies celebrate various days and events at the Pole like Mid Winter, the Sun Rise and Sun Set, and other key days much as we do with Mardi Gras, St. Patrick's and St. Joseph's days, the French Quarter Festival, Jazz Fest, and others.

They don't have these fancy events all the time at the Pole, but we don't have a party everyday in New Orleans either. But "Personal Pizza Night" at the Pole looks really good to me as does the costume party for Sun Set Dinner. They also celebrate "hamburger dinner night" which we will discuss in another post later. Thanks again, Leah, for the great photos.

-- Adrianl

Alenander Solzhenitsyn Died in Moscow Today

(This is a "file photo" from the internet of Alexander Solzhenitsyn when he was a prisoner in the Gulag, the Soviet forced labor camp system.)

Note: We at the SVDP-ALC blog do not cover the news of the world. We leave that to other people. We cover news about our school and topics which relate to literacy education. However, an event of great significance has occurred today, sadly, which relates both to literacy and literature as well as to the issue of social justice -- which is a subject we are concerned with at our school and blog.

One of the greatest authors of our time has died -- Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

I first truly learned about this Nobel Prize winning writer when studying Russian literature at Loyola University in New Orleans with Professor Rochelle Ross (who was born in Russia, lived in Israel, became an American citizen, and taught at Loyola for many years). I was in many literature and language courses with Professor Ross, but two stand out in my mind: Justice in Russian Literature and Freedom in Russian Literature. Most of the skills I learned in language and literature, which I use today to teach my students at SVDP-ALC, I learned at Loyola from her. This included a study of the works of Solzhenitsyn.

Solzhenitsyn revealed to the world the terrible truth about the brutality of Communism, especially as it existed under Josef Stalin. Solzehnitsyn's book One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich brought him international acclaim not only as a great writer but as a moral thinker. Some have called him the conscience of Russia, and to a large extent, the conscience of the world. Like the character in his book, Solzhenitsyn himself was put into the Gulag (Soviet prison labor camp system) for being a political dissident.

Other works of his include The Gulag Archipelago, Cancer Ward, The First Circle, and others.
The SVDP-ALC blog takes note of this day in history, and in our geography class we will discuss this topic with our students further.

Solzhenitsyn once said: "Justice is conscience, not a personal conscience but the conscience of the whole of humanity. Those who clearly recognize the voice of their own conscience usually recognize also the voice of justice.”
May we all learn from his experiences and writings.
--Adrian

The Moon at the South Pole, a John Miller photo

John Miller of the USAP sent us this incredible photo from the South Pole. (See photo at left.) It is of the Moon, strangely with the glow of a cross, over the ice near the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica, which is where he is now with our other pen pals. You will note the flags as well. The sun is not shining there now but will return in later September.

Here is some of what John wrote to us:

"Hello everyone from the dark side of the world. Hope everyone is having a pleasant summer and enjoying sunshine and warm temperatures. We are heading into the last really dark days of winter with the passing of the moon which won’t come back for another two weeks, and then about two weeks past that the sun will begin to peek above the horizon once again with the solstice coming on September 21st.
I took some good pictures of the moon, which was almost full, that had rays shooting out of four sides in the shape of a cross. The sight of this cross was absolutely awe inspiring; pictures do not do the sight justice. If you look closely you can see a very faint aurora in the picture as well."

(Thanks again, John, for the amazing photo from Antarctica. -- Adrian)

Robert Burch, Ph. D. -- Guest Writer on Science

(We at SVDP-ALC are very happy to welcome our next guest writer, Robert Burch, Ph. D. If the name sounds familiar, that is because you read about his father at our blog at our July 19th post about World War 2. I first met Robert when we were students at Jesuit High in New Orleans, and we stayed in contact via mail and email over the years. He now lives up north with his wife Mary, who is also a Ph. D., and their children. He is still very interested in New Orleans and especially the state of education in post-Katrina New Orleans. He has been following our school's blog and has advised me many times on scientific aspects concerning our Antarctica project. After Jesuit, he went to college at Tulane University in New Orleans and then graduate school in chemistry at the University of California at Berkeley.
I asked Robert the following question: Why should someone want to study science? This is the key question for our students. And here is his reply.
-- Adrian)


The Wonders of Science
By Robert Burch, Ph. D.

Do you ever wonder what makes things tick? For example, why do seeds sprout? What causes your heart to beat? What is a rainbow? Why are the days longer in the summer than the winter? All of us have a natural sense of curiosity about the world around us to one degree or another. That’s the stuff of science. It’s the study of the natural and physical world around us, so that we can make it understandable.

I remember a special moment I had early in school. It was in science class, and the teacher taught us about simple machines. There are six of them – pulleys, levers, wedges, incline planes, wheel & axle, and screw. The teacher showed us that examples are all around us, both in manmade machines and in the natural world. It was an Aha! moment for me, because of two things the teacher did. She showed us that complicated machinery is often nothing more than a careful assembly of lots of simple machines. This meant for me that complicated things could be understood in simple terms. Once again, it was the stuff of science.

I remember her teaching us about “mechanical advantage”, which was using basic arithmetic to figure out how much benefit these simple machines could provide in carrying out a job. For me, this was an inkling that science could be used to advantage in real life situations in ways that we could precisely define before even doing the job. It meant that science not only satisfied my curiosity but could be made useful to make people’s lives better. You can call that the practical application of science, or “technology”.

The practical application of science translates into all sorts of arts and crafts and trades we do in the adult world. It’s the basis for things. For instance, if you are a boat welder, how do you know what kind of material to use to weld the joint or what temperature? It comes from science. If you are a painter, how do you know what kind of paint to use for a certain job? It depends on using the right scientific formulation for the conditions the paint is exposed to. If you are a health care worker, how do you know when you’ve provided sanitary conditions for your patients? You use the scientific knowledge you have of how and where germs grow. As a consumer, how do you know what consumer information to believe? You apply the basic science you learned to the consumer product and how you intend to use it.

The sense of wonder and the practical application of science in everyday life, those are the reasons to study science. I made a career out of science, but you don’t have to make it a career to get a lot of benefit out of studying science.

(Thanks, Robert, for helping our students better understand the importance of science. Yes, a knowledge of science is especially important in the technological world of today; and, as our Antarctica project has shown, science can be fascinating and fun to learn too. -- Adrian)

Remember Katrina: Miss Kitty, the Post-Katrina Cat

Allow me to introduce you to a personal friend of mine who sadly passed away last year. Her name is Miss Kitty (see photo at left, wearing a red cat sweater for Christmas time). Miss Kitty and I became good friends while I was "a displaced person" in Hurricane Katrina. Miss Kitty belonged to my sister Marci and her husband Chris -- although I am sure that in Miss Kitty's mind she simply graciously allowed them to take care of her and open her cans of cat food and tuna fish. For quite some time Miss Kitty was my constant friend while I was in Virginia. I would talk to her and she would meow back; it was one of the most civilized and enlightening conversations I have ever had.

Miss Kitty was born in Bucktown (a fishing village/suburb of New Orleans), and pretty much lived the life of an alley cat until being rescued by my sister. While I had the opportunity to exist in her presence, I appointed her as Queen of the first ever Mardi Gras parade in Chatham, Virginia -- the Mystik Krewe of Miss Kitty. She was, of course, Queen Miss Kitty the First. Her royal theme song was "The Miss Kitty Mombo." (It was sung to the tune of "The Mardi Gras Mombo." For example: "Down in New Orleans, Where the Blues was born; It takes a cool CAT, to blow a horn ... The Miss Kitty Mombo, Mombo, Mombo, Down in New Orleans.")

This august Carnival Krewe consisted of precisely myself and Miss Kitty. However, despite the painfully low attendance for her first parade, I do believe Her Royal Majesty was pleased, especially by the Royal Banquet afterwards which consisted of canned tuna fish. Because of this success, I also appointed her as the Irish Princess for the first (unofficial) St. Patrick's Day Parade in that small Virginia town too.

In classic New Orleans Irish Channel style, Princess Miss Kitty the First helped toss out green cabbages to the crowd -- which, as in the Mardi Gras parade earlier, consisted only of myself and the Princess. Miss Kitty did not care for cold climates and eventually returned to hot and humid New Orleans for one last time before the cat diseases of old age took her away from us.

Miss Kitty lives on as a constant memory of a true cat friend who helped me endure what can only be termed as the nightmare of Hurricane Katrina. Cats and dogs and other animal companions really are important in our lives, and they help us humans endure the struggles of life, be they great or small, or catastrophic like Hurricane Katrina. So, we owe the animals a lot. Here's to you, Miss Kitty.

-- Adrian

(Note: We will soon be posting many more Katrina Stories from our students on this blog, so stay tuned.)

Student Sharon Kenney Discusses World War 2

(Note: We have been studying the history of World War 2 at our school as we prepare for a field trip to the D-Day Museum in New Orleans. The official name of the museum is now the National World War 2 Museum. One of our students, Sharon Kenney, at left in photo, was especially interested in the subject and presents this essay below. Adrian)

What I've Learned About World War 2

By Sharon Kenney

Germany invaded Poland; Britain and France declared war against Germany. Here are the leaders: Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin, Chiang Kai-Shek, Hitler, Tojo, Mussolini. World War 2 clearly pitted good against evil.

I learned about World War 2 that terrible things happen in war. It's very sad; people are killed for no reason. They had guns that could shoot for miles. Airplanes would fly and drop bombs. Babies, children and all kinds of people died.

My brother Walter went to war; he was in World War 2. At the time you only could serve two years. We were poor. My brother would deliver newspapers in the morning before he would go to school. When he made 18, he went to the military and served for two years. He was discharged in 1944. Then the war ended, and Walter went on with his life as a family man.

(How many men and women had their lives severely disrupted or destroyed by that war!? Our students are learning not just what happened in the war, but also why it happened. Many were initially unaware of many of the events, but we hope our visit to the D-Day Museum will help our students to understand how horrible the war was, how important it was that the Axis Powers be defeated. It was crucial that the world be freed from the evils of Tojo and Hitler. In our small group classes, our students were shocked by the terrible events on December 7th, 1941 which everyone compared to the attack on the Twin Towers on September 11; and everyone was horrified at the Nazi mass murders in the genocide known as the Holocaust. So, it is quite a serious subject to study.

-- Adrian)

The Dome at the South Pole Station

This is not the Superdome in New Orleans. Bono and U2 did not perform here; the Superbowl was not held here. This is its distant cousin, the dome at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Leah Webster, a pen pal of our school's from the USAP, sends us this extraordinary photo. The sun is not shining presently at the Pole, but when it was it would always sit low in the sky. As you can see, everything is covered with ice and snow. The snow is probably very old as Antarctica is basically a frozen desert, and it snows infrequently ... but it never melts.
You can see why the electricians, like our pen pal John Miller, are so important as are the people responsible for the food supply, like Leah. It is not merely a matter of being comfortable, people's lives depend on these things and the people who work with these things. With the completion of the Elevated Station, seen in other photos on this blog, the dome is now a supply base; no one lives there now. The inside of the dome is used to store food supplies and other necessities that can remain frozen. Thanks, Leah, for another great photo. You have opened our students' eyes to a whole new world!
-- Adrian

Let There Be Light at the South Pole

John Miller electrifies our blog with this action photo from Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station as he works on the electrical equipment there. John is responsible for keeping the heat and the lights on at the USAP station. (You can surely bet that his work is greatly appreciated by one and all down there!)

John was the first of our pen pals to contact us from Antarctica. In addition to his vital work at the Pole (and these people work long hours usually six days per week and overtime each day), John also holds religious services on Sundays. These meetings are open to people of any and all Faiths and Beliefs, John reports. -- Adrian

The Pitot House on Bayou St. John

Here is another photo interlude from our regular series on Antarctica, Remember Katrina, WW2 Studies, and SVDP-ALC Updates. We do this from time to time so our blog readers and our Antarctica pen pals can get an idea of what some of New Orleans looks like (the part that was not destroyed by the storm).
This is the Pitot House on Bayou St. John which dates from the early 1800's. It was the original home of the first mayor of New Orleans; now it is a small museum.
-- Adrian

Old U.S. Mint in the Vieux Carre'

Here is a brief interlude from our regular projects to view a scene from the Vieux Carre' in Old New Orleans. The Vieux Carre', the old quarter also known as The French Quarter, is the oldest part of New Orleans. There you will find some of the most interesting places in the U.S.A., maybe in the world. Here is a photo of the Old U.S. Mint which is now a museum. At present it is housing an exhibit on the treasures of Napoleon Bonaparte, who is, after all, a New Orleans favorite. Legend has it that the pirate Jean Lafitte had intended to rescue Napoleon from his imprisonment on the Isle of St. Helena and spirit him away from the hands of the British to ... where else.. the French Quarter in New Orleans. But Napoleon died on St. Helena before this could occur. His death mask is in the Cabildo, a museum near Jackson Square and the St. Louis Cathedral in the Quarter. There is a street named after Napoleon in New Orleans plus several streets on the streetcar line Uptown are named after famous Napoleonic battles. And since there is a French pastry named "the Napoleon," Bonaparte was bound to be popular in this city.
-- Adrian

Webcam Links for USAP, South Pole and McMurdo

Here are excellent webcam links:

http://www.usap.gov/videoClipsAndMaps/spwebcam.cfm
This is the link to the webcam for the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Due to extreme weather conditions, the webcam is sometimes down; but there is still an amazing video at the link of the Aurora Australis, the Southern Lights. Be sure to click in and see this.

http://www.usap.gov/videoClipsAndMaps/mcmwebcam.cfm
And this is the webcam for McMurdo Station, the U.S. seabase in Antarctica. It is the largest "settlement" on the Ice.

Be sure to visit these links and the home site for www.usap.gov to read about the organization our Antarctica pen pals are with -- the United States Antarctic Program (USAP).
-- Adrian

Patti Muggivan, teacher, librarian -- Our First Guest Writer

(Note: SVDP-ALC welcomes qualified guests to write for our blog, from time to time, on topics relevant to literacy or to subject matter from which our students and school can benefit. Today we have our first guest writer to our blog. Her name is Patti Muggivan. She has taught in secondary schools in Jefferson Parish and Orleans Parish, and she is presently a librarian with the Jefferson Parish Public Library. Jefferson is a suburb of New Orleans. [Note for non-locals, Louisiana does not have counties; we have parishes instead.] Literacy*AmeriCorps has worked very closely with the New Orleans Public Library all the past year, so we understand the importance of the library for our students. Patti and her husband John have been friends of my family now for many years, and it is a true honor to have her as our blog's first guest writer. Thanks, Patti, Adrian)

Literacy and New Orleans
By Patti Muggivan

Every time I find myself in New Orleans proper, I am intrigued by its beauty and the easy-appearing nature of the city. But I have always been aware that that environment is deceiving. I think that New Orleans is riddled with crime and people living desperate lives. For me, literacy at all levels is essential for recovery [after the storm]. Literacy was important both pre-Katrina and post-Katrina. Reconstructing entire neighborhoods, with various demolitions and rebuildings, is very difficult. But so too is developing positive attitudes about teaching skills and learning skills. It must be done one person at a time. Improvements in law and government programs are also important.

I was watching the TV news the other day, and there was a story about Darfur and Sudan. I wanted to change the channel. It was so awful seeing a dying child. As I watched, a doctor being interviewed in the news story was saying, "When you ask Americans about the situation, they will say we didn't know. Two years from now they will say the same thing, and conditions will remain unchanged." But if there can be even a chance for Darfur and Sudan, then surely there must be a chance for New Orleans.

(Yes, that's quite a powerful comparison. And in both cases, the real issue, as the doctor implied, is neglect. By ignoring the problems -- both in Darfur and in New Orleans -- the problems only get worse. -- Adrian)

Remember Hurricane Katrina, August 29th, 2005

At left is a photo I took in late 2006 of the new floodgate being built at the London Canal in New Orleans. Like the levees at the Industrial Canal and the 17th Street Canal, the London Canal levee failed, sending a massive amount of water from Lake Ponchartrain into the neighborhood called Gentilly and beyond. The new floodgate is designed (hopefully) to prevent such a flood in the future.

We will soon be starting on this blog a new series (possibly on August 1st and going to at least August 29th) called Remember Hurricane Katrina. Three years ago the worst natural disaster in American history hit the city of New Orleans and the nearby region. Almost 2,000 people were killed, and hundreds of thousands were made homeless or displaced from their homes. Billions upon billions upon billions of dollars worth of damage was done. New Orleans has still not recovered -- three years later -- and will not likely recover for at least another five years or more. (Many experts expect it will take 10 years for New Orleans to recover after the storm.)

We hope to bring you first hand accounts from our students about their lives since the storm and their thoughts about Katrina and how it affected them. Hopefully, we can bring you photos of how New Orleans looks today three years "after the storm." (The internet is already filled with other photos from the days of Katrina, and such nightmare images can be found elsewhere on the web. Thank you.)

Why should we remember Katrina? We should remember it because it was the single most costly disaster in American history; we should remember it because it destroyed our city...almost... and killed about 2,000 of our friends, neighbors, relatives, and fellow citizens; we should remember it so that the mistakes of Katrina are not repeated and that the bravery and self-sacrifice of those who helped the victims are not forgotten; and we should remember Katrina for the sake of all those people who suffered through it ... and are still suffering because of it to this very day.

-- Adrian

In the News: SVDP-ALC, USAP Pen Pals

(Note: The photo at left is of the Aurora Australis sent to us by one of our pen pals at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, John Miller, the first person to email SVDP-ALC from Antarctica.)

Well, here's some really exciting news! Our little school in Gentilly in post-Katrina New Orleans was just in the news at the wonderful online newspaper called The Antarctic Sun, see the link: http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/features/contentHandler.cfm?id=1500 The newspaper is affiliated with the USAP and the National Science Foundation.

We are all really excited about this at our school. Take a look at the story at the link and look at all the many wonderful articles on science and other topics from The Antarctic Sun. There are some fantastic photographs at the newspaper's homepage too http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/.

Our thanks and best wishes from New Orleans to Editor Peter Rejcek, and the editors and staff at The Antarctic Sun.

-- Adrian

Canal St. Streetcar in New Orleans

Here is the side view of the Canal St. streetcar. "Only in New Orleans, folks..."

If you get lost just ask a stranger for directions. You can always rely on the kindness of strangers.

"They told me to take a streetcar named Desire and then transfer to a bus called Cemeteries and ride six blocks and get off at ... Elysian Fields!" said Blanche Dubois.

These things are still running in Old New Orleans.

--Adrian

The Canal St. Streetcar, New Orleans

This is not the "Streetcar Named Desire." This is a fully functional streetcar (what out-of-towners call a trolly). It has steel wheels and rail tracks like a train and is run with electric cable wires above the car. This is a fully functional streetcar on Canal St. which runs from the Canal Cemeteries to downtown to the Mississippi River front and the French Quarter and part of the Faubourg Marigny near Esplanade Ave. In fact, I ride this all the time when I go to the Boggs Literacy Center at Loyola University, the HQ for Literacy*AmeriCorps New Orleans. I just thought visitors to our blog would like to see this very unusual form of transportation seen only in New Orleans.

-- Adrian

Jason McDonald on the Ice

Jason McDonald of the USAP sends us this cool photo of himself "on the ice." (In Antarctica, the expression "on the Ice" means being in Antarctica.) Double click the photo to enlarge to see how vaste the ice really is.

Jason has a lot in common with us in New Orleans. He was born in Baton Rouge -- must be an LSU Tigers fan -- and has even lived in New Orleans as have several members of his family. He understood the terrible events of Hurricane Katrina as well because of his connections to the Big Easy and Louisiana.

So, he can really understand the similarities and differences between us and the people "on the Ice." But though we live in different places, we have common dreams. Jason and the other Antarctica pen pals are really helping our students to learn a lot. It's a great education! Thanks for the emails and the great photo, Jason.
--Adrian

Miss Doretha's World Famous New Orleans Gumbo Recipe !!

(Well, the moment we have ALL waited for has finally arrived, Doretha Williams, photo at left, a dedicated student at SVDP-ALC, will reveal to us her secret recipe for real New Orleans Gumbo. What follows is the article she wrote about how to fix gumbo. For those unfamiliar with gumbo, this is the most famous soup, and probably the most famous dish in New Orleans. Only jambalaya, red beans and rice, and Po-boys come close. Well, maybe muffalettas too, and crawfish ettouffee' ... But gumbo rules in New Orleans as it is also the very symbol of our culture here which is a mixture of various things from various cultures. -- Adrian)

New Orleans Gumbo

By Doretha Williams

Recipe directions: Gumbo can be prepared with your choice of meats. You can cook it with chicken, smoked sausage, and hot sausage. You can put in ham, shrimp, or crabs. How to cook the gumbo: Pre-cook the chicken, sausage, hot sausage, and cut into bite-sized pieces. You can put in seafood also.

Then make your roux with flour and oil, put in a saucepan, stir and brown, but do not burn. Then put in onions, bell peppers, parsley, and celery [cut into bite-size], Let it cook in a big pot, add meat and water. Let it cook for about 20 plus minutes, stir. Put in the seafood, cook for 10 to 12 minutes. [Cook longer on low heat.]

You can eat rice with this [cooked separately] and crackers or French bread, if you have it.

How to make your roux: Put oil and flour in your sauce pan. stir it so it does not burn. Use more flour than oil. [You may use corn oil, vegetable oil, or butter; but beware butter can burn easily.]

Remeber: Brown but do not burn the roux.

(Note: Some gumbo recipes add file' -- a Choctaw spice from the leaf of the sassafras -- to soup bowls before serving; but do NOT cook with the file'. Also, other gumbos add cooked okra; or use canned okra too. But if your roux is thick enough and brown enough, anywhere from the color of peanuts to coffee beans, you will not need file' or okra. Doretha's great recipe calls for a roux only, but she said you can add file' to your individual bowl if you have it just before eating. Adrian)

Sharon Kenney Studying World War 2 History

Sharon Kenney (in the blue blouse at left) is making a point about what she learned from her study of World War 2. At SVDP-ALC we are now having small class discussions on the topic of World War 2 as our school prepares for a field trip to the D-Day Museum in New Orleans (now called the National World War 2 Museum).

Sharon was horrified by the facts she learned about the genocide committed by the Nazis (the Holocaust), and all in the class were fascinated to learn about the famous Flying Tigers, the U.S. pilots who flew in China, among other topics. The discussions about Pearl Harbor were especially meaningful and poignant. Our class had already discussed in detail the events of June 6, 1944 (D-Day) last month, but we reviewed this topic because it is so important and was such a gigantic undertaking. We will have much more about WW2 on this blog as our class prepares for our trip to the museum.

-- Adrian

Studying World War Two at SVDP-ALC

We have begun a new topic of study at SVDP-ALC for our geography class -- the history of World War Two. At SVDP-ALC, in addition to basic tutoring in subjects such as American English reading comprehension, writing, and math, and for more advanced students social studies and science, twice per week I also hold a small class on map skills or geography. This small class, which meets for about 45 minutes to an hour, has changed over time into the study of other subjects, as we saw the need. It became a drama class, a public speaking class, a history class -- where, for example, we discussed the Battle of New Orleans in 1815 and the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. , etc. -- and a current events class where the students read, write essays, and discuss topics in the news.

Soon our class hopes to take a field trip to the D-Day Museum in New Orleans, or as it is now called, The National World War 2 Museum. To prepare for this great learning experience, we are holding several small classes where we read and discuss various important facts about the most significant war in human history. The photo at left is of the world map we use for geography class and which we use for WW2 studies as well. The four small books are from my personal collection of WW2 history books; these topics from the old, out-of-print Ballantine's Illustrated History of the Violent Century which featured a then very young author named John Keegan -- the famous British historian of Oxford and Sandhurt, which is like our West Point. Keegan is the British version of America's Stephen Ambrose, who taught history at the University of New Orleans. The books in the photo are about Pearl Harbor, the Flying Tigers, Genocide (the Nazi mass murders), and D-Day (the battle at Normandy). Ballantine published many more books in this fine series. I have some more plus other WW2 books which the students will get a chance to review. Plus, we use information from the internet; and we also can make good use of the public library, as one of our goals is to have the students learn how to properly use a library.

The large book in the center was a donation to our school from the father of a friend of mine from my days at Jesuit High School in New Orleans (and who has stayed a friend for some 30 plus years). The father was a USAAF B17 bomber pilot in World War 2 and flew many missions over Nazi-occupied Europe, and after the war he became a medical doctor and taught at Tulane Medical School. After he retired he wrote an account about his experiences in the war, and he has donated a copy his book to our school. Dr. Robert Burch's book World War 2: A Pilot's Experience has a proper place of honor at SVDP-ALC.

One of our more advanced students, who wanted to join the US Marines, has already read passages from the book and was fascinated by it. We hope to have our students read selected passages, discuss them, learn from them, and write essays about what they learned about WW2. All of our students are encouraged to read the whole book too, of course, because it is so interesting. (It is more than about WW2 but also about life in Louisiana in the war years.) But by using selected passages, and analyzing these, the book can facilitate the learning of various literacy skills, as well as teach history.

Our thanks again to Robert R. Burch, M.D. for providing our school with an outstanding book and an insight into WW2 by someone who was there. Our school and our students will absolutely benefit from your experience and your writings.

--Adrian

A frozen lake in Antarctica

Shandra Cordovano of the USAP, a pen pal of ours at SVDP-ALC, who lives at McMurdo Station, sent us this amazing photo of a frozen lake outside of McMurdo. She reports to us that scientific research is conducted in this region.

Does it remind you of New Orleans? Does it look much like the French Quarter or the Mississippi River? No, not exactly. But because of the people who live "on the Ice," we in the distant world known as the Big Easy can begin to understand it better.

What an incredible photo! Thanks, Shandra!

--Adrian

Shandra Cordovano at a Frozen Lake Near McMurdo

Shandra Cordovana, our pen pal from McMurdo Station on the Ross Ice Shelf, sent us this incredible photo of a frozen lake she visited in Antarctica. Shandra has been writing to our students about life "on the Ice" and has encouraged especially two of our students -- Jennie Gorden and Sharon Kenney to do more witing. That's really great! Both Jennie and Sharon are very good students and want to improve their writing skills and learn more about other places in the world outside of New Orleans. Antarctica is about as far outside of New Orleans as it gets while remaining on planet Earth. Thanks again to Shandra for sending the photos and being a pen pal.

We will hear more from Shandra when we discuss later the differences between South Pole Station and McMurdo.

To say briefly, the United States has three bases in Antarctica for scientific research -- McMurdo Station, Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, and Palmer. Five of our regular pen pals come from South Pole Station: John Miller, Jason McDonald, Weeks Heist, Leah Webster, and Calee Allen. Shandra writes to us from McMurdo. We are not at present in contact with Palmer. McMurdo is the U.S. sea base in Antarctica about 2000 miles from Christchurch, New Zealand which is a U.S. supply center. Inland from McMurdo, 700 miles away, is South Pole Station at the geographic South Pole. Palmer is on the Antarctic Peninsula not too far from the tip of Argentina. All of these bases are operated by the USAP -- United States Antarctic Program which is a part of the National Science Foundation (NSF). Supporting the USAP is Raytheon Polar. Yes, it's a lot to learn, but we in New Orleans are thrilled to learn all about it!

-- Adrian

Sr. Kathleen Bahlinger has arrived at SVDP-ALC

Sr. Kathleen Bahlinger, CSJ (photo at left) has joined the teaching staff at SVDP-ALC. Like Sr. Lory, she is a Catholic nun with the Sisters of the Congregation of St. Joseph and has taught for many years in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

Sr. Kathleen started her first week of teaching with us this week.

Welcome to SVDP-ALC!

Planet Mars, Antarctica, New Orleans

The photo at left is not of Antarctica nor of New Orleans. It is the planet Mars; the photo was taken by the Phoenix Lander. John Miller sent us this great photo from South Pole Station where he and his team were working with NASA on scientific issues relating to the Lander. (John sent us this link: http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/gallery.php,

and NASA has dedicated a photo to our friends at the South Pole for helping.)

John and his team were in a conference call with the Phoenix Mars Mission team. South Pole Station sits on 9000 feet of ice, and NASA is looking for ice in a similarly hostile environment. There are other parallels between Mars and Antarctica, such as having similar winter solstices, so NASA placed a call to the South Pole. It seems that one of the Phoenix Mars Mission leaders was stationaed one winter at Amundsen-Scott base too.

John informs us that on the day this was taken, it was colder in Antarctica than at this spot on Mars, although it usually is colder on Mars. Well, it was a lot hotter in New Orleans, too hot; but we are excited to learn about all of these amazing scientific things. Needless to say, it is an outstanding learning opportunity for our students ... and our blog readers.

--Adrian

Mid-Winter, South Pole Station, Antarctica

Here is a very fine invitation we received from our friends at the South Pole to celebrate Mid-Winter with them. (Click on the photo to enlarge.) This is a fun event at the Amundsen-Scott, South Pole Station.

We are happy to be invited and will join in. Remember, in the southern hemisphere everything is backwards in the seasons. The months of June, July, and August are the cold winter months; December, January, and February are warmer months.

Of course, in Antarctica and especially at the South Pole, it is always cold; it's just a question of cold and colder. But it's a great photo and invite. Notice the giant telescope in the photo; astronomy is a major scientific undertaking at the Pole. In fact, scientists there study the origins of the Universe and the Big Bang. Also, see the people there and the Elevated Station. Some of the names on the list of the USAP personnel at the Pole are our friends who write to us in New Orleans -- John, Weeks, Jason, Leah, and Calee. Our other pen pal, Shandra, is at McMurdo. (We will soon have a post explaining the differences between McMurdo Station and South Pole Station, so stay tuned...)

We love to celebrate things here too in New Orleans, so ... HAPPY MID- WINTER !!

-- Adrian

Student Writing: "Myself and Antarctica" By Jennie Gorden

(Below is more student writing from SVDP-ALC. Jennie has just had one of her articles accepted by a national magazine for adult literacy from Boston, Massachusetts called The Change Agent www.nelrc.org/changeagent. The topic was climate change and Hurricane Katrina. Jennie was in the storm and was stranded on a downtown overpass for many days in flooded New Orleans. When her article gets published, we will post an update on this blog. -- Adrian)

Myself and Antarctica

By Jennie Gorden

Hello. Our school, St. Vincent de Paul - Adult Learning Center, just came back off a vacation for a month and had many things to catch up with on different topics. Right now what I am doing for myself is that I am into the subjects of science, social studies, mathematics, and reading and working hard to improve myself towards getting a GED [high school equivalency diploma] to go further in life. Now I am writng a few lines to get updated on what has been going on in Antarctica because our class has not heard from anyone [except for posts to this blog] from the South Pole Station [or McMurdo Station] for sometime because we were on vacation for a month. Our teacher Adrian has been in contact with the Antarctica station and will update the class about it soon. How have things been for everyone in Antarctica? I know that it is very cold down there, and there is no daylight down there [at this time of the year]. Here in New Orleans, Louisiana we have been getting different kinds of weather like rain and high winds. But many days it has been so hot that if you walk in the sun for a long period of time, it burns your skin.

Oiling Eggs at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station

Calee Allen also sent us this amazing photo. What are the USAP members doing with the eggs at the South Pole? They are all in the station's galley putting oil on the eggs to preserve them. The oil makes an airtight coating which protects the eggs from the air which can make the eggs go bad. Eggs can last awhile, but eventually they become sour. There are no grocery stores around, of course; and the eggs must be preserved to last the long Antarctic "winter."
-- Adrian

Calee Allen at the New Station, South Pole

Here is Calee Allen in front of the New Station (which is also called the Elevated Station) at the South Pole. She lives and works at the Amundsen-Scott base and has sent our school some spectacular photographs. Here is one of them. The Elevated Station is on stilts which can move the station up and down to compensate for the build-up of snow and ice which would otherwise block the entrance to the station. When the station is raised, the strong winds blow the snow away from under the station. Very ingenious. We could use some buildings that rise in New Orlease to avoid flooding, like in Katrina. --Adrian

South Pole Electricians, John Miller, pen pal... and Satchmo

Here is a nice photo John Miller sent our school which was taken in January when the sun was shining in the Antarctic "summer." (John is wearing the red hat and scarf. Their summer in the southern hemisphere is when our winter occurs; their winter is when our summer happens.) During the Antarctic "summer" the sun shines all the time but stays low on the horizon. In the Antarctic winter -- which is occuring now-- the sky is endlessly dark and extremely cold.

So, let's all send some good, warm New Orleans-style vibrations down there to help keep our friends warm. Everyone just think of Louis Armstrong's greatest song, and that should warm things up a bit (please sing along "way down yonder" in Antarctica, if you know the melody):

" I see trees of green, red roses too; I see them bloom for me and you,

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white; the blessed day, the dark sacred night,

and I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky; are also on the faces of people going by

I see friends shaking hands, saying 'How do you do?' They're really saying, 'I love you.'

I hear babies cry, I watch them grow; they'll learn much more than I'll ever know.

And I think to myself , what a wonderful world.

Yes, I think to myself , What a wonderful world."

Satchmo knew how to Jazz it up!

This great song was written specifically for Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss in 1967 in response to the troubled world of that time. Satchmo was, of course, born in New Orleans and learned ragtime and Jazz here before moving to Chicago and becoming world-famous.

I hope the Jazz tune (without the music even...) spreads a little sunshine on the Ice.

--Adrian

Images from the South Pole, Antarctica

The photo at left is from our pen pal John Miller. This is the way back to the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. Can you just imagine having to travel this way? John, an electrician at the Pole who has the big responsibility of keeping the power on at the station, relates to us that the weather is sometimes -90 degrees Fahrenheit, with a wind chill of -130 F. (By contrast, it was about 94 degrees Fahrenheit in New Orleans today too, but that was 94 ABOVE zero.) Also remember, because Antarctica is in the southern hemisphere, everything is backwards on the seasons. Here in New Orleans it is terribly hot and humid in the summer. But June, July, and August are "winter" months at the Pole, with endless days of extreme cold and darkness as the sun stays set for many months. I recommend a nice cup of hot chocolate when you get back to the station! Many a bowl of steaming, hot seafood gumbo too.
--Adrian

South Pole Station -- John Miller, First Contact From Antarctica

Here is a great photograph of John Miller from the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. John was the first person to write to our school via email from Antarctica.

As you can see, the weather conditions are a bit different in Antarctica from those in New Orleans. It is in fact very dry, we are told, in Antarctica. New Orleans is, of course, very humid. Oh... and it is cold too in Antarctica, also unlike in the Crescent City.

Oddly enough, it did snow for a few hours in New Orleans on Christmas day the Christmas before Hurricane Katrina hit. This was a very, very rare event in New Orleans. Was it a part of climate change? Who knows? It snows in New Orleans once every 10 years or so. Thanks again, John, for the great photo. John helps to keep the electricity working at the South Pole, and I can bet people down there can appreciate that! He also organizes religious services on Sundays. Great stuff!!

--- Adrian

South Pole Amundsen Scott Station and Leah's Cake

Here are two more great photos sent to us from USAP member Leah Webster at the South Pole. The new Elevated Station is at left where our friends live. The amazing colors in the sky are the Aurora Australis. We can also see some other buildings in the photo and the Antarctic sun which sits low on the horizon.
At right is Leah Webster herself with the cake she baked. It looks just great, and our students call it a South Pole King Cake because it looks like the King Cakes we eat in New Orleans for Carnival Time. All Leah would really need to do to make this look like a New Orleans cake is to add sprinkled sugar on top in three colors -- purple, green, and gold which are the colors of the New Orleans Mardi Gras. But the students love the cake the way it is in the photo. It looks delicious!
From what we understand, baking cakes is very difficult at the Pole because of the high altitude and other extreme conditions.
This photo of Leah and her cake is one of the most popular photos with our students.
(People from New Orleans love to talk about food and cooking.)
Thanks, Leah, for the great photos!
-- Adrian

We Remember Hurricane Katrina

This is a satellite photo from the NASA website of Hurricane Katrina in late August, 2005. As you can see the storm takes up most of the Gulf of Mexico as it takes aim at the city of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Three years ago on August 29th, 2005, this monster hurricane smashed its way ashore with its eye about 25 miles east of New Orleans.

But it was almost a day later when the real horror began in New Orleans. The levees for the outfall, drainage canals -- the London Canal, the Industrial Canal, and the 17th Street Canal -- suddenly broke, and a tremendous flood occurred putting 80% of the city of New Orleans underwater. About 2,000 people died in Hurricane Katrina. The entire population of the city -- over 400,000 people -- were forced to evacuate, many to distant, unfamiliar cities and states. Some of them later died from illness, trauma, or other hardships; and many of the ones who survived still have not returned home. And all of them suffered either physically or emotionally.

Much of the city -- in neighborhoods like Gentilly, New Orleans East, Broadmoor, Lakeview, the Ninth Ward, and the Lower Ninth Ward -- is still, to this day, left in ruins. Houses remain destroyed and abandoned, and lives torn around and wrecked.

Hurricane Katrina was the worst disaster -- in terms of cost-- in American history.

All of the students, teachers, and volunteers at SVDP-ALC endured this nightmare, directly or indirectly. Hurricane Katrina is one reason why our school takes the topics of science and mathematics seriously; and why we are glad to have pen pals in the USAP in Antarctica who support, directly or indirectly, the study of weather conditions on our planet and the increasingly crucial study of climate change.

Our school blog will be having many more posts, and hopefully writings from our students, about the hurricane as we approach the third anniversary of that horrible day.

-- Adrian

South Pole Station and Aurora Australis

This fantastic photo was sent to us from one of our pen pals at the South Pole Station -- Amundsen Scott Station in Antarctica. (This one is from Leah Webster.) I will be adding more here over time plus some quotes from the email correspondence between our students and teachers at SVDP-ALC and Antarctica (with the permission of our friends at the USAP).

Our students have been learning a tremendous amount about life and work in Antarctica and about so many other subjects from math and science to history and literacy skills from this amazing email correspondence between our school and our friends in the United States Antarctica Program. The South Pole Rules!

-- Adrian