CUNYAC Goodwill Tour -- New Orleans, LA -- Day 5
Lazy Sunday
On the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, the CUNY Team got the treat of some extra sleep, meaning they would get up at 9 am and be ready to leave the mission at 10.
A Late Morning Hike
It was a day off from volunteering, but there would be no break from learning, as the group took a trip to Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve. The group was met by Ranger Jack at 11 am at the visitor's center, where he began a hike that would show off some of the park's terrain. He gave them an overview of the history, talked about some of the trees and wildlife of the park, and some tips on how to not get attacked by an alligator.
"Seeing the full beauty of the Louisiana Wetlands was an amazing experience," said Kaili Insalaco a junior at John Jay. "Visiting an area that was left mostly unaffected by Katrina really helped to put into perspective the full force of the desction that the hurrican had."
Off to a Plantation
Once the hike was over, the CUNY students and staff ate lunch and then headed for a tour of the Destrehan Plantation. The guided tour gave information on the history and restoration of this plantation, originally owned by a French Creole family. The tour guides split the CUNY group into two to more easily show them around the main house, telling stories of the different rooms and showing a bathtub that was a gift to the family from Napoleon Boneparte. While somewhat glamorizing the lavish style and traditional French quarters, the guide also showed some of the brutality on the plantation, as slaves were a mainstay and driving force behind the cash crops grown on the land. A story of one of the biggest slave rebellion and consequent execution of those slaves involved, left many of the students feeling a great deal of ambivalence toward the day's findings.
"The plantation gave a background to some of the segragation that Smitty talked of the day before," said Alyssa Lubrino a sophomore at Baruch College. "We were able to see some of the history that didn't focus on Katrina and current events, but instead gave us a broader history of New Orleans."