"She is a New Orleans girl and New Orleans girls never live anywhere else and even if they do, they always come back. That's just the way it is." Chris Rose, The Times-Picayune
Before I began writing this final article for The Mirror, I attempted to find some deeper meaning in my experiences over the past four years in Hanover. I wrote 800 words about my time completing the "Suicide Seven," but by the end I realized it was insanely boring, and I realized my life probably would not have been all that different had I taken more than 2 off terms.
So, what did I do? I consulted my sister, who naturally suggested I write about her. Sorry, Lindsey, but this isn't all about you, but you did bring up an issue that has very much defined my time at Dartmouth: New Orleans.
Since arriving freshman year I've talked everyone's ear off about my obsession with my hometown: the food, the Saints, the swamps, the hurricanes, my friends, my twin and my little Shih-Tzu, Peanut. I didn't realize how lucky I was to be from such a unique place, with hometown loyalties that just don't exist elsewhere. There's only a small crew of Dartmouth students from New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, but my fellow NOLA aficionado Stephenie Lee '11 and I have made it our mission to spread the love.
The quote from the beginning is from a New Orleans journalist who became a local celebrity for his coverage of post-Katrina New Orleans and now I'll tell you the reason that I will always go back. I'm going to break down some of my favorite things about the Big Easy and how my hometown has so strongly shaped my College experience, despite being 1,584 miles away (according to Google Maps).Mardi Gras
Freshman year my parents told me I had to choose between coming home for Thanksgiving or Mardi Gras. I chose Thanksgiving. I swore that I would arrange a trip down by senior year, but sadly that never happened. Instead, freshman year I hosted a Mardi Gras themed room party, complete with King Cake and beads (no flashing involved). Then sophomore year I headed to the University of Pennsylvania to have a similar celebration with a friend from home. Junior year I feasted at FoCo's Mardi Gras themed dinner and rocked beads and other gear at AZD meetings and senior year I started things early by dressing up as Mardi Gras for Halloween.Friends and Family
Coming to Hanover was one of the most exciting experiences of my life, but at the same time I was constantly torn up by feelings for home. Most of my close friends from high school went to colleges within a day's drive of both New Orleans and each other's schools. While many students fade from their friends over the years, I still feel very close to a number of friends from home, and I still feel like I'm missing out on big moments being so far away.
During my sophomore year, my worst fears of being far from home were realized. A best friend and a close relative both died between fall and spring term, and being away from loved ones during that time was difficult. That spring was brutal and I applied for a transfer term to Tulane, but alas, dear old Dartmouth kept her spell on me, and I stayed. In fact, I became even more involved in my activities on campus as I tried to forget about feelings from home and figure out the next step.The Saints
The Saints football team is perhaps the biggest uniting factor between Dartmouth students from Louisiana. This Fall and Winter terms were filled with hope, surprise and utter euphoria as the Saints just kept winning, all the way to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history. With the help of Febreze, I wore my Drew Brees "authentic" NFL jersey for a solid 3 days: Super Bowl themed semi, game day and the following day to celebrate. Our Louisiana blitz list has never been so active, as we were constantly blitzing out articles, videos, music and anything related to our boys in black and gold.
Freshman year, I always thought that I'd spend four years at Dartmouth, then return home for grad school. Well, currently I have no post-graduation plans and will probably lurk around the North for a few weeks, or months but regardless I'm not quite sure I'm ready to head back South.
Even a thousand miles away I still find myself influenced by my hometown, but perhaps as I move on to the next phase of my life, Dartmouth will be the new "home" that continues to impacts me. But whatever I do, please God, don't let me be one of those couples who marries an alum in Rollins Chapel during sophomore Summer (album titled 20XXWedding). I'll leave that to Eli.
