by Mark Schaaf
Daily Lobo
When University of New Orleans student Cassie Johnson first heard that Hurricane Katrina was heading toward New Orleans and the city was ordered to evacuate, she packed two days' worth of clothes and headed out.
"We really didn't think anything of it," Johnson said.
Now, she commutes to New Orleans every Tuesday and Thursday from Lafayette, La., getting up at 4:30 a.m. so she can get to her 9:30 a.m. class on time.
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Johnson and 12 other University of New Orleans campus ambassadors visited UNM on Thursday at the SUB to discuss the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Graphic video clips, a timeline of events and emotional personal stories made up the hour-and-a-half presentation.
Brandon Rizzuto, another student from the University of New Orleans, said the presentation was two months in the making, with a lot of work just getting everyone together. The past two weeks have been the most intense in preparation, he said.
"It's just a story we have to tell, and we're going to tell it," he said.
Rizzuto said he spent his 21st birthday after the hurricane surveying the damage on his house. He found his garage and backyard flooded - minimal in comparison to other homes.
"That was the greatest birthday present you could imagine," he said.
The presentation started with a timeline of events, from the formation of Katrina through two weeks after the storm, with a slideshow in the background.
There was also a video showing the destruction, with music and clips of a radio interview by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin playing in the background.
"When they played that interview, I remember where I was at, and I remember what I was thinking," Rizzuto said. "To hear him with the video, it does bring a lot of emotion."
Fighting back tears, University of New Orleans student Chris Bruno said his grandmother died four weeks after Katrina made landfall. He still considered himself better off than many residents, Bruno said.
Johnson, who was affected by Hurricane Rita after Katrina, said she makes the long commute because she wants to graduate on time.
"I'm going to be the first one on my mom's side to graduate from college, so I just keep that in mind," she said.
The students spoke about the kindness they encountered while away from the city. Rizzuto said he enrolled at the University of Northern Alabama, which allowed him to register as a resident. A local church picked up his tuition costs.
More than 60 percent of faculty lost their homes and the university faces a $12.4 million shortfall, said campus ambassador adviser Charlene Steele.
Despite the hardships, 788 students graduated from the University of New Orleans in December at a ceremony held at a nearby Hilton Hotel.
The New Orleans campus ambassadors were in Albuquerque to attend an Association of Student Advancement Programs conference this weekend.
The conference features student ambassadors from across the South, educational sessions and keynote speakers, said Amanda Parry, a UNM student and Trailblazers member.
Parry said the New Orleans presentation was amazing, but was disappointed with the turnout of 15 people.
"They're just great people," Parry said. "It was so good. I just wish more people could have seen it."
