So Long, and Thanks

As the semester draws to a close and I prepare to leave the chilly North to head back to New Orleans, I want to take a moment to thank the Harvard community for all you have done, not only for me, but also for my fellow visiting Gulf Coast students. The weeks following Hurricane Katrina were difficult for everyone. I spent 10 nomadic days on what I thought was an extended vacation road-tripping from New Orleans to Texas to Georgia and finally back to my home in Tallahassee. When the levees broke and it became apparent that Tulane would not be opening in the fall, my emotions ran the gamut: worry, grief, anger, frustration. Finally, they settled on excitement and tremendous gratitude when Harvard graciously extended the offer to accept a number of displaced students for the fall semester.

This semester at Harvard, however, has been more than simply an opportunity to keep my education on schedule and attend the best academic institution in the country. These five months have given me so many experiences and memories that have extended far beyond books and classes. Without Harvard’s generosity, I never would have had the opportunity to jump on the Red Sox bandwagon, row on the Charles River, tailgate before The Game, walk through the snow to class, or dine in the home of President Summers.

Harvard’s hospitality also provided me with an opportunity for normalcy. Instead of sitting at home bemoaning the loss of half of my final undergraduate year, I spent a fantastic “semester abroad” where I felt completely welcome and at home. There are no words to express how thankful I am, and there is not enough room on this paper to list the names of those to whom I am eternally grateful. The amazing staff in Inge-lise Ameer’s and the College Dean’s office took 25 clueless kids and taught us the ins and outs of shopping period, briefed us on the kind of coat you really need when it snows, and made us feel completely at home in Cambridge. My wonderful teachers and classmates had so many concerns and questions but never made me feel like an outsider. I especially thank my friends, who let me tag along to every Mather House function, and all the other Mather residents who didn’t look at me funny when I showed up at Happy Hour every other Friday.

These people made my past few months as close to a normal semester as I could have hoped. They are the real gems of the Harvard community. In five years, I might not remember everything I learned about French history or Spanish literature, but I will never forget the people I met here. To all of you, I am forever indebted. The situation after Katrina was worrying and confusing at first, and it threw my life plan more than a little off track, but thanks to the amazing generosity and support I have found here I am surely a better person for it.

Mindful of the manners my mama taught me, however, I am careful not to overstay my welcome, and I am always looking for ways to repay the kindness that I have been shown. This is the real reason I am so eager to return to New Orleans. I have learned so much in my time here, including the real difference that students can make. There is a zeal for service at Harvard unlike I have ever seen, and I hope I can carry that back to New Orleans to help restore the city that is so close to my heart. I know that all of the visiting Tulane students want to make the Harvard community proud, by giving to those even less privileged the way that you gave to us.

The hospitality you have shown the Gulf Coast students here in Cambridge has been overwhelming, but I look forward to showing you a welcome in the Big Easy like you have never seen. All the students from New Orleans, whether they have lived there a year or a lifetime, love it fiercely and know what an amazing city it is. They also know that no one will rest until it is returned to all of its former glory. I want to restore New Orleans to the heaven on earth that I brag about so often; then I can have you down and show you around. If there is one thing I love it is to have guests in my home and show off the many wonders of the Crescent City. You can bet there will be a few spots in my living room reserved for Harvardians come Mardi Gras 2006. So as we change our snow boots for sandals and that dirty water for the dirty South, I thank you again, and I hope to see you soon.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!



Sarah E. Dawkins is a visiting senior in Adams House.