Two Years Later: Alive and Kicking!

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By Ray Willhoft, A'00

Reprinted with permission from LUNO Magazine

Two years have passed since Hurricane Katrina forever changed the lives of the citizens of New Orleans and the community members of Loyola University New Orleans. Though there have been many ups and downs in the rebuilding effort, much progress has been made by both the city and the university that is so closely connected to it.

Alive…

For New Orleans, tourism, one of its most important economic factors, is once again on the rise. "So far in 2007, New Orleans has safely and successfully hosted more than one million visitors for ESSENCE Festival, Mardi Gras, the Jazz & Heritage Festival, French Quarter Festival, major sporting events, cultural festivals, corporate meetings, large citywide conventions and more," says Kelly Schulz, vice president, communications and public relations at the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. "In the past two years, the tourism industry has made remarkable progress and continues to achieve milestone after milestone and receive positive testimonials from visitors."

Not only tourists but businesses as well have steadily been coming back to the city. More restaurants are open now than before the storm, and major corporations such as Carnival Cruise Lines, Southwest Airlines, and others are breathing new life into the city.

And more importantly, the renewed sense of volunteerism and community spirit continues at a high level throughout the community. College students and other volunteers from around the country continue to come and assist in the city's rebuilding efforts, happy to bring such a unique city back to life.

And Kicking…

As the city rebounds, so too does Loyola. The campus is vibrant and busy with the influx of nearly 700 new fall undergraduate students and 320 law students. Thirty-six new faculty members from across the U.S., Canada, and Australia also have been hired. Over the summer, several buildings received face lifts; deferred maintenance issues were resolved; and a master facilities plan is being created to lead the university into its next chapter as its centennial approaches in 2012.

Loyola moved up to the sixth spot among the Best Universities-Master's in the Southern Region in the 2008 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S. News & World Report. Loyola also ranked seventh in the Great Schools, Great Prices category. Loyola's J. Edgar and Louise S. Monroe Library moved up to sixth place from last year's 10th place in The Princeton Review's 2008 "Best College Library" category.

And the university's relationship with New Orleans continues to remain strong. University President Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J., currently serves as chair of The Ethics Review Board of the City of New Orleans and was instrumental in the selection of Robert A. Cerasoli, the nationally recognized father of the Association of Inspectors General (AIG), as New Orleans' first Inspector General. Wildes also is an active member of Friends of New Orleans, a nonprofit organization that links people across the country who want to help rebuild the city and its surrounding parishes.

As a social justice university mindful of its Jesuit heritage, Loyola is also proud of its students who commit to making a difference within the city. Through the Loyola University Community Action Program (LUCAP), students continue to assist the victims of Katrina by gutting and rebuilding houses. In addition, the Loyola Law Clinic has hosted several public seminars on topics such as insurance claims, FEMA issues, bankruptcy, contractor fraud, and landlord-tenant issues, among others, and it continues to assist people with their legal needs.

"We live in a city that is both a challenge and an opportunity for learning," says Wildes. "We know, and live with, the challenges of the city every day. And it can be hard and tiring. Yet, at the same time, it is a great—perhaps even unique—opportunity for us as citizens, as a university community in the Jesuit tradition of education, and the university as a citizen of the city."

The Future

Though much still needs to be done for both New Orleans and Loyola, the progress that has been made is both inspiring in the present and encouraging for the future. No matter what obstacles may still lay ahead, both the city and the university are here to stay.

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