Giant Floods, Great Fires
One of the nicest things about working at a Catholic university is that when disaster hits, anywhere, there's something to do. This is very comforting. On 9/11, for instance, the first thing that the university did was evacuate the dorms (remember? we had no idea what was happening -- and the dorms were sorta tall); then the noon mass got moved to the ballroom, so that everybody could fit in. It was hard to get out of town, since to do so we have to get over bridges. While I waited for the traffic to ease up so I could go home and see my child, I had a very useful thing to do. Went to mass.
I'm gratified today to receive word in my campus email that, first of all, the university, which is a Spiritan university, is sending funds directly to a New Orleans parish run by the Spiritans -- the university news describes the parish as "a poor but vibrant African-American community that has been devastated by the flooding and other problems in the city" -- so I can helpfully send money directly to a community to which I have institutional and spiritual ties; and secondly, that the university is opening up to students from Loyola and Xavier.
Excellent. Now I want to know how to offer my own classes. Come to my poetry workshop! We're discussing Bad Poetry on Wednesday! It'll cheer you up! Or! Hey! How about Drama and Politics? Not to worry, we're done watching Oklahoma!, which turns out to be The Scariest Movie Every Made if what you're doing is discussing politics; Ibsen's next. Much more restful.
So, money directly to Holy Ghost Parish; helpfully teaching any displaced students who come my way; what else?
Well, it turns out that one of the adjuncts in the office across the hall, who is from New Orleans, needs people to take her freshman classes on Tuesday. Yes! I am SO pumped!
I don't know what we're doing on Tuesday, but no prob. We'll think, we'll write; she's probably got some lesson plan which I will faithfully follow, except for the part where I tweak it a bit; I will have been Helpful.
I'm far away. I'm very far away.
But my heart's in New Orleans.
Today, by the way, is the anniversary of the Great Fire of London. Another bad time for a great city. We're having Toad-in-the-Hole in commemoration.
Next year, a couple of days before this, maybe we'll have us some etouffee.
*************************************
The information's all over the web, but just in case, here's a link to CNN's list of places to which one can send money.
I'm gratified today to receive word in my campus email that, first of all, the university, which is a Spiritan university, is sending funds directly to a New Orleans parish run by the Spiritans -- the university news describes the parish as "a poor but vibrant African-American community that has been devastated by the flooding and other problems in the city" -- so I can helpfully send money directly to a community to which I have institutional and spiritual ties; and secondly, that the university is opening up to students from Loyola and Xavier.
Excellent. Now I want to know how to offer my own classes. Come to my poetry workshop! We're discussing Bad Poetry on Wednesday! It'll cheer you up! Or! Hey! How about Drama and Politics? Not to worry, we're done watching Oklahoma!, which turns out to be The Scariest Movie Every Made if what you're doing is discussing politics; Ibsen's next. Much more restful.
So, money directly to Holy Ghost Parish; helpfully teaching any displaced students who come my way; what else?
Well, it turns out that one of the adjuncts in the office across the hall, who is from New Orleans, needs people to take her freshman classes on Tuesday. Yes! I am SO pumped!
I don't know what we're doing on Tuesday, but no prob. We'll think, we'll write; she's probably got some lesson plan which I will faithfully follow, except for the part where I tweak it a bit; I will have been Helpful.
I'm far away. I'm very far away.
But my heart's in New Orleans.
Today, by the way, is the anniversary of the Great Fire of London. Another bad time for a great city. We're having Toad-in-the-Hole in commemoration.
Next year, a couple of days before this, maybe we'll have us some etouffee.
*************************************
The information's all over the web, but just in case, here's a link to CNN's list of places to which one can send money.
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