<p>I called Housing today to try to find out dd's situation. They say she is assigned to the same room in Warren, her stuff should be there, they have no idea if the washers and dryers work, she will probably be assigned a roommate from the housing waiting list (which she expected, since her roommate never materialized and did not respond to phone calls post-Katrina), and she might be able to find out who it is if she calls them late tomorrow, and then she might be able to make contact through the Facebook. The woman I spoke to sounded completely frazzled and said they do not have access to the housing database and are working off an Excell spreadsheet.</p>
<p>DD is cautiously optimistic. She says that she and her roommate last semester discussed how, after all the schools go through to match roommates, their assignment was completely random and could not have been more perfect. (Her roommate at her host school had also had a roommate who just didn't show up.)</p>
<p>No info about books ot anything else that might be different; we are hoping that her ID, room key, and PO Box are all still hers and functioning. Clearly we all have an adventure ahead of us.</p>
<p>Are parents and kids getting excited out there?</p>
<p>I know our son is very happy to go back, and we are excited for him. It will be an adventure, but he's up for it and very willing to do all he can to help as well as to take advantage of everything that will be new about the school.</p>
<p>(I could just wish he didn't have to go back less than a week after having all four wisdom teeth removed! We'll have to have faith in Health Services and TEMS, right?)</p>
<p>Indeed, that TEMS crew will keep a look out for him. They are excited and ready to go -- with a wealth of experience garnered over the past several months that likely has no parallel on any other campus. {Said like a very proud TEMS dad! LOL}</p>
<p>I did think you were rolling the dice on the scheduling of the wisdom teeth, ctymom~ ;). But DS had all 4 out last early summer without incident. :)</p>
<p>I am feeling more optimistic re return, despite the Engineering $*#@!. DS has never expressed a moment of reluctance, so we have one foot in the return-to-Tulane camp and one in the find-a-possible-transfer camp. Only time will tell. </p>
<p>I have to tell you that I have emailed Scott Cowen twice since the Engineering announcement and received personal (tho short) replies back quickly each time. Gotta hand it to him. He tells me that he intends his convocation speech to recognize those of us who may be suffering as much as celebrating, and I will surely appreciate that.</p>
<p>I'm fully expecting that DS room will be intact, as a little cc-friend birdie ;) has been there to retrieve DS' computer and didn't <em>report</em> any strange goings-on. His roommate (not Engineering) is returning and, although they barely met and were random matches due to a mix-up, I think it will be a plus for S to be with someone not in the affected majors.</p>
<p>I have drafted ctymom~ to hold my hand as necessary during the Grand Return and have promised myself not to drag her down. :D</p>
<p>Progress! DD has been moved to the room next door and has a roommate -- probably another freshman. Of course we have no idea what has happened to the Tulane freshman directory. If anyone else here has a freshman son or daughter and KNOWS where their directory is, could you send me a message and then be so kind as to look her up? Thanks!</p>
<p>What's up with those directories??!? I carefully picked up two in August, one for DS and one for me. I'm thinking I left mine on the rental car dashboard. His is probably at Tulane. Hope they've got a big supply again. DS claimed he didn't care about it - planning to use Facebook instead, I guess. So maybe I'll purloin his, if necessary and if findable. </p>
<p>I, personally, wouldn't have the guts to look for a roomie on Facebook, geena. Who knows what someone might post there? But it's an option.</p>
<p>I found my D's. So PM me if you need something looked up. My D is back at her host school. She said over her break that she still wishes she was going to Tulane. She is getting a chance to explore a major that has interested her for a while that she wouldn't have gotten to do at Tulane.
If all comes together healthwise she might be back at Tulane in the future. Though ironically she has had a hard time healthwise at her new school as well. We might be in jmmom's boat looking for a transfer school.</p>
<p>Oh, dear, it's not a "party" boat, mom60. Although I suppose I will have expertise to share if the time comes for you. And you'll have a semester's worth of info from all of us on how they like the new New Orleans, so maybe she'll want to come back and avoid the transfer boat.</p>
<p>Jmmom- she is talking about joining the transfer boat. She is having a hard time healthwise and is feeling like she wants to come home. Stress isn't helped by not feeling well. She is going to look into transfers to some schools closer to home. She would love to go back to Tulane but is feeling the need to be closer to home not further away.</p>
<p>So, mom60, is the plan to look for a fall 06 transfer? That is, of course, what we are working on now. Most of the deadlines are 3/1 or 3/15, but there are variations. I think you're in California? If so, the UC system seems to have 11/30 as the deadline for fall transfer (so that ship has sailed), but 7/1 for winter quarter transfer. Or maybe she's looking at privates, CSU's etc.</p>
<p>She would consider the UC's but they don't take soph. transfers. She is going to look into the privates.
It will be some hard decision making. They don't have her major and she will have to piece something together. Which is what she was going to do at Tulane. I am hoping that it will just be an exercise and she will settle in where she is and work on getting and staying healthy. I think everything will look better if she can only get healthy.
It sounds like your son is handling this all in stride. Mine would be freaking out.</p>
<p>Last night dd was scanning the many volunteer opportunities online and had two questions: How am I ever going to choose? And -- how am I going to get to some of these places? </p>
<p>She and her dad are in NOLA tonight; the report so far: Trolley cars? Gone. Street lights? Nope. Traffic lights? Mostly down. My daughter says it probably would be depressing, but there are lots of people around. French Quarter: There, but very quiet. Hotel? Sheets covering the windows, room ceiling pulled down, no hallway wallpaper anywhere, endless evidence of blown-out windows and water damage. "Spartan, " says my husband. However, there are lots of parents and students wandering around. My daughter does not sound the least bit deflated.</p>
<p>And not bothered, as I am, by the prospect of a visit by President Bush to NOLA tomorrow. I think he should just let the universities have their day in the sun -- he hasn't helped them make it this far and they are entitled to enjoy the triumph of reopening in peace before they have to get right back to the nitty gritty.</p>
<p>Hmmm, we, too, arrived today and will have much to report later. Interestingly, our hotel is virtually unchanged from the pleasant and quality experience it always was (Hampton Inn on St. Charles) - its rates are up, though. Didn't know about Bush; my initial reaction matches yours. However, maybe being here will shame him into stepping up to the plate to press for fulfillment of last August/September's promises.</p>
<p>I'm in Metairie tonight. It was disheartening to come into the city on I-10, seeing all the destruction. And I've had my good cry. But I'm here!</p>