Tonight's Tulane Admissions Reception

Parents Forum
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<p>I just wanted to post a quick note to say that S and I attended a Tulane admissions reception in Houston this evening, and it was very positive and upbeat. In addition to the Assistant Dean of Admissions, the Sr. VP of Tulane (the Provost) was also in attendance. They spoke in very positive and concrete terms of Tulane opening for the spring semester, and of Tulane's emerging from this as an even stronger institution. They are going full steam ahead with admissions for 2006, and mentioned that they will be sending out info soon to all applicants with new contact information (new phone #, new P.O. box, etc.) </p>

<p>It was very inspiring.</p>

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<p>I am very glad to hear that. I know that the current students have a STRONG desire to get back to campus from reading their blogs.</p>

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<p>Thanks for posting this. It sounds as if Tulane is handling this in the best fashion and making the most of a tragic circumstance. Many schools have stepped up to take the displaced students and I think this is in part to respect for Tulane as an institution. Strength and Peace to all of you from and hoping to be from Tulane.</p>

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<p>Thanks for keeping us posted. Glad it went well. Hopefully interested seniors are reading some of the student blogs and will discover what we all know. Tulane is an awesome school!</p>

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<p>No man is an island; neither is a university.
Tulane is trying hard to reopen asap; but it may not be able to do so. A report suggests that NO will not have potable water for a year. Scenarios for cleaning up suggests that some of the solutions such as chlorinating water might have dire consequences. </p>

<p>
[quote]
Mr Nagin said that once pumping was completed, it would take several weeks more to clear the debris. Some military engineers are measuring the process in months rather than weeks, and are warning that it could take a year or more before New Orleans was once again habitable in any meaningful sense.</p>

<p>The 17th Street Canal is, moreover, only one of the major problems facing the recovery operation. Other smaller levee breaks in New Orleans defences are still defying the best efforts of the army, which is dropping giant 16,000lb sandbags on damaged sections. Restoring electricity could take up to eight weeks.</p>

<p>The toxic consequences of the disaster will have a profound impact on New Orleans even after the initial clearing is done. Dr Zeliger pointed out that the only way to make the water remotely potable would be to chlorinate it, but given the degree of contamination, this would create its own devastating side effects.</p>

<p>"If one chlorinates poor-quality water, it creates categories of trihalmethanes and other compounds that produce their own nightmarish effects on human health, such as spontaneous abortions," he said. "You'll see the formation of chloroform and bromoform and other toxins. It will be a long time before decent potable water can be drawn - my prediction would be a minimum of one year."

[/quote]

<a href="http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article310814.ece%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article310814.ece&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>Head of Center for Disease Control appeared on TV news this morning. Very different take from above ^^ link re pumping water into Mississipi River and Lake Pontchartrain. She said that this is very little different from other flooding where the waters pass over pastures (fertilizer, manure, animal waste, etc.). Not saying it is a good thing, but that this is not of an entirely different magnitude and the water bodies can handle it.</p>

<p>Where Tulane is working a warp speed with herculean effort and dedication to get itself up and running, what is the value of posting the "it can't be done" viewpoints on a thread like this.</p>

<p>marite, you have been, as always, such a great contributor here, helping get out the info re academic and other resources in this disaster. But I just have to respectfully depart from your approach here.</p>

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<p>jmmom, while I too am a HUGE Tulane supporter, I think it is important to process all available information. Despite all the best intentions and efforts, for reason out of Tulane's control, it may just take longer than every hopes. In the long run, I think it better to take the approach of "Hope for Spring on campus, prepare for staying put until Fall." I am sure that that was the spirit with which marite posted the news story.</p>

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<p>I do agree that Tulane might be a bit optimistic concerning returning for spring semester, but I have my fingers crossed that it will happen. Nothing would make me prouder than to see my son attend his graduation in May in New Orleans. But, if it doesn't happen we will be just as happy to attend a graduation off site or to receive his degree through the mail. Tulane will be stronger after this tragedy, even if it takes a couple of years.</p>

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<p>So you would have your son sign a medical release to return this spring?</p>

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<p>I find the vastly varying stories so bothersome. It's very hard to sort out what is real and what is hyped for ratings. From student blogs we learned that Fox News was showing water on a part of St. Charles that was dry. It's a lot more interest catching to put up teasers that say New Orleans is drowning than to say the levels have equalized and begun to recede. I had to actually watch an official put the press in their place to learn that. I had just hear such a statement as a lead in for said official. Red faced reporters just kind of smoothed over with, "There. You have the latest word." Suddenly when the news was that the levees were fixed and pumps pumping, the only pictures on tv were of receding water. Fair and balanced hasn't exactly been happening.</p>

<p>I think one of the most negative people I have watched on tv concerning everything has been Nagin himself. Mind you, this is not intended on my part to be an endictment of him. He's beyond exhaustion and emotionally spent - as anyone would be who is in his place. He is the one who is saying there will be 10,000 dead - much more than other estimates I've heard. I often feel that this is a result of pleading to deaf ears while the situation downtown detiorated so badly.</p>

<p>I don't mean to make light of the water situation. It is serious. However, after years of burning low emission gasoline, the boaters in our area have filled with lakes with MTBE and now recommendations are not to eat the fish. We don't drink or cook with unfiltered tap water in our home and routinely buy cases of bottled water for lunches and any other time we want a portable water supply. If the water can be made safe to bathe and wash clothes in, then perhaps, Tulane and others will have to turn to bottled and filtered water for cooking and drinking. Dr. Zeliger is an independent consultant. I would like to know who paid for his study, how extensive it was, and whether or not the paying party has an interest, i.e. something to sell. Call me jaded, but every day there is a new study in health, most funded by people with a vested interest. It just makes me wonder how impartial they are.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, it is my hope that in the next couple of weeks that things will settle down and we will get less conflicting information. People are not getting information on the rest of the city. If you asked Americans today if the entire city of New Orleans looked like what they've seen on tv, a majority would most likely say yes. Not what they see on NOLA.com, but what they see on cable news. Political pundits and experts are circling for their fifteen minutes of fame. I don't think over a million evacuees need to hear people discuss whether or not NO can or should be rebuild ad nauseam, but then I guess that's my fifteen minutes!</p>

<p>Marite, I will concur with Concerneddad. Your posts are often, I think, intended to foster an atmosphere of discussion and I appreciate the opportunity to reflect and in this case vent!</p>

<p>I think as time passes, the discussions will shift more from should we or can we to when will this happen? I think once the number of dead in NO is known and the city has had time to try to give the victims the respect they deserve and we as a nation need to see them get, we may all feel differently. One thing is for sure. Our family will support the rebuilding of NO and support Tulane in their efforts to do the same. It seems to be where we're needed most right now.</p>

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<p>Well said Along~</p>

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<p>Alongfortheride.</p>

<p>Good point about Dr. Zeliger. I had not thought of it. I'll try to look up his credentials.</p>

<p>EDIT: Googling Harold Zeliger: he is an independent consultant who has done work for EPA and is considered an expert witness. He does not appear to have done a specific project on New Orleans. That does not mean that he has no expert knowledge of its envrionmental history or current situation, but it does not look as if he has a direct financial stake. I could be wrong, of course, as companies are jockeying to share in the rebuilding of NO.</p>

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<p>All good points following my "vent" above. Certainly, there are no guarantees of what part of NOLA will recover when. Certainly, no student should put all his/her eggs in the Tulane basket by going ED or focusing only on Tulane for Fall 2006. I guess I just hate to see "predictions" which discourage folks from thinking of Tulane at a time when they are doing absolutely everything in their power to recover. Predictions that they <em>can't</em> have the potential to prevent that recovery via self-fulfilling prophecy and I think should be withheld unless very well-founded. JMHO (and a partisan one at that, I must admit).</p>

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<p>Jmmom:</p>

<p>You're entitled to your opinion and I'm entitled to mine. The difference between you and me is that I'm not telling anyone what they should say or not. End of MY vent.</p>