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Our first full day in New Orleans was probably one of my favorites. Around 8 in the morning, we all met up with Dr. Helvie-Mason to head to the French Quarter for beignets and coffee. Beignets are a sort of local doughnut/ pastry that's fried and covered in powdered sugar. Delicious!After getting the beignets, we had a short amount of time to look around Jackson Square before our group was scheduled to go on a cemetery tour at St. Louis cemetery. The square was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen: old style architecture, huge trees, flowering plants, and an impressive statue of Andrew Jackson.
The cemetery tour was great. We were guided around the cemetery by a man named Adam Stevenson, who was chock full of knowledge and history of burial rituals and the city. Our group learned about the way different "societies" buried their dead, who was buried where and when, the mystery behind Marie Laveau's tomb, and the reason for their use of above ground tombs.
People and families in New Orleans use these expensive, elaborate tombs for 2 reasons: the water levels in the area, and space. The high water levels cause normal ground graves to flood, while these tombs protect the dead. Above ground tombs also allow more people to be buried in a single space. Instead of using up "plots", an entire family (up to 40 people) could be put into 1 average sized tomb!
We also walked through Armstrong Park, Congo Square, and the rest of the French Quarter. There's so much history behind every aspect of this city, that one could write about it for days! I am thankful for everyone at the University for making this trip possible. I never expected to learn so much in one day.
~ Summer K., Multicultural Ambassador
We hope that you will stop by the office (TSC # 21). Also, look for us on social media. Facebook :http://www.facebook.com/TarletonDiversityInclusion and read along with our journeys here on the blog:
http://tarletondiversityinclusion.blogspot.com/ You can also see our images on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tarletondiversity/. Or follow us on Twitter: @DiversityTSU or email us directly at Diversity@Tarleton.edu
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