Planes, Trains and Automobiles: OSU Students Share Memories of Trip to New Orleans – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | General
With a week gone by, now is a great time to reflect on Ohio State’s second trip to the BCS national championship game in the last two seasons. Once again, Buckeye fans traveled in great numbers to support the Scarlet and Gray.
Several student employees in the athletics department made the trek to New Orleans. Some hopped on a plane, some weathered a long drive and one student rode a bus down to the Big Easy.
This week, seven students will share their experiences on their insightful trip to a city in an ongoing struggle to recover from natural disaster.
Check back to OhioStateBuckeyes.com for new stories and photos each day this week.
Entry 7 – Andrew Schraedly, senior, logistics management
Going to New Orleans for the first time, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. What I found was a city that was filled with food, fun and a zest for life.
The first thing we did on Saturday morning was go to a french-style restaurant for breakfast, where I enjoyed an omelet twice as big as I had ever seen, stuffed with mushrooms, red bell peppers and cheddar cheese. While in the city, we also enjoyed Po’ Boys, jumbalaya and other dishes native to New Orleans.
We enjoyed the sites of the French Quarter, including the incredibly unique and incredibly raucous Bourbon Street. I have seen a lot of crazy parties, but Bourbon Street topped them all. The amount of people, along with their level of rowdiness was simply mindblowing. I also tip my hat to who ever cleaned that street up in the morning.
We also went on a walking ghost tour throughout the French Quarter, where we learned about how New Orleans was one of the most haunted cities in the world. The lore surrounding voodoo and mystical forces, which is regarded as somewhat silly in the North, is taken very seriously in New Orleans. One of the weirdest sites was the above ground cemeteries spotted just outside downtown. Due to the city lying below sea level, dead bodies cannot be placed under ground and thus must be laid to rest in above ground mausoleums.
Although the game did not turn out as we would have hoped, I experienced nothing but the warmest greetings from Louisiana residents and was pleasantly surprised by the city of New Orleans itself. Although a little rough around the edges yet, the city of New Orleans is very much alive and well.
Entry 6 – Kyle Rowland, pre-jounalism
For the second consecutive year, my trip began with great optimism and ended with thoughts of what might have been. I set out for New Orleans Saturday afternoon from Dayton International Airport with my dad, two of his friends and two of my friends. My aunt and uncle also accompanied us on the trip, but had already arrived in New Orleans. Our flight flew into Gulfport-Biloxi, Miss., in the late afternoon. Even 60 miles away in Biloxi, you could sense the atmosphere for the game as our flight was full of Scarlet and Gray clad fans.
On Sunday, all of us, including my aunt and uncle, played golf at Mississippi National Golf Club in Gautier. The scores were decent, but it was more about getting out and having a good time. Golfing in Ohio at this time of year isn’t an option, even though it was in the high 60’s back home in Columbus this particular day, so we wanted to get out and enjoy the outdoors.
Monday, game day, was an early wake up call. We drove to New Orleans in my aunt and uncle’s RV all along the Mississippi Gulf Coast to New Orleans. Seeing the devastation and destruction of Hurricane Katrina up close was a remarkable experience. More than two years after the hurricane hit, the condition of the coastal towns is still very poor. When the hurricane hit, I was a freshman at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, so I got to see it up close and personal. However, the conditions and damage I experienced in Tuscaloosa were not as severe as what took place on the coast.
Once we arrived in New Orleans, the day was spent as tourists in the French Quarter. I had never been to the Crescent City, so there were lots of things I wanted to see. We went to Jackson Square, Cafe du Monde, Bourbon Street, etc. You always hear stories about Bourbon Street, but you really can’t prepare yourself for the things you see. It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen and probably ever will.
Although I had never been to New Orleans before, you got the feeling that the city was different. Driving in it seemed like a ghost town. There are still remnants of Katrina all around the city. It seemed like every square inch was affected except the French Quarter.
Once it got into late afternoon we headed over to the Louisiana Superdome. Chants of “O-H, I-O” and “Tiger bait!” reverberated down Canal Street on the way to the stadium. There were a great number of Ohio State fans, but you could tell we were going to be outnumbered. The scene kept getting better the closer you got to the dome. Fans clogged the streets and got louder and louder. The game itself, I’ll be thinking about it for a long time. I felt the LSU fans were very classy, though. I didn’t have anyone taunt me the whole day, even after the game.
Overall, it was another great experience. There is nothing quite like Ohio Stadium and Saturdays in Columbus. However, I think road/bowl games are a neat thing to go to. Luckily, I’ve been to a number of them. The end result put a damper on the trip, but the uniqueness of the city of New Orleans made it memorable.
Who’s up for Miami?
Entry 5 – Stacey Freyer, junior, communication
It was a 14-hour car ride in a shaky, smelly minivan that started my journey off to New Orleans. Not to mention I was riding down with the stomach flu still lingering inside me. No, the trip did not start the best. There were a series of events including a flat tire at 5 a.m., a hotel which would not allow an early check-in and a cockroach falling down as I opened the curtain after a long afternoon nap.
But to watch my university play in the championship game was a chance of a lifetime. Cheering and supporting the Buckeyes as they played, not just for themselves, but for every fan wearing their Scarlet and Gray was something I will never forget. When the crowd erupted during the first touchdown and the sounds of Ohio roared through the Superdome, my heart beat harder and my adrenaline rushed.
Not only will the big game remain in my thoughts for years to come, but the whole New Orleans adventure. The people, sights and experiences opened my eyes to reminders of the wealth I have in my life. The destruction of Hurricane Katrina was still evident as I drove past the boarded up houses and the destroyed landscape. This was a continuous reminder of what God has given me. My wealth is not tickets to a game or a night out on Bourbon Street; it is my security, home, health and loved ones.
What made me think most was not the objects lost in the storm, but the lives destroyed and how their true wealth disappeared at once. Families were broken up, loved ones were lost, schools shut down and a family’s shelter was the dome I stood cheering in.
I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel down for the game, but the fortunes I came back to are what I hold dear. I saw destruction, poverty and crime on my journey south and realized everything I have. I am lucky to have security, shelter, education, love and wellbeing. To look back, I should never complain about the minor flaws during my trip. I saw an unforgettable game, experienced a new city and all it had to offer and have a whole new album of memories stored away in my mind. Most importantly though I returned safely home and learned the true values of everything I have.
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