During the morning of August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States. With it came sustained winds of 100-140 miles per hour stretching more than 400 miles across. The storm itself left a great deal of damage, and its aftermath was catastrophic. Hundreds of thousands of people in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama were displaced from their homes. Experts estimate there were 1,833 fatalities and more than $100 billion in damage. The city of New Orleans was one of the most hard-hit. Nearly 80 percent of the city was underwater and citizens scrambled to attics and rooftops for safety.

Nine years after Hurricane Katrina there are still reconstruction efforts underway and Chapman students have the valuable opportunity to continue being part of this movement in January. Chris Hutchinson, Director of Student Engagement, and Justin Koppelman, Assistant Director of Student Civic Engagement, will be leading a Travel Course titled: Leadership through the Eye of the Storm. The 10-day trip to New Orleans provides an incredible opportunity to learn more about the City and the impact of the Hurricane. This course will assess what initiatives were taken to meet the challenges of Katrina, how subsequent reconstruction projects were carried out, and what leadership lessons can be learned in its aftermath. Students will receive a guided Hurricane Katrina tour of New Orleans and have admission to the Hurricane Katrina Exhibit at the Louisiana State Museum.

The group will be meeting with faculty at Tulane University to discuss the economic, civic, and cultural ramifications of the Deepwater Horizon oil leak. To assist in reconstructing efforts, students will be working alongside an organization, Rebuilding Together New Orleans, that is improving the life of low income homeowners through home repair and revitalization of New Orleans’s Neighborhoods.

Travel Course LEAD 485 is set to depart on January 10, 2015 and return January 19, 2015. This course has a total cost range of $1580.00-$1738.00 and may incur expenses such as lodging, excursions, etc not to exceed $1738. This program does not include domestic airfare. All accommodations in the French Quarter, some meals, transportation, and faculty-led cultural excursions are included. The Cost Range does NOT include any tuition costs. For more information please email, Chris Hutchinson hutchiso@chapman.edu or Justin Koppelman, jkoppel@chapman.edu. Please bring your completed Enrollment and Financial Obligation form and $500 non-refundable receipt of deposit to the Center for Global Education, 576 N. Glassell St. Orange no later than 4 PM Friday, October 24, 2014.