Andrew
Mister Andrew Chater,
Bookpacking originator,
who’s mission, first and foremost, is to find the class a gator.
His knowledge well exceeds
New Orleans history,
maybe why he has on call his own decanter ‘o deans.
His accent’s rather thick,
for he was born a Brit.
Remember if he’s off one day, shrimp o’boys will do the trick.
Andrew was a great guide for our adventures around Louisiana. It was great to have an outside perspective on U.S. history, him having been educated in the UK. I am so thankful for this experience, and I owe much gratitude to Andrew for having created this course.
Special thanks to Andrew for working so hard to find the class an alligator in its natural habitat. We went on swamp tours, in different marsh lands, down backroads, and had such rotten luck. Then on our way back to New Orleans after our last attempt, after we had given up hope, we found two! Classic.
Andrew - Thank you so much for this experience. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
1. Olivia (Liv)
Though no taste for sweets,
she was sure sweet to meet,
a jokester much needed in the miserable muggy heat.
Beloved is her cat,
but who would ever know that?
Oh right! For she mentions him at the drop of a hat!
She’s wiser in years
than all of her peers.
Glasses up to Liv - Cheers! Good luck to you in your last year.
Liv was my last roommate. It took a while to get to know her, but she is hilarious. I think back to the days in Grand Isle when we were strangers, and I laugh. At that point I knew her only as my oldest classmate who had a special gift for spotting interesting wildlife. Now I think of her as the one who made each day of the trip entertaining with her witty commentary.
One big thing about Liv - she loves her cat, Tommy, to wits end. Now anytime I see anything to do with cats I think of Liv. As a rising Senior, she only has a year left, but I hope that this was not the last I’ve seen of her.
Liv - I will miss the jokes, the cat stories, and the rom-coms, oh the rom-coms. I’m sure we will see each other next year. (To this I expect only one answer: “Yass Diana! Yass!”)
2. Ogechi
When we began in Grand Isle
I thought she was a shy girl,
then she came out of her shell and I was met with an infectious smile.
She leans on you when she laughs,
takes candid photographs,
Try a night out with this one and I promise you will have a gas.
She’s so full of praise,
that you might be fazed,
when she calls you out on your b.s. today. And she will, always.
Ogechi was so quiet in the beginning when we started off in Grand Isle. She roomed with Morgan and I, but I swear she was always either sleeping or reading. I knew that she had great work ethic, but what else I was not sure. Not before long did she come out of her shell and it was amazing. Ogechi is a ray of light and laughter. She made each day that much more enjoyable. Even if you are terrible at making jokes like me, she will laugh, and then lean on you because she laughs with all she has. Her laugh is so infectious that then everyone else will start laughing too.
Ogechi - I will miss your laugh and your tendency to break out into dance whenever you hear music.
3. Alfredo
It’s never discreet
that he can’t stay still in his seat,
he just wants to get up on the dance floor and move his happy feet.
He’ll dance down the street,
and dance while he eats,
if you wont hate me too much for saying, you just can’t stop (his) beat.
He loves his horror movies,
or really anything spooky,
honestly I would rather watch something that’s more goofy.
Alfredo is a dancer, which he shows off whenever he can, and we encouraged him to dance whenever we got the chance. He is super talented and a joy to watch. I think that a talent even better than his dancing is his ability to make anyone smile. He is one of the sweetest people I have ever met and I loved getting to know him.
Alfredo - I’ll miss your dancing feet, your smile, your humor, and especially just your sweet demeanor.
4. Chris
Well, this dude
is a great finder of food.
A talent for which we had much gratitude.
His quiet ambition
will never impede his mission
to live off Cafe du Monde beignets, though they lack essential nutrition.
The business of innovation,
full of frustration,
is his major and his life from which he needed a vacation.
Chris is so quiet, but such a presence. He is extremely smart, and always has something interesting to say. Since he was accepted in to the Iovine and Young Academy, it’s pretty clear he’s a smart guy. Though he was the only student that was not an English major, he had just as much to comment on when reading the novels as we did, sometimes more.
Chris - I will miss your quiet demeanor and your talent for finding good food.
6. Morgan
This native Boston blonde
loves her Disney songs.
As soon as she starts sining she goes on and on and on.
Thinks herself a comic.
Period piece? She saw it.
We once spoke ill of Colin Firth, then she up and lost it.
She frequents foreign accents.
Some are rather decent.
If you meet her, ask for Braveheart, it is quite the present.
Morgan is the classmate that I have known the longest, having had a class together before. She was my first roommate and my travel buddy. What a hilarious person. I couldn’t begin to explain her, you just have to meet her to understand. Each day was a trip.
Morgan - I will miss your humor, your stories of Boston, your childhood, and your frighteningly many near death experiences. Like the Tin Man to Dorothy, I might just miss you the most.
7. Bowen
Bowen, I believe it was you that asked for a haiku, so here it is. Apologies to everyone else wh probably won’t understand due to the inside jokes.
Here is Bowen Du:
Thinks he can eat it all. Nope.
He’s my evil twin.
Bowen, Bowen, Bowen. We didn’t notice it until the end of the trip in Lafayette, but we are alike in many ways. He told me that we have a “love-loathe” relationship, his words not mine, and that it is because we are so similar. Bowen was more like a sibling on this trip; we bickered for fun and joked around. He is opinionated, and funny, and a gas to have around. Bowen was always talking in strange voices, referencing Star Wars and then explaining it to me since I haven't seen any of them, and generally just being Bowen. Again, not easily explained, you just have to meet him.
Bowen - I will miss your weird voices, your blunt opinions, and our playful banter. Getting to know you was a highlight of my trip. By the way, we will never stop hounding you to sing Beauty and the Beast for us.
8. Anastasia (Stasi)
The youngest of the group,
fresh flown from the coup.
Her eager enthusiasm is something you cannot dupe.
The first to go and dance,
whenever she has the chance,
where her infectious love of life renders each crowd in a trance.
She loves her floppy sun hat.
To her, ball caps fall flat.
If she starts talking, I hope you have time, ‘cause man does she love to chat.
I think I spent the most time with Stasi on this trip. She was my roommate for somewhere around fifteen days. She might be the youngest of the group, but don't let that fool you. She is way smart. She has such an amazing work ethic and positive attitude about everything. Though I might be older, she was definitely a good example for me (it’s easy to get sidetracked in a city as fun as New Orleans).
Stasi - I will miss you, and your floppy hat. Your positive attitude brightened each day.
If you noticed number 5 was missing, good job. I was number 5 on our roll call. We numbered off by age to make sure no one was ever left behind.
