University of Virginia, New Orleans Journals\r\n\r\nMonday, January 9, 2006\r\n\r\nAnna Oppenheimer, College of Arts & Sciences\r\n\r\nWe stopped by one fairly affluent home near Lake \r\n\r\nPontchartrain. Like many nearby houses, it sustained what \r\n\r\nseems like irreparable damage due to Hurricane Katrina. The \r\n\r\nfront room and foyer of the house are entirely exposed to the \r\n\r\noutdoors. What was left of the house’s frame is in the process \r\n\r\nof being gutted, stripped of its drywall and insulation, by local \r\n\r\nworkers and volunteers. The debris is scattered on the \r\n\r\nfoundation of the front rooms or in the yard. A tree that, \r\n\r\njudging by its root structure and truck size must be at least a \r\n\r\ncentury old, rests on part of the roof that remains intact. By the \r\n\r\nextent of the damage, it seems unlikely that the owners will \r\n\r\nchoose to rebuild this home to what it once was, if they choose \r\n\r\nto rebuild it at all.\r\n\r\nHidden by debris and the sinking ceiling, something unexpected \r\n\r\nhung from the rafters. It attracted my attention only when it \r\n\r\nbriefly reflected the light from the midday sun. When I \r\n\r\napproached the house, I noticed that it was an ornate crystal \r\n\r\nchandelier, seemingly undamaged either by the storm or \r\n\r\nlooters. Unlike the exposed insulation, the chandelier, firmly \r\n\r\nsecured to the rafters and strong in its own right, did not sway \r\n\r\nand break away in the wind. Its delicate structure and \r\n\r\nunblemished exterior distinguished it from the rotting rubble that \r\n\r\nsurrounded it. I know that I’m being an idealist, but this \r\n\r\nbeautiful lighting device could be symbolic in this setting. To \r\n\r\nme, it represents a hope that remains among devastation. \r\n\r\nAlthough many of the buildings and structures of New Orleans \r\n\r\nare in pieces, the heart of the city, like the central chandelier \r\n\r\namidst a room of people gathered to break bread together, \r\n\r\nremains as stable fixture around which the rest of the city can \r\n\r\nrebuild itself. In a city in which over 75 percent of residents live \r\n\r\nin darkness, the chandelier continues to provide light to homes \r\n\r\nwith or without electricity.\r\n\r\n Original URL: \r\n\r\nhttp://www.virginia.edu/topnews/releases2006/NewOrleansJourn\r\n\r\nal02.html