No Glam in The Bayou

By Josie Hess

Growing up in New Orleans was not so glamorous. The city is not the picturized, quirky, fun night life fueled city that everyone pictures. It’s dirty, violent, and overcrowded. While I love the theme of this year's Homecoming, the city surrounding the historic bayou is not so beautiful. Homelessness is rampant, drug use is a fact of life, and gambling is in the back alleys. I love this city I was raised in. It sheltered my immigrant family for many years before we moved to Evergreen, but the glorification New Orleans receives is not deserved. The city floods often, killing many people a year, mostly homeless. The sewers are historic, so they are open-air deposits by the highways. The violent crimes are so frequent that people walk past one almost every day. But the worst part of New Orleans is the dumping.  

The very few redeeming qualities of New Orleans come from the culture and wildlife. Gators, canaries, turtles, and bright tropical fish all call the swampy city home. Or the Spireair, which is Swamp in the Cajun French, as spoken in New Orleans. The vibrant culture of Voodoo and Jazz music also color the city into brighter lights. But all of this is destroyed by the dumping! The mayorship of Louisiana is so corrupt that they will not place sanctions over the factories that are dumping into the Mississippi River. These chemicals are carried down into the bayou, the wetlands, and the Gulf of Mexico. It has become so bad in the Gulf that there is an ecological dead zone stretching across the banks. No fish can live in the waters, only red algae can bloom, causing red tides and exacerbating climate change as they suck oxygen out of the water.  

This is not to say I hate my birth town. I love that I'm from there. Life is vibrant and beautiful at times. Most importantly the people- and food- make the city! They make the culture and all that matters in between. If anyone wants to visit New Orleans, I recommend it. It truly is beautiful... and we need the tourist money.