Saturday Night Out On the Town

Hey guys,

I know, ANOTHER new post in one day??? I happen to currently be in Moscow, Russia on Spring Break and I have finally gotten pictures from my camera and the cameras of others who attending all the events about which I'm writing. No one had time to do this until Spring Break-- its been a very busy semester!

But anyways, since I've now written about hanging out at Tulane and about doing community service, I thought I'd enlighten my readers about something else they all secretly want to know about-- the night life.

It's not the most respectable thing to ask about but for those of you who are wondering, New Orleans has the best nightlife. Women can get into most dance clubs at age 18 or 19, men at 21. This means that New Orleans is perfect for going out with the girls and you don't even have to go to Bourbon Street to do it. In fact, my girlfriends and I spent the night in the Warehouse District last Saturday.

We went to a club called the Republic, where we had gone to celebrate my 21st birthday a few weeks before. Well now it was my sister Mary's birthday and we were going to have a good time. The best thing about the Republic is that there is always good music with the two DJs that play all the time (DJs Damion Nancy and Chemistry), which means there is always dancing. Unlike my experiences with nightlife in Austin, you don't have to worry about if there are enough people to get a crowd out on the dance floor or not. People don't hug the bar side of the club and refuse to venture farther. The Republic, as well as other places in the Warehouse District, such as Tucker's, is known for its dance floor.



Here is our birthday girl- just turned 20!

The Warehouse District is a popular place to go out for celebratory grooving and I've seen brides party on a night with the girls, fraternity-hosted parties, and of course, birthday celebrations. It is relatively unknown to tourists, so you won't find too many in this area. But you will find some awesome places to bust a move and then some excellent lounges and bars in which you can relax afterwards. You can be assured of the fact that no high school students will be out there with you and you won't have to worry about tripping over inebriated Spring Breakers. These places have strict age limits and even stricter carding policies.

Here are Asha and our new friend Rob lounging in the VIP area with red couches and tables

So anyways, for all my readers, here are some of my pictures from Saturday night at the clubs. It was the day when all the clocks go "spring-forward" so we ended up being there later than we imagined and got breakfast at St. Charles Tavern afterwards--delicious pancakes, omelets, and eggs. It was an awesome night out and a testiment to the fact that sometimes you can have fun in places you might not always expect when you're here in New Orleans.



Me and the girls, from L to R we have Sophie, Mary, Asha, and me!

Senior Prom

William Shakespeare once said, "An old man is twice a child." Though our modern interpretation of that might be the care the elderly need, not unlike a child, I'm sure he meant something different with his words.

Last weekend we had our first Senior Prom, created and promoted by the Residence Hall Government of Willow, Aron, and Modular upperclassmen residences. We went to Lambeth House and literally partied with the elderly. Lambeth House is a community for retired people which has three levels of living: independent, assisted, and nursing home. Residents from all three of those levels were at our Prom.



Here are Ahmed and Chris, the Residence Hall Government Advisor and President, respectively, giving each other a high-five for the success of the program.

Some of my residents were very involved in the planning of this event. They went early to set up, decorate, buy one-time use cameras to take silly snapshots, and put all the food in place. The rest of us headed over in five cars around 7:00 pm. Though we were mostly ladies, and so were the Lambeth House attendees of the event, we still socialized and talked while others were dancing.



Here I am with some of my favorite residents, from L to R we have Casey, Anat, me, and Travis


Of course, that meant that our five guys had to ask some of those older ladies to dance. I personally was very amused when some of these ladies turned some of guys down! Some of them had someone in particular in mind and refused to dance with anyone else!

Here is Travis dancing the night away (or really until 8:45, when the event ended)-- he was the first person to bow his head, extend his hand, and ask this lady to dance!

Overall, the event really gave meaning to Shakespeare's likening the elderly with children. Though they might need more care, they also are much more fun to be around. We all had such a good time socializing, dancing, drinking, and more. America's older generations certainly have amazing stories to tell and we Tulane students were mesmerized by them. I believe after the success of this event, we will be going to Lambeth House soon to hang out with our new buddies!

Here is Ahmed dancing with his new gal pal-- he was a little shy at first but he warmed up fast!

Here is Elizabeth dancing with one of the two old men that were there--she snagged him before the rest of us even had a chance. He was a singer and sang three songs for us during our Senior Prom.

Visiting Tulane

Hey guys,

So last week we had that big event we were anticipating--our first Honors Weekend. We catered Nacho Mama's food, we handed out t shirts, and we had big inflatable things on which people played. Overall it was a huge sucess.

One thing I was impressed with was how informed the students seemed about Tulane. Though many of them hadn't heard from other schools, they certainly had their facts right about Tulane. Anything they didn't know they weren't at all shy to ask. Though they did tell us they were waiting to hear from those other schools, they also mentioned how excited they were that Tulane had already accepted them.

So this goes out to all of the freshmen out there right now still trying to make up your minds. We have many other days during which you can come visit Tulane. Like your fellow future classmates, you should come get a sense of it yourself. I think most of the students at Honors Weekend were happy with what they saw. It was a gorgeous New Orleans spring day and absolutely perfect for touring the campus and getting the essence of Tulane.

As a freshman, the fact that I was already accepted by Tulane in October, a scholarschip recipient by December, and visiting by March really weighed heavily in my decision to come here. Tulane made it seem like they really wanted me, pursued me (even in high school when I received pamphlets and admissions brochures), and would go to the end of the world to get me as a student. The individual attention during my admissions process struck a chord in my heart when I realized how much the faculty, staff, administration, and students cared about getting another good student for their university. I assure you, no other university will treat you the same.

So come out and check it out-- here are some pics so you can see the fun we had!

Visit Tulane!

Hey guys,

I'm writing to those of you freshmen who religiously follow my blog (yeah, right ;p) and are excited about coming to Tulane to visit in the coming months. This year, I will be directly involved that process.

As the President of the Science and Engineering Honor Society, I have a lot of responsibility over something entitled Honors Weekend. We help the Admissions Office sort out our incoming geniuses and throw a big party for you guys with nachos, snow cones, and inflatable fun. This year, we are giving out t shirts and possibly pins as well.

The Science and Engineering Honor Society has one major task in the coming years-- to help give the School of Science and Engineering a new identity. So basically everything we do, we're trying to do it BIG. For example, our t shirts (design shown above) are brightly colored and easily identified, we're planning on hosting a speaker next fall, and we work closely with the Dean's Office to make sure current and incoming students know what we (as representatives of the School of Science and Engineering administration) can do.

Whether or not you're an honors student, the coming months have tons of fun in store here at Tulane. The Admissions Office and plenty of other campus bodies, including student organizations, work really hard to make sure you guys have a good time. And for those of you that are emailing me with questions, keep those emails coming to me and the other bloggers. We truly are happy to welcome you guys.

So the purpose of this post is really to encourage my incoming freshmen readers to take advantage of any opportunities you have to visit Tulane. As a senior at Friendswood High School, I certainly remember the awe Tulane's ivy-covered Gibson Hall inspired when I first set foot on this campus. I was overwhelmed with the lush greenery, the friendly students, and how excited everyone seemed, even President Cowen, who was the only actual university president I met when visiting colleges. Four years later, I still remember that feeling.

In New Orleans, we have a saying, "Let the good times roll." If you visit Tulane this spring, you will certainly see how much we believe that!

Welcome, guys! We're excited to meet you!


-AJ

ajambhek@tulane.edu

Parade Fun

So here are some pictures of my Mardi Gras-- these are of Endymion and Bacchus. The girl with me in most of them is Asha, my Office of Multicultural Affairs. The other girl is Rachel, a sister in my sorority and the current Membership Chair. Below are some pictures of our experiences-- how we wormed our way up to the front of the police barricades, how we fought people on the ladders for beads, and how we were triumphant in the end!

Here I am chastising Asha for picking up beads from the ground though I will admit she got some awesome ones in this effort!
Below are some pictures of us in between floats during Bacchus (L) and Endymion (R)

Mardi Gras

So it is now the weekend after Mardi Gras and I am spending some time recovering from all the fun and digesting the fact that I'm about to turn 21, I can't party like I used to, and that I am about to legally be an adult in every way.

Last year during Mardi Gras I went down to Bourbon Street almost every night (except for the one night I was on Frenchman) and had a ridiculously good time. I partied hard, especially on my twentieth birthday, which fell on Mardi Gras day itself. It was a very exciting time of the year and it was the first and only Mardi Gras where I partied like that. It probably will be the only Mardi Gras I'll celebrate like that.

This year, I took it easy. I showed off the parades to my Office of Multicultural Affairs little sister Asha and shared all my beads with her. I picked up the cool beads and we actually cut two strands of them and made really neat bracelets out of them. My Mardi Gras this year was a lot more low key and a LOT more relaxing. I realized for the first time since coming to college that I am getting too old to want to spend every night fighting crowds in the French Quarter for a good time.

It makes me sad to think that I only have one Mardi Gras left. It's ten days shy of my 21st birthday and I also realize that though next year's birthday falls the Friday before Mardi Gras, its still not going to be as monumental as this birthday.

But even though I'm getting older, New Orleans has plenty to offer. I think this is a great place to continue having fun while I'm in college. When I saw all ages of people at the parades it made me feel like while I'm here, I still fit in just fine.

Sophia Lauren once said, "There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age."

This Mardi Gras, I have learned that the parade goers and the people who still have fun no matter what their age are the ones who have learned this secret.

T2 and Tulane

So one thing that's certainly exciting about this time of year is the programs that are developing on campus. As an RA, I particularly pay attention to the ones near me, in the residence hall in which I live and nearby. One such program is called T2.

This program began this year as an effort to involve sophomore students with more leadership opportunities, such as the chance to find an internship, work for someone whose career interests them, or even simply find a job that both respects their education and pays well. The Career Services offices have been moved inside Mayer Residence Hall just so the sophomores have immediate access to career coaches, help with their resume, and constant advice on public service and internships and how to best access them.

The illustrious Mayer Residence Hall with its Career Services addition is pictured above!

At first, I'll admit I thought the program was not going to be successful. I thought that while the idea of specifically interactive freshmen halls was a good idea, the enthusiasm might wear off when the students became sophomores. And at first, the resident advisors, many of whom are good friends of mine, did not know what to expect.

But after a few months, this semester, things are really beginning to pick up. I'm the RA in a residence hall called Leadership Village, where juniors and seniors who are student leaders are encouraged to live in our loft-style rooms furnished with spiral staircases and balconies. One of our biggest groups of potential residents for next year is a result of the T2 program-- it is what they call the Leadership Class at T2. I was thoroughly impressed to see that not only had sophomores taken advantage of the opportunities presented by Career Services, but that they had embraced them and taken chances to excel.

According to Robert Hutchins, education is not to reform students or amuse them or to make them expert technicians. It is to unsettle their minds, widen their horizons, inflame their intellects, teach them to think straight, if possible.

It occured to me that at Tulane, these sophomores have gotten to put themselves out there-- in the risky job market, in the competitive world of exclusive internships, and in a group of students all trying to be leaders. This program has managed to take them out of their comfort zones and teach them to fly as high as they can without falling down.

I've never heard of another program like T2 . . . and though I was skeptical at first, I must say I'm now a believer. I think that our students have the capability to accept any challenge and succeed and I'm certainly hoping that these are the kinds of residents I'll have in Leadership Village next year!