Life not simple in the Big Easy

Walking down the streets of St. Bernard Parish, a district of hurricane-ravaged New Orleans, Teressa Martel couldn't believe the destruction she saw. Boats were on top of cars. Furniture was floating in pools. Around the next corner, a car was stuck in a tree. Then the smell hit her nose. "There were mayonnaise jars that had spilled out of cabinets and broke," said Martel, a political science senior and the 2007 San Diego State Homecoming Queen. "Having it sit in 105-weather for half a year … it's really not the best smell." But what really caught her attention was how little attention this disaster was getting. "It surprised me how little the news could replicate what was going on," she said. "You come back up here you had fanfare and people got all excited about it, but as soon as the next Britney Spears story came out, everybody forgot." With that experience at the forefront of her mind, she decided she wanted to do something about it. And after working with 2007 Homecoming King Ervin Hernandez and Tanis Starck, Ph.D., of the Cross-Cultural Center, she found a way. Under One Roof: Adopting a Hurricane Katrina Family is a series of events meant to reintroduce SDSU students and community members to the destruction and hardships the victims of Hurricane Katrina are still living with more than two years after the storm ravaged the Gulf Coast. A silent auction starts at 11 a.m. today on Centennial Walkway to raise money for 67-year-old Joanna Hughes, whose home in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans was destroyed in the hurricane. Hughes now lives in Baton Rouge, La., and supports her daughter and three grandchildren all on her own. "After talking to Ervin and Dr. Stark, I found out that the best way to really help people down there was to help one specific family, and I was all for it," Martel said. Hernandez said about 15 items donated by student organizations, such as the International Students Association, the SDSU Ambassadors and Delta Sigma Pi, will be auctioned off, including a basket featuring five award-winning international films, tickets to the San Diego Zoo, surf apparel and a surfing lesson at the Mission Bay Aquatic Center and tickets to a dinner cruise on the Hornblower. There will also be a separate donation jar for those who don't want to bid on anything but still want to contribute. "Students coming together, doing this event, is great enough, and I think any generous amount would be a blessing," said Hernandez, a physical education senior. Adding to the auction is a multi-cultural showcase, which will start at 7 p.m. tomorrow in Montezuma Hall. Hernandez said the line-up includes a step show, cultural dances and performances by the a capella groups from SDSU and UC San Diego. "We have all these great student organizations on campus coming together putting on a great show to celebrate diversity, unity … pretty much people coming together and celebrating a great cause," Hernandez said. There will be another chance to bid on the items from today's auction at the show, as well as one final opportunity before Saturday's men's basketball game against Colorado State, beginning at 5:15 p.m. in front of Cox Arena. During the game, Hernandez, Martel and several representatives from sponsoring organizations will present a check with the proceeds on Hughes' behalf. "I really wish we could raise the full amount (to rebuild the house), but sometimes you have to just hope for the best and be grateful for every penny that comes in," Martel said. Today's auction will be open until 2 p.m.

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