Nola Quest: Connecting Tulane Students to the Stories of New Orleans

Mike Khat

5 months ago

The International Student Programs Office (ISPO) hosted its latest Nola Quest program last month, inviting international students to explore the history, resilience, and cultural richness of New Orleans through guided visits to The Presbytère and The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC)&period;&NewLine;Designed to help international students connect academic learning with lived experience, Nola Quest serves as a cultural bridge between Tulane and the city that surrounds it&period; For many participants, the program offered a chance to explore the stories that have shaped Louisiana, all while experiencing the city together as new members of the Tulane community&period;&NewLine;<h3>Walking Through the City’s Stories</h3>&NewLine;The day began at The Presbytère, one of the Louisiana State Museum’s crown jewels beside St&period; Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square&period; Inside, students toured two of the museum’s most iconic exhibits&colon; Living with Hurricanes&colon; Katrina and Beyond and Mardi Gras&colon; It’s Carnival Time in Louisiana&period;&NewLine;On the ground floor, the Hurricane Katrina exhibit presented a powerful look at the city’s most devastating modern chapter&period; Through photographs, artifacts, and survivor testimonies, students traced the storm’s impact and the community’s remarkable journey toward rebuilding&period;&NewLine;A floor above, the tone shifted from tragedy to triumph&period; The Mardi Gras gallery burst with color and sound&semi; ornate costumes, sequined masks, and vivid parade footage that captured the creativity and collective spirit behind the city’s most famous celebration&period; Students learned how the annual festival continues to reflect the cultural diversity and neighborhood pride that define New Orleans&period;&NewLine;<h3>Layers of Identity at the Historic New Orleans Collection</h3>&NewLine;The afternoon continued at The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC), where students explored how migration and cultural exchange have shaped the city’s identity&period; Exhibits on the evolution of the French Quarter, the city’s Creole heritage, and the Vietnamese-American community illustrated New Orleans’ global roots&period;&NewLine;One particularly moving display focused on Vietnamese refugees who settled in Louisiana following the fall of Saigon in 1975&period; The exhibit highlighted how these families built new communities in New Orleans East, contributing to the city’s food culture, economy, and local traditions&period; For many international students, these stories struck a personal chord as it shows how people from different places can bring their culture and still become part of New Orleans&period;&NewLine;<img class="aligncenter wp-image-17174" src="https&colon;//tulanemagazine&period;com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2025-10-28-at-8&period;24&period;17-PM&period;png" alt="" width="268" height="337" />Image Via T<a style="color&colon; &num;000000&semi;" href="https&colon;//www&period;instagram&period;com/tulanecge/">ulanecge</a>&NewLine;<h3>Cultural Learning Beyond the Classroom</h3>&NewLine;Through Nola Quest, ISPO encourages students to see New Orleans not just as the city where they study, but as an active part of their educational experience&period;&NewLine;The program complements Tulane’s broader mission to promote global awareness and intercultural learning, ensuring that Tulanians, especially those from abroad, feel connected to the city’s distinctive character&period;&NewLine;<img class="aligncenter wp-image-17175" src="https&colon;//tulanemagazine&period;com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2025-10-28-at-8&period;25&period;09-PM&period;png" alt="" width="301" height="256" /> Image Via T<a style="color&colon; &num;000000&semi;" href="https&colon;//www&period;instagram&period;com/tulanecge/">ulanecge</a>&NewLine;<h3>A Shared Experience of Belonging</h3>&NewLine;As the group concluded their tour back in Jackson Square, the sounds of street musicians filled the air, a fitting reminder of the city’s ever-present rhythm&period; For many participants, the day had become more than a sightseeing trip&semi; it was a reflection on how New Orleans’ history, culture, and resilience continue to inspire those who call it home, even temporarily&period;&NewLine;&nbsp&semi;&NewLine; <&excl;-- WP Biographia v4&period;0&period;0 -->&NewLine;<div class="wp-biographia-container-top" style="background-color&colon; &num;FFEAA8&semi; border-top&colon; 4px solid &num;000000&semi;"><div class="wp-biographia-pic" style="height&colon;100px&semi; width&colon;100px&semi;"><img alt='' src='https&colon;//secure&period;gravatar&period;com/avatar/8e6382c4cab46b5a42803bf47709fcff265b095cef13fe28e0bbde2a6374f9f9&quest;s=100&&num;038&semi;d=wp&lowbar;user&lowbar;avatar&&num;038&semi;r=g' srcset='https&colon;//secure&period;gravatar&period;com/avatar/8e6382c4cab46b5a42803bf47709fcff265b095cef13fe28e0bbde2a6374f9f9&quest;s=200&&num;038&semi;d=wp&lowbar;user&lowbar;avatar&&num;038&semi;r=g 2x' class='wp-biographia-avatar avatar-100 photo' height='100' width='100' /></div><div class="wp-biographia-text"><h3>About <a href="https&colon;//tulanemagazine&period;com/author/pkhattulane-edu/" title=" "> </a></h3><div class="wp-biographia-links"><ul class="wp-biographia-list wp-biographia-list-text"><li><a href="mailto&colon;pk&&num;104&semi;&&num;97&semi;&&num;116&semi;&&num;64&semi;t&&num;117&semi;&&num;108&semi;&&num;97&semi;n&&num;101&semi;&period;&&num;101&semi;&&num;100&semi;&&num;117&semi;" target="&lowbar;self" title="Send Mail" class="wp-biographia-link-text">Mail</a></li> | <li><a href="https&colon;//tulanemagazine&period;com/author/pkhattulane-edu/" target="&lowbar;self" title="More Posts By " class="wp-biographia-link-text">More Posts(2)</a></li></ul></div></div></div><&excl;-- WP Biographia v4&period;0&period;0 -->&NewLine;

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