As I’ve revealed in many a blog entry, I’m a bit partial to New Orleans. The still largely unaddressed destruction caused by Katrina weighs heavily upon me. The Crescent City is simply too important to American culture for us to abandon.

Fortunately, I’m not alone. There are others who share my concern and are not willing to let our leaders forget the birthplace of jazz. In our own community, Carleton College is hosting a symposium on the Gulf Coast Crisis, Confronting Katrina.

The all-day sypmposium will feature arts, forums, lectures and workshops on the origins and effects of the disaster, the response and progress to-date and suggest action steps going forward. Check out the many reports available on the topic to help us all make better decision regarding this important issue. There are lessons in this story for us all.