Interrupted by Hurricane, Tulane's Orientation Resumes for Freshmen

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 12 -- Lee Marinelli opened her dorm room to find everything just as she left it last August -- the books and school supplies on the shelves, half-unpacked clothes in the closet, her giant stuffed bear, Cinnamon, lying on the bed.

Four and a half months ago, the Hurricane Katrina evacuation canceled Tulane University's freshman orientation after just a few hours. But on Thursday, the school finally came back to life.

Students moved in on a day called "Orientation Deja Vu," with familiar scenes more typical of late summer -- parents carrying trunks and freshmen getting acquainted with neighbors and roommates. And at Tulane's convocation, audience members stood and applauded as Tulane President Scott Cowen -- who came to the same podium in Bermuda shorts in August to announce the evacuation -- followed a New Orleans jazz band down the aisle and, in full academic regalia, finally delivered his welcome address.

"As I was saying before Katrina interrupted me," he quipped.

Cowen told the students they were the most famous freshman class in the country, and that living in New Orleans would provide them with extraordinary learning opportunities. It was also, he said, a great moment for the city.

"This is the first thing New Orleans has had to cheer about in many months," he said.

In an interview earlier in the day, Cowen confessed he had not always been as confident in Tulane's future as his pronouncements.

"This is a glorious day, because I have to say there were times in the first few months after the storm when I wasn't sure we would ever be able to reopen the university again," Cowen said.

Nearly 90 percent of Tulane's 6,700 undergraduates are returning, the university said, and more than 80 percent of freshmen -- a significant accomplishment considering college officials initially wondered if they would break 60 percent. It is also a big boost for the city, where Tulane is the largest private employer and returning students will amount to a noticeable population increase.

"We are the only large institution that is currently standing in New Orleans right now," Cowen said.

Tulane, which sustained $200 million in property damage, still has washed-away lawns, and many students are struggling to find housing (Tulane has leased a cruise ship). But the campus looks remarkably normal. All but one of the school's majestic oaks survived.

Still, Tulane is changed. In December, Cowen announced plans for one of the boldest reorganizations ever by a university, cutting 27 of its 45 doctoral programs while consolidating its undergraduate program. About 230 faculty members were laid off -- mostly from the medical school -- and eight athletic teams were suspended.

Marinelli got word that her major, computer science, was among the programs Tulane would no longer offer. She is willing to give Tulane a try but cannot be sure she will finish there.

"I'm going to see what I like better: the computer science or the school itself," she said. Her mother, Cynthia, was none too pleased her daughter had already bought $700 worth of books for classes she was no longer taking.