TULANE TALK

May 18, 2007

Good Morning:

Tomorrow approximately 2,000 young (and, in some cases, not so young) scholars will become graduates of Tulane University. Our graduates will embark on many diverse paths upon completion of their degrees. One in particular has chosen a less traditional path.

In his first venture as a newly minted graduate of Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business, Greg Thurnher will set out from Los Angeles the day after graduation on a 1,700 mile odyssey back to New Orleans.

Greg’s mode of transportation will be a souped-up golf cart he built as his undergraduate senior project. The purpose of Greg’s trip is to raise awareness about New Orleans’ comeback from Katrina and its continued appeal as the country’s most interesting city and best college town. Greg will make multiple stops along I-10, staging mini-Mardi Gras parades with an entourage of Tulane students and alumni.

Like many of us, Greg has been distressed by the continued negative portrayal of New Orleans in the national media. “Learning, living, and growing at Tulane clearly defined what I now know as my life. I can’t imagine attending any other university, in any other city,” Greg says. “I am troubled that others may forgo the benefits of a Tulane education and a life in New Orleans based on misperceptions about what’s going on here.”

I could not have said it better myself. While our city and region still face many challenges we need to remind the country, and sometimes ourselves, of how far we’ve come. You can learn more about Greg’s trip by visiting http://www.bigeasygo.com/

Although most won’t embark on a journey as audacious as Greg’s, I am counting on all of our graduates, and all of you, to spread the word about our continued recovery. Let everyone know that all the things that made our city great — our food, our music, our architecture, our culture, our Tulane — are still here.

Let them know that 1,400 freshmen from around the country and the world have put their faith in New Orleans by enrolling as the class of 2011 and that another 2,000 graduates will leave their hearts here tomorrow. Let them know that they should do the same.

Have a great weekend,