Chelsea - There's a feeling in the air...

There’s a feeling in the air of winter

There’s a feeling in the air of Christmas

In the Christmas air, there’s a feeling in the air of family

There’s a feeling in the air of Thanksgiving.

There’s a feeling in the air of community.

During Thanksgiving, there’s a feeling in the air of fall.

In fall, there’s a feeling in the air of winter.

There’s a feeling in the air always

Always is their a feeling in the air.

Chelsea, age 15

Brooke - Atmosphere

Seeing is believing
But what about the invisible stuff
That industry is bequeathing
Stop. Enough.

Particle things floating in the atmosphere.
A dash of plutonium. A hint of uranium.
Little bits cause no fear
But all those little bits build up in my cranium.

Politicians say it doesn’t exist
It’s a natural phenomenon
“YOU HIPPY COMMUNIST”
Well what will you do if the marsh is gone?

How far do you need to go to further your campaign
Why does it matter when there is a hurricane?
What is so great about fame?

Brooke, age 16

Camille - Atmosphere

The atmosphere is chilled/ Today tastes metallic/ the blood is rushing through my veins, coursing at the
speed of light/ unknown faces rush by from every directions/ they go near, far, everywhere/ they blur
together in a swarm of colors/ reds, whites, yellows, browns/ they are all on a mission/ They all walk
to a single beat/ I follow in step with the rhythm they create/ where are we headed? No one knows/
We are just walking and talking and moving forward/ progress is the name of this song/ cars stack up
on the streets/ they seem to move at a rhythm of their own/ it complements the beat beat beat of the
unknowns on the street / the construction workers pound pound pound their jackhammers through the
concrete/ it travels through the sidewalk through our feet/ the music fills the air/ we create a system,
based off the beat/ everything rises and everything falls/ this beat keeps time for the players/ on and on
the clock tolls/ progress ensues/ I hear music in the air/ the man on the street corner/ the only one not
walking, keeping in time with all the rest/ his sound floats through the air, above the heads of walkers
and touches my skin / they don’t seem to hear this individual beat yet he plays his saxophone load and
clear/ the notes wrap around my body/ my feet stop/ the walkers are disrupted if only for a moment/
they continue their song/ I stand still being embraced by a new sound/ instead of step in front of step,
my feet are jumping!/ they are jumping side to side/ I groove to the wave of joy splashing over me/
crashing into my ears, my skin/ it creates ripples on my skin/ I get Goosebumps to the chill of something
new/ I dance from corner to corner, hands flaring, feet jumping/ the new song set inside of me, warms
my heart/ the warmth travels through my veins, slowing the once coursing blood down to a slower
beat/ everything slows and I sway back and forth/ The atmosphere is heated/ Today tastes so good.

Camille, age 16

Katie - Atmosphere

The Atmosphere of New Orleans from A to Z

A is for the alligators

B is for basketball in the arena.

C is for Canal Street

D is for “D’em”

E is for Esplanade

F is for Fulton Street

G is for Gumbo and all the other unique foods

H is for Hot. Humid.

I is for The Iberville projects

J is for Jazzfest

K is for the King Cake.

L is for laughter with a random stranger

M is for MARDI GRAS

N is for the Northshore

O is for Orleans Avenue that leads you to City Park

P is for Poboys,

Q is the Queens and Kings that reign at Mardi Gras,

R is for the River

S is for Saints, duh.

T is for Tad Garmley

U is for “Under the Overpasses”

V is for the Vieux Carre

W is for the Westbank

X is for Xavier University

Y is for the Yats of Christmas

Z is for the Zulu parade

Every single one of these places, things, and people contribute to the loving, historic, and unique atmosphere that New Orleans creates for every tourist and every resident it will ever meet.

Katie, age 16

Anonymous - Atmosphere

Fog

My breathing is almost even

As I slowly inhale dew.

Condensation on the cool

Glass of my window.

I look outside.

 The grass is wet

And I put on my rain boots to play in the slosh.

You know that feeling of total absence?

That feeling is in the atmosphere

That thick and heavy fog.

Anonymous, age 15

Lille - There's a Feeling in the Air...

Whenever I hear the phrase:

                “There’s a feeling in the air,”

I think of thousands of millions of little particles

                floating and fleeing through the atmosphere,

feeling that feeling in the air.

I see them feeling, but what feeling are they feeling for?

                I guess I feel like those feelings are feeling some feeling, but why not having emotions in the air?

 It would make more sense because then I would be thinking of thousands of millions of particles

                 e-motion-ing with their little feelers all the way to that feeling somewhere in the atmosfeel. 

Lillie, age 16

Anonymous - Atmosphere

What type of atmosphere would you like to live in?

It’s your choice.

Would you prefer to live in an uptight, closed atmosphere?

It’s your choice.

Would you like to live in a completely free, open air atmosphere?

It’s your choice.

What about a boring, simply atmosphere?

It’s your choice.

Would you enjoy an obnoxious, busy atmosphere?

It’s your choice.  

You can pick/create the atmosphere you want to live in. 

Anonymous, age 15

Shealynn - Pride

Pride


There is no other city like this one;
It sits there along the emerald green river
With iron and steel bridges gleaming in the afternoon sun.
One can trace the oil lines through the dense green
Scars of the past energy industry cut into the marsh
High above the sky they can still be seen.
Skyscrapers always piercing the sky
Though no competition for a Quarter full of rich history
That which catches the tourist’s and local’s eye
And always creates an enchanting mystery.
There is no other city has ever matched
One where Saints are known to tread.
So though there walks that living and the dead
We all still remain whole-heartedly attached. 

Shealynn, age 16

Haley - I Will Defend

I will defend who I am.

The decisions I make, the things I say, and the things I do.

People will always be judging, but why should it matter?

Give them something to judge.

We are all unique, beautiful individuals.

It’s time we all start showing it.

Haley, age 15

Matty - I Will Defend

I Will Defend:I, no WE, will defend you, my fair city! With my, no OUR
words that I hear are stronger than swords
O you may think you stand so tall, with your towers and boats and floats
gleaming in the heat when good times roll
Or you may doubt our faith in you when you feel as though you are
drowning, when you're stuck in that sedimentary muck But how could you?
Don't you know that you're loved? And adored? And written and sung
about? Don't you know we shout for you? That we bite and kick and bring
out wittiest retorts to protect you? Don't you remember when we marched
and rallied and got together, just to make sure you were noticed?

Even thousands of years from now, when all the stars are burning up and
every other city is crumbling, we'll still be here. Still be defending.
Never letting go.


Matty, age 16

Elizabeth - I Will Defend

I will defend!
I will stand up for the gleeks, the nerds, the hipsters, and the rahtards
I will love all
I will defend the floral wearing tree huggers, the flower children, and the lilies of the Nile
I will defend the people who are made fun of for liking cats
I will defend!
I will hug the sad, the lonely, and the huggable
I will stand up for the fallen
I will defend!

Elizabeth, age 16

Sarah - I Will Defend

I will defend the Who Dat Nation.
The Who's and the Dat's,
The Yat's and the past.


I will defend the city that never gave up
And now the city that never stops
I will defend the famous Galatoires on Bourbon Street to the potholes
that fill the city


I will defend New Orleanians
And I WILL defend New Orleans


Sarah, age 16

Katie - I Will Defend

I will defend…

My happiness from watching major league baseball

My constant fear of loosing memories

My obnoxious and big family

My annoying loud voice

My country accent

My bad driving

My big hair

My Saints

My God

My talents

My obsessions

My love for carbs

My friend’s actions

My overuse of paper

My school and its beauty

My hour long daily commute

My naming of electronic devices

My mainstream and obnoxious music

My singing of Christmas songs in October

My actions and never trying to do things half hearted

I will defend me…

Katie, age 16

Ashley - Pride

New Orleans is back.

We finally recovered from Katrina,

and the Saints proved that.

Where else do you get a week off school or work every year for Mardi Gras?

Where else do you eat beignets for breakfast, po-boys for lunch, and gumbo for dinner on a
regular basis?

Where else is there a city-wide parade after a Superbowl win?

Where else do nuns, priests, and even the Archbishop attend football games every Sunday?

Where else can you sit on your front porch and know just about everyone who walks by?

Where else does an entire city come together like a family?

New Orleans is unique, and we take pride in that.

Ashley, age 17

Molly - I Will Defend

I Will Defend...

Him. The one with no filter

Her. The one with no friends

Him. The one who’s intelligent

Her. The one with confidence

Him. The one who doesn’t care

Her. The one who is misunderstood

Him. The one who is gossiped about

You. The one who has helped me become this way

Molly, age 15

Liza - I Will Defend

I will defend You

You with your tattoos

Tattoos of Blues and Jazz

Tattoos of your Krew

Muse on with your Magazine

Magazines of people like you

People not like you eating

Eating your fondue

Fondue of the not so fond

I will defend You

You when you need not defending

You that they call New

Liza, age 16

Anonymous - I Will Defend

To shelter, cherish, and preserve

To defend

To sustain, care, and deserve

To defend

New Orleans: home, community, love

Anonymous, age 17

Ciara - I Will Defend

I will defend the New Orleans Saints

I will defend them till the end

I will defend them through good and bad

I will defend them through happy and sad

I will defend them all the way through our super bowl victories

Ciara, age 16 

Grace - I Will Defend

I will defend….

The culture of New Orleans

Not only the unique society that takes over this city, but the food that flavors it

Spicy foods such as jambalaya and crawfish to sweet delicacies such as beignets and pralines

All create a great mix to unite our city

However, I support those who savor these foods

Those who eat these distinctive meals without hesitation and on a regular basis

I defend those who in reality love eating these authentic foods. 

Grace, age 16 

Holly - I Will Defend

I will defend

all Who are in need

all who are mIstreated

i wiLl defend

alL who are alone

all who are Defeated

i will dEfend

all who are Forgotten

all who are not beliEved in

i will defeNd my city

I will Defend ALL

Holly, age 16

Ashley - Pride

Pride should not be used to boast. Pride should not be turned into conceit. Vain people turn the positive
aspects of pride into arrogant words. Pride is not the person who refuses to admit that he is wrong,
but the person who stands up for what is right. Pride is the person who says “I will defend my beliefs”
despite what others think. Those people are the ones society should be proud of.

Ashley, age 16

Anonymous - I Will Defend

who am i. to defend You.
I am made of the same stuff that stuffs footballs,
that stuffs turkeys. that stuff stomachs. that stuffs stockings. that stuffs superdomes.
that stuff stars.
put together by luck. or God. or biology.
but down here on this sphere, in this state that looks like a boot, cradled in a contaminated river
it is hard to defend the stuff i love from other stuff hurdling its way.
that is the position of champions in jerseys who protect the yard of grass at the end of the field
our yard of grass.
me. i cannot push ‘em back.
not giants. not bears. not dirty birds.
not hurricanes.
but I will defend Fat Tuesdays. Neutral Grounds. Street Cars. Low elevations. Snow balls.
because tradition does not disappear with erosion
of the ephemeral land.

anonymous, age 16

Maeve - I Will Defend

I will defend
the life that I have made for myself,
the walls that I have built,
and the food that I have brought for my brothers and sisters.
I have put too much work into my home for someone to take it away from me.

The rage that I feel is more rational than most would think,
but many think that I am
a killer,
a monster,
a pest.
And rightly so because
you have just stumbled upon our nest, and
have put our patience to the test.

KILLER BEES UNITE!

Maeve, age 16

Ruthie - I Will Defend

I will defend

you and your

weird purple hair

and old book smell.

Your taste for po-boys,

the way you jump from one

holiday to the next, because you

know the best way to move on is to

party on, cause that's how we live so

I will defend your face paint and loud music,

your ostentatious jewelry and the sweat that 

drips from your chin. I will defend the way you 

shake the dome every Sunday, priests speeding

up mass just to get to the game. I will defend, I will

listen to your streetcar groans and count your oak trees

as I pass, turning yellow in the summer sun, I will defend.

Ruthie, age 16

Torre - I Will Defend

I will defend,

Defend New Orleans,

I will support my city

With my pride embedded in this state,

When those tourists question our ways,

I will always say

You wouldn’t understand, it’s a New Orleans thing.

When those critics question

And say why where y’at?

I will always say

You wouldn’t understand, it’s a Yat thing.

When those visitors question

And say do you really bleed black and gold?

I will always say

You wouldn’t understand, it’s a Who Dat thing.

When those outsiders question

And say what’s the fun in catching beads all night long?

I will always say

You wouldn’t understand, it’s a purple, green, and gold thing.

I will protect my city, my Who Dat nation

From the fly to the cracked, uneven streets that make driving an everyday adventure

I will defend, 

Defend New Orleans.

Torre, age 16

Lucy - I Will Defend

I will defend New Orleans,

And all that it stands for.

I will defend my hometown,

Not because its my hometown,

Rather because its much more--

Its a place where culture and beliefs mix

To create something beautiful.

I am proud to say I am from New Orleans.

I am proud to call myself a New Orleanian,

Therefore,

I will defend New Orleans and all of its glory,

I will defend New Orleans with pride

And dignity

And stand up for the bizarre events New Orleans presents us,

I simply love New Orleans,

And therefore,

I will defend it.

Lucy, age 16

Megan - Pride

Pride is unfair.

Pride in yourself for what you did well,

But what if you did wrong?

Is Pride fair?

It depends on someone else’s approval

I love it

But cannot seem to get it right

I defend the right to be wrong

The right to be different

The right to question and the right to be questioned

Is it wrong to think this is strange?

Is it all overrated?

Who knows

It makes my head spin

Back and forth, why fight the man?

Does anyone understand?

Am I being dramatic?

Sympathy doesn’t exist.

Megan, age 16

Courtney - Pride

pride, i will defend.
two simple words
with one strong
relationship
both have the city
in common
people who defend
this city
whether it be football
or fema
have it
within them



Courtney, age 16

Megann - I Will Defend...

I will defend my city, 
the lights on the lake, the beads in the trees,
the shoes on the power lines
I will defend

I will defend the crumbling tombstones,
the rusted gates, the swaying oaks,
the blood in the street, 
I will defend 

I will defend the cobblestone streets, 
the plastic cups of Bourbon, the broken signs,
the waterlines,
I will defend

I will defend the cracks of the Causeway,
the brown, brown river, the oil-slick birds
the magnolia breeze,
I will defend

Megann, age 16

Brittany - I Will Defend

New Orleans Saints Super bowl Champs 2010

Who Dat say they gonna beat them saints?

No one! No one!

I will defend this city

I will defend this title

I will defend this community

WE have pride

WE have an obsession

WE bleed black and gold

WE are supporters and defenders of the New Orleans Saints

Who will reign as champions?

Brittany, age 16