About me: Gender: Male Age: 27 (DOB: 4/18/80) Ethnicity: Hispanic/Latino Political Affiliation: Democrat Education: B.S. in Education History/Social Studies; Master of Library and Information Science (degree expected June 2008) Occupation: Student Residence: Los Angeles, CA Hometown: Winslow, AZ Relationship Status: Single Children: 0

I was a student at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ for a post-baccalaureate year when Katrina hit. I remember watching news stories on it in the cafeteria while eating. It was hard to believe. Unfortunately, I never gave it too much thought because I was busy with my classes. The only time I was really exposed to it was when I was eating in the cafeteria everyday. The cafeteria had several flat screen TVs.

I think one of my Aunts told me that there were some college students from the Louisiana area who enrolled at NAU.

The images from Katrina were disturbing in so many ways besides the physical destruction. One image that I remember in particular was two white men (father and son, I believe) guarding their store with shotguns basically saying that they were trying to prevent looters. I had the feeling that those men believed that the looters were all African-American and therefore it would be easier for them to shoot them. Neither the men nor the news coverage said this, but I just felt it.