The TIDES Have Turned: My Summer Into an Unforgettable Experience

Guest Blogger: Taylor Fox

Year: Rising Sophomore

Major: Philosophy/ Gender Studies

Hometown: Boca Raton, FL

Email: tfox2@tulane.edu

It's my last week here this summer, and as my internship finishes up, I wanted to take a little time to reflect on what a rollercoaster ride these past few months have been.

Tulane is a school for people looking for an adventure, and so many students travel from all over the country (and more than a few different countries) to find it. Because they know this experience can be overwhelming at first degree, they hold approximately eight billion events that you can attend. In addition to all that, part of your first degree semester schedule is a Tulane Interdisciplinary Experience Seminar (yes I googled what it stands for), better known as your TIDES class. These are small classes designed to help you meet likeminded people and immerse yourself in the city of New Orleans. Most of them have really fun titles, and super cool subject matters. My roommate took one called Hauntings in New Orleans, and wrote a final paper about zombies. Another friend took one called A Running Conversation. They literally just ran while having academic discussions. This sounded like my worst nightmare, but she is one those people who runs for fun, so she loved it. There's even one taught by the president of Tulane Scott Cowen on leadership.

Mine was called Being An Advocate for Women. I didn't exactly know what that would entail, it fit in my schedule and I'm all for equality, so I figured why not? My professor was this wonderful woman named Catherine Hancock, who actually was a professor at Tulane's law school. I googled her after the first class, turns out she argued in the Supreme Court before deciding she wanted to go into acedemia. NO BIG DEAL. She taught us all about the legal aspects of helping women struggling through domestic violence situations. I had absolutely no idea that this field of law even existed, and I was shocked to discover what an uphill battle it can be for the brave women who find themselves trying to navigate it.

After the second class I waited until everyone had left and told her that I wanted to be her when I grew up. She smiled. Then I said, No, but like, how do I do that? And she told me to talk to all of the speakers she invited to class, and that she would help me. This woman, who spends her time teaching college graduates who had applied, gotten into, and started specializing in law school, was taking me seriously at eighteen years old in my second week of college. She introduced me to the head of the Tulane Law Domestic Violence clinic, who after I shamelessly begged, allowed me to help run a CLE.

The woman who was coordinating that program with her worked for the city's domestic violence department. The head of the DV clinic began her program by telling these seasoned DV lawyers that my excitement about what she did reminded her of why she got into this line of work in the first degree place. I may or may not have teared up and immediately called my grandma. An hour into the event, she offered me an internship.

So that's how everything happened. I got a grant from Newcomb (more on that later) to cover some of my expenses. So now every morning at 11:32am (because I'm usually giving the 9:30 tour), I get on a city bus. Public transportation was new and scary for me, but now I am an absolute master. Which means I know to pull the cord hard enough so the driver pulls over at my stop. I pass a lot of beautiful, brightly colored buildings. Then I pass a building with five ceramic men all wearing giant bunny costumes. I try to take a picture of this every single day and either the bus moves too quickly or the windows are too dirty. Then I walk two blocks to city hall, and ride up to the top floor in a very shaky elevator. Then I work on a big report for my boss.

I have never once been asked to go get coffee or make copies. I am doing real work that really matters. My boss repeatedly asks me, Do you feel like you're learning things? Do you feel like this is helpful to you? I've met DV detectives. I went to a conference for domestic violence advocates that really should've been called a superhero convention. I listened to my boss give a webinar that people from all over the country listened to. I have analyzed data and reached super classified conclusions. I can see the Superdome from my desk.I HAVE AN ID BADGE WITH MY PICTURE ON IT.

(picture of superdome, badge, fancy dress selfie, new orleans deliveries only, movie poster)

I've loved, loved, loved this experience.

***And because this is super important, I have to include it. A healthy relationship does not have jealousy or violence. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, that you can do to a person that makes it okay for them to do anything that makes you feel scared or unsafe. I can tell you with absolute experience that you can have better, and that there are a lot of people who want to help you find it. Find a safe place, and call 1−800−799−SAFE(7233).