Almost two years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, many people believe that “everything’s fine.”

But according to New Orleans native Sarah Woodward ‘09, “The Big Easy” is still far from the spirited city it once was. In an effort to raise reduced awareness about the issue, Woodward memorialized the city’s losses and its continued struggles through an interactive art installation she constructed near Green Library on Saturday.

As a freshman who entered Stanford only weeks after the storm hit, Woodward struggled to cope with the devastation back home. After returning to Louisiana the following summer and assisting with rebuilding efforts, she felt a personal responsibility to bring the New Orleans story to California. She applied in the fall for grant money from the Chappell-Lougee Scholarship program and embarked on what would become a yearlong project.

“I wanted to give an impression.” she said, “of the uncertainty and anxiety that goes with still living in the area.”

The display near Green consists of multiple panels, each depicting a piece of the devastation. Woodward called upon her memories — the miles of flattened houses, her friends who lost their homes and belongings, the smell of rotting food in the streets — to inspire her work.

“I’ve tried to show what it’s like,” she said, “for me and my family and my friends — our experience, not a national broadcast of what’s going on.”

Woodward noted that her artwork is only a representation of the tragedy.

“There’s no way to describe it without being there,” she said, “and there’s no way to show pictures of how bad it was.”

As the hurricane’s two-year anniversary approaches, Woodward hopes that in addition to shedding light on New Orleans’ broken state, her artwork will spur campus dialogue about the federal government’s lackluster relief efforts.

“Why did it take so long?” Woodward asked of federal assistance. “Our president was giving talks about Iraq and he couldn’t come to New Orleans? This is supposed to be his own country. You have to wonder.”

Woodward also wanted to highlight that much of the damage resulted from infrastructure failures and the city’s under-preparedness. She emphasized that we should learn from Katrina in an effort to better prepare for future natural disasters.

She also called on people to participate in the interactive portion of her display, saying that visitors can write reflections, rants or stories on the backsides of the panels.

“The interactive part is really important to me,” she said. “I don’t just want people to say, ‘Oh this is a pretty painting,’ or, ‘Oh this is powerful.’ What do you think is powerful?”

“I don’t want people to be afraid to write on it, even if it’s something I don’t like,” she added. “It’s important to recognize the conflict and understand that there are many sides to an issue.”

Woodward’s friends were optimistic about the project’s success.

“I think that it will get a lot of people thinking,” said Haley Minnick ‘09, Woodward’s roommate. “I think that’s what Sarah’s goal is — to just get as many people as possible to think about Katrina and [to bring] it out of obscurity.”

Woodward’s project was selected as one of only a few dozen to receive Chappell-Lougee grant money. The program, which is meant to fund undergraduate research in the humanities, social sciences and arts, is offered only to sophomores.

“[Sarah’s] proposal was intellectually satisfying and demonstrated her understanding of the nature of memorialization and how her work intersects with other memorials and installations,” said Renee Courey, senior associate director of Undergraduate Advising and Research, in an email to The Daily.

“The connection between her vision and the practical elements of its realization was very strong,” she wrote. “We are delighted with the interactive aspects of her project and how it allows the Stanford community to honor the people of New Orleans.”

“She’s totally created a community conversation about something that’s been forgotten,” said Courtney Khademi ‘10, who attended the Alternative Spring Break trip to New Orleans in March.

Woodward hopes the installation will remain on display throughout the summer.

“I don’t want this project to be the end,” she said. “I want it to open discussion. There’s a lot to talk about and a lot to figure out for the future.”