they may as well move the packet pickup/expo out to UNO.

Amen! I hope they are listening.

This sounds safe:

TO: All Faculty and Staff

FROM: Peter J. Fos, President

DATE: February 2, 2012

RE: Commemoration Event Activities

New Orleans will serve as the inaugural city in a three-year national celebration commemorating the War of 1812 and the Star-Spangled Banner. The celebration will take place April 17 – 23, 2012, featuring a memorable Air Show with the Navy’s famed Blue Angels and a colorful spectacle of ships along the East Bank of the Mississippi River. The U.S. Navy’s amphibious warship USS Wasp, along with other large navy vessels, will welcome Class A tall ships from countries around the world to New Orleans for the celebration. Ships will be open for public visiting. (New Orleans will also host the final event of the Bicentennial in 2015, marking the 200th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans.)

The Blue Angels Air Show is among the many other activities schedule to take place in the city that week. The Air Show is scheduled on Saturday and Sunday, April 21-22 and is planned to take place over Lake Pontchartrain behind the eastern portion of the UNO Main Campus stretching to the Lakefront Airport, with the official designated viewing area located behind UNO East Campus and SUNO. (See diagram below.)

The University of New Orleans is working closely with the organizers of the event, who expect to draw crowds of 40,000 – 50,000. The University plans to use the East Campus grounds as well as portions of the main campus for paid parking. UNO parking decals will be given access to the campus and parking areas will be designated for the UNO community. All details are still being worked out.

That weekend is also the annual Ironman Triathlon on Sunday which creates additional challenges. That event takes place along the lakefront as well and uses portions of the university grounds, Lakeshore Drive, and various public streets. All parties are working together to make sure the events do not conflict with each other. But despite the considerable amount of planning, very little can be done to avert the tremendous amount of traffic that will occur that weekend when 40,000-50,000 spectators converge on the lakefront.
The reason for this email is to ask the entire UNO Community for assistance.

All departments are asked to refrain from as many activities as possible on the main campus on Saturday and Sunday, April 21 and 22, 2012. Ingress and egress to the University of New Orleans will be extremely challenging and any planned activity on the campus will most certainly be affected. Please consider rescheduling those activities planned for that weekend to another weekend or relocate them to the Jefferson Campus or another venue away from this area. Space is limited, so you are asked to take this as an opportunity to avoid any possible last minute issues. If you would like to schedule your activity in Metairie, please email or call:

If there is an event or activity that positively must take place on that weekend, departments are asked to notify Campus Booking so plans can be executed accordingly. While it is strongly suggested that all activities that weekend are rescheduled or relocated, everything will be done to work with departments that must schedule events that on these days. If you would like to schedule your activity at the main campus on Saturday and Sunday, April 21 and 22, 2012, please email or call:

This event is being hosted by the city and provides excellent opportunities for the University. Lakefront Arena Management is overseeing all Main Campus, East Campus and Jefferson Campus activities and will work with all departments to insure the least disruption as possible. That weekend will be hectic and everyone is doing everything that can be done to avoid as much inconveniences as possible.