2009 Commencement Videos

The class of 2009 was displaced from Tulane for five months, yet returned to New Orleans to earn degrees and help the city rebuild post-Katrina. The class got some sincere "thank yous" far and wide, from citizens like Drew Brees and Brian Williams, and elected officials like Mary Landrieu, Joe Biden and Bill Clinton.

The class of 2009 was displaced from Tulane for five months, yet returned to New Orleans to earn a degree and help the city rebuild post-Katrina. Here, members of the class talk about how they helped the community.

In this video, the story of an iconic photograph representing the spirit of the Katrina Class is told.

Students from the class of 2009 -- the Katrina Class -- explain why they came back to Tulane -- even though they'd only been on campus for a few hours before evacuation.

Students from the class of 2009 -- the Katrina Class -- explain why they came back to Tulane -- even though they'd only been on campus for a few hours before evacuation.

Students from Tulane University's class of 2009 and their parents talk about their experiences at Tulane and what they will miss about New Orleans.

Raw footage from the platform party robing room at Tulane University's 2009 Commencement. Ellen DeGeneres, Harry Connick Jr., Tulane President Scott Cowen and student speaker Helen Jaksch mingled with Tulane faculty and administrators in the minutes before Commencement began.

Tulane University's 2009 Unified Commencement celebrated the historic class of 2009, which includes those undergraduates and medical students who were at Tulane for only a few hours when they had to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. The students were honored for their courage and dedication at the ceremony, which featured keynote speaker Ellen DeGeneres. This video shows highlights from speeches by university president Scott Cowen, student speaker Helen Jaksch, DeGeneres and honorary degree recipient Harry Connick Jr.