Devastation struck New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2005, when Hurricane Katrina made landfall, forever altering the city. Twenty years later, Katrina remains seared into the memory of the city.

During their recent home game against Northwestern University, the Tulane University football team hoped to commemorate Katrina and pay tribute to the victims by wearing all-white uniforms. In 2005, the football season continued despite the immense hardship.

This request was denied by Northwestern head coach David Braun, preventing the Tulane football team from taking part in their virtuous efforts to honor those affected by Hurricane Katrina. 

Braun’s disallowance stemmed from the fact that the Northwestern team had already planned to wear their traditional white uniforms, which they sport at away games. However, this reasoning is insignificant in comparison to the impactful history behind the Tulane Football team’s tribute. Such a decision is disrespectful not only to head coach Jon Sumrall and his players, but also to the entire city of New Orleans. 

Some may argue that this effort to wear a different football jersey is trivial. Perhaps the cloth that makes up the physical jerseys may not carry much weight, but the remembrance of Katrina is loaded with meaning. The Northwestern football team’s inability to make this simple adjustment violates a basic human code: Respect the city you are visiting. 

At the end of the day, Braun had the power to say yes and chose not to. The culmination of this interaction was settled on the field, where Tulane crushed Northwestern in a notable 23-3 victory. This undeniable triumph ultimately displayed that the true winners reside in New Orleans, both in terms of their efforts on the field and through the moral values they embody.