NEW ORLEANS -- While many football fans were focusing on the BCS national championship taking place in New Orleans, a group of Penn State law students were volunteering in the city during break.

Twelve students from Penn State's Dickinson School of Law volunteered to assist in the efforts to rebuild New Orleans from the damage done by Hurricane Katrina more than two years ago.

The students conducted house-to-house interviews in the Pontilly neighborhood from Jan. 7 to Jan. 11 collecting information that was then passed on to the Pontilly Disaster Collaborative.

"I thought this was an excellent opportunity to serve the country," said group coordinator Melissa Tanguay (graduate-law).

Tanguay's part of the group asked residents their thoughts on the community and recovery efforts, where they went during Hurricane Katrina and other personal information. Another part of the group did a property survey of the remaining damage.

The Student Hurricane Network placed the students in the neighborhood.

"It's pretty much just a collaborative of students. They have placed thousands of students into the hurricane-affected area," said Tanguay, who is also a liaison to the organization. "The data is going to be used to rebuild the community."

While visiting the Lower Ninth Ward, the students met resident and Hurricane Katrina survivor Robert Lynn Green, Sr.

Green, who saw his granddaughter, Shanai "Nai Nai" Green, and mother, Joyce Hilda Green, drown during the storm, still lives in the Lower Ninth Ward in a trailer on the plot where his house used to be.

As he recounted his story for the Penn State students, Green pointed to a marking on a nearby tree indicating the water level during the storm. He also spoke of how he and his family were on the roof of his house as it floated down the block.

Troy Reyes (graduate-law) noted that Green still flies an American flag outside his trailer and said he asked him why he doesn't fly it upside down.

"My reasoning for asking this question was because an upside down American flag represents 'distress,' which, in my opinion, this community and city is in," Reyes wrote on the group's blog, www.altwintbreaknola.blogspot.com.

Green said he flies the flag out of respect to his mother who served in the United States Air Force and because he is not in distress.

"I'm proud to fly the flag," Green said to the group. "I accept God's will. If I live in despair, I hurt myself."

For Tanguay, meeting Green was "definitely one of the highlights of the week."

"He's such an inspirational advocate. He says he's not in distress anymore; he says his neighbors are," she said.

This is Tanguay's second trip to volunteer in post-Katrina New Orleans. She helped build houses during her first trip.

"They pretty much on all fronts need manpower," she said. "College and law students are the perfect volunteers. We don't have jobs; we don't have kids. Most of the time, we're young and we're more idealistic."

Funding for the law students' trip came from various sources including the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Dickinson School of Law's Student Bar Association, Public Interest Office, Office for Student Services, Dickinson Dean Philip McConnaughay and other individuals.

Despite the numerous donations to the group, each student volunteer had to pay roughly $400 to $500 to cover the rest of their costs, Tanguay said.

The group will host "Reflections on New Orleans 2.5 Years Post-Katrina" at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 22 in 330 Beam Business Administration Building. The event will feature a screening of the movie Hurricane on the Bayou and the students' stories about their volunteer experiences in New Orleans.