Parker Hutchinson, Tulane College, Class of 2004

Parker Hutchinson is a Louisiana native brought up in the town of Houma who graduated with the class of 2004. He is an avid music listener and worked as a DJ and continues to this day in the basement of the LBC for WTUL. As an avid music fan, Parker ventured out into the city looking for all the live music he could find. He spent much of his time when he wasn’t in class on Frenchmen street, soaking up all the live jazz in the area. His preferred venue was a bar called The Funky Butt which hosted live music, jazz in particular every night of the week. Another venue he favored was The Mermaid Lounge which hosted a great many acts and artists in the Indie genre. Unfortunately, neither of these bars are still in operation today. Parker said in his stay at Tulane his top 3 favorite bands were  Sigur Ros, Nine Inch Nails, and REM.

Parker’s greatest influence at his time at Tulane was the dean of the honors program Jean Danielson. He revered her as a mentor, a role model, a scholar, and a friend. He credits her for enriching his experience at the university and ensuring that he was having an intellectual, enlightening, and memorable experience in all of his four years.
Parker, being from Louisiana, has a meaningful relationship with the city of New Orleans. He care deeply about its cultural diversity, inner workings, preservation of historical areas such as the Bywater and Marigny as well as the Uptown area. He closely follows the development of the city and urban planning and has been here long enough to understand the importance of cultural diversity and the threat that the gentrification of areas like Freret and the Bywater pose to it.

In summary, Parker is a devoted music lover, an academic, a true New Orleanean with deep connections to the city, and most importantly, a Tulane alum.

This content was originally published on November 4, 2014.