Viewers of the new critically acclaimed HBO series “Treme” follow the stories of several New Orleans residents as they try to put the pieces back together several months after Hurricane Katrina.The show clearly seeks to capture the essence of New Orleans in a way that has never been accomplished. The creators look beyond Bourbon Street to give people outside of New Orleans an accurate glimpse into a unique culture while shedding new light on life after the storm — an exceedingly complex task in itself.I don’t claim to be an authority on New Orleans culture — something many would claim is only achieved through birth in the Big Easy — but I moved to New Orleans from my native Baton Rouge to attend Tulane two days before the storm hit. I returned for the spring semester when Tulane reopened and lived in New Orleans during the time period the show portrays.Given my understanding of the city, I have been thoroughly impressed by the attention to detail the show has sought. Unlike the poorly conceived “K-Ville,” which had repeated references to “gumbo parties,” this show has been thoroughly researched.It has captured the city’s great music through the likes of Galactic and Rebirth Brass Band. It has been unapologetic in its portrayal of the domineering New Orleans Police Department. It has been thorough — with characters drinking Community Coffee and riding in United Cabs.But one part of the show has led me to raise an eyebrow — its portrayal of Baton Rouge.Baton Rouge is referred to as New Orleans’s boring, lame, culturally bankrupt brother. I beg to differ on this point (at least in the severity of the disparity), but it’s an accurate portrayal of the attitude many New Orleans residents have.But a Baton Rouge reference in the last episode of “Treme” really concerned me.John Goodman sits down to show his wife a video of their daughter from YouTube entitled “counting the days in Baton Rouge.” The daughter, who has been relocated to Baton Rouge for school, claims an LSU fan called her a “bitch” and told her to “get back to New Orleans” after sporting a Tulane sweatshirt.We can all probably envision this entirely plausible scenario, but those without direct knowledge of the time after the storm might get the wrong impression about our fair city and its treatment of those displaced by the hurricane.As anyone who was in Baton Rouge after the storm knows, the city descended into chaos in the days following the hurricane. Traffic was in a state of paralysis. Lines for gas spilled into the streets. The telephone grid was constantly busy. Rumors that rampant crime was sweeping the city kept senior citizens on edge.But there were many positive things happening in the face of these stressful and chaotic times. Louisiana residents from across the state opened their doors to those who lost their homes and FEMA workers sent without housing arrangements alike. The PMAC became one of the largest field hospitals in history, with volunteers pouring in to lend a hand.Of course, I’m not claiming that after the hurricane there weren’t some growing pains with the city’s population doubling in size. And sure, there must have been some anti-New Orleanian sentiment as a result of these frustrations. After all, Baton Rouge traffic was terrible to begin with.I hope I’m not making mountains out of molehills, but I’m concerned that the message received by outside viewers — even New Orleans residents — will overly portray the negative. It certainly existed, but the story of assistance — where Louisiana was united in helping those affected by the storm — needs to be told as well.Mark Macmurdo is a 23-year-old history and economics senior from Baton Rouge. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_mmacmurdo.____Contact Mark Macmurdo at [email protected]