Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

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Greensburg - Kan WHITNEY ST TTS The evening of May 4 was supposed to be a night of celebration for Whitney Stotts and her friends, but on her way to drop friends off after a birthday party, her phone rang, bringing devastating news. 1 was in between (my friend ' s) house and the dorms, taking people back, and in about five minutes ' time I got 10 calls on my phone about, ' Did you hear what happened, did you hear what happened? ' I was freaking out, Stotts, sophomore in social science, said. So 1 went in to the dorm to see a television, something. 1 finally got a hold of my dad, and all I heard was, ' We ' re fine, ' and then (the phone) cut out again. Stotts was born and raised in Greensburg, Kan., where her parents owned a farm and a housing business. She said it was a great place to grow up with the closeness of the agriculture-based community. It ' s like most rural, small towns, Stotts said. Everyone knows everything about everything, and it ' s just a really caring community with a lot of compassion for each other and that small town spirit. When the four tornados hit the small community, Stotts said people took action right away blocking off the town and asking for tractors to move debris and begin searching for people. It was not until the next day that Stotts was able to return home from Manhattan, and after waiting many hours, she was surprised to see that everything was gone. My first reaction is you can see straight across the town, which you could never do before because there were trees, she said. So you could see both sides. I mean, we did not know there was a hill on one of the streets, and we were like ' There is a hill on that street? ' because there were always trees, and just basically shock because all 1 have ever known was in complete destruction. During the cleanup process, Stotts said she returned to Greensburg several times to voice her ideas of expanding the school system at community meetings and get the voice of her generation out to the public. Not only did Stotts contribute, but her family did too, by building green housing for the residents and helping the local businesses. Though the rebuilding process was slow, Stotts said she was happy with the progress. She also said she was surprised, but relieved, that more people did not pass away and that the whole experience was a part of a greater plan. It ' s a miracle more people did not die, Stotts said. I mean, I have no doubt in my mind that God had a hand in it, because only 10 people died in a town of destruction, where thousands should have. It ' s not obvious yet, but it will rebuild, and the spirit ' s alive, and it just makes me proud to be from the town, to have everybody come together as we have and show the nation how we can rebuild. — Alex Yocum — alt by lonathan Knifht Whitney Stotts 23)

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22 Student Life

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Green bu rp - Kan. MISSION renovatOn Relief— Something that reduces pain, discomfort, fear or anxiety. Reconstruct — To construct again, rebuild; make over. Groups from campus and the Manhattan community offered relief and started reconstruction in Greensburg, Kan., after a series of tornados struck, May 4. The Center for Engagement and Community Development, the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications, the College of Human Ecology ' and Real Life Church provided support in various ways. — Ashley Frey — (24 Student Life