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

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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

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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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B P- i 1 Manhattan residents Emily Stein and Anna Gfeller scoop homemade ice cream into a container before it is judged. ! think we are helping, but it is a slow process, David Procter, director of CECD,said. Welivein Kansas and know the disaster. You want to come out and help. — Chnslopher Honewrncke ' — Center for Engagement and Community Development The rule uf the C;HC.;n w.is tu liurher faculty to assist the people ot Greensburg. We are trying to get faculty engaged with communities around the state to deal with big issues, David Procter, director of CECD, said. We sent a campus-wide e-mail for people to come who wanted to help. The meeting was to organize relief and reconstruction efforts for the town. We are kind of the middle person to connect people, Procter said. People from Greensburg call us, saying, ' We need help in this area. ' We get them in contact with the right people. More than 40 people came wanting to help in a wide variety of ways, from planting trees to creating artwork to commemorate the tragedy. So much help came from K-State and the rest of nation, Greensburg residents were overwhelmed. Proctor said. They could not keep track of all the help they received. A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications Another effort of reconstruction was developed by the Miller School. It created a new model of community ' journalism for the residents of Greensburg. With only a weekly newspaper and no radio (before), this (new model) would be a way to interact, said Steve Smethers, associate professor of journalism and mass communications. There is a huge communication gap. They have hourly and daily communication needs that a weekly paper cannot provide. The new program would make a laptop available for every home, providing local communication through streaming video and audio, Smethers, member of the project team, said. It will be an information provider and an information connector, he said. The people will be better in touch with the government through broadcast. They will be able to furnish questions through blogs. At City Park. Manhattan residents. Dave and Dan Geldart perform during the U-Turn Festival Aug. 2S, providing music entertainment for guests. — Oinstopfier Hanewindce — College of Human Ecology Programs {rom the College ot Human Ecology and the Kansas All-Hazards Behavioral Health Project, a network of counseling teams, provided services for victims by sending help almost immediately. Professors Briana Goff, associate dean in family studies and human services, and Charlie Griffin, associate professor in speech communication, from the College of Human Ecology went to Greensburg shortly after the incident to be available residents for counseling. Several students also helped by training others for counseling, devising a plan of action and preparing for the project as a whole. It was heartwarming to see all the assistance that floods in, Griffin said. It ' s an incredible thing to see up close and to know that you ' re a part of a bigger operation. Later in July, faculty and staff associated with the two programs co-sponsored Kids With a Cause, an event to give children who suffered because of the tornado an opportunity to reconnect with friends and meet young celebrities. The July 15 event, at Davis Park in Greensburg, was free and featured young celebrities from the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon including the stars of Hannah Montana and Drake and Josh. The main thing it accomplished was putting smiles on the faces of the kids, said Shanna Trujillo, assistant instructor in family studies and human services and coordinator of the program. It was a good time to get the kids back together with their friends. It also gave K-State visibility if parents or their child needed help, they had a resource to go to. It created a neat relationship. Real Life Church and the U-Turn Festival Each year the Real Life Church sponsors the U-Turn Festival in City Park, raising money for a variers of charities each year. This year, victims of the Greensburg tornados were the recipients. The event featured six bands, all from Kansas, and an ice-cream-making contest, raising more than S30C. I drove through Greensburg not long ago, and there is still a huge amount of work to be done, Ethan Walker, junior in biology, said. U-Turn and events like it are a great way to get the public involved and to remind people that work still needs to he done. Greensburg Relief 25 1