University of Arkansas Fayetteville - Razorback Yearbook (Fayetteville, AR)

Page 19 text:

LEFT Relief workers take a moment ' s rest to evaluate the dam¬ age from the Joplin tornado May 22, 2011. The twister cut a path nearly six miles long and more than a half- mile wide through the center of town. BELOW A Joplin, Mo. resident walks past a demolished home spray-painted with the words God Bless Everyone. An esti¬ mated 2,000 homes and buildings were destroyed.

Page 18 text:

m i j DEVASTATION IN JOPLIN STORY Sydney Hoffmans PHOTOS Jacki Frost May 22, 2011 was supposed to be a historic day in freshman Stewart Pence ' s life. High school graduation. A time of hope. A new beginning. It lasted too long, had too many speeches and too many people Pence said. But when it was over, I couldn ' t believe I was finally there. Graduated. I couldn ' t wait to go home and be with all of my family. Still wearing his cap and gown, Pence jumped in his vehicle and headed home, only to be greeted with a sight more horrific than ever imaginable. From where I was driving, I saw the tornado. It was directly over Rangeline road, directly over the path I was going to take to go home, Pence said. Pence immediately turned on the radio to hear the record-breaking one-mile wide monster tornado tear through six miles of Joplin. I have never felt so shocked or helpless as I was listening to reports of the damage, Pence said. All I could do was listen to the radio name off building after building that had been destroyed. Pence volunteered for days after, navigating through debris, the smell of natural gas and newly homeless citizens to help in any way he could. I will never forget the things I saw trying to do search and rescue, Pence said. At one point I remem¬ ber sitting down and crying because I couldn ' t tell where I was because all of the city ' s landmarks had been destroyed. Cell phone service was out and so was power. That week was the slowest of my life. Pence learned that a good friend was one of the estimated 153 re¬ ported tornado victims. Grasping the loss was almost impossible, Pence said. The more time that passed, the harder it be¬ came on me emotionally to under¬ stand the gravity of the situation. Though hard to leave behind, Pence said moving to Fayetteville for college provided a very welcomed change of scenery. Getting away has helped me to cope with the situation, Pence said. It ' s weird going home and seeing open fields instead of piles of debris, but incredible seeing how the town has reacted. Everyone in Joplin is closer, and the rebuilding effort has been nothing short of excellent. I couldn ' t be more proud. 16 | STUDENT LIFE

Page 20 text:

After a long day of classes, many students have to find a way to escape stress and sometimes even homework. Each person has his or her own unique way of taking a break from school, but some are more unique than others. STORY Ashyle Horton PHOTOS Erin Blasdel, Mandi Havens, Gareth Patterson WORKING OUT Working out was a great outlet for students to relax or get in shape. The University provided various group exercise classes, fitness rooms and personal training sessions for students in the HPER.The exercise classes varied between beginner, intermedi¬ ate and challenging. Some of the favorites were Zumba, Rock Hard Abs, Group Cycle and Yoga. Still, although students enjoyed the classes, some liked going back to basics. Kelli Schalis, junior industrial engineering major, said, I like running the best, and I like working out because it makes me feel healthier and more en¬ ergized for the rest of the week. Also, it makes me look good! 18 STUDENT LIFE