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

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During the last day of collections, Joni Weinman, marketing employee for Intercollegiate athletics and graduate student in counseling and student development, helps Todd Prater, Manhattan resident, unload diapers and supplies for Katrma victims. A truck owned by the football team took supplies to the UMCOR Sager Brown Depot In Baldwin, La. The althletics department also collected money at football games. Christopher Hanemncket Inside the K-State Student Union, Sept. 8, Bilgah Moka- Mollki, freshman in apparel and textiles, donates money to the American Red Cross. Members of Zeta Phi Beta sorority collected clothing, food and toiletries to help the victims of the hurricanes. Other organizations accepted donations. The Black Student Union held a vigil and the Marianna KIstler Beach Museum of Art collected money to restore museum collections In New Orleans. Christopher Hanewincl el 24 I

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K interviews by Krister Day photos by Christopher Hanewinckel left P What was your first reaction? I realized I wasn ' t going back for a while, so I was trying to figure out what I was going to do. I started to get settled down, and I had time to think about it. I thought about all the stuff that happened and it started becoming depressing. How are you adjusting? I ' ve been OK. Sometimes when I don ' t have anything to do I think about it. but It ' s good that we ' re in a good place. Everyone has been really nice, and I ' m starting to make new friends here. It could be worse. I Mug come m itime r alld lim ;WS, O ' Reiifs tlie JeffOALMANN Will you go back to New Orleans? I ' ve thought about it. I would like to see it. I don ' t think there is anything I can do to help, so I think it ' s best to stay away. I ' ll go back to visit, but I don ' t think I ' ll ever live there again. My friends moved, and my parents relocated to Houston, so there isn ' t a family tie there anymore. What will you take away from the experience? I hope I can show people not to take things for granted. The little problems you have in your daily life don ' t matter in the scheme of things. As for what K-State can do for me, it showed me a different part of the country. It ' s a small town, which is a little different than New Orleans. The school is good and the professors are eager to help the students. What was your first reaction? I was born and raised in Nigeria, and I just came here three years ago, so I haven ' t seen or witnessed hurricane devastation. Last year, in August, for Hurricane Ivan, we went to Texas and came back four days later and nothing happened. So, this time around I expected it to be the same way, but it turned out to be more disastrous. AlbertOKO How are you adjusting? It ' s not any different than Missouri. I spent two years in Missouri working on my masters ' degree. It might be new to the New Orleans indigenous people, but I ' ve already had my ties with the Midwest, Will you go back to New Orleans? My career is my pathfinder, so as a geologist I expect to work with oil companies, and wherever that sends me I have no objections. I went to New Orleans Oct. 27 and it was a ghost town. How has K-State affected you? We ' re all glad to be here, and I ' m sure the geology department is glad to have us. I think we are all going to graduate from K-State, and when I ' m an alum and 1 get that letter to support my alma mater, I ' m going to support K-State. What will you take away from the experience? Put your trust in God and be willing to rise at any adversity. I had a full scholarship to the University of New Orleans - all my school fees were paid for - and I had a job making $4,000 every month. I was a comfortable guy and then this hurricane drove me out of my job and my school. You think, I have to start my life again, and that ' s the situation. What was your first reaction? I just moved into a new apartment and I didn ' t have cable, so I didn ' t know the hurricane changed paths. My friends called me and said, hey, we ' re leaving, and I said, why? I thought I would be back in three days, because that ' s how it usually is, so I took my dirty clothes, my laptop and my books for the classes I was taking. How are you adjusting? I ' m from the Midwest (Sikeston, Mo.) and I hadn ' t been home for a while, so I thought 1 would go see them. I had gotten so much into the relaxed environment of New Orleans, I forgot how rule-oriented the Midwest is. 3 I ElizabethPOWERS Will you go back to New Orleans? I ' m interested in the petroleum industry, so it was either going to be New Orleans or Houston. I have an internship in New Orleans from Janu- ary to March, but if I hadn ' t gotten that, I wouldn ' t go back, especially seeing how they dumped everything into the lake. What will you take away from the experience? 1 was very mad at the government; I thought it was very disgraceful. It was ridiculous they couldn ' t get all those people out. but you had all these reporters getting in. It ' s a misfortune that we were embarrassed in front of the entire global community, but adversity makes you stronger. I don ' t think you guys realize how generous you are. What you do on an everyday basis has such a big impact, but it ' s above and beyond and very much appreciated. What was your first reaction? I was thinking like everyone else - two or three days after the storm clears, we would head back to the city. We left that Sunday - which was my birthday - and went to Tampa Bay, Fla. I found out that in the neighborhood where I stayed, the water rose over the levee and our neighborhood was gone - pretty much the whole ninth ward. IraRODNEY 1 How are you adjusting? At first it was a real hard adjust- ment. We ' ve been up here for about a month, and everything is going pretty well. The only negative thing is I have so much separation between my family and friends. All I ' m worried about is the cold weather. Another thing is New Orleans is so flat and linear, and the hills here are killing me. Will you go back to New Orleans? I d on ' t know about living there, but I would like to check it out for myself and get a first-hand look. I ' ll be back to visit, but I don ' t think I want to settle down there. What will you take away from the experience? This disaster has given me a new perspective on life. I think it was a blessing for everyone. Even for people who lost a lot, they do have their family. There was a lot of corruption in New Orleans, and this was a way the Lord has taken people away from that situation and put them in a new place. Everyone has a new slate. If you see someone, speak to them instead of looking at them. Just a friendly hello can make someone ' s day, because you never know what someone is going through. I coverage of Kathna continued on page 24 hurricane katrina23

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students, faculty members and organizations collect items and raise money for Hurricane Katrina victims to travel south to help families in need rebuild Louisiana and Mississippi by AlexYocum Vhen disaster occurred near the Gulf Coast in late August, the nation rallied I help residents of Louisiana and other states affected by Hurricane Katrina. Jennifer Johnston, sophomore in architectural engineering, and members of Campus Crusade for Christ saw the destruction firsthand. Twenty members of Campus Crusade drove to Pass Christian, Miss., Sept. 29, to help clean up and give support to people in need. Johnston said the group arrived to see rubble piled 13 feet high and people wandering the streets. Once settled in their camp, they began to clean churches and create additional volunteer sites. Johnston said she was glad people showed support. You could tell the community was really strong, and they were so thankful we were there, Johnston said. It was really cool, just being in the environment. Most people weren ' t bitter at all about losing anything - they were just thankful with what they had. Abby Houlton, senior in elementary education, said she heard on the news that Louisiana residents relocated to the Kansas City area and needed supplies. She quickly asked her friends to pitch in with the relief effort. There were so many other things going on to help Louisiana and the families down there, Houlton said. I am from Kansas City, so I felt compelled to do something closer to home. Houlton asked her Alpha Xi Delta sorority sisters and members of her brother ' s and friend ' s fraternities. Pi Kappa Alpha and Delta Tau Delta, to help. Houlton and those she worked with donated $10-15 worth of clothing and toiletry items. Houlton ' s parents delivered the supplies to the families. On Sept. 28, Rusty ' s Last Chance Restaurant and Saloon in Aggieville organized an auction that raised $3,500. We wanted to so something fun, Tiffany Smith, Rusty ' s waitress and senior in psychology, said. We wanted to hit at the Rusty ' s crowd and help at the same time. People were very responsive and understood that beyond the fun there was a greater cause. Other businesses donated to the auction as well, giving food packages, clothing and K- State apparel. It was so nice to see the entirety of Manhattan help with the cause, Smith said. They personalized what they gave, and I think the people from Louisiana can tell. Any little bit helps. hurricane katrina25 JL