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

Page 22 text:

Sophomore I lesa liillie stocks up on Ra orback apparel for the semesters she would spend at the UA. Many students escaping Hurricane Katrinas wrath chose the UA to return to their home state. Photo by Wes Putt w] 4Pr T r j

Page 21 text:

UA students ban together to help Arkansas’ neighbors to the south. On August 25, Tropical Storm Katrina became the fourth hurricane of the 2005 season. Over the next four days, the nation hoped for the best and held its breath, waiting as the storm rose and diminished in size and strength. But on August 29, Hurricane Katrina made landfall with sustained winds of 145 mph, wreaking havoc and destruction on the Gulf Coast. In the wake of the storm, the death toll was upwards of 1,300. An estimated five million people were left without power and more than a million people were displaced, mak¬ ing Katrina the most destructive and costliest natural disaster in the history of the United States. As countless numbers of people around the world began reaching out to survivors °f the hurricane, UA students began reaching out as well, sacrificing their time to help those in need. In the aftermath of Katrina, I was in disbelief at the lack °f response from our government,” Nate Looney, ASG com- naittee member said. “After seeing our fellow Americans in utter despair and complete dismay, I felt personally respon¬ sible to try to make a difference.” The hurricane relief effort was estimated to cost more than $2 billion, acco rding to the American Red Cross. Stu¬ dent organizations began working together to plan events to raise money to donate to the Red Cross. One of the largest relief efforts was the collection of donations at the first two Razorback football games, Sept. 3 and 10. Students stood outside and in the stadium, greeting fans as they entered and collecting donations in boxes labeled Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief Fund. Volunteers were members of Circle Alpha Phi Omega, Gamma Beta Phi, Associated Student Government, Volunteer Action Center, National Association of Black Accountants, Social Work Action Group, Block and Bridle, Gamma Eta, Lambda Chi Alpha and Kappa Sigma, as well as many “non-affiliated” volunteer students who just wanted to help out. The donations collected at both football games totaled about $35,000. Students also had several other opportunities to give to the Red Cross relief fund, such as the Free Fall Concert with The Bravery, where about $300 in donations were collected. Other relief efforts throughout the fall semester included collecting canned goods for the Ozark Food Bank and send¬ ing support banners to students at LSU and UL-Monroe. , “Being a neighbor state to Louisiana, I believe the trag¬ edy of Katrina deeply struck the hearts of the students at the UA,” Looney said. “Many students were directly con¬ nected to Louisiana because they once lived there; however, I believe that because of the magnitude of the devastation of this tragedy that every student was deeply concerned for America’s well being.” But whether they donated their time, money or belong¬ ings, UA students made certain they did all they could to respond to those in need and give support to the victims Hurricane Katrina left in her wake. “We were driven by our insatiable desire to make a differ¬ ence, our thirst to help the ones in need and our hope that we could help someone less fortunate,” Looney said. “We looked at this situation as an opportunity to work together through many different organizations and truly make a dif¬ ference. Due to our teamwork, our avid desire to give help to the victims and by great leadership by student organizations, we were able to accomplish our goals and hopefully change someone’s life for the better.” by Megan Garner

Page 23 text:

( T7 ci Ion The UA offers refuge, housing and an education to victims of Hurricane Katrina. As Hurricane Katrina’s rough waters ravished the Gulf Coast, it caused mounds of destruction and forced many stu¬ dents from schools in Louisiana to drift inland and enroll at the UA. Many New Orleans institutions suffered both minor and major damage during Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flooding. Some of the universities affected included Tulane University, Xavier University, Dillard University, Loyola Uni¬ versity New Orleans and the University of New Orleans. The American Council on Education estimated 75,000 to 100,000 college students in the New Orleans area were affected by the storm according to their Web site. Displaced students scattered across the nation to attend other universi¬ ties. The UA opened its doors to the students and extended fall enrollment for two weeks for those students in need of academic refuge, as well as offering free or reduced tuition and fees to students who were enrolled in colleges and uni¬ versities near New Orleans. Dawn Medley, director of admissions, said in a UA press release that, as of September, a total of 66 students had en¬ rolled at the UA from schools affected by Hurricane Ka¬ trina. Ryan O’Hara, senior management and legal studies ma¬ jor, was enrolled at the UA after Tulane cancelled classes for the fall semester. Originally from Little Rock, Ark., O Hara sought the UA over other schools in Arkansas because he had friends enrolled here, he said. O Hara expressed concern when he was unable to return to his fifth floor dorm room to retrieve his things after being evacuated from the city. “I was only able to grab about four changes of clothes and my iPod,” he said. O’Hara’s first weekend in Fayetteville was spent cheering on the Razorbacks at the first football game of the season. He had to sleep on his friend’s couch until he moved into Carlson Terrace Apartments, he said. Another student from Tulane University, Elesa Billie, soph¬ omore business and pre-dental major, also sought out the UA as her educational haven. The UA students and faculty were supportive and welcom¬ ing and “took care of me,” Billie said after she got settled. “I actually liked it a lot more than I thought I would be¬ cause of how welcoming and comforting everyone was,” Billie said. As scattered students of the affected universities had to enroll in new schools and adapt to new ways of life, they also found ways to touch base with their home schools. The affected universities had letters on their official Web sites from chancellors and presidents expressing sadness, grief and hope for the schools and strewn students. Scott Cowen, president ofTulane University, wrote in his letter on Sept. 21, 2005, ‘‘Not a single day goes by when I don’t think about our campuses and the ambience of New Orleans - walking among the oak trees uptown and listening to the rattle of streetcars on St. Charles Avenue.” Though many students planned to move back to their Gulf Coast universities in the spring, they would never forget the home provided by the UA during their time of need. by Jill Griffin sjuc ents £ ? ou suum +9