Social life washed away by storm

Kristen Ladner is in the process of applying to colleges, but she has never attended school, at least according to the computer records. If you thought Tulane students had trouble transferring schools then Kristen's story will shed new light on the devastation. When Hurricane Katrina hit Bay St. Louis, it took houses, trees and school records with it.

Kristen, 17, daughter of Ricky and Colleen Ladner, is a senior at Our Lady Academy and only has ACT scores to show colleges. She has been receiving letters from schools like Southern Mississippi asking for her transcript and she can't do anything about it.

"All records of my classes have been wiped out," Kristen said. "I only have ACT scores because they're online."

Internet resources are scarce but very important for Kristen. She can only send out applications online because her physical address is not yet active again. Kristen will most likely attend Pearl River Community College for her freshman year and then transfer into Southern Mississippi. She wants to study interior design to become a decorator.

Despite missing records, Kristen and her friends seem ready for college, or even real life for that matter. Over the last seven weeks their lives have changed dramatically. Anna Sharp, 16, is a junior at Our Lady Academy and friends with Kristen. Anna, daughter of Jo and Calvin Sharp, isn't happy with the turn of events.

"Everyone is growing up too fast," Anna said. "We all have been working hard. I'm gutting my own house."

With there being so much work, the social life of teenagers in the area has taken a plunge. The local public school, Bay High School, has been holding football games in an attempt to get people out and bring the community back to its feet.

"The town has really come together," Kristen said.

Responsibility and care has become common among these students and Kristen and Anna can be found wandering the halls of Bay Catholic Elementary School, helping wherever it is deemed necessary.

Their latest project is promoting the "Rock Your Cares Away" Katrina Chair. Recently, Jay Leno of NBC, auctioned off a motorcycle that was signed by several celebrities. The proceeds were donated to a Katrina Relief foundation. The Katrina Chair has the same idea but brings a more local feel to the relief process. Anyone that passes through the school is invited to sign the chair. The chair is going to be sold on Ebay and the proceeds will most likely go to the principal of Bay Catholic, Janet Buras, who lost everything in the disaster.

Kristen Ladner (left) and Anna Sharp (right) stand with the "Katrina Chair" in Bay Catholic Elementary. Kristen is attempting to get into college but all of her school records were wiped out by Hurricane Katrina. She and Anna have seen a major change in their lives over the last several weeks. They have essentially been sprung into adulthood and their normal high school social lives no longer exist.

This chair will be auctioned on Ebay and the proceeds will go towards discretionary funds within Bay Catholic Elementary School. The idea was sparked by Jay Leno's auctioning of a motorcycle that was signed by many celebrities. The school has reopened for the year but lacks many supplies.

Update on Tim Anderson

Tim Anderson hadn't seen a familiar face in several weeks and all he wanted to do was throw a Frisbee. After coming to Bay St. Louis and speaking with the Elon volunteers, Tim did just that.

In September, right after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf, Tim decided to take a semester off and help the victims in any way he could. Being a firefighter, he was more than qualified and had the resources to get to the source quickly.

Since September 11, when he arrived in Picayune, Miss. Tim has been the site coordinator for the Presbyterian Church in America Disaster Response Team. In short, he tells all volunteers that come through PCA what to do.

But being the site coordinator means that Tim doesn't get to hang out with his friends and his Friday night plans consist of getting to bed as early as possible.

"All I do is work and sleep so I miss everything in between," Tim said.

Nonetheless, he loves what he is doing. He says that his personal growth has been huge and the opportunity to help those in need is extremely rewarding but he is in quite a paradox of feelings. He can't wait to come home and see friends at Elon but he knows that when the time comes, he won't want to leave.

Tim's family was very supportive of his decision and he is in contact with them regularly. In an attempt to keep the stress levels to a minimum he tries to refrain from talking to friends about what he is doing.

"I'm interested in the world outside of Mississippi," Tim said. "I want to know what is going on at Elon."

He doesn't talk about it much but when he does, the effects of Katrina are emotionally stressful. He tries to get out on occasion and says that he releases some pressure by grabbing a chainsaw and cutting some trees on his own. The aftermath is all he sees.

"Katrina has affected everything," Tim said. "The only thing normal is the sky."

So, as a break from work and overall reliever, Tim visited the Elon volunteers during their last night in Bay St. Louis and spoke with them about his experience.

After fielding many questions Tim got his wish for the night and pulled out his Frisbee. With a full moon shining brightly over the Gulf of Mexico, Tim enjoyed a relaxing game of toss before getting back to Picayune and his reality for the next couple of months.