Fifteen Elon students and 2 professors spent 10 days in Mississippi during January, helping repair the damage of Hurricane Katrina and learning about the factors contributing to the disaster. Details...
Senior Jason Pressberg, who took part in the Winter Term class in Mississippi, wrote the following account:
Roughly 3 months after a group of 40 students and assorted members of the Elon community spent fall break in Mississippi, a group of 15 students and 2 professors returned to continue clearing the debris that is seemingly all over Gulfport, Miss.
Just as they did for the fall break trip, Dr. Ocek Eke of the communications department and Dr. Alexa Darby of the psychology department led a group of students to the Gulf to help relieve the effects of Hurricane Katrina. These students were enrolled in a Winter Term class called “Volunteerism, Social Justice & Civic Engagement in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina.” The course focused on learning about the factors involved in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
The students were given the opportunity to serve for 10 days in Gulfport and Waveland, Miss. Though they had little experience, they worked diligently as a team and were able to clear a great deal of debris. Projects involved interior and exterior cleanup of houses. “It seemed like no matter where we went, we were able to make a positive impact in a short amount of time,” said Michael Scott ’08.
Seeing the devastation of the area took its toll on the students. “It’s hard to imagine losing everything you own, but that’s exactly what happened to a lot of these people,” said Kate Martin ’08. “Words cannot do justice to some of the terrible things we saw.”
The group’s motivation was simple: to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina by getting their hands dirty. “It’s about helping people. We’re not getting paid,” said Dr. Eke. “It’s our responsibility as members of a democratic society to be concerned about the well-being of others, especially in terms of natural disasters like Katrina.”
Students learned first-hand what the government is doing and what volunteers are accomplishing to help the victims. “We were able to provide a service to the local residents that the government couldn’t provide,” said Scott Mackenzie ’09. “The homeowners can’t afford this service because the insurance companies are playing the blame-game.”
“I was most impressed with our teamwork and creativity,” added Ryan Boyd ’08. “Dr. Eke was constantly reminding us that working smart is much more important than working hard, and he was right.”
Safety is always a worry on service trips. The group escaped with only minor injuries, including a nail in a foot and a few cases of strep throat.
Housing was provided by the Morrell Foundation in the ICare village, a makeshift compound set up to house volunteers in the area. The accommodations were quaint, hospitable and welcome after many hard days of work.
The group ended up meeting many people associated with the disaster, including a few quick handshakes with President Bush, New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin, and time spent talking to Mississippi Congressman Gene Taylor and Waveland, Miss., mayor Tommy Longo.
The group did get to spend an afternoon touring the city of New Orleans and take a short break before returning to Elon. The trip was a huge success, both in the work that was done and in the learning that took place. Members of the class now feel they have an excellent grasp on the factors at play in relieving the damage of Hurricane Katrina.
When looking to Elon’s future involvement in Katrina relief efforts, Dr. Eke believes that there is still much good that can come out of our community. “We will definitely continue the work that is needed,” he said upon returning to Elon. “We will not forget those folks down there. We hope to motivate others to go.” The class is producing a documentary about their experience to raise awareness about the need for further relief efforts. They hope to premiere the film during the spring semester.