the Seahawk | NEWS | September 22, 2003
UNCW welcomes Katrina evacuee students
Barbara J. Twigg
Senior Staff Writer
Tulane University Junior Jeffrey Collins
had only lived in his New Orleans ground
level apartment two days when Hurricane
Katrina roared up the Gulf Coast aimed at
Louisiana.
“We were told to evacuate,” said Collins.
“I’ve been through seven hurricanes down
there, so I thought leaving was pretty good
idea.”
At midnight on Sunday, Aug. 28, just
hours before Katrina made landfall, he and
seven friends Ijastily packed up a few belong
ings and jumped into a couple of cars and
headed for Texas,
“I grabbed some pictures, my computer,
camera, clothes and left,” Collins said. “My
apartment is probably under water and my
things are gone, but I’m okay with that. It’s
all just stuff ..it can be replaced.”
After several days in Houston and Dallas
and hearing about the destructiMi of New
Orleans, Collins figured he’d better come up
with another plan for his junior year. “We
figured we didn’t have a school to go, with
Tulane right downtown.”
So, he headed hoine to Wilmington. “I
wasn’t sure exactly what I’d do, but once I
got here things worked out
great,” Collins said.
He is now one of seven
students from universities
in Louisiana enrolled at
UNCW. He can’t say enough
good things about UNCW.
“Incredible is the only
way to describe how we’ve
been treated,” Collins said.
“Everyone here has bent
over backwards for us. Every
administrator, every profes
sor keep asking if there is
anything they can do for us. It’s amazing.”
Collins’ mother is Dr. Edna Collins, an
interim chair for the department of curricular
studies in the education department. He read
ily admits his transition here has been easier
than most students, but doesn’t think he’s been
given any special treatment.
“Everybody, including the students we’ve
met, is great to all of us,” Collins, the mechan
ical engineering major said. “We’ve all been
made to feel incredibly welcome here.”
“They’re a really great group of students,”
said Anne Marie Bell, associate director
of admissions. “They’re very enthusiastic.
They’ll do fine here.”
“Incredible is the only way to describe
how weVe been treated. Everyone here
has bent over backwards for us. Every
administrator, every professor keep
asking if there is anything they can do
for us. It’s amazing.”
-Tulane University Junior Jeffrey Collins
(pictured right)
The seven students from Tulane and the
University of New Orleans are registered at
UNCW as visiting students, meaning they’re
not here to earn a degree. Bell said. “And due
to these unusual circumstances, we tried to
streamline the entry process. For instance we
didn’t require transcripts.”
“They’re wonderful young people,” Bell
said “I’m glad we could do our small part to
help them.”
The University of North Carolina Board
of Governors will waive all tuition and fees
for students uprooted by Hurricane Katrina.
“The seven students won’t have to pay any
thing to attend UNCW this year,” said Emily
Bliss, UNCW financial aid director. “Yes,
it is unusual, but then we’ve never taken in
hurricane displaced
students before.”
The campus book
store is also offering
a helping hand. It is
giving the new stu
dents their books and
supplies for free, if
they want them, said
store manager Tanya
Szulak. “We’re glad to
help,” Szulak said.
“That’s great,” said Collins, when told
about the waived tuition and the bookstore
offer. “I certainly didn’t expect anything like
this.. .it’s a very nice surprise.”
*stadenL'^!!l! www.uncw.edu^urrica-
et. There, students can find a listing of relief events and more information of what can be done to help.
UNCW students and organizations help with Katrina relief efforts
Beckham Wyrick picks up a baked good at a bake sale to support victims of
Hurricane Katrina. Not only is UNCW holding many fundraising events
but the campus is also taking in students from Louisianna and Mississippi
that were displaced by the hurricane.
Amanda Hutcheson
Staff Writer
When Hurricane Katrina, just downgraded
from a category 5, hit the gulf coast last
week, the devastation was enormous. Once
levies broke in New Orleans, 80 percent of
the city was underwater. High poverty rates
meant many citizens did not have the means
to evacuate. The death toll is already in the
hundreds. “This is going to be an issue that
is going to naed our attention for months and
even years,” remarked Student Body President
Bradley Ballou.
So what are Seahawk students doing to
help with the relief effort?
SGA, along with other student organiza
tions, will be setting up American Red Cross
cans around campus. Cans will be in the
Student Union, Wagner, the library, and class
room buildings. Students are encouraged to
donate whatever they can.
SGA will also be hosting a dance-a-thon
in October to raise money for Hurricane
Katrina relief with the help of other organi
zations. There will be another fundraising
event in the spring. “We are waiting until
things calm down to host an event,” said
Katie Gurgainus, VP of Organizations. “We
don’t want people to forget alwut this catas
trophe after just a few months. It is going to
take years to rebuild and we should continue
to support these efforts well into the future.”
Students can also go to the website http://
www.uncw.edu/hurricanerelief to find out
what else is being done on campus.