Educating Women To Excel
Volume XWIII, Issue 6
September 28, 2005
ON THE
INSIDE:
Student Body
Meeting
Page 2
Hurricane
Katrina
Page 3
World
News
Page 4
Soccer
Update
Page 6
Study Abroad
Letter
Page 7
Letters to the
Editor
Page 8
Meredith’s
Weekly
Weather
Hurricane Rita Strikes Gulf Coast
WEDNESDAY
Sunn%
my
High 84/ Low 63
THURSDAY
Scattered
Thunderstonns
High 82/ Low 49
FRIDAY
High 75/ Low
SATURDAY
High 81/ Low
Sunn^
Simn^
SUNDAY
Partly Cloudy
High 83/ Low 61
MONDAY
Sunny
High 85/ Low 6
TUESDAY
Mostly Sunny
High 80/ Low 59
CANDICE HOWARD
Contributing Writer
Just when the coast was
clear from Hurricane Katrina
and Louisianans had begxm
the effort to repair their sub
merged city, disaster stuck
again. Hurricane Rita came
through Louisiana Cajun and
Northeast Texas and began
to release her fury Saturday
September 24th. Hurricane
Rita is the fifth major hur
ricane and second Category
5 hurricane of 2005 that has
shattered many homes, and
taken many lives along with
her.
Hurricane Rita slammed
against the Louisiana Cajun
coast and northeast Texas
early Saturday at 3:30 am,
east of Sabine Pass at the
Louisiana line. With a 15
foot storm surge and 120
mph winds Rita left behind
destruction from east of
Houston to south of New
Orleans. Therefore caus
ing flooding of about thirty
percent of New Orleans, in
addition to a path of floods,
shattered homes, and closed
ports. The damage extended
far inland, heavy wreck
age was reported in Jasper,
Texas about 50 miles north
of the coast. However, the
worst place hit included the
port city of Lake Charles
in southwestem Louisiana,
where water elevated to the
height of homes doorknobs.
The following Sunday af
ter was when Hurricane Rita
began to reflect life. Sunday
was the first day of re-entry
plan drawn up by authorities.
Only residents of the north
west quadrant of the city
were encouraged to return.
The plan hoped to avoid the
previous the pre-storm evac
uation, which left stranded
Houstonians and abandoned
cars clustered on freeways
when drivers burned through
gas in the gridlock. Officials
dispatched buses to bring
back thousands of evacuees
from shelters. Rita had spared
Houston severe damage by
veering east toward the Lou-
isiana-Texas state line when
it hit early Saturday. Slowly
cars began to emerge on the
roads, sometimes with the as
Photo courtesy of: Associated Press
A couple from Erath, La embrace after realizing the
damage to their neightx>rhood due to Hurricane Rita.
sistance of officials, airports
and businesses reopened and
traffic moved effortlessly
over freeways. Most busi
nesses remained closed Sun
day, with windows taped or
boarded up. However, some
employers rounded up em
ployees to open their doors.
On Monday, more and more
traffic lights were working
properly and a long line of
customers waited outside of
businesses.
The aftermath of Hurricane
Rita was not as severe as
Hurricane Katrina, however
the support and need is pres
ent in both disasters. Hope
fully with hurricane sea
son winding down, the gulf
coast will be saved and no
more hurricanes will come
in harms way.
Music and Cheesecake
JOY STRICKLAND
Staff Writer
The Meredith Coffeehouse
had its second debut the eve
ning of Saturday, September
24th. Located on Second
Cate, the live music and de
licious cheesecake, coupled
with the squishy armchairs
and many friends, made the
coffeehouse a success.
The invigorating sound of
live music could be heard
outside Cate Center even
before people entered the
building, luring students and
their friends into Cate for a
wonderful evening. Drew
Holcomb, an up-and-coming
musical artist with a person
able air, regaled us with tales
of past travels and amazed us
with his extraordinary guitar
and harmonica skills. His
songs were lively and heart
felt, written about past ex
periences and future hopes,
with excellent guitar accom
panying the lyrics. Many
an audience member bought
one of Holcomb’s two CDs,
and those that forgot to visit
CONTINUED ON
PAGE 2
Photo courtesy of: wwftv.drewholcomb.com