IVCC responds to Hurricane Katrina
By Maggie Rhynes
IV Leader Editor
For Illinois Valley residents, Hurricane Katrina at first
seemed like something happening in a far off place. As time passes, the effects
of Katrina are being felt not only here but across the globe and people
everywhere are chipping in to help. Students, staff and faculty at IVCC are no
exception.
Several volunteers from IVCC have already left the college to
aid in rescue and recovery efforts in hard hit areas of Louisianan and
Mississippi. Among them are IVCC EMT instructor Andy Borkowski, who traveled to
the Gulf Coast as part of this duties as an EMT. IVCC student Michael Callahan
spent a weekend in Biloxi, Miss. And returned to class, only to leave again and
provide more assistance. Callahan is also a firefighter and EMT.
Other students, such as Amanda Minyard of Hennepin have tried
to find ways to get involved. Minyard, a firefighter and EMT, volunteered to
travel to the Gulf Coast with the Salvation Army and put her emergency skills to
use. Due to time commitments, Minyard was unable to go.
For students without disaster training, IVCC has made other
opportunities to help available, including a raffle in which all proceeds went
to the American Red Cross. The raffle featured a $50 gas card an IVCC bookstore
gift certificate, a gift basket and a tuition waiver for 3 credit hours.
Director of Student Services Bob Marshall explained the idea
for the fundraiser came at a meeting of academic administrators. “The fundraiser
is an excellent opportunity for students and staff to contribute to hurricane
relief while at the same time qualifying for the drawings.” Marshall said.
The items for the raffle were donated by the Athletic
Department, student organizations, the administrative staff and the Office of
Community Relations and Marketing. Members representing all of IVCC’s student
organizations took turns staffing the raffle table.
The fundraiser netted nearly $1200 in relief.
As colleges across the country prepare to accept dislocated
students, IVCC has enrolled at least one displaced student as of press time.
IVCC also took on the responsibility of educating the
community about the various effects of the Hurricane through three symposia held
in the Cultural Center. A panel of IVCC professors addressed various issues.
Perhaps the most attention grabbing moment of the symposium
came when Geology instructor Mike Phillips read an article describing the events
of Hurricane Katrina: how thousands evacuated while thousands more were left
behind without cars, how the storm surge pushed the waters of Lake Pontchartrain
over the levees, destroying the city and killing thousands.
The audience listened as Phillips read the article recounting
the events that have dominated newscasts for weeks.
The jaws of audience members dropped only when Phillips
announced the article had been printed in National Geographic in October of
2004, drawing attention to the point that Katrina shouldn’t have been a
surprise.
Merri Mattison, sociology instructor, discussed the
importance of social fabric, noting that the social fabric of the United States,
is fraying as people lose interest in their communities and one another.
Mattison compared the fraying of social fabric to a military
unit. “Imagine a military unit that leaves its dead and wounded on the battle
field. Who wants to serve in that military unit?” Mattison stated, encouraging
the audience to take interest in their communities and people around them,
rather then focusing only on their own lives.
The most common question on IVCC’s campus and elsewhere seems
to be, “How can I help.”
Mattison answered the question saying, “You are doing it now,
by being here and being informed.”
back to IV Leader News