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A team of 18 Whitworth students traveled to Mississippi in January to help rebuild homes and communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The students, led by four faculty and staff members, worked in Gulfport and Jackson as part of a new Jan Term study program, "Communities in Crisis: Service and Learning in the Gulf Coast." The group removed contaminated housing material and other debris and repaired homes; for several days, the students teamed with Whitworth alumni who were working in the area (see story on Page 27).
| Whitworth students Dana Ferguson, '09; Ali Kara, '08; Krystle Stucky, '07; and Valerie Iverson, '08, repair a roof destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. |
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"When I saw the extent of the devastation, I felt as though I was only a drop in the bucket," says Lydia Garth, '08. "Everyone's help is needed, whether through volunteering, collecting supplies, or praying. We heard repeatedly that the people feel they have been forgotten. Now is the time
to show our support."
During the program, Associate Professor of Art Gordon Wilson taught students about Southern folk art; the students also created their own artwork that depicts the images of destruction, loss and hope they encountered. Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology Andrea Donahoe, '00, led students in their study of Gulf Coast history and culture, social-support networks in the area, and the effects of poverty and trauma on communities.
"Our time in the Gulf Coast made a lasting impression on me," says Molly Bruner, '07. "The deep-rooted issues of poverty, race relations, education and violence were illustrated to me through the lives and faces of the people I encountered. I will forever be committed to reconciling people to one another."
Participants were so affected by their January experience that a group of 14 Whitworth students returned to the Gulf Coast of their own accord during spring break.
Journal sketch by Krystle Stucky, '07.
Read more about students' experiences with Hurricane Katrina cleanup efforts in the online travelogue at www.whitworth.edu/gulfcoast.
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