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Dillard Students Find Refuge at a Sister School

By Michael Grant, Black College Wire

Sept. 3, 2005 - For Dillard University students bused out of New Orleans to Shreveport, La., in advance of Hurricane Katrina, the storm aftermath continues.

“We have spoken today with Dillard University officials, and it has been determined that it will be some time before the Dillard campus in New Orleans will reopen following the widespread damage caused by Hurricane Katrina,” came the announcement Aug. 30 at Centenary College, which has sheltered more than 200 Dillard students since Aug. 27.

The trip to Shreveport was just the beginning of their journey.

Decision to Evacuate

No one was prepared for Hurricane Katrina and the effects it would have. In the brief time the hurricane took to reach shore on Aug. 27, it tore through southeastern Louisiana showing no remorse, forcing Dillard students along with the entire city of New Orleans to evacuate.

The second week of school was well underway. Freddye Hill, vice president of campus life at Dillard, said it was during a senior cabinet retreat that reports and development of the hurricane were discussed.

“We made a decision, headed straight back to campus, and began an evacuation at about 10 Saturday morning,” Hill said.

Dillard President Marvalene Hughes contacted Centenary President Kenneth L. Schwab to discuss housing arrangements for Dillard evacuees, according to the Rev. Betsy Eaves, the chaplain at Centenary College. The college’s emergency preparations committee decided to evacuate based on predictions from the National Hurricane Center.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin officially issued a mandatory evacuation by Sunday morning, but Dillard officials had made their decision earlier.

“By 5 o'clock (Saturday), we had completely evacuated our campus,” Hill said.

The school rented six charter buses, at a cost of $15,000, to transport 206 Dillard students to Centenary College in Shreveport.

Getting Out

Birmingham, Ala., native Crystal Hawkins, a 20-year-old junior and a residential assistant, was faced with the responsibility of notifying residents of the evacuation.

“On Friday night, I was notified by one of my residents that a hurricane was coming,” Hawkins said. “By morning, everyone was crying, asking me what’s going on and what to do. Ms. Darby -- the dorm parent who I report to -- asked me to announce that the school was to be evacuated by 4 o'clock.”

Hawkins went around to the rooms of her hall notifying students to get their things together, but had little time to worry about her own arrangements.

“By the time I could begin to think about what I was going to do to go where I needed to be, it was too late to get a plane, a bus or a train ticket.”

Others were in the same situation: About 35 upperclassmen who could not find any other means of evacuating were on the buses to Centenary.

Hawkins knew what to expect, having experienced Hurricane Ivan, but she said it was still complicated.

“We would have left campus earlier, but one of our buses broke down right before we left,” Hawkins said. “We had to wait two hours for another bus to come in.” One of six buses dispatched for Dillard's evacuation broke down before students could be put on board. A replacement bus was brought in.

Dillard students were forced to evacuate the campus over about three hours. Most students were able to find a way to their hometowns, some leaving with friends, others leaving with family.

A Dangerous Twist

About two and a half hours outside of New Orleans, the bus stopped at a McDonald's. As the buses continued on to Shreveport, about 20 to 30 minutes farther into the route, students on the replacement bus said they smelled smoke. This was followed by a sway after a tire failed.

“The driver pulled over,” said Rashida Jones, an 18-year-old sophomore from Houston. “After taking a look at what happened, the driver ordered everyone to get off of the bus. So, we’re just standing there and at first we saw a little flame. Then it began to spread.”

Within minutes, the whole bus was ablaze.

“I thought they were trying to put it out,” Jones said. “I couldn’t tell you how quickly it happened. I was so traumatized that this whole thing had happened.”

Practically everything was unsalvageable, but Jones was able to recover a suitcase. “When I was packing, I just threw everything in a suitcase. I didn’t know what was in there.” Her other bag was lost with a few very important belongings.

The fire made a long trip to Shreveport even longer: leaving campus at 6 p.m. Saturday and arriving at 6 a.m. Monday meant they traveled more than twice the time it takes on a regular day.

Support at Centenary College

Upon arrival, Eaves, chaplain at Centenary, met the students to help get them settled in.

“We’ve worked hard together very well; the community has been very generous and supportive with supplies and financial support,” Eaves said.

Students were greeted with all the necessities needed to get through the first night.

“The school reassured us that everything would be replaced,” said Jones. By the time they awakened Monday, donations were pouring in.

“I didn’t expect anything, but the community really responded,” said Jones. “Cell phones, clothes, blankets, pillows . . . anything you could think of, they gave to us. Everyone was really supportive about it and offered encouraging words.”

“I am pleased with the success of the operation,” Eaves said.

Both institutions came together in previous years. Dillard and Centenary College connected through their affilation with the United Methodist Church. According to Eaves, what made this occasion unusual was not only the short amount of time for the evacuation, but the severity of the hurricane.

Figuring Out What's Next

By the evening of Aug. 31, roughly 40 of the 206 evacuated Dillard students remained at Centenary. Arrangements were still in the works for their travel plans. Centenary’s president announced creation of a fund for the Dillard students and plans to get the majority home. According to Schwab’s statement, a chartered bus took “some 50 students to the Dallas area.” Another was heading for Chicago, with drop-off stops along the way.

To assist the many others who could not return to their homes or who were from other remote locations, an account was set up at Centenary “to help with relocation expenses related to their dilemma.”

“We got a vast majority out, and have been working all day to accommodate students going to places like California, New York and other faraway places,” Eaves said.

Dillard students were prompted to begin searching for flights on various Web sites, seeking out flights from various areas of the country costing as little as possible. Others were on standby for further accommodations.

“First United Methodist Church has a van that’s taking us to Birmingham,” Hawkins said, referring to herself and two others from her hometown. Hawkins had just received news that a tree fell through her mother’s house.

“From what I understand, no one’s hurt, but my mom wouldn’t tell me if she’s not doing well anyway,” Hawkins said. “She wouldn’t want me to worry.”

Other students’ parents were coming to pick them up from Shreveport. Arrangements for international students were more complex to fulfill.

Eaves remained optimistic about taking care of all the Dillard students.

“Our staff is working around the clock to keep these kids comfortable,” Eaves said.

Sharell Jarvis, a 17-year-old freshman from New York, said she had been wrestling with feelings of uncertainty.

“I don’t know what kind of condition campus is in,” she said. “I heard some buildings were destroyed, there was lots of damage, and even looting. If we don’t go back to school, then I still have to come back because my fees have already been paid. Am I going back? Due to circumstances, I just don’t know.”

She described the feel of campus during her first week of school. “It was fine: small, very homelike, in a secluded area. Everyone was like family that first week. People helped us find classes and teachers were really welcoming.”

Describing the ordeal, Eric Madlock, a 17-year-old from Chicago, said “It was both scary and exciting because I never suspected any of this. It was scary with all the buses breaking down and then we’re wondering if the buses are safe, but it was exciting because it was an experience in a major disaster.”

“This is something I can live to tell about,” Madlock said. “I’ve been through high winds and blizzards, but never a hurricane.”

Michael Grant is a student at Grambling State University.