Campus reacts to hurricane's effects in Gulf
Students, faculty recount stories of family members
Nate Billings
Issue date: 9/16/05 Section: News
Anxiety stretched beyond the reaches of Hurricane Katrina to the hearts of students and faculty at Missouri Southern as the storm reached the southern shores of the United States.
Dave Slatton, junior mass communications major, had family members in Gulf Port, Miss., one of the towns on the edge of the hurricane's front.
Slatton's son, Cody, and his wife had just gotten married and were living on base housing while Cody was deployed for the Navy.
"I was afraid something had happened," Slatton said.
However, Slatton's daughter-in-law had driven out of the danger area before the storm hit.
"She packed up and headed out," Slatton said. "She took some clothes, wedding pictures and some papers. They lost everything."
He said they would not be able to return to the house for 30 days.
This will give Cody a chance to come home since he was working in Okinawa, Japan during the time of the storm.
"The Navy ships are going to send comfort and aide," Slatton said. "But, they always take care of the civilians first."
Slatton said the hurricane could have been worse on his son and daughter-in-law.
"They were fully insured," Slatton said. "Cody told her not to buy the insurance, but she went ahead and did so. He said, 'I'm so glad she didn't listen to me.'"
After the hurricane hit, Slatton did not have any communication with them for three days.
"I just knew it was going to be bad for everyone," he said. "I count my blessings that my son wasn't there and his wife had gone."
Others on campus felt the same anxiety as Slatton felt during that time.
Dr. Cheryl Cifelli, assistant director of bands and assistant professor of woodwinds, took her position at Southern just over a month ago. She had left Mississippi and many people there and waited for two weeks for any word after the storm.
"I found out just like everyone else," she said.
Cifelli said she was watching television when a report came on about a town just a few miles from where a couple of her friends lived. The town had been washed away.
Dave Slatton, junior mass communications major, had family members in Gulf Port, Miss., one of the towns on the edge of the hurricane's front.
Slatton's son, Cody, and his wife had just gotten married and were living on base housing while Cody was deployed for the Navy.
"I was afraid something had happened," Slatton said.
However, Slatton's daughter-in-law had driven out of the danger area before the storm hit.
"She packed up and headed out," Slatton said. "She took some clothes, wedding pictures and some papers. They lost everything."
He said they would not be able to return to the house for 30 days.
This will give Cody a chance to come home since he was working in Okinawa, Japan during the time of the storm.
"The Navy ships are going to send comfort and aide," Slatton said. "But, they always take care of the civilians first."
Slatton said the hurricane could have been worse on his son and daughter-in-law.
"They were fully insured," Slatton said. "Cody told her not to buy the insurance, but she went ahead and did so. He said, 'I'm so glad she didn't listen to me.'"
After the hurricane hit, Slatton did not have any communication with them for three days.
"I just knew it was going to be bad for everyone," he said. "I count my blessings that my son wasn't there and his wife had gone."
Others on campus felt the same anxiety as Slatton felt during that time.
Dr. Cheryl Cifelli, assistant director of bands and assistant professor of woodwinds, took her position at Southern just over a month ago. She had left Mississippi and many people there and waited for two weeks for any word after the storm.
"I found out just like everyone else," she said.
Cifelli said she was watching television when a report came on about a town just a few miles from where a couple of her friends lived. The town had been washed away.