On Thursday night, students gathered in front of Olin Library to pay their respects to victims of Hurricane Katrina. Organized by the Dean of Campus Programs Rick Culliton, the event was a chance for students to look beyond Wesleyan issues and focus on a tragedy affecting people nationwide.
“[The event was a] shared experience to make sense of the disaster, for all who witnessed the destruction and despair,” Culliton said.
At 8:15 p.m. two groups of attendees assembled, one at the top of Foss Hill and the second in the Butterfield Courtyard. All lit candles and several students spoke about their relationship to the disaster.
Scott Varnado ’09 shared his story in front of the Foss Hill group. He is from southern Mississippi and considers New Orleans a second home. Like many residents of the Gulf Coast area, Varnado has family and friends whose homes have been destroyed. He said he is concerned about the lack of support for children in elementary and middle school, many of whom will be missing most of this school year.
Both processions began to march toward Olin Library. Some sang songs as they walked. Others spoke quietly, retelling stories they had heard about the tragedy. Still others simply stared blankly forward.
Upon arrival at Olin, the a capella group Wesleyan Spirits sang the spiritual “Steal Away.” Dean of the College Maria Cruz-Saco then spoke, asserting the need to renew a sense of togetherness among the Wesleyan community.
“We should realize the power of a group united as one toward the goal of making the world a better place,” Cruz-Saco said.
In addition to the Dean’s address, a few faculty members made remarks.
“A person’s care for their fellow woman and man is the base essential to religion,” said Muslim Chaplain Mahan Mirza. He encouraged the continued advancement of relief efforts.
Virtually all of the remarks made echoed Cruz-Saco’s call for unity, but some took a more critical approach of the way society handles disasters in general. Professor of German Studies Krishna Winston hinted at human involvement in the hurricane’s cause, citing issues of global warming and depletion of marshes. She also said that there are failures in public policy that can cause as many deaths as the natural cause of the event.
“Many suffer because of human negligence,” Winston said.
Winston asked whether discrimination and social stratification had tainted the catastrophe, as many of the hurricane’s victims were in poor minority populations.
Catholic Chaplain Louis Manzo said that the Wesleyan community should feel changed by the recent catastrophe. He also pointed out the unfortunate but probable outcome of Katrina.
“Who will remember the victims in two weeks?” Manzo asked. “Two months? A year from now?”
His comments echoed the concerns of some students who openly wondered why it takes a disaster like Katrina or the terrorist attacks to unite the people in the interest of benevolence and global welfare.
“Why can’t we have this sense of community when we are not in a disaster situation?” asked Linden Brown ’09.
Many students praised the efforts the Wesleyan community has put in place to support disaster relief. The Wesleyan Office of Community Service is currently accepting offers for those who wish to offer help.
“The student response has been good,” said Office of Community Service Director Cathy Crimmins-Lechowicz. “I am working with several groups of students to [get] some immediate initiatives started. The community service house will be hosting a benefit this upcoming weekend. We are also working on long-term responses with some possible trips to the affected regions over winter break and spring break either with the Red Cross or Habitat for Humanity. This will become more firm as the agencies assess the situation and know the needs.”
There will be a meeting in room two of the Campus Center Tuesday at 9 p.m. to discuss future relief efforts.
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