St. Lawrence University: University Communications

Hurricane Katrina

Our hearts go out to all who have been affected by this awful tragedy.

In response to Hurricane Katrina, St. Lawrence University has enrolled 5 visiting students with no charge for tuition, room, board and fees, for the fall semester.

Campus volunteer, educational programming and fundraising efforts are detailed below. SLU students, faculty and staff have donated over $13,000 to date.

St. Lawrence knows of 23 alumni with home addresses in Louisiana and 9 alumni with addresses in Mississippi.

We welcome an e-mail or call (315-229-5567) with news of your safety. Please indicate in your e-mail that you wish to have your name posted on this site.

New: President Sullivan's Remarks at the Service of Compassion September 14.

Campus Volunteer, Programming and Fundraising Relief Efforts

Coming Events:
The Transitional Cultures and Politics of Fashion class will coordinate a clothing drive, details are pending.

Curricular and Co-curricular Programming:

Knowing that rebuilding efforts will be on-going for months, the Center for Civic Engagement also is working with other colleges in New York to explore service learning trips to the Gulf region during winter and spring breaks.

Fundraising Efforts

October 12: Thank You to students, faculty and staff who have raised or donated $13,000, including:

$3,151 from student athletes and coaches
$2,100 from the "Re-New Orleans" music and food festival on September 15
$763 from the rugby team's car wash
$500 from Intercultural Floor, Black Student Union, and the Ray Ross theme cottage
$1,068 from the Commuity Assistants' "coin war"
$581 from Kappa Delta Sigma
$2,000 from Thelomathesian society senators
$361 from the Singing Saints and Sinners concerts
$152 from the Black Student Union
$188 from Panellenic Council

The Class of 2007 will sell water bottles and donate the proceeds to relief efforts.

Past Events:

La Casa Latina theme cottage residents baby-sat employee children on Friday, September 9 and partial proceeds will go to relief efforts. La Case Latina also will hold a car wash on September 24-25.

The Rugby club team had a car wash at Stewart's on Route 11, Canton, on September 10, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., and on Main Street on September 11, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Informational Meeting for students, faculty and staff Sunday, September 11, 2 pm, Hulett-Jencks Common Area for those interested in going through the American Red Cross training. We had 19 people (including 4 international students) at yesterday's Informational Meeting. The Red Cross needs trained people on standby to go to affected areas for a minimum of three weeks and St. Lawrence has added its name to a list for people to go during the December break. A second Informational Meeting for students, faculty and staff was held Thursday, September 15.

A Service of Compassion took place Wednesday, September 14, at 6 p.m. in Gunnison Chapel, to remember victims of Hurricane Katrina, and to extend support to those in our community affected by this tragedy. All are invited to come to Gunnison Chapel anytime to light a candle, share a prayer request, or give a donation to the hurricane relief efforts.

Re-New Orleans: Operation Enduring Kindness This event, which featured Radio Bob Band and Friends for a night of New Orleans stylefood and music, raised over $2,100 to benefit the New Orleans Musicians Clinic on Friday, September 16, 2005, 5-9 PM

A panel discussion, with faculty addressing issues of race and class in the aftermath of the disaster, was held on Monday, September 19, at 7 p.m. in Hepburn 218
"Analyzing the Impact of Katrina: Race, Class, Environment"
Margaret Bass, Associate Professor of English and Dean of Students
Brian Chezum, Associate Professor of Economics
Carolyn Johns, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies
Kallen Martin, Campbell Fellow in Global Studies
Ganesh Trichur, Assistant Professor of Global Studies
Moderators: Mary Jane Smith, Assistant Professor of History and Coordinator U.S. Ethnic and Cultural Studies
Eve Stoddard, Professor of Global Studies

The Rugby Team sponsored an emergency supply drop-off at the Canton Farmers Market Tuesday, September 13, Tuesday September 20 and Friday, September 23, 10 am-2 pm. They also have a large box in the Canton P&C that will remain there indefinitely to collect those emergency supplies.

Sarah Tolcser '03 got out of New Orleans about 6 hours ahead of Hurricane Katrina and is preparing to spend the next few months in Boston. "My house is Uptown and from satellite images looks intact with a minimal amount of water in the street, so I probably didn't lose much -- I just don't have any stuff with me and no longer have a job! My St. Lawrence connections have been great so far in offering to help me get set up temporarily in Boston with clothing, furniture, etc. I've also got a blog up that I've been updating periodically at http://jedisluzer.blogspot.com."

Tim Cahill '82 and his wife and left New Orleans on Sunday morning and are now in St. Petersburg, FL. Tim expects to be back on the job at Loyola University in January. "We'd also like to express our thanks to everybody who has shown such concern and offered so much support during this huge tragedy."

Last Update: September 25, 2005