Eastern offers 200 dorm beds to Katrina victims

Clothing, food, water and a place to learn. For many students on the Gulf Coast, these four items may have become blessings.Hurricane Katrina disrupted thousands of lives on the Gulf Coast, and Eastern is helping some students from the area with the trauma of being displaced.

"These people have lost everything," said Kenna Middleton, director for University Housing. "We don't want them to lose a semester of school."

Eastern reached out to these students by contacting educational institutions on the Gulf Coast and by notifying various media outlets.

Marc Whitt, associate vice president for public relations and marketing, said 43 media and educational outlets, including USA Today and outlets in Biloxi, Miss., Baton Rouge and New Orleans, La., have been contacted by Eastern to help spread the word to displaced students that Eastern is accepting applicants until Friday.

The deadline is set to keep students from enrolling and falling too far behind in their work.

University Housing has 200 beds available for displaced students attending Eastern, said Middleton.

None of the 200 slots have been filled; however, two students have been admitted to Eastern, Good said. Another student is expected to enroll.

"We don't know (how many are coming) until they show," Good said. "Many that will come know someone here."

Many people on the Gulf Coast have been left with nothing. The students who come to Eastern may not be an exception. Students who have been displaced and attend Eastern are not expected to pay the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition. A scholarship is available to pick up the tab.

The rest of the students' tuition bill will be delayed, Good said.

"No (displaced) student has to come up with the money up front," Good said.

The displaced students will also receive $300 worth of free textbooks and supplies from Barnes & Noble, said Lisa Crowe, manager of the bookstore on campus.

The textbooks have to be returned, but supplies such as pens, paper and folders can be bought with the $300 from the bookstore.

Good said Housing will supply displaced students with everything they need while living on campus, such as sheets, blankets and pillows.

Living on campus will be the same for displaced students as it is for original Eastern students, Good said. The criteria, rules and visitation will be the same for everyone on campus.

Students from the Gulf Coast are expected to have to follow Eastern's rules for the semester, said Aaron Thompson, associate vice president for academic affairs and university programs.

"It's safe to say the institutions won't be up and running for a while," Thompson said. "They'll be here for at least one semester."

Middleton hopes the semester at Eastern will help ease the trauma in these students' lives and their institutions.

"I am very proud to be at a place that can restore normalcy in these people's lives," Middleton said.

London and Corbin are also helping with Eastern's efforts by taking in hurricane victims, Good said.

Supplying a place to live and learn is not the only way people can contribute, she said. "Students may not have the money (to contribute), but they have the time."

A comprehensive list will be compiled to let students know what they can contribute to the relief effort, Middleton said. Anything from a toothbrush and toothpaste to homework help, and monetary donations can be beneficial to those in need.

Eastern also provides counseling for people directly and indirectly affected by the hurricane. A downloadable fact sheet is available on the counseling center's Web site, www.counseling.eku.edu.

Eighth-grade students from Model Laboratory School are also involved with an exchange program with Raceland Middle School in Louisiana.

Last week, volunteers from Model traveled south with generators and supplies to help students at Raceland Middle.

There are many ways to contribute to the effort, and Eastern has opened its doors for the cause.

"It's the right thing to do," Thompson said. "We're doing what any responsible institution would do."

Reach Stephanie at
stephanie_schell@eku.edu