Jackson State Students Extend a Welcome

More than 1.2 million people were told to evacuate New Orleans in expectation of Hurricane Ivan, including more than 100 students from Tulane University in New Orleans. When they arrived at Jackson State University, their temporary refuge, many of them talked about how it felt to flee a hurricane.

“This hurricane is a new thing to me because I am from northern California,” said freshman Aiesha Valow. “I really don’t understand it.”

Traveling to Jackson, Miss., to New Orleans usually takes about three hours, but the group from Tulane spent nine hours on the road because of the heavy evacuation traffic. Holly Przybylo, a freshman psychology major from Detroit, said she was still unsettled by the hasty departure. “Tulane gave us no time to evacuate. They told us that we had to pack up some of our things and evacuate as quickly as possible.”

Corey Fredericks, a freshman at Tulane from Orlando, has experienced hurricane weather before. ”I have been through Hurricane Charley, so it is not a really big difference to me” Fredericks said.

“I am looking forward to this hurricane,” added Mark Gladdint, a freshman who is a native of Eureka, Calif. “This should really be a new experience to me.”

“I am not scared yet,” said Doug Thomas of central New Jersey. “This hurricane could be scary in some instances.”

The two universities formed a pact in 2000 to house Tulane students at Jackson State in case an evacuation was needed.

The students plan to stay in Jackson up to 10 days, depending on the severity of the storm.

Jackson State students and others on campus welcomed the evacuees. Members of the Student Government Association and other groups spent most of Tuesday night, Sept. 14, making welcome packs filled with light snacks, candy and other goodies for the Tulane group.

“We know the hurricane and having to leave school is really hard to deal with,” said Monique Williams, Jackson State's senior class parliamentarian. “We’re glad that we are able to provide fellow students with a comfortable, safe environment while they wait out this weather.”

Jessica Lynn Gibson, a student at Jackson State University, is editor-in-chief of The Blue and White Flash.

Posted Sept. 16, 2004