Today marks the first day of classes for 130 Virginia residents displaced from their Louisiana colleges and universities in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The students, who began arriving in Charlottesville Thursday, received a makeshift orientation yesterday.
Many of the students attend Tulane University in New Orleans, which is reported to be covered by eight to ten feet of water. Several different universities throughout Virginia have opened their doors to in-state students who are unable to attend their home institution because of the hurricane.
The University has allowed the new students to register as visiting students.
"Since we can't help directly with the situation in New Orleans, this is a great way for the University community as a whole to reach out from afar and offer aid to these students," said Laurie Casteen, assistant to the vice president.
The transition into the University has been a fast one. Because classes had been in session for a week already when Katrina hit, the priority was to get students to the University and in classes before they fell even further behind.
"Classes are the most important thing," Vice Provost for Academic Affairs J. Milton Adams said. "Teachers have expanded classes that were already full. Our priority is to make the necessary classes available for these new students so they can continue with the learning process and make the transition into the University community as smoothly as possible."
Class registration has not been the only issue facing the refugee students.
Different offices of the University, including housing, dining, and financial aid, are working to make the unexpected transition as smooth as possible.
"When we heard of the different needs for these students, the different University offices all sat down and said 'How can we make this happen?' and they made it happen," Adams said.
Everyone who wanted a place to live on Grounds was offered a room, with most of the students placed in Hereford College or Gooch-Dillard Residence Halls. Students and faculty members offered up spare rooms in their homes as well. The Registrar's office and Student Financial Services have been working very hard to make it possible to meet the needs of these students, Adams said.
The New Orleans students themselves all have different stories and feelings about the situation. Many were caught in the hurricane, and others still have friends or family members missing in New Orleans or other places affected by Katrina.
Mike Finger, a visiting second-year College student, had to escape New Orleans after the storm hit.
"I was due to fly out of New Orleans the day the storm hit, but because of the storm, my flight was cancelled and I was trapped in New Orleans," Finger said. "I had to ride out the storm in a hospital with no friends and family. After a few days, we started running out of food and water, and the hospital staff started handing out wristbands to monitor how much food everyone was receiving."
Though the students have endured many hardships, many seem to be optimistic about their upcoming time at the University.
Devin Hendricks, a visiting third-year College student, said he was "very thankful to the entire community."
"U.Va. is a great university, and the chance to attend here, even for a short time, is a great opportunity," he said. "Everyone has been so helpful. We're all just grateful to be safe and to have this chance"
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