The team was making preparations last night for their summer mission in May to some rural parts of Mississippi and Alabama. The meeting was interrupted and transformed into an emergency response movement after an unexpected announcement by Dr. Anthony Paul, chair of Biology and the team’s leader. The team would be heading to Mississippi “a month early,” as a number of tornadoes hit that day.
“When disaster strikes, we try to respond as quickly as we can,” says Dr. Paul. “The less you respond to the needs of others, the more your sensitivity and response decreases for the next tragedy. I am still amazed at how quickly the students mobilized to pull this mission together in the midst of projects and studies for their finals.” Some of these students just returned from a six-week mission in Haiti.
The team mobilized within a matter of hours, retrieving, purchasing, and organizing supplies to depart that night. The team is now assisting with debris removal, and is prepared to give basic medical care and hot meal distribution. The team plans to return by Monday morning, as students are preparing for their final examinations.
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