Southeastern digs in to help fellow Baptist institution
Posted by lacrane on April 30, 2008
by Lauren Crane
Very little evidence remains of the F-4 tornado that struck Union University on February 5, and Southeastern students did their part to aid the undergraduate university in reconstructing campus and moving onward.
Union’s 200-acre campus, located in Jackson, Tenn., received over $40 million dollars in damage when the tornado swept through in February. Despite the extensive damage to the housing complexes and one of the academic buildings, there were no lives lost at Union, despite having approximately 1200 people on campus at the time. A few mangled road signs, water stains on some of the buildings and a constant buzz of rebuilding activity is nearly all that is left to tell visitors about the tornado that hit Union, little over two months ago. Instead of devastation and destruction – the images so recently seen on campus – there is a flurry of activity as construction crews erect new dormitory facilities.
On April 24-26, Southeastern students and staff traveled to the fellow Southern Baptist institution to aid in the continuing efforts at restoration. Approximately 25 people spent a portion of their spring break helping in the continuing clean-up efforts by landscaping, a task which had largely been neglected as maintenance and rebuilding efforts were focused on more urgent matters, as well as lending support to the Union family.
“We saw a school in need, and wanted to serve them any way that we could. It was encouraging that it was the immediate reaction of the students to go and help Union,” said Benjamin Quinn, marketing coordinator for the Office of Student Development. Quinn, who organized and led the trip, said he was grateful Southeastern students and administration wanted to help Union and found a way to make it happen.
The group lent their hands and service in helping to pull weeds, clean out flowerbeds (some still littered with insulation from the demolished dorms) and plant trees on the west end of Union’s campus.
“Though we were physically able to help Union by doing basic landscape work around campus, I hope the greatest benefit was the encouragement we offered them by showing our love and support,” Quinn said. “I believe our students involved were encouraged by a school that was hit so hard, yet has bounced back so quickly. To see a campus that just 11 weeks ago was virtually in ruins and now is cleaned up with 6 dormitory buildings framed and in the dry—that is miraculous.”
Six new dorms are currently being built to replace the two housing complexes that were devastated by the tornado. There will be two u-shaped building formations, consisting of three buildings each, to be completed in time for the fall semester of 2008.
