Katrina Response Blog at Connecticut College

Connecticut College´s commitment spawns relief initiatives

A commitment by college President Norman Fainstein to fund student and faculty initiatives related to Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters has spawned relief trips, the creation of two documentaries, research on Katrina´s environmental impacts and a study of the effects of religious organizations on post-disaster Kashmir.

As a result, more than 50 Connecticut College students chose to spend this year´s spring break in the Gulf region engaging in disaster relief and research. Joanna McClintick ´07 cleaned out a condemned school, while Jake Coffee ´07 and a group of five other students distributed video cameras to community members and worked on a documentary film.

Tista Nayak ´08 studied the effects on linguistics of a mass exodus, and Leia Crosby ´09 and Alana Harris ´08 went to study the environmental effects of the flood waters on the soil and observe sustainable and "green" rebuilding techniques. Other students went to study faith-based community action at the relief site, to demolish unstable houses and to document the impact of the hurricane on minorities and the needy.

Many of the students who traveled to the Gulf Coast this spring volunteered through the Common Ground Collective, a volunteer organization which provides short-term relief for victims of hurricane disasters in the Gulf Coast region, and long-term support in rebuilding in the New Orleans area.

On April 5 these Connecticut College students reported on their research and service efforts in a Common Hour program, "Katrina: What was done and what still needs doing." Future initiatives for the restoration of communities battered by Katrina and its aftermath were also explored.

"It was such a wonderful thing that by volunteering we were able to become familiar faces to the victims whom we were working with," said Andrew Ober ´06, who traveled to New Orleans with a Connecticut College Chaplain, Randy Bond, and a group of five others on a faith-based initiative. "We wanted to work to reestablish a community atmosphere, since this is absent in the 9th Ward right now."

President Fainstein also helped fund Connecticut College´s chapter of Habitat for Humanity´s spring break trip to Phenix, Ala. to rebuild houses that were destroyed by the hurricane. Led by Elly Dominguez ´06, more than 20 students and two staff members participated.

Although largely overshadowed by Hurricane Katrina, the earthquake in Kashmir, which left 75,000 people dead, will also be explored. Yousuf Marvi ´09 plans to travel to interview Kashmiri citizens to comprehend the suffering endured after the earthquake and to study the involvement in religious organizations in the relief efforts and the responses of citizens to those efforts.

In addition to the student volunteers, Gender and Women´s Studies department chair Mab Segrest and Professor of Psychology Jefferson Singer have received funding to travel and conduct research in New Orleans this summer. Professor Segrest and a team of students will work with the Center for Research on Women at Tulane University to help with relief efforts directed toward and by women. Professor Singer will travel with a group of psychology majors to study how psychologists have responded to the Katrina disaster and to engage in relief and rebuilding efforts.

"What better example is there of our students, faculty and staff putting the liberal arts into action as effective citizens?" Fainstein said. "I am terribly proud to be a member of this community."

- Ursula Bailey ´07

Rent a professor and support victims of Katrina

The Katrina Relief Fund and The Fashion Wagon is sponsoring "Rent a Professor." Several professors and staff members are offering an event or activity to be auctioned to the student body. A few of the activties are bowling, meditation, dinners and golf lessons, and participating staff and faculty include Ed Jarosz, Mary Devins, Theresa Ammarati, Mab Segrest, Stuart Vyse, Michelle Dunlap, David Canton, Katie McCormack, Shelly Metivier, Scott McEver and Tracee Reiser. The funds will go to victims of Hurricane Katrina and to support the Spring Fashion Show, which is a new event on campus to be held on May 5. Students are encouraged to make bids in groups and payments are not expected on the spot but all payments should be made by April 7. For more information, contact Chulu Chansa at clcha@conncoll.edu.

Professor posts hurricane class curriculum

Prof. Doug Thompson, associate professor of physics, has posted the curriculum of his Spring 2006 class Geologic Hazards and Humans, which covers hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The class summary states that "...these two hurricanes created one of the most visible and widely report natural disasters in U.S. history. The course is designed to look in detail at these events, from the predications of potential damage from a storm of this magnitude in New Orleans, the forecasting done in anticipation of the storm, the preparedness actions taken, the accounts of the affects of the storm and discussion about the future of New Orleans. To go to the course site, click here.

Helping to save history after the hurricane

Last fall, Professor Abigail Van Slyck told her architectural studies students about an opportunity to volunteer in the Gulf Coast with the Heritage Conservation Network. Meaghan Seelaus ´07, who was only a few weeks away from traveling halfway around the world for a semester in Australia, made a "spur of the moment" decision. She signed up for the program working on historical houses damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

By January 8, the Maple Glen, PA native was flying into Bay St. Louis at nighttime. "It wasn´t until the next morning when I grasped the incredible amount of devastation ... It looks like the hurricane hit last week." The volunteer team drove 15 minutes to the worksite everyday, passing the destruction that was "impossible to describe."

Seelaus and several other women began work on a house from the 1890s, "uncovering, sorting, and stacking pieces of salvageable wood," which would be put towards the entire community´s rebuilding efforts. She worked Monday through Friday; after breakfast her team would work straight through to sundown, only taking a quick break for lunch.

read more (121 words)

Informational Meeting on Disaster Relief Call for Proposals Jan. 27

There will be an organizational/informational meeting for the Disaster Initiatives Call for Proposals announced by the Holleran Center and the President’s Task Force on Hurricane Relief.The meeting will be held on Friday, Jan. 27 at 1 p.m. in the Dilly Room in Shain Library. We encourage individuals who are considering submitting a proposal to attend this meeting to discuss funding guidelines, priorities, contacts, and possibilities for collaboration.

Two faculty members who have done preliminary research with the support of these funds will make brief presentations at the meeting.
-- Roxanna Walker-Canton, visiting assistant professor of gender and women's studies and theatre, will show a brief film clip of interviews she conducted during a survivor’s assembly organized by the People’s Hurricane Relief Fund on Dec. 9.
-- Mab Segrest, the Fuller-Maathai Professor of Gender & Women's Studies will report on her participation in the Southeast Organizing Committee’s planning meeting for the U.S. Social Forum, held Jan 13-15 in Atlanta. The meeting featured testimony and representatives from two of the grassroots groups that are responding to Katrina's aftermath, the People's Hurricane Relief Fund and Community Labor United. Segrest will also report on possibilities for collaboration with the Newcomb Center for Research on Women at Tulane.

To view the call for proposals, click here:read more (1213 words)

Geomorphologist lecture about Mississippi River Delta available in electronic formats

Connecticut College Associate Professor of Physics, Astronomy and Geophysics Doug Thompson's lecture “Life on the Mississippi River Delta: The Engineering Battle to Control the Largest River in the U.S.,” which was presented on Dec. 7, is available in video, mp3 and podcast formats. Go to website.

Call for Proposals -- Community-Focused Scholarly Initiatives on Natural Disasters in the US and Abroad

Community-Focused Scholarly Initiatives on Natural Disasters in the US and Abroad

A Call for Proposals

In collaboration with the Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy, the President's Task Force on Hurricane Relief is announcing a second call for proposals to encourage and support disaster-related, community-focused learning and action research across the disciplines.read more (1156 words)

Conn College Chapter of Habitat for Humanity to Spend 2006 Spring Break in Katrina Ravaged Gulf Coast

The Connecticut College's chapter of Habitat for Humanity will spend the College’s Spring break traveling by air and van to Phenix, Alabama to help rebuild the gulf coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. With the generous support of the President’s Office as well as club fundraising, nineteen students and two staff members will be in Alabama March 11 to March 18, 2006. The group, led by chapter president Eleanor Dominguez ’06, will work alongside the Russell, Alabama Habitat Affiliate to rebuild houses that were destroyed by the Hurricane. The group will be addressing the issues of homelessness and poverty while directly helping those displaced from the natural disaster. Habitat for Humanity is in its fourth year as part of the Connecticut College community. This will be their second alternative spring break trip.

CC geomorphologist to discuss Mississippi River on Dec. 7

Geomorphologist Doug Thompson, associate professor of physics, astronomy and geophysics at Connecticut College, will speak about the human fight to control the Mississippi River on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 11:50 a.m. in Room 014 of the F.W. Olin Science Center.

His lecture, “Life on the Mississippi River Delta: The Engineering Battle to Control the Largest River in the U.S.,” is free and open to the public.read more (194 words)

Alumni's Katrina website features photos and narratives

David Dykeman '94 recently sent the college a website chronicling the Katrina disaster through photos and narratives. Dykeman is a paramedic and lives in New Orleans. View the site.

Indian box lunches available in Cro; will support earthquake victims

Indian food is back again! Wednesday, Nov. 16 between 11:45 and 2, Mirch Masala (a local Indian restaurant in Groton that also catered Diwali 2005) will sell chicken and vegetarian box lunches in Cro for $5. Don't miss this chance to enjoy some delicious Indian food, and help support earthquake victims in South Asia - brought to you by CCASA.

CCASA’s Diwali Dinner Raises Money for Earthquake Victims

The Connecticut College Asian/Asian American Student Association (CCASA) celebrated 10 years of CCASA’s Diwali Dinner on Friday, Nov. 4 and Saturday, Nov. 5.
Diwali 2005 was the largest student produced event on campus with 125 students, faculty and staff members as dance participants and pre-production organizers. More than 600 guests attended the event. For the first time all ticket sale proceeds from Diwali, were directed to support the Victoria Matriculation School in India and there were additional fundraising efforts at the event for the victims of the floods and recent earthquake in South Asia. Together CCASA raised $1,060 from Diwali and is now in the process of channeling the money to the region for relief work.

Forensic scientist alumnus recounts two weeks on Gulf Coast

Ryan Vachon '01, a forensic scientist with the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory in Rockville, Md., spent two weeks in September between St. Gabriel, La. and Gulfport, Miss. aiding in the recovery and (DNA) identification efforts. "St. Gabriel (located just outside Baton Rouge) faired pretty well through the storm. However, Gulfport was all but demolished," Vachon said. "At the time I was there, only one restaurant in the city was up and running, and most of the city still had no power or water." View Vachon's photos in a slideshow.

Relief Concert on Nov. 11

United Roots Entertainment presents "Shelter" in a benefit concert for hurricane relief. Friday, Nov. 11, 2005, 9 p.m., 1941 Room, Crozier-Williams Student Center. $2 or a non-perishable item to be donated to hurricane relief. Contact Robinson Rojas x3115 or Mihal Freinquel x3147.

OVCS supports hurricane victims with fundraising, collections and panel discussion

Immediately following Hurricane Katrina the College’s Office of Volunteers for Community Service (OVCS) worked with students to collect money, water, tents, and blankets. OVCS set up a table at its Community Fair and continued the collection process. Over $1,000 was collected and donated to relief agencies and the OVCS vans transported the blankets, water and tents to the New London Armory to be shipped to Louisiana. OVCS worked with the Dean of the College Community and the Dean of Multicultural Affairs to offer a Common Hour program with a panel of faculty, staff and students examining the responses to Hurricane Katrina and to support a student led Hurricane Benefit TNE that also raised significant funds.

Newsmaker: Prof. Canton interviewed for article on poverty in Christian Science Monitor

David Canton, Jacob & Hilda Blaustein Assistant Professor of History, was quoted in a sidebar titled "Do government programs help the poor? Lessons from the war on poverty" within a larger article about poverty in the Oct. 24 issue of the The Christian Science Monitor. "After the early successes of the Great Society, there was a backlash in much of the country in which it was felt that the war on poverty was spending too much that could be spent on more pressing matters," Canton said in the article. View article.

Alumna spends week assisting animal shelter in Louisiana

Leslee Weiss '78 spent a week in Monroe, La., working with Emergency Animal Rescue Service (EARS). EARS established a temporary shelter and housed over 230 dogs from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. As a trained volunteer, Leslee did kennel work -- cleaning kennels, walking and feedings dogs -- and assisted with veterinary care. During her stay, a few dogs and owners were reunited. At this time, the rest of the dogs have either been placed in foster homes or in no-kill shelters for re-adoption. "It was a hot, humid, sweaty, smelly, exhausting, hard-working, not fun, wonderful experience. And I would absolutely do it again," Weiss said.

Alumnus provides photos of Katrina damage

Erik Brzozowski '04, recently spent time in Louisiana assessing damaged, leaking, and/or missing offshore drilling platforms and vessels associated with Hurricane Katrina. "Definitely an eye opening experience," he said. View his photos.

New Orleans alumnus describes hurricane's impact via e-mail

The following is an e-mail message sent by David Dykeman '94, on Sept. 19. Dykeman is a paramedic and lives in New Orleans.

As you've probably heard by now - I was relegated to refugee status from the city of New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina back the end of August. I spent a week working at Tulane Hospital working before we were med-evac'ed out, and got myself eventually to Pensacola, FL, where I've been staying with a friend who also took in my next door neighbors. All I have to say about what was going on in New Orleans back that first week after the hurricane is, the news couldn't possibly portray just how bad things were.read more (967 words)

CTL offers session on "Teaching Disaster" and "Teaching the News"

The Center for Teaching and Learning is coordinating two "Talking Teaching" sessions on "Teaching Disaster" and "Teaching The News." The sessions will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 8 and Wednesday, Sept. 16.read more (269 words)

CC students, staff join ministry relief trip to Mississippi

Chaplain Randy Bond and the New London Collegiate Ministry (NLCM) coordinated a trip to the Gulfport/Biloxi, Miss. areas over fall break to provide relief to hurricane victims. Team members included: Bond; Scott McEver, director of student activities; Jackie Bryant '08; Samantha Couture '08; Russell Chase '07; Lindsey Rothe '08; and Austin Evers and Stephen Woodard, campus ministers with NLCM. The group focused on removing debris and cleaning residential areas. Two more trips are planned, one over winter break and one over spring break.

Arboretum mums and pumpkins fund Red Cross

The CC Arboretum reports that every pumpkin and mum was sold before the arboretum's regular plant sale on Fall Weekend, raising $617.50 for the American Red Cross for hurricane disaster relief. Assistant director of the arboretum Kathy Dame '90, said, "We are very thankful to the all those in the College community who made this possible."

Airline to ship supplies to Pakistan

Medicines, Blankets, Jackets and surgical equipment are need immediately in Pakistan. Pakistan International Airlines has offered to ship any earthquake relief effort packages especially the above free of charge.

Please visit Association of Pakistani Professionals to find the procedures as well as the form that needs to be filled out before shipping the package.
-- Submitted by Shubh Mathur, visiting assistant professor of anthropology

CC Professors Involved in Relief to Quake Victims in South Asia

Prof. Shubh Mathur (Anthropology) and Prof. Afzaal (Religious Studies) have been contacted by groups sponsoring relief efforts, with appeals for support in the form of funds, food items, blankets and medicines, for the victims of the South Asian earthquake. Prof. Mathur, Prof. Afzaal, Prof. Bhatia, Pakistani freshman Yousuf Marvi, and Indian senior Priyanka Gupta are planning to organize a campus-wide coordinated response to "natural" disasters in South Asia -– the earthquake in Kashmir and the floods in Maharashtra, India -- and the landslides in Guatemala. These efforts build on the discussion "Hurricanes, Floods and the Tsunami: Environmental Tragedies in a Transnational Context" organized by Priyanka Gupta for dessert & dialogue on Oct. 4 and attended by 23 students.read more (393 words)

Professor's Academic Feminist Response to Katrina Disaster

Mab Segrest, Fuller-Maathai Professor of Gender & Women's Studies, has published an essay in Feminist Collections: A Quarterly of Women's Studies Resources on a feminist response to the Katrina tragedy. The essay originally appeared on the National Women's Studies Association listserv. View the essay.

Sept. 30 Katrina panel available on CD

An audio recording of the Oct. 1 panel on the ramifications of Hurricane Katrina, sponsored by the Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity (CCSRE), is available for review by members of the college community. The recording is in .mp3 format, and is on a CD-Rom. The panelists included Jefferson Singer, professor of psychology; David Canton, Jacob & Hilda Blaustein Assistant Professor of History; Doug Thompson, Associate Professor, Department of Physics, Astronomy and Geophysics; and Beth McBride '06. To obtain a copy, contact katrinablog@conncoll.edu.

Katrina's and Rita's assault on memories

Jefferson Singer, professor of psychology, penned an op-ed that appeared in the Hartford Courant's "Place" section. Through the Katrina and Rita tragedies, Singer focuses on how memories and place shape the contours of our lives. View article.

CC alumni perform, promote hurricane benefit concert

On Saturday, October 15, 2005, a benefit concert and dance party for hurricane relief and cultural preservation on the Gulf Coast will be held at The German Club in Mystic. One of the bands performing consists of three CC alumni, and the event coordinator is also a member of the class of 1993. The press release follows:read more (748 words)

Hurricane Katrina Relief Group raises $1,200 for relief efforts

The Hurricane Katrina Relief Group, a student club founded to support victims of Hurricane Katrina, sponsored its first college-wide event last week, putting its total amount raised for the relief effort at more than $1,200.read more (415 words)

Car Wash for Katrina, Oct. 1, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

South Parking Lot

Donations will be accepted to help send a team from the college to help with disaster relief efforts.

CCSRE hosts discussion of Katrina ramifications

Friday, Sept. 30, 1:30 p.m., Room 210, Blaustein Humanities Center

Moderated by David Kyuman Kim, director of the Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity (CCSRE)

Panelists include:
• Jefferson Singer, professor of psychology
• David Canton, Jacob & Hilda Blaustein Assistant Professor of History
• Doug Thompson, Associate Professor, Department of Physics, Astronomy and Geophysics
• Beth McBride '06, a senior sociology major whose research includes the white poor

Katrina Information Resources at CC

Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath will receive continued attention well beyond the initial weeks following its occurence. As the Gulf State Region continues its process of rebuilding, the personal and political ramifications will continue to unfold, as will the need for continued financial and voluntary support. The Libraries' resource page was created to assist the college community in keeping abreast of this information through a selective list of Internet links to basic fact-based resources, news services, national relief efforts (both government & NGOs), and academic resources. This list will be reviewed and updated on a periodic basis as new Internet resources become available.

Prof. Doug Thompson to teach course on Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Spring 2006

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES 493D, 494D GEOLOGIC HAZARDS AND HUMANS (Hurricanes Katrina and Rita) Introduction to flooding, landslide, climatic, volcanic and earthquake hazards facing humans. Seminar topics will examine the role of individuals, industry and government in preparing for and responding to natural disasters.

"My actual plan is to start with topics on hurricane forecasting and preparedness. Then we will cover more details on the appropriate response and actual response to these hurricanes. Finally, the course will discuss the issues of rebuilding versus relocation."

Family of CC alumnus relocates after hurricane

From the September CC E-Newsletter

Nineteen people, 15 turtles, eight cats, six dogs and one parakeet crowded into a moving van bound for Baton Rouge three days after Hurricane Katrina tore through New Orleans.

Among them was Dr. Harry Pigman ’74, who in the days leading up to the storm had been acting chief of staff at the New Orleans V.A. Hospital, helping to direct the evacuation of patients who were in the hospital, in nursing homes or receiving home care.read more (561 words)

Buy a pumpkin or mum for hurricane disaster relief

Friday, September 30, 2005
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Student Center at Crozier-Williams

Beautiful mums and outstanding pumpkins.
Small pumpkins (up to 8 pounds) - $3
Medium pumpkins (over 8 pounds) - $5
All mums - $5

ALL proceeds from the sale of the pumpkins and mums will be donated to the Red Cross for the Hurricane Disaster Relief.

Sponsored by the Arboretum x5060

Dessert and Dialogue: "Hurricanes, Floods and the Tsunami: Environmental Tragedies in the Transnational Context," Oct. 4

Come hear Prof. Sunil Bhatia (Human Development) and Prof. Mab Segrest (Gender and Women’s Studies) talk about the transnational impacts of the recent Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the tsunami in South-East Asia, and the floods in South-Asia over some delicious desserts! Presented by 360 Apartments & Earth House.

Tuesday, October 4, 9 p.m.
360 House, Apt. 1

Newsmaker -- Prof. Jefferson Singer interviewed by The Day about "riding out the storm"

Should You Stay Or Should You Go?
Preparation Is The Key To A Successful Evacuation

By Elissa Bass
The Day, Sept. 9, 2005

To evacuate or not to evacuate, that is always the question. But as the scenes of horror and despair from Hurricane Katrina played out in the wake of the disaster, it became clear that the smartest thing would've been for residents of the Gulf Coast to heed the government warning and leave.read more (1004 words)

Newsmaker -- Jared Lamb '03 pens essay for The Day

New Orleans Students Show Class In Desperate Times

By Jared Lamb

On the last Friday in August my biology students at Abramson Senior High School each planted three pots of blue pole snap beans for a lab on photosynthesis. Abramson is the largest public school in New Orleans and resources are minimal: My 10th graders' "laboratory" was a former history classroom, equipped with slanted desks which fit neither their textbooks nor supplies for an experiment. In this, my third year teaching in room 219, the meager surroundings and unleveled desks had numbed me to laboratory casualties: test tubes rolling and exploding to the floor, entire containers of potting soil becoming landmines on the white tile, the formaldehyde from fetal pigs pouring down from the plastic preservative bags like Niagara Falls, giving the entire second floor hallway the stench of dissection.read more (1478 words)

Newsmaker -- Article in The Day discusses displaced students and relief efforts

State Colleges Open Doors To Displaced Students

By Dan Pearson
The Day, Sept. 3, 2005


Noah Shiling left Tulane University in New Orleans on Saturday. As far as he can tell, everybody he knows there is safe. But Shiling, a Norwich resident, doesn't expect to return for his sophomore year by the winter holidays, or even a year from now. And that, he said, is the least of his concerns.read more (608 words)

Newsmaker -- CC student in NYT about Katrina relief effort

Realistic Idealists

By Alex Williams
The New York Times, Sept. 11, 2005

Lynn Grossman, a writer in Manhattan who is married to the actor Bob Balaban, comes from a long line of social activists. Her mother joined the civil rights movement, and she herself marched in protest of the Vietnam War. But she said that things had changed by the time her eldest daughter, Mariah, now 27, came of age.read more (1750 words)

Newsmaker -- Displaced Tulane student at CC talks about experience

Tulane Student In New London: Norwich Native Can't Wait To Get Back To New Orleans

By Stephen Chupaska
New London Times, Sept. 16, 2005

It's mid-September and Noah Schilling isn't where he thought he'd be.read more (468 words)

"The Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina" Panel Discussion

September 30, 2005, 1:30 p.m. Room 210, Blaustein Humanities Center. Sponsored by the Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact Liz Cheney at 860-439-2649.

Newsmaker -- Prof. David Canton's interview on KOPT-1600AM about poverty, class and racism in the wake of Hurricane Katrina

September 19, 2005
KOPT-1600 AM Eugene, Ore.

"Breakfast with Nancy"

Nancy Stapp:
On phone we’ve got David Canton, who is a professor of history at Connecticut College. His name came to my attention just recently because he talks about something we’re following up on, and that is, how about looking at the real issues, how about shifting to the real moral issues in this country. Namely, poverty, class and racism certainly tie in to what we’ve been seeing in the wake of hurricane Katrina. David, good morning, and welcome to the show.read more (824 words)

Media Advisory -- Prof. Nier available to talk about the psychology of looting

Sept. 1, 2005 -- Jason Nier, Connecticut College associate professor of psychology, is available to talk about the psychology of looting, which has occurred in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.read more (180 words)

Media Advisory -- Prof. Canton available to talk about race, class and poverty in aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

Sept. 13, 2005 -- David Canton, assistant professor of history at Connecticut College, is available to talk about issues regarding race, class and poverty in regards to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.read more (189 words)

Press Release -- Connecticut College community supports hurricane relief through hands-on and intellectual avenues

Sept. 16, 2005 -- Connecticut College staff, faculty and students have stepped up in efforts to support the victims of Hurricane Katrina and to put the tragedy into academic perspective. Those efforts include:read more (618 words)

Hurricane Relief Project: Laissez les bons temps rouler, Sept. 27

Enjoy a full night of entertainment and help support ongoing efforts to provide relief to hurricane-stricken communities in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast. The CoCo Beaux will open for Hypnotist Jim Spinnato in Evans Hall at 10:30 pm. From midnight to 2:00 am MOBROC bands will perform a concert in the 1941 Room in Cro. Also from midnight to 2:00 am the Cro´s Nest will become a "New Orleans Lounge" featuring jazz, zydeco and other regional music as well as hot beverages and donuts.read more (92 words)

TRIP RFP -- Gulf Coast Hurricane Relief

The President’s Task Force on Hurricane Relief has proposed a Traveling Research and Immersion Program (TRIP) to the Gulf Coast for Spring 2006 (either spring break or immediately following the semester). The Office of National and International Programs is requesting proposals from interested faculty. The President will provide the necessary resources.read more (800 words)

Why this Weblog for Katrina Response?

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Connecticut College faculty, staff and students have united in their long-term commitment to support hurricane relief efforts through hands-on and intellectual activities. During the coming months, members of the college community will be engaged in the classroom and in the field as they participate in these efforts. The Katrina Response at Connecticut College weblog (blog) has been created by the Katrina Response Task Force under the guidance of President Norman Fainstein as a means for sharing information about the activities and experiences surrounding this initiative.

College community members are asked to use the blog to share information about relief efforts and upcoming events (to be posted in Section: CC Relief Efforts), administrative and community responses (Section: CC Responses) and classroom and research activities (Section: Curricular Initiatives). Alumni are encouraged to share their experiences and efforts (Section: Alumni Experiences).

To have your upcoming event, curricular initiative, or relief effort posted to the blog, e-mail the announcement to katrinablog@conncoll.edu. (Or click on "Add a Post" at right).

Or send it to a member of the Katrina Response Task Force for posting. (List follows)

Members of the college community are also encouraged to share their thoughts about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath on the CC Community Katrina Discussion board in CamelWeb.

Questions or comments regarding this community weblog may be addressed to Eric Cardenas, ecard@conncoll.edu or Beth Hansen, eehan@conncoll.edu.

Task force members include:read more (63 words)

CC employees granted "Katrina Leave"

September 16, 2005 - President Fainstein announced that the college will allow employees - with approval from their supervisors and a college senior administrator - to take a one week paid leave to perform disaster relief work. Additionally, employees will be allowed ot use accrued vacation to supplement this paid time off. The full policy follows:read more (135 words)