Kenyon Responds to Hurricane Katrina

GAMBIER, Ohio (September 2, 2005) The Kenyon community has begun organizing efforts to help people affected by Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans and coastal areas in Mississippi and elsewhere in the southeast. Immediate assistance is taking several forms:

• Students, faculty, and staff are mounting drives to send aid to those in need.
• The College is admitting, on a case-by-case basis, a limited number of students who have been displaced from their colleges or universities in the disaster area.
• The Office of Alumni and Parent Programs is trying to contact alumni in the affected area and is posting the names of those who have passed along information. The office has also established a discussion board for alumni to share news and needs.
• Kenyon officials are consulting with students, faculty, and staff to identify members of the campus community who have been affected by the disaster and to address their needs.

Several student organizations are actively engaged in raising money for hurricane victims. One fundraising drive will take place on Saturday, September 3, as part of the Activities Fair in downtown Gambier from noon to 3:00 p.m. During the fair, the student activities office will be collecting money for the American Red Cross. Others on campus have been working with the aid efforts of Episcopal Relief and Development.

Kenyon President S. Georgia Nugent has asked offices throughout the campus to assess other ways that the College might offer assistance as the emergency situation in the southeast continues to unfold.

To see the names of alumni who have contacted the College and learn about posting messages on the discussion board, visit the alumni site.

As relief efforts continue, Kenyon will provide more information on this Web page.