Just talked with Ellen Weinauer again--she and Jonathan Barron (and kids and dogs) are indeed on their way to Chicago.

Mike Mays is apparently in Birmingham, safe and sound.

Ellen saw William Kuskin and Richelle Munkhoff (darn, Richelle, I still can't spell your name--sorry) in Hattiesburg, safe and well.

eager to hear more as the web comes back up in the burg--

Anne

Hello Andrea, Im OK, more later, and I will have more information for everyone soon about the USM situation. Hope everyone is doing OK and hanging in there as best as possible.

David

Andrea,

Tom's neighborhood is wrecked but I heard he was fine and house okay --

Peggy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                    Contact: David Tisdale

Sept. 2, 2005                                                   (601) 266-4499

 

EDITOR’S NOTE: THE UNIVERSITY REQUESTS THAT OUR MEDIA CONTACTS POST THIS INFORMATION ON THEIR WEB SITES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION.

 

Class registration information: 601-266-5020

On the Internet visit www.usm.edu

 

                           SOUTHERN MISS TO RESUME CLASSES

                               ON HATTIESBURG CAMPUS SEPT. 12

            HATTIESBURG – Classes will resume at The University of Southern Mississippi’s Hattiesburg campus Sept 12, following cancellations due to Hurricane Katrina, assuring a full academic term for all students.

            A decision as to the delivery of classes to students at Southern Miss Gulf Coast campuses is still being evaluated. An announcement will be made next week.

            Southern Miss has extended late registration for the fall semester. Those students who are not yet registered and those students displaced by Hurricane Katrina should call 266-5020 or visit www.usm.edu.

            “We are ready to resume classes Sept. 12,” said Southern Miss President Dr. Shelby Thames. “This has been just an interruption in services. There are many across the region whose education has been disrupted, but with late registration we can offer them the opportunity to gain a full academic semester and remain close to their homes and still assist their friends and families while they recover from the storm.”

           Students may return to their dorms Sat. Sept 10. Until Sept. 10, the campus remains closed to all but those who are currently on campus, emergency response personnel, those contracted to perform repairs or other services, and faculty and staff with university identification.

          “Beyond the safety of our students on campus, if there is a silver lining is that we were only two days into the semester when the storm hit, so the interruption in classes and the extension of late registration means our students will be on a unified academic path, versus being weeks behind,” said Southern Miss Vice President for Student Affairs Joe Paul.

            Classes had originally been scheduled to resume Sept. 6, but logistical issues concerning power on campus and the clearing of debris forced moving the date back.

            “I want to thank all of our employees, including our security and physical plant personnel, residence life and dining services who assisted in helping in this effort,” Thames said.

        According to Southern Miss Human Resources Director Russ Willis, employees who do not have direct deposit and receive paper paychecks may pick up their August paycheck Saturday, Sept. 3 at the north entrance of Bond Hall, at the University Police Department between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. “We will be able to distribute payroll regularly for monthly and biweekly employees,” Willis said.

           

                                                                  -30-

Lois Leventhal and family are safe and back in Hattiesburg. I've been watching the horrific news from up here in New England -- Ted and I send our thoughts and prayers out to everyone in our old "home town."

Stephen Redfield and Robert Gonzalez are both fine and were headed toward Austin.

Michael Polushin and Wendy Kasinec are in Texas.

Louis K. - I'm now at my brother's in Raleigh.  E-mail me if you are still in Chapel Hill and need a ride back to Hattiesburg when things are up and running again.

Chuck - I've not heard anything about the Harpers, but Phyllis may have - and she now has phone service (at least I was able to get through earlier).

USM Sympathizer wrote:

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I'm really starting to get concerned that we haven't heard anything from or about LVN and other board regulars.  Does anyone know how they are?

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Remember that Hattiesburg is only now regaining power - and slowly at that.  While those people who live in neighborhoods near places deemed priorities (e.g., hospitals, nursing homes, police station, etc.) are getting back power, most residential neighborhoods still lack power.  As a result, most of the regular posters in Hattiesburg likely cannot post to the board yet.  It seems that most of the people on this thread are people who are located outside the affected areas or who have gone to campus to use the Internet.

I've heard that LVN is OK. Others I know of (forgive if there is repetition from above or earlier threads): Michael Mays, William Kuskin and Richelle Munkhoff are OK--though of course they will wait for awhile to see about the status of their NOLA homes. Kay Harris and Jorge Lavato are OK--they weathered the storm with Jameela Lares (she's fine and watching many pets, including our cat) and managed to see their home and studio in Bay St. Louis--both, remarkably, are pretty much intact, though they did sustain damage. Morgan and Nora Rempel, Linda Pierce, Luis Inglesias, Eric Tribunella, Julia Johnson, Sherita Johnson, Marek Steedman and Debra Gurt, Mark Wagner (all these new or relatively new folks in English or other departments) OK; Julianna Abbenyi, Damon Franke, Mary Villeponteaux and family, Hollie and Richard Filce, Amy and Mark Miller, Angela Ball, Rick Barthelme (read his Op Ed piece in the NYT from yesterday, so he must be fine) are OK. I'm leaving some out, I think . . . can't yet think straight.

We'd like to know about Stan Hauer, Michael Salda and family, Rhonda Livingston and family, Sherrie Kinkhoff and family, Martina Sciolino, Beverly Ciko, Darcie Conrad, Sherrie Smith, English Department grad students, Steve and Melanie Barthelme, and any others I've left off in our neck of LAB.

I'm also curious what other folks whose homes sustained damage or who may be without power beyond Sept. 12 are going to do about the announced start date. Our bedroom was destroyed by a tree--there is blown insulation everywhere, timbers down, sheetrock everywhere, and of course mold growing by the second--it's not really a home we can live in, at least until we get it cleaned up, since it's a health hazard. Until the city water is sanitary I don't want my kids there. Don't know yet about schools (any info on this would be appreciated!). So what are other people doing?

I have to say that I think USM officials are handling this opportunistically--presenting this as something USM can do that other schools can't do--get back to business. What about the faculty and staff and students who are too busy rebuilding their homes and lives--or who have no where to live???? What about the rest of the town--parts of which may well be without power until much later in September? You can't have people working until you know that they can live in sanitary and safe conditions in their homes and town, can you????

And even as I recognize my own shell-shock and the destruction that's been wreaked on our community, I am stunned into absolute despair by the unthinkable levels of suffering in NOLA and on the coast and other inland communities, many of which are being completely forgotten . . .

Ellen

Continue to worry about the Goertzens in Slidell. 

Michael Salda and family reporting in from Beebe, Arkansas. Ellen, I'll email you in a bit.

Assumed Trellis was the TGreen who posted the other day.

From Ellen's Post:

<snip>I have to say that I think USM officials are handling this opportunistically--presenting this as something USM can do that other schools can't do--get back to business. What about the faculty and staff and students who are too busy rebuilding their homes and lives--or who have no where to live???? What about the rest of the town--parts of which may well be without power until much later in September? You can't have people working until you know that they can live in sanitary and safe conditions in their homes and town, can you???? <snip>

I have to agree I am pretty shocked. I was holding out hope that if the u. got up and running we could use our resources to assist the community through this rough (roughest ever??) period. Showers, cafeterias, COMMUNICATION, etc. And have you heard any word from the admin regarding employees? As in, We are very concerned about our personnel? Apparently, the largest crisis Hburg the coast has ever seen is only "an interruption in service." I know there is so much to deal with and I have never gotten on this board and griped before, but I am so disappointed. I cannot reach all of the folks in my dept. and I know my supervisor cannot reach me -- but the admin could make every effort to reach out to all of those and provide much-needed leadership.

PP

P.Price wrote:

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I know there is so much to deal with and I have never gotten on this board and griped before, but I am so disappointed. I cannot reach all of the folks in my dept. and I know my supervisor cannot reach me -- but the admin could make every effort to reach out to all of those and provide much-needed leadership.
PP

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Now you know why the rest of us are here. Stick around--maybe we can at last achieve a critical mass and throw the b@$t@rd$ out!
Welcome on board!