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SMU steps up

Postby LA_Mustang » Wed Aug 31, 2005 5:27 pm

By MATT SLAGLE, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 57 minutes ago

DALLAS - More than 100 Tulane University students displaced by Hurricane Katrina arrived at Southern Methodist University Wednesday, including the entire football team.

Anthony Gatt, an international exchange student from Malta, said the first thing he did upon arriving at SMU was take a shower, eat breakfast and contact his family.

"I really needed to get in touch with my family. I needed to make sure that they knew that I was OK," he said. "They were very worried."

About 400 Tulane students originally were evacuated from New Orleans to Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss.

But when the remnants of Katrina struck Mississippi and knocked out power there, school officials decided to send out-of-state and international students to Dallas and Atlanta so they could try to get plane tickets home.

The Dallas contingent of 150 left Jackson Tuesday night and arrived at SMU early Wednesday. Several hundred, mainly international students, were taken to Georgia Tech.

Jim Caswell, SMU's vice president for student affairs, said the students were brought to SMU after he talked about it over the phone with his counterpart at Tulane, a longtime friend.

SMU officials were providing bedding, food, telephones, computers and free airport shuttle services for as long as they were needed, Caswell said.

"They were very tired. They were relieved to find air conditioning," he said. "They had not seen TV. Almost immediately when they arrived at 4 a.m. they were watching the pictures of New Orleans, which made them really upset."

Tulane freshman Katie Trippe of Oceanside, Calif., said she was surprised by the pictures of Katrina's widespread destruction.

"We all turned on the TV and clicked on the Internet to see what was going on. We did not know it was that serious," she said. "I was like 'Are you kidding me? We were just there a few days ago.'"

Trippe, 18, had managed to book a flight home later Wednesday. Like many, she didn't know when she'd be returning to Tulane.

"I'll go home and wait it out," she said. "We're thinking they might cancel the semester because the damage is so bad. Tulane definitely is where I wanted to go and no it's all up in the air."

Gatt said he would fly to California and stay with friends while he waited out the ordeal. Like Trippe, Gatt is a freshman, and he barely spent any time on campus. He arrived at Tulane on Saturday just as students were being evacuated.

"Everyone was getting out of town, everyone was leaving and packing stuff," Gatt said. "I just didn't have time to go in my room, I left my baggage in the (dorm) office and left."

Tulane's football team, including coaches and training staff, was staying at a hotel near SMU, and planned to share campus practice facilities with the Mustangs for the foreseeable future, Tulane associate athletic director John Sudsbury said.

"We have to wait until the university can assess the situation in New Orleans," he said. "We just don't know."

The two Conference USA schools play each other at SMU on Sept. 24.

Sunday's game between Tulane and Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss., was rescheduled to the Saturday after Thanksgiving because of Katrina. Tulane and Southern Miss were scheduled to end their seasons Nov. 19. Now, their opener will become their finale on Nov. 26.
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Postby SMU Football Blog » Wed Aug 31, 2005 5:45 pm

I assume we are giving free tickets to the game to the students. But now that I think about it, it would be a technical violation of NCAA rules :roll:, I seriously doubt anybody would complain. Maybe since the tickets would be given as a group.
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Postby Cheesesteak » Wed Aug 31, 2005 6:04 pm

During this very difficult time for Tulane students, faculty and staff (and everyone else in/evacuated from the City of New Orleans/the Gulf Coast), I am proud of SMU for reaching out to help.
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