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October 3, 2005 Volume 30, Issue 8 |
President thanks campus for tornado response
Dear Bulldog family:
The prompt and professional response of dozens of MSU staff members and the calm and correct reaction of our students helped minimize the impact of the Sept. 25 tornado that hit campus.
Quick reaction to the Sunday afternoon storm by our employees from several university units made the campus more safe and secure in the immediate aftermath of the destruction. We also were fortunate to receive rapid assistance from state and local government agencies and several area contractors.
The aggressive repair and clean-up effort in the hours following the tornado had the campus essentially back to normal by midday Monday and allowed classes to resume that afternoon. We can all be proud of the way our Bulldog family and friends responded, and we are grateful for their hard work on our behalf.
MSU students rightly sought secure shelter on campus or elsewhere and remained in place while the weather threat continued and during the initial emergency response. They are to be commended for steadiness during a traumatic experience and for not allowing the event to unduly disrupt the academic process. We are fortunate and grateful that injuries to students, which occurred off campus, were relatively few and minor. Students who suffered property losses from the tornado will be eligible to receive assistance from the Student Relief Fund established earlier to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina.
MSU units that played key roles in helping us rebound from the tornado included the Facilities Management group consisting of Campus Landscape, Custodial Services and Physical Plant; MSU Police; and workers from the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and the Forest and Wildlife Research Center.
Contractors who came to our aid included Lowes Building Supplies, East Mississippi Lumber Co., McElroy Electric, Quick-Lift Crane Services, Graham Roofing, Maloney Glass, and City Glass. Local and state agencies responding included the Starkville Police, Fire, Electric, and Public Works departments; the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department; the Mississippi Highway Patrol; the Mississippi Game and Fish Commission; the Department of Corrections; and the Oktibbeha County Hospital Ambulance Service.
The campus landscape may show the scars of the tornado for months to come, but the university’s primary functions and essential services have missed scarcely a beat, thanks to the resilience and commitment of our staff and students and the spirit of community demonstrated by our neighbors and friends.
The university is grateful to all those who went beyond the call of duty to help us through what could have been a much more difficult experience. Thank you.
J. Charles Lee
President