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In an attempt to help provide for their students, Nicholls State University conducted a survey asking Colonels what their imminent needs are following Hurricane Ida.
President Dr. Jay Clune said it breaks his heart to see students enduring another disaster. He said like so many in the Bayou Region, students do not have consistent access to food, water, or power. Their homes are damaged and some students who evacuated have not even seen how the storm impacted their homes yet. Some students are worried about how they are going to get the money to pay for everything they need.
“This breaks my heart,” Dr. Clune said, ”Our students have already endured two years of a global pandemic. While I know that they are strong enough to endure this, and build back their communities, I also know this is a heavyweight to carry.”
The university is working with local partners to set up plated meals for students and employees, coordinating with Nicholls’ Counseling Center to provide remote services, identifying housing solutions for evacuated students who can’t come home, and working with alumni in other cities to provide resources to evacuated students and employees.
Dr. Clune encourages everyone who wants to help to contribute to the Campus Emergency and Hurricane Relief Fund at https://www.nicholls.edu/hurricane-relief/. The relief fund assists students, and in some instances faculty and staff, in times of unique needs.
Dr. Clune said the greatest challenge to meeting the needs of our students, staff, and faculty is the lack of electricity. He said the buildings are sound, the roofs are under repair, the debris littering the campus is being cleared by the day, and people are giving to the hurricane relief fund, but they can’t power up the residence halls or the food services without large generators or restoration of the electrical grid.
“The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority,” said Dr. Clune, “ I want the entire Bayou Region to know that today we are all Colonels, and we don’t leave Colonels behind. We will get back to school later. Right now, our priority is rebuilding our community. We are here for you, and we will rebuild together.”
