Professor hosts benefit for Alabama tornado victims
May 6, 2011
Pulitzer Prize finalist Rodney Jones shares poems with faculty and students Thursday at the Benefit Reading for Tornado Victims in Alabama at the Harris T. Moore auditorium. Jones, who grew up in Alabama, has had nine books published and taught at SIU for 25 years. The event was designed to help raise money for the victims of the deadly tornadoes that swept across Alabama and other states, killing 328 people and causing more than
Jones, a professor of English, said when he was growing up in Alabama, tornadoes occurred frequently, and even now when he hears a tornado siren in southern Illinois, he cringes. The tornado, which hit April 27, was the worst he has ever heard of, he said.
Judy Jordan, an associate professor of English, organized a benefit reading for tornado victims in Alabama on Thursday at the Harry T. Moore Auditorium in Faner Hall. Jones and graduate students in creative writing read poetry about Alabama as well as works by Alabama authors.
Food and clothing donations were accepted at the benefit, Jordan said.
Jordan said she heard about the tornado on the radio while she was driving and immediately texted former students who live in Alabama and her friend, who is a professor at the University of Alabama.
“I spent a couple miles trying to make sure my friends were ok, and then the next morning I was listening to NPR and a mayor of this small town came on and said, ‘Our entire town has been destroyed. People have nothing … please, if you could just get us some clothes and some water to this (relief) center,’” she said. “Obviously, I had to do something.”
Jordan said previous benefits for Hurricane Katrina and Darfur hosted by English professors gave her the idea to plan a similar event.
Jones said while he doesn’t think anything people say can help, money and community support can.
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“Americans are not so good at community anymore, but in emergencies they come together,” he said.
A total of 337 people were killed when tornadoes hit southern and some northern states, and 236 of the deaths were in Alabama, according to an article in the Washington Post. The article said power outages are believed to be the primary reason for the high number of deaths.
Mythili Rundblad, a coordinator for Student Development and Service Learning and Volunteerism, said the Department of Public Safety and the Civil Service Commission in Anna contacted her for help from students in flood and tornado damage relief in southern Illinois.
The DPS and the Civil Service Comission are looking for student volunteers to help sandbag in Elkville and are asking for people in the university to donate items such as nonperishable food, first aid kits, personal hygiene products and gift cards to Walmart or Kroger, she said.
“I thought it was important to do something because we have students (at SIUC) from so many of the towns affected in southern Illinois and I’m sure a few people who are employed at the university,” she said. “My undergraduate student assistant’s family is from a very badly affected area, so I know what kind of toll it can take on students.”
Rundblad said she currently hasn’t heard of any Registered Student Organizations that want to start relief efforts for victims affected by the tornadoes that hit southern Illinois or the southern states. She said this is probably due to final exams, but she believes there will be more efforts in the SIUC community after finals are over.
RSOs participated in relief efforts for the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan and during spring break helped rebuild houses in Louisiana that were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, Rundblad said. RSOs raised $68,000 in the 2009-2010 academic year for organizations like the American Cancer Society, she said.
The Baptist Student Center is collecting food and toiletry items from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. If you are interested in donating, contact Director Chase Abner at 534-7654.
