Bishops surprised at Dillard’s recovery
progress,
hotel is a classroom
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Marvalene Hughes |
Feb. 27, 2006
By Betty Backstrom*
BATON ROUGE, La. (UMNS)--When the board of trustees for Dillard University in New
Orleans made a recent visit to the storm-damaged campus, the group was
pleasantly surprised at the restoration completed so far by contractors.
“After three months of remediation, we realize today how much progress has been
made,” said Marvelene Hughes, president of the United Methodist-related,
historically black university.
The visiting group -- accompanied by Bishop William W. Hutchinson of Louisiana
and four bishops from other annual conferences -- took a walking tour of the
136-year-old campus, which flooded after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast
Aug. 29.
The Samuel Dubois Cook auditorium, the site for many campus events and
conference-wide functions such as the W. T. Handy Convocation, was close to full
restoration after having up to seven inches of mud left inside from flood
waters.
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A UMNS photo by Betty Backstrom Bishops
accompanying the board of trustees of Dillard University listen as
Arthur Clement, architectural consultant, outlines progress in the
school's restoration.
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The
board of trustees for the Methodist related Dillard University in New
Orleans, accompanied by four bishops, make a visit to the storm-damaged
campus on Jan. 13. Arthur Clement, architectural consultant, outlines
the restoration progress. The group was pleasantly surprised at the
restoration completed so far by contractors. A UMNS photo by Betty
Backstrom. Accompanies UMNS story #118. Photo #06192. 02/27/06. |
Kyle Tomlin, owner of the Dallas-based company performing the restoration and
cleanup at Dillard, explained that careful steps have been taken to ensure that
the restored facilities are safe for students, who could return as early as
July.
“After removing all mold-damaged material, everything was carefully sanitized.
An environmental company has taken samplings to be certain that air quality is
up to the highest standards,” Tomlin said.
In a November presidential message on the school's Web site, Hughes said three
dorms must be rebuilt; classrooms, the library, administration headquarters, the
student union and gymnasium must be restored and the campus grounds
re-landscaped.
“Even though some trees may be down or shorn of limbs on the campus, Dillard
would not be Dillard without the great oaks! The Avenue of the Oaks represents a
longstanding tradition,” she said. “It is a symbol of accomplishment and
achievement for Dillard students who for generations have marched proudly under
the promenade of stately trees, and they will again in June.”
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A UMNS photo by Betty Backstrom Rebecca Roussel, a senior in mass communications at Dillard, tours the campus with fellow classmates Jan. 13.
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Rebecca
Roussel, a senior in Mass Communications at Dillard, New Orleans, views
firsthand the campus reconstruction progress with fellow classmates
during the Jan. 13 tour of the campus. Roussel, a senior mass
communications major, plans on producing a short documentary on the
restoration project. The school, severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina,
is undergoing reconstruction and is currently holding classes for 1,100
students in a local Hilton Hotel. A UMNS photo by Betty Backstrom.
Accompanies UMNS story #118. Photo #06194. 02/27/06 |
The tour group also looked inside Rosenwald Hall, which wound up with a
completely flooded basement. “We lost a tremendous amount of IT equipment,” said
Arthur Clement, architectural consultant. “The new equipment will be housed on
the third floor of the building once restoration is completed.”
Rebecca Roussel, a senior mass communications major, came along on the tour with
a group of fellow students. “We’re doing a short documentary on the restoration
as a class project,” said Roussel, who plans to graduate in July.
Roussel, along with 1,100 other Dillard students, is currently attending classes
at the Hilton Hotel, located near the Mississippi River in downtown New Orleans.
“Eight hundred are actually residing at the hotel, with the remaining 300
driving to school every day," said Mark Barnes of Dillard’s office of
Institutional Advancement.
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A UMNS photo by Betty Backstrom The Hilton Hotel is the temporary home for Dillard University students.
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The
Hilton Hotel, temporary home for the Methodist related Dillard
University classes and student housing, displays a sign of "welcome" to
the 1,100 people attending school this semester. The university in New
Orleans was damaged by Hurricane Katrina last fall and is currently
undergoing reconstruction. A UMNS photo by Betty Backstrom.
Accompanies UMNS story #118. Photo #06193. 02/27/06 |
Dillard University had 1,900 active students prior to Hurricane Katrina. “We’ve
all been in touch with our friends who are attending other schools throughout
Louisiana and other parts of the United States,” Roussel said. “Quite a few are
attending Louisiana State University and Southern University in Baton Rouge.
Some are at Texas Southern or TCU. Others are at Morehouse or Spelman in
Atlanta. Most of them are saying they want to come back when the campus opens
again.”
Bishops Michael Coyner (Indiana Area), Jane Allen Middleton (Harrisburg Area),
Charles Crutchfield (Arkansas Area), and Thomas Bickerton (Pittsburgh Area) were
with the group touring Dillard as representatives from the denomination's
Council of Bishops.
“The magnitude of the situation in New Orleans is staggering. It is very
encouraging to see the progress at Dillard University as the city struggles to
come back,” said Bickerton.
*Backstrom is editor of Louisiana Now!, the newspaper of the United
Methodist Church’s Louisiana Annual Conference.
News media contact: Linda Green, (615) 742-5470 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.
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Resources
Dillard University
Dillard Hurricane Response Donations
UMCOR: Hurricanes 2005
Hurricane Relief Resources
Black College Fund
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