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The following is a transcript of Delgado’s Spring 2006 Semester Faculty and Staff Convocation (January 9, 2006) opening remarks, prepared and presented by Gayle Nolan, coordinator of faculty development, and Cindy Siegrist, Associate Professor, English as a Second Language.
Members of the National Guard found bits and pieces of one of the College’s American flags scattered around the campus and neighborhood for days and weeks following the storm. Little by little, they gathered the pieces, hoping somehow to reconstruct the flag by mounting it on a board. It would not be the same flag that formerly flew over the campus, but it would stand for the same values and be a reminder that, though ripped apart by the events of August and September 2005, the principles it stood for could not die. The resurrected flag has gaps and holes; its edges are shredded, and the threads do not seamlessly match as they once did. But what holds it together is the invisible determination of a set of individuals who could envision a restoration, no matter what it took. They would not allow the pieces to disintegrate in the dirt and floodwaters untended and uncared for; through their dedication and skill, they brought back more than a symbol. They reminded us that if each of us brings the pieces and the skill we have to the center and work together, we too can rebuild what was once lost and torn apart.
The National Guard, 1st Battalion, 186 Infantry presented the mounted flag with a Certificate of Flag Presentation to the college on September 21, 2005. The certificate reads:
“The United States Flag which flew proudly over Delgado Community College was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. It was found by Cpt. Chris Sturdevant and SGM Martin Deck in the mud and muck still attached to its rope. It had been reduced to a 10 inch ball of torn, tattered, filthy cloth. Sgt. Richard Thibodo unraveled, cleaned and started the process of mounting the flag for posterity. The final mount was prepared by Sgt. Thibodo, Sgt. Ken Heywood, Sgt. Kelly Shockey, and Cpl. Randy Nelson. It is presented to Delgado Community College in a spirit of recovery and rebuilding for the College and the City of New Orleans.”
Today, the College itself is a bit ragged, with huge gaps and holes in its structure. But we have come together once again with our spirit and determination unchanged. Our mission has not dimmed simply because the threads do not join as seamlessly as they once did. We may not have office space; many of us will not have computers, books, or electronically stored files. But we have determination, dedication to our mission, and the willingness to help students build and re-build their lives, no matter what it takes.
Even though we recognize the danger of telling some stories and omitting others; even though we know the quiet heroes among us who will not be recognized today, even though public praise often has a backlash effect, we could do nothing else this convocation but to tell some of the stories---our stories—of heroic effort at the cost of great personal sacrifice following Katrina. To overlook or ignore what has been done by so many of our colleagues for fear of leaving someone out is to let pass the opportunity for family stories, stories that need to be kept alive, stories that need to be told, re-told, and added to as time goes by.
We have chosen to highlight five departments, with their individual members, who were perhaps the first responders to the crisis, because there will never be another nor a better time to let the college know how these departments responded, and responded quickly, to in effect “save” the college. Their stories could be followed with a hundred more, and we hope that we will find ways in the future to tell the stories that will not be told here today. Perhaps in the campus, division, and departmental meetings that follow today, some of those stories can be told also.
Cindy (Siegrist) and I were privileged to collect the narratives of “what happened” to both individuals and to departments after the storm. We were awed and humbled at hearing first-hand accounts that often brought tears to our eyes while we listened to tales of everyday heroes who gave no thought to themselves or to their situations as they fought for hours, days, weeks and weekends to protect lives, restore the physical plant, find ways to ensure that employees could get paid, re-build a completely broken communication system, and reach out to students desperate for an island of normalcy in a sea of confusion and chaos.
We considered letting the individuals tell their own stories, but feared they might downplay the sacrifices and efforts they made: |
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Unfortunately, we have not been able to highlight all of the areas and all of the people who struggled so hard to put this college back together. The story from the Registrar’s Office (with Maria Cisneros) and from Financial Aid (with Germaine Edwards) is one that deserves to be told, but the complications involved in working with the Federal Government on grants and student loans, with the IT department on accurate student records, withdrawals, enrolled students for fall and special, and inter-sessions, as well as keeping record of students enrolled in other colleges, etc. are beyond my ability to relay. I would like Maria and Germaine to stand, with whoever of their departments has helped to sort all and hold together the threads that affected student enrollment, credit hours, and financial aid.
Special mention should be given to Carol Gniady, Director of Public Relations, for publicity and keeping students informed, Delgado website coordinator Joe Clark who managed to establish a temporary website with phone numbers and links to anchor students, and to the chancellor’s Executive Assistant Carmen Walters for establishing and coordinating the volunteers at the call centers in Baton Rouge and in New Orleans.
We cannot forget Allied Health Dean Harold Gaspard, who prepared weekly meals for those working in the little house in Baton Rouge, and Chefs Karl Tipton and Lou Demerest, who cooked, delivered, and served food to the people meeting and working temporarily on the West Bank once that campus was open.
Human Resource’s Randy Fredericks arrived shortly after the storm to pick up his own paycheck, and from that moment on, remained behind a desk at the entrance to the Baton Rouge worksite, from whence he distributed checks by hand, by mail, took phone calls, ascertained accurate mailing addresses and continually solved problems. As far as we can tell, he did not go home, eat lunch, to take bathroom breaks.
Scores of faculty members called every student they could reach, encouraging them to register for online classes and to return to the college in the spring. The stories go on and on, and I must apologize ahead of time for those we did not capture or recognize today.
--Gayle Nolan/Cindy Siegrist |
