Displaced students shown UNC way

For Clare Harpham, a senior from Tulane University, adjusting to life at UNC is not an automatic transition.

She grew up in New Orleans and decided to stay close to home for college. But Hurricane Katrina forced Harpham to alter her plans.

She drove with her boyfriend to his father's house in Houston on Aug. 27, thinking she was going on a short vacation, but reality soon set in.

"By the time we started driving, we realized it would be really bad," Harpham said.

A week later, she flew to North Carolina and moved into her family's home in Chapel Hill - where her parents moved after her first year at Tulane.

Harpham is one of 12 displaced students attending UNC this semester.

"It's definitely a new experience for me," she said. "I've been keeping in touch with all my Tulane friends and my high school friends. I plan on visiting them a lot."

The 12 students were required to attend an orientation meeting Tuesday night in Murphey Hall, but only six students - mostly upperclassmen - followed through. One parent showed up in place of her sick daughter.

"We want to make sure that the new students who came because of the hurricane have a smooth transition," said Judy Deshotels, director of the Office of New Student and Carolina Parent Programs. "We wanted to provide them with information about Carolina and how they can get involved on campus."

At the orientation, leaders of various groups and programs on campus informed the attendees of the opportunities available to them. There were representatives from the One Card Office, Student Health Service, Counseling and Psychological Service, Career Services, the Student Union and the senior class, among other organizations.

Christina Lee, chairwoman of the outreach committee for the senior class, talked about Pathfinders - a new initiative that will pair senior marshals with displaced students.

"We wanted to help to make their experience as enjoyable as possible," Lee said. "We want to be a social outlet and just a source of encouragement and relaxation for these students."

But the students who attended the orientation showed little interest in the program.

Lee said she will e-mail students to see if any want to find out more about Pathfinders and will make further arrangements once she has a better gauge of the interest level.

A representative from CAPS informed attendees of a support group offered through the organization specifically for students affected by Katrina.

"It definitely shows that the University is really committed (to welcoming us), especially with the tuition waver, all the resources they've given and how they've made everything available to us," Harpham said.

"It's more than I would have expected."

 

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.