Furman Rallies After Being Hit By Helene
A tightknit sense of community helps university weather the storm
The regular newsletter of the Furman Free Speech Alliance arrived a few days late this week. But they had a good excuse — an excuse called Hurricane Helene. The following update on how the school fared when the tempest blew through is excerpted from the October edition of the Furman Free Speech Round-Up — which you can (and should) subscribe to here.
This past month, much of Florida, Georgia, and the western Carolinas were devastated by Hurricane Helene. As of Monday, October 7, the death toll had risen to at least 232 people, making this the deadliest hurricane since Katrina in 2005. Our prayers are with the thousands of people who have lost loved ones, have seen their homes destroyed, and continue without power or running water.
We’re especially praying for our fellow Paladins. Furman’s campus was directly in the path of the storm, as were the homes and families of many Furman alumni.
In the midst of this chaos, however, we’ve also seen amazing examples of courage and charity. President Davis -- who is a proven leader during times of crisis -- highlighted the preparedness of Furman’s chief of police John Milby, the diligence of Jeff Redderson and Rick Schosky, who led Furman’s Facilities Services in clearing campus of debris, and the work of Furman’s director of auxiliary services Tony McGuirt, who made sure students had something to eat.
“As a former student myself, I can attest that Furman’s staff are some of the best in the business. They are reliable and trustworthy.
We’d also like to highlight the amazing generosity of some parents of Furman students who live in the Greenville area. With Uber unavailable, one mother offered to transport students to the airport so that they could fly home to see their families. Another couple offered to deliver items to Furman students in need. And still another offered to help students who need medicine or other special goods.
Moments like these make us remember why we started Furman Free Speech Alliance. Because Furman is a strong community, full of incredible people, and we want to help it thrive.”
We appreciate that update on the situation in Greenville, FFSA. And our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone impacted by this terrible natural calamity.
