Thank you all for your help with our volunteer efforts today. We know how busy you all are with the current situation, and we truly appreciate your time and assistance.
Today we focused our efforts here in Grand Forks, as city and county officials began to organize local sandbagging efforts. Before an Emergency Center could even be set up, we had students driving through the eastern side of town, locating houses where volunteers would be needed. Our Public Relations Coordinator, Casey Hayden, worked directly with numerous Grand Forks residents to locate even more work sites. Because of the publicity we've received on local television and radio stations, we also received numerous volunteer requests from homeowners in the area. By the time the Grand Forks Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was up and running, they actually asked our office for an initial list of work sites.
At 1:00 pm the County Commissioners met to discuss possible courses of action, and we both decided to attend the meeting. The immediate result of the meeting was the creation and opening of Sandbag Central, a centralized effort at Grand Forks Public Works, where volunteers could help fill sandbags. At the meeting, Tyrone spoke on behalf of UND students, and made it clear that we would do whatever we could to help. Soon after we had a chance to discuss possible transportation strategies with Pete Haga, EOC representatives, and the organizers of Sandbag Central. Tentative plans were put in place to get students from UND to Sandbag Central, and a formal request was prepared for Jason Uhlir.
Throughout the day we worked in conjunction with the EOC to get volunteers as quickly as possible to where they were needed most. The football team was organized to help start Sandbag Central operations with the help of Vice President Elect Matthew Bakke. Our Administrative Assistants and several newly elected senators called every Greek house and Residence Hall asking for volunteers. Honors students showed up in droves at work sites, and numerous Resident Assistants turned volunteering into hall programs. In the early evening we received approval to ship students to the Southern part of town, where they were desperately needed and appreciated. At one point over 50 students were helping at Kathy Fick's house alongside Chris Dingle and other UND staff and faculty. We met the daughter of our favorite BST while tossing sandbags today, and we watched admirably as Lillian Elsinga went to help the students at Sandbag Central. Even now at 1:10 am, we have over 50 students filling sandbags, including a large crew from Students Today Leaders Forever (STLF) that has agreed to stay overnight.
Already, we are looking at how we can best serve our community tomorrow, and we have plans to continue aiding local relief efforts here in Grand Forks. We will continue to organize students and keep them updated on how they can assist, and we greatly appreciate the administrative efforts to help us spread the word. There are many residents in Grand Forks who are not yet safe from this flood, and already some homes have been cut off from dirt trucks by rising waters.
In light of what is happening, we are still concerned with the administration's decision to continue normal operations. We are beginning to question the values of our institution and what we hold most dear. Our own faculty, students and staff are fighting on the front lines, yet we are still trying to push people to sit in classrooms as flood waters approach our doorsteps. Our students are spread out across the state helping keep the homes of their friends, families, and neighbors from being overtaken by water. Many have been stranded or just can't bear to leave home knowing the water will continue to rise. Others are staying in Grand Forks because they need to do well in their classes, while every night they go to bed worried about their homes. They know they could be making a difference but school work is keeping them from helping citizens in need.
We have received word that much of Bismarck will be underwater, while the Red River in Fargo will reach a level that no one currently living has ever seen. Many of the small towns in the area have either gone under water already or are in desperate need of volunteers. We have contacted numerous towns around Grand Forks including Oslo, Grafton, Hillsboro and Climax. All are desperate for volunteers, which we have a ready supply of. We are sitting by idly when we could be working miracles with over 12,000 students. This isn't debatable anymore, if we wait any longer to release our students we are acting immorally, against our families, our friends and the state that we call home.
We also have an armada of buses and state fleet vehicles that can be used to transport volunteers efficiently and effectively, yet still we were given one bus and one van today to mobilize over 400 students. We are so appreciative of the steps the university has taken to help us, but we do not understand why we are holding ourselves back. We have gone three days without injury or incident, and every student has been accounted for. We have waivers signed by every student that has used university transportation, and our office has proven itself to be more efficient than the city's own emergency center. We have treated this disaster responsibly and effectively, and we would appreciate it if the university would trust our leadership.
We pray that you consider the needs of the state to be more important than the need to have a couple days of class. We should not make the same mistakes that were made in 1997.
Sincerely,
Tyrone, Mike & The Student Body of UND
You're continued support is greatly appreciated, and we look forward to working with you to make our citizens safe again.
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