President's Message - Wartburg Responds to Hurricane Katrina - Wartburg College

Wartburg College Responds to Hurricane Katrina
A Message from President Jack R. Ohle

With our nation and the world, members of the Wartburg College community have watched, waited and prayed over the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. But it is not the spirit of Wartburg to remain passive. As a community and as an institution, Wartburg will respond to the needs of Katrina’s victims immediately and in the months (and possibly years) to come. Our mission compels us to action.

First, the Wartburg College community will gather in prayer. As a college of the Church, we profess the power of prayer as well as our need for prayer in the face of death and destruction. Campus worship on Wednesday, September 7, will be a prayer service for the victims of Katrina and for those who work to help them. The entire campus community is invited, and college offices will be closed at that time.

Second, Wartburg College will accept transfer students from colleges and universities affected by Katrina. Students may choose to stay with us for a semester or longer. Interested students will be able to contact our Admissions Office for immediate entrance into the fall term or for entrance in January. However long students choose to sojourn with us, they will be welcomed.

Third, the College will offer several venues for the contribution of funds and supplies towards disaster relief and recovery. The first opportunity will be at the football game this Saturday evening between Wartburg and Augsburg College, but other opportunities will follow.

Fourth, Wartburg will offer students an opportunity to learn more about the Katrina aftermath so that as citizens they will be able to contribute actively in our nation’s on-going discussions about disaster preparedness.

Finally, the College will be in contact with affected alumni, partners in the Lutheran Church, and other organizational partners about the best ways Wartburg can contribute to the clean-up and recovery in Louisiana and Mississippi. It is still too early to know the time-table when volunteers may be needed or what tasks may be required, but when those requests are known Wartburg will answer. Wartburg has sent service trips to the area in the past, and we will return again when needed. We will also call upon our students, faculty, staff and alumni for a generous response.

I have also asked that a group of students, faculty, and staff begin to coordinate Wartburg’s response to Katrina. The Center for Community Engagement will be the organizational hub for this response, and there will be many opportunities for leadership across campus. This is a disaster without parallel, affecting some of the poorest of the poor in our country. We now have the opportunity to respond and we have the duty to understand as we live out our college commitment to leadership and service.