Julia FrenchN. C. Central University sustained little damage from Hurricane Ian when it hit campus last Friday, but the university did have to take precautions and students felt the effects in various ways.
The campus was littered with pine straw and leaves, and some students encountered minor problems if they did not live on campus or could not make it if they had no ride because of schedule changes or cancellations.
“We lost Wi-Fi and a couple branches went down around the neighborhood. I wasn’t going to be able to come (to campus) anyway because Durham buses aren’t running in my area,” said Katelynn Tarroll, a high school student taking college classes on campus.
The storm did affect campus operations. NCCU’s shuttle vans stopped running during the night, and the mailroom had a few difficulties.
“All of the workers showed up, but we left early. Our boss made sure we got home before anything got worse,” one mailroom worker said.
The storm affected the mail arriving on time because the delivery drivers’ schedules were delayed until Monday, according to the mailroom worker.
All campus restaurants, except the Pearson Dining Hall and Chick-fil-A, were closed, according to students.
Several students said classes should have been canceled that day instead of asking them to walk to class in the rain and wind.
Students complained that, because of the high winds, their umbrellas would flip inside out and cause them to get wet anyway.
“It did not hit our area as badly, but I feel like classes should be canceled because no one is really trying to walk in the wind and rain,” sophomore biomedical sciences major Omarion Dreher said.
Many classes were smaller than usual, and some went virtual or were canceled for the day.
“Some of my students had quite a long drive to get here, and they just didn’t want to take the chance on roads being blocked or flooded. A lot of students have found that their classes went virtual for the day. I didn’t do that, but maybe I should have,” mass communication instructor Tom Letts said.
A few students expressed empathy for those affected by the hurricane. Some students from Florida expressed worry about family and friends.
“My brother has lived through a hurricane in Florida, and they were doing things like hiding in the closet. So, I feel like I know their pain. It is tough because some people get hit more than others, and lose everything,” sophomore biology major Benjamin Hunt said.
“I just feel really bad for the people that are there. They have lost their homes, cars, and some have lost their families. I just thank God it didn’t hit North Carolina,” sophomore business administration major Taniyah Kelly said.
“My Godbrother and his family had to evacuate Florida because of how bad the flooding was in his area. It sucks because people are out of work and don’t have homes. It’s like the storm came out of nowhere. People didn’t have enough time to prepare to leave,” sophomore pre-nursing major Ava Phillips said.
