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Hoffman: OK. What were you anticipating before the storm, to what extent were you prepared for the storm? Whitely: I don’t think we could have ever prepared for this, for what happened, we never thought it would be as big as it was, we made preparations for windows, flashlights, and the basics, but emotionally, I think we were not prepared for what was going to happen afterwards. And for me that was one of the hardest things, when we recognized the devastation, when we recognized how lucky we were and how unlucky others were. It’s hard enough to worry about oneself let alone 3000 people around you who need to be taken care of. . .when I look back on it I don’t think I was prepared for what happened or for the three weeks following... Hoffman: So how might we have been more prepared ? Whitely: I don’t think we could have been more emotionally prepared, because it was a first time experience. . ok . .physically I don’t think we could have been more prepared either. . . we had all the things in place, the food, the duty, the hurricane shutters, things like that. Umm . . . I just think there will be more terror and panic the next time a hurricane is about to strike. This is the fourth time I have gotten prepared for a hurricane and we have had more rain today than any of those other times. . .so for me I thought eh . . .we’ll be lucky again and not have too much damage. I don’t think I was well-versed in how much a hurricane could really damage. Hoffman: So now you think people will be more frightened? Whitely: Oh much more frightened, much more outofcontrol, panic-stricken. Wanting to leave quicker. . . Hoffman: What were some of the specific preparations that were made in residence halls, either to the buildings or to the staffs? Whitely: You know we started meeting on Sunday morning at 9, we made sure we had all the hurricane shutters in place, making sure what our food plan would be, meeting with the staff, canceling all activities, asking the staff to meet with their floor at 5 p.m. that evening, taking them to eat dinner, and pick up breakfast packs and continuing to make sure we had enough food, the flashlights, facilities types of things, first aid kits, figuring out what an information plan and communication links were. If there was power, then what? What will happen tomorrow in terms of food? Hoffman: I think it was the Red Cross who delivered what seemed to me to be 21 very large boxes of first aid which signaled to me they thought there would be serious injuries or death. Whitely: Nah, I think by 3 or 4 in the afternoon, we were told this could be the mostserious hurricane to hit the East Coast, as it turns out it was, and so we were doing everything we could. Some RAs took me on as they often do, saying why give us first aid kits if we’re not allowed to administer first aid? I think it was an extraordinary circumstance, that if we lost power, if we could not get to each other, if windows broke, whatever, umm that people would have some of those supplies, so that was more precautionary than anything else. Hoffman: And where were you during the storm? Whitely: In terms of the storm I was right here in my office, with a mattress and an old comforter. I didn’t know what I needed, I just didn’t have a sense of what was to come, what it would be like so I really didn’t plan. I often tell the story of Jim [Smart Director of Residence Life] having his little nest and burgundy sheets and everything. I didn’t do that, went home to my own home, prepared it, came back at 9 that night and said “somebody get me a mattress”. It didn’t really occur to me that I’d be here for days, I figured everything would be ok and I’d go home. Hoffman: So you left your apartment? Whitely: I left my apartment at 6:30 am Sunday. Went back again at 12:30 to make sure everything was in place, to do anything I could realizing I too could lose everything. . .But I was ok with that because knowing that my first responsibility was here, I was trained to do that, I went back at 3:30 the next day, not recognizing any of the streets and hoping that my place wasn’t completely wrecked, and I walked in and it was kind of like a miracle, not a speck of water on the floor. Came back to campus and literally did not leave till the following Tuesday, so I stayed here for 8 days. Hoffman: Living in the office? Whitely: Living in the office for 4 days and then I moved over to Mahoney College. Hoffman: What were some of the first things you were worried about? Whitely: Water, flushing toilets . . basic needs, look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, basic security and needs. . . how we going to make sure people have information, and how are we going to make sure we don’t have chaos? Sunday night I think you were there, people were every place, lunch started at noon, they had nothing to do, without electricity and power we couldn’t handle that kind of chaos. We came up with a schedule for eating, and with my black pen and the one Xerox machine that was working, miracle of miracles by generator, we were able to get out information and order portapotties . . . . Hoffman: Did you feel any sort of maternal instincts towards the department, towards the RA’s, towards the residents, towards the stranded folks ? Whitely: I don’t know if maternal is the right word, more responsibility, more. . .I see very much what I do as a vocation, and so I see it as being that I’ve been called by a higher power so I felt at that at that time I was being called to serve in a way that I had not been asked to serve before. And this would mean it would take everything that I had to give so that I did a good job with it. The whole pride thing comes in, and professionalism, to be sure we are there for people. Hoffman: As soon as the storm passed what was the first thing you did? Whitely: Umm. . . I went out and told the football players to get back in their apartments or I would get Dean Sandler after them. Hoffman: Were they outside? Whitely: They were outside, about seven of them walking around, stepping over down powerlines, and so I told them they were going back inside. I then walked around the campus and realized it was dangerous. Dr. Reddick and I then got in a truck and began to drive around. I got a food plan. Hoffman: Describe the first week after the storm. What were some of the first feelings you had? Desperation? Fear? Whitely: Nah . . .never desperation, never fear, just tremendous burden and tremendous sadness. Very emotional. Very emotional.. That’s the best way to put it. I remember on Friday of that week, I was on the phone with my parents, with my mother and father in New York and I started sobbing, really crying. I was crying about the zoo. The fact of the matter is that I’ve never even been to the zoo, it’s not like I’m in with the zebras or anything, but I felt really sad about the area, about what it means to us, for the University . I’ve lived here 11 years. Tremendous stress “Ican’tbelievethisishappeningto-me” Those were some of the feelings I had. Hoffman: And. . .a question I thought about is . . . .what were some of the unconventional forms of help that you received after the storm, either physical, emotional, like with Jeff Olrick driving down from Baltimore? Whitely: Jeff, a former RA came down with all the watermelons. I think some of my own colleagues and friends dropped by to see if I was ok. We assigned various student affairs professionals to the various desk areas in the colleges. We tried to do things that would alleviate the burdens on the residence coordinators. I think that was some of the highlights of the help we received. People really came through. I was struck by the number of calls I received from colleagues at other universities who called or faxed to check on us. They offered everything. . .A team from Rollins called to say they would do anything, direct traffic, etc . . . Hoffman: Did they come down? Whitely: No, it gets to a point when there’s too many people. I think the thing for me was seeing that everyone else was doing ok. We have a few new residence coordinators, so I know it was tough for them. At one point we decided to ask the RA’s to stay during that two week period. One of the RA’s pulled me aside, very upset, and said, they just couldn’t do it any more so I had to make a few quick decisions, get the extra pay money . . .I was really afraid that we were going to lose a lot of RA’s they simply had had enough. I was always looking ahead to see how it would look, affect us 5, 10, weeks from now. Hoffman: And how did it effect your life? Whitely: There was no normalcy to it. None. Zippo. Hoffman: And then when you got normalcy back it felt odd? Whitely: Yeah a little bit. I’m very much into exercise. And for three weeks I did not do one thing. That was hard. Not even getting dressed up for work was weird. Very long days. . .and nights and the burden of it all . . .and not being able to get away. Hoffman: Was there any glint of fun? We did stupid things like play Scattergories until we couldn’t see straight. Whitely: Umm . . . I mean occasionally there was a little bit of. . . I’m not sure fun, I can’t take that word and use it here, my significant other came down. That was really great that he decided to come down here, but I really couldn’t relate to him because I was so manic, stressed, so we couldn’t even enjoy each other, or get away. Hoffman: And now is your life normal? Whitely: Yeah I think now it’s normal but we’ll never be the same, your values have been put back into perspective, now that the community has been devastated. On a day like this it rains and it’s misery. Do you ever go back to normal? Yes. Are you the same? No. I’m still finishing my doctorate. It changes you forever. Hoffman: Has Andrew changed your plans for the future, did it knock your socks off and make you think there’s “something you must do”? Whitely: Umm . . .not completely really only because I’m fairly directed anyway and I’m planned out for the next three or four years. . . Hoffman: Will you be here? Whitely: Yes. Yeah I hope to be here. Not sure my goal is to finish my doctorate by May. Hoffman: How has the school year been different do you notice any differences in the student body? Whitely: I think people are genuinely more stressed out because the professors are trying to cram so much into a small semester . . .this has not been a kindler, gentler semester. They’re still trying to do everything they always did. Family problems have come up as a result of the storm, especially for the students who live in the South Dade area. . .there’s still a lot of places where you just can’t go . . .a lot of options are missing . . .and we’ve all been through a lot, we’ll recover eventually. The RA’s . . . I think we may lose a lot of RAs because they’ll say this is too much, I’ve given all I can give . . Another concern is that I hope we may have more RA applicants because they’ve seen what a tremendous contribution those 112 people made . . .so it may go both ways . . . Hoffman: What do you see changed at the university? Anything in particular? Whitely: Oh I think priorities a little bit, but I also feel for the financial side, how this will effect us. People had already committed in August may not be able to stay . . . Hoffman: Do you think the university has in any way benefited? Whitely: I don’t think so . . Hoffman: There was no strengthening? Whitely: Well, yeah, for me working with Tad Foote was a tremendous experience; nobody will take that away from me, I think the place is real strong. Benefited, maybe internally, by not externally in teams recruiting students… Hoffman: Any other stories or anecdotes you’d like to share? Whitely: I think for me having Tad Foote ask me to walk around the campus was a highlight spending 2 hours with him, I don’t get that experience very often. He didn’t know me very well but it felt good. So it feels good to me that there is a loyalty. that we all are better for it, the RCs and the RAs too. |
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