The College has arranged for the Xavier students, all of whom are seniors in the university's pre-med program, and for one student from Lousiana who attended Tulane to live in the residence halls. The three other students from Tulane live in the area and will be staying at home while they take classes at the College.
"We concluded that while we could make an effort to be responsive to students in general, we also wanted to reserve as many spaces as we could for a more targeted effort," said President Anthony Marx. "We were cognizant of the fact that Xavier University, an historically black college in New Orleans, has one of the largest, and perhaps the most important, black pre-med programs in the country, and for that cohort to be lost would be a major blow."
Marx explained that he worked with Morton Shapiro, the president of Williams College, to reach out to administrators at Xavier. It took a great deal of time before the two were ultimately able to make contact with the pre-med advisor. "The conversations I had with the pre-med advisor were some of the most heartbreaking conversations I've ever had," said Marx. "He was near tears because he no longer had a list of his students. That list in writing is lying on his desk under water in New Orleans. The national guard would not let him go retrieve the list, and the server that stored that information electronically was also underwater."
Marx and Shapiro worked together with a Washington, D.C. agency to compile a list of the senior pre-med students at Xavier. They then began the slow process of trying to contact the students, offering them tuition-free admission. "Contacting the students has been a challenge," said Bill Lenhart, former acting dean of the faculty at Williams, where six students from Xavier are enrolled as of yesterday.
At the College, Dean of Residential Life Charri Boykin-East has been in contact with each of the new students along with physical plant staff, resident counselors (RCs) and airlines. Before the students arrive, Boykin-East must book their flights, ensure that there is a bed waiting for them in a clean room and that RCs are prepared.
Because the available beds are spread out throughout the upperclass dorms, Boykin-East hopes that each RC, along with his or her residents, will reach out to the new students warmly. "I want the entire dorm to do extra outreach. I want the entire community to do extra outreach," she said. "I hope there will be lots of opportunities to get [the new students] together once they all get settled here."
As the displaced students arrive on campus, professors are being remarkably considerate regarding missed work, and current students are welcoming their new peers. RCs are helping their new residents move in, and the Residential Life staff is providing students with basic things they will need to live at Amherst, including alarm clocks, shower shoes and bedding. Students have been overwhelmingly welcoming. Boykin-East explained one instance in which a student from Xavier was greeted by new hallmates with hugs and warm wishes.
RCs getting new residents as a result of the College's outreach are working with their residents to welcome the new students. Ceridwen Cherry '06, an RC in Moore Dormitory, has two new residents, one of whom is not arriving until tonight. "Mostly I've been checking in to see how [she is] doing, helping set up [her] room [and] computer [and] making sure [she] can find things on campus," said Cherry. "I'm waiting until my second resident gets in, and then we will probably have a floor meeting and hang out and eat cookies."
Ian Shin '06, the RC in Wieland Hall, said that he and his residents are working hard to make sure their new neighbor feels at home quickly, without ignoring the tragedy she has faced. "That's the College's, my residents, and my challenge, and we're doing our best," he said.