Vol. 2, No. 4

Missouri State Heroes Emerge During Ice Storm

The magnitude of last week's ice storm will be discussed for years, but Governor Blunt's assessment that it was "the largest mass (emergency) care natural disaster" in Missouri's history will likely stand. The damage and destruction of the storm wreaked havoc on most members of our University community, and the campus, like all of Springfield, sustained heavy damage to its trees and grounds. Unable to ensure the safety of people on campus and recognizing the trauma that so many individuals were experiencing, I believed it was necessary to make the unprecedented decision of closing the campus for the week. In the weeks to come, I hope we can make up for the lost time and get back on track doing the good work for which each of you is responsible.

The ice storm affected nearly every employee in some way, with most losing power for some or all of a full week and many suffering damage to their houses, trees, shrubs, and other property. There are dozens of stories of employees helping their families, of employees helping each other, of employees helping their neighbors, and of employees assisting others through their churches and civic organizations. Last week, you didn't have to look very far to find Missouri State employees caring for others. It was an inspiring series of human kindnesses.

However, for this special issue of Friday Focus, I wanted to draw your attention to the extraordinary efforts rendered by many of your colleagues to keep the campus up and running during the past week. There are countless stories of heroic efforts by Missouri State employees and students who fought through the weather and their own personal struggles to restore the campus, help those in desperate need, and volunteer for scores of tough, and in some cases, dangerous jobs. I want to pay tribute to everyone who was a hero last week; without your efforts, the University would not have been able to respond to this crisis in the very effective manner for which it is deservingly being credited.

I want to share with you just a few of the remarkable efforts made by members of the Missouri State community this past week. I know I will be missing many other individuals' contributions, and for that I apologize, but I did want you to know about some of the powerful and moving actions taken by our staff and students. When you see these people this week, please tell them how thankful you are for what they did. Their efforts ennobled us all.

On Saturday morning following the ice storm, the University received a request from the City and County to host a community shelter. Greg Burris "commandeered" McDonald Arena and, working with the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, turned it into a shelter for people with special needs. At one point, more than 130 individuals, many of them with very serious physical disabilities, chronic illnesses, and/or psychological disabilities were housed, fed, and cared for in McDonald Arena. Several of the "residents" were in McDonald for nearly a week and felt so well attended that they did not want to leave. Greg was there morning and night, supervising all aspects of the operation. He was there after someone slashed all four tires of his car. He was there even though his own home had gone a week without power. I know that the McDonald Arena operation has been credited with literally saving the lives of a number of critically ill people. Without the work of Greg Burris, it would not have happened.

Many others went far beyond the call of duty to make McDonald Arena become a shelter with a heart.

• Sodexho supplied and prepared the food throughout the week; they did so when other agencies failed to appear, and they did so with unfailing courtesy and quality.
• The custodians for McDonald Arena, particularly Efton Secrest, came in round the clock to do whatever was needed. No job was too mundane, none was too hard, never did he say no. He did all of this and took care of his family while his house did not have power.
• Dr. David Muegge and Dr. Judy Dasovich each worked multiple shifts at the shelter, providing much needed medical assistance and comfort.
• Many staff members came to McDonald Arena. Often stunned by what they saw there, they pitched in immediately and did whatever was necessary. Paula Vinson, Brent and Jennifer Dunn, Tammy Jahnke, Kathy Shade, and John Wall all came in to work one or more shifts.
• Our students came in day and night to comfort folks, be ready companions, and perform any job that needed to be done. The entire tenor of the arena floor changed when they arrived and engaged the shelter residents. One particular student, Elizabeth Keller who works in our Academic Achievement Center, worked 4 straight 17-hour shifts taking care of people and then went home and baked cakes on two different nights after she heard some of the residents express a desire for dessert.
• Roberta Perno, a member of our Counseling and Testing Center, came to McDonald Arena and provided crisis intervention to the residents. She came late in the night and stayed to talk to every single person who needed her.
• Gary Snavely and Susie Wecker, from the Office of Safety & Transportation, worked at the shelter nearly around the clock, performing every duty imaginable while coordinating transportation issues and the duties of Greene County officers. The entire Public Safety department kept the campus, including the shelter, safe during this event.
• Earle Doman, Mike Jungers, and Denise Baumann worked tirelessly to recruit and coordinate an army of student volunteers. I am very proud of the response of these students – their work and their attitudes were phenomenal. Keith Shaefer, an Assistant Hall Director and EMT, and Angie Shirley, Coordinator of Leadership Development in Residence Life, worked many hours performing a variety of jobs at the shelter throughout the week.
• Members of the Maintenance and Custodial units came in to work shifts at the shelter, ensuring the building had power, heat, and was clean. The Maintenance staff even arranged for a back-up generator in case the arena lost power.

At the same time the McDonald Arena shelter was being established, Ken McClure, Bob Eckels and their entire Grounds staff gave us yeomen service executing the campus clean-up efforts. For those who did not see campus on Saturday following the ice storm, let me assure you it looked like a battlefield. The Grounds staff performed marvelously throughout the week in sub-freezing temperatures, and we all owe them a debt of gratitude. Jason Finke of the Purchasing Office came in to help coordinate the contracting of additional tree removal services.

Earle Doman and the Residence Life staff made sure that the students who returned and stayed in our residence halls were safe and secure. My visits to the dining and residence halls revealed that normal life there was maintained as well as anyone could have hoped.

Finally, my personal thanks to the Administrative Council, who came in every day of the week to help with the emergency and contingency planning for the institution; they managed the communications, they hired the emergency crews, they facilitated the special contracts, and they thought through every decision that had to be made. Without their diligence, we would not have been able to come through this as well as we have.

Although it is reasonable to think of, and describe, these wonderful gestures as an expression of the University's public affairs mission, I think they reflect something much more basic – the fundamental decency, generosity, and compassion of the Missouri State University community. The term "life saver" is sometimes used carelessly; however, these folks and all others who lent a hand truly did save lives. We have the good fortune to toil with some terrific colleagues, and the University distinguished itself this week as an institution not only with a conscience, but with a real soul.

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