Falmouth Family Await News Of Son At School In New Orleans

FALMOUTH- When Hurricane Gustav barreled ashore in Louisiana yesterday, at least one Falmouth family was watching very closely.
Michael P. and Patricia L. Jones of Minot Street, Falmouth, had just sent their son Ben, down to New Orleans to start his freshman year at Tulane University. The college bused students to Jackson State University to ride out the storm, and Ben decided to stay with his classmates instead of coming back home.
Ben is a 2008 graduate of Falmouth High School, and is planning to major in biochemistry in a pre-med program. He has worked the past several summers as a Falmouth lifeguard, primarily at Menauhant Beach in East Falmouth.
His brother John is a sophomore at University of Rhode Island, and his sister Meghan is a junior at Falmouth High School.
The arrival of the hurricane came just as the college was preparing to begin classes, and many students, like Ben, were just getting their belongings organized.
Michael Jones said his son shipped three boxes of clothes, sporting equipment, and other items to Tulane on August 19 for delivery on August 23 via Federal Express ground delivery. That same day, Saturday, August 23, Ben flew down to New Orleans with more belongings and received his boxes on campus.
Ben attended a number of campus activities after arriving and started classes last Wednesday.
Last Thursday, Tulane announced classes would be suspended on Friday at noon because of the approach of Hurricane Gustav.
Campus was closed entirely on Saturday August 30, at noon.
Ben’s parents bought him an airline ticket home, but he had to decide whether to use that or ride out the storm with his classmates.
“We were concerned with his safety at Jackson State University after what had happened with the violence at the SuperDome after Katrina,” Michael Jones wrote in an e-mail message. Once Ben confirmed that the Jackson State shelter was for Tulane students only and that the facility would be secured for the safety of the students, staff, and their belongings, he decided to remain with the other students, Mr. Jones wrote.
About 300 students who were not local and did not go home or to other locations gathered on campus at 9 Saturday morning and buses took them to Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi, a six-hour ride away.
At Jackson State, students were housed in the air-conditioned gymnasium, which had power plugs to charge cellphones and laptops, as well as WiFi access, so the Joneses have been keeping in touch with their son.
Across the street from the campus is a shopping center, and Ben and some students have gone shopping for “egg-crate” padding to sleep on to soften the floor, according to Mr. Jones.
Originally it was announced that Tulane would reopen tomorrow and classes would resume on Thursday. Now the school’s opening has been pushed back to Sunday, September 7, with classes to resume on Monday, September 8, Mr. Jones wrote.
The 300 students at Jackson State may be allowed on campus earlier, though, Mr. Jones wrote.
The two biggest concerns of the students at this point, according to Mr. Jones, are what happens if New Orleans floods and Tulane cannot reopen and about the security of the items they left behind on campus.
“After Katrina, Tulane students were allowed to complete the semester at any other university they were accepted at, but, even still, they were starting late,” Mr. Jones wrote.
The Tulane students have started to help with the relief effort. On Sunday, Ben and other students spent the day helping set up another building at Jackson State to be used as a shelter for a retirement home that is being evacuated.
“Overall, Tulane seems to have been well prepared this time with the evacuation plans and everyone is praying the levees hold, and Tulane reopens as scheduled,” Mr. Jones wrote. As of this morning, Mr. Jones wrote, Ben and the other students will be returned to campus on Saturday.