Shaw students' react to the 'unexpected closing'

The 2011 Spring season saw a fierce tornado tear through downtown Raleigh, including Shaw University, and caused the school to close for the remainder of the semester. Students were sent home a few days later because the campus is not safe for them to live. I had a chance to talk to a few students about how they felt regarding the tornado.

"I was sad. I was crying because this is my school and to see my first year end like this is crazy. I will be back in August" said freshman, Kylie Thomas. The devastation of the tornado touched major parts of the campus. The freshman women's dorm, Dimple Newsome, roof is caving in, the Wille E. Gary Student Union's 2^nd floor has busted out windows from the tornado and demolished offices. The court yard has trees that have fallen, blocking entrance and one tree crashed into the 2^nd floor window of the James E. Cheek Library.

The fact that the school has closed has prompted numerous questions for graduating seniors. The President, Dr. Irma McClaurin, assured the students about the details of completing any outstanding requirements. A semester closing FAQ link has been set- up on Shaw University's homepage. Commencement will proceed on Saturday, May 7^th at 11am, at the Dorton Arena. Seniors were mostly worried about what their grades would be now that the final projects had not been submitted. "This is sad but I know Shaw will come back stronger than ever. My focus is that I'm graduating and I need to know what is the next step for graduating seniors" said Jessica Clark. All graduating seniors should check their emails for farther instructions regarding graduating.

Students were not the only ones affected by this tornado. The tornado caused numerous professors to be out of office for a while. With trees down and hardly any students to work with, professors had to quickly revamp their lesson plans and assignments to ensure students could turn in assignments needed for a passing grade. The Shaw family is supported by the community during this heartbreaking time.