SUNY-StonyBrook: National Post Katrina College Summit

Submitted by Simone Crichlow, SUNY-StonyBrook

The National Post Katrina College Summit at SUNY-StonyBrook was an event which heightened the level of education and awareness about the Gulf Coast amongst the student community.

Stony Brook hosted a two-day petition drive, which produced approximately 1,000 signatures. The number is still rising as many people took petitions to their communities in an effort to get more signatures!

We showed Spike Lee's film, "When the Levees Broke" which stirred a strong sentiment of emotions within the viewing audience.

Lastly, Claire and I did a presentation entitled "Louisiana: The Truth of the Matter" in which we address the legal, social, and political effects of Hurricane Katrina as well as the public health and educational challenges the people of LA face. More importantly, the camaraderie and commitment demonstrated by the volunteer team was outstanding! They were far from shy. They were hard working, dedicated, and motivated social workers looking to do something for a stronger cause. That meant the most to me.

The absolute support and generosity exhibited by the School of Social Welfare, the school of which Claire and I specifically are graduate students, was amazing.

These collective efforts were part of this movement. The impact on the Stony Brook community as a result of this Summit was truly powerful and a success.