1.    In response to the recent tornado, what things should A&T do to help Shaw University?

Guy #1- Maybe we should do a fundraiser and collect as much money as we can to donate to the university. If not that, then maybe we can get a group of students to go down to Shaw to help clean up the mess down there. But ultimately, the best things we can do are sending our help and tell them we are praying for them.

Guy #2- We should send students to Shaw to help rebuild. Money would be nice, but I think after all Shaw has done for this university, we should be the first university to go down there. If it were not for Shaw’s basement, there would be no A&T. So when they bleed, we bleed. So I believe we should do whatever it takes to help them. Anything they need is what we should give them.

Guy #3- A&T should have a Red Cross chapter on campus that helps with the local Red Cross and helping the families that suffered from the tornado. Also, we should give any water or clothes left from our School wide Haiti Drive to the families across NC.

2.    How would you have reacted if A&T were to shut down for the rest of the semester like Shaw?

Guy #1- Oh God! I think I would have a heart attack. For starters, I would not like to keep my current grades. In addition to that, if half the campus was shut down I would be devastated. ‘Where would we go from here?’ would be my only question. How would we bounce back? I have no idea how A&T would bounce back and how I would be able to help.

Guy #2- I would be fine because all my grades are fine as of right now. However, I think the bigger picture is that means a lot of our university would be damaged and that is not good, especially considering the fact that we are having constant cuts. I think we would be able to bounce back, but if we had to shut down for the rest of the semester I would be left with more questions than answers.

Guy #3- I would have been so happy that school was cancelled. If A&T was in a natural disaster I would hope the UNC system would send some type of help. But an extra two weeks for summer always sounds good.

3.    Do you think the recent natural disaster will spark some action and help a lot of the HBCUs come together to help each other out?

Guy #1- I really think it will. No doubt the rivalries between HBCUs will still be there. But when it comes down to it, all of us want to unify and come together. As far as I am concerned, when one HBCU is down, at least 10 of them will be down for helping that one school out.

Guy #2- In theory it sounds nice, but in reality of course not. We have problems getting people to unite and come together on this campus. I would like to say yes, but I highly doubt it. People are going to look, say that’s a shame, speak about things we should do, and everything will fade away. If it was that important to us, A&T should send out an email or something to say what we should do. But, of course, we aren’t going to make it mandatory to help.

Guy #3- Unfortunately no. This natural disaster was not big enough to make HBCUs come together.  If other HBCUs really wanted to help them they would have by now. It is all up to administration at the school. Unfortunately money is everything at a public university like A&T.