Boyd's World-> Breadcrumbs Back to Omaha-> Building Again

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Building Again

In the face of the events of the last two weeks, it's almost impossible to know where to start to rebuild. Of course, much of life starts with money; I've donated to the Red Cross and hope that you will pick a relief agency and do your part. From there, though, I think it's necessary that each of us find the ways that help is needed in the communities that we're part of. I've done a small amount of shelter work in the city where I live this week, and I've donated to an internal effort at work (I work for a company with a large number of employees on the Mississippi Gulf Coast). We spent some time this week with in-laws who were displaced to other in-laws nearby. None of that is noteworthy; it's just what we do within our communities, and I hope that you can find what to do within yours.

One great example of that is being done within the college baseball community. Tulane University and the University of New Orleans have cancelled classes for the fall semester and their students are being encouraged to enroll elsewhere, but the sports teams are being allowed to relocate as a whole to other universities, where they'll take classes locally and be allowed to participate as a whole representing their universities. Tulane's baseball team is relocating to Texas Tech, while the UNO squad is being hosted by New Mexico State. For the teams, for now, participation will consist of being able to go through fall practice and work out on their own, since no decisions can yet be made about the spring semester, but the biggest gift, though, may well be the ability to stay together with their teammates as their world has been turned upside down.

At Texas Tech, the situation is still coming together, but the university is responding well. The players will be housed in a dormitory or dormitories, while apartments are being found for the coaching staff. The university is picking up the tab, under the current plan, for housing and other needs, as well as supplying gear for the team.

In Las Cruces, things are running a day or two behind Lubbock, but the situation seems similar. Players are expected to arrive over the weekend. The university will waive tuition, books, fees and housing for the team.

This is, by its nature, a competitive field. In the face of that, let's all take time to praise these two universities, being led in this particular circumstance by their baseball coaches, for doing a great thing.

It is, as I said, too early to look forward to the spring. In the long term, UNO probably fared a little better than Tulane did; its campus was relatively unscathed, while both the Tulane campus and Turchin Field (which was already undergoing a renovation) were heavily damaged. However, as UNO coach Tom Walter said, "The question is, will the city be ready to host the campus?" That seems unlikely at this point.

For the coaches within my readership, there is a particular opportunity for you to give. A web site has been set up -- www.allcoachescare.com -- to allow coaches to make donations of items or services to be auctioned, with the proceeds to go to Habitat for Humanity for use in relief for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The list is building, and there's still room for lots more donations.

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Boyd's World-> Breadcrumbs Back to Omaha-> Building Again

About the author, Boyd Nation