Students, families unite for Haiti

Photo by STEPHANIE LAMBERT
Doc Bailey, a Tallahassee Community College student, takes part
in the campus wide vigil Jan. 20 for those who died in Haiti following
the earthquake that has taken almost 200,000 lives.

In a time of tragedy, students come together to support Haiti victims

BY REGINALD ALCEUS
Outlook Staff Writer

Several days after the tumultuous earthquake that shook Haiti, many stories of tragedy, charity and inspiration have surfaced to capture worldwide attention and acclaim. The horrific events have not only impacted Haiti, but also those living in Tallahassee.

A groundswell of goodwill and compassion has emerged.  During Tallahassee Community College’s recent Board of Trustees meeting, trustees decided to provide tuition for the school’s 35 Haitian students.  President William D. Law Jr. said the decision was made to “put money back in the pockets of the Haitian students at a time when they need every bit of help.  ” News of the scholarships came as both a surprise and a godsend to students.

“It makes me feel better because I have the support of my school and it shows that people do care,” Cadet said.  “Everybody is coming together and just trying to help the situation . . . it shows that the president and school, they’re really supporting us (Haitians) in our time of need. ”

Henry Cadet, 21, a respiratory therapy student at Tallahassee Community College, endured the ordeal of worrying about his relatives following the earthquake that struck Haiti Jan. 12 and killed nearly 200,000 people.  Despite his concerns, he remains optimistic that his people’s unity will bring hope and sustain them through this devastation.

“I’ve been reaching out to my family in Haiti and haven’t gotten any word from anybody so I’m just trying to pray and stay positive,”  Cadet said.  ”I have friends who have lost relatives and it’s unfortunate that we all have to come together when something tragic like this happens.”

Many Haitian Americans in Tallahassee are able to relate to similar ordeals.  Even though communication has been re-established, there are those who have yet to receive any news from their relatives.  Individuals like Angie Jacques, president of the TCC Haitian Cultural Club, said the stress, while trying to help, is becoming exhausting.

“Basically, I haven’t been sleeping,” she said. “I’m exhausted because I’ve been doing a lot of research on what’s going on. When I’m here, I feel helpless because I’m not physically there helping out. But they’re not letting civilians go there and help out. I feel like it’s a big responsibility on my part to help out, to collect donations of any form that people find in their hearts to give in order to give to the people of Haiti.”

Local charities and organizations have been pulling together to help Haitians and Haitian- American citizens in a variety of ways.  On Jan.18 a candlelight vigil was held by TCC’s Black Student Union.

“We want to show support for the students we have on campus here, and we have 35 students on campus who are from Haiti,”  said a tearful Law.  “We don’t know all of the facts for all of the families, but we know all have been impacted.  “I’m very proud to see the Black Student Union, the students and the international student organization, without any encouragement from the top level, all come together to hold this ceremony to express our support.”

Riccardo Jean, 22, a Florida A&M University student, first heard about the earthquake while he was working out in the gym.  At first, he was skeptical that the quake was anything serious, considering Haiti’s history of exposure to natural disasters.  It was not until he received a phone call from his father, who lives in Jacksonville, saying the Presidential Palace was in ruins that Jean took the news seriously.

“It didn’t actually hit me until I turned on the TV to see the graphic images,” said Jean, who is of Haitian and Cuban descent.  ”It all came down crashing when I received word that I had lost my first cousin in the earthquake.  We were born in the same hospital just five days apart.”  Jean then got word that four of his eight brothers couldn’t be reached.

“That’s when I broke down,” said Jean, a biology pre-medicine student.  “That’s when I started questioning everything from ‘Why am I alive?’ to my entire beliefs.”  On Jan. 18, Jean learned that his four brothers survived the quake, with one brother suffering a head injury and another with a broken arm.

Jean said the notion of having to bury one of his siblings is something he thinks about every night.  FAMU also held a candlelight vigil for its 80 Haitian students. In attendance were students like Samantha Leger, who lost her grandmother and uncle, as well as Millone Beabil, who lost her godmother’s mother, her cousins; she still has family members who are missing.

“I hope everyone doesn’t forget after the news moves on to the next thing,” Leger said.  “I hope we don’t forget that there are still people over there who need our help and they are still suffering through everything that is going on.”

Many authorities have requested that individuals and relief organizations not enter Haiti, as doing so would only exacerbate the already dire situation.  Until that time, Jacques said she hopes the Haitian people will “keep the hope alive” and remember that help is on its way.

“One advice is to basically excel in our education now because in the long run, they will need us later,” Jacques said.  Jean said the quake and its aftermath is a “wake-up call for the Haitian government to do some serious reconstructing” of the governing system and reinforce communications and relations with the outside world.

Despite the hardships his people have been put through, Jean said the pride in his people and culture will not allow him to resign to hopelessness.  ”One thing I learned from my father and our people is that we are fighters,” Jacques said.  ”We are survivors. It doesn’t matter about how many times we fall down, but the fact of the matter is we always get right back on our feet, dust ourselves off and keep moving.”

Reginald Alceus can be reached at realceus@hotmail. com