She would finally be leaving Charlottesville. Becky Trudel hadpacked all her things for her freshman year at Tulane University in New Orleans, excited to begin anew in a place far from home.
"I was one of those Charlottesville kids who didn't want to go to U.Va.," Trudel said.
But Trudel, now a temporary first year in the College, was one of many Tulane students forced to evacuate before Hurricane Katrina swept through the southern states. The natural disaster made for a very unnatural move-in day for Tulane freshmen, and Trudel was disappointed to be carried swiftly back to the very town she was hoping to escape.
Move-in day is "one of those things you look forward to pretty much all of high school," Trudel said. "We moved in at nine in the morning, and by 11 they told us we had to evacuate."
Temporary second-year College student Jill Zimmerman of Great Falls, Va. said the evacuation was something of a surprise.
"We had no idea the hurricane was coming," Zimmerman said. "Friday night people started talking about it -- before then they were saying it was category one. All of a sudden they realized it was coming to us. Even then, it was Friday night. No one was seriously thinking about it till the next morning."
Zimmerman said she had been considering attending classes closer to home at George Washington University this semester, but was discouraged when she found that she would have to pay about $1,000 per credit. Heeding advice from a friend, she called the University.
University administrators "were like, 'Can you come today?'" Zimmerman said. "I was like, 'Well, how 'bout tomorrow?'"
Dean of Admissions Jack Blackburn said the University's exceptional response to students affected by the hurricane was a coordinated effort by several offices.
"It moved quickly because of President [John T.] Casteen's strong leadership in this effort," Blackburn said in an e-mail. "Associate Provost Milton Adams coordinated activity of all of the appropriate offices, and it was a powerful team effort involving the provost's office, admission, registrar, financial aid, orientation, university relations, housing and each of the school or college dean's offices."
Although other colleges joined the University in welcoming new students later in the week, Blackburn said his office already had spoken to over 300 students by that time.
Trudel said she especiallywas impressed with the expediency of the class registration process.
"U.Va. has been so amazing with this whole thing," she said. "Signing up for classes was so much easier than it was at Tulane for me."
Temporary second-year College student John Simms said he was pleased with how "nice and accommodating" students and faculty have been since he arrived. Simms also said he was impressed with the efficiency of the last-minute operations, including a special orientation session.
Third-year College student and University Guide Service member Mostafa Abdelkarim commented on how rewarding it has been for him to help the students from New Orleans, including giving special tours and acting as an extra resource for new faces around the Admissions Office.
"The best thing about it is that they can come to us and it's easier, as opposed to some official showing them around," Abdelkarim said.
Both the newly arrived students and University administrators noted the expectation of the students' return to New Orleans for the spring semester. The students currently hold "visiting" status at the University.
"This status was used because it allowed prompt action when it became clear that these students would be displaced," President John T. Casteen, III said in an e-mail. "The assumption is that these students ... will go back to their original colleges or universities to complete their studies once these institutions re-open."
The visiting students, all Virginians paying in-state tuition, must apply through the regular admissions process to be enrolled at the University after their respective schools open their doors again.
Some students emphasized their need to catch up with schoolwork, having been set behind a week and a half in each of their new classes. Temporary second-year College student Will Kuckro, who was not accepted when he applied to the University two years ago, said he plans to play intramural soccer and find other ways to stay involved around Grounds. Kuckro also noted his tendency to start off the day a little behind, as the density of Tulane's campus has made it difficult to adapt to the scattered buildings around Grounds.
"A lot of us were used to waking up five minutes before class -- everything is so packed" in New Orleans, Kuckro said.
Simms said he is still adjusting to the stark contrast of the two cities.
"It's a completely different atmosphere," he said. "New Orleans is very loud, energy-packed everywhere. ... You can't just go around campus and set up shop with your laptop there. Here there's so much space -- you can go to the Lawn and do your homework -- it's great."
Despite appreciation for this semester's accommodations, Kuckro said he looks forward to spending next spring in New Orleans.
"I want to go back to Mardi Gras, I want to go back to Jazz Fest," Kuckro said. "It's two weeks long, and it's just concert after concert after concert."
Simms, too, said he already misses his own school despite his appreciation of the Charlottesville experience.
"I love U.Va., but if I could go back today, I would," Simms said. "That's my home now. This is a fortunate opportunity, but it's temporary."
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