Newswise — Just two days after Alliant President Geoff Cox closed the University's San Diego campus, on-campus students are slowly returning to their dorms. They come from all over, after a mandatory evacuation sent them, as well as faculty and staff, scattering throughout San Diego County; some from Qualcomm stadium, some from hotels, and others from the sofas and guest rooms of their off-campus peers. Brave staff members are returning too, and are preparing, at the behest of President Geoff Cox, for the reconvening of classes on Monday. Each returns with their own story. As it was with the Cedar Fire of 2003, the campus remains unscathed, but this time, some faculty members were not so lucky, having lost homes and apartments, and many are dealing with common stress reactions to trauma. They are all grateful that atleast Alliant is still a home they can return to.
San Diego Wildfire Survivors Available to the Media:
Val Trouyet, Director of Student Activities, is coordinating emergency housing and counseling for those traumatized by fire and evacuation experiences and is available to talk about the students she has encountered.
Graduate Student Seth Pociask evacuated the campus and spent Tuesday night at Qualcomm Stadium and is available to talk about his experience.
As students return to campus, they check in with Meghan Murray, Director of Housing and Residence Life, who is available to talk about where the students evacuated too and where they are returning from.
Dr. Ribner, PhD, a psychologist and director of Alliant's California School of Professional Psychology's Marital and Family Therapy programs, is available to speak to media about trauma to children and about his personal experiences in the fire. He was evacuated from and has now returned to his home near the campus in Scripps Ranch.
RSS