Imagine your hometown underwater. Everything you remember is gone.
That has been the experience for Scott Ellis, 23, an Ohio University graduate student studying sports management, during the past week. Having grown up in New Orleans, Ellis, along with many other Americans, has watched footage from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina with sadness and shock.
It is impossible to imagine the suffering
Ellis said, adding that the footage of the destroyed Twinspan Bridge, a major thoroughfare in New Orleans, brought tears to his eyes. It really made me upset to see babies and people dying.
Ellis and his family have not been able to return to their home, but he said they think the house is gone, based on television reports and satellite photos. While most of his family and friends are safe, Ellis said he has not talked to everyone from his hometown.
Trying to get his mind off the destruction, Ellis went to a movie and played golf in the days after the levees broke. The destruction is mind-boggling he said.
A New Orleans Saints football fan, Ellis said he was proud of the city's cultural contributions and noted that he will miss the jazz music and food. Ellis worked as a media relations intern for the Sugar Bowl, where he had a chance to be on the field during the game, and was saddened by the damage of the Superdome.
Sept. 11 is nothing compared to what is happening in New Orleans he said. A whole city is lost.
While those stranded in The Big Easy have a right to be angry about the lack of help immediately following the flooding, Ellis said he is upset about the media coverage of the disaster.
It is unfair to blame one or two people, noting that government officials on all levels and the general public have known about the possibility of flooding for years, he added.
I have known since kindergarten what would happen if a big storm came through
Ellis said.
Race relations also have been damaged through the media coverage, Ellis said. He noted that he was especially upset about rap artist Kanye West's comments during a relief telethon aired on NBC Friday.
West let his feelings be known during the show by saying that George Bush doesn't care about black people.
The solution to rebuilding the city should involve people helping those affected by the hurricane regardless of race and less bureaucracy, Ellis said.
Ellis' family is considered lucky. His parents are in Houston, while his two younger siblings are away at college and far from the damage. Even though she is miles away from the disaster, Ellis said his sister, Tippi, a sophomore at University of Southern California, had to take a break from some of her classes because she has been so upset.
Our situation is better than others
Ellis said, noting the support he and his siblings have received from their universities has been helpful. Ellis' brother, Preston, attends Elon University in North Carolina.
We are very blessed
Ellis said, referring to his brother and sister. If I could get my scrapbook back
I would be in heaven.
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