GUEST COLUMN: Faculty Hurricane Katrina Reflection

By: Ron Bechet, Guest Faculty Columnist

August 18, 2025

The fall semester, 2005, Xavier University had the largest freshman class that anyone could remember. There were about 1,000 freshmen, and about 20 of them were art majors, our largest number. Our first annual faculty meeting was filled with excitement and full of anticipation of growing the department. We had lively discussions about adding classes for freshmen and how we needed to plan for the future in this growth trend as we began our first week of classes. We were very excited because we had actually begun developing and had moved into parts of the Art Village. We had two buildings that were actually in use and were planning another two. We had a faculty that was excited and actively looking forward to developing the curriculum based in the art department’s great history for a greater future. We had to add courses to accommodate the number of freshmen. Our faculty at the time consisted of John Scott, Mapó Kinnord, Janelle Marsalis, and Muffin Bernstein. I was the department chair at the time. 

After our first week of classes and preparation in my case, we prepared for an opening exhibition of Steve Prince, an alumnus of the department. Our preoccupation with the beginning of the semester and other activities took us away from the rest of the world. We knew that there was something brewing in the Gulf, but of course, we were so busy trying to get everything together, so we continued, with tunnel vision. I had never left the city because of a storm, including Betsy and Camille. Being a native New Orleanian, I felt no fear, it was just part of our lives in the fall. 

Obviously, this storm was different. We had storm plans for the department that the administration annually asked for. After Steve Prince’s exhibition in the gallery, in the library, some of the faculty took him to dinner. There, we saw it on the screens. It finally hit us.  

There was this huge, massive storm coming through the Gulf like a bowling ball headed for the pins, and we were the pins. Steve Prince got himself together and was able to leave immediately after dinner and go back to Virginia. The rest of us started to prepare for what was coming and we were able to get ourselves moving and going into our plan for hurricanes.  

 We had to follow the plan. Get computers and major equipment away from where they might be destroyed, but we had no idea what was coming. We all just thought that we were going to be leaving for a weekend, and we’d come back like we had usually for other hurricanes. We all emailed our students and gave them their assignments and told them to check emails over the weekend. Friday, we prepared and followed the plan and were told by the administration to make preparations and to make sure we had contact information and to leave our contact information.  

Classes were suspended until the emergency was over. Sandbags were placed on all buildings on Friday and Saturday. The University Center was just built at that time and just earlier in the Spring Semester of 2005 the art collection was newly framed and hung impressively in the U.C. Some of the work was still in the process of being placed. I went to the U.C. before leaving the campus to make my personal preparations but the doors were already sandbagged. Some of the art was still leaning on the walls. 

 On that Friday, we basically made our plans and contacted our students and had them to understand what was coming and what we needed to do to make that work for our courses. I told mine to take their materials with them because they may need to do their assignments while they were away. So, that Saturday we all decided what we were going to do, just thinking what we and our students needed to have while we were going to be away for the few days that we would be out for Hurricane Katrina. 

We told each other we will see you soon, as we each completed our preparations in our spaces, took each other’s phone numbers and were able to get out of the city. My wife and mother convinced me to go to Houston. Early Sunday, my wife, daughter, mother and two dogs caravanned for Houston. It took 12 hours to get to Houston. We arrived there very early on Sunday morning and at that time the hurricane was ravaging through the city and headed for Waveland. We immediately joined my son watching the news once we got to Houston. The next morning, I woke up early and decided to work on my Design class assignments while looking at the news. The storm had passed the city. I had actually brought with me my computer and my syllabus. I needed to reconfigure for the new Design class that I had to take on. Then the news of the 17th street canal levees broke. A frightening experience to watch later of all that water pouring out of the breaks. I still was not so concerned because it was just one break and then as we heard the 9th Ward and the London Canal, where Dr. Michael White lived. 

We were caught up in a no man’s land, not knowing what was going on in the city, much less Xavier. As the days went by and the news trickled in, we could not reach anyone in the New Orleans area. There was no email, later some text came through. I felt isolated and confused. At that time, we had no home, no jobs or schools and only had what we managed to bring with us. I couldn’t reach John Scott or any colleague. I got a cell phone for the first time as I was using a landline. Eventually I found John Scott also in Houston once I got a cell phone. We all had to find another way to use the internet and an alternate email address and eventually gaining contact with the university. After some time, we were able to reach Xavier through email. We all got an alternative email, and we were able to reach out, and Dr. Anil Kukreja was able to reach out to us, as he was actually in Houston as well. He was trying to organize Xavier students in Houston. We still didn’t know anything about the campus or what we were to do. 

 Soon, we heard from a news report that Dr. Norman C. Francis and his team committed to being back on campus in classes in January, that the fall semester would take place in January and that the spring semester would take place that summer. We did return. Professor Mapó Kinnord and I returned full time and Muffin returned part time. The campus was usable, but not all students returned so not all faculty were brought back or all classes reinstated. We did not need that extra Design class.  

We all had to rebuild Xavier, our homes and our lives. I was able to reach out to two students while we were in Houston. Perrin Green and Jamie Jones. Jamie Jones and Perrin Green were able to take classes and eventually finish their work for their Xavier courses through the kindness of Texas Southern University. My wife and I went to downtown Houston to the Astrodome area where they were bringing in people from New Orleans just trying to help, just trying to find maybe a cousin or an uncle who we hadn’t located. I saw Xavier students there volunteering and helping people get settled. I’m sure there are many stories like these that students share. While still stranded in Houston, they were able to complete their work. They were seniors and able to do their graduating exhibition while in Houston.  

Through the kindness of others, and so many other people, Xavier was able to rebuild and help others. For a time in the Fall and Spring semester of ‘05 and ‘06 Dillard University art classes were taught sharing Xavier’s Art Village. Through the strength of our administration, we were able to be the first flooded campus to return. Faculty and staff did what they needed to do. Some lived in trailers on campus or with other friends. The kindness of so many from around the world that supplied materials, money and moral support help keep us focused and sane. I will always feel gratitude for the many who even came to the city to help us remake a better New Orleans.