UMD Caribbean students react to Hurricane Melissa and the university’s response

Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest hurricanes to ever form in the Atlantic, ripped through the Caribbean islands in late October, leaving at least 75 people dead and thousands displaced in Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica.

Hurricane Melissa reached a dangerous Category 5 just before slamming into Jamaica on Oct. 28, with torrential rain and winds up to 185 mph, faster than Hurricane Katrina’s 175 mph in 2005. 

At the University of Maryland, many Caribbean students have family and friends who live in areas devastated by Hurricane Melissa. 

Junior information science major Jodi Aryee is worried about her family members who live on the island. While she didn’t grow up there, Jamaica is a defining part of her identity.  

“I’ve watched places where I would run around as a kid when I visited. They’re gone,” she said. “I’ve watched my mother’s homeland–my childhood be whisked away in seconds.” 

She said that after the storm, her family in America is a critical part of helping her relatives in Jamaica recover. 

“Our family’s relying on everybody here in America to help them rebuild things or just pay for things because we are their resource,” Ayree said.

Malique Fowler, a junior criminology and criminal justice major, is the external operations coordinator for the Caribbean Student Association at this university. 

Fowler, born and raised in Jamaica, says his mother and grandmother still live there. 

Fowler could not reach his grandmother for multiple days due to the power outage. His mother’s house was flooded, her bedroom window completely destroyed. She had to relocate to a resort for shelter.

In a statement for CSA, Fowler expressed concern about the university’s lack of response to the storm. As of Nov. 6, the University of Maryland has not released a public statement addressing the storm or its impact on the Caribbean student body.

“We expect just the same representation that they have for the other groups, but that’s not always the case,” Fowler said.

In a statement to The Black Explosion, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Andrea Goodwin indicated the university has reached out to students who live in impacted areas

“Our team has proactively contacted students whose permanent addresses are located in the regions impacted by the storm to offer care, connection and available resources,” the statement read. “We are deeply aware of the stress and concern this disaster may have caused for our students and their families, and we are working to ensure they have access to the support they need during this difficult time.”

Fowler said the university should provide resources to help all Caribbean students cope with emergencies like this.                                                                                                                                                              

“The organization really believes that the campus has a lot more power to assist us in times of need,” CSA representative Fowler said. 

Although the hurricane has affected many families, Fowler shared a hopeful message for Jamaica.  

“We’re very hopeful and strong people mentally. We always find a way to find unity and peace in any situation, so this is not gonna break us,” Fowler said.

Similarly, Ayree is optimistic about the Caribbean’s recovery from Melissa.

“They’re too colorful of people to be held down,” Aryee said.