During the 2011 Summer an F-5 Tornado hit the City of Joplin in Southwest Missouri, not only leaving a destructive path behind it but killing hundreds and virtually wiping out the city. Aid from all over the world started to flow in, but as it is expected after a natural disaster of that magnitude recovery was slow. I was witness to this when Drury University organized a smart mob to help in the reconstruction effort of a memorial. As we drove through the “city” I saw destroyed houses, abandoned buildings, trees at awkward angles and despair in peoples faces. However as soon as our bus pulled up to the construction site cheers erupted in our honor since we were there to make a change. I feel that the Smart Mob organized by the University was highly efficient, in contrast to the Extreme Makeover crew who I felt was there as an act or show. We worked throughout the day and at the end the result was extremely visible, something I also heard from the Architecture students that had been on site for the duration of the week. Overall it was a great and humbling experience and I would most definitely like to do it again in the near future.
-Juan Franco
-Juan Franco
No comments:
Post a Comment