Middle Tennessee was hit with a series of tornados late on March 2 and in the early hours of March 3, leaving a path of both destruction and death. A total of 25 people were killed due to the deadly storm that moved at 165 mph, with five of those deaths being children under the age of 13. Although Union’s campus was not directly affected by the storms, many students’ families were affected.
Kendal Kelsh, a junior political science major, was one of these students. At first Kelsh downplayed the severity of the storm and thought that her family took shelter as a precautionary measure.
“I didn’t really worry about what was happening until my mom texted me and told me that she and my dad loved me very much,” said Kelsh. “I knew something was up because of the way my mother worded it.”
Kelsh explained that she felt helpless and almost guilty for being safe inside her apartment in Jackson, Tenn.
“I knew my parents were scared,” said Kelsh. “So that made me feel guilty for not going through this with them.”
Kelsh’s home was spared, but the tornado hit the street her grandmother’s nursing home facility is on.
“I was up all night with my parents, trying to get a hold of my grandmother’s nursing home,” said Kelsh. “It took awhile, but we finally got word. Praise God she was unhurt, and the nursing home she is at suffered very little damage. It’s a miracle.”
Hearing the word “tornado” strikes a chord within Union’s community. The current students on Union’s campus did not experience the devastation if the 2008 tornado, but students still feel the weight of that day.
“I think it just brings you back into the mindset that everything you have and everything you know can be taken away from you in an instant,” said Kelsh. “It makes you appreciate Union more and helps to further connect you to what emotions were felt by the Union community.”
Although Union students as a whole do not know what it is like to lose a school that helped shape them into the individuals they are today, that is not the same for Union freshman, TriciaClare Griffin.
Griffin is a Biblical studies and languages double major from middle Tennessee. Growing up, Griffin attended two private schools that were both affected by the storms that ripped through the middle Tennessee last week.
“My incredible high school, Donelson Christian Academy, was hit and brutally damaged by the tornado,” said Griffin. “We lost our elementary wing, all our sports fields and much of the high school section.”
The place that she had known and called home was unrecognizable.
“It broke my heart to see the place I once called home in shambles,” said Griffin.
Though she is heartbroken about her home, Griffin chooses to see the good in what has happened and reflects on God’s faithfulness in times of struggle. Griffin explained how her community banded together to help with the relief effort.
“My Volunteer State lived up to its name as supplies, financial support, prayers and willing hands showed up to contribute to the rebuilding of my school,” said Griffin. “My awesome church, Hermitage Hills Baptist, has provided to the community through Radical Heart Ministries and have taken in DCA preschoolers.”
The cities across middle Tennessee have banded together and have grown to give one another support during the rebuilding efforts.
“In every scenario, I’ve seen how God has used his people to demonstrate his mercy and loving kindness,” said Griffin.
In regards to the Union tornados, Griffin acknowledged how similar the situations where and how losing a campus at any point in time is devastating and can leave a lasting impact on current students and students to come.
“We’ve built our whole lives surrounding our schools, so watching it all crumple in just a few hours is heartbreaking. But for both DCA and Union, the community really showed up and showed out!” said Griffin. “The unification of people who genuinely care is absolutely astounding, and I’m so grateful for it.”
Photo by Trevor Masterson