BEAUMONT, Texas. Brigham Young University students travel from Utah to southeast Texas to learn how hurricanes affect our community.
They spoke to people who lost everything in the storm about their experiences in our area.
The hurricane season began on June 1st. Potential floods, winds and rains – that’s why a group of student journalists from Brigham Young University gathered here.
“[It’s] so that students go out into the real world to become journalists in this sense, interview people from these communities and create a story about this community,” said student Hayley Deeds. “So we chose Texas because none of us had ever been here and we always wanted to learn more about hurricanes and their impact on society.”
They interview longtime residents and realize the resilience of Southeast Texans and get a fresh perspective.
“Growing up in California, I never really thought about these hurricanes, never experienced them,” said journalism student Jamie Kalika. stories make them more personal and have a stronger impact on you and make you more empathetic.”
They even talked about the impact of these storms on the ecosystem in our area.
“Many trout anglers have said that it has never been the same and it has taken a toll on the oyster life here, which is huge. For that ecosystem in Sabine Lake,” said Johnny Thomas.
A lot has been learned here during their stay in Texas, especially how Texans come together to help each other.
“There is this connection, even if they don’t know each other, they are always ready to help each other,” Kalika said.
These student journalists will be heading back to Utah on Sunday, and hopefully they’ve learned not only how Southeast Texas handles hurricanes, but how we take care of each other.
