Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering

By Brian Scrimager, Engineering Communications and Marketing

Twenty-six students from Iowa State University’s College of Engineering returned from spring break tired, but satisfied. The students, most of them majoring in construction engineering and members of Iowa State’s Associated General Contractors (AGC) of America chapter, were in southern Mississippi for a week helping families devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Instead of basking in the warm sun on Gulf Coast beaches, they were hanging sheetrock, roofing homes, framing houses, and removing debris still strewn about the area.

“We wanted to lend a helping hand to those in need,” says Nels Overgaard, a senior from Newell, Iowa, and president of Iowa State’s AGC chapter. “I think we made a difference.”

The Iowa State team lived with more than 700 other students from across the country at the Morrell Foundation’s I-Care Village in Waveland, Mississippi, for a week. The work in this area is being coordinated by the Hurricane Relief Corps, a nonprofit agency dedicated to helping the devastated area. Each student paid $30 a day for room and board.

Because the Iowa State students were skilled in construction, they actually got to help with rebuilding efforts. Almost everyone else was picking up debris or tearing down damaged structures. Overgaard says the other students had rakes, shovels, and wheel barrows, and they spent the week gutting houses. “Iowa State students did what they do best,” he adds. “We built things.”

Sponsors

These sponsors provided tools and equipment:

• PCI of Reinbeck, IA, donated a pickup to pull the trailer.
• Willie Carpentry of Ames, IA, donated a cargo trailer for the tools.
• Frank Audino Construction of Sioux City, IA, donated stocked toolbelts and the use of many tools.
• RSC of Ames provided a generator.
• BJK of Newell, IA, provided a generator.
• Dr. David White of ISU provided a chop saw.
• Dickman Supply and Insulation donated taping knives and fasteners.
• Bob Mueller donated miscellaneous fasteners and tools.
• Spahn and Rose Lumber Co. donated fasteners.
• Munn Lumber donated fasteners.
• Marcus Lumber Co. donated fasteners.
• Fastenal of Ames donated fasteners.
• Bradley Tools of Johnston donated fasteners.
• Lowe’s of Ames discounted the purchase of new tools for the trip.

The following sponsors provided funding:

• RASCH Construction of Ft. Dodge
• ASPRO of Waterloo
• Manatt’s of Ames
• Jensen Construction Co. of Des Moines
• United Contractors of Des Moines
• Burns and McDonnell of Kansas City
• Kelly Strong LLC
• Story Construction and Employees
• Cedar Valley Corp. of Cedar Falls
• Altorfer Caterpiller
• Rexco Equipment
• L&L Builders
• Joe’s Ready Mix
• Radziwon Family
• Adjutable Forms Inc.
• Ryan Companies
• Mass Electric