Joe Chesla and the sculpture club sponsor October trip to the tornado-devastated town
-Photo Editor-
Joe Chesla, sculpture and design professor and faculty sponsor for the trip, is taking 10 students with him to Joplin for the trip.
The trip will last from Oct. 7-9.
Chesla said he plans on using the time spent in Joplin as not only a way to give back, but to help students realize their abilities.
“These kids need to be thinking, and they need to be acting. That’s what the Joplin thing is all about: understanding their strengths and putting them into action,” Chesla said.
Support from students and faculty has come not only by donations, but personal visits to Chesla reinforcing the trip, Chesla said.
“Lots of people are coming and saying, ‘I’m really glad you’re doing this. I’m really glad you’re engaging the students like this’,” Chesla said. “It is really interesting.”
Donations will be accepted until Oct. 7 in the sculpture lab in HE 131. A full list of items needed can be found at http://rebuildjoplin.org/give.
Items especially needed include laundry and dishwashing soap along with gas cards.
“It’s coming, but it’s coming really slow, which is fine,” Chesla said. “I know everybody is kind of strapped at the moment.”
After the Joplin trip, Chesla plans to work locally as well on social work to help the community.
“There is plenty that needs to be done here. We have people who are in need on a daily basis,”Chesla said. “We have the abilities, whether people just need their yard raked, or their front porch is falling apart.”
Chesla said he uses social work as a way to employ skills learned in the classroom toward real-world use.
“Taking the little knowledge we have and some of the tools, we can go make a difference a block away tomorrow,” Chesla said. “That’s kind of what I’m about.”
Chesla urged anyone wanting to help but unsure as to what they can do, to either contact the organizers directly at 417-625-3543 or contact him for further information on how to help.
“It just needs to happen,” Chesla said.
