Post written by Sandi Loschnig, Adult Literacy Research Institute, CEFL
Calgary’s downtown core is slowly returning to a new “normal.”
Here and there, puddles of silty water still remain, sludge-filled reminders of
the flood that surged through the city only weeks ago. The Central Library
remains closed, the unmistakable smell of mud and wet books wafting from
within.
One block away at Bow Valley College, campus life is resuming
in a tentative, shell-shocked way. The downtown college was evacuated and all
four buildings closed from June 21 to July 4. Our rural satellite locations
were also hard hit. Outside of the city, the High River campus hopes to reopen
soon.
On Thursday, July 4, Bow Valley College president Sharon
Carry welcomed staff back to the downtown campus and announced that learners
would return to classes on Monday, July 8. She began by thanking Bow Valley College staff
who have been working 24/7 to get the college up and running again - the IT
department, maintenance, security, management and faculty.
"This has been an unprecedented time for the College and our great
City. The floods have certainly tested our limits, but have also revealed a
resourcefulness, humanity, and commitment to service that really exemplify Bow
Valley College. I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to our learners,
faculty, and staff who have been incredibly supportive and patient while we
have worked to get the College back on track." (Press Release, Bow Valley
College, July 5, 2013)
The College community came together in countless ways to
help each other during the crisis. Not only did people work endlessly on fixing
our campus, but we also extended our support in each other’s homes and
communities by providing food and shelter, wading in on the clean-up, caring
for pets and even washing much needed laundry.
It’s been almost a month since the most severe flood in
over one hundred years swept through Calgary and large parts of southern
Alberta. Whole towns and neighborhoods have been busy cleaning up, negotiating
with insurance agents, and starting the hard work of rebuilding.
But it’s not over yet.
The long process of healing has just begun. A natural disaster such as a flood has a huge
impact on the emotional and mental health of individuals that were directly and
indirectly affected. During the first
week that students were back in classes, Liz O’Shea, Coordinator, Counselling
and Specialized Support, held several information sessions on the emotional and
social impact of a natural disaster.
Faculty and learners alike may be experiencing stress.
Right now, it might be normal to have heightened feelings of anxiety. When it
rains, we might worry about flooding. Irritability, confusion, indecisiveness,
shortened attention span and trouble concentrating - all are common following a
disaster. These symptoms gradually decrease over time and most people recover.
However, O’Shea noted that some people may experience
more severe reactions such as nightmares, flashbacks, emotional numbing, panic
attacks, rage and intense agitation. These may be warning signs that a person
needs professional help.
What
can you do?
During the information session with learners, students
suggested several ways of coping:
·
Exercise regularly
·
Eat nutritious meals
·
Get enough sleep
·
Do yoga and meditation
·
Spend time in nature
·
Talk to friends and loved ones
·
Look out for one another
O’Shea also recommended avoiding alcohol and drugs (they increase
depression), spending time with positive people and reaching out to others for
support. It is this final sentiment that Liz O’Shea spoke about when she said “My
BVC is a community where people take care of each other.”
During the past few weeks, we’ve experienced many things: the sheer power of nature; coping in the face
of hardship; and the enormous generosity of strangers. The flood brought
informal, unplanned learning into our lives requiring patience, care and
working alongside one another. These will help us as we move carefully into the
formal learning stream once again.
If you, or someone you know is experiencing severe stress
reactions in the aftermath of the flood, there is help available:
Students
- Bow Valley College Learner Success Services: Room N231, Phone 403-410-1440,
css@bowvalleycollege.ca
Staff
– Employee Assistance Program, Forbes Psychological Services:
(24/7) 1-800-420-2204
Distress
Centre 24 hour Crisis Line: 403-266-4357
Online
Resources
The
Stories from the Field project is a research project that is collecting
information and stories about teaching and learning practices in adult literacy
and essential skills. Using interviews with practitioners and research, we will
write articles highlighting current issues and innovative work taking place in
adult literacy and learning throughout the province. Check out http://centreforfoundationallearning.wordpress.com/projects-in-progress/stories-from-the-field/ for
more Stories from the Field.
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