Southern Miss School of Mass Communication and Journalism Blog
Day 6: December 8th, 2009
8:00 a.m. – Just arrived at the site; the weather is much better than it has been, but showers are sure to grace us with their presence soon. The roof is finally complete and the workers are diligently adding another layer to the outside walls.
8:45 – The workers are tunneling through the muddy trenches as they lay the foundation for the underground plumbing while a nearby bulldozer carries away the unwanted rubble and debris.
9:10 – These workers are literally knee deep in mud and seem to be enjoying every minute of it. I don’t know how they are able to do so; it must truly be the “spirit that builds.”
9:40 – Walking over to the house, let me rephrase that, wading through the mud to the house!
9:45 – We just got to take a quick tour of the house! It is really coming along! We walked in the side door, passed through the kitchen, where the cabinets are already in place, then walked through the living room, the children’s’ bedrooms and got a quick peek at the master bedroom! Tile is already in place in the bathrooms! It is hard to believe it has only been a few days!
10:03 – HERE COMES THE SUN!
10:05 – Just kidding… HERE COMES THE CLOUDS!
10:10 – We sat down to have a chat with Eric Pendleton, owner of Penco Construction. He and his crew have volunteered their time to hang and finish dry wall this week. Some of the crew was here until 3 a.m. this morning!
Pendleton says he has worked on strict deadlines in the past, but has never had to complete a project this quickly. However, due to the enormous amount of volunteers, Pendleton trusts that the project will be completed on time.
“Yesterday there were people doing electrical wiring, heating and air conditioning, guys still working on framing, insulators and even guys laying tile,” said Pendleton. “Today there are even more workers, there is a lot of clutter, but we are all working together very well.”
Just as many other volunteers feel, Pendleton is glad to be a part of this wonderful experience.
“I wish I could do this every day and help to change people’s lives.”
11:18 – The rain is back in full force but the volunteers only slow down enough to don ponchos and head back to work.
11:20 – Johnny drops by the tent covered in mud! He grabs a quick lunch before going back to work.
Carlie McCrary, Melissa Weinberger and Samone Faulkner
Press Conference
1:00 p.m. – Heading to a press conference at the Hattiesburg Library with builder David Thompson and media relations coordinator Cliff Brown. The press conference will address the theme of the project “The Spirit that Builds.”
1:15 – Just arrived at the Hattiesburg Public Library for the press conference. As we wait on the press conference to begin we are looking at the beautiful mural that hangs over the circulation desk. The mural, which hangs 30 feet above the circulation desk, measures 10 feet in height and 167 feet in length, was painted by University of Southern Mississippi Professor Bill Baggett. The mural, named “The Spirit that Builds,” depicts the city of Hattiesburg through a series of pictures.
1:30 - The press conference begins! Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny Dupree opens the floor speaking of the great service the Hattiesburg community is providing through this project.
David Thompson, of AAA Homes, thanked Bill Baggett and the city for allowing them to use the theme, explaining how well it described the project and the volunteers.
“It [the spirit] is alive and working in this city,” said Thompson. “The title could not be more fitting.”
Baggett explained his purpose behind the mural, saying that it represents the history of the area in a creative way, telling its own story. He believes that the theme “The Spirit that Builds” accurately represents the project.
“The project we are seeing undertaken simply typifies the community itself,” said Baggett. “Hattiesburg is a unique place. There is a natural leap from the painting to the project.”
Carlie McCrary
Back on the Site
12:02 p.m. – Rain continues to fall. The ground is muddy and volunteers are soaked, but everyone keeps pushing on!
12:31 – Rain has temporarily stopped, but the sky is still completely gray. Volunteers are working in the yard to move equipment and clear some of the mud.
1:00 – Volunteer builders are putting siding on the house while others are working on the front porch.
1:20 –The rain has started back up. Roofing shingles are being installed on an overhang of the house.
1:39 – Rain has let up again. Builders are back out working on the siding.
The three designers just took up cards to send overseas to the troops from the volunteers having lunch in the food tent.
2:08 – Siding is almost finished on a front section of the house! Builders are on the roof using a circular saw to cut bits of board for a part of the roof in the front of the house.
2:30 – No rain right now!! Station is set up for cutting plywood and siding under the gazebo-like addition on the front of the house, along with a station near the road and out of the mud. More people are out and about trying to get wood cut and doing more on the roof while the rain is letting up.
3:00 – Sitting here in the VIP tent with David Thompson, one of the builders. They have decided because of the weather tonight, that no volunteers will be needed after 4 p.m. for safety reasons. There is a possibility of having to evacuate the site due to possible tornado warnings, so more people here would be more people to move to a safer site.
3:04 – Builders are reinforcing the sewer line by making room to put rocks around it so the pipes will not get crushed.
3:46 – Volunteer builders are caulking some of the windows in the front. Still no rain right now, but storms are expected later in the evening.
Olivia Hurst, Matt Stockmeyer, Brandi Cook
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