By: Elisabeth Steinhardt
Posted In: News
Photo credit: Eldon Santiago
Santiago was a student resident in the New Breakers Dorm.
Photo credit: Tess Wagner
Wagner and Haviland were roomates in the New Breakers Apartments.
Photo credit: Jennifer Haviland
Jennifer Haviland was in class when she first heard that her dorm was on fire.
In the aftermath of the fire that destroyed New Breakers, the Junior/Senior student dorm, on Tuesday, March 2, students struggle to get back on their feet and back on track.
How do you cope when you have just lost all of belongings? How do you learn to move forward without these belongings? How do you start to replace the belongings that were lost? What do you do when things can’t be replaced? What happens next? Jennifer Haviland, 21 Senior Social Work Manchester Vermont Question:Were any of your belongings found after the fire? Answer:I have not gone to look because I was told that nothing from my apartment was recovered. Q:What belongings did you lose in the fire? A:I lost everything I owned except for a few articles of clothing. I no longer live in my parent’s house so any type of belonging that I had was in my apartment. I lost my TV, DVD player, pea coat, paycheck, my clothing, jewelry, everything that I furnished the kitchen with, my amazing European silk down comforter, my school work, anything that I would have owned was in that apartment. Luckily, I left my laptop at my boyfriend’s house the night before so he could use it, so I do have that. Q:How have you learned to cope with all of these things missing in your life? A:It was really hard at first and gets a little easier as the days go on. It is hard because that was my entire past and everything that I had collected throughout the years. I just think that we are all lucky that no one got hurt; however, it’s still a hard thing to deal with emotionally. I never ever in a million years thought that my apartment, a junior/senior dorm at Salve Regina, would ever catch on fire and burn down. Q:Are there things that you lost that cannot be replaced? A:There are so many things that I have lost that cannot be replaced. Every picture I had of my friends and family, mementos that I collected throughout the years and things that I have had since I was a very young child. Anything that was not a material thing, clothing can be replaced, my TV can be replaced, however, I can never get back those priceless items that I had. Q:How are you replacing the materials that can be replaced? A:As of right now, I have only replaced a little bit of clothing and things that I absolutely need to live with right now. I was lucky enough to have my grandfather and a close family friend to lend me some money for the time being. I also work a lot at a group home so being that I have a job I have a small income. Q:What has it been like getting back on track? A:It has been hard. This has made me lose all interest in being at school and motivation to do school work. Thinking about the fire still brings tears to my eyes. Q:What have you learned from this experience? A:I have learned that if I am offered fire insurance to take it. Unexpected things can happen to anyone and there really is no way to be prepared for these things, except to be insured. Q:What happens next? A:Just trying to put my life back together, and keep graduation in sight. I honestly can’t wait to get out of here and get on with my life, to put this behind me. Tess Wagner, 21 Senior Cultural and Historic Preservation and Philosophy Hometown: San Jose, California Q:Were any of your belongings found after the fire? A:The only thing that I got back was my car keys. The fire fighters were going to break the window of my car and put it into gear, but that wouldn’t work. Instead, I drew them a map of where the keys were and thankfully they were able to hack them off the coffee table with an axe. Q:What belongings did you lose in the fire? A:I lost everything, cell phone, driver’s license, money, credit cards, passport, birth certificate, social security card, all of my schoolwork from the past four years, books, computer, clothes, shoes, all of the pictures that we had taken over the last four years, cards, letters, baby pictures and jewelry – in particular a tiffany’s bracelet that my parents gave me with my initials on it. Also, all of my makeup and hair products. Q:How have you learned to cope with all of these things missing in your life? A:I miss them more then I can explain. I feel as though the things that make me who I am are lost and now I have to start all over again. Q:Are there things that you lost that cannot be replaced? A:There was the last birthday card that my grandmother had sent me before she died which is the one thing that hurts the most. I also lost cards that my parents gave me when I graduated from high school, all the awards that I had won in school and sports growing up, all of the pictures that I had taken throughout college and my high school graduation pictures, gifts that I had been given by friends, and all of the papers that I wrote throughout college. Q:How are you replacing the materials that can be replaced? A:That is pretty much clothes and things of that nature. I have slowly been getting those things back, I replaced my computer and had new keys made for my car. It is just hard because my parents have had to pay for all of this. Q:What has it been like getting back on track? A:It is hard especially hard with school. I have no desire to do school work and it is hard to complete it because I don’t have my notes to reference. Other then that, I have tried to move on, but it is always on my mind and I think about it constantly. Q:What have you learned from this experience? A:I have learned so much. I have wondered why God did this to us and what the meaning is behind this kind of tragedy. I have learned that you can loose everything and stand there with just the clothes on your back but be surrounded by your friends and know that, that is what is really important. I have learned that the kindness and love that the students at Salve have for each other is something that is rare and amazing. I have also learned that you have to take every precaution to be prepared for something like this because if you don’t it will be even harder to recover Q:What happens next? A:Well, graduation and moving on and hopefully getting a settlement of some sort to pay for the replacement of my lost items. Eldon Santiago, 21 Senior History/Religious Studies East Providence Q:Were any of your belongings found after the fire? A:My wallet was the only thing that was recovered after the fire. Throughout the day it was the only thing on my mind because all my cards, license, social security and other important items in my wallet and the hassle it would be to replace them. Q:What belongings did you lose in the fire? A:To be honest just about everything I own. My computer which was barely a year old, many books that I have been saving since freshman year, all my clothes, electronics such as a stereo system, iPod, all my notes that I was saving for graduate studies as well as when I begin teaching, and many other items that to me are irreplaceable because they also held a great deal of sentimental value to me. Q:How have you learned to cope with all of these things missing in your life? A:Well it’s definitely hard to go about my day without thinking about certain items that were lost, but there is no use dwelling on them because in the end they were only material things. I just try to keep myself busy and not stress over the loss of my possessions. Q:Are there things that you lost that cannot be replaced? A:Yes definitely! I had several autographed pictures of myself with NFL superstars that I have met such as Santana Moss of the Washington Redskins. I also lost my senior thesis paper, tons of pictures taken before the digital camera era, a gold necklace that was given to me by my brother upon my high school graduation, and all the notes that I have been saving since freshman year. I planned on taking them with me to graduate school as references, but that will no longer be possible. Q:How are you replacing the materials that can be replaced? A:I am slowly buying the few things that are important that cannot wait until I receive money for the damage and loss that I received. Q:What has it been like getting back on track? A:Hard, definitely hard. I often find myself wondering off in my thoughts while in the classroom. Physically I am in class, but my mind is elsewhere. It is very hard to keep focus because we are so close to graduation, yet I am lacking motivation to keep going. The fire really made the home stretch to graduation a tough one. Q:What have you learned from this experience? A:First of all to count my blessings because no one was hurt. The Salve community would have been devastated if anyone would have perished in the fire. Second, not to place much emphasis on material things because in the blink of an eye they could all be taken away and you are left with nothing but the clothes on your back. Q:What happens next? A:Now comes the hard part. The aftermath of dealing with loss and trying to stay focused, neither of which has been easy. I am not angry or upset that this happened. This was merely a reminder of how fragile and insignificant we are as humans. One minute everything could be perfectly fine and the next your world is flipped upside down. I hope that I can learn something from this unfortunate event and move forward. I will not dwell on what happened because it will not change the fact that the fire did happen. I’m just trying to graduate and move forward into the next chapter of my life.
