On May 18, 2008, 19 students and faculty from Creighton University and St. Mary’s College arrived in Beijing as one of the first foreign groups to provide relief for earthquake victims.
Originally intended to be a faculty-led program abroad designed to teach students about Chinese philosophy and art, Creighton in China is a relatively new summer program that allows students the opportunity to tour the great sights of China and distribute donations at universities and orphanages. However, last May’s earthquake threw the students into an unanticipated effort.
Dr. Jinmei Yuan, associate professor of the Philosophy Department at Creighton, annually spearheads this trip. She said that shortly after the earthquake hit on May 12, students felt that they must do something to help. With the support of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Asian World Center, the students and faculty sent out a call for donations. Within three days, they had collected about $3,000 in material donations and approximately $2,200 in monetary donations.
Although the students and faculty were ready to do their part, they found once they passed customs in Beijing that they were still unprepared for what they had come to see.
“None of us knew what to expect,” said Arts & Sciences senior, Andrew Trapp. “When we got through customs in Beijing, one of the first things you could see was a giant, big-screen TV with news coverage of the earthquake. Although the physical damage was done, the suffering had only started. They were still pulling people out of the rubble and the death toll rose by the thousands everyday. It was really painful to see.”
The students and faculty were greeted at the Beijing Capital Airport by the Soong Ching-Ling Foundation, a non-governmental and non-profit organization that supplies aid to disaster areas in and outside of China. Since the Chinese government had closed off all of the areas hit by the earthquake, Creighton and the SCLF worked hand-in-hand to get the donations delivered. However, since the effort to collect donations pre-departure was made on such short notice, the faculty did not notify the SCLF of it and planned to surprise the non-profit upon their arrival.
“It turns out that we were surprised,” Dr. Yuan said. “The next day, the SCLF hosted a formal ceremony for us. Vice President Enlai’s secretary and English translator addressed an excellent speech to us.”
On behalf of the Soong Ching-Ling Foundation, organization president, Tang Wengsheng, presented Honorable Certificates to Creighton University and St. Mary’s College respectively for the work they had done.
“We are so proud that the Creighton students have manifested the best of the American people,” said Dr. Maorong Jiang, director of the Asian World Center. “They care, service and communicate with people to show that they understand.”
A week after the ceremony, the SCLF notified the students and faculty that the donations were successfully delivered to the earthquake victims. Among the donations were two Bluejay basketballs that were sent to the children of temporary earthquake schools. Dr. Yuan said that the group was very happy to hear this news.
Although the students weren’t able to visit the earthquake sites, they were kept busy with a full itinerary. The students explored the major cities of Shanghai, Nanjing and Beijing, toured the Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China and the Yellow Mountains, watched as the final preparations for the 2008 Olympics were being made and volunteered at an orphanage handing out candy, toys and medical supplies among other donations.
The students and faculty returned to Omaha on June 9 with a renewed understanding of humanity and humility.
“The whole experience was quite moving, one that I think blurred the lines of any differences between Chinese and American,” Trapp said. “I saw great suffering, but I also saw tremendous unity and hope and was reminded again that although we were in a foreign country, we all share as human beings so much more than we might expect.”