Lion Tales
In the days and weeks that followed the tornado, many people talked about all of the stories that were told. We asked alumni, employees and students to share their memories, either in first person or through an interview. These are their stories.
Chris and Melissa Carriger and Ashes stand on the lot where their house was located before the tornado. — Photo by Andrew Pavlovic, ’11
Chris Carriger, Jasper County Sheriff’s Department detective and a graduate student at Missouri Southern, said being in the midst of devastation is not something new. As a member of the Missouri Army National Guard’s 1138th Military Police Company, he has done everything from four tours of duty in Iraq to helping with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that devastated New Orleans in 2005. His training has helped him carry out his duties, but nothing prepared him for the destruction of the May 22 tornado. Not only did he have to help his community, he and his wife had to deal with their own personal loss. Carriger and his K-9 partner, Ashes, were at their house located west of St. John’s when the tornado struck their home. “The hardest thing for me to deal with has been the loss of so much of my history due to the storm,” said Carriger, who lost his home in the tornado. “I lost all of my college books that I saved for referencing, military awards and coins, as well as photos of my life growing up and my children as well.” After Carriger made his way out of the rubble of what was his home, he immediately started getting to work. He used his training to help assist those in the community. “Without that background, I might not have been able to adhere to the three C’s of any emergency situation. Those three C’s that we as law enforcement professionals must try to adhere to are calm, cool and collected,” said Carriger. Carriger is in the final year of his master’s degree program in criminal justice administration and plans to graduate this fall. His wife, Melissa, also attends Southern and just began the nursing program. With numerous donations and help from family, friends and organizations, the couple has been able to replace vehicles, clothing and items needed for school. “The one thing that I am most proud of during this experience and that will stick with me forever is the American spirit. The fact that so many people put their lives on hold to come to Joplin and help as well as raise money to send to Joplin was so amazing,” Carriger said. He and his wife are living in a recreational camper south of Joplin, with hopes of purchasing their first home in the near future. Recently, Carriger was hired by Southern’s law enforcement academy as an instructor. He would like to be an adjunct professor in the criminal justice department once his degree is complete. Carriger hopes the public has learned to be more tolerant of others and not take the little things in life for granted. “I hope that through all the heartaches, backaches, headaches and misery we can learn to enjoy life when we can,” he said. Aaron Johnson, a Grand Canyon University enrollment counselor and
2005 Missouri Southern graduate, was shocked by the tornado on May 22. He spent that Sunday evening on his phone and Facebook, waiting for updates on family and friends and praying for their safety. By Monday morning, he was too distracted to work at his office in Phoenix. Unable to focus and almost numb from shock, he began thinking of ways to help Joplin. The first step was to contact José Mereno, GCU’s community outreach leader, with the news and present some possibilities. Mereno was pleased with Johnson’s ideas, and the plans quickly grew with GCU’s backing and suggestions to “do it bigger and better.” Plans were made to adopt families and take donations of essential items and clothing these families needed. News of the tornado and lists of items needed were broadcast throughout the school, and the news spread quickly through the city. The Phoenix Suns had Aaron Johnson, ’05, (third also heard about the tornado and Johnson’s fundraiser and decided to help. from right) with volunteers Within four days, Johnson, Mereno and fellow GCU employee Jennifer Willis had loaded a van and U-Haul trailer who drove from Arizona. with donations and headed for Joplin. The extra donations they had were picked up by another donation truck and — Submitted photo 43 crossroads / fall 2011
