When I first came to Claflin University, I was so excited to begin my new journey here. I was excited to meet new people, have different classes on certain days, and explore different opportunities that were out there. Everything was just what I imagined and it was like a dream. However, when we had days off because of Hurricane Matthew, I was upset because I wasn’t in school. It was right before midterms and I wanted to get them done because I was just determined to pass all of them. Unfortunately, I was never expecting the horrible tragic loss of four students and the severe injury of my classmate, Gernardo Cato. That’s when reality hit me and I realized that we lost four Claflin family members. This made me realize that you never know when your time is about to come or how it can happen, so that’s why you have to cherish every moment you’re blessed with. When I first heard about the accident, I was in my room with my roommate and two of my friends. We were sitting in the room studying because I invited them to come over, so we could do homework. We started playing music and just having conversations about anything revolving around school. We didn’t know that we were about to receive the worst news ever. I received a telephone…show more content… The professors, the student body, and the locals were all affected. People who don’t even attend Claflin University knew about the accident and felt bad for us and their families. Here at Claflin University, we are a family, so this hit us hard and it changed us as a family. We came together more in the time of need and were there for each other. Till this day, some people are still trying to get over it and mourn. This year, I never thought I would experience something like this. I never really knew my classmates like that, but this tragedy still hits home for me. All I can do and the Claflin family can do as a whole is pray for better days and that Gernardo return to us
