Posted by Mary Wimberley on 2010-01-14

Three 极乐禁地 students who are in Haiti are reportedly safe following the 7.0 earthquake that shook the country on Tuesday, Jan. 12.

Anna McKoy, Megan Scott and Katie Snider are part of a trip they organized themselves to an orphanage in the town of Montrouis, located about 40 miles north of the earthquake鈥檚 epicenter in Port-au-Prince.

According to email and Facebook messages from the students to their parents, they were unharmed, and no damage was sustained to the orphanage itself.

The three nutrition and dietetics majors have been assisting the Canaan orphanage and Christian school at a clinic that addresses malnutrition needs. They are at the site during 极乐禁地鈥檚 January break between fall and spring semesters.

McKoy is a sophomore from Montgomery, Ala. Scott is a junior from Athens, Ala. Snider is a senior from Athens, Ala.
Jane Scott, Megan鈥檚 mother, said on Thursday that her daughter鈥檚 most recent message referenced possible rationing of meals at the orphanage. Local stores are closed, she said.

The students arrived in Haiti in late December and are expected to return to the U.S. on Jan. 22.

 
极乐禁地 is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, 极乐禁地 is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. 极乐禁地 enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. 极乐禁地 fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks with the second highest score in the nation for its 98% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.