But the Topeka native didn’t realize he would be returning to Kansas from the hurricane-ravaged area with a greater understanding of how valuable it is to do “something greater than yourself.”
Iliff was among seven members of KU’s Engineers Without Borders chapter who worked with the Historic Green organization to help rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward in a way to preserve its history while creating a sustainable future.
“It was an eye-opening experience,” said Iliff, an 18-year-old architectural engineering major. “I was learning how to work on a work site and learning about sustainability and having a volunteer attitude.”
During the Historic Green event, hundreds of students and young professionals in the construction industry merged on the Holy Cross Historic District in the Lower Ninth Ward to help people revitalize the community.
The district became submerged in 10 feet of water after a levee broke during Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, displacing nearly 6,000 residents and heavily damaging or destroying many homes, schools, churches and businesses.
“We’re leading a unique grass-roots effort to go the next step to rebuild this historic landmark — this time green,” Pam Dashiell, director of the Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development in New Orleans, said in a news release from KU.
On their first day as volunteers, Iliff said his team removed nails from boards in a house that was being deconstructed so the wood could be reused to build other structures.
Throughout the rest of the week, the students custom-cut and installed new “green” insulation in a single-family home.
“I don’t know who lived there or if they’re coming back,” he said.
Engineers Without Borders also has projects in Guatemala and Bolivia. Iliff said he would like to travel to those countries to work on sustainable projects.
Jodi Gentry, president of the EWB chapter, said the team-building experience in New Orleans is “a good way to get a lot of field training without having to make the more expensive trip to Bolivia.”
“The students work with simple technologies, so it’s a way to grasp the classroom-based concepts and apply them to a real-world problem,” Gentry said before the trip. “You can go from this and do internships, but being able to work on all phases of the project really provides a fulfilling experience for the students.”
The team members, Iliff said, paid about $300 to work with Historic Green during the spring break week. A small grant from KU’s Engineering Student Council helped assist with expenses.
“In reality, I was paying for the experience of doing something greater than yourself,” Iliff said. “It’s not just about sustainability, and it’s not just about being green. It’s also about virtue.”
Jan Biles can be reached at (785) 295-1292 or [email protected].
