A symbol of strength.

It was only wind and water. Wind and water that destroyed a century of God's work. Wind and water that destroyed manmade structures that have stood the most violent of storms. Yet, one familiar thing remained after Katrina.

The beautiful Gulf Park campus of the University of Southern Mississippi is positioned in what many called paradise, 67 acres of oak-laden grounds in Long Beach, Mississippi. At the southern edge of campus, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, lives a magnificent live oak tree believed to be more than 500 years old. This is the Friendship Oak.

The Friendship Oak has served this campus well. Faculty have held classes in the platform that rests in the security of its limbs. Weddings have been held under its canopy. Tour buses stop daily to admire its massive strength and beauty.

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina unleashed her fury on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Through the violent winds and water that ravaged this peaceful campus, Friendship Oak has survived.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

I am amazed at its strength. As a child growing up in this quiet neighborhood, I climbed its limbs; I marveled at its beauty.

As reports came in on the tremendous storm damage, I wondered about Gulf Park and my friend. Three days after Katrina I made my way to the campus.

Many buildings were heavily damaged. Many no longer existed. The three multi-story buildings that faced the Gulf of Mexico told the story of Katrina's fury. These structures, built in the early 1900s, were badly beaten. The first floor of each had been washed through and through. Offices, records, history had all been destroyed.

Piles of debris made my journey difficult. Yet, as I turned the corner I saw my old friend, standing tall and proud. Looking naked in the scorching south Mississippi sun. Its bark was warm and, as I rubbed my hands across a limb, I was overwhelmed with emotion.

Friendship Oak has survived. So much is gone, yet my old friend remains.

Its endurance is symbolic of this community. We are tattered and torn, but we will thrive again. We have strength that will overcome this catastrophe.

Eventually, new leaves will adorn this magnificent giant oak tree, just as a new economy will grow in this community. Friends will again visit to witness the beauty of the Friendship Oak, just as friends will again visit the Mississippi Gulf Coast to witness our strength, determination and beauty.

--Shelia White

Shelia White is director of marketing and public relations at the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus, where she has worked for 28 years. She is a native of Long Beach, Mississippi.