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BRANCHVILLE - The buzz of chain saws and the roar of tractors could be heard in Branchville Thursday as cleanup efforts continued in the aftermath of the tornado that struck the rural town of 1,200 people Saturday.
Senior residents and others needing trees removed from their yards or homes didn't have to look for an expensive tree service to do the work. An enthusiastic volunteer group of young, strapping cadets from The Citadel in Charleston were willing to do it for free -- and from the heart.
"It's good to be able to come out here and help out," said Adam Antley, a 21-year-old criminal justice major at The Citadel.
The Orangeburg native, who will graduate in May, was part of the group of approximately 40 cadets who spent Wednesday and Thursday helping clean up the town. The service learning activity is part of Citadel Professor Karen Shuler's two business elective courses: organizational problem solving and team building. But the cadets say they get much more than academic credit.
"From someone who's never been in a disaster situation before, it's really given me a good intrinsic feeling for what we're doing. Yes, it's for class and you may get some kind of credit, ... but at the end of the day when we're all tired and sore and looking back at what we really got out of it, I think about Hurricane Katrina," said Alex Piper, a 22-year-old business administration major.
"This isn't even a fraction of that. We're only here for two days and not even doing that much compared to what needs to be done there (in Hurricane Katrina-ravaged areas), but it just gives me a good feeling that we're helping these people at the end of the day," Piper said.
Antley and other members of the volunteer group worked at three Branchville homes on Thursday, cutting, limbing up and removing trees from yards.
"We cut them into 16-foot sections so the county could come by and get them. The Home Depot in Charleston donated one chain saw. (Cadet) Ryan Brown's daddy and granddaddy live right there in Bamberg and brought some stuff over," Antley said. "His granddaddy brought his tractor over, and that helped out a good bit."
Alex Thomas, a 21-year-old business administration major, had been to Mississippi with a volunteer group to help hurricane victims. This job was no different when it came to lending a helping hand, he said.
"We basically do it to help others when they need it. It also allows us to bring what we learn in class to real-life situations," Thomas said. "We learn different styles of leadership and how to work as a group in class. Whenever we go on one of our projects, we have different team leaders and delegate the work between all of us. No one's necessarily the highest or the lowest person. Everybody's got responsibility and learns what they need to do to get the project finished."
Thomas said volunteering service without asking for anything in return is the least they could do to help the residents of Branchville, many of whom can't immediately help themselves.
"We're helping them out after the tragedy ... the tornadoes that ripped through here and tore down trees and crippled cars and houses. Just to clear it to make somebody's day is good enough for us," said Thomas, who helped rebuild waterlogged homes in Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina.
He said the group's next project will be helping out with repairs being made at a youth center in McClellanville.
Derrick Astorino, a 22-year-old criminal justice major, said while an 8 a.m. final exam rendered him a little late at the job site, he was glad to be of service. "There was a yard full of a whole bunch of downed trees, and we just had to cut them up. When I got there, they were working on two houses," said Astorino, adding that he is no stranger to volunteer service and also went to Mississippi to help following Katrina.
"I come from a line of firefighters. My granddad has a tree business on the side of being a firefighter, so it was right up my alley," he said.
Charlene Gunnells, media relations coordinator at The Citadel, said Shuler has been leading groups of cadets on mission trips for several years, most recently to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to help with rebuilding efforts.
"This semester's activity had originally been planned for later in the semester and to Mississippi again, but Karen learned of the sudden and more serious need closer to home. To her credit, she dropped everything else she was doing to quickly put together an outing," Gunnells said.
"Their final exam is going out and doing something that matters. I don't want paper and pencil. That's not going to tell me what I need to know," said Shuler, who's taken student groups to hurricane-ravaged areas in North Carolina and Florida as well.
"It took several years to get credibility around the school because, like any college, there are people who think that no learning takes place outside of the classroom. I would argue that point," said Shuler, who likened Branchville to Waveland, Miss., which was "wiped clean" by Katrina.
"It's a tiny town off the beaten path that's not used to seeking publicity too much except for a festival now and then. Waveland was actually hit harder than New Orleans. So, communities like that are where we really do well if we find out about them," she said.
Branchville Mayor Tim Cooner said he is thankful for The Citadel cadets, particularly since there was concern about senior citizens who needed help with yard cleanup. He said the group chose to volunteer even amid final exams and spring break plans.
"Those young boys are in tip-top shape. Those fellas can work. They'll do anything that you want done. That's a blessing," Cooner said. He described the 5-foot-tall Shuler as a dynamic leader who effectively took charge of things.
"That little lady has really put this program together," Cooner said.
"We're trying to build a name for ourselves. I've learned that, one, hard work is fun and, two, even a little old lady ... can be a general when she wants to," Shuler said, laughing as she enjoyed lunch provided by the town for the cadets and other workers.
Cooner said help has come from all over, including Dorchester and Beaufort counties. Olar Police Chief Anthony Bell of Bamberg County was among those on hand to assist in patrols following the storm.
"I think the police chief retired ... right before it (the tornado) hit. My mayor said, 'Go and help. If something happened here, I would want somebody to help us.' This devastation is bringing communities together," Bell said.
T&D Staff Writer Dionne Gleaton can be reached by e-mail at dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5534.