Briefing on North Carolina Fire Victims; Slowly Inching Back Towards Normal Life in Southern California
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Dennis Pruitt, vice president of student affairs, getting ready to speak live about two college campuses in mourning right now. Seven students on a weekend getaway have been killed in a fire that tore through a North Carolina beach house. Six of the victims attended the University of South Carolina, the other victim was a Clemson student. Let's listen in.</s>DENNIS PRUITT, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA VICE PRESIDENT, STUDENT AFFAIRS: It's been a long 24 hours at the University of South Carolina. I won't go through the details that we -- I think all of you know from yesterday, but as you -- as you come to realize, we've had 13 students at a house fire in Ocean Isle, North Carolina. One of those students was a student at Clemson University, six students from the University of South Carolina are presumed to have perished, and we have six students who have survived. First, let me just say our condolences and sympathies are extended to the families of these individuals and to their communities, because these are families that are well established in their communities. Let me also say thank you on behalf of the University of South Carolina to the outpouring of offers of assistance from both the college communities across the country and from our local communities of South Carolina and Ohio and Florida. We really appreciate that. Particularly, I want to say thank you to the Ocean Isle community, to those citizens, also to the mayor, to the law enforcement officials, the fire department, for the work they did. They showed incredible compassion for our students. They were caring towards them. They were very compassionate and sympathetic with the parents when they arrived, and we greatly appreciate the work that community did. We're indebted to them. A brief update. We continue to reach out and offer assistance to members of our university family. We did have some increased calls to our counseling center this morning. We have increased the number of lines we have there. We'll have extended hours at the counseling center tonight. Most of the calls were from parents wanting to know what resources were available and how they might have those resources made available to their son or daughter. We were able to accommodate those individuals. As you know, yesterday we had a series of individual meetings and group meetings across the campus, and with individual groups and individual residence halls, and I think we were able to touch a number of the students there and give them the attention that they needed. We are still awaiting confirmation of information on the death of the students from the authorities of North Carolina. We do not have any additional information on that at this point in time. I will tell you though that the president of the university, Dr. Andrew Sorensen, this morning did make contact with the families of the individuals that we have presumed to have perished in that fire, had a conversation with those families, offered them the assistance of the University of South Carolina, offered them our sympathy and condolences. The families were appreciative of the calls. They were also very appreciative of the fact that the university is being respectful of their privacy at this point in time. We will have following this briefing the availability of some grief counselors who have been working with the students, and they will be here to answer your questions about what we might have heard and how they've been dealing with this, how they've been working with these individual students. You will notice when you exit the Russell House on the center of Green Street there is a gamecock painted on the street. And the university students have asked that we designate that as a physical location where other students might bring flowers or cards of sympathy or letters or notes both to the deceased and to the survivors, and to the parents and families of these students, and that's operational as I speak right now. I can also tell you that if the families want a memorial service, if the students want a memorial service, we will have one. That will be probably at the end of the week or early next week. That will be after we have confirmation of the students' identifications. However, tonight in this ballroom we're going to have a group gathering, kind of a grieving session, but an opportunity for students and faculty and members of the university family to come together. We'll share some information and we'll have one of our campus ministers present, we'll have a couple students speak. We'll have an opportunity for students to comfort each other, and we'll have grief counselors and other professionals here to assist those students with they're grieving. And then we have arranged for students to go to locations afterwards if they need additional assistance after the meeting tonight here in the ballroom. That meeting is scheduled for 6:00 -- 6:00 p.m. here in the ballroom. After the conclusion of that service, that gathering, we will take the students out front to Green Street and we will all light candles to honor our fellow students. I would ask that we have respect for these students that are about to speak. We have asked two students to come and speak with you and just share a brief statement, and as you can imagine this is a very difficult time for them. One of them is Lauren Hodge, who is the president of Delta Delta Delta.</s>PHILLIPS: Dennis Pruitt, vice president of student affairs, there at the University of South Carolina talking about the candlelight vigils they're going to hold for the six victims of this fire at the beach house in North Carolina. They all attended the University of South Carolina. There was also a victim from Clemson University as well. There were seven students that were able to escape that fire. We'll get back to the news conference now because we hear that we're going to hear from some students. Let's listen in.</s>LAUREN HODGE, CHAPTER PRESIDENT, DELTA DELTA DELTA: As you can imagine, this has been an extremely difficult time for our chapter and for the entire campus as a whole. We have received numerous phone calls, e-mails, flowers and even food sent to the house. And it really means a lot to know that so many people are here for us through these hard times. But this has also affected so many other people than just our chapter and our sorority. We have to keep in mind that it's affected the entire campus and all of the families of the members. And we've been in full support of the families and for everyone involved in this tragedy, and they are all in our thoughts and prayers. We have ministers and counselors coming in throughout the week. There are chapter houses open to anyone who feels as if they want to come in and talk to a counselor or a minister. We have certain times scheduled that they will be at the house, and that's for USC students. We're trying to do as much as we can right now to help everyone cope with this problem and with this tragedy. Again, thanks to everyone for the overwhelming support that we have received.</s>JAY LAURA, CHAPTER PRESIDENT, SIGMA ALPHA EPSILON: Excuse me. You're going to have to bear with me. I'm a little sick. First, I would like to express my condolences for everyone who has been affected by this terrible tragedy, especially the families and friends of the victims and those who were blessed enough to have survived. In times like these, I'm reminded of how lucky I am to live in a state of south Carolina, attend the University of South Carolina, and be a part of Sigma Alpha Epsilon due to the amount of care and help my friends, my family, my friends' families, my fellow gamecocks and my fraternity brothers have offered and are receiving. Most of my mind is currently dominated with grief, despair and sympathy for the victims' families, but there is a small part of my soul that is smiling today as I witnessed the spirit of our community as it comes together to support all those in need. This is the same spirit that brought these students together at Ocean Isle -- one of love, caring, fellowship and a shared sense of belonging. I believe no matter who the victims of an incident like this were, our community would respond in the same manner. But I also believe that this outpouring of support is due to the character of the individuals whom we lost. In SAE, we have a creed by which we live entitled "The True Gentleman" which is recited as follow: A true gentleman. "The True Gentleman is the man whose conduct proceeds from good will and an acute sense of propriety and whose self-control is equal to all emergencies; who does not make the poor man conscious of his poverty, the obscure man of his obscurity, or any man of his inferiority or deformity; who is himself humbled if necessity compels him to humble another; who does not flatter wealth, cringe before power, or boast of his own possessions or achievements; who speaks with frankness but always with sincerity and sympathy; whose deed follows his word; who thinks of the rights and feelings of others rather than his own; and who appears well in any company; a man with whom honor is sacred and virtue safe" -- John Walter Wayland. The brothers whom we lost embody this creed, and I can imagine that those who they surrounded themselves with this past weekend exemplified these virtues also. That being said, it helps to know that those who have been lost are now in a better place, free from the pain and strife of this sometimes cruel world. And it is with a heavy heart that I pray for their families and loved ones. I would like to thank the University of South Carolina, especially president Dr. Sorensen, Dr. Dennis Pruitt, Jerry Brewer (ph), Gina Runion (ph), Anna Edwards (ph), David Rudiczak Baker (ph), Alex Wysocki (ph) and Nick Payne (ph) for their support and efforts. I would also like to that Sigma Alpha Epsilon, especially Mr. Goodell (ph), Reverend Peters, Tony Bascuzio (ph), Bill McLaveen (ph), John Dillard (ph) and all of my fraternity brothers. In closing, I want everyone to pray for the victims, their families and those who were lucky enough to escape. If any place can come together to help in the healing process and the aftermath of an event like this, it is South Carolina. And I believe we will get through this terrible tragedy. As Dr. Dennis Pruitt stated, we'll have a short ceremony tonight at 6:00 p.m., and I would like everyone to come and show their support. Thank you.</s>PHILLIPS: Students speaking out for the first time. Chapter presidents of fraternity SAE and sorority TriDel. You heard from Lauren Hodge there and also Jay Laura. Also this gentleman here, the vice president of student affairs, Dennis Pruitt, talking about the seven students that were killed on the weekend getaway, a fire that ripped through their North Carolina beach house. Six of the victims attended the University of South Carolina, the other victim was a Clemson student. Amazingly, seven students were able to escape that fire. A number of them jumping out of the windows. Candlelight vigils going to be held to remember these students. We'll follow all of it for you.</s>T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: We want to turn now to new fallout over that fake news conference FEMA held last week on those California wildfires. Well, FEMA's P.R. chief, John Pat Philbin -- you see there -- was supposed to take a new job today as chief spokesman for the national intelligence director, but that ain't happening. No word on whether Philbin was fired just as he was about to start that new job. The fake news conference featured FEMA staffers not reporters, and they were not really throwing tough questions. Meantime, arson investigators in southern California need your help. They're asking anybody with video or photos taken October 21st of the Santiago fire to come forward. They're looking for a suspect in the fire in Orange County which they have confirmed was arson. Several other fires also under investigation. Firefighters are making some progress, and they're containing or close to containing most of the major fires, and that means some people can slowly inch back towards a normal life. We're going to head out now to CNN's Kara Finnstrom, who's in California for us. Hello there, Kara.</s>KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, T.J. Well, students at Poway High School behind me are attending their first day of classes since these wildfires began. We took some video this morning of those students piling off of the buses, out of their cars. They won't take part in outdoor activities today because the air quality sill isn't very good out here, but the students we spoke with say it just feels good to be back.</s>KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For seven days of wildfire wars, it's been base camped to nearly 700 firefighters. Now the soot and ash are being blasted and wiped away, and the students are coming back to Poway High. (on camera): You guys a little nervous about going back?</s>LYN GALE, STUDENT: Kind of.</s>FINNSTROM (voice over): Lyn Gale is one of 300 students in this district alone left homeless by the fires.</s>GALE: I got like photos and my camera, and this blanket I made.</s>SCOTT FISHER, PRINCIPAL, POWAY HIGH SCHOOL: Kids who lost textbooks and that kind of thing, we've already got them ready for them in the library.</s>FINNSTROM: The principal at Poway High says counselors, teachers and friends will help students try to regain some sense of normalcy after a week of horrific chaos. Lyn Gale is struggling.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going up to see our home.</s>FINNSTROM: Lyn's family invited us long, as for the first time the children return to their neighborhood.</s>ALEX GALE, STUDENT: How did the fire get to our house?</s>FINNSTROM: Lyn became too emotional to go, but her brother and sister did.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kristen, that was your room.</s>KRISTEN GALE, STUDENT: My bedroom's right there.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your bedroom -- no, your bedroom is this one right here.</s>FINNSTROM: Nine-year-old Alex and 13-year-old Kristen could barely recognize what they once called home.</s>KRISTEN GALE, STUDENT: When we were evacuating I really, really thought that we were coming back to a house that wasn't in ashes.</s>FINNSTROM: This week, with more than 30,000 other children in Poway, they'll start the overwhelming task of piecing whole lives back together.</s>A. GALE: I want to have a normal day and see my friends.</s>K. GALE: It's kind of been boring in the hotel that we're staying in, so...</s>FINNSTROM (on camera): So it will be good to get back with your friends.</s>GALE: Yes.</s>FINNSTROM (voice over): And going back to school will be that first step.</s>FINNSTROM: And as you might expect, a tough day for many of these students. School officials do tell us that school attendance is down slightly today --</s>T.J. HOLMES: All right. Trying to get back to some sense of normalcy. Kara Finnstrom for us there in Poway. Thank you so much.</s>PHILLIPS: A U.S. Army general is being treated for wounds that he suffered today in Iraq. Pentagon sources tell CNN that Brigadier General Jeffrey Dorko was hit by shrapnel when an improvised explosive device blew up near his vehicle. It happened in north Baghdad. Dorko is being flown to Germany for treatment right now. He's believed to be the highest ranking U.S. military officer wounded in the war so far.</s>HOLMES: Somehow she picked up a superbug, and then the wrong diagnosis gave MRSA a six-month head start.</s>PHILLIPS: Plus, remembering country music legend Porter Wagner from his rhinestone-studded suits -- look at that -- Otis came through with a little sound there. Let's listen to him. His hit-studded resume.