Reader story: Graduate shares experience

By Ian Horner

Monday, March 12, 2007

I was dead asleep in the wee hours of the morning when I was awakened by my girlfriend who was trying to tell me something was wrong with the weather. I, in my stubborn native Kansan-ness, tried to tell her that it was probably nothing worth getting worried over, and I tried to go back to sleep. I couldn’t.

All of a sudden out of the dead silence there was a chorus of plastic beer cups blowing all in unison from the direction of the bars down 14th Street. One thing I didn’t hear, though, was a tornado siren. The wind picked up before I could react.

As I looked out the window I could see roof tiles and branches being ripped from the houses and trees. The debris was moving in a wide, circular motion. In my underwear, I ran to the bottom floor of the apartment only to find there was no basement. And then, just like that, it was over. I threw on some clothes, grabbed my camera and went to assess the damage.

Ian Horner, 2006 graduate

LIfe after the split

How to handle the end of a relationship

/news/2008/dec/11/life_after_split/

Donation boosts study abroad program

A donation from Larry and Donna Horner will raise the maximum scholarship ...

/news/2007/mar/01/horner/

To hell and back

A fight outside Naismith Hall began Thor Nystrom's year-long journey into the ...

/news/2008/may/05/hell_and_back/

Not a typical school girl

Former sex columnist for the University Daily Kansan talks about what she ...

/news/2006/sep/14/meganbainum/

Deployment life and student life differ wildly ...

KU student veterans must adjust to calmer lifestyle after service ends.

/news/2010/nov/10/deployment-life-and-student-life-differ-wildly-vet/

A french connection

A Parisian girl quelled my reverse culture shock after living in France, ...

/news/2007/nov/01/french_connection/

Dodd: One last run through Lawrence

You love the University of Kansas because...

/news/2009/may/05/dodd_lastrun/

Coach starts small to dream big

Coach Ritch Price reflects on his experiences throughout the years that led ...

/news/2008/apr/29/coach_starts_small_dream_big/

Free for All: Dec. 11, 2006

Here is your Finals Free for All.

/news/2006/dec/11/free_all_dec_11_2006/

KU officials react to Virginia shooting

A banner will be placed in front of Wescoe Hall from 11 ...

/news/2007/apr/17/reaction/

Hall sweet home

/news/2005/aug/17/hall_sweet_home/

KU Alumnus remembers London attacks

/news/2005/jul/20/Opinion/

Dead student still remembered

Nicole Bingham died in the Boardwalk Apartments fire on Oct. 7, 2005. ...

/news/2006/oct/06/bingham/

Personal essay: Grasping for hope

How one text message changed my life forever.

/news/2010/apr/08/grasping-hope/

Free for All: April 3, 2007

Dear Free for All, how do you cook panda meat? I just ...

/news/2007/apr/03/free_all/

Chopping away at reality

A December graduate plans on following her dream instead of her degree

/news/2007/nov/29/chopping_away_reality/

Larger than life

Tyler Cook, Oberlin senior, follows his boyhood dream of becoming a pro ...

/news/2006/oct/26/larger/

Colonel Sanders stencil artists don't want to ...

/news/2006/feb/23/venue/

Free For All: March 9, 2006

/news/2006/mar/09/free/

Free For All: October 1, 2007

Let me reiterate, the $500 ResNet fee is ridiculous.

/news/2007/oct/01/Free_For_All/

Accounting majors hired fast

Every single graduate accounting student who filled out an exit survey last ...

/news/2006/oct/11/accounting/

For Her

How a routine advising appointment helped one Jayplay writer find her inner ...

/news/2011/oct/27/her/

Free for All: April 2, 2007

Does Gumby’s deliver to Wichita?

/news/2007/apr/02/free_all/

What it's like:to find out you're pregnant ...

We know you're curious

/news/2012/jan/25/pregnant-college/

Free For All: Sept. 13, 2007

I have a friend. He eats beads so his poop will be ...

/news/2007/sep/13/free_all_sept_13_2007/

Woman's Best Friend

I had no idea how much company an animal could provide until ...

/news/2007/apr/19/womans_best_friend/

Professors, what books do students actually need?

Unneeded reading costs students much needed money.

/news/2008/jan/30/professors_what_books_do_students_actually_need/

Holopirek: What’s next for Harry?

In honor of the recent release of the art for “Harry Potter ...

/news/2007/apr/09/jodi/

Fear, interrupted

How one man’s love helped undo the damage of another.

/news/2010/nov/18/fear-interrupted/

Free For All: March 7, 2007

March Madness, baby! Catch the fever.

/news/2007/mar/07/free_all/

1 ... 2 ... 3 ... OCD

Trying to break free from obsessing about obsessing

/news/2009/apr/09/1_2_3_ocd/

Morning Brew: Reflection of Chalmers, National Championship

/news/2008/sep/04/morning_brew_reflection_chalmer_national_chamionsh/

Free for All: May 3, 2007

Honk if you love peace and quiet.

/news/2007/may/03/free_all/

New dinosaur named after KU graduates

Twins Celina and Maria Suarez discovered the recently named geminiraptor suarezarum in ...

/news/2011/feb/10/dinosaur-named-graduates/

Years apart

How my 37-year-old brother became someone I could count on

/news/2008/apr/10/years_apart/

Student searches Bohemia for his roots

While abroad, Alex Dufeks explores Prague to find links to his family ...

/news/2009/mar/23/student_roots/

Unlicensed: A T-Shirt Tale

Meet Larry Sinks, the man behind JoeCollege.com and its controversial T-shirts.

/news/2008/dec/08/joecollege/

Personal essay: Not just a teenage dirtbag

How dropping out of high school was one of the best decisions ...

/news/2010/apr/22/personal-essay/

Learning the keys to success

How a piano lesson set the tone for my future

/news/2008/feb/21/learning_keys_success/

McNaughton: Plenty of possible money savers, if ...

In a poor economy, sacrifice is necessary.

/news/2009/feb/09/mcnaughton_plenty/

Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.

Sign in to comment

Or login with:

OpenID