A few days after the Joplin tornado on May 22, three members of the Traveler staff drove up to survey the damage, and report the story.

What we found were entire neighborhoods, hospitals and restaurants that had been destroyed with people picking through what was left of their houses around us. It was a harrowing, sobering experience.

As we said at the time, the destruction was the equivalent of a war zone, with the worst being termed “ground zero.”

Again, Saturday three members of the Traveler staff went to Joplin barely five months after the tornado destroyed sections of the town.

There were still remnants of the destruction caused five months ago. The rubble and twisted remains of Joplin High School were still visible though fenced off, St. Johns hospital still had windows blown out and walls missing and the level of destruction in certain neighborhoods reminded us all to much of what we saw five months ago.

For those of us that went Saturday, but didn’t go on the initial trip, it is hard to imagine things being worse. To say that Joplin still carries the scars from the F5 tornado would be an understatement.

Despite the destruction still left, we were happy to see the amount of rebuilding that has taken place in Joplin. As we drove toward the old high school and hospital, we remarked on how much had been done to restore the city. Repaired or new buildings sat where damaged ones had been before and most of the power lines were no longer swaying or broken.

Even in some of the areas where the destruction to homes and neighborhoods is still obvious progress has been made. In an area where debris littered yards and streets, it has been mainly cleared away. There are also multiple organized volunteer efforts underway in Joplin to help people keep rebuilding.

Joplin isn’t in the sort of chaotic, standstill it was the days after the tornado, with the attention of the national media upon it—and most of the larger stations making camp in it. As always life goes on, and returns to normal as much as it can. During our meandering we even found members of the town celebrating with an Octoberfest.

We had always planned on going back to Joplin, but the main reason we were there Saturday was because the Associated Student Government Senate funded a trip for as many as 50 students to travel to Joplin and work on a volunteer project in conjunction with AmeriCorps.

As we mentioned in a “From The Board” Wednesday, we are glad that ASG sponsored a trip for students. Too often tragedies happen, and —even when it’s as close as Joplin— it is easy for students with their busy lives to forget.  We should all be willing to give back and help those around us, and volunteering in Joplin continues to be a good way to do that.

More than 40 students went on the trip, and helped sort wood and brush that would be sold, with the money used to help rebuild homes. Beside the area where the students were cleaning were two homes that had been damaged by the tornado. While we applaud the work that students were doing, and the fact that they gave up a Saturday to volunteer, the event seemed slightly unorganized.

While we appreciate that ASG gave students a chance to volunteer, we were disappointed that none of the five ASG executives went on the trip. While we understand that people are busy and things do not always work out, it is one thing for ASG to sponsor a trip, but when none of the execs come it casts a shadow over an otherwise good idea.