Three University of Iowa students who found themselves on the street after last week’s tornado destroyed their apartments have suddenly landed at one of Iowa City’s most exclusive addresses.
Dozens of students lost most or all of their belongings in the violent storm and three were extended an invitation they couldn’t refuse that took them literally from homelessness to a mansion — the president’s mansion.
U-of-I president David Skorton had three spare rooms at his large university-sponsored house and, given the circumstances, decided to open the home to three students. They are: Mike Charles, a senator in student government; Jennifer Sturm, editor of the student newspaper, the Daily Iowan; and Alex Lang, the D-I’s managing editor.
Lang says in a column, he feels guilty taking refuge in the president’s mansion while other students sleep on couches, but it’s nice to have a place to call his own, even if it’s only for a month.