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Jordan Wilson
Daily EgyptianLanding the job as the NBA's New Orleans Hornets play-by-play radio announcer was supposed to be Sean Kelley's big break.
Kelley, a former SIU student and a mainstay broadcaster during the late '90s covering Saluki athletics, has dealt with his fair share of adversity.
Now Kelley has another barrier thrown in his path - Hurricane Katrina, one of the worst natural disasters in American history. Since Katrina struck, Kelley hasn't seen his house, hasn't heard from some neighbors and doesn't know what city, or even state, he will be working at next year for the Hornets Radio Network.
"The devastation is unbelievable," Kelley said of New Orleans. "In a doomsday scenario, they'll tell you about things that can happen while living down there. And they came true."
Because of media alerts, Kelley and his family evacuated their home in Mandeville, La - located just north of New Orleans - before the hurricane hit. Kelley and his wife Kim and their two children drove the nine hours to an in-laws' house in Carbondale.
The Kelley family arrived safely in Carbondale on Aug. 28, the day before Katrina devastated Mandeville. Kelley didn't find out about the status of his home until Sept. 1, while he was working in the radio booth with storied SIU play-by-play announcer Mike Reis. The good news was his house was still standing and only sustained damage to the siding.
The Kelleys were fortunate their house wasn't demolished. Much of the surrounding area lay in ruins. They had laid sandbags along the house for protection earlier.
"I think what we went through last year with Hurricane Ivan, it gave us a perspective of how things can be," said Kim Kelley, Sean's wife. "You never think it's going to happen to you."
The hurricane wasn't the only unforeseen problem. Throughout his career in broadcasting, Sean, who worked at the WTAO and WJPF radio stations while a student at SIU, has seen his fair share of curveballs.
In the fall of 1997, Sean said new management at WTAO decided to drop his job and the sports department of the station. While working at the University of Tulane in 2002 at the KFRU radio station, the University flirted with dropping the football program from Division-IA to D-III.
Even though the board of trustees decided to remain D-IA status, it served as another example of the roller coaster ride.
"He persevered. He's a good example of how you don't let professional setbacks get you down," Reis said. "He kept striving even when it was hard to strive."
It may be difficult for Sean to strive in the next few months - he literally has no idea where he is going. Because the Hornets' stadium is unusable, the team's next location -Sean's workplace - is yet to be determined.
"The city itself is gone," Sean said. "To try and even get your arms around what happens next is impossible. If you ask one question about the situation or your job, you get ten more questions."
The Daily Egyptian, the student-run newspaper of SIUC, is committed to being a trusted source of information, commentary and public discourse while helping readers understand the issues affecting their lives.
The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester. The Pulse, Carbondale Entertainment Guide, is published once a week on Thursday.Last update: Wednesday, September 14, 2005 at 7:43:34 PM
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