This is the third in a series of articles about Southfield High's hurricane evacuees.

There’s no place like home for the holidays, according to the popular Christmas song. But, freshman Randall Greene is not going to be able to go to his Louisiana home for the holidays.

He’s one of 25 evacuees still enrolled in Southfield Public Schools and one of four at Southfield High who relocated because of Hurricane Katrina.

Greene is living at the Southfield Ramada Inn, and the inn’s 7-foot artificial lobby tree will have to suffice for him this year. But he is making the most of the situation: “I’m going to miss my home, but I’ll be OK as long as I’m with my family,” the 15-year-old says. Family for him means his mother, sister, and two brothers.

Greene says that he misses his Louisiana home: “I’m still a little homesick, but I’ll get over it.”

Greene says this will be his first white Christmas. He’s used to spending the holiday in Louisiana’s warm weather without need for a downy jacket. He’s getting his first taste of Jack Frost nipping at his nose and the wintery looks of a white Christmas.

The quiet freshman started his high school career attending North Vermilion High School, in Louisiana, but he plans to finish it at Southfield High because his mother, Rhonda Greene, wants to move here permanently.

Thinking back on his previous high school, Greene says, “It was highly populated. The school was small, but it was overcrowded. There were too many students. It was country and the students were mostly Caucasians.”

The slim, athletic 5’9” freshman student says that he was involved in football, basketball, track and swimming in school. He wants to continue sports at SHS. “I’m going to try out for the football and track team next year,” says Greene.

Hurricane Katrina was “scary and annoying,” Greene recalls. “It was annoying because you would be like ‘Today’s going to be a pretty day’ then the next thing you know, a roof would be blowing in your face,” says Greene.

He describes his 16-hour car ride from Louisiana to Michigan as quiet and reflective. “It was quiet because everybody was still in shock,” says Greene.

Greene says he felt “OK” about leaving his home to move to Southfield. “I was OK with it because my step-dad is from here. He described it to be kind of nice.”

The new dress code has had little effect on Greene. “I already had most of it because North Vermilion had a strict uniform.”

The thoughtful teen enjoys writing music and singing. “I like to write slow, R&B songs that I can sing.” However, he laughs and looks away when asked to perform a piece of his work.

Maybe this year, Greene will enjoy singing Christmas carols for his family.