By Nina Golshan
Upon hearing about Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 25, a number of people, myself included, immediately brushed it off. A resident of New Jersey, I wasn’t used to hurricanes per se, but the minimal severity of Hurricane Irene last year in my hometown had given me a false sense of security when it comes to natural disasters. Fast forward to Monday, Oct. 29 — huddling on the floor with my roommates, alarmed by the howling wind, cursing myself for not taking the train home to be with my family. Although I didn’t take the storm as seriously as I should have, it has become clear in the past few days that NYU did.
Almost two months after my initial move to New York City, thousands of freshman like myself were abruptly displaced, forced to weather a major natural disaster and its aftermath for the first time without the immediate accessibility and support of our families. Once we were informed that electricity would not be restored until the end of the week and relocation was mandatory starting on the Oct. 31, a frenzied hum ran through my freshman residence hall as students tried to get in touch with parents or make accommodations for themselves. The accommodations provided for students in the Kimmel Center for University Life, Palladium residence hall and Bobst Library far exceeded my personal expectations regarding how the university would handle a disaster affecting a majority of the university’s 22,000-plus undergraduate students. The NYU Dining staff was especially exemplary, as they cheerfully served thousands in the Kimmel Center Market Place and Weinstein dining hall while Alec Baldwin’s surprise appearance in Kimmel was an exciting and heartwarming treat for those who needed a lift in spirits.
While many people I knew were booking hotels and persuading parents to journey to the city to drive them back home, I couldn’t help but think of those who were trapped in lower Manhattan. I was informed relatively early of the mandatory evacuation, but many were left in the dark. While RAs did make an effort to provide residents with status updates, there were also students who were still unaware of the evacuation the next day.
Friends of mine ran into one international student who, at 11 p.m. on Oct. 30, had just been informed of the mandatory relocation. Frequent updates were given through email and text message, but they became arbitrary in comparison to direct communication when students had no Internet access or cell service.
A common grievance of students in large schools is the fear of being overlooked, lost in a mass of thousands. In a crisis such as the one we all just experienced, NYU definitely provided shelter and food in accordance with the needs of its students. However, no crisis can be handled perfectly, and the authority figures, particularly in a freshman residence hall, serve a greater purpose than simply dispensing free condoms or handling disciplinary issues — providing students with a sense of security is crucial. Although it might not have been a top priority, personal communication with a trusted authority such as an RA or hall director can be indispensable when all you need is a bit of reassurance.
Nina Golshan is a staff writer. Email her at [email protected].
