Two weeks ago, Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast.

Many Brandeis students' families have been affected in some way by this natural disaster.
According to Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel, 27 percent of Brandeis' student body is from either New York or New Jersey, the states hit hardest by the hurricane.

This board appreciates the efforts of the University, faculty and students in response to the storm.

We recognize the community's continued work to support the student body both fiscally and psychologically in light of the hurricane.

That being said, the efforts could have been initiated sooner and more comprehensively.
In response to the hurricane, Student Events raised $320 in relief efforts through solicited donations at events like SCRAM JAM and the men's soccer game this past weekend.
To bolster these efforts, we encourage the student body to purchase bracelets bearing the name "Sandy," which will be sold by the Student Union in coming weeks with all proceeds going toward the hurricane relief efforts.

We also appreciate that Students For a Just and Stable Future held a candlelit march supporting the victims and relating the issue of fossil fuels to the hurricane.
However, these relief efforts should have started sooner. The immediate shock following the storm could have been harnessed and transformed into an organized and involved effort to raise funds.

In the event of past natural disasters from which the student body was removed, the community sprung into action, collaborating and spearheading efforts to bring aid to the region.

Given the proximity of this storm, we would have liked to have seen similar significant efforts from more organizations on campus, to fully maximize potential donations.
Thankfully, the damage to campus was not substantial. However, this does not mean damage was not done to the Brandeis community.

As the University has been incredibly responsive to past tangential disasters, there should be an equivalent response to the storm directly affecting a portion of the student body.
We hope as we move forward into the weeks following the aftermath of the storm, the community will continue its work by expanding the purview of its efforts to best aid the victims of the storm.  
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