Power In Numbers

Power In Numbers

There is power in numbers.  Through twitter, Facebook, blogs and word of mouth, myself as well as the entire Comm 30 class made our social networks count.  Our job was to create, inform, and smother these social networks with all things “Comm 30 Sandy” to raise $5,000 for victims. We did not stop there.

As the final hours of our project come to a close, I am proud to say we have surpassed $6,000 to donate to the American Red Cross.  In analyzing the project’s various realms, one aspect stood alone.  Our initial goal was $5,000, and how we were able to hit that mark is a true testament the power social networks hold today.

A $65 dollar grant to hit our goal of $5,0000 was donated by a patron with no affiliation to Lehigh – he was an old college friend of our professor, Jeremy Littau.  The fact that through Professor Littau’s Facebook and twitter pages this stranger to Lehigh was able to learn about our project is remarkable.  Professor Littau lured him to the cause, but we as a class helped him to decide to donate with our additional blogs and videos.

It is this overlapping of social networks that drove this campaign.  A simple retweet can double, or even triple your viewership of a particular tweet.  By working together as a cohesive unit, our class made our mark on the Internet one tweet and post at a time.  With over $6,000 dollars raised in less than 30 days, this project attests to the effect of social networking, and even more importantly, the power in numbers. 

#COMM30Sandy is an online class project for the Media & Society class at Lehigh University, taught by professor Jeremy Littau. You can donate to our campaign at this link, and for more infomation you can email Prof. Littau at jeremy.littau(at)lehigh.edu.

Sandy Reflections from a New Yorker

Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast extremely hard, probably harder than people expected. When the storm hit, I was at Lehigh, and I had no idea how serious the damage would be to my home city of New York. Hours after I woke up the morning after the storm hit, pictures of the flood damage and such invaded my Facebook newsfeed and Twitter timeline. Photos of flooded subway stations and tunnels had me worried, and I wondered how my neighborhood in Manhattan was faring. As a New Yorker, I have always thought of New York as a place that was indestructible. Even as a child, watching movies like Godzilla gave me the idea that New York could never be brought to shambles.  I've always had this idea that no matter what happened, New York would always pick itself up because of its inhabitants. The tragedy that was 9/11 proved it, and Sandy was no different. In both situations, I was lucky enough to not lose any loved ones.

The weekend after Sandy hit, I was able to go out to Rockaway Beach, Queens to help out some extended family. My aunt's neighborhood got hit really bad, and the place looks like a wasteland. Garbage in the street, downed trees everywhere, burned homes, and sand mountains 15 feet high. Post-Sandy Rockaway was a warzone, and I've just never seen so many people who looked so down and out. A woman who's husband was in the hospital with a hip problem seemed to be telling her story to everyone that walked by. She was trying to clear out her front yard and basement, but she kept telling her story to others. Between neighbors, American Red Cross agents, and strangers, everyone heard her story and to be honest it was depressing to watch.

Many houses remain intact, (with serious water damage in the basement, mind you) but some were not so lucky. My aunts basement had a clear water flood level on the wall, almost reaching the ceiling. Everything had to be thrown away because of water damage. As a result, my aunt took pictures of everything to get her money back from FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Pray for the people of Rockaway and Breezy Point, I have no doubt in my mind that they will pick up the peaces and come back stronger, as New Yorkers always do.

To be able to be part of something like the Comm30 Sandy fundraiser, to be able to make a difference, was very important to me. Coming from an area that was hit very badly by the storm, it was something that was very personal to me. Although we've already reached our $5,000 goal, we can still help the lives of Sandy victims. Let's keep this going.

#COMM30Sandy is an online class project for the Media & Society class at Lehigh University, taught by professor Jeremy Littau. You can donate to our campaign at this link, and for more infomation you can email Prof. Littau at jeremy.littau(at)lehigh.edu.

Not Just a Final Exam

Comm30 is not just a campaign, and it is not just a final project.

When Professor Littau first proposed the idea of having a giant class project instead of a final, I was excited. The thought of studying for hours to take another difficult exam, along with the rest of my finals, was horrifying. Therefore, this group project was refreshing, and seemed like less pressure.

Although the pressure to do well on an exam was gone, now came a new kind of pressure- one that I had never experienced before. Now I was part of a team, and we had a goal.

Raising $5000 in 30 days is no easy task, and therefore I knew slacking off was not an option. Working with my classmates is  great, because knowing the people that were interested in the project helps motivate myself to do well, rather than working anonymously.

This wasn't just a project for my ambitious classmates and professor, this project is personal for me. Many of my friends from home were affected by Sandy, so completing this project successfully won’t just mean a good grade for my transcript- it will mean that I made a real difference.

The numerous different parts of the project can seem overwhelming at stressful times, yet inspiring at others. My Comm 30 class is using the topics we've learned about all year in the real world to make a difference.

I am lucky enough to be a part of this project, and you can be too.

#COMM30Sandy is an online class project for the Media & Society class at Lehigh University, taught by professor Jeremy Littau. You can donate to our campaign at this link, and for more information you can email Prof. Littau at jeremy.littau(at)lehigh.edu

There's still time to donate

Hurricane Sandy left my home in the Philadelphia suburbs without power for a couple of days, but damage wasn't extensive, power returned and within a few days my house was back to normal.

This is not how it is for other people along the east-coast.

As I stated in an earlier blog post, many towns are without power, and many individuals are without their homes. They need your help. 

If you scroll through this blog, you'll see a lot of different stories from different college students explaining how Hurricane Sandy directly affected them or somebody close to them.  I'm sure you yourself may know somebody who was greatly affected by the devastating storm.

This campaign is for more than just the people we know. It's about more than just donating to a good cause to say you did. It's more than just a social experiment testing the power of social media.

It's about helping out those in their greatest time of need. 

This campaign started as a challenge from a daring professor, but transformed into an outlet for individuals to help those they don't even know.

While we may have passed our goal, and we are thankful for all of the donations from those individuals, there is still time to donate.

There are still people who need your help.

#COMM30Sandy is an online class project for the Media & Society class at Lehigh University, taught by professor Jeremy Littau. You can donate to our campaign at this link, and for more infomation you can email Prof. Littau at jeremy.littau(at)lehigh.edu

I was Lucky: Reflections on Hurricane Sandy

I was lucky.  When Lehigh cancelled classes for Hurricane Sandy, I was headed home within twenty minutes. My hometown, Elizabethtown, PA, did not get hit nearly has hard by Hurricane Sandy as we were expecting. In all honesty, it was basically a bad thunderstorm without the thunder.

Listening to the news reports Monday night about the water getting higher and higher and the wind getting stronger and stronger, I tried to put myself in the shoes of those who were on the verge of losing everything.

When I got on Facebook the next day, I was astonished at the amount of the damage to Lehigh’s campus. Even more amazingly, no one was hurt.   But the pictures of the damage to the Jersey shore and New York City were heart-wrenching. I couldn't help but think, “What if that had been my town?” “What if I had lost everything?”

Unfortunately, those thoughts passed. I was home for a full week, enjoying the relaxation of being cuddled up with my dog and pretending like I was doing homework.  Hurricane Sandy, because it did not directly affect me, was no longer in the forefront of my mind. It’s a terrible cliché, I know, but it is the truth.

Then I got back to campus, and I started talking to my friends who had been impacted by the hurricane. Many of my friends didn't have the option to go home when Lehigh lost power, because their parents were closer to the worst of the damage than Lehigh was. My friend Devin’s parents were told they might not get power back until after thanksgiving. Listening to these stories forced me to think about how incredibly blessed I was to have had a home with electricity to spend “hurrication” in.

That is why I think #Comm30Sandy is important. I lucked out, I was safe. But millions of other people lost everything. I was not directly affected by Hurricane Sandy, but that does not change that this is an excellent opportunity to help those who were affected in a real and tangible way.

Please consider donating to our cause at www.indiegogo.com/comm30sandy

Hurricane Sandy in the North East

Coming from the northeast, I am not used to the kinds of natural disasters that are often experienced in other parts of the country. The small town of Hastings-on-Hudson, NY is located right outside of New York City in Westchester County. While I was sequestered in Pennsylvania during the storm, my family was faring worse at home. When it was announced that Lehigh was canceling classes for the week, I decided to venture home to be with my family for the remainder of the time. What I found when I went home was not the town I was used to.

For starters, half of my town was without power and heat. The thought of my 89 year old grandfather sitting in his arm chair in the darkness with nothing but candlelight still runs through my head. There were downed trees and power lines, closed roads, and flooded parks. Some of the town's most cherished gathering places and attractions were washed away when the Hudson River flooded, like Kinnally Cove and the Hastings Tennis Club. 

Kinnally Cove in Hastings-on-Hudson, destroyed by Sandy.

Down every street, there was evidence of destruction. And over the course of the week, it was apparent that small New York towns like mine were not a priority to those divvying up aid and resources. 

A giant tree fell on this car during the storm.

While there was no power at my mother's house, my father's house (also located in Hastings) was one of the few that still had power. I spent my time here, watching TV, using the computer, and other things that were now considered luxuries.

Then the gas shortages began. In the wake of Sandy's destruction and devastation, gas tankers were unable to deliver their gas supplies to many gas stations in the north east, causing a major shortage. My mother, who works in New York City and New Jersey had to leave for work at 4 am in order to cross over the bridge into New York City before they began checking people's cars. There was a temporary rule set in place requiring 3 or more people to be present on the drive into New York City; starting early in the morning and ending at 12 midnight. 

The gas shortage only got worse and by the time I wanted to return to school I was worried that I would not be able to find enough gas to get there. Every gas station in my area had long lines of cars waiting, many of them putting a limit on how much gas could be bought. I was beginning to worry even more when my stepfather called me at 6 am. The gas station in my town had just regained power and was now open. He told me there was a short line - only about 5 cars. I bolted out of bed, got on line, and eventually, got my full tank of gas that would take me back to Lehigh.

Over a month later, Sandy's destruction is still ever present in many areas in the northeast. Although our goal has been reached, there is still time to donate and make a difference!

#COMM30Sandy is an online class project for the Media & Society class at Lehigh University, taught by professor Jeremy Littau. You can donate to our campaign at this link, and for more infomation you can email Prof. Littau at jeremy.littau(at)lehigh.edu

The Real Goal

            As I drove back from my home in central New Jersey to Lehigh after Thanksgiving break, I spotted some Red Cross relief trucks from Florida. I had no doubt why they were there, they were helping to provide relief that was still extremely necessary a month after Hurricane Sandy.

           

Even though everything seemed to be back to normal in my life at Lehigh, being back home reminded me how much still needed to be done. Our Thanksgiving conversation was dominated by the very sad stories everyone had to pass around about their friends who had suffered unimaginable losses. My younger sister has many friends who are still displaced into family member’s homes, my grandpa is still dealing with damage from a large tree that fell on his house and my own family just considered themselves lucky to have had no physical damage from the storm, and happy that they just dealt with a power outage, even if it was for two weeks.

           

While the damage is so far reaching, it is also so close to home. When I came home after the power outage at Lehigh, I was appalled by what I saw in my hometown and the surrounding areas: there were downed trees everywhere, no power anywhere and even government tanks being rolled in to help. It was without doubt in much better condition a month later around Thanksgiving, but those who were hit the hardest still needed more help. And they still do.

           

I do not know one person at Lehigh who was unaffected by the storm. Or anyone at all for that matter. That, to me, is what makes helping so important. We all felt some effects, which makes the drive to help even more powerful.

           

As the holidays approach, I can’t help but think of the people whose lives have been changed forever. Our class may have reached our goal, but the real goal is to help as many people as we can. Please donate to our campaign.

#COMM30Sandy is an online class project for the Media & Society class at Lehigh University, taught by professor Jeremy Littau. You can donate to our campaign at this link, and for more infomation you can email Prof. Littau at jeremy.littau(at)lehigh.edu.

Support individuals most affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Hurricane Sandy devastated residential and commercial areas in America’s upper-east coast and caused an estimated 60 billion dollars worth of damage.

A few weeks have passed since the storm, but there are massive amounts of damage in many areas that will take months to repair.

Breezy Points in Queens, NY was one of the most devastated areas affected by Hurricane Sandy. Fortunately donations and unrelenting volunteers are supporting a clean-up effort here, but they still need more assistance.  So do many other towns, such as Seaside Heights, NJ. 

Hurricane Sandy caused a fire that incinerated Breezy Points in Queens, NY

These people need assistance, and they need it now. These people can not solely depend on the government for their aid. Organizations like the American Red Cross have started funds to help these people, and they are depending on donations   to sustain their cause. You can find the link to donate to the American Red Cross Sandy Relief Fund through Lehigh University's COMM30 class at the bottom of this, and every other blog post on this site. 

It's the holiday season, families are without power, and many are without homes. If you can read this message, and you  have the means to donate to our cause, I implore you to follow one of the links and support those most affected by Hurricane Sandy. 

#COMM30Sandy is an online class project for the Media & Society class at Lehigh University, taught by professor Jeremy Littau. You can donate to our campaign at this link, and for more information you can email Prof. Littau at jeremy.littau@lehigh.edu.

#COMM30SANDY Using Social Media to Make a Difference

I live in Upper Manhattan, so as the storm did not effect me as much as it did others, I still saw some of the damage it caused. We lost power for only one night, and I was lucky. This storm turned my family and friends' lives around.

I went home for the storm and I remember at first, I did not realize the extent of how hard the storm hit some areas. It wasn't until I was in a taxi and drove past 42nd street, into the darkness, that I understood the devastation this storm caused, and also, I knew that the power outage of downtown Manhattan wasn't even the worst of the damage. It is devastating that people lost their homes and loved ones, but we can help.

I was very excited when I found out that my class was going to help raise money for Hurricane Sandy victims. Not only is this project helping us understand how to apply using what we have learned about the power of social media, but we also are helping a great cause that really needs attention. I was very proud that we reached our goal of $5,000 but we still are encouraging people to donate, because really, every penny counts.

Months after the storm hit, people are still in need of help and so, I urge you to please donate to our cause. It only takes a second, and even just donating $5 is encouraged.

#COMM30Sandy is an online class project for the Media & Society class at Lehigh University, taught by professor Jeremy Littau. You can donate to our campaign at this link, and for more information you can email Prof. Littau at jeremy.littau@lehigh.edu.

Helpless

I felt helpless during the Sandy induced mayhem.  I wanted to do more than send a mere text or e-mail expressing my condolences.  After all, what could a simple message do to help my friends and family who were watching their lives wash away?

Upon thinking of people I knew that were hit the hardest by Sandy, I had a terrible realization that two very close people to me could have been in danger.  Since I met my best friend Jake in the 5^th grade, his grandparents, Granny and Zadie as we call them, have been my like a 3^rd set of grandparents to me.  Whether it was spoiling me on my birthday, telling stories, or giving me wise advice, Granny and Zadie have been like family to me.

Living on the Jersey Shore though, I was really worried about them.  After all, they are grandparents so they couldn’t take necessary precautions to board up their house to brace it for the storm.  They were able to evacuate in time to their son’s house on the mainland, but their house was left in ruins.

I wish I had been able to help them pack as much as they could, secure their house, or something to help suppress the damage.  I know the most important in thing is their health, but I still feel bad that I couldn’t do anything to help them during the storm.

Unfortunately Granny and Zadie are not the only ones suffering from the aftermath of super-storm Sandy. You can still make a difference in the lives of people just like Granny and Zadie.  Thank you very much for all of your support.

#COMM30Sandy is an online class project for the Media & Society class at Lehigh University, taught by professor Jeremy Littau. You can donate to our campaign at this link, and for more information you can email Prof. Littau at jeremy.littau@lehigh.edu.

Perspectives from Sandy

Hurricane Sandy is the first disaster I can remember affecting people near me. Usually natural disasters hit far away, or at least far enough for me not to actually be able to realize the devastation  They hit places I've never seen before, places where I can't grasp how different they look after the destruction.

This time, it hit in an entirely different way. Both houses next to mine, and ones I'd been to two hours away at the Jersey Shore. I was lucky enough to have my own house spared. We lost power for a day and internet/ cable for the next two, but that makes me one of the lucky ones. For a full day after the storm there was no way to get past my development; every single street (I tried fix) was blocked by a tree in one way or another.

I complained about these things on my phone, which I charged using my car charger, to my friends and to twitter, all of which everyone seemed to be able to access. However, this is one instance where twitter allowed me to get a better perspective on things-- while I tweeted about being bored of watching television at the end of our unexpected week long break, I read about people still not having power which, at this point, meant they had no food left in their houses. My best friend's house one mile down the road didn't have power for a full two weeks, and they were eating meals of whatever canned goods or prepackaged foods they could find because grocery stores were still low in stock. A week after I returned to school a family that mine is close to had to come to our house to shower and do their laundry.

Those too were just minor issues compared to the utter devastation going on in New York and at the Jersey Shore. Hurricane Sandy has wreaked havoc like I've never seen or truly been able to feel before. Though it didn't affect my house personally, the fact that people down the street were in dire situations made me realize how lucky I was. It could have been me at any point. It could have been anyone, and I think that's something Sandy helped people to understand. We all need to pitch in and do our part to help fix the destruction it has left, because anyone's life could have been changed by this disaster.


#COMM30Sandy is an online class project for the Media & Society class at Lehigh University, taught by professor Jeremy Littau. You can donate to our campaign at this link, and for more information you can email Prof. Littau at jeremy.littau@lehigh.edu.

Imagine losing a loved one

I remember it vividly. My mom, dad and I were sitting on the couch in our family room with our flashlights. My mom and I were trying to entertain ourselves by shining our flashlights on the ceiling when all of a sudden something out of the corner of our eye caught our attention. "Get down!!!!!!!!" We both shouted. Boom! A loud, giant tree had fallen smack on the center of our garage. It was all so fast that none of us had time to process what was going on. No longer could we see our backyard through the windows because our view was blocked by the branches of the tree. My dad who was overly eager to see the damage first hand decided it would be a good idea to venture out and explore. My mom and I both pleaded for him not to leave, but he insisted. As he went outside I started screaming at my mom. "How dare you let dad go outside in this hurricane. He could die!" I could tell my mom was equally worried. As 3 minutes passed I was starting to get really concerned. My mom and I opened up the door and screamed at the top of our lungs "LEWIS?????!!!" "COME BACK!!" However, the wind was too strong and powerful for our voices to be heard. At this point I started to cry. Branches were falling left and right, it was way to dangerous for anyone to be outside. I started yelling at my mom. How could she let my dad out in this weather? Finally, my dad came running inside soaking wet. My mom and I both told my dad that he was not allowed to leave the house again. 

The time that my father was outside was one of the scariest experiences of my life. It made me think of the possibility of losing a loved one. While I am extremely lucky that nothing happened to my dad, 110 people died in the U.S. from Hurricane Sandy. Imagine losing your mother, father, a friend, a child, a grandmother, or a grandfather. Although this is extremely difficult to fathom, take this time and realize how lucky you are that the people you love are safe. Unfortunately this is not the case for everyone. While you may feel powerless and disconnected from these victims, you can actually make a difference. By donating to the link posted below, your money will go to the Red Cross and it will be put towards Hurricane Sandy relief. Everything little can go towards something huge. 

http://www.indiegogo.com/comm30sandy

#COMM30Sandy is an online class project for the Media & Society class at Lehigh University, taught by professor Jeremy Littau. You can donate to our campaign at this link, and for more information you can email Prof. Littau at jeremy.littau@lehigh.edu.

Making a Difference

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For the past four summers I’ve spent the last week of summer vacation in Avalon, New Jersey, with one of my best friends and her family.  Throughout the week we sunbathe, play paddleball on the beach, and body surf in the ocean.  The vacation is peaceful, relaxing, and a perfect way to end each summer. 

Last month, Hurricane Sandy devastated large areas of the Atlantic seaboard.  The Jersey Shore was anything but peaceful.  Along with most of New Jersey, the community of Avalon experienced massive flooding and widespread power outages.  When I look at some of the pictures of Sandy’s aftermath, I can’t imagine how Avalon residents must have felt.  People were forced to evacuate their homes and were uncertain of how their houses would be affected or if they would ever seen some of their belongings again.

The photo below pictures Avalon Freeze, a popular ice cream shop located in the heart of Avalon, under multiple feet of water.  

Avalon is still dealing with post storm repairs and cleanup.  In other places throughout the Northeast many schools and businesses are closed and mass amounts of people are still without power and places to stay.

As I remember back to the memories I’ve made in Avalon each summer I feel a personal responsibility to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy.  The people who are still struggling need our help and it only takes a small donation to aid in the restoration of the areas that were damaged by the storm!

#COMM30Sandy is an online class project for the Media & Society class at Lehigh University, taught by professor Jeremy Littau. You can donate to our campaign at this link, and for more information you can email Prof. Littau at jeremy.littau@lehigh.edu.

Perspective

It was not until I returned home did I realize how naïve and spoiled I was during our trek from Bethlehem to Boston.  Complaining about closed highway exits, panic traffic, and of course, lack of eating options on the way, my complaints turned out to be mere inconvienence compared to the devastation suffered by those really affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Sleeping the day away, my roommate and I were woken up by my sister banging on our door at noon.  “Pack your bags, we’re going home. Now.” she ordered.  Ecstatic about the abrupt mini-vacation, we had no idea the repercussions the circumstances of our academic hiatus would have on families across the east coast.

Just as water disperses every which way on a hot stove, the entire campus was in a mass scramble that morning.  After a last ditch effort to pack the essentials, me, my roommate Jonathan, my buddy Sam, my sister and her friend Dan, piled into her Honda CRV for what seemed like a legitimate voyage home to Boston.

Bickering back and forth, tension between everyone in the car was amplified.  There I was, complaining about moderate hunger and the fact that I did not have enough legroom while other people were watching their homes and lives wash away.

When we finally got home, which was completely unharmed by the super storm, I could check back into reality.  I saw that this freak of nature storm did not elicit a vacation for everyone like it had for me, but rather caused irrevocable damage.  Sandy’s wrath left thousands homeless and in despair.  I felt pretty sick about myself that I was moaning about superficial problems when all of this was going on just a few miles from where we were on the road.

Upon doing more research on the destruction caused by the hurricane, I am very proud to be a part of this project.  Just like I did, sometimes we all lose site of real problems going on in the world – especially if we were not directly affected.  YOU can still make a difference, as it is not too late to make a donation to the Sandy victims.  Simply follow the instructions on the site to donate to victims through the American Red Cross.  Every penny counts and I speak on behalf of the class when I say we appreciate all of your support.

#COMM30Sandy is an online class project for the Media & Society class at Lehigh University, taught by professor Jeremy Littau. You can donate to our campaign at this link, and for more information you can email Prof. Littau at jeremy.littau@lehigh.edu.

http://www.indiegogo.com/comm30sandy

The Jersey Shore Will Stay Strong

Jersey is my home. I have lived in the same small town all of my life, yet have traveled around the state because of soccer games, field trips, etc. There are many different parts of Jersey, from farmland to cities, to tiny suburbs like my hometown of Fanwood, NJ. Despite the vast differences, all of Jersey is connected through one thing- the Jersey shore.

            Ever since MTV came out with The Jersey Shore in 2009, New Jersey has never been the same. Jersey is one of the smallest states in America, and therefore it never received a lot of attention until this show. Once aired, America’s perception of Jersey changed. Some people stereotyped the shore as trashy, with Guido’s roaming around wanting to party. As a native Jersey girl attending school in Pennsylvania, I have constantly heard jokes about Jersey, with people believing exactly what they saw on TV. Although the show is entertaining, I always found these people to be very ignorant by believing in this goofy show. This is reality TV. Obviously everything is exaggerated, and people are cast to create entertainment, rather than portray reality.

            The people of Jersey know how much culture and community is at the shore, and they are what makes Jersey special- not the fake TV crews and tourists wanting to see the castmates. Unfortunately, disaster struck the shore not too long ago, leaving the boardwalks, houses, and overall communities greatly damaged. Although having to defend my state got a little old after a while, I truly pity everyone who made fun of the Jersey shore but never got the chance to experience it for themselves, because the Jersey Shore is such a special place.

            To me, the Jersey Shore is happiness. It is where people come together with people they love, to spend a day, a week, or a whole summer peacefully. From Tent City in Ocean Grove, to the boardwalks of Point Pleasant and Seaside, it is much more than simply a beach. There is something for everyone, and as much as the locals make fun of the “bennies” for being tourists, everyone is welcome.

            As much as The Jersey Shore exaggerates to create drama and interest for TV, no exaggeration is necessary when it comes to Hurricane Sandy. You couldn’t make a sadder movie, with added details for emotional affect, because this story is bad enough as it is.

            Sandy has washed away boardwalks, sanded up streets, and damaged houses, but the community spirit and love for the shore is as strong as ever. This strength will allow the shore to make a comeback. It might take months or even years. But the negative image that MTV has cast on the shore did not ruin its spirit, and neither will Sandy.

#COMM30Sandy is an online class project for the Media & Society class at Lehigh University, taught by professor Jeremy Littau. You can donate to our campaign at this link, and for more information you can email Prof. Littau at jeremy.littau(at)lehigh.edu

Devastation by Sandy

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Lehigh University began to buzz with excitement in days leading up to Hurricane Sandy. Many were tuned into the news and tracking the storm on the web. How bad would the storm actually be? Would we be evacuated again like last year? The answer became clear: the storm was causing major damage all across the east coast and on October 30, 2012 Lehigh was once again evacuated.

When I first got news that the storm was coming, I immediately tried to contact my parents. Their cell phones and my home phone went straight to voicemail. I found this extremely strange until it hit me: my home in Potomac, Maryland had lost power. In today’s age when we are constantly connected through technology and media, it scared me that I could not contact them. Were they hurt? How bad was the damage to our house? When would the power return? Luckily the night before we got evacuated the power to my house was restored. The morning of October 30 I called my father and he immediately began the 3.5 hour drive to take me home. I brought along three of my friends from the west coast who had nowhere else to go.

When we arrived back in Maryland I was thankful that there was minimal damage to my home. A few trees had fallen in my neighborhood, but no one was seriously injured. Sadly, this was not the case for everyone. Our family friend’s summer home on the Jersey Shore was completely damaged, and his entire family was devastated. A home filled with memories, joy, and summer fun was gone in an instant.  Sandy also devastated Seaside Amusement Park, a favorite attraction of theirs, and all the rides on Casino Pier are gone. Here is a photo of one attraction floating in the water. 

I am very lucky to not have been badly affected by the storm, but unfortunately there are still many out there who are now forced to completely relocate and rebuild the lives they once lived. It is scary to think of all the damage that happened in the matter of just a few hours. Any size donation made can help those in need!

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           #COMM30Sandy is an online class project for the Media & Society class at Lehigh University, taught by professor Jeremy Littau. You can donate to our campaign at this link, and for more infomation you can email Prof. Littau at jeremy.littau(at)lehigh.edu.