Don't forget those we lost. Donate today.

           The night the storm hit, the twisted excitement that sometimes is carried with severe weather came with it. Those of us who tried to stay on campus, lit candles, gathered together and even went onto our porches to watch. It was actually less than menacing- until the realization of what the storm had actually done.
            I made it back the next day, and once I reached Stamford, Connecticut the comfort of home was there, but we were without power, heat, and most importantly water. We couldn't shower or even expect water to come out of the faucet because we were on a well system.
               However, unlike many other people affected by the storm, our power came back within the week. Unlike many other people affected by the storm, my family and I were left with no lasting damage. And unlike many other people affected by the storm, everyone I know is still alive.
            Hurricane Sandy has claimed 113 lives in the United States, according to the LA Times. New York was hit the hardest with 48 deaths alone, Staten Island accounting for nearly half of those fatalities. Besides the 113 deaths in the United States, 69 more people were killed in the Caribbean countries, which also suffered devastating destruction. 
            Though most of us have our power back, our homes are once again safe and warm, and our lives entirely set back to normal, we cannot forget. We cannot sit back and idly forget about the storm, because we have to remember those who weren’t so lucky. Remember police officer Artur Kasprzak, only 28 years old, who drowned in Staten Island after rescuing his six family members from floodwaters. Or the Dresch family, torn apart after 13-year-old Angela was killed after a wave crashed into her home, leaving her mother in critical condition and her father yet to be found. Or Jessie Streich-Kest and Jacob Vogelman, a couple in Brooklyn who were walking their dog before being killed by a falling tree.
            Though it is too late for many whose lives were taken by the storm, there’s still time to help those who were affected and need it. Donate today. #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 infomation you can email Prof. Littau at jeremy.littau(at)lehigh.edu.”