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.