Syracuse is home to nearly 12,000 people of Puerto Rican descent that, along with other Syracuse residents, are working to gather and deliver donations to the island after Hurricane Maria.
Nearly six weeks after Hurricane Maria decimated the island of Puerto Rico, the effects of the storm are still being felt on the island and in Syracuse. The city is home to nearly 12,000 people of Puerto Rican descent, according to the U.S. Census. These ties to the island have made Syracuse a hub for relief efforts.
Syracuse University students will have the opportunity to help rebuild Puerto Rico first hand after the devastation brought by Hurricane Maria in September. The Student Association is partnering with Hendricks Chapel for a disaster relief trip to the island over winter break.
In a statement, Angie Pati and James Franco, vice president and president of the Student Association, said: " We have been so inspired and captivated by relief efforts led by the Puerto Rican community on campus."
Despite having classes canceled on Monday and Tuesday, many students were not worried about the potential effects of the storm.
As Hurricane Sandy made its way along the East Coast yesterday, Syracuse University took precautionary measures to keep students and faculty out of danger.
A weather alert email distributed Monday morning informed the SU community that classes would be canceled until Wednesday, when the school is expected to resume its normal schedule. However, despite the potential dangers of Hurricane Sandy, SU students said they have not felt threatened and have used the two-day break to relax.
Elizabeth Kang, a health and exercise junior, said she feels safe and out of harm’s way.
Classes scheduled after 1:30 p.m. Oct. 29 and for the entire day Oct. 30 are cancelled.
In a weather alert email sent out to all students and faculty earlier this morning, SU has cancelled all classes scheduled after 1:30 p.m. today and for the entire day tomorrow. Classes are expected to resume on a normal schedule on Wednesday, Oct. 31.
The massive storm that hit the Northeast causes delays and dilemmas as students tried to make their way back to Syracuse.
While Hurricane Irene didn’t affect Central New York as badly as cities on the eastern seaboard, several Syracuse University students who planned on moving in this weekend had a lot of trouble traveling to campus.
The storm touched down in North Carolina on Saturday and slammed into New Jersey and New York today, intimidating authorities into shutting down public transit and throughways in the tri-state area and prompting flight delays nationwide.