BY ELIZABETH VALENTIN
Arts Editor
Some 3.4 million residents of Puerto Rico—1,700 miles from Albany—are left without power and many have no home to return to after Hurricane Maria ravaged the islands of the Caribbean, making landfall in Puerto Rico on Sept. 20. This tragedy seems distant, but its effects can be seen on campus.
Several students at Saint Rose have family who have been directly impacted by the hurricane. Junior Breanne Colon has not yet heard from her family who live on the island.
“The matriarch of my family lives on a hill. My grandmother hasn’t heard anything from her side. They live in el campo, so their land is probably destroyed.”
At least 16 people have died as a result of the hurricane according to reports. “Losing family in the hurricane, we’re not taking into account the people that have died,” said Colon. “I wanted to go back to Puerto Rico so the matriarch of my family could see that I graduated.”
Melanie Rivera, a junior at the college, also has family that lives in Puerto Rico. She is starting a food and clothing drive to send to the island as attempt to do her part to help. “My family is living off of a generator, which is going to die soon,” said Rivera. “They don’t have school the rest of the year. There’s no hospitals. There’s no jobs.”
“Back in March of this year I visited New Orleans as part of a rebuilding project, nearly 12 years after Katrina,” said Kyle Adams, president of the College Democrats. Adams was another student who was doing what he could to help, as he organized a fundraiser, which collected money that is set to be sent directly to all of the areas recently affected by a natural disaster.
Several clubs came together for Friday’s event to raise money for the different areas affected by recent natural disasters. Among the fi fteen clubs that participated were the College Democrats, the Golden Knights dance team, Saint Rose Television club, and School Psychology Association.
“We wanted to raise money for the hurricanes and also for the Houston Humane Society, which helps animals that were displaced during the hurricane,” said Ashley Jones, a member of the Golden Notes.
“We wanted to help the children impacted and when Kyle reached out to us, we thought it was a good idea to help those in need,” said Jacquelyn Fossati, co-chair for the event and member of the Council for Exceptional Children. “It makes you realize that you’re a part of something bigger and that there’s more to this campus than just our campus.”
“Even if we make a small dent, it can mean the difference between a kid getting new shoes or helping a mother who’s been forced into a shelter with her kids,” she said “There’s no reason not to help.”
The clubs that raised the most money included Psychology Club ($191), the College Democrats ($131), and The Chronicle ($119). Friday’s event raised a total of $1,342.51 for areas affected by the natural disasters.
“I do not want to see these people impacted by the recent hurricanes in the same boat 12 years from now,” said Adams. “Let’s get ahead of it and help these people now and not let it drag on for decades.”
At a prayer service last Monday Joan Horgan, the director of spiritual life provided rocks with the names of the different areas affected by recent natural disasters. “You can carry them around with you, although some of you might not want to because of the weight, but the weight can be a reminder of your prayer for them,” said Horgan. “I have a sister in Houston and I spent a lot of time worrying about her when Harvey happened,” she said.
Because of Horgan’s personal connection she was overwhelmed the subsequent hurricanes and earthquakes that occurred shortly after and pretended that it wasn’t happening. When a student emailed her asking if there was an event on campus for the people affected, she realized that this is not an issue to be ignored.
“I struggled with the God aspect. These storms, we call them acts of God and I thought ‘Well, God, what are you doing?’” said Horgan. “Sometimes things don’t happen for a reason and we have to give it purpose through the love that we extend.”
During the service, Ken Scott, director of community service, spoke regarding the recent events. “Joan and I have been going into classes and asking if anyone knows people in Texas, in Florida, in Mexico, in Puerto Rico and we always see hands go up,” said Scott.
Horgan has a message for the people wondering how events like the fundraiser can help even though we are so far away from those affected by natural disasters. “Part of what hurts my heart is that it’s hard to directly impact. It helps us remember, even if it’s not on the front page every single day, that these people aren’t forgotten.”
