September is here. It’s been a beautiful week of late summer/early fall-type weather following the onslaught of Irene last weekend. That has been a blessing for the clean-up and repair crews who are out there working to get things back to normal. I am grateful to have only lost power for a short time in my new Fairfield home. Many others lost so much more, and my thoughts and prayers are with them.
Speaking of clean-up and repair crews, my thanks to the folks who have worked so hard to clear the campus of storm-related debris and get it ready for the arrival of students on Sunday and Monday. We also appreciate the efforts of those who got our campus technology up and running after a couple of days of unexpected downtime. We don’t realize how much we have come to rely on the Internet and e-mail until we lose access for a few days.
Despite the loss of power here, we had the pleasure of hosting a group of students from the University of Bridgeport over the weekend in the William H. Pitt Health and Recreation Center. They were forced to evacuate temporarily since their campus is so close to the coast.
Irene necessitated a slight disruption in the plans for our Community Connections immersion program, but the storm also provided the students with a unique opportunity. Twenty-four students who had arrived on campus by Saturday night responded to a call from the American Red Cross to volunteer at the emergency shelter located at Bassick High School in Bridgeport. Approximately 200 people who had been evacuated gathered there to ride out the storm.
Our students were at the shelter from 3 to 7 p.m. They not only served food, but they organized games for bored and frightened children of all ages and interacted with everyone – helping to take their minds off what might be happening to their homes. Representatives of the Red Cross have told us that they were impressed with the way the students related to all types of people – from owners of beachfront property to the homeless. Kicking off their college career in a hurricane is something these students will always remember. They should also remember that their efforts truly made a difference.
On Monday, the Community Connections students took time out to reflect on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. I am sure I was not the only one to think about the people of New Orleans as we experienced the wrath of Irene. Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast with more than twice the strength we experienced here with Irene. It’s unimaginable. There are areas there that have still not begun to recover.
The rest of this week has gone pretty much as planned for the Community Connections team. There was some shifting of volunteer schedules as the Bridgeport schools had a delayed opening, but the students have been able to work on our Habitat for Humanity home, serve as student aides in two elementary schools, make and serve dinner at local soup kitchens and much more. They have also experienced some of the cultural opportunities that Bridgeport provides. They attended a Spanish Mass, learned Latin dances, enjoyed a Puerto Rican meal and cheered on the Bridgeport Bluefish. I had a chance to stop by their annual community barbecue Thursday evening. This event, planned and hosted by the students, traditionally wraps up their week in Bridgeport. It’s an inclusive event – everyone the students meet during their week of volunteerism is invited. The weather was perfect, and everyone was having a wonderful time. Congratulations to the students and the entire Community Connections team on a great week in Bridgeport!
While the Community Connections group was setting up for their Thursday evening barbecue, I had the opportunity to host 26 student leaders for a barbecue lunch. It was a great pleasure to meet and dine with the summer RAs, orientation leaders and others who make summer visitors to our campus and, especially, our freshmen students feel so welcome. I continually hear from parents that the upperclassmen who welcome incoming freshmen are engaging, approachable, friendly and helpful. Leaving home for the first time can be a daunting and unsettling experience, but our returning students and staff go out of their way to provide an extremely welcoming environment – and it does not go unnoticed.
I hope everyone has a happy and safe Labor Day weekend. Take time to relax and enjoy your friends and family. And I will close with a huge welcome to campus to everyone, especially our incoming freshman class. It’s going to be an exciting year. I can’t wait to get started.