Since Hurricane Sandy struck most of the east coast on Monday, most of the University community and the South Orange community have undoubtedly been affected.
In light of this matter, the University has been closed this week and will resume business Monday, Nov. 5.
The University did not lose power, internet, heat or access to water at any point during or after the storm.
According to the PSE&G website, South Orange residents without power have been given a "Global ETR," or general estimated time of restoration, which is the same for all PSE&G customers throughout the state, that was set for Nov. 10 as of Thursday morning.
South Orange Village is experiencing "extensive power outages," causing the public water system to run below normal operation, according to the Office of Emergency Management of South Orange.
A message from the Office of Emergency Management in asking residents to "conserve water as much as possible and only use water for drinking, medical uses and other absolute necessities, while deferring laundry, cleaning and other discretionary uses at this time" was forwarded around 5:15 this evening by Heath Rossner, Assistant Director of Housing and Residence Life.
As of Wednesday, Seton Hall's University Center served as a shelter for South Orange residents without power, according to Village President Alex Torpey's twitter account.
A message from University President A. Gabriel Esteban was sent to the University on Wednesday, cancelling events for the remainder of the week, addressing both the challenges this may cause and the overall cooperation throughout the school.
"I realize this may cause adjustments in schedules, changes in deadline dates, and other logistical issues," the email states. "These are things we can deal with in consultation with the appropriate bodies in the coming weeks. With your assistance, I know we can work through these challenges."
Tara Hart, Director of Housing and Residence Life, and Patrick Linfante, Assistant Vice President for Public Safety and Security, responded to requests for comment on storm preparations and both stated they would respond as soon as possible.
Pirate Alerts were sent the weekend before the storm, informing students of care packages available through Gourmet Dining Services and safety precautions to take when staying on campus Monday and Tuesday.
The Alerts continued throughout the storm, advising students of a lockdown that went in affect early Monday and wind advisories later in the evening, telling students to stay away from windows during the hurricane-force winds.
Tree and debris removal began Tuesday morning, the cafeteria and SHUFLY resumed operation on Wednesday.
Check back to www.thesetonian.com for updates on Monday as campus reopens.
Charlotte Lewis can be reached at charlotte.lewis@student.shu.edu.
