November 03, 2012
To the St. John’s Law Community,
I am writing to provide the latest update on the storm recovery
status at the Law School. I am pleased to report that the
Law School will be open for regular classes on Monday, November
5.
Power Update: Last night, electricians
from the University and the emergency contractor successfully
connected a large diesel-powered generator to the Law School’s
electrical system. More than twelve hours later, the generator is
functioning well and the building is running on full power. We are
in the process of resetting elevators, resetting the HVAC system,
and checking the computer network. It appears that all
systems are working properly. If for some reason the generator
fails, we have in place a contingency plan to hold classes in other
locations on campus. I am optimistic that we will not need to
implement that plan; but we are nevertheless ready. I want to thank
and commend the University’s Emergency Operations Team – especially
the Public Safety and Facilities Departments – for their tireless
efforts over the past week to get the Law School up and running.
Crews have been working around the clock to restore power to the
campus and to enable the University to resume educational
operations. I am very grateful for their efforts.
Monday Classes: We have been in touch
with almost all faculty members, and I expect that all classes will
proceed on Monday. If individual classes need to be
cancelled, students in those classes will be contacted
separately. We will be recording all classes, and
storm-related absences will be excused this week. For
those students who are without power at home, facilities are
available on campus both for powering your devices and taking a hot
shower. The coffee shop in D’Angelo is also open, as is the
Fitness Center in Carnesecca. Although the Law School Library
will not open until Monday, the building’s wi-fi network is fully
operational. (Personally, I can attest that it is a lot
warmer and brighter here than it is at home!)
Make-up Classes: We are working on a plan
to make up the missed week of classes, and we will announce the
details later this week. I am optimistic that we will be able
to make up all classes without extending the semester beyond the
originally scheduled end date (the December 19 “snow day”).
Mass Transit: As storm recovery efforts
progress throughout the New York area, travel will continue to
present some challenges in the coming days. Fortunately, the
mass transit system is rapidly returning to normal. As of
this morning, the NYC subway system is 80% restored, and it should
be almost fully operational by Monday. The Long Island
Railroad has restored hourly service on its four main lines, and
buses in Queens have been running for several days. There are
three different bus lines that run to campus (Q31, Q30, and Q46)
and they connect with the LIRR at Jamaica Station, with the F Train
at 169th St., with the E Train at Kew Gardens/Union Turnpike, and
with the 7 Train (via the Q17 bus) at Flushing/Main Street.
Mass transit directions to campus are available here:
http://www.stjohns.edu/about/general/directions/directions/queens/transportation.stj.
In addition, the University is developing plan for shuttles to and
from area rail and subway stations. More details about that
plan will follow tomorrow from the University.
Carpooling: Gasoline shortages should be
easing within the next few days. In the meantime, we have
created a TWEN resource to enable members of the St. John’s Law
community to arrange carpools. Please add the TWEN Course
“Hurricane Sandy—Transportation Resources.” There, you will
find discussion forums arranged by county/region. If you are
able to drive to campus, please add a message to the appropriate
forum. Likewise, if you need a ride, please so
indicate. For those unable to get to campus by car, mass
transit may be a workable option. I know that when my
gasoline supply runs out, I’ll be taking the LIRR to the Q31
bus.
Facilities at Other Law Schools: The law
schools in the New York metropolitan area are working together to
provide support for one another during the storm recovery. To that
end, faculty and students who may need to access library services,
power, and wi-fi may use the resources for the next week at a
partner law school that may be located closer to their homes.
For information about accessing the facilities at other law
schools, please contact Associate Dean Martin Cerjan ( cerjanm@stjohns.edu,
718-990-1578) or Associate Dean Larry Cunningham ( cunninl1@stjohns.edu,
718-990-7616). We will be providing similar services to
students from other law schools.
Coming Together as a Community: Some
students have already asked about what we can do to assist in the
storm recovery effort. We have also received generous offers
from students at Tulane Law to provide any assistance that we need
(as we did for them after Hurricane Katrina). Now that Law
School operations have been restored, we can turn our efforts to
helping those in our community who need assistance. We will
be working with the Student and Faculty Public Interest Committees
to develop opportunities for the Law School community to assist
those in need. We already know of two members of the St.
John’s community who have suffered devastating losses. Carol
Laino, a long-time University employee and the former receptionist
in our Admissions Office, lost her son Anthony, himself a graduate
of St. John’s business school, when a branch fell on their Queens
home. Christine Sammarco, a 2009 graduate of the Law School,
lost her father to flood waters in Staten Island. Please keep
the Laino and Sammarco families in your prayers.
I know that the coming days will be filled with more bumps in
the road – both at home (where many of us are still struggling with
power outages and other storm damage) and on campus. I am
grateful for everyone’s continued patience, flexibility, and
perseverance. We are determined to get our students’ educations
back on track, and to do so with compassion and
understanding. I know that, working together, we can weather
this storm.
I look forward to seeing you here on Monday.
Warm regards,
MAS
Michael A. Simons
Dean and John V. Brennan Professor of Law & Ethics