While driving on a highway in Chennai, India, with his family over break, Darshan Kothari looked out the window and saw an island — an island that just days before had been connected to the surrounding land.
“There was a part of the mainland that had become an island; it looked very odd, like it shouldn’t have been there,” he said. “The whole area was like stripped, like it had little to no vegetation.”
Kothari, a junior biochemistry major, went to India for the first time since he was three to attend a cousin’s wedding. He and his family were in the northwest city of Ahmedabad when they heard the news of the tsunami disaster that has thus far claimed over 150,000 lives in more than 11 countries.
“There wasn’t any warning [the tsunamis] were going to hit,” he said. “The morning we left for Chennai we heard on the radio and TV what had happened and that it had hit the coast of India.”
Since an earthquake in the Indian Ocean with a magnitude of 9.0 caused towering tsunamis to slam the eastern coast of Asia, over 149,540 people have been declared dead, and thousands more are in danger due to the threat of disease, according to www.cnn.com.
Although it happened halfway around the globe, the natural disaster has hit home. While some students have family and friends in the affected region, others — including Kothari and middler Roshanee Bindra — were in eastern Asia on vacation and witnessed the effects firsthand.
Kothari said after he and his family realized the destruction Chennai had suffered, they canceled their tour of the city and instead joined in the relief efforts.
“There was a massive food and clothing drive we helped with; we just helped to package the supplies,” he said.
The region needs money more than anything, Kothari added, since clothes and food cannot be easily shipped across the globe.
Half a world away on Northeastern’s campus, the urge to help those in need has been evident, despite the geographical distance.
“So many students have come up to me and said, ‘How can we help? What can we do?’ I’ve definitely been moved and gratified to see so many people who care about this,” said Director of Spiritual Life Shelli Jankowski-Smith.
Along with Jankowski-Smith, Scott Quint, assistant dean and director of the International Student and Scholar Institute, and Kristen Simonelli, associate director of government relations and community affairs, have joined together to form a team dedicated to developing a centralized Northeastern Tsunami Relief Fund, said Vice President for Student Affairs Ed Klotzbier.
“This is just such a tragedy in such large proportions it was important as a community that we came together to offer any kind of support,” Klotzbier said.
Throughout campus, there will be designated spots where anyone can contribute money that will be given to the tsunami victims through international organizations such as UNICEF, The Red Cross and the Royal Thai Embassy Relief Fund.
The Office of President Richard Freeland has pledged to match any contribution up to $25,000. Freeland said the figure is a realistic goal considering the size of the university community.
“There are 18,000 students and 2,400 faculty and staff, so if everybody gives a buck we’d be just about there. If half the people gave two bucks we’d be just about there, and that suggests to me $25,000 is within our range,” Freeland said.
At the showing of the World Series Trophy in Cabot Center on Tuesday, Jankowski-Smith said she was moved by the generosity students showed when passing the donation basket.
“It was very touching to see students reach into their pockets and wallets and put everything they had into the bin, without looking at it or counting it to see how much it was,” she said. “They didn’t care if it was the last penny they had. It choked me up to see such compassion among students.”
There will be an interfaith prayer service Friday at 3 p.m. in the Sacred Space, which is open to all members of the Northeastern community. There will be a collection basket present, as well as a message board available for people to post words, thoughts or prayers regarding the tsunami victims.
“It’s an opportunity to just feel like they’re doing something to help the people and one way they can do that is pray,” Jankowski-Smith said.
In addition to providing aid on Northeastern’s campus, Klotzbier said many students have expressed interest in traveling to the affected areas and helping out, possibly on an “alternative spring break” trip this year and in the future as well.
“That just shows you the mettle of NU students. They are a world away and [students] still want to go over there and help these people,” Klotzbier said. “And this is not just about spring break ’05. This is an ongoing process.”
After seeing just a little of the destruction firsthand, Kothari agreed the recovery period will be a matter of years, due to the typically slow pace of the region.
“After 9/11, it took eight months to clean up Ground Zero, and that was a two-block radius. This is an entire region. It’s going to take years to recover.”
