• John O’Rourke

    Editor, BU Today

    John O'Rourke

    John O’Rourke began his career as a reporter at The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. He has worked as a producer at World Monitor, a coproduction of the Christian Science Monitor and the Discovery Channel, and NBC News, where he was a producer for several shows, including Now with Tom Brokaw and Katie CouricNBC Nightly News, and The Today Show. John has won many awards, including four Emmys, a George Foster Peabody Award, and five Edward R. Murrow Awards. Profile

Comments & Discussion

Boston University moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Moderators are staffed during regular business hours (EST) and can only accept comments written in English. Statistics or facts must include a citation or a link to the citation.

There are 102 comments on All Eyes on Sandy

  1. I think this is kind of ridiculous…. this notification basically says that there are projected 60 mile per hour winds, but students are expected to be out on campus walking around to get to classes. Also, power outages could prevent people from having the resources they need to get to classes (water?). I’m a student and if during the day tomorrow I don’t feel comfortable being outside during the storm, I don’t plan on going to class and don’t think I should be penalized for it. I live far from campus and a few weeks ago was concerned about 20 mph winds, let alone 60.

    1. Governor Patrick just announced (on CNN) that all schools and colleges are urged to cancel classes tomorrow in order to keep roads clear for emergency personnel. I’m hoping we get notification of BU closure soon.

      1. They’ve said they’re going to announce an update at 6pm. I’m assuming that’s what we’re going to hear (I know that a few schools in the area are already closed, so fingers crossed).

    2. This would make sense. As a massive university with numerous far away commuters-I live at the end of the B line by BC and I’m considered close-I can only imagine they would be wise to shut it down. With how bad the B line is on a sunny day I doubt it will survive running normally tomorrow!

  2. This IS ridiculous. The article warns us to gather supplies in case of power outages and mentions 60 mph winds, yet refers to it as a “a very windy and rainy day,” and says we should travel to classes. If it’s really just a windy and rainy day, why is the university bothering with ANY of the precautions that the article mentions, such as the rental of large generators? Obviously if the university feels the need to rent generators, this is more than a typical windy and rainy day and should be treated as such.

  3. The administration should be ashamed of itself. I cannot believe that they have the nerve to put my child in danger. They ask these students to “Dare to Be Great” and are instead daring them to unnecessarily test nature.

    The administration should amend the slogan to “Dare to Be Morons.” Shame on you BU.

  4. I agree. Winds up to 60 MPH? This will cause for falling branches and flying debris, which can be very dangerous for students going to class. Not to mention for faculty and staff reaching the University.

  5. If New York City thinks this storm is dangerous enough to shut down their public transit system, I don’t understand why the administration thinks it’s okay for students to be walking outside… BU does not have its shortage of trees and there will be plenty of projectiles flying around. Don’t know about you guys but I’ll be staying inside.

  6. I have seen NOTHING about this storm looking “a little more common”!!! I don’t know where BU is getting it”s information!!! All news media and weather advisories say “honker down and plan for the worse”! I am SHOCKED by BU advise to my precious child! This makes me question the judgment of this university’s administration! My child is far from home and in harm’s way and the university administration that I have trusted to make reasonable recommendations and accommodations for her is FAILING!!!

  7. University should consider safety measures more seriously. They are talking as if they can forecast everything that will happen tomorrow and as if 60 mph winds is a very common day to day thing. They should realise that students do not have cars to come to campus like most administartive staff!

  8. I hope students are smart enough to take their safety into their own hands and disregard what the university says. Anyone with access to the weather channel and has an IQ that’s in the double digits knows that this storm is going to be ugly.

  9. This is ridiculous. “‘But at this time there is no reason to take additional precautionary measures other than those that we have put in place.'” Some of us are not even going to be able to get to class, including professors. If you don’t make a school-wide cancellation, teachers will just make their own cancellations. Guaranteed. If there are power outages, there could be no running water. Comm ave is a wind tunnel as it is, can’t imagine it with gusts up to 60 mph. come on BU.

  10. Most buildings have a maximum stress level of 90 miles per hour winds, so with forecasted winds near 80 miles per hour, this is quite serious. Other areas affected are closing public transportation systems and public school systems. It appears that BU decision makers are not taking this weather threat serious enough to protect the students and staff. Accidents are bound to happen with people, cars, buses and trains mixing it up in high wind and high rain areas.

    Its always good advice to plan for the worst and pray for the best!

  11. Boston University, I thought you could handle yourself more appropriately in a situation like this. Boston is already a windy city as it is. I’m from New York and it’s usually windier here than back home. Especially for residents living near the Charles River. Based off of history, it’s more important to close the school down for a day than to have students risk their lives trucking off to class as well as professors. Some professors drive here or take the T – neither which will be safe. I hope students take precautions and if you feel uncomfortable walking outside then please DON’T GO TO CLASS. It’s not a common occurrence. Stop being so selfish and give your students and professors a day off. Not all of us live on campus. BOSTON is a CITY. Commuters are everywhere.

  12. There is a difference between walking in the snow and going through 60mph winds with rain and likely a couple tree limbs flying around. I’m all for New England heartiness and going through rough weather, but there is a difference between being able to go through some snow or rain and being an idiot.

  13. I am traveling back to campus on Sunday night from New York by bus, but I may not be able to get back tonight. Several buses have been canceled due to the hurricane, and the New York City subway is going to stop running by 7 pm. Many students and faculty staff, in both Boston and New York, will be taking public transportation to get to their classes on Monday, but are they all willing to risk their lives on the train when a falling branch might crash into it or them? If New York is taking precautions to ensure that its residents will be safe, then should the University not do the same as well?

  14. BU administration at its finest. I’m really looking forward to getting struck down by flying debris on my way to class tomorrow. I understand Boston and New York are two separate cities, but if NYC is shutting down public transportation until Tuesday and the winds are going to be up to 60 mph then the “Hurricane Task Force” should be taking this a whole lot more seriously.

  15. Respectfully, I’d like to ask the BU administration if they are considering the safety and well-being of the faculty and staff who have to drive into campus tomorrow.

  16. All Boston public schools are closed. I think that’s a pretty good sign that we should be too.

    Come on, BU! One day of no school is nothing compared to the safety of students, faculty, and staff!

  17. This is absolutely ridiculously…this is or is just about a category 1 hurricane…many may say take public transportation but whos to say the T will still be running. To burden students with responsibilty to transport ourselves in this weather is such a liability. I live off campus and dont feel safe biking in these conditions…if the T is not running what do we do? I want an administrator to answer this concern…how are we expected to get to class?

  18. THIS IS RIDICULOUS! They CLEARLY don’t give a hoot about our safety at all. If someone gets hurt, God forbid, they are going to get the wrath of the media.

  19. If the mayor of Boston has deemed it unsafe for students to go to their schools, the fact that BU is an urban campus only amplifies the stupidity of the administration’s decision to maintain a regular schedule.

    College students are just as vulnerable as any individual who is walking on the street. My child should not be put into danger. And if their students’ safety isn’t BU’s priority, shame on you, administration.

  20. Really ridiculous. If the administration refuses to cancel classes they need to, at the very least, not penalize students who are unwilling to put themselves at risk. No unexcused absences given, allow exam rescheduling, etc.

  21. Someone please correct me if I’m wrong, but I think the real issue is the lack of information on Tuesday classes. I, like many other students, am located far enough away from class buildings that getting to classes through the high winds and rain would be dangerous through tomorrow’s weather, but the weather is expected to worsen and continue at a high intensity through Tuesday night. Maybe there could be a debate about classes on Monday morning, but if there’s no cancellation for Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning students like myself will be forced to choose between missing midterms or risking injury. That is not a choice the university should be forcing on us. I just hope enough angry parents call that BU is forced to pretend student safety is a priority.

  22. I am so upset that BU has chosen to downplay this event. These gusts being predicted are of enough force to propel flying debris into a weapon. A weapon that could injure a student. Local schools have closed in order to keep students safe. BU should take into consideration almost ALL students have long walks to various buildings around campus and asking them to be out in what has created an Emergency Declaration by the governor or risk missing a class is just.well…not up to the standards BU preached to me during my Parent Orientation.

  23. I dont think BU should cancel classes. How can I DARE TO BE GREAT if im not in class!!!??? Exactly.
    Game. Set. Match
    Your move angry BU students and faculty

  24. As a law student at BU, I think the university so be aware that negligently exposing their students to dangers like this could lead to tons of lawsuits, not to mention unnecessary harms. Just give us Monday off and cancel class. This is WHACK.

  25. As if the University hasn’t gotten enough terrible PR this year. Way to go, BU. Endanger the lives of students and faculty members because one day of class is too important to miss.

  26. Many faculty, staff, and students commute into campus. Mayor Menino is urging employers to focus on their employees’ safety, and all nonessential government workers are being urged to stay home tomorrow. Why would BU require its employees and students to face dangerous commutes?

  27. This is making me SOOOO STRESSFUL!!!

    BU administration take action, and QUICKLY! We cannot even concentrate in our studying like that.

    Sincerely,

    Mangoli De la Portas,
    PAO13

  28. It’s 4:00 on Sunday, and I’ve barely heard anything in regards to BU’s plans for tomorrow even though Boston Public Schools have already cancelled. There’s also been a state of emergency declared. I have to commute to the Medical Campus from Brighton for classes – how am I supposed to travel safely in 60+ mph gusts? Although the hurricane will touch down in New Jersey/New York, it’s been continually noted that New England will be pounded by equally intense winds and damage. I don’t feel confident or safe getting to BU’s Medical Campus via the T and Shuttle Bus, but I don’t want to be penalized by my professors for not showing up. It would be nice to hear from BU on an answer to this soon, and not tomorrow morning at 7:00AM as possibly planned on the Medical Campus.

  29. Is one or two days of classes really worth the safety of all your students, the lawsuits the university will face when someone gets hurt and the stress of everyone? BU should stop being so concerned with the perception that others will get. Above all else, Boston University’s main responsibility is to provide us with an education in a SAFE and HEALTHY environment

  30. I don’t get why BU won’t cancel. Boston Public is closed and so is Chelsea which is right next to Boston…makes no sense. Theres a big chance that most students wont even bother going to class if they have to commute or even go from West to East.

  31. This entire thread of comments reflects the city’s state of mind at the moment, and BU should be rethinking its policies for tomorrow. Dozens of schools around the Boston area have canceled classes for tomorrow. The mayor has urged businesses to allow employees to skip a day of work. The fact that BU is smack in the middle of the city should make it even more of a reason to cancel class for the day; hundreds of students are either walking to class (my commute is a 15-minute walk, under many trees) or on the public transportation system, which will probably experience cancellations or SEVERE delays due to the storm tomorrow.

    As everyone else has said, it’s hilarious how BU is alerting students to take safety precautions – stock up on supplies, buy flashlights, stay away from windows, but OH, it’s okay to go outside to get to class! It does not add up. It makes no sense, BU!

    Either way, I’ve already decided to gauge the situation for myself and ABSOLUTELY NOT attend classes tomorrow if I feel like it may be dangerous to go outside. This is my decision, and BU should be ashamed for keeping the schedule as is during one of the biggest storms to ever hit the U.S.

  32. This is not the first time that Boston has been hit with “the Storm of the Century”. I remember a few years ago there being a storm like this, I think it was Irene. The university cancelled classes, the T stopped running, you would have thought we were in Florida! It ended up barely even raining! I’m sure that the university will cancel classes as they see fit but only once they know it is absolutely necessary.

    1. Umm… Irene knocked down a forty foot tree in front of my apartment in brighton, crushing two cars and blocking the whole street. Thats more than “barely even raining”. It doesn’t have to be torrential downpour to be dangerous conditions…

  33. Can we please just admit that nobody is actually really concerned about wind/rain/flying debris/apocalypse and we all just want a day or two off?

  34. The governor just said that all non-essential personnel should remain home and urged private agencies to issue the same order to their employees.

    So BU, this means that classes should be cancelled. Professors, other faculty and staff, should be able to stay home and stay safe. Students should, of course, remain in their dorms as well.

    This storm is obviously NOT common and the university needs to step up and recognize that.

  35. Forget this. I’m not going to classes if the weather is bad. Thank you so much BU for making my regret my decision to come here. It’s been great, but maybe if you can’t take everyone’s safety serious, I might have to consider transferring to a school that does care

  36. Okay, this is ridiculous. You could see gusts of 80 mph and it’s perfectly okay for students to be walking outside to classes?? Almost every other school–yes, including universities–has wisely shut down. Staying open does not prove anything positive about the school. How does the administration’s deciding to open the school despite the risks reflect anything but foolish stupidity??? BU will have a lot to answer for if someone gets hurt.

  37. The Governer is saying to close schools. I don’t understand this and another thing is I don’t understand is why Bently University has generators for there resident halls and BU does not!

    1. Actually, almost none of the local colleges have called off classes. MIT, BC, Harvard, Suffolk, Northeastern, Brandeis, UMass Boston, Tufts, etc. are doing the same, intelligent thing as BU: waiting until they get all the facts before making a decision.

      1. Ben,

        UMass Boston is cancelled, like all public Universities in our great state.

        I brought you up as what I believed to be a reasonable boy, but when you look at our governor in his face when he pleads with these schools to close, and you shun him. Ben…what have you done?

        Perhaps I have failed as a father.

  38. The administration should be ashamed of itself.

    Many students, including me, are not used to storms like this one. It goes without saying that with 60 MPH winds forecasted for tuesday, many projectiles will fly around and could be dangerous. Besides, if other cities are taking this hurricane seriously, it means that they have a reason to do so …

    This is ridiculous. Saving money instead of saving lives

    1. First of all, how is BU getting any profit out of this? Shutting down the facilities saves money, and they don’t make up missed days like grade schools. Isn’t keeping the university open costing BU money? The idea that they’re staying open to save money is totally false.

      And besides, you said it yourself; the 60 MPH winds are forecasted for Tuesday, so why not force students to go to class Monday?

  39. With all due respect, BU will not alter its schedule unless an incident of BU member’s death or injury occurred during the hurricane.

    Oooooooooh the irony, only acts when it is already too late.

  40. This is absurd. We get an email from BU about all the necessary precautionary measures, yet it’s only supposed to be “windy and rainy” tomorrow? If anything happens to students tomorrow, including myself, I can guarantee there will be lawsuits, and my parents will be one of them. This is pure shameful decisions on BU, ONE day off will not be so devastating.

  41. As a Boston Public School teacher thankfully our Mayor and Superintendent have taken the safety of their students and staff seriously and cancelled classes tomorrow due to the possible dangers of Hurricane Sandy. As a parent of a BU student I am hoping that those who make the decisions on cancellation take our Governor’s urging at a recent MEMA press conference very seriously to close all schools and colleges and universities and make the right call for BU students and staff. Falling wires, trees, debris are not what I want my daughter to have to deal with as she commutes from off campus housing into class. I have urged her to stay safe and if that means making the decision not to go to class that is fine by me. Please consider the safety of our children and the BU staff!

  42. update coming at 6 PM people!!! i would hope after hearing Deval’s press conference they will make adjustments!! just hang tight and hope they make some smart decisions. i could use a day to catch up on my homework HEHEHAHA

  43. As a student that have night classes at BU I’m very concerned about having classes tomorrow. I have to drive and I wont feel safe DRIVING to school. This is ridiculous!! Come one BU, put our safety on first place.

  44. I’m a student, and I’m sorry, but with having classes tomorrow.. I’m going to have to skip. I live on the opposite end of campus from where my classes are and I don’t feel safe walking along one of biggest and busiest streets in Boston in 60MPH winds and rain. I’m risking my life for one day classes. I really do hope BU changes their mind and cancels classes for tomorrow.

  45. The fact that both the governer and the mayor have already urged all schools and universities to close down in preparation for this perfect storm, and BU has yet to even acknowledge the seriousness of this Hurricane is simply idiotic. If my son is hit by a flying cow than I swear that BU will no longer have the money it now has. It only takes one injured student for this to turn into a massive issue which will cause BU to regret trying to uphold their reputation of being the least logical when it comes to making safety a priority.

  46. Let’s all be honest here. No one that’s angry is actually worried about getting hurt. Everyone here just wants a free day off, including me and there’s no shame in admitting that. I’ve been checking the weather consistently and Boston is probably getting the least force of the hurricane. Western MA is going to get hit harder than Boston.

    1. I am and worried about getting hurt! I’m only 100 pounds, if that sometimes. I have trouble walking with 20mph winds. Winds this strong, especially those gusts, could easily knock me over, even knock me out. Not to mention the scaffolding outside my dormitory which could easily be knocked down in those types of winds. So there’s your debris. I’m really scared of getting hurt, and I’ve seen my fair share of large storms.

  47. If the classes are held, as a TA I will have no choice but to show up.
    Light just went out in my house in Newton for a brief couple of seconds. The storm has not started yet…

  48. The people fearing for their lives is funny to me. What tree branches on Comm. Ave are you worried about falling on you? No one is going to die from some strong winds and rain while they walk down the street.

  49. This reminds me of last winter. BU was the only school open in the whole Boston area during the snow storm. So… expecting classes tomorrow people!

  50. MCPHS cancelled.. public schools cancelled.. but BU won’t cancel even though I have to walk all the way to class in the storm and risk having an accident. In my three years here there isn’t a single day when I don’t regret coming to this school.

    1. Listen, if you have regretted coming to BU every single day for the last three years, then that is your problem for staying, regardless of this hurricane situation.

  51. Please don’t close school tomorrow, and I want to get hit by a tree branch or a flying cow, you don’t normally get to experience this kind of thrill during Halloween.

  52. Hurracaine is part of my life. I’m worried about my daugther who lives at Bay State Rd. What about security provided against Hurraine????? 60 to 80 miles per hr ?????

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