by Mike Schnitzel
"They had been making announcements throughout the day and at 11 a.m. they said they were going to evacuate the university," said Goldman, "and if parents could take their kids out of the city they should."
Little did Goldman know that the storm that was about to hit the Gulf Coast would shut down the university for an entire semester-possibly longer. "I didn't think it was going to be that bad at all," said Goldman. "Eventually, I got the vibe that it would be closed for the semester, so I started to look for other places to go."
Some of Goldman's friends transferred to other schools once they learned of the situation at Tulane, but Goldman said she preferred not to rush into making any decisions of that degree of finality. She decided that she would attend Columbia for the fall semester last Friday. "I'm called a visiting student," said Goldman. "I have a Columbia identification card, but I'm not actually enrolled at the university."
Goldman hopes to be able to return to Tulane in the fall, and she is not alone in her sentiments.
Amanda Larsen , 19, of Valley Stream was about to begin her junior year at Tulane when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Despite the setback, the finance major hopes to be able to return to the school and city that she loves. "It's a great place and my experience there has been irreplaceable," said Larsen. "If they say they won't rebuild and it's a lost city, I just don't believe that because the people of New Orleans have so much spirit."
Larsen had just signed a lease for an apartment in the metro area city of Metairie when she was forced to evacuate, losing many of her belongings in the process.
"It's kind of tough to start from scratch, but I've bought some new clothes," said Larsen, who will be attending school at Syracuse University's students abroad program in Madrid this fall, at no charge. "I don't even need a visa, it's mind-boggling," said Larsen. "Many universities are doing a great job helping out Tulane students," she added. Goldman and Larsen are not the only Tulane students who are being offered a helping hand by universities throughout the country.
Scott Cowen, the president of Tulane, said in a statement posted on the university's Web site that nearly all students have been relocated to their home communities or other safe locations under the school's supervision, and that all residence halls are secure and the contents appear intact. Cowen said that in the next week the university will be better able to give a timeline of when operations can resume.
Local colleges are also doing their part to assist and accommodate the displaced students, with Hofstra registering students from affected institutions in the gulf coast region under "visiting" student status. Hofstra officials said they would provide special academic advisement, counseling, and financial aid assistance to affected students and their families and are waiving the application fee and providing special orientation sessions to try and accommodate the students until they return to their home institutions. "Our advisement office will work with each student individually to try and arrange a class schedule that best fits the student's academic interests," said Hofstra spokeswoman Melissa Connolly.
Adelphi is also helping out Tulane students by extending its registration deadline, and will admit students who have been impacted by the storm until Sept. 9. Nassau Community College is also extending an invitation to college students from the region whose education has been interrupted.
Andrew Coen contributed to this story. Comments about this story? Mschnitzel@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 265.
