A tribute to Sandy victims

By Alexa Viggiano

It has been over 10 years since a devastating hurricane hit Staten Island. Sandy started in the Caribbean, headed north and destroyed about 650,000 homes. The storm caused waves to reach heights of 32.5 feet, a record in New York Harbor.

On October 29 and 30, 2012, Hurricane Sandy attacked New York, which was among the hardest hit states, claiming the lives of 24 Staten Island residents. They are remembered on each anniversary.

After the disaster, the Staten Island Community Organizations Active in Disaster (SI COAD) formed to unite not-for-profit organizations and agencies that provide assistance in disasters, coordinate services and interface with response organizations on the federal, state and local level.

One of the members, the Red Hook Initiative, served as a food and shelter center. Several days after the disaster, restaurants began doing cookouts. Early November saw much food delivery and heater distribution by the Red Hook Initiative. With the efforts by these COADs, heat and power was restored to many homes two weeks after the hurricane.

On the 10th anniversary of Hurricane

Sandy, members of the Staten Island community came together at Miller Field to pay tribute to the victims and honor the resilience of survivors. Local officials, including Mayor Eric Adams and Borough President Vito Fossella, delivered speeches that highlighted the community's strength and bravery. Attendees participated in a moment of silence and candlelighting ceremony to remember lives lost.

Young student artists offered reflections on the impact of Hurricane Sandy on their community. Overall, the commemoration served as a reminder of the strength and determination of Staten Islanders in the aftermath of this catastrophic event.

The cup began with a very eventful group stage bringing surprises like a Saudi Arabian win over then two-time World Cup champions Argentina and a landslide victory for Spain against Costa Rica with a score of 7-0. The U.S. advanced to the round of 16, which came as a pleasant surprise after failing to even qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Powerhouses Argentina, France, Brazil, and Portugal all advanced to the round of 16, placing first in their groups. Underdog Morocco also placed first in their group, not only advancing to the round of 16, but knocking out Spain and Portugal, paving their way to the semi-finals, and shocking the world by becoming the first African and Arab nation to do so. The quarter-finals saw the advance of Argentina and reigning champion France to the semis, as well as Croatia after an exciting – or devastating win, depending on the viewer –against five-time World Cup champion Brazil.

The final match was set after Argentina and France won their respective matches against Croatia and Morocco. Much was at stake for the two national teams as well as for their star players. France’s 23-year old Kylian Mbappe was looking to add yet another World Cup win to his resume and Argentina’s 35-year old Lionel Messi hoped to realize his dream of getting the last title there is to get and put a golden cap on his successful career.

After 120 minutes, the match went to nervewracking penalties, where Argentina won 42, eradicating a World Cup win for France and fulfilling Messi’s dream. Argentinians took to the streets of Buenos Aires to celebrate the country’s first win since 1986.

THREE SENIORS SHARE THEIR ADVICE AND INSIGHTS