Snow Sweeps Across the North East

The snow swirled endlessly in Manhattan late Wednesday evening, the wind sweeping each flake in pursuit of another. It was a spinning game of snow tag that no flake could win, weaving a veil of icy moisture that hung heavy on eyelashes and seeped deep into the pores of mittens. City employees shoveled on.

A storm from the Northeast dumped 12” on New York City and outer boroughs Wednesday evening. Schools were closed, flights were cancelled, and the fast city pace came to a slow crawl for a day.

Thursday morning brought a break in the snow, and the sun arrived, working to melt away the frozen remains of the freezing weather that battered New England. The National Weather Service reported nine inches of accumulation in Central Park, and the snowstorm put the preparedness of New Yorkers to the test.

New York City public schools were closed for the day as a result. In a snow briefing held Wednesday afternoon, Mayor Bloomberg defended the precautionary measures taken for the storm. “After brief lulls, snowfall at mid afternoon reached the intensity that made the decision to close public schools the right one,” he said.

Other measures were taken to minimize the storm’s effects.

Around the city’s federal buildings and courthouses, city employees shoveled and salted the sidewalks of these highly trafficked areas. Pedestrians were appreciative of the hard work.

“I am impressed at how clean the streets and sidewalks are today, especially compared to how long it is taking to clean up cities south of here,” remarked Lindsey Fontana, a 21-year-old NYU student from Massachusetts.

Pedestrians downtown were left to spend the day making less-than-graceful leaps across snowdrifts left by plowing. Others were caught cracking a smile at their own wariness, as walkers tiptoed awkwardly across icy patches of concrete in Soho.

Other New Yorkers sought snow-day fun.

“People want sleds. We got a lot of calls,” said Shola Ibrahin, 30, an employee of Ace Hardware of Tribeca. “How many times do we get snow like this in the city? We don’t have sleds. This isn’t Colorado!”

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Oversized plow trucks lined up outside of the federal courthouses Thursday morning after a long night of work that kept the streets impressively clear.

New York business owners diligently shoveled the sidewalks of their storefronts Thursday morning.

The snowstorm layered city parks and open spaces with a blanket of snow.

An apartment rooftop in Tribeca was made virtually inaccessible due to eight inches of snow accumulation.

Bright afternoon sunlight on Thursday began the slow process of melting away icicles clinging to the ledges of buildings.

"The Nine Elements of a Sustainable Campus" - A Lecture by Dr. Mitchell Thomashow

Amidst the stark white and grey palette of NYU’s Gould Welcome Center auditorium, the topic of discussion was of a much greener nature.

Dr. Mitchell Thomashow, President of Unity College in Maine, spoke to NYU students and educators Tuesday. In his lecture titled “The Nine Elements of a Sustainable Campus,” Thomashow shared his experience as President of an environmental college to educate audience members seeking to create a similar green atmosphere at NYU.

“The way we look at it, we’re training a new generation of sustainability leaders leading by example,” Thomashow said in his lecture to NYU students and faculty.

Founded in 1965, Unity College is a leading environmental college of just over 500 students. The curriculum at Unity is focused entirely on the environment elements of traditionally broad based majors, and the campus itself is committed to sustainability.

Thomashow shared his insight on Unity’s efforts in green architecture, campus gardens, composting and recycling projects, and the harnessing of solar and wind energy.

Though Unity is a small rural college, Thomashow urged NYU students that sustainability is just as feasible on a large urban campus.

“Every school is different. I’m interested in sustainability as an integrative theme for every campus,” said Thomashow.

NYU students appeared excited and inspired by Thomashow’s speech.

“I think this is important because in X amount of years our planet is going to die if we don’t do something about it,” said Sonya Kumar, 19, an NYU student in the Environmental Studies Program.

Dr. Mitchell Thomashow, Union College President, addressed eager audience members from behind the podium of NYU's Gould Welcome Center Auditorium.

NYU students and faculty members alike took notes and listened attentively to Dr. Thomashow's inspiring advice on taking steps today to create sustainable campus environment for tomorrow.

Jeremy Friedman, Manager of Sustainability Initiatives at NYU, ensured a worried student that a movement toward a Green campus is just as feasible in a large urban environment as it is in a small rural one.

Dr. Thomashow was receptive to questions from students and faculty members, inspired by the tremendous effort demonstrated by those living and working at Unity College.

Dr. Thomashow supplemented his speech with a vibrant powerpoint presentation featuring photos of the students and grounds of Unity College.