What a Difference a Day Makes -- from the Schuykill Regatta to College and University Closings Because of Hurricane Sandy

Being a professor one has colleagues and friends in many colleges and universities around the globe -- so when an event happens somewhere, chances are high that you may know someone there.

Now with Hurricane Sandy expected to affect over 60 million people with its fury in the Northeast many of us are getting prepared.

However, only yesterday, we were in Philadelphia at the Head of the Schuykill Regatta watching so many rowers from the Northeast (men and women of all ages, including numerous college and university teams) compete in an atmosphere of warm weather, numerous spectators, and beautiful Fall foliage. We saw friends from many colleges that we had gotten to know through our daughter's elementary school and high school in Deerfield, Massachusetts. I was amazed at the boathouses that line the river and the beauty of Fairmont Park.My college roomate at Brown University was on the crew team so I have come to appreciate the sport.

And today, driving back from eastern Pennsylvania back to western Massachusetts, we saw state of emergency signs in New Jersey, in Connecticut, and we heard Governor Andrew Cuomo of NY announce that the subways were shutting down in NYC tonight at 7PM. Now Governor Deval Patrick has declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts. We also saw electric power company trucks from Georgia and Tennessee  in caravans as we were driving north.

Crew teams were rowing yesterday for colleges from UPenn to Lafayette College, among others, which are now closing for tomorrow because of Hurricane Sandy.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is closed tomorrow (Monday) and my husband's university in Connecticut has cancelled classes for the next three days.

What a difference a day makes!

What will await us as when we wake up tomorrow and on Tuesday?!