[wcenter] Re: bombings

[Mary Wislocki <mapedaan@worldnet.att.net>]

I have a slightly different question to bring up in regard to the
bombings. NYU is about 25 - 30 blocks from the World Trade Towers -- you
could see them clearly from many buildings, streets and courtyards.  On
Tuesday, we could hear the planes crash, even inside my building. I heard
the first crash before my class, but decided to continue.  It was a course
for freshman -- they were only in their second week as college students.  
Later we heard the deep reverberation of something else and the cries and
screams that went up from the crowds in the street below our windows. Our
windows faced the away from the Towers, so we didn't know what had
happened, except that it was something awful. I let these kids go early
and told them to go home and call their parents and tell them that they
were ok. But of course, phones were not working most of the day and every
kind of transportation in the city was shut down. That day I heard stories
from several people who were fortunate to be alive. Then I started to hear
about the people who are missing and presumed dead.

Since then, classes were cancelled -- and the dorms near the Towers were
locked. About 2,000 students from those dorms have been housed in the
sports center or with friends. I have to say I was completely overcome on
Wed and spent the day unable to do anything but watch the news. I went
back to work yesterday and was heartened to hear about all the support in
place. I have handouts galore. Counselors are available around the clock.
But I'm trying to understand how to talk about and deal with this in the
Writing Center. I believe students, especially freshman, will have trouble
focusing and writing. I can imagine that many freshman writing teachers
(they're grad students and many are consultants in the WC) will refer many
of their studets to us. On the other hand, students may not come -- will
they be able to work? The graduate student consultants will be fragile
themselves. The Writing Center is not about therapy, and yet I know that
trauma of this nature will have its way. Students may want to talk to the
consultants about what they've been through -- and we will need to listen
to some, but not all, of it.  We have not yet had our first WC meeting of
the year -- and the graduate student consultants will need to talk too.
But I have to make sure that sessions with students or our own meeting
will not be too much to bear.

So -- how has a campus trauma made itself known in your WC? What did you
do? What do you wish you'd done? I will need to talk more with counseling
services for one thing, I know. I'm just as concerned about the
consultants as I am about our student clients. I'm considering a kind of
instant referral policy -- where a consultant who can't continue with a
session for any reason can come to me and I will take his/her place. But I
have so many responsibilies, I may not be available that often.... Any
advice will be appreciated.

Mary