Article

Parents’ weekend unites NYU community

“We have to get on with makin’ New York what it is supposed to be. A punch is a punch, so we’ve got to get up.” L. Jay Oliva, New York University President
Erin Kandel - Washington Square News (NYU)

(U-WIRE) NEW YORK - A bow of purple and white balloons arching over West 4th Street on Friday afternoon welcomed thousands of students, family, faculty and alumni to a lively carnival celebrating New York University’s annual AutumnFest and Parents’ Weekend.

But this year’s AutumnFest was about more than just eating and partying. With the shadow of last month’s terrorist attacks still suspended over the New York University community, organizers felt the program should address the greater importance of unity during difficult times and help foster feelings of patriotism, faith and friendship within the NYU family.

“With everything that has happened, it was essential that [the University] redirect the focus of this day to talk about what’s been going on and try to lift people’s spirits,” College of Arts and Science sophomore Annie Senacco said.

Mary Sanders, a School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) student who offered to volunteer during the event, agreed that altering the AutumnFest celebration was a beneficial decision.

“People need to feel comfortable and happy right now,” Sanders said. “Especially parents, they need to see that their children are OK and that the university is doing all they can to make New York a great place to be.”

Waving over the balloons, clowns and cotton candy, large American flags hung from the towering buildings encircling Gould Plaza. Volunteers swarmed the street, distributing miniature flags to each passing patron as a personal reminder of the NYU community’s unity and strength as Americans.

“Today is a day we all should celebrate the experience of being Americans,” Irving said, as he passed a flag to a woman who promptly stuffed it in her shirt pocket. “It’s very important in these times.”

“The flags are a good thing,” CAS freshman Alyssa Thompson said, pointing to the red, white and blue peeking out from her ponytail. “Being together with our families, we are all feeling very thankful and proud and a flag really shows that.”

Undoubtedly, the mass of NYU students, faculty and family flaunting touches of red, white and blue must have appeared very patriotic to University President L. Jay Oliva as he looked out onto the clamoring crowd from a large stage assembled on the east side of the plaza. Sporting an NYPD baseball cap, Oliva approached the microphone after a group of Steinhardt School of Education music theater students kicked off the ceremony with a stirring rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

“Today’s theme is: ‘We’ll get by with a little help from our friends.’ Our friends are here and they’re all around you,” were Oliva’s opening words to the “Reaffirm Restore Renew” ceremony. He opened his arms out to the crowd. “Tell them that you love them.”

As the program continued, student singers led the crowd in a number of patriotic and uplifting songs, including the Doobie Brothers’ “Listen to the Music,” the forever meaningful “New York, New York” and the day’s theme song, the Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends.”

“I was so amazed — NYU has so many talented singers,” Daniel Phillips, father of CAS freshman Matt Phillips, said. “All the songs were so appropriate and they sounded great.”

The crowd’s roaring cheers echoed in the plaza when Oliva recognized 9th Precinct police officers and a 6th Battalion firefighter who sat behind him on stage.

“Thanks, friends,” he said to them with a smile.

Oliva introduced all of his “friends” that joined him on stage that afternoon, including Chairman of the Board of Trustees Martin Lipton, who offered words of encouragement to a community still wary after the attacks.

“I assure you that the trustees are working with President Oliva and the administration to make this a safe, mobile university,” Lipton said. “This is NYU and nothing can change that.”

“We have to get on with makin’ New York what it is supposed to be,” Oliva added positively. “A punch is a punch, so we’ve got to get up.”

Junior Aaron Scott felt uplifted by the speakers’ motivating words.

“I really appreciated the encouragement Oliva and the speakers expressed on-stage,” he said. “It was what we needed to hear right now.”

The loudest applause sprang from a little good-humored fun, when famed vocalist and NYU alumnus Neil Diamond joined Oliva on-stage for a duet rendition of his song “Believe in Happy Endings.”

“This is my first duet singing this song with Barbara Streisand,” Diamond said jokingly.

The two wobbled through the tune together, then clasped hands and held them high above their heads during the last verse of the song.

“It was great seeing Neil Diamond,” said Bill Crotty, father of general studies program freshman Tricia Crotty. “I was excited when I heard he was going to be here.”

The presentation came to a ceremonious close as all the presenters encouraged the NYU community to join them in a final reprise of “God Bless America,” culminating with a blast of red, white and blue confetti showering the cheering, flag-waving crowd.

“I really liked it when they sang ‘God Bless America.’ It was in really good sprits,” CAS freshman Sevan Basil said. “The singers had beautiful voices and I felt it really unified the crowd.”

Many felt the program has succeeded in uniting the University in patriotism and promoting faith and support of the NYU community.

“I could tell [the University] wanted to put everyone’s mind at ease, and [the event] really did that,” Sevan’s mother, Ann Basil, said.

Tisch School of the Arts sophomore Molly Michal admitted that the program did not serve as the diversion some people desired, but that the “Reaffirm Renew Restore” ceremony was a success.

“Some of my friends wished this [event] was a regular AutumnFest — just something to take our minds off what is going around the world,” she said as she unwrapped her free knish. “But personally, I don’t think that could have possibly happened. They did a good job with the new program — it was definitely a spirit lifter.”