Hurricane Sandy has taken the country by storm, affecting an estimated 50 million people, including Baylor alumni and current students in the storm’s path.

Dr. Joseph Kickasola, director of the Baylor Communication in New York program, said the Baylor students in New York are very prepared for the storm. Fifteen of the 17 students enrolled in the program remain in New York, while two students returned home over the weekend in response to Sandy.

Superstorm Sandy slammed into the New Jersey coastline with 80 mph winds Monday night and hurled an unprecedented 13-foot surge of seawater at New York City, flooding its subways and the electrical system that powers Wall Street. At least 10 U.S. deaths were blamed on the storm, which brought the presidential campaign to a halt a week before Election Day.

For New York City at least, Sandy was not the dayslong onslaught many had feared, and the wind and rain that sent water sloshing into Manhattan from three sides began dying down within hours.

Dr. Kenneth L. Hall, former president emeritus of Buckner International, has been named the new senior vice president for university development and strategic initiatives.

Hall’s new position will entail working with the President Ken Starr’s leadership team on strategic initiatives, such as Pro Futuris, and other university developments, such as new university projects on campus. Hall will begin his new duties on Jan. 1.

When a 14-year-old girl received a Facebook friend request from an older man she didn’t know, she accepted it out of curiosity. It’s a click she will forever regret, leading to a brutal story that has repeated itself as sexual predators find new ways to exploit Indonesia’s growing obsession with social media.

The junior high student was quickly smitten by the man’s smooth online flattery. They exchanged phone numbers, and his attention increased with rapid-fire texts. He convinced her to meet in a mall, and she found him just as charming in person.