Syracuse University’s initiatives toward Superstorm Sandy relief efforts should have come sooner and do too little to involve students.

SU officials were prepared to cancel classes before the storm hit, but an announcement about relief efforts did not come until a week after the storm. If officials were prepared to deal with potential destruction here, those efforts could have been immediately routed to the affected areas instead.

SU has a history of helping other colleges after natural disasters. In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, SU was one of many colleges that welcomed displaced students from Tulane University, free of charge.

Though Superstorm Sandy hit more than halfway through the semester and classes are reinstated at most New York City universities, SU could have done more in the immediate aftermath to help out a city and area that it often connects with.

SU markets itself as New York’s College Team. About 64 percent of this year’s freshman class came from the Northeast. SU also has direct ties to New York City, such as the Lubin House. With such ties, SU must do more and react more quickly when these places are in need.

But SU students do not need to wait for the university to take action to make a difference themselves. Superstorm Sandy presents a huge community service opportunity for students and groups on campus. Whether it’s texting to donate money, giving blood specifically for Sandy victims or going with a group down to pick up the wreckage, students can individually make a difference.

NYC and the affected areas will be picking up from this destruction for a long time. Students and the university have ample opportunity to make a difference.