The Ultimate Study House to the Rescue (with Shopping List Included)
It seems that the only thing that spreads faster than panic in Mexico City is, ironically, solidarity. After the spectacular – and by spectacular we mean absolutely terrifying – explosion of a gas pipe from the Silza company on the Concordia Bridge, in Iztapalapa, the landscape was ready for one of those post-apocalyptic movies. But surprise! Instead of Mad Max, what appeared on the horizon was none other than UNAM, riding on a metaphorical white horse and with an action plan more detailed than the syllabus of a professional exam.
The National Autonomous University of Mexico, in a burst of efficiency that left more than one speechless, has enabled a network of collection centers in its faculties and schools. The goal: gather everything from a Band-Aid to non-perishable food to help the families of the injured. Because, of course, when the State delays, the university community steps up. Who needs a national emergency plan when you have the students of FES Zaragoza organizing everything as if it were the social event of the year?
The Solidarity Tour: A Guide by Faculty
So that you don’t get lost in this sea of good will (and academic bureaucracy), here we break down the who, where and what of this monumental collection. Because donating is good, but donating what is actually needed is better. No more arriving with three expired cans of tuna and an elastic bandage from grandma.
The FES Zaragoza, always a pioneer, installed its collection point attached to the Auditorium of Campus 1. There they will receive, with open arms, adult diapers, transport fabric, three-way keys, Tegaderm dressings and, of course, food. As if that were not enough, they also offer psychological support. Because after seeing a pipe fly through the air, a little therapy doesn’t hurt anyone.
Meanwhile, at FES Aragón, the donation center operates in the Government Building. The schedules are so specific that they seem to be taken from an INFONAVIT procedure: 12:00 to 20:00 on the 11th, and from 9:00 to 20:00 on the 12th. The list of supplies is practically identical, with the addition of drinking water. Because hydration is important, even in the midst of a disaster.
The FES Iztacala joins the charity festival on the same days. Their menu of accepted donations includes gauze, bandages, swabs, cloth tape, alcohol, surgical soap and, of course, more non-perishable food and bottled water. Basically, everything you need to set up a small field hospital, except the skill to do it.
And University City could not be missed. The Faculty of Psychology will open its doors on September 12, because even to be supportive they need an extra day to plan. They ask for everything: from gauze and bandages to serums, blankets and raincoats. Just in case the emergency is accompanied by a rain shower.
The Faculty of Architecture has its collection point in the FA Cube, basement, next to the Lumen. They receive medical supplies, food and hygiene items. One wonders if, in the process, they could design an urban plan so that these pipes do not pass through such populated areas. But hey, step by step.
The Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, always theoretical, enabled two spaces: the Consciousness and Freedom cubicle and A-211. Names that sound more like an elective than a crisis center, but hey, it’s the intention that counts. There you can bring healing items, food and personal hygiene products.
The Faculty of Law was marked with a center at the main entrance, next to the clock. Because if there’s one thing lawyers know how to do, it’s keep schedules. They collect medical supplies and non-perishable food. They may also offer free legal advice to victims to sue whomever it may concern. One can dream.
The Faculty of Economics, practical as itself, asks for basic things: food, water and hygiene items. No fancy dressings or three-way braces. What is just and necessary to survive, which at the end of the day they know: scarce resources.
And the final touch, because in Mexico even pets are part of the family: the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry comes into play through the Veterinary Student Front. In addition to the required medical supplies and food, they ask for croquettes. Because Fido also has to eat in the middle of the chaos. A detail that, it must be admitted, is as moving as it is unexpected.
In summary, the university community has mounted a support operation that would embarrass more than one official body. While the authorities are taking the blame for who allowed an LP gas pipe to transit there, students and academics are getting their hands dirty. Once again, civil society – or in this case, university society – demonstrates that true help comes from below, with hyper-specific donation lists and a healthy dose of sarcasm to cope with tragedy.
Were you moved by this display of organized solidarity? Don’t stay with the emotion! Share this information on your social networks so that more people know how to help. And if you want to be prepared for the next emergency (because in this city, there’s always one next), explore more prevention and community response content on our site.
