On a night meant to celebrate change, the news of the New Year’s Eve tragedy on the Bund sent shockwaves across the world— a broadcast that hit far too close to home for the community at New York University Shanghai. The stampede that began at 11:35pm near the city’s historic waterfront area left 36 dead and 47 injured—Shanghai’s deadliest disaster since 2010. On Dec. 31, tens of thousands of civilians crowded the riverfront area in anticipation of a light show put on by the Oriental Pearl Tower across the river that would last for ten minutes and end with a firework display at midnight. China National Radio - citing a briefing by the Huangpu district police - reported an atypical surge in the size of the crowd between 11:20-11:30pm, which resulted in people being unable to move. The situation turned chaotic after what appeared to be money began to fall from the windows of luxury club called M18 on the Bund (a favorite among NYU Shanghai students) in Shanghai, CCTV reported. People frantically raced toward the building and some fell over in the commotion, the channel said. However, Shanghai Police deny that the stampede was caused by “coupon-throwing.” The majority of those left dead and injured were university students— an ominous reminder of how easily New York University Shanghai students could have been affected by the stampede. Ashler Uebele, a freshman at NYU Shanghai, decided to change his plans last minute and, instead of attending the festivities at the Bund, sought other events throughout the city that night. “We were at a disco bar called Dada when midnight hit,” reported Ashler. “My mom had heard about the news from Illinois and couldn’t get ahold of me because I had gotten home very late and was sleeping when she called. I actually didn’t know it had happened at all until three different people came to my room to check that I was alive the next morning.” The calamity at the Bund has been particularly embarrassing for the Shanghai government. As a business-driven city with a reputation for more efficient administration than other prominent Chinese cities, the chaos near the waterfront attracted negative publicity for the city and its officials. Zhou Wei, the Communist Party secretary of Huangpu District, and Peng Song, the head of the district government, both have been dismissed and replaced, according to Xinhua. The long-term effects of the tragedy remain seemingly unclear. Erica Martin - a New York University graduate and current editor at Shanghai’s expat magazine City Weekend - expressed some of her concerns regarding the aftermath of the stampede. “I am afraid that it’s the only thing westerners are going to associate with Shanghai.” she reported in a conversation with OCA. Three weeks after the grotesque tragedy - and, after intense pressure and frustration from the Shanghai community - a report was released that blamed poor preparations and lax policing as a cause of the stampede. The report, released by the Huangpu City Government, stated that officials “failed to take very seriously the safety risks from the concentration of people.” As the city moves forward, President Xi Jinping has ordered local governments to implement more safety precautions for future events - especially those concerning the upcoming Spring Festival. What this will entail for NYU Shanghai students for the upcoming break, is not set in stone. However, since the Winter Break, there have already been crackdowns on security, including signing in and out of both Motel 268 and the Academic Building. This article was written by Lily Korinek. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch.