The victims left homeless by the fire at the Riviera Ridge Apartments can use all the help they can get their hands on. That’s why the Student Assembly was on the right track when it set aside funds to help them out (See Page 4) a few weeks back.

The source of the money is an account meant to help victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. But little if any of that money has been doled out for that purpose, and the money went largely unallocated.

So diverting the relief funding to help in actual disaster relief is a great idea, and the SA and its leadership should to be commended for it.

“This time it will clearly help BU students,” Student Association president Mike Smyth was quoted as saying in the article in today’s paper. “Since the fund couldn’t serve its original purpose, it’s best to help people now and do something with it.”

Now that’s the attitude we’re looking for in our student representatives. The resolution allocating the money to help Riviera Ridge victims is a proactive approach to dealing with a disaster that affected a significant amount of students — and one that doesn’t cost us any extra money.

But the question remains: how are victims being notified that there’s money at their disposal? We can only hope the SA is being proactive in informing Riviera Ridge’s student (and graduate) residents that there’s somewhere else to go for help beside the University, charities and the goodwill of friends.

Let’s hope the SA is publicizing the fund and that it the message gets to its intended audience. And if they get nothing else done this year, Assembly members can be proud that they helped make a real difference for students who needed it.