A panel of faculty experts from a variety of academic departments discussed the effects and aftermath of the Asian tsunami during a panel discussion Thursday, Jan. 13 in McKinnon Hall. Details...
Moderated by Cary Caruso, assistant professor of physics, the panel offered a number of perspectives on the recent tragedy.
Caruso opened the forum by providing background on the physical and geological causes for the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. He said the earthquake released energy equivalent to 23,000 atomic bombs.
Tom Arcaro, professor of sociology, said sudden natural disasters grab the world’s attention because they differ from ongoing problems such as disease and famine.
“The tsunami is different from (the famine in) Darfur or AIDS because it is no one’s fault,” Arcaro said. “It’s cause is an act of God. Crises like AIDS and Sudan bring up questions of right and wrong and highlight the deep divisions in our world.”
Victims of natural disasters can feel a wide range of emotions, said Katie King, associate professor of psychology. “Some feel anger or re-live the event,” King said. These are all symptoms of post-traumatic stress, which “develops from events so extreme that they are beyond human comprehension,” King said.
Toddie Peters, assistant professor of religious studies, said religion is one way people try to explain disasters like the tsunami. She said they also remind us of our vulnerability.
“Natural disasters serve as a frightening reminder that it could happen to anybody,” Peters said. “Indeed, it could happen to me.”
The complete list of panelists included:
- Dr. Tom Arcaro, Sociology
- Greg Lilly, Economics
- Mike Kingston, Biology
- Cindy Fair, Human Services
- Katie King, Psychology
- Mike Calhoun, Health Education
- Toddie Peters, Religious Studies
- Yoram Lubling, Philosophy
- Kirsten Sorenson, Political Science
- Brooke Barnett, Communications