2008 Woodie Awards
Lewis professors discuss impact of Hurricane Katrina
Kim Pattie
Issue date: 9/23/05 Section: News
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On Sept. 7, students and Lewis University professors came together for a panel discussion on the after-effects of the storm and the future of the areas destroyed. Moderating the panel was Dr. Mary Vandendorpe.
The first professor to speak was Dr. Ewa Bacon, chairperson of the Department of History/American Studies, who gave a historical perspective of destroyed cities and some thoughts on the current situation in the South. She said some cities recover, as Chicago did after the Great Chicago Fire, but some cities disappear forever, such as the ancient city of Atlantis.
Bacon said this natural event was predicted, but due to short-term thinking in the political arena, the resulting thousands of people who needed help did not receive it in time. Hurricane Katrina has led to one of the biggest migrations since the 1940s, yet as the storm was approaching, public transportation failed to get the most people out of the area as quick as possible.
Next, Dr. Calvin Edwards, chair of the Department of Justice, Law and Public Safety Studies, gave information about the effects the storm had on the criminal justice system. One of the biggest problems faced in the damaged area is the lack of law enforcement to keep gangs and looting under control. The police have no clear understanding about their discretion because the looters need to survive, but they are breaking the law by stealing goods.
Another problem is with records. Some were lost or destroyed in the water, and new offenders who were arrested had no jail to be sent to.
After Edwards' presentation, Dr. Gail Gehrig, chairperson of the Department of Sociology, gave insights into the sociological aspects of the citizens' relief efforts.
She talked about "Sociological Imagination," which is the ability for one with their knowledge to put themselves in another's shoes. Since the media was able to film and show the aftermath of the storm, both with people and the cities themselves, we all were better able to put ourselves in the evacuees' shoes, but still it's difficult to completely understand how some groups are feeling.
The first professor to speak was Dr. Ewa Bacon, chairperson of the Department of History/American Studies, who gave a historical perspective of destroyed cities and some thoughts on the current situation in the South. She said some cities recover, as Chicago did after the Great Chicago Fire, but some cities disappear forever, such as the ancient city of Atlantis.
Bacon said this natural event was predicted, but due to short-term thinking in the political arena, the resulting thousands of people who needed help did not receive it in time. Hurricane Katrina has led to one of the biggest migrations since the 1940s, yet as the storm was approaching, public transportation failed to get the most people out of the area as quick as possible.
Next, Dr. Calvin Edwards, chair of the Department of Justice, Law and Public Safety Studies, gave information about the effects the storm had on the criminal justice system. One of the biggest problems faced in the damaged area is the lack of law enforcement to keep gangs and looting under control. The police have no clear understanding about their discretion because the looters need to survive, but they are breaking the law by stealing goods.
Another problem is with records. Some were lost or destroyed in the water, and new offenders who were arrested had no jail to be sent to.
After Edwards' presentation, Dr. Gail Gehrig, chairperson of the Department of Sociology, gave insights into the sociological aspects of the citizens' relief efforts.
She talked about "Sociological Imagination," which is the ability for one with their knowledge to put themselves in another's shoes. Since the media was able to film and show the aftermath of the storm, both with people and the cities themselves, we all were better able to put ourselves in the evacuees' shoes, but still it's difficult to completely understand how some groups are feeling.
