Humanities Homework Help

Hi folks —

For this Chapter’s Discussion Forum, you need to post only 1 response for full credit – provided you include all that is required.

What I want from you this time, is for you to think about “what’s next.” To do that, spend some time reading headline news stories over the next day or so — I encourage you to look beyond your normal news sources. In particular, I’d like you to find and read some that originate outside the United States — ideally, also outside the EU (European Union) as well. *Most major newspapers around the world have English-language/translated sites — look for them if you don’t read their primary language.*

After you’ve done a little of this “homework,” I want you to consider a recent regional-scale (or larger) event such as the COVID pandemic, the landfall of a massive hurricane (there were several in just the US last year), a wildfire, or even the unusually cold weather that’s causing so much havoc right now in Texas and surrounding states. Often, the reporting from major news sources covering these events ends shortly after the immediate aftermath — people’s interests fades, and news programs move on to something else. Yet, the locals impacted by the event continue to struggle as they attempt to reestablish “normal” for months if not years later. These “after” stories are the ones we don’t often hear. So, after you have done the “homework” I have described above, I want you to then dig a little deeper into one of these events. Dig until you find a story/article that focuses on some aspect of the long term recover efforts — and the write an essay describing how an event like a flood, or a wildfire (for example) might last only days or weeks, yet he effects of that event might last a lifetime — often now just for those who lived though it. *note, this story/article can be from a major news source or even an academic publication*

Be sure to consider the less-thought-of aspects of these disasters (short-term and long-term impacts of kids not being in school, food insecurity, lob loss, damage to local infrastructure, damage to local tax bases, perhaps increased (or decreased) trust in local leaders, etc. — but perhaps also new opportunities, new growth, people growing more united as the result of collectively facing a hardship). This time though, think categorically – not just individually. How do these events impact entire categories of people. *Important: Include a link/web address to the article you found that focused on these long term impacts.*

To start you off, here are some example links that each deal with the aftermath of two different large-scale natural/made-made disasters: (1) Hurricane Katrina and the 2011 Tsunami & Fukashima reactor meltdown — one is from the mainstream pop-culture periodical Rolling Stone magazine and the other is a youtube video (from a travel vlogger/not actually a ‘news’ program). Either are from among the types you may use…and YOU don’t have to post one that contains a video (though, you should choose something other than these particular disasters for your story — make sure you find your own):

Hurricane Katrina:

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/the-lasting-effects-of-hurricane-katrina-46988/

(most of the text is behind a paywall…but click on and watch the video in the link above)

and, the 2011 Tsunami/Reactor meltdown:

Again, only one “good quality” post is required this time. Take some time on this.