Response from Dean Harold Cox to Recent Natural Disasters.

The stories about the devastation caused by Hurricanes Harvey, Maria and the Mexico earthquake have been gut-wrenching.

The story from Texas about a little baby floating in the water while clinging to her dead mother is an image that will stay with me forever. There have been stories coming from Puerto Rico about no electricity. Limited drinking water and food. Deaths. These are like a place under siege. I heard one person describe Puerto Rico as a hurricane hit by another hurricane. He was describing the ongoing devastating financial problems that the territory was already experiencing before Hurricane Maria added another layer of misery. To make matters worse, we don’t even hear about the problems of no drinking water in St. Thomas that a colleague has told me about in the village where her grandmother lives.  And lately, I have not heard any stories at all coming from the tragic events in Mexico.

It may be an exaggeration to say that this has been one of the worst years for natural disasters. It certainly seems that way with so many events all happening within a few weeks of each other. The devastation on property and persons has been extensive. The pictures and stories in the news about people that have lost everything that they own have been mind-numbing. And the many lives lost—what a tragedy.

The challenge is, what do we do?  My emotions, and I suspect yours too, have run the gamut of let’s start a fund for Houston. Let’s take up a collection for Florida. Let’s plan a trip to Puerto Rico to help clean up. Frankly, every time there is a report of a new disaster, I turn my attention to the new disaster and think of new things to do. I overheard a conversation where the participants were arguing over which disaster was worse, and which location needed help the most. The answer: they are all bad. And they all need help.

So, what to do? In a presentation about the new fund established in Massachusetts to support Puerto Rico, the presenter said it is not a good idea to collect items if you don’t have a way to transport those items to Puerto Rico. He reminded us that there are immediate needs, yes, but there will be long-running needs, as well. These disasters have created long-term problems that will not be resolved in a week or two. More likely, it will take years for some of the communities and affected people to rebuild their lives.

All of this is to say, the disasters have created short and long-term needs, and a sincere desire among many of us to do something about those need. Here are a few things happening at SPH:

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This is activism. I am proud that our school is taking up the challenge of thinking about the issues and then doing something. And there is plenty more to do. Maybe your cohort wants to band together and do something, too. Actions at any time will be important. But perhaps we can all make an extra effort during October’s Activist Month. And maybe you can report about it using #Act4Change.   

Finally and perhaps most importantly, remember to take care of yourself. You cannot do anything for somebody else if you don’t take care of yourself. I know, firsthand, how helpless you can feel in the face of the disasters. My mother and family live in Houston. I spoke to them every day during Hurricane Harvey to keep posted about what was happening there. If the events have caused you stress, please seek some attention from a friend, a trusted professor, or Mary’s Graduate Student Life office. Don’t sit alone. Please.