THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2014
PAGE 9A
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Professor: Epidemics like Ebola test humanity
DEREK SKILLETT
@derek_skillett
Wednesday night, students and spectators listened to University professors discuss the different facets of the Ebola crisis, such as societal implications, psychological factors and an insight into the spread of the virus.
The panel, called The Ebola Outbreak in Wider Perspective, was sponsored by the University's Kansas African Studies Center. The discussion took place in the Malott Room of the Kansas Union and was open to the public.
"I saw a billboard advertising [the panel] in Wescoe or Strong. I wanted to see what they would talk about," said Nestine Olidan, a freshman from Junction City. "I'm not sure how [Ebola] spreads and I want to get more educated on it."
Olidan said people should be aware of the correct information about Ebola.
Ebenezer Obadare, an associate professor of sociology, discussed the societal implications of the crisis. Glenn Adams, an associate professor of psychology, discussed the different psychological factors that have made the Ebola crisis a complicated issue. And Sandra Gray, an associate professor of anthropology, discussed how the virus was able to spread through Africa.
Obadare, who was the first of the three professors to speak, talked about the socioeconomic aspects surrounding the Ebola outbreak. Obadare said epidemics can reveal several details about a particular society, such as gender relations, division of power, religious beliefs, class
relations, cultural phobias and social solidarity. He also described how epidemics can challenge core values of people.
"Part of what an epidemic does is it tests our humanity," Obadare said.
He said there are currently more Liberian doctors in the United States than in Liberia, one of the countries most affected by Ebola.
"These little perspective judgments that we make, especially in the United States, are inflicted with fear, ignorance or racism."
GLENN ADAMS Associate professor
Obadare closed his presentation by talking about the ways people who are living in the countries affected by Ebola tell jokes about the virus.
"The jokes are important because in places where people face the worst forms of degradation, jokes are the only things left for people to recuperate basic humanity," Obadare said.
Gray talked about tracing the spread of the Ebola virus. Gray said the virus was largely concentrated in rainforests in the Western Congo region and the first outbreak of the virus occurred in the Ebola River in 1976. Gray said the virus was able to be spread through refugees and groups of people moving westward through the rainforest.
Gray also said the virus has been spread by people eating infected animals in the rainforest.
"There has been sustained global disengagement in this region since the Rwandan genocide of 1994. The disengagement has paid off in a major way in an outbreak that also is manifesting global disengagement," Gray said.
Adams, the last panelist to speak, had a presentation which focused on the psychological factors that have emerged from the outbreak. Adams said people in West Africa are suspicious of international aid workers who arrive with health campaigns.
Adams said factors such as fear and irrationality cause some people to get in the way of actually helping other people. Adams referred to something called "the compassion gap," which refers to the amount of time between which an event occurs and when people care enough to take action.
"These little perspective judgments that we make, especially in the United States, are inflected with fear, ignorance or racism. This seems to be another one of those cases," said Adams.
Jordan Fisher, a senior from Hays, said she was inspired to attend the panel after hearing Adams, her cultural psychology teacher, mention it. Fisher said she thinks Ebola is an important topic of discussion because it is a huge issue right now.
"People should know what to do if it becomes an issue in our area." Fisher said.
— Edited by Kelsie Jennings
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The University received a grant of $8.1 million to buy a new Cessna CJ4. The plane will seat seven passengers.
Endowment receives $8.1 million grant for new plane
ALICIA GARZA
@AliciaoftheUDK
KU Endowment has been given a grant of $8.1 million for the University to fund a new plane.
The University's future plane will have many of the same functions as the previous plane, which has been in service for the past 17 years, said Jack Martin, the PR representative of the University.
The University's plane has been used half of the time for medical outreach trips, and has also been used for travel by athletics, administrators, student recruitment and the Alumni Association.
"The ability to have your doctor to come and see you, and to see a specialist in your
own hometown is really quite special, and it's something we can provide to the people of Kansas as a result of the support we have from the Endowment Association," Martin said. "This is all private funds, not taxpayer or tuition funds is being used to purchase the plane."
The new plane, which will be a Cessna jet, like the old one, will seat seven passengers and cost a little under $7 million, said Dale Seuferling, president of KU Endowment. Endowment also provided the grant for the previous airplane in 1997, which was purchased for $4.3 million.
lifespan of an aircraft based on its usage and keeping in mind the appropriate safety considerations we have on an aircraft once it reaches a certain amount of years and usage, that it would be appropriate to replace the aircraft with a new aircraft, going forward so that it would provide another 15 to 20 years of reasonable use for the University." Seuferling said.
"Two years ago, we started working with the University on a study on replacement aircraft, keeping in mind the
The new Cessna will have improved avionics and radar system for weather conditions. It will have improvements to the safety conditions, in addition to being more fuel efficient, Seuferling said.
- Edited by Logan Schlossberg
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University professor Sandra Gray speaks about the Ebola virus at a panel on Wednesday. Gray discussed the spread of the Ebola virus, as well as where the first outbreak occurred.
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