HIEA 114 Post 1

Hi! My name is Taiqoor Ahmad. I’m a 4th year physics major at UCSD and on my way to graduate soon B). I’m largely in this class due to an outstanding interest in Japanese culture and history, but also because I appreciate Dr. Matsumura’s expertise, style as an instructor, and the easygoing atmosphere of her classes.

In response to the question, Cooke’s writings on disaster resonate extremely strongly with me, only partially because I’ve grown up with the same dreams that she describes in the beginning. It’s incredibly bizarre to have read so thoroughly about disasters, and then to see those exact sequences of events play out in real life. It’s a very strange feeling to know how the world will progress because we’ve seen how it’s happened before.

I really appreciate Cooke’s emphasis on community as well. The fact that social strain leads to tight-knit local communities is a source of solace in times of dire need, and the fact that historically, we as a people have survived every calamity offers great insight in how our natural inclinations in a situation like this reflect our propensity to survive. Viewing a pandemic through a historical lens is both optimistic and realistic, and that’s what resonates with me about Cooke’s writing.