More than 150,000 bodies, about a third of them children. About five million people without homes.

The numbers from the tsunami disaster in South Asia and Southeast Africa are staggering.

But to the average American they are just numbers. Although media coverage of mounting aid - now totaling more than $4 billion with about $350 million contributed from the United States. - has been sufficient, it's easy to get lost in the numbers. It's important to keep the relief effort in focus and not lose sight of a disaster that will take years to overcome.

With the death toll for U.S. citizens only reaching about 35, it might be challenging for America to keep its heart attached to the issue.

That being the case, maybe some different numbers hit closer to home. With about 3,000 killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks - which evoked a massive show of sympathy - the amount of people killed would be nearly 50 times more than what resulted from the two planes crashing into the World Trade Center towers. It would also be more than enough to wipe out the population of Flint.

It's trying to see the disaster continually dominate news coverage, but it's warranted by the magnitude of the event and the help needed to rejuvenate the area. The American attention span seems to be short for disaster news - even when it is our own. Coverage of the war in Afghanistan trailed far too soon after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Attention to our schools waned too quickly after the shootings at Columbine High School.

This is our chance to lock onto something bigger than ourselves. A chance to begin repairing a horribly wounded reputation the country has suffered from its choice to "go it alone" in Iraq. Even if the world sees Americans as greedy, they don't have to think we are self-centered.

Fortunately, the American Red Cross already has had a response greater than that given after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But with the death tolls estimated to jump as high as 300,000, we must be relentless. Perhaps after we have helped the tsunami survivors and rebuilt the destroyed infrastructure, a surveillance system can be funded to keep the world on watch for future disasters.

It's refreshing to see some of the most visited Web sites in the world, such as Google and Yahoo, offering people access to send aid on their pages. Even sites students use - such as thefacebook.com and MSU's Web site - have donation options.

On campus, efforts are being made to show that our internationally renown university cares. MSU has connections to many of the affected countries through educational programs, and President Lou Anna Simon has called our students, faculty and staff to gather their resources to create a collective response.

More often than not, this means reaching into our pockets to lend a hand. Although that might not be an option for everyone, what is most important is to keep discussion alive and make sure this great loss does not become a forgotten disaster in the years ahead.