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Table of Contents News
Pg. 8-Looking Back: The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake By Erin Henry
Pg. 10-Economic Problems Caused by Sandy By Nick Tuleu Pg. 11-The Impact of Hurricane Katrina By Will Reynoir Pg. 12-Natural Disasters Affecting Presidential Voting Polls By Nico Salas Pg. 13-EPA Prevents Idaho Couple From Building House By Adele Reynoir Pg. 14-A Look Back: John Steinbeck, Age 66 Dies By Connor Page Pg. 15-Helpers and Observes of 1906 San Francisco By Erin Henry Pg. 17-Faces of Relief By Connor Page Pg. 19-Key Players in Alabama Tornado By Will Reynoir Pg. 21-Katrina Help By Adele Reynoir
Pg.31-The Dust Bowl By Connor Page
Art
Pg.32-Historic Galveston Hurricane Brought to Life in New Novel, Dark Water By Nick Tuleu Pg.33-Earthquake at Dawn Reflects San Francisco Earthquake By Erin Henry Pg. 34-Taken Away Offers a Life Like Account of Hurricane Katrina Pg. 35-Hitch Recognizes Events During the Dust Bowl By Will Reynoir Pg.-37 Kanye’s and Other Artists Emotional Performance Toward Sandy By Nick Tuleu Pg. 39-Katrina Inspires Artwork By Adele Reynoir Pg. 41-Patricia Smith’s, Katrina, Brings Realism to the Hurricane Aftermath By Nico Salas Pg. 43-The Forgotten By Connor Page Pg. 45-The Movie 2012 Affected Views on Natural Disasters Pg. 47-Charles Richter Dies at Age 85 By Will Reynoir Pg. 50-Man of the Century: Jimmy Carter By Erin Henry
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By Connor Page
Looking Back: The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake By Erin Henry
April 18, 1906 an earthquake struck in San Francisco, California that would’ve been registered at 8.3 on today’s Richter scale. This earthquake was one of the most devastating in the history of California, that caused about 3,000 deaths. The duration of the shaking lasted for one minute, the d a m a g e destroyed many buildings and and structures in all parts of San Francisco. The earthquake managed to shift the round four to five ft per second. It also affected 375,000 square miles. In the quiet of the city after the shaking stopped, there was an even more destructive force. Much of the water supply came to the city in rigid iron pipes and about 30,000 pipes ruptured with intense shaking. This lead to fires from all of the broken gas lines and stoves that fell during the shaking, the water-pipes were also broken and that left nothing to put out the fire. Survivors of the
earthquake slept in tents for days, along with fires that ignited around the city. The House and Senate Appropriation committees enacted an emergency grant for the city to pay for food, water, tents, blankets and medical supplies in the weeks following the earthquake and fire. This devastating earthquake left 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 residents homeless. A San Franciscan c o o k i n g breakfast on a stove started a 24-hour-long ‘ham and egg fire.’ The city's fire chief was wounded inside one of the city's fire stations, leaving the department without a leader. As fires began to erupt across the city, almost 2,000 federal troops arrived on the streets, without martial law ever being declared. One witness, P. Barrett described it this way: "We could not get to our feet. Big buildings were crumbling as one might crush a biscuit in one's hand. Ahead of me a great cornice crushed a man as if he
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By Erin Henry
Economic Problems from Sandy By Nick Tuleu On October 25, 2012 Hurricane Sandy hit New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and the North Eastern coastline, destroying many homes and hitting New York the hardest. After six long months of cleaning up debris, rebuilding homes, and getting jobs back in business, the US took a toll of how much money Hurricane Sandy cost a total of over $50 billion dollars, $20 billion dollars in property damage, and $30 billion in lost businesses. The FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) was a large group associated with rebuilding the damage after Hurricane Sandy. FEMA is a part of the government and takes care of all of the government’s loans. FEMA is still in debt from the government and is taking the majority of the tax money to fund its agency. FEMA has used $959 million dollars on individuals and
households, $821 million for housing assistance, and over $137 million for other needs. The government gave FEMA the responsibility to Uix all of the railroads, subway systems, and to get the power back online, because with out it the jobs would go down and New York would make no money. Many citizens criticized FEMA because instead of using most the money on helping more people with there homes they used the money on rebuilding Wall Street and putting it back on there feet. There were many other organizations with helping rebuilding peoples homes such as the National Flood Insurance Program that used $3.3 billion dollars on helping people with there homes when they are Ulooded or broken down. Another organization that helped with the damages was Hurricane Sandy Relief, that was an organization just
FEMA as they help people out of the flooding
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The Impact of Hurricane Katrina By: Will Reynoir Even though the mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, called for mandatory evacuation, no one in the US would have thought that Hurricane Katrina would have caused of one of the fastest growing cities in America to take a step back in the blink of an eye. Hurricane Katrina hit the city of New Orleans, Louisiana on August 29, 2005. The storm first started as a category 1 hurricane that crossed over Florida. But in the Gulf of Mexico’s warm waters, the Hurricane grew rapidly and it would strike New Orleans as a Category 3. When it reached New Orleans, it broke the levees and flooded the city causing problems for the people and the city. Out of the whole widespread destruction of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans suffered the most. Over 80 percent of the city was flooded during this natural disaster which left 100,000 people homeless. Some places suffered severely such as the Lower Ninth Ward which was flooded as high as nine meters. The amount of damage done by the storm was said to have cost approximately 125 billion dollars. The Superdome, which is one of the iconic images of New Orleans, suffered major roof damage as this almost caused the New Orleans Saints to relocate. Although the flooding of the city was the worst event during the storm, Katrina also caused major environmental issues. The storm caused industrial waste and sewage to flood in the neighborhoods.
The people who suffered the most from Katrina were the citizens that saw the storm’s destruction first hand. Most of these people who saw this destruction lived in poverty as they lost most of their homes. Also, many businesses were damaged severely. Citizens who stayed in New Orleans took shelter in the Superdome, local hospitals, or other various tall buildings. The unlucky ones though had to sit on rooftops and wait for someone to rescue them. Another problem that people had was getting access to fresh food and clean water b e c a u s e t h e F e d e r a l E m e rg e n c y Management Agency took days to take action. Hurricane Katrina was very sad but in the midst of tragedy, heroes emerged. Some of these heroes were the US Coast Guard. This Organization saved 34,000 people in New Orleans alone. Other people who were heroes were local citizens that stayed in New Orleans for the storm. Some of these citizens had boats as they found people and brought them to shelter.
Many houses flooded during Hurricane Katrina.
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Natural Disasters Affecting Presidential Voting Polls By: Nico Salas A President’s reaction to a natural disaster can impact how the American citizens vote in a presidential election. In the past, political scientists have researched the contrast of public votes in presidential elections during hazardous weather situations as apposed to during regular conditions. It has been found that voters tend to punish presidential campaigners for any type of disaster. However, if someone running for office responds adequately to the disaster, the citizens will praise that leader based on the quality of their reaction to the natural disaster. In the preceding days of the Hurricane Sandy super storm, Obama declared it a natural disaster even before it struck the East coast of the United States. This decision was made to help let Natural Disaster Aid Organizations get to the hurricane destruction zone quicker to give assistance. This was a smart move on Obama’s behalf because the many American’s who were affected by the hurricane felt that Obama’s reaction was urgent and effective, which gave the trust of the people to the president.
power to boost their popularity by helping civilians get back on their feet and repair cities that have been turned to ruins. Andrew Reeves, political science professor at Boston University and Carnegie Mellon University said, “Every President puts up a picture of himself with shirtsleeves rolled up comforting voter.” This suggests that campaigners can win over voters’ opinions with a natural disaster response of high caliber and value. Also, harsh weather patterns have been said to make voters evaluate presidential campaign goers with more intensity because they feel the United States needs a great leader to get the nation through this tough time. They feel as though it is their duty to ensure that their country receives satisfactory guidance because it is their own right to vote.
Many natural disasters have ended up drastically changing presidential election votes. After Hurricane Katrina, which touched down in August 2005, former President George W. Bush took several days to reach the site of the disaster. Many have accused him of being too distant in relations to the recovery process. This made some Republican voters regret their vote for George Bush and begin to resent him somewhat. Along side their tendency to react quicker to natural disasters, most presidential campaigners have been said to use natural disasters as an opportunity to use their political
President Obama promises to assist a Hurricane Sandy survivor to get back on her feet.
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EPA PREVENTS IDAHO COUPLE FROM BUILDING HOUSE By Adele Reynoir The EPA put themselves in a sticky situation when they stopped the construction of a house in Priest Lake, Idaho. The conflict all started in 2008 when couple Mike and Chantell Sackett bought a .63 acre land for $23,000. Mike and Chantell bought the property in order to fulfill their desires of building a dream house. After getting the necessary permits, the Sacketts began the construction of their home. Not long after, the EPA forced the Sacketts to stop building because the EPA declared that the property the Sacketts were building upon was considered a wetland. But, the EPA’s own National Wetlands Inventory said that the land was not considered a wetland. Since the EPA was already in the midst of the situation, they would not back down. The EPA threatened to fine the Sacketts $32,500 a day unless the Sacketts agreed to return the property back to its original state and to fence off the property. The Sacketts were not listened to when they asked the EPA if they could all discuss this situation. Because no one would listen to the
Sacketts, they took their conflict to court to settle this dispute. After telling their story, the Sacketts hoped that they would win and be able to keep building their home. After hearing the whole story, one lower court made a decision. But, this decision was not in favor of Mike and Chantell. The court thought that the EPA was right, preventing the construction of the house. Still having no other option, the Sacketts brought their case to another court, who was also not in favor of the Sacketts. Mike and Chantell were not giving up their dream. They only had one option left. The Sacketts brought their case to the United States Supreme Court, the most powerful court in all of America. If the Sacketts lost their
case, they would never be able to build the house they have always wanted, and all of their hard work, time, and money would go to a waste. After listening to the entire story, the Supreme Court had made a decision. According to the Supreme Court, the property was indeed not a wetland. The Supreme Court ruled that the EPA violated Mike and Chantell’s right to challenge the government.
SEE EPA, page
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A LOOK BACK: JOHN STEINBECK, AGE 66 DIES IN 1968 BY CONNOR PAGE J o h n Steinbeck, a newspaper reporter, Nobel Prize-winning novelist, and major humanitarian during the Dust Bowl in the 1930s and 1940s, died at the age of 66 on December 20, 1968. The death of the esteemed writer was attributed to congestive heart failure due to his smoking habits. In 1936, John Steinbeck was covering a story in California when he came across a group that called themselves “Okies.” He was fascinated by this group so much that he began to interview them, and was eventually inspired to write a novel, called The Grapes of Wrath (1939), which focused on an Oklahoman (“Okie”) migrant family in California, and
portrayed to the American public the horrors that the migrants experienced in California. A great number of Americans very much enjoyed his eye-opening work, The Grapes of Wrath, as 500,000 copies were sold by the end of the year. By 1992, 14 million copies were sold. While many Americans were deeply entranced by his novel, others throughly disliked the novel. The aforementioned group of people that were strongly displeased with Mr. J o h n S t e i n b e c k ’s novel generally participated in rallies to ban the novel, and sometimes even book burnings. These groups were usually located in California and the regions surrounding it. This w a s b e c a u s e M r.
Steinbeck’s classic literary work tarnished the name of some Californian citizens, revealing some of them in unkind and illegal actions against Dust Bowl migrants.
Many counties in and around California, especially in Kern County, the county in California in which the book is set, banned the book from public schools and libraries.
John Steinbeck in Sweden on a trip to accept his Nobel Prize.
SEE STEINBECK, page 22
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Helpers and Observers of 1906 San Francisco
Jack London: known best for short stories named white fang and the call of the wild, London also wrote novels, his most prolific being the sea wolf, which is a story based on his adventures at sea.
John Barrymore: Barrymore wanted to become an artist, and in 1898, at the age of 16, he traveled with his father to London where he enrolled in the Slade School of art.
By Erin Henry
During the time around the San Francisco earthquake these five men were affected or had properties that could have been affected by this earthquakes, some described the grief families experienced during the quake. John Barrymore was the most famous member of his very famous family. Barrymore stayed drunk the entire period of the earthquake and fire. He wrote a report about his experiences in the quake which included being recruited by military troops to help clear the roads, and twenty years later he confessed it was a fraud. Jack London was known for his short stories. Within half an hour, after the earthquake London was on his horse, to San Francisco. Shortly after the earthquake, Collier’s Magazine of New York asked London to report what he saw in San Francisco for 25 cents per word. After the amount of money London payed he was in debt. Amadeo Peter Giannini, the son of Italian immigrants, became the pioneer of branch banking and builder of a financial empire, which included nearly five hundred banks. Giannini reached his bank around noon and was glad to find that it had not suffered any major damage, he made sure to take out a lot of the money, because he was afraid of looters. Joaquin Miller, poet and conservationist, Miller saw the destruction of the city as an opportunity for its rebirth. He described the earthquake as if the sun was silver and gold, the streets were wide, bright and steep. Joaquin saw from his house that from every corner you could see the flames bursting higher and higher from the stores and the clouds for all three days and nights. Arnold Genthe attended a performance, named Carmen, on the evening of the earthquake and then went out. Thirty years later, in 1936, he published a book about his experience named, As I Remember. These men saw the destruction that the earthquake and the fires caused, but as Joaquin Miller said this earthquake is an opportunity as rebirth.
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Amadeo Peter Giannini: son of Italian immigrants, pioneer of branching and builder of a financial empire which included nearly five hundred banks.
Joaquin Miller: Poet, conservationist, and eccentric.
Arnold Genthe: originally trained as a classical scholar; self portrait
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Florence Thompson, better known as “Migrant Mother,” brought attention to the conditions of the Dust Bowl migrants.
Dorothea Lange, with her camera in hand, documented the lives of Florence Thompson and many others with photography.
FACES OF RELIEF DURING THE DUST BOWL By Connor Page
The Dust Bowl, a period of great agricultural devastation that plagued the Midwest for a prolonged time, is best known as a period of great loss and sadness. During this rough patch in American history, many great figures came into the light. One such figure was Dorothea Lange (above, right), best known for her photograph, known as “Migrant Mother” (above, left). Lange’s photographs brought American attention to the Dust Bowl migrants, inspiring many to help these displaced people. Florence Thompson, known best as “Migrant Mother” was the subject of Lange’s iconic photograph and due to her willingness to be photographed, was a major figure in the relief effort. Leo Hart (facing page, top left), a Californian, taught generally illiterate Dust Bowl migrants basic school subjects along with many other trades. Because of his work, Dust Bowl migrant children were able to get well-paying jobs when they grew up. Like Dorothea Lange, Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck (facing page, top right) brought the horrors that the migrants faced to the nation’s attention, with his novel, The Grapes of Wrath. This novel followed a fictional migrant family and highlighted the atrocities that they faced. Finally, President Franklin Roosevelt was very active in the relief process. He visited the Dust Bowl states and made public radio announcements keeping the nation aware of the state of the Dust Bowl region. While the efforts of these figures helped and brought awareness to the events of the Dust Bowl, still many were left homeless and starving, with no one to provide them with aid or compassion.
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Leo Hart laughs with the migrant children attending his California school. Because of his hard work, many pupils were able to become successful businesspeople.
John Steinbeck, author of The Grapes of Wrath
Franklin Roosevelt talks with a Dust Bowl region inhabitant about the condition of the region in an attempt to send the necessary relief.
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Key players in Alabama Tornado Bo Jackson, former Auburn halfback and Heisman Trophy winner, leads the pack during the Bo Bikes Bama bike ride. He oreganized the Bo Bikes Bama fundraiser to help raise money for the Alabama tornado victims.
On April 27, 2011 the Alabama Tornado passed and many people including football players, celebrities and normal citizens aided the effort in helping Tuscaloosa. Two celebrities that aided the Tornado effects were Charlie Sheen and Taylor Swift. Charlie Sheen planned a fundraiser and also donated $25,000. Taylor Swift raised $750,000 for her Speak Now...Help Now fund from a concert in which 100% of the ticket sales went to help the victims. Two football players including a legend and a long snapper helped raise money and awareness for the victims. Bo Jackson, a Heisman Trophy winner and dual sport superstar, planned the Bo Bikes Bama fund. In this fundraiser, cyclist from around the country chose to do either the 20 mile ride or the 60 mile ride. Carson Tinker, a long snapper on the Alabama football team, suffered the loss of his girlfriend when the tornado struct. His story helped spread awareness of the tornado. He also was present when the Alabama football team helped clean up the city of Tuscaloosa. Although these people’s help became known across the country, a real hero of the tornado was Robert Reed. On the day the Tornado hit Alabama, Reed pulled out twelve people out of the rubble. These five individuals were important figures to help victims of the Alabama Tornado.
Charlie Sheen posing with National Guard soldiers after the destruction of the Alabama tornado. He donated $25,000 and helped plan a fundraiser for tornado victims
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Taylor Swift singing for the crowd during her Speak Now...Help Now concert. Her concert raised $750,000 for victims of the worst disaster in Alabama history.
Robert Reed, a citizen from Tuscaloosa, suffered from a concussion from the tornado. Even with his head injury, he saved 12 people stuck under debris and is now seen today as a hero.
Alabama long snapper Carson Tinker runs down the field on a kickoff to make a tackle. During the Alabama Tornado, he was injured and his girlfriend died. His story raised awareness of the tornado’s destruction
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Katrina Help John Travolta (second from the left) and Kelly Preston (second from the right) flew to Baton Rouge carrying supplies including food for the survivors of the storm.
Oprah Winfrey (right) donated $10 million to rebuild homes. She also started the Oprah’s Angel Network Katrina Homes Registry, which teamed up with Habitat for Humanity to rebuild cities.
Sean Penn (left) rode a ro u n d i n a b o a t , rescuing survivors of Katrina.
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After Katrina, celebrities made a huge impact to the contribution of helping the victims of Katrina and rebuilding the cities that were affected by the storm. Such celebrities include Sean Penn, Oprah Winfrey, John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Ray Nagin, and Brad Pitt. The work that these celebrities performed to help cities stay alive gave people a sense of hope for the future. The victims of the storm could not thank celebrities enough for all of the work, time, and money they put into these actions. Celebrities kept the faith in cities high as well as the rebuilding of cities all around the South.
Brad Pitt helped with relief group Make It Right to rebuild the houses that were destroyed.
Ray Nagin (left) fulfilled his duty to rebuild and save his city after the storm.
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Many Politicians Contribute to the Hurricane Sandy Recovery By: Nico Salas
The recovery after Hurricane Sandy was dependent on Federal, State, and Local officials and agencies as well as Volunteer Organizations and their decision to collaborate in order to meet a common goal. The current president, Barack Obama, urged that aid be sent to those effected by Hurricane Sandy as soon as possible. Therefore, Barack Obama categorized the storm as a natural disaster days before it touched down on the east coast of the United States. Also concerned about the lasting effects of the President Obama and Michael Bloomberg plot about hurricane, Mayor of New York City, plans to give aid to those damaged by the hurricane. M i c h a e l B l o o m b e rg s i g n e d t w o Executive Orders to help New Yorkers rebuild after Hurricane Sandy. The first order was to allow those with damaged property to meet new flood standards without violating zoning codes. The second order was to renounce fees on businesses that were reconstructing property due to weather damage of the hurricane. Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security, has also contributed to the recovery after Hurricane Sandy. The Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, has collaborated with President Obama to help give commonly used resources to sufferers of Hurricane Sandy. Finally, the American Red Cross, a volunteer organization, has given support Napolitano comforts a local citizen of the area in many ways. These include Gail Janet where Hurricane Sandy struck. McGovern, American Red Cross leader, personally handing out items of importance to citizens of New Jersey,
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Chris Christie, has collaborated with President Obama to help give commonly used resources to sufferers of Hurricane Sandy. Finally, the American Red Cross, a volunteer organization, has given support in many ways. These include Gail McGovern, American Red Cross leader, personally handing out items of importance to citizens.
Gail McGovern hands out water bottles to Hurricane Sandy survivors.
Chris Christie campaigns about strategies for Hurricane a Sandy recovery process.
President Obama promises to help a Hurricane Sandy survivor get back on her feet.
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Calvin Coolidge, reading the funds and making the decisions of the damages. Milton Elfred, the portrait of him after the long night of Galveston.
KEY PEOPLE THAT HAVE STEPPED UP FOR HURRICANES OVER THE PAST CENTURY By: Nick Tuleu Over the century there has been people or organizations that have stepped up and helped the cause from natural disasters. In 1900 a storm came through Galveston and destroyed the city. Fortunate for Milton Elfred and his family, they were the only family that survived the storm, this was important because Milton Elfred and his family were the only people that witnessed the storm and could tell the news about it. One president that made a difference was Calvin Coolidge, during the Great Storm of Okeechobee of 1928 in Florida. In 1992 Hurricane Andrew hit the U.S, and Bill Clinton funded the government to help the damages from Andrew. 13 years later in 2005 Hurricane Katrina hit the South of U.S, George Bush played a large role in this disaster from dealing with the deaths, the jobs lost, and how parts of the South were underwater. He was able to accomplish this because he had an organization called the Bill Clinton Foundation. Shortly after Katrina about seven years, Hurricane Sandy hit the East coast and up North bye New York. The Rolling Stones were a difference maker because they donated a large amount of their money to help rebuild and restore New York and other states/ cities. With all of these people helping, in the end it will make a better U.S.
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Bill Clinton, giving his speech about his foundation to spread the cause.
George H. W. Bush, at his interview with the press about the damages from the hurricane.
The Rolling Stones, at their concert in Canada right after Katrina and saying a prayer for all the deaths and homeless.
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like Katrina Krewe that helped with the damages after Hurricane Katrina. Both organizations helped the community in cleaning up the debris and rebuilding the city slowly. All of these originations were funded by FEMA. It took a while to get New York the way it was before Sandy. The process took so long because the airport and power was out for a long time. Without the power the government couldn’t reach the citizens and no jobs were getting accomplished. Without the airport no materials or resources were getting exported or imported such as food. The death toll wasn’t so high but many died because of the lack of food, shelter, and sickness. All in all so far FEMA and the government have required 22,000 homes and New York is slowly coming back to normal.
were a maggot." In the attempt to hurry up and get the city rebuilt, the work crew made the buildings worse than they were in 1906. Some experts say that more than 50% of strength was lowered after the earthquake. Another earthquake of this magnitude is thought likely to destroy the whole city if it were to strike again. "At almost precisely 5:12 a.m. local time, a foreshock occurred with sufficient force to be felt widely throughout the San Francisco Bay area. The great earthquake broke loose some 20 to 25
seconds later, with an epicenter near San Francisco... Violent shocks punctuated the strong shaking, which lasted some 45 to 60 seconds. The earthquake was felt from southern Oregon to south of Los Angeles and inland as far as central Nevada." - Bill Ellsworth. The city was able to recover from the fires within four days and eventually recovered from the earthquake.
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EPA, from page 10 Thanks to the Sacketts, citizens all over the United States can challenge the EPA in their decisions. The EPA cannot rule over citizens anymore. After having to go through all of this trouble and putting their dream house on hold for four years, Mike and Chantell can finally build the house of their dreams. !
STEINBECK, from page 10 While Mr. Steinbeck did write this hardhitting novel in an attempt to help raise awareness about the poverty and terrible living conditions of the Dust Bowl migrants, The Grapes of Wrath was not his only effort. A little while before the novel was published, Mr. Steinbeck wrote a pamphlet about the migrants. While this is a little known fact, it shows the compelling dedication that Mr. Steinbeck felt towards this oppressed and under appreciated group living in and around the state of California.
doomed to failure, as is sometimes thought. To this day, John Steinbeck is regarded as a great and powerful writer that many look up to, and attempt to mirror. In fact, there is a center dedicated to the work of John Steinbeck, signifying the respect that he earned within the fine arts community.
AWARDS AND ACCOLADES In 1962, John Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize in literature. This was an outstanding honor, and speaks to his phenomenal writing abilities. This great merit serves as an example for current and aspiring novelists, that even if one is not the most popular or well-liked novelist, he or she is not
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PAYING ATTENTION? PUT YOUR NEWLY ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE TO THE TEST!
By Connor Page
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Dust Bowl Unleashed
! By Connor Page ! The Dust Bowl Through the Lens: How Photography Revealed and Helped Remedy a Natural Disaster, by Martin W. Sandler, is truly a heartfelt book. Its companion piece, Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp, by Jerry Stanley, blends perfectly with The Dust Bowl Through the Lens as if the two were written together. In fact, the two fit together so well that it might lead a reader to believe that the two were written at the same time, but that is not the case, as Children of the Dust Bowl was published in 1992 and The Dust Bowl Through the Lens was published in 2009. Both of these pieces are nonfiction, howeverChildren of the Dust Bowl is written following the format of a novel. While the titles of the two works are long, both are quite slim, as Children of the Dust Bowl has only nine chapters, and The Dust Bowl has only 90 pages worth of two page sections. ! While both of the
Martin W. Sandler books are short, content was not at all sacrificed. After reading the two books together, an attentive reader should feel as if he has a firm grasp on the concept of the Dust Bowl, with little to no background research involved. In The Dust Bowl Through the Lens, section topics range from highlighting important photographers and politicians such as Dorothea Lange and Franklin D. Roosevelt to explaining that the cause of this terrible disaster was partially
Jerry Stanley the fault of humans. With a photograph on every page, The Dust Bowl Through the Lens drags the reader into this turbulent time of droughts and dust storms in the heart of the Great Plains Region during the 1930s and 1940s, tugging on all the reader’s emotions. ! ! Children of the Dust Bowl focused on the Dust Bowl migrants living in California, and how Leo Hart helped them through the tough time. Both of these novel teach readers to persevere and to continue to thrive despite tough times. Both books have an abundance of quotes and stories, including one saddening tale from The Dust Bowl Through the Lens, of a student who looked pale, and when told by her teacher to go home and eat, retorted with, “Oh, I can’t do that, today is my sister’s turn to eat.” It is powerful quotes like these that make readers stop to think about the comforts that we take for granted. ! Together, these works cover almost all aspects of the Dust Bowl, while still managing to stay under 200 total pages. Were Martin W. Sandler and Jerry Stanley to combine The Dust Bowl Through the Lens, and Children of the Dust Bowl, it would be anyone’s dream come true, a short, but complete book about the Dust Bowl. These two works are a must-read for anyone interested in the Dust Bowl. !
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Historic Galveston Hurricane Brought to Life in New Novel, Dark Water Rising By Nick Tuleu Dark Water Rising is a book written by Marian Hale and published by Henry Holt and Company in 2006. Dark Water Rising is a fictional book about a kid named Seth, with his family and Marian Hale close friends just living a normal and owning a carpenter shop. “ I was born to be a carpenter” said Seth. Until September 8, 1900 when the Great Storm of Galveston hit Galveston, Texas. When Seth and his best friend Josiah, become split up away from their parents and have to survive the storm with other folks in a house that almost got swept off its house pegs and killed everyone. Through their journey to survive, Seth, his family, and friends live an adventure that they will never forget. ! The evening of September 8, 1900, Seth, his best friend Josiah, were walking home from school and started to see and feel the effects of a forming hurricane. The next minute they realized the storm was coming in fast and witnessed boats being flipped and Seth’s favorite restaurant being wrecked along with other building. As soon as Seth and Josiah say this, they rushed to the nearest house and waited out the hurricane with other folks. On September 9, 1900, the night after the hurricane, Josiah and Seth
rushed and plowed through all the debris that was left behind in search of their parents at Seth’s Uncle’s House. As they arrived everyone on Seth‘ s side of the family was there, but no sign of Josiah’s parents yet. As Seth encountered his Mama for the first time since the storm, she told them that Seth’s dad, Papa, was out searching for Josiah’s parents and Ella Rose’s dad. Ella Rose is a friend of Seth’s that they met two days before the storm. As Papa arrived the night after, there was no good news, except for that Papa found Ella Rose’s dad, but dead. There was no sign of Josiah’s parents either. As you read along, you will see Seth form into a man and watch him over come obstacles and his fears. ! Dark Water Rising is a fantastic book for people that can make a text to self with a hurricane that they experienced or effected their life. The book also shows the struggle to stay alive and survive with only a few vital resources, but it shows that with family or friends anything is possible.
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Earthquake at Dawn Reflects San Francisco Earthquake By Erin Henry
Earthquake at Dawn by Kristiana Gregory, published by Harcourt, Inc in 2003, is a delightful novel about how two girls struggle to survive after a disastrous earthquake. In the novel Earthquake at Dawn, Edith Irvine and her assistant Daisy Valentine, experience the horror of an earthquake fighting for shelter and to survive. Edith and Daisy attempt to set off and explore different foreign cities to photograph. After being a servant for Mrs. Irvine for many years, Daisy’s options have opened when she was offered to explore the world with Edith. Along w i t h D a i s y ’s father, Mr. Irvine the girls take off to board there Kristiana Gregory
boat which leaves in San Francisco. Quickly before they have a goodbye session, where they say goodbye to all of the people they know, which you would want to do when your going to be gone for 14 months. After leaving Stockton to board the boat Edith and Daisy arrive in San Francisco planning to say goodbye to Mr. Irvine, when they hear thumps. Edith and Daisy secured themselves to the rail and hear a passenger scream “EARTHQUAKE!” On Wednesday, April, 18, 1906 an earthquake became something bigger than itself, a natural disaster. As Edith, Daisy, and Mr. Irvine struggle to find somewhere that is safe to stay. Mr. Irvine departs from them to get to City Hall. Edith
and Daisy are searching for a place to stay but it’s hard to do that when the can’t find Mr. Irvine. They eventually find a baby carriage that makes it helpful to cary their luggage. Buildings collapse and they lose money, camera supplies, and clothes. Edith and Daisy run into the Sommers, and friends and family of the Sommers. After exploring the destroyed city the girls and Mary Exa come across men from their own army looting. Edith and Daisy lose hope on finding Mr. Irvine when they discover that City Hall was one of the first buildings to be destroyed. A friend of Mrs Sommers, Molly, after giving birth was found in puddle of blood, eventually dead. Edith and Daisy face many struggles but their biggest were losing their father, grieving over Molly’s death and their big trip that they’ve been planning on being canceled. Kristiana Gregory used very specific language that should be used in a non-fiction novel to make sure to explain how the characters felt and what emotions and grief they felt. For a setting that took place in 1906, most people would not know. She also included real pictures that they actually took on the day and the days preceding the earthquake. This book is recommended for historians and photographers and shows how earthquakes happen, mostly unexpected.
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Taken Away Reaches Out to the Audience By Adele Reynoir That day, August 29, 2005. A day that is still remembered from Hurricane Katrina. Taken Away, a historical fiction novel by Patty Friedman, is based off of this day. Published by Tiny Satchel Press in 2010, Narrator Summer Elmwood experiences the chaos of a natural disaster that caused great damage to the Gulf of Mexico coast where her hometown, New Orleans, is located. Fifteen year old Summer Elmwood is forced to leave New Orleans and Newman High School with her parents, but not with her sister, Amalia. Amalia, age two, has just had open heart surgery, so she cannot evacuate with her family. Ever since Amalia was born, she got all of the attention from her parents, and Summer was always jealous. That is not the only trouble the Elmwoods ran into; something even worse came upon them. Amalia had disappeared. The Elmwoods were forced to flee, so they went to Houston, Texas, where Summer’s aunt, Sharon, lives. In Houston, Summer attends St. John’s School. After sneaking a phone past her parents, Summer continuously calls her friends to find out where they are. As Summer and her parents worry about where Amalia could possibly be, Summer’s parents, Henry and Ellen, think it was Summer who made Amalia disappear. “I bet you’re happy Amalia’s missing. You know what? I wouldn’t put it past you to be the one responsible,” Ellen said accusingly. Summer could not believe what they were saying, but the situation became serious. Her parents called an agent to help them find Amalia and find out if Summer is guilty for Amalia’s disappearance. In spite of being surprised that her parents accused her for Amalia’s disappearance, Summer was determined to find her sister to prove her innocence.
Over the course of the novel, Summer has struggled choosing who to date between two people. One is her friend, Haydn, and the other is Robert, another friend of hers. That’s not the hardest part; both Haydn and Robert each like her back. Summer ignored this conflict for the moment in order to find her sister before anyone else. After Summer finished searching for Amalia with Haydn and Robert, they think found out who took her. After doing additional research, Summer contacted a nurse that the possible victim had been meeting with. Summer might find out if she was right about who kidnapped Amalia. Cameramen and reporters awaited the suspect’s arrival. A familiar face walks in, holding Amalia.
Patty Friedman This is a fantastic and inspiring novel. It captures the true events that happened during Katrina as well as tying it into a heart-warming story. This novel is recommended for fanatics of hurricane history, people who were involved in or suffered from Katrina, and students looking for an adventurous and daring novel.
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Hitch Recognizes Events During the Dust Bowl By Will Reynoir
Hitch, written by Jeanette Ingold in 2005 and then published by Harcourt Inc. in 2006, is a truly compelling story that includes many twists and turns throughout the book. This young adult historical fiction novel is about the life of a seventeen-year-old boy named Moss living during the great depression and joins the Civilian Conservation Corps. He also goes against many tough challenges because of a JP who said
“ Take a hard look at your father, is that how you want to turn out? Like Him?� The novel starts in October, 1935. Moss wakes up in a boxcar, heading to Miles City, Montana after being hit by a dust storm. He arrives in the city and finds his dad, who quit his job and stopped sending money to their family, drunk. The next day, they both hop on a boxcar, but when his dad is asleep, Moss h o p s o ff t h e train and signs
up for the CCC. The following day, Moss meets Nate and they take the train together to Missoula, Jeanette Ingold Montana. On the first day at the camp, Moss and Nate meet Sam and Eddie, also known as Apple and others at the camp. Although most people at the camp are nice, two kids from the Bronx, Klein and Lukowski, perform terrible actions to Apple and Moss. One action gets them kicked out of the camp. This fight also might get Moss kicked out of the camp. When Moss, Nate, Sam, Apple arrive in Monroe, they meet Pops and Major Garrett. When the friends find a tent, a young boy named Harold, also known as Romeo, asks if he can stay with them and they say yes. During the time they are building the camp, the friends learn that Romeo is an excellent cook, so Moss makes Romeo in charge of the cook for the camp. Even though the camp is grateful of the food, the harsh, icy winter catches them in the blink of an eye and slows down their progress to finish the camp. Then on the Friday before the new enrollees arrive, Pops and Major Garret decide to let the boys take a break in downtown Monroe. They then go to the camp to sleep. In the middle of the night, Moss and Sam realize that Romeo is not in their tent. Moss and Sam find him working on the camp by himself. Then, everyone
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starts to work on the camp with Moss giving orders to them. The boys then take a final push that could possibly get them over the hump to finish the camp. After the camp is done, the campers say goodbye to Major Garret and say hello to the mean Captain Hakes who favors the other junior leader Compton. Even with Captain Hakes being very intolerable, the camp makes much progress at the beginning of the construction of their project to help the citizens of Monroe farm. While the construction is in progress, Moss is stripped from his junior leader position and the camp learns that they were given bad concrete to build one of the crucial items for the project. The camp then goes on strike, and Nate realizes that his crops will flood unless a miracle happens. Then Moss rallies up the camp to help Nate and says,
“ I’m not your junior leader anymore. I can’t tell you to do anything. But I can ask. Will you guys go with me?” Moss does get all the campers to help but they need to act quickly to save Nate’s crops This book teaches that if you have the right people and if you work together, anything is possible. It also shows that when disasters get in life’s way, people work together to achieve the goal in restoring a community. This book is a wonderful read for kids and adults because it teaches that from all bad, good comes.
By Will Reynoir
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Kanye West singing at the Hurricane Sandy Relief Concert in New York
Kanye’s and Other Artists Emotional Performance Towards Sandy By: Nick Tuleu
On December 12, 2012, shortly after Hurricane Sandy, New York had a Sandy Relief Concert in Madison Square Garden. On this occasion, many artists came and showed their support for Sandy. Starting with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at 7:30. But, there was one artist that stood out, Kanye West. Starting with his record hit “Clique” and ending with “Stronger”, people say that his 20-‐minute performance was unforgettable. Before Kanye West’s performance “The Who” came out and caught everyone’s eye, but Kanye West’s performance was just as remember able. Kanye wore a leather skirt and a hoodie just like his performance with Jay-‐Z for Hurricane Katrina’s Relief Concert. Seven years ago Hurricane Katrina hit the South of the U.S. Kanye West had another unforgettable performance to raise money for Katrina and critics say both performances were equally as memorable.
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Mick Jagger right, Keith Richards left, from The Who perform in the Hurricane Sandy Relief Concert.
Bruce Springsteen kicking off the show in Madison Square Garden for the Hurricane Sandy Relief Concert.
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Katrina Insp The Scrap House, created by Sally Heller, consists of recycled and found material. This was created for the remembrance of the victims of Katrina.
By Adele Reynoir
After Katrina, many artists displayed their creative side of the storm. The works of art were for the memorial of people who died during Katrina, a look back at the horrors of the storm, and an inspiration for other artists. The second picture on the facing page is a mark of the flooding point of the building. People may find these in restaurants, houses, shops, etc. The first picture on the facing page is a sculpture resembling a globe surrounded by a storm. The above photo resembles Dorothy’s house from The Wizard of Oz as well as a house destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Katrina created a sense of character and kindness when the community gathered together to rebuild the city. 39
ires Artwork This sculpture was created by Rashit Suleymanov as a memorial sculpture for the victims of Katrina.
New Orleans resident Roy Arrigos shows the flooding point of his house from Katrina.
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Patricia Smith’s, Katrina, Brings Realism to the Hurricane Aftermath By: Nico Salas
David Bates, “Elysian Fields Avenue.” 2007; The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art
I was birthed restless and elsewhere gut dragging and bulging with ball lightning, slush, broke through with branches, steel I was bitch-monikered, hipped, I hefted a whip rain, a swirling sheet of grit. Scraping toward the first of you, hungering for wood, walls, unturned skin. With shifting and frantic mouth, I loudly loved the slow bones of elders, fools, and willows.
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Patricia Smith was born in 1955 in Chicago, Illinois. Her career as a poet, author, and performance artist started in the late 1980’s. She also is a teacher at Georgia Tech University, and a Cave Canem, a home for black poetry, faculty member. She has written many poems such as the above poem, Katrina, Shoulda Been Jimi Savannah, Blood Dazzler, and Teahouse of the Almighty. Patricia Smith’s works have been published in many anthologies including American Voices, The Spoken Word Revolution, and Burn Rush the Page. She also authored a history book as well as a children’s book. Amazingly, Mrs. Smith has also performed two one-woman plays. Her current work in progress is called, Fixed on a Furious Star, a biography about Harriet Tubman, an African American abolitionist who lived during the Civil War and helped to free slaves. To this day she continues to create magnificent works of art and verbally perform them for all others to hear.
Patricia Smith’s poems have given a new face to african american poetry throughout the country.
Patricia Smith performs in one of her two one-woman plays in front of an audience.
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THE FORGOTTEN
How photography helped raise awareness about the Dust Bowl
A young Dust Bowl migrant, who is living in a federal camp in Kern County, California holds what appears to be a cotton sack.
By Connor Page Many iconic photographs were taken during the Dust Bowl Era. This was mainly because the FSA, or Farm Security Administration, hired photographers like Dorothea Lange to document migrant workers and inspire Americans to help. Dorothea Lange, perhaps one of the most famous FSA photographers, captured two out of the three images shown here. She captured a picture of a young migrant living in Kern County (above). She also captured a photograph of a young girl living in the Dust Bowl region leaning on a barbed wire fence (facing page, top). Most of Dorothea Lange and other FSA photographers’ photographs capture the sadness of this period of time known as the Dust Bowl. The other picture (facing page, bottom), is one recognized millions across the country, and was taken by photojournalist Arthur Rothstein, a fellow member of the FSA. Because of the efforts of the FSA photographers, the Dust Bowl migrants have not been forgotten.
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A young girl living in the Dust Bowl region leans on a barbed wire fence.
The bleached skull of what was once an animal rests on the dry, cracked ground as a reminder of the Dust Bowl’s devastation.
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How The Movie 2012 Affected Views on Natural Disasters
By Erin Henry
In the movie 2012 an adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells the struggle of the survivors. A character named Dr. Helmsley, part of a geophysical team investigating is the effect on the earth of radiation from unpredicted solar storms, learns that the earth's core is heating up. He warns the current president that the crust of the earth is becoming unstable and that without preparing properly the could lose half of the worlds population. A Geophysicist and his wife visit an indian doctor where he is led to the world's deepest copper mine, and he finds evidence that the Earth's crust is heating up faster than expected. The characters fight to survive after some parts of the world began to crumble and their time is coming soon. This movie shows anything can happen, unexpectedly. It also shows how any natural disaster can turn out worse than you expect.
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above: picture from the film where two buildings collapse, during the destruction of the cataclysm.
above: picture from the film where the heating of the earth’s crust destroys a field.
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Charles Richter Dies at Age 85 By Will Reynoir
Charles Richter, a very famous physician, was born on April 26, 1900. He died at the age of 85 due to congestive heart failure on September 30, 1985. This physician is most famous for his creation of the Richter scale His first step in creating the Richter scale was earning his physics degree at the University of Stanford. After he graduated, he went to the California Institute of Technology where he then became interested in seismology. Then, with Beno Gutenberg, he created the Richter scale in 1935. This machine records the motion of the ground to determine how strong an earthquake is. Earthquakes that range between 2.0 or below on the Richter Scale can sometimes be felt by humans. Earthquakes that range between 2.1 to 4.9 are easily noticed and usually no major damage occurs. Earthquakes that range from 5.0 and 7.9 can destroy buildings that are poorly constructed and cause serious damage over a wide area. Earthquakes that are 8.0 or above on the Richter scale can cause severe damage that can sometimes be irreparable. Because of this invention, Richter helped show the world how strong earthquakes were and he will always be remembered as a great physician.
Charles Richter is standing with his world known Richter scale. This scale shows people how bad an earthquakes are according to the ground’s movement.
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Charles Richter attending the California Institute of Technology. His attendance to the institute was crucial to his creation of the Richter scale because he became interested in earthquakes there.
Beno Gutenberg was a seismologist who worked with Charles Richter at the Seismology Laboratory in Pasadena, California. Together, they created the Richter scale.
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By Erin Henry
By Erin Henry
By Nico Salas
Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter Carter was elected as president of the United States in 1976, and gradually became famous. In Carter’s early life he won election as governor, in the Georgia Senate. When he was president, the U.S faced some problems with unemployment an the soviet invasion. When Carter created FEMA he described that he put it together with ‘three specific commitments’. The first commitment was that it would be led by trained professionals dealing with disasters. The second commitment was that it would be independent and not under any agency. The third commitment was that it would be funded. The former president said that the reason for creating the agency was to respond to governors who asked to join together into one whole of the sixteen administrative policymaking groups. Carter hoped that these changes would remain permanent. Carter agreed with Bush when he said: "I think that now is the best time not to look back on blaming about Katrina, but
to try to correct the defects that have evolved in recent years and make sure it is not repeated."
Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the U.S.
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By Connor Page