USHM Article Blog Post

Auschwitz
Read Article Here: http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005189




Auschwitz, located Oswiecim, Poland, was one of the largest concentration camps built for extermining the Jews. The Auschwitz included three camps, each one could hold more than a thousand Jews. As the article progresses, it explains about the three Auschwitz camps and some brief history about them.

Haghettaot, Beit. Auschwitz Entrance. 1940's. Photograph. United States Halocaust Memorial Museum. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. <http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/media_ph.php?ModuleId=10005189&MediaId=1051>.

Current Event #3

A Severe Winter Breaks Budgets as Well as Pipes

Article Here: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/16/us/a-severe-winter-breaks-budgets-as-well-as-pipes.html?hp&_r=0

For the past few days during the giant snowstorm, multiple states in the Eastern U.S. claimed that the pipes underneath their towns and cities are under a big threat. Ice is very damageable to pipes because water expands when turning into ice, so there's a chance that the decade-old  pipes might burst if ice forms inside the pipes. In Detroit, one pipe manage to burst and flooded an entire neighborhood for days. Luckily, no one was injured. Because of this, many road crews were put on double shifts to keep the pipes from bursting.

All of the bursting pipes are causing a financial uproar from around the cities that witnessed broken and damaged pipes from the frost storms. With revenues below the pre-recession levels, many local and state governments face a new financial error from storm-related increases in spending on overtime pay, contractors and supplies for all the damage created. James Brooks, a director for community development and infrastructure at the National League of Cities, tells New York Times about the financial issue: "Cities still do not have a lot of cash available, so this particular storm season is having a really severe impact on their budgets. We’ve also had many years of disinvestment in things like roads, bridges, water and sewer systems, which makes them more vulnerable when something like this happens." (McKinley, A Severe Winter Breaks Budgets as Well as Pipes). Stephanie Miner, the mayor of Syracuse, believes that the people are overlooking things when politicians want to spend more money on economic developments: "You don’t cut ribbons for new water mains, but that’s really what matters." (McKinley, A Severe Winter… Pipes).

This makes me feel very sad for the nation at the moment. People are having to work in conditions they are not prepared for, they’re having to work overtime, and they are using dated equipment. You can tell by their responses and comments that they are stressed and frustrated.

The author’s claim is that the current weather conditions are causing damage to the pipes all around the Eastern States. The Northern Regions have older equipment while the Southern Regions do not have proper equipment for the recent blizzards. Both regions are lacking funds for more suitable equipment for the damaged pipes. When the author interviewed representatives from the different regions, she specifically asked questions about the damage, dated equipment, and lack of funding. One example is the interview with North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, his reply was, “We don’t ask those questions, but we do keep receipts. At this point in time, you’re putting out the fires.” (McKinley, A Severe Winter… Pipes). He is referring to the fires as the damage caused by the ice storm on the pipes.

McKinley, Jesse. "A Severe Winter Breaks Budgets as Well as Pipes." New York Times. New York Times Company, 15 Feb. 2014. Web. 16 Feb. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/16/us/a-severe-winter-breaks-budgets-as-well-as-pipes.html?hp&_r=0>.

Muhammad, Ozier. Police Checking Damage of New York City Pipes. 2014. Photograph. New York City. New York Times. New York Times Company, 14 Feb. 2014. Web. 16 Feb. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/16/us/a-severe-winter-breaks-budgets-as-well-as-pipes.html?hp&_r=0>.

Current Event #2

Major Volcanic Eruption Kills At Least 14 In Indonesia

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/02/world/asia/volcanic-eruption-in-indonesia.html?hpw&rref=world

Mount Sinabung in 2010.

An Indonesian volcano named Mount Sinabung, that has been rumbling for months, erupted Saturday, February 1, 2014, killing fourteen civilians living near the volcano. The authorities had evacuated more than 30,000 people. On Friday, 14,000 of the people who had been evacuated from the area were allowed to return to their homes to check their homes and farms for any damage done.

Forteen people, including four high-school students and their teacher, lost their lives due the eruption. At least three other people were injured in the eruption. Lt Col. Asep Sukarna, the leader of the rescue team, tells New York Times, "The death toll is likely to rise as many people are reported still missing and the darkness hampered our rescue efforts."  I feel the connection between myself and the high school students who had been eager to learn about the volcano and who lost their lives.  We go on field trips as students but are never exposed to dangers like this.  The teacher was unwise to take students to examine an active volcano.

I am sorry for the people who lost their lives and property.  According to the article, it is very difficult to predict eruptions of volcanoes; however, it seems foolish to me for these people to be allowed to return to their homes while the volcano was still spewing ash.  The author of this article does not really take a position on the subject; only providing more details on the volcanic history of the area.  The writer does imply that people were anxious to return to their homes: "Many have been desperate to return to check on homes and farms, presenting a quandary for the government," (New York Times) as an explanation of why the 14,000 had been allowed to return home. He also explains how scientists are surprised at what Mount Sinabung has been doing for the previous years: "The volcano’s last major eruption in August 2010 killed two people and forced 30,000 others to flee. It caught many scientists off guard because the volcano had been quiet for four centuries," (New York Times).

KenRick95. Mount Sinabung from Gundaling Hill. 2010. Photograph. Indonesia.Wikipedia. Mediawiki, 13 Sept. 2010. Web. 1 Feb. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sinabung-Gundaling-20100913.JPG>.

"Major Volcanic Eruption Kills at Least 14 in Indonesia." New York Times. The New York Times Company, 1 Feb. 2014. Web. 1 Feb. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/02/world/asia/volcanic-eruption-in-indonesia.html?hpw&rref=world>.