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Earthquake in Haiti By Dan Barra

4:53pm on January 12th, millions experience one of the most tragic natural disasters on the face of the entire Earth… the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti. Everyone in the country has been either left homeless, emotionally hurt, injured, or even dead. Haitian officials say between 217,000 and 230,000 have been identified as dead, around 300,000 injured and nearly 1 million have been left homeless. Only to add on to the destruction, they estimated around 250,000 residents and around 30,000 commercial buildings have fallen apart. Many countries have helped by pledging funds, dispatching rescue and medical teams, engineers and support personnel. On January 22nd, the United Nations noted that the emergency phase of the relief operation was drawing to an end. The following day was when the Haitian Government stopped the search for survivors. What caused this horrific disaster? The quake occurred in the vicinity of the northern boundary where the Caribbean Tectonic Plate shifted eastwards by about 20 millimeters per year in relation to the North American Plate. Even after the main quake happened, still smaller ones came. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that this earthquake was the strongest earthquake since the 1770 earthquake (also in Haiti). This one hit the same area and had a magnitude of 7.5. The USGS recorded eight aftershocks 2 hours after the main quake measuring between 4.2 and 5.9. Nine hours later, there had been 32 aftershocks measuring a magnitude of 4.2 or higher. They then finally recorded on January 24th; there had been 52 aftershocks since the main earthquake. The largest aftershock was on January 20th, it measured a 5.9 magnitude. Historical accounts, although not always precise, suggest that there has been a sequence of quakes progressing westwards along the fault, starting with an earthquake in the Dominican Republic in 1751. The Pacific Tsunami Warning center issued a tsunami warning immediately after the initial quake, but it was quickly canceled. Two weeks later it was reported that the beach of the small fishing town of Petit Paradis was hit by a small tsunami wave shortly after the earthquake. Witnesses say that “The Sea retreated and a “very big wave” followed rapidly. Three people were swept inside and were reported dead. Many fishing boats and derbies were lost in the sea as well. In the nights following the earthquake, many people in Haiti slept in the streets, on pavements, in their cars since all the building had been destroyed because of their lack of structure. Construction standards are low in Haiti and all of the buildings are made very poorly, this is why they all collapsed. The water supply had been poor even before the earthquake, now it was like there is no such thing as water. There are bodies everywhere, and almost no where to put them. Some had been stuffed into mass graves or above-ground tombs but even then, many had to be burned. Mati Goldstein, head of the Israeli ZAKA International Rescue Unit delegation to Haiti, described the situation as "Shabbat from hell. Everywhere, the acrid smell of bodies hangs in the air. It’s just like the stories we are told of the Holocaust – thousands of bodies everywhere. You have to understand that the situation is true madness, and the more time passes, there are more and more bodies, in numbers that cannot be grasped. It is beyond comprehension." On January 14th, the U.S. government announced it would give $100 million to the aid effort and pledged that the people of Haiti "will not be forgotten”. The government of Canada announced that it would match the donations of Canadians up to a total of CAD$50 million. After a United Nations call for help for the people affected by the earthquake, Canada pledged an additional CAD$60 million (US$58 million) in aid, bringing Canada's total contribution to CAD$135 million (US$131.5 million). Other main contributors are the European Union, France, Brazil, and the UK themselves. President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal offered Haitians free land in Senegal. Depending on how many respond to the offer, this could include up to an entire region. Resources:  [] []

The Chile Earthquake By Nick Sloan As the first supplies began trickling into ** the country's ** worst-affected areas on // March 15, 2010 //, the outgoing President was subjected to a storm of anger for her government’s failed response to the disaster. Critics said the 58 years-old government had failed to grasp the true scale of the tragedy, had poorly managed law and order and rescue efforts and had initially refused offers of international aid. The earthquake changed the path of the earth and made the change of the day of the solar eclipse and over all destroyed Chile’s infrastructure at a time that it was developing the most. The people of Chile were revolted by the government’s reaction to the natural disaster and rioted and looting was conmen and effaced the local biasness. “We have no hope of aid from our government and we also have no home and no hope at all.” A mother told CNN. The trauma is massive and reminded me of Haiti. The earth shook throughout most of South America and caused mass mayhem in the streets. Resources: []

The War in Afghanistan BY: Daron Arakelian and David Wang

I chose to do this article with my partner and classmate David because my dad has served in Kuwait, Afghanistan twice, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. A lot of this knowledge comes from my dad and me. My dad was in operation enduring freedom, the first wave of attacks. He is also under the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force). I am very proud of my dad.

Afghanistan’s peace ended with the Soviet-Afghan war. This war began on December 24, 1979, when the Soviet’s deployed their 40th army by parachute insertion. They killed the current president of Afghanistan at the time, Hafizullah Amin, and replaced him with a more Soviet-friendly one, Babrak Kamil. The Soviets faced different opposition groups, the most powerful and prominent being the Mujahideen. Although the United States was not directly involved, it and several other nations provided financial aid. This started United States involvement in Afghanistan.

The United States became officially involved when the U.S. invaded Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban. This was started in 2001, after 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers, and the Pentagon. The main goal was to overthrow the Taliban which had protected Osama Bin Laden, secure Afghanistan and Iraq, and to disband the Al-Qaeda. This also involved NATO, a coalition of around 42 nations. When the Taliban were finally ousted, the government was replaced with a democratic one, very similar to ours. However the government was still weak. It could hardly control much land outside Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, never mind provide aid to its citizens. Illegal drug production has also increased as a way for the Taliban to obtain money. Today, we are still trying to clean up the mess in Afghanistan and President Obama has already sent an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan. It seems that we still need to provide stability to Afghanistan and the Middle East.

Work Cited:

Wikipedia. Retrieved on February 24, 2010 from [|www.wikipedia.org]

The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved on March 1, 2010 from [] ,

High Flight By Jenna Bogan

//“To try is to succeed.”// This is the famous motto that was created by Joe Hattabaugh roughly twelve years ago. And that was the beginning of the high flight program. High Flight is a program that is run by the YMCA where the staff’s goal is to develop self-confidence, trust for others, and concern for others in teenagers. High Flight is a program where the outdoors is the classroom, with ropes and harnesses in place of text books!

What happens is the staff get together and round up about six females and six males from towns such as Framingham, Natick, Hopkinton, Holliston, and Ashland. There are two groups of twelve per session, the “North” group and the “South” group. Both sessions meet two weekdays a week (Tuesday and Thursday for South, Wednesday and Friday for North) and then both groups gather together on Saturday. Throughout the week the staff teaches different survival skills to use throughout life, as well as teambuilding skills. Every session is ten weeks long, and halfway throughout each program is an overnight trip, and then at the very end is a final expedition, which runs for three days. And graduation follows up after that.

I was lucky enough to be chosen to participate in the winter session of High Flight. I remember that I as very nervous about starting program at the beginning because I was a new comer and others had already been there sessions before I had. But those nerves disappeared within the first week. Though I was new in the group, the older members treated me as if I had been there for years. Everyone in the group is so nice and easy to get along with. The staff is just as great. My group and I, though we are only about halfway through the session, are very close already and everyone gets along with one another. I look forward to going to High Flight every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of each week. High Flight is a place where I can be myself and joke around while having the time of my life outdoors and learning life skills. Joining High Flight has been one of the best decisions I have made in my life, and I encourage everyone to check out the program if they have the opportunity because I can guarantee you that you won’t regret it. Thanks to High Flight, I have learned so many new skills that I will use throughout my life, but at the same time, I have made so many new friends.

Thanks High Flight.

** Tillicum **** the Killer Whale ** By: Kassidy Griffiths and Amanda Dings

**First a quick few facts** about Killer Whales:
 * They are actually a member of the dolphin family
 * Usually they do not prey on humans, but are vicious under the sea
 * They can get up to 12,000 pounds
 * So why did** ** Tillicum attack the trainer?** No one knows. Some trainers say they knew the whale was different from the start. Some also believe the whale should be put down because it has already killed three people.


 * What do the media think?** The media thinks that it was tragic and horrible and is writing stories and blogs about it. This is another way for media to get more money and magazines sold but it is still horrible and they think the whale should be destroyed too.


 * What is the whole story?** The 40 year old named Dawn Brancheau was rubbing the whale by the poolside. Her ponytail swung out in front of the whale and he grabbed it and picked her up into the water. The whale continued to lift her up and swung her by her ponytail. He began to swim underwater and she could hold her breath no longer. He put her in his mouth and ate her whole. The audience saw this tragedy and had to exit the stands. They put a net on the whale but it was too late she had died. Some of the audience went to help but others were terrified.


 * What are people saying? ** Victoria Biniak, told WKMG-TV the whale “took off really fast in the tank, and then he came back, shot up in the air, grabbed the trainer by the waist and started thrashing around, and one of her shoes flew off.” Another... “It was terrible. It’s very difficult to see the image,” said Mr. Sobrinho.


 * What will happen to the whale? ** The whale will not be put down it will continue to be cared for and loved even though it has been a part in more than this death. The whale will continue to be a crowd pleaser at sea world and be watched. The whale is good for business and will stay alive for now but who knows what will happen if it is responsible for taking another humans life.

Washington Post. Retrieved on March 1, 2010 from []
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