Hurricane Katrina

10 years ago the United States experienced the most costly and one of the most lethal natural disasters in history when Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast and the City of New Orleans.  Between the dates of August 23^rd and August 31^st, 2005, the world watched in disbelief as one of America’s most iconic cities was submerged under water and chaos ensued.

Hurricane Katrina was a category 5 hurricane and the third strongest storm to strike the United States.  The hurricane claimed over 1800 lives and caused $108 billion in damage.  The greatest damage was to the City of New Orleans. 

Most of the City of New Orleans is actually under sea level.  Surrounding the city are a series of

levees designed to retain the water from the Gulf Coast and Lake Pontchartrain.  The damage to the city was not only caused by the force of the hurricane, but by the flooding throughout the city after the levees failed.  Over 80% of the city was flooded, up to 20 feet in some areas.

Prior to the hurricane, citizens were told to evacuate the city.  Unfortunately for nearly 60,000 residents, evacuation was not an option.  Many had nowhere to go and many lacked the financial means to leave the area.  As a result after the storm and the flooding, thousands of New Orleans citizens were trapped.  Federal and local disaster relief organizations, including FEMA, were unprepared for such a catastrophe and these citizens spent days isolated without food, clean water, or other facilities. 

 

Without basic necessities, many turned to looting.  Police responded with force and the chaos grew.  Finally after many days FEMA took charge and coordinated with the Red Cross, National Guard and others to supply the people with food and begin an evacuation of the city.

10 years later the city still shows the signs of Hurricane Katrina.  While many places in the city have been restored to the greatness of the past, places such as the Lower 9^th Ward have had little restoration completed.  Even today, each year Bishop Kelly sends a group of students to New Orleans to aid in the rebuilding effort.

Prior to the hurricane New Orleans had a population of 455,188.  As of 2006, the population had dropped to 208,548.  As of 2013, the population is 378,715, close to 80,000 lower than pre-hurricane population.

Prior to reading this and watching the video, what did you know about Hurricane Katrina?  What are your thoughts about the event?  If you were a resident of New Orleans prior to Katrina, would you move back to the city? Why or why not? 

Graduation

Graduation is a week from Friday.  The school will miss you all.  Individually and collectively you bring a unique culture to the school.  Whenever there is a change in the classes, the school mourns.  Don’t get too choked up, when the new school year begins we move on, just as you will, and the school will adjust to the new classes and the new 8^th graders.

But before we move on, we should reflect on the impact you have had on the school and the impact the school has had on you.  Our school is not static.  It changes with each new class and with each new student.  Each class develops its own identity and personality.  That personality may change over the years as students come and go.  The collection of classes makes up the identity and personality of the school.  Even though this school has been around for over a hundred years, it is the students, classes and teachers along with the families and church that determines the cultural personality of the school.

Each of you alone and all of you together have helped shape this school and

your influence will be felt for years to come.  I believe in the idea that whenever you enter into something, you should have a goal to leave it better than it was when you started.  I believe you are leaving the school better today than when you started.  For that, we all owe you a thank you.

But just as you have had the opportunity to shape the school, I believe the school has helped to shape who you are.  While it may take years

before you are able to fully appreciate the impact the school has had on
your lives, I would expect you can look back over the years and find one or two lessons you will carry forward with you.  You may be able to identify one or two teachers which may have helped you to understand yourself as a student.  You may look at the friendships you have developed over the years and realize what a blessing it was to have them in your life.  You may look at the impact of having your Catholic
faith as a corner stone of your education and how that has shaped your understanding of all subjects, not just religion.

What impact do you believe you and your class had on the school?  How would you like your class to be remembered?  What are your fondest memories or greatest life lessons are you taking with you from St. Joe’s? What advice do you have for future 8^th grade classes? 

Week of Tragedy and Triumph

This past weekend has been filled with terrible and remarkable stories.  Baltimore, Maryland and Nepal have both been the point of tremendous suffering and incredible demonstrations of the human spirit since this past weekend.

Baltimore

It has been a trying week in the City of Baltimore.  Monday night resulted in 235 arrests, 20 police officers injured, 6 seriously, 144 vehicle fires and 19 structural fires.  The peaceful riots turned to violent acts of vandalism and destruction of property.  

The incident began with the arrest of 25 year old, Freddie Gray.  About a week after his arrest, Freddie died of a spinal injury.  Many in the Baltimore community have been protesting over the treatment of Freddie by the police.  Up until Monday, the protests were non-violent.  That all changed Monday, the day of Freddie’s funeral, when groups decided not to protest non-violently, but to create chaos and crime throughout the city.  

The residence of Baltimore, the family of Freddie Gary, and many Americans were horrified by the actions taken by these lawless thugs.  The Mayor and Governor of Baltimore have responded with additional protection for the residence and the police.  

If Monday was utter chaos, Tuesday was a sign that peace can overcome.  While protests continued, many of the people of the city spent the day cleaning the streets.  A group of committed and considerate citizens spent the day standing between the police and angry demonstrators in an effort to maintain civility.  Tuesday had 10 arrests and countless acts of concern and care for the community and law enforcement. While the underlying issue remains, hopefully the members of the community can continue to look for solutions in productive and non-violent actions.

Nepal

The country of Nepal was rocked with a 7.8 magnitude earthquake over the weekend.  Most recent reports estimate the death toll at 6,100.  Cities and communities were turned to rubble.  Approximately 450,000 people will be displaced, having to find a new home.  Additionally the earthquake triggered a landslide on Mount Everest, killing 19 climbers.  The death toll is expected to continue to increase as the debris is cleared.  

Nepal is one of Asia’s poorest nations.  Recent estimates believe the cost to rebuild Nepal will exceed $5 billion. This is about 25% of the entire Gross Domestic Product.  The international community is expected to assist Nepal in their recovery efforts.

With all the tragedy, there have been miraculous stories.  For example, after 22 hours of being buried beneath the debris, rescuers recovered a 4 month old boy.  The efforts of the first responders and the strength of the human spirit are never short of amazing.

What are your reactions to the events in Baltimore and Nepal?  What actions can we take to assist the people of Baltimore and Nepal?  

Earth Day 2015

April 22 marks the 35^th Earth Day in the United States.  The idea for a day dedicated to the environment originated 7 years earlier by Senator Gaylord Nelson.  He was concerned over the lack to awareness and regulations of the pollutants being released into our world. 

Now more than 35 years later, Earth Day and its organizers have increased public awareness of pollutants, identified and promoted “green” acts, have leveraged our schools and communities to enhance the knowledge and dedication of our youth to the cause, and countless other accomplishments. 

The Earth Day websites (http://act.earthday.org/) is tracking personal pledged to commit “green” acts.  The pledges include recycling grocery bags, unplugging appliances, recycling paper and plastic, and buying more local food.  While each of these acts may seem futile on their own, the impact of the collected groups across the globe will have a significant impact on our environment, especially over an extended period of time.  To date the website has over 1 billion personal pledges. 

What do you think of Earth Day?  What are some additional ways we can support Earth Day at school and in our community?  What are things you do at home?  Are there any additional activities you would be willing to commit to at home to support “green” living?

Presidential Campaign 2016

Once every four years, the United States holds an election for the President of the United States.  According to the Constitution, presidents are limited to two terms, or a total of 8 years.  Our next election for president will be in November 2016 and since President Obama has already served two terms, the United States will elect a new president. 

November 2016 may seem like a long ways off (8^th graders will be sophomores, 7^th grades will be in their freshman year of high school, and the 6^th graders will be the 8^th graders of St. Joe’s) but campaigning for the position is already underway.  Over the past few weeks a number of candidates have come forward to announce their presidential campaign.  This week announcements were made by former First Lady and Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and

Florida Senator Marco Rubio.  Over the past few weeks we have heard from Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and others.  This is just the beginning.  In the coming weeks, more candidates from both parties are expected to announce their intentions.

Since from this election will be a new president, the nominating process will be extensive.  Beginning in January of 2016, each party will hold primary elections.  The intention is for each party to determine the best candidate for the position.  Each candidate will be scrutinized and evaluated about every aspect of their lives and their positions on issues ranging from immigration to same-sex marriage, from Vladimir Putin to Israel.  No stone will go unturned.  At the conclusion of the primaries, there will be one candidate from each major party.  They will choose a running mate for vice president and hit the campaign trail, again. 

Do you think it is necessary to start this process 18 months before the election?  Is it an effective way for Americans to become familiar with the candidates or does it distract the government from dealing with issues facing our country?  What do you believe are the most important issues facing the president in the world today? What qualities do you think would make the best president for the 2016 election?  

Civil War - 150 Years Later

April 9, 2015 marks the 150^th anniversary of the infamous surrender of General Robert E Lee and the Confederate Army to General Ulysses S. Grant and the Union Army bringing an end to the American Civil War. 

The American Civil War was the most deadly war ever fought by the United States.  After 4 years of fighting, approximately 2% of our population had lost their lives.  That is the equivalent to the entire population of Chicago in terms of today’s population. 

It was the beginning of modern warfare.  In addition to new weapons making it easier to eliminate your enemy, we also made significant progress providing medical care in the field of battle and addressing the sanitation of camps.  Of the 620,000 fatalities of the Civil War, more than 66% died of disease.  By the end of the war, the US Sanitation Commission reduced the disease rates by 50%. 

The Civil War redefined the United States and forever altered the ideas of freedom and liberty in our country.  At the conclusion of the war, more than 4 million slaves were freed.  In addition to the

physical wounds and rebuilding the structures damaged and destroyed during the war, the country needed to redefine its culture and views of humanity.  There is evidence today that we are still a work in progress. 

What do you know about the Civil War?  Knowing what we know today, was the Civil War worth the cost, or was there another way?  How should the Civil War be remembered, something to be celebrated or a source of embarrassment? 

Black History Month

Since 1976, the United States and Canada have recognized February as Black History Month.  The idea to dedicate time to the contributions of African Americans was originated in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson.   His vision was to increase the awareness of people and communities to the significant additions African Americans have made to the overall history of the United States. 

His vision has grown since 1926 to include an entire month where elementary, junior high and high school students take time to learn about notable figures and accomplishments of African Americans.

Black History Month’s annual celebration has come with its fair share of criticism.  From questioning the need to dedicate an entire month to a single race to complaints about the month chosen being the shortest month of the year, the opinions are as varied as they can be outlandish. 

 

Regardless, the idea to educate ourselves about the historical influence countless African Americans have had on our country and communities is with merit.  It is a time to dig past the dates and names to attempt to put yourself in the shoes of a race of people who have struggled to gain an equal footing in the United States. 

Without Black History Month we may be familiar but not as cognizant of the incredible feats of

Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, or Maya Angelou.  The contributions African Americans have made to the fabric of the United States are without question.

Please research and report back on the accomplishments of one of the following people:

Condoleezza Rice

George Washington Carver

Frederick Douglass

Booker T Washington

Louis Armstrong

What did you learn and why did you choose that person? 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On Monday, January 19 we are remembering the life and teaching of Martin Luther King, Jr. throughout the United States.  While we each may enjoy a day off of school, we do not want to lose the purpose of commemorating his life and his impact on the United States and the world by taking the day for granted.

Martin Luther was born in Atlanta, Georgia.  He was the son, grandson, and great grandson of Baptist ministers.  While he initially was reluctant to accept his inherited occupation, during his time at Morehouse College, Dr. King began to learn how to use his devout Christian beliefs and his natural ability to gather people to promote the ideas of social change.

As his life continued, he actively engaged in the promoting the civil rights of African Americans and the social changes so long overdue.  While the civil war ended nearly 100 years prior to Dr. King, it was not until the 1960’s that America began to recognize the equality of African Americans. 

The teachings of Martin Luther King are as relevant today as they were 40 years ago.  Even though we have taken great strides as a country, we still hear and see acts of prejudice and bigotry in our society.  While we strive for equality and tolerance, we know there is still hate in the world.  Dr. King would encourage us to seek out acts of hate and intolerance in the world and find peaceful solutions to promote the human spirit.

In addition to Monday being a day for remembrance, it should also be a day of action.  A day dedicated to doing something to promote humanity and discourage intolerance.

The following is a link to the King Center.  The website includes many interesting and thought provoking ideas, including a biography of Dr. King and the history of the holiday.

http://www.thekingcenter.org/

What do you think Dr. King would think of our world today and the changes the country has undergone?  Can you think of situations in our world today where intolerance and prejudice exist?  What actions are you willing to take to promote the human spirit and the ideas of tolerance, acceptance and forgiveness?

New Year's Resolutions

Some look at the start of the New Year as a chance to wipe the slate clean and start new.  Many attempt this by identifying New Year’s resolutions.  January 1^st is a day to try to break old habits or to start new habits to live a better life.  Below is a list of the top 10 resolutions compiled by newspaper across the country.

• Spend more time with family and friends
• Exercise regularly
• Lose weight
• Enjoy life more and stress less
• Manage money better
• Take a trip
• Learn something new
• Help other
• Get organized
• Attend church 

What do you think about the idea of setting New Year’s resolutions? Why do you think so many people have difficulty keeping their resolutions?  Are you the kind of person that sets New Year’s Resolutions?  Why or why not?  If you did set any New Year’s Resolutions, would you mind sharing?