Cause and effect of Hurricane Katrina(200700121)

One of the most devastating disasters in America history, Hurricane Katrina  by Ko, Yoonjin 200700121   You must have heard about Hurricane Katrina before which was happened in six years ago. Hurricane Katrina was a devastating category 4 hurricanes, that hit the Gulf of Mexico and various Southern regions of the United States at the end of August, 2005, causing some of the worst damage in American history, estimated at $100 billion. I found some numbers to show its disastrous impact on New Orleans from the BBC. 90,000 square mile disaster zone — equivalent to area of Great Britain 10,000 originally feared dead — revised down by government 60 nations have offered aid as well as UN, NATO and WHO 13 states now have a state of emergency in force America, the leading country of all countries around the world, couldn't deal with Hurricane Katrina swiftly and suffered from a huge amount of losses. What were the causes of this disaster and the aftermath of the hurricane? To find out the causes of the hurricane, let's think about why New Orleans is so vulnerable? New Orleans is sandwiched between Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River, most of the city is located below sea level. Therefore, once a flood would submerge, New Orleans is underwater. Marshes, fresh and saltwater swamps of mud and diverse plant life, divide New Orleans from the Gulf of Mexico, but in some places, the gulf has receded 32 to 48 kilometers closer to New Orleans. So when the Hurricane Katrina came to the Gulf of Mexico, New Orleans was very much easy target for it. Then what happened in the aftermath of the hurricane? There was looting of shops, because people had no food or water for many days, violence was everywhere. The media jumped on showing pictures of black people running riot, giving the impression that this is how black people are when there are no laws and when the system breaks down. Also, there were even claims of rape of babies, though this was never verified. Police and military at one point were even allowed to shoot if people were caught looting. However, most of "looting" was clearly for survival (food, water, shelter), people were allowed to continue. There were so many poor people lived in New Orleans, mostly black people. So that was why media and political commentators also commented like perhaps if there were so many white people in such a situation, maybe the social situation would never have deteriorated so much. However, what I thought terrible was the rich were able to flee, but the poor, most typically black people, were unable to do so but suffered the worst of the hurricane's destructive power in the world's richest and most powerful country. New Orleans is still on its way to recover from Hurricane Katrina. Thanks for all the efforts that volunteers from all around the world and its citizen have put, New Orleans is recovering most of its external losses and the number of foreign visitors is gradually increasing again. According to the local authority's statistic, city's total outcome, compared to the one five years ago, increased $9 billion and its population reached to 354,850 people which are about 80% from its usual number.

The Universal Tips for a Happy Life, Haejin Lee

The Universal Tips for a Happy Life

 Haejin Lee Unit5

 

Everybody wants to be happy.  If there is any difference between the truth and a fact, that statement is clearly both the truth and a fact.  The pursuit of happiness can be so intense that sometimes it leads a trend.  We are so focused on "being happy" that we sometimes try too hard.  We study it, preach it, and publish it.  But happiness is not a trend.  It is a state, a condition, a way of life.  And some happy people tell us happiness can be simpler than we thought.  Here are some tips worth your attention.

Keep close relationships.  People who have a good relationship with their families and friends are more likely to be happy.  When you have a close tie with your family and friends, and when you are more involved, you become emotionally stable.  You get the support you need when you are going through hardship.  And healthy relationships can serve as a focus to channel your energy in a positive, healthy way.  By participating in activities and sharing emotions, you build quality relationships that support you and keep you emotionally healthy.

Stay physically healthy.  Keeping up with your physical health also has a lot to do with being happy.  You don't necessarily need to be perfectly fit, and it doesn't matter if you were born with certain disabilities.  Trying to stay physically healthy as much as possible helps you concentrate on your abilities.  Working out or participating in a sports activity keeps you distracted from the disheartening ideas, and gives you a sense of achievement.  It also helps you plan further ahead with an optimistic viewpoint, as it is easier to plan for the future when you are in a healthy state.

Find meaning.  People feel lost when they think their lives are meaningless.  You need a goal, or at the least a motive that keeps you going.  Prioritize the aspects of your life and keep yourself reminded of what you already have.  If you are oriented, or, if you have meaning in life, you are more likely to have the strength to bounce back or start over.  For people with purpose or meaning in life, the challenges life throws at you will not keep you down; rather, they can later turn out to be an exciting page of your life

There are millions of advices out there that point to "a happy life."  But a happy life itself is the way you live it rather than a goal in itself.  Having a close relationship with the ones you care, staying physically healthy, and having purpose or meaning in life is a few things you can remember to keep your spirit high.  After all, life is full of good days and bad days, and you never know which will turn out to be more fruitful for yourself.  Setting straight your priorities in life and your attitude will assure a safe journey no matter how fast your life runs, or where your track leads you.

Week 5, Sunghee Park

Intermediate English Writing (1) Monday 7-8

200801224 DIS

Park, Sunghee

 

 

The Causes of Happiness

 

             Last Thursday (April 7), a Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) student suicide and the death was already the fourth this year in KAIST known as one of the most prestigious schools in Korea. In what reason did the student kill himself even though most Koreans describe KAIST students as winner? What made him less satisfied with his life and choose the hopeless option? Similarly, there are a lot of contradictory cases such as the suicide of the rich or the authority who are considered as one of the happiest men. On the contrary, we can easily find that people who described as loser do not give up their hope and live day by day. What encouraged them to live? I believe people can be happy when they have a person who can talk with, get recognition from society, and have a new achievement.

             First, supporters make people happy. People are social animal. People need another person who can talk and share their experiences with. Two weeks ago, I failed to get an internship that I want to work for. I was depressed and it was as if I was rejected by society. I spent many time worrying my future and I kept thinking I might not be prepared yet. As the concerns got deeper, I was getting down in the dumps. At that time, my father started to talk about his stories. He talked about his failures and success, and we had small talk. After the talk, my feeling got better and I felt happy to have my supporter. Other than family members, friends can be good supporters, too. When I chatted with them, I am relaxed and happy because I can share my happiness and sadness with them, and they are my supporters who I can rely on.

             Second, recognition from others makes people happy. Generally, people want to be a part of society. Of course, it would be great if the part is really necessary one. People want to check their beings as they get recognition. For example, if a student won a prize, he will be satisfied because he proved he is good at something and it will help the society. The suicide from KAIST can be explained to somewhat degree. KAIST students must be received a lot of praises before they entered KAIST. However, there are so many smart students in KAIST and they did not get recognition as much as they received before. It might hurt their feelings and make them depressed. Maybe, people are susceptible to praise and they never forget the feeling of happiness when they won praise.

             Finally, people can be happy when they have a goal and achieved it. People like to have a new one. Especially people become happy when they get what they want. Simply, it can be an economic achievement such as shopping. Girls often set their goal to get a luxury item. If she buys it, she will be happy. Similarly, a CEO is happy when he attained his profit goal. Educational achievement also makes people happy because intellectual curiosity can be satisfied with knowledge. Like this, people always pursue achievement and that is why the rich often killed by himself. Since people want to have more and more forever, even the rich cannot be happy unless he has achievement.

             What makes people happy? This is really tricky question but I believe supporter, recognition, and achievement make people be satisfied with their life. The suicide rate is getting higher. Let’s become someone’s true supporter. Let’s praise each other. Let’s help someone to get a new achievement. It’s time to act to people around you. The actions will seem humble, so prosperous will its result be.

unit3-p.75 Leeyeonyoung

Finding happiness.

A few years ago, when I was majoring in architecture in ex-university, one of the professors who I really admire introduced me habitat for rural community, kinds of volunteer work, and encouraged me to try. Because I liked him and it seemed exciting, I chose to participate in. It was done in the navel of Korea, Yanggu, Kangwondo and I spent all summer vacation there building a house and an art gallery. Thanks to this decision, I could receive priceless memories and find happiness. What makes me so happy in the far-flung country? It could be explained into three parts; people, works and unexpected events.

First of all, I could find happiness because there were friends and professors who I like. Various students over the country gathered together in Yanggu and spent the summer vacation there. Though I have never seen most of them before and have had very different kinds of backgrounds, we could be friends without difficulty. Because I liked the time we were together, I used to drink alcohols with talking until midnight, sometimes even morning but I could not notice that time goes.

Second, having something to do each day helped me find happiness. Strange to say, I could find happiness for the fact that there was certain task for each day because I felt it was like a piece of the puzzle in a big picture. I cut the wood, made the wall and painted the house during the vacation. It could be tough physically but when I concentrated on the daily task and enjoyed it, I could find happiness that simplicity of life can bring.  

Finally, unexpectedness could be another chance to find happiness. When we do the daily work, lots of unexpected events happen. One day, I was walking along the riverside with a professor and a friend after dinner. We were talking about something or another, then the professor suggested a game, imitating person who we would meet first from now. Just in time, a person who was jogging came toward us, so we started to run like him. Suddenly it began to rain and we run in the rain. It may seem crazy but running in the rain gave us a big smile and became the unforgettable memory.

 Meeting people, enjoying daily works and encountering unexpected events during the summer volunteer works gave me happy memories. However, I believe it is not the unique thing only can be found in the far-flung country but the ordinary thing that can happen wherever. Therefore, I will try to go to meet the people, enjoy daily works and expect encountering unexpected events lest I may put off the happiness.

Week5, Pg. 75, Yooran Kim : Tips to be happiness

Tips that lead to happiness 200903992 Yooran Kim   Another person committed suicide today. He was the CEO of a big company. He had a family. He had a highly educated background. He had a fortune everyone would envy. But he killed himself. Why? Among many reasons, experts guessed that he was under lots of stress and pressure. As a result, he wasn't happy at all. The scary thing is that there are so many people who are not happy and they are killing themselves. The suicide rate of Korea is number one of OECD countries. The leading cause of death in 20s and 30s is a suicide. Why are there so many unhappy people? What should they buy to be happy? What should they do to be happy? As a happy person I am, and as a person who had tried to commit suicide once, I will give you a tip of the happiness. It is really easy. You don't have to be rich because you don't have to buy anything expensive to be happy. What I recommend you is to have a positive mind. Always be grateful and enjoy that you are breathing now. Human beings tend to forget what they already have and what they can do.  In my case, I can breathe. I can move my body well, and I can use all of my ten fingers and ten toes.(no offense!) I remember how painful it was when I couldn't breathe well in swimming pool and when I broke my left leg. Also, You can remember some events that you were lucky. Two years ago, I was sleeping lying on side on the floor next to my bed. I put my Macintosh on the edge of a bed, and just fell into sleep on the floor. At 3 a.m. I woke up being frightened at the weird feeling of some heavy breeze brushing my eye. When I opened my eyes in a second of lifting my body, I found that the big black square monitor fell down and the one corner of the computer chopped the keyboard to be broken. The three buttons that cracked were less than an inch away from my left eye. I was relieved but got gooseflesh imagining the other case I was an inch closer. Still I'm using that keyboard. My dad taped them. I try to think the heaven helped me to live second life. Then no matter what happens, I become grateful because I can see with my two beautiful eyes. Of course, I don't put my computer on the bed anymore. The first tip I said above is very useful in most cases. Actually it's enough to know only first tip. But if you can't be satisfied with only one, if you think that you have everything but can's see no future, here is a second tip. The second tip is to think that you are here from the future. Huh? Does this sound weird? No, it's not. I'm telling you the secret nobody knows. I know your secret. Haven't you ever wished to the heaven that you want to go back to the past? That's right. The heaven sent you back to the past. You are now in the past you wished. Of course you don't remember the future you came from. That's cheating to remember what happened in the future. At least, you got your second chance to change your future again. It really helped me when I was so frustrated with everything. I thought there is nothing left to me when I was 24. I thought I didn't have anyone who loves me and there's no future for me. I thought I was born to go through this short but severe life. Before I decide to commit suicide, I tried to remember every second I've been through since I was young. There were many happy memories and many sad memories. What if I had killed myself when I was 15? What if I had killed myself when I failed entrance exam?  Could I meet my first love in college? Could I meet my best friend now? Could I listen to this beautiful music? Could I know that actually those were just good fertilizer for me to be more healthy and strong? I have wished to the heaven to please send me back to the past. Maybe this is the chance. Maybe my wish already came true. What if I have committed suicide already, but the heaven sent me back to the earth at this second before I kill myself? I cannot make same mistake. Maybe there is some future I would regret if I can't see it. At that time, I stopped crying and killing myself. I don't regret that decision. I never did. Actually there are many ways to be happy except two I mentioned above. Most of all, the important thing is your mind. Socrates had said 'know yourself.' Yes, it is important to know that you are enough to be happy. It's not really appropriate, but it helps to compare you and the other poor people. I'm not talking about money. Even people in the poor country think they are happy. I'm talking about conditions. When my grandmother and uncle passed away last year, it was the saddest year in my life. When I walked to the grave yard holding their bone powder pot, I felt guilty because I could breathe and I could feel this warm sunlight, and I could see beautiful flowers and trees in mountain. I felt how precious and beautiful it is to be living. Everyone goes through some hardship on the road of life. There's no fun without trouble, and that's the reason we are living this life. I hope everyone to be happy living here. We all are born to love and to be loved.

Week5, Pg. 58, Yooran Kim : How laws are made

How laws are made 200903992 Yooran Kim   There is a saying that 'all men are equal before the law.' We establish a law. We observe the law. We are protected in the law. Everyone knows that we are living in the law. But does anyone know how are the laws made? There are four important steps to make an effective law. The first process is introducing a bill. Anyone, any group, or any party can introduce a bill. The formal name of this bill is 'a draft of a law.' If government or a member of National Assembly presents a bill to the National Assembly, the chairman of the National Assembly refers this bill to the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Officials in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee examine the proposal thoroughly. They amend and revise the proposal if necessary, and go to a division. Next, if the bill comes to the National Assembly Standing Committee, it is put to a vote. The bill can be passed if it gains a majority vote, but can be failed if it doesn't. The bill passed by majority is submitted to the Assembly plenary session. Sometimes there's an occasion that circumstance doesn't allow the bill to go through the National Assembly Standing Committee. Then, the chairman of the National Assembly can bring in the bill right to the Assembly plenary session. It is called 'Authority Introduction.' This bill is decided by majority ayes and majority attendance by vote. The chairman carries this to the Korean president. Third, if the president signs a bill, the bill takes effect. But if the president doesn't sign and exercises veto, the bill is sent back to the National Assembly. Here is a funny thing. If the National Assembly passes the bill again which was sent back by president, the president can not exercise veto again, and the bill comes into force without reference to agreement of the president. Finally, the bill is confirmed. If it is proclaimed, it should be within 15 days. Nevertheless, it becomes effective. So far, we have reviewed all the process of making law. It sounds pretty simple. However, it can take a long time till it becomes effective. There can be so many people or groups who are against a bill, and law gives enough time (few weeks) in each process for people or group to protest and be ready to make opposite opinion. Also, if there are many things to be amended, your bill can take really long time to go even near the National Assembly Standing committee. It is important to observe the law. But as long as the law are made by us, people, it is also important to know how laws are made and what we can do to make a better law for us.

Unit3, exercise 7- the causes of happiness

201000955 Hannah Kim                It is what I always want to have but at the same time one of the most difficult things to define and explain- happiness. Happiness is the feeling that people have when they satisfy or achieve all the desires they want. Of course, the cause or reason that people feel happy is all different and it can be everything; from the success in their work to being loved by someone. In my case, thinking of the causes of happiness, I come up with these three things. The environment that all the people can be sincere and frank, getting the feeling of being loved and living without gaps among neighbors.                I believe mental state stands before physical state- all the material things around us, including money. Therefore, what I want to point out as the first thing that makes people feel happy is being able to act and say everything they want. In my point of view, people tend to live with the sense of emptiness when they have to hide their original feeling and thinking. I think the environments or moods that let people say sincerely and frankly just what they have in their mind give them fundamental satisfactory. We can find this disposition, desiring to say directly what they want and to be understood, by this everyone's earnest wish- having an authentic, true friend. The feeling of being trusted and having someone to rely upon gives us a good energy to overcome our hardship in our lives and happiness.                Also, there is one more feeling that I believe as the cause of happiness- feeling of being love. I believe there are no better feelings that people have than this. It is an instinct for human beings- being loved. We feel gratification when we know someone loves us truly. It makes us feel everything around us beautiful. When we are loved by others, it gives us also a great motivation achieving something because we know there is someone who would watch over us. It can give us a true satisfactory- from deep in our heart. Then, it can give us overwhelming happiness.                Although this factor is almost not feasible, no gap between the wealthy and the poor is also what can make people happy. It is not the objective fact how much they have that makes people frustrated or unhappy. Rather, comparing to other people around them is what makes people think miserable and sad. For example, people live in Bangladesh are found as one of the happiest people in the world. However, their income is surprisingly, one of the lowest. Researchers suggest that the reason of this phenomenon is because of the small gap between the wealthy and the poor. Thus, it can be concluded that it is the gap, or relative poverty that make people unhappy.              To sum up, the cause of happiness can vary from people to people. This is so subjective concept that it is one of the most difficult things to define, in my point of view. However, during my life, these three were the best things that are thought to make people feel happy. Whenever I had someone to talk frankly and feeling that I am loved by someone, I could not be happier. I got energy and strength to achieve something and go through difficulties. In addition, people always tend to compare each other and desire to have more and be better person than others. Therefore, when there are large gap in living, there cannot be much happiness. They would always try to compete and struggle to get more. Thus, people would feel more comfortable and satisfied when there are no gaps among them.