The Chronicles of Weibel
Fred E. Weibel Elementary
Memorial Day
by Kashvi Lath
Are you excited for having no school on the 31st of May? You probably know it’s because of a famous American Holiday called “Memorial Day.” But do you know the history of this famous holiday and why it is celebrated? Memorial Day is celebrated to honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. Military. This holiday was originally known as “Decoration Day.” This important holiday was developed in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans celebrate it by visiting cemeteries or memorials, hosting family gatherings and by participating in parades.
This isn’t official but Memorial Day also marks the beginning of the season of summer. By the late 1860’s Americans in various towns and cities began to hold springtime tributes to the fallen soldiers and decorated their graves with flowers and reciting prayers upon them. This is probably part of the reason why this holiday was originally called “Decoration Day.”
In 1966 the federal government declared Waterloo, New York to be the official birthplace of Memorial Day. Originally Memorial Day was only used to honor those who fought in the Civil War, but then the United States got into another major conflict which is why Memorial Day is now celebrated to honor all the people who fought and died in any of the wars that United States fought. These wars included World War II, The Vietnam War, The Korean War, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Bay area's Plan to Decrease Homelessness
by Prisa Singh
Homelessness is a big problem in the Bay Area and it only increased in the past few years. The Bay Area leaders revealed a goal to reduce homelessness by 75% in three years. It's a tough goal but the Bay Area leaders believe that this can be achieved.
What can cause homelessness?
Before learning how to fix homelessness we must understand what can cause homelessness. Being poor is not the only cause. Following are some of other reasons for homelessness:
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Behind rent payment due to high Bay Area’s rent
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Family violence
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Losing a job
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Drugs (better stay away from those)
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The Covid pandemic
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The George Floyd Verdict
by Prisa Singh
Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin got arrested in April of 20201 for murder. He commited murder by ending the life of George Floyd. This event angered many people and caused many BLM protests.
What happened to result in murder?
It was a normal day in May of 2020 when a man named George Floyd purchased something with a fake currency. The police rushed to the shop when informed about the incident and caught Floyd. However, Derek Chauvin, one of the four police officers who arrived, punished George Floyd by kneeling on his neck, choking him for nine minutes and twenty-nine seconds, resulting in George Floyd dying. After that incident, many people were very angry and started protesting with the Black Live Matters (BLM) slogan.
Conviction
Roughly a year after the incident, it took the jury more than 10 hours over two days to convict the former police officer Derek Chauvin of murder. Specifically, the judge convicted Derek Chauvin of second degree murder, third degree murder, and second degree manslaughter. A teenager named Darnella Frazier, took a video of Flyod’s death that was used as proof against Chauvin. According to the court, Chauvin will be sentenced on June 16, 2021.
Crowd’s happiness after conviction
As mentioned before, people were very angry about the George Flyod incident and started black lives matter (BLM) protests. Many folks were holding BLM and BLM related signs outside of the court. Many people were joyful to hear that Derek Chauvin was found guilty.
Suez Canal Blockage
by Prisa Singh
Suez Canal is a major trading route which is of great importance to many traders around the world. However, on March 23, 2021 a ship blocked the canal for a few days and disturbed global trade. The issue was resolved but it took time and tons of effort. This seemingly small event impacted many parts of the world and resulted in billions of dollars of trade loss.
About the Suez Canal
The Suez Canal is a man made sea level waterway used for trading. It is located in Egypt and it connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and divides Asia and Africa. The importance of this canal is that it is the shortest route from Europe to Asia. Suez Canal is 120.1 miles (193.3 kilometers) in length and the maximum boat draft is 60 feet(20.1meters). Construction of the canal began on September 25, 1859 and it completed on November 17, 1869 which is when it officially opened for trade. Every day about 50 ships pass through the Suez Canal so every year 18,800 ships pass through the busy canal.
Description of the Blockage?
On March 23, 2021 a ship called the Ever Given got stuck in the canal for six days. The container ship was passing through the busy canal when a sandstorm caused the person controlling the ship to “lose the ability to steer the ship” causing the ship to get stuck. The Ever Given got stuck 3.7 miles north of the southern entrance of the Suez Canal. It caused a blockage in a single lane, about 958 feet in width. Around 400 vessels (or more) were waiting at both ends of the Suez canal. The blockage interfered with global trade so important goods could not be shipped.
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