Honors in Action: Do Storms Affect or Respect Affluence?
Hurricane Ike, with damage estimates at $31 billion in the United States
and Cuba, is expected to rank in the top five of costliest hurricanes to strike
the Atlantic and the United States. Chapters wishing to take immediate
action are encouraged to donate to the American
Red Cross, and also to determine the best response through an Honors
in Action approach.
Honors
in Action, integrating the Society hallmarks of Scholarship,
Leadership, Service and Fellowship with projects relating to the Honors
Study Topic, can also be effective in times of crisis. To effectively lead
and serve where the need is greatest takes research and forethought.
Honors
in Action projects related to Hurricane Ike might include the following:
As
Texas begins the recovery following Hurricane Ike, read about the Hurricane
of 1900 in Galveston, which is considered the deadliest hurricane in U.S
history. One good source is Isaac's Storm: A Man, A Time, and the Deadliest
Hurricane in History by Erik Larson. How does 2008's Hurricane Ike
compare to the Hurricane of 1900? How did Ike make its way north to other areas
of the nation that had had serious flooding earlier in 2008?
Ike
was no longer a hurricane when the storm moved inland, but its devastation
was felt in states as far away from the Gulf as Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and
Pennsylvania. Trace the path and the outcomes for communities beyond Texas.
From your research, what can you do to help storm relief in an area affected
by Ike? How might you partner with fellow Phi Theta Kappa members to aid relief
efforts and participate in education awareness efforts as the 2008 Hurricane
Season continues through mid-November?
Ike not only hit hard
in the U.S., but also caused destruction from Haiti and Cuba all the way to
Canada. Include in your research ways to help affected communities outside
the United States. In light of the U.S. embargo on trade with and travel to
Cuba, what should our position be in regard to aid to Cuba, which has suffered
an estimated $4 billion of damage from Ike?
For more information
on Honors in Action and the Honors Study Topic, consult the online Honors
Program Guide.
