[JRC학생기자] The cracking of Willis Tower Skydeck’s ledge

The cracking of the glass window of the Willis Tower Skydeck’s ledge
Suyeon Yang

The glass base of Chicago's Willis Tower observation deck shattered on May 30. It was shocking for the many visitors on the breaking deck. The glass base is only a 6-millimeter-thick protective coating for the entire ledge, a glass box extending out 4.3 feet from the Skydeck in Willis Tower. Most people didn’t know that it was just a protective coating for the glass, so the visitors and tourists were panicking. Alejandro Garibay, with his brother and cousins from California, noticed the cracking and jumped from the ledge.
Since the three one-half-inch layers of structured glass underneath were unbroken, those on the sky deck remained unharmed. The glass, which can handle five tons, usually doesn’t break easily. However, its structure has been weakened by constant damage from the presence of many tourists. Representatives of the Willis Tower claimed that the cracking of the protective glass was bound to happen, because it was to protect the other layers from breaking. Although this happened last month, the tourists involved still remember the horror they felt from the sound and sight of the cracking.

The Ebola Outbreak in West Africa
Jung Yun Han

Weakness, headache, chills, diarrhea, fever, and internal bleeding, these are some of the symptoms of the Ebola virus disease. A senior official for Doctors Without Borders described the most recent outbreak of the disease as “totally out of control.”
With a mortality rate of up to 90%, the Ebola virus disease has one of the highest mortality rates of all time. Ebola has largely remained confined to Africa, where it is most likely transmitted by human-animal contact. Due to limited animal hosts, a high mortality rate, and relative isolation from large population centers, the disease hasn’t dispersed into other parts of the world – not the case with this outbreak.
The outbreak, which surfaced three months ago, distinguished itself from previous outbreaks from the start. Instead of starting in a sparsely populated, rural village, the disease broke out in the heavily populated regions of Guinea and Liberia. It has already killed over 330 in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Bart Janssens, director of operations of Doctors Without Borders, told the Associated Press, “The reality is clear that the epidemic is now in a second wave. And, for me, it is totally out of control.” To make matters worse, the affected countries don’t seem to realize the seriousness of the situation. On the other hand, the government sees the severity of the epidemic, and it hasn’t been easy for them to keep up with the disease in one of the poorest regions of the world and one with a “fragile” health care system.
Doctors Without Borders, with more than 40 staffed in 4 treatment centers, has reached its limit, and it remains uncertain whether the group will be able to open up another treatment center. Much more work remains to contain the disease and minimize the epidemic’s reach in Africa.


ACE Quiz Bowl Camp
Myung ‘Jonathan’ Suh

The Academic Competitions Enterprises(ACE) Quiz Bowl Camp Illinois took place at Lincoln College from June 25th through June 29th. ACE Quiz Bowl Camp is aimed for quiz bowlers in junior high and high school.
Quiz bowl is a popular academic competition all across America. It consists of players answering trivia questions on a wide range of topics, encompassing the arts, sciences, histories, and pop culture. At the high school level, it is also known as scholastic bowl and it is an officially sanctioned competition, with organized school teams, tournaments, and competitions. ACE hosts camps across the nation to help quiz bowlers to improve their skills.
The camp was hosted at Lincoln College with over 130 campers. Each camper chose three topics to take classes on in order to improve their knowledge in these areas. Classes included topics such as physical science, chemistry, European literature, world history, among many others. Campers also participate in individual practice events and team tournaments to put their newly learned knowledge to use.
Campers were divided into 14 rooms based on their skill level. Those who excelled in daily practice rounds advanced to higher-level rooms. This encourages campers to have fun and be competitive as well. ACE also hosted specific subject tournaments, such as mythology, history, and pop culture.
ACE camps are not only held in Illinois but also in Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and other states.