Sheri Fink’s “The Deadly Choices At Memorial” was definitely a good read. Fink immediately grabs the attention of readers with her lead, which states, “The smell of death was overpowering the moment a relief worker cracked open one of the hospital chapel’s wooden doors. Inside, more than a dozen bodies lay motionless on low cots and on the ground, shrouded in white sheets. Here, a wisp of gray hair peeked out. There, a knee was flung akimbo. A pallid hand reached across a blue gown.” In just a few sentences, Fink is able to paint a picture about her surroundings and the severity of the environment she is in.

But not only is Fink descriptive in her words, she has also done an extensive amount of research, which makes her article even more captivating. Fink includes specific times and numbers in her article, which adds to her credibility and intensifies the story. For example, “By the time Katrina began lashing New Orleans in the early hours of Monday, Aug. 29, some 2,000 people were bunking in the hospital, including more than 200 patients and 600 workers. When the storm hit, patients screamed as windows shattered under a hail of rocks from nearby rooftops. The hospital groaned and shook violently.”

Another intriguing factor of Fink’s article is her ability to tie in several interviews without sounding confusing. She includes interviews with nurses and investigators, to name a few.

The combination of descriptive language, precise reporting, and interviews with people from several different perspectives makes “The Deadly Choices At Memorial” a must read for anybody, especially those interested in writing.

A Muslim Leader in Brooklyn, Reconciling 2 Worlds was a very interesting read. The author detailed Sheik Reda Shata’s life in a very compelling manner. I would describe Shata’s place on the social and political spectrum as very “middle of the road.”

To begin with, Shata is described in the article as trying to maintain two very different worlds — the American lifestyle and his Muslim faith. In the fourth paragraph, the author displays this struggle perfectly by saying, “A teenage girl wants to know: Is it halal, or lawful, to eat a Big Mac? Can alcohol be served, a waiter wonders, if it is prohibited by the Koran? Is it wrong to take out a mortgage, young Muslim professionals ask, when Islam frowns upon monetary interest?” The three questions mentioned back up the argument that Shata is very “middle of the road.” All of these questions and contradictions come to surface because he is reconciling two different worlds.

This continues to display itself in “Skip 911. Call the Iman,” where Shata describes how many New Yorkers relied on 911 to solve their problems — many of which had no relevance to 911 responders. For example, “One woman called because a relative abroad had threatened to take her inheritance. ‘The officers left and didn’t write anything,’ Mr. Shata said, howling with laughter. ‘There was nothing for them to write.'” The author continues by saying, “To Mr. Shata, the calls made sense. The women’s parents, uncles and brothers — figures of authority in family conflict — were overseas. Instead, they dialed 911, hoping for a substitute. Soon they would lean to call the imam.” This part of the article also displays how Shata is reconciling 2 worlds. Because he understands why the woman in the example would call 911, he can be described as “middle of the road.” He seems to show no harsh judgment on the woman. Instead, he uses his Muslim faith to give him understanding about the situation.

On the social and political spectrum, Shata is in the middle. He cannot be described as strictly a conservative or a liberal. This is because balancing two different worlds displays Shata’s openness to both side.