Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007
www.theloquitur.com
NEWS | 5
U.S. sat back during unjust murders LIZ GARRETT STAFF WRITER EGG722@CABRINI.EDU
Blackwater, the private company hired to perform security functions in Iraq, has been accused of at least 16 unauthorized killings of Iraqi civilians. Furthermore, the State Department officials made a minimal effort to take control of the security guards who were responsible for shooting at Iraqi civilians. These charges were made in a congressional report released Monday, Oct. 1. Blackwater USA guards have discharged their guns on 195 different occasions. The officials did not deem it necessary to examine the guards at Blackwater for impending legal responsibility, according to the congressional report. According to a report submitted by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, only 122 Blackwater employees have been dismissed from their positions. They have been abusing weapons, violating both alcohol and drugs and behaving unprofessionally on the job. The FBI is planning an investigation of an occurrence on Sept. 16, in which Blackwater guards attacked a Baghdad neighborhood. ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER/MCT
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has presented Cabrini with a grant in an attempt to prevent underage and high-risk alcohol use. Funds that Cabrini received will be used to continue campus and community coalition with the goal of preventing students from participating in underage and high-risk drinking.
Campus receives alcohol grant CHRISTOPHER R. BLAKE STAFF WRITER CRB724@CABRINI.EDU
Cabrini College has recently been awarded an $11,500 grant by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to prevent underage and high-risk alcohol use. Cabrini was one of the 65 organizations throughout the state to receive a portion of more than $700,000 in funding. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $11,500. A press release by the PLCB said, “The 30 college and university grants will use environmental management strategies to eliminate underage and high-risk use. These strategies include enforcement efforts, social norms campaigns, Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS), counseling training and activities and college alcohol risk assessments of the campus and surrounding areas to identify issues leading to alcohol problems.” “Youth are more creative than ever in their attempts to get alcohol and drink alcohol in ways that jeopardize their lives,” said PLCB Chairman P.J. Stapleton in the press release. “Strategies supporting a local environment that does not accept underage drinking and highrisk college drinking will reduce the willingness of young people to engage in such activities.” Cabrini College and the Office of Health and Wellness have received a grant for the past two years including an $8,000 award the previous year. “The funds that Cabrini received will be used to continue our campus and community coalition with the goal of preventing our students from participating in underage and high-risk drinking,” said Chris Hyson, the director of
health and wellness education. In 2005 Cabrini formed a campus committee called the Partnership for Alcohol Education that meets monthly to discuss alcohol related issues, opportunities for collaborations, and alcohol research and education. The committee has revised alcohol policies, hired an alcohol and drug counselor and increased the number of substancefree social events on campus. “I strongly believe that there are a large number of students that are responsible with alcohol but there are still handfuls that are irresponsible. The minority can cause problems for the entire campus,” said Diipali Figgles, a freshman political science major. “I feel that there are already a large amount of alcohol-related information and programs that inform students about alcohol consumption such as the mandatory program of alcohol education taken by all freshmen.” Another important program running through the health and
wellness center is the social norms marketing campaign, “which promotes the actual healthy and protective behaviors that the majority of students are engaging in to correct misperceptions and shape positive behavior change via posters, table tents, promotional items, and more,” as seen on the Cabrini health and wellness web page. Social norms advertisements are placed around campus including in Founders Hall, resident halls and in the cafeteria. The campaign provides students with information regarding alcohol. For example 91.5 percent of Cabrini students have not had their academics negatively affected by alcohol. “I think all educational programs are great and it will give our students some things to think of that they may not have thought of before,” Lillian Burroughs, director of public safety, said. “Every college or university has drinking issues but I really feel, especially this year, the problem is getting better.”
Clinton fundraising continues strong Sen. Hilary Rodham Clinton has outdone her Democratic rivals recently in fundraising. In addition, she has pulled 33 percentage points ahead of Sen. Barack Obama in a recent poll. Her strong fundraising marks the first time she has gained support from a larger amount of Democrats than Obama has. An article in the Oct. 3 Washington Post said the reason for her positive reputation is due to her focus on important issues such as healthcare. Along with her husband, Bill Clinton, she has grabbed the attention of countless Americans by exposing her campaign through more and more television programs. Gathering of DNA increases exonerations The Justice Department is bringing together an accumulation of DNA counts from people confined in federal prison to test whether they are innocent of their crimes. The collection of people that are the most impacted as well as a major role of this DNA sampling are the illegal immigrants. Congress approved the gathering of DNA from those detained by federal authorities, in a small amendment to the restoration of the Violence Against Women Act in January 2006. Throughout this past year, preparations and research have been carried out in order for the successful formation of this regulation. Obtaining DNA counts from people arrested and illegal immigrants is as simple as the process of fingerprinting; it is meant to go unnoticed by those affected.
Fraud is amplified in New Orleans Public corruption issues have been spreading throughout New Orleans as a result of stricter law CANCUN, ACAPULCO, enforcement. According to the FBI 171 people in JAMAICA, BAHAMAS this urban area of Louisiana have been charged with dishonesty, from this past September back to PUERTO VALLARTA, public 2003. 80 percent were exposed as guilty to situaPADRE tions concerning both fraud and bribery. The extreme SOUTH FLORIDA, CRUISES number of cases with this issue can be traced back to the billions of dollars of destruction from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The FBI has begun to call attention to the corruption in New Orleans through a campaign involving radio commercials and public meetings, in order to warn officials not to act illegally.
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