Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008
YOU SPEAK, WE LISTEN
Radnor, Pa.
CABRINI COLLEGE
Pacemaker Winner Vol L, Issue 07
www.theloquitur.com
Bomb threat clears Dixon Center liz garrett news editor
egg722@cabrini.edu diana trasatti copy editor
dlt722@cabrini.edu
“Everyone evacuate now.”
Nick pitts/sports editor
Radnor police and Cabrini College Public Safety communicate with one another following a bomb threat at the Dixon Center last Thursday. All those within the gymnasium were evacuated. Officers from two police departments, including Radnor Township, showed up on the scene.
These three words were spoken with authority and firmness within the Dixon Center a little after 1 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 9, when an unknown caller called in a bomb threat. Everyone in the building quickly abandoned their workouts and followed instructions as looks of disbelief and questioning were exchanged among students and faculty within the building. All those who vacated the Dixon Center stood outside looking at the building as public safety and police officers surrounded and entered the site. Talks of a possible bomb threat quickly surfaced among the spectators as they were instructed to distance themselves from the blocked off Dixon Center. “I was walking over and they said, ‘Don’t come over here. There’s a bomb threat,’” Chima Okere, sophomore business ma-
jor, said. The bomb threat was called in to Cabrini’s Public Safety office at 1:03 p.m., who then called police officials. Public safety alerted those in the Dixon Center of the threat and instructed everyone to evacuate. Officers arriving at the scene arrived from two police departments, including Radnor Township. The building was cleared by 1:26 p.m. Students and faculty became aware of the threat through Cabrini’s emergency text message system. Cabrini’s Cabinet, consisting of Dr. Jonnie Guerra, Dr. Charles McCormick and Stephen Lightcap, as well as Howard Holden, the director of facilities, were quick to arrive at the scene, even though information was minimal at the time. Police on the scene said that colleges receive a lower rate of bomb threats compared to high schools. The fact that the threat was called on the Dixon Center, which holds few classes, was also out of the ordinary, according to the police.
THREAT, page 3
Ugandan urges students to be ‘voice of the voiceless’ christine graf deputy editor
acg724@cabrini.edu
A Uganda native visited Cabrini College students Monday, Oct. 6, to promote peace in her homeland by sharing stories of warfare and the success of her peacebuilding efforts in Uganda. Sister Pauline Acayo, Catholic Relief Service peacebuilding officer for Uganda, is part of the Peace in Africa tour CRS is doing throughout the United States to educate people about conflict zones like Uganda. “It is not easy to be a peacebuilder. Many times my life’s threatened,” Acayo said. Uganda has been in a civil war since 1986. The war started with just one man, Joseph Kony, who wanted Uganda to be ruled by the Ten Commandments. After what he says was a mystical revelation, he began to gather a rebel group known as the Lord’s Resistance Army to overthrow the Uganda government. Kony did not have many followers and in order to create his
INSIDE
this week’s edition
army he began to raid villages at night capturing civilians to be part of their rebel group. His followers killed the elderly and abducted children. Children of all ages were taken from their parents, boys forced to be rebel soldiers and girls sex slaves for older men. “When they came they starting kidnapping young boys and girls, like boys and girls of 5 years. Remember when you were 5 years, 6 years, 7, 8,” Acayo said to the Cabrini students. The LRA has tortured civilians by cutting off body parts, like arms, lips, ears, noses and the breast of women. Atrocities like these are considered lucky, according to Acayo, because most of civilians are killed, some being burned alive in their houses. Acayo was affected directly, as four of her brothers were kidnapped by the LRA, which resulted in the death of two. An uncle lost his mouth – cut out by the LRA because he refused to give up the location of Acayo hiding in the tall grass near the
village. “I could hear the rebels shouting to my uncle, ‘where is sister, where is she’” Acayo said. “We could hear my uncle crying but we could not come out of the grass.” The Ten Commandments say don’t kill, love your neighbor as you love yourself Acayo said, stressing the fact that this is what the LRA believes, although they do the opposite. “Over two million people were displaced from their homes and grouped together like animals in protective camps,” Acayo said. People being displaced from their homes and living in tight quarters has caused many health problems, due to lack of food, water and sanitary conditions. The spread of disease such as malaria and HIV/AIDS are common threats. Since this war, much infrastructure has been destroyed including health centers, schools, roads and other social services
Staff photographer
UGANDA, page 3
Sister Pauline Acayo, a Catholic Relief Services worker from Uganda, speaks to students in the Widener Lecture Hall. Acayo shared stories of warfare and her success in peacebuilding.
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