Health
The Pace Chronicle
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What’s Making News Beyond Campus? Erin O’GOrman News Editor
Erin.M.OGorman@Pace.edu SOUTH AFRICA – “No place has been as riveted by Oscar Pistorius and the Valentine’s Day shooting death of his girlfriend as South Africa. But even before this sensational story burst into the headlines, South Africans were fiercely debating issues that are more or less permanent fixtures in this country — crime, and violence against women. Crime has always been high in poorly policed black areas, and whites have felt it more in recent years as well. It seems most everyone has been victimized, and many more than once. Well-off South Africans live behind high walls, they pay private security firms to patrol their neighborhoods, they have state-of-the-art security systems, and some of them are armed. So when Pistorius said in court that he mistook his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp for an intruder breaking into his home, he was offering an explanation that struck a chord with many of his countrymen. Yet South Africa is also a place where violence against women is out of control, from rape on the streets to abuse between a man and his female partner. In fact, before the Pistorious case, the newspapers and talk shows were focused on the gruesome gang rape and murder of teenager Anene Booysen in a small town outside Cape Town. Public protests and marches that had been planned around the Booysen case went ahead as scheduled this week. The only change the organizers made was to add Steenkamp’s name to the long list of victims.” – source: NPR UNITED STATES – “Economists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, gazing into their crystal ball, see American farmers planting and harvesting huge amounts of corn, soybeans, and wheat this year. They’re predicting a record harvest of corn: 14 billion bushels, up nearly 40 percent over last year’s drought-crippled level. With supply up, prices will fall. The USDA thinks that the price of the average bushel of corn could fall by a third. And soybean production and price are expected to follow a similar track. Of course, these predictions assume good weather. USDA Chief Economist Joseph Glauber admits that he predicted the same thing last year at this time, but a drought in the Midwest turned anticipated glut into scarcity. Grain prices went up, putting a major squeeze on farmers who raise pigs, chickens, and cattle. This week, the weather appeared to be cooperating. As Glauber and his colleagues laid out their forecast in a Washington-area hotel, a storm was dumping more than a foot of snow on some of the places that need it most, including Nebraska, Kansas, and South Dakota. One storm won’t bring things completely back to normal, though. Soil scientist Randall Miles, from the University of Missouri, says it will take at least two years of good rains to replenish moisture in the soil of many hard-hit areas, and crop yields this year still may suffer.” – source: NPR GUAM – “Here’s the latest plan scientists have come up with to kill some of the estimated 2 million brown tree snakes that have wiped out many other animals on Guam: In April or May they’re going to lace dead mice with painkillers, attach them to little parachutes, drop them from helicopters and hope that they get snagged in the jungle foliage. Then, if all goes well, the snakes, which as their name implies hang out in trees will eat the mice and die from ingesting the painkillers’ active ingredients. We aren’t kidding. That’s what The Associated Press is reporting from Guam’s Andersen Air Force Base, near where this experimental airdrop will happen. Scientists don’t think the mice bombs will be a threat to other animals, so long as they get caught in the jungle canopy. There aren’t many birds left on the island — because of the snakes. The snakes’ presence in Guam has been good for at least some creatures. Chris reported that because the snakes have eaten most of the island’s birds, the spider population has exploded.” – source: NPR
Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013
News
Fall Semester to Start and End a Week Earlier? Arthur Augustyn
Managing Editor AAugustyn@PaceChronicle.com
If actions speak louder than words than Pace’s current fall semester scheduling conveys the message “if you don’t commute, you’re dead to us.” Pace’s notorious scheduling system is a double-edged sword. It allows students to start college a week later and savor seven extra days of summer, but adds that missing week back at the end of the year which gets dangerously close to the Christmas holiday. For commuters, leaving school on Dec. 21 means a heightened possibility of driving in the snow or maybe a little more traffic than expected, but overall it isn’t a huge issue. However, for students who live out of state the problem is monumental as airfare tickets skyrocket for each day closer to Christmas. Pace’s scheduling committee has taken notice of the issue and is taking the first step in an expected long process. “I want to be very clear on this: it’s not the administration and it’s not even something that is concrete. It’s a proposal,” said director of SDCA Rachel Carpenter, who serves on the scheduling committee which recently suggested starting school the week before Labor Day and ending Dec. 16. Carpenter stressed the point that having an idea doesn’t translate to its immediate implementation. “The faculty council and provost have the final say in the schedule,” said Carpenter. The proposal has significant student support. “I personally believe it’s a great decision. It’s hard to find a plane ticket to Ohio two days before Christmas,” said junior ap-
Photos from www.madison.k12.wi.us A proposal in made in consideration to change the start date of the fall semester. plied psychology major and Ohio resident Angeline Ochere. Ochere explained that last semester her final was scheduled on the last possible day, Dec. 21, due to weather conditions cancelling days of her class earlier in the semester. This led to increased expenses for her out-of-state travel but even for New York residents Pace’s schedule is off compared to other schools. “I like the idea. It’s more in line with what other college campuses have,” said sophomore information technology major and Long Island resident David Wallack, “every other university has a uniformed routine but ours is slightly displaced.” Carpenter attended Pace’s Student Government Association on Feb. 15 to poll student senators on the proposal. The idea re-
ceived unanimous approval with many of the senators bringing up familiar issues such as airfare price hikes and complications with dorm residents who have to check out hours before their flight the next day. “The residence life staff can’t be dismissed until their buildings are empty,” said Carpenter. Out-of-state students who stay for their last final but book flights the day after school officially ends are left in traveling-limbo. Without a school that with house them or a plane to take them away, students who find themselves in this situation have to argue with department heads for earlier finals or work out arrangements to stay at friend’s house before their flight. Carpenter names Residence Life complications as one of the many facets that keep
the scheduling issue from being a simple date change. “Faculty staff raised the possibility of not observing the Jewish holidays,” said Carpenter, “others suggested not observing any holidays. It’s a much bigger conversation.” Despite the positive reception, the proposal will take a great deal of continuous support and multidepartment cooperation before the idea is implemented. Carpenter’s most optimistic prediction says the schedule will be officially changed in 2015, two years from now. Students will have their opportunity to speak on this issue, and whatever else plagues their mind, at the community meeting with President Friedman and staff on March 20 during common hour in Gottessman hall.
In an Unexpected Turn from Tradition, Pope Benedict XVI Resigns Carlos Villamayor Featured Reporter
Carlos.D.Villamayor@Pace.edu
On Mon. Feb. 11, Pope Benedict XVI surprised believers and non-believers alike when he announced his resignation from the papacy effective at the end of this month. In his declaration, the pope alluded to his deteriorated physical strength as “no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry.” Voices around the world have praised the pontiff’s decision as one of great humility. “It was a very wise decision,” said campus chaplain Sister Susan Becker, “the Church faces many struggles, I can’t imagine a 85-year-old pope in charge of it.” Religious studies professor Dr. Lawrence Hundersmarck called Benedict XVI’s decision a “profoundly humble act.” “The news of the pope’s resignation was surprising,” said sophomore biochemistry major Sania Azhar, “Although we come from different religious backgrounds, we have common beliefs. It was shocking.” “Whatever is wrong with the
Photos
from cloudfront.net
Pope Benedict is stepping down from his position. pope, he could probably live with it, but he wouldn’t be able to fulfill his duties,” commented freshman marketing major Kathleen Hachmeyer. “Despite the separation of Church and State, the role of the pope is still a prominent one for Catholics,” she added. Benedict XVI’s papacy was not without scandals and misunderstandings. He continuously had to deal with the exposure of old and not so old heinous cases of child abuse by priests and poor management of said cases by the
local dioceses, mainly in Ireland, the United States, and his native Germany. In 2010, the media misinterpreted the pontiff as having condoned the use of condoms, when in reality he acknowledged the use of condoms by male prostitutes with HIV as a first step towards morality. During the second half of 2012 the pope was again surrounded by scandal, this time when his butler was found guilty of stealing several private documents. Even since his time as cardinal, the pope was known for his
staunch defense of catholic orthodoxy. He spoke against the “dictatorship of relativism” and its dangerous consequences for civilization. He also published three volumes centered on the figure of Jesus Christ. In this third encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth), he addressed present economic and social issues such as immigration and the economy, as well as humanity’s duty towards nature. According to Dr. Hundersmarck, Benedict XVI’s legacy is contained in his theological writings, “Ratzinger focused on the question of how faith and reason can complement each other, instead of being in opposition. He had genuine self-knowledge and awareness of the problems of the modern Church, and because of his love of the Church he thought the best thing to do was to resign. Maybe he finally realized that what the Church really needed is someone to pray for her,” Dr. Hundersmarck said. The papal throne will become vacant on Feb. 28, at 8:00 p.m., and the conclave that shall choose the next pope is set to begin midMarch.