The Canadian government has agreed to pay a Canadian engineer
about $10 million in compensation in response to his torture in Syria.
According to the Associated Press, Maher Arar was
detained by U.S. immigration agents in New York in 2002 while returning home
from a vacation. The Syrian-born Canadian was transported by private jet to
Syria several days later. Canadian officials said Arar was tortured in
Syria despite Syrian officials promising he would not be tortured. Arar was
held in prison in Syria for almost a year before being released.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Wednesday
at a congressional hearing that the United States did not take proper action
in dealing with Arar’s case and that “we do absolutely not wish to transfer
anyone to any place in which they might be tortured.”
Despite all charges against Arar being dropped, his
name is still listed on watch lists that forbid him to return to the U.S.
War
to cost Americans more
Over the span of the next decade, Americans will have
to pay $8,000 apiece to fund the Iraq and Afghanistan wars,
according to a projection by the Congressional Budget Office
released today. The cost of the wars could total $2.4 trillion.
"The number is so big, it boggles the mind," said a
Democratic rep.
According to USA Today, a previous CBO
estimate put the wars' costs at more than $1.6 trillion.
However, the new estimate adds $705 billion in interest, taking
into account that the conflicts are being funded with borrowed
money. It also includes President Bush's request for another $46
billion in war funding, according to Rep. John Spratt, D-S-C.,
budget committee chairman.
The two wars have cost $604 billion so far, according
to the CBO. Adjusted for inflation, that is higher than the
costs of Korea and Vietnam combined, according to the
Washington-based Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
You can't put it off too much longer, so CaseyB is getting your
Christmas shopping ideas in order with some stocking
stuffin' DVD ideas to think about. You could put a
good dent in that checklist.
Halloween was
brought about by the Celtic tribes of Ireland to celebrate the
dead. It began because November 1st was considered
New Years according to the Druid religion. On October 31st;
the souls that died during the year would rise from the dead and
roam the earth for the last time.
Roman Catholics created All Saints Day and All Souls Day to
divert attention from the growing Pagan holiday, nevertheless,
Halloween continued to thrive. It is second only to Christmas in
spending, with an estimated 2.5 billion dollars spent annually.
The use of the Jack-O-Lantern came into existence when the Irish
immigrated to America. Previously they had used carved out
turnips and candles to ward off bad spirits. Upon finding the
pumpkin in America and the ease at which it is carved into
figures and shapes, the tradition quickly changed and spread.
The concept of "Trick of Treating" was developed by the Irish as
well. As townsfolk collected donations of food for the town's
All Hallow's Eve Fest, neighbors would visit other neighbors and
ask for food to contribute.
*This week's
slogan comes to us from Mark Whalberg as Dignam in The Departed.
THE EXCHANGE: WHO WE ARE
The
Exchange is a student-produced newspaper
that appears weekly. This week's
managing editor
is Patricia Donahue.
In response to events in the
freshman dorms, Freshman Class President
Frank Martino and senator Jeff Anderson are proposing a solution
that would be mandatory for all freshmen. It's to "make
people aware that issues of hate are around our small
campus," said Martino.
The Franklin
Pierce Men’s Soccer team finished the 2007 campaign with one of
the best records in program history. Along the way, team,
conference and national records were broken by one of the
Ravens’ senior captains to solidify his place in the record
books. Now the Ravens are returning to the postseason
in search of their first National Championship.
Local police call Monadnock dormitory "a crime
scene" after the fire incidents of Oct. 21 led to an
investigation, while Vice President Jim Earle said, "In my
fifteen years at the University, an event like this has never
happened." The
investigation is still underway.
"Is everything as equal as it could be? Years
ago, this was not so," says
one of the people involved in Franklin Pierce sports. Title IX is
the
federal requirement that mandates how men and women's sports are
supported, and the report cards have just come out.
How does
Franklin Pierce rate?
What do you do
when IT
can't fix the problem with your computer? Some
students have a handy solution in a computer repair service a
short way from campus. "I
understand what they're going through when accidents happen,"
says the owner.
News Briefs:
FPU grad Stephen Lacey
covered the Solar Decathalon - where 20 teams of college
students had a week to build energy efficient houses - for
Renewable Energy Access. You can find Stephen's
podcast
report for the week of Oct. 25 here.
NASCAR fans take note:
Belmont Abbey College now offers the first degree
in the U.S. in motorsports business. This small North
Carolina school, which is run by Benedictine monks, credits the
new major with bringing its enrollment up to 1300.
SPORTS STUFF
"
Before
I step on the field, I always have half of a bag of skittles." Rob Centore
sits down with soccer goalieJames Thorpe
to talk about his record breaking career.
Smokers are more likely to
binge on alcohol and abuse drugs
Teenagers who smoke
cigarettes are 5 times more likely to drink alcohol and 13 times more
likely to smoke marijuana than non-smokers, according to an article from
msnbc.
A report from Columbia University found evidence
connecting teenage smoking to an increased dependence on drugs and
substance abuse.
The report found that those who started smoking
cigarettes by the age of 12 were 3 times more likely to binge on
alcohol, 15 more times likely to use marijuana and 7 times more
likely to abuse other drugs such as heroin and cocaine.
Teenage smokers ages 12-17 were found to be 59 percent
more likely to drink alcohol compared to 11 percent who did not smoke.
Scientific research showed that nicotine from
cigarettes can create structural and chemical changes in a developing
brain. The study proved that these changes caused teenagers to be more
susceptible to drug addiction, mental illness and alcohol.
Among teenagers, marijuana is the most-used drug
according to government data from 2005, showing seven percent of teenagers
12-17 using it.
War
to cost Americans more
Halloween was
brought about by the Celtic tribes of Ireland to celebrate the
dead. It began because November 1st was considered
New Years according to the Druid religion. On October 31st;
the souls that died during the year would rise from the dead and
roam the earth for the last time. 
Find
out what is going through Rob Centore's head when random
words and phrases are thrown at him. "Personally I
hope he
goes to Memphis and is stuck
singing the Blues."
