South shows increase in minority and low income level students

The South is the first region with more than 50 percent of minority and low-income students in the public school system, according to a January 2010 report released by the Southern Education Foundation.

The South, which has a history of racial segregation and civil rights movements, was once the only section in the Unied States that lawfully permitted segregation in schools.

Despite strides toward equality since the Civil Rights movement, many southern schools still face the same dilemmas. Educators require new curricula and restructured teaching methods to meet the needs of more diverse classrooms.

“In terms of minorities, I don’t know that it would change education, but I do think that it challenges us to think about how to teach children from different cultures,” Amy Harper-Wallace, Elon Elementary School principal, said. “In terms of poverty, that changes a lot because (low-income students’) knowledge base is different.”

Students from low-income families often encounter difficulties learning at the same level as other students. This is due to non-English speaking parents and family members who did not complete an education. Various backgrounds often contribute to different learning levels.

The Southern Education Foundation stressed the challenges involved with the shifting of minorities to majorities in the coming years. Southerners must overcome existing prejudice and racism for non-white groups, urge the writers of the report.

“I think we are willing to pay attention to (the poverty level) more now than in the past,” assistant professor of education Terry Tomasek said.

“I think we were less able to pay attention to differences in the past. We wanted to make everyone the same. We’re now more willing to allow differences.”

Another concern from the report is academic performance and attendance levels of poor and minority students. On average poor and minority students score lower on tests and on the federal National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which is the only national performance examination for students K-12.

Minority and low-income students drop out of school more frequently and are less likely to graduate from high school, according to the report.

“What was the type of student 50 years ago is no longer the norm now,” Tomasek said.

Tomasek and Harper-Wallace agree education must be broadened and tweaked for the new student majority. Teachers must be prepared at the undergraduate level to recognize the diverse needs of children in the classroom and address those needs in methods that best fit the individual student.

Tomasek also said students need to learn how to be problem-solvers, especially low-income students who could be the first in their families to attend college.

“Hopefully (the changes) will make education better because it will help us teach to wider, broader audiences,” Harper-Wallace said. “We need to be culturally neutral so we can reach children in any type of culture.”

 

Calling the Kettle Black

Sarah Beth Costello
January 16, 2010

On Christmas day, 2009,  the world came close to observing an airborne tragedy when Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab allegedly attempted to detonate a

The Nigerian bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who attempted to blow up Northwest Flight 253.

bomb while aboard a Northwest airliner en route to Detroit. The Nigerian claimed to have been trained in Yemen under the instruction of al Qaida. Had he succeeded in igniting the explosives he had harbored in his underwear; he would have obliterated the lives of himself and those on the aircraft in seconds.

Following the near attack, airports worldwide amped their security, delaying passengers and creating general chaos for people traveling during one of the busiest months of the year. Airport security doubled, and metropolitan airports, including Chicago’s O’Hare and Amsterdam’s Schiphol, made plans to install both human and computer screened full body scanners, which many claimed could have prevented the Nigerian from boarding Northwest flight 253.

The scanners are high-tech x-ray machines, capable of exposing areas beneath a passenger’s clothing and produce a detailed image of every scanned individual. The use of these scanners has ignited controversy from many who claim the x-ray images violate privacy. The high cost of these machines is also a concern. According to a Dec. 29 Reuter’s article, the scanners are 10 times more expensive than traditional metal detectors, which run for about $15,000.

Despite the push for body scanners, emerging evidence suggests the existence of intelligence that could have prevented the Abdulmutallab incident, had the U.S. intelligence community heeded the previous warnings.

“Two officials said the government had intelligence from Yemen before Friday that leaders of a branch of Al Qaeda were talking about ‘a Nigerian’ being prepared for a terrorist attack,” wrote Peter Baker and Carl Hulse of the New York Times in a Dec. 29 article.

In November, the Nigerian’s father contacted officials at the U.S. embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, voicing concerns for his son’s radicalism. Though a file existed with Abdulmutallab’s name, officials said they did not possess the evidence necessary for placing the Nigerian on the “no-fly” list.

Despite many signals, the Homeland Security threat level was not raised. The Nigerian flew from Lagos to Amsterdam. Though the Nigerian police force is riddled with corruption and counter terrorism methods are unstable at best, Abdulmutallab should never have been allowed to board Northwest Flight 253 when he arrived in Amsterdam, but he did and came disconcertingly close  to succeeding with heinous plot.

Adding to the frustration of many Americans was the claim made by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s that “the system worked,” despite the clear breach of security. The statement had many  anxious Americans questioning the Obama administration, and the actions taken toward countering terrorism.

The Nigerian hid a syringe detonator, explosives and powder in his underwear and was able to pass through security undetected.

Several days after the failed attack, Obama made a speech acknowledging that the incident could have been prevented had “critical information been shared.”

No amount of blame or what-ifs can change the past, and even expensive equipment will not always thwart the missions of our enemies. In the past few months, Americans have witnessed actions of violence from the brutal Fort Hood massacre to the Nigerian bombing incident. The question remains: what are we going to do about it?

Increasing security and spending millions of dollars might work in the short term, but the answer lies in intelligence and identification of our enemies. Obama has recently taken steps to improve intelligence operations and correct “systematic failures” that contributed to the Dec. 25 attack attempt. But “fixing” security methods will not obliterate the problem. In fact, sole dependence on intelligence and high tech gizmos could ignite a fire of trouble we cannot even imagine.

These are not just radicals or random trouble seekers; these attacks are conducted by terrorists. It is time to start calling the kettle black. Forget about political correctness and a fear of “jumping to conclusions.” Future protection of America will require Obama to step outside his comfort zone and take a stand against the enemy. Our safety depends on it.

 

Elon Poll shows most North Carolinians lack faith in elected officials

By Sarah Beth Costello

Dec. 9, 2009

As the economy fluctuates, the unemployment rate climbs, the issue of nationalized health care looms and war is prolonged, many Americans are second guessing the actions and intentions of elected officials.

A Nov. 16-17 Elon University Poll, which surveyed 563 North Carolina residents, revealed that 73 percent of respondents think corruption is prevalent among elected officials. According to 65 percent of those polled, elected officials are more concerned for themselves than the best interest of the public, and 67 percent said corruption is becoming more common among North Carolina public officials.

“I think a lot of citizens are frustrated, and that translates to blame on elected officials because they are the ones that we’ve trusted in making our country better,” Student Government Association President and Elon junior Justin Peterson said. “If the state of the nation is negative, I think our perception of their job would be negative as well.”

The media has reported dozens of political scandals in the past few months, from the promiscuous excursions of South Carolina Sen. Mark Sanford to Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon’s bribery scandals and the questionable actions of Gov. Mike Easley in connection with the hiring of his wife at N.C. State University.

“I think, historically, distrust in government goes back to the 1970s with Watergate,” SGA Vice President Evan Davis said. “I think another issue with that is the state of North Carolina. I know there are problems with the budget and state employees.”

Many North Carolinians blame elected officials for the discrepancies in the budget and handling of finances on a state and local level. The recent recession has impacted thousands of North Carolina households, and the unemployment rate continues to climb.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the North Carolina unemployment rate is 11 percent, increased 4 percent since October 2008.

“Right now, there’s a lot of debate with state officials,” said Taylor Foshee, president of College Democrats. “People think our officials in North Carolina have become complacent and have not addressed some of the pressing issues like the economy and jobs. There’s not enough action for (many), especially given what we perceive to be a severe issue.”

Corruption among elected officials is often widespread and heavily reported, contributing to a lack of faith and support for political leaders. Respondents to the Elon Poll are not the only ones who are wavering in their trust in elected officials.

A Nov. 30 Rasmussen Poll revealed a lack of confidence in politicians, particularly Democrats. The survey was conducted before President Barack Obama’s speech on his plans for the war in Afghanistan.

Voters gave a 13-point edge to Republicans — 50 percent to 37 percent — in regard to trust in national security and the War on Terror.

“The intense frustration with government and politicians among North Carolinians could pose serious ramifications for the electoral landscape in 2010,” said Hunter Bacot, director of the Elon University Poll. “Coupled with a poor economy, the midterm elections may shape up as more of a referendum on government in general rather than the typical repudiation of the party in power.”

More than half of the respondents to the Elon Poll said corruption among North Carolina elected officials is more common today than 10 years ago but most appear to trust North Carolina legislative bodies more than national legislative bodies.

“I would foresee some type of shakeup in upcoming local elections and the larger elections in 2012,” Davis said. “I think it’s going to be interesting how the next couple of years will play out. State politics have been dominated by Democrats, and Republicans haven’t held the House or Senate in 150 years.”

Davis said he thinks many North Carolinians, and Americans in general, are wary of the unfulfilled campaign promises that helped elect Obama into office.

“With the Afghanistan troop surge, many are upset about that because that’s something that Obama was against,” Davis said. “The economy and health care are two mainstream issues that he talked about as well as gay rights and the environment. There are a lot of campaign promises he hasn’t come through on.”

Despite the distrust Americans may have for political leaders, 74 percent of respondents said America has the best government in the world, and 65 percent claimed support of the United States government despite any actions in Washington.

 

Fighting for the children: a closer look into international adoptions

His eyes were blood-shot, dilated, lifeless. He crouched in a dank, musty corner, oblivious to his surroundings. Flies hovered near his face and arms. His clothes stank of filth and sweat. The child’s frail, undernourished body was covered with open sores, infested and crawling with wriggling, white larvae.

This child is not an Ethiopian orphan, but he is an example of the millions of children worldwide who live in poverty. Image by Sarah B. Costello

The four-year-old boy was one of many forgotten and unwanted children, destined to a lonely and short life in a rural Ethiopian orphanage. When adoption agent Mary Lib Mooney discovered him, he appeared to be on the brink of death.

“I tried to discourage the family from taking him because I knew he was dying,” said Mooney who traveled to Ethiopia to retrieve the child and deliver him to a waiting American family. “I looked into his eyes and he didn’t look like was even there. But the family wanted him. This child is God’s gift to them.”

Saving children is an occupation Mooney does not take lightly. She has witnessed disturbing and heart-wrenching conditions in third world, dilapidated orphanages over the past decade as the executive director of International Adoption Guides, Inc. (IAG). Yet she has also experienced unspeakable joy in delivering a long-awaited child to a family, witnessing a new mother give birth and watching in awe as orphans kissed the feet of their “rescuers” in gratitude.

Raging disease, unleashed violence, widespread famine, addictions, impending sex and slave trafficking and poverty have attributed to the growing international orphan population. Millions of unfortunate children are abused, molested, abducted, neglected and forced to fend for themselves. Mooney and her agency are striving to make a dent in this colossal problem by enabling infertile couples to adopt and providing orphans homes with loving families.

“Children don’t have a lot of rights,” Mooney said. “We need more advocates for the children. The abuse so many of these children go through is [heartbreaking]. A lot of people [ask me] how I do it, because I’ve been to some terrible places. I do it one child at a time.”

INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION GUIDES

According to Ethiopian Relief, there are more than 3.8 million orphans in Ethiopia. In 2006, a mere 731 orphans were adopted by American families.

IAG is a nonprofit international child placement agency based in South Carolina, currently partnered with programs and orphanages in Ethiopia and Kazakhstan.

As executive director, Mooney works alongside families in the process of adopting, travels to programs and orphanages abroad, conducts home studies (which involve interviews with prospective parents, observing and training parents for adoptions) and contributes to various humanitarian efforts.

Mooney has a passion for international orphans. Her desire to help others extends to aiding families in the adoption process, understanding full well the hardships of infertility and the difficulties that can accompany adoptions.

“[My husband and I] had problems having children,” Mooney said. “We were doing fertility treatments and had one baby from in vitro fertilization, but we wanted more. It was really difficult to do a domestic adoption so we started looking into international [adoptions].”

In 1995, Mooney and her husband began the process of adopting a child from Russia, but the ordeal ended in a disaster when the adoption fell through.

“We had such a terrible experience that I wanted to get involved and make adoptions easier for other people,” said Mooney.

The experience, though difficult, provided a platform for Mooney to become an advocate against adoption frauds and help couples and individuals through the grueling and arduous process of adopting internationally. Mooney, who earned a degree in human services at Elon University in Elon, N.C., became a director for a domestic adoption agency where she mostly performed home studies.

Mooney yearned to do more internationally, an interest that was piqued through connections with adoption programs in China, Guatemala and Belize. Her passion for working alongside parents and aiding international orphans inspired her to establish International Adoption Guides, Inc. in 2002.

IAG staff are experts in processing international adoptions. Most have adopted children and have the necessary experience in guiding prospective parents. Staff are stationed at the South Carolina agency and abroad at the international programs.

Since 2006, AIG staff in Ethiopia completed more than 55 adoptions. AIG partners in Kazakhstan have processed adoptions since 1997, completing more than 2000 adoptions in the past 12 years.

The Ministry of Woman’s Affairs, the Ministry of Education in Kazakhstan, the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan and the U.S. Embassy respects the agency for their clean track record and success in placing children.

A DIFFFICULT PROCESS

Due to the rise in child trafficking and black market baby buying and selling, the U.S. has begun cracking down on adoptions, making international adoptions a longer and more difficult process.

“Our [government] is so scared somebody’s going to make money off of selling babies,” Mooney said. “Every business has the ability to be corrupt, but our government is so worried people are going to steal babies that they don’t want any adoptions to happen.”

Mooney says that although the U.S. government is trying to prevent trafficking and child abductions, millions of orphans suffer from the lack of guardianship and parental care, often living in filthy, unhealthy and even life threatening conditions.

“[The government] needs to severely punish the people caught [abducting children], but don’t punish the children,” Mooney said. “[The government] makes the regulations so hard that kids can’t be adopted so they’re keeping the children from finding homes.”

In a world populated with millions of orphans, it seems adoptions would be easy. There is a high demand and a great number of children who need families. But adoptions are increasingly becoming more difficult, said Mooney. And she believes it will only get worse as the U.S. government continues to enforce strict policies, and countries begin shutting down programs.

“It’s really difficult to adopt,” Mooney explained. “A lot of people do not realize how hard it is. You see, we have all these children in foster care [and orphanages], but in actuality we don’t have a lot of kids available.”

The process of adopting can be extremely lengthy. Not only do U.S. regulations slow the process, but other countries have also begun to crackdown on the numbers of adoptions processed annually.

“When I started [traveling] to Ethiopia, we were getting families in and out in six months and now it’s five years,” Mooney said. “Guatemala was four months, then a year and now it’s closed [to adoptions].”

Many countries have enforced restrictions on the number of adoptions that can be

Image courtesy of fwcc.org.

processed annually. China, once the biggest countries for adoptions, recently created stricter adoption policies that prevent homosexual couples, singles and obese individuals from adopting.

“Basically, there’s less places to adopt children, but there’s the same number of people wanting to adopt. So you get a back log,” Mooney said.

The U.S. government does not allow adoptions without proper paperwork and birth certificates to ensure that children are actual orphans and not stolen or sold.

“People go to foreign countries to do mission work and they find children they know are orphans, but nobody knows where the mother or father went so the child doesn’t have any papers. As far as they know, somebody bought or stole the child,” Mooney said.

Mooney began traveling to Ethiopia when there were less than nine international adoption agencies in the United States. She registered as a Non Government Official, which enabled her to perform “business” in the country.

“It’s just a power struggle because you have to go where the kids are,” Mooney said. “Once a country shuts down, people move on to another country. I’m always looking for new countries [to set up programs].”

For more information about Mooney’s work with international orphans,visit International Adoption Guides

 

Moses Cone Health System requiring H1N1 vaccine for all staff, incites controversy

By Sarah Beth Costello

Nov. 10, 2009

Nurse Kelly Cobb never wished she were allergic to eggs until the Moses Cone Health System in Greensboro began requiring that all hospital staff receive the seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 vaccine.

Individuals with egg allergies were exempt because both vaccines are egg based.

Cobb, who works in the telemetry and urology units, said last year Moses Cone attempted to make the regular flu shot mandatory, but canceled the requirement halfway through the designated time period. This year, Moses Cone once again required all hospital staff to receive the seasonal flu shot by Oct. 31 or risk termination from their jobs.

“I waited until the last minute to see if they would cancel (the mandatory  seasonal flu shot),” Cobb said. “Moses Cone came out with a statement saying if you don’t get the vaccine it will be considered a voluntary resignation with no option for rehire.”

Cobb ended up getting the seasonal flu shot, but since she does not work with patients who are extremely susceptible to H1N1, she is still waiting for her turn to get that vaccine. She is currently trying to decide whether or not to get the H1N1 shot or resign.

Area hospitals are requiring that all staff receive the seasonal flu shot and the H1N1 vaccine. Its relatively new release is brewing controversy as many do not want to get a vaccine that has not been thoroughly tested.

Moses Cone is also requiring that all staff receive the H1N1 vaccination, although it is being issued on different levels. For example, hospital staff that work in cancer wards, with infants or patients with susceptible immune systems, have already received the vaccination.

Eventually, the entire staff will be vaccinated.

“There are exceptions (other than egg allergies),” Cobb said. “If you get a doctor’s note it has to have a valid reason, and (Moses Cone) can say ‘No, this is not a credible option,’ or ‘Yes, this is substantial for being exempt.’”

The H1N1 vaccination has become a controversial issue. Thousands of Americans are anxiously waiting for the vaccine to become available in their areas, but others are cautious of a vaccine that’s long-term side effects are still unknown.

The Greensboro News and Record reported Nov. 5 that three Moses Cone hospital workers resigned for failing to receive a seasonal flu shot.

According to the article, many workers were angered by the either/or option that required them to get a shot, since they did not want or lose their jobs in an already unstable economy.

Despite rumors and concerns that the H1N1 vaccine could lead to serious side effects, health officials claim patients won’t suffer more than slight soreness. But this does not eradicate concerns for the long-term side effects.

“I don’t want to get it because I’m concerned it hasn’t been tested thoroughly,” Cobb said, whose unit is in the second tier to receive the vaccine. “Personally, I don’t appreciate that (Moses Cone) is only seeing me as an employee and not as an individual. They are not giving me the same opportunity as they’re giving patients who have every right to receive or not receive any treatment.”

A recent Associated Press poll showed one-third of American parents did not want their children to receive the H1N1 vaccine despite urges from the CDC and doctors this summer that children be vaccinated.

“My opinion is (the vaccine) is way too new and has not gone through enough clinical trials to be on the market,” said Celia Henry, a nursing student at Alamance Community College and student R.N. at Alamance Regional Medical Center. “I don’t think employees should be required to get (the vaccine) because they have a choice whether to do patient care with or without a mask.”

Few area hospitals are requiring staff to receive the H1N1 vaccine. While ARMC has not mandated an H1N1 vaccination, staff and patients are encouraged to get it.

“All vaccines that are mandatory have been on the market (for a long time), like chicken pox and rubella,” Henry said.

The major concern with the H1N1 vaccination is its recent release. Most hospitals require basic vaccinations and the addition of another one is not viewed as problematic.

“Patients make the comment that they don’t want the people taking care of them to be sick, they don’t want to be exposed,” Cobb said. “I completely appreciate that, and at the same time they need to consider that every day I expose myself to viruses and diseases, whether it’s AIDS, hepatitis or the simple cold, to take care of people. It’s a risk I take on a daily basis.”

The Center for Disease Control reported 22 flu-related deaths last week. Nineteen were confirmed H1N1 cases and three were influenza A viruses. The CDC has received 114 laboratory-confirmed pediatric 2009 H1N1 deaths since April.

Elon students, faculty and staff have also received their share of confirmed H1N1 cases and type A flu.

“As of Oct. 31, we had 100 patients confirmed with Type A flu (most probably H1N1, but not confirmed),” said Jana Lynn Patterson, assistant vice president for student life and associate dean of students. “We have had seven cases confirmed by the CDC and we had another 364 patients who presented influenza-like symptoms, but may or may not have had the flu.”

The Health Center is not requiring staff to receive the vaccine, although they encourage students, faculty and staff to research it and make their own decisions.

“I think that if people are healthy and are comfortable they should definitely get it,” Patterson said. “The CDC is saying it’s safe for most people and their recommendation is, unless there’s a medical reason, people most likely should get (the vaccine.)”

 

Turek returns to Elon to speak on the existence of God and truth

By Sarah Beth Costello

For centuries, many have questioned the existence of God, the existence of truth and its correlation with morality. Apologist Frank Turek presented an argument, “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist,” in April 2009 and returned Thursday night to speak again.

Turek is the co-author of “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist” and founder of www.crossExamined.org. He has debated this topic with well-known atheists and believes in the existence of God and truth.

The event was co-sponsored by Intervarsity, Campus Outreach, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Baptist Student Union. Turek will return Monday for the second part of his presentation, which will focus on the possibility of miracles and the relevance of the New Testament.

“Truth is what corresponds to reality,” said Turek at the start of his presentation. “In today’s culture our first duty is to state the obvious. People are denying the obvious, they’re denying there’s truth out there.”

Turek explained the law of non-contradiction, which states that two contradictory ideas cannot both be true. Turek argued that all truth is absolute truth and “applies to all persons, at all times, in all places.” He provided six examples of statements people use to discount truth: “There is no truth, you can’t know truth, truth is relative, it’s true for you but not for me, no one has the truth and you ought not judge.” If any of these statements are true then the Bible cannot be true, argued Turek.

“If you apply the claims to themselves,” said Turek, “you can see why they’re self-defeating, and when it’s logically self-defeating it can’t be true.”

Turek also explained the three major worldviews, which are theism, pantheism and atheism. Though many regard the term “religious” as being a follower or practitioner of a religion, Turek argued,”if you define religion as someone’s explanation for ultimate reality – how we got here and where we’re going – everybody is religious to some extent.”

Turek’s argument was met with some debate and conflicting opinions.

“I like that (Turek’s) trying to rationally justify (his beliefs). I think that discussion needs to be had,” said Michael Kleinmann, president of SANE who said he respected Turek even though he did not believe Turek is correct.

“The university is an institution where the free exchange of ideas are shared,” said campus outreach chaplain Michael Lopes. “It’s important in our setting to have representation of different views.

Turek will speak again Thursday in Whitley Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.

 

Amazon Kindles slowly replace traditional literature

By Sarah Costello

Oct. 25, 2009

Amazon Kindles can hold several books at a time and range between $300 and $600. Image courtesy of Tevami.

Dime novels, pocket-sized dictionaries and heavy textbooks are items of the past. Now students and book lovers can travel anywhere with an assortment of literature and reading materials housed on a single device known as The Amazon Kindle.

Kindles enable consumers to download books and choose from their personal collections without visiting the library or bookstore.  The product was released in 2007 as an alternative to e-books and other digital formats.

Rather than downloading digital books onto a laptop, consumers now have the option to purchase Kindles, which are slightly larger than iPod touches and have the memory to store dozens of books. It is a form of “electronic paper” specifically designed to mimic the look of ink on paper by reflecting light rather than backlighting its pixels.

“I saw someone using a [Kindle] last year and I did a little research on them,” said sophomore Rebecca Berube who spent about $300 on her Kindle. “It seems like a steep cost, but books are a lot cheaper (to purchase) for a Kindle.”

Kindles come with different levels of memory and capabilities and can cost between $300 and $600 depending on the model. While consumers still pay to purchase books, the costs are generally lower for Kindles, usually topping off at $15.

“A lot of the classes I’m taking use non-traditional textbooks,” said Berube. “A biology book, for instance, would not work for Kindles, but for just text it’s workable in a digital format.”

Kindles also allow students to highlight and make notes, combining all notes in a single folder. Users can access www.amazon.com for free via their Kindles to purchase books.

Kindles provide instantaneous enjoyment when on the go, holding dozens of books, literature, articles, etc. for easy enjoyment. Image courtesy of Slash Gear.

“I like to bounce between books,” said junior Joel Slocum who received a Kindle from his grandmother. “(Kindles) are definitely worth it if you do a lot of reading, especially if you read a lot of paperbacks.”

In addition to the Kindle, other e-paper platforms include Barnes & Noble Nook, the Sony Reader, the iRex iLiad and the Jinke Hanlin e-Reader.

While a wide variety of literature, fiction and non-fiction books can be downloaded directly to Kindles and other e-paper platforms, there are still few textbooks available. Many book publishers are hesitant to provide cheaper versions to Kindle users.

Students can still save money by downloading e-books to their computers, a format that not only eliminates extra costs to consumers, but also enables publishers to produce books at lower costs.

“With e-books, anybody can publish,” said junior Drew Smith who has the free Kindle application for his iPod touch. “It’s another voice for people and it’s cost effective.”

Smith explained that Kindles are “half-way” devices that cut costs and allow consumers to keep all their books together on a piece of a technology half the size of a sheet of paper. As more publishers begin to transition to digital formats, many question the future of tangible books, libraries and bookstores.

“I think almost all literature will [eventually] be offered online,” said Smith. “But I think the option for print will still be there.”

As with all new initiatives, Kindles do have some negative aspects.

“Because you can change the font size on Kindles, it changes the words on each page and the page numbers change. There’s no correspondence between the paper and the digital,” said Berube who explained this is a problem when professors require a certain amount of reading for each class.

For people accustomed to reading actual books, adapting to a digital format may be different. But students advocate transitioning to Kindles is not as difficult as it may seem.

“It’s the same quality as books,” said Smith. “Maybe photos will be lacking, but it’s just text on a background. I’m over hard copies.”

 

N.C. teen pregnancy rates total lowest numbers in 30 years

Pregnancy centers, schools and various organizations have attempted to combat unplanned teenage pregnancies for years, and while numbers have decreased, the levels are still too high.

In 2008, 59 out of every 1,000 North Carolina teenage girls between 15 and 19 became pregnant out of wedlock.

A recent press release issued by the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention reported a decrease in pregnancy rates for teenage girls ages 15-19 — a 30-year low for the state. New data shows there were 217 fewer pregnancies among North Carolina teenage girls in 2008 than in 2007.

Many have different speculations for the drop in numbers.

“I think that age group (15-19) has been around people who have had babies out of wedlock and realized that’s a big responsibility,” said Mimi Every, executive director of Pregnancy Support Services in Durham, N.C. “Single parenting is difficult, especially when you’re young.”

There are dozens of pregnancy centers in North Carolina that provide services to teen girls in various predicaments, answering questions, offering testing and guiding them through their pregnancies.

Pregnancy Support Services helps teen girls who are pregnant or think they are pregnant. The organization offers free STD testing and pregnancy tests for young women, and also lends support for pregnant mothers throughout their pregnancies.

Many counties across the state have also taken initiatives to decrease teen pregnancy rates. Chatham County established Plain Talk, a program designed to instruct adults on encouraging teenagers in both health and responsibility. Chatham County has experienced a 26.3 percent drop in the teen pregnancy rate.

According to the APP press release, teen pregnancies in North Carolina have continued to decrease since 1991 after a spike in the late 1980s. The controversial practice of abortions has also decreased in North Carolina.

“I think people are becoming more aware that having an abortion is taking a life,” Every said. “There’s a lot more information out there about abortions and the potential risks.”

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services compiled data showing 58.6 of every 1,000 teen girls became pregnant in 2008. Though pregnancy rates have shown an overall decrease in the U.S., the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancies advocates that the levels are still too high.

“North Carolina has been smart to leverage investments from the General Assembly and the Centers for Disease Control to bring proven pregnancy prevention strategies to North Carolina,” said Kay Phillips, executive director of Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina, in the press release. “This new data shows that we are headed in the right direction, and that we must keep pressing forward so that more communities can benefit from these tools.”

 

The existence of an absolute God in the midst of absolute suffering

By Sarah Beth Costello
Oct. 9, 2009

This article was featured as a guest column in the Burlington Times-News

Every five seconds, a child dies from lack of nourishment. More than one billion of the world’s population are starving, according to Bread for the World. The World Bank estimates 500 million of the world’s population live in “absolute poverty.” Human brutality has ended millions of lives from the Rwandan and Sudanese genocides to Hitler’s mass extermination of Jews prior to and during World War II.

Human suffering has prompted scholars, educators and philosophers to explore the age-old question “where is God?” When chaos and calamity occur, the natural inclination is to demand answers for the unprecedented events. For some, suffering is the dominant roadblock preventing them from accepting God.

Bart D. Ehrman is such a man. The professor and department chair of religious studies at the University of North Carolina is a self-proclaimed

Dr. Bart Ehrman

agnostic who vacated his Christian principles after arriving at the conclusion that the existence of suffering discredits the existence of God.

On Oct. 7, Ehrman and Christian apologist and renowned author Dinesh D’Souza engaged in a debate at UNC to address “God and the problem of suffering.” Erhman used emotionally based arguments, such as his background and personal experiences, while D’Souza took a more logic-based approach.

Ehrman and D’Souza agreed that there are two types of suffering: moral evil and natural suffering. Moral evil relates to human inflicted suffering and natural suffering includes uncontrollable catastrophes. Ehrman’s study of the Bible led to his agnosticism because he said while God continually intervened in scriptures, his hand is not evident today.

“I became increasingly disturbed about why God doesn’t do anything [today],” said Ehrman. “If God answers prayer, why doesn’t he?”

Ehrman argued that global suffering –mass genocides, war, disease and poverty– are indicators of a God-free world.

“I gave up my faith,” said Ehrman “Why would God create a world like this? Couldn’t he have created a world that didn’t require [suffering] and the shifting of tectonic plates?”

Yes, God could have created a perfect world, but he chose to create beings with an ability to make their own decisions and follow his commandments voluntarily. C.S. Lewis explained in “Mere Christianity” that God did not create evil, rather evil is a perversion of what is good. Evil and suffering is the result of man’s disobedience.

“Suffering,” said D’Souza, “does not call into question the existence of God, but the nature of God.”

Dinesh D'Souza

If a father disappoints his child, said D’Souza, the child will not say, “I refuse to believe in you.” Instead, the child may question his father’s character, but to immediately discredit his existence would be idiotic and illogical.

“God’s design was not that He would be a cosmic bell-hop, but to create autonomous beings to deal with situations as we should,” said D’Souza.

According to Ehrman’s argument, God can’t exist because suffering is prevalent. So how can we account for the good: a newborn baby, a sunrise, the unexplained healing of a cancer patient? Is it just chance, or is the good that people do just second nature? If God must be good to exist, how can there be any good without him? If our nature is to commit moral evil, our nature cannot be good.

It may seem easier to live life without surrendering to a God who requires sacrifice. Somewhere along the way Ehrman decided life is too hard to commit to an unseen God. But his alternative is a depressing one. Ehrman believes all we have is now. His philosophy is “eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die,” and by the way, try and stop world poverty while indulging yourself in lovemaking and beer.

D’Souza said humans are like ants on a construction site with a tiny window into reality. What kind of ant questions the actions of a builder who can see the whole picture? We may never understand suffering in its full context. But I’d rather follow a God of mystery than live an empty and hopeless life without Him.

 

Health insurance premiums sky rocket for North Carolina families

By Sarah Costello

Oct. 5, 2009

Healthcare has been a popular issue in the news since President Barack Obama’s campaign promises for reform. According to a White House Report, health insurance premiums have skyrocketed during the past 10 months in North Carolina due to the economic recession. Though premiums have been increasing since 2000, the recent jump in costs has hurt many businesses, employers and private citizens.

North Carolina families experienced dramatic health insurance premium increases during 2009 when the average annual family premium for health insurance sponsored by employers unexpectedly rose to $13,375 – a 5.5 percent increase attributed to the recent recession.

“The status quo of rising premiums is simply unsustainable for families, for businesses, for state budgets and for our national economy,” said Vice President Joe Biden in a Sept. 22 White House press release.

According to Families USA, the voice for health care consumers, health insurance premiums have been rising steadily since 2000, while N.C. wages have barely increased. Since 2000, health insurance premiums in the U.S. increased 96.8 percent while wages have only risen 18.4 percent, according to Families USA.

With thousands unemployed and little change in wage growth, employers and business owners must find methods of cutting costs by offering fewer benefits, disqualifying employees from coverage and omitting coverage of spouses and children. As a result, North Carolina families are paying higher premiums and receiving less for their money.

“Rising health care costs threaten the financial well-being of families in North Carolina and across the nation,” said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA in an Aug. 18 press release. “If health care reform does not happen soon, more and more families will be priced out of the health coverage they used to take for granted.”

Another underlying issue is the number of firms that continue to offer health insurance to clients. Families USA reports six percent of U.S. firms offering health insurance ceased to provide health insurance between 2000 and 2008. There is also an added risk that more families will be forced to file for bankruptcy as a result of medical debts. Medical bills contribute to half of U.S. bankruptcies, reports Families USA.

Biden met with State Insurance Commissioners on Sept. 22 to compile a new White House report about the health insurance premium increases for North Carolina residents. The document can be accessed at www.whitehouse.gov.

“The State Insurance Commissioners understand firsthand the health care crisis, and are fighting everyday to combat it and reduce unjustified premium increase,” said Biden in the press release. “But these numbers are just one more piece of evidence that we need for nationwide reform.”