,.,_

NIKKI SABELLA A&EEDITOR Ns722@CABIUNI.EDU

Charles Taylor, the fonner president of Liberia, showed confidence and compassion by blowing kisses while he pleaded not guilty in front of a courtroom in Sierra Leone on April 3, 2006.

Taylor is primarily charged with killings, sexual slavery and forcing young children into combat in attempts to destabilize West Africa during the 1991-2002 civil war.

Court officials and Taylor were protected with a bulletproof glass case because of previous death threats, during the hour-long trial. Taylor's defense lawyer would like the trial to remain in Sierra Leone because Taylor fears for his own safety. Court officials disagree and think the trial should take place at the international tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. No date is set for the next hearing.

Jill Carroll was happy hug her family a~er spending three months in captivity in Iraq. sine to the CSM headquarters where she was reunited with her family.

Carroll's kidnappers, who call themselves the Revenge Brigades, said that the reason Carroll was released was because Americans met some of the demands, which were originally given on Feb. 26, to release some of the Iraqi women they had held capti ve. There was no monetary exchange for Carroll.

Carroll was released and dropped-off at a branch office of the Iraqi Islamic Party and then later taken to the Green Zone by the U.S. military. Before her release, however, her captors warned her that she might be killed if she cooperated with Americans or went to the Green Zone. She said, 'They just came to me and said we're going. They didn't tell me what was going on."

According to an interview conducted by Fox News, Carroll's father, Jim Carroll, said, "Obviously we are thrilled and relieved that she has been released. We want to thank all that have supported and prayed for her. We want to especially • thank The Christian Science Monitor who did so much work to keep her image alive in Iraq."

In Sept. of 2002, Carroll moved to Jordan, six months life and devastated his family. They put me, my family and my friends-and all those around the world, who have prayed so fervently for my release-through a horrific experience. I was, and remain, deeply angry with the people who did this."

Her captors released a silent video of a pale and tired Carroll to Al-Jazeera TV on Jan. 17. The message said that if the United States did not release Iraqi women from their custody by Jan. 20, they would kill Carroll.

Carroll said she wants to be treated as a journalist and not as a hostage. She wants to remain fair and committed to the truth. However, in regards to her captors and other like them, she said, "Let me be clear: I abhor all who kidnap and murder civilians, and my captors are clearly guilty of both crimes."

The past 12 weeks have been tough for Carroll and her family. She said, "Now, I ask for the time to heal. Please allow us some quiet time alone, together."

Loquitur welcomes your comments on this story. Please send your comments to: Loquitur@yahoogroups.com

The editors will review your points each week and make corrections if warranted.

Iran tested its second torpedo in the entrance of the Gulf, or the Straits of Hormuz on April 3, 2006 as a form of defense against the United States. U.S. government officials say that the weapons are exaggerated to cause more damage than they really can and the advancements in their weaponry are present, but small. However, Iranian officials said that the torpedoes can target any submarines at any depths and are capable of splitting a ship in two. According to YahooNews, Bryan Whitman, spokesman for Washington, said , "The Iranians have also been known to boast and exaggerate their statements about greater technical and tactical capabilities." Many are troubled over whether or not the U.S. military is going to act upon the growth of Iran's nuclear program.

Organs being grown from patient,s own cells

Scientists have found a new way to grow organs from patient's own cells. The scientific advancement helps those with spina bifida, the birth defect that effects spinal cord development. Many who suffer from spina bifida have complications with their bladders and often need corrective surgery that uses a piece of intestine to function as a part of the bladder. This procedure is risky. Instead, doctors have been experimenting by extracting small amounts of muscle and cells from the bladder, leaving it in a Petri dish for weeks while it reproduces more cells, then implanting the new growth back into the patient. The procedure has been a success, but will not be routine until further studies. If all is well, this advancement could be a reasonable alternative to those awaiting transplants.

Bush,s call for fresh staff

Bush's decrease in popularity has caused an increase in his need for fresh ideas to help better the American people. This means possible changes in Bush's staff. The former budget director, Joshua Bolten, is succeeding Andrew Card as the new chief of staff. Card plans to leave the position on April 14. Bolten is supposed to, "organize the White House in such a way that he is comfortable with and that meets his needs. And his needs are to have good, crisp information so he can make decisions on behalf of the American people," according to con.com.

PATRICIA J. SHEEHAN SPORTS EDITOR PJS723@CABRINJ.EDU

New Residence Hall is one of the favored buildings to live in on campus. It is like a palace compared to the older dorms and you can really appreciate the luxuries its possesses like air conditioning, a full and functional kitchen and a more comfortable living space. If you have ever lived in the stifling hot Woodcrest you know exactly what I'm talking about. Sure, all of the knobs from the washers and dryers have mysteriously vanished and sometimes the heat quits for a few days, but overall, I can say that my experience. living there has been pleasant and comfortable.

However, the security system in News Res is appalling. The entrance located in the rear of the building, which faces the Xavier and New Res parking lot, is only accessible to Public Safety officers and R.A.'s. Residents do not have any access to this door and must walk around to the main entrance at the front of the building to get in. Many times students use this door anyway, lingering at the door and waiting to spot someone in the laundry room or calling a true friend to let them in.

I simply do not understand why residents are not permitted to use this door. To me, it seems a bit more logical and safer for students to use this door if they are coming in from the parking lot. Why mak;e students walk around campus in the dark late at night when there is a perfect entrance with identity card verification and a security camera?

However, even with this door being denied to students, many are able to get themselves and others in New Res without facing any kind of consequence. I cannot count the number of times I've come in through the parking lot entrance or how many times I've let others this door. Even with R.A. 's or a guard stationed, watching security cameras, I still have yet to hear that someone got busted for using the door. People are still getting into the building, at any time of the day or night and if they are supposed to be there or not. My advice; let us use the door ·and just watch the cameras.

I ~trongly believe that this door should be accessible because it's being denied to residents is not cracking down on unwanted or perhaps dangerous visitors in the dorms.

A few weeks ago, on another crazy Cabrini Thursday night, a friend who lives in my hall, had a terrifying experience with an unknown drunk male. My friend awoke around five o'clock in the morning to hear her doorknob click, which she assumed was me getting her up for our Friday morning class. However, she was terrified to see a college-aged male in a sloppy drunk state stumbling about her room. He proceeded into the room and hovered over her roommate's bed and peeked around her. My friend was too scared, shocked and confused to say anything. The boy left and my friend woke up her roommate and told her what bad just taken place. Less than a minute later, he appeared again, my friend's roommate told him to get out, and then she called Public Safety. The officers came and did a "search" of the grounds but were unable to find the incoherent intoxicated male.

The rear door of News Res denies access to students for "security reasons." That's funny, because even with this door "secure" we still have drunk people wandering to people's rooms at night. The events that could have taken place that night scare me and I do not have faith in the security system in New Res. This • event could have been prevented not by locking an entrance, but by making sure that the security cameras are being paid attention to and doing rounds. The system really needs to be reevaluated and problems must be solved. From my experience living in New Res, I can see that this system was constructed for the comfort of Cabrini's budget-not for the safety of the students. It's a simple solution; watch the cameras and who is entering the buildings and maybe an instance like this can be prevented.