Russian school standoff ends with over 300 dead

A hostage situation at a Russian school ended on Friday, September 5 with over 300 people dead, including over 150 children. The attackers, believed to have been Chechen separatists, stormed the school on September 3, taking many inside hostage and planting explosives throughout the school. Some of these explosives in the gymnasium went off, killing scores of people inside. More deaths were attributed to gun fighting between the attackers and Russian military forces. Russian president Vladimir Putin vowed to step up the fight against Chechen rebels, who have orchestrated several attacks against Russia in recent years.

Sudanese rebel leader calls for unification

John Garang, leader of the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement, has called for a unified national government in Sudan, claiming it would be the only way to end violence there that has been going on for years. Garang's remarks come as the United Nations considers a second resolution directing the Sudanese government to put an end to militia attacks on minority groups in the Darfur region, where tens of thousands have been killed.

U.S. calls for end to Iranian uranium enrichment programs

The United States is calling for Iran to put an end to plans to start a uranium enrichment program, even as Iran has offered to suspend such programs. The proposed compromise would have Iran stop its enrichment program as long as European nations agree to take some of the pressure off Iran's nuclear program. The U.S. has insisted that Iran is seeking to create nuclear warheads, while Iran claims it is only working on nuclear power generation.

U.S. death toll in Iraq reaches 1000

The number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq has now topped 1000, the Pentagon announced on Wednesday, September 8. Regarded by many political observers as a symbolic number, the Pentagon's announcement prompted responses from both the White House and from Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. Kerry said that "Today marks a tragic milestone in the war in Iraq," while a spokesman for President Bush stated that "we remember, honor and mourn the loss of all those that made the ultimate sacrifice defending freedom."

In the three years since the September 11 attacks, national "homeland" security has taken on a new importance in our government. Private airline screeners have been replaced with government employees, federal marshals patrol our planes, and laws such as the USA PATRIOT (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) Act purport to shut down the operation of terrorist groups inside America.

Our military was involved in two campaigns aimed (partially, at least) at making the United States of America a safer nation. But security has its price, and this is often paid for with our civil liberties.

The USA PATRIOT Act, or "Patriot Act" for short, was the first blow. Passed in the name of securing America against future attacks, the Act drastically altered the privacy and liberty of American citizens. Much has been written about the Patriot Act, and its negative effect on civil liberties.

Today, more legislation is under consideration that would further erode Americans' civil liberties. Congress is considering a law that would require a national identification card and "screening points" inside the country.

A national identification card was one of the recommendations put out by the 9/11 Commission as a way to prevent future attacks. Congressman Ron Paul (R, TX) warns that Congress is trying "to be seen doing something" as a result of the report.

Critics of the plan compare the idea to similar policies in the former Soviet Union, where citizens were frequently stopped and their identification demanded of them, no matter what they were doing. Such a comparison, while evoking feelings of resentment, as the USSR was viewed as 'evil' in all respects, is not without merit.

Already, people traveling by plane, and in some cities, by train, are being required by authorities to present identification. Nearly all of these people are innocent, and those may turn out not to be are still entitled to that presumption.

And what if you forget your ID card? At the very least, you would be prevented from traveling any further, and it is quite possible that you would be arrested. After all, if the police will not let you continue forward, why should they let you go back to your home?

A national ID card would have very little effect on our actual security, just as the Patriot Act has had little effect. There has yet to be any direct evidence that any provisions of the act have helped to foil another attack. What is clear is that the law now requires disclosure of otherwise private information—such as library records and secret wiretaps—without any oversight, and while 'gagging' the organization supplying the information.

The War on Terror is framed by our government as a protection of our freedom and our liberty. But the biggest threat to these comes not from a terrorist group, but from the very government claiming to be protecting us.
There is, practically speaking, a trade-off between security and liberty, despite what Ben Franklin once said. There needs to be compromise somewhere in the middle, however; societies of total liberty or of total security are equally problematic.

Do not stand by and let this "home of the free" turn into a land of total government control.

Stevens will finally be getting its garage, despite the months of uncertainty the structure has faced. At their June 7 meeting, the Hoboken Zoning Board gave its approval in a 5-2 vote. The vote grants the school the variances it needs to begin construction of the Babbio Center parking garage.

The final plan for the garage calls for approximately 715 parking spaces, an increase from the former Navy lot’s125 parking spaces. There will be a police substation at ground level facing Fifth Street and the waterfront, and parking will be available for Hoboken citizens attending events at the Little League field in Stevens Park or the soccer field at Sinatra Park.

Stevens' win was not without its price. The garage proposal was opposed by Fund for a Better Waterfront, resulting in eight hearings being held over the variances. Hank Dobbelaar, Vice President for Facilities/Support Services, could not provide an exact dollar amount for the cost of these hearings, but he did say that "an excessive amount of money was spent" to obtain approval for the garage.

Should Fund for a Better Waterfront, or any other citizen or group, wish to challenge the decision, the court system is the only remaining avenue. While Dobbelaar does not anticipate an appeal of the decision, it remains a possibility until October 3.

Students should not expect the garage to be finished soon. Construction has not yet begun on the garage, and when it does, will take approximately twelve months.

The Lawrence T. Babbio Center for Technology Management, the other construction taking place on the site, will likely be done sooner. Dobbelaar estimates that the Babbio Center will be opening sometime in spring of next year. Construction of the Babbio Center was delayed in its early stages over concerns about the blasting taking place.

After orbiting the sun for over three years in order to gather clues to the origin of the solar system, NASA's Genesis space capsule crashed to Earth after a parachute malfunction. A parachute was supposed to deploy from the refrigerator-sized capsule, while helicopters operated by Hollywood stunt pilots would hook the parachute and float the capsule to the ground.

The parachute never deployed, sending the centerpiece of three years and $260 million worth of work hurtling toward the Earth. The capsule crashed in the western Utah desert at the Dugway Proving Ground.
The capsule held billions of highly charged atoms collected from the solar wind on fragile discs. Scientists had hoped to study the particles for the next five years to gain an idea as to how the sun and surrounding planets in the solar system had formed. There is serious doubt as to whether the samples survived the crash.

Officials at NASA believed that there was a very good chance that the disks would shatter even if the unit had touched the ground aided by parachutes as planned. NASA rescue teams are being held at bay by the fear of an explosion at the site, due to the parachute that could deploy at any point. The Genesis mission was launched in 2001 and marked the first time that samples would be collected and returned to Earth from points farther than the moon.

Scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory said that the five disks holding the sample particles were of different thickness, which may help scientists sort through the rubble and save some of the samples that have been acquired over the past three years.

NASA will attempt another such capsule recovery in 2006, when the Stardust probe returns to Earth. Stardust's mission was to collect dust samples from the trail of a comet.

This article was co-written with John Frega

Sudan "not fully" meeting obligations to disarm militia

Kofi Annan, the U.N. Secretary General, has accused Sudan of not meeting its obligations to disarm militias operating in several of its cities. Sudan agreed in July to make an effort to put an end to the militias and to attacks on civilians. The Sudanese government agreed to the effort as part of a U.N. Security Council resolution. Several Arab militias have been involved in the killing of Sudanese civilians and refugees.

Iran planning to commence uranium enrichment program

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported that Iran is taking steps toward instituting a uranium enrichment program. The IAEA report indicates that Iran is looking to obtain 40 tons of uranium, which would then be processed and enriched. Iran insists it is only working on a nuclear power program, while the U.S. has accused Iran of running a nuclear weapons program.

Syria accused of complicity in suicide bombings

Israel alleges that Syria is involved in the most recent suicide bombings in Israel. The militant group Hamas claimed responsibility for the two attacks, which killed 16 people. The Israeli leadership believes that Hamas has been operating out of the Syrian capitol of Damascus, and indicated that operating from Syria would not prevent retaliation. In response to the attack, Israel sealed off the Gaza Strip and destroyed the home of the one of the bombers.

Iraqi interim parliament holds first meeting

The new interim government in Iraq met for the first time on Wednesday, September 1. Members of the Parliament were sworn in until the first general election in January. The meeting was not without problems, however, as mortar shots were fired in what is believed to have been an assassination attempt on prominent Iraqi politician Ahmed Chalabi. Chalabi emerged unharmed, but says that several of his bodyguards were injured or killed.

Rebel group seizes Russian school, takes hostages

A rebel group seized control of a Russian school and took nearly 400 children hostage on Wednesday, September 1. The Russian government believes the situation is the work of Chechen rebels, though the major Chechen separatist group has denied responsibility. The attackers are demanding the release of several prisoners and the withdrawal of Russians forced from Chechnya. The rebel group has threatened to kill hostages if any attackers are killed or injured.

For once, being a student can actually make something less expensive. New Jersey Transit, New Jersey's main provider of public transportation, is offering free rides on its trains, buses, and light rail lines between September 8 and September 15 to college students with their student ID card.

The free trips are part of a statewide effort to make college students aware of public transportation options in New Jersey. NJT Executive Director George Warrington said that "[t]he week of free travel gives students the opportunity to experience how easy it is to use NJ TRANSIT to reach thousands of destinations throughout the State."

New Jersey Transit is also working with several colleges in New Jersey to provide discounts to students on monthly passes. Stevens is not yet a participant, though New Jersey Transit hopes to open the program to the rest of New Jersey's colleges next year.

The offer should be especially appealing to Stevens students, as Hoboken is a major transportation hub for the state, with plenty of options available. The rail lines operating from Hoboken include the Main/Bergen County line, the Morris & Essex line, the North Jersey Coast line, the Pascack Valley line, and the Montclair/Boonton line. Transfer is also available from these lines to the Northeast Corridor line and the Raritan Valley line.

New Jersey Transit's bus routes, including the #126 bus to and from New York City, are also free during this period. Travel on the Hudson-Bergen light rail, which runs through Jersey City into Bayonne, is also included.

For New Jersey Transit, offering a week of free travel to students is an investment for the future. "Our hope is that once they become a part of the workforce, students will already know the benefits of using public transportation for their daily commute," says Warrington.

More information can be found on New Jersey Transit's website, http://www.njtransit.com/ or from a customer service representative at the Hoboken rail terminal.

Next week, the Republican National Convention is being held at New York's Madison Square Garden. The event is taking place under some of the highest security in New York since after the 9/11 attacks, and this may cause some difficulties for students who wish to explore New York.

A several-block wide area around Madison Square Garden will be under the strictest security. This area also includes the 33rd Street PATH station, and students wishing to travel to New York by train may find it easier to get off at a different station.

New Stevens students frequently like to explore New York as soon as they can. With the convention, however, students might want to reconsider those plans. Kenneth Nilsen, Dean of Student Life, recommends putting off any trip until the following week. "If you've never been to New York City, and the time you want to see it is next week, I would wait until after the convention."

Stevens has not issued any official announcement or recommendation to students, but Nilsen said that, "we [Stevens] are encouraging people just to be careful."

Many others are also planning to avoid the area during the convention. Thousands of people with jobs in Manhattan have been offered time off or are taking vacation time during the convention. Even tour groups will be scaled back.

"I'm not going on any tours," said Kevingerarrd Cannon, tour guide for A Friend in New York, while on a walking tour of Hoboken with incoming freshmen. He continued, "You actually have to take out extra insurance to take a group in ... and I wouldn't do it."

In spite of the inconveniencies caused by the convention's security, Stevens has two students participating in the convention as part of the Washington Centers program. The convention is also an opportunity for protest-minded students to get involved. "For anyone who wants to know what demonstrations or public disobedience is about, it's in our backyard," said Nilsen.

This year, 44 new freshmen came to Stevens for the sports program pre-orientation. The students had three days full of events, including trips, guest speakers, and fitness seminars.

Students arrived on Sunday and promptly left campus for the Big Apple. They toured the famous Monument Park at Yankee Stadium, and followed by watching the New York Yankees take on the Anaheim Angels.

Later that night, Chris Carlin, weekend host and Assistant Program Director for sports radio station WFAN, talked with the group. The topics of conversation ranged from the Olympics to predictions for the upcoming football season. When the discussion turned toward college sports, Carlin shared his liking for Division III schools, having come from a Division III school himself, he seemed to identify with Stevens.

"In Division III all the teams are in the same boat," explained Carlin. He went on, "[Division III] is more about the love of the game" than professional or Division I sports.

Monday morning bought the freshmen a fitness seminar with Strength and Conditioning Coach Roger Power. The afternoon consisted of a sailing trip, followed up a dinner in New York City.

Tuesday, students were received an aerobic and anaerobic training seminar. After that, it was off to the US Golf Association for a presentation and a tour.

Before the regular orientation activities began on Wednesday, the sports pre-orientation students took a tour of the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center.

"This year's group of freshman have a wide variety of people," said Athletic Director Russell Rogers, and the program offered something for everyone. "Most individuals found something they liked," Rogers added, stating that the orientation was a "good opportunity for students to get to know each other better, [and] experience sports and fitness life [here at Stevens]."

Attendance to the sports pre-orientation was up from last year, with between 10 and 15 more participants this year.

Cyprus votes against unification

Voters on the Greek side of the Mediterranean nation of Cyprus voted against unification of the island with the Turkish side. Cyprus, which has been divided for 30 years, held two votes about unification, one for the Turks and the other for the Greeks. The results of the Turkish vote favored unification with 60 percent of the vote, but among Greeks, nearly 75 percent of the voters have opposed the plan. The vote came ahead of Cyprus' entry in to the European Union, and the results mean that the Greek portion of the island will be admitted into the EU while the Turkish part will not.

North Korean train explosion kills 154

A collision involving two trains carrying combustible materials resulted in a massive explosion that killed 154 people and injured hundreds of others, according to North Korean sources. Nearly half of those killed are believed to have been students at a school near the site of the explosion. The cause of the collision is thought to be a problem with the railway's overhead wires, and North Korean officials blame 'human error' during the loading process that caused the materials to explode. In the immediate aftermath of the explosion, North Korea cut off access to all external media, and only admitted to the explosion after Chinese news sources broke the story.

Clashes in Thailand leave over 100 dead

A series of suicide attacks on Thai security outposts have left 107 people, primarily the attackers, dead. The attacks, the work of Islamic militants in the embattled southern region, are believed to be retribution for the recent arrest of several people for setting fire to several schools. Security forces are bracing for a second wave of attacks and are keeping troops on alert.

Macedonian Prime Minister wins presidency

After the death of Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski, who died in a plane crash in February, voters elected Prime Minister Branki Crvenkovski the country's new president. Sasko Kedev, the other candidate in the race, called the election "the worst election fraud in the history of Macedonia." Charging that Crvenkovski is not the legitimate president of Macedonia, Kedev has appealed the election results to the European Parliament and the United States Congress.

Explosions and gunfire force closure of Damascus embassies

As gunfire and explosions erupted in the Syrian capital of Damascus, the United States and the United Kingdom temporarily closed their embassies in the city. The turbulence took place in the city's diplomatic quarter, and left two suspected terrorists, a police officer and one passerby dead. Investigations into the violence led security officers to a hidden cache of weapons, including a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

Another public hearing about the proposed Babbio parking garage ended without resolution on Tuesday, April 27. The meeting, which ran for nearly 3 hours, featured testimony from the lawyers on both sides, as well as a Boswell engineer and a state-licensed planner.

Charles Liebling, the lawyer arguing on behalf of Stevens, first corrected some statements from the previous hearing. At the request of several board members, he also introduced into evidence several photos of the garage area. He then called Boswell engineer Peter Ten Kate.

Ten Kate provided the board with information about the plan to put a campus police facility in the basement of the garage. The police facility would have views of both the garage and Fifth Street. The plan would eliminate 11 of the 725 spaces proposed for the garage. The facility is a response to another request by members of the board.

For Stevens' opposition, David Zimmerman, a New Jersey licensed planner, was called to testify. He went through each requested variance and discussed why he felt it should not be granted. He said that there was "a difference of opinion" between himself and Stevens planner Elizabeth McKenzie regarding the variances.

Zimmerman spoke about the garage being an "expansion of a non-conforming structure [,the Babbio center]" and that that garage is "part and parcel of the Babbio building." The Babbio center building required planning board approval as a second principle building on a lot; the ordinance allows for only one principle building per lot.

Another problem Zimmerman addressed was the proximity of the garage to a residential district; Sinatra Park, located across the street from the garage, is zoned as a residential district. A Hoboken ordinance requires buildings such as the garage to be set back at least 100 feet from residential districts; the garage, as planned, is set back 31.1 feet.
One of the most-discussed issues was that of open space. According to Zimmerman, the plan only provides 7% of the area as open space, while a Hoboken ordinance requires at least 50%. Liebling responded to this point by saying that the rest of the campus contains large amounts of open space, which should be looked at favorably for granting a variance regarding open space. Zimmerman's response was "I don't buy the representation that you can look at the whole site ... the whole south side is covered in buildings."

Zimmerman concluded his testimony by stating that he did not believe the garage, as proposed, was the best use for the site, and that Stevens should consider an off-site parking facility with shuttles. This point was later rebutted by Liebling, who said that one of the requirements Stevens faces is having on-site parking. Zimmerman also mentioned that since Stevens required an "exceptional number of variances", perhaps they were "before the wrong body" and should look to the city council to change zoning laws to lessen the number of variances required.

Following Zimmerman's testimony, the zoning board questioned him about some of what he testified to. In particular, his thoughts about usage of the site and the number of variances were discussed. Liebling then had the chance to cross-examine Zimmerman, and took the opportunity to refute several of the points he had made. An emphasis was placed on the importance of the garage, as there is a statutory requirement for parking on-site, and residents of the smaller streets have stated that they do not want shuttle buses running. In response to a point Zimmerman had made about submitting an alternate proposal, Liebling said that the job of the board is not to "take pieces" and make a plan, but to simply approve or deny the plan which is before them. The board agreed with this assessment, with one member saying that "we're not here to redesign the project."

By the end of the meeting, no resolution had been reached, and the board requested that McKenzie come to the next meeting to refute portions of Zimmerman's testimony.

When asked about the meeting, Stevens Vice President of Facilities Hank Dobbelaar said he felt Zimmerman was "not convincing at all" and did not do a good job of refuting McKenzie's testimony. Dobbelaar expressed hope that the next meeting "will be the one when the board votes." When asked about what would happen if the variances were denied, Dobbelaar stated that there are alternatives, but they would only be addressed when and if the need arises.

Recently, Stevens and its Howe School of Technology Management was named a 'Center of Excellence in Business Process Innovation' by SAP and IDS Scheer.

You may recognize this as the same part of Stevens that offers the Business & Technology major. This is also the portion of the institute that is having a shiny new building constructed - the Lawrence T. Babbio, Jr. Center for Technology Management. Referred to by some students as the "biz-tech building;" once completed it will be home to offices and classes for the undergraduate Business & Technology program as well as the graduate management and business programs.

I am sure many of you have noticed the Stevens advertisements in PATH cars. You have probably also noticed which particular area of the institute is being advertised: the Howe School and its business and management courses.

Last time I checked, this college was still known as 'Stevens Institute of Technology" (emphasis mine, of course). The engineering program is the largest undergraduate program, followed by computer science and then the sciences; physics, chemistry, etc. Near the bottom of this list is the business & technology program. While each new year brings more biz-tech majors to the school, they are still outnumbered by engineering, computer science, and science majors.

It seems to be the trend that the business portion of Stevens is what is being most actively pushed. For an "institute of technology," this seems to be the wrong focus. There are plenty of schools that are focused on educating students in business; it is not the sort of thing you would expect to find at a tech school.

Perhaps, if Stevens integrated business education into its other majors, this push to expand the business program would not seem as awkward. As it is now, though, the management and business courses are generally kept separate from the engineering and science programs. Engineering students are required to take a Technogenesis course, and computer science majors are required to take an economics class, but other than that, there are no business or management classes taken by non-biz-techs.

Somewhere down the line, it may be reasonable for Stevens to rename itself "Stevens Institute of Business." At least, that is a possibility if this trend continues. It is interesting to consider what such a change might do to a B.E. or B.S. degree earned from the school; would employers expect them to have more business knowledge, or would they look down on Stevens engineering and science graduates?

Suicide bombing kills 10 in Saudi Arabia

A suicide car bombing killed 10 people and injured at least 70 more in an attack on a Saudi security forces building in the city of Riyadh. The Saudi security force claims the attack to be the sixth attempted attack in the past week; the previous five attempts were foiled. The attacks are said to be the work of al Qaeda, and stem from growing confrontation between the group and the Saudi government.

Blair promises vote on EU constitution

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that he will put the issue of the European Union's constitution to a referendum. The proposed constitution, which requires the approval of all 25 EU member countries in order to pass, would strengthen the EU and make it more "transparen[t] and efficien[t]." Blair's moves came as a surprise to many political observers, who believed that he would simply let Parliament vote on the constitution. Critics of the move believe Blair will simply reintroduce the issue if it should fail, and that opening it to a public vote is an insignificant gesture.

Israel assassinates second Hamas leader

Less than a month after an Israeli airstrike killed Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a second strike killed another Hamas leader, Abdelaziz Rantissi. Two Israeli missiles struck Rantissi's car, killing him, his son, and one of his guards. Rantissi was targeted once for assassination last June, and suffered injuries to his arms, chest and legs when his car was hit in a missile attack. Hamas has promised "swift and strong" retaliation for the attack, which has been condemned by dozens of countries.

Spain, others to pull troops from Iraq

Spain's Prime Minister, Jose Zapatero, has promised to recall 1,400 Spanish troops currently stationed in Iraq. Zapatero's move echoes the popular sentiment of Spaniards, who have been opposed to the use of Spanish forces there. The troops are estimated to be returning in a matter of weeks. Following Spain's example, Honduras and the Dominican Republic have announced they will be recalling their troops, totaling around 700 soldiers.

Osama bin Laden offers 'truce' to Europe

Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has offered European countries a truce in his latest audiotape. The truce would keep European nations 'safe' from al Qaeda, and in return, the countries must remove their troops from all Islamic nations. The offer was swiftly rejected, with comments ranging from British Prime Minister Tony Blair's "I don't think we need Osama bin Laden to start telling us how to handle our political affairs" to Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini's "It is completely unthinkable that we could start negotiations with bin Laden." The tape, which is believed to be authentic, also promises retaliation against the United States for the Israeli killing of Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.

Russian mine explosion kills 47

An explosion at the Taizhina mine in Siberia claimed the lives of 47 miners on Saturday, April 10. More than 50 miners where in the shaft at the time of the explosion, and only a few were able to escape. The cause of the explosion is believed to have been a buildup of methane gas, and local prosecutors have begun investigating whether negligence contributed to the buildup.

Russia to evacuate contractors from Iraq

Following the abduction and subsequent return of eight of its citizens, Russia has opted to evacuate more than 800 civilian contractors from Iraq. The contractors, who have primarily been working to repair power stations, will have the choice to remain in Iraq or to return home. Both Japan and France have urged their contractors to leave the country, following the kidnapping of three Japanese citizens and a French reporter. The reporter has since been released, but the three Japanese are still being held and are threatened with death.

Convicted Sept. 11 terrorist released pending retrial

The only person convicted in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Mounir el Motassadeq, has won an appeal in German court and will be released. Convicted of providing 'logistical support' to al Qaeda, Motassadeq was freed pending a retrial on the conditions that he not obtain a passport and that he remain in Hamburg. The appeals court which granted Motassadeq's release says he was not given a fair trial, as the U.S. government did not allow him access to several key witnesses in U.S. custody.

Explosion rocks Madrid, kills train-bombing suspects

An explosion in the Spanish capital of Madrid on Saturday, April 3, left one police officer and seven suspects in last month's railway bombings dead. Police stormed an apartment believed to be the residence of several of the bombers, where an explosion killed all those inside.

Global warming could melt Greenland ice sheet

New research suggests that Greenland’s ice sheet could disappear if global warming continues. According to estimates, within 350 years the ice sheet may become unsustainable and melt away even if global warming were halted. If Greenland's ice were to melt away, it could raise the average global sea level by up to 23 feet.

Iran vows to continue building nuclear reactor

The International Atomic Energy Agency learned on Tuesday, April 6, that Iran was planning to start construction of a heavy water nuclear reactor. Iran says it needs the reactor to produce radioactive isotopes for medical research, but experts claim the spent fuel rods could be used to produce weapons-grade plutonium. Construction is scheduled to begin in the city of Arak in June.

Senator Jon Corzine (D, NJ) recently received the "Friend of Students Award" from the U.S. Students Association. The award is due in large part to Sen. Corzine's work to block changes to financial aid calculations.
Sen. Corzine was honored by the award, saying "It means a lot to be honored by the students who put a human face on the cuts proposed by the administration. Access to higher education is really access to the American dream."

An effort to block the changes, led by Sen. Corzine, succeeded and the changes will be postponed for one year. The block will expire in September.
"At a time when tuition is rising at public and private universities around the nation, we need to be expanding financial aid, not taking it away from talented, hardworking kids," said Corzine of the changes.

The changes, proposed last year by the Department of Education, would change the formula for calculating the expected family contribution, or EFC. In most cases, the changes would negatively affect a student's EFC, leaving him or her with less financial aid and support. According to DOE estimates, 84,000 students would have lost their Pell Grants with the revised formula.

At a recent speech given at Rider University, Sen. Corzine urged students to become more involved in the political process. In reference to the upcoming presidential election, he told students that "this is as important an election as there has been in your lifetime," and emphasized the need for student involvement in a "national debate" about the important issues facing the nation.

Senators Orrin Hatch (R, Utah) and Patrick Leahy (D, VT) recently introduced the "Protecting Intellectual Rights Against Theft and Expropriation," or PIRATE, Act into the U.S. Senate. This act would allow the Attorney General to file civil lawsuits against suspected copyright infringers. This allowance is in addition to the ability of the rights holder to file civil suits and the government's ability to pursue criminal action in cases where damages exceed $1,500. So, if you are accused of copyright infringement, guilty or not, you could face three separate legal battles that you would need to fight.

Even if you were eventually going to be found 'not guilty' of copyright infringement, the costs associated with trying to fight three legal battles could end up being so high that you would be forced to settle. The average American does not have enough finances to keep three fights going. Copyright owners could force people into not taking advantage of fair uses for a work, because claiming fair use does not prevent you from being sued or prosecuted; it is only a defense you can make once in court. A copyright holder with the effective power to bankrupt you basically has the power to dictate what uses it will and will not tolerate as "acceptable uses" of their work. It would take a well-organized and well-funded legal challenge to prevent that specific rights holder from dictating use to users.

Doing such simple things as making a backup copy of a CD or DVD you buy, or making a mix CD from tracks on disks you bought, are uses that many would agree should be considered "fair uses." Those in the music and movie industries, however, have a different view. Jack Valenti, head of the Motion Picture Association of America, has said that "If you buy a DVD you have a copy. If you want a backup copy you buy another one." If that 'limited edition' DVD box set you bought a few years ago gets a scratch, or if the DVD physically begins to degrade (delamination), Valenti's view would leave you out of luck. You would not be able to find another copy, since it was 'limited edition,' and since you were not allowed to make a backup copy, you no longer have access to that media. Or, you make a backup copy onto recordable discs when you purchase the movie for just a few dollars, and then watch the copy, keeping the original in a safe place. If the recorded disc goes bad, you pull out the original DVD, burn a new copy, and put the original back. You have then extended the lifetime of that DVD, and made it more useful for you - but is that worth the possible legal trouble?

The assault on our fair use rights is continually under assault from the content industries. Do not let them dictate how we can use the movies and music we purchase and own.