Stevens: Pellet and Hand Gun Policy

I didn’t realize that pellet guns were a growing problem on campus but maybe it just shows I’m out of touch being off campus. I guess its an appropriate response certainly after the bomb scare last April which had the campus on edge until the issue was resolved. 

I just received this campus-wide email from the Department of Student Development and Campus Police:

Pellet guns and similar “firearms” are prohibited items by university policy and not permitted on campus or in affiliated facilities.   Affiliated faculties include all Greek houses; off campus housing managed by the Office of Residence Life; and any other locations where university operations are conducted.   Any student found in possession of a pellet gun or other firearm will be suspended or expelled from the university.    In New Jersey a “firearm” is defined as a gun, device, or instrument which fires a solid projectable ball, slug, pellet, missile or, bullet.

Pellet guns are dangerous as evidenced by the recent accidental shooting death in Bergen County, NJ.   In addition, many permanent injuries, including loss of sight, are attributed to pellet gun use.   In New Jersey, a permit is required to purchase a pellet gun.   In other states, such as New York, pellet guns can be easily purchased without a permit.   With a permit or not, pellet guns are prohibited by university policy.

Pellet guns in any of the locations described above must be removed immediately and permanently.   Pellet guns can be also disposed of, without penalty, by bringing the firearm to Campus Police headquarters located in the Gate House.

Stevens is a safe campus and the removal of any remaining pellet guns will insure that no unfortunate accident occurs.

Thank you for your cooperation.

 

Also it was good to see Stevens start a SMS alert program and for anyone interested in signing up, visit Campus Alerting.

Israeli Apartheid? You Be The Judge.

CBS’ 60 Minutes has quite an eye-opening piece and quite frankly an amazing segment exposing Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians.  The piece is by Senior CBS Foreign Correspondent Bob Simon, who is Jewish living outside Tel-Aviv and produced by Robert G. Anderson. 

“While my heart still wants to believe that the two-state solution is possible, my brain keeps telling me the opposite because of what I see in terms of the building of settlements. So, these settlers are destroying the potential peace for both people that would have been created if we had a two-state solution,” Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, once a former candidate for Palestinian president, told Simon.

Palestinians had hoped to establish their state on the West Bank, an area the size of Delaware. But Israelis have split it up with scores of settlements, and hundreds of miles of new highways that only settlers can use. Palestinians have to drive – or ride – on the older roads. 



Gaza Justice Action Center has an appreciation page for those who watched the video and want to express their support that reads the following:

Thank you for exposing Israel’s apartheid policies against Palestinians during your January 25, 2009 piece titled: Time Running Out For A Two-State Solution?

It’s rare to find impartial meaningful news stories about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by American media outlets. Your story relayed to viewers the untold realities that are blocking peace progress in that region.

I urge you to produce similar balanced stories on the conflict and occupation. Thank you again

 

Credit: CBS – Time Running Out For Two State Solution

Change? What Change?

So this video is a couple of days old but Jon Stewart analyzed Obama’s inaugural speech with certain speeches of our former President and it showed quite a few similarities. Not exactly the type of hope and change you were hoping would come to Washington. Also, Wired.com is reporting that Obama is lining up his administration exactly with the previous one on the issue of warantless wiretapping. 

The Obama administration fell in line with the Bush administration Thursday when it urged a federal judge to set aside a ruling in a closely watched spy case weighing whether a U.S. president may bypass Congress and establish a program of eavesdropping on Americans without warrants.

Take off your optimism hats folks and get ready for a good dose of reality. We can all sit here and hope for things to change but we better keep the new President and his administration honest and true to their campaign “promises”. 

 

 

How disappointing. 

Credit: Gizmodo.

Top 10 Shootout Goals

Since the All-Star game is almost here, I thought I would put up a SportsCenter Top 10 Shootout goals from the first half of the season. Personally I like #2 and 3 better than the top rated goal, but what can you do?

Also, gotta love the rule NHL commish put into place where if you miss the All-Star game festivities, you have to sit out a regular season game once they come back from the break. The All-Star game is being shown on Versus Network tomorrow so make sure you don’t miss it. Too bad Sid the Kid won’t be there but still plenty of talent – young and old.