We know you’re busy. It’s easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the BC bubble. In case you couldn’t get away from your midterms long enough to pick up the newspaper, we’ve made a list of some big stuff you missed this past week!
1. POLITICS – John R. Allen Retires
John R. Allen, the four-star Marine Corps officer recently selected as general for NATO, will retire from the military. According to President Obama, the cause of his retirement is “health issues within [Allen’s] family.” Although Allen recently took the media hot seat due to his involvement in the Petraeus scandal, the Pentagon cleared him of misconduct and Obama proceeded with his nomination of Allen as NATO general. The only explanation Allen offered for his retirement was, “I did not come to it lightly or quickly…it was the only choice I could make. My primary concern is for the health of my wife, who has sacrificed so much for so long.”
As the information stands, the question facing the U.S. public is: just how much of a role did the scandal play in his decision? Tom Shanker and Michael Shear of the New York Times responded, “There is little doubt that an unexpected obstacle to General Allen’s new assignment at NATO was the inquiry by the Pentagon inspector general.”
2. SPORTS – Oscar Pistorius Makes Bail
If you’ve been keeping up with other news summaries on Her Campus, then you know about the Oscar Pistorius story – South African Olympic/Paralympic star, accused of murdering his girlfriend. Breaking news across the country has revealed the latest—Pistorius has made bail.
Many fear that Pistorius will try to flee the country before his trial. However, Pistorius assures us that he has, “no intention to relocate to any other country.” Pistorius has additionally agreed to refrain from alcohol, give up his guns, check in with the police department twice a week, and avoid the home where the shooting occurred. The issue undergoing investigation is the intentions of Pistorius’s premeditation. The defense remains steadfast in its claims that Pistorius mistook his girlfriend for an intruder.
Stay tuned for updates.
3. BUSINESS – American Airlines Gets Approval for Merger
The date of consideration has just been announced: U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane will announce approval (or rejection!) of the big airline merger between American Airlines and U.S. Airways. While the combined company will continue to use the name “American Airlines,” American suggests that the merger will be overall beneficial for both parties. In filing American announced, “The combination of the two airlines will result in superior value for all stakeholders.”
The timing of this decision is particularly crucial, as it will occur simultaneously with the effectiveness of American’s bankruptcy and the company still awaits approval from antitrust regulators. The merger will create the nation’s largest airline in history.
The deal is expected to go down in the third quarter. Keep a close watch—we’ll be covering it.
4. ENTERTAINMENT – The Spirit Awards
To all you Jennifer Lawrence fans, hopefully you didn’t miss this one! The Spirit Awards, honoring the best independent films, went down this week. Here’s a quick recap of some big names:
Best Supporting Actor– Matthew McConaughey in Magic Mike
** McConaughey was also nominated for best actor for his role in Killer Joe. Like what an over-achiever.
Best First Feature– The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Best Male Lead– John Hawkes in The Sessions
Best Documentary– Amour
Best Cinematography– Beasts of the Southern Wild
Finally, Silver Linings Playbook won Best Director (David O. Russell), Best Female Lead (Jennifer Lawrence), Best Feature, and Best Screenplay. Um, domination? We think so.
5. LOCAL – The Talk Continues
It seems never-ending, but it’s reassuring to hear some topical debates going on all over campus. Performances of The Vagina Monologues took campus by storm last week, receiving a large amount of feedback from both fans and critics. The production has now been performed on campus two years in a row, and the discussion continues.
The issue: are the open topics explored in the play a liberating, educational experience for students or a violation of the Jesuit mission? Students and faculty alike have been engaging in an interesting dialogue, in classrooms, forums, and all over public media.
According to The Heights, the president of the Cardinal Newman Society, Patrick Reilly, told the Catholic News Service, “This kind of vulgarity has no academic value to students at a Catholic college, and it’s spiritually destructive.” Many students have combated opinions such as this, claiming that the production enlightens students to certain realities and additionally donates its proceeds to help women who face the kinds of violence explored in the play.
Regardless of where your loyalty lies, it’s definitely a topic worth exploring. What matters to you?
Photo Sources:
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Allies-Restrict-Airstrikes-Against-Taliban-In-3623700.php
http://abcnews.go.com/International/oscar-pistorius-granted-bail-murder-case/story?id=18563714