November 2007 Disco Roar: Think before you Pink By Brittany Neimeth Lion's Eye Photo Editor ban5018@psu.edu During October, which is National Breast Cancer Aware- y ness Month, . the mem- bers of Breast Cancer : Awareness organizations join forces to in- form women nationwide of the importance of early detection through mammograms followed by prompt treatment. During this month organizations will put together na- tionwide fundraisers such as Breast Cancer walks and races and market product with pink labels. Photo provided by Google But why is-it that Breast Cancer is deemed most important in October? Why is that we need to isolate disease awareness programs and even racial identities to certain months? - And why has something so tragic been turned into another moneymaking scheme? It’s just-like Americans to try to profit off of anything. Christmas is starting in Septem- ber and Valentine’s Day is about Hallmark Cards but even more unholy than those two combined is the fact that Breast Cancer Awareness is now marketed to middle aged woman like toys to children. The irony of this is that these companies claim to make donations to find cures but many of these products are linked to the disease. : For example Yoplait’s fall campaign, Save Lids to Save Lives, urges consumers to buy the pink-lidded yogurt cups and then mail in the lids. For every lid sent in Yoplait will . donate 10 cents up to 1.5 million dollars. The hypocrisy of this all is that this yogurt is made from the milk of cows treated with RBGH (recombinant bovine grown hor- mone). In recent studies RBGH has been linked with an increase risk of breast, colon and prostate cancer. Breast Cancer Research is a cause very near and dear to my heart, but before you buy into these “Pink” Products, find out if they are helping, or merely appearing to do so. Learn more at www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org a Murder Crisis By Tom McGlinchey Lion's Eye Staff Writer tam5160@psu.edu The murder rate is a huge concern of the citizens of Philadelphia. As of October 23, 2007 the number of men murdered was 289 and the number of women was at 37, for a total of 326 victims. Statistics show that men are being murdered throughout the entire city, with many of the victims being in Center City, while women are being murdered mainly in Center City and the surrounding towns, such as Wis- sahickon and Stenton. The city of Philadelphia is trying to do something to stop this killing spree, but in the process the murder rate is climbing and becoming worse. The city is enforcing stricter gun control ‘laws and raising the police force and the number of police officers on duty at a time. Although that might seem to be a good idea, many of the cops are also being gunned down, causing the murder rate to increase. In the Philadelphia Daily News dated October 19, 2007, 3 homicides topped the murder rate for 2007. This is not just a number anymore — the murder rate in Philadelphia has become reality and many people are affected by this seeming epidemic, bringing shock to those who look at our city and wonder “Why?” A man mentioned in the Philadelphia Daily News article was stabbed after a confrontation with another male. He is now a part of this growing number of people who are being murdered, but at what cost? After that stabbing, six hours later, a man was pumped with bullets while he sat on his porch step, and the investigators also believe that a robbery was the cause of the shooting. This man was pronounced dead at Albert Einstein Medical Center two hours later after the shooting. Around 3 p.m. an 18 year old male was shot inside his home. He too was pronounced dead on the scene in the Logan part of the city. It is time we, as a city and its suburbs, take action. Talk to your mayor or other officials and ask what you can do. Moreover, it is time we ask them what they are doing. This is something that the city will not be able to do by Page 5 By Katharine Katubi Lion's Eye Staff Writer kfk5002@psu.edu Phobmpending Boeing wontber doesn’t suit you, I would strongly suggest you spend a week in St. Maarten, “The Friendly Island”. This ideal holiday getaway is affordable and safe and a unique Caribbean island to discover. St. Maarten is the smallest land mass in the world (only 37 square miles) to be shared by two different nations, France and the Netherlands Antilles. People from nearly 90 nations call this island home, thus you can imagine all the stimulating possibilities St. Maarten has to offer. Although the French side of the island is magnificent in its own way, the Dutch side will appeal more to the traveler like you, a college student with a tight budget and who wants a vacation between semesters. For a clean, safe, and affordable hotel, the Caravanserai Beach Resort is your best bet. When you leave the hotel, you are thrown immediately into the nightlife. These high energy venues always offer a magnitude of nighttime festivities. Whether you would prefer a laid-back bon fire on the beach featuring a cover band playing Sublime and Hendrix, or a wild party at a dance club with hundreds of people, you will always find something incredible to do until the wee hours of the morning. During the day, an easy walk or cheap cab ride can get you to some of the world’s most stunning beaches or to any one of St. Maarten’s shopping districts. The island is also filled to the brim with historical landmarks. One tip? In St. Maarten there is nothing wrong with negotiating your cab fare. This is “The Friendly” island and they welcome the idea of bartering and want to make it easy for you to travel. Avoid the temptations of staying in an all-inclusive hotel; you will miss the rich, diverse culture the island has. Finally, get to know as many people as you can, you’re going to keep seeing them wherever you turn. So get your passport and get going to this small Caribbean jewel. Tray’d Secrets: RFID By Tray Herman hd Lion's Eye Staff Writer 1ghl33@psu.edu With the flick of a wrist, I can gain access to volumes of information available within my computer, or start the engine on my car. No I’m not Jedi, nor a Sith: I merely use RFID technology. Radio frequency identification or RFID is a popular technological marvel that works by storing and remotely retrieving information on devices called transponders. There are two main types of RFID: active and passive. The main difference being active usually has a power source and is able to transmit and receive whereas passive is only to be transmit when it comes close to a receiver.. How it works is not necessarily important; what is important are RFID many uses. In the professional world, it can be used to transport patient’s medical records, and {tracking motorists as they run red lights. In fact, RFID’s most prevalent usage in the auto- motive industry is the ever popular EZ-Pass system, which allows motorists to pay a toll without having to stop or dig for cash. ; Professionalism and practicality aside, RFID has some pretty cool uses. In addition to EZ- Pass, a similar usage application allows individuals to flash a credit card during a transac- tion as a means to pay. On an experimental basis, it is also possible to use RFID technol- ogy to track movements of people in a location, or valuables such as vehicles or pets. However, of all the possibilities made forth by RFID, one of the most “magical” is the ability to have a chip implanted in an individual’s hand that would allow them to be able to turn their car on and start the engine just by waving it past the window. When most see this for the first time, most people find it completely awe-inspiring. Technologically speaking, it makes you wonder what they will think of next. themselves - they need the Cites 1 help in some way. What can you do to end this daily tragedy? The Lion’s Eye welcomes guest editorials and letters to the editor. Letters must be no more than 200 words and address a single topic or theme, and contain contact information of the author. Guest articles can be up to 500 words. Send correspondence to kab44@psu.edu.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers