Pan-Am flight 103 gets a second look

The Lockerbie bombing of Pan-Am flight 103 is under investigation again in hopes of finding accomplices to the only person convicted. The Pan-Am bombing killed 270 people on December 22, 1998; 35 were Syracuse University students studying in the SU abroad program. Abdel Baset al-Megrahi was freed by Scottish officials in August after health reports showed he was dying of cancer, Syracuse.com reports. The Sunday Telegraph says this case is still in fact open and is not just giving hope to the victim's families. Although al-Megrahi will not be investigated again, Scottish and London officials plan on reviewing forensic evidence to look for further involvement in the bombing, the AP reports. Families of the victims welcome the idea of re-investigation but hope that further review will answer questions as to why the bombing was not prevented. 

My Take:  The Lockerbie bombing was a tragic event that affected Syracuse University forever.  It was devastating news hearing that Abdel Baset a-Megrahi was released this summer after Scottish officials set him free for terminal cancer.  I do hope for the sake of the victim's families some justice can be served.  However, I believe officials also need to take into account why this happened.  Officials need to continue to make changes to intelligence programs to prevent this from happening again.

Elections draw closer across Central New York

Campaigns across Central New York are kicking into high gear with the November 3rd election date. According to Syracuse.com, there are over 830 candidates running for 471 elected positions across Onondaga, Oswego, Cayuga, and Madison counties. The newspapers have been busy with reports of various officials supporting a particular candidate, such as Stephanie Minor's recent support by Senator Charles Schumer. The elections across the region are very tight with straining issues like green jobs, schools, and the economy. More importantly Syracuse is looking at issues surrounding the Carousel mall, curfew, neighborhood revitalization, improvements downtown, and construction of I-81. In order to help organize all these issues and all the candidates views, Syracuse.com has created the CNY Voter Guide. Through entering your town, the Voter Guide will assist you in making your decision.  

My Take:  The elections are an extremely important event this year, particularly for Syracuse.  There are a ton of pressing issues that as a student I have seen through news classes and various stories.  The voter guide is a great tool that if non-biased will greatly assist the community.  It will hopefully inform the community on the issues and the best candidates that will solve or help these issues.

A surprise in a cup of coffee

Imagine taking a sip from your morning coffee only to find out, the coffee you are drinking is poisoned. Harvard University medical School students and staff experienced a poisonous cup of coffee said an internal memo to the medical school, released this week. The memo reported that the laced cup of coffee happened two months ago and has caused half a dozen employees to fall sick. The coffee was laced with sodium azide, a common laboratory preservative.  No legal actions have been taken against the poisonous coffee.

My Take:  This is an unfortunate event, but thank goodness no one has died from this freak poisonous coffee.  It is a little unsettling that it took two months for the school to report this matter and there is a great possibility it could happen again.  If I were a student, I would definitely be making my own coffee from now on.