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Here are some important stories resulting from the most recent UN meeting to help you keep track of what is going on outside of the BC bubble.
Courtesy of Presidential Press and Information Office, Wikimedia Commons/www.kremlin.ru
1. On October 18, the UN chose Argentina, Luxembourg, Rwanda, South Korea and Australia as nonpermanent members of the Security Council for the next two years. The 15-member Security Council will now include Guatemala, Pakistan, Togo, Morocco, Azerbaijan, Britain, France, Russia, China and the United States, as well as the five new members.
Courtesy of David Eerdmans, Wikimedia Commons
2. North Korea Threatens South Korea Over Propaganda Campaign – South Korean activists had been planning on passing out anti-North Korean Pamphlets to North Korean citizens by sending balloons over the heavily guarded border. They were prevented from doing so by South Korean law enforcement after North Korea threatened a “merciless retaliation” if the propaganda attack was carried out.
In light of recent North Korean threats to go back on its 2005 promise to shut down its nuclear weapons program, it may be wise on the part of South Korea to defuse the tensions at the border. However, anti-North Korean activists believe that preventing the launch of the propaganda campaign was a mistake because it looks like South Korea bowed to North Korea’s blackmail.
Courtesy of Nick Hobgood, Flickr
3. African Economic Growth Booms – After decades of under-performance, African economic growth rates have surpassed both developed countries' growth rates and the global average. Except for 2009, the African economy has grown by five to seven percent every year since 2000 (only Asia has had higher growth rates). Almost all of the approximately 45 African nations have contributed to this growth.
The telecom, retail, agricultural and manufacturing industries have all played a part. Tourism may also become a more important sector as it continues to expand. Many possible reasons for this success include overall less conflict, better healthcare and education, foreign trade and investment, diversified markets and improved macroeconomic management and policy.
Courtesy of WikiLaurent Wikimedia Commons
4. Opening of Abortion Clinic in Northern Ireland Leads to Protests – In mid-October, the opening of the Marie Stopes Abortion clinic in the heart of Belfast was met with demonstrations by hundreds of anti-abortion activists. Northern Ireland is the only place in the United Kingdom where women cannot get legal abortions and up to 1,000 women leave northern Ireland every year to get abortions in Great Britain.
However, many pro-life activists argue that there is no demand for abortion clinics in Northern Ireland. Additionally, pro-life campaigners from the Irish Republic are worried that allowing an abortion clinic in Northern Ireland will lead to women leaving the southern half of the island to get abortions in the north. This dynamic will only add another facet to the complicated, tense relationship existing between Northern and Southern Ireland.
Name: Jillian Timko
School, major and year: Arts and Sciences, International Studies, 2014
Hometown: Basking Ridge, NJ
What makes the Gavel so BANGin’? I love the Gavel because it’s so new. We are still figuring out who we are as an organization and how far we can go. While this presents us with a clear set of challenges, it’s really fun to try different things and build our own identity.
You have 24 hours to give prospective students a tour of BC and convince them to enroll. How do you spend the day?
First, I would take them on an actual tour of the campus—it’s beautiful and deserves to be shown off. Then I would take them to a football tailgate, a hockey game, and to Marathon Monday. And we would eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Hillside – after an egg sandwich, a Panini, and a cheeseburger, who wouldn’t want to go to BC?
If you could go back in time and give yourself a pep talk the night before you moved into BC as a freshman, what is the most important piece of advice that you would give to your former self?
I would tell myself to keep pushing to meet new people and try new things. It’s easy to get stuck in a groove you’re comfortable with, but you should never limit yourself like that—the people at BC and the school itself have so much to offer.
What is your favorite study spot on campus?
A classroom in Gasson, or the booths on the first floor of O’Neill.
What is your go-to meal at Late Night?
Usually mozzarella sticks, sometimes pizza…
What is the #1 most played song on your iTunes?
Love and Memories by OAR
What is the best Halloween costume that you have ever worn?
I was a gumball machine, along with our lovely editor-in-chief, and we rocked it.
If you could only eat at one restaurant for the rest of your life, which would you choose?
There’s this Italian restaurant called Bolu in my hometown. It’s always absolutely delicious, and it has enough variety on its menu to get me through the rest of my life.
If you could befriend the main characters from any TV show or movie, who would you choose and why?
The characters on How I Met Your Mother. Mainly so I could experience the joy of high-fiving Barney Stinson all the time.
