News & Notes

On Campus Society hosts bioethics conference The Boston College Mendel Society sponsored the 28th annual conference on bioethics Saturday, welcoming fellow chapters from Boston University and Providence College. Keynote speaker Glenn McGee, founding editor of the American Journal of Bioethics, expounded arguments for and against stem cell research, noting that people's problems with the research are rooted in their misconceptions due to lack of understanding. Providence students presented topics including religion's role in health care and a preview on the Universal Declaration of Bioethics and Human Rights. BC students led a round table discussion with such topics as nuclear transfer and in vitro fertilization.

Local Dorchester teen murdered on bus A Dorchester teenager was murdered on a MBTA bus Friday afternoon, according to The Boston Globe. Tacary Jones, 18, was shot in the chest after boarding a bus at Geneva Avenue and Columbia Road. He fell inside the bus and was pronounced dead at Boston Medical Center. Ivan Hodge, 18, was charged with murder and possession of a firearm and ammunition in Boston's eighth homicide of the year. Police officials said the two did appear to know each other and are worried about shootings on public transportation.

Juveniles arrested for racist graffiti Six Newton teenagers have been charged for the vandalism and racist graffiti found on a local resident's car on Feb. 15, according to The Newton TAB. Police charged Theodore Bisbicos, 18, Joshua Stack, 18, and James Pine, 17, with malicious damage to a motor vehicle and civil rights violations. They allegedly smashed Jennifer Brennan's driver side window, scratched both sides of her car, and spray-painted it with racial slurs. They believe the vandalism may be connected to a drug deal that took place earlier that day. Police say that one of the suspected vandals and a 21-year-old Newton resident were attacked by three other members of the transaction. The suspected participants are Johnnie Morgain, 19, and two juvenile males.

Universities Group seeks to define marriage laws The Flint Hills chapter of One Voice, a group supporting marriage only between a man and a woman, held a rally at Kansas State University on March 18, according to the Kansas State Collegian. The event, titled "A Celebration of Marriage," featured speakers from different churches offering support for an amendment that would define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Though some claimed that the law is discriminatory, Mike Farmer, director of the Kansas Council of Catholic Bishops, said the amendment would only be making distinctions and is not hateful in nature. "Laws differentiate; they draw distinctions," he said. "Since Kansas protects marriage; that means not everyone can be married."

Grades improved by seating choices Students at the University of Arizona are not leaving their seats. A new theory says that if students sit in the seats everyday, their chances of getting good grades in that class are significantly improved, according to the Arizona Daily Wildcat. Suzan Delaney, a psychology professor at the University of Arizona, said students use "encoding specificity," when they sit in the same place, which helps them better retain the information that they are learning. "Being in the same seat or in the same mood can help you remember information," said Delaney.

Nation Rumors of U.S. deceit in arms dealing The Bush administration told allies that North Korea had exported nuclear material to Libya in an effort to increase pressure on Pyongyang, according to The Washington Post. Two intelligence officials with extensive knowledge of the purchases said that North Korea sold uranium hexafluoride, which can be converted into uranium for nuclear weapons, to Pakistan. Pakistan, which has an already established nuclear weapons arsenal, then sold the substance to Libya. The role of Pakistan, a key U.S. ally in the region, was concealed because of its role in tracking terrorists and its cooperation in finding al-Qaida leaders, specifically. The officials said that the Bush administration was trying to isolate North Korea, but allies became doubtful when key details of the transactions were left out.

Muscle car creator DeLorean dies John Z. DeLorean, innovative car designer and creator of the sports car bearing his name, died at the age of 80 due to complications from a recent stroke, according to MSNBC. DeLorean's namesake, the gull-winged, stainless steel sports car, was featured as a time machine in the Back to the Future movies. His pioneering style broke the mold of traditional car models, pushing the General Motors Corp. to sell smaller models. Some consider him the father of the "muscle car" after he put a V-8 engine into a Pontiac Tempest, making the first GTO in 1964. Many felt DeLorean was destined to become GM president, but left the company in 1973 to launch DeLorean Motor Car Co. in Ireland.