The Circuit

Two religious schools in the United States have chosen to sue the federal government as a result of the Department of Health and Human Services preventative services mandate.

The mandate requires all group health plans to provide free contraception and sterilization. This includes controversial abortifacients Plan B, the “morning-after pill” and Ella, the “week-after pill.”

Belmont Abbey College, a Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts college in Belmont, N.C., took action first on Nov. 10. Colorado Christian University, an interdenominational Christian school in Lakewood, Colo., filed a suit Dec. 21.

Both filed the lawsuits under the belief that abortions, including abortifacient drugs, are against God’s law and therefore they cannot be true to their Church teachings if they follow the government regulation.

While Belmont Abbey and Benedictine are similar in dogma, a large difference, which has fallen in favor of Benedictine, is the nature of their health care providers.
Benedictine is part of the Kansas City, Kan. Archdiocesan health insurance plan through Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

The Christmas season is a time for giving, but for some, this past holiday season was a time for taking.

Several off-campus houses were robbed and vandalized over break, leaving residents shocked and frustrated.

“I got the call that our house had been broken into while I was taking a nap, so when I woke up I thought it had been a dream,” said Kevon McGrew, a junior who lives at Twelfth and Division streets. “In reality it was more like a nightmare.”

An odd mix of items was stolen from the houses, including computers, gaming systems and televisions as well as $5 and a pocket knife.

Basic locks and check-ups by friends and landlords were the only sources of security for the houses.

The U.S. Congress postponed continuation of the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act Jan. 20 after ridicule from Internet protestors.

The SOPA and PIPA bills intended to enhance protections against copyright infringement and intellectual property theft, but have left many Internet users in the dark, literally.

Three popular Internet sites, Wikipedia, Reddit and Craigslist, along with 70,000 other sites, carried out a 24-hour blackout. The protest against government online intrusion left users concerned about effects the bills will have on future online navigations.

“The problem with the bills is that the intended provisions are very vague,” said Dr. Kevin Page, associate professor and chair of Benedictine’s journalism and mass communications department.