Well, my time has come to an end here at Ferris. I am finishing my second bachelor’s degree this semester and have had an amazing time in the process.

I came to Ferris in the fall of 2004 after barely passing high school and taking a one-year break. After working three and four jobs at a time, I decided that I needed to do something else with my life so I came to Ferris on the suggestion of my tech center teacher, Julia Rawlings.

Entering college, I lived in Cramer and ended up having to move due to problems with a roommate.

After two years, I was finishing up my associate’s degree in printing. I had found my footing. I had surrounded myself with good friends. The following year, I was presented with an opportunity through SkillsUSA to compete in my area of study – Printing. I ended up taking a national gold medal and winning Ferris a one year lease on a printing press valued at over $60,000.

I was also chosen as the Editor in Chief for the Torch after my third year, and I held this position for the past two years. It has been a very strenuous but rewarding experience.

In my third year, I also met one of the most amazing people in my life – Amela Mujkic – who I am now proud to say is my fiancé. Though we have been through some tough times, we have also been through some amazing times such as a three-week trip to Oregon to see my brother for Christmas, and another two weeks in Germany preceded by a week in Bosnia, making a three-week European tour.

Now we are looking to our future together. As aforementioned, I am finishing my second degree and have a GPA of about 3.4. Contrasted with my high school GPA of 2.2, I’d say that I’ve done well. It saddens me that Ferris has changed its entry requirements and I would no longer be allowed to attend this ‘opportunity college.’

What is next for me? I will tell you when I know. With the economy the way it is, I am competing for the same positions with people from all over the world and people with years of experience. Ferris has given me the opportunities for a solid education and I plan on using this to the fullest.

The debate about torture has come back to the forefront of the news with some of the recent decisions by president Obama concerning the issue and its legality.

Obama recently decided to publicize a series of memos from the Justice Department and CIA containing information about the brutal tactics employed by the administration under former president George W. Bush. He has also made some key steps towards looking further into the cases of torture that occurred to see if any laws were broken.

The release of these memos has caused outcries from many, including former vice president Dick Cheney. Cheney recently made statements claiming that releasing these government memos has caused the nation to become less safe, and that the use of torture has yielded positive information in the past.

Since Obama’s inauguration, Cheney has been one of his biggest critics on his foreign policy stance, and now about his stance on torture. But is he right? Is Obama making a bad decision by speaking out against torture and publicizing the past administration’s use of brutal interrogation methods?

This is a very controversial issue that can be looked at from many sides. Those who advocate torture look to the fact that it can be used to get vital information out of the suspect, which could save many lives. This also goes along with the classic “ticking bomb” scenario that is proposed.

According to a CBS news article from April 23, John McCain has warned against this “witch hunt” of Bush administration officials who partook in these interrogations. McCain has a very personal tie to this issue because of his history, and has been a very vocal critic of Bush’s decisions to use such tactics.

While I have heard people such as Bill O’Reilly say that it should be legal to use torture because it can aid in gathering information, it’s not always that simple. The “ticking bomb” scenario rarely occurs, if ever, and should not be the sole basis for this argument.

One of the most notorious cases of torture under the Bush administration was the infamous use of waterboarding to the alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. It has been said that he was water boarded 183 times. There also has been much debate of whether or not waterboarding should even be considered torture.

For an inside look of how this interrogation works, the famous journalist Christopher Hitchens decided to undergo the process himself. Though his experience was brief, he came out with a very staunch conviction.

In his article in Vanity Fair about his experience, he stated, “it doesn’t simulate the feeling of drowning, you are being drowned.” He also said, “if waterboarding does not constitute torture, then there is no such thing as torture.”

As rare as it may be, the ticking bomb scenario is a possibility. If it were to occur, should it be legal for torture to be used? While it seems like it would make sense to say yes, who is to say when an extreme situation is at hand and when it is not. Given an investigator has custody of a murderer or terrorist whom they disdain, won’t there be an inclination to torture, even if it is not necessary?

The utilitarian argument supposes that the end will justify the means, but this is one situation where this is not an acceptable ethical measure. The end may justify the means in a few instances, but it is inevitable that torture will be used unnecessarily.

Legalizing it in certain situations is not the answer as it will lead to its over use. If a torture tactic is used, regardless of the outcome or the circumstances, there must be consequences. Even if it will really save that many lives, using overly-harsh interrogation tactics should not come without consequences for the person making the orders.

President Obama is putting an end to a dark era, and rightfully so. Cheney will have his words about it, but it is only proper to take a stand against the practice of torture by investigating previous occurrences.

I am the type of driver who will race you at the light, probably cut you off at some point, slam on my brakes, and turn in front of you.

And if you don’t like it I might throw you a friendly hand gesture or yell some obscenity out the window.

For years, studies have shown that men are the better drivers. Although I will take any chance to stand up and defend my sex, I sadly agree.

I’m a fast driver, I like to weave in and out of lanes passing cars, and the horn in every one of my cars has gone out of commission within the first month or so.

You might be thinking that’s just road rage. Well yes, it is. But the things I have witnessed in the past week while cruising the streets are indescribable. And low and behold the figure behind the wheel was always a woman.

Last week I passed someone at a green light that appeared to be adjusting the zoom on her camera. At least she wasn’t in motion during her photo shoot, but the drivers behind her were less than enthused by having to wait 20 seconds longer after the light turned green.

Another problem is the 15-pound cluster of memorabilia hanging from rearview mirrors. If you have to physically move your head around the mass of dice and tassels to make a turn, something is wrong. Not just that, if the mirror isn’t being used as a coat hanger, it’s a cosmetic station pointed conveniently at the driver’s seat, not at the traffic approaching.

I’m not saying that all women are bad drivers or that all men are the perfect drivers. Just because they may have some inkling of automotive knowledge doesn’t necessarily mean they can operate a car better.

But driving has turned into a social activity for women. Whether friends are in the car, they’re on the phone, or God forbid, they’re texting; the focus is never on the crowd of wheels carrying 3,000 pounds.

Texting is like the new drunk driving, and I’m not singling out the women. Men are just as bad. It is physically and mentally impossible to multitask while driving. The text might be urgent, OMG, but the last thing you’ll be texting after your car collides with another is FML.

For the sake of this argument, so far in my driving experiences I have witnessed more trouble on the road involving other women than I have with men. I apologize to the percent of women who have made it their duty to protect our sex from this stigma, for I’ve contributed my part to this sexist statistic.

“We kidnap and ravage and don’t give a hoot. Drink up me ‘earties, yo ho.”

How true those words are to the Somalian pirates who have gained world-wide attention. We first learned of them in 2005, and now it seems like they have gained confidence and are going after blood.

Apparently, the U.S. Government and NATO countries are taking the role of Commodore James Norington chasing down Captain Jack Sparrow and Barbossa.

Only instead of swords and pistols being used to fight. The U.S and the Somalian pirates are using machine guns, grenades and missiles – oh my!

Piracy has been around since before the medieval times. According to piratesinfo. com (what a great Web site), one of the oldest stories of pirates was inscribed on a clay tablet dating back Pharo Echnaton (1350 BC). The report mentions freelance Mediterranean shipping attacks in North Africa.

Piracy can also be traced back to around 340 AD by epigraphic evidence. Ancient scripts have been found that describe how Athens honored Cleomis, tyrant of Methymna on Lesbos, for ransoming a number of Athenians captured by pirates.

Known for their stealing, womanizing, and drunken ways perhaps due to a severe fondness for rum, pirates have somehow captured modern interest.

Whether due to the Walt Disney “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy or the ancient stories of swashbuckling lore, most people would admit it’s pretty cool to be a pirate. Even Gonzo, the Muppet, was a pirate.

Granted, we have a slightly biased opinion, but even Captain Hook’s men didn’t seem to have to bad of a life living on a boat.

Think back to when you were younger, or even after you saw the “Curse of the Black Pearl” or other Pirate movies, how cool did it seem to be a pirate?

When the Somalian pirates took the captain of the Maersk Alabama hostage though, the coolness of the pirating world deflated a tad.

No longer are pirates sailing the seven seas looking for Davey Jones' treasure, or betrayed by Long John Silver in the hunt for treasure. These pirates showed the blood thirstiness we have only heard about in song.

“We kidnap and ravage and don’t give a hoot. Drink up me ‘earties, yo ho. Maraud and embezzle and even highjack. Drink up me ‘earties, yo ho.”

Highjacking yes, kidnap, yes, ravage, yes…drink up? That part wasn’t told to us, but for the sake of it, let’s say sure.

Now, according to timesonline. com, Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse, the alleged pirate leader that hijacked the US-flagged Maersk Alabama in the Indian Ocean on April 8 and took Captain Richard Phillips hostage on a lifeboat for five days is facing trial in New York. Under U.S. law piracy carries a mandatory life sentence.

I guess things have changed a bit since Captain Jack Sparrow arrived in Port Royale, Jamaica and saw the pirates hanging from a noose, with a warning sign above.

No longer are pirates branded and hanged, but tried in court. A court that is not short of controversy.

According the timesonline. com, the last time his mother saw Muse, he was in a school uniform. His lawyer says Muse is only 15-yearsold and too young to be tried as an adult. Muse’s father has since admitted his son is 18-years-old.

Amidst this drama the root of the problem became clear. According to timesonline. com, his mother told reporters in her hometown that Muse had been studying at an Islamic school when “gangsters with money” coaxed him into piracy.

“The last time I saw him he was in his school uniform,” she said. “He was brainwashed. People who are older than him outwitted him, people who are older than him duped him.”

Muse’s mother sells milk in a market, and it’s pretty obvious the family of 14 is in need of money.

Sounds similar to those that become involved in illegal activities everywhere. Money comes faster and quicker when selling drugs, robbing, shooting, and playing pirate.

However, one must remember the last part of the Pirate Song.

“We’re beggars and blighters and ne’er do-well cads, Drink up me ‘earties, yo ho. Aye, but we’re loved by our mommies and dads, Drink up me ‘earties, yo ho. Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me.”

They too, are loved by their parents, and they may never do well, but it’s a pirates' life for them.