By Sarah Wie and Ananya Nrusimha

This past year has certainly been a year to remember, for both the good and the bad.

The most notable airplane story of the year is the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which was an international passenger flight that vanished on March 8, 2014 while flying from Malaysia to Beijing. The aircraft disappeared from air traffic controllers’ radars while over the South China Sea. The aircraft’s communication systems did not send out any distress signals or sign of tumultuous weather or technical issues with the aircraft. The flight carried 12 Malaysian crew members and 227 passengers from 15 nations. The search effort involved several nations an began in the Gulf of Thailand where the flight’s signal was last detected. The search then extended to the Strait of Malacca and Andaman Sea. Currently, the search is continuing with a comprehensive search of the seafloor that began in October 2014. In addition, there has been no confirmation of flight debris, resulting in several unofficial disappearance theories, ranging from hijacking to a cyberattack to Pitbull and Shakira’s song “Get It Started” to alien abduction. None have been verified.

The evenness of the number 2014 can mean only one thing in the realm of sports: the Olympics. This year’s Winter Olympics took place in Sochi, Russia. The Games began on February 7 with a spectacular opening ceremony and ended on February 23 with an equally magnificent closing ceremony. There were a total of 98 events in the 15 winter sport categories and 12 new competition during the Games. The budget was originally US$12 billion, but the final budget skyrocketed to US$51 billion, which set the record for the most expensive Olympics in history. Several controversies marred these Games, especially concerns of the safety of LGBT athletes because of the recently passed legislation in Russia, as well as threats of jihadist groups related to the insurgency in the North Cacasus. Within the Games themselves, particularly in ice skating, a great controversy surrounded the awarding of the gold medal to Adelina Sotnikova and the fairness in the judging systems. Many question this fairness, as many of the judges were biased towards Sotnikova (known as ‘home field advantage’), and many believe that Yuna Kim (“Queen Yuna”) deserved the gold medal for an overall better performance.

The spread of the Ebola virus, a classified biosafety level 4 agent, raised much concern this past year as well. After the virus spread outside of Africa (and the subsequent slipups within the CDC), many people began panicking and paying more attention. Since October 15, 2014, there have been 17 cases of Ebola treated outside Africa, and 4 have died.

The Interview, a Sony film regarding North Korea, has been the most recent controversy of 2014. After several theatres decided to retract this movie from their available viewing options, many decried this deed as an action against freedom of expression. However, the real issue surrounds the blatant racism that this movie entails. Instead of bringing light to the actual issues plaguing North Korea, such as mass starvation and the use of concentration camps with conditions comparable to the Holocaust, the movie uses low-level humor and crude Asian jokes in a failed attempt at a movie.

Race relations were brought to the forefront of America’s public consciousness after the death of an unarmed African-American teenager named Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in August.  The incident and the aquittal of the police officer who killed Brown incited national outrage and protests in multiple cities; protests in Ferguson became violent and have put the city in lockdown.  Michael Brown’s death has also sparked a national conversation on police brutality; many are now calling for all police officers to be equipped with cameras to allow for effective documentation of and appropriate consequences for police brutality.

In the Middle East, a terrorist group once linked with Al-Qaeda became an independent entity and began its quest to turn most of the region into an Islamic caliphate.  While the group has been calling itself the Islamic State since June, American news organizations use either ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) or ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) to refer to the group; the American government uses the latter acronym.  This group already controls large portions of Iraq and Syria.  They are probably best known for their use of social media, their chilling propaganda videos and their decapitation of many innocents who refused to ally with them, including three Americans and two Englishmen.

The United States conducted a prisoner swap in May with the Taliban, who received 5 high-ranking Guantanamo detainees in exchange for Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl.  Bergdahl had been a prisoner for five years; the circumstances of his capture have been held under intense scrutiny, as some believed that he was deserting his post when he was captured.  While an army investigation on the matter has been completed, it has still not been made public at this time.

The deaths of three Israeli students in the West Bank led to a bloody continuation of the Israel-Palestine conflict during the summer.  Israeli officials believed that Hamas (a group that currently controls the Gaza strip) was responsible for the killings and arrested Hamas officials and began to bomb the Gaza strip in retaliation.  In early July, a Palestinian teenager was killed in Jerusalem; six Israelis were found responsible and were arrested.  This only served to increase tensions on both sides, which sparked widespread violence, riots, and bombings that killed 1,777 Palestinians and 68 Israelis.  Both Israel and Hamas are currently engaged in peace talks.

By Ani Nrusimha

The country ruled by a president famed for riding bears has entered into a severe bear market.  An economic calamity is looming over Russia, and the potential for economic downturn is terrifying.  Russia is the world’s sixth largest economy, and due to a rapidly inflating currency and dropping prices in oil, its economy is hurting.

One of the many reasons that the Russian economy is tanking is due to a rapid decline in oil prices;  for the first time in over half a decade, the price of oil has dropped below $60 for a barrel of crude.  There a multiple reasons for this, the most notable being a recent decision by Saudi Arabia to not curb oil production – effectively increasing the supply of cheap oil. Saudi Arabia has a large supply of cheap oil, and had often agreed with other OPEC members to curb production in order to keep oil prices high.  The decision to vastly increase production has hurt many other oil producers, especially Russia, because cheaper oil decreases the profit they get from their exports.  Russia is a major energy exporter to many european countries, and the recent decision has severely hurt the ruble.

The Ruble has plummeted even faster than the price of oil, however.  Due to economic sanctions against Russia due to their annexation of Crimea, there has been a lot of difficulty in lending money.  A large shot to Oil prices sent the Ruble tumbling to a record of 80.1 rubles to the dollar.  In fact, the situation got so bad that Vladimir Putin put a cap on Vodka prices.  The value of the currency has started to stabilize due to large economic action by the government.

According to Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, “We think that now this period has come to an end, the period of economic instability.  We think that the Ruble is still undervalued at the current price of oil.”  One notable action taken by the government was to order companies to sell foreign currencies, and an increase in the interest rate by the central bank.  Both of these decisions have caused some grumbling from businesses in Russia.  However, the country is not out of the clear just yet.  Standard & Poor’s, a credit rating agency, has warned that they might downgrade the credit rating of Russia, which could severely hurt their economic potential.  Currently, the crisis is averted, but we may be in the eye of the storm.

Kim Jung Un, the North Korean leader, has recently emerged to the public after a disappearance from public view for about six weeks. The National Intelligence Service of South Korea explained to lawmakers that a cyst was found on Kim’s ankle and prompted ankle surgery during the months of September and October, which coincide with the months of his absence. . North Korea has also executed ten party officials by firing squad for various accusations ranging from corruption to the viewing of a South Korean soap opera. Senior military officials have also been demoted due to poor accuracy in artillery drills.

Kim’s disappearance caused him to miss the 65th anniversary of the Worker’s Party of North Korea, which sparked speculation and controversy surrounding his disappearance.

By Harleen Kaur

On Wednesday December 17, 2014 Alan Gross returned to the US after five years of imprisonment in Cuba. Gross has said to have been unfairly imprisoned in a Cuban prison for the past 5 years, and when he returned home he was congratulated by President Obama for his return home and to his returned freedom. In return Gross thanked the President for allowing his release to be made possible. Although, following his return Gross received $3.2 million in a settlement to compensate for his five years in prison, but he and his wife had first sued for $60 million. Yet, a federal judge rejected the claim.

Gross formerly worked as a contractor for USAID, the agency overseeing foreign aid, was arrested in Cuba after being accused of bringing cell phones and communication equipment to the Jewish community in Cuba without the permit required under Cuban law. The US stated that Gross was aiding Cubans as a part of democracy-building program by allowing access to Internet in an area where information is limited. Gross was arrested in 2009 and found guilty in a Cuban court in 2011. During his sentence Gross lost 100 pounds, five teeth, and most of the sight in his right eye. After five years in a Cuban prison, where his wife said he became very “hopeless” especially with 10 yet remaining to his sentence, he was told he would be able to return to his home.

Gross was released in December, ending his 15-year sentence, following an agreement between the US and Cuba put forth in order to restore diplomatic ties. This agreement allowed Gross to return back to American soil, and it also allowed the release of three Cubans imprisoned in the US, supposedly members of the Cuban Five, and it allows more trade accesses to and from the US and Cuba. According to government officials, this process took many months beginning in the spring after President Obama allowed high-level contact with the Cuban government. This agreement is said to have normalized relations between the US and Cuba that have been ongoing for fifty years, ever since the Cold War, a key goal in the President’s second term. President Obama stated, “These 50 years have shown that isolation has not worked. It’s time for a new approach.”

By: Anthony Cantanese

Scandalous priest, corrupt politicians, materialistic preachers, and even terrorist all hide behind a veil of religious doctrine, while manipulating their followers. No one who is a true follower of faith or citizen of their nation would support or follow any of these abominations. How do we perceive that these individuals or organizations are sacrilegious or corrupt? We look at their source of authority, and such people never actually follow the law or scripture that they are associated with.
Many falsely accuse Muslims as being terrorists or apart of another vice, and even though Muslims exclaim that they are not, the media clearly demonstrates that they are. It is harmful to believe the media because it is a labyrinth of interpretations, on top of interpretations, of a particular source. It is true that the the media conveys important information at times, but only when the viewer has done his or her research.
Everyone knows something about Islam, usually that there are certain Muslims that are terrorists, but how accurate is it to label Islam as corrupt and the majority of its followers as violent criminals or heretics? The very thought is hypocritical! Many don’t even know beyond this image of terrorism, and it is important that individuals become more familiar with the true image of Islam because according to the Guinness Book of World Records, Islam is the world’s fastest-growing religion by number of conversions each year. Furthermore, “Although the religion began in Arabia, [starting in] 2002 80% of all believers in Islam lived outside the Arab world.” What is even more interesting is that there is a higher rate of women embracing Islam than men.
One must decide that either there is an alternate image of Islam or that people are inclined toward violent religions. How does one even begin to think about an opinion about such a significant subject? “Read in the name of thy Lord!” Take a look at the Muslim source of authority: Al-Qur’an.
The Qur’an itself is highly credible; it has been strictly preserved since the time of Prophet Muhammad. What makes it even more credible, is that the original is still kept in Arabia. Al-Qur’an, often translated as the recitations, consists of 114 chapters, and amazingly many Muslims still memorize it entirely.
Muslims believe that the message, known as the Qur’an, was revealed to Prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel, like the prophets of the past.  When Muslims are listening to the Qur’an, they are hearing the same message given to the Prophet, which makes it extremely sacred to Muslims, and not just because it is authentic, but because the Qur’an is the Word of God. This message proclaims salvation through simple forgiveness, it encourages righteous conduct,damns evil behavior, and narrates the beloved stories of righteous men and women (Encyclopedia of Asian History, 1988).
Muslims call God Allah: Allah is the Arabic name of the God of Prophet Abraham, in the same way that in Aramaic, the language Jesus the Messiah spoke, is Eli or Elah, and Elohim is in Hebrew, the language of the Children of Israel.
So what is Allah’s message?
“Say, [O believers], ‘We have believed in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him” (Chapter Al-Baqarah 136).
That’s right: Muslims believe in the Hebrew prophets, Christ, the Torah, Psalms, and even the Gospel. Much of these are already understood by many. Some may wonder why Muslims don’t just use the Bible. Actually, many Muslims do read the Bible, but they accept the Qur’an as the Word of God. The reason is because today we lack the Torah that was revealed to Prophet Moses, the Psalms that was revealed to Prophet David, and the Gospel that was revealed to Jesus the Messiah. This is why Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad received the Qur’an; he was sent as a final messenger with the ‘final testament,’ confirming the previous revelations and prophets that were before him.
Realizing that Islam is a part of the Abrahamic Faiths – a continuation – you already know more about Islam and the Qur’an then you initially realized. There are only slight differences, but that is expected; anyways it is true that we worship the same God.
“In the Name of God, the all-Merciful, the All-Compassionate.1 All praise and gratitude are for God, the Lord of the worlds,2 The All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate,3 The Master of the Day of Judgment.4 You alone do We worship, and from You alone do we seek help5 Guide us to the Straight path,6 The Path of those whom You have favored, not of those who have incurred Your anger, nor of those who are astray” (Chapter Al-Fatimah).
The Qur’an is a lesson book, a prayer book, a book of guidance, all aspects of life from spirituality to society, are mention in the Qur’an. In the same way the Bible teaches certain behaviors to be just in the sight of God, for example the Ten Commandments; in fact you can find all of the Commandments in the Qur’an.  
One fascinating teaching of the Qur’an is universal “brotherhood” of mankind: “O mankind, indeed we have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted” (Chapter Al-Hujurat 13). Allah clearly made humans into peoples of race and nations, therefore we should not discriminate against each other, but learn from one another.
If one takes the time to actually read the Qur’an, then one will discover that Islam is not completely alienated from their own faith, and one will discover new values and attitudes. However, this is not the reason that the Qur’an is criticized, but because sometimes its verses are used in the company of Violence.
Indeed the Qur’an speaks of war,  as mentioned above, it speaks of all aspects of life.  Sadly, many humans do not want to get to know one another, and therefore we developed what we call war. If God gave you a book, would you expect him to be ignorant in this subject? Thus, God through the Qur’an speaks about violence and war. God is the all-Understanding, God knows that it is unjust to allow the wicked to slay the innocent; therefore, under certain conditions warfare is permitted in cases of defense and the removal of oppression, but still, in such circumstances violence is apposed. These matters are silent in the gospels and are ambiguous in the Torah, which as a result led to many tragedies issued by Christian nations. Throughout history, men like Saint Augustine,  constructed guidelines on how Christians should act in war, but often such individuals were – and still  – constantly ignored. Islam does not permit the betrayal of agreements, plundering, torture, attacks on children, women, elderly, and non-combatants, it does not allow destruction of orchards or tilled lands, the slaughtering of livestock, and disrespect towards clergymen as a means of war.  Islam does not view war as something of play, once the threat is over, all violence must stop, and peace should be made as soon as possible.
Many misuse these verses, the same way individuals do with the Bible or any other documentation. Allah declares,“Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors . . . whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land – it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one – it is as if he had saved mankind entirely (Chapter Al-Baqarah 190 & Al-Mā’idah 32). It is not a senseless holocaust that He orders.
“[Jesus said] But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.” Luke 19:27
Can you imagine a preacher or bishop using this verse to justify an act? Firstly, every Christian should know the context of this verse in their gospel, and they should know what it means. In the same way, individuals who are Muslim are able to misuse verses of the Qur’an. The majority of non-Muslims never read the Qur’an – that is what creates this fear – they only know a certain verse of the Qur’an without its context and nothing else. If I never read the gospel of Luke and my Christian brother only read me this verse (Luke 19:27), I would wonder ‘what in the world is he following,’ but thankfully I have read the New Testament and understand Luke 19:27 in its context. The example is candid.
The actions of some Muslims are simply wrong. People often fall into vices, but that does not mean that their religion is corrupt; religion often seeks to reform behavior, but sometimes its followers are “not on the same page.”
Rather than labeling Muslims and the Qur’an as a source of violence, we ought to label terrorists violent hypocrites. If anyone wants to understand, judge, or help the Muslim world, they can only do so by first reading the Qur’an. Non-Muslims and Muslims, no matter how hard or how far, must discover the true image of Islam.

“He sends down from the sky, rain, and valleys flow according to their capacity, and the torrent carries a rising foam. And from that [ore] which they heat in the fire, desiring adornments and utensils, is a foam like it. Thus Allah presents [the example of] truth and falsehood. As for the foam, it vanishes, [being] cast off; but as for that which benefits the
people, it remains on the earth. Thus does Allah present examples.”
(Chapter Ar-Ra’d 17)