SAN FRANCISCO–At least 64,000 people from all 50 states and more than 20 other countries have given money to support or oppose a ban on same-sex marriage in California, reflecting broad interest in a race that some consider second in national importance only to the presidential election.

Ten days before the vote on Proposition 8, campaign finance records show that total contributions for and against the measure have surpassed $60 million, according to an analysis by The Associated Press.

That would be a record nationally for a ballot initiative based on a social rather than economic issue, campaign finance experts say. It also eclipses the combined total of $33 million spent in the 24 states where similar measures have been put to voters since 2004.

If approved by California voters, Proposition 8 would overturn a state Supreme Court ruling, which legalized same-sex marriages, by changing the state constitution to limit marriage to a man and a woman.

Campaign committees formed to back or battle the amendment were close in fundraising as of Oct. 25, the AP’s analysis found. Supporters had raised at least $28.2 million; opponents had taken in $32.3 million, closing a fundraising gap that had them $8 million behind a month ago.

The figures for each side are actually higher because small cash donations made since Sept. 30 had not yet been reported.

The measure is likely to attract more money than any race other than the billion-dollar presidential election, judging by campaign-finance data from other high-profile contests. The closest appears to be the U.S. Senate race in Minnesota, at $35 million.

“I’m surprised how much they are spending because I would have thought 90 percent of the people would have made up their minds on this issue,” said Robert Stern, president of the nonpartisan Center for Governmental Studies. “But if this is a close race, that undecided 10 percent will decide the election. Every dollar, in a sense, counts.”

The money pouring into the 13 committees promoting or challenging the measure has come from prominent religious conservatives and gay rights activists, Hollywood actors and moguls, teachers and CEOs.

Individuals who identified themselves as retirees and homemakers accounted for the most donations, giving more than $11 million. Self-identified lawyers gave $2.3 million.

On the yes side, the Knights of Columbus, based in New Haven, Conn., is the measure’s largest single contributor so far, having given $1.4 million. Other top contributors to the Yes on 8 campaign were Irvine banking heir Howard Ahmanson Jr.’s Fieldstead and Co. foundation ($1.1 million); John Templeton Jr., son of the late Bryn Mawr, Pa., investor John Templeton ($900,000); the Tupelo, Miss.-based American Family Association ($500,000), and Elsa Prince, ($450,000), mother of Blackwater founder Erik Prince.

Knights of Columbus spokesman Patrick Korten said the Catholic fraternal organization has backed amendments limiting marriage to a man and a woman in every state where they have appeared. But none of the group’s other contributions has come close to what the Knights are putting into the Proposition 8 race.

LONDON–The Scouts, a UK-founded youth group that practices “learning by doing,” has developed a new movement to inform its teenage members about the realities of sex.

The Scouting Organization aims to promote the physical, intellectual, social and spiritual well-being of the individual (usually through outdoor activities), and their new focus will only reinforce those ideals. Their new program, whose motto is “Be prepared,” will not only persuade adolescents from having sex, but it will also acknowledge that many teenagers have already engaged in intercourse.

The organization’s goal is for Scout leaders to be able to provide youngsters with practical advice and support in regards to sex. The leaders will even be permitted to distribute condoms and to arrange visits to a sexual health clinic, if they feel an individual is about to begin having, or is already having sex.

Dr. Karla Bee, one of the individuals who helped draft the program’s guidelines, claimed that the Scout Association was correct in making this information available for adolescents.
“There is much more to do to ensure young people have the knowledge they need to prevent early pregnancy and look after their sexual health,” she claimed.

Britain has the highest teenage birth rate in all of Western Europe, with most individuals becoming sexually active at age 16. The Scouts plan to deal with the current issue today, as well as take preventative measures to make the problem of early, unsafe sex obsolete in the future.

Positives
Thank you Jon’s Lunch for making our mouths water with your wondrously fattening, yet oh-so finger-lickin’ good food last Sunday. Please come back again!

It’s good to hear how many people have/are waiting for their absentee ballots. I’m so glad everyone is making the effort to vote this year–our differences aside, voicing your opinion is one of the most important things you can do. Six days and counting!

In last week’s battery, I mentioned that we were cold. Well, Residential Life read my mind because the day the paper got sent to print, the heat was turned on! Yay! Thanks for coming to the rescue.

Negatives
It’s the most wonderful time of the yeeear! Midterms, class registration, essays–you name it. Not only do you have to figure out what you’re doing with your life (while making sure you take the right computer class to count for credit), you have to make sure you don’t fail your classes while doing so. Try to stay sane until Thanksgiving, we’re almost there…

Does anyone else find it funny how the shuttle to the mall doesn’t meet where the “Shuttle Stop” sign is? Why have a sign that says the shuttle stops there when in fact, it doesn’t? Just another nonsensical quirk of this school.

Every day my e-mail is full of messages from Dining Services. Any way we can limit them?

WEST HAVEN–Students joined together in the Alumni Lounge with loaded potatoes in hand to watch Michael Moore’s SiCKO Thursday night, Oct. 23. The film, presented by the College Democrats offered personalized insight into American healthcare.

In today’s economy and presidential race, the issue of healthcare is at the forefront of American minds. In the film, Moore began by explaining how the healthcare system got to be the way it is today. He claims it all began with our history’s most notably corrupt president, Richard Nixon. His disinterest in healthcare issues allowed for Henry Kaiser to ignite the business of health insurance. Since then, American insurance companies have focused more on profits than quality care.

Moore then examined the healthcare systems in other countries: Canada, England, France, and Cuba. Their universal-style healthcare policies greatly juxtaposed those of exclusivity in America. Moore tried his best to compare the policies on equal terms, showing how almost identical situations were handled in different countries. One woman’s tragic story involved her daughter of around 18 months old dying because Kaiser Permanente would not allow her to get treated for a fever at the closest hospital. In opposition, another little girl ran a fever and was treated right away. The first incident took place in the United States, the other in France.
Moore used personal stories to build his entire examination of the healthcare system. He interviewed Americans and foreigners alike on topics such as emergency treatments, healthcare costs, insurance policies, and diagnoses. Some of the most heartfelt of these personal tales are those of 9/11 rescue workers that now suffer from many health issues that remain untreated. Spending days among the ash of Ground Zero took a toll on many people’s lives, yet the government only funds care for the most extreme cases. In an effort to make a statement, Moore documented his trip with these people to Guantanamo Bay, where members of the Taliban receive better healthcare in prison than the heroes of 9/11 receive. While they weren’t allowed anywhere near the prison, the Americans underwent days of treatment in a local Cuban hospital, evidently for free. Not only did they receive official diagnoses of their ailments, but they also received surgery, if necessary, prescription drugs, and treatment plans.

The film was an interesting look into the world of healthcare. It was also a very useful, while bias, tool for the students present. Their eyes were opened to the reality of healthcare that they will soon be entering. As some of the most shocking facts were told, many students created plans to move overseas.

While the film was in no way an unbias telling of the true nature of healthcare in the United States, it was definitely shocking, and seemingly well-researched. Michael Moore was as blunt and sarcastic as he was in Bowling for Columbine and Fahrenheit 9/11. However, his statements do offer truth, as long as it is taken with a grain of salt.

The screening was not only an eye-opening experience, but a well-timed one at that. As they gear up for the election next week, the College Democrats have successfully made people aware of their presence on campus with numerous events. With only a year of activity behind them, they are undoubtedly rising in the ranks of clubs worth recognition.

Every Halloween, movie goers prepare for another sequel of the ever popular Saw franchise. Since 2004, horror fans have watched as the Jigsaw Killer (Tobin Bell) expanded the normal idea of revenge and sought to teach lessons to the world’s worst people. His traps were ingenious, his apprentices unbelievable, and the motions of the movie always played out to leave the audience guessing. This year, in its fifth installment, Saw V was compelling and original while still giving its fans all the answers they asked for and more.

Saw V picked up exactly where Saw IV, and I guess you could say Saw III, left off. Detective Hoffman is revealed as a Jigsaw apprentice, Jigsaw is dead, and FBI Agent Strahm is locked in a makeshift operating room after attempting to solve the crimes. The agencies are facing off against each other, both believing they helped to solve the Jigsaw Killer cases. Of course, there is also the game, with five people stuck in a terrible situation with no way out but to watch a video of Billy the puppet and attempt to survive to the end of the puzzles.

Now I won’t go about spoiling the movie for anyone, at least not anything that is not already in the previews, but I can promise that the traps in Saw V are gory beyond all belief. All of the traps also had a mental component to them, taking a step away from the downright bloodbath of traps that took up much of Saw III. Head-inclosing tanks, glass boxes, and a trap that makes people work against their instincts provide ample opportunities for those facing “the game” to make it out alive. As can be expected many don’t, and Saw V does not fail to provide the audience with plenty of deaths and blood.

However, for once all the dying seemed acceptable, due to an eight minute conversation between Jigsaw and Detective Hoffman that had me literally at the edge of my seat. Fans and critics of the series alike can agree that Tobin Bell was a perfect cast for the delusional Jigsaw and his discussion, which focused on his need to passively kill and the purpose of rehabilitation, was one of the finest insights into the character yet.

Oh yeah, and did I mention the answers? For once, a movie (or TV show, or any medium for that matter) answered the questions it left open in previous installments. Saw V went back and revisited all the other Saw movies in an exciting and interesting way and answered all the questions that most avid fans had lying in the pits of their stomachs when the fourth installment’s credits rolled.

So really, Saw V did everything it was supposed to. It was not amazing, not that any of us fans really thought it would be. It’s the fifth movie, after all. But it answered the questions it needed, acted as the connective strand between all the other installments, had great traps, great escapes (yes, someone does escape a Jigsaw trap), and just the right amount of gore. Oh, and the perfect entry into Saw VI. So, if you like the Saw franchise, go check out Saw V this Halloween if you dare to play the game. And remember…always trust Jigsaw to give you the right answers. You’ll understand once you see the movie!

Spooky, horrifying, and yet AWESOME!

The old Clinton police HQ in Clinton CT gets quite a make over every year around this time. Maybe it’s the ghostly voices in the night, maybe it’s the residual fear of being locked up? Or maybe it’s just in the name of fun. Regardless of why, every year the week before Halloween the old HQ building becomes the local hotspot for two days the week before Halloween. This year the Haunted Happening is going to be on October 24th and 25th from 7pm to 11pm. The Morgan High School SADD program is the crazy ghouls responsible for the transformation. The past years have gotten them a great name.

This year the spectacle involves one of the Police Department Sergeants and a UNH Senior, myself, Bradley Reed. I encourage you all to join us in the fun filled nights admission is only $5 for some scary fun!

For a video from last year visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUb1VjHi5SU

Written by USGA Senator Bradley Reed

IRVING, Texas–The Jonas Brothers will perform during halftime of the Dallas Cowboys’ nationally televised Thanksgiving Day game against the Seattle Seahawks.

The band will officially kick off the 2008 Salvation Army Red Kettle Christmas campaign at the NoV. 27 contest. The fundraising drive continues through Christmas Eve.

Since its partnership with the Cowboys, which began in 1997, the annual Red Kettle campaign has raised more than $1 billion, helping the Salvation Army serve 30 million people each year nationwide. Last year, the campaign raised a record $118 million.

Previous halftime performers include Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Sheryl Crow, Destiny’s Child, Toby Keith, LeAnn Rimes, and Jessica Simpson.

LOS ANGELES–The doctor has again ordered Janet Jackson to postpone a return to her “Rock Witchu” tour.

Jackson was scheduled to resume her tour Monday night at the Turning Stone Resort in New York after canceling a show over the weekend in Connecticut. A message posted on the resort and casino’s Web site stated the show had been canceled at the advice of Jackson’s doctor.
She has since postponed several shows, including Thursday night’s show at Madison Square Garden in New York. Promoters say the dates will be rescheduled.

No one is saying what is ailing Jackson, who was rushed to a hospital in Montreal before a concert in late September.

Jackson is on her first North American tour in seven years.

BERDYANSK, Ukraine–Olga Kurylenko, the model and actress who stars in
the upcoming James Bond movie, began acting by playing Santa Claus’
young wife in a school play in her Ukrainian hometown.

Teachers remember Kurylenko, the 28-year-old brunette who charms 007 in
Quantum of Solace, for the determination, drive and luck that turned
her into a Bond Girl.

“She was such a talented girl,” said her hometown piano teacher, Halina
Kulchitska. “Even if she hadn’t become James Bond’s girl, she still
would have gotten some big role.”

Kurylenko grew up in this city of 140,000 on the Azov Sea in
southeastern Ukraine, where monuments made from giant metal anchors dot
the city center and middle-aged men spend their free time fishing along
the main embankment, cigarettes in their mouths.

Raised by her mother, Marina, an art teacher, and her grandmother, a
doctor, Kurylenko and her family lived in a three-room apartment not
far from the city center. That was a luxury by Soviet standards, when
many lived in communal flats, sharing the kitchen and bathroom with
several families.

Today her crumbling five-story apartment building, where carpets,
comforters and underpants are hung to dry in the courtyard and children
play on rusting slides, is testimony to how far she’s traveled since
then.

In Moscow on Monday to promote the film, Kurylenko expressed
incredulity over being a Bond Girl. “I still don’t believe it and don’t
think that I realize it yet,” she told Associated Press Television News.

In the movie, Bond (Daniel Craig) and Kurylenko’s character, Camille, try to save Bolivia’s water supplies.

“Camille is quite a strong woman, very independent. She carries a wound
which comes from her childhood,” said Kurylenko. “There is something
very terrible that happened to her when she was a little girl and
everything she focuses on is revenge connected to this event and that
is her motivation in the movie.”

Kurylenko’s star began to rise at 16 when she was spotted by a model
scout in the subway in Moscow, where she was on vacation. She moved to
Paris to work in a modeling agency, then began a career as an actress.

Kurylenko’s drama teacher, Ina Kaminska, said her student simply got lucky.

“It’s all great, just great, we are all very happy–she became a
Cinderella–but nevertheless when she was in my class I didn’t see that
kind of future for her,” the 70-year-old Kaminska said.
Kurylenko got one of her first main roles after she joined the school
drama class in the seventh grade, playing the young wife of Grandfather
Frost, the local equivalent of Santa Claus.

WEST HAVEN–The University of New Haven women’s soccer team defeated the visiting Bentley College Falcons 1-0 Saturday afternoon. The Chargers improve to 7-6-1 overall and 5-4-0 in the Northeast-10 Conference and the Falcons fall to 3-10-1 overall and 1-7-1 in conference play.

Åsa Jonsson scored her first career goal as a Charger off a pass from senior Selina Moylan. Jonsson took the shot from the left side of the 18-yard box and sailed it over the Bentley goalkeeper, finding the net on the right side of the Bentley goal. That was all the Charger would need Saturday as they took their seventh victory of the season.

The Chargers attempted 12 shots in the match and riffled nine shots of goal. The Falcons’ goalkeeper was credited with eight saves, four in each half. UNH held the Falcons at bay, with just five shots, three on goal and Chargers’ goalkeeper Kim Taylor grabbed her second shutout of the season.

The Chargers tallied nine corner kicks, while the Falcons took only three. Fouls were called fairly even with the Chargers recording 10 and the Falcons seven.

The Chargers return to action on Wednesday, Oct. 15 against Pace. Game time in Pleasantville, N.Y. is scheduled for 3 p.m.