Panthers, this is my last KIC intro of high school. It has been a fun ride and I hope you enjoyed my intros and somewhat funny jokes. As we move into the next chapter, please check out this week’s KICs. This week we have people trapped under a Syrian prison, an arboretum recognized as one of the best for holiday lights, a wrongly accused man released from prison, and Trump named as Person of the Year.
World – People trapped underground in Syria’s Saydnaya prison
Under the Assad regime, it is estimated that more than 130,000 people have been subjected to torture in Saydnaya prison since 2011. With recent events in Syria, rebels have been freeing prisoners from government jails.
Saydnaya is a notorious prison that has been liberated as rebels have taken control of Syria. Survivors from the prison have reported that there are people held in hidden underground cells. The Syrian civil defence group ‘White Helmets’ claimed that they sent out five specialized emergency teams to the prison.
Government forces in Syria have held people in detention camps since 2011, where torture is known to be common. Rebel factions in each city they captured made sure they went to the central prison of each city to release people held there.
National – National recognition given to Morton Arboretum exhibit
Recently, a USA Today national list for its annual illumination Tree Lights holiday display put the Morton Arboretum exhibit, a tree-focused botanical garden in Dupage County, Illinois, in its top ten Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights.
As stated by Arboretum officials, this is the third time Illumination: Tree Lights has made it onto a USA Today roundup. The exhibit was called one of the Top 10 Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights in the country. As you walk along the exhibits, a mile-long path, visitors will be able to indulge in sitting down by the fire, roasting marshmallows for s’mores, stopping for concessions, and eating dinner while viewing the Ginkgo Restaurants laser-light finale.
The exhibit remains open until January 4, 2025. The Illumination: Tree Lights display this year includes 17 displays. This includes trees that begin to glow when you hug them, and a glade illuminated by fairy lights.
State – Wrongly accused Georgia man released, perpetrator found
Forty years ago, Harold and Thelma Swain were killed in a church southeast of Waynesville, and Dennis Perry was arrested for the crimes. The case received a lot of scrutiny since then, and now, Dennis Perry has been exonerated, and Erik Kristensen Sparre has been arrested and convicted for the murder.
In court, Sparre’s supposed boss testified that he was at work at the time of the murder. However, the supervisor could not be identified as Sparre’s boss. The case was unsolved for a long time, but after a woman testified that Perry had said he wanted to kill the Swain’s, he was arrested and put in prison. It came to light later on that this woman had received a $12,000 reward for her testimony.
DNA found at the crime scene did not match Perry’s, and in 2020 the case was reopened and Perry was released from prison and declared innocent. Sparre’s mother matched the DNA and Sparre was arrested and charged with the crime.
Politics – Trump rings the NYSE bell after being named Person of the Year
President-elect Donald Trump rang the opening bell on Thursday at the New York Stock Exchange after being recognized by Time Magazine as its Person of the Year. Trump has now been recognized by Time Magazine twice.
Before Trump rang the bell for the first time, he said this recognition was a tremendous honor. His wife, Melania Trump, daughters Ivanka and Tiffany, and Vice President-elect JD Vance accompanied him. In an interview with the magazine, Trump said he had called his election and won the 72 days of fury.
The NYSE regularly invites celebrities and business leaders to participate in the bell-ringing, which has become a big event for politics. After Trump rang the bell, he walked the floor of the exchange and shook hands with traders.