(U-WIRE) NORMAN, Okla. – Since the Persian Gulf War in 1991, Iraq has been the staple of evil for many politicians.
Now that the United States wants to invade Iraq, key figures involved with the 1991 conflict say the timing is almost right.
Ken Levit, president of the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa and former counsel to CIA director George Tenet, said the problems that center on convincing other nations Iraq should be dealt with immediately are in the intelligence. He said the 1991 conflict had a threat that was less complex and more concrete.
“(Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein) had invaded Kuwait in 1991,” Levit said. “Now the threat surrounds the support of terrorism, the possession of weapons of mass destruction and the technology to proliferate the weapons of mass destruction.”
Because of the complexity and security of the intelligence, the case has not been presented to the public but has been made long ago to those with the proper security clearance.
Edward Perkins, former U.N. ambassador and executive director of the International Programs Center, said there are many issues from 1991 that are still around 12 years later. One of them is the resolution to restore the status quo of the area, a resolution he had a hand in forming.
“In a nutshell, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. The United States led a coalition to push him back to Iraq,” Perkins said. “It’s reasonable to assume (illegal weapons) are still there. He’s a menace to stability in the Middle East, and there’s no evidence that he’s complied with the resolution.”
OU President David L. Boren, former U.S. senator, was a key figure in the Senate Intelligence Committee during the 1991 crisis. When the U.S. Senate voted to support Bush Sr. in the attack on Iraq, he voted against it. Boren said he voted against the war because the goal was not clearly defined, and there was no effort to remove Hussein.
“I knew that if he remained in power, he would remain a threat to the Middle East,” Boren said. “I believed that we would have to go back into Iraq if we did not remove him.”
Boren said there needs to be international support to enter Iraq, or the United States will lose face among key allies that could keep stability in the Middle East.

Nearly three years after the Apr. 20, 1999 massacre at Columbine High in Littleton, Colorado that killed twelve students and one teacher, Darrell Scott, father of Columbine victim Rachel Scott, shared her life and message with approximately 400 UM students at Guzman Hall last week.
The free event was sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ and co-sponsored by Baptist Collegiate Ministries, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Athletes in Action and Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship. It was the first event in which these UM religious organizations collaborated.
Scott’s national campaign, known as “Rachel’s Challenge,” focuses on helping administrators, teachers and students create a safer environment at school by replacing fear and violence with kindness and compassion.
The goal of “Rachel’s Challenge” is to “start a chain reaction” of kindness toward others. Ironically, those were the same words used by Eric Harris, one of the Columbine murderers.
The idea behind “Rachel’s Challenge” was modeled after a poem Rachel wrote for her English class a month before her death. It was entitled: “My Ethics, My Code of Life.” In her poem, Rachel emphasized the importance of showing compassion to everyone and to let people know that they are appreciated while they are still alive.
At Gusman Hall, Scott shared Rachel’s life through a multimedia presentation providing video clips of Columbine, interviews, photographs and words spoken by Rachel.
Scott focused on Rachel’s sincere treatment of those she encountered and how she wasn’t afraid to live her life spiritually and share her beliefs with others.
Freshman Mark Cusick and senior Chris Luzuriaga were moved by Rachel’s life.
“It was very powerful and meaningful to believers and non-believers,” Cusick said.
“It was very emotional to see such a young person show her faith in God and helping other people,” Luzuriaga said.
Scott challenged the audience to follow in Rachel’s footsteps by showing love to those around them.
Tintu George, a junior at FIU, was one of the many students who accepted the challenge.
“Rachel wanted to make a difference in other people’s lives,” George said. “Sometimes I get so caught up in everything that I forget what matters the most.”
“I want to get closer to the Lord and seek His guidance in everything I do,” George said.
Luzuriaga says she also wants to seek a change.
“I want to have God more active than he has been in my life,” she said.
Scott, who has traveled across the nation to various schools, visited with two Presidents and spoken with Congress, loves the effect his daughter’s life has had on people.
“Just to see that Rachel’s life really had an impact on others makes it worthwhile,” Scott said.
To learn more about “Rachel’s Challenge,” visit www.rachelschallenge.com.

Marquita Bell can be contacted at m_bell01@hotmail.com.

If you were saving your cash for Matt Feld’s new CD, go buy something else.
Matt Feld, winner of Cane Records’ UM Idol competition last November, declined the title after reading the contract Cane Records presented him.
“It had nothing to offer me,” Feld said of the contract.
The contract promised to organize, fund and market at least one
six-song CD for Feld in exchange for five percent of the profits of his next five albums.
Although five percent is a reasonable percentage for a record label to claim, Feld says that the number of albums Cane Records wanted to claim that particular percentage on worried him.
Cane Records has produced and marketed several bands and artists in the past, including Burk, a UM student rapper with a positive message.
No previous artists reported a problem with the contract Cane Records offered.
Although he looked forward to making a short recording of both original and cover songs when he originally entered the contest, Feld maintains that he would have gained nothing from a deal with Cane Records.
“When I looked at the contract, I looked at what it was offering me; [Then I thought], is signing this contract really to my benefit?” Feld said.
Feld also said that he is not willing to negotiate.
“The contract was so stupid and ridiculous that I didn’t even want to waste my time negotiating; it was that bad,” he said.
Cane Records could not be reached for comment.
Meanwhile, Feld plans to write more songs, to continue studying at the UM school of music vocal jazz program and to begin working on a solo project of his own in hopes of getting a bigger label to pick him up.
“I’m working on my own project and getting my own stuff together to present to the labels,” Feld said.
No plans have been made as yet to offer the contract to a UM Idol runner-up.
Cane Records had hoped to run the UM Idol competition every other year, but plans may change since the initial run wasn’t successful.
The Miami Hurricane will continue to follow-up on this issue throughout the course of the semester.

Jaclyn Lisenby can be contacted at jlisenby2001@yahoo.com

Many students have often wondered about the average cost of a single palm tree on campus, and the general consensus with students has traditionally been that each Royal Palm on campus is equal in cost to the tuition of one student.
“I heard the damn things cost $30,000 each,” junior Sam Havener said. “I’m taking four trees with me when I graduate – not the small ones either.”
The Miami Hurricane could not get a definitive answer from administration or from local palm growers as to the actual cost of a single palm tree because palm trees vary considerably from one to another. UM may also get bulk discounts and negotiate for better prices with local nurseries.
Many students, however, believe that the trees are well worth the price, whatever that may be.
“I think the trees add to the ambiance of the campus,” freshman Andrew Maiorano said. “They’re worth whatever they cost.”
“If UM has the money, it should be spent so that I can feel like I’m doing my calculus at a resort,” senior Susana Kulangara said.
Some disagree.
“I’d cut them all down if it would lower tuition,” Havener said.
In 2000, UM came up with a “Campus in a Garden” theme effort that brought hundreds of new palm trees to campus and developed the Palmetum [palm-ee-tum], a collection of over 400 rare and exotic palm trees from around the world, including some endangered species. It is the only collection of palms of this type on a US college campus.
Along with the garden idea, UM is also creating a “seed bank” for future generations of trees.
“The seed bank sounds interesting,” Kelly Jackson said. “Even if UM spends a million dollars for new trees now, at least we will have a lot of seeds to plant in a few years.”
Many students have commented to the Miami Hurricane that they are awe-struck by the 80-foot tall Royal Palms at the Stanford Drive entrance to UM and at the Palm Court Fountain near the Ashe building and Richter Library.
However, many don’t realize that Royal Palms lose a couple of their huge fronds every month. Experts say the fronds should be removed before they fall because they can cause injury or damage to other plants and to people.
“Once I watched in awe as one of these massive [fronds] fell to the ground where I stood, missing my head by a few yards and meeting the ground with a prodigious thud,” said Raj Singh in a Miami Hurricane Opinion column last year. “My hope is that these lifeless fronds are preemptively clipped before they come crashing down like cosmic debris.”
Also associated with Royal Palms is a serious disease, Ganoderma butt rot, which enters the trunk through injuries on the lower trunk and roots. It is not dangerous to humans unless a part of the tree breaks off and falls on someone.
“The last thing I want is for butt rot to fall on me and kill me,” freshman Cherylyn Almonte said. “I’m glad that I always see workers maintaining the trees.”

The Miami Hurricane will continue to investigate popular urban legends at UM through the month of February.

For suggestions on urban legends to be researched, please contact Jorge Arauz, News Editor, at xxarauzxx@yahoo.com.

TODAY
Are you in the process of selecting a major or considering a change of major? Are you possibly interested in adding a major? Toppel Career Center will have a Majors Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Whitten University Center Lower Lounge. Come talk with faculty representatives from these schools and colleges: Arts & Sciences, Business, Communication, Education and Nursing. The Pre-Law and Honors Programs will also have representatives to whom you will be able to talk.

What would you do if you only had seven days to live? Don’t know? Well, you should start planning now because, after watching the videotape, your days are numbered. The Cinematic Arts Commission and Hurricane Productions bring you one of the scariest movies of 2002: THE RING. Show times are 8 and 10 p.m. at the Cosford Cinema, on the second floor of the Memorial Building. Enjoy the show, but be warned now: seven days is not that long! For more information, visit www.um-hp.com.

Commuter Student Affairs and the Dean of Enrollments invite you to a Commuter Student Luncheon from 12 to 1 p.m. at the Rat. Space is limited, so don’t forget to sign up in UC 236.

Men’s basketball takes on Virginia Tech at 7:30 p.m. in the Convocation Center.

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 12

Chris Matthews’ “Hard Ball: The College Tour” on MSNBC will broadcast live from the School of Communication courtyard. Matthews’ guest will be Bernard Goldberg, former CBS correspondent and author of the best-selling, controversial book Bias, in which Goldberg is critical of the US news media’s liberal bias in reporting. About 500 seats will be available for an audience, and all UM students are invited to attend. Those who do are asked to wear UM/Hurricane clothing, but no face paint, banners or posters are allowed. Seating begins at 7:30 p.m., and the show goes on the air at 9 p.m. No one will be seated after 8:30 p.m. Matthews will also be holding a book signing from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the UC bookstore.

FEC will be selling “Pan con Croqueta” in the UC breezeway from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for only two dollars. Don’t miss your chance to taste this authentic Cuban delicacy. Mmmm!

Join the Wellness Center between 5 and 7 p.m. in the Atrium for Healthy Heart Day. The event will provide you with information to protect both your physical and your emotional heart. The event will include free smoothies, condoms, blood pressure screenings and body composition checks. For more information, contact 305-284-6524.

As part of Black Awareness Month, you are invited to attend Influential African Americans in South Florida at the Toppel Library at 6 p.m. Join in a conversation with some of the most influential African American professionals in the South Florida community. Topics of discussion will include how to get into the field of your dreams, how to make your dreams a reality and how to make a difference in your community while earning a living.

Visions UM is showing And the Band Played On at 8 p.m. For more information, contact Azuree Ashby at 305-284-4483 or aashby@miami.edu.

Join COSO and the Leadership Institute for Marketing Madness. The workshop will provide you with the opportunity to learn marketing strategies for recruitment and for your events’ success. Learn valuable information from guest speaker Michael Tsiros, from the marketing department, as well a from other student leaders. The workshop will be held at 5 p.m. in UC 241.

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 13
The Center for Research on Sport in Society and the College of Arts and Sciences begin their Spring Lecture Series 2003 with Kevin M. Young’s North American Sports Crowd Disorder at 5 p.m., in room 101 of Pearson Residential College. The lecture is free and open to the public and refreshments will be served. For more information or to RSVP contact 305-284-3690.

Interested in studying abroad this summer of fall? Then don’t miss the study abroad information session! This is your opportunity to meet advisors and past participants. The session will take place from noon to 2 p.m. in the UC, ballroom A. For more information visit Allen Hall 212 or contact Chris Tingue at 305-284-3434. Refreshments will be served. The application deadline is March 1, so don’t delay.

Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as “Negro History Week” and later as “Black History Month.” The celebration of Black History Month is attributed to Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who, born to former slaves, spent his childhood working in the Kentucky coal mines, enrolled in high school at age 20 and later went on to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. Woodson was disturbed to find that history books largely ignored the black American population, and when recognized, it was generally in ways that reflected the inferior social position they were assigned at the time. Woodson chose the second week of February for Negro History Week because it marks the birthdays of two men who greatly impacted the American black population, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. UM celebrates Black History Month with lectures, concerts, reunions and more throughout the month.

The University of Miami was named the second best institution in the world by postdoctoral fellows taking part in an international survey conducted by The Scientist, a news magazine about the life sciences. The magazine posted a Web-based survey called “Best Places for Postdocs” and invited fellows worldwide to assess their postdoctoral experience by indicating their level of agreement with statements about factors ranging from faculty support to quality of life. The only school to finish above the University of Miami was Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Attention creative writing majors and minors: CaneZine, a web-based, student-published magazine, is looking for submissions. If you’re interested, submit one or more of the following: three to five poems, three to five flash fiction or short shorts, one short story, one essay or creative non-fiction piece and/or one interview. Submissions should be e-mailed as an attachment to either NdeLaFlor@aol.com or mseaton@miami.edu. Submission deadlines are Feb. 28 and March 28. Be sure to include your name, email address, class and phone number.

Thanks to the University of Miami’s new research satellite facility, scientists can now see into the core of storms and hurricanes, watch volcanoes before they erupt and even observe the energy transfer between ocean waves and the sky, from space.
The new Center for Southeastern Tropical Advanced Remote Sensing (CSTARS) is the University’s newest facility conducting research with data received from earth orbiting satellite systems. Part of the Rosenstiel School, CSTARS is located at the newly acquired Richmond campus in southern Miami-Dade county. One of the most exciting research benefits of CSTARS is its ability to help scientists better understand and predict natural hazards over land and ocean. The advanced imaging techniques will also improve preparedness and emergency response and relief in the event of natural disasters.

The ibis, a local marsh bird, was considered UM’s first unofficial mascot when the school yearbook adopted the name “Ibis” in 1926. Its popularity grew among the students during the 1950s. In 1957, San Sebastian Hall, a residence hall on campus, sponsored an Ibis entry into the homecoming celebration. The next year, student John Stormont performed at various games in an Ibis costume that was glued, sewn and pinned loosely. It became the original Sebastian costume, and it has gone through many changes in the years since.
Born 1957

Tryout results for mascot position strictly confidential
Over a dozen anonymous students showed up last week at an anonymous location to try out for an anonymous audition to be a certain anonymous bird that performs at most of the sporting events held throughout the year.
“This whole thing has to be kept secret because that’s the nature of the mascot,” said a source whose identity cannot be disclosed. “It ruins the image when people know who’s behind the costume.”
The auditions were held because the current mascot is graduating. Before 1992, a professional, not a student, would play Sebastian.
Students who auditioned were put through a rigorous tryout that included dancing and shooting 3-point shots in full costume. There was also an interview session and a lengthy application process.
Those who auditioned were permitted to bring their own selection of music to perform which ranged from “I’m too Sexy for Myself” to “La Conga.”
“We’re looking for creativity. Someone who looks good in a costume,” said Connie Nickel, of the Office of Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. “They will have to perform a one-minute skit using props we provide for them. They will also have to shoot baskets and perform the C-A-N-E spell out.”
Unfortunately, not every audition went smoothly. At one point, a contestant was notified after his interview that his zipper was down.
“You can’t help but get a kick out of the whole thing,” said another anonymous source.
The new mascot will be paid $1,000 per year and will have to be trained to be the best mascot he or she can be.
“[The winner] will attend mascot camp with other mascots from all over the country,” Nickel said. “It will be held this August.”
The exact location of the camp has not yet been determined, but mascots have gone to Milwaukee and New Jersey in previous years.
“The tradition behind the ibis is that it is the last wildlife species to take shelter before a hurricane and the first to reappear. I believe it is also the symbol for knowledge,” Nickel said.

Angelique Thomas can be contacted at aperivale@aol.com; Leigha Taber can be contacted at l.taber@umiami.edu.