The final preseason game for the Hurricane men’s basketball team against the Next Level sponsored Global All Stars proved to be a true test of the ‘Canes grit, determination, and will. Ultimately, the ‘Canes passed with flying colors as they overcame a 14 point halftime deficit to defeat the All Stars 69-64, entering the regular season on a positive note.
The Hurricanes were led by senior James Jones (27 points on 11-15 shooting) and junior Darius Rice (19 points and 10 rebounds), who clinched the victory with two free throws with 4.3 seconds remaining. The two impressed head coach Perry Clark with their leadership and poise in the second half, despite being behind by double digits entering the half.
“I think in the first half James and Darius were fighting themselves a bit,” Clark said. “We were facing veteran opponents who flustered us in the first half, but I am pleased with the fact that the two of them came out in the second half with much more patience and poise and shot better.”
The Global All Stars team featured several familiar faces, including former UM standouts Johnny Hemsley and Dwayne Wimbley. They gave the ‘Canes all they could handle by shooting well and out rebounding the ‘Canes 36 to 31 (25 to 13 after the first half).
“Rebounding has been a bit of a concern lately because we have been focusing more on offenses in the last few practices,” Clark said. “We improved our rebounding in the second half and I think we will continue to improve in that department in the regular season.”
The game started out evenly matched for the first nine minutes of the opening half, with the score 13-13 with 11:15 left on the clock. Then the Global Sports All Stars went on an 18-5 run sparked by the hot shooting of Damon Flint (14 points) and Hemsley (15 points), and the rebounding efforts of Rahim Lockhart (5 rebounds) and Erik Martin (7 rebounds). The half ended with the score 42-28 in favor of the All Stars.
The ‘Canes came out in the second half with a better defensive strategy and better shot selection, cutting the deficit to five (44-39) with a Rice slam dunk.
“The biggest adjustments we made were defensively by switching to a zone,” Clark said. “We also came in with a set offense and showed more patience on the offensive end.”
Another important factor in the ‘Canes comeback was the hot shooting of Jones, who scored 19 points (on 8-9 shooting) in the second half. Jones provided some senior leadership and his shooting streak rubbed off on the rest of the team.
“In the second half we played as a team and we communicated really well,” Jones said.
Despite the emotionally-charged play of the ‘Canes in the second half, the Global Sports All Stars refused to go away quietly, with a Hemsley three pointer tying up the score at 56 with 3:18 left on the clock, erasing a 28-11 ‘Canes run to open the half. After a Jones dunk and Rice three-pointer to take a 61-56 lead, the All Stars responded once again with a pair of Wimbley free throws and three Hemsley free throws after Jones made two at the line for UM, cutting the deficit to two (63-61) with under two minutes remaining.
After a Jones jumper gave the ‘Canes a four point lead with 1:15 left, Jason Harrison of the All Stars hit a clutch three-pointer to make it a one point game (65-64) with only one minute remaining, setting up an exciting finish.
When Jones missed the front end of a one and one free throw situation, the All Stars had a chance to regain the lead, but freshman Gary Hamilton came up with a big steal and Michael Simmons calmly drained two free throws to put the All Stars chances on life support.
Hamilton wasn’t the only freshman to have an impact on the game, as Robert Hite, Armondo Surratt and Eric Wilkins all pitched in with quality minutes.
“I was impressed with the effort the freshmen gave us tonight,” Clark said. “Eric Wilkins gave us some quality minutes and Hite, Surratt, and Hamilton all helped out too.”
Overall, Clark wasn’t completely satisfied with the team’s performance, given the slow start, but was content with the way the team battled back in the second half.
“I can’t say that I am satisfied,” Clark said “As a coach, it is hard to be completely satisfied, but I am pleased with how we responded in the second half.”
You can reach Eric Kalis at elk777bc@hotmail.com.
Men’s basketball comes from behind in exhibition victory
UM Volleyball sweeps past league foes
The brisk November weather didn’t affect the heat inside the Knight Sports Complex this weekend as the Hurricanes whipped through it, leaving both Notre Dame and Syracuse in their path of destruction. The win over the Orangemen clinched UM’s spot in the Big East Conference Championships.
On Friday, Miami (24-4, 9-3 in Big East play) slipped by the Irish (21-6, 11-1 in the Big East) in five games (30-25, 30-28, 25-30, 22-30, 15-7). Sophomore Valeria Tipiana led the team with 28 kills in front of an electrified crowd of 1,091. Sophomore Biz Tyson posted a team high four aces, and freshman Robin Lewullis had the most blocks with five.
“That was a huge, huge win for us and we were thrilled,” said head coach Nicole Lantagne Welch. “It was an unbelievable match for us and it meant so much. We had to appreciate that win for a day and then get back into the gym and take care of a very steady and good Syracuse team.”
That they did. Senior Marcela Gamarra was honored Sunday before the game as the sole senior on the Hurricane team, which reappeared in 2001 after a 19 year hiatus. Gamarra transferred to UM from Miami-Dade Community College, where she received All-Southern Conference honors in 1999 and 2000. She had a team high 16 kills against Syracuse.
UM came into their last regular season match Sunday pumped from the Irish upset but ready to get down to business again. They pulled ahead early on and held a narrow lead through most of the first game. The Orangemen tied it at 23 during a Miami sluggish streak, but couldn’t finish the job. The ‘Canes pulled off a 30-16 victory.
“We had to be focused from the beginning because even though we won on Friday against Notre Dame, we knew that this match was really important for us to get into the Big East tournament,” said Tipiana. “We had to take it seriously.”
The ‘Canes found their footing in the second game. Syracuse struggled with blocking, but took advantage of Miami’s numerous net violations. They were not enough to secure a victory for the Orangemen, however, who came up short once again, 21-30.
“I never felt worried,” said Welch. “We just needed to play our game of volleyball and play with a lot of emotion to win the match.”
Tipiana posted 11 kills in the first two games, totaling 25 attacks. Freshman Robin Lewullis had the high hitting percentage (.364).
The Hurricanes looked more like a light breeze than a fierce storm in the early stages of game three, but they quickly picked up speed after an ace from sophomore Biz Tyson that tied the game at nine. A pivotal kill by freshman Karla Johnson continued the ‘Canes’ hot streak. Miami had the last word with a 30-24 Orangemen crush.
“I feel great,” said Gamarra. “I’m so excited for [the fact that we’re going to the tournament]. We are a good team and we have showed that we can play against very good teams.”
Welch intends to start preparing for the big event early this week.
“If you go to the championships, you go there to win,” she said.
The Big East tournament will be held on November 23 in Pittsburgh.
You can reach Melissa Teich at melissateich@hotmail.com.
The Miami Hurricane Top 25 Poll
1. The University of Miami
2. Ohio State
3. Washington State
4. Iowa
5. Oklahoma
6. Georgia
7. USC
8. Notre Dame
9. Alabama
10. Kansas State
11. Texas
12. Michigan
13. Virginia Tech
14. FSU
15. Penn State
16. Colorado
17. Maryland
18. Pittsburgh
19. Colorado State
20. Florida
21. TCU
22. Boise State
23. Texas Tech
24. LSU
25. UCLA
Hot Pittsburgh squad to visit the Hurricanes
With three games remaining on the schedule, the Miami Hurricanes are in the drivers seat for an invitation to the Fiesta Bowl. Now, all Miami has to do is win.
The first of those three games takes place Thursday when the Pittsburgh Panthers come to the Orange Bowl. The Panthers enter the game as one of the Big East’s most improved squads, with an 8-2 record overall and an unblemished 5-0 record in the conference, putting them one half game ahead of Miami atop the standings. Included in that record are key conference wins against Virginia Tech and Boston College.
The Hurricanes have the advantage, however, of an extra five days off since the 26-3 victory at Tennessee. Ken Dorsey played mistake free football en route to 245 yards and a touchdown pass on 18 of 35 passing. Dorsey has taken a while to get on the same page with his receivers during the first half of most of this season’s games, but has been able to settle down and win games. However, he is facing a solid Pitt secondary that surrenders just 170 yards per game.
On the ground, sophomore Willis McGahee scored his 17th TD of the year against the Volunteers, tying him with Edgerrin James for the single season school record. McGahee, who has 1188 yards on the ground, as well as 388 receiving yards on the year, will almost certainly break that record. The question will be how successful McGahee will be finding holes against a solid Pitt front seven. The Panthers give up 114 yards per contest on average.
Meanwhile, another Hurricane looks to continue lurking closer to setting a school record. Junior wide receiver Andre Johnson’s TD catch against Tennessee gave him 17 for his career, putting him fifth in team history in that department. More importantly for Dorsey, eight receivers were able to haul in at least one pass, including tight end Kellen Winslow, who leads Miami with 37 receptions in the 2002 season.
On defense, the Hurricanes’ run defense continued to show signs of significant improvement, despite giving up a 74-yard run to Cedric Houston on the second play of the Tennessee game. Against the Panthers, Miami faces feature back Brandon Miree, whose 588 yards on the season will not scare many teams. However, quarterback Rod Rutherford has shown an uncanny ability to use his feet, as the signal-caller has picked up 294 yards. Rutherford’s ability to run will likely be the most important thing for the Miami front seven to watch out for.
In addition, Rutherford’s significant improvement throwing the ball gives Miami one of their toughest tests at that position. Rutherford has completed 54 percent of his passes for 2198 yards and 17 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. The Miami secondary, arguably the best in the nation, will need to do a good job matching up against receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Lamar Slade. If those lanes are taken away, then the passing game should be a non-factor for the Panthers.
Perhaps the biggest bright spot for the ‘Canes was the reemergence of the special teams unit. Todd Sievers booted four field goals last Saturday and Freddie Capshaw had his best game of the season punting the football, averaging 42 yards a kick. In addition, the kick coverage continued to be excellent.
With Ohio State struggling to win games, most experts will agree that Miami is the most impressive all-around team at this point. The Hurricanes have shown an ability to run a balanced offense while employing the personnel good enough to have won a nation-best 31 straight victories. With dates remaining against an upstart but struggling Syracuse, and the season-finale against a Virginia Tech squad that has lost back-to-back contests, this might be Miami’s biggest test left on the schedule.
You can reach Jeremy Marks-Peltz at jmp310@hotmail.com.
New look ‘Canes Men’s basketball set to start season with only two returning starters
Last season, the Hurricane men’s basketball team, who finished No. 21 in the final AP poll, made their fourth trip to the NCAA tournament in the last five years. Despite a disheartening first round exit and the loss of three starters, this year’s squad has every intention of continuing the recent line of success.
The ‘Canes will surely miss the services of NBA first round pick and 6-7 versatile swingman John Salmons. In addition, Miami lost 6-9 center Elton Tyler to graduation.
“John meant so much to this basketball team and me personally,” said head coach Perry Clark. “He could do it all on the court.”
Just when you thought it was going to be hard to replace two starters, another starter is gone, but for different reasons. Last season’s starting shooting guard Marcus Barnes, who averaged 12.3 points per game last season, was kicked off the team in late August for violating team rules. Head coach Perry Clark did not specify what Barnes did, but it is known to the public that Barnes was arrested in early August for suspicion of domestic violence.
Not only do the ‘Canes have to replace solid leadership in Salmons, but now have to start the 2002-2003 season with a revamped backcourt and a new center.
The leadership torch will certainly be passed off to 6-8 senior forward James Jones, a third-team All-Big East selection last year, and 6-10 junior forward Darius Rice, a second-team pick. Jones and Rice may be capable of taking over the vocal leadership left absent with the graduation of Salmons, however, it will be quite the task to make up for Salmons 13.4 points per game, 5.6 rebounds per game, and 6.5 assists per game. Salmons, who was the 26th pick in the first round of the NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs and later traded to his hometown Philadelphia 76ers, brought so much to the Hurricanes. The team will look in all places to make up for Salmons diversity on te court.
“Salmons meant so much to our team,” Jones said. “He was a tremendous player and a true leader on and off the court.”
Clark will count on the 1-2 punch of Rice and Jones, which could possibly be one of the best frontcourt duos in the country. Wooden Award Candidate Rice, who averaged 14.9 points per game last year, has unlimited potential. Rice, the former high school McDonald’s All-American, has led Miami in scoring the last two seasons. He had three 30-point games last season and ten with over 20. Rice, who has had thoughts of going to the NBA, has added muscle and improved his ball handling, but still is rather slim at 215 pounds. Last year, Rice tended to stay outside the perimeter and burn opponents with his three point shot. This season, Clark is looking for him to mix in an inside game with his already potent outside attack.
“For our team to be successful, we can’t let any opponent take Darius out of the game,” Clark said. “We need his production every night. He has to be more versatile in his ability to influence the game. He has the ability to change the game mixing his outside game in with a post game.”
“He [Rice] brings everything to the team – height, speed, defense, scoring ability,” Jones added. “He is like a jigsaw puzzle, as we can move him anywhere. Most teams don’t have forwards that can guard versatile forwards like Rice and myself.”
Jones, the team’s vocal leader, made himself known last season, as a legitimate inside-outside scorer, as well as a terror on the boards. He led the team with 6.4 rebounds per game and tied a UM record with 79 blocked shots last season.
“He is a front line player, so it is hard for him to dominate like a guard can,” Clark said. “But we will get him more shots and one on one opportunities. He was our emotional conscious last year so he is very cable of taking over as the team leader.”
For the rest of the squad, seven players return, but not one of them made a huge impact on last year’s 24-8 team.
For now, 6-1 senior guard Michael Simmons will be the starter at point. However, Simmons has had an inconsistent career at UM, and it seems as if Clarke is leaning towards starting 5-11 freshman Armondo Surratt. Surratt, from Oakland, Ca., was an all-state selection who averaged 18 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, and five steals a contest.
The candidates for the other guard spot include 6-2 senior Paulo Coelho and 6-2 freshman Robert Hite. Both are unproven.
“It is a transition process for us at the guard spot,” Clark said. “I have not locked in on a starting lineup yet. The freshmen need to step up and be factors.”
Hite, from Cincinnati’s Winton Woods High, averaged 19.1 points, five boards, and two assists en route to a 27-1 record and a state runner-up finish.
The center position is another area of concern for the Hurricanes. 6-7 junior Rodrigue Djahue (1.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg) and 6-9 junior Rafael Berumen (2.9 ppg, 2.0 rpg) will battle for the starting role left vacant by Tyler. Late signee, 6-9 Gary Hamilton from Los Angeles will also be in the mix, as will 6-8 junior Will Frisby, after he recovers from a foot injury in six weeks. Berumen started Miami’s two exhibition games.
“He brings a lot of experience,” Clark said of Berumen. “He has worked hard in the off season and has improved his overall game.”
With Rice and Jones leading the way, the Hurricanes have two extremely talented forwards who can light up the opponent on any give night. However, beyond them, there is very little experience. Last year’s team was a veteran unit that did not go deep in to the bench, seeming to win games with the little things. The 2002-2003 squad will rely on inexperienced players to get them to their fifth Big Dance in six seasons.
“We have to be realistic in the fact that we are a young team that needs to grow,” Clark concluded.
You can reach Brian Poliakoff at b.poliakoff@umiami.edu.
Stale bagels and moldy cheese = domestic goddess
Hmmm. I will step forward as one of the first students to publicly announce my conversion to domestic societal standards. Yes! Chartwells has officially created an impulse to cook within me, therefore initiating my progression toward becoming a “fit” wife and “fit” mother. Never in a million years would I have ever skipped to the supermarket and the kitchen to happily whip up a whole meal. Thanks to Chartwells experiences, they have promoted the better way of life – fresh food.
When I created my first pan of baked macaroni this past week, I leapt for joy. Not only did I know that my dinner did not consist of part of yesterday’s lunch, but I knew that my macaroni would not taste like soap (something I had to wash my mouth out with after tasting Chartwells’ macaroni).
Thanks to Chartwells’ mystery meals and beverages that have an unfortunate aftertaste, I have left behind lukewarm soups, stale bagels, moldy cheese and hot sliced peaches to pursue my societal role in the house. I am prepared to happily fix edible, fresh meals under the cost of ten dollars and have food left over for a week.
No more waiting in line for the “good stuff,” no more waiting for another batch of half-wilted lettuce or hard spaghetti noodles, and best of all, no more holding air in just to throw a tray on to the belt heading into a foul-smelling abyss – no, not since I have moved up in the world (shocking my mother, who always pitied my lack of interest in cooking skills).
Thanks to Chartwells I have even given up boxed and frozen meals, opting for an even higher level of freshness.
Sure, I may have to sacrifice a movie or two to receive a decent meal, but I realize that if I want to keep my intestines for the remainder of my life, or if I want to keep my love of eating, or if I want to be semi-prepared for the “real world,” I may actually have to bust out an old cookbook and call home for directions.
So I can almost guarantee for anyone who “converts,” even if you can’t boil water or even turn on the stove for that matter, that you will probably have a more digestible meal if you cook – that is if you don’t already love Chartwells.
Marquita K. Bell is a sophomore majoring in print journalism and political science.
Stop planning your future career and just let it flow
If I had a nickel for every time I’ve been asked, “What do you want to do when you graduate?” I wouldn’t have to do anything. It got me thinking, though. In times of such occupational uncertainty, isn’t it better to refrain from typecasting ourselves in lieu of finding employment which could possibly open doors to rooms we didn’t even know existed?
I’ve spent the past four years planning to get a job in the creative department of an advertising agency. It never even occurred to me that there were actually other options for which I may be equally or better suited. However, if I simply send my resume to the creative directors of a whole bunch of advertising agencies, I may be alienating myself from possible openings elsewhere within the agency. But that’s what we do, isn’t it? We shoot ourselves in the foot with the bullets of our own unfounded confidence. We graduate college with dollar signs flashing in our inexperienced eyes and visions of corner offices dancing in our heads. What we fail to realize is that we may not start out where we intend to end up. We’re on one highway now which we’ll be exiting at graduation, but that exit isn’t necessarily the road to our destination; rather, it will lead us to another highway, along which we can find other exits that will take us to other highways and so on and so forth until we find that nice little town called “Security” where we’ll settle down, buy some stock and raise our kids to be just like us.
It isn’t until we release ourselves from some of the preconceived stereotypes and expectations that we can truly begin to find our own success.
In the meantime, we can come to terms with what we’re good at and what we’re not so good at and examine every possible path those “good – ats” can take us. Life can change tomorrow. So what are you going to do about it today to ensure that what you did yesterday doesn’t become obsolete some time next week?
Whitney W. Friedrich is a senior majoring in advertising and English.
War and the implication of God’s nonexistence
Whether I’m showering or standing in the lunch line or halving a tomato with a plastic fork, I cannot resist thinking about split infinitives, belligerence toward Iraq and the disturbing possibility that Hitler and Mother Teresa died and went nowhere.
An erudite professor recently instructed me to meekly rewrite a sentence containing a split infinitive, a construction of the form “to + adverb + verb” that furrows the brows of highbrows like nothing else. Why should the literati needlessly rouse rabble? If they value conventionality, why do they shamelessly precede “historical” with “an” in gross violation of the time-honored rule exhorting us to precede words that start with consonants with the alpha dog among letters, the grade assigned to the best students and the best milk? In protest, I urge every English speaker to unabashedly employ split infinitives forever and ever.
On an unrelated topic, I read with interest a previous column suggesting that a majority of Americans support a preemptive assault on Iraq. Quite frankly, I doubt that respondents to CNN-sponsored telephone surveys represent the mind-enamored of America. Firstly, CNN and other such networks, inadequately report on the terrific toll that economic sanctions have taken on hapless Iraqi civilians, the sordid details of which can be readily accessed via the Internet. Secondly, time wasted on a telephone survey can be better spent on CNN-less research and analysis or at least dinner with the family.
It is heartening to see that patriotism is alive and well, but I am curious to know whether present supporters of war would be willing to walk the walk and fight. It seems too convenient to assent to a war when other people have to die. If supporting a war meant more than flag-waving and wreath-laying, if supporting a war meant a compulsory trip to the middle of some fiery and limb-littered fray, I reckon that a majority of Americans would overwhelmingly reject jingoism.
Reading the newspapers is a lot like attending a funeral, and so I am often forced to wonder about the equalizing tendency of death in relation to the unequalizing tendency of life. To start with, there seem to be no good reasons to believe that a justice-dispensing God exists. What this means is that, before ceasing to be, famished children and unpunished corporate swindlers will lead radically different lives, marked by hunger pangs on the one hand and ski vacations on the other.
The absence of ultimate rewards and punishments for the honest rickshaw drivers and the dishonest politicians of the world seems depressing enough, until we realize that the only hope for humankind is humankind!
R.S. Jolly is a senior majoring in philosophy.
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
The testimonials for stimulants such as Adderall in the Life & Art section of the Nov. 12 Hurricane provide interesting insight into the challenges encountered by students as they attempt to respond to academic and other pressures associated with college life. Although it may be enticing for students to rely upon Adderall and other stimulants as a “quick fix” to cope with such challenges, it is important to know that these drugs can be associated with serious side effects including, but not limited to, heart problems, insomnia, sexual impotence, tremors and twitches, irritability and depression if withdrawn inappropriately, and are best left for those with properly diagnosed attention deficit disorder. Students experiencing such side effects as well as those believing they have ADHD should seek appropriate professional attention. For students preferring natural means to enhance their academic performance, the Academic Development Center and Counseling Center can be very helpful.
Howard Anapol M.D., Director, Health Center
Jennifer Brack, Pier 21, Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Education
Malcolm Kahn, Ph., Director, Counseling Center
EDITORIAL
In case anyone has been wondering recently about what our government is doing in the supposed “War on Terror,” here is some information that should clear everything up. According to top Washington officials, your alert level should now be at yellow, but at the upper end of the elevated level. Don’t you feel safer now that we’ve got a government that is getting things done?
The safety of Americans was put in danger again last week when a tape that supposedly contained Osama bin Laden’s voice making new threats against America surfaced. After the tape was evaluated and deemed authentic, Bush was forced to recognize the threat of Al-Qaeda once again. However, the advent of yet another terrorist threat from Al-Qaeda raises some disturbing questions about our government and our president.
For instance, the American people must wonder if they are being told the truth. Directly after Sept. 11 last year, Bush promised to track down the terrorists and exact payment upon them. More than a year later, the war against Al-Qaeda has all but fizzled out, but the organization still exists. At the same time, the president used the nation’s emotions about the attacks along with anti-terrorist rhetoric to make Iraq our number one focus. And with the media slavishly devoting itself to “Showdown: Iraq,” the American people followed suit. Now that bin Laden is ostensibly still alive and as evil as ever, the American people must wonder how they were tricked into forgetting about him in the first place.
We must also wonder exactly what our government is doing about the threat of terrorism. Many people hold that Bush is doing a terrific job, but a year after the attacks we have little more than a motley amalgamation of agencies that can’t seem to decide which nation is our biggest threat and a color scheme of awareness that seems more like paint-by-numbers with a sadistic twist. A year later, and with renewed threats from Al-Qaeda, we must ask how much more our government knows now than it did then. How much more prepared are we for an attack than we were then? With a president whose attitude toward war with Iraq is eerily similar to that of a fifth grader about to go to recess, have we lost focus on who the real threat is?
The most important question seems to be: what is the government keeping secret from the American people? Recently, Senator Graham, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has spearheaded a movement to declassify information that points to the fact that, on the list of terrorist threats to our nation, Iraq is not anywhere near number one. According to Graham, an Iranian based group called the Hezballah has more operating terrorist camps inside of the United States than Al-Qaeda and poses the greatest threat to homeland security. But this information is kept secret so that Bush can pursue his political war against Iraq while letting the most threatening terrorists go unpunished. So much for the responsibility era of government.
In the end, perhaps it is up to local law enforcement authorities to demand information from the federal government about which cities are targeted by terrorists. We have a right to know, and we owe it to the victims of Sept. 11 to pursue real terrorist threats, not political wars. But if Bush would rather pursue a war to get himself re-elected than make good on his promise to confront terrorism, we as Americans have one option: put the alert level at red and hold on for dear life until election time.
Staples gives in to protest for recycled paper
11/15/2002
(U-WIRE) BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Since 2000, nationwide Staples office-supply stores have been subject to over 600 demonstrations and tens of thousands of letters and phone calls to the CEOs in a fight over the sale of recycled paper. A recent decision by Staples has the company phasing out the sale of paper made from endangered forests in North America and phasing in the sale of more forest-friendly paper.
The Paper Campaign, which spearheaded the movement, is an organization made up of dozens of citizen groups dedicated to moving the marketplace toward recycled paper. Led by San Francisco’s ForestEthics and the Dogwood Alliance out of Asheville, N.C., the Paper Campaign said they hope the rest of the companies in the office supply industry, such as Office Max, Office Depot and Corporate Express, will follow Staples’ decision.
Todd Paglia of ForestEthics said he hopes the industry will step up to the challenge, so the Campaign does not have to aim its sights toward another office supply giant.
“I think that the industry has a choice to respond in kind or fall behind,” Paglia said. “I hope that the companies are smart enough to do the right thing without any other incentives. If Office Max and Office Depot don’t do the right thing, then the campaign will definitely continue with one of them as a target.”
The Staples’ decision is a first for the office supply industry. The company’s new guidelines for the making and selling of forest-friendly paper will have the company averaging 30 percent post-consumer recycled content in all paper sales. This means phasing out purchase of paper from endangered forests, including key endangered forests in Canada and the U.S., and creating an environmental affairs division to report annually on results.
Staples Spokesman Owen Davis said the company is looking forward to the new policy, but also said the company has been environmentally aware for the past decade.
“Staples is very excited about this announcement. It really is a milestone for the industry,” Davis said. “This policy has had a lot of work go into it, and we’re excited about the work that lies ahead to pursue the goals outlined in it. Staples has had a commitment to the environment for many years, including over 1000 recycled products, energy conservation programs and internal recycling programs.”
International Paper, one of the primary logging companies in the southern United States, is also one of Staples’ main paper suppliers. Jenny Boardman from the Consumer Communications department at International Paper said the new policy will not hurt the company, only help it.
“We’ll continue to work with them with our expertise and researchers in the area of forestry,” Boardman said. “We are very pleased to be able to say we are already helping them achieve their goals with their products. In terms of their policy, they are looking to protect endangered forests, and our company doesn’t harvest from there.”
Saving endangered forests was part of the Paper Campaign’s mission when it began two years ago. The group educated consumers, made the media spotlight and worked directly with corporate decision makers to help reduce the demand for paper made from endangered forests and increase the demand for affordable, quality recycled paper.
As the largest grassroots, market-based forest protection campaign, the Paper Campaign gained the majority of its strength from the smaller, local groups, Paglia said.
“This campaign was built from the ground up as a grassroots campaign,” Paglia said. “It’s energy in the field that has kept things going.”
Three Bloomington, Ind., environmental groups helped the Paper Campaign in its fight for environmental protection. American Lands, Indiana Forest Alliance and the IU Student Environmental Action Coalition combined forces during the past few years to help out this forest-friendly fight.
Robin Larsen from the Indiana Forest Alliance said the efforts of all three groups helped the effort.
“Members of all three groups have been instrumental in organizing and carrying out three of the actions we’ve had at the Staples store in Bloomington,” Larsen said.
Local environmental groups have also tried to make sure Indiana University follows suit and uses more recycled material.
“Right now, members of the three groups are working on getting the campus to go ‘tree-free,’ meaning it would go 100 percent recycled post consumer content in all paper products it buys. So far we have had fairly positive responses,” Larsen said. “This is pretty much the largest incarnation of the Paper Campaign in Bloomington.”
Hussein’s agreement may not ensure peace
11/15/2002
(U-WIRE) COLUMBUS, Ohio – On Wednesday, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein announced his decision to cooperate with a U.N. resolution on arms inspections, but Ohio State University experts do not agree that compliance will end all possibilities of war.
Hussein’s acceptance came after Iraq’s parliament unanimously rejected the resolution on Tuesday. The United Nations had given Iraq until today to make its decision on Resolution 1441, which would allow weapons inspectors to return to Iraq.
Mary Ellen O’Connell, professor of law, said Hussein’s compliance to work with the U.N. is just an elimination of the first trigger that could have resulted in war.
O’Connell said three possible triggers still remain. One is Iraq’s list of weapons not being complete within the mandated 30 days. A second is the possible obstruction of weapons inspectors, and lastly, is if inspectors report weapons of mass destruction, she said.
“Even if Saddam Hussein fully complies with inspectors – if he does not obstruct inspectors, the U.S. stated they still claim the right to invade,” O’Connell said.
She disagrees with these actions.
“For the moment this is a positive step that Hussein agrees to have the weapons inspectors come in,” O’Connell said. “It should be getting full attention from the international community.”
Todd Stewart, director of the Program for International and Homeland Security at OSU, agreed that war may remain a possibility given Hussein’s past behavior.
“(Saddam) has proven in the past that he has not lived up to previous resolutions. He has interfered with previous inspection efforts,” Stewart said.
He said these inspections are needed because it has been proven Iraq does have weapons of chemical and biological warfare.
“Hussein has demonstrated his willingness to use these kinds of weapons. He has been attempting to get a nuclear weapon. With that power, he could blackmail or coerce his neighboring countries. These are high stakes,” Stewart said. “Can we afford to allow that regime to acquire a nuclear weapon?”
Another important factor is that the U.N. resolution was passed unanimously.
“The world community voted unanimously, spoken with one voice,” Stewart said.
“That was a good outcome. It sends a message that (Hussein) has no friends left,” O’Connell said.
Both Stewart and O’Connell agree that it is important for students to stay informed.
“Everybody should make up their own minds. It is most important that students keep in mind that the security is in the hands of the citizens,” said Stewart.
One student paying close attention to developments in Iraq is James Connors, a sophomore in aerospace engineering and an enlisted member of the Navy. He said though this is good news for now, he believes Saddam is doing what he has done in the past.
“I think Iraq and Saddam realize this is their last chance. But this still may be a cover-up and he is just giving into small demands,” Connors said.
He said conflicts like this technically push him one step closer to getting back into action.
“I am used to the college life,” Connors said. “I do hope they stop this before it escalates into something major.”