The Crier '‘The Voice of the Student ” November Issue 1 Fall 2001 Leaders and Leadership Thomas Paine has been frequently quoted since September 11th: “These are the times that try men’s souls.” I would go a step further. Testing men’s souls is one thing, but revealing them for what they are at their core is the trial’s result. For a long time, President Bush underwent heavy criticism about the questionable level of his intelligence. Comments about his wasted time in college flowed along with those about his many oratory shortcomings. He couldn’t seem to please anybody with regard to stem cell research. Journalists validly stated that his advisors were on the verge of overshadowing him. The list of grievances went on and on. Then, like black arrows from hell itself, four jetliners struck terror in the United States- and George W. Bush stepped up and took the helm. His prime time address to the nation that day was indeed shaky. The country held its breath, wondering if Bush, Jr. would turn out to be truly inept after all. Well, we know what strength has surfaced - unwaver- By: M. Philpott ing yet sympathetic, driven but patient. America has a leader. Neither is he the only example. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has shown himself to be a wonderful example to his fellow New Yorkers. As an upstater, I am normally wary of downstate person- It’s the basics that triumph in men’s hearts. The belief in freedom is then seen very simply. alities. But no one can doubt that what was considered the brashness of the city has come out as defiant resilience against the forces of destruction. And who was there to rally New Yorkers, to encourage and console them? A mayor who had seemed like he would be remembered only for a marital affair became the desired choice to run for office yet again, despite the city’s term limits. And finally, we have Tony Blair. A large amount of Americans may not know this, but the British Prime Minister had been having a rough go of it on domestic politics in the UK. According to Warren Hoge, British correspondent for the New York Times, Blair couldn’t deal with a fuel price crisis a year ago. “He was accused of dithering and of being arrogant and out of touch... his popularity ratings fell beneath those of his [Conservative! rival, William Hague.” But the terrorist crisis has put something new in the British Prime Minister’s step, even if it doesn’t solve problems at home. He has rushed to support the U.S. and was the only European head of state to believe as early as President Bush did that the West was indeed “at war” and is ready to help “smash the machinery of terrorism.” Reading the stories of these political leaders should bring up a very important question in our minds: what is it about foreign crises that proves a leader’s worth? Why are those the moments when the Bushes and Blairs of history stand tall? There is the practical answer. Multitudes of things need to be done and only the strong aspects (Continued from page 1) of personality can endure days of pressure and sleepless nights. It’s a situation of “lead, follow, or get out of the way,” as the military says. I don’t deny that there’s truth in that view, but 1 do believe that it tends to reduce man to a level of mere Darwinian creation - a living being that reacts automatically and almost thoughtlessly to external stimuli. Only the strong survive. Some got it and some don’t. Call me romantic, but I absolutely insist that the reason for the difference in leadership in time of war and crisis with leadership in a peaceful home front is love. Love of homeland. Love of common values. Love of everything good about the home nation - whatever nation it is. Heads of state are usually always natural leaders. Generally they focus their energies for the people’s good, or at least what they perceive as good. Occasionally, the world sees the deranged type of leader bring his country to disgrace. Hardly anyone in America will say that Osama bin Laden is right in his beliefs and methodology. Neither can anyone deny that he believes that what he does is good. But whether we speak of heroes like Lincoln or despots like Napoleon, it is in domestic policy where the gray tones of the world are most prevalent. It is in that sphere that we try to apply our common values to various areas in ways that differ and thus clash. For instance, is American freedom best expressed through a lockbox on the Social Security surplus or in sweeping tax cuts? It’s more complicated. Foreign crises put those issues on the back burner. It’s the basics that triumph in men’s hearts. The belief in freedom is then seen very simply, in terms like the flag, an afternoon at the ballpark, being allowed to disagree, and being allowed to yell about it. It’s the opposites of these simple goods that are thus seen as simply evil. That is why the world and its leaders are standing to be counted right now. They know exactly where they and their people stand and have no doubt that they’re right. Their homeland and its values have been shot at. And they are going to shoot back. Learn More About: • Academic Programs • Admissions • Financial Aid • Career Services • Credit Transfer Meetings With Faculty in the Schools of: • Arts & Sciences • Management • Information Systems & Engineering Technology • Nursing Call 1-800-SUNY TECH to make reservations Visit our Web site: www.sunyit.edu or e-mail us: admissions@sunyit.edu SUNY Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome t A great teacher never strives to explain his vision- he simply invites you to stand beside him and see for yourself. - The Rev. R. Inman Fall Open House 2 0 0 1 Saturday, November 10 9 A.M. — 2 P.M. Anthrax: What is it? What Can be Done About it? By: Paul Swarts Reports of anthrax attacks have been in the news for weeks now. With such a large amount of time being dedicated to this issue, many American citizens are concerned that their hometowns may be affected by these bio-terror attacks. Many have rushed out to get gas masks and be tested to ensure their safety without knowing the full story about this warfare agent. Contrary to the hearsay concerning the issue, anthrax is not a chemical agent, rather a biological one available in three different strains all produced by spores of the bacteria bacillus anthracis. Cutaneous anthrax is a form of the disease transmitted primarily by contact with animals, or animal products, contaminated with the bacteria. Gastrointestinal anthrax is caused by the consumption of meat taken from contaminated animals. The final, and the current threat, is inhaled anthrax, which is the focus of this informational article. As previously noted, inhaled anthrax is the hot topic in the news right now. Many have heard of people becoming infected but know really little about how and why. Infection occurs when the spores of the dormant bacteria are inhaled, thus entering the lungs. These spores rest within small sacks in the lungs called alveoli. Once there, they proceed to germinate, growing into the infectious bacteria. Regions such as the lungs are exposed to the bacteria as it produces toxins that cause hemorrhaging and fluid buildup within the lungs of the infected person. The bacterium continues to destroy structures in the immediate area of the chest, breaking down the body through hemorrhagic necrotizing medias-tinitis, which is the killing off of all surrounding living tissue in the chest. Symptoms develop in a time span of between two days to eight weeks after first contact with the spores. The early signs of infection can last from as little as 2-3 hours to as long as a few days. In the most common cases, fever, coughing, chest pains, and many other flulike symptoms have proven evident. Latter stages of infection often result in death due to extensive lung damage and possible brain damage as well. The usual time span between the first noticeable symptoms and death in most untreated cases is only a matter of days. There is no certain way to find out when the initial time or date of exposure can be found. The infected person will see no color or smoke, won’t smell the spores or even taste them. Most of the time, the powder is so fine that it can hardly be felt and can be mistaken for dust. This makes the treatment of inhaled anthrax all that much more crucial. In the earliest stages of infection, more importantly before symptoms develop fully, antibiotics can suppress many of the effects of the bacteria. Such antibiotics are being stored in many facilities across the nation in the event a widespread attack occurs and can be made available to hospitals within 12 hours of the initial contact. A vaccine is available for anthrax, but is currently being used only by military personnel, pending approval for the civilian use of the product by the American Medical Association. Vaccination and the use of antibiotics along with early detection, are the only ways civilians have of combating anthrax attacks. Common surgical masks or gas masks commonly bought on the streets and at army surplus stores will do little if nothing to block the small spores. The filters used in surgical masks have so many gaps that the dormant spores can penetrate and enter the nasal passage and, ultimately, the lungs. Gas masks require extensive training, a proper fit, and carefully inserted filters to be useful. In addition to the previous criteria, the gas mask has to be in place and used at the time of initial attack, so given no way of detection by human senses, a gas mask would be ineffective against the bacteria. The best way of preventing contact is to use common sense. Don’t open any mail that you don’t recognize, stay away from strange areas that you don’t know how to navigate through, and most importantly, don’t panic and cause careless mistakes if you think you are infected. See a doctor and find out if you have these flu-like symptoms and believe you have anthrax. It could be possible that you only have the seasonable bug that is going around. 3 Time By: Jonathan Henry I just arrived home, and it's eleven p.m. I finally got off work and I have to catch up on reading and do all the homework of today. I'll only get about three to five hours of sleep, but I'll get all my tasks completed. Tomorrow, it will be the same thing. I'm an American living in a materialistic society with not enough time and more than enough tasks to complete. As a society. Americans seem to be obsessed with speed and quickness. Society's goals seem to be achieved when we "beat the clock,” so to speak. Americans learn quickly that speed is necessary in all aspects of our lifes. From schooling to the work place, he who finishes first is the winner. The American life seems to consist of this fast-paced blur of living. Especially in the last twenty years, with the advent of computer technology, this society has been able to decrease many of our time-consuming processes into mere seconds. Though America seems to have achieved a sort of quintessential society, our quest for the '‘quick fix” has cost Americans in many ways. One clear loss as a result of quickness is seen in the work place. The majority of jobs today seem to require speed. Whether it be folding clothes at the GAP or contracting out the construction of a fleet of hotels, we all seem to be in a hurry to finish our tasks. We are constantly given deadlines and “time frames” for the completion of projects. We are even paid “by the hour.” All this rushing has lead to an overwhelming amount of poor products. Nothing is worth the money we spend on it anymore. Our clothes cannot even withstand a year’s worth of wear and tear. Seams unravel and buckles break as our push for more product in less time continues. While working at a major clothing manufacturer, I noticed an overwhelming amount of items being returned within weeks of the purchase because the fabric tore or the stitching came undone. The return of a poorly made piece of clothing may not be the end of the world, but we sometimes see this idea shift over to a job site where the foreman, pushing to finish the job, neglects to lay the proper amounts of re-bar, leading to the collapse of the foundation and the possibility of injury and death. The hastiness is not only evident in job sites but also in our children. Every day in schools, time has become an issue. Children are rushed from class to class where their heads are filled as speedily as possible with information in the hope that some of it will stick. Tests are timed, and children are told to rush and do as much as possible within the time limits. The results of these standardized tests are proof of this time-consciousness. Kids in America are scoring lower than ever before. Places all over Europe and Asia are showing better test scores simply because they spend more time teaching their children. It is proven that be- cause these teachers focus and spend more time on certain subjects, instead of bouncing around like so many U.S. teachers, their students retain more knowledge. Not only does the obsession with the clock effect schooling and work, but it is apparent in everything else Americans do. America is constantly “on the go.” It has created fast food restaurants, delivery services, and “one stop shopping” in an effort to speed up lives. Americans actually feel as though time is being wasted in those moments when the day’s tasks have been completed and there is time to relax. As a full time student who works forty hours a week, 1 am the subject of time. My day consists of hurrying to accomplish a surplus of tasks that seem never-ending. Time management has become one of the most important elements in life. Between classes, I must study and produce, otherwise I will not have enough time for my homework. Immediately following school, I head off to work ,where I am faced with a multitude of time-sensitive tasks and projects, all of which require my immediate attention. I use what little time I have to do homework before I pass out from exhaustion. Now, this may seem somewhat typical, but the sad part is that when the days in which I have an extra hour [to myself] to relax, I feel as though I’m wasting time! This “on the go” lifestyle not only puts unnecessary stress on Americans, but it effects our health as well. Ex- pending countless amounts of energy, as well as eating fast and unhealthy, takes its toll on our bodies. In my haste to complete my school work and succeed in my job, I constantly come down with colds and the flu. All this “up and at 'em” stuff has worn away at my immune system, but being sick is not something 1 can afford, considering all of my deadlines at school and my job. After all, time is money, and in a society where people are judged by their possessions, money is everything. On the other hand, after this introspection into my oh-so-cluttered life, I realize that 1 should sometimes slow down and take some quality time for all of the better things I don't make time for. < M Buy Recycled. It would mean the world to them. Thanks to you, all sorts of everyday products are being made from materials you’ve recycled. But to keep recycling working for the future, you need to look for these products and buy them. For a free brochure, call 1-800-2-RECYCLE. www.envjronmentaldefense.org environmental defense finding the ways that work '“Every body is somebody else’s wierdo.”www.geocities.com/Heartland/Lane/2470/lslists.htm 2 MILLION INVESTORS. 80 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE. 1 WEIRD NAME. TIAA-CREF has a long history of managing portfolios for the world’s sharpest minds. Contact us for ideas, strategies, and, at the very least, proper pronunciation. TIAA-CREF.org or call 1.800.842.2776 Managing money for people with other things to think about.'" I RETIREMENT j INSURANCE j MUTUAL FUNDS j COLLEGE SAVINGS j TRUSTS j INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT TIAA-CREF Individual and Institutional Services. Inc.. and Teachers Personal Investors Services. Inc. distribute securities products. 2001 Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association-College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA CREF). New York, NY 08/20. Islam and Terrorism: Is there a Connection? If you were unable to attend this month’s Brown Bag Forum, you missed a true educational opportunity. After the attack on September 11, America is left wondering, “Why do they hate us so much?” This confusion has led to a number of hate crimes against persons of the Muslim religion throughout our country. So, to clear up the issue of Muslims and Terrorism, we heard from Bensaber Boutaleb and members of STIC A (Southern Tier India Cultural Association). STICA is a local organization of Indians from all religious backgrounds. The event was sponsored by the CCC campus Multicultural Club, whose mission is to spread multicultural awareness. If you are interested in helping this effort, join them every Tues. at 12:45 in LC105. As we entered the Triangle Lounge, we were handed a printed fact sheet. On the top of the page was this quote: “American Muslims utterly condemn what are apparently vicious and cowardly acts of terrorism against innocent civilians. We join with all Americans in calling for the swift apprehension and punishment of the perpetrators. No political cause could ever be assisted by such immoral acts.” The American Muslim By: Jim Hickey Political Coordination Council 9/11/01 Our first speaker was Satinder Mullick, a Hindu. He gave a brief history of India and its religions. “India has many religions,” he said, “but we have one thing in common: Culture -culture unites us.” He said after the attacks, as Indians pulled together, they were “more American than the Americans.” He said that Indians are 1 % of the American population, but 5% of those killed in the WTC were Indians. Next, we heard from Kirpal Nijher Singh. His son, Dr. Nav Nijher of NYC, was one of the first doctors who volunteered at Ground Zero to help with the potential wounded. However, since that time, he and his son have been questioned concerning their affiliation with Islam. The Nijhers are part of the Sikh religion. According to Sikhism, the men are not allowed to cut their hair. Because of this, they are required to wear a turban. He said that for bin Laden and his group, the turban is optional, which means that he is a disgrace to the turban. Other beliefs of Sikhism: they believe in one God, that he is God of everyone, of all religions; they believe in the equality of women; they believe in freedom of religion for all, that religion is personal for all. The final speaker was Bensaber Boutaleb, an Algerian native and a United States citizen. He discussed the Islamic religion. First of all, the word “Islam” means peace. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, but Bensaber said, “Muslims also have the highest birthrate.” He said that the factions are creating their own rules contrary to the Qur'an, the bible of Islam. He quoted several sections of the Qur'an in regard to peace, not killing innocent people, and not forcing someone to change religions. He said, “the men who attacked the WTC were not martyrs, they were wicked.” Bensaber also stated, “The war is not against religions or ways of life but a defense of civilization versus barbarism,” and “Islam should not be judged for the sins of others.” The final statement of his talk: “Bin Laden and all Qaeda is to Islam what the KKK is to Christianity.” So, why do they hate us so much? This question was posed to Mr. Boutaleb. His response? “Everyone that I connect with in the Middle East loves America. We are role models. But they ask me the same question, 'Why do Americans hate us so much?’”