What is Bob Jones University? In the presidential race, there's so nobody can give go a quick, three-word code for racial - credit. There are no de and religious intolerance: Bob Jones ties, so no organiza University. credit, There are no f But what is this institution? Who large/regular donors, so no was Bob Jones? And why all the credit." fuss? By week's end, the The fundamentalist Christian BJU, ~obJones 111, ap school of 3,500 students in this some additional exp Appalachian foothills city entered needed. He bought full-page ads candidates Ronald Reagan, Bob the spotlight when Republican Friday in USA Today and the three Dole, Dan Quayle and Phil Gramm presidential candidate George W. largest South Carolina papers, in all have appeared here. So did GOP Bush visited a month ago to bolster Columbia, Charleston and hopeful Alan Keyes, 12 days after his then-sagging campaign. Bush Greenville, defending the school's Bush, though in his speech he quickly came under fire for failing beliefs. challenged the university not to "let to criticize the university's racial This week on the campus - any sectarian bigotry, any racial policies and the anti-Catholic where students observe a strict dress prejudice stand in the way of the statements on its Web site. code of khakis and ties for men and unity that Christ represents for all As for BJU itself, it did what it long skirts for women - Bob Jones Christian people." Bob Jones Ill has always done when its views security guards stood watching as a Bush appeared at BJU shortly Bush said: "On reflection, I should cause controvers~:It firmly restated reporter talked with a man marching after he lost to Sen. John McCain in have been more clear in its beliefs, retreated to its fenced 200 outside the fence near a school the New Hampshire primary. The disassociating myself from anti- acre campus and went about its entrance, carrying a sign that read, South Carolina primary was looming Catholic sentiments and racial business. "Debate issues not BJU." at the time, and he went on to win in prejudice. ~t was a missed "Go find something worthwhile Charles Mosteller, 36, did not the conservative state. opportunity causing needless to report," spokesman Jonathan Pait attend the school but felt compelled After losing South Carolina, offense, which I deeply regret." said last week before announcing to come to its defense. "There are a McCain's campaign made "Catholic South Carolina House Speaker that school leaders, tiring of all the lot of people locally who don't like Voter Alert" calls in the next states, Pro Tempore Terry Haskins, a Bob questions, were closing the campus Bob Jones. But for the presidential Michigan and Washington, to tell Jones alumnus, quit as McCain9s to reporters. candidates to single out this school them of Bush's visit to Bob Jones. state campaign co chairman this ~e referred the curious to the to be their political whipping boy is McCain also attacked religious right week saying he could not abide by school's Web site, which says, "The wrong," he said. leaders Pat Robertson and Jerry the llnational media vendetta" University's refusal to compromise The school has long established Falwell as "agents of intolerance." ' against the school. And Gary Bauer, and contemporize makes it the itself as a bastion of . Bush, who said he came to Bob a conservative activist and former object of ridicule and hatred by those fundamentalism, Jones to pitch his message of presidential rival who now supports on the other side of the Cross." Jones 111, president since 1971, compassionate cotMervatism, now McCain, said McCain should That same site likens and his father, Bob Jones Jr., who says he should have spoken more apologize. Catholicism and Mormonism to cults died in 1997, have been sharp- forcefully about religious A resolution introduced in the and says the university is the work tongued about those they believe intoleiance. US House and Senate by democrats, of God and "exists against all human have abandoned the strict teachings In a letter last week to Cardinal this week also seeks to condemn odds. of the Bible, including Billy Graham John O'Connor of New York, a state. BJU. "We don't accept federal money, ~------"-- and the pope. Graham should not which holds its primary March 7, continuefi page 13 --- -+-- " - -"- Rabbi Adam Purim (the Tuesday 3/21 of Spring Break) is quite a peculiar holiday. The account of how the Jews of Persia were saved from a Hitler type named Haman is found in the Book of Esther. Yet, this part of scripture tells of a victory without miracles. Instead, the Jews were saved through a myriad of "coincidences". There was no splitting of the Red Sea. No ten plagues. No &day- lasting oil. Instead everything was by natural "coincidence". the king of Persia wasconvinced to deny the holocaust plans of pis minister ~gmanby his wife, Estlpr?&hdju~t'"hhp"$ned" t$ be s$gfetly Jewish. Now Esther was "coincidently" the niece bf the chief Rabbi of Persia, Mordechai, and she won the Jews' favor in the king's eye by informing thq king of a plot to kill him-a plot that Mordechai had just "happened" to have ml?rIUCSll pllvllc Lalm .New Executive ~~~~l noor .New Private Jacuzzi Rooms *Fitness Room- overheard. Thus the Persian holocaust to kill the Jews '1 was thwarted by mere natural "coincidences". So what ~Non-smokingFloors kind of Biblical holiday is this? But yet, that's it! d Accessible Rooms On Purim we celebrate the fact that natural coincidences are of supernatural order. That nature and coincidences are reflections of the G-Dly realm. Not G-D as expressed spiritually. But rather, G-D as expressed physically. "Inn Keeping With ~he~ime@~"EXpR ESS OFFICIAL HOTEL OF For G-D is beyond limitations. As such, G-D isn't to be limited to the spiritual, but is found even within the physical, within "coincidences-known as "personal OP1 -800-HOLIDAY Divine Providence". ' Sponsored by the Chabad Student Club www.ChabadUSB.com Discussin Breast Cancer - Republicans Visit USB While Campaigning BY ERINRWENKING Sratmn Editor it has access, thanks in part to the University 's recent win to become co-manager of Presidential hopeful George W. Bush Brookhaven National Lab (BNL). "All good took his campaign trail to Stony Brook's science is big science," he said, "and we are Health Sciences Center on Friday in order to approachingthe problem [of cancer] with the pledge his support for breast cancer research. sophistication we need." The partnership with Bush, a Republican, attended the panel BNL now gives Stony Brook two locations discussion with Gov. George Pataki and New that house facilities for special radiation York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani, the weekend treatment and imaging technology. before New Yorkfsprimary. The three took Bush also addressed the issue of cancer part in a panel discussion on breast cancer mapping as one of the innovations that will and promised their support for continued allow a cure to be found. With $4 million in research to cure the disease. funding from the state, maps are being Stony Brook President Shirley Strum computer generated which allow researchers Kenny introduced the panel discussion by to detect "hot spots" where cancer incidences calling attention to what she called Stony are highest. The areas are broken down Brook's "record of greatness in medicine," according to zit, code and color dedand citing for the invitation-only crowd a Johns they allow researchers to more easily idenhfy Hopkins University study that placed Stony possible causes.Although the speGific reasons brook as tied for second place among the of high cancxr rates on Long Island have yet nation's best public research universities. 7he to be recognized, some possibilities are panel also included the dean of the medical genetics or environmental concerns, experts school Norman Edelman, other cancer on the panel said. Bush praised the mapping specialists and Geri Barish, a breast cancer for allowingtaxpayers to see that their money survivor who has supported the Bush was being properly used. campaign. Barish, president of the breast After the panel, a press conference cancer advocacy group One in Nine, strd followed where all three politicians fielded the importance of research in finding a cure questions focusing more on campaign for breast cancer, saying she was willing to speci£ics than on cancer research. fight in order to find one. "Without research Although he was not officially invited, we can't find answers," she told the crowd. Polity president Andrez Carberry managed She also implored Pataki to continue to get into the conference. He said he funding for research programs. "We need supported moves to fund research, but more money in Long Island and in New expressed concern that the interests of other New York Gov. George Pataki (left) and Texas Gov. George W. Bush attended the panel York," she said. sectors of Stony Brook may get ignored. "I discussion. Pataki mentioned the strongbackhg that wanted to pose questions to Pataki regarding New York has shown for the institute, education," -ny said. He was not able including support for early detection, to approach the microphone to voice his I McCain Camp Responds I treatment and reconstructive surgery. He said concernsbut he was able to get the governor's that the issue deserves attention because the attention outside the conference. He called breast rate on Long Island is higher out to Pataki and asked him to prioritize I to Cancer Criticisms I than the national average. education. Pataki answered positively and he BY PETERGRA~WN Expressing confidence in being elected shook Carberry's hand.