Ithaca College Digital Commons @ IC The thI acan, 1999-2000 The thI acan: 1990/91 to 1999/2000 4-6-2000 The thI acan, 2000-04-06 Ithaca College Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.ithaca.edu/ithacan_1999-2000 Recommended Citation Ithaca College, "The thI acan, 2000-04-06" (2000). The Ithacan, 1999-2000. 26. http://digitalcommons.ithaca.edu/ithacan_1999-2000/26 This Newspaper is brought to you for free and open access by the The thI acan: 1990/91 to 1999/2000 at Digital Commons @ IC. It has been accepted for inclusion in The thI acan, 1999-2000 by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ IC. T¼_ ,, . f ........ , . r P~HC.,(».-i\l ..~~-{ 1' ., i'J "1..,'8 ~ •-~ -.\.,")l: ,1.A / Vol. 67, No. 26 : . , . ;; Ithaca, N. Y. April 6, 2000 . 32 Pages, Free n www. ithaca .eclu/ithacan ~ :~ ~ ; f-Lr.::, Accent ~ij~,Jt·,J;I',.. Accent 15 Shhhhhhhh! Today is the day Classified 25 At Wegmans, sign language students partici­ 1V news anchor Ann Curry 10 speak Comics 24 . pate in silent ~inner !~rthe deaf.'· Page 15 at Park School at 8 tonight. Page 5 Opinion 12 : .~9f::-J.¢-:i~Y~,-: _ Spons 27 ., ·students •to fast in protest U.S. traiTJ;ing school Two parties compete accused of vwlatwns BY JULIE COCHRAN for control of SGA Staff Writer A group of students and faculty members BY BENJAMIN B. McMILLAN will be going up against the U.S. Army with Staff Writer the only weapon they have-their stomachs. The Ithaca College Amnesty Inter­ Students will soon have the national chapter is sponsoring a fast on chance to pick the party of campus protesting the U.S. Anny School of their peers that will serve as the Americas (SOA) by abstaining from eat­ their voice for the upcoming ing April 9 to April 19. The event is part of a academic year. national protest called Fast 2000. Election campaigns for Fast 2000 is sponsored by the SOA the 2000-01 Student Watch, an independent organization that Government Associa­ seeks to close the SOA through vigils and tion executive board fasts, demonstrations and nonviolent kicked off Tuesday night protests, & well as media and legislative with two parties, the Ap­ work, according to the SOA Watch Web site. proach Party and the Evo­ SOA is a combat training school for Latin lution Party, presenting American soldiers in Fort Benning, Ga. It their platforms at the was established in Panama in 1946. SGA meeting. • "The school's mission is to provide doc­ Evolution Party trinally sound, relevant military education members include juniors and training to the nations of Latin America, Daniel Tillapaugh and while promoting democratic values and See EVOLUTION, page 4 respect for human rights, and fostering coop­ eration among the multinational military PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES, forces," according to the SOA Web site. sophomore Douglas Gagnon The SOA Watch alleges some graduates of (left) and junior Daniel Tillapaugh, the SOA have committed horrific acts in Latin will face off in a debate Sunday at ~ \, .~ . America violating human rights. Members of 9:30 p.m. on ICTV 16. the SOA Watch also think there is a s:onnec­ lion between the school and these acts, For more coverage on both according to an SOA Watch brochure. The SGA and Senior Class elections, turn to pages 3, 6 7. ,,•' .,, ;;,, ' & See ARMY, page 4 I ' ~ • Could severe weather cancel graduation? thunder, lightning, high winds or he said. College alters hurricane-like conditions, Oblak He also said there has hecn ram said. Rain alone would not cause during several outdoor cerc­ the plan 10 go into effect. rnomes m the past back-up plan Senior Danna Weiler ques­ Although the postpqncmcnt BY ELLEN STAPLETON lloncd holding the ceremony out­ could alter the plan~ of graduate, Staff Writer doors in rainy weather. and their guests. Semor Class Sec­ "I do not thmk anyone\ parent~ retary Jocelyn \Viluynsk1 said the A Commencement day filled arc gomg lo want to sit out in the Senior Class officer-., support the with stormy weather will not force ram," she said. policy change. the Class of2000 and its guests into Public Information Director "We support the decision Ben Light Gymnasium this year, Dave Maley said the college because It 1~ looking out for the but instead could push hack the cer­ keeps a clmc watch on the National safety of the 111t.hv1duab who arc emony by one day. Weather ServJCc forcc,1-.,ts for pre­ coming for Commencement." ~he The college has changed the dictions said Commencement severe weather "Looking at the forecasts WiluJ m,k1 said s"hc th111b plan by making postponement would play a part m whether 11 1s people will not mmd changmg plans of the ceremony the new policy, simply delayed on Saturday for a because the Commencement cere­ instead of having an indoor cere­ MELISSA THORNLEY/THE ITHACAN little while. or delayed completely rnony 1s the primary event of the mony that would restrict attendance. SENIORS MARCH In the procession prior to Commencement last until Sunday," he said. weekend. year. The severe weather plan has sparked confusion this year. "We arc in an area where Weather conditions last affected "What is more 11nportant: a weather is an issue, and we do not close to its scheduled time. We ceremony, scheduled for Saturday, Commencement when an indoor dinner reservation or gomg to have an indoor facility," said John wanted people to be able to know May 13 at 11 a.m., college officials ceremony was held in 1983, Maley Commencement?" she said. "You B. Oblak, vice president of student that we are going to do away with will first consider delaying it until said. · have lo put it in perspective." affairs .and campus life. "We arc the idea of going inside, because go­ later in the day. "II is highly unlikely that these­ Postponement could create going to do everything we can to ing inside is impractical." Severe weather that could affect vere weather plan will have 10 be make Commencement happen as If severe weather impacts the Commencement would include put into effect at its most extreme," See OFFICIALS, page 4 2 THE ITHACAN THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2000 Issues 1n tne News United States and Cuba continue to battle over El_ian Gonzalez's fate BY MICHAEL W. BLOOMROSE revoke the boy's residency status, but that United States and a Cuban dictatorship in­ News Editor deadline has now been set for Tuesday at tent on utilizing him as a political chip." 9 a.m. Cuban-American protesters, who In fact, Cuban President Fidel Castro The Miami relatives of Elian Gonwlez have taken a keen interest in the custody made a proposal March 29 that Elian be announced Friday that they would not turn battle, have vowed to lay down their lives moved to the Cuban Interests Section in the boy over lo his father. Juan Miguel Gon­ to prevent Elian from being deported. Washington, D.C., to live with his father zalez, should he make the trip from Cuba According to The Washington Post, a and an entourage of other Cubans includ­ to the United States to retrieve his son. crowd of protesters, mainly Cuban exiles, ing his stepmother and his classmates, while According to The Miami Herald, has sprung up around the Gonzalez's res­ his appeal is pending. lawyers for the relatives said the U.S. Gon­ idency to protest U.S. government actions However, Lazaro Gonz.alcz, the boy's zalczes would not willingly give up the boy aimed at returning the boy to his father. De­ great-uncle, told the Herald Saturday that to Juan Gonzalez while the custody issue spite unseasonable Miami temperatures in the family wants to welcome Juan Gon­ continues to wind its way through the U.S. the 90s last week, hundreds, and sometimes zalez, his new wife and their child into their Federal Appeals Court. Furthermore, the at­ thousands, of people gathered around the Miami home. He said he believes it is the torneys indicated that U.S. Immigration and home as the urgency of the matter in­ best way to prevent "an abrupt change to Naturalization Service agents would have creased. Elian's environment." to come to the Gonzalez home in Little Ha­ Several older women at the protest Another lawyer for the family, vana, Fla., to take custody of Elian. vowed to die rather than allow federal au­ Spencer Eig, went even further during a Fri­ "If that's what the INS dictates, the INS thorities to take the child back to Cuba as day appearance on·NBC's Today show and has the right to do that," attorney Manny the crowd practiced maneuvers, linking said that his clients did not want to hand Diaz said to the Herald. "The family has arms to form human chains, the Post re­ Elian over to the entourage out of fear that said from the beginning that it will not ob­ ported. the boy would be brainwashed. C.M. GUERRERO/KNIGHT-RIDDER TRIBUNE According to The New York Times, the struct that process." "People sec in Elian's plight their own ELIAN GONZALEZ CELEBRATES at a Negotiations arc scheduled to continue tragedy," Ramon Saul Sanchez, leader of Justice Department will most likely give cus­ Three King Parade In January. this week between the Miami Gonzalczes the Democracy Movement, one of the most tody ofElian to !-:is father, should Juan Gon­ and the U.S. Department of Justice over de­ vocal Cuban exile groups, said to the Post. zalez travel to the United States.