Celebrating 80 Years of Service to LIU

Few, if any, college students know the reasons why the U.S.
government believed it was reasonably correct to invade Iraq.
That has changed at Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus.
Wednesday, Feb. 27, students of the new Political Science
Department guided Iraq course brought friends and met with
Retired Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson at a small classroom
in the Humanities Building in the 6th floor. As they listened to a
Washington senior administrative official who was involved in
key discussions and decisions that lead to the invasion of Iraq,
their faces illustrated both shock and concern.
The short, white haired, and middle-age retired Wilkerson
approached the room confidently and started to inform students
with a wealth of first hand government and military knowledge.
Col. Wilkerson spoke passionately and articulately, addressing
several issues and facts about what led to the war in Iraq. More
importantly, he was eager to answer students’ questions.
Col. Wilkerson explained in his short introduction to the class
that as chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell during the
U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 he was a key member of the historical
speech that Colin Powell gave at the United Nations in 2002.
Then Secretary of State Colin L. Powell was the nation’s most
trusted figure, Powell addressed the entire international community
at the UN and declared that Iraq did possess weapons of
massed destruction (WMD) and the base of his speech came
from the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) and the
NEWS
Guest Speaker Gets Up Close and Personal
By Rony Enriquez
Staff Writer
By Mufsin Mahbub
Staff Writer
Has any student at this campus ever visited the W.R.A.C
swimming pool?
Some students have noticed it and tried some lessons
or come by for a quick exercise. But by and large, the pool
in the new athletics center has been underutilized.
David Gardiner, who is one of the lifeguards, said that
the aquatics center offers group or free swimming lessons
on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 5-6 p.m..
“There are about 3-4 students who show up at these
lessons,” Gardiner said.
Not what you would expect for the handsome facility
that was one of the key components of the $45 million athletic
center.
Bryna Gutner, the director of aquatics said that her
team offered some classes for credit this semester. She
said, “Some of these classes include beginning swim,
intermediate swim, lifeguard training, water safety instruction,
and scuba diving.”
Beginning swim and intermediate swim are one credit
courses while lifeguard training and scuba diving are three
credits as part of sports science for those who are in this
major or interested.
Beginning swim helps develop confidence and safety
skills in the water. The instructors introduce things like
front crawl, elementary backstroke, and deep water skills.
Intermediate swim gives front/back crawl and backstroke.
Further along, the instructors teach breaststroke and sidestroke.
They introduce you to doing butterfly and workout
swims. Students are required to be able to swim in deep
water and have a basic understanding of all strokes. They
also discuss the physiological benefits of swimming.
Lifeguard training teaches candidates the skills and
knowledge needed to prevent and respond to aquatic emergencies.
The course content and activities help prepare
candidates to recognize and respond quickly and effective-
Intelligence Community (IC).
Dr. John Ehrenberg, chair of the Political Science department
asked, “What influenced an intellectual like Colin Powell to give
such a controversial and historical speech.” Mr. Wilkerson let
out a deep sigh and replied, “Powell’s speech was a lot more
complex then people think.”
Mr. Wilkerson believes that as a senior government official
you trust the information that the NIE and IC submit. They are
the best equipped agencies with the most modern technology
capable of detecting whether there were in fact weapons of
massed destruction in Iraq.
However, executive members in Washington such as Vice
President Dick Cheney and President Bush continuously pushed
and demanded assessments from government agencies seeking
support for the selling of the war in Iraq. Members of the government
such as Powell after lack the factual information necessary
to make smart choices.
Brooklyn Campus students in the Iraq course are becoming
better informed citizens as they analyze the key facts that led to
the war in Iraq. One student in the Iraq course stated that within
the past year or two, the American pubic is more aware that
many mistakes were made in the war in Iraq.
However, senior Alexis Riley, a political science major said,
“I just can not comprehend how citizens of the United States can
still support the war in Iraq today.”
In September 2002 The U.S intelligence community prepared
a summary called the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) titled,
“Iraq’s Continuing Programs for Weapons of Mass Destruction.”
This was distributed to congress so that they may vote on
ly to emergencies, and prevent drowning and injuries.
When they complete this class, students receive American
Red Cross certification in Lifeguard Training, First Aid,
and CPR for the professional in working as a lifeguard.
Next, the water safety instruction course helps students
learn on how to instruct people on swimming skills and
strokes that will enable them to feel safe and confident in
and around the water. The course provides the tools to
teach students about basic water safety, what to do to prevent
an emergency and how to respond.
Finally, in scuba diving, this course teaches student
divers the initial knowledge and skills they need to scuba
dive with a partner. Throughout this course, students will
learn the basics of scuba diving, including dive equipment
and techniques. This course covers breathing in an underwater
environment, underwater exploration, knowing your
limits, planning a dive and dealing with emergency and
special situations.
There are also mommy and me classes that allow
mothers or fathers who have a child from six months to
two years old to learn swimming. These classes are offered
on Sundays from 12:30--1:30 p.m.. Private swimming lessons
are also offered from 30-minute session for $30 or 10
pack for $250 and other packages. The instructors who
teach are American Red Cross certified water safety
instructors. There is free swimming allowed in the pool on
Monday-Friday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday from 10
a.m.-2 p.m..
A member at the pool named Alex spends much of her
free time swimming. She said that it gives her “good exercise
and workout.” She said if there were flyers out to tell
about using the pool, maybe more people will join.
Head athletic trainer, Danny Connor helps athletes with
injuries by having them move in the pool. He said,
“Walking in the pool helps when they injure their legs.”
One rehabilitating athlete named Albert gets help from
Connor to move his legs and make jumps on the pool to
heal his legs. Albert said, “I wasn’t able to run, so I work
Seawanhaka
Seawanhaka
whether to go to war or not.
Miguel Arvelo, a Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus
political science graduate student asked, with a puzzled look on
his face, “How long did it take for the development of the NIE
intelligence report and how long has it taken in the past to develop
such a document”?
Mr. Wilkerson shrugged and smirked before he responded, “It
should take about six months to a year to develop such a report,
but they did it in no more than three.”
Powell made it clear that he would rely on Wilkerson to find
intelligence documents with several references and resources to
support his speech to the UN. Wilkerson told the class that he
found none but the NIE report. Later Col. Wilkerson would
come to find out that the information the NIE claimed in the
report was not authentic.
Another student felt after hearing Col. Wilkerson’s talk, “It is
depressing to hear that such a small number of individuals, who
present themselves as intellectuals and well experienced, can
make such bad decisions and set up a future that puts our life and
country in jeopardy.”
Col. Wilkerson said that if you do not like what’s going on in
government-get involved. One way to change things is by
becoming informed citizens and joining in public discussion.
Brooklyn Campus students are aware of the effect of
Democratic procedures as tens to hundreds of students head to
Albany, Tuesday, March 11, 2008 to demand an increase in TAP
and Federal funding for all college students in New York.
New Pool Provides More than Just Swimming
Ann Marie Rose finishes her swim, leaving the pool empty.
(Photo Credit: Alexander/Gratereaux/Seawanhaka)
out here by using the ability in my legs and jumping.”
Director of Athletics John Suarez said that there might
be a possibility that LIU will add a swimming team to its
sports program. He explained that it will be a step-by-step
process starting with a women’s team.
“It might take about a year or so, but we are beginning
to start off as a club before we go on to become a varsity
team,” he said.
March 12, 2008 Page 3
March 12, 2008 Vol. LXXXI, Issue 7