The campus held a convocation on U.S. foreign policy and the Iraqi war Tuesday. Many students were in attendance and expressed their feelings about the convocation and their opinions on war. Here are their thoughts in their own words.

“I’m for the war. Many people think it’s just about oil and the market, but people don’t understand that Iraq has bombed Israel. (By attacking Iraq) we’re defending the Middle East from nuclear holocaust.”

– Chris Cooper

History, Junior

“I just want to know exactly what’s going on. I don’t exactly watch the news and stuff like that scares me — I’d rather not know about it. I need to inform myself on what’s going on and find precautions to take so we can be safe.”

– Claudia Zamora

Undeclared, Sophomore

“It’s French and I’m not changing it to ‘freedom.'”

– David Gautier, Art, Senior, on his resistance to change his last name just to protest French pacifism, much like Congress did when they renamed their eatery fries “Freedom Fries”

“I haven’t been following up at all. It’s not really that I don’t care, there’s just so much going on and there’s so many people with extreme opinions that it’s hard to listen to people arguing all the time.”

– Sara Harris

Philosophy, Senior

“I’m not for (war) because I’m against drafting. I’m for it because Saddam might build up power and I’m afraid of a potential terrorist attack.”

– Soua Lee

Electrical Engineering, Freshman

“I have a hard time with this. I really believe in the U.N. I’m not a big fan of George Bush. Why do we get to decide what kind of system (of government) they have? I have to try and figure out how this is the best thing.”

– Jennifer Seabolt

International Business, Senior

“I feel (war is) unjust and wrong. It’s not the solution. Iraq is only the beginning of a conquest of imperialism. American civil liberties are being taken away and our taxes are going to an effort that is not just logically, but morally wrong.”

– Anna Aleman

Nursing, Junior

“I don’t see a point to it from my standpoint. It’s Bush trying to control the Middle East for no reason. The U.N. is working hard to disarm and I think Bush is the only one who wants war.”

– Francisco Tostado

Social Science, Sophomore