Read about Saturdav·s v,deoconference-See centerspread
triday,april 25, 1986
vol. xxxii, no. 22
cabrini college, radnor,pa. 19087
Libyanbombing preventschorus from touring
RecountingweekS conflict
by Jeanne Reineberg On Monday, April 14, 1986, in retaliation to the numerous ter~orist attacks involving American citizens, the United States bombed Libya. As the President spoke th~ grave news over national television to the American people, 53 men and women were singi~g around a pian_o, unaware of the world-changing events. They were mstead absorbed m the challenge of reading new music and trying to convincingly pronounce the foreign German lyrics. The practice was in preparation for their Austria/Hungary singing tour, slated for May 22 · June 4. Adeline Bethany, choral director, instructed members to_m:mori~e the words. "We hav!) to start getting serious - we leave m Just six weeks." Bethany had been planning the two-week singing tour for almost two years. The Cabrini College Community Chorus i~ c_onjunctionwith the Delaware county Community Chorus was to part1c1pate on yet another singing tour sponsored by the Frie~dsh_ip Amb8:ssador's Fou~dation (an organization dedicated to promotmg mternat10nal goodwill through music). In just five years, the combined groups had toured Greece, Romania and Spain, and were now anticipating Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruk, Austria and Budapest, Hungary. All the difficult work had been completed: the group was assembled, music chosen, Hungarian visas processed, costumes custom-m_a~e, flights booked, guides hired, expenses paid! concerts ~o~ked, pubhc1ty circulated. For the Cabrini students plannmg to participate, even the once-insurmountable obstacle ofthe$1400 cost had been overcome with hoagie sales, raffles, a puppet show, and extreme penny-pinching. All that was left was to polish up the harmonies. pack the bags. and get on the airplane. ''I can't hear the sopranos. Men, please sing a little softer," Bethany requested. "What happened to all those high voices we once had?" · The group had dwindled from its_initial 69 ~o53 voices:_The bombing of touring civilians in the Rome airport durmg the Christmas season had convinced some singers that European travel wasn't as safe as they'd expected. Six out of ten Cabrini students originally planning to accompany the tour swiftly changed their minds. "My parents think it's too dangerous," one student commented. "It_'s just not worth the risk. I'd rather lose the $100 non-refundable deposit than my life." . "The events abroad have had a definite impact on people traveling abroad ," Bethany said. "The families have ,, been exerting influence and the students don't want them to worry. "The long-stem silk roses have arrived," announced Clara LaPorta, accompanist and trip committee treasurer. "You will each need to pay me for twenty." The roses were to be distributed through_out the Austrian/Hungarian audiences at the end of each of the six scheduled concerts while the chorus sang the tune "It's a Small World" in both English and German. The roses were to be a sign of goo1will. T-shirts with the group logo, a globe on a sca_leof music surrom_1ded by the words for "friendship" in each of the languages, were specially designed. Everything was set. That night no member reviewed the German lyrics: each was too busy absorbing the reality of the bombing that_ had occurred as they practiced. When the group met again on Sunday, April 20, for t~e next practice, a new type of tension was present. Spouses and relatives sat ne~r choral members. The piano remained locked. Bethany and the trip committee sat in panel in front of the room. One question only seemed to circulate throughout the entire group: 'Should we still go?' A long and heated debate ~nsued. One ~ember re~d a security alert issued by his company, Westmghouse, urgmg Americans not to travel abroad unless it was necessary. Those who still chose to travel, the memo advised were warned to avoid large crowds or demonstrations, avoid locations' frequented by Americans, and move through airports as quickly as possible. "How do you get 50 people through an airport quickly without being noticed?" asked one community chorus member. "There's no way to keep a low profile," Bethany said. They have to advertise us to bring people to the concerts. The people pr?bably wouldn't come anywhere Americans would be. They would Just be asking for trouble." . ,, "You'd be looking over your shoulder the whole time, Bethany continued. "I'd be constantly worrying about where everyone was, and waiting up until all 52 people got in at night.",, . · "I'm one that will travel at the drop of a hat, said Gordon Bethany, who was also looking forward to accompanying his wife and the group ·on tour. "Drop of a bomb, no, but drop of a hat ..." "I was over in Europe during the War," one man commented, "and I felt safe only because I was carrying a gun." · The decision was put to a silent vote. ''I can't decide for you. You'll each lose at least $150 as a result," Bethany said. Twenty-nine voted "no," 16 voted "yes," and 5 abstained. T):iechorus never did practice that night.
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Wednesday, April 16-Where is Qaddafi? Is he dead? American journalists in Tripoli reported that Qaddafi and a number of his top aids were possibly in Sabhh, a town south of Tripoli. Later he was seen on Libyan television. International response was strong against the U.S. attack on Libya. All Arab nations were said to support Libya. American flags were burning in Spain, West Germany and Austria. Soviet Union Deputy Representative to the United Nations, Vladimir Schustov, said that the U.S. bombing of Libya was a deliberate action aimed worsening U.S.Soviet relations.
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by Maria O'Brien
Tuesday, April 15-The U.S. bombing of Tripoli on April 14 has caused a string of world-wide consequences. Students of Cabrini were huddled around radios and television sets waiting to hear if the United States was bombing Libya again. Qaddafi's 15-month-old baby was dead. Rumors spread that Qaddafi himself was dead, then he was alive. U.S. g,
v red. Th vie U ion was reported! ready to attac . The scene was depression. shock, confusion and the cafeteria was buzzing. Heavy firing in the Libyan capital broke · out in early Tuesday afternoon. Pentagon officials said that the firing was not U.S.a related, but a result of unrest. Libya attacked patrol boats on a U.S. Coast Guard installation on the Italian island of Lampedusa. There were no damages or casualties. Reported casualties from Monday's U.S. attack on Tripoli were 15 Libyan civilians and two U.S. captains, Fernando Ribas Dominicci, 33, and Paul F. Lorence, 31. Libyan officials said that Qaddafi's 15month-old adopted daughter had died as a result of Monday's attack. And his two youngest sons were seriously injured, but · would recover. Student opinion was split on the justification of the U.S. attack on Libya. , said. "I think it was justified due to the irrational barbarism of Libya's terrorist activities. I think we had to retaliate so that we won't be stepped on again. The people in Libya aren't bad. It's just their leader," Mike Edmondson, sophomore said. "I agree with Reagan's decision to attack Libya and especially on his policy on terrorism. I think that civilian casualties should be avoided at all costs. This attack will most likely have negative short-term effects, but hopefully work towards a positive long-term effect against terrorism," Pete Casazza, sophomore, said. The Soviet Union cancelled the scheduled May meeting of U.S. Secretary of State George Schultz and Soviet Foreign Minister Schevadnadze. This meeting was set to plan a possible Summit on arms control between U.S. President Reagan and Soviet Party Leader Gorbachev. It was rumored that the Soviet Union would join Libya and drop bombs on American soil, but this never occurred. "I don't think the U.S. anticipated the diplomatic problems they're having with the Soviet Union. Reagan thought that the · U.S. attack on Libya would get no response because we're a super power combatting terrorism, but there's a lot of repercussions. We're feeling it with the Soviets already in the cancellation of the talks," Brian Feeley, junior, said.
There could have been another way to do it. President Reagan condemnedterrorists'acts, but he committed one too' Pat McKenna,junior Thursday, April 17-Libyan tion is in question.
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rence Eagleburger
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said,· "I suspect that Lib o
us. "I think Qaddafi will retaliate. If the man is willing to send suicide squads anywhere in the world, bombing Libya won't stop him. In order to stop terrorism, we have to get rid of Qaddafi because he's the ring leader," Mike Johnson, sophomore, said.
"Either two things can happen. We'll just wear them down and the Libyans will overthrow Qaddafi themsehies, or this attack has made him a hero and they'll support him in terrorism," Denis Bourgeau, senior, said. The bodies of two British teachers were found and taken to Beruit. They had died of gunshot wounds to the head. British journalist John McCarthy was kidnapped. Qaddafi was seen again on Libyan television visiting wounded in a hospital. American flags_ were still burning abroad. "I don't think the relations with Spain and West Germany will be affected by the protest groups who are burning American flags. Civilian action is not government action," Dr. Jolyan Girard, chairperson of history and political science, said.
Friday, April 18,Coverage of the Libyan crisis no longer overwhelmed the front page of"The New York Times." Discussion of Libya began to lull. Coffins of Libyans said to have been killed in the U.S. bombing were carried through the streets of Tripoli in a funeral procession. Saturday, April 19,"Kill Qaddafi" tshirts were beginning to circulate. Parents and schools were cancelling trips abroad. Should Americans travel overseas? Susie McKernan, junior, will travel to England in the fall to study at Ealing College outside of London. "(The U.S. attack on Libya) really hasn't affected my plans, but it did make me think about where I'm going to visit on my breaks. I really wanted to go to Germany and Israel, but my parents would rather I stay as close to England as possible," McKernan said.