Living Exuberantly Through Art

by Judeanne Watters-Arment!

In 1971, researchers detected anthrax spores still viable on the island. Anthrax spores can survive any where from one year to 1 million years.

In 1986 the island was decontaminated; however people have still not returned.

Anthrax has a life cycle that affects mostly animals. There is the entry of the disease where it then divides rapidly and then produces toxins. It hibernates and then will make the body decompose. Once the body disintegrates into the land, the cycle starts all over again.

In order to kill the disease and stop it from spreading, it is necessary to get a shot called ciprofloxacin. This shot is very expensive and has more side effects than penicillin or doxycycline. It consists of a series of six inoculations and an annual booster shot.

Fuller-Espie said that the first line of defense is medical centers. Therefore in order to prevent deaths from anthrax, America should be prepared for another bioterrorism attack.

For more information on anthrax, go to the U. S. Department of health and human services website at: www.hhs.gov/hottopics/healing/biological.html.

Staff Writer

In a collective effort for a clearer perspective on Sept. 11th, Cabrini students dedicated Cabrini Day to the people, the emotion and the repercussions of the Attack on America. Assistant Professor Lisa Learner-Wagner gave the student-artists an outlet for their reflections on the attacks. Her "Life Drawing" and "Color Theory" classes contributed works for one of the day's workshops, "Speaking Through Art."

Works from the Life Drawing class shouted the depth of emotion in each artist. George Ojomo used tremendous but subtle symbolism in his self-portrait by using a knitted brow and a gaping mouth in contrast to the calm expression of his "other self." Under the relaxed brow of his pre-Sept. 11 self, a smiley face shined in his eye. Bulging above the gaping mouth of his post-Sept. 11 self, a skull glistened behind the tear in his eye.

Continuing this theme of selfconflict was Geronna Lewis. Sitting in front of Uncle Sam, with his hands clamped over her ears and the flag bound around her eyes, Lewis gave pause to wonder what we truly see and hear. Lewis said, "We are the ones who put a veil on our own eyes."

The abstract work from Color Theory students provoked thought of not only our lives since Sept. 11, but of our life that day and the days before it. In a trio of images, Kim Clayton's world was colorful and harmonious with bright pastels before the attacks, fractured with dark and blistering violent colors the day of Sept 11 and black, white and blatantly divided since the 21st century's most infamous day.

Learner-Wagner said, "Art is a wonderful vehicle to get people talking." Her students provided plenty of material to discuss among the group gathered in Grace Hall Atrium. Ellie Pfaust's work spoke of the atrocities witnessed over her 60-odd years of conscious existence. She shared the image of herself as not only an innocent child and a vibrant young woman living with the haunting acts of Hitler and Stalin but also as an older adult of today living exuberantly in her art, despite the ideology of Bin Laden.

As art reflects not only our society but also our common emotions and our shared concerns, it exudes the spirit of its creators.

Thanks to the perspective of our artistic community at Cabrini our spirit is not only mirrored, but is guided into an uncertain future with more understanding and hope than it possessed on Sept. 11.

Who keeps sending Anthrax through the mail?

by Gina Roswell staff writer

Although officials are unsure if the anthrax-containing letters originated from home or abroad, many factors indicate that either possibility is surely an option. Officials also think these letters may be connected with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The secretary-general of the international police agency, Interpol, Ronald K. Noble, in an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer on Oct. 30, said, "They [the people connected with the anthrax-containing letters] wanted to be associated with that [the terrorist attacks]; they have the same goals."

According to Dr. James Hedtke, chairman of the history and political science departments, "Bin Laden likes to kill in bunches; anthrax only kills small groups of people." . .

This is not the only indicator that the anthrax letters originated in the United States. Another of the main indicators is that the dates heading the letters were written in American style: 09-11-01, with the month first, followed by the day and then the year.

Hedtke also noted that white supremacy groups have previously stated that they would use anthrax against the government and media, should they have the opportunity. Officials are aware that anthrax has previously been accessible to these groups.

There is an opposite side to this, however. According to Hedtke, the use of benzonite to harden the anthrax spores indicates that the Iraqis could have a connection with these letters, as they have been previously known to use benzonite.

Officials are also aware that one of the individuals involved in the hijacking met with an Iraqi agent just before the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks. It is possible that an exchange of anthrax could have taken place between the two men.

Another theory concerning the origin of these letters is whether or not the culprits could have been foreigners who were trained in the United States, as were the hijackers who earned their pilots licenses in the United States.

Vice President Dick Cheney, along with other administration officials, have declared the al-Qaeda terrorist organization, a group which works with other Islamic extremist groups to overthrow any regime that is deemed to be "nonIslamic," a possible suspect, but all options are being left open to definitively find the culprits.