Peace vigil at Pioneer park - Round UP New Mexico State University - 10 10 2002
Residents gather for peace
By Darryl Newman

Media Credit: Sage Benson/the Round Up Sage Benson/the Round Up

About 27 New Mexico State University students, faculty and local citizens met on the west side of Corbett Center Monday afternoon to form a peace organization on campus.
Casey Stevens, an organizer of the vigil, is a senior at NMSU majoring in government. Stevens said the forum was designed for people to meet each other with hopes of starting an active peace vigil organization on campus. He also had some remarks about a possible war with Iraq.
"Now is not the right time, to say the least. We don't need to enter Iraq without the support of the United Nations," Stevens said.
NMSU professors offered their perspectives as well. Neil Harvey, a government professor, learned about the peace vigil and forum from a flyer and decided to go. Harvey called the potential war a "big mistake."
"President Bush is ignoring the sentiments of the American people. It diverts attention from the problems here at home, such as poor healthcare, poverty and education," Harvey said.
David Boje, management professor, has been teaching at NMSU for seven years and encouraged people to become more informed about the situation in Iraq. He said the possible war is centered on oil interests.
"Our government is not elected by oil companies. Our congressmen and senators no longer represent us," Boje said.
Boje said he attends the peace vigils held in downtown Las Cruces.
"They are very gratifying. I like them a lot," Boje said.
Maggie Adkins, a junior majoring in English, said she attended the campus vigil because she believes there are alternatives to war.
"My gut feeling is that (war) is a bad idea," Adkins said.
Jane Carter, an army veteran, said the United States is rushing to war.
"Bush wants oil and revenge. Saddam Hussein has never been tied to Al Qaeda," she said.
Carter also said she would like to see weapons inspectors have access in Iraq and ensure that Hussein is disarmed.
Carter is retired from the military and said she has seen what occurs during wartime. She lost several friends in the Vietnam War and said war should never be declared without the support of the people.
The American people will wake up when something terrible happens, she said.
"I for one will not stop speaking out because we're headed for disaster," Carter said. Her comments received much applause from the crowd.
Anela Borrego, an undeclared freshman, said she attended the vigil and open forum to become more informed.
"I'm here to see what this is all about, and listen to people's viewpoints. Peace is a necessity because innocent lives are being taken," Borrego said.
Kitty Phillips-Schaefer told the Round Up that she went to the vigil as a concerned mother.
"I am afraid of what our country is becoming. We police the world in our own interests. This is not a war fought because of an evil," Phillips-Schaefer said.
She said now is a time of dialogue and is not the time to be quiet.
Patrick Camunez, a government major, spoke at the open forum as well and said all in government are not bad.
"Everyone talks as if the war will definitely happen. Don't give up being together, you are not alone," Camunez said.
A national petition titled "Not in Our Name" was passed around at the peace vigil for people to sign.
The petition, which has about 20,000 signatures thus far, calls on people opposed to a war to speak out . The petition can be found online at www.nion.us.
A planning meeting will be held on Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. in room 333 of Breland Hall.