ft The Behrend Beacon Vol. L No. 10 White House ratchets up rhetor iCrSigna Is war with Iraq imminent By Warren P. Strobel, Diego Ibarguen and Martin Merzer Knight Ridder Newspapers War with Iraq appeared all hut inevitable Wednes day as the Bush administration launched the "final phase" of consultations with hesitant allies and po litical foes, and United Nations members planned the equivalent of a war council. With U S. troops streaming toward the Persian Gull. President Bush said: "History has called the United States into action, and we will not let history down." A U.S.-led war on Iraq could start as early as the beginning of March, several senior administration officials said, and the White House flashed war sig nals on many public fronts. "It certainly feels around here as if the preposi tion has changed from ‘if’ to ‘when.’" one State Department official, speaking on condition of ano nymity. saiil about the widespread feeling that Bush has chosen war. "It certainly feels like there's a green light." Speaking one day after his State of the Union address. Bush ratcheted up his rhetoric about the Excitement runs high at the ASA Date Auction Tuesday night. The sisters raised ASA S auction benefits charities by Erika Jarvis staff writer Once again the Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority sis ters managed to get a few people dates, and to raise money tor the Special Olympics and S. June Smith Center, all while having fun. On 7 uesday. the sorority held its seventh annual Date Auction in McCiarvey Commons. ASA’s big gest philanthropic event of the year took in $716, ehich will be split among the two. The auction started off with a bang with local radio station Star 104 supplying the music and the NEWS 1-3 HUMOR 6 NAT L CAMPUS NEWS 4 FEATURES 7 EDITORIAL 5 CALENDAR 8 lnside CONTRIBUTED PHOTO President Bush presents his plan of action during the State of the Union Address. threat posed by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. danger to the American people, and we’ve got to “He is a danger not only to countries in the re- deal with him," the president said during a speech gion, but, as I explained last night, because of al- in Grand Rapids, Mich. “ We’ve got to deal with Qaida connections, because of his history, he's a him before it is too late.” Other top U.S. officials said that before actir emcee, who got the crowd excited over the “hotties” to be auctioned off. It was a good night for the Theta Phi Alpha sis ters when their "sweetheart" Ryan Maddick was sold for $lOO, the highest bid of the night, to an Alpha Sigma Alpha alumnus. Also, the ASA sis ters couldn’t have raised all that money alone had it not been for Ann Murosky bringing in $95 being sold to her own “brothers" in the Tau Kappa Epsi lon Frat. The brothers kept raising the price on their “Sweetheart” until they finally scrounged enough money to become the second highest bidders of the 16 for the Special Olympics and S. June A&E 9 SPORTS 10-12 Prizes awarded throughout the night included dinner to local restaurants, movie tickets and a grand prize of a ride around Erie in an Escalade The sisters of Alpha Sigma Alpha thank ev eryone who came out to help them raise money and tor making the night fun and memorable. If you're upset you missed this year’s date auction, no worries. The sisters will be back next year with new prizes and new dates, and who knows? NEWSROOM: 898-6488 FAX: 898-6019 »wWi.y*n*Y»- Contact Us E-MAIL: Offices are located behrcolls@aol.com downstairs in the Reed Union Building FEB 0 A 2003 BbKhEAKj COLLEGE umm alone or with a few allies, they would w ait weeks but not months - for the United Nations to put teel into its threat of “serious consequences" for Saddar if he fails to disarm peacefully. At the Pentagon. Defense Secretary Donal Rumsfeld made his strongest effort yet to juslit pre-emptive military action on moral grounds, eve while conceding that Americans traditionally ha\ believed that “unless attacked, one does not attack. “The question, though, is. in the 21 st century - wit! biological weapons, for example, that could kil hundreds of thousands of people - what does otn do?” he asked. "Does one wait until they're at tacked?" Rumsfeld argued that, even with its best spy tech nology, the United States may never gain "perlee knowledge" of w hat Saddam may be up to. “The only way you get personal knowledge is n wait until Japan attacks Pearl Harbor." he said “That’s when you get perfect knowledge." By thei it’s too late, so a pre-emptive strike is justified. In suggested. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Colin Powell agai BUSH Behrend battles cabin fever PHOTO BY KEVIN FALLON / BEHREND BEACON A despondent-looking Behrend studen gazes out of the ice-glazed window of the Reec building. by Katie Zellars staff writer Behrend students have probably asked themselves lately why they came to Brie after last week’s record low temperatures and immense snowfall. Sophomore Jason Karns summed up students' general attitude towards the weather when he simply stated. "It sucks." Last week a high-pressure system in Canada pushed arctic air down, creating some record lows. Last Thursday the wind chill dropped down to minus 15 degrees. It only takes 15 minutes for frostbite to begin setting in at that temperature. On Monday night the city dropped down to zero degrees, the coldest it has been in Erie in the last four years. Also according to the WJET Channel 24 website, as of Wednesday, Erie's had a seasonal snowfall total of a whopping 97. X inches. These cold and dreary days can leave students begging for a ray of sunshine. Many cases of cabin fever develop across campus. Cabin lever, or scientifically known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), can cause sleep problems, depression, joint problems and behavioral problems. There are ways to fight off or cure SAD or cabin fever. WJET meteorologist and Behrend professor Tom Atkins recommends trying to stay active SNOW MtHftAfIIKMMCMItt continued on page W U |'m. I'V: $5 ' *1 #) i! continued on page 3