Spartan Daily - Serving San Jose State University since 1934

With the exception of the University Police Department, San Jose State University appears to be continuing with few changes to its routine as threats of war and terrorism loom.

Lt. Col. Richard Werling, professor of aerospace studies, said although the subject of war enters classroom discussions, the Air Force ROTC program has seen little change as a response to the possibility of war. In fact, enrollment has broken about even, Werling said. While he said a handful of students have left, others have joined as a possible result of increased patriotism. He said he and other professors in the program will stay and teach but would serve in a war if necessary.

The administration of justice department has offered courses on terrorism and the criminal justice system since 1985. Lecturer Patrick Meyering teaches the course this semester, which covers terrorism from 25 A.D. to the present. He said that although the media treats terrorism as a new phenomenon, it is not. He also said the course will definitely cover the subject of current terrorism acts.

Peter Charles Unsinger, professor of administration of justice, also taught the terrorism course and suggested avoiding crowds and reporting strange and abnormal occurrences to the university police.

"There is nothing to say (bombing) won't start occurring here," Unsinger said. "Al-Qaida will target symbolic targets that concurrently kick imperialism in the shins. Does San Jose State offer such targets - symbolic and world economy-related? I can't really see a target."

The university police has changed routine and made preparations, however.

Capt. Bruce Lowe of the University Police Department said officers have received ongoing training to deal with current events better than they did prior to Sept. 11. Although the campus police department has undergone organizational changes to better enable them to respond to emergency situations, officers are doing what they always do, he said.

"The general public is not going to see a change," Lowe said.

The university police are part of a Bay Area intelligence network in association with the FBI and all university, state, city and county law enforcement agencies. This connection keeps them abreast of new situations, Lowe said. He said the department is aware of day-to-day events.

Lowe said the university police are a community-oriented organization with contacts in the community on and off campus, including what he refers to as 'professional contacts' in the local area.

"We need the eyes and ears and input of the community," Lowe said. "Anytime a person sees something suspicious that causes concern, you should call the UPD or San Jose Police Department."

On Feb. 10, the UPD Web site was updated with a link to the Homeland Security Web site.

Sgt. Steve Dixon, press information officer with the SJPD, said the department has not been severely affected by the threat of war and terror because the San Jose area has never received any threats.

"It's pretty much business as usual," Dixon said. "If there were (a threat), we'd do it differently."

Dixon said the department monitors information from federal and state agencies 24 hours a day, and that they are prepared with response plans for emergency situations. Dixon agreed with Lowe and also advised people to be on the lookout for anything suspicious.

The school of nursing is pressed with the state budget crisis as well as the possibility of war in a time when there is already a nursing shortage.

"The possibility of attack really heightens the issue of, 'do we have enough nurses and are they trained?'" said Rosemary Mann, an associate professor in the school of nursing.

Mann said the budget crisis could not have come at a worse time because it limits the amount of applicants the school of nursing can accept when there is high demand for nurses.

There are nursing students who are being supported through nursing school who are in the reserves, Mann said.

"The issue affects all of us in tremendous different ways," she said.

In the political science department, war and terrorism make their way into class discussions, said Betsy Carroll, associate professor of political science.

Carroll teaches an introduction to U.S. government course and public administration course. She said both classes would discuss the decision-making process, civil liberties and the politics of going to war.

"I try to deal with issues that are current," Carroll said. "These things are very relevant. It's our duty to raise questions."

She said teachers must be careful not to "preach" to students and they must represent different points of view in discussions.

Discussions about war and terrorism can cause genuine disagreements and arguments, she said.

"There are limits to how far you can go," said Carroll of discussing war and terrorism in class. "But there is flexibility."

Some faculty members are seeing some effects of the possibility of war as students in the reserves get called to serve.

"One woman was called up with a couple days' notice," said Inger Sagatun-Edwards, chair of the administration of justice department. "I think she has three small children."

As for changes in the department due to war, Sagatun-Edwards said that while courses will naturally cover the subject of possible war and terrorism, the department hasn't made any arrangements for changes.

The possibilities of war and attack haven't had any effect on the lifestyles of some students on campus who said they had not made any preparations or changes to their routines.

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