Students both overjoyed, skeptical over war's end

Students said last night they were both overjoyed and skeptical upon hearing that the sixth-month crisis in the Persian Gulf was ending. While many students viewed the end of the war as a boon both to the U.S. and President Bush, they said they were wary about leaving Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in power. "I'm exhilarated that the war is over," College freshman Mayer Ezer said last night. "My support goes out to Bush and the troops." Ezer's "exhilaration" typified the reaction of most students last night. Unlike the start of the war, which sparked protests at the University and around the country, news of the ceasefire drew little public reaction on campus. Students went about their daily lives without interruption. Locust Walk remained quiet throughout the evening. College junior Phil Sipsipowicz called the cease-fire "fantastic" and added, "Like everyone else, I just want to get our guys home." Undergraduate Chairperson Duchess Harris, whose brother is a Green Beret on the front line, said, "I'm really excited that the war has ended, because it has caused a lot of anxiety in my family." But some students were skeptical that keeping Saddam in power might lead to a similar conflict down the road. "I'm not sure whether we should just stop right here and not get rid of him," College junior Michael Guastella said. Wharton junior Kurt Ekert said he fears for the lives of the troops. "[Saddam] is really an unpredictable, scary guy," he said. "It is almost like we have a noose around Iraq's neck and [we are saying] if you move we are going to hang you" College senior Michael Holliday said he feared Saddam "might feel like he has some score to settle." Students also said they were surprised at how quickly the U.S. won the war and praised President Bush as a perceptive leader. Guastella said he thought the war would be much longer. He recalled an economics class in which the professor asked the students how long they felt the war would last. He said all but one of the students felt the war would last at least six months. College sophomore Hilary Hotchkiss agreed, adding that "you could almost see a smile [on Bush's face] that says 'I will win the next presidential election.' " "I think that politically the implications for George Bush are enormous," Hotchkiss added. "In an ironic way it is almost anti-climactic ending the war so quickly. "We either overestimated them or underestimated ourselves in comparison to them," Ekert concluded. "What George Bush said he wanted in the beginning he pretty much got." Harris said late last night that, although she still believes it was unnecessary to send troops to Saudi Arabia in the first place, "Bush probably will come out looking like a hero because we were so successful and there were so few casualties." "I definitely believe we should bring the troops home right away," Harris added. While some students with relatives fighting in the Gulf agreed with Harris that the troops should come home immediately, others were concerned about the stability of the region and said Bush should not pull out so soon. College senior Yunsook Chang said he thought it will take a while to bring the troops home. "I think the troops should stay a while," Chang said, adding that it will take some time for things to settle down. Graduate student Brian Teaman, who was standing outside the Quadrangle with anti-war buttons on his coat, said he didn't think protesting the war was "a waste." "Part of protesting is to give a different voice, one that you don't see on the television," Teaman added. Daily Pennsylvanian Staff Writer Christine Lutton contributed to this article

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