HE SHPiEL


VOLUME 3


ISSUE 8


21 Omer 5767 35 Omer 5767 April 24, 2007 May 6, 200U




Prominent Rabbis Arrested During Protest


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Don't Worry about the

"Je-Je-Je-Je Jew Unit"
Q: What's a Jewish-American
LEO STEIN Princess' favorite position?
we "A: Facing Bloomingdale's.
". Ah, good old Jewish jokes.
There's been a few of them going
8 around by non-Jews, so naturally
S^ everyone's pulling out the anti-Se-
S-" mitic card.
Rapper 50 Cent apparent-
ly called his team of lawyers his "Jew Unit." His exact
words, as expressed on radio station Hot 97, were: "Worry
about the Je-Je-Je-Jew unit. They're the real goon squad.
When the lawyers come out, you'll see what it is. I don't
pay nobody. I only pay the lawyers."
After that Kramer guy's berserk racist ranting, people
accused him of spouting serious anti-Semitic slander in a
show a few months prior. Personally, my favorite is How-
ard Stem's "Guess Who's The Jew." Genius.


Instructor and Holocaust

Survivor Remembered
NERI STEIN Last Monday marked the 60th
Yom Hashoah since the Holocaust
S- ended. It also marked the deadli-
est school shooting in American
history.
Monday morning at Virginia
Tech University, Seung-Hui Cho,
a senior from South Korea, shot
and killed thirty-two people and injured seventeen others
before committing suicide.
Cho began his attack in the West Amber Johnston
dormitory at around 7:15 a.m. He killed two students, a fe-
male resident and a male resident assistant. Approximately
two hours after the first shooting, Cho entered Norris Hall,
chained the front doors shut, broke into classrooms and
killed numerous students and professors. At the end of the
second attack, thirty people in four separate classrooms
lay dead. Some 200 bullets had been fired.


JOSH FLEET Draped in tallesim, with the
familiar tunes of "Am Yisrael
Chai" and Ani Ma'amin" drifting
Along behind them, 22 prominent
and passionate Jews (most of them
rabbis) from the Orthodox, Con-
servative and Reform movements
were hand cuffed and placed in the
back of two police vans April 17. Several hours later, after
being told to appear in court on May 15, the men were
released from jail.
Earlier in the day, the group boasted more than 50 ac-
tivists, consisting of rabbis, rabbinical students, commu-
nity leaders and laymen.
The men hoisted signs with the words "Iran Funds Is-
lamic Jihad," "Stop Hating Jews," and "Ahmadinejad: The
New Hitler?" among others.
In short speeches, their message became clear: Iran, a
country whose president calls for the destruction of Israel,
has no place in the United Nations.
On public steps across the street from the UN building
in New York City, the group purposely obstructed pedes-
trian traffic. Nearly half of the initial group was arrested.
It had ignored police warnings to disperse.
Rabbi Avi Weiss, president of AMCHA (the Coalition
for Jewish Concerns) and organizer of the protest, was the
first to be arrested. Decades ago, Weiss spoke out for So-
viet Jewry and was arrested then as well. For him, this was
nothing new.
This time, the group's main goal was to be arrested.
Before the protest, organizers informed the New York Po-
lice Department that they would be holding the rally.
Later, as they sat on the steps in solidarity, a police of-
ficer ceremoniously read the men their rights while giving
them a chance to disperse and avoid arrest.
The ones who wished to avoid the trouble of marring
their records left, while the ones who remained, including
Rabbi Aaron Rubinger from Congregation Ohev Shalom
in Orlando, Fla., later recited their afternoon prayers in a
jail cell.
Several blocks away from the protest at the UN build-
ing, another comparably-sized group of Jews held their
own counter-protest. The demonstration was organized by
Neturei Karta a sect of Jews who oppose Zionism and
the state of Israel.


CONTINUED ON PAGE 3


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CONTINUED ON PAGE 5


CONTINUED ON PAGE 2







0 00




Neturei Karta holds counter-protest__-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Iogue." .. .-


In December of 2006, Neturei Karta gained publicity
and drew harsh criticism from much of the Western me-
dia for its attendance and endorsement of the International
Conference to Review the Global Vision of the Holocaust,
which took place in Tehran, Iran. Many have labeled the
conference as one of outright Holocaust denial. It attend-
ees included former Ku Klux Klan. leader
David Duke.
Neturei Karta maintains that the Holo-
caust did occur but that its tragedies do no
justify what they view as similar subjugation 4
ofPPalestinians li\ ing in the Israeli territories
of Gaza and the West Bank. During their si-
multaneous counter demonstration, Neturei
Karta's leader, Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss
(who also attended the conference in Iran in
December) spoke on behalf of Iran's leaders, -
Ahmedinejad and Ayatollah Ali Khameni.
According to Jewish Week, an independent
Jewish newspaper out of New York, Weiss
said Ahmedinejad is not an anti-Semite and
merely wishes to destroy Israel "through dia-


The other Weiss and his camp disagree. They say
world inaction less than a century ago allowed a crazed
ruler in Germany to nearly destroy an entire people. For
them, Ahmedinjad's words are enough to show that a
similar tragedy could occur today. Advisor to Amcha and
speaker at the protest, Glenn Richter, put it plainly saying,
"We kno\\ the price of silence."


OSH Carbon Copy
Recent local and national
tragedies have struck. Like light-
n ,ning kissing the earth, they have
left our hearts scorched: I speak
of the death of a young, local
beauty, Kathleen Monahan and
the tragic takings of the Virginia Tech students. I have no
words that can usher away the feelings of loss and grief.
Despite the inabilities of poets, philosophers, and journal-
ists to gain meaning from loss, words on death and be-
reavement are still shared and spoken. We see them writ-
ten on the backs of pages in newspapers' obituaries. We
hear them spoken in the halls of the grieving. Now, we
read them on the pages of Facebook.
Recent technology has met recent tragedy. As tech-
nology advances, circuitry grows more and more complex.
And though the soul inside us remains old and archaic, it
is not obsolete. The digital dimension exists as a moving
mirror that echoes our joys, and now even our grieving.
From their interaction a new form of mourning has arisen,
and it is the-Facebook farewell.
Kathleen Monahan and the victims of the Virginia
Tech attack have all received updates on their walls. How-
ever, they will not be able to reply. Those who write are the


Condolences
family, the friends, and those with compassionate souls. At
first, I felt that Facebook and MySpace robbed us. It stole
from us our privacy. I was wrong. It gave us a community.
The walls have become a space for the living to express,
to cry, to wrench out the wretched. Facebook has not only
become a means of socialization, but also a conduit for hu-
man emotion. Farewells, goodbyes, and eulogia are more
powerful and more numerable than ever believed possible.
But Facebook only dotes the surface of the expanse.
We are growing conscious. We are growing connect-
ed. We are growing together. I have always believed that
the computer was a large metaphor for the human mind.
Now, I believe the Internet is a metaphor for the human
world. We weep on Web pages. We mourn on message
boards. We cry on circuitry. In the day of the digital, I be-
gan growing concerned. I started believing our hearts lost
touch. Now, I realize we are closely bound with our cir-
cuits. They run through our blood, up our spine, and now
through our souls.
The Facebook now has meaning. Its thousand pages
of profiles and pictures now have meaning. Its incessant
ramble of updates and news feeds now have meaning. We
have given it meaning. And may it now give us, and those
gone, peace. at last.


TARGET COPY

OPEN 24 HOURS


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A :. 'K E;TON
T I.NK
ELECTRIC, INC.
Jay Linkenhelt
EC18001848 jay@prestonlinkelectric.com
4000 S.W. 35th Tenraee Gainesville, FL 32608
Voice 352-873-3516 Fax 352-335-3836


The Only Student-Run Jewish Campus Newspaper in the Country, Right Here at the University of Florida


Editor-in-Chief
Kimberly Gouz
kimgouz@gmail.com
Scene Editor
Lori Finkel
lmfinkel@ufl.edu
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Giselle Mazur
gisellel@ufl.edu


Executive Advisor/Mentor
Rabbi Yonah Schiller
ravyonah@ufhillel.org
Director of Layout and Design
Tracy Flack
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Director of Photography
Jennifer Harnish
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Chief Visionaries
Josh Kaller
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Josh Fleet
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Israel Correspondent
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Editorial Staff
Kimberly Gouz
Lori Finkel
Giselle Mazur
Josh Kaller
Josh Fleet
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Thinking of Virginia Tecd
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

In a cell phone video later broadcast on many news
channels, a student captured the sound of bullets reigning
in the nearby Norris Hall.
According to some survivors, Cho returned to certain
classrooms to check if anyone had survived and subse-
quently killed those that had. Several people managed to
escape, through windows or by chance.
During the attack, there were many instances of brav-
ery. Several hostages tried to fight the shooter off so others
escaped.
Teachers urged their students to escape out of win-
dows or hide in the back of the room out of view.
Students dove on top of others to shield them from
Cho's bullet. Others blocked doors and tended to their in-
jured friends.
Another such instance of such bravery was that of


'13


Pbolli i rI l oi BPH [i 1A.; I A
Marlexa Librcscu mourris uver the body of her husband. Virgima
Tech Profesrc.r L u [Li.brescLL during hi, funr.al Apni 20 in Rsjn-
aia. Israel. LibresctuL a Holocausl surn ivor. died while prrtecring hi
students during a shooting attack on April 16.


Professor Liviu Libres-
cu. Librescu, a 76-year-
old Holocaust survivor
from Romania, was an l :-
aeronautics engineer.
During the attack,
Librescu barricaded
himself in front of the
door so his students
could escape through the
window.
He managed to keep
Cho out of the classroom
until almost all of his
twenty-something stu-
dents were able to get
away.
Through the door,
Librescu was shot five
times by Cho. Soon af-
ter, he died. Studenis take pan in a igil at Virgini:
Shortly after police
arrived and Cho had
killed himself, Librescu's wife, Marlena, heard of her hus-
band's death during the shootings.
Later that day she received countless e-mails and
phone calls from her husband's students.
One of his students, Asael Arad claimed that each of
Librescu's students had "lived because of him."
Others recounted how Librescu shouted at them to get
out as quickly as they could.
One said he debated between fleeing and going back
to help his struggling professor barricade the door. He was
the last student to leave the room.


a Tech on A pn l 17. 1 -. ... .. .- -..-

Last Wednesday at the U.S. Holocaust Museum in
Washington D.C., President Bush honored Librescu, re-
counting his courage throughout his life.
Librescu's body was transported to Israel to be buried
at the Kfar Nachman cemetery of the central Israel town
of Ra'anana April 20.
In a bizarre coincidence, Librescu, who was murdered
on Holocaust Memorial Day, was buried on Hitler's birth-
day.
His heroic tale, while reinforcing the former occasion,
seems to have also overshadowed the latter.


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Schtupping in the Shtetl

It's Just a Little Crush
By MOXIE MEYDL

7 .,l. H There is never a time
S' when I don't have a crush
on someone.
I'm not proud of it. I
can't help it, although I
Swish I could. And I cer-
i tainly don't consciously
S choose it.
I just happen to find a
"' V jlot of people attractive.
f However, having a crush
l Ion someone puts you in an
awkward, uncomfortable
,.. ... position.
You're in this state of limbo-you have no idea what that
person thinks of you, and you feel like a stalker if you check
Facebook to find out their relationship status.
You spend so much time thinking of that person that it cuts
into time you need to sleep and work. And for what?
Are they even thinking of you?
Probably not. It's most likely all in vain, yet you do it any-
way.
Sorry if I'm being cynical, my crush just recently threw
out the "friend" word-talk about being crushed.
I was talking about crushes in general to a certain married-
with-kids friend of mine, and she expressed wishing she'd
spent less time in college having crushes and more time
hanging out with friends.
She said she was always envious of the guy she dated be-
cause his college experience was so different from hers. His
life was carefree, always off surfing and hanging out at the
beach, while she wasted too much energy thinking about him
and trying to make the relationship work
Oh, but when it is mutual, it's the most beautiful feeling.
It's that feeling of disbelief that two people in a world of mil-
lions have a mutual attraction to each other.
You are, literally, one in a million. Suddenly everything
.is beautiful and every love song makes sense, even "Do Wa
Diddy Diddy" by Manfred Mann, which I'm not entirely
sure is a love song, or even what it means.
The best is discovering that you're fifth-grade Hebrew
school crush had a crush on you, too. You see? All the time
you spent dressing yourself up as a sexy version of Esther/
handsome version of Mordecai wasn't spent in vain.
It's only in vain that the person grew to be chunky and
unattractive, and is only now trying to get with you.
Check it, David Goldstein who still goes to community
college back in my hometown. You had your chance when I
saw you again at the skating rink in the sixth grade, and you
blew it when you skated the couples only song, "Waterfalls"
by TLC, with that blonde skank.
Moving on.
But crushes do serve a purpose. Crushes are the crutches
that help you walk (limp?) away from a messy relationship.
Sometimes you just need to refocus your sexual energy
somewhere else, or you won't be able to get over the break-
up.
And if the feeling's mutual, crushes become rebounds.
And although you may pretend to hate being the rebound,
some part of you is secretly flattered that you were chosen.
My goal for the summer: to focus on myself. I'm catch-
ing up on reading, going to concerts, occasionally working,
swimming and laying out.
If you want me, need me or can't live without me, leave me
a message, but don't expect me to get back to you. A crush
won't kill you-you can wait until the fall for my reply.


Counting Our Blessings

FARYN HART As the victory cries of our
NCAA Basketball National
Championship win could still
be heard, many Jews around
a Gainesville were enjoying the
seder of the second night of Pass-
over. In and amidst the retelling
of the story of our exodus from a
life of slavery in Egypt and sing-
ing "Next Year in Jerusalem," the counting of the Omer
began.
This seven week period marks the time from the
exodus until the receiving of the Torah. It can symbolize
the fact that we were never truly free until the revelation
at Mt. Sinai. The Omer is also a time of mourning dur-
ing which no parties can be held, hair cannot be cut or
shaved, instrumental music cannot be listened to (torture,
right?!) and new clothes cannot be bought. This is done in
remembrance of the plague that befell Rabbi Akiva and
his 12,000 students, as well as the many pogroms and Cru-
sades that occurred during Temple times. Lag Ba'Omer, the
thirty third day, marks the end of the plague and we can all
celebrate with bonfires and a blaring of the music that we
have been craving.
During the counting, there are other festivals that offer
a break in the mourning period. After 1948, we began to
celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day. In
addition, we celebrate Yom HaZikaron, a day of remem-
brance for Israel's fallen soldiers, and Yom HaSho'ah,
"Holocaust remembrance day".
In Israel on Yom HaSho'ah, flags are flown at half-
mast, ubiquitous commemorations are held and at 10
a.m., sirens wail throughout the country for two minutes.


During this time, people, cars, buses and bustling come
to a standstill for all to pay silent tribute to victims who
perished. In Poland, students and survivors gather in Aus-
chwitz for "The March of the Living" toward Birkenau.
But in Gainesville, the only tolling we hear is that of the
century tower 'round 9:45 a.m.
It seems we are too far away from the camps to hon-
or this day and the lives lost as we should. On Sunday,
Hillel hosted Andrew Hall, an attorney from Miami who
survived the Holocaust. Yet, many were not even aware
that Sunday commemorated the day we honor the victims
given up in the years of terror.
I'm sure the last thing students want to be hearing is
the monotonous "take action" imploration. But in order to
prevent such atrocities, it is apathy that needs to be abol-
ished and interest that must be stimulated.
Our lives cannot simply be complete with iPods,
CHM2045s, Gator football and Ramen. Open your mind
and your soul to a consciousness that incorporates a world
outside of the self-serving or instantaneously gratifying.
Come to a standstill or simply slow down so that you are
able to honor yourself in an existence that reaches beyond
the physical. Each of us has a Neshama, a soul, that was
present at the foot of Mt. Sinai awaiting the revelation,
and so we are able to connect on levels much deeper than
what we know and are comfortable with. Let the words of
Gandhi ("Be the change you wish to see in the world"),
Helen Keller ("I am only one; but still I am one. I can-
not do everything, but still I can do something; I will not
refuse to do the something I can do") and Aesop ("No act
of kindness, no matter how small, is every wasted") spark
you to open your eyes.
Enjoy the exploration!


Students Heat Up Over Global Warming


AMRITHA ALLADI


It wasn't celebrities Laurie
David and Sheryl Crow, or the
presence of Gov. Charlie Crist
that heated up the Stephen C.
O'Connell Center April 16.
It was the "Stop Global Warm-
ing College Tour," which inspired
University of Florida students to


help stop the global crisis.
The tour featured Academy Award-winning pro-
ducer Laurie David and Grammy Award-winning singer
Sheryl Crow. Both are actively involved in the "Stop
Global Warming Virtual March." They pleaded with na-
tional and state governments to stop the building of new
coal plants, to increase production of hybrid cars, and to
protect and plant trees that consume carbon dioxide
"This is not about.politics. It's about ethics," Da-
vid said.
David, who produced "An Inconvenient Truth," the
documentary based on former Vice President Al Gore's
30 years of global warming research, said 2,000 scientists
from 150 countries have agreed that the global warming
crisis is real and is progressing at twice the rate expected.
She explained that globally, this was the warmest win-
ter ever. Those who deny the problem are rejecting sci-
ence.
She urged students to make minor changes in their
daily lives, like unplugging cell phone chargers when not
in use to save energy. In addition, a switch in toilet paper
brands can save trees that absorb carbon dioxide gases that


worsen global warming.
"Imagine the impact of small changes made by
millions of people," David said.
Crow provided entertainment for the evening, per-
forming songs appropriate to the "Stop Global Warming"
theme, including "Change Would Do You Good," "Soak
Up the Sun" and "Everyday is Winding Road." She even
joked that she would start wearing clothes made of recy-
cled paper.
Crow, too, stressed the importance of acknowl-
edging the global warming crisis. People often feel saf-
er when they do not have to address serious issties, and
newspapers fail to reveal the facts, she said.
"There is I II ; 1
comfort in denial," '
Crow said. 7-
During the L
question-and-answer
session, one student .
asked Crist what
actions he was tak- -
ing against global :..
warming. The gov- "
ernor said he led by
example -- his own
vehicle is a hybrid.


CONTINUED
PAGE 5


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Why a good ole' jewish joke never hurt anyone


CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

He gets some KKK shmuck as one of the judges
(thinking it is a serious contest), and places two fake judg-
es alongside him. Then he shows pictures of 3 celebrities
and lets the KKK guy-who calls himself a master at spot-
ting out any dirty Jew-predict. He's usually wrong too,
by the way.
In my opinion, this stuff's hilarious. Jewish jokes
and making fun of Jews has been carried with us since we
killed Jesus (another joke, relax). Yiddish jokes are some
of the dirtiest, funniest jokes out there. Maybe it has some-
thing to do with all the persecution we've suffered over the
years. The idea is that it can, and must, be transformed into
comedy. We've weathered slavery, expulsion, mass riots
and genocide. Somehow, even a republic's economic crisis
can have a Jewish scapegoat.
It might not seem like it these days because most
American racism targets black people, but hey, just ask
KKK member Daniel Carver, and he'll tell you Jews are
worse than blacks. Look at your history, and you'll see
segregation meant blacks and Jews were bused to the same
discriminate schools. The first writings of race theory in


the 19th century were used as tools against Jewish assimi-
lation.
So why is it funny to hear border-line slanderous jokes
against my tribe?
First of all, anti-Semitism has never been as weak in
America as it is today. I do believe a good deal of Jew-
ish jokes are for humor's sake, and not because of vicious
angst. Just as well, the horrible energy of expressing your-
self for the sake of really hurting and ostracizing others
should be taken as critically as possible.
Most important, as sensitive as we are toward laughter
at our own expense, maybe it's the best way to evolve out
of the insecurities of our identity. We need to be confident
enough about who we are to realize that the "Jew Unit"
is actually complimenting the prestige of Jewish lawyers.
And then again, some jokes are anti-Semitic. Maybe we
should learn to accept ourselves to the point where we
won't feel threatened every time some Lethal Weapon ac-
tor drunkenly talks trash about us.
Alright, enough explanation, here's another joke:
Q: What's the difference between a Rottweiler and a
Jewish mother?
A: Eventually, the Rottweiler lets go.


Global warming crisis

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

David commended the efforts of several universities
that have already implemented changes to prevent global
warming.
Louisiana State University will prohibit cars on cam-
pus as of July. At Texas A&M, recycled oil is used to fuel
trucks on campus.
At UF, all of the campus service vehicles and fleet are
hybrids.
She stressed that the changes are possible and are only
minor inconveniences when compared to the devastation
ahead if we do not make them.
"Nature's ferocity knows no bounds," David said.
David and Crow said they want to encourage the voice
of the students. By joining the Virtual March, a petition at
http://www.stopglobalwarming.org, students can petition
Congress to take action against global warming.
The purpose of the Stop Global Warming College
Tour is to gain support from college students, David said.
Change lies among the up-and-coming generation, and
Congress needs to hear the voice of America's youth, she
stressed.


i, "
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IN(

Dr. David Cook
Professional Athletic
Motivational Coach


ELUDING


&


Joe Torre
Manager of the
New York Yankees


For more information about our organization
and details about the speakers, check us out at
www.nationspeakerxchange.com
--------------------------------
National Speakers Exchange
3307 Taney Road, Baltimore, MD, 21215
(443) 904 6025
info@nationalspeakersxchange.com


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,5.



EYES ON THE NEWS

A control\ e rsal Israeli Arab lawmaker tendered his resignation. Azmi Bishara, who
has been out of the country since before police announced this month he was being
investigated on criminal allegations, informed the Israeli Embassy in Cairo on Sun-
day that he was quitting the Knesset. A gag order prevents publication of details on
the probe against Bishara, 50, who has long courted controversy in Israel by making
solidarity visits to enemy Arab countries. He has denied wrongdoing but indicated
he was staying away from Israel for fear of prosecution.
Israel's finance minister temporarily stepped down. Avraham Hirchson announced
S u nday that he would suspend himself from duties for three months while police in-
vestigate him for fraud and embezzlement. Hirchson has denied wrongdoing. Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert temporarily took charge of the Treasury.
Pakistan's president offered to visit Israel and mediate a peace deal with the Pales-
tinian .\Authority. "If I were accepted as, a neutral mediator by all sides, I would most
certainly be able to play a big role," Pervez Musharraf said Saturday in an interview
broadcast by Al Arabiya television. "I would go to Israel and meet leaders there or
maybe in a third country," he said. "Let us wait and see if there is a possibility to
visit Israel." Pakistan, an Islamic Asian country that has made efforts to close ranks
with the United States in its war on terror, in recent years has warmed ties with
Israel. But it has conditioned full normalization on an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.
The country of Pakistan was ranked 11 in Amnesty International's list of human
rights \ iolators.

Reform Jews filed a police complaint against a former Israeli chief rabbi who
blamed their movement for the Holocaust. Reform leaders in Israel asked police last
week to investigate Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu after Israel's mainstream media ran
remarks he had made to a fervently Orthodox radio station saying the Holocaust was
God's response to the liberalization of European Jewry. A police spokesman said the
complaints wanted Eliyahu, a former chief Sephardi rabbi, charged with defamation,
and that investigators were still looking into the matter. Eliyahu had no immediate
comment.


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Leni Riefenstahl The Nazi Spielberg

Biography on Nazi Film Maker released April 24


BY CESAR FISHMAN
SHPiEL Contributing Writer

Many critics regard Leni Riefenstahl as a cinematic
revolutionary and a theatrical genius. Born in 1902 to a
middle class family in Berlin, she was an actress, dancer
and film director. Her most famous works are documen-
tary propaganda films for the German Nazi Party.
Riefenstahl's cinematic techniques have affected
modern cinema in many ways, despite questions-about
her highly controversial career. Steven Bach's recently
released biography, Leni: The Life and Work of Leni
Riefenstahl, seeks to uncover some of these questions.
Was Riefenstahl an unwilling captive who documented
the deaths of thousands? Was she a willing supporter? An
answer lies in the history.
The German film industry was booming just be-
fore WWII and Riefenstahl wanted everything to do with
it. She got a job as an actress, and she worked under Ar-
nold Franck, a prolific German director who did mostly
documentary films and nature epics. Often, Riefenstahl
was cast in Franck's movies for having great charisma and
tremendous sex appeal. Her popularity slowly grew and
in 1932 she was approached with an opportunity to direct


"Das Blaue Licht" (The Blue Light). She pounced on it.
Hitler was gaining popularity as a famous party
leader and politician, speaking at various events and rallies
on behalf of his Nazi party. Riefenstahl attended many of
these gatherings and eventually met the future dictator.
Hitler saw an opportunity to glorify 'and reveal the
beauty of his homeland through a very popular medium-
cinema-and took it. These documentaries included slave-
labor films of concentration camps and other acrid atroci-
ties. It was the beginning of Riefenstahl's documentary
career of Nazi Germany.
Riefenstahl's most famous work, "Triumph of
the Will," is widely regarded as the greatest propaganda
film of all time. It glorifies Hitler and his party, and it won
many international awards as a great triumph in filmmak-
ing.
During the invasion of Poland, Riefenstahl wore an
SS uniform with a gun on her belt while filming the event.
Some question her Nazi loyalty because throughout the
massacre she appeared to be distraught and uncomfortable
around the madness. Nevertheless, she was in Poland to
film Hitler's parade on Warsaw. These are important fac-
tors when considering the moral motives of this documen-
.tary maker.


After World War II, Riefenstahl was in custody
at a French detention center. For four years she was in-
vestigated and interrogated. She was eventually dismissed
and suffered no penalties under any law. She was found
innocent of all charges brought to her. This includes her
part as a propagandist and slave laborer. When accused of
being a Nazi herself, she responded that she was merely
"fascinated" by the party and politically naive.
Questions still remain; especially when review-
ing private photos of Riefenstahl with top Nazi officials,
including Himmler and Hitler. She is also cited as hav-
ing sent Hitler various congratulatory telegrams after his
various European conquests and destruction, personally
referring to them as "without equal in the history of man-
kind." Of course, the letter then immediately ended with
a resounding and very revealing, "How can we ever thank
you?"
From Riefenstahl's story, we learn an important
lesson. Media and cinema feed us on a most basic lev-
el: sight. These pictures have the power to alter public
opinion, private opinion and your personal opinion. Just
remember when you watch what you watch to take it all
in sight, sounds and message. Sit back, and let the film
speak for itself.


Get up and dance: Umoja Orchestra


Umoja means unity.
i n Gainesville local band Umo-
i ja Orchestra sticks to this creed
every time it plays a live show.
On April 19 at the Orange
and Brew, every one of the 11 musicians in Umoja was
unified with the 100 or so member audience through an
electric mix of Latin, jazz and Afrobeat music.
Almost the entire crowd was dancing, and some even
formed a conga line that exited and re-entered the venue.
To bassist Michael Pedron and drummer Evan Garfield,
this is essential to performing.
"It doesn't mean anything unless the audience is hav-
ing a good time. Umoja Orchestra is not [11] people on
stage, it's a couple hundred in the room."
Umoja started in 2005 when Garfield and Pedron,
longtime friends, started jamming in Jennings Hall. Both
knew saxophonist David Borenstein, and Garfield discov-
ered guitarist/singer Sebastian Lopez when he overheard
him playing in the dorms. The band had difficultly rec-
ollecting exactly how everyone eventually joined Umoja,


and Pedron chalks it up to "a bunch of random relation-
ships." But there was a consensus that the band came to-
gether initially in room 107 in Jennings.
Miami band the Spam All Stars
categorized Umoja as Latin jazz,
an uncommon genre among young, The SI
local bands. Garfield, Pedron and recom
Trombonist Doug Fischer also credit
James Brown, iSuenalo Sound Sys- Qu e
tem!, Hector Lavoe and Antibalas as Quitate la
influences. The band's unique sound Umoja C
resonates from more instruments
than members, and it ranges from a for your
banjo to a trumpet to loads of ethnic
percussion, not to mention Lopez's plea:
catchy Spanish lyrics.
Of the 11 members of the band,
six are Jewish. This rare commonality,
however, does not impact the music or the relationships.
According to Pedron, music is the religion of everyone in
Umoja, and that is all that matters in terms of belief.


H



I:



S1


The band plays the majority of its shows in the Gaines-
ville area. They have also played in St. Petersburg and Mi-
ami, and, according to Garfield, they try to play in a new
city in Florida every few months.
Umoja hopes to tour the state one
tPiEL day, taking their positively energized
lends: act to as many people as possible.
Umoja has recorded one album,
S a six track LP, which can be heard
amiSa by on their MySpace account at http://
orchestra www.myspace.com/umojaorches-
tra. For a copy of the studio album,
listening they encourage contact through their
Facebook page.
ure. Umoja, the Swahili word for
unity, is the driving force behind the
music and performances. The energy
emitted during a show is formidable for
a local band and encapsulates the entire space. To feel this
energy, see Umoja Orchestra play on May 5 at the Atlantic
in downtown Gainesville.


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EL Painted Orgasms Hit the Rei

Students painted orgasms paintbrushes included the outline of a penis with red veins,


on free cotton T-shirts April 18.
In conjunction with VOX:
Voices for Planned Parenthood,
the Pride Student Union hosted
"Paint Your Orgasm" on the Re-


itz Union North Lawn, an event for
gay, straight, bisexual and transgen-
der students alike to come out and
paint an interpretation of their or-
gasm on a free T-shirt.
Ricardo Cortez, who will be the
president of the Pride Student Union
in the fall, said a lot of people are
scared of the word "orgasm."
"We have a puritanical history
that tends to shy away from sexual-
ity," Cortez said.
Cortez encouraged students
passing by to stop and paint a-T-
shirt.
"Come get a free T-shirt. No se-


handprints, swirled designs, the word "yummy" in pink
glitter and a brown bear with red eyes.
Even SHPiEL Arts and Entertainment Editor Giselle
Mazur stopped by to paint her orgasm-a multi-colored
"0" between two red brackets.


Come, paint and
then leave. But not
necessarily in that
order.


-Ricardo Cortez
President-elect. Pride
Student Union


riously, just paint a T-shirt and then leave," Cortez said to
students walking by. "Come, paint and then leave. But not
necessarily in that order."
Images painted with acrylic paint and thin plastic


Rock Charles, the first freshman
delegate for Pride Student Union,
said the idea was taken from an
event students put on at New York
University.
According to Charles, there
was no outspoken opposition to the
event. He said if students don't like
the idea, they just don't participate.
The purpose of the event is to
promote safe sex, said Katelyn Mil-
liman, who will be the president of
VOX in the fall.
"There's definitely a stigma
about protecting yourself," Milliman
said. She said students are often too


tz Spot
The table also hosted a non-staining, sugar-free lYbri
cation. VOX distributes the sugar-free lubrication because
some types of personal lubricants, such as Astroglide, con
tain sugar, Milliman said, which can cause yeast infection:
in some women.
Cleaning supplies were not provided for students, de
spite inquiries from student participants who needed to ge
to class.
"A clean orgasm? You might as well have no orgasm,'
Cortez said.

Below: Taniel Neal, left, and Krystal Ricketts paint an interpreta-
tion of their orgasm on T-shirts. VOX: Voices for Planned Parent-
hood and Pride Student Union hosted "Paint Your Orgasm" on
April 18 on the Reitz Union North Lawn.
Below Left: SHPiEL Arts and Entertainment Editor Giselle Mazur
paints a multi-colored "0" between two red brackets.


intimidated to walk up and ask questions.
The VOX table featured a free sampler of different
types of protection, including condoms and dental dams,
as well as information packets on the use of protection.


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EL Push Button Wants to Push Your Buttons


S.- A local student-run radio-
jingle production company, Push
Button Productions, is launching
a new version of its Web site.
Jon Ruhff and Yeosh Ben-
dayan, creators of PBP, which
creates personalized radio jingles for businesses, couldn't
stajtztheir one page, gray-and-white Web site.
The new Web site, to be launched Mayl, will feature


worry ladies, you can still ask him out for a nice Shabbat
dinner. He plans to stay in Gainesville to continue working
for the company.
Ruhff, 27, is the creative services director of UF's ra-
dio station WRUF-FM and a UF alumnus. He and Benday-
an met at the radio station where Bendayan, a disc jockey,
is known only as "Yeosh."
Bendayan said he likes working locally and loves
helping out local businesses.


a monthly hand-drawn comic
starring Ruhff and Bendayan
dressed in footed pajamas..
Bendayan said the ne\ .
version of the site will be more
interactive. A feature called
"create-a-commercial" willal- -
low users and potential clients ;
to mix voice clips and make
radio jingles.
Bendayan, 23, a Univer-
sity of Florida student major- .i
ing in telecommunication. x-_- L
Photol by Lon Fin
will graduate at the end of the Yeosh Bendaan intLnF srudies The.leh Bi-k of in
spring semester. But, don't his bedroom.


S PBP produced jingles for
establishments such as San-
ta Fe Community College,
Hyundai of Gainesville, Mod-
em Age Tobacco, UF Student
Government and Gator Text-
books, Inc., and also worked
With businesses from South
America and South Africa.
They tap the talent of lo-
cal musicians such as Michael
Jay and Matt Collins to create
the music.
Ruhff and Bendayan use
their own voices unless the


/ /~ / / /'U/ ~ / / VU/ / / / / U /


Local Artist Takes On Turlington


UI LLa. IVI maLU Black and yellow paint splat-

vas.
i tered against the homemade can-

Streaks of fierce red smeared
SA, from comer to comer with an
open hand.
Local artist Adam Lansky
forgot to grab a paint brush before
leaving the house but no matter he used a piece of old
cloth to swirl patterns into the wet paint.
Lansky, 23, paints in a style known as abstract expres-
sionism, with a focus on action painting.
After earning an Associate's degree from Florida
State University, Lansky realized his true passion was in
the arts, and he moved to Gainesville to begin painting.
"Art in all its forms is a really fantastic way-a beau-
tiful way-to spread a positive message," he said.
As he bent over to inspect the wet paint, his reflection
shined at him off the surface of the piece entitled "Self
Portrait II."
Lansky's work is. on exhibit at Body Tech on West
University Avenue, and to advertise he set up shop in Turl-
ington Plaza at the University of Florida, right next to Jim-
my Williams, the resident sketch artist. Wearing a blonde
wig and black plastic sun glasses, he decorated jeans for
$5 a pop.
"I just like making a scene sometimes, and one that
doesn't mean causing a riot or setting things on fire," Lan-
sky said. He said he is tired of people following the same
routine without spontaneity, so he creates different charac-
ters and keeps a sense of humor about his work.
He explained that his art is open to interpretation, and
that his favorite part of the creative process is hearing dif-
ferent stories observers come up with for his pictures.
To fully interpret his paintings, one must look at them
from many different angles.
First, he said, the observer must stand far away and
get a general overview. Then he or she should get right
up next to the painting and look at all the different layers.


Sometimes, he explained, it is even a good idea to take the
painting off the wall and turn it upside down.
Bor of Jewish parents in Coral Springs, Fla., Lan-
sky had what he calls a typical childhood, complete with
building blocks, sports teams and a bar mitzvah. But reli-
gion did not appeal to him.
"I think there are a lot of ideas behind religion that
can be used to better someone's life, but I think adhering
to a single thought process is self-destructive," he said. He
emphasized that he is not against religious institutions, just
the idea that one specific religion has the right answer.
Lansky asked how one religion can claim to know all
the answers to the universe. We aren't even sure there is
only one universe, there could be hundreds, he said.
.While he does look up to professional painters like
Alex Grey, Lansky pulls most of his inspiration from pro-
gressive bands like English music group King Crimson
and Sigur Ros from Iceland.
Besides painting, he plays guitar, writes electronic
music and started a running group that meets at the UF
track on Sundays at 8 p.m. He formed what is now dubbed
"Run Team," in an effort to be more physically active.
Lansky's work will be on display and available for
MINcb Bo Teh uil the end dof 4nriIl
.. .: -4 1. : t '..


Avril Lavigne:

The Best Damn Thing
Canada's own Avril
Lavigne returns with an SHPiEL rating for
album full of more cli-
ch6s than a greeting card The Best
store. This is honestly one Damn Thing"
of the worst album's I've
ever listened to. Thank
God for Ruckus.com, be-
cause had I paid for this F
album I would have a
$10, one- time-only Fris-
bee. The best thing I can say about the album is there are
a few songs that aren't terrible. "When You're Gone" and
"Keep Holding On" are two of the slower songs on the al-
bum and also the only two I might ever listen to again. Ev-
erything else is worse than filler. It's as if she got the worst
high school pop-punk band and the most horrible producer
ever to sit behind a recording booth and said, "Hey, that
sounds different, let's make that a song." Part of me wants
to see the songs that didn't make the cut, if only just to
see how much worse this album could have been. While
most artists generally mature, it seems Lavigne is regress-
ing to high school. "I hate you now, so go away from me"
she proclaims on "I Can Do Better." Paired with "I'm the
one, I'm the one who wears the pants" on "I don't have to
try," she shows a gift for profound statements of indepen-
dence. This is a major step backward for someone who
showed some ability with
her album "Let Go." With e-
a list of songs as annoy- t. i
ingly awful as the first :"-- .
single "Girlfriend," and
lyrics that make Fergie
look poetic, "The Best
Damn Thing" might be ''
the worst damn album of .
the year.


company calls for a
specific voice that
they can't make.
Then, Ruhff and
Bendayan consult
their talent bank of
voice actors.
If you need the
voice of a black fe-
male in her mid-30s,
Bendayan said he
can get that for you.
And if they can't
find the right voice
in the bank of local
actors, Ruhff and Photo By Lori Fmkcl.
Bendayan search for DJ Yeowh talla o listeners on WRUF
ROCK 10-4.
voice actors on the
Internet until the requested voice is found.
Bendayan said that since its official opening in De-
cember, Push Button Productions has already won seven
ADDY awards from the Advertising Federation of Gaines-
ville, associated with the American Advertising. Federa-
tion.









OflmaitotB *. .newsn for matio sto


The Onoosite (of) Sex: Ramblings from a reader


VINC
I






from?


II \ x


I remember a conversation
I once had with my father after
watching an episode of "Sesame
Street":
Me: Papa, where does sex
come from?
Father: (Chuckling) Babies?
You mean, where do babies come


Me: No, papa, (sighing impatiently) I mean sex.
Where does it come from and, more importantly, where
can I find it on a Tuesday night?
Father (angrily): On a Tuesday?! (Stands up and be-
gins to leave the room, but glances back) I thought I raised
you better.
This was six weeks ago.
So I have this problem (in addition to deficient hair
follicles). It has to do with the opposite sex-or the op-
posite of sex, whichever you prefer.
I've dedicated several hours of intense thought to the
topic, mostly on nights and weekends, and all of my...
ah...musings have led me consistently to a primary cause:
Jewish women.
The secondary cause is just women in general (other
causes may include cute gay guys and TiVo), but more on
that later.
I can't control who I find attractive, and oftentimes
the only women I find attractive enough to acknowledge
end up being Jewish. (The shiksas just don't do it for me.)
The problem is,- by the time I find out about their convic-
tions, it's too late.
It's like those times when you're driving along, and
you spot someone in the next lane with beautiful long,
blond hair.
Only, when you get closer, it's this Fabio-looking
dude who's actually slowing down to check you out.
And then he follows you home, so you have to call the
police and get a restraining order.
You know, it was a little harsh when all he wanted to
do was take you out for a cup of coffee, but if you give
an inch, he'll take a mile, and before you know it you'll
be roller-skating in bike shorts on Venice Beach! ...Um,
- yeah, it's just like that.
Only that Fabio look-alike is a brunette bombshell of


a Jewish girl who says she only dates Jewish guys...or
maybe I'm supposed to be Fabio, I don't know.
Here's my point: everything is fine until they tell you
they can't date you because you're not Jewish (and, yes,
it's "they" because I always proposition in groups of six).
But these are girls I'm talking about, and girls are
Very tricky. What they mean to say is this: "I can't be seen
in public with you because you're not Jewish or because
you're shorter than me-I mean a lot shorter than me, like
even if you wore pumps and I wore flats you'd still be
short, and besides the fact, when was the last time you
worked out?"
And I would retort: "Ah-ha, I knew it! And for your
information, I worked out yesterday...after being hospital-
ized by that kite."
Or for the ones who offer the related phrase, "I only
date Jewish guys." What they really mean to say is: "I only
date Jewish guys and all non-Jewish guys who are better-
looking than you."
(And then there was that other girl who told me she
was a lesbian.)
As for the most-recent girl to tell me she only dates
Jewish guys, she wasn't even Jewish!
Clearly, the feminine mystique has conspired system-
atically to keep me single at all costs, and I have a hunch
they're getting kickbacks from the Internet porn industry,
as well as the Home Shopping Network.
I don't understand it, ladies. I feel like Meredith on
"Grey's Anatomy" when she told McDreamy, "Pick me,
choose me, love me!"
What exactly is it about me that isn't Jewish enough
for you? The neuroses, the going to law school, the de-
lusions of grandeur? Not to be [cough] stereotypical or
anything, but come on. Maybe it's the difference that I'm
actually attracted to you, unlike most Jewish guys.
And not to endorse inter-faith marriage, but being
raised by an Italian-American, Roman Catholic mother
from Queens, N.Y. (oh yeah, she's no joke), is the best
preparation for a Jewish bride. Indeed, overbearing, guilt-
giving, soul-crushing love feels like home.
Meanwhile, I remember that romance is all about tim-
ing. So I guess it's just time to lower my standards (unless
you want to first, of course).
Now...where did I put Fabio's number?


~~: 2 :*~BB' *I


Think you have chutzpah? Become a SHPiELer! Being Jewish is not a requirement, as many of The
SHPiEL's staff is not circumcised. We are looking for editors, copy editors and writers. If interested,.
please contact Kim Gouz at kimgouz@gmail.com.

In addition, the following positions are available:

Public Relations Internship with The SHPiEL Newspaper
The SHPiEL is looking for someone, preferably a public relations major, to implement already established programs,
in addition to developing an innovative promotional campaign. This position requires someone who is highly
organized, motivated and creative. Internship can be taken for 1 to 4 credits.

Paid Advertising Position Available with Newspaper
The SHPiEL is looking for students, preferably advertising majors, who possess the motivation and skills to secure
advertising for the newspaper. Great communication skills are essential. In addition, we are looking for someone who
is highly organized, enthusiastic and has a good work ethic.
Interns will receive a stipend, or the internship can be taken for credit.


The Ever-Elusive

Gator Baseball
BY MICHAEL MEISEL
SHPiEL Contributing Writer

The University of Florida is a football school.
However, after the Gator basketball team won back-
to-back national championships in '06 and '07, some have
begun to wonder if basketball will become the defirfng
sport at the University of Florida.
While football and basketball will continue to battle
for prominence, there is another sport that has been wait-
ing in the wings for years now: the UF baseball team.
Baseball is currently in its 92nd season at UF and has
yet to come close to being on the same level as football or
basketball.
The team does not have a strong history of success,
but since the hiring of head coach Pat McMahon in June
2001, it has made a name for itself around the country.
McMahon led the gators to four NCAA tournaments
in his five years, including winning an SEC Championship
and reaching the College World Series finals in 2005, ulti-
mately losing to Texas.
It appeared the 2005 run would gain a lot of recogni-
tion around campus and make baseball a renowned sport if
the success continued.
Unfortunately, in 2006, after being ranked #1 in the
National preseason polls, the Gators could only muster a
.500 season, finishing 28-28 and second to last in the SEC,
only one game ahead of Auburn.
The Gators' '06-'07 campaign has been an up and
down one. After a disappointing opening series, which
saw them lose two out of three to the Virginia Military
Institute, the Gators had short spurts.of wins followed by
longer spurts of losses. The result was an 11-13 record.
Then they won eight in a row, six against SEC oppo-
nents and one against universal sports rival Florida State.
They were led by star senior-first-baseman Matt La-
Porta, who hit a monstrous .531 with 10 Home Runs and
21 RBIs during the eight-game streak.
The Gators appeared in the USA Today/ESPN Coach-
es poll at #17, their highest ranking since before the 2006
season.
Unfortunately, early season trends continued and the
Gators are currently in a four game losing streak after be-
ing swept in a doubleheader.
The Gators are 20-18 with a little over a month until
the SEC tournament. They will need to play well in their
remaining SEC games to make the NCAA tournament..
Unfortunately for the Gators, this is much easier said
than done.
The SEC currently features five teams in the top 25
and has owned the #1 overall team in eight of the ten
weekly polls this season.
If there's one thing we've learned about Gator sports
in the past 400 days, it's that anything is possible.
And this Gator baseball team certainly has the fire
power to achieve the unthinkable.
While they will have a much harder road to an SEC
Championship and hopefully a National Championship,
Gator fans have seen it done three times in a little more
than a year, when no one thought it was possible.
With the luck the UF sports program has had, don'tbe
surprised to hear the Gators' name on May 28, when the
NCAA tournament selection show occurs.
And if you're not doing anything from June 15-25,
check out the College World Series you never know
when you'll see a familiar name.


4w"I""1111NOWMAXW11111VI


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to emergency 911 services, will not be available.Installation, inside wiring,jacks, activation fees,taxes and surcharges additional.Telephone
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Cox Communications services available in most areas. Cox Limited Basic Service is required for Cox Digital Cable packages. Cable modem
purchase or rental required for Cox High Speed Internet. Cable Telephone modem equipment required for Cox Digital Telephone service.
Modem with battery backup will be provided and installed by Cox. Modem and battery backup shall remain the property of Cox and must be
returned upon discontinuation of service.If Modem is disconnected or removed,or battery is not charged,telephone service, including access
to emergency 911 services, will not be available. Installation, inside wiring,jacks, activation fees, taxes and surcharges additional.Telephone
service provided by Cox Florida Telcom, LP.,an affiliate of Cox Communications, Inc.Other restrictions apply. 2006 Cox Communications, Inc.
All rights reserved.


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** 04*a*-*** Ol o*9*0a
0
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Letters to the editor t

Editor 's Note: The following are in response to the full-page ad published March 28 in the Alligator The advertisement, which included a petition with more than 1,000 signa-
tures, supported "America's alliance with the state of srael in the global War on Terror It also stated that the ad was "Paid for by Student Government. "The views expressed
in the following do not necessarily reflect those of The SHPiEL. In the interests of creating an open forum, letters to the editor are invited and encouraged.


To the Editor:
The March 28 Jewish Awareness Month/Jewish Student Union full-page ad that
ran in the Alligator (and the PR campaign launched by the ad's authors to neutralize
the ire of Arab and/or Muslim students who were targeted by the ad) is a reflection
of a deeper historical issue that requires immediate attention: the dubious attempt by
Jews to assimilate within the white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant society that is America.
It was only a few decades ago that the United States upheld anti-Jewish quotas in
universities and businesses, while turning away boats with Jews seeking refuge from
the Nazi genocide in Europe.- And yet, this ad pledges allegiance to the U.S. and its
foreign policy of exterminating the moder-day "Jews": Arabs and/or Muslims who
resist American/European colonization and imperialism. Conceptualizing these people
as a "constant threat of terrorist attacks" reminds me of the way gentiles historically
described the "Jewish threat" to national sovereignties in European society.
While University of Florida Jewish students grasp for a misguided (and ultimately
unsatisfying) sense of identity through allegiance to such things as a romanticized
desert nightclub on colonized/stolen land they call their "birthright/homeland" or the
good ole' "Red, White, and Blue", there are very real Jewish identity crises going on
right here and right now that go unresolved: Jewish students trying to act/dress/talk
like American gentiles, Jewish students putting on "Jewish-face" acts to please/hu-
mor American gentiles, Jewish students joining the historically anti-Jewish fraternity/
sorority system, Jewish students engaging in various forms of cosmetic alterations
to appear less "Jewish" (i.e. straightening/lightening their hair, performing surgeries
like rhinoplasty, wearing color contacts, etc.). Therefore, I personally believe Jewish
awareness would have been far better served had there been an event and/or advertise-
ment highlighting the historical alienation and oppression that Jews have experienced
in American society using that same money.
In this light, I hope JSU will begin a series of events that critically re-examine the
question of Jewish identity in America, because we need to have real discussions and
true understandings about how the history of Jewish peoples (including Jews' many
failed attempts to assimilate in Europe and America) manifests in the everyday con-
temporary lives of Jewish students at schools like UF. After all, if we remain ignorant
and insecure, we will always be looking for love in all the wrong places.

-David Reznik
PhD Student, Sociology


Tonya Blackman
TERRITORY MAIlAGER

Phone: (800) 258-2861
Fax: (877) 9-12-4135


email: t.blackman@serviceoffice.eom


To the Editor;
We, the students who organized the pro-Israel petition, did this petition entirety on
our own without ile guidance of any student organization. However, JSU and JAM did
support our w ork and efforts by funding the publication of this advertisement. Their
names were not on the ad because they did not organize it.
We did this petition to show the UF campus that there is wide support for America's
friend and ally Israel. Funding for the petition came from Jewish Awareness Month be-
cause Israel is the homeland for the Jewish people and serves as the modem day sanctu-
ary for Jewish life and culture. More thar 1,500 UF students signed on and even more
e-mailed and wanted their name included once it was published.
This advertisement is not racist, discriminatory, or deceptive. Not once are Palestin-
ians, Arabs, or Muslims mentioned. In fact, the wording of the petition explicitly calls for
ALL citizens in the Middle East to live within secure and recognized borders. This is nol
a call against the Palestinians. It simply expresses the support for Israel by the students
who signed.
If anything, the petition supports the rights of the Palestinians by calling for theft
own state. The signers believe the best path to peace in the Middle East is through a
strong American-Israel relationship. The simple sight of an Israeli flag does not mean
this ad is racist.
We undoubtedly have the right to publish this petition. Student Government funds
groups like Gators for Israel, Nakba '48, NORML, and many others whose sole purpose
is political activism. How else would these groups use the student government money
given to them than through advocating a position on a debatable issue? SG explicitly
gives student groups the right to raise awareness and voice their opinions on specific
global issues. Any time the aforementioned groups hold an event, SG money is being
used politically.
When SG money is being used, the student body statutes regulate its use. Statute
804.1 plainly states that all advertisements paid for using student government money
must credit student government in that ad for the money. The line in our ad implying SG
itself paid for the ad was therefore required by student governinent. This ad also foIows
student body statute 808.12(g) because the SG money is not being used to directly influ-
ence legislation or lobbying efforts.
Further, by definition, a person who signs his or her name to a petition is taking a
stance on some issue. It is not reasonable to think that once you signed,-your name would
be kept secret. Nobody puts in the time and energy to administer a petition if they are nol
going to use it for some purpose. Moreover, the language used in the ad "We the Stu-
dents of the University of Florida" should be read in context with the surrounding 1,504
signatures. Clearly the language was only claiming to speak for the signatories, all oj
whom are UF students, and not the student body as a whole.
While we do not speak for the leaders of student government, we thank any student
government official who supported our efforts or took a stance by signing the petition. As
the widely celebrated United States Supreme Court case Tinker v. DeMoines, concluded,
"students do not check their first amendment rights at the schoolhouse gate."

-The authors of the pro-Israel petition


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