A look back at the year 2002

An Axis of Evil

It is a term that will go down as defining language of the administration of President George W. Bush.

During his State of the Union address Jan. 29, 2002, Bush declared that the world is at threat from an "axis of evil."

Bush said Iran, Iraq and North Korea were "arming to threaten the peace of the world."

The president said "(These regimes) could provide these arms to terrorists, giving them the means to match their hatred."

It was all in an effort to show America wasn’t letting terrorist sympathizers stand in its way of securing its borders. Pre-emptive military action, like the speech, would come to define much of Bush’s foreign policy – a focus on possible terrorist breeding grounds in countries he considered to be fostering ideologies that were harmful to U.S. interests.

"Time is not on our side. I will not wait on events while dangers gather," he said. "I will not stand by as peril draws closer and closer. The United States of America will not permit the world’s most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world’s most destructive weapons."

Iran, of course, rebuked the comments, calling them "arrogant." Iran has been a thorn in the side of Bush and President Barack Obama, declaring nuclear ambitions were purely for peaceful purposes despite global cynicism. North Korea, too, has played the nuclear card – extending offers for talks only to end them time and time again.

As for Iraq ... well, look for more in our 2003 retrospective in Monday’s edition of The Daily Athenaeum.
 

TOP STORIES

Homeland Security and a color-coded chart

President George W. Bush and his administration scrambled after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks to streamline security efforts in the US.

Established by the Homeland Security Act, Homeland Security became a full-fledged cabinet-level organization charged with protecting America’s homeland.

By having one central body, Homeland Security could focus on the mandate of keeping America safe.

One of its biggest successes – the creation of the color-coded Homeland Security Advisory System.

The chart is designed to best convey the sense of threat the department has for the United States’ safety.

Each color represented a degree of danger – ranging from green for "Low" all the way to red for "Severe."

The chart has been met with much criticism, with many doubting its effectiveness. President Barack Obama has even ordered a review into how helpful the chart really is.

Thankfully, the chart hasn’t wavered much into the red – once during a scare involving a perceived risk of flights from the United Kingdom in 2006 – and has stayed at "Elevated."

It has never been green or blue.

‘American Idol’

It’s tough to imagine a world without "American Idol" these days, as just only recently one of its recent winners caused a controversy during a performance at the televised American Music Awards ceremony.

"American Idol" debuted in 2000 with thousands of Americans vying for their 15 minutes of fame and a chance to win a recording contract.

Their hurdles – Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell, judging their every move.

It was a show that paraded the hopeless for our entertainment and delighted in their horrid performances.

Cowell’s acidic tongue made the show watchable while Jackson and Abdul’s bizarre slang and erratic behavior provided the necessary drama.

Each week, competitors belt out songs in a different category, hoping the audience at home will phone in and vote for them.

The first season was dominated largely by the are-they-aren’t-they coupling of first season winner Kelly Clarkson and runner-up Justin Guiarini.

Not much has changed in the lineup over the years – hopefuls perform awful auditions for a few weeks, the final 12 are picked and whittled down, and previous singers come back for the finale.

DC sniper attacks

It was a chilling three weeks across the country, as 10 people were killed in Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia and three injured.

The shootings began Sept. 5, 2002, as Paul LaRuffa, 55, was shot six times outside his restaurant.

Shootings occurred while victims were mowing the grass, leaving stores and pumping gas.

As a result, school districts increased security, keeping children indoors after a four page letter from the shooter was found in the woods reading, "Your children are not safe, anywhere, at any time."

Two arrests were made in the shootings. John Allen Muhammad and minor Lee Boyd Malvo were found sleeping in a blue station wagon identified as a vehicle of interest in the shootings.

Fatal shots were fired through specially designed holes in the trunk of their car.

In 2003, Muhammad was sentenced to death and was executed Nov. 10, 2009. Malvo was sentenced to six consecutive life sentences.
 

NEWS AT WVU

– The new Wise Library facility opens.

– Campus e-mail system Mountaineer Information Xpress debuts.

– Life Sciences Building opens after delays and other holdups.

– Beta Phi chapter of Kappa Delta sorority leaves West Virginia University after 50 years.

– Men’s head basketball coach Gale Catlett announces his retirement after 24 years.

– Student Government Association Board of Governors candidate Sam Insana handed out condoms imprinted with "Don’t Make a Mistake, Vote Sam Insana/B.O.G."

– Dan Dakich is appointed as West Virginia’s head men’s basketball coach March 7. He resigns eight days later. Bob Huggins a potential candidate.

– Wheeling Jesuit graduate John Beilein announced as head coach of the men’s basketball team four days after Dakich resigns his position.

– Law professor Jack Bowman retires after 23 years of teaching.

– Sgt. Gene Vance, a Morgantown resident, is killed fighting in Afghanistan. Service is held in Mountainlair Ballrooms.

– Ruby Hazel McQuain, major benefactor to West Virginia University’s hospital system, dies aged 93.

– Brentz F. Thompson, first general manager of The Daily Athenaeum, dies aged 82. Thompson served as general manager at the paper after separating from the Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism.

– Playboy ranks West Virginia University fifth out of 25 party schools.

– Life Sciences Building opens Aug. 21.

– Guest football tickets rise to $30.

– University of Wisconsin allows West Virginia University Mountaineer mascot to bring firearm inside stadium, despite ordinance banning firearms.

– Discovery of West Nile virus prompts county to remove three piles of waste tires.

– City develops Sunnyside Up program to clean up Sunnyside area of Morgantown.

– Students may have violated City Code after dancing nude in a downtown club.

– PRT turns 30 years old.

– Fliers urging people to join a faction of the Ku Klux Klan found at neighboring residencies, College of Business and Economics and Life Sciences Buildings.

– Mountaineer Field adds 19 suites.

– Construction begins on the expansion of the Ruby Memorial Emergency room.

– West Virginia University’s Board of Governors extends President David Hardesty’s contract five years.

– Fires fill Morgantown streets after football win over Virginia Tech.
 

BY THE NUMBERS