UNM students said they want to learn more about alternative media sources after attending a teach-in Wednesday about the possibility of war against Iraq.
UNM junior Allison Kailey attended the event because she felt she did not know enough about the anti-war position.
"The media does not do a good job portraying the real issues and impacts," said part-time honors teacher and teach-in organizer Bob Anderson. "The American people need to know the truth."
"I need to find out more," Kailey said. "It inspired me to find out more."
The College Greens and the New Mexico Solidarity Network sponsored the event, which also featured several films playing throughout the afternoon covering similar topics.
The teach-in had several speakers on different subjects, such as the role the media play in the information reported on the war and how much of an influence oil has on the Middle East situation.
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Other speakers covered civil rights and resistance, war and people of color and the history of Palestine.
Junior political science major Trey Smith, a student organizer for the New Mexico Solidarity Network felt it was a good day to hold the teach-in because yesterday was a national day of action.
"We want to get awareness to people on campus," Smith said.
He felt the number one action that the event should promote to people is to question the media.
"It's really shocking how out of touch news sources are," said Morgan Pierce, a Manzano High School junior. "It's really enlightening because it is such a different story than the story you get from the media."
Although the majority of the participants oppose any military action in Iraq, event organizers tried to cover both sides of the issue to offer a broad range of perspectives.
Three members of the College Republicans set up a booth next to the information tables that the teach-in provided.
"We want to make sure everyone gets two sides," freshman Davis Sullivan said.
Another member of the group, freshman political science major Alex Hughes felt that "people demonize Americans" and "glorify the things that are bad about the world."
His opinion was that oil was an important part of the war against Iraq, but that it was not the most important issue.
"The number one issue is furthering the dignity of the human race," Hughes said.
