Giovanny Nunez, a specialist in the U.S. Army reserve, and Phal It, a corporal in the U.S. Marine reserves, are among a growing number of Lehman students being called to active duty. Soon, they will join thousands of troops already assembled in Kuwait and other neighboring countries to prepare for possible war. Not only is their education being put on hold, but both Nunez and It are valuable members of Lehman's varsity sports teams. Nunez is an All-Star center fielder and leadoff hitter on the baseball team, and It had just started playing on the men's volleyball team as an outside hitter. Nunez, who was born in the Dominican Republic, was raised in the Inwood section of Manhattan and has been an Army reservist since 1999. He is majoring in anthropology/chemistry/biology at Lehman and needs only a few more credits to earn his degree. In the army, he is a member of its Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Decontamination unit.
In 2002, when his time with the Corps ended, he turned his attention to pursuing his degree and enrolled in Lehman with plans to major in nutrition. While disappointed about the need to interrupt his studies, he looks forward to being with his fellow Marines and supports any mission that would help to eliminate terrorism and Iraq's ability to make nuclear weapons. Attention Lehman students: Any student who has been called to military duty is encouraged to file for the appropriate return of their tuition. Contact the Registrar's Office, Shuster 182, 718-960-8255.
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Lehman College students will be on the front lines if war breaks out
with Iraq.
It, who grew up in the Parkchester section of the Bronx, has always
wanted to serve in the military. His father was a soldier in the Cambodian
army during the Vietnam conflict. "I wanted to do something different
and challenging," he explains. After graduating from Lehman High School
in 1998, he joined the Marines, specializing in infantry combat. Shortly
after the attacks on September 11th, his unit was one of the first sent
to Afghanistan and worked in conjunction with the Northern Alliance in the
successful campaign to seize Khandahar.