Students set for noon walk-out

Students at over 200 universities and high schools across the country will walk out of classrooms at noon today to demonstrate opposition to a pre-emptive war in Iraq by the United States and its allies. \nThe labor rights group No Sweat! and the Coalition to Oppose War with Iraq are organizing a series of teach-ins today from noon to five in the Frangipani Room at the Indiana Memorial Union.The National Youth and Student Peace Coalition, an umbrella group of student anti-war groups, is coordinating the event nationwide. \n"We're saying there's something more important than going through our everyday routines," said Nancy Steffan, a senior and member of No Sweat! "This is a chance to educate ourselves about the issues that are central to our lives as students, as citizens and as the future of this country."\nWhile organizers are promoting the nationwide event as a one-day student strike against the war, few expect to actually shut down their universities. Instead, Steffan and Judi Nitsch, a graduate student in the English department, said the walk-out provides an opportunity for education and dialogue about issues that fall out of the scope of traditional university curriculum.\n"We're doing about five hours of teach-ins with 10 minutes long for each speaker and 20 minutes for question and answers," Nitsch said. "At the end of each hour, people can go get drinks and snacks and go to the bathroom. At the start of the hour, a new session will start up. We have a whole host of speakers and issues."\nThe presentations will cover a wide range of issues -- from current events in Afghanistan, a history of Iraq, the environmental effects of the first Gulf War and race and class issues in the military. \nBut the recurrent theme, brought up by a number of organizers at IU and at other schools around the country, will be the simultaneous increase in education costs and military appropriations.\n"In terms of issues and demands, it's simple and clear," said Youssef Sawan, a sophomore and student organizer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "Our main purpose is to get money for education. This is about redirecting all this money for war for education."\nSpecifically, the mission statement for today's walk-out references increasing levels of student debt. A College Board report indicates financial aid is decreasing as the cost of higher education is rising. Additionally, many universities and colleges around the country are raising tuition to compensate for lost dollars from states and the federal government.\nIn terms of tactics, Amanda Flott, a junior at the University of Kansas, said that today's strike could indicate the start of more radical actions as the possible war draws near.\n"So far things like the virtual march against the war and other protests have been doing a good job. But the people who should be listening aren't," Flott said. "It is time to bring this movement up to one of resistance. More sit-ins. More strikes. More aggressive action to make our voices heard."\nNitsch, meanwhile, said she wants students at least to think about the concrete reasons for supporting the war.\n"They should come to this to at least get some information. What they choose to do with that is up to them. If they leave the day and want to go to war, that's totally their prerogative," she said. "But this war is a serious commitment on their part and students need to know what sort of commitment acquiescence entails"