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(06/03/04 2:26am)
IU faculty and students have differing opinions on the upcoming handover of power in Iraq on June 30. The recently named interim government is expected to govern Iraq until elections for the Iraqi National Assembly are held in January 2005. \nHowever, some members of the IU community are unsure of the interim government's chances of success and the impact the handover will have on the security situation in the country.\nAbdulkader Sinno, assistant professor of comparative politics and Middle Eastern Studies at IU, questions the legitimacy of the interim leaders championed by the Iraqi Governing Council and the CPA and said some of the newly appointed officials may be viewed by Iraqis as imposed leaders.\n"The handover could be a symbolic shift that doesn't represent any real transfer of power," Sinno said. "Imposing leaders is not an effective first move in the process of creating a democracy."\nSinno said the interim government will have limited powers in influencing security policy and will not have the authority to make or change basic laws. \nRawand Darwesh, a former Iraqi journalist who is currently in the Intensive English Program at IU, is confident of the choice of leaders. \n"The new president, (Ghazi) al-Yawer has a clean history. He is a U.S. educated engineer, and a dignitary from a famous Iraqi tribe that is widely respected in Iraq," he said. "To see such well-selected leaders in the first post-dictatorship government in Iraq is the best news for the Iraqi people at this stage of their history." \nAl-Yawer is a Sunni Muslim and belongs to the prominent Shamar tribe.\nDalia Kaikhasraw, an Iraqi student in the Intensive English Program said the process of rebuilding in Iraq will be a challenging process.\n"The process of rebuilding the infrastructure is going to be long," she said. "I wish that all our problems could be solved right now, but rebuilding a country as large and complex as Iraq is going to take time whether you like it or not."\nDarwesh said the major obstacles hindering reconstruction are sabotage and insecurity.\n"The U.S. and its allies are trying their best to rebuild war-torn Iraq, but they have underestimated the ruthlessness of the foreign terrorists whose main aim is to destroy the rebuilding efforts." Darwesh said.\nThe security situation is going to be the most pressing concern for the interim government and the multinational troops, Kaikhasraw said.\n"After a war, it is reasonable to expect attacks and retaliation in the short run, but those issues need to be tackled and an environment conducive to democracy and growth needs to be created as soon as possible," she said. \nDiana Spechler, associate professor of international relations said the insurgents may continue to destabilize the country after the June 30th handover of power.\n"Security is a real concern even after the handover since the announcements about the formation of the interim government have had no impact on the perpetrators of violence," she said.\nKaikhasraw plans to return to Iraq to teach at a university or work with the Iraqi government this year. She said she has confidence in the development of democracy in Iraq. She said despite the current adversity, she hopes Iraqis can look forward to a brighter future.\n"Iraqi people have seen days when (the) country was literally destroyed," Kaikhasraw said. "We are free now and that is the most important thing."\n-- Contact staff writer Sheeba Madan at smadan@indiana.edu
(06/03/04 1:22am)
The Monroe County Civic Theater continues its Shakespeare in the Park series Thursday and Friday with its production of "The Taming of the Shrew" at Third Street Park's Outdoor Stage.\nRance Fawbush, vice-president of MCCT and an active participant in Shakespeare in the Park, said the series is designed to appeal to the sensibilities of a wide audience and to have an enduring popularity. The series, which is free to the public, was established in 1992.\n"It is free and one of the few venues to watch Shakespeare regularly," Fawbush said. "We attract many theatergoers -- some of the audience members are fascinated by the contemporary sets in Shakespearean plays and the children are fascinated by the costumes."\nFawbush said the outdoor setting adds to the play's authenticity and charm.\n"The outdoor setting makes it closer to the original setting," Fawbush said.\nFawbush also said the theater fans were soaked at last year's performance of "Much Ado about Nothing," courtesy of sporadic showers. Throughout the rain the cast continued its performance while audience members pulled out their umbrellas, stood up and endured the downpour, which Fawbush claimed brought them closer to the experience of theatergoers from an earlier time.\nEllen MacKay, a professor of Shakespeare and Renaissance drama at IU, said "The Taming of the Shrew" has deep political undertones that make it a popular choice for academic scrutiny. \n"This early comedy is notoriously politically fraught," MacKay said. "Even the midcentury musical adaptation 'Kiss Me Kate' has proved difficult to retain in the repertoire for its objectionable treatment of women."\nMacKay said she believes the popularity of "The Taming of the Shrew" in the high school curriculum and academia is related to its readability and controversial politics. \nFrank Buczolich, president of MCCT and director of "The Taming of the Shrew," said the group chose to produce the play this year because it hasn't been performed in Bloomington recently.\n"MCCT tries to present a wide range of plays," Buczolich said. "We look at contemporary productions and try to fill in the blanks. The last time we produced 'The Taming' was eight years ago, so a production seemed due."\nMacKay said she was concerned about how women are treated in the play. \n"In production, the play tends to reproduce rather than interrogate early modern sexism, and in worst-case scenarios it injects that misogynist legacy into contemporary culture," MacKay said.\nProfessor Linda Charnes who teaches Shakespeare at IU said she didn't like how most productions of "The Taming of the Shrew" make light of the violence against Katharine in the play, but added that contemporary updates to the play have been positive.\n"So much can be done simply by tweaking the acting to bring it up to date," Charnes said. "In mass cultural versions, the war between the sexes is treated as a light banter between two people who really are attracted to each other."\nBuczolich said he believes a significant portion of the family audience find the "comic" elements of the original script appealing. \n"It is easy to look at the play and talk about the gender troubles," Buczolich said. "But what needs to be realized is that both Kate and Petruchio are into a partnership." \nMacKay said she believes the MCCT's courage and efforts in putting on such a challenging production must be appreciated. She said she thought this performance of "The Taming of the Shrew" looks promising not only for students of Shakespearean and Renaissance theater, but for anyone interested in poetry, drama or gender politics. \nIn its outdoor setting, MCCT's productions of Shakespeare are as close as Bloomington residents can get to a free sample of a performance at The Globe.\n-- Contact staff writer Sheeba Madan at smadan@indiana.edu.
(05/27/04 2:05am)
Ten countries joined the European Union May 1, increasing its membership to 25 countries. The EU is now one of the world's largest regional markets in population terms. The new EU member states are Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.\nBeate Sissenich, an IU professor of comparative politics who studies the European Union and its eastward enlargement, said she is optimistic about the economic implications of the expansion.\n"The entry of new countries, with growth rates far higher than in the older member states, will benefit old member states by opening up new markets," Sissenich said.\nJunior Michael Groeber a native of Stuttgart, Germany who is majoring in finance and international studies, said he believes the older members will benefit in the long run because of the larger market. \nBut Benjamin Skerra, a German student majoring in finance and accounting, is not so confident of the ability of the new member states to function as part of a cohesive market, at least in the short term. \n"People do not have sufficient purchasing power in these countries right now, but it might change," Skerra said.\nGroeber said the prospect of providing subsidies to the new member states will burden the economies of the older members.\n"There will be subsidies to the new members in the short run and countries like Spain are afraid that their subsidies will go," Groeber said.\nBesides subsidy payments, older member states, especially Germany, also will have to loosen up their labor regulations.\n"The enlargement will also raise competitive pressures for modernization and reform of labor markets in Germany," Sissenich said.\nSkerra said he thinks an effort will have to be made to make labor regulations similar for all states even though upgrades may be costly for the new members.\nHowever, the high standards of environmental regulation pioneered by the old members seems poised to suffer.\n"Many standards will help these countries modernize in the long run, but in the short run, one may well ask whether these are the best priorities for cash-strapped economies to focus on," Sissenich said. "Besides the cost, there is also the issue that many environmental standards are not tailored for the particular needs of post-socialist economies." \nSkerra said he hopes that environmental regulation standards will not be lowered to accommodate the new members and that they will receive some incentives to measure up to the higher standards of the old member states.\nWith few travel restrictions between EU member states, there are concerns about increased migration to the older members, which tend to have better economies than the newer members. Both Sissenich and Bielasiak said they believe the concern is exaggerated and blown out of proportion. Sissenich claims that the potential for massive migration influx is very low.\n"The labor mobility is extremely low within the new member states. If people are unwilling to move to where the jobs are within their own country, they are even less likely to move outside of their country," Sissenich said. "Also, many of the older member states haven't exactly been generating a lot of new jobs, hence, they aren't particularly attractive as destinations for migration." \nSissenich said she believes that previous experience demonstrates her claims.\n"After the European community's southern enlargements in the 1980s, some Spaniards and Portuguese did move north, but not nearly as many as had been expected," she said.\nJacob Bielasiak, a professor of comparative politics, said that if migration occurs, it will be temporary.\n"People might pursue economic opportunities for brief periods before reinvesting efforts at home." he said. \nSkerra feels that language and psychological barriers, besides legislation, will slow down migration and that migrants will primarily be those who can provide technical expertise rather than low-skilled workers. \nThe enlargement also provides an opportunity for cultural integration. Bielasiak said the eastward expansion of the EU is a move toward social reconciliation of the old Eastern Europe and Western Europe after the Cold War, even though tensions continue to exist between them.\nSkerra, however, believes that the enlargement will not lead to any integration in terms of culture. \n"A citizen from a European country tends to see himself or herself as a German or an Italian rather than a European, and I think it is going to remain that way," he said.\nThe enlargement also presents the region with the potential for greater leverage in international politics even though EU members have several unresolved disputes among themselves. \n"Theoretically a strong EU could serve as a counterbalancing great power to the U.S., but it will probably be a long while before the EU is together enough for this to happen," said Janis Cakars, former president of the Baltic and Finnish Student Association at IU.\nSissenich said the EU enlargement could currently benefit the United States.\n"Extending Europe's zone of stability and democracy is very much in the interest of the U.S.," she said.\n-- Contact staff writer Sheeba Madan at smadan@indiana.edu .
(05/27/04 1:21am)
The Bloomington campus has been selected to hold nine sessions of the 15th Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute from May 15 to July 25. \nThis year, 800 students are participating in the UIFI program this year sponsored by the North American Interfraternity Conference to help fraternity and sorority leaders improve their leadership skills and bring positive change to their chapters. \n Stan Sweeney, director of Student Activities for Greek Affairs, had been trying to bring UIFI to IU for five years, prior to last year's event. Sweeney cited the beauty of the University as one of the reasons why the UIFI should hold its function at IU.\n"IU has some very pretty sororities where the members of UIFI can be accommodated," Sweeney said. "And as a college town, Bloomington is an especially attractive place to hold the conference." \nSteve Dealph, director of Leadership Education for the NIC, said he hopes to continue the relationship with the Bloomington campus. Dealph said the beauty of the campus wasn't the only reason for hosting the conference in Bloomington. \n"IU has a long-established greek community, it is right at the heart of the Midwest and it has big houses where participants can sleep, eat and attend sessions," Dealph said.\nSenior Brandon Williams, a participant in the conference last year, said he agreed with Sweeney's assessment of the UIFI experience. Williams, who will graduate with a degree in telecommunications this summer, attended the UIFI on behalf of Alpha Phi Alpha and the National Panhellenic Council. \nWilliams said the UIFI also provides an excellent opportunity to network with members of the greek community across other campuses in the country. \n"Most importantly, UIFI is a great opportunity for building contacts with members from other universities in a short span of time," Williams said.\nJunior Allie Weiss, president of Alpha Gamma Delta and a Secondary Education major, attended the session that took place last week. Weiss said she learned how to become a better leader during the conference. \n"I learned at UIFI that when you lead with integrity, you can never make a bad decision," Weiss said. "As difficult as it is to admit your mistakes, UIFI really helped me to understand that I can only grow and improve (as a leader and as a person) by recognizing my faults and trying to fix them."\nWeiss said one of the most fulfilling aspects of greek life is the family-like support system the community provides. \n"Greek organizations allow students to find a 'home away from home' by offering a support system that is unlike any other organization on campus," Weiss said. "The support system only broadens after college once students join the many alumni of their organization."\nAs for the conference, Weiss said it allowed her to make a number of friends in an extremely short period of time.\n"Where else can you create a new set of friends, resources, brothers, sisters -- a family -- in five days?" Weiss said. "I have a group of 90 new amazing friends from across the country who will always be willing to help me out."\n-- Contact staff writer Sheeba Madan at smadan@indiana.edu.
(05/24/04 2:35am)
The gardening season for warm crops has started at the Hilltop Garden and Nature Center with a deafening noise of the estimated 3 million cicadas within the garden's grounds. \nThe warblers and bluebirds feast on the insects and then fly over the mounted vegetable beds in their quest for seeds. The volunteers continue to compost the beds without allowing the heat and humidity to deter them. This is a typical day in late May at the Hilltop, 2301 E. 10th St.\nThe nature center, an organic gardening program jointly administered by IU and Bloomington, celebrated its 56th anniversary this year. The center is open to all University students and members of the public during its public hours -- Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 1 to 5 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday, 1 to 8 p.m. Students can volunteer at the garden, rent a plot and grow their own flowers and vegetables or buy plants.\nSenior Phillip Oser has worked at Hilltop for two seasons. What brings him back, he said, "is the joy of seeing the fruits of my labor blossom and then harvesting all those delicious herbs and vegetables. Besides that, I get to work with so many fun people." \nSenior Stephanie Solomon, the Youth Gardening Coordinator at Hilltop, said she agrees. \n"You get to meet such a wonderful inter-generational community of people here," she said. \nHilltop makes a concerted effort to promote a diversity of people at the center. A section of the community gardens is reserved for agencies like Stone Belt, Mother Hubbard's Cupboard and Bloomington Hospital.\nThe delight of the children at Stone Belt inspired Rosemary Hart, a Bloomington resident, to become a dedicated volunteer at Hilltop. \n"I began bringing my own child for nature walks and have since then worked on numerous flower shows with local celebrities," Hart said.\n"This place is like an oasis," said Nathan Denn, the programming coordinator at Hilltop, as he examined a cicada. "Isn't it so interesting that these insects spend 17 years of their life eating tree roots and then come out once only to mate and die?" \nDenn said he is entranced not only by the cicadas, but also by the entire ambiance at Hilltop. "It is so soothing … it brings peace and relaxation in your life. And the best thing is that every student at IU can come here not only to garden but also for a picnic or a nature walk," Denn said.\nBoth Oser and Solomon find the work itself very pleasurable and fulfilling. \n"As students, we spend so much of our time writing papers, staring at computers or memorizing technical stuff," Solomon said. "It is so therapeutic to work here with the best soils in Bloomington and just relax."\nShe said she believes that organic gardening at Hilltop is one of the most effective ways of contributing toward ecological sustainability. \n"You can shop for organic products from a store, but at Hilltop your produce is not only organic but also local, which is as sustainable as you can get," Solomon said. "The vegetables are not only free of the chemicals and genetic modifications but also the wastefulness of long-distance transportation." \nSolomon said she believes gardening is one of the most action-oriented methods that makes you ecologically conscious while you are having fun. \n"Even children enjoy growing their sunflowers, cucumbers and tomatoes as they simultaneously learn more about water conservation and healthy soil," Solomon said.\nJim Rogers, director of the Hilltop Center, said he believes the volunteers share a symbiotic relationship with Hilltop. \n"The gratification and relaxation is inherent in such an activity for the volunteers. And a unique center like Hilltop always needs more volunteers because we depend upon them for our sustainability." \nFor more information on volunteering or visiting Hilltop, call 855-2799 or e-mail hilltop@indiana.edu.\n-- Contact staff writer Sheeba Madan at smadan@indiana.edu.
(02/10/04 10:51pm)
Do we need a renewal of the plastic recycling program at IU?\nThe response to this question ought to be an unequivocal YES. Even though plastic waste ranges at the bottom of the list of issues that occupy a college student's imagination, it is essential to take some responsibility for the waste we are generating. Plastic waste is not as benign as tea bags or orange peels; it is common knowledge by now that plastic is not biodegradable. According to estimates, it could take up to 1,000 years for something as flimsy as plastic bag to break down naturally. And an article in last year's Natural Resources Defense Council magazine revealed that plastic waste keeps hanging out in landfills for an average of 50 years.\nAs students of IU, we are all contributing to the problem of plastic waste. The vending machines in academic buildings like Ballantine Hall have switched to plastic bottles. The dining halls are overflowing with plastic containers and bottles. Yet there is no provision for recycling the plastic bottles in dining halls and academic buildings. \nThe Physical Plant at IU claims plastic recycling is a costly proposition both in terms of initiating it and maintaining it since most students refuse to recycle. But the long-term effects of not recycling are more costly for society because the plastic burned in landfills only contributes to air pollution. \nThe students of IU are not only capable of recycling their own plastic bottles; they also have the ability to inspire slackers. As an academic institution, IU should educate its students to be responsible citizens who are concerned about issues of waste and sustainability. Hence, the Physical Plant and RPS Dining Hall Services must abandon their absurd arguments for not introducing a plastic recycling program and work toward enabling IU to fulfill its goal of building a sustainable campus. \nSheeba Madan\nSenior
(01/29/03 6:07am)
President Bush delivered the State of the Union address Tuesday night, creating praise and skepticism around campus.\nJeffrey Hart, IU professor of international politics, said he believed Bush's speech clearly pointed toward a possible war in Iraq.\n"The domestic policy basically lay the groundwork for an attack on Iraq," he said.\nHart said Bush's comments concerning economic issues were a "reaffirmation of his faith in the supply side of economics, which studies over the years have proved wrong." \nHe said the only new economic plan was the acceleration of an income tax reduction bill to 2003.\nWhile his proposals were lauded by some, there was skepticism regarding their implementation. \nFreshman Margeaux Lawson-Lloyd, majoring in criminal justice, said she doesn't think Bush will be able to follow through on every proposal.\n"He made so many promises: economic packages, spending control and cut in government spending," she said.\nBush then moved on to tackle the issue of health care by proposing medical liability reform. He mentioned the Clear Sky plan and a host of proposals as part of a comprehensive plan for energy efficiency. \nFreshman Lindsay Wolter, a political science major, said she was unconvinced about the implementation of the energy plans. \n"His ideas for reducing pollution from industrial sources was interesting, but you wonder why he did not include automobiles in this plan," she said. "I wanted to see more concrete evidence of his plans. I thought he had interesting ideas, but you don't see how they will be implemented especially after the tax cuts." \nBush briefly discussed social issues and national security measures against bioterrorism before moving on to the issue of international terrorism and Iraq. \nHart said he thought Bush followed the traditional American policy of positioning the country as a moral force. \n"He appealed to both Iraqis and Americans to topple Saddam and he did indeed generate a favorable response on both sides of the aisle," he said. \nHowever, there was discontent regarding the lack of specificity and concrete evidence regarding the possible war in Iraq. \nEdward Carmines, IU professor of American politics, said he thought Bush did not give any specific direction for Iraq. \n"He mentioned the new proposal of the (U.N.) Security Council meeting on February 5, but he did not explore it in depth," Carmines said. "We really don't know what the Bush administration is up to." \nNicole Green, a junior majoring in English theater, said there was a lack of specificity in Bush's plans. \n"He made a lot of good points, but there was nothing concrete," Green said.
(10/10/02 4:56pm)
The destruction of war is sometimes justified by the reconstruction that comes afterward. The war on terror ran the Taliban out of Afghanistan; it also killed innocent civilians. A panel discussion held Tuesday discussed the impact of the war on terrorism against Afghanistan and the current political scenario. The panelists, which included a number of representatives from Afghanistan, also discussed ways to rebuild the Afghan education system.\nThere was a consensus among the panelists that the most positive consequence of the war against Afghanistan was the uprooting of the "cancer" or "menace" of the Taliban regime that could not have been removed without outside intervention. But there was a debate on whether it was necessary for the United States to conduct the war in the manner it did; the cost of which was the lives of 4,000 to 8,000 innocent Afghans.\nThe Minister of Higher Education Dr. Fayez called upon the United States to help the Afghan government in liberalizing education and purging out the "Taliban styled mentality" that has permeated educational institutions. He lamented the brain drain, the acute shortage of trained teachers and the paucity of resources. \nShamly drew the attention of the audience to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. She emphasized that Afghanistan is ill equipped to deal with the sudden influx of refugees as well as the issue of scarcity of food and clothing as winter arrives. She called upon the U.S. to embark on a program of reconstruction and not to abandon the Afghans at the moment of crisis.\nPresident Bush's plans of war against Iraq came under heavy criticism.\n"The President is convinced that the war in Afghanistan was so successful that he is planning another war," Shahrani said. "In fact, a war against Iraq would lead to the mobilization of a large number of people who share an anti-U.S. sentiment, by the al Qaeda, in which case the war will not help in making the U.S. safer or more secure. The problem of terrorism and security is a political issue and efforts need to be directed towards fostering an environment that do not allow the breeding of terrorists.'' \nShamly said the United States will lose credibility if it wages war on Iraq and will break another regime without providing for an alternate structure. \n"The bin Ladens and Mullah Omars will use these opportunities to foment dissent," she said. "And then the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia will be on fire.''\nThe panel discussion was followed by questions from the audience. A large number of questions dealt with higher education, women's rights, government and politicians in Afghanistan. Some members of the audience expressed reservations about the United States' intentions when it came to providing foreign aid and investment. There were also concerns about Afghanistan's ability to engage in nation building without being influenced by donors.\nThe audience was small and enthusiastic. Most of the Afghan-Americans remained after the question session to personally talk to the panelists. They held lively discussions in Persian speckled with English. Palwasha Rahmany, an Afghan-American majoring in business, said the forum was informative. \n"The media in the U.S. do not give a complete picture of the news," she said. " After listening to these experts I realized that everything is not going as smoothly as projected and the basic necessities of people are still not being met." \nMaryam Roohani, a cytotechnology and Arabic major said, "The media always portray a picture of ethnic conflict in Afghanistan, but I got a completely different picture after attending the forum. So, I am really glad that I attended the discussion.''\nPanelists included Dr. Sharif Fayez, Minister of Higher Education of Afghanistan; Dr. Abdul Wahed Sarabi, a distinguished academician and former Minister in Afghanistan; Dr. Zieba Shorish-Shamly, President of Women's Alliance for Peace and Human Rights in Afghanistan; Dr. Alam Payind, Director of Middle Eastern Studies Center, Ohio State University; and Dr. Nazif Shahrani, IU Professor of Anthropology.