DOVAHKIIN HI
58° |
LO
TUESDAY
46°
november 15, 2011
T H E I N DE PE N DE N T S T U DE N T N E W SPA PE R OF S Y R ACUSE , N E W YOR K
INSIDENEWS
INSIDEOPINION
INSIDEPULP
INSIDESPORTS
Polling pressure Alumnus Peter Brown told
Stumped Leanna Mulvihill suggests
Ballin’ Score a slam dunk on two full pages of basketball
Off and running Syracuse used an explosive fast-break
audience members that he expects Mitt Romney to win the 2012 election. Page 3
interesting and relevant ESF courses for the curious SU student. Page 5
EGYPT
TUNISIA
The military arm of Hosni Mubarak’s regime still remains in charge of the country even after the dictator’s departure. It has made plans to conduct parliamentary elections this month, yet the military presence continues to worry citizens.
Tunisia recently held its first-ever democratic elections last week, in which a moderate Islamic party won 90 of the 217 seats in the assembly, which is currently drafting a new constitution.
Seeking stability Countries face various stages of recovery after Arab Spring
T
brain teasers and games. Page 8-9
LIBYA Libya recently witnessed former Libyan leader Col. Muammar al Gaddafi’s death two weeks ago, who ruled the country for 44 years. Libya now faces ethnic conflicts as it’s transitional government attempts to draft a new government and constitution.
BAHRAIN Freedom in Bahrain remains a matter of time, based on both Sunni-Shiite relations in the region as well as Iran’s increasing assistance in the toppling of the current government.
STAFF WRITER
SEE ARAB SPRING PAGE 6
carly reeve | staff photographer DON SALEH , vice president for enrollment management, speaks at Monday’s SA meeting. He told students that SU values GPA and class difficulty more than SAT scores, causing some students to speak out.
st uden t a ssoci ation
Jerk magazine fails to get requested funds at meeting Saleh discusses acceptance rate, sliding reputation
By Marwa Eltagouri
he Middle East was recognized as a region of autocracy and repression for decades, until civilians chose to revolt eight months ago. Revolution was not an instant solution. “It’s great when people take over these dictators, but at the same time the situation’s almost like a stab wound,” said Adam Elrashidi, a graduate student whose parents were born and raised in Egypt. “If you pull the knife out, it will bleed more, but if you keep it in, the knife will sink deeper. It’s a no-win situation.” Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was one of the fi rst dictators ousted in the Arab Spring, a series of Middle Eastern revolutions. Mubarak left a disjointed country, and Egypt and the other countries of the Middle East remain disheveled — with unclear roads ahead. The Middle East witnessed former Libyan leader Moammar al Gadhafi’s death three weeks ago. His death marks a success for rebels who tolerated his regime for 44 years, but Libya is a long way from utopia. “History has shown us time and again that success in toppling a country’s dictator does not necessarily mean that the country would soon enjoy stability,” said Arabic professor Violette Humsi. “Nine years after Saddam Hussein was toppled in Iraq, what was once a sovereign dictatorship is now an unstable country rampant with corruption.” Libya’s situation is complicated by the ethnically diverse people and the split between the East and West. Along with an abundance of weapons, and fighting among rebel leaders, Libya has an ominous future, Humsi said. The Transitional National Council is recognized as an alternative to Gadhafi. Its members have no clear plans to proceed, said Amy Kallander, a history professor who teaches SU’s Arab Revolutions course.
offense to knock off Manhattan and improve to 2-0. Page 16
SYRIA Syrians continue attempts to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad by implementing both Libya and Egypt’s revolutionary models. The world now closely watches to see how long Assad’s regime can survive among increasing isolation and resource shortage.
By Rachael Barillari STAFF WRITER
Two bills, concerning the Chinese Students and Scholars Association and Jerk magazine, did not receive funding at Monday night’s Student Association meeting after presenting budget appeals. Both bills were heavily discussed. Jerk was not funded the requested $15,944.40 because priority was given
to organizations that did not miss their budget hearing, according to the Finance Board notes. This same ruling was attributed to several other bills that did not receive funding. Flash Steinbeiser, editor in chief of Jerk, defended the publication after the assembly voted to confirm the decision. Steinbeiser, staff writer and former feature editor at The Daily
SEE SA PAGE 7
SA voting exceeds 10 percent on first day By Rachael Barillari STAFF WRITER
YEMEN Political instability in Yemen, a hotbed for terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda, remains a concern for the United States. If President Ali Abdullah Saleh leaves power, it is possible that instability could allow such terrorist groups to flourish. *Countries not to scale
The Student Association election received 1,886 ballots as of 9 p.m. Monday, said PJ Alampi, Board of Elections and Membership Committee chair, at the end of the meeting. Alampi said this indicates that 14 percent of students at SU have already voted. Only 10 percent is necessary to validate the election. There are at least 14,222 undergraduates enrolled at Syracuse University, according to Syracuse University’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment website.
This year, 320 votes were cast in the first hour, compared to about 10 votes last year, according to charts. Of the 1,886 ballots, the sophomore class led with the most at 760, followed by juniors with 418, freshman with 390 and seniors with 318 votes. Because the 10 percent threshold was passed in one day, the next goal is to reach 25 percent and possibly even 40 percent by the time polls close Thursday at midnight, Alampi said. Alampi said SA members have been tabling at different locations on campus to promote the election. rebarill@syr.edu