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Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013
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Syrian conflict hits home with students International studentsfrom Syria reflect on theirfeelings about the violence in their home country ►
By Mariah Noble
staff writer People are dying and disappearing every day in Syria, according to media reports. Though the war may be on the other side of the world, the effects of it hit close to home for USU student Wafaa Arbash and assistant professor Abdulkafi Albirini, who are both from Syria. Arbash, who is in the intensive language institute and plans to start her master's degree in social work next year, said the war is something affecting everyone to some extent. "When I was in Syria, I worked as a social developmental programmer as an active citizen," Arbash said. "It teaches you how you can be a There's a lot of persons missing from both of the groups, a lot leader in your community." She said while traveling from of people who have disappeared town to town for work, she totally from both sides." Albirini, who teaches Arabic would have to get down "under the chair of the car" because of at USU, said several members of his family have died in the war. the combat going on outside. "All the time, my fam- He said there is a Facebook page ily (would) worry about me," his family has set up for those Arbash said. "All the time, my they have lost. He said he gets his informafamily (would) call me." Arbash's family lost at least tion from Syrian and Arab news sources available to him here in one member from this conflict. "I have a cousin who disap- the U.S.. and although his famil} peared," Arbash said. "He remains relatively neutral in the was with the government and conflict, he knows of more than the rebels caught him. and we 30 members of his extended don't know where he is now. He family who have died because of has two girls - two children. it.
' ' Th.ere are no free eledions, nofreedom ofspeech, no freedom ofpress. Th.ere are more security departments than universities.
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Mormon movie star encourages students ►
By Marissa Neeley staff writer
"I love my life," said Kirby Heybourne, an actor, musician and comedian who spoke at the Common Hour lecture series Wednesday in the TSC Ballroom. When Heybourne was 16, he was skiing with his brother. Trying to impress his brother, he went down a black diamond ski run - a ski run with a high level ofdifficulty- and jumped off the cat track while tucking it. Kirby said he could have touched the skis of those on the ski lifts above. Kirby said there was a quiet moment while flying through the air when he thought, "Oh, crap. I'm going to die." Hevbourne focused his thoughts at the Common Hour talk on this ski moment: making the most out of those quiet moments when one realizes a mistake has been made. Heybourne said to make big goals and then small, achiev-
The big goal was being an actor, Heybourne said. The small achievable goals were moving to Los Angeles, becoming a member of the acting guild and getting an agent. Heybourne told students to make sure when they achieve goals, they keep moving forward and celebrate little victories on the path to achieving goals. Be prepared and smart. Don't be dumb, Heybourne said. Be creative. Go outside. Heybourne encouraged students to believe every experience they have is for a reason. He gave five questions to ask oneself during an experience. Heybourne said the first question to ask is, "What opportunities are opening up?" While he was in Los Angeles striving to be an actor, Heybourne said he got an opportunity to be in a play. The sound designer of the play was the executive director of a Christian audio book company who offered Heyboume a chance to record audio books.
able, realistic goals. He wanted 1\vo opportunities opened up
to be an actor, so after doing films and commercials for the Church ofJesus Christ ofLatterday Saints in Utah, he and his wife moved to Los Angeles with their son.
and Heybourne grabbed them, one of which he is still doing it. The second question, Heybourne said, is, "Am I doing
!ll,See HEYBOURNE, Page 2
''Most of them are civilian," Albirini said. "Some of them are children. I know that the regime possibly are not targeting them (civilians) in particular, but this is what we call collateral damage. The bomb or the missile does not discriminate." Albirini said freedoms in Syria are very limited. "You can be arrested for no reason," Albirini said. "There are no free elections, no freedom of speech, no freedom of press. There are more security departments than universities." He said many surrounding countries fought to gain more freedom, and all those factors together contributed to the event that sparked the war. In March 2011, 15 schoolboys painted an anti-government slogan on a wall and were arrested because ofit. "They are doing what they see on TV," Albirini said. "It said, The people want to topple the regime."' In the care of security personnel, one of whom was a cousin of Syrian president Bashar alAssad, the boys were bloodied, beaten, burned and had their fingernails pulled out. Albirini said these boys belonged to several large families in southern Syria, who then solicited for support from the government.
"It started as peaceful demonstrations," Albirini said. ''Their demands were very limited reforms, checks on security forces." But, Albirini said, those peaceful demonstrations were met with gunfire from government forces. "When people saw the amount of bloodshed and brutality. they demanded that al-Assad go," Albirini said. "Mourners at funerals were fued on, so more and more fatalities.'' Arbash said intolerance and ignorance is another big factor in the conflict. She said many of those fighting do it because their group's leaders tell them to, not because they ha've a personal interest in the politics behind it. "They come and go without any thinking," Arbash said. Photo courtesy Wafaa Arbash "When people start fighting each other, they don't realize USU STUDENT WAFAA ARBASH is part of the intensive what they are doing. They don't language institute and plans to start her master's degree in social realize the effects-side of things. work next year. Ifthey would just stop and think for one minute, we would be in a moral obligation to do some- father, Hafez al-Assad, was in thing," Albirini said. "If we say power. Hafez al-Assad served as (the) right situation." Albirini said he feels up to - we are leaders in terms of pro- president from 1971-2000. Sharp this point, the U.S. has been rela- moting democracy and freedom said there were also conflicts in tively passive and seems to have - they (the people of Syria) are that time, but they didn't start tried distancing themselves from fighting for their freedom. They with peaceful demonstrations the conflict, but more recently went out to fight for their rights like this one. he's seen them taking "some con- as human beings." "It's a bard problem," Sharp Others feel getting involved structive steps" toward the consaid. "I would love to solve this is a risky move. Steve Sharp, a flict there. "My personal view in the case political science professor, said !ll,See SYRIA, Page 2 of Syria (is that) the U.S. has he lived in Syria when al-Assad's
Alphi Chi raises CAPSA money ►
By Courtney Keams staff writer
Alpha Chi Omega raised money for domestic violence victims Tuesday and Wednesday through its chapter's annual philanthropic charity, Alphatraz. The event supports the Center for Women and Gender on campus and the Community Abuse Prevention Services Agency in Logan. With a $2 donation, students can place the names of their friends on a warrant list. After a warrant for their arrest is issued, members of the "Alpha Chi Omega Police" call those on the list and tell them to show up on the TSC Patio any time from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday or Randy Golding photo Wednesday. STUDENTS GIVEN A WARRANT stood in a makeshift jail Tuesday and begged the USU "As soon as each warrant public for a "bail" donation to let them out of "jail." The donations were given to CAPSA, a local has been paid with a bail of charity supporting victims of domestic violence. ten dollars, the person in the cell is free to go," said scholarship for a re-entry stu- ing to a big, national organi- first to hold this event, and Mandy LoPatriello, a mem- dent who has been affected by zation where we can't see the now it has spread across the ·ber of Alpha Chi Omega. "If domestic violence. changes," LoPatriello said. United States. a person has more than one This event is particularly "We're giving locally and Alphatraz was originalwarrant out for their arrest important to the sorority as we're able to see the results ly held in the spring, but - say they have five - it will a whole because the effects of our efforts. We're very pas- with the unpredictability of take $50 to bail them out." weather, it is now held every Each year, the money raised from fundraising can be seen, sionate about it." The Alpha Chi Omega is awarded to the same chari- LoPatriello said. "It's not like we're just giv- chapter at USU was one of the !ll,See ALPHATRAZ, Page 2 ties. The money goes toward a
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