Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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\ 1 ' ■ Iraqi democracy activist to speak at USC By IRA M. KLEIN THE GAMECOCK An Iraqi lawyer and democracy activist will meet with USC students today as part of a speaking tour sponsored by the Iraq America Freedom Alliance. Ali Ramadan, a lawyer from Basra, Iraq who is working on building grassroots democracy there, will speak in room 008 of the Close-Hipp building at 6 p.m. According to Jeremiah Bush, a fourth-year international studies student and secretary of Students Defending Democracy, the student group bringing Ramadan to USC, Ramadan is expected to discuss the reconstruction efforts in Iraq, the prospects for democracy there and the obstacles to democracy presented by the recent Iraqi insurgency. The forum is expected to last about an hour and ^jbalf. Ramadan helped organize and monitor the Basra city council’s first elections in 2004 and participates in local governing body meetings as an adviser and facilitator. Immediately after the liberation of Iraq, from June 2003 to February 2004, Ali worked on school reconstruction projects and oversaw the distribution of educational supply kits to 1.5 million students, 50,000 teachers and 25,000 classrooms in the cities of Basra, Messan, Nassirva and Mothana. Ramadan serves as a lead investigator for Iraq’s High Court, the equivalent of the U.S. Supreme Court, working in prosecuting the former regime. Ramadan has organized grassroots democratic campaigns in several Iraqi cities. Bush said he was able to get Ramadan to come speak at USC by being an “anti-terrorism undergraduate fellow” for the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think-tank that was formed after Sept. 11 to fight terrorism and promote democracy worldwide through training, forums and debates. FDD is the parent organization of Students Defending Democracy. Several other campus organizations were involved in bringing Ramadan to campus, according to Bush. He has been working with the Professional Society of International Studies (PSIS), as well as Phi Sigma Pi, USC’s honor fraternity, which is using the forum as a scholarship event. The Young Democrats and the College Republicans have also helped to get the word out about the event, which is open to the general public. Bush stressed that “this forum will not be a debate on the legality or ethics of the war, so it’s not a place for protest; rather, we’re going to be discussing democracy and the prospects of it succeeding in Iraq.” He added, “we can all agree that democracy is what’s best for Iraq, and even though, it’s difficult to attain, it’s the only way that the Iraqi people will ever be able to live in freedom.” Ramadan began his trip to the U.S. in Washington D.C., speaking to students at George Washington University. He will then continue on, after speaking at USC, to Yale, UNC Chapel Hill and Harvard. The organization sponsoring. Ramadan’s speaking tour, the Iraq America Freedom Alliance, is a project under FDD that brings in democratic proponents from Iraq to do speaking engagements and lectures in America at college campuses, and to meet with U.S. government officials to teach them about Iraq. Bush said he anticipates that people will ask Ramadan questions about the insurgency and whether it is really as bad as it is portrayed in the media. He also said people will likely ask about the prospects for a civil war in Iraq, and about whether the Iraqi interim government feels it would be able to work with John Kerry if he is elected. “It’s an exciting opportunity for USC students to be able to come and hear someone of Ramadan’s status and prominence,” Bush said. “It’s an honor for us to be able to host him and have him here at USC. I hope students come out of the lecture with a better appreciation and understanding of Iraq’s democracy and our own.” “I am excited about. Mr. Ramadan’s coming to USC, I think it presents a great opportunity for students to learn first hand about a part of the world that they usually only get to see through the camera lenses of the corporate media” first-year liberal arts student Heather Mirman said. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockneu's@gwm.sc. edu Defense chief tells Marines that U.S. troop level might drop after January elections By ROBERT BURNS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq — The United States may be able to reduce its troop levels in Iraq after the January elections if security is strengthened and Iraqi government forces continue to expand and improve, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Sunday. In a question-and-answer session with hundreds of Marines assembled in a concrete-line aircraft hangar at this desert air base in western Iraq, Rumsfeld was asked what the future holds for the length and frequency of troop deployments in the country. Rumsfeld, on his first visit to Iraq since its interim government was installed in June, said the insurgent violence is likely to get worse in the weeks ahead, so troop reductions are almost out of the question. The United States now has about 135,000 troops in Iraq. “Our hope is that as we build up Iraqi forces, we will be able to relieve the stress on our forces and see a reduction in coalition forces over some period of time, probably post-Iraqi elections,” the Pentagon chief said. “But again, it will depend entirely on the security situation here in this country.” Later, Rumsfeld flew to the northern city Kirkuk where he received a briefing from the top commander in that area, Maj. Gen. John Batiste, and other American officers, who told him that insurgent attacks had decreased in number since July. They also said that U.S-trained Iraqi forces in the Kirkuk area were improving so quickly that they recently were able to plan and execute offensive operations on their own, with U.S. officers present only as observers. Rumsfeld had dinner with South Korean soldiers, members of Zaytun Division, who began arriving in Iraq last month to provide combat and support troops in the area around the city of Irbil, west of Kirkuk. Before Rumsfeld appeared at the main operating base of the 3rd Marine Air Wing, the approximately 1,300 Marines in his audience were give • instructions by Sgt. Maj. Dennis Reed on what not to ask. “Don’t ask when you’re going home. We’ll tell you when you’re going home,” Reed said. Rumsfeld then gave a pep talk and fielded questions at a town hall style meeting. “We’re so fortunate to be able to count on you in this time of peril,” Rumsfeld said to applause. The secretary then flew to Baghdad and met with U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte, Gen. George Casey, the top American commander in Iraq, and Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, • who is in charge of training and equipping Iraqi security forces. Accompanying Rumsfeld on the flight in a Black Hawk helicopter was Hazem Shaalan, Iraq’s interim defense minister. As a reminder of the tenuous security situation in the Iraq capital, the fleet of Black Hawks carrying Rumsfeld and his entourage flew at high speed, just above rooftop level, occasionally zigzagging en route to the International Zone where the U.S. Embassy is located. In a brief exchange with reporters after the Baghdad meeting, Rumsfeld grew agitated by questions about the possibility of needing to bring in extra American troops before Iraq’s scheduled elections. “There’s a fixation on that subject!” he said with exasperation. “It’s fascinating how everyone rs locked on that.” He asserted that the news media and others are ignoring the fact that the number of U.S.-trained Iraqi security forces is growing — standing now at about 100,000 — and that they are fighting and dying. “They do exist. Over 700 of them have been killed,” Rumsfeld said. Casey told reporters that he and v Rumsfeld did not discuss U.S. troops levels in their meeting. “If I need more troops, as the secretary said, I will ask for them.” He added that the number of trained Iraqi forces is going to increase by 45,000 by election time. Rumsfeld also met with Ayad Allawi, the interim Iraqi prime minister, at the government’s headquarters not far from THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Under tight security, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld walks with Lt. Gen. John Sattler, right, as he heads for a “town hall’ type meeting with the troops at the Al Asad Air Base in the western Iraqi desert on Sunday. the U.S. Embassy. The two sat side by side in large chairs; an Iraqi flag was behind them. Allawi, referring twice to Rumsfeld as the secretary of state, thanked him for the United States’ help in giving Iraqis their freedom. Rumsfeld replied that it was important for him to meet with Iraqi leaders to talk about preparations for elections and “to make sure they happen and this country continues on a path toward democracy.” The trip was Rumsfeld’s sixth to Iraq but his first to Anbar province, which includes portions of the Sunni Triangle north and west of Baghdad. The region had been the heart of tribal support for deposed President Saddam Hussein. Anbar is an insurgent stronghold, including the provincial capital of Ramadi, and the city of Fallujah, where Marines fought fierce battles in the spring. In recent months, Marines have taken a large share of U.S. causalities. In light of the violence in Iraq, Rumsfeld’s visit was not announced in advance. Reporters traveling with the secretary were instructed not to disclose his plans until he arrived in Iraq from Bahrain aboard an Air Force C-17 cargo plane. Later this week, Rumsfeld is attending a meeting of NATO defense ministers Romania. Expected to be on the agenda Wednesday and Thursday are issues such as the alliance’s role in Afghanistan, where it commands the International Security Assistance Force, and Iraq, where it has agreed to help train Iraqi security forces. Another expected topic is the work under way to terminate the NATO peacekeeping mission in Bosnia by the end of this year, when it is scheduled to be turned into a European Union security mission. The United States now has about 700 troops in Bosnia and 1,800 in Kosovo. On Saturday, Rumsfeld was aboard a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf for a meeting with 18 of his counterparts from U.S. allies in the terrorism fight. The ministers discussed the way ahead in Iraq and Afghanistan. ■ » uunucrtrMO Continued from page 1 and incidents of this nature don’t cros his desk much. ■ THEFT Continued from page 1 president of the university. “The only president I know of buried on the Horseshoe is buried near the South Caroliniana library,” he said. The Monument was designed by Robert Mills and erected in 1827 by the Clariosophic Society, which is housed in nearby Legare College. It was built in Maxcy’s honor. Officials asked that anyone with any information as to the whereabouts of the ball to call USCPD at 777-1708. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocknetvs@gtvm.sc.edu ■ SHOOTING Continued from page 1 a safe place to be. “The traffic and crowds just make things unsafe. I’m surprised that they haven’t had anyone get run over too,” second-year biology student Ben Hinman said. Other students said they thought the size of the crowd drawn by the fair was definitely a problem. “Columbia is kind of dangerous to begin with. Then when you add that many extra people you are bound to have problems,” second year history David Bersinger said. While most students thought the shooting was sad, some said they didn’t expect it to deter people from attending the fair. “I bet you they will have more people show up to see what the problem is than will be scared away,” second-year civil engineering student Kelsey Powell said. The Associated Press contributed to this story. i ] Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocbiewS@gwm.sc. edu Even beyond the conduct code, Luna said, “we try to use or create a sense of community in resident halls.” RHA President Adam Hark said that to the best of his knowledge a case like -:-1— this is treated as criminal, despite how rare it might be. Comments on this stoiy? E-mail gamecocknews@gwm.sc. edu y1 mi ——1 NICK ESARES/THE GAMECOCK The ball that sits on top of the Maxcy obelisk on the Horseshoe was missing Saturday. USC officials said the USCPD will investigate. ■ BREAK Continued from page 1 it in place for 2003-2004, but the changes were announced.” Blaney also said that because the academic schedule is set five years in advance, it is difficult to schedule around football games, which she said are scheduled every two years. When discussing the options for the calendar shift two years ago, USC Student Affairs requested that if a revised fall break option was to be considered then it should not fall on a weekend of a home football game. “We can’t forget to check the football schedule,” Blaney said. “But I don’t see it being a problem.” Student Life Director Jerry Brewer said the Monday-Tuesday fall break was conceived in the 1980s and that when he went to school at USC, there wasn’t a fall break for students. “I enjoy it. I think it is a nice break,” Brewer said, “And I would rather start it two days earlier than later.” And despite concerns of students who don’t have classes, Brewer jokingly said the new schedule is basically a ploy by USC to get students to go home and see their high school football game to tell high school "students how good USC is and recruit next year’s students. -1 Comments on this story? E-mail eamecocknetos@evmi.sc. edu Rural schools hll classrooms with foreign-born teachers THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A program designed to let foreign teachers get experience in U.S. classrooms has turned into a way for South Carolina to help fill its need for qualified teachers in poor rural districts. “This is a dirty little secret that gets kept about how we’re filling our classrooms,” said Barnett Berry, president of The Southeast Center for Teaching Quality in Chapel Hill, N.C. In Jasper County, for example, 30 of the school district’s 200 teachers are from outside the United States. At one school, Ridgeland Middle, foreign teachers account for one-third of the faculty. “We continue to hire them because we can’t hire anyone else,” Jasper superintendent William Singleton said. The district pays about $3,000 less than the state’s average teacher salary, he said, “so we’re left with no teachers in that classroom or getting the teacher who has some classroom management problems or language barriers.” Overall, more than 400 teachers in South Carolina schools this year are foreign. The state’s largest districts, such as Greenville and Charleston, say they employ foreign teachers because of the number of positions they have open each year. While foreign teachers overall account for only about 1 percent of all the state’s teachers, the number is growing. The program that brings foreign teachers to the United States for cultural exchange was never intended to use those instructors to fill employment needs of school districts. The U.S. State Department, which oversees the program, doesn’t have any agencies under investigation for breaking that rule. A survey by Visiting International Faculty, which provides foreign teachers on exchange visas, found that nearly a third of schools in the program are using international teachers to fill vacancies. “Our employment needs simply outstrip the availability in South Carolina,” said Pat Mitchell, executive director of human resources for Greenville County’s public schools. “We could have probably hired every math graduate higher education produced last year.” The number of international teachers in Greenville doubled from last year to this year, Mitchell said. The state Department of Education recruits about 20 percent of the foreign teachers. “We’re * bringing teachers from other countries in to help Us with the teacher shortage in areas where we are not able to find educated, qualified teachers,” state education Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum said. “We’re not displacing any teachers here. We’re filling vacancies.” No one in South Carolina has studied the effects of foreign teachers on student learning, grades or test scores. “They’re very knowledgeable, but the first problem is that there is a language barrier, and the second is that classroom management seems to be an issue,” Jasper superintendent Singleton said. “Students in their country are more in tune. They come to school ready to learn, and education is an opportunity that’s not afforded to all.” Despite the challenges associated with employing foreign teachers, the numbers likely will continue to grow. Besides their ability to meet a need, foreign teachers can save a district money because the districts do not have to provide benefits, such as health care or retirement. “If we have huge shortages of math and science teachers and foreign language teachers and obviously special ed teachers, what are your alternatives?” said Les Sternberg, dean of the University of South Carolina’s College of Education. “Maybe that’s all you can do until we can figure out a way to attack it in a better way.” _ Need Help? If work, family or other challenges have stalled - your research, here's how we can help: • Clarifying the method section • Assisting with survey design • Selecting appropriate statistics • Entering and analyzing data • Creating APA tables and figures J mf • Reporting the resulff^p • Explaining the statistical output Why risk delaying your Frankfurt $303 Paris Prague $388 Amsterdam Rome $303 Barcelona Fares are subject to change & do not include taxes. Eligibility restrictions apply. 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