AUI-S tries to provide good life for Qalawa refugees

by Mahdi Abdullah Murad

AUI-S Voice Staff Reporter
http://www.auisvoice.org/

A group of AUI-S students, instructors and staff members visited the Qalawa camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) on November 23 to offer donations such as clothes, blankets and bags to the camp residents. The camp is populated by Arab families that fled violence in other parts of Iraq at the peak of the sectarian conflict in the country in the past few years.

AUI-S Dorm Students Relieved: Rona Motel is Good and Manolya Hotel is Getting Better

by Mahdi Abdullah Murad

After the shocking reports of Stuednt Eye blog on the bad situation of AUI-S dorm students at Manolya Hotel, the AUI-S Administration, mainly Dr. James Harrigan, the Academic Dean of Students, decided to take action.
A new apartment, Rona Motel, on the 60th street near to the AUI-S campus, was rented. 24 of the students at Manolya chose to go to the new hotel and 31 students decided to stay. The new dorm, according to the students, met their expectations.

The old dorm, Manolya, is now less crowded than before. Like the other hotel, there are rooms of three and four students and no more. As we have shwon in the report, Manolya now is different from Manloya a week ago.
While it is soon to decide on the serivces level at Rona Motel, the Manloya Hotel managers need to do more to improve the situations.
According to some of the Manolya residents, water service is not provided at soem of the rooms. In the mornings, some of the students have no water. The washing machines are also not working well at most of the Manloya rooms.
AUI-S administration should put more pressure on the managers to provide better services for the dorms.

See my entire photo story on this issue via this link: http://auisstudent.blogspot.com/2010/12/by-mahdi-abdullah-murad-after-shocking.html

How Much Can We Learn From Referencing?

by Mahdi Abdullah Murad 

The first essential point behind referencing for any official documents is that it helps us avoid plagiarizing. We all know that plagiarizing is something just not acceptable. It is something that ruins your personality. Like it has been said, “Taking something from one man and making it worse is plagiarism.” When you plagiarize, you really destroy yourself and the source that you took the idea from. Since we have the best tool to protect us from such a disaster, why don’t we apply it? Referencing can be your best element in preventing you from facing such tough experience.

Podcast & Videocast

Summarizing the video
The vedeo explains the way of converting a scanned image to a text file. According to the video, there are three steps to complete this process. The three steps are: Downloading the ocrtool softwar, opening the scanned document via the Microsoft and save it, and getting an image in the ocrtool.

 Do you think this videocast is more effective than a podcast?  Why?

Although the vediocast was interesting, I don't think that it is more interesting than podcast because I experienced pod-cast but not vediocast. I know it is not a good answer for the question, but I really love pod-casting and enjoy it a lot.

 

Do you think that this kind of simulation videocast is an effective way to learn new skills?

For sure, whenever we experienced new things, we would learn something new. So, I think vediocast is something enough for someone who loves learning new skills. There are a lot to be learnt in vediocast just like podcast.  So, what I am asking my school is that helping us learn new technologies by providing such kinds of ways. Technology is science and fun. We can learn new skills in technology without being tired for a moment.

Manolya Dormitory, Photos Speak the Shameful Truth

 by Mahdi Abdullah Murad - Student Eye

The daily problems AUI-S students face at Manolya dormitory, is only a demonstration of the unplanned, unprepared and negligent policy making at the American University of Iraq-Sulaimani.
We tried not to show these images online, because there was still a hope to change the hurting scenes. But now, and after weeks of suffer and passion, We know no other way but this one to tell the story of a shame.In this report, I will not be saying very much. The pictures will speak for themselves. However, some of the pictures are more tragic than what they seem, so we have said a few words about them. We hope these images will move the administration a little bit towards an evaluation of the student life at the dorms.

This is bathroom and restroom. When you are here, you should know that there are five other people waiting for the same opportunity out there. So, you really don't get what you want. What you do is your rush with everything. Sometimes, you are taking a shower and your friend is shortened. One of you has to suffer eventually!

P O D C A S T I N G

What is podcast?

A podcast is a series of either audio or video files that have been recorded, then downloaded via the websites. Basically, it is accessing media files over the internet.

How did it start?

Podcasting emerged in the public in late 2004. The apple company has dramatic impact in extending what is so-called podcast by releasing iTunes 4.9 that was a real native support for the podcast in 2005. This made receiving podcast more suitable. Also, it effectively ended with a great advancement of the podcast by independent developers. This company influenced so many independent developers to use this service. Moreover, Trademark applications were another useful way in publicizing the serve of broadcast into the public. The United States can be listed as a first country in capitalizing podcast. According to Wikipedia, “By February 2007, there had been 24 attempts to register trademarks containing the word "PODCAST" in United States.”

MobiCash starts mobile payment for AUI-S students

  by  Mahdi Abdullah Murad

    AUI-S Voice Staff Reporter

     www.auisvoice.org            

The AUIS students were the first of first in experiencing the most advanced technology.

The US Task Force for Business and Stability Operation, which focuses on the economic development in both Iraq and Afghanistan, is currently working in providing a cutting-edge technology within AUI-S that is called MobiCash.

From now on, you can transfer money, make payments, and buy minutes without leaving your home through mobile banking. You don’t need to know how much money you need for the entire day when you leave your home. Also, you do not need to be worry about the cash you carry with yourself.

Summary of the Ray Kurzweil's presentation on, "How technology will transform us?"

Ray Kurzweil- photo courtesy of google 

by Mahdi Abdullah Murad

In a presentation given by Ray Kurzweil under the title, “how technology will transform us?”,  Kurzweil addressed his views about different grounds of the technology that is experienced and will be faced in the future such us, overcoming the disease and poverty, the evolutionary process of the technology, the acceleration of the evolutionary process in both biology and technology, and the communication. Moreover, he demonstrated his predictions of how the technology will be in the future.

On Dashnye Daloye's Interview - We Need an American University!

by Mahdi Abdullah Murad
http://www.auisstudent.blogspot.com/

In an interview given to Niqash website and published in many other Kurdish media, Dashne Daloye, the student affairs director, said that AUI-S students are not used to freedom and absence of fear. While supporting Ms. Daloye in her thesis, I would like to say something more on the issue.

To Jackie Spinner: Goodbye my lovely adviser



Jackie and I

 by Mahdi Abdullah

Jackie Spinner, who was the first AUIS Voice Adviser, left AUI-S for good on Sep 1,2010. Spinner came to AUI-S last year and started working as an Adviser for the AUIS Voice Newspaper, which is the first Independent University Student Newspaper in Iraq. Although she worked at AUI-S for less than one year, Spinner could help so many AUI-S students to be professional journalists. She started a great project in the development of the media at AUI-S.

The $400

By Mahdi Abdulla Murad
www.auisstudent.blogspot.com

July 28, 2010, was one of the happiest days in my life for I got a job after almost a month of looking forward to finding it. I was happy more than anyone else because I had planned to do so many things with that small amount of money that I would get via working and to save at least some money for my next year study.

Unfortunately, my plan was completely spoiled after I opened my AUI-S account. What I saw in my e-mail was something that had never come to my mind before.

AUI-S, Unique Teaching &Learning Institution in Iraq \ Kurdistan-Sulaimani

By Mahdi Abdullah Murad
“About a month ago, while traveling in northern Iraq, I happened to visit in the same afternoon what my co-traveler Reuel Gerecht called “the best thing I’ve seen in the Middle East in 25 years,” as well as traces of the worst thing that happened there over the same period of time. Those two things are, respectively, the American University of Iraq at Sulaimani and the memorial erected in Halabja, where some 5,000 Kurds were killed with chemical weapons.” ABE GREENWALD
While backing what Mr. Greenwald says in his article, I would like to added my feeling about AUI-S.

AUI-S receives accreditation from American liberal arts academy

                                                       By Mahdi Abdullah Murad

AUI-S Voice Staff Reporter

http://www.auisvoice.org/

‘We are now on an equal status with them,’ John Agresto

AUI-S passed one of the most significant moments in its history after it was accredited by the American Academy for Liberal Education, a national accrediting body certified by the U.S. Department of Education.

Special party full of activities ends long academic year

By Mahdi Abdulla Murad

AUI-S Voice Staff Reporter

www.auisvoice.org

As a farewell to the academic year, AUI-S threw a party for students May 27 at Oscar Hall in Sulaimani.

Chancellor leaves with best wishes to his University

By Mahdi Abdulla Murad

AUIS Voice Staff Reporter

www.auisvoice.org

Joshua Mitchell, the acting chancellor of AUI-S, will leave AUI-S for good at the end of this semester. Mitchell said that many wonderful events happened at AUI-S during the nearly two years that he has been the top campus administrator at the University.

Fulbright gives hope

By Mahdi Abdulla Murad
AUI-S Voice Staff Reporter
www.auisvoice.org

The Fulbright Scholarship for foreign students is a two-year study program at one of the U.S. universities, and it is sponsored by the U.S. State Department.

On May 13 at the Administration Building of AUI-S, there was a lecture about this program, and the AUI-S students became more familiar with the program.

R. Madison Conoley, the Public Diplomacy Section Chief of the U.S. Regional Reconstruction team, and Sara Mercado, the Public Diplomacy Officer of the RRT of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, explained the Fulbright program for the AUI-S students.

The Fulbright program creates both the educational and cultural exchanges between the United States and other countries.

See the flag of the Great Kurdistan

Sports teams go beyond AUI-S courts

By Mahdi Abdulla Murad
AUI-S Voice Staff Reporter
www.auisvoice.org


Last week the AUI-S women’s basketball team, men’s soccer team and women’s soccer team played away games in Koya and Duhok, losing all the matches.

The Blue & White played against the University of the Duhok’s women basketball team. AUI-S lost that game 46-16.


The AUI-S men’s soccer team lost 4-3 against Koya University, and the women’s soccer team lost 9-0.

Hadi Anwar, who is the couch of the Koya women soccer team, said the AUI-S women soccer team should be more energetic.


“The AUI-S women’s soccer team played well, but they need to be more energetic,” Anwar said in Kurdish. “They have to work with controlling the ball mostly because they are not good in that skill.”

Roza Mohammed, 21, one of the AUI-S women soccer players, from Sulaimani, said the Koya University team was more professional than an average college team.


Mohammed supported her coaches.

“I really believe in our coaches,” she said. “I believe that even if Koya University team played with men, it would win. So, there is nothing wrong with our coaches. We really trust in them.
One of the most important problems that we had during the games was that we got tired very easily. That is because we don’t run; we just practice. We don’t get tired [during the practice], so, if we had more time to run, and then practice, we would be much better.”


“Avin Muhammed, 21, a player from the University of Koya, said she enjoyed the game.

“Both teams played well,” Muhammed said in Kurdish. “Although the AUI-S women’s soccer team is a new team, they played well. They were not good in passing and controlling the ball, so they should work with that skills.”


Karwan Ali, 22, a player from the University of Koya, said the AUI-S men’s soccer team was a great team.

“The AUI-S soccer team is great,” he said in Kurdish. “The players are very good especially in passing and controlling the ball. The only thing is that they need to be a little bit more energetic.”
Nazm Jabar, the coach of the Koya men’s soccer team, said that he would love a rematch.

“The game was really enjoyable and good,” he said in Kurdish. “I hope it will not be the last time to play with each other.”

Suren Abbas, 22, an AUI-S soccer player from Halabja, said that it would not be acceptable to lose so many games in the future.


“We have a lot to work to do for the next semester,” he said. “It was possible to lose these so many games this semester because it was just starting, but it will not be acceptable to lose such numbers of games for the next semester.”

In other sports news, AUI-S will have a intramural ping- pong match at 4:30 Monday on campus.


Douglas Johnson, the AUI-S ping-pong coach, and Joshua Hill, the assistant couch, are running the team. The AUI-S ping-pong team is the only AUI-S sport team that is undefeated.
Johnson described it as “one of the best Iraqi ping-pong teams.”



“The AUI-S men’s ping-pong team beat the Karbala team,” he said. “And the Karbala team has some players that are the best players in Iraq. We have some very good players that are some of the best players in Iraq. We have the best team in Iraq. I don’t think that another team could beat us.”



Johnson added that he would welcome anyone who is interested in playing ping-pong.


“We practice every Monday from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m,” he said. “So, you have to come and show up in our practices to be on the team.” On May 10, the AUI-S coaches held a tournament for the eight best AUI-S ping-pong players.

The final game will be between Ako Esmail, 21, from Rania, and Muhammed “Mr. Big” Ahmed, 25, from Babylon.


Hill said AUI-S students, teachers and faculty members should absolutely come and watch the final game.

The final game “is going to be a good game,” he said. “It is going to be exciting. You should definitely come.”

Invitation to see beauty of Sulaimani’s nature

By Mahdi Abdulla Murad

AUI-S Voice Staff Reporters

www.auisvoice.org

On the last day of April, Barham Salih, the prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government and the chairman of AUI-S, invited all University teachers, students and faculty members to Azmar Pal- ace Hotel to have lunch.

Salih said the purpose behind this picnic was to meet in a relaxing environment and enjoy the beauty of the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

“This is a wonderful gathering of students and faculty with members of the Board of Trustees as well as local business leaders who have donated to the AUI-S,” he said in a short speech.

“It is an opportunity to meet in a relaxing environment, get to know each other, enjoy the beauty of Kurdistan and indeed speak with each other about pursuing our passion for the University.

I am having a great time and am truly inspired by our students. Students work hard and enjoy [your] time.”

Salih added that he was working hard finish a part of the new AUI-S campus before the end of the year.

“But this contingent upon raising new funds,” he said. “I am working hard on this.” A couple hundred AUI-S students and faculty members attended the picnic at the top of Azmer Mountain.

“The party is great because the place is wonderful,” said Ako Esmail, 21, from Ranya. “We as the AUI-S students and staff have a chance to see each other and have a nice time.”
Pshtiwan Ahmed, 29, from Chuarqurna, said that he always likes to go to any place that gives him a chance to see educated and famous people.

“Today, I have a chance to discuss the similarities and differences between my culture and

American culture with some of the teachers, too,” he added.

The first round of the AUI-S open debate tournament started at the picnic. The motion of the debate was whether Iraq should require people to vote in elections.
Nathaniel Rosenblatt, the assistant director of the AUI-S Research Centers, said the purpose behind starting the debate tournament at the picnic was to give the students opportunity to attend both.

“If you ask any of members of the AUI- S Debate Society, they can tell you that actually the tournament was planned for that weekend over a month in advance,” he said.
“Then, four days before, we were all invited for the picnic. Students were upset that they had to choose between the debate tournament and going to the picnic so I said, ‘Why don’t we do both?’”

Ryan Bubalo: 'We do not play sports just to win'

By Mahi Abdulla Murad

AUI-S Voice Staff Reporter

www.auisvoice.org

AUI-S held a cooperative sports tournament May 2 against the Sirwan Club represented by the University of Sulaimani. It was the second time this year, after a tournament in April with Karbala University, that the AUI-S sport teams faced players from different schools in a tournament. In this tournament, however, none of the AUI-S sport teams scored victories.
The women's volleyball team lost 2-1, and the men’s volleyball team lost 2-1 against the Sirwan Club. The men's soccer team lost 11-0, and the women’s soccer team lost 4-2. Also, the women’s basketball team lost 64-2.

Even though the AU-S players did their best, they could not make any victory, the coaches and players said.

Rachel Laribee, the coach of the AUI-S men and women’s volleyball team, said the women’s volleyball game was extremely mentally challenging.

“The women’s volleyball game was an especially hard loss be- cause they really wanted to win because we really wanted to win,” she said. “We won the first game, but in the second game we fell behind, and it was very difficult to overcome from behind.
I believe that the women played very well, and I would love a rematch because we can beat them.”

Aween Ali, 10, an AUI-S volley- ball player form Iran, said the game was not good.

“I didn’t feel comfortable during the game,” Ali said. “We didn’t have enough energy.”
Ali added that the opponents won by chance.

“The problem in our team was that we lost a lot of energy,” she said. “Although they had more practice than us, we were almost at the same stage with them.”
Alan Salah, the coach of the Sulaimani women's volleyball team, said the match could have been better.

“The problem is that both teams don’t have enough practice,” Salah said. “I believe that both teams need more practice.”

The highlight of this tournament was the men’s volleyball game, for the differences be- tween the points was only one point, which Salah described as “a real and most enjoyable game in the tournament.”

“AUI-S men’s volleyball team is very good.” he said in Kurdish.

“Although they have a little practice, and they have not been formed for a long time, they played very well. I believe that AUI-S men’s volleyball team would succeed if it had chance to join the Kurdistan and Iraqi leagues. I, as a referee, really enjoyed the game because the teams played very well, and they were very enthusiastic to win.”

Laribee said both the men's and women's teams did well.

“We expected that the teams would be very hard to play, but both teams won their first games, and the second game we remained competitive,” she said. “I believe that each player played with a lot his heart. They remained serious and competitive until the end. They worked together, and they acted as one team.”

Revan Sami, 18, a player from Sulaimani University, agreed that both teams played well.

“Although our team has been formed for more than two years, and we have more practice than AUI-S volleyball team, they played very well,” Sami said in Kurdish.
Sami added that AUI-S team should join the Kurdistan and Iraqi tournaments.

“I recommend AUI-S volleyball team to join the Kurdistan and Iraqi leagues.” he said. “We shared in two Iraqi leagues years ago.I believe that AUI-S players are as good as the other Kurd- istan and Iraqi players. I’m sure they would be succeeded if they joined the leagues.”
Both the AUI-S men’s soccer team and women’s basketball team faced a huge defeat in this tournament.

“We don’t play sports just to win,” said Ryan Bubalo, the coach of the AUI-S women’s basketball team. “Winning is great, winning is fun and winning is a part of [a game], but what’s more important is being healthy, working as a team and improving. If you only play games that you know that you are going to win, then you are never going to get any better. We know that [the Sirwan Club] is strong, but we also know that it is important to play strong teams to get better.”

Bubalo added that the days he was most proud of the [basket- ball players] were not the days when they win games.

“I am so proud of the women’s basketball team,” he said. “I am most proud of them not when they win or lose a game, but when they practice.

They are a successful team because they show up every Monday, Thursday and Saturday. They are the only team that practice three days per week, and those were long, hard practices.”
Maryam Armeen, 19, an AUI-S basketball player from Baghdad, said she appreciated the game regardless of winning or losing.

“First of all, we beat both Karbala and Media team because they were as the same as our level,” she said. “We are a team, and we won more than one game. This is a game. You will lose, and you will win. But Sirwan Club, they have been practicing for along time, their career is playing basketball and they were just professionals.”

Andy Watkins, AUI-S men’s soccer coach, said the game was hard because the team played like it was scared.

“I’m not disappointed in the team, but I am disappointed for the team,” he said. “We are not angry with them, but we feel sad because they deserve more. They were better than that. They didn’t have the opportunity to show people what they could do.”

Tamman Omer, 23, from Baghdad, the captain of the AUI-S men's soccer team, said the main reason for the defeat was that the players were not communicating with each other.

Bubalo added that AUI-S play- ers have nothing to be disappointed about.

“They played their best, and they improved as teams,” he said. “Ultimately, that’s what matters.”

Man's dream comes true by never giving up

By Mahdi Abdulla Murad and Peshawa Ahmed

AUI-S Voice Staff Reporters

www.auisvoice.org

Retired Capt. William Shepherd, a former U.S. astronaut, dreamed of going into space since he was a small child.

“It was important for me to go to space,” he said. “In the United States program we had had men in the space for 15 years, so it is something that kids in the United States grow up and want to do.

I had that idea from a very small age, but when I came out of college, it became possible to do. By thirteen of my age, I started to work on my dream, and I finally got to be an astronaut.”

Shepherd spoke to AUI-S students and faculty at the Sulaimani Arts Palace on April 26. Shepherd was recently inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and presented a lecture and multimedia presentation about his experience with the first joint U.S. And Russian space mission and three other trips to space.

Shepherd identified the first moment of leaving the Earth as the busiest moment. “You feel very busy because you have a lot of works to do,” he said.

Shepherd said that the nicest moment during his trip was the moment when he could look up through the windows and see the earth, and the hardest moment was when he returned back to the earth.

The Kurdistan region of Iraq is a special place for Shepherd because it was the place where he met his wife, Beth Stringham, after a long time.

“Kurdistan is great place,” Stringham said. “We are very busy in the United States, and we live in two different places there. We haven’t seen each other for a long time, but we met each other again here in Kurdistan.”

When we asked her how she felt when his husband was in the space, she said that she wished she could have gone with him. Shepherd’s wife was there for her husband when he left the Earth.

“I was very happy for him when he made his first travel because he worked very hard,” she said. “He was the first American who went to a space station. At that time, all of the modeled were Russian, so all of his lessons and training were in Russian. He had to spend a lot of time translating from Russian to English.

Those who study in a foreign language know how hard it is.” Most of those who attended the lecture were happy and astonished with his travels.

“It is very important for the reputation of AUI-S and Kurdistan to have a famous person like Shepherd,” said Siva Omer, 19, from Sulaimani. “It was a very beneficial lecture because it relates to Physics, which is one of the subjects that we have in the academic program.”

Tammam Omer, 23, from Baghdad, said that he felt like he was in the space during the lecture.

“I felt like I was in the space,” he said. “The students asked excellent questions, and he taught us that we should never give up reaching our dreams.”

The lecture was held outside of the AUI-S campus because the expected number of the seats that were reserved for the lecture, and a number of newspapers were invited for the lecture.

“He is a very prestigious man,”said Nathaniel Rosenblatt, the assistant director of the AUI-S Re- search Centers. “It was necessary to hold the lecture in the Sulaimani Art Palace to show that we are grateful for his coming, and the hall could fit more students and more media.”

Probation makes students work harder

By Mahdi Abdulla Murad
AUI-S Voice Staff Reporter
www.auisvoice.org
Academic probation is one of the AUI-S policies for those students whose grades are below 75 percent. Students who have 75 percent are not on probation, but those who have 74.9 percent are on probation. Those who are on probation should spend one hour and half each week at one of the Reading, Speaking, and Writing Centers.

“Academic probation is one hour and a half every week,” said Rachel Laribee, assistant for EWPLI planning. “The result for those students who do not go to the Centers is that they will remain on probation. These students who do not attend the Centers have lower grades than the students who go to the Centers.”

Ramy Amjad, 22, Baghdad, who is on probation since he started level four, said that even if he had a chance to leave probation, he would still go to the Centers. “Even when I am released from probation, I will go to the Centers because they are really helpful,” he added.

Havin Osman, 19, Sulaimani, said that being on probation is a punishment because it is mandatory.

However, Rosalind Warfield, the director of EWPLI, said that being on probation helps the students, and does not punish them.

“Teachers want the students to succeed,” she said. “We’re not trying to punish the students, but we’re trying to help them do better.”

Christopher S. Edwards, EWPLI instructor, said that the students who are on probation should have a plan to fix their problems.

“If they are on probation, it means that they have a problem. So, they need to come up with some kind of plans to fix that problem,” he said. “Ultimately, if a student doesn’t care or doesn’t want to have a plan, then probation won’t be helpful.”
Edwards added that probation is a step to help the students find their weaknesses.

“Some of the students know something is wrong because they can see their grades, but they don’t know what is wrong,” he said. “They are not yet ready to make a plan to solve their problems.

So, probation is the university’s step to help them begin to form that plan.”
The policy doesn’t oblige the students to go to the specific Centers. It is up to the students to visit one of the Centers.

“Students are not obliged to go to any Centers,” added Laribee. “They should go to (a Center) where they need help. But they must go to one of the Centers for an hour and half every week.”
One result for those students whose grades are below 75 percent is that they are not allowed to join the sport activities.

“Students cannot join any of the sport teams as a punishment to encourage them to increase their grades, and we think that it works,” said Laribee. “Education comes first, and it has to be first. School is so important because it affects your futures, so students must take it seriously.”

“I am strict about the decision about sports involvement,” said Warfield. “It takes so much of the students’ time which they are supposed to be spending on their studying. The students are not studying as much as they should.”
Andy Watkins, EWPLI instructor, said that mandatory probation works for all students who are on probation. “I think we have to have a mandatory system; otherwise, the students will not take things seriously,” he said.

Some of the students complain about that policy.

“It is not fair to forbid students to join the sport activities,” Osman said. “We are adults, and we can manage our schedules.”
On April 20, a party was thrown for 19 students who left probation at the AUI-S. Several teachers and staff members were at the party.

Laribee added that she believed that the students who work hard should be rewarded.

“We have a celebration for those students who left probation,” she said. “They should feel proud about themselves for working hard and increasing their grades. I am very proud of those students.”

Dashnye Daloye, director of student affairs, congratulated the students who left the probation.

“Congratulation to the students who are no longer on probation.
This shows hard work and commitment pay off,” she said. “The students who are on probation, just keep going, and you really need to work hard, and you can do it. This celebration today shows you are able to get off probation and do well.”

The students who left probation felt very happy during the party.

Chawarwan Esmael, 20, Kirkuk, said that she didn’t like to be on probation again. “I’m very happy because I left probation,” she said. “Now I feel free. I can choose any enrichment classes that I like, and I can join the sport activities, too.”

But Bahar Rostam, 21, Derbandixan, said that she would go to the Centers even after she left the probation.

“Being on probation makes me study harder,” she said. “The Centers are very useful, and I will continue going to the Centers when- ever I have time; especially the Speaking Center is the best.”

Haval Mustafa, 21, Sulaimani, said that the students who are on probation are not lazy. “The difficulty of being on probation is that the students who are not on probation call those who are on probation lazy,” he added.

“Students should go to the Centers even if they are not on probation because the teachers are very good, and they are ready to help all of the students without any differences.”
Karwan Gaznay, 19, said that the Centers are not just for the stu- dents who are on probation.

“I go to the Centers almost every day,” he said. “The Centers are beneficial for every one.”
Gaznay added that going to the Centers is a great opportunity for the EWPLI students to improve their skills in English.

According to the new policy, those students who are on probation, but their grades are not below 70 percent, can join the enrichment classes.

“Students can go to the enrichment classes if they have above 70 percent,” added Warfield. “I don’t want them to miss enrichment classes. Enrichment classes are important.”
Laribee added that probation is helpful for students to pass EWPLI. “It is hard to be strict,” she said.

“I believe that probation helps these students pass EWPLI. I want them to get to the academic courses as fast as possible. Stu- dents need to pass EWPLI, and they need to work hard to do this.”

AUI-S women dominate tournment

By Mahdi Abdulla Murad and Hussein A. Hussein
AUI-S Voice Staff Reporters
www.auisvoice.org
For the first time in the history of AUI-S, sports teams faced players from southern Iraq.
The women’s basketball and volleyball teams scored victories. The men’s soccer team lost 3-1, and the women’s soccer team lost 1-0 against Karbala University. The men’s volleyball team lost both its games, while the ping pong team won in the last event of the competition.

“It was amazing competition for AUI-S,” said Sahar Jamal, 19, from Baghdad. “Winning and the results are not important. What is important is that we supported the AUI-S teams. I hope we have more sport tournament in the future.”

Fans of the tournament said the highlight was the women’s basketball game, which Jamal described as the most amazing game because there were a lot of people there, and the players showed the real basketball game.

That game almost didn’t happen. The coach of the Karbala team said AUI-S had too many extra players.

“It is not right according to international rules to have 20 players,” Habeeb Ali, of Karbala University, said in Arabic. “I told the referee to judge neither by Karbala’s rules nor by AUI-S’s rules. I want you to apply the international rules.”

The dispute was resolved, and the game went on, according to the referee.

“There was a misconception between the two teams’ coaches,” Saman Burhan, 26, the referee, said in Arabic. “The AUI-S team brought 20 players, yet the Karbala’s coach said that the AUI-S team has to play with 12 players. Then they had an agreement, and the game went on.”

Burhan said both of the teams are good, but they need more training. Muhammed Ahmed, 25, from Babylon, an AUI-S student who has played with the Iraqi Olympic team, is credited for making the tournament happen.

“I found Karbala University to have a league with,” he said.
Ahmed said 24 players came from Karbala University and stayed at a motel in Sulaimani, which AUI-S funded for two days.

A men’s soccer match was cancelled at the last minute.

“I was really disappointed when we couldn’t play the second game in the big field because our soccer team was ready to play that game,” said Andy Watkins, the AUI-S men’s soccer coach.
“The thing I really liked about our players is that they played toughly. They didn’t play like other teams. They did not play to win by falling down and depending on fouls.”

One day before the Karbala team leaves Sulaimani, AUI-S invited their players to the Bowling Center, and they had a good time with some of the AUI-S teachers, staffs, and students.

Karbala University invited AUI-S to go to southern Iraq whenever AUI-S would like to go.

Ahmed said the purpose behind organizing this league is to make a good relationship between AUI-S and other Iraqi universities.

Mryam Armen, 19, an AUI-S basketball player, from Baghdad, said she was really enthusiastic about winning.

“I couldn’t imagine that our team would win the game because a few minutes before the game finished, the opponents were ahead of us by many points,” she said. “Fortunately, we won.”

Armen said it is good to have a sport tournament.

“It was really good for the reputa- tion of our University and our athletes,” she said. “The AUI-S sport teams and the players proved that they are players, and they can play very well. They proved that AUI-S has real athletes and sport teams.”

Shilan Salih, 21, an AUI-S volley- ball player, from Derbandixan, said it was their first time to play against another team.

“I hope we will have more activi- ties similar or bigger than this activity in each semester,” she said. “Moreover, I hope to see many girls to join the AUI-S women’s volley- ball team to have more fun and extend every kind of sports at AUI-S.”

Huda Majed, 20, a Karbala’s women basketball player, who studies in the Physics department, said she enjoyed the competition.

“The game was nice. Every match ends with either winning or losing, and we did our best. We were six players because AUI-S said to bring just six players, but AUI-S’s team had many alternative players, so they could switch players during the match.We did not have alternative players, so we got tired. They are a good team. We are volleyball players, yet we played football, and we won.”

AUI-S students, teachers debate merits of plagiarism policy

By Mahdi Abdullah

AUIS Voice Staff Reporter
www.auisvoice.org

AUI-S has a strict policy for students who plagiarize, dismissing EWPLI students from the University with four offenses and dismissing academic students with three. The policy is stated in the Student Handbook.

John Agresto, AUI-S provost, defined plagiarism, describing it a kind of stealing.

“Taking someone else’s words and have a people think that it is yours,” he said. “It is taking credit for something that is not yours.”
Rosalind Warfield, director of EWPLI, said plagiarism is a huge problem all over the world.

“It is a problem for two reasons,” she said. “One is because many people don’t know what it is, so they make mistake innocently. Second, the people who do know what it is, but they think that they can get away from being caught. It is a crime in any levels, and it is a breach of trust between the teachers and the students.”

Warfield added that the teachers should make sure that their students have enough information about plagiarism.

“My message for the teachers is that make sure the students know what plagiarism is, make sure you’ve taught them well, make sure to understand them why it is important, what it is, and how to avoid it,” she said. “Do your job to make sure the students know about it.”

Specifically, Warfield said EWPLI teachers should instruct the students that quoting is not as useful as paraphrasing.

“AUI-S professor Roger Geyer said warning academic students three times before dismissing them from the University is a reasonable punishment.

“Plagiarism is not an easy problem to overcome,” he said.

Geyer added he has never committed plagiarism in his academic life.
“I’ve never wanted to be passed through cheating. I never like it. Anytime you cheat or copy, you really diminishing your self. Once when I get a student cheat I will be very upset with that student,” he said.

Richard Gray, a Level 4 teacher, said the school policy is much lenient than him concerning plagiarism.

“In my class there is no negotiation,” he said. “If you plagiarized, you’ll face serious consequences. There is no way you’ll have three chances in my class. You’ll be lucky if you survived after one time.”

Gray said that he usually has sense if a student plagiarized.

Geoffrey Gresk, a lecturer in Level 4, said plagiarism might be a good excuse for the first day in Level 1, but it is just not acceptable for the other levels.

“There is no excuse for any of my students to plagiarize,” he said. “One they know from previous teachers and previous levels that is not acceptable in the American system. Two, even if one of my students didn’t learn that from previous levels, they have learned from me, we talked about it at the first day of the class, and they all understand what plagiarism is.”

Grisk said the students can use the Internet for plagiarism, and teachers can use it to detect plagiarism.

Aws Muhammed, 19, from Baghdad, said that not all AUI-S students have enough information about plagiarism.

“The rules about plagiarism are not clear especially for the new students,” said Muhammed, who is a Level 4 student.” They simply don’t know how to define the word plagiarism itself.”
But Suzan Khalid, 20, from Kirkuk, said that all AUI-S students do know about plagiarism.

“There is not any excuse for any students to plagiarize,” she said. “The teachers explain plagiarism perfectly. All students know that plagiarism is a problem. The only students who are lazy and don’t work hard will plagiarize.”

Christine Vandeen Toorn- A lecture in reading level 4- said if a students understand why plagiarism is wrong, then they hopefully would not do it.

“If you plagiarize especially in learning English, you are not actually learning,” she said.
Vandeen Toorn added that the AUI-S students are smart enough to know what plagiarism is.

“I don’t think that AUI-S students have any excuse to say that they don’t understand plagiarism.” She said, “How should AUI-S students be in that low level?”

Carolyn R. Caldwell, assistant professor, said that grade is a critical issue.

“The biggest problem for college students is that they are not trying to receive education but to get good grade,” she said. “When the pressure is on them to get good grade, that makes them do things that they wouldn’t normally do.”

R. Cardwell added that the rule is fair and pretty strict, but she feels badly about it.
Aryan Barzan 22, from Darbandikhan, said that some of the students have gotten used to plagiarism.

“There are students who used to copy materials in secondary and high school.” He said, “They still continue to do that at AUIS even they have learnt enough about plagiarism and don’t have any excuse.”

Barzan complained about GPA system.

“GPA system has bad effects on the students to think about copying and plagiarism.” He said.

R. Cardwell added her thought concerning GPA system.

“GPA system absolutely has effect on students.” She said, “They need to get a good grade; they need to keep their scholarship because it is expensive to go to school here, so they always try to get a good opportunity to get their goal, good grade and to keep their scholar ship, but I don’t have an easy answer as how we correct that problem.”

Barzan complains that all teachers don’t apply the policy regarding plagiarism in the same way.

“Some of the teachers are very strict, but some others are just careless,” he said. “I don’t think that AUI-S policy is strict with plagiarism. We have examples of students who were caught plagiarising, and there were not any kinds of punishments. The issue is still going on.”

Kosar Ghalib Taha-20- From Kirkuk- said that AUI-S teachers are too nice about plagiarism.
“AUIS student plagiarize a lot. I know the students that 3\4 of their work is plagiarism, but I can’t understand why the teachers don’t know about this.”

But Agresto said that he would punish any teachers who don’t apply for the rules.

“All teachers are supposed to apply for these rules,” he said. “You find me a teacher that doesn’t apply for these rules; I’m going to punish him. I want everybody to apply the rules and be strict with the rules.”

When It comes to relationships, students torn between cultures

By Mahdi Abdulla Murad

AUI-S Voice Staff Reporter
www.auisvoice.org

Some say AUI-S may be Western but their viewpoints are very Eastern

Some AUI-S students say they feel caught between cultures as they explore a more Western style of relationships in an Eastern place.

Many are trying to figure out the rules of friendships and relationships while studying at an American university for the first time.

Laylan Amir, 19, from Sulaimani, said she is a strong advocate for the friendship between men and women.

“For me I don’t see any differences,” she said. “It is just like girls with girls.” But she is worried about what other people think, she said.

“I don’t believe in love, and I will never do it while I’m studying because it has bad effects on my studying,” she said.

But Renas Hassan, 19, from Ranya, said she personally does believe in love.

“It’s not important for me that a person whom I want to be my future partner to be near or far,” she said. “The important is that I want someone that should be difficult to be seen. I don’t want to be with him every time and everyday because you can’t enjoy anything when you don’t have any difficulties with it.”

Haven Gulabakh, 19, from Sulaimani, said that when she first came to the University, she didn’t talk to anyone. Now she talks to both men and women.

“I have a normal relationship with boys, but still I have to know them better,” she said. “I will decide to be their friends so as to understand each other very well and to avoid misunderstanding.”

She criticized the way students sometimes choose their friends at the University by social class.
“Friendship depends on the student’s personalities,” she said.

Khende Zrar, 20, from Erbil, said her friendships with men are stronger because she doesn’t like what women talk about.

“Girls always talk about something that I hate to talk about such as family, vacations, their goals, clothes and they always proud their selves, but boys will never talk about such things, so I’m happier to be friend with boys than girls,” she said.

Ryan Bubalo, the deputy director of the EWPLI program, added his thoughts.

“I think the relationship between boys and girls is really helpful with a nice balance of men and women in any sort of diversity,” he said. “It leads to better discussion, and it helps to more dynamic classrooms.

Bubalo said it is not impossible to be in love at the University but too much of anything can be a bad thing.

“it has bad effect in the process of studying if they talk to each other for four hours per night. Part of the college is to know a lot of different people. If you spend all your time with just one person, talking with just one person, or thinking only about one person, then you miss a lot of opportunities around you,” he explained.

Ali Farooq, 22, from Baghdad, said he came from an all-boys school before AUI-S.

“First when I entered AUI-S, I felt really enthusiastic because I saw a strong relationship between boys and girls, especially when they walk and talk to each other without any differences,” he said, adding that he is one of the strong advocator for being in love.

“Being in love is really helpful if you act with it normally,” he said. “I will be in love if I have a chance.“

Saman Mahir, 20, from Duhok, said there are not enough women at AUI-S, and he suggested that AUI-S should accept more women than men.

“We have a small number of girls at AUI-S,” he said. “More girls should be accepted by AUI-S than boys.”

Peter Friedrich, the AUI-S director of athletics, said what is happening at AUI-S is not unique.

“Respecting each other and understanding the difficulties of studying here at AUI-S is a good place to start any relationship,” he said.

Friedrich says that love could be amazing disaster.

“Love can be a potential disaster anywhere, but also has potential for some others amazing thing,” he said. “If it didn’t have those qualities, we will have less love songs and romantic movies [like] Titanic, for example.”

Rojgar Ahmad, 21, from Sulaimani, said AUI-S doesn’t give students enough time to fall in love.

“Students have a lot of study,” she said. “They just have time to study and do their homework. They don’t have time to spend with their boyfriends and girlfriends.”

“The Ten Most Dangerous Mistakes YOU ProbablyMake With Women—

Here Are The Top Ten Reasons Why Men Fail With Women—And How To Make Sure YOU Avoid Every One Of These Deadly Common Mistakes...

MISTAKE #1: BeingToo Much Of A “Nice Guy”
Have you ever noticed that the really attractive women never seem to be attracted to "nice" guys?
Of course you have.
Just like me, I'm sure you've had attractive female friends that always seemed to date "jerks"... but for some reason they were never romantically interested in YOU.
What's going on here?
It's actually very simple...
Women don't base their choices of men on how "nice" a guy is. They choose the men they do because they feel a powerful GUT LEVEL ATTRACTION for them.
And guess what?
Being nice doesn't make a woman FEEL that powerful ATTRACTION.
And being NICE doesn't make a woman CHOOSE you.
I realize that this doesn't make a lot of logical sense, and it's hard to ACCEPT... but GET OVER IT.
Until you accept this FACT and begin to act on it, you'll NEVER have the success with women that you want.
MISTAKE #2: Trying To“Convince Her To Like You"
What do most guys do when they meet a woman that they REALLY like... but she's just notinterested?
Right! They try to "convince" the woman to feel differently.
Well, I have news for you... YOU WILL NEVER CHANGE HOW A WOMAN "FEELS" WHEN IT COMES TO ATTRACTION!
Never, ever, EVER.
You cannot CONVINCE a woman to feel differently about you with "logic and reasoning".
Think about it.
If a woman doesn't "feel it" for you, how in the world do you expect to change that FEELING by being "reasonable" with her?
But we all do it.
When a woman just isn't interested, we beg, plead, chase, and do our best to change her mind.
Bad idea. One that will never work.
MISTAKE #3: Looking To HerFor Approval Or Permission
In our desire to please women (which we mistakenly think will make them like us), us guys are always doing things to get a woman's "approval" or "permission".
Another HORRIBLE idea.
Women are NEVER attracted to the types of men who kiss up to them... EVER.
Don't get me wrong here.
You don't have to treat women BADLY for them to like you.
But if you think that treating a woman well means "always getting her approval and permission for things", think again.
You will never succeed by looking for approval. Women actually get ANNOYED at men who seek their approval.
Doubt me? Just ask any attractive woman if Wussy guys who chase her around and want her approval annoy her...
MISTAKE #4: Trying To “Buy” Her Affection With Food And Gifts
How many times have you taken a woman out to a nice dinner, bought her gifts and flowers, and had her REJECT you for someone who didn't treat her even HALF as well as you did?
If you're like me, then you've had it happen a LOT.
Well guess what?
It's only NATURAL when this happens...
That's right, I said NATURAL.
When you do these things, you send a clear message:
"I don't think you'll like me for who I am, so I'm going to try to buy your attention and affection".
Your good intentions usually come across to women as over-compensation for insecurity, and weak attempts at manipulation. That's right, I said that women see this as MANIPULATION.
MISTAKE #5: Sharing“How You Feel” Too Early InThe Relationship With Her
Another huge and unfortunate mistake that most men make with women is sharing how they "feel" too early on.
Attractive women are rare.
And they get a LOT of attention from men.
Most men don't realize this, but attractive women are being approached in one way or another ALL THE TIME.
An attractive woman is often approached several times a DAY by men who are interested. This translate into dozens of times per week, and often HUNDREDS of times per month.
And guess what?
Attractive women have usually dated a LOT of men.
That's right. They have EXPERIENCE.
They know what to expect.
And one thing that turns an attractive women off and sends her running away faster than just about anything is a guy who starts saying "You know, I really, REALLY like you" after one or two dates.
This signals to the woman that you're just like all the other guys who fall for her too fast... and can't control themselves.
Don't do it. Lean back. Relax.
There's a much better way...
MISTAKE #6: Not “Getting” How Attraction Works For Women
Women are VERY different from men when it comes to ATTRACTION.
You need to accept this fact, and deal with it.
When a man sees a beautiful, young, sexy woman, he INSTANTLY feels a sexual attraction.
But does the same apply for women?
Do women feel sexual attraction to men based mostly on looks? Or is something else going on?
Well, after studying this topic for over five full years now, I can tell you that women usually have their "attraction mechanisms" triggered by things OTHER than looks.
Have you ever noticed that you see a lot more average and unattractive men with beautiful women than the other way around?
Think about it.
Women are more attracted to certain qualities in men... and they're attracted to the way a man makes them FEEL than they are to looks alone.
If you know how to use your body language and communication correctly, you can make women feel the same kind of powerful sexual attraction to you that YOU feel when you see a hot, sexy young woman.
But it's not an accident. You have to LEARN how to do this.
And ANY guy can learn how...
MISTAKE #7: Thinking That ItTakes Money And Looks
One of the most common mistakes that guys make is giving up before they've even gotten started... because they think that attractive women are only interested in men who have looks and money... or guys who are a certain height... or guys who are a certain age.
And sure, there are some women who are only interested in these things.
But MOST women are far more interested in a man's personality than his wallet or his looks.
There are personality traits that attract women like a magnet...
And if you learn what they are and how to use them, YOU can be one of these guys.
YOU DO NOT have to "settle" for a woman just because you aren't rich, tall, or handsome.
Let me say this again: If you know how to use your body language and communication correctly, you can make women feel the same kind of powerful sexual attraction to you that YOU feel when you see a hot, sexy young woman.
MISTAKE #8: Giving AwayAll Of Your Power To Women
Earlier I mentioned that it's a mistake to look to a woman for approval or permission.
Well, another similar tactic that a lot of guys use is GIVING AWAY THEIR POWER to women.
Said differently, guys try to get women to like them by doing whatever the woman wants.
Another bad idea...
Women are NEVER attracted to men that they can walk all over... Women aren't attracted to Wussies!
MISTAKE #9: Not KnowingEXACTLY What To Do In EachType Of Situation With Women
Now I'm going to blow your mind...
A woman ALWAYS knows what you're thinking.
Women are approximately TEN TIMES better than men at reading body language. That's ten TIMES.
I know, it might be hard to believe. But for example, if you're out on a date with a woman, and you want to kiss her, she knows it.
And if you don't know exactly what to do and exactly HOW to kiss her, and you just sit there looking at her and getting nervous, she won't help!
And this goes for ALL aspects of women and dating...
Approaching a woman, getting her number, asking her out, kissing her, getting physical... everything.
If you don't know what to do in each situation, you will probably screw it up... and LOSE EVERYTHING.
And you KNOW it.
It is VITALLY important that you know EXACTLY how to go from one step to the next with a woman... from the first meeting, all the way to the bedroom.
MISTAKE #10: Not Getting HELP
This is the biggest mistake of all.
This is the mistake that keeps most men from EVER having the kind of success with women that they truly want.
I know, guys don't like to make themselves look weak or helpless. We don't like to ask for help.
Hey, I've been there myself.
Let me tell you a little about me and how I figured out how to be successful with women...
About five years ago I became fed up with the fact that I didn't know how to approach, meet, and get dates with women that I was attracted to.
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Well, after a lot of hard work and trying all kinds of crazy things, I finally figured it all out.
I can now approach just about any woman and get her number almost instantly. I've dated models, I've dated actresses, and I've dated nice, normal, regular girls as well.
It has been a very rewarding experience. I no longer feel that sick, insecure feeling... like I don't know how to meet women... and I might wind up alone.
I know that anytime, anywhere, I can go out and meet attractive women.
I've written a book on the topic, and I've done seminars on both coasts of the United States... and taught tens of thousands of men all around the world.
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