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.”