AWOL - Zine 002

AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE » SPRING 2015 » ZINE ISSUE 002

THE ACTIVISM ISSUE

+ BLACK LIVES MATTER: POETS PAVE THE WAY FOR JUSTICE + JE SUIS CHARLIE: QUESTIONING THE EXTENT OF FREE SPEECH + COUNTDOWN TO ZERO: DECONSTRUCTING OBAMA’S NUCLEAR OVERHAUL

AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE » Spring 2015 » ZINE ISSUE 002

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dents to explore solutions to local and global problems.

We hope to build bridges between American University and the world around it, ultimately making our campus more inquiring, egalitarian and socially engaged.

AWOL is not affiliated with any political party or ideology. Our stories have an angle, which is different from having an agenda; our reporting is impartial and fair,

COVER ILLUSTRATION

by Ellyse Stauffer

but our analysis is critical and argumentative.

BACK COVER PHOTO courtesy of Debra Vanpoolen

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Eleanor Greene

MINIMAG EDITORS:

MANAGING EDITOR: Alexa Marie Kelly

Jess Anderson, Pamela Huber,

ART DIRECTOR: Ellyse Stauffer

Jessica Wombles

EDITORIAL: STAFF EDITORS: Jess Anderson, Casey Chiappetta, Pamela Huber, Laura Saini, Jessica Wombles WRITERS: Rachel Falek, Liam Kelsey, Evie Lacroix, Liza

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Layer, Mary Marsten, Ben Pitler, Angeline Rosato, Cate

Want to join AWOL? Write to us:

Tanenbaum, Luke Theuma

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THE ACTIVISM ISSUE 03 CHALLENGING THE GOVT’S USE OF TORTURE CIA UNDER FIRE

by Cate Tanenbaum

04 RALLYING TO SUPPORT POLICE BLUE LIVES MATTER

by Angeline Rosato

06 LYING DOWN TO STAND UP BEYOND FERGUSON

by Liam Kelsey

07 POETS PAVE THE WAY FOR JUSTICE BLACK LIVES MATTER

by Ben Pitler

09 STUDENTS CONTEST TUITION HIKES END-ING DEBT

by Mary Marsten

11 TAKING DOWN TORTURE, ONE PAINTING AT A TIME ART AS PROTEST

by Evie Lacroix

13 DECONSTRUCTING OBAMA’S NUCLEAR OVERHAUL COUNTDOWN TO ZERO

by Rachel Falek

15 AU’S TEACH-IN ON IMPLICIT BIAS CONFRONTING RACISM

by Lydia Crouthamel

17 QUESTIONING THE EXTENT OF FREE SPEECH JE SUIS CHARLIE

by Liza Layer and Luke Theuma

CHALLENGING THE GOVT’S USE OF TORTURE

McCain, R-Ariz., said in a speech before the Senate. “Its use was shameful and unnecessary, and, contrary to assertions made by some of its defenders…it produced little useful intelligence to help us track down the perpetrators of 9/11 or prevent new attacks and atrocities.”

By Cate Tanenbaum

In December of 2014, the United States Senate Intelligence Committee released a 500-page report summarizing the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program and detailing the “enhanced interrogation” tactics used by the CIA on suspected terrorists from 2002 through 2009. The tactics, which many say amount to torture, include waterboarding, sleep deprivation, beatings and threats of sexual abuse.

CIA UNDER FIRE Infographic by Ellyse Stauffer

Activist groups such as Witness Against Torture and CODEPINK have responded to recent Senate findings on the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program, organizing protests around the country. During the tour, the grassroots groups held protests in the Senate Gallery and at the homes of CIA Director John Brennan and former Vice President Dick Cheney, demanding accountability for the findings of the report, which they believed showed the CIA had abused detainees.

In response to the report, politicians, watchdog groups and international organizations have condemned the CIA’s actions, with the United Nations and the American Civil Liberties Union among the groups demanding criminal prosecution of those who authorized the program.

“I have long believed some of these practices amounted to torture,” Senator John

“Our elected officials supported, paid for and allowed horrific acts of torture, mur-

According to the Senate Intelligence Committee: 119 detainees were held by the CIA 26 did not meet the standard for detention

39 detainees were subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques 7 detainees subjected to enhanced interrogation produced no intelligence 0

20

40

60

80

SOURCE: Senate Select Intelligence Committee

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100

120

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der and abuse to take place all in the name of the War on Terror,” said Christopher Knestrick, a member of Witness Against Torture, which participated in the protests. “If we are serious about ending the War on Terror, if we are serious about being a country that supports democracy and the rule of law, then we have to seek accountability for the people that supported these actions.”

On Jan. 12, two days after the torture tour, protesters from Witness Against Torture interrupted Senate proceedings demanding the closure of Guantanamo Bay and prosecution of those involved in the CIA’s Interrogation Program. They were escorted out of the Senate gallery by police.

Despite the passion of protesters, a recent Washington Post poll found that 58 percent of respondents believe torture of suspected terrorists can be justified, and 57 percent believe no criminal charges should be filed against officials responsible for the CIA interrogation activities.

In spite of such attitudes, Knestrick believes protests remain important, especially for those still detained in Guantanamo Bay despite being cleared for release by the Department of Defense.

“It’s hard to say if 100 [protesters] getting arrested on a given weekend is impactful; it’s hard to see that although I do think it is,” he said. “What I do know is that it’s impactful to the men in Guantanamo. It gives them a sense of hope knowing that there are U.S. citizens making sure they’re not forgotten.”

RALLYING TO SUPPORT POLICE

BLUE LIVES MATTER

By Angeline Rosato

“I Support My Man in Blue.” “My Husband Works Hard for You.” “Blue Lives Matter.”

These are only some of the phrases that adorned handmade signs at the Jan. 17 “Sea of Blue” march, a recent pro-police march in Washington, DC. With police brutality cases and loud anti-police brutality protests currently in the public eye, many people are standing up for their local officers.

“People are tired of the negativity towards police officers,” said Kelly Wince, a co-organizer of the march whose husband is a local police officer. “People are tired of the police officers not getting the credit that’s due to them. And I think that it is catching on.”

Hundreds of blue-clad, posterbearing community members came together to thank police for their service and to show their support as they marched from the National Law Enforcement Memorial to the Capitol Buidling.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial hosts a “Police Week”

Cate Tanenbaum is a senior studying CLEG. WWW.AWOLAU.ORG » SPRING 2015

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every year, but it usually focuses on commemorating deceased police heroes. According to organizers, that was not enough.

called “Link in the Chain.” A total of 16 cities participated, indicating that the pro-police cause may be gaining momentum.

“Something has needed to be done for a long time,” said Bobbie Padgett, a co-organizer of the march. “We don’t do anything for the officers that are here and living.”

However, American University criminology professor Brad Bartholomew says the impact of a rally like the one in DC can vary. Support for police can depend on various factors in a community, such as race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status.

“Every time they walk out that door, they lay their lives on the line,” Wince said. “You don’t know if they’re coming home or not.”

The campaigners said that while officers need to be thanked for their service and their sacrifices, they also need to be seen on a more personal level.

“Every time they walk out that door, they lay their lives on the line. You don’t know if they are coming home or not.”

“Police officers need to be humanized,” Padgett said. ”They do things just as everybody else but their job is also to protect and enforce.” Even the smallest portrayals in the media of officers being “normal” help. Padgett and Wince cite the recent viral YouTube video of a police officer singing along to Taylor Swift’s “Shake it Off” as an example.

Pro-police rallies have taken place all around the country, from New York to California. On Jan. 24, the Arizonabased organization, Rally for Law Enforcement, held a nationwide march

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However, Bartholomew also says that subsequent rallies may be more powerful, now that the movement is beginning to catch the public’s attention.

“I’m skeptical that it could spark this huge groundswell of support for the police, in areas especially that don’t normally have it,” he said.

“It’s always easier for another protest to happen after the first one, particularly if the first one meets some basic level of success,” he said.

One thing is for certain: pro-police supporters want to be heard.

“We need to do something with our nation,” Wince said. “We need to bring our nation back together again.”

Angeline Rosato is a freshman studying law and society and Spanish.

AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE MAGAZINE

LYING DOWN TO STAND UP

BEYOND FERGUSON

By Liam Kelsey Photo by Matthew Stebenne

It was a cloudy December day when scores of students gathered on the steps of American University’s Mary Graydon Center, clad in black, signs in hand.

They carried banners that bore the words “Black Lives Matter,” the slogan of post-Ferguson protests. It had been little over a week since a grand jury decided not to indict Ferguson, Mo. police officer Darren Wilson on criminal charges in the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager.

The event included a “die-in,” where students and other participants lay silently on the ground in solidarity with Mike Brown and other victims of police brutality. The “die-in” was AU’s response to Ferguson and to similar Black Lives Matter protests nationwide. Students mourned Mike Brown and other victims, but they still kept an eye toward the future as they attempted to heal the wounds of the past.

“The plan is to not limit ourselves to demonstrating how black lives matter in this nation but also in the University,” said Chante Harris, a senior at AU and the event

Matthew Stebenne/AU Photo Collective

organizer. While the event was a direct response to the Ferguson verdict, Harris does not feel the movement stops there.

She hopes the group can “hold the University accountable to meet the needs of minorities to ensure that they enjoy and have the resources they need during their undergraduate career.”

Liam Kelsey is a freshman studying political science.

WWW.AWOLAU.ORG » SPRING 2015

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POETS PAVE THE WAY FOR JUSTICE

BLACK LIVES MATTER

By Ben Pitler

Protests broke out around the nation following controversial court decisions on excessive police force in Ferguson, Mo., and New York.

Most of these demonstrations were non-violent, but a few became destructive.

All of them were rooted in anger, directed at a justice system protesters say is out of touch with the black community.

tional network of socially engaged poets.”

The 30 or so participants in the protest refused to allow cars and pedestrians on Pennsylvania Avenue to pass by without taking in their signs and cries for justice.

“No justice, no peace, no racist po-lice!” they declared, as several police officers looked on from behind the barricades set up in front of the DOJ. “Hey, hey, ho, ho, these racist cops “These poems weren’t just have got to go,” about the fight, [they’re] they chanted, followed by, “Black or also about showing each brown, Emmitt Till, other love.” how many black youth will you kill?”

In the District of Columbia, one group of local poets, activists and supporters sought to combine peace, anger and passion to speak out in the best way they knew how—poetry.

On Jan. 23, they gathered their poems, signs and chanting voices, and set up shop right in front of the organization some say is most responsible for the plight of black people in America: the United States Department of Justice.

This event was brought together by two non-profits: CODEPINK, a women’s organization which opposes American militarism; and Split This Rock, which calls itself a “na-

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And finally, they yelled the movement’s key phrase directly at the looming granite walls of the DOJ. “Black lives…MATTER!” One overarching theme of the event was the powerful role art can play in driving social change in a peaceful, productive manner.

Epitomizing that spirit is Pages Matam, a

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nationally renowned poet and local poetry heavyweight, and the coach of Split This Rock’s DC youth slam team. He delivered a poem called “Brown Eyed Girl” to the crowd. The piece addressed the Van Morrison song of the same title, which Matam explained was changed from “Brown Skinned Girl” to appeal more to a white radio audience. The poem encourages black women to live beyond the stereotypes created for them and embrace their African-American heritage.

“These poems weren’t just about the fight, [they’re] also about showing each other love,” said Matam, who also works with AU’s slam team, Mightier than Swords. “Art is a means for healing and activism.”

Several other local poets shared their work, and crowd members were invited to read poems by famous writers.

“Throughout history we’ve seen poets share pieces that make people think and feel something about what’s happening,” said Camisha Jones, managing director of Split This Rock. “Today we wanted to put energy in the air that will bring about change.”

THERE’S A MIKE BROWN IN EVERY TOWN (AKA THE REAL CRIMINALS HAVE BADGES AND GUNS)

BY SHAHID BUTTAR

From Ferguson to Jerusalem And WASHington HOUston we have a problem For housing, education not enough funds Cause we pay the real criminals with badges and guns

There’s a Mike Brown in every town Don’t try to tell me that America was found We’ve been slaughtering innocents from the very beginning

America casts big stones while sinning Spitting half ass facts: ...

“All men are equal,” but blacks Declared three fifths when whites wrote the constitution And ever since then even it we keep abusin

Mass confusion on our own stated principles Leaves the empire seeming invincible Murder with impunity if shot by a cop While prosecutors persecute the block nonstop

Ben Pitler is a sophomore studying journalism.

WWW.AWOLAU.ORG » SPRING 2015

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to UBC members entering the meeting.

Some of the UBC members thanked students for showing support for a cause they believed in. Others were not as receptive.

“We aren’t asking for handouts now, are we?” asked John Douglass, chairman of the Institutional Budget and Benefits Committee at AU. END member Jake Stone was upset by the comment.

STUDENTS CONTEST TUITION HIKES

END-ING DEBT

By Mary Marsten

Illustration by Mithila Samak

“I was disgusted and frustrated,” he said. “He made it seem as if we, as students, would ask for unreasonable outcomes, when in fact, all we’re asking is to not be even further indebted. Asking to not be $150,000 in debt is not asking for a handout.”

Freshman Rachel Ussery was also frustrated by Douglass’ comment. “It not only felt like committee members did not stand with students, it felt as though Douglass would not even begin to consider our ideas.”

Student debt is at an all-time high, Douglass argues that the University totaling over $1.2 trillion in 2014, ac- “tries really hard to provide a bargain for cording to CNNMoney. students.” However, he believes circumEducation Not Debt (END), a student- stances make a complete tuition freeze impossible. He cites the former Univerrun campus organization that I am a sity president Benjamin Ladner, who is part of, gathered on Jan. 23 in front of accused of spending large sums of Unithe University Budget Committee (UBC) meeting to protest a tuition increase. versity funds for personal use.

They held signs, some of which read, “Ever since Ladner, the University has “#IndebtedWonk” and “Education is a made unfortunate and small miscalcuRight,” and handed out papers describ“Asking to not be $150,000 in debt is ing END’s mission and the necessity not asking for a handout.” of a tuition freeze

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lations regarding the budget, which is difficult con“[Some] view debt as a form of sidering we’re 92 percent tuition dependent,” Dougsocial control. To others, the crisis lass said. “And just like any is not debt itself, but the reality of other business, in order to higher education, more and more, make up for this miscalculation, the growing costs of becoming a tool of inequality.” maintaining campus, and keeping competitive staff salaries that are pegged to the market, it is necessary to increase “Some people are most concerned with tuition.” the economy, the job market and the Junior Audrey Irvine-Broque, one money the Department of Education is of the first coalition members of END, making off our student loans,” she said. says increasing tuition will only con- “Others view debt as a form of social tribute to the student debt crisis in the control. To others, the crisis is not debt US. Irvine-Broque believes the crisis itself, but the reality of higher education, has many facets, including the debate more and more, becoming a tool of inaround public versus private loans and equality.” the debt bubble.

According to AU’s website, the average student graduates $36,000 in debt. Project on Student Debt cites that at George Washington University and Georgetown University, students graduated with $30,881 and $24,064 of debt respectively in 2013, while that number was $12,000 for the University of the District of Columbia.

Despite this, Irvine-Broque refuses to believe that the student-debt crisis will continue. “My biggest hope is that because my generation has felt the firsthand effects of this model of higher education, we will not let it continue along this path.”

Mary Marsten is a freshman studying international relations.

WWW.AWOLAU.ORG » SPRING 2015

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Photo courtesy of Debra Vanpoolen

TAKING DOWN TORTURE, ONE PAITING AT A TIME

ART AS PROTEST

By Evie Lacroix

Debra Vanpoolen is a nomad. She hops from couch to couch to participate in activism events all across the country, creating art along the way.

Her most recent endeavor involves working with Witness Against Torture, an activist collective that aims to shed light on and end torture in Guantanamo Bay through nonviolent protests.

The group formed in 2005 when, according to their website, “Twenty-five Americans went to Guantanamo Bay and

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attempted to visit the detention facility.

Once when we returned from that journey, we began to organize more broadly to shut down Guantanamo, working with interfaith, human rights and activists’ organizations.”

The group links issues of domestic police torture, including police brutality and racial profiling, to the torture in Guantanamo and the countries that the United States trains in “enhanced interrogation.”

Vanpoolen’s latest protest occurred

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at the United States Senate Chambers, where she and 10 other protesters stood in Emancipation Hall while 11 more protested inside the gallery itself.

In the hall, banners that read, “Ferguson to Guantanamo: White silence equals state violence,” hung high while members of the protest peacefully chanted and informed listeners about torture at Guantanamo.

Every protester at the event was arrested and charged with interfering with traffic in the Senate. Eight pleaded not guilty and were expected in court on Feb. 4. Vanpoolen and two others took the option to “post and forfeit,” meaning each person would pay $50 to drop the charges.

painting in watercolor to sustain herself financially. Now she creates art that “protests the media blackout” of social movements.

“My artwork is not protest art, but [a] political statement saying these [issues] are important and worth public mention,” she said. “I am trying to witness history being made— things that are done largely in secret.”

“Any time I am experiencing beauty, I am increasingly aware of how others don’t see beauty in life. I want my art to reflect that things aren’t simple.”

Vanpoolen grew up in a politically conservative and relatively well-off household, and says her background pushed her to join many political movements. For Vanpoolen, her position of privilege compelled her to take a stand for those less fortunate.

“Those of us who were in these communities have more responsibility to act out and do this for others who don’t have the privilege to stand up,” she said.

Vanpoolen, a self-taught artist, began

After graduating college in the early ‘90s, Vanpoolen abandoned her dream of becoming a lawyer for something “less boring,” namely the environmental movement.

After 9/11, she started protesting the war in Afghanistan, and later the war in Iraq. She also spent time working with the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Then she teamed up with Witness Against Torture.

Reflecting on her art, Vanpoolen sees it as a compilation of intricate portraits of life.

“Life is really complex,” she said. “Any time I am experiencing beauty, I am increasingly aware of how others don’t see beauty in life. I want my art to reflect that things aren’t simple.”

Evie Lacroix is a freshman studying journalism.

WWW.AWOLAU.ORG » SPRING 2015

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DECONSTRUCTING OBAMA’S NUCLEAR OVERHAUL

COUNTDOWN TO ZERO

By Rachel Falek Infographic by Ellyse Stauffer

Fists rose up in protest as over a hundred demonstrators clung to signs displaying the words “No $1 Trillion Nuclear Arsenal.” Protesters chanted “Zero nukes” and “What does democracy look like?

This is what democracy looks like!”

The crowd quickly gathered on Jan. 31 at the Ellipse, located near the White House, to call on President Obama to abandon his plan to overhaul the US nuclear arsenal at the price tag of $1 trillion over the next three decades.

The demonstrators were demanding justice, and I was right there with them as a member of the new American University chapter of Global Zero, an organization aimed at ridding the world of nuclear weapons.

Global Zero, an international movement comprised of hundreds of leaders and students, launched a “No-Trillion Dollar Arsenal” campaign as a part of their greater effort to combat the costly nucelar overhaul.

US Stockpile of Nuclear Weapons 1981-2013

According to movement leader Lillyanne Daigle, Global Zero organized the event with the goal of “working internationally to build a strong grassroots movement, as well as creating strong policy and engaging political figures in the process to move to zero by 2030.”

25000

20000

15000

10000

Erin Finucane, Global Zero’s campaign director, rallied the group of protesters from across the country to fight Obama’s plan in view of the White House.

5000

00

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REAGAN

BUSH

CLINTON

SOURCE: U.S. Department of State

BUSH

OBAMA

“We are here today to

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call on President Obama to abandon this trillion dollar nuclear arsenal and to live up to his promise to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons,” Finucane said.

“This is an arsenal we don’t need and money we don’t have.”

“How can we as students fight something so terrible, something that can only be negotiated by state leaders and is seemingly out of our control?”

The event included a life-size inflated nuclear missile and interactive 3-D street art on the “humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons,” created by British artist Joe Hill.

Matt Brown, Global Zero co-founder, emphasized his frustration with Obama, who won a Nobel Peace Prize for his “commitment to [a] nuclear weaponsfree world.”

Obama has decreased the amount of nuclear weapons less than any other post-Cold War president. According to the New York Times, Obama has destroyed 309 warheads, in comparison to George W. Bush, who cut the nuclear weapons stockpile in half during his presidency. There are still 7,315 nuclear weapons total, with 4,800 deployed.

“It was six years ago that President Obama called nuclear weapons the most dangerous legacy of the Cold War,” Brown said. “He said, ‘I state clearly and with conviction of America’s commitment to seek peace and security without nuclear weapons. These weapons are out of sync with our values, they are out of sync with the law…they are out of sync with our national priorities and they’re out of synch with the kind of future we want to create.”

Brenna Marie, a Student Movement Leader at Notre Dame, brought Global Zero’s message home.

“How can we as students fight something so vast and so terrible, something that can only be negotiated by state leaders and is seemingly out of our control?” Marie said. “The answer is that we take control. We organize and take an active role and fight. I really believe that the students and young people of this world are a generation that can bring about global zero’s vision: a world free of nuclear weapons.”

Global Zero’s “No-Trillion Dollar Arsenal” campaign does not end with Obama; it is only the start of their movement.

According to Finucane, If the president continues with his plan for a $1 trillion nuclear arsenal, the organization will be calling on Congress to not approve that part of the budget.

“DC is just the beginning,” Finucane said. “We are taking this fight across the country from Raleigh to Miami to Atlanta to San Francisco to Portland.”

Rachel Falek is a freshman studying women, gender and sexuality studies.

WWW.AWOLAU.ORG » SPRING 2015

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AU’S TEACH-IN ON IMPLICIT BIAS

CONFRONTING RACISM

By Lydia Crouthamel

The recent indictment in Ferguson may have raised questions about racism in America, but some American University students believe discussing them may be the key to reducing racism among students on college campuses.

On Jan. 24, AU students Tatiana Laing, Angélica Pagán, Fehintola Akinrinade, Chante Harris, and Shannon Trudge hosted a Teach-In for Justice in the Mary Graydon

Center, hoping to expand the conversation around race at the university.

“It’s a very uncomfortable, hard conversation to have,” Liang said. “We just don’t talk about race.”

The seven-hour event opened with a poetry reading by Caleen Jennings, a theater professor at AU, followed by the sharing of “six word stories,” or six words that described identity in relation to race. Next

6 WORD STORIES OF IDENTITY In conjunction with the teach-in, students were encouraged to tweet six word stories that summarized an experience of racism at AU which they encountered or words of support. Many tweets focused on empowerment and solidarity.

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came breakout sessions about white privilege and race and discussion about racism at AU over lunch. The day concluded with a reflection.

“It’s not hateful. It’s microaggressions and things that people don’t even know are offensive.”

Laing said that the objective of the TeachIn was to get down to the root of issues surrounding race as well as offer a new perspective on racism at AU. “It’s usually overt,” Laing said. “It’s not hateful. It’s microaggressions and things that people don’t even know are offensive.”

She hopes to hold the university accountable and reduce the instances of racism experienced on campus, especially since AU prides itself on diversity and inclusion.

More events are planned for this spring.

Although the Teach-In alone may not have solved the problem, for Laing, it is just a start.

“It’s the tip of the iceberg in what we want for AU.”

Lydia Crouthamel is a freshman studying business, language and culture.

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QUESTIONING THE EXTENT OF FREE SPEECH

JE SUIS CHARLIE

By Liza Layer and Luke Theuma Illustration by Mithila Samak

The world came out in support for satire in January, as cartoonists rallied for a magazine that made a business out of criticizing popular beliefs.

They formed part of the movement known as “Je suis Charlie,” translated as “I am Charlie,” which is predicated on the right to free speech and the denouncement of terror.

Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical magazine that makes its living off of controversy, had its headquarters raided by two heavily armed gunmen

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on Jan. 7th. These individuals, who claimed to have been trained by Al-Qaeda, killed 12 people for their depictions of the prophet Mohammed.

Middle East and North African region. Hardig says that freedom of speech is never a guaranteed right, even in the West.

“The notion that the right response to the horrible attacks in Paris would be to produce more offensive material to prove the point that we in the This view is shared by the ‘West’ are free to do and say French embassy in Washingwhat we want is not only juton, D.C. venile in its logic, but actually “In a way, for French people, playing right into the hands of it has been a sort of 9/11 be- extremists,” he said. cause we have been attacked George Washington Universiat the core of our values, our ty student Waaris Mohammad democracy.” said Arnaud Guiloffers a different perspective lois, a representative from the as a practicing Muslim. While embassy. agreeing that blaming an enAccording to Guillois, the tire population for the actions march was made public “very of a few is wrong, Mohammad late Friday evening and then it offered a potential long-term became viral on several web- plan for countering extremist sites and Facebook pages […] factions in his faith. we were expecting a few hun“Knowledge, I believe, is the dred and there were thousands.” solution to all,” he said. “Bring“We have been overwhelmed ing education to these villages by the multiple gestures of and bringing in economic supsupport we have received from port, not military presence, will multiple other countries,” he help combat the problem.” said.

“Humans have the right to This attack sparked a debate speech and to state our idearound the world about the als,” Mohammad said. “These limits and dangers of freedom rights, however, do not grant us of expression. impunity from our words and This debate is not limited to the ramifications they elicit.”

The mass slaughter of Hebdo staffers was seen as unspeakably deplorable.

the French border; it is here in DC, and there are many sides.

American University professor Anders Hardig specializes in the

Liza Layer and Luke Theuma are both freshmen studying international relations.

WWW.AWOLAU.ORG » SPRING 2015

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LIKE AWOL? HATE AWOL? WANT TO GET INVOLVED?

AWOLAU@GMAIL.COM

INTRODUCING: THE AWOL has been a part of American University’s student media since 2008, publishing two to three issues per year. We found that the magazine’s editorial content is stronger when we publish only once per semester,

ZINE

but wanted to give writers a chance to contribute more and give new writers a reason to explore the city. So we came up with this, the AWOL Zine. This is our second edition.

We’re pretty proud of it.