Friday, February 10, 2017 | Volume 212 | Number 99 | 40 cents | iowastatedaily.com | An independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890.
Hannah Olson/Iowa State Daily
Protesters listen to others speak at the Hoodies and Hijabs rally that took place on the Iowa State campus Thursday.
SEEKING
SANCTUARY ‘This is not America’
Overcoming prejudice
By Danielle.Gehr @iowastatedaily.com
By Jacey.Goetzman @iowastatedaily.com
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inan Al-Rubaye feels like he’s been running his entire life. Born in Iraq, the Iowa State pre-business student, fled his home with his family to Qatar, a country that would not have welcomed them if it wasn’t for his father’s business. With no future in a nation that restricts jobs to only its natives, Al-Rubaye came to the United States to get an education. After finally feeling that his life was on track, President Donald Trump gave an executive order placing a travel ban on seven Middle Eastern countries. Now, Al-Rubaye feels that he’ll be forced to move once again, only this time, he doesn’t have any place to run. He is one of 115 students along with four faculty members at Iowa State affected by this ban. “We’re now on a list because of things we didn’t choose. I didn’t choose my nationality, I was born there. It’s not my fault,” Al-Rubaye said. “I’m on the run, actually again because of something I didn’t choose.” Al-Rubaye last saw his family in July and is unsure at this point when he will see them again. Because he is not native to Qatar, he will lose his residency if he doesn’t return by July. If he loses his residency there, the Qatar’s strict border control laws will
incoln is his first name, but he doesn’t go by that. Wesley Harris, a graduate student in higher education administration, was born in North Carolina. Harris grew up in in the period following the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Growing up black and the son of a Muslim in the so-called Bible Belt, Harris was subjected to racist and Islamophobic comments. “I was afraid to tell people that my father was Muslim if they didn’t already know,” Harris said. “I heard classmates, I heard teachers, I heard members of the community where I grew up spout fallacies as if they were fact,” Harris said. Each experience affected him. Harris remembers being called the n-word, the stories of his family living under the Jim Crow laws and getting into fights on football fields because people were using slurs or throwing rocks at the team’s bus. Lincoln may be his first name, but Harris doesn’t go by that. “As I’ve grown older, I’ve specifically gone by Wesley,” Harris said. That change has been intentional. There is a love-hate relationship with that name, he said. Many Americans in the South use names such as Lincoln as an homage of sorts for
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Greek society seeks to maintain rich history By Alli.Weaver @iowastatedaily.com Have you ever considered becoming a part of greek life, but negative reputations and stereotypes got in your way? If so, you might be surprised by the National Pan-Hellenic Council’s (NPHC) historic mission. The NPHC presented its organization and its intents to a wide variety of prospective members, who congregated in Carver Hall on Thursday night. The board members of the NPHC, as well as leaders of each of the six on-campus fraternities and sororities that are governed by the organization, stood up to represent their constituents, both past and present, with a brief history and an explanation of their mission. “We’re a safe place for, mostly, black greeks to meet together, talk with each other and share ideas,” NPHC President Chandler Wilkins said. When the NPHC began, there
were not many places or oncampus communities that welcomed black students and their cultures. The founders of the organization acknowledged this by creating one for themselves. This history remains a defining quality of the NPHC and its mission. On campus, there are six active fraternities and sororities, out of nine national chapters, that continue to carry out their mission of providing an outlet for all Iowa State to feel included and accepted. Stepping, also referred to as “party walking” or “strolling” is also considered a very important piece of the NPHC’s rich historical background. Stepping is defined as a style of dance that uses the body as an instrument to produce rhythms and sounds through clapping, stomping and other motions that create sound. It is often performed, in unison, by a group of people in a circle. This circle is considered a
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symbol of unity and strength. This is why, when a step is being performed, it must never be broken up, as the breaking of the circle would be regarded as a sign of disrespect or a breaking of the symbol of unity. This technique has South African and Ghanaian roots, branching from African slave rituals, all the way to black greek campus societies of the 20th century, including the original NPHC. This tradition is held sacred to many students and members, as it defines an integral part of their culture and ancestry. “It shows our history in that we still, to this day, acknowledge our past through these sorts of celebrations,” Wilkins explained. This organization seeks to represent their past with respect, poise and unanimity. Whether students are looking for a protected environment of people to share their views with or a way to express their ancestral roots, the NPHC and its chapters are welcoming to everyone.
Dineh Bohan/Iowa State Daily
Melia Romine, junior in genetics, talks during the National Pan-Hellenic Council 101 meeting for prospective members Thursday night in Carver Hall.
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