On the Policy of Two Gates

by Bahman Abdulrahman Hasan

Ironically, it’s a source of joy, delight, ecstasy, and blessing that our university has two gates, and also, perhaps it just for the safety of students and the staff. AUI-S, fortunately like politics, has both Eastern and Western gates to look through. For the sake of security, as the university claims, students and visitors are allowed to enter the university through the Eastern gate. Yet, satirically, I prefer the West gate, it is better. We want, as we have been asked to, to think and act in accordance to western values. The university based on one of the most Western chosen systems. The western gate a long the eastern gate all together may sever this purpose since they are only gates.   

      

If the university claims more security, so it be, but is it a proper way? I proudly can say that for the past 3 years there was no threat on the university. Both the students and the staff enjoyed, what now is called, maximum level of stability. Therefore, I believe students and visitors must be allowed to enter from whatever gate they see proper.

If letting students to come in through the west pose a threat to the university, how east comers do not? In prisons, criminal before entering prisons must be deloused, as AUI-S students have to be frisked by guards at the East gate. But does a university really need this high level of robustness? I believe it does not since the university like other security organizations has tiniest detail about each of the students and so forth. The university must welcome students from both gates. Isn’t it logical to strive to abolish this policy?

Additionally, this is unwise and perchance meaningless policy, but even more unwise than this all is a university with a barrage of dreams and visions insist on protracting this policy. We, with our constructive critics, not with destructive comments as we have been labeled, try to assist the university. If I could find one, only one, reason for pursuing this policy, I would have called for further restrictions. But still I don’t understand what does it mean, when you let students enter from the East gate but to from the West one?

Therefore, after all, this policy alienated most of the students, and it is time to stop it. While there are tens of guards at each gate, there is no need to differentiate West gate from the East one. Guards can secure the university as they did since 2007. Students coming from either the East gate or the West gate, come to study no to some battle line. This may help students in many ways. As it’s obvious for all, students cannot fulfill all their needs inside the campus therefore it will help them to enter from either gates when they come back to the campus. Finally, if in past there was a logical reason to withhold this policy, it does not exist anymore. It’s time for AUI-S to open both gates for the students.             

*Bahman Abdulrahman is an International Studies and Political Science Freshman at the American University of Iraq-Sulaimani