I Wonder whom to Believe?





















by: Bahman A. Hassan

Thus far, from all sides, we have been called, “liars”, “disruptive”, “Crap”, and “those who cannot get As”. Sometimes, we have been accused of not telling “the truth”. Whatever the truth may be, I want to check the AUIS heads’ inconstancies on the “S” story.

 Perhaps, the “S” as Shalw Fatah said “is more than any other S”

It’s the first letter of, sex, Satan and the only difference between Osama and Obama, as Astios wrote.

I would love to keep it “simple but not too simplistic” as my Comp instructor was always saying. For any suggestions, logical or grammatical mistakes you may always contact him.

Here is how I will take you to this journey. I hope by the end, you get the impression that your fellow friends from “the blog” are able to prove that they are not the only “disruptive” and distorters of “the truth”.

The fight against AUI and favoring AUIS becomes nothing other than a laughingstock. Who was cheating is not what I am interested in. In the end, the “S” wins, the thing that the head of communication department was afraid of. “Our victory” as he states, was over a cause that did not exist.

Let’s see what they said about the “S”.

James Harrigan, Dean of the Students.

+ “I assure you on Sunday you will see that there have been no changes.”

+ “This is out of our control. The board decided and we just do what they say”

+ “Over the past day a number of rumors have been circulating about the imminent change of the AUI-S name.

+ “In the face of the danger of illicit use of the name American University of Iraq by institutions of uncertain quality adopting it and possibly adding the name of another town, which would damage our reputation and endanger the prestige of our institution, we have sought to secure ownership of that name and of the initials AUI, which is reflected in the new email addresses.”

+ “The administration will be happy to address student concerns in a polite and orderly way next week when people have had more time to think about this.” Ironic, is not it? Well, we will think when we have time no matter before or after we make a decision.

+ “protests are not appropriate until all of the facts have been disseminated and considered.” When and where can we have a fact dissemination session?

+ “Everything will be reversed, and I promise by Sunday I will come to you with good News.”

+ “On Sunday, I promise. I will get the provost and some one form the Board of Trustee to answer why the name has been changed.”

+ “the change is true and it is just a branding issue.”

Elia Boggia

Communication Department Director

+ “go and read what I told CNN. There has not been any change”

+ “it is just a misunderstanding”

+ I asked him, didn’t you ask the Student Council to cover this topic and you showed them the new logo and name? He went around my question and said,” I did show the students seven logos, some of AUI and AUI-S. Do you know what my purpose was? No, you tell me, I said. He lost the point and didn’t answer. The misfortune was none of the noticed being fooled.

+ “you are fighting without any reason” this means there was no change.

I would love to ask, why students gathered and the Dean and the university staff were worried?

For Melanie Standish, Supervisor of Career Services and International Exchange, everything was different. The name was easily changed; perhaps ironically because her office is soundproof and quite isolated. She didn’t have any idea about the fights downstairs at the Dean’s office.

+ She emailed students and wrote, “An Erbil-based non-profit organization is offering the opportunity for AUI Academic Students of any major or level to intern with them this summer.”

+ She goes on interfering to make choice for students and wrote, “If you are hired, be sure to ask for a job description / list of responsibilities before you accept the position.  You want to make sure that the job will be right for you!” This not the funny part, but at the very bottom of here message, she was still working for AUI-S not AUI.  

+ “You will be competing with students from universities all over the Kurdish region- show them why AUI students are the most professional of all.” She wrote to the students.     

I leave the rest for you, but I am sure you are lost as well.