Newspaper Page Text
NEWS
The Red & Black | Wednesday, August 16, 2006 | 3A
Univ. student caught in Middle East turmoil
SPECIAL | The Red & Black
▲ Lebanese University student Laura Hermes took this photo on board the USS Nashville while being evacuated from
Beirut to Cyprus. Hermes was visiting family in Lebanon when fighting began in mid-July.
By BRITTANEY CARTER
bcarter@randb.com
For University student
Laura Hermes, the recent
clashes between Israel and
Hezbollah have been more
than images flickering on her
TV or stories written in the
newspapers.
The conflict has literally
reached her back door.
Hermes, a senior from
Dalton, arrived in Lebanon on
June 25 to visit family mem
bers in Beirut and was still
vacationing when the fighting
began July 12.
For Hermes, the conflict
meant many days of confu
sion and an abbreviated sum
mer vacation.
“My mom’s family has had
to stay inside and are just
waiting for the day that they
can flee because they are in
the south, in Sidon, very close
to the conflict,” Hermes said.
“It may be a year before my
little cousins can go back to
school.”
Although she was evacuat
ed July 21 and now is back in
Athens, Hermes said chaos at
the U.S. embassy in Beirut
made it difficult to leave the
country.
“We went to the embassy
to ask where to go and how,
and they told us to just listen
to the news. When we asked
when we would evacuate they
would say it could be another
day or another week,”
Hermes said.
“It was frustrating because
our house was across from
the main port in Beirut, and
we saw all the ships leaving
with evacuees, and we could
hear bombs going off at the
same time but we couldn’t
leave.”
Despite her experience at
the embassy, Hermes was
impressed with the help she
received from U.S. Marines on
the ship voyage from Beirut
to Cyprus, and from the Red
Cross once she was back in
the United States.
Although not every stu
dent at the University has
been touched directly like
Hermes, some students are
making plans to educate
University peers about the
crisis.
Adam Klein, the Jewish
Student Life Coordinator for
UGA Hillel, said pro-Israel
student group Dawgs for
Israel plans to sponsor a peti
tion, organize educational
sessions about the state of
Israel, and co-host a debate
with the Demosthenian
Society about the conflict.
Amy Berelowitz, a sopho
more from Roswell with fami
ly in Jerusalem and a member
of Dawgs for Israel, expressed
concern for civilians in areas
where the fighting is going on.
“I want to show the face of
how Israel is helping with
humanitarian aid,” she said.
“I want University students
to know that this isn’t a war
against Lebanon.”
“When I see the Lebanese
casualties, I just think it’s sad
that an entire country is
caught in the middle,” she
said.
The Demosthenian debate
about the conflict may be
forthcoming, but these stu
dents have not waited to
voice their primary concern
about the conflict — the loss
of innocent lives.
“(The media) always say
‘Two Israelis have died,’ or
‘Three Israelis have died.’,”
Hermes said.
“Nine hundred Lebanese
civilians have died, and one-
fourth of the population has
been displaced. And they
never say anything about
that,” Hermes said.
However, the Associated
Press cited the number of
Lebanese casualties as 791 as
of Tuesday afternoon.
Berelowitz said, “It’s sad
when there are casualties on
either side, but I think that
the real tragedy is the goal of
Hezbollah to kill people.”
Mark Jensen, a senior from
Lawrenceville and a member
of Dawgs for Israel, also
expressed concern for civil
ians on both sides of the con
flict.
“I think the two sides may
build up these two camps but
don’t look at each other’s
people,” he said. “I think
there needs to be more com
munication between both
sides.”
Seeing firsthand the
destruction the war has
caused has taught Hermes
new lessons about blame and
responsibility.
“Neither party is clean at
all,” she said. “It’s both of
their faults.”
“I’ve learned that I can’t
control my government, and
they can’t control theirs.”
DEATH:
Greeks
mourn
student
>- From Page 1A
arraignment date has not
been set.
Murnan said he would
not know if Bostick had
been drinking until the
medical examiners report
came out. An autopsy was
performed Monday, but
the report will be not
available for 8 to 10 weeks,
according to the Bay
County Medical
Examiners office.
A memorial service will
be held today at 11 a.m. at
Hopeful Baptist Church in
Hopeful, Ga., for the fifth-
year senior and member
of the Kappa Alpha frater
nity.
Fraternity brother Will
Curry said Bostick
enjoyed golfing and hunt
ing and was extremely
involved in Kappa Alpha.
“He had a smiling per
sonality and a caring
demeanor,” said Curry, a
senior from Dublin. “He
will be greatly missed. Our
prayers go out to his fami
ly and friends,” Curry said.
According to his
Web site
(cleve.myweb.uga.edu),
Bostick, known as Cleve
to his friends, also enjoyed
sports, particularly base
ball, and wanted to be a
farmer when he left
school.
“I never met anyone
quite like Cleve,” said
Branford Thompson, a
member of Kappa Alpha.
“Everyone got along with
him.”
Curry said the fraterni
ty has talked to the family
about working on a
memorial or scholarship
fund. Thompson said they
would have a better grasp
of what to do next week.
“He was always happy,”
said Thompson, a fifth-
year senior from
Glennville. “He had a ton
of really good friends.”
MONEY FOR COLLEGE
Because Aunt Joan needed more Botox
She got a facelift, you got the tuition bill.
Not to worry: a Campus Door student loan can cover up to 100% of
your education costs, with online approval In less than a minute.
All without the painful side effects.
campusdoor.com
CAMPUSDOOR
:AT FUTURES START HERE"
Like this posh
iload youi*
able PDF version at campusdoor.com/posters
Students, Faculty and Staff of the
University of Georgia
are Invited to Experience the
Credit Union Difference.
• Free Checking with E-statements (First 50 Checks Free)
plus Identity Theft Protection
• Visa Credit/Debit Cards
• Online Banking & Bill Pay
• Loans for All Reasons
• ATM on Campus at College and Broad Streets
• Two Great Athens Locations:
190 Gaines School Road - (706) 549-6292
1491 S. Lumpkin Street - (706) 227-5400
Two Great Athens Locations, One Great Credit Union!
www.gfcuonline.org
All loans are subject to credit approval. Programs, rates, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions apply.
Trade/Servicemarks are the property of Campus Door Inc. and/or Its affiliates. Lender is Lehman Brothers Bank, FSB. ©2006 Campus Door Inc. All
Rights Reserved. Equal Opportunity Lender.
GEORGIA
FEDERAL
CREDIT
UNION
Q University Employees
Federal Credit Union
a division of Georgia Federal Credit Union