Echo V 110 I 19 April 2, 2004

              :sbure Colle;
April 2, 2004
Volume 110
Issue 19
INDEX
COMMUNITY/VALUES page 2
NEWS page 3
OPINIONS pages 4-5
SPORTS page 6
FEATURES page 7
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT page 8
Restrictions revealed Fewer Au99ies studying abroad
Ryan Johnson
Staff Writer
Executive Director
of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the
Press (RCFP) Lucy
Dalglish spoke to
Augsburg staff, students,
and faculty about journalism in a democratic
society on Thursday,
March 25.
Lucy Dalglish is
neice to and goddaughter
of Augsburg Associate
Professor of English
Cathleen Dalglish.
The RCFP is an organization that oversees
the legality of journalism
and gives free legal advice to journalists concerned about the law.
Lucy Dalglish, who
obtained her doctorate
degree in journalism as
well as law, said that
since Sept. 11, 2001 the
rights of journalists have
been on a steady decline
and that more and more
information about the
United States government is becoming increasingly more difficult to obtain.
"What the White
House has done since 9-11
is make documents sensitive
but not classified." Dalglish
said, who pointed out that
sensim c labeled documents
are | loop hole in the first
amendment therefore the
piess cannot obtain them.
She blamed the secrec\ of
the administration as responsible for the lack of
openness to the media.
To ensure that the first
amendment of the United
Slates Constitution is upheld, in particular the freedom of the press, the RCFP
spends i lot of time in court
filing suits against agencies
that block information from
being presented to the public bj the media. Since Sept.
11. 2001. the organization
has had little success m w inning court battles, in part be-
. the nation is at a state
of war
"1 understand that certain information must be
protected during this time,
however the people of the
United States would be
much safer if the) had some
more facts in front of them."
■rding to Dalglish.
She said that the media
is the key to keeping people
photo courtesy of Alexis TWito/ECHO
Lucy Dalglish spoke on freedom of the press in post-Sept.
11 U.S. on Thursday, March 26.
safe from danger as well. In
this time of patriotism,
Dalglish pointed out the important role jouralists play
in democracy. Without objective information provided
by media to the genial public, she argued that people are
not capable of electing the
best representatives.
Dalglish highlighted
stories where investigative
journalism on asbestos and
other toxic materials has prevented illness and even death
along with notification of
potential hazards to the community at large, which she
feels is the public's right to
know.
Under the new homeland security guidelines, neither the media nor an individual can access critical infrastructure information
without giving a detailed explanation of why they need
it. Why does this matter0 She
mentioned a fire that happened in Minnesota a few
years ago. She said that as a
gasline exploded, people
who ran out of their homes
into the street died, while
those who ran into their
backyards survived. News
aes wanted to track
down v,here the pipeline ran
and the company responsible, and so on.
Under the new security
guidelines, journalists
wouldn't be able to get that
same information now.
Dalglish listed off statues and regulations she felt
were the biggest threats to
democracy, but the one she
found to be most striking
was section 215 of the USA
PATRIOT Act (Uniting and
Strenthening America by
Providing Appropriate
Tools Required to Intercept
and Obstruct Terrorism
Act).
"This to me is very appalling," she said as she
explained this particular
section of the act.
"The government can
go to a secret surveillance
port after a judge offers a
warrant and gather information about you without
probable cause" Dalglish
said.
The act does not mention that business records
include medical history, library records, commercial
purchases, and any visits to
a psychologist.
The Executive Director of the RCFP pointed out
that up-to-date information
is available at
ww-w.rcfp.org and includes
the latest information about
what the organization is doing to protect freedom of
the press.
Krysten McCloskey
Staff Writer
Angela Olson
Staff Writer	
Augsburg experienced a
drop in the number of students studying abroad last
year but an increase in the
number of international students at Augsburg.
The number of
Augsburg students studying
abroad dropped 12 percent
from 170 to 149 in 2001-02
to 2002-03, according to
Augsburg's annual report for
the Office of International
Programs.
"Our office thinks the
dip [in the number of students studying abroad] isn't
a bad dip since J-Term was
cut this year," former Study
Abroad Advisor Cynthia
Truitt Lynch said.
On the other hand, the
number of international students at Augsburg increased
14 percent from 2001-02 to
2002-03, although the number of international students
went from seven students to
eight.
"The new fees at the
Embassy and the war with
Iraq is finally coming home
to roost and having an effect
on the number of students"
coming to the U.S., according to International Student
Advisor Jim Trelstad-Porter.
On a national level, statistics show an increase in the
number of international students and a predicted in
crease in the number of students studying abroad in
2002-03.
National statistics
showed a one percent increase in the number of international students from
2001-02 to 2002-03, according to "Open Doors 2002"
published by the Institution
for International Education
(HE). The number of international students went from
583,000 to 586.000.
"Over the past 20 years.
since 1982/83. the number of
international students has increased by 74 percent." according to an "Open Doors"
report from Nov. 3, 2003.
ABROAD
continued on page 3
Death penalty protested
Support shown for man on death row
John Pohl
Contributor
Several students stood
on the corner of Riverside
and 21 st Avenue on Friday,
March 26 to show their
support for Mumia Abu-
Jamal, their opposition of
the death penalty, and their
distrust of a corrupt court
system and violent police.
Abu-Jamal, an African-
American journalist, was
convicted of murder in
1982 for killing Philadel-"
Socialist and Activist
groups across the nation, like
Augsburg's Youth for Socialist action and Coalition for
Student Activism, who sponsored the event, believe that
Abu-Jamal was wrongfully
convicted and are making
their voices heard by showing their support of freeing
him.
Jeff Mackler, the national coordinator for Abu-
Jamal's defense, continually
stated the importance of free-
According to one of the
court documents, (http://
caselaw.findlaw.com/data2/
pennsylvaniastatecases/su-
preme/.doc), in the Abu-
Jamal case:
"On the night of December 9, 1981, Philadelphia police officer, Daniel Faulkner
pulled over Jamal's brother,
William Cook, after he noticed Cook was driving the
wrong way down a one-way
street. After being pulled over,
several eyewitnesses
saw Cook and Faulkner
phia   police   officer SUDDOrterS Continue tO get ma physical confron-
■*  -* tatinn   which I
Daniel Faulkner.
Students held signs
that read, "An injury to
one is an injury to all."
"Free Mumia- No death
penalty" and "Support
the police, beat yourself
up."
Supporters of Abu-
Jamal, like Augsburg
student and founder of
Youth for Socialist Action Donny Lessard, be-	
lieve that the evidence in
the case shows that "there
is further evidence that
Jamal     is     innocent,"
Lessard said.
The most recent evidence that suggests Abu-
Jamal's innocence is a confession by Arnold Beverly,
w ho admitted he killed officer Faulkner over 20
years ago. Supporters also
state evidence of a co\ er
up by authorities and
planted evidence in the
case.
fight for Abu-Jamal
and state their dislike
of the death penalty,
distrust of the court
system and corrupt
police.
ing Abu-Jamal and abolishing the death penalty.
Mackler said "the goal is
to build a movement for
Mumia's freedom that is so
strong that it makes the political price for execution too
high to pay."
Ardie Boyer. one of the
students at the protest, said
he is "against capital punishment and that the court system and police are corrupt
and this is a perfect example."
tation, which began with
Cook punching officer
Faulkner in the face
"Faulkner then hit
Cook with his flashlight
and subdued him, placing him under arrest. Sitting across the street and
watching this incident,
was Cook's brother,
Mumia Abu-Jamal, and
according to court docu-
_ ments and witness statements, Jamal exited the
vehicle he was sitting in and
ran across the street towards
officer Faulkner and his
brother William.
"Jamal, firing a series of
shots at officer Faulkner, finally knocked him to the
ground. While on the ground,
Faulkner was able to shoot
back and hit Jamal in his upper abdomen...
PROTEST
continued on page 3
E
e the
JCMO
COM Ml \ / T } 71AL L ES
Potters for Peace presents
clean water alternatives
FEATURES
President Grand
addresses Case Day
SPORTS-
Baseball team begins
season with new coach