Echo, V 114, I 06, November 9, 2007

              American Gangster
disappoints, page 11        Augsburg College
Echo
The College's Student-Produced Newspaper
Augsburg 4-
© Oromo 1, pages
N^ land 7
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Friday, November 9, 2007
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Volume CXIV, Issue 6
Voices against the war speak out
Veterans speak out against the war in Iraq at Augsburg
Cams Warnock
Staff Writer
As disenchantment and frustration with the war in Iraq grows,
people have become increasingly
vocal about their views.
On Wednesday Nov. 7 at 7:00
p.m. in the Hoversten Chapel,
Augsburg hosted "Voices Against
the War: Iraq War Veterans and
Military Families Speak out!"
This event, co-sponsored by
Iraq Veterans Against the War,
Military Families Speak Out,
the Iraq Peace Coalition, and the
Augsburg College Coalition for
Student Activism provided a forum for the expression of dissent
against the war along with a question and answer session.
Roughly 140 Augsburg students, faculty, staff and community
members gathered to hear Iraq War
veterans and others speak about
the impact the war has had in their
own lives.
This discussion focused primarily on personal stories and the
physical and emotional ramifications of the war.
In addition to expressing
their support by their presence
at the event, those who attended
expressed their support by giving
$800 to further anti-war efforts.
Megan Gardner, member
of Military Families Speak Out
began the evening by sharing her
personal experience with the war;
Many groups combined resources to sponsor "Voices Against the War: Iraq War Veterans and
Military Families Speak Out!" Family pain and difficulties in the lives of the troops and the veterans
were among the issues discussed at Wednesday's event.
her brother served as a marine.
She clarified that she is not
anti-military and has great respect
for those who serve their country;
she feels that America's leaders
have abused these military men
and women by their continuation
of the Iraq war.
She described the enormous
anxiety, burden, and lasting emotional and physical remnants from
the war.
"It's not just me and my suffering, but everyone I come in
contact with," Gardner said. "This
war is like a strong cancer; its effects work their way through the
entire nation."
Wes Davey, member of Iraq
Veterans Against the War discussed his views on the war,
describing the cost that is born by
members of the military and their
families.
"More than 36,000 are wounded or injured," Davey said. "These
are not just numbers; they are
brothers and sisters in arms."
Brandon Day, an Iraq War
Veteran shared in detail his experi-
Life at Augsburg | Augsburg JV Soccer 4 - Oromo FC 1
ence, distinguishing between his
first and second tours in Iraq.
"When we first arrived, there
were only a handful of people who
were unhappy to see us, but by
the second tour [from September
2005-September 2006] it was clear
they didn't want us there," Day
said.
He went on to illustrate the
violence he witnessed and the lives
lost in Iraq.
"The President's word is no
longer good enough," Day said.
"We see this endless escalation;
when does it end?"
Not only did Day witness
troubling sights in Iraq, he depicted the emotional difficulties that
arose once returning from war.
"Many of my buddies have
thoughts of suicide, are cutting,
deal with anger issues; we're
darker human beings," Day said.
The question and answer
session following the speakers
brought many issues to the surface.
Questions surfaced regarding
the morale among soldiers, environmental issues, how to respond
to families coming home from Iraq
and the presence of contractors and
mercenaries.
When questioned'about
whether troops feel constrained
from publicly opposing the war,
Brandon Day answered that because soldiers are trained to be
cogs, they find it difficult to get
away from the stigma enough to
speak out.
Upon being asked about the
repercussions of pulling out, Day
responded saying, "There will be
little difference whether we pull
out now or five years from now."
As the war continues, opposition will likely increase in equal
measure. Day summed up his
feelings on the war.
"The problem isn't going to
go away. Political leaders aren't
going to stop on their own. It's
time to stand up!" Day said.
Nabo meets survey
demands, but still
receives complaints
I CHO
Ahmed Hussein, goalkeeper of the Oromo FC traveling soccer club can't quite reach an Augsburg
player's shot during the second half of a men's JV game Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2007. Augsburg won
the game by a 4 to 1 margin.
Michelle Richter
Staff Writer
Nabo, Augsburg's newest
eatery on campus, has been open
since the beginning of August.
The name Nabo, which is
Norwegian for neighbor, serves
a variety of pastas, salads, sandwiches, and beverages. Last summer students, staff and faculty
were asked to complete an online
survey which asked for their opinions about what they would like
to see in the new restaurant, and
these results have recently been
compiled.
A total of 470 people with
access to AugNet filled out the
survey.
Of those 470 people, 104
were staff members, 49 were fac
ulty, and 317 were students: day,
weekend, graduate and commuter
students.
In the executive summary of
the survey, 29 separate findings
were identified. For example,
the respondents agreed that they
wanted vegetarian options, healthy
food options and a broad range of
hours.
An inviting atmosphere was
also important to the majority.
Fair trade, locally grown and
organic foods proved to be more
important options than vegan,
kosher and Halal choices.
Having a wide variety offood
options was important as weO.
Panera Bread was the restaurant that respondents wanted
See SURVEY, Page 2