Page 31 - Phoenix2003

FEATURES Wednesday, October 8, 2003 - Page 7 Dr. Christianna Leahy Uast Knowledge of Politics I ntrigues Students FRUZSlNA NAGY Senior Writer Tullu said Leahy has a great Leahy was born in Philadelphia started with a poem saying that the but also a person who puts empha- ''THEY ARE SELLING WAR. ability to engage students in and and was raised in Indiana. student had no idea about the prob- sis on civil rights inside and out- WE'RE NOT BUYING IT' This outside class, and not only makes She went to undergrad at lems back at home. side her class. is the title of one of the 12 articles students think, but also connects American University in Washing- Even though Leahy does an ex- For example, when she was that covered the door of 317 Hill them with reality and forces them ton, D.C., then to Georgetown Uni- cellent job teaching students theo- married to an attorney she received Hall last semester. The door was versity for the" Mastes and Ph.D. ries and linking them with events, three phone calls from students screaming to teU a person that go- to form an opinion. She taught there in the School she also gives them an opportunity when they were at the police sta- Every interviewed ing to war with Iraq is wrong. student who contacted international got of Foreign Service before coming to experience the real world of poli- tion. Leahy Today the door is covered by 7 to McDaniel College 18 years ago. tics. • They called Leahy because articles, talking about the downside full support and help from her, but She gained a worldwide perspec- For 3 years Leahy has taken stu- they knew she was fighting for civil her help is not limited of the war, and by Amnesty Inter- tional students. to interna- dent to the Simulation of Model rights. national Slickers, like Abolish 2003 graduate, European Union where students She said that even though she Landmines Jessica Fitzgerald can see inside a political organiza- is not a legal expert, she is willing This door is one of the many said tion. to help students with anything. ways that Dr. Christianna Nichols Leahy pro- According to Leahy, the simu- According to Leahy, one of her Leahy, associate professor of po- vided help for her lation is important because it helps student once told her that the read- litical science and international senior seminar American students see the world in ings she assigns are depressing. studies and chair of the Cross-Cul- project, and also a wider range. Leahy said that Amnesty Interna- tural Studies Program, forces stu- to-find graduate Leahy has an enormous amount tional is where she can be active. dents to form an opinion. schools. of faith in the simulation because Thanks to Leahy, from the be- According to Yurendra Basnett, Fitzgerald said this is the time when students come ginning of this summer AIDS is an a 2003 graduate from Nepal. that Leahy was togetherco!lectively to counter he- official human rights issue within Leahy, in her Politics of Develop- her way of getting gemony. Amnesty International. ing Areas course, was able to show through her last Also, it is a real working expe- Leahy now is the country expert him things that he saw before, but semester, because rience in regional international or- form Amnesty USA for Lucefone could not understand. Leahy would ganization. (Portuguese speaking) African She put the pieces of the pic- calm her down Kollar was one of the Hungar- countries, after having left numer- ture together Basnett said. when she had three ian students who participated in the ous prestige positions because of Basnett added that she affected the way he looks at things. papers going on at the same time. tive through traveling to the fonner and simulation. Kollar has her son, Roan, who turned 5 in Feb- USSR, Cuba, all over Europe ruary. From the simulation that concluded Fitzgerald This change, however, did not Leahy 25 minutes is the fastest recommenda- Leahy now only happen in the classroom tion letter writer she knows. most of the Caribbean a good teacher become familiar with the legal sys- from Westminster lives in Glyndon on a tem and the working of the EU, Leahy describes Basnett said he would sit in Leah's as someone with the ability to en- which seems complicated in text- horse farm, where she tries to spend office talking about current issues, ma~ee:t~~:~t~~~t~~::~u: ~;~~:ut~ gage and excite students and to get all her free lime with Roan. or he would send her an e-mail with" side world. Volker Franke, assistant them to question and not to always books. his views, and she would always re- Another participant was Tullu, She said she knows that these spond. professor in the political science accept things the way they are just who said the simulation helps stu- are {he only years when they can department, recalled a specific case because the teacher said so. dents to get to know how to be suc- spend time together and she doest Basnett especially appreciated when Leah's influence was visual. The responsibilities of a politi- cessful, shows why problems oc- want to miss it. that Leahy put the humanitarian A student, who graduated a cal science professor are to turn stu- cur, and helps to explain what Eu- Even though Leahy is now less side of education first, and was al- while ago, came to the school dents on to citizenship, and to get ropean politics look like. active in Amnesty International, ways supportive and encouraging knowing little but having conser- them to care about what is going Basnett, who won the prize of she still feels that by teaching she to international students. vative ideas. The student was a reg- on in the world, so that they real- Best Commissioner at the simula- opens up minds, and IhroughAI she vikroria Kollar, a 2003 gradu- Republican ate from Hungary noted that Leahy istered class. and entered ize that it is related to them accord- tion, said that Leahy had faith in takes part in reshaping the world into something better. ing to Leahy. Leah's him, and because of her encourage- helped so many students by enter- However, reading an article on Leahy can recall many cases ment, he was able to win the prize. ing the class with full knowledge when the change in a student was Basnett said Leahy has been a of the topic she was teaching, so Critiques of Capitalism gave him a different perspective to form an obvious. constant source of knowledge in his that there was never a question opinion, and now this student is There was one student from a process of intellectualtransforma- Leahy could't answer. working for the Green Party. privileged family in Peru who took tion, and that he sees Leahy as an Nuoman Tullu, a junior from Franke said that Leahy forces the class Politics of Developing unsung heroine. Nepal, said that Leahy is a remark- students to think for themselves Areas. Leahy is not just a teacher to able professor whose method is one and to form an opinion, which As an assignment, this student Jearn from and get guidance from, Of the best indicators of a good doest have to be the same as hers. wrote a huge paper on Peru, which teacher. Student Profile: Jake Michael Heralded as Top Cadet BRIAN PATTERSON Imagine navigating to graduate, and if you failed any here with ROTC and will apply Co-Commentary Editor opportunity," said Michael. "My through mountain terrain, first choice was for air assault one these tests you would be sent when I am in the army," said including cliffs, several hundred school, but a chance to get this home. As a result, only 33 out of Michael.. feet off the ground in the dead of type of training is rare, even in the the 54 original students graduated. 'Currently, Michael's unit night. Sure the night vision regular army." The make-up of the class of choice when he graduates is the goggles allow you to see better, Cadets are selected for at the training school was also Military Police. Cadets that but they also throw off your depth these slots by being a top member mixed. graduate at the top of their class perception by a foot or two. of their class, and this is based on About a third was regular usually get their first choice when This was just oneof the high physical training scores and army, a third were army reserve or it comes to unit assignments. experiences junior Jake Michael good grades. national guard, and a third were Michael is working hard to had while he attended the This intense camp is cadets. achieve this goal. As a platoon Mountain Warfare School at located in (he mountains of An average day at the Sargent he leads Physical Ethan Allen Firing Range for 15 vermont and is run by the school started at 5:30 in the Training several times a month days this past summer. ROTC Vennont National Guard. The morning with a fast paced road and also takes charge of a platoon cadets have the option to go to program stresses rock climbing, march and lasted until 11:00 at during lab days. various training schools during repelling, land navigation, and night. This created a stressful Another important part the summer break, and when a knowledge of rope systems all in environment according to of any RarC unit is Ranger slot became available for the a mountain setting. Michael, but it was also a great mountain warfare school, Michael The participants at the learning experience. .•.see MICHAEL, jumped at the opportunity. school had to pass 12 tests over "It was a great time ... a continued on page 9 'This was a unique the course of the program in order lot of the things I learned apply