SPRING 2017 DIPLOMACY AND POLICY STUDIES PROGRAM ISSUE III

A Day Trip to Dana!

"This past weekend consisted of the two hottest days in Jordan this year and happened to be the two days I decided to hike in the sun for hours. My friends and I went to the Dana Biosphere Reserve. It was absolutely gorgeous and incredibly hot. For our first hike, we decided to descend the valley on a steep path and continue into the desert-y wadi. It was an amazing hike and after 2 hours, we decided to head back. With the sun beating on us, little shade, not much water left, and a steep incline, we quickly tired out. We kept taking breaks every 10 minutes instead of every 30 minutes and scouring every place for some shade. Right before we reached the steepest part of the path, we happened upon a group of local men from the area who were drinking tea under an outcropping. We said hi and they immediately invited us to their makeshift camp for tea and water. My friends and I each drank two cups of tea, a hearty gulp of water, and then talked with them for the next 20 minutes. Thanks to the shade and the sugar, we were able to continue our journey up the mountain back to camp." 

Liana Kabins / Case Western Reserve University

Students Elections at the University of Jordan

After my morning Arabic classes, I sometimes walk across the street to the University of Jordan. A few weeks ago, I went through the front gate and immediately noticed huge posters of smiling students. The posters all supported different candidates for the student union elections.

I was curious to learn more about the candidates and the elections, but as I talked to different students, I received varying responses. Some students strongly supported a single candidate based on his or her background while other students were ambivalent or believed that all the candidates were unlikable.

After the election, Suzanna Goussous wrote an article for the Jordan Times that described the election results. Goussous interviewed multiple students who claimed that votes were cast based on candidates’ tribal or religious backgrounds, rather than based on candidates’ individual merit. Despite this discontent with voting patterns, the elections were peaceful and no major clashes broke out on campus. Hopefully, all of the elected students will work to better the university and will serve the entire student body, no matter how they were voted into office. 

Hannah Bauman \ College of William and Mary