FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 2015 VLOUME 14, ISSUE 1 PRSHA ABUBAKR: A DEATH OF PO- TWO - AWARD WINNING LITICAL ISLAM IN GIRL KURDISTAN WOMEN, p4 POLITICS, P 11 ARE OPTIONAL CLASSES REALLY OPTIONAL !? LearnED - pearsonlearningnews.com HASAR ALI ates an unfair advantage, and the passing grade. This means fessors would evade blame for starts a bad practise. I believe the students will be entitled to faulty teaching methods, lose I walked in five minutes late it is the duty of students to re- a curve, as it has been the case incentive to be more efficient to my Physics II, as I set up my sist this change, for the estab- here and many other universi- and/or improve upon teach- seat I saw the small rotating lishment, are not only neutral, ties. Again, optional classes ing method. The establishment white board filled with a pleth- but incentivised to promote, are, in my opinion, a good thing would lose incentive to hire ora of homework problems and if they are not already. The so when done in moderation. A more selectively, (or less selec- an announcement. It read that called “optional classes” are counter argument that could be tively depending on the cate- we have optional classes ev- not actually so. If they were resorted to is that students have gory), improve upon courses in ery Wednesday, and before I to be treated as normal classes the option of studying online or the prerequisites, and/or over- looked at the time of the class, towards your academic credit, on the book. This is a faulty ar- all take students’ complaints (which conflicts with a class of that would have been a non-is- gument since having the same more seriously. As I have dis- mine,) my disgruntled thoughts sue. Optional classes are there teaching method, the same co- cussed, the optional classes are, began. I just read a similar in- to raise the class’ level of un- hesive medium of learning, in in actuality, mandatory in the cident on AUIS Issues, where I derstanding. This is not a prob- the same environment is a big sense that missing them gives do more reading there than for lem, but a sound act if done oc- advantage to whomever attends you a noticeable disadvantage. my Civilization class. I remem- casionally when it is needed. It the class, and a disadvantage to A solution must be sought af- bered many students, sarcasti- is a problem however when it the ones who do not attend. Ar- ter elsewhere. A solution that cally and seriously, defend the is done every week. There are gument could also be made that respects students’ time. If the teacher and his teaching meth- many reasons where it might students could only attend to class requires 2 hours more of ods. As my professor went at seem like students need these the subjects that they are hav- teaching, then two credits more it with electric flux, my mind classes every week, but I argue, ing trouble with. There is office should have been available to was in the field of this ordeal. most are the fault of, not the hours for that. The establish- earn. It is the students’ duty To keep in mind, I do not in- students, but the establishment. ment is incentivised to promote to advocate for their rights, tend to criticize any professor’s The establishment has either this activity because it is in the this case being an elementa- teaching method. I do not know has failed to teach the prereq- benefit of them and the facul- ry one. Optional classes are a Dr. Mahdi N. Kalahroudi, and I uisites, or the teacher is not up ty. They get to overlook many hack, hacks are only acceptable like my professors’, Dr. Niko- to par. In any case, taking away problems (HR problems, pre- sometimes, otherwise it is just laos Kalogeropoulos, Physics these “optional classes,” and if requisites not had been taught bad planning. II class. I intend to criticize the they were necessary as in many well) by assigning an optional practice. On the issue of op- cases they seem to be, then the class, that would definitely tional classes, I believe it cre- class average should be below raise the class average. The pro- 2 AUIS VOICE Volume 14, Issue 1 WOMEN OIL AND GAS INDUSTRIES FRONT- LINE FEMALE: A PROJECT TO EN- GAGE KURDISH WOMEN IN THE OIL SECTOR PRSHA ABUBAKR and to change the wrong-negative view of the society towards it is planned to develop a collaborative As an engineering student and a women activist, I participated in women. network among universities and the oil sec- the Study of the United State Institute (SUSI) for Student Leaders-a Coming back to the point, Pioneering women: Oil and Natural tor with a two-fold objective: Increasing the five week program designed and funded by the U.S Department of Gas Industry’s Frontline Female is my project, and it is designed chances of women to find a feasible job in the State. The theme of the program was Women’s leadership, within to attract more women into the oil and gas industry, which remains oil sector, and for companies to choose em- which we have focused on American politics, education, history, a globally male-dominated working sector even today. This is par- ployees from a broader scope of educated and and culture; also we included our societal issues in the discourses ticularly true for Iraq and Kurdistan Region, where there is insig- talented people. and the conversations. Me, as a Kurdish woman activist, I have nificant percentage of women working in the oil sector because of always been passionate about solving women issues in the Kurdish gender barriers that are still existing within companies and within society. the society as a whole. We were 80 women from different countries to celebrate and to The KRG has had a steady increase in oil production from share our cultural experiences in Washington D.C. This program 400,000 barrels a day in 2014 onward, and it is expected to reach 1 helped me to build leadership skills and understand more about billion by the end of 2019. However, there is less than 6% percent the land of the free and the home of the brave (U.S.); to learn more of women study Energy Engineering as a major and, who are work- about different cultures and ethnicities; and to explore variety of ing in the oil fields. A majority of women in Iraqi Kurdistan who topics through an American perspective, especially the role of have a university degree remain jobless due to inefficiencies on the women in public affairs. job market, particularly in the oil sector. The purpose of my participation was not mainly to learn, but to Hopefully, this project will have a substantial impact on remov- represent a decent model of Kurdish women as well. Throughout ing the stereotypes and the baseless-emotional burden of worry the program, I have revealed many characteristics of Kurdistan that women are not capable of working in the oil and natural gas through talking about the history of the Kurds, in addition to their industries; and it renders programs to encourage women to get culture, food, dress, jewelry, politics and so on. During this pro- degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathemat- gram, I was able to develop action plans for my project, and I feel ics); also it generally makes women in our society attentive about extremely honored and grateful for winning an award for the best the abundant-existing opportunities to have a successful career in action plan. My project was about increasing the number of women the oil sector with high salaries. Moreover, it is planned to develop in oil and gas industries, and in the Petroleum-Engineering Depart- a collaborative network among universities and the oil sector with a ment as well two-fold objective: Increasing the chances of women to find a fea- There is always a prejudice against women. As a female who sible job in the oil sector, and for companies to choose employees lived in this society, I have gone through many difficulties and from a broader scope of educated and talented people. This type challenges. When I decided to study Energy Engineering, I was of cooperation will increase women participation in the workforce told that I shouldn’t study this major because the society doesn’t while also it improves the supply and demand for labor. It will also let women work in oil fields. That was the moment that rendered encourage oil companies to provide jobs for women in the future, a chance for me to surpass the fabricated obstructions; I made my while utilizing their talents. This will, remarkably, reduce the num- own decision, and challengingly began to study engineering. My ber of highly educated jobless women and will empower them to goal has always been to encourage women to have their own voice, build a better future for themselves. Prsha is holding the U.S. State Department Certificate of Appreciation What Paved the Way for the Assassination of Tara Fars? Fars, a 22-year-old Iraqi her body. The lifestyle that manly, maintain “complete Instagram star. The driver, Ms, Fars was living in Erbil manhood”, and cut their hair who was one her followers on and Beirut was not acceptable short, otherwise they would Instagram, surprisingly asking in Baghdad. She was shot to face the “the wrath of God”. why the hell she got killed! death in broad daylight.