The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Monday, October 22, 2007 - 3A
NEWS BRIEFS
BAGHDAD
U.S. military
kills 49 in raid
The U.S. military said its forces
killed an estimated 49 militants
duringyesterday's dawn raid to cap-
ture an Iranian-linked militia chief
in Baghdad's Sadr City enclave, one
of the highest tolls for a single oper-
ation since President Bush declared
an end to active combat in 2003.
Iraqi police and hospital officials,
who often overstate casualties,
reported only 15 deaths including
three children. Iraqi government
spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said all
the dead were civilians.
Al-Dabbagh said on CNN that
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a
Shiite, had met with the U.S. com-
mander in Iraq, Gen. David Petrae-
us, to protest the action.'
HAVANA
Cuba to begin
election process for
first time since 1959
Cubans opened an election cycle
yesterday that will lead to a decision
next year on whether ailing leader
Fidel Castro will remain atop the
communist-run island's supreme
governingbody.
The nationwide municipal vot-
ing marked the start of a multi-
tiered process that culminates
with parliamentary elections next
spring. Lawmakers could then
decide to officially replace Castro,
81, with his younger brother Raul
as head of the 31-member Council
of State.
The elder Castro has been the
island's unchallenged leader since
his revolution toppled dictator
Fulgencio Batista in 1959. But he
has not been seen in public since
undergoing emergency intestinal
surgeries and ceding power to a
provisional government headed by
his brother in July 2006.
LEESBURG, Va.
Cheney vows to
keep nuclear
weapons out of Iran
The United States and other
nationswill not allowIran to obtain
a nuclear weapon, Vice President
Dick Cheney said yesterday.
"Our country, and the entire
international community, cannot
stand by as a terror-supporting
state fulfills its grandest ambi-
tions," Cheney said in a speech to
the Washington Institute for Near
East Studies.
He said Iran's efforts to pursue
technology that would allow them
to build a nuclear weapon are obvi-
ous and that "the regime continues
to practice delay and deceit in an
obvious effort to buy time."
"We will not allow Iran to have a
nuclear weapon," he said.
KENNER, La.
New Louisiana
governor pledges an
end to corruption
In a state known for its brash pol-
iticians, Bobby Jindal's methodical,
wonkish style is strikingly differ-
ent - and his first plan of attack as
Louisiana's governor-elect strikes
at the heart of the state's reputation
for cronyism and corruption.
The Republican congressman, a
day after his historic win in a field
of a dozen candidates for governor,
pressed ahead with his campaign
pledge to clean up the state's image.
He said one of his first acts will be
to call a special legislative session
to reform ethics laws.
"If I go down as one of the more
boring but effective governors, I'll
take that as a great compliment,"
Jindal said at a news conference
yesterday. "Our people don't want to
be amused by our politics anymore.
We don't want to be entertained."
- Compiled from
Daily wire reports
U. S. CA SU"AT E
39834
Number of American service mem-
bers who have died in the War in
Iraq, according to The Associated
Press. The following service mem-
bers were identified by the Depart-
ment of Defense yesterday:
Staff Sgt. Jarred S. Fontenot,
35, of Port Barre, La.
Cpl. Erik T. Garoutte, 22, of
Santee, Calif.
Spc. Wayne M. Geiger, 23, of
Lone Pine, Calif.
ABROAD
From page 1A
pest, Hungary, which still uses
its national currency, the forint,
rather than the euro.
"I'm an independent student, so
I'm financing my own education,"
Converse said. "Going somewhere
on the euro would've caused me to
increase loans and to incur more
of a financial burden."
For some students, like LSA
sophomore Aly Marks, location is
more of a factor than the decline of
the dollar.
"I always wanted to travel to
Italy and I was going there regard-
less - whether or not the dollar
sucks," she said.
While some students might
pick a new study abroad destina-
tion because of the decline of the
dollar, others could choose not to
study abroad at all. LSA sopho-
more Ben Johns said he is worried
that studying abroad could cost as
much or more than his out-of-state
tuition.
Dickerman said she worries
that the price of the University's
study abroad programs will go
up. In recent years, the Office of
International Programs has been
forced to cut out some parts of
its programs - like special trips
or entertainment - because of
the falling value of the dollar. But
because some things can't be cut,
like classes, the University must
pass along the additional cost to
students, she said.
Students who still want to take
the classic trip to France or Italy
can still find scholarships to offset
the rising cost of the programs,
Dickerman said.
Still, the effect of the falling
dollar on enrollment is unclear.
Dickerman said it hasn't affected
overall enrollment.
"The dollar has been slowly
deteriorating for a couple of years,
but at the same time, our enroll-
ments are going up," Dickerman
said. "What I can't tell is how
much our enrollments would go
up if the dollar wasn't deteriorat-
ing."
RC
From page 1A
this room."
After Bright's opening address,
three RC graduates took the stage to
talk about their experience. One of
them was Pamela Rack Guest, who
graduated from the RC in 1972.
"Here Ilearned to speak my mind,
champion the unusual and listen to
my own artistic instincts, all while
getting the best liberal arts educa-
tion around," Guest said. "I think
that's still happening today."
Guest now lives in Los Angeles
and works as an independent cast-
ing director. She was responsible
for casting Julia Roberts in Rob-
erts's first film, called "Blood Red." lecturer at Sonoma State University
Friday evening's activities in California, graduated from the
included an encore performance of RC in 1972. The biggest change she
the RC Players Evening of Scenes, noticed was the locks on the doors
a weekend-long film festival and in East Quad. She said that when
a show put on by the East Quad she was an RC student, it was rare
Music Co-op. to seea locked door.
Craig Regester, a1993 RC gradu- Saturday evening featured a
ate and the RC outreach coordina- banquet in the Michigan Union
tor, was responsible for organizing Ballroom, more film showings in
many of the weekend's activities. continuation of the weekend-long
"We tried to make opportunities film festival and another East Quad
for alumni and students to interact Music Co-op show.
in meaningful ways," Regester said. After festivities ended yesterday,
"Every single graduating class was Regester said he was excited.
represented by at least one alum." He pointed to the more than 400
Alumni were invited to return to alumni who returned for the cele-
language lunch tables and RC classes bration. He said almost every ticket
on Thursday and Friday afternoon. for the banquet in the Michigan
Lorna Catford, now apsychology Union was sold.
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