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| U.S. Army Sgt. Aaron Talley in Iraq. U.S. Army photo |
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Duis porta nisl nec purus. Phasellus nonummy orci eget quam. Curabitur ultrices, mauris in sollicitudin ultrices, velit dolor hendrerit nisi, vitae tincidunt ante dolor in quam. Suspendisse faucibus. Ut ornare volutpat lectus. Curabitur quis tellus vel enim porta volutpat. Etiam vel ipsum. Proin nec enim a risus interdum placerat. Vivamus vehicula. Curabitur lobortis. Pellentesque suscipit sapien quis arcu.The e-mail from Kirkuk Airfield arrived at 11:04 p.m. on April 22. Army Sgt. Aaron Talley, reporter for the Armed Forces Network covering the 173rd Airborne Brigade, found electricity and a satellite connection for the first time in five days.
"We have Internet access here, but it often goes out," he wrote from Iraq. The former OU Music, Theatre and Dance performer spent most of April sleeping under a poncho, eating MREs (his favorite: the BBQ cheeseburger) and reporting the movements of paratroopers during Operation Iraqi Freedom. "If you want to send a list of questions, that would probably be the easiest way (to do an interview). We do have a sat phone," he wrote. "But it's something like $12 a minute."
The vision for OU Magazine's cover stories began last fall as talks of a possible war intensified. On campus, professors debated issues in the Oakland Center. The Honors College hosted an event to build understanding of Middle Eastern culture. A former UN weapons inspector came to campus.
Hearing arguments for and against war, we felt it crucial to offer stories with one overriding objective: balance. We wanted American soldiers in Iraq to tell you the story from their unique vantage points. We wanted you to hear from Michigan's Middle Eastern community – the largest in our country – through the eloquent voice of student Sumeera Younis. Finally, we wanted scholars to explain the reasoning behind war and predict the aftermath.
These voices represent OU's great diversity. We thank them for their work in Iraq or right here at home promoting unity and understanding. The story continues. Write to us and let us know where you stand.
Mary E. Iorio
Editor