The Star

The Official Newspaper of the American University in Kyrgyzstan

May 23, 2001 - Volume 4.� Issue 3.


In this issue you read:�

Dr. Huwiler's Trip Funding and Recognition (Fatima & Alla)

Student Confused About the Credit System� (Lola)

There Is No Farewell to AUK (Anisa)

Update on the CEP Issue (Bota)

Sociology of the XXI Century (Saodat)

Response to The Star (Carter)

Goodbye Deborachka (Medina)

�� ��������, ��� ������� �����������! (Deborah)

The Com That Helps (Alla)

The Year in Review (John)

Possible Cafeteria Changes (Kadyr)

Congratulations to the AUK KVN Team! (Sasha)

AUK Students Abroad (Ilgyz)

Open Doors Day (Kostia)

����������: ���� ���������� �������� � ������� ����� (Roman)

� � �����.. (Anton)

�� ��������!!! (Tania)

Sport Nika 2001 (Shulgin N. G.)

Q& A


Dr. Huwiler�s Trip Secures Funding and Recognition

By Fatima Gayazova and Alevtina Naumova

President Huwiler�s recent trip to Switzerland and Washington was very productive and accomplished all of its goals. Our university became the youngest to be recognized by American Association of International Colleges and Universities. The US State Department promised AUK continued funding, although the exact amount is yet to be known. Perhaps most importantly, key members of the US Congress were, according to Dr. Huwiler, were favorably disposed to granting AUK a congressional appropriation to be used to fund an endowment.

Huwiler3.jpg (18871 bytes) ��������������� Dr. Huwiler expected nothing more than an associate membership in the American Association of International Collages and Universities from his trip to Switzerland. �But, all of the members of were very impressed by AUK�s development and accepted the university for full membership,� he said. Official international recognition will not only benefit AUK�s status, but also will help to attract foreign students and facilitate international exchange programs.

In 1999 the Open Society Institute and AUK agreed on a 3-year partnership, which is coming to an end next year. Nevertheless, the president�s trip to Washington assured that AUK would have stable funding for the next three years. � The exact amount of the State Department�s funding, as well as the size of any congressional appropriation will not be known until the US budget will be approved in the fall of 2001.

Currently, AUK spends about $1,5 mill annually. Less than 50% comes from students� tuition. The US State department and OSI provide all the rest. However, funding from OSI can be used only for development of humanitarian departments, such as Journalism, Sociology, Psychology, Language Studies and Law. Money provided by the State Department can be used more freely than money from OSI, however there are still restrictions on what this money can be used for. OSI and the US State Department are both willing to continue sponsoring us for the second three-year session. But, AUK administration is working on innovations in future funding sources.�

Currently, the main concern of AUK is financial independence. Most universities in America live on fundraising, alumni gifts, government support, tuition, and endowment income. We could invest a certain amount of money, and use the yearly interest to cover operating costs. This would not only guarantee a regular income, and independence, but also assure a stable future. At the present time AUK needs a $20 mill endowment in order to be financially independent. However finding money to start an endowment is not that easy. �Our best chance for an endowment is through a [congressional] appropriation, � said Dr. Huwiler.

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Students Confused About the Credit System

By Lola Ibragimova

wpe2.jpg (10311 bytes)In the last several months there have been many changes in our university relating to the new curriculum and the credit system. I have interviewed 40 people from the departments of International and Comparative Politics, Business Administration, Economics, French Studies, Kyrgyz Ethnology, Journalism, Psychology, and Law. All of them are freshmen, sophomores and juniors.� By no means is it the most accurate representation of all the opinions of AUK students in all of the departments.� The most common response I heard was that people did not have a clear understanding of the credit system, especially the way it is being implemented. In the words of one of the students, �They have missed the initial idea to give us more free time. What happened is just a change from the name �point system� to the name �credit system�.� They have divided all the points by 34 in order to get the number of credits and left us the same load of class work. I still don�t have more time to study on my own.� (ICP 3rd year)

����������� The students have been asked to express their views concerning the changes. And below are all the responses that I have received. Number of people asked:� 40:� 1 Don�t care; 1 Absolutely incomprehensible; 2 Everything is great; 6 I�m confused; 17 Noting has really changed; 13 I really like it, but�etc

Regulations for a Minor should be the same in every department. I was told in BA that I couldn�t take any minor courses until I�m a third year student. (ICP1st year)� It�s kind of confusing that freshmen should be spending 1hour in class and two hours of independent work, unlike the rest of the students who should spend 2 hours in class and one outside. I think it should be vise versa. (BA 2nd)� The process of explaining all the details should�ve been better planned. (ICP 2nd year)� I don�t like the limit in the number of credits we can take. (BA 1st year)� I thought there would be a change to 50min class but it didn�t happen. (LAW 2nd year)

Some comments:

��I was afraid classes would be 50 minutes�. (PSY 2nd year)� �We were told that classes would be 50min some of my friends wanted to transfer to other universities. Now it seems like it is not true�. (LAW 2nd year)� �It is a very good system, closer to the western model, easy to understand.� (ICP 1st year)� �I�m afraid our teachers do not understand that they have to change themselves.� (BA 3rd year)� �I like the system. It gives me more freedom and choice.� (BA 3rd year) � �I don�t feel like anything has changed�. (JOR 2nd year)� �I still have the same load. I don�t really see what the changes are.� (BA 2nd year)� �I don�t think our department will really make any changes�. (ETN 2nd year)� �I think they missed the initial intent to give us more freedom and choice. The name is all that changed�. (ICP 3rd year)� �I really like that we have different ratings for classes with different difficulty levels�. (AAS 2nd year)� �I�m kind of confused. I think they should�ve started all these changes only with freshmen.� (AAS 3rd)� �I don�t feel like it was sufficiently explained�. (BA 1st year)� �I don�t think there�s been any change for our group. We are still going to have 16 credits of required courses in the schedule for the next semester. I don�t see what has changed except for the name�. (FS 2nd year)� �We meet two times a week for each class but now from 4 credits, like last semester we are down to only 3 credits. I don�t think that classes will be less difficult.� (ICP 3rd)

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There Is No Farewell to AUK

By Anisa Afshar

wpe3.jpg (9357 bytes)Martha Merrill, after working in Kyrgyzstan for five years, is leaving for Indiana University. She will be a visiting scholar in the "Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center" at Indiana University, Bloomington. She began her career in AUK in fall of 1996, when John Clark, the former AUK President, invited her to come and teach. At the same time she was working at the Ministry of Education on a Fulbright grant. She had been in Bishkek in 1993 as part of a month-long trip to central Asia, which included some time in Bukhara visiting sites associated with the Jadid movement.

Martha Merrill has a BA in Russian Literature from the University of Michigan, an MA in Liberal Studies from Boston University, an MA in Islamic Studies from Columbia University, and Ma and PhD in University Administration from University of Michigan. Her first visit to Central Asia was in 1984 as a tourist. She visited Almaty, Dushanbe, and Tashkent. At that time, Kyrgyzstan was closed to foreign tour groups.

She is undoubtedly one of the most hard working employees of the university. She is so dedicated to her job that she can be found in Auk at any time of the day. �I have always been a workaholic. My life is even more frantic here. Probably it was a mistake for me to live so close to the university," said Martha. As the Academic Vice President she does almost all of the academic administrative work of AUK. As she said, AUK has been growing quickly and there are lots of structures that must change. Still, there is no clear decision as to who will take Martha's place at AUK.

�� The Star had the honor of an interview with her before she departs:

What is your most fascinating memory of AUK?� Madeleine Albright�s visit to AUK. We did nothing for two weeks beforehand but prepare for that. Both the Kyrgyz and US sides came to AUK with sniffing dogs. Once a dog sniffed something in the wall and we had to open the panels. We found an empty beer bottle there!

What is the most boring thing in AUK?� There are no boring moments in AUK.

Why are you leaving AUK?� I love Kyrgyzstan, but I have family. My stepchildren have their own children now, and two of them I have not seen.�

What is your farewell for AUK students?� I know for me there is not really a farewell to AUK. One really does not leave AUK. Although I will not be physically at this desk, I have connections that will continue. I hope AUK students feel the same, and that the time that they spend in AUK makes a profound difference in them. I hope when they graduate and leave, they will maintain their connections with AUK.

The Star would like to express our gratitude to Martha for all she has done for the AUK, for her support and understanding of The Star, and for being with us all this time. Thank you Martha. For us, you will be always present in AUK.

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Update on the CEP Issue

Submitted by Botagoz Kassymbekova

First of all, I would like to clear up some facts about the students' meeting that took place on April 4th. Alas, the article "The end of the CEP Issue", that was published in the pervious issue misinterpreted the meaning of the meeting. The goal of this meeting was not to discuss "selection procedures and alleged preferences given to some students" but to find out whether students wanted and needed to meet with CEP lecturers in order to discuss issues that concern them. I feel very sorry that the goal of meeting was so miserably misunderstood and thus misinterpreted, despite the fact that it was clearly articulated.

����������� However, the outcome of this students' meeting was an agreement to hold a meeting with CEP lecturers. I think it was a success. At the beginning there was an attempt to make it a "lecture", however, a discussion still took place.

����������� Many students and lecturers were troubled by the fact that Norma Jo, the head of Central Asian CEP, was not at the meeting. Norma Jo could not attend the meeting because of a medical emergency. Students that organized the meeting have been accused of scheduling it at the "wrong time". I have to admit that it was rather sad that the meeting did not take place before Norma Jo had to leave to the US. That was a mistake that all of us made. However, I would like to inform everybody that Norma Jo knew about this meeting, and was perfectly fine about holding a serious discussion, which many people waited for, for a long time.

����������� More importantly, the CEP lectures were worried about the fact that the students didn't have their concerns written down. Following their advice, we wrote a letter of our concerns addressing Norma Jo Baker and Jeffrey Meyers, Regional Director of Eurasian Programs. The letter is currently under consideration and CEP has told us that they plan to reply soon.

If you wanna see the follow up letters (they were NOT published in The Star) clik here.

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Sociology of the XXI Century

By Saodat Asanova

The Sociology Department at AUK held and Inter-institutional Student�s Conference called �Sociology of XXI century�. The main questions for discussion covered sociological aspects of modern life. Conference attendants were mainly sociologists from different organizations, instructors and students from the American University and the Bishkek Humanitarian University.

Since sociology as a science is still being developed in Kyrgyzstan, the opening part of the conference was mainly devoted to the introduction of the sociological system in the country. Several speeches were made by guests, including the on made by Sygymbaeva Aynura, heard of the Sociology Department at AUK. The second part included research presentations on different topics made by third, forth and fifth year students from AUK and BGU. In the first section explaining Social changes in Kyrgyzstan: problems and perspectives, Lishenko Veronika, a junior student from the sociology department got first place with her research, � Methodology of Advertisement Testing: Focus-Groups as Universal and Many Other Functional Methods of Testing Advertisements�.

In the second section on Deviant Behavior, first place was given to Djamgirsheva Nurgul, a fourth year student at BGU, for her study on �Prostitution: Declamations of Moral Norms and Social Institutions�

In third section, �Modern social relations: Between Conformity and Conflict,� first place went to Suyurkulova Aysuluu, a senior student from the Sociology Department at AUK, for her research �Conformism as Socio-Physiological Feature: Conformism and it�s Appearance in Concrete Social Situations�. In the last section, �Youth and Children as a Social Category�, first place was given to Mokichyova Elena and Balabay B, for their research �Loneliness Among Jilted Children�.

�Both Auk and BGU students did an excellent job working on extraordinary research projects,� said Butoeva Gulzad, a sociology instructor at AUK. �It was a very nice idea, to hold a conference like this because it is not meant just to present research, but it is also a good opportunity for students to make contacts with those professionals who have great experience in the field of sociology�.�

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Response to The Star

By Certer Johnson, CEP Uzbekistan

I would like to make one addition to the article I submitted to the Star for publication in the March 16th edition concerning the Budapest selection process.� While I maintain my level of dissatisfaction regarding the selection process, I must add that the burden of responsibility lies equally with each Central Asian Visiting Lecturer and Eastern Scholar as much as it does with Norma Jo Baker. � There seems to be a misconception that Norma Jo alone is to blame for the faults of the process and this is simply inaccurate.

This year�s selection process had to be completely revised due to certain limitations imposed on us by the Budapest office.� Within those confines, Norma Jo devised the fairest and most practically efficient process she could.� She subsequently submitted her proposed selection process to all of us working in Central Asia asking for feedback � problems we could foresee, suggestions for improvement, etc.� While I do not know what proposed changes she received (if any at all), I certainly read through the proposal myself and found no objections.� Hindsight is always a wonderful vantage point from which to criticise.� I am therefore writing to correct the false impression that this is somehow Norma Jo�s fault.� We all had the possibility to suggest changes, and we therefore all share responsibility for its criticisms.

The process was far from perfect.� It was a new system and we tried to the best of our ability. � Nobody foresaw the potential difficulties and I do feel that the concerns raised were very minor in an otherwise successful process. � I would like to add that, from my understanding of last year�s selection process, this year was a vast improvement in terms of fairness.I do hope we make changes for next year, whether using my suggestions or those proposed by other lecturers.� I also hope that we continuing hearing from the student body with any suggestions or constructive criticisms you might have in the future.� It is only with your assistance that we can make these conferences, and CEP in general, work to its best potential.

I do hope we make changes for next year, whether using my suggestions or those proposed by other lecturers.� I also hope that we continuing hearing from the student body with any suggestions or constructive criticisms you might have in the future.� It is only with your assistance that we can make these conferences, and CEP in general, work to its best potential.

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Goodbye Deborachka

By Medina Aidarova

����������� Dearest people of AUK, Deborah Eisenburg has been at AUK for a year.�� She will go to graduate school next year to obtain a masters degree in International Relations. She is going to study at the Fletcher School of law and diplomacy at Tufts University in Boston, MA. ������������� Deborah said that she would miss her students and classes very much. But she doesn�t regret her departure, because she knew that she was going to be here one year. Still, she is sad to leave. She made good friends, enjoyed her time and learned a lot here.

����������� Of course Deborah is planning to come back.� The former Soviet Union is a region of her interest. � She has been to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. She first came to Russia at the age of 14.� She has been to St. Petersburg and Moscow through an exchange program for five weeks. She lived with a host family.� She would love to come back to the former Soviet Union. If she does come back, she will make sure to visit Kyrgyzstan. However, she is not planning to come back and teach at AUK.� While Deborah was here the thing that frustrated her most was the cafeteria.� Another thing that bothered her was when teachers treated students in a �soviet� fashion. She is glad that this rarely takes place.� wpe8.jpg (9621 bytes)

����������� Did you know that her parents named her after the first woman judge in the book of Judges in the Old Testament? �

����������� Olga Bogacheva and Deborah Eisenburg showed a movie �Dead poet society� in their class.� There is a character in a movie named professor Keating who said, �Carpe Diem, seize the day, make your lives extraordinary�.� Deborah left the film and 20 copies of �Catcher in the Rye� to AUK.� The books will remind students of Deborah and the way she seized everyday in AUK.� From her experience in Kyrgyzstan Deborah learned that hot tea is good for quenching thirst. She also learned about things that are important for her, particularly Russian and Kyrgyz culture.

����������� Although she had many funny experiences with Kyrgyz/Russian culture, one time in particular stands out in her mind. Nazgul Toktosunova, Medina Aitieva and Deborah were sitting in the cafeteria. Nazgul and Deborah said something at the same time. Deborah said, �Jinx�, this is what Americans usually say in these situations. If one person says Jinx first, then another person owes him/her something. At the same time Nazgul was pinching Deborah and asking her �When is my happiness?� Of course Deborah didn�t understand this. First she heard �What is my happiness?� I hope most of you know that here we pinch a person and ask, �When is my happiness,� when you and somebody else say something at the same time. While Deborah and Nazgul were trying to understand one another, Medina was laughing her head off. She understood both of them and was laughing hard because of the cultural differences. It took Deborah a while to figure out that Nazgul would not stop pinching her until she told her when she would find her happiness.� Deborah then explained what �jinx,� meant.

Deborah thinks that Kyrgyz culture is laid back, relaxed, and very welcoming. She found Kyrgyz people friendly.� Deborah describes her relations with students as good. She appreciated that there was a group of active students and simply amazing people. Deborah taught �American Studies� and �American novel� courses. When asked what do you think people think of you, Deborah responded, �I haven�t heard about anyone who hates me, and I get all the gossip in this office�.

I asked Deborah to describe her good moments here. She said that Initiation was exciting and fun. �Working with the Student Government was a pleasure,� she says, �despite the problems.� She enjoyed her trips to Uzbekistan and India very much. But the best moment for her was that short period of time that she spent around Kamilla Sharshekeeva. She says that Kamilla is an amazing force.� After all of Deborah�s experiences we are sad to see her go. Let�s wish her luck.

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�� ��������, ��� ������� �����������!

By Deborah Eisenberg

������� ��������, ������������� � ����������!

The time has come to say goodbye. I know it�s a clich� but the time has really flown by. It seems like just yesterday that I was wandering around the university, being introduced as the new Ari Katz, and wondering all about Kyrgyz culture and customs. I assume you all read the great interview piece by Medina so I�ll try not repeat anything she said. Yes, its true I am going to graduate school next year.� And yes, it�s true that I did not plan on staying more than one year. I know you all figured I�d fall in love with a nice Kyrgyz man and never leave this beautiful mountainous country again, but alas�..that fairy tale did not come true. However it is also true that I will be back. I know I know, everyone says that, but now with learning Russian, and this year cementing the NIS as my area of regional interest, I will have to come back, probably more than once. When I left college, my favorite professor said to me, �don�t come back so often that we�ll have to call security on you, but, don�t be a stranger�, and that�s exactly what I plan to do.

So, instead of saying a bunch of really sappy things about how wonderful AUK is and how great my experiences were, I think I�ll just tell you a few of my favorite memories. I�ll start with my very first memory, when Natasha (as Martha likes to say �my Natasha�) picked me up at the airport at 4am. I was so curious about everything that I peppered her with stupid questions the whole way to my apt. I even asked her why the trees were painted white at the bottom (which for those of you who don�t know, its because its an anti pesticide). Then within a week I went to the freshman mountain trip along with two Indiana people, Brain Winchester and Chris Foley. I started feeling sick that morning but I thought I�d be ok. By the time we came back down the mountain and were hanging out outside the banya, I was really ill. In the middle of a conversation on the US presidential elections, I got up and threw up in the banya. It was pretty terrible at the time, but as I look back on it extremely funny. The women there must have thought I was drunk. And if that wasn�t enough, later that same semester a fat Kyrgyz man slapped my ass right outside of AUK! I am not lying about this, Sasha Shpakova was there, ask her! My reaction was of course to curse at him in English and go back inside. That semester was also a lot more mellow in the office. My favorite times of course were when no one was around and Nikolai would sing us songs on the guitar. I even tried to learn a little and those who watched me struggle through ����A, ����, ��� �� ����� ������� can tell the tale better than I. Of course, as I said in the interview, Initiation was a major highlight for me. This is because I got to do a short skit with the KVN guys (before half of them became senators, and then I had to see them every week- just kidding!), and cause I got to see all the amazing talent of AUK. This show was also the first of my many somewhat embarrassing attempts to speak Russian in public. Others remember Thanksgiving toasts or bizarre conversations in the student affairs office. I have actually gained a reputation in Bishkek for knowing a bit more than I let on when it comes to Russian. There is one taxi driver who thinks I work for MASSAT (the Israeli intelligence organization).�

Some of you may have heard that I spent my free time partying a lot. This I cannot deny, but I must say that seeing students outside of the university, and in, shall we say, good spirits, was also a lot of fun. I will never forget the evening a certain unnamed individual, did a certain unclothed dance, at a certain undisclosed location, for a certain undisclosed prize. I will also never forget the end of semester party I had at my house for the staff of the Star. Trust me, I will never forget that night, even if I try. Another interesting memory is when the woman from the white house got mad at me for asking the youth parliament why they weren�t independent and I told them to stop accepting government money. One of the best memory�s right before the break was of all the SAO office staff hanging around playing a game called ��������, where you have to say the name of a city whose first letter starts with the last letter of the last city said.�

Of course, second semester was filled with bizarre memories as well. The Valentines Day massacre, I mean incident, is the foremost memory, but there are loads of others. Speculating about when spring would come, writing memo�s with the new student government, watching the TV production club�s first short film, Nekkid, and of course teaching a new class with Olga Bolgachova. I was so excited to be able to buy those copies of Catcher in the Rye when I traveled to India, I honestly never thought any of my students wouldn�t like the main character, Holden Caufield.

Well, I have never been very good at good-byes. I think its because I leave places so often, I can�t bear to go through all the emotional crap so frequently. I believe when asked by someone if I would ever like to work at AUK again my answer was something like �no, but I have no doubt I�ll be working for AUK all my life�. Now, I know what Camilla meant when she told us she was building her own diaspora. Once you get infected with the AUK spirit, even if you move thousands of miles away, you�ll never forget this place, and always want to contribute what you can to keeping the dream alive. So please, keep in touch, and feel free to contact me any time. Best of luck to everyone.

Love,

Deborah Eisenberg

Email: [email protected]

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The Com That Helps

NGO Administration Class Visits Rural NGOs

By Alla Naumova

Every one of us once in a while stumbles upon a small group of tattered Tajik kids shuttling in between the two buildings. What do you feel when your hand reluctantly heads for your wallet? Is it light discomfort? Confusion? Irritation? In my case feelings are rather controversial. I realize that my som won�t change anything. They insist. I give it to them. They ask for more. I pass by, while children asking for help stay back in the street. Don�t call me sentimental. You know how that feels.

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�� �� �� Sunday, April 22nd I got a chance to see more basic are needs, and how much help one som can turn out to be. A trip organized by Edna B. Elnar and Allan W. Wicker for their NGO Administration class gave students a chance to see what they learned in reality. Unfortunately, I was not lucky enough to have this class on my transcript this year, but you know those journalists, they get lots of fun for free.� We visited headquarters of �Alga� and �Sairon� NGOs in nearby villages, and a Civil Society Support Center in Kant. All of them are very young and were originally volunteer based. Those were people that had to start everything, including the education they needed to work in this area, from the very beginning. They did this in the middle of nowhere with nobody believing in the possibility of any change.

����������� The official mission of Rural Women�s NGO �Alga� is �to improve rural women�s status and standards of living through stimulation of women�s awareness of reality and to develop their capabilities of self actualization�. Sounds enthusiastic. I though �unrealistic� too, before visiting the greenhouse of a lady who was sponsored by NGO last year. Alone, with five kids, she got 3000 soms to start developing her kitchen and garden. She could not meet us herself, because she was out in the city selling milk bought from her neighbors. Can you call that �self � actualization�, probably. �One som� means different things for different people. Remember?�

The little calendars �Women against violence� distributed by NGO volunteers featured women as very fragile beings with delicate features and scared blue eyes. I personally would have changed the slogan stated to �Keep upright!� �Attention� or something of that sort. These young determined ladies that take their time from everyday domestic work to develop their community deserve human treatment not because of long eyelashes or subtle constitution. But, because they are human, which was well noted on the Amnesty International badges �Women�s rights = Human Rights�.� What is your most urgent financial concern? For an average AUKer it is a certain amount of dollars to pay for their education next year. What can he possibly do with one som? Well, fine: with three soms? Get an Orbit, a cup of tea?�� It�s no wonder that for some people three soms is one �lepyoshka� and the feeling of satisfaction for a few hours. Oh, I know, I hate being reminded about it myself. But just think: a few soms�

Although the program was very intense, we seized a minute to spare in the Tajik refugee�s community. Part of the group headed towards the �tandyr lepeshka�s� bakery led by that ever � recognizable smell, whereas others were left wandering around the crowd of Tajik children. I was stuck right in the middle when an old lady approached one of the �ALGA� NGO�s volunteers. She spoke Tajik, so that I got a chance to gaze without being paid attention to. Snow � white cover concealed her hair and shoulders. A colored ankle � long dress was a little tattered, but very neat and clean. �She had lost 5 members of the family during the war and on the way here. � I hear an interpreter. � She has one daughter, who does not work.�� Her face, all covered with wrinkles, was not that of a beggar. She was simply asking for help. And she was getting it, 600 soms for a few months. �����

The last stop on our way home was Epkin Village, where women gathered together to solve community problems such as buying seeds for the fields, and a new soccer ball for kids. After a long day in the bus it felt like the �Happy End� of a good movie. Women, traditionally rather passive in deciding for the community, were making real changes. Nevertheless, hospitality, as well as truly delicious plov, remained just the same as decades ago.� Most of us do not have a chance to touch the actual objects of our studies. The object studied in the NGO Administration class might seem more prosaic if compared to that of French poetry, but in practice it turns out even more striking. �It was one of the most interesting Sundays this year. �A great weekend.� � said Tamara Green, and I think I would join her on that.�� It can be still one som, but if it is given to the right people at the right moment. It can be the som that helps.

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The Year In Review

By John Atwood

� As I look through this years issues of The Star, I am reminded of what an eventful year we had at AUK. These changes forced us to grow and change. At times it seemed like we could change things for the better, at other times we had to fight to try and survive the latest crisis. Here is an inside look at what had to happen behind the scenes to make The Star a reality. We started off with Dr. Huwiler�s inauguration as the new president. Konstanine Sudakov and I started right off by trying to get the budget for the event which many people felt was to high. After playing submitting many requests to the administration we only got an unofficial estimate of the costs from Nikolay Gregoriyevich.

����������� The November issue of the paper was dedicated to the memory of Raushan Bulatova Hasanovna. Campaigns for the Student Senate were well underway with candidates� profiles. Coincidently those students who won were those who wrote the most for their profiles. Continuing with the election theme we reported on the recent presidential election from a student�s perspective. I added an editorial comparing Kyrgyzstan�s election to the US election. Little did I know,that soon the US would become the laughing stock of the world when the Florida vote count scandal broke. My comparison was more accurate then I had expected.

����������� AUK lost one of its most important lecturers when Tom Wood left Kyrgyzstan. Perhaps the biggest event of December happened after the issue was published. Students were very surprised to come back from their break and find out that Camilla had been appointed Minister of Education and Culture of the Kyrgyz Republic. We did publish a small article in the February issue, but by that time it was not really news.

����������� The February issue featured a profile of the Journalism department and the changes it was going to have to make. AUK�s staff members formed a union with the help of Bill Hansen, CEP lecturer. Most important for students, AUK got a grant for new computers. However, students were dismayed to find that most of them would be given to departments and teachers. The new semester brought registration headaches and curriculum changes in the ICP department. The Star informed its readers of both issues in a timely manner.

����������� March started like the calm before the storm. The issue started of with Dr. Huwiler�s First Six Month�s at AUK, profiling his achievements and plans. Page 2 carried an editorial entitled in CEP we trust. This piece came as a shock to many people. It raised issues that were still being settled in May. A small article in Russian tried to take some of the confusion out of the debate about the coming credit system. An Open Letter About The Credit System, by Madeline Reeves, overshadowed this article. Dr. Huwiler asked that we publish a special report about the credit system to answer some of the questions that Madeline raised. This report was published in a special rush issue, which also carried more voices on the CEP debate.

����������� April made us laugh with the April fool�s issue. The front-page article, Dr. Huwiler Spotted in the Cafeteria, provoked a wonderful response from the president. The next April issue carried a second page article about his lunch with the Star�s editor in the cafeteria.

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Possible Cafeteria� Changes

By Kadyr Toktogulov

The university's administration has been trying to solve the problems related to cafeteria. Therefore last week there was a meeting between the owner of Fatboy's Michael and the university's administration. Michael might rent the old building's cafeteria and run it. The administration hopes that it will improve the quality of food and service provided for students. The administration's main concern is prices that will be set if the cafeteria is taken over by Michael. As he is a businessman he will want to make money.

But if nobody buys anything from his cafeteria then he will have to either quit or lower the prices. So, it will be the students who will decide whether the cafeteria that might be run by Michael should exist or not.

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Congratulations to the AUK KVN team!!!

By Sasha Shpakova

���������� wpeA.jpg (15752 bytes) On Sunday night, May 13th, the Bishkek Sport Palace was bursting with applause and shouts for the AUK KVN team, which won 2nd place in the championship of the Higher KVN league for the year 2001.� Starting in September 2000 as a debutant team, AUK�s actors showed outstanding humor and acting skills. It is always hard to keep going after such a good start, but our team did not lose the drive and willingness to win. Rehearsing every day for more than 3 hours, starting one week before actual performance, working all together like one body, we made KVN not just an occasional event, but also a holiday and an enjoyable celebration for the whole University.

����������� At the performance our students showed a great contribution to the KVN. Our jokes were not just funny, but intellectual. State politics were rewarded with witty sarcasm and humor, however we successfully avoided plagiarizing the Russian KVN teams, while AUK�s opponents were using last year�s jokes. Maksat Tynaev and Dmitrii Polyakov, representing Lenin and Dzerzhinskyi using the cell phone during revolution, performed an enjoyable theme. All of us received and appreciated the warm gratitude of students and fans.

����������� Being a participant of the team, I saw the frustration, tears, anger, but also joy and love devoted to the performance by each member of the team. Hard work is always rewarded. It was a great pleasure to see more than 50 of our students in the audience cheering for us and truly enjoying the show. Thank you! Thank you to all of you: the Greatest AUK KVN team ever, our coach Nikolai Grigorievich Shulgin, Alevtina Vladislavovna, Oleg and all others who devoted time, patience, or just a good laugh and to those who came to celebrate with us.

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AUK Students Abroad

By Ilgyz Kambarov

This year AUK student have had unprecedented success in getting accepted to summer schools, colleges, and universities.

Graduate Students: Many graduate students are still waiting for replies from the schools they applied to. However, some of them were already accepted. Saltanat Berdikeeva (ICP197) was accepted to a number of universities: 1) University of Oxford, Exeter College, Master of Philosohy on Slavic and East European Studies field, 2) University of Manchester, MA in International Relations, and 3) University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies, MA in Central Politics. Like many other students, She is also going to The International Summer School in Prague. However, funding is still under the question, she said. Many students were accepted for summer schools, but the main problem of every student is a financial support and each of them is on seeking of money.

Sanjar Zikiriov (BA297) was admitted to a Chinese University. He has a full scholarship and will study there one academic year. Mirhhat Alykulov (BA199) easily passed all the requirements of the University of Japan, and left for Japan. He will study there for five years.� Medina Aytieva (SOC197) was admitted to Indiana University. She is waiting for answers from the AUK commission who decides whom to send to Indiana. � This year exchange programs accepted many students from different Universities of the Republic. The ACCELS program accepted 19 students from Kyrgyzstan. 15 will definitely go, and four other students are on the waiting list. Three students were accepted from AUK; Shair Juraev (ICP), Krupina Natalya (ICP), and Kumar Bekbolotov (ICP).

The Soros Foundation�s Program accepted four out of 95 students who applied from Kyrgyzstan: Three of those accepted are from AUK and one is from National University.� Toktogulov Kadyr (MM) will go to Ithaca College, Segeenkova Nastya (AAS) will go to Westminster College, and Kumar Bekbolotov (ICP) will go to the University of Richmond. Both Soros and ACCELS accepted Kumar. All of them are going for one academic year. Freshman students will get a host family. All others will live in a dorm. � Dmitry Daychman is glad and, as he says, �Who will win, who doesn�t compete.� He would be happy if more students would apply to Soros and win its awards.

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Open Doors Day Helps High School Students To Decide

By Konstantin Sudakov

Two eagles, the size of a tall human being were standing at the front entrance of AUK on May 17th.� AUK�s hymn was playing loudly in the cafeteria.� And about 300 young students from Bishkek and the region were going to the Conference Hall starting at around 5 p.m.� This is how the Open Doors Day started.

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����������� The Open Doors event is specifically for students who graduate from high schools and who are in search of a university suitable to their interests, career plans and ability to pay. � This tradition of holding the Open Doors Day began in 1994. Since 1997 this yearly event included a short performance by students.� The event is publicized through advertisements in the mass media of Bishkek.

����������� All the 11th graders from high schools were greeted and received a brochure about admissions at AUK on their way to CH. The ceremony had started at 5:30 p.m.� In order not to make it boring, the ceremony lasted only about 30 minutes.� This including speeches of the president of AUK, the vice-president, a student, and Deborah Eisenberg. The KVN team of AUK performed a small skit with two musical performances by Yulia Rutskaya and Igor Minenkov.� The show turned out to be interesting, informative, and bright. Larisa Michailovna, the director of the Admissions Office, spoke last, about general issues of admissions to AUK. � Several questions were asked, and then immediately all the prospective students spread out to different classrooms corresponding to the program of their interests.�

����������� Each department of AUK was assigned a classroom.� Two heads of the department had to be present at a classroom, and also several students from the department were there to assist them. � When students arrived at a classroom they were taken very good care of.� Many questions were asked directly to the head of the program, and the answers filled in many details.� Nevertheless, some prospective students still remained confused on the issue of our new credit-hours system, some did not understand some of the admissions requirements, but the rest of the students were pretty clear on most of the issues. � Many students expressed their gratitude for such an event to me personally.

����������� At the end of the Open Doors Day all the students were taken to different places at AUK, such as the main cafeteria, the computer labs, the library, etc.� When their tour was over, some of the eyes of the potential newcomers seemed to light up with the new idea. � We wish them that their dreams will come true and their goals will be achieved! � Whatever happens AUK will always be glad to see them studying here.

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By Tatiana Pesina

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SPORT NIKA 2001

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������ ��� ������ ��������� ���������� ����������� �SPORT NIKA 2001�, ��� �������� ������� ���������� ����� ����������� � ��� ���������� ��������. ����������� ��������� �� ����������: �����������, ������� ���������, ������ ���������, ������ ���������, ���������, ���������, ������������� ����������� �� ������ � �����. �������� �������� �������������, �������� ������ �������� �����. � ��� ���������.

����������: � ������� ��������� �� 70 ��� ��������� ���� �������� ������� (KS100), � ������ �������� (ECO 199) ������� � ���� ����� 70 ��. ������ ����������� ������� �������� ������ (AAS100),� � ������ ������������ � ������� ����������. � ������� ��������� ������� ������������ �����(LAW100). ������ ���������� ������� � �������. ����� ������ ���������� ��� ����� (PSY 100).

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Keep cool guys!

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Credit System Projections

Submitted by Shulgin Nikolay Grigorovich, Head of the Extracurricular Activities Department

I would like to say a few words about the result of the last registration for elective courses on sport and esthetical training. Of Service Department. Currently, there is barely 1/3 as many students registered for service courses this semester than last semester. The reasons are clear. With only 18-19 credits there is no time for elective courses that are not related to chosen majors and minors. I understand advisers and heads of the degree granting departments who are recommending students to avoid sport and esthetics classes for a while, as well as the students who want to take them. They ask me questions like: can�t we do anything?�

����������� I feel that this question in principle can be solved. Students that cannot imagine themselves without sports, music, theater, etc. may take these courses as an audit. This is not contrary to practiced customs. There is one other option. In the case of excellency and the agreement of the department head, students who will next year be sophomores, juniors or seniors may increase the number of credits they take to 24. Again I would like to emphasize the basic criteria here is excellence of the students and the agreement of the department head. The total number of the counted credits on sports and culture is remaining- 9 credit hours.

���������� I deeply believe that elective courses that I am talking about someday will be taken outside of the boarders of study programs. We will not make students chose between health and culture or knowledge. The head of the Service department, sports club, extracurricular department submitted their proposals to the administration of the AUK about it. They are hoping that the problem would be solved sooner or later.

������� We need sports teems and creative groups, which make a good image of the university. Nobody is against it. The problem is mechanism and the solution. For example, I do not know how attract the freshmen to sports and culture. They will probably be busy with required courses. But I hope that before registration in august this problem will be solved. I am an optimist. I believe that AUK is not only an academic institution, but it is also life style in which there is a space for studies, culture and sports. The sport teams and students who perform in extracurricular activities are the �business cards� of the university. I believe that all of us would like to have a nice �business card�!

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Nazgul Toktosunova, IR 197. Name and Position: Martha Merrill, Vice President for the Academic Affairs
Gemeni Horoscope Sign: Gemeni

Smily, happy, not a morning person, and food snob.

Describe yourself in 5 words: A non-Kyrgyz Kyrgyzstan-ophile.
The Kara-Balta hills made of uranium tailings. We were sleding there in winter and we used to gather apples around it during summer. What was the strangest place you have ever been to and why? Almost no place is strange if you make the effort to understand and to connect.

A happy mother of two children with a full time traveling career which has to do with environment or education.

Where do you plan to be in 10 years?� At AUK's fifteenth commencement.
To be a house wife. What is your worst nighmare? You mean that there are people at AUK who have time to sleep??
Travel the world and donate lots of it to scholarships for collage and graduate students. If I had a million dollars I would...� Set up an edowment for AUK.
Well, there must be something about me. Why do people like you? Because I answer Q&A on less than 24 hours' notice.
The best university for me. AUK is... Hope for future.
A mountain spring. Life is like... A candle, which may burn destructively, flicker out, or light others.
Took a taxi from Andijan to Osh when the Uzbekistan borders were closed. What is the hardest thing you have ever done? Leaving my friends in Kyrgyzstan.
Corruption. What do you like to destroy? Dualistic thinking.
What is haggis and why is The Star like one?

The Star is a concentration of all university news and all students and I just cannot see how The Star can be compared to a funny British sausage.

Q from the last interviewee: What would you give up last?

Striving to understand.

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Editor-in-chief: John� Atwood

Photographer, Layout:: Anisa Afshar

Web Manager: Anisa Afshar & Ahoura Afshar

Staff who contributed to this issue: Tatiana Pesina,� Anton Klyuchin, Fatima Gayazova, Medina Aidarova, Alevtina Naumova, Saodat Asanova, Galina Kravchenko, Kadyr Toktogolov, Roman Yumatov, Lola Ibragimova, Alexandra Shpakova, Konstantin Sudakov, Ahoura Afshar.

Advisers: Evangelia Papoutsaki, Deborah Eisenberg

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