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Show i Friday. Sept. 5, 2008 StatesmanCampus News Page 3 Speaker invites all to explore culture Briefs Campus & Community This inspiration is what helped Wells to begin the work that she is doing currently and has done in the recent past. She said she is translating these black spirituals into Japanese so that people from Keiko Wells, a scholar and folklorist from her native country can learn more of American culRitsmueikan University in Kyoto, Japan, was the ture and hopefully enjoy these songs on the same chiefspeakerfcrthe level that she does. She says there is a lot of confuDepartment of English sion pertaining to black spirituals in Japan. Speakers Series 2008 "Many people in my country think that on Wednesday Sept. 'Amazing Grace' was written by a black man, when 3. She is visiting the it was really written by a White Englishman (John United States for two Newton)," Wells said. weeks and was asked by She then said many Japanese don't understand the department head to there is a difference in the songs based on region present her recent work, and time. Many songs during the civil war were What I See in America sung by slaves about obtaining freedom, however through the Study of after that period many songs were jubilant. Black Spirituals, said Wells said she commenced her publications Wells. by researching through a sociological/historical Wells became interWELLS approach by reading many anthologies that contain ested in American culture lyrics to the songs that black Americans sang. She at a young age. also took a musical approach in her research by lis"I really liked cowboys," Wells said. As she continued her education she found a pas- tening to the most dated black spirituals. Wells highlighted two men that helped to presion for American folklore with particular attention serve Black Spirituals and the culture within them, to black spirituals. Black Spirituals are songs sung George White and William Frances Allen. by African-Americans, not to be confused with White is known for taking black spirituals gospel music. Black spirituals are songs most comand refining and rearranging them to make them monly sung by black slaves during and prior to the more marketable. He formed a choir with eight Civil War era. of his Black students in the early 1900s called Wells told the group of students and teachers on the Fisk Jubilee Singers. This group became Wednesday that she can't understand deep southworld-renowned and was most famous for singern accents and would require an assistant to help ing a famous black spiritual, "Swing Low, Sweet her communicate. Chariot." "I can't understand them, can you?" Wells said. Allen is noted for being a member of the Freed When asked how she can be interested in a Man's Aid Commission and published one of the genre that she can't understand, Wells would said most important black spiritual anthologies in histhat it is the power behind the words. Wells said tory called "Slave Songs." His goal was to integrate she enjoys to listen to the music and to read the these Black Spirituals into Western American words because she has found them to be very inspiculture by expressing the powerful lyrics that he rational. collected and published, Wells said. Wells credits By BECKA TURNER stoff writer these men with modern culture having access to black spirituals today. She said they understood the importance of understanding this culture and the depth and meaning behind these songs. By translating these songs into Japanese, Wells said she hopes to bring an understanding of American life to her native people and to connect two very different cultures. Wells went on to discuss some of the meanings behind the songs. One example she gave was that in many songs the singer refers to himself as sinner. The word "sinner" gives the song depth by evoking fear that "runs through their body like blood and covers the universe-it is their identity," Wells said. This fear is oftentimes related to the slave life that many of the singers lead, she said, a life that for many was filled with abuse. Many slaves were taught prejudiced ideas from the time of their birth, being isolated from the outside world, they learned to hate themselves, she said. These songs, these black spirituals, helped the African-American slaves to cope with the conditions they lived in. Wells said the relationship to song to the conditions in which the slaves lived, asking why someone would sing when their life was in danger. The answer, she said, is reflected in the resilience of the human soul, which has motivated her to continue sharing black spiritual culture. Because of the experiences the slaves had, she said, their music is richer. "The values of anyone who survived this pain is extremely valuable," she said. Wells was one of many speakers to come that will be presenting during the Department of English Speakers Series this year on campus. This series was developed to promote arts and humanities in students', as well as the publics', lives. The series features a variety of speakers ranging from folklorist Wells, to creative writer Brandon Schrand, to some of USU's own faculty. -beck.turner@aggiemail.usu.edu Motorcycles: Campus lacks enough parking spaces 9 continuedfrom page 1 motorcycle parking spots this year, in six different parking lots, in response to the increased use of motor bikes on campus, and are also looking into adding more temporary motorcycle parking stalls. "They have done pretty good with parking in front of the Technology building, they have added a lot, but if you go down to the Natural Resources building, there is no parking," Turner said. "You have to show up at 7:30 to get a spot." Nye said parking is always looking at changing things, particularly with temporary motorcycle parking stalls. "The hard thing with additional motorcycle parking is that from November to March and April, we need vehicle stalls, so that's why we do a lot with the temporary stalls, because come November, everyone will say there isn't enough parking stalls," Nye said. In addition to temporary parking solutions, Lisa Leishman, director for USU Parking and Transportation, said parking has allowed USU faculty and staff to put a hologram sticker on thei" permits, which helps differnetiate between faculty and staff motorcycles and student motorcycles. "This helps because it takes faculty and staff out of those motorcycle spots, making them available to students," Leishman said. While changes have been made, Chappell said he still struggles to find parking spots for his motorcycle. "If I can't find a spot I go park at the toaster church, or you can park in the overflow at the stadium and ride the bus up, but it's really frustrating when I have paid for a pass and there aren't any spots," Chappell said. Leishman said students can park in the stadium in any regular parking space if they have purchased a $20 motorcycle parking pass. "It's a big university. We should be able to park on campus or close to campus, we shouldn't have to waste time finding a parking spot, or riding the shuttles," Chappell said. "I think if you pay for a parking pass, you should be able to have somewhere to park, and not have to wonder if you have a parking spot for a pass you paid for." Leishman said students can talk to anyone at parking if they have questions, or would like to know more about motorcycle parking options. The Parking and Transportation offices are located just north of the Student Wellness Center and share a building with Campus Police. USU IS LOW O N motorcycle parking while the weath- -lindsay.anderson@aggiemail.usu.edu er is warm, said James Nye, assitant director of USU parking. CAMERON PETERSON photo Abu Ghraib prison to become a museum BAGHDAD (AP) - The notorious Abu Ghraib prison is getting a facelift: work to reopen the facility and construct a museum documenting Saddam Hussein's crimes - but not the abuses committed there by U.S. guards. The sprawling complex, which has not held prisoners since 2006, will be refurbished with the goal of taking new inmates in about a year, the government said Thursday. Also, a section of the 280-acre site just west of Baghdad will be converted into the museum featuring execution chamber exhibits and other displays of torture tools used by Saddam's regime - including an iron chain used to tie prisoners together. But Iraq's predominantly Shiite government has PART OF THE ABU GHRAIB prison wilt be converted to a musuem documenting Saddam Hussein's crimes. AP photo no plans to document the U.S. military abuse scandal that erupted in 2004 with the publication of photographs that shocked the world: grinning U.S. soldiers mistreating Iraqi prisoners, some naked, being held on leashes or in painful and sexually humiliating positions. Iraq's deputy justice minister, Busho Ibrahim, told The Associated Press that the American brutality was "nothing" compared with the violence and atrocities of Saddam and his Sunni-dominated Baath party. "There is evidence of the crimes (Saddam committed) such as the hooks used to dangle prisoners, tools used to beat and torture prisoners and ... the execution chambers in which 50 or 100 people were killed at once," he said. The government's announcement did not detail the full scope of the refurbishing work and didn't say whether the museum would be open to the public. Ibrahim did not offer any further information on the plans. It's also unclear whether Sunni groups and others will attempt to press for the U.S. abuses to be added by the government, which is keen to highlight Saddam's heavy hand but could be wary of upsetting its allies in Washington. Nevertheless, the 4-decade-old prison is now best known as the setting for one of America's lowest moments of the war. The photos from Abu Ghraib brought another serious stain to America's reputation after worldwide protests against the March 2003 invasion. They also discredited Washington's claims that it was trying to build a country based on rule of law and respect for human rights on the wreckage of dictatorship. In all, 11 U.S. soldiers were convicted of breaking military laws andfiveothers were disciplined. But for Iraqis, stories of mistreatment at Abu Ghraib were nothing new. It had long been a symbol of horror and despair. The gray, stonewalled prison was one of the darkest symbols of Saddam's regime - a place where people only suspected of plotting against him would disappear, be tortured and executed without trial. Former inmates have told of chemical and biological weapons experiments on prisoners, and the execution of hundreds in the 1990s as part of a campaign by Saddam's son, Qusai, to ease crowding. Others have spoken of tiny isolation cells where political detainees were kept for up to a year without seeing a single person. Several former prisoners later testified during Saddam's trial about torture at Abu Ghraib. The deposed leader was convicted and hanged in 2006 for ordering the killings of more than 140 Shiite Muslims. No one ever knew how many prisoners Abu Ghraib held during Saddam's era. In the early 1990s, however, tens of thousands of people would gather outside the walls each week to visit inmates. Shortly before the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion, Saddam released thousands of inmates from the facility, including murderers, rapists and thieves. Many of them were believed to have returned to crime or joined the insurgency after the regime collapsed. President Bush offered to tear down the prison after the American abuse scandal broke. Bush promised to build a new prison "as a fitting symbol of Iraq's new beginning" and to eliminate the legacy of torture and abuse. But Iraqi officials reminded the Americans that the prison was, after all, Iraqi government property. Destroying it would be a needless waste of resources, the government said. The Iraqi government took final control of Abu Ghraib in September 2006 after the last of the inmates had been transferred to other prisons. In addition to adding the museum, the government plans to rehabilitate the prison's main building, outer fence and two dozen prison towers. Meanwhile, in eastern Baghdad on Thursday, a roadside bomb killed two American soldiers, the U.S. military said; The casualties were the first suffered by the American military in the capital since Aug. 28, when a soldier was killed in a roadside bombing. Volunteers needed for Sept.fielddays Like getting wet and playing in the water? Want to gain experience working with children? Utah State University Water Quality Extension seeks volunteers to teach fourth graders about water quality and water bugs. Volunteers are needed to lead activities for Natural Resources Field Days Sept. 3-12 in Logan Canyon. Participants can sign up to volunteer in two-hour blocks from 9:45-11:45 a.m. or from 12:05-2:05 p.m. Lunch is provided. Volunteers will receive training to lead children in hands-on activities to learn about water quality and aquatic macroinvertebrates living in local waters. The training session is Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 4 p.m. in the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Auditorium. Heritage Center lacks off fall events The American West Heritage Center in Wellsville, Utah, a nonprofit organization devoted to celebrating and exploring our area's heritage, is once again putting on a slough of activities for the Fall and Halloween season. Kicking off its events is the beloved Fall Harvest Festival, one of Utah's favorite events of the season. The festival runs on two consecutive Saturdays: Sept. 20 and Sept. 27 and features old fashioned rides and pony rides, old time kids' carnival games, the 8th annual Old Time Heritage Fiddle Contest on Sept. 20 and the 2nd annual Folk Band Battle on the 27. Heritage harvest activities include threshing with the old steam machinery, corn shelling, and other exciting demonstrations (one of the most popular crafts to make is the corn cob darts, made after shelling). One of the Heritage Center's favorite machines is the old thresher, steam driven this year by the steam tractor which once again runs and toots is welcoming whistle throughout the day. Antique tractors and machines will make an appearance this year, too. "This is always one of our favorite events of the year," said David Sidwell, program director. "We love the harvest time of year, and we do so many fun activities that we ourselves love doing so much. It's a good thing." USU sustainability gets new Web site Global climate change. Managing water to supply increasingly thirsty communities. Utah's worsening air pollution. Taken together, these issues seem overwhelming yet Aggies are banding together to seek practical solutions. USU's council, comprised of students, faculty and staff, has accepted the challenge and is developing action plans and strategies to achieve the commitment's goal. Among these is the launch of a new Web site to provide Aggies with ideas, inform them of sustainability activities and events and create a conduit for action. "We're particularly excited about the design, which is meant to provide practical information as well as inspire involvement," Guth says. One innovation is the creation of a sustainability wiki to encourage Aggies to connect with each other and share their ideas. The Web site also urges Aggies to "take the challenge" by signing the USU Sustainability Pledge. The site provides a wide range of ways individuals can reduce their impacts on the environment and shrink Utah State's carbon footprint. Ideas range from drinking local water and walking more to buying and using less. "The personal choices we make every day affect our air, our water, the animals and plants around us and the other people who share the planet with us," Frazer says. "I sometimes wonder when I go to bed at night just what future generations will thank us for. I also woriry der if there are some things they, might not forgive us for." [•Compiled from staff and media reports |