In this photo taken on Aug. 24, a Syrian army soldier walks on a street in the Jobar neighborhood of Damascus, Syria
BEYOND THE HEADLINE
Sami and Sali used to feel safe in Syria. Now, they can hear the civil war from their window.
JENNIFER SALVA
isalva@kansan.com
Sila's favorite memory of her home in Syria is sneaking out of her bedroom to play ball with her brother, Sami, when their parents thought they were studying.
Sami and Sila Shalhoub fondly remember playing sports together and going to church camp with their friends in Syria. "I loved growing up there, I mean, I wouldn't trade it for anything," Sami said. "It's a really cool environment to live in because everybody will protect you."
Sami and Sila also remember the bomb that exploded just two blocks from their home in the nation's capital city of Damascus. The siblings were home visiting their family for Christmas in 2011. Sila was staying at a friend's house and remembers waking up on Christmas Eve to the sound of the explosion. Sami had driven down the road where the explosion occurred just two hours earlier. At first, Sami thought it was a thunderstorm. "I opened up the blinds and it was clear," Sami said. "We heard another explosion and then, you can see it from my window: there was a lot of smoke." Sami remembers checking Facebook for information about what was happening. "I don't remember any news program," Sami said. He could see the violence from his house.
EMIGRATING
Sami came to the United States in 2005, at the age of 17, to study biomedical engineering at Louisiana Tech University. In 2009, he moved to Lawrence for graduate school. Sila came directly to the University from Syria to study Pharmacy in 2009, and the siblings have shared an apartment since.
"Especially since I came to a country that I didn't know anything about and I could barely speak the language, it's pretty hard," Sila said. "So, I'd rather always have my brother with me." Sami and Sila first heard of the violence in Syria in March 2011, when they were at a Kansas basketball game in Tulsa, Okla. "I didn't believe it," Sami said. "I mean I still kind of don't. When I lived in Syria for 17 years, it was always like the safest place in the Middle East." In June 2012, while Sami and his sister were both studying at the University, their parents decided it was too dangerous to stay in Damascus. They moved to the United States for six months, then spent six months in Lebanon. They return to Damascus as often as possible to make sure their house is OK, Sami said. Sami and Sila have several rela-
tives who have fled to Jordan, Lebanon and other countries in the Persian Gulf to escape the violence. Sami said it's difficult for people to leave their homes in Syria, especially people like his grandmother. "Older people just want to be in their house, what they're used to," Sami said.
"When I lived in Syria for 17 years, it was always like the safest place in the Middle East."
WHAT'S HAPPENING
since March 2011, civil war between the government of President Bashar al-Assad and rebel forces that want him out of power has engulfed Syria. Once-peaceful protests for democracy and greater freedom turned violent as government security shot at protesters in Daraa, a city about
70 miles south of Damascus. Before the attacks, Sami said, the streets of Damascus were safe even at three or four in the morning. But now, his friends who still live in or around Damascus go home when the sun sets. "The shootings start around that
SAMI SHALHOUB graduate student
"The shootings start around that
time," Sami said.
time, sami sami
Sami understands how significant that violence can be;
a loose canon killed a couple of his friends when it fell on their car.
The Syrian government has officially denied
use of chemical weapons, but investigations are still underway. Sami does not care which side used the weapons. "It doesn't matter who did it, still innocent people are dying and that's the bigger part of the problem," Sami said. Before the violence, it took about 15 minutes for Sila to travel from her best friend's house to her grandmother's home. When she visited Damascus one month ago, the government had added three checkpoints to the route,
use of chemical weapons, but investigations are still under way.
making her "quick trip" nearly 45 minutes. Although she can hear gunshots through her windows at night, Sila still describes going home as "the best feeling ever." "Whatever happens to me, at least I'm home. At least I'm in my country," Sila said.
MISUNDERSTOOD
The night is really not what is showed in the media." Sami said. "To get what is actually happening, you have to look at more than just the news of just big newspapers." Sila agrees that the media can be misleading. All of her information comes from friends, family and her personal experience. She can recall several times when a news broadcast reported gunshots or a bomb explosion in the exact part of the city where one of her friends lives. When she called that friend to make sure everything was OK, her friend would tell her nothing had happened. Many Syrians still support Assad's regime, Sami and Sila said, and there wouldn't be a war if everyone were against him. The regime loves its people and did much to improve Syria, Sila said. Sami said he wants the violence
Sami said he wants the violence to stop, but does not think it will
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Sila and Sami Shalhhoub on their way to a family dinner in Lawrence in July of 2012.
end with a government step down.
"I feel like it's not a fight about one person or one religion," Sami said. "It's a fight for power."
It isn't easy for Sami and Sila to talk about the violence in Syria. They want people to know the safe, beautiful Syria they grew up in.
"I just feel like this is not what Syria is about," Sami said. "It's more than that, it's really one of the nicest places in the whole world."
Edited by Tara Bryant
LAWRENCE
City offers football game day shuttle service
CALEB SISK
csisk@kansan.com
The start of football season is fast approaching, which means that a number of traditions are set to be celebrated by students. Tailgating activities around town will kick off as alumni come into town only to find that there is nowhere to park. In an effort to alleviate this yearly headache, the City of Lawrence will offer a shuttle bus service to all seven home football games
this season for a paltry fee of $1. Students and alumni will be able to park downtown, partake in the local restaurant and bar scene, and then safely make their way to the game on the shuttle. A number of local businesses are likely to see a spike in business on game days with these alumni parking downstreet. While more popular businesses are likely to see a boost in business regardless of the shuttle service, some smaller businesses will definitely benefit
from the increased foot traffic.
This service will be a welcome reprieve for alumni who are used to coming into town and paying $25 for a parking spot at a residence in the shadow of Memorial Stadium. On the other side of this story are the students and landlords that had planned on making money selling their parking spaces to out-of-towners.
"This service will probably take a lot of the customers that normally park in this area," said Alec Shandy,
from the increased foot traffic.
a student living in the 10th block of Illinois Street. These tenants and landlords are likely to see a sharp decrease in sales and perhaps even have to consider lowering their fees. Despite the potential drop-off in parking around the stadium, this service is definitely in the best interests of the safety and well-being of students and alumni.
FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
Edited by Heather Nelson
A Park and Ride bus pulls up to a stop at the parking lot on west campus. Football fans can ride the new shuttle from downtown to Memorial Stadium for $1 on game days.
Index CLASSIFIEDS 2B CRYPTOQUIPS 5A CROSSWORD 5A OPINION 4A
All contents, unless stated otherwise; © 2013 The University Daily Kansan
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