On November 15 we held a fundraiser with a panel of professors on “The Human Cost of War.” We played a clip of the No More Victims video and then allowed each of the four professors to comment on the video and on the human cost of the war. The program created an environment where students and faculty could consider the war in a more total sense and ask difficult questions. Maha’s story was explained to the students, and we were able to raise money towards the purchase of her wheelchair. We also had free shawarmas and other Middle Eastern food that served as an incentive for students to initially attend the lecture.

Omar and his father Sabah were able to attend the program. Students loved playing with Omar and everyone was shocked to see the burns that still cover much of his body —realizing how real and pressing the cost of war truly is.

Overall, the program was a success. Although the program started at 7 pm, some students stayed until past 9:30 pm talking to the professors and thinking of ideas. The event served as an intellectual forum to discuss ideas that are often not considered in common media and in the classroom. Students were thankful for the event and were thankful that they could see a glimpse of information that is ordinarily difficult to find in the popular media.