The Worthington ALC Insider
Volume 1, Issue 8 January 16, 2004
Gambella massacre concerns local Sudanese residents By Chol Opiew Ethiopian government troops massacred more than 416 people in the Gambella province of Ethiopia, according to reports by Genocide Watch. Troops went door to door looking for male children five years old and older. Those murdered were part of the Anuak ethnic group. Arrests and disappearances of Anuak have regularly occurred over the last year. Genocide Watch says that those targeted have been educated Anuak men, a tactic intended to make the group leaderless and defenseless. The situation in Gambella gets worse everyday.	Sudanese residents in the Worthington area have been extremely concerned. Most local Sudanese are themselves Anuak. Many have family members among those reported killed or missing. The unrest has prompted thousands of Anuak to flee into Sudan. According to the Voice of America, Okelo Akuai, Gambella provincial president, has also disappeared. People don’t know where he went. Many think he may have been killed by the government. Akuai is himself an Anuak. Some humanitarian workers speculate that he may have fled with other Anuak into Sudan. According to reports, Ethiopian government troops have surrounded major cities in the Gambella region. One those cities is Itang. Itang is in the northeast of Gambella. Gambella became a part of Ethiopia in1958. The Anuak people of Gambella have historically had close ties to Anuak people in Sudan and have had little in common with the military government of Ethiopia. Anuaks are the dominant group in Southern Sudan. Genocide Watch has accused the Ethiopian government of trying to drive Anuaks from the Gambella region because oil was recently discovered in their lands. (Continued on page 2)

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Anuak refugees fleeing Ethiopia	(Gambella massacre continued from page 1) The Ethiopian government was quick to blame the recent murders on another ethnic group in Gambella province known as the Nuer. However, Voice of America says the Ethiopian government reports are false. Both the Voice of America and Genocide Watch blame Ethiopian troops for the killings. The U.S. State Department has lodged formal protests with the Ethiopian military government on behalf of the Anuak.
Bush plan a plus for local Hispanics By: Patricia Velasco Cerda President George Bush made a new proposal to Congress that will benefit the Hispanic community in a big way. The plan would allow undocumented workers already in the United States to apply for temporary work status for up to 6 years. The workers would get the same benefits that legal worker here get. If they can prove that they can support a family without government help, they could apply and be able to bring their families to the U.S. These workers would also be able to travel to their homeland and back without problems. They could also apply for green cards and be able to become permanent residents if they wanted to. Continued à	In my opinion, this proposal has a lot of good things for people that are in the country without documentation and want to work and stay here. They would be able to get a permit to work and not be afraid of being deported. They could also go back to their home country whenever they wanted. On the other hand, the permits the Bush plan would give to people not currently living in the U.S. are not that good. They want to give people from other countries the opportunity to work here without an opportunity for permanent residence. In my opinion, if they come and work here for a long time – and pay taxes for a long time – they should be able to become residents. Bush’s proposal is important for the Hispanic community, and if it’s approved, it will benefit a lot of people. Let’s just hope that the Congress approves it, and gives people who need a chance for a better life an opportunity.

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Those awful Canadians By Eddie Torres President Bush made a proposal that has pleased many Hispanics in the United States. Bush wants to give amnesty to undocumented aliens who have been living and working in this country. The usual crowd is up in arms about Bush’s proposal. You know who I mean… the folks who are always griping about “those damn Mexicans.” Forget for a moment that the oldest two cities in the United States – Saint Augustine, Florida and Santa Fe, New Mexico, were originally Spanish-speaking settlements. Forget also that fully one fourth of the present-day United States once belonged to Mexico. Forget all of that. I happen to be one of “those damn Mexican.” But when you look at me, you can at least tell that I am one. It’s that other group of immigrants I’m concerned about. Who am I talking about? Why, those awful Canadians, of course. When you look at them, you can’t even tell they’re Canadian. They walk among us. Game Show host Alex Trebec, actors Mike Myers and Michael J. Fox, T.V. newsman Peter Jennings, former Vikings coach Bud Grant. They are all Canadians, but can you tell by looking at them? And how about those Canadian teachers in our schools who à

teach kids to spell color colour, and center centre? Did you know that Canada has become the second largest country in the world? Or that 90% of Canadians live within 100 miles of the United States – the largest undefended border in the world? When Saddam Hussein amassed his forces along his southern border, the result was the surprise invasion of Kuwait. Are the Canadians planning to invade us? Everyone in the United Sates enjoys Mexican and Asian food. Nearly all popular music has its roots in Africa. Hispanic, Asian and African immigrants have made big contributions to American culture. But what about the Canadians? Ever hear of “Canadian Food”? What, like putting mayonnaise on French fries? Even Canadian bacon is plain, ordinary ham. Everyone knows that! Ever hear of Canadian music? Like Anne Murray? Get real! Let’s get off the case of “those damn Mexicans” and start focusing on the real immigration threat, those awful Canadians to the north. Perhaps we should invade them. After all, as a Canadian would say, the best defence is a good offence.

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Film Reviews By Sara Schirmacher

Lord of the Rings:

Return of the King

On December 17, 2003, the final chapter of the Lord of the Rings opened in all theaters. On that weekend I went to see it. I was excited to see it because I enjoyed the first two chapters, and the second one left you with a blank state of mind because it didn’t show what happened at the end. It was just a continuation. So I had to see the last one and see if it was just as good as the first two.

The last chapter shows Frodo & Sam still struggling to destroy the ring and save the middle earth. The movie makes you wonder what is going to happen next. I don’t want to say too much about the last chapter because if you haven’t seen it, I don’t want to give away all the details.

If you haven’t seen the first two chapters, I encourage you to see them before you see the last chapter. You don’t want to see the last chapter without seeing the first ones because you just won’t really know what is going on.

All I have to say is everyone who hasn’t seen it needs to go see it. If not in theaters, get it when it comes out on video or DVD. It is an exciting and fascinating movie. I encourage everyone to see it!

The mysterious marriage of Britney Spears

By Matthew Lambert

Britney Spears couldn’t be more mysterious than during her two-day marriage with an old childhood friend Jason Alexander. The marriage lasted 55 hours, which to me made no sense (like everything elseJ).

Britney was granted an annulment after telling a Las Vegas judge that she and Jason were “incompatible”. Representatives for Spears stated that the marriage was a “joke” that went to far.

Wedding chapel owner Charlotte Richards and one of the ministers said the two were soberL when being married. Nothing I read made much sense but as long as Britney is having fun marrying and having annulments, she can do what she wants to do and I could care lessJ.

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Mad cow disease: Is the danger real? By:Jason Paplow Since one cow was found to have MCD (Mad Cow Disease) late last December, people have been afraid to eat beef. Some say it is safe to eat beef while others say it is not. Scientist Dr. Ron Dehaven, USDA’s Chief Veterinarian said, “The US has every reason to feel confident in eating US beef.” David Ropeik of the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis says that the risk is “as close to zero as you can get.” Dr. Ken Petersen of the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service asserts, “Clinical studies tell us there’s virtually zero risk.” The chances of any one person getting the disease is about the same as winning the lottery and getting struck by lightning in the same day. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk of contracting the disease from eating beef and beef products, even when infected cows are in the food supply, “appears to be extremely small, perhaps about one case per 10 billion servings.”	Mad cows and the local economy By Phonekham Souphommanichanh The latest disease is called “Mad Cow Disease.” The first case in the U.S. tested positive last month in Washington State. People around the nation now are scared to eat beef because they are scared they will catch the disease. Because people are afraid to eat beef, companies that run the beef packing plants are in a serious situation. John Morrell & Co. in Sioux Falls and PM in Windom and other beef companies are affected. These companies might be forced to lay off workers and that might hurt our local economies. Workers in Windom were recently laid off lay off because of mad cow disease fears. Ironically, this might help Swift & Co. in Worthington because concern over mad cow disease might make people want to eat pork or something else instead of beef.
A man went into a restaurant with his wife. The waiter asked for their order. "I'll have the biggest, juiciest steak that you have," said the man. "But sir, what about the mad cow?" responded the waiter. "Don’t worry,” said the man, "She'll order for herself."

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A graduate expresses thanks for schools By Ajulo Othow I would like to thank the Worthington public school system for what they have done for me.      I am a refugee from the war-torn southern part of Sudan.  I came to Worthington in 1999.  I spoke very little English at that time.      I began attending English classes with District 518 Adult Education at the Prairie Lakes Center.  I attended English classes at Adult Ed. for six months.     My teacher recommended that I go to the Worthington ALC.  She told me that I could learn more English, take other classes such as math, science and social studies, and eventually earn a high school diploma.  I began studying at the ALC in 2000.      I am graduating today, January 16, 2004.  I plan to attend Certified Nursing Assistant (CAN) classes at Minnesota West here in Worthington.  I hope to eventually earn a nursing degree.      I want to thank everyone in this community for supporting the public schools.  Public education has helped me improve my life.  I hope that the community will continue to support our schools so that others like me can realize their dreams.

Fast food in America By Sara Schirmacher Today, more than ever, you see people going out to eat rather than staying at home and enjoying a nice meal with their family. Many people go eat at places like McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut, etc., and they never think about what they are eating or how much fat, calories, and carbs are in their food. A lot of Americans you see today are overweight, obese, or just fattening up. A reason for this is because of the fast food world. No one has time to go home and cook, either because they work or they are just too busy. A lot of teenagers don’t like to stay home with their families and eat because they would rather go eat with friends. Some restaurants are concerned about their customers, and think they should know even how much stuff they intake. According to the Associated Press, posters and brochures displayed in NY restaurants tell customers how to modify McDonald’s existing menus to reduce the intake of fat. I think it is not the fast food industry to blame for people who get fat or become obese. It is the people’s fault for simply eating too much. I myself go out to eat a lot and know that most of what I eat is fattening. I believe everyone knows that as well. We can’t put the blame for our behavior on the fast food industry.

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