For Jenn Buck, traveling in the Middle East is nothing new. Buck, staff reporter and photographer for The Dartmouth, grew up in the desert of Saudi Arabia.
Buck, a part-time graduate student, spent most of her childhood abroad, following her parents' careers teaching English. Born in India, she lived in Saudi Arabia until the age of five.
Flying directly into a conflict zone armed only with a camera and a palmtop computer, however, is something new for even her.
While writing a story for The Dartmouth earlier in the winter on alumni in Afghanistan and Iraq, Buck had the opportunity to interview Lt. Col. James Bullion '78 Tu '82, who was stationed in Irbil, Iraq, at the time.
Bullion told Buck that part of his work in Iraq has "involved finding ways to educate the populace about democracy - by teaching seminars at the universities, holding public forums and press conferences, and publishing a semi-monthly newspaper, The Sun," he told The Dartmouth.
Bullion told Buck that his latest project entailed helping a group of university students from Salahaddin University in Irbil who are trying to launch an independent campus newspaper.
This, he said, was an important step forward for democracy in Iraq, as virtually all media outlets are controlled by political factions.
Bullion told Buck that he pointed them to The Dartmouth's website as a model, but would love to share some samples with them.
The newspaper is to be called "Perspective." Bullion told Buck that the students would benefit from receiving some actual copies of The Dartmouth for referencing, and Buck agreed.
Their relationship stemmed from there. At first the plan was for Buck to send Bullion some copies of The Dartmouth and some general journalistic advice, but as their conversation developed across the Atlantic, it became clear to Buck that the best way to help would be to fly to Iraq.
"The turning point for me was seeing Sean Mann ['05]'s presentation on his work in the West Bank. I came back to the office, wrote the article, and then wrote up a proposal. I wanted to go to the Middle East," said Buck.
"I have always wanted to go back, and when I covered the Al-Jazeera story [ earlier in the term], I got really interested in journalism in the Middle East. It just seemed abstract at the time. Then I realized -- I really can go, if I want. When Megh Duwadi [president of The Dartmouth] agreed, I thought, 'I'm going to make this happen.'"
However, planning the trip has certainly produced some bumps along the way.
The first hurdle Buck would encounter was finding out that there are currently no commercial airlines flying into conflict-ridden Iraq.
"One of the problems with flying into Iraq is that terrorists are targeting non-military aircraft at this point. Many NGO and relief workers have been hurt in attacks. It seems they don't care whom they hit, as long as they're foreign," said Buck.
She pointed out the flight patterns aircraft must take to land in Baghdad.
"They have to fly in in a spiral pattern to avoid encountering fire," she said.
With Bullion's help, Buck found a non-profit, non-governmental airline called Air Serv to fly her into Irbil from Tel Aviv, Israel,where she is due to first arrive in the region.
Air Serv is known for providing safe, reliable and cost-effective air transport to humanitarian agencies involved in relief and development activities, according to their website. They are one of the only air carriers flying relief workers into many conflict zones -- including Iraq -- at this time.
Buck also addressed the financial challenges of organizing this trip.
"So far, Stuart Lord at the Tucker Foundation has been wonderful; he was able to get me a plane ticket to Tel Aviv!"
"Oscar Romero at the Camera Shop of Hanover has also been very helpful. He spent lots of time with me, and helped me get set up with a new camera and all the supplies I need," Buck added.
But where will she live while she's there?
"I don't know where I'm staying. I'm hoping to maybe stay with some students at the university," she said, laughing.
With so few connections in Iraq, and so much planning left up in the air, one would think that Buck would be worried. She says she isn't scared, though.
"Any person at home here who asks me if I'm frightened, I tell them 'Don't be scared for me; I'll only be there three weeks. Be scared for the people who have to live there every day.' I'm just one person," Buck said.
"Sure, I could get hurt, but what's the alternative? Sit here in comfortable Hanover and ignore the conflicts abroad?"
However, Buck isn't going into the situation completely blind. She is being very careful to do everything possible to assimilate to the culture.
"One of the things I've been told is to try to avoid being visibly associated with the military because it can make you more of a target. I've been told to make it clear that I am a civilian and a humanitarian worker ... though [humanitarian groups] have been targeted too, so I don't know what the best thing is."
As for how much she actually expects to accomplish with the student-run newspaper, Buck's ambitions are focused and her hopes are high.
"I actually think there's a good chance we'll get a lot done," she said. " The students there seem really enthusiastic about it."
Buck added, "I think the most important thing we'll be able to do is to connect and bond -- to share our experiences and set up a partnership that can last a long time, not just these two weeks."
