Former First Lady of Yugoslavia Dies

Zeitoun

If you wanted to know what conditions are like at refugee camps in countries where war is prevalent, look no further than the graphic, yet poetic descriptions in “Zeitoun.”

Author Dave Eggers chronicles the life of one Syrian-American construction worker with the heart of gold as he stays behind in New Orleans to salvage his house, business and properties during Hurricane Katrina.

The lead character, Abdulrahman Zeitoun is Muslim. His wife Kathy, after a failed marriage, converted to Islam. Their faith and relationship give a glimpse into what kind of life they lead, a happy, pure and understanding life, but one where their faith is the cause of concern; in their business and with Kathy’s family.

The stage is set just days before Hurricane Katrina hits. Everyone else is in panic, including Kathy, but Zeitoun doesn’t seem phased by it. Kathy and their four children leave, but Zeitoun, to the dismay of Kathy, decides to stay and look after their properties.

As the storm comes, Zeitoun, an established construction worker is able to salvage most of the valuables in his house. Only about a foot of water encompasses the city, and slowly drains. When the levees break, even Zeitoun couldn’t predict what would happen.

Very soon, the city is engulfed by 15 feet of water. Zeitoun, carrying a deep nostalgia of being at sea as a young man, find his aluminum canoe and embarks on his own version of Homer’s “Odyssey.” Instead of encountering sirens and one-eye monsters on his way to Ithaca, Zeitoun encounters helpless neighbors, friends and dogs as he paddles throughout the city in hopes of salvaging some valuables from his other properties.

During his quests, Zeitoun helps as many people as humanly possible. He gives his food and water to strangers and dogs. Zeitoun tells himself this was God’s plan. It was in God’s plan for him to stay behind and help as much as he could. He has a new, fresh sense of belonging; purpose. Soon after, Zeitoun succumbs to the same fate many of God’s messengers faced.

He and his three friends were arrested, humiliated, interrogated and forced to live in make shift cells that the author compares to Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay. The day he was arrested was the first day Zeitoun was unable to contact his wife, and the author foreshadows a series of unbearable and drastic conflicts.

After about a week, his wife presumes he’s dead. His children notice their mothers’ worries and Kathy tries to imagine life without Zeitoun. Hell. Zeitoun encounters his own hell, thanks in large part to failed efforts by President George W. Bush’s administration and the Federal Emergency Management Authority. Eggers, however, doesn’t impose his personal views. He lets his writing explain how flawed the system became during Hurricane Katrina.

Zeitoun was a Muslim. A Syrian. That was enough to put him in prison.

In large part, the book provides insight into a weak moment in America’s history but a strong moment for one particular family.

St. Sava Academy

I was able to interview Marko Bojovic, the principal of St. Sava Academy. It is the only Serbian Parochial School in Chicago. Since 2008, the school has seen a decline in student enrollment, and subsequently, the funding for the school has declined.

Later this fall, the school board has a tough decision to make. Because the number of students is declining, the board may be forced to cut the seventh and eight grade classes and consolidate the fifth and sixth grade classes. The board is also looking at different fund raising options.

Bojovic said two-thirds of the school’s $400,000 yearly budget comes from tuition, the rest from fund raising. He also said the reason for the decline in students is because most of the students come from working class families. Another reason why the school loses students is because the school cannot accommodate the upper classes in terms of a gym or sports.

“We usually lose them in the upper grades,” said Bojovic. “There are no sports programs. We don’t have a gym.”

If the fundraising and consolidating doesn’t help, the school may be forced to shut down.

As I mentioned, I am going to focus on this problem for my thesis. I’m hoping to talk to families that have students enrolled in the school and families that did but chose to take them out.