NEIU student being deployed to Iraq discusses campus on edge

Felicia Maxa is like any other NEIU student, balancing a full class load, a job, as well as being a newlywed. Unlike most students, however, Maxa is in the Army National Guard and is being deployed to Iraq in June of this year. She only needs a few more credits until graduation, which must be postponed until after her 18-month tour of duty. Given the recent events on campus, like the arrest of two NEIU students protesting the CIA, the anti-recruiting protests in Village Square, as well as issues of free speech on campus, it is critical for us to be able to hear the voices of those who are actually putting their lives on the line to defend this country. I recently had the chance to sit down and talk with student soldier Felicia Maxa about these issues. What follows is part of our conversation.

First, can you tell us a little about yourself? I was raised middle class. It wasn't upper middle-class or lower- middle class, just straight middle class. You know the people that get taxed a lot. [Laughter] Nonetheless, I couldn't afford to go to college. I'm here on a National Guard grant, which means I don't pay tuition. I have to pay all the other fees, but I don't pay tuition.

What are you studying and what do you plan do to after graduation?I am a biology major and anthropology minor. I want to work over at Brookfield Zoo for a couple years while I'm working on my Masters in education. So, eventually what I want to end up doing is teaching.

When did you enlist?I enlisted in 2001 when I was 22 years old. I waited until after junior college because if you graduate with an associate's degree, you go in with a higher pay grade; you have more rank and stuff. I knew I wanted to join it in high school, but my dad was slightly sexist at the time, saying, "Women don't go join the military," "Women don't do this."

Do you have family in the military? Yeah, military family all the way back.

What has been your experience in the Army National Guard? I have completely, entirely fallen in love with it. It's like having a second family that you're almost closer to than your own. And you meet people that you wouldn't normally meet if you were to just stay on course. This way I meet people that I never would have thought about meeting in the rest of my life and go places where you thought never you would go, like visiting the desert. [Laughter]

Congress is working on a bill that would set a deadline for the troops to come home.Yeah, Bush has already said he's going to veto that. He said he'll veto anything with a deadline because he doesn't want to be forced into bring everybody home by then. Because if he signs something like that, and I can see where he's coming from, if he signs something like that and if we stay beyond that, then he's going to get the heat for it.

A cut in funding for the war is also being proposed. Congress can say all they want that "We're going to cut funding," but the bottom line is that Congress knows that if they cut funding to the soldiers, then soldiers aren't coming home right away. All they're going to have is a bunch of pissed off people sitting over in Iraq because they're not getting their supply, they're not getting their food rations, and it's like why? You don't bring them home until after the soldiers really start suffering and that's not the right way to do things.

What was your initial reaction when you saw the anti-recruitment protesting in Village Square? When I saw that, it made me feel even worse because those are my brothers in arms. It makes you feel bad for them, so I go over and shake their hands. I got told that because I wanted to see them, wanted to talk with them, one of the people in the Socialist Club looked at me and said, "What, you don't like peace?" It's like, where do you go with that?

Can you explain a little what that comment meant to you?I think that they know it's the politicians' fault. But I think that people take it beyond that and see the people on the front line and blame them. It's kind of like what happened in the 60s with Vietnam, [as if] it was the soldiers' fault, when it really wasn't. And it is the people in government writing the bills and saying, "Well, we're going to stay over there."

What have your interactions been with the Socialist Club? Most people are really nice to me until they find out I am [in the military]. I've talked to people, just individually, in the Socialist Club. And until they find out that you're in the military, they're all nice and sweet to you. It's the second they find out you're in the military it's, "Why the hell would you want to do something like that?" Because it pays for college. A couple of other reasons, but that's why.

And then people seem to say that they're supportive of the troops, but not necessarily of the politics. My husband says the same thing. And I'm not going to speak for everybody, but a majority of the people in the military feel the same way. But, however, when people go over, and this is just from talking to the rest of my unit who has come back already before, from Iraq, they have to change their mindset in order to make it okay for them to be there. So they have to start agreeing with at least the aspect of being at war.

What's your own personal take on the war?I don't support why we're there, but I do support the war since it involves the troops. Does that make sense? Can you kind of halfway see where I'm coming from with that? I don't support the reasoning for the war, but you have to support the war if you're going to support the troops. So, for people to say that they don't support the war but they support the troops almost...doesn't help.

Here, the Socialist Club is very active.Very. I was at the College of DuPage before, and if we had a Socialist Club, nobody knew about it. [Laughter]

You mention an incident that occurred during a recent anti-recruitment protest in Village Square. Can you tell us what happened? What really ticks me off about that whole recruiting thing is that the recruiter told me that he tried to talk to [one] of the leader[s] of the Socialist Club. He asked her if she wanted to sit down and have a talk, and she basically spat in his face and said "No! I don't want to talk with you." And that bothers me because that means that they're not getting the whole story and they're making up their minds before they even have all the facts, which is irresponsible. And stuff like that kind of turn people away more than anything else. What's your take on the arrest of the two students arrested for protesting the CIA?I can't believe this little arrest thing that's going on. And then you're thinking why somebody, as an employee of the university would, stick themselves in that kind of position when they know darn well, especially with the Socialist Club, that it's all about free speech. So, just move out of the way, let it take its course, and just be done with it. It's much easier doing it that way than trying to flex your muscle.

Is there anything else you would like to say to the NEIU community? Just let everyone know that the majority of the student body's support is wonderful to receive for all of us students in the military.