Students Hope Diversity Defines USF, Not Headlines

By CARLOS MONCADA The Tampa Tribune

Published: Sep 2, 2007

TAMPA - Friday's indictment of two University of South Florida students, one on terrorism-related charges, left fellow students on campus with a variety of emotions and reactions Saturday.

Some said the federal charges could damage USF's image and detract from the goals of attracting more students and more prestige. Others cautioned against casting judgment before all of the evidence in the case comes out.

Still others had no reaction at all, saying they were unfamiliar with the events.

Ahmed Mohamed, 24, and Youssef Megahed, 21, have been held in South Carolina since Aug. 4, when they were stopped for speeding and authorities found explosives in the trunk of their car. The indictment charges the pair with carrying explosive materials across state lines. Mohamed also faces terrorism-related charges that he taught and demonstrated how to use the explosives.

"I guess it kind of gives us not a good reputation," Jay Scholz, a USF senior, said while smoking outside the Tampa campus' library. "With the Sami Al-Arian case and now with this, it would make it seem like perhaps that there's a …"

"Hotbed?" chimed in senior Anna Springer, seated next to Scholz.

"Or an underground radical group that we're not aware of here," he said. "I hope not, because it seems like a safe place to be a student."

Al-Arian was a former computer science professor with ties to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which claimed responsibility for suicide bombings and hundreds of deaths in Israel's occupied territories. He pleaded guilty in 2006 to providing services to a terrorist organization.

Scholz said the incident has cast a pall over the atmosphere of cultural diversity that USF has tried to foster.

One student who is a Syrian national said she doesn't think the incident reflects on USF at all.

"I think just because of the atmosphere after 9/11, these situations are coming up," Taghrid Alrajoula said after news of the indictment broke Friday afternoon. "And I think pre9/11, this wouldn't have happened."

Some students said the university acted properly in putting engineering students Mohamed and Megahed on provisional suspension even before the indictment was handed down.

"It's shocking that somebody from USF is going around and carrying explosives," student Fraidh Aljalle said. "Maybe people don't feel as safe here anymore because of what happened."

Information from News Channel 8 was used in this report. Reporter Carlos Moncada can be reached at (727) 451-2333 or cmoncada@tampatrib.com.