Colleges and the towns they reside in are an incredible experience anywhere in the world. In Ames, over half the city’s population is attending Iowa State. There are many similarities between institutions and the adjoining town, even if they happen to be thousands of miles apart.

Iowa State University of Ames, Iowa and Birzeit University of Birzeit, Palestine, surprisingly have many similarities with one big exception: Birzeit University operates under occupation of the Israeli Defense Forces.

At Birzeit University and the town of Birzeit, there are many similarities to that of Iowa State and Ames. Most striking are the similarities of the two universities themselves. Birzeit, like Iowa State, has an excellent engineering college. Attracting faculty from all over the world, both institutions use this world-class talent to master engineering challenges and mentor young engineers.

Both universities also have strong outreach traditions. Iowa State has an excellent extension office where many of the research and information gathered at Iowa State is given to the public as useful information. Birzeit also is closely integrated with the community, administering several programs that reach out to rural areas of Palestine.

It provides local Palestinians with information on the latest technology, engineering and farming practices, much of the same information ISU Extensions have been and continue to provide to local Iowans.

Just like Iowa State, Birzeit is filled with thoughtful students trying to figure out life, and how they fit into the puzzle.

Imagine the food court at Birzeit being filled with students figuring out the calculus homework that is due next class, and imagine students discussing this weekend’s parties. Picture Birzeit students being young adults that are searching for stability, a future, a right to an education — just like us.

The town of Birzeit is also very similar to Ames. Imagine sustaining the social and academic lives of several thousand students with caf‚s, restaurants and Internet hangouts. And just a short taxi ride to the south and you are in Ramallah, a bustling town with bars, theaters and more restaurants. Picture yourself enjoying ice cream in Campustown or downtown Birzeit.

There is a deceptiveness to these similarities, however. At any moment, the Israelis may close the road for “security reasons” and the university may be shut down. After the assassination of Sheik Yassin, Birzeit was closed for an entire week.

Imagine roadblocks being routinely setup between where you live and the university, and on several occasions, imagine Israeli occupation jeeps entering the Birzeit campus. For example, on Sept. 9, 2003 four occupation army jeeps entered campus and ransacked the student council office, breaking down the door, destroying equipment and scattering files.

Imagine for one second an occupation army entering the Memorial Union and breaking into the Government of the Student Body office and ransacking the East Student Office Space. Just imagine this taking place at Iowa State.

More recently, on June 12, IDF jeeps arrived at the entrance of the campus and proceeded to shoot two students on their way to class, seriously injuring both. These incidents and countless others, including arresting faculty and students, placing Birzeit under curfew during class hours, and setting up “random” road blocks that happened to coincide with the final exam schedule, make Birzeit very different than Iowa State.

More frustrating than these major incidents is the daily uncertainty Palestinian students face: The daily humiliation of waiting in lines at roadblocks and having your integrity attacked constantly.

These practices are a direct contradiction of the fourth article of the Geneva Conventions and negate any steps toward a peaceful and just solution to the present conflict. Birzeit University seems to be targeted by the occupation authorities for promoting “social conscience and democratic values in a free civil Palestinian society.”

With so many similarities between Iowa State and Birzeit, it’s hard to accept that students in Occupied Palestine are put through this kind of grief just to attend that organic chemistry class. Try to imagine being shot at by Israeli occupation army jeeps while crossing central campus, having the East Student Office Space destroyed and your professor arrested.

Despite this hardship, Birzeit students continue to pursue their studies. The similarities with Iowa State and Ames are real, but they disappear in a minute when the Israeli jeeps roll into town.