Noted: Uli Schamiloglu, Middle Eastern studies program chair at UW, raised concern that without a substantive understanding of a region’s cultures, religions and values, role play exercises that have cadets dress up and impersonate locals may reinforce problematic stereotypes for students and future officers who may not have had other exposure to Islamic cultures. “My concern here is to what extent do these students have any real factual, concrete, even basic information about those cultures?” Schamiloglu said. “My guess would be that most are not familiar enough with those cultures to enter into role playing.”
Office of Strategic Communication