Flushed with freedom, Libya university awaits student rebels

Student at the University of Tripoli, formerly Al-Fateh University, chat in...

Female student at the University of Tripoli, formerly Al-Fateh University, ...

In the lobby of the University of Tripoli's engineering department, Abdo Raouf was painting a mural in honour of a "free Libya," nodding his head to the rhythm of hard rock music.
 
"We can finally speak freely," said the 23-year-old geophysics major, who sported a bandana around his head. "We can finally be ourselves instead of being afraid." 

Home to some 80,000 students, this campus in the heart of the Libyan capital has been radically altered by former strongman Moamer Kadhafi's ouster from Tripoli in August. 

Named "Al-Fateh University" under Kadhafi, the newly-dubbed University of Tripoli is now free of the all-green flags of the former regime and instead flies the red, black and green rebel flag.
Posted on bulletin boards across campus are cartoons of the "Brother Leader" Kadhafi fleeing for his life. Other, more somber posters commemorate students killed in the eight-month uprising.
While students and faculty are largely jubilant over the toppling of Kadhafi, a major problem remains. 

Missing from roll call are student rebels fighting for control over the last pro-Kadhafi cities in their country. 

"We should resume classes in a week, but many of our students are still at the front lines" in the cities of Sirte and Bani Walid, said architecture professor Mohamed Ali Wafa.
 
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