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University of Iowa News Release
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Feb. 10, 2011 For a list of Unviersity of Iowa experts available to speak about Mubarak's resignation, Egyptian political situation, see http://news-releases.uiowa.edu/2011/february/021111Egypt-expertsMA.html. Photos: University of Iowa student Dan Olinghouse in front of an Army personnel carrier with soldiers in Egypt (top, right). University of Iowa student Dan Olinghouse in front of a tank positioned outside of Tahrir Square, the Saturday morning immediately following the Friday demonstrator and police clash (bottom, left). UI political science student returns to Iowa after study abroad in Egypt
The 25-year-old UI junior from Ankeny was in his second semester of an independent study abroad program at the American University in Cairo when the historic revolution began sweeping the streets of Cairo. Olinghouse said he wanted to be a part of the protests to make a difference. He watched as the first demonstrators moved into Tahrir, and he then immediately got involved in the demonstration. “I thought it was amazing that people were doing it, because I am well aware of Egypt's governmental ‘situation,’” he said. He added he was tear-gassed and sprayed with a high-powered water cannon during the march.
Olinghouse said he knew his parents would be worried and so he kept in contact with his family on Facebook until the Internet and phones were shut off. In addition, his UI study abroad adviser, Maria Hope, had gotten in touch with his father, per standard UI procedure, to help address concerns ranging from his safety to financial and academic issues. Olinghouse said he decided to leave Egypt after an unusually violent string of clashes outside his apartment Feb. 1 and 3, which was located two to three blocks from Tahrir, near The Egyptian Museum.
After a three-day odyssey, he arrived at Chicago O’Hare International Airport Feb. 6 and was met with joyful hugs from family and friends. When Olinghouse first decided to study abroad, he said he had no idea that he would be part of history. Like many other UI students, he wanted to learn about a new country and culture and gain new language skills. He said he took a political Islam class, International Relations of the Middle East, Egyptian Foreign Policy and Elementary Arabic 3 in the fall 2010 semester and had just returned to Egypt on Jan. 21 after coming home for the winter break. He said he’d like to return to Egypt, but for now, he will resume classes at the UI. Olinghouse is also working on putting together a short film about the experience to help educate and inspire others. Would he still encourage other students to study abroad? “Yes, absolutely -– get out of the country. Only 30 percent or so of Americans even hold passports,” he said. “No matter where you go, it will be one of the most meaningful things you will ever do in your life, and it will open up things within you that you never knew you had.” Olinghouse made deep friendships while there, and he said he will continue to watch the developments in the country with keen interest. “I have the highest hopes for Egypt's future, and I can only hope that my relatively little contribution to the revolution will end up being one small part of the story of the Egyptian peoples' fight to be heard and respected by their government and international community,” he said. STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Services, 300 Plaza Centre One, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2500 MEDIA CONTACTS: Lois J. Gray, University News Services, 319-384-0077, lois-gray@uiowa.edu; Dan Olinghouse, 515-988-8476, daniel-olinghouse@uiowa.edu; Maria Hope, UI Office for Study Abroad, 319-335-0353, maria-hope@uiowa.edu
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University of Iowa political science major Dan Olinghouse was sitting in a café in Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo when the Egyptian protests erupted Jan. 25.
“Then, since I was at the front lines of the protest as we started to take Tahrir, I was assaulted by the police and my camera was taken,” Olinghouse said. “ I never got the camera back, and the remainder of pictures and videos I took were from a cell phone.” 
He said he made a split-second decision, and was packed and in a cab to the airport within 25 minutes. He tried to buy a commercial flight to Paris, but the banks were down and his credit card wouldn't work, so he was able to get on an evacuation flight to Frankfurt, where he was stranded for a day.