NEWS LETTER Volume_IV College of Science and Humanities English Language and Literature
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Advice and support: Dr. Iman El Nabawi Editor- in-Chief: Dr. Sameena Banu Sub Editor: Dr. Olfa Gandouz Media Coordinator: Ms. Amani Al Otaibi
Creative director: Dr. Sameena Banu Special inputs: Ms. Hanan Al Shahab Graphic and designing: Azhar AL Zhrani
CONTENT: REPORTS 1.
Conversation club report
5
2.
Book club report
10
3.
English and translation club report
12
4.
Writing studio report
13
5.
Quality Assurance and development committee report
14
6.
Professional Guidance Committee report
15
7.
Academic Advising Committee report
16
8.
Cultural and Social Activities Committee report
17
9.
The Electronic Education Committee report
18
10. Alumni committee report
19
11. The English translation competition
20
GENERAL 12.
University of Tokyo
21
13.
Hi, I’m a graduate!
23
14.
Inner Beauty and Outer Beauty
24
ARTIST 15.
BUDDING ARTIST
26
LITERATURE 16. 17. 18. 19.
If you want to fly The smallest details Life Never tell me
30 31 32 33
Message by Vice Head of the Department of English (Female Section)
Greetings to all my respected colleagues and beloved students. Cordially, I invite you to the 4th volume of the Department of English Language and Literature magazine- Female section, 2022. First, we have to thank Allah who saved us and our beloved ones from that crisis that struck all humanity, and gave us power to continue what we aspired to. Then, we celebrate our return after the pandemic with full strength and insistence. Nothing in the world stopped our willingness or hampered our persistence. We started with a dream, and now the dream comes true. We insisted to touch the stars and go beyond the sky, and we did it. We achieved this with the support of all staff members and students putting their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in this collection of articles, papers, and activities. Finally, I thank and congratulate everyone who participated and took part in the publication. Here, we have the honor to present you an excellent piece of work that reflects perseverance, art and beauty of all participants. Dr.Iman El-Nabawi
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Editorial Note Once again, I am back with yet another issue of a Newsletter full of aspirations and lots of energy to steer us through this year. The start of the academic year 20212022 represented our first time being on campus after a very long hiatus from Covid. I missed Arrival Day this year to see new faces, new hope, and a new start but a few days later after joining, I was delighted to see people, not just talking, laughing, playing games but gathering in casual communion, making plans, and just generally enjoying the beauty of a normal day spent in a normal way. Who knew “normal” could feel so special? Almost sacred? Last year we were struggling to understand a frightening and fast-spreading new virus. This year, we are lining up to receive vaccinations created in record time and launching a country-wide initiative. COVID-19 taught us to be more cautious and mindful of how we interact and influence each other. We’ve learned to appreciate the value of community, and push each other further to achieve our goals. Living with COVID has been horrifying but above all, it has been a test of patience and endurance. But it's a new year and I have no doubt that we continue to make slow and steady, incremental progress toward a better future. The speed and success of the transition from online to in-person teaching, learning, and working is a testimony to the resourcefulness, adaptability, and dedication of the faculty, staff, and students. Each member of the teaching community has played a significant role in supporting our students, keeping our University functioning, and our community safe. I have been continually impressed by the resourcefulness of the staff to address the numerous challenges we have faced and find positive and innovative solutions. Our foremost priority is our safe, successful return to campus this year, back to normal. The unpredictability of the pandemic makes it difficult to manage. Still, it’s been inspiring to see the faculty, and students come up with so many innovative and inspiring ways to support each other and build for the future. I may have missed this year’s Arrival Day, but with the campus full of cheerful faces and the energy and excitement of the students buoying us up, it’s clear that every day is an opportunity to celebrate the start of something new. We have risen to the challenges we faced last year, and I know we will rise to the occasion this year like a Phoenix rising from the ashes. ”If winter comes can spring be far behind?“ Dr. Sameena Banu 4 NEWS LETTER VOLUME_IV
REPORTS
Conversation
Registrations for the first semester of Conversation Club, PSAU 2021 started on the27th of Sep through the WhatsApp link https://chat.whatsapp.com/LmGGBrMo5hFADJLbBhWtqN and Twitter Account linkhttps://twitter.com/psau_club/status/1224978369370054656 ?s=24 was used to post the messages and information related to the club. There was a tremendous response from the students to join the club. A meeting was called to discuss the plans of the club for the ensuing semester. The members of the club decided to focus on various topics pertaining to student and the community development etc.
Report- Saudi National Day Celebrations 91st Saudi National day was celebrated with lots of enthusiasm by the members of the conversation club. Student in charge Leen Hutaily along with the members of the club organized various activities on the eve of the 91st Saudi national day under the supervision of Dr. Sameena Banu. Students presented a talk highlighting the progress and development of the kingdom. Video presentations showing how Saudi Arabia marches ahead to reach its vision 2030 through remarkable progress at national and international level guided by King Salman and motivated and supported by the young Prince Mohammed. Members of the staff, students and everyone in the community took active part in Hashtag National Day. They all express their nationalist feelings, love and affection for the land and shared their opinion and their feelings about the country, its progress etc through beautiful poems and quotations. Voice recording of the young children enthusiastically taking part in the celebrations was also presented on the Zoom meeting. Overall, it was an amazing program which was well received by the attendees and the participants. Link for the National day celebrations – Expression of love and Emotions https://padlet.com/maisaibrahim/SaudiNationalDay91st
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Club
REPORTS
Report- Building our dreams On 11th November’2021 an orientation program was organized on the Zoom by the student incharge Leen Hutaily along with the members of the club under the supervision of Ms. Sameena Banu. Students shared their dreams and goals. They also enthusiastically took part in sharing ways and means to achieve their goals and how to overcome difficulties. Motivational videos of eminent and most famous personalities of the world were shown to know how they paved way to success and what’s the secret of their achievements. Interviews with alumni’s were also shared which tremendously encouraged the participants and the attendees alike. Overall, it was very interesting program which infused determination among the young participants to embark on their journey of success. Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/2782354291?pwd=Z0pD eWs5QitMSDJMRXprWGowNG1Mdz09
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REPORTS Report- Ahsan program
a
charity
On 13 Dec’2021 a charity program under the title “AHSAN” was organized by the members of the club under the supervision of Dr. Sameena Banu. Various students presented talks on the importance of Charity giving references to the Ayats of the Quran and also presented hadith related to charity. One group of members distributed Food Baskets contacting foods grains and essentials items required to the needy. They also distributed warm clothes as it is a winter season. This program was organized with aim to develop spirit of charity among the students and to make them release that being charitable towards others is a spiritual asset—one that can contribute to community building. It is impossible to build a sense of belonging and community without some form of charitable practice. This program made the students to acknowledge, that we are interdependent in a respectful and supportive way. Head of the dept Dr. Iman Al nabawi and the members of the staff appreciated tremendous efforts of the students. https://twitter.com/englishpsau/status/147 0053574239526916?s=24
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REPORTS REPORTS -
Conversation Club celebrated international mother language day on 10th March 2022. The main purpose of celebrating this day was to promote awareness of language and cultural diversity among the students of PSAU. A video was prepared by the participants and students spoke about the history of the mother language day celebration. They also expressed their views on, why it is essential to know your mother language and why mother tongue is important. Later video was uploaded on the Google drive. The program was supervised by Dr. Sameena Banu. https://twitter.com/englishpsau/stat us/1501598784039833603?s=24 Link for the video https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Jvxs Y4Fe2cyUBmusiM445aDsy6747PFq/v iew
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REPORTS
Podcast Members of the conversation club started Podcast, a much-needed platform for the students to express their thoughts, ideas, emotions and to establish a connection with the world around them. Podcast was started with a sole aim of building confidence among the students, to encourage and motivate them. Through Podcast, conversation club wishes to provide a plat form for freedom of expression. It’s an excellent way to emotionally lighten yourself as you pour your emotions to share it with others. It’s a great way to improve conversational skills. Podcasting will be twice a month covering various topics keeping in mind the interest of the students.
First Podcast Link https://anchor.fm/staples-podcast/episodes/Dreams-should-we-always-follow-our-dream-e1e3gtf Anchor https://anchor.fm/staples-podcast Spotnik https://open.spotify.com/show/3B5VEwFhrAyfTQZ3zhQ cFQ?si=pD2-BVq8S36nVjlPGXdDcg Second Episode: Let’s celebrate our mistakes Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/sa/podcast/staples/id16090 96356?i=1000552000280
The first episode of the Podcast “Should we always follow our dreams” was published on Feb 9th 2022 garnered tremendous response from the staff and student community. The second episode “Let’s celebrate our mistakes” was also very well received by one and all. I must say Podcast is the result of great efforts by Joud Faisal Al Ajlan, Ghada Jamal Al Onazi who took care of necessary arrangements like recording and participating and Maisa Ibrahim Al juridi looked after Publicity, announcements etc.
Anchor https://anchor.fm/staples-podcast/episodes/LetsCelebrate-our-mistakes-e1ellff Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/0vzusvNhmFqYowlFb nMh2T?si=TdT7IjxMS_emjjv7iHeY7A
https://twitter.com/englishpsau/status/1501598784039 833603?s=24 Link for the video https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JvxsY4Fe2cyUBmusiM4 45aDsy6747PFq/view 9 NEWS LETTER VOLUME _4
Book club
The book club opened in the first semester 2021/1443 H for the new academic year, the students could register using the form available on the twitter account @psauG_bookclub for the club, the link washttps://forms.gle/dnyvqkJavQqv8PwX9
The first meeting on 5 October welcomed new members and decided that the book to read of the term was Anne of the Green Gables. The PDF was uploaded on the twitter page, and a WhatsApp group https://chat.whatsapp.com/KG0zVJpoeQE5cSSv7AgY14 was created for students' convenience. The first official meeting was on 19 October at 4 pm, via Blackboardhttps://eu.bbcollab.com/guest/0882571f1a2d40c2b9 073e89832da410 . Where the students discussed chapters 1-20. The participating students were Jawahar Saeed AlQahtani, Nouf Mwafag Aldossary, Noura Alamer, and Asma Hsan Haresi. The second meeting was on 26 October at 4 pm, via Blackboardhttps://eu.bbcollab.com/guest/c3e8afb896f942849d2 3f0ff72466a54. Where the chapters 21 to the conclusion were discussed by the students Lama Hazaa Alqahtani, Ahad Ali Dossari, Tahani Hammad Alkaberi and Batool Ibrahim. Dr.Olfa Gandouz was the faculty speaker who enlightened the students with her ideas about the Victorian Age and Jane Eyre. She gave a very motivational quote, that happiness comes from within. Suggestions for future reading included Pygmalion, A Doll’s House, The Catcher in the Rye, Oscar Wilde’s Canterville Ghost and The Phantom of the Opera. On 2 November the Book Club had its final activity which was the awareness program about World Food Day. All the members of the Book Club participated and gave the background information and shared their ideas. Ahad and Asma uploaded a YouTube video https://youtu.be/7Fzu2QbZvOU. The other students presented PowerPoint slides also dealing with Binge eating, Impact of Covid 19 on World Nutrition, the history and origin of the World Food Day and the importance of focusing on the nutritional problems.
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REPORTS
REPORTS The Book club announced its registrations for the second semester on the twitter account for the English Department and the Book Club account. The registered students were sent a link for the meeting. The PSAU Book Club had its first meeting on 30th January 2 pm-3 pm. It discussed the registered participants, the poll for the choice of reading and the leader. The leader for semester 2, 2022 was Tahani Alkaberi, from level 4. The choice with 40.8% of the votes was G.B.Shaw’s Pygmalion. The registered students were informed by the official Bookclub twitter account @psauG_bookclub, and the whatsapp group. It was also decided that the meeting day should be Wednesday and the timing 4 pm- 5 pm, the meetings were to be online. The first meeting was on 9th February 2022, the presentation order and division was decided, and the discussion of the chapters will start from Week 5. The first discussion was by Amjad Faleh Mohammad Alsubaie and Munera Mohammeed Jokah of Acts I and II. The second discussion was of Act III Tahani Alkubiri and Sara Nasser Abdullah Aloqayfi, Act IV by Asma Hsan Haresi. The last act was presented by Ahad Ali Saeed Aldossari, Lujain Mohammed Alhuthayl and Batoul Ibrahim Saleh Almutaiwi. For the 'Enorasi' segment on 9 March 2022we had Dr.Ansa Hameed , faculty Department of English Language and Literature, who shared her ideas of the play. She compared G.B.Shaw’s play Arms and Man to Pygmalion as a criticism about society, by manipulation of language a poor girl was left belonging nowhere. Dr.Basant Moustafa was also present and shared her views.
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REPORTS
Writing Studio The Writing Studio of Department of English provides a dynamic and effective platform to the students of English Department to improve their writing skills as well as to show case their creativity. On Thursday 10/28/2021, the Orientation Ceremony of the Writing Studio for 1st Semester, year 2021-2022 was held online. The orientation was organized by Dr. Ismat Jabeen in collaboration with the other esteemed members of the Writing Studio. The ceremony was attended by Dr. Iman Nabawi, members of the Writing Studio, and the students of the Department of English Language and Literature, female section. The registered students were provided throughout the semester, with hands on practice, seminars, workshops and a variety of exercises for practicing writing in English more competently. Improving Vocabulary through Language Games, Writing Poetry: A Workshop for the Beginners, Cambridge Write and Improve, Effective Paragraph Writing, Basic Tenses in English are only a glimpse of the workshops and seminars conducted to enhance students’ writing interests and skills through a professional yet fun way. The continuous efforts of the Writing Studio members and consistent involvement and the performance of the female students reflect the success of the Writing Studio in serving its purpose successfully. Writing Studio members: Dr. Ismat Jabeen, Dr. Shifan Taha, Dr. Ansa Hameed, Dr. Warda Wahaj, Ms. Wesam Al Shaqawi
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REPORTS
English and Translation Club Report- Evolution of human language a great mystery On 12th Dec’2021 a talk show was organized on the blackboard by the English and Translation Club members under the supervision of Ms. Sameena Banu. Students in charge Shaden AlOnazi and group presented an interesting talk on why and how language evolved. What factors contributed in its development, how language shapes the way we think. How people communicated with each other before the evolution of the human language etc. An interesting video was also shown about the language development which created a sense of curiosity among the attendee to know the various stages of language development. Head of the dept Dr. Iman Alnabawi and the members of the staff applauded the commendable efforts of the students. The program was well received by the student attendees.
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REPORTS
Professional Guidance Committee Report on “Professional Guidance to English Language Students’ Workshop”
On Tuesday, 2nd of November 2021, 7:00 PM, a workshop offering professional guidance to English Language students in the Department of English Language was carried out by the professional guidance committee at the department. The workshop was conducted by Dr. Basant Moustafa, assistant prof. at the dept. It covered the following topics: 1- the skills required for English language students 2- Job market for that specialization 3- how to prepare for the job market
Electronic Education Committee Report on “How to Digitize Your Research Identity Workshop”
On Sunday, 14th of November 2021, 7:00 PM, a workshop organized by the electronic education committee was carried out. The workshop tackled the digitization of a researcher’s identity and was conducted by Dr. Basant Moustafa, assistant prof. at the dept. The workshop covered the following topics: 1234-
Exploring the databases which provide IDs Registration/ creating an account Editing your account Benefits and impacts
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REPORTS
Quality Assurance and development committee
The E-learning Workshops: Workshop Basics of Blackboard
The Quality Assurance Committee in the Department of English Language and Literature, female section is responsible of the development of the quality matters in the department. A workshop about the CLO-PLO Assessment on November 25. 2021 presented by Ms. Asma’ Abdelhaleem in the College of Science and Humanities, PSAU, Al-Kharj. Other workshops that support the e-learning were organized online for staff and students. The main purpose of the workshops is to enhance the learning, teaching and assessment processes positively.
Presenter Dr. Shifan Thaha
Date 21-9-2021 14-2-1443
Smart Ms. Asma’ applications Abdelhaleem for Learning English
20-10-2021 14-3-1443
Workshops for staff members: Workshop
Presenter
Startup activities
Dr. Ansa Hameed
Date 25-10-2021 19-3-1443
Icebreakers How to digitize your research identity
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Dr. Basant Moustafa
14-11-2021 9-4-1443
REPORTS
Academic Advising 01 Committee The Introductory Meeting for the English Language Female students On Monday 21-2-2022, the Academic Advising Committee at the Dept of English Language organized a meeting entitled “The Introductory Meeting for the English Language Female students”. The meeting was organized by Dr. Basant Moustafa and presented by Ms. Amani AlOtaibi, Ms. Bahia Khalifa, Dr. Basant Moustafa, and Dr. Nuha Alsemari. The meeting aimed at acquainting the students with the academic study plan of the department, the bylaws of exams, the activities and their rights and duties.
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REPORTS
Cultural and Social Activities Committee History and Culture of Hyderabad Deccan India and Sudan On Wednesday 30-3-2022, the Committee of Cultural and Social Activities at the Dept of English Language offered a workshop6 entitled “History and Culture of Hyderabad Deccan India and Sudan”. The workshop was organized by Dr. Basant Moustafa, and presented by Ms. Bahia Khalifa, Dr. Sameena Banu, and Dr. Wahaj Warda. It covered the most prominent historical events, famous sightseeing, cultural background, costumes, food dishes, and customs in Hyderabad Deccan India and Sudan.
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REPORTS
The Electronic Education Committee Useful Tools to design E-magazines On Thursday, 14thof April 2021, from 10 am to 11 am, a workshop was organized by the electronic education committee and it was presented by Dr. Sameena Banu. The main aim of the workshop was to impart the knowledge of various tools that are useful to design e-magazine, demonstrating the sample of the department magazine “Newsletter” and Podcast. Students Azhar Zahrani and Maisa Ibrahim who assisted in designing also took part to share new ideas and their experiences. Students of various levels attended the workshop in large number. The head of the dept Dr. Iman and Ms. Asma Abdelhaleem presences was much appreciated. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19oIohJm2eCh5pImK2YKVWEDVoDxU9J-a?usp=sharing
.https://np.psau.edu.sa/ar/news/2022/04/1650195500
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REPORTS
Alumni committee IELTS Talk- Improving speaking skills
A workshop on “IELTS Talk- Improving speaking skills” was organized by Alumni committee offering professional guidance to the students in the Department of English Language and Literature. Students of level 7 and 8 attended and took active participation in the workshop. It was a very informative session conducted online by Dr. Sameena Banu; it covered the following topics : 1. 2. 3. 4.
What are the four Modules of IELTS? How to prepare for speaking test. Common mistakes and how to avoid them. Tips to get high Band score
https://twitter.com/englishpsau/status/1507977339505885185?s=24
https://np.psau.edu.sa/ar/news/2022/04/1648977092
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REPORTS
The Eighth Translation Competition
On March 2nd 2022, three students from the female section of the English department participated in the written track of the 8th Regional Translation Competition. This annual competition is held in Prince Sultan University in Riyadh. Many universities across the kingdom participated in this outstanding competition. The participants were Emtenan Alshalwan, Meaad Alshiddi, and Reyouf Alghamdi. Since the beginning of the academic year, the participants were selected and their training was supervised by Ms. Amani Alotaibi.
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GENERAL
University of Tokyof Tokyo– Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan
U
niversity of Tokyo, or Todai, is the top college is Asia and the 21st best-rated school globally. Todai was founded in 1877 and is situated in Tokyo’s nkyō, Tokyo, Japan Bunkyō ward. Most of what now constitutes the Hongo Section of the Hongo Campus was the site of the Kaga Domain’s official residence during the Edo period. Also at that time, the area where the Hospital now stands was owned by the Toyama Domain and the Daishoji Domain, while the Yayoi and Asano Sections were held by the Mito Domain. A number of structures and places of historical interest can still be found here. For instance, two of the most well-known historical spots on this campus are the former Kaga Domain residence gate known as Akamon (Red Gate; official name: Goshudenmon) and Sanshiro Pond (official name: Ikutoku-en Shinji-ike). Unfortunately, most of the Meiji-era buildings constructed on the Hongo Section were destroyed by the Great Kanto Earthquake that occurred on September 1, 1923 (Taisho 12). Plans to reconstruct the buildings, however, were set into motion in the year following the earthquake. Due to these efforts, which were led by Yoshikazu Uchida (professor in the Faculty of Engineering, and later the University’s 14th president), the current look of the Hongo Section was largely completed by the mid-1940s (Showa 10s). Also, since the Hongo Section suffered little damage from World War II, the buildings constructed in the so-called “Uchida Gothic” architectural style remain standing today. To date, it has produced 15 Japanese prime ministers, seven Nobel Prize-winning alumni, and a number of highly influential architects – including Kenzō Tange, who has been described as “one of the most significant architects of the 20th century.
by Dr. Wahajunnisa Warda ” Todai says that its “researchers have been at the forefront of their fields” since the university was established, and it’s not an unreasonable claim. The school’s highest rated subjects are civil and structural engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, physics, politics, and chemistry. The merging of Tokyo Kaisei School and Tokyo Medical School created the four Faculties of Law, Science, Letters and Medicine, which came together with a university preparatory school (yobimon; the First Higher School of Japan’s predecessor) to form the University of Tokyo. At first, the three Faculties of Law, Science and Letters were located in the Kanda area, while the Faculty of Medicine was established in the Hongo area. From these beginnings, the University of Tokyo continued to merge with many different schools specializing in various fields, such as the Imperial College of Engineering and Tokyo School of Agriculture and Forestry, thereby growing into a comprehensive research university. The University also has experienced a number of name changes over the years. Due to the incorporation of all national universities in 2004, the University’s full name is now National University Corporation, the University of Tokyo.
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GENERAL Statue of Professor Hidesaburo Ueno and his companion Hachiko.
Currently, the University of Tokyo is comprised of 10 Faculties, 15 Graduate Schools, 11 affiliated research institutes (including the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology), 13 University-wide centers, three affiliated libraries and two institutes for advanced study. Furthermore, the Faculties, Graduate Schools and re earch institutes have facilities associated with them; for instance, the University of Tokyo Hospital is one such facility. In addition to the three main campuses in Hongo, Komaba and Kashiwa, facilities affiliated with the University of Tokyo are spread all throughout Japan's Source- https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp
University of Toronto – Toronto, Ontario, Canada In 2013 the University of Toronto’s – or U of T’s – Inventors of the Year honors included the creators of a 3D “bio-printer” that yields skin-like dressings for injuries. Amazing, yes, but less surprising given U of T’s history of innovation and invention. In 1921 – almost a century after the university’s establishment in 1827 – lecturer Frederick Banting, medical student Charles Best and professor J. J. R. Macleod isolated and discovered insulin, for which Macleod and Banting were awarded a Nobel Prize. In 1938 the university’s physics faculty constructed the first serviceable electron microscope; and in 1963 researchers at the school discovered stem cells. Other U of T advancements were the first nerve transplant, the earliest successful single- and double-lung transplants, and the discovery of the T-cell receptor. And previous students include Nobel Peace Prize-winning former Canadian prime minister and U of T history professor Lester B. Pearson, current Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper, and former president of Doctors Without Borders and Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist James Orbinksi.
University of Paris – Paris, France The historic University of Paris – also known as the Sorbonne – was founded in the mid 12th century and was formally acknowledged sometime between 1160 and 1250. The university was suspended between 1793 and 1896, and then it eventually split into 13 independent schools in 1970. Still, despite its somewhat turbulent history, the University of Paris has produced a wealth of influential modern thinkers. High-profile former students and faculty members include philosophers Paul Ricœur and Jean-François Lyotard, double Nobel Prize-winning scientist Marie Curie, anthropologist Claude LéviStrauss, literary theorist and critic Roland Barthes, and two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Norman Mailer. The University of Paris has also produced leaders such as France’s former president François Mitterrand, Kosovo’s first president Ibrahim Rugova, Canada’s former prime minister John Napier Turner, and Tunisia’s first president Habib Bourguiba.
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GENERAL Hi, I’m a graduate! At the beginning of my College Years, those three words seemed far out of my reach, four Years passed by so fast. To be honest, I still don’t believe it. It was a journey with lots of ups and downs, failure and success, learning and sharing, friendship, and much more. What makes all these experiences different is that we’ve all matured; we are at a state of identifying what’s right and what’s wrong. We have grown up to realize our priorities in life. College taught me things that I might have never learned outside, how to rely on myself, who are the right people to be next to, how to work things out as a group, and most importantly, how to stay cool under high study pressure and stress . If I would go back the first day of my college, what would I do? I’ll enjoy it to the fullest. I would try to get to know more people, thus more stories. I would pay more attention to my classes while enjoying them. I regret not taking part in the activities offered by the dept. I want to tell you all, there are many activities that you can join during your studies, join them. Don’t regret it later. These are the best years in your life. If you are in your first year and reading this, I want to tell you it’s time to change your Perspectives. There is a quote that I remember always which says ‘’enjoy the journey, not the destination’’, an advice for the future from your senior. Safa Mohamed Saeed
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Inner Beauty and Outer Beauty
GENERAL
According to Oxford’s dictionary, the definition of beauty is, “A combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight.” And to classify it, beauty has two main aspects, one is the inner beauty and the other is the outer or physical beauty. Outer beauty is your appearance while inner beauty refers to your character and traits. We as human beings, and as a Muslim society, what does each mean to us? And which do we consider more valuable? Ibn Mas’ud (RAA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah )
ﷺPBUH) Said, “O Allah, just as you had perfected my creation, so make my moral
characteristics also be the best.” In this Dua, we ask Allah the Almighty to make our ) ( ُخلُقas in, our manners and morals, as great and as perfect as the form in which he has created us. The invocation implies the significance of inner beauty, and that it is just as, if not more, important than our physical appearance. To name a few of the merits of inner beauty, inner beauty helps the individual to obtain a persistent effect and recognition. In other words, it leaves behind a long-lasting impact on people’s lives, which is crucial to a human being. What people will most likely remember about a person, is not only the way they looked, or whether or not they had blue eyes, or were carrying a designer's bag, but also what he or she might have said or done. Even if the chances of them having already judged you based on your appearance are quite high, and the possibility that that is precisely why they may be attracted to you in the first place, one has got to ask, are looks really the only thing that is going to determine one’s quality of life or friendships? Or keep people around for the long run? Unless they are superficial, I would say, no. Inner beauty is not that shallow. It is basically the inwards of somebody, the beauty of one’s mind and soul, it is their energy, demeanor, and attitude. Like being generous, compassionate, kind, loyal, and so on. Unlike physical beauty, which is momentary, and maintained by external factors, and only pleasing to the eye. Inner beauty on the other hand, stirs up thoughts and emotions within oneself, even if that person does not necessarily have the ideal looks. Inner beauty is vast and unlimited. Traits of character and compassion make one reach people’s hearts, and that is ultimately what will be considered beautiful about them. After all, initial looks fade over time and diminish with age, while great impressions will always be cherished and remembered. Personality is a more sustainable reason to be interested in getting to know someone. Not to say that physical appearance does not matter, it certainly does, and plays well into the equation of finding someone beautiful. It is certainly encouraged to take one’s image seriously, but it is far more important to improve one’s personality and way of thinking as well. Because at the end of the day, that is the part of us which people are going to be interacting with, majority of the time .
24 NEWS LETTER VOLUME _IV
GENERAL As with outer beauty, which to a certain degree, can be altered and changed, through the help of makeup and cosmetic alterations, it can also be, in many ways, fake. I’d argue that one’s core personality cannot change that easily. Oftentimes, the personality is still vibrant throughout all the multiple layers of what one might wear. However, it is, without a doubt true that, looks can tell an awful lot about a person even before they can utter a word. But we also can’t deny that in most cases, a pretty face does not mean a decent personality. Outer beauty may turn heads at first, but surely is easily overlooked when the underneath is incompatible with the outside. Contrary to inner beauty, where the opposite is definitely the truth, a beautiful personality always accentuates how a person looks, despite them not having the best of physical features .
Given these points, whichever end of the spectrum one may be standing on, to be more of a wholesome person, aspire to reach the middle ground. Like a lot of things in this world, it is always a mixture of both. As one cannot depend on or neglect either of the two things. It is only, then, a matter of time and effort to reach our truest, most beautiful, authentic selves. In essence, our faces and bodies are the wrapping paper, but the real gift, is actually within us.
By: Emtenan Alshalwan 25 NEWS LETTER VOLUME _IV
IF YOU'VE GOT TALENT SHOW IT TO THE WORLD
ARTIST
BUDDING ARTIST MS Emtenan Alshalwan.
"Art isn't in the tools, material, equipment you use.
It's in the way you see the world."
Art has always been a part of my life. For me, it was an outlet to self-exploration and self-expression. Much like language, it was, and still is a way to appreciate the things and the people I love. Anything I find beautiful, or hideous, for that matter, to be able to put it down on paper, just for the heck of it, and study it further, is one of my greatest joys in life. To just be able to let loose and, for hours on end, I pour all myself into a piece of work, is something I truly cherish . I was brought up into a family where each had a niche of their own, which inspired me greatly to find mine, naturally. Drawing particularly, is something I shared with dad and one of my sisters, my absolute favorite form of art. I drew my siblings, cartoon characters, mostly women, and so much more. I drew so much as a kid I’d even draw on the walls sometimes; I still apologize to my mom for having to deal with my mess. At school, I was that kid which was known for having a knack for it, I didn’t necessarily enjoy the “talented kid” reputation, but certainly loved doing projects, participating in competitions, drawing friends pics, and so on . Till I graduated high school, I never thought much about pursuing portraiture as a career, let alone studying it. But soon after graduating, almost unconsciously, I started delving into the fundamentals of art and studied it as a subject, not as a hobby anymore . To my surprise, the realization of being no more than an amateur, hit me, hard. I had basically no basic knowledge of what art is, what it isn’t, how to view art, let alone how to properly make art. Not that there is a right or wrong way to go about it, but I definitely was lacking in that department prior to that point . I had an artistic sense, yes, but no artistic skills, whatsoever. I appreciated it, but had no idea about the school of art, the industry, nor the history. Funny when I think about how people outside that perspective, would think of me as if I’ve reached a level of mastery, when I, don’t even dare to think I'm anywhere near that . At that time, it felt like a door to this whole universe, flung open in front of me, and it was absolutely mesmerizing. At that moment, as cliché as it may sound, I found myself in art, and fell for it even more . Identity came into play and, it took me a while to consider myself as an “artist”, the self-hesitation, the “will I ever make it”, “am I really good at this”, or in other words, the imposter syndrome, was a major theme at that time, and still is, sometimes. It is a journey, an ongoing journey, one that never fails to astonish me, in so many ways. Despite the difficulties one must face when thinking about becoming a working artist, it is greatly rewarding . The community, the people you meet, the faint moments of pride that tingles you with every finished piece. The sense of accomplishment, the admiration, to witness progression in real-time, to see that you've come so far and knowing that you could do even better, just to name a few, is great, truly. And what’s greater than that is the ability to share your work with the world, and have it spoken to you.
"When it comes to art, it's important not to hide the madness" 26 NEWS LETTER VOLUME _IV
ARTIST
Emtenan Alshalwan.
27 NEWS LETTER VOLUME _IV
ARTIST Danah Abdulaziz bin saif.
28 NEWS LETTER VOLUME _IV
LITERATURE
If you want to fly If you want to fly Like a bird in the sky Free up your mind Don't stay as a blind
Dream and look up to the world To be different being old Live your dream everyday the Mohammad hero in his play By:As Shahad ALqahtani
29 NEWS LETTER VOLUME _IV
LITERATURE The smallest details It is the smallest details in life, That give us the warm feeling. Walking outside in the sunlight, While the grass and flowers are dancing. A smile from a loved one, In a time of a deep hardship. Is like it's saying "don't worry little one, This time will pass, like a sailing ship."
By: Jawaher ALzaid.
30 NEWS LETTER VOLUME _IV
LITERATURE
Never tell me I said I want you to stay But you always leaving Never tell me were Never tell me what's the reason When you are gone I can't tell if my heart's even beating Sometimes I think it's just for you That live and breathe in
By: Maisa Ibrahim ALjuridi.
31 NEWS LETTER VOLUME _IV
Life
LITERATURE
In this hard life You can either Get through the trouble Or carry it like a Millstone forever. And all that anger Will be erased from you
By: Shahad ALfridii
32 NEWS LETTER VOLUME _IV
By: Bashair AL Dossari.
33 NEWS LETTER VOLUME _IV
Let's Build the Future Together
Sameenakzai@gmail.com @EnglishPSAU
