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J. M. Synge Centenary Commemoration Activities from Dec. 4 to Dec. 15 Under the patronage of Sir Desmond Cochrane, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Ireland, the Synge Centenary Commemoration will take place in AUB from Dec. 4 to Dec_ 15_ As a part of the Commemoration activities, a Centenary Exhibition will take place in the Exhibition Gallery of Jafet Memorial Library. The exhibition will be officially opened by Sir Desmond at 11.30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 4. Sir Desmond will then present to President Samuel B. Kirkwood a collection of books and records from the Cultural Relations Committee of Ireland to the American University of Beirut. The exhibition will illustrate selected aspects of the life and work of ].M. Synge. Over 100 photographs of people, places and events in the playwright's lifetime will be exhibited. Also included in the exhibition will be a number of editions of Synge's works, a selection of critical studies aLd a selection of books of Ireland, her history and civilization. The exhibition will remain open from Dec. 4 to Dec. 11. Centenary Readings and Lectures will be another of the programs of the Commemoration. In this program, Christopher Scaife, Professor Emeritus at AUB, will give readings from Anglo-Irish literature, on Sunday, Dec. 5, at 8 p.m. in West Hall. Prof. Suheil B. Bushrui, Chairman of the Department of English, will present an Introduction to John Millington Synge. The lecture, in Arabic, will be on Monday, Dec. 6, at 5 p.m. in 'West Hall. Prof. William Bickers, of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, AUB, will lecture on Monday, Dec. 6, on East meets West in Ireland. The lecture will be in West Hall, at 8 p.m. Finally there will be a Centenary Performance by Maurice Good, in "John Dynge comes next," adapted from the works of J.M. Synge by Maurice Good. The performance will take place Wednesday, Dec. 15 at West Hall, 8.30 p.m. Admission to the performance will be by ticket.
Synge Centenary Committee The Synge Centenary Committee (Beirut) consists of Professors S. Bushrui (Chairman), B: Alsleben, W. Bickers (Treasurer), N. Bratton, A. Melikian; the Secretary is ]. Bridgewood; other members are A. Choukassizian, F. Haddad, M. Milecki and A. Sabri.
AMERI r::AN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT, DECEMBER 2, 1971
Minister of Education Opens Geology and Petroleum Exhibition
H.E. the Minister of Education Najib Abou-Haidar opened the Geology and Petroleum Exhibition in West Hall on Nov. 23. Present at the opening were AUB President Kirkwood and other University officials.
About 15 firms participated in the exhibition which attracted The exhibition many vIsItors. ended on Nov. 28. In photo H.E. the Minister of Education Najib Abou-Haidar "eft), the Chairman of the Geo,_
John Millington Synge 1871-1909 JOHN MILLINGTON SYNGE. illness and a childhood plagued the leading Irish dramatist by ill-health, Synge's literary career of his time, was born in was brief. His re1:>utalion and ina suburb of Dublin on April 16, fluence rest on the six plays he 1871. After studying at Trinity wrote for the Irish Dramatic MoveCollege, Dublin, he travelled widement: The Shadow of the Glen ly in Germany, Italy, and France. (1903), Riders to the Sea (1904), While studying in Paris in 1896, The Well of the Saints (1905), he met William Butler Yeats, who The Playboy of the Western suggested that he should abandon World (1907), The Thinker's all plans of becoming a critic and Wedding (1908), and Deirdre of return to Irelaod to seek inspirathe Sorrows (1910), which was left unfinished at the time of his tion in the life of the Aran Islands, "a life that had never been exdeath in Dublin at the age of 38. pressed before." . John Millington Synge was the first playwright to raise the comSynge accepted Yeats's advice mon Irish idiom to a hIgh draand spent long periods among the matic form of expressjon. Although people of Aran, absorbing their all his plays are set in. essentially stories, their attitudes and their Irish surroundings, their signiearthy, naturally poetic language. ficance is universal: his tragedy His travels through the western is as poignant to an audience in countries of Ireland with Yeats' Beirut as it is to an audience in painter-brother, Jack, further stiDublin; his comedy moves its mulated his imagination and beviewers as readily in Tokyo as in came a major source of his inNew York. In his plays, as well spiration. In Dublin, Synge joined 'as in his stories of the- Aran IsW.B. Yeats and Lady Gregory, lands, he presents the dramatic both of whom were passion:ltely conflict of humanity with its feet interested in promoting native Irish in the mire and its head in the drama, and when their newly stars. formed National Li terary Thea.re Now, a century after his birth, become the renowned Abbey not only Ireland but all the EngTheatre in 1904, Synge was one lish-speaking world, whose lanof its directors. guage and literature he enriched, Because he was beset by serious pars tribute to his achievement.
logy Department Prof. Beydoun (center), and President Kirkwood (right).
AUB Chemical SocietySyndicate of Chemists Organize Exhibition The Syndicate of Chemists in Lebanon in collaboration with the Chemical Society at AUB organized an exhibition on the Chemical Industries and Scientific Equipment which was held at the Industry Institute in Beirut under the high patronage of His Excellency President Suleiman Franjie. The exhibition was opened on Saturday Oct. 23, 1971 at 4 p.m. by H.E. Kamal Khuri, Minister of Public Works, who represented President Franjie. Thirty four firms participated and seven scientific lectures were presented during the exhibition. Abstracts on these lectures were published in a booklet entitled CHEM-EX 71, which was distributed to all Syndicate members, visitors, and to exhibitors.
Books Donated to Faculty of Agriculture Several val uable books on applied entomology were recently presented to the Facul ty of Agriculture by Halim Najjar, Chairman of the Board of the Lebanese Institute for Agricultural Research Ministry of Agriculture. The book; were received by Dean Swenson and Prof. A. Talhouk, Professor of Entomology.
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AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT, DECEMBER 9, 1971
Sir Desmond Opens Synge Centenary Exhibition
Prof Zeine's New Book Published in Beirut Prof. Zeine N. Zeine, Professor of History at AUB, had his book "AI-Sira al-Duwali fi al-Sharq alAwsat wa Wiladat Suriyya wa Lubnan" ("The International Struggle in the Middle East and the Emergence of the Two States-Syria and Lebanon") recently published in Beirut by Dar al-Nahar.
Sir Desmond Cochrane, Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Ireland, opened the John Millington Synge Centenary Exhibition in Jafet Memorial Library Saturday, Dec. 4, at 11.30 a.m. Prof. Bickers, the Treasurer of the J.M. Synge Centenary Committee, made a few introductory remarks and he then read a letter sent by ].S. Synge, the oldest member of the Synge family, to AUB. Prof. Bushrui, the Chairman of the Centenary Committee, thanked all those who helped in the realization of the exhibition, making
specif ic reference to the members of the Centenary Committee. Prsident 'Kirkwood then introduced to the gathering of more than 100 persons Sir Desmond Cochrane. Sir Desmond thanked all those who helped in the realization of the exhibition and the organization of the other activities to take place within the ].M. Synge Centenary Program, making specific reference to Prof. Bushrui who, he said, "brought Anglo-Irish literature to the Arab World." Sir Desmond then presented to
President 'Kirkwood a collection of books and records from the Cultural Relations Committee of Ireland to the American University of Beirut. The exhibition illustrates selected aspects of the life and work of J.M. Synge. Over 100 photographs of people, places and events in the playwright's lifetime are exhibited. Also included in the exhibition is a number of editions of Synge's works, a selection of critical studies and a selection of books of Ireland, her history and civilization. The exhibition will remain open until Dec. 11.
Prof. Zeine's book grew out of his former one, "The Struggle for Arab Independence" which was published in Beirut in 1960. Extensive addi tions to the latter were made, including the first two chapters on the geographical features of the Near East and its strategic significance; extensive revisions were also made for other parts, which make the present work almost a new one. This new book treats the rivalries of the Great Powers in the Middle East, particularly those between Great Britain and France during and after the First World War. It also deals with Faisal's government in Syria and the French occupation of Syria and Lebanon. Prof. Zeine utilized Near Eastern and European sources, both oral and written, for this work. Although other studies of several aspects of the theme of Prof. Zeine's work have appeared, thIS book is still an outstanding and indispensible contribution to the study of that period. Prof. Zeine's book has a lot to offer to both the student of history and to the general reader.
"Whot's The Answer?" To be of further service to the AUB Community, the Bulletin will welcome questions dealing with AUB. The Bulletin will attempt to obtain information to answer such questions. Questions must carry the name and address of the author. Send questions to "What's the Answer?" Editor, AUB Bulletin, College Hall.