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EFFAT MAGAZINE SPRING#12
ETHOS MAGAZINE A magazine by you, for you
Once again we’re closing the term with a new issue of EThos, thanks to all the contributors and to the Editor-in- Chief and her editorial team. You have worked very hard to produce number 12 of the magazine. I sincerely hope that the spring term has been full of academic and personal rewards for all Effat students! You must be now putting your last bit of energy in the final exams, which will come to an end before you know it. Then you will welcome with family and friends the blessings of Ramadan and its pure joys! Stay blessed for the whole month and continue to relax over the Eid holiday and the whole summer. One reminder: Don’t forget to write for the next issue of EThos, which will have a whole section on your experiences during the summer holiday. Until then, I wish you peace, prosperity, safety, and continuous progress.
Dr. Sanna Abdulaziz Dhahir, Dean. College of Science and Humanities
Dua Sa'ad Alghamdi Psychology, Clinical. Senior.
Thank You Dear reader, I would like to thank you for making this issue of Ethos possible. Your contributions and interest have been why I have strived to take charge of the magazine and to include as many contributors as possible. I hope that you will be able to continue inspiring others, including me, with your lovely poetry, intriguing reports and great artistry. To the editorial team: I had the utmost pleasure working alongside each and every one of you, and I hope your next Editor-in-Chief is someone who will lead the paper to new heights. Keep up the great work. To our mentor, Dr. Sanna Dhahir: I would like to thank you for this opportunity and the great pleasure of leading Ethos magazine. It has made me connect with people more than I had hoped I would. I have a lot of people to thank: My parents for inspiring me to start writing, my sister and my friends for their endless support and empowering words. I thank you all and wish you Ramadan Kareem.
MENTOR
CONTRIBUTORS Anonymous #1
Dr. Sanna Dhahir
Anonymous #2
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Malak Saadi
Dua Alghamdi
Nejoud Bugshan Qurratulain Wahab Renad Sheera Silmyia Siddigi
VICE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Malak Saadi
DESIGN
REPORTERS
Dua Alghamdi
Malak Saadi Qurratulain Wahab
EDITORIAL TEAM Danah Alghamdi Dua Alghamdi Joanna Alfattani Malak Saadi Muzaina Zuberi Ruhayd Altowairqi Sama Kinsara Sumaiya Syed Zain Rajab
If you wish to contribute to the upcoming issue, please contact ethos@effat.edu.sa, @ethos on Instagram or @ethosmagazine on Twitter. Photographers/artists are requested to send HQ images of their work if they wish for it to be featured.
CONTENTS Coffee Break
Driving Skills for Life
Effat Reads
T h e To x i c C u l t u r e o f ' D i s o b e d i e n c e '
Literature
Mermaids
S o m e t i m e s , I t ' s To o L a t e
RED
COFFEE B R E A K
Driving Skills for Life M a l a k S a a d i Hear that ladies? It’s the sound of your car engines roaring with excitement! As Saudi Arabia has been evolving, so have the laws and regulations. The opportunity for women to receive their license has been approved and in the works. Females will be allowed to drive starting from June 2018, and as a show of support, Effat University, in collaboration with Ford, have offered Effat students, including myself, the opportunity to learn the basics of driving in a two-hour course called “Driving Skills for Life.� Ford DSFL taught students vehicle handling, hazard recognition, and space and speed management. The course was offered from March 5th till March 7th, allowing students the ability to test their skills both in theory and application. At first the students and myself were asked to complete a questionnaire which focused on questions regarding our knowledge about the number of accidents that occur yearly, and for what reason, how fast are airbags, and so forth. We then were placed into two groups, one of which was taught the basics of driving and was given the opportunity to drive, and the other was taught about the two different types of cars and their internal aspects. Both groups shifted once they were done with their tasks.
Afterwards, we were asked to test our abilities through wearing goggles that made it seem we were not in the right state to drive (as if we were under the influence). We were asked to wear the goggles and walk a line while stopping and touching the tip of a cone. The other activity was trying to drive a toy car as if we were on our phone. Of all the activities we were supposed to do, this seemed the hardest. Usually in our everyday life, we tackle different tasks simultaneously. We think we have it all under control, like we’re professionals at multitasking, when in fact, we are causing so much more dysfunction. We were asked to take the questionnaire once again to see if we adapted the knowledge they were spewing. It somehow seems like chaos may rain more than order, but we have to go through the worst to reach the best. The struggles that we may come across with the following through of this procedure have been taken under consideration and punishments have been set up in defense of both male and female drivers. So what do we have to do on our end to prove that we are capable of taking such a responsibility?
Well ladies, we have to make sure that we are ready to be behind a steering wheel. Driving is something that needs care and patience; it involves lives, whether it be just you, a passenger with you, and/or the other drivers on the road. It is so important to know the rules of driving. It is so important to understand what every aspect of a car and the duty of a driver is, because if any mistake occurs on the road, we have to know how to respond fast. With that being said, we are thankful for the collaboration that Effat and Ford have offered us. A supportive community builds great leaders, and we are very appreciative that we are a part of the change happening in our society.
E F FAT Q u r r a t u l a i n Wa h a b
Effat University hosts Effat Reads event at Effat Library JEDDAH: A unique program entitled "Effat Reads" was organized by the Effat University Library on March 21st in the Effat Library. As part of the program, a number of things were included, such as book signings, bookmark competitions, short-story competitions, book donations, and others. Short-story and bookmark competitions took place over a two-week period. Students from all departments were invited to participate, resulting in more than 20 submissions from students in different departments. The student volunteers read stories to young children from the Child Development Center during an interactive session which the children enthusiastically enjoyed. Around 180 books were donated to the library by students, faculty, and staff. There was also a panel discussion entitled "Why Read?" which attracted a large and very interested audience. On the panel were Professor Areeg from the Effat faculty; Sumaiyya Naseem, a well-known reading enthusiast; Doaa Al-Ghamdi, a "bookworm" Effat student; Yousra Osman, Effat faculty; and Dr. Jibreel Speight, a professor at Effat. Dr. Sanna Dhahir, the Dean of the College of Science and Humanities, was the moderator of the panel discussion. The following worthwhile comments were made during the panel discussion. “Reading has opened magical windows for me through which I can see the world and humanity in so many different forms and colors,” said Professor Areeg. “Reading helps us to understand ourselves, others, and the environment. Commitment to reading is a commitment to self-improvement and the world’s wellbeing,” said Sumaiyya Naseem. “Books take us away from drab reality to something more intriguing, but reading also connects us to the real world. Self-discovery is an important byproduct of reading,” Doaa Al-Ghamdi said.
READS “Reading provides an escape and a pleasant way to self-discovery. Through reading, one can help others be creative and self-expressive as well,” said Yousra Osman. Dr. Jibreel Speight shared an interesting story about how he began to read. “Although as a young child, I never liked to read, I was advised to do so, and soon I found reading to be the best diversion. Reading helped me change other people’s views of me and change my views about myself and the world around me,” he said. After summing up the panelists’ views on reading, Dr. Sanna Dhahir explained why she herself finds reading so important. “I read to nourish my body and my mind, to feel alive, to expand my view of humanity, to understand my behavior and to accept my flaws. I would not have been who I am now without the works I have read.” She strongly advised students to read, to widen their horizons, and to develop their own styles of writing and other forms of self-expression. Ms. Shaheda Banu, the public service manager at the Effat Library and Cultural Museum, thanked the library staff for their efforts in making the event a success. She then announced the winners of the competitions. The first prize went to Qurratulain Wahab from the Visual and Digital Production (VDP) department for her story, “Slept Like a Baby.” The second prize was awarded to Leen Koshak for her work “A Life Story.” The third prize was won by Mohjah Bahaj for her story “The Ripple Effect.” Ms. Shaheda also announced the winner of the bookmark competition won by Lyan Alhamed for her design. In the end, Heba Qadi’s book signing attracted many book lovers.
Note to the reader: I know we live in a progressive society here in Jeddah. Some of you might be weirded out by what I wrote. However, I want from you my dear readers to think about this in the context of a typical Saudi society. Thank you.
Anonymous
The Toxic Culture of “Disobedience” Why do we always talk about kids disobeying their parents, but never about parents abusing or humiliating their kids? Isn’t that also another form of “disobedience”? Why are we not discussing the problems of parents depriving their children from the most basic necessities in the name of “parenting”? You might be surprised by what you are about to read, but it is true and it happens to a lot of children. Unfortunately, it is very common in our Saudi society to find parents who will put their kids through hell and beyond and still demand from the kids respect, loyalty, and obedience. What saddens me the most is that, our culture encourages parents “to teach” kids by beating and harming them. Our society enables the father, mother, or both to psychologically, emotionally, and physically abuse the kids. What rights do these parents have to bully their kids until they destroy them completely? They try to justify themselves lashing out on the kids by saying “we are just teaching them by beating them, just like what the Quran said”. Never in the Quran has God asked these parents to pour all their anger on their children. God has never asked you to lash out on your kids, to humiliate them in front of their peers or relatives, to deprecate your kids’ accomplishments and success. It is a vicious cycle that needs to be destroyed. A kid who is abused and neglected by one of the parents will grow up angry at his/her own kids for having a better life than he/she did. I know you think I am going too far by this statement, but believe me, this happens so often to a lot of families in Saudi Arabia that it has become a part of our culture. I think it is really tragic that we always put the blame on the children but never shed light on the source of these problems. I’m not saying that cases of disobedient kids who mistreat their good parents never happen, or that they are not real. I just think that we shouldn’t dismiss this side of the argument. We vilify kids who disobey their parents, why shouldn’t we do the same if the situation was reversed?
Literature
I attract chaos. Because I am chaos itself. I have multiple holes all over my body and shield that continue to multiply and grow. It builds and then explodes. My heart beats then races and I can’t seem to make its rhythm grow slow. I count the lines on letters and numbers just for fun ever since I could remember, it must hold some magic to it or I might simply be neurotic. I lay by the sand and contemplate about mermaids’ existence, and whether they’d murmur about us, foolish mortals in their homes; under the sea. Oh well, the hell with it all. “Enough about me!” “Where are my manners?” I ask with a smile. I continue without pausing, and you allow me and a slightly confused look overcomes your face. “What about you? What do you do for fun? Would you like some chamomile tea?”
MERMAIDS Anonymous
SOMETIMES, IT'S TOO LATE She came from a broken place
Silmiya Siddiqi
Had bruises over her face
Peace of mind was something new Happy times she had a few
Arguments is what she heard every day, For a sound silence was what she did pray
Then she heard them say "Let's separate" She knew this was their un-denying fate
Silence. That was all she could later hear But it was at the cost of losing people who were dear
It was not the kind of silence she wanted, By her own prayers now she was haunted
During the many days she was left all alone Thoughts of worthlessness and self-harm were grown
Frustrated with the silence at her home Aimlessly on the streets she began to roam
Mixed feelings and thoughts clouded her mind, To the approaching car, she was blind
Now the clouded thoughts were no more The darkness closed her mental door.
Gaining consciousness she could hear the faint ECG sound, And recognized the muffled sobs in the background
A smile crept through her face when she felt they still cared, A tear trickled down when she knew they were scared
Teary eyed they approached their only child, She saw the concerned faces and smiled
"We're sorry, let's go home" was all they could say “Thank you" she said as on the bed she lay But she already knew it was her last day
Nejoud Red, Red, Red She's wearing red Red lipstick, red dress She's asking what's in your head I answer her question with a question am i better off dead Yes is what she said You're misread, you're mislead You're only hanging by a thread So take the pills and let the suffering end A knock on the door followed by my mother's head Asking are you ready yet I answer just one minute and I'll be set As she closed the door behind I look back at the reflection in the mirror Red lipstick, red dress With a wicked smile she whispers .you're already dead
RBugshan ED
ISLAMIC DESIGNS AND AN IFTAR ANNOUNCEMENT
What is Effat Iftar? A hundred members of the faculty and students at Effat University annually celebrate the Holy month of Ramadan by gathering for “Iftar” in Effat University’s campus for a blessed night of gathering. Don't miss this year's Iftar, in June! (be on the look-out for the official announcement via e-mail)
Renad Sheera's Extensive Report on The History of Islamic Design: Simplified
Islamic design, like Romanesque, is centered on religion. Without Islam there is no Islamic design, and without Mohammed, there is no Islam. Islam developed a series of regional variations that, when viewed collectively, are astonishing in their variety. In Mesopotamia, Persia, North Africa, Saharan Africa, Spain and Anatolia, mosques were built that shared similar features: courtyard, prayer hall, ablutions fountain, and qibla wall with mihrab. The architecture of a mosque is shaped most strongly by the regional traditions of the time and place where it was built. As a result, style, layout, and decoration can vary greatly. Nevertheless, because of the common function of the mosque as a place of congregational prayer, certain architectural features appear in mosques all over the world. The essential element of a mosque’s architecture is the mihrab—a niche in the wall that indicates the direction of Mecca, towards which all Muslims pray.
Effat Magazine
Issue#12