Outlook Annual Report 2010 - 2011 by Outlook AUB

Outlook Annual Activity Report

2010â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11

Documenting Volume 43

Editor-in-Chief Rami H. Diab

Outlook Annual Activity Report

2010â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11

Produced by Outlook Newspaper ÂŠ American University of Beirut

Edited and reviewed by Rami H. Diab Printed at 3ind Riad

Graphic consultant: Office of Communications

Documenting Volume 43

Editor-in-Chief Rami H. Diab

To the AUB community

â&#x20AC;&#x153;That they may have life and have it more abundantlyâ&#x20AC;?

Foreword By Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Talal Nizameddin

Table of Contents Table of Contents

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Acknowledgements

Foreword

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vii

Preface

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Meet the Outlook Board

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Meet the Outlook Project Managers Outlook Organization Chart

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xiv xiv

Mission and Vision Statements

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Mission Statement............................................................................................................................xv Vision Statement

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Chapter I: Strategic Plan and Executive Summary

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Outlook Strategic Plan

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Progress.................................................................................................................................................2 Launching Outlook’s Website................................................................................................................................................................2 Digitizing Outlook’s Past Volumes 3 Attaining the Associate Collegiate Press 3 Producing Outlook’s Annual Report and Staff Handbook 4 ........................................................................................................................................................

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Outlook Annual Activity Report:................................................................................................................................................................................................................4 Outlook Staff Handbook:.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................4

Hindrances

Launching Outlook’s Website................................................................................................................................................................5 Digitizing Outlook’s Past Volumes 5 Attaining the Associate Collegiate Press 6 Producing Outlook’s Annual Report and Staff Handbook 6 ........................................................................................................................................................

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Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

Executive Summary

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Milestones for Years 2009-11.........................................................................................................8 Milestones for Year 2009-10: Overview of last year’s developments.................................................................................8 Milestones for Summer 2010 9 Milestones for Fall 2010 10 Milestones for Spring 2011 12 ...................................................................................................................................................................

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Aspirations for Year 2011-12 ...................................................................................................... 13

Aspirations for Fall and Spring 2011.............................................................................................................................................. 13

Chapter II: Logistics and Marketing

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The Challenge....................................................................................................................................15 The Solution

The Details

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Launching the Marketing Plan........................................................................................................................................................... 15 Distributing Certification Letters and Annual Outlook Awards 16 .........................................................................................

Future Challenges

Chapter III: Revamping and Refurbishing the Arabic Team

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The Challenge ...................................................................................................................................20 The Solution

The Details

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Enlarging the Staff................................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Adopting a Communication Pathway 20 Launching the Arabic front page 21 Creating Fixed and Flexible Arabic Sections and Columns 21 .............................................................................................................................................

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Future Challenges

Chapter IV: Strengthening the Photography Team

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The Challenge................................................................................................................................... 24 The Solution

The Details

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Instigating a Photography Exchange System with AUB’s Office of Communications.............................................. 25 Initiating Photo Transfer Through Picasa 25 Ordering a New Camera 26 Outlook Facebook page 26 ....................................................................................................................................

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Future Challenges

Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s

Chapter V: Upgrading Newspaper Quality

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The Challenge....................................................................................................................................29 The Solution

The Details

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Securing a Copy Editor for Spring of 2011................................................................................................................................... 29 Reconsidering Outlook’s Recruitment Credentials/Requirements 30 Standardizing Outlook’s Certification Letters 30 ..................................................................................

Future Challenges

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Chapter VI: Layout Development

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The Challenge....................................................................................................................................32 The Solution

The Details

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Evolving Outlook’s Layout Design ................................................................................................................................................... 32

Future Challenges

Chapter VII: Expanding on Coverage and Publicity

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The Challenge ...................................................................................................................................37 The Solution The Details

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Streamlining Communication............................................................................................................................................................ 37 Revamping Outlook’s Weekly Topic List 38

Future Challenges

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Chapter VIII: Expanding on Online Exposure

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The Challenge....................................................................................................................................42 The Solution

The Details

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Launching the Website.......................................................................................................................................................................... 42 Adding Interactive Features to the Website 45 Launching the Outlook iPad, iPod touch and iPhone Applications 46 Initiating Outlook’s Web Team Work-Study Program 47 .................................................................................................................................

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Future Challenges

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Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

Chapter IX: Advertising, Promotion, and Finance

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The Challenge................................................................................................................................... 50 The Solution

The Details

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Renovating Outlook’s Official Advertising Guide 2010-11........................................................................................................ .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 50 Creating Outlook’s Advertising Contract Terms & Conditions 51 Gathering Advertising Clients 52 .............................................................................................

Future Challenges:

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Chapter X: Enhancing Newspaper Distribution on Campus

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The Challenge................................................................................................................................... 54 The Solution

The Details

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Spearheading the Blue Box Project.................................................................................................................................................. 55 Spearheading the Library Distribution Project 57 ..........................................................................................................................

First Design........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................60 Second Design................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 60

Future Challenges

Appendix I: Outlook Workshop | Sat Nov 6, 2010

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Appendix II: Outlook Christmas Party | Mon Dec 20, 2010

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Appendix III: Outlook Awards Ceremony | Tue June 14, 2011

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Acknowledgements Throughout Outlook’s swift evolution this year (2010-11), a number of milestone undertakings have become permanent records of Outlook’s long and rich history. Behind Outlook’s booming term for the year 2010-11 lies its lavishly booming workhorse, the very backbone of its institution without which no objectives, aspirations, and/or strategic plans may have ever journeyed beyond the procurement of thought and to which the bulk of Outlook’s achievements are earnestly indebted to. That said, the Outlook Board 2010-11 would like to take this rare opportunity to express its unremitting admiration and incessant respect for the Outlook Staff 2010-11 who have made this year’s journey all the more memorable and worthwhile. Likewise and in compliment, there also remain those key indispensable figures without whose guidance, feedback, and unyielding support, Outlook’s potential progress may have never seen the light.

In effect, Outlook would like to extend its deepest and most heartfelt gratitude to the following figures for their empathy, tolerance, and understanding:

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President of the American University of Beirut (AUB) Dr. Peter Dorman and Univeristy Provost Dr.Ahmad Dallal for their trust in the Newspaper’s aptitude and creative capacity. The Office of Student Affairs, quite particularly:

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Former Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Maroun Kisirwani for his belief in, reliance on, and assurance of the newspaper’s capacity.

Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Talal Nizameddin for his unconditional support, genuine approval, and unhampered faith in the newspaper’s potential.

Associate Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Charbel Tarraf for his notable assistance in the newspaper’s newly founded Annual Outlook Awards. Student Affairs Activity Coordinator Ms. Hiba Hamadeh for her punctual and zealous attention to Outlook’s various projects and initiatives. Career and Placement Services Specialist Dr. Maryam Ghandour and her group of students for their professional work ethics and timely submissions targeted at keeping the AUB student body updated with the latest career cruising tips, guidelines, and opportunities.

The Student Work Study Program, particularly Student Work Study Assistant Ms. Ramzieh Saad for her assistance in launching a work study program for Outlook Staff Web Contributors at the newspaper. Ahmad Yassine, Tarek Daw, Halim Azzar and Mohamad Kamel for their unfaltering loyalty to the newspaper.

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

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Outlook Faculty Advisor Dr. Cleo Cacoulidis for her untiring contributions to the paper’s quality and aesthetics.

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Sports Director Mr. Ghaleb Halimi for making every effort to support the sustenance of the weekly sports page.

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Director of Alumni Relations Mrs. Arabia Ali Osseiran Ali for her mutual interest and reciprocal efforts in bridging gaps between the AUB student body and numerous AUB alumni. AUB’s Office of Communications, quite particularly:

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Assistance Vice President for Marketing and Communications Mr. Omar Odeh Former Director of Communications Mr. Hikmat Beaini for his firm support and approval towards the mutual and shared collaboration between Outlook and the Office of Communications. Photographers, Ahmad El Itani, Hasan Nisr, and Nishan Simonian as well as Production Manager Ms. Randa Zaiter for their generous support in supplementing Outlook with their much needed digital photographs. Webmaster Mr. Nidal Mawas for his indubitable support and advice in uprooting Outlook’s website.

Graphic Design Manager Mr. Najib Attieh from the Office of Communications for his indisputable support with the layout and design for the newspaper, as well as for the Outlook Annual Activity Report 2010-11.

Events Coordinator Mr. Johnny Hage for his prompt and positive recognition of Outlook’s press passes in allowing Outlook Staff access into campus events for journalistic coverage.

The Physical Plant Department (PPD), particularly Plant Engineer Mr. Kamal Feghali and the Facilities Planning and Design Unit (FPDU), particularly Director Mr. Bassem Barhoumi and Architect Ms. Rea Dagher for their support with the newspaper’s Blue Box Project. The phone application innovators group Virtual, for their kind support in putting together the newspaper’s very own iPad, iPod Touch, and iPhone applications. Outlook would like to thank the many student clubs and societies that have given it every reason to sustain its growth and development as well as the Yearbook Staff for their tolerance and treasured respect.

Last but not least, Outlook would also like to thank its readers and critics for their persistent follow up on Outlooks latest topic releases, feature pieces and the like. You are the very reason that this university and everything in it, including Outlook, is in continued existence.

Foreword By Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Talal Nizameddin

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

The Outlook team during the year 2010-2011 has shown what student initiative is capable of achieving. Despite a variety challenges the students on the Outlook board have managed to introduce an impressive number of improvements. Allow me to list but a few: A new Layout design for the newspaper has been implemented in the spring semester that helped save up on page space, thus allowing greater flexibility for increasing the allotted word count granted per article. Alongside this development came a new Outlook logo as well that restored Outlook’s classic crimson-red color and succeeded in making the publication all the more showy and illustrious.

The newspaper itself witnessed radical transformations and developments including a revamped sports page that revealed score boards of games alongside sports-related advertisements, announcements, and investigative reports on a weekly basis. The Arabic section was subdivided into three sections: Opinion, news and Miscellaneous, which included entertainment and cultural pieces. This allowed granting the Arabic section with its own ‘front page’. Such changes ultimately resulted in an increase in public interest from Arabic writers towards joining the newspaper team thereby enhancing the Arabic team even further. A new column dedicated to AUB’s Career Placement Services Office was also launched midway through the spring semester as a need for further connecting AUB’s student body with existing career, training, and internship opportunities. Other newly established features worth mentioning are the Spotlight page to highlight campus events through photography; Out Loud page to reflect diverse opinions on campus; Alumni page to create a bridge between students and alumni. Such features strengthen the communications goals of any creditable newspaper in reaching out to a community and providing a forum for discussion.

From the outset, in summer 2010, Outlook held a journalism workshop aimed at briefing new and returning staff on the guidelines of journalism under professional guidance. I hope that this will be a feature that will become an annual occurrence.

The team also bolstered its armory by purchasing two new digital records for interviews to document stories in a professional manner. Further, three Dell computers at the newsroom were activated by allowing open access to them by members of the Outlook staff. To improve archiving and organization the team set up a systematic newspaper filing system by making use of the many empty drawers and filing cabinets made available to Outlook since before the start of the year. Based on this filing system, a physical database and compilation of Outlook issues released over the year had been initiated in fall of 2010 and ended in summer of 2011.

Outlook’s official website hyperlinked at < www.aub.edu.lb/outlook > was launched during the fall semester of this year enabling the newspaper to then digitize and upload the previous year’s volume (Volume 42) online. This year’s volume (Volume 43) is also available online in its entirety and has been regularly updated ever since the website’s launching. Outlook plans on further digitizing its past issues in the summer in hopes that it will one day have updated its full database spanning its total lifetime of 62 years and counting online.

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Foreword

In further embracing technological developments Outlook invested time and energy in promoting its news through online social networking outlets such as Facebook and Twitter by opening up new accounts and updating them as regularly as possible. An advertising guide was completed so that this year, the newspaper has secured enough financial resources in advertising to be able to purchase two new digital recorders, a new camera and a classy end of term Outlook ceremony.

In the Fall of 2010 Outlook staff were provided with unique and personalized Outlook Press

Passes after consultation with Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Communications at AUB, a practice that we hope will become longstanding.

The output of the Outlook team has been very impressive and Outlook has managed to release a grand total of 31 issues thereby elevating its reputation as a weekly newspaper and appearing largely more prolific than previous years. Newspaper distribution inside three out of four of AUB’s campus libraries, namely Jafet Library, Engineering Library, and the Agriculture & Science Library, have been initiated in the fall semester, with plans on purchasing specialized, custom made newspaper stands to support internal distribution in the three aforementioned libraries in addition to the fourth and final one, the Science Medical Library (SML). To further bolster visibility the nine Outlook blue boxes that house Outlook’s weekly issues around campus for distribution have begun the process of refurbishment with a new colored gray (to match the theme AUB Campus Planning has newly set for the campus) casing and an overlying PVC-based sign that reads “Outlook : Your guide to campus happenings.”

Mentioned above are many but not all the valuable features to make the student newspaper of higher quality and have it more abundantly. At the helm of these initiative has been Rami Diab, the Editor-in-Chief, whose energy and enthusiasm are infectious. He has served the AUB student body with dedication, integrity and a burning desire to provide them with a newspaper his peers deserve.

I know Rami would agree with me however in saying that his achievements have only been possible because of an outstanding team to serve alongside. Throughout they have been a shining example of teamwork, cooperation and hard work. It’s worth noting that all those who serve Outlook do so without any material gain, and sometimes at a personal loss of time, effort and some minor expenses too. It is an attitude that fills me with pride and admiration when I see what this generation of AUB students can achieve. Long live Outlook! Sincerely,

Talal Nizameddin

Dean of Student Affairs

Preface By Editor-in-Chief Rami H. Diab

Preface

Few people have the privilege of seeing a lengthy and laborious work in progress on its royal road to fulfilment; few people have the chance of observing their dreams advance into application, and even fewer people are fortunate enough to bear witness to their creative capacities as they are severed from their theoretical roots, washed off the drawing board and drawn nearer to reality.

This year’s progress has been phenomenal for Outlook in more ways than one. With an overly dynamic team that successfully launched the newspaper’s new website reachable at <www.aub.edu.lb/outlook>1, and refurbished the AUB campus’s newspaper-carrier boxes2,

Outlook, the one and only independent journalistic student publication at AUB, has successfully earned an invigorated and revitalized sense of existence.

Speaking of existence relative to the world of digital print, with two new browsing applications released for the iPad and iPhone3, and made readily available for free download on the web (reachable at the App store), Outlook has also succeeded in placing itself back on the map.

And just when we thought the story had ended right there and then, the Department of Student Affairs at AUB and most notably, the much esteemed and appreciated Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Talal Nizameddin, was more than helpful in channelling Outlook’s projects to fruition thereby endowing the newspaper with even further zeal to continue creating new ones. And so it happened that Outlook continued to move on scoring newer and more daring victories as it progressed. In his Man Booker Prize-winning novel, Life with Pi, Canadian Author Yan Martel writes: “If we citizens do not support our artists, then we sacrifice our imagination on the altar of crude reality and we end up believing in nothing and having worthless dreams.” And that’s how Outlook may be described this year, as an electrifying artist armed with a vision that could move mountains. Only in this scenario, this stark and inspiring virtuoso was supported, to the fullest and till the end. And when all aid and assistance had been reaped, the boundaries of what was plausible soon expanded as the once impossible turned possible; all events of which are documented herein.

Doubtless, imagination was a potent power in fuelling this year’s progress and fulfilment. It was through imagination that a net total of 31 issues were published this year as opposed to last year’s 26. It was through imagination that a sixfold gross total of advertising savings in comparison to last year’s one-fifth was raised. And it was through imagination that this documentation you hold before you, of over 13 moths’ worth of undertakings has made its way from a hodgepodge of hopeful thoughts into the comfort of your hands.

1 See Chapter 8: Expanding on Online Exposure by Mohamad Musbah R. Al Medawar 2 See Chapter 10: Enhancing Newspaper Distribution on Campus by Khodor I. Abou Daya 3 Outlook is deeply thankful to the services of the phone application innovators group, Virtual, for their support in fulfilling this end

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

Indeed, this year has taught us the capacity of imagination. It has taught us that through imagination, through a clear and uncut vision – we can plan, we can achieve, we can progress, and we can gain recognition; through our imagination we can create! Imagine that. Moreover, this year has taught us to hold on to our vision for long enough such that our vision will take hold of us, guide us, protect us, empower us, and uplift us.

Dear reader, this is Outlook advising you, all its readers, all its critics, and all its supporters, let nobody and let no one – let nothing strip you of this priceless and indispensable flare of life. Hold on to your vision, rest only to come back to it, and there’s just no telling where it will take you.

The Outlook Team 2010-11 is indebted to the many people who have been there for it, for better or for worse. You have done this newspaper and the institution it represents a great service and in effect, Outlook thanks you deeply for making the year 2010-11 all that it has turned out to be and more. Wishing you Godspeed and good vision. God bless,

Rami H. Diab

Outlook Editor-in-Chief 2010-11

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The Outlook Board, Project Managers, and Organization Chart

Meet the Outlook Board

Dean of Student Affairs Talal A. Nizameddin

Outlook Faculty Advisor Cleo Cacoulidis

Outlook Editor-in-Chief Rami H. Diab

Outlook Associate Editor Timmy R. Malkoun

Outlook Editor at Large Mohamad Yahia H. Hamade

Outlook Arabic Editor Mariam S. El Ali

Outlook Photography Editor Salim N. Batlouni

Outlook Copy Editor Joseph R. Saba

Outlook Layout Director John D. Hajjar

Outlook Member at Large Samer A. Bu Jawdeh

Outlook News Executive Heather R. Jaber

Outlook News Executive Lojine Y. Kamel

Outlook News Executive Maya M. Sfeir

Outlook News Executive Mostafa A. Fadlallah

Outlook Webmaster Mohamad Musbah R. Al Medawar

Outlook Business Manager Sally S. Khalifeh

YAHIA HAMADE

Outlook Business Manager Lara A. Traboulsi

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Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11

Meet the Outlook Project Managers

Outlook Staff Writer Khodor I. Abou Daya

Outlook Organization Chart Chairperson

Faculty Advisor

Photography Editor

Copy Editor

Responsible Director

Editor-in-Chief

Editor at Large

Associate Editor

News Executive

Webmaster

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News Executive

Arabic Editor

News Executive

Layout Editor

Member at Large

Introduction and Outlook Strategic Plan

Mission and Vision Statements I. Mission Statement To assume the role of the American University of Beirut’s one and only independent journalistic student publication aimed at:

• • •

Seeking out accurate, relevant, and reliable information for the AUB community. Providing a forum for public criticism, dialogue, conciliation, and compromise.

Promoting and upholding a sense of ethics and professional responsibility towards journalistic truth.

In fulfilling its crucial role as an independent monitoring power at the university, Outlook seeks the demonstration of an unwavering sense of obligation and responsibility to factuality and truth, pristine journalistic integrity, and unopposed loyalty towards the AUB community. Only as such will the newspaper succeed in making the essential headlines interesting and relevant.

II. Vision Statement Outlook functions to uphold the virtues of equality, honesty, and journalistic integrity in producing truthful, unbiased, and accurate news pieces for the AUB community at large. Outlook further envisions itself expanding upon:

• • • •

Members of the Outlook Staff

Members of the Outlook Board

Variety, quantity, and quality of published content

Variety and quantity of outreach projects and initiatives

As such, Outlook hopes to meet the demands of a scholarly and rapidly developing community deserving of all the depth and breadth of student journalism the newspaper can muster.

Annual Activity Report 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11 | Chapter I

Strategic Plan and Executive Summary By Outlook Editor-in-Chief Rami H. Diab

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

Outlook Strategic Plan I. Progress Since summer 2010, prior to the onset of the academic year 2010-11, Outlook had defined three key attainable goals that would sum up its strategic plan for the course of the fiscal year and they are: 1. The launching of Outlook’s recently revitalized AUB-hosted website.

2. The digitization and online documentation (placed on the new website) of Outlook’s full 62 years worth of journalistic and publishing history. 3. Attaining the stamp of the Associate Collegiate Press (ACP) as a reflection of Outlook’s superior journalism quality.

Considering the aforementioned points, Outlook was surely successful in bringing its website to fruition; however it was with regards to the two laterally stated points and quite particularly the goal concerning the ACP that the newspaper foresaw it would not be as successful. As a result,

the Outlook Board was left with no choice but to make an amendment to its strategic plan. The newspaper decided to withdraw its plans concerning the ACP and replace it with the production of two publications by the end of the year, namely this Outlook Annual Activity Report 2010-11 that you hold in your hands and the Outlook Staff Handbook 2011-12 which is to be set by the Outlook Board 2010-11 for the coming year 2011-12 Further details on each long term strategic plan follows below.

A. Launching Outlook’s Website

Outlook has indeed held a website in the past, as well as a hub for social networking, however the revolutionary idea behind establishing this year’s website was placing it on AUB servers where authoritative intervention by external webhosting sites (due to problems that may arise between students and the webhosting company of choice or to other reasons unknown) would no longer be a threat to the wellbeing and continuous output of the website. Thus, as a journalistic establishment founded for and within the American University of Beirut, it made most sense for this journalistic establishment’s website to be founded on and hosted by AUB servers for optimum security, durability, and longevity. Notwithstanding Outlook’s prior knowledge towards sacrificing a number of web-related administrative privileges concerning the website as a consequence of being placed on AUB severs, and considering the limitation in editing and design that may also come as result, in spite of all these restrictions, the newspaper this year was ready and willing to accept the circumstances aforementioned in return for the website’s future security, continuity, and wellbeing. As such, the website would be under the maintenance of AUB employees functioning under AUB’s Computing and Networking System, thereby ensuring the longevity of the

Strategic Plan and Executive Summary

website as opposed to past Outlook websites that, unfortunately enough, proved to be short-lived. Considering the wealth of time, energy, and information that would be invested into the consequent initiative concerning the digitization of all of Outlook’s past volumes and their subsequent placement onto the website, this precaution came as an undeniable priority to members of the Outlook Board as the newspaper had to be certain that any progress that would come of this year would not go hindered or undone in the years to come, thereby threatening the eradication of 62 years worth of Outlook’s publications and contribution to AUB from the website after its successful implementation therein. The website has been launched in early Fall and sustained since then with weekly updates

B. Digitizing Outlook’s Past Volumes

The prospect of digitizing Outlook’s past volumes also came across Outlook’s Executive Board as a revolutionary and keystone idea. Considering its politically driven inception motivated by the struggle for the Palestinian cause (or so the story goes) and within the newspaper’s 62 years of existence, the Outlook Board had reasoned that Outlook’s history is likely to be home to a rich display of memorabilia stemming from several key figures in Lebanon’s history, many of which, upon graduating from AUB, went on to play an integral role in the development of Lebanon and the Middle East. In any case, one thing was for certain; the uncovering of 62 years worth of history, disregarding the many sever turbulent events of the Lebanese Civil War that hindered Outlook’s progress and brought its productivity to a minimum or even a halt, is bound to unearth a multitude of surprises. Hence, it was agreed upon that it would without doubt would be a service of the most noble character by the newspaper to the university, community, and the region, to invest in such an initiative in hopes that it will one day endow AUB’s libraries with digital copies of a series of such rare and timeless historical events.

C. Attaining the Associate Collegiate Press

According to the Associate Collegiate Press’s (ACP’s) official website1, ACP is the oldest and largest national membership organization for college student journalists.” The driving force behind the Associate Collegiate Press (ACP) was rather simple and to the point. Considering that Outlook has been in inception for some 62 odd years now, and has been so without the aid of a higher journalistic university department to serve as evidence of its quality, it would serve within Outlook’s best interest to receive an official stamp of its journalistic value and worth through a recognized membership with the ACP. Such a feat would not only succeed in placing AUB’s most frequent and prized independent student publication on the map of world universities’ student-run journalistic publications, but will also foster deeper relations of confidence and trustworthiness between the newspaper and the community as Outlook strives to build and uphold the highest standards of journalistic integrity possible for its community. 1 The ACP’s official website can be accessed at <http://www.studentpress.org>

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

D. Producing Outlook’s Annual Report and Staff Handbook

With the ACP initiative placed on pause until some future indefinite date, the Outlook Board needed to come up with a plan for a goal that would be just as essential, fulfilling, and gratifying as what could have been had the ACP not been cast aside. There was only one catch to whatever plan would pass, it had to be far more practical than that of the ACP. After taking some time to mull over the options available, the answer found its way to the table in question format: Rather than going after a certification to prove the newspaper’s worth, why not produce a publication bound to portray it and sing the newspaper’s name? Why not consolidate all of the newspapers doings, undertakings, and achievements into one coherent and concrete whole to be published, distributed, and set aside as reference for use whenever needed along the course of Outlook’s future history? And so it was decided that Outlook would embark upon the production of its annual report documenting all its achievements for the year 2011-12; but that was not all. Considering that the newspaper was also in dire need for strategic administrative updates and that the general consensus was that members new and old of the newspaper were not readily familiarized with their duties, responsibilities, and expectations nor were they quite familiar with the newspapers bylaws, protocols, guidelines, and procedures, the newspaper also resolved to produce its first student handbook (at least the first known to the newspaper at the time) to be presented to members of the Outlook Team 2011-12 upon joining and more importantly to be used as a prototype to build upon and release future versions of with the coming of every year (as is done with the university’s student handbook). Hence, in a nutshell, the purpose of both publications where as follows:

1) Outlook Annual Activity Report:

To formally acknowledge the previous year’s staff in print for their hard work and dedication to the newspaper through which the report was made possible. To formally documents all the newspaper’s undertakings and achievements for the year 2011-12 and set them in stone as permanent part of the newspaper’s and the university’s history.

To create a publication that the newspaper and all its members could be proud of and that would thereby set high standards for the output of the newspaper in future years. The publication would serve as living testimony of all the newspaper’s hard earned labour and of all the many more initiatives that still demand its attention and are yet to be opted for fulfilment by future Outlook Board and Staff members.

2) Outlook Staff Handbook:

To formally acknowledge the Outlook Staff 2010-11 in print for their hard work and dedication that served as inspiration for the production of the student handbook. To officially expound the newspaper’s mission and vision statements respectively.

Strategic Plan and Executive Summary

To formally expound the newspaper’s bylaws as “adopted by unanimous vote of the University Student Faculty Committee (USFC) on November 16, 1999” (Outlook Bylaws 1999). To formally familiarize Outlook Board members (Editor-in-Chief, Associate Editor, News Executives, Copy Editor, Layout Director, Business Executive, Webmaster, etc.) with their duties, responsibilities, and expectations.

To formally familiarize Outlook Staff Members (writers, photographers, cartoonists, and web contributors) with their duties, responsibilities, and expectations through a detailed job description. To provide a formal conduit for presenting the newspaper’s official newspaper style guidelines.

To provide Outlook Board and Staff members with a free and reliable source through which to learn many of the basic principles of journalism as published by Prof. Adam L. Penenberg of New York University (NYU), Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Journalism in his publication through which he has granted an open access license to all interested readers titled: NYU Journalism Handbook for Students Ethics, Law and Good Practice.

II. Hindrances A. Launching Outlook’s Website

Hindrances behind Outlook’s website launching initiative where manifold but none so serious so as to prevent us from finally attaining our goal which we did upon launching the app in early fall.

B. Digitizing Outlook’s Past Volumes

Hindrances behind Outlook’s thorough digitization plan included the high standard of publishing and coverage that the newspaper had set for itself and followed since the start of the year 2010-11. In the absence of a trained and dedicated Managing Editor to tend to the newspaper’s managerial errands, Outlook’s Board found itself allocating much of its time towards synthesizing new pages and columns for the newspaper in widening its content as well as following up on its secured continuity and progression. As such, the majority of Outlook’s time, as expected, was invested in preparations for upcoming issues detracting from the time available for focusing on its long-term initiatives and projects mentioned as part of its strategic plan above. Accordingly, the digitization plan was jumpstarted with all the necessary research for deciding on the optimum scanning settings for digitizing physical copies of old issues in storage completed, and the necessary software purchased and installed at a marvellous stroke of luck. Even the manager of the center to which the initiative was to be outsourced was consulted and informed of the initiative to which he gladly agreed. Not only that, but what was originally planned for as being two separate projects within the

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

digitization initiative was then merged into one thereby saving the newspaper a considerable amount of effort, time, and funds. The two projects that were later coalesced were originally as follows: 1. The digitization of hard copies of old newspapers to soft copies (PDF documents).

2. The conversion the soft copy PDF documents into searchable PDF documents.

In light of the new Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology that Outlook was able to locate and purchase, physical newspaper copies could then be digitized (scanned) and converted into searchable PDF documents in one go. As you might have guessed, this added feature can open up a whole new dimension to readers as they would then be able to search for key words when browsing through documents. These keywords can even be synchronized to allow powerful search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Ixquick and the like, to locate them online. Tragically enough however, the initiative was marginalized as more pressures concerning managing the weekly responsibilities of the newspaper kicked in and at a time when a suitable meeting date for university administrators to agree on funding for the project could not be set.

C. Attaining the Associate Collegiate Press

Plans for attainment of the Associate Collegiate Press (ACP) for the newspaper soon faded within a few weeks through the fall semester upon noticing that Outlook’s team of journalists was in need of more training than Outlook had been able to provide them with and with due reason considering that many members of the staff have never been exposed to journalistic writing in their middle and high school years. Thus, Outlook’s team still needed an extra push before confidently living up to the standards required to make Outlook eligible for receiving certification by the ACP. Given the aforementioned, and considering that AUB, apart from the few undergraduate courses it offers in the field, is yet to have a school of journalism until this day (which also did not work to our favour much as it has neither done so in the past), Outlook had to make do with its situation at the time and thus settle for a new strategic plan abandoning the ACP. Accordingly, Outlook sought to replace the goal towards attaining the ACP with the goal of maximizing its advertising team, a goal that was most definitely achieved within few weeks of the fall semester and which had also set the pace and financial framework necessary to sail smoothly throughout the remainder of the year, financially speaking.

D. Producing Outlook’s Annual Report and Staff Handbook

The production of the Outlook Annual Activity Report 2010-11 was without doubt a challenging enterprise. For starters, it had not been done before by any of the Outlook Board members and thus was indeed an original idea for the newspaper and one that the Outlook Board was generally in good favour of. Moreover, difficulties were first faced in

Strategic Plan and Executive Summary

dividing the information in need of documentation as well as delegating it to the Outlook Board, a facet that soon enough introduced struggle in placing a set outline that would function to define the general constituents of each of the board members chapters judging from the reports rich variety of content. Editing and proofreading required much time and thus its taxing nature came as no surprise, however it was dealt with during the summer vacation made available. Finally, the role of finalizing layout and design of the report which included the placement of all pictures allotted to it was delegated to Graphic Design Manager Mr. Najib Attieh of the Office of Communications at AUB. As for the production of the Outlook Staff Handbook 2011-12, that endeavour proved far simpler than the production of the annual report mentioned earlier. For one thing, many of its constituents where already written and published long ago such as the Outlook Bylaws, the Outlook Style Guidelines, and the NYU Journalism Handbook for Students Ethics, Law and Good Practice By Prof. Adam L. Penenberg (reprinted under consent of an open license granted by the author). Even the newspaperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision and mission statements were made available from the annual report. The only thing that remained to be done therefore was to define the parameters by which the Outlook Board and Staff members would function under the newspaper or in other words, define their duties, responsibilities, and expectations as well as supply the remaining acknowledgements and forewords; an attempt that required a detailed review of the respective newspaper positionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; week-to-week tasks, errands, and obligations alongside a review of the basic human resources guidelines for producing standardized and upto par Outlook Staff job descriptions.

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

Executive Summary I. Milestones for Years 2009-11 A. Milestones for Year 2009-10: Overview of last year’s developments

Last year’s improvements to Outlook during the year 2009-10, under the leadership of Editor-inChief Mohamad Yahia H. Hamade, proved indispensable to the success the newspaper has come to celebrate during the year 2010-11. Some of these enhancements include:

•

• • •

• • • •

The renovation and refurbishment of the Ghassan Al Mahasini Outlook Newsroom through the support of a generous fund offered by former AUB Student Ghassan Al Mahasini. The funds delivered as part of the donation brought in three new Dell and two new Mac computers for the newsroom, a new computer table housing all five computers, wooden cupboards for filing old issues and documents, and last but not least, a spacious conference table equipped with new leather chairs. The upgrade in Outlook’s choice of layout software from Adobe InDesign CS2 to Adobe InDesign CS3. The upgrade proved essential in creating a more formal, presentable, and professional appearance for the newspaper.

The creation of a new “Outlook” logo. This new logo produced in year 2009-10 has since been chosen as the default for authenticating documents and passes stemming from the university newspaper such as financial documents, certification letters, and press passes.

The enhancement and systematization of the newspapers publishing output through which, according to Hamade, far more issues were published last year than were in prior years. This step proved crucial at raising the bar in terms of organization and productivity at Outlook as the reinvigorated newspaper staff, felt all the more responsible and compelled to release new newspaper issues on a weekly basis and with a standardized and consistent quantity of pages and content variety. Other marked achievements highlighting Outlook’s history during the past academic year 2009-10 according to and under the leadership of Hamade include: Standardizing Outlook’s application process through the creation of an application form and conducting several successive formal interviews with shortlisted applicants. Standardization of the newspaper style by introducing the first Outlook Stylebook and Guidelines for journalistic writing. Adding three new positions to the Outlook Board: One Arabic News Executive and two English News Executives.

Strategic Plan and Executive Summary

•

Expanding the editing sessions to include fact-checking and verifying research results in scientific columns (Psyched out and Heads Up on Health).

•

Publishing more “Letters to the Editor” than had been done in previous years from both students and faculty alike.

• • • • • • •

Publishing more investigative articles than in previous years and getting the administration involved in student activities and concerns.

Working with the USFC to re-launch the USFC Newsletter that was published by Outlook biweekly. Acquiring a post box for Outlook to receive physical mail.

Developing circulation by delivering issues directly to departments and offices on campus. The initiation of a Facebook page to communicate with the AUB community online.

Setting the foundations for the first Middle Eastern bloggers’ convention that took place at AUB. Hosting the world premier launch of the movie “Iron Man 2” with the AUB Red Cross club.

This year’s improvements at Outlook proved extraordinary and thus this year’s board thought it a commendable idea to get together and document all the exhilarating achievements, whose detailed mention are soon to follow, in an attempt to present the first ever formally prepared annual report known to date within Outlook’s 62 years of existence, a practice that we hope will become customary for Outlook in the future.

B. Milestones for Summer 2010

Along the course of this past year of 2010-11, the year of the newspaper’s 43rd Volume, Outlook, AUB’s official newspaper since 1949, has become a victor of unrestrained growth and development. Presented below is a concise and discrete compendium of Outlook’s accomplishments over the past year as well as the Outlook team’s future aspirations concerning projects that have started and stopped midway.

• • •

The purchase of two new digital recorders in providing the right resources for the Outlook Staff when recording interviews with interviewees and professionally documenting cover stories.

The implementation of a journalism workshop aimed at briefing new and returning staff on the guidelines of journalism. Faculty advisor Cleo Cacoulidis headed the workshop with further concise presentations delivered from members of the Outlook Board covering various other subjects in journalism. Though contemplations for it had been underway, this workshop had in fact not occurred last year. The activation of the three network Dell computers and one network printer at the newsroom thereby allowing open access to them by members of the Outlook Staff.

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

• •

All computer-based functions where executed with the support of the Computer and Networking System (CNS) at AUB.

The consolidation and compilation of a physical archive of Outlook issues (spanning the Fall 2010 - Summer 2011 period) into an organized and systematic newspaper filing system through the use of the many empty drawers and filing cabinets made available to Outlook since before the start of the year. The boom in Outlook’s advertising efficiency since last year through the production of the all new Outlook Official Advertising Guide 2010-11 advertising and newly designed Outlook Advertising Contract Terms & Conditions. Outlook was able to begin with last year’s (2009-10) modest savings and haul in returns estimated at about five times their original value, summing up to a near $5,000 in net profit securing enough funds to afford a more expensive end-of-year celebratory ceremony, two new digital recorders, a new camera, and more.

C. Milestones for Fall 2010

Newly added newspaper sections at the start of the year have brought about a boom in the girth and volume of Outlook’s content variety which was later maintained all throughout the fiscal year. This development also proved essential in expanding on and amplifying the weekly newspaper’s readership across campus thereby enhancing Outlook’s exposure at AUB. What follows is a listing of all the new pages that were either resurrected from the past, strengthened and sustained, or established from scratch along the course of the year.

▸▸

Sports Page (Resurrected and Revamped): A team of newly recruited sports journalists gave rise to a modestly revamped “Sports” page that revealed a combination of game score boards, sports-related advertisements, announcements, and investigative reports on a weekly basis. Arabic Pages (Resurrected and Revamped): A fortified team of Arabic journalists consisting of old and newly contributing writers gave rise to a united Arabic section in the newspaper consisting of three different headings each spanning a separate page. The three headings include: 1. Opinion or “‫”رأي‬

2. Miscellaneous or “‫( ”منوعات‬I.e. Entertainment, etc.)

•

3. News or “‫”أخبار‬

With a sufficient quantity of varied content, Outlook was finally able grant the Arabic section its own front page thus making of its prior and recurrent marginalization a thing of the past. The weekly paper now had a conduit for front page news in Arabic. The newly enhanced Arabic section also helped increase public interest from Arabic writers towards joining the newspaper team thereby enhancing the Arabic team even further.

Strategic Plan and Executive Summary

▸▸

• •

•

Spotlight Page (Newly established): The need for a new captivating element in the newspaper to enhance Outlook’s readership and exposure on campus gave rise to the simple idea of culminating a week’s worth of pictures under a page called “Spotlight,” in an attempt to highlight campus events through photography. Towards the end of the year, the “Spotlight” page evolved from bearing only six pictures per page, to supporting over 35 pictures per page, boasting an impressive near six-fold increase in campus exposure.

Out Loud Page (Newly established): The desire to further stretch out to and highlight on the voice of the AUB student body brought about the inception of the “Out Loud” page targeted at portraying varying opinions of students concerning relevant matters at the university. This page has served to capture the salient voice of the AUB student body and thus increase readership amongst readers of Outlook. The “Out Loud” page has also functioned as an attractant for interested students to become full-fledged, fulltime contributors to the newspaper. Alumni Page (Newly established): The need for a means to connect new, current, and returning students with AUB’s profuse alumni gave rise to the Alumni page aimed at updating students on the recent work statuses of several diverse AUB alumni, alumnihosted events, and chances for networking and connecting with AUB alumni from all around the world.

The exclusive customization of unique and personalized Outlook Press Passes to the Outlook Staff after consultation with Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Communications at AUB. This practice was initiated with the aim of granting the Outlook Staff authorized access to otherwise payment and/or invitation-dependent AUB functions and events, and is hoped to become custumal in future years.

The launch of Outlook’s official website currently reachable at <www.aub.edu.lb/outlook>. This year’s volume (Volume 43) is available online in its entirety and has been regularly updated ever since the website’s launching. Last year’s volume, Volume 42 is also online and Outlook plans on further digitizing its past issues in the summer in hopes that it will one day have updated its full database spanning its total lifetime of 62 years and counting online.

The growth in length of the vast majority of Outlook’s publications from year 2009-10’s (Vol 42) regular 8 pages, with a few exceptional 12 and 16-paged issues to year 2010-11’s (Vol 43) 16 pages in length, with a few exceptional 20 and 24-paged issues. Moreover, with a net total of 26 issues produced during the year 2009-10 (Vol 42) at an average release rate of one issue per week over the course of the academic year compromising an average of 32 weeks, during the year 2010-11 (Vol 43) and given the same abovementioned circumstances, Outlook has managed to release a grand total of 31 issues thereby elevating its reputation as a weekly newspaper and appearing largely more prolific than previous years.

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

• • • •

The initiation of newspaper distribution inside three out of four of AUB’s campus libraries, namely Jafet Library, Engineering Library, and the Agriculture & Science Library. Plans on purchasing specialized, custom made newspaper stands to support internal distribution in the three aforementioned libraries in addition to the fourth and final one, the Science Medical Library (SML), are currently in execution.

The successful recruitment of experienced student photographers; four out of five of which each had their own professional cameras. Apart from bypassing the process of renting the AUB Student Affairs camera, the new photographers helped enhance the newspaper’s overall photographic experience as quality and quantity of pictures proved copiously available afterwards. The formation of an alliance between Outlook and AUB’s Office of Communication supporting the free exchange of photographs between the two parties on a case by case basis. The promotion of news through online social networking outlets such as Facebook and Twitter by opening up new accounts and updating them as regularly as possible.

D. Milestones for Spring 2011 • The implementation of a new Layout design for the newspaper that helped save up on page • •

•

space, thus allowing greater flexibility for increasing the allotted word count granted per article. Alongside this development came a new Outlook logo as well that restored Outlook’s classic crimson-red color and succeeded in making the publication all the more showy and illustrious. The innovation and design of Outlook’s very first iPad, iPod touch, and iPhone software has been completed and released onto the apple market making it easier than ever for students, staff, alumni, and third party users to tap into and explore AUB-related news at the click of a button.

The Outlook blue boxes distributed around campus harbouring Outlook’s weekly issues have went through a process of full refurbishment including maintenance, new instalments, and a new gray paint job in accordance with the university’s master design plan recently set by the FPDU for the university campus at large. As for the new instalments, the boxes were updated with overlying Polyvinyl Chloride-base (PVC) signs that read “Outlook: Your Guide to Campus Happenings,” and a showcase feature was also installed inside all boxes allowing them to showcase and feature new newspaper issues as they arrived. The launch of a new column dedicated to AUB’s Career Placement Services Office as a need for further connecting AUB’s student body with available career, training, and internship opportunities found its expression through the university newspaper.

Strategic Plan and Executive Summary

I. Aspirations for Year 2011-12 A. Aspirations for Fall and Spring 2011

Outlook is constantly on the lookout. Notwithstanding the newspaper’s vibrant and rich accomplishments for the current fiscal year 2010-11, and having seen the grand potential harboured by a group of diligent young individuals, Outlook is now more than ever before, ready and willing to look towards the fulfilment of newer more exciting projects and initiatives some of which are summarized below:

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The continuation of the digitization project that had entered a hiatus period long ago with hopes to have as many of Outlook’s volumes digitized before the end of 2012.

•

The establishment of a sturdier connection between the photography department and Outlook to facilitate the smooth transfer and mutual exchange of pictures

•

• •

The purchase and receipt of a new newspaper-based camera. Soon afterwards, Outlook can begin building an internalized and secure check in/checkout system designed to bypass the Office of Student Affairs authority as is essential for the journalistic process to go on spontaneously and unhindered. The continuation of the Library Distribution Project2, targeted at organizing the process of newspaper distribution at the university libraries, that had to be terminated due to a shortage of time necessary for completing the initiative.

The future production and release of more Outlook applications on the following remaining phone processing systems listed in order of importance Android, Windows Mobile, and Blackberry, and possibly (though not necessarily) IOS and Symbian.

2 See Chapter 10: Enhancing Newspaper Distribution on Campus by Khodor I. Abou Daya

Annual Activity Report 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11 | Chapter II

Logistics and Marketing By Outlook Associate Editor Timmy Malkoun

Logistics and Marketing

I. The Challenge During the course of the academic year, it was noticed that newspaper readership was not as high as it could have been. Some common reasons for this included:

• • •

Misperceptions in terms of whether Outlook was free or not Lack of information as to where one could pick it up Perceived dryness of covered content

What Outlook needed was a solution to curb its satisfactory readership in the shortest time possible as well as an added incentive through which it may more effectively utilize its staff to maintain the growth and progress it had thus far achieved. In the end, two simple, yet effective solutions were proposed as means out of the dilemmas discussed above.

II. The Solution Many ideas were set forth, but only two of them seemed to gain the Outlook Board’s unanimous interest and approval and thus eventually saw the light. The two solutions are as follows: 1. The launching of a marketing campaign aimed at boosting Outlook’s publicity on campus.

2. The adoption of a twofold strategy: a.

Promising certification letters to all of Outlook’s staff. Letters, whose contents would increase in value and appeal as a direct function of the staff’s efforts and commitment to the paper. In short, the harder an Outlook Staff Member would work, the more notable and impressive the letter would look on their transcripts.

b. Initiating a new custom of Annual Outlook Awards aimed at rewarding distinguished Outlook members for their noteworthy efforts to the university newspaper.

III. The Details A. Launching the Marketing Plan

The marketing campaign was decided to consist of a ‘teaser’ and a ‘revealer.’ The reason for this was twofold. First of all, such a manner of advertising is likely to last longer and second, it was expected to peak interest and generate buzz around Outlook on campus.

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

The teaser consisted of A5 papers that read, “What’s inside the Blue Box1?” The revealer read, “Follow the Footsteps…to find out what’s inside the Blue Box?” Images of the posters are presented below.

In order to hedge against the common phenomenon of ignoring posters at AUB given the surplus that always seems to permeate the university’s walls, it was decided that the manner in which the posters would be hung would be a source of differentiation supporting our marketing position. Hence, the initial posters that asked the question, “What’s inside the Blue Box?” were posted to form a question Outlook Marketing Campagin mark intending to act as a manifestation of the response we wanted Poster to elicit at that time. The revealer was posted two weeks afterwards, and footprints were posted near West Hall primarily, the Cafeteria and Main Gate to draw people to the boxes. It was intended that one would actually follow the footsteps as directed by the revealer. The teasers and the revealer were posted in the month of May 2011.

B. Distributing Certification Letters and Annual Outlook Awards

As the year progressed, the Outlook Board came to terms with the idea of creating more enthusiasm for Outlook Staff to increase their commitment towards the university paper considering that a weakening sense of commitment was somewhat realized, albeit most definitely not exhibited by all staff members. In light of the fact that Outlook is a student-run university paper, no monetary incentives could be used. Instead, the distribution of a series of certification letters targeted at the personal recognition of Outlook’s hard working staff was suggested as it echoed the concept of incentivizing the newspaper staff as supported also by the award ceremony Outlook had also planed (detailed below). Thus came the prospect of two initiatives: 1. The production of Outlook Certification Letters

2. The initiation of a custom of Annual Outlook Award Ceremonies

University Provost Dr. Ahmad Dallal and Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Talal A. Nizameddin prepare to distribute Outlook Certification Letters to the Outlook Staff

1 The “Blue Box” indicates the once blue, now gray-colored compartments that bear Outlook’s weekly newspaper publications (See Chapter 10: Enhancing Newspaper Distribution on Campus by Khodor I. Abou Daya for more information)

Logistics and Marketing

The idea was to distribute both the total of 61 Outlook Certification Letters and the five Annual Outlook Awards to their rightful recipients during Outlook’s Annual Awards Ceremony 2010-11 as had indeed happened apart from staff that had not made it to the ceremony and collected their letters at a later time.

The aim behind the five Annual Outlook Awards was to boost Outlook’s efficiency through providing the right motivational strategy to empower its staff’s moral sense of involvement, accomplishment, and self worth such that they may also inspire others to follow suit in their wake. 1

Outlook Staff Writer Dalia J. Hosn receives the Excellence in Journalism Award from Outlook Associate Editor Timmy R. Malkoun

Outlook Staff Writer Emile F. Zankoul receives the Achievement in Journalism Award from Outlook Copy Editor Joseph R. Saba

Outlook News Executive Mostafa A. Fadlallah receives the Excellence in Journalism Award from Outlook Arabic Editor Mariam S. El Ali

Outlook Webmaster Mohamad Musbah R. Al Medawar receives the Leadership and Innovation Award from Outlook Member at Large Samer A. Bu Jawdeh

As such, five awards were created alongside their eligibility criteria and sent to Outlook members in the middle of the Spring semester. The awards included:

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

1. Excellence in Journalism (English Staff Writer)

2. Excellence in Journalism (Arabic Staff Writer) 3. Excellence in Photography

4. Achievement in Journalism

5. Leadership and Innovation

The awards were to be awarded on the three main indications of quantity, quality, and consistency of contribution. To insure an equal likelihood of earning one of the four awards, a self nomination form was distributed amongst the staff. The award for “Leadership & Innovation” for instance encourages the Outlook Staff to spearhead their own Outlook-based projects and initiatives. Projects such as launching Outlook’s website, renovating its blue boxes, and digitizing its past archives are all examples of initiatives that will ultimately serve to boost the newspaper’s readership in the long run. In ensuring the objectivity of the selection process, a student- administration committee comprising two administrative heads, namely the Dean and Associate Dean of Student Affairs, alongside the Editor-in-Chief and Associate Editor of Outlook was formed. Similarly, 61 standardized letters certifying the staff’s commitment to Outlook were prepared and distributed to the staff accordingly. Efforts to further standardize the letters for next year have been under way.2

IV. Future Challenges The initiation of this year’s marketing campaign, certification letters and Annual Outlook Awards, was indeed a learning experience. Accordingly, certain measures should be accounted for in preventing some problems faced along their respective execution and they are:

•

Planning and executing the marketing campaign at an earlier time. The marketing campaign was executed in May; this is too late in the year.

•

Uprooting a more systemized procedure for further standardizing, delegating, and streamlining the writing process for Outlook’s numerous certification letters.

•

Communicating Outlook’s permission more fully and clearly and to all necessary parties before executing the campaign. The footsteps that were placed on the floor as stickers were removed within one day. This could have been due to unfavourable weather conditions at the time, or to improper communication with AUB security (though approval for this endeavor was in fact granted).

2 For more info see Chapter 5: Upgrading Newspaper Quality by Joseph R. Saba

Annual Activity Report 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11 | Chapter III

Revamping and Refurbishing the Arabic Team

By Outlook News Executive and Outlook Arabic Editor Mostafa A. Fadlallah and Mariam S. El Ali

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

I. The Challenge A reoccurring problematic with Outlook’s Arabic newspaper section has been its lack of trained and persistent personnel, an issue that has manifested in its regrettable marginalization year after year. Considering that the issue lying at the heart of the aforementioned predicament was diagnosed as the lacking number of Arabic Staff at Outlook, Outlook’s Arabic Staff were yet again this year, and as with every year, faced with the challenge of upgrading the Arabic staff with aspirations for developing the newspaper’s Arabic section in hopes that it may become comparable to the paper’s English section in terms of content variety, quality and quality. Given the aforesaid problem, the solution to the problem seemed simple and to the point, but as expected, the challenge was far easier said than done.

II. The Solution After looking into the heart of the matter, Outlook’s Arabic team decided to set forth a series of steps in tackling their problem and here they are, set in chronological order: 1. Employing greater numbers of Arabic writers through continuous recruitment during the Fall and Spring semesters

2. Allocating a popular, simple, and efficient, communication pathway for opening lines of communication amongst the Arabic staff.

3. Consolidating the many submissions gained from the expanded Arabic staff to set the foundation for launching an Arabic front page news section (hence formally ascertaining Outlook as a bilingual campus newspaper) alongside fixed and non-fixed Arabic sections and columns.

III. The Details A. Enlarging the Staff

The Arabic Staff clearly developed in size this year with an estimated eight registered Arabic Staff Writers contributing regularly (on a weekly basis) and another five Contributing Writers contributing as often as they’re time could permit, thereby amounting to an impressive 13 members of the Arabic team.

B. Adopting a Communication Pathway

Considering that social networking has become the rave of the decade and that all members of the Arabic team were already active users of the ever popular online social networking website,

Rev amp in g an d Re f ur b ishin g th e A r ab i c Team

Facebook, it made most sense that a Facebook group bearing all members of the Arabic team be created in keeping lines of communication open and maximizing interaction between the Arabic Staff. The Facebook group works as follows: As soon as one or more of the registered group members posts a message in the group, the rest of the group members are all informed of the message’s contents both through Facebook and via email as a message bearing the contents of the published post is sent to the email addresses of all the group members. Several face to face meetings also took place that served to enhance connectivity between the group members and double check and recap on the Arabic Staff’s writing quality.

Arabic Team Facebook Group

C. Launching the Arabic front page

For the first time in a long time, the Arabic team succeeded in maintaining a weekly front page that presented campus and world news, and/or important investigations or reports. The challenge was tackled through the support of the full Arabic Staff whose submissions kept the Arabic front page up and going.

Progressive delveopment of the Arabic front page

D. Creating Fixed and Flexible Arabic Sections and Columns

Considering that the Arabic team’s limited quantity of content had also in effect limited it’s variety of content, the Arabic Staff’s recent boom in content quantity had in turn helped boost its content variety. What follows is a survey of the Arabic teams revamped and newly created pages placed in sequential order as the newspaper is flipped from the Arabic front page inwards exposing its Arabic contents: 1. The “‫ ”أخبار‬or “news” page: Often more than one page covering campus, off-campus (local), and regional news (reports and investigations).

2. The “‫ ”منوعات‬or "Munawwaat" page: Often just one page with the aim of better familiarizing the general AUB community with the works and achievements of some of the Arab world’s most renowned writers as well as some of AUB’s academic staff. The page would normally contain the following two columns: a. “‫ ”كاتب من هذا الزمان‬or “Writer from our Times”: A weekly column providing an introduction to and summary of some of the most prominent Arabic writers of our current day. The column would include details such as the writer’s origin and date

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

of birth, most famous published works, and general contribution to Arabic literature and/or prose with the aim of reviving attention to Arab writers, novelists, and poets.

b. “‫ ”شخصية األسبوع‬or “Character of the Week”: A weekly column providing an introduction to and summary of AUB professors in the making. The column would open up with a survey of the professors educational background followed by a listing of many of their past achievements amongst other details with the aim of diverting attention towards AUB’s community of accomplished instructors and professors.

The “‫ ”منوعات‬or “Munawwaat” page:

3. The “‫ ”وجهة نظر‬or “Viewpoint” page: Often just one page of (but is not limited to) opinion. The page can also include letters to the editor in Arabic written by students and/or faculty. This Arabic page is similar to the Viewpoint page in English from a conceptual point of view.

The main accomplishment regarding the sections revealed above lies not in their creation but more importantly in their sustainability in comparison with the past years. Writers did not find it easy deciding on a writer or poet of choice on a weekly basis, or going through the trouble of locating their corresponding information from various resources online; just as it wasn’t simple for writers to go the extra mile in securing interviews from fulltime professors and carrying them through, also every week.

The “‫ ”وجهة نظر‬or “Viewpoint” page

IV. Future Challenges With all the improvements that have been made this year relative to Outlook’s Arabic section in the weekly newspaper, a number of suggestions come to mind in sustaining current developments in hopes for further future expansion and they are:

•

Paying more attention to Arabic events on campus in providing writers with more options for coverage.

•

Systemizing, and automating the deadline submission process for all Arabic Staff.

•

Offering more training for future Arabic writers and editors in meeting the demands of respectable journalistic documentation.

Annual Activity Report 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11 | Chapter IV

Strengthening the Photography Team By Outlook Photography Editor Salim N. Batlouni

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

I. The Challenge Many might agree that news without illustration can be as ineffective as no news at all considering that pictures frequently work with news headlines to create irresistible attention-getters; after all, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” as goes the Chinese proverb. With an expanded team of photographers this year, Outlook was faced with the challenge of streamlining the process of transferring pictures between photographers and the newspaper’s main database. Moreover, the limitation of not having a dedicated newspaper camera to use on impulse and on the spur of the moment whenever necessary, could have come at a loss to the newspaper had not Outlook’s newest photographers had their own personal equipment to use. However, it was unarguable that something had to be done to remedy the situation for future years, when Outlook’s photography team might not be so fortunate. Finally, the challenge of attracting readers to Outlook’s Facebook page, hinged on the need for regular updates to photos of articles posted on the page and thus, Outlook’s photography team had to find a quick and efficient solution to the problem before the newspaper’s Facebook fans could be given a chance to wane and lose interest in the Facebook page. Solutions to all these problems and more you are found listed below.

II. The Solution Outlook’s experience with photography this year 2010-11 has witnessed an unprecedented change for the better as the team grew to encompass more photographers that brought forth new contributions to the university paper. Apart from the marked improvement in Outlook’s photographic experience came a number of other project proposals spearheaded by the photography team over this past year, the main initiatives amongst which are as follows: 1. Initiating a Photography Exchange System with AUB’s Office of Communications to cater for pictures not taken by Outlook and/or events uncovered.

2. The use of Picasa (Google powered software) to create an efficient system for transferring pictures to and fro computers before finally being archived into Outlook’s main database. 3. The placement of an order on a new camera with the right specifications to be effectively utilized by the news team at any desired time in the future and without prior notice or permission to other departmental authorities. 4. The delegation of a certain increment of time every week to post pictures on to Outlook’s Facebook page in widening its popularity and increasing its readership.

Str en g th enin g th e Ph oto gr ap hy Team

III. The Details A. Instigating a Photography Exchange System with AUB’s Office of Communications

In spite of this year’s expanded photography team, a dearth of pictures for covered campus events proved to be a regular occurrence with the passing of each week. Soon enough, this matter had prompted the photography team to voice a non-written memorandum of understanding between Outlook and the Office of Communications, with the consent of former Director of the Office of Communications Mr. Hikmat Beaini, to alOffice of Communications Photographer Mr. Hasan Nisr low the free exchange of pictures between Outlook and the Office of Communications. The system began with pictures of certain events ordered directly via email from Photographers of the Office of Communication after which, pictures would be shared through ShareAUB (reachable at <share.aub.edu>), an AUB-based filesharing network that emails URLs to the requesting party(ies) permitting them to download the pictures to Office of Communications Photographer which the URLs are linked to. A few months down the Mr. Ahmad El Itani line, the system developed to encompass Production Manager at AUB’s Office of Communications Ms. Randa Zaiter who was then issued as the consenting authority for the transfer of pictures covering campus events, thereby complimenting pictures not taken by Outlook for reasons beyond its control.

B. Initiating Photo Transfer Through Picasa

With the mindboggling quantity of pictures that would accumulate amongst Outlook’s photography team, the newspaper needed a sure-fire solution to be able to transport high quality pictures through a reliable and foolproof method. Thus came the prospect of using the freeware (free software), Picasa, offered by Google Inc. that works as a storage space for photos offering many features, most important of which being an online account associated with the program through which registered users can send their pictures to others through email. In consequence, all photographers were rounded up and instructed on using the software and from then on, albums of pictures were received through email at relatively high

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

quality after which, desired pictures were then chosen from the albums and updated to Outlook’s digital photo archive.

C. Ordering a New Camera

With the recent and unanticipated disappearance of one of the university cameras jointly used by both the Outlook and Yearbook photography teams as authorized by the Office of Student Affairs at AUB, and alongside the growing number of photographers at Outlook, the photography team’s concern for the purchase of a new camera grew all the more relevant .

Consequently, Outlook’s photography team sought to invest in a new camera with its own funds made readily available through the many paid advertisements it had published for over time. With a new camera in place through Outlook’s investment and under its sole jurisdiction, the newspaper could then assume greater responsibility for handling its equipment, thereby eliminating the need for an authorizing platform such as the Office of Student Affairs for using the camera, as well as the potential of having the camera occupied by other parties under the Office of Student Affairs. Evidently enough, this increased jurisdiction over the camera would allow Outlook access to a camera in times of need and on the spur of the moment without need for prior reservation or the like, a system that seams only reasonable considering the haphazard and unpredictable nature of the work environment at the newspaper. Accordingly, after settling with the photographers on a good quality, cost-effective camera, Outlook coordinated with AUB’s Purchasing department through Student Affairs Activity Coordinator Hiba Hamade to proceed with the order of a Canon 500D with an 18-55 lens.

D. Outlook Facebook page

Upon launching Outlook’s new website, Outlook identified with the prospect of creating a new public Facebook page for Outlook wherein which readers can view more pictures of articles placed on the website that can in turn and when clicked enable them to read full articles on the website through a hyperlink forged between pictures on the Outlook Facebook Page Facebook page and articles on the Outlook website. Consequently, Outlook then endeavoured to upload most of its issues' photos organized under different albums and uploaded in chronological order week after week. As admittedly the most successful online social networking location on the worldwide web with a current population exceeding a staggering 750 million plus users and counting, Facebook was bound to stretch Outlook’s leadership far past initial expectations.

Str en g th enin g th e Ph oto gr ap hy Team

IV. Future Challenges Even amidst this year’s achievements, there will always be room for improvement in Outlooks photography team. Some suggestions to consider for next year include:

• • • •

Strengthening ties with the Office of Communication in hopes of maintaining and developing the general consensus reached between Outlook and the Office of Communications concerning the free exchange of photos.

Sustaining and improving on the Picasa system for photo exchange powered by Google Inc. and initiated for Outlook’s photographers. Organizing the check in and check out process of the newly ordered camera through a formally introduced and regularly monitored sign-in/sign out sheet.

Further specializing and delegating the process of keeping the Facebook page regularly updated in keeping Outlook’s exposure up to par.

Outlook Staff Photographer Mr. Wael A. Salem

Outlook Webmaster and Contributing Photographer Mr. Mohamad Musbah R. Al Medawar

Annual Activity Report 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11 | Chapter V

Upgrading Newspaper Quality By Outlook Copy Editor Joseph R. Saba

Upgrading Newspaper Quality

I. The Challenge In maintaining a credible reputation, one central concern for every newspaper is minimizing editing and writing flaws and keeping linguistic errors of all sorts at a minimum. Hence, the need for a third and final editing party, familiar with Outlook’s journalism guidelines and framework, to proof read work for any minor details, editing flaws, or blunders in design to catch any minor mistakes that may have escaped the first and second lines of editing was made more evident with time. Moreover, there remained another matter that barred Outlook from producing a publication constituting articles of standardized quality. The calibre of writing fluency, quality, and quantity amongst some Outlook Staff Writers seemed to vary disproportionally and even quite acutely relative to certain cross comparisons, thus placing further pressure on Outlook’s administrative board to find a practical solution to adopt a workforce constituting writers of comparable calibres in producing a newspaper of standardized and superior quality. Finally, and upon drafting a total of 61 certification letters for all Outlook staff, it became evident

that the newspaper may not have the necessary time and energy to sustain such a custom in future years. Hence, finding a means for standardizing certification letters was yet another challenge to look into.

II. The Solution The solutions to all three problems seemed as simple as they were self-evident and they are respectively: 1. The appointment of a new Copy Editor for the academic year 2010-11.

2. The reconsideration and review of Outlook’s past held recruitment requirements and credentials before hauling in any more fresh recruits.

3. The creation of an online questionnaire to be filled out by Outlook staff targeted at consolidating noteworthy information relevant to drafting a standardized certification letter.

III. The Details A. Securing a Copy Editor for Spring of 2011

It was indisputable that Outlook needed a recruit who was bilingually fluent (in English and Arabic) such that he/she may bear the responsibility of proofreading the full newspaper from start to finish nearing the stages of its completion and before its delivery to the press. Upon raising the matter time and again during Outlook’s board meetings, the subject could no longer be digressed and an Outlook Copy Editor was finally appointed (yours truly).

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

B. Reconsidering Outlook’s Recruitment Credentials/Requirements

Upon editing staff’s work it was made apparent that stricter recruiting criteria were needed before admitting members into the paper to keep difficult-to-edit writing at a bare minimum. Therefore, this year, Outlook created new Outlook Guidelines for Recruitment, which takes a stricter and more detailed approach towards recruiting new writers. Factors considered in the recruitment process include previous proven writing experience, grades with respect to university English courses, recommendations, and received awards amongst others.

C. Standardizing Outlook’s Certification Letters

Moreover, upon distributing letters certifying the staff’s service to Outlook, a conclusion was drawn from the Outlook Board reflecting a need for a standardization of letters. As a result, it was assigned as one of the newly appointed Copy Editor’s responsibilities to tend to the creation of an online survey that could gather information from the staff and instantly consolidate and analyze them at a click of a button. Not only would such a practice help standardize the information upon which the letters are based, but it would also succeed in involving the staff in a general assessment of their year’s worth of work output and commitment. Some of the questions posed therein touch base on the staff’s performance relative to two semesters of their writing, photographing, editing, and/or drawing activities.

IV. Future Challenges Quality of published material has no doubt risen at Outlook, most particularly in the spring semester. Below follow a few suggestions that if heeded could help partake in the maintenance and further development of future quality standards for Outlook.

•

Abiding by the newly founded guidelines for recruitment, and reviewing and amending them as best seen fit.

•

Training recruiting specialists at the newspaper in meeting with potential candidates and conducting effective interview sessions with them before they are admitted as members of the newspaper’s staff.

• • •

Providing sufficient training to members of the Outlook Staff, returning and new, in keeping the staff up to date with the latest journalistic practices and guidelines.

Emphasizing the importance of shadowing newly admitted Outlook Staff Writers by more senior and/or experienced writers in offering new comers firsthand experience and a potential long-term mentor and friend.

Presenting staff with an online survey at the beginning of the year in an attempt to clearly and directly inform them of the certification letter that can come to them at the end of the year and can be taken advantage of for their own benefit, in hopes of pushing them to work harder by assuming more responsibilities in the paper.

Annual Activity Report 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11 | Chapter VI

Layout Development

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

I. The Challenge Layout and design may seem to be the more trivial aspect of a publication upon first thought, especially to newspapers whose image centers on a classical and time-tested theme for the most part; however this is a gross misconception. In fact, it was with much credit to Outlook’s renewed layout last year that the newspaper’s readership was bumped up. Never the less and as with previous years, the newspaper found itself once more confronted with the challenge of retouching Outlook’s layout and design ever so delicately hoping to restore attention to its freshened look. The product? A more hip and practical finish embraced by the average university student and without much deviation from the layout and design pertaining to a formal and classic newspaper.

II. The Solution Throughout the years of Outlook’s inception, several makeovers have been applied to the newspaper with the aim of broadening its exposure. Evidently enough, this year 2010-11 came as no exception to the trend and it won’t take a devout Outlook reader to tell you that the newspaper has been through its fair amount of layout changes in the past few months. At the end of it all, a final layout change created in part with AUB’s Office of Communications had proven most effective and rewarding.

III. The Details A. Evolving Outlook’s Layout Design

For the first 16 issues along the course of the year, Outlook adhered to its past year’s layout. With so many other changes underway, the team could not afford the added commitment of a layout change just yet, not to mention that such a change was reasoned to come most recognizable during the middle of the year when several issues would have been printed already, thereby imparting more familiarity to the newspaper before implementation of the layout change. However, that is not to say that last year’s layout was used completely devoid of changes for the first 16 issues. In fact, the old layout designed last year (2009-2010) was adopted and later slightly modified with the addition of two top story headlines or equidistantly spaced on opposable locations with respect to the “Outlook” logo starting with Issue 3 released on Tuesday, October 12, 2010 (see below). Below lies a chronology of the evolution of Outlook’s layout design over the past year for Issues 1 – 31, Volume 43:

Outlook Issue 1, Vol 43

Layout Development

1. Issue 1 (Tuesday, September 28, 2010) – Issue 2 (Tuesday October 5, 2010) The adoption of last year’s design as is, with no applicable changes.

2. Issue 3 (Tuesday, October 12, 2010) – Issue 15 (Tuesday, January 18, 2011) The introduction of two top story headlines on opposite sides of the “Outlook” logo. 3. Issue 16 (Wednesday, February 16, 2011) The introduction of an Arabic front page due to heightened quantity and variety of Arabic submissions.

Outlook Issue 3, Vol 43

4. Issue 17 (Tuesday, February 22, 2011)

a. Creating a new Outlook logo by restoring the classic crimson red color to the logo and allotting it a golden crown.

Outlook Issue 16, Vol 43

b. Freeing up space near the “Outlook” logo to place the AUB logo.

c. Modifying the two top story headlines that were first placed on opposite sides of the “Outlook” logo such that they are arranged consecutively with the AUB logo upon the implementation of the new layout design.

Outlook Issue 17, Vol 43

Progressive development of the Out Loud page

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

d. Improving on the “Out Loud” and “Spotlight” pages’ layout designs by including more Progressive development of the Campus News page pictures and adopting a better numbering system for organizing them. e. Saving up on space with respect to the headers categorizing each of the newspaper’s pages.

5. Issue 18 (Tuesday, March 1, 2011) – Issue 31 (Tuesday, June 28, 2011): Adding a “Don’t Miss” section at the front page of the newspaper to promote important events.

6. Issue 26 (Wednesday, April 27, 2011) – Issue 31 (Tuesday, June 28, 2011): Replacing the old AUB logo with the new one upon the university’s launching of its new rebranding campaign.

Outlook Issue 18, Vol 43

Outlook Issue 26, Vol 43

Two other temporary and issue-dependent adornments to the layout came at:

•

Issue 9 (Thursday, November 25, 2010) Designating Outlook’s annual Student Representative Committee (SRC) Election’s issue: A one of a kind elections issue logo with a panorama picture taken of West Hall during students’ congregation as they awaited the final results for the SRC seats. Issue 12 (Tuesday December 21, 2010) Designating Outlook’s annual Christmas issue: An issue with a Christmas theme much like that of last year’s issue.

Outlook Issue 9, Vol 43

Outlook Issue 12, Vol 43

Accordingly and as demonstrated above, we see that Outlook has been through three layout progressions this year before settling on a final one by its 18th issue released on Tuesday, March 1, 2011.

IV. Future Challenges Newspaper layout is rather predictable and thus changes to the layout of any kind should be well researched, studied and reviewed before ensuing with their implementation. One of the main suggestions for next year therefore, is to take a note of other newspaper

Layout Development

publications out there in developing an eye for the different types of layouts present and thus various novel ideas for implementation. Creative experimentation is much advised and experimentation with color, stroke, and layering are just a few of the many elements that can be put to use. However and by the same token, future changes should guard against the complete loss of touch with a conservative newspaper feel and the gradual movement into a more magazine-like appearance.

Annual Activity Report 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11 | Chapter VII

Expanding on Coverage and Publicity By Outlook Member at Large Samer A. Bu Jawdeh

Expanding on Coverage and Publicity

I. The Challenge The challenges faced by an average newspaper are manifold, but none so important and as pressing as securing the right content for coverage within a limited timeframe and keeping the staff and the general public aware of it in a timely fashion. Communicating and maintaining firm connections with teaming hundreds of readers, event organizers, AUB faculty, high ranking officials and others is also a responsibility not to be underestimated or forsaken. In short, this was the sort of accountability that would either “make or break” as they say and many readers and critics have pointed out that efforts in light of the above have indeed made the newspaper a whole lot better as is discussed below.

II. The Solution This year, Outlook’s Member at Large position took on a wide spectrum of responsibilities, many of which proved vital for the growth of the newspaper as shall be demonstrated shortly. In a nutshell, Outlook’s Member at Large post proved pivotal in:

1. Forging the right relations with AUB clubs and societies with the purpose of streamlining communication between the two parties and providing the Outlook Staff and the general public with a more efficient means to stay informed and up to date with the latest events, topics, and happenings organized by AUB community members.

2. Revamping Outlook’s weekly topic list

III. The Details A. Streamlining Communication

A meeting was held inviting representatives of all AUB clubs and societies aimed at strengthening ties and facilitating communication between these student-run organizations and the university paper in hopes of allotting equal chances to all student run organizations to promote their events and activities through coverage and/or advertising. All contact information of clubs and societies were updated to Outlook’s Gmail database prior to the meeting.

During the meeting, the student organizations where informed to contact Outlook through email concerning coverage for their events that would in turn make the paper’s weekly topic list, home to all suggested topics to be delegated to Outlook Staff (reporters and/or photographers) for the week in question.

Indeed, many clubs and societies found Outlook’s new open-communication policy congenial for promoting their activities and achievements and had given it the proper utilization it deserved.

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

Other student organisations on the other hand, the bulk of which were relatively inactive in comparison, did not maintain open lines of communication with Outlook. After the meeting, representatives of each individual student organization were held responsible for keeping contact with the newspaper and updating it with their latest activities.

Additionally, in further promoting events coverage, clubs and society representatives were urged to leave spare posters and/or flyers publicizing their activities and events at the Office of AUB Student Activities Coordinator Ms. Hiba Hamade at the Office of Student Affairs. Posters/flyers could then be picked up by Outlook during the regular Monday meetings wherein which the Outlook Staff normally choose their new topics for the week, with the aim of sparking more interest amongst staff members for certain club/society-based events.

B. Revamping Outlook’s Weekly Topic List This year’s topic list was subject to vast modification in terms of content and design and served as a foundational stepping stone to Outlook’s unprecedented growth in quality and variety of featured content.

For starters, the topic list went from a simple bullet point email to a systematized, categorized and colourful, detailed excel sheet of scheduled events and information (where, what, when, and who). Topic list categories were created to match the newspaper’s different pages and topic headlines entering the topic list were adjusted in their own showy colors and bold faces, with key words blown out of proportion, all to offer the Outlook Staff the clearest and most efficient topic list browsing experience possible. The categories included, Campus News, Off Campus News, Investigations Sports News, Other (home to Op-ed pages, Out Loud & Spotlight Pages, Entertainment & Out of the Box Pages and more), and Arabic News. The topic list was usually finalized on Sunday nights and reviewed on Monday afternoons before presenting it to the staff. An image of the topic list is present below.

A sample of the Outlook Weekly Topic List

With the new look established, the topic list was then ready for a boom in content and variety of suggested topics thus pushing the newspaper to adopt a variety of sources for retrieving and consolidating events and topics for weekly coverage, the most important of which included:

Expanding on Coverage and Publicity

• • • • • • • • •

The AUB online home page (news section) The AUB Facebook Page The AUB eCalendar

The AUB News Bulletin

Campus club/Society contacts

The AUB News Page

Outlook’s Facebook Page (associated with the Facebook pages of AUB’s many clubs and societies) Campus Bulletin Boards

Friends/Professors/Connections from different faculties and clubs.

Student Activities Coordinator Ms. Hiba Hamade

The best resource without a doubt, proved to be the News Bulletin which, to a very large extent contained the bulk of

The AUB Facebook Page

Outlook’s covered events apart from a few AUB Club and Society-based events that periodically went unmentioned.

In fact, it was made apparent that these events, for the most part, were the ones that normally went uncovered and/or unadvertised thereby stressing the importance of strengthening ties between Outlook and the AUB Student Community. Fortunately enough, Outlook made up for this The AUB eCalendar deficiency through the strong network it had previously established with clubs and societies. Hence, the Club/Society meeting mentioned earlier proved a huge step not only for Outlook but for the student body as a whole and has given Outlook ample reason for it to be repeated in coming years.

In securing coverage for Monday events, two new adjustments were adopted relative to Outlook’s weekly topic list. First off, every topic list delegated to the Outlook Staff on Mondays contained events for the Monday that followed respectively, hence spanning seven days of events, and second, an e-mail bearing only events that were scheduled for Mondays was sent to the Outlook Staff no later than Sunday night every Sunday.

The major breakthrough for this year’s topic list however must have been publishing it online. The topic list headlines would be uploaded online to Outlook’s website as soon as the topic list was circulated to the Outlook Staff through email. This added topic list feature was implemented to allow the general public to stay up to date concerning what topics and events where suggested and being considered for coverage in an upcoming week. At the bottom of Outlook’s topic list headlines column placed online was a link to a downloadable PDF sheet bearing the full topic list for those interested in reading the details present for each respective event.

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

IV. Future Challenges Developments with reference to Outlook’s quantity and variety of covered content has unquestionably sky rocketed. Some suggestions for maintaining these developments and paving the way for future ones include:

•

Posting Outlook reporters’ and photographers’ emails respectively for their corresponding topics of choice as part of Outlook’s online topic list, such that those related to or responsible for certain topics and events can contact members of the Outlook Staff prior or subsequent to the event, thus enhancing communication between Outlook and the AUB community and minimizing flaws and blunders in reporting and documentation that may arise as a result of a failure to network between the AUB community and the Outlook Staff.

Switching from using Gmail to using Facebook for communicating with the Outlook Staff as the recent social networking revolution has made of email a thing of the past, not to mention that the vast majority of rising and continuing AUB student clubs and societies have established their very own Facebook pages for their own promotion purposes making it an ideal hub for cross communication and multitasking between Outlook and the various student-based organizations at AUB. Training next year’s Member at Large to better familiarize that person with the responsibilities of the post as well as for allowing that person to differentiate between what qualifies to enter the weekly topic list as news and what doesn’t.

Annual Activity Report 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11 | Chapter VIII

Expanding on Online Exposure By Outlook Webmaster Mohamad Musbah R. Al Medawar

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

I. The Challenge Given the current e-revolution, every organization, however small, is prompted to expand on its exposure through the internet that has long since been targeted by organizations of all kinds. Evidently enough, Outlook, AUB’s Official Newspaper has come as no exception to the trend.

In fact, even with all its explosive advancements this year in terms of newspaper content, quality and quantity, Outlook could never see itself as living up to the standards of a formal university publication without a fixed, resonant, and regularly updated online database reaching out to a greater audience. Hence, it seemed only reasonable that Outlook should set before itself the challenge of establishing an empire for itself over the internet, a challenge that gradually gained momentum in a matter of weeks before being officially fulfilled a few months down the line.

II. The Solution The best solution for Outlook’s shortage in online representation therefore came across through the revival of the newspaper’s website, fixed on AUB servers as an extension of AUB’s larger website. In fact, the solution that came out of the originally assessed problem, was threefold with Outlook producing: 1. It’s official website viewable at <www.aub.edu.lb/outlook>

2. It’s very own iPad, iPod touch, and iPhone application

3. Its own work-study program to sustain its website’s functions alongside its iPad iPod touch, and iPhone applications

III. The Details A. Launching the Website

One of the greatest accomplishments that Outlook pulled off this year was kicking off the Outlook Website thereby producing a rich, consistent, and coherent database for Outlook readers. The website’s basic structure and design was planned over the summer break and launched just one month into the beginning of the academic year 2010 – 2011. Building and sustaining Outlook’s website was targeted at generating a boom in readership amongst students, faculty, and alumni as articles would be made instantly available online. Not only that, but articles could then each and in turn be associated with unique RSS feeds that could make browsing through the newspapers’ articles all the more easier through the delivery of news directly to computer or phone-enabled RSS feeders without the having to revisit the website.

Expanding on Online Exposure

Moreover, Outlook’s website was considered essential for the newspaper’s future growth in paving the way for further interest from third party users to join its ever expanding team. Browsable links online included dedicated sections of the newspaper for the most part, the full categorized list of which is as follows:

•

Home: Supplies a link to the home page of the website

•

About us: Contains an introduction to the newspaper

• • • • • • • •

containing recent news, releases, and/or announcements. Serves as the dedicated homepage for the website when accessed through one of several available web browser applications.

and its roles and functions at the university alongside it latest developments and achievements and supplies a link to personalized and customized pages of Outlook’s staff and board members for those interested in meeting them. This annual activity report is also posted under the “About us” tab.

newspaper as well as that of its board and staff members on the “Meet the Staff” page.

The Outlook Home page

The Outlook Meet the Staff page

Archive: Contains a modest part of Outlook’s entire

publishing history (two volumes spanning two years so far; Volumes 43 and 42) with hopes for updates on older volumes to be added in the future through the application of Outlook’s Digitization project.

The Outlook Archive page

Current Issue: Supplies a link to the latest release by the newspaper to date.

Campus News: Contains news of campus events, happenings, and investigations written in English.

Arts & Culture: Contains news of cultural or arts-related events such as book or art

exhibitions, plays, musical events (concerts and recitals), or the like taking place both on and off campus.

Alumni News: Contains news touching base on members of AUB’s alumni base as received from AUB’s alumni office.

Entertainment: Contains content such as Sudoku, cross word puzzles, Movie, Album, book, game, or art gallery reviews and the like.

Out Loud: Contains responses of various interviewed AUB students to one broad

predefined question highlighting a matter of student relevance on university campus.

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

• • • • • • • • • • •

Spotlight: Contains pictures of event highlights and/or other appealing, entertaining, and amusing captures.

Sports: Contains news of latest sports events and/or investigations on pressing sports matters and/or student athletes’ comments, criticisms, and complaints.

Viewpoint: Contains viewpoints of the AUB student body and faculty written in both

English and Arabic targeting occasionally controversial subject matters and debates.

Out of the Box/Fun and Trivia: Contains content such as weekly student-authored

columns (in English), pictures of the week, or any other unclassified content.

‫منوعات‬: Contains weekly student-authored columns spanning both local and regional matters and topics.

‫أخبار‬: News of campus, off-campus (local), and regional news (reports and investigations)

written in Arabic and for the Arabic front page.

Search: Supplies a link to a search engine that can be used to browse through the

newspaper’s online archive using key word indicators.

RSS Subscription: Supplies a link to the many RSS

feeds available for all the various newspaper sections listed above for users to browse through all the content they like from the comfort of their RSS feeder-enabled devices (computers, smart phones, or the like).

Outlook Locator: Contains a rotating picture frame

Outlook RSS Subscription page

portraying the locations of all the blue boxes on Outlook’s campus to better familiarize readers with the hotspots present for distribution of the weekly newspaper.

Clubs and Societies: Contains personalized

and customized pages of certain student-based organizations (clubs and societies) to provide an online platform for their promotion through AUB’s website

The Outlook Blue Box Locator page

and build rapport between them and Outlook.

Mobile Home: Supplies a link to the home page of the website containing recent news, releases, and/ or announcements just as the initial Home section does. Serves as the dedicated homepage for the website when accessed through one of the three iPad, iPod touch, or iPhone applications created for the newspaper respectively.

The Outlook Clubs and Societies page

Expanding on Online Exposure

While the first five sections (Home, About Us, Contact Us, Archive, and Current Issue) are placed accordingly in their respective order on the website, the website sections serving as browsable links to dedicated sections of the newspaper (Campus News, Arts & Culture, Alumni News, Entertainment, Out Loud, Spotlight, Sports, Viewpoint, Out of the Box, ‫منوعات‬, and ‫ )أخبار‬can be found organized under broad heading titled News Sections. Furthermore, the sections termed Search, RSS Subscription, and Outlook Locator are also joined under the broad heading titled Outlook Tools and finally, the remaining section termed Clubs & Societies, and Mobile Home were placed last, also in their respective order. Note: Some of these sections are still a work in progress and all sections are due to receive recent updates on a regular basis in the near future.

B. Adding Interactive Features to the Website With the help of the Computer and Networking Services (CNS) at AUB, the website was developed into more than just a database, boasting a number of user-interactive website features such as the following: 1. Downloadable Files: Issues, new and old, uploaded to Outlook’s archives database can be downloaded for those viewers interested in owning a soft copy of a certain issue that can later be printed to obtain a hard copy of the issue.

Outlook isse demonstrates flip through browsing technology

2. Picture-and-link News Rotator: The Outlook website’s homepage has localized a picture rotator that shows photographs of recent campus events covered by Outlook, much the same way that the AUB home page of the website shows rotating pictures of campus events as well. Rotating along with the photographs is a picture of Outlook’s latest release that can be selected (clicked) for instant access to the release. 3. Flip Through Browsing Technology: The use of flip through technology to display published content has become a popular part of online publication browsing. Consequently, Outlook had sought to utilize this technology for its own purpose. For this step, Outlook had used a free online service reachable at the URL <www.issuu.com> to convert its PDF-exported newspaper releases into virtual e-issues whose contents could then be browsed through the use of flip through technology.

4. Coupling Social Networking with Media: An additional intuitive jump Outlook has made relative to its website was the leap towards merging social networking with media by utilizing Facebook, and Twitter to help spread

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

5. Online Topic List: Yet another added flavour to the website was the placement of the newspaper’s weekly topic list on the website’s homepage, where viewers could know which topics Outlook would cover in upcoming weeks, thus fostering a form of continuous anticipation in Outlook’s readers. This feature is planned to witness a change for the better, to become more interactive and user-friendly.

Number of Website Views as a Function of Time (Year 2010-11)

Website Views

the word of the newspaper’s published content thereby increasing readership amongst students.

Month

Figure 1: Number of Website Views as a Function of Time for Year 2010-11

Finally, one last notable accomplishment by Outlook’s website was its respectable and recently earned Page Rank of four or PR=4, as rated by Google’s search engine. This rank can be correlated with the amount of traffic the website has witnessed over the months since its inception whereby the views on all pages had accelerated skywards starting from 2,300 views back in December 2010 and reaching roughly 23,000 views from November till May, thereby yielding a net total of 25,300 views since the website was launched.

C. Launching the Outlook iPad, iPod touch and iPhone Applications After the successful launch of Outlook’s website and in keeping up with the trend of mushrooming applications for all sorts of news organizations, university-based or not, worldwide, Outlook came up with the interesting prospect of launching a mobile application facilitating Outlook’s online readership, yet another Outlook first for the year 2010-11. Luckily enough, Outlook had forged good relations with a rising student-run company in the mobile applications industry called Virtual, whose exemplary work ethics, professional service, and timely sense of follow up and deadlines submission came as a speedy solution to launch the project that would revolutionize Outlook’s online browsing experience for good.

In effect, Outlook decided to settle on an iPad application which could then be made compatible on the iPhone and iPod Touch as well. Hence, after the successful launch of Outlook’s Apple iPad application, it was then time to release an application that could tap into the lives of a wider audience; users of the ever so popular Apple iPhone.

Outlook iPad application screenshot

The Virtual group’s official website reachable at <www. virtualmobilesapps.com>

Expanding on Online Exposure

Thus the decision was made to invest in transcribing the same Outlook application from the iPad to be compatible with the iPhone’s operating system as well and so it happened, once more outsourced to the phone application innovators group, Virtual. Note: The AUB Outlook application also functions on the Apple iPod touch.

D. Initiating Outlook’s Web Team Work-Study Program

Upon the establishment of Outlook’s official website on AUB servers this year and the newsbrowsing applications that soon followed on the iPad and iPhone respectively, Outlook has realized how much of a commitment it is to keep the website regularly updated in sustaining its boosted readership. In locating a reasonable solution to the problem therefore, Outlook sought a studentoriented solution to its student-run newspaper, namely that of establishing a conduit for workstudy opportunities at the newspaper to be effective as of the academic year of 2011-12 onwards. This newly established program would ensure the efficient distribution and delegation of tasks for running Outlook’s website and social networking pages (mostly the newspaper’s Facebook and Twitter accounts as well as any other accounts online social networking accounts that may develop in the future.) over the course of future academic years. Efforts to do so had proven to be both rigorous and taxing and thus the entire experience has made it evident that members of the Outlook Staff that have volunteered to take on these functions in the past have not been consistent in doing so. Thus, core compensation was seen as a vital element to complete the picture and the need for a work-study system soon developed. In short, the work study program came as a quick solution to find committed, hardworking students ready to manage and maintain Outlook’s online functions in exchange for a modest hourly wage.

A proposal was created and passed through the Office of Student Affairs and communicated the need for a total of three web contributors to effectively and efficiently run the newspaper’s functions on a weekly basis. Two Web Contributors would regularly manage and update the website and one would regularly manage and update Outlook’s social networking functions (Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, and any other accounts that may develop in the future). The proposal mentioned all web-based functions to be executed by the three web contributors in detail for both as is listed below, with all work to be executed within the vicinity of the Outlook Newsroom.

Managing the website includes the following:

• • • • •

Posting all the articles online in the respective issue. Updating weekly columns Fixing website bugs

Uploading past and newly digitized issues Updating staff’s pages

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

• •

Adopting any other functions pertaining to Outlook’s website as decreed in the future

•

Linking all posted articles on Facebook, either through Outlook’s app or through Facebook website

Reporting to webmaster on a weekly basis

Managing Outlook’s Social Networking functions includes the following:

• •

Tweeting all Outlook articles

Adopting any other functions pertaining to social networking decreed in the future

The proposal was granted approval by Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Talal Nizameddin after which an email targeting interested students was prepared by the newspaper and sent to Student Work Study Assistant Ms. Ramza Saad for circulation. The program awaits its first batch of Work Study Outlook Staff Web Contributors this fall of 2011 who will receive training relative to their webrelated functions in advance and upon their successful recruitment.

IV. Future Challenges As can be deduced, a lot has been accomplished with respect to Outlook’s visibility online. None the less, a lot still remains to be done before Outlook’s website can become one of AUB’s most frequently visited websites, ranking near the top along with Imail and AUBsis. Consequently, challenges remaining for the years head include:

•

Releasing the Outlook application on a wider variety of operating systems such as Android, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, and Symbian.

•

Training Outlook’s future web team on all angles and features of maintaining the website and organizing their working hours into a systemic and well structured workflow system.

•

• •

Successfully implementing Outlook’s web team work-study program to ensure smooth sailing and managerial sustenance of the website and current iPad and future iPhone Outlook newspaper browsing applications and all its past, current, and upcoming advancements.

Completing personalized and customizable pages for all of the Outlook Staff and Outlook Board without exception. Aiming for an even higher Google-based Page Rank by creating opportunities to attract more users to the newspaper’s website.

Annual Activity Report 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11 | Chapter IX

Advertising, Promotion, and Finance By Outlook Business Managers Lara A. Traboulsi & Sally S. Khalifeh

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

I. The Challenge Considering Outlook’s expanded staff and responsibilities that emerged as a result of Outlook’s many developments this year, it was evident that the newspaper’s current expenditure would have to top that of last year’s. Considering that funds left over from previous years could not sustain the newspaper alone, the main challenge for Outlook’s business sector was to try to secure a steady flow of income into the newspaper’s account to keep its many functions up and running and hopefully open up conduits to and pave the way for its many future funds-dependent activities.

II. The Solution Given Outlook’s reputation as the only student-based newspaper created by and for AUB students, it became obvious to Outlook’s business sector just how valuable of an asset the weekly newspaper can be to myriad corporations targeting college students. With its poignant power of reaching out to thousands of students, Outlook seemed like the optimal advertising platform for a wide range of companies aimed at targeting university students. Thus, the solution out of Outlook’s financial defeat into its financial promise lay in forging new fruitful relations with advertising agencies and interested clients. First things first however, before moving on with the aforementioned plan of action, there were three main steps that Outlook had first to take care of: 1. Renovating Outlook’s Official Advertising Guide 2010–11

2. Creating Outlook’s Advertising Contract Terms & Conditions 3. Gathering advertising clients

III. The Details A. Renovating Outlook’s Official Advertising Guide 2010-11

The first step along the course of attracting advertising clients to Outlook’s playground was creating an advertising guide that would showcase Outlook’s Outlook Official Advertising Outlook Official Advertising Guide 2010-11 Price List Guide 2010-11 Package differentiated advantage and the many Offers and Special Operations various factors that make the newspaper an ideal place for esteemed corporations to place their ads. In doing so, last year’s advertising guide was adopted, adjusted, and modified with a new look alongside

Advertising, Promotion, and Finance

an attractive sales kit bearing the newspaper’s sensible and realistic advertising price lists and set offers.

One of the chief elements altered in the old advertising guide was its external appearance. With the help of Outlook’s layout and graphic designers’ team, the guide was redesigned and re-polished in establishing a more catching and presentable appearance.

A second element that was rigorously adjusted from the old advertising guide was the advertising guide’s sales kit. The newly adopted sales kit contained the newspaper’s advertising price lists and set offers categorized with respect to the advertising variables: Advertisement area, color choice, and page location as seen in the photo below. Price lists were benchmarked against prices of other newspapers whose price catalogues were available as public information for viewing by third parties.

B. Creating Outlook’s Advertising Contract Terms & Conditions

With Outlook’s Official Advertising Guide 2010-11 resurrected and finalized, the next step before initiating business deals was to create and polish off Outlook’s Advertising Contract Terms & Conditions expounding all requisites, deadlines, and liabilities granted to future clients, thereby creating a professional binding consensus between Outlook and the client(s) in question. A contract containing information such as the general conditions for advertising, the cut-off date for registering an advertisement, payment terms, the cancellation policy, opportunities for placing amendments and for force majeure (outlining the exoneration of liabilities in cases of the outbreak of uncontainable events, disasters, or contingencies), and the conclusion of the agreement was drafted and finalized.

The Outlook Advertising Contract Terms and Conditions

Having finished all the necessary paper work, the process of recruiting clients was begun through listing all clients potentially interested in reaching out to a community of college students and/or their respective families. Next, these clients were then contacted through email and direct phone conversations for registering advertisements and a total of 40 companies and organizations ranging from restaurants, to clothing chains, to banks were contacted.

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

C. Gathering Advertising Clients

External (non-AUB-based) clients who had successfully sought advertising at Outlook this year included the following:

At the end of it all, Outlook was able to begin with last year’s (2009-10) modest savings and haul in returns estimated at about six times their original value, summing up to a near $6,000 in net profit. The money raised proved essential in covering expenses pertainable to Outlook’s new newsroom equipment, such as a new camera and two portable recorders, and helped fund several of Outlook’s initiatives and projects such as its marketing campaign and BlueBox Project both of which were held in spring.

Annual Activity Report 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11 | Chapter X

Enhancing Newspaper Distribution on Campus By Outlook Staff Writer & Project Manager Khodor I. Abou Daya

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

I. The Challenge As part of its circulation strategy a few years back, Outlook had set up a total of 12 blue boxes distributed around campus for facilitating distribution of the weekly paper amongst the AUB community. Though these boxes were a great asset this year, the general consensus was that the boxes weren’t serving their purpose as fully as they could. Some boxes would empty in as little as two days upon their loading whereas others would stay almost untouched by the end of the week. Not only did this poor system of distribution reflect wasted efforts on the parts of the Physical Plant Department’s (PPD) staff who would load all 12 boxes on a weekly basis, but it reflected wasted funds as well since a number of issues whose printing was covered by the university would make their way straight to the recycling bin without prior intervention or use by university campus goers. In the long run, poor readership or not, a certain threshold number of newspapers had to be printed out to fill all of Outlook’s blue distribution boxes irrespective of how readily frequented they were by students. Hence, the challenge became not of reducing the newspaper’s printing capacity (as that had been done already) but of making the boxes as attractive, conspicuous, and showy as possible in making them more frequented by AUB students and campus goers.

Second to the subject matter of distribution came the problematic of distribution at AUB’s libraries. With library distribution re-established this year to three of four university libraries (Jafet Library, Science and Agriculture Library, and the Engineering Library), it was made apparent that the newspaper racks placed on the library counters for students to pick either on their way in or out of the libraries were being moved time and again, thereby detracting from the distribution platform’s sense of stability and consistency at a strategic location where student density is normally quite high in comparison to other locations on campus. Hence, Outlook had also to seriously look into the prospect of designating four newspaper racks to be tailor made to fit Outlook’s newspapers and to be placed in some fixed strategic location at AUB’s four Libraries.

II. The Solution 1. Upon studying a map of all the blue boxes situated across campus and laying a few ideas on the table, it was proposed to go about revamping the blue boxes such that they were made more attractive and conspicuous to the general public.

2. Relocating some of the boxes to more strategic locations where student traffic is provably higher such as street/road intersections and junction points was also another

Enhancing Newspaper Distribution on Campus

consideration to be acknowledged and can hopefully be carried through after the boxes are successfully revamped.

3. Providing a more organized means for distribution in all four of AUB’s libraries.

III. The Details A. Spearheading the Blue Box Project

By the beginning of the Spring semester, the idea of renovating the blue boxes had started to take its natural course within a few weeks of planning and meeting with members of the Physical Plant Department (PPD) at AUB to which was delegated the function of executing the modifications described below considering that it was the PPD that had originally created the boxes. Finally, a preliminary sketch was constructed as a diagram of the original blue boxes containing all modifications and requests to be made to them as delegated to the PPD (Figure 1). These modifications included:

•

Attached left and right panels to serve as extra advertising space for students and possibly future advertising clients.

•

A pocket placed between the top of the box and the aforementioned sign to bear the number of the latest issue release (replaced with the release of every new issue).

• • •

A fixed introductory sign printed on Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) material that reads: “Outlook: Your free guide to campus happenings” printed in red. A plexiglas front-facing pocket to showcase and feature the new issue.

A new and more vibrant paint job (to come as a change from the dull corporate blue color the boxes are originally colored with).

Figure 2: Sign positioned on top of the news box cover

Figure 1: Preliminary Sketch of the modified news box.

Figure 3- Execution drawing of modified news box made by Ms. Rea Dagher of the Facilities Planning & Design Unit.

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

This project was officially initiated on Wednesday, March 30, 2011. A proposal was sent to the Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Talal Nizammeddine for review and approval. The proposal stated that the project aimed at modifying Outlook’s blue boxes found around campus such that they become more appealing to students and visitors at AUB thus increasing and boosting Outlook’s readership. Upon reviewal and approval of the proposal by Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Talal Nizameddine, a meeting was then held with Facilities Planning & Design Unit (FPDU) Director Mr. Bassam Barhoumi and Architect Mr. Jad Salame. Both presented genuine interest in the project and provided important advice and guidance. Ms. Rea Dagher of the FPDU constructed an “executional design” (Figure 3) after which a meeting was held attended by Plant Engineer Mr. Kamal Feghaleh of the PPD and Mr. Jad Salameh and Ms. Rea Dagher of the FPDU to finalize all plans and decisions and to set deadlines for execution. After the meeting, the following conclusions were made:

•

The PPD are to be held responsible for designing the PVC signs to be positioned on top of the boxes (Figure 2) are soon to be finalized by.

•

The FPDU will be held responsible for finding suppliers for the box left and right panels.

• • • •

According to the PPD, the right and left panels are not as practical and convenient as initially postulated. According to the FPDU, the color of the blue boxes cannot be changed to a more vibrant color since a master design plan recently set by the FPDU for the university campus at large would only allow a gray color change. The PPD will be held responsible for performing maintenance checks on the blue boxes.

A meeting will be set within the next two weeks to discuss the most recent updates and possible options.

For the next month no other meetings took place and the PPD successfully performed their maintenance checks on all the blue boxes that were then repainted gray in conformity to the new campus planning initiative the university had recently adopted. Soon enough, the boxes were replanted in their original locations on campus. Next came the red PVC labels that were positioned on top of the boxes around campus and finally and in turn also came the last addition to the boxes, a transparent plastic-like material that was a duplicate of the plastic material that formed the front cover of the box which was positioned (with the help of a silicon adherent substance) just behind the plastic cover forming a showcase pocket just big enough to house one newspaper issue. In the final analysis, all modifications concerning the blue boxes displayed in figure one were implemented excluding the left and right panels that were to be positioned on the sides of the boxes as the matter turned out to be less practical than initially calculated.

Enhancing Newspaper Distribution on Campus

Installment of the new Outlook news box facing Ada Dodge cafeteria

Plant Engineer Mr. Kamal Feghali (left) and Physical Plant Staff (right) present the newly renovated Outlook news boxes

Installment of the new Outlook news box adjacent to the university Medical Gate

Installment of the Outlook cover label

The installment of the showcase feature to keep issues neatly presented in the news boxes

B. Spearheading the Library Distribution Project

Before finalizing the Blue Box Project, the newspaper took a second initiative to develop the process of newspaper distribution throughout the university’s libraries; the Library Distribution Project. This project was originally delegated to the Facilities Planning & Design Unit (FPDU) who volunteered to search for readymade newspaper racks of favourable dimensions for order and shipment, however the project had to be taken back into the newspaper’s hands after opportunities for finding readymade racks grew less and less promising with time, thereby pushing the newspaper to find a means to outsource the constriction of custom-made newspaper racks from scratch. Hence, a request to add four newspaper racks in AUB’s four libraries respectively for a more organized and presentable distribution of the newspapers to library visitors was initiated and below follows the sequence of events as the project progressed:

•

Two model designs were sketched as prototypes for Outlook’s new library distribution racks, one more expensive than the other. Having procured enough funds throughout the year, and after carefully weighing both options, the decision was set on the more expensive model (first design) considering that it grants the newspaper more exposure and durability. The design was than circulated amongst Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Talal Nizameddin and

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

Progressional development of the Blue box Project

•

University Librarian Dr. Lokman Meho from which it gained a dual approval presenting the newspaper with the green light to move on with the project. Soon after, and in alignment with the Office of Student Affairs’ protocols that banned any members of the newspaper to independently and singlehandedly place an order on the racks without prior authoritative intervention by the university, the request was sent to the Physical Plant Department (PPD) that would serve as the higher intervening authority targeted at ordering the racks. Unfortunately and yet unsurprisingly enough, this critical step had marked the beginning of a series of hindrances that stood in the way of the Library Distribution Project’s successful completion, the full spectrum of which follows below:

Being forced to place a request on the racks through the PPD placed a major time conflict on the date of the project’s completion considering that the newspaper was swiftly approaching the month of September after which the newspaper planned to halt all lingering projects. Had the newspaper had it its way, ordering the racks and receiving them, alongside finalizing the transaction was carefully computed to finish earlier than the grace period allotted, before September 1, 2011, however now that the PPD was involved, and as per their regular protocols, the money that was to be paid to the blacksmith in charge of producing the newspaper racks could not be paid in full until a mandatory waiting period of 45 days has passed according to the PPD, a condition that in any case the newspaper later found out was not well received by the blacksmith and thus halted the project. Moreover, the newspaper was then informed by the PPD that orders of any category exceeding a $300 minimum threshold would no longer qualify for direct purchase from the newspaper’s account (all transactions handled by the Office of the Comptroller) and would therefore be obliged to pass through a sequential bidding process handled by the

Enhancing Newspaper Distribution on Campus

•

university’s Purchasing Department in conjunction with its many potential clients willing and qualified for the job; a process that could stretch for 30 days (a month) or longer. Furthermore, subsequent to this bidding phase would still apply the 45 mandatory waiting period before finalizing any transaction that may have resulted from the process. Evidently enough, continuing the Library Distribution Project under these conditions was by no means possible. In consequence, the newspaper had to abandon the first model design and go with the second one that it originally did not approve of solely because purchasing four units of the less expensive model (second design), luckily enough, turned out to cost a total of $300 (technician handling fees included) thus allowing direct purchasing from the newspaper’s account through the Office of the Comptroller, thereby bypassing the bidding process initially postulated.

At this point it was discovered that the blacksmith in charge of producing the newspaper racks would not agree to the transaction terms concerning the 45-day mandatory wait and even had he done so and had the newspaper followed up on and finalized the transaction in 45 days (which would have been a great hassle), at that point, the newspaper had but one week to have the racks delivered to campus libraries and document its latest progress. A week had gone by and the newspaper found itself back to square one having to purchase the newspaper racks under conditions that met neither the blacksmith’s terms nor that of the newspaper. With only one week to go and the already limited potential for striking a compromise between the protocols laid by the Office of Student Affairs and the payment conditions favoured by the blacksmith, opportunities for resolving the matter before the newspaper’s deadline at the end of the week grew more and more slim such that even had everything went according to plan, the newspaper would have hardly been able to finalize the project.

All these events coupled with a few other minor limitations, as one would imagine, did not serve the project well. Ideally, the newspaper would have liked to use the petty cash it had accumulated throughout the year to handle the transaction as soon the racks were completed and delivered to the university campus. For that to have happened however, the newspaper had to be granted unrestricted access to its petty-cash for this purpose, a privilege that it was denied for fear of a breach of standard procedures and regular protocols concerning the placement of such an order. So there was the project getting cut down on all fronts with the time factor already not on the newspaper’s side to begin with and dwindling gradually with the passing of each day. Accordingly, it was with utter regret and misfortune that the newspaper was left with no choice but to abort all plans associated with the Library Distribution Project for lack of a better solution, hoping that the newspaper’s upcoming board members will find the strength, resources, and willpower to continue what was about to be completed this year.

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 –11

1) First Design

▸▸ ▸▸ ▸▸ ▸▸

Cost per Box1: $200

Technician Cost per Box: $30 Additional costs: None

Comments: Larger Design with more chance of exposure yet more expensive, more fragile, and difficult to transport and move.

2) Second Design

▸▸ ▸▸ ▸▸ ▸▸

Cost per Box1: $75

Technician Cost per Box: $20 Additional costs: None

Comments: Smaller design, a lot more cheap, easily movable, less exposure, less fragile since it is more compact however since it is easily movable it might be subject to more damage.

IV. Future Challenges Outlook is proud to have been successful in expanding on its distribution process this past semester. Never the less, in order for the system erected to withstand the test of time, regular excursions must be made to all blue boxes to study just how much better the current system is relative to the old one. Accordingly some suggestions for the future include:

Figure 4: Side view of the first Figure 5: Rear and profile design of the Outlook library view of the first design of the Outlook library distribution box distribution box

Recruiting a Distribution Manager responsible for following up on all angles of distribution from following on the PPD to manually distribute copies to the blue boxes, to following up on maintenance of the boxes and new racks purchased, to hopefully building a new system for delivering newspapers to departments via AUB’s post office as well. Securing more funds for further developing Outlook’s distribution system on campus in the future if possible. 1 Cost per box includes handling fees

Figure 6: Side view of the second design of the Outlook library distribution box

Enhancing Newspaper Distribution on Campus

Launching a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Paper Boyâ&#x20AC;? initiative by which members of Outlook or volunteers outside of Outlook would personally deliver Outlook Newspaper to members of AUB faculty and staff. Resuming, following up on, and completing the Library Distribution Project.

Annual Activity Report 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11 | Appendix I

Outlook Workshop Sat Nov 6, 2010

Outlook Workshop | Sat Nov 6, 2010

1 1: Outlook Fall Journalism Workshop in full session 2: Outlook Staff listen attentively 3: Editor-in-Chief Rami H. Diab distributes the Outlook Style Guidelines 4: Outlook Faculty Advisor Cleo Cacoulidis lectures the Outlook Staff 5: Outlook Staff absorb distributed documents 6: Outlook Staff in full throttle 7 & 8: Outlook Staff hard at work

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11

Outlook Workshop | Sat Nov 6, 2010

Annual Activity Report 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11 | Appendix II

Outlook Christmas Party Mon Dec 20, 2010

Outlook Christmas Party | Mon Dec 20, 2010

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11

4 1: Former Outlook News Executive (2009-10) and Outlook Senior Staff Writer (2010-11) Tala H. Kardass (left) and former Outlook Staff Writer (2009-10) Maya Terro (right) gather for a picture 2: Outlook News Executive Heather R. Jaber prepares to cut the Christmas cake 3: Outlook Staff Writer Mohamad A. Yaghi entertains the staff 4: Outlook Arabic Staff Writer Amer M. Sare with his million dollar smile 5: Outlook News Executives Maya M. Sfeir (left) and Mostafa A. Fadlallah (right) brace themselves for the evening

Outlook Christmas Party | Mon Dec 20, 2010

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11

10 6: Outlook Staff Writer Mohamad A. Yaghi (left) and Outlook Layout Director John D. Hajjar (right) enjoy the party 7: Outlook Editor-in-Chief Rami H. Diab addresses the Outlook Staff 8: Outlook Staff Photographer Mohamad B. Al Azzam looking puzzled 9: Outlook Associate Editor Timmy R. Malkoun proclaimed star of the Outlook Christmas Party 10: Outlook Staff Photographer Wael A. Salem and Outlook Webmaster and Contributing Photographer Mohamad Musbah R. Al Medawar dig in 11. Outlook Staff Writer Jackie J. Daoud and Outlook Layout Director John D. Hajjar share a smile

Outlook Christmas Party | Mon Dec 20, 2010

12: Outlook News Executive Maya M. Sfeir in action 13: Members of the Outlook Arabic Team unite in full splendor Left to right: Outlook Staff Writer and Project Manager Khodor I. Abou Daya, Outlook Arabic News Executive Mostafa A. Fadlallah, Outlook Arabic Staff Writer Amer M. Sare, Outlook Arabic Staff Writer Mada R. Dibs, Outlook Arabic Staff Writer Sarah A. Al Dirani, and Outlook Arabic Editor Mariam S. El Ali 14. Outlook Staff exchange presents 15. Outlook Layout Director John D. Hajjar shows off his gift 16. Outlook Staff Writer Lama T. Zakharia munches away 17. Outlook Layout Director John D. Hajjar (left) and Outlook Editor-in-Chief Rami H. Diab (right) place the finishing touches on the Outlook Chirstmas issue

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11

Annual Activity Report 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11 | Appendix III

Outlook Awards Ceremony Tue June 14, 2011

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11

1 1: University Provost Dr. Ahmad Dallal (left) and Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Talal Nizameddin (right) prepare to distribute certification letters to the Outlook Staff 2: Newly elected Editor-in-Chief 2011-12 Lojine Y. Kamel delivers her welcoming address 3: Outlook Staff Writers Caterina U. Belardi (left) and Dalia J. Hosn (right) share a photo 4. Former Outlook Editor-in-Chief (2009-10) and LAU Tribune Editor (2010-11) delivers the keynote address 5: Outlook Staff Cartoonist Deedee G. El Jilani delivers a heartwarming smile 6: Outlook Staff Writers Rayane K. Zahreddine and Christine N. Saliba share a photo 7: Outlook Staff Photographer Wael A. Salem provides coverage for the night 8: Outlook Member at Large Samer A. Bu Jawdeh gets funky on the dance floor 9: Left to right: Outlook News Executive Mostafa A. Fadlallah, Outlook Member at Large Samer A. Bu Jawdeh, and Outlook Staff Writer and Project Manager Khodor I. Abou Daya share a group photo 10: The Outlook Team lets loose its party instinct 11: Former Outlook News Executive (2009-10) and Outlook Senior Staff Writer (2010-11) Tala H. Kardass (left) and Outlook Copy Editor and Senior Staff Writer (2010-11) Joseph R. Saba celebrate in style 12: Outlook Staff Writer Ali M. Kassem with his magnificent hairdo

O u tl o o k Aw ar d s C er em o ny | Tu e Jun e 14, 2011

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11

O u tl o o k Aw ar d s C er em o ny | Tu e Jun e 14, 2011

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11

13 13: Lebanese American University (LAU) student programmer and cofounder of the phone application innovators group Virtual Omar Omran (left) and Outlook Editor-in-Chief Rami H. Diab (right) mingle at the dinner table 14: The Outlook Awards Ceremony packs in a full house 15. Left to right: Outlook Staff Writer Nouhad G. Awwad, Outlook News Executive Mostafa A. Fadlallah, and Outlook Staff Writer and Project Manager Khodor I. Abou Daya share a group photo 16: The Outlook Team liberates the party animal within 17: Outlook Business Manager Sally S. Khalifeh boasts her glamorous appeal 18: Left to right: Outlook Staff Writer Hadi O. Mehio, Outlook Webmaster and Contributing Photographer Mohamad Musbah R. Al Medawar, Outlook Layout Director John D. Hajjar, and Outlook Photography Editor Salim N. Batlouni let loose and have fun

19: Lebanese American University (LAU) Student programmers and Virtual partners Tarek Moubarak (left) and Mirna Zbib (right) 20: Student cofounders of Virtual; American University of Beirut (AUB) designer Ralph Khattar (left) and Lebanese American University (LAU) programmer Omar Omran (right) 21. Outlook Staff Writers Emile F. Zankoul and Nour J. Kachicho 22. Outlook Arabic Editor Mariam S. El Ali and Outlook Staff Writer Nouhad G. Awwad 23. Former Outlook Editor-in-Chief and LAU Tribune Editor (left), Outlook Layout Director John D. Hajjar, and former Outlook Layout Editor Joelle J. Haddad share a group photo

O u tl o o k Aw ar d s C er em o ny | Tu e Jun e 14, 2011

Outlook Ac tivit y Repor t 2010 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;11