Outlook The American University of Beirut
Does Islam oppress women?
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Vol. XLIII, No. 15
Tuesday, Jan 18, 2011
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Lecture on admission to AUB Med-School
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Independent Student Publication Since 1949
Norman Finkelstein discusses Zionist threat in the region Maryam Hoballah Staff Writer
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r. Norman Finkelstein visited AUB to give a lecture entitled: “The Latest Developments Regarding the Zionist Threat in the Region”. Hosted by the Palestinian Cultural Club (PCC), this lecture was held in the Issam Fares Hall at AUB on January 14, 2011. At 7:30 pm, Tarek Kishawi, the Vice President of the PCC and a late Sophomore History major, introduced the lecturer as “One of the greatest intellectuals who support this [resistance that strives] for honor and freedom”. Dr. Finkelstein’s lecture focused on the Israeli invasions of Gaza in 2008 and 2009, the Freedom Flotilla attack, and Lebanon’s past and present.
The speaker stated that, following Israel’s defeat in Lebanon in 2000, and since 2001, Israel was planning another war against Hezbollah to restore its “deterrence capacity”. This term refers to the degree of the Arab world’s fear of Israel. In 2006, said Finkelstein, Israel found its “pretext and excuse to attack Lebanon”. He concluded that Israel was defeated by Hezbollah and, once again, Israel was looking to restore its deterrence capacity. It, then, focused its attention on Gaza. The lecturer went on to discuss the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in 2008. Hamas was to stop its attacks on Israel and Israel would lift continued on page 4
Less than a year later AUB’s Corniche parking lot fails to answer to students’ needs Maya Sfeir News Executive
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INSIDE
n February 12, Karim, an average AUB student, was ecstatic to receive an email announcing that he could now have access to the Corniche parking lot adjacent to the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business. During the first few months of the parking’s opening, he, along with thousands of other AUBites, was given a fair chance to park from 7 am to 11 pm for the reasonable Campus News Arts & Culture Sports Arabic Opinion Arabic Opinion
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(Photo by Mohamad Al Azzam and Wael Salem)
Norman Finkelstein at Issam Fares Institute
student fee of L.L. 2,500 per day. The parking proved to be a practical spot, not only for Karim, a business major, as it was closer to his classes, but also but also for his friend Marwan, a Computer major, who could now park his car for half the sum he had to pay the parkings on Bliss Street. In fact, Marwan did not mind the walks from the lower campus to the upper camArabic News & En. 11 Arabic News 12 Editorial & Op. 13-14 Out of the Box 15
pus, but rather thought it a chance to admire the campus’s fine scenery. Six months later, by midAugust, Karim was devastated to discover that the parking which used to charge him L.L. 2,500 for the whole day would soon be costing him— according to the sign on its entrance—L.L.1,000 per hour for the first four hours, continued on page 3
Campus News USFC get to work
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AUB’s boasts talent Anis Kadado News Executive
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ith less than one week left until the start of the final exam period and the end of the fall semester, the Junior Chamber International (JCI) club at AUB provided students with a new and entertaining event, “AUB’s Got Talent!” The JCI club is a wellknown international student organization, the largest of its kind, present in over 100 nations worldwide. As a means by which to start off with and raise money for the club, an event was held that not only entertained the per-
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formers, but also all that attended. “AUB’s Got Talent” was the title of the event, a replica of well-known “America’s Got Talent” seen on national television. On January 12, viewers were presented with a wide range of hidden talents of the AUB students. The event was aired on local radio through Radio One, presented on the local television station MTV, completely covered by the Al-Hurra television station, and publicized on the walls of Bliss and Hamra through countcontinued on page 3
Arabic News
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Films shed light on Palestinian struggle Mohammad Yaghi Staff Writer
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n January 12, the CAMES Film Society, in collaboration with the Palestinian Cultural Club, screened the last of three films based on the Nakba and Palestinian struggle. These showings have taken three weeks to complete with one film being presented each week. The two previous movies prior to this week were “Minna al Thakira” and “Nakba Archive”. “Mein Al Lahika” is about a modern Palestinian family living in Yafa being evicted from their homes and “Nakba Archive” is an oral history
project that included interviews of various Palestinian accounts on the Nakba. The last film shown was Elia Suleiman’s “The Time That Remains.” It recounts four different stories of the Palestinian struggle, staring from the Nakba itself in 1948. The first account is based on Suleiman’s father’s diary entries. Suleiman’s father participated in the fight against the Israeli invasion in Nazareth and also worked as a gun maker. The movie focused on how his father coped and lived under the Israeli occupation after the war
ended. The second episode of the movie focuses on Suleiman’s mother and her correspondence with family members abroad, since they had urgently left during the invasion and were not allowed to return. The last two points of the movie center upon Suleiman as a teenager and his later years. Suleiman tries to convey the present situation in the West Bank and the hardships of daily life for “Israeli-Arabs.” This would include having to deal with imposed curfews and the tormenting of Palestinians by Israeli soldiers every day.
Tarek Kishwani, the Vice President of the Palestinian Cultural Club, opened the proceedings and stated prior to the event, “We didn’t have too many events this semester, but we have a big event on Friday with Norman Finkelstein. We wanted to at the end of the semester by doing several events so we can have people talking about the Palestinian cause. Sometimes, people forget about it with the many distractions here.” When asked about what this event was trying to achieve, Kishwani replied, “We’re stressing on the Nakba cen-
trality and trying to open dialogue about the issue.” Dana Dabbous, a freshman who attended the event, admitted to loving the film. “I felt so much sympathy for each of the characters and it taught me a lot about the conflict. I hope that everyone could watch this film because it is definitely an eye-opener.” These showings were a lead up to the lecture by Norman Finkelstein that took place on January 14, 2011.
Insight Club hosts two lectures on the status of Muslim women Mona Ayoub Contributing writer Edrees Elrachidi Staff Writer
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oes Islam oppress women? Do its teachings lead to their suppression, and consequently to their depression? To answer such questions regarding women in Islam and their plight and conditions in Western and Eastern societies, the Insight club held two discussion panels on Monday and Tuesday, January 10 and 11 in West Hall, Auditorium A under the respective titles: “Women: Oppressed, Suppressed, Depressed?” and “Women: Seclusion, Isolation, Exploitation.” The two speakers on the panel were Dr. Hiba Khodr, an assistant professor in the Department of Political Studies and Public Administration (PSPA) at AUB, and Dr. Lisa Killinger, an international lecturer on comparative religions, women’s issues, and world peace. Khodr introduced herself as a “revert” to Islam, defining “revert” as “someone who was born Muslim, changed their faith, but kept questioning that faith” until re-embracing Islam out of full conviction.
She started the discussion by introducing the denotational definition of the words “oppression,” “suppression,” and “depression” to describe the general view people have of Muslim women. Khodr claimed that although Muslim women are accused of suffering from what she called the OSD Syndrome, an acronym for “Oppression, Suppression, and Depression,” “Islam liberates and empowers women”. Khodr emphasized that “traditions oppressed women and not Islam.” According to her, the restrictions on Muslim women, such as not being allowed to drive or to travel alone, are completely un-Islamic. As a matter of fact, some of the rights that Islam gave to women 1400 years ago, like the right to vote and to own property, were not granted to them by civil societies until the 18th century, and that after revolutions. Khodr further asserted that “someone who has rights is definitely not oppressed.” However, she admitted that some issues concerning women in Islam are still controversial. Khodr nontheless stressed that she “takes them on trust because of faith,” saying that she may eventually find an interpre-
(Photo byWael Salem)
tation to them. “In the light of Islam and its inspirations, women attain their full potential,” Khodr concluded. Killinger, an American convert to Islam, spoke next on the supposed seclusion and isolation of Muslim women. Killinger stated that Islam does not seclude women. As a matter of fact, “Islamic history mentions many women who held leading positions.” However, she bitterly resented on how some Muslim scholars disregard this fact. Then, she gave several exam-
ples of women leaders in Islamic history: the Prophet’s wife, Aisha, who was the first teacher in Islam, the Prophet’s wife Khadija, who was a great support to him and a prominent businesswoman, and other women who were scholars, physicians, and even scientists. The floor was then opened to the audience’s questions, which varied between asking for clarifications of some of the speakers’ points to raising controversial issues like Hijab and modesty. Lama
Darazi, a PSPA major, remarked that “both speakers represent Islam in its true essence, and I wish that [more] Muslims would know and practice Islam the way the Prophet intended for us”..Fatimah Pourpagher, a Biology sophomore, commented that “the discussion was informative, and it is useful to have an American speaker because it gives a wider perspective on the issue.”
Jan 18, 2011
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AUB parking
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an additional L.L. 1,000 for every extra hour and a maximum charge of L.L. 7,000 per day. Startled by the ingeniousness of the math, an outraged Karim realized that the parking rates have tripled! In addition, he could no longer enjoy swimming at the Hostler pool as any extracurricular activity on campus would literally cost him! Karim’s plight does not differ much from that of other AUBites. While some of them deem themselves lucky enough to have found a space at their university’s overpriced parking, others cannot but gasp at the high price they have to pay aside from their exorbitant fees. “Lebanon lacks a decent and punctual transportation system,” complained Nabi-
la Ataya, an English literature graduate student. She added, “Taking this fact into consideration, I cannot understand how the university does not provide its students with parking spaces.” The opening of the Corniche parking last February had been thought to be the promising initiation for a permanent solution for AUB parking spaces. Months later, it had become even more expensive than the already overpriced parkings surrounding the university. Significantly, even the above-mentioned costly parkings remain unable to admit students due to their limited spaces. “It is not fair that we have to keep looking for an hour to find a place to park the car, that is if we end
(Photo by Antoine Salloum)
up finding one,” states Marie-Belle Harb, another graduate AUBite. Karim himself cannot but wonder whether his university has forgotten that finding
a parking space is a student’s given right and not a luxury that he or she has to pay for. Nonetheless, what alarms him most is that his university, which boasts to be one of
the finest in the region, raising tomorrow’s leaders, remains unable to solve a parking problem that tortures thousands of its students every day!
JCI hosts “AUB’s got talent!” continued from page 1
less posters. The advertising proved to be effective, as the event turned out to be a great success. With performances ranging from belly-dancing, to beatboxing, to guitar, piano-playing and singing, 20 performers presented a spectacular show that left viewers surprised by the raw talent present in the performances seen. Judged by three well-known artists, the famous comedian Mario Bassil, the loved singer Maysam Nahhas, and dancing instructor Janito; all contestants were criticized and reviewed based on certain criteria that the judges had set. A great show needs a great host, and that was also the case with “AUB’s Got Talent”, where AUB alumnus and stand-up comedian Mazen Abdallah kept the viewers entertained by throwing out a joke every now and then and presenting the performers when their respective turns came up. The night started off a lit-
tle late due to an over-expected number of viewers that showed up at the Issam Fares Auditorium, exceeding the maximum amount of tickets available, which was at 450 tickets. Completely filling the auditorium, spectators also filled the stairs having nowhere else to sit. Maher Abou Nasr, the event director, stated, “We did not expect such a turn-out of viewers; it’s amazing.” The night began with a speech from Gheed El-Makkaoui, the JCI club president, who informed viewers of what exactly JCI is, and proceeded on to the core of the night where the performances began. After 10 performances, a cake was brought out for the occasion of Mario’s birthday, followed by the rest of the talents, until only four finalists were left. Two singers, a duo containing a guitar player and another playing African-like musical instruments, and the Beirut Vocal Point, from
(Photo from Facebook.com)
the AUB choir, competed for the 500-dollar winning prize. Eventually, singer Anthony Touma claimed the prize, following a strong performance, the aforementioned duo came in at second place winning 200 dollars, May
Obeid at third place and the Beirut Vocal Point at fourth. Not only did the contestants go home winners, but so did those that attended; where a raffle was held giving away many prizes, including coupons to be used at PG Spa,
Atlantis Gym and Tasty restaurant. The JCI club’s first large-scale event definitely proved to be a one-of-a kind experience never seen before, which hints at only greater and more memorable events.
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Jan 18, 2011
Norman Finkelstein at AUB
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the blockade on Gaza. However the ceasefire only lasted four months. On November 4, Israel killed six Palestinians. Finkelstein said that the Israeli forces had waited until the U.S. Election Day to attack Gaza so that the focus of the media would be turned away from the Middle East. Finkelstein stated that Israel attacked these militants knowing that Hamas would retaliate, thus giving the Israelis a pretext to attack back. Israel maintained the blockade and the Palestinians resisted. The speaker stated that it would be absurd to expect them to stand by idly. December 2007 saw the Israeli invasion of Gaza, which Amnesty International called, the “22 Days of Death and Destruction”. The Israelis announced a victory but, as Finkelstein stated, there was no war and not one actual battle was fought. Israeli soldiers had described the 2007 attack as “very boring” and “You felt like a child with a magnifying glass burning up ants”. To this quote, Finkelstein jokingly stated, that as a child he had gone through this phase of burning ants with a magnifying glass and he was not proud of it but, he stated, “At least I wasn’t mixed up with the illusion that I was engaged with the ants and fighting a war with them”. According to Finkelstein, Israel’s excuse for killing a great number of civilians
Red Cross’s latest blood drive initiative
was that Palestinian militants were using civilians as human shields. Finkelstein, then, asked how many people were aware that every single Human Rights report on Gaza had concluded that they found no evidence of the use of human shields. Surprisingly, only 10-15 individuals raised their hands. Finkelstein stated that this goes to show the effectiveness of propaganda even when it comes to an informed and sympathetic audience like the one before him. The Human Rights reports did, however, state that Hamas had committed some crimes. “After all [though],” said Finkelstein, “how many crimes can be committed by ants under a magnifying glass?” The lecturer, then, shifted the focus to Lebanon. Finkelstein started the discussion at the 2006 War in which, he stated that, “Lebanon put Israel in [its] place”. According to the speaker, a majority of the Lebanese population supported Hezbollah following the war. The Israelis and Americans wanted to create internal strife and, as Finkelstein said, “the [Special Tribunal for Lebanon] (STL) was created to cause this internal strife”. Later on in the lecture, Finkelstein stated that Hezbollah’s position on the STL is reasonable. He also asked, “Why does justice [only] begin at Rafic Hariri?” He proposed that, rather, there be an STL to try those
(Photo by Mohamad Al Azzam and Wael Salem)
accountable for the Israeli atrocities of 1978, 1982, 1992, 1993, and 2006. The lecturer stated, “You know the U.S. government. Do you think they care who killed Rafic Hariri? …It’s not about Rafic Hariri. It was never about him and never will be. It was about people who use death for their own purposes”. Finkelstein, then, discussed the possibility of another war in Lebanon. He brought up Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s speech where the Hezbollah leader stated that the next war between Israel and Lebanon will change the game completely. Nassrallah had stated that if Israel hits Lebanon’s infrastructure, Hezbollah will hit Israel’s. Finkelstein stated, “Say what you will about Mr. Nassral-
(Photo by Mohamad Al Azzam)
lah but there is a direct correspondence between what he says and what he does”. In a previous speech, Nasrallah stated that, Israel does not want a large number of casualties because they cannot absorb it. Finkelstein commented that, he is not trying to “compete with Nasrallah’s knowledge or shrewdness”, but he does not agree. He believes that Israel wants a large number of civilian casualties so that it can look like they are the victors. The “peace process” was then discussed, whereby Finkelstein broke down the very heading that it carries. He stated that one is not supposed to judge by what is said but a rational person would judge by what is actually
Bank Al Mawarid lecture at OSB
done and, to Finkelstein, the past 17 years of the “peace process” have been more of an annexation process that hides behind a false label. The lecture winded down on a hopeful note as Finkelstein stated, “There is a way out … a way to preserve everyone’s well-being. Be reasonable. Be fair. Then there’s a way to resolve the conflict”. Finkelstein called this the “Rendezvous of victory”, borrowing the term from anti-colonial poet Aime Cesaire. Finkelstein concluded the lecture by stating, “I’m still determined that before I pass- I don’t know how it’s going to happen but- I will get to that rendezvous of victory and I can’t get there without you”.
(Photo by Mohamad Al Azzam)
Jan 18, 2011
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A general assembly for pre-medical students over admission into AUB Med-School Anis Kadado Staff Writer
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re-medical students often complain of excess studying, competition, and the additional classes needed to finish this or that biology course and rarely are the lecture halls completely filled with attendees. However, when called upon to attend a lecture explaining the ambiguities over getting into medical school and the details of the admission process, auditoriums are easily packed with students. On January 13, Dr. Kamal Badr addressed the pre-medical students of AUB in a general assembly at Charles Hostler Student Center where the admission policies were discussed alongside a question and answer forum following his presentation. The auditorium was packed; no places were left for students to be seated and the staircases were filled up. Students attended with enthusiasm and delight. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors alike sat in their places with complete focus on
Dr. Badr as he gave his remarks over the admission process and the most likely students to get into the AUB medical program. Dr. Badr’s presentation started off with the program, the number of credits needed to be completed, and an overall view of where AUB stands in relation to other universities regarding its program and courses. Statistically speaking, students were provided with graphs, tables and charts showing the numbers of the average GPA and MCAT scores for matriculates of previous years, and to the students’ dismay, the numbers have only been getting tougher. With an approximate average score of 11 in both the Biological and Physical sections of the MCAT exam, and an average total GPA of 82; competition is a factor to consider. Having accepted 71 students from AUB and 19 from abroad last year, many students felt worried over the advantages non-AUB students have over AUB students, seeing that the rigor of the AUB course is the tough-
(Photo by Mohamad Al Azzam)
est in Lebanon. Senior Biology student Marie Nakhoul stated that students can easily obtain high GPA’s in other universities and apply to AUB, making it unfair for the AUBites. However, Dr. Badr made it clear that nobody has an advantage over the other, with a certain method that is followed taking into consideration all the factors during the application process. In addition, after hearing that the grades of repeated courses will be averaged with the grades of the previously taken courses and that the high-
est MCAT score will be taken into consideration, many seniors were agitated and displeased. With only one day left till the submitting their applications, seniors felt dumbfounded with the new facts that were heard, previously being informed otherwise. Seniors completed the pre-medical curriculum following a different guideline, that of which does not consider repeated courses as part of the calculated pre-medical GPA and thinking that only the latest MCAT score will be taken. Being too late
to do anything about it, students were enraged. With the deadline already passed and the late news that the seniors heard of, little can be done except having learnt a fruitful lesson for the future. Hopefully more of these informative lectures will be seen throughout all majors at AUB, with the primary aim of helping the students and preventing the recurrence of mistakes that were as those experienced by the Biology seniors.
Social entrepreneurship Doing well and doing good? Rami Panayoti Staff Writer
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UB’s Maamari Auditorium at Olayan School of Business (OSB) witnessed on January 10 at 4:30 pm a large gathering of people to listen to University of Texas (UOT) Professor Suzi Sosa give a seminar on social entrepreneurship; what it is, how to identify it, and how important it is nowadays. Professor Sosa started the seminar by interacting with the audience present, trying to get to know if anyone really knew what social entrepreneurship really was. Even after a lengthy discussion, no one was able to iden-
tify it successfully. According to Sosa, Social Entrepreneurship still hasn not been given a true definition, but it is basically the mixing of an income-generating business with the social responsibility of “doing good” that many non-profit organizations represent. To illustrate her defination, Sosa further gave an in-depth comparison of a business and a non-governmental organization (NGO) approach. The business approach consists of an impersonal exchange in which clients are customers able to pay, and service pricing is costly. An NGO approach, on the other hand,
appeals to goodwill, with clients being the poor and the needy, and service pricing being basically free. However, the NGO approach often failed as social entrepreneurs often had a “lack of dynamic social innovation,” stated by Sosa. Yet, nowadays there are companies, such as Echoing Green and ASHOKA, that try to seek social entrepreneurs and invest in them. She then proceeded to try and define social entrepreneurship in a more elaborate way, by stating that is a spectrum, a hybrid between a traditional NGO with social impact and a traditional
business with financial stability. Nevertheless, she added major controversy exists in this domain, with this controversy being that it is very difficult to balance between mission and money. At this point questions such as: How much profit is ok? What qualifies as a social Impact? Who should profit? begin to appear. Professor Sosa then displayed a few strategies to strengthen the sector. Such strategies included relevant legal/organizational structures, investment incentives, and more types of appropriate investment capital. At the end of the seminar,
she introduced two Lebanese social entrepreneurs: Christine Codsi and Kamal Mouzawek, who mutually own Souk El Tayeb and Tawlet. They narrated their story and how they became what they are. As of 2009, it became split between business and helping. Tawlet was basically transformed into an income-generating, private company both people own (The sentence seems significant but I could not decipher it). Mouzawek ended by calling for a balance between vision and financial gain: “Vision is a priority. . . but money is also important.”
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Jan 18, 2011
The USFC gets to work
Fouad Badaoui Senior Staff Writer
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he 2010-11 University Student Faculty Committee (USFC) met for the first time on Tuesday January 11, more than one month after its formation. The USFC is composed of 17 Student Representative Committee (SRC) members and seven faculty members. Its role is to discuss the SRC’s proposals and to work with the administration for the advancement of students. According to its AUB website, the USFC “operates as a liaison between the student body and administration.” The current USFC Vice President, Ali Sheet, had postponed the meeting so that Dean of Student Affairs Talal Nezameddin could be present. Provost Ahmad Dallal also attended the meeting and President Peter Dorman stayed for the first few minutes and gave a short speech explaining his expectations that the USFC will work together with the administration. According to Sheet,
Dallal and Nezameddin’s contributions to the meeting were both enlightening and productive. The meeting’s agenda had a list of topics, most of which were covered in shortly more than two hours. The first topic of the meeting was the nomination and election of committee members. The Oversight Committee has two USFC representatives (Sheet and USFC Secretary Christel Ghandour). Its purpose is to review the 15 Credit Policy and to provide transparency on such issues as the Financial Aid selection process. “I believe I will be transparent” said Sheet. As a student receiving Financial Aid, Sheet feels both professionally and personally involved in the Oversight Committee. The Oversight Committee was formed last year after the Student Boycott. Another USFC student was elected to join the Wellness Committee that supervises the Health Insurance Plan (HIP). Three more committees whose members
have been decided are the Bylaws Committee, the Financial Aid Committee and the PR Committee. The second topic of the meeting was approval for funding for several events organized by student organizations around campus. Any club or society can apply for funding. Sheet said they had responded to several requests and had provided the required financial backing. The third topic was the Speakers’ Corner. Sheet regrets not having
been able to organize talks before the end of semester, but promises to bring “more challenging and daring topics” to the discussion table. Although the USFC “will not bring Lebanese politics,” Sheet does want to address the heated issues in our society “in civilized and responsible ways,” and believes that “students are up to it.” Alterations in the USFC bylaws were to be the last topic and Sheet expects to finish a job that previous VP’s had start-
ed. The next USFC meeting will be held during the vacation on Friday February 4. “My work as VP is to study the needs of every department, not just the big ones,” said Sheet. The agenda of the second meeting includes, so far, the approval for the construction of a new Graphic Design work room, further work on the bylaws, the formation of a graduation committee and the Ring Ceremony.
The effect of student elections on social and academic student life Haifa Harfouch Special to Outlook
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ot only does the annual AUB student election result in winners, but it seems to also reveal the real losers. Every year, AUB students say they are being harassed, bullied and even sometimes threatened in order to support one candidate or another. Business Sophomore Mais Al Hussaini, age 20, said that she avoids attending university on the day of elections because the campaigners of rival sides assail her with their candidates’ list, pleading for her vote. “They refuse to listen!” she said. Students complain that candidates, some of whom they do not know, bombard them with endless Facebook friend
requests, text messages and midnight phone calls. Business Junior Sara Shukri, age 20, said that every year she is badgered with various contact methods by candidates and campaigners trying to win her vote. “They just do not give up!” she said. “And then after elections are over, they do not even remember our names!” Some students become so antagonized that they eventually agree to vote, said PSPA Junior Ziad Oud, age 21. However, they use methods to purposely make the candidates lose. Intense involvement in the election period is causing some students to suffer academically. FAS student Tara Bizri, age 20 as well as 2009
and 2010’s sophomore candidate said that last year she was forced to withdraw from three courses. Campaigning is also affecting students’ personal relationships. Business Sophomore Sarah El-Hindi, age 20, said that this year two of her closest friends were supporting rival sides and were both trying to win her vote. In order not to upset either one, she chose not to vote. However, her decision caused her friends to fight, and she was blamed for the resulting tension. Students use lies, blackmail, manipulations and any deceitful method towards other students and authority figures in order to get what they want, said Oud.
Landscape Design Junior Yasmin Naji, age 20, said that she does not take part in the student elections, but in 2009, one of her close friends was running as an independent so she was encouraged to vote and also help her campaign. During elections, she found out that her friend was not really an independent candidate, and the lie cost them their friendship. Additionally, students often resort to threats and other types of aggressive behavior. “Students have previously complained to us about being threatened, but we track these students down and put a stop to the abusive behavior,” said Activities Coordinator at the Office of Student
Affairs, Hiba Hamade. Junior Nutrition student Lama Dannawi, age 20 said that one day she arrived to university to find her picture ripped off her stand. Students have been threatened to run or not to run, to vote or not to vote, or because they raise sensitive political topics, noted Oud. “Sometimes the threats reach a very serious level, causing students to get physically injured or even change universities,” he said. “Overall, it is really a nerve-wracking process; it tests friendships and the true nature of people,” said Dannawi.
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Theft at AUB (Part I)
Chief of Protection Shalak reveals all Khodor Abou Daya Staff Writer
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UB as a distinguished university is not impervious to thieves. Theft occurs everywhere. “Even at the Holy City of Mekaa and during pilgrimage people get stolen” states Head of Protection Saadallah Shalak. Serving AUB for the past 19 years, Chief Shalak discusses with Outlook the lost and found service and theft incidences in AUB. He declares that the main way to prevent theft is to “watch your personal belongings!” This advice is critical since the lost and found policy states that the university “assumes no responsibility whatsoever for the care and/ or protection of any personal belonging left unattended…” However, the policy adds that the Protection Office may investigate a loss if it seems that the loss was not accidental. Chief Shalak explains that
the protection office conducts a preliminary investigation after a complaint is presented. If the lost item is valuable or contains a national ID or any other important government issued document, it is advised to present an official complaint to the nearby police station. This makes it possible for the victim to apply for new government documents. Also, it makes the punishment fit the crime as the Lebanese Penal Code provides that “any person who appropriates and refuses to restitute or dissimulates a lost item shall be liable to a year imprisonment in addition to a fine.” After the preliminary investigation ends, if the culprit is a student, he is reported to the Dean of Student Affairs, a staff member to the human resources department, and a campus visitor to the police. A student or faculty member is trialed by a disciplinary committee. Chief Shalak says that incidences of theft with
the three types of culprits occurred in the past. This puts a huge burden on the security members since the thief could have an AUB ID thus a great access to AUB’s facilities. Visitors might just involve the most professional thieves especially those who enter AUH. Shalak revealed security camera photos recording a thief taking advantage of the crowdedness of the AUH elevator to cover up pickpocketing. M.J., an AUB student, got his wallet stolen in one of AUB’s computer labs, but the security camera revealed the culprit. Although the security cameras are effective, they have limitations. The cameras do not cover all of AUB’s 74 acres area. Although more cameras should be set in critical places, Shalak feels that excess cameras could disrupt the academic atmosphere. Also, he discloses that the culprit could utilize many ways to cover up events of theft
from the cameras especially because the cameras are not hidden. Shalak declares that there are no hidden cameras since “it is just not ethical.” If the stolen or lost item is found, it is not returned to the reporter of loss or theft until a protocol is applied. The security officers ask the reporter to provide the location, time, and description of
(Cartoon by Deedee El Jilani) the item. Shalak assures that there were “no cases where the item got returned to the wrong person.” Items that are not claimed for more than three years are either transferred to the scholarship programs or donated depending on its worth.
Theft at AUB (Part II) When things go wrong
Khodor Abou Daya Staff Writer
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espite the quality of the lost and found service, sometimes things just go wrong. A.A., an AUB student shares his story with Outlook: On Wednesday, 10 November, at 5 pm, A.A. realized that he lost his wallet. He checked everywhere to no avail. The outcome of the first day was that he reported his loss to the custodian of Lost and Found at AUB. The next day had a better outcome since a janitor informed him that his wallet was found and delivered to the physical plant. Mr. Elie Issa, custodial manager, informed A.A.
that he had received two wallets which were given to their rightful owners after they described accurately their content. On the third day, A.A. reported a missing wallet to the nearby police station after being advised by Chief Shalak. The latter contacted the station to facilitate the process for the former. A.A. describes “presenting a complaint to the police would have been even worse than it already is hadn’t he [Shalak] intervened.” After two weeks and with no clear evidence, A.A. requested the physical plant entrance camera tapes which –due to their low qualitycould not reveal the features of the person who claimed
the missing wallet. Yet, they revealed that one person claimed a wallet. Then, shortly after, came back accompanied with another person who claimed another wallet. This leaves room for questions that till now cannot be answered. Before this incident all items that were found by janitors were delivered to Mr. Issa. He in turn would document and report this to the protection office. However, after the incident, Issa assured that “all items will be sent to the lost and found.” Also, Issa advised all janitors to directly send any found item of any value to the protection office. He adds that any janitor who returns found items in-
tact will be rewarded. He also warns all janitors not to keep found items or else; if caught, “they will be fired.” Evidently, all of the trouble and commotion that A.A. went through could have been averted had the lost and found protocol been respected. Therefore, Chief Shalak advises all AUBites: - Watch your personal belongings! Or else you are asking to be stolen. - If stolen, report immediately to the protection office only. - If your items have a great value or contain government issued cards or documents then report to the nearest police station. - If an item is found unattend-
ed, send it directly to the lost and found or open it with a witness to check for ID if willing to return it in person to its owner. Most importantly, Shalak urges the AUB community to raise theft awareness. For example, after a sign was put in the hospital elevators stating “Crowded Elevators Facilitate Pickpocketing,” theft incidences in elevators stopped occurring. Also, A.A. wishes his story helps in raising awareness “so that what happened to [him] does not happen to anybody else.” Shalak concludes “we are highly devoted to returning every item (stolen or lost) to its rightful owner.” Mr. Issa also expressed the same devotion.
Outlook
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Jan 18, 2011
Arts & Culture International student Silje Owrenn Expectations and memories
Fouad Badaoui Senior Staff Writer
T
hat’s interesting” is what crossed Owrenn’s mind when she first saw AUB’s website while deciding where to spend her semester abroad. Like many international students, she joined AUB expecting “an enriching experience” in a “nice cultural blend.” Now, during her last week in Lebanon, Owrenn considers her stay in Lebanon “a lifelong experience and a dream come true.” Specializing in Communications and Information Technology, Owrenn was hoping to benefit of the courses AUB had to offer in order to study cross cultural communica-
tion in globalized organizations. She came to Lebanon to take courses she wouldn’t have found back home and to meet people. “The first week of registration at AUB was horrible” said Owrenn, declaring it was “like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I didn’t know where to go; I didn’t know what to do. No one told me I had to activate my email. No one even told me I had an email.” The registration process, which includes opening capacity in classes and checking for compatibility with the university back home, was tedious and difficult for Owrenn. Yet she mentioned that her professors were cooperative. For
some of her classes, Owrenn felt that the “workload was very time consuming” and less than rewarding. She noticed a sharp contrast between the educational the European educational system and thatof AUB’s. Moreover, the SRC elections were, according to Owrenn, “lost on us” international students: “I didn’t understand what was going on. I’m not used to student body elections that are so reflected by political parties in the actual country. I think maybe the student election stuff should be mainly for students, like an independent thing.” She said international students should be taken into consideration and involved, since
they are part of the campus. Owrenn was rather disappointed with AUB’s advisory system:”why don’t they assign students to advisors that actually know and have a clear insight in what the topic of the study is about.” “They just want you to like it here” said Owrenn, when explaining her encounter with Lebanese hospitality. She felt very included “by the society and people at school as well […] People invite me to their homes and are so welcoming and want me to meet their families.” It’s a “nice cultural blend”, she remarked: “we have so much to learn […] People are so welcoming and open minded and when I leave Lebanon, that’s
what I’m going to say about the Lebanese society: you are welcome there no matter where you’re from.” Owrenn admitted that many things in AUB should be improved, but “that it will take a lot of time to change the existing ways of how things are done.” On a finishing note: “coming to the end of my semester, I feel like this has been probably the most exciting experience I will ever have.” Silje Lyngved Owrenn, a Norwegian international student, spent this Fall Semester in AUB and has published an article in Outlook’s last issue investigating international students’ college experience at AUB.
The new world government Georges Corm’s criticism of today’s economy Yumna Ghandour Staff Writer
T
he monthly sociology café hosted the Lebanese economist Georges Corm as their invited speaker last Wednesday, January 12 at T Marbouta. The occasion was for Corm to discuss his newest book, “The New World Government: Ideologies, Structures, and Resistant Powers.” As Georges Corm started off the discussion on his book, it became apparent that it was a historical analysis and criticism on the neo-liberalist economic ideology. Corm said the book essentially asks five questions and attempts to answer each one. The first question and the one most discussed was: What are the reasons behind the fast turns in the political economy in the last 30 to 40 years that have preserved and strengthened the neo-liberalist ideology? “The neo-liberalists have integrated a human rights approach to the political econo-
my. They have tried to justify their free market with an appeal to the public, claiming that by doing so economic stability is possible. Anything that tries to deal with social equality but does not fit the neo-liberalist frame is automatically considered Marxist,” he said. Neo-liberalism was introduced as a solution to the market with the idea that “if you leave the market, it will sort out itself.” Corm believed that this approach over simplified things that in reality are very complex. “Now you look at the business men holding those little cases walking around and you just say: ‘Let the businessmen work.’” He then discussed the political ideology which appeared and turned the economy by reasoning it with pure mathematics. The idea behind this is that pure mathematics is outside the realm of human subjectivity in politics, which should justify the neoliberalist approach. From
(Photo by Yumna Ghandour)
this, Corm states, professionals interested with the a social sciences approach to politics, like himself, have been left out of the sphere, and has made the economic field completely reasoned objectively. With this, the numbers of MBA’s, Master in Business Administration, has risen exponentially as majors in the humanities have respectively staggered. The second point that his book focuses on is exposing certain political clichés. One of which states that “the government cannot provide for its people.” Corm said to this: “No one
is asking the real questions. For example where has all of these enormous wealth come from and how does it escape taxes? No one asks why the UN, World Bank and G20 claim to be fighting poverty and after 30 years of fighting poverty, it still exists.” Corm raised many good points and questions criticizing all of the current Western economic mechanisms. He believes we cannot change the economic structure by using the structure for change. Corm ended his discussion by stating that he does not have all of the answers to these questions but is sure
that change can be possible, but only at a slow rate, and certainly wishes for it. “It is apparent that the UN is now at a dead end. The problem is that we can keep continuing at this dead end for a while,” he concluded. Georges Corm is a Lebanese economist and financial advisor who has published several studies having to do with international and regional investigations and criticisms. In his studies, he has ventured to explore political, social and religious intervention in economies.
Outlook
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Sports
Jan 18, 2011
املرحلة السابعة واألخيرة لدوري اجلامعات “يونيليغ” 11-2010 في إطار املرحلة السابعة واألخيرة من ذهاب دوري اجلامعات “يونيليغ” 2011-2010في كرة القدم للصاالت رجال ،استقبل حامل اللقب فريق جامعة القديس يوسف وصيفه في املوسمني املنصرمني فريق اجلامعة األميرك ّية في بيروت على ملعبه في حرم فرع العلوم والتكنولوجيا في مار روكز الدكوانة. جاءت املباراة قو ّية منذ البداية فتقدمت األميرك ّية 0-2سريع ّا قبل ّ أن تعادل القديس يوسف 2-2عبر حسن فخري وكرمي أبوزيد. تقدمت جامعة وفي الش ّوط الثاني ّ القديس يوسف 2-3قبل أن تعادل األمرك ّية 3-3في اللحظات األخيرة. وبذلك عزّز فريق اجلامعة األميركية تقدم مركزه الرابع ب 13نقطة فيما ّ فريق القديس يوسف الى املركز الثاني برصيد 14نقطة. قاد املباراة الدولي فادي كلجيان واالحتاد ّية رمي الشامي. ويستقبل فريق جامعة هايغازيان املتصدر حمود ّ مساء اليوم في برج ّ فريق جامعة الروح القدس الكسليك قمة املرحلة السابعة من الدوري في ّ وعينه على ثالث نقاط لالنفراد بالصدارة قبل استراحة االمتحانات ومرحلة االياب فيما يع ّول فريق الروح القدس الكسليك على نتائجه اجل ّيدة خارج قواعده هذا املوسم للمحافظة على صدارة الدوري. وفي باقي مباريات املرحلة، يستضيف غدا ً األربعاء فريق جامعة األنطون ّية بعبدا فريق اجلامعة اللبنان ّية األميرك ّية فرع بيروت في مباراة قو ّية والفريقني بحاجة الى ّ يحتل املركز ثالث نقاط اذ أ ّن األ ّول السابع برصيد 3نقاط والثاني املركز الثامن واألخير بال نقاط. كما يستضيف فريق جامعة البلمند سادس الترتيب على ملعبه في حرم اجلامعة في البلمند فريق اجلامعة اللبنان ّية األميرك ّية فرع جبيل في ختام مرحلة الذهاب وعينهم على الثالث نقاط لإلقتراب من املر ّبع الذهبي. يذكر أ ّن دوري اجلامعات هذا انطلق في نسخته األولى موسم -2007 2008وهو دوري تتنافس فيه ثمانية جامعات على مرحلتني ذهابا ً وايابا ً وتتأهل بعدها الفرق األربعة األوائل ّ الى الفاينل فورفيلعب أ ّول الدوري مع الرابع وثاني الدوري مع الثالث في النصف النهائي وبعده الفائزين في النهائي.
)صور :نقلت عن اجلامعة اليسوعية(
)النتائج للمرحلة السبعة واألخيرة لبطولة دوري اجلامعات «يونيليغ» (11-2010
“نق ًال عن اجلامعة اليسوعية”
)النتائج اإلجمالية لبطولة دوري اجلامعات “يونيليغ” 11-2010التي استمرت سبعة أيام(
Jan 18, 2011
Outlook
arabic Opinion
10
أوطاننا ..أكباد نبيعها على الطرق
مصطفى فضل اهلل كاتب صحفي
أوطاننا ..أكباد نبيعها على الطرق، ونخشى أن نشرب املاء ،ويُسكرنا كالم الليل وقرقعة الدخان ،ومنفضة وأما أما احللم فمزعجّ ، السجائرّ . الظالم فمطبق .فاحذروا معترك السيوف بال سيوف واحذروا ضجة ال ّرقاب وال رؤوس وال رقاب ..في إختفائها ،رؤوس تنحني ونفوس تتكسر وال محترقة .والأجنحة حتى ّ كسور لتجبر .حان من الزمان موعد املصير .فاخشوا من األيام قادمها واعملوا .فإن لم تعملوا س ُيعمل أشه ُد بكم ما لم تكونوا ترقبون. َ األيام تخفق بالظالم وترقد األغنام عند منبع النيل وللنيل افتراقته فالنيل نيالن و الذهب الالمع صار هباء في أيدي شخص قرر أن يستكبر،
فحني استكبر س ّلمنا ،وبكل سالمة ما نحمله من األفكار ،س ّلمنا ،كل السعر األضرحة والشهداء .وقبضنا ّ بكميات من الكفر والكفار ،وس ّلمنا الدين لعاهراتنا وصار الدين سقماً، وصار الكفر ديناً ،وبني العهر واحلقيقة شرف منثور في الطرقات .تختنق األم بعبرتها ،كانت تدعى عرضا ً ميساء، وقبل أن تستجدي بعض هواء ،من أرض العزة والشرفاء ،ماجت بها الطريق وانهارت القذائف ،وماتت ولم تنعى، ولم تعرف يوما ً بعد ،هل اختنقت أ ٌم أم اختنقت ميساء .فال شرف وال شرفاء، وال دين وال علماء ،اليأس املطبق أضناني .أغ ًدا أستوطن في احلارات املنس ّية؟ أغ ًدا يسقينا الورد سالف الورد في األقمشة الورد ّية؟ لم أدر أين
يطير النهر القادم من بغداد .لم أدر كيف يشق النهر األرض فتفصل تلك األرض بذاك النهر و ذاك املاء. وبغداد لها نيالن ،لكل نيل منهما ألف نيل أخر .فاحذر من بغداد. اللص سيسرق نعجتنا .صاحت يا أحمد ،زوجة مخلوقك عباس .عباس اليوم ينام حتت سرير الذل وتخ ّيل، ما فعل ال ّلص؟ وما فعلت باق نساء املوطن من عباس .مخلوقك يا أحمد أمة خرساء، يدعى عباس ،واليوم في ّ أوجهنا أسماؤنا صارت ك ّلها عباسُ . صارت متراسا ً لألحداث .أوالدنا يولد نصفهم في مشفى والنّصف األخر في متراس .ولنا كروش على امتداد عروش الكسل تستسقي بضعة أكياس ،الكيس لنخفي أنفسنا،
ها هي أبواب اإلمتحانات تفتح على مصراعيها .وها هم الطالب يستعدون لتوديع الفصل األول للعام ّ الدراسي .وإنمّ ا ،ال ميكن للوداع أن يكون بكم هائل من مساملا ً .إذ إنه يختتم ّ التّحضيرات ا ّلتي ال تنتهي .فقد يتحضر دقّ ناقوس اخلطر .فكيف ّ التلميذ في اجلامعة األميركية لفترة السبل ا ّلتي اإلمتحانات؟ وما هي ّ يعتمدها الطالب للتّرويح عن نفسه خالل هذه الفترة؟ بداية األمر ،علينا اإلعتراف أن اإلمتحانات في جامعتنا“ ،غير شكل” ،ففي معظم األحيان، تتعاقب اإلمتحانات األساس ّية في النّهار نفسه ،مما يضع الطالب حتت ضغط هائل ،و يصبح حتت أمر واقع حيث عليه أن ّ ينظم عمله ليشمل تعجيزي .فيصبح عدة مواد ،وبوقت ّ ّ السباق مع الوقت .ووحدها “عجيبة” ّ
تنقذه من “ش ّر” اإلمتحانات! أما اإلدارة ،فتص ّر على تضامنها مع الكم الكبير من الطالب ،وإنمّ ا ،نتيجة ّ اإلمتحانات ا ّلتي عليها تنظيمها، تقف عاجزة عن إيجاد حلول جلميع الطالب! واجلدير بالذكر ،أن فترة حتددها اجلامعة بعد املذاكرة التي ّ إنتهاء الدروس ،وقبل اإلمتحانات ،هي في أغلب األحيان قصيرة وغير كافية، السياق صرخة، وللطالب ،في هذا ّ تطالب بإعطائهم الوقت الكافي لإلستعداد! ومن منظار أخر ،ترتفع نسبة ال- ”كافيني” في جسم الطالب خالل فترة اإلمتحانات! إذ يعمد على السهر طويالً،إلنهاء جميع واجباته، ّ من فروض ومقاالت ،ومشاريع دراسية ال تنتهي .وتلغى جميع السهرات واحلفالت وينهمك ّ الطالب ّ الدراسة! ولطاملا ندم على عدم في ّ
متابعته دروسه يوميًّا .ليجد نفسه قبل اإلمتحان بيومني واقفا ً على “ املهوار”.فيسهر الليالي للتعويض عما فاته ليكون مستعدا ً نهار ّ اإلمتحانات. وهناك نوعان من الطالب :منهم يتحضرون للم ّرة الطالب اجلدد الذين ّ األولى ملواجهة رهبة اإلمتحانات النهائية .وهناك من اعتاد عليها، فصارت روتينًا يتك ّرر في ّ كل عام دراسي؛ هذا ،عدا عن نسياننا الطالب الذي ينهي دراسته مع إنتهاء الفصل الدراسي؛ وعليه ،تشكل هذه ّ اإلمتحانات جزء ال ينسى في سنواته الدراسية ،إذ أنّها اإلمتحانات األخيرة ّ على مقاعد الدراسة! السبل املعتمدة للترويح في أما ّ فترة املذاكرة ،فهي تتراوح ما بني إستخدام الفيسبوك للتواصل مع األصحاب ،وممارسة الرياضة .ويتغ ّير
الدول النّامية من خالل استعمار ّ كوسيلة لتحقيق مطامعها .وفي حينها كانت الدول العربية تخضع العثماني الذي قمع لإلستعمار ّ وإستبد بالشعوب العرب ّية لفترة ّ تناهز األربعمئة عام ،ولقد رفض العرب آنذاك هذا الغزو العسكري وإعتبروه إنتقاصا ً لسيادتهم وحريتهم .وبعد سقوط السلطنة العثمانية وهزميتها في احلرب العاملية األولى ،إستطاع العرب دحر العثمانني فنالوا إستقاللهم عام 1918م ، بالتعاون مع القوات اإلنكليز ّية . ولعل ما نشهده اليوم من غزو ثقافي للمجتمعات العربية ،ما هو إلاّ أسلوب جديد من أساليب السيطرة واإلستعمار الغير مباشر
الدول العرب ّية .وذلك كله حتت على ّ صورت غطاء العوملة ال ّثقافية ا ّلتي ُ لنا أنها تصبو إلى انفتاح اجملتمعات بد من وتالقح احلضارات .ومن هنا ،ال ّ الضوء على إحدى أساليب تسليط ّ الغزو ال ّثقافي التي باتت متارس على مجتمعاتنا في اآلونة األخيرة .والتي تتجسد مبوجة املسلسالت التّرك ّية ّ املدبلجة التي غزت ّ الشاشات العرب ّية .فلقد أضحت هذه املسلسالت إحدى أكثر البرامج رواجاً ،فهي تستقطب السواد األعظم من ا ّ العربي جلمهور ّ ّ على إختالف أعمارهم وأجناسهم. دون إدراك منهم لعمق هذا املوضوع تتعدى وحيثياته ،فهذه املسلسالت ّ كونها مجرد ما ّدة إعالم ّية ترفيه ّية، إلى كونها أجندة أهداف استراتيج ّية
دقيقة مغ ّلفة بغطاء درامي .تسعى ّ بكل إلى إيصال أهدافها املرج ّوة سالسة من دون أن يشعر املشاهد بذلك. وأهم أهدافها تنشيط قطاعي ّ السياحة والتّجارة في تركيا.فمعظم ّ املشاهدين دفعهم حب اإلستطالع إلى زيارة تركيا ملشاهدة املواقع التي مت فيها تصوير مسلسالتهم السياحية ّ املفضلة .وهذه احلركة ّ عادت بالفائدة على قطاع السياحة واخلدمات في تركيا ،حيث أصبحت تركيا إحدى أهم دول اإلصطياف العربي .ولقد بلغ عدد الس ّياح العرب ّ الذين زاروا تركيا عام 2009خمسة 25,167,798سائح حسب سجلاّ ت إدارة الهجرة وا ّ جلوازات في تركيا .
من ذ ٍّل يرسمه عباس .لكن احلاضر ال يعترف بذي األكياس .أجريت لنفسي جراحة صغيرة .ووضعت القلب على وجتمد املقياس .فلم يتح ّرك أبدا ً أبداًّ ، مقياس اإلحساس .لم أشعر أصال بعد الهون بذا اإلحساس ،أسكرني صوت الفقراء ،وموت اجلوعى على الطرقات ،ودم ّ الشهداء منتثر بني األجساد .ثم إستيقظت ولكن شاهدت نفسي على بعد خمس أمتار ،ولكن في تونس ،أحترق ومن دون نار ،وأسمو من دون طائراتهم، كفراشة اختارت املوت في النور على العيش في الظالم .تونس صارت خضراء القلب وخضراء األسماء.
“من طلب العال سهر الليالي!”
ماري نخول كاتبة صحفية
منط األكل لدى الطالب في هذه الفترة؛ فمنهم من يكثر من الطعام ّ والشوكوال ،ومنهم من واحللويات الضغط يصوم عن األكل نتيجة ّ النفسي! ّ هي د ّوامة اإلمتحانات ،تتك ّرر مع كل فصل دراسي .ومع بداية الفصل اجلديد،تفتح صفحة جديدة ،يعود الطالب لبرمجة دوامه من جديد، واإلنطالق في ماراثونه الدراسي .وفي النّهاية ،رسالة دعم ،جلميع الطلاّ ب ودعوة صادقة للتّوفيق في جميع امتحاناتهم ،فما علينا إال التّعب في االسابيع املقبلة ،لتسنح لنا الفرصة لإلستمتاع بعطلة ما بني الفصلني. فتذكروا ،مهما كان الوضع مأساويًّا، فستشرق الشمس .وال تنسوا أنه : “من طلب العال...سهر الليالي!”
رفضوه ثم أقبلوا إليه مدبرين
سارة أحمد الديراني كاتبة صحفية الدول بعد ال ّثورة الصناع ّية ،بدأت ّ اإلستعمار ّية الكبرى تسعى للسيطرة وتوسيع رقعة سلطتها ّ
ولم تقتصر نِعم هذه املسلسالت على تنشيط احلركة السياح ّية وحسب ،بل ساهمت في دخول املنتوجات التركية كاأللبسة واملواد الغذائية واملفروشات ،إلى األسواق العرب ّية احملل ّية .والتي القت رواجا ً العربي إثر شغفه عند املستهلك ّ باملسلسالت التّرك ّية وأبطالها، فتدفعه إلى شراء وإقتناء هذه السلع بكل رغبة وحماس .ففضائياتنا اليوم مجان ّية للثقافة باتت ّ تقدم دعاية ّ والسياحة الترك ّية . وبإختصار ،ميكننا القول أن الغزو العسكري العثماني الذي رفضه أجدادنا منذ مئات السنني ،حتول إلى غزو ثقافي نحتضنه بكل سرور .
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arabic news & entertainment
Jan 18, 2011
كاتب من هذا الزمان :احالم مستغامني سيدة الظلمة
نهاد غازي عواد مساهمة صحفية «أكبر فاجعة عندما تدخلني معركة النسيان ،اكتشافك أن حواسك خانتك ،وأن عليك ان شئت إخراج هذا «اجلن العاطفي» من جسدك أن تعلني احلرب على نفسك .أن تقولي ّ تذكرك حلاسة «ال» مبلء صوتك ّ بعطره وأخرى بصوته وأخرى مبذاق قبلته وأخرى بلمسته وأخرى بطلته، مبشيته ،بضحكته ،بجلسته ،بثيابه! إنك باختصار تخوضني حربًا عاملية مبفردك ضد جيوش قوات احللفاء مجتمعة- ».نسيان كوم -الحالم مستغامني. مقولة من رواية ممنوعة على الرجال .ممنوعة ألنّها حتتوي نصائح للنّساء ا ّللواتي تع ّرضن او سيتع ّرضن خليبات أمل عاطف ّية تنتجها عيون املستبدة .نسيانكم الذكورة املؤملة ّ هو آخر مرحلة من «رباعية احلب األبدية» وا ّلتي تنوي الكاتبة إصدار األجزاء ال ّثالثة املتبقية :مرحلة ا ّللقاء والدهشة مرحلة الغيرة وال ّلهفة ّ
ومرحلة لوعة الفراق .تعد مستغامني من بني أقوى مئة شخص ّية عربية بحسب مج ّلةArabian Businessومن بني النّساء العشر العربي، األكثر تأثيرا ً في العالم ّ بحسب مجلة Forbesاألميرك ّية نشأت أحالم متأثرة بشخصية أبيها. ذاك األب اجملاهد املناضل الذي يهوى حتمل مشقات األدب الفرنسي والذي ّ ّ السجون .ربت في ذلك البيت الذي ّ كان يجتمع فيه اجملاهدون فعايشت ياسي القائم وعرفت الس الوضع ّ ّ ماضي وحاضر اجلزائر .مؤ ّلفاتها اخلفي الذي أص ّر حتمل طيف أبيها ّ على تعليمها اللغة العربية .فجميع ما فعلته كان إلسعاده فهو الذي كان يفتخر بأن يكنى بـ»ابو أحالم».وكانت أحالم أ ّول امرأة جزائرية تكتب باللغة العرب ّية لتبدع في «ذاكرة اجلسد» فتحاكي مقاومة اجلزائر لالستعمار بلغة احلب .رواية استرسال ّية مهداة الى والدها والى الشهيد مالك حداد. وتكمل احلكاية في فوضى اجلسد وعابر سرير .حبكة روائية جتعل أحالم السرد الروائي .روائ ّية في طليعة ر ّواد ّ
انثى هي أحالم فإن وجدت األديبات ّ حتدت بالشهرة. فال نصيب لهن ّ أحالم ذلك ،وأصبح ذاك األدب احملتكر من رجال ميلون األلفاظ واملعاني مبا يتناسب مع رجولتهم ،يتناسب مع ر ّقة مشاعر املرأة وأحاسيسها املرهفة .لغة حتاكي الوجدان ،لغة تكشف مكنونات أحالم فما تفعله هي يفعله أبطال الروايات وما ال تقوله في الواقع ال تكتبه على األوراق .تقف الفجة، بني احلياء الكاذب واالباح ّية ّ تتوسطهما لتكون اسطورة ابد ّية ّ تخ ّلد بالكلمات .أسطورة حت ّرض احلب واحلر ّية بكل النّاس على ّ مفاهيمها وحتّى احلماقات .حتى لو اختارت أحالم أن تبقى في العتمة الدروب فان كلماتها منار ٌة تضيء ّ لتشع أحالم جن ًما عال ًيا والقلوب ّ وتنال درع ّ منظمة املرأة العرب ّية ودرع مدينة بيروت وجائزة جنيب محفوظ ( )1998عن «ذاكرة جسد» التي قال عنها الشاعر الراحل نزار قباني « إنها «د ّوختني .وأنا نادرا ً ما أدوخ أمام رواية من الروايات «.هل كانت أحالم مستغامني تكتب ذاكرة اجلسد
(صورة)bdr130.net :
احالم مستغامني
أم أنها تكتب ذاكرة الوطن؟!! األمر س ّيان فكالهما يسكن اآلخر .فالثورة واحلب يجتمعان في بوتقة واحدة
تنتج اإلنسان املعطاء ذو املشاعر الصادقة البعيدة عن اخليال وللواقع اقرب واقرب.
سقوط زين العابدين بن علي
تونس اخلضراء “تريد احلياة” مصطفى فضل اهلل كاتب صحفي اإلنتفاضة ّ الشعبية التونس ّية ا ّلتي ّ التونسي محمد اب الش أطلقها ّ تاريخي إنتصار إلى تصل البوعزيزي ّ ّ يحقق أحالم شعب لطاملا أراد احلياة. البوعزيزي شاب تخ ّرج ولم يجد عمالً فعمل بالفالحة ثم عمد إلى بيع اخلضار من على عربة في ّ الطرقات السلطات إلى منعه من هذا مما دفع ّ فتوجه إلى مق ّر وتخريب عربته. ّ ليحتج فغ ّلقت والية سيدي بوزيد ّ األبواب ولكن بوجهه ،فاختار العدم على الوجود بإحراقه نفسه أمام اجلميع إعتراضا ً على الواقع املضني. فانطلقت اإلنتفاضة التونس ّية عمت ّ التونسي الشارع مبظاهرات ّ ّ بأكمله ووصلت إلى معظم األحياء وإنتشرت كالعدوى .وإستم ّرت املواجهات بني قوى األمن مبواجهة الشعب ما يقارب ّ ّ الشهر ونصف
سقط خالله ما يقارب املئة شهيد ولرمبا أكثر بحسب بعض املنظمات احلقوق ّية .وبعدها ظهر الرئيس التونسي بن علي ليلقي خطابه ّ متأس ًفا كخطاب اجلنراالت املهزومني ّ على وضع تونس وعلى القتلى كأنه ال عالقة له باألحداث وطلب متوسالً للشعب أن يبقيه على الرئاسة حتى عام 2014لتجرى إنتخابات يتنحى بها عن احلكم .لكن ّ الشعب فعال أراد احلياة ،فلم توقفه هذه الكلمات وال إقالة احلكومة وإعالن حالة الطوارئ. عرف ّ الشعب أن هذه أخر أيام بن علي فانتفض ليسقط طاغية أخر ،لم يبالي بالرصاص فعدد الشهداء لم يرعب أحدا ًوظ ّلت ّ الشوارع تخفق أمام غضب ّ الشعب .حتّى هرب بن علي من تونس .بعدها خرج رئيس مجلس الوزراء محمد الغنوشي ليعلن ممارسته مهمات الرئيس بـ«صورة مؤقتة» .ورغم أن بن علي لم يعلن تفويض سلطاته رسم ّيا ً إلى رئيس مجلس الوزراء ،فإن الغنوشي جلأ
الى املادة 56من الدستور ،التي تتيح لرئيس الدولة تكليف رئيس الوزراء ممارسة سلطات رئيس الدولة مؤقتاً، ليضع البالد أمام إشكال دستوري. والالفت أنه في حلظة اإلعالن ،وقف إلى جانب الغنوشي رئيسا مجلس النواب واملستشاران فؤاد املبزع وعبد اهلل القالل .واألخير وزير داخلية سابق ومسؤول عن جرائم قتل وتعذيب في تونس ومتابعات في اخلارج ،واملبزّع ،هو جالد يعرفه أبناء تونس أيضا ً .وهذا ّ يؤكد على أن مهمة التونسيني لم تنتهي حتى األن فاملظاهرات ال زالت األمني ال زال مستم ّرة واإلنفالت ّ مستمرًّا برغم إنخفاض وتيرته أمام قيام اجليش ببسط سيطرته على عديد املناطق وقيام جمعيات أهل ّية بتشكيل هيئات شعب ّية حلماية األحياء من املستغ ّلني ألجواء التف ّلت األمني .برغم ّ يعم كل هذا فالفرح ّ ّ ّ عروبي يؤمن باحلر ّية وكل التونسينّ ّ فهذا ر ّد بعض الكرامة للعرب وأظهر الشابي بعد أن كاد صدق أبو القاسم ّ
إمرأة تونسية أثناء املظاهرات يوم اجلمعة احالم مستغامني
اليأس أن يبتلع مقولته من قلوب العرب .ومت ّيز هذه ال ّثورة أن ّ كل فئات الشعب نزلت إلى ّ ّ الشارع من األغنياء لاّ إلى الفقراء ،من العمال إلى الط ب، من نساء ورجال وأطفال .ومت ّيزت الثورة أيضا ً بأن جميع القوى الوطنية من يسارية و دميقراط ّية وعلمانية
(صورة)Al-akhbar.com :
وإسالم ّية وجمعيات عمال ّية وأهل ّية، إتحّ دت جميعها لتعلن أن تونس تريد احلياة .شكرًا لتونس وهنيئًا لشعب عرف كيف يصير حرًّاّ ، لعل هذا يكون درسا ً ملن بقي على أمل أن يكتمل احللم التونسي فعالً.
Jan 18, 2011
Outlook
12
arabic News
الضعيف ضي ًفا في العربية 239 رشيد ّ مصطفى فضل اهلل كاتب صحفي إستقبل صف العربية 239مع الصف الدكتور أسعد خير أستاذ ّ اهلل ،الكاتب اللبناني املم ّيز رشيد الضعيف يوم األربعاء الواقع في .2011 – 01 – 12ببساطة ثيابه وجمود قسمات وجهه وانحدار نظارته وتواضعه ّ جالسا وخفة دمه، ً خلف ّ ً شابكا قدميه ويديه، الطاولة استقبلنا رشيد .لم أشعر منذ الضعيف». دخلت أنّه «الكاتب رشيد ّ بسيط في بسمته التي يصعب أن تراها إال ملا ًما .ليس مساملًا ّ كل السالم ،فرأيه حاضر دو ًما بق ّوة .بدأ ّ ورافضا هذا منتق ًدا العلوم التّقن ّية ً التق ّلب ا ّلذي يعتري اجملتمع ،فالفنون ّ تشكل وعينا وحاجتنا هي ا ّلتي
إليها هذه األيام أكبر من حاجتنا إلى فالسينما مثلاً هي ا ّلتي العلوم. ّ ّ تركب الوعي وتع ّرفنا كيف نتعامل مع الغريب. جتربته مع القوى الفلسطينية التقدمية وإلتزامه مع احلزب ّ الشيوعي بينّ له بعد هذه السنني الطويلة من احلرب «أننا لم نكن نبني ندمره ،وأظهر اإلنسان وطننا ،كنّا ّ اللبناني قبحه ً بكل طوائفه ،فصرت أبحث عن أحد أشكو ّ وأبث له هذه اخليبة الكبرى ،فلم أجد إال كواباتا». كواباتا هو كاتب ياباني عظيم ،ق ّرر اإلنتحار يو ًما وإنتحر ال ألجل قض ّية بل ألنّه كان مشدودًا إلى العدم .لم ميت شهي ًدا ،وكنت مرعوبًا من عدد ّ الشهداء في لبنان ،فشكوت له ألنّه امل ّيت بال قض ّية .،لذلك كتبت لكواباتا على شكل رسالة وكانت
رواية «عزيزي الس ّيد كواباتا» .جزء كبير هو مبثابة سيرة ذاتية لشخص معينّ ،تع ّبرعن جتربتي كفرد وكجيل الدكتور خير من هذه احلرب ،يرسل ّ اهلل سؤاله «إستخدمت إسمك في رواياتك بأكثر من مكانّ . رشود مثالً. ملا ؟» ،يجيب الضعيف بأنّه يستعمل إسمه كحيلة روائية ،يريد أن يجمع بني ّ لذتني ،لذة الكاتب ا ّلذي يتك ّلم عن ذاته حني يصف تفاصيل مظهره، ويتحدث عن زوجته وأوالده ،برغم ّ أن األحداث ال ترتبط ظاهريًّا برشيد الضعيف كمؤلف ،وهناك ّ لذة الرواية نفسها .يدخل الطالب على خط السؤال «كيف نتع ّلم من تلك اخليبة الكبرى لكي ال نقع في نفس أخطاء جيلكم؟» .يجيب رشيد ببساطة «إقبل باألخر ،وإعرف أن هذه ا ّللوحة اجلميلة من األلوان الطائفية تستحقّ
تقدر» .تستم ّر األسئلة «هل أن ّ وجهت السؤال إلى كواباتا ا ّلذي مات ّ بال سبب ً ربطا باحلرب األهل ّية وموت يتبسم رشيد لبنان بال سبب؟». ّ قائالً «حلوة هالفكرة ،ما ّ فكرت فيها قبل!» ويزيد أن القارئ قد يفهم الكتاب أكثر من الكاتب نفسه وله احلق في ذلك الفهم .صعب أن نفصل بني الذات والقضايا الكبرى ،وال ميكننا أن ال نكتب عن قضايانا فكأننا خونة، ولكن إذا كتبنا عن غيرها فقد نساعد بأن نؤكد إنسان ّيتنا ،مثلما ساعدني جبران أن ّ أؤكد لبنان ّيتي في اخلارج أثناء هول املشاهد املرعبة في احلرب. أحارب ّ الذكارة دو ًما في كتاباتي ألن املاضي يدفعنا لكي نقتل و نقاتل، وهذا عند خل ّو املستقبل من معنى حتدثت عن نستنجد باملاضي .ك ّلما ّ تفاصيل في الذاكرة التي هي أوسع
من مساحة ّ الذاكرة اإلنسان ّية ومن أساسا ،كنت شكلها ومن معناها ً أحتدث عن الذاكرة ا ّلتي تصنعنا، ّ وهناك فرق واسع بني الذاكرة والتاريخ، فالذاكرة هي اخلطاب الناشئ من خوفنا من األخر ،أما التّاريخ فيصنع نفسه عبرنا.أرى املستقبل للمرأة السرير. ويظهر هذا في وصف مشهد ّ في كثير من اإلحتفاالت كنت أشعر أنني حت ّولت إلى كلمات .وأكمل رشيد حديثه عن احلياة واإلنسان وال ّرواية مبا تضيق سطورنا عن ذكره وال تضيق نتجمد خلف قلوبنا .أوصانا أن ال ّ اإلطالق في احلقيقة واإلميان وختم ردًا على سؤال للدكتور خير اهلل «أجمل كتبي هي ا ّلتي لم أكتبها بعد».
مقاومة أم إرهاب نهاد غازي عواد مساهمة صحفية
كلمتان فشل العالم في التوصل إلى تعريف مينع اخللط ّ اصطالحا هي بينها .املقاومة ً أي نشاط يقوم به فريق من أبناء ّ ّ ضد غزاته ،وقوامها البلد احملتل ّ التخريب وتوجيه الضربات والس ّر ّية إلى قوات اخلاطفة ّ اإلحتالل واملتعاونني معها(.)1 وقد ّ أكدت اجلمعية العامة لألمم املتحدة في قرارها 3246في ّ 1974/12/14م حقّ الشعوب في الكفاح املس ّلح لتتح ّرر من االحتاللّ ، أي محاولة وأكدت أن ّ ضد لقمع الكفاح املس ّلح ّ السيطرة األجنب ّية واإلحتالل ّ هي مخالفة مليثاق األمم املتّحدة الدولي وإلعالن مبادئ القانون ّ اخلاصة بالعالقات الدول ّية الدول ولإلعالن والتّعاون بني ّ العاملي حلقوق اإلنسان.وفي معجم النفائس الوسيط:
اإلرهابيون :وصف يُطلق على ا ّلذين يسلكون سبيل العنف واإلرهاب لتحقيق أهدافهم أما تشومسكي السياس ّيةّ . ّ نصا ً مأخوذا ً من فيذكر ّ الكتابات الرسمية األمريكية فيه تعريف لإلرهاب هو: [االستخدام احملسوب للعنف أو التهديد باستخدام العنف لتحقيق أهداف ذات طبيعة سياس ّية أو دين ّية أو أيديولوج ّية عن طريق التّخويف أو القهر أو نشر الذعر) والسبب وراء اخللط بينهما هو ّ اإلختالف في املفاهيم وال ّرؤى حول العنف واإلرهاب واختالف املعايير العمل ّية املتع ّلقة بهم لتحقيق مكاسب وسياسات بعض احلكومات .ثم إن مصطلح «استخدام القوة» حسن مصطلح ليس مج ّرد ِ مستقبح ِ لذاته .وقد بذاته أو كان لبعض تالميذ اجلامعة عدة األميركية التي تختزل ّ
ثقافات وجنسيات أراء متقاربة حول املوضوع .فمحمد املدني، رئيس النادي الثقافي السعودي يرى ان االرهاب ظاهرة ال حتمل هوية دين ّية وعمل يرفضه العقل واملنطق .لكن لألسف الشديد قد انتشرت هذه الظاهرة في عصرنا احلاضر بسبب التط ّرف الديني والفقر وسوء التعليم ّ اللذين ادوا الى اجنراف الكثيرين خاصة ان حتت لواء اإلرهاب ّ ّ الضال مس ّوقي هذا الفكر ينتحلون شخصيات وصفات ّ الشباب دين ّية ويوهمون ّ واملتعطش جملد األجداد املتحمس ّ انهم على طريق الصواب. لكن هذا القناع يسقط امام ّ الشباب الواعي املتعلم ذو أما الثقافة الدين ّية الواسعةّ . املقاومة فهي مجابهة اعتداء وقهر وابتزاز العدو احملتل وهي في هذا مشروعة .وهذا ليس حكرا ً على املسلمني بل هو فكر عاملي ولنا في ما حصل في
فيتنام مثال .نحن كمسلمني جنمل فكر اجلهاد ضد الباغي وطلب ّ الشهادة في سبيل اهلل ّ وجل اوال ً وقبل كل شيء. عز وهنا يقع في اخلطأ كثيرون وذلك بسبب جهلهم وانخراطهم في مؤسسات التط ّرف والتي ضد االسالم نعتبرها رسالة ّ وبخصوص واملسلمني. السفارات العمليات التي تهدد ّ وغيرها من منشأت تعود للغرب فهذا مرفوض فقتل األمنيني ليس وسيلة للحل وامنا هو دليل عجز عن املواجهة واللجوء الى ترويع األمنيني واملستأمنني امر مح ّرم دينيًّا ومرفوض انسانيًّا .اما ر ّيان أحد أعضاء اي النادي الثقافي اجلنوبي ال ترى ّ رابط بني االرهاب واملقاومة مع ان كليهما يستخدمان القوة لكن املبادئ مختلفة .فاملقاومة ّ الظلم عمل يهدف حملاربة وحترير األرض ورفض اإلستبداد عسكريًّا وفكريًّا وثقافيًّا بينما
اإلرهاب هو تخريب وتع ِد على اآلخر بسبب العصب ّية والتط ّرف فبعض النّاس ال يرون احلقيقة اال من وجهة نظرهم .وتعتبر ايضا ان العمليات العسكر ّية ً ّ احملتل –مقاومة -مشروعة ضد على أراضي دول أخرى بشرط أن ال يكون هناك ضحايا مدنيني. كما ان املقاومة هي نتاج ّ الشعب املظلوم وتتلقى الدعم منه لذلك يجيب تنمية ثقافة املقاومة وترسيخ عقائدها في نفوس املواطنني لتستمر القوي .أجمع بالعطاء وال ّزخم ّ الزمالء على أن اإلرهاب ال دين له أما املقاومة فهي وأمر مرفوض ّ حقّ متارسه جميع الشعوب املضطهدة وهذا ما رأيناه في احلرب العاملية ال ّثانية حني اشتعلت املقاومة األوروبية لالحتالل.
“الرجال أربعة :رجل يدري أنه يدري ،فذلك العالم فاسألوه؛ ورجل يدري وال يدري أنه يدري ،فذلك الناسي فذكروه؛ ورجل ال يدري ويدري أنه ال يدري ،فذلك اجلاهل فعلموه؛ ورجل ال يدري وال يدري أنه ال يدري ،فذلك األحمق فاجتنبوه”. --اخلليل بن أحمد الفراهيدي
--عالم نحوي عرب
Outlook
Jan 18, 2011
editorial & opinion Op-ed
Gem of the Middle East A new year’s resolution?
Rami Diab Editor-in-Chief
N
ot too long ago, the strangest thing happened. I felt a disquieting desperation to attract more knowledge into my life. A calling of some sort, some strange, poignant beckoning edged me onwards to embark upon a quest for discovery and examination. As I sharpened my senses to develop a keener insight of how the world functioned around me, as I tried dearly to retain focus, everything before me began unfolding into a learning opportunity. Everywhere I’d look, at every corner over every ledge and beyond every scope of my vision, I would see vast events of science, live and in the making! But here’s the irony though, only a few days earlier, my mind had wandered so far off as to lead me to wonder, “Why on earth am I currently an AUB undergraduate?” Indeed, I must confess, I almost lamented my very presence here at AUB, thinking aloud in muffled phrases “there are better choices out there for me.” Why couldn’t I be at Harvard, Princeton, Yale or any other Ivy League university? Upon second reflection, I realized that I’m really quite happy where I am. Why? Mostly because I figure that if I’m indeed at this crossroad in my life (which I am) then that is necessarily so by my own making and so I should make do with it. More importantly though, I should make the best of it; at least that’s
what the voice in the back of my head keeps telling me, that this is just the beginning. And why venture of to foreign universities, those gems of the West, when there are gems inside all of us just dying for exploration? And in any case, do we falter in considering AUB as one the more prestigious Ivy League colleges of the Middle East? Where’s the sense in this argument if there lies a Harvard and a Princeton, a Yale and a Dartmouth, a Cornell and a Columbia deep inside all of us anyway? I’m done questioning what’s out there. Currently, AUB is my first and final destination and that’s all that matters. Quite frankly, I’m more than just satisfied, I’m ecstatic. In the words of American writer and communication’s expert Dale Carnegie “Carry your chin in and the crown of your head high. We are gods in the chrysalis.”
13
Procrastination
Dalia Hosn Staff Writer
P
rocrastination…we’ve all been there. I’m not even going to bother condemning it. Why? Because I happen to be one of the biggest procrastinators on this bright blue planet. Take this Op-Ed that you’re reading: it’s due at 12 midnight. What time is it now? 11:37… I have exactly 23 minutes to ‘wow’ you with my writing, so here goes. Now, let me say this right from the start: procrastina-
tion isn’t for everyone. Procrastinating doing something and then doing it poorly the last second doesn’t count. If you’re up till 5 in the morning writing…excuse my slang… “B.S.,” then you’re not exactly doing the right thing. But if you’re up till 5 in the morning and whatever product of that insanity gets you an A, then I commend you for you are True Procrastinator. The key to good procrastinating is planning ahead. Wait, no, I’m not contradicting myself, hear me out. You have to at least be thinking of what you’re going to write about or read the book your analyzing or done all your research or solved all the exercises. At 12 midnight the night before the essay is due you can write it all up. Even if it’s ten pages long. But you can’t read all the sources and analyze them in that short notice… maybe if you’d had all day. If it’s a test, make sure you’ve at least done all
the exercises and homework that was assigned. Leave the post-midnight cramming for review and memorization. Another key to procrastinating is Know Thyself! It’s good for life in general too, but for procrastination especially. You need to take into consideration how well you can study for a stretch at a time. You must take into account the “wasted time”— you know, those times when you’re just staring at the page for what seems like hours and it all looks like Chinese (kudos to those who’re actually studying Chinese). You have to give yourself break time, but set it up as a reward system. Finish a chapter and you can watch half a sitcom episode. Cut in half, that way you’ll push yourself more for the next chapter. Or if you’re writing an essay, think: two pages, one episode. You know, just know what you can handle and then work it! (PS: It’s exactly 12, I did it!)
Op-ed Do the funky chicken dance Reflections on this semester
Yumna Ghandour Staff Writer
I
say stop what you’re doing, pick up a video camera and follow your favorite cat around campus for three hours, so that you know what that kitty’s day consists
of. This entire semester have you thought of what the cat’s name is in the cat world? Have you named the cat in yours? Well, maybe but maybe not. So here is a time to reflect upon what you have really done this semester. And is this not the worse time to reflect on anything? It’s (flippin’) finals preparation time. Definitely, when you’re busy is exactly the time that you fail to reflect on your busyness. But do! Please do! What are you so busy for? I surely don’t know, but you, you surely must. Otherwise, stop going to your classes and do something a bit more __________ fill in the blank with an exciting word. This semester for me has
been just another walk along the trail of the PowerPoint lecture apocalypse. Mmhmm. And since I am now reflecting upon this, I wonder how much of that PowerPoint went into my head. Not much I would say, not much. What I remember most is oh so purposely sitting next to the window and looking at copulating cats, metaphorically speaking to myself as a caged bird. But please, I am not saying I haven’t learnt anything, AUB is fantastic, but allow me to voice out a few suggestions. You really don’t have to be majoring in business just because your father told you that’s what makes a successful man. But maybe you really like business and
that’s fine. Anything is fine, when you’re fine, after you’ve thought of everything. But let’s say now you have thought of everything, and you don’t know why you are taking those required classes. It shouldn’t be just because they’re required, right? Well then, take the semester off. And why not? Why not start a documentary titled “I Am The Kitty’s Eye” or go work on a rose farm for a few months or find out what that street that always gave you an uncanny feeling is really about? Why not? We have time for classes that don’t interest us, but maybe in the business world, we don’t. We have time for classes, but only after we’ve picked a few roses.
Outlook
14
opinion
Jan 18, 2011
Op-ed
Silence please
Lama Zakharia Staff Writer
S
ilence is our long lost friend for those of us living on the bottom
floors here at New Woman’s dorms. I am sure the lack of silence has to do with the fact that we are practically living in a garage area just outside our dorm gate. I’m not sure, however, how long the residents of first, second and third floors can take it. Whether you live on the seaside (well, 2 centimeters of sea do count as seaside, right?) or campus area, you will not miss out on much. We witness the fights and reunions of most lovers here at AUB, drivers cussing at each other in the early morning and shouting at each other in
the afternoon, what sounds like large empty barrels being dropped off a top of a building, the usual construction racket, and not to mention, the endless partying at night with deafening music blasting through our rooms at 1:00am. Thanks to all those living within and around us, we are now capable of withstanding the most annoying, rhythmic and repetitive noises ever to exist. The sad fact is that we have all developed special skills to adapt to pounding hammers and running car engines. It is still a debate
among us whether our adapting to the noise has to do to our development of special adaptive neurons or to the overall reduction of our auditory sense efficiency. Regardless of all mentioned above, New Woman’s dorms is a wonderful place to spend your college life in. As an (appreciative) resident, I must admit that the standards of cleanliness are very high, the friendliness of fellow residents is heartwarming and its location in relation to other buildings is just convenient. But in my humble opinion, I think that there exists a sim-
ple solution to such inconvenience (particularly during exam periods). After all, we can not stop lovers from fighting or adult men from channeling out their stress and worry on someone else nearby. Why not put up some sort of notice--a “No horns allowed” or “Silence please” sign possibly? Perhaps such a sign would not absolutely eliminate all sources of noise, but it would ultimately reduce it. Furthermore, this article might aid in the process too.
Opinion
Finals: Parasite or pearl? Wissam Nuwayhid Special to Outlook
W
hen a microscopic parasite enters a mollusk, the mollusk is irritated by its presence and begins secreting calcium carbonate and conchiolin to cover the intruder. The secretions form concentric layers around the parasite and eventually transform the intruder into a shiny pearl. How mysterious? The Mollusk makes the worth-
less parasite, which irritates it, into a valuable pearl. With final exams about to begin could we somehow transform this irritating ‘exam parasite’ into a pearl? If the small mollusk was capable of such magic what could the human being do if he/she collected his/her energy and focused themselves? The alchemical (Alchemy: the ability to transform stone
into gold) change from parasite to pearl that takes place in the mouth of the mollusk is only a small sign indicating the vast potential endowed in creatures. If man could only tap into this potential he/she will be able to change parasites into pearls, darkness into light, war into peace, multiplicity into unity, sorrow into bliss and hatred into love; how different would
things be. What is the key to this supreme alchemy? Where does it lie? Is it in the earth or in the seven skies? Is it in the books of the scholars or in the sayings of the wise? Nay, it rests in the heart and it’s called supreme sacrifice. Only through patience, forbearance and exhaustive sac-
rifice do we reach, this nectar which transmutes all negativity into positivity; this nectar of Truth. Through patience and sacrifice only do our hellish physical, mental and spiritual states become a heaven. Drink this bitter medicine called “patience” and all your problems will we solved; here and hereafter.
R.I.P.
In memory of Mohamad Dimashkieh Passed away last week around 4 am at night by means of an unfortunate car incident. May God rest his soul and may he be forevermore remembered.
Jan 18, 2011
Outlook
out of the box
15
The Outlook team Chairperson
Talal Nizameddin
Faculty Advisor
Cleo Cacoulidis
Responsible Director
Antonios Francis
Editor-in-Chief
Rami Diab
Associate Editor
Timmy Malkoun
Editor at Large
Yahia Hamade
Arabic Editor
Mariam El Ali
Photography Editor
Salim Batlouni
Layout Director
John Hajjar
Members at Large
Samer Bu Jawdeh Giovanny Reaidi
News Executives
Heather Jaber Maya Sfeir Mostafa Fadlallah
Web Master
Mohamad Al Medawar
Business Managers
Sally Khalifeh Lara Traboulsi
Staff Writers Khodor Abu Daya Nader Al Ahmadieh Fouad Badaoui Caterina Belardi Amir Bitar Jackie Daoud Sarah Al Dirani Edrees Elrachidi Mark Francis Dalia Hosn Elie El Khoury Aziza Khalil Yasmin Fansa Yumna Ghandour Maryam Hoballah
This week’s crossword puzzle is centered on authors, books, and characters. Scan your solutions and send them in to readoutlook@gmail. com for a chance to claim a complimentary lunch for two at AUB’s upper campus cafeteria catered for by The Food Gallery.
Lynn Itani Anis Kadado Tala Kardas Wajiha Jurdhi Kheir Sherif Maktabi Marie Nakhoul Rita Obeid Rami Panayoti Yasmine Saab Joseph Saba Amer Sare Mohammad Yaghi Emile Fares Zankoul Rayane Zahreddine Lama Zakharia
Photographers Mohamad Alameh Tariq Buhilaigah Dima Hajj Nadi Nassar
Lotfi Al Salah Wael Salem Antoine Salloum
Cartoonist
Deedee El Jilani
Outlook is a weekly publication of the American University of Beirut (AUB) and represents the voice of the student body. It is an independent, non-affiliated publication that favors no ethnic, religious, or political group. All columns, articles, and reports are the property of Outlook and do not necessarily represent the views of Outlook or the AUB community. Outlook welcomes all contributions. Authors please include full name, major, ranking, and contact information for verification. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any way, shape or form without the written consent of Outlook and/or higher authorities. Outlook reserves the right to edit all material. © Outlook 1949
Crossword Puzzle
ACROSS 2. One of the March sisters in Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women.” 5. The city in which George Orwell’s “1984” takes place. 6. The pseudonym of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. 8. The painter of the portrait in Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” 9. A hobbit in J.R.R.Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.” 10. A character in William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies.” 11. A “non-fiction” novel by Truman Capote. 12. The occupation of Hermione’s parents in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. 13. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was a writer and an...
DOWN 1. One of the Brontë sisters. 3. The family in J.D. Salinger’s “Franny and Zooey.” 4. The second novel by Charles Dickens. 7. One of Jane Austen’s novels. 8. Alex’s favorite composer in “A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess
The WAAAUB Office has been relocated to a new building on Bliss Street and not anymore at Faculty I Bldg, Abdel Aziz Street. Dimachkie Bldg., 5th Floor Above Ghazi Travel Agency Bliss Street – Beirut - Lebanon New direct phone number: 00 961 1 363 44
AUB’s First Undergraduate Organic Competition will take place on Feb 7, 2011 starting 3 pm in celebration of the International Year of Chemistry (IYC2011). A total of 45 teams from universities all across Lebanon will be competing for the grand prize!