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Vol. XLIII, No. 31

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

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Book exhibition for publiThe Independent Student Publication Since 1949 cations of the last decade

AUB 142nd Commencement Exercises boasts a staggering 1,857 graduates New program arrangements turn Green Field to dramatic spectacle of action Lojine Kamel News Executive

ou are graduating at a momentous time in the history of the Arab world.” So began the speech of President Dorman, congratulating the class of 2011, while simultaneously urging them to reflect on the momentous events of the past year. Saturday evening, June 25, has long been marked on the schedules of more than a thou-

sand anxious students and parents. One by one, days have been ticked off, credits have counted, and post-graduation plans have been made. Saturday, June 25, was their day. Said Psychology Graduate Serge Geara, “It was the amplified version of a roller coaster experience, and it ended with a thrill. It makes me want to go on and extrapolate what I did in these three years, to life.” The evening began with the precontinued on page 4

Graduating class of 2011

(Photo by Mohammad Al Medawar)

The International Student Identity Card

Don’t Miss!

“Peer Learning Workshop on CommunityBased Learning - Principles, Practices, and Course Development” With the support of an EUTempus project, AUB’s Center for Civic Engagement and Community Service (CCECS), the Service-Learning Initiative and TEMPUS group at AUB and the University of Balamand are co-hosting a training institute between June 30 and July 3. This intensive workshop will be facilitated by local, regional, and global experts in the field, and promises to be filled with thoughtful and engaging discussions with peers and facilitators. Registration deadline: June 22, 2011

AUB graduates celebrate Fingerprints program celebrates another successful year at Marquand House Ring Ceremony 2011 Nader Al Ahmadieh Staff Writer

nce again it’s that time of year when AUB says goodbye to another graduating class which has completed its academic journey and is ready for a new journey in the path of life. On Thursday, June 23 2011, the AUB’s Green Field hosted the 2011 Ring Ceremony, which was attended by faculty members, parents and the Class of 2011. After picking up their silver symbolic rings earlier, the students marched towards their seats based on

faculties where the ceremony kicked off with the Lebanese national anthem proceeded by the alma mater. The ceremony’s first speech was given by Mr. Karam Doumet, the WAAAUB Executive Officer, in which he congratulated the Class of 2011 and emphasized the importance of the ring as being more than “just a piece of jewelry” but a symbol of being a part of AUB. The next speech was given by AUB’s USFC Vice President Ali Sheet in which he also congratulated his felcontinued on page 3

Outlook Staff

s a commonly held tradition established in year 2002, the AUB Fingerprints Reception was held on Tuesday June 21 at AUB President Peter Dorman’s house, formally known as Marquand House, to commemorate graduating students who have placed donations that have culminated in an endowment fund in support of the financial aid program at AUB. Students donating to the Fingerprints endowment fund are normally students of the latest graduating class who are given the option of

Student donors & administrators cut the Fingerprints cake (Photo by Rami Diab)

placing donations that, in addition to being matched by an AUB Trustee and the USFC

every year, form a collective continued on page 4

Congratulations class of 2011 and now unto the class reunion of 2011!

INSIDE

AUB and WAAAUB invite this year’s celebrating classes of 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2006 to enjoy a weekend full of activities between July 1 and 3, 2011. For registration, email us at reunion@aub.edu.lb. For questions, don’t hesitate to contactArabia M. Ali Osseiran at am05@aub.edu.lb and/or Eva Klimas at klimas@aub.edu.lb

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Campus news

June 28, 2011

Outlook

A Decade of Scholarship: Faculty honored via book exhibition

Dalia Hosn Staff Writer

hile students are invariably the center of any university, without the hard work and efforts of the faculty, the students wouldn’t be students at all. Last Thursday, June 23, the AUB Book Exhibition opened in Jafet, honoring a decade’s worth of faculty research and writing. The books exhibited were from all majors and addressed social, political, literal, economic, scientific, and technological topics with a remarkable degree of professionalism and innovation. In the words of Provost Ahmad Dallal, “These works demonstrate the innovative and creative approaches to research, analysis and interpretation, and are a testimony to the scholarship of our faculty and the intellectual environment that they have helped create at AUB.” As the class of 2011 graduates, the achievements of the university are put into sharp relief and the students become themselves the very embodiment of the university’s achievements, “The students are our pride, more

than that; they are our hope for the future,” says Provost Dallal. This sentiment was echoed by President Dorman who stated that the students “are the fruits of our teaching labors, and they go forth from the university entrusted with our hopes, our desires for them, and hopefully the skills to deal with what looks to be a very complicated life ahead.” However, the student’s are but one of the products through which any great university is assessed. “The other great product of this university is of course the research that our faculty produce. These are permanent contributions to the knowledge of human kind and this is indeed the ultimate goal of what a university is supposed to do: to make permanent contributions to society and to intellectual life.” The Book Exhibition stands tribute to the achievements of the faculty and their eternal contribution to the body of scholarly knowledge worldwide. Dr. Philip Khoury, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, describes the faculty as a figurative army that drive the university forward, “The students come and go, they’re fabulous, but it is the fac-

(Photo by Mohamad Al Medawar)

ulty who drive so much and it’s research and links to education that make all the difference. So this kind of scholarship doesn’t just sit in books, it sits in the classroom, a dynamic relationship.” As the graduating class move forward in their lives, they take with them the embodiment of this knowledge. They themselves have witnessed firsthand the intellectual capacity of the

AUB faculty, who have undoubtedly had a profound impact on the scholarly achievements of their students, and their personal growth as well. Finally, the success of the event would not have been possible were it not for the efforts of the Book Exhibition Committee: Drs. Nesreen Ghaddar, Lokam Meho, Nadia El Cheikh, Bashshar Haydar, and Mr. Omar

Odeh. Also, available at the exhibition was a rich and highly informative booklet containing information on all of the publications of AUB faculty within the last decade, which will still be available throughout the exhibition which lasts till August 12. Ultimately, the Book Exhibition is the symbol of AUB’s permanent achievements in the world of academia.

The new library webpage and catalog: An ambitious balance of appearance and practicality Maya Sfeir News Executive

ith its bright colors and modern design, the new AUB library webpage successfully reminded me that AUB had recently won the Pan Arab Web Awards Competition for its redesigned website. As I attempted to browse for books using the catalog, I could not but draw a comparison between the new AUB catalog, re-termed AUBCAT, and its predecessor the Olib Libcat, in terms of both appearance and practicality. Throughout my years at AUB, I have depended on AUB’s Olib Libcat to check out books from Jafet. Despite the fact that AUB did not have the most recent version of the Olib program, unlike a number of other Lebanese universities, I did find the catalog considerably

useful. The clear compartmentalization and coloring of the Olib Libcat rendered my book search unproblematic. At a first glance, the white background and innumerable vertical and horizontal buttons of the new AUBCAT deceived me into believing that the new catalog lacks the practicality of the Olib program. As I attempted to reserve a book, I was able to further spot a major difference between the two catalogs. Reserving a book using the old Libcat was much simpler as I had to enter my ID bar code and, after finding the book I needed, click on “Reserve” and “Submit.” With the new AUBCAT, to sign in, I had to insert my name, ID bar code, and pin, and then go through a number of steps before being able to reserve the book. However, gradually, I began to perceive the merits of the

new AUBCAT. Rather than solely signifying that the new catalog was not user friendly, the multitude of buttons meant that the new AUBCAT was more sophisticated than the Olib program, thus providing me with more browsing options. Moreover, the fact that the AUB libraries were requesting my name along with my ID bar code, and pin meant that the libraries were taking security measures to maintain the privacy of my searches. One of the best features of the new AUBCAT is the appearance of the books’ status and location upon a simple search and without the need to click on particular book titles. In addition, the new catalogue provides students with simultaneous access to both the Saab Medical Library (SML) and university libraries which include Jafet along with the engi-

neering library. Although the new AUB catalog might not be as simplistic as the older Libcat, it is clearly practical, especially as it is tailored to AUB students. In the meantime, as an AUB graduate student about to engage in writing a thesis, I cannot

but wonder about whether the new AUBCAT enable me to renew my books online, as in other university libraries, instead of carrying them all the way to Jafet from the lower campus.

Outlook

Campus news

June 28, 2011

Department of Chemistry at AUB organizes seminar on new properties and applications of Nano-scale confined materials by University Research Board visiting scholar Mostafa Al-Sayed

Outlook Staff

n coordination with the international Union of Pure and applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the department of Chemistry at AUB hosted a roughly one hour long seminar by University Research Board (URB) visiting scholar and AUB honorary doctorate recipient, Julius Brown Chair and Regents Professor of the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA, Dr. Mostafa Al-Sayed, last Thursday, June 23. The seminar took place at Samir Zaabri Science Lecture Hall and was titled: Nanotechnolgy Confinement of Material Size to The Nano-Scale – New Properties and Some Potential Applications in Material Science and in Cancer-Medicine. The seminar packed in wealth of attendees from students, to university professors, to administrators and began with a word of welcome from AUB Professor of Chemistry and the seminar prime organizer, Dr. Bilal Kaafarani. “[The year]2011 has been designated by the United Nations (UN) [and the International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)] as the International Year of Chemistry (IYC2011) and is a worldwide celebration of the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of humankind,” said Kaafarani, later declaring Professor El-Sayed to be amongst the world’s top scientists. Soon after, Kaafarani called upon Provost Ahmad Dallal who also spoke a few words highlighting El-Sayed’s academic merit before honoring the physical chemist with an award in celebration of his praiseworthy contributions to science. Chemistry Department Chairperson, Dr. Mazen Al-Ghoul then in turn cited El-Sayed as “one of the foremost leading nanoscience researchers in the world,” listing a few of his noteworthy achievements. Al-Ghoul publicized that El-Sayed is a member of the National Acade-

my of Sciences, is a US National Medal of Science laureate (2007), and the recipient of the Ahmad Zewail Prize in molecular sciences. El-Sayed has also held the post of Editor-in-Chief of the Journal for Physical Chemistry composed of three separate journals (A, B and C) for more than 20 years, is accredited with founding the “El-Sayed rule in spectroscopy” (relating to molecules in the triplet state) and the “development of gold nanorod, technology,” and with well over a mindboggling total of 500 publications is of the world’s most cited researchers According to Al-Ghoul. El-Sayed’s research interests, though manifold, can be summed up in “optical and chemical properties of noble metal nanoparticles and their applications in nanocatalysis, nanophotonics and nanomedicine,” says Al-Ghoul. Soon enough, El-Sayed held the audience’s attention, introducing the rapidly expanding field of nanotechnology which he emphasized through its potential to discover and create materials possessing new properties, such as the material that has been discovered to bypass monochromatic light as wavelengths of the infrared spectrum directed towards it are circumvented making the object invisible to and undetected by infrared. El-Sayed then went on to introduce the grand idea behind his seminar, the concept of space confinement. By confining electrons of a material to specific “nanoscale” sizes explained ElSayed, the resulting material may take on new properties thus producing several different materials from one parent substance. That is to say, that any material, if cut down to a size varying between 1-100 nanometers can display new properties whereas any size of a material above the 100 nanometer thresholdwillretainitsfixed,definite properties. The second and final concept El-Sayed introduced within the framework of space confinement is that of “photon confinement” whereby photons of light are limited to the bounds of gold or silver “nanoparticles” of specific shape and size that, as a result

(Left to Right) Kaafarani, El-Sayed, Dallal, and Al-Ghoul

of an electromagnetic field that is created on top of the “nanoparticle” that is “thousands of times greater than the light [photon] that hit it,” says El-Sayed, produces a far greater light intensity than originally possessed by the photon thus creating a substantial value of energy that is in turn transformed into heat. El-Sayed then goes on to bridge these findings with applications in cancer therapy by stating that that selective transport of this process of heat transformation to the nuclei of cancer cells, can interfere with the cell’s process

of cell division thereby inducing apoptosis or programmed cell death. Unlike the discovery of chemotherapy that kills both healthy and cancerous cells, El-Sayed’s discovery has proven selective for the eradication of cancer cells only, in vitro and in vivo. However, further research is necessary to verify that the storage of these “nanoparticles” in the liver and spleen as a result of delivering this “photon thermal therapy,” as El-Sayed calls it, is for the most part harmless before the therapy is granted FDA-approv-

(Photo by Rami Diab)

al says El-Sayed. Shortly after the seminar, El-Sayed took a few questions from the audience that were followed by a reception where students and administrators alike gathered around El-Sayed with questions, queries and words of praise for his noble contribution to science. The following day, on Saturday June 25, El-Sayed was presented with an honorary doctorates degree from AUB during AUB’s 142nd Commencement Exercises.

AUB graduates celebrate Ring Ceremony 2011 continued from page 1

low graduates on their special day. Following Sheet’s speech, a speech was given by Dr. Khalil Makkawi, the president of WAAAUB, in which, after congratulating the students, he invited them to be “an active part of the WAAAUB” and to participate in the many activities the WAAAUB has. The speeches came to an end with Provost Ahmad Dallal’s speech. The ceremony proceeded with each faculty coming up to the stage in turn (with the exception of the Faculty

of Arts and Sciences being split into two parts: Arts and Sciences) and the students would raise their right arm, put their left arm on their chest and repeat the famous oath: “With this ring we salute you, our alma mater, We promise to be faithful and committed to our beloved AUB” signifying that they are the holders of the ring and are one step closer to becoming AUB graduates and will remain loyal to their alma mater. Sheet expressed his happiness saying “I finally did it, I came to AUB one person and left it another”, and added that it’s great that he is graduat-

ing and wished the best to his friends and all the graduates of 2011. The ceremony ended with a reception near the Charles Hostler Student Center. Another class is on their way to becoming AUB graduates and engraving their name in the history of this prestigious university. Year after year, AUB produces new promising students, who are destined to be active members of the society and leaders of the future, and thus AUB fulfills its promise of graduating people who live life, and live it more abundantly.

Campus news

June 28, 2011

Outlook

AUB 142nd Commencement Exercises boasts a staggering 1,857 graduates New program arrangements turn Green Field to dramatic spectacle of action continued from page 1

senting of the honorary degree recipients, Mostafa El-Sayed, Owen Gingerich, Marcel Khalife, Mary Robinson, and Anthony Shadid. Each of the recipients delivered a speech, congratulating the graduates and conveying words of wisdom to the audience. Mostafa El-Sayed, renowned Physical Chemist and leading Nanoscience researcher at the Georgia Institute of Technology, was the first to accept his honorary degree. He spoke reminiscently of his Sabbatical Year in AUB in ’67, praising the welcoming faculty and staff. Owen Gingerich, Professor of Astronomy and History of Science Departments at Harvard University, also reflected over past AUB experience, in which he was the Director of the Lee Observatory. Gingerich credited AUB for kickstarting his career, remarking, “I am deeply grateful to AUB for

the way it helped build the foundation for my entire scholarly career.” Both El-Sayed and Gingerich also commented on the apparent fertility of the campus, joyously explaining that their respective sons were conceived and born in Beirut. Lebanese Musician and Activist Marcel Khalife spoke next, and used his speech to convey his support for Arab revolutions throughout the Middle East. He urged graduates to learn from the past year, and recognize their right to democracy. Mary Robinson, first female president of the Republic of Ireland and first female chancellor of the University of Dublin, gave a rousing speech about human dignity and human rights, expressing her hope that they would be realized. She too commented on the tumultuous uprisings, saying “I wanted to come to the region where so many people, many of them young women and men like you, came out

courageously into the squares and streets of cities and towns to claim their human dignity and rights.” She referred to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1, stating “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” However, Robinson lamented its lack of implementation, urging new graduates to take inspiration, give leadership, and be responsible of their duties to the community. Last to speak was active frontline journalist, author, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, and Beirut bureau chief for The New York Times, Anthony Shadid. Shadid delivered a harrowing account of his capture in Libya, tying his journalistic experience with an illustrious description. He passionately spoke of his time in Cairo’s Tahrir square, interviewing protesting men and women. Fervently addressing the graduates, Shadid presented sound advice, remarking

“Your generation has the chance to right the wrongs of my generation and the generations of our parents and our grandparents. For the first time in a long time, we have the ability to imagine and, of course, more importantly, to forge a new reality through that imagination.” Elected class speaker and Vice President of the USFC, Ali Sheet, finished the round of speeches with one of his own, commemorating his own graduation as well as that of his classmates. Sheet pushed for the active role of graduates, stressing their responsibility to give back to the AUB community, the Lebanese society, and overall global welfare. He emphasized this duty, commenting, “It is time for you to give back; give back to your family, your university, your society. Let nothing stand in your way, and remember that the education you have gained today empowers you to do anything you want.”

The AUB choir and choral society, led by conductor Thomas Kim, then performed AUB’s Alma Mater, amongst a crowd of excited graduates and tearful parents. Gowns rustled impatiently and student’s murmured enthusiastically, while President Dorman took the stage once more, for his final address to the Class of 2011. “I have spoken to a number of you, who are graduating this evening, who have confided to me that, as they think back to their high school days, these years at AUB have changed them in significant ways. I confess to you tonight that AUB has changed me as well, and I am grateful for the bountiful enrichment this university bestows upon those it touches. Tonight we are all classmates together,” expressed President Dorman. “Let me only add in closing: I wish you all Godspeed and good fortune in a brave new world.”

Fingerprints program celebrates another successful year at Marquand House continued from page 1

endowment fund aimed at supporting of the financial aid program at AUB. Donations are accepted during the graduating students’ clearance process, a requirement to their graduation, either in cash or as a withdrawal from students’ $200 (300,000 LL) refundable deposit place upon enrolling at AUB and retrievable upon finalization of the clearance process. President Dorman and his wife Kathryn opened up their home to a flood of attendees, the majority of which was composed of students alongside a few key AUB administrative figures such as coordinators, directors of offices, Vice Presidents, and Trustees. The reception was initiated with an opening address from President Dorman who described the donating pro-

cess as an attempt towards building linkages between graduating classes; linkages that highlighted the students’ underlying unity at AUB. The Fingerprints Endowment Fund, explained Dorman, was designed such that the University Student Faculty Committee (USFC) and a certain AUB Trustee would each commit to matching every dollar that came into the endowment that has since reached over a whopping one million dollars in fixed proceeds. Matching this year’s and last year’s Fingerprints Endowment Fund is AUB Trustee Omar Al-Fardan. Other trustees who have also matched the endowment fund in previous years, moving backwards in chronological order from this year, include AUB Trustees Farouk Jabre, Ali Ghandour, and the late Kamal Shair.

Dorman ended by thanking the Offices of Development and Advancement at AUB for organizing and sponsoring the program respectively and the students for “giving back to an institution that has given us so much,” before handing the floor over to Assistant Vice President for Development Dr. Imad Baalbaki. Baalabaki, addressing the student body, voiced that the reception highlighting the Fingerprints program is as an opportunity to “celebrate the philanthropy that you [the students] have started,” claiming that some of the students who have benefitted from the endowment in previous years were amongst the audience and that some of the largest donations came from graduating students who had previously profited from the financial aid program at AUB.

According to Baalbaki, graduating students participating in the Fingerprints progrm grew from a modest 24% upon its inception in 2002 to an impressive 52% in 2011 financing a total of 71 students from various backgrounds and walks of life. Baalbaki praised the initiative by the trustees and the USFC to match these donations from students in 2 to 1 and expressed his hope that the USFC will decide to match the students donations again this year. Baalbaki ended by thanking Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Talal Nizameddin, the office of Financial Aid, the Comptrollers’ Office, the Office of Advancement (composed of the Office of Alumni Affairs, the Office of Communication, and his colleagues in the Office of Development), and last but not least, the student body who have helped make such a

feat possible year after year. Director of the Office of Development Mrs. Soha Hmaidan reinforced Dorman and Baalbaki’s sentiments towards the Fingerprints Endowment stating that it functions as a gift from students to students and that it was this valuable association between the student body at AUB that has attributed to it much of the endowment fund’s success in its nine years of inception. Shortly after, students, AUB Trustees and President Dorman joined hands in cutting the ceremonial cake set for the occasion and on went the reception for the night as students and administrators mingled and mixed at the garden patch just facing the President’s house, chuckling, conversing, capturing pictures and making memories.

Outlook

Campus news

June 28, 2011

Physics Moodle exam gone wild: Students irritated and upset

Khodor Abou Daya Staff Writer

tudents and instructors were enraged that the Physics 205 final exam contained mistakes. On the 4th of June a group of Physics 205 students entered their AUBnet ID and password to access their Moodle account. They then anxiously clicked the link to the physics 205 final exam to find that the exam had multiple problems of which none were expected nor appreciated. The students claimed that the problems included having questions in a statement form. Hence, it was not a question but a group of sentences with answers underneath. Also, the students described some of the answers as absurd. For example, they said that one question’s answers were 3, 3, 3, 1, or 1. They also complained of other minor problems. In response to all the com-

plaints presented by the students, Dr. Ghassan Antar, coordinator of Physics 205, explained the process that ended with the exam going terribly wrong. Before the exam, he chose, revised, and submitted to Moodle a pool of 140 questions. 28 questions are automatically and randomly chosen from the 140 by the Moodle system for each student. Therefore, each student would receive a different exam version, which the students perceived this to be unfair. During the exam, the unthinkable occurred. Questions were strikingly irrational. The students were furious and so were the professors Antar and Dr. Hassan Ghamlouche, who co-teaches Physics 205. In half an hour after the exam, the situation was assessed and it turned out that the Moodle system did not take or read the symbols nor decimals found in some of the questions and an-

swers, thus rendering them absurd. Moreover, a make-up exam was scheduled on June 6, which was typed, and of a single version. Another make up exam was held on June 10 Two make-ups were done because some students had to travel or had other exams on the June 6. Even so, four students could not attend any of the make-up exams and thus were considered absent. These students then took a final exam in the course material at a timing set on an individual basis. In the management of the aftermath of the first final exam, the alleged indifference that Antar presented is what bothered students the most. Some students cynically complained that they were confronted with a “closed door policy.” In response, Antar revealed that after the exam he was not indifferent but extremely angry and was trying to diligently fix all

problems. The students also complained of the proctors’ rudeness and unwillingness to provide guidance. Moreover, they also pointed out that the exam contained a lot of calculus when the course is supposedly non-calculus based. These points and the ones mentioned above exacerbated the major problem the students had to face with an increasing stress level. One student describes the experience as “having Gulf War Syndrome.” In respect to the rudeness and unhelpfulness of proctors, Ghamlouche and Antar assured that the proctors were only carrying out orders, as in every exam they are required only to monitor for cheating and keep order. Therefore, they are not allowed to interact with students. Ghamlouche also said that he tried his best to keep the students calm during the exam by re-assuring them

that any problem in the exam will be resolved. Antar and Ghamlouche added that the students were instructed to leave the absurd questions unsolved so not to waste time trying to answer them. In addition, Antar denied that the exam required a lot of calculus. “What kind of calculus could I ask in a multiple-choice exam,” he argued. He also justified that each student had a different version by the fact that each version had the same probability of getting the same differing levels of questions. He finally stated that “mistakes do happen but what is important is that we dealt with them immediately.” From his side, Dr. Ghamlouche claimed that “most of the students that I met after the make up exam were happy about the way how we, as professors, solved the problem. Nevertheless, he admitted that such problems could be fixed 100 percent.

Administration revokes plan for early evacuation of graduates: Graduating students remain in their dorms until commencement exercises ensue Zeina Mhaidly Contributing Writer

n response to the students’ requests and to the article written in Outlook about the graduating students staying in their dorm rooms until Commencement, the administration, and specifically the Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Talal Nizameddine and Mrs. Victoria Chertok, Student Housing Coordinator, revoked their decision about evacuating the graduates and decided to allow them to stay in dorms until the graduation ceremony is over. Mrs. Chertok told Outlook that it was the large number of academic groups that are coming to AUB this summer that led the administration to ask the students to vacate by the end of the Spring semester on June 15. But after looking at each student’s petition and studying each case individually, the Dean and Mrs. Cher-

tok managed to find a way to accommodate both. “It was not fair to ask them to move out of the dorms ten days before the ceremony,” said Mrs. Chertok; “the number of residents in dorms including both guests and students is large, but we did our best to accommodate everyone.” As Mrs. Chertok revealed to Outlook, the girls will be accommodated in the dormitories that will be closed for maintenance during the summer session: Murex and Boustani. The graduating girls will move from New Women’s and Jewett to these two dorms. The summer groups will be received in New Women’s and Jewett. Concerning the guys, all of them will remain in their rooms and the guests will be accommodated in the remaining vacated ones. This new decision was appreciated by all the graduating residents. In fact, the se-

(Photo by Mohamad Al Medawar)

niors would like to thank the administration and especially Dean Nizameddine and Mrs.

Chertok for not only reconsidering this arrangement, but also for putting them and

their needs at top and considering them as a priority and a main concern.

Campus news

June 28, 2011

Smart Car Race competition

Mohamad Alameh Contributing Writer

n the morning of Thursday, May 26, students from all majors gathered in front of AUB’s Main Gate anxiously to watch the annual Smart Car Race Competition. Every spring semester, the Mechanical Engineering Department offers the course “Introduction to Mechanical Engineering” (MECH 200) in which sophomore year mechanical engineering students work on building the micro-car. However, this year’s competition, which was specially sponsored and supported by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), held new features. Before building the car, teams first had to account for the weight, friction, wheel size, and dimensions. To do that, they had to transform all the characteristics of the car into a mathematical differential equation and use MATLab program to predict the results. Then, students had to design the car using the Auto-Cad Program. Also, no car can move without electrical circuits, right? This made it necessary for teams to learn more about electrical boards, components and connections. However, what particularly distinguished this year’s competition was the fact that the cars in-

cluded: a touch sensor to know whether the car bumped into something; a distance sensor named the “ultrasonic Sensor” to warn the vehicle of something before facing it; and light sensors to recognize the colors on the ground and thus to know the borders the car must walk within. These Lego Mindstorms NXT sensors had to be connected to a brain system and programmed in the LAB-view program taught in the course. Finally, students had to work on manufacturing the car in the SRB workshop. Louay Al Khawam, a participant in the competition, said, “Building the car, and acquiring the knowledge to do so have taken a lot of time and efforts. However, I outcomes of the course are extremely basic yet fundamental to my career as a mechanical engineer.” The course instructors Lina Kassis and Amer Keblawi, along with the SME cabinet members Ahmad Ghalayini, Louay Saleh, Wahid Al Shaar, and Leen Adnan prepared the equipments for the tasks. First, each car had to perform a speed test whereby it had to cross a distance of 30 m within a 3 m range as quickly as possible, and the car had to stop at the end by recognizing a black tape through the light sensor of the LEGO Mindstorms NXT tech-

Outlook

(Photo by Mohamad Alameh)

nology. Then, students had to run a different program for the brain to allow the car to move a distance of 5 meters in exactly 30 seconds. Afterwards, the cars had to ascend a set of obstacles of different friction levels and heights. In the fourth task, cars had to climb over a thirty degrees inclination road and stop at a distance of 15 cm from a facing piece of carton. Finally, teams performed the “tug of war” task, where every two teams should be tied up together and each car had to pull its opponent to the other side, to establish the car with the highest

torque. At the end of the competition, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), an AUB students’ society and the main sponsor of the competition, showed their high support for the competition by providing the groups with a small lunch from Domino’s Pizza. Louay Saleh, Vice president of SME, said, “Today, mechanical engineering students demonstrated excellent accomplishments and ingenuity skills as well as dedication to their major. I, personally, am impressed with the technology offered and the ad-

vancements in the course.” After the competition ended, team members revealed their positive feedback. Ayman El Ghalayini, a member of the team “Pamela,” assured that he “really enjoyed the course, learned a huge amount of information, composed a clear idea about the mechanical engineering major, realized the importance of team work, and made amazing friends.” Mayar Akrameh, a member of team “MACH 5,” hoped that “the rest of the mechanical engineering track would be similar to this course.”

Are theory courses enough? Nour Jane Kachicho Staff Writer This article was written for the course SOAN 234 titled Public Relations

“T

he more practical knowledge you gain at AUB, the better it will be for your future career,” said Kristina Zouein, 29, a 2004 graduate from the American University of Beirut (AUB) in business. Workshops at AUB, such as the mandatory business workshop, “Business Communication Skills Workshop, ” help undergraduate students gain practical skills before graduating and starting serious work. Not all under-

graduate students are offered the opportunity to attend a workshop related to their major. The “Business Communication Skills Workshop,” is relatively new and consists of four consecutive sessions of two and a half hours each focus on public speaking and communication. Unfortunately, they are restricted to Business students. Zouein who is currently a production manager of a fashion accessories brand, found that her public speaking and presenting skills were not as developed as she had expected them to be when she graduated and set foot in reality. The mandatory business workshop had not yet been implemented by the time she

had left. “There was a big gap between theory and practical work, which could have been filled with a practical workshop,” said Zouein, emphasizing that the more practical knowledge a person knows, the easier it is to leave AUB prepared and knowing what to expect. Zouein added that a workshop would not only need to include AUB professors, but professionals according to the field of the workshop session. Amani Issa, sophomore in Sociology and Anthropology, finds that a workshop related to her field would be in her advantage. “Sociology courses are very much based on theory, and

it would be ideal to receive practical knowledge and tips for presenting and public speaking,” said Issa. She added that her professors expect clear presentations, which is why she would benefit from a practical media-related workshop. Jad Melki, assistant professor in the Social and Behavioral Sciences department, found that courses at AUB could add basic practical work to their curriculum, therefore keeping workshops for those interested in advanced practical skills. Business students currently enrolled at AUB are finding the mandatory workshops useful. Pamela Kassouf, businessmarketing junior, who is cur-

rently experiencing her required internship as a trainee in a marketing department in a high-end brand company, found that the skills taught in the mandatory workshop were useful. “Without the interpersonal communication skills I would have had difficulty in dealing with clients and media related people. It would have definitely been a challenge,” said Kassouf. Although Kassouf found the Business workshop useful, she realized that there is room for improvement and so one workshop was not enough. “The more practical workshops are offered at AUB, the stronger it will make stu-

Outlook

Campus news

June 28, 2011

Psychoactive prescription drug use among AUB students: What’s the story?

Outlook Staff What follows is a corrected and more inclusive version of an article published in Issue 30, Vol 43 of Outlook.

outh abusing psychoactive prescription medications such as tranquilizers, stimulants and opioids is a major public health concern worldwide. These medications have beneficial therapeutic properties when prescribed by a doctor; however, several negative health consequences, addiction and even death can occur upon use without a doctor’s prescription, or in ways other than prescribed, or for reasons other than what the medication is intended for (e.g., to get high). For example, combining sleeping or anxiety pills in high doses with other medications or alcohol can cause severe respiratory depression that could lead to death. The reasons and motivations to use these drugs without a doctor’s prescription vary. Some youth use them for the intended purpose (e.g., pain relievers to relieve pain) or other risky reasons (e.g., experimenting to get high). In the absence of a doctor’s prescription, the sources of such medications for non-medical use also vary. In Lebanon, strictness of sales of psychoactive medications by pharmacists without a doctor’s prescription has fluctuated over the years, but stricter measures to en-

sure the enforcement of the law and regulations has been initiated since 2003. Yet data on the abuse of such drugs in Lebanon remains limited. One published anecdote suggests that people may be using medications without a doctor’s note, but for the intended purpose; “I took Xanax to help calm down my nerves”, reported a 30-year old female in an interview published in Lancet (2008). Quite importantly, she claimed that she had no difficulty in obtaining the drug given that her parents had stocked them at home. Given the public health significance of this issue and in the absence of data from Lebanon, Dr. Lilian GhandourAbiad, a faculty member at the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Faculty of Health Sciences conducted an IRB-approved cross-sectional study on 570 AUB students in May 2010; data was weighed to represent undergraduate and graduate students from all AUB Faculties (response rate: 60%). The research study aimed at assessing the extent to which AUB students have been prescribed, as well as obtained without prescription, psychoactive prescription medications that are most commonly abused, which include: stimulants (e.g., Ritalin), opioids pain relievers (e.g., Tramal), anxiety pills (e.g., Ativan, Xanax), and sleeping pills

(e.g., Ambien). Sources and reasons for use were also explored, in addition to the students’ perceived availability of these drugs. Medically, about 2 in 5 of AUB students reported ever being prescribed one of these four medications in their lifetime, and 1 in 4 during the past 12 months. More importantly, about 1 in 5 AUB students admitted to using at least one of the four psychoactive medications in their lifetime non-medically (e.g., without a doctor’s note, or longer than intended, or for reasons other than what the medication is for); 15% of the sample reported doing at least once in the 12 months preceding the survey. Opioid pain relievers were the most commonly used medications. This is worrisome given that prescription opioids act on the same receptors as illegal drugs such as heroin, and can lead to addiction, dangerous interactions with other medications, overdose and poisoning (alone or with alcohol), and even death. The study shows that a good number of students is using these medications without a doctor’s note; consequently, the question that arises is “where are the students getting these medications from”? Interestingly, parent(s) were the primary source (not sure if directly, or via unattended availability at home) for obtaining all medications except stimu-

lants. Other reported sources include doctors, and pharmacists (without a prescription note), and friends (primary source for stimulants). Diversion of medication in fact was common: about 1 in 5 medical users reported ever being approached to divert at least one of their prescription medications in their lifetime. Perception of availability of psychoactive medications in facto indicated that most surveyed students felt it would be easy/very easy to obtain prescription drugs without a doctor’s note if they wanted to. It is imperative to understand not only the extent and sources of use, but also the reasons behind youth’s use of these medications without a prescription. Mainly, students’ reported reasons fell under the drug’s intended purpose (consistent with the medication’s therapeutic effect). For example, the majority reported using pain medications to relieve pain and help in sleep. Still, fears of becoming addicted, or experiencing ill-health consequences due to contraindications with other medications remain. Dr. Ghandour-Abiad stated several implications to this study at the level of research, policy, and prevention. Future qualitative studies, for example, can help us understand further contextual factors for psychoactive prescription drug use, and

develop more appropriate definitions for non-medical use. Larger and more comprehensive quantitative surveys could shed more light on national prevalence and associated factors. Clearly, the government should ensure and monitor the enforcement of sales of psychoactive medications without a prescription. Still, the study shows that for any holistic and effective prevention efforts to help youth should focus on all various sources of obtaining these medications, including parents and other family members, friends, and doctors. Awareness must begin at the level of the home, so that everyone realises the dangers of using such medications without medical supervision. ----The findings of this survey are the subject of two peerreviewed manuscripts under revision. Dr. Ghandour-Abiad would like to thank Ms. Donna ElSayed (research assistant and field coordinator) for her indispensable hard work, the data collectors for their commitment, and of course all faculty members who agreed to participate and help in the successful completion of this survey. This research was funded by the AUB University Research Board (seed grant). Dr. Ghandour-Abiad is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Epidemiology and Population Health at AUB

Wellness Program promotes a healthier AUB community See following page for full article!

Arts & Culture

June 28, 2011

Tamanna turns tears to laughter through music

Timmy Malkoun Associate Editor

n Tuesday, June 28, a concert, featuring the world-renowned musician, James Blunt, took place at Biel, as Tamanna’s annual fundraising event. Created in the memory of Karim Rayess who passed away in a tragic jet ski accident in December 2005, Tamanna is a non profit organization that has endeavored to grant the wishes of children who suffer from critical illnesses between the ages of three

and 18. Thus far, Tamanna has granted more than 750 wishes, ranging from meeting local celebrities to travelling, fulfilling an average of three wishes per week. It makes sense, accordingly, that Tamanna’s motto is “turning tears into laughter.” One such wish even prompted the organization of the abovementioned concert. When asked about the nature and scale of the wishes granted, Nadine Akkaoui, Managing Director of Tamanna, stated, “Whenever a kid asks us to [ful-

fill] a wish, we do our best to make him[/her] happy.” Thus, no event is too big or too small for the Tamanna team to undertake. Further, it must be noted that since its inception, Tamanna has increased the scale of the dreams it aims to fulfill, working on bigger dreams now than it did before. As such, the James Blunt concert, an arguably ‘big’ undertaking, aims to not only grant a dream and raise money, but also to raise awareness about the cause itself. Previous fund-

raising events have consisted of Gala dinners that attracted a certain genre of people. Nonetheless, a concert, with tickets starting at 30 dollars, targets people of different backgrounds, thereby extending the scope of awareness. Moreover, the event derived authenticity in its apt choice of a performer, as James Blunt, unlike many other music industry counterparts, already propounds a sense of composure and humaneness fitting the image of Tamanna. In order to show support

Outlook

for Tamanna, members in the audience were asked to wear a white top.

Wellness Program promotes a healthier AUB community Hany Hachem Special to Outlook

n the spirit of promoting the health of AUB community, the AUB Wellness program has been responding in an efficient and timely manner to the AUB community’s health needs and concerns. Since 2006, the Committee on University Wellness (CUW)—a part of the AUB Wellness Program, under the jurisdiction of University Health Services—has held activities to improve the health and wellbeing of the AUB community at large, with emphasis on active staff, faculty members, and students. In 2010-2011, the CUW offered a range of free activities which started in October 2010 and ended in April 2011. Among this spectrum of activities, we had Food Labels Made Easy, AUB’s 2nd Annual Fit-a-Thon, What You Don’t Know Might Kill You, Back and Neck Pain at Work: A Solution, AUB Departments Play for Health, Graffiti Art Challenge your knowledge, Drugs Don’t Play Here, Know the Truth or Dare to Ask and First Aid Training Sessions for Faculty and Staff in collaboration with the Lebanese red cross which administered first aid training. This rich range of activities were tailored to provide AUB students with more of

an incentive to exercise and increase their awareness on important health concerns such as drug dependency and abuse as well as promoting sexual health awareness. It is crucial for students and staff of the AUB community to be sensitized to issues of health concern, for many reasons. For starters, students who are aware of their health, might have a healthier lifestyle, leading to a more productive life, whether social, academic occupational and so on. This positive effect will not be restricted to personal level, but it could spread to their direct surroundings which may consist of family and friends, which serves to prove that health is contagious. In addition to this, living a healthier lifestyle can bring closer, the more positive aspects in life for example the positive demeanor and productivity, that would stem from your healthy habits may help make promotions more likely to occur in the near future. From this perspective, we can see that leading a healthier more aware lifestyle facilitates the transformation of homes into healthier environments and likewise for the workplace. For the coming year 20112012, most of the activities will be given a different twist; including some new topics which will be added to broaden the spectrum of health is-

(Photo courtesy of the Wellness Program)

sues. Ideally, our aim is to become the Headquarters of Health Promotion and disease Prevention at AUB. Here is a glimpse of what to expect in the coming agenda: First Aid Training Sessions, Arguileh Awareness, Sexual Health awareness, Perinatal lifestyle awareness, Team Season Preparation workshop, Doping awareness session, Fit-a-thon, Free Aerobics/Pilates/radical fitness sessions, Laughter Yoga sessions, Ergonomics sessions, Nutrition and Food safety workshop, AUB Departments Play for health, Smoking Cessation Program, Stress management for students and staff, Walk-a-thon for a staff and Bicycle rally paper. On another note, Rafic Hariri School of Nursing jointly with the AUB wellness Program, are organizing a unique smoking cessation program in Lebanon. The

program consists of eight sessions, 45 minutes each, facilitated by Dr. Chris Abbyad, Clinical Assistant Professor, from the Rafic Hariri School of Nursing, cooperated by Ms. Randa Farha, Simulation and Clinical Competency Center Coordinator at the same School. Sessions started on June 23rd, and will be taking place each Thursday till August 11th. Sessions rely mainly on a behavioral approach, supported by experience and history of past trials sharing. Moreover, the AUB Wellness Program will be publishing monthly in Outlook starting October 2011, featuring a health section comprising an umbrella of health topics, including articles surrounding major health concerns, interviews with authorities in the medical field and much more. We hope that our menu of activities will suit everyone’s

needs and look forward to seeing students, faculty and staff in our next year’s activities, because it is your participation in our events that help us to implement the perimeter of our goals. In case you need to inquire about the wellness program in general, or about specific activities it encompasses, you may contact us via the following addresses: Wellness@aub.edu.lb hh70@aub.edu.lb www.wellness.aub.edu.lb Show your support for the AUB Wellness Program and Like our FACEBOOK page, which additionally provides you with updates on our latest activities, health tips and much more. Hany Hachem is a research assistant and project coordinator at the AUB Wellness Program.

Outlook

Arts & Culture

June 28, 2011

Save your money with the International Student Identity Card

Rami El Aouta Special to Outlook

ith ISIC, you keep your money in your pocket! ISIC (International student identity card) is the only proof of a full time student around the world. It provides you with enormous discounts in over 250 places in Lebanon and 40,000 places in 120 countries. ISIC was created in 1968 at the demand of student unions in Europe by ISTC (International Student Travel Confederation), a non profit organization based in the Netherlands. ISTC’s main aim is providing students with an international identity that plugs them into privileges and enormous discounts in all fields of interest to them; travel, culture, sports, leisure, activities, restaurants, fashion, movies,

beaches, ski, etc… Since its creation, 50 million students from 120 countries benefited from ISIC, with nearly five million students buying ISIC every year with satisfaction. In Lebanon 20 thousand students till today have used ISIC both locally and internationally and loved it. UNESCO (United Nations economic, social and cultural organization) appointed its logo on ISIC because it promotes peace and cultural exchange among young people of the world. Campus Travel, the number one IATA student travel agency in Lebanon has developed ISIC locally into 250 great discounts so far, in everything of interest to students and youth (www.isiclebanon.com). When you apply for an ISIC you are also given a helpful guide where all ISIC privileg-

es are listed. Campus Travel signs contracts with places that students demand, and everyday new benefit providers are added to the long list of discounts, which vary from 10% to 50%. To know more information about the 40,000 “international discounts” provided, go to the ISIC website and click on international discounts, and it will take you to the country of your choice. Many students who have carried the card since for several years affirm how much they have saved with their ISIC:10-15% on restaurants, 15-20% on bookstores, 15% on gifts, 10% on flowers, 33% on some beaches, 15-20% on clothes, 10% summer festivals, 50% on DVDs, 30% discount on Jonction and Wardeh ski lifts, and an exclusive 30% discount on Alitalia tickets at Campus Travel. During some important oc-

casions like Valentine’s day, Mother’s day, Father’s day, etc, ISIC holders get additional discounts in relevant places. Last year, mothers of students carrying their ISIC lunched or dined free of charge in some restaurants on Mother’s day. ISTC also created IYTC (international youth travel card) for young people that are no longer students but still under 26 years, and ITIC (International teacher identity card) for full time teachers both for the same yearly price and with the same privileges in Lebanon (www.isiclebanon.com) and for inter-

national discounts (www. isic.org). ISIC is truly a unique exceptional privileged card for its holder. Who is eligibile? Students 12 years and older What do I need? A recent passport picture and a proof that I am a student How much does it cost? In Lebanon its price is L.L. 18,000 yearly Where to find it? At Campus Travel where you also have discounts on all travel services www.campus-travel.net Address of Campus Travel: Ras Beirut parallel to Bliss street 01-744588, 03-900902

Tribute to Sabah: Poster exhibition and concert Samer Bu Jawdeh Member at Large & Contributing Writer

s a closure of their 2011 Beirut Spring Festival, the Samir Kassir Foundation in coordination with the Office of Student affairs organized a poster exhibition and concert as a tribute for the renowned actor and singer Sabah. The event was held on Wednesday June 8, 2011. At around 7:00 pm, the area around General Assembly was slowly being crowded with poster lovers and admirers. Samir Kassir Foundation selected a group of posters from Alfurat bookstore owner and poster collector Abboudi Abou Jawdeh and displayed them in the open. Abou Jawdeh recounts that Sabah has acted in an overwhelming number of movies, with a total of 87 to her name. The display included 43 posters revealing not only the history of Sabah and her development to stardom, but also the ever changing society; the soci-

etal problems at that time, the needs and wants of the citizens, and Western influences on Arab movies, all of which are clearly expressed within these posters. For example, the poster “1953( ”‫ )ثورة املدينة‬is a replication of 1939’s “Gone with the Wind” poster. The oldest poster “‫”القلب له واحد‬ dated back to 1945. However, the great significance and beauty, as Abou Jawdeh claims, lies in the art behind the posters. Every poster is a masterpiece; the style, know as lithographic, has long been abandoned. In short, lithography is a printing method using a metal plate or a stone. It requires precision, patience, dedication, and talent. It is quite ironic that its artists were not only uneducated most of the times, but their art was often neglected or taken for granted until recently. After enjoying the exhibition, Rima Khcheich dazzled the audience with few selected songs chosen from the displayed posters such as “‫ ”مرحبتني‬and “‫رايحة‬

(Photo by Samer Bu Jawdeh)

‫”قابل حبيبي‬. So many people wanted to attend, but sadly, there were not enough seats in Assembly Hall, which has a maximum capacity of only 700 seats. Khcheich was expected to perform 12 songs, but the cheering and clapping of the crowd drew her to perform an additional song. Assisting Khcheich

was a band composed of violins, oud, percussion, contrabass, and nai. The Samir Kassir foundation which was founded after the assassination of acclaimed journalist Samir Kassir “is a cultural Lebanese NGO that endorses Samir Kassir’s thoughts and ideals, to promote

press and thought freedom as well as democracy.” Not often do we witness such a cultural and educational event honoring an ideal like Sabah. Hopefully, similar events will be able to commemorate the many other Arab stars who have contributed to the development our culture.

Alumni news

June 28, 2011

Outlook

Letter to graduating students from AUB New York Office

Ada Porter Director of Communications (New York Office) Eva Klimas Director of Alumni Relations (New York Office) Welcome soon-to be new alumni, Congratulations on your upcoming graduation! Maybe you can’t wait to leave behind these AUB walls, but if the experience of countless of alumni counts for anything you’ll soon be reminiscing about your favorite bench at AUB, how you used to grab coffee at Main Gate, or that glimpse of glimmering blue sea you saw everyday on the way to class. We want all of our alumni to stay connected to the University, and here are a few ways you’ll be hearing from AUB once you leave campus. Every graduate receives MainGate, AUB’s quarterly magazine. Our mission is to be the voice of AUB to more than 40,000 graduates and friends worldwide by keeping you updated on campus news and demonstrating how the university faculty, students and alumni contribute to issues of importance to Lebanon and the region. What do we cover? We try to focus on “on the ground” topics relevant to many of our readers: it’s about AUB’s give and take relationship with the city of Beirut, which you’ll read about in the spring issue; it’s also about the economy, art, nutrition, healthcare, culture, community activism, engineering— everything that AUB excels at and that you as alumni will explore. But if the magazine is really about AUB, then it also has to be about our alumni, as every one of you represents the American University of Beirut once you have your diploma. We want you to stay in touch with us and with each other. You can do that by submitting class notes through the On-line Community, by sending us story ideas or by using your professional expertise to help us improve the magazine itself. Just like AUB and Beirut, it’s a give and take, but it’s a magazine that’s meant to be read. As you will also soon learn, all new alumni are members of AUB’s worldwide alumni association, WAAAUB, which publishes its own quarterly enewsletter Al-Jame’a which you’ll also receive The enewsletter is “up close and personal” about AUB alumni exclusively and what the worldwide chapters and the Association have been doing around the globe. You can read details of events like Reunions and regional alumni meetings, interviews with alumni and their latest accomplishments. We also try to incorporate “fun” features such as the Al-Jame’aphoto and trivia contests. Al-Jame’a is only on its seventh issue so it’s still a work in progress. We’re always looking for feedback from alumni on how to make it more a vehicle for all alumni voices and welcome suggestions for any features alumni might like to see in their enewsletter. It’s another way we try to keep everyone connected and we can only do it if you keep your email and address info current with AUB and WAAAUB! So if it’s MainGate or Al-Jame’a: keep reading and stay in touch! MainGate: maingate@aub.edu.lb Al Jame’a: http://www.waaaub.org/news.html

AUB graduates at the Ring Ceremony taking oath upon officially becoming AUB alumni (Photo by Mohamad Al Medawar)

WAAAUB Newsletter and MainGate magazine

(Photos from Alumni Office)

Outlook

Entertainment

June 28, 2011

Movie Review In The Hangover Part II, Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) travel to Thailand for Stu’s wedding. After the unforgettable bachelor party in Las Vegas (The Hangover), Stu is taking no chances and has opted for a safe “bachelor brunch.” However, things don’t always go as planned. Two nights before the wedding, the four guys along with Stu’s future brother-in-law Teddy (Mason Lee) have a drink. The next morning, the original wolf pack wake up in a sordid and dirty hotel room with no memory of the night’s events, with new damages to their appearance, a new animal companion (the tiger has been replaced by a cute monkey), and a missing Teddy. As such, the Hangover Part II echoes the pranks from the first film but situates them in Thailand.

The Hangover Part II

Christine Saliba

While the original Hangover introduced a novel concept and funny jokes, the sequel clings so obviously to the exact same principle, with the same plot and similar character actions. Almost everything in the sequel mirrors the original. Moreover, the mystery element is completely absent. Oddly, what the sequel fails to recapture from the original is the pacing. The Hangover had a frenzied and feverish pace that kept layering in fresh mysteries while still working in some great jokes. Part II is similar to walking the same path as the original, but at slower pace. The movie still manages to deliver some laughs, but the overall ambiance feels far too familiar. Those who considered the original Hangover to be an absolutely brilliant movie will enjoy this sequel. (Photo from Facebook)

Six reasons to visit the AUB Crossword Puzzle Rayane Zahreddine Writing Center this summer Summer theme! Maya Sfeir News Executive If you are reading this article on campus, chances are you are registered for the summer semester. In this case, your course load would probably include an English class, or a business, engineering, public health, or other class that requires you write a paper. Why write alone, especially since “Two heads are better than one”? Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or advanced writer, make sure you drop by the Writing Center at West Hall’s Room 336 for some support. Here are six great reasons for you to visit the Center this summer: 1. You get one-on-one feedback on your writing Writing Center tutors will gladly give you constructive feedback about the argument, structure, style, coherence, and grammar of your draft. 2. You can visit the Writing Center at any stage of the writing process Whether you are still brainstorming, need to revise your draft, cite sources, or simply write your conclusion, drop to talk about your ideas with a sympathetic listener.

3. You can bring in a writing project from any discipline The Writing Center will assist you with your English, business, engineering, medical lab, or any other paper, and even with your cover letter or résumé. 4. You’ll get to work with tutors who are approachable The Writing Center is staffed with qualified, friendly tutors, many of whom are graduate students themselves, and can thus understand the challenges you face with your writing projects. 5. You will become a better writer Discussing your paper with a tutor is an excellent way to reflect on your work and to build your strengths as a writer. 6. You can use the Writing Center for free The Writing Center does not charge you, as an AUB student, for its assistance. The Writing Center will remain open throughout the summer semester from Monday to Thursday included, and from 8:45 a.m.— 2:45 p.m. Writing Center Director: Dr. Amy Zenger West Hall, Room 336 AUB extension 3157 Email: writing@aub.edu.lb

ACROSS 5 - Frozen dessert often served in a cone. 6 - Protective eyewear. 7 - “Castles Made of Sand” is a song written by ... in 1967. 8 - Actress who played Summer in the 2009 movie “(500) Days of Summer.” 9 - Author who wrote “In the

depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” DOWN 1 - In her 1997 essay written like a commencement speech, Mary Schmich’s main advice is to wear ... 2 - Fish-eating, stinging animals

that float in the sea. 3 - Animated series about two stepbrothers who find things to do on each day of their summer vacation. 4 - Author of the novel “Summer Crossing,” written in the forties and published in 2005.

Entertainment

Evil Sudoku

June 28, 2011

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Rules of the game: Fill in the empty squares with the numbers 1 to 9 such that each .number appears exactly once in every row, column and box

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Out Loud

June 28, 2011

Question: Now that you’re graduating, what will be your next step? 1) Aline Madaghjian (Business Finance): Found a job and hopefully 2 years experience then masters. 2)Joseph Saba (Computer Science): I want to take a vacation then look for a job. 3) Nina Natout (Food Science): I’m going continue nutrition a second BS in AUB. 4) Ghaleb daoud (Medicine): I’ll start pediatrics internship at AUH. 5) Sarah Abou Azar (Pre-med Medical) Lab Going into medicine got accepted into AUB for 4 years.

6) Jean Chalhoub (Medical Lab): Continue Med school at AUB 7) (Left) Rami Diab (Biology): Wrapping up some newspaper particularities, finishing up my book, touring in Greece and getting ready for Med School. 7) Mostafa Fadlallah (Computer Science): I got a job in Lebanon, life is good life is nice. 8) Mohammad Yassine (ECE): Management Consultant. 9) Michel Zakharia (Civil Engineering): Masters at AUB. 10) Fadel Adib (CCE): Graduate studies at MIT. 11) Fouad Badaoui (Biology): Eurotrip then med school at AUB

(Coverage by John Hajjar, photos by Mohamad Al Medawar).

Spotlight

June 28, 2011

Outlook

Photos of 142nd Commencment exercises, Ring Ceremony, Fingerprints reception (Photos by Mohamad Al Medawar, John Hajjar and Rami Diab)

Outlook

Sports

June 28, 2011

A year’s worth of impressive results for the AUB varsity teams

Hadi Mehio Staff Writer

he 2010-2011 season was a sporting success for the varsity teams defending the AUB colors. Outlook takes a look back at this year’s best teams, and how they fared in their respective leagues. Men’s Football (1st Place): Congratulations for the AUB Football varsity team on winning the 1st place. With the help and support of University Sports Department and Coach Rabih Idriss, the team won the league with a 3 points difference over 2nd placed USJ. Moreover, the champions only lost once in eight games. Women’sVolleyball(1stPlace): The AUB’s volleyball varsity team also won the 1st place in the Volleyball League for Women. The team had a great season and must be congratulated for their hard work and skill. The champi-

ons in the women’s volleyball team are a source of pride for the AUB student body. Men’s Handball (2nd Place): In the 1st University Handball League, the AUB’s handball reached the final stage against LAU Beirut, and lost 23-28; and thus came in 2nd place. The final game was extremely controversial in terms of refereeing. No excuses should be made, as LAU rightfully earned the victory. Nonetheless, it must be known that the referees appointed to the tournament by the Lebanese Handball Federation were, with all due respect, absolutely incompetent, and University Sports must request that the tournament be appropriately refereed next year. Women’sBasketball(2ndPlace): The AUB women team had a great season considering that the group was, in great part, built from new players. Despite being at a relative

disadvantage in terms of height, they used their sheer determination and skill to finish in 2nd place. Men‘S Futsal (2nd Place): In harmony with the rise of the indoor soccer game in Lebanon, the AUB futsal varsity team was placed 2ndto winners USEK. The AUB goalkeepers must however, be congratulated for conceding the least number of goals in the tournament. It was, nonetheless, the first year for AUB to assemble a designated futsal team, which held separate practice sessions on hardwood. Last year, the Football and Futsal teams were one and they trained mostly on the Green Field. Men’s Rugby (2nd Place): Another game that is increasingly gaining popularity among AUB students is rugby, grabbing more audience than most of the other sports on campus in the league games. The AUB

team’s overall performance was exemplary, and great pieces of skill and teamwork were displayed in their games. Despite coming in 2ndplace, there is little doubt that they will be title contenders next year. Men’s Basketball (3rd Place): This year was undoubtedly not the lucky year for the AUB Men’s Basketball team. Despite having great athleticism, endurance, and strengths, the players were not able to meet their own expectations on the court. While 3rd place might not be a bad result, the players are not satisfied at all. This will be a test of their determination, as they have set their eyes on the title for next year. Women’s Futsal (3rd Place): The AUB Women’s Indoor Soccer team came in 3rd place. The team has a really good quality of players, some of whom compete on a national level and are mem-

bers of the Women’s Lebanese National Futsal Team, who will be looking to winning next year’s tournament. University Sports remain an integral part of campus life. The AUB varsity players are ambassadors of the university, and are expected to display the highest degrees of professionalism when wearing the university jersey. They are responsible towards the university and its students to achieve the best possible results. But, AUB must also attend to the needs of those athletes, listen to their complaints, and help them serve AUB better. AUB students must also attend the games and support their friends, as they canwith minimum effort-help those on the court change the course of the game from a loss to a win. Finally, Outlook would like to thank all fellow members of the AUB Varsities for all their efforts.

1 2 4 3

1) Women’s Volleyball team - 2) Women’s Basketball team - 3) Men’s Handball team - 4) Men and Women’s Swimming team (Photo courtesy of the Athletics Department)

Viewpoint

Editor’s Corner Last words

Rami Diab Editor-in-Chief During the length of our journey here as an undergrads at AUB, we’ve all come to learn our fair share. Some bits of information we’ve retained and has proved useful and other bits not so much. But if one thing is for certain it’s that that the most vital lessons we’ve learned were not acquired in the classroom but rather through life and the active pursuit of life. Most matters I have learned are rooted in reading and visual materials that have touched me deeply, some others I have attained from professors and academics, and the remaining few I have adopted along the course of my life. Of the aforesaid learning resources, it has been the latter that has had the most profound and pronounced effect on my progress, academic and personal. In this last prose piece I write for the year, I present to you a few of my own most prized learning outcomes. Dear readers, I wish you much of these sentiments: 1) “I am neither Christian, Jew, Parsi, nor Muslim. I am neither of the East, nor of the West, nor of the land, nor of the sea…. I have put aside duality, I have seen that the two worlds are one; I seek the One, I know the One, I see the One, I invoke the One” (Rumi). The most important reality is that of uniting in the pursuit of some greater good without which, each of us and all of us in our own right will be rendered incomplete. 2) “Life is neither good nor evil, but simply the scene of good and evil” (Anonymous). As is at its surface so is at its core; in essence, life is but an illusion, nothing more. The real life is yet to come. 3) “We cannot cheat each other, without cheating ourselves” (Anonymous). To be true to others is to be true to ourselves not to wait on others. In short it is to “be the change [we] wish to see in the world” as Ghandi puts it. 4) “I believe in the religion of love whichever way its caravan turns; love is my religion

and my faith” (Ibn Arabi). Love will always prevail. Provided there is life, there will always be love for wherever life thrives, love permeates, pervades and dominates. 5) “Have you peace, the quiet urge that reveals your power?” (Gibran Khalil Gibran). “It is the greatest manifestation of power to be calm,” I once read; and to be calm is to be at peace. In truth, there can be no power without peace of mind. 6) Laughter is the shortest distance between two people and joy increases when it is shared” (Anonymous). 7) “See the good in everyone. Be blind to the faults of others” (Anonynous). To be positive with others is to be the candle that lights all candles and to be a lit candle is to spark your own fire. Repent a day, forget for a week and watch you fire stay lit for a lifetime.

June 28, 2011

Outlook

Opinion Half a dozen families

Mohamad Al Medawar Webmaster & Contributing Writer Having more than one family is a common situation many people find themselves in nowadays after having spent so much time with a certain group of people besides their own biological family, until they reach a point when they start to feel like home when they are around them. Still, although it’s hard to give back the same amount of love, care, and responsibility you received from them, it is doable, and at AUB, impossible

is nothing! The university that taught me to give from the bottom of my heart, to exploit every atom of energy I possess in the best way possible, has also given me something more precious. I walked into AUB with one family, and I’m soon about to walk out with six more. My brothers and sisters in Medical lab, my major, have been the closest, friendliest, most adorable group of people I’ve had pleasure being with. They have stood by me in the hardest and most delightful times. We shared laughs, celebrations, rally papers, crappy exams, and most importantly, brotherly love. My second family, Outlook, taught me all the professionalism, devotion, discipline and sense of innovation that one could grasp in such a short time frame, and consequently, I fathomed the value of time. IBSAR, the center for peace, love, and environmental rescue, is a place I spent at least half of my time at, at AUB. Through them, I explored my hidden

talents, ones I never imagined I can have and develop. They have shown me new horizons in the work field and we’ve shared countless memories in the last 2 years. I don’t regret a single day I spent working with this tightly knit hardworking team! Red Cross, the biggest family of all, is an ideal world I wish I could always live in. I might have lost faith in my country, but I will NEVER lose faith in the youth of this nation, just because I witnessed the miracles Red Cross members do every single day. The Outdoors and Yearbook team are the last two families I joined at AUB. They seem nothing less than the 4 other families I have crossed tracks with, and possess even greater potential to thrive and develop in their duties and friendship. Thank you all for what you’ve given me. It’s because of you that I am what I am today. It has been and honor! I <3 AUBites!

Opinion

Impossible is nothing

Joseph Saba Copy Editor & Contributing Writer I am not graduating. That’s what I kept on thinking for the past three weeks. Being under so much pressure, I thought that there was no way I could pull it off. How could someone who was close to being kicked out of university two semesters ago, had

four probations, and is overloaded with nineteen credits be able to get more than the minimum required in order to graduate? Every time I kept on thinking about the odds mentioned above, the idea that they were stacked against me put me down. I kept on remembering the pessimism surrounding the idea of being overloaded from people I know, who told me to not go through this and just wait till summer to graduate. The fact that barely anyone has went through this made things harder for me. Add to that I was driving my friends crazy, since I was unable to calm myself down with all the stress. There were a lot of nights during which I barely slept or let anyone sleep. Yet, my friends and parents kept on telling me that things would work out.

For me to be in that mindset, in that harmful mentality that can destroy any chance I might have of graduating, I kept on remembering what I had to go through to get there. I remembered how two semesters ago, I was very close to being dropped out of the faculty and university because of my academic standing and how I took advantage of the second chance. I remembered the day I was unable to register my courses for the Spring semester because of my probationary academic status, and three months later, I had to fight and do things the hard way in order to register all six courses, with each seeming like I went to the moon and came back after registering. I remembered that despite being frowned upon for overloading and had one hell of a time convincing the right

people, my wish was granted. I remembered how at certain moments during the semester, I thought it was all over, that all the doors were closed, and then suddenly another door would open up in my face and make things easier. Despite how hard things would keep on getting, I always kept my faith that things always have a way of working out; that if I keep on working hard I’ll eventually get what I want, just like I always did throughout my tenure at AUB and kept on feeding off family and friends’ support and the intentional negativity of others to reach this day. Five years, 11 semesters, nine petitions and 127 crazy days and nights later, I finally get to say this: I have graduated.

Outlook

June 28, 2011

The Outlook team

Out of the Box

Letter from Dr. Maryam Ghandour of the Career and Placement Services Office

Chairperson

Talal Nizameddin

Faculty Advisor

Cleo Cacoulidis

Responsible Director

Antonios Francis

“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” - Winston Churchill

Editor-in-Chief

Rami Diab

Dear AUB students & Alumni,

Associate Editor

Timmy Malkoun

Editor at Large

Yahia Hamade

Arabic Editor

Mariam El Ali

Photography Editor

Salim Batlouni

Copy Editor

Joseph Saba

Layout Director

John Hajjar

Members at Large

Samer Bu Jawdeh

News Executives

Heather Jaber Maya Sfeir Mostafa Fadlallah

Webmaster

Mohamad Al Medawar

Business Managers

Sally Khalifeh Lara Traboulsi

Staff Writers Khodor Abu Daya Nader Al Ahmadieh Mona Ayoub Fouad Badaoui Caterina Belardi Amir Bitar Jackie Daoud Tracy Dariane Sarah Al Dirani Edrees Elrachidi Dalia Hosn Elie El Khoury Aziza Khalil Yasmin Fansa Yumna Ghandour Maryam Hoballah

Lynn Itani Nour Jane Kachicho Anis Kadado Tala Kardas Wajiha Jurdhi Kheir Hadi Mehio Marie Nakhoul Rita Obeid Rami Panayoti Yasmine Saab Christine Saliba Amer Sare Mohammad Yaghi Emile Fares Zankoul Rayane Zahreddine Lama Zakharia

On behalf of the American University of Beirut’s Career and Placement Services (CPS), I would like to express my sincere congratulations to all graduating students of 2011. Over 1000 students are now making their transitions from their academic years to a lifelong journey along their career paths. Throughout this vital period in a student’s life, one needs the guidance and mentorship that the CPS office provides for all AUB students and alumni. Through learning to write effective resumes and cover letters and developing the skills needed for interviews and business case analyses, the CPS provides the tools needed in order to aid the process of seizing your ideal career. If you are currently an undergraduate student, we highly encourage you to visit our website or come by our office in person to begin your journey for an internship or full time job upon graduation. For AUB alumni who are on the crossroads and intending to change their career paths, they can also benefit greatly from the CPS through networking with firm representatives and viewing our abundant career opportunities online. Once these skills are acquired through the CPS, AUB students and Alumni can start applying for careers; attend recruitment presentations and the annual job fair with great confidence. Every year we host a wide range of multinational, regional and local companies that advertise their various career opportunities on our website. Over 100 businesses also engage in on-campus recruitment presentations where they describe their company and career opportunities in detail, while also giving students and alumni a chance to network with firm representatives. Whether you are a freshman at AUB or have graduated many years ago, the Career and Placement Office will continue to provide you with the tools you need to achieve your ideal career. We urge all students and alumni to take advantage of these services and to begin preparing for this journey very soon.

Photographers Mohamad Alameh Tariq Buhilaigah Dima Hajj Nadi Nassar

Lotfi Al Salah Wael Salem Antoine Salloum Mohammad Azzam

Cartoonists

Deedee El Jilani Jamila Mehio

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

Dr. Maryam Ghandour American University of Beirut Career and Placement Services Student Affairs West Hall, Room 115 tel/fax: +961 1 744 488 tel: +961 1 350000 Ext:3172 e-mail: mg03@aub.edu.lb Website: http://www.aub.edu.lb/sao/cps/Pages/index.aspx

‫اوتلوك‬

‫منوعات‬

‫حزيران ‪2011 ,28‬‬

‫كاتب من هذا الزمان حمد العبسى مهندس الكلمة‬

‫نهاد غازي عواد‬ ‫كاتبة صحفية‬

‫هو حمد بن عبد العزيز احلمد‬ ‫العيسى‪ ،‬املهندس الالمع‬ ‫في أرامكو والكاتب واملترجم‬ ‫ابن الصحراء‬ ‫الفنان‪.‬‬ ‫السعودية كتب‪ :‬عشرون‬ ‫عاما من املشي فوق االلغام‪،‬‬ ‫وارث الريح ‪ ،‬أسبوع رديء آخر‬ ‫‪ ،‬النصوص احمل ّر مة ونصوص‬ ‫أخرى‪ ،‬كتاب عقل غير هادئ ‪،‬‬ ‫وقضايا مترجمة أخرى منها‪:‬‬ ‫قضايا أدبية‪ ..‬نهاية الرواية‬ ‫وبداية السيرة الذاتية‪.‬‬ ‫برع حمد في الترجمة فهو‬ ‫يراها كتخصص علمي وليس‬ ‫مهنة من ال مهنة له‪ .‬ولكي‬ ‫ينجح الكاتب في الترجمة‪،‬‬ ‫عليه أن يخضع للدراسة‬ ‫األكادميية وميارس التجربة‬ ‫العملية العميقة باستمرار‬ ‫يتخلص‬ ‫وجدية‪ .‬وهكذا‬ ‫عاملنا العربي من داء األدجلة‬ ‫التي تفشت به حتى أصبح‬ ‫الكتاب يؤدجلون بطريقة‬ ‫هزلية ال متت لألدب بصلة‪.‬‬ ‫فابتعدوا عن املوضوعية‬ ‫ودمرزا األدب وأفسدوه‪.‬‬ ‫كثير من قصصه التي كتبها‬ ‫مرتبطة مبجتمعه وشركته‬ ‫أرامكو‪ .‬قصص رائعة والذعة‬ ‫نذكر منها‪ :‬املهدي املنتظر‪،‬‬ ‫تسقط أمريكا‪ ،‬عزيزي ماهر‪،‬‬

‫أمانة األستاذ سفالن‪ ،‬واجللد‬ ‫السميك دوت كوم‪ .‬تعالج‬ ‫قصصه واقع احلال السعودي‬ ‫البعض‬ ‫اتهمه‬ ‫حتى‬ ‫بالكفر‪ .‬ينتقد االنتخابات‬ ‫البلدية في السعودية حيث‬ ‫البرامج‬ ‫استعاضوا عن‬ ‫اإلنتخابية اجلادة‪ ،‬باملواعظ‬ ‫الدينية املكثفة‪ ،‬والشعر‪،‬‬ ‫والرواية للقصص الشعبية‪،‬‬ ‫إسالمية‪،‬‬ ‫واألناشيد‬ ‫واملسابقات‪ ،‬ثم األهم‪ :‬وجبات‬ ‫ويصور‬ ‫العشاء دسمة‪.‬‬ ‫واقع املسلمني وجتاذابتهم‬ ‫بسخرية واستهزاء حيث‬ ‫وصفها عبر مشهد يحصل‬ ‫في حديقة الهايدن بارك‬ ‫ا للند نية ‪:‬‬ ‫« استطاع سماع أصوات‬ ‫عربية صادرة من منتصف‬ ‫عندما اقترب‪،‬‬ ‫الدائرة‪.‬‬ ‫اكتشف أن هناك فريقني‬ ‫من العرب يتجادالت بشدة‬ ‫األمريكي‬ ‫الغزو‬ ‫حول‬ ‫للعراق واملوقف من املقاومة‬ ‫العراقية‪ .‬كان عدد اجلمهور‬ ‫وجلُّهم من العرب‪.‬‬ ‫كبير ا ً جد ا ً ُ‬ ‫زادت حدة اجلدال‪ ،‬ثم اختفت‬ ‫وحل مكانها‬ ‫األصوات‪.‬‬ ‫الصراخ‪:‬‬ ‫يا‬ ‫اصمت‬ ‫ناصبي !‬ ‫‬‫ّ‬ ‫ خسئت يا رافضي!‬‫ أنتم وهابيون ظالميون!‬‫بل أنتم منافقون‬ ‫‬‫انبطاحيون!‬

‫ تبا ً لكم أيها الرجعيون!‬‫ أنتم وعالوي عمالء‬‫ألمريكا!‬ ‫ لعنة اهلل عليكم يا‬‫مجرمني!‬ ‫ التاريخ لن يرحمكم يا‬‫خونة!‬ ‫وفجأة تطور األمر إلى ضرب‬ ‫ورفس وبصق‪ .‬تدخل رجال‬ ‫األمن لفض الشجار بني‬ ‫العرب وساعدهم في ذلك‬ ‫هطول املطر!‬ ‫فتح مظلته‪ ،‬وابتعد عن موقع‬ ‫الشجار‪ ،‬وخرج من “الهايد‬ ‫بارك” وهو يُتمتم‪”:‬وداعا ً‬ ‫قريش‪ ..‬وداعا ً كليب‪ ..‬وداعا ً‬ ‫مضر!”‪».‬‬ ‫وتطرق الى محاكاة واقع‬ ‫بعض األسر السعودية‬ ‫التي أخذت من السفر الى‬ ‫البحرين عادة اسبوعية أو‬ ‫فصلية ملشاهدة السينما‬ ‫املمنوعة في أرض احلجاز‬ ‫ولقراءة الكتب القيمة التي‬ ‫من الدخول الى‬ ‫منعت‬ ‫السعودية بسبب الرقابة‬ ‫املتشددة من دون سبب من‬ ‫هيئة األمر باملعروف والنهي‬ ‫عن املنكر»بوليس الدين»‪.‬‬ ‫كما وصف ضغط العمل‬ ‫الذي يعانه مهندسو ارامكو‬ ‫وكثرة تغيير املدراء‪ .‬اسلوب‬ ‫رائع بالوصف ينقل اليك‬ ‫اإلحساس احلقيقي وتفاصيل‬ ‫الواقع بكل جتلياته وأبعاده‪.‬‬

‫صحيح ان الترجمة تطفئ‬ ‫جنم االبداع تدريجيا لكن هذا‬ ‫لم يحصل مع العبسى حيث‬

‫‪18‬‬

‫رغم براعته بالترجمة ما زال‬ ‫خالقا مبدعا‪.‬‬

‫إعرف شخصيتك من خالل هذا اإلختبار البسيط‬ ‫سارة أحمد الديراني‬ ‫كاتبة صحفية‬

‫في ما يلي اختبار سريع وطريف‬ ‫لشخصيتك‪ ،‬حتتاج إلى عشر‬ ‫دقائق فقط‪ .‬أجب على أسئلته‬ ‫بتأن‪ ،‬إذا أردت أن حتصل على‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫نتيجة صادقة دقيقة‪.‬‬ ‫مالحظة‪ :‬ال تقرأ التحليل قبل‬ ‫اإلجابة عن األسئلة‪.‬‬ ‫* أنت ترى أن احملظوظ حقا ً هو‬ ‫الشخص الذي‪:‬‬ ‫أ‪ -‬ال يخاف شيئا ً‬ ‫ب‪ -‬يتصف باجلمال والثراء‬ ‫ج‪ -‬ينجح في أن يكون متفائالً في‬ ‫كافة الظروف‪.‬‬ ‫* ليقدر اآلخرون شخصا ً ما‬ ‫يجب أن‪:‬‬ ‫ب‪-‬يبدو أمامهم كامل الثقة‬ ‫بنفسه‬ ‫د‪ -‬يعرف أن يقول الشيء‬ ‫الصحيح في كل مناسبة‬ ‫ج‪ -‬يحرص على أن يحصل دائما ً‬ ‫على إحترامهم‪.‬‬ ‫* ميكن لإلنسان أن يخرج من‬

‫مرحلة اكتئاب‪:‬‬ ‫أ‪ -‬باإلرادة واإلصرار‬ ‫د‪ -‬مبساندة وتعاطف املقربني إليه‬ ‫الذين يحبونه‬ ‫هـ ‪ -‬بالتعرف على حدوده‬ ‫وإمكانياته‪.‬‬ ‫* من عاداتك في النوم أن‪:‬‬ ‫أ‪ -‬تنام مباشرة بعد يوم حافل‬ ‫بالعمل والنشاط‬ ‫د‪ -‬تقرأ قليالً في كتاب أو مجلة‬ ‫حتى يغلبك النوم‬ ‫هـ‪ -‬تتمهل في فراشك في‬ ‫الصباح بدال ً من أن تنهض على‬ ‫الفور حينما يوقظك املنبه‪.‬‬ ‫* أعظم كارثة يجب أن تخشاها‬ ‫هي‪:‬‬ ‫ب‪ -‬فيضان يغرق مدينتكم‬ ‫هـ‪ -‬وباء ينتشر في منطقتكم‬ ‫د‪ -‬زلزال يدمر منازلكم‪.‬‬ ‫* أتعس الناس هو اإلنسان‪:‬‬ ‫هـ‪ -‬ضعيف الشخصية واإلرادة‬ ‫ج‪ -‬الساذج واجلاهل الذي اليجيد‬

‫التصرف‬ ‫ب‪ -‬املنفر الشكل البعيد عن‬ ‫اجلمال‪.‬‬ ‫* أحلى ساعات نهاية اإلسبوع‬ ‫بالنسبة لك‪:‬‬ ‫أ‪ -‬بعد ظهر يوم األحد‬ ‫د‪ -‬مساء يوم السبت‬ ‫ج‪ -‬صباح يوم األحد‪.‬‬ ‫التحليل‪ :‬احسب ألي من احلروف‬ ‫اخلمسة( أ‪ ،‬ب‪ ،‬ج‪ ،‬د‪ ،‬هـ) تنتمي‬ ‫أكثر إجاباتك‪ .‬ثم اقرأ داللة هذا‬ ‫أسفله‪.‬‬ ‫أكثر إجاباتك ( أ)‪:‬‬ ‫أنت نشيط مندفع‪ ،‬تعيش دائما ً‬ ‫في حالة حتدي ودفاع‪ ،‬حتب أن‬ ‫تربح دائما ً ألن اخلسارة بالنسبة‬ ‫لك ألم وهوان‪ ،‬تشتعل أعصابك‬ ‫بسرعة فتصبح عدوانياً‪ ،‬لكنها‬ ‫أيضا ً تبرد بسرعة‪ .‬كن مساملا ً‬ ‫كلما أمكنك هذا‪ ،‬وال تنكب على‬ ‫اجلوائز واالنتصارات مهما كان‬ ‫ثمنها‪.‬‬

‫أكثر إجاباتك (ب)‪:‬‬ ‫أنت مشاكس ذو نزوات‪ ،‬حتب‬ ‫أن تسيطر دائما ً على املواقف‬ ‫واألشخاص‪ ،‬وتعاني كثيرا ً‬ ‫من القلق والضجر‪..‬لكن‬ ‫باستطاعتك أيضا ً أن تكون‬ ‫ساحرا ً فاتنا ً محبوبا ً من اجلميع‪،‬‬ ‫كما أنك حتترم السلطات‬ ‫والتقاليد واآلخرين‪ ،‬وميكنك أن‬ ‫تدير املواقف دائما ً ملصلحتك‪.‬‬ ‫أكثر إجاباتك (ج)‪:‬‬ ‫حتب أن تتمتع بكل حلظة في‬ ‫احلياة ألنك تدرك أن كل حلظة‬ ‫تعيشها ستصبح فورا ً جز ًءا‬ ‫من املاضي‪ ،‬وأن األحداث قصيرة‬ ‫العمر‪ ،‬وأن كل شيء سيمر‬ ‫وينتهي بسرعة‪..‬هذا االقتناع‬ ‫يجعلك متشائما ً عادة‪ ،‬مكتئبا ً‬ ‫ومنقبضا ً في بعض األحيان‪.‬‬ ‫تفاءل ومتتع بكل حلظات احلياة!‬ ‫أكثر إجاباتك (د)‪:‬‬ ‫أنت دائم البحث عن االنسجام‬ ‫والتناسق والنضج والكمال‪،‬‬

‫تنجح عادة في احلصول على ما‬ ‫تريده‪ ،‬ثم أنك منظم‪ ،‬حتب أن ترى‬ ‫كل شيء في مكانه وال تترك‬ ‫شيئا ً للصدف‪..‬لكنك يجب أن‬ ‫تضحي ببعض انتظامك وأن‬ ‫تنفتح وتتبع نزواتك أحياناً‪ ،‬وإال‬ ‫خنقتك الوحدة‪.‬‬ ‫أكثر إجاباتك (هـ)‪:‬‬ ‫البحث عن املتعة هو هدف‬ ‫حياتك‪ ،‬عندك رغبة كبيرة‬ ‫للتمتع باحلياة ولديك حساسية‬ ‫عاطفية شديدة وتتوق كبير‬ ‫للفنون‪ ،‬كما أنك تنكب على‬ ‫صحبة اآلخرين‪ ..‬أعط اهتماما ً‬ ‫أكبر ملشاكل العالم‪ ،‬وارفع‬ ‫جانبا ً أنانيتك وشغفك بكل ما‬ ‫يسعدك ويلذ حياتك‪.‬‬ ‫مصدر هذا اإلختبار‪http://( :‬‬ ‫‪www.pfnd.net/‬‬ ‫‪vb/showthread.‬‬ ‫‪)9363=php?t‬‬

‫‪19‬‬

‫أخبار و رأي‬ ‫التتمة من ص‪20‬‬

‫العديدة التي تواجهها‪،‬‬ ‫مصراعيه‬ ‫على‬ ‫الباب‬ ‫للدخول في مشاريع مثل‬ ‫‪ speech to text‬و‬ ‫‪ Text to speech‬بحيث‬ ‫يصبح املستخدم العربي‬ ‫على‬ ‫قاد ر ًا‬ ‫للكمبيوتر‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫كل ما هو‬ ‫اإلستماع إلى‬ ‫مكتوب عند قيام الكمبيوتر‬ ‫شفهي‬ ‫بتحويل املكتوب إلى‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫والعكس‪.‬‬ ‫وهناك جتربة لغة‬ ‫اجليم وهي لغة برمجة‬ ‫تعمل باألحرف العربية‬ ‫( ‪، )j e e m l a n g . c o m‬‬ ‫عد ة مجامع‬ ‫وتسعى اليوم ّ‬ ‫ل ّلغة العرب ّية إلى الدخول‬ ‫في مشروع تعريب اإلنترنت‬ ‫من أدوات وبرامج ومحتوى‬ ‫وحتى أسماء املواقع وذلك‬ ‫باملشاركة في «إئتالف‬ ‫املتعد دة‬ ‫أسماء اإلنترنت‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫(‪،)minc.org‬‬ ‫اللغات‬

‫«عربي و ‪ »Engineering‬طب ًعا!‬ ‫وهو إئتالف يعمل على‬ ‫تطوير التقنيات في هذا‬ ‫اجملال‪ .‬رغم هذه احملاوالت‬ ‫يبقى هناك الكثير من‬ ‫التحد يات كي تتصالح‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫العرب ّية مع التكنولوجيا‪.‬‬ ‫ويرى بالل األرفه لي‪،‬‬ ‫العربي في‬ ‫أستاذ األدب‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫اجلامعة األميرك ّية‪ ،‬أ ّن‬ ‫العربي أن ال‬ ‫على العالم‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ينتظر جوجل أو غيرها من‬ ‫الشركات العمالقة كي‬ ‫تهتم بالعرب ّية‪ ،‬فمثل هذه‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫األبحاث العلم ّية يجب أن‬ ‫تكون أولو ّية عند العرب‬ ‫أنفسهم‪ .‬وتكمن املشكلة‬ ‫في رأي األرفه لي أ ّن مثل‬ ‫هذه األبحاث يتطلب تعاو ن ًا‬ ‫بني اختصاصات مختلفة‬ ‫وهو لألسف أمر ال ّ‬ ‫تركز عليه‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ويؤكد‬ ‫اجلامعات العرب ّية‪.‬‬ ‫األرفه لي أ ّن على احلدود‬ ‫بني االختصاصات اخملتلفة‬ ‫أن تتالشى عند مستوى‬ ‫االبتكار واخل ّال قية‪.‬‬ ‫يروي مازن بعيني‪،‬‬

‫وأصبح للعسل يوم‬

‫بنفسي قد تضاعفت‪ ،‬كان‬ ‫علي أن أتع ّلم الكثير في‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫البرمجة وفي اللغة العرب ّية‬ ‫وأن أربط بني االثنني‪ ،‬ال أعرف‬ ‫إذا كنت قد جنحت‪ ،‬فالزمن‬ ‫هو من سيحكم‪ ،‬غير أ نّي‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫أفكر بطريقة‬ ‫تع ّلمت أن‬ ‫جديدة‪ .‬لقد استمتعت‬ ‫كثيرً ا‪ ،‬وهذا هو األهم‪».‬‬ ‫ميكن لهذه التجربة أن تفتح‬ ‫آفاق الطالب على أهم ّية‬ ‫التعاون بني االختصاصات‬ ‫اخملتلفة وعلى فرص جديدة‬ ‫لتوظيف اللغة العرب ّية‪.‬‬ ‫فهذا النوع من البحث‬ ‫العلمي الذي يجمع العرب ّية‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫بالبرمجة مبتكر ومفيد‬ ‫وقيد الطلب وميكن القيام‬ ‫به في العالم‬ ‫العربي ‪ .‬ومن‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫خالله ميكن أن تأخذ العرب ّية‬ ‫بنت العصر املكانة التي‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫تستحقها على الشبكة‬ ‫وفي قلب عالم التكنولوجيا‪.‬‬ ‫نعم ‪Arabic can be‬‬ ‫‪.cool‬‬

‫رأي‬

‫العمرَ وأمضي‬ ‫م َع َك ج َّداه‪ ،‬أعقد ُ‬

‫التتمة من ص‪20‬‬

‫استمتعوا بالتع ّر ف احلي على‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫والذ كر‬ ‫امللكة والنّحلة األنثى‬ ‫منها وكثيرا ما تردد اسم”‬ ‫نحول”‪.‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫هو يوم رائع يتجدد كل سنة‪،‬‬ ‫ولكن دائما يواجه بصعوبات‬ ‫ادارية من تسليم املستلزمات‬ ‫وتوزع املسؤوليات وتشعبها‬ ‫وعدم اإللتزام والتأخير في‬ ‫التسليم للطاوالت والكراسي‬ ‫األهم‬ ‫واألهم‬ ‫وباقي املستلزمات‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫مستحقات‬ ‫التّأخير في دفع‬ ‫الذين ز ّو دونا باألغراض من كنزات‬ ‫بحجة الروتني‬ ‫وفناجني وغيرها‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫اإلدارية‪ .‬فهل يعقل ان تدفع‬ ‫اجلامعة األميركية فاتورتها بعد‬ ‫أكثر من شهر؟ وما الصورة التي‬ ‫يأخذها عنا اصحاب احملالت؟ وملاذا‬ ‫جامعة بهذه العراقة توصم‬ ‫بهذه الوصمة بعد ‪ 142‬سنة‬ ‫على تأسيسها؟ من املسؤول‬ ‫عن ذلك؟ وملاذا؟ أسئلة كثيرة‬ ‫يجب معرفتها وامور كثيرة‬ ‫يجب تصحيحها للمحافظة‬ ‫على الشفاف ّية واملصداق ّية بني‬ ‫اآلخرين‪ .‬أمور صحيح ا نّها حصلت‬ ‫ولكن م ّر اليوم بسالم في حضن‬ ‫جامعتنا العزيزة‪ .‬جامعتنا التي‬ ‫تهتم بالبيئة واحمليط‬ ‫ما فتأت‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫كأولوية‪ .‬جامعة توفر العلم‬ ‫والتدريب وسبل فهم مسالك‬ ‫احلياة‪.‬‬

‫طالب الهندسة الكهربائ ّية‬ ‫والكومبيوتر في اجلامعة‬ ‫مع‬ ‫جتربته‬ ‫األميرك ّية‪،‬‬ ‫العرب ّية بحماس شديد‪.‬‬ ‫ففي هذا الفصل حضر‬ ‫مازن ص ًفا للبالغة والعروض‬ ‫يد ّر سه بالل األرفه لي ويقول‬ ‫احلصة‬ ‫مازن إ نّه وعى ومنذ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫األولى أن العرب ّية لغة‬ ‫ح ّية ميكن أن تكون وسيلة‬ ‫للكالم والتفكير والنقاش‬ ‫واالبتكار‪ .‬فقد ابتكر مازن‬ ‫برنامجا‬ ‫في هذا الصف‬ ‫ً‬ ‫على االنترنت بلغة ‪Java‬‬ ‫بعنوان «خدمة عروض»‪.‬‬ ‫‪3 a r o u d . / / :h t t p‬‬ ‫‪/appspot.com‬‬ ‫يستطيع هذا البرنامج‬ ‫العروضي لألبيات‬ ‫تقدير الوزن‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫التي يز ّو ده املستخدم بها‪.‬‬ ‫يقول مازن إ ّن مشروعه قيد‬ ‫التطوير إذ ينوي أن يضيف‬ ‫أوزان الدوبيت والرباع ّيات‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫األندلسية‬ ‫واملوشحات‬ ‫وتفعيالت الشعر احلديث‪،‬‬ ‫كما يطمح إلى إضافة‬

‫خدمة تتيح للمستخدم‬ ‫قياس مدى د ّقة النتيجة‪.‬‬ ‫ويرى بعيني أن البرنامج‬ ‫ميكن أن يتح ّو ل إلى خدمة‬ ‫هاتف ّية أو ميكن أن يستعمل‬ ‫في مح ّر كات البحث وال‬ ‫‪Arabic databases‬‬ ‫‪ .‬لم يكن العمل على هذا‬ ‫حد قول‬ ‫البرنامج سهالً على ّ‬ ‫األستاذ األرفه لي‪ ،‬واألمر‬ ‫يعود إلى اخللف ّية الثقاف ّية‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫لكل من الطالب وأستاذه‪.‬‬ ‫فالشعر العربي بالنسبة‬ ‫ومعان‬ ‫لألرفه لي موسيقى‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫وبالنسبة لبعيني أرقام‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫كل‬ ‫وشفرات‪« ،‬كان على‬ ‫منّا أن يستوعب اآلخر»‪،‬‬ ‫«أعلم اآلن أ ّن مازن يعزف‬ ‫موسيقى تقارب بجمال ّيتها‬ ‫إيقاع الشعر‬ ‫العربي »‪،‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫«إ نّها موسيقى من نوع‬ ‫آخر» كما يقول األرفه لي‪.‬‬ ‫أما بالنسبة ملازن فهو ال‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫مهندسا‬ ‫يدري ما إذا كان‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أفضل بعد هذه التجربة‪،‬‬ ‫لكنّه قال‪« :‬أشعر أ ّن ثقتي‬

‫حزيران ‪2011 ,28‬‬

‫اوتلوك‬

‫دمعي‬ ‫رؤاك تلهبني‪ ،‬وتعصر‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ال َّدامي‪ ،‬وتصرخ من صدى‬ ‫األيام‪ ،‬كن عملاً وال تكن كل ًما‪،‬‬ ‫تكن حرًّا‪ ،‬وإال فلتكن عب ًدا‪.‬‬ ‫أج ّر حقائبي من موطن‬

‫اليوم ّية‪ ،‬جالسون هناك‪،‬‬ ‫كأ نّناسنحيا هنا إلى األبد‪...‬‬ ‫من غرفة الـ ‪ outlook‬في‬ ‫الطابق الثاني التّي لم أحفظ‬ ‫رقمها بعد‪ ،‬وإجتماعات‬

‫إله العاملني له رحمة أخرى‪،‬‬ ‫فأُنشدكم‪ ،‬ال ودا ًعا وال فرا ًقا‬ ‫وأعدكم أ ّن اللقاء قريب ‪ ...‬إ ّن‬ ‫اللقاء قريب‪.‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫صفق‬ ‫إعتليت املسرح‪،‬‬

‫ترقص على‬ ‫اجلامعة‪ ،‬بسم ٌة‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫خدود ال ّرفاق‪ ،‬أترك اجلامعة وبي‬ ‫حنني قادم للحياة‪،‬‬ ‫رمقٌ من‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫شخص خائف من غربة‬ ‫وبي‬ ‫ٌ‬ ‫الشوق فلألحباب موطنهم‬ ‫ّس ٌع ‪ ،‬وأخشى أن‬ ‫في القلب‪ ،‬مت ِ‬ ‫الدرب‪،‬‬ ‫مييدبه ال ّزمان‪ .‬أصدقاء ّ‬ ‫إن العمر قد أعلى شرا ًعا‬ ‫لل ّر حيل‪ ،‬فال تقبلوا الغربة‪ ،‬وال‬ ‫ترضخوا لصفات الزمان‪ ،‬فإ نّه‬ ‫م ّي ٌت وإ نّنا م ّيتون‪.‬‬ ‫من مبنى ‪Bliss‬‬ ‫الـ»كمبيوتر»‪،‬‬ ‫وتكتكات‬ ‫وإستغاثة الـ ‪Printers‬‬ ‫وأكواب‬ ‫فيه‪ ،‬والـ ‪، Java‬‬ ‫ٌ‬ ‫وتبسمات‬ ‫من قهو ٍة بالية‪،‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫الضحك‬ ‫الصباح‪ ،‬وإصطخاب ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫بني األصدقاء‪ ،‬من على الـ‬ ‫‪ ،Green Oval‬وهمهمات‬ ‫وزحمة‬ ‫‪Nicely‬‬ ‫الـ‬ ‫سيره‪ ،‬وشعور الـ «مغص»‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫صباح أمامه‪ ،‬وغرفته‬ ‫كل‬ ‫املشؤومة‪ ٍ ،‬من أمام الـ‬ ‫‪ ، West Hall‬والنمنمات‬ ‫والصرخات املتضاحكة حول‬ ‫وجه تلك وثوب ذاك وأحاديثنا‬

‫اإلثنني واجلمعة‪ ،‬وتوزيع املهام‬ ‫ومشاركة الهموم‪ ،‬إلى الـ‬ ‫‪ Bathish‬وغفوة الـ ‪CS‬‬ ‫واحملاضرات ا ملُستطالة‪ ،‬إلى‬ ‫الكافيتيريا وحتّى الـ ‪zoo‬‬ ‫وضواحيها‪ ،‬وغمزات الرفاق‪،‬‬ ‫وحديث حول صاروخ هنا‪،‬‬ ‫وعقد ٍة سياس ّي ٍة هناك‪ ،‬عن‬ ‫شاب وفتاة‬ ‫مننمات حول‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫كثرت جلساتهما‪ ،‬عن جمود‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫الطقس واألمطار‪ ،‬عن زحمة‬ ‫السير واإلرهاق واإلغماء والـ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫‪ ، exam‬من مكتبة يافث‬ ‫وسهراتها و ‪ over‬نايتاتها‪،‬‬ ‫عمالها األعزاء‪،‬‬ ‫وبسمات‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫إلى أبو ناجي و»سندويش‬ ‫لبنة مع نعنع وبندورة وخيار‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ورشة زيت زيتون»‪ ،‬إلى نعيم‬ ‫وأحلى «ئهوة» عالصبح‪،‬‬ ‫وعشق الـ ‪ 4#van‬و‪...‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫لكل هؤالء في قلبي وعقلي‬ ‫احلب‬ ‫ُكتب حول‬ ‫ٌ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫موسوعات ت ُ‬ ‫والصداقة واحلياة والفلسفة‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫والسياسة‪ ،‬وأين منّي اليوم‬ ‫محابري وقد خفقت أجنحة‬ ‫الفراق؟ … ولكنّي أعلم أ ّن‬

‫األهل واجلمهور ونادى لي‬ ‫صديقٌ عزي ٌز من ربى زغرتا‪،‬‬ ‫طفقت أحارب البسمة‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫الشهادة‪،‬‬ ‫لط ًفا‪ ،‬إستلمت‬ ‫وإستبقت الكاميرا عائ ًد ا إلى‬ ‫مقعدي‪ .‬ألرسل الفكرَ في‬ ‫شكري لك أبتي وفي شكري‬ ‫ثم أعود إليك‪ ،‬أ ّيها‬ ‫لك أمي‪ّ .‬‬ ‫الغافي أمام النّور مبتس ًما‪،‬‬ ‫األبدي ّ‬ ‫عل‬ ‫أللثم ح ّبك‬ ‫أعود‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫اخلد يشبع جوعي الدائم‪،‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫شوقي ا ّلذي جاع مختبئًا‪،‬‬ ‫يفتّش عنك مضطر بًا‪ ،‬ويبحث‬ ‫عار ًفا منك أ ّن العمر لم يغ َفل‪.‬‬ ‫يهيم شوقي ويرسيني لعتمة‬ ‫ليل‪ ،‬يؤنسني دُجاه‪ ،‬ويرسم‬ ‫في مرافئًا أخرى‪ ،‬ويحيك في‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫القلوب ترنيم ًة أخرى‪ ،‬ترنيم ًة‬ ‫أجمل‪.‬‬ ‫في قل ًبا حاملًا‬ ‫يت‬ ‫ب‬ ‫ر‬ ‫قد‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫صل ًبا‪ ،‬يهفو على الورد‪ ،‬ويأبى‬ ‫الد رب‪ ،‬فاهنئ بنومك‬ ‫أن حتيد ّ‬ ‫إنّا قادرون بعزمنا وبح ّبنا‪،‬‬ ‫وإنّك لم تزل معنا‪ .‬ونعلَ ُم‬ ‫أ ّن اللقاء قريب ‪ ..‬إ ّن اللقاء‬ ‫قريب‪.‬‬

‫من مبنى ‪ Bliss‬وتكتكات الـ»كمبيوتر»‪ ،‬وإستغاثة الـ ‪Printers‬‬ ‫الصباح‪ ،‬وإصطخاب‬ ‫وأكواب من قهو ٍة بالية‪،‬‬ ‫فيه‪ ،‬والـ ‪، Java‬‬ ‫وتبسمات ّ‬ ‫ٌ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫الضحك بني األصدقاء‪ ،‬من على الـ ‪،Green Oval‬‬ ‫ّ‬

‫مصطفىأحمدمحمدحسنيفضلاهلل‬ ‫كاتب صحفي‬

‫بحاجبي‬ ‫منعق ٌد ذاك ال ّزمان‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ومطر ٌق ذاك ا خلُفوق‪ ،‬يعترك‬ ‫صخ ًبا مع إبتسامات احلياة‪،‬‬ ‫حالم يهت ّز بها‪.‬‬ ‫وحز ٌن‬ ‫ٌ‬ ‫يجتمعان فتصطخب تلك‬ ‫الروح‪ ،‬تـ»ـهفو إلى ّ‬ ‫الشروق»‬ ‫فتثقلها «غيوم احلياة في‬ ‫األعماق»‪ .‬يتراقص األلم‬ ‫سكران ًا بفرح ٍة أخرى‪ .‬أرى‬ ‫جدي‪،‬‬ ‫أملي‪ ،‬كما ع ّلمتني‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫صراع‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫يش ُر ُق بي وير َفعني‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫ومينع‬ ‫بروح جديدة‪،‬‬ ‫جدي ٍد‬ ‫عنّي إغفاءٍ ًة أخرى‪ .‬كأ نّي‬ ‫َ‬ ‫منتفض‪،‬‬ ‫اخليل ‪،‬‬ ‫مذ سرَ َج َت‬ ‫ٌ‬ ‫أراك هناك‪ ،‬تعي ُد أفئد ًة لدرب‬ ‫احلب ‪ ،‬أراك مؤتل ًقا‪ ،‬تعي ُد حيرة‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫وحتبك‬ ‫واضحا‪،‬‬ ‫اإلنسان دربًا‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫النّور َ في ظلم ٍة عتماء‪ ،‬على‬ ‫رأس شمعة‪ ،‬ليشرق النّور‪،‬‬ ‫يتيم‬ ‫لتمسح من على خ ٍّد‬ ‫منتفضا‪ ،‬كأ ٍ ّن‬ ‫دمعة‪ .‬وأعود‬ ‫ً‬

‫إلى جميع قراءنا ‪ :‬صحيفة االوتلوك ترحب بالراغبني لإلنتساب إلى فر يقها‪.‬‬

‫أ وتلو ك‬

‫اجلامعة األميركية في بيروت‬

‫للمزيد من املعلومات‪ ،‬أدخلوا على موقعنا االلكتروني (‪ )www.aub.edu.lb/outlook‬أو راسلونا على ‪readoutlook@gmail.com‬‬

‫املنشورة الطالبية املستقلة منذ عام ‪ | ١٩٤٩‬الثالثاء ‪ 28‬حزيران ‪|2011‬‬

‫‪19‬‬

‫جزء ‪ ٬٤٣‬عدد ‪31‬‬

‫رأي‪ :‬م َع َك ج َّداه‪ ،‬أعقد‬ ‫العمرَ وأمضي‬ ‫ُ‬

‫«عربي و ‪ »Engineering‬طب ًعا!‬

‫مصطفىأحمدمحمدحسنيفضلاهلل‬ ‫كاتب صحفي‬

‫يتسابق الطالب دو ًما‬ ‫عند بدأ عملية التسجيل‬ ‫مساق‬ ‫على‬ ‫للحصول‬ ‫اللغة العربية األسهل‪،‬‬ ‫آملني بانتزاع مقعد عند‬ ‫أستاذ لطيف‪« ،‬ح ّبوب»‪،‬‬ ‫سخي بعالماته كحامت‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫الطائي‪ ،‬رؤوف بالطالب‬ ‫يهتم‬ ‫كرأفة اهلل بعباده‪ .‬ال‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫هؤالء مبوضوع املساق أو‬ ‫مبدى ارتباطه باهتماماتهم‬ ‫أو موضوع دراستهم‪ .‬ففي‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫صف عربي‪ ،‬مي ّر‬ ‫النهاية هذا‬ ‫مرور الكرام‪ ،‬خفي ًفا ال يترك‬ ‫أثرً ا‪ ،‬أخذه واجب واالستفادة‬ ‫منه بدعة!‬ ‫لهذا اإلستخفاف‬ ‫أسبابه وهي أكثر من أن‬ ‫ُعد د هنا‪ ،‬وهو موضوع‬ ‫ت ّ‬ ‫لن نحاول أن نخوض فيه‪،‬‬ ‫ولكننا نحاول هنا أن نعرض‬ ‫واق ًعا آخر يستطيع من‬ ‫خالله الطالب أن يستفيدوا‬ ‫من مواد اللغة العربية‪ ،‬ال‬ ‫املعرفي فقط‬ ‫على الصعيد‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫من إعراب وعروض ونثر وشعر‬

‫وبالغة‪ ،‬وال على‬ ‫واإلنساني ‪،‬‬ ‫اجلمالي‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫على صعيد سوق‬ ‫أجل للعرب ّية دور‬ ‫شئنا أم أبينا‪.‬‬ ‫نعم اإلنكليز ّية لغة العصر‪،‬‬ ‫لكن اإلحصاءات تشير إلى أ ّن‬ ‫العرب ّية ما زالت من اللغات‬ ‫الست الرئيس ّية في األمم‬ ‫املتّحدة‪ ،‬وهي اللغة األم أو‬ ‫اللغة الدين ّية ملئات املاليني‬ ‫من األشخاص‪ .‬وهي عالوة‬ ‫على ذلك لغة أدب ّية كانت‬ ‫وال زالت حتمل إر ثًا إنسانيًّا‬ ‫غنيًّا ال نقاش على أهم ّيته‪.‬‬ ‫غير أ ّن مشكلة العرب ّية أ نّها‬ ‫ملّا تلحق عصر التكنولوجيا‬ ‫العربي على‬ ‫بعد‪ .‬فالوجود‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫شبكة اإلنترنت وبرامج‬ ‫وصفحات‬ ‫الكومبيوتر‬ ‫االجتماعي هزيل‬ ‫التواصل‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ج ًد ا‪ ،‬كون هذه املنتجات‬ ‫احلضارية تنشأ عادة في‬ ‫بلدان غير ناطقة بالعرب ّية‪.‬‬ ‫التحد ي إذن في جعل‬ ‫يكمن‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫العرب ّية تواكب العصر‪ ،‬فهل‬ ‫هذا باإلمكان؟‬ ‫العربي‬ ‫للمستخدم‬ ‫ميكن‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫اليوم أن يستخدم مح ّر ك‬

‫ا نّه يوم العسل الذي يحصل‬ ‫سنو يًا في اجلامعة األميركية‬ ‫في بيروت‪ .‬هو العسل الذي‬ ‫تهضمه النحلة كي ال يتكلف‬ ‫جهازنا الهضمي عناء ذلك فيغدو‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫وألذ واشهى غذاء ودواء‪.‬‬ ‫أخف‬ ‫كان في القدم يخلط مع زيت‬ ‫السمك”القد” ملعاجلة اجلنود‬ ‫وألهميته اتخذه نابليون بونابرت‬ ‫رمزا المبراطوريته‪ .‬هو اليوم‬ ‫بالطب البديل لعالج‬ ‫يستعمل‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫الكثير من امراض اجلهاز الهضمي‬ ‫وطب العيون واجللد‬ ‫والتنفسي‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫واضرابات القلب وأمراض األسنان‬ ‫والقروح‬ ‫واجلروح‬ ‫والسكري‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫والسرطان‪.‬‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫وملا له من فوائد وملا للنحلة من‬ ‫تأثير على أنظمتنا الغذائية حيث‬ ‫انها مسؤولة عن تلقيح ثلث‬ ‫النباتات املستهلكة عبر االنسان‪،‬‬ ‫كان” صنع العسل” مادة تد ّر س‬ ‫في كلية الزراعة وتسمى زراعة‬

‫كاتب من هذا الزمان حمد‬ ‫العبسى مهندس الكلمة‬

‫الصعيد‬ ‫أيضا‬ ‫بل ً‬ ‫العمل‪.‬‬ ‫وأهم ّية‪،‬‬

‫الطالب مازن بعيني‬

‫البحث جوجل بالعرب ّية‬ ‫استخدام‬ ‫ميكنه‬ ‫كما‬ ‫خدمة جوجل للترجمة‬ ‫من وإلى اللغة العرب ّية‪.‬‬

‫وتقد م جوجل خدمة غوغل‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫تشكيل‪ ،‬التي يستطيع‬ ‫بواسطتها‬ ‫املستخدم‬ ‫تشكيل كلمة أو مقطع‬

‫وأصبح للعسل يوم‬ ‫نهاد غازي عواد‬ ‫كاتبة صحفية‬

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‫‪ 288‬ويدرسها األستاذ رامي‬ ‫عليق‪ .‬وفي نهاية الفصل يقوم‬ ‫طالب هذا الصف بتنظيم حدث‬ ‫“يوم العسل”‪.‬ا نّه يو ٌم يتطلب‬ ‫الكثير من التحضير والعناء‬ ‫ولكنه كان يوم الثالثاء ‪-5-23‬‬ ‫‪ 2011‬فلم يكون احلضور باملستوى‬ ‫املطلوب‪ ،‬ولكنه القى جناحا‬ ‫ومح ّبة من الزائرين الذين تع ّر فوا‬ ‫على النّحل وسبل استخراج‬ ‫وتصفية العسل وفوائده‪ .‬كان‬ ‫األساسي تبيان أهمية‬ ‫الهدف‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫نحل العسل في احلفاظ على‬ ‫البيئة الطبيعية و تنوعها‪ .‬لم‬ ‫يكن فقط حد ثًا تعليم ًيا بل جرى‬ ‫بيع منتوجات العسل فيه وجميع‬ ‫ما بيع يعود ريعه خملتبر النحل‬ ‫في اجلامعة‪ .‬كانت الطاولة تزهر‬ ‫مبراطبني العسل واملافن بالعسل‬ ‫الصغار وأضفوا‬ ‫الذي أحبه‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ملستهم الرائعة على ذاك اليوم‪.‬‬ ‫وكما استمتعوا باالكل واألقالم‬ ‫والكنزات والطاقيات املزركشة‪،‬‬ ‫التتمة على ص‪19‬‬

‫(صورة‪)FAFS :‬‬

‫باللغة العرب ّية‪ .‬تفتح هذه‬ ‫اخلدمات‪ ،‬رغم املشاكل‬ ‫التتمة على ص‪19‬‬