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Outlook

V ol T , NNovember vuesday ol. XLI, XlIv , on. o5. 4 29, 2011 . XLIV, No. 7 1, 2011 VTol ueSday , november

The IndependenT STudenT publIcaTIon SInce 1949

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Is Students’ Privacy Being Jeopardized? Zainab Al-Dabbagh Contributing Writer / Mohammad B. Azzam Photographer AUB presents itself in a manner that is very appealing to private students. One of the many ways it does that is by banning video recording and picture capturing during class. But is AUB really concerned with students’ privacy? Or is it just propaganda? In the 2008 and 2010 student elections; AUB used CCTV (Closed-Circuit Television) cameras to ensure the transparency and fairness of the elections procedure. The successful outcome of these actions has led the officials in AUB to install CCTV cameras in the men’s dormitories: Penrose and Kerr. This decision has been surrounded with a lot of controversy and a spectrum of reactions from the student body. Sara Sabban, the Student Housing Coordinator, sent an e-mail concerning the matter at hand to attract the men’s dormitories residents to the construction work that is being done to install the CCTV system. Sabban refused to comment on the subject stating “I cannot help you with your concern but I will forward your questions to the person concerned in the matter.” When asked who is the person in charge her answer was the Dean of Student Affairs, Tala Nizameddin. The Dean of Student Affairs office did not reply to the e-mails and phone calls concerning the reasons behind installing the CCTV system. Although there was no official statement issued from any official, speculations have been circling amongst the students that the main reason for installing this system is a result of consistent vandalism in the men’s dormitories.

‫اوﺗﻠﻮك‬ Cables installed in Penrose dorm for future CCTV camera system Instances such as pointing a green laser at a moving army vehicle, tampering with microwaves and electrical equipment, throwing water bottles from the higher floors, and so on led to the need for surveillance in order to hold people accountable for these sorts of actions. Men’s dormitories residents were very much unified; reacting against this kind of system is a clear violation of their privacy even though it will only be in the hallways of the buildings. Soren Meier-Klodt, a resident in Penrose, said: “I feel like there’s already enough control like guard-pa-

trols and curfew, that installing video cameras is unnecessary.” He also stated, “It could be because of the new non-smoking policy and the clear violation of it that has led to the need of installing the cameras.” Meanwhile other Penrose residents said that the cameras would be of no use, for there are already cameras in the laundry room and they doubt that they actually work. Whether it be for vandalism or keeping a smoking-free environment, AUB has taken a step towards publicizing the activity of students in their home away from home.

Stock the Wood Already! Dania Machlab Special-to-Outlook If you were sitting at home last Thursday night doing pretty much nothing, you missed out on a fund-raising concert held by IBSAR, with performances from various artists and students who entertained their listeners with music of the 60’s and 70’s. Despite the cold weather, a warm atmosphere was made with a nice seat on the CHSC’s roof top, some chocolate and coffee, and a very delightful live streaming of songs by The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Etta James and many more. The title of the event, “Stock the Wood,” refers www.aub.edu.lb/outlook

to the Woodstock festival (‘Three Days of Peace and Music’). The original festival was held in 1969 in New York, where 32 acts performed outside for three days, sometimes in pouring rain, and about 500,000 people attended. Last Thursday night, the concert kicked off with a performance by Beirut Vocal Point, an acapella group, who sang wonderful versions of the Beatles’s songs as well as UB40’s “Fools Rush In.” Other bands like Freefall and Recycled got the audience to join in with the singing. Everyone stood

up singing along to The Beatles’ hit “All you Need is Love.” Omar Talhouk and Mahmoud Ramadan created a calming and enjoyable mood with their guitar strumming, ending their performance with Cohen’s “Bird on a Wire.” Peter Jam was next with “Stand by Me,” and stressed on the importance of this event and of being environmentally aware and responsible. The concert ended with the anticipated performance by special guest, Poly. continued on page 2

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