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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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Campus News
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
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Stock the Wood Already! continued Dania Machlab Special-to-Outlook / Mohammad B. Azzam Photographer With a dress made of bubble-wrap plastic, the lead singer expressed her happiness to be at such an event. Despite some delays here and there, it was a series of heartfelt and fun acts. Chemistry senior Rana El Jarrah’s responded with praise, saying that it was “very lovely, nice setup, loud sound, cold, started late, but amazing!” Each ticket bought covered the costs of planting and taking care of one tree, which is all part of a new program called “Power of Planting,” that aims for planting trees between October and December of this year. Presenter Mazen Abdullah gave us a brief overview of what the concert was all about, joking about what someone had told him regarding the importance of environmental awareness: “Why do you want to do something for trees? What did they do for you?” Every contributor was serious about the importance of this project, especially in Lebanon. Bou Khalil was also a sponsor, selling water outside and funding its proceeds to the cause. The concert was successful in selling out 512 tickets, and purchasing 512 trees for planting.
Birthright Armenia visits AUB: Meeting with its director Hrag Vosgerichian Contributing Writer Organized by the Lebanese Armenian Heritage Club (LAHC) at AUB, a brief meeting took place on Friday, November 18, 2011 in West Hall. Birthright Armenia and its activities were presented by Mr. Sevan Kabakian, the executive director of Birthright Armenia. Here’s a brief introduction about the organization. Birthright Armenia is a non-profit organization established in 2003. Its main objective is to strengthen and brace the bonds between Armenia and young individuals of the Armenian Diaspora by providing them a chance to contribute to Armenia’s development through a myriad of professional internship opportunities in various fields, along with other beneficial study and volunteer experiences. Individuals wanting to participate in the program choose the field they want to delve into according to their specific preferences. At the get-together, the president of the LAHC, Kourken Kadehjian, initiated the gathering by welcoming Kabakian. Kourken pointed out that Kabakian is one of the most enthusiastic and active individuals in the Armenian Diaspora. He was born in Lebanon, and he has been an esteemed leader in the Los Angeles Armenian community for 25 years. He joined Birthright Armenia as its executive director in April 2006, steering the office based in Yerevan, Armenia.
Kabakian started his presentation by stating that 600 young Armenian professionals from 25 countries have participated in the program. He highlighted that every individual’s experience is unique, and that people participating in this project would be taking different routes in their lives after developing a renewed and invigorated Armenian identity. He confirmed that Birthright Armenia offers each and every participant of Armenian heritage an exclusive and personal experience in Armenia by covering all financial costs and by offering complimentary services. Towards the end of his presentation, Kabakian displayed photos of some participants, communicating to the audience unique testimonies and experiences of some of Birthright Armenia’s alumni. He later answered the questions of the audience, conveying additional information about the organization. This program should be of interest to most college-aged Armenians who want to develop their professional image and gain valuable skills and expertise in their favored field. For more information, visit Birthright Armenia’s website: http://www.birthrightarmenia.org/.
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Tuesday, November 29, 2011
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Global Entrepreneurship Week Closing Party at Seeqnce is a Success! Rami Panayoti Staff Writer On Friday, November 25, a party, hosted and organized by Seeqnce, took place on Hamra Street celebrating an extraordinary year with the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) of 2011: One Thousand and One Entrepreneurs. The GEW week was launched on November 14 at OSB’s own Maamari Auditorium with great success. Friday’s event was only the last in a series of events, which lasted ten days, including workshops, seminars and competitions related to entrepreneurship. The events featured 27 active partners. The event, which was announced in part by AUB’s Entrepreneurship club (eClub) attracted a number of investors, entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs. It included a 90 seconds pitch for each of the five start-up finalists in “The Execution.”
Seeqnce ran “The Execution” competition the weekend of Friday, November 18 until Sunday, November 20. It consisted of a forty-eight hour business plan, in which a team of approximately three people (including one designer, one developer and one business-oriented person) had to formulate, design and present a prototype of their idea all within The Execution’s’ Forty-eight hour boot camp. The winners were announced at around 10:30 PM, with Team “Collabrotouch” winning the People’s Choice Award. However, Team “Global Team” was the real winner of the competition, ranking first between the five finalists, and securing twenty thousand dollars worth of money, investment and funding. “Global Team’s” idea involved creating a web-based food-related applica-
tion. The user would input his budget and area in which he wishes to eat, and the application would generate the various places and more specifically the menus that are within that budget range and region. In the end, the mood was relaxing and fun with food and drinks from various major sponsors, a full DJ set installation was in place, and unique artwork was displayed all over the location. The get together included a lot of networking, mixing, and most notably the absence of formalities, lacking labels and titles. It was after the announcement of the winners that the actual party started.
The Lebanese Red Cross Club’s First Blood Drive For 2011 -2012 Sarah Khalil Contributing Writer / Mohammad B. Azzam Photographer
The Lebanese Red Cross Club (LRCC) at AUB , in association with the AUBMC Blood Bank, organized this year’s first blood drive in West Hall on November 23, 2011. The blood gathered from the drive is donated to AUBMC, the Children’s Cancer Center of Lebanon, and the Children’s Heart Center. In the early afternoon, West Hall’s Auditorium A was found bustling with activity as members
of the AUB community, both professors and students alike, circulated in and out of the room. Some were at one of the three desks, speaking to members of the club before making their donation, some waiting, and four at a time lying on leather recliners lined up against the wall of the auditorium, contentedly sipping orange juice and munching on Cent wafers, all accompanied by members of the LRCC who facilitated the
entire process. This is the first blood drive of this academic year at AUB in what is ideally a monthly event. The process is a simple matter of walking in and answering a few questions before filling out a form. Those unaware should know that one needs to be at least 18 years old to donate blood. After a wait, the donor lays down on the recliner and gets hooked up to donate. According to subcommittee member Riwa Ghalayni, the blood drive had been going, “very well,” by the time noon rolled around. So why do people decide to donate blood? Or why not? The general consensus comes down to a basic, “Just to contribute,” as said by Yasmina Attallah, 18, or a ,“Just to try it,” from Joseph Mefleh, 19, both CCE majors, as they waited patiently for their turn to donate blood for the first time. Others, like Mahmoud El-Soukié, 20, a fourth year ECE student and president of the LRCC who helped in planning the drive, have done it before and simply do it whenever they can for the sheer love of contributing and, “because I love Red Cross!” Whatever one’s reason for donating blood, there is only one outcome: more blood for those in need, whenever that need arises.
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Tuesday, November 29, 2011
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Ibsar’s second “Ta3a Ne7ke” debate: Green spaces discussed at AUB Rayane Zahreddine Staff Writer The debate “The Effect of Nature: do we have to be surrounded by green space to care for it?” took place on Monday, November 21 in West Hall Auditorium B between 6:00 and 8:00 PM. It was the second of a series of debates called “Ta3a Ne7ke” meaning “Let’s Talk” organized by Ibsar, the Nature Conservation Center for Sustainable Futures at AUB. Around 30 people attended. The “Ta3a Na7ke” debates aim at spreading awareness and engaging people with ideas about nature, and this one in particular was about the effects of spatial surroundings and green spaces on people’s attitudes towards nature. The event was moderated by Dr. Arne Dietrich, Professor in the Psychology department at AUB and featured a panel of four guest speakers from various backgrounds to give their understanding of the question. The first panelist was Dr. Michel Moufarege, President of LibanTrek, the first ecotourism company in Lebanon. He said that “as a hiker and hike organizer, I noticed that most people who go hiking are from Beirut.” He associated this with the lack of green spaces in the city, which is an incentive for people to go out into nature and see what they are missing, but not necessarily get involved. Dr. Rita Khayat, Vice president of IT at AUB provided some of the observations she made when she came back to Lebanon after living
abroad for most of her life. She discussed what she called the “Lebanese mentality,” whereby the Lebanese only care about what they own, which is why in her opinion public green spaces and even open spaces are not respected. She suggested the education of the younger generations to respect nature was the key and concluded that “by respecting nature, we are respecting God, others, the authorities, the government, ourselves, and the next generation.” Ms. Jessica Dheere of Social Media Exchange (SMEX,) an organization that helps civic societies use social media for strategic purposes was the third speaker. She suggested the idea of “commons:” sharing or owning a set of resources (in this case green spaces) in common in order to care for them. She compared green spaces and open spaces to social media websites as “they provide the same opportunities for sharing social culture and meeting people.” The last panelist was Dr. Bilal Hamad, Mayor of Beirut and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at AUB. He shared the plans the municipality has for open spaces and green spaces in the city such as re-managing the hippodrome, opening Horsh Beirut, converting the Beirut Municipal Stadium to a civic center, and upgrading the big garden areas in Beirut. He talked about his fear of these areas being abused and disrespected, and the challenges of such projects, mainly the security, cleanliness
and maintenance of such areas. The mayor hopes these spaces will bring people of different generations together and asked the audience to lobby with him for such projects. After the speeches, Dr. Dietrich opened the floor for questions and comments, the ideas of the speakers were discussed and new opinions were suggested. Erik Zakhia, Mechanical Engineering student said: “The debate was interesting, but it deviated from the notion of ‘green space’ to the notion of ‘open space’.” Mostafa Oweida, ECE student commented: “I was a bit disappointed that very few students showed up. Dr. Hamad’s participation was most interesting as it gave us insight into what was actually happening. But a lot of ‘Lebanese’ idealism was involved, and how to push/lobby for projects to actually happen was not very clear.” Philippe Saliba, Mechanical Engineering student added: “Some good points were raised, related to why green spaces are not being taken care of. Also, having the Mayor of Beirut present was great. He talked about why it was hard to open some green spaces, he discussed his projects, and that was interesting.” Although the question “do we have to be surrounded by green space to care for nature?” was not directly answered during the debate, the discussion it produced showed the level of awareness the AUB community has for environmental issues in Lebanon.
Author of “Israel’s Dead Soul” lectures at AUB Grégoire Dugueyt Staff Writer A lecture was held on the occupied Palestinian territory referred to as “Israel,” organized by AUB and the Center for American Studies and Research (CASAR) on Thursday, 24 November. CASAR invited Steven Salaita, Associate Professor in English at Virginia Tech, to talk about his recent book, “Israel’s Dead Soul.” After a few friendly introductory words by Alexander Lubin, director of CASAR, the conference began. The main thesis of “Israel’s Dead Soul” is that Zionism has failed. Salaita defines Zionism, which emerged from nineteenth century Europe, as ,“the belief that Jews have the right to a state in historical Palestine”. He rejects Zionism for two reasons: firstly, this ideology causes a, “segregation,” based on, “biological determination.” Secondly, the lecturer generally supports movements of self-determination, including the Palestinian one. In addition, he considers Israeli ideology to be on the “side of capitalist and colonialist powers,” and that it is “ethnically inhu-
man and destructive politically… for humans in general.” The second main argument that Steven Salaita made is that there should be a distinction between Israel and Jewish culture. He rejects the attempts of the Israeli government to represent the Jewish identity. For example, he analyzed the celebration of Jewish culture in around 80 American campuses. He observed that there is no apparent difference between Israel and Jewish culture. Indeed, Israel is at the center of these heavily politicized celebrations, as speeches by famous Zionist speakers and the attempt to create “a romantic notion of Levantine” illustrate. A consequence of inventing an Israeli soul synonymous with the Jewish identity is that being against Israel can be considered “anti-Semitic” in the United States, according to Salaita. In his book, Salaita defines Israel as an “ethnocentric state” and analyses the contradictions of this state. Israel pretends to be democratic
but by excluding Arabs they are undemocratic. Furthermore, Theodor Herzl promised the liberation of Jews from repression in Central and Eastern Europe; however, to attain this democratic liberation the undemocratic act of colonization was inevitably utilized and perpetrated by the Israeli army – referred to as “the Israeli occupation force” by Salaita to emphasize his point Summing up Salaita thoughts: he does not believe that nation states should have a soul, let alone Israel, a country whose history and disputable policies do not give it the right to create a soul. Last but not least, he thinks that no nation can embody a whole population. Some people are excluded from the national identity, like the Arabs are in Israel, he says.
Viewpoint
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
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Ineffective Censorship Issam Kayssi Contributing Writer This has become a habit; every month or so in Lebanon, we hear about someone pulling the plug on a certain film, book, or piece of music. The fact is that we’ve gotten used to media censorship. We’ve gotten used to it to the extent that the majority of the Lebanese people do not seem to care anymore. Acts of censorship are not new to us; various examples of censorship are there to be found and in recent memory a lot springs to mind. In 2009, The Diary of Anne Frank was censored out of a private school textbook without any valid justification. In late 2010, the now-annual Beirut International Film Festival witnessed two incidents of bowdlerization. The Lebanese General Security (Sécurité Generale) took measures to
postpone Green Days, an Iranian documentary about protests set after the country’s 2009 elections, and to completely censor Lebanese director De Gaulle Eid’s Chou Sar, a movie depicting the massacre of his family during the civil war. Fast forward to June 2011 and Green Days is completely banned from screening. In the same month, shipments of Lady Gaga’s Born This Way are impounded because they are considered offensive to certain religious groups. Just this month, director Steven Spielberg’s name was blacked out in Lebanese movie theaters for unknown reasons, and more recently, online news-site Now Lebanon killed its blog post depicting Lebanese leaders kissing (as a parody of the Benetton “un-hate campaign”) which I’m sure a lot of you have already
seen. And that’s exactly the point. This apathy is stemming from a certain identifiable belief among people. Regardless of whether the Sureté Generale has the right to perform these acts, or how the legal process pans out, or even the identity of the politico-religious parties or nations behind it all (and they are many and from opposing sides), the bottom line is: it is effectually ineffective. The crux of the matter is that censorship in the twenty-first century is weak. I won’t go into the tedious practice of listing all the media outlets we have today; the Internet is more than sufficient. Any of the above-mentioned books, films, or records can be attained with a click of a button.
The Forgotten Conflict Christoph Hanger Staff Writer Two minutes attention in the news and that’s it. After that, our compassion either disappears in our daily routine or goes to the next crisis in the world. These two minutes in the news deal with the world’s largest refugee camp in Kenya, Dadaab. Since 1991, refugees have been streaming from Somalia into the camp located on the borders of Somalia. It is a failing/failed state which provides refuge to radical militant groups who engulf Somalia with violence, terror and fear. The most well known of them is the cruel Al-Shabaab militia, suspected ally of Al-Qaeda, the terrorist organisation all humans, particularly Muslims, stress on rejecting. Because of their terror and the humanitarian crisis in parts of the Horn of Africa (It has not rained in two years in parts of Somalia,Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea) the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and the WFP (World Food Programme) have to deal with over 500,000 refugees in Dadaab who have lost their property and often family members. Most of the refugees have left their villages and cities in Somalia because of the hunger crisis of summer 2011. They are seeking water, food and shelter in the Eastern part of Kenya. In this crisis, Al-Shabaab, which controls parts of Southern Somalia, has shown their cruelness by not allowing NGO’s and the World Food Programme to intervene in the crisis. After heavy negotiations, they allowed the international community to send humanitarian aid but the Militia took over twenty percent of the goods for themselves. Since the crisis occurred, more than ten thousand people have died of starvation or have been victims of the perpetual Civil War in Somalia. Although the topic was really popular in the media and millions of dollars were collected to stop the humanitarian crisis, nothing happened to
URL: http://www.kleinezeitung.at fight the reasons why such things are still happening in our globalized and wealthy world society. First of all, the international community should focus on the causes of such a crisis, which could often be solved with a minimum amount of financial effort backing local projects responsibly. These could include agricultural projects, slowing down mass urbanization, financing and supporting a local food market, doing research for better and more resistant seeds and fighting corruption. All in all, these efforts are worth nothing if people are forced to leave their hometowns due to military actions or war in their region. But why is there no serious effort by the international community to solve the regional conflict which affects Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia? There are more deaths that can be directly and indirectly linked to the out-
comes of terror perpetrated by the Shabaab Militia than to any other actual crisis in the world. Is it because there is no oil to take? Or is it because the First World has learned to look away if another starving child is shown in the news? I personally think that humanitarian sid crises in third world countries nowadays are a test to show if the West and the international community are willing to change their short term measures into long term solutions; mainly stabilizing the region. It can’t be a matter of financial resources or resources at all, since our global food market is able to feed more then 12 billion people. If it is a matter of will, it is our task to bring attention to such topics and make people realize that it is not done with only a ten dollar donation for the next hunger crisis somewhere in Africa.
Viewpoint
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
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Toilet 101: Top four worst toilet habits at AUB Lama T. Zakharia Staff Writer / Mohamad Al Medawar Photographer
Going into a few of the bathroom stalls around AUB campus can be quiet unappealing for many brave outside-of-the-house users. While our much-appreciated cleaning staff take extra care to make sure we live under humane sanitary conditions, some users are determined to fight cleanliness in almost every sense. Here are four of the worst toilet manners around campus:
1. Toilet paper for sale: Before I get into the nuts and bolts of this pleasing topic, I’d like to mention my encounter with the one of a kind toilet paper here at AUB. It’s not! It’s more like tissues trying to be napkins and failing at it. I don’t understand what’s so hard about getting us casual toilet paper rolls. Regardless of that, I harbor feelings of anger against anyone who insists on using the toilet bowl as a garbage bin. If they can clearly spot the bin right there, then why on earth would they throw it in the toilet? I’d like to call such users: The Channel Blockers. 2. Visual punishment: I’m certain that any person living in this world today has stumbled upon this terrible mishap. You wake up, brush your teeth, have breakfast, get your coffee, use one of those bathrooms on campus, and walk in on a special gift left unwrapped especially for you by someone else. I’m talking discarded unflushed feces here (trying to use polite language). Once I realize that the toilet is perfectly flushable, I ask myself: Have you no shame? Is it that hard to flush a toilet? Do you intentionally want to display that ugly part of you for everyone else to see? Are you that cold hearted? I’d like to call such users of the worst kind: The Punishers. 3. Harm half done:
Compared to The Punishers, these users are surely to be held less accountable for their actions. Such users might’ve committed their sin due to a multiplicity of factors such as: lack of utility, tight on time, or even mere forgetfulness. In other words, those are users who have dutifully flushed their belongings but had not felt the responsibly for those remnants that follow. Mercy aside, they’re still blamed for their actions. I urge them to use that stick with those spiky things on its top. Some call it a toilet brush. I call such users: Polite Rebels. 4. Hose misplaced: If you are ever blessed to find a stall with those little white water spraying things, rejoice! However, I allow you to feel sad once you find that someone threw it on the floor after using it even though there’s a special-built handle on the wall functioning as a holder. Such users don’t seem to think that this action (returning anything to its place) is necessary in that context. I call such users: Party Poopers.
suggests that our brains don’t discount the women on the cover of Cosmo even when subjects know these women are models. Subjects judge an average attractive woman as less desirable as a date after just having seen models.” With this said, we can only imagine the negative effects of the magazine. The Cosmopolitan magazine claims to target, “fun fearless women who want to be the best they can be in every area of their lives.” Fair enough, but if only it actually sets out to do what it claims. Is it to empower women or is it for women to further feel objectified? I have yet to see a girl’s magazine that does not have topics pertaining to sex or beauty tips; things that cannot bring true happiness. Further, are these the real issues on a girl’s minds? How does this educate a girl in the right way? The writers do not base any of their articles on facts. If the magazine is geared towards girls who are trying to better themselves then how come all the girls in the magazine are supposedly perfect? Are they telling girls that if they read the magazine they will look like the girls in the magazines or
that they should live up to these unrealistic, air-brushed expectations? How is this setting up women to be “fun and fearless?” The real issues that should be talked about more are the real issues young girls and women are going through such as obstacles about body and self image, eating disorders, unrealistic expectations set for themselves, depression, family problems, inner conflicts and outside pressures. Maybe if we shed more light on these things, young women will be better-balanced and lead healthier lives. These young girls need a reality check and also need to learn that the world is not all about outer appearances, but rather inner beauty, success, family, friends, and above all, personal happiness. Setting a goal, surrounding herself by the right people who love her, and being fearless enough to face real challenges in life is a great beginning. The challenges I’m talking about aren’t the ones Cosmopolitan, Gossip Girl and Sex in the City have answers to. Slowly but steadily, maybe this misguided girl can find her true path to self-discovery.
*Note: These habits are not only restricted to AUB campus and its students. In fact, you can find many similar happenings in almost any place in the world. Furthermore, apologies if the topic handled caused any form of nausea, discomfort, or silent weeping.
Misguided Girl Sarah Zaytoun Staff Writer Society has transformed, and with each day that passes the media stands stronger than the day before; a major platform for our thoughts, actions, and perceptions of what is real. Psychological disorders are further being catalyzed by the media’s ideas of how a person’s life should be. These ideas penetrate through a person’s mind and slowly shape their actions unconsciously. TV shows, soap operas, magazines, music, etc., all seem to be harmless forms of entertainment for young girls all over the world. A lot of young girls these days are watching shows such as Gossip Girl, Desperate Housewives, Sex in the City and the list goes on. It is indeed entertaining to spend leisure time watching such television shows, but to relate them to real life is downright insane. The characters in these shows are highly glamorized and live seemingly perfect lives - at least on the surface. I’m not saying it’s not fun and entertaining to watch such shows, but watching them and basing them on real life is what makes them detrimental. Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University, Douglas Kenrick, states, “our research
Alumni
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
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Class Notes: AUB Alumnus Rana Hajjeh Maingate Rana Hajjeh (BS ’84, MD ’88) is director of the Division of Bacterial Diseases at the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases (CDC). A world renowned epidemiologist who spends as much time in the field as in the office, Hajjeh discussed her wide ranging work with MainGate. You were a young medical student at AUB at the height of Lebanon’s civil war. That must have been quite challenging. The civil war started when I was in the sixth grade and was at its height when I was at AUB from 1981 to 1988. Growing up in an emergency war situation can make you a lot more flexible in dealing with emergencies. I’m not immobilized by unexpected events, which has served me well in my career at CDC responding to public health emergencies and dealing with global health issues. How did your interest in epidemiology or infectious diseases originate? I’ve always been interested in public health, but my interest really took root during my residency and fellowship at Emory University. I was getting somewhat frustrated with clinical medicine and the fact that patients were repeatedly coming in with recurrent medical conditions that could have been easily prevented, so I signed on for the two-year Epidemic Intelligence Service program at the CDC in 1993. It made me a very firm believer in prevention and the importance of good public health. I now work on vaccines, which are the ultimate prevention intervention. Does your focus on vaccines mean that you’re mainly concerned with childhood diseases? I trained as an internist and an infectious diseases specialist; my interest is broadly in public health with a focus on infectious diseases. The vaccines I work on now are also given to adults. Recently, my division played a major role in introducing the meningococcal meningitis vaccines. Meningococcal disease causes horrible epidemics in what is called the African Meningitis Belt, which is sub-Saharan Africa. Our group helped to develop the vaccine and to provide the infrastructure for implementation at the country level. The new vaccine was recently launched in Burkina Faso and is expanding to cover other countries. It may soon eliminate meningitis epidemics in the region. You’ve been all over the world from South Africa, Thailand, Peru, the Middle East… CDC is the national public health agency for the United States, but we also serve as technical experts and consultants for the World Health Organization (WHO) and for various other
countries who appeal to the CDC for assistance. In 2001, there was a big outbreak of meningococcal meningitis during the Hajj. Being a Muslim, I was the only member of the CDC team able to make it all the way to Mecca. It’s interesting how my background as a Francophone in Haiti and as an Arabic speaking infectious diseases medical epidemiologist in Saudi Arabia helped get me to the front lines. However, background can only take you so far. It was my training in managing large outbreaks that made me part of the response team in the anthrax attacks in Washington, DC in 2001. The fascinating thing about epidemiology is that you’re not only looking at the clinical and pathological aspects of disease but also at the interaction with the environment, society, culture, and human behavior. Are global travel and the ease with which people move around the world now leading to infections spreading more quickly? Yes. Two recent examples are the 2003 SARS epidemic, which originated in Hong Kong, and the H1N1 influenza, which originated in Mexico. They both spread rapidly throughout the world. I was involved in the Hotel “M” investigation—the hotel in Hong Kong where the first SARS case occurred. From one case the virus spread all over the world within weeks. The Hajj meningitis epidemic was due to a new strain of the meningitis organism. Again, weeks after the outbreak occurred in Mecca, small clusters began appearing in various countries, including places in Europe and North America as pilgrims returned home. Microbes are like humans, they keep evolving. You returned from a cholera relief effort in Haiti not long ago. What did you see there? They haven’t rebuilt anything yet and there are piles of rubble still in the street. Water and hygiene infrastructure is almost nonexistent, which has significantly contributed to the rapid spread of the cholera epidemic. I had to stay in a tent on the US Embassy grounds for three weeks because there aren’t many hotels in Port au Prince that are safe enough to stay in. In terms of the cholera, people in refugee camps actually fared much better than people outside because most of the refugee camps are operated by relief organizations and NGOs and they provide cleaner water than is available to the rest of the country. In Haiti, especially in rural areas, people go to the rivers directly for everything they need. Until the infrastructure in Haiti is rebuilt so that people have access to safe water, it will be very difficult to control the cholera outbreak completely and to prevent future outbreaks.
URL: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tareqsala/huddin/1328517696 Is there a vaccine for cholera? Cholera vaccines are not very effective. There’s a new one now, but it’s available only in limited quantities. The main intervention is to educate the public about the importance of using clean water. They hadn’t had a single case of cholera in Haiti for 100 years, so the population was completely naïve and vulnerable to the organism which spread very quickly. Even the physicians weren’t trained because they had never seen a case of cholera. Are you seeing wider gaps in public health between developed and undeveloped countries? Some public health interventions can be costly. In developing countries it takes a lot more resources to implement them. New vaccines that deal with pneumonia and diarrhea are much more expensive than routine vaccines, so they’re generally introduced in the United States and other high income countries at least ten years before they make it to low income countries. However, there are many global efforts ongoing right now to change this trend, such as the work done by GAVI [the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization]. What makes you most hopeful about the work you do? I strongly believe that the implementation of public health interventions is the way to better health for the world. You are literally saving thousands of lives as you go. To see so many children have access to life saving interventions and feeling that I’ve played a part in that is extremely rewarding.
Arts and Culture
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
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Play Review: The Hour of the Wolf Zainab Al-Dabbagh Contributing Writer As the lights go off, an overwhelming amount of feeling plays at the strings of the audience’s souls. You can hear sighs, uncomfortable coughs, and people fidgeting in their seats. Are you a stranger to this feeling? If you have ever seen a play by Mounir Abou Debs, then you are too familiar with it. The Hour of the Wolf, as Abou Debs describes, is the darkest hour of the day, right before dawn. The hours when the wolves come out and the whole world rests in a comfortable coma of silence. Utter darkness with one spot of light on the back wall, silhouettes walking in slow motion. As every step sinks into the squeaky wooden floor, internal interpretation begins. What is this? What does it mean? I don’t understand it! Should I understand it? I feel uncomfortable. That’s what I could hear the audience murmur. The setting of the stage is simple: two wooden chairs, a chest, a stage, and a rock. The actors roll slowly onto the stage, walk across it and come to a halt. They freeze, now they’re statues. One of the actors disturbs the comfortable slow motion of the world the audience was taken into with fast and snappy movements. Speech begins: “The flowerpot is no longer in its place in this house. Love is no longer understood,” says the female nameless character in flawless Arabic as the male character packs stacks of books into the chest. You can hear the longing for how life
used to be in their voices. The two characters start conversing, the male is leaving and the female is begging to go with him. “Take me with you, this house is full of ghosts. These windows are frames from which I see the sky, people coming and people departing. Take me with you.” The male character never answers her plea; instead he goes down the road of memories. How this house used to be and how everything was beautiful. Meanwhile, two voiceless female characters in the background were moving in soothing motion, which they later explained was the energy they got from the audience and then interpreted into movement. As the play ended, the audience had a hard time snapping back into reality. They were transported to a surreal place where only the imagination mattered and solitude was their best friend. Abou Debs explained that this kind of theater is meant to encourage the audience to rely on their imagination, to deduce the ending that is suitable to each and every one of them. During the after-play discussion, one of the audience members explained his experience
saying: “I drowned into my own darkness. The movement took me to a parallel universe.” His statement met admiration from a large portion of the audience. Another claimed that he did not understand the play, Abou Debs replied: “The audience shouldn’t understand what’s happening, the only thing that should reach them for sure is the energy of the actor.” When asked about the source of inspiration for this emotional rollercoaster of a play, Abou Debs said to Outlook “It’s a memory of unfathomable moments.” URL http://www.skoun.net
Think again before adopting a low-Carb diet Rola Ghaddar Nutrition Society Member It is no question that most people today aren’t satisfied with the way they look and are recurrently trying out different diets and medication to keep those extra pounds off. The Atkins Diet is widely acknowledged because it promises a quick and easy solution to weight control problems. Keeping in mind that losing more than 2 pounds a week is not recommended, the Atkins Diet or the low carb diet, allows you to lose up to 9 pounds of weight per week! These numbers are what attract people towards this diet. Finding themselves gaining weight shortly after starting the diet, it leaves most people disappointed and confused. This mystery can only be explained by understanding the mechanism that this diet follows. By following this kind of diet, they are consuming little sources of glucose, which will stimulate insulin, the hormone that your body uses to absorb glucose. Surprisingly, this isn’t its only role! Insulin will also promote fat storage thereby most of the extra calories consumed
will be converted to fat. What most people fail to know is that this 7-9 pound weight loss is not brought by a loss of fat but is actually a loss of water. This is because the body is burning the stored carbohydrates (not fat) and releasing water. By such an approach, the body is adapting to an unhealthy process, which may lead in severe cases of the degradation of lean muscle cells. Knowing that muscles burn up calories even when sleeping, as the percentage of muscle in the body decreases, metabolism slows down. Consequently, after adapting this diet, body composition will become high in fat and low in muscles and water, which will make it difficult to sustain the weight, and to lose weight in the future. If you’re aiming towards weight loss in a healthy harmless way, don’t stress yourself and deprive your body of its essential nutrientsthat will only backfire on your body. The next
time you’re dieting, try following these tips: - Eat smaller portions - Exercise - Avoid fatty food - Diversify your choices - Don’t deprive yourself from your favorites; just have them less often or in smaller quantities - Find healthy snacks and meals that you enjoy Tackling a diet comes hand in hand with a change in lifestyle - try to embrace a healthier daily routine and you will definitely feel the difference.
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Tuesday, November 29, 2011
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Outloud
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
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What does being Lebanese mean to you ? Rida Daher Staff Writer / Tugce Coskun Photographer
Abed El Kader Hatahet: “I can break the rules! And I have to be witty to survivethat’s a negative point, given that we give but we don’t receive from our country.”
Viken Aznavourian: “Patriotism and cleverness, in addition to a superb nightlife.”
Farah Chaitilly: “It makes me proud when I know that the Lebanese are contributing to worldwide achievement.”
Christelle Jarrouj/ Carmen Hamady/ Claire Chalouhi: “Coexistence and good cuisine.” - “Meaningless.” - “Nice weather.”
Hicham Alamaddine: “Regardless of identity, everyone should be proud of his nationality.”
Tamara Bazerbachi: “Just a name!”
Ali Ghaddar: “Chaos and disorder!”
Omar Khodor: “Very patriotic; for when you’re born you have obligations towards your country.”
Mohamad Ali Keserwan: “ Expresses arrogance, excess of confidence and pride…a feel of superiority. ”
Farah Abed-el Rahman: “Lots of religious diversity; we have freedom of expression.”
Arts and Culture
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
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Drake’s “Take Care” Album Review Hashem Oseiran Contributing Writer Drake’s sophomore album “Take Care” hit the stands on November 15, 2011 and was instantaneously a phenomenal success amongst rap’s main stream and underground subcultures simultaneously. The album is a composition of 18 tracks that adhere to Drake’s introspective and sentimental style as the subject matter mainly revolves around themes of failed love, family, friends, and fame. “Take Care” distinguishes itself from both the debut album “Thank Me Later” and Drake’s mix tape “So Far Gone” since it manifests a new maturity in the recording artist’s work and life. Unlike the previous albums, Drake no longer is a victim in the eternal conflict between fame and privacy, he has buried his nostalgic longing towards the humbleness and sincerity of his pre-fame life and finally embraces the perks that come with wealth and celebrity status. Unlike previous projects, “Take Care” is constructed from the perspective of the accomplished, successful artist rather than from the perspective of the “underdog” struggling to make a name in the industry. The album lends its self to many genres mainly as a result of the integration of versatile artists that add to the albums rap essence. The Canadian based band “The Weeknd” contributed a low-key R&B feel through their collaboration with Drake on the tracks “Crew Love” and “The Ride.” Bonafide rappers like Lil Wayne and Rick Ross appear as featuring artists on many tracks and legitimize Drake’s preponderance in the list of top rappers. Also, artists like Stevie Wonder and Jamie XX were integral factors in the creative direction of the album that defies expectation and supersedes mediocrity.
The mood of the album is mainly centered on a low-tempo and sensuous beat that is infused with Pop, R&B, and Electro styles which give each track a distinguished feature. Drake’s fresh approach to rap in “Take Care” has put him on top of the charts; his music does not conform to any commercial standards but rather defies cliché in the most interesting and creative ways. The artist strays away from the norm of wordy and fast rap as he bases his songs on slow flows and melodies in order to give the audience a chance to digest the full meanings behind his lyrics and songs. Drake’s sophomore album retraces his tracks as he embarks on this new life, beginning at a humble start in Toronto and ending at the Throne of the Rap game. Drake describes the hardships he encountered in his early stages before success in songs like “Look What You’ve Done” that is dedicated to his aunt, the woman who guided him through his darkest times. On the other hand, songs like “HYFR,” “Practice,” and “Over my Dead Body” embrace Drake’s current reality as a phenomenal success. The album is a narrative of the artist’s life and attempts to portray Drake’s true self rather than just occupying radio play and topping music charts. As a result of the huge development and expansion in the rap industry, it is no longer enough for a rapper to be able just to rap and twist words, nowadays the artist needs to be able to present something new and fresh in order to appeal to audiences. Drake’s “Take Care” is the epitome of a fresh new school in rap, and to many it is the ideal type that all other rap albums should be measured against.
URL: http://www.xlurbanmedia.com/blogs/ music-blogs/big-ghost-goes-in-drake-album/review
Editorial:A Tinge of Green Lojine Kamel Editor-in-Chief “Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.” - Cree Indian Proverb One cannot stress the importance of environmental awareness and the protection of our natural resources. Lebanon, in particular, is such a beautiful country with so much of its greatness stemming from its nature. Yet our seashores are polluted, our streets littered with garbage, and our recycling nearly nonexistent. Lebanon’s second major source of income is tourism, much of which is attributed to the geographical Mecca that encompasses the land. Home to forests, mountains, lakes and coasts,
Lebanon is the top destination for Arab tourists from any country. Yet its splendor is slowly making way for shopping malls and crowded intersections, only to be further polluted. It is such a shame to see our forest preserves strewn with candy wrappers and soda cans. Anyone walking on the Corniche can attest to the mounds of trash obscuring the clear water. Even AUB is not exempt from this. Buildings may provide commerce, but nature provides identity. We may splurge on materialistic needs but in the end what remains but blue and green? It is our duty to salvage what greenery we have left and invest in its propagation for the future. After all, money doesn’t grow on trees. Oh, wait.
Arts and Culture
Tuesday uesday, November ovember 29, 2011
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Movie Review: Breaking Dawn Ghida Ismail Staff Writer It’s the beginning of the end! Breaking Dawn part one has finally been released to the excitement of teenagers everywhere. Twilight began six years ago as a series of four vampire-themed fantasy romance novels by American author Stephenie Meyer, which have since been made into a series of movies. It tells the story of a teenager, Bella Swan, who falls in love with a 104 year old vampire, Edward Cullen. The Twilight saga has gained immense popularity all over the world. With it, a new era has started in which vampires ceased to be a source of fear and terror, and became the reflection of beauty and perfection. After the first three motion pictures: Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse were huge commercial successes, spectators awaited impatiently for the last part of the series, Breaking Dawn. Breaking Dawn part one was released on November 18. The movie picks up with Bella and Edward’s wedding. The last installment of the saga is much more emotional and dramatic than the previous ones. In fact, Bella finds out she’s pregnant and while usually this represents good news for a family, for the Cullens it isn’t. It was a tragedy, since the fast-growing fetus was much stronger than Bella, killing her and sucking the life out of her. Throughout the film, we can see Bella struggling emotionally and physically. She loves the baby in her; she wants to keep it, to sacrifice herself, though this decision is hurting every-
one around her. Also, the pact of werewolves, Jacob’s family, is against this child vampire, and plan to kill it. So Jacob is put in a difficult situation. We can see all through the movie Bella‘s health deteriorating really quickly. She eventually looks sick and about to die; she’s emaciated. Kristen Stewart’s acting was impressive and convincing; she knew how to show Bella’s suffering to the viewers. The tragic situation was accentuated by the choice of music in the background. On the other hand humor was also incorporated into some parts of the movie. As for the ending it was described as “shocking” and “surprising” by AUB graduate Lara Koraytem. It left audiences eager to know what will happen next in part two. Breaking Dawn received mixed reviews. While Jana Ismail, a student in school, couldn’t get over how “amazing” the movie was, AUB engineering student Pamela Khoury was deceived by the movie and said “I thought there was no story, no action, the movie was dull.” Despite this, Breaking Dawn topped Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse in the Box office with four new records. Twilight fans will be keenly waiting for the second part. Furthermore the question on everyone’s mind is: Will Breaking Dawn part two, be as successful as the last Harry Potter? And will it be able to top it in the Box office?
Movie Review: Rue Huvelin Issam Kayssi Contributing Writer Following a number of Lebanese films to hit theaters this year, many considered greatly successful, Rue Huvelin had its own buzz surrounding it. The film, written by Maroun Nassar and directed by Mounir Maasri, stars several actors considered new to the Lebanese big screen such as Charbel Kamel, Robert Cremona, and Carmen Bsaibes, as well as other familiar faces such as Adel Karam and Betty Taoutel. Named after the Achrafieh street home to the Saint Joseph University social sciences campus, the film tells the story of the societal and political struggle of USJ Huvelin from the point of view of its students, who face the, “oppression of authority and the indifference of a society,” as the film’s official summary states. The film takes place in the early 2000s in Beirut, and spans several years, focusing mainly on seven students’ university life under political control during the Syrian regime’s era in Lebanon. A feature common to the students at the university is adopted by the film, as it alternates mainly between the Arabic and French languag-
es. The film primarily concerns itself with the characters’ secretive preparations for upcoming demonstrations against the Syrian rule over their country, the distribution of political flyers on campus as well as other political activities. The audience gets a closer look at the lives of the seven students as the story unfolds to find out they are as much involved in activism and protest as they are in romance. The film covers several historic incidents such as the annual campaigns of solidarity with Lebanese farmers, the closure of the television station MTV, as well as the intelligence services’ pursuit of late journalist Samir Kassir, who was then a professor at the university. For an audience familiar with these events, the film is inspirational, but for those who are not, there could have been room for clarification. The use of real-life footage contributes to the film’s realism and so does its setting in the actual locations where the events occurred. However, some roles such as that of the intelligence services officer could have been por-
trayed in a more realistic manner, as it was more generalist and not specifically pertaining to its Syrio-Lebanese background. The film is well shot and its lighting and general coloring is consistent with the mood, yet the visual and audio quality at some Lebanese theaters (such as that of Sodeco Square) were a bit below par, but according to producers, this will soon be fixed for future screenings. The film’s original soundtrack, composed by Christofer Slaski, was one of its strong points and contributed to the general feeling it relays to the audience. Even though the film revolves only around a specific group of students at that time, it manages to tell a story of larger scale proportions, a story, which had a tremendous impact on Lebanon’s political future. Overall, with compelling performances such as that of Taoutel, Rue Huvelin is a powerful film, and one that is especially recommended to those who recall this period of Lebanon’s history.
صفحة 13
االربعاء 23 ,تشرين الثاني2011 ,
اإليدز
نهاد غازي عواد محررة قسم اللغة العربية
أقيمت ندوة عنوانها «فحص اإليدز .مناقشات عاملية ،وأدلة جديدة من دراسة متعددة املواقع» .خالل الندوة مت استعراض السياسات املتعلقة بفحص فيروس نقص املناعة البشرية ،على خلفية املناقشات بني املدافعني عن حقوق اإلنسان ومتخصصي الصحة السكانية .وقد متت اإلضاءة على املواضيع الرئيسية في فحص اإليدز وكيف متت معاجلتها في دراسة «ماتش» .وهي دراسة متت في عدة مواقع في أفريقيا وتتعلق بفحص اإليدز واملشورة للمصابني به. أقيمت الندوة في مبنى ال»فان دايك» برعاية املركز املتخصص ببحوث الصحة السكانية ،وقد حاضرت فيها الدكتورة كارال مخلوف أوبرماير .وقد استمرت الندوة حوالي الساعة ،طرح فيها أهداف دراسة «ماتش»وهي ثالث :حتديد الدوافع للخضوع لفحص فيروس نقص املناعة البشرية ،ووصف اإلجراءات املتخذة للقبول بالفحص واحلفاظ على السرية وتقدمي املشورة من وجهة نظر العاملني في مجال الصحة في بعض مناطق أفريقيا ثم وصف إلمكانية الوصول أو عدمه للمتابعة الرعائية والدعم اإلجتماعي فضال عن القضايا املتعلقة بالعار والتمييز. هذه الدراسة تعزز من إمكانية حتقيق التغيير ضمن املؤسسات ،وتخولنا القيام بتطوير منهجية متقدمة للتحقق من أسباب اإلقبال على اخلدمات الصحية وإمكانية توفرها للجميع.النتائج األولية للدراسة تظهر أن كل من العاملني في مجال الرعاية الصحية واملرضى راضني من التوفر الروتيني الختبارات فيروس نقص املناعة البشرية في اخلدمات الصحية األفريقية .كما ان اإلقبال على هذه اخلدمات يزداد بشكل مضطرد ،مما يخلق ضغوطا على املؤسسات الصحية التي تعاني من نقص في العديد لتوفير املتابعة الرعائية املتزايدة واحتياجات الدعم االجتماعي.
والفحص الروتيني حسب منظمة الصحة العاملية هو فحص يجرى لألفراد بني عمر ال 13وال 68بغض النظر عما اذا كانوا حاملني للفيروس ام ال ويجب أن يكون املريض موافق على إجراء الفحص وال يحق ألحد أن يجريه بدون علمه .وينقسم الفحص الروتيني الى قسمني :مبادرة الشخص لفحص اإليدز واملشورة املعروف باسم االستشارة واالختبار الطوعيني أو .)VCT ويشمل األفراد الذين يسعون للحصول عليه وميكن إجرائه في املرافق الصحية أو املنازل .ومبادرة اخملتص لفحص اإليدز واملشورة وهي تكون من قبل مقدمي الرعاية الصحية للمرضى الذين يحضرون املراكز التي يعملون بها .وهم يوصون باإلختبار كمكون أساسي للرعاية الصحية للذين تظهر لديهم عوارض سريرية قد تكون مرافقة لعدوى نقص املناعة املكتسبة. هناك دالئل على أن في معظم بلدان العالم يتم اختبار املرضى دون علمهم ،وقد مت توثيق هذا قبل عقد من الزمن في أوروبا ،حيث مت اختبار ما يقدر ب ٪ 10إلى ٪ 20من أفراد العينة دون علمهم .كما ان املستشفيات اخلاصة في الهند تقوم بإختبار العديد من املرضى الذين سيخضعون لعملية جراحية من دون موافقتهم .لكن األدلة حول حجم املشكلة ما تزال محدودة. فاملعلومات املرتبطة باإلرشادات والقوانني املتعلقة بقبول املريض اخلضوع للفحص غير مكتملة بعد .حتى عندما يكون هناك حرية في اإلختيار ،ال يشعر املرضى بأن له احلرية اما بسبب اإلعتقاد بأن املوافقة ستحسن من نوعية الرعاية الصحية التي يتلقونها وإما بسبب اعتقادهم أنهم ال ميكنهم التراجع واما بسبب شعورهم بأن الرفض له عواقب سلبية .لذا من املهم توثيق املشاكل املتعلقة باملوافقة في مختلف الظروف حيث أنها تساعد عل تقييم مدى تأثير التصورات والتوقعات على
إستعداد املريض للخضوع للفحص. ان ازدياد نسبة إجراء الفحص ،ألقى الضوء على األبعاد األخالقية للفحص واحلاجة حلماية حقوق أولئك الذين يخضعون لإلختبار .وتتخذ السرية بعدا أخالقيا مهما بسبب إرتباطها بحقوق املرضى وتأثيرها على هدف الصحة السكانية املتمثل بزيادة عدد املستفيدين من خدمة الفحص .فمستوى السرية يؤثر على إستعداد األشخاص للخضوع للفحص. يتأثر مدى قيام العاملني في اجملال الصحي باحلفاظ على سرية املرضى بعدة عوامل منها :القوانني والسياسات احلكومية والسياسات املؤسساتية ،واملوارد املتاحة واملواقف اإلجتماعية السائدة .وتشير الدالئل إلى أن انعدام السرية ميكن أن يكون مشكلة خطيرة في العديد من األماكن .وخصوصا في األماكن التي يرى فيها العاملني في الصحة السكانية ،السرية كتشجيع على االعمال الشرعية كما هي احلال في سنغافورة وباكستان. ثم مت تبيان أنواع األسئلة املتعلقة بإجراء الفحص واملشورة وهي ثالث أنواع :تلك املتعلقة باملريض ،واألخرى املتعلقة بالعاملني في اخلدمات الصحية واالسئلة املتعلقة باحمليط .ثم فتح اجملال لألسئلة. ويبقى مفتاح احلل في فهم الدوافع ،التصرفات ،واخلبرات املتعلقة بالفحص والسرية .وحتليل البنود املتعلقة باخلدمات الالئقة للفحص واملشورة.والتحقق من األبعاد األخالقية للفحص واملشورة. ويبقى املثل القائل» درهم وقاية خير من قنطار عالج» أفضل احللول .
أليس عجيباً ...؟! إبراهيم مرتضى كاتب صحفي
أليس عجيبا ً كيف يتمكن اإلهمال و اجلهل من مسح حضارة بلد كان منارة و مصدرا ً للجمال و احلضارة؟ أليس غريبا ً كيف تهمل أغاني عمالقة الغناء و الزمن الذهبي املرصع بكلمات سعيد عقل و أحلان الرحابنة و تشوه سيرة حياة األسطورة صباح لتصدح األغاني الفارغة السخيفة ك «واوا أح» و «ترشرش» ويقوم لها املستمعني طروبني راقصني؟ أليس عجيبا ً كيف يكافح و يحتج املواطن كي يعيش بكرامة ويأكل خبزا ً من عرق جبينه وكل ما يحصل عليه هو ارتفاع ألسعار الطعام و البنزين و كل الوسائل احليوية بينما ال يرخص شيء سوى قيمة اإلنسان و كرامته؟ أليس غريبا ً كيف يرفع السياسيون الشعارات النبيلة يدعون السعي للوحدة الوطنية و حب اآلخر و يدعون إلى و ّ احلوار و التفاهم بينما تكثر الشتائم و التشرذم الذي يقسم بلدنا و تبقى الوظائف الرئاسية و السياسية تابعة للتوزيع الطائفي؟ أليس عجيبا ً كيف ندعو مغتربينا إلى العودة و ننظم لهم للهجرة في أقرب فرصة و إلى أقرب بر أمان؟ قصائد حتت ظل شجرة األرز و قرب النبع الرقراق في بلد و تكثر األمثلة التي جتسد الغرائب و العجائب في بلدنا لبنان. احلب و السالم ،بينما تزدحم أبواب سفاراتنا بشباب هاربني من الظلم و البطالة و الفساد وحتى كهولنا تسعى فكما عجائب الطبيعة,هناك عجائب السياسة واجملتمع.
URL: http://prince-of-powerpoint.deviantart.com/ art/Modified-Confused-Smiley-36196047
صفحة 14
االربعاء 23 ,تشرين الثاني2011 ,
مداخل امل�ست�شفيات = مقربة الفقراء!!! جاد �شم�س الدين كاتب �صحفي انه التاسع والعشرون من شهر تشرين الثاني للعام ،2011 الفي وإحدى عشر عاما ً مروا ومازا الفقراء ميوتون على مداخل املستشفيات. الطاقة الشمسية اصبحت تزودنا بالنور في الليل والنهار.اصبح لالنسان القدرة على التواصل مع اخيه االنسان في أي مكان في العالم صوتا وصورة ببضع ثوان فقط .وصل االنسان الى سطح القمر واملريخ،اال اننا مازلنا في العالم العربي وخاصة في لبنان منوت امام مداخل املستشفيات.اليس من املعيب ان يحوي العالم العربي على اغنى رجال العالم و في الوقت عينه على افقر فقراء العالم . لبنان املعروف بأنه السباق دائما في التطور و املواكب االول للعصر اال انه اقل من بدائي على صعيد تأمني الرعاية االجتماعية للفرد.فهل يعقل أن تسمح دولتنا الكرمية ألي مستشفى كانت ان ترفض استقبال اي فرد من افراد اجملتمع فقط ألنه ال يستطيع تغطية تكاليف العالج ؟!!!،هل من الضروري ان يناشد الفقير الدولة و اصحاب الشأن و املال لكي مينونه مبساعدة بسيطة ال تكفي لتغطية العالج ؟ ملاذا هناك متييز بني افراد اجملتمع ؟فإذا كان الشخص معروف بأنه صاحب مال يتم استقباله بأحسن الطرق بينما الفقير يرمى على الطريق!!أال يجب ان تكون هذه جرمية يعاقب عليها القانون؟
منذ بضعة اسابيع تعرض أحد الفنانني في إحدى البلدان العربية الى عارض صحي مفاجئ ،وقد قام أحد كبار مسؤولي بلده بتأمني طائرة خاصة لنقله الى إحدى مستشفيات لبنان.فور وصوله الى لبنان اعلنت وزارة الصحة اللبنانية انها سوف تتكفل بكافة مصاريف العالج كما أن أمراء و مسؤولني عرب اعلنوا ان أموالهم بتصرفه .مع العلم أن الفنان ال يحتاج الى مساعدة أحد و لو أراد لبنى مستشفى خاصة به . احلمد هلل انه تعافى .ما أقصده ليس شخص الفنان بل التمييز القائم بني افراد اجملتمع .فالسؤال البديهي هو ما الذي يفرق الفنان عن أي فرد من أفراد اجملتمع فكلنا متساوون في احلقوق و الواجبات كما تعلمنا في املدرسة وحتديدا ً في كتاب التربية املدنية الذي يحتوي على ما نحلم به وليس ما نراه أمام اعيننا . من املعيب ان نبقى في هذا املستوى املتدني من العناية الصحية واإلجتماعية .فلماذا ال تهتموا ايها املسؤولون بكيفية حل هذه املشكلة بدل من ان تهدروا وقتكم بتبادل اإلتهامات والعمل بالضد بني بعضكم البعض .رمبا انكم تناسيتم بأن حلم اكتافكم من خير هؤالء الفقراء . بكل اختصار إهتموا بالفقير ألنه أبدى منكم و من منواشاتكم الصبيانية...
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وجهة نظر--سوا ٌد في اجلامعة األمريك ّية في بيروت
الزهراء ماجد مساهمة صحفية
أقيمت ندوة عنوانها «فحص اإليدز .مناقشات عاملية ،وأدلة جديدة من دراسة متعددة املواقع» .خالل الندوة مت استعراض السياسات املتعلقة بفحص فيروس نقص املناعة البشرية ،على خلفية املناقشات بني املدافعني عن حقوق اإلنسان ومتخصصي الصحة السكانية .وقد متت اإلضاءة على املواضيع الرئيسية في فحص اإليدز وكيف متت معاجلتها في دراسة «ماتش» .وهي دراسة متت في عدة مواقع في أفريقيا وتتعلق بفحص اإليدز واملشورة للمصابني به. أقيمت الندوة في مبنى ال»فان دايك» برعاية املركز املتخصص ببحوث الصحة السكانية ،وقد حاضرت فيها الدكتورة كارال مخلوف أوبرماير .وقد استمرت الندوة حوالي الساعة ،طرح فيها أهداف دراسة «ماتش»وهي ثالث :حتديد الدوافع للخضوع لفحص فيروس نقص املناعة البشرية ،ووصف اإلجراءات املتخذة للقبول بالفحص واحلفاظ على السرية وتقدمي املشورة من وجهة نظر العاملني في مجال الصحة في بعض مناطق أفريقيا ثم وصف إلمكانية الوصول أو عدمه للمتابعة الرعائية والدعم اإلجتماعي فضال عن القضايا املتعلقة بالعار والتمييز. هذه الدراسة تعزز من إمكانية حتقيق التغيير ضمن املؤسسات ،وتخولنا القيام بتطوير منهجية متقدمة للتحقق من أسباب اإلقبال على اخلدمات الصحية وإمكانية توفرها للجميع.النتائج األولية للدراسة تظهر أن كل من العاملني في مجال الرعاية الصحية واملرضى راضني من التوفر الروتيني الختبارات فيروس نقص املناعة البشرية في اخلدمات الصحية األفريقية .كما ان اإلقبال على هذه اخلدمات يزداد بشكل مضطرد ،مما يخلق ضغوطا على املؤسسات الصحية التي تعاني من نقص في العديد لتوفير املتابعة الرعائية املتزايدة واحتياجات الدعم االجتماعي.
والفحص الروتيني حسب منظمة الصحة العاملية هو فحص يجرى لألفراد بني عمر ال 13وال 68بغض النظر عما اذا كانوا حاملني للفيروس ام ال ويجب أن يكون املريض موافق على إجراء الفحص وال يحق ألحد أن يجريه بدون علمه .وينقسم الفحص الروتيني الى قسمني :مبادرة الشخص لفحص اإليدز واملشورة املعروف باسم االستشارة واالختبار الطوعيني أو .)VCT ويشمل األفراد الذين يسعون للحصول عليه وميكن إجرائه في املرافق الصحية أو املنازل .ومبادرة اخملتص لفحص اإليدز واملشورة وهي تكون من قبل مقدمي الرعاية الصحية للمرضى الذين يحضرون املراكز التي يعملون بها .وهم يوصون باإلختبار كمكون أساسي للرعاية الصحية للذين تظهر لديهم عوارض سريرية قد تكون مرافقة لعدوى نقص املناعة املكتسبة. هناك دالئل على أن في معظم بلدان العالم يتم اختبار املرضى دون علمهم ،وقد مت توثيق هذا قبل عقد من الزمن في أوروبا ،حيث مت اختبار ما يقدر ب ٪ 10إلى ٪ 20من أفراد العينة دون علمهم .كما ان املستشفيات اخلاصة في الهند تقوم بإختبار العديد من املرضى الذين سيخضعون لعملية جراحية من دون موافقتهم .لكن األدلة حول حجم املشكلة ما تزال محدودة. فاملعلومات املرتبطة باإلرشادات والقوانني املتعلقة بقبول املريض اخلضوع للفحص غير مكتملة بعد .حتى عندما يكون هناك حرية في اإلختيار ،ال يشعر املرضى بأن له احلرية اما بسبب اإلعتقاد بأن املوافقة ستحسن من نوعية الرعاية الصحية التي يتلقونها وإما بسبب اعتقادهم أنهم ال ميكنهم التراجع واما بسبب شعورهم بأن الرفض له عواقب سلبية .لذا من املهم توثيق املشاكل املتعلقة باملوافقة في مختلف الظروف حيث أنها تساعد عل تقييم مدى تأثير التصورات والتوقعات على
إستعداد املريض للخضوع للفحص. ان ازدياد نسبة إجراء الفحص ،ألقى الضوء على األبعاد األخالقية للفحص واحلاجة حلماية حقوق أولئك الذين يخضعون لإلختبار .وتتخذ السرية بعدا أخالقيا مهما بسبب إرتباطها بحقوق املرضى وتأثيرها على هدف الصحة السكانية املتمثل بزيادة عدد املستفيدين من خدمة الفحص .فمستوى السرية يؤثر على إستعداد األشخاص للخضوع للفحص. يتأثر مدى قيام العاملني في اجملال الصحي باحلفاظ على سرية املرضى بعدة عوامل منها :القوانني والسياسات احلكومية والسياسات املؤسساتية ،واملوارد املتاحة واملواقف اإلجتماعية السائدة .وتشير الدالئل إلى أن انعدام السرية ميكن أن يكون مشكلة خطيرة في العديد من األماكن .وخصوصا في األماكن التي يرى فيها العاملني في الصحة السكانية ،السرية كتشجيع على االعمال الشرعية كما هي احلال في سنغافورة وباكستان. ثم مت تبيان أنواع األسئلة املتعلقة بإجراء الفحص واملشورة وهي ثالث أنواع :تلك املتعلقة باملريض ،واألخرى املتعلقة بالعاملني في اخلدمات الصحية واالسئلة املتعلقة باحمليط .ثم فتح اجملال لألسئلة. ويبقى مفتاح احلل في فهم الدوافع ،التصرفات ،واخلبرات املتعلقة بالفحص والسرية .وحتليل البنود املتعلقة باخلدمات الالئقة للفحص واملشورة.والتحقق من األبعاد األخالقية للفحص واملشورة. ويبقى املثل القائل» درهم وقاية خير من قنطار عالج» أفضل احللول .
صفحة 15
االربعاء 23 ,تشرين الثاني2011 ,
الدراجات النارية :آالت املوت
إبراهيم مرتضى مساهمة صحفية
ترخيص محددة ستصدر الحقًا عن وزارة الداخلية والبلديات في هذا الشأن.
في صبيحة يوم أحد ،استيقظت عائلة بيروتية في وقت أبكر من املعتاد من أجل معايدة الشاب «روميو»في يوم ميالده و بلوغه سن الرشد .و بعد ظهيرة اليوم نفسه خرج احملتفل به بنزهة مع صديقه على دراجة نارية ميتلكها األخير .وأثناء مرورهما على الطريق السريع اصطدما بشاحنة و فارقا احلياة. كثرت النهايات الدراماتيكية التي من شأنه أن يفضي إليها استعمال الدراجات النارية في يومنا هذا .ففضال عن احلركات البهلوانية اإلستعراضية التي يقوم بها بعض سائقي الدراجات و التي من شأنها أن تعرض ليس فقط سائقيها للخطر بل أيضا ً السائقني احمليطني و املارة، هناك معاناة من استعمال تلك اآلالت لغايات غير أخالقية
كالنشل و السرقة .و املشهد يسوء يوما ً بعد يوم .ليمسي من املشاهد املعتادة رؤية دراجة نارية يقودها رب عائلة و معه زوجته احلامل و بينهما طفلتهما ،بينما طفلهما على أرضية الدراجة ...و لعل هذه األسباب قد أفضت إلى حترك من قبل وزير الداخلية مروان شربل من أجل تنظيم عمل هذه الدراجات .و قد جاء في القرار ما يلي :منع سير الدراجات النارية بتات ًا في نطاق بيروت الكبرى اعتبارًا من 2011/11/1على أن يستثنى من املنع الدراجات النارية العائدة للمؤسسات اإلعالمية والصيدليات والشركات واملؤسسات واملطاعم التي تقدم خدمات والدراجات ذات اللوحات الدبلوماسية ودراجات األجهزة األمنية واحلاالت اخلاصة ،وذلك وفقًا آللية
غير أنه ،و بعد سلسلة اإلعتصامات و اإلحتجاجات التي نظمها أصحاب الدراجات النارية ،قام الوزير بتأجيل تنفيذ القرار حتى اشعار آخر دون حتديد موعد معني. كما أنه ال ميكننا أن ننكر بعض الفوائد املقرونة باستعمال الدراجات النارية حني تستخدم بالطريقة املناسبة .فهي توفر مصروف الوقود الذي يتضاعف عند استخدام السيارة من أجل إجتياز املسافة نفسها .فضالً عن أنها ،و نظرا ً لصغر حجمها، جتنب سائقها زحمة السير اخلانقة مما يوفر عليه الوقت و «حرق األعصاب» إذ بإمكانه استعمال الطرقات الضيقة واملرور بني السيارات ناهيك عن إمكانية ركنها بصورة أسهل .كما أنها تيسر عمل بعض املطاعم و املؤسسات فتزيد إيراداتها من خالل خدمة التوصيل اجملاني التي تؤمنها .ولكن سوء استخدام و سوء تقدير هذه اآللة هما املشكلة األساسية .و لعل التوعية على مخاطرها و تنظيم دورات تعليمية لكيفية قيادتها ا و فرض شروط على من يريد شراءها و حتديد طريق مخصص للدراجات النارية ،لعل كل هذه األمور من شأنها تشكيل حجر األساس لإلستفادة من هذا التطور العلمي و احلد من التجاوزات األمنية. و»لعل» من األحرف املشبهة بالفعل وتستعمل للتوقع. URL: http://www.ari02.net/wp-content/ uploads/2011/11/Harley-Davidson-1.jpg
علي ،يا وع ًدا �صادق ّ اجلنوبي الثقايف �إخوة ال�شهيد يف النادي ّ ّ
منى �أيوب كاتبة �صحفية
« ُمهداة إلى الشهيد علي عبد العزيز صادق في ذكرى إستشهاده» غريب هو الشهيد... ٌ كيف ّ وشبحا يُطالع العيون ،مر ًة هنا ومر ًة همسا في اآلذان، يظل ً ً هناك ،وطي ًفا لطي ًفا نشعر به ّ كل يوم... متواض ٌع هو الشهيد... طي الكتمان ،وتعلوا أسماء أخرى ...هو ال ينبس يبقى ُ اسمه ّ ببنت شفة ،كأنّه يعلم أ ّن هذه األسماء ما كانت لترتفع لوال أنّه قد اختار أن يهوي شهي ًدا ...وفوق ّ كل هذا ،ييتسم... مبتسم هو الشهيد... ٌ دائ ًما مبتسم ،حتّى عندما يت ّلقى رصاصات املوت ،يبتسم لها... ربمّ ا هي األخرى تبتستم ...وحدها من بني ّ كل حور العني ،وحدها هذه الرصاصات ستعانق قل َبه ،ال بل ستدخل إلى شغاف هذا القلب... شهي ٌد هو الشهيد... شهي ٌد شاه ٌد علينا ،يرمقنا بنظراته ...يغضب لورد ٍة نكسر الطري عندما نقطفها ،ويفرح ألشواك الوردة نفسها عودها ّ كيف تقاوم القطاف... طفت عبقَت مقاومة ،وك ّلما زُرعت ورد ٌة هو الشهيد ،ك ّلما ُق ِ أنبتت مقاومة ،وأل ّن الوردة التي ال تخرج من حتت التراب ال
تستحقّ احلياة ،يأبى الشهيد إالّ أن َ ينبت في الصخر ،وأن يُزهرَ في اجللمود، صامت هو الشهيد... ٌ اجللمود هو اآلخر صامت ،وبني الصمتني ألف ليل ٍة وليلة ...يروي فيها صمت الشهيد حكايات اجلهاد ...صدق ُة الس ّر هذه ،تخرس الكلمات عندها ،ويصمت اجللمود لها مهاب ًة واحترا ًما... علي عبد العزيز صادق... الثقافي النادي شهيد بيروت، في ة ي األمريك شهيد اجلامعة ّ ّ اجلنوبي ،الشهيد املتواضع املبتسم ،الشاهد الصامت ،الوردة ّ ّ مكان في صرح اجلامعة... كل في ّحت ت تف التي ٍ ربمّ ا هو هنا ،وربمّ ا هو هناك... هذه بطاقته ،وهذه أوراقه ،وهذه صورته... لكن ،أين وردته؟ َ إحداكن لتهديَها إلى هل قطفها أحدكم لِلهوه؟ هل قطفتها ّ أحد؟ أي الورودُ التي زرعها من كربالء إلى اخليام مرورًا ببيروت وردتُه؟ ّ تلك التي زرعها في صافي؟ أم التي سقاها في مليتا؟ أم التي م ّرت عليها يداه في اللويزة؟ أم تلك التي تفتّحت في أ ّيار؟ أم التي ّ حتطمت عندها أحقاد متّوز؟ ّ يوم عندما يزور اجلامعة... ربمّ ا يحتفظ بها معه ،يحملها معه كل ٍ نعم عندما يزور اجلامعة ،يأتي ّ كل صباح ،ير ُقب الداخل واخلارج،
القاعد والقائم ،ينظر في عيونهم ،وهم ال ينظرون ،يك ّلمهم بصمت ...وهم بضجيجهم صامتون... نعم ،الوردة معه ،ك ّلما م ّر طيفه شممنا طيبها وعبقها ،ك ّلما وقفنا في مكان وقوفه أحسسنا أنّه هنا ،والوردة معه ،تراه ماذا يفعل بها؟ ّ يستحقها... لع ّله ينتظر من لع ّله ينتظر من يهديها إليه... لع ّله ينتظر ،شهي ًدا آخر... ّ الشهيد علي عبد العزيز صادق ،من طالب اجلامعة األمريك ّية في بيروت واملنتسبني إلى النادي الثقافي اجلنوبي ،استشهد أثناء اجلهادي في ،26/11/1988وكان ال يزال يتابع دراسته قيامه بواجبه ّ في اجلامعة.
جزء ،44عدد 7 الثالثاء 29 ,تشرين الثاني2011 ,
ن�صائح غذائية مفيدة للطالب قبل الإمتحان سارة أحمد الديراني كاتبة صحفية
لكل منا وجهة نظره اخلاصة فيما يتعلق مبسألة الطعام أو ٍ بالتحديد الوجبة التي سيتناولها قبل خضوعه لإلمتحان. فالبعض يرى أن نوع الطعام غير مهم ولكن املهم هو أن يتناول أي وجبة إن كانت صحية أم ال كي ال يشعر باجلوع خالل إجرائه لإلمتحان .أما البعض اآلخر فيرى أنه من األفضل عدم تناول أي وجبة مهما كانت صغيرة أم كبيرة لكي يتجنب أي إحتمال أللم قد يتعرض له وهو يجري إمتحانه ،ومن خالل جتنبه للطعام يرى نفسه في اجلانب السليم من املسألة.
ولكن احلقيقة تختلف عن هذا كله فالطعام الذي نتناوله قبل اإلمتحان يؤثر ولو جزئيا على قدرتنا في التركيز .وما أعنيه هنا هو أنه من الضروري أن نتناول وجبة صغيرة قبل اإلمتحان، بفترة ساعة أو ساعتني ،وليس قبل اإلمتحان مباشرة .ولكن هذه الوجبة ال يجب أن تكون أية وجبة بل على العكس يجب أن تكون وجبة صحية مفيدة جتنبنا الشعور باجلوع أثناء اإلمتحان ومتنح جسدنا الطاقة الالزمة له. وأهم األمثلة على هذه الوجبات هي السلطات على إختالف أنواعها (سلطة اخلضروات ،سلطة التونة )... ،وذلك بسبب إحتوائها على أنواع مختلفة من اخلضروات التي تعتبر مصدر أساسي للمعادن ،كما وهي وجبة صحية خفيفة جتنبك الشعور باجلوع لفترة .وقد أكدت العديد من األبحاث على أن اخلضروات تزيد القدرة الذهنية واإلدراكية للطالب ،بسبب احتوائها على مواد مضادة لألكسدة تعزز توريد الدم بشكل صحي إلى املادة الرمادية في الدماغ املسؤولة عن املهارات الذهنية. وأما بالنسبة لألطعمة التي يجب جتنبها أو اإلقالل ي: األطعمة التي حتتوي علي الدهون املشبعة كاللحوم منها فه م، واملقالي والسكريات احلمراء ومنتجات األلبان كاملة الدس واملعجنات .ألنها أطعمة ثقيلة على املعدة وقد تشعرنا بعسر هضم ،يفضل جتنبها قبل اإلمتحان.
وأما بالنسبة لألشخاص الذين ما زالوا يفضلون عدم تناول أي وجبة قبل اإلمتحان فأنصحهم بأن يشربوا عصير البرتقال. وذللك إستنادا ً إلى دراسة استرالية حديثة أكدت على أهمية تناول كوب من عصير البرتقال يوميا ً وذلك ألن البرتقال يحتوي على املاء والسكر والفيتامينات واألمالح التي تساعد على زيادة النشاط واحليوية كما تساعد في تخفيف التوتر والضغط العصبي املصاحب لإلمتحانات. ومن األخطاء الشائعة التي يقوم بها العديد من الطالب هي تناول عدة أكواب من القهوة أو النسكافيه منذ الصباح الباكر وحتى وقت اإلمتحان .وذلك ظنا ً منهم أن املنبهات املوجودة في هذه األكواب ستساعدهم على التركيز وستجنبهم الشعور بالنعاس .وذلك بسبب النتائج الفورية ملادة الكافيني التي متد اجلسم بالنشاط والقوة الذهنية الالزمني .إال أن هذا الشعور اإليجابي ال يدوم طويالً ،وهو مسحوب بالعديد من املضاعفات اخلطيرة التي قد تظهر في اإلمتحان .وبعض هذه املضاعفات هي :انخفاض في درجة الدقة والتركيز والشعور باإلحباط واالكتئاب مبجرد انخفاض مستوى مادة الكافيني ،والشعور بالدوخة والصداع ،وزيادة معدل ضربات القلب .... ،لذلك ال يجب اإلفراط من شرب املواد املنبهة خالل يوم اإلمتحان لتجنب هذه املضاعفات.
تعلم ال�شحادة» طالبة اجلامعة االمريكية اللبنانية « :جامعتكم ّ مدى الدب�س كاتبة �صحفية
تذمر الطالب في اجلامعة من االعطال املستمرة في لطاملا ّ هذه اآلالت يتأخر الطابعات .وبسبب اخللل املستمر في الكثير من التالميذ عن صفوفهم .اليوم كنّا ستة طالب ننتظر املكدسة الكترونيا ً . أن تفك الطابعة اضرابها ومتطر أوراقنا ّ ّ احتل الساحة .تلميذة اجلامعة لكن احتجاجا ً آخرَ غير متوقع اللبنانية األميركية تقول بوجه ملؤه االندهاش : «أنتم ال تدفعون القسط الدراسي حتّى تنتظروا دوركم بالصف لتطبعوا ورقة ! أهذه هي اجلامعة االميركية التي تعامل طالبها باحترام؟ في جامعتي أستطيع أن أستعير ال»آي باد» و احلاسوب املتنقل من املكتبة متى أردت .في جامعتي طابعة لكل ثالثة حواسيب.وضعكم يدعو الى الشفقة .مت قبولي لبرنامج املاجيستير هنا لكنني قررت اليوم ان ال اتسجل في جامعة مازالت متخلفة عن العصر .البديهيات غير موجودة ! ففي سنتي األولى تعلمت في صف ادارة العمليات ان عدد اخلطوات التي يقوم بها العامل الجناز مهمة هي أحد أدلة فاعلية العمل.
اآلن نحن نقوم بخطوات ال جدوى لها حتّى ننهي عملية بسيطة. جامعتكم تع ّلم الشحادة» طبعا ً آملني كالمها ورردت عليها بلطف ،فانا أعتبر اجلامعة األميركية أفضل صرح اكادميي في املنطقة .كما أ ّن احلرم اجلامعي يسكنني روحيا ً كما انا أسكنه فعلياً .جامعتنا ال حتتاج الى من يدافع عنها ،لكنني أعي أ ّن ال شيء يرتبط باحلكمة ارتباطا ً وثيقا ً بقدر احلقيقة .وا ّن اي تلميذ يطبع أوراقه في مكتبة يافث «جافت» يعي ا ّن وصف الصبية اجلارح يالمس بعض احلقيقة للموضوع احملدد .فلماذا ال نزيد من عدد الطابعات؟ وملاذا بالنسبة ٍ ّ ال نو ّفر خدمة اآلي باد واحلاسوب املتنقل لطالبنا؟
الذي تستحقه جامعة ضمنت لطلاّ بها تاريخيا ً ما هو أثمن من الطابعات وأبقى...أعني التفكير النقدي و املستوى العلمي ال ّرفيع.
هذا توصيف النطباع تك ّون لدى طالبة من جامعة أخرى .فلماذا لواقع مغاير يُخالف هذا التوصيف ويك ّون لدى طالب ال نؤسس ٍ اجلامعة االميركية وطالب اجلامعات األخرى االنطباع األفضل
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