Outlook Newspaper The American University of Beirut
Vol. XLII, No. 18 | Tuesday, march 16, 2010 | The Independent Student Publication Since 1949
BSS Pulls her First Hat Trick Rami Diab Staff Writer
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ast week, the Biology Student Society (BSS) scored its busiest week yet, totaling four events on campus, one of which the basket ball tournament, which will be covered in Outlook’s next issue. As for the other three, they included a Toastmasters’ - BSS special interview featuring, a lecture on an MCAT course offered at Balamand University, and finally, a global warming awareness action. BSS’ first event took place on Monday, March 8, upon BSS Secretary Amro Baassiri’s special request to the Toastmasters’ Team to kindly conduct a special interview session made for premedical applicants about to go for their medical interviews at their universities of choice. The sole purpose behind this interview training was to carry premedical students through a trial mode
Photo Outlook Staff
of what was yet to come for them, in hopes of boosting their self-confidence and
preparing them for their scheduled interviews. Toastmaster’s longtime faithful
member and experienced public speaker, Walid El Hajj, stressed the following
“now is the time to make all the mistakes you can think of, even if intentionally, for merely by doing so will you be armed with a thorough understanding of the do’s and don’t’s of a respectable interviewee.” Only after Toastmasters President Karl Yaccoub introduced the members of his team and thanked the audience for coming on their behalf, did the whole Toastmasters squad break the ice in unison with a “hokey pokey” boogie urging the audience to do the same, thereby liberating them from the trepidation that held their tongues plastered to the threshold of their mouths and their lips sealed shut. “Now we know that anything that will happen with any of you here on stage will be no Continued on page 4
Work Study Program: Why Is It So Desirable? Izzat Husrieh Staff Writer
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INSIDE
fter a long day of classes, sophomore student Joel Choufani loves nothing more than to relax in the comfort of her room with a warm cup of tea. But Joel cannot afford such a luxury. She has to report to her part-time job as a resident assistant at Murex Dorm. This didn’t really bother her, though. “Getting to meet all the people in the dorms and socializing with them is very enjoyable to me!” Choufani commented, “I had a lot of free time last semester as a freshman and
Editorial & Opinion Campus News Entertainment Out of The Box
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I knew that [enrolling in the work study program] would help me study in a more efficient manner and organize my time.” Joel is among a growing number of students who juggle classes with work. On the reasons behind this increasing number, Ramza Saad, the coordinator of the work study program at AUB, stated, “Students join the work-study program to earn money while studying, clarify their career goals, gain valuable skills, and gain an advantage over less experienced applicants when competing for graduate jobs.” “When we apply to med
Erratum:
Last week’s Psyched Out was titled “Sex Addiction” and not Sex Education
school, we’re expected to have a minimum of experience and involvement in the social life of our community. This is why I volunteered in so many places,” says Dana Tamer, a resident assistant at New Women’s Dorm. On the other hand, others find working while they study an easy way to provide some pocket money and help their parents. This is what pushed Mohammad Hijazi, a resident assistant at Penrose Dorm, to work. “It isn’t hard to work here in the dorm while I study for my biology degree, and I find it an excellent way to reduce the costs on my parents,” he
Lecture Homosexuality and Religion
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claims. While having an advantage over others in the future is a major motivation that pushes students to work, they don’t all seek the same kind of job. Plenty of work options are available for applicants to the work-study program. These include “‘Basic’ duties such as typing and filing, dormitory reception duties, guide and library work,” along with many others, according to the website of The Office of Student Affairs. Each applicant applies with a certain job in mind. “Getting the job that (an applicant) dreams of depends on its availability. Other stu-
Band Review
Bliss Street, West Hall 208 tel: 01 350 000 ext.3193
Blend
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dents don’t have anything specific in mind and accept the first reasonable job that we offer,” Saad stated. Diana Hachicho, a monitor at Jewet Dorm who worked previously in the library, says she wished to work in the visitor’s bureau but there weren’t any vacancies for this semester. “Working here is fine. I study here sometimes while I work and get to meet all the people in the dorms, but I think working in the visitor’s bureau would be a better and much more fun experience,” HachContinued on page 4
Restaurant Review Kababji
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Editorial & Opinion Op-Ed
Rasha Salem The Not So Little Octopod
According to my English teacher, one of the worst traps I could fall into as a writer would be to employ stock characters with a maximum dimension count of two. He’s not a big fan of stereotypes, my professor. While I completely agree that writ-
ten drama flourishes mostly on account of dynamic, interesting characters, where not every witch has long black hair and a sex goddess might – God forbid – have myopia, I find myself struggling to get over the typical. Trying to come up with an interesting character, I found myself looking back at the earliest heroes and villains I knew: Disney characters. In particular, there was one character – villain, actually – that I kept coming back to. She is the white-haired obese octopod, unfortunate enough to have purple skin, a manly voice, and two barely competent eels for sidekicks. I am talking about Ursula, the demonic witch that terrorizes the sea and holds “poor unfortunate souls” hostages in her underwater lair. Initially inspired by the drag
queen Divine, Ursula easily falls into the category of Disney’s ugliest villains. She has the three C’s your typical antagonist should have – cruel, cunning, and crafty. She plans to take revenge on King Triton for banishing her and plots to get to him through his “favorite” daughter (I’ll leave it at that – maybe for another op-ed?) by pretending to help Ariel get her human love. As part of her scheme to convince the innocent redhead to sign the contract that will either turn her into a human or make her sell her soul, Ursula embodies the cunning negotiator, the businesswoman with nothing but sealing the deal in mind. She sells herself as the savior of unfortunate merfolk who come to her for help – and while I was at first tempted to say that she might actually believe that
she is doing good to the general public, there is one line in Ursula’s rant, where she turns to her evil sidekicks and whispers “pathetic”, that made me reconsider. Ursula even volunteers some relationship advice. “It’s she who holds her tongue who gets her man,” she tells Ariel. - Another false alarm. For she does it not out of goodness of heart, but rather to make sure that Ariel will go through with the deal and give her ‘voice’ to Ursula. As further proof to her unrelenting cruelty, when Ariel almost succeeds in kissing her human love and therefore fulfilling the contract to become human forever, Ursula manages to get her goons to mess things up for Ariel and even goes to the extent of becoming human and faking Ariel’s voice – the ‘real’ reason why the human
Op-Ed
prince is attracted to Ariel – to offer the silenced redhead competition. How could one of my favorite characters of all time turn out to be nothing but a stock villain? I wondered to myself, feeling a little cheated. We see them all the time, these inflexible depictions. And I guess it doesn’t make them any less lovable. But if you can do that much with a typical villain, it’s fun to imagine what Ursula with a twist would have been like. It doesn’t need to be too drastic, really… What if she had chronic hiccups?
The Editorial was not published to keep space for all the op-eds.
Elie El Khoury Internship opportunities a myth?
You seldom HAPPen to find the words to conveY your own thoughts, and you rarely come across a person who paints the exact picture you have in mind. But when the rare coincidence occurs, you realize that it must be your lucky DAY.
I have thoroughly contemplated writing about summer Jobs or internships. Below is the story of a girl who decided to share her own experience, and save me the burden of creativity: Say that she’s your slightly more than average student. Let’s also say that she belongs to a rare breed as no hot shot lawyer was hired to provide her with a brighter future. And it also happens that she is required to undergo a three months summer training in the “field” - that same field you hear about in grown-up conversations, with champagne glasses in the background (not that you aren’t grown-up already but it’s all so relative). Finally, assume that she is an enthu-
siastic person who aspires to find an internship opening on her own or that just maybe she is not that friendly with the charming career center lady down at the faculty. Now that you have the image of that PURELY fictional character in mind, let us observe her methods. Our brave student clears out a Saturday: no brunch with friends, no lunch with parents, no gossip at tea time and absolutely no partying with complete strangers by night. She wakes up at 9, prepares a big breakfast and sits in front of her desk where a blank piece of paper is staring back at her. This paper is her one way ticket for a bright successful future in “the field”
(with no hot-shot lawyers involved), it is what dictates what will she most likely become upon graduating; NO PRESSURE! 10:20 nothing yet, it’s not that bad, her mind just happens to need a 20 minute warm-up. By 10:30 she manages to scribble down a few words such as the name of that organization in which she didn’t last a full month and the date of the first and last society meeting she attended. It is now 10:35 and our friend is out of ideas, so she turns to her very dear and dependable friend Google, which returns the favor with 816,000 results for “resume samples internship”. An hour later, and she has
it all figured out as she is the proud creator of a very valuable resume that requires one final green light… her younger sister’s? Nah! “Mom? Mom!” Where is she when you need her?! Never mind, our hero will just have to send it to this older guy who has a major crush on her and would love to help her in any way. The clock reads 1:00 pm, the day is still young, so out comes another paper. Her very first cover letter! She moves to write the address of the recipient only to realize that she has absolute no clue to what company she is applying… Change of plans, new piece of paper, new search.
Editorial & Opinion Op-Ed
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Deedee El Jilani Love in the Cynic’s Eye
I never believed in love; to this day I still question it. People try to define it through movies and songs, and a known example is from the movie Moulin Rouge, where Christian says, “Love is a many splendid thing, loves lifts us
up where we belong, all you need is love,” and then Satine responds, “Love is just a game.”I used to deny its existence, until I did fall. I fell; cynical-about-love-pessimistic-Deedee fell in love and was happy for once. Still, I felt that this may not even be love. Love is too complex for a four letter word. Then my heart broke, and for a long time after, each memory brought heartache, pain and hurt. Just seeing him was hard because I knew that it was really over. Now, I’m single and loving it. Yet, the thought kept going through my head. Love…. Why do we hate it? Because it dies, and so we confuse that hurt with love, because love brings it about and we hate hurting. So what was that emotion
Op-Ed
I felt if it hadn’t been love? Enjoying someone’s company and interests? But that’s what friends are for. Was it being happy? But many can make you happy. Or was it knowing that someone will always be there when you want and need them, and knowing that someone needs you and wants you to be there for them? That’s very possible. Want. Need. Trust. The elements of love that I believe stand out the most. Hard as it is though, love can die when that other can stand on his or her own. When they don’t want you or need you to be there, when they aren’t always there when you desperately need them, when they do nothing to help and put no effort into it, or when they simply do not care anymore.
Nadine Gaith
Outside your little world is a bigger world You probably don’t walk to class unless you live in a very close dorm. You don’t see the neighborhood except from the limited perspective of a moving vehicle and that means you don’t get to see it at all. The streets leading out of Hamra are much entertainment to the curious and careful eye. Have you ever played the counting game? How many parking tickets can you count before you reach your next destination? On a very good day I’d make six or seven. Also noticeable on Hamra is the increased number of female motorcyclists driving around and have you ever stopped to consider the local faces of the area? How about the bald man with frizzy black hair growing on each side of his head who sits by the Sarolla Building on a
chair all day counting money? Or the midget woman in a veil frequently spotted by the Idris supermarket? Even Hamra’s beggars are familiar, I’m sure some of you remember the old man bent doubt who goes “2alf (1000LL) 2alf 2alf” after you pass by, or the wheel chaired one on Abdel Aziz Street with the bloated and scorched feet? Harma is the little street feuds, the cussing and swearing, the frustration of construction sites that have sprung up overnight in the most unthinkable places like little pests that made whatever space available work for them. It’s window after window of unhappy faces that won’t move and business men in suits that look uncomfortable and probably are too. When it’s midday and you’re
rotting quietly and peacefully in class there’s a whole busy world going on out there that you can’t care to remember because our university provides such a different environment than the loud, dusty, and angry streets outside its ancient walls. Such is the prestige of AUB; such is the luxury it affords for all who attend this university.
That’s the hardest one. Knowing you are unimportant or worthless to the one person who means the world to you hurts, and it hurts when that person - your world - is seeing someone else you can never match up to. That hurts and that’s love. Love hurts. Is it a waste of time? No, and for one simple reason. Every time your heart breaks you become more independent; you become stronger and if the other person does not seem interested, walking away becomes easier. But every person is different and one heartbreak may or may not be enough to learn the lesson. Maybe I have much more to learn, or maybe I need to get hurt a lot more till my brain
gets the message: “LOVE WILL HURT YOU! Save yourself and LEAVE NOW!” the heart is brainless; it will never learn. It can’t help itself; it’s just a child and it wants to want and needs to need. The brain, on the other hand, is logical. The brain is real, so if love has some logic in it, it would definitely be real, otherwise it’s just “an illusion created in and for the weak-minded.”
Sudoku Medium Puzzle
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Campus News BSS Workshop Continued from page 1 where near as embarrassing as what we all just did; the worst is over,” said Joe Cherabie, another Toastmasters member, thereby instilling the spectators with serenity of mind. Sarah Sebai then took to the stage to engulf the audience into an interesting holographic audiovisual experience that required their eyes closed and their consciousness alert. After imagining all the apprehension, fear, and anxiety they could feel in the setting of an interview, they where graciously instructed to dunk them into a wastebasket pushed far back into the dark and unfrequented abyss of their minds. With that, the audience eagerly awoke with a new aura for doing what they had come
to do, to take their mock interviews before a crowd of premedical students all floating about in the same boat. Shortly after did Philippe Jamhouri take the floor to discuss the rules of the short interview exercises as well as the importance of time in this game of one-on-one open communication. The main challenge was that these interviewees where to reveal as much pertinent information about themselves while remaining within the boundaries of the posed questions. Toastmaster Walid Al Hajj took the liberty of being the interviewer for the night and asked some common questions, some of which encompassed: “Why is it that you would like to pursue a medi-
cal education?”, “What would you say characterizes you apart from the bland and timid masses?”, and “Do you believe that medical pursuit is the only way to save lives?” BSS’ second event compromised a thorough lecture presented by Balamand University’s Chairman of the Chemistry department Dr. Nakat the following day, on Tuesday, March 9. Dr. Nakat highlighted the importance of this course for premedical students as being their first stepping stone into a sturdy and secure medical career. After briefly reviewing course contents and benefits, Dr. Nakat further stressed that this official Kaplan course would offer premedical students valuable insight
into acing the MCAT. “As the world leader in test preparation, we provide an edge for high-achieving students seeking competitive academic and professional opportunities.” The final event that concludes this issue of this week’s BSS activities was made possible by the generous aid and selfless service of BSS volunteers. The climate change awareness campaign held on Thursday and Friday, March 11 and 12 respectively assessed the contemporary climate change hazard. Two booths set up, one facing West Hall and the other at lower campus, facing the Agriculture Department had distributed flyers providing an introductory knowl-
edge of the world’s rapidly changing climate. Incorporated into the flyer were scientists’ professional opinions on climate change, the difference between global warming and climate change, and most importantly a few practical, down to earth solutions that any community can begin to apply to attenuate the drastic affects of climate turmoil. Passers by where granted complimentary movie tickets for Monday March 15’s screening of The Day After Tomorrow, where a short presentation addressing the reality of Global Warming and a complimentary display of refreshments and cookies were to be had just prior and subsequent to the movie showing.
return to their classes in no time.” On the other hand, Ibrahim Fawaz, the assistant manager at Domino’s Pizza restaurant, believes that the overall experience and environment that off-campus employers like Domino’s Pizza, are offering is more appealing than university jobs. “Here students are asked to perform tasks that are simpler than what they have to do in regular jobs at university, plus you learn to depend on yourself. Most of the employees here are students including me and we are all here like a big family.” Like Fawaz, Jamil Al-Abed, a manager at Doculand Center, believes that the jobs that they are offering have an advantage over the ones available at any university. “The people we hire are mostly students,” states AlAbed, “I’m sure that students feel more comfortable when working with us because we make sure that working here doesn’t affect their studies. However, the choice whether
to work here or for the university remains theirs.” Whether they choose to work here or there, Saad doubts that the increased demand on the work-study program is because students believe that this would increase their employability. “We give students recommendations if they ask for them, but this doesn’t make a huge difference as the tasks that students are required to perform are usually of simple nature and don’t benefit them much in future employment.” However, Nidal Mawas, an AUB alumnus who works at the information office doesn’t agree with her. After graduation with a BA in Political Science, he applied for many jobs but decided later to work for AUB. He believes his work at the visitor’s bureau while studying helped him reach where he is today and introduced him to a wide range of connections while exposing him to the working environment. “Employers don’t just look for ‘A’
students who are shy and unable to face the business world, they want well established students with experience.” Saad stated that while the Student’s Affairs Office is cooperating with the various AUB departments to accommodate for the increasing demand on working, the ability to increase the job offerings highly depends on the allocated budget by the university.
Work Study Program Continued from page 1
icho added. In many situations, the sole reason which makes a student prefer one job over another is convenience. “Participating in the work study program shouldn’t get in the way of the studies of students. This is why a student is not allowed to work for more than 80 hours per semester,” Saad commented. Furthermore, most of the students find ways to multitask or choose to take time off during exam time. Kareem Jarah, a civil engineering student who started working as an assistant in Jafet Library this semester, finds that the staff makes it easy to do that. “They are very understanding when it comes to exam time.” Also on this topic Tamer says, “I can always get one of my friends to cover for me when I have exams and, in the same way, I cover for them when they have to study.” On the other hand, some students, like Choufani, believe that working actually helps them study.
Even if most of the students believe that they can balance their studies with work, failing to do so is a major concern for their parents. Whether students choose to work by themselves or because they are forced to by their tough circumstances, they need to get the blessings of their parents. “My parents don’t mind as long as my work doesn’t interfere with my studies and make me too tired,” Choufani says. In some circumstances, parents prefer their children to work if they find that this would help them assume responsibility and learn to interact with people. This is the case with Hachicho’s parents who according to her are pleased that she is working. “For them, it is nice to know that I’m working. They are somehow proud!” she says. Although many jobs are available outside AUB, workstudy program offerings are still more appealing to students. “Most students prefer to work on campus,” Saad noted, “they go to work during their free hours and then
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Campus News A lecture on homosexuality and religion Lojine Kamel Staff Writer
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he century old feud between homosexuality and religion has propelled countless wars and debates in a world teeming with ethical diversity. Yet Tuesday, March 9, night’s lecture, entitled ‘Homosexuality and Religion,’ aimed for the contrary: a harmonious link between the two entities - a position which to many seemed a paradox in and of itself. Debuted by the Free Thought Society, the lecture featured Social Behavioural Sciences student Rita El-Haddad, Professor Joshua Anderson, Professor Michael Khoury, and Human Rights Activist Sam, who preferred to leave her surname a mystery in order to keep her religious affiliation a surprise for later. The lecture started off by a brief introduction by philosophy student Kareem Zreik, who emphasized that the atmosphere was to be academic and professional, a reminder repeated more than once during the conference. Rita El-Haddad then continued by stressing the very key point of the lecture, that religion and homosexuality were not necessarily contradicting, and that regardless of your religious viewpoint and affiliation, you should not discriminate toward others just because they differ from you. “What I’m asking of you is to be open-minded.” she said, “It is fine to think that
homosexuality is acceptable. It is fine to think that it is unacceptable. You need to have a point of view of understanding and tolerance.” Professor Joshua Anderson followed with his take on the subject, which was that sexuality as a whole was not the predominant aspect of religion, and therefore should not be the only thing focused on. “Who has the authority of judgement?” he asked, “especially the condemnation of others.” Anderson then explained the concept of pluralism - a condition in which there are multiple aspects of a whole, such as different religions, cultures, ethnicities, etc. Pluralism, he argued, is in every society, and in order to flourish we need to set aside our differences and tolerate other forms of beliefs and values. After all, he stated, “The fundamental principles of religion are tolerance and love of others”. Professor Michael Khoury was third to speak, and did so from a psychological viewpoint. Having worked for three years in therapy with homosexuals and bisexuals, Khoury described his experience with individuals struggling to answer one question “How can I be gay and religious?” According to Khoury, many homosexual people strive for both family acceptance and religious acceptance, but often don’t end up
with a so-called ‘happy ending.’ Human rights activist Sam exemplified Khoury’s point of view and spoke of her struggle to admit her homosexuality both on a personal and religious level. “I went through a hard time just trying to fill my life with anything – but there was always emptiness,” she said. As a devout Christian, Sam was conflicted for years till she finally reconciled her religion and sexuality, after researching Christianity and its position on homosexuality. Sam discovered that there were in fact several sects of Christianity that accepted homosexuality, and according to her, no references in the bible that clearly condemned it. “The God I knew could not hate,” she said,”He was a God of mercy and kindness.” The panel’s comments fueled nearly an hour’s worth of questions, composed by an audience that was clearly divided. Many of the listeners understood or related with the speaker Sam’s position, and spoke of their individual struggles or their willingness to promote gay rights. Others were not as appeased. The lecture did not truly explore the boundaries of other religions, including Islam, of which many of the audience members felt was equally important. In fact there were several comments from
Muslims in the audience who voiced that Islam made clear that homosexuality was forbidden, although one audience member spoke of a sect in Sufism that accepted it. In the end, the lecture seemed to promote tolerance more than anything else, an important notion too often forgotten
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amongst religious prejudices. El-Haddad particularly emphasized this, rounding off the lecture with a point that finally had the whole audience concurring: “Let’s just agree to disagree.”
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Campus News Press Release: Outdoors 2010
Mohammad Hijazi Staff Writer
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fter its massive success last year, the AUB Outdoors Festival is officially under-way. After the recruitment process that occurred during the Fall semester, the Outdoors committee now includes more than 120 enthusiastic members, which is a number much larger than last year’s. These members are divided into seven teams, all of which essential for the completion of crucial tasks required for the success of this event, which will be held during a weekend towards the end of May. Each team has a team leader chosen by the Outdoors Executive Team in collaboration with the Office of Student Activities. These teams are also supervised by three Vice Executives (VEs) who are responsible for two or three teams. The different teams are: Marketing, Decoration, Food, Construction, Games, Entertainment, and Sponsorship. Interestingly, this year has brought several changes to the Outdoors management. Unlike past years, there are two Chief Executive Officers (CEOs): Nathalie Rachid, a Graphic Design student, and Izzat Fathallah, a Business administration student at AUB. Other changes include the removal of the Safety team which Hiba Hamade, the Coordinator of Student Activities, describes as unnecessary at this point in time. The main reason behind this decision is probably so that the main focus be on the other teams that require a lot of effort, work and collaboration. Another main difference that is very clear this year is the major involvement of the Office of Student Activities which is greatly supervising the work of the Outdoors committee and helping the executive team take major decisions. This will probably aid the team to be more professional and timely, and could greatly minimize con-
flicts of interest between the different teams. As for other positions in Outdoors, most are filled by students who have had several years experience in Outdoors. VE of Sponsorship, Entertainment, & Marketing is Business Student Jad Naamani, VE of Food and Games is Graduate Student Ramadan Ghalayini, while the VE of Construction and Decoration is Mechanical Engineering student Khaled Ghrawy. Chief Operations Officer is Rawad Hassanie while the Operations Officer is Miriam Assaad. Karim Soubra is the treasurer and Aliaa El Zeiny is the secretary. The most recent events done by the outdoors committee is their first general assembly, which was held at the beginning of the Spring semester to launch this year’s Outdoors activities. Since then, the various teams had been meeting on a weekly basis to get on track. With a little more than two months left, the teams are set to work and promise to finish their tasks as early as possible. It is very evident that the Outdoors experience is enriched with students of different backgrounds, majors and even nationalities. As described in the AUB bylaws, it is purely artistic, cultural, intellectual, and entertaining, and should not have any political or sectarian basis. This is what motivates lots of students to volunteer whole-heartedly to make this event a success. After the success of Hu Wai De last year, many members have returned this year to relive the experience and be part of this unforgettable family.
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Entertainment Restaurant Review Lodged in the narrow alleyway near McDonald’s on Bliss, is Kababji. What Kababji has done, is create an interesting, albeit effective, hybrid between restaurant and fast-food joint, thereby allowing its customers to get the best of both worlds. Whether you are looking for a full-on Lebanese mezza, or even a quick bite to eat, Kababji has both. In terms of appetizers, every-
thing you would expect at a Lebanese restaurant can be found, including Hommous, Olives and Pickles, Fateyer and many more, including Tabbouleh and Fattouche. The same can be said of the main meal options which include Taouk, Kafta, and the works. Nonetheless, what sets Kababji apart from the seemingly unending list of Lebanese restaurants, is its ability to
Band Review After the suicide of a young rock fan in 1997, Lebanon’s rock music scene plunged into a crisis. Albums by rock giants such as Nirvana and Metallica were banned, and many of the most promising young bands then broke up. At that time, four Lebanese students had formed a rock band called Leviathan and performed covers for Pink Floyd, Radiohead, and other famous bands. However, the band was reunited in 2001. The four musicians changed the name of the band to Blend and played tunes that they had composed themselves. The song “Belong” became the hit of a compilation disc, providing them with their first success, even on Lebanese radio. “The song deals with the search for identity of the post-war generation,” explained Jad Souaid, lead singer of blend, in an interview back in 2003. “We young people suffered from a lot of insecurity during the war years and didn’t know what the future had in store for us.” The song Belong is about religion and fanaticism where it is implied when he sings “my brothers turned their back on me, busy fighting for their messed up believes…”. In the end, Belong is also a love song. Its message is that you belong in the arms of the person you love. The song starts with the line: “I gave
up on everything, all my life I have been wondering, who I am, what will I be, what lies ahead of me... where do I belong”. Growing up with the lingering effects of civil war on your doorstep can do strange things to a teenage mind especially when your backyard is somewhere in Beirut, if is there is such a thing as a backyard in Beirut. So when it comes to documenting teenage anguish, Blend must be given full credit. Not that they wallow in dark post grunge melancholy but there is a haunting dark past that washes over their composition as they switch from gentle chords drenched in mourning Middle-Eastern violin to sudden overdrive, following styles from the likes of “A Perfect Circle” and early “Rage Against The Machine”. The album “Act One” sounds like some rock grunge melody with the opening ‘Belong’, an epic merger between a “Portishead” and a “Radiohead” ballad complete with a piano interlude, before rising to a blistering climax. “Thank you” track merges a slow ‘flange’ guitar with Middle-Eastern instruments before erupting into the album’s most pure metal roar before dying away again. Moreover, the acoustic anguish of “Communicate” is a little like discover-
Kababji incorporate quality, prices and effective service into one venue, because let’s face it, it is often the case that there is a tradeoff between quality and cost-effectiveness. What is cost-effective and affordable to all tends to not be of a high caliber in terms of quality and vice versa. This is by no means the case at Kababji, and this is what makes it work. Given the rushed nature of
Blend
ing a “Creed” track dubbed on to a Tool album. Blend is the first Arab rock band under contract by an international label, EMI Arabia. Their first CD entitled Act One was released on the Lebanese market in December 2003. “We liked their music and their lyrics,” said Hubert Ghorayeb, marketing manager of EMI Arabia. “They sing in English and this makes them internationally marketable. The lyrics and music appeal to both an Arab and an international public.” Blend is also trailblazing in another respect. Whereas other Arab pop musicians sing love songs, Blend’s mu-
Timmy Malkoun college life, one may find it awkward, time consuming or even inappropriate to have such a meal as a quick bite, for as Lebanese, we generally tend to associate this kind of food with long drawn-out Sunday lunches. At Kababji, however, there is a long list of sandwiches that include Kabab sandwiches and Taouk sandwiches and many others. In a very short amount of time, these sandwiches
are prepared and presented to the diner. In other words, you can enjoy this kind of food in between classes. The seating is intimate and cozy, and for the time one is sitting there, he/she forgets about the hustle of Bliss Street. In terms of criticism, the only problem with this venue is that it is often overcrowded. This, however, is merely indicative of its rightfully garnered popularity.
Mohamad Al Medawar
sic deals with issues such as globalization, corrupt politicians, and an apathetic population in the Arab world that lets itself be manipulated. “We constantly asked ourselves how Arab performers could sing about romance, when so many people are killed daily in our region,” said Souaid. The musicians in Blend write and compose themselves. This is also something new. Most Arab pop stars have their repertoire composed for them – usually by professional musicians. The result is not only critical lyrics, but also rock music with its own particular tim-
bre. The band manages to broaden the borders of classical rock with their electronic effects and Middle Eastern sounds. The Middle Eastern character of their music is highlighted by the contributions of an Arab violinist as well as the participation on recordings by the singer Natasha Atlas and the Lebanese rapper Rayess Bek. “We grew up with Umm Kulthoum and Fairuz,” said Soaid. Blend has come up with a new form of rock music – one with a clearly eastern tone. Yet it is also a gentle tone that can appeal to a Western public.
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out of the box The Outlook team Chairperson
Maroun Kisrwani
Faculty Advisor
Cleo Cacoulidis
Responsible Director
Antonios Francis
Editor-in-Chief
Mohamad Yahia Hamade
Associate Editor
Marwan Jaafar
Arabic Editor
Mariam El Ali
News Executives
Tala Kardas Rasha Salem
Layout Director
John Hajjar
Member at Large
Simon Barakat
Business Manager
Rachid Akiki
Photography Editor
Salim Batlouni
Staff Writers
Rawan Abu Salman Mohamad Al Medwar Fouad Badaoui Fatima Buhilaigah Moussa Chalah Abraham Daniel Hajjar Rami Diab Yasmine Fansa Nadine Ghaith Maryam Hoballah Mhd Izzat Husrieh Lynn Itani Heather Jaber Wajiha Jurdi Kheir Lojine Kamel Elie El Khoury Timmy Malkoun Rita Obeid Roupen Ohannessian Yasmine Saab Wally Saad Sandra Sawaya Maya Terro Ilija Trojanovic Tarek Tutunji Mohammad El-Jabi Emile Zankoul
Photographers
Qater Al Nada Mohsen Dima Barbir Tariq Buhilaigah
Cartoonist
Deedee Jilani
Psyched Out
Rita Obeid
Compulsive Gambling I have chosen this topic based on the majority of people whom we see constantly playing card games and such. This does not necessarily mean that these people are or will turn into gamblers, but “compulsive” gambling is an important issue considered as a form of addiction. A compulsive or pathological gambler is someone who is not able to resist the impulse to gamble. These impulses lead to severe personal and social consequences. What is more troubling is that many gamblers typically don’t know that they have a problem until they hit rock bottom. Admitting that one has a problem is the first step to recovery. Although some people like to gamble occasionally, compulsive gambling usually is a form of habitual gambling. This usually leads to severe problems, financial ruin and criminal behavior to support the gambling habit. It is often that people with compulsive gambling behavior also show problems with alcohol and other substance abuse, depression, and anxiety. These people also tend to have personal, social, financial and legal problems such as, divorce, bankruptcy and job loss. Another major issue is that the thrill and excitement of gambling can lead people, who are already at risk, to heart attacks. If the right treatment is used, many of these problems can be prevented. Treatment for compulsive gambling begins with the recognition of the problem. Treatment options vary including individual and group therapy, and self-help support groups such as Gamblers Anonymous. Gamblers Anonymous is a 12-step program which seems to be the most effective mode of treatment. Also, medications such as antidepressants and mood stabilizers have been recently shown to be beneficial when combined with psychotherapy. It is important to note that compulsive gambling is a chronic disorder that gets worse if not treated.
Heads Up on Health
Maya Terro
Orthorexia Nervosa—‘healthy’ eating turned bad In general, any eating disorder is defined as an abnormal habit characterized by either an under consumption of food or its overconsumption, either of which could be detrimental to one’s physical and emotional state. Normally, when someone stumbles upon the phrase ‘eating disorders’, three terms come to mind: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge eating. However, rarely are you able to find someone who knows about Orthorexia Nervosa (ON), or even someone having heard of the term. This term was coined by Steven Bratman, a Colorado MD, back in 1997 from the Greek word ‘ortho’ for right or correct, and ‘orexis’ for appetite. Literally speaking, orthorexia means ‘righteous eating or correct eating’. In his book, “Health Food Junkies: Overcoming the Obsession with Healthful Eating”, Bratman defines ON as an unhealthy obsession (i.e. a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder) for healthy eating whereby subjects usually avoid certain foods under the notion of them being ‘unhealthy’. For this reason, people with this type of eating disorder may choose to stay away from fats, preservatives, animal products, dairy products and not trust ready-made food on the basis of it not being prepared by them. Moreover, Orthorexic sufferers usually have certain feelings towards specific lines of food. With this in mind, some Orthorexics may consider preserved food as dangerous and industrial food products as artificial, whereas consider biological products as natural and healthy. As a result, emaciation is common among followers of certain ‘healthy’ food diets, such as rawfoodism. Raw foodists usually have a diet dominated by un-cooked, un-processed, and often organic foods, and this can at times reach the extremes seen in anorexia nervosa. Furthermore, “Anorexic Orthorexia” can be as dangerous as Anorexia. According to Bratman, “the underlying motivation is quite different—while an anorexic wants to lose weight, an Orthorexic does not desire to become thin but wants to feel pure, healthy and natural. Eating disorder specialists may fail to understand this distinction, leading to a disconnect between the Orthorexic and physician.” For nearly a decade, orthorexia wasn’t recognized as an eating disorder—some medical experts believe that it’s another form of obsessive compulsive disorder. However, a person with Orthorexia will spend just as much time and energy thinking about food as someone with bulimia or anorexia. They may not think about calories, but they think about the overall “health benefits”: how the food was processed, prepared, etc. Because of this, opinions have begun shifting in the last few years and Orthorexia is now believed to be a condition on its own, separate from obsessive-compulsive or other eating disorders. Orthorexia in itself does not pose the same health threats as anorexia or bulimia. Because of its severe restrictive nature, however, Orthorexia could easily transform into anorexia. The limited diet also puts people at risk of being undernourished, which could cause them to binge, and later purge out of guilt - paving the way for bulimia. Finally, according to a 2004 study by PubMed, “The analysis of the physiological characteristics, the social-cultural and the psychological behaviour that characterises subjects suffering from Orthorexia shows a higher prevalence in men and in those with a lower level of education.’’