Outlook Newspaper The American University of Beirut
Vol. XLII, No. 19 | Tuesday, March 23, 2010 | The Independent Student Publication Since 1949
Cafeteria Sit-In: Students make their voices heard, Administration given 10 days to act Tala Kardas News Executive
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n the week preceding the much publicized cafeteria sit-in, organized by the USFC under the name United Students for Cafeteria, there was much speculation to what this movement would accomplish. The answers to these questions came on Tuesday, March 16 at noon, where only a handful of students gathered on the steps of the Ada Doge Cafeteria to demand that it be given back to them as soon as possible. Those sitting on the steps held a small banner with United Students for Cafeteria inscribed on it. They began to chant several lines in Arabic such as “Bedna nekol, juaaneen, akel Faqra mesh taybeen,” to show their discontent with the current catering service. VP Elias Ghanem, who was seated at the center of the crowd, used a megaphone to convey the USFC’s mes-
around campus concerning the previous and current caterers, Ghanem said that “there is no link between the lawsuit against the old contractor and the beginning of the renovation here.” He also touched upon the “fictional stories that the students have been told,” while addressing the Provost about the lack of the resources being employed. If these are available, “it will take two months and our cafeteria will be ready for us.” Finally, and on the behalf of all AUB students, the USFC imposed a 10 day limit upon the administration to employ these resources or else a second action will take place. In the meantime, several students were able to get inside the building, to the awe of some of the audience members. Amidst many cheers,
Photo by Outlook Staff
sage to the surrounding, which included Provost Ahmad Dallal and Associate Dean of Student Affairs Talal Nizameddine, as well as other members of the admin-
istration. Ghanem stressed upon the fact that the students were united in order to fight for their rights in having their cafeteria back. He added
that, “AUB students have been thrown away while [the administrators] sit in their offices enjoying their time.” In response to all the rumors that have been circulating
Continued on page 4
Carlos Slim Helu Gives Lecture in OSB Yasmine Saab Staff Writer
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INSIDE
arlos Slim Helu, who recently assumed the position of world’s wealthiest man, addressed an eager audience on Wednesday, March 17, at the Olayan School of Business’ Maamari Auditorium in a lecture on “The New Civilization of Knowledge and Technology.” As part of his first visit to Lebanon, as well as appear-
ing on the political television talk show Kalam El Nass, Slim made another public appearance at AUB before his departure to discuss issues relating to worldwide and local business and economy. The astoundingly successful magnate examined the paradigms of primitive agricultural society of our ancestors, comparing them to those of the industrial world of today, and how economic systems have altered to ac-
Editorial & Opinion 2-3 Entertainment Campus News 4-9 Out of The Box
www.aub.edu.lb/outlook
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commodate the difference. Himself the son of a Lebanese emigrant, Slim touched on the paucity of opportunities in the Lebanese economy, advising that to avoid young Lebanese leaving, they must be provided with good education and more job opportunities. Alluding to himself, the Mexican-born Slim reassured that emigrants and Continued on page 4
Food You think what you eat
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FEA Events Joe Kodeih Ashrafieh
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Movie Review
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Alice in Wonderland
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Editorial & Opinion Editorial Hold your breath
Mohamad Yahia Hamade Editor-in-Chief I put a lot of thought before joining a group on Facebook. I’m very critical at the potential message I might be sending out to the world. Do I really want people to think I’m still down in the dumps sixteen years after Mufasa from the Lion King is dead? Well, I slightly am, but that is not the point. While browsing my recent group invitations, the “When I was your age, this area used to be called the ‘West Smoking Area’” group caught my eye. Even though I’m not a smoker, I was very disheartened after reading the group’s description and wall and eventually clicked the ‘join’ button. I have recently gathered from various credible sources is that the AUB administration is not only limiting smoking areas, but is also considering an even more hardnosed alternative for the future. They are planning to ban smoking on campus altogether. This might decrease smoking, but several students, if not hundreds would just ignore the rule – much like what they already do. It is impossible and iniquitous to ban smoking on campus. I realize I am playing the devil’s advocate with my talk of fire and brimstone, but this editorial purpose is not to promote cigarettes or smoking. I know that most smok-
ers, and non-smokers, realize that smoking is a major problem with confounding health implications. It provides no benefits to us, and causes more deaths than lion attacks. Yet people continued to smoke. However, AUB should realize that forcing students to quite cold turkey is not realistic and nearly impossible. Nicotine is highly addictive as any smoker may attest to that. I recall reading a study done in Massachusetts that smoking fell drastically among the poor, who are usually have the highest rates of smoking, after the state offered intervention plans and medications. I think offering students a smoking cessation program is a much better alternative than segregating smokers from non-smokers in secluded areas. Apartheid will not make things disappear, students will still be smoking and security guards will be cracking down the law on them. I know a lot of staff, students, faculty members, and even Outlookers who want to discontinue their maladaptive habit. However, as I aforementioned, the highly addictive nature of nicotine makes quitting impossible. If such a smoking cessation program existed, it could potentially help them boot the habit before it boots them. Students should not have to isolate themselves from the rest of the student body because they enjoy lighting up. They are a part of AUB’s campus, a small part albeit, but they are equally important. AUB therefore should not adopt policies that discriminate against smokers, but should invest in ways to help them – and not just look out for non-smokers’ interests.
Op-Ed
Tala Kardas The poor little college student
You’ve all probably heard of the myth that college students barely have any money to get by. Well, it’s not a myth as has been determined to me in the past two years. During the first week of the Spring semester, I had to make a quick run to the AUB Bookstore to by myself a notebook, because I had forgotten mine at home. Around 15 minutes later, I emerged victorious since I had found one that was within the budget that one would allocate to a notebook. But that’s just one story of many, many stories that any one of us can experience on a day to day basis. It’s not easy being financially-conscious when you have an 8 am to 6pm day ahead of
you. It all begins with transportation. If you drive, you have to pay for parking. If you don’t, you have to pay for the bus or taxi. Then you need that very essential cup of coffee, which can range from the affordable to the luxurious, depending on how exquisite your taste is. Of course breakfast, lunch, and a snack in between are all factors-unless you’re lucky to live somewhere nearby and are able to go home to eat. Let’s not forget the incredibly expensive cell phone charges that every person in Lebanon has to endure with. Whether we wish to deny it or not, life without a phone is unbearable in a country like Lebanon. With the advent of the Blackberry, especially, which requires a separate subscription than a regular phone, that’s one extra charge we are better off without, at least in my opinion. That’s not counting all the separate, infrequent expenses like buying tickets to events, a night out with friends, gifts, and even stationary. Like in the story I
mentioned above, even the price of an A4 notebook is on the rise while everything about the economy is going through a downward spiral. The tuition and other fees required to study at AUB are alone mind-boggling. Only a handful attends without having some form of aid, scholarship, or loans. Add to that what an average student spends every day and you may get a sum that’s enough to feed an entire village of starving people in Africa! Thus the ultimate resort: find a job. But it’s not easy finding a vacancy in a job that matches your capabilities and your college schedule-while still beating out the competition. So eventually, you don’t work and rely on the meager sum you get from your parentsstretching out every single penny, hoping you don’t run out before the end of the week or month. The only form of assurance that we can all count on is that at least everyone is going through the same thing, hoping for a windfall, as we are all poor, little college students.
Editorial & Opinion Op-Ed
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Maya Terro Put your hands up for Lebanon…or maybe not!
Usually I tend to have this ‘extraordinary-yet-not-so-
much-envied-for’ ability to see beyond the person in front of me, to read between the lines, and somehow manage to spit the truth right in your face with minimum casualties—OUCH! Yes, I was not intending to ‘spit the truth’ this time, but seriously people, you asked for it. Allow me to explain. It just so happens that this past week, AUB hosted, Umm, how shall I put it? Um, let’s say that it just so happens that a great ‘Lebanese’ figure has showered us with his oh so eventhoughI-am-a-gazillionaire-I-stilldo-find-pride-in-being-somehow-Lebanese-tear-inducin’-aw-evokin’-bloody-nostalgic-somehow-humble-ish statements. Yes my beloved, Carlos Slim happens to be the newest member in the coolest club in town— the one which I like to refer
to as the ‘so-called-famousLebanese-elsewhere Diaspora’ club—along with Mika, Masari, Shakira and the rest of the ‘fellas’. Ok, let me make it clear—I have nothing against Slim. Surprisingly, for a man in his ‘skyhigh’ socioeconomic status, his statements are somehow ‘down to earth’. Once he told the media and I quote “When you live for others’ opinions, you are dead. I don’t want to live thinking about how I’ll be remembered”. On another occasion, when asked about his sudden wealth, he reportedly said, “The stock market goes up ... and down”, and noted that his fortune could quickly drop. At that point, I was like, whoa, for a rich guy, that’s like a pretty impressive thing to utter. Honestly, what really kills me is the Lebanese themselves. On
March 10, 2010, Forbes reported that Slim had overtaken Gates and Buffet as the world’s richest man, with a net worth of US$53.5 billion. I was like ‘good for him’. It’s good to have someone other than Gates for a change, right? However, not everyone I knew felt the same way. In some ‘magically contagious’ way, the rich ‘Lebanese’ Mexican became the talk of town to the extent that you could feel everyone around you feeling two times prouder of being Lebanese more so now than before March 10. I wonder why? But we all know that that’s a rhetorical question, right. But really folks, is he, um, Lebanese? Like ‘really’ Lebanese? Last time I checked, somewhere in the Lebanese law, in order for you to be Lebanese you have to be like ‘born
Op-Ed
in Lebanon’ or at least ‘resided in it for a period of 10 years or more’. But hey someone could always use the ‘youcan-be-Lebanese-in-yourheart-you-know’ counterargument. Besides, ‘he does have the Lebanese features’. Fine, I’ll let you have it folks. But Forbes most certainly will not. Will it? According to Forbes, Slim is Mexican. Yes, he was born in Mexico, raised there, studied there, married there, made a family there, and currently still resides there. I don’t see where ‘Lebanon’ enters the equation. Oh, yeah. Right, his parents were Lebanese. Puh-leez, you can do better than that. Which makes me wonder— what really makes someone ‘Lebanese-ish’? Well, I’m way past my word-count, but somehow, I ‘know’ what my next op-ed will be about!
Rami Diab Life in the Wake of Death
We where in Genetics class last semester when came the killer query, “do you not think about death!?” asked Dr. Darwiche, current professor and researcher on the biology of cancer at the department of Biology at AUB. A deep voice welled within
me, “YES.. yes, I do.” Apoptosis was the subject matter that day, the process of programmed cell suicide executed in aims of saving the body from infection mutation, and disease. Just imagine what your body is capable of doing because of the marvelous self-sacrifice of thousands of cells, tens of thousands of which have possibly sloughed off you by the time you reach the end of this sentence! It is by the consistent recycling of cells that newer, more efficient ones can emerge, keeping the cycle of life in check and up to par. So we come to see, that life is propelled forward by death and so, if death cannot possibly be the end, could it very well be the beginning? Could death be that torrent of life; a
dried up well beneath which stratums of gushing water run hidden? The irony in it all, how we tend to our duties in broken prayer nonchalantly awaiting our time, until that time comes, when we magically convert into devout believers. Hilarious! Death makes angels of us all. Yes, death is here and death is now; death is the here and now, look around, open up and you shall see. Earthquakes, in Haiti, Turkey, Sidon, now Chili… Let us rejoice our lives by setting our eyes on our death and prepare to receive each breath of life. No, we may not be conscious of when our bells will toll, nor of when the three-ply cloth be cut for our shrouding, but we do know that it’s only a mat-
ter of time. A matter of supersprinting seconds, before the clock strikes its final hour, just ask your grandparents, they will surely relate to this sojourn we have come to call life. Let us discuss the matter in retrospect shall we? We cannot die, lest we be blessed with life, yet can we truly live lest we be awestruck with death? What is this life we lead if we have nothing worth dying for? Take Socrates, early Greek thinker and spokesman for example, he died for his values, the very act of valor that immortalized his name. It goes to reason therefore, that particularly in a deep appreciation of death, of our finiteness, can we find a sanctuary for life beaming with the inno-
cent, untainted love for (not of) life and for the increase of life. Aye, death makes angels of us all…
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Campus News Cafeteria Sit-in Continued from page 1 they proceeded to unfasten the green “Under Construction” sign that had been hanging since the beginning of the past Fall semester and replace it with the same USFC banner that was seen earlier. When this had all finished, the old banner was wrapped up and given to Provost Dallal. This all took place in under 10 minutes; however the feeling of accomplishment amongst the students seemed to linger for a while. Second year Mechanical Engineering student Jonathan Dagher, who was one of those participating in the sit-in, said, “We really need a place to hang out. We are sick of going to the library. Pressure is always a good thing,” when asked about why he chose to attend. Computer Science senior Rami El Outa echoed Dagher’s comments, but when asked if the 10 day limit will lead to any constructive action, he replied, “It’s just a demand, nothing will happen in [those ten days]. We all need to collaborate though.” The action even induced pride in some students like Karim Badra who briefly passed by the area, yet felt
proud to be an AUB student because the USFC were doing something. Speaking on behalf of the USFC, Treasuer Yehya Oueini noted that the whole action started because the council received many complaints concerning the cafeteria. This was not only about the food but also about the social aspect, as since the closure of the smoking area near West Hall, AUB feels empty. He added that the USFC had talked to the Provost and Dean Nizameddine on a previous occasion and they had promised that students would be involved in the process of the renovations. Oueini concluded that this sit-in was effective because both students and administrators attended. On the other hand, Dallal had no comment on the ten day limit the USFC set. He understands the justified frustration of the students, however finds no sense in setting a limit as there are plans that must be looked it to. Accordingly, a fully operating cafeteria is not expected before summer.He then set the record straight about the rumors. According to Dallal, the contract of the previ-
ous caterers was terminated based upon the feedback of students. The former service then stripped the building of all facilities, leaving nothing for the new services to work with. Faced with this situation, AUB followed the normal procedure and asked for bids from prospective caterers. They were open to any possibility, as long as it met the specifications and standards set. In the end, seven companies applied with the general consensus going to Faqra catering. Since
they presented a large proposal and in order for everything to be done professionally, time is required. In the meantime, they started providing through the mobile kitchen between Ada Dodge and West Hall as well as in OSB and Hostler Center. Dallal had some positive news to share though, as a design draft for the cafeteria was drawn up as of late last week. They intend to show it to students to get their comment and as soon as they are able to get the building per-
Photo by Outlook Staff
mits required ready, demolition work will begin, complying with the law and internal standards. “Everyone is poised and ready, but we’re not sure if we’ll meet this ultimatum,” he said in conclusion. This may not be the perfect answer that the students are looking for, however. For now, the entire AUB community must wait patiently for the administration’s next step and what the USFC’s next step is when the ten days run out.
Slim Speaks to AUB students and faculty Continued from page 1 their children “maintain the root and culture” of their ancestral home. Also regarding local matters, the notorious issues of unreliable electrical power supply, frustratingly inefficient broadband, and excessively costly expenses charged by telecommunication companies. Slim, who obtained the private ownership of Telmex (the primary telecommunications provider for several Latin American countries) from the Mexican government, suggested that the same occur in Lebanon. He recom-
mended that, among other widely needed but faulty services, “Electric power should be open to privatization.” The option of hydroelectricity was also put forth. Concerning the prospect of personal local investments (which seemed to be of key interest to most present), the tycoon loosely intimated that speculations in Lebanon are a possibility, provided that the national peace persists. As for the increasing poverty afflicting the region and world at large, the main idea continually stressed on was
“education.” Slim repeatedly underlined the imperativeness of education, affirming, “Better education means better jobs and variety of jobs,” and that “A country with better education is better-equipped to compete.” The immediacy of the situation, he believes, is something that cannot be ignored, claiming that poverty is “no longer a social or moral issue but now a need for the economy.” During the lecture, protestors assembled outside the
auditorium carrying pictures of Argentinian revolutionary Ché Guevara and banners in Spanish and Arabic condemning capitalism. One banner read “From Mexico to Lebanon, the underprivileged are the same everywhere” while another, “Down with capitalist terrorism.” The dissenters eventually left from the scene. Apart from deliberating on trade and commerce, Carlos Slim also imparted many words of wisdom and personal prerogatives onto aspiring
business entrepreneurs as well as the average individual, such as that one should be truly passionate about what they do. Finally, drawing on his impressive 70 years, he reflected that although life is long, it travels quickly, and that as “we leave this life with nothing” we must be sure to accomplish as much as we can while it lasts. As concerns Carlos Slim Helu, we can be sure that he lives by his own motto, as he has certainly accomplished much.
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Campus News
Investigation: Cafeteria Sit-in - Do we care? Is Faqra Catering much worse than its predecessor? Mohammad Hijazi Staff Writer
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ne of the most advertised events that occurred last week was the Cafeteria Sit-in organized by the USFC, which only lasted around ten minutes and attracted far less students than expected. This was a great opportunity to interview students who where around at that time about this matter. The main question behind this investigation was: Do students really care about the cafeteria? Yet, this question opened many doors to other issues related to the cafeteria and Faqra Catering- the current service. Biology junior Abeer Mahfouz described the sit-in as useless. “We’ve managed to survive without the cafeteria,” she said. “There are much more important issues for the USFC to protest about. These include the decreasing number of printers in Jafet library, the huge increase in internet fees, and HIP coverage which is very useless.” Biology senior Elia El Haber also believes that there are other priorities. “Of course there are more important issues to protest about, like the recent increase in tu-
ition fees and decrease in oncampus shuttle timings. But even the matters that interest most of the student body, such as the cafeteria, attracted very few protesters and for little time. We were there at 12.20 pm and sadly, we were the only ones standing. A sitin should have a more striking position, especially if it involves the whole student body.” Education senior Nadine Ghaith was there during the cafeteria sit-in. She described the scene as a “heroic act of nothingness. Taking down the green ‘Under Construction’ banner was like taking down the statue of an unpopular political leader.” She explained that the sit-in will not make a difference, especially that it was very short-lived. In accordance with that, Psychology sophomore Lojine Kamel believes that “the cafeteria sitin, though admirable, was pointless. In the end, it’s not the students but the administration who decides and one day of protesting won’t make them move any faster.” Business senior Sahar Makki demonstrated utter disap-
proval of the cafeteria’s condition, whether in the past or present. “It doesn’t matter that there is no cafeteria because it definitely won’t be up to par.” She continued to express her disapproval of Faqra Catering, their branches (OSB, Hostler), and their quality. Third year Graphic Design student Nadine Chehade said, “Last year, I used to grab something to eat from the main cafeteria since it was almost always on my way from a class to another. Now that it is closed, I can’t replace it with Hostler which is never on my way, nor with that of engineering, which is currently also closed for renovations.” Moreover, she describes the current cafeteria as a “bus/truck that is out of place, out of context, even if it is there just temporarly. It always makes me lose my appetite and I end up getting food from outside AUB.” Food science graduate student Loulwa Kalash actually agrees with the concept of the sit-in. “There’s nothing to lose but there is a lot to win if we got our voices heard,” she said. “For me, its one of my
priorities since I care about my food and where to eat everyday. Health is very important and food is basically an issue that determines your health state.” Yet, she complains about the Hostler branch since its always so crowded. “It has a very inefficient spacing if we consider the wide space surrounding it. It’s just a waste on architecture but no efficient space to accommodate students, staff, and faculty.” In addition to the reasons mentioned above, many students are hesitant about the presentation and quality of the food in all branches. Kalash confirms this by saying that she doesn’t like how they display their food. “It makes me uncomfortable and hesitant if I want to eat [from them]. I mean its not a closed environment.” Biology senior Elie Fares agrees by saying, “I have never tried their plat-du-jour because I basically don’t think it looks good.” He continues to say that “Faqra catering, in comparison to USM, is utter rubbish. You cannot even begin to compare the quality of service between the two: sal-
ad bars, better payment services, more food diversity, friendlier-looking employees, etc...” El Haber also believes that the older catering system was much better. “The new Faqra system has less variety, less availability, no freshness, and they are not cheap at all comparing to the quality they are serving,” she said. Fares also complained about the supply of food being produced each day. “Food runs out really fast and you don’t have a constant supply of food coming in, so if it’s over and there’s nothing else you want to - or can eat - around, you’re screwed.” In conclusion, it is very noticeable that most of the students are not satisfied with the current condition of the cafeteria. The closure of the main cafeteria might not have affected all the students, however they are all dissatisfied with Faqra Catering’s food diversity, quality, and hygiene. “Graduating without a decent cafeteria is rather depressing,” says Fares.
curate or incomplete idea of the subject matter. “When we extrapolate on it, we end up having these vague notions.” Taking the concept of Jihad, for example, Saade stated “if someone says I’m waging Jihad, that means whatever that means for him at that moment in time...everybody interprets things on his own.” Another aspect of Hizbullah that plays a large role in its existence is its focus on the concept of remembering the past. Taking the ritual of Ashura into account, Saade stated that he initially “grew really skeptical be-
cause I dont think something that happens only once a year can really mobilize people,” but that it is capitalized on as a remembering ceremony to “push certain discourse.” Saade referred to this ceremony, as well as the memories of the martyrs as “a recurrent feature of how people find themselves linked.” He stated that “this remembering was a catalyst for action... when you remember, you don’t just remember a name, you remember a way of doing things.” Saade concluded the discussion, rising awareness to the danger in studying the po-
litical entity. “Writing on Hizbullah is a very dangerous thing to do and I regret having chosen it as a topic,” Saade jokingly said, inducing the laughs in the audience. Still, Saade’s information was helpful to much of the audience. Esraa Haidar, faculty of the School of Business found the lecture enlightening, saying “he pointed out a different perspective and focused on internal issues which not everyone has access to.”
Hizbullah Lecture Heather Jaber Staff Writer On March 19th, AUB was treated to a lecture by PSPA Professor Bashir Saade. Held in West Hall, received a large turnout as well as an ample amount of feedback from the variety of students and faculty who attended. The lecture, titled “Hizbullah and the Politics of Remembering” covered the topic of the “performative” dimensions of Hizbullah. Saade focused on the ritual and textual actions of Hizbullah, rather than attempt to moralize the entity or take a certain stance on ei-
ther side. Saade opened the discussion by explaining that he was not “categorizing” Hizbullah, as the “political science approach” tends to do. Instead, he was “more interested in looking in intellectual spheres.” According to Saade, it is important to study Hizbullah “because Hizbullah knows it is being studied, observed, and categorized.” A certain vagueness is also associated with Hizbullah, as the entity is constantly studied and thus categorized by the political science world. When this happens, the population may have an inac-
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Campus News You think what you eat?
Maya Terro Staff Writer
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very aspect of our university life is important. When it comes to nutrition, there seems to be a lot of confusion towards what really makes one type of food nutritious and others not as much. With this in mind, and after the success of its earlier event “Fit-a-Thon,” the AUB Wellness program organized a workshop entitled “You Think What You Eat” on Wednesday, March17 in the New Women’s Dormitory which aimed at spreading awareness amongst AUB students on how students can adopt healthier lifestyles. The workshop, facilitated by the Dietary Department at AUBMC & the Faculty of Agriculture & Food Sciences (FAFS), was a great substitute for lectures. Dr. Farah Naja (FAFS) and Ms. Abir Barhoumi (Dietary Department), both of which are members of the Committee on University Wellness, were behind the idea of the workshop. The Committee on University Wellness is basically a multi-disciplinary committee and includes members from various departments. The basic mission of this committee is to integrate activities that impact the health and well-being of the AUB
community at large, with an emphasis on the active staff, faculty, and students within AUB. The program is currently under the jurisdiction of the University Health Services. According to Dina Mahmassani, one of the organizers of this event, ‘’The activity was the seventh event being organized this year by the AUB Wellness Program and was open to all AUB students, free of charge, as are all activities organized by the program.’’ Despite the stressful exam period, some 20 participants showed up. According to Mahmassani, raising the issue of nutrition for students “especially during stress times is important […] particularly for those living on campus, given their limited food venue options. I hope that we would have more students attending, enjoying, and benefiting from all the activities offered by the AUB Wellness Program.’’ When asked about why the workshop took place in one of the women’s dormitory and not in West Hall, where workshops and lectures usually take place, Mahmassani noted that students living in dorms are more prone to difficulties of finding healthy nu-
tritious food at all times than other students. Nutrition sophomore and dorm resident Nadine Abi Younis welcomed the idea but was a bit disappointed. “I was very shocked the dorms girls did not show as much interest as I thought they would. If they had known exactly what the workshop was about or if it were better marketed, they would have shown more interest,” she noted. The people that did show up, however, did seem to find it useful and interesting. Naja was able to convey valuable information related to what
makes really determines whether a certain line of food is nutritious or not. Surprisingly, and according to Naja, there is no such thing as free cholesterol bananas and nuts because vegetables and fruits do not have any cholesterol in them; hence, students should be careful of this fact and not be fooled by what the food companies and accordingly tend to take things for granted. During the workshop, students were divided into teams with student floaters from Dr. Naja’s NFSC 221 class helping around the partici-
Photo by Maya Terro/Outlook
pants at the tables during the activities According to one of the participants, Mounia Barakat, who is majoring in Food Science and Management, “This event was very beneficial and useful to most of the attendees […] thanks to Dr. Farah Naja. It highlighted and discussed several issues concerning food labeling, dieting, and many more. We left with a better understanding of the nutritional values, which in turn made us better judges to whether the food we’re eating is healthy or not.”
Remembering Kamal Joumblat: A Tribute Nadine Ghaith
Staff Writer’s
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uesday March 16th marked the 33rd memory to the assassination of the eminent Druze leader Kamal Joumblat. To mark the occasion the communication club set up an exhibition of this great man’s pictures, quotes and books. The books were provided by Dar el Takadomi, the official printing house of the Progressive Socialist Party and will gain 60% of the profit made by selling these books; the remaining 40% will go as funding for the club. The publish-
ing house provided the club with about 27 titles by Kamal Joumblat and three copies of each title. Later in the evening a lecture by NDU professor Dr. Sawsan Najjar was held to highlight the most significant moments in his life, and the legacy he left behind. “Doubt is the path to faith” will sum up Kamal Joumblat’s fascination with philosophy and his long quest for the truth, a quest out of which the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) was born back in
1949, significantly, on Labor Day of that year. I say significantly because the PSP tends towards the less fortunate and a very strong work ethic. The PSP of course lives on, 33 years after the assassination of its founder and we still honor and celebrate this man and his mission. But we remember him mostly as a symbol of a certain political and religious sect and rarely do we credit him for his literary work.Kamal, the philosopher and the thinker has been hiding behind Ka-
mal the political figure. The man who sought wisdom in France and India and everywhere else he travelled introduced stability (as minister of interior) and a better chance for the lower classes by i.e. forcing the government to buy fruits and vegetables from local farmers in Mount Lebanon.Although he came from the very well established Joumblat family, an only son amongst two sisters and heir to a long history in politics, spoiled and suffocated with care, he moved
towards the lower classes, he did things single handedly and helped those in need, he looked after those who made up the bottom classes in society and even animals received his special care. Many inspirational anecdotes have been reported and repeated from the Moukhtara palace and those who worked for or knew this man; all of them pay tribute to his noble quest for equality in Lebanon as we pay tribute today to his vision of Lebanon, a vision yet to materialize.
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Campus News Your Picture Taking Redefined: A Lecture on Basic Photography Nadine Ghaith
Staff Writer’s
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hat’s a picture? The click of a button?Public Administration undergraduate Saaddine el Kurdi, will make you think again. Kurdi conducted his lecture entitled “Basic Photography for Daily Life” on Thursday, March 18 to enlighten interested students about the art of taking pictures and to help make their everyday picture a little more special. The lecture was a beginner’s tutorial on general skills and recommendations in photography. Although still an undergrad, Kurdi has taken several workshops on photography and works as a freelancer for various local magazines and websites, armed with all this, as well as his own readings on the matter he presented his audience with what every amateur photographer must know. In his lecture, Kurdi discussed the advantages and
disadvantages of the more natural film versus the more practical digital (DSCR) photography. He also introduced the different types of camera lenses (normal, zoom, fishey, telephoto, macro) and different genres of photography (artistic, monochromatic, macro, nature, panoramic, portraits, architecture) and proceeded to explain that each situation (depending on how much light is present) requires us to set the camera to specific settings. ISO on an SLR camera for example, which has to do with the camera’s sensitivity to light, is set low for bright settings and higher as the amount of light present decreases, the higher the ISO on your cam however the lesser the quality of the picture. He referred a lot to the “noise” in a picture- this occurs when you view a picture that feels irritable due to bad quality/ too highly defined
colors in it. Setting the ISO low (except in cases where it’s dark) will reduce this noise in your pictures. He also discussed shutter speed and aperture. The former is set according to how much movement/ or lack of motion the picture allows and the latter has to do with how much focus/ blur you want or where you want to focus in the picture you are taking. Note that the lower the
shutter speed, the harder it is to provide a steady photo; at some point a tripod will be necessary and although cameras will usually adjust on their own, Kurdi advises that man made judgments are better than machine made ones. Finally, Kurdi engaged the audience with a slide show of pictures he had taken at different times in different places and tested whether
Photo by Saad El Kurdi
they could diagnose the problem/ mistake in the capture. It was a fun exercise to reestablish what we had learned throughout the lecture and the pictures were interesting. Along with the useful tips, the most important thing one could take in from Kurdi’s lecture is to always remember that every picture tells a story, if your photo has no story then it is meaningless.
Giving for a better generation: The Armenian Students Fund holds its 4th annual gala dinner Roupen Ohannessian Staff Writer
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nder the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Najib Mikati, the AUB Armenian Students Fund committee, held its fourth annual gala dinner on Friday, March 19 at InterContinental Phoenicia Beirut. Initiated in 2004 by the Lebanese Armenian Heritage Club (LAHC) in AUB, the Armenian Students Fund (ASF) aims at providing needy and qualified Armenian students with more opportunities to pursue their education at AUB. The combined work of the committee’s eleven members with
the Office of Development and External Affairs and the Office of Student Affairs has already fruited into granting scholarship awards to Armenian students at AUB in 2008-2009. After both Lebanese and Armenian national anthems were played, the president of the LAHC, Mr. Vahan Boyadjian, welcomed the guests in his opening speech. He described the pleasure of giving as a human virtue and ignorance as violent element. In his speech, Mr. Nareg Demirjian, chair of the ASF committee, praised all those
who helped in accomplishing the ASF’s vision, a challenge which seemed impossible 5 years ago. In his word, the Provost of AUB, Dr. Ahmad Dallal, admired the energy and the will of all students who took part in ASF’s committee throughout its 5 years, values that AUB encourages in its graduates. Finally, His Excellency Mr. Najib Mikati expressed his pleasure to be part of a mission that aims at creating a better generation through help in education. After the opening speeches, the guests of honors and the
ASF committee cut the cake and everyone took their seats to enjoy the delicious meals of InterContinental Phoenicia, while listening to Seta & Edy with their classics of the 80’s. After the vocal performance, a video presentation introduced the ASF and the LAHC and its activities to the guests. The presentation stressed on the importance of Armenian students’ presence at AUB, which dates to1890, and on the hope of continuing this higher education with the help of ASF. Next was Shant Lojikian with his accordion after which a painting by Gu-
vder was put on auction. Finally, violinist Habib Alberto and the Lebanese band Latino Loco created a joyful mood and entertained the guests till midnight. The Armenian Students Fund has raised $300,000 in the last five years, and a scholarship award was already granted in the academic year 2008-09. A second award will soon be granted while the committee continues its vital mission for a better generation.
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Campus News Humorous Politics Deedee El Jilani Staff Writer
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hursday, March 18. West Hall, Auditorium A, where great minds come to share their experiences and successes to the top, with the occasional caricaturing of well known political figures. Famous political cartoonist for The Economist magazine, Kevin (Kal) Kallaugher visited AUB on Thursday, March 18 and introduced the audience to the history or cartoons, their effects on politics, and how he came to be. Cartoons: the first doodle of history. “Cartoons capture history,” Kallaugher said. “It distills the complex moments in a single nugget.” Traditional cartoons started
over 300 years ago. The cartoons in the states 150 years ago were very important and more effective. Now, there are more media everywhere and the cartoons have become “a little speck,” barely remembered. Kallaugher started “cartooning” when he was six years old. Then one day in school, he drew a cartoon of his music teacher singing with her eyes closed. It was passed around class and he “became a star.” But when the teacher saw the picture, she told “never draw cartoons like that again.” And he’s been drawing cartoons ever since. In later years, he began caricaturing on the streets, now
he has drawn over 7,000 cartoons and 120 cover cartoons for The Economist. His cartoons now are about politicians, he says that he is a journalist, columnist, cartoonist, and a satirist. “Satires are best used when it gives voice to the powerless to the powerful.” A good way to get people interested in the world today and politics at large is to entertain them in a funny cartoon while sending the message across. “Cartoons should make you think, not laugh.” Kallaugher claims to be an editorial cartoonist. He is cartoonist because he draws cartoons and he is an editor because it is serious work.
Cartoons will always target someone because you can’t please everyone. Steps to making a cartoon: First, you have to have information, second, you look for ideas (about what is important, not what is funny), then you sketch your ideas, and finally you apply the ink which could take about three hours. However, cartoons face a new crisis: the Internet! People no longer read newspapers and magazines! They go the internet! But cartoonists can adapt. They create their cartoons into animation. Kallaugher made a Broadway show of the 2008 Obama McCain debate which showed two days before the elections
using motion capture, the same device used to make Avatar. You can look these up on youtube.com. Cartoons are really freedom of expression with the price or responsibility. “I am 100% in favor of everything that’s right and 100% against everything that’s wrong. But no party is ever completely right.” Towards the end, Kallaugher began to draw politicians and handing them out to the audience.When it was over, he taught the audience how to roughly caricature President Obama.
Dr. Peter Scoles addresses Medical Students’ concerns Wajiha Jurdi Kheir Staff Writer
Dr. Peter Scoles, Vice President for Assessment Programs of the National Boards of Medical Examiners, who happened to be visiting AUB’s Faculty of Medicine at the time, gave two Question and Answer sessions to Medical Students on Monday, March 8. The first was private, and only included a handful of Medicine IV students, while the second one was open to all Medical Students in Lebanon. These sessions were organized by the Lebanese Medical Students’ International Committee’s (LeMSIC) Standing Committee on Medical Education (SCOME). The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is sponsored by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). All Medical Doctors need to pass this exam to be able to practice in
the United States. During the private Q&A, Medicine IV students showed concern about some aspects of the exam itself and the emphasis placed on it, as well as how very few Medicine IV (6 or 7 out of 80) students are done with both Step 1 and Step 2 (USMLE is a multistep exam) in time for Residency Program matching. They suggested that appropriate time in the curriculum be allocated for them to study for their exams. Scoles first answered all exam-related questions and then noted that giving students time to study for the Steps may not be part of their institution’s mission. He then added that not even all Medical School in the States do what the students request. He suggested, however, that changes to the exam, which will happen sometime in the near future, may decrease
the need for study cram time. Next came the open Q&A, which took place in an unusually packed Issam Fares Hall. Dr. Ramzi Sabra, Assistant Dean for Medical Education, introduced Scoles. Before he could start the talk, however, Medicine II student and SCOME Secretary Ibrahim Bou Gheida took the podium. He thanked all SCOME members for their work efficiency and the Administration, represented by Sabra and Dr. Samir Atweh, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education. Bou Gheida then presented Scoles with a plaque as a thank you for his attendance and enthusiasm. Scoles greeted the audience and asked by a show of hands how many were terrified of taking Step 1, which lightened the mood and created a friendly atmosphere in the hall. He first noted that
USMLE is a measure of “minimum competence in Basic Sciences, Clinical Medicine, Application of Clinical Medicine, and it is has a score, for good or for bad.” It was not designed to be used as a the mark for selection program for post graduate training, as It has great precision in distinguishing between pass/ fail but not between higher scores. This is the reality of the situation, though. He then mentioned some changes that will happen to the exam in the next 5 years. For one, Step 2, which is concerned with Clinical Medicine will contain some basic sciences as well. However, the basic sciences information tested will not be based on memorization as is the case in Step 1. Scoles also presented statistics about the how International Medical Graduates fare score-wise and accep-
tance wise. He kept noting that these statistics don’t apply to us: AUB medical students’ scores match those of U.S. Medical Students in highly regarded Medical Schools. We also have a much higher acceptance percentage to residency programs, which he estimated to be around 75%. When the floor was opened to questions, Dr. Scoles was gracious enough to answer each and every question, even if they were more personal than general. “[Scoles] even stayed past lecture time for half an hour or more talking to us students and trying to help us,” said Medicine I Student Bouchra Tawk. The talk was a success and left all parties more informed and prepared to face the challenges lying ahead.
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Campus News Ashrafieh comes to AUB Elie El Khoury Staff Writer
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he Faculty of Engineering and Architecture hosted the monologue act Joe Kdeih on Tuesday, March 16. Kdeih performed his latest work, entitled “Ashrafieh,” in a fully packed Issam Fares Auditorium. The event was first planned to be held in the Bathish auditorium (capacity of 240 people), but due to the overwhelming response, organizers made the decision to upsize in order to double the capacity. The act sold out, and students as well many AUB faculty and staff members got to enjoy an hour and a half of spot-on, stinging sarcasm with all the proceeds going to financing the upcoming annual FEA rally paper. Kdeih started his monologue by setting the scene at the present day Ashrafieh area, where the old historical neighborhoods are being replaced by major malls and where the citizens are getting more and more detached from their old traditions and
values. The chronicles of lost identity are told and highlighted by the stories of five stereotyped Ashrafieh housewives throughout five acts. An interlude precedes each chapter, where the performer describes the neighborhood and house he grew up in as he sips up the symbolic, traditional cup of coffee. The performer touches on the issues of adultery, materialism, and detachment from the past, in the current Ashrafieh society. He skillfully controls his movements and alters his voice and facial expressions to exaggerate and paint a somewhat funny picture of a stigmatic reality, defined by excessive plastic surgery, flagrant appearances, and blatant shallowness, which are all uncharacteristic of the Ashrafieh the actor grew up in. Those who have watched Joe Kdeih’s previous work “Hayet l Jagal Soh’be,” will find in “Ashrafieh” a somewhat recurrent type of sarcasm and
definitely a fresh breath of criticism, as the performer remorselessly attacks what, in his opinion, is a decadence in today’s society, where cheating on one’s spouse and even heritage have become quite in vogue. If one has to compare Kdeih’s current piece to his previous ones, a clear pattern of “theatre making” emerges. So whoever’s seeking to enjoy the shock value of a new structure and mise-en-scene, he certainly will not find it here. But as the actor puts it “I don’t get what so wrong about talking about the things that are going wrong in our society without getting too intellectual” (in response to some criticism about his plays lacking intellectualism), he alluded in the middle of his performance. Other competing plays did not make it untouched by the performer’s criticism neither. He mockingly referred to them as being as un-intellectual and in a way a lot shallower, since they do not
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address issues as “socially” fundamental and are not as aware of their environment as his perhaps. In sum, “Ashrafieh in AUB” (as the organizers referred to) was indeed a huge success for FEA. The audience got to enjoy a sad portrait painted
in bright colors of witticism and sarcasm, and Joe Kdeih proved again his abilities to deliver as a funny one man act, no matter how tragic his addressed topic might be.
of blistering cold, thereby throwing the world some two hundred centuries (20,000 years) back into a period of glacial maximum with little hope to survive. One could recognize the film primarily as an eye opener to the devastating effects of fatal and wholly destructive weather, that is to say, The Day After Tomorrow serves as visible testimony to the impossible made possible, dauntingly illustrating the consequences of unbeatable world climate facts in combination with a modest rush
of science fiction, and a tint of imagination, leaving its viewers to ponder the future of a rapidly advancing world – or is it? The movie night concluded with a colorful reception constituting a generous display of juices amidst a diverse assortment of chocolate cookies and butter biscuits where the spectators, hopefully, emerged with a more empathetic sentiment towards the climatic fate of mankind’s one and only home – planet Earth.
BSS rallys for a safer climate Rami Diab Staff Writer
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ast week, the Biology Student Society (BSS) picked up its climate change awareness campaign where it last left off. As promised, the BSS held a movie screening of The Day After Tomorrow on Monday March 18, at the Charles Hostler Student Center (CHSC) Auditorium between the late hours of 6 and 8 pm. Just preceding the movie showing was a short presentation portraying the contemporary issue of global warming, its mechanism, major threats, and finally some down to
earth, practical solutions for the common citizen. A short five or so minute video was then relayed highlighting the main ideas discussed with particular emphasis on the considerable role of mankind concerning the onset of global climatic disorder and thus the near-total annihilation of human and animal wildlife. The Hollywood blockbuster starring Dennis Quaid as Jack Hall playing a certified climatologist who predicts the coming of a new ice age is shunned by representatives of the American legislative
body, mainly the Vice President of the United States of America, who seems to be more preoccupied with the country’s sensitive economy. Soon enough, Jack’s predictions begin to manifest in full bloom, only much earlier than expected. Beginning with the dissociation of massive polar glaciers from the North Pole and leading up to events that devastate Los Angeles and the better part of the Northern America with unforeseen ice baths, rapid drops in temperature, and menacing winds
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Entertainment Band Review
Lifehouse
Lifehouse is an American alternative rock band originating from Los Angeles. They grabbed the attention of the music scene in 2001 with their hit single “Hanging by a Moment” from their record-breaking multiplatinum debut album “No Name Face.” Their first single was able to claim a Billboard Music Award for Hot 100 Single of the Year and beat Alicia Keys and Janet Jackson for the #1 single in 2001. Currently, this band includes Jason Wade (lead vocalist and guitarist, Rick Wooltenhulme (drums, percussions), Bruce Soderberg (bass guitarist), and Ben Carey (guitarist). They have sold over fifteen million albums and singles worldwide to date. Another song from there debut album which has became famous is “Everything.” This song was featured on the Premiere and season one finale of “Smallville,” the TV show that tells the story of Clark Kent, aka Superman. This began a longstanding affair between the band and the series, as Lifehouse would go on to have seven songs played during the series’ first four seasons, ending with a live performance in the fourth-season prom episode.
board Top 200 chart. Songs worth listening to from this album are “Had Enough” featuring Chris Daughtry, “Halfway Gone” and “From Where You Are.” This album
Their second album, “Stanley Climbfall”, saw the light in 2002. Its singles, “Spin” and “Take me”, were successful, yet, the whole album was overshadowed by the success of their first album. Their third album was eponymous. Its first single, “You and me” was released in January 2005, although it was written five years before. The song was a huge success for the band, especially that it stayed for 66 weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100. This song has also appeared on “Smallville” and songs from this album were featured in eight other shows including “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Scrubs.” Other recommended songs from this album are “Come Back Down”, “Blind”, “Undone,” and “All in All”. Their fourth album, entitled “Who We Are”, was released in June 2007. This album “rocks a little harder” than previous albums, according to the band. From this album, the songs that were most famous are “First Time”, “Whatever it Takes”, and “Broken.” Their fifth album was recently released on March 2nd, 2010 after several delays. This album is entitled “Smoke and Mirrors” and debuted at #6 on the Bill-
SUDOKU
SUDOKU
Mohammad Hijazi
particularly shows that after ten years of producing music, this band has become more mature. Most songs of Lifehouse will entertain alternative rock
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lovers, and some will leave you obsessing over them. If you like the music of Nickleback, One Republic, and The Fray, the music of this band is for you.
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Entertainment
Movie Review When news broke out that Tim Burton would be the director of the newest Alice in Wonderland remake/sequel, fans everywhere had something to look forward to, as well as something to possibly fear. Adaptations of classics are always risky to take on, but there was no doubt that Burton possessed the originality or imagination to create something unique. Fortunately, Burton’s talent as a wacky, twisted director paid off, producing an array of new and old characters in a visually impressive film. The movie, a sequel to the original Disney version, picks up fourteen years after Alice’s first trip to Wonderland, the world that she has come to believe is part of her dreams. Alice is about to receive a proposal of marriage from a rather unappealing suitor when she spots the White Rabbit and chases after him, falling once again down the rabbit hole. After passing the first test by taking “potions that make you grow” and “cakes that make you shrink”, Alice walks through the door and steps into Wonderland. Viewers are greeted by many
Alice in Wonderland
of the old characters of Alice in Wonderland, including the hookah smoking Blue Caterpillar, the Mad Hatter, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, and of course, the Cheshire Cat, a lot less creepy than the Disney version, and a bit more lovable. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, played by Matt Lucas, provided the movie with a comedic lightness, while the Red Queen, played by Helena Bonham Carter (wife of Tim Burton), gave the movie a darker, more eerie feel with her constant need to behead people and place their decapitated heads in the moat around her castle. Carter was a perfect fit for the Red Queen; viewers are able to feel her anger and also desperation to maintain rule of and fear from her subjects. Another gem in the movie was Johnny Depp’s portrayal of the Mad Hatter. While some criticized his antics, his new spin on the beloved character gave another dimension to the Disney version’s Hatter, as well as the one in Lewis Carroll’s novel. Colored contacts were used on Depp to show the Hatter’s changing mood at dif-
ferent points in the film, giving the character a bizarre and deranged, yet very Burton - as well as Carroll - look. In Burton’s film, the viewer is able to see another side of the Hatter, his emotional side, as well as his, well, mad side. Mia Wasikowska gave a refreshing performance as Alice; she even had the fresh, innocent look that Carroll’s novel’s depicted. While her role may have been overshadowed by some of the more prominent characters, her potential is not to be forgotten. Anne Hathaway, however, who played the White Queen, did not give the most impressive performance. Her portrayal came across as more weird and off than what she should have been going for, something a bit more whimsical. All in all, Burton’s Alice in Wonderland was a treat; the 3D effect was an additional bonus to this larger-than-life story. The whimsical characters, scenery and vivid color all transport the viewer to another world, something that all great movies should do.
Heather Jaber
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The mini outdoors – AUB lower campus students ‘over-nighting’ anew Lojine Kamel and Maya Terro There’s a saying down in AUB’s lower campus that goes something like this: “If you’re a Chemistry, a Biology, or a Physics major, then God have mercy on your soul. If you’re in Engineering, then God rest your soul in peace.” As one might infer from the aforementioned, ever since the lower campus, more specifically the students down in the science departments, have existed, it has always been associated with the terms “overnight,” rarely “over party,” if ever. To some AUBites, the mere idea of a party of some sort taking place on lower campus is simply a “nonexistent” one. However, a group of
chemistry students wanted to change this fact by throwing not just a party, but a mini outdoors. Everyone looks forward to the annual AUB Outdoors event, where music lovers, social aficionado,s and people just looking for some food - can mingle in harmony. This Friday, March 19, however, AUB was treated to a sort of “mini-outdoors” if you will, arranged by the Chemistry Student Society in collaboration with the Physics Student Society. The event was advertised all over campus, promising food, drink, and most alluringly, live music. At 6pm students from every faculty in AUB began to
arrive, drawn by the sounds of the rehearsing band. Situated at lower campus, directly in front of the Biology building, students set up tables and food and games, all of them excited for the incoming, long awaited for festival. A crowd steadily began to pour in and the band, enlivened by the ever-growing crowd, played on. The live concert featured the local band Plugged with two of its members being Chemistry majors followed by DJ Batrouni. Delicious homemade delicacies, drinks, and refreshments were placed on stands for students to buy. “I really was surprised when I heard that the Chemistry
students are doing a gig. So I came to see it for myself. The music is awesome and the food is just delicious,” says Business sophomore Lama. The highlight of the evening might have occurred just past nine when a score of Rugby League players, having finished practice, ambled in while the DJ was playing. Rousing what little crowd remained, the athletes partied out the reminder of the night, ending the entire event on a high note. According to Biology sophomore Dania Machlab, “It was nice to see science students mingling with other majors and having fun. We should have these things more often!”
Despite the fact that the event was the first of its kind and the fact that the timing, it being on a Friday night, was really not that “planed out,” all in all, no one can deny that the whole event could be labelled as pretty successful. “The Physics and Chemistry students were very hospitable and I had a good time!” said Business senior Tarek Lel. In the end, at least, no one could deny the fact that on that particular night, Physics and Chemistry students were “overnighting” but nowhere close to AUB’s Jafet Library or Science Medical Library (SML).
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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 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
Cartoonist
Qater Al Nada Mohsen Dima Barbir Tariq Buhilaigah Deedee Jilani
Psyched Out
Rita Obeid
Nightmares We all know what a nightmare is and we have all woken up in the middle of the night because of these terrible dreams. Nightmares are defined as feelings of terror and extreme anxiety that often disrupt the sleeping and wakes the person up. Nightmares are also sometimes associated with anxiety and trauma. Why do such nightmares occur? Most are a reaction to stress of some fear. Frequent occurrence of nightmares becomes a disorder when it impairs functioning in the social and occupational areas in life. In this case this is referred to as Nightmare Disorder Nightmares usually begin before age 10 and are usually normal unless they interfere with sleep and development Nightmares are more common in girls and may continue into adulthood. If one is experiencing severe stress one should talk to friends- talking about what is on your mind is very effective. It is also important for one to follow a regular exercise routine and this will allow one to fall asleep faster, experiencing deeper sleep, and waking up better. Relaxation therapy has also shown to be effective. Some tips include: 1. Avoid long-term use of tranquilizers, and avoid caffeine and other stimulants. 2. Set a schedule for sleeping 3. Exercise 4. Relax before bed 5. Sleep until sunlight 6. Don’t lie in bed awake 7. Control room temperature 8. See a doctor if your sleeping problem continue
Heads Up on Health
Maya Terro
The Aspirin Therapy—one therapy does not fit all In the its latest issue, the Journal of the American Medical Association skimmed through the latest research done on aspirin so as to conclude that the ‘aspirin’ therapy is not for everyone—indeed, while some might benefit, others might not. Still others, may be harmed from its use, if anything. According to one of the studies published in the American Journal of Medicine, researchers reported that regular use of aspirin—at least twice per week—increased the risk of suffering hearing loss in men by as much as 12 %. Moreover, for those younger than 50, the percentage nearly doubled to reach a 33 %. In the same study, it was also shown that the use of other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or acetaminophen also increased the risk of hearing loss. Further on this matter, is a study published by the journal BMC Medicine which found that earlier studies showed a large benefit in men taking aspirin to reduce the rates of fatal heart attack, but women did not receive the same advantage. Despite this fact, in a 2008 issue of the journal Cancer, it was reported that among regular aspirin users (particularly men who used aspirin and other NSAIDs), 10% of these showed lower levels of prostate-specific antigens which was later associated, at times, with hindering the detection of prostate cancer. Although studies have shown that indeed taking aspirin was associated with the prevention of a first heart attack, a study published in 2008 in the British Medical Journal suggests that such a therapy fails in the case of diabetics—aspirin provides zero protection against heart attacks in people with diabetes. People with diabetes are at least twice as likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke as the general public. In fact, diabetics taking aspirin are not less likely to experience an attack than those taking a placebo. According to another study from the same journal, nearly 30% of people with cardiovascular disease who took prescribed aspirin were resistant to its effects—this “aspirin resistance” made such patients four times as likely as those for whom aspirin had an effect to have a heart attack, stroke, or die. According to the review, further associated ‘bad’ effects with regular Aspirin intake included bleeding and stomach problems. Aspirin is a blood thinner i.e. it makes the blood’s platelets less sticky. Because of this, the drug makes blood less likely to clot –-this is especially risky if bleeding occurs in the brain, which at times can be fatal. Further on, people taking aspirin or other NSAIDs are at higher risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and stomach ulcers—particularly with long-term use of the drug.