Outlook Under construction
www.aub.edu.lb/outlook
The official Student Newspaper of the American University of Beirut since 1949 Volume XLII, Issue 2
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
President Dorman discusses the in-utility of higher education at Opening Ceremony Mohammed Awada Staff Writer
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he Opening Ceremony on Monday, October 12, marked the start of the 2009-2010 academic year at AUB. President Peter Dorman addressed a full Assembly Hall, filled with Board of Trustee members, faculty, and students. Dorman’s speech, entitled “The Essential Inutility of Higher Education” highlighted the importance of forming thinkers and humanists and not only technical professionals. Acknowledging the difficulty the graduating classes of ’08 and ’ 0 9 a re e n c o u n t e ring in the current jobmarket due to the “severe economic distress around the world,” he stated that they had to face employment conditions “far more uncer-
Doorman addresses a full house on opening ceremony
tain than those of other years.” Despite noting that AUB remains less expensive than most of its “sister institutions in the United States,” Dorman said that “we will continue to search for ways in which our incoming students can afford these crucial years of education without
taking on a burdensome load of debt or financial commitment.” Dorman made use of the hard circumstances to ask “what kind of an education are AUB s tude nts buy ing into?” Since the day AUB was founded as the Syrian Protestant College, it “has recog-
Photo courtesy of AUB
nized the role a university plays in the creation of a professional cadre of leaders.” He said that despite the role politics and history had in changing the “face of the region... the demand for talented and visionary men and women has remained unchanged - in
fact, with the stunning growth of wealth and population in the Middle East, and with the expectations created by a globally integrated economy, the demand has only been exacerbated.” However, “the founders of the Syrian Protestant College also recognized the importance of providing another integral facet of higher education: the formation of a critical intellect and moral character that comes from the mastery of multiple disciplines.” He quoted President Daniel Bliss, who made that goal clear, by saying “the value of each thing is measured by its power to develop and build up the latent possibilities of the moral and spiritual. This, then, is purpose of the college,
3 Letters to the Editor
4 Jafet’s
new room
6 OSB’s
new home
7 Tarantino Overkill
8 Cartoon;
Heads up on Health
This is Outlook’s 2nd issue of the 2nd issue of the year and the 1st issue of Fall Semester. Thank you for reading.
continued on Page 5
OSB inauguration Lack of parking spaces causes major Outlook Staff annoyance for students
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he American University of Beirut’s Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB) inaugurated its new building, unveiling to the community a hi-tech, interactive trading room, dynamic classrooms and labs, and modern open spaces on October 13. “The new home of the OSB captures the school’s unique history and its role in the region,” said OSB Dean George Najjar. “It satisfies all of the school’s programmatic requirements, and anticipates its future growth aspirations.” Dignitaries from the United States, the Arab region, and Lebanon, including Education Minister Bahia Hariri, Finance Minister Mohammed Chatah, Displaced Minister Raymond Audi, Former Minister Bahij Tabbara, members of the Olayan family and the AUB community attended the event at the overpacked new Maamari Auditorium. Guests also included academics and dean emeriti from the Harvard Business School, Kellogg School of Management, London School of Economics, Johns Hopkins School of Business, and Sloan School of Management at MIT. continued on Page 6
Tala Kardas
News Executive
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t is around 7:00am on your average weekday. Most of the streets of Beirut are deserted, with the occasional school bus or car motoring along peacefully. The quiet does not last for long, however, as upon arriving to Bliss Street or anywhere along the Corniche, the traffic jam is so unbearable one would think that the time was somewhere around noon. All that commotion is being
caused by a swarm of your average AUB students commuting to their college from different parts of Lebanon. They hope that arriving hours before their classes would entitle them to the best p a rk i n g s p o t w i t h out having to be overcharged for a simple service. It is a situation that is almost comical if it were not so sad. A large number of factors have come together to make the lack of parking spaces a hot topic since the beginning of fall.
The first question that is usually posed is why AUB does not allow its students to take advantage of the many parking lots throughout its 70 acre campus. However, the number of spots on campus is not enough to accommodate everyone That is why students have to resort to privately-owned lots scattered around the Hamra area. Yet with the surge in construction, many well-known parking spots have been demolished in favor of new, high-rise build-
ings. The ones that have remained, on the other hand, have suddenly upped their fees to a beyond-reasonable level. One of the most common parking lots with AUB students is Central Parking, conveniently placed at the beginning of Bliss Street, next to the Zaatar and Zeit resturant. It spans six underground levels and is the favored by many. But, utilizing this facility comes at a hefty price. To leave your car continued on Page 5
2 Editorial Don’t hold on to your seats for too long
Mohamad Yahia Hamade Editor-in-Chief
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hange is inevitable; everything we know is subject to change. In fact, the only constant in life is, ironically, change itself. Even at AUB, this year there has been a lot of change going on: new president, new buildings, new people, new administration - a lot more is changing, but you get the point. So, what makes this year different from previous years? It is the fact that someone is finally listening to students. In case you’re a new student, here’s a summary of what has happened: to commemorate his first Founders’ Day, President Peter Dorman asked students to write essays about what has to change at AUB. Surprisingly, the winning essay recommended that everything yes everything - has to be changed. We, at Outlook, also had our investigations and exposés on a lot of things that were off-kilter at AUB. Things aren’t perfect in the world, much like here
at AUB. The Nobel Prize Committee uses the Peace Prize as a political statement, just like having a hypothetical Financial Aid Office at a hypothetical university offeringpremium financial aid, workstudy programs, and loans to students based on political backgrounds. Just because it is the status-quo doesn’t necessarily mean it’s righteous. It is our duty as proactive students to stand up and speak out against what is plaguing our community. The administration will listen; they seem to have adopted an “out with the old, and in with the new” attitude; this means that we’re both on the same side. We all want the best for our community, it’s just a matter of what we have to do to get there.
Ideas expressed in the Op-Eds and Letters to the Editor do not reflect the opinions of Outlook nor the American University of Beirut. Letters to the editor should be sent to readoutlook@gmail.com through the AUB imail. If a writer requests anonymity, the author’s identity should be known to the editor-in-chief and it will not be shared with anyone else.
Op-Ed: I, too, was in your shoes once Maya Terro Staff Writer
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ear neo-AUBites (that’s what I’m calling all of you new students at AUB) allow me to welcome you to the American University of Beirut – one of the most prestigious universities, not only in Lebanon, but in the whole Middle East region. I don’t know if it will make your life easier in any way, but just so you know, I’ve been in your shoes and I learned the hard way that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Yes, I know what
you’ve gone through to get here. And yes, I do acknowledge the fact that it was all but easy. But for those of you who think that they’ve seen the worst of “those now-behind-their-back high school years,” you might want to “think again.” To all of you who think that AUB is all about what the catalogues show you – a student basking in the sun on the green oval or a student sitting under the shade of a tree- think again. I, too, was fooled, but what you see in the catalogues is something that only a few AUBites have time to do. A couple of years back, I, too, felt like I’d been had. Yes, there were times when I was glad that my high school years were over, but there were also times when I wished I was back in my school where everything was up for grabs.
H o w e v e r, w h e n I came to AUB, things changed. Now, I had to do everything—and by everything, I mean EVERYTHING. Yes, I, too, back then, had problems with my registration, had problems opening capacity, had problems staying awake during long CVSP lectures, was left breathless while running between classes, felt paralyzed every time I thought I had to climb up that ohso-long chemistry stairs (I still hate those stairs) to get to my classes, had breakfast at lunch and dinner at breakfast, felt like a total loser every time I did not have an answer to why my first ever grade in AUB was a paltry 56 on my BIOL201 quiz (which to date is still one of my lowest grades in AUB) and so on and so forth. But then again, I was a Biology sopho-
more, a Pre-Med too, and as much as I had hoped that things would change for the best, they never did. Rather, I had to change so as to be able to move on with my new college life. Yes, I learned it all the hard way. It was an arduous task to accomplish; however, it turned out to be a life-changing experience that forever altered my view of myself and the world around me and helped me find my way through my sophomore year. This is what it means to be at AUB for the first time. I don’t want to scare you or anything, but if I were you, I’d prepare myself for the worst!
Op-Ed: No such thing as over-exposure Rita El-Haddad News Executive
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am about to enter my fifth year at AUB – yes, I’m “old” as many new students whom I guided this summer exclaimed when tthey found out my age. Since I’m in a position to be able to get away with saying things like “when I was your age,” please hear me out. Many Hollywood “stars” suffer from overexposure. Their constant presence in the tabloids and on the news has gotten people to simply hate hearing
their names. Paris Hilton, anyone? While this may be true in the surreal world of La-La Land, the same cannot be said about AUB. AUB issues, if anything, seem to suffer from under-exposure. Many complaints stay between friends and never reach the powersthat-be. Some students are afraid to complain because they fear the repercussions; it’s understandable that one doesn’t want to bite the hand that feeds him/ her. However, I feel that the majority of people choose not to speak out because they feel that what they are going through is simply part of the natural order of things. One of the most common (and agg ravating) comments people state when I complain
about something at AUB is, “Well, that happens to everyone, don’t take it personally!” It’s not about taking issues personally; it’s about what’s right. It doesn’t matter if everyone has a terrible time at registration. It doesn’t matter if everyone gets the same wrong advice that leads them to have to run around AUB trying to right all the wrongs that have been done. To this day, I don’t see why knowing that thirty other people had the same issue as I have on a particular day is supposed to comfort me. If anything, knowing that would infuriate me even more! That means that the issue is actually part of a systematic problem inherent to AUB instead of a random fluke that I had the bad luck to experience.
No university is perfect; that’s a given. However, how do we expect to improve AUB if no one speaks up? How on Earth do we expect the administration to hold people responsible and fix the issue if no one informs them of it? We here at Outlook, we want to help the students at AUB. We want to expose the problems and hopefully lead to some positive changes. We, the Outlook staff, under the guidance of our new Editor-inChief Yahia Hamade (props to finally having a male editor after years of estrogen overload!) are making a commitment. We are making a commitment to let your voices be heard. All you have to do is speak up!
3 Op-Ed: Of astronauts & idleness Wajiha Jurdi Kheir Staff Writer
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hen I was younger, my life’s ambition was to become an astronaut; I whole-heartedly believed that I would one day land on the surface of the moon. While up there, I would also create a new dance move that would take the world by storm and rival the late King of Pop’s legendary “moonwalk.” After all, I would have come up with mine on the actual moon; that has to count for something, right? Needless to say, my dreams were shattered as the naivety of youth wore off and I had to replace these fantasies with more realistic ones. One of these goals I set when I became old enough to walk to school by myself. At that time, I was living too close to the school to be driven, but it was still too far a distance to carry my heavy, scoliosis-inducing backpack. I endured for years but eventually reached my breaking point. I vowed to plan my life (and schedule) so that I would never need to take long walks to class ever again. The plan has been going smoothly thus far. I used to walk to IC and got closer to achieving my goal when I started AUB three years ago. The penultimate step of my plan was carried out with my graduation and subsequent enrollment at the Faculty of Medicine, in which classes are held at the DTS Building. It now takes me only 4 minutes to get
to class. This information will probably seem irrelevant to AUBites who don’t join me in leading fairly sedentary lifestyles. However, it will help elucidate why I did not write a graduation op-ed. Back in June, I didn’t feel like I had anything to say (for once). That stemmed from the fact that I didn’t think my life was going to change that drastically. That is, except for the avoidance of the dreaded Chemistry stairs. Now that I have been in Med School for almost two months, which is about a year and a half in real time, I finally have some wisdom to impart. Whether you are planning to stay in Lebanon or leave, get a job or become a graduate student, things won’t ever be the same after you receive your diploma. Forget starting a new chapter; you will be starting an entirely different volume, bound separately and scrutinized constantly. This is why you should make an effort to enjoy every aspect of undergrad years. Make the best out of what AUB has to offer both socially and academically. Take time to appreciate every experience you will have, even studying for and taking exams. Chances are that you won’t ever be able to recreate these experiences with classmates you have grown to love and respect. P.S. For those of you wondering what the last step in my diabolical plan is, I will gladly share. Med III and IV students spend most of their time in the hospital. My house is exactly a minute away from AUH. You do the math.
Letter to the Editor:
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on’t expect too much from people – they will ultimately disappoint you. I’ve been disappointed lately by the students of AUB. Two days ago, the girls’ toilets at Jesup Hall flooded over. Disgusting, right? Walking along the corridor was like wading through the city sewage plant. The next morning I arrived to find the bathroom door wide open, with the sounds of a squeegee foretelling a clean girls’ bathroom. Then the janitor emerged, covered in sweat. His left eye was red and inflamed, and he was breathing heavily.“Some people here just don’t act like students. You won’t believe what someone threw away in the toilet. I’ve been sick in bed for three days. I can’t smell because of my clogged sinuses and I have an empty stomach. But it was so disgusting in there that I vomited anyway. I clean this place four times per day, and still – look at how dirty it gets.” I thanked him
for his work. What else could I say? This morning I was ashamed to be a part of the student body of AUB. This university produces tomorrow’s leaders, but perhaps there needs to be an additional line in each graduating student’s CV: “I have excellent personal hygiene skills and am capable of using the toilet without turning it into a septic tank.”The problem lies in the fact that we haven’t comprehended the immense task that our janitors carry out each day. I believe it’s high time that we take care of our environment on campus, not because the janitors can’t do the job, but because they shouldn’t have to clean up after us like we’re invalids. So, the next time you see a janitor cleaning the toilets, emptying the rubbish bins, or sweeping litter aside, take a moment to thank him or her. “Alla ya3teek al-3afieh” never held so much meaning as in this context.- Thia Sagherian/PSYC ‘11
Letter to the Editor:
A
lbert Einstein once declared that if honeybees were to die, the human race would have but 4 years to live.Why do we bring this up? Well, because a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has recently appeared. CCD is the unexplained disappearance of bee colonies around the world. Why should you care? Well, because it threatens not only the existence of bees, but mankind as well. Honeybees are beautifully organized insects. They perform their daily tasks as they were genetically programmed to do so. They do what they can to defend each other and their golden treasure using their little stingers. There is a common misconception about bees that they are “aggressive” creatures, but bees will only “defend” themselves if they sense that they are under attack. When the honey bee is not at home, it is only out looking for sugary goodnessso if it comes around in your direction, do not swat it, as this agitates bees and consequently will increase the chances of getting stung. Dubbed the “busy bee” for a reason, the bee plays a major role in our lives. Honeybees provide their beekeepers with hive products (honey, beeswax, nectar, pollen, propolis, etc...) which people depend on for their livelihood. A closer look at beekeeping would reveal the advantages of that practice over any other form of agriculture. Beekeeping is more economical in the sense that free natural sources are used, it is a landless activity and it requires relatively low technical and mechanical requirements. Aside from producing nutritious products, beekeeping also increases plant productivity through bee pollination. If bees were to go extinct, these beekeepers would have to shift to another form of work, adding costs and expenses. Such would be the case only if we continued to exist after the bees’ vanishing, which brings us to the next point- pollination. On a routine trip to gather honey’s raw materials, the honeybee visits only one species of flower per trip. While doing so, it unknowingly ensures our survival by pollinating these flowers. It is true that some flowers can self pollinate and some transfers can be achieved by wind or rain, but pollination through insects is most effective. In fact, a third of the world’s food supply actually depends on bee pollination. So when beekeepers around the world are reporting the death and disappearance of large portions of their colonies, you should know it is a problem. In the winter of 2006, more than a quarter of the United States’ 2.4 million bee colonies were lost. The statistics
here in Lebanon are not looking so good either. The Daily Star reported in an article published featuring CCD that 10 thousand of the registered beekeepers in Lebanon reported a quarter of their 4 billion bees missing. An odd disturbance has actually occurred in our very own apiary here at AUB. Our Apis Mellifera honeybees exhibited behaviors unlike their own, but much like the sub-tropical honeybees Apis Dorsata. This is a major indication that something is wrong, which brings us to the possible causes of CCD. So far, nothing about CCD is clear. Tthe phenomenon was termed Colony Collapse Disorder in 2006, but may have been around for long before. There are no known causes, but there are several suspected possible causes. What is believed to be happening with CCD is that the bees are foraging (leaving their hives to gather food) and not finding their way back home. This disorientation may be caused by cellular radiation, pollution, global warming, pesticides and bee stress among many others. Pesticides affect both the bees’ feed and development. Bee stress is a term used to describe the “over working” of bees... often affiliated with industrial beekeepers that use pesticides to treat unwanted pests in the hives, moving their bees around throughout the year (messing with the bees’ orientation). Awareness must be spread- something must be done. CCD is a major problem. Everybody can make a difference; by spreading the word, supporting beekeepers by buying local honey, and planting bee-friendly plants in your gardens such as Coreopsis, Russian sage and Germander, etc. Farmers must alter their agricultural methods; people should look into this issue and be friendlier to bees, and most importantly have more research done on the matter. Pollution and global warming are huge issues in by themselves, before being possible causes of CCD. We have to put in the effort to make a change because it is affecting the world. Suggested resources for a closer look into the lives of bees and their contributions are the film “Bee Movie” and the documentary “Silence of The Bees.” They might provide you with more insight into the topic and hopefully will spark your interest in the affair. The Honey-Making course here at AUB was our inspiration to write this article; you should check it out. -Dominique Salloum and Ayman Hassan/GRDS ‘12
4 زرناها من جديد...
Students enjoy new room, no more hard wooden chairs
موسى شلح كاتب صحافي
,ال�ضجيج املتواتر ّ �ﺁذانهم من وم ّلت عقولهم من عدم امكان ّية توف ّر الف�سحة الكاملة ال�ستخدام وهوذا مطلبهم...حوا�سيبهم م ًعا ّ ;تفتّحت براعمه اليوم فالطاوالت قد ز ّودت بالكهرباء املنوطة بتلبية حاجات ك ّل حوا�سيبهم ف�ضلاّ عن احلوا�سيب اال�ضاف ّية التّي من �ش�أنها �أن تل ّبي حاجات ما بقي منهم يف حقل اال�ستقتاء �أ ّما من �أ�شقتهم.واالكت�ساب :أي�ضا ّ � فطلبهم موجود,الهموم �أرائك يف احلائط نظري الأراجيح فريتاح رائدها ويتم ّكن من العودة ولع�شّ اق ال ّدر�س.اىل ما كان عليه ,اجلماعي وطرح اال�شكال ّيات ّ ٌ خُ ّ�ص�صت غرف يف ال ّداخل يبا ُح يف دون �أن,داخلها التّك ّلم والتناق�ش ّ تنزعجالف�سحةاملتبق ّيةمن .الطابق �آلة التّ�صوير قد ت�أ ّمنت يف هذا ف�أ�صبح م�ستقلاّ يف تقدميه,ال�صرّ ح للخدمات ال ّثقافية دون احلاجة ّ اىل النزّول نحو ال�سفلي ّ الطابق ...ال�صفحات والكتب ّ لت�صوير Students enjoy new Reading Reserve Room
Yasmin Fansa Staff Writer
September 30th marked the opening of the Reserve Reading Room- a new study area on the second floor of Jafet Library. Students finally praised AUB’s administration for their efforts in introducing more convenient areas for concentrating on work and engaging in group activities. “The Reserve Reading Room makes you want to study and focus. The lighting of the room is really bright and the furniture is comfortable to sit on,” says the Environmental Health ju-
nior, Dina Yunis. Students who prefer studying at the university libraries have almost immediately taken interest in the renovated reading room. Similar to Yunis, everyone seems to be enjoying the comfort of the room as opposed to the old wooden chairs and desks found on the first floor of Jafet Library. “The area has a great modern touch and the best aspect of the room is the wonderful view,” states Graduate student, Ahmad Dardir. After years of complaining about the lack of group-study areas, AUB has ensured that this frustration would come
Photo courtesy of AUB
to an end with the introduction of four soundproof rooms. These rooms can be reserved through AUB’s online reservation system. Though greatly commended, the room is yet to clarify the student rules. “The librarians are very strict up here, forbidding us from even talking at all!” says Economics Sophomore, Tarek Kheireddine. While the room has been built for the sole purpose of studying, the aim of the room is to create a social environment for students to work and share ideas amongst each other. With supervisors constantly present, however,
collaboration is impossible except inside the soundproofed rooms. “We need to have more space for discussions,” says Kheireddine. Though a substantial advancement to the traditional AUB library has been made through the introduction of this room, Jafet still requires much improvement. “I have to say that a lot of money was put into the refurnishing of the Reserve Reading Room, when many aspects of this library need to be altered. For one, we don’t even have enough copies of books,” says Dardir.
ال�ستار ّ ُو�أ�سدل,فُتحت الأبواب ...لتربز ثمرة اجلهود ال ّد�ؤوبة ّقليدي ّ انتقلت املالمح جذر ًّيا من الت �ألوان...نحو احلداثة املتج ّددة �أريكة...زاهية تع ّم الأرجاء فتحييها وثرية من القما�ش العريق قبعت طاولة معدن ّية,هنا تنتظر جلي�سها رحبة تتل ّهف ب�شوق اىل القرطا�س املقاعد... متت ّد هناك...والرياع ّ اخل�شب ّية �أزعجت الطالب ف�سافرت ليع ّم عر�س الألوان من,عرب الزّمن , �إىل �أخ�رض زم ّردي,عقيقي �أحمر ّ ,ٍوليلكي �ساحر ,ج أج � مت ور�صا�صي ّ ٍّ ٍّ ...�سماوي ٍ و�أزرق,فرح ٍ وبرتقا ّيل ّ
: �س�أل اجلدار �شقيقه,يف الأم�س ,كيف يع ّم ال�سرّ ور و�سط ك ّل هذا !ولي�س هناك � ّأي امرئٍ ينعم به؟ و�إذا ب�ساعة الربج تعلن ال ّثالثني فافتتحت قاعة ال ّدرا�سة,من �أيلول جم ّد ًدا يف مكتبة نعمة يافث ّ ,التذّكار ّية , فوقه.الطابق ال ّثاين ّ�أ�سدلت ر ,الث ّيا جالبيبها الفريوز ّية املتو�سط وحتت �أقدام �أكمته فر�ش ّ �أ �شجا ر. . . ا ل ّر قّا �صة �أ مو ا جه “لهي خطوة هادفة اىل تطوير,ال�صنوبر حتت�ضنه من اخللف ّ احلياة الأكادمي ّية واالجتماع ّية يف...والربكة تنع�شه من اجلانب الآخر رصح احلرم ّ � اجلامعي!” هذا ما ّ على �أمل �أن,مئ ٌة وثماني ٌة وخم�سون مقع ًدا به عميد جامعتنا وقد انتظرت تتحقّق الأهداف التّعليم ّية التّي,ٍحواها براحبة �صدر هي ابتداء ح�ص�ص اجلامعة حتّى ت�ش ّكل دعائم وجودها وتث ّبتها ... امتع�ضت يف مداميك العمل الح ًقا... ّتعج ب�س ّكانها احلاليين ّ وك ّلت,ظهورهم من �صالبة اخل�شب
Outlook
looks forward to see you during Club Week!
أوتلوك
ّ متشوق لرؤيتكم في أسبوع !النوادي
5 Parking annoys students continued from Page 1
there- if you are able to find an available spotyou are expected to pay a daily fee of 4,500 L.L as well as leave your car keys with the parking lot attendants. That is not all, though- should you choose to pay on a monthly basis, you will be charged the sum of $110. When asked about what Central Parking provides that entitles it to charge this much, an employee who wished to remain anonymous simply replied, “Nothing that you can’t find at other parking lots.” First year ECE student, Jim-Ramsey Khoury is one of many students that park at Central. He states that the only reason he can find a place to park there (even with the overcharging) is because he arrives before 8 am. He also noted that “the monthly membership fee is crazy! Memberships are usually supposed tosave you money!” On the other end of the spectrum (or rather street), another lot is gaining popularity for being a cheap alter native. The unnamed lot is located behind the popular Arabian sweetshop Taj Al Moulouk. While it is nearly impossible to find a spot there should you arrive at 8:01 am, when you do park eventually, you pay the very moderate fee of 2000LL per day or $70 per month. However, like all the other places, you cannot take your keys with you to class. And speaking of class, if you park at that lot, getting to class on time will be a virtual impossibility as you have to walk a long distance, especially if your classes
are in lower campus. Still, many like Biology Junior Khodor Abu Daya prefer the long walk over paying the $3 at Central or using the parking meters scattered around the area. “I have back to back classes, and all of them are in lower campus, so going up and down the Chemistry stairs to avoid getting a ticket because I couldn’t insert a 500 L.L on time isn’t worth it when I have another option that can spare me all that.” It does not seem that a solution to this issue will be found anytime soon, which drives students to use other alternatives. Many carpool with other friends, are dropped off by their parents, or resort to the highly deficient public transportation system. Some take advantage of the fact that they have relatives or friends residing or working in the area and thus manage to secure a spot on most days. Environmental Health Junior Kinda Constantine remarked, “I commute every day from Sin El Fil and I have no other way to come to AUB. If it weren’t for my uncle, I’d spend the entire day looking for a parking space.” With more and more parking lots closing down to be transformed into living spaces, AUB students will continue to invade the streets surrounding their college, trying to look for a place where they can leave all their Nissan Tiidas without being concerned, and wondering whenthe day will come that Lebanon will have an organized and efficient public transport system that will reduce the degree of this problem.
Where’s the “cafet,” students ask At the start of the Fall 09/10 semester, the talk of the campus at AUB was the shutting down of the university’s renowned «Cafette.» One cannot deny that the sight of its closed doors, shuffled around chairs and tables, and its mere emptiness was rather dismaying. Students were continuously querying the shut-down, but the main concern of the student community seemed to be not which caterers will replace the previous ones, but which area on campus will replace the cafeteria as one of the most important socializing hubs in the uni-
versity. With no clear answers from the administration, the questions and concerns have decreased since the beginning of the semester and students are generally beginning to wrap their head around the fact that AUB has no cafeteria. To substitute the food supply that was provided by the cafeteria’s previous caterers, the administration brought in a new catering company to servestudents temporarily. Faqra Catering has set up kiosks around campus offering both hot and cold meals. continued on Page 6
Dorman addresses community
continued from Page 1
to make noble men, manly men, perfect men.” President Dorman added “And, now, let us not forget to add: perfect women.” He claimed that “the greatest triumphs of the 20th century, however one wishes to define them - space flight, atomic power, the theory of relativity, the unprecedented rise in human population and the standard of livi n g, t h e d i s c ov e r y of DNA, and through genetic engineering, thepossibility that mankind mayxsoon free itself from the physical processof evolution itself ” arguably are due to the advancements in the
scientific and technological spheres. “To be sure, these advances have raised other challenges that defy easy solution.” He also claimed, on the other hand, “It can be argued that the greatest failures-world wars,regional conflicts, genocide, persistent poverty, extremist ideological movements may be defined as failures of a liberal education, failures that have fostereddeep chasms of willful misunderstanding and closed minds, as well as prejudice based on the characterization of groups of people as the untouchable and unapproachable ‘other.’”
6 AUB community enjoys the new OSB AUB is hungry! continued from Page 5
New OSB building beautifies campus continued from Page
“The new home of the OSB captures the school>s unique history and its role in the region,” said OSB Dean George Najjar. “It satisfies all of the school>s programmatic requirem en ts, and antic i pates its future growth aspirations.” “This edifice is far more than mortar and stone and steel and glass,” said Sheikh Khaled Olayan, Suliman Olayan>s son, and the chairman of the Olayan group. “It is the fulfillment of a dream. It is an energetic center for life-changing research, study, exchange and discourse.” On behalf of the AUB community, President Peter Dorman thanked the Olayan family for their “extraordinary generosity,” and high-
ly praised the school>s continuedgrowth.“With its many open areas and sight corridors to other parts of the university, as well as to the outside world, this building encompasses the loftiest goals of the OSB: to serve as a conduit for those seeking the knowledge base for a career in business and to provide the more esoteric, but perhaps more important, competencies of critical thinking, ethical discernment, and leadership,” said Dorman. In addition to the rest of the speakers, former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora gave an unannounced speech in which he urged AUB to interact more with Lebanese society and the public administration in order to produce a gen-
Photo courtesy of AUB
eration of Lebanese who would wantto stay in the country and help “orchestrate its comeback.” “I have always thought of AUB less as an island and more like an oasis ... that is solidly connected to its territory, deep-rooted in its surroundings, yet that is providing a valuable space for openness, tolerance, moderation, dialogue, and acceptance of others,” said Siniora. AUB Board of Trustees Chair Philip Khoury highlighted AUB>s historic commitment to business education, since the university was the first in the region to offer business courses in 1900.“Although there have been many changes over the years ... the commitment of
the Board of Trustees to offer at AUB the finest business program not just in Lebanon, but in the entire region remains unchanged,” added Khoury. AUB Provost Ahmed Dallal cong ratulated OSB for this milestone, saying: “This is a very tangible expression of the dynamism and achievement of OSB.” “[The new building] is a vessel for the important intangibles that only the greatest of business schools can impart: discipline, intellectual honesty, incisive analysis, creative problem-solving, [and] ethical practice,” concluded Olayan.
When asked about the new catering services at university, Biology Senior Lynn Murad admitted that she is “quite disappointed that [the university does not] have a proper cafeteria.» She continued, «I am not pleased with the situation, and the kiosk is not very attractive.» Economics Senior Hanadi Faraj agrees with Lynn about the setting of the kiosks. When asked how comfortable the seating area next to the kiosk is, Hanadi replied, «It is dark, gloomy, and too small.” Hanadi also complained about the payment method, saying that «it is annoying to get a receipt and then collect the items.» However, when asked about the food Hanadi said, «It is fresh and very tasty. The noodle dish and croissants are excellent. The food tastes much better than that of the previous caterers, and the prices are acceptable. Regarding the seating area, I understand that the situation is only temporary, and at least the food is good!” Business Junior Michel Saab said, “Faqra Catering is better than the older catering serv i c e s a n d I u n d e rstand that the situation is only temporary.” He complained, however, that “the mobile kiosk does not accommodate 7,000 students, and
the seating area is very small.” Another student, Business Senior Majd Sidani, echoed Hanadi and Michel’s comments by stating that he “used to enjoy sitting in the cafeteria but now sits around the library and the main gate. I would rather have a cafeteria where I can socialize and eat decently. I understand that this is temporary and am hoping for the best.” Majd clearly cares more for a socializing area than he does for tasty food, which is the only thing that Faqra catering is providing to AUB students. The general student attitude regarding the cafeteria close-down seems to be that of disappointment, yet understanding and patience. Students clearly seemed less concerned with the food provided by the new caterers and more disquieted about the loss of the cafeteria as a comfortable place to sit and spend time with friends. Although students reflected a positive and accepting attitude regarding the situation while being interviewed, the fact that everyone is missing the old cafeteria’s seating area is undeniable.
Don’t forget to visit our stand during Club Week!
Movie Review: Inglourious Basterds: A Glory To Behold Ian Gibson News Executive
7 َ !تبا لك تارنتينو خليل عيسى كاتب صحافي
ال�شباب النف�س ّية ورائنا رديئة للغاية فهم ي�ضحكون يف امل�شاهد الدموية و خ�صو�ص ًا عندما قام “ال�رشير” الأملاين بخنق .اجلا�سو�سة ال�شقراء الفاتنة هي �سادية ال تعادلها ا ّال جتل ّيات أح�س ّ �.النف�س الب�رشية املري�ضة رويد ًا رويد ًا بالإنزعاج رغم وجود ...�صديقتي امل ُ َط ْمئِن اىل جانبي ال يظهر الأملاين يف الفيلم � اّإل :ك�شخ�ص مري�ض و�أهبل الفوهرر الذي ي�شبه الطفل يقلب عينيه،املدلل يزعق دائم ًا حتى لو كان يطلب كوب من �أما غوبلز...”املاء “عل الرايق فيبكي من �ش ّدة تا ّثره عندما ...�أَ ْب َلغه هتلر �إعجابه بالفيلم
Photo from Facebook.com
L
overs of cinema, gather ‘round – Quentin Tarantino’s latest movie has landed in theatres in a spectacular fashion. Inglourious Basterds (sic) is the type of film that grabs you by the throat, roughs you up, and then leaves you in a heaving heap, wondering what exactly just happened. Set in World War II, Inglourious Basterds features an ensemble cast of oddball characters constantly working with and against each other. Brad Pitt plays a US Lieutenant with a Louisiana accent and a penchant for Nazi scalps who leads a rag-tag group of American Jews in a vengeance campaign across occupied France. Colonel Landa, a top Nazi played brilliantly by Christoph Waltz, works to hunt down these so-called “Inglourious Basterds”
and other Jews-in-hiding. Various locals and turncoats also join in on the drama, conspiring for (or working against) a plot to firebomb Hitler and the Reich elite. It is a typical Tarantino plot, filled with twisting storylines that converge to a climactic and allrevealing ending. Don’t let this description fool you, however, as Inglourious Basterds is not an action movie nor a typical war movie in any fashion. The handful of scenes are softly paced with heavy dialouge, but not in a manner which is boring or slow. It is a testament to Tarantino’s brilliance that the audience can sit for two-and-a-half hours in absolute awe of the characters on screen without so much as yawning. Every single word or gesture is absolutely quintessential in building the tense emotions on which each scene thrives. When the action does
come, it is fast-paced and over-the-top gory. The scattering of violent scenes- though short in actual lengthdangle in the viewer’s mind, casting shadows of doubt over the rest of movie. Adding to this haunting sense is the cinematic fashion in which the scenes are shot. Extended closeups offer a sort of facial study, allowing for all the fear and tension the characters feel to be transmitted into the viewer. Wide shots composed of contrasting figures in domineering positions create a compressive, surrounding effect. Add to this the slowly building soundtrack (in which David Bowie’s “Cat People” has a beautiful role) and the overall film takes on an offsetting tone of emotions under pressure. It is this nagging doubt that leads to the underlying meaning of the movie, that of a mocking indignation of revisionist histo-
ry. The uber-vilification of Nazi Germany in modern society and the uncontrollable rage it cultivates is shown for all its hyperbolic nonsense in Inglourious Basterds. The immense violence perpetrated by the supposed “heroes” only serves to disgust, creating a moral dilemma regarding the act of vengeance. Inglourious Basterds serves as an anti-war movie, a sort of condemnation of the modern cinema go-er’s lust for bloody revenge on the silver screen. From superb acting to riveting dialogue to intelligent plot, Inglourious Basterds is without a doubt the greatest cinematic experience 2009 has offered so far.
�أَنتبه فج�أة �أنيّ ن�سيت هاتفي النقال خارج الغرفة ف�أهرع جللبه و �أت�ضايق كثري ًا عندما ال �أجده ف�أعود ليبد َو يل الفيلم م�ضيعة للوقت و�سط هرج الفرح الذي ينتاب رفاق اخللف عند تدفق يبلغ �سيل...الدماء الغزيرة الزبى عندما يت ّمكن “الأبطال” من فتتم ت�سمية ذلك،طبع ًا،قتل الك ّل و ينتهي.”“بالإنتقام اليهودي الفيلم بدمغ ال�صليب املعقوف ،”على جبني “�ص ّياد اليهود حتى لو �أنّه هوالذي َج َع َل قتل القيادة النازية ممكنة مما �أنهى احلرب يف �إتفاق مع االمريكيني لكن “الإنتقام...�أنف�سهم اليهودي” ال ي�سامح حتى النازي “التائب” �ألي�س كذلك؟ بعد،�أنا الآن يف �آخر ال�سهرة �أن عدت من ال�سينما �أ�شاهد على التلفاز نب�أ نتيجة مناق�شة تقرير غولد�ستون ب�ش�أن حرب هل كانت تلك احلرب �أي�ض ًا.غزّة جز�أً من “الإنتقام اليهودي”؟ يخ ّيل يل ذلك عندما �أ�سمع الوزير الإ�رسائيلي مو�شيه مع الفرق،يعلون يتك ّلم �أمامي .طبع ًا بني اليهود و ال�صهاينة �أف ّكر �أنّه مهما حاول تارانتينو �صدمنا من خالل دمو ّية �سفلة �أفالمه تبقى معرفة وجود النازيون اجلدد يف ال�رشق الأو�سط طلقاء ترعبني �أكرث من � ّأي ولولة تب ًا! لقد �سرُ ق... لهندي �أحمر !هاتفي! �سحق ًا لك يا كويننت
“ال�سفلة املجيدون”() هوالفيلم اجلديد للمخرج الأمريكي كويننت �أدخل ال�سينما �أنا.تارانتينو و�صديقتي مت�ش ّوق نَْي لرنى ماذا ”“لب اخليال ّ �سيقدم خمرج ال�صالة. العامليهذه امل ّرةt ، ت�أخذ بنا بداي ًة.�شبه الفارغة مو�سيقى الفيلم الإفريقية التي غالب ًا ما كانت يف الفيلم متناق�ضة مع امل�شهد الذي كنت �أراه مما �أ�ضفى جو ًا من الغرابة اللذيذة .فوق مقاعد �سينما الكونكورد الو�سيم.يظهر الآن براد بيت الأمريكي املفرت�ض وجوده يف .� ّأي فيلم هوليودي تقليدي ن�شعر ك�أمنا احلكاية �إنتهت قبل النازيون الأ�رشار و.�أن تبد�أ ال ب ّد �أن... نعم.اليهود الطيبون ت�أتي ال�سينما الغربية بع�رشات الأفالم املماثلة يف ال�سنة من �أجل �إذكاء عقدة الذنب عند اجلماهري الأوروبية املتّهمة �سلف ًا مبعاداة ال�سامية �إذا ما �أبدت � ّأي تعاطف ٍ جمحف بحق ... و لو حتى .الفل�سطيني الهولوكو�ست يجل�س على املقاعد الثالثة الأمامية كما املقاعد الثالثة التي ورائنا �شباب بدو�أ �أنّهم �أرادوا “الزناخة” على االنثى الوحيدة يف ال�صالة والتي ...ترافقني �أوهكذا بدا يل منحى ي�أخذ الآن الفيلم ب�أخذ ً كما � ّأن تذاكي،�سخيف و م َر�ضي ال�سيناريو لي�س وحده كافي ًا :من �أجل �إخفاء بالدة الق�صة “�ألدو �أ ّبا�ش” (براد بيت) هو ن�صف يهودي و ن�صف هندي على ر�أ�س كتيبة �أمريكية يهودية من �أجل تنفيذ �أعمال �إنتقام و .�إرهاب يف �أملانيا الرايخ الثالث �أ ّما “�شو�شانا دريفو�س”؛ وهنا ربط َ�سطحي مبحاكمة دريفو�س اليهودي ال�شهرية يف فرن�سا؛ متلك، يهودية،هي فتاة فرن�سية �سينما يف باري�س �ستجتمع فيه كل قيادة الرايخ من �أجل م�شاهدة ميجد ق�صة ّ العر�ض الأ ّول لفيلم بد�أت تعرتي.بطل حرب نازي فيلمنا امل�شاهد الدموية املتالحقة و التي ال تنتهي حيث ينت�شي فيها اجلنود اليهود يف �سلخ فروات ر�ؤو�س اجلنود النازيون فتن�سى لوهلة امل�شاهد � ّأن �أ�سلوب “الهنود احلمر” هذا هو �أ�سلوب �شعب متار�س فيه حتّى اليوم �إبادة جماعية منظمة من قبل احلكومة الفيدرالية للواليات املتحدة لكن املخرج �إعتمد على ّ .الأمريكية م�ستعاد،�أ�سلوب تقطيع مبتكر ،من جيل �أفالم �شابلن ال�صامتة مما ح ّول فيلمنا �إىل �أ�شبه بكتاب حالة.مع عدة ف�صول متالحقة
8 Picture of the week Heads-up on Health Weekly Cartoon
H Photo courtesy of AUB
The Outlook team Chairperson
Maroun Kisrwani
Responsible Di- Hikmat Beaini rector Faculty Advisor
Rami Khouri
Editor-in-Chief
Mohamad Ya h i a Hamade
Associate Editors Mona Bou Zeineddine Rita El Haddad
News Executives
Ian Gibson Tala Kardas
Proofreader
Amani Abou Harb
Art Director
Lara Atallah
Layout Editors
Lara Atallah John Hajjar Farah Sleiman
Business Managers Laya Haddad Staff Writers
Cartoonist
Mayah Haidar Rami James Aoun Mary-Ann Awada Mohamed Awada Simon Barakat Joy Jamal Eddine Nadine Ghaith Maryam Hoballah Roula Hajjar Wajiha Jurdi Kheir Elie El Khoury Maya Terro Tarek Tutunji Rawan Yasmine Elie El Zaghrini
ow the symptoms of H1N1 Flu different from those of ordinary Flu? Yes, I know that you’re probably fed up with this topic, but one can never have enough information about this matter especially that early symptoms of flu are the same for all kinds of flu (be it an ordinary or the H1N1 flu). For one, all flu viruses are spread in the same manner— by jumping from one host (person or animal) to the next mainly in small droplets of saliva and mucus or in feces. Once a virus finds a new host and infects the new host’s cells, it begins to reproduce quietly, making millions of copies of itself before causing symptoms. This time between when the infection begins and when symptoms start is known as the incubation period. For the new swine flu virus, the incubation period is between 3-5 days. The initial symptoms of H1N1 flu have been similar to the symptoms of the regular flu, these being a cough and a sore throat. However, in the case of H1N1, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may be more common. The main differences so far between H1N1 flu and seasonal flu lie in that H1N1flu seem to thrive in much warmer than the usual cold weather when seasonal flu thrives. Its symptoms seem to be no worse than those of seasonal flu, although these may change when the weather gets colder in late fall and winter. Accordingly, people with flu symptoms should seek immediate medical attention if, instead of recovering, they become sicker with the danger signs as follows. For adults, the most worrisome symptoms are these: shortness of breath, persistent vomiting, confusion, and dizziness. For young children, , very rapid breathing, not interacting normally, not eating or drinking normally, being unusually irritable, or appearing unusually sleepy ,high fever and rash, and a bluish color of the lips and skin are pretty worrisome. According to health experts, the best way to deal with H1N1 lies in prevention. By prevention it is not meant vaccination. Proper hygiene, for instance, has been prescribed as the best way to prevent the transfer of this flu to you.
2009 Copyright Rana Zaher/Outlook
بقالوة سبيويه مرمي العلي
في الدائرة كان يضيق بروتينه ذي فكان أن خالطه،املوجة الواحدة شاب شيء من هواء احمل ّبة من ّ غريب من وراء احمليط لم يره أحد هنا لكنه غ ّير الطعم والرائحة واحلركة الصباحية ما قبل س ّر إلهي من.الصفوف وما بعد لطائف الكيمياء اإلنسانية؟ أن تتبدل حركة الوجوه واألجساد ّ واألفكار جماعيا ً مع حركة أحب ّ ،رجل واحد من خارج املكان وخطبها؟ ال،امرأة من عندنا ،ً الس ّر يبقى مجهوال.أعرف لكن املعلوم أ ّن كلاّ ً منّا في ذلك ّ ً الصبح نفض غبارا ً سميكا وابتسم،عن ذكريات فرحه هو مرغما ً لضوء الشمس والعطاء من عند اهلل...اآلتي على غفلة. من ً وعذر ا .األحزان من ً فعذر ا ملاكتابه هجرت الذي سيبويه ألنه،في أيام اجللبة السعيدة وحده في الدائرة لم يذق البقالوة. مبروك ألف. ّ • صف ملا تد ّر س 201العربيةA ، يستطيع طلاّ بها مطالبتها باحللوينة.
م�ساعدة املحرر
ّما خطبت ملا أكلنا البقالوة من ّ يفكر أساتذة لم.عند البابا الدائرة العربية بصحتهم وال برشاقة أجسادهم في ربيع عقود العمر اخلمسيني وما فوق أمام تلك الصينية حيث ّ بالسكر وكل ُغ ّمست الزبدة و ُع ّبئت بالتمر،ما هو أحلى والفستق واجلوز وكل ما هو ، حلو كان ذلك الصباح.أطيب ّ السكر تشبه حالوته حالوة املك ّثفة الذي ذاب في أفواه حتى التك ّلف في.املهنّئني ً االبتسام لم يكن مزعجا في ممر الدائرة الساكت الذي تك ّلمت فيه فرحة ملا مبشيتها تقدم حالوة الفرحة وخامت ّ وهي ّ اخلطبة في إصبع .كفها األمين ،زهت بفستان مل ّون جديد ،وطغت على ألوان املكان ك ّلها حتى،امتألت خدودها واحم ّرت صبغة شعرها التي ترسم خصالتها بيدها في البيت ّ تركزت تدرجاتها في شعرها القصير غير املتطاول إلاّ على جبهتها الدائرية السمراء التي الهواء.احلب ّ اتّسعت رمبا بسحر
Event of the week
B
e sure to pass by the Outlook stand during Club Week to meet the team and to pick up applications for Fall 09-10, so you can also be part of the Outlook team! We’re currently seeking: English staff writers
Rana Zaher
Arabic staff writers Photographers
American University of Beirut West Hall Room 208 +961 1 350 000 ext. 3193 readoutlook@gmail.com
Read, Share, Recycle
Date: Tuesday, October 20 & Wednesday, October 21, 2009 Time: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Place: West Hall