I 22, V 42

Outlook Newspaper The American University of Beirut

Vol. XLII, No. 22 | Tuesday, April 27, 2010

| The Independent Student Publication Since 1949

USFC holds second speaker’s corner, on Lebanese identity Yasmine Saab

Staff Write

O

n Wednesday April 21, AUB’s University Student Faculty (USFC) Committee held its second speaker’s corner between Ada Dodge and West Hall, this time the topic centering on the enigma of Lebanese identity.

What it means to be Lebanese is something that continually eludes some people, but to others is very clear and straightforward. Each new speaker approached the podium to express his and her respective views, which were met by applause, and by rebuttal.

Professor Hani Hassan, the faculty moderator of the event, posed a simple question at the very beginning that even after the 90 minutes had passed, remained entirely unanswered; he asked, what makes a national identity? In other words, what really makes a person Lebanese? Is it the geographical location of where we are born and raised, the (fascinatingly trilingual)

Photo From www.aub.edu.lb

language we speak, sharing the same customs and ways with those around us (one student cited “the weird way we drink water from an ibree’’”), or is it something

more intrinsic, the sentiment of belonging to this particular group?

As is typical of any discussion, perspectives went from one pole to another. On one

hand, some pointed to our “love of life” and the Lebanese resilience in maintaining a world bustling with vivacity and indefatigable festivity. On the other hand,

others saw that as failure to empathize with our miserystricken countrymen, and as indications of overwhelming materialism and consumerism.

The question of genealogy and roots was often brought up in the attempt to pin down a nationalistic identity, and yet even then there were disagreements on whether our roots were Phoenician or Arab. Stemming from this was the issue of how we fit into the world at large.

Speakers grappled with the idea of whether we are Southeastern European, Middle Eastern, Arab, Levantine, while some asserted that the Lebanese identity transcends geopolitical categorization, and exists as a separate entity of its own.

Yet others argued that examining one’s roots are of little consequence in the real world; what determines our actions is not our family tree, Continued on page 4

Lebanese Armenian Heritage Club commemorates genocide week Roupen Ohannessian

Staff Writer

INSIDE

Throughout the previous week, the Lebanese Armenian Heritage Club organized several events commemorating the Armenian genocide. 95 years ago, 1.5 million Armenians were taken out of their homes and land, deported, killed and massacred by the Ottoman Empire.

LAHC built an exhibition site between West Hall and Ada Dodge Hall, presenting valuable information about Armenians and the Armenian genocide. The exhibition presented a brief history of the Armenians with their kingdoms and dynasties, the pre-genocide massacres by Abdul Hamid II, the Armenian genocide with its plan and execution, and other genocides in the 20th

Editorial & Opinion 2-3 Fun & Trivia Campus News 4-7 Entertainment Letter to the Editor 8 Out of The Box

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century including the Holocaust, and genocides in Cambodia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rwanda and Darfur. There were also presented the international recognitions of the Armenian genocide, and the flaws in the anti-recognition campaign, how Turks try to deny it and why they are wrong.

The first event was held on Wednesday, April 22, in West Hall Auditorium C.

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CES CES Spring Dinner

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LAHC presented the documentary “The Genocide in Me,” prepared by CanadianArmenian filmmaker Araz Artinian. The movie presents the filmmaker herself, confronting the reality of her life, the history of her people, asking “Where do I belong?”

The second event, held on Thursday, presented Salpi Ghazarian, former consultant for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Republic of

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Bliss Street, West Hall 208 tel: 01 350 000 ext.3193

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Armenia, and director at the Civilitas foundation. Nearly 200 scholars were present in the Hostler Auditorium to listen to the lecture entitled “April 24 2015.” The lecturer started her speech with 3 stories related to the Armenian genocide, told by her grandmother, a survivor of the massacres. She statContinued on page 4

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Editorial & Opinion Editorial Beirut, I loveathe you

Op-Ed

Lebanon should look up to Syria (for once)

Mohamad Yahia Hamade Editor-in-Chief

I was born in the wrong era. I long for the pearl of the Mediterranean that was Beirut. I miss her blinding lights, the warm summer nights, the immaculate architecture, dancing in the rain, and the long walks along cerulean shores were all the makings of a fairytale city.

These days, during this awful era, I dread going to Beirut. I hate having to face the heartbreakingly unorganized city overrun by hooligans posing as police officer. The blinding lights are no longer the shiny lure of Beirut; they are the headlights of corruption and the sleazy old guys’ BMWs zooming the streets, trying to seduce impress girls. The weather now is bipolar. The cloud is rain now is a product of toxic fumes enveloping the atmosphere over Beirut, which eventually results in acid rain that sears through steel.

Long gone are the days of the antique buildings and traditional quarters. All you can see now are pubs, clubs, and brothels. To put things in perspective, I’ll quote what a good friend of mine once said. She affirmed that “Beirut has been transformed into the sleazy, persistently annoying, perverted, old ‘wozzé’, trying to regain his glory days by grabbing your [rear-end].”

This makes me wonder, what the fudgecakes happened to the city everyone admired?

This city used to be “Imm elfaqeer”, as my grandmother so eloquently put it. What happened to the city that was rebuilt seven times, rising from the ashes of the war and oppression, soaring like

a phoenix into the blaring sun of victory and all that mumbo-jumbo? All I can say is now it’s mostly filled with uncultured, ignorant, morally bankrupt, sorry excuses for citizens.

These people are completely defunct in terms of culture and intellect, but firmly believe that shiny, expensive material possessions make them the greatest people on earth. Regrettably, Beirut has become the next Los Angeles in the making, filled with fake noses, fake brands, and most importantly, fake people. I wonder how the city that survived thousands of wars could have, so easily, turned into this miserable, lifeless wannabe?

What happened to her cultural heritage, to her intellectual and artistic genius, to her simple yet beautiful visage? Who is the wrongdoer here? What caused this awful transformation, turning the mother of Europa of Tyr into an insecure, soulless harlot?

It’s entirely our fault. We stood by did nothing when our city was infested with all this corruption and turning it into impassive concrete jungle. Now it’s up to us to fix what we broke. Let’s bring back the good old Beirut again. Let’s build a time machine and then “Fill the streets with Fairouz and tabbouleh and regain our glory days, without having to grab anyone’s [read end],” as my awesome friend whispered with a sigh.

Mohammad Hijazi

Believe me, I cannot believe I just said that either. Yet, there is a very compelling reason; I have to give credit where credit is due. Syrian President, Bashar al-Asad issued a decree early this April banning smoking inside cafes, restaurants, and other public areas. This decree was implemented almost two weeks later making Syria the first Arab country to implement such a ban in public areas.

Moreover, in 1996, Syria banned tobacco advertising while in 2006, a law was passed to outlaw smoking on public transportation and some public areas.

According to recent studies, an estimated 42 percent of males and 30 percent of females smoke in Lebanon, a country of around 4 million inhabitants. Most teenagers start the habit of smoking (cigarettes or “Nargileh”

due to peer pressure or family traditions. If our society wasn’t as accepting to smoking as it actually is, much fewer people would even consider starting to smoke as means to relieve stress. In Syria, tobacco cannot be sold to minors (below 18 years of age) by law. Why can’t such a law be implemented in Lebanon? Is it because we want to support the tobacco farmers in the Bekaa Valley without any regard to the health of the Lebanese population?

Before anything else, the Lebanese parental mentality and upbringing should change. I am sure that every parent tells his/her children not to smoke, and explains the dangers of smoking. Yet, when the child is brought up in a family where his/her father and grandfather smoke, then how are adults setting better examples for the children?

For once, I am really grateful for the American University of Beirut (AUB) to have recently restricted smoking to several “smoking areas” on campus, banning smoking inside all buildings (except for the dorms) with a vision to make AUB a smoke-free campus. I strongly support this decision because I have witnessed many freshman and sophomore students start smoking when they came to AUB just because they can, and because their friends smoke. The smoking ban

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will greatly reduce smoking due to peer pressure and will raise much better awareness than any anti-smoking advertisements in the media.

Consequently, the Lebanese Ministry of Health should implement a similar law as the Syrian law which bans advertising of tobacco. Tobacco advertising in Lebanon is very exaggerated. It seems that wherever I go, these advertisements popup: on street billboards, vans and buses, restaurants, television advertisements, magazine back-covers, etc…

Lebanon should also increase the taxes on tobacco products rather than increasing the taxes on bare necessities such as food, clothing and fuel. This will greatly reduce smoking because it will make people, especially teenagers, think twice before consuming lots of cigarettes per day.

But most importantly, smoking in public places, especially crowded areas, should be completely banned. The ministry should impose rules on restaurant, club, pub ,or cafe owners to have secluded sections for smokers with the major part devoted to nonsmokers. Because, let’s face it, banning smoking all over Lebanon will not happen any time soon. All we need is baby steps to ensure a healthier environment for generations to come.

Editorial & Opinion Op-Ed

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Maya Terro Lebanese-ish vibes and values gone “anew”

In my previous op-ed, I was all hay-wire over sharing my opinion about what I think would make someone Lebanese, like really Lebanese,

but I was way past my word count. So here I am, here and now, trying not to break my promise (again) by telling you my part of the story. But before I proceed, I have to say that, the way I see it, when it comes to being “Lebanese-ish” (oh yeah, you won’t find this term in any Webster’s dictionary, but it does have a nice ring to it), you’d be amazed by what you’ll get for an answer. For me, I try to be as unbiased as possible and well, because of this fact I sometimes get myself into a truckload of trouble. Why? I’ll tell you why.

Well, it’s because I try not to pride about Lebanon’s exquisite mezza and exceptional ruins. Yes, my beloved, I try not to give tabouleh and hummus and, let’s say, Baal-

bek’s ruins more than they can withstand. Desolately, the whole “Miss Lebanon” act will not get you anywhere. I even doubt that the “lebneni awalan huwi fineeqi” (translated to “the Lebanese is firstly a Phoenician”) would work here either. Ouch. HELLO, but this “ain’t” one of them beauty pageants lame, archaic questions and well, I am no runner up for Miss Lebanon—I am just trying to be honest, plain honest. Hang in there, this might hurt a bit.

For starters, ever heard of Lebanese tipping? I read somewhere once that Arabs are good tippers but bad contributors to cause-oriented charities. Charity in Lebanon, is somehow a private thing—an extension of

and a means to social power.

Then there’s Lebanese politics whose exercise in this country is considered an aspect of celebrity rather than a profession. Along with politics and status quo comes the Lebanese wasta, but that’s –rolls eyes– another story.

Then there’s the Lebanese “ala-mode-parenthood.” Hello, but when today’s kids will someday grow up and wake to the awful news of discovering that Singara was not their “biological” mother –because, naturally, kids don’t stay kids their whole livesI just hope that the mommy and daddy will have a backup plan—good luck explaining to your kid that the one who raised them their whole life is not their mother, rath-

Op-Ed

er the maid. But you can’t blame them, can you?

Following Lebanese politics and parenthood, comes my all-time favourite: Lebanese pageants. Is it me or is it that when it’s time for Lebanese girls to run for Miss Lebanon, all that you end up seeing on television is Pamela-Anderson-wannabes with their silicon personalities and oh so very “bright” answers of how Lebanon is the place where “natural” beauty and brilliance converge. Natural, eh?

And since you’ve mentioned it, let me assert on the naturalness of flying elephants.

But hey, ‘‘Long live Lebanon.’’ At least what’s left of it!

Ouch.

Rami Diab What Would You Do if You Weren’t AFRAID?

None so much are great as those who feel great pain.

For those of us in distress, be rest-assured, we have been blessed and set on an enlightened path, for what else is there so moving so as to spark a transformation of life? And yet if emotion-

al pain is a manifestation of fear and pain is our guardian of life, then is not the illness of fear an early beckoning for victory? And will we or will we not respond to his call?

And whence so? Yes, fear has its pros, but should also be seen for what it is, a dissatisfaction with the self, for does personal content leave any vacancy for fear in the chamber of our hearts? Too many a time do we let fear prevail in our brawl for moral decision making, too many times does fear seal the gateways of our hearts shut and lay astray the path of righteousness, the road of God-given talent(s).

How much longer will we allow this behemoth fiend to stand before our dreams?

How much longer will he pry with our destinies? How

much longer before we sever the ties and dismantle the chains? There is so much to lose behind such a folly act he warns - but tis a worthless loss I tell you - and yet there is so much to gain behind such boldness of spirit - and tis a priceless gain!

You see, there will eventually come a time when we will lay bear our once latent talents to the skies, when we will gain exposure by their merit, and ascend towering mountain tops by their virtue. For these gems emerge from a deep reservoir of unyielding vigor and thus their eruption is inevitable. The question remains however, when?

When will we uncork the bottle of divine self? When will we unbolt the sluice gates of spiritual exaltation that

their streams may meet with the conduit waters of life in longsome embrace? Bless the truth which whispers, “the sooner, the better,” and curse the lie that hollers “not now not ever!”

One fine day, we will all be on our death beds, in deep reflection, about some definite past that we may very well wish we could have undone, but we can’t and we won’t. Searching amidst the rubble we scourge for a reassuring thought, for a reconciling emotion in reassurance of having indeed followed through our calling and channeled ourselves to triumph by its canals. Well, maybe it’s high time we had a taste of death. Maybe the sooner we sleep, the sooner we wake. Maybe, the time has come for a final reflec-

tion, for the countdown to a deathly abode has long since begun and none are so alive that even they cannot benefit from the kiss of death.

Who amongst us would prefer the stench of a fraudulent success over the noble, lifelong pursuit of a life of purpose? Aye, how the purpose of life is to live a life of purpose, and how fear can put to death that purpose and turn its clear waters a murky color, lurking and loitering therein. Make that fearless choice therefore and follow it through, but do so fast and beware the drawing of the final hour, for the Day of Judgment is only just around the corner.

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‫‪Campus News‬‬ ‫‪USFC speaker’s corner‬‬ ‫‪Continued from page 1‬‬ ‫‪we differ from others is of lit‬‬‫‪tle importance, for at the end‬‬ ‫‪“we are all contributing to‬‬ ‫”‪the same humanity.‬‬

‫‪petition between a handful of‬‬ ‫‪circling speakers.‬‬ ‫‪Perhaps the most far-reach‬‬‫‪ing comment on Lebanese‬‬ ‫‪and national identity, and‬‬ ‫‪on the entire discussion, was‬‬ ‫‪by a non-Lebanese partici‬‬‫‪pant, who affirmed that how‬‬

‫‪Another disappointing factor‬‬ ‫‪was how little tolerance was‬‬ ‫‪exercised in accepting the op‬‬‫‪posing views of others. It ap‬‬‫‪peared that silence was wide‬‬‫‪ly felt to be a sign of defeat,‬‬ ‫‪and oftentimes the discus‬‬‫‪sion seemed more like a com-‬‬

‫‪and hear those of others, it‬‬ ‫‪is regrettable that so little‬‬ ‫‪of the discussion had intel‬‬‫‪lectual or factual basis. The‬‬ ‫‪vast majority of opinions ex‬‬‫‪pressed were just that; opin‬‬‫‪ion, founded on little more‬‬ ‫‪than emotion.‬‬

‫الدين والعلم يجتمعان على فنجان من القهوة‬ ‫عامر الص ّريع‬

‫كاتب صحفي‬ ‫ألجل اإلعتقاد السائد حول الـ‪Free‬‬ ‫‪ Thought Society‬القائل بأنهم‬ ‫بحسب كرمي زريقالذي يتخصص في‬‫الفلسفة ‪ -l‬قوم بعيدون عن اهلل ال بل‬ ‫ويكفرون به‪ ،‬أقام السالف ذكره مناظرة في‬ ‫قاعة بطحيش في ‪ 19‬من نيسان‪/‬أبريل‬ ‫حتت عنوان’اإلميان ضد املنطق‪ :‬املعركة بني‬ ‫املؤمنون و امللحدون ‘‪.‬‬ ‫لقد أوضح زريق بأن احلوار ليس مبناظرة حيث‬ ‫يقوم أحد ضد اآلخر ل ُيعلَن الفائز بالنهاية‪،‬‬ ‫لكنه أشبه بنقاش بني أصدقاء جاءوا لطرح‬ ‫أفكارهم وأرائهم فيما بينهم‪ ،‬وهكذا كان‪،‬‬ ‫فقد اتسم باحلوار والنقد البناء بني املتحدثني‬ ‫واحلضور لم تكن هناك تلك املواجهة‬ ‫احلقيقية بني خصمني متضاربني كما بوحي‬ ‫العنوان‪ .‬بل كانت أجواءا ً هادئ َة بعض الشيء‪،‬‬ ‫مليئ ًة باملداخالت واإلستفسارات واألسئلة‪،‬‬ ‫وهذا ما م ّيز هذا اللقاء‪.‬‬ ‫بداي ًة بدأ كل مشارك بالتعريف عن نفسه‬ ‫وعن وجهة نظرهمن املوضوع‪ ،‬فكان زريق أول‬ ‫املتحدثني‪ ،‬وبعد إيضاحه لطبيعة اللقاء بدأ‬ ‫بالتحدث عن اـلـ ‪iFree Thought Soc‬‬ ‫‪ ،ety‬وعن اللبس الذي يحصل حيل نظرة‬ ‫طالب اجلامعة نحوه‪ .‬قائالً بأن هذا اجملتمع‬ ‫ال يتكون من أناس ال يؤمنون باهلل فحسب‪،‬‬ ‫بل هناك أيضا ً طالب كثيرون من املؤمنني‬ ‫لكن املتحررين‪ .‬فاإلحلاد بحسب زريق ليس‬ ‫لكر ٍه أو حق ٍد أو جملرد فكر ٍة عابرةً‪ .‬اإلحلاد نفسه‬ ‫ليس بدي ًن أو عقيدة ‪،‬فهو ليس إال مجرد عدم‬ ‫االقتناع مبا جاء به الدين‪.‬‬ ‫أيضا‬ ‫وتال زريق زميله جو تشيرابي الذي ً‬ ‫يتخصص في الفلسفة مبتدءا ً حديثه‬ ‫بصورة شبه سوداء‪ ،‬خلت من األلوان إال‬ ‫بض ًع من اخلطوط البيضاء الضيقة الباهتة‪،‬‬ ‫سائالً ماذا تعني هذه الصورة؟ في البداية‬ ‫ساد االعتقاد بأنها مجرد صورة سوداء‪ ،‬لكن‬

‫تشيرابي أوضح بأنه ينظر إليها من منظار‬ ‫مختلف‪ ،‬فهذه صورة لألرض التُقطت من‬ ‫مسافات هائلة البعد وما األرض إال نقطة‬ ‫أو أقل من هذه الصورة –مشيرا ً إلى نقطة‬ ‫بالغة الصغر في منتصف خط أبيض‪-‬‬ ‫وباالستناد إلى العديد من الدراسات‪ ،‬تبينت‬ ‫خطورة مجرتنا الكونية إلى درجة استحالة‬ ‫احلياة فيها‪ ،‬ومع هذا فها نحن‪ ،‬وهذا‬ ‫كوكبنا‪ ،‬نحيا في مجر ٍة يصل فيها احنمال‬ ‫وجود احلياة إلى ‪ ،%‬فلو انحرفت الشمس‬ ‫أو األرض عن مسارهما ملا كانت األرض إال‬ ‫كسائر الكواكب األخرى‪ ،‬خاوي ًة إال من بعض‬ ‫الصخور والرمال‪.‬‬ ‫ويؤكد تشيرابي بأن إن دل هذا على شيء‪،‬‬ ‫فإمنا يدل على خالق عبقري‪ ،‬مبدع‪ ،‬قادر‪،‬‬ ‫عليم‪ .‬وهذا ما أكده العالم املعروف ألبرت‬ ‫أينشتاين‪ ،‬فأينشتاين لم يكن رجل دين‪،‬‬ ‫كتب‬ ‫معتقدات أو‬ ‫ولم يبني أبحاثه على‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫مقدس ٍة‪ ،‬ومع ذلك فقد قال بأن كل طالب‬ ‫روح واضح ٌة‬ ‫علم بجد يصل إلى أن هنالك ٌ‬ ‫وراء قوانني الكون‪ ،‬وهذه الروح هي أسمى‬ ‫وأعلى بكثير من اإلنسان‪ ،‬فعندما نواجهها‬ ‫بقوانا البسيطة يجب أن نشعر بالتواضع‪.‬‬ ‫فبناءا ً على هذا بنى تشيرابي نقاشه‪.‬‬ ‫أما بعده فكان لوك روبنز الذي كان محور‬ ‫اجللسة قفد شرح بالتفصيل عن االميان‬ ‫والبرهان‪ ،‬مبينا ً بأنهم شيئان مختلفان‪،‬‬ ‫وال ميكن بناء أحدهم على اآلخر‪ ،‬فحتى‬ ‫لو تشابها يبقى الفرق بينهما شاسعاً‪،‬‬ ‫فالبرهان هو ٌ‬ ‫دليل مبر ٌم وعليه أساس العلم‪،‬‬ ‫أما اإلميان هو عقيدة أو تفسير لشيء غاب‬ ‫عنه الدليل احلسي املادي القاطع‪ ،‬كدليل‬ ‫إثبات وجود اهلل‪ ،‬ومنه‪ ،‬فالبرهان عقلي واإلميان‬ ‫قلبي‪ ،‬وم ثم أضاف روبنز قائالً بأن البرهان هو‬ ‫أساس العلم فال مكان لإلميان في األبحاث‬ ‫العلمية ولوال ملا وصلنا إلى هذه الدرجة من‬

‫التطور واحلضارة‪.‬‬ ‫لكن عدم الوضوح في بيان املوقف و الرأي‪ ،‬هو‬ ‫ما جعله محور تلك اجللسة وتسبب له انهمار‬ ‫وابل من األسئلة عليه‪ ،‬فقد حاول إيضاح ما‬ ‫يعني بقصة سيدنا ابراهيم وابنه اسماعيل‬ ‫الذان كانا من أنبياء اهلل‪ ،‬وتقول القصة بأن‬ ‫سيبدنا إبراهيم قد أوحى له اهلل في منامه‬ ‫أن يذبح ابنه اسماعيل‪ ،‬لكنه قام خائفا ً ولم‬ ‫ميتثل ألمر ربه‪ ،‬فرجع إليه في اليوم الثاني‪،‬‬ ‫ولكن األمر كان ذاته فسيدنا ابراهيم كان‬ ‫فزعا ً من هول املوضوع‪ ،‬ومع ذلك فقد أوحى‬ ‫اهلل إليه مر ًة ثالثة فأدرك سيدنا ابراهيم أن‬ ‫لطاملا هذه إرادة اهلل قلتكن‪ ،‬فاهلل هو اهلل وال‬ ‫يُعقل أن يريد لعباده سوى اخلير حتى لو كانت‬ ‫مبقتل ابنه‪ .‬فهم مع ولده الذي سلم أمره هلل‬ ‫كأبيه‪ ،‬لكنه تفاجأ بعد محاربة الشيطان‬ ‫ومحاولة ذبح ولده بأن السكني لم تصلح‬ ‫حتى أن جترح و إذ بكبش ينزل من السماء‬ ‫ووحي إلى سيدنا ابراهيم بأن يذبح الكبش‪،‬‬ ‫وهكذا مت األمر‪ ،‬ومن بعد تلك احلادثة كان عيد‬ ‫األضحى عند املسلمون الذي يضحون به‬ ‫بذبح حيوان من املاشية‪.‬‬ ‫حاول روبنز القول بأن هذه القصة ال نصدق‬ ‫حصولها إال عن طريق اإلميان‪ ،‬وإن حصلت‬ ‫بالفعل فأحداثها مبني ٌة على اإلميان باهلل‪.‬‬ ‫ففي يومنا هذا إن حاول أح ٌد قتل ولده حتى‬ ‫لو قال بأن اهلل قد أوحى له ال أحد سيصدقه‬ ‫وينتهي به املطاف إلى املثول أمام احملكمة‪،‬‬ ‫وإن كان اإلميان يصور سيدنا ابراهيم بأنه‬ ‫كان مؤمنا ً يقوم بفعل ما أراده اهلل منه‪ ،‬فإن‬ ‫العقل فال يقبل‪ .‬وهذا ما سبب االلتباس‪،‬‬ ‫لكن روبنز صحح مساره قائالً بأنه رجل‬ ‫مؤمن والينكر تلك القصة أو غيرها‪ ،‬إمنا أراد‬ ‫الفصل بني اإلميان والبرهان والتأكيد بأن هما‬ ‫أمران مختلفان وال ميكننا احلياة معتمدين‬ ‫على ناحية واحدة فقط‪ ،‬فلو كانت عقيدتنا‬

‫مبيني ٌة على اإلميان فقط لفقدنا عنصر‬ ‫التطور‪ ،‬ولو اعتمدت على العلم فقط‬ ‫لفقدنا اهلل‪.‬‬ ‫أما آخر املتحدثني وأطرفهم فكان مازن‬ ‫العبداهلل‪ ,‬خريج في اللغة ‪ ,‬الذي بدأ‬ ‫بالتعريف باملصطلحات كاإلميان ونقضها أو‬ ‫تعديلها مبا يناسب محور النقاش وحتى ال‬ ‫يحصل أي لبس ج ّراء اختالط املعاني‪ .‬معتمدأ‬ ‫على البراهني واملنطق بدأ نقاشه‪ ،‬فقد كان‬ ‫مهتما ً بدراسة أصل اإلنسان مستشهدا ً‬ ‫بنظرية داروين القائلة بأن اإلنسان قد كان‬ ‫ألصناف عديد ٍة من‬ ‫ج ّراء تطورٍ متعددً‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫احليوانات‪ .‬وأضاف بعدها بأن الذرات ليست‬ ‫كائن‬ ‫بحاجة إلى خالقً أو موجه لتكون‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫ما‪ ،‬فلديها خاصية تسمح لها باالنسجام‬ ‫وانتقاء ما يالئمها لتكوين الكائن املطلوب‬ ‫بدون احلاجة ملن يوجهها‪ ،‬فلذا إن اهلل لم يكن‬ ‫السبب وراء خلق اإلنسان أو الطبيعة أو حتى‬ ‫الكون‪ ،‬فبحسب علماء األرض بدأ الكون‬ ‫نتيجة االنفجار الكبير (‪.)Big Bang‬‬ ‫لكن ها نحن هنا من جديد‪ ،‬فبالرغم من أن‬ ‫النظريات قد هطلت كاملطر وامتد النقاش‬ ‫ساعات طويلة‪ ،‬لم تكن هنالك نتيجة‪ ،‬بل‬ ‫خرج كل شخص كما جاء‪ ،‬فنظرا ً لكثرة‬ ‫الناس وكثرة مداخالتهم لم يتسنى للجميع‬ ‫بأن يتكلموا وحتى من تكلم لم يتمكن من‬ ‫التحدث مر ًة أخرى‪ ،‬فلم يكن إال نقط ٌة فعال ٌة‬ ‫واحد ٌة أال وهي التمكن من إجراء حوار حضاري‬ ‫سمع الكل به أراءا ً مختلف ًة ونظريات غالبا ً‬ ‫ما يتم التعتيم عليها في العادة‪ ،‬فنأمل‬ ‫إعادة إحياء لهكذا حوارات حتى رمبا نتمكن‬ ‫من التوصل إلى نتيج ٍة فعال ٍة في املستقبل‬ ‫القريب‪.‬‬

‫‪Love your EARTH‬‬

‫‪but our personality. (Even‬‬ ‫‪though one’s family undeni‬‬‫‪ably shapes at least to some‬‬ ‫)‪extent one’s personality.‬‬ ‫‪Although the speaker’s cor‬‬‫‪ner gave several students a‬‬ ‫‪chance to speak up and a fo‬‬‫‪rum to express their beliefs‬‬

‫‪Heritage‬‬ ‫‪club com‬‬‫‪memorates‬‬ ‫‪Armenian‬‬ ‫‪genocide‬‬ ‫‪Continued from page 1‬‬ ‫‪ed that in this hall only, 300‬‬ ‫‪such stories could be told.‬‬ ‫‪She continued by affirming‬‬ ‫‪that most Turks ignore the‬‬ ‫‪true facts, while others try‬‬ ‫‪to rationalize the events in a‬‬ ‫‪way they would feel comfort‬‬‫‪able with. She ended by tell‬‬‫‪ing that Armenians should‬‬ ‫‪not demand their rights from‬‬ ‫‪a victim’s position but from‬‬ ‫‪a position of a proud citizen‬‬ ‫‪of a democratic country with‬‬ ‫‪western standards.‬‬ ‫‪The final event was held on‬‬ ‫‪Friday, in front of the ex‬‬‫‪hibition, where hundreds‬‬ ‫‪of students placed flowers‬‬ ‫‪in the memory of the lost‬‬ ‫‪souls. In his speech, Zaven‬‬ ‫‪Der Bedrossian, member of‬‬ ‫‪the LAHC, told that the rea‬‬‫‪son of the exhibition and the‬‬ ‫‪events was not only present‬‬‫‪ing the Armenian history‬‬ ‫‪and the facts about the Ar‬‬‫‪menian genocide, but main‬‬‫‪ly to spread awareness that‬‬ ‫‪an unrecognized and an un‬‬‫‪punished crime will be re‬‬‫‪peated indefinitely until jus‬‬‫‪tice is served. In fact, the first‬‬ ‫‪genocide of the 20th centu‬‬‫‪ry was followed by others‬‬ ‫‪and still the world witnesses‬‬ ‫‪many massacres. What hap‬‬‫‪pened in the past can only be‬‬ ‫‪judged, but what may hap‬‬‫‪pen in the future can be pre‬‬‫‪vented, and a more just world‬‬ ‫‪can be built.‬‬

5

Campus News Ungovernable Iraq Moneer Mokadem Contributing Writer

O

n Wednesday April 24, the monthly Sociology Café discussion, organized by the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department (SBS), took place at TMarbouta Café under the title, “‘Ungovernable Iraq’: Reflections on the (bio)political imaginaries of governability.” Dr.Omar Dewachi, a graduate of the Department of Anthropology at Harvard University and visiting lecturer at the AUB, initiated the discussion. Nestled on a couch in between SBS’s Dr.Nabil Dajani and Dr.Sari Hanafi, Dewachi read aloud his reflections on how different governable imaginaries shape interventions and modes of governance in Iraq.

He argued that the “ungovernability” of Iraq – a notion which has prevailed during and post-colonial era- becomes an assumed status quo through which Iraqis (as well as foreign entities) act out political struggle for power.

As part of a bigger work-inprogress, his 30-minute presentation was sparked by his initial interest in “governability” while studying Anthropology. While the occupation of Iraq provoked po-

litical discussion on how to best govern Iraq, Dewachi was more interested in analyzing the reasons that made his country ungovernable in the first place.

His methodological approach consisted of a discourse analysis of international media reports, Arab political commentators, and speeches of British and American politicians. Discourse analysis views language as a form of social practice and views social and political domination as reproduced by text and talk. He compared the notion that parts of Africa are essentially ungovernable to the notion that Iraq -with its mosaic of sects and ethnic groups – is similarly ungovernable.

“Ungovernability” becomes a way of agency, namely, the ability, and capacity for social and political actors to make choices and affect their environment.

Dewachi further argued that the depiction of an ungovernable Iraq has led some people to conclude that such a diverse people could only be governed by the rule of Saddam. In effect, not only is Saddam’s leadership glorified but it is being viewed as

a model of leadership for other countries in the region. At this point, he paused to address the audience, “What is this view silencing?” Perhaps he was hinting at other characteristics of Saddam’s regime.

Dewachi then traced various discourses on Iraq throughout history. Colonialist soldiers’ first accounts depict Iraq as ungovernable -- a geographical nightmare and a place plagued by disease.

More recently, in the ini-

tial stage of Iraq’s occupation, American political discourse has depicted Iraq as a modern state with educated people, which could be an ideal model for democracy in the Middle East as opposed to Afghanistan. With continued violence, however, the ‘ungovernability’ discourse quickly resurfaced, as well as the plan to divide Iraq into three autonomous regions.

His attempt to explore outside the usual frame of ethnicity and religion how the

Photo By Outlook Staff

language of ‘ungovernability’ was produced and consequently affects the process of Nation-State building provided a fertile ground for a Q&A discussion. How will the ‘ungovernability’ of Iraq translate into the lived experiences of Iraqis? Who will monopolize violence and the right to kill? Dewachi comically expresses the irony spoken by a taxi driver in Beirut, who says that in Arabic, Iraq means “fighting.”

Talal Shair joins AUB Board of Trustees Office of Communications

T

he Board of Trustees of the American University of Beirut is pleased announce the selection of Talal Shair as the newest member of the University’s board.

“I know I speak on behalf of all of my fellow trustees when I say how pleased we are to welcome Talal to the AUB board. His years of ex-

perience at Dar Al-Handasah and familiarity with the international business community will be an invaluable contribution to the University,” said AUB Chairman of the Board Philip S. Khoury.

Since 2008, Shair has served as chairman of Dar Al-Handasah (Shair and Partners).

He launched his career at

Dar 20 years earlier when he joined its Structural Department later becoming department director after earning a master’s degree from Cornell University. Shair is an AUB alumnus, having studied at the University in 1983-84.

He received his bachelor’s in civil engineering from Princeton University. “AUB is the

region’s premier academic institution and has an unequalled tradition of educating the future leaders of our area and beyond. It is truly an honor to support the University in its mission and development,” said Shair.Born in Beirut, Shair attended high school at International College (IC); he now serves

on the IC Board of Trustees.

He is a founding member of the BADER Young Entrepreneurs Program and chairman of its Building Block Fund.

He has been an active member of the Middle East Advisory Board of AUB’s Suliman S. Olayan School of Business since 2003.

6

Campus News

Significance of tears explained through a personal experience

Sherif Maktabi Staff Writer

T

here are a lot of things that may push a human being to cry. “Understanding My Tears,” A lecture by Professor Marjaneh Fooladi is one of them.

The lecture that took place at the Hariri Nursing School Building on Wednesday, April 21 presented a study of the importance of tears that was caused by a personal lifechanging event. Fooladi was attacked by two armed men at a photo-shop in Pakistan on the day that she was invited to speak on the subject of violence against women. The two men took her passport, her documents, and her money after hitting her so hard that her jaw was dislocated.

Although she was calm and collected after the men ran away, she could not hold herself from crying after the em-

bassy officer asked her for 85$ and passport pictures.

She spent hours crying and explaining to a female Pakistani police officer what happened to her. In the end, she said, “Sorry, speak no English.”

What Fooladi realized is that she did not need language to communicate her feelings, rather the tears themselves passed across the message of pain and frustration. Even though the police officer did not understand her words, she felt liberated, without hate and resentment. “In my tears, I found serenity and forgiveness,” she identified. Her experience led her to write a paper on the “Healing Effects of Crying.” In her presentation, Fooladi explained that humans are the only species that shed tears

of joy and sadness. In fact, human eyes produce three types of tears. Two of which are to protect and lubricate the eye and the third is emotional tears. These “emotion tears” are different than the other types due to their chemical constituents. “Crying helps release endorphins to relieve pain,” said Fooladi, elaborating on the health benefits of crying. Humans can cry because of many reasons that are different than pain, like: anger, frustration or rage, Confession, remorse and atonement, failure, imperfection and humility, fatigue, exhaustion, fear, anxiety, isolation, or loneliness, sorrow, emptiness, joy, gratitude, or success for reaching a milestone.

Although crying is a natural and positive way for humans

to convey their deep emotions and release chemicals that help in decreasing pain, many cultures view crying differently. On average, women cry 5.3 times a month and men cry 1.4 times a month. “[Usually] men hold their tears back,” she explained.

Furthermore, a nation’s religion and beliefs make crying unacceptable. For example, “Islamic law equates weeping women to thieves, prostitutes, and dancers once professional female mourners flourished.[...] In Nigeria, women are discouraged from mourning alone. [...] In East Africa, crying means disgrace. [...] A Jewish proverb refers to tears as the soap to wash the soul.”

As a follow up discussion of the study and its implications towards nursing prac-

tices, Fooladi who is a NP explained that nurses should know that tears need no apology and crying is important for the healing process. And as a response from a question concerning if nurses should cry during their duty time, she explained that it is important to show compassion and respect people’s pain. Human identity is deeply connected to and cannot be segregated from human emotions. Regardless, the perception of crying is not universal in societies and the workplace where it is seen as a sign of weakness. It is imperative to appreciate the importance of tears and the feelings they convey that words sometimes cannot express.

sic and for the students to fill the dance floor and start dancing. This is when the prejudice about engineering students being bookworms was proved wrong, showing that their skills weren’t limited to university activities but

included partying. The mood was very friendly and fun, as the party lasted till 2:00 AM despite the fact that the very next morning every one of the students attending had classes. The event was definitely a success that will be remem-

bered and that will certainly be repeated next year. Finally, this event was sponsored

by CCC (Consolidated Contractors Company).

The CES Spring Dinner Emile Zankoul Staff Writer

H

alf of the Spring semester has already ended along with the first wave of quizzes and midterms, a perfect timing for the annual CES (Civil Engineering Society) Spring Dinner during which students can let off steam, away from studies and stress. The ticket sale started on Monday April 12th in front of Bechtel’s entrance with a limited number of tickets (110 tickets, costing 35,000L.L. each). In less than a week, all the tickets were already sold out with students still requesting tickets, unfortunately not being able to get them. At the end of the week, as planned, the dinner took place Sunday April 18th in Bsat El Rih, the famous Lebanese restaurant that is located in the 12th floor of the Azarieh building (above I-bar and Taboo), an amazing place with a breathtaking view over all Down-

town Beirut. The first comers showed up at around 9:00 PM and all the others started arriving progressively after that. The people attending mainly consisted of Civil Engineering students of the four years nevertheless every major was welcome to join. The first part of the event was the dinner! A full premium Lebanese dinner was offered to every table with unlimited drinks. Students enjoyed eating the food with calm oriental background music, while chatting, taking pictures and being photographed by Mondanité magazine that was covering the event. This calm mood was relaxing, but it wasn’t about to last because once everybody had eaten all the food they wanted, drank all the drinks they asked for and caught up with all their friends’ news, it was time for the DJ to turn this calm music into an exciting dance mu-

Photo By Outlook Staff

Campus News

7

Yearbook photo shoot a smooth success Nadine Ghaith Staff Writer The week of April 12 witnessed the thousand clicks of a camera button, as graduating students from all six faculties took their photos in their AUB caps and gowns.

The experience was a final farewell to several years spent at AUB, a sort of sealed proof that all of these people attended and are now graduating from AUB. The photo shoot took place in the Mahmoud Malhas Common Room at West Hall from April 12 until April 16.

A group of some 30 dedicated members from the yearbook committee were always on the scene acting as facilitators. Thanks to everyone involved with the yearbook

the photo shoot ran smoothly and efficiently. Yearbook members welcomed, registered, dressed, and entered every student’s picture into the graduating section of the yearbook.

The experience was made more personal this year with the addition of the “group photo” concept to the shoot.

This meant that besides an individual picture all students could also take pictures with their friends using one of the frames made famous by the yearbook’s advertisement campaign this year.

The new feature proved a smashing success with graduating as well as non-graduating students.

The art of food combining Rami Diab Staff Writer If you think that’s hard to swallow, wait till you hear this: “more than 2 million U.S. children 18 and under used drugs for digestive or gastrointestinal complaints last year.” These figures are outright shocking to say the least. Could you imagine your younger sibling(s) suffering from indigestion for the better part of their youth?! Here’s the catch however, most of theses digestive and gastrointestinal problems have their origin in what we eat, and not just what we eat per say, but how.

To discover that most illnesses have their origin in what we eat, is quite relieving is it not? If I was to say that we could greatly decrease our chances of acquiring cancer, principally according to what and in what fashion we consume food, would we not feel moved and empowered to do so? Is it not comforting and reconciling to know that our health is in fact more in our control than it is in the fate of a couple of whole wheat granola bars?

In questioning how food is eaten or combined, let us seek professional advice from a scholar who has led some ongoing sixty years as an academic in the field of dietetics, Herbert M. Shelton, author of Food Combing Made Easy.

Shelton openly declares, “animals eat very simply and do very little combining” (7). Proper understanding of the delicate art of food combining begins in the firm realization that we humans, of all species in the animal kingdom, are the only ones gifted (or cursed I should say) with luxury of consuming several food categories at any one meal. As he puts it, “seven course meals and twenty one course dinners where not in nature’s plan when she designed the human digestive tract” (6).

That said, for those of us interested in building and maintaining a healthy physique, here’s a concise summary of what we need to know. Considering that ultimate health is a result of ideal nutrition which has its foundation in the resourceful digestion of food, we can therefore acquire most of our nutrition from food goods primarily when they are eaten on their own. Consuming more than one food substance in harmony however, need not upset our stomachs if the two food substances fall within the same food category. Here’s a simple example. We’re all aware of the significance of enzymes when it comes to metabolism. A key point to remember is that enzymes tend to denature in unsuitable mediums (of different acidity or pH). Hence, digesting protein (which requires acid-dependent enzymes), and starch (which requires alkaline-dependent enzymes) would hinder the efficiencies of both these enzymes respectively. Moreover, acid and base, upon contact, also tend to neutralize each other, correct? Well then, if acid and base are disappearing, thereby rendering our digestive enzymes dysfunctional, then how is our food being digested? It’s not! That’s precisely the point. We end up having all but some food digesting and only partially; thus, we suffer from indigestion. As for the rest of the food, let’s just say, we would not want to be in our stomachs at that time. Can we even so much as picture ourselves seated amidst a reeking mesh of putrefying fish’n’chips? I know I can’t.

“Antacids,” do I hear you say? Those medicines of deception, yielding no more than “fictional relief,” as Shelton puts it? What could we possibly want with more chemical waste accumulating in our bodies, as if the toxins originally created by indigestion which enter our blood streams, circulate, and pollute our entire bodies are not enough!

The solution? Simple. When it comes to food combining, we are our best bet. As the old saying goes, “the proof of the pudding is in the eating.” If we feel lousy after a meal of pork’n’taters, then we may like to consider modifying our eating plan. Anyhow, don’t take it from me, lend your ears to the professionals, such as Shelton who openly decrees, “no animal in nature ever eats such a haphazard comminglement of heterogeneity!” (5).

References: “More Kids on Prescription Heartburn Drugs.” msnbc. Oct. 4, 2007. msnbc, Web. 24 Feb 2010. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21122010/%20>.

Shelton, M. Herbert. Food Combining Made Easy. San Antonio, Texas: Willow Publishing, Inc, 1979. Print.

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Letter to the editor Dear Students, As a follow up to my email sent two weeks ago I would like to update you on status of operations to have the Faqra Cafeteria in Ada Dodge serving students and the rest of the AUB community early this summer. At this stage we are near the end of the active preparatory phase so that the area will soon be cleared and outfitted for the implementation phase in accordance with the design plans. While architectural designs for the overall layout have now been completed, final touches are being placed on interior design plans and I hope to be able to share with you more details of these soon. The completion of the active preparatory phase also sets in motion the process of delivery of equipment and kitchen hardware, which will be a very important step in establishing a final and consolidated schedule for completion of the whole project and will provide a much clearer picture of the end-product. I look forward to sharing with you more details in two week~Rs time.

Best Regards, Talal Nizameddin Associate Dean of Student Affairs Dear students, Upon your numerous requests to have the speakers’ corner more frequently, the USFC will host the third gathering on Wednesday April 28, 2010 at 12pm.

The topic of discussion is ‘Civil marriage in Lebanon’. Are your for or against? How will the Lebanese society react?

To better help us in our discussion we have invited Dr. Bana Bashour, a professor in the Philosophy Department, to moderate the discussion.

Interested students who would like to participate should email us their names and ID numbers to usfc@aub.edu.lb before Wednesday at 10:00am.

Thank you for you involvement.

Elias Ghanem VP-USFC

9

fun & trivia

Top 10 Annoying Students Continued from last issue 5- The Teacher’s Pet This type is the one that you see asking all the questions, following the teacher everywhere (even to the bathroom). He attempts to stick to the teacher to get good grades.

He will not stop nagging to get a higher grade. He will call the teacher at least twice a week either to schedule a meeting or to get to know him better.

Some of the girls might attempt to wear short skirts to get higher grades for example. Then after having approached the teacher he will blame others for everything becoming quite like a snitch but a bit worse.

4- The Witch I have found no other name for this type. It is those who around the semester do not appear to know you nor talk to you nor even acknowledge your existence besides maybe during elections time.

Then when a project or some homework arises, suddenly they become interested in everything you do up until they allow themselves to ask you the question:

Mario Achkar

“Would you give us you homeare standing and talking. work/project please, we don’t Suddenly, the FF (Female want to copy it we just want Follower - I would have gone to have a look at it to see how with another namepr by the we can do it” or “I will not way) disappears to pop up copy it as is, I will change it” 500 meters away next to that or “Wallaw mech ana rfi2ak/ girl totally ignoring you, and rfi2tak”. Then you start getyour conversation. ting messages on Facebook, Then he will carry her bags, on your mobile phone, on laptop, lipstick, he might your inbox, on your website, even carry her. Then he will on your home phone (they follow her everywhere, to the leave you a message with library, to the lab. He will esyour mother) cort her to her house. in your PO-Box (not really The only way you would be but they might do it - shit I able to seperate them is by think I just gave them an othforming another more interer idea) which forces you to esting group of girls which he turn off your cellphone, tell will then respond to and folyour mother you’re sleeping low. or studying This person does not seem to disable Facebook, block his be only annoying to guys as email from your email adhe might even be the same to dress list and maybe shutgirls. Let me explain, he/she down your website, yet he will attempt to touch you on would still attempt to contact different occasions. you somehow and the worst He/She will never stop askthing is that he speaks as if ing you about your boyfriend/ you two have known each 4/26/2010 girlfriend, your life and givother for centuries. ing you compliments. He 3- The Female Follower might stick to you like glue.

This is the type that while I’m sure he/she annoys you having a normal deep truthas much as he/she annoys us. ful and fruitful conversa2- The Backstabber/Liar tion with, some girl appears Although this might appear at about 500 meters away to be worthy of position 1. It from the area of conversation is still not my “personal fawhich I define to be where you vorite”. This is the type that

you rely on to do something time favorite. He appears to and then you discover after be everywhere. Everytime he the deadline that they have sees you he will follow you, sit not done it. with you, eat with you.

This is the type that you tell Stand right next to you (probsomething very important ably not saying anything and you want to keep a secret to listening to what you are (and thinking that they are talking). Then he will start your true friends) and sudasking questions about evdenly the whole universierything. ty knows about it (including He cannot stand not knowing the person you were talking what you are talking about about). and attempts to know in evThis is the type you ask a ery way he finds possible. He question on an exam to and will call you from time to time they answer you incorrectly so that you can answer some to make you get lower grades of the personal questions you (not that they refuse to anrefused to answer last time. swer).

He simply will not let you go You will get tons of promas long as you look at him or ises from, none of which get talk to him, the only solution done. They will tell you that would be running away, hidthere is no place at a certain ing or saying that someone in Internship program so that your family got hurt real bad they can take yours. and you must leave now!

They will even tell the teacher Please note that this list does that you did nothing (I’m asnot target anyone in particusuming you have done somelar, it is something I came up Web Billions of Free Sudoku Pu… thing) to getSudoku higher-grades. with to be able to communiThey will lie to you about cate what annoys me better, I their grade, their status, and myself might belong to some almost every single thing you of these groups. can think of.

So if I do please tell me. I If they have any respect for have written this so that peothemselves, I’d like to see ple would start working on them being honest someday. themselves not to do any of 1- The Nosy Stalker the above.

This type is my personal allThank you for reading.

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Entertainment

Band Review Inspired by the nationwide success of many preceding contemporary Lebanese bands, such as Mashrou3 Leila, many groups of musically talented young men and women are now forming, hoping to attain that same level of popularity and success.

One band who is not aiming for that, however, is ShaBa, a five-member, all-female group, who just make music to express their frustrations and feelings towards the Lebanese society, expressing what others are not brave enough to let out in the open. Even the name, which comes from a popular Arabic phrase, for things having exceeded their threshold limit, reflects all the pent-up anger

that these ladies have towards the current situation.

Beginning in the comfort of the home of twins and lead vocalist Shaden Fakih and lead guitarist Bane Fakih, the group soon expanded to include Rola Najjar on electric guitar and bass, Aya Attar on keyboards, and Chloe Asmar on violin.

Having already written some songs on their own, the new band members reworked the Fakih’s original pieces and composed some new ones to end up with seven distinct songs, which set off ShaBa from the rest of their counterparts. In fact, and according to violinist Chloe Asmar, what makes the band stand out is that they are not a cover band, choosing instead

Movie Review In a recent interview with USA Today, Nicholas Sparks compared himself to the likes of William Shakespeare and Jane Austen, insinuating that he had more originality in his stories than the latter.

This is amusing, considering every Nicholas Sparks story seems to contain a deadly disease, a male character who travels abroad for some time, a tragic death, and true love lasting through it all.

Dear John is no exception.

The plot of the film is the basic tale of lovers forced to separate due to circumstances out of their control - in this case, the culprit is war; the events of September 11 require John (played by Channing Tatum) to rejoin the war effort, leaving his new love, Savannah (played by wide-eyed Amanda Seyfried) back home. The lovers write each other letters back and forth until Savannah stops sending them all together.

The viewer comes to find out that after only two months of not writing John, Savannah

has not only found another man, but she is engaged.

This crushes John, prompting him to re-enlist in the war effort.

John returns to find his father dying, and after this tragic death, he visits Savannah, to find her married to a surprising character, who also happens to be suffering from a disease- leukemia. What follows is a tearful reunion, a good deed, and a semi-satisfying ending – the trademark of Mr. Sparks.

The sheer redundancy of the film and story is in its cliche tragedy. For example, Sparks’ wildly popular The Notebook contained a male character who went to war, his ailing father, letters to his lover, a tough decision, a tearful reunion, and a tragic disease. The only difference in Dear John was that the disease was leukemia and not Alzheimer’s.

Looking another Sparks film brings us to the same conclusion; A Walk To Remember includes a deadly sick-

ShaBa to write their own songs and musical arrangements.

The lyrics are solely written in Lebanese-Arabic, owing to the fact that “It would not be realistic to sing about the Lebanese community in English.”

These above mentioned songs are a main reflection of the society the band members live in, placing some emphasis on cheating, religious problems that arise in relationships, and other related issues. For example, one of their newest songs, “Mesthiyeh” is about a girl who is shy towards a guy who shows her affection. “MSN,” on the other hand, explores internet relationships and how one guy is fooling around with a girl’s emotions through the

Dear John ness, star-crossed lovers, and a tragic ending. Nights in Rodanthe includes a deadly sickness, a travelling male character, letters between lovers, and a tragic death.

There seems to be an emerging pattern here…Nicholas Sparks’ stories seem to be derived from the same concept box, just morphed into different combinations.

The film is not all bad, however. There are a few heartwrenching moments, like the scene when John is reading a letter to his father, the same letter that was recited in the opening sequence, making the viewer realize John was speaking so deeply about his father, and not his lover. This scene was a nice touch, as was the whole relationship with the father, who suffered from autism. The movie itself did have an enjoyable bittersweetness to it, but it has unfortunately been done before.

Dear reader: if you’ve seen one Nicholas Sparks movie, you’ve seen them all.

Tala Kardas popular chatting platform.

Their other songs include, “’Alla Bi Hebba,” “Knist Mar Elias Battina,” “Dris,” and one that is still in its original form, “Khaze’neh Ya Deek.

Since their style is very different, and especially that the music incorporates a violin- which isn’t very familiar in modern music, reactions towards ShaBa’s music has been mixed. While some have appreciated this new feel, others have completely rejected it, as the lyrics are very simplistic. Still, Asmar has stated that they are working on this issue, trying to make them a bit more complicated and that as a band; they are improving themselves step by step.

Though they are still rela-

tively new to the scene, ShaBa has already played in the very prolific Fete De La Music and International Day of Peace in 2009, been featured on Radio Liban, and most recently, preformed a set at Walimat Warde in Hamra.

They hope to continue performing this year and do not have any specific album plans in mind.

ShaBa’s vocal, lyrical, and musical distinctness and willingness to speak what is on everyone’s mind compels listeners to follow up on their work, and this is being provided through their Facebook group and soon-to-beupdated MySpace page.

Heather Jaber

Photo From Facebook.com

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

11

Rita Obeid

Schizophrenia

So this might seem like a silly topic since everyone is familiar with the term “schizophrenia” but most do not know the real meaning as to what schizophrenia really is and seem to believe that it means someone who has multiple personalities, well that is not exactly true. Schizophrenia is a severe and disabling disorder. Symptoms include delusions and hallucinations which include: hearing internal voices, thinking that others can know what one is thinking, controlling one’s thoughts, or thinking that others intend harm and are plotting for such harm. All these and more might leave the person with schizophrenia feeling fearful and withdrawn. Schizophrenia affects men and women equally and usually appears in late adolescence or early adulthood.

Regarding the causes of schizophrenia, this is still unknown. Schizophrenia might result from the interplay of genetic, behavioral, and other factors. Additionally, schizophrenia seems to run in families which puts people at a higher risk to develop this disorder if they have a family member who has it. A child with a parent who has schizophrenia has about 10% chance compared to the general population who are at a 1% risk.

Being the serious disorder it is, there are many approaches to therapy regarding treatment. People with schizophrenia might be hospitalized during acute phases of the disorder, anti-psychotic medications are also used to help the person put a stop to the delusions and hallucinations and so that the person can function more effectively in society, however, medication is not a cure, rather it puts a temporary stop to the disabling symptoms. Important to note is that medication might cause some unwanted side effects where Short-term side effects include drowsiness, restlessness, dry mouth, tremor, or blurred vision, long term side-effects which are more serious include: Tardive dyskinesia (TD)which is a disorder characterized by unintentional movements affecting mostly the mouth, lips, and tongue. However, Antipsychotic medications developed in recent years appear to have a much lower risk of producing TD but the risk is not zero and they can produce side effects such as weight gain. Other forms of treatment that seem to be helpful to alleviate the symptoms (since medication only stops the symptoms temporarily) include: psychosocial treatment, rehabilitation, individual psychotherapy, family education, community support, and self-help groups.

Bear in mind that this is just an introduction on what schizophrenia is, in reality schizophrenia is a complex disorder and is evident in people according to different types. These types of schizophrenia are classified according to the symptoms that the person shows.

Sources: Psychology Today (2006). Diagnosis Dictionary: Schizophrenia.

Heads Up on Health

Maya Terro

Healthy Habits you’ll want to follow if you’re aiming for “triple” digits In the previous issue of Head’s-up on health, I shared with you a number of healthy habits that you will want to follow if you want to live for your 100’s birthday. Indeed, one of the biggest factors that determine why some people live more than others has a lot to do with their lifestyle; not so much with their genes, as commonly thought. Below is a number of healthy habits that have been associated with longevity.

You’ve probably heard this a million times before, but breakfast is the most important meal of the day. However, not all breakfasts are as nutritious. According to a recent study by Ferruci et al., having a fiber-rich cereal for breakfast is a magic recipe for living longer. In the study, the elderly who were getting a whole-grain serving, especially in the morning, appeared to maintain a stable glucose level throughout the day and accordingly, had lower chances of becoming diabetic compared to those who chose not to include whole grains in their breakfast.

Another habit that no one should belittle is proper sleep. It is recommended that one should get at least six hours of shut-eye. Instead of skimping on sleep so as to have extra time to attend to other tasks, studies have shown that getting more sleep adds more years to your life. In terms of biological processes, it is during sleep that our body is able to regulate and heal cells which are an important component of aging. Indeed, studies done on this particular topic have confirmed that for those who live as long to reach the century mark, sleep is regarded as a top priority.

Being less neurotic is another habit that has been associated with having longer lives. According to a study by Perl et al., centenarians (people who live to the age of 100 and above) ‘‘have a great tendency to not internalize things or dwell on their troubles. For these folks, stress management is highly effective. For instance, instead of ruminating, eating junk food in front of tele, binge drinking and such; people who live longer vent their stress through yoga, exercise, meditation, tai chi, or simply doing a bit of deep breathing for a couple of moments when you’re feeling all stressed out.

More recommended habits to come in the next issue of “Heads-up on Health.”