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Acknowledgements Acknowledgement ents to

Samer e Abi Chaker, MD, MP M MPH H Dom omini iniqu que Dano, Nutritio on aand nd Die ietetics ics Dominique Nutrition Dietetics Sawsan Saw san Razzo Ra zz uk, Psychology Razzouk, Danyy SSedrak Dan ed edr e d ak Farah Far aah h Sha haae err Shaer Jas asmin as min in Bo in BBoyadjian yad djijia jia ian Jasmin Jes ssic sica C Chem hem maalii Jessica Chemali Jow wel ell Bo ell BBouzeid uze uz uze z id d Jowell Lema C he imi heh mi m Chehimi Nidal Abi biilmo b m na mo a Abilmona Rami Hann na Hanna Reem Abou u IIs sma mail Ismail Murielle Yazbec be bec eck eck Yazbeck Lilyy H Lil amouche e Hamouche TTina Tin a Srouji Rana Chehade Ra e

Printi Pri ntting g Printing C Ch Che m y & Ch ma mal hemaly Chemaly Chemaly

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1 2 3 4 Food For Thought

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Featured Documentary Campus Activities Academics

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Creative Juice Health and Nutrition Sports and Athletics Sexual Education Psychological Awareness Leb-IN-and-ON

Career Orientation Jobs Listing NGOs and Youth Featured Interview Lifestyle p.68

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Arts and Talents Creative Writing Multimedia Review Technology Review

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Nightlife Press Release Horoscope Miscellaneous

editorial Dearest readers,

As we step into the spring semester, it's time now to start thinking how to focus on the classes and make sure to close this year on a good academic record. While we invite you to do so, we also incite you to give a big margin of your free time to activities that set the mind and body just fine. Clubbing, dancing and drinking are amazingly great, but why not go for outdoor activities and make a combination of outdoor and indoor activities? In this issue, we are featuring and exposing alerting facts and figures about drugs spreading among youth. It's not enough to say that we are against the use of drugs but we actually rather condemn the ones marketing and using them on campuses and among the youth. Beware and help us spread a big NO. Stress and problems can be cured in many healthier ways, and more fun, notably by exploring our own talents, practicing sports and entertaining ourselves with activities that actually solve everything that is affecting our life negatively rather than living in denial of our difficulties. On the other hand, we are tackling financial aid programs while shedding light upon online graduate programs and giving you a glimpse of some job opportunities that are offered. Enjoy The Gate while we prepare the next issue for you to satisfy your needs while complementing your academic books and studies and don't forget to send us all your critics so we can offer you always better and more appealing pages. See you next month and till then be safe while taking out the maximum of your university life.

Bernard Hatem General Manager

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Top Targets p.12 FEATURED : Alert on Drugs p.16 DOCUMENTARY : Financial Aid p.20 CAMPUS ACTIVITIES : AUB, AUD, AUT, LAU, NDU activities p.26 ACADEMICS : GRE, GMAT

FEATURED

Information International’s Student Statistics on

Drug habits

* 36% tried weed & 11% tried cocaine * 48% consider drugs to be easily accessible on campus * More than 22% of students take drugs on weekly basis * And 14% have excessive intake of calming agents Drugs spreading among university students is not a new issue. However, the figures found and published by “information international” are alarming to say the least. Addiction to drugs at young age is not only a source of danger on addicts, but on societies in general. What could be done to limit such dangers and who’s responsible of that? That’s another story to be tackled separately. For the moment, The Gate University Students Magazine exposes the “Information International” report’s findings and leaves the primary judgment to university communities (students and staff)… Drug addiction, being one of the most “taboo” topics, started, apparently at least, to strongly penetrate and spread within the Lebanese Society, especially among youth. Even some families that considered themselves far from being affected by this problem have found out that at least one of its young members is actually taking a kind of drugs. And vis-à-vis what’s being said about the growth of this phenomenon and its danger on the Lebanese Society, Information International considers that the results of these statistics constitute an attempt to shed the lights upon this “taboo” issue to start finding the ways to treat it and prevent its risks.

Taking drugs: 75% consider it as “not acceptable” Majority of surveyed students (75%) considers that taking drugs is not acceptable, while 24% believe otherwise. 1% have not given an answer.Distribution of answers on this question by sex shows that females refuse the idea with percentages higher than the ones of males (81% & 70% respectively). Distribution by age shows that acceptability of the idea of taking drugs grows to reach its peak among students that age between 22 and 24 (35%)

Table 1 : Do you find taking drugs acceptable?

Answer

17-18

19-21

22-24

25-27

Total

Yes

13%

25%

35%

33%

24%

85%

74%

64%

67%

75%

Undecided

Total

100.0%

Taking drugs: 36% tried weed for once

36% of surveyed students revealed that they have tried weed at least for once while 23% admitted having tried Marijuana. Percentages decrease to 12% for those who tried “Ecstasy”, 11% for Cocaine, 7% for “Speed” and 4% for LSD. Distribution by sex shows Table 2 : Have you tried any kind of drugs one day? that the percentage of males (By age) that mentioned having tried at least once a kind of drugs !3456% 02-0,% 00-01% +/-0+% +,-+.% &'()$*% !"#$% to be higher than the one of 9:8% 118% 2:8% 9:8% 0+8% 7$(% ;$$<% females. For example, 43% of :18% 2:8% 118% :18% ,/8% =3% males admitted having tried 098% 008% 928% 018% +08% 7$(% >5*?@A5'5% weed at least for once, versus ,,8% ,.8% :28% ,:8% ..8% =3% 27% for females. Same goes for Marijuana (28% for males and ++8% 008% +.8% ++8% 08% 7$(% B3C5?'$% 16% for females). ./8% ,.8% .08% ./8% /.8% =3% In matter of age, the highest +08% 008% +.8% +08% 28% 7$(% DC(45("% drug trial percentages for ..8% ,.8% .08% ..8% /28% =3% most dangerous kinds such 18% ++8% +8% 18% 28% 7$(% EFG% as Cocaine, Ecstasy, LSD and /:8% ./8% //8% /:8% /28% =3% Speed were for the age range ,8% 008% /8% ,8% 28% 7$(% F#$$<% of 25 to 27. =3%

/28%

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percentages for the This survey has also revealed that the drug trial s among students whose score st highe most dangerous kinds made their or 300-350$ (52% and weekly expenditures range between 200-300$ nts whose weekly stude 44% respectively), while being almost null for expenditures do not exceed 50$.

Table 3: Have you tried any kind of drugs one day? (By weekly expenditures) !"#$%

&'()$*%

+%,-.%

,-/0--.%

0--/ 1--.%

1--/ 2--.%

2--/2,-.%

6$$7%

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554%

89%

0--4%

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0:4%

1-4%

504%

204%

89%

0--4%

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<-4%

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,4%

B4%

154%

0;4%

89%

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0-4%

1-4%

0;4%

89%

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B-4%

<-4%

<54%

3$(%

-4%

24%

,4%

024%

89%

0--4%

B:4%

B,4%

<:4%

3$(%

-4%

14%

;4%

0:4%

B4%

89%

0--4%

B<4%

B54%

<24%

B04%

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ED(F>("%

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H#$$7%

Acquiring drugs on campus: 48% consider it easy!

tried Upon asking students who admitted having their of ency frequ the t abou drugs of any kind the drug intake, once per week appeared to be ana). Mariju for 7% and highest (12% for weed Second comes the “daily” answer (6% for weed e and 4% for Marijuana) and then comes “twic drugs of kind a week” and that is for each mentioned in the survey.

considered that Almost half of the surveyed students (48%) while 40% uses, acquiring drugs was easy within their camp er. answ any fy speci t considered it hard and 12% didn’

Acquiring drugs in Lebanon: 44% consider it easy!

considered Almost half of the surveyed students (44%) 37% while on; Leban in easy was drugs that acquiring it very hard to found it somehow hard and only 5% found acquire drugs in Lebanon.

Intake frequency? Highest is once per week

Table 4 : Drug intake frequency

!"#$%&'

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758'

Most dangerous drugs: 48% Heroine

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to 48% of surveyed students consider Heroine 10% then , drugs of kind erous dang most be the for Cocaine, 7% for LSD, 4% for Ketamine. 31% didn’t specify their opinion.

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Drugs among university students: according to students, 50% do take drugs ve that half of A majority of 64% of surveyed students belie and this drugs take ) the students in their university (50% ion in situat the on tor indica erous is a high rate and a dang . universities

Worries about drugs: 52% fear on health

FEATURED

yed The survey indicates that what concerns surve t on effec their is drugs taking t students the most abou while ), (52% dual indivi the of h healt al ment body and was from fear from addiction scored 40% and 21%’s fear e. being arrested by the polic

Drugs marketing: 51% know a dealer

) said they More than half of the surveyed students (51% while 41% , drugs to s acces know a person that facilitates er. answ t denied and 8% didn’

10 Knowing about taking drugs: 66% know and weed

comes in the first place

66% of surveyed students indicated that they know persons (from outside their families) that take a kind of drugs, while 29% denied and 5% didn’t answer. About the kind of drugs that those people take, weed comes at first place with 77%, then Marijuana with 46%, Ecstasy 27% and Cocaine 19%. These results conform with the previous ones that revealed that weed is the most used kind of drugs, followed by Marijuana, Ecstasy and Cocaine. When asked if any of their family members take drugs, only 9% of surveyed students admitted that, while 86% denied and 5% didn’t answer.

Reasons: 28% for curiosity 39% of surveyed students failed to specify any ved reason behind trying drugs, while 28% belie being of g feelin the try to it’s out of curiosity, 19% and ure press of use beca 14% and on drugs encouragement from friends.

12 Using medicines as drugs: 14% 14% answered positively when asked if they s for have ever used any prescribed calming agent while ones, cal medi their than other purposes s, 76% denied. As for the kinds of calming agent antiioned ment 28% 60% mentioned “Xanax”, depression drugs, 28% Ketamine, 15% Valium and 12% Ritalin.

13 Punishing drug takers: 53% with d A majority of 53% of surveyed students agree d with punishing drug takers, while 42% refuse and 5% didn’t specify their stance.

14 Legalizing drugs: 57% refused n of 57% of surveyed students refused legalizatio d drugs (weed and Marijuana), while 37% agree and 6% didn’t answer.

Conclusion sting facts, most In conclusion, the survey reveals many intere importantly: taking drugs -Three quarters of surveyed students consider having tried it ted as not acceptable while almost 40% admit ving that belie nts stude of 64% at least once, in addition to reveals This . drugs take do nts stude rsity’s half of their unive contradiction between belief and practice. ding to the -The increase in percentage of drug takers accor income in tly quen subse and rates re nditu expe in increase ly basis. week a on drugs levels. Around 22% do actually take that -Almost half of the surveyed students mentioned acquiring drugs was easy. -Weed and Marijuana seem to be the most used among students.

kind of drugs

es that take drugs -66% know people from outside their famili es, which famili their within from ones know 9% while only ct. subje a such reveals how “taboo” it is to deal with of the surveyed -In what seems to be very contradicting, 75% table while accep not students considered taking drugs to be t. hmen punis only 53% agree on imposing cines in

-14% of surveyed students take calming medi excessive quantities.

The sample:

15 October and The survey took place in the period between 607 students of le samp a ed 12 November 2009 and includ rsities in unive e privat st bigge the of 7 g distributed amon ding to the number accor uted distrib were ns catio Appli on. Leban of registered students in each one of them.

Documentary

Financial Aid:

Achieving higher education made easier if you’re reasing on a yearly basis, and inc e ar s fee n tio tui ty rsi ive tes Un t can open before you the ga tha n tio uca ed of el lev t cen aiming at a de n have to take into consideratio you rs, ree ca g sin mi pro d an s of succes ich you want tion of the institution from wh s the classification and reputa bigger fees grow and the les the , go you r he hig the d An . to graduate affordable they become… Nowadays, the financial aid application is becoming more and more the twin sister of every student’s application for admission to any university. The latter, in most cases, is not being enough anymore with the absence of suitable alternative educational funding resources. Unless you’re lucky to have your parents capable of affording your tuition fees completely, you have to find a way to quest for your dream degree. Unfortunately, it’s not easy at all to have a job in parallel with your education. Many reasons stand behind that but mainly it’s due to the fact that most universities still do not adopt stable and reliable time-defined schedules for students (like strictly MWF classes, TTh classes, morning and/or night classes etc…). In most cases, you have to do that manually every semester. And in most cases, it doesn’t work. And anyway, what job in Lebanon can pay the costs of higher education in top universities? The best most jobs could get is some pocket money to cover daily expenditures.

1216

And if financial aid is not your solution in that case then the alternative is probably a risky choice that might be including illegal or unethical matters… That becomes a different story that we will tackle in a special documentary in later issues… So back to financial aid! What is it? Who gets it? Where does it come from? What are its requirements? What types of financial aid are there?... So many questions get raised and we try to tackle them briefly and as generally as possible, since individual cases tend to differ in conditions between each other.

First, what are the types of financial aid? Financial aid doesn’t always refer to a simple payment that covers a certain percentage of a student’s tuition fees. Many kinds of financial aid exist. Simple grants based on need are the most common type usually. Other types of financial aid are designed to suit certain special categories of students.

Scholarships are regularly attributed to few students that have and maintain highly excellent records. Most universities often organize ceremonies for the distribution of those awards. Maintaining a full scholarship award is however not an easy task as one risks losing it if academic scores drop below a certain high average.

Work-Study Programs are also offering good opportunities for students to get extra income in addition to their tuition percentage grants. Instead of applying for jobs outside their campuses, students can actually serve their own university, gain good working experience, and at the same time attract some extra cash and fulfill the requirements of their financial aid program.

Graduate Assistantship is an opportunity for students pursuing graduate studies at a university, the latter costing much more than undergraduate programs while students are in a phase of building the foundations of their career…

Loans

Who’s eligible for financial aid? And what are the requirements? According to AUB’s financial aid facts and figures 3471 students applied in 2008-2009, while the number of recipients was 2765, that is 80% of applicants. 80% is a high rate relatively. Universities’ budgets for financial aid are growing considerably year after year, but demand is growing faster than supply. So scarcity of resources imposes systems of priority. Practically, every student accepted for admission is eligible to apply for financial aid, except for some rare special cases. However, applicants must prove their state of need in order to be granted financial aid. In some rare funny cases, some applicants come with their parents to their interviews wearing poor clothes and using public transportation instead of their own cars. University personnel in charge of financial aid however have their means to investigate the information provided by applicants about their financial status, especially regarding owned assets, parents’ incomes and jobs, family’s expenditures etc… Academic standing should also be maintained at high levels in order to maintain one’s eligibility for financial aid. Students must also maintain good conduct on campus. Warnings are usually the main threat that might push universities to withdraw their financial aid granted for a student. Some students often express their doubts that few of their colleagues are “lucky” to have the support of high-ranking personnel at their university, and therefore got higher financial aid percentages than what they actually deserve (if they do deserve).

Now when it comes to requirements, getting a financial aid become a “1000 miles trip” as some students say. First of all, there’s the long application to fill with all kinds of information, many of which are usually very private, especially for Lebanese families that find it hard sometimes to reveal their income levels, jobs, properties and so on… Then the list of documents goes on to include pictures, grade transcripts, employment certificates for family members, income statements, school certificates, family civil record statuses, rental contracts, ownership certifications, car registrations, loan agreements (if any), bank statement certificates of savings (if any), medical reports etc…

And you have to make sure that all needed documents are available in their correct needed forms, or else you’ll be rejected… Now when you get to imagine how much effort each of these documents takes, and the interviews and procedures that follow, and the kinds of information being shared, it would be hard to decide to apply unless you are quite confident that you are really in need for assistance. Deadlines are also to be monitored closely. You definitely have to make sure that your documents are ready on time to apply, or else, you might be risking losing your academic dreams.

1317

are also becoming more and more of a rising trend, either through universities or through banks directly. With loans being part of most people’s economic lives, education makes no exception. The main challenge remains in taking the right career steps to be able to pay back those loans.

Documentary

Funding resources Universities expenses on facilities and staff increase regularly and so do tuition fees. But financial aid budgets are growing as well. The question is:

where do the financial aid budgets come from and how do universities fund those aids? In many cases, universities receive grants for financial aid from local and foreign, private and governmental institutions or individuals that are concerned with educational development. Moreover, wealthy alumni participate in fund-raising events dedicated for financial aid. And finally universities also allocate budgets from their incomes to support their financial aid departments as well.

Application results: the ultimate stress… Waiting to know the results of your financial aid application is becoming very similar to waiting for final grades at the end of every semester or academic year. After all, a student’s whole academic and career plans might depend on the financial aid department’s decision to grant or not to grant and finally how much to grant…

Conclusions Our conclusion rises from the stress factor that is noticed to be rising among students… Instead of being totally focused on their studies, students are growing upon more complicated responsibilities and younger and younger ages… Once they achieve a certain academic standing, students don’t only maintain it as a proof of their capacities and as an expression of their desire to improve within a certain field of study, but also in order not to lose their financial aid. Students also get to lose some of their enthusiasm for active student life as they might fear collision with any items of their code of conduct. And finally, looking forward for jobs is not solely focused on careerbuilding, but also on starting as fast as possible to cover up the education loans… But after all this is the cost of one’s choices! The decision to go for a certain educational/career path requires certain costs to be afforded, either in matter of money or in matter of efforts. The alternative might be to enroll for public educational institutions, which is almost free and yet still having good reputation in the jobs market.

1814

Campus Activities

Campus activities AUB RYMCO-Saadeh Abou Nassif Scholarship Fund established CO) has tor Co. SAL (RYM Rasamny-Younis Mo e RYMCO-Saadeh it will establish th announced that pport needy larship Fund to su Abou Nassif Scho in honor of B, AU business at ing dy stu s nt de stu o died in a ssif (BBA 2003), wh 22, 2009. Saadeh Abou Na accident on July le yc rc to mo s ou horrend operating officer ssif was the chief Na ou Ab eh ad Sa sponsible for tional. He was re of RYMCO Interna ations outside automotive oper running all RYMCO was given f ssi t that Abou Na Lebanon. The fac , despite ies ilit sib ge respon a position with hu tion of his g age, is an attesta his relatively youn tential. capabilities and po tty, scribed him as wi de ds d His closest frien an s, ou im an gn ate, ma at is right. rebellious, passion wh d wed his heart an llo fo o wh e on some ed your what really defin “In a lot of ways, allenging ch r fo ur passion character was yo quest for , and your infinite the whole world Lea, in a d, en lf,” said his fri challenging yourse cebook. tribute post on Fa

But for many, what made Abou Nassif truly stand out was his dedication to giving, tutoring, and helping people around him. He was also known for his integrity and his refusal to compromise his ethics and moral values. “We couldn’t keep track of all the people coming in and out of your office every day, but we knew that most of them were here asking for a favor or [bringing] a thank-you gift,” said Lea, in her Facebook post.

“Because that’s what you did. You helped people.” Abou Nassif, who was also the grandson of Antun Saadeh, the founder of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, also earned an MBA from the European Institute for Business Administration (INSEAD). The new RYMCO scholarship fund is dedicated to support all needy business students, studying at the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business at AUB and sharing the values upheld by the late Abou Nassif who deeply cherished his alma mater. “At RYMCO we owe him a lot,” said Abdo Sweidan, CEO of RYMCO. “Personally, I had the honor of mentoring Saadeh throughout his short but glamorous career.”

The six different concentrations available for business sophomores and juniors were outlined by professors in an event organized by the Student Representative Council of the Olayan School of Business in mid-December 2009 entitled “What’s Your Concentration?” The OSB-SRC president, Elias Ghanem, introduced the AUB professors who described explained the six tracks: accounting, finance, management, marketing, business information, and decision systems. Bassima Hout introduced accounting through a video, refuting all the myths about the routine lifestyle. She listed all the career opportunities for accountants, highlighted the jobs offered and the high demanded for accountants, and presented sample salaries for accountants in the United States. Leila Khauli Hanna introduced marketing, explaining that it is hard work and “not so glamorous” as it sounds. She listed the various types of jobs for this concentration, such as advertising and brand management, emphasized the key to marketing success: sales and skills, and explained that in Lebanon, a particularly high demand for market research and merchandise exists. Introducing business information and decision systems (BIDS), which includes risk management, directing, and planning, Elie Majdalani said that a BIDS concentrator will be able, optimally, to save money and find business solutions for his firm, and listed the courses offered at AUB related to information systems (INFO) and decision making (DCSN). He also presented some AUB graduates’ testimonies. Describing the management track and entrepreneurship track, Lina Daouk listed and explained all the management and entrepreneurship courses offered. Management, she said, is based on people skills and maintenance of employees’ enthusiasm and efficiency--the demand never runs dry. She emphasized that entrepreneurship should probably be considered only by students who aim to be self-employed or plan to run family businesses. She warned students to choose something they were passionate about, as they would be spending roughly every day from 8 am to 6 pm on the job. Lina Tannir introduced the possible specializations and career opportunities involved in finance, advising students to pursue a chartered financial analyst designation along with their bachelor’s degree in business administration. She listed the three clusters in this concentration: investment analysis, banking and financial institutions.

AUB volunteers help raise climate change awareness While the global community was debating climate change in Copenhagen, over 100 people at AUB took some small steps in the direction of reducing climate change by purchasing holiday season “Tree” gift cards. A tree will be planted in Lebanon for each card bought. The tree-planting drive is organized by Ibsar--AUB’s Nature Conservation Center for sustainable futures. The campaign objective is to plant 50,000 native tree and shrub species by the end of the year 2010 through community-based tree planting initiatives in villages and towns in Lebanon. The “Tree” gift cards were part of Ibsar’s boutique, which displayed a special collection of nature-friendly gifts for the holiday season from December 8 to 10. Many AUB student volunteers managed the boutique--especially members of the Civic Welfare League Club, who actively encouraged their friends to support nature either by buying items from the boutique or signing up for volunteer tree planting activities organized by Ibsar and the Center for Civic Engagement and Community Service.

First book vending machine at AUBMC t selection of Beiru mmemorating the co s n’s itie re tiv ild ac Ch e r th fo As part of se Association pital, the Lebane n’s ward as World Book Ca ine in the childre ch ma ing nd ve ok bo or of its kind in Books set up a , the first endeav er nt Ce l ca di Me Beirut World Book at the AUB e Committee for th by ed nd try of Culture. fu n, Lebano essing of the Minis bl d an t or s, pp su r Children’s Book Capital with the se Association fo ne ate ba tiv Le e mo th lp to step will he According tiative hope this ini a s e th ok g bo ein ke se er ma those ov ren, as well as ild ch g on am ing and enforce read ily life. part of a child’s da

entration confusion? Business students: The conc

AU T YASA on safe driving Road safety and safe driving were the themes developed by the YASA tea m to an audience of 200 AUT students at Issam Fares Auditorium on January 29. Statistics on traf fic casualties were detailed by the presenters and public policy matters related to safe driv ing were the topic of the debate that followed the presentation. The YASA team was invited by the Student Affairs Office in cooperation with the AUT Social Club.

Anti Smoking Day

organized a alth and Wellness The students of He on January ing liv favor of healthy in y da n aig mp ca St Jude invited NGOs like 19. For this, they Youth Against n, tio cia so As Nour Hospital, Oum El ncer Society, Ca the Lebanese of ad he e th s, Drug tive of the and a representa Dr Michel Daher presentations ment to conduct Ministry of Environ ing and antism put up anti- ok d an ing liv hy alt on he people who ents also invited drug exhibits. Stud speak of the dicted to drugs to were formerly ad s organized nt to quit. The stude struggle they had tructor Dr ins eir th e guidance of th r de un y da is th Mazen Mufarrige.

NDU Certificate of Merit NDU end of year nuary 2010, the ss ADM 490 On the 19th of Ja s of the senior cla nt de stu e th r fo the friendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hall ceremony rouni was held in Da l ma d Ka by d re lectu three students ha iversity- NDU. The n aig mp Ca g at Notre Dame Un rtisin esent their Adve the pleasure to pr ent was organized ev is Th . ts uc od pr nt e re ffe di r fo plan d sponsored by th advertising club an by the IAA /NDU (AAA). cies Association Advertising Agen d their campaigns te en es pr o wh s me na sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; nt de The stu h and Theodora iac, Lucy Abillama id Ch e rg Se e er wh d by their e has been assigne sing campaign Haddad. Each on full fledge adverti a on rk wo to r professo rtising plan, rketing plan, adve Ma e l th es lud inc that ution, promotiona tive plan and exec media plan, crea campaign. strategies and PR , Mr Ibrahim Raymond Merheb The Jury were : Mr Rbeiz, Mr Kamal e nin Ja s El- Rassi, Mr Tabet, Mrs Jamale war Aswad.The Karam and Mr An Darouni, Mr Dany entations that a state-of-art pres students showed these new breed ry, Ju iated by the ec pr ap en be ve ha of advertising. At come the future ss Theodora generation will be ny, the winner Mi mo re ce ral e th of d the en rit from the Gene a certificate of Me d ive ce n re tio ad cia dd Ha cies Asso Advertising Agen Secretary of the ram. (AAA) Mr. Dany Ka

Human Rights Day at NDU Day for Human the International In the occasion of ience and the ent of political sc Rights, the departm ganized a forum or U ions club at ND lat re th l na tio na er int nts organized wi rkshops that stude exposing the wo NGOs. n of the deans of d the participatio se es tn wi t en ev The ll as the NGOs: and students as we faculties, teachers RESTART. ALEF, ANERA and

Exhibition at NDU The faculty of Architecture, Arts and Design at NDU organized a ceramics and photography exhibition in December. The exhibition started with a welcoming word by Mr. Nadim Matta, head of the design department. Students from the music department participated in playing Jazz, Blues and other kinds of music. The exhibited items are cups and frames made by students from clay.

Animal rights activists take spotlight at LAU

Students use fashion to raise over $9,000 for

drug awareness

“Don’t do drugs” is the message 10 LAU public relations students were sending at a charity fashion event called “Sobriety in Style” at the Commodore Hotel in Beirut on January 16. Organized as part of the course Introduction to Public Relations with Dr. Ramez Maluf, chair of LAU’s Communication Arts Department, the event included a fashion show featuring local boutiques and international and local designers, as well as a hair show, live entertainment and an alcohol-free cocktail party. LAU students and graduates were behind three of the showcased brands — Tamara Designs, Clara & Lula, and Miri NJ Bags. Approximately 380 people attended the event, which was covered by local and international media, and over $9,000 in net profits were donated to drug rehabilitation and prevention foundation Oum el Nour. The 10 students — Alia Samman, Natalia El Mani, Jihane de Freige, Nicolas Hadad, Maria Antoun, Tala Tourbah, Karim Jamaleddine, Myriam Agha, Raha Richani and Ali Yassen — collaborated with about 15 companies and individual sponsors. Thirty-one volunteering students from various high schools and universities in Lebanon modeled. Tickets for the event were sold for $40. A raffle gave attendees the opportunity to win mobile phones, DVDs, spa treatments, gym memberships, free manicures and pedicures, handbags, and other goodies from sponsors.

LAU

Activists from the charitable organization Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals visited LAU’s Byblos campus on January 15 for a short outdoor presentation to promote their organization and raise awareness of the plight of abused animals in Lebanon. The group brought along several rescued dogs and explained how the K9s are helping disabled and injured children find new joy in life. “We are really against buying animals, we’d rather see them adopted,” said Sevine Zahran, one of BETA’s board members present at the event. Zahran said that BETA is looking after about 240 dogs in its shelter that are in need of permanent homes and she encouraged people to consider an adoption. The event was organized by LAU’s Institute for Peace and Justice Education at the School of Arts and Sciences. “Peace education is not limited to human relationships. We have to learn to respect life in all its forms,” said Dr. Irma-Kaarina Ghosn, the institute’s director and chair of LAU’s Department of Humanities and Social Sciences in Byblos, after citing one of Gandhi’s famous quotes: “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” During the 2006 war on Lebanon, BETA rented a new center in Monteverde in Mount Lebanon to protect animals abandoned by their owners from Israeli bombings. BETA members also drove throughout the South with bags of food for cats and dogs left stranded on the streets. Helena Husseini, another BETA board member, said the group promotes a vegetarian diet and cautioned against the consumption of meat from the Beirut slaughterhouse because of its unsanitary conditions. The group also responded to critics who argue that they should be helping humans instead of animals by pointing out that there already exist thousands of registered organizations in Lebanon with that goal. “Some people will say it’s a bit unusual to protect animals in Lebanon when people often don’t even respect human beings,” Husseini said. “Well the thing is, you can do both.”

Campus Activities

AUD

l Initiative

ton Globa lin C e h t t a d e rt a t Their Journey S

CAROLYNE, MARY AND KHADIJA:

“

FROM KENYA TO DUBAI

rsity Dubai, January 24, 2010. The American Unive lla Abdu ija Khad med welco tly recen ) (AUD i Duba in the de, Mwen Mary Said, Carolyne Macharia and story three young girls from Kenya whose moving n Clinto 2009 mber Septe the g durin heard was New in ing Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meet arship York. The three girls were offered a full schol n Clinto AUD the of part rsity unive the to attend Scholarship Program. This commitment was done by AUD’s Executive lly Vice President Elias Bou Saab, and was forma the g durin n Clinto Bill ent Presid by nized recog r, annual CGI meeting. Commenting on the matte Bou Saab said: We are proud to be able to offer these three young ladies the opportunity to continue their higher education under the Clinton Scholars lete Program at AUD… by helping the girls comp a build them ng helpi their education we are successful future.

“

The AUD-Clinton Scholars Program The Clinton Scholars Program was established between the American University in Dubai and H.H. the Clinton Foundation with the support of Vice um, Makto Al d Rashi Bin mmed Sheikh Moha of President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler nts stude ican Amer to s Dubai, providing scholarship hand first a get to them ling enab AUD, to study at understanding of the Arab world.

Finally in Dubai The ladies arrived in early January 2010 in time for AUD’s Orientation and have since then settle d into their dorm rooms with respective new room mates. They are slowly getting acquainted with unive rsity life, and are enjoying discovering Dubai and its diversity. Carolyne has been admitted to the Bachelor of Information Technology Program, Mary to the Bachelor of Business Administration Program, with a concentration in Banking and Finance, and Khadija to the Bachelor of Busin ess Administration as well. Part of the many activities the girls will be involv ed in while attending AUD includes joining the AUD International Aid Society (AIA), a very active student organization whose mission is to tackle global problems and provide solutions for them . At the request of President Bill Clinton and The Global Give Back Circle (a program funded and supported by individuals and companies aroun d the world and who has played a major role in graduating the girls from high school), the girls will also be travelling with the AIA Society to atten d the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGIU) scheduled in April 2010 in Miami, Florida. Carolyne, Mary and Khadija have committed to giving back to the community as they start their journey at AUD… as they truly know and understand how even a single good deed can change a life. The AIA Society looks forward to their fresh perspectives and hopes that toget her they will reach great heights while touching many other lives around the world.

n Trip

AUD International Aid Society returns from Humanitaria

to Srilanka “

The biggest do nation we mad e was the water purificati on machine, w hi ch the centre really ne eded. Hopeful ly, this will have a last ing improvemen t on the health of the ch ildren”, commen ts Sareh Ameri-Mills, Pres ident of AIA.

“

The American University in Dubai International Aid Society (AIA) volunteers and the different humanitarian activities they conduct throughout the year have proved that with determination and a big heart, one can make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate. AUD AIA in Sri LankaTwelve AIA volunteers recently travelled, at their own expense, to Wellawaya in Sri Lanka to work with the Art of Living H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Children’s Living and Learning Centre, where they spent time playing with the children and making donations purchased with the funds raised on campus during the Fall Semester 2009 dirham war event. The twelve AIA volunteers were AUD students, staff and faculty: AIA President Sareh AmeriMills, AIA Vice President Warkha Lalchand, Project Leader Ghazaleh Nekui Ellis, AIA members Philip Apaza, Sarah Ohnemus, Motia Lalchand, Ryme El Kahody, Kenneth Curtis (Assistant Professor of Visual Communication), James Henry (Assistant Professor of English), Sarah Lahti (Associate Professor of Visual Communication), Frank Seifaee (IT Services Manager) and volunteer from the community Amin Ameri. After meeting with the administration of the centre to determine the children’s needs, the volunteers purchased a series of supplies that were recommended for the children, including: a water purification machine, school uniforms and shoes for 35 students, school bags, mosquito nets, athletics equipment including cricket bats, footballs and tennis balls, a radio, board games, slippers, school supplies including notebooks, pens and pencils. Several AIA volunteers also donated clothes and personal items.

Academics

GRE, GMAT:

s die stu te dua gra st mo to rts spo pas ce ran ent ible ens isp ind r You “

have very highly probable that you If you’re reading Th e Gate, it’s Aptitude nc e tests such as SAT, TOEFL, tra en g gin en all ch y ver ced experien ding and which university you are atten tests and more, depending on for. which major you were applying of your you might be thinking already nt, de stu ty rsi ive un a ng bei And dies. sible advanced graduate stu future career, and thus of pos mon of l entranc e tests, the most com tia en ess e ar re the e, pos pur For that E. is which are the GMAT and GR What are they made of? This e? uir req y the do at Wh y? What are the e… academics sections for this issu r ou in ng osi exp be l wil we what

“

GMAT: Graduate Management Admission Test GMAT is offered either at temporary computer-based testing centers on a limited schedule or as a paper-based test (given once or twice a year) at local testing centers. As of December 2009, the fee to take the test is U.S. $250 worldwide. The exam measures verbal, mathematical, and analytical writing skills that the examinee has developed over a long period of time in his/her education and work. Test takers answer questions in each of the three tested areas, and there are also two optional breaks; in general, the test takes about four hours to complete. Scores are valid for five years (at most institutions) from the date the test taker sits for the exam until the date of matriculation (i.e. acceptance, not until the date of application).

The maximum score that can be achieved on the exam is 800. Over the 3 years concluding in October 2009, the mean score has been 538.5. The Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA) section is the first section to be answered. Then the Quantitative section and the Verbal Ability section follow respectively. The “Total Score”, composed of the quantitative and verbal sections, is exclusive of the analytical writing assessment (AWA), and ranges from 200 to 800. About two-thirds of test takers score between 400 and 600. The score distribution resembles a bell curve with a standard

deviation of approximately 100 points, meaning that the test is designed for 68% of examinees to score between 400 and 600, while the median score was originally designed to be near 500. The 2005/2006 mean score was 533. The quantitative and verbal sections comprise a computeradaptive test. The first question may be difficult. The next few questions in each section may be around the 500 level. If the examinee answers correctly, the next questions are harder. If the examinee answers incorrectly, the next questions are easier. The questions are pulled from a large pool of questions and delivered depending on the student’s running score. These questions are regularly updated to prevent them from being compromised by students recording questions. The final score is not based solely on the last question the examinee answers (i.e. - the level of difficulty of questions reached through the computer-adaptive presentation of questions). The algorithm used to build a score is more complicated than that. The examinee can make a silly mistake and answer incorrectly and the computer will recognize that item as an anomaly. If the examinee misses the first question his score will not necessarily fall in the bottom half of the range. Also, questions left blank (that is, those not reached) hurt the examinee more than questions answered incorrectly. This is a major contrast to the SAT, which has a wrong-answer penalty. Each test section also includes several experimental questions, which do not count toward the examinee’s score, but are included to judge the appropriateness of the item for future

administrations. Verbal and Quantitative Section scores range from 0 to 60. Analytical Writing Assessment scores range from 0 to 6 and represent the average of the ratings from the two GMAT essays. The essays are scored differently from the Verbal and Quantitative sections and are not included in the total score. All scores and cancellations in the past 5 years will be on a student’s score report, a change from the previous policy of the last three scores and cancellations being kept on the score report. The examinee may register for the GMAT either online or by calling one of the test centers. To schedule a test, an appointment must be made at one of the designated test centers. Third-party study preparation aids are available, including selfstudy using GMAT books, classroom GMAT preparation courses (live or online), or private tutoring. Cost of Exam is $250. You may not take the GMAT more than once during any calendar month, even if the scores are canceled.

GRE: Graduate Record Examination The exam measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical writing skills that have been acquired over a long period of time and that are not related to any specific field of study. The GRE General Test is offered as a computer-based exam administered by select qualified testing centers; however, paper-based exams are offered in areas of the world where computer-based testing is not available. In the graduate school admissions process, the level of emphasis that is placed upon GRE scores varies widely between schools and between departments within schools. The importance of a GRE score can range from being a mere admission formality to an important selection factor.

The actual scoring of the test is done with item response theory (IRT). While CAT is associated with IRT, IRT is actually used to score non-CAT exams. The GRE subject tests, which are administered in the traditional paper-and-pencil format, use the same IRT scoring algorithm. The difference that CAT provides is that items are dynamically selected so that the test taker only sees items of appropriate difficulty. Besides the psychometric benefits, this has the added benefit of not wasting the examinee’s time by administering items that are far too hard or easy. This occurs in fixed-form testing. An examinee can miss one or more questions on a multiplechoice section and still receive a perfect score of 800. Likewise, even if no question is answered correctly, 200 is the lowest score possible. In addition to the General Test, there are also nine GRE Subject Tests testing knowledge in the specific areas of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Literature in English, Mathematics, Physics, and Psychology. In the past, subject tests were also offered in the areas of Economics, Revised Education, Engineering, Geology, History, Music, Political Science, and Sociology. In April 1998, the Revised Education and Political Science exams were discontinued. In April 2000, the History and Sociology exams were discontinued, and the other four were discontinued in April 2001.

Where to take preparatory courses and apply for the tests? AMIDEAST is the main organization that offers preparatory courses and registration facilities for this kind of tests. For detailed information, you may contact AMIDEAST through their website: http://www.amideast.org/offices/lebanon/

The exam consists of four sections. The first section is a writing section, while the other three are multiple-choice style. One of the multiple choice style exams will test verbal skills, another will test quantitative skills and a third exam will be an experimental section that is not included in the reported score. Test takers do not know which of the three multiplechoice sections is the experimental section. The entire test procedure takes about 4 hours. The common (Verbal and Quantitative) multiple-choice portions of the exam currently use computer-adaptive testing (CAT) methods that automatically change the difficulty of questions as the test taker proceeds with the exam, depending on the number of correct or incorrect answers that are given. The test taker is not allowed to go back and change the answers to previous questions, and some type of answer must be given before the next question is presented. The first question that is given in a multiple-choice section is considered to be an “average level” question that half of the GRE test takers will answer correctly. If the question is answered correctly, then subsequent questions become more difficult. If the question is answered incorrectly, then subsequent questions become easier, until a question is answered correctly. This approach to administration yields scores that are of similar accuracy while using approximately half as many items. However, this effect is moderated with the GRE because it has a fixed length; true CATs are variable length, where the test will stop itself once it has zeroed in on a candidate’s ability level. Jowell Bou Zeid (NDU)

Do you have Jobs, Internships, Academic Programs,

Workshops, Etc… To publish in

The Gate University Students Magazine

The Gate’s career orientation section offers you the opportunity to be in direct touch with university students

To publish your offers in The Gate University Students Magazine Email us on: info@promoprints-me.com and we will contact you back to complete the process…

Soci-Selections p30

CAREER ORIENTATION : - Graduate degrees online - Job offers

p.34 NGOS AND YOUTH : Rotaract

p.36 FEATURED INTERVIEW : Chafik Saade p.38 LIFESTYLE: Body shapes

Career Orientation

Graduate degrees online:

The century’s rising trend! What might have sounded very weird and un-acceptable yesterday is now made easy and totally normal thanks to technology. Who would have imagined that a degree could be achieved through communication with a computer? online Students usually still do not take the issue very seriously, but this is changing with time as the around all s universitie in d recognize more and more programs are increasing and being world. but It is true that governmental institutions in Lebanon still do not recognize online degrees, and s universitie private However, sector. public the in that’s only if you are applying for a job institutions do recognize them as normal degrees just like the ones acquired on-campus.

Step Zero: Check the program’s validity!

In this article, we are tackling “valid” online programs that are conducted by reputable universities around the world. It is very important that students be aware whether the degrees they are applying for are true or fake and not recognized anywhere. Differentiating is easy. Valid online programs are those conducted by “valid” and accredited universities, similarly as they conduct on-campus programs. Students must check if the university they are applying for is accredited internationally. And if the student is planning for a future career or further advanced studies in another institution, acceptability of the degree must be checked in order for it not to be a waste of time and money.

A revolutionary concept

Online degrees have revolutionized essential learning concepts. Mainly, the professor is not there physically next to you monitoring you anymore, especially when it comes to examination. When following an online degree program, you are more responsible towards yourself and towards your studies. A complete set of lectures and cases are communicated prior to every semester. Online platforms are available on universities’ websites so students can access their files and follow up on their course advance regularly. This online platform is usually the link between the student and his assigned professors. From there, everything is controlled by both the course instructor and each individual student as well (downloading documents, uploading due homework and projects, discussing issues with colleagues etc…). Just as soon as you’re done, all you have to do is complete your files and attend your graduation ceremony.

Requirements Requirements to apply for an online degree vary depending on each university. Those requirements however do not differ very much in essence with the ones needed for on-campus studies. The basic documents are official records of previous degrees, certifications of experience, recommendation letters, in addition to all other common basic personal information documents, and finally the registration fees.

What’s needed also is to maintain a strict follow up on e-mail and/or mail communications and deadlines, in order to make sure the enrollment processes are running smoothly.In some cases, you might have to apply for entrance exam tests such as GMAT and other tests. In other cases you might need to pay a few visits on campus during the program. Those minor requirements vary in general depending on which university you are applying for. Once enrolled, you have to abide by the courses’ policies, guidelines and deadlines. Being on a distance learning program doesn’t mean that success is guaranteed without applying similar amounts of effort on the quality of submitted material as it is the case with on-campus programs.

How to apply? There are different ways of application for online programs, mainly either through mail and e-mail communication, or directly in person by presenting documents on campus (which is not needed usually) or through representative offices in the place of residence. When selecting the university of your choice, the first step to take is to find out if they have a representative office in Lebanon, so communication becomes easier through the agent available to assist you personally in compiling all the needed documents and being your official link. Otherwise, you may just follow the guidelines available on the universities’ websites to make sure your application and documents are completed correctly. Often phone lines are dedicated for applicants to contact dedicated personnel in charge of assistance anytime. Following up through email is also essential as communication happens mostly through it.

Costs: Cheaper than on-campus! One of the essential advantages of online programs is that the cost much less than on-campus programs. Simply by not being on campus, a student incurs much less cost on universities. This results in cheaper tuition fees.

Challenges…

It is true that online programs have made learning much easier through the use of technology. But this doesn’t mean that the experience as a whole is as easier as it might seem to many. Being your own personal monitor and building your will to simply abide by deadlines without need to attend classes and lectures as when being on-campus… Online degrees might also be useless if the enrolled students didn’t make sure they are truly accredited wherever needed. There are also several resources online and in universities to make sure the best choice is made regarding the program to be selected and the university as well. Students have to be aware that university rankings for on-campus studies are often different than the ones for online programs. And finally, pursuing an online program doesn’t mean you dedicate yourself full time for a job. Success requires time dedication similarly as it is the case for on-campus programs, even if class attendance doesn’t exist.

tracted by attractive ads on And finally, make sure you do not get dis e the advertised university exists websites about online degrees. Make sur are applying for is truly in reality and make sure the program you recognized and accredited!

Career Orientation

Job listings Sales Representative Needed for a french magazine located in Sin el fil. French is a must, a bachelor degree in sales and marketing or any related field is required. Experience is a plus. Send CV to marwa.geafar@gmail.com

Needed 20 Males & 30 Females Cabin Crew/ Flight Attendants to be based in Saudi Arabia: Lebanese - Single - Age between 22 & 35 - Medically fit Excellent overall presentation - Weight & height in proportion - No degree required - Fluency in English (spoken & written) is a must. Attractive salary + flying allowance + Accommodation + Transportation + Free healthcare + Life insurance coverage + 30 days annual leave...

A company in kafarchima is seeking for a female receptionist. English and computer literacy are a must. E-mail us at soussy_911@hotmail.com Advertising Agency Seeking: - Sales Person (female) - Account Executive (female marketing emphasis is preferable) - Graphic Designer (female - fresh grad or 1 year experience) send CV to: jobs@mediaconseil.com Travel Agency in Kaslik is recruiting Tour Manager and Ticketing Agent plz send out your cv’s to n.elian@ pearlbluetravel.com A Fine Dininng Restaurant in Lebanon is seeking to recruit urgently Bartender, Basic Salary 1200$. Should you consider this opportunity as a new horizon in your or any of your friend future career, kindly confirm interest by sending us your CV with a personal photo to proceed further to the following email: cv@market-key.com

A reputable company in Beirut is looking to hire: Sales Executive and telemarketers. Basic salary + Mileage + Commission. Basic Knowledge of English and MS Office, Should be motorized with a valid driver’s license, please send your CV to hr_leb@in.com with a subject Sales executive

Job Description: * Development based on PHP * Write and update SQL and OLAP reports * Test and document applications Profile: * University Graduate * Excellent inter-personal communication skills * Disciplined and Dynamic * Works under pressure * Enjoys multi-tasks jobs

03/760673 – 01/664598. Please send your CVs to: careerbuilder01@gmail.com

Requirements: * Holds a university degree in computer science / engineering. * Experience in PHP is required (at least one year) * Proficient in SQL (query, updates, stored procedures, and triggers) (at least one year) * Knowledge of HTML and javascript is a must * Fluent in English: written and spoken. * Typing skills * Motorized with personal vehicle (there is no public transport to office location)

Business Opportunity with an International Company now expanding in Lebanon.

Needed an IT for a Company in Verdun, Fresh Graduate. PLease send cv to hr@mazitou.com

Mansourieh, Lebanon +961 4 533 560 / 1 hr@softmind.com.lb

- Work from home or office - Work at your own pace, part or full time - No prior experience or educational requirements - Full training provided Step by step training programs that assist you in starting your own business and expanding locally, nationally and internationally.

Young Dynamic girl needed for an event organizing company in Beirut (Raouche Area ) Fluent Arabic & English , able to work under pressure. Salary: 600 $ per month Please send CV to : yara_k80@hotmail.com

PrimeJob Vacancy:

Interested candidates please send your CVs ASAP with an attached recent fulllength photo in addition to your height and weight to mmessarra@irclb.com Tel: 961 1 255338/9 - www.irclb.com NB: Please mention “Flight Attendants” in the subject of your email

Send your CV to : tamara.mourakade@ gmail.com or call: 03-331354 www.opportunityrush.com

Production company is looking for: 3D Modeler, 3D Animator, Illustrator, Colorist, Game Developer (2D & 3D).

Regional Business Manager Engineering Background - International Water pipes dealer - Beirut office based email- gm@rouaa.net

Sales Representative, F&B company, 0 to 2 years of experience, good knowlegde in Dahieh Area. To apply, please send us your CV by e-mail to maud@primejob.com

Indoor Sales Women & Assistants - part & full time in Solidere area – English & Arabic - Cv: hco.div.sales@gmail.com

Web Administrator

The 10th Muse Agency:

Job Description: Prepare a long-term plan for Web site development and presence, including standards and guidelines for content, based on business goals and input from stakeholders - Create and maintain a consistent Web site architectural structure - Co-ordinate with departments and content creators from across the organization - Edit HTML pages and upload them onto the site - Recommend and implement enhancements and modifications to the Web site - Assess and itemize costs for Web site enhancements and modificationsCreate and maintain an archive for Web site templates and images - Monitor, analyze, and report on Web site traffic

A new young advertising and graphic design agency, young USEK students work as freelancers, studied prices, very creative work. Advertising, outdoors, press, newspaper, radio, tv, logos, business cards, stationery, web-design, mascots, jingles contact us : the10thmuseagency@ gmail.com

Marketing Manager needed in Qatar for an international chain of restaurants. For any further information kindly email on n.neyla@gmail.com An International Company is opening in Lebanon & we are looking for people to work with us full or part time, please call on 71409224. Needed PART TIME graphic designer Bugstudios is a web and graphic design company located in Ain-El-Remaneh (Beirut) Send ur cv and portfolio at: jessica@bug-studios.com

A multinational company based in Doha, Qatar is looking for engineers Technical or Construction with a minimum experience of one year. Please send your CVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to : racha.monther@hotmail.com

interested candidates to send their CVs to info@bis-me.com

RSB hosting is recruiting young females for : Hostessing, events, fashionshows and promotions... Offices are open from 11am to 5pm. for more info please call our offices on : 01 884432 Email : info@rsbhosting.com

Needed! ASP.NET Web Developer. Minimum 1 Year experience in Web Development using C# or VB.NET, Microsoft SQL Server, Javascript, AJAX. Please send your CVs to georgeskaddoum@gmail.com Sales Agents (part time or full time) needed for a real estate company in Verdun. please email your CV to : job_myhome@hotmail.com Do You want to become a TV Presenter? kindly call Bright I on 09 637380

A Leading Restaurant Group in Lebanon is seeking to recruit urgently Human Resources Manager, Basic Salary 3500$, plus Schooling Transportation and Medical Insurance. Should you consider this opportunity as a new horizon in your future career, kindly confirm interest by sending us your CV with a personal photo to proceed further to the following email: cv@market-key.com Now recruiting photoshop and editing staff.please call 03 33 75 45 ,01 68 78 11 or send your CV to info@souwarproduction.com

Interested candidates send their CV to hiba.fayad@iktissad.com

Sales IT Needed: -Providing technical support in sales presentations, product demonstrations and installations, related to IT infrastructure solutions including hardware, system software and security - Assisting sales personnel in the development of leads into prospects and prospects into customers - Providing consultancy to prospective users - Identifying and supporting new sales leads as necessary

NGOs and Youth

Rotaract Lebanon: “Tomorrow crafts Today” Rotaract is a program of Rotary International. It is an international organization of service clubs for men and women aged 18 – 30 that fosters leadership and responsible citizenship, encourages high ethical standards in business and promotes international understanding and peace. Organizationally speaking, Lebanon falls within district 2450. Rotaract Lebanon is composed of 17 clubs nowadays, divided into regional and university clubs. Lately, lights have been shed on Rotaract Lebanon for their famous “Ain’t No Smoking” campaign, in addition to the climate change awareness campaigns. To further expose the organization and its relation with university students and youth, The Gate had a discourse with Rita Chehwan, a media spokesperson of Rotaract Lebanon.

Mission and Scope of Activism… Chahwan starts by citing a main example, that is the “Ain’t No Smoking” campaign, which aims at limiting smoking in Lebanon, due to the bad effects it has on health of both smokers and non-smokers. Chahwan reveals that Rotaract youth members are lobbying to push forward a law project to ban smoking in all public places in Lebanon. Based on that, Rotaract doesn’t restrict itself to a certain restricted cause, but rather focuses on lobbying and advocacy for all “good causes” that help increase awareness and improve social and cultural conditions, whether related to health, environment, development etc…

Clubs: The center of activity Nowadays, 17 clubs form Rotaract in Lebanon, composed of regional clubs and university clubs. Usually, those clubs set their own plans and campaigns to work on, on both the short and long term. A minimum number of activities are required to be done by every club or else it would be classified as inactive. With every activity launched, the latter is either completely driven by the club behind it alone, or other Rotaract Clubs join for support, and even probably coordinate with other NGOs. For example, Rotaract had joint projects with Kunhadi in a road safety project and cooperation was successful.

Universities: The primary recruitment source

34 40

As the age restriction to be member of Rotaract is between 18 and 30, quite a good share of activists within Rotaract are university students. Recruitment of activists is therefore essentially (though not solely) happening in universities, where youth have the chance to prove their capacities, their leadership skills, their social skills, their ethics in society, etc… Chahwan explains that cooperation of universities varies in Lebanon. LAU is very much facilitating their activities, AUB has no problem either, NDU wouldn’t object on Rotaract Club activities and so on… However, some other universities have strict policies regarding allowing NGOs to conduct activities on campus. Chahwan believes it’s mainly because some administrations still fear politicization of events and often suggest that Rotaract does activities but without mentioning they are behind it.

Not any university students…

Not everyone can simply join Rotaract. The latter has a policy to maintain a certain level of quality in matter of commitment, leadership, sense of responsibility, high-caliber education, ambition, cultural development, ethics, etc… To become a regular member of a Rotaract club, young activists should express the abovementioned qualities and should also start by assisting in running projects for a period of at least 5 months and attend all meetings and create no internal or external enmities. Rotaract seems to be restricting itself to very serious and active characters…

Benefits Besides living the experience of social service, activists get to develop all kinds of skills related to their dedication for the projects they are working on, from communication to public relations, professional training, lobbying and advocacy skills, social experience, selfconfidence and more… Youth also get to have a chance to be in touch with leaders of society through the Rotary as a whole and often get to be awarded with certificates upon participating in certain professional training programs, such as the RYLA. According to Chehwan, an activist in Rotaract is very much likely to benefit from his experience and place it on his or her CV, while that might not be the case when being active through political parties, since that might cause discrimination when it comes to applying for jobs or careers.

Possibility to maintain commitment Being a rotaractor definitely requires time dedication according to Chehwan, but that doesn’t mean that university students cannot organize themselves and their time in order to follow up on their studies and at the same time be active in society.

Rumors… As rumors attack Rotaract by claiming it is an organization that stands for hidden goals and objectives, Chahwan denies that and says that all objectives and campaigns are clear and all clubs are auto-financed and all members and clubs are masters of their own. After all, as Chahwan believes, if that was true, activists would very easily leave Rotaract.

Campaigns and future projects Chahwan affirms that at least more than 150 activities are conducted by the 17 Rotaract Clubs in Lebanon on a yearly basis, in all different regions of Lebanon. Those activities are essentially related to professional development, community service, club service and other sectors as well. Currently, the big campaigns are concentrated around anti-smoking policies, health campaigns, road safety, media & NGOs, etc…

Exposure

According to Chehwan, media exposure is not the goal of Rotaract. Simply only when a campaign takes effect in society, media comes to cover and expose it…

should always look ahead and ts today, which reflects that we craf w orro tom : says to mot “As our ordingly in order to meet it.” future and plan our today acc build our visions for the better

Final Message

Featured Interview

Chafik Saade Support Lebanese Production! Aged 24 and currently broadcast manager at the OTV Lebanese TV station. Mostly famous for the “Chorale” character he plays in “Ovrira”, OTV’s social comedy program, Saadeh studies communication arts with emphasis on Radio and TV.

(A.K.A. “Chorale”

)

The beginnings “At first, my major was international affairs and diplomacy. I had barely completed the quarter of my first semester when Sheikh Khalil el-Khazen, now unfortunately passed away in the late Ethiopian plane crash, introduced me to Studio Vision where he advised me to follow a 15-day training as a trial. I barely completed by 6th day and started as a freelance assistant in production and loved the field. At that point I dropped my semester and transferred to communication arts.”

Misconceptions! Chafic Saade blames society for the prejudice it carries towards the field of communication arts. “It is still not very much accepted as a career choice because people believe it doesn’t make money”. “What I want to say is that this is absolutely not true. If you have a target and work for it, you can reach and make a good living out of it” he adds. However, Saade admits that being an actor alone is not enough yet to make a good living in Lebanon… Saade also remembers how business and engineering students at university usually described communication arts as “bricolage” and students studying it as “just having fun”…

Hobby or Career….

Saadeh’s career is not solely concentrated on acting, though he’s mostly known and exposed through the latter. He practices acting as a hobby and almost as a career, as long as it is about comedy and social entertainment. “I liked my work and the character I played because I feel it’s close to what I like to offer, especially that I feel how much that character is part of every society and every neighborhood. It wasn’t in my mind at the beginning and this is what spared us all the ego effects. I made my success thanks to a very original team that I am part of, a very original crew and very original director.”

Facilities at universities

36 32

Saade believes that universities in Lebanon, especially the ones that are renowned in the field of communication arts are equipped enough in matter of material and in matter of personnel. “After all, at university you only get 10% of what you need to succeed in the field. You get introduced to all the basic stuff that you might encounter and from there on you have to build your experience on ground” he adds. “We have the best communication arts teachers in Lebanon, especially that we, the Lebanese, are by nature among the most creative individuals.” says Saade.

“There’s no artist without a cause”. That’s what Saade believes. “When it comes to arts, you don’t have to be gray; you have to carry a message. Your cause doesn’t have to be necessarily political. Also if we take the character itself, it is true that it represents a certain socio-political background but everyone loved it, simply because everybody knows it is true and available everywhere and our critic was always up to a level that doesn’t offend anyone or insult their dignity.” Saade also highlights how much Lebanon is living a kind of new era in matter of acceptance towards artistic performance. “LOL”, the jokes program also on OTV, broke a lot of taboos in Saade’s opinion, and “Ovrira” too. “The dignity of everyone is after all our basic limit. Everything is allowed as long as you do not hurt the dignity of any of your viewers” he reiterates.

Aspirations…

Saade agrees that the arts field and especially the acting field needs further support in Lebanon. “Every actor has a peak to reach, but then the curve imposes so new actors emerge. But after a long time of giving, you find yourself alone just by the moment you start sliding down.” In matter of comedy programs, Saade looks forward to have them all concentrated on social matters and not only on political issues. Here he thanks OTV’s administration for the support it gives in matter of production, support, help and development of ambitions. “Nobody can carry you to success! You have to do all the effort yourself” adds Saade.

Lebanese Production: Where do we stand?

“At some period of time, Lebanese production died out, until OTV launched a massive campaign of support for Lebanese Drama and now almost all TV stations have at least one Lebanese Drama program on their grid. Previously it was hard for production companies to take the risk of placing budgets on programs that TV stations will not buy. But now as the trend is emerging, they are much more encouraged to do so” says Saade. Comparing to international standards, Saade says: “Sure we can reach. Why not? All we need is just some time. Reaching international markets and expansion is a step-by-step process and Syrian Drama is one good recent example of that.

Here Saade wonders: “Why do we have to buy foreign programs, translate them and offer them to the public while we Lebanese can be much more creative in our ideas that would definitely cost much less in matter of budget?” “We need support from Lebanese TV stations. We need them to adopt Lebanese-produced programs. It is not true that standards would fall. TV stations can easily set the standards they want and impose them and they will definitely find their need. TVs still fear local production and prefer to pay more on a foreign program because they’re just assured it will sell” he adds. “It is not true that this is what viewers demand. Viewers are influenced by what TVs offer. After all, when TV is considered the most powerful influential means of communication of ideas to viewers, why wouldn’t that apply to programs? You asked be why Lebanese programs are still facing difficulties spreading in international markets. Don’t we have to convince both the Lebanese TV stations and the Lebanese viewers about Lebanese production before we get able to convince foreigners?” says Saade.

Future Project: A cinema film!

“It is still an idea and we’re developing it. The concept is ready and we hope very much that our experience in Ovrira will turn into a cinema movie”. That’s what Saade reveals to The Gate in this interview. On another hand, Saade focuses on the importance of technology in marketing programs, “especially that YouTube and facebook are easily accessible to everyone and those who miss our episodes on TV can always follow us through the internet.”

A vision…

“The future of TV is in entertainment. After all, this is what people appeared to like the most. When they’re watching TV, they are looking to refresh their mood and feel entertained, especially with stress factors increasing in everyone’s life!”

Final Message.

Nobody can do what he or she doesn’t like just for the “ sake of making money. Follow what you love and only

Arts and Politics: A dilemma

by that you can reach. You don’t only need to be an engineer or a lawyer to have a successful career!”

”

Are you an Apple? a Pear ? Lifestyle

an Hourglass?? by Murielle Yazbeck

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s find out what is your bodyshape and what clothe suits you the most ! Knowing how to dress your body type as well as being aware of which styles to avoid are essential in establishing your individual style and personality in clothing. The key to buying and wearing good clothes is the fit of the clothes on your body shape. If the clothes are cut well, drape and fall correctly on you, that means that they fit you well and will make you stand out. If not, then even the most expensive article of clothing will be a waste! To look good and feel good, determine your bodyshape and see what suits you the best. Selecting the right type of fabric with suitable textures will also help in determining what looks good on you.

WOMAN If you are fuller around the hips, have a wide pelvis and are small around the chest and shoulders, then you have a PEAR ( or TRIANGLE or V-SHAPE ) bodyshape. You have proportionally narrow shoulders and large hips, with a well defined waist. You probably also have a small to medium bust.

YOUR MAIN AIM STYLE IS

AVOID

WHAT TO WEAR

to balance your top half to your bottom half by creating the appearance of a wider upper body. * * * * * * *

your upper body Accessories and designs to draw attention to the focus on your get to great are tops Large patterns and shiny upper body. Short-sleeved tops may sound very 80s Shoulder pads to broaden your shoulders. This should not be visible they ver, Howe work. do really they but , advice Medium to high necklines flared Skirts and dresses that are straight or slightly , preferably darker. colors solid , matte in pants t Boot leg and straigh

ents * Baggy garm * Stiff fabric to your hips that add bulk * Garments p-line hi at es sign lin * Hems or de or pants s irt sk on ts * Open plea irts or pants * Tapered sk rned skirts at lets the eye ted and patte ea decoration th of nd ki y * Wide, pl an or s with pleads * Waist pant hips. ur yo to r de wan

YOUR MAIN AIM STYLE IS to create the illusion of the perfect hourglass body shape by balancing your lower body to your upper body and to draw attention away from your upper body.

* Flowing fabrics * Low to medium-low necklines * Set-in sleeves * Three-quarter length sleeves * Tops and dresses that flow through the waist * A-line skirts * The ideal look for you are wide legged pants, roomy skirts, dresses that are cut small on top and wider below the waist.The new again baby doll look could work great for you

WHAT TO WEAR ?

Lifestyle

If you have broad shoulders and a big chest but small hips then you have a REVERSED PEAR ( or INVERTED TRIANGLE) bodyshape . It is the second best female body shape (after the hourglass figure).

With either of these body types you have the overall appearance of being round, especially in your torso area. Your have an undefined waist and a large stomach. The difference between the oval and the diamond shapes is whether your stomach is low (this is the oval shape) or high (this is the diamond shape).

YOUR MAIN AIM STYLE IS

to create the illusion of the perfect hourglass body shape by balancing your lower body to your upper body and to draw attention away from your upper body.

designed to draw an observerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s * Ear-rings, necklaces and other focal points eyes up towards your shoulders and face ers. This may sound very 80s advice, * Shoulder pads to emphasize your should not be be visible should but they really do work. However, they s clothe fitting loose and * Semi-fitted * Tops and bottoms in the same colors * Low necklines ine * Tops and dresses that flow through the waistl fabric * Straight flat-fronted pants in soft, flowing * Straight and slightly flared skirts shape : Straight cut blouses, * Cuts and straight lines work well for this body Straight, not tight pants and skirts. * Jackets that reach the top of your thighs

AVOID

If you have a full chest, upper back with no or little waist definition then you have an APPLE bodyshape. You might appear top heavy. There are two female body shapes that are referred to as an apple body shape these are the OVAL and the DIAMOND.

WHAT TO WEAR ?

AVOID

fabrics * Stiff, bulky, shoulders phasize your em at th s yle * St es * High necklin rs lla co g Bi * patterns irts and pants ps with heavy * Tapered sk voluminous to s, irt sk d an s * Tight pant

* * * * * * * * * * *

Clingy fabrics Fitted clothes Fabric with large patterns High necklines Large lapels Belts Pleats Narrow or tapered skirts and pants waist cut dresses, large Anything that is tight around the middle like top. rate belts, tugged in blouses with an elabo Waist short t-shirts and short jackets Horizontal block stripes

YOUR MAIN AIM STYLE IS

to add curves by: * Defining your shoulders * Or, if you are slender, by defining your waist

• • • • •

Stiff, bulky, fabrics Baggy styles High necklines (unless you have a small bust) Skirts with open pleats Very tapered pants

WHAT TO WEAR ?

Fitted and semi-fitted clothes : you can wear fitting jeans to show off your waistline or straight leg trousers. Soft, clingy, flowing fabrics Low to medium necklines Dresses with defined waistlines Straight and gently flared pants and shirts Everything long and flowing that brings out your waist through cut or with a belt is ideal. Sleek shapes, soft materials and subtle patterns work well as do wrap styles, be it wrap dresses, blouses or skirts Pick jackets that have a waist. Necklaces are great at medium and short length.

AVOID

WHAT TO WEAR ?

...to emphasize your curves, especially your waist, without adding bulk. • • • • • • • • •

If your bust and hips are about the same size and you have an undefined waist then you have a RECTANGLE SHAPE bodyshape

• • • • • •

• Shoulder pads to emphasize your shoulders. This may sound very 80s advice, but they really do work. However, they should not be too large and definitely shouldn’t be visible • Semi-fitted clothes • If you have firm upper arms, wear short-sleeves and sleeve-less tops and dresses • Medium to high necklines • Dresses that wrap or flow through the waistline • Straight to gently flared flat-fronted pants • A-line shirts • Blouses with ruffles or peasant style tops with gypsy skirts suit the rectangular shaped woman • Wearing striking patterns or interesting designs will help to break the straight lines of the rectangular shaped woman Clingy fabrics Fitted clothes Low necklines Baggy tops Baggy pants Narrow skirts

Too many women feel that fashion rules are written in stone, but the fun of dressing is that you can make your own rules. Keep in mind the tips and tricks that help you choose what to wear for your body shape, but you don’t have to be a slave to them. Instead, use them as general guidelines provided by stylish experts who want you to always look your best! http://www.style-makeover-hq.com/rectangle-body-shape.html http://www.thechicfashionista.com/rectangle-body-shape.html http://www.greatestlook.com/advice/bodyshapes.htm

If your hips and shoulders are about the same width and you have a well defined waist then you have an Hourglass (or X-Shape) Lucky you! Your hourglass figure is referred to as the ideal body shape. You have a shapely, balanced figure. You have plenty of options dressing for your body shape.

• • • • •

Your Main Aim Style Is to add bulk to your body and to accentuate your physique and bodyshape • horizontal striped shirts and trousers will help to add bulk to your body. • A single, large horizontal stripe across the chest area can be particularly flattering because it will make your shoulders appear broader and will make you look like you have a perfect physique. • Fitted clothes: Slim cut shirts combined with a good layering technique will serve to accentuate your physique and body shape • Straight-cut jeans

monochromatic colors (especially black), which make you look thinner than you are. Break up your look by wearing a few different colors in your outfit skintight shirts because they will accentuate your bony upper half skinny jeans

The bulky man Your Main Aim Style Is

Slimmer to medium-sized neckties will avoid overwhelming your frame. If you are very short, you might want to check out ties that are both slimmer and shorter. Heeled and square-toed shoes to look bigger and taller. Dress boots are a great option for shorter men, and there are so many great styles available nowadays that can be paired with everything from jeans to a suit. To really give yourself added height, wear your dress boots with a longer pant leg that comes to the floor to disguise the heel. Small prints, like a graphic black and white print or small checks. Keep the prints proportionate to your body. A short rise will visually elongate your legs and avoid making your crotch and bottom area look baggy and empty. (The rise in your pants is the distance between the crotch of your pants and the waistband.) Clever accessories, like a great necklace, tie or hat can keep people’s eyes on your face, making them less likely to pay attention to your stature. Of all your accessory choices, a hat (or beret) is probably best as it is a fantastic way to provide the illusion of an extra inch or two of height.

Skinny and tight fitting jeans Large ties short because they will make your body seem disproportionate Large prints because they will overwhelm

• • •

• • • • • •

shirts and trousers with vertical stripes because they stripes draw the eye downward, elongating your silhouette and visually slimming it. V-neck T-shirts, long-sleeve tops and sweaters : This type of collar draws the eye down with the effect of creating a sleeker silhouette. In addition, a V-neck will give you the illusion of having a longer neck, particularly if you have a short neck or a double chin. Pinstripe suits are the perfect dress-up clothes for you Pinstripe dress shirts mixed with dark jeans or black trousers Clothes that are neither tight nor baggy, meaning that all your clothes should just skim your body without hugging it too closely (men believe baggy clothing will hide bulges. Not so. Overly large clothes will only make you look bigger) Go monochromatic : A shirt and trousers in two extremely contrasting colors -- like black and white -- will break you in half and make a large middle stand out. Choose tops and bottoms that are identical or similar in color

http://www.style-makeover-hq.com/rectangle-body-shape.html

http://www.thechicfashionista.com/rectangle-body-shape.html http://www.greatestlook.com/advice/bodyshapes.htm

WHAT TO WEAR ?

to elongate and visually slim your body

WHAT TO WEAR ?

• • •

AVOID

WHAT TO WEAR ?

If you are a tall and thin man

If you are a short man Your Main Aim Style Is

AVOID

Lifestyle

As a result of having fewer curves, male bodies may vary less in form than women’s bodies, but nevertheless, variation does exist and knowing how to dress for your body type as well as which styles to avoid is the key to honing your personal style. So to learn about how to dress for your body type, to find the clothes that are most flattering for you, and for the most common body-type faux pas men make (and how to avoid them), read on.

WHAT TO WEAR ?

MEN

•

to create a cleaner visual impression and to look 10 pounds slimmer instantly. And, of course, choose all black for the most slimming effect, but add some colored accessories to avoid looking like you have a funeral to attend. A belt will nip in your waistline and make it appear slimmer. Just be sure not to make it so tight that you have a belly overhang.

• • •

Horizontal and diagonal stripes Turtleneck T-shirts or dress shirts with large or busy prints : These kinds of prints will draw attention to the upper half of your body, which is especially bad if you have a large belly. Obviously, printed shirts add flair to a wardrobe, vso you shouldn’t swear them off entirely. You’ll look best in a shirt with a small print that is spaced quite far apart.

http://www.askmen.com/fashion/fashiontip_300/308c_fashion_advice.html http://ezinearticles.com/?Dress-Right-For-Your-Body-Type&id=715367

Food For Thought p.46 HEALTH AND NUTRITION : Staying away from fad diet and magical pills p.50 SPORTS AND ATHLETICS : Lebanese Inter-Universities Taekwondo championship p.52 SEXUAL EDUCATION : Who’s in charge? p.56 PSYCHOLOGICAL AWARENESS: Politics of fear

Health and Nutrition

Staying away from

Fad Diets and magical Pills!!!! by Dominique Dano, nutritionist, info@dominiquedano.com, 03/661046

With all the focus of weight in our society, it isn’t surprising that many people fall prey to fad diets and bogus weight loss products. called “experts” can Conflicting claims, testimonials, and hype by so mers. consu sed confuse even the most confu

The bottom line is simple: if a product sounds be true, it probably is.

too good to

No super foods will alter There are no foods or pills that magically burn fat. fat while you’re melt ly your genetic code. No products will miraculous and herbal products ts emen suppl in ients watching TV or sleep. Some ingred le. can be dangerous and even deadly for some peop no single-food or away, fat melt help to d toute Often are… The facts These diets don’t that. do to ability l single food group diet has the specia e adequate provid don’t They y. variet lack they ns; work for several reaso needs for body the nts amounts of all nutrients and protective phytonutrie quantities ited unlim With its. off-lim health, especially when some foods are foods the ating overe of risk the runs you, , of “magical foods”, the dieter calorie intakelower nd loss-a t weigh Any plan. diet lled so-ca featured on the , not to any single food comes from eliminating entire groups of other foods or food group.

Carbohydrates are often falsely accused as the culprits of weight gain. In fact, these diet plans aren’ t new. They’ve been around with different names for years . The facts are…Simply because these diets are lower in calories; they may promote loss-if you stick with them. Here’s what happens: by consuming fewe r carbs, you body burns stored carbohydrates and relea se waters water, thus water weight. If your carb intak e is very low, your body also burns some fat, creating what we call ketone bodies, which suppress appetite. If your total calorie intake (from any energy nutrients) is low enough, you lose weight and muscle tissue. A high-protein diet doesn’t build muscle and burn fats as some people think. Only regular physical activity and training build muscle strength and burn calor ies stored in body fat. Because these weight lost plans are comm on today, research is under way looking at low to moderate diets for weight loss. They may be appropria te for some people, perhaps those with insulin resist ance and it’s up to the dietitian and the physician to decid e on such diet.

For most people, a low carbohydrate, high protein eating approach for weight loss raises concerns: promote rapid weight loss at first. Their * These diets do diuretic effect promotes loss of water weight, not body fat, however. The psychological lift offers a false sense of success that’s quickly gone when water weight returns. ed, a high protein, * Depending on the food consum fat, saturated fat and

low carb diet may be high in total cholesterol. Inconsistent with sound nutrition advice, this weight loss regimen over time can increase the risk for heart disease and perhaps some forms of cancer foods is often low * A diet that restricts many starchy ation and other

in fiber. The possible result? Constip gastrointestinal disorders. A low fiber diet isn’t consistent with guidelines for health. sed blood ketones * A condition called “Ketosis” (increaresult with

from incomplete fat breakdown) can these regimens. Ketosis suppresses hunger and thus contributes to lower calorie intake. Some popular diets claim that ketosis hastens weight loss. In truth, muscle also breaks down due to a lack of carbohydrate for energy. In addition, ketosis can cause weakness, nausea, dehydration, light headedness, and irritability. It can be fatal to people with diabetes, and during pregnancy may cause birth defects or fetal death.

Very low calorie liquid diets

Fasting

The flip side of the high-protein craze may be the highfiber approach to dieting. It’s true that most of us need more fiber to promote good health. Depending on your age and gender, 25 to 38 grams of fibers a day are advised for adults. Too much-perhaps resulting from fiber supplements-may be too much of a good thing!!!! The facts are…. As a food component, fiber isn’t absorbed, so it doesn’t contribute to calories. That’s why high-fiber foods such as whole grains, vegetables, legumes and fruits-usually lower in calories-are included in weight loss diets. These diets are quite filling so you might eat less overall. Very high fiber diets may come up short on protein foods. And they can cause constipation and dehydration if extra fluids aren’t consumed. Bulk fillers, which are high in fiber, aren’t advised. They reduce hunger by first absorbing liquid, hen swelling up the stomach. These products can be harmful when they obstruct the digestive tract. Eating enough fiber-rich foods, as part of a healthful weight-loss plan is a smarter idea!

Very low calorie liquid diets have been developed for short term use under a doctor’s supervision. To help some obese people, they may aid short-term weight lossif there’s also a commitment to new eating and active living habits. Used as a liquid diet without other foods, they’re very low in calories providing just 400 to 800 calories a day. These formulas were changed after deaths were attributed to their use. Newer formulas have more vitamins, minerals, and high-quality proteins. The facts are…. Without medical supervision and nutrition education, liquid diets don’t teach new ways of eating. Since people usually don’t stay with them, there’s usually no long-term weight loss. They also may result in fatigue, constipation, nausea, diarrhea, or hair loss. For people with some health problems, such as insulin dependent diabetes or kidney disease, a very low calorie liquid diet can be harmful.

As a tactic, does fasting jump-start weight loss? The facts are…As with very low calorie diets, fasting deprives the body of energy and nutrients needed for normal functions. Any rapid weight loss is mostly water and muscle loss. Fasting also may cause fatigue and dizziness, with less energy for physical activity. And if feeds the cycle of “yo-yo” dieting. As an aside, there’s a misconception that fasting “cleans out” the system, removing toxic wastes. To the contrary, body chemicals called ketones build up in the body when carbohydrates aren’t available for energy. Ketosis puts a burden on the kidneys; as noted, ketones that accumulate can be harmful to health.

Low “carb”, high-protein diets:

High fiber, low- calorie diets

Health and Nutrition

Appetite suppressants

Appetite suppressants are agents that promote weight loss by decreasing appetite or increasing the sensation of fullness. The use of appetite suppressant medications to treat obesity in combination with physical activity and diet modification is often recommended to lose and maintain weight successfully over the long term. Several prescription medications are currently approved for the treatment of obesity. In general the effects of these medications are modest to an average initial weight loss of between 2.5kg to 11kg; though studies show that weight returns after cessation of the drugs. There is a considerable individual difference in response to these medications. The famous known appetite suppressant in Lebanon is Sibutramine (Reductil®) Serious concerns are being expressed about its safety and it has suspended from UK and EU. It is also under review by the FDA and the European medicines agency.

Only a certified Doctor has the right to prescribe an appetite suppressant, no pharmacist no dietitian is allowed to prescribe it to any patient regardless his age, gender, medical condition.

Our famous Xenical®

Orlistat (Xenical®) is a drug designed to treat obesity. Its primary function is preventing the absorption of fats from the human diet, thereby reducing calorie intake. It is intended for use in conjunction with a physician supervised reduced calorie diet. The effectiveness of orlistat in promoting weight loss is definite, though modest. Clinical trials suggest that people given orlistat and lifestyle modifications such as diet and physical activity, lose about 2-3 kilograms more than those not taking the drug over the course of the year. Orlistat is notorious for his gastrointestinal side effects which includes fecal incontinence and anal leakage. These are the only two medication approved by the FDA and as seen are also being revised for some of their lethal side effects, to draw the conclusion that it’s best to lose weight while dieting and adopting healthy lifestyle, by being physically active.

In conclusion: Steer clear of any diet plans, pills or products that make the following claims: Rapid weight loss: Slow, steady weight loss is more likely to last than dramatic weight changes. Healthy plans aim for a loss than no more than 0.5-1 kg per week. If you lose weight quickly, you’ll lose muscle water and bone. You will also be more likely to regain the pounds quickly afterwards.

Quantities and limitations: * Ditch diets that allow unlimited quantities of any foods, such as grapefruit and cabbage soup. It’s boring to eat the same thing over and over and hard to stick with monotonous plans. Avoid any diet that eliminates or severely restricts entire food groups, such as carbohydrates. Even if you take multivitamin, you’ll still miss some critical nutrients.

c food * Specifi There is no evidence that combining certain foods or times of the day will help with combination:

eating foods at specific the weight loss. Eating the wrong combination of foods doesn’t cause them to turn to fat immediately or to produce toxins in your intestines, as some plans claim.

Rigid menus: Life is complicated enough. Limiting food choices or following rigid meal plans can be overwhelming, distasteful task. With any new diet, always ask yourself: “ Can I eat this way for the rest of my life?” If the answer is no, the plan is not for you.

No need to exercise: Regular physical activity is esse ntial for good health and healthy weight management. They key to success is to find physical activities that you enjoy and then to aim for 30 to 60 minutes of activity on most days of the week.

If you want to maintain a healthy weight, build muscle and lose fat, the best path is a Lifelong combination

If the sight of certain foods puts your mind into a tailspin, you may need to readjust your approach to eating. An overly restrictive diet may “feed” a food cravingand set you up to over indulge! The jury is still out on the true cause of food cravings. It may be physiological, psychosocial, or both. We don’t know yet if food cravings are linked to a need to resupply the body with nutrients it lacks, or if cravings are reinforced by positive emotional and social links to certain foods. Studies suggest that avoiding certain foods altogether often makes them irresistible. The result? Giving in to a food craving, and perhaps overeating; then guilt creeps in , and people try to resist those foods once again, only to overindulge and feel guilty again. What’s a better approach? Eat a small portion of any food you enjoy, even if it’s higher in fat or calories. Even when you’re trying to shed pounds, you can enjoy some high-calorie foods as long as your eating plan is healthful and you eat fewer calories overall than body uses. As another option, try to satisfy your palate with a low fat, low calorie version.

of eating smarter and moving more.

Eat what you crave!!!

Sports and Athletics

Lebanese Inter-Universities

Taekwondo Championship

Notre Dame University (NDU) organized the annual inter-universities Taekwondo Championship, with the participation of 46 players (male and female) from the following universities: * * * * * * * * * *

Lebanese University Universite Saint-Joseph (USJ) Lebanese University (Tripoli) American University of Beirut (AUB) Sainte Famille Antonine University (Zgharta) Lebanese-American University (LAU) AUST Middle East University Notre Dame University (NDU)

The championship was attended by the secretary general of the Lebanese University Sports Association in addition to universitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sports officials. And the results were as follows: Black Belt: Male Below 58 Kg:

Below 80 Kg:

1. Hadi Karam (Sainte Famille) 1. Joe Chami (NDU) 2. Andre Bouchakji (USJ) 2. Dani Salame (USJ)

Below 74 Kg: 1. Jad Yachouhi (NDU) 2. Michel Saad (AUST)

Below 87 Kg: 1. Jad Mousalli (NDU) 2. Jad Hijazi (USJ)

Above 87 Kg: 1. Jean Ibrahim (LU) 2. Tony Aftim (NDU)

Below 54 Kg Marc Arakilos (USJ)

Below 63 Kg Roy Issa (AUB)

Blue Belt: Males Red Belt: Males Below 63 Kg 1. Najib Ghaziri (LAU) 2. Chadi Hanna (LU)

Below 68 Kg 1. Najib Ghaziri (LAU) 2. Chadi Hanna (LU)

Red Belt: Females Below 57 Kg 1. Najib Ghaziri (LAU) 2. Chadi Hanna (LU)

Below 63 Kg 1. Jad Arabi (NDU) 2. Rateb el-Hajj (LAU)

Below 68 Kg 1. Mohamed Safieddine (LAU) 2. Juneid Salha (NDU)

Below 74 Kg 1. Gaby Tarabay (NDU) 2. Michel Baaklini (MEU) 3. Mohamad Khatib (LAU)

Below 80 Kg 1. Ayman Safa (LAU) 2. Toni Botros (NDU) 3. Ziad Haidar (LAU) & Eddy Deeb (AUST)

Below 87 Kg 1. Yazan Abdel Aad (LAU) 2. Chadi Asmar (LAU Byblos)

Below 54 Kg Khaled Yammout (NDU)

Below 58 Kg Patrick Khoury (NDU)

Blue Belt: Females Below 51 Kg.: 1. Victoria Keserwani (LAU) 2. Marie-Therese Rizk (LU)

Below 68 Kg 1. Mohamed Safieddine (LAU) 2. Juneid Salha (NDU)

The Championship was supervised by the committee of martial arts in the Lebanese University Sports Association and by the head of the referees committee in the Lebanese Taekwondo Association, international referee Joseph Khoury assisted by: International referee Ms. Julie Dib and referees: Carla Baaini, Ghassan Abou Arraj, Michel Majdalani and Said Diab. Finally the cups and medals were distributed to all winners.

Final Ranking of Universities

1. NDU: 71 points 2. LAU: 66 points 3. AUST

Sexual Education

Sex out Loud minds of their own…

Who’s in charge? Samer Abi Chaker, MD, MPH

This As she falls back… she awaits the moment of impact… she as ards backw time however, she is not afraid of falling her knows that this time he holds her well in his arms… As ally eventu till slowly es bounc neck her e, surfac the back meets linen. bed soggy her whole body sinks deep in the soft and about Every aspect of the room seems receptive for what is be the to seems what over turn and twist they to happen. As the bare on hand the of stroke a , about care they n locatio only s… setting other in enced back elicits a sensation rarely experi

As one hand inches its way down the neck and slowly over the back spines, goose bumps spring up all over in anticipation of the much wanted stroll over lower part. Bare skinned and exposed a strike of the fingers sends a reverberating chill down the neck up to the tips of the toes. Kisses now have an ecstatic taste and the sound of lips smacking is all so melodious… They never want this moment to end... Gradually, the pattern of touching and kissing transforms, with each grip growing more firm, and kisses strolling to previously uncharted territory. The chain of events seems to lead to one thing, they’ve been waiting for this for quite a while… He now slides his protective gear (not much of a gear, just a condom :P) and you could sense the rising anticipation in the air, heartbeats are racing, breathing is getting faster, pupils are growing wider, and a faint smile draws itself on both faces. It is about to happen for the first time… Though the moments seem so serene and quiet, their minds are racing. Questions, thoughts, scenarios, and desires are roaming around in their heads!

“I hope I last all along… I hope he/she will like it… Does he/she still think I am sexy? Does he like my breasts? Does she think of mine as big enough?”

And definitely there are the “habitués” who would be thinking something like: “I am gonna rock his/her world tonight!!! She/he’s in for one hell of a ride (literally)!!!” Little do they know, they might be in for an unpleasant surprise!

routine activity; it is almost Rarely does sex present itself as a tion, excitement, and an invariably associated a lot of anticipa e you do it the better mor air of mystery! And even though the ys have full control alwa ’t don you you get at it (just like sports) ple while skiing, when on the main “acting agents”. For exam and right side, they left the you command your legs to go to dear sexual organs, our to es com do so invariably! But when it still no known guy capable of this rule does not apply. There is or even “Down!!! Couché!!!” ordering his penis: “Up boy, Up!” ly handy! Especially in those (This however, could come in real where a man can be easily awkward situations on the beach, spotted with an erection!)

In the act of sex things differ quite much, you could say that you’re quite “exposed”. And it’s hard to hide what is going on with you, and even though you plan on giving it your best shot you’re not always in full control! Some situations may lead to significant embarrassment during sex such as a guy losing his erection (even though there was no ejaculation), and a girl having trouble reaching her orgasm! Those instances tend to put you and/or your partner in a tough spot, and may ruin the whole night. So if you have further plans, you’re chances could grow slim if you are unfamiliar with such situations! What if I told you that these issues are not just common, but rather UNIVERSAL among couples?! And also, there are tricks to solve them! Almost every man will experience some erectile problems, and at any point of his life. I am not talking here about the problems that arise in the later years, but rather the ones that occur in the so-called “prime” years of youth. It is important to note that the erectile dysfunction that I am referring to is one that occurs occasionally. In case it occurs almost every time you want to have sex, it would be wiser to attend to your family physician. Your problem may be organic and could be solved very easily! :)

ng Not to miss out on our girls; a very common problem is achievi unable are they when ed the orgasm. Many women feel frustrat to achieve the orgasm, let alone the frustration the men experience when they are unable to “give” a woman an orgasm (by the way there is no such thing as “giving” a woman an s orgasm… more on that below!). Though there are many reason d planne a ruin and above, ios scenar those to lead that could n night of “amazing sex”! I will only focus on the most commo

causes.

Sexual Education

Safe sex tips:

It is quite common for a person, who has a sexually transmitted disease, to not exhibit any external physical sign or symptom of disease. Take for example Chlamydia, this infection is very likely to be asymptomatic in males! Therefore at all times use a condom in sexual intercourse. Condoms should be Latex, within expiry deadlines, Electronically Tested (E.T. written on the box), and should never be used with oil based lubricants (such as Vaseline).

Common Misconceptions/Myths:

Withdrawing the penis before ejaculation is common practice to avoid pregnancy especially in Lebanon. This method is NOT effective. Pre-cum which is a fluid secreted way before ejaculation often contains sperm, and therefore could lead to pregnancy! Use a condom! ucation page with the sexual ed To communicate an idea, send se po pro or ion editor, ask a quest om lity@thegate-me.c an email to sexua

Imagine that tonight is the night where you finally get to spend some time alone, in a private place with your partner. Or maybe tonight you did not expect anything to happen, but out of the blue, one thing led to another and you ended up going to a private place! You start psyching yourself up in anticipation of what is about to happen. Slowly as you plan your actions stress starts creeping in. This, very common psychological situation, is termed “performance anxiety”. It is the stress or worry that stems from a guy or girl’s will to be a good lover. This pressure may impede one’s ability to perform up to expectations. From a man’s perspective, performance anxiety is the most common cause of losing an erection or having premature ejaculation. Sometimes when you’re just in the middle of sex, and even though you have not had your own orgasm and ejaculation, your penis goes soft. As a first response, you tend to ignore this and move on hopefully it will harden again. But what if this does not happen? Your partner notices the softness, and you may get the occasional sentence “am I not sexy enough for you?” Here your second response would typically be “No!” and you pitch in an explanation that just popped into your mind. Deep down you do not know what is happening, and you get even more stressed!!! So what to do?! Again, this is pretty common! Do not worry, when this happens, just stop vaginal sex, and try moving to something else… Common belief describes sex as being solely the act of penetration, whereas it is not! Sex begins from the moment you get naked, till the moment both parties decide to stop. You could domany things in sex to please your partner and yourself! Switching to oral sex ( a 69 for example), or going back to kissing your partner’s body, or even maybe stroking each other sex organs by hand, is a very good method for restoring your erection! In other times however, erectile problems may arise due to inexperience. By that I mean that: you still do not know how to move your body against your partner’s in

a way to keep yourself sexually aroused. This action is pretty much unique for each individual and you need time to learn what is best for you. You’re not the first person to experience this and I am going to be straight honest with you, there is no instant magical formula that you can do, it is a gradual learning process for you... Now for a woman, sex can be really frustrating if you could not achieve an orgasm. Luckily, the same performance anxiety can lead to the inability of achieving an orgasm, or even penetration! Stress could cause vaginissmus (contraction of the pelvic muscles making it difficult for the man to introduce his penis) or may lead to a dry vagina, and therefore painful sex. And to get rid of the stress the tips here are the same as the ones with guys! Just start doing other sexually arousing activities, and before you know it, you’re back in business!!! Still on the same note, it is pretty common in our society to think that “he” should be the one giving you an orgasm. So you, as a girl, may tend to pick out the guys you think have the most experience or maybe hold the best “package”! You couldn’t be more mistaken! There is no such thing as “giving” you an orgasm! In sex you are as much of a participant as he is, and just like he learns to do the moves that would keep him aroused all along, you should learn the moves that would lead you to have an orgasm! A recent study published in England, wanted to explore the issue of the G-Spot, and researchers came to the conclusion that the G-spot is more of a myth than a reality! Even though there are skeptics of the study, one thing is for sure, less than one-third of women reported being able to achieve orgasms solely by penetrative sex! Why is that??? Mainly because the most sexually sensitive part of a woman does not lie in the vaginal wall, but in the clitoris or the “clit”! Even within the vagina the most sensitive part lies in the beginning two-thirds, whereas the deeper onethird of the vagina has far less receptors.

Therefore a penis that goes deeper in the vagina is NOT more likely to induce an orgasm! (Here’s a bummer for guys who advertise a big package!) So the trick in sex is to find positions where the clit is well stimulated! Usually the classical sex position (guy on top, women on the bottom) leads to little stimulation of the clit. On the other hand, when the woman is on top, there is much more chances to achieve the orgasm since the clitoris is in constant contact with the guy’s pelvic bones! Even the doggie style may present as a better stimulator. The position allows you to have one hand free, and therefore it can be used to stimulate the clitoris! So next time, spice up the positions you use in sex!

Believe it or not, but having sex with someone you know well and for a long time is your best guarantee to have the sex you aspire for. Don’t be afraid of discussing your preferences with the person close to you. After all, it is a partner with whom you’re sharing your most intimate! As you talk through your preferences, you will learn what you partner likes or dislikes and conversely your partner will learn what you like or dislike. The picture of the guy in the porn movie with the girl screaming of pleasure does not exist in real life! This is the magic of editing and acting! Sex is not meant to be that way, and it shouldn’t be. And if I was asked to tell you what is the best recipe for good sex? It’s simple… Love… A relationship or “Friends with benefit” would definitely lead to better sex than a one night stand. All in all the more you know the person you are having sex with, and the closer you two are, the better sex will be!

ject quite I know I discussed this sub not because I is t tha and , crudely with you well advertised see sex as a sport (an image ). I did it dia me by western commercial with you est hon as be to because I prefer a moral, is re the ry sto ry eve to as I can. But h is: wit you ve and the moral I want to lea l fee you ess unl , sex Do not engage in rable asu ple a ly nite defi is Sex ready for it. in life, engaging activity, but like everything reasons, leads ng in an activity for the wro r values, You d. goo n tha to more harm and beliefs es, tud atti , rals mo s, nce prefere be the uld sho are all your own, and you in mind p kee do But m. one choosing the w. gro It is that these will change as you how you and en, up to you to know if, wh m. should change the

And remember that with each sex act comes responsibility; make sure you are up to it!

It is easy to fall into the illusion that you are “underperformant” in sex, especially if you happened to encounter a partner with which he/she was not satisfied. If sex with someone was not as good as expected, it is by no means an indication that you’re not good in bed! On the contrary, it is more likely to get you to know what is better for you, and therefore will increase the chances of you enjoying the next time!

Psychological awareness

Politics of Fear Sawsan Razzouk, Psychology

“People react to fear, not love—they don’t teach that in Sunday school, but it’s true.” Richard Nixon

Being the youngest in my family, I am at a point in my life where most of my relatives are now raising children. As I watch from a distance, I learn that one of the most common ways of keeping your child unharmed (and alive) is to scare them a little bit. Let’s be honest: when a toddler is running with scissors or attempting to play with Clorox, for example, telling them flatly (as if you’re reading today’s facts from a newspaper) how “someone might get hurt” he or she will not understand “how much hurt will be incurred” or that being injured or wounding others is in fact something extremely negative. When you show a little emotion (fear and alertness) on your face as you’re instructing them, they’re bound to, more or less, understand the value of what you’re saying to them.

Did you know:

A documentary called the Power of Nightmares comes highly recommended by anyone in the field of Social and/ or Political Psychology. It shows that especially after 9/11, fear has been used widely in the media to manipulate the public into giving up civil liberties and turning over power to elite groups with their own hidden agendas. The Power of Nightmares clearly demonstrates that the nightmare vision of a powerful, united terrorist organization waiting to strike our societies is largely an illusion. Proponents of this view support that much of the widespread fear in the post-9/11 world has been fabricated by those in power for their own interests. Although this is simply one take on the War on Terror, is precisely what Dorothy Thompson meant when she said, “Fear

grows in darkness; if you think there’s a bogeyman around, turn on the light.” But, what happens when people try to “turn on the light” and find out for themselves what is really going on around the world? Unless they read through or watch more than 20 sources, they will never get the right picture. The media manipulates what the masses should know, further supporting each of their endorsers’ opinion on the matter. People committed to the fields of marketing, advertisement, politics and so on, should remember something extremely vital to the success of their goals: you should not scare individuals into submission or into doing something. They might get too scared and simply close-off, shut down, and become irresponsive and so forth. And if you insist on resorting to the fear tactics, make sure to provide them with a way out—a solution or a way of dealing with the issue—instead of leaving them feeling helpless. And, hopefully, the solution itself will not create another problematic situation, such as shunning an entire population and dubbing them as being “terrorists” or what have you.

Joke:

I am starting to disagree with those famous sayings and idioms, “What you don’t know cannot hurt you” or “Ignorance is bliss”. It is foolish to continue living in fear of the unknown and blindly following what information you’re being fed; if you don’t explore it and scrutinize it yourself, how do you know it is really that frightening?

To communica te with the ps ychology page propose an id editor, ask a qu ea, send an em estion or ail to psycholo gy@thegate-m e.com

This is fine and dandy when dealing with day-to-day matters, but not when you’re breeding a nation filled with hate, prejudice and rage that roots mainly from fear. Terrorism was originally defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “government by intimidation.” Although this may not be how Terrorism is defined nowadays, it is however the essence of Politics of Fear. The constant use of fear to direct the masses makes the feeling of impending doom as part of “how things are”. Another interesting definition of terrorism is “the purposeful act or threat of violence to create fear and/ or compliant behavior in a victim and/ or audience of the act or threat” put together by Lopez and Stohl.

An itchy nose can actual ly indicate lying. When a person lies , tissues in the nose engorge. The nas al swelling isn’t as dramatic as Pinocchi o’s, but it does produce histamine wh ich in turn causes the nose to itch. Speaking of noses and on a completely unrelated note: a Germ an shepherd’s sense of smell is so stro ng, that if it sticks its head out of the win dow of a moving car, it is exposed to so many smells it experiences a high eq uivalent to a human on cocaine.

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Creative Juice p.60 ARTS AND TALENTS Beirut artist exhibit. p.62 CREATIVE WRITING I am obese p.64 TECHNOLOGY REVIEW p.66 Multimedia REVIEW - Movie review : Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day - Book review: The black swan

Arts and Talents

Beirut artist exhibit

reveals 30 years of inspiration Beirut-born artist and LAU graduate Henry Matthews greeted visitors into his Ras Beirut painting studio with a welcoming smile and an offer of some sweets, as people went to explore his paintings from 1977 onwards, on display from January 25–29. While most of Matthews’ works focus on his primary inspiration — women and the female nude — his work is colorful and vibrant and includes work that features scenes from the Civil War, among other

things. What inspired him to open the door to his studio to the public is the fact that some planned exhibitions with local galleries fell through. “I had talked to several galleries and all seemed interested and everyone gave dates — but they changed their minds or cancelled for different reasons later,” he explained. So Matthews decided to take the matter into his own hands and opened his studio. The works on exhibit reveal Matthews’ love of the female form. He admits that while women are his most profound inspiration, other factors have influenced his relationship with painting over his life, both positively and negatively, such as the Lebanese Civil War. “The Civil War changed my mood completely. When the mood was gone I felt I didn’t want to touch a brush anymore. But

something kept tugging at my heart and I got this studio.” “People sometimes ask me, ‘Why don’t you paint nature or Lebanese houses?’ But I follow my heart, which is all about women. They are at the center of everything I have done.” A fine arts graduate (1981) from the Beirut University College (now LAU), Matthews has painted in this studio in Ras Beirut, near AUB, where he works as a writer and editor in the Office of Communications, since 2003. However, his path into art began as a child when he started producing comic strips — most of which he still has in his personal archive. In fact, his love of comics and his native Lebanon is currently being merged into his grand current project — the first-ever encyclopedia of Lebanese comic books, being produced in cooperation with the Lebanese Ministry of Culture. And it is something that he says he’s putting his entire heart into. Such a book would be a fantastic push into the spotlight of Lebanon’s largely alternative, yet long-running culture of comic books, which is little known outside certain art circles.

60 58

Henry Matthews welcomes members of the public who are interested to view his works at his studio on Makhoul Street, Ras Beirut. He can be reached at 03/754425.

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I am

Obese

62 Creative Writing

I was asked to stand before you today and share my experience with you. Being obese made life miserable, almost unbearable. On the psychological perspective, I was always depressed. I was never happy, and a smile was scarcely seen on my face. I was destroying myself. I used to stare into the mirror and repeat the words to myself: you are ugly, you are unworthy of life. I reached the bottom of the ocean. That’s how bad I felt. Not having friends didn’t make it any easier. People, students, my classmates, they all didn’t want to be seen with me. It was social suicide for them. At the time I understood. If I had been in their shoes I wouldn’t want to speak to ‘her’. Life seemed as if hope had forsaken it, until that day. On that day, an angel was sent to lend me a hand. It had been four years of misery, but it was over. I was walking home that

one afternoon when suddenly life seemed prettier. A new kid offered to walk me home. And ever since that day, that moment of kindness, my life was changed. That new kid is now my husband. We would go running together everyday after school. We would walk for hours. The point of this is to show you that it’s always good to lend a hand. Who knows how your life might change. On the physical perspective, oh boy, that was trouble. I couldn’t walk for a long time. I couldn’t go up and down stairs. I was always the last to finish in every game race or activity. I was failing gym class. My health was deteriorating. I would have to check in the hospital every weekend to make sure my heart wasn’t failing. The doctor used to say, “You, my dear, are a time bomb”. I didn’t know when I was not going to wake up. I was physically challenged. At one point I had to have someone get me out of bed, walk me to the bathroom, , and dress me. I was alive on the outside but on the inside I was dead. I came from an athletic family, so being physically challenged destroyed my dad. He loved me, but he wanted me to be like him. Thanks to his undying support and my husband’s kind hand, I pulled together and here I am. Life isn’t always what it seems. You shouldn’t give up too soon. I was obese. I had social, psychological, and physical challenges. Exercise and a balanced diet gave me back my life. You need care and support in your life to overcome these challenges. So, if you have a friend in need of your help don’t miss that chance to lend a helping hand.

This is harder than it seems. It is my twenty–fifth birthday and it seems that I have lived for ages on this earth. I was twelve years old when my world came crashing down in flames. I was Obese. I was the social outcast of the class. I had no friends. My life consisted of two main events: going to school, and going home. My life was miserable. My own family finally gave up on me. They would rarely take me out with them. My mom was the model and my dad was the athlete of the year. I was the disappointment of the family. I couldn’t bear hurting my family any more. I cried myself to sleep every night, wishing I would never wake up. I was at the top of my class but that didn’t help improve my social rank. And now after thirteen years, it seems as if that wasn’t me. I am an athlete, or something close to it. I run every morning around the park. I am married and have two kids. I’m as fit as they get.

by Lily Hamouche

Technology Review

TECHNOLOGY REVIEW HP Touch Smar t 600

Quad Series AIO PCs – Inte l Core i7 Processors HP TouchSmart 600 Quad AllIn-One PC series are powered by Inte l Core i7 processors. There are Core i7-720QM 1.6 GHz or Core i7-820QM 1.73GHz. On graphics side it has 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT230M supported by 23-inch Full HD multitouch display and runs Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit operating system. For memory capacities it offe rs up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM. The HP TouchSmart 600 Quad All-In-One PCs hav e a built-in webcam, 6-in-1 memory car d reader and 1.5TB hard drive and a slot-loading DVD drive.

App le I-p ad

Finally, Apple begin officially come out already in the work , Apple ‘latest creation’, as foresee keep that it is Tablet from Apple, which, the name of call that “iPad” by who come out advise be Steve Jobs The first time at see the figure of iPad, everybody will almost speak alike that, it is “Big iPod Touch” already iPad can do? There is good? Begin with interface, which certainly that all interface still the prominent point of Apple and have the high-resolution 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS display. This makes it perfect for web browsing, watching movies or viewing photos. Besides , display still be design like the multi-touch screen on iPad is based on the same revolutionary technology on iPhone and it might make you feels since for the first time that about iPad is how thin and light it is. Which, it’s slightly smaller than a magazine. At just 1.5 pounds and 0.5 inch thin The performance of iPad come from CPU Apple A4 1 GHz, so power efficient that it helps get up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge. The iPad takes advantage of the fastest Wi-Fi networks. by built-in 802.11n and can connect with Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and 3G speeds up to 7.2 Mbps. For iPad is available with a choice of 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of flash storage

Sams ung BD-C6 900

3D Blu-ray Player Samsung BD-C6900 a lot on 3D HDTV You must have read ar. But the first ye t las or 3D TVs since manufactured 3D blu-ray player is blu-ray player is by Samsung. The 3D 0. named BD-C690 having 3D HDTV No more excuse of to enjoy 3D bluwithout any chance breakthrough the ray movies. Here is ems like Samsung again from Korea. Se to buy 3D HDTV is encouraging users n of digital sio to enjoy new dimen entertainment.

No kia E72 :

How bad are the news for BlackBerry? wide varieties of software applications. However, when it comes to cost, E72 gives the better advantag es.

Price and operation costs If you find it expensive to add $36 per month to your phone bill to make use of the services highlighted above with BlackBerry (unless you’re just carrying the device to follow the trend!), Nokia E72 revolutionized the market with a surprise $10-cost only! And if the almost $700 cost of BlackBerry made of it only an item of business luxury, which not everyone could afford, Nokia E72 is available in the market for around $465. So along with a $10 operational cost, Nokia E72 made it possible for a wider range of customers to benefit from the extra services. Battery If you are someone who needs a BlackBerry or a Nokia E72, you’re most probably someone who spends a lot of time away from available battery chargers. So battery lifetime is essential for such devices, just as much as it is for laptops nowadays for example. Nokia E72’s battery lasts for 12 hours of use. In contrast, that number drops to 5 hours for others. Stand-by times are both around 500 hours so needless to compare. Screen and camera resolutions Nokia E72 wins the battle of picture quality, whether it comes to screen or camera resolutions. The latter is of 5 Megapixels for E72, and only 3.15 for BlackBerry. As for the screen, Nokia equipped its E72 with 16m colors, in clear advantage vis-à-vis the 65k colors of BlackBerry. Communication features While most communication platforms are similar in essence, E72 yet has an advantage when it comes to EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution) and GPRS systems, which are of 32 class for Nokia and of 10 class for BlackBerry. Applications The latest trends in mobile phone markets say that the major attraction towards mobile devices resides in the available extra applications. Those are mainly what pushed iPhone further towards better success. Both BlackBerry and Nokia E72 offer

Additional features for Nokia E72 Nokia didn’t only provide improved qual ity of similar services, but also additional services that are not available on BlackBerry phones, such as a radio, capacity to make video calls, free chat through MSN, ovi, yahoo and GTalk and finally the push-to-talk technology. Furthermore, you can download the Nimbuzz application from the Ovi Store and chat and email with all your friends using one application. More importantly, you can have Push Email on your E72 device for up to 10 different email accounts , both business and personal (outlook, hotmail, gmail, yaho o, etc…), all that free-ofcharge. If customers want to keep their mail flow instantaneous and permanent, all they have to do is subscribe to the GPRS service for $10 only (recommended data package) or just simply connect to any available wifi connectio n (which also allows web surfing and application downloads and more…). Good news… only not for Lebanon! Unfortunately, video calls and push-to-t alk technologies are not yet available for users in Lebanon. But if you’re a frequent traveler, those advantages would mak e more sense to you. Opening and future Now as we end this overview on the main essential technological features in both Nokia E72 and BlackBerry, we find clear advantage for the former over the latter. This is natural in technological market evolution. Nokia however succeeded in imposing itself as top competitor in the field. This will definitely push BlackBerry to react and provide better services and technologies for more competitive price s. And that will maybe open the gates for other service prov iders to join the club as well and compete with both. The futur e seems very promising and we’ll have to keep a close eye on new products to make the better choice that suits our need s.

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Movie Review

Valentine’s Day An all-star ensemble cast comes together in “Valentine’s Day,” following the intertwining storylines of a group of Los Angelinos as they find their way through romance over the course of one Valentine’s Day. Directed by veteran filmmaker Garry Marshall, the film stars Jessica Alba (“Fantastic Four”), Academy Award® winner Kathy Bates (“Misery”), Jessica Biel (“I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry”), Bradley Cooper (“The Hangover”), Eric Dane (TV’s “Grey’s Anatomy”), Patrick Dempsey (“Enchanted”), Hector Elizondo (the “Princess Diaries” films), Academy Award® winner Jamie Foxx (“Ray”), Jennifer Garner (“Juno”), Topher Grace (“SpiderMan 3”), Academy Award® nominee Anne Hathaway (“Rachel Getting Married”), Ashton Kutcher (“What Happens in Vegas”), Academy Award® nominee Queen Latifah (“Chicago”), Taylor Lautner (“The Twilight Saga: New Moon”), George Lopez (“Beverly Hills Chihuahua”), Academy Award® winner Shirley MacLaine (“Terms of Endearment”), Emma Roberts (“Hotel for Dogs”), Academy Award® winner Julia Roberts (“Erin Brockovich”) and award-winning singer-songwriter Taylor Swift.

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Marshall directed “Valentine’s Day” from a screenplay by Katherine Fugate, story by Fugate and Abby Kohn & Marc Silverstein. The film is being produced by Mike Karz and Wayne Rice, with Toby Emmerich, Samuel J. Brown, Michael Disco and Diana Pokorny serving as executive producers. The behind-the-scenes team includes: director of photography Charles Minsky (“The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement”); Academy Award®-nominated production designer Albert Brenner (“Pretty Woman”); editor Bruce Green (“Ghosts of Girlfriends Past”); Oscar®-nominated costume designer Gary Jones (“The Talented Mr. Ripley,” the “Princess Diaries” films); and Academy Award®-nominated composer John Debney (“The Passion of the Christ”). New Line Cinema presents, a Wayne Rice/Karz Entertainment Production, a Garry Marshall Film, “Valentine’s Day,” to be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

www.valentinesdaymovie.co.uk

Book Review

BOOK REVIEW

e Impact of h T : n a w S k c la B e h T AUTH OR’S BRIE F: Highly ImprobbyabNalessim Nicholas Taleb e h t on in 1960. A best-

Born in Leban selling literary essayist, university professor in risk engineering, scholar, epistemologist, trader and finance specialist.

C R IT IQ U E Nassim Taleb focuses on the most dismal of sciences, predicting the future. Forecasting is something each of us does every time we make an insurance payment or strap on a seat belt. The problem, Nassim explains, is that we place too much weight on the odds that past events will repeat. Instead, the really important events are rare and unpredictable. He calls them Black Swans, which is a reference to a 17th century philosophical thought experiment. In Europe all anyone had ever seen were white swans; indeed, “all swans are white” had long been used as the standard example of a scientific truth. So what was the chance of seeing a black one? Impossible to calculate, or at least they were until 1697. Nassim argues that most of the really big events in our world are rare and unpredictable, and thus trying to extract generalizable stories to explain them may be emotionally satisfying, but it’s practically useless. September 11th is one such example, and stock market crashes are another. Or, as he puts it, “History does not crawl, it jumps.” Our assumptions grow out of the bellcurve predictability of what he calls “Mediocristan,” while our world is really shaped by the wild powerlaw swings of “Extremistan.”

TH E BO OK The book (366 pages) was issued in April 2007, ranked among the top book bestsellers on amazon.com, and was translated into thirty languages. The movie, also named ‘The Secret’ sold for 2 million DVD copies. Taleb examines the influence of highly

Theme: Philosoph y Pros: Good info rm enlightnin ation, g, new perspecti ve… Cons: Long, pre tentious, uneven quality… Recomme nd All readers ed for: mainly inte in buildin rested g new pe rspectives in life. The book cou ld also be helpful fo r business men and policy ma kers. Book Rati

ng:

improbable and unpredictable events that have massive impact. The Black Swan is a book that may change the way you think about the world, a book that Chris Anderson calls “a delightful romp through history, economics, and the frailties of human nature.”

Leb-IN-and-ON p.70 NIGHTLIFE New Year’s Eve in lebanon p.74 PRESS RELEASES p.79 GAMES p.80 HOROSCOPE February horoscopes

Nightlife

New Year’s Eve in Lebanon

As hot as ever!

In Lebanon this year, New Year’s Eve was just as hot, dynamic, lively and “on fire” (as Lebanese commonly say) as ever, after some period of stability and thousands of expats and tourists joining the thousands of celebrating locals pretty much everywhere and in every region of Lebanon! From north to south, parties were everywhere, notably in Beirut (Gemayze, Monnot, Hamra, Downtown, etc…), Batroun, Faraya and more…

Trends in Lebanon show that the hottest party spots are mainly in hotels, restaurants, night clubs, pubs, coffee shops, and also in chalets in mountainous regions, in public and private big concerts, and finally at home with family gatherings over generous dinners and never excluding any of the celebration’s funny accessories (cotillion). Party prices in Lebanon on New Year’s Eve are known to be among the highest in the world, ranging from around 100$ per person for an average night at a pub or restaurant, going up to between 200$ and 300$ for a party with some better conditions and richer party programs and jumping to up to 1000$ and 2000$ for high-class hotel parties and concerts. What marked this year is that high prices shifted groups’ tendencies to organize their own private parties,

either in rented chalets or by complete reservation of pubs and nightclubs. In the latter case, it was a good way to make money while having a custom-made entertaining party. This however didn’t affect the level of over-crowdedness witnessed in all party spots all over Lebanon, despite the dissatisfaction of some groups that expected better programs, better music, better atmospheres and better food for dinner. But everyone’s just happy and as the night ends, nobody remembers anything but the fun. And as countdowns reached point zero, fireworks filled Lebanon’s skies, especially in Downtown Beirut where thousands of people from Lebanon and all around the world gathered to celebrate! And finally, a selection of photos from all around Lebanon, courtesy of BeirutNightLife.com…

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Cave

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Splonge

Scenario

Cellar

Nightlife

Circles

Coobar

Downtown

Edde Sands

72 Tycoon

I-bar

Las Vegas

Le Noir

G-Gemmayze

Mzaar

Taboo

Gemmayze

Press Releases

Cello: A Unique Gastronomic Experience in Hamra Beirut, November 26th, 2009 After losing its flame for many years, the Hamra area is once again rising up to regain its famous reputation as one of the most popular areas in Beirut. A concept like no other, Cello stands unique on two fronts: 1) its inspiring architecture and design, and 2) its exceptional diverse menu and succulent cuisine. The restaurant is a marriage between past and present. Taking up the first two floors of an old Beiruti house, Cello uses contemporary design to achieve this wonderful blend of old and new while maintaining the original architectural integrity of the home. The result is a chic “Manhattan lounge” décor infused with Middle Eastern architectural design elements that together create the perfect mood for the “worldly” Beiruti who loves his heritage. Cello’s interior is divided into five different sections, each conveying a different atmosphere and mood but blended with harmony and flowing seamlessly together. When approaching the restaurant from the street, one first encounters the sidewalk seating section, which includes tables both outside as well as inside the restaurant with a full view of Jeanne d’Arc Street through large French doors, that are opening up in pleasant weather. Up a couple of steps to the main restaurant area is a slightly more formal dining room with chic design elements, such as fascinating large moon-shaped lamps overhead, appropriately giving the area its name: The Moon Room. Straight ahead in the back of the restaurant is a beautiful bar with a magnificent floor-to-ceiling mirror, a characteristic landmark visible from the sidewalk featuring Cello’s defining emblem. The bar makes up the third section. To the right of the bar is “The Secret Garden,” a cozy, more secluded area containing sofas and arm chairs, in addition

to tables, that offer more privacy for small groups and couples. Exploring further, the adventurous guest will eventually find his way up the stairs and across the “cat walk”, suspended in the air above the Moon Room, leading to the Garden Terrace. A wonderfully romantic outdoor seating area surrounded by trees and flowers and overlooking the street below, it is sure to be popular among those looking for an open air space to enjoy their meal or coffee. Inspiring design aside, Cello’s greatest contribution to the Beirut restaurant scene is its specially “engineered” menu. Cello’s shareholder, Mr. Saadi Hamady, explains that every section in the menu has a specialty… “In fact, each section has more than one specialty - everything on the menu is exclusive.” Thinking outside the box, Cello took the gastronomic route of “continental fusion”, a term typically used to describe innovative combinations of Asian and French cuisines which achieve balance between the salt and the sweet. Cello takes fusion to a new level, customizing it to the taste buds of Lebanese. Hamady explains: “abroad, they cater more to the sweet side. Now in Lebanon, just to cater to the national taste, we leaned a bit towards the sweet but went there very mildly, keeping a tight balance between the sweet and the salt. We also wanted to prove that with affordable prices, guests could enjoy a premium hospitality experience and a superb meal, while relaxing in a warm, friendly beautifully designed environment that inspires the soul. We wanted to offer a venue that not only appeals to business people and high-end discerning diners but also to the students and the community around us, making it affordable to everyone.” Cello has proven that a restaurant can serve exceptionally tasty food at a reasonable price and in a lovely ambiance. A new design and a fantastic menu, Cello will not only titillate your taste buds, but it will sway you through a wonderful gastronomic experience hardly to be ever forgotten! Kudos Cello!

Cisco and Amideast announce $800,000 Internship program for 27 Lebanese Graduates in the United States and Lebanon Beirut January 14th, 2010: On Thursday January 14th, 2010, Cisco and Amideast held an Internship Job Fair at the Pavillon Royal in BIEL in order to hand pick 27 local university graduates for a 6-month Internship at the Cisco headquarters in San Jose, California and an 11-month Internship at the Cisco Headquarters in Beirut. This batch is the fifth and last group of interns, bringing the total number to 100. Cisco has allocated $800,000 for this group, which in part, will cover travel, accommodation and monthly stipend for the interns.

Cisco believes that companies in today’s global economy are not only accountable for the quality of their products and the profitability of their businesses, but also have an obligation to fulfill social and environmental commitments as well. Corporate and social responsibility is a key component to Cisco’s culture and Cisco’s products promote collaboration and communication of information that is used not only to power businesses, but to modernize governments, support education, and foster economic development.

Various stations were set-up for applicants to obtain more information on the job positions in Network and Telecom Engineering, Hardware and Software Engineering, Education, Social Networking, Business Strategy, Sales/Marketing, and Human Resources. The recruitment campaign began on January 1st, 2010 where applicants will have until the February 15th deadline to submit their applications. The application, recruitment and selection process will be handled by Amideast. Since its creation in 2007, Cisco’s Internship Program communicated one important goal: to expand opportunities for Lebanese youth in Lebanon and to assist them in developing the skills needed to excel in the global economy. In turn, the growth of the local economy would be secured. In addition to the Internship Program, Cisco is involved in many CSR activities in Lebanon and the MEA region where their main focus stems to education and economic development.

Gloria Jean’s Coffees has Opened its Doors in Beirut, Lebanon!

Gloria Jean’s Coffees is a global company with 415 outlets in Australia, and operating across 37 countries worldwide and master franchise agreements signed in a further 24 countries. The company’s strength has been built upon a strong recognised brand synonymous with coffee quality and industry leading franchise systems. More than 30 handcrafted coffee creations, delicious light shakes, and healthy organic coffee beans are all available at Gloria Jean’s Coffees. A wide range of single origin blends and flavoured coffee, in addition to coffee accessories are also available to take home. Gloria Jean’s Coffees is affiliated with Rainforest Alliance; all farming which takes place to cultivate the coffee beans takes

place using environmentally friendly methods, attributing to global conservation. In addition, all farmers involved work under specific high standards devised by the Rainforest Alliance. Highly trained baristas will be pleased to assist Gloria Jean’s Coffee’s guests in determining the coffee best suited to their tastes. Come and enjoy the Gloria Jeans Coffee’s experience in Lebanon!

In the month of January 2010, Gloria Jean’s Coffees, opened the doors of its 1st branch in Makdisi Street, Hamra, Lebanon.

Press Releases

Crepaway opens a new outlet in Hamra Jounieh, November 10th 2009. Crepaway furthered its expansion by opening its 11th branch in Hamra. The outlet, previously known as Café de Paris, one of Beirut’s old landmarks, is now fully renovated and home to the leading casual restaurant chain in Lebanon. Located in the main Hamra Street, the outlet opens starting early mornings, introducing a new breakfast menu, until late at night, offering Crepaway best food & mood as always, in addition to complimentary newspapers, Wi-Fi connection and a cozy hangout spot for students and business people. “Our aim was to blend Hamra’s urban feel, its underground movement and its artistic aspect to our contemporary outlet design and public communication” says Claude Thoumy, General Manager of Crepaway. COME AS YOU ARE, wherever you are, knowing that more openings are scheduled in 2010. For info & take-away, feel free to call: 01 745 845.

EATALIAN

Restaurant opens its doors in ashrafieh

After its successful launch in Kaslik in 2008, Eatalian is now open in Ashrafieh on Abdel Wahab Street. The concept, created by Casper and Gambini’s, offers authentic Italian food garnished with fashion and brings a new flavor to the restaurant scene. Eatalian sets a modern and casual tone with its warm red interior, wooden ceiling and collection of mirrors. Made with fresh imported Italian ingredients, the menu includes a variety of homemade pastas, woodbaked pizzas under VPN certification, delicious antipasti to share and a selection of desserts including the traditional Bomboloni - a warm doughnut stuffed with delicious pastry cream. Enjoy Eatalian for lunch, dinner, or an afternoon break. Eatalian, food is fashion. Ashrafieh, Abdel Wahab St. 01 215 512 Kaslik, Espace St. 09 223 623

LAGOON

Event

In celebration of its new Lagoon deodorant range launch, International Brands Incorporated, member of Abou Adal Group, gathered the press over a lunch at Waterlemon restaurant, ABC Ashrafieh on November 25th, 2009. Surrounded by a colorful environment and a cheerful atmosphere, guests were able to discover the different ranges and fragrances: fresh and sensual scents to satisfy the various tastes of women and a selection for men, synonym of audacity and well-being.

pioneers new way to experience music in the Middle East with launch of Comes with Music

Nokia

Revolutionary music service to hit 11 markets in the region with the new Nokia X6

Beirut, Lebanon – February 10, 2010 The Middle East launch covers 11 markets that include Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestinian Territories, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. With the purchase of the new Nokia X6 16 GB Comes With Music edition, users will have access to a music catalog of an estimated four million tracks from the biggest international and regional labels that people will be able to download for free. The device with the service will be commercially available the first week of March, for an estimated price of USD 600, excluding sales taxes. “Comes With Music is a revolutionary way for people to discover and enjoy music. The proposition is simple: you get four million tracks, for free, for keeps. When you buy the Nokia X6 Comes With Music device, you get 12 months of unlimited access to millions of tracks from the Ovi Music. You can enjoy the music on the Nokia X6 device or your dedicated PC. The songs are yours to keep. So after the year is complete, the licenses do not expire and you can continue to enjoy all of your music,” said Jake Larsen, Head of Music, Nokia Middle East and Africa. Music is provided by all major international and regional labels including Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music, EMI Music, Rotana, Mazzika, Melody Music, Platinum Records, and leading content aggregator The Orchard, as well as thousands of

Capable of playing up to 35 hours of music, the Nokia X6 is a powerful entertainment device, combining 16GB of on-board memory with a slick 3.2” finger touch interface. The ultimate device for music lovers and social butterflies, the Nokia X6 has a 16:9 widescreen optimised for photos, videos and browsing. With direct access to Ovi Store, the Nokia X6 is a hive of activity that brings 20 friends and virtual communities, like Facebook, to your homescreen.

independent labels. The content covers a cross section of Western and Arabic music, as well as among others, Indian, Pakistani and Fillipino catalogues. Ayman Chalhoub, Head of Retail Sales for Music at Nokia said, “We are happy to offer a broad catalog of music from international artists but also the widest range of music from regional artists that we believe presents the best music service in the region. We believe that Comes With Music will transform the way people enjoy music here. With unlimited access to the à la carte Ovi Music catalog for a year, you can enjoy your favorite artists or delve into new genres without having to worry about individual track or album purchases.”

Nokia X6 : Powerful entertainment device

Nokia Comes With Music is now available on altogether 27 markets worldwide, including Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestinian Territories, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman, as well as Australia, Austria, Brazil, Finland, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Singapore, SA, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Spain and Russia.

“The Nokia X6 and Comes With Music is a powerful combination, enabling music fans to download all the music they could ever want – quickly, easily and for free. We’re giving people convenient access to and ownership of a vast music library and an exciting new touchscreen device to play their music on,” added Chalhoub.

Nokia Press Releases

comes to you with the world music !

Beyonce Knowles

Beyonce Giselle Knowles more widely known as Beyonce is an American singer/songwriter, record producer, actress, and model. She began her career as the lead singer of Destiny’s Child before she began her solo career in the various fields of entertainment. Forbes has listed Beyonce as one of the most powerful and influential celebrities in the world. She has also been named top female artist of the decade. Beyonce is married to Jay Z, the infamous rap star; together they create one of the most powerful duos in music history. Beyonce is currently working on her 4th studio album that will be released in 2010.

R&B Music

Rhythm and blues, more widely known as R&B, is a popular form of African American music created in mid 1940’s. It was referred to as any music that was made by and for African Americans. The main instruments of R&B consisted of piano, guitar, bas, drums, and sax. The instruments would create mellow music, attracting no attention to any particular sound. It is an effortless mesh of music accompanied by background vocals. Bands were almost always dressed in suits or uniforms. The modern form of R&B is a combination of Soul and Funk influenced by Pop music that began as Disco began to fade.

PRINGLES

Goes ‘Chip-Crazy’ in Lebanon with Launch of New 90-Chip Pack

• Blackberry smartphones, Mini-dell laptops and iPods for grabs in week- long Pringles competition • Online game available at www.pringles90.com to win, win, win

LEBANON, February 1st: Pringles introduces snack lovers across Lebanon to its new 90 chip pack today in a week-long frenzy of games and prizes. With now more chip per shop, customers will be able to enjoy the great taste for longer as well as win iPods, Mini-dell laptops and Blackberry smartphones throughout the month of February.

Starting today, Pringles will be giving away Blackberry smartphones for the 90 top scoring contestants on their cool new online game. Accessible through www.pringles90.com, Lebanon will be going Curve mad this week! But it doesn’t stop there! All week, Pringles will be giving away iPod touch, Mini-dell laptops, and surprise goody-bags in radio competitions with popular stations Saw El Ghad and Mix FM. Finally, as if digital and radio weren’t enough to spread the fun, a superspecial Pringles booth will be buzzing at CITYMALL bringing tasting competitions and instant prizes to any shopper that has the guts to get involved! With the online game there as well, Pringles’ 90 chip-pack is set to see Lebanon go chip-crazy!

sudoku

riddlle A blindfolded man is asked to sit in the front of a carrom board. The holes of the board are shut with lids in random order, i.e. any number of all the four holes can be shut or open. Now the man is supposed to touch any two holes at a time and can do the following. * Open the closed hole. * Close the open hole. * Let the hole be as it is. After he has done it, the carrom board is rotated and again brought to some position. The man is again not aware of what are the holes which are open or closed.

Games

How many minimum number of turns does the blindfolded man require to either open all the holes or close all the holes? Note that whenever all the holes are either open or close, there will be an alarm so that the blindfolded man will know that he has won.

Can you see the hidden MonaLisa in this picture?

Horoscope

Special February Aquarius (Jan 20 – Feb 18) Aquarius often gets pegged as being a little too cerebral for its own good. But the truth is, that’s where you do your best work. The next year is going to give you the opportunity to use those sharp mental powers to focus on what it is you really want out of life. Two eclipses fall in your Twelfth House, which will bring out your intuitive side, and give you a chance to see your life from a less-strictly-logical (yet no less valid) perspective. The additional information they give you about your life and your position in it will be your big chance to put things in order. Saturn is also going to be bringing big changes as to your philosophical approach to life. What fundamental approaches to life have worked for you, and what haven’t? You may have never stopped to ask that question, or known the benefits of finding the right answer to it. This year, those answers will come, and your life is likely to be a saner, better-adjusted place for it. Of course, it’s impossible to have a well-ordered world around you without having a few other people in it. The middle part of the year will see close friends and partners coming and going in your life, more so than you’ve seen in a long time. In part, this will be a reflection of the changes going on in your ‘higher mind.’ And again, the overall effect should be a positive one. It’s your worldview, Aquarius -- make it the best you can!

Pisces (Feb 19 – March 20) Okay, pause for a moment and check your pulse. Still there? Good. That means you survived the last couple of years with both Saturn and Pluto in less-than-perfect places for you. And by ‘less than perfect,’ I mean ‘lousy.’ Good news! Both of astrology’s heavyweights have moved on to more constructive places for you. Now is the time to take that famous Pisces sensitivity (still intact from the challenges of the last while) and put it to work making your life a happier and more comfortable place. You’ll be receiving a lot more attention from others in 2010: loved ones, family and co-workers will all be drawn to you at times like moths to a flame. And as a result of the last couple of years worth of hassle, you’ll be a stronger person with better judgment, and much better able to handle the influx. Enjoy your new position at the center of your own social circle! One more noteworthy change from the previous year: Jupiter will be in your sign for most of the year, giving you a newfound sense of optimism and happiness about things no matter how they turn out. You’ll be feeling expansive, but be careful not to expand too much -- this transit also comes with a more than usual chance of weight gain. There will be a renewed emphasis on health, fitness and personal well-being in the spring -- take advantage of that. Then again, maybe you just deserve the break. What’s a pound or to compared to real happiness?

80 www.astrology.com

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