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Bande Dessinée The American University in Dubai is accredited by the Commission on Colleges (COC) of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. COC, 1866 Southern Lane, Decator Georgia, 30033,Tel. +1 404 679 4500.The UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has licensed the university and accredited all of its programs.

editorial Dearest readers,

The Gate University Students Magazine goes on and on enhancing its position in the heart and mind of every university student in Lebanon and beyond Lebanon as well. It is time for university students to be appreciated as one of the most dynamic and most educated section of society and to be treated as such by publishing the most interesting articles and documentaries on issues that matter to every student in his or her daily life. In this issue, The Gate University Students Magazine features student representation and elections, and tackles student expenditures, probation and suspension systems, job fairs (many of which will be upcoming in most campuses starting April), while at the same time giving a glimpse on campus spring fashion, new talents and more of our usual specialized sexual education, psychology, health and nutrition. By that, and with the appreciation found at both student and administration levels, The Gate University Students Magazine is further encouraged to pursue its path towards providing the students community in Lebanon, proper media for them to keep informed and for them to express their ideas and talents as well.

Bernard Hatem General Manager

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p.12 FEATURED : Student Expenditures Student Representation at LAU p.16 CAMPUS ACTIVITIES : AUB, AUD, AUT, LAU, NDU, USEK, USJ, AUST p.26 ACADEMICS : Strike One: You’re on Probation!

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Featured Documentary

Student Expenditures University students have always been major contributors to the Lebanese society on the economical level. Yet, university students usually face financial challenges that hinder their academic and social progress. When we look at the Lebanese university students, we notice that many of them suffer from budget constraints and bad expenditure habits. Nonetheless, university studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; expenditure varies based on personal factors.

Student expenditure patterns are diverse, and have a major impact on local economies. A small walk on Bliss Street is sufficient to demonstrate the financial impact of the AUB community on this part of Ras Beirut. This applies to other universities in Lebanon. However, expenditure varies in accordance with the lifestyle choices of the individual student. Rental fees, food services, books, stationary, and travel costs are common expenses for all university students. Other expenses include: entertainment, clothing, and cell phones. Students spend differently depending on several factors. Social class is a defining feature in this matter. Students belonging to a certain social class have similar expenditure patterns compared to students of other social classes. For instance, a student from a wealthy family may choose to dine in a luxurious restaurant, unlike a student from a middle class family who resorts to cheaper restaurants in order to abide by his limited budget. Sex also influences student expenditure. Females tend to spend more on clothes and fashion; males spend money on their girlfriends. There are huge expense differences between sophomores and seniors. These differences reflect the gap in levels of maturity between these two groups. Sophomores are more eager to experience student life to the fullest. They tend to spend much of their budget on entertaining themselves such as renting DVDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, and going to Cafes and cinemas. On the other hand, seniors appear to be wiser in their spending patterns. They usually spend money on attending seminars that sharpen their professional and managerial skills, seeking career orientation, and preparing for graduate studies.

University students share similar expenditure patterns with students worldwide. However, the income resources and social facilities are, to a certain extent, limited. The primary income of college students is the pocket money given by their parents. Some students rely on part time jobs, in order to satisfy their needs and wants. Such jobs range from on campus work to freelancing. Lebanon lags in terms of financial social facilities. Banks usually offer pre-paid credit cards for students. Student loans are improving, but still not fully reliable.

Besides, many flaws exist in students spending habits. Naive students misjudge the amount they will spend on food, bills, and travel, leaving them under heavy depts. Some students are not even aware of the amounts spent, mainly due to the use of credit cards and prepaid cards. Changing bad spending habits can be difficult, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s essential to the welfare of a university student. The most important issue is to concentrate on the needs and not the wants. Students are encouraged to focus on what they need. Then, they can prioritize their needs, and spend their money based on these priorities. It is essential that you prioritize your spending and identify the items that you must pay for such as your accommodation costs and food. By working out your essential costs first you will be able to see whether you have got money left over for non-essential items such as going to the cinema or buying new clothes. Awareness lectures are needed in order to familiarize new students with the needs of college life, in terms of expenditure. However, the Lebanese economy makes it harder for students to adjust, due to its instability and inflation. For example, food in Lebanon, especially near universities, is usually more expensive than other places. In order to thrive, students should be provided by comfortable circumstances that promote their well being and motivate them. This task should be accomplished by the universities and the financial/ social facilities that might aid fellow students.

Nidal Abilmona (AUB)

FEATURED

Students Representation at LAU A Students’ Representative Council represents student interests in the government of a university, school or other educational institution. Generally the SRC forms part of a broader Students’ Association which may include other functions such as societies, entertainments (in the form of a Students’ Union) and sports (in the form of a Sports Union.) Universities may have a statutory obligation to receive representation from the SRC and it is usual for student representatives from the SRC to form part of university structures including the University Court, Academic Senate and other bodies. In the Lebanese American University (LAU), there are three councils by which one stands for Beirut Campus, one for Jbeil campus, and the third one for all the university within faculties and admission offices ... Dr. Tarek Na’was, The Dean of Students in LAU Beirut, has mentioned that there had been students’ representations since ever, but the council had been there since four years. These councils stand for the right of the students on campus, share in governance, and follow up on how things run in the university, whereby the twelve elected students have to work, as members of the council, on developing several ideas inside the university in order to facilitate the needs of students on campus. Mr. Jalal Khalifeh, the president of the student representative council in LAU Beirut, explains that the reasons behind appointing him to the election was because of his good GPA, good public relations (PR), and the help he offers to the students on campus.

The council, twelve members within the president, should always have a good agenda and plans to work on during every semester. The positive thing in LAU, as Dr. Na’was said, is that before the election occurs, every member was presenting a political sectarian, however by the moment the elections ends, the work of the council starts to focus on helping all students in the university without any presence of politics or any discrimination. And this doesn’t exist in all universities where politics play a main role inside the work of the council even after elections. Student councils usually do not have funding authority and generally must generate their operating funds through sponsors. “Although not having a budget for the events isn’t preferable by students, but it stands to be a strong point too, by encouraging students to work more and develop their public relations in order to get sponsors for their events”, as Jalal noted. Finally, a Student Council is a representative structure for students only, through which they can become involved in the affairs of the school, working in partnership with school management, staff and parents for the benefit of the school and its students.

“The student council helps share students’ ideas, interests, and concerns with teachers and school principals. They often also help raise funds for school-wide activities, including social events,

community projects and school reform”, as Jalal discussed.

Farah Shaer (LAU)

AU T

Campus Activities

pe’ to local villages Ho of s ed ‘Se r fe of ts en ud AUB st

Campus activities AUB Lebanon after the Copenhagen Summit:

Students recycle AUB computers for local communities in need What’s being done?

The Student Representative Committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences (SRC-FHS) and the Environment Club of AUB recently held a panel discussion entitled “The Environment: How serious is Lebanon (From Copenhagen to Beirut).” Rather than analyzing the implications of the Copenhagen meeting on Lebanon, the discussion focused on highlighting environmental projects currently conducted by the public and private sectors nationwide. Held on February 23 in Issam Fares Hall, panelists included Vahaken Kabakian, representing Environment Minister Mohammed Rahhal; Philip Skaff, the president of the Green Party of Lebanon; and Wael Hmaidan, the executive director of Indy ACT, a Lebanese NGO.

The seminar was followed by a photo exhibition relating to the environment by students from AUB, Universite Saint Joseph (USJ), Lebanese American University (LAU), l’Academie Libanaise des BeauxArts (ALBA), and the Lebanese University (LU). Photos were judged by Professor May Massoud and Professor Rima Habib of FHS, and Dr. Marwan Sabban of the Faculty of Medicine.

While the average AUB student cannot unplug-not even for one day--from the digital world of computers, dozens of other students from less-privileged corners of the country have never switched on a computer in the ir lives. To help redress this imbalance, the Center for Civic Engagement and Community Serv ice (CCECS), in partnership with the Computing and Networking Services (CNS) department beg an a Computer Recycling Program in 2009 whi ch collects, refurbishes, and distributes disc arded computers from across campus. As a result, Microsoft dubbed AUB the official Microsoft Authorized Refurbis her (MAR), making it the second institution in Lebano n to be given this title, first granted to charity org anization Arc-EnCiel. Not only does the initiative help underprivileged children, but it also promotes ethical values of using legal software, and ben eficiaries are guaranteed to receive profess ionally-refurbished computers equipped with lega lly-installed Microsoft operating systems and software. The computers are then distribu ted by CCECS to facilities and municipalities who lack funding and have limited access to comput ers. AUB volunteers then repair and maintain these computers on site and, providi ng updates, software and literacy skills wor kshops, as needed.

The clanking of shovels rhythmically working their way through layers of stone and clay-like earth could be heard across the mountains of Kawkaba, south Lebanon on a late winter morning, as AUB volunteers joined local farmers in planting over 30 pine and carob trees. Made possible by the Nature Conservation Center for Sustainable Futures (Ibsar), the Center for Civic Engagement and Community Service (CCECS) and dedicated volunteers, the “Seeds of Hope: Trees for Tomorrow” planting campaign is well on its way to fulfilling its mission of planting 50,000 trees of 20 native species in an effort to promote biodiversity and economic sustainability to agrarian communities of Lebanon. The first small-scale, AUB-led tree planting effort was started in 2007 by an Ibsar team who worked with school children in Anjar. The following year, IBSAR joined forces with CCECS to launch the Seeds of Hope campaign and conduct a planting drive in 33 municipalities, all over the country. That year the campaign took root, and 9,000 saplings and seedlings were sown. This year the Ibsar-CCECS collaborative hopes to plant thousands of new trees. With the help of dedicated AUB volunteers, villages like Kawkaba have an opportunity to revive their waning rural culture. According to local farmers, years of war, fires, climate change and the current pull towards urban life has stunted the farming of local staples.

Club Y.E.S.

Municipal Elections Project with Common Effort, NGO Club Y.E.S. (Youth Echo Society) at AUT hosted an NGO that is concerned with raising awareness on citizenship and democracy, Common Effort that provided a two-day workshop to 16 AUT students members of the Club about the following topics: - The privileges of the president of the council of municipality - Municipality laws - Teamwork and leadership skills - Accountability This project with Common Effort will span over a year during which the needs of the municipalities and the citizens will be examined and accordingly, participants build a council, whose members are AUT students. This council will play the role of a municipal council that would supervise, control, decide and coordinate with several other municipalities and ministries. Students who would like to join this project may get more details by calling 70-882965.

Campus Activities

USJ Chinese New Year in Lebanon ebrate on Feb 23rd 2010 to cel A large crowd gathered e nes Chi the and r w Yea the traditional Chinese Ne l of the Human Sciences hal the in l tiva Fes ing Spr campus of USJ. nese Ambassador to In the presence of H.E. Chi h , the Rector of saint-Josep Lebanon Mr. Liu Zhimming , ans de and ssy, Vice-rectors University Pr. René Chamu and bassy staff, USJ students Em e nes Chi as well as the nal tio rna inte for or ect e-r Vic staff, Pr. Antoine Hokayem SJ, the board of CIU relations and President of t and wished a happy sen pre ne ryo welcomed eve to He took the opportunity Chinese Tiger Year to all. nal Chinese tio Na 1st the of s ner hand awards to the win 2009. Language Contest held in

For the occasion, the Campus hall was transformed into an exhibition site with photos revealing the real and changing China taken by Lebanese artists. Two artists, Mr. Liu Jinlong and Ms. Lu Yuanyuan, were invited from Shenyang Normal University, the Confucius Institute (USJ) Chinese partner university, to present the art of Chinese calligraphy and paper cutting. Nearby, a presentation of Chinese dumpling and spring roll was going on with the help of little China’s chefs. Guests were watching, taking pictures and some even tried to prepare dumpling by themselves. This year’s Chinese spring festival surely marked the beginning of a cultural and colorful Year of the Tiger.

Anti-Smoking Campaign launched at the Medical Sciences Campus Under the theme of “For a tobaccofree campus”, an awareness campaign was launched on March 3rd 2010 in the Medical Sciences campus at the Saint Joseph University (USJ). The event was organized by the fami ly and community health center at USJ (CUSFC), through an initiative from the campus council and in collabora tion with student representative committees. In various stands that were placed for the occasion, students and staff were able to purs ue series of health tests including the CO test, the Fage rström test that indicates the tobacco-dependence level, the fitness test and the body composition test which measures the body mass index. On another hand, gifts related to the campaign were distributed to students who answered correctly the questionnaire that was distributed.

LAU

LAU students host fundraiser to entertain

Campus Activities

children with cancer for Beirut-campus student groups raise funds

HAITI

Following the success of the campaign for Haiti at LAU Byblos, the Guidance Office in Beirut organized its own fundraiser from March 1–2, to help the victims of the island’s massive earthquake on January 12. The student clubs involved in raising the funds included the Armenian Club, the Event Organization Club, the Model United Nations Club, the Red Cross Club, the Music Club, and the UNESCO Club. Together, the clubs set up stands outside Irwin Hall where they collected funds by selling soda, juice, cake, chocolate, ice cream, chips, cereal bars, stress balls, mugs and caps. Passers-by generously dug into their pockets to purchase items and make contributions. Live music at the event helped attract passers-by to the various stands, which stayed open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Eight LAU students taking the Introduction to Public Relations course hosted 40 children from the Children’s Cancer Center of Lebanon for a fun-filled fundraiser, featuring a clown and Lebanese singer Cyrine Abdelnour, on February 18, in the Irwin Hall Auditorium of the Beirut campus. One of the requirements of the class, taught by Dr. Ramez Maluf, associate professor of communications and chair of LAU’s Communication Arts Department, is organizing a real event. The funds amounted to over $2,000 but more important was the joy on the faces of the children. The event, which was attended by around 250 people, featured a documentary about CCCL, followed by a clown performance that included games with the children. Surprise gifts were distributed to the children. Abdelnour also performed for the children and then brought them on stage to sing and dance with her.

The Swiss ambassador in Lebanon Mr. François Barras gave a conference entitled “Switzerland: A Special Case in the Heart of Europe”, on March 2, 2010, upon the invitation of the International Relations Office and the Student Affairs Office at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, and in the presence of Fr. Hady Mahfouz, USEK Rector, Fr. Paul Neeman, Vice rector, Fr. Youssef Tannous, Vice Rector for International Relations, Fr. Michel Abou Tacca, Director of the Student Affairs Office, Ms. Rima Matar, Director of the International Relations Office, besides a crowd of Deans, lecturers and students. The welcome address was given by Mr. Khalil Abboud, Vice Director of the Student Affairs Office, wherein he underlined the will of the University to deepen the cooperation and friendship relations between Lebanon and Switzerland. Following a documentary projection on Switzerland, the ambassador praised in his address the hospitality of the Lebanese people and underlined that the relationship between

AUST AUST Arts & Design Department’s open house:

Prominent Arab businessman visits

LAU Model United Nations program

Shehab Gargash, managing director of Daman Investments (PSC), a leading financial consultancy company in the United Arab Emirates, and also a finance mogul who hails from the 14th wealthiest family in the world, visited LAU’s Beirut campus to get acquainted with the AL WALID GC–LAU Model United Nations program, on Saturday, February 27. The prominent Arab businessman visited the classes where MUN trainers were conducting sessions on the topic of “Public Speaking and Role Playing,” as part of their regular training sessions for high school students participating in the program. A small reception in honor of Gargash was held afterwards, and it was attended by the ambassador of the UAE in Lebanon, Rahma Hussein Rahma El Zaadieh, the LAU MUN Steering Committee headed by Dr. Jabbra, and the upper secretariat.

USEK

Conference on Switzerland at USEK

A contagious vibe On the 23rd and 24th of February 2010 the Art and Design Department hosted for the first time in the department history an ‘Open House’ that incorporated a book and art material fair as well as a furniture awards ceremony for the winning sitting bench to be installed at the department premises in the coming future. The book and art material fair included four exhibitors from the industry focusing on Art material suppliers such as Windsor & Newton and Coh I Nor, and two major book publishers specialized mainly in design book. The main purpose of this Open House is to expose the Arts & Design Department’s student to the outside market; hence, the idea to incorporate the book fair. Combining the 3 small events into a major one will boost the value of what the department is trying to do. The book and art material fair also includes real life demonstration on how to use specific products, which allowed our students to value more what

Lebanon and Switzerlan d is not merely one of friendship, there is a kin d of closeness as well. He pointed out afterward s that what “distinguishe s Switzerland above all are the common value s of coexistence which all citizens share”. And after presenting a histor ical and geographical overview of his country, he elaborated on the five main traits of the Sw iss political culture, namely: federalism, the compromise spirit, direct democracy, neutrality and the relation betw een the citizen and the nat ion which is based on closeness and respect. Barras added that “all Swiss people, regardles s of their cultural, linguis tic and religious differences , acknowledge these five elements which repres ent the Swiss entity and identity”. Barras concluded his co nference by shedding the light on the different cha llenges that Switzerlan d is currently facing becau se of globalization, especially the direct att acks related to Bank secrecy and the banki ng sector in general.

they are doing in the cla sses and to be able to pick and choose the best quality of products that suit the ir creative ideas. Furthermore, students were given discounts on books and various art products and saved the trouble of going pla ces to find what they are looking for. The Award Ceremony will be held at the end of the event. Three finalists from the furniture design class wil l be selected by an internal jury compose d from the interior design professors to co mpete on the final position. The prizes, wh ich are actually books, are offered by the department in the aim of promoting the ide a that a book is a student’s best friend and that a book can help students grow in their knowledge. This type of prize is hoped to act as an incentive to encourage the stude nt to buy more books and start their own pe rsonal libraries. Even though the event was designed to be an internal one, it wa s a great success given the fact that oth er students from other departments showed equal curiosity and interest to venture in and ask questions about what was going on and how they can benefit from it. A contagious vibe from the Arts & Design Department with many more to come in the future.

Campus Activities

AUD

Memorandum of understanding between Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication at the American University in Dubai, and MBC Group Stimulating young talent and linking higher education to the labor market

Act Now AUD’s Annual Career Fair 30% increase in number of participating companies interested in recruiting AUD students and alumni 0.

Dubai, February 24th 201

y at the American Universit The Career Services Office r – Act Fai eer Car ual ann its in Dubai (AUD) is organized d of February, 2010, from Now on Monday, the 22n the The AUD Knights Arena in 10:00a.m. Till 6:00p.m., at g. University’s Center Buildin nt is growing yearly as an This eagerly-awaited eve lize ployers have come to rea increasing number of em ted rac att D graduates. The fair the benefits of hiring AU D AU ing ruit rec in interested more than 40 companies students and alumni.

As in previous years, the Career Fair was attended by major companies specializing in Finance and Banking, Marketing, Advertising, Management, Recruitment, Engineering, Visual Communication, Graphic Design and Information Technology.

d e between the Mohamme In a joint press conferenc an eric Am mmunication at the Bin Rashid School for Co C Group, a memorandum MB and bai University in Du ic ed to announce a strateg of understanding was sign th parties. cooperation between bo t the main terms of this It is worth mentioning tha m d by granting students fro agreement are summarize ion cat uni ool for Comm Mohammed Bin Rashid Sch in Dubai full access to y rsit ive Un an at the Americ C production facilities at MB studios and other media n gai to g the students Group; in doing so, allowin dia & Journalism; MBC Me in nce erie hands-on exp

Group to promote Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication at the American University in Dubai initiatives and activities across its multi platforms; MBC Group to provide scholarships to a number of outstanding students from Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication at the American University in Dubai, as a contribution in determining their professional disciplines and guide them in their graduate studies; thus help them to engage in the labor market following graduation. And finally, MBC Group to organize and engage the students of Mohammed Bin Rashid School for Communication at the American University in Dubai in workshops and lectures within the fields of Media and Journalism, moderated by MBC Group’s distinguished media figures.

Class Co.: Official Distributor Tel: 01 - 704 888

Campus Activities

AUD NDU “Offre Joie” in service of the prisoners social service office, NDU students, through the were collected during the distributed the aids that ring in its primary campus du campaign that took place lidays, ho the ed ow foll and the period that preceded uted ffre Joie”. The items distrib in collaboration with “O to ds nee ic bas to ition were mainly clothes, in add n. ano Leb in ers son pri 6,000 bar women’s prison in the Bar NDU students visited the ers. son pri 80 s tain which con Khazen prison in Verdun, to d ene op re we t tha ls cel Students had a tour on the s res exp to ch with them, and them to get in direct tou this w ho lain n, and to exp to them their compassio t the “Open Hearts” projec of t par as es com initiative nched. that the university has lau

Members of the AUD Community trigger Social Action and the Exchange of Aesthetic Values through Make Due Senior Student Exhibition and Paris International Video Art Biennial Dubai, March 3, 2010. Communication at The The Department of Visual ngs bai (AUD) ceaselessly bri American University in Du ts jec pro ulty fac and nt forward its ongoing stude t and action, as well as the that trigger social though . rnational aesthetic values exchange of local and inte ior Sen sign De ic ph Gra g Two of the AUD graduatin and Dana Jamal, have students, Muna Mohamed ject through their senior pro successfully raised funds ter wa a ng ildi bu to ted mit whereby they were com h ir design project began wit well in Western Kenya. The , up gro sign de e, a graphic the creation of Make Du

which uses visual media to advocate social thought and action, by acting as a mediator between willing individuals and social organizations, capable of making a difference.

Academics

* “Students are placed on Probation

Strike One: You’re on Probation

when their work has dropped below satisfactory levels, at any time, irrespective of Incomplete grades, or Withdrawals.” (Lebanese American University)

* “A student is placed on academic

* “Academic probation carries a serious

warning to the student that his/her scholastic record is unsatisfactory and continued failure to improve this record will result in academic disqualification ”

probation if the student’s overall average is less than 68 at the end of the second regular semester, if the semester average is less than 69 at the end of the third or forth regular semester, or if the semester average is less than 70 in any subsequent semester, excluding the summer term. ” (American University of Beirut)

(Haigazian University)

told that they Let’s face it, no one wants to be ommon for are a bad student. Yet it is not unc annoying a student to be placed under an one say that (personally, I have never heard any Students, they like it) title called “probation.” fooling “supposedly” (because we’re not a higher anyone), go to university to pursue choose. education in whatever major they Being on probation is not a fun experience. The pressure load the student already suffers from will only increase and many benefits will be taken away. Most universities in Lebanon have similar probation and suspension rules:

Basically, universities, in general, expect students to maintain at least the minimum GPA. That fact is due to many reasons, including the reputation on the university in question and the obvious reason that a student is going to university to actually learn (though that piece of information tends to slip the minds of many students.) However, universities are run by people, and people (usually but not always) tend to have feelings. Thats why, students on academic probation are given chances to try to fix their academic standing. Some universities ask students to repeat taking the courses they had failed and offer guidance and counseling to said students and discussing their case with them. This increases their chances in getting higher grades and having a better understanding of the lessons (American University College of Technology, Middle East University.) Other universities may ask the student on probation to leave for another university for one term, fix their grades (ie. take 12 credits then get a GPA of 2.00 or higher) and then come back to their former university to pursue their education (Lebanese American University.)

However, besides the obvious downfall of being under probation where the student is constantly worried about the grade of the upcoming exam and quite a bit of nightmares, there are certain benefits the student will be deprived of:

* “ The student will not be allowed to take

part in groups or have any status in the university” (Middle East University.)

* “The loss of any scholarship they might have

Most universities have a policy that if by the two consecutive semesters the student fails to remove his/ her probation they will be dismissed from the university. More often than not with no hope of coming back to the university they were suspended from (however, this is Lebanon. That matter could be debated.) “Students who can avoid suspension upon changing the Major may do so at any time” (Lebanese American University.) So, loopholes exist. There are some statics of students under probation:

* 20% (Beirut Arab University) * 8% yet the number is decreasing

(Middle East University)

For companies that come harvesting fresh graduates (excuse the terminology) many don’t particularly care whether their upcoming employees had been on probation at one point or another, yet that information is forever imprinted (literally) on the academic transcripts. Luckily, even under probation, parents are not informed of this, so students can get away with it without having to hear long lectures from their parents about how they’re growing up and need to be responsible adults. Many thanks for that. There are other reasons a student can get on probation and one of them being a breach in the code of conduct and ethics, but that is a different story for a different article.

had and the loss of their financial aid” (American University of Science and Technology.)

Reem Abou Ismail (LAU)

Do you have Jobs, Internships, Academic Programs,

Workshops, Etc… To publish in

The Gate University Students Magazine

Soci-Selections p.30 CAREER ORIENTATION : University Job Fairs Job offers p.36 NGOS AND YOUTH : YASA

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…

p.40 FEATURED INTERVIEW : Nemr Abou Nassar p.42 LIFESTYLE: Campus Spring Fashion

Career Orientation

University Job Fairs: Companies hunting for talents… and vice-versa As soon as students get to reach their senior year, and probably earlier, stress rises and the daily question becomes: “What’s next? What am I going to do about my degree? How do I know where to apply for a job? Will I be jobless?…” To make these answers easier, universities are investing further in the development of their career and placement offices, whose staff are focused all-time on establishing contacts with companies that have job vacancies for their students not to miss any time or opportunities to start building their career and gaining experience in their fields of study. Besides usual recruitment presentations that take place in several campuses all around the year, the major recruitment events are: Job Fairs! Job Fairs are organized annually almost in every campus lately. Companies get to reserve their stands, make them appear as elegant as possible to attract all possible candidates that would potentially fill job vacancies and inject new blood and young dynamism. Often tens of companies rush to get the most exposed spaces and always pay many thousands of dollars for a few square meters. That might be restricting the range of opportunities for students, as only companies that can afford such amounts would be present. On another hand, a lot of companies are willing to do such investments as they know that placing a stand in an event that will definitely be over-crowded by new generations is worth the value of a whole marketing campaign. Besides, they would be gaining new CVs to make use of whenever needed. What’s worth noting to students is that it’s not only companies that come to “hunt” the best elements from the campuses they appear in, but it’s also the other way around. Coming to a job fair is not simply just like coming to any other normal day on campus. That day might be the gate to a whole new life and whole new directions that probably were not even imagined. The first thing to do is to believe that there actually “IS” a chance for everyone to be selected. The mistake that a lot of students commit is when they say: “You think they’ll pick me up out of hundreds of graduating students? You think they really are coming to recruit? They’re just here to market themselves and gather some CVs! They definitely won’t take me!” This pessimistic mentality is simply wrong. After all, what is there to lose? All you need is just to give it a shot, give it everything you can, and from there on, leave it for luck to drive you the way it should! But what do we mean by “give it a shot”?

Here are some tips and hints to keep in your mind in order to increase your opportunity to get hired: -

Make sure to appear elegant. No need to come in a full suit as if you’re going for a wedding (unless you think you might be called for an interview with an HR manager). Just be yourself and be “Chic”!

Make sure to carry enough CVs to give out a copy of each to every single company out there. Remember you never know where you might be ending up in your future career. Also make sure your CV is as simple as possible and make sure to do good research on tips and hints to improve the appearance and content of your CV.

Always keep the business cards of every HR official that you get to meet, so you could follow up with them after the job fair is over.

Never miss any opportunity to attend any conference or interview that you might have a chance to attend, even if that was at the expense of your comfort or any other commitments. After all, your future is your priority and chances are not easy to come back in life!

Remember that the first impression you give has great impact on the people representing the company you are applying for. Don’t over express yourself just to appear funny or smart. Just be simple and try to convey your message and understand theirs the simplest ways possible. If you’re not sure you’re a quick socializer, just don’t try to be one at this moment; let them respect you the way you are. It’s probably your true character that they are looking for!

Get to know which companies are attending their job fair and assign yourself some research about them, what they work in, what they might be needing, in order to know what skills you need to expose to them so they think and say: “we found him/her!”.

Keep in touch with your career and placement office personnel so you can always be up-to-date with any advice they might have for you!

And finally, never think that things either work during the job fair or they never will! Always make sure to maintain links with the people in charge of the company’s stand and make sure they keep you in their mind for whatever you might fit in, if not today, then one day at least for sure. And start marking your calendars from now! Prepare yourself early! Job fairs usually take place starting the month of April and up until June (depending on which university you are in). Get in touch with your career office, make sure to get all the information you need and listen well to their advice!

Career Orientation

Job listings Needed for a Beirut-based office, a fresh graduated female to work for data entry to the database system. Must be self-motivated, self-driven professional individual. If interested please send your CV to : tony.assaad@ifpexpo.com Needed a graphic designer for an advertising company in jal el dib. Please forward your cv to info@ ideasapm.com Advertising Company in Jounieh looking for an executive assistant with the following requirements: - Presentable and Customer Oriented - Good Interpersonal and Communication Skills - Accounting experience needed - No Experience Required Send your CV to info@xtremeadslb.com or call us: 09830322 - 71156711 - 70226256

Required for a Lebanese company in Morocco, B.E Mechanical with 2 years of experience. Kindly send resume on: n_chamchoum@hotmail.com

Recruiting: Assistant Project Manager 2 years experience - Bachelor in Business and Marketing - motivated -Assist in the management and execution of projects-Prepare Progress Reports on events-Research, and initiate contact with agencies-Conduct a market research for any planned new event.Preapre feasible study,

pls send CV to hr@mazitou.com

Recruiting: SENIOR SOFTWARE ANALYST Responsible for ASP.Net development with SQL Server Database. Producing quality assured code to a high standard, reviewing code and documentation as part of the peerreview support program. The role will involve end-to-end life cycle research, analysis and development. -Computer Scien...ce or Computer Engineering degree -3/4 years experience in .Net development -.Net coding skills including ASP.NET, ADO.NET, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, XML -SQL Server knowledge and SQL coding skills -Certifications for Microsoft. Net are a plus -Trilingual (French, English and Arabic) E-mail: hr@c-o.com

A local Technology Company seeking a Junior and Senior PHP Developers - Bachelor in computer science, computer engineering or equivalent (1+ years relevant experience is required) Please send your CV to: haysamsaab@yahoo.com Advertising Agency seeking: • ART DIRECTOR (min 2 yrs exp.) - female Send your CV to vjobs@mediaconseil.com

Needed for a Global Technology Company Junior and Senior PHP Developers - Bachelor in computer science, computer engineering or equivalent (relevant experience is required) Please send your CV to: haysamsaab@ yahoo.com

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... 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

A Sales Manager is needed for the field of Food Ingredients & Flavors with experience in Food Ingredients or Flavors as well as a knowledge of the Saudi &/or Gulf market. Candidates who fulfill the above requirements are kindly requested to send their CV to wissam_salameh@ hotmail.com

Career Orientation

Job listings Needed a mechanical engineer for a real estate company. Please forward your cv to nehmeh.rita@gmail.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

Spreadminds is Hunting for a Creative Designer Got that creative spark in you just waiting to take it to the next level of professionalism and success past beyond the daily routine and plain boring? Then just hit us with your CV & Portfolio for we got a new creative designer opening that might just have your name painted under it at Spreadminds@ gmail.com

CONSOLIDATED CONSULTANTS LEBANON – JAFAR TUKAN ARCHITECTS is seeking to recruit an Architect that fits the following profile: - At least 2 years of experience - Good Computer literacy in Autocad, 3D max and Photoshop - Prior experience in Execution Drawings For submission of CVs, find below the contact info:

Fax: +961 1 980083 E-mail: nathalie.mahfoud@cclebanon. com

Needed: An IT support officer for a company located in Beirut. Duties & Responsibilities:

Required for employment in Lebanon: Personal Assistant To The Managing Director (Job Ref: RSAA/20)

• Act as a primary technical support agent for staff. • Manage networks • Ensure regular data backup and control potential internal & external threats. • Assess needs for hardware & software. • Set-up & install desktop systems with appropriate buying decisions. Main Contacts: Managers & Staff in the holding company as well as IT Staff in affiliates. Plus IT outsourcing firm and hardware & software providers. Requirements: 3-5 years experience in networking.

- Degree: Technical or University Diploma in Marketing, Management, or Related Fields. - Type of Business: Direct & Digital Marketing. - Job Location: Louaize, Baabda District. - Excellent command of the English Language. - Computer Literate and Trilingual (Arabic, English and French). - Reliable with Correspondence Skills. - Highly Organized Person with the Ability to Adapt to Changes. - Self Motivated, Result Oriented with Sharp Problem Solving Skills.

If interested, kindly send your resume to jmitri@purplemartin-me.com

Interested candidates can send their CVs to info@rightservice.net

NGOs and Youth

Kamel Ibrahim, Board Member of YASA: “Awareness is not enough, only lobbying makes solutions!”

Scandalous declaration: “We succeeded in issuing a driving license for a blind and for a dead person” In a modest office, yet very reflective of extreme activity and dynamism, YASA welcomed The Gate University Students Magazine for a discourse that tackled youth awareness, especially in matter of road safety and awareness. This discourse, similarly to all previous ones with youth-directed NGOs, is another living proof of what every young citizen can achieve, simply by starting with a dream, a mission and some know-how…

Lobbying: When awareness is not enough! The beginnings YASA started as an awareness organization following the death of Tarek Assi, an AUB student, in the mid-nineties. It started at the hands of Tarek’s friends. YASA got its official license in 1996 and since then, it kept leaving brilliant marks in the field of safety and awareness.

The Mission: Safety on all levels. “Our aim is to have no more deaths on roads” says Ibrahim. “Every year we witness an increase of 10 to 15 percent in road accidents, despite all the efforts” he adds. Ibrahim indicates however that YASA is not composed of one single organization but rather became a group of independent committees, all specialized in safety, in different fields: roads, swimming, skiing, schools, nurseries, fires, buildings, sports, etc…

YASA didn’t last long as an organization restricted to awareness. “At some point, we were convinced that awareness alone was not enough and that reaching concrete solutions requires active lobbying!” said Ibrahim. As a result, the Public Works and Transportation Committee in the Lebanese Parliament recently assigned YASA to work on a new draft law for transportation, especially that the current one dates since 1967. “Unfortunately, the government didn’t give priority to road safety. Often laws are enforced for around one or two weeks after which things go back to their previous state, without taking into consideration any long-term strategic plans” complains Ibrahim. The new law that YASA is working on in addition to their regular lobbying programs all tackle many critical issues, those not bring restricted to: Traffic on roads, lack of welltrained specialized policemen (some of which do break the law themselves eventually), some citizens being above the law and facing policemen with the famous Lebanese statement “sure you don’t know who you’re talking to”, introducing the points system that would eventually lead to withdrawing driving licenses from law-breakers without having to confront them with policemen, avoiding therefore any compromise or threats towards the latter, imposing

strict driving tests before giving out licenses, increasing the number of pedestrian bridges (almost 60 additional ones will be placed by the ministry of public works), giving more attention to motorcycles and making sure their drivers wear their helmets, offering awareness programs to Lebanese Army soldiers and to schools and universities, encouraging candidates for municipality elections to give special attention to road safety in their electoral programs, making use of media and advertisement to spread the word, etc…

Volunteering: The basis of YASA’s activism “We don’t take money for the conferences we conduct” declares Ibrahim. “Our activism is all based on volunteering. Only when we provide brochures, DVDs or any special equipment, the operation costs would be covered by the school or university that is hosting us” he adds. On another hand, Ibrahim indicates that YASA also profits a lot from the experience of fellow active YASA offices in Canada, France, Jordan, Syria and Egypt. This fact reveals how YASA is turning into a further advanced international organization.

In universities: Political Parties are YASA’s main partners “Political parties are the ones capable of gathering the highest numbers of attendants and this is why we primarily work with them whenever we are hosted in universities” declares Ibrahim. YASA believes in the high importance of the role of universities, especially that most death cases on roads affect people aged between 15 and 28. Ibrahim indicates however that YASA often faces difficulties convincing universities to host them for presentations. “Usually student clubs or councils call us to present exhibitions on campus, and each conference we do is attended by more than 500 students, often with surrounding rooftops crowded as well. Some Lebanese University campuses are harder to reach due to restrictions imposed on political parties.” he adds.

NGOs and Youth

Commitments? Student volunteering… Still in universities, YASA relies a lot on student volunteering, in many domains: design, marketing, engineering, medicine, campaign and conference organization, etc… Ibrahim believes that “Students feel happy to serve within YASA’s campaigns, as they would be offering good service for society and also get credit for what they offer. And if what they’re offering falls within their profession, they benefit from their work since it’s adding to their experience portfolio. Moreover, it’s great to feel that what they are working on is reaching concrete results. And finally, spending time in good activism is by far much better than spending it probably on bad habits.” “In the last 4 years, YASA didn’t focus a lot on volunteers’ recruitment programs but rather on projects. Now we’re focused back on attracting more volunteers especially that the political situation is more stable and students can help in a much more comfortable atmosphere, and things would even get better if the government gives further attention to our issues” adds Ibrahim.

According to Ibrahim, nothing is imposed on activists. They are free to serve maybe one day of a year or even come every day. “YASA activists are only required to abide by safety laws in order not to harm YASA’s image” says Ibrahim. “Whenever we need activists for a certain project or campaign, all we do is send an email about it and whoever is available comes for help”. This would make it easier for students so they wouldn’t be giving up on their studies time and thus wouldn’t cause them any problems with their parents who after all would be happy to know that their children are serving a good cause and not spending their time in anything bad, believes Ibrahim.

Challenges: Corruption and Mafias!!! “The main challenge is the disappointment that we face as we witness the number of accidents increasing dramatically. Sometimes we also feel that we are alone in the battlefield, facing all kinds of mafias that are profiting from the current situation on behalf of everyone’s safety. Those rise from the corruption that is available in many public administrations. If things get regulated correctly, they would lose the privilege of receiving bribes, or commissions on driving licenses, on special car plate numbers, on fake “mecanique” tests. Also when it comes to corrupt contractors, they will be fighting to stop any regulations that would impose on them extra costs to abide by safety measures, etc… All those people only care for their quick money and will fight by all means any campaign that YASA conducts”. By this, Ibrahim highlights on a very challenging side of YASA’s activism.

Final Message

The big scandal: driving licenses for blind and dead people! Ibrahim reveals a major scandal that YASA was capable of provoking: “In order to prove how weak our regulations are and how deep-rooted corruption is in matter of road safety, we were capable, through YASA activists, of issuing a driving license for a blind person and also for a dead person. And the latter was thanks to the cooperation of his mother, who is an activist in YASA!”

Who’s responsible? Ibrahim indicates that the minister of interior affairs Ziad Baroud is cooperating with YASA. “However, the minister alone cannot do everything! The judicial must be more dynamic on this matter and should move to impose law more strictly” he says. Ibrahim adds: “Neither civil society nor anyone can be of enough support if the judicial doesn’t impose firmness in all road safety issues!”

Future plans? According to Ibrahim, YASA seems very much focused on the new transportation law and the global awareness it requires in addition to the lobbying to apply it. Besides, YASA is planning to launch programs targeting bus and truck drivers and will be lobbying to include safety programs within educational programs at schools, and that in partnership with the ministry of education, all that besides the usual regular campaigns that YASA is used to perform.

ty Students final message to The Gate Universi Finally, Kamel Ibrahim addresses his what could and e about the people that love you Magazine’s readers: “Think for onc suffer. The will happens to you and how much you happen if you race and something !” onsible, we are all responsible too government is not the only one resp

Stand-up comedian

In a very cozy space to which he gives big credit for his success, that is Mix FM’s studios; Nemr Abou Nassar welcomed The Gate University Students Magazine for an exciting interview on his beginnings, success, challenges and most importantly on the initiative he is taking, through his company “Vanguard”, to develop new talents and help them reach the way he did…

The importance of business knowledge Abou Nassar was a business student, with emphasis on finance. In his opinion, being a stand-up comedian doesn’t constitute any contradiction The beginnings between academia and career: “I always loved comedy and always “Business savvy is the underlying loved to make people laugh!” This is source of all my success, and you will how things started with Nemr Abou Nassar. “Also at school, teachers used find, any artist’s success. Marketing and promoting shows, negotiating to offer that I keep the whole class and orchestrating deals, producing calm so I could tell my jokes at the and investing in international shows, end” he adds. so on and so forth, that’s business. Abou Nassar also considers that one of his big steps were at the American If you have the talent, you need the University of Beirut, mainly through his business, without the talent though, appearances in the Music Club events. no amount of business savvy will help you succeed. All I’m saying is if you “My biggest stage was every day in have talent, your business decisions front of friends where I found stand risk destroying you if you’re not up comedy to be a natural way of careful.” expressing myself for me”.

2006: The turning point In 2006, Nemr approached Mix FM, offering to team up with the goal of creating a stand up comedy scene in Lebanon and the Middle East, and there was his first step towards making of his talent a long-term career…

More than 200 performances so far! Nemr’s talent didn’t take long to make of him a star par excellence. He already had performances in the Casino du Liban and in the Beirut stand-up comedy festival, which his company Vanguard Productions co-produced with Mix FM. Abou Nassar also has sold out huge shows abroad and successfully conducted two university tours in Lebanon that included around 11 campuses and got all theaters extremely overcrowded.

At University: “Teaches believed in me” Abou Nassar gives a lot of credit to his university days, especially to the teachers who believed in him, mainly citing “Tarek Kattaneh, Antoine Sabbagh, Assem Safieddine, and Karim Rbeiz”. However, he doesn’t recall any direct official or administrative attention to his talent. “But when I walked into Mix FM with a ten minute short video as a sample, it was an improve set done at the Bathish Auditorium in a drama club event” he says. Makes a living? “I’m making a great living out of what I do” says Abou Nassar, contradicting the general belief that there’s no way to make a successful career in an artistic field. “I have even launched

“I am the founder of stand-up comedy in Lebanon” Nemr declares as a matter of fact… “My goal was and still is to create an industry, a scene, and Lebanon has set the example and helped produce the same throughout the Middle East” he adds, “Lebanon is the Capital of Stand Up Comedy in the Middle East and it all started because one day I decided to make it happen”.. Challenges A lot of challenges often stand behind and in front of a successful path. For Nemr, the main challenge is to always keep coming up with good funny material for his shows. Surprisingly, competition is not a challenge to him. “I quest for creating competition” he says. “If 10 years pass and I’m the only one at my level doing what I’m doing, then I have failed – An industry becomes one as a result of competition”. “Proper art will return to the Middle East” “I have created a company that will revolutionize, in a matter of years, production, promotion and creativity in film, radio, TV and live events. Apart from our core revenue business lines we also manage talent on a revolutionary no-commission noobligation basis. We currently pride ourselves in having signed Elias Njeim, the greatest guitarist you will ever meet

and Sally K, by far the region’s most exciting painter today and of course myself, the region’s tallest comedian with the largest forehead!”, he adds laughingly. Going regional Nemr’s performances are already famous in the Middle East as a whole. “On the 26th of March I will be live in Amman, Jordan for the biggest show of Stand Up Comedy in the Middle East! 1,800 people in one night!” he says. Abou Nassar is currently touring the Middle East. “No politics, no religion, one love!” That is Nemr’s motto in his shows. “We have enough politics and religion in our comedy shows. We need to create some balance” he explains. Nemr vs TV: “If TV continues this way, it will be over in 5 years” Nimr insists to be quoted on his belief that what TVs in Lebanon are offering is “crap”! But why is that? “All they look at is ratings in a flawed and corrupted ratings system, people aren’t watching local TV, advertisers don’t get value for their money anymore and voyeurs are tired of pathetic production!” Apparently, Abou Nassar seems to be very much repelled by TV people and promises if he ever goes on TV it will be true entertainment and only the best. The Future: “Vanguard” “Now I’m focusing on stand-up performances and on building a corporate entity that would become the main asset for my benefit and those to come. The enterprise is Vanguard” says Abou Nassar. Vanguard seems to carry a lot of hope, especially for young talent, as Nemr declares to The Gate’s readers: “If you have the passion and the drive, then I’m gonna help you!”

Final Message.

Finally, Abou Nassar starts by thanking mainly Mix FM, “ the people in Mix FM and his father and mother, to

which he believes owing a big share of his success. Nemr ends with a special message for The Gate: “Great job offering free publication to the masses!”

Featured Interview

Nemr Abou Nassar

Vanguard Productions and this is creating jobs” he adds. Nemr seems to be enthusiastically encouraging to all university students to follow their passion. “As long as there’s a value to it to someone you will live a great life because of it, because you will be the best”, he believes. Nemr adds that he himself was a renowned insurance broker and used to make a lot of money as a result and truly loved it, but then sacrificed everything and followed his passion for comedy. “At first everyone thought I was insane, I was throwing my life away” he says. “Comedy in English? In the Middle East? Are you stupid?” This is what his surroundings used to tell him but yet wasn’t enough for him to quit or turn back.

”

Lifestyle

Spring Fashion:

Mix & Match

Spring 2010 is all about mixing the outrageous with the elegant. There is a waggle to trends of the past, but this spring, fashion is taking a big step in a new direction. Women’s Fashion Spring women’s trends for 2010 include simplicity, high-voltage patterns, sweet pastels, smart and sexy look, paired with sporty and delicate style. An interview was done with Fashion Designer Christelle Atallah about the latest trends for Spring 2010; and how to look chic on-campus.

spring will be all about strong silhouettes 1 This and delicate glamour; if you want to follow the fashion tendencies fully opt for the following must haves this season.

* Very Short Shorts:

Hot pants and boy shorts are making this spring all about the legs. Pair them with knee high or over the knee socks for an unexpected sweetness to contrast with the super-sexy.

* Fashion design by : christelle atallah

Heavy Print:

Everything from boyfriend sweaters to fitted pants is coming in bold geometric patterns and animal prints. This trend both harmonizes and contrasts the neutral tone style. Stripes are still in, but not in their usual form. Expect stripes to take on a new almost optical illusion feel. Heavy print leggings are going to be especially hot for spring.

* Masculine Elements:

A slightly oversized jacket or blazer, sleeves rolled up, is the peak of relaxed cool which means the 80s are now officially vintage.

“

So see through your clothing for a sexy look, with a mixture of feminine and masculine, and always, shimmer and shine from day to night.

”

colors and colors combinations are hot 2 What this season? As for the color trend spring 2010 you will see a variation of white. White color (esp. white shirt dresses) will signify one of the main seasonal trends in sackstyle shifts and shirt dresses and silk fabrics will create vogue women. Neutral tones like champagne, beige and all shades of grey are in. Additionally, turquoise, tomato purée, violet, beige, mustard yellow, blue, pink champagne, dried herb and grey will be favorite colors. All of these colors can be combined with one another to form multiple outfits, however black and white worn together are very in this season!

What are the lasted denim trends for spring 2010?

* Peek-A-Boo Denim:

Expect denim jackets to be peeking out from underneath leather jackets and oversized blazers. They’re a delicate nod to the 90s without overdoing it, seeing as how fashion has certainly had its share of flannel lately. It also adds a nice layered look that is casual and smart-looking.

* Ripped, Torn and Patched Denim:

Although the days of torn jeans and patches are back again! They hint towards a fierce, strong character similar to the military jackets that have been in the spotlight these last few seasons. A great thing about this trend is that fashionistas can manifest this trend with what they already have in their closet. Pair with a simple white T-shirt.

* Looser Pant:

Recently skinny pants have dominated legwear. This trend ultimately led to the legging revolution of the last five years. This spring, there are much looser pants, suggesting a possible end to the skinny jean decade.

* Sportswear and Jumpsuits:

Lace-up shorts, V-neck sweaters and fashion-conscious sweatpants make a smoothly sexy and spirited look.

it necessary for a girl to be fashionable 4 Iseven on campus? Those days are gone when university students only wear t-shirts and jeans. We have to admit that the wardrobe of a person is very important especially because it gives an idea of his hidden character. Girls should have day to day glamour looks in simple silhouettes, and look strict but sensual. Mixing casual and glam is the ideal.

a university student, what should a girl 5 For wear and what should she avoid this season? University is about being casual and comfortable while dressing up in a fashionable and trendy way. The campus and its social life is very important allowing meeting new people, making new friends and catching attention and the wardrobe is an ultimate way of expression. Dressing comfortably, matching the clothes to the weather, and wearing decently are the most important rules to follow in all seasons. The girls could use lots of this season’s trends to university like fashionable coats and caps, military jackets, interesting details on tops, etc and avoid on the other hand see through clothing, shimmer and glitter and surreal footwear for university because the following would suit night outs only. In addition to that, combining colors should be very precise, wearing the flashy colors this season would be appropriate however avoid wearing the same flashy color on a whole outfit such as dressing in red from head to toe.

type of wardrobe is more appealing 6 Which and suitable wearing for university; a simple colorful dress or tight jeans with a nice top? As long as dressing up is comfortable, classy and not vulgar, everything could be allowed nowadays from colorful dresses to tight jeans; however the whole attitude and gesture of a girl should be well watched when wearing a dress.

JEWELRY

Jewelry design by : christelle atallah

Lifestyle

Jewelry brings an instantly feminine and glamorous look to any outfit that you add them to. A Turquoise jewelry as earrings, pendants, necklaces, rings and bracelets are the season hottest trends. Blue is the most common and attractive shade in Turquoise. In addition to, pink is the number one of the women. This springtime we will see pink color in every shade from cotton-candy to earring, from bracelet to hand bag. Pink accessories will be seen almost everywhere. There is a special connection between a person and the jewelry they wear. Lebanese Jewelry designer Cynthia Raffoul (located in Gemayze) has twisted unique and fashionable pieces of gold and silver wear.

Men’s Fashion

This season will be exciting for men’s fashion also; a combination of bright colors and earth tones. As for colors, red is the base shade for shirts and sweaters. Other popular spring colors include blue, pink, light green, and beige. All you need are several basic items to help you go from your winter wools to your summer shorts. Some new designs are created, silhouettes that seemed to have gone away forever return back to fashion and lots of details which have been popular with men for a long time already are used with a new modern twist.

So, what exactly is going to be in vogue for men this season? Black pant

A basic pair of black pants is a must for any man’s wardrobe. While they’re practical yearround, you might decide to get yourself a pair more suitable for spring, in addition to the wool pair you own.

Blue shirt

Pink short-sleeve shirt:

Linen sweater:

Prove that you’re on top of the style chain by sporting a blue shirt.

Pink or violet shirt is at the height of popularity for spring 2010. Both colors will look great with simple black pants, jeans or suits. A polo sweater or short-sleeve top can be dressy enough for university or office with black pants and casual enough for the weekend with chinos.

Accessories:

To complete your outfit, add some accessories like watches, caps, belts. Jasmine Boyadjan (NDU)

Food For Thought p.48 HEALTH AND NUTRITION : Understanding Body Mass Index p.52 SPORTS AND ATHLETICS : Sports Facilities at USEK p.54 SEXUAL EDUCATION : Sex Hypocrits p.58 PSYCHOLOGICY: Stress: Pain and Gain

What Does “At Risk” Mean? Being “at risk” means you are more likely to have a specific disease or condition than someone who has a BMI in the normal weight range. It does not mean you will get the disease. For example, if your doctor is concerned you might have a heart attack, he or she will want to know several things in addition to your BMI:

Health and Nutrition

Healthy weight

Understanding Body Mass Index

BMI stands for Body Mass Index. It is important to know what your BMI does and does not indicate about your weight, health and lifestyle choices. Your BMI is calculated from your height and weight. It is a fairly reliable indicator of body fat for most adults, with athletes and the elderly being two exceptions. BMI is an inexpensive alternative to direct measurements of body fat, such as underwater weighing, but it is only one of many factors that you and your health-care provider should use in evaluating your health status.

Calculating Your BMI You can calculate your BMI with this formula: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention uses BMI to define terms like overweight and obese:

Underweight: BMI below 18.5

Normal weight: 18.5 to 24.9

Overweight: 25.0 to 29.9

by Dominique Dano, nutritionist, info@dominiquedano.com, 03/661046

weight(kg)/height² (m²)

* Obese: 30.0 and above

If your BMI is in the overweight category, you will have a lower overall health risk if you:

BMI and Your Health People with very low or very high BMIs tend to have the greatest health risks. Even so, BMI is only one factor in your overall health. For example, if your BMI falls into the normal weight category, you will still have a higher risk of health problems if you:

Smoke cigarettes * Do not participate in regular physical activity

Eat lots of nutrient-poor foods with added fat and sugar.

If your body mass index falls into the range of overweight or obese, you are at a higher risk for the following diseases and conditions: *

Coronary heart disease

* Get regular physical activity

Type 2 diabetes

Cancers (endometrial, breast and colon) * Hypertension or high blood pressure

Have blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels that are within normal limits.

This means BMI is one aspect of your health to discuss with your care provider. Together, you can decide if other assessments need to be done and whether lifestyle changes such as eating smarter and moving more will improve your health.

* Stroke

* *

Dyslipidemia (high blood cholesterol, high blood triglycerides)

Liver and gallbladder disease * Sleep apnea and respiratory problems *

Osteoarthritis (degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint) Gynecological problems for women (abnormal menstrual periods and infertility).

Do you have a family history of heart disease?

Do you smoke cigarettes?

How much physical activity do you get every day? * How much fat, saturated fat, fiber and sodium do you consume?

Your doctor also will likely run other tests, such as a blood pressure check and lab tests. Collecting all of this information is the only way to make an accurate assessment of your health risk and to diagnose a condition such as coronary artery disease.

Lifestyle Changes Make a Big Difference If your doctor says your BMI is in the overweight range and you have high blood pressure, the doctor may prescribe medication and suggest you make changes in your lifestyle. You may be told to lose weight, change your diet and get more exercise. Here’s some really good news: Those lifestyle changes – eating smarter and moving more – will help lower your blood pressure no matter what happens with your weight. Since losing and then keeping weight off can be a challenge, it is reassuring to know lifestyle changes by themselves can reduce your risk; they can help you feel better too.

Ways to Shave Calories When it comes to healthy weight management, small steps add up. In fact, little changes in eating and activity level have a more positive impact on health than drastic ones. This is because you are more likely to stick with smaller changes over time. Extreme diets and intensive exercise regimens may work well at first, but they rarely last over the long term. Healthy weight is all about balancing food intake with physical activity. Most of us could improve our energy balance by shaving just 100 calories a day off our usual intake. It’s not difficult:

Lighten up your favorite coffee drink with non-fat milk and sugar-free syrup.

Trim all fat from beef, pork and chicken. Remove the skin from poultry.

Dish up slow-churned, reduced-calorie ice cream in place of regular.

* Enjoy raw vegetables with salsa or fat-free ranch dip instead of chips.

Tips for Eating Out Food choices away from home are important to your health and weight because many of us are eating more meals away from home. Fortunately, making healthful and delicious choices in restaurants is also easier today. Restaurants of all types are responding to customers’ desires with more options in portion sizes, preparation methods and menu items:

More appetizer-size portions of popular entrées

More baked and broiled choices in meat, fish and poultry

More fruit and vegetables side orders to substitute for fries.

Time To Diet !

Small Changes Add Up

Right-Size Your Serving Sizes

Health and Nutrition

Here are more great ideas that will cut calories from your daily intake, possibly without your even noticing:

1 Downsize Your Dishes.

Use smaller plates and bowls to help you eat less. We tend to fill up the dish we’re using and then eat it all. Our brains also think we are getting more when the same amount of food is placed in a smaller dish.

2 Savor Your Meals. 3 4

Eating slowly helps you consume only what your body needs to feel satisfied. Eating too quickly, in less than 20 to 30 minutes, leads to overeating and feeling uncomfortably full afterwards.

Becoming sensible about serving sizes is an important way to maintain a healthy weight and it’s good for your wallet too.

Instead of a large entrée, order an appetizer and a leafy green salad or choose two appetizers for a meal.

Start with a small serving like a cup of soup, a junior burger or a small order of fries. If you are still hungry, order something else.

Leave Some Food on Your Plate. This is especially important if you grew up in the

“clean plate club.” By leaving even a few bites, you can focus more on your internal signals of satisfaction and less on eating food just because it is there.

Don’t Eat Out of a Bag or Box When you eat out of a package, you are likely to

keep eating until it’s all gone – no matter how many servings the package actually contains. Pour one serving into a small bowl.

Choose Your Glass Wisely Here’s another place where our eyes play tricks on us.

Rethink Your Drinks High-calorie beverages like soft drinks, juice drinks, energy

When glasses are short and wide, we tend to fill them with more fluid and to drink more. Use a slender glass for any beverage except water. drinks, specialty coffees and alcohol add calories just like solid foods. Whenever possible, replace these drinks with plenty of water.

Hit the Bricks Make physical activity part of dining out. All you need is a comfortable pair of shoes: *

Walk from Home or the Office. Pick a restaurant that’s a 10- or 15-minute walk away. You’ll get your meal and 30 minutes of physical activity and avoid the parking hassles.

Walk with Family or Friends. Get moving as a group before or after eating. A brisk walk before a meal gives you time to chat. A stroll afterward helps your digestion.

Walk Up Instead of Driving Thru. Park your car in the lot and walk

inside to get your fast food order. And make fast food an occasional treat rather than a daily habit.

Indulge your inner child: Order a kid’s meal at a fastfood restaurant. Many now offer a choice of low-fat milk and fruits or vegetables instead of fries. Share from start to finish. Order one appetizer for the whole table and then order one dessert with multiple forks. Sometimes, just a bite or two is perfect. Share an entrée. You can ask your server to split the meal in the kitchen or divide it up yourselves at the table.

Back to Basics for Healthy Weight Loss While there are plenty of ways to lose weight, maintaining your weight loss over the long term is often unsuccessful. If you’ve lost and found the same pounds several times before, it’s probably time to go back to the basics of a healthy weight:

Prevention of weight gain or stopping recent weight gain can improve your health.

Health can improve with relatively minor weight reduction (5 percent to 10 percent of body weight).

Adopting a healthy lifestyle – eating smarter and moving more – can improve your health status even if you don’t lose any weight at all. If you want to maintain a healthy weight for the rest of your life, it’s all about energy balance. Here are three basic steps for success:

Make Smart Choices from Every Food Group Your body needs the right fuel for your hectic, stress-filled schedule. The best way to get what you need is to enjoy a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods that are packed with energy, protein, vitamins and minerals from all food groups. Where can you find these smart choices? When you go shopping, look to the four corners of your supermarket:

Fruits and vegetables from the produce aisles

Whole grains from the bakery

Low-fat milk products from the dairy case

Lean proteins from the meat/fish/poultry department.

Here’s an easy way to eat more produce: Enjoy one fruit and one vegetable as a snack each day. It’s quick, easy, tasty and very nutrient-rich.

Make Smart Choices from Every Food Group The biggest nutrition problem for most people is posed by high-fat, high-sugar foods and drinks, such as snack foods, candies and soft drinks. Eating smarter does not mean you have to immediately go sugar-free and fat-free. You can make a big difference in your calorie intake by just eating and drinking smaller portions and by making empty calorie choices less often. The key is to moderate, not eliminate. Watching portion sizes is an easy way to cut back without cutting out. If you want to consume less sugar, limit your soft drink intake to one can a day and switch to water the rest of the time.

Balance Food and Physical Activity What you eat is just one part of the energy balance equation. The other is your physical activity. Most of us take in more calories than we spend on our daily activities. Finding a healthier balance means fitting more activity into your day. The minimum for good health is 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity each day. To reach a healthy weight, you may need to be physically active longer (60 minutes a day) or participate in more intense activities. How much activity do you usually get now? If it’s only 15 minutes, try adding a 15- or 20-minute walk during your lunch break.

“USEK cares for the high standards of its trainers to coach varsity teams”

Sports and Athletics

The Holy Spirit University Kaslik (USEK) A name always linked with Sports achievements and awards in both collective and individual games.

In this issue of The Gate University Students Magazine, we go through the USEK’s sports facilities and important contribution to local university sports, in a discourse with Mr. Fouad Saliba, head of the sports department at USEK since 1992 and member of the Lebanese Federation for University Sports, as well as the director of varsity teams By Mohamed Jradi

A thousand-mile path starts with one step The sports department is considered as one of the most active sectors of USEK, a renowned university founded by the Lebanese Maronite Order in 1961. This department was born in 1987 thanks to collective effort from Father Tony Tarabay and Mr. Fouad Saliba, current head of the department, which entered the university sports scene with minimal capacities that were restricted to participation in a few collective and individual games, just as much as the starting budgets could allow. The idea at the beginning was to gather all sports capacities within the USEK campus and integrating them into an independent organizational body, and so it was! The first teams were made of students that had their personal talents, and participated in many local championships, especially the FSUL Championships. And with the administration’s follow-up, these teams succeeded in proving themselves and their capacity to compete, which encouraged the idea of having contracts with professional trainers to improve their technical levels, despite the low budget compared to other university teams.

“The care of USEK’s Rectors: our top success factor” When sports was becoming a major part of its students daily life, USEK had an important role to orient them so they could make the best out of their free times and maintain their interest for sports. USEK’s Rectors had a hand in organizing their students’ interest in sports into two categories: one educational for everyone, and one practical that concerns student varsity teams only. Here in that regard, I would like to thank Father Rector Hadi Mahfouz for his special attention and care in our department’s activities. In addition to providing the opportunity for students to practice several kinds of games, USEK’s administration imposed, in many of its faculties’ curricula, sports courses as required, and as elective courses for others, offered in a very attractive way for students to get in touch with important sports history, regulations, and facts and figures. USEK also allocated an up-to-15% financial aid grants for students who join the university’s varsity teams, in addition to other several privileges and facilities.

USEK’s teams succeeded in competing since the very first moments, which allowed them to carry a lot of awards so far. Successes didn’t come out of nowhere. Successive high-level administrative and technical follow-up lead all together towards good results that made of USEK a shining name in the field of university sports.

Local, Arab and International achievements… And open support for the national varsity team in the World Cups USEK’s teams participate annually in local championships organized by the Lebanese Federation of University Sports in all games, and maintain high position within the university sports community, especially being the champions in Volley Ball and one of the best teams in Basket Ball and Mini Football, that’s besides their important participation in individual games such as skiing and martial arts games. Also USEK has the lion’s share in Arab and International Championships such as the Dubai International Championship and the Valencia Annual Championship where USEK lately won the Volley Ball Cup for the mixed category, the silver medal in both male and female categories in Basket Ball and where the mini football team succeeded in reaching the quarter finals. Besides, USEK provides the national universities varsity team with many players to participate in world university championships every two years, where Lebanese scores are still modest but still carrying high hopes and still insisting on raising the level of university sports worldwide.

Crowned with stars… Glorious pages were filled so far with images of university players that became stars today in both local and international sports scenes. A lot of players passed in the history of USEK, some of which left their marks and pursued their life while other continued the path, such as Basket Ball players Rony Fahed (Chinese basketball team), Elie Rustom and Jad Bitar (Al-Muttahed team), Rodrigue Akl (Sporting Beirut), as well as Judo player Jad Fadel (Arab Champion) and Lebanese Ski Champion Rachid Khalil. With very modest financial capacities and with a very high competitive spirit, USEK reached where it is today and still aims for more and more….

Sexual Education

So I thought to myself, what if it just happened that a young person, afraid of his newly discovered sexual orientation, was listening to what this instructor said? For all he knows, there is no known figure in his surrounding capable of explaining to him the reality of what he is going through. To make matters worse, a TV show hosted a priest for a talk on homosexuality. I cannot begin to say how outrageous the discussion was, to the point that it was stated that parents should not let their sons grow tall hair as it could turn them into homosexuals!!!! Though some (or maybe many) people did note that most of what he said is plainly wrong. I believe the television session deepened much of the misconceptions regarding homosexuality rather than clear them out.

Sex Hypocrites

Samer Abi Chaker, MD, MPH

Anyone who’s been watching TV lately, specifically the the Lebanese Channels, is probably noticing a change in to trend of subjects being discussed on the air. Contrary the previous decade, sexuality issues are surfacing more n, often on the Lebanese media. Violence against wome of homosexuality, sex jokes etc… have been the subject a is much scrutiny lately. I am not sure yet if this actually good thing.

So what is Homosexuality?

I mean certainly, the fact that we are talking about it on a mass media level surely means something. But I believe that the media channels are more interested in creating a controversial debate that fuels common misconceptions and thoughts rather than create an informative atmosphere where debates could actually increase the level of education in the audience.

Homosexuality is a sexual and/or romantic orientation characterized by attraction to people of your own sex. Being gay or lesbian is a normal, healthy state of being. It is NOT a disease, it is NOT a mental disorder, it is NOT neurotic, it is NOT dangerous, and it DOES NOT SPREAD!!!!! The exact roots of homosexuality are not known yet to scientists; however one thing is sure, homosexuality is the fruit of both genetic and living environmental cues (i.e. nature – nurture interaction). In other words a certain gene is not the sole root of homosexuality nor is one’s environment and upbringing. Actually if you ask a gay or lesbian person about how they came to be homosexuals, they would most probably tell you it was no choice to have such feelings, emotions, and sexual preferences. They just came… and it is not something they learned, and definitely not something their parents pushed them into!!! As you may have read in my previous article, Alfred Kinsey (a renowned scientist in the 1950s), demonstrated that

Hence the choice of guests on the talkshows, where more often than not, become religious figures or unrelated individuals. Sometimes talkshows that have nothing to do with sexual health suddenly turn into a Dr. Phil version of sexuality counseling! I once fell (by mistake) upon a channel that was interviewing a famous Lebanese dancing instructor on dancing competitions. And somehow the talkshow host mentions that there is a stereotype that men who dance are likely to be seen gay. Naturally, the dance instructor denies this theory, which obviously, is expected. However, within a minute the whole subject of the discussion becomes about the gay community in Lebanon and how homosexuality is spreading so fast as if it’s a disease! And the host started asking the instructor about homosexuality? Happy with the unexpected interest in his wisdom, the guy goes on talking about homosexuality with an expert’s attitude. He claims homosexuality is a disease, and that there exists therapy for it!

“

people do not have discrete sexual preferences, but rather they lie somewhere on a scale from 0 to 6

“

(Zero being exclusively heterosexual and 6 being exclusively homosexual).

Sexual Education

So it is only natural for us to get attracted to people of the same sex. The extent of these tendencies however, varies among people, with some being strong and others being weak. As you can imagine, to experience feelings which are different from an established “norm” is quite frustrating! So if one is to choose his/her orientation, why would they subject themselves to the judging eyes of society??? Still, there is choice in the whole matter, and it resides in the will to actually

come out of the closet Many find it very difficult to express their true feeling and orientation, especially with all the social pressure and discrimination our community exerts. They find it easier to live through a “hidden life”, even though they are not comfortable with it, and sometimes endure a lot. From our side, as a Lebanese community, we’re definitely not creating an understanding environment that could make life easier for them. Actually we do the exact opposite, to the point that calling someone a homosexual (tobjeh) has become a curse! 7a2 3layon! Ma32oul rasson? Enno “kharjon!!! Akid ma ra7 2et2abblon…

Hek iza ma t3azzabo byerja3o bi siro tabi3iyyeh!

“

I guess in that case, even if I spend days explaining what homosexuality is and that is not a matter of an on/off switch. I won’t be able to change your mind. Instead I will attempt to get you on a different trip. For the length of this article I want you to take a trip with me into a different world. I want you to close your eyes for a minute and try to rid yourself of everything that you are right now. You can compare yourself to a laptop that you have been updating, personalizing, and programming over the years until it has its own character. What would happen if you format it?

Now go ahead and blank your mind and reprogram yourself on this: As your alarm clock rings, you open your eyes for the first time in your new life. Your room is exactly like the one you used to live in your previous life. Take a moment to look around, you find the same toys you played with, the same old crappy computer, and the TV set you bought with your own money to watch movies while you’re warm inside your bed… Today is your day-off, it’s saturday! You leave home in a hurry, past the local street shop (where you used to buy candies without your parents’ knowing). You can’t wait to meet the gang. They’ve been your friends for quite a while, and you hang out every Saturday in the new trendy coffee house of the neighborhood. Today however is special, you don’t know why, but you have a feeling that today might pull a breakthrough. It’s been a while they haven’t talked about the subject and you feel that finally they might be getting around it, and they might just agree with you! As you open the coffee house door, you note them hanging out at the table at the end of the bar. Anna and Tracy took the corner as usual, they have been together for 3 months now, and they’re really happy together. Your best friend Anna has been looking for someone like Tracy for a while and you feel genuinely happy for her! They see you and shout out your name as if they haven’t seen you in years! As you sit down, the door swings open again, James comes in, he greets everyone in his typical high five. A moment later Alan comes in, he was parking the car, and pulls up chair just besides James. The guys have been together since forever! They seem to have found each other early on! When you look at them, you think to yourself, I want something like that! I wish I could find a person I could love and cherish… Then you glance around the coffee place, the morning here is always crowded. Just across you, John and William are having their usual breakfast, they live just across your apartment, and sometime as you come home you can smell William’s cooking… Damn the smell is good! The owners running the place

are quite old for such a trendy coffee place, but they are quite fun! Janet and Lindsay have been married for more than 10 years now, occasionally they fight about missed orders, or if Lindsay dropped a glass (she’s the clumsy one :P). But deep down you know they love each other so much, nothing can come between them. It seems today is filled with love, it’s everywhere! As you all order breakfast, each group accounts of the previous night and the “mashkal” that broke up at the “Dome” the happening club in town. You don’t know what the problem was but your friend was involved in it. Alex has always been a tough person to deal with, and he is often involved in fights. Though you like him, you don’t always approve of his actions. Anyways as they decide to hold off talking about the incident until Alex joins later, Anna looks straight into your eyes and she notes you have some news to tell. You’ve been the only one in the gang to have never had a relationship. But Anna knows you better than anyone, and she notes deep in your eyes the excitement of love! So she stops the ramble on the table and with an air of enthusiasm she says:

like you have something “youSeems wanna tell us my friend “

Naturally you grin… you’re not sure if you should say something. But you so much feel like it! You’re in love! You finally found someone! And you go like: “Well yeah, I have someone!”

But then you shake that thought off and you decide to tell them who it is. Finally you muster the courage to talk, and as the words come out your mouth, Alex storms in the coffee place! He’s all pumped up from yesterday! Everyone greets him like he’s one hell of a hero! “Alex kicked ass last night! You should have seen what happened to the other guy!” says Tracy. You were not partying with them last night (since you were on a date with “someone”)… And so you inquire about the fight. They go on describing every single detail of the fight, how Alex dodged the other guy’s punch, and then managed to kick him in the stomach and then punch him in the head… The guy left weeping… they all laughed at the recount of the incident… So you ask what did this guy do to deserve such a kickass? Alex answers so proudly he was hitting on Tracy! He’s a f***ing straight! Can you imagine the nerve! He should’ve known his place! Everyone on the table grinned:

“ Shou hal tobjeh! “

And then, they raise their glasses: “cheers to kicking this queers’ ass!” As breakfast finishes, you fall back into your chair full, and now everybody’s goes back to your story asking you who’s that new someone! You smile back at them, fall completely silent and you think. How am I gonna tell them? “Someone” is straight! So am I…

As soon as you say that the whole table cheering a football game! They were so happy, and they go: “when are we gonna meet that someone????” At that moment it hits you, what if they don’t like that someone, afterall that person is different from them. What if “someone” did not make it into the group? You might end up as an outcast!

Even though this sounds like a dramatized example, some friends around us experience something close to this everyday. And yet we never note their discomfort, as they have become so accustomed to hide it. Are we doing them a favor? Definitely not! Are we helping them to change, absolutely not! We’re just oppressing them, so as not to face the discomfort ourselves. So next time you call someone a homo, weird, queer, tobjeh, jlik, sh******… think twice coz you might be hurting someone very dear to you… True Story…

ucation page with the sexual ed To communicate idea, send an se po ion or pro editor, ask a quest om e.c e-m lity@thegat an email to sexua

Psychology

By Sawsan Razzouk, Psychology

t college life is all about – “Some people have idyllic visions of wha ‘the best time of your life’ -and while college is often a positive time for intellectual and personal development, it is also a time filled with stress”

Dr. Randal S. Hansen.

Stress is one of the more studied topics by professionals in the field of health psychology and related domains. It is believed that stress increases efficiency—up to a certain point, after which things quickly get worse. It is important for every reader to know that this “point” is different for each of us. What defines the line between the good stress and the bad, unhealthy stress? In my opinion, the latter is quite common, and definitely more visible to the eye than that good stress that keeps you going. So, the question is no longer how to avoid stress; let’s not be naive. The question is really how to cope with stress. What are the students doing about their stress? In a previous article, I mentioned some healthy ways of dealing with stress, such as exercising. Did you try any of the suggestions or others? To successfully reduce stress, such a coping strategy should become a way of life.

Students are constantly confronted with stress. It’s inevitable. In some cases, stress can be good. It could drive you to become better— motivate you to thrive and work on reaching your goals. And, in other cases, stress can accumulate and the repercussions can be felt in many areas of that student’s life. In some cases, stress can significantly impact a person—mentally, physically, socially and spiritually. Stress can manifest differently in people’s lives, ranging from lack of sleep and irritability to cancer in some cases, as some research has shown in the literature. It can be that serious.

Another extremely important way of coping with stress and life’s hectic demands is obviously speaking to someone. In our culture, we have strong bonds with family and friends. That is our safety net; these are the people we turn to in dire times. That is a very rare thing, and definitely not available in many western cultures. We should embrace these ties, and not underestimate the healing powers of just talking about our problems over a cup of coffee. However, one cannot deny the feeling that family and friends are not always the right people to speak to, and for many reasons. For instance, it may be awkward. It may even be embarrassing. You might sometimes end up feeling you are a burden, because you may need more than that cup of coffee and a long talk to feel better, and frankly, your friends and family have issues of their own to deal with. Does this situation seem a little bit familiar? That is when

Nevertheless, the fact remains that reducing stress does not only fall on the shoulders of students, who already have many things to deal with. It is also responsibility of universities to offer what they can to help students achieve healthier ways of coping, and lead balanced, successful lives. So, what are universities doing? For example, AUB offers free counseling services to its students. They first expose students to this during orientation. Professors also suggest these services to students who may be overwhelmed by certain matters or have a hard time adjusting to a certain situation or any other reason. What are other universities doing? I understand therapy may seem like a luxury in our country, and probably for good reason. I understand scarce resources. I understand that those universities operate on a budget, and they cannot squander. But if one studies the statistics, and realizes what counseling centers could achieve, and what such a service would offer to their students, then whether or not to invest in setting these centers up will no longer be a debate. Maybe now I am naïve, and too hopeful about my field, but I have seen firsthand what therapy could do. Therapy is just a way to speak about what you would never talk about to your friends or family because it is shameful, scary, stupid, or irrational. Counseling centers are a safe place—where stress can go die. And, it should be not only there for all students, but also free.

Myth Busting Quiz: True or False 1) Stress is the same for everybody. 2) Stress is always bad

for you.

3) No symptoms, no stre ss. 4) Major and minor sym ptoms of stress require attention. 5) Stress always comes from the outside. 1- False, 2- False, 3- False, 4- True, 5- False

Stress: Pain and Gain

a mental health professional comes in handy to students, particularly when such a service is free and accessible. Sadly, the problem in seeking help seems to lie in the culture, rather than financial means; many people (students included), don’t believe in it, and think therapy is useless or even shameful. The culprit is the crazy idea that only crazy people need therapists.

Joke: from www.jokefile.co.u k

Here is a stress manag ement technique recommend ed in all the latest psychologica l texts: Picture yourself near a stream. Birds are softly chirping in the crisp, cool, mountain air. No one knows your sec ret place. You are in total seclusion from that hectic place called “the world”. The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air wit ha cascade of serenity. The water is clear. You can easily make ou t the face of the person you’re ho lding under the water... There. Now... Feeling better?

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

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They maintain very strong communication amongst themselves for the success of the band. They advertise everything and set up shows with promoters. They manage themselves and reach for their own publicity. These guys are practically a team of hard workers doing their best to produce good, original music and to get the amount of exposure their efforts deserve. “Right now we’re in the process of recording our album at Mix Down studios in Hamra that’s currently our main focus and attention” says Allan.

Lazzy Lung

Arts and Talents

ce Fa s ’ nd Ba l ca Lo is Th er Ov l al n te rit W nt le Ta

ic mostly unrecognizable to your ears. Here’s one band in Lebanon that will play mus allica or Iron Maiden. Just Lazzy Lung! No reproductions and impersonations of Met There isn’t any other local band like them. Lazzy Lung is an independent band that plays indie rock music. They do everything themselves unlike signed bands do. They write their own songs, they perform using their own style, they promote themselves through selling out their own made demo CDs as well as stickers of their logos, and they find their own shows to play. Lazzy Lung is an extremely talented band consisting of four young men. Patrick Hanna, an AUB student majoring in archeology, who plays the guitar. Hadi Oueini, an online graphic design major student at Empire State College based in New York, plays the drums and percussions. Imad Jawad, an architecture major student at Alba University, plays the bass guitar. Last but of course not least, Allan Chaaraoui, an assistant manager for an engineering company specialized in water treatment, is the vocalist and rhythm guitar player. It was Allan who started it all. Lazzy Lung was originally Allan’s solo project back in 2007 when he lived in Ottawa, Canada. He currently lives in Beirut, Lebanon and travels back and forth to Canada every now and then. But for now, the band is a Beirut centralized band.

“

started posting shows.” Allan also explained how they’re working on this as profes-

sionally as possible without doing it full time all for the better of the band. They practice twice a week at Hadi’s place in Qoreitem, at The Station in Sin El Fil and at another place in Bkirki.

We’re utilizing local platforms to spread the word about us. We also try staying active on the scene through going to art lounges and attending other artists’ gigs. We are also working very hard with local artists to sponsor and help spreading the word about them and getting them to do the same for us. says Allan.

performances recorded live at all the places mentioned. They’re counting on young avid readers and listeners like you to support them throughout their independent and original path. “We’re counting on a lot of

online publicity and local distributors in the country and outside of the country as well as hitting up in college radio stations and events” says Allan.

Al Horra TV, So far Lazzy Lung has appeared on n and CBC Heya TV, Radio One, 96.2 Radio Liba articles had also ’ve Radio 3 in Canada. They in Time them ut abo ten writ and press releases and er spap new Hibr e, azin mag t Out Beiru e. here they are in The Gate magazin

When asked about the reason that prompted him come to Beirut and form a band, Allan said: “I love performing and I met these guys and we

“

Lazzy Lung has a fan page on Facebook.com and a music profile page on myspace.com as well as a channel on youtube.com where you can learn about them, hear pieces of their very interesting music and watch their

”

Lazzy Lung has performed at several places like Snatch, Hard Rock Café, E M chill Walima restaurant, Quadrangle, LAU Spring Fiesta09 and Danny’s Pub. They have plans to play at Basement and soon they’ll be touring to play in Bahrain.

”

“

So check out Lazzy Lung! Contact and support them. Their music shouts fun, rock n’ roll and romance. Give them your impressions about their musical achievements: Lazy Jones, FlyBy, Rains In October, KorgO, Xbox Ate My Cat, Beirut, Somethings Take Forever, Back On and many more amazing pieces…

”

By Lema Chehimi (LAU)

Creative Writing

Flight 101 Tum Tum Tum. “Ladies and Gentlemen, ht We welcome you aboard to take flig ation. and soar in a melting pot of degrad Where we file you by nation and take elation in your degrees… Specifically those on bended knee. s, Your angry plees will reach deaf ear and no amount of tears can move the System

So sit back and listen to Safety Procedures: The seat belt is fastened such, in order to crush against dignity. The overhead oxygen mask will drop if engines stop and we need to crash, …the freshest air always comes last. Lifeboats offer the final cruise until Red sharks booze on your blood. And turn cell phones off so that we don’t flood the system. We’re not done, so kindly shut up and listen: The ability to lunch is an epitome, simply a costly accessory, so just hold your gut, and allow us to degrade some more. We implore you to understand, for we do not. In the system you’ll find no heart, simply an enigma…with no end and no start. All lights will be turned off for the duration of the flight. So tough. The enlightened can switch the overhead lamp, …If they can reach as far as that. To encounter turbulence is a must. For those who do not trust in us must be shaken and rattled. After all, Eliminate the fight by eliminating the battle. We hope you enjoy the flight, and know you will soar again soon, from noon to noon we move in unison, frequent fliers of the system.”

Tum Tum Tum.

by Tina Fish

Technology Review

TECHNOLOGY REVIEW Black Berry Curve 8530 smar tphon e Lenov o’s IdeaP ad U150 noteb ook

HP ProBo ok 6440 b

The ProBook is powered by an Intel Core i5/i7 processor and hou ses ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4550 GPU with 512MB of VRAM graphics. It is equipped with a 14-inch LED-backlit disp lay with anti-glare and 1366×768 reso lutions. It houses a 500GB hard drive, HP Mobile Broadband with GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/ g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, and fou r USB 2.0 port. Finally it supports up to 8GB of RAM.

The IdeaPad U series laptop s are Lenovo’s most competitive ly-priced and feature-rich IdeaPad collect ion. They are thin and light and thus perfect for anyone looking for portability with lots of features and at a great pric e.This recently presented 11.6 inch laptop is powered with a 1.3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 Processor and includes 3GB RAM, a 250GB HDD, and Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n.e.

This smartphone provides eas y acces to social networking sites incl uding Facebook and MySpace. It is equipped with a 320×240 display and includes a tactile full QWERTY keyboa rd, a trackpad for easy navigation , stereo Bluetooth, integrated GPS, and Wi-Fi. It houses a 2MP camera wit h video recording and digital zoom, a 256MB internal memory and expand able microSD/SDHC cards suppor ts up to 32GB of external memory.

Can on Ixu s 99 0 ISD MC -GF 1

IXUS 990 IS features a 5x optical zoom for impressive telephoto reach. You can shoot 12MP photographs easily with a range of intelligent technologies, or record breathtaking HD video. Smart Auto mode uses intelligent Scene Detection Technology to determine subject brightness, contrast, distance and overall hue from a 18 possible modes. The ixus 990IS is definitely one of the best compact cameras performance wise.

Cano n Rebe l T2i dSLR Cin em in Sw ive l Pro jec tor

Toshi ba Satel lite U500 -1EX

te touchscreen 13.3-inch TFT TruBri n of WXGA display with resolutio and has multitouch (1280×800 pixels) el Core i3-330 Int Hz support. 2.13G Intel HM55 Express CPU and includes an RAM, 320GB Chipset. 4GB of DDR3 Mobile Intel HD ed hard drive, integrat n rner, HD widescree Graphics, a DVD bu Wi n, itio gn co Re ce web camera with Fa h. ot eto Blu d Fi 802.11 b/g/n, an

the Cinemin Swivel portable multimedia pico projector will interest ipod and iphone users. This very little device is just the thing you need to share you pictures and videos with your friends. It’s 90° hinge makes it easy to project on any surface without having to prop it up or use a tripod. It can project a 1.5 meters ultraclear, high contrast HVGA picture with vivid color from over 2meters away. picture: http://www.brookstone.com/catal ogimageservlet?productId=8619777&lang uageId=EN&imageType=mainImage&image Ver=893

This latest Canon EOS dSLR includes Canon’s DIGIC 4 Imaging Pro cessor and an Enhanced iFCL 63-zone Dual Layer Metering System. It houses an 18.7MP CMOS sensor with Full HD 108 0p resolution at 30fps of video capture. The Canon Rebel T2i camera has feature ISO from 100 to 6400 (expan dable to 12800). It supports SD, SDH C, SDXC memory cards and new me nu status indicator for Eye-Fi support.

Goog le/HT C Nexu s One

By Jessica Chemaly (AUB)

The Nexus One smartphone is manufactured by HTC, and it runs on Android open source mobile operating system. It has a 1 GHz proces sor, and for a smartphone today, tha t’s pretty powerful. Interesting feature s are it’s ability to transcribe voice to text and to give voice directions while driving.

Movie Review

In “Clash of the Titans,” the ultimate struggle for power pits men against kings and kings against gods. But the war between the gods themselves could destroy the world. Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus (Sam Worthington) is helpless to save his family from Hades (Ralph Fiennes), vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing left to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus (Liam Neeson) and unleash hell on earth. Leading a daring band of warriors, Perseus sets off on a perilous journey deep into forbidden worlds. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, he will only survive if he can accept his power as a god, defy his fate and create his own destiny. The film will be presented in 3D wherever possible, making the gods even more formidable, the creatures even more fearsome, and taking audiences even deeper into the mythological realm of Perseus’ quest.

“Clash of the Titans” is being directed by Louis Leterrier (“The Incredible Hulk”). Leading the international cast is Australian actor Sam Worthington (“Terminator Salvation,” “Avatar”) as Perseus, the mortal son of Zeus, king of the gods. Academy Award® nominee Liam Neeson (“Taken,” “Schindler’s List”) takes on the role of the mighty Zeus, and Academy Award® nominee Ralph Fiennes (the “Harry Potter” films, “The English Patient”) plays the role of Hades, god of the underworld, who feeds on human fear. Rounding out the cast is Gemma Arterton (“Quantum of Solace”) as Io, Perseus’ mysterious spiritual guide throughout his journey; Mads

Mikkelsen (“Casino Royale”) as Draco, who takes up his sword to join Perseus’ quest; Jason Flemyng (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) as Acrisius, a onetime king turned hideous beast; and Alexa Davalos (“Defiance”) as Andromeda, a princess doomed to lose her life if Perseus does not succeed. Louis Leterrier directs “Clash of the Titans” from a screenplay by Travis Beacham (“Dog Days of Summer”) and Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi (“Aeon Flux”), based on the motion picture “Clash of the Titans,” directed by Desmond Davis and written by Beverley Cross. The film is produced by Basil Iwanyk (“We Are Marshall”) and Kevin De La Noy (“The Dark Knight”). The executive producers are Academy Award® winner Richard D. Zanuck and Legendary Pictures’ Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni and William Fay. The behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography Peter Menzies, Jr. (“The Incredible Hulk”); production designer Martin Laing (“Terminator Salvation”); editor Vincent Tabaillon (“The Incredible Hulk”); editor David Freeman (“The Full Monty”); Academy Award®-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming (“Topsy-Turvy,” “The Dark Knight”); Oscar®nominated visual effects supervisor Nick Davis (“The Dark Knight”); Oscar®-nominated prosthetics supervisor Conor O’Sullivan (“The Dark Knight,” “Saving Private Ryan”); Academy Award®-winning special effects and animatronics supervisor Neil Corbould (“Gladiator”); Academy Award®-winning makeup and hair designer Jenny Shircore (“Elizabeth”); and composer Craig Armstrong (“Moulin Rouge!”).

66 68 www.clash-of-the-titans.com

Book Review

BOOK REVIEW

THE BELL JAR

SYLVIA PLATH

If insanity has a name, then it would be called Esther Greenwood. If success is a possession, it would be Esther’s. The Bell Jar counts the journey of a young, successful, brilliant and beautiful young woman, alone in New York. She is living with other girls in a dorm, in the 1950’s, and surviving in the midst of a plastic society. Having all pressure on her, from work and personal life, Esther goes through a nervous breakdown with such intensity that her insanity becomes completely real and even rational.

Leb-IN-and-ON Sylvia Plath, the author, has pictured such a deep penetration into the dark and harrowing corners of the psyche in an extraordinary accomplishment “The Bell Jar”. She was married to the poet Ted Hughes and it was their divorce that led her to the road of the dreaded Bell Jar experience and triggered in her a deep depression and the first attempt to suicide which was mentioned in the afore mentioned novel. However, her second attempt brought her death on February11, 1963 at the age of thirty.

p.72 NIGHTLIFE Valentine’s Nights p.76 PRESS RELEASE p.77 GAMES

By Jowell Bou Zeid (NDU)

p.78 HOROSCOPE March Horoscopes p.80 Bande Dessinee

Nightlife

LOVE IS THE AIR: Valentine’s Night Valentine’s Day is celebrated with joy and verve in several countries around the world. Every year on February 14, those in love take opportunity of the occasion to reaffirm their love for sweethearts. Many people also express gratitude and love for teachers, friends, parents, siblings or any other person who is dear to them. Most popular Valentine’s Day gifts exchanged between loved ones across the globe are cards, gifts, fresh flowers and chocolates. All over the world people celebrate Valentine’s Day by expressing love to sweethearts, spouses and special ones. However, customs and traditions of celebrating the festival vary in different countries due to social and cultural differences.

By Jasmine Boyadjian (NDU)

US :

BRITAIN FRANCE

AUSTRALIA

INDIA LEBANON

Valentine’s Day is celebrated with joy and verve in several countries around the world. Every year on February 14, those in love take opportunity of the occasion to reaffirm their love for sweethearts. Many people also express gratitude and love for teachers, friends, parents, siblings or any other person who is dear to them. Most popular Valentine’s Day gifts exchanged between loved ones across the globe are cards, gifts, fresh flowers and chocolates. All over the world people celebrate Valentine’s Day by expressing love to sweethearts, spouses and special ones. However, customs and traditions of celebrating the festival vary in different countries due to social and cultural differences. St Valentine’s Day is celebrated with gaiety, enthusiasm and charm in Britain. Valentine’s Day Festival is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm in France. People take opportunity of the occasion and express love to people close through them. Just as in several other countries people in France exchange Valentine’s Day greetings through cards, fresh flowers and gifts of love. Valentine’s Day is a much-celebrated festival in Australia and its popularity is said to be increasing by the year. About 90 per cent of the people in the age group of 18-24 and 45 per cent of people above 50 are said to celebrate the day. People in Australia utilize Valentine’s Day festival as an opportunity to strengthen bonds of love with family, friends, colleagues and neighbors with simple acts of love. On this day, restaurants, discos, pubs and pizza parlors see a mostly busy time as couples celebrate the day in togetherness. Many men even propose to their sweetheart on this romantic day.

Lebanese people take Valentine’s Day to a new level. Lovers go out, dine, and party on this romantic day. They have dinner at home, or go for sushi, or Italian restaurant; and they go out to dance, have fun and party in DT, Monot, gemayzeh, etc. Exchanging gifts are very famous in Lebanon. Couples give each other red roses, jewelry, cards, teddy bears, chocolate, etc. On this day Lebanese usually wear red clothes, red shoes to give a more loving spirit to the night.

Nightlife

Beirutnightlife.com highlighted the most significant events happened on Valentine’s day such as the love boat which sailed, taking couples in love in a midnight cruise. Lovers in Beirut enjoyed an amazing cruise at the sea enjoying the lovely scenes of the Lebanese coast at night. Beirut city welcomed the Scarlett Etienne who blowed up Valentine’s night at BO18. Lovers danced to the rise of the sun on the beats of this UK beauty legend (Personally, I was present and enjoyed it so much). Additionally, I - bar presented from London DJ James Blend Poole, it was an exceptional night for the lovers. The celebration of Valentine’s Day is not limited to lovers but includes any and everyone loved by us, be it our parents, children, friends, relatives or dear ones. Even singles might enjoy Valentine’s Day to the fullest. In its true sense, Valentine’s Day celebrates love. The festival is a celebration of love! Brut Beirut presented special night for singles where they can meet new people.

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Press Release

NEW IDENTITY

sudoku

Games Games

DEEK DUKE UNVEILS EXCITING

Games

Deek Duke has recently unveiled a brand new concept that introduces a new logo, a new menu, a new identity and a new look for its branches. The new approach is under a general theme of Lebanese eclecticism, a reflection of Beirut’s cultural diversity, and features quotes, sayings, and doodles to encourage the customers to interact with the environment and be part of the brand.

Deek duke is a reflection of its customers: Lebanese in their diversity, eclectic in their nal expectations, fun in their experience and origi r, Dahe a Rand ins expla n, in their self expressio Marketing Manager at Deek Duke and Roadster

diner.

The new identity brings the restaurant chain to another level, evolving from its original focus on chicken to include a wide variety of items, including tempting salads, fantastic pasta, mouthwatering steaks, tasty sandwiches, delicious burgers, and marvelous desserts.

”

“This is not a simple change in menu,” says Daher. “We are actually completely reinventing ourselves, bringing a brand identity that is fresh, new, fun, warm, and completely diverse, with a personalized atmosphere, just like our customers.”

”

The change is immediately obvious for those who walk in to the new Hamra branch, where the identity is part of the entire design. There, a selection of mismatching chairs and tables, along with a mixture of lighting ‘crowned’ with a chandelier of suspended plastic chickens supports eclecticism as a central theme. Deek Duke’s world-class service and impressive standards come from the same people that created Roadster diner, a hugely successful dining experience. As Deek Duke’s slogan states, “it is not only about the food”. It is a place that customers can use as they see perceive fit: to eat, drink, play, express themselves, or just watch the world go by. Deek duke’s new concept is something that one must come to experience, and the best way to do so is to stop by the Hamra or Ashrafieh branches.

For a taste of the experience, there’s always delivery

at +961.1.210310.

riddlle

Can you feel the wave?

A farmer was going to town with a fox, a goose and a sack of corn. When he came to a stream, he had to cross in a tiny boat, and could only take across one thing at a time. However, if he left the fox alone with the goose, the fox would eat the goose, and if he left the goose alone with the corn, the goose would eat the corn. How does he get them all safely over the stream?

Horoscope

Horoscopes Aries Meeting the challenge of education and expansion into new horizons is seen. The retrograde parade can cause you to yearn to go back to school, take another look at an old relationship or revive some family traditions that have gone to the wayside. You may return to places where you once felt joy. Loyalties in friendship are appreciated now. Parents and parenting are stressful now. Strive for harmony, recognizing also the sacrifices others have made for you.

Taurus The month opens with a new look at your old resources. Desire to move ahead in career may cause you to look into new opportunities - even relocation. Romance is deep and understanding of the psychology of situations comes easy for you. Later in the month, purchases to upgrade transportation or appliances is likely. Concerns over getting back in shape for reunions over the holidays is in evidence. The future seems to hold the unexpected.

Gemini Emphasis is on improving skill levels and on - the job training. The desire to become more progressive and mainstream is almost overpowering. Support presents itself from those in authority in ways that help you to reclaim equilibrium. Sudden changes of the heart in relationships can leave your head spinning! Trust the process and try to mute out the voices of others less optimistic at this time.

Cancer You are deep and insightful now! Use everything you have learned in the past to counsel others. Take care not to overtax the physical body. Balance and responsibility toward your self is equally as important as your responsibilities toward others. An appreciative effort on your part is seen toward those who have supported you. Demands on your time are at a new high. You will need a little time alone and a little time away.

Leo Relationships can be fabulous now! New rules are incorporated to lend you new freedom to spend time together! Unexpected change of staff where you work is seen and adjustment lead toward greater harmony. Siblings and closest friends can be a source of concern. Take the time to be encouraging. Investments and even gambling can produce unexpected abundance! New resources seem to just around the corner now!

Virgo Many negotiations are seen! Travel plans can be delayed and vehicles can be a source of stress. Home projects go well and new ideas for refurbishing the home are abundant. By mid-month you are ready to float in the pool for awhile! Your energy will be low and you will need to count on your partner to back you up. Wheeling and dealing can save you a lot of money now! Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be timid in checking out all your options for investment.

Libra Surprising good news in property and finance this month! Unexpected approval of loans or increase in dividends is seen! Ongoing litigations and reconstructive processes to the home can still suffer delays until later in the month. Family can come to your aid in a big way now! You are drawn to be mutually supportive both at work and at home. Rid yourself of unneeded articles now! Great time for a yard sale!

Scorpio Support your knees, ankles and lower leg circulation in all exercise regimens now! Potentials for love an appreciation are high! Many adjustments must be made to impress those in authority. Listening well to new procedures and applying a cooperative effort can reap rewards now. Desire for travel is strong only if accompanied by relaxation. Home is your haven this month.

Sagittarius Drastic measures! You decide to suddenly end and begin many things! Travel plans and activities can be forced to change unexpectedly - with good results. You may give up drinking smoking or unhealthy foods now. Sudden changes n relationships take you off in a new direction - much to everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surprise. Parents and those in authority support you strongly at Full Moon.

Capricorn Stress regarding property and investment ultimately pays off! Health changes can cause you some stiffness and lack of mobility, If you are exercising - keep it moderate. Career opportunities seem to lean toward independent rather than corporate structures for you now, Capricorn. Negotiations regarding legal agreements bring out the lawyer in you! Concerns over parents and children can be crushing now. Keep your allies close.

Aquarius Be the rebel! After all - it is your style! Career opportunities are fabulous now! Take the plunge! With all you popularity expect to be very busy and crave a little time alone! Potential for short trips and recreation is wonderful. Studies and investing in new computer or progressive items is positive. Be sure to keep your eye on the weather reports before spending time on the water! You can spend money too quickly now! Be careful!

Pisces Spend time with the less than fortunate now. You will be drawn to help those confined physically or emotionally. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect immediate results. You will find the right words to say in many a tense situation now. Your psychic and healing energies are enhanced. You may seek to get your activities and diet more in balance now. You will have opportunities falling in your lap! Expect honesty from family, compassion from friends.

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