0 April 201
ies c i l o p g n i Smok pus m a c n o
Featured Interview
Pamela el Kik
Night Life
Faraya night life
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Top Targets
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Food For Thought
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Featured Campus Activities Academics
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Career Orientation & Job Listing NGOs & Youth Featured Interview Lifestyle
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Arts & Talents Creative Writing Book & Movie Review Technology Review
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ting
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editorial Smoking Kills!
It's common for youth and university students to hear and read the above sentence on their cigarette packs, from their close friends and parents, yet they keep on smoking ignoring the fact that they are injecting poison in their own veins, thinking maybe that smoking at their age is trendy and sexy. In this issue of “The Gate� we will discover together the policies implemented by universities regarding smoking on campus, policies that we encourage to be more strict by reaching a time where campuses are completely smoking free. In addition, this issue will feature the exchange programs between universities tackling the advantages of such programs, how enriching and essential an exchange program can be for students especially in terms of culture and environment exchange and enhancement. As for the star of the month, we will meet together Pamela El Kick aside of many other topics notably eating disorders, cafeterias as a break destination, nightlife in Faraya... Finally and as we advance further in this spring semester, we start looking and searching for internships and summer jobs to enhance our experience and complement what we are being taught in classes. But the question remains always the same: where and when to apply for internships? Expect in our next issue a complete guide regarding summer jobs and internships with tips and directions on how to find and apply for internships.
Bernard Hatem General Manager
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Top Targets p.12
FEATURED : Smoking . No smoking...
p.16
CAMPUS ACTIVITIES : AUB, AUD, AUT, LAU, NDU, USEK
p.24
ACADEMICS : Exchange Program
Featured Documentary
Smoking
No smoking… . . . . . on Campus!
Smoking has always been an issue around the world, whether in public or in private, indoors or outdoors, and subject of conflict between pro-smoking advertisement and anti-smoking campaigns. This conflict often gets inflamed as several published reports point at alarming facts and figures regarding smoking among youth, notably university students. The harmful effects of smoking on health, especially at young age, are evident, and therefore constitute the major motive for anti-smoking activists to lobby towards no-smoking policies on campuses.the major motive for anti-smoking activists to lobby towards no-smoking policies on campuses.
A recent report by Information International in Beirut revealed that 59% of university students in Lebanon admitted being smokers (66% male, 34% female), more than half of which do smoke on a daily basis! By that we can already imagine the amount of harm that could be caused if smoking is taking place on campus, knowing very well that it affects surrounding people even more than smokers themselves, which practically places the whole university community in danger. Besides, smokers have attracted environmental activists into the battlefield as cigarette butts get littered almost at every corner!
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In a smoke-free campus, a typical non-smoker’s attitude could be briefed by this very common opinion: “As you go in a building, you’re not going to have to go through smoke. When you walk out, you don’t see cigarette butts littered around. It’s just a cleaner, healthier campus.” That is the case at AUB for example, where smoking is strictly prohibited everywhere inside the campus.
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FEATURED
That is the case at AUB for example, where smoking is strictly prohibited everywhere inside the campus. According to civil society activists, other universities such as NDU and USJ also do prohibit smoking inside buildings and more are yet to come, and that would mostly depend on how fast the message gets spread to encourage all universities to become tobacco-free. The main organizations working on this mission in Lebanon are Rotaract, IndyAct and TFI (the Tobacco-Free Initiative). What these are mostly focusing on in their lobbying is to issue a public policy that prohibits smoking in closed areas, in addition to imposing restrictions on advertisement and so on… On another hand, university campuses in Lebanon are increasingly witnessing awareness campaigns and educational sessions about the dangers of smoking and the means to avoid addiction and become tobacco-free. Competitions are also taking place to encourage students to be further creative and involved in this process.
Some universities might also go further towards placing no-smoking signs all around the campus, as well as increasing their display of smokerelated policies on websites and even on admissions applications. Experts still blame however the heavy marketing efforts that are directed towards the youth on college campuses and that remain stronger and more intense than any awareness campaign that any organization can afford. “Many people might initially think it’s cool. But when they’re educated about the health effects, by that time, they are addicted, and it’s very hard to quit; They’re old enough to buy cigarettes but young enough to be highly vulnerable to ads promoting a hip, fun lifestyle” some add.
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And finally, as official messages say on every cigarette box you might buy: “Smoking might cause dangerous and fatal diseases.” Nobody can prohibit anyone from doing whatever he or she wishes, on condition that they don’t harm their surroundings. But the least to say is that awareness is always a must.
Campus Activities
Campus activities AUB Carlos Slim Helu
considers Lebanon ‘interesting’ for investment
Carlos Slim Helu, currently evaluated as the richest man in the world, spoke to an overflow audience at the American University of Beirut’s (AUB) Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB) on March 17, 2010. AUB Provost Ahmed Dallal welcomed Slim Helu and outlined his many philanthropic ventures in Mexico including his support for education. OSB Associate Dean Khalil Hindi praised Slim Helu’s “vision, acumen, determination, will power and kind heart.” Examining the topic “The New Civilization of Knowledge and Technology,” Slim Helu, the Mexican-born son of a Lebanese emigrant, took his audience on a part personal, somewhat philosophical journey based on history and commercial knowledge. Thanks to the dramatic advances of the last fifty years, Slim Helu explained, a whole new set of paradigms developed in response to technological and social change: freedom, democracy, plurality, diversity, and mobility. “Competitiveness is also a paradigm,” he added, “and people need to be strong and know how to compete. Governments need to understand what these paradigms mean and what changes are needed to help society thrive.” As a man who believes in the power of education and has dedicated funds to improving schools in rural areas and providing scholarships in his home country, Slim Helu said it is important to understand that one of the main challenges society faces is in the quality and modernity of education it provides, and that early education is vital. He noted that education can pull people out of poverty as it will help them land better jobs which in turn will give them greater spending power.
During the question-and-answer session, Slim Helu shared with his audience some of the secrets of his success including developing a pared-down organizational structure for his companies with minimal hierarchy and maintaining austerity during tough times. “There are no challenges we cannot overcome with clear objectives and the tools.” Slim Helu’s personal credo eschews negative thinking and favors optimism and passion along with the courage to confront fear. Slim Helu’s one-week trip to Lebanon was a personal and emotional journey. He wanted to get to know the country that his emigrant 14 year-old father wrote about to his brother on arrival in Mexico in 1902. He was accompanied by two of his six children, though he told the audience that initially they had all wanted to join him. Slim Helu left the country on March 17. Pressed on his reaction to Lebanon, Slim Helu said, “I have, in these few days, a very clear view that with peace and a local vision, Lebanon will be sustainable, will grow and investment will be good here... If Lebanon remains at peace, any sector would be interesting to invest in.” He did however call for the privatization of failing services: power, electricity, telecoms and the inadequate broadband supply being high on the list. “Based on skills, talents, banking, agriculture, tourism and services, a country like Lebanon, developing in any area, will work,” he reassured his audience.” Success, Slim Helu said in conclusion, is not about doing things well or garnering praise, it is about harmony between the soul and emotions. “Negative feelings and emotions need to be controlled. Live long but travel fast. Live fully in the present and not in the past. The future is the important incentive. Live with positive feelings-those of love, honesty, courage, joy and humour, and banish negativity. Mistakes are normal and human: Make them small, accept them, correct them, and forget them. Live without fear and guilt: Fear is the worst; it weakens. Guilt makes the present difficult so let us have the good sense to accept ourselves as we are. When we face our problems they disappear. So learn from failure and let success be the silent incentive. And most of all, always act as you are, never lie.”
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Lebanon’s location on long “fault” lines predisposes it to the threat of major earthquakes, which strike almost periodically, but destruction and casualties can be minimized by preparedness, according to AUB’s assistant professor of geology Ata Elias. In his lecture entitled “Earthquakes and their Hazard in the Region,” Elias showed a map of earthquake activity in different parts of the world. The map clearly pinpointed a pattern of earthquake distribution, illustrating high concentrations of seismic tremors along “predefined lines or tectonic plate boundaries.” Lebanon lies on one these plate boundaries extending along its shoreline. The timely seminar which was organized by the Geology Student Society took place on March 11, 2010 at West Hall’s Auditorium A, amid justifiable concerns over catastrophic repercussions of earthquakes. “Haiti and Chile, homes to the most recent major quakes, lie on major plate boundaries,” affirmed Elias. While Elias acknowledged that earthquakes recur periodically and the regional fault line may be on the verge of renewed activity, he stressed that no one can predict earthquakes, even though scientists can estimate to the nearest century that one might be imminent.
surrounding plate movement--becomes high enough to cause rupture and slip. Then the subsequent elastic energy stored is liberated causing potential damage, explained Elias. The magnitude of an earthquake depends on the size of the fault and the amount of slip. The amount of energy released, said Elias, is not linearly related to magnitude of the earthquake. For instance, for each one degree change in magnitude on the Richter scale, 32 times more energy is released and the amount of ground movement increases 10-fold. The last major Earthquake in the region occurred near the Gulf of Aqaba in 1995, and had a magnitude of 7.3, but in Lebanon the strongest recorded quake took place in 1202 and was 7.6 in magnitude. According to Elias, the Yammouneh fault is the source of that earthquake, and it continues to be a threat of future activity. Although Elias insisted that earthquakes could not be predicted, he emphasized that if people are prepared, harm could be minimized. Earthquake intensity, which is manifested in the extent of ensuing damage, depends a great deal on how prepared the buildings are to absorb the destructive energy, said Elias. So considering Beirut’s location and track record, “it had better be prepared,” he warned.
“Usually, major earthquakes happen, and then we experience periods of calm, as stresses are loading,” said Elias. “But we know that earthquakes reoccur in an almost periodical manner, and now we may be close to the end of a period,” he continued. Earthquakes result when the stress build-up at a fault line in the rocks on Earth’s surface--having been locked by
NDU Against Human Trafficking in Iraq NDU, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University, organized a conference about Human Trafficking and improvement of effective protection of its victims. Lebanese, Iraqi and American law specialists and sociologists participated in the event.
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Unpredictable earthquakes: Preparedness is the key
Campus Activities
NDU “Virgin Mary and Peace” at NDU an -Bishara”, NDU organized In the holy occasion of “Al . ce” Pea “Virgin Mary and event under the title of cache, by former MP Pierre Dac ed end att s The event wa chers, tea , ans de es’ ulti fac n to Dr. Assaad Eid, in additio students and priests.
AUD
American University in Dubai and Barclays Bank UAE sign Agreement for the Exchange of Opinion, Knowledge and Expertise
in Dubai The American University Dubai, March 16, 2010. randum mo me a ed PLC, UAE sign (AUD) and Barclays Bank opinion, of ge han exc the g enablin of understanding (MoU) ns. tio titu between the two ins knowledge and expertise and s hip rns inte ion will result in This enhanced cooperat Barclays es for AUD students with niti rtu po op employment pective ent on behalf of their res Bank. Signing the agreem ns atio Rel al gy M. Awad, Extern institutions were Ms. Peg n tio iza irat Em ari, Amal Al Bay Manager at AUD and Ms. UAE. k Ban ys cla Bar at Manager The terms of the MoU cover many areas of cooperation between AUD and Barclays Bank including recruitment, sponsorship, exchange of knowledge, and training. In this regard, AUD commits to encourage students and graduates to apply for employment opportunities at the bank. Barclays Bank will, in return, provide AUD students with internship and summer time employment opportunities, provided that these students meet Barclays’ job qualifications. On another note, AUD and Barclays Bank will be coordinating visits and presentations to exchange knowledge in relevant areas.
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“Signing the Memorandum of Understanding with the American University in Dubai, a respected and leading education institution in the UAE, enhances Barclays strategy of building a generation of business leaders at Barclays. It also highlights the importance we place on the role that our existing Emirati workforce currently plays within Barclays. We already have among our senior management team, a number of both male and female Emiratis, who contribute towards driving and shaping the business and we will continue to provide an attractive workplace for all our employees,” said Amal Bayari, Head of Emiratisation, Barclays UAE
Commenting on the newly signed agreement with Barclays Bank, Ms. Peggy Awad, External Relations Manager says: “The External Relations Office, consistent with the university’s mission, capitalizes on building and sustaining enduring partnerships with the corporate world that will in turn benefit the members of the University Community, most notably its students. We are proud today to add Barclays Bank PLC as one of our new partners in which together we successfully identified ways to nurture the students’ experience while providing them with opportunities that will ultimately add a professional dimension to their formal education.”
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Campus Activities
AUD
AUD wins Student Loft Competition for 3rd Year in a Row Dr. Nubani: Over 40 Entries from Universities across the UAE received and only 3 selected Farzaneh: Winning made me believe I can do it; nothing is Impossible
Dubai, March 23, 2010. The American University
in Dubai (AUD) has yet again taken pride in the performance of its students in local and international competitions worldwide. This time, the name of AUD has been linked, for the third year in a row, to the “Student Loft Competition,” as Farzaneh Eslami Ramchahi, an AUD Interior Design student, won the first prize in the light fixture category. The student participants represented four local Universities and competed to design a meeting table or area, a workstation, a reception desk or an office lamp. Farzaneh scooped the award for her “Armed” lamp, and will be visiting the factories and design center in Milan for FREZZA SPA, a leading Italian manufacturer of high end office furniture, and meeting with their world class designers and learning the secrets behind manufacturing high-end office products. Organized by Dr. Linda Nubani, Managing Director of Mazari Consultants and part time professor at AUD, and sponsored by FREZZA, the competition took place during the Annual Office Exhibition Show, the latter organized by DMG World Media, and provided a unique opportunity for students to get direct exposure to the industry, thus illustrating how to create designs that are not only eye-appealing, but are also feasible, practical and easy to produce. On the enthusiasm that has been linked to this competition and the process of selection of its participants, Dr. Nubani comments:
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“The idea of this competition has been increasingly attracting more students to participate. This year we have received over 40 entries from AUD, Abu Dhabi University, Ajman University and Sharjah University. We have screened the entries to 32 and only 3 winners were picked to spend one week between Milan and Venice. The jury of this competition flew to Dubai to attend this event; these are: Arch. Sergio Lion, Managing Director of Frezza, and Arch. Paolo Favaretto, Founder of Favaretto & Partners. The jury based their selection on the most innovative producible piece.” The winning students’ award serves them in their prospective career by way of providing access and exposure to leading design companies. FREZZA’s itinerary for the student winners this year includes visiting the 49th edition of the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, galleries of designer furniture in Milan, in addition to visiting the factory and offices of FREZZA near Venice. The visit to the factory will enlighten students how to enhance their design skills and learn how to produce furniture at a leading factory. There will only be one free day for the students to walk around Venice before they head back to Dubai.
Speaking about her winning experience, Farzaneh explains: “Not only am I surprised that I won, but also delighted! This was a great experience for me, and was the first time I have really had to think about the practicalities of my designs. Winning has given me much more confidence, and I am sure that it will help me enormously in my future career.” She adds, “Any creative idea with a new attitude is worth a try. It does not necessarily mean that it should always work out, but the fact that you were brave enough to bring it to life makes the difference. To me the competition was a challenge to make that difference. Surely, that gave me more confidence and I ended up saying to myself that I can do it, as nothing is impossible.” Complimenting the incessant involvement of AUD in such educational competitions and Frezza’s efforts within the Interior Design sector, Dr. Nabyl Chenaf, AUD’s Chair of Architecture and Associate Professor of Architecture and Interior Design, and Interim Chair of Interior Design, states:
“
I am proud of our Interior Design Junior students at AUD who participate and win awards regularly in this prestigious competition, thanks to FREZZA who have tremendously contributed to a new culture amongst students and schools of Interior design in the country, and managed to consolidate the link between the profession, the market and academia. FREZZA’s efforts in promoting young talents in the region are truly appreciated.
”
The Annual Office Exhibition, the only event of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region, took place at the Dubai World Trade Centre earlier this year.
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On the occasion of the Women’s International Day, the Faculty of Business and Commercial Sciences at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik organized a seminar entitled “Women in the Workplace”, with the participation of 5 prominent women who shed the light in their speeches on the success achieved by women in different fields of work and underlined the active role of women in the development and progress of societies, besides their high abilities in holding various leadership positions. The seminar began with a speech by Ms. Tracey Mansell, lecturer at USEK, who presented a historical overview and global comparison of women’s role in the workplace. Afterwards, Ms. Mary Ann Ballouz, lecturer at USEK as well, underlined in her speech entitled “How to Act and What to Wear: Proper Work Etiquette and Dress” the importance of adjusting our behavior and dress in the workplace. After a short
coffee break, Ms. Marys e Nassif, shoe designer and owner of Bijou de Pied, gave a speech entitled “How to Make It in the Extremely Competi tive Market”, while Ms. Fabienne George, Account Manager of Les Affichages Pikass o SARL, dealt with the different means of working and succeeding in highly co mpetitive work environments. Finally, Ms . Patricia Kebbe, Managing Partner for Go u, shared with the audience how she used her creativity, originality and motivatio n to make her business dream come true. The seminar, which too k place on March 8, 2010 at the USEK Co nference Hall, was followed by a receptio n.
AU T The Role of Lebanese Christians in the Middle East AUT chose to invite two members of Parliament belonging to two opposed Christian parties together with Jbeil Bishop Bishara Rahi to expose the views how the role of Lebanese Christians has evolved with time and what the priorities are for such role to last. First to speak was Simon Abi Ramia member of the Free Patriotic Movement. After he gave statistics related to the drastic decrease of the Christian presence in the Arab world, he developed his views about what can help the Christians of Lebanon keep playing an important role for the other communities. For him, the three “no do’s” are the use of violence among Christians to impose political views, the gathering in one geographic limited area as opposed to remain disseminated over the Lebanese territory and not to be part of regional or international power axes. Abi Ramia also called on the church to put their land to use in development projects that make it easy for middle-income Christians to stay in the
country instead of em igrating. The member of the Leb anese Forces, Antoine Zahra attribute d the decrease of the number of Christian s residing in Lebanon and the Arab world to the lack of political and economic stability. He insisted that Christians had to take up arms only when they are unable to exe rcise their freedom of expression and tho ught. He favored the solidarity with the Maron ite Patriarch and the support of constitutio nal institutions among which is the Presidency of the Republic. Last to speak was Bisho p Rahi who chose to ficus on the cultural role played by the Christians of Lebano n. He quoted an Egyptian delegate to Leb anon in 1947 who spoke of the merit of the Lebanese Christians in the Arab Renaissance of the 1920s and 30’s and who admitted that without them the Arab world would have stayed longer in the dark cultural ages the Ottoman rule had imposed. Rahi also rea d a passage written by late Pope John Paul II about the necessity for Arab Christians to maint ain cordial relations with the other commun ities. AUT’s press advisor Ge orges Aab led the conference which was held on campus on March 11 at Issam Fares Auditorium.
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USEK
Women’s International Day at USEK
Campus Activities
LAU Advancing space exploration, advancing humanity: NASA scientist lectures at LAU on continue to spend money “Why do we explore and SA’s NA of or ect Charles Elachi, dir exploration?” asked Dr. rd Boa ’s LAU of on ers irp y and cha Jet Propulsion Laborator th Ear in ut “Recent Developments of Trustees, in a talk abo , nts de stu of before an audience and Space Exploration” mbers ts, and LAU community me ntis scie g irin academics, asp on March 17. e, with d to the south of us, in Tyr In fact, “exploration starte d their yon be s wa at nted to see wh the Phoenicians who wa scientist. ned Lebanese-American horizon,” said the renow d explore
d stars to see an “They used astronomy an the this continued through the Mediterranean, and Arab period.”
Today, telescopes based on the designs of our ancestors are being used to see how stars are formed. Elachi, who is also vice president of Academic Affairs at the California Institute of Technology, gave the presentation at LAU’s Irwin Hall Auditorium, Beirut campus. Although for many the concept of space exploration might seem abstract, Elachi engaged the audience at LAU by illustrating the relevance of his work to our everyday lives, with the help of a colorful slideshow. Some images showed the striking similarity between rocks on Mars and those on Earth. In front of a backdrop of two nearly identical pictures of the rocky landscapes of the two planets, Elachi noted that both have clouds,
an atmosphere, grand canyons, craters and a history of oceans. “Three billion years ago, there were oceans on Mars similar to oceans on Earth,” he said. “Why did life start here, and not on Mars? Or, did life start on Mars and get extinguished?” Indeed, today the future of our planet Earth appears to be in danger, and the science of space exploration is providing valuable tools to help study this phenomenon. “We’re getting more and more concerned about managing the planet,” Elachi said. “How is the environment being affected by humans and how should we shape our behavior?”
He then explained that much of the scientific research regarding the monitoring of global warming is being done with the help of satellites and other tools developed in the process of space exploration. This research includes the study of rising sea levels and the loss of ice in Antarctica, Iceland and Greenland. Due to high concentrations of populations living in coastal areas, it is estimated that one third of the world’s population, including Lebanon, will be affected by rising sea levels. Through satellite systems, researchers are also studying the effects of earthquakes and there is ongoing research to discover a method of predicting earthquakes. “We have a moral responsibility to take care of our planet ,” Elachi reminded the audience. He added that perhaps the most immediately relevant aspect of the science of space exploration for our daily lives is the mobile telephone, an invention that came about because of satellite communication. “Innovation is when you give smart people a tough set of problems,” said Elachi, crediting the willingness of the United States to invest in science and innovation for its strong economy. He added, “Now we can’t live withou t the internet. Progress comes from things we completely have not thought about.” The presentation concluded with a video about the trials and tribulations of space launchings. It showed the persistence of scientists trying to design rockets and parachutes, with several failed attempts and in the end, achieving success. This is something Elachi says is impor tant for the students to strive for.
“There’s always a high persistence in finding a solution,” he said. “Things aren’t always straightforward or easy.”
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Exchange programs: Gates for a brighter future
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Being a university student is not just about passing courses and obtaining a degree, no matter how advanced that degree might be.
fin
ap
th
pr
fin
pl University is a lifetime experience that every
What are exchange programs actually? First of all and
student goes through; the further your
to make things clear, exchange programs are not
ambitions go, the more you can extract
lottery games where “some lucky people” only can
treasures out of it.
make it, as many students feel. They are the result of agreements between universities all around the
It’s the period where, being a young adult,
world, coming out of their understanding that cultural
you get to shape both your personal and
diversity brings to their campuses and departments
professional characters.
high academic and social added value. So in brief, we can say that these programs can be
In that regard, enhancing your culture and
described as “mutual enrichment” between local and
your exposure to several learning environments
foreign universities and students.
allows you to expand your horizons and offers you an “extra point” to start with, in your
All what you need to do to gain such an experience
upcoming race for the best career path.
is first of all work hard to meet the requirements. A
Exchange programs are one of the very
high GPA is a primary must, but indeed not enough.
essential and enriching tools that every student
You also need to develop your character in a way that
can have the chance to profit from.
enables you to be recommended for this experience, and that could only happen once you understand
You might be hearing about such programs, or
the value of what you are about to go through. You
maybe seeing few of your colleagues on your
need the enthusiasm to knock at every door in your
campus newspaper as exchange students, but
campus, ask for all eligibility criteria, consult with
never really wondered how to be there?
your advisors to make the right choice that suits your needs, get all application forms and procedures and
Ba
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start working on them point by point. If you’re not
program must finally result in a proper transfer of
someone with this kind of enthusiasm, achieving this
credits taken. That should be taken care of “BEFORE”
experience and gaining the maximum out of it might
you finalize your applications for courses abroad,
be at risk.
with your corresponding academic advisors and departments.
not solely dedicated to enhance your social exposure
Now if you’re reading this while being a final year
and experience but also to advance academically,
student, it might be too late for you to profit from it…
as it’s not something you can do “for free”. In other
But if you’re a freshman, sophomore or junior student,
terms, it’s going to cost you some money. In some
and wish to live an unforgettable experience abroad,
conditions, you might still profit from your university’s
broadening your social and academic and professional
financial aid even while studying abroad, or you might
horizons and enhancing your chances to build a highly
apply for a work-study program at the hosting campus
reputable career, either in your country or abroad,
there, but yet, after all, you’re living abroad and most
then you need to act now, do some research, consult
probably on your own. So another quest for you is to
with your departments, teachers, advisors, discuss it
find a way to “sponsor” your dream and be able to
with parents and colleagues that lived the experience
plan and control your expenses.
before you, and quest to meet the requirements and
Back to academics, as said, going for an exchange
go for it!
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And keep in mind that being an exchange student is
Do you have Jobs, Internships, Academic Programs,
Workshops, Etc… To publish in
The Gate University Students Magazine
The Gate’s career orientation section offers you the opportunity to be in direct touch with university students To publish your offers in The Gate University Students Magazine Email us on: info@promoprints-me.com and we will contact you back to complete the process…
Soci-Selections p.28
CAREER ORIENTATION : Studying Engineering? What are you most likely going to work in… Job offers
p.32
NGOS AND YOUTH : Toufoula: Innovation, Devotion and Professionalism…
p.36
FEATURED INTERVIEW : Pamela el Kik
p.40
LIFESTYLE: “el-Cafette”: the top “break” destination
Career Orientation
If go
Studying Engineering? What are you most likely going to work in…
If ap
Engineering has always been a challenge to every student graduating from school and planning his or her future career, especially that it constitutes the dream choice of lots of parents, especially in Lebanon. Engineering as a profession has developed a lot since early history and till now, and has managed to divide into tens of different advanced specializations. Many students simply go for engineering as a choice based on their proved capacities in math and other sciences during school periods. And here we go at a glimpse of what you could be working in once you’re done with your studies. In Lebanon, the main engineering specializations that are common to most universities are: Civil engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering and mechanical engineering.
If you are majoring in Civil Engineering, you are very much likely to be working in: Construction: planning and execution of designs from transportation, site development, hydraulic, environmental, structural and geotechnical engineers… Geotechnical: concerned more in rock and soil and requiring knowledge in geology, mechanics of materials, hydraulics, etc… Environmental: concerned about water treatment, waste treatment and other environmentrelated applications. Structural design and analysis. Land and building surveying. Transportation applications. Urban and infrastructure applications.
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Power production and management systems. Control systems. Electronics and micro-electronics. Signal processing, telecommunications and instrumentation. All electronic applications and hardware production.
If you are majoring in Computer Engineering, you are most likely applying your skills in: Computer hardware design. Software design. Design of chips, sensors, circuit boards, operating systems, etc… Robotics.
If you are majoring in Mechanical Engineering, you have many fields of application such as:
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Heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Isolation systems. Industrial applications. Manufacturing. Machinery. Fluid systems. Instrumentation and control. Mechatronics and robotics. Energy systems. Etc…
In brief, it choosin doesn’t only m atter wh g, but m ich part ore imp wish to ortantly develop , which of engineering in and p y sub-disc ursue yo ipline o ou are ur caree It is to n f it you r. ote as w ell that disciplin the men es tioned d applicati are purely tec iscipline hn on of le sa arning o ical ones that very mu reflect v nd subutcome ch been ery dire s. Howe linked a and the ct ver, eng lready to refore a ineeri ne bu applicati ons but ngineer’s caree siness and man ng has r is neve rather a agemen pply in many fie r restricted to s t On ano pecific lds as w the ell. disciplin r hand, advanc e are be ed rese arch stu coming one goe d countle s deep ss day a ies in every sub into a c chances fter day ertain sp to have , and th ecific sp higher p e more ecializa otential ti on salaries The dec and pos , the more the ision to itions gro bu one. Yo w. u just sim ild a career in e p n “I don’t g ly don’t know w want to ineering is thus hat I wa nt to sp reach your fina not an easy l year sa ecialize Once yo ying: in”. u’re into on the a a path, it is imp pplicati o ons of e check h very sub rtant to do exte ow eac -field of h one is n pressure enginee sive research worked a ring and on grou enginee re imposed in go n d e ring is v ery muc very field’s com and what kind s of h closely panies, e attache d to res specially that ponsibil ity.
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If you are majoring in Electrical Engineering, you are most probably going to be work in:
Career Orientation
Job listings A reputable English magazine in Lebanon is recruiting freelance writers. Interested candidates please send your Cvs to info@promoprints-me.com A multinational group of media companies has summer internships openings for university students in the following fields: Marketing, Advertising, Media Sales, Graphic Design, Accounting and PR. Students are kindly requested to send their Cvs to hr.lebanon@gmail.com For a production company “Steps T.V.\ Media” based in Nabatyieh, South Lebanon. needed graphic designers,2-3 years experience, graphics, video editing, drawing, animations 2D\ 3D, Candidates to send their CVs to: y.h.a@hotmail.com or call: 03\762026
Junior Accountant vacancy no experience needed for an international company located in chevrolet , fom 8am till 5:30 pm 5 days a week, salary between 600 and 700 $ For more info call 01287222 or send your cv by email to nbadran@budget.com.lb
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Civil engineers are needed for the following job description: - Planning the work and efficiently organizing the plant and site facilities in order to meet agreed deadlines - Overseeing quality control, health and safety matters on site - Preparing reports and office work as required - Resolving any unexpected technical difficulties, and other problems that may arise. - Civil engineer or any related field or experience - Years of experience: 2 to 5 years in waterproofing - Job type: Construction - Engineering - Job Location: Hamra – Lebanon Cvs to be sent to: reference@reference-lb.com
Global Technology Company (Beirut) has vacancies for: - Quality Assurance Engineers - Fresh graduates in computer science or equivalent (relevant experience is an advantage) -Junior and Senior PHP Software Developers (Programming) - Bachelor in computer science, computer engineering or equivalent (1+ relevant years of experience required) Please send your CV to: haysamsaab@yahoo.com A well known Lebanese company strongly involved and dedicated to provide high-end products to the medical community as well as the aesthetic and fitness specialized centers is currently looking to expand her team, due to the expansion of the Market and the company growth. Vacant Positions: Product specialist IT Administrator Sales representative Marketing assistant Job Location: Saifi, Beirut, Lebanon. Languages: Good command of English, Arabic and French. Interested candidates are requested to send their CVs to careers@gannage.com.lb IT Sales Advisor for an attractive offering with basic and high compensation. Kindly send Cvs to edib@rci-lb.com
Needed female sales representatives for a retail company in Lebanon specialized in clothes on full time bases . Please send your Cv on admin@oneoh-one.com or by fax to +9611316222 Looking for an energetic professional to handle all marketing tasks. Selfstarter. Smart. Very comfortable with technology including MS Office, internet research, and online marketing. Excellent communication/ presentation skills. Well-organized. Good follow-up. English and Arabic a must. French a plus. Please send your Cvs to jobs@cedarwoodadvisors.com
Looking for energetic, aggressive and highly Sales representatives capable of delivering immediate results to join our team. Qualified candidates shall possess 2+ years experience in sales; have excellent communication skills and an understanding of the online advertising and marketing business environment, assure all communications with the clients until the closing of the deal Strong Communications Skills, Highly Organized, Self Motivated, Dynamic and Motorized Very good fixed + salary Commissions + Mobile + Transportation fees For consideration Please Forward your CV to: info@smartadon.com
Circle – visual communication is recruiting a secretary: - Young, motivated & friendly - Good communication skills (English & Arabic are a must) - Good knowledge in MS Office & telephone protocol - Basic accounting skills - Attention to detail (planning & organizing) Send your CV to: info@circle-vc.com or call 009619938830 Looking for an energetic professional to handle all administrative tasks. Self-starter. Smart. Very comfortable with technology including MS Office, and internet research. Excellent communication skills. Highly organized. Good follow-up. English and Arabic a must. French a plus. Send your Cvs to jobs@cedarwoodadvisors.com
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NGOs and Youth
Toufoula: Innovation, Devotion and Professionalism…
Amale Khairallah: “Younger people are the most capable of change!” Toufoula has become widely known to the public for its commendable activities towards cancerous children. Toufoula has managed to gather the efforts of volunteers from all disciplines and backgrounds in its mission to draw a smile on the face of children in pain, and to offer them at least relaxing and joyful environments to support their hard tragic struggle…
Beginnings, Mission and projects Toufoula started as a youth movement, mainly by university students, and then became a highly recognized association collaborating with ministries, policy makers, hospital administrations and more. So far it has been mostly known for the “dream rooms” project that “transformed dull rooms into colorful places so children don’t feel marginalized anymore” as Amale describes it. “Kids spend a long time under treatment, away from home, from school, from friends, and suffer from intensive pain as well. No child should be treated in a place where he might feel imprisoned rather than being healed!” she adds. Khairallah believes that the most important contribution it is having resides in the “psychological assistance and the humanitarian support and solidarity that it gives to the children, which gives them a feeling of happiness and thus eases their treatment and increases their chances to heal.”
Currently, Toufoula is mostly focused on this project, in addition to awareness campaigns in schools and other places, and also organizing regular visits to the kids in hospitals, on holidays and also on their birthdays. Toufoula’s sincere devotion, professionalism, and innovation attracted lots of congratulations and awards so far, especially from the Lebanese American University, from Father Rene Chamusi of the Saint Joseph University, from Minister Ziad Baroud and more… “Although Toufoula is an NGO, but we work as if it’s a corporate organization and we take our mission very seriously” explains Khairallah.
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“We mis pro inst tha life
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Student activism
Cancer targets everyone
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“Toufoula’s recruitment is not restricted to any category because cancer targets everyone without any discrimination, whether at school, university, whether professionals, in households, celebrities and everyone!”
Role of universities & their involvement “We need them to give us more support and make our mission easier” says Amale. “For example, one of our projects is to promote healthy food in educational institutions, as well as anti-smoking policies. We believe that schools and universities should impose healthy lifestyles. On another hand, we wish that universities
and schools allow us to place stands to sell healthy products for fundraising. And hopefully soon we will aim at founding active chapters in universities as well” she explains.
Governmental support “It’s not easy” says Amale. “So far what we are getting is appreciation for our activities and participation from officials, especially the ministers of Interior, of Health, of Social Affairs as well as of members of the parliament in our activities. The main challenge is that almost all of us are below the age of 30, so it takes more effort to build credibility and gain their trust. Also we got requests from many Arab countries to initiate our project there” she explains.
Challenges “Emigration of the youth is the hardest challenge. Once they graduate, they travel to work abroad and therefore we lose their potential to serve their society. Also when it comes to funding, usually people prefer to pay for material aid such as medication and equipment rather than for workshops and activities that offer moral support. And as said earlier, being young activists make it harder for us to build trust with the people that we need although younger people are the most capable of leading a change! On final thing that is hard to build, especially at the level of university students, is the feeling of duty, to take volunteering activities as seriously as their career, so we can make of our society a better place to live, with more social justice.”
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“We have volunteers from all universities and from all fields of studies. Doctors, nurses, biochemists, and pharmacists are working on cancer awareness and prevention campaigns in schools and universities and regions. The target of these campaigns is mainly to eliminate discrimination against cancer patients, and shed the light on the fact that cancer is not contagious. Others from a finance and business background take care of fundraising. We also work through professional committees including engineers, architects and others specialized in communication, creativity, PR, events, graphic and web design and more…”
NGOs and Youth
Media support “Media was always very supportive, since reporters and editors were always able to grasp the importance of the work Toufoula is doing. TV stations hosted us tens of times to expose our work and I would like especially to thank LBC and New TV for the amazing reports they did about the dream rooms project in the news, and for the intensive coverage they offered, as well as all media people who supported us and some of which actually became activists with us too. And finally, I can’t forget the great campaign that IB2(espacialy Julia Aoun and her team) had offered on TV, radios, outdoor billboards and prints, all for free, attracting to us many volunteers and spreading our word to everyone.” Toufoula actualy became known through the “ No color no life” campaign
Professionals: Famous signatures According to Khairallah, Toufoula succeeded in gathering 25 of the most renowned architects, fashion designers & interior designers to become part of the ”dream rooms” project. “It was hard to convince them to trust that a bunch of young people are capable of doing such a unique project that never happened elsewhere in the world!” she adds.
Partners Toufoula’s main partners are all hospitals across Lebanon, that have cancer treatment departments, notably so far the Hariri governmental hospital, the Makassed hospital, Hotel Dieu de France, Zahra’… “Our aim is to cover all hospitals in Lebanon. They are actually providing all facilities and cooperation in the best ways possible” adds Khairallah.
Future projects Amale Khairallah exposes many dreams that Toufoula is aiming to realize in the future, such as an art therapy group where volunteers go to hospitals and do paints, music, dancing and other artistic performances to entertain children and nourish their imagination. “We also aim to provide free transportation from far hometowns to cancer treatment centers, most of which are based in Beirut. Another project we are working on is to have a newsletter including health awareness and cancer prevention tips for kids. We also need to build an interactive website with social networking facilities to link kids in hospitals with others in schools. We dream of having oncologists available in all regions, along with all the needed treatment facilities. We are also lobbying on all political levels so treatment would become available for free to all children and healthy food policies would be imposed in all educational institutions and to prohibit ads that target kids in a bad way!”
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dream, but when ! When we dream alone, it’s just a “Give hope, give life, GET INVOLVED med a vision into sfor ng of a new reality! Toufoula tran we dream together, it’s the beginni to work in solidarity.” a reality because they were able
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Final Message
Featured Interview
Pamela el-Kik
“When there’s a will, there’s a way!”
What comes to your mind when we say determination? Or when we say beauty? Or when we say stardom? Or when we say young talent? Or when we say success? Each one might have a different answer for each of those questions, but when it comes to all those together, the answer is “Pamela el-Kik”! Despite her young age of 21, Pamela has managed to break fast into the hearts and minds of every person that might have noticed her in one
of her numerous appearances in leading roles either on TV or in plays, whether that person was a viewer, a producer, a director, a kid, a man, a woman etc… In a honest and sincere conversation with The Gate University Students Magazine, Pamela el-Kik illustrates, with clear passion and devotion, her path towards success, while thanking God for every step tow ards it. Pamela el-Kik is definitely not just a beautiful actress who might have attracted viewers because of a short skirt ! Sure there are plenty of them everywhere, yet Pamela el-Kik carries lots of secrets of success and of attraction to all categories of viewers and producers and directors who can sense in her a promising talent... And that all started at age five when she clearly said:
“I’ll be an actress”!
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As said in the introduction above, Pamela el-Kik felt the passion for her talent since very young age. “It started when I used to monitor very closely our friends that came to visit us and then as soon as they leave, I imitated their behavior and the way they talked and so on…” says Pamela. Wassim Tabbara: the turning point… Pamela’s father was an actor himself long time ago and his friendship with Wassim Tabbara made a turning point in her life. “I was 15 years old when he noticed me and felt the talent I had. I started working with him on some small voice sketches for Naharnet, as well as on a project called Click-it that he used to distribute within private circles. After that, I was asked to play a role in a candid camera program on LBC. I was supposed to play two scenes out of nine while the other seven were assigned to other girls, but then ended up being the only one taken for all the nine episodes. I was simply treating the camera as if it wasn’t there.”
The shock!
then supposed to play a role in “ aI was play called “Helis Mellis” for Wassim
Tabbara. We started on a Monday and unfortunately he died on Friday. I was in a state of shock and said to myself: “It’s Over!
“
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r
The beginnings
Featured Interview
Pamela el-Kik to Chekri Anis Fakhouri: “I want to act!” Pamela’s shock from the death of Wassim Tabbara was actually not the end. At age 17 she went to meet the renowned Chekri Anis Fakhoury, and simply told him:
“I want to act!”
“At first he was surprised and definitely couldn’t be sure of what I was there for. He asked me about a series he had on New TV, but I wasn’t very familiar with local productions. As I seemed really very determined, he gave me a paragraph to memorize and test for the next week. But then I came back having memorized the whole episode and told him I could play it back completely including all the characters in it, and that impressed him quite much. And as I was saying one of the phrases, he told me it was the first time since 20 years that someone gives him such a great feeling and that left a great effect on me… As I played my role in “Imra’a min dayaa’” on New TV, the director Elie Feghali noticed me and offered me a role in “erbit tenhall”, the comedy program on New TV…” Step forward: working with producer Marwan Haddad… In brief, Pamela el-Kik had spent 4 years jumping from a place to another and succeeding quite evidently in all the various roles she played, and that was the source of admiration of many that surrounded her, thus speeding her stardom. “I met producer Marwan Haddad with whom I’m still working currently. I started with a cinema movie called “Madame Bambino” and then had roles in various plays and shows such as “A’asr el harim” and “khotwet hobb” on LBC, “Dr. Hala” on Future TV, weather forecasts on MTV, “A’al Tarik” play with George Khabbaz, “Sarah” and “El hobb el mamnou’” on MTV… The last two were of a great challenge to me as I appeared in two very contradictory roles at the same time”. Career vs. University vs. Pamela el-Kik
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Pamela el-Kik is majoring in directing at the Universite Saint-Esprit de Kaslik (USEK). She recognizes the high support she had from her teachers as they always used to
reschedule her exams whenever she couldn’t attend. Pamela el-Kik also believes that USEK is offering excellent support to its students in the field, by always providing the needed equipment and always conducting enriching workshops with renowned teachers from all around the world. “The intimate atmosphere that exists between students and teachers who are there to assist even after classes is the greatest support we have at USEK as well” she adds. When it comes to compare with what talented students get abroad, Pamela el-Kik cites the example of a friend that was rewarded $100,000 as encouragement to do a film, as she proved her talent in her projects, and that seems quite far to reach in Lebanon yet. Also with regard to university life, Pamela notices that things are going in the good direction when it comes to youth’s involvement in cultural activities. “For example, the contract we signed for George Khabbaz’s play was for 5 months, and yet we played for more than 7 months. On another hand, we are witnessing many students conducting shows for free so everyone could see what they’re doing, especially that most achievements are made by personal efforts and initiative.” Success: The recipe Pamela el-Kik’s professional life seems to be marked by success after success. According to Pamela, that is due “first of all to the chances and opportunities that I had, and also to the will that I proved as I went by myself hunting for the best opportunities. Moreover, I’m always in a state of self-development looking for all kinds of resources, whether books, experienced people, others’ projects and plays… I do so in order to monitor the mistakes that I might fall in so I could avoid them. And finally, I always give all attention to every advice I get and learn from. I would have definitely failed if I was one that didn’t care for anyone and simply thought I know everything! That is a very wrong attitude!”
High hopes! Being a successful actress that can make her living from her acting career is definitely a hard challenge. However Pamela says: “things are getting by far better day after day, production is growing bigger, locations and equipment are improving and finally satellite channels are making us reach viewers in the whole world and that is giving a great push to our market”. Challenges… “It’s not easy to maintain a balance between university and work. It takes a lot of effort also to fulfill my commitments in both. Another main challenge for me is to always be able to play the different roles I am given, as it takes a lot of research to master them perfectly. And finally, I have a great challenge to make people understand that I’m an actress and not just “the beautiful girl in skirts”. I care for people’s view towards everything that I do because after all, they are our grade. It matters a lot whether at the end of a play they clap, and whether they clap hard or weakly.”
demands of readers, which happen to be young university students. When asked about the kinds of viewers that she aims to target, Pamela answers with confidence: “I have two main targets, 1 year-old children up to the world’s highest aged woman who’s 129 years old as I read lately.” On another hand, Pamela el-Kik carries the challenge to be admired by female viewers “since it’s usually harder for women to love a successful and beautiful woman” as she says “and here resides the challenge” she adds. Pamela believes that the admiration she has among all categories is due to her being sincere with them, in whatever role she plays “especially that the Lebanese viewers are intelligent enough to understand if you’re respecting their taste or not”. With regard to the youth category, Pamela believes their admiration is due to the fact that “they are proud that one of their age is doing all these achievements”.
1 to 129… What encouraged The Gate University Students Magazine to interview Pamela el-Kik is not only the character that she represents, being a university student that thrived for success and reached despite all challenges, but also the
Final Message.
“It is very important for everyone to know how to maintain balance in life, “ between work, studies, entertainment and everything else. Also one main key
”
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for success, especially in acting, is to always keep learning. Knowing our society and mastering our language are very important. And finally, the biggest challenge is to read a lot, it might seem hard at the beginning but then becomes amusing!”
“el-Cafette”: Lifestyle
the top “break” destination
Just like every city has a “downtown” area, every campus is very likely to have at least one cafeteria for students, no matter how narrow the campus space might be. Cafeterias constitute the number one facility offered to students. Once you’re on a break, it’s the first place you go to. “el-Cafette” as we usually call it is the place where quite a big share of students’ stress is released. Many students even feel it’s the place on campus where they feel their freedom, which makes it seem to be the heart of every campus, pumping to it all kinds of energy, life, dynamics, fun, creativity and “spirit”! Once you sneak into any campus cafeteria and simply by taking a 360-degrees look around you, you will easily be spotting several characters of “cafeterians”…
First of all, the primary purpose of cafeterias is to provide food and drinks to students during their breaks: Coffee, croissant, “mana2ish”, sandwiches, juices, salads and even “plats du jour”. In some cases, cafeterias look like any typical restaurant where you can find everything you ask for. It’s not always easy to have a breakfast, lunch (or even dinner sometimes) meal at home every day so the cafeteria is your only choice if you don’t want to go to surrounding restaurants. In that regard, many concerns rise in several campuses, essentially about two main issues: quality and price. Many critics believe that food offered in cafeterias is not always the healthiest for students, especially when it’s “fast” food, while often students’ main concern rises about increasing prices especially when cafeterias are managed by private companies… Despite all that, the “cafette” seems to have many factors of attraction that overcome the basic purpose of getting food and drinks...
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Cafeterias also constitute primary destinations to students because “everybody’s just there”. In class, you’re rarely allowed to communicate with any colleague around you, so you just head to the cafeteria as soon as your break starts and there you find everyone you could talk to as much and as loudly as you wish. You could either be meeting someone for some common work, or someone that other friends suggested to you, or someone you’re hitting on, etc… Or you could just simply meet your friends to share stories, gossip, jokes, concerns, fun… Or maybe just feel the pleasure of seeing people you don’t know. After all, universities are the best places to socialize and start building future relations, and where could that be better than in crowded cafeterias? Talking of cafeteria’s crowds, some do believe that cafeterias can very much compare to a living “leadership lab”. It’s mostly there where top leader characters are found. Whether they feel it or not, leaders in character find cafeterias as the place to prove themselves, not only in front of students, but also facing their “competitors”. This often leads to scenes of confrontation sometimes, especially when leaders and groups carry specific confronting backgrounds, mostly when that background is political… Politics also marks cafeterias’ life. “el-Cafette” can practically be viewed as an open “forum” where all kinds of people meet and discuss and debate all kinds of issues and get exposed to all kinds of stories. Cafeterias were always the place where hundreds of student movements and doctrines were born and came out confronting societies afterwards…
More briefly, it’s just “fun” to be in the cafeteria, although some students don’t find it so, or even don’t like it at all for everything it represents. One might always be surprised to know that some students have never even went there simply because it didn’t mean anything to them, or because they preferred open space, or maybe because of time constraints that do not allow them to have breaks on campus. However, some people go far in their attachment to the “cafette” and get dragged into skipping classes in order not to many anything that might occur in their absence. That’s very much an indicator of the dynamism that cafeterias add to every campus’ life. Both addiction and indifference are quite wrong in a way. It’s nice to have a balance and experience everything one can encounter during the few years that will be spent on campus. It’s important to accept seeing and living with different people that express themselves differently, and to communicate with as many people as possible to end up carrying out few lifetime friendships or partnerships after graduation… And the “cafette” is definitely one main place to do that!
So enjoy it!
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e
Many students find the cafeteria as the best place for them to study, despite all the surrounding noise from all sides. That applies to individuals and groups who feel that being in the cafeteria gives a better mood to study, especially with the availability of tables and chairs, or even to sleep sometimes!
Travel & Tourism
Food For Thought p.44
HEALTH AND NUTRITION : Eating Disorders & Disordered Eating?
p.48
SPORTS AND ATHLETICS : First international tournament adds value and cups
p.50
SEXUAL EDUCATION : Circumcised or uncircumcised? Does it realy matter?
p.54
PSYCHOLOGICY: Aware
Health and Nutrition
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Eating Disorders & Disordered Eating?
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However, disordered eating is still serious. Keep the following in mind: *
Disordered eating patterns tend to be symptoms of serious distress. Food itself is rarely the
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Early detection is crucial. The sooner the person gets help, the better their chances for
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by Dominique Dano, nutritionist, info@dominiquedano.com, 03/661046
Help is available. Team treatment from a dietitian, physician, psychotherapist and family
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Their names may be similar, but “eating disorders” and “disordered eating” are not the same. Eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating are actually distorted eating habits often related to emotional problems. Disordered eating like restrictive dieting or bingeing refers to eating behaviors that are less severe than a full-fledged, diagnosed eating disorder.
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counselor usually provides the best results.
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primary problem. permanent recovery.
Anorexia & Boulimia : what are they ?? Anorexia nervosa : is sometimes called the”starvation sickness”. Obsessed with food, weight, and thinness, people suffering from anorexia deny their hunger and refuse to eateven after extreme weight loss. As they consume few calories for their basic needs, their bodies slowly waste away. By starving themselves, people with anorexia don’t get the nutrients they need for normal body functions.
Bulimia nervosa is marked by binge eating and purging (self-induced vomiting). The person gorges, usually on high calorie foods, and then intentionally vomits or uses laxatives or diuretics. The consequences are serious: dehydration, organ damage, internal bleeding from the stress of vomiting, tooth decay from acids in vomit, and in some cases, death.
Many people with these eating disorders alternate between anorexia and bulimia. Reports indicate that 60% of people who have dieted extensively or starved themselves resort to bingeing, then purging to keep weight off.
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When does an eating disorder start? Generally it begins with an ordinary weight-loss diet, begun just before or after a major life or trauma. However, there’s no clear understanding of the exact causes. We do know that eating disorders are more than Food problems. The person’s whole life-schoolwork or career, family life, overall health-gets wrapped up in the eating issues.
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Who’s at risk for anorexia & bulimia??? People of almost any age and either gender may develop an eating disorder. However, some groups of people are more at risk than others.
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Females clearly are the most susceptible. In fact, approximately 90 to 90 percent of all people with
*
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Adolescents are at particular risk.
who must control their weight, are susceptible.
anorexia or bulimia are women.
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Athletes such as dancers and gymnasts,
*
Be Aware of Eating Disorder Risks
Eating disorders are being increasingly identified in males, as well as in adults and even in children as young as eight, nine, and ten years old.
Anyone can develop an eating disorder. However, some groups of people are more at risk than others. Females are the most susceptible. Approximately 90% to 95% of all people with anorexia or bulimia are women. However, eating disorders are being increasingly identified in males. Adolescents are also at particular risk as well as adults and even children as young as eight to 10 years old.
Eating disorders produce warning signs. People with anorexia may:
eath.
Eat tiny portions, refuse to eat or deny they are hungry
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Show abnormal weight loss — as much as 15% or more of their body weight
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Be hyperactive, depressed, moody or insecure
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Exercise excessively and compulsively.
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Have an intense fear of being fat. See themselves as fat, wanting to lose
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more weight, even when they are very thin.
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Suffer from constipation or irregular
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Develop fine, downy hair on their arms and face.
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Complain of nausea or bloating after eating normal
menstrual periods.
amounts of food.
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he ally us:
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Health and Nutrition
People with bulimia may:
Binge eating disorder: A more common Problem Binge eating disorder: A more common Problem Binge eating disorder(BED), different from occasional overindulging, is the uncontrollable eating of large amounts of food in a short time. Unlike bulimia, a person with BED usually doesn’t purge, fast, abuse diuretics or laxatives, or over exercise.
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Eat in private
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Show great fluctuations in weight
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Binges eat and then purge.
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Feel out of control when eating.
*
Eat enormous meals but not gain
*
Feel ashamed and depressed after gorging.
Although the cause of BED isn’t clear, there’s a link to depression and other negative emotions.
*
Have swollen parotid glands. The
BED: The warning Signs.
*
Leave the room immediately after eating
weight.
parotid glands, near the ears, are one types of salivary glands.
*
Experience irregular menstrual
*
Abuse alcohol or drugs.
*
Become dependent on laxatives,
periods.
The concerns are physical, psychological, and social. Large amounts of food eaten by binge eaters are typically high in fat and added sugars, and may lack sufficient vitamins and minerals. With the likelihood of overweight and obesity comes an increased risk of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, gallbladder disease and some cancers. Binge eating often results in depression, embarrassment, and social isolation; those with the disorder are often upset by both the problem and their inability to control their eating.
Being overstuffed after an exceptional meal isn’t necessarly a warning sign. Instead, people with binge eating disorder typically have several characteristics:
* *
Eat unusually large amounts of food.
*
diuretics, emetics, or diet pills to lose weight.
Feel out of control when eating.
*
Eat very fast. Eat until they feel uncomfortable.
*
Eat a lot, even if they aren’t hungry.
*
Feel embarrassed about the amount of food they eat, so
*
Feel disgusted, depressed or guilty about overeating.
eat alone.
46
em
f
and With risk ood
social
on
ally
Promoting Positive Body Image Body image is how we feel about our bodies. Whatever their size or weight, children can develop either a positive or negative view of their bodies. Body image disturbances begin as early as preschool, so parents and other adult role models need to play a pivotal role in promoting a positive body image for children. Why? Young people with a positive image of themselves feel more comfortable and confident in their ability to succeed. They don’t obsess about calories, food or weight. They have the energy they need to enjoy physical activity. On the other hand, people with a negative body image feel more selfconscious, anxious and isolated. They are at greater risk for excessive weight gain and for eating disorders.
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se.
Sports and Athletics
First international tournament adds value and cups In a manner befitting AUB›s history as a hub of sporting activities, the president club›s first international sports tournament broadened athletic and cultural exposure and added four cups to the home collection. The three-day event, which took place at the Charles Hostler Student Center (CHSC) on March 25-27, 2010, gathered over 500 young athletes from nine universities in six countries spanning three continents, to compete in the five most popular university sports: basketball, volleyball, soccer, tennis and swimming. Overall results showed AUB›s athletic prowess in team sports. «We came first in team events, by securing first place in men›s and women›s basketball, first place in men›s soccer, and second place in women›s volleyball. But AUC athletes showed superiority in individual sports like tennis and swimming,» said director of athletics Ghaleb Halimi.
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The awards were distributed at CHSC Auditorium by AUB President Peter Dorman, Provost Ahmad Dallal and the chair of the President›s Club, Leila Baroudy. «The attendance and support of AUB›s president, provost and vice-president [Samer Maamari] is well-appreciated. Besides their valuable participation in the ceremonies, they watched most of the games; that added great weight to the competitions. Also their visibility gave tremendous moral boost to the athletes,» said Halimi. In his speech during the opening ceremony, which was also attended by Minister of Sports and Youth Ali Abdallah and Chancellor Peter Heath of the American University of Sharjah (AUS), President Dorman welcomed the «shared commitment to the fitness of the body as well as the mind,» and hoped that «all participants see this as a chance, not only to compete with each other, but also get to know each other and discover the breadth of experience and diversity of cultural perspectives that this group embodies.» In addition to Jordan, the UAE and Egypt, participants came from France and Greece. David Horner, president of the American College of Greece (ACG), led the Greek delegation. The opening ceremony also included a parade of all participating teams, Lebanese folk dance, radical fitness dance, ballet, a Taek Won Do show, and finally a cocktail reception to all participants. Positive feedback resonated from many on the organization of the event. ACG sports director Arthur Christopher described the organization of the event as «superb.» Christopher added: «Our students were impressed by the AUB campus and particularly the sports facilities. They thoroughly enjoyed the lifestyle in Beirut which is similar to Greece.» Joe Moujaes, director of athletics at the Lebanese American University (LAU) Byblos, said that the tournament was «fair and professional.» Moreover, the ratio of male to female participation was balanced, noted organizers and participants alike. Looking forward, Halimi announced that heads of athletics departments at American universities «will meet in June 2010 to initiate a University League in different sports.»
49
The plan is to launch frequent tournaments hosted by different members.
Sexual Education
Circumcised or uncircumcised
does it really matter?
Samer Abi Chaker, MD, MPH
the disease It is no question that today’s HIV/AIDS epidemic is est toll that has claimed and is yet to claim one of the great more of human lives ever to be known in human history. For y toda until and ing than 30 years now the epidemic is grow and nnel, scientists, public health officials, healthcare perso system politicians are still unable to put forward an effective always one capable of halting the disease. Not only is the virus culture, as such step ahead, but there are significant factors of religion, and economic barriers that stand in the way HIV. st again t effor developing a unified worldwide
AIDS is therefore a disease of no cure, and current treatment is only capable of extending life span. To make matters worse the current medications exhibit a lot of side effects including malaise, general body weakness, as well as repetitive vomiting. Not to mention the strict regimen a patient has to stick or else the medication will not work anymore! Given that AIDS is such a difficult disease it usually brings substantial media attention on new potential treatments or methods for decreasing HIV transmission and lately many of us are hearing issues that pertain to penile circumcision. The issue initially relates to sexual performance and has lately extended to become a HIV controlling tool. Both issues need to be put in perspective as they can be easily misinterpreted and could lead some people to engage in risky behavior.
As y rep form For
am a“ un
Ac (m ski tip Tho imp cir as bo mo
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Cir av rel are to Egy So hyg affe sen the and ple (alt it is dur the i.e. littl nev and viru sex circ
As you may know, the male reproductive organ is present in two forms: “hooded” and “exposed”. For the sake of the article let’s call
a man with a circumcised penis a “C-Man” and a man with an uncircumcised penis a “U-Man”!
A circumcised penis or exposed (mtahhar) is one that does not have a skin covering the tip of the penis. The tip of the penis is termed the “glans”. Though the wording in Arabic may imply a different meaning, if one is not circumcised does not mean he is dirty, as cleanliness never differs between both, it relates to personal hygiene more than anything else.
A circumcised penis or expo “ (mta hhar) is one that does not have a skin covering the tip of the penis. “ sed
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Circumcision on the other hand is a very old tradition that has some religious and societal meaning in some areas of the world; its origins go back to the days of Moses and the Ancient Egyptians. So even though it does not affect hygiene, the penile foreskin does affect the glans. The glans is the most sensitive part of the male penis; it is the part that is richest in nerve endings and therefore the source of greatest pleasure in guys. Much like the clitoris (although significantly less sensitive), it is the preferred part to focus on during oral sex. Upon circumcision the glans becomes more keratinized i.e. the skin of the glans becomes a little thicker. However the thickness is never close to that of our normal skin, and therefore still allows bacteria and viruses through. Hence the frequent sexually transmitted diseases even in circumscribed men.
Sexual Education
Safe sex tips: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may or may not exhibit symptoms and signs (example Chlamydia in men). Use a condom during sex to prevent transmission of STIs and consider testing yourself regularly!
Common Misconceptions/ Myths: Medications for HIV/AIDS that are currently available on the market do not cure AIDS they merely extend the life of HIV patients by an average of 15 to 20 years.
So in plain terms, consequences of a thicker skin seem to be quite “banal”… But in reality, this issue has sprung a primary concern among men. Think about it for a sec, if you touch the sole of your foot specifically below the ankle, you typically fall on thick skin and you can barely feel your touch. Conversely if you move your head along the middle of your foot, you become ticklish since it is very sensitive! This concepts adapts to sex as well. A hypothesis states that U-Men are sexually more satisfied than C-Men since they can feel much more the friction during sex. It’s a legitimate claim, and it sounds logical…
s that mean in order “ Soto bedoehapp y sexually we should be U-Men? “
To be honest, there have been some cases where C-Men have undergone reconstructive surgeries in order to restitute the penile foreskin. It is a plausible option if you’re supposedly looking for “more intense” sex… However some may argue that if one has a more sensitive glans, he would not last long during sex, leaving his partner unsatisfied! So where should we side? As it is an intriguing question, science did approach this subject. A group of U-MEN were assessed for their basal sexual performance and contentment, afterwards almost half of them decided to undergo circumcision.
And after a while the men were interviewed again to see if there were any changes. As it turns out, there is not much difference between the two situations! Sexual performance and satisfaction don’t seem to be affected by the status of the penis. As we try to understand sexuality in humans, the mere biological forms of our organs don’t seem to play the main role in our sexual happiness! Still, latest media interest in circumcision doesn’t actually stem from the sexual aspect but mainly from recent findings that showed that circumcision could present as a potential tool to curb the spread of the HIV epidemic. How? Basically the concept of skin thickness applies here as well. It was shown that a circumcised glans has thicker and more keratinized membranes. In addition the skin holds less HIV receiving cells (since HIV attaches specifically immune cells, and is less susceptible to small tears that may allow pathogens including HIV. Studies have followed groups of C-Men in multiple countries and found out that when compared to U-Men, C-men are 40% to 50% less susceptible to HIV infection! Can you imagine your chances of getting HIV are almost halved?! So should all guys go for a circumcision? And for the ones who are already uncircumcised should we be less vigilant about condom use? No! Definitely Not! We have to be careful when
52
I p b f
stem ainly wed ent as pread asically
hown hicker anes. HIV ches is that g HIV. of nd ed to % less an getting ould
eady ess
interpreting the consequences of circumcision! It is by no means a way to “PREVENT” HIV transmission! It just decreases the risk of transmission. Furthermore, we have to remember that the studies were conducted in African countries where culture, social norms, and sexual behavior differ significantly from our society and therefore may have some elements that inflate the protective effect of circumcision. That fact could very well incite a feeling of over confidence among men who are circumscribed and may lead to a decrease in the use of condoms. One would say “It’s ok if I don’t have a condom now I’m circumscribed! Basically my chances of getting infected decreased by 40-50%!!” What about the left-out risk? What if it happened that during of an act of mistaken “no condom safe sex” this person caught or conferred HIV? Ask yourselves if you’re willing to sacrifice your whole life because of a mere moment of laziness? HIV is not a disease to be taken lightly, it is no flu that gets cured, not even a cancer that could be “potentially” treated. HIV still has NO CURE… once you have it, you have it for life! And it will affect everything: your daily activities, your social status, your eating habits… ultimately your whole lifestyle will change… And given the situation today neither a cure nor a vaccine will be available before a decade or two… are you willing to sacrifice your life for that?
ut! a? Check this o tr n Ta t u o ab d Ever wondere m/ itelotuseast.co http://www.wh Sexual Health Website: http://www.staying-alive.org/en/ For questions/ inquiries/comments/ suggestions: sexuality@thegate-me.com
I would therefore leave you with a final note. Newly publicized issues may be misleading, always be well informed before thinking about changing a certain behavior quite frequently the whole story is not portrayed in the media…
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ere here s ence Sexual n don’t tatus of rstand e s don’t n our
Psychology
AWARE By Sawsan Razzouk, Psychology
psychology@thegate-me.com
It has already been established by much research and debate that promoting health, social, academic, professional and psychological awareness in schools is critical in the molding of successful, healthy individuals. It is very important to clarify that when I write “successful”, I do not mean rich and powerful, as you surely know the relativity of success. Success is like happiness, I say, and most attempts to unify a definition of success will mostly prove foolish or unneeded. It is very easy to understand the pivotal importance of children and early teenagers receiving awareness lectures and even sessions with guidance counselors. But, don’t you think such services should extend to benefitting teenagers and young adults too, at the very least? Is any segment of the population truly not in need of guidance, at least every so often, in some way or another? Before we get philosophical and try to answer why people feel they know everything and don’t need much help once they’ve graduated a certain phase of their lives, we should ask:
even the young, impressionable school students “ Areeven receiving what
should be a bare minimum?
Joke:
1 . Cub reporter: “I’ve come for some advice on how to run a newspaper, sir.” Editor: “You’ve come to the wrong place, son. Ask one of my subscribers.”
54
2 . Never proud yourself on knowledge. Remember, even a head of iceberg lettuce knows more than you do. It knows whether or not that light really does go out when the refrigerator door shuts.
“
Whe and the f cont are in they infor com know of 13 area alco by a coffe You smal you scho Tell y I me do n men som QUE MOR YOU The main this mor be d sect may part igno Rais the prev for m and lifes on a sess curr exte coll don has imp
enough. When such an evaluation is made, please know it is made in comparison with the literature, and definitely not industrialized countries, as they’re also not showing the needed progress. Basically, we just established that spreading health awareness early on in schools and college is beneficial and critical for development and maintenance psychological, academic, professional, social and physical well being. The segment which relates this topic to Social Psychology is precisely what the students should be doing. They should first know that what they don’t really know, others also don’t really know, even if it seems that they’re the only ones who are “ignorant”. Also, if you feel you question is stupid or embarrassing, and you feel it will impair the truthfulness of the answers you will ultimately receive, just go online or to the library and research it, privately and wholly. If you do not own a computer or access to the internet or a library inside your school or college, there are several public libraries being set up around Lebanon, in areas people rarely anticipate. There are millions of network café’s that allow individual access to the internet. Read magazines that feature health, professional and psychological columns written by professionals, especially those you can email or contact easily and anonymously. Be proactive. Realize what you want to know, and that there are a million ways to attain the information. Also, please read more than one source! This cannot be stressed enough. Do you really know of the services provided by many NGO’s or Community Service Institutions in Lebanon? Like the VCT tests for HIV being given confidentially and free of charge in many institutions around Lebanon, such Skoun Addiction Center. Or did
you know that if you are a woman or a minor being abused you may contact KAFA at a secure number? Also, do you know what they need— obviously, other than funding? Do you know how many students come up to me asking me where they can volunteer, or more realistically, how they can beef up their CV? At the same time I see how much NGO’s and public institutions and initiatives need volunteer, sometimes for just one event? This supply and demand is almost idiotic in its simplicity and its apparent benefit for everyone who becomes involved. Did you know that you may get the number of any NGO or any institution that would at least try and help you in some way or another if you simply go on http://www.lebanon-support. org/ or call 1414? Or you can email me anonymously at the address provided at the end of this article and I will be more than happy to direct your questions to the right and most helpful source if I were not able to help you myself. Do you know how much you can help when you ask these NGO’s how you could volunteer your time? Do you know how flexible your community service could be, and how much you could benefit others as well as benefit yourself? I realize that this article’s focus went from the benefits of raising awareness in schools and colleges, to what each individual should do to ensure that they are well-informed, to what they can do in this country to what NGO’s and institutions can do for you. But it these are all points or links in one cycle, in one circle. This is why the article is named AWARE. Just be aware, even if you think you know it all or if you think you’ll seem silly, and even if you think there is nothing to be done and it is hopeless. Just take charge.
55
When awareness should be raised and whom it may benefit is not nearly the focus of this article. I am merely contemplating as to how many people are informed of how misinformed they might be, or how they can help inform others of things they think are commonsensical and that “everybody knows for sure”. For instance, a child of 13, enrolled in a school in a remote area asked me, “Hey, so you’re saying alcohol is a drug?” That was followed by another’s student stating, “Yeah, coffee has cocaine.” You might be thinking this is just a very small segment of the population, and you may even say it is because the school is in some Godforsaken village. Tell yourself what you want, but when I meet young women in colleges who do not know how to count their menstrual cycle, I think I may be on to something when I say: ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS, TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE, MORE OFTEN, NO MATTER HOW BIG YOU THINK YOU’VE GOTTEN, please. The topic of raising awareness falls mainly under Health Psychology. But this article tackles something a little more; it deals with an apparent lack—to be discussed momentarily—in a wide section of the population. This point may fall under Social Psychology, particularly with topics such as pluralistic ignorance, esteem and conformity. Raising awareness is considered one of the more effective means of reducing prevalence of risky behavior, accounting for misconceptions, preventing illness and disease, and promoting healthy lifestyles. Most prominent theories focus on awareness lectures and guidance sessions becoming part of every school curriculum, beginning with lower grades extending in some degree well into college. When researching what is being done with this regard in Lebanon, one has to admit that there has been some improvement, but sadly it is not nearly
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Creative Juice p.58
ARTS AND TALENTS LAU thespians shine at theatre festival in Morocco
p.60
CREATIVE WRITING AD
p.62
TECHNOLOGY REVIEW
p.64
Multimedia REVIEW Book review: The Alchemist Movie review: 3D cinema
Arts and Talents
LAU thespians shine
at theater festival in Morocco
LAU’s Department of Communication Arts participated in the fifth University Theater Festival in Fez, Morocco, from April 8–11, with the student theater production Seven Jewish Children: A Play for Gaza. Developed for the Play Production I course, the play is directed by LAU communication arts student Fuad Halwani, under the academic supervision of Dr. Mona Knio, associate professor of theater at LAU. It is based on a script written by English playwright Caryl Churchill in 2009. The festival was organized by the Université Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah in Fez. It featured student troupes from North African, Arab and European universities that staged more than a dozen performances.
Seven Jewish Children: A Play for Gaza was also featured in the World Theatre Day activities at LAU on March 26.
58
59
Creative Writing
Ad-busters have nothing compared to me. I deal words with brainwash supremacy. I metamorphisize into your best buddy supplier as demands meet buyers and resources become depleted, and a heated tension will soon arise, since I can’t produce as fast as you’ll buy. I’ve strained my brain to the max, and reflecting our economy I fear a massive crash. Still, CNN transcends this unified gloom, projecting images of the new ‘XL7250 with extra leg room.’ Sarcasm is the deal and I play suit, like Pan the Piper I take out my magical flute, with subliminal messages you follow my trail, substituting exhale with inhale, --just to get by another day, bending a million rules along the way. But this is the age, after all, of the rule of law, not the rule of man, “Animal Farm” illustrates that’s how sheep understand. And as my educated mind attempts to take in all of this, I find myself pondering, perhaps ignorance is bliss.
60
m.’
Come As You Are then There Goes My Heart, To Big Bob’s Burger and a Salad Surprise lunch, --even the dotting priest in his Sunday confessional, to the old woman selling toothpicks are marketing professionals. ‘Murketing’ was the term I stumbled on on-line, a combination of ‘murky’ and ‘marketing,’ the definition redefined, with a link to see the watch that couldn’t tell time, yet sold out in seconds buying out California’s luxury wine. Something tells me there’s something going wrong, as I see practical long johns replaced by ultra sexy thongs, and society finds its haven nestled in the pit of a bong, and rebellion no longer resides in just piercing your tongue. There was a time I thought I was a rebel, breaking the rules and making trouble, indulging myself in all the taboos, --but now I’m a conformist since rebellion’s advertised too. Reading the papers all you see is waste, too much information that should be ad space, while to the throne of a grand nation our Politicians race, --only to be paid millions of dollars for subordination, (one of the seven signs of decay for another great civilization.)
by Tina Fish
61
ted,
Fragment the system and see what you’ll use, to analyze, criticize, then simply to abuse. I find this habit on our streets hold true, and all our great philosophers, (by a four year old nonetheless), disproved.
Technology Review
TECHNOLOGY REVIEW
Son Garm in nüvi 770
*
More maps and wide - there’s simply more to see with nuvi 770. This personal travel assistant is pac ked with preloaded maps for North America and Europe, not to mentio n advanced navigation features, a widesc reen display, an FM transmitter, han ds-free calling, traffic alerts and mo re.
LG X3 00 Thi n an d Lig ht No teb ook
*
This slim computer was first introduced during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2010 at Las Vegas last January 7, 2010. It wowed the visitors as LG showcased a flagship model this year for their thin and light category. This notebook has the looks, the appeal, and performance to entice prospective buyers to swipe their credit cards into getting a new computer.
*
Sho dev wee mos The inte PRO conn featu Sony LED b 240H smoo
Sony BDP-S 360
*
iPhon e 4G
*
62
New rumors have been circ ulating, saying a new Apple iPhone 4G will be available by June, or even as early as May. Besides the earlier-than-expected laun ch date (new iPhone models traditio nally come out in June or July), potent ial new features are in discussion as well, such as a better camera, an OLE D screen, a removable battery, and diff erent casing.
The revolution continues wit h the BDP-S360 Blu-ray Disc player. Watch Bluray Disc movies in Full HD 1080p and upscale your existing DVD collection via HDMI to near HD quality. In addition to a superior pic ture, this player supports Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD audio codecs for up to 7.1 channe ls of highdefinition sound. There’s eve n quick start-up mode which begins operati ng your Blu-ray Disc player in approximately six seconds from the time it is powered on. Featuring BD-Live compatibility, you can take full advantage of the Bonus View feature of select Blu-ray movies as well as acquire the latest features and updates as they becom e available. And navigation of the player’s me nus is a breeze thanks to the icon-based Xro ss Media Bar (XMB) menu system.
*
up
om e
s d e
*
Showing it means business in its commitment to developing 3D home enterta inment, Sony has this week at CES unveiled three new 3D BRAVIA TV series, most notable of which is the behemoth XBR-60LX900. The 60” full HD 1080p Edge LED backlit unit features integrated Wi-Fi and 3D fun ctionality, Motionflow PRO 240Hz technology alo ng with USB and DLNA connectivity. The XBR-LX900 Series is 3D ready, featuring a built in 3D transmi tter and is equipped with Sony’s 3D active shutter glas ses. They feature an Edge LED backlight, Monolithic Des ign and Motionflow PRO 240Hz technology, designe d to assist in producing smoother images in fast mo ving viewing.
LUM IX DM C-G 2
*
Panasonic has a surprise to digital camera fanatics – the LUMIX DMC-G2. This baby takes pride in being the world’s first digital interchangeable lens system camera with a movable LCD. This three-inch touchscreen allows fast and intuitive changing of settings in just a single touch. This is the successor of the LUMIX G1, the world’s first Micro Four Thirds digital camera.
Toshi ba E205- S1904 Powe rmon key eXplo rer
*
Portable Charger with Solar Slave Compatible with the majorit y of mobile phones, iPods, MP3 / MP4, PDAs and portable games consoles incl uding the Sony PSP and Nintendo DSLite. A range of add on adaptors to fit diff erent electronic devices.
*
The Toshiba E205-S1904 is a speedy one, created under the directio n of, and sold exclusively by, Best Buy. Not only is this laptop equipped with a bac klit keyboard and a Core i5 processor, but it’s one of three laptops (the other two are from Sony and Dell) embedded with Intel’s Wireless Display (WiDi)—a technology that will allow you to stream any form of media to an external LCD, wirelessly.
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60 vies g y. er
Sony BRAVI A XBR-L X900
Movie Review
Cinema going 3D!
C
3D movies still sounded quite weird in Lebanon mostly until the famous “Avatar” overcrowded all movie theaters and paved the way towards a bright future for 3D cinema in Lebanon. 3D cinema passed through many booms throughout history, only to fade away in no time. So it’s definitely not a very new technology. However, attempts never created a lasting trend in that regard before nowadays.
But why is it so promising today? Analysts believe that the cinema industry has always witnessed dramati c drawbacks, mostly since the invention of TVs and then the spread of DVD piracy around the world. It therefore always attempted to offer “added value” that would keep it in an advanced position over any “home” technologies. The main weapon that still keeps cinema on the advance is the sound and picture effects, which remain extremely hard to reprodu ce at home. No matter what, it’ll always feel different when you watch a movie in the cinema than when you watch it at home. 3D technology comes back today to further impose cinemas as indispensible resort for movie lovers. Some people might have difficulties with the 3D glasses they have to wear, but the experience and the feeling of being part of the movie scenes is so worth it. Today, many 3D movies are showing in Lebanese theaters. Here’s your most recent list to pick up from if you wish to live that experience:
Avatar 3D
Genre: Action,Science Fiction Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Lola Herrera, Joel David Moore Director: James Cameron Duration: 150 min Rating: PG-13 for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking. Website: www.avatarmovie.com Release Date: 17 December 2009
AVATAR takes us to a spectacular world beyond imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on an epic adventure, ultimately fighting to save the alien world he has learned to call home. James Cameron, the Oscar-winning director of “Titanic,” first conceived the film 15 years ago, when the means to realize his vision did not exist yet. Now, after four years of production, AVATAR, a live action film with a new generation of special effects, delivers a fully immersive cinematic experience of a new kind, where the revolutionary technology invented to make the film disappears into the emotion of the characters and the sweep of the story. We enter the alien world through the eyes of Jake Sully, a former Marine confined to a wheelchair. But despite his broken body, Jake is still a warrior at heart. He is recruited to travel light years to the human outpost on Pandora, where corporations are mining a rare mineral that is the key to solving Earth’s energy crisis. Because the atmosphere of Pandora is toxic, they have created the Avatar Program, in which human “drivers” have their consciousness linked to an avatar, a remotely-controlled biological body that can survive in the lethal air. These avatars are genetically engineered hybrids of human DNA mixed with DNA from the natives of Pandora... the Na’vi. Reborn in his avatar form, Jake can walk again. He is given a mission to infiltrate the Na’vi, who have become a major obstacle to mining the precious ore. But a beautiful Na’vi female, Neytiri, saves Jake’s life, and this changes everything. Jake is taken in by her clan, and learns to become one of them, which involves many tests and adventures. As Jake’s relationship with his reluctant teacher Neytiri deepens, he learns to respect the Na’vi way and finally takes his place among them. Soon he will face the ultimate test as he leads them in an epic battle that will decide nothing less than the fate of an entire world.
Alice
Gen Cast: Direc Ratin Relea
From 3D f 19-y as a Twe Cat, find
64
g
e
Genre: Action, Remake Cast: Sam Worthington, Pete Postlethwaite, Mads Mikkelsen Director: Louis Leterrier Duration: 98 min Rating: PG-13 for fantasy action violence, some frightening images and brief sensuality. Website: clash-of-the-titans.warnerbros.com Release Date: 15 April 2010
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 is helpless to save his family from Hades, 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 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.
Alice in Wonderland 3D Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy and Adaptation Cast: Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter Director: Tim Burton Duration: 109 min Rating: PG for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar. Release Date: 4 March 2010
From Walt Disney Pictures and visionary director Tim Burton comes an epic 3D fantasy adventure: 19-year-old Alice returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends: the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, and of course, the Mad Hatter. Alice embarks on a fantastical journey to find her true destiny and end the Red Queen’s reign of terror.
How to Train Your Dragon 3D Genre: Action, Comedy, Family, Science Fiction, Animation and Adaptation Cast: Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, America Ferrera, Craig Ferguson, Jonah Hill Director: Christopher Sanders, Dean DeBlois Duration: 98 min Rating: PG for sequences of intense action and some scary images, and brief mild language. Release Date: 25 March 2010
Berk, where fighting A Viking teenager named Hiccup lives on the island of of humor don’t sense t offbea and smarts teen’s The dragons is a way of life. Hiccup’s be to ns sit too well with his tribe or its chief... who just happe father. with the other Viking However, when Hiccup is included in Dragon Training to be a fighter. takes it what has he prove to e chanc his teens, he sees dragon, his injured an nds) But when he encounters (and ultimately befrie one shot to ’s Hiccup as out started what and world is flipped upside down, future of the for course new a set to tunity oppor an into prove himself turns the entire tribe.
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and p the ent
Clash of the Titans 3D
Book Review
BOOK REVIEW
PAULO COELHO
THE ALCHEMIST
Author’s Brief: Paulo Coelho is an international bestselling author born in Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. He attended a Jesuit school. As a teenager, Coelho wanted to become a writer. At 17, Coelho’s introversion and opposition to following a traditional path led to his parents committing him to a mental institution from which he escaped three times before being released at the age of 20. Since the publication of The Alchemist, Coelho has generally written one novel every two years. In total, Coelho has published 26 books.
The Novel: First published in 1988, “The Alchemist” sold more than fifty sixtyfive million books worldwide and was translated into more than sixty languages. Paulo Coelho introduces Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who one night dreams of a distant treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. And so he’s off: leaving Spain to literally follow his dream. He journeys from Spain to Morocco in search of worldly success, and eventually to Egypt, where a fateful encounter with an alchemist brings him at last to self-understanding and spiritual enlightenment. The story has the comic charm, dramatic tension and psychological intensity of a fairy tale, but it’s full of specific wisdom as well, about becoming self-empowered, overcoming depression, and believing in dreams. The cumulative effect is like hearing a wonderful bedtime story from an inspirational psychiatrist.
Critique orts you from the The book makes for a pleasant read that transp s where you are stifling maze of everyday life to a world of dream s in you the instill and s desire ant awakened to your heart’s dorm true. come s dream courage to make those
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lexity. However, The characters of this book lack depth and comp it kind of in icity simpl The g. movin the book is definitely very one when d licate comp that not is life that ge reflects a messa y. natel follows one’s dreams honestly and passio and must-have for Finally, “The Alchemist” is definitely a must-read everyone, for all its pros and cons.
Other books, by Paulo Coelho, recommended: Warrior of the Light, Eleven Minutes, The Zahir, Veronica Decides to Die etc…
Book Rating:
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NIGHTLIFE Faraya Nightlife
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PRESS RELEASES
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GAMES
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HOROSCOPE April Horoscopes
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Bande Dessinee
Nightlife
Faraya’s Nightlife
Eargas
“Faraya” has usually been a name linked to winter sports and, for many Lebanese and foreigners as well, one top destination to practice skiing or simply to enjoy the snowy landscape and environment on weekends, vacations, holidays, or even to have a share of the day-life business.
FARAYA
In the last few years, Faraya became one of the top pillars of Lebanon’s nightlife and hosted events and nights that will remain unforgettable for many generations. However, conceptually speaking, nightlife in Faraya is not too recent. It has always been one of the primary destinations for groups of all ages when it came to New Year’s Eves for example, that’s besides the chalet nights that marked and still mark the lifestyle of many. Being quite distant from the capital Beirut, quite high in altitude and extremely cold in winter times were not factors of inhibition of nightlife in Faraya, as some usually tend to link cold and far environments with calmness. Sandra, a student at USJ, says: “It’s actually what attracts me and my friends to Faraya. The feeling of spending a very heated-up night and coming out of a nightclub while snow is falling, then spending the night at our chalet and waking up for a ski day is simply incomparable to anything else.” So in other terms, Faraya succeeded in imposing itself as a destination for exciting activities both during days and during nights. 2010’s winter was however a little bit disappointing to many like Sandra, as the snow season was quite short and random due to changing weather conditions. “It’s probably a wake-up call for all of us, especially the youth, to acknowledge there’s something so wrong going on with our climate” says Ali, a student of LAU and a chalet owner in Faraya. However, Faraya’s nightlife is never restricted to winter times, but goes on during all seasons and keeps hosting increasingly exciting events all around the year.
Fire Drago
Skiing So
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Skiing So
And here we come to you with selected pictures, courtesy of BeirutNightLife.com! Enjoy!
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Skiing Society
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Taxi Dining Station
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Press Release
That’s my stop! After much awaited anticipation, Taxi Dining Station has finally arrived, parked and ready to serve you in Borj El Ghazal – Tabaris, Ashrafieh. The opening took place over a three day period where families and teenagers experienced a whole new dining experience. Although characterized as an enhanced American diner, Taxi is 100% purely Lebanese, withholding a unique concept and identity. The diner’s interior bestows modernity and comfort with reliance upon technology, exquisite food experience, and an atmosphere filled with entertainment and education. Composed of three floors, each floor embraces a different personality which accommodates to all needs and desires; a cinema station which offers a monthly schedule that showcases the best of all movie genres and blockbusters; a multimedia kids corner equipped with state of the art technologies by which education and entertainment are guaranteed for all kids between the ages of 1 to 12 years; and of course a separate dining area by which a variety of delicious meals are served to savor every taste bud, not to mention a full service bar that offers all kinds of fresh fruit cocktails, multi-flavored shakes, and drinks.
Taxi With over 45 LCD screen place in the outlet, st bigge Dining Station is equipped to host the sports events of the year.
Middle East Franchising and Catering (MEFC) has never failed to meet their priorities in committing to their clients, through their dedication to delivering superior customer service, and hospitality; all thanks to a workforce armed with professionalism and proficiency. With a terrace scheduled to open in the spring via the Ashrafieh outlet, let alone more branches to open in key locations in the capital of Beirut city, MEFC takes pride in continuously climbing the ladder of success and building upon maintaining a sound reputation in the Lebanese market, by which their pillars of success can be met. Make Taxi Dining Station your next stop, and take this new dining experience for a test drive!
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Beirut, Lebanon -- March, 25 2010. Azadea Group leads the way by launching 6 of its premium international brand names at Le Mall Saida. Today, Zara, Bershka, Pull and Bear, Oysho and MANGO open their doors to the public. Throughout the years, Azadea Group has gained a reputation of leader in the retail sector; by being the first group to bring international brands to the capital of the South, Azadea has again proven to be a trendsetter in the fashion business.
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Saida is the third largest city in Lebanon and a major shopping destination; we are very proud to be present there” says Aline Chabenne Lebanon Country Manager of Azadea Group. “We are thrilled to offer the consumers in this city the latest and the best in shopping, leisure and entertainment
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Paula K.
Le Mall Saida, located in the heart of the city, is an innovative and modern retail center which will be the home to approximately 42 outlets including fashion stores, restaurants and an entertainment zone.
Azadea Group is the owner and operator of leading international franchise retail concepts in the Middle East, North Africa region as well as Romania. The group has been managing a strong network of over 30 retail franchised brands for more than 25 years. With a solid infrastructure and 6,000 employees operating more than 350 stores, Azadea continuously strives to bring its customers a wide selection of the world’s exciting brands coupled with an entertaining shopping experience. For further information please visit www.azadea.com
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opens the first boutique in Mar Mikh
Paula Naaman, a well renowned Lebanese designer, not to mention the creative mind behind Paula K. designs, has finally opened her exclusive store in Mar Mikhael El Nahr. Known for her creative unique styles, multifunctional and distinctive scarf collection, let alone fabulous jewelry designs, Paula K offers nothing but individual and exceptional styles. Having participated in several expositions around the world, Paula K is a proud 1st place winner at the “Farra Gallery” for her semi-precious stones suspenders in 2005. Today, with the help of her partner Joumana Comaty, Paula K. store is here to cater for exceptional desires.
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Launching of the book “Riad El Solh: the struggle for Arab independence” under the Patronage of Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal Bin Abd El Aziz Al Saoud, represented by Minister Leila Solh Hmade In the presence of a large audience of Arab and foreign ambassadors, academic and media personalities, the book “Riad El Solh: the struggle for Arab independence” written by the historian Patrick Seale was launched in the Four Seasons Hotel – Beirut under the Patronage of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal represented by Former Minister Leila Solh Hamade. In addition, a documentary film was shown talking about PM Riad El Solh, the leading politician who was assassinated in July 16, 1951 as described by the director of Alwaleed bin Talal Humanitarian Foundation, Abdul Salam Marini.
As for Former Minister Leila El Solh, she said: “First I would like to welcome the attendees on beh alf of Riad El Solh and Alwaleed bin Talal families and wou ld like to thank you for your valuable participation and in particular the man of principles and loyalty Mr. Zuhair Assayran for donating this statue that he had held for fifty years and said to me: “Today, this is for you.” Seco ndly, I would like to apologize if we didn’t abide by the protocol today, but this event is a day of Love. Thirdly and finally, I feel severely confused for this occasion is very dear to my heart, and while the audience is hard to please, I am addressing today your hearts and not your minds.
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Poetry verses by Poet Amin Nakhle were then said. Verses that Nakhle made especially after PM El Soleh assassination. At the end, many interventions and questions were asked by the attendees revolving around points and axes that were mentioned by the author of the book.
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Arab League Chief Amr Moussa stressed, Thursday March 18th 2010, that Israel will not have a say in the security, present or future, of the region before it agrees on the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state on the 1967 territories with East Jerusalem as a capital, adding that such a step should be officially recognized by the UN. “Israel should also withdraw from occupied Golan Heights, remaining seized Lebanese territories, and provide a just solution for the problem of the Palestinian refugees based on the right of return and compensations,” Mousa said. Moussa made his remarks during a ceremony marking 65 years since the founding of the Arab League on March 22, 1945. The event, convened by the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), was attended by Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister Ali al-Shami, representing President Michel Sleiman, USEK rector Father Hady Mahfouz, director of the USEK Higher Institute of Political and Administrative Sciences George Yahchouchi, vice president of al-Walid Bin Talal Humanitarian Foundation Leila al-Solh Hamade, and Kesrouan MP Farid al-Khaze. “I speak to you amid clear Arab regression manifested in cultural and educational decay and a weak Arab contribution in the world’s march toward a new
technologically advanced globe characterized by respecting human rights and democratic systems” Moussa said. He noted that the time had come for a new modern Arab World that seeks to organize common Arab interests that achieve advancement, prosperity, security and immunity. The Arab League chief called for adopting an “Arab Neighborhood Policy” headed by the Arab League with the aim of addressing the region’s main concerns in collaboration with Iran and Turkey. Concerning questions raised about the achievements of the Arab League in its 65th anniversary, Moussa underlined the fact that the Arab League lacks the authority of enforcing the implementation of its decisions on member states, adding that the league mirrors Arab feuds as well as agreements. “But in spite of this, we were able to make several accomplishments regarding holding annual Arab summits and requiring simple majority instead of unanimous voting in taking decisions,” Moussa added. Regarding Lebanon, Moussa voiced the Arab Leagues’ satisfaction for the prevailing consensus and understanding among Lebanese groups stressing that the Arab League would always stand beside Lebanon. Meanwhile, Father Mahfouz welcomed the attendants and praised the role played by the league. “We meet
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USEK Former Minister Leila Soleh Hmade at
Press Release
today to celebrate the anniversary of the Arab league emphasizing our firm faith in this establishment’s role in developing Arab society and promoting its openness.” Mahfouz highlighted the importance of developing the Arab League’s institutions. “The atmosphere of globalization is pushing toward common work and cooperation leading to additional economic, social and cultural solidarity among states, the fact that necessitates the development of the Arab League institutions and especially the executive branch.” For her part, Hamade slammed some Arab states’ violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty.
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They rushed to help us when some parties instigated a civil war in 1975, but is it acceptable that the rescuer enslaves the victim?
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Shami, meanwhile, paid tribute to the Arab League for “transforming common Arab work to an Arab value and consensus and for giving momentum for the notion of Arabism.” Shami detailed the contributions of the Arab League from maintaining peace in Lebanon and especially sponsoring the 1989 Taif accord and the 2008 Doha accords. The minister praised efforts made by the Arab League chief since he assumed his office regarding the design of a comprehensive structural reform for the body.
Cisco and Amideast announce $800,000 Internship program for 27 Lebanese Graduates in the United States and Lebanon
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Beirut January 14th, 2010: On Thursday January 14th, 2010, Cisco and Amideast held an Internship Job Fair at the Pavillon Royal in BIEL in order to hand pick 27 local university graduates for a 6-month Internship at the Cisco headquarters in San Jose, California and an 11-month Internship at the Cisco Headquarters in Beirut. This batch is the fifth and last group of interns, bringing the total number to 100. Cisco has allocated $800,000 for this group, which in part, will cover travel, accommodation and monthly stipend for the interns. Various stations were set-up for applicants to obtain more information on the job positions in Network and Telecom Engineering, Hardware and Software Engineering, Education, Social Networking, Business Strategy, Sales/ Marketing, and Human Resources. The recruitment campaign began on January 1st, 2010 where applicants will have until the February 15th deadline to submit their applications. The application, recruitment and selection process will be handled by Amideast.
Since its creation in 2007, Cisco’s Internship Program communicated one import ant goal: to expand opportunities for Lebanese youth in Lebanon and to assist them in developing the skills needed to excel in the global economy. In turn, the growth of the local economy would be secured. In addition to the Internship Program, Cisco is involved in many CSR activities in Leb anon and the MEA region where their main focus ste ms to education and econo mic development. Cisco believes that compan ies in today’s global econo my are not only accountable for the quality of their products and the profitability of the ir businesses, but also have an obligation to fulfill social and environmental commitments as well. Corporate and social respo nsibility is a key componen t to Cisco’s culture and Cisco’ s products promote collaboration and communic ation of information that is used not only to power bu sinesses, but to modernize governments, support educa tion, and foster economic development.
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sudoku
Can you see the face?
Riddle What’s my number? I am a three digit number. My tens digit is five more than my ones digit. My hundreds digit is eight less than my tens digit. What number am I?
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Press Release
Special APRIL 2010 Aries (20 March – 20 April)
The months surrounding your birthday will bring more than the usual amount of Spring Fever. You’ll be facing an urge to bust loose from your limitations and, properly handled, that energy will push you to new highs as far as you General satisfaction with life. The summer will find you speaking your mind more with those who are closest to you. You may not have been shy about expressing yourself before, but it’s as if you needed to find just the right words. In the past, knowing what you want out of life and getting the co-operation of those closest to you haven’t always gone hand in hand. That theme will carry on throughout much of the year, and will come to a peak again in December. At times there may be frustrations, but if you keep a level head, you’ll probably find that those around you really are on your team, ultimately.
Taurus (20 April – 21 May) Taurus always gets tagged with things like ‘pleasure-seeking’ and ‘materialistic.’ That’s probably unfair, in most cases. You’re just as good at dishing out the pleasure as you are at seeking it, and who doesn’t like a few nice things around? Sadly, there’s been just too much struggle in your life the last couple of years when it comes to those two very important parts of your life. Thankfully, 2010 marks the end of that long uphill struggle. Your pleasurable pursuits have been a little more restricted than you’d like over the course of the last two years or so. That’s over with now, so … game on! The big events this year will not so much be a matter of major happenings as they will be things that have been in the works and are slowly revealing themselves. In the last two years, you’ve put a lot of work into what makes you happy, while Saturn transited your solar Fifth House. Now that those pressures are finally being relieved, you’ll find you are finally gaining traction. Certainly, your love life and your career will feel the difference, but beyond that you’ll notice things going a lot better in other departments of your life. You may have already noticed some of these changes starting to kick in; the real results start happening around your birthday in 2010.
www.astrology.com
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A lot of last year’s difficulties, if you think about it, boiled down to a lot of fiddly little details getting in the way of you realizing your dreams. Let’s be honest about it, Aries: struggling with the small stuff just isn’t your style. In the next year, you’ll find that a lot of these pressures ease off, to the point where your biggest issue may be other people’s ability to keep up with you!
Horoscope
Horoscopes Aries Women in the family are very encouraging and may be found bragging about you a bit. Financial concerns call for greater discipline and organization. Take some time alone to get lost in the reverie of your creative imagination. Share your brilliant and provocative ideas with others. This Valentine’s Day finds you generous and lucky with Jupiter now in your sign! Radiate!
Taurus The sudden changes you have experienced over the last year result in new tactics to re-establish your foundation. You are drawn closer to your faith and loyal friends now. Time alone is essential. Take control over your own destiny and increase your independence. The input of others should be taken with a grain of salt. Plan your garden, plant later. Powerful supports emerge.
Gemini If you have been trying on clothes and relationships... be sure to discard the ones that simply do not fit. The social energy is fabulous this month and different philosophies of life interest you now. You will be taking a more active role in your health and well being. Family and close friends have a lot to share with you! Adjustments on the job prove to be extremely beneficial. Keep the banter going.
Cancer Brothers and sisters, whether of blood or of Spirit, will be very much in contact. Confidentiality is allimportant as these bonds deepen. Laughter is the best medicine early this month. At New Moon, your creative gifts magnify. You will find yourself teaching and learning simultaneously. Mild discord can emerge in family matters. Be the peacemaker. Romantic reverie is seen!
Leo You get a lot of attention this month, Leo! If you have wanted to expand your business or your family - now is the time! Power struggles with competitive forces are seen. Gather your loyal followers around you. Communications are buzzing all around you. You lend optimism and faith to the hearts of others. Short trips are a tonic for your vitality. Life is full of surprises now!
Virgo Attractions romantically grow stronger throughout this month. You may be called upon to help out a close friend or family member in crisis. You yield wonderful results in supporting others now. Keeping your sense of humor in times of stress is all-important. Re-organization of your personal space is seen. Efficiency is hard to find. Take a little time to relax. Share your dreams.
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Many meetings and lots of networking characterize this month. You will be interacting with many who are on the same page. Planning stages of projects go extremely well. Your personal life takes on a rhythm all it’s own. Communication with both business and romantic partners is astounding. The desire to beautify your home and surroundings births itself now. Classy is best.
Scorpio Mars, new in Scorpio, will lend you much power of concentration and much passion in the months that lie ahead. Your psychic ability is now to be blended with your mental processes. You can profoundly execute those things you truly desire. You will be called upon to share both your technological and observational talents. Your dreams are most revealing now. Faith deepens.
Sagittarius Early in the month, you will be spending much time behind the scenes. Expect to be surfing the internet and fielding lots of calls. Romance is abundant whether you are committed or playing the field. Your strategy for moving up the ladder propels itself as you promote your ideas. New techniques and ethics emerge. Be on the cutting edge. Be on a high-energy diet!
Capricorn Yes! Travel! Plan a trip - even if you can not get away just yet. You expect the best from others now and will find many in sync with your ideals. Friendships deepen this month. Breakthroughs occur in family and friendship ties. Passion even takes on a new dimension. Saturn, your ruler, preparing to change signs, can make you feel that you must hurry up. Pace yourself.
Aquarius Many Happy Solar Returns, Aquarius! This is your month! Expect a lot of calls and a big party for your birthday this year. Hugs and surprises are afoot! Toys, toys and more toys - when others ask what you would like for your birthday! A night on the town or a short cruise would not be too bad either! You discover how many you have touched this month. Take the stage!
Pisces You may find yourself re-examining the patterns in your life now. Love, in particular, holds many precious memories for you. Others will benefit as they are captivated by your parables and reminiscence this month. The sweetness of Grace in your life only magnifies itself as we move closer to your Sun cycle. Decisive power gains strength as Mars in Scorpio allows you to but your psychic energy into action. Go for it!
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