SpOrTS campuS life

Guardiolas Future New Teachers

peOple OpiniOn
Nader Dernaika Perfect Parents

year Xiii, vOl. ii, nO. ii

TRIBUNE
page 3 page 5 page 6 page 9 The Official STudenT newSpaper aT The lebaneSe american univerSTy

Monday, March 26, 2012

TribuneLAU@gmail.com

Students Chase Easy A Courses

By Zeina Shehayeb

Fortune-Telling at LAU
By Layan Doueik

LAU Tribune staff

A student survey on LAUs Beirut campus confirmed that many LAU students target easy A courses to improve their GPAs and study less. The surveyed students shed light on 34 different courses that they referred to as easy A classes. These range from Computer Applications and Business Etiquette and Protocol to Chemistry 200 and Design 1A and 1B. The reason students run after these courses is to get high grades, making up for lower ones, and to spare time for work on major courses. The upper administration and some instructors seemed unaware of this issue until I brought it up to them. Said El Fakhani, the new dean of the school of business, told me he has to check for evidence when I asked him about this issue. He opened his computer and looked up for business courses I designated as easy A classes. Business Etiquette and Protocol was one of them. Two sections had huge number of As while three other sections taught by a different professor had a huge number of Bs, he told me. As an example, one out of the three sections had the following: 5 As, 18 Bs and 6 Cs. You have it right! He explained that he will discuss the issue with concerned instructors to understand the logic behind it and then look into the syllabus to check the courses assessment tools. He added that the nature of the course reveals whether the student had acquired the concepts involved or not. I am glad you mentioned this to me, he said, looking at me. I will investigate all these issues and any illegitimate grading system will be stopped. Many students who take easy A courses do so because of their tough majors. At LAU, we have a lot of electives and I would prefer not to study for some since I am unconcerned with them and my major is already tough, a senior interior architecture who refused to give his name said. Others just want an easy way out. A marketing junior student who preferred to remain anonymous explained that he takes easy A courses because instructors typically give the notes and the exams are straightforward. It is just a course and so far I dont regret it, she said, smiling. The issue suggests that many students at LAU aim for high grades rather than education itself. As an advisor for communication arts students, I am always frustrated to see that students care more about the grades they will get than about the education the course will bring them, Yasmine Dabbous, assistant professor of journalism and media studies, said.

LAU Tribune staff

Photo by Iman Soufan

continued on page 10

HELP SAMER RABAH

LAU senior Samer Rabah was shot in the stomach when his fathers pharmacy on Khalde was robbed. Miraculously, Samer survived and is at AUH with only 50 cm of intestines left (out of 7m). He needs to travel to UPMC in the USA for an intestinal transplant which will be extremely costly. Donate to Samers medical fund. Bank Audi, Khalde branch Account: 050122/462/001043/01 Iban: LB 71005600005012246200104301 Find us on Facebook: Samer Rabah Fund for Youth Victims of Crime, or contact me personally at akm10@aub.edu.lb.

The partially-veiled woman placed a seashell in my palm and asked me to think deeply of an issue that I want to know about and then told me to crack a nut to break the curse, Sumayyah Radwan, a 20-year-old education student at LAU, said sarcastically after undergoing a palm reading at the universitys upper gate in Beirut. Fortune-telling is a rapidly-growing business. Television and radio stations air programs on which some fortune-tellers have developed iconic statuses over the years. Meanwhile, some fortunetellers practice their gift in the streets. Among these is a palm-reader who occasionally welcomes intrigued students at the universitys upper gate. Radwan does not believe in the accuracy of palm-reading, which goes against her religious beliefs. However, her interest in the technique drove her into getting her palm read. They were false predictions that were really meant for entertainment, Radwan contin-

ued. Whenever I needed to inquire more about something she immediately asked for an additional 10,000 Lebanese pounds. The majority of LAU Beirut students who took part in a Tribune survey share Radwans viewpoint: They do not believe in fortune-telling but they are curious to know what fortune-tellers say. I dont usually believe in that stuff, but if they talk about my horoscope on TV while I am zapping, I would listen to it, Samira Tabsh, a business student, said. However, Najat Basma, a 20-year-old fine arts student does not skip a day without checking her daily horoscope forecast. My horoscope is just like an article I read every day, Basma said. Most of the time whatever I read in the morning comes true through the day and especially when it is negative. Basmas curiosity of what the future holds has led her to practice Tarot cards reading for two years.

continued on page 10

CAMPUS NEWS
By Zahi Sahli LAU Tribune staff
Bahrains uprising is a mixed local movement rather than a sectarian strife, columnist and political science scholar Fawwaz Traboulsi said on Friday, March 9 during a lecture on the LAU Beirut campus. Bahraini government officials as well as major mainstream media in the Arab world have consistently categorized the rebels as pro-Iran Shiites. But Traboulsi said that the achievement of the uprising which the former LAU professor said has managed to unite different fragments of the Bahraini society is being undermined by sectarian discrimination. The historical struggle of the people of Bahrain was never a struggle of a group against another. The struggle is against the ruling family, Traboulsi said, pointing to the mixture of intellectual and religious backgrounds of groups within the opposition. The Bahraini opposition includes leftist groups such There is never a pure religious, sectarian or ethnic conflict. They are struggles around government and positions on the distribution of wealth and resources and the services provided by the state, the Marxist activist continued. Traboulsi pointed out that the reignited revolutions clear demands include: having an effective parliament, the resignation of the Prime Minister, actual circulation of power, elimination of discrimination against citizens especially the Shiites and the removing of the Peninsula Shield Forces. King Hamad had established the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry in June 2011. After its report revealed 46 deaths, 559 allegations of torture and 4,000 dismissals of participating employees, the king promised to sentence offenders. The king, however, did not take serious action, Traboulsi said. What is happening in BahPhoto via Creative Commons

Tribune

March 26, 2012

Traboulsi: Bahrain Uprising Not a Sectarian Strife

rain is the peoples answer to their exploitation at the hands of tyrannical systems, some of which descend from republican origins and others from tribes, Trabousli said. Among the main features of the Arab world, which Traboulsi sees as a key element to the start of the uprisings, is the high percentages of unemployment, especially among youth. Bahrain is not only similar to other countries where uprisings are taking place in that it is an area of oil security, but it also has educated and yet unemployed youth, Traboulsi said. Traboulsi insists that the Gulf region is an unsecure area, expecting more violent uprisings. Bahrain is not alone, its only the weakest link, he said. I expect more political and social protests in the Gulf. Traboulsi was presented with an honorary shield at the end of the lecture.

as the National Liberation Front and National Democratic Action, and political-sectarian parties which emerged and joined forces with leftists and liberals during the 1990s uprising. But, in an effort to silence the demonstrators, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa declared the state of emergency in Bahrain while the Gulf Cooperation Council agreed to deploy the Peninsula Shield Force to repress the revolution. The Assafir columnist, who

has authored many books including A History of Modern Lebanon and, most recently, Democracy is Revolution, insists that the reasons for conflict are political and cannot be associated with differences in religious beliefs. Sectarianism is a political system, and thats a conclusion we Lebanese have derived from our tragic and painful experience, Traboulsi said during the lecture which was organized by the LAU International Affairs Club.

Dean Announces Student Awards

By Mayya Al Ogaily LAU Tribune staff
Dean of Students Raed Mohsen called on the LAU community this week to nominate qualifying students for three yearly awards, the Rhoda Orme, Torch and Riyad Nassar Leadership awards for 2012. The Rhoda Orme Award is given annually during the Student Honor Society Ceremony, scheduled to take place on May 16 this year. The award is handed in to two female students on the universitys two campuses, who show dedication and service to others. The Riyad Nassar Leadership Award will also be presented on the same day but to seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4 and who have versitys schools is selected if he or she demonstrates high leadership and service committees, as the dean mentioned in his email. We get a lot of participation each year from students, faculty and staff members, and its always hard to make the final decision, Mohsen said. I believe the students involvement this year will be as great as always. The winners are selected by Mohsen himself along with a designated selection committee. In the case of the Riyad Nassar Leadership Award, the committee chooses three top candidates for separate interviews before they announce the winner.
Photo via Creative Commons

Damascus with Love

By Lyn Abu-Seraj LAU Tribune staff
The Syrian Cultural Club screened the movie Damascus with Love in LRC 21 on March 15 in an event that hosted students from different backgrounds and majors. The movie revolves around a young Jewish girl who searches for the truth about a family secret in magical Damascus. She falls in love with a Christian man who disappears during the Lebanese civil war. Events such as this screening aim to bring Syrians from different universities together, according to the clubs president Abdullah Al Jajeh. The whole goal of todays event is to let the Syrian people at LAU and AUB to meet each other and form a stronger Syrian association, Al Jajeh said. Al Jajeh insists that the club intends to be as far away as possible from politics. I hope to see all the members of the Syrian club from both AUB and LAU joining us today and hopefully nobody will have any political comments, he added. Diana Rifai enjoys the clubs activities. I think it is interesting and fun especially that I am Syrian, she said. It is something I enjoy doing. It is not just for fun, it unites all the Syrian clubs and we organize events together, Rifai continued.

completed at least a year as a full-time undergraduate students at LAU. The candidates CVs must demonstrate leadership skills, and academic and extracurricular accomplishments. The Torch Award will be given out this year on July 7 and 8, during commencement exercises. One undergraduate student from each of the uni-

SPORTS
By Rouba Jaafar LAU Tribune staff
With thirteen major tournaments in his portfolio, Pep Guardiola has led the Catalan club to having one of the most successful and mostfeared football sides of all time. However, he faces an uncertain future with his contract set to expire with the club at the end of the season. Forty-one-year-old Pep Guardiola was voted the best manager in La Liga earlier this year, beating last years winner Real Madrid manager Jos Mourinho and Manchester United boss Sir. Alex Ferguson to it. But the issue remains in the fact that Guardiola hasnt yet confirmed his wish to renew his contract with Barcelona given that he does so each year due to his professional arrangement with the club. From the bottom of my heart, I want to dedicate this award to Tito Vilanova, my friend, colleague and assistant. Even though you arent around much these days, youre always there. This is for you, kid, Guardiola said as he received his award earlier this year. The absence of his assistant and friend Vilanova following a cancer diagnosis has left Guardiola shaken and possibly uncertain about upcoming decisions in his career. Rumors have also been circulating about the worsening relationship between the coach and the Club President Sandro Rosell. Sir Alex is amazing. Its unbelievable what he has done in 25 years at United, Guardiola said during a press conference. But, in Spain, in Italy, to have 25 years in the same job... it is impossible. If you dont do so well in one

March 26, 2012

Tribune

Guardiola to Leave the Blaugranas?

My life is decided by passion and, when thats gone, Ill go home and rest a little bit and try to get that passion back. Meanwhile, several clubs outside Spain have approached Guardiola. Spanish newspaPhoto via Facebook

year, in one-and-a-half years, you get fired. At the beginning of this season, the Spanish manager was asked if he was looking for a new challenge. Do I still want the challenge? I have to look inside of me for the answer to that, Guardiola said. I will continue for another year and then I will decide.

per Marca claimed that Inter Milan are ready to offer 20 million Euros per season to sign Guardiola (and the Nerazzurri may need a great manager after a forgettable season). Guardiola has been linked with Inter more than once in the past and Argentinian legend Diego Maradona

said that he would not be surprised if Guardiola eventually ended up at the San Siro. Rumors linking the manager coach with Inter were particularly fueled when Guardiola showed up to an event wearing an Inter scarf. Its a gift from a friend, he said then. I currently train the most fascinating team there is. As Roman Abramovich searches for a new Chelsea manager, Guardiolas name is also in the betting. The Blues Russian owner wants Guardiola to become the clubs new manager after caretaker boss Roberto Di Matteo vindicates the post in the summer. Every coach finds it appealing to further prove his abilities in the Premier League. But when Guardiola was asked about this rumor, he laughed it off. Meanwhile, the football press in England and Spain talked about Abramovichs wishes to have the Spanish coach as Chelseas new manager. The Barca players have another say. They want their coach to stay, given what theyve become since Guardiola became the teams manager. Pep is more important to Barcelona than me, Lionel Messi said. Since he arrived he has changed everything for us. He has won everything there is to win. Barcas Xavi agreed. We all want him to stay, he said. He is the key piece in the success we have had and the 13 titles we have won over the last few years.

The midfielder believes that Guardiola will end up staying at Barca in any case. Andres Iniesta hopes that Pep Guardiola would sign an extension. I hope that he renews and that he stays with us for a long time. He has to decide and he knows that the team wants him to stay, he said. Thats everyones wish. Guardiola is eager. We have a lot of beautiful things still yet to see. The clubs vice-president Carles Vilarrubi believes that Guardiola has a high sense of responsibility and will not drag the team to a damage point. He knows he is at home at the club and that Barcelonas fans are with him, Vilarrubi told TV3. It will end well. He will remain at our home. Guardiola explained that when he feels that hes not needed anymore and doesnt have the passion and strength that he has now, he will certainly leave. There are two ways of leaving. When you arent winning and get sacked or when you leave naturally, knowing that the right time has come, Pep Guardiola said. Everything has to end at some point. At the end of this season Guardiola will choose where he wants to end up. He could be Barcelonas new Ferguson and serve the team for the next years, or he would follow Jose Mourinhos steps by often looking for new challenges with different teamssevery once in a while.

Player of the issue

Lionel Messi: Season 2011/12

Squad No: 10 Position: Forward Age: 24 Birth Date: Jun 24, 1987 Birth Place: Rosario, Argentina Goals :34 Games: 27 Assists:9 Shots:141

Upcoming games
La Liga 31/03 Osasuna Barcelona 01/04 Valencia V Levante Atl. Madrid V Getafe V Real Madrid V Ath Bilbao

Upcoming games
Serie A 31/03 Catania 01/04 Juventus Inter V V Napoli Genoa V AC Milan

Upcoming games
Premier League
31/03 Aston Villa V Chelsea Man City V Sunderland QPR V Arsenal 01/04 Newcastle V Liverpool Tottenham V Swansea

CAMPUS LIFE
By Aseel Baidoun LAU Tribune staff
At 2:30 p.m. sharp every other Thursday, 19 LAU students climb the stairs of Nicol Hall and quickly disappear behind the doors of room 524 for at least six or seven hours. Students who arrive after 2:31 p.m. get that look with the sentence you are late from Yasmine Dabbous, assistant professor of journalism and media studies and the instructor of Journalism Workshop the course in which journalism students produce the LAU Tribune. The Tribune is the universitys student newspaper, produced entirely by senior journalism students. It appears every other Monday during the fall and spring semesters. COM422 students report for, write and edit the papers material. Every other Thursday, they gather at the universitys newsroom until late at night to design and proofread the paper. Students sit behind their computers, waiting for the articles. Blood rushes into Dabbouss face and her hands shake while she hurriedly distributes edited articles to the students. No time to waste, start working now, she tells the Tribune staff. Rouba Jaafar, sports page editor, paces the room with a tense smile on her anxious face. I just cant wait for the issue to be printed, she says. Iman Soufan, co-editor-inchief, holds her phone in one hand and works on the article with the other. Dont wait for me today, I wont finish before 10 p.m., she tells her friend on the phone. Soufan believes it takes courage and passion to create a successful Tribune. As weird as it sounds, you will eventually create a relationship with the Tribune, she says. Natalia Elmani and Ranim Hadid, arts and culture page editors, read the articles on their page out loud. They call on Dabbous to come and help but she is already busy with others. Continue working, Yasmine wont come now, I have been waiting for her for 10 minutes, Carla Hazarian, campus news page editor, tells Hadid. Diligently editing her page, Elmani spares some time to tell me about the experience. This is the real experience of the journalism world, she says. We work as a real

Tribune

March 26 , 2012

The Tribune Behind the Scenes

Journalism Workshop. I just love the Tribune, and it really means a lot to me maybe because I was writing for the paper when I was a student, Dabbous says. Back to the newsroom. Layan Doueik, the campus life editor, looks at me in shock. Oh my God, Aseel! Please tell me you did not forget to do the vox pop! My face turns red, my eyes wide open. The only word that comes out of my mouth is, Yasmine! I know I said I dont feel like a teacher in this course, but when it comes to grades, believe me, I will be a teacher, Dabbous tells me, smiling. Doueik considers that the idea of students gathering information, writing and then editing their own articles, to eventually distribute them makes the group similar to an organic community where any error might affect the whole newspaper. On Monday morning, the stress disappears and a smile emerges on the faces of the 19 students as they distribute their paper. I see the Tribune as our offspring. Its just good that every issue doesnt take nine months to be produced, Zahi Sahli, co-editor-in-chief, said with a smile.
Photo by: Aseel Baidoun

team, and as real journalists. Hadid agrees with Elmani. I think it is a commitment and not a course. It is more like a part-time job, she says. On the other side of the class, I can see Farah Al Saati, online editor-in-chief, banging the mouse nervously. I hate InDesign, I just hate it, Al Saati exclaims. Dabbous rushes to calm her down.I feel that I am a newsroom director, and that students are journalists, and this creates a unique rela-

tionship with them, Dabbous says. The Tribune was launched in 1997 when a Fulbright fellow came specifically from the United States to establish a student newspaper at a Lebanese university, LAU. The paper was an extracurricular activity for journalism students among which was Dabbous herself. Ramez Maalouf, associate professor of journalism and former chair of the communication arts department, later made the production of the Tribune part of a senior class,

Vox Pop:Who is Lebanons 1st Post-Independence President?

Salam Dirani 21-year-old banking and finance student Oh, I cannot remember exactly who he is. But he is very wellknown though. Riad El-Solh??

Wael Roumieh 21-year-old IBM student

Yasmin Boutine 22-year-old AA liberal arts student I do not know. What is the year of independence again?

Nazem Richani 20-year-old accounting student Elias Hrawi? I am not really sure. I forgot.

Lara Abou Chala 20-year-old english student

Bechara El-Khoury. Right answer!

Bechara El- Khoury. Right Answer!

CAMPUS LIFE
By Zahi Sahli LAU Tribune staff
As an LAU instructor spoke about King Davids journeys, only one student knew the narrative she was referring to. A few days later, the instructor referred to the story of Isaac, and the reaction was the same. In a region where pious traditions are prevalent, students unawareness of the stories of prophets, which are written in the Old Testament, the Bible and the Koran, is ludicrous, the instructor said. As social media follows the revolutionary footsteps of the twentieth-century visual media and changes the way students learn, considerable concern over undergraduates level of general knowledge has emerged. This is a growing issue in Lebanon, communication arts professor Mahmoud Tarabay says. Tarabay attributes the diminished level of acquired general knowledge among todays students to a number of factors which constitute the consumer-oriented fast food culture. With online and television news briefs as well as phone memory and address books available to consumers, young students do not feel that they have to read and store information from books anymore, Tarabay said. We are shifting the tasks and functions of the brain because technology can do its job, Tarabay said. Students feel they dont have time to read and research, and get the general knowledge that everyone can acquire. Once an LAU student, Ziad Bahloul who is currently the Computer Lab & Simulation Lab Supervisor at LAU and an instructor of business echoes Tarabays nostalgic verdict, insisting that the level of knowledge has dropped since he last sat at a students desk. The business instructor believes that students have not been making the best out of the technology offered to them, insisting that parents and teachers must direct youth toward using their devices more for educational purposes. Students misuse technology, they spend hours on computer games and social networks rather than studying and going out with friends, Bahloul said. With the nearly-instantaneous dissemination of news on the internet, newspapers

March 26, 2012

Tribune

Students Run Out of General Knowledge

are struggling as they try to compete with social media networks and blogs for online readers. But though there is an international decline in terms of readership, the problem manifests itself more clearly in the Arab world, which ranks last behind other regions in terms of reading time per year. According to the 2010 Human Development Report, the average reading time of a citizen in the Arab world is six minutes annually while an individual in the Western world reads 12,000 minutes on average per year. Mona Knio, chair of the communication arts department, says that students must be curious to learn if they are to attain a decent amount of knowledge. The culture is now different, Knio said. But learning is much more important than just going to university and following the syllabus to get a high grade. You should have the curiosity to learn. Though Knio says the upcoming generations bond with technology has allowed them to develop notable visual abilities, she insists that that students are now more interested in practicing theories than in building their cultural background. A survey carried out on 80 students from USJ and LAU found that only 10 percent of the participants could name the first post-independence Lebanese president. Only 10 percent could and name three living local journalists while 6 percent could name three of their favorite novels. Hassan Hammoud, associate professor of sociology, says that todays students do not feel they have time they can dedicate to reading books. One gains culture through direct interaction with sources such as reading and attending seminars and conferences, Hammoud said. But there is no interaction because students of this generation dont take time to read books. Hammoud believes that globalization has allowed technology to replace books, a phenomenon which has facilitated the downfall of national cultures. Technology is contributing to making people lazy instead of preparing them to obtain skills, Hammoud said. They are losing the skill to write, especially in their own languages. Some instructors, however, believe that a generation of students cannot be evaluated collectively. Chaoki Doueihi, Professor of sociology and anthropology at Saint-Joseph University, insists that theres no such thing as a generation that is cultured or uncultured. Douehi, who has been teaching for thirty years, added that evaluation should take place on case-by-case basis. It depends on the student. This has been the case forever, he said. Where an individual was raised and how he or she was nurtured rank among the numerous variables which come into account when judging whether a student has sufficient general knowledge or not, Doueihi said. Latif Zeitouni, a professor of Arabic literature at LAU, says that a new culture is being shaped. I dont think that the level of culture has dropped, but that the new generation is interested in new concepts, Zeitouni said. They are using other things that have to do with their era.

continued on page 10

New Teachers Demand Larger Classrooms

By Iman Soufan LAU Tribune staff
Coming from the opposite side of the world, Andrew Bobrow, a communication arts instructor, arrived to Beirut to teach at LAU last fall. I knew people back in the United States who had taught here quite some time ago, and they had nothing but a praise so I thought it would be worthwhile, he said. Bobrow, who comes from New York City, is adapting well to the culture of LAU and to life in Beirut. He feels the two cities are equally chaotic. The Lebanese capital may not be very different from urban and cosmopolitan New York, but Bobrow found a great disparity between the two cultures in the classroom. There is a habit here in Lebanon of showing up late, and a tendency to skip classes and turn in assignments late, which I am trying to break, he said. But I dont think I will, I think its fairly much engrained in the culture. Other than that, my students are interested and attentive, and Im very happy, Bobrow nonetheless added. Diving into a new community may be a difficult adjustment but, for most new instructors, joining LAU has been a pleasant experience. The only complaint the LAU Tribune heard repeatedly relates to the space problem and class sizes. Zein Shweiry, a new face at the English department, describes her journey thus far in one word; inspiring. Despite this positive outlook, Shweiry finds some difficulty dealing with the number of students she has to teach in every class. I think that efficient learning is characterized by a smaller number of students in a classroom, she said. Shweiry finds a class of 20 to be ideal. LAU has been increasingly struggling with space problems and class sizes during the last few years. Short of classrooms on Beiruts small campus, administrators find themselves forced to accommodate up to 40 students in classes such as Art of Film or Introduction to Psychology. Shweiry believes such numbers eventually cut instructor-student interaction. Another new instructor affected by the large number of students per class is Leila Issa. Issa teaches Calculus I, III and IV, and each of these classes is made up of 40 plus students. I have an issue with the

continued on page 10

IWSAW Empowers Women of Today

By Caroline Feghaly LAU Tribune staff
I entered the office and found myself in a different world. The white walls were covered with posters and paintings of women, there was also a cupboard filled with several books whose titles revealed tales of women. Nisaa Min Biladi (Women from my Country), Soltanat al Shasha (Giants of the Screen), and Al-Raida were among them. As I went in, I found a black shirt, a black cap, a white scarf and a couple of necklaces hanging on the wall. Writings were on each of them. The phrase written on the white scarf grabbed my attention: Partners to end violence against women. In 1956, LAU was known as Beirut College University for Women, with a female student body and a female president. The Institute of Womens Studies in the Arab World was established after the university started accepting male students. It came in 1973, a reminder of the universitys heritage. Dima Dabbous-Sensenig, director of the institute, was as she puts it born a feminist. To her, feminism means that every human being, regardless of gender, has the right to do what they believe they can do. She considers it a conviction, not a job. Feminism is in my blood, she said. Nobody has the right to tell you that, if you are a woman, you cant do this. I can do what I want to do and what I think I can do. The IWSAW has been very active since its inception. Among its more recent activities is an effort to recruit young male university students in a campaign against gender-based violence. The project took place in cooperation with Abaad, a Lebanese NGO committed to equality among the sexes. Another IWSAW project organized last year is the White Ribbon Campaign, an activity against domestic abuse. It also recruited men to help raise awareness. A man is not a man if he beats a woman, Dabbous explained. He is a man if he stops other men from beating women, and if he helps change the law to protect women. Dabbous believes that both men and women suffer from stereotypes. She calls for an equilibrium and the rethinking of gender rules a reason behind the institutes bid to involve men in their campaigns. The IWSAW also adopts cases of unjustly imprisoned women. Most of these women are foreigners. They are either poor or have no family in Lebanon, and cant afford a lawyer. The institute finds them lawyers and pays for the latters fees. Funds come from American and European charitable organizations. The institute also works on teaching jailed women various skills they need to find a job after their release. The idea is to help them make money and become independent. At a more academic level, the IWSAW generates its own publication. Al-Raida is the first journal for womens studies in the Arab world. First published in 1976, it tackles taboos such as homosexuality, sexuality, virginity and abortion. The journal targets women in general, academics and university students. Its goal is to raise awareness about pertinent issues in the Arab world and break the barriers that prevent women from achieving their full potential. Maybe Al-Raida wasnt attacked for the topics because its in English. The language protected it, Dabbous said. Its very progressive, but its not like youre publishing something in a national publication. Its an academic journal. The laws protecting women in Lebanon are meager and prejudiced. Lebanese women are not allowed to pass on their nationality to their children. More flagrantly, a man who rapes a woman and then marries her is absolved of his crime. And only recently did honor crimes become forbidden by law. In the 1950s, womens activism was strong. They gained the right to inherit equally as men, and the right to vote, Dabbous said. Now, we go to demonstrations, but unfortunately, Lebanon doesnt change laws. The Parliament doesnt care about human rights. They only think about political and sectarian issues. It is a disgrace, she added.

PEOPLE

Tribune

March 26, 2012

Nader Dernaika: Acting Up

By Carla Hazarian LAU Tribune staff
He sat calmly in the LAU courtyard looking on with the vigorous smile of a passionate artist. Communication arts student Nader Dernaikas genuine desire and obvious talent led him to act in four LAU plays to date. Dernaika enjoys the connection he feels with the audience in theater. I really enjoy the interaction with the audience, he said. Every time I get a reaction out of them it gives me a rush and fuels me to go on. Dernaika says that he was inspired by the movies From Dusk Till Dawn and Bram Stokers Dracula to perform the way he did in his first play. I remember scaring my younger brother by chasing him around the house with fake vampire teeth, Dernaika laughed. When he saw the plays poster, the young man immediately called the director, Hannah Rasekh. He used a deep baritone dark voice during the phone call. But though he always had the ability, Before his first audition at LAU, Dernaika felt tense. I was nervous at the beginning because i had never auditioned for a role before. She asked me to read a few lines and I delivered them enthusiastically, he said. Hannah offered me the role a day later, which made me extremely happy since it was an opportunity to act onthe LAU stage for the first time. Dernaika later played a character called Joe in the play Cocaine. The character, who remains home during the whole play, is a broke cocaine addict. In his fourth acting performance at LAU, Dernaika portrayed an old man in the surreal production, Bed. Despite playing four different roles, Dernaika was able to separate the characters and focus on creating a distinguished identity for each of them. I completely forget or block out the character of a previous role that I recently played and focus on giving life to another character to avoid repeating the same actions and delivering a similar performance, Dernaika said. Creating a new character is challenging and innovating and the process enhances an actors creativity. Without proper assistance and guidance from the director though, that cannot be achieved, Dernaika added. Since childhood, Dernaika showed a great interest in acting. He appeared in many high school plays and has enjoyed fooling his friends with practical jokes. Everyone was so stressed, so I used that as an excuse to act something out, Dernaika recalled faking illness ahead of final exams at his school. I pretended I was dizzy and pretended to faint. I tried to make it as believable as possible. Dernaika had to keep a straight face as students gathered and teachers panicked. He was taken to local clinic. While I was there, my father showed up because the school called him and told him that I had fainted he said. Yeah, it got a bit out of hand. Dernaika explained how he eventually chose communication arts after having taken some business courses. I was about to enroll in business and I did like 5 to 6 courses before changing my mind, he said. But Im glad I took them because they made me decide to change my major. Actings my passion so I prefer to pursue that, he said. But to avoid disappointing his parents, Dernaika hopes that he can land a regular office job and and hopes to stay in touch with acting in his spare time by joining theater groups.

ARTS & CULTURE

Suitcases of Memory: A Review
By Farah Al Saati LAU Tribune staff
The smell of deep fried potato, sound of Pepsi bottles being opened, and Unica chocolate bars remind Ehab Allam of his family. Hes a Lebanese child who lost his parents during the Lebanese Civil War. Allam is the main character in Charbel Kattans new novel, Suitcases of Memory. Although it is the authors first, the Arabic fiction novel was nominated for the Arabic BOOKER Prize 2012. The novel takes you on a journey with a little Muslim orphan who lived in a monastery after his grandmother died and his father disappeared with the outbreak of the Civil War. Allam grew up as a talented, intelligent young man but he kept his skills hidden to have peace in a country with no peace. Fast forward to 2005, Allam is in a questto find his longlost father who left him during the war and never came orphans. As a child who lost his father in mysterious circumstances in the war, he decides to solve the puzzle of the five airport orphans. Within each bag lays a story and with each story the drama of a family who suffered during the war. With the discovery of each bags owner, a mystery is broken and hearts come together. This is a must-read book for all of us who have had it enough with the tragedies of the Lebanese war and want to finally have a happy ending. Charbel Kattan was born in Maghdouche, South Lebanon, in 1970. He left to the Republic of South Africa in 1990 after the Lebanese Civil War ended to continue his higher education in informatics. Currently, Kattan lives and works in Johannesburg, clear of violence and retaliations.
Photo via Facebook

March 26 , 2012

Tribune

Legal Threat to Internet

By Jawad Itani Special to the LAU Tribune
Is there something that can eliminate the capability to download songs on the internet? Is there something that can send someone to jail for a simple reason such as sharing a song on the internet? Is there something that can weaken small companies trying to grow? Is there something that can destroy the internets free speech? The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement may. ACTA is a treaty signed by multiple nations in order to protect intellectual property rights, such as downloading songs and movies off the internet using the famous peerto-peer (known as P2P) system called torrents or simply downloading from websites. Lobbyists and lawyers worked hand-in-hand writing this treaty behind closed doors for approximately five years or more, without the consumers knowledge. There to protect artists who could make more money, ACTA tries to prohibit individuals who download their products instead of legally purchasing them. But reading the treaty in between the lines, one can notice its there to limit the Internet as we know it. This treaty is there to serve the rich and the ones who already have their businesses set; those who simply want to maximize their income although they already make a behemoth amount of money. It may hurt people like young aspiring artists who do mash-ups -or a compilation of songs that make up an independent piece. The consequences of the treaty range from banning content on the Internet to labeling generic medicine as counterfeit drugs. Yes, this treaty does not simply stop at the edge of the Internet; it also affects a large section of the media as well as the science and medicine fields. Kader Arif, a member of the French EP, explains that the problem with ACTA is that, by focusing on the fight against violation of intellectual property rights in general, it treats a generic drug just as a counterfeited drug. Arif finds this obviously problematic. This means the patent holder can stop the shipping of the drugs to a developing country, seize the cargo and even order the destruction of the drugs as a preventive measure, he adds. In fact, generic medicines are not the fake version of a drug; they are a generic version of a drug, produced either because the patent on the original drug has expired, or because a country has to put in place public health policies, as indicated on wikipedia. org. Despite the fact that the ACTA treaty was signed by several governments such as those of the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Morocco and New Zealand, this treaty has not been applied yet. There still is chance to reject it by the European Parliament. If this treaty applies, average users around the world will suffer severe negative effects. It is not clear to what extent Lebanon can be affected, but the eventual consequences may ultimately affect the country.

back. As an airport security employee, he uses his skills, funds, contacts and resources at the airport and at investigative agencies in Europe to track the missing old man. Meanwhile, in the airport lost-and-found warehouse are forgotten suitcases that were never claimed by their owners. When Allam is transferred to customs department, he discovers these suitcases, called

Satire: A (Very) Scientific Experiment

By Zahi Sahli LAU Tribune staff
Note: This is a satirical piece is dedicated to a (very) scientific professor who does not care for the sources of statistics. Are you troubled by your constant lack of sleep? Do you stay awake even as you count hundreds of living and slain sheep? According to so many statistics, three-quarters of people around the world have your problem. The good news is that scientists from all around the world have found that, if you drink two, three or four cups of yogurt between 10 p.m. and midnight, and then wait for about 13 minutes and as much seconds, your eyelids would automatically shut against each other. The experiment has been verified by so many scientific institutions even the best research centers in the United States. However, like everything, this process has both advantages and disadvantages. If the yogurt is expired, then you might get poisoned. Usually, scientists say, an expiry date is written somewhere on the box of edible substances. But Zayed Wazni has his doubts. I doubt it, he verbalized staggeringly. I once bought yogurt which had no expiry date on it. There is no fear at all from now on, however, as employees from the Ministry of Health have checked the expiry dates on all boxes of yogurt just yesterday, and have found that the yogurt in the market is branded with correct expiry dates. Another side effect might be that people tend to get hooked on yogurt. Statistics say that several people get addicted to yogurt. One of these people is Farah Dayem, who said she became so used to it that she could not let go. I became so used to it that I could not let go, she articulated. But eating yogurt is better than taking pills, because we all know that eating and drinking natural things is more natural than consuming chemical things. Other ways in which you can sleep well include listening to classical music, reading a really long novel (like a hundred pages) or praying before you go to bed and asking God to extend a helping hand.

Interested in writing for the Tribune? Please write us at tribunelau@ gmail.com

MEDIA & SCIENCE

Lebanese Universities Battle for Likes
By Farah Al Saati LAU Tribune staff
LAU and the American University of Beirut (AUB) advertise their social media channels on their official websites. LAU administrates five official Facebook pages, including: LAU alumni, LAU Libraries, LAU news and information, LAU Students and Tomorrows Leaders Scholarship Program. AUB, on the other hand, has only one official page the American University of Beirut Official Page. LAUs official page has gained 32,351 likes, which nearly amounts to 21,000 more fans than AUBs official page, with 11,240 likes. Material posted on these pages falls under three main categories, including academics, events and university-related news. Most of the likes on the two pages come from students and thus both pages should have much more likes according to Abdallah Absi, a computer science student at AUB and the founder of Rifflex, says. In his opinion LAU beats AUB on Facebook. LAU is known to be more caring and engaging, he said. Studies found that online reputation affects universities greatly. In general, the more a university Facebook page has likes and the more active it is, the better its reputation among undergraduates. At a time when reputation is more important than ever because of higher student fees and greater global competition, the ability to manage their [universities] reputations is increasingly falling out of their hands, Harriet Swain, a journalist for The Guardian, wrote. Before Facebook, Twitter and other Social Media channels, and smart phones, university-related news was broadcast on the official websites of the concerned institutions or was sent by email. The news often reached students quite late especially when the latter did not check the official website regularly. Today, Social Media pages have come to be universities prime choice for communication with students. The audience of universities is a combination of a large student body of current students, a growing alumni community, collaborators from the public and private sector, Ayman Itani, digital media instructor and Social Media specialist, said. These participants are communicating more and more via various Social Media channels. Unlike the wall of AUBs Facebook page, LAUs is open to all. Posts range from questions about exam dates or registration deadlines to announcements about student plays and other commercial links. One can find job offers and restaurant ads up to the promotion of a salsa dance class. Although LAU beats AUB on Facebook, the case is reversed on Twitter. AUBs official Twitter account, @ AUB_Lebanon, has gathered over 5,000 followers nearly double the amount of LAU followers. As one of the best universities regionally, these universities must have a higher social media outreach to everyone, Absi advised. Beirut Arab University (BAU) joined the Social Media battle through its students effort. Undergraduates created several pages and groups to communicate and exchange information about BAU on Facebook. Neither an official page or a Twitter account was created

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March 26, 2012

by the university so far. The fight for digital presence doesnt end there. BAU was the first Lebanese university to launch a mobile app in the App Store on May 24, 2011. Seven months later, LAU created its own version of the digital platform. These apps keep students updated with the news they might need about their universities like registrations dates, official holidays and course offerings. Universities Social Media presence is not only important for students; it is also helpful for alumni. Facebook keeps old classmates in touch. It assists alumni in finding jobs. If universities want to take part in the discussion, they need to embrace Social Media as part of its day-to-day communication and their long-term plans, Itani explained.

You May Not Know You Have Sleep Apnea

By Serge Korjian LAU Tribune contributor
Nothing beats a good nights sleep. And the saying applies quite literally as sleep is actually as vital for you to function as food is. Still, sleep disorders are the most common and the most underdiagnosed disorders worldwide. Sleep not only affects your mood and your energy, but interestingly enough your blood pressure as well. Many recent studies have shown solid contribution of disorders like obstructive sleep apnea in increasing blood pressure. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), one of the most underestimated sleeping disorders, is a condition in which sufferers face repeated episodes of cessation of breathing during sleep sometimes for a minute at a time. The process by which people with OSA stop breathing is quite simple. While a person is asleep, the passageway of air to the lungs is blocked at the throat the narrowest and most collapsible part of the airway. This phenomenon is mostly seen in overweight people, because the extra weight creates adds pressure for the airway to overcome. Because loss of breath during sleep is not something that is pleasantly received by the body, the sympathetic nervous system is activated causing arousal to restore normal breathing. This is the same system that is activated when you are exposed to fear or danger and that helps your body cope with difficult or stressful situations. Consequently, these arousals cause leaps in the blood pressure and eventually lead to hypertension. What is remarkable about this disease is that people do not notice it at all. Instead, many individuals complain of excessive daytime sleepiness despite a seemingly comfortable sleep the night before. They also complain of heavy snoring. As OSA can often be overlooked, many people with hypertension, who cannot seem to get a good blood pressure with regular medications, are labeled as having resistant hypertension. The truth, however, is entirely different. The most common therapy for OSA is a strict weight loss program and a few months of assisted ventilation at night a machine that helps the person breath while theyre asleep.

The Plight of Alzheimer

By Anita Nasrallah LAU Tribune contributor
Imagine not knowing your sons name or forgetting that fire hurts you or that washing machines are designed to clean your clothes. This is what may happen if you are an advanced Alzheimer disease (AD) patient. AD is a form of dementia characterized by the loss of brain function. A result of the loss of neurons and synapses in the cerebral cortex and certain subcortical regions, the disease affects behaviour, thinking, and memory. There are two types of AD: early onset and late onset. The first appears before the age of 60. It is less common but deteriorates quickly. The latter is the most common. It occurs among elderly people, above the age of 60. Several features may increase ones risk for having AD. These include high blood pressure, a history of head trauma, gender, heredity, etc. However, the direct cause of Alzheimers is not yet clear. Research is ongoing to prove whether it is directly genetic or not. As the disease progresses, symptoms become clearer and more severe. These include difficulty in mental functions, such as language, memory, perception, cognition and emotional behaviour. Although there is no proven way to prevent AD, some practices may help if incorporated into the daily routine. These include a lowfat diet, the maintenance of low blood pressure, an increase in the intake of antioxidants, a reduction in the intake of linoleic acid found in margarine, butter, and dairy products, and an active mental and social life.

March 26, 2012

OPINION
What is censorship? I could define it according to how it is stated in several dictionaries and no doubt that it would take me weeks to go through the different definitions but Im not going to do that. Ill try to summarize it for you in a way that makes the most sense (or at least, Id like to think it does): Censorship is the active omission of material or information that may be considered harmful, immoral or unsuitable for a specific audience or the general public. Why do associations, people or organizations use censorship? Well, herein lies the reason as to whether they use it to protect their own image from being ruined or protect the peoples minds from facing the ugly truth and yes, the truth can be really ugly at times. After all, a loyal and devoted wife might not be able to deal with knowing of her husbands infidelity. A childs mind might not be able to absorb harmful war images shown in the media. A parent may not necessarily want to know that their golden child is not so golden after all, but in fact, a drug-addict, an alcoholic and a complete menace to society. People of different faiths might find it very difficult to accept that a certain character from a holy book was just a normal human being like any other. A politicians supporters may not be able to handle the fact that he is, in fact, a very, very, dirty politician. Children might still like to believe that the tooth fairy exists and Santa Claus is still coming to town with gifts. Still, in many societies around the world today, Ive seen people choose to be ignorant of the truth when it was staring at them right in the face. Some of you know how this works: the over-protective

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Note: The LAU Tribune is not responsible for the opinions expressed on this page.

Censorship: A Barrier to Progression or a Tool of Protection?

By Yasmine Sarhi LAU Tribune staff
parents that coddle their children to the extreme. Not only do these coddled individuals go out into the world projecting an image of exaggerated superiority and looking like a complete maniac to the general public (Hitler, anyone?), others have to put up with this absurdity on a daily basis. How about news channels not airing certain war footages on screen due to the extreme content of the material? How did censorship help here? By protecting the viewers from having to be subjected to such scenes of violence? They are not the ones actually being tortured, feeling the pain, and suffering under the hands of murderous sociopaths. No, its the now-dead victims whose voices of pain were not heard due to censorship. When is censorship a necessary tool of protection? It never is. People need to know the truth in order to take the appropriate action. Due to censorship in the media, people have been blinded into supporting unethical and unlawful politicians, and have been manipulated into supporting capitalist associations. We have been lured into believing the non-profit claims of educational institutions and into becoming part of a consumerist culture that blindly spends its money trying to keep up with the current trend of the majority. Censorship has allowed the media to become god-like to many from the general public. To suppress the truth is to suppress genuine growth. Censorship has even been used as a tool to control those who have the potential to make positive and effective changes to the world. Journalists and reporters are constantly having their work removed from different media outlets due to the sensitive or problematic nature of its content. Many times, its this type of content that will help the public take the very much needed and justified action in order to help improve society on a more realistic level for the majority. The media is a watcher that tells the stories as it wants to. The media monitoring companies, like Ipsos-Stat, claim to state statistics and information as is. But the question here is: who watches the watchers? I say, be your own watcher. Be the director. Be the author. Be the audience. Dont let censorship hide the truth and stunt your growth. Hiding the truth creates ignorance and ignorance is the reason we keep making the same mistakes. Censorship is why history repeats itself. See the truth for what it really is and take action. Let us not make the same mistakes our ancestors made.

Domestic Violence in the Media

By Samia Buhulaiyem LAU Tribune staff
One can look at domestic violence from four axes: the physical, the psychological, the sexual, and the economic. All victims of domestic violence as well as their families should be empowered. All those victims should break their silence, and devictimize themselves. No woman, man, and child should live in fear and sufferring because they do not know where to go. Many domestic violence victims do not know that there are agencies to contact. The key out of this ailment is education. I think education is the duty of the media. The media tends to concentrate on individual cases or events, and turn them into news pieces, instead of looking at the big picture. This strategy attracts more viewers and consequently more advertisements and material gain. Thus, it is clear why the media picks a murder case over a slapped wife. Citizens in Lebanon always conceal domestic violence and abuse, because women and their children were brought up with the fixed idea that a man has the right to beat his wife and children, and a mother has the right to beat her children. People have become desensitized to this issue. Mass media should cover incidents of domestic violence, and media staff should be involved with experts in the field. Media should play the role of bringing abused people and law enforcement agencies together on air in order to educate the public. They should stress the fact that human beings should be respected and never be abused Media should inform parents that the best way to prevent physically assaultive behavior comes from role modeling within the family and that love does not include unfair or unjust control. Support the equity of behavior between all family members and intimate partners regardless of age, gender, or sexual orientation. To achieve an equitable end is to ensure an equitable beginning. I might sound like a utopist, but I hope that one day all domestic violence shelters wont be needed.

Perfect Parents
By Omar El-Tani LAU Tribune staff
After taking environmental science at LAU, I learned that we humans are too greedy for one planet, we consume more than is bestowed on us. We need one earth and a half to sustain us, and the cherry to top it is that last year the global population reached 7 billion. Then I see these magazinecookie-cutter wives all media-perfect, with their hard working or non-existent husbands abroad, engaged in anything but taking care of the child. I am not targeting women only. The domestic worker or the nanny ends up looking after the child. I am not racist but it astounds me sometimes when I hear these pure bred Lebanese babies speaking English with a Philipino accent. Some people just have kids as an accessory, a fashion statement or a prop if you will: A 2-year-old kid dressed in designer clothes, crawling on the floor with designer shoes. There are two options here, either dont get children or adopt. Developing countries are major contributors to this phenomenon. When I see financially secure and educated couples too entrenched in themselves to give a damn about their protgs, I cringe. It is hard to solve this problem; maybe we will reach a stage similar to that of Aldous Huxleys Brave New World where having parents would be a taboo because everybody is a test tube baby.

CONTINUED
Easy A Courses
Continued from page 1

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Fortune-Telling at LAU
Continued from page 1
Tarot is mainly playing cards with a pack of 78 with five suits, Basma continued. It is a way of revealing the truth about your life. A psychology student, Khouloud Mardini, judges predictions validity by comparing her life events with the predictions of fortune-tellers. Yes, like at new years eve, I become curious to know what the upcoming year is hiding for me, Khouloud Mardini, a psychology student, said. And if it happened to come true Ill do the same thing next year. George El-Khoury, a psychiatrist and addiction specialist, says that all humans even those who claim to be fully rational beings are somehow superstitious. El-Khoury emphasizes superstitions role in alleviating peoples anxiety over existential and daily challenges. Fortune-telling and horoscopes are of the processes that rely on the assumption that the future is somehow already defined. By knowing it, our anxiety is suddenly alleviated and replaced by certainty, El-Khoury explained. But those individuals that rely on it fail to notice is that by knowing the future they have already changed it. They then behave in a way consistent with the prediction, ElKhoury added. Both Islam and Christianity deny the validity of fortune-telling. Sheikh Riyad Hassan says that fortune-telling goes against the principles of Islam. He points to a Koranic verse which verifies his viewpoint: And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him [ 6:59]. All fortune-tellers and astrologers lie even if their predictions are ratified, Hassan said. There is no way that celestial planets can determine our personality and affect our daily life. Priest George Sawme shares the sheikhs beliefs. Sawme said that fortune-telling is categorized as profanation and heresy, emphasizing that Christianity dictates that only God can know the happenings of the future. The Bible verifies Sawmes words: There shall not be found among you anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord [Deuteronomy 18:1013].While some prophets had the ability to foretell events, Sawme said, their role was only to raise religious awareness. God gave prophets like Samuel and David the power to enlighten people because people were not religiously mature at that time, he elaborated. Fortune-telling does not exist. While obsessive interest in fortune-telling can intervene in peoples normal functioning, having mild superstitions is not particularly harmful. This could be temporary and a system of underlying psychological stress but can also have long term consequences, El-Khoury said. I like to believe in horoscopes even if others think they are myths, Razan Mufleh, a communication arts student, said. I like the idea of people having different horoscopes which give them certain characteristics.

Dabbous added that she often advises students to use their free electives to form a specialization they could use later in their careers. According to the Tribune survey, the courses mentioned by students abound in various departments. LAU instructors were surprised to hear that their courses were among the ones designated by students. Afif Hachem, an LAU chef who teaches Food Preparation I and II and Baking Pastry and Chocolate said that he is very frustrated about the allegations, since his courses are practical and do not indeed require hours of studying. All they need is basic knowledge, creativity and passion for food, he said. This reputation was created because of the students excitement about hands on experience, in addition to the education, Hachem added. Hachem said that the courses he gives teach students to observe strict regulations. Young men, for example, have to shave their beards regularly and young women must abstain from using nail polish. Students must learn not to taste the food during the preparation process, have the uniform on, stop using cel phones, and so on.A student who comes in late has to chop onions as a punishment, he smiled. Music professors were unavailable for interview although Survey of Western Music and Survey of Middle Eastern Music are among of the students favored easy A courses, the survey confirmed. Mona Nabahani, an associate professor of education, explained that class assessment should be relevant to the learning outcomes of the course. It is more than just a simple performance. This has become a trend in the education department, she said. Nabahani said that, if the outcome is relevant to the output of the course, you cant but give As. She refused the generalization that LAU professors easily give As but said that some students look for professors who are easier than others. Some students shoot for the courses that dont require much to pull their GPAs, Nabahani said. She added that she doesnt know any instructor with this kind of reputation here. Students however revealed that they do shoot for LAC electives with easy A professors. A student who took music as an art elective, admitted that he learned nothing in class. All he remembers, he said, is how the professor looks. The professor didnt take the course seriously and was irresponsible during the exam, he said. A biology junior student who refused to give her name said that she doesnt target easy A courses but rather easy A instructors. She added that she prefers to take courses that require analysis rather than memorization. I didnt learn anything, she said about LAC electives. They are not related to my field but I still have to take them. The dean of business promised to find a solution to this problem and assured me that he will hopefully solve the problem within the coming few months. There is a plan to restrict access to business courses to what liberal arts students need, El Fakhani said. He added that non-business students who are interested in business will have to choose courses within a specific list of general courses that will introduce them to the field. As the interview came to an end, El Fakhani thanked me for opening his eyes to this issue and followed me to the door. He then stopped to say he was on his way to the hospitality management chair to address this problem.

New Teachers
Continued from page 5
lack of graduate assistants as the grading load is significant and the number of students per class is high, Issa said. The problem leaves her with very little time to work on research. But putting this problem aside, Issa said she enjoys her time here. Hani Anouti is a new philosophy instructor at LAU. He did his B.A. and M.A. at LAU before he decided to return as a teacher this past summer. Anouti, who teaches Cultural Studies I and II and Introduction to Philosophy, is also concerned about the space problem. I dont mind the number of students in my classes, I just think the classes are too small, they should make them bigger, he said. I need more space in order for the students to feel comfortable and for myself to teach comfortably. But despite this hurdle, Anouti is happy here. I feel like I am part of the system at LAU, he said.

Students & General Knowledge

Continued from page 5
Zeina Meskawi, an instructor of communication arts at LAU, believes that modern educations challenge is to develop students critical thinking skills and help them use their acquired knowledge in the practical world. Educations not about general knowledge only, but also about making associations, Meskawi said. Its all about critical thinking which what LAU is trying to promote. While the shaping of a new culture may be subject for debate, it is a fact that the culture of reading conventional texts is fading. I certainly wont read, especially in my free time, an LAU student said.

The Team
Adviser: Yasmine Dabbous Editors-in-Chief: Farah Al Saati, Natalia Elmani Iman Soufan, Zahi Sahli Staff: Ranim Hadid, Carla Hazarian, Lyn Abu-Seraj, Layan Doueik, Omar El Tani, Zeina Shehayeb, Mohamed Al-Oraybi, Mayya Al-Ogaily, Assaad Hawwa,Caroline Feghaly, Rouba Jaafar, Aseel Baidoun, Samia Buhulaiyem, Yasmine Sarhi, Francesco Laurenti

OFF CAMPUS
Animal Abuse: No Excuse
At a disorganized animal shop on the main road of Bourj Hammoud, a dog takes small steps inside a cage that is too small for its size. Its alimentary, hygienic and physiological needs are neglected. At closing hours, a cardboard box, filled with dead animals, including turtles, fish, rabbits and birds is carried out of the shop. A university student and regular Bourj Hammoud visitor, Rabih, is not as shocked as I am by the scene. Sometimes, youll see much worse, he explains. Ive gotten used to it, but I still get sad. The Bourj Hammoud shop is not a unique case. Jason Miers, executive director of Animals Lebanon, says that most pet shops in the country do not meet the minimum standards set by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Animal abuse does not solely involve physical abuse. It also means keeping a dog locked in a cage thats too small for its size, neglecting its alimentary and physiological needs, poorly maintaining its level of dental and physical hygiene and not providing its sleeping area with adequate conditions of cleanliness. Because of the miserable conditions of animal shops, 95 percent should close down if they had to meet with basic standards, explained Miers. You just need to buy a permit, without any regulation or legislation, to open up a shop and start selling animals to the public. Animals Lebanon, an NGO founded in September 2008, has closed down three of the most abusive zoos in Lebanon to date and has placed over a hundred animals in sanctuaries around the world. It is working at the moment to close the remaining zoos. The organization has also established an adoption center six months ago. It has now become home to many cats and dogs in need of care. Animal abuse in Lebanon ranges from extreme mistreatment to less excessive, but still hurtful, behavior. Dogs have been dragged by cars, used as bait in dog fights, or burnt alive. In other cases, they have been over-chained, or just left alone without any human contact or interaction with other dogs until they developed obsessive behaviors, such as constantly licking their paws or compulsively engaging in back-and-forth movements. Scientific research shows that abusers are brainwashed during their childhood to believe that animals have no feelings. They are usually people who enjoy watching a helpless being suffer. Another NGO specialized in animal rights, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), works to protect and help animals through legislation, educational campaigns, and rescue and shelter activities. Rima Barakat, who joined PETA in 2006 as a volunteer, is happy to help one of the very few NGOs defending animal rights in a country including over 14,000 registered organizations. Its very hard to explain to these people that when you poke an animal, he feels it and when you dont feed him, he feels hunger, and when you dont give him shelter in winter, he feels cold, Barakat said. A major reason behind animal mistreatment is the unrevised 70-year old law that dates back to 1943 when the Lebanese pound had a much higher value. Animal welfare law 762 states that a person who mistreats or oppresses a pet is sentenced to jail and fined a penalty of less than only 15 dollars.

March 26 , 2012

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11

Zaitunay Bay
By Natalia Elmani LAU Tribune staff
Nestled between the yachts that encrust the port of Beirut and the relatively noiseless strip of the downtown corniche, Zaitunay Bay can be classified as a new hotspot for people of the greater Beirut area. Continuously expanding with restaurants, cafes and small shops, the new area is creating an ambience that is similar to the stylish promenades of the Cote dAzur. The sea, the sun and children playing while their mothers chitchat around tea offer a refreshing outlet to people who want to escape the stress of the city. Zaitunay Bay offers a number of palettes, a wide variety of places to sit down and grab a bite to eat or simply, people watch. Ramzi Traboulsi, the chairman of L.E.T Entertainment, the company behind the original restaurants, St. Elmos Seaside Brasserie and Cro Magnon Steakhouse, has noticed a successful turnout to Beiruts latest development and future growth. We cant fully judge today where it will lead, Traboulsi explained. But as far as Im concerned, and from what I believe, it will be the hit for the next decade and will definitely be a destination to attract all the Arabs, expats and tourists from all over the world. Zaitunay Bay has made it possible not only to create a website of the continuously developing area, but also allowed its restaurant go-ers and by-passers to post pictures or comments about their experience around the bay or of the restaurants on Facebook and also tweet about different topics from their Twitter account. As the large heat lamps get tucked away, in preparation for the scorching summer season, Zaitunay Bay will continuously attain to the various customers who walk across its wooden dock.
Photo via Creative Commons

By Francesco Laurenzi LAU Tribune staff

Extensive research by Animals Lebanon demonstrates that this law has not been used even once during the past 20 years. Bassam, a shop owner, believes there is a lack of clarification and enforcement of the laws relating to animal rights. I treat the animals I sell well without the need of a law and, even if there was one, you can be sure nobody would follow it without the proper enforcement, Bassam said. Another reason relates to profit. According to Bassam, the equipment needed to maintain a pet shop based on international standards required for the animals at a shop are quite expensive. During November 2011, Animals Lebanon drafted the first comprehensive legislation for the protection and welfare of animals to the parliament after a year and a half of work and revisions by over 20 international organizations. The 29-page-long draft pro-

poses drastic changes in animals conditions, which would eventually cause some shops in Lebanon to close down. One of the laws states ensuring the proper equipment for the provision of food, water and a sufficient stock for at least one week of clean food and water. Another law points to undertaking the appropriate measures to preserve the general hygiene of the premises of the institution. Despite the hindrances which are expected to face the legislative efforts, Miers says the organization will keep working toward clear legislation on the issue and strong awareness campaigns until the situation of animals in Lebanon improves. It could take around two years to pass the votes, Miers said. But we will keep meeting regularly with the Lebanese Parliament and Ministry of Agriculture to ensure this legislation is enacted and conduct strong awareness campaigns.

OFF CAMPUS
By Ranim Hadid LAU Tribune staff
After a long a day he sat down to eat his black olives in the same old rusty tin with a loaf of Arabic bread by his side, Bshara Amin, an old Lebanese fisherman who lives right between Beiruts riverbank and the sea, complained that the stench he wakes up to everyday is only worsening. I think people have forgotten the beauty of nature and what God has blessed us with, or else the river wouldnt look the way it does now, he said. Having seen cement, tires and rotten garbage dumped into the Beirut River by trucks that belong to various surrounding factories, Amin still cannot hold one party responsible. The factories bring all their garbage and dump it in the river and it flows into the sea, he said. It makes our journey for fresh fish more difficult. But this doesnt mean civilians are not throwing their trash in the river, Amin continued. I have neighbors who contribute to this disaster. Beirut River runs from the east to the west of Lebanon. Its curve separates the capital from its eastern suburbs mainly Burj Hammoud and Sin El Fil. Known to be one the largest in Lebanon, the river stretches through a mixture of villages and areas. In the 1960s, there was enough water in the Beirut River for boats to navigate it. But degeneration started with the Civil War in 1975 and has not stopped since. Currently, the water height varies between ankle- to kneelength which ultimately makes some wonder if the river is even a river at all. As I explored the browner parts of the Beirut River, I came across Maroun Hayek, a shop owner near Burj Hammoud. He complained that, since he opened his shop in 1983, the state of the river has only deteriorated. Thirty years and no progress, Hayek said. The problem is in the areas that are not being monitored by the government. The gar-

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Tribune

March 26, 2012

Beirut River Contaminated With Filth

garbage accumulates and are forced to throw stuff in the river to minimize the smell. Most recently, the color of the Beirut River turned red. Saad Elias, media representative to the minister of environment, explained that the change in color was caused by red dye dumped inside the sewers of Chevrolet in Sin El Fil. The sample turned out not be harmful, it did not include neither chromium 6 or cyanide which are dangerous to the environment, he said. As soon as the source of this spill is uncovered, the party responsible will be tried in court because this is a crime against the environment, Elias continued. The long-term cause for the Beirut River according to the ministry official is overpopulation; buildings are constructed closer to the river everyday. More people are living closer to the river so more things are being thrown into it, Elias said. The ministry of environment in Lebanon was established in 1981 but has since been unable to enforce regulations. As of July 26, 2002, the government allowed the ministry to enforce environmental laws the first being severe punishment to anyone who attempts to endanger the environment in Lebanon. But Elias complained that the ministry does not have the adequate resources to help the environment. Because we do not have an executive department, we can only do so much. It is difficult to implement the necessary plans of operation, he said. As an advocate for the environment the minister continues to spread awareness. We are now focusing on schools and organizations, we hope to turn the Beirut River back to a green area, Elias added. Amin finishes eating his olives and goes to wash his hands in the grey-colored river. For us who live around the river, it becomes a choice. We cant survive if we dont clean the river, he said. In order to make things better, we must work together. It starts with providing resources.
Photo of Nahr Beirut Bridge around 1910 Photo of Nahr Beirut in 2012 by Ranim Hadid

bage accumulates from the mountains all the way to the sea. In a remotely cleaner location such as Burj Hammoud, the municipality keeps a close watch. All the shops that overlook the river have bars on their windows, to minimize the garbage that is thrown in, Hayek said. But this doesnt stop the diseases and bacteria that we inhale everyday. Citizens living or working near the Beirut River face major health risks because of the toxic fumes. We take immunity medication to avoid getting sick because we are being

exposed to so much bacteria in the air, Hayek explained. Ramzi El Hajj, a helper in one of the nearby stores knows how rivers are cleaned. The government is supposed to clean the river every year, he said. Here, it is only cleaned every three. As an observer of the municipalitys cleaning operations, El Hajj has been able to analyze how the job is done. They dont even clean it properly, they take out the sand to sell and leave the dirt in the river, he continued. The smell worsened as I moved further away from the sea and discovered families living on

the riverbank who struggle to find alternatives to dispose of their garbage. Mohammed Khodr has lived on the bank of Beirut River for 15 years and admits to be a contributor to the garbage disposal into the river. For us people who live on the river, the only way to get rid of our trash is to burn it, he said. But some things cant be burned. Many who live around the river are unaware of the consequences of their actions. The smell now is pleasant compared to how bad it gets in the summer, Khodr said. We face a problem when the