The Zaki Nassif Mu-sic Program in the De-partment of Fine Arts

and Art History presented the annual AUB Choir and Choral Society Christmas concert, held this year in As-sembly Hall on Monday and Tuesday, December 13 and 14 at 7 PM. The choir was conducted by Thomas Kim, accompanied by Kate Houss-ney on piano, Ramzi Sabra on the organ and the Na-tional Orchestra Christmas Brass. The concert was fol-lowed by the traditional car-ols under the AUB Christ-mas tree, leading finally to the lighting of the tree.

IASTE, the Internation-al Association for the Study of Traditional En-

vironments, held their 12th conference last Wednes-day through Saturday, De-cember 15-18 in AUB’s West Hall. The aim of this year’s conference was to study the way in which tradition in-spires the changing con-ceptions of Utopia, from a theoretical and practical ap-proach. While ‘Utopia’ is often

thought of as belonging to the field of humanities un-der philosophy or political science, it actually extends beyond these limitations. As IASTE demonstrates, the concept of a Utopia is es-pecially relevant today as many modern nations con-tinue to use territories, ar-chitecture and graphic de-sign to present an ideal outer image of a perfect communi-ty. The dreamscapes in the

Rayane ZahreddineStaff Writer

Dalia HosnStaff Writer

continued on page 3 تتم على ص 11

AUB Choir and Choral Society Christmas Concert

The concert featured works by Victoria, Shireen Abu-Khader, Rutter, Pärt, Mon-teverdi and Boyer. It also featured a world premier by AUB’s Dr. Pierre Azoury, entitled “Going Home for Christmas,” sung by soprano Dr. Reem Deeb and accom-panied by Olga Bolun on the piano. Christina Theokari, one of the audience mem-bers, described the song as a “lovely, heartwarming and sincere song.” The last part of the concert consisted of more popular songs, dur-ing which the conductor in-

IASTE’s 12th International Conference

continued on page 4

Red Cross Blood Drive

Page 4

Ayadina Chrismas Concert

Page 2

INSI

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Campus News

5Hind Hobeika grabs 3rd place in Stars of Science

Campus News

3Campus NewsSportsOut LoudSpotlightArabic Entertainment

2-56789

President Dor-man’s letter to the AUB community

Arabic News & Op.EntertainmentLetter to the EdEditorial & Op.Out of the Box

10-1112131415

معرض بيروت العربي 10الدولي للكتاب الـ 54Arabic News

readoutlook@gmail.comBliss Street, West Hall 208 Tel: 01 350 000 Ext.3193www.aub.edu.lb/outlook

(Photo by Wael Salem)

UTLOOKThe American UniversiTy of BeiruT

vol. Xliii, no. 12 | TUesdAy, dec 21, 2010 | The IndependenT sTudenT PublicaTion since 1949

O

اإلسالمية وحول الواقع اللبناني وحول الثقافة العربية والعديد قاعة في األخرى املواضيع من البيال. كما تضمنت نشاطات 150 من أكثر توقيع املعرض كتابًا جديًدا من مختلف الدور ودواوين روايات وهي اّللبنانية، سياسّية وكتب شعرّية

اجتماعية وغيرها.اإلعالمي املكتب ميلك لم حول إحصائية للمعرض زّودنا لكنه املعرض، زوار عدد الكتب عديد حول بإحصائّية األكثر مبيعاً وكانت اإلحصائية من التاسع تاريخ حتى حينها الئحة ويتصّدر احلالي، الّشهر

امتدت نشاطات معرض الكتاب من بيروت في 54 الـ الدولي السادس وحّتى األول كانون 3عشر من نفس هذا الشهر. من حضر املعرض يالحظ دوًما كما كّل عام الّصخب والّضجة الذي يثيره احلضور الكثيف جلماهير جمع ومحّبي والعلم الثقافة املعرض في شارك الكتب. مع عربية دار 52 حوالي بصفة عربية دول 5 مشاركة الدور لبنان كانت رسمّية ومن

املشاركة 175 دارًا.من العديد املعرض شهد الوحدة حول احملاضرات

األعمال عنوان حتت الكتب العاّمة معاجم مصّورة و موارد تأليف احلديث املورد وأهّمها رمزي الدكتور و بعلبكي منير دين الئحة أّما بعلبكي. منير الالئحة فيتصّدر إسالميات و الصراط املستقيم للشيخ عب

hد اهلل الهرري من دار املشاريع، ويليه سلسلة األثار الكاملة دار من علي شريعتي للدكتور البالغة نهج ثّم ومن األمير، لإلمام علي بن أبي طالب شرح املكتبة عبده، محمد الشيخ العصرية. أما في كتب الفكر

مصطفى فضل اهللكاتب صحفي

معرض بيروت العربي الدولي للكتاب الـ 54 – نظرة على

اإلحصائيات

2dec 21, 2010OUTlOOk

CAMPUS NEWS

Under a new chairper-son, the Department of Computer Science

(CMPS) in coordination with the Computer Science Stu-dent Society (CSSS) suc-cessfully organized the first Christmas Lunch Party for the department on Friday, December 17. With Christmas music in the background and the hol-iday spirit felt, the lunch party took place in the Bliss Hall’s entrance from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, after newly anointed chair George Tur-kiyyah took the initiative to host the event along with the CSSS in order to bring the students and faculty togeth-er. Despite the timing clash with the CMPS students’ classes, the party had more than a hundred undergrad-uates, graduates, faculty and

On Wednesday, De-cember 15, a bene-fit Christmas concert

was held by Ayadina Associa-tion, bringing the Christmas spirit back in place during this lovely and festive sea-son. The Ayadina Associa-tion, in collaboration with the AUB Office of Student Affairs brought forth this charming event, involving the Ayadi-na children choir, the Inter-national College (IC) elemen-tary choir, and Ensemble Da Capo. The proceeds of this event, as well those of other events also organized by the Ayadina Association, went to the “Ayadina Center for Fine and Performing Arts” for un-derprivileged children. Vari-ous clubs and societies of the AUB community, including the Red Cross Youth Club, Syrian Cultural Club, Green Peace Club, Environmental Club, Special Olympics Club, and the Business Student So-

staff members of the CMPS department. The event was catered by La Cigale, and the lunch party also included a draw for three gifts, two USB Flash Drives and a stuffed animal. Turkiyyah said that the purpose of the Christmas Lunch party was to mix the faculty, staff and students in “a more relaxed setting, other than the typical class-room, as we discover a lot of hidden talents that way.” He was impressed with the turn-out, noting how “energetic” the Computer Science stu-dents are and is looking for-ward “to have more social ac-tivities in the future.” He also thanked the CSSS and Ms. Rima Maalouf, the CMPS secretary, for doing a great job with the organization of the event. Well-known CMPS profes-sor, Walid Keyrouz, agreed

ciety also helped in making this event possible. Excited children gathered with their mentors outside Assembly Hall, recited their songs and created a lively atmosphere around Jafet’s usually quiet perimeters. Parents began reaching AUB campus at approxi-mately thirty minutes before the event’s scheduled start time, which was at 5:00 PM, with the aim of reserving the best seats possible. Members of the Red Cross Club guided the way for the youngsters as they walked down the aisle of Assembly Hall, greeted by friends and family. Just out-side Assembly Hall, food and beverage including cupcakes by “Cupcakery” were made available. The concert began with the song “Sing Noel,” a folk song that was sung by all choirs to-gether, only to be followed by the Ayadina Choir that pre-sented an awesome perfor-mance starting off with a tra-ditional African song “Funga

with what Turkiyyah said, stating that such an occa-sion makes students and fac-ulty expect little of each oth-er and “enjoy their time.” He added, “I am also of opinion that these social gatherings should happen more often es-pecially with sophomore stu-dents at the beginning of the

Alafia,” then with the tradi-tional Christmas song “Lay-lat al Milad,” followed by “The Giving Song,” and finally “Je suis fou de chocolat.” The IC choir was next to perform, singing lively and excited-ly, beginning with “Minka,” a traditional Russian tune, “All I want is Nuttin,” “Noel Jazz,” “Hip Hop Reindeer,” “Santons de la Provences,” “I was born to shop,” and fi-

academic year.” The CSSS cabinet consid-ered this event to be anoth-er success for the society, and is looking forward to hav-ing more student-related events of the kind in the fu-ture, as this was the first oc-casion created by the society this year. Hisham Zahnan,

nally “Reindeer’s Jive.” The Ensemble Da Capo choir was last to perform, present-ing songs that were known by most of those that at-tended, such as “Carol of the Bells,” “Deck the Halls,” “Jin-gle Bells,” “Cool Yule,” “Run to the Manger,” “Ding Dong Merrily on High,” and “Three Jazzy Bell Carols.” Christmas carols have been a way of celebrating this jol-

Outlook Staff

Anis KadadoStaff Writer

Computer Science Department Christmas lunch a sensation

The Ayadina benefit Christmas concert

senior representative of the CSSS, said that the “party was a success, and that this will be one of many events to take place this year.” With that success, the CSSS expect to see a more active Computer Science depart-ment.

ly season for a very long time and each year, AUB does its part in hosting many Christ-mas concerts that please youngsters and elders alike. The Ayadina Association has been of great help to those in need, and this concert was one of the many ways by which the privileged were able to help the less privi-leged.

(Photo by Nadi Nassar)

(Photo by Nadi Nassar)

3dec 21, 2010 OUTlOOk

Hind Hobeika grabs third place in pan-Arab contest Stars of Science

CAMPUS NEWS

Hind Hobeika is a name that has been reverberating every-

where recently, in the media and amongst friends. Hind is not only one of our very own AUB graduates, but she is also the third place winner of the pan-Arab contest “Star of Science,” an initiative of Qatar Foundation and Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP), which aims at de-veloping innovation skills of young Arabs everywhere. A swimming enthusiast since the age of five, Hind managed to integrate her hobby with her mechanical engineering skills, thus forming a unique piece of equipment she la-beled “butterfleye”. Butterfl-eye, the intriguing and inno-vative product she developed, landed her third place in the competition. The model was a pair of goggles, with an in-

Jackie DaoudStaff Writer

fra-red sensor attached that measures heart rate as a sig-nal via the temporal artery in the head. The idea originated from her aspiration to revo-lutionize conventional heart rate measures that were ad-opted subsequent to exer-cises, which encompassed measuring pulse rates for 60 seconds and which often yielded inaccurate results. The name ‘butterfleye’ stems from her favorite stroke, the butterfly stroke, with the ‘eye’ representing the part of her slogan “keep an eye on your heart.” This slogan was created with the help of her marketing part-ner Nadim Antakri, an LAU student she chose to help her in the second stage of the pro-totype development. Hind mentions that “the leading parameter of swim training centers around maintain-ing a specific heart rate, de-pending on the stroke you are performing,” as some strokes

require a higher heart rate than others. The goggle em-ulates the concept of traffic lights, with the green light indicating that the swim-mer’s heart rate is within the optimal range, the red light indicating a higher than ide-al heart rate that should be slowed down and the yellow light indicating a lower than ideal heart rate that should be accelerated. The idea here is not to depict specific heart rates of individuals; rath-er it is to maintain a desir-able range so the swimmer doesn’t become preoccupied with focusing on their specif-ic heart rate. Out of 7000 candidates, Hind was shortlisted three times until 16 finalists were left, selections which were centered around their proj-ect ideas. The implementa-tion of these prototypes took place in Doha over a period of three months, entailing five main steps for the evo-

lution of the prototypes. Ex-perts were present from AUB and other parts of the world to help put together these products and assist with the ordering of raw materials. During this intricate process, Hind claims, “AUB was very supportive, particularly my teachers who allowed me to complete my courses online and encouraged me during this fundamental period.”

The procedure included some publicizing of the prod-uct, where Hind provided the media with gifts such as neck floaters to promote the inven-tion. Hind aspires to some-day launch her product in the market, starting with the US which she believes would take the most potential inter-est in the ‘butterfleye,’ given their greater health-aware-ness.

(Photo by Rami Diab)

(Photo from Ginosblog.com)

continued from page 1

IASTE’s 12th International Conference

Gulf region and the pristine houses of American suburbs are a clear example of this, as they are based on specific tra-ditions and yet are cloaked in utopian language. In fact, utopian theories emerge from a complex mesh of both ideal notions and the tradi-tions that gave rise to them. However, as Utopia and tra-dition are placed on opposite ends of the spectrum, prob-lems arise, and the present economic crisis calls for a re-evaluation of this dynamic. Indeed the concept of ‘Uto-pia’ and its application is highly relevant today. Fur-thermore, this conference discussed an emerging dis-course that presents the con-cept of Utopia as a process of transformation rather than transcendence of the existing

ties,’ ‘The Practices of Utopia and the Politics of Tradition,’ and ‘Utopia and the Space of Difference.’ The keynote speakers were noted schol-ars in their field, Michael Dear and Ananya Roy from the University of California, Berkeley, which is where the Association is based, Ghassan Joseph Hage from the Uni-versity of Melbourne, as well

condition. Lana Salman, a graduate student in Urban Planning at the Department of Architec-ture and Design here at AUB, describes the conference as being very interdisciplinary as it not only “has papers or presentations by people who write about the built environ-ment, but from an urban soci-ology perspective, a planning perspective, from architec-ture.” Furthermore, there is a sense of unity in all IASTE conferences since the themes of each conference inspire the next year’s, making IASTE more like an ongoing project that constantly evolves and addresses the changing cur-rents of all of the relevant disciplines. The three main tracks that this conference dealt with were ‘Utopian Ideals Versus Traditional Physical Reali-

as David Pinder from Queen Mary, University of London. Over one hundred individu-al papers were presented and discussed with cross-cultur-al topics that spanned across the globe, including Ethio-pia, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Cairo, Jakarta, Bosnia, Cape Town, Japan, Dehli, and Leb-anon. This all goes to show that Utopia is not just an un-

graspable concept, rather it can be observed in econom-ic and political struggles as well as environmental and economic studies all around the world. Perhaps one of the main achievements of this conference is that it has man-aged to at least present the concept of Utopia as an ideal within reach.

4dec 21, 2010OUTlOOk

CAMPUS NEWS

“Although their style is dif-ferent, both are great and professional.” The transition from one conductor to anoth-

er was seamless, with the concert being just as enjoy-able as it had been in previ-ous years.

continued from page 1

AUB Christmas concert

that have not been attempt-ed before, such as gospel mu-sic that the audience adored. Ralph Yaacoub, a bass, said,

tree was lit. The result was a warm atmosphere filled with music, songs and Christmas spirit. Kim said, “I thought one thing that was very ex-citing was just how the choir got into the motion of every piece.” For the past ten years, the AUB Choir and Choral Soci-ety has been directed by Dr. Paul Meers. This year, and for the first time, Kim direct-ed the Choir and the Cho-ral Society. Yasmina Sab-bah, a soprano and a soloist said, “I owe Dr. Paul Meers the way I sing and my confi-dence. As for Thomas Kim, he is amazing! They are both great in their own way.” Kim added new styles to the choir

vited the audience to join the choir to sing some Christmas carols like “O come, All Ye Faithful.” The crowd was so pleased with the music that they urged the conductor to perform an encore. Evangel-lo Flouty, one of the attend-ees said, “It was awesome, it couldn’t go better!” Following the concert, the traditional lighting of the Christmas tree ceremony took place. The choir and the audience, accompanied by the National Orchestra Christ-mas Brass and directed by Kim sang Christmas carols such as “Joy to the World” and “Jingle Bells.” While the choir sang “O Christmas Tree,” the AUB Christmas

(Photo by Wael Salem)

(Photo by Mohamad Azzam)

Yet another fruitful collaborative blood drive by Red Cross and AUB-MC staff!

On Tuesday, Decem-ber 14, 2010, AUB-MC staff was setting

up the donor beds and ma-chines while Red Cross Mem-bers were setting up the ta-bles and chairs, ordering the forms and questionnaires in West Hall Auditorium A for the second Blood drive of the fall semester.

As some Red Cross mem-bers got into their uniforms, others were already dressed up and distributing flyers to AUBites passing by to inform them about this significant event. As the donors flooded in, the members got busy dis-tributing the questionnaires for the donors to fill in. They included questions about the donors’ medications, vaccine shots, previous travel desti-nations and previous coun-tries of residence, knowl-edge of certain blood-borne communicable diseases and whether they were infected

at a certain point in the past. Moreover, members made sure that the donors weren’t currently sick and had eaten in the last four hours. These strict policies about blood do-nation safety are followed by AUBMC to ensure secu-rity and well-being of both donors and patients receiv-ing the units. After filling the forms, donors moved to the next station where ques-tionnaires are reviewed for any suspicious information and the donors’ vital signs are checked by volunteer-ing AUB Medical Laborato-ry students, Sara Abou Azar, Haroutioun Boyadjian, Jinia El Feghaly, Sawsan Allam, and Outlook’s very own Web-master, Mohamad Al Me-dawar. Vital signs included checking the blood pressure, pulse rate, body tempera-ture and weight, and hemo-globin level. After passing all these checkpoints successful-ly, the donors moved to the last station to donate their precious blood. However, the donors who failed to fulfil the required criteria where un-

Mohamad Al Medawar WebmasterNader Ahmadieh Staff writer

fortunately disallowed to continue further with the process and given a “Next Time Donor” heart-shaped sticker to encourage them to come back if it is possible for them to meet the strict crite-ria for blood donation by the next drive. Whereas the don-ers who successfully donat-ed a full blood unit of 450 ml (450 CC) were given a souve-nir key chain incurved with “I AM A BLOOD DONOR” and some sweets to help them re-plenish their blood glucose level.

Up till 10:30 am, AUBMC staff explained that there’s “obviously less appeal than last time; less than 10 units have been collected so far”. Moreover, no unusual cas-es had been reported up till then. The reason for this low number of blood units col-lected was due to high defer-ral number of donors, either due to low hemoglobin levels, travelling to areas endem-ic with a blood-borne patho-gen, or high body temper-ature indicating fever and therefore an infection. Fadi,

a Red Cross member, also commented on the low num-ber of donors stating that “people who are usual do-nors already came to the first blood drive last month, so we don’t expect as much people coming in to this blood drive as the first one” considering that one can only donate two months after he/she has giv-en a whole blood unit. Still, of the 90 or more donors that came in with the intention of helping others, over 60 do-nated complete blood units by the end of the day!

5dec 21, 2010 OUTlOOk

President Dorman (Photo by Outlook Staff)

CAMPUS NEWS

ness student and Vice Presi-dent, Lana Yaghi, also a Se-nior Business student. While no resolution was passed by the IMUN General Assem-bly, a working paper was vot-ed through.

There is an annual interna-tional conference hosted by Harvard WorldMUN, which is held in a different coun-try each year. The IMUN board at AUB planned this past weekend’s conference in an effort to allow delegates to gain a hands-on MUN ex-

When you discussed the 15 credit policy what was your aim, was it to con-vince us of this new poli-cy?We’re not here to convince you; we just want to put the facts out and want you to weigh this for yourself and would like the students to do the same [elaborating that his aim was to inform stu-dents about the different per-spectives of this policy]. If you weigh all of those factors against the price increase, I hope you will change your minds.

Why is there a need to re-brand AUB?We did a survey about what people feel about AUB, what thoughts come to mind. The biggest responses were ac-ademic excellence and the campus. The one thing that didn’t come out so strong-ly was the importance of research and the connec-tion to research and educa-tion, and we feel that there is a very important message that we have to get across to our community; people who are doing active research in their fields are at the cut-ting edge of what they do and they bring those experienc-es into the classroom, and it’s a measure of quality and ex-citement. AUB is at the fore-front; I have heard number of

ing the different countries to the delegates because it in-volved ensuring that there was a perfect combination of countries, so that the debate would prove to be controver-sial and interesting for all.

On the topic of the conference as a whole, IMUN’s Treasur-er and second year Civil En-gineering Student, Tarek Bi-lani stated, “I thought the [debate] was invigorating and fruitful … I believe that all the members showed vast improvement and hopefully

teresting to students, more interactive also to make it easier for students to get the information they need, mak-ing it all pretty transparent.

What topics are you going to discuss in your upcom-ing letter?We are going to put more re-sponsibilities concerning the budgets in the hands of facul-ties and departments, so that they feel the sense of owner-ship and the kind of financ-ing that is available to them.

Are there any plans to ex-

this is an indicator as to the future success of the club”.

As a result of the discussions, debating, and hours of nego-tiating, the delegates of the General Assembly were able to vote on passing a working paper that was submitted by Bilani, who was the repre-sentative of Saint Kitts and Nevis. A majority of the del-egates agreed that this reso-lution would be a step in the right direction to achieve peaceful nuclear energy pro-grams across the globe.

pand AUB, for instance as in establishing other branches around Leba-non?We don’t plan to open oth-er kind of branch campuses of other facilities. We always come back to the issue of what is the AUB experience? I think the real strength of AUB is the unity of the cam-pus, it provides wonderful di-versity, it is kind of a magic mass of diverse students and diverse faculties. The risk of creating a smaller campus somewhere away, is that you are going to dilute that expe-rience.

The International Mod-el United Nations (IMUN) Club at AUB

held its second mock con-ference this academic year, on Saturday, December 18, 2010. The delegates, repre-senting around 30 countries, gathered in Room 402 in West Hall from 10:00 am un-til 3:00 pm, to discuss the Nu-clear Non-Proliferation Trea-ty (NPT). They were chaired by the President of IMUN, Nour Safa, a Senior Busi-

On Tuesday, Novem-ber 9, Outlook held an interview with Presi-

dent Peter Dorman concern-ing his letters to the AUB community at the beginning of every semester.

To what extent do you be-lieve the Letters to the Community are truly use-ful? What is their main goal? Do you see them as a means to bridge stronger ties between the admin-istration and the student body?It’s more than communicat-ing with students, I have lim-ited time and abilities to do that; they’re very few ven-ues in which I can communi-cate especially in an informal manner. This is one way to have regular communication with the president’s office. The messages to the Commu-nity of course are addressed to students, alumni and staff. I think it’s important to tell alumni what is happening on campus, the kind of changes, so that when they come and visit they’ll feel connected. There’s a lot happening right now and I think it’s impor-tant to do it on a regular ba-sis.

perience, hone the mem-bers’ debate skills, and ulti-mately choose the travelling team for this year’s World-MUN Conference, which is being held in Singapore. The IMUN board organized two conferences this year, in or-der to assess which delegates are most fit to represent AUB at the Harvard WorldMUN Conference.

When asked about the pro-cess of organizing this event, Yaghi stated that she en-joyed the process of assign-

political leaders refer to AUB as a “manara.” We want to get across the message that AUB is leading the region in areas of the expertise that we have because research is im-portant.

How are you finding your experience at AUB? Has it fulfilled your expecta-tions?It has more than fulfilled my expectations, I knew I was going to be busy but I had no idea how busy it will be. It’s wonderful to be here, it’s an exciting place.

A series of services have been implemented this new semester (Cafeteria, Network Printers, new Moodle…), how do you see these services affecting student life?My first impression of the cafeteria is a positive one, I think it’s a great improve-ment, a very nice addition to student life, I know students use it more as socialization as much as food, which is terrif-ic. Moodle and the printers, technological issues, I think are only the beginning, the tip of the iceberg. We have a new VP, Rita Khayat she’s very dynamic, and we are considering whole raft of is-sues to be placed online, in-cluding social media on our websites to make it more in-

IMUN’s second mock conference

Dorman’s letters to the AUB community

Maryam HoballahStaff Writer

Sarah Al DiraniCaterina Belardi Staff Writers

6dec 21, 2010OUTlOOk

SPORTSTournament Results

Upcoming Games

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7dec 21, 2010 OUTlOOk

OUT LOUD

“An excuse for major companies to have people spend disgusting amounts of money. Sad, but it’s all in the name of good fun and diluted pagan rituals”

(B.B).

Left to right: Edrees Elrachidi, Samer Bu Jawdeh, Emile Zankoul and Wael Salem

“Christmas is a time people sit together. It’s a fun and cozy time of year. It’s nice to see people smiling”(Left to right: Noor Al Shurafa-Tasnim Chaaban).

“Religion, love,forgiveness…” (Left to right: Rawad Saliba, Tony Abi Khalil).

“Family celebration. Happinnes and love. Christmas is for everyone and not for any particular sect or religion; I’m glad this is so because we need this in

order to bring people together” (Lama Katoul and Maha Ghanem).

“Being with friends and family, helping others, and celebrating ones faith” (Left to right: Cezar Yasbeck, Ali Farhat, Roy Fattouh).

“Work in the Syrian Club and with NGO’s. Organizing Christmas parties and charities. Ushering in choir and bake sales” (Dalia Akhras).

“Out Loud” is brought to you by Outlook Staff Writers Edrees El Rashidi, Samer Bu Jawdeh, Emile Zankoul, and Wael Salem, giving you the opportunity to convey your

opinions on AUB-related issues. Want to be heard? Find the Outlook team on campus, give them your thoughts and your picture and feedback just might be incorporated

into Outlook’s next issue.

What does Christmas mean to you?

8dec 21, 2010OUTlOOk

SPOTLIGHT

PSPA fundraise for Live & Share NGO (Photo by Rami Diab)

AUB Club Children of Adam fundraise for SOS (photo by Rami Diab)

Biology Student Society holds money, gits and donations drive (Photo by Rami Diab)

Economics Student Society campaign for annual Christmas dinner (Photo by Rami Diab)

AUB Red Cross gather for a group picture after second blood drive for this year (Photo by Mohamad Al Medawar)

Guy Manoukian live in concert at AUB Bathish Auditorium (Photo by Zaven)

9dec 21, 2010 OUTlOOk

املصري شفيق الدكتور ولد في 1942/3/31 في املريجات – البقاع، ألبوين كرميني هما السيد حسن املصري والسيدة شريفة من العديد في تنّقل الهادي. أنهى حتى والّثانويات املدارس دراسته الّثانوية في العام 1961. األمريكية باجلامعة إلتحق ثم األولى شهادته ونال بيروت في عام الّسياسّية العلوم في في دراسته تابع ثم .1964إجازة ونال الّلبنانّية اجلامعة نال ثم ،1967 عام احلقوق في العليا، الّدراسات في شهادتني األولى في القانون الدولي 1970 الّسياسّية العلوم والّثانية في 1982 في 1978.وحصل عام في دولة دكتوراه شهادة على العلوم السياسية من اجلامعة

اللبنانية.واألكادميية. العملية املهام تدّرج الّدكتور في وظائف عديدة الّدكتوراه على حصوله قبل

الّسهُل املمتنع هو أسلوب زاهي بالبساطة لَك يوحي وهبي. شعره كلمات في لتغرق العذبة الّرقراقة. صديقه االول، غرفته في تفّجر الذي الّنبع من نهرًا ليصبح الّصغيرة، املنحازة والّنضارة الّشفافّية املرأة عن فيكتب لألنوثة. ويغوص وبلسانها وللمرأة ينسى ان دون العشق بحر في تغيب ال التي فلسطني هواء أول هو الوالهة. قصائده عن اجلنسّية مُينح لبناني شاعر باألالم يتغّزل الفلسطنية. الزوجة ببطن أي اجلميلة األصدقاء عطر ينعى احلامل، محمود ”أقالم قصيدته في درويش“ ويطبب أالم آخرين كما في ”سجائر بول شاوول“. حتى وشعر. نثر بني كتاباً 16 االن

شخصية األسبوع .. الدكتور شفيق املصري

كاتب من هذا الزمان : زاهي وهبي .. ابن الّطبيعة

سارة الديرانيكاتبة صحفية

نهاد غازي عواد مساهمة صحفية

أهمها: رئيس املصلحة اإلدارّية سالمة مركز في واملالّية نيله وبعد املدني. الّطيران أكادميية مهام توّلى الّدكتوراه عديدة وهي: دكتور محاضر في األمريكية اللبنانية اجلامعة منذ العام 1983، وكلية احلقوق في اجلامعة اللبنانية منذ العام األمريكية واجلامعة ،1985ومن .1987 منذ بيروت في القيادة كلية في محاضر ثم واألركان في اجليش اللبناني منذ إستناّدا ترفيع العام 1993. ومت املهمة األكادميية أبحاثه إلى إلى رتبة أستاذ من الفئة األولى في اجلامعة اللبنانية منذ العام في محاضر وهو كما .2002لبنان في اإلسالمية اجلامعة

منذ العام 2007.والنشاطات املنشورة األعمال األكادميية. له العديد من الكتب املهّمة، والقانونّية الّسياسّية اجلامعيون كتاب“ أّولها وكان ”والذي نشر لبنان اجلديد رجال

الدستور أورده مبا وأؤمن كما اللبناني: ” لبنان عربّي اإلنتماء الذي .“ وأحّبذ املوقف والهوّية

كان فيهما شاعر احلب متجّددًا، يكتب بغزارة عن األنوثة التي ما بل إليه بالّنسبة جسًدا عادت روًحا سيبقى يعشق تشّققات قدميها في ِسنِّ السبعني. نثره على وينساب باحلياة، ينبض األنغام الهادئة حيًنا والّصاخبة مشاهده يرُسم بخّفة أحيانا. باجلمال املمتلئة الّشعرية ويعرضها بحيوية جتعلك تعجز متمّرد، األنفاس. التقاط عن اخلاص بني ميزج احًدا، يشبه ال والعام ويواكب تطّوراتهما كما األخير. ديوانه في جلًيا كان أدّق في حّتى احلرّية يعشق الّطرفة تضحكه الّتفاصيل. الذكية اللّماحة وال يغفر اذى من قّدم له العون. طفولته اجلنوبّية، وصباه البيروتي، وقهوة احلمرا مبا اختزلوا من جتارب ومحٍن وأيام حلوة ومّرة اكتوت بنيران احلرب، مرهًفا، حّساًسا، زاهي جعال

في طالب وهو أي ,1970 عام القانون في العليا الدراسات كتابه“ آخرها .وكان الدولي الدولية والشرعية لبنان الكتب أهم من يعد ”والذي اخلالفات تناولت التي احلالية لبنان في الّراهنة الّسياسّية في وأبعادها وناقش مضمونها وله الدولي. كما القانون ضوء واحملاضرات املقاالت من العديد األكادميية، وقد شارك في العديد

من املؤمترات الدولية واحمللّية.تعمل ال ملاذا عامة. أسئلة بس ”؟ السياسي امليدان في إشتغل سياسية ما بيقى إلي .“ ما هي عني عّلم سياسية ؟ بها تؤمن التي واآلراء األفكار أي الكاملة، بالعلمنة أؤمن ”إلغاء الطائفية بكافة وجوهها. وأؤمن باإلشتراكية الديقراطية Fabian) بها بّشر التي أي ”اجملتمع (Societyأساس في كان فابياني“الذي البريطاني. العمالي احلزب

إعتمده آباء اإلستقالل: ” نحن مع العرب إذا إتفقوا، وعلى احلياد

إذا إختلفوا.“

المًعا، اعالمًيا عاشًقا، شاعرًا، وطنًيا مخلًصا، صحفياً، كاتًبا الهوى وفلسطينّي ،عروبًيا، ملوهبته وتقديرا والهوّية. من العديد زاهي نال وعطائه سعيد جائزة منها اجلوائز الّدولية الكلّية درع عقل، املركز املّتحدة-لندن، للمملكة كلّية لالعالم، الكاثوليكي اللبنانية، اجلامعة في اإلعالم املقاومة االسالمية، هيئة دعم جامعة البتراء في األردن،اجمللس في واآلداب للفنون الوطني مجلة اختارته كما الكويت، 43 بني من العربية نيوزويك األكثر هم عربية شخصية تأثيرًا في العالم العربي مشيرًة القّوات قبل من إعتقاله الى في وقوعه وعدم اإلسرائيلية تبهره لم الّنجومية. شرك الّشاشة الفضّية وبقي يعشق قليلون والفتيل. الكاز رائحة

من قليلون زاهي. يا امثالك عرفوا جوهر احلياة يا ابن حقول

اجلنوب.

- اجلمال هو العذر الوحيد الذي يغفر للمرأة كّل تفاهتها “وحماقتها.”

توفيق احلكيم )9 أكتوبر 1898 - 26 يوليو 1987( كاتب وأديب مصري

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الدكتور شفيق املصري

زاهي وهبي

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ARABIC OPINIONاألخيرة، دورته القمر يكمل كأّن بالّشمس، يلتقي ويكاد في تتصافا أن حتاول الّتقوميات يخب لم بعد.إلتقيا، عن لقاء ضوء الشمس ولم يخفت ضوء القمر. يعترك الزمن إندماًجا بال صراع، فتتداخل التواريخ ما بني محمد بني ما وميالدي، هجري إستشهاد بني ما وعيسى الرسول هجرة ورمزّية احلسني بينهم فعالً ، املسيح ووالدة

يسكن موطن...موطن آخر.تلتقي دموع الفرح بفرح دموع، واحلزن احلّب مفاهيم فتشتبك هدوء على البحر يستوي حتى وتبسم احلالّية، األيام عواصف

الوجوه.حيث املوطن ذلك لبنان، هو على مقسوًما الفرح يكون الدموع وتقتسم شفتني،

ما بني دموع كربالء وإبتسام املسيح...موطن آخر

املرأة: بني املساواة والتهميش

لبناني ألكثر من عشرين سنة...

مصطفى فضل اهللكاتب صحفي

ماري نخولكاتبة صحفية

خضر أبو دية كاتب صحفي

لبنان مسيحّي بني عيون. مصقولة قصة ومسلميه احلرب بأيادي ومرفوعة بالوحدة مناسباتنا والغضب.تلتقي خالل من أنفسنا إلى لنعود واستشراب التاريخ إستذكار وتوّجهاته، أفكاره عصارة لواقع منطلقاً الدروس وأخذ جديد. قد تختلف األشجار في واحد احلياة منبع لكن ثمراتها وينابيع واحٌد، فالهواء متأّصل، واحدٌة واألرض مختلفة، املياٌه ال الّتراب وهذا وثمرها مختلِف ينطلق حينما احلب إال يحمل بتوزيع العطايا على زهوره وثمر

أشجاره.نعمل أن األحبة، أيها علينا الوطن، موطناً ذاك ليكون معاً للحياة. أجمل وبقعة أفضل، علينا أن نرفض الوقوع في شرك

احرارًا الّناس جميع يولد واحلقوق بالكرامة متساوين املاّدة العبارة هذه .تشكل األولى من اإلعالن العاملي حلقوق االنسان، ولكن، أّي حقوق؟ فهل حتقيق في اإلعالن هذا جنح والرجل؟ وهل املرأة بني مساواة املرأة في لبنان بحقوقها تنعم وواجباتها كاملًة دون أدنى تفرقة بينها وبني العنصر الذكري؟! أم أّنها ما زالت العنصر الّضعيف

املهمش؟هذه أيامنا في املرأة تشّكل في أساسًيا فعاالً عنصراً حتريك عجلة البالد اإلقتصادية، واإلجتماعية. الّسياسّية هذا من الرغم على ولكن، توصلت الذي امللحوظ التطّور ولالسف، حتقق، لم فهي إليه،

مساواة شاملة مع الرجل.

في 1985-11-16: التي وأوجاعها احلرب آلالم تباً متنعني من التعّلم والعمل. كم واشتقت أمي يا لك اشتقت ال ولكن والدي. يدّي لتقبيل ما كّل شيء. فعل أستطيع التمني هو أفعله أن ميكنني املصائب هذه النتهاء والدعاء أهلي أرى لكي السالم وعودة ساملني غامنني. يا رّب استرنا إننا صابرون فانصرنا وبعد احلرب من

نعمك ارزقنا. في 2005-2-13:

اخلالفات املذهبية والطائفية، وأن ال نختلف على اهلل حني يسعى الُفرقة بذور لزرع املستكبرون املستقبليني نكون أن بيننا. في اخلوض يرفضون الذين الضيقة التاريخ حجرات حاضر صنع في اللّذة ويجدون أفضل ومستقبل ذي أفق أرحب لنلتقي باحملبة. أوسع وصدر التي واألفكار املعاني على يصنع واقٌع أقوى، واقعاً تصنع القّوة من وحدة الفئات القليلة، ويصنع الّتاريخ من خالل صناعة صلب في احلراك و املستقبل الّسياسة كسرته ما الواقع. مع جديدة والدٌة إاّل يجُبرَه لن إقتراب حلول الّسالم على األرض تفهُم والدٌة املسيح. ووالدة العيش أّن احلياة، وتعرف معنى ال احلرّية وتلك حرّية. بال ميوت

الّسياسي، الصعيد على أوالً، مجلس في اليوم املرأة تتمثل أنها كما اللبناني، الوزراء تشكل عضًوا فّعاالً في اجمللس كاف غير بشكل وامنا اّلنيابي على الذكوري اللون ليطغى في الّسياسّي الّتمثيل أكثر لبنان، هذا عدا عن ذكرنا التمثيل ورئاسة البلديات في اخلجول القضائي. واحلقل النقابات هو هل ذلك؟ في الّسبب وما بينها القدرات تكافؤ عدم املرأة متّتع وعدم الّرجل؟ وبني بالّصالحيات املناسبة؟ حتماً ال، وامّنا الّسبب يكمن بعدم النظر كإنسان اليوم حتى املرأة إلى مغامر خوض بإمكانه قوي

الّسياسة والّنجاح في ذلك.أما على الصعيد العملي، فقد مراكز إحتالل في املرأة جنحت

احلمد لك يا رب جّنيتنا من املصائب اآلن جهد. بعد العمل وبدأنا الوضع استقرار بقاء إلى أدعو ألستطيع إستثمار القرض الذي استلفته في محل؛ لعّلي أبني

عائلة قبل أن يفوت األوان. في 2005-2-15:

ال الذي التافه البلد لهذا تباً أن إال املواطن فيه يستطيع يبكي ويصرخ. ما إن بدأنا العمل إلى أن ُهّز كيان البلد. يا ربي افرج إلى نعود لكي املصيبة هذه

العمل.

تصان إال بالّتضحيات وكذا كان الهواء في تنطلق وال احلسني، كانت وكذا بالعمل إال الّطلق على لنعمل الّرسول. هجرة كالبنيان واحًدا صّفاً نكون أن أبعد لقائنا ويكون املرصوص، ولقائات الّتلفزة شاشات من النفاق الّسياسي، ليكن لقائنا عقد األجيال بني يعقد لقاًء الُفرقِة عقائد ويفكفك احملّبة،

والتنابذ.أّيامنا في عقولنا لُننعِمل األيام، هذه في حركتنا وفي منطلق على لبنان ليمضي احملّبة و الّسالم ولينمو بحقائق عاش والعمل. الّتضحية اختالفنا حرًا واعًيا، وعاش لبنان.

اجملتمع في مرموقة إدارية كرئاسة شركات وادارات رفيعة املستوى. كما أّنها تشّكل احملّرك في الّتعليمي للحقل األول جيل نشأة في لتساهم لبنان املستقبل. وجتدر اإلشارة هنا إلى املستوى في امللحوظ التطّور اللبنانية، للمرأة العلمي الرجل، مع لتقصد،وبالتساوي أهم املدارس والكليات، لتصبح مثاالً أعلى جلميع الدول العربية التي ما زالت تضعها على هامش احلياة، بعيدًة عن أّي تفاعل حي مع اجملتمع. عسى أن حتصد ثمرة تستحق كما وتنخرط عملها

في اجملال العملي بتكافؤ.اإلجتماعي، الّصعيد وعلى اخلروج لبنان في املرأة حاولت من القوقعة التي وضعها فيها جمعيات فترأست اجملتمع،

في 2010-12-17: ال أدري أين أقف.. مع من... ولكن

إن شاء اهلل سُتفرج- من االنتهاء يستطيع أن وقبل

فكرته سمع صوت الضمير: يا لبناني أما زلت في نفس احلالة

منذ أكثر من 20 سنة؟ اللبناني: بلى ولكن ماذا أفعل؟

صوت الضمير: وماذا فعلت إلى اآلن؟

والتمني الصبر اللبناني: والدعاء.

اهلل، عفاك الضمير: صوت

في وانخرطت عّدة، إنسانية قدرتها مظهرًة الكبير اجملتمع إال تنتهي. ال التي وعطاءاتها ذلك من الّرغم، وعلى أّنها، اجلنسّية إعطاء حق عن متنع ذلك في السبب فما ألوالدها. املرأة تتمّتع أال اجلائر؟ القانون املناسبة بالوطنية اللبنانية أبسط من بات حق عن لتمنع

احلقوق املدنّية؟!املرأة قطعت لقد بإختصار، ما في كبيراً شوطاً اللبنانّية ما أنه إال بحقوقها، يتعلق عليها عّدة اشواًطا هناك زال املساواة. لتحقيق اجتيازها اجملال، هذا في ولو فلنتمّثل، باجملتمع الغربي الذي إحترم املرأة

وأعلى من شأنها.

ولكن ماذا فعلت غير ذلك؟ اللبناني: أههههه...

سنة لعشرين اه يقول وظل يقول أصبح أن إلى أي أخرى. ...فقد مات غرلغرلغرلغرلغرل من الغرق بفعل ارتفاع مستوى

البحر األبيض املتوسط.

11dec 21, 2010 OUTlOOk

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الثورة احلسينّية...كما يراها الشيخ شفيق جراديمرمي العلي

محررة

الّنفس وعلم والفلسفة فيظهر كتاب تاريخ أوروبا وبناء للدكتور جورج الغرب أسطورة ويتبعه الفارابي دار من قرم تأليف اليتيم السلفي كتابي حازم األمني من دار الّساقي ثم في ودورها تركيا موقع كتاب أحمد تأليف الّدولّية الساحة داود أوغلو الدار العربية للعلوم في للدراسات. اجلزيرة ومركز فلندفن كتاب ظهر السياسة الّثأر – قدر لبناني تأليف غسان دوتنوك فيليب جان مع تويني ويبرز للّنشر. الّنهار دار من كتاب مشروع لبنان اإلقتصادي مازن سويد على صعيد تأليف في أّما اإلجتماع. علم كتب مدن ديوان فيتصّدر الّشعر األخرين للشاعر شوقي بزيع من دار األداب ويتبعه ديوان حروف من نور ملنى الشرافي تّيم من الدار على ناشرون. للعلوم العربية صعيد الّرواية تصّدرت رواية 32 دار للكاتبة سحر مندور إضدار للكاتبة إبليس مرايا ثم األداب

فنون. املصّنفة الكتب الئحة فنعم العلوم ونعم الفنون. أما اجملّلة فتصّدرت القانون كتب صادر، مطبعة من القضائية،

مني الّشرافي تّيم الدار العربية عباس أّما ناشرون. للعلوم مرايا كتابه فتصّدر بيضون الساقي دار من فرانكشتاين أدب. بعنوان ااملصّنفة الكتب كتاب تصّدرها التاريخ كتب ونشوء عامل جبل شيعة الّدولة اّللبنانّية 1981 – 1943 تأليف متارا الشلبي من دار الّنهار احلديث لبنان تاريخ كتاب يليه الّطائف اتفاق إلى اإلمارة من من طرابلسي فواز د. تأليف املفاجأة أما الرّيس. رياض دار الكبرى فهي على صعيد العلوم العلوم كتب فتصدّر والفنون. 2011 واألبراج كارمن كتابي إصدار طبيعية وثورات حتّديات يتبعها و انترناشونال أكادمييا سنة ،2011 فرح ماغي كتاب دار إصدار الّصاعقة اخملاطر امليم توزيع دار الكتاب اّللبناني. وتصّدرت كتب سلسلة الطبخ للماليني العلم دار من العاملي من الشهّية أناهيد وسفرة باء وألف إنترناشونال أكادمييا للماليني العلم دار من الطبخ

يليه صادر احلقوقية املنشورات بني الّتشريع واإلجتهاد ثم أصول احملاكمات املدنية وهما من نفس

الّدار.

الكتاب معرض إختتم وهكذا دورته لهذا العام، فهل من قارئ

يقرأ ؟

معرض بيروت العربي الدولي للكتاب الـ 54 – نظرة على اإلحصائيات

واألصل- كما قال- ليس الغلبة، احلّس وفيك فّي يحيا بل كيف يصل الذي الرفيع، اإلنساني الوجودي اخلالص إلى باجلميع املتكامل، املؤّسس ليوم اخلالص

املهدوي األخير.باملناسبة، أيًضا واملهدي سيحمل راية سوداء. ال تسألني ال أو صّدقني عرفت؟ كيف احلكاية حني إلى تصّدقني...

القادمة.حفيد هو علي بن *احلسني

صلوات عليه محمد النبي بن يزيد حكم على خرج اهلل. معاوية عام 61 للهجرة، بجمع في فواجه الرجال، من قليل املدينة كربالء كربالء- صحراء عدّوه، جيش اليوم، العراق في متجاوزًا تخاذل أهل الكوفة- في العراق أيًضا، وكانوا هم من دعاه إلى اخلروج ليقاتلوا معه، فُقتل املعركة جميًعا. في معه ومن يحييه ما هو مظلوًما وقتله

الشيعة في عاشوراء كّل عام.

(Alraimedia.com : صورة)

الشيخ شفيق جرادي (صورة: خضر أبو دية)

جرادي، شفيق الشيخ حشد الواحدة، البيضاء بعمامته سواد اللون األسود في اجلامعة األميركية في غرفة واحدة عصر االثنني املاضي. وكان طغى لون مرمى على اجلماعي احلداد بصري وأنا أرقب من صّف خلفّي من يروحون ويأتون، وفي أيديهم (السوداء)، اخللوية هواتفهم يسألون عن الشيخ الذي أّخرته رمبا زحمة سير احلمرا، املكتظة في كّل األوقات. واحلاضرون، في الكراسي ميلؤون الوقت، فراغ تباًعا، وفي عيونهم ملعة االنتماء واملناسبة واألصحاب اللون إلى وصاروا جلسوا شيء. وكّل متفاوتة، بأصوات يحكون، أتى من الوجوه، راقبوا كثيرون اللون أّن على يأِت، لم ومن األسود مّرة أخرى صّعب التعّرف اجلميع يتشابه وذاك، على هذا واحًدا شابًا حملت صّدقوني، ولم اخللف، من التّف فقط، صبية على التعّرف في يبذل يعرفها جهًدا، وشوشها بصوت حالِك حتّسي أنا: ”ما سمعته محّجبة“. مش لو حتى غلط، لم تكن محّجبة، لكني بطرف

إلى وجهها. كان التفّت عيني الذي ”الفونديشن“ من خالًيا محّجبات صبايا وجوه حّول بيضاء صفحة إلى كثيرات مزّيفة، في إطار احلجاب األسود عندما الشيخ لكن أيًضا. طويلة قرآن قراءة وبعد وصل، بصوت املناسبة فلك في دارت شّجي لشاّب فتّي راح يتلو: ”وال سبيل في قتلوا الذين حتسنّب اهلل أمواتًا بل أحياء...“، عندما موضوع ”ميكيِّج“ لم وصل أحد يساعده لم محاضرته. على املتوكئ وهو باجللوس، عصا، قّرب امليكروفون من فمه احلسني*. اإلمام حكاية وقّص كان التي الثورة تلك هي فما من مقتضياتها القتل والسبي واخلروج إلى الالعودة؟ بفلسفة الشيخ ألقى وجودية عاملية شخص على ضوء شعاع مستعيرًا علي، بن احلسني يرّددها التي وارث زيارة كلمات يا زّوار احلسني: ”السالم عليك إبراهيم... وارث آدم...يا وارث

وارث عيسى...يا وارث يا لرساالت وارث الرجل محّمد“. الطافحة وثورته إذن، السماء للقاتل“، إنساني ”رفض بالدم، القاتل الذي يعني السكوت عن

ظلمه املفضوح نهاية اإلسالم، فللثورة وهكذا، باملطلق. الشيخ مبفردات احلسينية يتخّطى إنساني بُعد جرادي، من متفّلتة ورسالة الشيعة، ممن الواحدة، الطائفة حدود يلبسون األسود، لتحرير اإلنسان على بالقدرة ومّده الظلم، من وسم الباطل بأنه باطل، مهما قّل مناصرو احلّق. احلسني الوارث لألنبياء، ترك إرثًا سياسًيا مبنًيا واجتماعي أخالقي على أساس حكايته تصله من لكّل وديني التي احلكاية تلك بعده. من حاضرًا، كان من كّل يحفظها لكنهم بدهشة املتعّرف على ما يجهلون، استمعوا بصمت إلى صمت جرادي، الشيخ كلمات لم يخرقه غير ضحكاتهم التي استثارها فيهم الشيخ بأطراف حديثه البعيد عن التكّلف، وهو الذي عزل قاعة احملاضرة ساعة مقّلًبا خارجها عن الزمن من بالتحليل اإلسالمي الوجع املمنهج، لكنه بذكاء احملّنك في القرن عتبة عن قفز اخلطاب، املسافة فقّلص األول، الهجري احلسني رجال بني التاريخية املقاومات، أو املقاومة، ورجال املقاتلة اليوم بعد 1400 عام.

تتم من ص 1

12dec 21, 2010OUTlOOk

ENTERTAINMENTis that a relatively new art-ist can go on about her mas-sive success on her debut al-bum. This cockiness is not without grounds, as, much like many of her pop and hip-hop predecessors, Minaj’s “Pink Friday” is aimed at be-ing a self-fulfilling prophecy. And, given all the attention she has drawn with her in-teresting multiple personae and wild get-ups, not to men-tion her music, it is likely that the prophecy is nearing its fulfillment. Minaj has cited her mu-sic being influenced by what she claims are her multi-ple personae. Like Beyonce’s “Sasha Fierce” and Eminem’s “Slim Shady,” Minaj has cre-ated a slew of alter-egos that she applies to different vers-es. Whether this is Minaj’s actual method for creating music or a marketing gim-mick geared towards gaining media attention, one cannot deny the highly schizophren-ic nature of her sound. For instance, on the album’s second track, “Roman’s Re-

the reasons most marketed to the world at the time was that Saddam Hussein was building nuclear weapons. President Bush’s govern-ment relied on the existence of a uranium trade between Niger and Iraq to justify the presence of weapons of mass destruction. When Ambassa-dor Wilson publicly criticiz-es the White House’s flawed claims and accuses the Bush administration of divulging false information, his wife’s identity as a covert CIA agent is made public, and she is fired from her job. The rest of the film focuses main-ly on the couple’s reaction to the media harassment and the deterioration of their re-lationship.

The strongest aspect of this movie is the brilliant perfor-mances by both Naomi Watts and Sean Penn. Sharp, fierce and compelling, they manage

Hip-hop’s answer to an era dominated by songstresses such

as Ke$ha and Lady Gaga, for whom eccentricity and ‘quirkiness’ seems to be the norm, is Nicki Minaj. Hav-ing recently sampled on and added ‘hip-hop credibility’ to many singles including those of Christina Aguilera and Sean Kingston, the Trinidad and Tobago native has re-leased her own album, titled “Pink Friday,” prompting the question of whether she can stand as a musical act on her own. Keeping true to what has come to define the rap/hip-hop genre, many of Minaj’s tracks are self-professed tributes to her own great-ness, littered with allusions to expensive brands and ‘the haters,’ that seem as com-mon to rap music as bacon to breakfast. Upon first hearing songs such as “The Best” and “Did It On’em,” one is faced with the ridiculousness of Minaj’s claims; most notably, one cannot but wonder how it

After the Bourne Iden-tity and Mr. & Mrs. Smith, director Doug

Liman tackles a somewhat different genre with his latest release, Fair Game. Based on a true story, this film is less action-oriented (with no gun or fighting scenes) and more dialogue-driven than his pre-vious two blockbusters.

Set between 2001 and 2003, this political thriller follows the story of CIA agent Valerie Plane (Naomi Watts) and her husband Joe Wilson (Sean Penn), a United Nations Am-bassador. At the beginning of the film, both Plane and Wil-son are portrayed as high-achieving, career-oriented individuals, who still man-age to have a loving relation-ship and a happy marriage. The couple appears to be rel-atively non-political, until the Bush administration de-cides to invade Iraq. One of

venge,” Minaj channels Ro-man (yes, she has named her alter-egos), who she claims is her in-your-face, hardcore persona. This theatricality is expected considering Mi-naj’s drama background. The track sees an angry Mi-naj with her trademark quiv-ering almost-vibrato, haunt-ingly scream-rapping, “Rah, Rah, like a dungeon dragon.” Roman makes another ap-pearance on a similar track, “Massive Attack,” that again features the in-your-face Mi-naj. We see the ‘angry’ Mi-naj on “Did It On’em,” which is arguably the album’s most sonically audacious track, straying away from the com-mon bumps and thumps that have become intrinsic to ra-dio-played hip-hop music. However, it is highly unlikely that this track will get much, if any, radio play, consider-ing its explicitly lewd con-tent, detailing using one’s ex-crement to mark a conquest. On other tracks, we see a more feminine Minaj, Bar-bie, one of her other egos. In

to make up for the film’s mi-nor defects: a cheesy feel dur-ing the second half when the story is mainly about the re-lationship between the two protagonists and a black and white depiction of the world of politics. In addition, even though the story is mainly di-alogue-driven, it still man-ages to maintain a swift and brittle pace. Fair Game also carries a subtle didactic di-mension, by reminding us how a handful of men in a power position will stop at nothing in order to achieve their desired goals, even if this means illegally abus-ing their power, manipulat-ing others and bluntly lying. As enlightened citizens, this movie shows that it is our duty to question our leaders and their incentives, and to hold them responsible when-ever they breach our trust.

Album Review

Movie Review

Pink Friday

Fair Game

Timmy Malkoun

Christine Saliba

parts of “Check it Out,” and most of “Your Love,” we see a more laid-back and less an-gry Minaj. Following edgier tracks such as “Blazin’” and “Here I am,” Barbie adopts a more tame role, both vocal-ly and lyrically. The creation and use of different identities is rather unnecessary, con-

Finally, it’s worth noting that Fair Game portrays a woman in a very intelligent and complex leading role, un-like many mainstream Hol-lywood productions, which often stereotype women as

sidering that many before Minaj have been able to con-vey an even wider emotion-al and musical palette with-out marketing themselves as different people. Then again, it is this superfluousness and ridiculousness that is essen-tial to the phenomenon that is Nicki Minaj.

(Photo from facebook.com)

stupid and sexy or simply rel-egate them to the cute girl-friend act. This movie is re-freshingly different, allowing women’s theatrical talents to shine and allowing the audi-ence to see them as intricate, authentic characters.

(Photo from facebook.com)

13dec 21, 2010 OUTlOOk

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

that monotonous voice percolates my stream of conscious. I look around and I can see that it’s not just getting to my nerve. It’s ”, البطاقة رقم 120 اذهب الى كاونتر رقم ثالثة“getting to everyone’s. Perhaps because the voice announces turns so slowly, no one really wants to hear it and be reminded of the long wait they still have ahead of them.My ticket’s number is 151. When I came an hour ago, the employee at counter #3 was attending the owner of ticket number 101. The room is crowded; I can feel a strong tension in the atmosphere. The lady who just sat next to me has a ticket number 192. Good luck with that. How long have I been here? Unbelievable. I have been waiting two hours at the Cashier’s office to get a single Printing Card. What a mess. It’s obvious that at least 90% of us are here to do some kind of payment. And these transactions, to my knowledge, are carried out only at counter #3. As you all know by now, the system at the Cashier’s Office has recently been renovated. But whether the new system has improved the flow of transactions in this office is still questionable. It is possible that one of the factors that has not let the Cashier’s Office serve more efficiently even after its renovation is the new Net-work Printing System at AUB. Previously, most students who wanted to print using AUB’s facilities usually bought printing cards available at several libraries. However, with the current Net-work System, payments for printing services should all be done at the Cashier’s Office. And this has had significant consequences. To illustrate this, let us consider some rough figures. If barely four thousand students are purchasing at least two printing cards per semester, then the employee at counter #3 has to attend eight thousand additional transactions per semester. And these are only approximate figures. My turn has finally arrived after waiting two hours and forty minutes (I’m definitely late for my next class). I look at the employee attending me; he is obviously overworked and exhausted. Both, the counter at his left and the one at his right, are empty. True, the system at the Cashier’s Office has been revamped. However, even the best of systems will not replace the job that at least one extra employee can do.

Counter number three

During my junior year, I contemplated various areas of work in a research lab in either the Biology or Chemistry departments to enrich my working experience; but nothing had prepared me for what lay ahead of me. As I was readying myself for a laborious summer of studying for finals and MCAT preparation, Dr. Najat Saliba, professor at the Chemistry department, offered me an opportunity to be part of one of the most innovative research projects to be undertaken at AUB and in Lebanon. The task was daunting but the challenge and the countless learning opportunities led me to acquiesce. Leading up to the launch date of the project on December 9 (which has been presented in the previous Outlook issue), there have been numerous sleepless nights and countless stressful days; my schedule was often juggling classes, meetings, researching price quotes and articles, and assembling machines and laptops. Neverthe-less, I am most appreciative for partaking in this research and for what I’ve accomplished so far; it has been the most gratifying hands-on learning experience as an undergraduate. Research does not only involve reading scientific jargon/articles/journals/papers and conducting a rerun of trial and error experiments. Among the aforementioned, I have spent the past six months delving into new methods to measure and understand particulate matter, exploring companies that would bene-fit the project, seeking financial solutions that are both efficient and cost-effective to get this project up and running in the best way possible, and brainstorming with highly qualified personnel – engineers, designers, planners, administrators, staff, etc. – to ensure a high-quality end product. I am now in the process of collecting and analyzing the data in order to publish a paper upon completion. AUB has among the best research facilities in the region, but there is always room to grow and improve. Aside from graduating top students, AUB should encourage more students to enlist in research. This can be done by increasing, facilitating and advertising research and research opportunities, either through more grants or through crediting the undergrads that are enlisted. Research is beneficial to all aspects of the learning spectrum; it allows the student to have a clearer and more sol-id grasp of what awaits them after graduation, be it graduate school or the work force. It also gives the student the chance to discover new territories that might have been previously unknown to him, or to go deeper in a subject in which he is interested. Last but not least, being involved in research teaches two very important things that are crucial to success in any enterprise and that will be more than advantageous later in life: responsibility and time management.

The anti-smoking policy at AUB has been recently enforced, and only a few specific areas welcome smokers and their friends. Although AUB is to be commended for this effort toward creating a relatively smoke-free environment, a more serious issue needs attention and enforcement. The administration may or may not be aware of the smoking of hash and marijuana on the AUB campus, in the so-called “forest.” I am embarrassed to have to write about this issue in AUB’s student newspaper. It’s highly implausible that nobody knows about the existence of this “forest,” but what’s more shocking is why nothing has been done so far. Perhaps this has never been a public issue, or maybe the AUB community never wanted to think about this phenomenon because it undermines its efforts to look healthy before the world. Regardless, we should give our administration the benefit of the doubt, and I hope this letter will send a message: There is an urgent need to do something about drug use on campus. This is not solely the administration’s responsibility. I’m fairly certain that students who go to the forest to smoke hash and weed have been seen by many AUBites. As selfish as this sounds, these students are actually jeopardizing the reputation and social status of their other friends, who may unwillingly be associated with drugs because of their surroundings, even though they are not drug-users. Drug-users at AUB do not seem to care about what their habits to do their friends on cam-pus, as long as the charming prince kisses them and stimulates their nerves.

Promoting research at AUB - the undergrad research experience

Sleeping beauty

Amina Jaafar Harb

Carl-Joe Mehanna

Ali Faraj

14dec 21, 2010OUTlOOk

Op-edEditorial

Op-ed

EDITORIAL & OPINIONWhat we give we get back

So the time for merry cheer is approaching with Christmas holi-

days just around the corner. Everyone is out shopping in frenzy and university and school students are on cloud nine getting ready to cele-brate. But before we run out to purchase that perfect gift, I’d like to turn our atten-tion to an excerpt titled “The Value of a Smile on Christ-mas” from Dale Carnegie’s all time best seller, “Mak-ing Friends and Influencing People.” “It costs nothing, but cre-ates much. It enriches those who receive, without impov-erishing those who give. It happens in a flash and the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None are so rich they can get a long with-out it, and none are so poor but are richer for its bene-fits. It creates happiness in the home, fosters good will in a business, and is the countersign of friends. It is rest to the weary, daylight to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and Nature’s best antidote for trouble. Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is no earthly good to anybody till it is giv-en away. And if in the last-min-ute rush of Christmas buy-ing some of our salespeople should be too tired to give you a smile, may we ask you to leave one of yours? For no one needs a smile so much as those who have none left to give!”

Jackie DaoudStaff Writer

Aziza KhalilStaff Writer

Rami DiabEditor-in-Chief

Abused, humiliated and deprived of the most basic human rights,

domestic workers in Leba-non and the Arab world have lived through a unique type of torture even the Nazi’s would have been impressed by. The past 20 years has seen a large influx of private household workers into Lebanon, but I prefer to call this a ‘slave con-tract,’ given what little legal protection they have in this country and in many Arab countries, leaving them vul-nerable to abuse and exploi-tation. In addition to psycho-logical, physical and sexual abuse, they are often treat-ed like animals with their contracts being labeled by many as ‘legal fiction,’ with the sole purpose of conceal-ing the poverty of their living

stripped from underneath our eyes. Change starts with re-alizing our faults. Make the choice to change your bad hab-its before wanting to change everyone else’s. You have the ability to totally change every area in your life and it all be-gins with your very own pow-er of choice. If you don’t like how things are, change it!

Racism, hypocrisy, and prej-udice are some of the things we all want to change in life. However many of us still prac-tice them. We complain about the way we are, the way things are, and the people around us, but we still carry on living

“Be the change you want to see in the world” said a very wise man, Ghandi,

but how do we see this change if we haven’t actually opened our eyes upon the truth that’s

our lives that way. As Shake-speare once said, “The fault is not in the stars, but in our-selves.” We create the way we live by the choices we make. We have the choice to make better decisions starting to-day. We shouldn’t allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. Even the most basic choices can make the biggest difference in how our life works out.

Looking at the glass half full is a start. Be positive and think positive and it will rub off on others. Don’t be dis-couraged by what other peo-

ple think if you know you’re doing the right thing go for it! Despite your past your future is still unwritten. “Nobody can go back and start a new begin-ning, but anyone can start to-day and make a new ending” (Maria Robinson).

A lot of people don’t like to let go of the past but there is nothing wrong with change if it’s in the right direction. However, change doesn’t hap-pen overnight. You may face obstacles through the way but with perseverance you can al-ways succeed. Don’t just sit there and wait on something to happen. Make it happen!

I’d like to emphasize that last line, “it is no earthly good to anybody till it is giv-en away.” This sentence, in a nutshell, sort of summarizes the human condition. How it is difficult for us to attain joy if our joy is restricted to the bounds of our separate lives. Indeed, only in sharing our delight does our delight ex-pand. Joy gained by owner-ship of possessions follows the same principle. Only is sharing the gifts of the earth do we find the most value in them and reap their bene-fits to the fullest. Our econ-omy follows a similar trend as well. Have you ever asked yourself just what it is that gives our money value? I mean, at the end of the day, were it not for its purchas-ing power, money would be no more than worthless pa-per right? This Christmas, let’s take some time off to give to oth-ers for that is one sure fire way of giving back to our-selves. This Christmas, let us part from our belongings, let go of our desires and for-get our responsibilities, aims and desires. This Christmas, let us be givers first and fore-most, for what goes around comes around and what we give we get back.

The Ghosts of Migrant Workers

Change begins with choice

circumstances.

The biggest misconception in the Arab world by em-ployers is that these work-ers are their property and, therefore, they can do what-ever they please to them. It appalls me that despite the civilized era we are living in, with the majority of us com-pleting high levels of educa-tion, there are still people among us who adopt such a backward mindset and are desensitized to the idea of in-flicting harm on another hu-man being. What gives any-body the right to endanger another human being’s life? The bottom line is that no-body is entitled to do so, re-gardless of the ignorance of Arab law; we as righteous in-dividuals have a moral obli-gation to be the best that we can, and that primarily be-gins with treating others as we would want to be treated ourselves.

It is no wonder there has been a rise in balcony suicides in the past ten years, that have conveniently been labeled as accidents every time, but is it really a coincidence that we have the highest domes-tic worker suicide rate? This is aside from the portion of them who have been beaten to death, another substantial contributor to their climb-

ing death rate. On Thursday, August 19, 2010, as in many previous cases, a 29-year-old Ethiopian worker, Sirek Ogapy, threw herself off the 10th floor of her employer’s house, with many bystand-ers watching her plummet to her death. Later accounts by witnesses also showed that they had heard quarrel-ing and screaming before she was thrown off the balcony. However, given that the em-ployers were a politically in-fluential family, the investi-gation was naturally halted and, to no one’s surprise, was labeled a ‘suicide’ before be-ing closed, ensuring nothing was ever heard of it again.

This is a typical case in Leb-anon except what the label should have said was ‘mur-der’ rather than suicide at-tempt. Should we really place less of a significance to a per-son’s value based on their ethnicity? The answer is no; it’s ridiculous that anybody could even consider this an issue, because what it comes down to is that each and ev-ery one of us is valuable, through factors that make us unique, our integrity and our ability to share ourselves with our loved ones. That ap-plies to every single individ-ual among us, migrant work-er or not.

15dec 21, 2010 OUTlOOk

OUT OF THE BOx

A phobia is a constant, unreasonable and illogical fear of a specific thing or situation that obliges one to avoid it. Social life is very important in a society like ours, and social phobia (also known as Social Anxiety Disorder) is a type of phobia characterized by great anxiety and extreme self-consciousness in everyday situations. This type of phobia can be limited to only one situation, for example, fear of eating in front of others, to its most severe form, the fear of being around oth-er people. If left untreated, this phobia can lead to severe consequences. Symptoms of social phobia include: intense anxiety experienced due to exposure to social situ-ations, recognition that this level of anxiety is excessive by the individual, and avoidance of the feared situation, among others. It is important to note that physical symptoms commonly ac-company social phobia and include excessive sweating, trembling, nausea and other anxiety-re-lated symptoms. These symptoms increase the fear of disapproval and become additional focus-es of fear thus leading to a vicious cycle: the greater the worry of experiencing the symptoms, the greater the chances of getting the symptoms. Some research shows that the amygdala in the brain, which controls fear responses, is respon-sible for the symptoms of this phobia. Other studies suggest that this disorder might be inherit-ed, however, the effects of one’s environment also play an important part in the development of such a phobia through modeling. Social phobia seems to emerge before adulthood and treatments that have shown considerable efficacy are cognitive-behavioral therapy and behavioral therapy, both with or without medica-tion, which include SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors).

Psyched OutSocial Phobia

Rita Obeid

Last week’s winner: Congratulations Rana El Jarrah, you won a complimen-tary lunch for two at Koi Japanese Sushi

bar

Talal Nizameddin

Cleo Cacoulidis

Antonios Francis

Rami Diab

Timmy Malkoun

Yahia Hamade

Mariam El Ali

Salim Batlouni

John Hajjar

Samer Bu JawdehGiovanny Reaidi

Heather JaberMaya SfeirMostafa Fadlallah

Mohamad Al Medawar

Sally KhalifehLara Traboulsi

Lynn ItaniAnis KadadoTala KardasWajiha Jurdhi KheirSherif MaktabiMarie NakhoulRita ObeidRami PanayotiYasmine SaabJoseph SabaAmer SareMohammad YaghiEmile Fares ZankoulRayane ZahreddineLama Zakharia

Lotfi Al SalahWael SalemAntoine Salloum

Deedee El Jilani

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