RIBUNE The Official STudenT newSpaper aT The lebaneSe american univerSTy

year Xiii, vOl. i, nO. iii Monday, nov.28, 2011

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Meager EvaluationsBy Mayya Al-OgailyLAU Tribune staff

Photo by: Iman Soufan

Baskteball Vs. Net Struggling to reach LAU

High Ranks Still Belong to MenIman SoufanLAU Tribune staff

It was his first year as a lec-turer at LAU. Eager to show the chair of the department that he performed well and students liked him, the young man looked forward to class evaluations. Final-ly, the dean of arts and sci-ences sent him an email with the results. He opened the folder, his heart pounding, only to find that none of his 12 students filled in the eval-uations.By the end of each academ-ic semester, LAU sends out emails to all students, ask-ing them to submit an eval-uation of the courses they took and the instructors who taught them.Although they may vary from one department to an-other, evaluation forms usu-ally include around 10 ques-tions about the instructor’s performance and anoth-er two evaluating about the course itself. Room for qual-itative comments is also available.Asked to fill such optional surveys for at least three or four classes, most students don’t take evaluations seri-ously and fail to send help-ful feedback, if any. Most are not aware that these surveys can make or break an in-structor. Evaluations play a role in the promotion of full-time professors and help depart-ment chairs decide whether they should keep part-time instructors or release them.A survey by the LAU Tri-bune revealed that 86 per-cent of students interviewed don’t fill in the evaluations. Students who do either ex-

In fall 2010, the number of full-time male faculty was listed as 165 and females as 118. But what seems like an encouraging statistic be-comes more disappointing with further scrutiny. The number of professors may be broken down by rank, with six categories ranging from assistant instructor as the lowest to professor as the highest. The number of females in the highest ranks is six while the males are 23 –almost four times the amount. Associate professors at LAU –the sec-ond highest rank– include 41 males and 19 females. “The statistics are not weird nor unusual to me. This is ac-tually very common in univer-sities worldwide,” Dima Dab-bous-Sensenig, director of the Institute for Women’s Stud-ies in the Arab World, said. “There are more male profes-sors than females in differ-ent countries, not only in the Arab world.”The American University of Beirut has 41 male and five female professors.

“Studies have shown that, with the amount of work it takes to be a full-time pro-fessor, women cannot do to the best of their abilities es-pecially if they have a fami-ly,” Dabbous-Sensenig ex-plained. “They face many obstacles, especially if they have kids and cannot ded-icate themselves the way males do.”Assistant professors at LAU apply for promotion three to seven years after they are hired as full timers. To suc-ceed, they must show evi-dence of excellence in teach-ing, research and services to the community. After working for a mini-mum of twelve years, asso-ciate professors are eligible to apply for promotion. As-sistant professors receive 50,001 US dollars as an an-nual basic salary while asso-ciate professors get 67,595 US dollars and full profes-sors 97,099 US dollars. “On a societal level, the mother does most of the work at home,” Dabbous-Sensenig said. “A working

mom has two jobs while the father has one. The ratio of male to female professors varies across LAU’s various schools but the pattern is consistent; the male profes-sors outnumber the females in all cases except medicine where they are equal. In the school of business, for exam-ple, the number of male pro-fessors amounts to seven while that of females is zero.Said El-Fakhani, dean of business in Beirut, is not surprised. “How many fe-males, then, were willing to go through getting a PhD then willing to go all the way for at least 12 more years in order to be eligible to apply for promotion?” he asked. Studies show that education for women is encouraged in Lebanese society, even among conservative commu-nities. But female students, the studies say, go to univer-sity mostly to become better wives and moms and to find better husbands.Khaled Nasser, a lecturer in interpersonal communica-tion at LAU, did a research about arranged marriages in Beirut. He found that par-ents insist that their daugh-ters be educated at universi-ty level, even if there are no plans for her to work at all. Education, Nasser suggests, is seen as a woman’s “weap-on” in case she gets divorced or her husband dies.Dabbous-Sensenig concurs. “Yes, more women are get-ting educated and the gen-der gap in education is clos-ing,” she said. “But the

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press their absolute admi-ration to a specific course and its instructor or vent out their frustration. None of the people surveyed be-lieved that student feedback makes a difference in the eyes of the administration.Most instructors are aware of this problem and think the way evaluations are admin-istered should be changed.Abdullah Sfeir is LAU’s pro-vost. He oversees curricu-lum development and oth-er teaching, instructional, and research-related affairs across the university. Ac-cording to him, LAU plans to make the evaluations oblig-atory. Before 2009, evaluations were compulsory. Distribut-ed to students during class time, they were still filled quickly and carelessly. Most instructors got very good or very bad evaluations.“It’s true we had problems in the past with evaluations being compulsory, but now that they are voluntary we get a small sample of stu-dents who either loved the course or hated it,” Sfeir said. “We’re still considering the best choice, but I think eventually it’s going to be compulsory again.”Ibrahim Houssari, English instructor at LAU, thinks that students don’t take the evaluations seriously and do them off hand. Houssa-ri argued that evaluations shouldn’t be optional. “Unlike before, a few num-ber of students even bother to fill the evaluations out,”

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CAMPUS NEWS2 Tribune nov. 28, 2011

Education Opportunity in Holland

By Zahi SahliLAU Tribune staff

‘Palestine 101’

By Natalia ElmaniLAU Tribune staff

LAU celebrated Lebanon’s 68th independence anniver-sary on Nov. 16 under the rain near the cafeteria.“I’m so happy that all the stu-dents are gathered togeth-er to celebrate their coun-try’s independence,” Nadine Daouk, an interior design se-nior, said. The independence celebra-tion began at noon. Loud music could be heard all over campus as students from dif-

ferent political parties, reli-gions and regions, all held hands and participated in the dabke.“It is nice to see people from different backgrounds unit-ed, especially after what happened right here two weeks ago,” Daouk add-ed, referring to the politi-cal clash between LAU stu-dents, which left several injured on Nov. 1.The grounds around Nicol

There are approximately eight million Palestinian ref-ugees around the world. Ha-zem Jamjoum, a Palestinian writer and researcher, said during a presentation about the history of Palestine on Nov. 23. The Palestinian scattered Diaspora continues to be the largest and longest-standing refugee issue in the world as Israel proceeds with its plans to expand its settlements.“The highest concentration of Palestinian refugees any-where in the world is in the Gaza strip,” Jamjoum said. “It has 1.5 million people, 1.1 million of which are refu-gees.”The misery of the Palestin-ians in the West Bank and Gaza is amplified by the fact that Israeli forces continue to demolish homes and bom-bard the Palestinian territo-ries at their wishes. “Overnight all of the houses that did not exist before 1948 became illegal because they are agricultural zones,” Jam-joum said at the event orga-nized by the Palestinian Cul-tural Club. He was referring to the policy adopted by the Israeli government during Ariel Sharon’s tenure as min-ister of agriculture.According to Jamjoum, those targeted by reoccurring home demolitions receive a

court notice asking them to destroy their illegal proper-ties. Israeli forces then attack “il-legal” Palestinian homes, de-stroys them and sends fami-lies the bills accounting for the costs. If they do not pay the fine, Palestinians are sentenced to prison. In an effort to direct Jews to the Palestinian territories before 1948, governments of European countries and the United States passed legisla-tions to ban Jewish refugees from entering their coun-tries. Despite efforts by Zionist or-ganizations to bring in Jews into the Palestinian territo-ries, the Jewish population stood only at 33% of the gen-eral population at the eve of the Nakba, the day in which the compulsory displacement of Palestinians took place, commemorated on May 15. “Beginning in the 1930s, the Zionist leadership began to put in place military plans to forcibly remove the Palestin-ians from Palestine,” Jam-joum said. While Jamjoum said that the largest community of Pales-tinian refugees is in Jordan, the researcher explained that Lebanon currently holds no less than 450,000 Pal-estinian refugees divided among 12 camps.

The Netherlands Institute in Beirut reached out on Wednesday, Nov. 23, to LAU students interested in pur-suing gender studies in Hol-land. Its representative em-phasized the Master’s and doctoral degrees and even of-fered scholarships for out-standing performances.Dima Dabbous-Sensenig, di-rector of Institute for Wom-en’s Studies in the Arab World, and Elie Samia, di-rector of the Outreach and Civic Engagement Unit at LAU, welcomed Taco Van der Zwagg, the director of the soon-to-be-established insti-

tute in Beirut, for a confer-ence which helped students broaden their horizons with educational possibilities in Holland. With the completion of a bachelor’s degree, one may have access to a number of top universities spread throughout Holland with a variety of English-taught programs focusing on is-sues such as ethnicity, gen-der and women’s studies, in-ternational health and many more. Students who are able to en-gage in this international program will “be on the fore-

front of issues,” said Van der Zwagg, emphasizing on the “cutting-edge courses” that are offered at many Europe-an universities. The Netherlands has rough-ly 16.7 million inhabitants and is the 16th largest econ-omy in the world. With 14 re-search universities, most of which are at the top of the 200 rankings, this Scandi-navian country enables stu-dents to acquire knowledge through intricate and in-triguing courses. For more information on the opportunities, contact assis-tantmanager@ni-beirut.org

LAU Students Unite for IndependenceBy Assaad HawwaLAU Tribune staff

Photo by: Carol K

hater

Hall and the cafeteria were filled with students who didn’t let the rainy day’s forecast affect their partici-pation.Lebanon acquired its inde-pendence from the French and its forced mandate on Nov. 22, 1943. Students united twice this week, the first time when supporting the Lebanese soccer team, and the second during this celebration.

Photo via: Creative C

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CorrectionIn the previous issue of the Tribune, an article incorrectly said that MP Albert Moukheiber gave a lecture at LAU. His grandson, MP Ghassan Moukheiber, was LAU’s host at the time.

SPORTSnov.28, 2011

By Mayya Al-OgailyLAU Tribune staff

Quote of the Issue

Basket Vs. Net

Sana Chahine, a communi-cation arts student at LAU and a member of the women soccer team, was swamped. Having to cope with a de-manding major and regular training is not easy, especial-ly when you do not feel appre-ciated. She went to see Sami Ga-rabedian, the director of the LAU athletics department, and told him she would like to quit if she doesn’t get the athletic scholarship she de-serves. To her surprise, Ga-rabedian did not prevent her from renouncing her commit-ment to sports.“If I am still playing, it’s only because I love the game,” she explained. “I am not getting anything in return.” LAU is an active member of the Lebanese Federation of University Sports (FSUL), and its two campuses spon-sor 18 varsity sports teams: handball and rugby (for men only) and basketball, volley-ball, soccer, tennis, table ten-nis, swimming, Thai kick-boxing and taekwondo (for both men and women).Rumors around campus re-cently alleged that LAU’s athletic department favors some sports teams over oth-ers. The claims sounded like overstated complaints com-ing from pampered students. But, after further investiga-tions, the Tribune found that the women soccer team at LAU is unsatisfied because of differential treatment.According to members of the women soccer team, the ath-

“Our focus must be on Valencia - we are still in front of Valencia, it will be a good battle and a decisive one because we ex-pect Leverkusen to do their job in Bel-gium against Genk,” Chelsea man-ager Andre Villas-Boas said after his team’s 2-1 away defeat against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday, No-vember 22, and ahead of their final Group E match against the in-form Valencia.

3Tribune

Upcoming gamesLa liga30/11Barcelona V Rayo Vallecano

3/12Sporting V Real MadridBarcelona V LevanteValencia V Espanyol

10/12Real Betis V Valencia Real Madrid V Barcelona

Upcoming gamesChampions League06/12Chelsea V ValenciaOlympiakos V ArsenalBarcelona V BATEPlzen V AC Milan07/12Man.City V BayernVillareal V NapoliInter V CSKA MoscowBasel V Man.UtdAjax V Real Madrid

letic department has failed to meet the demands of the players, although they snatched the first place in the league last year.“LAU gives us very little or no importance at all, as ath-letes,” Yara Ghabris, a soc-cer team member, said. “Dur-ing our games we have quite a few that support us, in com-parison to other sports.”Other team members like Chahine, Dima Farroukh and Fida Ghabbar agree with Ghabris.The girls explained that no one from the LAU athlet-ics department attended the final game of the Soccer League Championship last year. “No one, not even Mr. Sami Garabedian was there for us,” Ghabbar said. “All we got from them was a trophy a few months later.”More importantly, girls in the women soccer team com-plained that none of them had an athletic scholarship in recognition of the team’s accomplishments. “We do not get scholarships, despite the fact that we won the league last year, while some teams, like the basket-ball team, get scholarships and they don’t even achieve what our team has achieved,” Farroukh said. “We risk our studies and grades just to spend hours in training to get those results. We deserve some credit.”Over five basketball team members have athlet-ic scholarships. Sami Garabedian,director of the athletics department, denied

the team’s allegations and explained that athletic schol-arships are only given to 10 incoming students per year, and they all happen to be on the basketball team.But Chahine, an outstanding player on the team, said that she applied for a scholarship as a new student and still did not get it. Her cumulative GPA was 3.4 at the time. To-day, it is 3.3.Samir Obeid, head of the fi-nancial aid and scholarships office, insisted that all team members are offered schol-arships if they are entitled to one, no matter what sports they play.“If they’re responsible enough to balance between their studies and their duty towards the sports they’re playing, and if they have what it takes to be outstand-ing players, they would defi-nitely get a scholarship,” he said.Ghabbar complained that all soccer games take place out-side campus for lack of space, which makes it hard for stu-dents to commute and reduc-es audience attendance con-siderably. Garabedian explained that it’s the team members’ re-sponsibility to invite their friends to their games and help crowd up the audience. He personally makes sure ev-ery game gets the publicity needed, he said.“If they are complaining about lack of publicity then they should know that

Upcoming gamesPremier League03/12Newcastle V ChelseaMan.City V Norwich cityWigan V ArsenalAston Villa V Man.Utd05/12Fulham V Liverpool10/12Arsenal V EvertonLiverpool V QPRMan.Utd V Wolves

Upcoming gamesSerie A29/11Napoli V Juventus02/12Genoa V AC Milan 03/12Inter V UdineseNapoli V Lecce04/12Juventus V Cesena10/12Inter V Fiorentina

LAU Sailors: A Sneak PeekBy Maria FellasLAU Tribune staff

“We have very good play-ers on the team,” said Re-ine Alameh, captain of the LAU Sailors, the universi-ty’s women basketball team. “But we definitely need to work on the chemistry be-tween us.” MVP for two consecutive years, Alameh believes that, if the players work together, they have a chance of achiev-ing very good results. Ibrahim Jarouj, assistant coach, agrees. “They are good, but they need to con-centrate more during the games,” he said. During their last game against Haigazian Univer-sity, the Sailors lost by 7 points. This result was, to a certain extent, predictable since Rihab Khalifeh, center player, was absent from the game due to an injury. “This result was fairly good for the first game of the sea-son,” Jarouj said. “But they could’ve done much better.”Coach Najib Choueity select-ed 16 female students to play on the varsity team. Repre-senting LAU Beirut in the

league and in several tourna-ments, these young women have a great deal of respon-sibility thrown upon their shoulders, Jarouj said.Karine Naji, who started practicing with the team last year while still in school, re-ceived an athletic scholar-ship of 15 percent. Alam-eh and several other players also benefited from the same financial assistance. “I really hope we make it to the final four this year,” Naji said. “This would be a great experience, especially for me, since it’s my first year on the team.” Naji is a player in the 2nd division national team and a part of the track and field team at LAU Beirut. Tara Haydar Ahmad is an-other new comer to the team. “With our three-times-a-week practices, and with hard work from all the play-ers, I believe we can keep our previous ranking and even top it this year,” Jarouj said. The LAU Sailors were ranked 4th nationally last year. continued on page 10

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CAMPUS LIFE4 Tribune nov. 28, 2011

Living in My Parents’ Shadows By Layan Doueik LAU Tribune staff

“I am a business graduate by force, an artist by nature,” Nancy, who refused to give her family name, said defi-antly. Nancy is an LAU alumna who was forced to enter the business world. Her dream of becoming a director took its last breath with her dad’s rejection of a communication arts major.“My dad didn’t care about my artistic passion; all he cared about was for me to gain money from good career pros-pects,” Nancy complained.As a child, Nancy liked to draw, act and even play the piano, her mother said. “Even now, whenever she watches a new movie or a vid-eo clip, she tends to give sev-eral comments on the way she would’ve done it or some remarks on how to improve it,” the mother added.Students graduating from high school are often con-fused about the choice of major and university, but the situation becomes even tougher when parents get in-volved in the selection of the “right” career path.Nancy holds her parents ful-ly responsible for the dis-content she felt while study-ing at LAU. “Unlike many of my friends, I wasn’t excit-ed to talk about my future ex-pectations or even to stay on campus,” Nancy explained. “I mechanically attended busi-ness classes and didn’t take a real part in them. Numbers have never interested me.”

But for Nancy’s parents, this disinterest is not a central is-sue. Coming from a different generation, they see that the ultimate financial gain from a career spent in business is significantly more impor-tant. “I was once a student and I know what it is like to have a certificate with no fi-nancially comfortable posi-tion waiting for me,” Elie, an engineer and Nancy’s father, said. He believes that his daugh-ter had a lot more guidance today than he did when he was younger. “She must make use of it,” he said. Older generations in Leba-non, and some of their young-er counterparts, tend to val-ue majors like engineering, medicine or law, because they often lead to prosperous careers and eventual wealth. The emphasis on money makes specializations like fine arts or journalism more unpopular among parents.Raed Mohsen, the dean of student affairs, explained that the grades of students forced into their majors may highly suffer. Many, on the other hand, perform well ac-ademically but later change career when older. “They might be doing it to please the parents and not to disappoint them,” Mohsen said. Nancy graduated six years ago and now owns a small fashion store in Bei-rut. “I graduated with a good GPA but up till now, I haven’t applied for any job offer in

any company because I want to be my own boss,” she said.Nancy’s father helped her open this shop because he knew “she wouldn’t have worked otherwise.”“She doesn’t have the pas-sion,” Nancy’s father said. “At the end of the day, she’s my daughter and I want the best for her.”Ahmad Yassine, a 20-year-old finance student at LAU, shares Nancy’s experience. Yassine excelled during his high school years in mathe-matics and physics and thus his parents automatically as-sumed he would choose a do-main that suits his academic potential.“I avoided medicine and en-gineering and eventually set-tled for finance so that my parents would still think that I am smart enough,” Yassine confessed.This young man did not dis-cuss major choices with his parents; he just gave in to their preference. Meanwhile, he had another plan in mind. “I didn’t even present the idea of entering into commu-nication arts to my parents,” he said. “I know they would never have accepted.”Although LAU does not of-fer a minor in radio\TV\film for non-communication arts, Yassine insisted on taking all his electives from the ma-jor in question. His parents are not aware of his course choice.“I don’t care about the certifi-cate, I can work with my ex-

perience and passion,” Yas-sine said. “I’m not costing my parents any addition-al penny.”Yassine acknowl-edged that his obsession for communication arts will eventually lead him to op-pose his parents’ wishes. “I’m going to graduate as a busi-ness student but continue to work with what I really like,” he said. “My parents won’t care as long as I work and make money.”Khouloud Mardini, a psy-chology senior, defied her parents and chose the ma-jor she loves most. Although her mother insisted she stud-ies hospitality management, Mardini managed to apply, get accepted and later excel at the social sciences depart-ment.Mohsen spoke of two rea-sons why parents interfere in their children’s choice of ma-jor. “Probably the father is a lawyer or a dentist and wants his son or daughter to inher-it his clients,” he said. “Af-ter all, he has worked hard to establish his business and build a clientele.”It could also be that the par-

ents project themselves onto their off-springs, Mohsen ex-plained.“My mother used to tell me that I would turn out to be a psycho and end up having psychological issues if I en-tered psychology,” Mardini said. “She believes that hos-pitality will help me gain me more money and social expe-rience.”Mardini’s mother always wanted to become a hotel manager but never had the chance to go to college. “Now I can pay for Khouloud’s col-lege. I want her to fulfill my dream,” the mother said.The passion in the discourse of Khouloud’s mother is com-parable to that of her daugh-ter, of Nancy or of Yassine. Behind every one of those stories is the passion about a given profession or, perhaps more importantly, about the ability to make an indepen-dent choice. “Passion has a role because that’s where the heart is,” Mohsen said. “The student will be majoring in something he or she loves, thus the commitment to ex-cel is strong.”

Vox Pop: What Do Think of the New Cafeteria?

Mustafa Houmani20-year-old pre-med studentNothing has changed in the cafete-ria, except for the variety of food –which I don’t care about. Honestly, I prefer my mother’s food.

Ali Zein21-year-old accounting studentI find the cafeteria this year orga-nized with a better service.I regularly order salad bar to stay in shape.

Aya Ibrahim19-year-old marketing studentAt first, I found it attractive with a greater variety of food but, after find-ing a fly in my salad, I had second thoughts about it.

Farah Shami20-year-old radio/TV/film studentThis year, the food is freshly deliv-ered, with a delicious taste. I usual-ly order a daily plate with chicken. I love chicken.

Zein Bustami20-year-old education studentThe cafeteria is better than last year. It is cleaner and more efficient.I usually order sandwiches, mainly turkey and cheese.

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CAMPUS LIFETribune nov. 28, 2011

CEP: A Key to Your SuccessBy Lyn Abu-SerajLAU Tribune staff

Riad Abdelkhalek, a busi-ness student at LAU, could not continue his education here. But, instead of drop-ping out of school, he enrolled in the Continuing Education Program (CEP) in Fall 2010. “They gave me critical think-ing, stress management and two other business courses,” Abdelkhalek said. “These courses helped me under-stand how to divide my time, organize my studies and im-prove my grades.”According to its website, the CEP offer[s] innova-tive learning opportuni-ties for future business lead-ers and adult learners while promoting professional ad-vancement and encouraging achievement. Granting LAU certificates to people who wish to enhance their perfor-mance, the program offers courses such as human anat-omy, group fitness, fitness management, internships, human resource develop-ment and financial account-ing and reporting. “At the Continuing Educa-

tion Program, we have en-graved in our mission state-ment the necessary skills that working and aspiring professionals require to at-tain excellence in the work-place,” Michael Majdalani, the director of CEP, said.CEP students explain that teachers at the department are understanding, helpful and can relate to the student problems. “I was not a big fan of CEP because I sometimes felt like it was more of a pun-ishment,” Abdelkhalek said. But ever since he enrolled in the program, Abdelkhalek improved his GPA and soon resumed his studies at the business school. Hussein F. Zeaiter is an as-sistant professor of eco-nomics at LAU’s school of business. He has a PhD in economics from the Universi-ty of Wisconsin, an MS in ap-plied economics from East-ern Michigan University and a BS in business economics from the LAU. His accomplishments origi-nated at the CEP in 1996-97.

Zeaiter comes from a village in Baalbek, where schools fo-cus on science rather than English. “Because I failed EEE, I needed to improve my English so I can enroll at LAU, and major in econom-ics,” Zeaiter said. He enrolled at the CEP.The program is an excellent start for students who need it, according to Zeaiter. “Not only was it a good start ac-ademically but also social-ly,” Zeaiter explained. After a whole year at the CEP, the young man repeated EEE and enrolled into intensive English at LAU before he continued as an economics

major.“The English language con-sists of alphabets and, with-out the letter A, you cannot continue,” Zeaiter said. “CEP is the key and it provides the letter A for those who are looking for it.” Bushra Badran has been the CEP officer for eight years now. She teaches manage-ment of office finance, intro-duction to business and ac-counting I. She also serves as support for CEP programs and students. “As CEP officers, we have one aim, which is to strength-en their knowledge,” Badran said. “We also train students

for university entrance ex-ams such as SAT’s and EEE.”The CEP division also trains employees, helping them deal with business-related is-sues and better manage their work environment. Students range from 18 to 40 years old. Every year, the CEP serves more than 1,000 applicants, most of whom come in to en-hance their English. Raja Habib, a coordinator and supervisor for the Eng-lish program, has been part of the CEP for 20 years. “What is interesting about CEP is that we also teach in-structors to prepare students for SAT,” he said. The CEP offers summer camps for children aged 5 to 12 –an age group that pres-ents different physical and learning activities. This year alone, more than 350 appli-cants were enrolled. “The CEP at LAU is leading the way into the future by ef-fectively bridging the gap be-tween the academic world and the marketplace,” Ma-jdalani said.

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Struggling to Reach LAU

This was my first time on a public bus and I was scared to death. With the bus driver racing at full speed, I found myself falling onto the wom-an sitting next to me with ev-ery curve. I repeatedly apolo-gized but could not avoid the annoyance as no seatbelts were available. I held my purse tightly, scared that someone would snatch it. My trip from Aley to Baabda was relatively short but it felt like hours.If you opt for public trans-portation to get to campus, you encounter different peo-ple and experience different smells. The bus driver only stops when he almost kisses the car to his front, fearless of possible accidents and un-aware of the many souls he

carries with him. He drives with one hand on the wheel. The other holds a cigarette and hangs out of the window.During my 30-minute ride, the bus constantly stopped to let in new passengers –yet the driver never looked at his rearview mirror to check for cars behind him.The smell of sweat and smoke, the constant stops and the sharp turns made me nautious. What am I to say about the students that come by bus to LAU everyday? Joanna Fawaz is a 21-year-old business student who lives in Mar Elias. She doesn’t have a car here in Beirut. On Fridays, her cous-in picks her up and she goes to Tyre to visit her family. She takes a bus back to Bei-

rut on Monday mornings. Even when the traffic is mi-nor, the drive still streches for two whole hours.“I have a class at 2 p.m. on Mondays, but I leave Tyre at 9 a.m. so I can make it on time,” she said. “Sometimes, it takes a whole lot more than two hours.”At the end of her drive from Tyre, Fawaz reaches the Ku-waiti embassy in Beer-Has-san around 11. She takes a cab to Mar Elias and, from there, another cab to LAU. She reaches campus at noon.“I get very tired. The whole ride I’d listen to mu-sic and chat on my Blackber-ry service,” Fawaz explained. Her overall ride costs 9,000 Lebanese pounds. Sultan Hamadeh, a 20-year-old po-

litical science student at LAU, lives in Aley. Every-day, he takes a bus from home to Cola and then a cab to Hamra. It takes him two hours and he pays 3,500 Leb-anese pounds.“There are several colleg-es closer to home but, in Lebanon, getting a degree from a well-known universi-ty determines your future,” Hamadeh said. “There is no balanced development in Lebanon. All good universi-ties are centered in the city.”My hometown, lying between Aley and Baabda, is called Bdadoun. My daily drive to LAU (I drive my own car) takes 40 minutes on a good day but, most often, the traf-fic is atrocious. To make it on time, I leave the house

two hours before my class. I sometimes feel that my ener-gy is spent on the road.Getting a degree from an ac-credited college is crucial for a better future, a reality that leaves students outside Bei-rut at the mercy of traffic and public transportation.Those who opt for private transporation face a heavy financial burden. Sumayah Radwan, an education ma-jor who lives in Aley, takes a private taxi. She pays up to 20,000 Lebanese pounds dai-ly to get to LAU. Before moving to Ashrafieh, Sara Saab, a psychology stu-dent, lived in Baabda. “I used to drive very fast in order to make it on time. The traf-fic gave me a headache. It drained my soul,” she said.

By Caroline FeghalyLAU Tribune staff

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PEOPLE Zalfa Chehab: The Challenge of a Journalist

At first glance, you see a small and petite woman with a youthful look. But the more you talk to her, the more you realize you’re facing a strong personality, opinionated in her beliefs. Zalfa Chehab teaches broadcast journal-ism here at LAU.Chehab grew up in Leba-non during the civil war. “We didn’t know what was going on in the entire country, and we were stuck in one region,” she said. “We were the gener-ation of the war.” Her idea of freedom was to get out of Beirut and be with her friends. “We are talking about check-points. They were armed,” she recalled. “Well, I would try to get to the other side to meet my friends.. Well, what we call the ‘other side.’” Chehab was a rebel in her younger years. She would do what she pleased then

Nabelah A. Haraty: One of a Kind

By Carla HazarianLAU Tribune staff

Tribune nov. 28, 2011

By Zeina Shehayeb-LAU Tribune staff

what was considered right or wrong in Lebanon at that time. She just wanted be her-self and discover her country with her own eyes.Originally, Chehab majored in three languages at Saint Joseph University, with a fo-cus on law economics, geopol-itics literature, and media. It was by chance that she got into journalism.At the beginning of her ca-reer, Chehab created a maga-zine with some friends called The Click. She wrote articles about events going on in the country and freelanced for other newspapers and mag-azines.She discovered that she real-ly had a passion for journal-ism, and liked the interac-tion with people. Defying the many challenges around her, she applied for and attend-ed Paris II Assas Universi-ty, and started training at

the French TV Network TF1. She did a double master’s in multimedia and information communication. “When I went to Paris, I re-ally wanted to do something about Lebanon,” she said. “I really believed that spend-ing some time there and tak-ing advantage of the expe-rience can help me make a difference back home.” Soon, Chehab found herself writing the news edition for LCI, TF1’s news channel. “It was crazy; we started our shift at 4 a.m. and finished at 2 p.m.,” the young woman said. She also worked at an-other news network from 3 p.m. till midnight. Despite her hectic schedule, Chehab enjoyed music fes-tivals and other cultural op-portunities in France –some-thing she never experienced in Lebanon. “I came from a country

where I was stuck in shel-ters,” she said. “We were ex-posed to music and movies underground, it was how we learned about cultures out-side, but we didn’t live it. So I guess this need came from that.” As the only Arab-speaking newswoman at TF1, Chehab found herself thrust into the coverage of the eventful Mid-east, from the Israeli-Pales-tinian conflict to the effects of the War on Terror in the re-gion and from the invasion of Iraq to the death of Rafic Hariri.When the 2003 Gulf War started, she was in charge of the Arab World coverage. It was a particularly difficult time because of the grotesque footage she had to go through and the loss of coworkers who died in Iraq.Chehab covered the after-math of Hariri’s killing and

the assassinations that fol-lowed from Lebanon. In 2005, Chehab moved to Dubai to work with Al Arabi-ya. As special coverage pro-ducer, she was in charge of all special coverage duties. Many of her reports were about terrorism. Eventually, she decided to resign when her husband’s job took him back to Beirut and she became pregnant with twins. Exposed to many clueless journalism gradu-ates through her previous jobs, Chehab thought she could make a difference by teaching broadcast journal-ism at university level and soon found herself at LAU. “We need more journalists who can promote freedom of speech, democracy, and hu-man rights, I feel this is my contribution to help change my country for the better,” she said.

“President Bush said once that he is ‘misunderestimat-ed,’” Nabelah Haraty, Eng-lish lecturer at LAU, said with a smile.Haraty believes that stu-dents remember examples of mistakes important figures make during their public speeches. “Mistakes happen even if you are the president of an important country,” Haraty added. “You should be careful when you open your mouth.”Haraty teaches an oral com-munication class and several English courses at LAU. She has a BA in English litera-ture and teaching language, an MLA from the Universi-ty of Western Maryland, and an educational doctorate in educational sociolinguistics communication from Uni-versity of Brunel, England.Haraty believes that pub-

lic speeches are not an easy task. They require confi-dence, intelligence, patience and knowledge about the subject at hand. “A mistake in a public speech can never be erased or tak-en back, unlike a mistake in writing where you can edit,” Haraty added. “Once a word has left your lips, it has start-ed its journey.”George Bush’s infamous slip haunted him throughout his career and ended up in a book about the US president, The Bush Boom: How a Mis-underestimated President Fixed a Broken Economy.Haraty reaffirms the impor-tance and impact of a public speech on the audience dur-ing each class session and through different examples. She never runs short on criti-cal examples.Haraty started teaching at

LAU when she was 23. Back then, she says, she was an “anxious, formal and rigid instructor” –unlike what she is now.“I didnt only mature in age like wine but I matured in personality as well,” Haraty laughed.Her method of teaching is the result of hard work and self-improvement, based on trial and error. She remem-bers that, as a new instruc-tor, she was afraid of joking in class so as not to create a wrong impression. “I don’t mind doing that anymore be-cause I’m sure that when my students laugh, they laugh for a reason,” Haraty added.The English lecturer likes to read law stories and watch television comedies. In her opinion, not all sitcoms are good sitcoms. “I also watch talk shows to give examples

in class about what’s wrong in the way the message is conveyed,” Haraty said.Haraty’s office door is al-ways open to students who have questions related to her course as well as those seek-ing help in personal and ro-mantic problems.“The office is like Victoria Station or an information desk,” Haraty said with a smile. “I try to engage stu-dents because I like commu-nication and talking.”As we spoke, a few students passed by to say hello. Some of them had not even taken a course with her.“I try to treat them like young sisters and broth-ers but I keep the distance that entails respect,” Hara-ty said.Behind her on the wall are many awards she received from students. One is a certif-

icate of appreciation, anoth-er is a painting by a graph-ic design student with her picture in the middle. Me-dallions and other gifts stu-dents have offered her are distributed on the shelves.“These awards mean more to me than the university awards,” Haraty said.Haraty spends about five hours at the university dai-ly, preparing courses at her organized and neat office, which she shares with an-other English instructor. “I finish all my work at the office, I don’t take anything home,” Haraty said. “I feel more comfortable and fo-cused here and, generally speaking, home is home, not work.”If she had not been a teach-er, she would have chosen to be a lawyer. “I am a person’s person,” she said.

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CULTURE & FASHIONTribunenov. 28 , 2011

The Creative SpaceBy Ranim HadidLAU Tribune staff

A double major in fash-ion from Parsons and me-dia and culture from the New School (both in New York City), Sarah Hermez moved to Lebanon to make a difference. In-spired by just an idea, she is one of the few who changed their dreams into reality.Hermez is the founder of a workshop committed to pro-viding an educational experi-ence where fashion designers from various backgrounds work together to create a haute-couture collection. At the heart of the idea is the aspiration to serve students from deprived backgrounds.The Creative Space was giv-en this specific name to allow its founders to expand. “We were thinking about a name for a while, but this one just seemed to suit it most, it really is a space for people to be creative,” Hermez said.

Future plans for the Creative Space include art, photogra-phy and even a publication where the students write journals. Living in New York City her whole life, Hermez want-ed to give back to Leba-non and moved to Beirut to start this project. “Where else can someone feel most free to give back, other than their own country?” Hermez asked. “It was time for me to learn about the country I come from.”Working at first with an NGO, Unite Lebanon’s Youth, Hermez was able to circle refugee camps and women’s institutes to find po-tential candidates interested in her idea. “I had no credibil-ity at first, it was just me and my teacher from New York but I really believed in it and that’s what got the girls to be-lieve in me,” the young wom-an said.

Rania Dalloul, Hermez’s childhood friend, came on board to help market the project. Dalloul runs the website and Facebook page, which –to its founder’s sur-prise– received much atten-tion. “People wanted to know

more, so I started updating more,” Dalloul said.Dalloul also contributes by teaching the current five stu-dents English classes three times a week. “They wanted to learn English, so they just asked me,” she said. “My Ar-abic is very weak so it’s al-

Aden Couture By Mohamad Al-OraybiLAU Tribune staff

in graphic design and a BS in marketing. His work experi-ence started in advertising and photo shootings.“Studying graphic design al-lowed me to master the art of combining colors, shapes and designs,” Mhaidly said. “As for marketing, it allows to promote my own line today.”A school boy at the age of 10, he found himself draw-ing dresses in math classes. Mhaidly bought every fash-ion magazine he found to fol-low the latest trends. A few years later, he shopped for his girlfriends and styled them ahead of their outings.“Back in school, I was al-ways around my girlfriends. I helped them choose their outfits and styled them with accessories,” he said, laugh-ing at the memory. “They were my guinea pigs.”During the week, Mhaidly

wakes up at 9 a.m. and heads to his atelier in Verdun. He spends time with his tailors until noon, finalizing orders.From noon until 7, the young man meets clients and takes in orders. His atelier is de-signed like a cozy living room. Couches, coffee ta-bles and fashion magazines spread out around the room where he meets his clients.“I want to make my clients feel at home, I need them to be comfortable so that I am able to figure out their per-sonalities and design their dresses accordingly,” Mhaid-ly said.Sarah Al Kabbani, a psychol-ogy junior at LAU, enjoys buying from Aden. “I absolutely love how Ad-nan caters his client’s needs, I always get the dress exact-ly how I had it in mind,” she said.

Mhaidly resumes work with his tailors after 7 p.m., work-ing on new designs and su-pervising. At night, when Beirut’s resi-dents are out to party, Mhaid-ly spends his time alone with his laptop, researching. He investigates trends of dif-ferent eras, other designers’ work and different fabrics. “I spend a lot of time and ener-gy on research,” he said. “It is my inspiration, there is a lot to be learned.”With time, Mhaidly’s life-style as a designer became more glamorous. He was ex-posed to the socialites of Bei-rut and had to travel a lot more to London, Paris and Italy. “As a designer, I am much more exposed to the latest trends,” he said. “I now attend shop openings and fashion shows.”Affordable to many, Aden is

one of LAU girls’ favorite eve-ning gown brands. Tamara Kalaawi, manage-ment senior at LAU, is a big fan of Aden. “In a wedding I attended re-cently, wearing an Aden dress made me steal the lights from the bride,” Ka-laawi said. “His dresses sim-ply stand out.”The colors Mhaidly chose for this winter collection are black, wine red, and emerald green. As for fabrics, Mhaid-ly is a big fan of silk. “I use a lot of silk based fab-rics,” he said. Silk velvet, tulle, and muslin abound in his dresses.Future plans of Mhaidly in-clude a fashion show in Bei-rut and more exposure in the Middle East –till he reach-es Europe. “I want to create a strong base in Lebanon and then move onwards,” he said.

Adnan Mhaidly, the designer of Aden, created a name for himself in the Lebanese fash-ion industry in three years only.Aged 28 today, Mhaidly grad-uated from LAU with an AA

continued on page 10

ways an exchange.” The requirements for those who want to join the Creative Space are very basic; passion is the priority. The young students, aged 17 to 23, are talented and have previous experience in fashion design. Baraa Al Abdullah, a 20-year-old Palestinian born in Sidon, attended the UNRWA Sibleen training center to learn about fashion design. Hermez discovered Al Abdullah when she con-tacted the school to find stu-dents interested in her idea. “My parents were against the idea at first and were worried that I wouldn’t find a job lat-er,” Al Abdullah said. “But I believe that I have a future in this industry.” There are no rules as to what the young women must de-sign –a fact that helps en-hance their creativity.

Photo by: Ranim

Hadid

Courtesy of Adnan M

haidly

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MEDIA &LITERATURETribune nov. 28 , 2011

BlackBerry Bold: An Extra Brain at your ServiceBy Samia BuhulaiyemLAU Tribune staff

LAU Student to Publish a BookBy Farah Al SaatiLAU Tribune staff

arcade, a GPS navigator, a calculator and an alarm clock.“Before I bought my Black-Berry, getting in touch with my fiancé who is working abroad cost me a lot,” Zina Itani, a teacher, said. “Now that I use BlackBerry Mes-senger (BBM) and Multi-media Messenger Services (MMS), I can exchange videos and stills with him for free.”The BlackBerry Bold com-bines Wi-Fi, 3G and a full QWERTY keyboard. It al-lows you to run MSN Messen-ger, Yahoo Messenger, Skype, AIM, and other channels of communication. Like its predecessor, Black-Berry Bold is designed to be left running –always on and always connected. This way, emails are pushed to one’s de-vice the instant they are re-ceived. Nancy Ghanim, a housewife said that BB Bold was espe-cially useful in pressing situa-

Hani Kurdy, a businessman who recently purchased a BlackBerry Bold, stood in his bathroom, ready to shave and shower, when he re-ceived an important email from a business associate. “I immediately forwarded it to a third party while still in the bathroom. This alone is profit and mon-ey,” he said. “Now, I am leav-ing to Dubai on a business trip but I don’t have to worry like before about communi-cating with my office in Bei-rut.”Users of Blackberry Bold say that the services this device allows them are infinite. It saves time, effort and money.An integrated all-in-one technology, the new BB al-lows you to make phone calls, send emails or SMS messages, take pictures, lis-ten to music and chat with friends. It includes an orga-nizer, an address book, an

tions. “One can communicate with others and save much time and effort,” she said. When Ghanim’s brother had an accident and required a blood intake, her BlackBer-ry came in handy. “We were at the hospital waiting for blood donors and blood typ-ing result, and I could follow up the events as they hap-pened without even leaving my brother’s room,” Ghanim explained.Jameel Al-Sabbah, a stu-dent, agreed. As he talked to me, the young man played with his BB Bold.“I absolutely love the new BlackBerry, and it fits into my hectic lifestyle perfectly,” he said. “It’s very nice having Facebook in the palm of my hands at all times.”Rashed Wazneh, an inter-preter, overheard him and commented that he “cannot live without [his] BlackBer-ry; it almost does everything

Although always on the run, juggling her duties as a full-time student, president of the Red Cross Club and member of the LAU swimming team, Sahar Moukaddem just pub-lished her first book.Moukaddem is a 20-year-old journalism student at LAU. Her upcoming book, Ana w Kareem wil Sushi, started as a short story she wrote for her creative writing (Arabic) course. Her professor, Rachid El-Daif, and her classmates were quite impressed. “This alone was a big cheer for me,” Moukaddem confessed. “I got very obsessed with the story and couldn’t stop think-ing about it.” El-Daif encouraged her to continue writing this novel. “I’m lucky I took this course with him, because, if I hadn’t, I would have never discovered the big love I have for creative writing,” Moukaddem said.

you can imagine.”“Any current BlackBerry users who have been wait-ing to upgrade to the Bold should definitely give it a try,” Rabih Fanous, the own-er of a cell phone shop, said. He revealed that several BB

users have already switched to BB Bold.“This is an excellent hand-set that does everything it should, and does it all very well,” Fanous said. “It is as if you are carrying an extra brain.”

During her journey toward authorship, Moukaddem be-came more observant of the things happening around her. Events inspired her to write and people around her became possible additions to the novel. “Any person I meet on the street can be a charac-ter for my novel,” Moukad-dem said. Writing allowed Moukaddem to view life through new lens-es and made room for new plans, new ambitions and new dreams. “I discovered a new passion in life,” she said. Even with her hectic lifestyle, the honor-list student always finds time for reading and writing.Moukaddem describes her novel as a “social story.” It features the diaries of a teen-age Lebanese girl who gets pregnant at the age of 16 and decides to keep the baby.The main character is in-

spired by the stories she of-ten hears from girls around her. “I get a lot of ideas from people, their characters, the way they talk and the way they see life,” Moukaddem explained. The book will be officially out during the Beirut Book Fair on Dec. 13. It is published by Dar Al Saqi. Moukaddem advised young aspiring authors to write whatever makes them hap-py. “The best way to write is to write in everyday simple language,” she said. “Write to please yourself first and then to please your audience. Have confidence in your cre-ativity.”Moukaddem also advised those who wish to be become good writers to read a lot. “There is a saying that ‘if you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the tools to write,” she said.

Photo via Creative C

omm

ons

Photo via Facebook

OPINION9Tribune

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

By Mahmoud AraissiSpecial to the LAU Tribune

nov. 28, 2011

Many would consider that slavery ended in 1865 with Abraham Lincoln. And sev-eral would deem that slav-ery still subsists throughout human trafficking and bond-ed slavery. In the following, I will argue that slavery today burdens seven billion peo-ple. It is difficult to admit, yet much uncomplicated to per-ceive it.Slavery is a structure under which a populace is treated as an asset and is forced to work. Throughout humanity, slavery existed with its aw-ful appearance and remuner-ation. According to Socrates, hu-mans were assembled into groups to structure settle-ment, and to do so, they are devided into three vital occu-pations: farming, masonry,

and couturier. Shortly, these professions needed crafts-men to create their gears, and subsequently, new skills were fetched to the city. As a means to expand, people looked for groups to acquire neighbors’ domains, and thus, military expertise was initiated.Following these develop-ments, craftsmen had only a modest time to waste in the promotion of their products, and therefore retailers were needed as wage-earners. Through this process, classes were shaped, differentiating between slaves and citizens. The situation is still similar today. We can relate slav-ery to employees and the way they are treated as assets for the employers they are work-ing for. They are strained to

work or else they would die of hunger or would get pos-sessed by the state for un-settled bills (confiscatiom of properties). Thus, it is appar-ent how employees are still under the clemency of the su-perior. We can dispute that slaves today get better treatment from their masters, and have acquired some freedom of choice. Yet, some employ-ees are still bought and sold as traditional slaves, such as the superstar athletes which can be described as the glad-iator of the Roman Empire whose only job is to entertain the audience. Furthermore, the monthly salary doesn’t fit the amount of work done on the job. As slaves, many inhabitants cannot meet the expenses of

acquiring the luxuries of to-day (which, by the way, do not include telecommunica-tion and transportation tech-nologies since the latter are really needed to socialize). Accordingly, salaries can be matched with traditional slaves who had their food in barter of their work.Other features of slavery to-day include taking a loan from a commercial bank. Al-though one has free will to either take the loan or not, many people find it thorny to acquire minimum luxuries with their own salaries. This is considered a slavery cost. Many people are obliged to take loans and become slaves to banks with lofty interests that can reach up to fifty per-cent. It is also known that who

controls your debts joysticks you, and most probably stan-dard employees won’t be able to repay the loan, and they will fall under the mercy of the lender. In a way or anoth-er, it is the same as bonded slavery, represented by peo-ple who fall under the mercy of lenders and have to repay their debt over generations. Ultimately, the slavery sys-tem might not have been vanquished at all. As illogical as it seems, it is normal to have classes in so-ciety where few would rule, and others would be ruled. And civilizations would al-ways throw their saddles unto those who are deprived and fragile, and when laws are not complied to protect all the classes of populace, in-justice arises.

By Ahmad KilaniSpecial to the LAU Tribune

disciplinary perspective also regards football as an instru-ment through which the sus-tainable development of a city can be achieved, and thus the authorities should in-clude the local team in their urban management plan.In order to obtain sustain-able development through sport, football clubs must be seen as viable economic enti-ties, just as enterprises are, because we are interested in how they can contribute to the economic prosperity, the quality of the environment and the social equity of Leb-anon. In general, the football club and its city of origin in-fluence each other, each con-tributing to the development of the other. A good exam-ple would be Real Madrid, the private nonprofit foot-ball club that is supported by more than 100,000 club members and how it lifted the Spanish capital status and generated much appreciated

The Lebanese national foot-ball team defeated South Ko-rea 2-1 in their 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match at the Camille Chamoun Sports City stadium in Bei-rut on November 15. The official FIFA World Rankings lists South Ko-rea at 31 while Lebanon is ranked 146th. This success is remarkable and leaves the Lebanese team on the brink of advancing to the fourth round of World Cup qualifi-ers. This result can also be promising for the future of the country’s various sports teams. Following this success, Leb-anon’s private and public sports ought to invest heav-ily in team sports. Football investment would help lift tourism. Other than the clas-sic analysis of football as a sports game, some countries consider the sports as a com-ponent of the economy, soci-ety and culture. The inter-

revenue for the city. Real Ma-drid generated 38 percent of its $115.6 million 2004 reve-nues from merchandise and marketing deals. Since Leb-anon emphasizes a consumer and services-based economy, it becomes natural to at-tempt to obtain sustainable development through a foot-ball club reputable as a mar-keting brand. Local authorities could in-vest in the local football club(s) directly or indirectly. The direct investment means that the financial help local authorities offer reaches only the football club, the solo ben-eficiary. Indirect investment means the local authorities allocate funds to the general development of the city, and the football club takes advan-tage of this development. For example, having a powerful club in the city, a municipal-ity may decide to help by in-vesting in the development of public transport services so

as to facilitate the arrival and return of the fans to and from the stadium. Because of the better transport conditions, the football team would at-tract more fans to the stadi-um and, as a result, increase its revenue from ticket sales. However, at the same time, the city also wins, through income and sales taxes that the local authority charges. Higher incomes of the foot-ball club will also increase the revenues of the local au-thority.Therefore, local authorities’ financial investment in the football usually results in obtaining commercial and naming rights and attracting sponsors and partners. In the long run if the country gets to host a World Cup it could reap many economic ben-efits. The German govern-ment, for example, reported a 400 million dollar increase in tourism revenue and three billion dollars in retail in just

over a month when they host-ed the World Cup. A reported 50,000 new jobs were yielded in preparation for the tour-nament; restaurants and bars were full at all hours of the tournament. If things go well for Lebanon in their next qualifier game with the Unit-ed Arab Emirates, we can expect this success to bring renewed attention to the Leb-anese national football team. As our state looks to create jobs and increase revenues, the tourism and hospitality industry is poised to make a significant contribution.Intense research has been carried onto how a ma-jor sports competition, like the World Cup or the Olym-pic Games, can improve the economy, the society and the environment of the host country. However, few au-thors have tried to demon-strate how a profession-al sports club, not an event, could do the same.

21st Century Phenomenon: Neo-Slavery

Potential Benefits of Supporting Sports in Lebanon

10

CONTINUEDTribune nov. 28, 2011

he said. “At least if they’re obligatory, we can guarantee that all those who are pres-ent would take them.”Rouba Jaafar, journalism student at LAU, believes that the administration doesn’t take students feedback into consideration. “Three sec-tions once gave a negative evaluation about a teacher but the administration didn’t do anything,” Jaafar said. “That teacher stayed and most of the students either failed or dropped the course.”Sfeir explained that, when an instructor gets a bad eval-uation, the administration investigates his or her per-formance. But, unless the complaints are repeated and proven to be of a worthy rea-son, not much can be done.“We can’t terminate a facul-ty just because one student wrote something bad about them,” Sfeir said. “Just like we don’t expel a student just because one teacher gave them a bad grade.”But Sfeir insisted that, when a faculty member does not perform and students are not pleased, several measures are taken and may include expulsion if the negative evaluations are repeated.Instructors, on their side, complained about specif-ic questions in the evalua-tion form. One of the items asks about the amount of work given to students –the less the work, the better the grade. According to Mona Shahine, English instructor at LAU, this question in par-ticular should be rephrased because most students do not like to be given extra work, even if this work is necessary to improve their abilities.“I don’t see how they can learn anything if you don’t make them work,” Shahine said.Sfeir explained that this question is there to assess the course itself and help sus-tain a balance between the

Continued from page 1

amount of work given to stu-dents and the grades they get in return. “We can’t set the standards too high, just as much as we can’t set them too low,” he said. “We need to challenge our students in order to get the best out of them, that’s why hard work is required. At the same time, however, students should be able to maintain good GPAs, main-ly through a balance between the amount of work given and the grades they get,” he explained.Abdallah Kahil, assistant professor at the department of architecture and interi-or design, thinks that stu-dents lack the ability to crit-icize and accept criticism in return in a professional way. “Both teacher and student should take this as a profes-sional matter so they can im-prove,” Kahil said.Whether students’ feedback is negative or positive, it plays a key role in an instruc-tor’s advancement at LAU –something only very few stu-dents know. “There’s not enough response because students don’t real-ly think that they have a say in such things,” Orpha Dar-wish, an English instruc-tor, explained. “To us, what’s more important is not the promotion we get or the posi-tion we have in the universi-ty.” “In the end their feedback is going to help us teach them better,” Darwish added.Darwish said that students don’t take the time to think about the information in the evaluation sheet and do not give enough to help instruc-tors improve their courses or their teaching methods. Sfeir agrees. “Students are the core of this institution, and in order to enhance we need their opinions,” he said. “It’s through their feedback that we can fulfill their ex-pectations.”

Meager EvaluationsContinued from page 3

unfortunately there’s apathy,” Garabedian added. “People are no longer interested in sports or in specific kinds of sports.”In one particular game last year, the soccer and basketball teams played at the same time but a physiotherapist and an international judge were only provided for the basketball team. The soc-cer team got no such support.“We had one physiotherapist at the time for all teams, and the reason why one team was chosen over the other is simply random,” Garabedian commented. “We also had two international judg-es that were sent to both games, but due to some coincidental events, one of them couldn’t make it to his game.”Bob Abi Saab, a player on the basketball team, said that the accusations of soccer team members are “somehow true,” but added that the complaints were not only exclusive to soccer, as the “ath-letic department can do better.” “We’re an alignment of great teams that form the athletic department of LAU and a little bit more effort from them would be appreciated,” Abi Saab said. Garabedian however assured that LAU’s athletic department is doing its best to facilitate every-thing the team members have asked for, and assured that there is absolutely no differentiation between members of any team.Meanwhile, and despite the many complaints, the women soccer team members continue to show a high spirit in every game and hope for more appreciation toward them.“At the end of the day, we’re playing for LAU, which is an honor to each and every individual,” Farroukh said. “But at the same time, players do need motivation, and a scholarship would help.”

Basket Vs. Net

“Sometimes I start by making a top and I end up with a dress, our ideas are developed as we de-sign,” Al Abdullah said. Eman Aswad, a 19-year-old Palestinian who previously attended MDM Technical College was not very confident about her designer skills before she ran into Hermez. “When I met Sarah, I felt more comfortable with my work, I was doing what I was feeling and not what I was told,” Aswad said. Aswad feels that working at the Creative Space allows her to grow as a designer. Unlike most fashion institutes in Lebanon, the Creative Space does not impose specific guidelines on design-ers. “I have so much freedom with my designs,” Aswad said. “When I’m done with them, I really feel like it’s my work and not someone else’s.”Nourhan B., a 17-year-old Palestinian born in Shatila, is the last person to join the program. Nourhan never thought that fashion design would be her field of study. “In my family, design is not really appreciated –although my parents fully support me today,” she said. For Hermez and Dalloul, the Creative Space is a platform for creativity. “We want to expand in terms of not just being fashion design,” Hermez said. “The idea behind this is that of an educa-tion where you’re producing.”

The Creative SpaceContinued from page 7

employment rate for females remains to be very low. Getting a higher education does not mean that the women will work.”In few cases, the number of female faculty remains low. In the school of engineering, for exam-ple, there are seven male professors and zero females. “Some fields that are gender biased,” Dabbous-Sensenig explained.The school of arts and sciences includes three female professors and seven males. “I under-stand why the statistics are as they are,” Nashat Mansour, assistant dean of arts and scienc-es said. “However, once you get in, there is no room for prejudice or gender bias, everything is based on a purely and strictly academic process. Being a male or a female is irrelevant to the rankings.”El-Fakhani agrees. He explains that more females are engaged in academia today. “Check again in around 10 years,” the dean of the business school said. “You will see that the number of female professors has risen dramatically.”

Continued from page 1

High Ranks Still Belong to Men

Editors-in-Chief:Farah Al Saati, Ranim Hadid, Zahi Sahli

Staff: Iman Soufan, Carla Hazarian, Lyn Abu-Seraj, Layan Doueik, Omar El Tani, Ze-ina Shehayeb, Mohamed Al-Oraybi, Mayya Al-Ogaily, Natalia Elmani, Assaad Hawwa,Caroline Feghaly, Rouba Jaafar

Adviser:Yasmine Dabbous

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OFF CAMPUSTribunenov. 28 , 2011

Palestinians First, Sudanese Next

Ishraka, a Sudanese/Eritre-an woman living in Lebanon, was arrested for living in the country without residency papers. For around a month, she was in the women’s prison in Verdun with her two-year-old son but when authorities moved her to Ad-lieh, they did not allow her to take him. He is now staying with her Sudanese friend in Mar Elias Palestinian refu-gee camp.Although Sudanese in Leba-non are occasionally referred to as ‘Abed (slave) or chocolat (chocolate), racial discrim-ination is not their biggest problem. Many find them-selves raided, prosecuted and forgotten in prisons for living here illegally.Dima Abounaid, a Suda-nese activist and the found-er of The Sudanese Lebanese Charity Foundation, assured us that Sudanese living in Lebanon may face major ra-

By Omar El-TaniLAU Tribune staff

cial slurs, especially at work. But she says that racism here is still rare, because most people are educated.“People in Sudan like in Leb-anon participate in name call-ing,” she said. “Africans are called ‘chocolate’ in this coun-try while in Sudan whites are called ‘milk.’ The biggest problem the Sudanese face here is not having residency papers.”Many Sudanese are refugees, according to the United Na-tions High Commissioner for Refugees, but they are not recognized as such here be-cause Lebanon is not an asy-lum country. In her blog on the Sudanese in Lebanon, Jane Rubio, an activist who lobbies for the rights of domestic workers here, explains the economics of the situation. In order to be legal, Sudanese (and other immigrants) have to pay up to 600 dollars yearly to cover the

residency permit, work per-mit, and health insurance. If they have a sponsor or an employer, the latter pays the amount in question. Free-lancers, who charge around 3.33 dollars an hour for do-mestic work, pay it them-selves. “I would say this a clear-cut case of human rights abuse, and straight-up shameful-ness on the part of a cheap, corrupt government,” Ru-bio, a graduate student at the American University of Bei-rut, wrote.Local and international groups are pressuring the Lebanese government to rec-ognize Sudanese residents as refugees but the question is not as easy as it seems: Rec-ognizing the Sudanese as le-gal residents would force the government to reconsider the citizenship of Palestin-ian refugees –a much thorni-er issue involving the politics of the entire region.Caritas helps foreigners with issues they face in Lebanon and beyond. Located in Sin el Fil, it provides a range of ser-vices from safe houses, psy-chological and social support, legal advice and safe home returns. Joel Sharfan, a caritasemployee, has been working

since 2005 with the Suda-nese. According to her, most Sudanese run away from the destitution in Sudan. They go to Lebanon through Syria, usually on foot. Once here, they start off as build-ing caretakers or work at gas stations or as domestic work-ers. “I have witnessed families who have been living here for ten years and don’t have a le-gal permit,” she said. “They don’t even have birth certifi-cates for their children, they don’t have residency papers, and they don’t have spon-sors.” Last year, Lebanese forces raided a cancer fundraising event organized by a group of Sudanese. According to the Sudan Tribune, officers broke in and systematical-ly beat up everybody in sight using clubs.Sudanese immigrants were forced to lie on the ground while officials stepped on their throats and demeaned them, using curses such as “slaves” and “niggers.” The raid was allegedly a crackdown on illegal immi-grants. At one point, the forc-es asked the victims why they were fluent in Arabic. The Sudanese explained they were Arabs. Dissatisfied

with the answer, forces re-sponded with more violence. In general, however, the Leb-anese don’t abuse the Suda-nese. “It’s very rare that Sudanese get physically abused by the Lebanese,” Sharfan said. “We get a lot of phone calls from Lebanese telling us that they know a Sudanese who is hurt or sick and ask if Cari-tas could help them.”In October 2010, Abdel Men-hem Ibrahim, a Sudanese activist, went on a hunger strike to protest the mis-treatment of his people in Lebanon. His primary objective was for the release of 17 Suda-nese nationals who, accord-ing to him, have completed their sentences but are still detained. Hisham Ahmad is 27 years old, has spent nine years in Lebanon and likes it here. At night, he invites his friends over to smoke shisha and watch Syrian soap operas. “In the eyes of the Lebanese we are just domestic work-ers,” he said. “They don’t think of you as a friend or a brother. If you’ve known them for a long time they’ll treat you well, but on the dai-ly basis you’re just another worker.”

As I walk in, I see her in her blue uniform, holding the wrench with hands strong enough to pull up heavy mo-torcycles.Samira is a 53-year-old wom-an, married to Imad, a me-chanic in Tariq al Jdideh who fixes motorcycles.When Samira got married, she decided to help her hus-band with his work. She has been doing so for 35 years. “I always loved this job,” she said.When she first started, Sami-ra found resistance from cus-tomers and people around her. “I was attacked by wom-

By Rouba JaafarLAU Tribune staff

en more than men for choos-ing this kind of job,” she re-called.An unusual choice for wom-en, Samira’s career is a tes-timony of female aptitude in mechanics.Today, Samira works with her husband at the same ga-rage but she is not his assis-tant anymore. She now does the same job he does –maybe even better. “I have customers from all over Lebanon now,” she said. “They come all the way from Tripoli, Sidon and other plac-es to fix their motorcycles.” They all ask for Samira.

Two parrots stand in a cage in Samira’s garage. She says she loves birds and has taught Koukou, one of the two parrots, to curse in Ara-bic. The middle-aged woman is busy all day long. The tools she holds in her dark, tough hands are covered with lubri-cants and oil. But when she finishes her work at the garage, she does not take a break, as other du-ties await her at home. Sami-ra has a family to take care of. “My daughter wanted to work with me but I refused

because this kind of job is tough for a girl,” she said.Samira’s daughter is now studying medicine at the Bei-rut Arab University. Her mother helps finance her studies. But Samira

doesn’t only work to supp-port her family. She does it because she loves it. “When I don’t work, I feel tired and I don’t feel that I have energy at all,” Samira said.The early beginnings were not very easy; being a me-chanic requires toughness and patience. But Samira’s determination, and strong physique, helped her become what she is today. In her eyes is a pride I have rarely seen before. “I do not see myself any-where else,” she said. “It is my space, the place where I always want to be.”

Photo via: Creative C

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Samira, the Motorcycle Woman

Photo by: Rouba Jaafar

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OFF CAMPUSTribune nov. 28 , 2011

The Republic of My Heart Is Against Women

“We don’t want our daugh-ters to work with the de-grees they have earned,” a Lebanese song, “Jumhuriyy-it Albi” (The Republic of My Heart) by Mohammed Iskan-dar, says. In Iskandar’s previous work, “Quli Bihibni” (Say that He Loves Me) –his breakthrough to the world of fame, the sing-er orders his female part-ner not to answer her phone when alone and says that he would shoot whoever comes near her. Sociologist Sevag Hagopian filed a complaint to the Pub-lic Prosecutor against Iskan-dar’s first hit, charging that the song was both violent and offensive to women. The prosecutor forwarded the case to the General Secu-rity.Various women rights insti-tutions and groups in Leba-non echoed Hagopian’s con-cerns. Iskandar’s famous –or infa-mous– triumphs represent a new generation of songs that have recently topped the Lebanese charts and that in-clude violent or offensive lyr-ics, especially toward wom-en.Badi’, a Lebanese pop star, sings one such example. “Who would dare come close to you?” his song dramatical-ly says. “Tell me his name. I’ll chop his head off. He’ll be a lesson for all.”Ali Hmedi, a Lebanese Inter-national University student, said that such songs were “humorous” and unworthy of the whole commotion sur-rounding them.Meanwhile, Ayman Moughraby, a business se-nior at LAU, said the tune is “nice,” and insisted that the Lebanese youth can relate to the lyrics. “These lyrics come from our tradition and they somehow make sense,” Moughraby said. The songs’ attractive tunes, inspired by Lebanese folk music, allow the lyrics to transcend the minds of the listeners quite easily, ex-plains psychologist and LAU associate professor Ketty Sa-rouphim.

By Zahi SahliLAU Tribune staff

“It’s more dangerous when it’s in a form of a song than when you read it,” Sarou-phim said. “Because you re-peat the songs, not only do you memorize the informa-tion, but you believe in it. It’s a double whammy; it acts on both sides.” The right side of the brain’s hemisphere manages mu-sic, Sarouphim explained. The lyrics and language, on the other hand, are on the left side. “When you combine them, you make the whole brain active,” Sarouphim said. “We also know that the mu-sic side’s center in the brain is related to emotions. When you activate these emotions and include thoughts, it’s much more effective,” Sarou-phim, who has a Ph.D. in ed-ucational psychology, add-ed. “This is dangerous and shouldn’t be taken lightly –especially since young people are singing them, repeating them and enjoying them.” But, while these songs can play a role in shaping detri-mental perceptions, their ef-fect can only be radical on those who are yet to form their own belief system. “Our behavior is the prod-uct of much more than just listening to a song. A song might affect the way we think but, unless we are al-ready exposed to a culture of violence, the song will not have a radical effect,” Sarou-phim said.In a country like Lebanon,

Photo by: Ahmad Yassine

where political tensions and violence –whether physical or verbal– abound on television and in the streets, the effect of the songs raises genuine con-cerns.In the fall of 2010, a group of Lebanese activists launched Kherrberr, the first media monitoring system that aims to remove sexist and rac-ist “cavities” from the media (Kherrberr is the Arabic for dental drill). Kherrberr blames the radio stations’ profit-oriented man-agement for the ascending popularity of violent and sex-ist songs. “They [radio stations] proba-bly just want to collect profit and play the popular songs,” the Kherrberr team said in an email. “They say ‘this is what the audience wants’ and we say ‘this is what you make them want.’”Pop artist May Matar re-sponded to Iskandar’s song, “The Republic of my Heart,” with a song called “Metlak Mish ‘Ayzin” (We do not want men like you). “We have cultured men of whom we are proud,” Matar, who said she represents Leba-nese women’s position toward these songs, explained. “They understand the value of edu-cation.”“The main message in my song was to say that women have come to a level that no man can destroy, and that ed-ucation is something that a man shouldn’t refuse for his wife,” Matar added. “Women

are strong and can speak for themselves.”Matar explained that she is against all violent songs, whether or not they are ad-dressed against women.And yet, one of the songs with violent lyrics comes from a woman –pop star Nawal Al Zoghbi. “I will kill whoever thinks of hurting you,” the latter sings in a 2008 piece, “Albi Sa’alo” (Ask my Heart) by Mounir Abu Assaf.Hagopian’s effort to stop Is-kandar’s song was unsuc-cessful as his complaint was dismissed.Despite opposition to the songs, radio stations have not cut back on playing them. TV channels have also not re-frained from airing the relat-ed video clips. Iskandar appeared on “Ce-lebrity Duets,” a show on the Lebanese Broadcast Corpo-ration International (LBCI). He sang his popular pieces and the crowd seemed to en-joy them. Fares Iskandar, who writes the lyrics of his father’s songs, refused to comment on the issue. He has publicly re-buffed accusations of miso-gynic intentions and claimed that his lyrics “honor wom-en.” “Iskandar is an intelligent man,” Mohammed Hode-ib, the founder and leading member of Wled El Balad band, said. “We should direct the blame to ourselves and be sad that we are applauding songs of such a standard.”

By Omar El-TaniLAU Tribune staff

From the outside, the build-ing looks like any other indus-trial edifice located in Karan-tina. But, as soon as you climb the stairs and step into the en-trance door, you realize there are beautiful things in ugly places. As its name suggests, the Art Lounge is art.The front door leads to the gift shop, which provides fig-urines, paintings, various art books and the Art Lounge’s own publications. As you pass the gift shop, you find yourself in one of the main exhibition rooms. From the bar, you can see a cocktail of the psychedelic 60s and the urban 90s decor. Accompanying the 60s bubble and egg chair are pools neon lights on the painted black walls. “The decor is one of a kind in Lebanon,” Elie Attie, an LAU Journalism graduate, said.Trip Hop, Ambience and Indi-an instrumental tracks seep out of the speakers and create a relaxed atmosphere. A cus-tomized animation, current-ly streamed on the Art Lounge website, will soon be projected on the walls.Hidden from everything is the Lotus Loft, an area devoted to eastern art and including a tea room and a bookstore. Since 2004, the Art Lounge has been hosting concerts, screening movies and show-casing art exhibitions from foreign and native artists. At the moment, two exhibitions are featured: “Precisions” by SABE KST and “Less or More” by Nahed Mansour. The Art Lounge has anoth-er branch in Beiteddine, only open during spring and sum-mer.

Art Lounge

Photo via Creative C

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