Campus Life Technology
“Shisha”-holic Campus “Ontornet”
Year XIII, Vol. II, No. III
Neurons Crackle on Campus
By Mohamad Yahia Hamade
LAU Tribune staff
Jamie’s heart thundered in
her chest and drowned out
every noise as she got up
from her desk and faced her
class. She was scheduled to
present a topic about nutri-
tion and she was well-pre-
pared, having practiced for
countless minutes. But when
the moment arrived and she
faced her classmates, she
was seized with an inexpli-
cable urge to scream, run
and hide.
Those who saw her clear-
ly noticed her shaking and
alarmed look of mortifica-
tion. Standing there, frozen
with a look of pure terror,
Jamie opened her mouth to
speak but nothing came out.
The silence was deafening
and some students got un-
comfortable. Unable to han-
dle the looks of dazed confu-
sion and the chills that ran
up and down her spine, she
stormed out of the class leav-
ing her PowerPoint presen-
tation still on.
At the Lebanese Ameri-
can University, many stu-
dents suffer from various
psychological disorders that
keep them from attaining
the highest form of academ-
ic achievements that LAU
seeks to provide. However,
a lot of students are delib-
erately hiding and ignoring
their dilemmas because they
feel that it would cause them
to be ostracized and shunned
by their classmates.
“I’d miss classes due to panic
attacks and not tell anyone
what’s wrong with me,” Ja-
mie said. “I’d avoid people on
campus and stay alone.”
What was wrong with her
was painfully obvious after
a psychiatric examination.
Culture
Cultural Day
TRIBUNE
Page 5
The Official Student Newspaper at the Lebanese American Universty
Monday, April 18, 2011
Jamie suffered from Gen-
eral Anxiety Disorder. This
anxiety disorder interferes
with one’s daily functioning
by triggering an excessive
amount of irrational worries
about day-to-day things.
During her first semester at
the LAU, Jamie said she was
unaware of the counseling
service provided by the uni-
versity. “I was diagnosed in
the United States,” she said.
“That’s when I started my
therapy.”
Recent research on men-
tal health among universi-
ty students suggests that
the risk of emotional disor-
ders might increase under
stress. LAU’s students can
relate to this with their daily
stress related not only to life-
changing decisions, financ-
es and social life, but also to
plain difficulties in the class-
room.
Stimuli like this may trig-
ger the onset of depressive
episodes in susceptible stu-
dents, according to a study
that researched the impact
of depression on student pro-
ductivity. Norma Moussa-
ly, the student counselor, is
one of LAU’s primary solu-
tions for combating student
dilemmas. Using action-ori-
ented strategies, she helps
students overcome their
problems by helping them
tap into their own potential
till they actively are their
own counselors.
She makes it a point to avoid
inscribing the word “coun-
selor” on her door to avoid
student discomfort from
the fear of being labeled as
“sick.”
“I don’t have clients, I have
students,” she said. “Most
People
Fine Arts 102
Page 6
people who see me are not
sick; they have life issues –
daily life issues.” These is-
sues can range from learn-
ing difficulties, to couples’
quarrels, to domestic prob-
lems and can include sub-
stance abuse, Moussaly ex-
plained.
“The most stressful time in
one’s life is being in universi-
ty,” she said. “[This] transi-
tion [from high school] is not
the same for all,” she said.
This is due to the fact that
students leave a structured
environment and enter one
with minimal directions.
Students mostly frequent
Moussaly during midterms
and exam periods. She said
she responds to student in-
quiries via emails.
Moussaly works closely with
professors to ensure that ev-
ery student receives the ap-
propriate care during his/
her course of therapy. “I
make a treatment plan ca-
tered for every person. I see
myself as a guide,” she said.
“Our job is to prepare [stu-
dents] for life outside.”
Unfortunately for Richie, a
student who keeps chang-
ing majors at LAU, the tran-
sition phase is still ongo-
ing, even after an untallied
amount of semesters. “I’m
barely hanging by a thread,”
he said. “The only reason I’m
still here is because I man-
age to cram before exams.”
Richie was accepted at
LAU as a sophomore stu-
dent, hoping to excel in the
school of pharmacy. “Unfor-
tunately, things didn’t go as
planned and the material
kept stocking up and so did
Continued on page 9
Opinion
Meet LAU’s Ken
Page 7 Page 8 Page 10
TribuneLAU@gmail.com
LAU Becoming a Non-
Smoking Campus?
By Eleena Korban
LAU Tribune staff
Photo by: Ahmad Yassine
“Smoking in all LAU buildings is strictly PROHIBITED,” says
the Student Life section of LAU’s website.
A professor walks out of class on the third floor of Nicol and
gets a whiff of smoke. On the stairway, Ranim Hadid, journal-
ism major, is calmly smoking her cigarette between classes. “I
don’t usually smoke, but because I have so many back-to-back
courses, I sneak back here for a couple puffs,” she admitted.
Although LAU policy boasts about unpolluted indoors, stu-
dents –and sometimes instructors– casually break the law.
Despite the heated demands for a completely smoke-free cam-
pus and the cries about smoking hazards, many on campus
still ask for designated areas for smokers.
“If a faculty or staff member sights a student smoking indoors
they should report it to the administration,” Raed Mohsen,
dean of student affairs, explained.
Yet Ran, psychology major who wished to remain anonymous,
confessed that he smoked on the third floor on Irwin, at the
windows in sage, at the top floor in Fine Arts and in BB. “I even
smoked with a teacher,” he smiled.
Norma Moussally, the school counselor, argued that LAU stu-
dents will always manage to find a loophole. She explained
that the reason students feel the need to bend the rules is be-
cause of their physical addiction.
“The textbook definition of an addiction is one that starts from
social pressure, but continues as a harmful addiction that you
indulge anyway,” she said.
Ever since the American University of Beirut (AUB) became a
non-smoking campus with designated areas, and now almost
no designated areas, LAU students have been in fear of suffer-
ing that same fate.
Mohsen assured that at this time there is no plan for LAU to
become a non smoking campus. But with all the noise coming
Continued on page 9
2 Tribune
CAMPUS NEWS
“Playshop:”Improvising Art Exhibition: An Exhibition of
Public Speaking Talent and Creativity
By Eleena Korban
LAU Tribune staff
“We improvise all the time
in our daily lives, and since
we are doing it anyway, why
not do it well?” Raffi Fegha-
li, peacebuilding trainer/fa-
cilitator, musician and actor,
said to fifteen participants in
a public speaking training
session on March 31.
What would have normal-
ly been called a workshop
was termed “playshop” since
the aim was to help stu-
dents learn from one an-
other through experien-
tial techniques rather than
a trainer’s regular lecture.
Sarah Abu Ajram, OCE co-
ordinator of Leadership and
Civic Engagement, orga-
nized the event.
The first activity was termed
“Ball” and required partic-
ipants to stand in a circle,
throwing a ball to each oth-
er, keeping it in the air and
counting how many times
it had been hit. The activi-
ty was meant to sync the en-
ergies, break the ice as well
as teach participants a lit-
tle bit about each other. The
game also taught students
when to interfere and when
to stay back while working as
a team.
Called “New Choice,” the
second activity was more fo-
cused on public speaking
skills. One participant stood
in front of the group and be-
gan to speak. When Fegh-
ali would at random times
scream “ding,” the speaker
had to change the last word
he or she said and continue
while trying to make sense.
The third activity, “Yes And,”
paired students up and had
April 18, 2011
By Nour Monajjed
LAU Tribune staff
Featuring an array of origi-
Photo by: Nour Monajjed
Photo by: Eleena Korban
nal and vivid works, the LAU
Art Exhibition was held on
the upper floor of the Safadi
Fine Arts Building from the
31st of March onwards. Cre-
ative designs, colorful paint-
ings and skillfully crafted
maps reflected the high stan-
dards of LAU’s fine art and
architecture departments.
In one section, models of
houses built by fine arts ma- hotels and more. On the top written paragraphs, along
them present a topic to an in- jors were on display. At the were brief explanations of with the students’ names.
visible third party. Each par- side of each model were the the task at hand, the building What started off as an im-
ticipant would speak one sen- students’ portfolios with the that the students picked to possible task, ended up being
tence at a time, building on required research they accu- present and the reasons for fun and rewarding.
the other’s sentence, and had mulated as they worked on their choices. Students stressed on how ful-
to start with “yes, and…,” their final projects. The works were labeled and filling it felt to achieve such
never with “but.” Feghali ex- In the room to the left were named with titles such as wonderful work. They nev-
plained that, as Lebanese, numerous posters of floor “The Finger Print House” er thought something so cre-
we are trained to criticize, plans of different buildings. and “The Rubick’s Cube.” ative could result from their
and we are haunted by a con- These included hospitals, Posters additionally includ- own hard work and dedica-
stant “but.” courtrooms, condominiums, ed rough outlines, drawings, tion.
The fourth and last activi-
ty was about body language.
Photo by: Nour Monajjed
Feghali asked one partici-
pant to speak about a topic
in gibberish. Then he asked
another participant to inter-
pret what the speaker was
saying. Most of the students
were able to guess correct-
ly because of body language
hints. Feghali explained
that, in order to make a point
clearer, one must use gestic-
ulations as long as it doesn’t
turn into charades.
After every activity, Fegha- NGOs at LAU
li would go around the group
and get feedback, helping By Layan Doueik
participants draw conclu- LAU Tribune contributor
sions or lessons from the var-
ious activities. The Lebanese American Uni- ment and even animals. Every NGO had its own
“You will not leave here a dif- versity hosted on April 13 its For the first time, the image stand, creating a green maze
ferent person, but you’ll def- second NGO fair under the of students gathering, dis- that spread from the upper
initely know more about slogan of “civic action speaks tributing papers and partici- gate area to the Fine Arts
yourself and about public louder than words.” It fea- pating just like bees in a flow- building. It was more like a
speaking,” he concluded. tured 94 diverse organiza- ery plain had nothing to do carnival full of clamor, peo-
Feghali is one of the founders tions representing various with university elections but ple bargaining and music.
of Laban – Live Lactic Cul- causes and civic life issues. was all about engaging in civ- “This event is very organized
ture, which is an improvisa- The event included activi- il society. and represents an integrated
tion-based arts organization. ties such as a contest with Elie Samia, executive direc- society,” Malak Al-Houssa-
The group takes suggestions valuable prizes, documen- tor of outreach and civic en- mi, a business student, said.
from the audience and then taries about projects done gagement, was very pleased “It’s good for the benefit of so-
improvises a presentation. by the NGOs and volunteer with the students’ enthusi- ciety.”
“By using the same training work with the available or- asm and their eagerness to Samia agreed. He explained
techniques we use to impro- ganizations. Students of dif- engage in important causes. that participating students
vise, you can enhance your ferent majors participated to “No division, no politics, one are helping society progress.
public speaking abilities,” he forward causes such as chil- university, one voice and one “They are the leaders of to-
explained. dren, youth, adults, environ- value,” Samia said. morrow,” he boasted.
 April 18, 2011
CAMPUS NEWS
Mental Health Issues in Burj El
Barajneh Refugee Camp
By Mona Hammoud
LAU Tribune contributor
Augusto Llosa, the principal
Photo by: Mona Hammoud
investigator, noted that hav-
ing mental disorders or con-
sulting a psychologist in such
communities was often seen
as “shameful.” He explained
that mental health is not
presently seen as a foremost
public health concern in Leb-
anon (a lack of qualified staff
with only about 50 psychia-
trists in the country).
For these reasons, address-
A 2010 survey by Medecins ing these diseases is one of
Sans Frontieres revealed the main objectives of Mede-
that 33 percent of the popula- cins Sans Frontieres in Leb-
tion of the Burj Al Barajneh anon. The study involved a
Palestinian camp suffers screening phase and inter-
from depression, 23 percent views using a variety of men-
from anxiety disorder and 20 tal health assessment in-
percent from psychosis. struments.
The private international MSF provided a free-of-
medical association present- charge full package of men-
ed results during a lecture at tal health care and treat-
LAU Beirut on April 11. ment, counseling and social
Conducted between June support. Only 86 of the peo-
2009 and November 2010 ple treated showed positive
on 283 random households results.
at the Palestinian camp, the Llosa explained that the
study also revealed cases of study targeted the highly
epilepsy, personality disor- crowded and deprived area of
ders, drug and alcohol abuse Burj El Barajneh because it
and mental retardation. had been hit during the civil
Women in the camp were war and the last war in 2006.
more prone to depression Burj El Barajneh presents a
than men. diverse ethnic composition
During the presentation, Dr. of Lebanese, Palestinians,
The department of communication arts organized a workshop on Voice and Mask over four ses-
sions for communication arts students. The voice workshop was conducted by the Swedish voice
coach Paula Brandt and the mask workshop by the Swedish stage make-up artist Mihra Lindb-
lom. The sessions took place from April 6 till 9 at the Irwin theatre.
Tribune
Syrians and Iraqis who have
been displaced as a result of
regional conflicts. The gener-
al conditions in the camp are
some of the poorest and least
adequate in the country.
Mental diseases reflect how
Palestinians are not prop-
erly integrated in the sur-
rounding community of Burj
El Barajneh and tend to live
isolated and disadvantaged,
Llosa said. Laws in Lebanon
prevent Palestinians from
workin as native citizens do.
In order to facilitate the in-
tegration of mental health
care, MSF is working with
UNRWA clinic to provide the
camp with proper treatment
as well as social support.
MSF center is located in the
municipality of Burj El Bara-
jneh.
“I thank the MSF for their
hard work, help and sincere
involvement, and for improv-
ing health conditions and
guiding people,” Abdullah
Abdullah, the head of the po-
litical committee of the Pal-
estinian Legislative Council,
said. “Palestinians struggle
for recognition in Lebanon,
but still we are full of hope,
for a better future and better
generations.”
Photo by: Fuad Anka
Workshop for Empowering
Female Iraqi Journalists
By Zahi Sahli
LAU Tribune contributor
The Institute for Media
Training and Research and
the Institute for Women
Studies in the Arab World
launched a week-long media
and gender training program
at the Lebanese American
University on April 11.
The workshop, which is cur-
rently training ten journal-
ists from the Northern Iraqi
city of Ninewa, aims to em-
power participants through
intensive courses in journal-
ism and gender relations.
“The training is an opportu-
nity for journalists from Leb-
anon and Iraq to learn about
each other’s cultures and
work ethics,” Yasmine Dab-
bous, director of the IMTR,
said.
“They will share knowledge,
experience and stories both
as media professionals and
as women working in a chal-
lenging field,” Dabbous con-
tinued.
Topics covered include in-
vestigative journalism, in-
terviewing skills, ethics, cul-
tural journalism, new media,
gender representation on
television and the challeng-
es faced by women in the pro-
fession.
On the borders of Mosul,
Iraq’s second largest city, fe-
male journalists are rare as
the traditions of the region
oppose a woman’s enroll-
ment in a male-dominated
field.
One of these journalists,
Nithal Yousif Elea, a special-
ist in criminal law, said that
female journalists are tar-
gets of extremists in the ab-
sence of efficient security.
“Female journalists are al-
ways under threat in Mosul
3
Photo by: Yasmine Dabbous
and if we want to work, we
work from outside the city
and always need direct pro-
tection from armed sides,”
Elea said.
“We have been displaced
many times, my family and
I have been threatened,” the
workshop participant contin-
ued.
The 52-year-old journalist
did not rule out the possibil-
ity of moving abroad.“I would
like to serve my country as a
journalist from inside or out-
side Iraq,” Elea said.
In a fractured political scene,
officials have been using the
assassinations of journal-
ists in order to gain populari-
ty, according to Iraqi journal-
ist Zeina Zuhair Al-Khashab.
“Politicians who come to fu-
nerals of the martyred jour-
nalists try to win us over,”
Al-Khashab said. “For them,
journalists are simple items
through which they can
make political gains.”
After visiting Annahar, Murr
TV and Laha magazine as
part of their training pro-
gram, the journalists took
a day off to the Jeita Grotto
and the old souks and citadel
of Byblos.
Diana Mukalled and Sobhi-
yya Najjar of Future News,
Gisele Khoury and Alya Ibra-
him of Al-Arabiya, Denise
Rahme Fakhry and Claude
Abi Nader Hindi of Murr TV,
Rana Najjar of Al Hayat, and
Iman Chamas of the Nation-
al News Agency, were among
the featured trainers.
Digital media instructor
Ayman Itani, gender studies
instructor Myriam Sfeir and
Dabbous were also among
the speakers.
4 Tribune
CAMPUS LIFE
The Art of Doodling
By Maria Fellas
LAU Tribune staff
“I really, really love cats,” a
student wrote on one of the
desks in a Sage Hall class-
room, perhaps reflecting on
the felines he or she crossed
on the way to the building.
“Every MWF in this time a
little part of me dies,” anoth-
er student scribbled on his or
her desk.
Whether they are bored dur-
ing class, trying to concen-
trate on the instructor across
the room or just plainly blow-
ing off steam, students at
LAU tend to doodle on class-
room tables, providing a cre-
ative outlet to their imagina-
tions and a revealing window
into their world.
“I don’t necessarily draw.
Sometimes I just write sil-
ly stuff on a piece of paper,”
said Sendy Elias, a graph-
ic design student at LAU. “I
don’t just enjoy it, but it has
also proved to be a great way
to resist dosing off in class.”
While teachers may resent
Attendance Policy: A Nightmare at LAU
By Mounawar Abbouchi
LAU Tribune contributor
“There’s no attendance to-
day?” cried a student in dis-
may, noticing that the in-
structor is starting the class
without taking out the atten-
dance sheet.
The look of annoyance and
disappointment on the stu-
dent’s face said it all: “What
was the point of coming to
class?”
LAU has what some would
term a strict attendance pol-
icy. If you miss class a certain
number of times, you are con-
fronted with two choices; ei-
ther drop the course or face
the firm and fearsome “F.”
“We shouldn’t have to stress
about missing class or being
late,” Yasir El Sheikh, a po-
litical science senior at LAU,
said. “Sometimes it is dif-
ficult for us to manage our
time, and this policy really
doesn’t make it any easier.”
While some make absence
and tardiness a habit, it is
safe to assume that most
this habit, research reveals
that doodling may be helpful
in raising the concentration
levels of the students. Ac-
cording to Applied Cognitive
Psychology, people doodling
while on the phone were able
to retain 29 percent more in-
formation than those who
weren’t.
“Believe it or not, I think it’s
the doodles that helped me
pass calculus last semes-
ter,” Paul Yammine, a civ-
il engineering student, said.
“I mean I would never doo-
dle during a major course,
but when in an elective class,
I find that it helps keep me
awake and alert.”
Many students said they
use doodling as a note-tak-
ing method. When in class,
Gilbert Khoury, a comput-
er engineering student, does
just that. “I draw graphs, I
make up new ways to inter-
pret what I understand from
every lecture,” he explained.
university students do miss
class once or twice during the
year owing to personal rea-
sons.
“Some teachers don’t want
to hear your excuse,” Louay
Hasan, a business manage-
ment student, said. “They
just think you didn’t want
to come to class, that you’re
sitting in some café or some-
thing. There isn’t much con-
sideration for what personal
reasons you might have.”
Hasan himself had to face a
teacher’s “lack of consider-
ation,” when he was absent
several times in a row.
With six allowable absenc-
es MWF and four TR in most
departments, this policy has
been the cause of some out-
rage among many students.
Some have even dug deep
into the Rules and Regula-
tions of the university and
have pointed out that the
number of absences allowed
by the university per semes-
“This way, I can study easi-
er.”
Many just do it for fun. Lama
Hmaidani, an LAU student,
finds doodling to be a likable
practice. “Paper feels totally
different than the desks,” she
said. “It’s like exploring to-
tally new grounds and I find
it very efficient in the face of
extreme boredom.”
But are the doodles ran-
dom ideas that cross a stu-
dent’s mind on a whim or do
they come from deeper, bur-
ied feelings? Something like
“Iron Maiden” may just re-
flect an appreciation for the
artist but a carefully written
sentence such as “you are my
world” may be an expression
of more poignant thoughts.
A study by LAU media re-
search methods students
suggests that a person can
doodle consciously and un-
consciously and that, most of
the time, doodling expresses
hidden feelings and ideas.
ter for a course is the equiva-
lent of one third of the given
semester, unless the instruc-
tor chooses to impose a differ-
ent policy.
Other students, however,
think that this policy is not
strict enough. Dib Ganaui,
political science student, is
one such student. “There
are a lot of people who would
never show up to class if
they didn’t have to,” he said.
“You’re paying a lot of mon-
ey, so you should want to
come to class!”
Fouad Bocti, an education
major, had a bad attendance
record in the past because he
lives an hour’s drive away
from university.
Nevertheless, Bocti believes
that attendance is of the ut-
most importance, and tries to
make it to class despite hav-
ing to fight his way through
Beirut’s traffic-jammed
streets on a daily basis.
Giselle Pempedjian, English
Full-blown conversations
sometimes take place on
some of these desks. Ran-
dom strangers just find it fun
or important to reply to each
others’ small notes or leave
comments next to a drawing.
“The Amal party is the best,”
one student wrote on a desk
and got a series of replies, in-
cluding some foul language.
Students sometimes attack
individuals, and some even
attack LAU. “Once, I was
so mad because I had failed
a test, so I wrote f*** LAU
on my desk,” a student who
wished to remain anony-
mous said. “It made me feel
a little better at the moment,
but then I realized how stu-
pid it was.”
One student left his or her
number with instructions for
other students to “call me.”
Students also cheat by doo-
dling small notes and us-
ing them in tests. They write
them in such a small font
instructor at LAU, explained
that learning is a process.
“Interaction and collabora-
tion in the classroom are very
important, and when you
don’t attend, this process is
interrupted,” she said.
Patricia Prudhomme, a bi-
ology student, also believes
that when you absent your-
self from class, you will even-
tually feel like there is some-
thing missing. “In my field,
you need to be curious, to ask
questions. That’s just not
possible when you don’t come
to class,” she said.
Though some instructors do
not hide their displeasure
when they are obliged to dis-
miss their class because less
than half of the students are
present, others like assis-
tant professor of history Ray
Mouawad, put their faith en-
tirely in the students.
Mouawad believes that stu-
dents should be respon-
sible for their own behav-
April 18, 2011
that they are barely notice-
able. Math and chemistry
formulas mix with account-
ing and biology lingo.
If some students don’t doo-
dle, they certainly enjoy
reading what is found on
their desks. “I rarely choose
a clean desk,” Khoury said. “I
prefer to sit on one that has
doodles all over it because
they intrigue me and they
leave me guessing about the
personality of the person who
wrote them.”
Whether students do it un-
consciously or knowingly to
fight off boredom, doodles re-
main a great lead to the per-
sonality and the ways of the
students who chose to leave a
mark.
“When I’m down, and I read
one of the doodles I wrote
the day before, it just makes
me laugh so hard and even
gets me thinking about what
was on my mind during that
time,” Yammine said.
ior. “I trust students to do
what is best for themselves.
There shouldn’t be anything
to force them to attend,” he
said. “They’re not kids; if
they choose not to come to
class, they will have to deal
with the consequences. I am
responsible for the content
of my courses and for the
knowledge I transmit. The
rest is up to them.”
So are students really dis-
inclined to come to class?
Some seem to think so, and
the question of how to amend
the situation remains unan-
swered.
Louay Hasan, business man-
agement major, argued that
there is not enough motiva-
tion for students to attend
classes. He explained that
some English colleges give
students £30 per week for
good attendance.
Would that motivate LAU
students to attend classes if
all else fails?
 April 18, 2011
CAMPUS LIFE
“Shisha”-holic
By Sahar Moukaddem
LAU Tribune staff
It’s midterm time. Surround-
ed by piles of books and pa-
pers, Riva El Assaad, a pre-
med student at LAU, looks
very anxious. Lucky enough,
she has a friend next to her
who knows well how to make
her biology courses more di-
gestible
Her treasured “shisha” is
the only companion who can
help her relax during exam
periods.
She places the colored tip in
her mouth, enjoys the taste
of apple-flavored tobacco and
exhales with pleasure.
This ancient water pipe is
known as shisha in Saudi
Arabia and Egypt, “arguileh”
in Lebanon and “hookah” or
“hubble bubble” in English-
speaking countries and most
Asia and Africa. As the grow-
ing number of restaurants
serving shisha in the LAU
neighborhood attests, this
old smoking device is quite
popular among students.
A study conducted at AUB
on a sample of 416 Lebanese
university students found
that 43 percent were current
or previous arguileh smok-
ers. Around 28 percent be-
gan smoking at an average
age of 16.
Al Assaad started smok-
ing shisha when she was
17-years-old. “I got intro-
duced to it in social gather-
ings, and I am addicted to it
now,” she said. The young
woman smokes arguileh
Who’s Your Favorite Teacher?
Jhonny Dibo a 19-year-old fi-
nance student.
His favorite teacher is Mar-
wan Chbaklo, a business in-
structor.
four times per week on aver-
age. “Smoking arguileh is ex-
tremely relaxing and enter-
taining,” she explained.
Al Assaad said she is aware
of the shisha’s side effects
and confirmed that, in the fu-
ture, she will try to convince
her children not to smoke.
“Unfortunately I’m not able
to convince myself,” she
laughed.
Many students explained
that the reason behind their
love for arguileh is the fact
that it entertains and relax-
es. But Farah Moukaddem,
anesthesiologist at the Raf-
ic Hariri Hospital, stressed
that there is no evidence nic-
otine relieves stress. “It is
a misconception, a myth,”
she said. “Nicotine increas-
es the release of dopamine,
a neurotransmitter associat-
ed with a pleasant feeling, so
the nicotine smoker will feel
pleased rather than relaxed.”
The shisha love story of
Hana H., a banking and fi-
nance student, started with
a “nafkha,” or a puff, from
her friends’ arguileh. From
a “nafkha” to two shishas per
day, Hana tells her story with
enthusiasm. “I started smok-
ing arguileh at the age of 15
and I don’t want to stop,” she
laughed. “I’m in a love rela-
tionship with arguileh.”
Although Hana knows very
well the side effects of ar-
guileh, she believes that
the pleasure it induces is all
Sara Hameyi an 18-year-old
communication arts student.
Her favorite teacher is Reine
Azzi , an English instructor
Tribune
worth it. “Many non-smokers
die at the age of 30 and many
smokers live till the age of
90,” she noted.
Shisha is sometimes consid-
ered a midway between ciga-
rettes and a no-smoking sta-
tus. Mustafa Rizk, a banking
and finance student, started
smoking arguileh when he
quit cigarettes.
Rizk believes that the water
pipe is socially more accepted
than cigarettes. “My parents
are okay with the fact that I
smoke arguileh but don’t al-
low me to smoke cigarettes,”
he said.
Nour Majed, a marketing
student, agreed with Rizk.
“I used to study and smoke
cigarettes, now I study
and smoke arguileh,” she
laughed. “People criticize
girls who smoke cigarettes
but never criticize arguileh
girls.”
Sharing an arguileh with
Sandra Zein Eldin a 20-year-
old business student.
Her favorite teacher is Rabi
Abi Ammar, accounting 2 in-
structor.
5
I get from arguileh.”
Photo by: Sahar Moukaddem
The owner of the café said
that arguileh smokers start
gathering from 7 a.m. and
stay till the café closes at 8
p.m.. Since space at the café
is limited, priority is always
given to shisha customers.
A growing number of stu-
dents are irritated from ex-
posure to shisha smoke.
Medical evidence showed
that second-hand smoking
from shisha increases the
risks of serious lung cancer
and heart disease.
Majed, Rizk interrupted. “The situation is catastroph-
“For me, the girl who smokes ic! Most of the cafés in Hamra
arguileh is very cute and serve arguileh,” Nour Araji, a
classy,” he said. biology student, said. “Even
Ahmad Houri, associate pro- the residence where I live
fessor at LAU’s natural sci- serves arguileh in a closed
ence department, cited a place.”
study from the World Health “Don’t we have the right to go
Organization (WHO) which to a café and enjoy our time
found that smoking arguileh without inhaling these toxic
is equivalent to smoking one substances?” she asked. Ar-
pack of cigarettes. He also aji referred to a study by the
noted that arguileh smokers National Tobacco Control
often share the same mouth- Program, which measures
piece when they smoke in the level of pollution inside
groups. “If one of the smokers the Salim Salam tunnel, and
has a disease, it will be trans- one done in 15 restaurants
mitted to all the other smok- that serve arguileh. Surpris-
ers,” he said. ingly, the level of toxic mate-
But despite the health risks, rial in both was equal.
shisha lovers don’t seem to “But the difference is that
mind. Inside a café next to you pass for 10 seconds in the
the LAU lower gate, a group Salim Salam tunnel while
gathers daily. “The magic you stay for hours in a café
is in the flavor,” Ghaith A., that serves arguileh,” Ara-
a freshman student sitting ji said. “Would you go and do
in the café, said. “I can’t de- a picnic in the Salim Salam
scribe the enormous pleasure tunnel?”
Mariam Keserwan a 19-year- Ali Hamade a 21-year-old
old biology student. business student.
Her favorite teacher is Rony His favorite teacher is Elie
Touma a mathematics in- Maalouf, a business instruc-
structor. tor.
6 Tribune
SOCIAL MEDIA & TECH
Ontornet: Internet Frustration Taken to Another Level
By Zahi Sahli
LAU Tribune contributor
You might think that your
computer has tilted until you
realize that the stream bar
is moving at a snail’s pace.
You can blow your heart out,
pray for divine intervention,
smack your head fiercely and
repeatedly on the keyboard
or count dozens of sheep un-
til the page eventually loads.
The good news is that you are
not in this predicament by
yourself; every Lebanese res-
ident has to endure the trou-
blesome network and toler-
ate its influence on his or her
social, academic and voca-
tional life.
The miserable conditions of
the country’s Internet con-
nection prompted a group of
Lebanese bloggers to create
Ontornet (Arabic for “wait for
the Internet”), a campaign
that demands the implemen-
tation of an affordable, high-
speed Internet connection.
Improvement of LAU Email Accounts on the Way
By Lama Al -Haqhaq
LAU Tribune staff
“It’s been four years since I’ve
used my LAU email,” Allen
Khoury, a graphic design stu-
dent, said. “I’m just not used
to it.”
LAU’s official website states
that the LAU email address
is used for official communi-
cations from the university
and should be checked regu-
larly. But some students do
not use it at all, and many of
those that do find it difficult.
According to a survey con-
ducted by media research
methods students, only
51percent of students use
their LAU email. Around 34
percent of these check their
emails once a week and only
5 percent check theirs over 10
times a week.
LAU provides students with
20MB of email storage space,
an undersized option com-
pared to Hotmail’s 5GB,
Gmail’s 7GB and Yahoo’s un-
limited alternatives.
Some students do not mind
Embarrassingly ranked last
in a list of 186 nations on
Speedtest.net, a comparative
evaluation of Internet speed
around the world, the slow
Lebanese Internet connec-
tion was the main motive for
the launch of Ontornet, Abir
Ghattas, one of the bloggers
behind the campaign, said.
“We have been frustrated by
the quality of our network
connection,” she said.
Slow Internet has proved to
be a major hindrance for peo-
ple who work online. Arab Ad
magazine reported in its Sep-
tember 2010 issue that many
multinational companies de-
cided not to open their Middle
East offices in Beirut because
of the slow connection.
“Whether we are developers,
activists or just looking to up-
date our artistic portfolio or
download an episode of a cer-
tain series to watch, slow In-
the limited space. Bilal
Kbeissi, a biology student,
said that emails from previ-
ous semesters are unneces-
sary and should be deleted.
“The storage space isn’t an is-
sue for me because I delete all
my emails anyway,” Nadine
Bou Ali, a business student,
said.
Not everyone shares this en-
thusiasm, though. Many stu-
dents feel that 20MB is insuf-
ficient. “The storage space is
too small,” Adam Dabliz, a
business-marketing student,
said. “I always have to delete
my emails.”
Camille Abou Nasr, assis-
tant vice president for infor-
mation technology at LAU,
acknowledged that 20MB is
not enough. “But if you think
about it, as a university we
have around 40,000 mailbox-
es for students and alumni,”
he said. “To support and back
it up with a bigger storage
space is difficult.”
ternet hinders our work,”
Ghattas said.
Since the Ministry of Tele-
communication and private
data operators started offer-
ing DSL service in mid-2007,
the services have been ex-
panded to 171 central offices.
Incumbent Telecom Minister
Charbel Nahhas promised
that a project to install fiber
The LAU website states that,
if this quota of 20MB is ex-
ceeded, students will be un-
able to receive emails until
they delete older messages to
create space for new ones.
Many professors complained
that students’ inboxes would
be overloaded and therefore
unable to receive the emails
they send them.
“You don’t only empty your
inbox, you also should emp-
ty your sent folder because
all folders except trash will
count toward your quota,”
Abou Nasr explained.
The minimal storage space
is not the only problem stu-
dents encounter with the
LAU email. Other difficulties
include session time-outs,
which force students out of
their mailboxes before they
are able to send emails, limit-
ed access outside LAU, slow-
ness and emails bouncing
back when sent.
Abou Nasr proposed “cloud
April 18, 2011
will be realized in the near
Photo by: Ahmad Yassine
future.
“I am not sure about it be-
cause there is a great deal of
pressure on the next govern-
ment,” Ali Ghassani, an LIU
student majoring in Commu-
nications Engineering, said.
Ghassani fears that politi-
cians, who own corporate
firms in the communications
field, might intervene to halt
any decent strategy.
Ontornet founders, howev-
er, remain upbeat that their
condensed campaign can
optics and 2,000 boxes de- coax the Ministry of Telecom-
signed to increase the speed munication into moderniz-
Internet will be completed in ing the national Internet net-
less than 18 months. work.
Nahhas said the ministry The Ontornet campaign has
has already signed several grown to over 200 followers
contracts to improve the In- on Twitter and more than
ternet in the country. 430 likes on Facebook. “Our
But with the current gov- connection is very, very bad
ernmental situation, many and it has to change,” Ghat-
doubt that Nahhas’ plans tas firmly said.
computing” as a solution to sure and once we’re confi-
all the problems that come dent we’ll start moving the
with the LAU email. emails,” Abou Nasr said.
Cloud computing is defined In the meantime, Abou Nasr
as computing services pro- stressed, students who en-
vided over the Internet (or counter problems with their
“cloud”), whereby shared re- existing LAU email should
sources, software, and infor- contact the IT helpdesk im-
mation are provided to com- mediately. The helpdesk re-
puters and other devices on ceived 1,400 calls this month,
demand. 760 of which were concerning
“Student emails will be host- software issues.
ed at Microsoft’s ‘live@edu.’ The helpdesk once got a call
You will have inboxes 50 from an “LAU constituent”
times bigger, meaning you complaining that a long-
will have 10GB mailboxes awaited mail was never re-
and your emails will keep the ceived. When the helpdesk
domain name ‘@lau.edu.lb,’” inquired about computer re-
Abou Nasr explained. lated issues, the person won-
Live@edu is a service by Mi- dered why it was relevant.
crosoft which offers edu- It turned out the caller was
cational institutions free waiting for snail mail and as-
hosted, co-branded commu- sumed they should seek as-
nication and collaboration sistance from the helpdesk.
services for students, faculty, “We still laugh about this,”
and alumni. Abou Nasr smiled. “My point
“We are in the middle of the is that we get all sorts of calls,
project right now, we’re do- so when you have a problem
ing some tests. Once we’re do call us.”
 April 18, 2011
CULTURE & FASHION
Wled El Balad: A Revolution through the Beat
By Sahar Moukaddem
LAU Tribune staff
When you listen to their mu-
sic, you don’t know whether
to laugh or cry.
Organized by four universi-
ty students, “Wled El Balad”
is one of the few Middle East-
ern bands that play a distinct
hybrid of rock with Arabic
lyrics.
The band’s members, Moha-
mad Hodeib, Saad Malaeb,
Mahmoud Ramadan and
Hussam Elias, have a spe-
cific goal in mind, one that
echoes what many activist
composers and musicians
have hoped for across time;
implementing social change.
As the band’s name suggests,
the four young men strong-
ly believe they are capable of
making a difference through
the music beats.
Their main inspiration is
their own lifestyle and expe-
riences. “And this is better
than any other inspiration,”
Mohamad Hodeib, the band
organizer, said. “Many of the
members learned the craft
alone and it was all about tri-
al and error. As a band, we
poured different experienc-
es all together and mixed
Diverse Cultures Display Harmony at LAU
By Zahi Sahli
LAU Tribune contributor
Delicious foods from Leb-
anese tabbouli to Jordani-
an msakhani and Ameri-
can cookies. An Armenian,
red version of the tabbouli.
Abayas, gelabiyas and tan-
tours. And, in front of the
American Club stand, noth-
ing less than a Harley David-
son motorbike.
Cultural clubs at LAU put in
a colorful and engaging show
on April 8, as they celebrated
the eighth annual Interna-
tional Heritage Day at LAU’s
Beirut campus.
Each of the nine participat-
ing cultural clubs set up its
own stand where it promoted
its country’s unique customs
through food, national prod-
them up to come up with our
style.”
In 2008, an 18-year-old Mo-
hamad Hodeib –who was at
LAU at the time– organized
the band and named it. Why
“Wled El Balad?” Although
many people consider the
four young men as outsiders,
they sturdily believe the op-
posite. “We are different be-
cause we don’t belong to any
political party, we have long
hair, we play electric guitar
and recite Arabic poems,”
Hodeib explained. “Many
people consider us crazy and
we are proud of that,” he
laughed heartily.
The band’s first performanc-
es were in closed parties and
concerts but later moved to
Beirut streets in an attempt
to grab more attention. “Our
style of music is fusion of
Blues, Folk, Grunge and
Punk Rock with an Oriental
Feel and Arabic Lyrics,” Ho-
deib said.
The band uses western in-
struments such as electric
guitar, classical guitar, base
guitar and drums.
The lyrics perfectly por-
ucts, distinctive attire and
other traditional items.
Tarek Na’was, associate pro-
fessor of biology and pharma-
cy opened the ceremony at 11
a.m., welcoming students,
staff, faculty and guests to
the event, and introducing
LAU President Joseph Jab-
bra.
Jabbra gave a historic over-
view of the sparkling occa-
sion, noting that its roots
date back to a 1982 interna-
tional council in Tunisia.
“In an international commu-
nity meeting in Tunisia on
April 18, 1982, one of the de-
cisions was to set a day on
which humanity would cel-
ebrate its heritage,” Jabbra
Tribune
tray youth struggles with so-
ciety in a black-comedic way.
For example, the song “Sakra
Deymeh” (Arabic for “chron-
ic intoxication”) describes the
situation of an ex-partisan
who gave everything to his
said.
“In 1983, UNESCO felt that
international heritage is vul-
nerable to the behavior of
leaders and to the effects of
war and thus required states
to do whatever they can so
that the diverse, but rich, in-
ternational heritage is pro-
tected,” Jabbra continued.
The president thanked the
students of various back-
grounds who have, in Jab-
bra’s own terms, contribut-
ed to the ongoing success of
the annual event since the
2003/04 academic year. “The
event has been made vibrant
through our diverse students
and our different cultural
clubs,” Jabbra said.
7
Photo provided by: Mohamad Hodeib
harsh and very socio- political.
“We tackle everything from
society’s perspective,” he ex-
plained. “And our fan base is
everyone concerned with what
we sing about.”
On the music level, the band
has made a huge progress
since it first started in 2008
and stayed on a run until the
present time. Its Demo CD is
sold in “Ants,” Hamra, while
a couple of others are avail-
able on youtube, MySpace and
Facebook. Still, Hodeib be-
lieves that the band still has
a lot of hard work to do. “The
problem is in society and we
are victims of the social ties,”
Hodeib said.
The young enthusiastic and
energetic band organizer said
that what he and his compan-
ions aim “desperately” for is “a
counter cultural revolution.”
“We aim to create a new iden-
tity far from the political and
political party and got noth- mental slavery,” he explained.
ing in return. He prefers to re- “Whoever believes that soci-
main in a state of drunken- ety needs to be fixed should
ness rather than to wait for a support us by giving it a shot
change that won’t come. and listening to our music.
Hodeib, the songwriter of the We are going to rock until we
band, described the lyrics as drop.”
LAU students who attended ance,” Greek-Cypriot stu-
the event were unequivocally dent Adnan Adam said.
pleased as they looked at the Program coordinator Riman
successful portrayal of their Jurdak expressed her pride
respective cultural identi- in the students’ ideas and ef-
ties. fort. “Honestly they keep on
“I think the Palestinian cul- surprising me so I’m real-
tural club’s stand really re- ly happy and proud of their
flected the cultural image work,” she said.
of the Palestinians through The show featured an open-
their presentation and folk ing dance from the Lebanese
dance,” Aya Ibrahim, a Pal- folklore before each of the
estinian English Literature other clubs performed its na-
student, said. tional dance.
Students also noted their joy The American, Armenian,
at the cooperation among the Greek, Iraqi, Jordanian, Pal-
different clubs. “The atmo- estinian, Saudi, Syrian, and
sphere is friendly between UNESCO clubs participated
clubs and they are sharing in the event. The latter rep-
ideas about how to improve resented the Lebanese cul-
each others’ stands appear- ture.
8 Tribune
PEOPLE
Behind the Door of Fine Arts 102
By Ivana Hindi
LAU Tribune staff
Upon entering her office, one
is embraced by a warm bub-
ble of sweet nostalgia that
echoes the rich history of
LAU and its community.
For 29 years, Hala Masri has
preserved her memories by
gradually posting them on
the walls of her second home,
a small office at the Fine Arts
building.
Masri’s long journey at the
institution is reflected in
the old books on the shelves,
the countless posters on the
walls, and the coffee supplies
that lay scattered among her
other beloved valuables.
Her physical appearance
since her student years re-
mains unchanged, anoth-
er mysterious charm. “I was
first part of the LAU family
as a student, back in 1982,”
Masri said. “I spent about
five years enjoying my uni-
versity life before graduat-
ing with a bachelor degree
in communication arts with
emphasis on radio/tv/film in
1987.”
However her studies were
Merci, Very Much...
By Lea Giusti
LAU Tribune staff
“Prononciation” is how Ma-
ria Alieh, a student at LAU,
reads the word. Her class-
mates laugh and don’t seem
to understand what she just
said. Humiliated, Alieh does
not want to read further. She
drops the book on the table
and sits still.
“While reading in English, if
I can’t pronounce the words,
I do so in French,” Alieh said.
“During my school years, I
was French educated.”
Alieh found the shift to an
American institution compli-
cated and hard to adapt to.
“I never spoke in English
with my friends,” she said.
“Only when obliged, I would.”
Alieh was never comfortable
with the language.
The English class Alieh took
during her childhood did
interrupted by time spent
working at Tele Liban, Leb-
anon’s only public television
channel. While she was a
student, Masri participated
in many major and student
theatre productions. “The-
atre was what I enjoyed the
most. I like to act and sing,”
she said. “I contributed in ev-
erything related to theatre at
LAU.”
Masri’s office was formerly
occupied by people who in-
spired her while she was a
student assistant, including
Leila Debs. “I used to work
so sincerely and devotedly in
this office as a student that
Dr. Debs asked me to take
over the office before she left
to London,” Masri recalled.
Her attachment to her office
is apparent as she admits
that people are naturally at-
tracted to the mystical ener-
gy that echoes out of it.
“Whoever passes by the hall
is attracted to come in like a
magnet,” she said. “I think
the secret lies behind the lo-
cation of the office, or the cha-
not make a difference. “The
school would teach us Eng-
lish only in grade 6,” she
said. “I learned the language
through movies, TV and the
Internet.”
One of the biggest challenges
she had to face is writing es-
says in English. “My phras-
es were disorganized,” Alieh
said. “And when I couldn’t
find the words in Eng-
lish, I used to write them in
French.”
Because of her poor language
skills, Alieh had to take the
remedial English class at
LAU. Although her skills im-
proved, the young woman
still struggles.
“When I have a presentation,
the students laugh at me be-
cause most my sentences
aren’t structured right,” she
risma it particularly gives
off. Whoever comes in feels
compelled to ask questions
about life.”
Masri’s office speaks for it-
self. There are literally
enough supplies to comfort-
ably live in the room. “Per-
sonally, I live at LAU more
than I live at home,” she said.
“I am now 51 years old and I
have spent around 29 years
here. If I were to do some sta-
tistics, the answer is clear.”
Masri has even organized a
few soap bars on the shelves.
said.
Alieh admits that the Amer-
ican system is more lenient
than the French, where stu-
dents face a strict set of rules
and endure a much heavier
workload.
The American school system
provides a curriculum that
takes into consideration the
children’s needs and inter-
ests. It’s flexible enough and
allows students to partici-
pate in extracurricular activ-
ities.
A World Health Organiza-
tion study showed that more
than six out of 10 students
complain of being anxious in
French schools.
Philippe Meirieu, an educa-
tion science professor, ad-
mitted that French schools
discourage creativity and
April 18, 2011
Photo by: Ahmad Yassine
light-heartedly. “Coffee
therefore would need to be
made on the spot.”
The owner of this rare pearl
of an office has always dealt
with youth and she admits
it makes her feel fresh and
young.
“Old graduates come, and
tell me that nothing has
changed. Neither the office
nor myself,” Masri laughed.
“Students describe with awe
how I still look the same after
30 years.”
Masri has a loving relation-
“The green soap you see here ship with students. She could
is mine, because I prefer to be a friend, or a mother –a
use it over the liquid soap in mother who scolds her chil-
the LAU bathroom. I dislike dren, who makes them apol-
its smell,” Masri said. “As for ogize or who apologizes to
the yellow soap, it is used for them herself. “I don’t mind
wiping the make-up sponges apologizing. I make mis-
that are used on drama stu- takes, like everyone else,”
dents’ faces.” Masri said, simply.
The existence of a whole cof- “I am not sure why my office
fee set on one of the shelves is so popular,” she said. “But
was also justified. I keep on trying to make it as
“We always expect visitors, lively as I can, as close to me
be it people from major pro- as I can, and as reflective as
ductions, designers, or even possible of this glorious insti-
old graduates,” Masri said, tution.”
personal involvement. And critical ability” and have a
yet, French-educated stu- better general knowledge.
dents seem to excel more in She noticed that even vocab-
American systems than their ulary wise, French-educated
English-educated counter- students are better.
parts. They are used to regu- “In a literature book, a great
lations and hard work. deal of the vocabulary comes
Sara Giusti, a business stu- from French,” she said.
dent at LAU, agreed. “It is “Hence the English educated
so much easier homework have problems with the big
wise,” she said. “French words.”
schools make you work hard- Reem Moussa, an LAU grad-
er and even the material we uate, found no difficulty
study is heavy.” transferring from a French
Giusti does not see lan- school. “It was way more re-
guage as an issue. Being in laxing as a curriculum and
a French system, students atmosphere,” she said.
have a better base than oth- Moussa explained that she
ers, she said. was well trained through es-
Samira Aghacy, dean of arts says and oral presentations
and sciences and literature at school.
professor at LAU, said that “I didn’t find the change dif-
the French educated are ficult because I went from
more equipped with “this hard to easy,” she added.
 April 18, 2011
CONTINUED
LAU Becoming a Non-
Smoking Campus?
Continued from page 1
from concerned students, the
issue cannot be ignored.
In 2005, Al-Mustaqbal, Assa-
fir, Annahar and Al-Anwar
featured articles about the
first anti-smoking event in
Dr. Najib Ghosn’s campaign.
In a campaign in 2006, live
music written by LAU stu-
dents specifically for the cam-
paign was sung, guest speak-
ers like former LAU student
and Miss Lebanon 2003 Ma-
rie Jose Hnein spoke, and
creative fact sheets and post-
ers were handed out on both
campuses.
In 2008 and 2009, pharma-
cy students spread aware-
ness against the dan-
gers of smoking and, in
2010, LAU hosted the
famous guitarist Ama-
deus with his band to
“I
promote an anti-smok-
ing campaign. The
sneak
housing and health
section in the Student back
here
Life website contains
a downloadable doc-
ument titled “How to
Quit Smoking.”
Last Monday, a pan- for a
el was held to debate
whether LAU should couple
become a non-smoking
campus with designat-
ed areas or a complete-
puffs”
ly smoke free campus.
Representing a non-
smoking campus with desig-
nated areas were assistant
professor Tamara Abou An-
toun and humanities profes-
sor Samira Shami. Rula Bu
Alwan spoke for a completely
smoke free campus. Instruc-
tor Ussama Akra, assistant
professor Abdallah Kahil,
student body president Hish-
am Baalbaki and student
Mohamad Abu Chahla spoke
on behalf of the smokers.
The audience was divided
among the two camps with
the smokers largely outnum-
bering the non-smokers.
Akra confessed that, when
Adviser:
The Team:
Yasmine Dabbous
he was in school, it was the
ban on smoking that creat-
ed social pressure on him to
smoke. To this, an audience
member replied by saying:
“I am a smoker, my father
is sick from smoking, and I
wish I can quit. That same
social pressure is what I feel
when I go outside and can’t
resist the urge to smoke,
since I am smoking it second
hand anyway, I might as well
have one. Banning smoking
will help me think twice be-
fore lighting a cigarette.”
Moussally explained that so-
cial pressure is a very strong
and effective force. “Social
pressure could be anything
from a remark or comment
to just the self stat-
ing fact that you are
an outsider because
you don’t smoke,
and it is powerful,”
she added.
The debate went on
unresolved, but sev-
eral solutions were
proposed. “Banning
it will not solve the
problem, we won’t
quit,” Akra argued.
“LAU needs to grad-
ually implement
changes in the forms
of programs and
awareness to help
us ease out of the
habit.”
Shami sympa-
thized, being a former smok-
er herself. “For those who are
addicted, I know that some-
times they just need that cig-
arette,” she said. Bu Alwan
insisted that designated ar-
eas would not free the cam-
pus of second-hand smoke
and pollution.
The debate was heated and
the audience was emotional.
Vice President Elise Salem
who had been watching con-
cluded that “as long as emo-
tions are involved, and from
the audience we see that they
are, it’s difficult to get any-
where.”
Editors-in-Chief:
Mohamad Yahia Hamade
Caroline Hodroj
Tribune 9
Neurons Crackle on Campus
Continued from page 1
my problems,” he said. “I would freeze during exams and not know what to do.”
The problem escalated outside the classroom and reached Richie’s personal life. He began to
have depressive episodes during which he would contemplate ways to end his life. “At that point
I knew I hit rock bottom and sought help,” Richie said. “I began seeing a therapist for a year and
a half; even during my summer vacation.”
Life for him got back in order, but not for long. Richie’s blissful state was shattered when his fi-
ancé broke up with him. “I relapsed and slipped into the gutter,” he said while trying to keep his
calm. “When I thought I had it all figured out, she left me and now I’m back to being nothing.”
Richie has terminated his private therapy sessions. However, he showed an interest in visiting
the counselor’s office on campus in the near future.
Karim Mohamed, a biology student, believes that LAU is doing a great effort in reducing the
stigma associated with mental health issues. “It’s a good thing LAU offers psychological assis-
tance for free, it’s a blessing for students who need it,” he said. “Teachers here are generally ac-
cepting, to a reasonable limit.”
Along with being a place of education and support, LAU also prides itself with the open-door pol-
icy used on campus. “A student can go up to the president’s office anytime they want,” an un-
named LAU staff member boasted.
This claim is in fact, true. Maria Fellas, a journalism student who suffers from OCD, said her
condition “didn’t allow [her] to enter class.” Consequently, due to the consistent absences, Fel-
las failed the class. However, after presenting her case – along with her psychologist – before the
presidentw, Fellas was offered a second chance. “The president was very understanding of my
situation,” she said. “I’d go to class and walk back, then go to class and walk back. It went on for
quite some time.”
“I’m obsessed,” Zahi Sahli, a journalism and Arabic student, said. His words aren’t trivial,
they’re actually rooted in a deeply troubling situation that often prevents him from having a
good night’s sleep. Sahli has been diagnosed with Purely Obsessional OCD, which is a lesser
form of obsessive compulsive disorder that mainly revolves around one’s inability to stop think-
ing excessively.
“As a child, I’ve been obsessed with the dictionary, any word I don’t know I’d look it up,” he said.
Sahli’s condition is geared toward making sure whatever project he starts is finalized to his sat-
isfaction. If not finished, he will not sleep till it is.
Sahli makes the most out of his condition and keeps himself busy by writing for the LAU news-
paper and working as a freelancer at Global Sports Media and the marketing department at
LAU. “I’m very busy… I like it; it is part of the illness,” he smiled.
Naturally Fake
Continued from page 12
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries to sue Zein Al Atat. The accuser provided medical evi-
dence that these products, and especially the creams, have cancerous ingredients.
Consumers Lebanon Organization, a non-governmental institution by Zuhair Berro, helps pro-
tect consumers under the patronage of the law and of the ministry of health. An individual can
raise a complaint by filing a report to the organization, who directly contacts the ministry for
help.
“We worked with the ministry of health in a campaign against the marketers who promote un-
natural products and we made a progress in controlling the wide spread of these products, but
some marketers are politically supported,” Alan Sabee, a member in the organization, said.
Sabee said that the government couldn’t ban some marketers from promoting their products on
TV, but they forced them to include a small line at the bottom of the screen or the billboard ad,
noting that these products are not medical.
Following the ban, Zein shops closed their doors. No party from Amana Care or Zein Al Atat com-
panies was available for comment.
Al Atat’s advertising campaigns cost millions of dollars. In Verdun, facing the UNESCO Center,
a huge billboard for Zein’s recent product, financed before the merchandise were banned, still
stands proudly, evidence of a lost kingdom.
Staff:
Lama Al-Haqhaq. Diaa Al Jurdy, Diana Bachoura, Tala El Riz, Maria Fellas, Lea Giusti, Ivana Hindi, Eleena Korban,
Sahar Moukaddem, Nour Monajjed, Tala Osseiran, Reem Swaidan
10
OPINION
Miss LAU
Reem Swaidan
LAU Tribune staff
“Do you have the qualities
to become Miss LAU? Wait
a minute.. Did I just read
Miss LAU?” So I read on one
of the flyers that were posted
all over LAU. I took another
look at the pink piece of pa-
per with a cartooned girl on
it that ironically had her hair
and makeup done.
As I walked around the uni-
versity, I was puzzled with
the level that we have sunk
to.
I don’t get it. Do we need
some girl with her 6-inch sti-
lettos, full make-up and hair
done to represent our uni-
versity? As if LAU hasn’t al-
ready got a reputation for be-
ing “materialistic.” Do we
need something else to push
us off the edge?
What horrifies me even more
is the enthusiasm many of
the girls felt over this event.
The fact that many of them
welcomed the need to enter
a beauty pageant in an aca-
demic institution, just to feel
more confident about them-
Men and Cars
Tala Osseiran
LAU Tribune staff
I’m going out with my love.
She turns heads wherever
she goes. I devote all my time
to her. She’s beautiful and
well built.
I just love showing her off
and it just feels right when
we sit together. She under-
stands me like no one can.
With a light touch, she fol-
lows my directions without
complaining. She’s my wife
and my lover; she’s my CAR.
Guys and cars are two insep-
arable beings.
The guy walks around con-
fident enough, knowing
that he’s got something that
makes others envy him. “My
car is my wife, we are con-
nected, there’s just this
chemistry between us, R.S.,
a business student at LAU,
told me.
It’s obvious that men spend a
lot of time pampering, wash-
selves, is another issue I will
get into in a bit.
Everyone knows that Leb-
anese citizens have a rep-
utation of being “shallow,”
no offence, and most Leba-
nese hold that status proud-
ly. Young Lebanese men are
only satisfied when a “hot
chick” is by their side. Now,
let us describe this Leba-
nese “hot chick,” shall we?
No need to be too tall, she will
wear heals at any given time
anyway. Her makeup will be
done perfectly no matter how
early she needs to wake up.
Her hair? Oh, her hair. Noth-
ing ruins that perfectly done
hair.
Now imagine the picture I
just painted. That “hot chick”
that you imagined is right
here! Look around! She is all
over!
What goes through these
girls’ minds, you wonder?
Well basically, in order not
to throw away all this work
they do to themselves every
single morning, they grab
ing and cleaning their cars
until they shine. Every day,
they tend to lavish them
with the best fragrance to
make them look first-class.
Men will not spare the time
or the money to correct ev-
ery scratch their babies have;
they will give them the most
expensive cosmetic surgery
to enhance their engines,
wheels and expensive trim-
mings. For them, only the
best they will do.
“I treat my car better than
treating my girl because
when I ask her to move, she
moves without even ques-
tioning me,” A.S., another
LAU student, said. No com-
ment!
Obviously, cars feed into
men’s desires to be accept-
ed by society. They give them
immediate and very pleasing
satisfaction.
Tribune
any opportunity there is to
show off their “hotness.”
Let us get back to the rea-
son these girls feel the need
to enter this wonderful beau-
ty pageant that only happens
at LAU. Most of these girls
never take the risk of just be-
ing themselves. I don’t blame
them honestly. It’s the soci-
ety that we live in today. It’s
the world around them tell-
ing them they need to look
perfect every minute of every
day.
What I do blame them for is
not having enough self-es-
teem to ignore this society
and just be. There is no need
to enter some beauty pag-
eant in a university just to
feel good about yourself. You
are beautiful.
Yes, by “you” I mean all you
girls at LAU. You don’t need
to win a beauty contest to feel
beautiful. You need to tell
yourself that you are beau-
tiful. So who cares about the
credentials for being Miss
LAU?
The intimacy between men
and their cars is complete
madness. They even try to
call their car “sexy.” I mean,
who would do that? And then
they find it hard to compli-
ment their girls.
“I have this kind of chemis-
try with my car, which I can’t
have with my girlfriend, and
I love it,” J. K., another car-
lover, said.
However, this might hin-
der the relation between
men and their significant
others, because men tend to
feel much safer around their
cars than around girls, even
though both need love and
care.
But cars do not reject men as
girls may well do.
A lot of men think that cars
define their status and ego.
But what men don’t know
is that girls don’t pick guys
Hey, Ken
Tala El-Riz
LAU Tribune staff
Ken arrives and she runs off
to alert her friends.
He’s dressed in a perfectly
ironed pink chemise, paired
with perfectly squared trou-
sers and matching grey moc-
casins.
One girl asks her friend: “Do
I look good?” To which her
friend replies: “Yeah you do.
What about me?”
He goes off to class and they
sit around, waiting for him to
return. Time and expertise
helped them get his full-time
schedule so they know when
and where to find him.
I wondered why every girl
wants to be Ken’s Barbie, and
tried to find out for myself.
He has a well-defined jaw,
golden tanned skin tone and
a physique that proves the
gym has done its job. The mo-
ment he sets foot on campus,
girls run off to the bathroom
to check themselves out and
guys, unfortunately, feel in-
timidated by the elected “hot-
test of 2011.”
If Ken meets all girls’ stan-
according to the cars they
drive. A guy who drives a car
that is well trimmed and tidy
reflects sensitivity and love;
and these are two character-
istics that most ladies would
like their guys to have. But it
stops there.All girls should
get used to the idea that men
connect over many things in
life; and cars are at the top of
the list.
Cars are men’s selfish pas-
sion in life, no matter how
important their female part-
ners might be.
Real girls ought to look at
this sad truth and decide on
Do you have anything you’d like to say?
Share your thoughts with the entire campus.
Send your articles to
TribuneLAU@gmail.com
April 18, 2011
dards, then who gets to be
his Barbie? Who lives up to
his standards?
The winner has to be well-
qualified and up to the stan-
dards of Ken’s wardrobe.
Girls, and may I say guys, I
felt what you felt. I inspect-
ed, observed and became fa-
miliar with the model that
looks like he came straight
out of a catalog.
What’s funny about it is that
he’s not even aware of the
show that is taking place
around him. His nose is so
high up that it might just
touch the sky and his mind,
from what it seems, drifts off
into “Ken’s world.”
48 hours of observation
proved that the girls didn’t
give up. They kept running
a show to impress him. It is
funny how girls let super-
ficial factors win when it
comes to guys. Look around
you and try to look beyond
exteriors. Try to open up and
read what’s there on the in-
side.
their priorities according-
ly. To be valued less than a
car is simply nonsense. And
to keep arguing with your
man, because he expects you
to compete with his car for
attention also doesn’t make
any sense.
I came to the conclusion that
men turn into kids when it
comes to their cars; they be-
come so excited and selfish
to a point where they would
refer to them as “she” or as
“baby.” If only men would try
and treat their girls the way
they treat their cars, how
wonderful would that be?
 April 18, 2011 Tribune 11

OFF CAMPUS
Melanoma rising, Lebanon declining
By Caroline Hodroj
LAU Tribune staff

Rima, a 42-year-old mother
of three, comfortably loung-
es on a tanning bed while she
sips chilled carrot juice and
adjusts her sunglasses. No
one could mistake that smile
on her mouth as she inhales
deeply and exhales with a
contented sigh.
In her mind, she is doing her
body a medical and cosmetic
favor. Medically, she is soak-
ing up as much vitamin D
and hoarding it throughout
the impending winter, and
cosmetically, she is allowing
the sun to beautify her skin
color.
“I hate winter, thank God
it’s delayed,” she says with a
happy sigh.
Although Rima is candidly
content, scientists point out
to climate change as a sign
of environmental disorder.
Such change occurs when
there is a depletion of the
earth’s ozone layer, which
may cause skin cancer due to
UV radiation exposure.
The ozone layer is essential
to life on earth because it
functions as a filter and ab-
sorber of radiation, sort of
like the earth’s personal sun-
screen. Ultraviolet radiation
penetrates cells and destroys
the DNA of many living or-
ganisms on the planet.
So to what extent has the
sun compromised the safe-
ty of the Lebanese environ-
ment and increased the risks
of skin cancer among its res-
idents?
The population of the Arab
world has tripled to 360 mil-
lion since 1970, and will rise
to nearly 600 million by 2050.
The level of atmospheric pol-
lution that accompanies that
number indicates that the
temperature in the region
will rise in the coming years.
According to the Lebanese
Ministry of Environment,
Lebanon will be suffering
from rising sea levels, dwin-
dling rainfall, and danger-
ously hot summers in the up-
coming year due to the rise
in temperature. The UNDP
stated that the change in
climate will result in a cri-
sis within the region, where
temperatures may rise to 2
degrees Celsius in the next
15 years and 4 degrees Cel-
sius by the end of the centu-
ry.
“I couldn’t give you a specific
date when we might see the
last cedar on our mountains,
but eventually that might
happen,” said Vahakn Kaba-
kian, an Environment Minis-
try official who prepares Leb-
anon’s next climate change
report to the United Nations.
All these factors that pol-
lute the atmosphere increase
the danger of UV radiation,
which increases the risk of
skin cancer.
According to the Lebanese
Ministry of Public Health,
skin melanoma, a type of skin
cancer that has the ability to
spread quickly throughout
the body and invade other
cells, is steadily on the rise.
Within the ministry’s annual
cancer registry, skin melano-
ma for individuals between
ages 35 to 39 has increased
by 1.6 percent since 2005. It
has increased by 2.9 percent
among individuals ranging
between 40 and 44 years old
and by 4.9 percent among in-
dividuals between 55 and 59
years old.
Dr. Danny Touma, a special-
ist in advanced dermatology,
research, and surgery, gave
an estimate based on his
studies and findings.
“There is no question that it
is significantly rising, par-
ticularly in regards to ma-
lignant melanoma, the dead-
liest type,” Touma says.
“Malignant melanoma,
which presents as an enlarg-
ing dark mole, grows very
rapidly and uniformly leads
to death if not detected very
early, sometimes inflicting
people in their twenties and
thirties,” he said.
According to Touma, 95 per-
cent of skin cancer is treat-
able with proper care, but on
the condition that it is caught
early on. To avoid such a
risk, the sun’s rays should be
avoided during peak hours,
specifically from 10 a.m. to 3
p.m.
“Those who are exposed to
the sun should use a sun-
screen lotion with a sun
protection factor (SPF) of
15 or more, and wear wide
brimmed hats and enough
clothing to cover the skin
as much as possible,” he ad-
vised. “Sunscreens should be
used even when swimming,
since the sun’s rays can reach
down one meter into the wa-
ter.”
Aya Kabanni, a pharma-
cist who works for the Beirut
Farah Pharmacy, says that if
it were up to her, she would
force people to wear sun-
screen even when it’s rain-
ing.
Although Dr. Touma said
that the medical treatment
for skin cancer is effective
by 95 percent, the Lebanese
Ministry of Environment
stated that the treatment for
the environment isn’t that
high.
Many policies that have been
followed by the Lebanese
government since 1950 en-
courage the extension of the
field in industry, one of the
leading causes of ozone de-
pletion.
According to Rania Masri,
of the International Relief
Fund in Lebanon, the atmo-
spheric pollution is the least
researched environmental
issue in Lebanon.
“The major pollutants [in
Lebanon]of the atmosphere
are the cement works, refin-
eries, thermo-electric pow-
er houses, a multiplicity of
small combustion sources,
and generators installed at
numerous industrial prem-
ises and residences to com-
pensate for power cuts. Pro-
duction of electrical energy
pollutes the atmosphere by
the discharge of thermo-elec-
tric power plants. The sulfur
content of fuel used in Leba-
non is high,” Masri stated.
Besides the pollution of in-
dustrious structures, Leb-
anon is having a problem
with the increasing number
of cars. The present num-
ber is 1.3 million and an ad-
ditional 75 thousand are an-
nually imported. According
to Fouad Seniora, the former
prime minister of Lebanon,
the average number of cars
in Lebanon per person is one
car for every three persons.
This average is the equiva-
lent to that of the U.S.
While one can find immense
difficulty living without re-
frigeration, cooling systems,
and capitalism, perhaps it
isn’t so difficult to avoid the
strong exposure of the sun or
wear sun screen as if it were
a second skin.
After all, Rima did abrupt-
ly abandon her tanning bed
when she shockingly noticed
her skin turn as red as her
carrot juice and rapidly begin
to peel.

Street of the Week: Verdun, the Glamorous Battlefield

By Farrah Berrou
LAU Tribune c

Known as the Middle Eastern Rodeo Drive, Verdun has been the cosmopolitan
shopping district that attracts consumers from all over the region. The Dunes
Center, which is also the revamped Holiday Inn Hotel, is now a favored destina-
tion for many of Lebanon’s Gulf visitors. Along with the mirroring Verdun 730
and 732 shopping centers, it is home to various stores and cafes that cater to the
businessmen and coiffed ladies of the city.
The large Starbucks Coffee, its hookah-littered neighbor Amore Café, and the
posh Casper & Gambini’s, are the usual standard coffee shops; the so-called
“UM United Menus” resto-café is another choice. Goodies, which has been a
Verdun landmark since 1979, started out as a high-end deli but, even thirty-
two years later, it is quite young considering Beirut’s reputation for rich histo-
ry. According to Ray Mouawad, an LAU history professor, “Verdun Street was
named during the French Mandate period in Lebanon (1920-1943), as homage
to the Battle of Verdun.” The Battle of Verdun took place during the First World
War on the Western Front between the French and German armies in the city
of Verdun-sur-Meuse in France. It was one of the longest battles of the First
World War and resulted in 306,000 battlefield deaths and at least half a mil-
lion wounded. Another element that points to a facet of unknown Verdun histo-
ry is a helical ribbon of mosaic tiles that loops to form a water fountain standing
at the intersection before the Dunes center, the “Purple Ardea.” Marco Bravu-
ra, founder of the Institute Artistique Antonin in Beirut, designed the fountain
in 1999. It was donated in the name of the Verdun Traders Association’s then-
President Raymond Nahhas, the owner of Fabriano Lebanon and director of the
Association Culturelle Italo-Libanaise. Years ago, Verdun was home to many
Italian families and two Italian schools. And yet, the Verdun that people have
come to know in Lebanon today is hardly a battlefield.
 April 18, 2011
OFF CAMPUS
Naturally Fake
Diaa AlJurdi
LAU Tribune staff
Addressing Al Hakawaty Ah-
mad Tay, a writer at Al Be-
naa newspaper, Rita Bou-
lous posted the following
Facebook message on March
5 at 2:26 p.m.:
“Leik, addeih baddak 7atta
teskot enta w makalatak? et-
lob l ra2em elli baddak yeh”
(How much? Name your
price).
But, full of resolve, the jour-
nalist refused the offer. He
wrote:
‫اسلوب آخر من أساليب االتات الرخيصة‬
‫لن تنال من االقالم التي تتبنى هموم‬
‫الشعب الفقير‬
‫فعذرا ً آنستي ريتا بولس قلمي ليس‬
‫للبيع او الشراء وهو ليس ملكي هو ملك‬
‫الشعب اللبناني‬
(Another one of Al Atat’s
cheap ruses. You will not get
hold of the writers who care
of the people. My pen is not
for sale. It is not even mine; it
is the people’s).
During the last two years,
waves of attacks on herb-
al and cosmetic products
filled the Lebanese public
sphere on- and offline. Face-
book groups, newspaper ar-
ticles and TV programs pub-
lished testimonies of people
denouncing herbal product
dealers such as Zein Al Atat
and Amana Care.
Zein Al Atat produces herb-
al products and creams and
sells them in Zein’s shops
all over Lebanon or exports
them to the Gulf and all be-
yond. The colossal publicity
he got through TV ads, bill-
boards and interviews on TV
programs helped make him a
star for those seeking alter-
native medication. During
the last two years, however,
complaints have surfaced ac-
cusing the herbal doctor of
fraud. “I tried Zein Al Atat’s
diet pills. I lost seven kilos
in seven days, but it was so
unhealthy,” Farah Ghan-
noum, a 22-year-old com-
puter programming student,
said. “I started getting diz-
zy, my blood pressure went
up and the shape of my body
changed because I lost my
muscles rather than the fat.
And when I stopped, I gained
triple the weight I lost.”
According to Amana Care’s
website, the company is a
five-year-old trusted name
with more than 50,000 satis-
fied customers. The ingredi-
ents it uses are approved and
certified by herbal scientists.
Although Amana Care’s web-
site only cites people who
praise its products, many
outside this corporate plat-
form testify against them.
“I took Jujuba from Amana
Care and Zein’s Tea to lose
some weight,” Assad J., a
Lebanese businessman, said.
“At the beginning I was so
happy because I lost three ki-
los in less than a month, but
later I suffered from strong
headache and gained the ki-
los I lost.”
Amana Care has more than
50 products in dietary sup-
plements, health care, maya
derm and beauty care. Pric-
es start from 20 dollars and
vary depending on the prod-
uct.
Al Atat’s products are more
or less similar. Every Zein
shop has rows of creams and
pills for several uses. The
Golden Perl product costs
100 dollars in Lebanon.
A pharmacist at Shams Phar-
macy in Khalde spoke on con-
dition of anonymity. He said
that such products are now
banned from all pharmacies
and medical shops because
they aren’t medically tested
and may cause more harm
Tribune
than good. Pharmacies can
only sell Life Long products,
which are exported from out-
side.
“Many people say that herb-
al medicines or products are
healthy and always effec-
tive,” Rima Farhat, an ex-
pert in herbal medicine, said.
“Well, they are wrong. Some
of these products are not test-
ed so they are very danger-
ous and have side effects.”
Farhat said that individu-
als react differently to chem-
icals and drugs, so patients
must be examined first, the
problem should be diagnosed
and then solved step-by-
step. “It is not about giving
an obese person a pill so he
can lose weight in less than
two weeks,” she said. “This is
harmful.”
Lama Jurdi, a housewife and
mother, tried Al Atat’s differ-
ent products in an attempt
to lose weight. “I lost weight,
but I gained them double lat-
er, and I had problems with
my nerves, I couldn’t control
my anger. That caused me a
deep depression,” Jurdi said.
The Lebanese consumer pro-
tection law includes a section
on the protection of consum-
ers and the safety and qual-
ity of goods and services.
The law revolves around two
main points; the first asserts
the consumers’ rights and
guarantees the transparen-
12
Green
Architects
Mohamad Yahia Hamade
Photo via Creative Commons
LAU Tribune staff
Edouard François graced
the full-house at the Charles
Hostler Student Center Au-
ditorium with his ideas on
the relationship of landscape
and conserving history. He
advised future architects to
see the building in relation
with the landscape.
An important factor for that
is to have the building “in-
visible” while understanding
the context, the shape and
the matter.
The lecture on March 30, en-
titled Green Architecture,
was organized by AUB’s De-
partment of Architecture
and Design. François shared
his passion of “green archi-
tecture” with the audience.
cy of economic transactions According to François, de-
in which consumers may en- molishing nature will not
gage; and the second protects help keep architecture
consumers from fraud and “green.” The act of conserv-
misleading advertisements ing historic aspects of the
and denounces exploitation. landscape and transform-
But are these rights protect- ing ugliness into beautiful
ed, and is the law applied? things will benefit biodiver-
The Ministry of Health sity.
banned the promotion of François shared his projects
many herbal products and with audience. Such projects
their distribution, especially include the Tower Flower,
in pharmacies. built in 2004, and Fouquet’s
“I personally didn’t sell these Barrière, which was complet-
cosmetic and herbal prod- ed a year later.
ucts in my pharmacy because His upcoming projects in-
they have many side effects clude a Club Med in Senegal,
and aren’t medically tested,” and a much awaited commer-
Hiba El Ahmadieh, a phar- cial center in France.
macist, said. “But many peo- “I really enjoyed his presen-
ple come every day to buy tation,” Joseph Saba, a com-
Amana Care or Al Atat prod- puter science senior at AUB,
ucts.” said. “He adds humor to seri-
She added that after the min- ous subjects to allow us to fol-
istry’s decision to ban the dis- low easier.”
tribution of un-tested prod- François’ audience laughed
ucts, the demands for such throughout the lecture, while
products decreased. following his humorous re-
Lina Kreidieh, a Lebanese marks. “I loved this event
publisher and a general man- very much,” Marwan Jaaf-
ager, joined efforts with Al ar, Outlook’s previous asso-
Hakawaty on the “Stop Zein ciate editor, said. As an engi-
El Atat” Facebook group. She neering student, Jaafar said
posted several comments he worked with professors on
against the herbal shamen ways to reduce harm to the
products and was threatened environment.
and blackmailed by Al Atat’s “I hope to collaborate with
supporters. François when I start work-
Recently, news on LBC and ing in the field of engineering
New TV reported efforts in and hopefully coin the term
‘Green Engineering,’” he said
Continued on page 9 with a smile.