Imagine - University of Balamand – UOB Home · No, I am not just singing a John Lennon song; I am...

UOB Student NewspaperIssue 23 - April 2013

Since you have decided to read this, it is fair to warn you that if you are not ready to explore your imagination’s boundaries, you should save this article for when you feel ready.

Now that you have decided to continue, imagine:What if you were a flower? What color would you be? What would

you smell like? Would you surround yourself with other flowers of your type or would you rather be one of a kind? Look at your fingers. Are they petals yet? If not, imagine.

What if you were a fruit? Would you grow on a tree or would you be a seed that develops into a plant? Are you sour or are you sweet? Look around you. Is the guy sitting in front of you a watermelon or an apple? Are you in a fruit salad or not yet? If not, just imagine.

When we were kids, we most likely imagined ourselves as princess-es or famous football players. We looked at popular personalities or fairytale characters and idolized them. We never looked at nature and imagined ourselves as a part of it. But who said imagination is only for kids? Who said imagination has limits? Why is it easy for you to imagine yourself as a president but not as a tree? What goods have presidents provided the world with that trees did not? Have you seen a tree who has recently declared war?

As you welcome the spring season this year, I urge you to change the way you imagine. Imagination is the base of every success. Power and greed are outside forces that would decrease your desire to imag-ine by bringing you back to sad reality. If an egg is broken by an external force, its life ends. However, if an egg was broken by an internal force, then, life begins. Great things come from within, and imagination is the universe’s gift to us. Use it for good.

If you are a flower use it to blossom with the other flowers to make a colorful garden. If you are a fruit, remember that even if you can be juicy all by yourself, your taste would be much easier to distinguish when you are mixed with other fruits in a salad.

Nature should not be a place you visit; it should be your home. I hope that when you finish reading this article, you would go out-side for a walk, stand there in silence, look up at the sky, and con-template how amazing life is. Please, do not stop the flow of your thoughts. Go wild; do not fear escaping from the bitter reality for a while. Close your eyes. Do not imagine that you could, imagine that you are. Visualize yourself, open your eyes and enjoy who you have become.

Imagine. No, I am not just singing a John Lennon song; I am living it.

Imagine

Miriam Atallah

7•

8• I’m Not Asleep, I’m in Savasana

12• Give Oscar a Break, Will Ya?

أطلقوا عليه رصاصة الرحمة

سلسلة الرتب والرواتب... عقدة بال حل

2 Highlights Issue 23 - April 2013

Bless the Broken Road

Lebanon: Can We Be Discrimination Free?

Widad Samman

Zena Chahine

13 -10- 2011 is the day Jessica Samaha’s car almost hit the bottom of the valley, was it not for the tree that held it back; and a date she will never forget.

Riad Nahle, yet another student, had a similar close-to-tragic fender bender that could have cost him his life. “The curve next to OJM fuel station is a thriller! You never know what could pop up from behind the hill or when”, he said, “A truck was the luck of my draw.” He had three choices, “hit the truck, hit the tree or roll down the embankment.” Again, he was saved by a tree.

Now we know why trees are beautiful. But we also know that it is not always the driver’s fault. Evidently, road conditions share a part of the responsibility as well.

According to the mayor of Qalhat, Gaby

Al Khoury, the road extending from the high-way to the University of Balamand was built in 1967. Khoury does not hide the fact that the road is strewn with dangers, and also acknowl-edges openly how all the authorities have been turning a blind eye to the problem. As far as he remembers, “it has been six years since the bar-riers on the sharpest curve have been missing”.

“My heart misses a beat every time the bus drives by it” exclaims Maha Safi, an MA stu-dent in electrical engineering.

Obviously, it does not take an experts’ eye to recognize the negligence and defectiveness written all over the surface of the road. But it does require a civil engineer to explain them to us. Jacques Jabbour, MS student in civil engineering and specialist in roadway design, was more than delighted to enlighten me about all the imperfections the road suffers from. He takes a frown minute’s thought not knowing where to start!

“First and most important of all is that the horizontal curves have negative super eleva-tion.” He goes on explaining that instead of the road leaning 12% to the inside, it is exactly the opposite. In other words, instead of the road holding your car back from slipping or rolling down the valley, it actually gives it a push! He then adds, “You have the longitudinal grade which is larger than necessary that it blocks the view of the drivers coming from both lanes”.

Now you know the reason why you do not

see the car opposite to you until you almost run into it. But there is another factor that con-tributes to the surprise. “The radius of the hor-izontal curves is also smaller than it should be” Jacques says with an expert’s tone. The most visible example of this defect is the curve next to OJM station that Riad Nahle referred to.

Now those are all-seasoned accident prompters, but you must have noticed the stony gifts the mountain clutters on your way up in the winter. “The hillside adjacent to the road is 90 degrees vertical, it should be a lot less steep to prevent stones and soil from slid-ing onto the street”, Jacques clarifies. Those undesirable mountain-sends could have been easily avoided if retaining walls were built, or even simpler, if the mountain edge was cov-ered by geogrids.

Nevertheless, Jessica’s only wish re-mains: “if only the barriers were real!” Why, what are they? Exactly,“make-believers.” What they actually do is trick your sub-conscious-ness into believing that if you run into the wall, at least you will not jump to the bottom of the valley. While in reality what they are made for is to accompany you there. Bless the broken road … someone has finally thought about you! They say “misery loves company.” That is why Wissam Karimeh, a chemical engineering graduate, likes to call them “together-forever barriers.” Seriously, why panic? At least you have got the company, so just enjoy the ride!

It is no surprise that the Lebanese people have a tendency to believe that, however flawed, Lebanon is a great country and anyone would be lucky to live here. In fact, we see that many people from several coun-tries choose to live and work in Lebanon. In light of recent events, we have seen many who have chosen to take refuge in Lebanon, away from the dangers of their own countries.

But one has to wonder, when does this patriotism and pride be-come discrimination and superiority? There is a very fine line between being proud of one’s country and feeling superior to other countries or races. Many times, I see an overlap between pride and discrimination. It is sad to know that in the 21st century, we still hear phrases like, “my country is better than yours” or “I am better than you because I am Leb-anese.” Unfortunately, this attitude is still prevalent and quite offensive.

To make matters worse, we hear political leaders flaunt their racism and disdain of others, because they may or may not be allied with them. So I ask the question, can Lebanon be bias-free if our own political lead-ers are telling us to discriminate? The issue of discrimination is far more serious than we care to admit.

In order to raise awareness, a new anti-discrimination group has now been formed at Balamand headed by Dr. Geri Henderson. This group aims to shed some light on the issue and its consequences. De-spite the fact that our first event did not get much of an audience due to poor advertising or general indifference, this group will continue to carry out events and meetings and will hopefully gain the attention it de-

serves. For those interested, you may contact Dr. Henderson via email [email protected], join our Facebook page Anti-Dis-crimination, Student group, Balamand, or just look out for our posters around campus!

Balamandiyyat

3Highlights Issue 23 - April 2013

Communication is More than Just WordsSamer Kammoun

Balamandiyyat

For the 7th consecutive year, the University of Balamand has been organizing the clubs’ retreat. This year’s retreat took place on the 9th and 10th of March 2013, at Ehden Country Club, under the theme of “Communication.” 150 active Balamand students from the main cam-pus, FHS Achrafieh, and Akkar, participated in two days’ worth of inten-sive workshops. This event has always been the place that combines education, active learning, entertainment, talent, and team spirit.

Dean of Office of Student Affairs, Dr. Toni Gergess, initiated the re-treat with a welcoming speech stating the purpose of the gathering and the importance of communication. Human behavior specialist, John Keirouz, started the activities with an ice-breaking competition which was really fun and got the students excited about the retreat. Editor in chief of Highlights newspaper, Kafaa Msaed, introduced the paper and talked about how writing can help change the community and encour-aged the students to express themselves. Dr. Hala Kheir presented the Public Relations Office at UOB and stressed that communication is very important among individuals and different groups. John Keirouz made his second appearance with an interactive session that does not require physical activity. He engaged the students in a few very interesting psy-chological activities to test how our brains deal with past memories and how to communicate with these memories and deal with them. After the lunch break, everybody headed back to the conference room to contin-ue the activities, this time with the chairperson of the English Depart-ment, Dr. Samer Annous, who discussed the role of the youth in change on various aspects and levels.

Cine Club advisor, Dr. Charles Dick, used theatre techniques to allow the students to express the problems that people face with communica-tion. Later, the students headed to the conference room for a fancy dinner

that included a talent show and musical performances by bands from the FHS and main campus. At around 11:00 PM, the DJ started putting free music and everybody left their chairs and held hands on the dance floor for either Salsa dancing or Dabke and everybody had a good time.

Then, public speaking trainer, Ziad Nehme, led an interesting work-shop in which he called up the Mediterranean Development Forum (MDF) Club members to the stage to help him perform the activity. Each MDFer had to sell himself to the crowd who selected him as their team leader. The activity focused on developing speech writing and presen-tation skills of the participants.

Dean of the Faculty of Sciences, Dr. Jihad Attieh, engaged all the students in a discussion about club purposes. Elie Deeba, member of the OSA Organizing Committee, talked about laziness and how we are not looking at the big picture. Afterwards, John Keirouz led a psycho-logical activity to test our dreams, ego, ambitions, and our personal rela-tionships. We ended the two-day retreat with certificates of participation from the university and the John Keirouz Coaching and Consulting firm.

You might think that two days is a short period of time to develop such a broad set of skills, but you cannot imagine how much we learned and how much experience we gained at this retreat. We really learned how to communicate properly.

In her closing statements, Advisor for campus life and student de-velopment, Dr. Mira Sabat, announced that a large-scale celebration ceremony would mark UOB’s 25th Anniversary come June, and encour-aged students to fire up their imagination and school spirit in prepa-ration for the commemorative event. We would like to offer a special thanks to the OSA team and all the clubs, members, and presidents that participated to make this an enlightening and fun retreat.

4 Highlights Issue 23 - April 2013Events

Fire Night - Adventure Club

- Cultural Clubمعرض إقرأ السنوي الثاين عرش

13-03-2013

11-03-2013

5Highlights Issue 23 - April 2013Events

Tony Abou Jawdeh Get Together - Theater Club

Outdoor Rock Concert - Music Club

26-03-2013

26-03-2013


الحديث عن »زودة« آتية؟ نظريات كثرية واقرتاحات أكرث كلها باءت بالفشل، ألنها ال تؤمن اإلرادات

املطلوبة، وعود فارغة وغري واقعية ومامطلة من قبل الحكومة، صرب ينفذ، تصعيد وتهديد من قبل

هيئة التنسيق النقابية.

وبقي الوضع عىل حاله حتى عاد رئيس الجمهورية اللبنانية، العامد ميشال سليامن من زيارته

إىل أفريقيا، وانعقد مجلس الوزراء يف 21 آذار 2013، حيث أحال السلسلة إىل مجلس النواب ولكن

ليس بصفة املعجل. عىل الرغم من أن السلسلة أحيلت إال ثغرات كثرية تبقى موجودة، و معالجتها

ستكون رهن التداول يف مجلس النواب.

فرتاك تتعرث بالهدر والفساد كيفام تتلفت يف الدولة اللبنانية، االستقواء عىل الطبقتني الوسطى

والهيئات النقابيني بني الصاع يف يتجسد الضعيف عىل القوي وطغيان الحكام، شيم من والفقرية

االقتصادية. فأي حقوق ستكتسب يف دولة ال تعرتف إال بصون هيمنة املتمولني والحيتان االقتصاديني؟

بالنسبة إلينا، كطالب جامعة خاصة، فإن كل ما يعنينا من اإلرضاب هو ما إذا كنا سنتمكن من

الوصول إىل الجامعة يف اليوم التايل، أو إذا كانت الصفوف ستعقد، بنسبة حضور عالية.

لنخرج قليال من عاملنا الذي نشكل محوره ونجيب عن السؤال التايل:« ما هو السبب وراء هذا

اإلرضاب؟« نعم، كلنا نعلم أن اإلرضاب هو نتيجة عدم إحالة سلسلة الرتب والرواتب إىل املجلس

النيايب من قبل مجلس الوزراء.

فإذا ما هي سلسلة الرتب والرواتب؟ سوف أستعني بالتعريف الذي قدمته د.غريتا صعب، رئيسة

فرع اإلقتصاد يف كلية إدارة األعامل يف جامعة البلمند، إىل جريدة البيان، »هي تعديل للوظائف واملراكز

واملتعاقدين واألستاذة املوظفني معاشات يف وتزيد الدرجات يف ترفع أي العام، القطاع يف والرتب

واملتقاعدين.«

ولكن هل تعلمون متى كان آخرتعديل أجري عىل السلسلة؟ لقد كان يف العام 1998، مام يعني

أن إجحافا ملحوظا لطاملا طاول موظفي القطاع العام الذين يتقاضون رواتب ال تتناسب مع ما أصبحت

عليه أسعار املواد الغذائية والثياب يف لبنان منذ أكرث من عقد من الزمن. وهذا بالتأكيد عىل اعتبار

أن فئة كبرية من الناس وعائالتهم ال يحق لهم االحتفال يف األعياد، أو الخروج يف املناسبات، ألن الحد

األدىن لألجور هو 675 ألف لرية، أي ما يعادل 450 دوالرا أمريكيا فقط!

تعديل السلسلة يضع عبء 2000 مليار لرية عىل الدولة، مبلغ كبريعىل بلد يعاين من عجز ومنو

اقتصادي شبه معدوم. هنا يأيت السؤال األكرب واألهم: كيف ستمول هذه السلسلة؟ هل من الرضائب

أو إضايف(؟ طابق بناء عىل )رضائب امليقايت طابق اليقظة(؟ )أحالم والنهرية البحرية األمالك عىل

زيادة عىل رضيبة القيمة املضافة عىل املرشوبات الروحية والتبغ، أو رفع الرضيبة عىل فوائد الودائع

) مام يلغي تأثري السلسلة اإليجايب خصوصا أن أسعار كل السلع ترتفع من دون رضيبة مضافة مبجرد

Zoom In

يا ولداه... أضاع رشده

سلسلة الرتب والرواتب... رهن التداول يف مجلس النواب

ليال الدويهي

آثار جبارة

ما إن بلغ سن الرشد حتى قيل عنه لقد فقد رشده. أسئلة كثرية بدأ يطرحها عىل نفسه وعىل من

حوله. هل هذا صحيح؟ وما أدراك؟ أين الدالئل؟

ضاع بني االستفهامات وأقنع نفسه بأنه كان يؤمن بكذبة عىل مر كل تلك السنني. هل يعقل أن

يقتنع اإلنسان بأمور ال يراها؟ وكيف يصدق وجودها وهي غري ملموسة؟

اقتنع بالعلم وبالعلم وحده. ال حقائق يف الدنيا غري ما نلمس وجوده. فكيف يستطيع بعد اآلن

أن يؤمن مبا هو غري محسوس؟ مل نحتاج لآللهة؟ ألجل العمل الصالح؟

األمانة، الصدق، أال وهي: أتبعها، أخالقية مبادئ تربيت عىل الصالح ألنني بالعمل أقوم »أنا

االستقامة، محبة اآلخر، وأتبعها ليس مخافة من عقاب الله بل ألن تربيتي تفرض عيل ذلك.«

هو مقتنع مبا هو عليه أما املجتمع فال.

البعض يقول:« كيف فيك تعيش طاملا الحياة بعد املوت ما بتخوفك.

_ »أنا الخوف بعيد عني ألن الحياة هنا فقط«.

فحياة غري املؤمن بوجود الله، املتعارف عليه يف املجتمع بامللحد، بسيطة غري معقدة ألنها برأيهم

بعيدة عن املاورائيات.

_ »طيب كيف فيك تكون آدمي بال ما تفكر بالقصاص؟«.

_ »برأيك هل يجب أن أخضع لقوانني األديان حتى أعيش الحياة بأخالقية؟«

****أما قصتي فبدأت منذ بضع سنوات حينام خطف املوت قريبتي التي أصيبت مبرض الرسطان.

لقد كان »ذخرية ببطنها« كام أسمته. فمن مرض خبيث إىل قوة تخترب إميانها، رضخت، سجدت

خاشعة، واستسلمت ملشيئته لتكون هدية للسامء.

»وين الرب للحقتو ليندا كل هل السنني؟«

هل هو فعال موجود؟

هنا انقلبت قناعايت. هنا أعدت التفكري بقوة إمياين، وأصبحت دون سابق تخطيط يف مصاف امللحدين.

**** أما زاهر فقصته تختلف، ولد من بيئة »مسكرة« كام قال، ونتيجة لرتبيته الدينية املتشددة، وجد

السكون يف العقل والفلسفة. وأضاف:« أما اآلن فأنا املرتد املحلل قتله«.

فامللحدون اجتمعوا ألسباب مختلفة ولكن تحت راية واحدة: كل ما هو موجود أؤمن به وكل

األشياء غري امللموسة أدحضها.

امللحد يعترب أن اإلنسان مخلوق ضعيف يخلق قناعات غري محسوسة ليتكئ عليها ويقنع نفسه

بقوة خارقة موجودة ملساعدته. ويزايد بالقول أن جميع الحضارات خلقت آلهة خاصة بها مرتبطة

بشكل قاطع بالقيم االجتامعية، واالخالقية.

إذا فالدين هو فقط ليلجم املجتمع وتصفات األشخاص تحت شعار »العقاب«.

خالصة القول يبقى امللحد وصمة عار عىل األديان، ولكنه ليس بكافر، والعلامين ليس دامئا ملحدا.

أنها أفضلها واملناظرات التساؤالت من موجة خلقت أردتم إن العيش طرق أو الظواهر هذه كل

حرضت الفكر البرشي عىل النهوض من سباته العميق.

فكيف يا ترى تدعم العلوم والفلسفة هذه اآلراء أو تضحضها؟

يتبع

7Highlights Issue 23 - April 2013Zoom In

“The Economic Hit Man”Marwan Faissal

Undoubtedly, America’s financial control of the world is not a result of a fair competi-tion with other countries. In fact, this control comes as an aftermath of financial manipula-tion of other countries. However, have you ever asked yourself how exactly is such a manipu-lation achieved?

“Confessions of an Economic Hit Man”, a book by John Perkins, provides us with an answer to this question. Perkins defines an

“Economic Hit Man” as a highly paid profes-sional who is provided with trillions of dollars to deceive countries around the world. His main task is to transfer money from foreign «aid» or-ganizations such as the World Bank and the United States Agency for International Devel-opment (USAID) into the saving accounts of huge corporations and few wealthy families. This is mainly done throughout loans provid-ed by these organizations to developing coun-tries. These loans cannot be paid back. As a result, the country that took the loan be-comes financially controlled and obliged to accept conditions such as implementations of corporations in them, selling oil for cheap prices, and many others.

In addition, Perkins clarifies that “Econom-ic Hit Men” use “fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex and murder” to attain their goals.

Perkins confesses that he used to work as an “economic Hit Man” and explains the tasks he was asked to perform. He also claims that assassinations and wars come after an “eco-nomic Hit Man” fails to perform his job. He pro-vides examples of the destinies of presidents who refused the conditions provided by “Eco-nomic Hit Men”.

According to Perkins, former president of Ecuador, Jaime Roldos and Omar Torri-jos of Panama were assassinated by the CIA after negotiations with “Economic Hit Men” failed. Former Presidents Mossadegh of Iran and Arbenz of Guatemala were taken out for the same reason. Perkins adds that before the war on Iraq, negotiations were taking place between Sadam Hussein and “Economic Hit

Men”. If these negotiations were to succeed, there would have been no need for war.

I am not asking my readers to take the words of Perkins for granted. Following some-thing blindly would not be a wise thing to do. However, when you give it a thought, you will realize that such actions are not far from be-ing true. Numbers show that the wealth is in the hands of the minority. We are witnessing unpaid loans and invasions by multinational corporations all over the world. We are wit-nessing assassinations and wars. We all know that they did not invade Iraq for weapons of mass destruction. These are not conspiracy theories, they are facts. In addition, it is im-portant to mention that other “leftist” and “reli-gious” countries implement similar policies but through different forms.

I wrote an article before about how politi-cal control is achieved throughout the process of “playing politics”. This article reveals the means by which we are controlled financial-ly. Similar articles could be written about the way we are controlled by the media and by re-ligion. Unfortunately, human beings have the illusion that they are free. In fact, we lose our freedom the day we are born. Since that day, we become controlled by political strategies, financial schemes, media implementations and false religious beliefs.

I have a dream that human beings would become truly free someday. Given all the current circumstances, I know that such a dream is hard to achieve. However, spread-ing awareness among the mass of how they are being controlled is a crucial step towards any future change.

أمناط الحركات املطلبيةليال الدويهي

كلها سامت املقنعة الدميقراطية الحريات، اغتصاب القمع،

هذه كانت إذا فكيف التاريخ، عرب تعاقبت عديدة مجتمعات

املجتمعات مجتمعاتنا العربية التي يقتنع البعض بدميقراطيتها.

بأنه ذكوري، ومتسلط، يقمع رنيم، عربية، تصف مجتمعها

املرأة ويخنق تطلعاتها. أما مايكل ذو الجنسية األمريكية يقول إن

بأن يؤمن وجهاد العريب«. الربيع يعني جامعة العريب »املجتمع

العامل العريب هو »عدو إرسائيل«.

كل عينة من عينات املجتمع ميكن أن تراه من زاوية مختلفة

فاملرأة تغيريا، تحدث أن تتمنى كلها أنها إال مغايرة، وبهيكلية

أن يبغي املضطهد بالرجل، تنال حقوقها وتتساوى أن إىل تطمح

يتحرر، وآخرون يريدون أن يتوحدوا.

الروح الثورية تربز يف نفس كل منا أمام »الحق«، »الشعور

تنتمي اللذين واملجتمع الواقع ضد تشعبات وتخلق بالظلم«،

إليهام وتسعى لتحقيق مطالبها.

قوة إلحداث عليها املتعارف املظاهر أكرث هي التظاهرات

ضاغطة تغيريية يف املجتمع. ومن أبرز التظاهرات تلك التي حدثت

يف أيار 1992، بسبب األوضاع املعيشية املرتدية وتدهور اللرية مام

عىل عملت جديدة حكومة وتشكيل الحكومة استقالة إىل أدى

تخفيف االحتقان وتحسن سعر رصف اللرية.

ومنها االعتصامات، التغيريية: للقوى اآلخر األبرز والشكل

جمعت التي النقابية التنسيق هيئة بها تقوم التي التحركات

ووحدت أناسا من مختلف االنتامءات السياسية والطائفية لتحقيق

مطالب مزمنة عرب تعطيل كل القطاعات العامة للضغط عىل الدولة

لينال موظفو القطاع العام مطالبهم.

التاريخي األهم، هو تأسيس أول جمعية مساندة أما الحدث

للمرأة يف لبنان، وهي جمعية الهيئة النسائية التي تأسست عام 1924.

ألهمت هذه الجمعية كثريات ليؤسسن جمعيات مامثلة تتحرك بدورها

باتجاه تحرير املرأة وتغيري القوانني التي تحد من دورها االجتامعي.

ولكن هل دامئا تتجسد هذه التظاهرات بتحركات سلمية بحتة؟

قد تتخلل تظاهرات املطالبني بحقوقهم بعض أعامل الشغب،

إال أن الحركة املطلبية تصوب طريقها بنفسها، ويسقط يف مسريتها

أهدافها. عن املطالب ويحرف شغبا يصطنع أن يحاول من كل

وهذا ما رأيناه يف »ربيع تونس« وما نراه اليوم، يف »ربيع مص«،

و«الثورات العربية«.

وجه آخر لهذه الحركات التي تحاول تغيري واقعها ومل تسلط

عليها األضواء بشكل كاف هو االعتصامات واالرضابات عن الطعام

يف السجون، وخاصة االرسائيلية منها. إذ إن معتقيل سجون العدو

يرضبون عن الطعام لتحريك الرأي العام الحر ملساندة قضاياهم.

ورغم مرور الزمن مل يتغري اإلنسان وال معاناته ألن الظامل ما

زال موجودا، وكذلك املظلوم، لكننا نرفض الظلم ونقاومه، وكام قال

مارتن لوثر كينغ »حياتنا توشك أن تنتهي عندما نصمت عن أشياء

وأوضاع خطرية«.


Have you ever cracked your spine, your shoulder blades, or your neck? It makes you feel the same tingling sensation you get when you crack your knuckles, only on a larger scale. Have you ever stood on your head or folded your body into a pretzel? Believe it or not, those peculiar positions carry some significant circulatory benefits. I am not telling you to become a contortionist and join a traveling circus, but I am pleading the case of Yoga.

Yoga is an ancient art of meditation, thought to have originated in the Indus Valley and to have been practiced by Vedic priests and monks as a means of reaching nirvana or inner peace. It has been practiced and developed for thousands of years, dating as far back as the 3rd century. It started out as a religious ritual, but has since changed into a broadened spiritual experience. You do not have to be Buddhist or Hindu to participate in yoga, because everyone has Chakras and Kun-dalinis to be unlocked.

The benefits of yoga are endless, ranging from mental to physical improvements. Many studies show musculoskeletal and mental health improvements, reduced symptoms of asthma, increased brain GABA (gamma-Aminobutyric acid) levels, improved mood, and decreased anxiety. It has also been shown to reduce high blood pressure, improve symptoms of heart failure, enhance cardiac rehabilitation, and lower cardiovascular risk factors. It can reduce chronic back pain or damage from spinal injuries, and there have been many studies linking yoga to pain reduction and overall remission in cancer patients.

The benefits are not only physical, but mental and psychological as well. Why do you think yoga is constantly being linked to hippies and “free thinkers”? At risk of sounding cheesy, it really does free your mind. The poses that are practiced in yoga each have a particular pur-pose and target specific areas in your body, which are then subject to nervous impulses that put your body in a relaxed yet heightened state of meditation. Throughout a yoga experience, your brain will release endorphins, which essentially make you feel happiness or pleasure.

Yoga is not simply a lazy person’s attempt at exercise, as many would have you believe. It is a strict and disciplined practice, and a lifestyle one chooses to follow. You do not have to be a vegetarian or a vegan to practice yoga, nor do you have to be a hippie. Any person from any walk of life can sign up for a yoga class, be it Ashtanga, Bikram, or an ancient Hatha form, yoga is good for you.

Yoga allows you the physical ability to release the pressure points in your body, thus giving you the freedom to release the stress plaguing your body. It releases that pent up stress and clears your mind in a way that no other form of exercise can. You learn gratitude, humility, and how to simplify your life. You can now sign up for yoga classes with Coach Elie Asbo at UOB every Monday from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.

So, from one yogi to another, Namaste.

Why might you be bullied? It may be your height or lack of it, your color, your size, where you are from, how you talk, who your family is, who your friends are, or what you believe in. It could be anything per-ceived as different, but no matter what, it is not your fault.

Bullying happens to kids all around the world every day. Though it can be physical, like pushing, shoving, stealing, or breaking things, it can also be verbal, like teasing and name-calling, or even social, which involves excluding people or starting rumors using the internet or texting.

Being bullied is not funny; it is serious. Some effects are obvious from the outside, but there is a lot happening on the inside that we do not get to see, such as fear, stress, and sadness. Fear can make you stop you from going places. Stress can affect your body; your stomach

might feel like it is in knots and maybe you cannot sleep. Sadness can make you stop acting like your true self. Maybe you do not want to do the things you enjoyed doing anymore.

You can do something about it. We are not saying you should fight back, but here are some things you could do:

Be Prepared. Think beforehand about what you want to say.Act Confident. It can be evident even from the way you walk.Act funny. You could use humor to diffuse the situation.Think of ways you can protect yourself.- If you see that there might be trouble heading in a certain direc-

tion, change the sequence of events. For instance, you might be walk-ing down the hall and you see the bully at the end of it, instead of going in that way, turn around and conceal yourself. Nobody said you have to face him.

- You can also avoid places where bullying might happen and be willing to walk away if it does.

- Consider taking a walk with a friend to a certain destination with-out having to walk alone.

- Label your belongings. Do not take expensive things with you to school.

Shine a spotlight on their actions. Let others know how the bully treats you.

Tell an adult. You could talk to your parents or administrative officials. Even though you might feel like a tell-tale, you should not face it alone.

It is not easy, but it can work. You can beat a bully without using your fists.

www.jw.org

Coloring Outside the Lines

Beat a Bully without Using your Fists

I’m Not Asleep, I’m in Savasana

Stephenie Ghajar

Christiane Fairhart

9Highlights Issue 23 - April 2013On The Edge

مرشوع قانون اللقاء األرثوذكيس

أطلقوا عليه رصاصة الرحمة

باسل محيديل

كفاء مساعد

زعامء قانون هو عنها، البعد كل بعيد هو بينام األرثوذكسية الطائفة إىل نسب قانون هو

الطوائف، الزعامء الذين يسعون وراء مصالحهم الشخصية، لتتهاوى من خلفهم صيغة العيش املشرتك

التي يجاهرون بها كذبا وافرتاء.

تلجأ الطوائف يف لبنان إىل املحاصصة واعتامد مبدأ الستة والستة مكرر يف وظائف الفئة

األوىل كام جاء يف اتفاق الطائف، الذي يقول عىل سبيل املثال ال الحص عىل أنه ال يوظف مواطن لبناين

من طائفة معينة ملركز شاغر إال عندما يصبح هناك ستة وظائف شاغرة لتعيني ستة مواطنني ينتمون

إىل الطوائف الست الكربى. كام اعتدنا عىل الخضوع لنزوات الزعامء السياسيني الذين ميارسون أبشع

أيدينا ملتصقة بخدودنا، وبات إبقاء اعتدنا عىل لقد للسياسة. السادية النفاق يف مامرساتهم أنواع

وجودهم جزءا من حياتنا اليومية.

إىل متى سنظل مكتويف األيدي ونحن نرى بلدنا يتهاوى تحت مرمى أنظارنا؟ إىل متى سنبقى نردد

عبارات الهوان والضعف أمام الذل والخيبة التي نعيش فيها؟ آن األوان ليك نصحو ونعي مخاطر النفق

املظلم الذي نسلكه مبلء إرادتنا. حان الوقت ألن تعلو رصخات الحق يف املدى وتحلق مع السنونو.

فلنستبدل عبارات الخزي والعار بعبارات الفخر والكرامة، ولنكف عن القول: »مش ظابطة«.

لنحول املستقبل املرسوم بأياديهم امللطخة بدم الطائفية والتقسيم، لنبني الوطن املأمول، معا معا

لنجعله زهيا ووردي اللون.

قويا، مدنيا واحدا لننتفض سويا مجتمعا يا رفيقي، كلنا معك. الدوامة لست وحدك يف هذه

القانون الساحة من جراثيم هذا ليطهروا إىل وسط بريوت نزلوا الذين لهؤالء لنكون سندا ساعدين

التقسيمي والطائفي. فبمبادرتهم البيضاء نزل أعضاء من الحملة الوطنية لالصالح االنتخايب إىل وسط

العاصمة حاملني معدات، كتلك املستعملة يف الحقول الزراعية للقضاء عىل الجراثيم والبكترييا التي

ترض بالزراعة، مبحاولة رمزية ملحاربة آفة هذا القانون الطائفي.

بأساطيل االنتخابات يوم فلنهاجمهم بورقتك، الرياح تلك يتملكك، مترد عىل اليأس تدع ال

البيضاء األوراق من

شيعوه وهو اليزال ينزف من غدر الزمان به وقسوة أهله عليه. حملوا نعشه وساروا به نحو

الهاوية يف زفاف يرشق النعش به بالورود وتتىل الزغاريد. جردوه حقه يف أن يوارى الرثى. هو لبنان،

أطلقوا عليه حكم اإلعدام.

التطور والعمران، وتشيد الحضارات وتقوي الواحد والعرشين تسري األمم يف مواكب القرن يف

الروابط بني أهلها. أما أمة لبنان، فهي هالكة، متيض يف انحدار مستمر. أمة متزق جسم الوطن وتخلع

عنه الطابع الوطني لتستعيض عنه بالشعارات الطائفية البالية. وشعب ينساق وراء حكامه، ويرضخ

ملبدأ التمويت البطيء للذات. هو شعب ال يحكمه الوجدان العام، إمنا تحكمه املصالح الشخصية.

انتخابية سحقت محادل أفرز قانون نفسه، االنتخايب القانون نعتمد ونحن ،1960 عام منذ

هي وها السياسيني. الزعامء حكم وتكرس لألقوى، الفصل الكلمة لترتك صوتها، وأخرست األقلية

بقانون أكرث عدالة، بقانون ينادي والكل أجريت طبعا، األبواب، ذلك يف حال انتخابات 2013 عىل

يسمح بالتمثيل الصحيح للجميع، إال أن البعض وجد الحل يف تبني مرشوع قانون »اللقاء األرثوذكيس«،

عىل أنه القانون السامي، واملثايل.

هل مرشوع قانون اللقاء األرثوذكيس سيكون القانون االنتخايب األكرث عدال، القانون الذي يجسد

طموحات وأماين اللبنانيني؟ هل طموح اللبنانيني يختص يف سحق لبنانيتهم أو ما تبقى منها؟ هل أحالم

اللبنانيني تؤطر يف زوال الدولة والكيان اللبناين، ويف االتجاه نحو الدويالت الطائفية املشيدة يف النفوس

ويف استتار من يصبو عليها؟

عندما يتوجه املواطن اللبناين إىل صندوق االقرتاع ليديل بصوته، يتوجه بصفته لبنانيا منذ أكرث من

عرش سنوات ومتمتعا بحقوقه املدنية، يتوجه ليختار ممثال عن األمة جمعاء ال عن طائفته الكرمية.

يتوجه ليختار ممثال عن األمة جمعاء، ال زعيام طائفيا، أو رئيس عشرية.

يف القرن الواحد والعرشين، لألسف مازالت تحكمنا الغرائز الطائفية، وشهوات القادة الطائفيني

يف فرض سلطة أكرب، وإعطاء الصفة الرسمية لحكمهم الطائفي من خالل ترشيعه.

القانون االنتخايب الحقيقي يجب أن يكون مستندا عىل استقالل حقيقي، ووطنية صادقة ال عىل

يضع مصلحة ال انتخايب قانون فأي وطائفية. واقليمية، ومذهبية، تابعة ملصالح خارجية، انتامءات

الوطن واملواطن فوق أي اعتبار فهو قانون باطل، وأي قانون ال يؤمن ألبنائه حياة كرمية، حرة، آمنة،

ع هو وعادلة، فهو قانون باطل. وما يحدث يف لبنان يغيب الوطن، واملواطن، وحقوق اإلنسان. فاملرش

املرشح نفسه، يخيط القانون عىل قياسه، ضاربا عرض الحائط الحرية، والدميقراطية، والعدالة.

عنص بارز كان دائم التغري منذ عام 1960 حتى 2013 يف مكونات القانون االنتخايب، أال وهو

عدد النواب الدائم االزدياد، فقد كان عدد النواب عام 1960، 96 نائبا، أما اليوم فهو 128 نائبا، وبعد

انتخابات 2013، سيصبح العدد 134 نائبا. نعم يف بلد مثل لبنان، تقلب كل املقاييس وتختلط املفاهيم،

فليس غريبا أن نرى عدد النواب يف ازدياد مستمر وعدد اللبنانيني املقيمني يف وطنهم األم يف تناقص

مستمر.

الطبقة أن إال يتغري، قد القانون أن مبدأ االنتخايب، من بالقانون يبالون ال اليوم البعض لعل

الحاكمة ستبقى نفسها، فأيا يكن القانون سيحرص املرشع عىل أن يضمن وصوله إىل الندوة الربملانية

ثانية. فمبدأ »خود وعطي« هو السائد بني النواب الكرام، نواب األلف عام، من املهد إىل اللحد يرثون

عروش السلطة ويحملون صولجانهم العاجي، ويساومون بعضهم البعض ليعودوا جميعهم إىل مواقع

السلطة.

لذلك ال يكون الحل بخلق قانون مغاير فقط، قانون يلبي طموحات اللبنانيني، إمنا باختيار أكفاء

محايديني، وقانونيني يتمتعون بالجدارة واألهلية لوضع قانون انتخايب عىل قياس الوطن ال األفراد.


You might be a new student here at the University of Balamand (UOB), or just passing by the Office of Student Affairs (OSA). In both cases, you must have met the beautiful Joann. Joann Harb, the new comer to the Balamand staff family, who joined the OSA team at the beginning of the 2012-2013 Fall semester, is the Coordinator of Campus Life and Student Development.

Joann began her journey at UOB in 2007 when she enrolled as a Freshman Student af-ter having graduated from Klein Collins High School in Spring, Texas. She later pursued a Computer Science degree where she attained her BS in Information Systems in 2011, then an MS degree in 2012 with distinction. In addition, she graduated with a minor in Business Admin-istration from UOB.

Joann says that her experience so far at Balamand is interactive, since she likes to be in direct contact with students and the clubs here on campus. She is enthusiastic about learning more about her job and supports students in having a fruitful student-life experience during their stay at UOB.

What she really loves about herself is that she is well organized and friendly. This is

something I assume that everyone has noticed about Joann since she always welcomes you with a captivating smile on her face.

Her favorite Lebanese dish is “Fattoush”, and she loves “Lasagna”. During her under-graduate studies, she was an honor list student and worked hard to prove herself. She looks forward to following a successful path in both her career and personal life.

She is a big fan of exercising, especial-ly aerobics which is her number one hobby. Since she is a very lovely person, her biggest fear would be losing the people she loves. When she was a child, she considered her En-glish teacher to be her idol. As many people, Joann’s favorite cartoon is Tom and Jerry.

Here is something that a lot of you do not know: Joann is engaged and will get married next summer. Joann’s fiancé was her longtime childhood acquaintance and shares the same family name with her. It all started when she at-tended his army graduation party, and the rest is history. So, if you think that friendship could not grow into a love story, well think again.

Joann, I am personally in love with that smile on your pretty face. We welcome you to the Balamand family, and we wish you ever-

lasting happiness. Next time students invade your office, remember that they only do so be-cause they love you.

Characters Of The Month

Joann Harb, “The Beautiful Face Of Osa”

“Miss OSA”

Ziad Azar

Christiane Fairhart

From the halls of International College and the American University of Beirut (AUB) to the classrooms of the University of Balamand (UOB), I am sure that you all know Mrs. Rola Jadayel. She is the cheerful, lovable assistant dean of the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) / counselor here at UOB. Though originally a math major at AUB, her career has gone beyond algebra and calculus to include counseling, environmental ac-tivism, and student affairs.

Due to her love of nature and her strong sense of activism, she initi-ated the campus-wide UOB recycling projects in collaboration with the Nature Club in 2008. She felt indignant about how much paper both stu-dents and faculty waste on a daily basis. She believed that a recycling program could help curb our wasteful ways as well as create a healthier environment for us all. Starting on an internal level here at UOB, her recycling projects have spanned over 80 public schools and 60 private schools in and around the area. The projects include recycling boxes and bins, as well as student activities on campus and in the region.

Being such a buoyant personality, Mrs. Rola has always relished in the interaction with students and held an interest in student life and activities. She believes in keeping things fresh and fun at university, be-cause life is meant to be fun. She loves having the ability to make a positive difference in the lives of so many students as part of her job at the OSA.

Despite her endless dedication and enthusiasm for improving stu-dent life at Balamand, her greatest and dearest achievements are her children and her family, because let›s face it, her kids are adorable. Her favorites include the Lebanese dishes, «Mdardra» and «mtabbal,» the color purple, Fairouz music, swimming, horseback-riding, jeans, and Dr. Martens boots.

Mrs. Rola Jadayel is a truly wonderful character here in our very own halls. She is someone who cares about the UOB students and our beautiful campus, so be sure to give her a big, grateful hug if you see her!


After “Savages”, Tarantino is not anymore just a movie director who impresses other directors; Tarantino has become a movie genre! Clear-ly enough director Oliver Stone was very impressed by Tarantino, and came up with what everybody is calling “Pulp Fiction 2”. These two movies obviously share the same mood, same subjects (drugs, sex, vio-lence & crime) and even a mutual character! Star John Travolta appears in both movies, he says: “It is (Savages) fresh, it is relevant, and to me it was the Pulp Fiction of now.”

Despite the huge similarities between the two movies, Oliver Stone did actually create his own fingerprint in terms of style. He did not follow Tarantino’s crazy type of chronology in editing the movie. There was only one flashback at the end of the movie, other than that the events flew chronologically according to the plot.

Stone offers two different endings for the story which were very nicely illustrated. One ending brings up the moral of any drug film which is “drugs kill”. The other brings us back to reality away from the world of ideas, ideals and moral lessons. Stone most probably chose to end the movie with the second alternative because what this movie was aiming at the whole time is REALITY.

First, he made use of Mexico’s recent political events and inserted them smoothly in the movie to make the audience believe what they are seeing. Stone wanted to show how the dirty business of drugs really works. Every day, we hear the news and read articles about people who have been kidnapped, beaten up, murdered, especially in Mexico, all for the sake of drugs. But that is all we get from the media. Seldom do we see the procedure of these events or they make us see them in an exaggerated/twisted way in movies. Stone did not exaggerate, he demonstrated for the audience how the strategy of a mafia starts till how it ends.

Yes, this movie has an age restriction due to its violent and sexual scenes; but, those scenes are much closer to reality than any harmless scenes you see in romantic comedies.

What is really impressive about “Savages” is its plot. O (Blake Lively) who is the narrator throughout the whole film is the girlfriend of two drug dealers Chon (Taylor Kitsch) and Ben (Aaron Johnson) who are also best friends. If you are wondering, yes they both share her at the same time with no pressure whatsoever! O gets kidnapped by the “Mexican Baja Cartel” mafia with Elena (Salma Hayek) being the head of it and Lado (Benicio Del Toro) who does Elena’s dirty business.

The two dealers had to go through a lot to save their girlfriend es-pecially that each one of them has an extremely different character than the other considering their different cultural backgrounds.

Chon: “You let people think you’re weak, sooner or later you’re go-ing to have to kill them.”

“Savages” is a movie that will keep twisting your brain in and out of reality.

Curtain Calls

Book Review: Safe Haven

Movie Review: Savages

Stephanie El Hoss

Miriam Atallah

Yet another romantic book written by Nich-olas Sparks falls into my hands, Safe Haven talks about a 27 year old, Erin, who escapes from her abusive alcoholic husband, Kevin, and ends up in a small town called Southport. Erin goes by the name, Katie, as she seeks a new beginning there.

Though Katie tries to stay alone, she ends up befriending Jo, her next-door neighbor. Jo pushes her into letting her guard down and encourages her into a relationship with the owner of a local grocery store in town, Alex, a widower with two kids. Just like any other Nicholas Sparks novel, an obstacle will come between Katie and Alex. After Katie finally set-tles down into a family, her past haunts her, as her husband Kevin comes searching for her in Southport with the intention of killing her and the man she loves.

In addition to the common Nicholas Sparks happily ever after formula, this novel unveils a secret about Jo that will leave you breathless. Honestly, I read the last few chapters more than once, because I simply could not believe what I was reading. From time to time, it is re-laxing to read a romantic novel that reveals the importance of love. This novel will definitely show you that, sometimes, love is the only safe haven.

As for the movie based on the book, I felt that this was not one of director, Lasse Hallström›s, best movies. The movie felt as if someone put together scenes that are sim-ply unrelated to each other. Not only that, but some of the conversations in the movie are meaningless. While watching, I felt that the progress of Katie and Alex›s relationship was moving really fast. Suddenly, they were in bed together, when in fact in the book, Katie avoids sleeping with Alex.

Probably the best part of the movie was watching Josh Duhamel as Alex walk around shirtless on the beach. This brings us to assume that the actors were chosen based on beauty, not on their acting skills. Julianne Hough, who plays the insecure Katie, seemed as if she was just reading lines from a script. On a scale of 1 to 10, the movie merely gets a 6.2 according to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB).

Another disappointment, another failed adaptation of a book into a movie, which proves the point that the book is always better. The book allows you to go through the charac-ter›s mind, to explore their thoughts, which in turn unites you with the characters. If by any chance you were planning to watch «Safe Ha-ven,” I suggest you read the book instead.


A few weeks ago, a small portion of the world watched the Oscars with bated breath, hoping against hope that their favorite actors, directors, and film creators would win the pres-tigious golden statuette.

Held on February 24th, the 2013 Academy Awards ceremony was a parade of actors, mu-sicians, comedians, and film legends.

It lasted a little longer than four hours and was hosted by comedian, actor, and screen-writer, Seth McFarlane, whom you may know as Stewie from “Family Guy” or as the lovably destructive teddy bear, “Ted.” He was an odd choice to host the Oscars, but despite the awkward and inappropriate jokes, it happened as planned.

You may know the Oscars as the fashion event of the year, which culminates in a war over the best-dressed lists across the world. Others may know it as the Academy Awards, the most notable and significant film award ceremony in the world. Either way, most of you have probably heard of the Oscars or feigned an interest in them at some point. Nowadays, it is less about the award itself or the nominated works, and more about the outfits, the entertainment, and the hoopla surrounding the event.

What started as a fifteen-minute ceremo-ny back in 1929, has transformed into an end-less spectacle of corny jokes and second-rate performances all for their cheap entertainment value and ability to rack in the ratings. The awards are typically handed out rather quick-

ly throughout the long ceremony, starting with awards for costumes, effects, production, etc., and leading up to the big ones, such as “best actor in a leading role” and “best director.”

The sad thing is that no one really cares about the Oscars anymore. All they care about are the outfits actors wore and the cameos during the ceremony. I stay up every year to watch the Oscars, but every year, there is less to watch and more to mute. Sure, there is entertainment value in watching the actors and hosts fumble through their speeches and in whatever wardrobe malfunctions happen during a performance, but that is not what the Oscars mean.

As a confessed film-aholic, I yearn for the days when the Oscars actually meant more than Joan Rivers’ fashion commentaries and James Franco dressed up as a drag queen. The Academy Awards are something sacred, a platform where presumably the greatest ac-tors, producers, screenwriters, and directors are honored for their masterpieces. It is not the place for Stewie from “Family Guy” to sing “We Saw Your Boobs” in front of Barbra Streisand and Martin Scorsese. They are legends, not drunken frat boys.

No one actually cares about the awards anymore, nor the actors and filmmakers who receive them, and that is a downright shame. Not only has the ceremony itself been white-washed with Hollywood spiel, but even the nominations have been subject to rumors of corruption. I am inclined to agree, because I

refuse to live in a world where Anne Hathaway is an Oscar-worthy actress.

The Oscars, whether they were named af-ter Bette Davis’ husband, Margaret Herrick’s uncle, or the great Irish playwright, Oscar Wil-de, remain the most celebrated and eminent film award program. They represent a venera-tion and adulation for outstanding talent in the film industry, something that is now long lost to the reels of history. We no longer have films like “Casablanca” and “City Lights,” but instead, we have “Transformers” and “Twilight.” Oh, Hollywood, the end is nigh.

Topsy- Turvy

Who Turned on the Stank?

Give Oscar a Break, Will Ya?

Christiane Fairhart

Christiane Fairhart

Pretend you are standing in a crowded elevator, on your way to an important job in-terview. You are wearing your fanciest suit and have your hair slicked back, primped and per-fect. Your confidence is soaring and you flash your best “hire me” grin to everyone in the com-pany. Then, suddenly, something disturbs your peaceful elevator ride. In the dead silence of that cramped metal box, a loud noise bellows in your ears, followed by a smell that quickly rises in the air and fills your nostrils.

Hearing the word either makes you wince or giggle, because farts are naturally hilarious. So, if the very concept of farts is so funny, why are we so cautious about them? You never see anyone defending farts. Unless you are an elementary school student or an extreme-ly immature frat boy, you tend to ignore them completely, denying their existence. They even do it on TV. No sitcom character, news anchor-person, weatherperson, or Oscar-nominated thespian ever farts on screen, and if they do, no one acknowledges it.

It is a perfectly natural bodily function and people cannot always control themselves, especially in stressful situations like being on screen or on stage. But it is shrouded in this veil of shame and hilarity, making it the funniest and grossest of human “accidents.”

Did Rachel or Monica ever rip a big one on an episode of “Friends,” or did Frasier ever belt out a flatulent symphony on his radio show? If they did, it was certainly edited out of the show. What about on the news or the morning shows? Certainly one of the hosts must have had a breakfast burrito or some strong coffee in the morning, and either would have caused them to lose complete control of their bowels. This is probably a daily occurrence on the set of “Good Morning America.”

George Carlin explained that the very word, “fart,” is one of the greatest taboos on televi-sion. It is one of those dirty words that you can never say on TV or in real life. A movie or show can refer to anything, like sex, drugs, violence, etc., but it can never refer to farts. In real life,

we can talk about all those things, but a fart just lingers in awkward silence, until someone laughs about it and it becomes a thing of the past. Fart, it is such a funny, cute word, so why the stink about it?


Parents around the world always warned their kids about how read-ing in low light will wreck their eyes whenever they caught them trying to read a book under the covers using their flashlights. According to an ABC news article, this concept is one of 11 eye myths that have been carried down over generations. It is also one of the 7 medical myths according to Parker-Pope who explained the truth behind it in her New York Times article. The truth about the effect of reading in dim light on the eyes is not what most people think it is.

Many thought that reading in the dark for long periods of time would cause nearsightedness, also known as Myopia, in the long run. Actu-ally, it will not cause nearsightedness, but it will definitely cause eye strain, the symptoms of which will appear for specific reasons. Firstly, the lack of light makes the pupil grow larger to capture every ray of light possible and transfer it to the retina to provide a clearer image. A large pupil means more blur. In order to adjust the image, your muscles will contract to provide more focus causing muscle strains and by extension eye strain. Secondly, having to focus this much will prevent you from blinking as much as you would when reading in broad light, this will cause short term eye dryness.

When your eye muscles are strained, your body will go through the following symptoms: Sore and itching eye balls, dry eyes (as mentioned before), headaches, back and neck aches and blurred vision. All these symptoms are temporary and will go away whenever you give your eyes a rest.

Basically, though some doctors would tell you that eye strain might contribute in causing nearsightedness later in life, most doctors will as-sure you that reading in low light won’t permanently damage your eye-sight whatsoever and that there is no long term harm, “It is like saying if you take a picture in poor light, then the camera is going to be dam-aged,” said Rosen, an ophthalmologist who worked as a photographer before going to medical school.

Topsy- Turvy

Reading in the Dark

#ASOT600BEI Lands in Beirut

Majida Mabsout

Miriam Atallah

On Saturday 9th of March 2013, ASOT-600BEI - The Expedition shook Beirut to the core!

For five months, Lebanon has been anx-iously waiting for the six outstanding DJs to land in Forum de Beyrouth with their popping beats to take us higher for nine consecutive hours nonstop.

DJ Armin van Buuren started with his own special one hour warm-up set for VIPs, VVIPs, Golden Circle and the first 1000 people with regular tickets. DJ Antillas took over for the of-ficial opening of the expedition.

Then, the audience was astonished by the mix of the young talented Andrew Rayel whom van Buuren finds extremely promising for the next trance generation.

Dash Berlin’s performance was literally su-pernatural. Fireworks and visual effects filled the place as he played his most popular and passionate hits. Berlin made the crowd bounce and dance like nobody’s watching as his timing was the appropriate climax of the event.

The show kept getting better as Armin van Buuren showed up again to tremble us with his unique ASOT set. Sadly, in expeditions van Buuren does not play his famous tracks yet he managed to amaze us with his outstanding mix that kept people’s dynamism up.

John O’Callaghan and MaRLo were the last two awaited DJs who kept up with the trance lovers till 6:00 am.

ASOT600BEI was a great success; a title that made history in the Arab World Entertain-ment Events. Flags of different Arab countries were waving in Beirut; and trance fans from all around the world were breathlessly watching the expedition’s live online streaming.

Once again, MIX FM Lebanon brought one of the finest trance events in the world! #ASOT-

600BEI even became a worldwide trending subject on all social media forums with photos, videos and live feed backs flooding instantly all over the place!

ASOT600BEI: a once in a lifetime massive experience with so many enormous moments that will surely stay vitally powerful and vivid in our minds leaving us in a real trance.


DefinitionSocial Communication is “a field of study

that mainly explores the ways information can be perceived, transmitted and understood and the impact those ways will have on a society”.8 Social collaboration refers to processes that help multiple people interact and share infor-mation to achieve any common goal. Social communication and collaboration find their way on the internet, where collaboration and social dissemination of information are made easier by current innovations. They facilitate the brainstorming process, where new con-cepts may emerge due to the contributions made by others. A major concept behind so-cial collaboration is that ideas are everywhere meaning that “individuals are able to share their ideas, as it is not limited to professionals, but rather the general public who wishes to be-come involved”.8

HistoryAfter the Internet made it possible to reach

people around the globe, social networking evolved and became one of the largest indus-tries of our time. In 1971, the first e-mail was sent. In 1978, the Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) exchanged data over phone lines with other users. The first copies of early web browsers were distributed through UseNet, an early on-line bulletin board. In 1994, GeoCities, the first social networking site was founded. The con-cept was for users to create their own website categorized by cities. In 1995, theglobe.com enabled users to personalize their online ex-periences by publishing their own content and interacting with others with similar interests. In 1997, AOL Instant Messenger was launched which popularized instant messaging and six-degrees.com was launched allowing profile creation and listing friends. In 2002, Friend-ster was launched pioneering the connection of real-world friends. In 2003, MySpace was launched and other sites followed including those such as tribe.net, LinkedIn, and class-mates.com. In 2004, Facebook was launched at Harvard as a means of connecting U.S. col-lege students. In 2006, Twitter was launched. In 2008, Facebook overtook MySpace as the leading social networking site in monthly unique visitors.1 Last but not least, the latest trend WhatsApp, which emerged as a social must in 2009.

Applications• Social networking: social profile manage-

ment products such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Friendster and social networking analysis technologies.7

• Social collaboration: technologies such as wikis, instant messaging, blogs, collabora-tive office and crowdsourcing.7

• Social publishing: technologies that as-sist communities in pooling individual content into a usable and community accessible con-tent repository such as flickr and YouTube.7

• Social feedback: gaining opinion and feedback from the community on items as wit-nessed on flickr, YouTube, Digg, Amazon and Del.icio.us.7

AdvantagesThe following are the advantages offered

by social communication and collaboration: • Virtual communication and connections

with other people which is becoming a neces-sity in modern society.3

• The possibility to find and keep in touch with old friends, classmates and relatives.3

• Possibilities for advertisement and job finding.3

• Enterprises that implement social col-laboration well have an edge in terms of dyna-mism and innovation.9

• Social communication tools can improve employee productivity by providing informa-tion faster and efficiently.9

• Companies can build brand visibility and equity, gain insight into customers, promote products and services, influence communities, increase website traffic and leads and drive product innovation.4

• Cost reduction: voice and web confer-encing for instance minimize travel costs.4

DisadvantagesThe following are the disadvantages that

social communication and collaboration pos-sess:

• The distributed information can be con-nected by anyone without the user’s consent.3

• Contact details can be used for spam and malicious purposes.3

• People addicted to social networks may neglect their family, friends and even them-selves especially those who have problems in real life and try to replace life with social net-works.3

CompetitorsTraditional communication tools includ-

ing the printing press, postal service and tele-phone companies are the main competitors because they are losing revenue due to social communication and collaboration.

Views pro/con on being an emerging technologyPro viewers believe that “social media

platforms are where future conversations and decisions will be made.”9 The next genera-tion of communication and collaboration will be robust and interoperable. It will have serv-er-based tools that integrate mobile technolo-gy to provide access to information, anywhere or anytime, which will increase productivity and reduce costs.4 Gartner predicts that by 2014, social networking services will replace e-mail as the primary vehicle for interpersonal com-munications for 20 percent of business users. By 2012, over 50 percent of enterprises will use activity streams that include micro blogging. Within five years, 70 percent of collaboration and communications applications designed on PCs will be modeled from smartphone col-

laboration applications. Through 2015, 25 per-cent of enterprises will routinely utilize social network analysis to improve productivity and performance.2 In 2016, social technologies will be integrated with business applications, “so companies need to coordinate social custom-er relationship management, internal commu-nication and coordination with the public so-cial networking site plans to make it integrated into a comprehensive strategy.”5 Con viewers believe that there are issues related to social communication and collaboration that cannot be overlooked such as security where data and image protection are vulnerable.9

Author Opinion I believe that social communication and

collaboration has its benefits in enabling in-dividuals to communicate to friends and rela-tives around the globe. I cannot imagine how life would be if I was not able to use Skype or MSN to talk to my relatives abroad. I use Google Wave to edit and collaborate on group reports which increases productivity. Commu-nication tools make life much easier. However, I believe that a number of people are abusing the privileges offered by social communication and collaboration which in return are ruining the public communication and grammar skills. For instance, I know people who would rath-er send an email to a professor from behind a computer screen to avoid personal contact. People are abandoning face-to-face communi-cation and phone conversations and are relying on social media and networking sites instead. I strongly believe that online socializing cannot be compared to that of real life. People need to get out from behind their computer and talk to others in real life. Otherwise, they might find themselves saying acronyms such as LOL in real-life conversations.

Techy

Social Communication and CollaborationJoann Harb

[1] http://www.viralblog.com/research/the-history-of-social-networking/>. [2] http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1293114>. [3] <http://www.bukisa.com/articles/434367_social-networks-advantages-vs-disadvantages>. [4] <http://www.busmanagement.com/article/Collaboration-and-Social-MediaChanging-the-Field-of-Communication-/>. [5] <http://itworld.journalspace.com/01/12/2010/gartner-predicted-in-2011-the-top-ten-strategic-technology/>. [6] <http://techgenie.com/latest/four-social-networking-rivals-with-the-goal-for-workforce-improvement/>. [7] <http://distributeddevelopment.blogspot.com/11/2010/there-are-four-types-of-social.html>. [8] <http://www.wordiq.com/>. [9] <http://www.zdnetasia.com/social-collaboration-tools-can-enhance-productivity62204045-.htm>.

15Highlights Issue 23 - April 2013FreeTo Be

The Fall from GraceElie Deeba

A song whistles in thine ears, as the wind puffs the gentle colors from fields of green, and beds of white. Scattering them in the gentlest of golden rays and thine skin feels the bliss of such a storm.

Disrobed, and stripped of heavy thought, thy skin settles on the ground, leaving all the work for thine eyes to gaze upon two magnificent mountains, face to face as if two lovers, so close yet never to touch, but instead caress the waters of an untamed river, which springs from heaven and ends where it’d begun.

Thy heart shares such bliss with thy love, and both enjoy the view, the smell, and the song.

A furtive voice breaks through it all, it gets louder and clearer. Thine ears search for a direction, thine eyes for a bearer, but find nothing. Yet the voice keeps summoning, trickling into your blood, and forcing you into bewilderment. Soon enough, thy sight falls upon a decaying relic - a once wooden masterpiece, consumed by the greed of time. ‘Twas the entrance into darkness; a spine-shivering cave, as if the opened mouth of death itself, yet no teeth, no sign of boundaries, nothing!

“Thy journey starts here! The only way to live this bliss is by living the dark first! Go in, wage war upon the boundless. Go in, but beware; ‘Tis a point of no return.”

You reach the cave and freeze; thy heart is swept with the chill of death, thy soul stripped of breath. Desperately thy hands try reaching for help, thy breath quivers as thy lungs exhale frost rather than words of encouragement. Mayhap this be thy last breath, thy last light, thy last touch. Thy grip tightens, anon you realize a sword in thine hand; golden as the sun, studded with diamonds like stars in the night sky, the head of a phoenix as its head, and the body of a dragon runs along its blade.

“Think not where it came from, think not what lies ahead! Go on, but beware; ‘Tis the point of no return.”

Sword up! Placed behind you, ready for a mighty blow. Forward! Thy legs take slow steady steps towards the boundless. No looking back! And excitedly, the darkness swallows you bit by bit, engulfs thy flame. Nothing!

Nothing!Thy eyes fight for light. You regain all senses… the light pierces

through your eyelids and you see!You see your pillow greeting you as the clock announces the rise of

the morning sun. You plunge thy head back in the pillow.“Sleep! Go back to Sleep! For God’s sake take me back to my bliss!”It’s too late; you have stepped into the boundless, the sands of

sleep have faded, and now you face the dark. You fell from grace, with no return, with no sword, with no love.

A moment in time forever lived, only in your head, where dreams are but as solid as air. A moment lost in the space of reality.

Thy fall from grace is thy prison, thy punishment, thy eternal thought. Nevertheless hold onto thy once immortal bliss. Dream of it! Mayhap someday you’ll be back, someday…

يسألونمازن وفايئ

عنك يا حبيبتي يسألون

يسألون عن سوداء العيون

يسألون عن الرغيف األحمر

يسألون عن دمك املزهر

يسألون عن أم القرون

نعم....

عنك يا عشيقتي يحللون

ألجلك يجتمعون

ينددون يستنكرون

ألجلك يصلون

يدعون.... يبكون.... يبتهلون

ألجلك يا حبيبتي يا سوداء العيون

سيسئلون....سيدانون....سينكرون

عن مدينتي تسألون؟

مدينتي قد أضنتها السنون

مدينتي رحلت عنها السنونو

مدينتي تبك فيها العيون

لم يبق فيها إال املنون

ومازالوا عنها يسألون....

أتعرفون أين حبيبتي؟

حبيبتي

هناك حيث مات القانون

هناك

حيث مات خلدون

يف مدينتي

صار الرجال يبكون

والنساء يقتلون

يوخ يقتلون واألطفال والش

يف مدينتي

هناك حيث النساء يسبون

يف مدينتي

وئد القانون

يف حمص

هناك أغلقت الكنائس

هناك هدمت املعابد

ما عادوا للمذن يصعدون

ومازالو عن حبيبتي يسألون

يسألون عن ثكالء العيون


Anna Baradhi

Athar Gebara

Bassel Mhaidly

Cendrella Azar

Cynthia Chammas

Christiane Fairhart

Elie Deeba

Farah Kanaan

Faris Sukhon

Ibrahim Khalifeh

Jason Hanna

Jessica Najem

Jessica Hanna

Joan Harb

Joseph Sleiman

Judy Metry

Kafaa Msaed

Laila Zaitoun

Layale Douaihy

Majida Mabsout

Maram Hakoum

Marwan Faissal

Mazen wafai

Miriam Atallah

Mr. Taki Louka

Nicolas Abdallah

Samer Kammoun

Serena Issa

Stephanie El Hoss

Stephanie Issa

Stephenie Ghajar

Wael Annous

Widad Samman

Yara Younes

Zaki Dib

Zeina Chahine

Ziad Azar

Add-ons

Chocolate BrowniesSamer Kammoun

Words of thanks to Dr. Hasan Abiad (for the Arabic editing), the Division of English Language and Literature (for the English editing), the ALBA communication office and FHS Ashrafieh

Team

Sudoku

Dedi

catio

ns

Highlights - UOB Student Newspaper

HighlightsUOB

[email protected]

Ingredients:• 115g/4oz unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing• 170g/6oz caster sugar• 2 free-range eggs• 40g/1½ oz plain chocolate (minimum 65% cocoa solids)• 55g/2oz pecans (optional)• 1 tsp vanilla extract• 2 tsp instant coffee granules• 2 tbsp warm water• 1 tsp baking powder• 55g/2oz plain flour• 55g/2oz cocoa powder• To serve: icing sugar, for dusting

Procedure:1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.2. Prepare the cake tin. Grease an 18cm/7in square cake tin and line with non-stick bak-ing parchment.3. In a clean bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.4. Chop the chocolate and put to one side.5. Chop the pecans, if using. Gently fold the nuts and chocolate into the butter and egg mixture. Add the vanilla extract.6. Watch technique0:35 mins 7. Dissolve the coffee granules in two table-spoons of warm water and add to the mix-ture. Mix together well.8. Add the baking powder, then sift in the flour and cocoa powder. Mix well; the mixture

will be quite wet.9. Spoon the brownie batter into the pre-pared tin and level out the top with a spatula.10. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool in the tin for ten minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool.11. To serve, cut into rectangles and dust with icing sugar.

• Love you a7la Highlights editors Anna Morena, Chrissy Carnage and Mia - Kafaa

• Na3iman Layale, the new look suits you ;)

• Happy birthday Yara Metri, we love you

• A message to all: We are watching you. The Secret Center

أحبك وفقط!

لست شاعرا وال أدعي الشعر، وقد أكتب البتسامتك

قصيدة، ولضحكتك قصائد، ولعينيك معلقة، ولك معلقات!

جعلتني العينان وتلك الضحكة، وتلك االبتسامة، فتلك

جعلتني لك! ليكتب الشعر عىل يتطفل يديك بني طفال

طفال يعشق الطفولة ويعشق الشعر من كرثة عشقه لك!

حبيبتي، يا من جعلتي لألحرف نكهة وللكلامت طعام! يا

من جعلتي من بيوت الشعر مسكنا يل، ومن الشعر حيايت!

أو ليكون صغريا ال تسأليني كم أحبك! فالحب ليس برشا

كبريا! وليس ماال ليكون قليال أو كثريا! ال تسأليني كم أحبك!

أحبك.. كثريا! أحبك وال أكرث أحبك وال أحبك جدا ال فأنا

أحبك.. أحبك وفقط!

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