September 26, 2012Vol. XLV, No. 9November 21, 2012

Thurayya ZreikStaff Writer

Several hundred AUB stu-dents, many decked in kef-fiyeh scarves, gathered for a sit-in around Main Gate on Monday to protest the latest series of Israeli attacks on Pal-estinians in the Gaza Strip. The military flare-up began last week following an Israeli air strike targeting Ahmed al-Jabari, a leader of the militant wing of Hamas. Scores of civilians, including women, children and journalists have been killed in the subsequent Israeli air strikes as well as rocket attacks by Palestinian forces. Images of the death and de-struction that continue to dev-astate the area and its people have been furiously circulat-ing in both traditional and so-cial media, mobilizing young people everywhere to take a stand. “It is important to make a stand to show that AUB still cares,” said Talal Nabulsi, a student participating in the sit-in. “Our hearts and minds are with the people of Gaza.” Students in the middle of the crowd held pieces of card-board that formed a giant Pal-

Final USFC member elected: Meet your new student representatives

Continued on page 3

Despite high tensions, students stand in solidarity for Gaza

Heather JaberEditor-in-Chief

After the re-elections Friday, the last remaining University Student and Faculty Commit-tee (USFC) seat, which had been tied in the Faculty of Medicine, was announced.

AUB students officially have their 17 student repre-sentatives in the USFC, with eight seats who were affiliated with the United Ballot and Or-der of Engineers campaigns, seven with Students at Work, one under Campus Choice, and one from No Frontiers.

These representatives were, for the first time, chosen di-rectly by the students on elec-tions day, as part of a change to the elections policy of USFC members. Most of the candidates were supported by specific cam-paigns, with some saying that

they are independent, but used the campaign support to make it to a USFC position. For example, Hade Hamade, with a sophomore USFC seat in the Hariri School of Nurs-ing, was supported by United Ballot and Order of Engineers campaigns.

“In the end, they know where I belong, but in the end, it won’t benefit me,” said Hamade, stressing that the political aspect only comes into play for external politi-cal groups to get a statistical handle on their support from the youth.

Continued on page 6

estinian flag. Rippling across the crowd was the melody of the Palestinian national an-them, proudly sung by many of the participants. After a moment of silence followed several traditional songs of resistance, as well as slogans chanted to demand the end of oppression and continued resistance against

the occupying forces in Pal-estine. Despite the spirit of solidar-ity, some students attempted to begin fights or draw in oth-er political chants. Some of these disruptive voices were quashed as quickly as they rose—the crowd drowned out the voices of those few with repeated phrases such as “One

hand for Gaza,” or “Unity,” sung out loudly and in unison. Following other comments were small altercations, and the crowd dissipated within the houzr. Some criticized those who brought signs to promote oth-er platforms, saying that they were missing the point of the sit-in.

President of the Palestin-ian Cultural Club (organisers of the event), Farah Hamdan, was dissappointed in the ac-tions of the few who caused disruptions. “I hope we can soon enough become educated and civi-lized, and once we become civilized, we can actually free

AUB students stand in solidarity for Gaza at Main Gate (Photo credit: Mada Subaiti)

September 26, 20122 · Campus News November 21, 2012

Poliana Geha and Lujain Ra-batStaff Writers “Elections determine who is in power, but they do not de-termine how power is used,” said Paul Collier, professor of economics at Oxford Univer-sity. During Student Representa-tive Committee and Universi-ty Student Faculty Committee elections last week, students ran—independently or with coalitions—for different po-

sitions, campaigns tooke plac outside West Hall and a fren-zied competition occupied the campus until the results were announced. A voters’ duty does not end when they submit their bal-lots. The elections are only the beginning of a long journey of change, development and aca-demic production. In this ongoing process, the voter’s duty lies in following-up on the elected student gov-ernment’s ability to improve the community efficiently and

transparently, and to live up to the promises made in the plat-forms. Dean of Student Affairs Ta-lal Nizameddin viewed this year’s elections as “very well-organized.” “Yes, they teased each other, but it was much calmer than usual,” he said, encouraging this type of civic engagement. The Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections co-ordinator Tamim Bou Kar-roum, who observed this year’s elections on campus, acclaimed the level of organi-zation of the electoral process at AUB. “[The atmosphere] was quieter compared to previous years, considering the situ-ation in Lebanon,” he said. “However, students in several universities have been carried away with political slogans ... It should not be that way.” “There is a ‘political ma-chine;’ people get more votes if they have it,” Nizameddin said. “Some students genu-inely wish to improve a cer-tain aspect, but think that they

What happens after the elections?need this ‘political machine’ to back them up.” “University elections are about agenda setting and ful-filling student demands. It has not been like that in AUB, or in any other university.” Bou Karroum added. He consid-ered that the fault of students, not the administration. Regarding the democratic process, Bou Karroum said “there are specific standards for elections such as transpar-ency, evaluation of actions and privacy of the voters. Not all of them were met.” He gave the example of having transparent ballot boxes in-stead of wooden ones, as they provide “a feeling of safety to the voters.” “As for all university elec-tions,” he said, “there is lack of a democratic culture, knowledge and understanding of the meaning of elections.” Heads of several clubs that were involved in the cam-paigning process talked about the difficulty of getting people to vote this year, as many stu-dents lost faith in the election

process due to their disap-pointment with previous rep-resentatives and the lack of transparency in the USFC and SRC. Item 12 in the bylaws of the USFC states that there should be an Information and Public Relations committee respon-sible for communicating with the student body by publish-ing the decisions and activi-ties of the USFC. However, nothing has been published, and those who voted the members into the student government are left in the dark regarding what goes on in the meetings. Moreover, a bylaw that has not yet been implemented states that any member who misses three sessions would be excluded from the USFC. Nizameddin said that student government needs to better connect with the student body. He said “there is a lack of pro-fessionalism in the USFC,” as members’ decisions are at times based on personal rela-tionships with the other mem-bers rather than on the needs

Hashem OsseiranStaff Writer The Egyptian uprising has created a new political land-scape with the emerging po-litical actors reshaping the system as a whole. Mohamed Elgati, director of the Arab Forum of Alternatives, pre-sented a lecture on Wednesday that summarized his views on the emerging Egyptian state in terms of its players, system and constitutional debates. Though highly criticized, the Egyptian revolution must be acknowledged for one of its most integral reforms: the initiation of inclusive and fair elections. For the first time, Egypt’s head of state was elected by the people. “I believe when we have a president that represents the

majority,” Elgati said, “it is a reflection of something good.” Even though this benefit must be considered, the revo-lution can’t be deemed fruitful in light of some of the coun-try’s most pressing current is-sues. One challenge post-rev-olution Egypt faces is the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood. The presence of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafi parties has created a civil-religious state of polarization, dividing the playing field be-tween the “believers” and “in-fidels.” More importantly however, Elgati theorized on the nature of the relationship between the Salafi and Muslim Broth-erhood parties. He stated that the Salafis are a political tool used by the Muslim Brother-hood to mobilize fear on the

grounds as a means of driv-ing people towards their own brand of putatively moderate islamism, rather than their extremist counterparts, the Salafis. The division is not only founded on a religious basis. In fact, the country is split between two regimes: the old Mubarak regime and the new Islamic Brotherhood system. “The institution [Egypt] was harmed by the Mubarak re-gime,” said Elgati. “It was not only corrupt, it also corrupted others.” A reinvention of this regime in a modified and more democratic way might be a functional alternative in the new political landscape of the country. Another issue pressing on Egypt’s political development is the country’s pending con-

stitution, which mostly rep-resents Islamic power by two thirds. “The draft is old-fashioned in its form and content,” said Elgati, showing the dysfunc-tionality of the new constitu-tion. The constitutional drafts are lacking transparency and the negotiations are not de-clared, leaving the people out of this process. Recent weeks have wit-nessed a wide attack on sug-gested minority and citizen-ship laws. More importantly, the constitution has modi-fied the International Human Rights Charter content and dismissed it as a Western con-spiracy against Muslims. The balance of power will change in the coming elec-tions, Elgati said. The Muslim

Brotherhood’s arrogance will cause them to secure only 50 percent of the votes rather than the previous 75 percent. As long as the country is in a discourse of development rather than in an actual state of development, Egypt’s post-revolutionary landscape won’t be one of democracy.

The emerging Egypt: Players, systems and the constitution

Counting the votes in FAS (Photo credit: Heather Jaber)

September 26, 2012Campus News · 3 November 21, 2012

Palestine.” “Democracy is our right,” he said of the USFC policy change. Some, however, criticized the distribution of the USFC seats. Both USFC seats went to third year engineering stu-dents, Ramzi Taybah and An-thony Tayoun, and both said that this was one of the things that should be reviewed in the future. Both candidates said instead of two seats for all undergrad-uate engineering students, it could have been divided, one going to the first and second years, and one going to the third and fourth years. “The good part,” said Tay-bah, “is that the USFC’s are chosen according to his or her competency and not the opin-ion or political affiliation of only 22 SRC’s.” Elie Khalifee, who won the re-election after the tie in Faculty of Medicine, said that now, the policy asks candi-dates to exert more effort to secure both a USFC and SRC spot. Some of the candidates al-ready have big plans in place. Karim Akiki, with an OSB undergraduate USFC seat,

highlighted areas he’d like to focus on. Besides issues af-fecting OSB students, like connecting OSB students with their faculty, working on course capacity and reg-istration and implementing workshops, he spoke of issues relating to all students, like making financial aid distribu-tion more transparent and ex-tending the reading period. Nabil Zantout, who ran under the “Just Think” cam-paign, received support from Students at Work as the cam-paigning went on. While he stressed that the “Just Think” campaign was independent and actually called attention to the “anti-promise” that most candidates make to their vot-ers, he said that for candidates there is “no other choice” than to run affiliated with the big campaigns. Some, however, stand by those affiliated with their campaigns. Tayoun said that part of why he ran was that his beliefs are in line with Stu-dents at Work beliefs, and he won’t have a problem making on-the-spot decisions, rather than take permission or get feedback from any external parties. Lama Ghanem, who ran

with Campus Choice (Secular club) and won the Faculty of Arts and Sciences graduate seat, said the problem that many complain about – that the elections are too connect-ed to external politics – is not the real problem. “The problem is not that the process is political,” she said, “but rather that the elections in AUB are just a reflection of power balances and sectarian divisions that have been cre-ated by the political situation in Lebanon. “There is no problem with politics, there is a problem with how we practice it,” she said, stressing that AUB com-munity has the potential to “create real spaces of debate and action on real and rel-evant political issues.” Hussein Ismail, with a sophomore USFC seat in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, spoke positively of the policy change, highlighting the mix-ture of campaigns that each student voted for displayed on the ballots during the count-ing process. “As we were counting the votes, the coordinators re-alized how much diversity there was in the names being

circled on every list,” he said. “Students have acknowledged that their vote should be given to the person they think can represent them and make a change, not the person that belongs to a specific political party.” What some of the USFC members acknowledged is the need for transparency with-in the USFC. Taybah, who amassed a record-breaking 495 votes, spoke of “giving students the ability to judge us.” This transparency was es-pecially important to Emily Field, winner of the graduate USFC seat in the Faculty of Health Sciences. “What’s important to me about student government is transparency,” said Field, who is from the United States and has yet to see exactly how AUB’s USFC functions inter-nally. “It’s important for me to make myself accessible…to make sure people know who I am.” While some students have said they are slightly optimis-tic about the potential prog-ress of the student representa-tives, many say they are not confident and that after elec-tions day, the hype fades and

the promises made by the can-didates are forgotten. “For once,” said Tayoun, who says he was never too involved with elections be-fore this year, “I wanted to see why people win, get there and don’t do anything.” To the disenchanted, Akiki says he will not bombard stu-dents with the promises they are used to, but instead ask them to wait for the actions to take place. “To those who don’t believe there will be a change, I say let’s wait and see,” he said. Ghanem asked students to put pressure on their elected representatives. “This year I personally urge every student to hold account-able their elected members throughout the year,” she said. Khalifee spoke of the need for students to rely not only on their representatives, but to take some initiative. “The USFC is the link formed between the students and the university,” said Khal-ifee, “but it cannot be success-fully established without the students believing that we can make a change. It’s a group effort, not a one-man show.”

Newly elected USFC prepares for yearContinued from page 1

Frederic Abou JaoudeStaff Writer

Faculties whose SRC and USFC elections resulted in ties between candidates re-turned to the polls last week. In the FEA, Students at Work’s Youssef Sandakli won the E1 tied seat. The final results in the FEA show that Students at Work took 12 out of the 16 SRC engineering seats and all the three USFC seats. This will lead to the forma-tion of an FEA cabinet com-posed purely of Students at Work representatives. Among

Students at Work take majority of unresolved FEA seatsfreshmen, three seats went to Students at Work and one went to Order of Engineers. Among sophomores, Order of Engineers obtained three seats, while Students at Work won two. Students at Work won all the four junior-year seats. And among seniors, Students at Work took two seats leaving, one for Order of Engineers. In the FAS, Ahmad Abdel Rahman won the tied fresh-man seat. In the HSON, Jane-Mary Tarraf won the tied BSN IV seat. In the FM, Elie Khalife won

in the tied Med II seat. Khal-ifee was the winner of the last USFC seat, previously tied with Mohannad Othmani. When asked how it felt when he won, Khalifee said, “I felt like it was my chance to prove to everyone how ready I am to take on the responsibility of a USFC member.” In an interview with Out-look, USFC winner Ramzi Taybah affirmed that “all the needs of the students are well heard no matter how big or small they are.” Taybah explained that he will be starting with basic is-sues concerning Bechtel, such

as renovating the lounge, then move on to granting FEA students the opportunity to participate in off-campus con-ferences and competitions for hands-on experience. Taybah stressed that the new policy for electing the USFC directly makes it harder for the candidates to be elected because their voters include students from all four years. This policy, however, does allow a USFC candidate to be chosen based on his or her competency and not just the opinion of 22 FEA seats, Tay-bah said. Though he prefers this new

policy, Taybah said that some adjustments could be in-cluded, such as assigning one USFC seat for E1 and E2 and the other USFC seats for the other two years. Taybah said he will use his previous experience as a member in AUB Outdoors and Civil Engineering Soci-ety cabinets to accomplish his objectives. He also pointed out the need to publish USFC successes and failures for the sake of credibility and trans-parency.

September 26, 2012 November 21, 20124 · Campus NewsMen’s dorms in disrepairIlija TrojanovicContributing Writer

The view from the men’s dorms might be nice, the sur-roundings may be exciting, and the relationships forged there may be matchless, but Kerr and Penrose halls them-selves—and the rules their residents are forced to abide by—are another story. Dany Dalton, a freshman, came to AUB and lived in the dorms after spending sev-eral years in Kuwait and the U.A.E. “At first glance the room looked all right,” Dalton said, “but before I went to sleep I felt itchy. I thought it might have been an allergic reac-tion until my roommate spot-ted something crawling on the side of my bed. We thought it was a random bug until we lifted the mattress up and saw dozens of these bugs, and their eggs, and shed skin.” Student Housing coordinator Sarah Sabban told Dalton that the room would be fumigated, but, Dalton said, “we still saw more bed bugs, and that was

it. I had enough. I rented an apartment in Raouche and live there now.” Dalton is among a large number of students who com-plain that maintenance issues, outdated facilities and restric-tive policies make dorm life difficult. These issues are not new. In 1990, then AUB student and Erik Stancofski complained that he did not have water to take a shower after handball and basketball practice. At the time, Lebanon didn’t only have problems with electric-ity, but also with running wa-ter. “I’d have to take a shower after the training session, even with the scum that is some-times (rarely) delivered to our taps, [but] there was not a single drop of this foul smell-ing, obnoxious liquid that you innocently call water,” Stan-cofski sad in a letter he hand wrote to the housing authori-ties. Fourteen years later, a Kerr Hall resident sophomore named Abdallah el-Bizri wrote to the editor of Out-

ever, were open for housing in 1962 and 1960, respectively. The doors and windows were replaced recently in Penrose (but only on the first floor), the elevators were re-placed some time ago, and the hole-in-the-ground toilets in Kerr were replaced. The administration explains that maintenance issues in the men’s dorms are exacerbated by the high occupancy. Be-cause there are several wom-en’s dorms, the university can close one while directing stu-dents to other available build-ings. The issue, Sabban said, is one of space. Many of the students’ harsh-est criticisms of dorm life concern some policies. Besides the states of clean-liness and renovation of the men’s dorms, residents are beset with a set of rules and regulations they must abide by. These rules seem retro-grade to some, such as forbid-ding women from entering men’s dorms and vice versa. Also, smoking cigarettes and consuming alcohol in dorms

rooms is forbidden. Furthermore, some dorm residents find it illogical that the Penrose gate closes after 12:30am on weekdays yet a guard remains idle, though logically speaking, if he’s there, the gate should remain open. While the walk through AUB from end to end to reach the Medical gate is a serene stroll in a beautiful university cam-pus, things change when it starts pouring and all a stu-dent living in dorms wants to do is make it to his room and go straight to bed—dry. Residents aren’t demand-ing a Four Seasons experi-ence in the dorms. But when compared to the current con-ditions, a building free of bed bugs, with running water, working elevators and sensi-ble policies might seems like a five-star experience to some.

look saying, “wors[t] is when it’s shower time. Finishing freshening-up and reaching the door, one feels he wants to get in again! … The disgust-ing odor due to the malfunc-tioning of the ventilators … [and] the grubby floor makes you reluctant about daring to visit that hell again. But you will always return.” Dorm residents complain that instead of walking up six flights of stairs, they’d prefer to take an elevator. But that has not always been possible, with the elevator sometimes out of order. In Kerr, the script is differ-ent. While there is one very old elevator, it caters to 350 students, and a poster in front of it reads, “Kindly Note: For safety reasons no more than 4 PEOPLE are allowed due to weak cables. Thank You.” The sign does not inspire confidence among residents. Mayfair Hall, the off-cam-pus women’s housing, was built in 2009 and underwent renovation on both the inte-rior and exterior this summer. Kerr and Penrose hall, how-

Kerr Hall, one of the men’s housing buildings on campus (Photo credit: Mohammad Azzam)

September 26, 2012 November 21, 2012 Campus News · 5Student Housing Office sheds light on dorm difficulties

Camelia HarbSpecial to Outlook

Living away from home is a challenge. Responsibility becomes a priority and your trust in others is put to the test. While a portion of AUB’s student body knows about this very well, living in various flats and apartments around campus, other students are faced with similar trials living on campus. Of course, there are both triumphs and tribulations. the latter, receiving much more scrutiny than the prior. The purpose of this article, a sit down with Student Housing coordinator Sarah Sabban, is to talk about what has often been and remains to be a hot topic at AUB. Sabban said the goal of the Student Housing Office is to ensure the comfort of students living in the dorms. In creating a “home away from home,” it is vital that such living quar-ters are made as comfortable and livable as possible. However, with seven dorms both on and off campus, and around 1,200 students cur-rently taking up residence in the various buildings, provid-ing the best services possible can take time, and efforts of-

ten go largely unnoticed by students. Issues of maintenance are often a sore spot for many dorm residents. Noise in the hallways early in the morn-ing, broken appliances and delays in vital repairs are only a few of the complaints that are heard in Student Housing. Stemming from these com-plaints are rumors of broken machines being replaced by even older appliances, repairs not happening at all, and the women’s dorms receiving bet-ter treatment than the men’s dorms. On these topics, Sabban had plenty to say. To begin with, the issue of maintenance has always been just that: an is-sue. For big repairs, compli-cated planning makes quick responses difficult. Whether it be fixing a washing machine, painting hallways, replacing an elevator or the closure of an entire dorm for a semester, coordination and communica-tion are vital. Dorm residents are respon-sible for reporting necessary repairs to either the RA or the dorm supervisor. They may also find an online mainte-nance form through the Hous-ing Office’s website. Housing staff then coordinate with the

physical plant for projects. If a project involves rooms, students are included in de-cisions regarding access. However, improper reporting or documentation of such is-sues often leads to delays and breaks in communication be-tween the involved groups. The newer online form for maintenance is still a work in progress, but the goal of this procedure is to assess areas of success, failure and any loopholes the process might have. Above all else, Sabban stressed the desire to move the process away from un-accountable word-of-mouth communications to a simple and efficient system that gets work done quickly. Regarding the time needed to complete projects, Sabban pointed to the example of the elevator of Boustany dorm. After being out of service for at least two weeks, the eleva-tor in the dorm was repaired after an essential motor part was replaced. The search for the best part led to delays in the repair. As for the so told story of appliances being replaced by older pieces, Sabban ques-tioned the logic behind such a notion. There is no sense in keeping older machines that

may also be on the last leg of their life cycle. In addition, Sabban explained how just this past fall, new machines were bought for the dorms to “reduce issues and increase comfort.” Changing gears to an issue that has also caused a stir, the recently implemented pro-cedure for security deposits, whether for dorms or for stor-age, have caused confusion among dorm residents. The concept of depositing a sum of $200 in order to ensure a place in the dorm for the up-coming semester began in re-sponse to students reserving a room but dropping out unex-pectedly. As a sort of liability fee, this deposit is to be taken at the start of a “dorm life” (as opposed to the initial policy of at the start of every semes-ter) and kept until the student leaves the dorms, at which point it would be returned. However, were a student to leave without prior notice, the fee would be kept by the Stu-dent Housing Office. Similar reasons are behind the deposit fee for storage items. In previous years, the policies over leaving items in storage has led to widespread abuse of storage space, with

students leaving more items than allowed or simply not re-turning for their items at all. Regarding the various com-plaints and compliments re-ceived by the different mem-bers of Student Housing, communication is something that is highly stressed. In or-der to improve the system and smooth out the kinks of many procedures and processes that occur in the dorms, a new student handbook for dorms is being created. Though the date for its release has not yet been decided, the handbook aims to clarify the issues stu-dents currently face. Overall, the relationship that exists between the Stu-dent Housing Office, head residents, the physical plant, dorm staff and, of course, dorm occupants is a dynamic one. Experiences of gains and losses come just as easily as do memories of good and bad times of life on campus. Each involved party has re-sponsibilities, but without the proper communication and agreement to work together, improvements will not be seen through to the end. Cre-ating a home away from home is a challenging process, but the prospect of just that, a home, is worth it.

New Women’s dorms, women’s housing on campus (Photo credit: Karen Sertin)

September 26, 20126· Editorial November 21, 2012

ChairspersonTalal NizameddinEditor-in-Chief Heather JaberAssociate Editor Ali KassemArabic Editor Mada DibsArabic Associate Editor:Alaa KayaliLayout Editor:Antoine AyoubProofreader:Ian Larson

Member-at-largeSarah KhalilNews Executives Kanzi KamelRayane ZahreddineHrag VosgerichianFerial FakihLayout TeamTania RayesNizar AouadSahar KhraibaniMohammad YaghiSuhail YazajiWebmaster

Jad ShamseddineBusiness Manager Luma ItaniBusiness Executive Sarah HarfouchPhotographers Mohammad AzzamHayder Al-ShakeriSalim KaddouraPia ChaibKaren SertinStaff WritersMohamad SibaiFrederic Abou Jaoude

Elena GrissomAssia NoureddineHashem OsserianKaren SertinCarla SertinNerses ArslenianRichard Le VayAl-Zahraa MajedSarah DiraniRana HarbiNour ShurbajiGhida IsmailNadeem BilaniNoura Hamzeh

Sara SobhDiala AhwashZaynab JaberDeedee JilaniHaya AtassiFarah BieniAhmad OsmanCartoonistsGhassan NassarJad JariMaya Ayache

S t a f f L i s t

Tarek Balshi, who partici-pated in the sit-in, said that while many also care about other causes, “today was about Gaza.” Samer Bu Jawdeh, treasurer of the Palestinian Cultural Club and a longtime activist, said this type of organized protest aids the overall resis-tance to oppression. “Many people choose not to attend under the reasoning that it won’t help the situation, but their logic is fallacious for several reasons,” he said. “If we can’t contribute to the struggle directly, it is our duty to show our solidarity with the people who are fighting for their own lives and freedom.” He went on to explain that the relationship between Leb-anon and Palestine transcends the issue of nationality, and that the problems faced by either country do not stop at their respective borders. “We share a common des-tiny, a common path, and a common oppressor,” he said of the Palestinian people. “We are as much a part of them as they are a part of us.” The sit-in was an act of solidarity and an attempt to raise awareness among AUB students who may feel disin-terested in the events taking place. With the Israeli forces re-stricting food, water, con-struction, electricity, medical supplies and other necessities, residents of Gaza must carry

on as best as they can in inad-equate living conditions. “The bare minimum we can do is to show our solidarity with the people of Gaza,” said Bu Jawdeh, “especially since we are living in far better conditions and with far more privileges than they are. It is our duty to make use of these privileges to help as much as we can.” “It’s important to consider that it’s not just this incident,” said Khaled Rifai, another student in attendance. “The people of Gaza need their voices heard.” The chants, songs, and slo-gans that swept through the crowd under the midday sun echoed Rifai’s sentiments. As well as a cry for justice for Gaza, there were expres-sions of resistance against perceived colonialist and im-perialist forces and influences that have shaped conflict in the region. But most of all, these were chants against si-lence in the face of atrocities and injustice. The attendance addresses the fact that the issue of Pal-estine is a human issue that transcends borders, religions, and political parties. Despite the several alterca-tions that took place at the sit-in, it was the unified voices of those in attendance that stood out above and beyond politi-cal tensions.

Outlook Editorial Board

With today’s communi-cation technology, there is no excuse for ignorance. From all around the globe, it’s possible to watch as the Gaza attacks have claimed dozens of lives. Images of bloody sheets wrapped around children, car bombings and explosions flash across tele-vision and computer screens in an age where, for better or worse, everything is instant. As quickly as rockets are launched, social media sta-tuses are updated. Those in-volved—the Israeli Defense Forces and Hamas—have brought their physical battle into cyberspace for all to see. The parties exchange tit-for-tat threats over Twitter, and an enraged audience comments on and re-tweets the entire spectacle. The image is strange. It’s hard to imagine those in-volved in the shooting, bomb-ing and killing, picking up their phones and laptops to ... tweet about it. Threats from each side are broadcast to millions, height-ening every feeling of loyalty, humanity, sympathy, grief, anger and rage. We are bombarded by the sheer volume of informa-tion staggering. Information is power, yes, but this has come to feel overwhelming. It seems impossible to find a common, collective history, to find an unbiased, objective account of the past to agree on

and lay the groundwork for the future. We receive our informa-tion from “legitimate” news sources and amateur eyewit-ness accounts alike. We see the world through the lenses of camera phones and in un-der 140 characters. We can-not be ignorant, but the raw information passing in front of our eyes every day numbs the senses. The question obvi-ously arises: How do we deal with this influx of media, a tangle of conflicting informa-tion and opinions? This is not the first time the public has grappled with new technologies that have brought the images and ex-periences of war home. Pho-tography transformed the re-lationship between civilians and distant conflict. Early war photos, stiff still-life scenes of battlefield aftermath, trans-ported the scenes of war to the homefront. The Crimean War photographs of Roger Fen-ton and the American Civil War photographs by Mathew Brady’s team of photogra-phers were among the first true images of war to escape the battlefield. One contemporary New York Times report declared that “Mr. Brady has done something to bring home to us the terrible reality and ear-nestness of war. If he has not brought bodies and laid them in our door-yards and along streets, he has done something very like it.” Edward R. Murrow’s radio

broadcasts during World War II added another dimension to wartime storytelling by bring-ing home the terror of the Blitz in all its frightful detail. A generation later, televi-sion reports sank American approval for the Vietnam War as they beamed images of the conflict across the dinner table. War had come into the home with grisly visuals. Live-by-satellite broadcasts from the front lines during the Gulf War added yet another element to war coverage. Not only was it possible to follow the conflict by the day, it was possible to follow by the min-ute, with a delay of only a few seconds. Today, satellites share our Facebook posts, videos post-ed on YouTube, pictures in eye-watering high-definition on our Flickr accounts. Right here at AUB, word of Mon-day’s sit-in for Gaza spread like wildfire on Facebook, with photographs surfacing on the AUB Facebook page before the event was even over. What has remained the same throughout the course of history has been our duty to pay as much attention as possible to the world around us. Ignorance has always been deplorable, but it will take as-yet undreamed of innovations to make it impossible.

Editorial: Students gather at Gaza sit-inContinued from page 1

September 26, 2012Viewpoints . 7 November 21, 2012

Nadeem Bilani Staff Writer

I’ve always wondered about the way celebrities are treated in the world today. Musicians, actors and artists have maneuvered their way to the top of media headlines, establishing themselves as figures who are admired and envied by the masses. We all have a favorite celebrity, whose work we greatly enjoy. But do these figures really deserve to be idolized the way that they are? In a lot of ways, the way celebrities portray themselves can paint a skewed picture about what is perceived to be “normal.” Their platform gives them the ability to effect social change, but this doesn’t mean they necessarily do so with the best intentions. It’s no doubt that when Britney Spears loops around a stripper pole at a music award show, or when the Kardashians broadcast their shallow, sensationalized outlandishness in weekly episodes, someone somewhere in the world

is going to be affected, and not in a healthy way. Celebrities have the power to glamorize, and this can affect a younger generation of more easily influenced individuals. These celebrities can dictate how we should look and act, and what we should believe. Last year, Eminem and Rihanna received flack from critics when they released the video to their hit single ‘Love The Way You Lie,’ starring Megan Fox and English actor Dominic Monaghan. The video was accused of presenting an abusive relationship in a type of dramatized romance. Whether the video was actually guilty of this, or if it simply intended to touch on the important issue of domestic violence, a greater issue is raised: Should celebrities be held more responsible for their work or should they have freedom to express whatever they choose? At the end of the day, many of these individuals in the spotlight make as many mistakes as we do, so what is it about fame that entails

being placed on a pedestal? Is it simply that we can relate to them in some way? It’s not that I condemn fascination with the lifestyles of the rich and famous. I just believe that it becomes an issue when this interest distracts from other things that young people need to be thinking about. How about switching the channel from that “reality” show you’re watching to the news every once in a while? It’s important to realize that the world isn’t such a happy, liberated place as we sometimes pretend it to be. Every day, thousand of children succumb to hunger, violence and the pains of war. Authorities fail their publics, people are discriminated against and millions suffer from incurable diseases. Let’s celebrate the real heroes: leaders, philanthropists, teachers and doctors of the world, not the celebrity. Anyway, why some people actually care that Robert Pattinson and that “actress” from Twilight broke up is beyond my comprehension.

Celebrate the hero, not the celebrity

Frederic Abou JaoudeStaff Writer

Sixty-nine years ago this week, the Lebanese national flag was raised for the first time in the town of Bechamoun. Nowadays, it is important that all Lebanese citizens and leaders remember what happened nearly seven decades ago. We should think of the two main factors that allowed our forefathers to succeed in making it come true. These are factors that our country needs to consider right now to overcome obstacles and recall its days of glory. The first factor that helped us reach independence was the ultimate goal of a national benefit for all. France, like any other nation that tried to dominate Lebanon, emphasized the divisions between its representatives. When newly-elected prime minister of independence, Riad El Solh, and the president of independence, Bechara El Khoury, were imprisoned in

the Rashaya fortress, they did not allow pressure or greed to come between them. French generals tried to convince each one of the two men individually to abandon the other for greater political power. Both leaders, however, did not fall for the French trap and remained focused on what mattered. Lebanon and its independence meant more for our grandfathers than personal gain. This is what Lebanese politicians nowadays do not consider. The second factor that led to Lebanese sovereignty is unity. Lebanon in the fall of 1943 was able to unite each and every one of its 18 constituent sects in support of one objective. Arabs and Armenians, men and women, poor or rich, all agreed to stand hand-in-hand with one another in a countrywide alliance. Muslim party El-Najjadeh and Christian party El-Kataeb joined forces under the combined headship of Sheikh

Pierre Gemayel to fight against the French. Unfortunately, agreement, accord and unanimity are qualities that Lebanon badly needs today. With the Lebanese statesmen aiming for national benefit inside the Rashaya fortress on one hand, and the Lebanese party leaders uniting the Lebanese population on the other, Lebanon gained its independence. After almost 70 years, a lot can be learned from the “old days.” Today, Lebanon needs responsible political figures like Riad El Solh, Bechara El Khoury, Cheikh Pierre Gemayel, Saeb Salam, Abdul Hamid Karami and Camille Chamoun. Lebanon needs steadfast officials to remind us what it was like in 1943. Maybe then the days of glory would return.

Sara SobhStaff Writer Making your way to and from classes at AUB on a rainy winter day is a nightmare, to say the least. We’ve all arrived to class soaked a few times, and one might wonder why. Do students not use umbrellas? I assure you that it is not the case. We buy umbrellas, and plenty of them. However, keeping the umbrellas, well, that’s another story. The first reason that we have a hard time sticking to one umbrella all winter is that they simply do not last. It’s not rare to see students’ umbrellas suddenly flip inside out. Maybe two umbrellas per student need replacement due to breakage every winter season. The first reason is inevitable but the second is not. The number of umbrellas stolen daily at AUB is ridiculous. Students leave their wet umbrellas in designated areas and expect

them to be there when they come back. They are usually mistaken. Watch out, AUBites. Experienced students know never to leave their umbrellas in the box by Jafet library’s entrance. People casually walk by pick up a random umbrella and walk out. It’s a cycle. Someone steals your umbrella, so you, in turn, steal someone else’s umbrella and the tragedy goes on. Since we cannot control the theft, let us work against it. Instead of buying a plain, black umbrella, may I suggest you buy a very bizarre one? No one is going to steal a noticeable neon green umbrella with pink polka dots on it and walk through AUB publicly. This may seem awkward, but it is better to be embarrassed than wet. Keep your eye on your umbrella and never leave it in a public place. The stealth of a student trying to avoid an unwanted shower should never be underestimated.

Reclaiming the Days of Glory Umbrellievable

Karen SertinStaff Writer & Photographer It is usually generalized that women are obsessed with becoming skinny and looking a certain way to fit the definition of “perfect.” However, in recent years, it seems that men have been aspiring to that as well. It’s one thing to want to feel good about yourself and to aspire to be healthy and fit, but it’s another thing to want to be “perfect” and actually believing there is such a thing as “perfect” to begin with. Also, it is extreme when women take pills (while possibly doing other things) to become thin, rather than exercise and actually act healthily. The same thing applies to men—it’s extreme when they overwork their bodies to a point where they may be harming themselves, or taking steroids just to look bulky. Exercising is supposed to be a means of becoming healthier and more fit. A perk of exercising is that no matter what kind of workout a person likes, be it swimming,

basketball, running, football and so on, it relieves stress. Exercising is a great way to forget about life’s problems and release all the anxiety that has been building up inside a person’s head all day. People feel good about themselves after finishing a tiring workout because of endorphins they release. And so the more regularly a person exercises, when a day comes that they don’t exercise for whatever reason, they may actually feel guilty. This is a positive thing, because it means that the person’s body feels the need to exercise, which would in turn make the person healthier and fit. The key thing in this situation is to never overdo it. There have to be days when people give their bodies rest from vigorous exercise. No one should have to try to fit into anyone’s definition of “perfect,” because there is no such thing. I do not understand why anyone would go to the gym or go through drastic measures just to fit a silly definition that does not even exist.

Why I go to the gym

September 26, 20128 . Outloud November 21, 2012

Now that the election results are out, what are your expectations for this year?

Students USFC MembersAbkar Abkarian, Fourth year, Civil EngineeringChanges are going to happen, but they are going to be almost not noticeable. That’s what I’ve seen in the past two or three years at AUB. There are changes, but they’re always very small.

Karma Osman, Sophomore, BusinessI believe the people I voted for from my old school will make changes, but as a university, I don't anticipate many drastic changes after the elections.

Fouad Hayek, Freshman:As a first year student in AUB, I think it’s going to be a pretty good year. I’m just waiting to see, but I’m not expecting much.

Ahmad Abdulrahman, Freshman:I'm really hoping the new USFC will do some good changes to the University, especially in the dorms.

Angelique Chartouni, Sophomore, Business: I don’t really think it’s going to be better a better year for students.

Anthony Tayoun, FEA: Instead of having expectations based on hopes and beliefs, we have plans. Plans to hear demands, make voices heard and implement changes.

Ramzi Taybah, FEA: As part of the new USFC, we will be working on making AUB a better campus and a better home for those living on campus. The dorms unfortunately have been neglected in the previous years. I will work personally on bringing up the issues concerning dorms.

Elie Khalife, FM: Nothing's ever going to get better without the positive input of every student. It all begins with them. Our job is to make what they think is best for the university and for themselves come true.

Hadi Hamade, HSON:Winning USFC has given me a chance to provide what's best for my colleagues and I am honored to do so.

Eliana Bassil, FAS: You have the right not to anticipate drastic changes; however, I ask you to look forward, with the help of SRCs and USFCs, to cause mere changes. Mere changes will eventually add up and result in nothing but a significant alteration. Your friends in school are our friends in university. People with similar goals and objectives usually stick together. Please trust in our mission,trust in our united ballot.

September 26, 2012Outloud · 9 November 21, 2012

Now that the election results are out, what are your expectations for this year?

USFC MembersStudents

Tala Shtayyeh and Rhea Ghali, Business:I don’t really have any expectations. I had high expectations last year but none of them came true. The people I voted for told me they would fix many things, but they didn’t.

Noor Hmadeh, Senior, Public Administration & Rola Ghaddar, Nutrition, Senior:I didn’t vote but hopefully some improvements will be made.I didn’t vote either, but I think it’s going be a good year for students.

Nerses Arslanian, Sophomore, Political Studies:I didn’t follow the elections this year but I hope there will be some improvements. I am slightly optimistic.

Mohammad Majd Itani, Economics, Junior: I don’t expect anything new. Every coalition promises new things, but we’ll never know what was achieved. As an economics student, they promised to change the degree from a BA to a BS but that never happened.

Nader Suleiman, Junior, Business:No one really cares about the students. We used to have a Cupcakery in OSB, but now we don’t, so I guess the situation is getting worse.

Lama Ghanem, FAS: As one of the candidates of the secular club, one clear difference is that we are not affiliated with any of the main two coalitions. Our main role is to represent students, who have not seen any tangible results. We hope to achieve this is by lobbying to create a mechanism by which each SRC and USFC members will be evaluated on their performance and held accountable after each academic year. Nabil Zantout, OSB: I don't think measuring the situation with cupcakes is fair but i can understand why some believe no one cares. Although some candidates don't care about the students, the vast majority does. But these are either restrained by their position's limited power or the political conflict that cancels out any improvement attempts from either sides. Let's hope this is not the case this year...

Karim Akiki, OSB: Nerses, I am sure that this year the USFC is going to improve our university, your optimistic attitude is in the right place:) However, if you have some suggestions I would like to meet up and listen to few of them.

Hussein Ismail, FAS: Hopefully we will improve the university and if you have any ideas please let me know.

Emily Field, FHS: I can’t speak for your unachieved expectations last year, but I can for this. You can call/text/email me anytime and I promise to listen and do my best to help make USFC and AUB more accountable and representative to you and the rest of its students.

September 26, 201210 . Arts and Culture November 21, 2012

Hamra personality of the week: Abu AliMada SubaitiPhotography Editor Hamra is an area that’s alive and buzzing with energy on every corner. The places you least expect to have any significance hold tremendous history and character. An example of such a spot is the corner sidewalk across of Le Sam and beside Universal Snack. Taking a second glance, you’ll notice this corner is someone’s office for a few hours a day.This someone is Abu Ali, a local valet parking attendant for many AUB students. Ali has been working in the valet parking business since 1991, starting in a restaurant called Lighthouse on Raouche. He soon moved his way up to Bliss, working as the valet for several restaurants until he created his own valet business to better support his wife and kids. His children all attend schools, and only one of his sons works one day a week. He doesn’t want his kids working this young—he would prefer them to work in the future with their degrees rather than at the sort of job they could find now. This is especially so since he’s healthy enough to work himself and is capable of letting them focus on their studies. When asked why he chose to be a valet all these years, he said he has a passion for cars and how they work. He claims to be very knowledgeable in auto repair, and says he enjoys helping others with their car problems when he can. Ali has seen AUB students come and go for several years and has come to respect the majority of the student body. “Most of the students come from good families and have been raised with manners,” he said. When it comes to his customers, Ali ranks them highly. He maintains a close friendship with them, cracking jokes and sometimes engaging in intense conversations. He's even had the opportunity to meet some students' parents and create

a friendly relationship with them too. He manages to keep in touch with some of his AUB graduate customers through mutual friends. He carries a proud head on his shoulders, and says he doesn’t want to be associated with those who do not have self-respect. He advises students to improve themselves, as he did to one customer by telling her to quit smoking. He says he doesn’t want them to fall into problems in front of him, so he attempts to remind the students of their family to help motivate them as he would his own children. Ali treats his customers so personally at times, that it leads him into compelling scenarios. He told a story of when a customer of his, whom he recalls as being a very cheerful girl, got quite sick one day. She toppled over in front of him, and asked him to help her because she was feeling too sick. He ended up pausing his daily routine and job to drive her to her house and help her home to her parents. He believes he’s responsible for his customers and wants to treat them and their cars with the utmost care. Ali claims to have had many problems and situations in his life, but he remains a positive thinker. He says he prefers to put aside the stories that upset him, and he knows that life needs the sour moments so that we learn to appreciate the sweetness it gives in turn.

Photo by Heather Jaber

Richard Le VayStaff Writer

Ben Affleck has come along way since Pearl Harbor and the famous line from Team America’s love song: “I need you more than Ben Affleck needs acting school.” His reputation as a director and leading man was cemented by 2010’s The Town. Argo is a more-than-adequate follow up. The movie, already hotly tipped for Academy Awards season next year, is a thriller that captures the tense atmosphere of the Iranian hostage crisis over 1979-80 with aplomb. The first five minutes of the film are enough to allay any fears that this is another Hollywood flick in which a dashing hero saves Americans from a horde of mindless angry Muslims. To be sure, the film has plenty of angry Muslims - this is the Iranian revolution after all - but these are put in context, with the audience made fully aware of the Mossadiq coup and the Shah’s decadence. Meanwhile, Affleck himself sports a beard that at least partially covers the chiselled good looks.

The action itself is tense, with a pace that is relentless, if not frenetic. You are pulled into sympathy for the six Americans being sheltered by the Canadian ambassador, with time running out before they are discovered by zealous Revolutionary Guards. The film’s hook, the story of the CIA smuggling an operative into Iran under the pretence of filming a fake Hollywood movie, also allows for some excellent light relief. Some great one-liners are provided by Alan Arkin’s washed up studio mogul, who finds purpose once more in his life by helping the operation. The first 10 minutes the movie’s Hollywood segment does perhaps suffer from the sheer volume of Beverly Hills in-jokes that become a little tedious after a while, however. “You think the Ayatollah’s scary, you should try the WGA...” is perhaps the worst offender. Affleck’s direction is impressive, particularly the free-form, almost journalistic style in which most of the action is filmed. This is especially effective in the film’s opening scene

depicting the US embassy being stormed by protesters and the rush to shred documents. Extensive use of contemporary news footage is also successfully incorporated into the movie, helping to create a more authentic early 80s vibe. The excellent moustaches are similarly vital in achieving this. Affleck has created a satisfying and emotionally complex thriller that manages to faithfully recreate a period locale (in spite of the Tehran scenes being filmed in LA), aided by solid supporting performances from the likes of John Goodman and Bryan Cranston.

Affleck impresses as Argo director

Nour TurkmaniContributing Writer

“Superman is an Arab,” written by Lebanese journalist, translator and poet Joumana Haddad, is one of those strikingly audacious and bold books that the reader can’t put down, whether they agree with the author or not. As a sequel to her first book, “I Killed Scheherazade: Confessions of an Angry Arab,” Haddad’s book once again rises to the occasion by giving the reader a truthfully harsh insight to the sexist and corrupt world we live in today. With each chapter divided into three parts: The poem, The rant and The narrative, Haddad manages to appeal to the emotional, logical and explanatory perspective. The chapters vividly and lucidly discuss controversial issues

such as God, monotheism, love, the Arab Spring, sex and, in her words, “other disastrous inventions.” The most illuminating element of this book is the nakedness with which the author writes, disregarding the hate mail or threats she usually receives. Believing that all stories have a beginning, Haddad claims that the patriarchal, besmirched world began with fear. She then goes from concept to concept and finally ends with the world we live in today. Haddad’s insertion of personal anecdotes, insightful quotes by revered people and collected information and statistics over the years blend together in her book to give the reader a comprehensive and well-formed outlook on important issues. Being the true feminist she is, she aims for a world

where men and women would have equal (but not similar) rights. She also aims for a world-wide revolution against machismo and refers to the revolutions taking place today not as a spring but rather as a winter since it is not a true depiction of an uprising. The final part of the book serves as a wistful encapsulation dedicated to the unheard voices of other people. It involves an assortment of stories by various women and men, ranging from Palestinian housewife Heba K. who was married at 16 to a man 21 years older than she, to Lebanese salesperson Nada K. who was molested by her religious uncle as a child. Despite its successes, this book might be too full of hurtful rants against personal beliefs for some tastes.

Book Review: Superman is an Arab

Source: argothemovie.warner-bros.com

September 26, 2012Columns · 11 November 21, 2012

Sany FarajallaStaff WriterRAM: RAM is the computer’s short term memory; it determines how many programmes you can run. Most programmes don’t demand a lot of RAM, so 2 to 4 GB is sufficient to have, but, as always, more is better. RAM is unique though, because it has an upper limit. Unless you’re going to use professional graphical editing software, 16GB of RAM is the maximum you need. RAM also has clocking speeds, which you can imagine as little hamsters running on wheels inside of your processor. The average clock speed of RAM is 1333MHz, but it’s quickly being replaced by 1600MHz or even 1866MHz. While not as important as the amount of RAM, it’s still worth paying a little extra for more speed. Smart phones and tablets have an average of 1GB in RAM. For example, 16GB of RAM at 1600MHz is better than 8GB of RAM at 1866MHz, but worse than 16GB at 1866MHz.Storage: Storage is the computer’s long term memory and is split into two categories: Hard Drive Disks (HDDs) and Solid State Drives (SSDs). Hard drives store your files on a small disk, which are then spun to be read. It’s why you hear the “vwiiiiiii” sound when your computer starts up. Standard Hard Drives can store anything from 320GB to 3TB of data, with 750GB being the standard – although some can store as much as 1TB. HDDs can store data easily and relatively cheaply. Solid State drives are basically a gigantic version of the SD cards you put in cameras or phones. They run quietly and have no moving parts. This means they are less likely to break and make your computer cooler. They are also a lot more expensive and tend to store less than hard drives, but are much safer for your data.

Tech columnMohamad SibaiStaff Writer Protein is one of our body’s most important energy sources. It is synthesized for energy that we need for activities of the day. There are many protein sources, like meat, cheese, peanuts and fish. The most nourishing of all, though, is the insect. That small brown cockroach you just squashed last night is very high in protein and very beneficial to your body. These bugs are a common and very popular dish in China and Malaysia. Flour from dried and ground mealworm is used to make chocolate chip cookies. Insects have become a “spice” that is added to many soups, appetizers and rice associated dishes. Insects also provide very important fatty acids and vitamins. They have even been compared, not surprisingly, to chicken. In fact, 100 grams of crickets contain 121 calories. Caterpillars are a better source of protein than meat, as the average amount of protein in caterpillars is around 28 grams per 100 grams whereas meat is at around 20 grams per 100 grams. In Europe, insects are becoming a yummy part of people’s lives. Casu Marzu is an Italian delicacy that is served in the city of Sardinia. It is composed of cheese that is home to live insect larvae. These larvae are added to the cheese to increase the level of fermentation, at which point the cheese’s fats are broken down. These tiny worms are hyperactive and jumpy. They can even leap up to half a foot if you aren’t quick enough.

Food column Antoine AyoubStaff Writer As one of the top consumer products in the world, sodas have made their way into almost every household. However, these tasty carbonated drinks have a lot of catches to them. Drinking soda causes a strange imbalance in the body’s chemistry, which leads to fat buildup around skeletal muscles and the liver. Don’t think that you can escape this by drinking diet sodas. They contain aspartame, which causes an increase in blood glucose (sugar) levels, facilitating the conversion of sugar to fat and adding to your weight. Other artificial sweeteners may not affect humans since we can’t break them down, but neither can nature hydrolyze them. Their buildup in nature will interfere with other animals’ feeding habits and work its way up, back to our bodies again. The source of the tangy flavor we all like, phosphoric acid, also has a catch to it. High levels of phosphoric acid cause heart and kidney problems. This has recently become significant since manufacturers have increased its amount to proportionally extend the shelf life of sodas. Other chemicals in sodas have been linked to cancer in animals, especially artificial coloring agents. As a result, the Center for Science and Public Interest petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to ban the use of such purely cosmetic colorants. Finally and saving the best for last, the epoxy resin used to line the aluminum soda cans is known to interfere with one’s hormone balance, leading to everything from obesity to infertility. Some soda companies are attempting to switch to plastic bottles, but slowly degrading plastics are a source of pollution and will throw the option back in with the resin. I’m just saying, readers, cut back as much as you can.

Health column

Kanzi Kamel and Yara ZeitounNews Executive and Staff Writer

As the dusty summer gives way to the crisp chill of autumn, the telltale signs of the coming winter in Beirut have resurfaced. The brief in-tervals of pounding rain and refreshing winds mark the seasons, we are once again up to our necks—sometimes almost literally—in the most essential resource: water. My excitement for the weather was short-lived as I stumbled into what felt like a meter-deep puddle of rainwa-ter mixed with the grime of the asphalt on the “squeaky clean” streets of Beirut. Blissful though the rain may be, Lebanese infrastructure hardly caters to the enormous yearly rainfall. My damp socks can attest to this. Despite the consistency of the rainfall every year, Lebanese authorities fail to acknowledge the terrible road infrastructures and sewage systems that inevitably flood the streets of Beirut after every storm. The result is a sad waste of freshwater that could otherwise be used. Though other countries have mastered the art of recy-cling and reusing rainwater, Lebanon has yet to intro-duce such technology into its infrastructure. Rainwater fills potholes, is sullied in the filth streets and washes into the sea, where it mixes with unusable saltwater. Rainwater harvesting is growing increasingly com-mon around the world, especially in areas with long, dry summer months, where the captured water is used for graywater purposes like flushing toilets. But beyond ignoring this

precious and fought-over resource, Lebanon’s lack of drainage systems is repeat-edly the cause of accidents, fissures and general incon-veniences. Almost annually, tunnels, valleys and under-ground spots are flooded after storms. Together with the archaic electrical network, oor drainage can result in perilous situations that many are unable to avoid. One must acknowledge the irony of the situation as the country is flooded in the winter season, yet suffers from water shortages in the summer. The obvious solu-tion would be to simply to store the water in times of excess, and utilize it in times of need. AUB has its own method of water storage, located on the roof of Hostler. Rainwater is directed into crevices and recirculated for other uses. If Lebanon were to apply the same forethought in its infra-structure generally, perhaps money would be directed from unnecessary water tanks toward worthier endeavours. Both the streets of Bei-rut and my socks (and the footwear of many others) will surely be grateful for such an improvement.

Environmental column: How Lebanon fails to make use of rainfall

September 26, 201212 . Entertainment November 21, 2012

PoemAnonymousSome furies paralyze all other muscles.Nothing else contracts then. Just that grip,tightening and loosening, like the seasons,tells our time. It beats beyond the heart.It trembles like the fundamental lip.Its justice is our only possible art.It cannot slack within our fingertipsuntil, all worn, they’ve clawed out and apartwhatever demon in man breeds such delusionsthat, slaughtering innocents, he thinks he wrestlesGod, and dreams he climbs each corpse towards angels.

Source: trickyriddles.com

You're in a mansion and the power's out. You see a green door and a red door. Pick one (it doesn't matter which.) Now you see a purple door and a orange door. Pick one (again, it doesn't matter which you pick). Now you see a door with a golden handle and a door with a silver handle. Pick one. You finally come to some signs on three doors. One says "Death from drowning," another says "Death from machine guns," and the last one says "Death from electric chair." Then you see a big sign off to the side that says "Or stay in the mansion and starve to death." What do you choose and still live?

Riddle

Answer: Pick the door with the electric chair. Remember, the power is out?

SudokuSource: websudoku.com

MazeDesigned by Frederick Abou Jaoude

21 تشرين الثاني، 2012 26ترشين األول، 2012

ن أماني علاكاتبة متطواعة

مرة أخرى غزة حتت احلصار.. و تستنكر؟ أحقا؟ هل حقق

استنكارك نصرا و لو ملرة واحدة؟ و أنا لصغر حيلتي أجلس مكذبة

هذا اخلبر.. أي مرة هي يجرح بها وطن و يغتصبون كرامته على مرأى منكم و مسمع و

تستنكرون..بحكم دمي الفلسطيني و نخوة

العروبة التي توارثت لنا باللغة يوجعني قلبي على حصار غرة.. و أنا بكل هواجسي يغلب علي

الطفل في داخلي ليصرخ بكم: ملاذا؟

و خبر قصف آخر يأتي قبل أن يرتد إلي طرفي.. و أتذكر بشاعة

اللجوء و جمال العودة يوما ما إليها، فلسطني.. إليها غزة اجلريحة.. هي اآلن حتت احلصار..

سماؤها ستمطر شهداء و ثكلى.. و يجلس أولياء األمر فينا

يستنكرون.. أو ال تدري طعم اخليبة؟ شعور أن خيبتك تكبر

كل عام و وطنك يبعد و يصبح أجمل كل عام و تعجز عن

تخفيف جراحه؟

لست أدري ما الذي في طباعك الصعبة يا غزة يغري املوت فيراك

حليفه ؟ األ يبصر املوت حماقة احملتل أيضا؟ أحلل عليك املوت و

حرام عليهم؟

و ال يغادر فكري للحظة “إنسانية” الكيان الصهيوني و “أحقياته” بسلم و أمان عادل..

و ال يغيب عن بالي الظلم الذي جتاوز الستني عاما عمرا.. و طوال

و عرضا و مساحة في خاصرة فلسطني.. و ال وجوه أطفال احلجارة الذين ال يزيدون عن

أطفال الناس العاديني بشيء و ال ينقصون.. و لكن هو قدر أحمق الذي ابتلنا بهذا العدو الفاجر.. و ياله من عدو نظرة طفل أعزل بكفه حجر تخيفه و هو خلف

املدرعات املشيدة..

في أغلب األحيان، ما يحيرني و أجلس هنا بل سلح سوى

شعاع أمل.. وطني على نفس خط البحر الذي يتوج نافذتي و

أتنهد.. فكيف يكون هذا الوطن قريبا كل القرب و بعيدا كمنفى

و أنا هنا أشعر بأني الغريب.. فما رأيته من وطني كان دما و

كل عام و �أنت �أملي.. غزةأعداد قتلى على شاشة تلفاز

صماء.. و فيا من وطني شظايا تتمنى لو لم تستقيظ لتسمع

سقوط شهداء غزة.. و أشلء في بعضي ترى مقاومة هذا الشعب

أسطورة سيثمل بها التاريخ قرونا.. فلعمرك لن مير على أطفال األرض أطفال مثل أطفالها غزة..

شيوخا بتجاربهم.. شهداء ال محالة.. خطايا لزالت القدر..

يرجتف قلمي حائرا من أي يد يقبلك و يأخذ بخاطرك يا غزة..

هو العجز أدري.. هو الضعف ممكن و رمبا الهوان.. و أدري

قد مللتي األبجدية بحروفها الثمانية و العشرين.. لكن أال

تدرين.. هو القلب يخاف نسيانك و يخاف األلم فيخط اسمك بني احلروف لعل و عسى عدت و صح

األمل..

جورج حاصبانيكاتب صحافي

... وفي اجلامعة تطر فتتراخى د دعائم ستراحلقائق، وميها

سكون األرجاء لوصول ظاهرة دخيلة. عندئذ، تتمداد رقعة لم ويختلط ظلم حداة الظا

البرد بظلم املظلت، فبظلم الظواهر اجلامعياة لتتجلاى هواة

ظلمياة تنحنا حزمة جديدة للكتابة عن جوانبها.في اجلامعة

تطر فتطوف املمراات باألصوات وتنسحب النداءات من جوهر

ازدحامات اخلارج. في حضرة األمطار، يعود اجلميع إلى شاطئ

االفتتاحياة وكأنا األمطارحلات ضيفا مريعا أحال اجلميع إلى

عزلة عقاب اخلطأة.

الحظوا معي... تطر وينطرح ال التنظيفات على استئناف عما

التزاماتهم التاي أخلوها لدواع ال شبه غامضة. تطر ويداوم عماالتصليحات ورشهم التاي عانت الفراغ منذ أن غابوا. في املكتبة، تنبلج وجوهعاملة لم يستأنس

بصر مغازلتها. وفي النادي، يظهر ابون جدد يعرضون اخلدمات مدرا قون التمارين الفنياة. أما وينسا

ال الباقون، فينسحبون العماتدريجياا من مراتعهم املزعمة

حتت األشجار وعلى املقاعد ة التدخني التاي أنشؤوها بحجا

ويواصلون واجباتهم. كما تنكبا فات مكاتب املباني على موظا

التدقيق بأوراقهن بعد فراق شمسيا طويل. وبهذا، يكتمل

العمل في اجلامعة وتخطو دورة اإلجناز دورانها وهي التاي استقالت

ة احملسوبياة الدوران يومابحجاواعتمدت اللمباالة سندا أفقياا

لها.

مع الطقسالعاصف ، تشراع أبواب املكاتب ويدخل األساتذة

األفاضل إليها. يعود كوب القهوة إلى محلاته بعد أن هاجر

يف على منت خلل الرابيع والصافةإلى مساكن األحاديث أيادمثقااوالهزل. تعجا املكاتب باألساتذة...

دق في حاسوبه، بعضهم يحابعضهم يتخذ الهاتف هيكل له، وبعضهم يتمناى إنتهاء العاصفة

الزهراء ماجد

هل كان عليا أن أحب أقل لكي أبقى على الشاطئ اآلمن منك؟

اختذلت كل ما أملك لفرط اشتياقي للحظة عابرة، أحاكي

فيها الصبر أمامك..وماذا عن الصبر؟ وماذا عن

االستسلم..؟ها أنا أمللم بقايا جرح مكسور

وقلب مكسور.. وبيا ألف سبب للرحيل.

هل أستطيع أن أرحل؟ عاتبني الكبرياء وأنابني.. فما

قدرت على الدفاع. لم أجد أضعف من محام عن

نفوس البشر يفقد قدرة الدفاع أمام هازمه عشقيا.

مللت.

وكذا كلا أعضائي ملات..ضعف قلبي، كثرة النبضات،

كعدااء يعدو وراء اخليبات املستمرة.

تأنيب عقلي.رجفة يدي.

قدماي املنهمكتان بعد طول االنتظار..

عيناي وموعدهما مع البكاء قبل النوم.. منضبتتان بالوقت.

وجهي الشاحب.هيأتي القوياة.. كم تعبت من

القواة..كلاني ملل،

وتعب.

سأرحل.

ولكن إليك.

ع نفسي، أرجاألنها تستحق.

أمللم شظاياك الدائمة،أفراغها في جمودك،

أبرم النيران عليك،أقتلك.. ألف مراة.

وأبكيك،ألف مراة.

خلسة.ومن ثما أرحل.

عاجل للعودة إلى ود اخلارج. لذلك، فعلى التالميذ حصر أسئلتهم

ألوقات دويا العواصف لتنضب تلك األسئلة على األساتذة

برفقةهطول حبيبات الغيث املتبخترة.

ا التالميذ فيتقاسمون ألوان أمافوف واملقاهي. املكتبات والصافي املكتبات، تتشتات الكتب

وتشنا الوشوشات عليها كغارات أحادياة. ينكبا الكلا

على حتصيللدراسة والتدقيق رة املنسياة منذ باملقاطع املسطا

فترة االمتحانات املاضية. في فوف ، تكتمل صورة احلضور الصا

وألوال مراة يشطب األستاذ أسماء ه. لذلك، ل في صفا كل من سجايهيم األساتذة ولعا بالعواصف

ألن تلك الفترة هي الوحيدة التاي قد يصادفون فيها صفوفهم

تفيض بالتالميذ بعد أن باشروا بتشييد حلم االكتمال منذ

أواخر الرابيع املنصرم. في املقاهي، يتفاقم منسوب املأكوالت

وتغرق األصوات لتتوه األحاديث في أصداء املرايا. تزدحم الزاوايا

باملظلت املرتعشة بردا وتطفو املعاطف على الكراسيا لتلعب

دة في مسرحية دور اجلمرة املتقاادرب األعاصير. في هذا املوضع،

البعض ينظرإلى ثواني الساعة، البعض ينصهر في بريق احلبيب

أو احلبيبة، والبعض يعير إصغاءه للجدران لتجذبه نقرات حبيبات

الوابل.

...وفي اجلامعة تطر فتجد من ف ل باجلامعة ويتلها مثلي يتأماعلى فوات األوقات سهوا. ففي جامعتنا من اليبالي مبصلحة ى سوى اجلامعة ومن ال يتقصا

باحتماالت قدوم عاصفة أخرى قد تزعزع مزاجه فيضطرا

ملداومةعمله أو واجبه. واإلدارة ل وتفكار وتكتب... مثلي تتأما

وينتج عن ذلك انتشارالعدوى من احمليط. فبالقرب مناا، توجد

إداراترسمياة لم تبدل فيها إنارة الدخول منذ صيف 1968.

وفي تلك اإلدارات الرسمياة، حاجبمن مواليد عام 1934 ما

س زال يظنا أنا احلاسوب آلة جتسافني أميركياة. والكثير من املوظا

غوفني بالعمل إلى واملدراء الشاحد التكاتف إلسقاط العمل

والثابات في املهنة. وبالقرب مناا، جامعات فراخت باألمس وأمست

اليوم تتحامق باحتلل مراتب أولى عاملياة. وفي تلك اجلامعات،

تلميذ ال يتقنون التمييز بني اياة ورئيس اقة الذر مكتشف الطا

عصابة إسبانياة. هذا كلاه إلى جانبنا، ونحن نتحنجل على

منهج التقليد. مهل، بإمكاننا ي عن حلنافذ... بإمكاننا التقصا

مكة من اقتضاء إسعاف الساالزاوال، ولكن لن يتما هذا اإلجناد في هذه الهنيهة. علينا املكاث

وانتظار العاصفة الوافية األخرى لنستحدث احللول ونعاود

الكتابة...

مطر �جلامعة يف�سي �مل�ستور

ر�سالة منتقمة13 . منوعات

21 تشرين الثاني 2012 26ترشين األول، 2012

دياال أحوش

كلما حاولت أن أكتب عن فلسطني بطريقة علمية أو

سياسية، أحاول سرد األحداث، التواريخ و عدد الشهداء؛ ينتهي

بي املطاف مبقاطع أدبية عاطفية، ثورية، مؤملة. أعود و أراجع نفسي،

أقول “يا بنت لتبيني احلق، الزم تتسلحي بالتاريخ و بالوقائع” و كل شيء بعيد عن ذلك يبقى

كلما في الهواء. أحاول مرة أخرى.

أقرأ التاريخ من جديد. أبدأ بسايكس بيكو و تقسيم

منا مناطق املنطقة. يومها قساحمراء، زرقاء، و بنية. ضاعت

الهوية، و بدأ عصر األلوان. لوانوا موها فيما بينهم و بلدنا و قسا

نحن لوانا أنفسنا و بدأنا حرب م. و أنتج تقاسم ما قد قسا

خليط األلوان تاريخا أسودا ما زلنا جندد فصوله حتى اليوم.

أنتقل إلى وعد بلفور. وعد عمره من عمر املأساة. وعدوا اليهود

فل�سطني لنا �إىل �أبد �لآبدين. �آمني.بوطن قومي، و أصبحنا قوما بل

وطن.أما بالنسبة للمرحلة ما بني الوعد و النكبة، فهي الفترة

الواقعة بني إصدار حكم اإلعدام و اليوم املقرر للتنفيذ. و لكننا املتهم الوحيد على مرا التاريخ الذي سارع إلى إثبات احلكم و

ساعد في تنفيذه.

و ماذا بعد النكبة؟توالت النكسات، و أصبحت

فلسطني عبارة عن كلمة حدود و تواريخ.

حدود ال48!حدود ال67!

و الل حدود...ال حدود للظلم، للموت. ال حدود

للمأساة. حصار، حصاران، . حرب، حربان و

ألف دمعة و شهيد.أصل في السرد التاريخي إلى

كامب دايفيد، سقطت أم الدنيا، سقطت الدنيا جمعاء و على

األرض السلم.

الم ة عليك �ل�س غز

علء كياالي

ة يا معقل لم عليك غز السلم على كل من وطأ األحرار. السثراك الطاهر و روت دماؤه زيتونة

لم و التحية فلسطينية. السهات اللواتي يعشن على األم

ليلدن و يلدن ليستشهد الوليد. لم و التحية إليك يا مدينة السلة يا قدس يا مدينة املآذن. الص

لم على قبتك الصفراء السساعة شروق الشمس و ساعة

لم و ألف قبلة مغربها. السو سجدة لكل أم ثكلى و كل

لم هادة. الس طفل نال والده الشلكل حبة زيتون و كل ياسمينة

و كرمة تغرس جذورها في ثراك لم اهر. الس الط

لكل كوفية فلسطينية

عتيقة. سلمي ألقصاك و

أقصاك أرض السلم.

ا بعد، ها هي أمرسالتي إليك من هنا من مقعدي

حتت زيتونة من بلدي.ستون عاما و العرب ينادون

باستقلل قدسنا الشريف، يشجبون و يستنكرون و يدعون و يثورون و يهدؤون.. ستون عاما خ بكل و نحن نعيش الذل امللط

أنواع العبودية.إذا عرجت على القضية

الفلسطينية بأحداثها التاريخية تلقى في كل زاوية حدثا يزيدها

جلل و روعة و تألقا. ترى فيها صمود طفل يحمل بيده حجارة

و يقف أمام مدفعية عدوه و كأنه يقول للموت “تقدم و ال

تخف” أطفال علمونا كيف يكون

االستبسال في سبيل القضية و الكرامة.

من أعلم الكبار في فلسطني الطفل الشهيد “محمد الدرة”.

استشهد بأحضان والده الذي كان يحاول أن يبعد بيديه

رصاصات جندي إسرائيلي. اليد الفلسطينية تبعد الرصاص، و إن استطاعت الرصاصة أن تخترقها

ة فيكفيها شرف احملاولة. الدربات منذ ذاك الزمن رمزا ألطفال

الشهادة و عنوانا يحتذى به لكل هتافة ترسل ببرقية مع ميامة إلى

القبة الصفراء.كلما أطلقنا اسم فلسطني،

نهوى أن نذكر أنفسنا بعروبتها فنطلق خلفها رصاصة مسرعة

اخلطى ندعوها العروبة، قد تخطئ الهدف فتقتلها و قد

تسبقها و تنساها لتبقى فلسطني وحيدة و العروبة بعيدة

عنها بعد طائر في طبق سماء كانون و صائده الذي يضع أقدامه

املرجتفة على األرض احملدبة.أسبوع مضى على تصعيد االشتباكات الصاروخية بني

قطاع غزة و الكيان الصيهيوني. املقاومة الفلسطينية في

القطاع تقصف املستوطنات بصواريخ لم يكن بحسبان

جيش االحتلل وجودها. وصل غضب املقاومة لتل الربيع و

الذي يدعونه بهتانا “تل أبيب”. كما سمعت أنباء عن قصف

الكنيست اإلسرائيلي بصاروخ بعيد املدى و كان لذلك ما

كان من تأثير على إعلم العدو فصدحت قنواته التلفازية

باالستنكار و أن دولة إسرائيل املزعومة فقدت كيانها و بدأت

بالتحلل مع أول صاروخ نزل مسلما على تل الربيع.

غزة و على صغر مساحة أرضها و بساطة معداتها تستطيع أن

تزلزل أهم املناطق لدى الكيان احملتل، يدور كل ما يدور من أحداث

و ترتقي أعداد من الشهداء إلى املولى، أعداد أفضل عدم ذكرها

ألنها تختلف بني بدايتي الكتابة و نهايتي لها، برفقة الصمت

العربي الذي ال تعرف ألسبابه ال عمالة و ال تخاذل.

أريد أن أوبخ نفسي و عروبتي على كل ما يدور حولي من

أحداث. و إن أخذني احلق أن أذكر التغير امللحوظ الذي يدور في بعض احلكومات العربية جتاه

قضيتك. و لكني ما زلت أنتظر السبب املقنع ملا يدور أمامي من تغيرات على الصعيد العربي. و

بب بطل العجب. أنا إذا عرف السال أدعي أن بعض التغيرات تخفي خلفها مزايا أخرى و إن ظهرت قد

تلطخها و تنكر أصلها و لكني تعودت على التخاذل العربي الذي

يبدأ من هنا من احلبر و القلم فلي احلق أن أستعجب إن الحظت

همة في ذاك القلم و غليانا في حبره البارد أو حياة في العروبة

املدفونة منذ ألف عام.كلي أمل أن يأتي حدث عربي

يكذب ما كتب باألسطر السابقة من التخاذل و العمالة و كلي

أمل أن أغير فكرتي وأن أكتب غدا مقاال أعتذر به عن كل ما ذكرت و كلي أمل أن أقولها غدا رافعا

ل أنا عربي”. رأسي “سجلم ختام. و الس

هذا هو التاريخ الذي أردت سرده مبوضوعية.

أردت أن أحاضر بحقوق اإلنسان، أن أبرهن أن الشعوب الدميقراطية ال يجب أن ترضى بهكذا ظلم ، ان ال تارس ازدواجية املعايير. عدت و

راجعت نفسي من جديد.حقوق اإلنسان، الدميقراطية،

أنظمة احلكم “املتطورة، الراقية”، جميعها ولدت في نفس الفترة الزمنية التي كانت أكبر مؤامرة

في وجه كل تلك القيم تنفذ. و حسب منطقي املتواضع، ال

مكان لقيم ولدت في وقت كانت اإلنسانية تذبح.

أصبح استنتاجي األول و األخير: كل قيمة إنسانية ال تكون نقطة انطلقتها إصلح اجملزرة التاريخية

بحق اإلنسانية هي قيمة باطلة و فاشلة.

و ماذا عن احلاضر؟ ما احلاضر؟حرب اإلبادة ما زالت مستمرة...

و بعد إبادة الضمير، ما الذي سيقف في وجه إبادة األفراد؟

قطعوا كل شيء و تركوا القطاع و الضفة !

أهدونا تلكما البقعتني، و سجدنا شاكرين.

و راحوا يلتهمون تلكما البقعتني بحجة الدفاع عن النفس. و نحن

لم نعد منلك أي نفس لندافع عنها.

انشغلنا بقشور الدين، نسينا اجلوهر.

انشغلنا بالقيم االجتماعية البالية. و ابتعدنا عن كل ما هو

خير و حق و جمال.مع إحترامي لإلميان و املؤمنني،

لألديان و املتدينني...كل مؤمن كافر، حتى تثبت

إنسانيته !و انسانيتنا جميعا تبدأ و تنتهي

في و من فلسطني.من هذا املنطلق، شعارنا الديني

الوحيد عليه أن يكون:“إنا لفلسطني و إنا إيها راجعون

و...فلسطني لنا، إلى أبد اآلبدين.

آمني”.

فرح هاشمكاتبة متطواعة

اجتمعت مجموعة من طلبة اجلامعة األمريكية في بيروت

للذهاب للمشاركة في اعتصام فلسطيني لغزة أمام مبنى األمم املتحدة. عبر هذا االعتصام عن

مشاعر جياشة جتاه األحداث التي حصلت في اآلونة األخيرة في مدينة غزة الفلسطينية.

من ضمن الهتافات التي ألقت في االعتصام “ ملا غزة تقوم و

تنادي، وين العرب يشوفوا والدي...وين الدنيا تشوف والدي” ،”و

كرمالك غزة جايني ... غزة أقوى من مليني.”

من أجمل صفات االعتصام هي وحدة و تضامن اجملموعة

على هدف واحد أال و هو خدمة القضية الفلسطينية.

�عت�سامللقدس سلم . 14

September 26, 20122012 ،21 تشرين الثاني

نحن موجودون

ور�ء تلك �حلدود

أحمد عثمانكاتب صحافي

نحن موجودون، ولن نغادر هذا املكان.

نحن أولئك الصامتون الذين يستقلون احلافلت إلى عملهم

اليومي، والذين يلبسون حزام األمان في السرڤيس، والذين يقفون عند اإلشارة الضوئية

احلمراء إذا ما قادوا السيارة.نحن أولئك الصامتون لباسا، لن

تعرفوا ما إذا كنا مسيحيني أو مسلمني، لن تعرفوا ما إذا كنا

شيوعيني أو “هيپايني”. عطرنا ال يسبقنا إلى املصعد، وال رائحة

عرقنا. لن تعرفوا من لهجتنا ما إذا كناا شمالياني أو جنوبياني.

نحن الذين نقف في الصف، بل وجنترحه، حتى وإن خرقه أصحاب

النبرة العالية.لسنا »ربو براا«. نحن »صنع في

لبنان«، وألننا كذلك فإنانا نعرف تاما علم قادر لبنان.

لسنا محايدين سياسيا - نحن

نؤمن بالسياسة. بعضنا متحزب، لكننا جميعا آمناا باألحزاب وكفرنا

بالطاعة العمياء لها.نحن موجودون، نحن الذين ال نرشو

وال نرتشي، والذين ال ننتظر أن يستقيم العالم حتى يستقيم

نا أن تعرفوا مسلكنا. وأجل، يهمابوجودنا.

نحن الذين نعرف أن القوة ليست في عصيان القانون، بل في تسليم

رقبتنا إليه، حتى ولو قطعها السيف املستور بني ريشه.

ال نؤمن برقة الزهور، نحن الذين نخلق من الغضب زهرة.

سوف نزداد صمتا،وسننزل عليكم مثل املطر، زحفا

زحفا،حتى نبلغ رقابكم فننهشها،

نهشا نهشا.سوف جنعلكم مثلنا، وإن فواتناكم،

لن نعواف أبناءكم.سوف جنتاح املكان، مثل املطر،

وفي هذه الصحراء سوف ننبت السنديان.

فريال فقيه

حان موعد “الفجر” في تل أبيب..

حق العودة أكبرالغضب أكبر

نشهد أن ال فلسطني إال حرةنشهد أن ال “إسرائيل” إال

زائلة

حي على الكفاححي على صمود اجلراح

قد قامت املقاومةقد قامت غزة ..

***

وراء تلك احلدود وراء تلك احلدود نراهم

يبنون حياتهم..يجسدون الوهم

وراء تلك احلدود نتركهميفصلون قطعة اجلنة..يعتقلونها بجدرانهم

وراء تلك احلدود نسمعهميظلمون أهل احلق..

يقيدونهم بحصارهم

وراء تلك احلدود ..”كانت أرض جدك”

وراء تلك احلدود..”كنا نسافر إلى القدس”

وراء تلك احلدود..”كنا نتزلج على جبل الشيخ”

وراء تلك احلدود..”كنا نتاجر التبغ”

وراء تلك احلدود..كانت فلسطني أخت اجلنوب

من وراء تلك احلدود..متى

تعودين؟ألن هذه احلدود وجدت، فمنها

تتحررين!

أليسار الغوركاتبة متطوعة

ننتظر أياما و ليالي وساعات ليأتي فارس أحلمنا على فرس

بيضاء ليأخذنا.إلى حياة لطاملا كانت رواية من

روايات قيس و ليلى في مخيلتنا.نريد أن نشعر بتلك الرعشة

في جسمنا عندما نسمع صوت احلبيب ، اسمه ، أو نحس

بلمسته على يدنافراغ كبير ميأل أنفسنا، ويصبح

همنا الوحيد أن يأتي طيف رجل يغير مجرى حياتنا إلى طريق ما

كان بطريقنا.

ونكمل حياتنا بشكل طبيعي، فراغ و نقص عاطفي و بالرغم من ذلك، تبقى تللك البسمة ال تفارق

وجوهنا.

تدور األيام ، نلتقي بأشخاص ما كنا نتوقع أنهم ذات يوم

�أنت و�حلبسيصبحون ركنا من أركان

حياتنا.وبغرابة، قد نقع في احلب من

حيث ال ندري ، ولألسف فهو ليس بخطة ننفذها وال نحن بقادرين

على إيقاف دقات قلوبنا.

وماذا أقول ، وأنا بني قوتني متناقضتني: عقلي الذي يرفض وجودك ، وقلبي الغير قادر على

التخلي عنك !

عندما نعشق ، يصبح املمنوع مرغوبا وال ننفك بالرغبة في

املزيد من احلب والعاطفة لنسقي بساتني أحاسيسنا.

أحيانا نحتاج لغمرة احلبيب لكي نحس أننا على قيد احلياة ، إلى تلك النظرة منه لتشعرنا أننا

خلقنا من جديد.

ولقد سقطنا في شباك احلب والغرام، فتصبح ليالينا مزدحمة

باألرق والقلق،فياما طال السهر

في ليال شعرنا فيها بالوحدة بالرغم من كل “احلب” احمليط بنا.

من الصعب وصف الشعور الذي يخاجلني جتاهك ، باألحرى ما من عاشق قادر على كتابة

أحاسيسه كلاها. فنبدأ بالتفكير، ونحس أننا نظلم

أنفسنا بالتعبير.

ولكن هذه لذة احلب، تلك الدمعة بعد الشجار، تلك اللهفة عند

االشتياق التي ال ميكننا وصفها ال بكلمات وال بدواوين الشعر

أليسار الغوركاتبة متطواعة

عبارات سمعناها مرارا و تكرارا خلل أسبوع االنتخابات في حرم

اجلامعة األمريكية في بيروت.فالسياسة قد عبرت جدران

اجلامعة وعاشت في أنحاء كل زاوية منها.أصبح للنتخابات

معنى آخر، إن كان على الصعيد اجلامعي، أو على الصعيد

اللبناني، فما عدنا ننتخب هو أو هي على أساس قدرتهما على

التغيير.

همسات نسمعها عند مرورنا على “وست” و “هيدول مع مني؟

8 أو 14؟ طب هوليك مع مني؟ وهول؟” لم تعد تلك األحاديث من حتت الطاولة، بل أصبحت

في العلن. لقد تخطينا مرحلة السياسة، ودخلنا إلى األعماق،

من الدين الى الطائفية. تلك هي األفعال التي تولد احلقد والكراهية في ربيع شبابنا ،

�سوتت ؟ ب�سرفك �سوتلي!!فكما تزرع حتصد.

في تام اخلامسة والنصف مساء، تنقسم اجلامعة إلى نصفني،

وتبدأ الهتافات التي ال تليق بتلميذ جامعتنا وثقافتنا. فهم ال يهتفون للتلميذ فحسب، بل تبدأ الزمامير واإلهانات الدينية

والسياسية.

ونسأل ملاذا انحدرنا في آتون الطائفية البغيضة لنصبح

أسراهاا؟ فتتحكم بكل مفاصلنا وعقولنا وحتجب عن اعيننا رؤية

الغد لنصنعه بأيدينا. نحن طلب العلم واجلامعات ، أمل الوطن

املشرق مبثقفيه ال مبهاجريه. هلما بنا نصنع التاريخ بوطننا

على أسس علمية ال سياسية وال طائفية.

15 . آراء حراة

26ترشين األول، 2012إصدار 45، عدد 9

21 تشرين الثاني، 2012

من اجلامعة األميركية الى غزة: مقاومتنا لن تهدأرنا حربي

مراسلة صحافية

من لبنان اإلباء والصمود واالنتصار، لبنان حاضن الشتات الفلسطيني،

من بيروت املقاومة التي دحرت االحتلل عام 1982 مستنجادا عبر

مكبرات الصوت “ يا أهالي بيروت ال تطلقوا النار على جيش الدفاع اإلسرائيلي، نحن منسحبون من

بيروت “،من اجلامعة األمريكية في بيروت،

اجلامعة التي خرجت أهم كوادر الثورة الفلسطينية عموما

واجلبهة الشعبية لتحرير فلسطني خصوصا،

من جميع طلب هذه اجلامعة،إلى غزة الصمود ألف حتية وسلم.

ظهيرة نهار االثنني الواقع في 19 تشرين الثاني ومن على أدراج

اجلامعة األمريكية في بيروت وقف الطلب وقفة تضامن حاشدة مع

غزة املقاومة.غزة تقدام أطفالها قرابينا لتحرير فلسطني السليبة بعد أن تركها احلكام العرب، غزة تقاوم وحدها لتعيد ما تبقى من كرامة األمة

التي علمها حكامها وطواغيتها الذل واملهانة، وها هي اليوم تزرع صواريخها بأرض اشتاقت لطيب

أصحابها. غزة املقاومة أعادت األمل لعيون بكت بدل الدمع دما وعروق

ت. نزفت حتى جفاعلى الصعيد الشعبي، بندقية ثائر

فاجلامعة األميركية في بيروت احلاضنة لبيئات مختلفة من

لب حاولت توحيد بوصلتها جتاه الطافلسطني و العلم الفلسطيني

والكوفية الفلسطينية.

شارك في الوقفة التضامنية مئات لبة. وقد رفعت اللوحات التي الطا

تتضمن شعارات ورسومات عن فلسطني وعبارات تندد باحلكام

العرب الصامتني عن الشيطان ولألمم املتحدة املمارسة الزدواجية املعايير.

وقد شكلوا لوحة بشرية خلريطة العلم الفلسطيني. صدحت حناجر

الطلب لفلسطني وغزة واألقصى

د عزاام تصوير محما

وحدت الفلسطينيني وأسقطت كل الزواريب السياسية الضيقة املتمثلة باحلركات املتناحرة على مناصب ومراكز سلطوية بنيت

على حطام األرض وجسور الشهداء الذين لطاملا حلموا بتحرير التراب

من البحر للنهر.دت األيادي القابضة على الزناد وحا

صفوف الشعب الذي نهشته السياسات واملصالح الشخصية

واألجندات اخلارجية. فالضفة اليوم تدعو النتفاضة ثالثة مؤازرة لغزة،

بدأت معاملها حتلق في األفق من خلل اشتباكات قلنديا وباب العامود

واخلليل وجنني وبيت حلم مع العدو.

والضفة والنهر والبحر. أنشدوا األغاني الثورية منها “يا نبض

الضفة “ و “أجراس العودة “ و “شدو الهمة”. وشددوا على التزامهم

في خيار املقاومة املسلحة منادون “عغزة رايحيني، شهداء باملليني”.

تخلل احلدث دقيقة صمت إكراما لكل أم مات وليدها و كل طفل

غادر أبوه البيت و لم يعد و بعض الكلمات الطلبية و القصائد التي لقيت لها في مدى اجلامعة صدرا

رحبا.لب للمشاركة حتت عنوان أتى الطا

املقاومة الفلسطينية وعبروا عن ذلك من خلل الصيحات التي

نادت بالوحدة الوطنية. فالقضية الفلسطينية تعني اجلميع

... اجلميع مبختلف طوائفهم وسياساتهم وانتماءاتهم

وجنسياتهم مبا أناها إنسانية بالدرجة األولى.

هذا الشعور بالتضامن املوحد الهدف حاول بعض األفراد زعزعته عبر تشتيت االنتباه عن القضية

الفلسطينية، التي تصدى لها الطلب املنظمون للنشاط ، رافضني

بأن تصبح غزة موضوع جانبي أو أن يستغل البعض وجودهم إليصال

رسائل أو تثبيت موقف ال يعبر عنهم .سرعان ما مت السيطرة على

املوقف من خلل هتاف جماعي “غزة غزة غزة” و “كلنا ايد وحدة “.

كل ما قام به طلب اجلامعة من التجمهر ألجل أطفال غزة و حريتها املغتصبة لم يكن سوى رسالة إلى

اجلميع من صديق وعدو أنهم يقفون إلى جانب شعب غزة في محنته. من خلل هذه الوقفة التضامنية

حاولوا إعادة إحياء احللم العربي الذي ينتهي بخروج احملتل عن أرضنا

العربية مهزوما كما خرج من بيروت وهو يصيح يا أهالي فلسطني ال

تطلقوا النار علينا فإننا منسحبون من فلسطني. حينها تنتهي نكبة

العربي وتصبح النكبة عرسا عربيا كبيرا.

أوتــــــــــــلوك املنشــــــــــورة الطالبيــــــــة

املســـــــتقلة منذ عام 1949

اميلي عقيقيكاتبة متطوعة

قال نزار قباني: “ لبنان حقيقة شعرية كما هو حقيقة جغرافية ووجود القصيدة فيه قدر محتوم

كحتمية وجود ثلوجه وصخره وسنديانه ومساقط مياهه”.

لبنان بلد الفن واألدب واجلمال. فالفن عابر سبيل، يتغلغل في حنايا الوديان والتلل، باحثا عن

موطن يأويه، موطن جمال وروعة، يحط فيه رحاله. هو شفة اإلله،

لبنان وطن �جلمالد من خللها جمال كائناته ميجا

وروعتها. وقد وجد الفن في وطننا لبنان ملجأ له، يختبئ فيه من

ضجيج املدن وخبث اإلنسان ودناءة األعمال والنفس.

لبنان... هذه األرض الصغيرة، هذا

الوطن احلبيب. هو الذي أغدق اهلل عليه نعما المتناهية جعلت منه

جنة حقيقية على األرض. فمن منا ال ينحني أمام عظمة جبال صنني املكللة بالثلوج الشبيهة

بحبات اللؤلؤ الناصعة؟ ومن

منا ال يذهل بسهل البقاع اخملضر بفعل إرادة العيش وحب

احلياة؟ ومن منا ال يستذكر املاضي مبجرد الوقوف أمام أعمدة

هياكل بعلبك، هذه األعمدة التي حملت على أكتافها، على

مر السنني واألزمنة، أسرار تاريخ األمم واحلضارات؟ ومن منا ال تتألأل

أعينه وتدمع عند رؤية الرمال الذهبية اللماعة املمتدة على

طول الشاطئ اللبناني، مرافقة ملياه البحر في طريقها؟ ومن منا ال تتكبل اعضاؤه أمام أرز

لبنان، أرز الرب الشامخ السامي في سماء احلرية ، الذي يحاكي

بصموده نضال الكثيرين في وجه نير االستعباد واالستعمار؟

لبنان يا مرتع اجلمال ومقره و يا مهبط الوحي واإلبداع...

وطني.. إن نسيمك هواء ينعش روحي ونشيدك صلة لنفسي،

وترابك لدم يسري في عروقي.وطني.. اني أضع رايتك نصب

عيني وأصونها في خافق تائق إلى احلرية واالستقلل احلقيقيني.

وطني.. فإن ال تعبير يبجل ويوقر مجد تاريخك العظيم، أنحني

أمام سواعد جيشك التي تشقى لترفع اسمك عاليا وتساهم في

بناء أمة حرة صامدة في وجه كل عدو ومستعمر.

أعيادك يا لبناني احلبيب في عيد استقللك، وأقف خاشعة أمام أضرحة شهدائك البسلء،

نصلي معا لقيامة وطننا من األزمات التي أملت به. وأتوجه إلى مواطن بلدي قائلة: هيا انهض يا شعبي النائم املسترسل في

سبات اجلهل واألنانية، على املأزق التي تورط نفسك به. قدار جمال

وطنك وحافظ عليه بروحك وبكل ما أوتيت من قوة فلبنان أرض االلهة ومقر للفن والرقي.