1. society
2. unrest and war

CHAMPIONS
FORTY YEARS ON
MURAKAMI FASCI-
LEAGUE BRINGS
AND THE WAR IS
NATES WITH ‘KAFKA
SURPRISING SCORES
NOT YET OVER
ON THE SHORE’
PAGE 07 - OPINIONS
PAGE 12 - BOOK REVIEW
PAGE 09 - SPORTS
APRIL 21, 2015
Vol.XLVII, No. 21
International Affairs Club ranks 2nd
worldwide, puts AUB on the map
Vicken Margossian
Arts & Culture Editor
Lama Miri
Staff Writer
About a month ago, a
representative group of
students from the International Affairs Club (IAC)
at AUB travelled to South
Korea to represent the
university at the World
Harvard Model United
Nations (MUN) conference, the toughest international student conference of the year,
Complaints regarding
the poor standards AUB
dorms have surged exponentially as a noticeable number of students
question why it is that the
on-campus dorms are so
poorly maintained when
student housing fees start
at 2,000,000 LL.
“I find maintenance to
be rather inefficient with
Continued on page 3
Close your campus gates on
April 24, AUB
Continued on page 3
facebook.com/Colortekassaa
AUB opens its gates
for a normal school day
on April 24, otherwise
known as the anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide which closes its first
centennial this Friday.
The decision is aggravated
with job fair activities taking place on campus and
course registration for
sophomore students commencing the same day,
further disrespecting the
Armenian minority present at the university that
demands campus doors
be closed in solidarity and
commemoration of the
event.
their work as they would
fix something that would
proceed to break in one
week’s time. That’s not really their fault. The quality of
the materials used around
dorms is far from being the
best,” said a resident of the
boys dorms.
However, another resident voiced different concerns. “It would be unfair
to say that the
Outdoors captivates Beirut
Souks with life-sized graffiti
elephants
Vicken Margossian
Arts & Culture Editor
Dana Abed
Lifestyle Editor
Azad-hye.net
Article on page 6
Complaints about
dorms remain
unanswered
Annual march commemorating Armenian Genocide
After the New Yorkesque skyscrapers that
towered over campus last
year, Outdoors once again
surprised and thrilled Bei-
rutis with a special teaser
for its two-day annual festival that will take place later
this May. The Outdoors
team brought two lifesized, styrofoam elephants
to Beirut Souks on Saturday, and flooded social me-
dia with colorful pictures
of the occasion.
Outdoors teamed up
with Colortek Kassaa and
two talented graffiti artists,
Rami Maalem and Akaeps,
Continued on page 2
2
NEWS
APRIL 21, 2015
Outdoors captivates Beirut Souks with life-sized graffiti elephants
Continued from page 1
to paint graffiti on the mother and baby elephants in public over the weekend. Tarek Shehab, an AUB alumnus who
works for Stryro3D, was behind the design.
Tamara Judi, this year’s vice executive of marketing and
sponsorship for Outdoors, told Outlook that the idea behind the elephant was to attract people.
“We just thought that it is [really in line with] the idea of
Outdoors,” Jurdi said.
“Outdoors is fun, interactive, and cool for all ages, just like
the elephant is.
Beirut souks is a prime location, and it caters specifically
for our target market, which are families and youngsters
who were the most prominent audience during the two
days.”
Nehme Hamade, the Outdoors marketing team leader,
further explained the choice of the elephants.
“The elephant was a teaser for our theme,” Hamade said.
“The specific design and the way it is colored and painted
make the theme clear.
We take pride in thinking of something so spot-on, and
yet it, got people to question what it is.”
The pictures of the Elephants, along with the hashtags
#FeelTheColors and #AUBoutdoors2015, heavily circulated on social media in recent days.
“We had posts on Virgin Radio Lebanon, Live Love Beirut,
and many others social media outlets,” Hamade added.
The Beirut Souks elephants received a great deal of coverage, and Jurdi expressed optimistic views for the up-
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coming festival.
“We can’t tell of the success yet; it is too early for me to
give a concrete answer,” she said.
“However, a lot of people passed by and saw it, which generated a lot of excitement.”
As for future plans, Hamade disclosed that the team will
be revealing the much-anticipated Outdoors theme on
April 27, via Facebook.
Hamade invited the community to look forward to this
year’s event. “Expect one of the biggest Outdoors ever to
happen.
Expect an outdoors that is amazingly well made and the
design is going to be crazy,” Hamade said.
“Outdoors is going bigger; I mean literally bigger,” Jurdi
told Outlook. “Stay tuned!”
NEWS
APRIL 21, 2015
3
International Affairs Club ranks 2nd worldwide, puts AUB on the map
Continued from page 1
and ranked second amid a cluster of talented and formidable opponents from all over the world.
It is the history of the club, however—from a group of
around 25 students to an army of roughly 100 talented,
dedicated, hard working delegates—that warms this AUBite’s heart.
Since its inception in 2009, the club has managed to
make a name for itself with growing international respect.
The club holds and participates in local, regional, and international conferences to debate issues in social, political,
scientific, economic and other fields that may plague the
world one day, in an attempt to reach the best possible diplomatic resolutions all while maintaining the well-being
and prosperity of the country assigned to each delegate.
This year, under the leadership of its president Lara Inja—a senior business student—the IAC achieved its most
successful, prosperous term . “We sent three delegations to
three different countries and MUN conferences, and each
delegation brought back awards, ranks, and honorable
recognition, putting the club and AUB in a position where
we are considered serious competition to most universities worldwide,” a representative of the club explained.
The club’s impressive run began with MUN Turkey
(MUNTR). A group of mostly new delegates with no prior
experience in MUN took on the challenge of participating
in their very first international conference, and came back
with three awards recognizing their performance thanks
to the diligent effort older members spent training and
guiding the new members in and out of mock conferences
held at AUB. “Even though some members didn’t win anything, they grew so much, and I know that most of them
are going to stay next year and go on to become chairs
or WorldMUN and New York MUN (NMUN) delegates,”
said Mohamad Ballout, who chaired a delegation in this
year’s MUNTR.
The second conference was the most prestigious con-
ference of the year: the WorldMUN, hosted by Harvard
and held, this year, in South Korea. The best delegates are
chosen for this specific conference seeing as its results
determine the world rank of each university. Following a
few days of intense work and research—and adventures
with Korean cuisine, communication problems with the
non-English speaking locals, and spreading the Lebanese
culture abroad—the delegation came back ranking first in
Asia and second worldwide with a marginal difference between them and the winners, a huge honour that has seen
AUB and IAC’s reputation catapulted.
Inja couldn’t but feel overwhelmed with pride when
asked about the club’s recent feat, expressing the sound
image fellow delegates, chairs, and the Harvard team now
have of the club and of AUB.
“I think this means a lot to AUB because we’re not that
kind of university that makes a culture out of activities
like sports, but when we came back, we saw it from our
friends, from their friends, and complete strangers; the
AUB community was so proud to have its members recognized on such a wide scale.”
The third and final conference of the year, the National
Model United Nations (NMUN), took place two weeks
ago. This conference is known to be a hard conference
because of the strict rules and regulations that demand
a delegate prioritize his or her assigned country, and account for it with very little time to speak, but the third
delegation, yet again, did not disappoint. Club member
and delegate Batoul Sukkar expressed her joy with her experience: “We were exposed to different innovative ideas
from different perspectives which was very refreshing, especially since our topic—Syrian refugees—hit home.” The
delegation’s hard work paid off as it came back with the
coveted Distinguished Delegation” award.
The club has had a remarkably successful year. Its many
achievements both locally and internationally have gained
it some much deserved attention from some high schools
that have requested the club cater to their students as well
as sponsors and donors willing to support the club and
help it persevere.
It takes diligence, dedication, and perseverance to achieve
what the International Affairs Club has accomplished this
year. With numerous awards and recognition to its name,
the club now has a duty to hold its high position and rank,
and do its best in coming conferences, both regionally and
internationally. A never-ending learning experience and a
journey of professional and personal growth, the IAC is
one of AUB’s pride and joys.
Complaints about dorms remain unanswered
maintenance is doing a bad job. Every time something
breaks or needs to be fixed or replaced, the maintenance is
emailed as soon as possible. Sometimes, we end up sending more than one email per day. Take the bathroom locks
for example,” he said. “The ones that used to be installed
were of very bad quality and barely lasted before they
needed to be replaced again.
But that was taken care of and better quality locks were
installed.”
Someone also raised a point that the rooms remain unkempt during the summer. “We are told to close our doors
when leaving dorms for security purposes but this rule
doesn’t seem to apply to the administration as rooms are
sometimes left wide open.
This leads to the room sometimes being quite filthy in
areas that the cleaners may have missed,” he said. Once, a
dorms resident returned from the summer break to his old
room to find out that a cat had not only entered his room
but had also gotten into his closet and given birth inside,
leaving all kind of nasty things everywhere.”
As this claim has been investigated, Outlook was told
that the supervisor has the right to enter a room only
when something needs to be fixed, or when questionable
behavior is suspected (such as smoking or drinking alcohol). The janitors and the physical plant do not have access
to the any room unless they’re accompanied by the super-
aub.edu.lb
Continued from page 1
visor. “Furthermore, during the inter-semester break, the
rooms no longer belong to its previous resident. The rules
clearly state that they should remove all of their belongings from the room due to maintenance and cleaning.
Starting this year however, the resident’s properties may
be left in their dorm room between the spring and summer semesters.”
There have been many cases of vandalism in the dorms,
many students tend to leave their rooms and the lounge
in an extremely messy and unclean manner. In addition,
residents reported emailing the Office of Student Affairs
more than once requesting new chairs, tables, and equipment in general and so on. However, the response they received was the same almost every time: no budget. “Take
the washing machines for example.
They keep breaking down and they keep on getting repaired instead of getting replaced because there’s allegedly
no budget no address this concern,” said a resident.
4
EDITORIAL
APRIL 21, 2015
Staff List
A REFLECTION
Talia Abbas
Editor-in-Chief
There was an article
published in last week’s
issue that stuck with me. It
talked about fear being our
biological denominator, and
while this strays completely
off topic, it’s the idea of
fear and what makes us
vulnerable that really struck
a chord.
Fears are a plenty; both
logical and illogical. Some
of my more rational fears
include your typical fear
of heights, or letting go of
friends and family that I
love. My more irrational
fears tiptoe the line between
ludacris and comic. They
go from losing my luggage
at the airport to my toes
freezing off in the cold.
But a fear stuck in the middle
is about what is going to
happen when we graduate?
It’s pretty obvious, in fact
quite expected to be scared
when you’re about to tread
an unknown path (and this
goes beyond graduation).
Maybe you know what you
want to do - and in that case
I salute you - and maybe you
want to do something but
are limited by let’s say, the
reactions and expectations
of those around you.
What do you do then? Do
you choose yourself, or
do you put the people you
love over you? It’s a doubleedged sword. Something
has to give and someone
is going to lose. Now ask
yourself: can you live with
sacrificing yourself, your
dreams maybe, to make
others happy? Can you still
look at people the same
way if you’re filled with the
resentment and bitterness
that comes with that big
what-if question?
What happens though if
you make a decision purely
for yourself. Stampede on
everyone’s feelings and
expectations and deal with
the consequences later on.
Aren’t we being selfish in
this case? Forgive the cliche,
but how can you make
others happy if you’re not
happy yourself?
Fear is tricky, and while it
may be intangible, there is
nothing that feels more real
and powerful.
The crux of the story is that
it takes a lifetime to know
what living is, and whatever
chapters we write are up to
us.
Fear is nothing more than
a curtain blowing in the
wind - a curtain you either
walk through, or close the
window behind.
Disclaimer
Outlook is a weekly publication of the American University of Beirut (AUB) and represents the
voice of the student body. It is an independent, non-affiliated publication that favors no ethnic,
religious or political group. All columns, articles and reports are the property of Outlook and do
not necessarily represent the views of Outlook or the AUB community. No part of this publication
may be reproduced in any way, shape or form without the written consent of Outlook and/or
higher authorities. Outlook reserves the right to edit all material.
Contact us:
@OutlookAUB
@OutlookAUB
[email protected]
@outlookaub
01 350 000 (Ext: 3193)
outlookaub.com
@Outlook AUB
Chairperson
Staff Writers
Talal Nizameddin
Ali Kobeissi
Editor-in-Chief
Ali Nasrallah
Talia Abbas
Camille Mroue
Managing Editor
Carole Hassan
Ellen Francis
Chermine Haidar
Arabic Editor
Christy Choueiri
Nizar Aouad
Cynthia Saghir
Proofreader
Dana Kambris
Sarah Khalil
Fatima Kazma
News Editor
Farah Taha
Shereen El Ladki
Fares Serhan
Business Editor
Firas Haidar
Mohamad Saleh
Imad El Hassan
Opinions Editor
Jane Nasr
Azza El Masri
Joumana Talhouk
Arts and Culture Editor
Jason Lemon
Vicken Margossian
Karmah Chehaitly
Community Editor
Khaled Al Kurdi
Linda Bou Ali
Lama Miri
Lifestyle Editor
Lara Mekkawi
Dana Abed
Laudy Issa
Layout Editor
Leen Bou Nasser Eddine
Maha Haider
Meer Rashid
Copy Editor
Malak El Sabeh
Loulwa Sweid
Mariam Dabboussi
Web Editor
Mohamad Al Chamaa
Joy Waked
Nerses Arslanian
Social Media Manager
Noor Barrage
Hania Osta
Razan Mneimneh
Business Manager
Rifaat Fakih
Bassel Abdallah
Roni Rafeh
Photography Editor
Serine Haidar Ahmad
Philippa Dahrouj
Tala Ladki
Tamara Jurdi
Business Team:
Tamara Saade
Tala Kassassir
Yara Beaini
Alik Jebejian
Yusra Bitar
Fatimah Hoballah
Ziad Lawen
Patrick Tchiloian
Joud Hudhud
Social Media Team:
Saly El Wazze
Tania Chiha
Myriam Claire Baker
Ghinwa Moujaes
BUSINESS
APRIL 21, 2015
5
Masters or MBA at OSB?
Mohamad El Chamaa
Staff Writer
Many business students graduating this year are probably wondering what their next step will be. Some may
decide to work directly, while others may want to continue their education. This article is meant to break down
two different graduate programs: the classic MBA and the
novel Masters in Finance (MF).
Both programs are offered at the Olayan Business School
at AUB, and aim to prepare students to take on administrative positions. However, each program is unique. Differences include duration, course load, and admissions.
To be admitted into the MBA program at OSB, the prospective student needs a score of at least 570 on the GMAT
and a minimum of two years’ work experience. For the
MF, no work experience is required and all you need is a
97 on the TOFLE (ibt) exam. However this only applies
to people with a BBA, otherwise two remedial courses are
needed in order to proceed with the program.
MBA students come from different educational and
work backgrounds, while MF students are usually fresh
business graduates. Completing an MBA requires 51
credits, while a Masters in Finance requires only 30. MF
courses range from Security Analysis, Private Equity, Entrepreneurial Finance to Islamic Finance and Portfolio
Management. The MBA, on the other hand, offers very
broad courses, topics range from accounting to marketing
to management. The price per credit is the same for both
programs ($899 per credit), but since the MBA is longer
than the MF, it costs more.
The Masters in Finance prepares students for occupations as analysts in banks and in investment firms, but it
will also give the future graduate the same tier as third
level CFA. MBA students are prepared for work in upper
management jobs in wide range of companies, including
but not limited to, banks, technology, automotive, and oil.
MBAs make more money than MFs, usually because
they have more work experience than MFs. However due
to the huge number of MBA graduates each year and the
higher ranked university bias, MFs are more likely to find
jobs than MBAs.
In this dilemma, a compromise arises. Clifford McCormick, Director of MBA admission at The University
of Pittsburgh, recommends prospective graduate students
with existing management and work experience to opt for
the MF rather than the MBA. In doing so, the soon-tobe graduate student would be saving time and money on
something she or he already knows, while standing out
from a sea of MBA faces.
6
OPINIONS
APRIL 21, 2015
Space: the anatomic malady of a people
Shoushan Keshishian
Special-to-Outlook
Charles Bukowski has said, “there is a place in the heart
that will never be filled. A space. And even during the
best moments and greatest times. We will know it. We
will know it more than ever. There is a place in the heart
that will never be filled and we will wait, and wait in that
space.”
When I first heard these words, something about them
captivated me, although I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what.
But now, drawing nearer to the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, amidst all the commemoration events,
lantern lightings, marches, and protests, I find myself
thinking about this space inside me that cannot be filled.
And I think about Bukowski’s words once again. We, Armenians, are waiting in a space, waiting for it to be filled,
without even realizing that this space exists.
I don’t know where this space came from. It may be
the time which separates us from 1915, or it may be the
distance which separates us from the soil that blessed our
ancestors; it may be many different things. But the truth
of the matter is that we fall asleep every night not knowing
what it feels like to live on a land which we can call ours, a
land where our roots lay.
We do not know what it feels like to draw energy from
the earth which shelters the bones of our forefathers and
carries the weight of our souls. Scattered around the
world, we think we have found new homes, but how can
this foreign soil know us Armenians when it hasn’t carried
our roots. How can we really call that soil our home?
For a long time, I did not know this space inside me existed, but it was there all along, demanding to be felt. And
it’s a stubborn space; its presence needs to affirmed, and
it’s the heaviest space that has ever existed. It weighs down
on my heart, presses against my ribcage, brings down my
shoulders, and I struggle just to keep my heat afloat, just
to draw in that one breath of air that never comes. And
so, all I’m left with is a soul that is rubbed raw and a bitter
aftertaste that refuses to disappear.
Tell me, why should anyone ever feel like that? In what
world does it make sense for a human being to be born
with a space that can never be filled? Our identity as Armenians supposes a genetic predisposition for us to be
born with a space which anatomically shouldn’t exist. Tell
me, how can I carry my identity and my nationality with
pride, when all it does is create echoes in that space in my
soul?
I love my nation, and I don’t know whether it’s the Stockholm syndrome, masochism, or pure patriotism, but I
love my nation even though it makes me feel like Atlas,
carrying a burden I can never get rid of. My nation is in
a cocoon though, waiting to be transformed into a butterfly, not realizing that the change comes from within the
cocoon.
My nation is a cocoon, but when it turns into a butterfly,
as it inevitably will, it will sprout wings that shall have the
span of centuries, and its colors shall be of rainbows, and
skies, and mountains, and apricots, and pomegranates,
and suns, and stars. It will make people look twice, and
admire it for not allowing tragedy to define its course, and
it will show the world that some butterflies have a lifespan
of eons.
On April 24, AUB close your gates
April 24 marks the centennial of the Armenian Genocide, and as the 100th anniversary of the mass killing
draws nearer, the streets of Beirut are decorated with the
purple Forget-Me-Not Flower, banners, and huge posters
commemorating the event.
Even with all the preparations, the marches, the myriad
of events being held in honour of the occasion, it baffles
me that Lebanon has not issued law to make the 24th --if
not every year, then this year at the very least-- a national
holiday. Even more so, it shocks me that AUB, an institution that prides itself on respecting the variety of communities represented within it, wouldn’t recognize the day as
a holiday.
While one would argue that it is not a national holiday
in the country, and therefore AUB isn’t obliged to close
its doors, isn’t this the same institution that preaches
standing up for one’s beliefs? Schools are closed, why isn
‘t AUB? I’m not asking for a rebellion of sorts to be orchestrated, I’m being pragmatic. If the moral and ethical
implications of the day are of no concern to the university,
then the rest of its students should be.
This isn’t the first time the Lebanese government doesn’t
recognize this day as a national holiday, but every year,
people know not to schedule trips because the roads will
be full of marching Armenians, young and old, protesting their ancestral rights and mourning the victims of the
massacre, and getting anywhere would be close to impossible without spending a few hours on the road. Given the
fact that it’s the centennial, the number of people marching is expected to be the highest yet. Now, how are students supposed to come to AUB and leave it to go home if
they don’t live in the vicinity? How are students supposed
to enjoy the array of opportunities brought by the job fair
if they can’t physically get to it?
This brings me to the job fair being held on the same day.
I can understand why AUB wouldn’t close on the day. I
severely disapprove of it, but it’s not my decision to make.
But to hold an event as grand and as important to both the
university and the students on the same day is insulting.
A huge percentage of the Armenian population will not
be present on campus on the 24th, and maybe even the
Armenian National Institute
Vicken Margossian
Arts & Culture Editor
Executed in the public square. (Photo by Armin T. Wegner)
day before when the job fair commences. Is it not these
students’ right to be able to attend the event, to meet possible employers?
Another major event happening on the 24th is course
registration. This certainly does not apply to everyone, but
in my case, for example, I feel more comfortable registering for my classes on campus as opposed to doing so from
home because the departments are right there if I need
help getting into classes, and experience has taught me
that waiting a day means losing any chance of securing a
spot in a class due to possible problems in class capacity.
Hello, horrific schedule!
It is AUB’s duty to respect the minorities that attend it.
And its constant failure to do so stands against everything
we are taught at this university, and mustn’t be condoned.
OPINIONS
APRIL 21, 2015
7
Forty years on and the war is not yet over
Farah Taha
Staff Writer
Last Monday marked an important date for most Lebanese citizens: the 40th anniversary of the beginning of the
Lebanese Civil War. It cannot be called a commemoration, if accuracy is to be in order here, nor can it be called
a remembrance of any sorts, either, not when the majority of its survivors, perpetrators, and witnesses blatantly
refuse to even mention its name. Some don’t even call it
a war, per se, preferring the terms “events” and “battles.”
Intellectuals have usually warned that, if not understood, history is bound to repeat itself. This is especially
true in a country that has suppressed all memory of a relatively recent bloody war and instead taken up collective
amnesia and denial. In that sense, the causes, presence,
and aftermaths of the civil war seem very much alive even
today.
There have been several initiatives inside and outside
of AUB aimed at reviving a remembrance in the minds
of all. Individuals from non-governmental organizations
and the wider public gathered at the National Museum in
Beirut for the day, while others of the civil society in different areas of Lebanon gathered in the city centers across
the nation and lit candles in remembrance of the war.
At AUB, the Red Oak Club, the Secular Club, and the
University of Seniors held separate discussions, film
screenings, and talks that concerned a variety of topics,
the most prominent of which was the 17,000 missing (or
kidnapped) citizens whose whereabouts remain unknown
until today.
The testimonies of the fellow Lebanese and Palestinian
family members of those missing persons, seen through
the different documentaries and discussions, were painful and struck a chord, especially with the young generation—most of which were students of the university.
But the bigger problem was, and remains, in that nothing is being done to help relieve the absence and gap in
which these victims of war are living, even though all our
“leaders” here in Lebanon, warlords and militiamen who
had previously slaughtered, gunned down or dismembered unknowing civilians trying to hide from the chaos,
know very well the whereabouts of those missing.
It is not surprising that the surviving Lebanese population insists on trying to forget their civil war and wants to
shy away from its memory of terror, pain, and shame. No
clear-cut result came out of the civil war; no winner stood
up at its front. There is no one unified history of what has
happened,
but only a collection of jumbled histories and accounts of
personal stories, traumas, and losses. The young generations of Lebanese, to which I myself belong, do not know
what really happened, and seemingly can never achieve
a satisfying answer, not even a coherent one, as to what
took place.
Lebanon’s heart had been punctured 40 years ago, and
bleeds on still today; the injured heart. Far from ever being a mere scar, the loss can be seen in the face of every
citizen; be it the old men and women who somehow survived the war but lost the best times of their lives through
it, or the young children who were hurled head on into the
battle scene during the seventies and eighties; or even the
newer generations born after the “official” end of the war,
who had the great fortune and misfortune of only seeing
the consequences that their forerunners left them to uncover.
The Lebanese Civil War has not ended, and its future remains quite ambiguous and not very reassuring. One audience member, a student at AUB, spoke up at one of the
held discussions and expressed a willingness, even determination, at picking up his Kalashnikov and perpetrating
the streets with violence should the opportunity present
itself. His opinion, held by so many others in every corner
of the country, indicates, if anything,
a clear lack of comprehension of the meaning of war, and a
pressing necessity for writing down a history, inclusive of
all perspectives, of our own war and its horrendous consequences.
On questioning the civil war and moving forward
Joumana Talhouk
Staff Writer
On the 40th anniversary of the Lebanese Civil War, various student clubs, groups, and NGOs around Beirut hosted events commemorating the 15 years of strife that tore
the country apart. Most of these events highlighted the
disappeared as well, as it has been left up to civil society
and personal initiatives to shed light on the subject.
Based on these events and people’s reception of them,
there remain several major points worth discussing.
The most apparent one is that conflicting accounts of the
war cannot be avoided. People are conflicted even regarding the simplest facts, such as the Ain al-Remmeneh bus,
and to hope for an objective telling of history could be naïve. In that case, what becomes of the unified history book
that we all consider a necessary element to understanding the civil war and moving on from it? Accordingly, a
unified history book does not necessarily have to contain
one objective telling of events. Gathering the inconsistent
narratives and presenting them all would be a more critical approach to the history of the civil war and history in
general.
Another important point raised was that of accountability: until the past is openly spoken about, the people—particularly politicians—who participated in the war cannot
be held accountable. Warlords who arguably continue to
profit from the country’s destruction in those 15 years are
still being elected by a younger generation that inherited
dogmas and biases. If we are properly informed of these
politicians’ pasts, we might start seriously questioning
their positions of power today, and maybe even demand
that they be prosecuted for their crimes, whether during
the war or since.
A third realization is that artists have adopted the responsibility of documenting and analyzing the war, mostly because historians and politicians have not. A survey of
most Lebanese works of art since 1990 illustrates that they
Via (hummusforthought.com)
Left: August 8, 2002. Tarik El Jdideh. Samira Bou Chnak with her two children, Khaled and Farah.
Right: August 8, 1986. Tarik El Jdideh. Samira Bou Chnak searching for her children following a car explosion. (Photo by Khalil Al Dheini)
have been deeply affected or
inspired by the civil war. Even 25 years after its official end,
works on the civil war are still published. As long as the
discourse is absent from public policy, Lebanese art will
be stuck in the “post-war” category, trying to resolve what
politicians can’t, teaching us what historians won’t.
This is also exactly why we see an emergence of art on
the disappeared. Artists have been portraying the difficulties faced by families of the disappeared, who have lived in
a seemingly-halted time, with hope for their loved ones’
return as the only mechanism for survival.
However, in a lecture on post-war art, Walid Sadek–artist and professor at the AUB Fine Arts and Art History department–posed some interesting questions: what if those
kidnapped do return? Are they expected to “resume normative living?” And if they cannot, should they become
the subjects of therapy?
In turn, asking returnees to fold up their years of absence
and put them aside, pretending that they never happened,
is unfair and selfish of a society obsessed with normative
living and not dealing with the past.
A last area of controversy involves the war’s nature, its
beginning, and its end. Was it a sectarian war or a Left vs.
Right class war? Some call it “the war of others,” implying
that it’s not a “civil” war among Lebanese. Does April 13
really mark its beginning? Did it end in 1990? Some might
even argue that Lebanon was never a country of political
stability, neither before nor after the war, and that sectarian tensions have existed since its birth. So how did we
confine the civil war to those 15 years?
In recognizing the number of events and works of art
done yearly about the war that attempt to analyze and understand it, one cannot but question what still prevents us
from moving forward.
SPORTS
APRIL 21, 2015
9
First leg of round of 8 of Champions League brings surprising scores
After much anticipation, the UEFA Champions League
resumed on April 14. The first leg of the round of 8 was
filled with excitement, but it wasn’t all sunshine and roses
for some of the football fans.
The first game between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid
resulted in a dull draw.
Don’t let the score-line fool you. This goal-less draw was
more entertaining than it sounds.
Two words: Jan Oblak. Real stepped in and dominated
the game, only to meet with Atlético’s goalkeeper Oblak
head on in what was an intense collection of great saves.
It seems like Atlético have Real’s number this season as
the latter has failed to win in their last handful of attempts.
Regardless of that, we expect Real to defend home turf and
grind out a win at the Bernabeu next week.
Juventus will carry a one goal lead into Monaco after
edging out a win on the back of a Vidal penalty.
Aside from a few chances here and there this match was
largely uneventful as Juventus seemed satisfied leaving
with a 1 - 0 result.
Barcelona dumped a decimated French side who missed
his stars Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marco Verratti and Tiago
Silva after he an injury early on in the match.
The Catalans were just too good with one goal from
Neymar and two goals from Luis Suarez in twelve minutes
(one of which was spectacular, by the way).
It’s definitely worth re-watching Suarez’s goals as he nutmegs David Luiz on both occasions.
Paris Saint Germain did however manage to salvage a
thenational.ae
Joseph Habib
Staff Writer
late own-goal conceded by Barcelona defender Mathieu.
Look for PSG to put up a fight in the second leg, but a
two-goal deficit going into the Camp Nou is not a scenario
you want to see.
Bayern Munich loses to Porto FC by two points, leaving
the result to 1 - 3. Indeed, no one saw this coming.
Arguably the favorites to win it all, the Germans laid an
egg. They were outplayed and outclassed to say the least.
One has to think that Bayern’s one away goal by Tiago will
be crucial in a potential comeback.
This result promises to set up a fantastic second leg in
Germany as Bayern will need a convincing performance
to turn the tables and keep their hopes to get
the title alive.
As the Champions League resumes on April 21, the second leg promises to be a treat.
Hostler center adds water polo to list of sport activities
For many years, the American University of Beirut has
given major attention to sports. While mostly traditional
sports are practiced in the Charles Hoster Center, new
sports are being added to its repertoire, water polo being
the latest.
This sport is amusing, interesting and interactive. Water
polo is a water sport that consists of two teams who attempt to score goals in their opponent’s net by throwing
the ball into it.
Each team is formed of six players and a goalkeeper, in
addition to substitute players. It is usually played in a deep
pool which implicates that players should have endurance
and stamina to participate in the game.
In an interview with Outlook, Amr El Yafi, a second year
mechanical engineer and the co-founder of the water polo
team at AUB, shared the detailed story behind the start of
this sport at AUB.
“I used to play water polo since I was eight, when I used
to live in Egypt,” stated Amr. When he came to Lebanon,
his passion for this game did not seize to exist as he played
with a Lebanese team called Satellity. As soon as he got
into AUB, he decided to seek the creation of a water polo
team at the university.
Joe Nassar, a third year civil engineer and a friend of
Amr, also used to play in a Lebanese team called Rimal.
Amr contacted Nassar to help him establish the AUB water polo team.
They got in touch with the athletic department, and after
considerable insistence, they got to meet the director of
aub.edu.lb
Carole Hassan
Staff Writer
the athletic department, Mr. Ghaleb Halimi.
Mr Halimi gave the boys a preliminary approval at the
spot, however, the official consideration of their request
took long time. Upon advertisement, the number of participants reached 10.
In a twist of events, the department called for a meeting in which they declared the water polo session as a
class that should be paid by for in order for them to hire a
coach. This was unacceptable for the founders who wanted the team to be a varsity team.
Nassar tried to find another solution by asking his father
and Rony Diab, a player in Rimal, to coach the team at
AUB.
The team became a varsity team at the university and an
official acceptance was issued.
Upon the success in executing a water polo team at AUB,
Amr’s brother, a student at the Lebanese American University (LAU), also started a water polo team at his university. “Now we are three universities that have water polo
(AUB, LAU, USJ) and we are having a competition on the
25th and the 28th of this month,” said Amr.
Nassar, as the current captain of the team, told Outlook
that water polo is a fun game but it needs a lot of work. For
someone to apply, he needs to know how to swim, how
to stay above water for a long time without touching the
floor and be in good shape to bear the beatings someone
risks to receive.
“We won twice against USJ, once against LAU, and tied
once against LAU” said Nassar during the interview. “It
was voted toughest sport in the world for 2013.”
10
COMMUNITY
APRIL 21, 2015
Mamma mia: our favorite Italian restaurants
Tala Ladki
Staff Writer
As a Mediterranean country, we have much more in common with Italians than you would think: climate, vegetation, poor driving. But most importantly, great food and
appreciation for it. Here is a list of our favorite quaint and
delicious Italian restaurants.
The Gathering: located in three old stone houses in Gemmayze, this timeless fine-dining classic serves an Italian
menu, a grill menu, bites and of course, scrumptious desserts. The outdoor courtyard is a medium between all
three houses, while the indoor area is a bit more divided.
Their Italian menu features a fair share of pizzas, pastas
and risottos.
Olio: this classic has several branches scattered all over
Lebanon, but those in Beirut can be found in Hamra and
Gemmayze. Olio is a purely Italian experience that any
Italian foodie should try. Their diverse menu features bruschettes, antipasti, salads, and of course pizzas, pastas,
risottos, a platter section and desserts. There’s nothing on
Olio’s menu that I’ve tried and didn’t like.
Tavolina: In the crowded streets of Mar Mikhael lays Tavolina, a small, homey place that serves wonders. A typical
Italian menu that satisfies both heart and belly. The place
itself is stuffy, and seats fill up quick so make sure you go
early since they don’t take reservations.
Dottore L’antica pizzeria: When I first heard of Dottore,
I thought it was going to be just another Italian place. But
what I hadn’t known was that this place has been around
long enough to perfect every dish. I highly recommend
the calzone; it’s one of their specialties. Everything else,
the 1950’s home design, the smell of wine infused in the
air, the welcoming, and the food, is great. Dottore is also
a small place, so make sure to call before heading down.
Appetito Trattoria: tucked away in the streets of Hamra,
this hidden gem is worth exploring. Their soothing romantic seating and Italian inspired décor invite you to try
their mouth-watering Italian dishes. Appetito is a favorite
that keeps me coming back.
La Piazza: As old and as cheesy as you might think this
place is, it’s worth mentioning. The place is set up as
Modern lebanese theater
mourns founding father
Raymond Gebara
Reem Kambris
Special-to-Outlook
Raymond C. Gebara, the pioneer of the Theater of the Absurd in the arab world, died last
Tuesday at the Bhanness Medical
Hospital in Metn, following a
long battle with illness. Gebara,
80, was a prolific playwright,
theater actor, director, journalist,
and drama instructor.
Born in 1935 in Cornet
Chahwan, Gebara discovered
his passion for the theater early,
participating in plays directed
by the mayor of his town. His
breakthrough role came in 1961,
when he played Creon in “Antigone” under the direction of his
mentor Mounir Abou Debs. After achieving local renown as an
actor, he turned to writing plays,
stating that “the actor is the best
playwright and director” in an
interview with Al Akhbar.
Void of any time frame and
names, Gebara’s plays revolve
around injustice and the human
condition. Some of his masterpieces include 1970’s “Let Desdemona Die,” 1980’s “The Trial
of Jesus,” 1981’s “Acolyte Ascends
to Heavens,” and “The Dream
Maker” from 1982.
Spectators sometimes did not
comprehend the wry humor and
poignant plot of his plays.
Gebara taught performance
arts for over five decades, first
at the Lebanese University (LU),
and then at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK). He also
served as the manager of Tele
Liban from 1986 to 1990, which
staff described as “the golden
age” of the channel.
As a journalist, Gebara condemned the complex politics
of Lebanon in a weekly satirical
column for An-Nahar newspaper’s cultural supplement.
Gebara was no stranger at the
American University of Beirut (AUB), where he directed
the play “Romulus Le Grand”
around fifty years ago, and attended an adaptation of his play
“Zarathustra Turns into a Dog”
by AUB students in January
2011.
“I hope that he will be included
in the programs of the students
at schools, so that everyone […]
goes back to what he has written,” one of his former students,
actress Julia Kassar, told The
Daily Star.
“He talked about lots of universal subjects,” she added.
Gebara is buried in his hometown.
He is survived by his wife Mona
Al-Bashaalani, their children
Omar and Joumana, and four
granddaughters.
though it were an old Italian square, with balconies hovering above and a town square in the middle. Sometimes,
they have laundry dangling from the balconies. There’s
usually a tenor singing to accompany the authentic Italian
food and continue your Italian experience. Their menu
features all genuine Italian dishes and a salad bar, and as
far as this place has been going, it has never failed a generation.
Nonna: I’m thinking to myself: if Nonna managed to
make me fall in love with their pizzas so easily, I can only
imagine how I will feel about the rest of their menu! Open
in Achrafieh and as part of Gouton Voir in Dbayeh, I’m
sure when I go back for seconds, Nonna won’t fail.
Venezia: serving a fine-dining experience, Venezia is yet
another authentic all-Italian restaurant that never disappoints. Located near the Hilton Hotel in Sin El Fil, its decor has been made to match the beautiful city of Venice
in Italy; there is a small lake around it and a wooden boat
that you can sit in and enjoy the sunlight after a an authentic Italian dish. With a beautiful setting and a wide variety
of Italian goodies, Venezia just had to make it on the list.
APRIL 21, 2015
ARTS & CYLTURE
11
MOVIE REVIEW
‘The Cobbler’: with great power, come great...shoes
Adam Sandler is a naturally born comedian. Even in
some of the most dramatic roles he’s taken on, the actor
never lets go of his humorous persona -- exactly what he
tries to do in his latest movie, “The Cobbler,” but not quite
hitting the mark.
The movie kicks off with a scene of a young boy having
a conversation with his father, who is working in a shoemaking machine, in German. The movie then jumps to
the present. Adam Sandler, who plays Max Simkin, is a
shoe-maker (cobbler) living a dull and monotonous life.
He goes to work every day, closes at 6 PM, and then goes
home to his old, forgetful mother.
One day, Simkin’s shoe-making machine breaks down,
so he goes down to his basement to check his father’s old
equipment and finds his father’s old machine. He starts to
use it to fix the shoes that were in hand. He goes back up,
and for some reason, decides to try on the shoes. He looks
in the mirror and becomes someone else. He tries this a
few times, then tries fixing other shoes with the same machine and keeps getting the same result: with every pair of
shoes, he magically adopts the physical appearance of the
owner of the shoes. As one would expect, this leads him to
many a sticky situation out of which he must claw himself.
The movie has potential, but with all these identity
changes Max goes through, it becomes harder and harder
to relate to each persona he takes on, and to him specifically. The constant ambush prohibits the viewer to connect with the characters.
The movie is rated PG, but kids watching it might get
imdb.com
Tala Ladki
Staff Writer
confused because some of the scenes are unclear.
Sandler is known for his unusual, comedic roles, but in
this movie, there was barely any comedy, despite it being
categorized as a comedy-drama. To add to that, Sandler
doesn’t deliver a performance worthy of much praise. It
was all very average. Contrary to what one might think,
the characters weren’t written in a diverse manner that
would have allowed him to explore his acting abilities,
which is always fun to see. On a light note, Dustin Hoffman makes an appearance as Sandler’s father, and does a
good job with his role.
“The Cobbler” isn’t a movie I’d recommend you see in
cinemas, because the story gets too tangled at points, and
boring at others. There’s no denying the humour a few
scenes, but overall the movie just falls flat, one in a long
string of flops for comedy veteran Adam Sandler.
ALBUM REVIEW
Pink Floyd pays tribute to Rick Wright, signs off with ‘The Endless River’
Sergio Safadi
Staff Writer
By the time Pink Floyd’s “The Final Cut” was released,
the relationship between keyboard player Rick Wright and
the rest of the band was terrible, so there’s a kind of poetry
to the fact that the new album – Pink Floyd’s first studio
outing in two decades – is a tribute to Wright, who died of
cancer back in 2008.
Side one starts with voices discussing why people argue, before someone mutters, “the sum is greater than the
parts,” and a deep boom gives way to the slow fade-up of
scintillating synthesizers. David Gilmour uses an EBow
on his guitar on this side, which makes it sound at times
like it has been taped and played backwards and, while
giving it a pleasant hum at others. Wright’s addition with
his keyboards is analogous to perfection. Then comes “It’s
What We Do,” a quiet composite of “Shine On You Crazy
Diamond” and “Welcome to the Machine.”
Drummer Nick Mason gets a go on side two, working
up a fast tattoo on rototoms (a type of drums) for “Skins,”
with echo and weird atmospherics aplenty, courtesy of
co-producer Youth. Then, there’s a change of pace with a
pulsing Farfisa organ for “Anisina,” which starts like “Us
and Them” and builds to a warm, triumphant peak, Gilad
Atzmon’s soaring clarinet and throaty tenor sax trading
licks with Gilmour’s electric guitar.
Side three features more from Wright, first in the solemn
piano of “The Lost Art of Conversation,” then, sandwiched
between the two slices of “Allons-y.” It’s a real treat with
big, low pedal notes filling the speakers.
Stephen Hawking pops up next: Gilmour has chosen
to use the same recordings of him talking about language
from that mid-90s BT ad that he did on The Division Bell
(Keep Talking). The wisdom of this may be moot, but it’s
sincerely meant (Gilmour has spoken of being terribly
moved by the words) and not out of place. In fact communication, or the lack of it, seems to be a major theme. One
song, the closing “Louder Than Words,” has lyrics written by Gilmour’s wife, Polly Samson, about bickering and
fighting, making up and moving on. It’s quite fitting for a
band that has had its fair share of conflict and turbulence.
Pink Floyd has left a legacy of astounding music that
will live on past our time and ignite a coming generation’s
passion for music.With “The Endless River” being Rick
Wright’s swansong, remaining band members Nick Mason and David Gilmour have announced that it will be
Pink Floyd’s last. The album has achieved commercial and
critical success, and is also the most pre-ordered album
ever on Amazon, which is a pretty good way to call it a day
-- if you catch my drift.
12
ARTS & CULTURE
APRIL 21, 2015
CONCERT REVIEW
From primary school to the Grand Factory: WE ARE MATCH in Beirut
Tamara Saadé
Staff Writer
A big part of being an international musical sensation
comes from being a crossover hit; making music that will
appeal to many who hear it, despite the walks of life they
come from. And for us, it’s great to be exposed to different
up-and-coming acts from all around the world, and we
only have Beirut Jam Sessions to thank for that. This time
in particular, the folks at BJS brought WE ARE MATCH,
a Parisian band to their renowned venue The Grand Factory on April 16 for an unmatched show.
Established in 2013, the band was first spotted by the
French music magazine “Les InRocks.” Since then, they
have released an E.P. called “Relizane,” in 2013 and announced a new album that is set to come out on September 15.
The concert started off shyly, with an instrumental opening, but moved on to more eclectic sounds. From indie
and upbeat songs with two keyboards, drums, and an
acoustic and an electric guitar to instrumental ballads,
passing by cadenced maracas and drums mixes, the group
covered almost every genre imaginable, making it difficult
to pinpoint their sound. “We think there is for sure something really ‘pop’. We want people to easily understand the
songs, but we also want to take them on a journey. That’s
why we sometimes go through more experimental music
or more orchestral music. We think the best word to describe our sound is then ‘alternative pop’.”
After a heart-warming round of applause from the Lebanese crowd, the band grew accustomed to the on-stage
attention, ultimately creating a special bond with the audience. The group kept thanking the public for its incredible welcome.
“You’re amazing,” they repeated, with what AUBites would
call a Frenchie accent.
Exchanging playful and amused looks, the band members seemed to be enjoying themselves more than the
crowd. This complacency and harmony that reigns between them is the result of a long lasting friendship that
later on developed into a music band. “WE ARE MATCH,
that’s basically five childhood friends who decided to
make music together three years ago.
The two eldest members, Paco and Simon, met at the primary school, while drawing on the walls,” the band said
of it inception.
The band’s desire to both entertain and be entertained
was translated into one of their songs with a dialogue
between the different instruments: while the two guitars
were in sync, the drums replied by overpowering beats
and the keyboards added a subtle yet melodious touch
that matched the general ambiance. Even their voices
were in perfect harmony and matched each other’s tones
as if they were meant to be merged together. The band’s
name thus sounds more and more fitting the longer on
ponders on it.
Creating a vibrant atmosphere, the group’s liveliness contaminated the crowd who then responded by dancing and
jumping around, making the dance floor vibrate under its
rhythmic steps. Under the Grand Factory’s blissful disco
ball, WE ARE MATCH interpreted their hit song “Violet,” with an effervescing crowd bouncing up and down.
The lighting, in harmony with the song, transported the
audience to a colorful trip, getting lost in the languid and
dreamy piano beat.
One of the particularities of the band was seeing the
members alternate between one instrument and the other.
“Each member doesn’t have a specific instrument, we are
all multi-instrumentalists, and it’s really interesting to
see the ideas of everyone with the panel of instruments
we get,” the band answered when asked about its musical versatility. The keyboardist later on became a tambourine player, while one of the guitarists turned to a more
exotic instrument: the maracas. “However, we chose to be
dedicated to a specific instrument when we do concerts:
Paco (Singer/Acoustic guitar), Simon (Singer/Electric guitar), Aurélien (Singer/Keyboards), Gwenael (Singer/Keyboards) and Jim (Drums),” they further explained.
Opening for WE ARE MATCH was a young band called
Wondergaap. Even though they are conventionally considered rookies, they still showed potential, especially when
performing some of their original songs. For the closing
set, Phil Vader was behind the decks remixing some old
rock classics such as those of The Cure with more recent
hit songs.
As for WE ARE MATCH, they have ambitions of becoming famous on an international scale. “Our main goal
is to export our music as much as possible. Art has no limit, and it would be a dream for us if many foreigners could
listen to what we can produce in France. We are dreaming
of a tour in a lot of countries, and are keeping our fingers
crossed for that upon the release of our debut album later
this year.”
BOOK REVIEW
Malak El Sabeh
Staff Writer
After finishing “Kafka on the Shore,” I reread the last
few paragraphs just to make sure that I hadn’t missed anything. When it sunk in that I had in fact reached the end
of the book, I was overwhelmed. “Kafka on the Shore”
does that to you.
Released in 2002, this page-turner was originally written in Japanese, and is considered Haruki Murakami’s
most confusing novel. Murakami is a renowned novelist
of magical realist fiction, but he pushed the boundaries
of what he usually delivers in this book. He introduces
strange characters that intertwine in even stranger paths,
loosely resembling the Oedipus complex, all the while
highlighting the contrast of one’s ability to be confined to
fate or change what one is destined to do.
“Kafka on the Shore” is an alluring enigma with alternate
chapters that relate the stories of two seemingly unrelated
characters and whose fates slowly but surely collide. The
odd chapters tell the story of a fifteen year old who chooses the handle “Kafka” to hide his identity as he runs away
from home. Accompanied by his alter-ego, Crow, Kafka
tries to run away from his father, a famous sculptor, in the
hope of finding his mother and sister who left when he
was only four years old. It is prophesied that Kafka will kill
his father and sleep with his mother and sister.
The even chapters tell the story of Nakata, a simple and
kind old man who refers to himself in the third person.
Nakata lost most of his mental abilities as a fourth grader during a mysterious incident in WWII. Somehow, he
gains the ability to talk to cats, and one cat in particular
leads him to commit a murder.
The stories of these two disparate but eventually converging protagonists become compelling with unexpected
characters and incidents. With talking cats, fish and leeches falling out of the sky, 36-hour naps, Colonel Sanders as a
pimp, a hemophilic, a transgender librarian who seems to
know everything about life, soldiers unaged since WWII,
Johnny Walker feeding on cats’ hearts to achieve immortality, and a Hegel-quoting prostitute, the novel is a series
of unpredictable but symbolic events that never ceases to
please and question the limits of one’s imagination.
What’s most notable about Murakami is his glorious delivery. Whether the story felt like a philosophical, historical, mythological revelation or a heap of random, vacuous
events, one cannot deny Murakami’s peculiar and admirable storytelling ability.That said, like all Murakami’s
books, “Kafka on the Shore” received mixed reviews with
readers either praising or ridiculing the novel.
Perhaps the mixed reviews are the result of the misunderstanding that comes after the book is over; it is full
of riddles and questions are never explicitly answered.
Murakami puts it best by saying, “several of the riddles
combine, and through their interaction the possibility of a
solution takes shape. And the form this solution takes will
be different for each reader. To put it another way, the riddles function as part of the solution. It’s hard to explain,
but that’s the kind of novel I set out to write.” The publisher even invited readers to submit questions on the meaning of the book, and Murakami personally responded to
1,200 questions but without giving any definite answers.
This “metaphysical mind-bender” has all the characteristics of a classic. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s
highly recommended for anyone looking for a once-in-alifetime read.
fembooks.de/
Haruki Murakami fascinates once again with ‘Kafka on the Shore’
ARTS & CULTURE
APRIL 21, 2015
13
ARTIST REVIEW
J. Cole’s journey from rags to riches
One of the most inspirational stories of rappers who
rose to fame is that of J. Cole. Jermaine Cole was born in
Germany to an American father and a German mother.
He moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina when he was 8
months old. After the move, his father abandoned him, his
mother, and his brother.
It was this very abandonment that inspired most of J.
Cole’s rap.
Cole realised that he had a better chance of becoming an
influential rapper if he started off his career in New York.
It was for that reason that he worked towards attaining a
full academic scholarship to St. John’s University. After his
move to New York, he worked on the release of his first
mixtape “The Come Up.”
The mixtape received mixed reviews, although some critics labeled the mixtape a success. Regardless of the latter,
the mixtape failed to gain Cole the recognition he was
seeking.
This motivated Cole to release what many consider to be
a continuation to “The Come Up”; a sophomore mixtape
entitled “The Warm Up.” “The Warm Up” was much better
received and earned J. Cole a number of awards including
the UMA Male Artist of the Year award. A standout song
from the mixtape was “Lights Please,” which attracted
world-renowned artist and producer Jay-Z to sign Cole to
his record label Roc Nation. The transition between “The
Come Up” and “The Warm Up” was described by Cole as
him not making his basketball team after the first try but
continuing to try out until he made it.
After “The Warm Up,” Cole released his third and final
mixtape, “Friday Night Lights,” which later won the artist the prestigious Mixtape of the Year award at the BET
Awards in 2011. “Friday Night Lights” set the precedent
for Cole’s career, and with it he finally established the wide
ulximg.com/
Fares Serhan
Staff Writer
fan base that he deserved. As a result of his noteworthy
success, Cole started working on his first studio album
“Cole World: The Sideline Story.”
The album deals with some serious social issues such
as abortion, parental abandonment, and family relationships.
It highlights Cole’s struggles growing up in a fatherless
family. He also raps about how he would not abandon his
children, and how abortion is a crime.
As the title goes, “Cole World” opens up on Cole’s mentality, and ideologies. It is a deep commentary on common
social issues that we face in our generation today.
Cole went on to release his second studio album, “Born
Sinner.” The approach he took with this album was very
different from his first.
In it, he attempted to unravel the world of sinning that accompanies stardom. He discusses matters such as selling
out, and joining the Illuminati (mocking the existence of
the group, and how fans are too obsessed with the idea).
He also attributed his success to his hard work and his
loyal fans.
Following some accusations from artists such as Nas
of selling out with radio hits designed to produce profit,
Cole decided to release his third studio album, “Forest
Hills Drive,” without the help of a major record label.
Obviously, the album did not accumulate the major commercial success that “Born Sinner” did; however, that did
not faze him because “Forest Hills Drive” was Cole’s personal story. It was the story from beginning to end. Cole
detailed many of his firsts in that album including his first
sexual experience and his earliest experiences in school.
The album was an open book that detailed every one of
Cole’s thoughts, mistakes, and successes. He poured his
heart out, and it was that honesty that makes this album
one of the greatest rap albums released in modern day rap.
J. Cole’s story is truly an inspiring one; he faced controversy, jumped through hoops and managed to make it
where he wanted without straying. He realised his dream
and his purpose as a rapper, and pursued it without a second thought. He did what he had to in order to deliver his
message and for that, J. Cole deserves to be labelled as one
of rap’s modern day greats.
BOOK REVIEW
Farah Taha
Staff Writer
Etel Adnan’s “Sitt Marie Rose,” first published in 1978 in
the French language, wholesomely depicts Lebanon’s Civil
War, despite being a work of fiction.
The protagonist, Marie Rose, is a heroine who becomes a
martyr; one of the countless many, both in the fictive text
and in reality.
The novel is divided into two time slots: the first shows
a clear picture of a previous love interest of Mary Rose,
Mounir’s background, and the second introduces Marie
Rose as the captive of Mounir and his group of gunmen.
Mounir, a relatively wealthy and spoilt young man, is
entranced with the ‘sport’ of hunting animals; so obsessed,
in fact, that he joins his friends and becomes a member
of the Phalangists fighters, who give him permission to
slaughter a new kind of animal: humans.
Marie Rose, on the other hand, rises up throughout the
novel as a voice of conscience and advocate for the underrepresented.
She teaches deaf-mutes, supports the Palestinian cause,
and refuses to resolve problems using violence. When the
militiamen of the east side kidnap her, she is unaware that
Mounir is amongst the perpetrators.
For old times’ sake and for sound reason, Marie Rose tries
to convince the man before her of the irrationality of his
actions, but her words amount to nothing but her inevitable death by means of the hanging noose.
The narrative touches upon many issues that directly
concerned Lebanon in the 1970s, and still do to this
present day: the Palestinian-Christian-Lebanese clash,
class division and the control of a bourgeoisie minority
over the bulk of the country’s wealth (which greatly fueled the Civil War, but used religion as a cover up story
for the events happening), and the misuse of religion in
the different agendas outside and inside political parties.
Perhaps what makes Adnan’s work still relevant today is
its contribution in easing the historical gap that remains
etched in the minds of most --if not all-- Lebanese civilians.
Although far from being an accurate account of the Civil
War, Sitt Marie Rose is able to assemble in its few pages
a relic of past days that are barely spoken of, and still not
fully understood.
In the fortieth anniversary of the start of the Civil War
that passed last week, it seems fit that such partial narratives, one amongst many written in Arabic, English,
French, and possibly other languages, are given another
chance to show those who do not know, and more importantly, those who have forgotten, the real images of war
that have torn the country to pieces, and remind them of
a history yet unreclaimed.
fembooks.de
‘Sitt Marie Rose’: a partial narration of the Lebanese Civil War
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