PSYCHOLOGY NOT ARSENAL DISAP- A FRESH LOOK THEOLOGY: HOW POINTS, SPANISH AT A HOLLYWOOD ISIS RECRUITS GIANTS RALLY LEGEND PAGE 02 - NEWS PAGE 07 - SPORTS PAGE 10 - BOOK REVIEW MARCH 03, 2015 AUB Yearbook exhibits real-life Throwback Thursday Chermine Sleiman Haidar Staff Writer The Instagram hashtag #throwbackthursday has been widely overused, but the AUB Yearbook has decided to bring us, in similar fashion, a stunning real-life throwback, with an exhibition of pictures from 1963–2010. The AUB Throwback event took place in the West Hall Common Room, and was set for February 23 and 24. The Yearbookextended the exhibition until the end of the week after the hype it created and the large audience it attracted. Continued on page 9 Vol.XLVII, No. 15 Malcolm X returns to speak at AUB Yusra Bitar Staff Writer The Narratives of Hope project hosted an event entitled “Malcolm X Returns” in West Hall last Monday. Fifty one years ago, Malcolm X was rejected as a speaker at the American University of Beirut because he was seen as “Un-American,” which was considered unacceptable on American ground. On the 50th anniversary of his assassination, he returns and is welcome at our university. Talented actor Jamal Awar embod- ied Malcolm X on the Bathish Auditorium stage last week, performing a monologue written and directed by AUB professor Tareq Mehmood Ali as part of the commemorative event. Preceding Awar’s performance was a talk by Ajamu Baraka and Daniel Drennan, which began by delving into the notion of racism today in Ferguson and worldwide. This was followed by a comparison of the recent police brutality in Ferguson to the situation in Palestine. Article on page 3 Miss AUB 1963 holds a poster of her younger self at the exhibition in West Hall Tamara El Jurdi Staff Writer Khaled was given his father’s kiosk at a young age, and has vowed that the business will end with him. A father of five, he has been working for years in order to educate and care for his children. With a kid in Dubai, another in Jordan, and the rest with university degrees, he considers his life a success story. However, his success was no small feat. Khaled, more commonly known as “Abou Dekhan,” owns a small kiosk in Hamra, next to Neighbors. He runs it from the building’s entrance, and works only in the afternoon, usually starting at 5 PM until late into the night. When asked what sets him apart from other mini-markets, he said, “I have cigarettes that aren’t readily available in the market. I actually have almost every brand known to the people here.” He gets them from the duty free, sells them at market price, and pockets the profit. But is it legal? “Not exactly,” he says, “the Darak (army men) have fined me multiple times. They pass by and look through the products. The total value of anything they don’t consider ‘legal’ is multiplied by five, and that’s how much they fine me.” He has been fined multiple times, sometimes sums up to LL 3.5 million. Continued on page 9 Red Oak Club tackles civil marriage in Lebanon Dana Kambris Staff Writer facebook.com/redoak Abou Dekhan predicts gloomy future Researcher and activist Talal Al-Husseini stood center stage in Bathish auditorium last Tuesday as the Red Oak Club’s guest speaker at their second lecture of the semester, entitled “Civil Marriage: Obstacles and Fate.” The aim of the discussion, according to the club, was to raise awareness about Lebanese citizens’ right to Continued on page 3 2 NEWS MARCH 03, 2015 Psychology not theology: How ISIS recruits Over 20,000 westerners have been recruited by ISIS so far according to the Associated Press. Recent reports have indicated that the Islamic State boasts around 200,000 fighters, larger than most of the region’s available military manpower. However, the matter of concern here is not “how many,” but rather “how.” By unraveling the theological layer of the process, analysts such as Arie W Kruglanksi have discovered that the answer lies not within the theology, but rather in the psychology. Two psychological motives contributing to the recruitment of outsiders are the “need for cognitive closure” and the “need for personal significance.” The need for closure results in the search for certainty and the eradication of ambiguity. It is the need to feel reassured about the future and the fear of the uncertain. Waves of immigration caused a clash of civilizations which, coupled with recent a economic depression, have left political orders in our region to weaken, hence creating anxiety and hesitation amongst young and rebellious men and women. PSPA professor Lina Haddad Kreidie states that the “men and women who join this group are those who are facing personal uncertainty, no job, helplessness, low selfesteem, and in need of attention. Such individuals are easily recruited by groups that have easy answers: good or evil, right or wrong, and not much to choose from.” According to the Natural Science Foundation, a strong correlation between the need for closure and extremism has been found regardless of cultural background, seeing as more than 90 countries are now represented in ISIS. The other psychological motive is the quest for significance. This quest involves the promised status of heroes and martyrs who have fought against the “infidels,” fuelled by exploiting calamities that the targets may feel passionate about, such as the Muslims suffering in Iraq, Palestine, nbcnews.com Ali Nasrallah Contributing Writer Afghanistan and so on, in order to amplify the frustration of uncertain youths who feel alienated and lack a sense of identity. The appeal to one’s degraded identity and the portrayal of the group’s humiliation can entice otherwise promising individuals to seek personal significance through expressing aggression. Nasser Muthanna (pictured center), once an aspiring medical student in Cardiff, left his family and education to join ISIS, and was later joined by his 17-yearold brother Aseel. Such individuals are easily recruited by groups that have easy answers: good or evil, right or wrong, and not much to choose from ISIS utilizes these psychological impulses by offering a quick solution to them via two primeval human instincts; aggression and sex. ISIS is strategically using sex as a reward for the aggression that its fighters inflict and have focused its efforts on recruiting, as well as enslaving women, which can catalyze the drafting of more men. The establishment of “sexual jihad” in accordance to several new fatwas by ISIS clerics has acted as a facilitator towards aggression and battle. Martyrdom is also associated with sexual bliss in order to further tempt excessive hostility. In addition to men and women joining the fighting ranks of ISIS, some children have taken that path as well. According to Human Rights Watch, at least 194 cases of non-civilian children deaths have been recorded since September 2011. Child-recruits told the Human Rights Watch that their reasons for joining varied, and included seeking revenge against government security forces who detained and tortured them; reacting to the closure of their schools or being expelled for family political affiliations; and simply due to their own desire to go into battle. The minds behind this elaborate recruitment process are “well trained, financed, and tech savvy.” As Professor Kreidie states, “Their goal is to attract more of the delusional young men and women, gather them in one region-namely the Arab part of the Levant, and hence change it from the cradle of civilizations to the grave of civilizations.” Russian opposition leader gunned down in Moscow Cynthia Saghir Staff Writer Boris Nemtsov, a fervent critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin was shot near the Kremlin on Saturday. A gunman reportedly fired six to seven shots at him from an open window, where the body laid for an hour or so before placed in a black bag and driven away at 1:40 AM. Nemtsov was a 55-year old former Russian deputy prime minister, and the leader of the opposition movement against the Kremlin. Days before his murder, he was meant to lead a march against the war in Kiev, Ukraine, and had documents that proved the Kremlin had orchestrated what is now the Crimean War. He accused Putin of “committing a crime” by annexing Crimea. Several sources and investigators report that this murder corresponded to a contract killing, as a part of a larger plot to either cause greater outrage towards Yeltsin’s successor Putin, or to rid Russia of any further opposition. However, Putin immediately sent his condolences to the opposition, and reduced the incident to a provocation. Putin also placed his top enforcement chiefs to investigate Nemtsov’s killing. Dmitry Peskov, the president’ spokesman said: “Putin noted that this cruel murder has all the makings of a contract hit and is extremely provocative.” The murder had also immediately reached the White House, where President Barack Obama called for the Russian government to conduct a “prompt, impartial and transparent” investigation to bring the culprits to justice. Senator John Kerry also took to the stage to speak of Nemtsov and is continuous attempt to establish better relation with the United States, and further praised his democratic intents. Days before his murder, he was meant to lead a march against the war in Kiev, Ukraine, and had proof that the Kremlin orchestrated what is now the Crimean War. Hours before his death, Nemtsov posted his last tweet and urged the divided opposition to unite on March 1. “If you support stopping Russia’s war with Ukraine, if you support stopping Putin’s aggression, come to the Spring March in Maryino on 1 March,” he wrote. It was reported that Nemtsov’s call for this alliance in an attempt to garner a crowd of 100,000 people in front of the Kremlin, in order to convey a point to Putin and his infamous Cronies. Ironically, he met his doom a few miles away from the Kremlin itself. Nemtsov murder only enraged the opposition, to which the murder is now being seen as an assassination and has created even more dissent and resentment towards the Kremlin. Mikhail Kasyanov, another former deputy prime minister angrily stated, in regard to the investigation of Nemstov’s murder, “There can be only one version...that he was shot for telling the truth.” Nemtsov was known to be outspoken, in terms of his opposition to the Kremlin, such that he often went on radio shows and once demanded, “Why do you lie, Mr. Putin, commander-in-chief?” on air. He was also seen as an energetic figure to whom “free-thinking” Russian people could relate. The Russian police have not yet reached a conclusion for the possible motive of the killing, and have not yet apprehended any suspects. Police did however, search Nemstov’s apartment in Moscow the morning of the murder. It is hard to tell what might become of the Russian people opposition movement, but a voice can be taken into consideration that of Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union’s last leader. Gorbachev expressed the rise of tension between Putin and the nationalist support following his handling of the Ukrainian crisis. Gorbachev had allegedly said: “The murder of Boris Nemtsov is an attempt to complicate the situation, maybe even to destabilize the situation in the country.” NEWS MARCH 03, 2015 3 Red Oak Club tackles civil marriage in Lebanon a civil marriage, explain the political deadlock that civil marriage is caught up in today, and convince the attendees to participate in a related protest on Sunday, March 1. Al-Husseini, member of the Civil Committee for the Freedom of Choice, began by clarifying that citizens’ faiths are still indicated on governmental records, unlawfully so. He claims that not only is it against the Lebanese Constitution to indicate newborns’ faiths on their birth certificate, but also against basic human rights. Al-Husseini believes that this injustice stems from the sectarian system in place in Lebanon, which hijacked the original civil state. Many assume that civil marriage does not conform with the Constitution, to which the lecturer vehemently disagrees. “The first civil marriage in Lebanon [that of Khulood Sukkarieh and Nidal Darwish in 2013] was carried on the basis of applying the law, and not on a demand of a new law,” he says. The aforementioned law figures under Article 60 of the Constitution, dated from 1963, he adds. Then why is it so hard to get a civil marriage in Lebanon? Al-Husseini argues that this is due to the lack of a “civil law for a fair legislative process regulating marriages.” Moreover, he accuses the many political and religious figures that are going out of their way to obstruct the happenings of civil marriages. He gives the example of the Minister of Interior Nouhad Machnouk, who is refusing to give recently married couples their certificates. He referred to the minister’s viewpoint as similar to ISIS, stating “his position is very Daesh-like, he is against freedom facebook.com/redoak Continued from page 1 of choice.” The following Q&A session reflected the passion the attendees had for this issue. One asked if Al-Husseini thinks that those who wrote-off their faiths from their legal documents should mobilize and march to the Parliament. Others asked about Al-Husseini’s reply to those who say that Lebanon has bigger issues to deal with, and that Cyprus is nearby anyway. The audience left the hall satisfied with the answers they got, clinging a little bit tighter to their cause. However, not much was said about the fate of civil mar- riage; it appears that it will be determined by the outcome of the protest. When asked about how the issue of civil marriage pertains to the mission statement of The Red Oak Club, its president Anthony Chahine answered that the values of equality and freedom of choice fall in line with the club’s attitudes. “There is also the economic dimension of it,” adds another member, “religious figures are reaping lots of profit from religious marriages, whereas this profit should be going to the government.” Malcolm X returns: From Palestine to Ferguson jamaalyad.org It was surprising to find Malcolm X in West Hall giving a speech last Monday, seeing as he was assassinated and died as a result of 21 gunshots wounds on February 21, 1965. In fact, talented actor Jamal Awar embodied Malcolm X on the Bathish Auditorium stage last week, performing a monologue written and directed by AUB professor Tareq Mehmood Ali, as part of a commemorative event hosted by the Narratives of Hope project. The main point of his monologue revolved around the notion that Islamophobia and racism are simply inseparable as they are both the “oxygen of hate.” Preceding X’s performance was a talk given by Ajamu Baraka and Daniel Drennan, both humble considering their impressive resumes. Baraka started the talk by discussing racism today in Ferguson and worldwide. Considering the various examples of oppressed people worldwide, from Palestine to Ferguson, Baraka said that there is a “critical need to organize and unite among ourselves” (the oppressed against the common enemy). This foe is rooted in the colonial enterprise and is part of a universal struggle. Unfortunately, the marginalized and oppressed suppress their anger, allowing for radicalization and petty crime which sends them to jail, a pattern that Malcolm X was no stranger to, which Baraka attributed to the psychological effect of white supremacy. Baraka adds that the only way for “authentic liberation is if it follows psychological decolonization”, since “whiteness” is an ideological framework and is not just a race. The concept has become so normalized that people do not see it. This was followed by a comparison of the recent police brutality in Ferguson to the situation in Palestine. Ferguson’s police force was trained in Israel, which solidified the solidarity connection with Palestine. A question from the audience was in reference to how fair it was to compare the complex Palestinian problem to that of Ferguson. Baraka agreed that they are not on the same level but proceeded to say that they are the same in the sense that they are a result of settler colonial experience, which is all about the fundamental power dynamics. Hashtags in reference to this issue was definitely on the rise for Malcolm’s 50-year commemoration with #malcolmtaughtme trending on Twitter in remembrance of him. Unfortunately, Bakara added that slogans are not action since complaining against a system that does not care about the oppressed to begin with is counterintuitive. Daniel Drennan supported Baraka’s argument by elaborating on the media’s role and how it reinforces a discrimination. This is also in regards to the constant sense of “othering” when it comes to the reductionary images shown on TV and in movies. What is his solution to this? Perhaps the prevalence of more non-reducible portrayals. Another question was concerning racism in the Arab world. Obviously there is an extent of solidarity between Palestinians and African Americans. However, there is no denying that racism is alive and well in the Arab world, especially in Lebanon. Baraka responded to that by agreeing and reminding the audience to remember the history of colonialism in the region as an explanation for it. The world still has a long way to go in terms of eradicating racism, discrimination, and all forms of oppression, but Malcolm X was one of few who somehow put us on the right track. JA JAMAALYAD.ORG JAMMAAAALYAD.ORG LYAD.ORG Yusra Bitar Staff Writer 4 NEWS MARCH 03, 2015 Activists march for civil marriage Approximately 2000 people marched from the American University of Beirut’s Main Gate to the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities in Sanayeh, to protest for civil marriage in Lebanon. The march was set up by civil society organizations, in addition to AUB’s Secular and Red Oak Club. It encompassed people of all ages demanding civil rights in the form of civil marriage. Demonstrators carried banners and signs protesting for civil rights. Chants demanding a secular state in which the people would be recognized as citizens first, rather than members of their respective sets echoed throughout the march. “I feel the overall spirit of the protest was very good, people were yelling at the top of their lungs and excited to see young students like us taking part,” said president of the AUB Secular Club Poliana Geha. Many activists hoped that making civil marriage a regular occurrence could help facilitate the path towards a civil state. “The protest was a first step towards our ultimate goal which is to have a civil state that recognizes and respects every citizen’s civil rights and duties,” Geha told Outlook. Lebanese citizens regularly travel to Cyprus to perform civil marriages, and even though it is a common occurrence, the marchers demanded the right for a civil marriage in their own country. The Lebanese government recognizes civil marriages performed in other countries, but not in Lebanon itself. However, there have been many occurrences of civil facebook.com/redoak Shereen El Ladki News Editor marriage in the country, with Khouloud Succariyeh and Nidal Darwish being the first couple to officially register a civil marriage contract in Lebanon. Nevertheless, since their marriage in 2012 many other couples have tried and failed to do the same. Succariyeh and Darwish were able to obtain a civil marriage in Lebanon, by first striking out both their sects from their IDs. Therefore in accordance to Article 60 L.R., which recognizes sects, and states that those not affiliated with sects are subject to civil law, the couple was subject to a few more formalities before getting married. These included obtaining a signed form from the mayor, and announcing their upcoming marriage 15 days prior to ensure no objections. Many protesters targeted Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk. One demonstrator held up a sign with an old Facebook post of the minister’s, in which he stated that he supports civil marriage. However, since then, the Machnouk has changed his stance on civil marriage, stating, “Cyprus is not far”, implying that those who want civil marriage can simply go to Cyprus. Machnouk responded to the protests on Monday. In a quote published by Al-Akhbar Machnouk said, “My position on civil marriage will not change. Civil marriage is not an administrative decision-making. The solution lies only with a civil law regarding personal status issues. Let them [activists] go to Parliament and demand a civil law on personal status, then I will be the first on to sign [the civil marriage contracts].” EDITORIAL MARCH 03, 2015 Staff List A RING ON YOUR FINGER Talia Abbas Editor-in-Chief It may catch you off guard: University students thinking about where and when they will be married; after all, the average senior student is fighting with their boyfriend or girlfriend,typing up master’s applications, cover letters and attending job interviews – not planning their wedding (even though some are, and that’s alright just the same). But this isn’t about a ring on your finger; it’s about basic rights. Following the Red Oak Club’s lecture last week Tuesday in West Hall titled “Civil Marriage: Obstacles and Fate,” which ended with a call for protests, hundreds of students and activists marched on Sunday March 1stfrom AUB’s campus to the Interior Ministry demanding Lebanon’s support of civil marriage. Huddled in front the Interior Ministry, protesters waved banners and hurled clamors for secularism and civil rights. Many of the banners were targeting Lebanon’s Interior Minister NouhadMachnouk, who is being accused of thwarting the official recognition of civil marriage contracts performed on Lebanese soil. In his latest statement published yesterday in AlAkhbar, Machnouk said his stance on civil marriage would not change, as it is not “administrative decisionmaking.” While the Lebanese government acknowledges civil marriages between its citizens that were performed abroad (Machnouk suggests Cyprus as destination), there is currently no legal procedure that recognizes unions carried out in Lebanon. There has only been oneapproved civil marriage in Lebanon to date: that of NidalDarwish and KholoudSuccariyeh, which took place last year after the couple removed their sects from their official documents. According to an article in the Daily Star, there have been more than 50 civil marriages in Lebanonsince Nidal and Kholoud; however, the government has not recognized most of them. Why not? Is it because the Lebanese government wants its citizens to hold on to their religious identity? Is it because a more secular state threatens the current political agenda? Or does the stalemate take root in economic interests, where religious authorities are allegedly reaping exorbitant amounts of money from Lebanon’s ongoing state of affairs. These are all questions that come to mind when contemplating the past and future of civil marriage in Lebanon. Taking a step back, the issue at hand is much larger; Lebanon’s prevalent sectarianism reinforces the government’s legislation, so as long as segregation prevails, so will the rest of our plights. Then again, according to Machnouk, “the solution lies only with a civil law regarding personal status issues. Let them go to Parliament and demand a civil law on personal status.” Contact us: @OutlookAUB @OutlookAUB [email protected] @outlookaub 01 350 000 (Ext: 3193) @Outlook AUB outlookaub.com Chairperson Talal Nizameddin Editor-in-Chief Talia Abbas Managing Editor Ellen Francis Arabic Editor Nizar Aouad Proofreader Sarah Khalil News Editor Shereen El Ladki Business Editor Mohamad Saleh Opinions Editor Azza El Masri Arts and Culture Editor Vicken Margossian Community Editor Linda Bou Ali Lifestyle Editor Dana Abed Layout Editor Maha Haider Web Editor Joy Waked Social Media Manager Hania Osta Business Manager Bassel Abdallah Photography Editor Philippa Dahrouj Staff Writers Ali Kobeissi Camille Mroue Cynthia Saghir Chermine Sleiman Haidar Carole Hassan Dana Kambris Fatima Kazma Firas Haidar Imad El Hassan Jane Nasr Jason Lemon Karmah Chehaitly Khaled Al Kurdi Lama Miri Lara Mekkawi Laura Al Bast Laudy Issa Leen Bou Nasser Eddine Meer Rashid Malak El Sabeh Mohamad Al Chamaa Nerses Arslanian Noor Barrage Rayan Al Arab Razan Mneimneh Roni Rafeh Serine Haidar Ahmad Tala Ladki Tamara El Jurdi Yara Beaini Yusra Bitar Ziad Lawen 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. A. U. SHI Comics This comics section is the result of a workshop offered by comics artist Barrack Rima at the department of Architecture and Design, with the support of the Mu’taz and Rada Sawwaf Arabic Comics initiative. © Participants: Sara Kishly Diana Itawi Aya Krisht Karol El Masri Elia Tawil Riham El Ghoseini 5 Panel 1: “I want to ask you.” Panel 2: “What do you think of the situation?” “Bad...” Panel 3: “I have a college degree in banking; however, I am still working in this little shop. I also have a kid. I am working everyday so he won’t have to go though this as well.” “So there still is hope...” “yea...” By: Diana Itawl 6 USFC NEWSLETTER Brief introduction to the Newsletter: The USFC Newsletter is a monthly publication to reach out to the students. The newsletter will publish decisions taken by the USFC and include the activities of the USFC for the month. This first introductory issue is meant to elucidate to AUB students the responsibilities of the USFC. MARCH 03, 2015 The USFC Committee Information and Public Relations Committee Fawzia Othman, Sarah Bahr, Nour Haddad, Hana Salem The information/PR committee is responsible for communicating between the USFC and the student body; this includes informing the student body about the different decisions taken and the activities being done by the USFC. This committee also assists the secretary. Finance Committee Who we are: The USFC is a body made of students and faculty members which represent all AUB students. Each faculty is represented by a certain number of students that are elected by the students of the specific faculty directly, and the number of students representing the faculty depends on the size of the given faculty. The exact composition of each faculty in the USFC can be found in the bylaws on the AUB website. The USFC is chaired by the President when available and by the VP when the President is absent. The members of the USFC for the academic year of 2014/15 are: Issam Chmaitilly (VP) Nour El Haddad (Secretary) Farid Khaddaj (Treasurer) Ali Zeineddine Anthony Abou Nader Cesar Yazbeck, Charbel Abboud Fawzia Osman Hana Salem Jaymie Frangieh Judy Hussein Loulya Halawany Maribelle Komives Meer Ako Ali Mohammad Chahrour Sahar El Ferekh Sarah Bahr Zakaria Haidar Charbel Abboud, Loulya Halwani, Farid Khaddaj, Cesar Yazbeck The finance committee is responsible for reviewing funding applications, ensuring that they are complete and presenting them to the USFC in a report. This committee is also responsible for preparing the USFC budget report and helping the treasurer in his duties. To apply for a funding request whether it was an individual one or through a club, students will have to fill a proposal application and send it to the student affairs office and to the USFC email address. This funding request form includes the event’s information and its relevance, the details of the organization applying for it and a detailed prescription of the expenses. These forms can be found on the USFC page on the AUB website. Bylaws committee Anthony Abou Nader, Mohammad Ali Chahrour, Issam Chmaitilly The bylaws committee ensures that the operations and the work done by the USFC are in accordance with the bylaws that can also be found on the USFC page on the AUB website. This committee also suggests new amendments to the existing bylaws. Senate Committee Representatives: The Senate Committee Representatives are non-voting USFC members that represent the USFC in their respective committee. They also represent all the student body; in fact, to voice any issues or suggestions in the Senate Committees, you can contact the USFC representative for it. Senate Committee Representatives: Freshmen: Fawzia Othman Sophomores: CharbelAbboud Academic Development Mohammad Ali Chahrour Student Affairs Committee Maribelle Komives Disciplinary Committee What we do: The USFC meets every two weeks to discuss and take decisions on different issues that include individual student funding, student life, AUB campus life, clubs funding, disciplinary and academic issues, in addition to other various topics. The authority of the USFC covers the use of the money collected from AUB students in order to fund clubs and activities, as well as to speak on behalf and represent the AUB community and voice their concerns. The USFC operates and acts in the interest of the student body and the university as a whole. A complete and detailed list of responsibilities can be found in the Bylaws. Anthony Abou Nader Library Commmittee Sahar Ferekh Vice President The VP of the USFC shall serve as spokesperson to communicate decisions adopted by USFC and approved by the president of the University. The VP shall also supervise, alongside the Office of Student Affairs, the operational administration of the USFC and its sub-committees. Secretary The secretary shall keep the minutes of the USFC meetings. S/he shall send copies to all members of the USFC. The secretary shall also record attendance of USFC members and also keep lists of membership to USFC sub-committees and of USFC members on other university committees. The secretary shall also maintain and develop archives for the USFC. Contact Us: Treasurer Email: [email protected] Office: West Hall, Floor 3, Room 328 Phone: 01 350 000 (Ext: 3185) The treasurer shall be responsible for the receipt and disbursement of all funds of the USFC. S/he shall make quarterly reports to the USFC and an audited final report at the last meeting of the year, in June. All accounts of the USFC must be cleared through the Office of the Comptroller. LIFESTYLE MARCH 03, 2015 SPORTS UEFA Champions League: Arsenal disappoint, Spanish Giants rally, and an interesting set of draws. Rifaat Fakih Contributing Writer The knockout stage of the UEFA Champions league recorded diverse results, some of which were utterly surprising. The biggest shock to all football fans in this round of last 16 was the Arsenal – Monaco matchup. In a match where Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger described the team as “suicidal defensively,” Arsenal’s hopes of reaching the quarter finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2010 were eclipsed behind a well-organized Monaco. As focused as ever, Monaco did not waste any opportunity; scoring two additional goals past Colombian goalkeeper, David Ospina. Arsenal saw a glimpse of hope when sub Oxlade-Chamberlain scored from outside the box at the 90’ minute. Short after, a mistake from the goal scorer slimmed Arsenal’s chances of moving through in the competition, and then Monaco sub Ferreira-Carrasco shot a ball that hit the wood and landed in, bringing the score to 3-1. Arsenal now must score three goals to qualify. Can the Arsenal players reconcile their fans by pulling a miracle in Monaco on March 17? Champions Real Madrid rallied past a Schalke team that fought hard but fell short. Ronaldo ended a three-game goal drought as Real Madrid took a step into the quarter finals by scoring two away goals. The other Spanish giant, Barcelona, dominated Manchester City at the Etihad. The team’s display reminded the viewers of Guardiola’s magical tikitaka Barça technique. A brace from Luis Suarez helped the Catalans top the English team, whose only goal came from a powerful strike of Aguero. A second yellow for Manchester City player Clichy in the second half helped Barcelona take home the win. Messi fell short from scoring a third away goal for Barcelona, as his penalty was denied, and he failed to head the ball into an empty net after it ricocheted off the keeper. Juventus edged a home win against a troubled Borussia Dortmund side. Despite equalizing few minutes after Tevez hit for the men in black and white, Dortmund couldn’t respond to Juventus’ second goal, which came from a careful strike of former Real Madrid player, Alvaro Morata. Week 15 of Europe’s elite football competition also witnessed a series of draws. Shaktar Donetsk successfully held the Bavarian giants, Bayern Munich to a goalless draw. In a game where nine players saw yellow, Basel managed to hold down Porto at home. Gonzalez scored first for Basel before Porto were awarded a late penalty which Danilo converted successfully for Porto. Paris Saint Germain failed to beat Premier League leaders Chelsea. Despite having seven shots on target, the French just scored once from a Cavani header. Chelsea successfully put in their only shot on target that came from Ivanovic’s header after a sublime flick from Gary Cahill. Underdogs Bayer Leverkusen outplayed Atletico Madrid. Leverkusen recorded a 66 percent possession rate, and Calhanoglu secured the hosts’ win when he scored at the 57’ minute. Atletico Madrid player Tiago was sent off with 14 minutes to play after receiving a second yellow, and Fernando Torres’ celebration of his fourth goal in his second spell at Atletico Madrid was cut after the referee ruled out his close-range header. 7 A personal account of the truth behind the misconceptions Salwa Mansour Special-to-Outlook “What’s the first image that comes to your mind when I say eating disorder?” “A bony girl.” My friend is sitting across from me, chewing lettuce with loud, obnoxious crunches. I fight the urge to grab his face and scream something about ignorance and his role in the perpetuation of destructive stereotypes. If I had the energy, I would break something against his head and have him feel the impact that those idiotic words have on people struggling in silence. Instead, I grab a piece of lettuce and place it in-between my lips, my teeth slowly grinding it into oblivion. I don’t remember how many calories there are in a piece of lettuce. I do remember spending days and nights pinching my thighs, wondering how much longer it would take for them to look sickly. I once read a book about a girl with an eating disorder, and I remember one part in particular where the girl was described walking down the street, feeling the breeze gently pass through the gap between her legs and caress whatever was left of her thighs. It sounded beautiful at the time. I desperately wanted to feel that. However, no matter how many days and months and years I spent with a minimal amount of fuel entering my system, I never looked like a skeleton. My mind was constantly calculating calories consumed and calories burned, but people still said I looked healthy. I exercised till my knees collapsed in the shower every single day, but relatives still warned me that my butt might grow as large as my mother’s. If I ever opened up to someone about my eating disorder I could feel their eyes piercing through my skin, looking at the molecules of fat that still existed on my arms. I wasn’t skinny enough to be severely anorexic. Misconceptions like these are extremely harmful to the people who don’t fit into the mold of what an eating disorder is usually portrayed as. The reality of the situation is that eating disorders are not directly related to the way a person looks, a person’s gender, or a person’s dying wish to be skinny. Mainstream media has shed light on only one particular form of eating disorder. In the name of raising awareness, movies about eating disorders are made in which the main character is a thin high school girl who chooses not to eat as she looks at images of thin celebrities online. Although this a valid example of a person with an eating disorder, there is so much more that is not being said about this issue. A physically healthy person can have an eating disorder. A person who may be categorized as obese can have an eating disorder. A person of any gender can have an eating disorder. An eighty year old can have an eating disorder. A nine year old can have an eating disorder. A person who experienced sexual abuse as a child and wants to prevent their body from developing into something that has the potential to be sexually objectified can have an eating disorder. I recently came across an article on Vice.com written by Amelia Tait. In this article, Tait talks about her own experience with an eating disorder, stating “I took out the yogurt, saw the ‘168 calories’ label, and couldn’t do it. I was so terrified of dying, but not enough to lift a spoonful of yogurt to my lips. It wasn’t because I wanted to look like Kate Moss. It wasn’t because I used to idolize Snow White. It wasn’t because I wanted to look like a blonde, big-titted plastic doll. It was because my brain was fucked.” That unpleasantly straightforward sentence has been ringing in my ears ever since. Eating disorders are mental illnesses that come in different forms and can affect anyone for whatever reason. It’s as simple as that. Of course, recovery is possible. As I was first recovering, I had this overly-romanticized view of life without an eating disorder where everything was perfect and I spent my time laughing and eating strawberry scones, embracing every new stretch mark that cracked through my thighs. That is not what recovery is like. Now, I look at recovery as a struggle. It’s something I have to work on every single day. When I catch myself in the middle of a relapse, I have to make a list of all the reasons to recover and tape it on to my forehead. It’s been a while now and I’m still recovering. I don’t even know if there is such a thing as a full recovery with zero traces of any disordered thoughts or actions. I do know that there is hope and that people have the ability to fight back. I have personally met some incredibly strong people who have overcome their eating disorders and learned how to live again. If you’re silently struggling with any type of eating disorder, your struggles are real. Even if it may seem like the rest of the world doesn’t get it, it only matters that you get it. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find a lot of people who get it, too. Reach out for help. 8 LIFESTYLE MARCH 03, 2015 Quick and easy: 36 questions to make you fall in love Carole Hassan Staff Writer It is rather hard to explain what is it to fall in love. How about summarizing it by a simple set of questions? Dr. Arthur Aron, a professor of psychology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, set out to make this happen. Aron went through a journey of lab experiments to find out whether two complete strangers are able to accelerate the intimacy between them by asking some specific set of questions. In fact, he came out with 36 different questions, split into three sets of questions. When asked face-to-face, you and your date can fall in love with each other, as if Baby Cupid just shot you with his arrow. The first experiment took place in Aron’s lab in 1997. One heterosexual male and female entered the room, sat opposite each other and mutually asked the set of questions. Six months later, the couple was happily married. The questions kick off as basic, but they slowly escalate to rather more intimate and personal. By agreeing to answering the questions, you are opening up to the partner, reaching a level of intimacy within a short period of time and reducing the time gap between meeting someone and trusting them with your darker self. “One key pattern associated with the development of a close relationship among peers is sustained, escalating, reciprocal, personal self-disclosure,” says Aron. The main theory behind this research lies on the fact that mutual vulnerability enhances closeness. All the questions will be listed below, quoted from “To Fall in Love with Anyone, Do this,” a book by Mandy Len Catron: Set I 1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest? 2. Would you like to be famous? In what way? 3. Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why? 4. What would constitute a “perfect” day for you? 5. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else? 6. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want? 7. Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die? 8. Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common. 9. For what in your life do you feel most grateful? 10. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be? 11. Take four minutes and tell your partner your life story in as much detail as possible. 12. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be? Set II 13. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know? 14. Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it? 15. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life? 16. What do you value most in a friendship? 17. What is your most treasured memory? 18. What is your most terrible memory? 19. If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why? 20. What does friendship mean to you? 21. What roles do love and affection play in your life? 22. Alternate sharing something you consider a positive characteristic of your partner. Share a total of five items. 23. How close and warm is your family? Do you feel your childhood was happier than most other people’s? 24. How do you feel about your relationship with your mother? Set III 25. Make three true “we” statements each. For instance, “We are both in this room feeling ... “ 26. Complete this sentence: “I wish I had someone with whom I could share ... “ 27. If you were going to become a close friend with your partner, please share what would be important for him or her to know. 28. Tell your partner what you like about them; be very honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you’ve just met. 29. Share with your partner an embarrassing moment in your life. 30. When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself? 31. Tell your partner something that you like about them already. 32. What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about? 33. If you were to die this evening with no opportunity to communicate with anyone, what would you most regret not having told someone? Why haven’t you told them yet? 34. Your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. After saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. What would it be? Why? 35. Of all the people in your family, whose death would you find most disturbing? Why? 36. Share a personal problem and ask your partner’s advice on how he or she might handle it. Also, ask your partner to reflect back to you how you seem to be feeling about the problem you have chosen. Will you dare to try this trick next time you are on a date with an attractive fellow other? Ido Portal and the art of movement As university students and clerical workers, we often find ourselves sitting for hours, listening to lectures, taking notes, and working behind our desks. As we complete our working hours and seek rest for the few hours left in the day, we lie back on the couch at home or sit with friends in cafes. As human beings, we have separated ourselves from our animalistic foundations. Our capability of linking the mind and the body is an exceptional tool only available to us, yet we often fail to take proper advantage of it, or even try to improve it. A flashback to our childhood reminds us of a time where jumping, hanging and wrestling for hours with siblings and friends were activities we used to do on a daily basis, and are almost extinct from our lives as adults. Everything, as a child, is interesting: a monkey bar to hang off, a bed to jump on, someone to wrestle with. Ido Portal does not fail to embrace his more primal human nature. In his own words, he is a “Mover.” Portal initialized a movement around the world with the purpose of educating people about the benefits of “living life more dynamically,” as his website explains. Portal spreads his motivational plan through his website, blog and Facebook page, but also through workshops around the world. Portal grew up practicing diverse martial arts. At the age of 15 he began practicing the martial art of Afro-Brazilian leninimports.com Imad El Hassan Staff Writer Capoeira. The practice of Capoeira made him realize that he is obsessed with movement. “That epiphany got me to embark on a journey to study from ‘Movement Teachers.’ After countless searches, I could not find anyone who honestly could represent that and believe me I’ve searched around the world,” states Portal on his webpage. Portal continued to study multiple different and diverse Movement arts such as Yoga, Dance, Gymnastics, Circus arts and much more. The so-called specific sports that include movement often fail to cultivate the absurd idea of movement by itself as they lack some basic tools to deal with movement at the higher levels, beyond the activity that is being performed. As Portal puts it, “Movement is BIG. Bigger than any specific movement discipline and it contains within it HUGE ‘worlds’[...]. Specializing is great, but beyond our special- ties, we are all HUMAN first, MOVERS second and only then SPECIALISTS.” Portal is a strong proponent for the mastery of nothing, yet the adaptation to everything. Similar to Bruce Lee’s philosophy “Be Like Water,” Portal believes in the capability of “Self-Dominance” or the ability to move your own self, your own body, smoothly and efficiently. For example, multiple MMA matches have been lost due to a broken arm; however, multiple MMA matches have been won despite a broken arm. You need to have “SelfDominance” over your body, your daily tool. As the mind needs to be nourished with education, so does the body with active movement. In order to stay healthy, one should combine healthy eating with proper fitness. So move. Move freely, and unleash the potential of your bodies which are designed to be malleable. COMMUNITY MARCH 03, 2015 PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK Abou Dekhan predicts gloomy future Continued from page 1 So why keep doing it? “Why else would people buy from me? I have products no one else has, that’s why my customers come and that’s how I make a living.” Abou Dekhan is also known to be one of the only dokha suppliers in the area. Dokha is a form of tobacco commonly consumed in the UAE. “The first time someone came and asked me about dokha, a few years ago, I threw a fit and kicked him out. I thought he was asking me for drugs. Only later on did I find out what it was and that it was legal. I started shipping it in from the UAE. It’s becoming more common here.” Khaled has seen many other things become common in recent years. “I’m a traditional man,” he says, “I don’t understand how young men these days don’t pay for their girlfriends. I’m not denouncing women, I’m just wondering where chivalry has gone. Every time a couple pass by the store, she pays. It’s something I cannot understand.” He also claimed Beirut is suffering from a serious drug problem. “I sell rolling paper and filters—for the tobacco I also sell, known as ‘Dekhan Arabeh,’ but I can tell who AUB Yearbook exhibits real-life Throwback Thursday buys rolling paper for different purposes. What shocks me the most is how many young girls, probably in their first year of university, buy consistently. A few years back, whenever someone would ask for rolling paper, they’d come close and lower their voice. These days, no one cares anymore, no one has a hint of shame.” Khaled sees things going from worse to worse; “I only see darkness on the horizon,” adding that “the economy is plummeting.” “Stores in Hamra open and close in a matter of months. It’s as if owners are trying their luck, and lately there hasn’t been much of it.” Khaled, very much a patriot, has given up on the country. “I used to feel like I was immigrating if I stood at the other end of Hamra, but the future is so bleak that I’m hoping to leave soon. There’s nothing left for me here anymore,” he says with despair and sadness. The conversation was then interrupted by a couple who wanted two packs of Marlboro Lights. “6500,” Khaled said, handing them the packs. Sure enough, she paid. He turned to me and said, “You see? There is no hope in the country, because there is no hope in the future generation.” Continued from page 1 The exhibition was not an arbitrary series of vintage photos appended to blackboards, but rather a conscientious edit of archives, hand-picked by members of the Yearbook Club. The images, as seen at the event, were organized in a way that take you on a stroll through AUB’s memory lane. The photos that were displayed put in evidence, for each and every one of us, how times have changed, and how everything now is almost radically different from how it was in 19th century. The students dressed differently—no skinny jeans, for instance—and wore their hair and makeup differently. The logos and posters of AUB slowly altered with time. The quality of pictures evolved year after year. What seems to have remained the same are AUB’s buildings, what we might be calling monuments in a few decades. Not only did the exhibition attract a large number of students, but it also generated some excitement and media exposure. The event was covered by various media outlets, such as AlHurra TV, Télé Lumière, Al Nahar, and Orbit TV, according to Meer Ali, Editor-in-Chief of the AUB yearbook. The guests who were most lured by the exhibition were the AUB alumni members because it allowed them to find their Cherry on Top: not your average home bakery Tala Ladki Staff Writer Have you ever had an aspiration that you so desperately wanted to achieve but were afraid to? It’s people like Farah El Mawla who show us the importance of pursuing what we believe to be impossible. With her new concept, Cherry on Top, Farah has managed to win Lebanese hearts with her delectable and one-of-a-kind desserts. Cherry on Top is a play on traditional home bakeries. Started and owned by Farah, who is currently a business junior at AUB, Cherry on Top officially launched a few weeks ago. “I’ve always had a passion for baking,” says Farah. She explains that baking was a significant aspect of her childhood, and something she was constantly praised for by her family. The irony is that she never tries her desserts, as she fears not meeting her own expectations. Yet, when more people started trying her desserts, she finally received that push that she needed to go ahead and start her own business. She knew the risks, and after a lot of thought and nights of crunching numbers, Farah decided to dive into it. The name Cherry on Top came to be after Farah and some of her friends brainstormed different ideas. With help from her friends, Farah managed to create a logo, 9 start an Instagram account, and attract hundreds of followers all in just a few days. With social media being so accessible to everyone, it is no wonder that orders have been pouring in since day one. What differentiates Cherry on Top from other wellknown home-based bakeries is Farah’s concept of customization. Alongside her standard cakes, chocolate bar cakes (Lion bar, KitKat, etc) and cookies, Farah offers her customers the simple choice of choosing their base, chocolate and any frosting or topping they desire. Through this method, Farah is baking your cake, the way you want it. Cherry on Top will be catering an event held at OSB soon, and hopes to take on more business ventures. With the support of family and friends, and a future in business ahead, Farah hopes Cherry on Top will not only be another thing to add to her resume, rather something that will grow with her dreams; “there’s nothing more satisfying than doing what you love, and for me, it’s baking.” And she is right; when we follow our passions, the only outcome is excellence. You can follow Cherry on Top on Instagram @ordercherryontop, and place orders by Whatsapp at 70337500 and by email at [email protected]. Orders should be placed between 24 and 48 hours ahead of time. friends and classmates in pictures they thought they would never see again. They reminisced about a time that might have been one of the best in their lives, and were struck by nostalgia. In one memorable instance, Miss AUB 1963 eagerly posed with a picture of her younger self for the yearbook’s Instagram account. “Many alumni of AUB showed up for the memories and were delighted to share their AUB stories and see old friends,” explained Ali. Just imagine, after decades of leaving your university, you come back for a day and it all comes back to you: the campus life, your friends, the funny— or not so funny—stories. 10 ARTS & CULTURE MARCH 03, 2015 BOOK REVIEW ‘Bio-Politicizing Cary Grant’: a fresh look at a Hollywood legend In the words of 18th century French naturalist GeorgesLouis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (Buffon for short), “The style is the man himself.” In the case of the transatlantic and debonair 20th century screen legend Cary Grant, this could not be truer. To many of us, Cary Grant is remembered as the face behind some of Alfred Hitchcock’s most memorable films, including “Suspicion” (1941), “To Catch a Thief ” (1955), and “North by Northwest” (1958). To Dr. Joshua D. Gonsalves of the AUB English Department, however, Grant’s forays into Hitchcock’s wacky and labyrinthine world of crime and mistaken identity signify no less than Cold War anxieties about race, class and ethnicity held by 1950s America. Gonsalves discusses this at length in the very intricately titled “Bio-Politicizing Cary Grant: Pressing Race, Class and Ethnicity into Service in ‘Amerika’” (published by Zero Books), which launched last week at Dawawine in Gemmayzeh. A very loaded title indeed, but Gonsalves is a Romanticist-cum-cultural critic who takes his movies very, very seriously. “Bio-Politicizing Cary Grant” embarks on an analysis of Cary Grant the star, an intricate construction of a man, wrapped up and ready to be bound across the projected film reels of the mid-20th century. And ultimately, that is the most important thing about him. “Cary Grant is about style,” says Gonsalves in an exclusive interview with Outlook. “He teaches us that it is better to be a vampire lover [referring to the wildly popular book/film series and pop culture phenomenon “Twilight” or the more recent—and, in Gonsalves’ opinion, vastly preferable—“Only Lovers Left Alive”] than a hipster.” What exactly that means depends on one’s definition of a hipster. If, as “Bio-Politicizing Cary Grant” argues, “American, Americanized and Anglophilic audiences have always looked at Grant so as to look away from other things,” a hipster would represent the break with the aesthetic of style. But Cold War America—the “Amerika” of the book’s title, qualified in the Rammstein song of the same name as being “Coca-Cola, sometimes war”—didn’t mesh with that sort of thing. This was the America of the nuclear family (two-and-ahalf kids, a house in the suburbs and a white picket fence), “I Love Lucy,” and the inspiration behind the retro décor at Roadsters. Real counterculture—the beats and the hippies and punks—did not come about until the 60s and 70s. So when “Amerika” went to the movies, it did not want to gaze at the emerging sociopolitical unrest (Communism! Blacks! Homosexuals! The horror!)—it wanted an escape. Enter Cary Grant, who was racially flexible with his ungodly tan, represented the pinnacle of capitalist ideals in his myriad of film roles in which he is always pretty darn wealthy, and got all the beautiful blondes that Hitchcock could hire—and was thus perfect for “Amerika.” That’s the “Bio-Politics” part of the book, the “individuated control of populations through cinema and its fantasies,” according to Gonsalves. If you consider yourself a Hitchcock aficionado or think you know movies, or just really love them—or literature, or race studies, or cultural studies, or American Studies— check out “Bio-Politicizing Cary Grant,” on sale now at Dawawine. It’s quite a trip to see how truly intertwined Hollywood and politics are and have always been—such as the most amusing fact that Grant spied on his politically suspect wife to obtain an American citizenship. twists and turns they give the audience a headache (hear that, “Now You See Me”?), this one’s lack thereof protects it from that same unwanted outcome. Even the humor works without imposing itself. That said, the movie’s light-hearted approach is not its best feat. Will Smith and Margot Robbie not only heighten our expectations for their roles in “Suicide Squad,” but they also give this movie a much needed edge to make it what it is. Their characters were fun to follow and their chemistry was entertaining to watch. The other two interesting characters were Owens and Liyuan, played by Gerald McRaney and BD Wong, respectively. In fact, the latter’s time on screen was probably when the movie reached the peak of its potential, which proved to be rather engaging. “Focus” does not really live up to be one of the best of its genre, but it does a good enough job to serve the purpose of a movie meant to entertain. I say watch it. leninimports.com Sarah Khalil Proofreader MOVIE REVIEW Lacking ‘Focus’ Like an unusual cocktail mix that tastes surprisingly good, Will Smith and Margot Robbie hit theaters in their newly released film “Focus” to their fans’ delight. Con and trickery movies almost never work, and although this one doesn’t really amaze, it still manages to do a good enough job to entertain the people watching it. It honestly didn’t have to be anything more than a preview for the two stars’ 2016 “Suicide Squad,” but a pleasant surprise is a pleasant surprise. The story is that of Nicky (Will Smith), a pundit con artist, who meets and falls for an amateur con-woman called Jess (Margot Robbie), agreeing to let her into his group of tricksters. The two go on to deceive, steal, and manipulate a whole bunch of people, including themselves. “Focus” is unpredictable, which is good; however, at times, it’s so unpredictable that I would consider it borderline misdirection. For starters, it’s fun to be actually caught off-guard when watching a movie; it’s even more fun when it feels obvious afterwards and “Focus,” on multiple occasions, does that right. However, on other occasions, it gets so jammed in its own charm, the twists are no longer that enjoyable. The pacing also doesn’t work in favor of the movie. Though the transition between tense and comedic sequences is smooth, the overall ride felt a little off-balance; nothing too serious to actually ruin the movie, but still an element that could have been done better. However, both weak links are overshadowed by the movie’s light approach. Directing duo Glenn Ficarra and John Requa’s decision not to let “Focus” take itself too seriously saved the movie. While most con and trickery movies try so hard they get caught up in the tension of their own imdb.com Firas Haidar Staff Writer ARTS & CULTURE MARCH 03, 2015 11 ARTIST REVIEW Ziad Lawen Staff Writer Big L is not a name that rings bells. When street dabble debates or online blogs battle over who rap’s greatest artist was, the chances of hearing names like Nas, Jay-Z, Eminem, Biggie, or Tupac are quite high. However, there is a name that should have joined this sidewalk debate, but, due to certain misfortunes, never made it. Unlike the common tragedy of a star disappearing or passing away early, Big L had promise the Rap world waited on. Big L, born Lamont Coleman, was born and raised on 139th st and Lenox Avenue—dubbed ‘The Danger Zone’ —during the 1970s Harlem era of projects and increasing violence. He was the youngest of three brothers (Don, the oldest, and Leroy “Lee”, the middle child). In times of hardship, their mother turned to “number-running” or illegal-racketed pseudo-lottery drawing; they were raised on fraudulent money. Big L’s mother was the block leader and would close off streets for block parties and Lenox Avenue gatherings. When Big L turned five, his eldest brother snuck him into a Run-DMC rave—his first exposure to real musical hip-hop where a lasting impression can be heard in his beats and flow. On the high of the DMC concert, Big L’s mother bought a DJ set for Don and him, and from there on out Big L was on the block spitting freestyles and memorizing verses at the age of seven. As Don and Big L dabbled in flows and cyphers, Leroy— the middle brother—became the thug of the block. As Don put it in Complex’s Big L special, “[Lee] was mean with his hands, man. He was really dangerous. He never smiled; he never laughed.” While Lee was getting into constant scraps, L was engag- ing in quick rap quips along the block called snappings. L was a student of rhymes and raps; he was known for his notepad, his pen, and his vocabulary. With their growing confidence and skill, Don and L started to camp out shows in hopes of landing a natural ‘interview’—a spontaneous freestyle delivered to any established rapper. Finesse and Fat Joe, before “Lean Back,” were the first to hear Big L. From there, it was history—Big L and Fat Joe became a dangerous stage duet. As L gained fame, the Rap community began to call him the Harlem Renaissance man, as he was the first person to put Harlem on the map. L is accredited with Harlem’s rap fame. Then there was the famed Big L vs. Jay-Z radio station rap battle. Before Jay-Z was a mogul, before he was Beyonce’s husband, before the Brooklyn Nets and his several platinum albums, Big L brought a shaky, courageous kid by the name of Jay-Z onto the once-famous Stretch-andBobbito radio show for what became a historical rap battle—the Jay-Z welcoming party. Big L had a wizardly flow. Raised in Harlem, supposedly “uneducated,” he brought forth the first compound rap style – the style that Eminem is famous for (think: “Lose Yourself ”). However, unlike Eminem, Big L was rapping to jazz beats with strong drums and instruments. The rapper’s “Put It On Big L” is easily his most famous rap song, one of catching verses and mesmerizing flows. After his first album debuted in 1995, Big L began to travel worldwide representing Harlem, Lenox Avenue, and his brothers. On the verge of becoming one of the greats, Leeroy’s gangster lifestyle and Harlem’s Danger Zone caught up with his brother. When a cross-town gang went searching for Leeroy after the mugging of one of their members, they fatefully fell upon L walking along thehiphopguru.com/ Big L: Rap’s unknown great his block – the block he was raised on. Within moments of a drive by shooting and nine shells lodged into Big L, his career, life, and Rap’s spoil came to an abrupt halt. For those of you looking to dabble in rap other than what is already famous, download a Big L track or two and allow yourself to enjoy the flows of someone who was once the king of rap. COMIC REVIEW ‘Suicide Squad Volume One: Kicked in the Teeth:’ beginning of a legacy “Suicide Squad Volume One: Kicked in the Teeth” is the first in a series of five volumes that have been released so far in the comic book series that began publication in 1987. It has since garnered a cult following, with a widelyanticipated movie, aptly entitled “Suicide Squad”, coming out in 2016 . The premise of the opening volume follows a secret organization operating under the guise of ‘Belle Reve mental institution,’ where the criminally insane are kept. The organization has assembled a task force by the name of Task Force X, aka Suicide Squad. Suicide Squad consists of criminals who shave off years from their sentences by going on missions to fight off threats to the general well-being of the city—the dirty work that superheroes would rather not do. Suicide Squad is under the command of Waller, who acts as the warden to the members of the task force, which includes Harley Quinn, Deadshot, El Diablo, King Shark and, sometimes, Black Spider. The plot is quite convoluted due to the fact that it attempts to cram a great deal of information and backstory into a very limited amount of space. This makes for whirlwind setting shifts that might leave a reader disoriented, especially since this is a comic rather than a traditional novel. Pacing and framing is key in keeping the audience both interested and well-informed. That is slightly lacking in media.dcentertainment.com Fatima Kazma Staff Writer this first volume. The panels are oftentimes cluttered with background elements and dialogue bubbles that distract from the actual events on the page and are in some cases just plain bewildering. Regardless, the art itself and the plot are both compelling. There is a tone of wit and sarcasm that delights and enthralls, and also manages to alleviate the doom and gloom of the settings—most notably Belle Reve mental institution and the perpetually rainy Gotham City. The most used color in the drawings is red. It is a rather gory graphic novel, considering the main characters are essentially a group of assassins assembled to carry out dangerous missions. Moreover, they are essentially coerced into this sort of lifestyle by the allure of a reduced sentence, only to find out that the situation is far more complicated than they initially thought. This lot of shackled do-gooders could be pegged antiheroes, a group of hardened criminals exploited into doing what is right. Even then, they do it because they have something to gain from helping others and not because helping others is what ought to be done. The first volume ends on a strategically heart-wrenching cliffhanger that baits the curiosity of its readers to find out what happens next. Although deep down the reader knows what the next step in the storyline would naturally be, the narrative leaves room for other options, making the cliffhanger appropriate rather than unbelievably clichéd. Should the film be a hit, lots of people will be going back to the origins of the story, and in that, “Suicide Squad Volume One: Kicked in the Teeth” is a debut that intrigues and excites, one worth going back to, over 25 years later. 12 ARTS & CULTURE MARCH 03, 2015 ALBUM REVIEW ‘American Beauty/American Psycho:’ a hint of beauty In 2013, when Fall Out Boy made their long-awaited return to the music scene with their fifth studio album, “Save Rock ‘N’ Roll,” which debuted to massive critical and commercial success, their fandom exploded with thrill. That excitement was catapulted further with the release of their post-hiatus sophomore album, “American Beauty/ American Psycho,” released on 16 January 2015. With all of its hits and misses, the album is not your usual Fall Out Boy. Going in and expecting to find classics like “Infinity On High” or “Take This to Your Grave” would be akin to expecting the Mona Lisa and ending up with a collection of strategically placed scribbles. That is not to say that the album is bad. On the contrary, it’s catchy and in some instances I would even say upbeat. However, this does not exclude a certain ennui that I felt while listening to it. The lyrics are well-written and coupled with amazing vocals—the songs have the potential to be great. The only problem is that they lack what makes a song stand out from the sea of noise that is the mainstream music scene. That is, they miss emotion. Typically, what distinguishes one song from the rest is that it possesses what others lack; these songs sound familiar and have the quaint familiarity of being unremarkable. The songs are much more pop and radio-friendly than what one would expect from a pop-punk band. The lyrics are the only thing that set this album apart from other such recent mainstream music releases. garscape.cdnds.net Fatima Kazma Staff Writer Patrick Stump’s vocals are as always superb, hitting a multitude of high and low notes, and overall, sounding soulful and dulcet. With a catchy, quick beat, “Uma Thurman” is an ideal dance track. “The Kids Aren’t Alright” and “Twin Skeletons” showcase Pete Wentz’s lyrical talent, while “Fourth of July” has a thumping beat coupled with melancholy lyrics filled with longing and regret. “Centuries,” however, has a captivating beginning that hooks you in and demands your attention. The highlight of the album by far has to be “Twin Skeletons,” harkening back to the golden days of Fall Out Boy, with lyrics reminiscent of “XO.” Wentz’s blend of sharp wit and sarcasm, and the meaningful message of past mistakes and regrets; this closing track does not disappoint. In fact, it will likely make up for the more lackluster tracks on the album. Overall this is a feel-good album. Is it a work of musical genius? Not likely; but it is fun to listen to. SERIES REVIEW Firas Haidar Staff Writer “If you’re committed enough, you can make any story work. I once told a woman I was Kevin Costner, and it worked because I believed it.” – Saul Goodman, “Breaking Bad.” During the six wonderful years it aired, “Breaking Bad” made history. From screenplay to cinematography, it’s almost unanimously agreed upon that this masterpiece of a series joins “The Sopranos” and “The Wire” -- among others -- as television’s best ever. Because of that, it was both excitement and worry that crept into the hearts of fans when Vince Gilligan, the mastermind behind “Breaking Bad,” announced its spin-off, “Better Call Saul.” Was the creator of the television phenomenon committed enough to make another story work? The answer is, in the carefully put words of Jesse Pinkman, “Yeah, bitch!” “Better Call Saul” is the story of James McGill, as was his name before he became the famous Saul Goodman, and the series of events that lead to his descent from an honest, hardworking lawyer to the charming, talkative criminal we all grew to love in the original series. “Better Call Saul” borrows only little from “Breaking Bad.” The theme of the degrading man may be the same, but the premise itself is different. For starters, “Better Call Saul” takes a lighter, less tense and more comedic look at things than its predecessor did. It’s also dialogue-heavy, so much it feels like James McGill is trying to make up for every moment of silence Walter White portrayed. Due to that dialogue, the comedy, never misplaced or misused, works wonders in re- ducing tension without killing severity. The pacing is also different from what “Breaking Bad” adopted, but the fun’s all the same. So far, James still isn’t involved in something too dramatic, i.e. Walter White’s Krazy-8 situation, and the series focuses more on his struggles in personal life, while keeping the criminal element a hovering presence that could hit at any second of any episode. And, in fact, when the plotline does pick up, it hits us right where it should. Nostalgia, excitement and surprise combined result in thrill rides “Breaking Bad” fans would love and appreciate. The characters are also well-invested and brilliantly developed over the few episodes that have aired thus far. James McGill himself is a work of art that keeps on giving. Everything fans loved about Saul Goodman is present, but with the added perk of more screen time and an abundance of the character’s iconic sentences. The new characters, on the other hand, are promising to be as eccentric, interesting and wonderful as the ones that shaped “Breaking Bad.” However, those are not forgotten. Fans are in for a treat regarding old characters and the very significant cameos they make. “Better Call Saul” is not completely detached from “Breaking Bad” as it appears, and the latter still holds the right amount of relevance to give the show the freshness it needs while remaining a spin-off/prequel. The great resemblance between the two, and the magic behind “Breaking Bad’s” captivating visuals, is the peculiar camerawork and the unusual angles: “Better Call Saul” is equally delightful to look at. Therefore, without revoking its ties to its predecessor, “Better Call Saul” lands on its own feet, and after a fifth fantastic episode, it’s safe to say that S’all Good, Man. imdb.com Vince Gilligan’s alchemy brews yet another feat with “Better Call Saul” 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 $ 20 $ ١٩٥٣ 21 22 – – 23 @OutlookAUB @OutlookAUB -Website: outlookaub.com -Email: [email protected] -Newsroom: AUB West Hall, Second Floor Room 208. @Outlook AUB -Phone: 01 350 000 (Ext: 3193) @outlookaub 17 18 22 albosleh.com 21 23 20 16
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