The End.

I woke up today, sad to have to come to university but knowing that this is one of my last 8:30 classes in AUC. The semester is ending in a couple of weeks, my 4 year journey is ending in a couple of weeks and to me now my life is literally ending.

When I come to think of the past four years and how they impacted my life, changed it, in other words reformulated it, I come to discover that university years are not the ending however they are the beginning.

Even though I sound quite optimistic about it right now, this is not what I really feel inside. I am actually freaking out from the fact of graduation, having to leave my university, the people I got used to knowing and seeing everyday is what freaks me out. The fact that I will have more responsibilities on top of my shoulders, more committment and more expectations from people freaks me out.

Graduation is a big deal, getting into "real" life is a big deal and that is assuming that what we are going through is not real. It is considered real to a certain extent yet post graduation to me at least in considered the reality real, as in there is no way back, as in you have to continue, not looking back untill you reach the end of this very long, hectic, tiring, disturbing race.

I DO NOT WANT TO GRADUATE!!!

What is the Importance of the Student Union?

When I first thought of writing this article, I decided to talk in it about all the accomplishments of the Student Union since I have ever heard about which was four years ago in my freshman year. Then it struck me that it is not its accomplishments that make it the most important and powerful organization on campus in fact its importance exists in the essence of how it works.

The Student Union started in around 1985, while before it was a student council. Both the Student Union and Student Council started for one reason which was to represent the students in front of the administration and try to provide them with some services they needed. Along the years this idea progressed, it developed and formed a Student Union which had a formal structure, an executive plan and sufficient HR to implement that plan.

Representing, Serving, Entertaining, Developing and connecting the Students is what the SU aims at doing right now. Representing the Students, in my point of view, is however the most important, it can make a Student Union or Break it. When students suffer a certain problem on campus whether with the different AUC services or with different administration offices there must be an entity responsible to help them find a solution for their problems and having a community of more than 5000 students makes it impossible to have them all solve their own problems. So here intervenes the SU, there is a whole committee inside the SU only responsible for representing the Students, advocating their rights and finding solutions to their daily academic and administrative problems. Which is the Reason the Student union exists from the first place.
Some people when they start observing the Student Union, they do not see except the concerts and the events. Even though this is not a negative but it is not the reason why the Student Union is here it is one of the aspects where the Student Union fulfills its role. The student union is not an agency that is present to organize parties, to form conferences and to publish newspapers only it is here to do all the previous but for a cause which is the Students.

According to the student constitution, the Student union is the highest executive body on campus and its mission is to represent, serve, connect and entertain and for all that to happen it needs perseverance, vision and belief.

This is what the Student Union is all about….

project #5: SCUBA addiction

Listening Journal #4: Long form audio documentary: Love and Morals in Mangalore

Love and Morals in Mangalore

This documentary is a BBC production that was recorded in Mangalore, South India. A reporter narrated the documentary and there are sound bites added of people involved in the story and of actors imitating those involved for safety reasons. The documentary was about 23 minutes long.
The documentary is about relationship problems across religions in Mangalore in India. It is said that the “Moral Police” in India beat up and punish any Hindu woman who is sitting with a Muslim guy or any couple that are standing together must identify who hey are and what is their relationship status. The moral Police defend themselves saying that they are doing that to defend their women and to make sure they are protected from minorities such as Muslims and Christians. It was said that Muslim boys do that so as to make Hindu girls do not convert to Islam under what is said by Muslims “Love Jihad”.
The documentary was produced professionally, the sound is very clear and the narrator is very assertive, engaging and her voice is strong. She succeeded in interviewing people who know how to describe which engaged me a lot in the topic and I felt I was present with them in Mangalore in India. The documentary was quite too long however it was very interesting which made me enjoy listening to it till the end. What made this documentary interesting was the topic itself, which was different and quite unusual. Also the way it was tackled made it very engaging as the reporter got all points of views; those being beaten up, the police who do so, Hindus, Muslims and even higher authorities.
I believe that this documentary used very suitable music to the topic and I enjoyed listening to all conversations and interviews she had with people in Indian streets. The way she described the setting and atmosphere was very engaging and interesting.

Mummy....

AUC students making history!

After thoughts, trials, negotiations and patience with the administration we decided to involve those whom we are trying to defend: AUC Students! We, the Student Union, have been trying endless trials with the Administration to get back students rights either through food services, transportation, registration, declaration and finally access to campus which was resembled in the HUSS gate issue. The student union started its term believing that the administration will be its way to serve, represent, entertain and serve the students however they were the biggest obstacle in the SU's way in achieving these four missions. The HUSS gate was a minor issue that escalated because we felt that this is a matter of PRINCIPLE. Students' voice is being ignored and disregarded. The administration refuses to open the gate after a petition signed by 2500 students other than faculty and staff members who have signed and there were emails sent to us by faculty members wondering about the reasons for the gate being closed. So, AUC students started frantically asking us the SU what are we doing towards solving a problem that obviously is bothering them. Here came the idea of Unity, we united with AUC students having more than 500 students gathering on Thursday the 18th of march at 1 pm at Quick in AUC new campus where we all moved along in one step, one goal, one motive pushing them towards the HUSS gate and they opened it. With force, belief, anger and passion, the gate was finally opened!!! All 500 students were asked for their AUC IDs and miraculously the AUC security officials gathered them all and realized the fact that there is no exact person to punish so they gave our IDs back. Only here I realized that this is not an SU issue, it is an AUC STUDENT BODY issue. AUC students united on one cause and for one reason which is to be heard and get their right back.
We, AUC students, could be easily distracted and scattered, we could be blackberry addicts, we could be care free and shallow we could be any of these stereotypic examples of AUCians yet if we unite on one goal, if we decide to be one for once and for all then a difference will happen, a gate will open and we will be finally heard!!!

AUC students have made history again!!

Interview Profile : Dr. Heba W. Kotb, Psychology professor

A successful Psychologist and mother of three opens her heart to our station giving us tips that lead to success.
Dr. Heba Kotb is an AUC graduate and she took her PhD in Education from Leeds University in the year 2000.

Questions:

1. Dr. Heba, Upon graduation in the 80s were you planning to pursue further education?
2. How do you manage having three children and working in several places at the same time?
3. After all these experiences what tips of success would you recommend for any AUC fresh graduate to start their career

Thank You