Widely known for her lavish evening and bridal gowns, Sarieddine presented her “Sensual Lines” Spring Summer 2012 collection at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in Manhattan on September 16.

The Amal Sarieddine show featured 17 dresses, characterized by fine embroidery seamlessly mixed with elaborate embellishment shaped in rigorous geometrical lines flowing around the body.

“This is the third time I’ve taken part in the event, and the feedback I’m getting is better each season,” she says.

Sarieddine’s growing name in the business has caught the attention of industry professionals, who are coming to her shows in growing numbers.

“I launched my first collection in 2004, and in just a few years have managed to make my mark,” says Sarieddine.

She says the key to her success stems from the distinctive sewing, embroidery and embellishment techniques she learned from her mother, Nawal Sarieddine, who opened her own fashion design house some forty years ago.

“I use the traditional and authentic techniques of older generations of tailors,” she says, “in contrast with the new reliance on assembly-line production and outsourcing of embroidery and assembly to China or India.”

Sarieddine’s workshop is preserving this heritage, with trained tailors — many of whom began their careers under her mother — passing their knowledge on to a younger generation.

Sarieddine has presented her collections in Los Angeles, Paris and various fashion capitals in the Middle East. She now has prominent clients in the U.S., Europe, Lebanon and the Gulf countries, where royal family members are her main customers.

“My main challenge today is to branch out from my career in fashion into the world of interior architecture and home collections,” she says, adding that her time at LAU fostered her ambition and creativity.

“LAU opened my eyes to the world. I was taught by the best professors how to turn my ideas and vision intro a creative reality,” she says.

Sarieddine also expressed enthusiasm about LAU’s initiative to establish a degree program in fashion design next fall.

“Until now students who wanted to specialize in fashion had to pursue their studies abroad,” she says, adding that the “brain drain” afflicts designers as it does other professionals in Lebanon.

“The new program may help to keep their talent and industry at home, and their work closer to their culture,” she concludes.

“Saloua Raouda Choucair: the Retrospective,” which features some 380 of the artist’s works, was curated by her daughter Hala Choucair Gharzeddine, in collaboration with the Agial Art Gallery. The show opened in late September and continues until November 13.

From early paintings to more recent sculptures, the exhibition presents work from every phase of Choucair’s career. It includes sketches, photographs, rugs and other daily-use art pieces like jewelry and furniture.

The show is divided chronologically, with each section revealing a new wrinkle in the artist’s evolving story, a new dimension of her vision. Throughout, Choucair’s modernity and avant-gardism make decades-old pieces look timely, even timeless.

Work from every phase of her career shows an enduring fascination with science, philosophy, Islamic art and poetry.

“My mother was very creative, and highly optimistic about the modernity of Arab culture,” says Gharzeddine. “She believed in progress and was very curious about science. She wanted her work to be a synthesis of all these elements,” she says.

According to Gharzeddine, Choucair defines her art as pure abstraction but an abstraction inspired by Islamic art. “She was moved less by the visual aesthetics of Islamic art than by its desire to express the infinite and the indescribable, by its circles and the lines and by its use of mathematics,” she says.

Choucair has used a large range of materials for her sculptures over the years, from wood to plexiglas, brass, ceramics and nylon threads. These she fashions rigorously into polished circles, spirals, waves and other geometrical shapes, sometimes fitted over each other in “duals” or “poems,” visual traces of her meditation on and fusion of science and Arabic poetry.

Born in Beirut in 1916, Choucair graduated from American Junior College for Women (as LAU was then known) in 1936 with a degree in biology. She began her painting career in the studios of prominent Lebanese artist Mustafa Farroukh while still a student.

In an autobiographic article written in the early 90s, Choucair describes her college years with enthusiasm, recalling the publication of her caricatures — of classmates, teachers, and other campus figures — in the annual Trireme publication and on the college’s posters, which she designed.

“She loved her years at AJCW,” says her daughter. “She found an audience there who appreciated her style, who would laugh at her depictions.”

She went on to graduate school at the American University of Beirut, graduating with degrees in philosophy and Arabic sciences.

Her career led her to Paris, where she graduated from the Ecole des Beaux Arts and worked with some of the most prominent artists of the time.

Choucair’s last major exhibition was in 1974, when the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism displayed some 100 pieces in its glass exhibition hall in the Hamra area. The event marked the first time that gallery — the ministry’s most prestigious — had showcased the work of a Lebanese artist.

“In her early career she was badly treated and at best ignored. She was bitter,” Gharzeddine recalls, adding that “later she was rewarded in many ways and she felt much better. She now lives blissfully.”

Choucair has received several distinctions from the Ministry of National Education, and was awarded the highest national honor, the Cedar Decoration (Knight and Officer Grades).

In 1975 LAU (at that time BCW) honored Choucair by acquiring and displaying one of her sculptures in the university gardens.

“Saloua Raouda Choucair: The Retrospective” continues through November 13 at the Beirut Exhibition Center. For more information visit:
www.beirutexhibitioncenter.com. 

LAU alumni Nisreen Mohtar, Danny Khoury and Dalia Baassiri each designed and painted two of six new benches on Beirut’s Hamra Street on October 4 and 5. They were selected as part of a painting competition in the Maraya 2011 Hamra Street Festival, which took place from August 30 to September 1.

Ms. Najwa Baroudi, the organizer of the festival, was delighted with the contributions of the three LAU alumni, saying the point of Maraya is to celebrate the spirit of Hamra, which she describes as “the center of intellectual activity in the city.”

“Dalia, Danny and Nisreen are fine artists. Their work is diverse and broad in its meaning, and their energy and enthusiasm are exemplary,” she says. “We are very happy with our choice —and LAU should be proud,” Baroudi says.

Baroudi hopes more benches can be installed in Hamra, as well as in the rest of the Ras Beirut area.

“We’re encouraging a high standard of varied cultural and artistic activities to draw in the diverse local and foreign communities that converge on Hamra,” she explains.

Khoury, a 2002 graphic design graduate, expressed pleasure in using his design skills to enliven the much-needed resting space on his favorite street.

“Benches were always a missing part of Hamra,” says Khoury, who published his first book, At the Edge of the City  in 2010, “This project is part of an attempt to revive the street,” he adds.  

Khoury was inspired by — and set out to capture — the distinctive spirit of the iconic Ras Beirut street.

“One of my benches is rather abstract in its design,” Khoury comments, “but I felt its elements reproduce the lively soul of Hamra.”

2003 graphic design graduate Baassiri is currently working as a freelance graphic designer. She took her cue from local pedestrians in her approach to the project.

“I watch different people’s faces and get inspired,” she explains, adding that. “I am also interested in illustrating human cells and features.”

Baassiri — who is set to continue her graduate education at Chelsea College of Art and Design in London — was also motivated by her emotional attachment to a neighborhood she’s lived in for ten years.

Mohtar, who graduated in 2003 with B.S. in Interior Design and a minor in Fine Arts, initially had misgivings about painting on a busy street like Hamra.

“At first I was terrified,” she admits. “It’s definitely different from painting in a studio alone. I doubted whether I would be able to reflect my ideas smoothly while passersby watched me.”

Ultimately Mohtar’s extensive experience with exhibitions — at LAU, AUB, and the International School of Choueifat — served to calm her nerves, and her work was very positively received.

“I had comments from famous artists,” she says, “as well as a number of requests for future painting work. I think this kind of work is good marketing for us.”

The award-winning journalist, blogger, social commentator, and LAU alumnus (’03) even encouraged them to mention him if tweeting from his lecture, titled “The revolution behind the revolution: The role of social media in the Arab spring.”

“Things are changing,” said Abbas, explaining that though revolutions have occurred throughout history, the 2011 Arab revolutions were distinguished by a domino effect facilitated by social media.

Abbas summarized the common causes behind the revolutions, and highlighted the central role of fellow bloggers both in assisting locals and informing the rest of the world about unfolding events. He cited the Egyptian Wael Ghoniem as an example of a blogger whose reach and impact were profound.

“‘To those in power,’” he said, quoting Ghoniem’s words from an interview earlier this year, “‘you are facing a generation which communicates in a way you don’t understand.’”

Abbas spoke about the importance of the Internet in disseminating information, arguing that while traditional mainstream media is biased toward established consensus opinion, social media levels the playing field for a multiplicity of voices.

“People now don’t just watch a story on TV or read about it in a newspaper” after the fact, he said. “They have instant and on-demand access” to events as they unfold, and can even participate in the shaping of the story.

Referring to questions about objectivity in social media, he said the “better argument will always win.”

Abbas blamed dictators for attacking journalists and blocking communication, but noted that the deposed governments contributed to their own downfalls as their tight censorship of the media helped trigger the revolutions.

“A free media diffuses the anger,” he explained. “When you censor media, it stimulates a revolution.”

He argued that the attention on the Middle East in the news has helped this region’s journalists thrive. “The Middle East is suddenly back in the spotlight. It’s a good time to be a journalist here.”

“One thing is certain,” he added. “We never know what to expect next.”

Abbas earned his B.A. in marketing with a minor in communication arts from LAU and his M.A. in marketing communications from the University of Westminster. Based in London, he is known primarily for his column on the popular U.S. website The Huffington Post, which he began writing in 2008.

Abbas has worked for the pan-Arab daily Asharq Al Awsat, Al Hayat Newspaper in Saudi Arabia, Future Television in Lebanon, Leo Burnett in Saudi Arabia and Ink Publishing in London. 

Twenty-one students from universities across Lebanon competed in the Farra Design Center-sponsored “Divine Details” competition, created in 2004 with the objective to encourage youth participation in design. Farra Design Center is a furniture store in Mkalles with one of the largest imported collections in Lebanon.

“I went for the most basic element to design — a module,” says Naja, a third-year architecture student, who created a series of cubes that could easily be unified or separated to serve a variety of functions: a coffee table, TV stand, book shelves, desk, etc.

“This modular system allows users to create their own furniture that doesn’t otherwise exist or goes beyond what you see at a regular furniture store,” Naja adds.

The participants were free to design and submit any full-scale piece of furniture they wanted as long as it could fit into a two-meter by two-meter box.

Sabbah, a 2010 interior architecture graduate, designed an oriental-style lamp that doubles as a mop and bucket. She designed it over a year ago for one of her classes, but never expected it would earn her a cash prize and recognition.

“Our department at LAU told us about this competition and encouraged us to participate,” Sabbah explains. “So in May we submitted our projects. About 20 of us were shortlisted for the competition. Soon after they announced that we had won.”

Naja and Sabbah were awarded $2,000 and $1,500 for their designs, respectively, during a ceremony on June 3.

“I always wanted to rediscover what I have missed during my time away from Lebanon,” says Robert Shafie, who graduated from LAU in 1984 with a master’s in business administration, and resides in Boston, United States.

“To be in touch with my old school and attend the reunion in Beirut has been a wish of mine, and this was a great opportunity for me to meet with former classmates and faculty,” Shafie says.

Sentiments like Shafie’s could be heard throughout the week of the 2011 Alumni Homecoming and Reunions, as hundreds of alumni returned to both campuses to revisit their pasts and share their current lives with old and new friends.

Held from July 13–17, the five-day extravaganza included an alumni dinner, all-class reunions on both campuses, a homecoming brunch, and a trip to Ehden Village in the northern mountains.

“Don’t forget that this institution comes from humble origins,” LAU President Dr. Joseph G. Jabbra said during the alumni dinner on July 13. “Now, thanks to you and all those who believed in LAU, we have two major campuses and over 8,000 students.”

Bank of Beirut supported the week’s events, as it has in previous years.
 

Alumni dinner

The week began with an alumni dinner held at the Phoenicia InterContinental Hotel in Beirut. LAU board members, faculty and staff gathered with alumni to enjoy live entertainment, acknowledge the work of the 32 alumni chapters worldwide, and present two alumni with special awards.

Here, Lebanese violinist Vanessa Nassar entertains the attendees.

The Underground Fiesta Band got the crowd ready to dance during the alumni dinner.

At the alumni dinner, Rima Daniel Hourani (’70), 2nd from right, received the Alumni Recognition Award from Abdallah Al Khal, director of the Alumni Relations Office; Leila Saleeby Dagher, president of the Alumni Association Board; and President Jabbra. The annual award goes to an alum who has made outstanding contributions to LAU and the community.

“I am honored by this recognition,” says Hourani. “I believe strongly in education and that is why we are committed to LAU.”
 

From left: LAU alum and popular television personality Ricardo Karam (’96) receives the Alumni Achievement Award from Dagher and Jabbra at the dinner. The award is given to an alum who has had significant accomplishments in his or her professional life.

“My dream was to make a difference, and I have tried to do so,” says Karam.

All-class reunion (Beirut)

At all-class reunions on July 14 and 15 at the Byblos and Beirut campuses, respectively, different generations of alumni mingled with former professors, LAU officials, and each other.

Attendees browsed through yearbook-style posters from different graduation years to find themselves and old classmates.

Jabbra addressed a large assembly of alumni at the all-class reunion at LAU Beirut. He welcomed them back to a place that serves as a “home away from home.”
 

Dagher greeted the crowd of alumni and their families outside the Safadi Fine Arts Building.

Alumni paused from socializing to take group photos with President Jabbra during the Beirut-campus reunion.

Al Khal welcomed first-time and seasoned reunion-goers.

“The numbers attending these annual events have increased considerably from previous years,” he says.

At the end of both the Byblos and Beirut reunions, alumni were treated to a screening of the award-winning documentary Teta Alf Marra (Grandmother, 1,000 times), written and directed by LAU alumnus Mahmoud Kaabour (shown right at LAU Beirut’s Irwin Theatre).
 

All-class reunion (Byblos)

LAU Byblos alumni gathered on July 14 to catch up with old friends, and make new ones.
 

Ghada Majed, assistant director of the Alumni Relations Office; Dagher; and LAU alumnus and film director Kaabour, in front of posters for his internationally acclaimed film Teta Alf Marra at the Byblos reunion.

At the all-class reunions on both campuses, jubilee pins were distributed to the classes of ’06, ’01, ’96, ’91, ’86, ’81, ’76, ’71, ’66 and ’61.

Here, Jabbra hands out a pin to an LAU Byblos alumnus.

Former LAU President Dr. Riyad F. Nassar (4th from left) with Jabbra, Al Khal and a group of alumni who attended the Byblos-campus reunion.

All-class homecoming brunch and trip

During the all-class homecoming brunch held on July 16 at LAU Beirut’s courtyard, generations of alumni and their families enjoyed a relaxed morning outdoors with university officers and staff.

Alumni during a hike, part of the July 17 all-class trip to Ehden.

Alumni stop to take a group photo after a short hike near Ehden Village.
 

Rizk’s 12-minute film was screened under the category of “Short Film Corner.” It was not a competition, he says, but rather an opportunity to rub shoulders with prominent figures in the film industry.

“You wouldn’t believe what happens in Cannes,” Rizk says. “For 10 days, you think you are dreaming. You get on the plane, land, then go to the festival and the first person you run into is Robert De Niro.”

While in Cannes, Rizk had the chance to attend lectures and workshops about film production, including one led by British actor Malcolm McDowell who played in A Clockwork Orange.

Rizk’s film is about two grade-school students who stay at school after class one Friday afternoon and plot to steal an exam. A simple story, Rizk says, but with a very artistic touch.

The two main characters in the movie locate the exam and scramble to photocopy it before anyone catches on. Suddenly, someone opens the door of the copy room and the worst fears of the panicked students begin to cloud their imaginations.

One student imagines they had just gotten busted by the school principal. The film makes viewers believe the scene is reality when in fact they are merely witnessing a manifestation of the boy’s paranoia. That scene ends and the camera then captures the imagination of the other student, who plays out a scenario that involves his teacher entering the copy room.

Most viewers can identify with one of the two kids, Rizk says. “If they didn’t steal an exam when they were in school, they tried to, or at least wanted to.”

The Examination was previously screened at the Notre Dame University Film Festival (where Rizk won a prize), Nadi Lekol El Nass, Ehdeniyat festival, FICMÉC festival (organized by Université Saint-Joseph), and the European Film Festival — all held in Lebanon.

Rizk says the film took about eight months to complete, including five months of pre-production preparation, three days of shooting, and over two months of post-production work.

He says the film’s success would not have been possible without the dedicated efforts of his production team, which he handpicked after reviewing previous movies they worked on.

“At the end of the day, it’s the work of the team that counts. The music played a very important part of the movie. The art director did a great job with decor,” he says. “They all understood the mood of the movie.”
 

A 2007 communication arts graduate with honors, Jamal introduced the audience to his novel, which reflects the relatively free lives of two ladies, Aisha bint Talha and Sakina bint Al Hussein, during the late Islamic period.

One of Jamal’s principal aims was to identify and reveal the wealth of the Arab culture while contesting the stereotypical image of women in the Islamic era.

“Our societies have drawn a false image that women were oppressed in the late Islamic period whereas all trusted references point out that the truth is contrary to that suggestion,” Jamal said. One of the characters of the novel, Sakina bint Al Hussein, “had her own literary council and different poets were interested in her work,” he added.

Jamal first wrote his ideas as a script treatment, but he eventually changed his mind and wrote a novel, which took him around three years to complete, including two years of research.

His hard work has paid off. Dr. Vahid Behmardi, associate professor of Arabic and Persian literature and chairperson of LAU Beirut’s Department of Humanities, praised the novel, comparing its quality to that of renowned cultural books.

“This excellent novel is a non-fiction. Jamal took real events of the past and added value to these with his creativity to create the novel,” Behmardi said at the book-signing ceremony. “The novel, hence, has two levels; one is strictly related to history and the other side of it is fictional and artistic,” he added.

Behmardi was amazed with Jamal’s knowledge of the Arab culture when the two first met years ago in the professor’s Beirut-campus office.

“Years ago, I saw Jamal looking at the list of Arabic teachers as he wanted someone to edit his script for his final play,” Behmardi said. “I read his script and we edited it together but I never thought that, in a couple of years, that same student would be signing his first book,” he said.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Dima Dabbous-Sensenig, assistant professor of communication and director of LAU’s Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World, congratulated Jamal, noting that he was a unique student with an unmatched enthusiasm for learning.

Dabbous-Sensenig also pointed out the importance of the novel in helping Arabs understand their cultural heritage and build on this knowledge a quality future in which they can recall their past accomplishments.

“The best way for us to go forward is to know our past and to understand that women had rights before in this area. They lost these rights and are now trying to regain the rights that were theirs long before,” Dabbous-Sensenig said.

Jamal emphasized LAU’s key role in developing his personal and professional skills, saying: “The environment of LAU helped me to understand arts and literature. I took the basics and the tools from LAU from which I could begin my professional career.”

Jamal also read two pages from his novel to a standing ovation.

The event was organized by IWSAW, the Department of Humanities, and the Department of Communication Arts.
 

Visitors discovered everything from children’s books to works of poetry, history and science.

Throughout the three-hour evening exhibition, passers-by who visited the table of Henry Matthews, a 1980 fine arts graduate, picked up a copy of his Encyclopedia of Lebanese Comic Books (2010) and reminisced about their childhood days reading comics. “You brought me back 30 years,” said one man.

When asked how it made him feel to see the nostalgic reactions of so many visitors, Matthews said: “It’s a bittersweet feeling. Bitter, because our history is being destroyed and we can’t do anything about it.”

Salpi Simitian, who received a B.A. in communication arts two years ago, recently published her first children’s storybook, The Little Cedar Tree. She says it talks about history and the environment, but is neither a history nor environment book. Rather, it blends the two to somehow encourage engagement in and raise awareness of environmental issues.

“It encourages children to become better citizens,” she said. After being confronted by a skeptic who asked her if she really believed children would understand the message, she responded: “If they love the book, it will drive them to action.”

Danny Khoury, a 2002 graphic design graduate, exhibited At the Edge of the City: Reinhabiting Public Space Toward the Recovery of Beirut’s Horsh Al-Sanawbar, edited by Fadi Shayya. Horsh Beirut is one of the last green public spaces in the city, though it has for a long time been closed off to the public. (Read more.)

Khoury wrote one chapter of the book, though his greatest contribution came in the form of design.

His designs were not created merely for aesthetic glamor, he explained, but rather contained symbolic elements. The cover, for example, gives an illusive impression. Why? “Because when we used to ask why Horsh Beirut is closed, they never gave us an answer,” Khoury said. “It was always unclear.”

The event marks the beginning of an annual effort by the Alumni Relations Office to promote the achievements of LAU graduates.

“This is your university and your second home,” Abdallah Al Khal, Alumni Relations Office director, told the graduates in his opening speech.

In a follow-up address, Ghada Majed, the office’s assistant director, said: “This event is important not just for the participants, but also for the students here who are witnessing today that no dream is impossible.”

Check out this booklet for more information about the exhibitors.

Chaker is also the founder and managing director of Middle East Consultancy Agency (MCA) People Solutions, which helps equip professionals with leadership skills.

He lectured to a packed auditorium of alumni April 29 at LAU Beirut, explaining that his tips can be applied in both professional and personal settings.

Chaker said the rules of etiquette are staples of all religions that have adopted some form of the golden rule that tells us to treat others how we would like to be treated.

“I think this is obsolete,” he said. “With globalization, it’s changed. I can’t treat a Japanese the way I treat a Lebanese or Syrian.”

Rather, he said, people should follow the platinum rule: treat others like they want to be treated. “How do you know how they want to be treated?” he asked the audience. “Learn their culture.”

Chaker listed a number of points that help people achieve professionalism in the workplace. The first and most important among them is punctuality, he said. Others include speaking and writing clearly, apologizing for errors or misunderstandings, accepting constructive criticism and feedback, presenting yourself pleasantly with good hygiene, choosing attractive (but not distracting) clothes, and avoiding even the smallest lies at all costs.

“If you lie once, you lose your credibility,” he said.

First impressions, he continued, are lasting impressions. It’s a point to keep in mind for your appearance, punctuality and attitude when meeting new people, but it shouldn’t be used to form judgments.

To leave a positive impression, he said, stand with a confident posture, make eye contact, keep body movement to a minimum, wear clean clothes and polish your shoes. Perhaps, above all, have pleasant expression.

“Smiles make miracles,” he said. “People tend to trust a smiling face.”

Chaker introduced what he called the rule of 13 for personal props and accessories. People should not wear more than 13 items, he said, including two earrings, a watch, bracelet, belt, buckle, shoes, adornments, pins, scarves, rings, purse, briefcase and other things.

Try to meet someone new every day, Chaker explained, because every person you meet offers the opportunity to learn from him or her.

When you go out with people, he said, don’t spend all your time on the phone, talking or sending messages to others.

Finally, he said, “be yourself and be proud of it. Remember, our goal is to build relationships.”

The event was the fourth installment of the “Keep Learning” Alumni Lecture Program organized by the LAU Alumni Relations Office.