Salim and Hanneh Zakhem, who Jabbra described at the ceremony as healthily "obsessed with education," passed their commitment to serving others on to their children. "Those values are reflected in a magnificent way in the relationship between the Zakhem family and LAU," Jabbra said.

A successful engineer and businessman, George Zakhem has a long and storied history with the university. In the early 1980s, while the Beirut University College (or BUC, as LAU was previously known) fought to remain open as violence engulfed much of Lebanon, Zakhem had a vision. After taking up chairmanship of BUC's Board of Trustees in 1984, he posited that having only one campus in war-torn Beirut hindered efforts to reach all of the country's young scholars.

The early years of Zakhem's tenure were important for LAU, noted Jabbra, as it came at a time when BUC was struggling with financial difficulties, war and its strategic vision for the future. As chair, he played a critical part in steering BUC along the right path, and overseeing the college's transformation into a university. His family's subsequent donation of 100,000 square meters of land in Blat, near Byblos, was instrumental in making LAU what it is today. George Zakhem had already made generous donations to establish two scholarship funds for students who could not otherwise afford to attend BUC.

It was, as Jabbra described it, "the will of a family and a university that made a difference in the lives of so many young men and women." That difference is indeed considerable: today almost 3,000 of LAU's 8,273 students are based on the Byblos campus.

The architect of LAU's expansion, Zakhem fondly recalled the challenges the board faced in convincing the Lebanese Government, the university's Board of Regents in New York and even its own members to embrace the idea of having two campuses. "It's with great satisfaction and humility that I look on those years of trouble," he said.

Tears came to Zakhem's eyes as he described the efforts the board undertook to finance LAU's growth.

"With a strong will, we have turned this idea into one of the most beautiful universities in Lebanon," he said.

Reflecting on the enduring relationship between his family and LAU, Zakhem said of the Byblos campus: "This achievement proves beyond any doubt that those who dream can do, and we dreamt and we did."

The sold-out event drew over 900 people to BIEL, including a constellation of Lebanese dignitaries and international celebrities.

In his welcoming remarks, LAU President Dr. Joseph G. Jabbra thanked those present, pointing out that LAU's ascent from a small girl's school to a major regional university had been made possible by the steadfast support of donors like them.

Such support empowered LAU to grow into a formidable university anchored by a commitment to serve the community. As part of that commitment, said Jabbra, LAU and Elie Saab are joining hands to provide what is tipped to become one of the region's most highly sought-after academic degrees. The Fashion Design program will be taught in collaboration with reputable fashion schools in the United Kingdom.

"Just as the first law school and the first Arab university was in Beirut, and because Beirut is always at the forefront of new disciplines, it is natural that the first academic fashion design program in the Arab world should be in Beirut too," said guest of honor Elie Saab.

"The fact that this degree will carry my name is both a tremendous honor and a great responsibility," he told the audience. "I will sign a degree when I myself never went to university.

For that reason, I would love to open a door that was closed in my face for young people wishing to pursue careers in fashion."

Applications to the program, which will begin in Fall 2013, are being accepted now.

LAU's accomplishments in recent years have been a "dream come true," said Jabbra, noting that the university's 8,000 students will soon also have access to a third campus in the heart of New York City. The new mini-campus, which will be inaugurated in September 2013, will provide students with an opportunity to study in the U.S. It will also allow American students to draw upon LAU's unique expertise in Middle Eastern studies, Islamic banking, Arabic language and conflict resolution.

Fall 2013 will mark another milestone for LAU: The first class from the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing will graduate.

The gala dinner, which was organized by a committee chaired by Jabbra, was hosted by Joumana Bou Eid. Aileen Agopian, senior vice president and international senior specialist in contemporary art at Sotheby's, flew in from the U.S. to preside over an exciting auction of antique and contemporary artwork. The evening raised over $1 million toward scholarships for needy and deserving students.

Critically acclaimed opera singer Tania Kassis delivered beautiful renditions of the Lebanese national anthem and LAU's alma mater song, while Manal Mallat provided the evening's entertainment. A short film outlining LAU's vision for growth over the next few years was shown. As the evening drew to a close, guests were offered ELIE SAAB perfume.

To apply to the Elie Saab Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design, visit: www.admissions.lau.edu.lb/apply

At a ceremony on March 12 to announce the scholarship, the bank made a generous initial $60,000 donation toward the Adnan Kassar Annual Scholarship Grant. The scholarship fund will support the tuition of ten needy and academically gifted students enrolled at the School of Business.

"We are proud to encourage an institution like LAU and through it to serve our country's future generations," said Dr. Adnan Kassar, chairman and major shareholder of Fransabank. He made the donation together with his brother Adel, the bank's deputy chairman and CEO.

Kassar referred to the impressive numbers of LAU graduates he saw at last year's commencement ceremony, saying he hoped they would resist the trend to emigrate and could instead prosper in Lebanon.

Thanking Fransabank, LAU President Dr. Joseph G. Jabbra said the scholarship would "help the dreams of needy students come true." Both LAU and Fransabank share a vision of "empowering the youth of Lebanon, our country's only hope in an unstable region," he added.

Kassar praised the university's efforts to educate the next generation of business leaders, saying he hoped Fransabank's scholarship grant would inspire others in the banking sector to follow suit with donations of their own. "I am confident that many will," he said.

Minister of trade and economics between 2004 and 2005, Kassar was awarded an honorary doctorate by LAU in 2008. He served as chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce from 1999 to 2000, during which time he worked with the United Nations to create the Global Compact, a framework that encourages companies to adhere to socially and environmentally responsible business practices.

LAU is committed to increasing the funds available for financial aid. This year it has provided $15 million in financial assistance to around 30 percent of the student body. As part of its 2011-2016 Strategic Plan, the university has committed to increasing those figures on an annual basis.

Jabbra lauded the Kassar family's commitment to philanthropy and educational development, saying their support stemmed from a firm "belief in Lebanon."

Established in 1921, Fransabank is the oldest bank in Lebanon, with assets worth over $14 billion.
 

On February 21, the Cardahi family announced they had donated the premises of the Louis Cardahi Museum and Foundation to the university. Comprising a beautiful stone house and surrounding land with extensive views of Byblos, the Cardahi grounds and mission will now be under LAU's charge.

"Tonight is a very exciting night because two institutions are coming together to pursue most noble causes," said LAU President Dr. Joseph G. Jabbra at a donation ceremony held on the Byblos campus. "The Louis Cardahi Foundation has long been dedicated to education and to the pursuit of knowledge about our beloved Lebanon."

A slideshow presentation by LAU graphic design student Joyce Khalifeh provided the audience with the foundation's history, giving a glimpse of the premises and the treasures they house.

Born in Byblos in 1929, Louis Cardahi was an engineer who founded the Entreprise de Bâtiments et de Travaux Publics. His passion for preserving his home city's history, architecture and culture led him to co-found the Cultural Council of the Jbeil (Byblos) Region.

Cardahi was committed to the social, cultural and economic development of Byblos, said his son, former Telecommunications Minister Jean-Louis. He noted that his father initiated and financed the building of Byblos' first secondary school in the 1960s, believing that an "educated and cultured youth would contribute positively in establishing a pluralistic and tolerant civil society."

The museum and foundation were set up in his memory by his wife Mona Chucri Eduen, Jean-Louis and daughter Suzy following his death in 1992. They were established to promote Byblos' history and further Cardahi's belief that "an educated and cultured youth would contribute positively in setting up the basis of a pluralistic and tolerant civil society," his son told the audience.

The foundation holds a number of historical artifacts, artworks and documentary films about Byblos. The premises also boast a small library with over 1,500 works charting the city's historical evolution. "It has encouraged heritage conservation and has made everything available to visitors," said Jean-Louis.

As part of the agreement, LAU will persevere with the foundation's efforts to promote respect for Byblos' architectural, cultural and historical legacy.

A governing board comprised of five LAU representatives and two Cardahi family representatives will be established to oversee the foundation's strategic planning. LAU will provide the budget and the human resources, involving financial aid students, to run daily operations. Students from the School of Architecture and Design or from the School of Arts and Sciences' Humanities department will also have the opportunity to do internships at the museum.

"We commit to be indefatigable in our efforts to ensure that the foundation will continue to grow, expand and benefit our community, our youth and our beloved Lebanon," said Jabbra.

Jean-Louis Cardahi expressed his hope that the LAU Louis Cardahi Foundation, as it will now be known, would continue to encourage young Lebanese to respect their country's vibrant heritage. "After all, culture is what remains when we have forgotten what we learned in the classroom," he said.

Designed to amplify the leadership skills of students, the program places a heavy emphasis on entrepreneurship, women's participation and civic activism.

In fact, the program boasts a strong tradition of philanthropy and it was in this spirit of generosity that in early December a group of 25 TL students raised a booth on the sprawling grounds of LAU's Byblos campus and requested a $1 dollar donation from each member of the LAU community.

The week-long fundraising activity aimed to support access to education and was part of a larger campaign, "Donate to Educate Campaign" which began last year by TL students who pledged to donate $5 per month from their stipends for the purpose of educating one fiscally disadvantaged student from the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region at LAU.

Dr. Walid Touma, director of the University Enterprise Office charged with overseeing the LAU-MEPI TL program suggests that perhaps the greatest threat facing the region in the future will be a crisis of leadership.

"Universities play a pivotal and fundamental role in remedying this," says Touma.

"The LAU-MEPI TL program is one of the most important investments we can make for the future--today, more than ever we need solid leaders to deal with the massive tectonic changes that are occurring around us," Touma says with palpable gravitas. "We have accomplished our mission if even one of these students graduates from this program and becomes an effective leader in his or her community," he adds.

"These students recognize their own position of privilege and want to give back--this is exactly the sort of leadership attributes we want to cultivate and enhance," says Dr. Marwan G. Rowayheb, associate professor of political science/international affairs at LAU Byblos as well as Student Life Coordinator of the LAU-MEPI TL program.

As a mentor to the students, Rowayheb was duly impressed by the students' show of initiative and was quick to modestly wave off his own role in the event: "They did everything on their own--they saw this fundraising activity through from start to finish."

Nassib Nasr, assistant vice president for development, gave the group a workshop on the nuts-and-bolts of effective fundraising to aid them in their endeavor. "The students expressed an eager desire to give back to their community and share the gift of education that has served them so well."

Second-year business students Zeina Albitar and Barik Mahadin, led the committee that spearheaded the $1 campaign.

"Though the amount we are asking for is relatively small it has a powerful cumulative effect--like a falling row of dominos, a creation of a powerful chain reaction that reaffirms the LAU community's commitment to access to education," explained Mahadin.

Albitar wholeheartedly agrees: "We have noticed that other students on campus want to join us."

"Giving back is contagious, we have seen much support from the students, staff and faulty in our endeavor," she enthuses.

The LAU-MEPI Tomorrow's Leaders program offers financial assistance in the form of scholarship to students from across the Arab world. Candidates recruited for program must demonstrate exemplary leadership qualities as well as academic excellence and financial need.

Bank Audi-Audi Saradar Group made a generous $800,000 gift to establish the Georges and Raymond Audi Endowment Scholarship Fund, supporting the tuition fees of needy and deserving students majoring in banking, finance and accounting. They also donated $200,000 to name a physical entity at the School of Business after Raymond and his late brother Georges Audi. 

Raymond Audi established Bank Audi SAL – Audi Saradar Group in 1962 along with his father, brothers Georges and John, and a Kuwaiti business partner. Considered Lebanon’s top bank, Bank Audi has assets worth US $29 billion and footings totaling US $40 billion. Raymond Audi, who has acted as the bank’s chairperson since 1998, also established the Audi Foundation, which is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of traditional craftsmanship in Lebanon.

In recognition of the donation, LAU President Dr. Joseph G. Jabbra unveiled a commemorative marble plaque at the Finance and Accounting Department in the School of Business, designating the area the “Georges and Raymond Audi Executive Business Hall”. Wadih Audi, son of the late Georges Audi, Samir Hanna, CEO of Bank Audi-Audi Saradar Group, and Freddie Baz, advisor to Raymond Audi, were also in attendance.

Speaking at the ceremony, Jabbra paid tribute to the Audi family’s unwavering commitment to philanthropy and development. “We at LAU are absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to honor a person and the memory of his brother, who together have done so much for Lebanon and beyond, and who have shown such gracious commitment to the university,” he said.

LAU students and the wider Lebanese community should remain optimistic, even as the region is engulfed by extraordinary political and economic tumult, said Raymond Audi. “I would advise you never to look at the glass as half empty or empty. The glass is half full. There are cycles in life and we have to accept that we are currently living through some hard times, but we will face them and we will succeed.”

Audi added he was very glad to support LAU. “We are going to do something very exciting for the future of Lebanon.”

Raymond Audi has received numerous international awards, including honors from the Pope and the governments of Lebanon, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Russia and Malta. He sits on LAU’s Board of International Advisors and has been instrumental in helping the university expand its Beirut campus. Audi, who served in the Lebanese government as minister of the Displaced, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters by LAU in 2007.

LAU recently acquired Gezairi Transport’s former headquarters, located on Sadat Street in the heart of Beirut’s famous Hamra district. It comprises a main building with a three-floor penthouse, a large theater, and offices. The property also includes a school, which Gezairi Transport donated after relocating to Downtown Beirut.

LAU President Dr. Joseph G. Jabbra lauded the acquisition as a “dream come true” and said the gift of the school would help foster a stimulating learning environment for students and faculty alike. “LAU is a student-centered university and it is of the utmost importance for us to give our students the very best facilities that we can,” he said. ‘’The Gezairi property provides us with a chance to realize this quest and I couldn’t be more delighted by this wonderful opportunity.”

The acquisition of the Gezairi Transport headquarters and the school donation come at a time of major institutional growth for LAU.

Demand for an LAU education has increased by 48% over the last decade, with 8,273 students enrolled in fall 2011 compared to 5,572 in 2001. To fulfill the University’s promise to provide excellent learning opportunities to the youth of Lebanon, the MENA region and beyond, LAU campuses have grown considerably and two new schools have been inaugurated - the Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine and the Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing.

Facilities across LAU are continuously being upgraded to offer students state-of-the-art laboratories, classrooms, theaters and sports facilities, and to ensure the University remains a regional leader for learning and advancement. The University also recently acquired a three-story building in New York, which will serve as a mini-campus and host programs of interest to American students.

Acquisitions like the Gezairi premises will help keep LAU an attractive institution for students and inspire students and faculty for decades to come, said Jabbra. “Facilities are very important. In the area of Beirut where LAU is, property is also very expensive and scarce. We are therefore overjoyed to have the Gezairi premises so close to our campus.” They will be used for classrooms and offices.

“We believe that LAU presented the perfect occasion for us to carry on the legacy of the founder of Gezairi Transport,” said Mona Bou Azza Bawarshi, Chairman and CEO of Gezairi Transport. Abdul-Salam Bou Azza Al Gezairi established Gezairi Transport in 1945, which has grown into one of the foremost international freight forwarding and shipping companies in the Arab world. His name will remain on the LAU office building.

Thanking Gezairi Transport, Jabbra noted the company’s commitment to education. “They have a passion for education and philanthropy which intersects with our dedication to providing our students with the best education possible and to remain a beacon of knowledge in the region,” he said.

The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Dr. Raymond Audi, chairman – general manager of Bank Audi SAL Audi Saradar Grp who is also member of LAU’s Board of International Advisors.
 

Known fondly as one of “the cleverest bankers in Geneva”, de Picciotto founded Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) in 1969 and is credited with pioneering hedge funds. With over $77 billion in assets under its management, UBP ranks as the best-capitalized family-owned bank in Switzerland.

The de Picciottos recently established a $500,000 Scholarship Endowment Fund to assist deserving and needy LAU students majoring in banking, finance and accounting. In recognition of their generosity, LAU President Joseph G. Jabbra unveiled a commemorative plaque at the Finance and Accounting Department in the School of Business, dedicated “To Our Benefactors Edgar and Daniele de Picciotto”.

In thanking the generous donors, Jabbra described Edgar as a “visionary with a knack for thinking outside the box.” He lauded the couple’s commitment to educating future financial leaders, noting they had founded the de Picciotto Chair in Alternative Investment at the renowned INSEAD business school. Earlier this year, the de Picciottos also sponsored a student accommodation building at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva.

The ceremony was followed by a lecture by de Picciotto to LAU Banking and Finance, MBA & EMBA students, entitled “My Personal Journey in Banking and My Vision on the Future of the World Economy”.

De Picciotto, who was born in Lebanon into an Italian merchant family that had been trading in the Arab world for three centuries, said his visit to LAU was one of “great emotion”. He left Lebanon for Europe aged 18 to study chemistry and mechanical engineering, but soon realized his passion lay in finance.

“Banking immediately excites the imagination and fills the mind with the thought of money. But banking is not about money,” he remarked, insisting that an intimate understanding of client needs and economic vision were vital to real success.

The banker painted a bleak picture of the global economic situation, warning the audience to expect recession only to get worse before it can improve. “Although the problem is now so huge, our leaders have not yet realized that debt is like a terminal cancer, it cannot be solved,” he told the audience.

Today’s age of austerity was a direct ramification of a 1971 decision made by U.S. President Nixon to unilaterally cancel the direct convertibility of the U.S. dollar to gold, effectively ending the Breton Woods International Monetary System, said de Picciotto. Nixon’s move led to “the take-off of the biggest credit binge in history.”

De Picciotto opined that anger at banker bonuses was misplaced. “The biggest culprits are the central banks – they are the ones who let things get out of hand because they didn’t understand what was happening,” he said.

The lecture was followed by a reception where de Picciotto continued to answer questions from LAU students and faculty.
 

This new initiative began in June in parallel with the preparations of the commencement ceremonies.

“This project gives the class of 2012 a unifying project and enduring legacy; there will always be a tree on campus that reminds the entire LAU community of this class,” says Dr. Elise Salem, LAU vice president for Student Development and Enrollment Management. “This campaign materializes the idea of being an alumnus/a, who will remain connected to the campus through a beautiful tree, symbol of growth,” she adds.

Referring to the successful completion of the initiative, Lana Abou Teen, associate director of Development and coordinator of the campaign says, “This was initially considered as a pilot project. We were really impressed by graduating students’ enthusiasm to contribute toward helping needy and deserving students while also leaving behind a tree in their class’ name, one on each campus, as a lifetime mark at their alma mater.”

Rayan Zgheib, a contributor to the campaign, agrees. “LAU has offered me a lot, starting with education, extra-curricular activities, friendships, and much more. It is time for me to say thank you,” he says.

After listening to Abou Teen describe the project with palpable, enthusiasm and passion, Dr. Mars Semaan, dean of students in Byblos knew it was going to be a success. “Our graduating students came through with flying colors, a testimony to LAU’s success in its implementation of its core values.”

Roy Riachi, another donor to the campaign, looks at the campaign from a different perspective. “I can imagine LAU as the roots of the tree, and the tree itself as the student. This project embodies this relationship between LAU and “me” the student,” he says. For his colleague Maral Torossian the class tree is a symbol of the students’ hard work and countless hours of studying.

“The Plant your Class Tree campaign symbolizes growth and development and engages graduates at a very early stage in implementing the value of giving,” says Dr. Raed Mohsen, dean of students in Beirut.

LAU has decided to make this first-of-its-kind campaign a yearly event.
 

Designed by Coca Cola and INJAZ Al-Arab, Ripples of Happiness fosters social entrepreneurship and leadership skills among university students across the Arab world. Students from several Arab universities competed to develop various initiatives that respond to critical needs in their respective communities.

The WEcycle project emerged as a result of a close collaboration between LAU’s Outreach and Civic Engagement (OCE) unit and the University Enterprise Office (UEO), who helped to provide proper exposure to the venture.

WEcycle (Women Empowerment - Cycle) collects solid, recyclable waste (including glass, wood and plastic) from various high schools in Dahr el-Megher district of Tripoli, and allows women to transfigure them into a variety of salable goods, such as necklaces, bird cages, trays, tissue boxes and garbage cans.

Each product has a tag bearing the name of the woman who made it, with the earnings from the sales going directly to the women themselves, as well as the schools that provided the solid waste.

The students at Dahr el-Megher High School have been playing a key role. By collecting materials to recycle, they help to reduce the waste polluting their neighborhood, and learn the importance of youth leadership on environmental issues.

“They are the future of this region,” says project coordinator Reem Assi, a psychology student who just graduated from LAU. “We want them to realize that change is in their hands.”

But these students are left with more than a moral lesson. In exchange for providing the solid waste needed for the fabrication of the artifacts, one of the schools of Dahr el-Megher was equipped with a small library, thanks to the revenues generated from the selling of the handiwork.

“Using the yield of WEcycle in improving the situation of public schools in Lebanon is a significant added value,” says OCE Executive Director Elie Samia, adding that the energy of the youth in local development has a crucial impact on economic growth in Lebanon.

For LAU students, the project is an opportunity to give something back to society and develop practical skills as they prepare to enter the international workforce.

“If a group of university students can accomplish so much with so little, just imagine how many lives could be changed with sufficient resources,” says active WEcycle team member George Ayoub from LAU Byblos.

By winning the Ripples of Happiness competition, the students behind WEcycle will receive a grant and be given two months to implement the project, recruit a trainer who will help these women develop selling strategies and find a decent market for them to sell their goods.

While the pilot project gave the women total freedom regarding the sorts of goods they were making, more attention will be given this time around to the most popular items among buyers, thus boosting the women’s entrepreneurial skills and understanding of market needs.

According to Assi, the grant will go to building a sustainable organization whose main goal is to spread environmental awareness by organizing recycling duties within the contributing schools in Dahr el-Megher, in addition to supplying the women involved with the required support to improve the quality and usability of the recycled goods.

“WEcycle will give these women a source of income,” explains Assi. “This job is not your average job. It employs housewives who, prior to this initiative, were never privileged to work before.”

Inaya Taleb a mother of five in her late thirties has been part of what she calls a “unique experience.” “To be able to be part of this process makes me feel proud and gratified,” she says.

But it’s not all about the money, says Assi.

Most importantly, this project boosts the participating women’s confidence and sense of productivity, while arming the school students of Dahr el-Megher with a feeling of responsibility toward the environment, and allowing them to see the fruits of working as a team.

“This project has transformed waste into beauties, allowed a school to build a small library, helped the environment, and brought hope and smiles to women in Dahr el-Megher,” says director of UEO Dr. Walid Touma, who hopes that WEcycle will help to create ripples of happiness all over Lebanon and the region.

LAU would like to thank Maroun Al Asmar, the man behind the idea, who initially trained the women of Dahr el-Megher; Chadi Nachabe, coordinator with Injaz, who assisted the team in focusing their plan; Carmen Geha, trainer from Beyond Reform & Development, who trained the team in fine-tuning their idea and work plan and LAU alumna Dima Khoury, executive director with Injaz, who initiated LAU's engagement in the project.

For more, visit WEcycle Facebook page.

Rabah survived the violent attack, but suffered very serious injuries; he now needs extensive surgery and perhaps even an entire gastrointestinal transplant—a rare and complex procedure that cannot be undertaken in Lebanon.

At present, Rabah is recovering at home and is scheduled for intestinal surgery in Beirut next month. His doctors have fortunately informed him that if all goes well and there are no serious complications for at least three months, he may not need a complete intestinal transplant.

This is certainly welcome news considering that the fees associated with this surgery are exuberant (an intestinal transplant is even more costly than a heart transplant) with the family estimating that the expenses could total as much as $800,000.

To help the Rabah family raise the much-needed capital associated with his medical expenses, students at LAU Beirut held a bazaar-inspired fundraising event in collaboration with the Red Cross Society recently.

Dean of students at LAU Beirut, Dr. Raed Mohsen, says, “From a human point of view we have an obligation to help, organizing fundraisers with the help of the Red Cross is the least we can do.”

Sahar Moukaddem, a communication arts student at LAU Beirut, heads the Red Cross Society. She underscores the importance of the LAU community coming together for Rabah emphatically pointing out that, “it could have happened to anyone.”

She adds that those wanting to help should not be discouraged by the staggering cost of the surgery: “Yes, it is a huge amount of money, but even a small contribution can help.”

The students offered local Lebanese shops an opportunity to sell their merchandise and hand-made crafts by offering to rent space on campus for $200 per table.

In conjunction to the money raised vis-à-vis the table rentals, there was also a booth for members of the community to donate money and learn about Samer Rabah’s present condition.

Eleven shops participated and $3200 dollars was raised during the daylong event.

Meanwhile, at LAU Byblos, the concerted efforts of various university groups resulted in the raising of almost $11,000 to date.

A large portion of the funds came from the generous donation of the 2nd Annual Rally Paper winners who offered their $5000 win to the Samer Rabah cause. The second place and third place winners donated $1000 and $500, respectively.

Dr. Mars Semaan, dean of students at Byblos campus, explains that since LAU is a non-for-profit it cannot directly donate from its own funds; rather the university made sure to assist with the logistical and administrative components of hosting the fundraisers on school grounds.

Alan Kairouz, program coordinator at the Byblos Office of the Dean of Students, says that volunteerism is actively encouraged at LAU, arguing that “offering a helping hand” is important for the students’ personal growth.

“Samer is part of the LAU family; it’s important we come together to show him support.”

Samer Rabah articulates this sense of familial solidarity, saying, “I was touched by the efforts of the students for me.” “LAU was there for me when I really needed it,” he adds.

Rabah hopes to be on his way to a full recovery and resume his studies at LAU as soon as possible.

If you would like to donate or learn more about this cause please visit: the Samer Rabah Fund for Youth Victims of Crime.

“I am honored by your presence here tonight and by your steadfast support for the university at a critical phase in its renaissance,” said Joseph G. Jabbra, president of LAU.

Jabbra stressed the university’s growth in recent years, both in terms of inaugurating new schools and major research facilities as well as successfully pursuing accreditations.

“This event is significant insofar as it reflects your generosity and your commitment to the vision of the university,” he added.
 
If the $7.5 million raised was anything to go by, that commitment indeed ran deep.

All proceeds from the event will go toward the university’s Endowment Scholarship Fund, which targets academically accomplished but socio-economically disadvantaged students.

Also participating in the visit were three international students currently completing an elective in social medicine and global health at LAU’s Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine (SOM).

Nima Sheth, a fourth-year medical student at the Saint Louis University in Missouri, joined the program because of her interest in social justice and her desire to work with the phenomenon of post-traumatic stress disorder among refugees.

“The team has great energy and everyone shows real empathy with the patients,” she says. “It’s good to be exposed to underprivileged environments, because there’s much more we can help the patients with here.”

More than 8,500 residents currently live in acute privation within the one-square-kilometer bounds of the Shatila camp, one of Beirut’s most impoverished communities.

Initially established in 2001 by physicians, medical students and volunteers from the American University of Beirut, VOC offers primary care services to camp residents every Thursday, and occasionally for half-days on Saturdays.

The clinic is not officially under the umbrella of any university. It is now staffed, however, largely by students and physicians from SOM’s Social Medicine and Global Health program.

Under the supervision of Dr. Mona Haidar, the program’s coordinator and an SOM instructor at LAU Byblos, and Dr. Myrna Doumit, associate professor and assistant dean at the Alice Chagoury School of Nursing, students participate in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of patients.

“We believe in the team approach. One person can’t cover all of the patients’ needs, and we cannot function solo,” says Doumit.

“Inter-professional education is the founding pillar of healthcare education and delivery, and that’s what we’re implementing through VOC,” she notes, adding that the nutrition and social work programs will soon be joining.

VOC’s mission is to provide, at minimal or no cost, quality health services to underprivileged and neglected individuals in Lebanon, regardless of race, gender, geographic location and religious affiliation. VOC promotes a message of solidarity among both patients and practitioners.

Despite limited availability of medical equipment at the clinic, the LAU team provides reliable care and responsive support to VOC patients.

Since most Shatila residents can rarely afford the laboratory tests they need, however, financial support is needed to make the clinic an ongoing primary healthcare facility for its patients, as well as a comprehensive learning site for students.

Impressed with LAU students’ contributions to the clinic, Assistant Vice President for Development Robert Hollback hopes to find ways to increase the larger community’s involvement with the VOC.

“Students and faculty members are providing the only healthcare available at the clinic right now,” says Hollback, adding that sustainability remains an unresolved problem since the clinic relies mostly on donations.

“We currently have a $50,000 funding proposal, and we’re waiting for it to come through. But this is still not a sustainable source of funding,” he says.

Up to ten patients frequent the clinic every Thursday, and the numbers are steadily climbing.

“We want to attune our students to the idea that the patients are coming from a certain community, and tailor our care accordingly,” Haidar says, adding that community assessment lies at the core of the process.

Lara Oson, a third year medical student at LAU, finds the VOC experience to be genuinely gratifying.

“We get to see the patient from the very beginning, make a plan and discuss it with Dr. Haidar. It’s a big responsibility and we feel that we’re truly making a difference,” she says.

The Second Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions was organized by UNDP in coordination with the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants. Held at the InterContinental Phoenicia Hotel in Beirut, it drew 1,220 participants from 58 countries representing various UN agencies, international organizations and civil societies.

The 178 student volunteers, of which 108 were from LAU, were involved in conference setup and support, and assisted participants at the airport and hotels. LAU students were especially active in the pressroom, and audio and IT support teams. Out of the 22 team leaders, 12 were LAU students.

“The fact that we had so many LAU student volunteers responding to our Outreach and Civic Engagement unit’s call for service means LAU is presently at the forefront of social service and civic responsibility,” says Elie Samia, OCE executive director.

In the airport sector, volunteers were present 24 hours a day. Their job was to welcome diplomats and participants at the airport, usher them and help them get registered. The transportation team was responsible for escorting participants to one of 12 designated hotels. Info booths at all of the hotels were run by LAU students.

“It’s summer time, so universities and students are taking breaks. But at OCE, we like to give students more opportunities to participate in this kind of volunteering, and have real responsibilities,” says Joseph Kanaan, OCE project management coordinator.

Launched in August 2010, the Convention on Cluster Munitions is an international treaty that aims to ban the use, production and transfer of cluster munitions, in addition to providing assistance to victims and affected communities. As a country that has been affected by cluster munitions, Lebanon ratified the treaty.

“As the problem of cluster munitions has long been prominent here, I felt it was an obligation to participate in this convention,” says Sevac Ohanian, an LAU political science and international affairs student.

“I have responsibilities other than being a good student. I have to contribute to my society,” he adds.

Deema Saidi, an LAU business marketing student, has been part of the Model United Nations program at the university since her first year. “I read about this conference and I thought it would be a good experience,” she says. “It’s different to work with the UN directly than just observe its work on TV,” she adds.

“It’s not just about having something extra to put on your CV,” Kanaan says, adding that “the volunteers get a real taste of diplomacy at a UN convention, which is a great thing to experience, especially as a student.”

Vice President of Student Development & Enrollment Management Dr. Elise Salem praised the students for a volunteering effort of this significance and magnitude, saying it is a “splendid contribution to the good cause of banning cluster munitions in Lebanon.” She advises students to “keep supporting good causes and spread positive energies wherever and whenever needed.” 

Elie Samia, executive director of the office that was established in October, describes it as a student-centered unit involved in the creation of future leaders. “It aims at engaging students with civil society and adds extracurricular activities that build a well-rounded personality,” he says.

Samia “is nurturing and developing students who have limitless potential, and the unit is already a beehive of student activism with a wonderful, creative spirit,” says Dr. Elise Salem, vice president for Student Development and Enrollment Management.

An event to mark the beginning of the Lebanese Civil War on April 13, 1975 is currently being planned by OCE for April 2011, when students will gather to establish a Guinness World Record by having a water fight with 150,000 water balloons, as a way to poke fun at the futility of war.

Samia is extremely proud of such ambitious ideas. “The whole beauty about this unit is that we ignite the spark, coach, facilitate and motivate the students,” he says. “But they’re the ones with the passion and energy to run the projects. They’re active, creative and competent, and this becomes a snowball of positive energy because their enthusiasm is so contagious,” Samia adds.

OCE projects focus on a diversity of issues — from environment clean-up outings to tackling human rights issues, youth empowerment, and violence against women.

Last month, OCE was involved in the organization of several activities to raise awareness about domestic abuse and violence against women. These events were held in partnership with local and international non-profit organizations, the UN Information Center in Beirut, and LAU’s Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World.

Also last month, OCE launched the Youth Leadership School: “Youth Teach Youth” in collaboration with Al Safadi Foundation. As part of the program, students between the ages of 12 and 14 from around 50 public schools in Sidon and Tripoli were trained by LAU students in conflict resolution, peace education, public speaking, and leadership.

“By training the trainers, we’re able to narrow the age gap between the student trainers and the trainees so that our students become role models and are thus able to creep into the pores of civil society,” says Samia.

This year, OCE is planning to host the second LAU NGO Fair, supported by the Minister of Social Affairs. It will also hold the LAU UN Fair, exposing students to 22 organizations and specialized agencies that will be offering very sought-after internships.

By allowing students to create their own opportunities to help their societies, Samia and his team are aiming to become part of Campus Compact, an American organization dedicated to promoting community service and civic engagement in higher education, allowing LAU to share its success stories with the greater community. The recently launched LAU Student Leadership Magazine will be used for the same purpose.

One of these already well-established success stories is the LAU Model United Nations program, which recently inaugurated its sixth consecutive year and now falls under OCE.

Previously only open to grade 10 and 11 students, the program has also invited grade 7 and 8 pupils to join this year. Over 1,000 participants are being taught public-speaking and negotiation skills by LAU students, allowing them to step into the shoes of ambassadors while working in model UN committees.

In addition to local projects, the unit’s International Exchange and Study Abroad program is linking LAU to some of the best Ivy League universities, including Princeton and Yale. “This takes them out of the cocoon of their society, and allows them to be well-traveled, exposed and experienced,” says Samia of the participants.

He adds: “We want LAU not only to provide a classical education, but also to build on students’ character, emotional intelligence, and sense of volunteerism. We want them to serve society.”

Please contact the OCE team for more information about the unit and its activities.

A series of fundraising activities were held at LAU Byblos in December 2010 to collect donations from students, faculty and staff in order to support four NGOs.

Dubbed "Live the Christmas Spirit," the campaign was organized by the Office of the Dean of Students in Byblos and involved 18 student clubs headed by the Byblos Campus Student Council.

The weeklong campaign ended with an event on December 22 in the Student Lounge.

The students collected LL4,500,000 in cash during different campus events.

The activities ranged from selling food and gifts to screening a movie on campus.

With the raised funds, the students purchased around 1.2 tons of food products. Also, LAU faculty and staff members generously supported the campaign by collecting donations of clothing and gifts.

Overall, 75 boxes full of food, clothes and gifts, collected through the combined efforts of LAU community members, were equally distributed to four NGOs -- Birds' Nest Armenian Orphanage, Rotaract Club, Red Cross, and Eucharist Sisters' Monastery -- after the celebratory closing event.

In the above photo, Dr. Mars Semaan, Dean of Students at LAU Byblos, shows the donated goods to Rita Dahdah, the Red Cross representative.

The closing event was attended by LAU students, faculty and staff as well as representatives of the NGOs.

In his speech, Dr. Semaan thanked all the students for their commitment and hard work, as well as Joseph Kanaan, program coordinator in the Dean of Students Office in Byblos, for coming up with the idea of organizing such a campaign.

A group photo of LAU and NGO representatives.

The event's keynote speaker was Tony Baroud, the famous Lebanese TV host who was recently selected as the United Nations Ambassador for Lebanese Youth. Baroud praised the LAU students for what they had achieved in a small period of time and expressed his hope for further collaborating with LAU in the future.

During the closing event, student club representatives received certificates recognizing their efforts in the campaign.

The Music Club played some live Christmas songs during the event.

The clubs that collaborated with the Campus Student Council to organize the event were: ACM, Discovery, Lebanese Students Front, Social, MUN, International Affairs, Youth, Hope for Better Lebanon, Citizenship, Scouts, Rotaract, Offre Joie, Armenian, ASME, Music, Peace-Building, Extreme, Architecture and Design, and Cedars.

If it was not for her hairless head caused by chemotherapy treatment, no one could have guessed that Fida, or the 21 other children that spent several afternoons at LAU Beirut in April dancing, drawing and playing, have been diagnosed with cancer.

The children, who are being treated in hospitals throughout Lebanon, were invited to participate in a series of five art workshops organized by Dr. Mirvat El Sibai, LAU assistant professor of biology, and led by several LAU fine arts faculty members.

El Sibai concocted the project after being inspired by local NGO Toufoula’s ongoing campaign to transform hospital rooms for child cancer patients into interactive play centers.

“I hope it makes a difference,” El Sibai says. “I think it helps them relieve some of the stress they have to deal with in the hospitals.”

El Sibai contacted Toufoula to develop a partnership for the project and then received the LAU Guidance Office’s blessing to move forward. LAU’s Health Services Office mobilized a handful of students from the Red Cross Club to lend a helping hand to El Sibai and others involved in the workshops.

LAU photography instructor Bassam Lahoud led the first workshop on April 13, where he taught the children the basics of using a camera.

The children hopped from table to table during the next session on April 22 to take advantage of the rich variety of activities available such as painting, making playdough figurines and playing board games with El Sibai and the student assistants.

On the following day, they painted self-portraits on enormous canvases with LAU fine arts faculty member Betina Badr.

April 29 was the first time any of the children had set foot into a ceramics workshop where they beat clay and molded bowls and other figures with LAU ceramics instructor Samar Mogharbel.

Finally on April 30, Melissa Plourde Khoury, an assistant professor of graphic design at LAU, and one of her senior students, Joy Jeha, helped the children cut and paste pictures to create brilliant collages.

“I was impressed with each of their own unique artistic abilities, approaches and creativity,” Plourde Khoury says. “The children opened my eyes to their amazing imaginations and in doing so they also welcomed me into their worlds and won over my heart.”

Always appearing boisterous and packed with energy, the children managed to sneak in breaks during the workshops and challenge the student helpers to soccer matches.

Toufoula member Fida Safieddine helped out with the logistics, spending hours in Beirut’s unbearable traffic driving throughout the city to pick up the children from their homes and hospitals. She says she has developed a close relationship with many of the children and their families, having spent time with them over the years.

“It’s important that you keep a connection with the children,” says Safieddine who often visits the children in hospitals. “It’s not enough just to see them when there is a workshop.”

El Sibai says the ultimate goal of the workshops was not only to provide children with some entertainment and new skills in a therapeutic environment, but also to help develop the characters of LAU students by encouraging them to get involved in noble efforts.

“It was a huge success,” El Sibai says. “We’ll most likely be doing it again sometime in the near future.”

As part of their community engagement activities, four LAU Byblos student clubs visited the Armenian Birds’ Nest Orphanage in Byblos on Saturday, March 27.

The orphanage provides shelter for some 36 orphans from 3–16 years old. There is an equal number of boys and girls, most of them Armenian.
 

Students from the Armenian Club, Pulse Club, Scouts Club, and Civic Engagement Club assisted in planting trees and distributed bicycles to the children.

At lunchtime, the visiting group provided the children and staff of the orphanage with food and beverages, followed by some quality time with the children. Some of the students got to know the children better, while others engaged in a friendly football match against the children’s team.

The event started at 8:30 a.m. by planting trees in various parts of the orphanage. Some of the older children also helped.

Around 300 orange, mango, olive, lemon and pine trees were planted.

By 4:30 p.m., it was time to leave. The student volunteers from LAU expressed their intent on visiting the orphanage again whenever possible.

Following the success of last week’s campaign for Haiti at LAU Byblos, the Guidance Office in Beirut organized its own fundraiser from March 1–2, to help the victims of the island’s massive earthquake on January 12. The student clubs involved in raising the funds included the Armenian Club, the Event Organization Club, the Model United Nations Club, the Red Cross Club, the Music Club, and the UNESCO Club.

Together, the clubs set up stands outside Irwin Hall where they collected funds by selling soda, juice, cake, chocolate, ice cream, chips, cereal bars, stress balls, mugs and caps. Passers-by generously dug into their pockets to purchase items and make contributions.

 Live music at the event helped attract passers-by to the various stands, which stayed open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.


Dr. Tarek Na’was (right), Dean of Students in Beirut, mingled with students during the two-day event.

Students took shifts staffing the stands.

LL2,000 got passers-by a scoop of their favorite ice cream.

In January, another fundraising event was held on the Beirut campus, again in coordination with the Guidance Office.

One of the requirements of the class, taught by Dr. Ramez Maluf, associate professor of communications and chair of LAU's Communication Arts Department, is organizing a real event.

Though he never assigns specific types of events, Maluf says he is “always pleasantly surprised that at least half of the groups organize events that are related to helping charities.”

Rouba Jaafar, one of the student organizers of the fundraiser, said the group — which also included Omar El Koussy, Taima Al Farouqi, Farah Shami, Layan Doueik, Mirna Baydoun, Youssef Khaizaran, and Samia Buhulaiyem — wanted to help the children in the center in any way possible and did not expect the results it got.

“It was more than I expected. The kids were so happy,” Jaafar said, adding, “Everyone was happy, even the adults.”

The funds amounted to over $2,000 but more important was the joy on the faces of the children.

“It’s good when you feel like you’re helping these kids and when you see a smile on their faces. We were really tired but when we saw them laughing, dancing and playing we were so happy, we forgot everything,” Jaafar said.

The event, which was attended by around 250 people, featured a documentary about CCCL, followed by a clown performance that included games with the children. Surprise gifts were distributed to the children.

Abdelnour also performed for the children and then brought them on stage to sing and dance with her.

“Cyrine was so nice. She canceled everything to come to this event,” Jaafar said.

Arriving around 10 a.m. on February 20, the students from the No Apathy Pharmacy and Health Awareness Student Society began unloading their bus packed with crayons and toys, before being greeted by dozens of energized children wearing bright smiles.

“There is a message in every event we hold,” says Dr. Aline Saad, clinical assistant professor of pharmacy and NAPHASS coordinator, who accompanied the students.

Despite the young ages of the children, NAPHASS still held a responsibility to offer them more than just a few hours of entertainment, Saad says, explaining that the group used the trip as an opportunity to caution the children against the unsupervised use of medicine.

“I believe in the continuity of the message. … You cannot just send a message once and believe the whole community received it,” she adds, explaining why NAPHASS frequently engages with local communities.

The children crowded around the students as they waited to have their faces painted with colorful designs like flowers, hearts and masks.

“Who wants to see magic?” a clown, who came along for the ride, asked children in the courtyard to an uproar of excited screams, as they dropped their toys and raced into the playroom to watch the performance.

Three NAPHASS students zipped up into costumes of some familiar characters — Spider-Man, an orange Tweety Bird, and Minnie Mouse — to entertain the children.

“Soura (photo)! Soura!” the children yelled as they pleaded to have their pictures taken with the characters.

The SOS village offers accommodations and care for orphans and children escaping dire conditions, and serves children from all religions and nationalities.

“If there is no one to take care of them, they come here,” said Amal El-Khoury, director of the Kfarhay village, as she welcomed the visitors from LAU.

Internationally, SOS Children’s Villages has set up over 2,000 villages in 132 countries. In Lebanon, aside from the Kfarhay center, there are SOS villages in Bhersaf (Mount Lebanon), Sferai (South Lebanon), and Ksarnaba (central Lebanon).

The facility in Kfarhay includes 10 houses with six to nine children residing in each one. By the time they reach the age of 15, the children are moved into dormitories outside the center.

The children had developed strong attachments to the NAPHASS group by the time the event began winding down around noon.

Some children were begging to know if it was the “real” Spider-Man under the mask, while others could not let go and began sobbing as the LAU team boarded the bus back home and waved goodbye.

NAPHASS organizes various community outreach events throughout the year, including awareness campaigns on different health issues and visits to nursing homes, hospitals, and other institutions.

“We want our pharmacy students to learn to deal with different populations — elderly, disabled, children,” Saad says. “The target is to be a smart medical expert and at the same time a leader in the community.”

The students are members of the LAU–Middle East Partnership Initiative Tomorrow’s Leaders program — which offers scholarships to students from around the Arab world — and the Byblos Campus Student Council, who are coordinating with the Byblos Guidance Office to organize a series of events that will run through February 27.

“It’s a humanitarian cause and we want to help,” says MEPI TL student Rawaz Marouf, a first-year architecture major. “We want to show the world that we care.”

To date, over 200,000 people have been confirmed dead as a result of the earthquake — roughly the same figure that are estimated to have been killed over the 15 years of the Lebanese Civil War.

The fundraising campaign began around 8:00 a.m. as students stood at the entrances of the campus to hand out awareness-raising flyers.

By 9:00 a.m., the students had set up a stand facing the Science Building where they were already receiving donations.

Marouf says he hopes to raise about $10,000 over the week.

Over the weekend, some of the students involved in the campaign visited the weekly LAU Model United Nations training sessions, which are held in Beirut and Byblos for high schoolers, to give presentations promoting their cause.

A film screening is scheduled for February 23 at the Selina Korban Auditorium to raise awareness about the disaster.

The biggest event will take place on February 24 during the “Tombola,” a raffle where students can purchase tickets to win over 100 prizes including airline tickets — at least two local travel agencies have offered tickets to Bulgaria and Cyprus.

There will also be an assortment of donated products for sale such as mugs and stress balls, as well as 2,400 bottles of water donated by Sannine and 400 donuts offered by Dunkin’ Donuts.

The same day, at 1:00 p.m., stand-up comedian Tony Abou Jaoude will give a performance at the Selina Korban Auditorium.

“If this campaign proves to be successful, we’re going to try to expand it to the Beirut campus,” says another MEPI TL student from Iraq, Humam Wasfi, a first-year business management major.

Last month, four student clubs raised funds for Haiti on the Beirut campus.

Today, having all graduated, the group of former students is taking on the ambitious Dream Floor Project to convert hospital rooms for children with cancer into interactive playgrounds.

“Toufoula’s mission is for every child with cancer to be treated in a room on a dream floor,” says Tala Sinno, a Toufoula board member and 2004 LAU graduate.

Each dream room is based on a different concept and is decorated with a unique style and vibrant colors developed by about 20 internationally renowned artists and architects.

Perhaps it was the image of a typical hospital room — cold, bland and dry — that inspired the project’s tagline: “no color. no life.”

The rooms are designed to evoke feelings of happiness and excitement while exercising the child’s imagination.

The first dream rooms were designed at the Rafik Hariri University Hospital before more rooms were converted at Makassed General Hospital, Al-Zahraa University Hospital, and Hotel-Dieu de France University Hospital. The group plans to expand the Dream Floor Project to other hospitals throughout Lebanon.

“Children with cancer have to get chemotherapy and as a result, their immune systems collapse and they are isolated,” Sinno says, explaining why the rooms are needed to transform the young patients’ attitudes and outlooks. “Some of the kids stay in the rooms for three or four months continuously, so our idea was to have these rooms be interactive.”

Hotel-Dieu was the latest and largest project, which was finished in December 2009 and included the installation of 18 dream rooms, three corridors and a playroom — all financed by a wealthy cancer survivor who saw a Toufoula advertisement on TV and felt compelled to make a contribution.

The children have reacted with heart-warming enthusiasm, says Sinno, as she recalls visiting one young girl in a bikini “surfing” in her room, which was designed to resemble a beach.

Toufoula is composed of seven board members — including five LAU graduates — and hundreds of volunteers that contribute their time, efforts and personal funds to helping the children.

How it all began

The idea for the organization began when Sinno’s sister, Yasmine, observed first hand the lonely, emotionally traumatizing times child patients experienced, while she was working at a hospital. She urged her friends to get involved, and they started out by bringing the children gifts and organizing carnivals.

“Our group of volunteers continued to increase and we began to have various university students working with us from LAU, AUB, LIU, BAU and others,” says Amal El Kabbout, another Toufoula board member and 2004 LAU graduate, as she explains how the group was born.

“Many of our sponsors encouraged us to form an NGO to help even more kids since we proved to excel. And consequently, we formed Toufoula,” she adds.

Then, after one successful carnival in 2006 at BIEL, El Kabbout explains, Yasmine and LAU graphic design instructor Silia Abou Arbid, an active Toufoula member, put their heads together to contemplate what more could be done to reach out to the children and as a result, the idea for the Dream Floor Project was developed.

Aside from organizing carnivals and donating gifts, the group also helps children pay for operations, treatments or medication through donations from Toufoula’s modest treasure chest, or by appealing to donors.

Upcoming workshops for children

Recently, Toufoula’s efforts caught the attention of Dr. Mirvat El Sibai, LAU assistant professor in the Department of Natural Sciences, who proposed collaborating on a project with the group to organize art workshops for hospital children.

El Sibai says she has already spoken with some LAU faculty members, such as photography instructor Bassam Lahoud, who have shown interest in the plan, which will offer the children lessons in photography, ceramics and craft, and drawing and painting, followed by a large exhibition.

No exact dates have been set for the workshops, but if everything goes according to plan, they will be held in the spring on LAU's Beirut campus, in collaboration with the Red Cross student club.

El Sibai says the objective of the project is two-faceted: to expose the children to a new environment where they will learn new art skills, while offering LAU students the opportunity to reach out to the community.

“It’s a way to help the students be more proactive,” El Sibai says, adding that she would like to see more students get serious about activism. “It’s a venue for them to try and help out.”

Students who want to volunteer to help with the workshops project can contact Dr. El Sibai at: mirvat.elsibai@lau.edu.lb.

Many members of the UNESCO, Social Work, Red Cross and Event Organization clubs involved in the fundraiser said it was a way for them personally and collectively as Lebanese to give back to the international community that has assisted Lebanon in the past during hard times.

Joan Kharma, president of the Event Organization Club, says, “Lebanon needed help before and got help, and it’s our time to contribute.”

Students, as well as faculty and staff, contributed to the campaign.

The total amount raised is to be sent to Haiti via the United Nations Development Programme.

Emphasizing that even a small amount would facilitate conditions, Rami Ghazale of the UNESCO Club says, “We should do something, even though it’s not much.”

The program coordinator at Beirut’s Guidance Office, Riman Jurdak, says, “People should unite in such catastrophes … It could happen to anyone. We’re just telling them we’re there for them.”

The Dean of Students in Beirut, Dr. Tarek Na'was, says it was the students who came up with a proposal for fundraising immediately after the disaster struck.

“It was not only [the students’] social commitment, their compassion or their commitment to human causes that made this activity a success, but their sense of responsibility and leadership skills that prevailed,” he adds.

Both LAU campuses are currently working on other ways to help Haiti.

About 20 students worked on the collaborative project, cooking hot dog rolls and packing the contents over the two days, alongside staff from three Rotana hotels in Beirut — Raouche, Hazmieh and Gefinor.

“Usually we celebrate Christmas differently at the university but we decided this time to do something for people that need to have joy on that day, so we came up with this idea,” says Georges Tamer, hospitality lab supervisor. “They are just small packages, but at least they will make the children happy.”

On December 18, the students and hotel staff packed four buses, two from LAU and two from Rotana Hotels, and travelled through Beirut and its suburbs to hand-deliver the boxes of treats to eight children's centers including Caritas, Dar Al Aytam and AFEL. They also spent some time interacting with the excited children.

The boxes contained sandwiches, muffins, chocolate milkshakes, potato chips, candy and apples. Each box and its contents were worth about $10.

Rotana Hotels, which has in the past provided LAU students with scholarships, financed the entire project, while LAU provided its facilities and other logistics.

“You’ve got all these young students who will be the future of the country so why not engage them in such a humanitarian activity?” says Lara Daniel, area director of Marketing and Communications at Rotana Hotels, and LAU business graduate.

“It’s doing good for the community, and it’s helping students at the same time,” she adds. “It’s a win-win situation.”

Preparations for the project began approximately two weeks earlier.

Dr. Said Ladki, chair of the Hospitality Management and Accounting Department at LAU, reveals the project was not strictly aimed at providing meals for children or experience for students.

He says Rotana Hotels is looking to hire fresh graduates and train them for management positions, so they used the opportunity to scout for potential recruits.

“The overt objective of this function is to help the needy,” Ladki says. “The covert objective is for Rotana to come and observe graduating seniors on a job, as to how they perform, so they can recruit them — It’s like a corporate test in a real-life situation.”

Having paid a visit to the Fanar Juvenile Rehabilitation Center, two communication arts graduates, Labib El Choufani '07 and Nay Mouawad '07, and Mohammad Abdeen, an LIU graduate, were shocked by the appalling conditions the inmates were living in, and decided to help.

El Choufani, the event director, said that after visiting the center, they decided to raise funds through their forthcoming show, and channel the money via UPEL. The latter is an umbrella organization, including the Fanar Juvenile Rehabilitation Center, which supports ill-treated and delinquent children in Lebanon.

To the independent group of young graduates, even securing funds for the show itself was a challenge. Everyone contributed a little, said Abdeen. "We had zero budget," El Choufani explained. "Mohammad, Nay and I paid the theater fees. Madame Georgette Gebara and Arthur Murray gave us their dance studios and dancers for free. We had eleven sponsors that covered everything from makeup and hair to costumes," he added.

Beirut Fever premiered on July 31 in Masrah Al-Madina. For four days, it was carried out with great professionalism, said Dr. Mona Knio, an Arts and Communication associate professor at LAU. Almost all the performances drew capacity crowds.

Mouawad chose and adapted 13 popular and classical choreographies. Beirut Fever was also the title of the opening dance, presenting a medley of different genres--oriental, ballet, Latin, break-dance, hip-hop, modern and neo-classical. Other international pieces such as Center Stage, Save the Last Dance, and Step Up were performed for the first time by Lebanese dancers, with live music.

The team organizing the event was deeply thankful to LAU faculty and staff for their support. "Dr. Mona Knio helped us a lot in the light design and talked with Masrah Al-Madina to take good care of us. Mr. Nagy Souraty supervised the dance [activities] and gave his opinion about the performance. Ms. Hala Masri helped us to do a better coverage of the entire event. Dr. [Tarek] Na'was also helped and encouraged us by coming to the premiere," said El Choufani.

Being the lead dancer and the dance director was extremely stressful yet rewarding to Mouawad, who participated in ten of the performances. She, along with El Choufani and Abdeen, wanted to prove that "in Lebanon, there are real talents that can perform the hardest choreographies very professionally."

Mouawad has been already accepted to the prestigious dancing school Steps on Broadway and she will be going to New York in October to get a dancing diploma. She considers Beirut Fever an opportunity to be introduced to the Lebanese public. "Organizing such a huge event was a tremendous challenge for every one of us, but it improved our skills and boosted our self-confidence," said Mouawad.

El Choufani sees his experience with Beirut Fever as enriching in the sense that it has defined his future. He is currently getting ready for his M.A. in production design for TV and film at Kingston University in London, and after coming back to Lebanon, he wants to stage Chicago: The Musical in Beirut. "I'm seriously planning to get the license and work on it with Lebanese dancers, actors and musicians," he said.

The students in Dr. Ramez Maluf's Introduction to Public Relations class asked seriously ill children to produce drawings with materials purchased by sponsors. The 100 framed drawings were then put up for sale and 80 of them were sold during the four-hour reception. Some guests simply donated money, while others bought the paintings, with all profits going to the organization.

Tamanna is a non-profit association that fulfills the wishes of children with critical illnesses. It grants about three wishes per week, such as getting new computers, meeting celebrities, or traveling to Euro Disney. The funds raised by the LAU students will make 50 wishes come true.

"I was really impressed with what they did for Tamanna in such a short time. The result was much more than anyone expected," admitted Ms. Diala Rayess, Tamanna's president.

Nour Fawaz, the students' group leader, came up with the idea after having attended a Tamanna fund-raising dinner. After communicating the idea to the association, the students contacted several children's cancer centers and spent a few hours every day for two weeks helping the children paint. They asked sponsors such as Farico for supplies, Middle East and Africa Bank for $10,000, and Coral Beach Hotel and Resort for a venue in which to host the event. Taking care of the numerous organizational details, sales strategies, invitations and media coverage took a lot of hard work.

For the students, however, the end result was gratifying. "Making sick children's wishes come true is an extraordinary feeling; being able to turn their tears into laughter was worth the long hours of work," said Fawaz.

This event was part of a class assignment that involved the organization of successful events by developing, managing, and getting publicity for them. The ideas of the events were products of the students' creativity. Maluf guided the students but gave them leeway--a precondition for success, according to him--in implementing their plans.

The other student groups also did a commendable job. Their events included a ceremony, distributing awards to famous Lebanese actors and musicians based on 1,500 questionnaires; a sponsored camp-out in Ramlieh, Chouf, where 250 trees were reforested after a fire devastated the area; and a talent show.

According to Dr. Tarek Na'was, the dean of students in Beirut, about 300 students are reported to be volunteering in relief efforts with various groups, not counting those who are affiliated with political organizations.

"Their efforts ranged from collecting food rations and aid for the displaced to conducting relief work on the ground and even assisting in rescue operations of people trapped under the rubble of their homes," Dr. Na'was said.

The volunteers also helped in various other capacities. They created websites for aid groups; established media relations and produced movie clips on the displaced; provided constructive activities for children; and gathered field data to assess needs.

Some volunteers teamed up with such efficiency, their groups took on NGO status.

That was the case with Mowatinun ("citizens"). It began when eight people, including four from LAU, gathered at a friend's house to make sandwiches and deliver them to schools sheltering refugees in Beirut.

"When the war started, we didn't have much to do at work," said Dima Geagea '02. "I impulsively took my car and toured shops asking them for any help they could give for the displaced," she said.

Then she and her friends created a small fund. Neighbors and strangers soon pitched in with food, medicine and money. "One family provided us with a house in Sanayeh (Beirut), which we took as our headquarters and warehouse during the war," said Nadim Zaazaa, who is working towards a master's degree in international affairs at LAU.

The group, which has no political or sectarian affiliation, soon launched a website. "This helped in getting us donations," Zaazaa said. Friends that had fled Lebanon were recruited as "correspondents" in their respective countries. "They helped spread the word about our work and this way we got more aid," Zaazaa said.

The group soon won the support of local, Arab and international donors who contributed funds, food, medicine and other in-kind donations, reaching more than 9,000 displaced people.

Zaazaa even quit his job to become a full-time volunteer. "I couldn't stand sitting behind my desk, having coffee and monitoring the news all day. I felt I needed to do something worthwhile," he said.

Samidoun ("staying put") was another grassroots organization set up with participation of LAU students and alumni.

The group was established in Beirut and moved south when the war ended, surveying and mapping villages. It compiled a listing of residents and needs, and documented the damage.

As a result, UNHCR signed a $100,000 contract with Samidoun to supervise the distribution of aid to southern villages, based on the extensive database the group had created.

"We started with six people--three from LAU--and L.L. 50,000 (about $33) in our pockets gathering in Zico House in Sanayeh and we ended up with a network of over 300 volunteers covering 33 schools and helping 12,000 displaced across Lebanon," said one of the founders, Mohammed Qaryouti.

Qaryouti, a Palestinian student at LAU, continues relief efforts from the southern city of Tyre. While he can't go to Palestine, he said, "people in Lebanon are like my own and I feel compelled to help by all means."

Other students and alumni volunteered with the Lebanese Red Cross, Civil Defense and Higher Relief Council, serving througout the country in various capacities.

Jalal Hasbini, a business administration student, offered his services to garbage-collecting company Sukleen after its foreign workforce fled. "I started cleaning my own street," Hasbini said. "Any work you do will make a difference," he said.

Outside Lebanon, LAU students and alumni were eager to help, too.

In Syria, they assisted people who sought temporary refuge there, even receiving them in their homes in Damascus. Aladdin Abdul Halim '05, who works at a mobile phone company in Syria, would take part in relief activities after hours with a Syrian youth group including five LAU alumni.

"It is very touching and hard to see displaced people from Lebanon in Syria, especially after living in Lebanon for four years and closely knowing the Lebanese people," Abdul Halim said. His group contacted the Education Ministry in Syria to open up the University of Damascus' dormitories to refugees. The group also sought assistance from youth associations, the Syrian Red Crescent and UNHCR to gather aid.

In Saudi Arabia, Lebanese and Saudi LAU students worked at the Lebanese embassy and consulate in Riyadh and Jeddah collecting, packing and shipping rations. Similar efforts were made in Kuwait and the UAE.

Students were also active in Jordan through the Lebanese embassy and through involvement in fundraising campaigns. International students also took part in sit-ins calling for a ceasefire and fundraising in other countries.

By their work, volunteers came close to the personal tragedy affecting thousands of Lebanese. "We started to refer to people in the schools by name and not as a statistic anymore and this made a big difference in the nature of our work," said Zaazaa.

"I felt so touched just to hear people praying for us. This work made me forget about the war," said Geagea.

The University's administration, led by President Joseph G. Jabbra, held the fort, stayed in Lebanon, and saw to it the institution would continue operating, at times albeit with a skeleton staff, to ensure the faculty and staff's personal safety.

Summer Module I classes resumed August 31, 2006 and the university's offices returned to regular summer-schedule operations August 21. The academic calendar was revised to accommodate Summer Module II, giving final-year students a chance to graduate on time. Fall classes are to begin October 16, 2006.

Students flocked to attend classes as soon as they resumed. Absences were minimal and mostly due to evacuated students not being able to secure flight reservations back to Beirut.

The Deans of Students on both campuses dropped in on students during classes, commending them for their courage and commitment to the pursuit of education and therefore of a better life.

Four days before the cease-fire, a scare from the shelling of an unused radio tower behind the new Business School Building and Riyad Nassar Library in Beirut did not deter staff members from carrying out their duties, although they did leave campus after the building sustained minor secondary damage.

When commuting to work became difficult due to bombed out bridges and crater-filled roads, top administrators held meetings via videoconference between the Beirut and Byblos campuses. Mercifully, telecommunications were not adversely affected and down time for computer servers were minimal.

Whether in Beirut or Byblos, Dr. Jabbra stayed the course in Lebanon and saw to it that LAU's operations would not be hobbled by a war whose outcome nobody could predict.

Power cuts, fuel shortages and environmental disasters notwithstanding, the LAU family forged ahead with continued service to Lebanon's community and beyond.

While classes were suspended during the heat of battle, popular programs such as the Summer Institute for Intensive Arabic Language & Culture continued for a brief while with administrators moving their visiting charges from Beirut to the relative safety of the Byblos campus from where they were eventually evacuated to their respective countries.

The SINARC students were grateful for the "resilience, thoughtfulness and care" accorded them by LAU officials and staff who arranged for their departure from Lebanon. Participants in the program, hailing from various U.S. cities, said they hoped to return to Lebanon when peace prevails.

Understandably, the recent conflict has had a major negative impact on daily life in the country. Institutions of higher education in Lebanon have their share of suffering, so supporting them becomes imperative to enable students to pursue their education under normal circumstances.

It is, therefore, imperative to continue providing support for LAU by donating to scholarships funds and other forms of unrestricted aid since students (old and new) will find themselves more in need of assistance given the latest turn of events.

In the academic year 2005–2006, over 6,200 students (4,500 undergraduates and 1,700 graduates) were enrolled at LAU's two campuses in Beirut and Byblos. More than 2,500 of them applied for financial aid and the number is expected to rise.

LAU students come from all over Lebanon, including areas that witnessed fierce battles. This has resulted in a massive number of displaced people from various regions of the country.

Those students have been affected morally, physically and financially. Some students and their families have been directly affected through the loss of homes, businesses, jobs and loved ones. Many are in dire need of financial support to be able to complete their education.

LAU wishes to acknowledge assistance already provided by caring individuals in Lebanon. LAU faculty and staff helped in their personal capacities to alleviate the misery of those made homeless by the violent conflict.

Further afield, LAU alumni from the Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Amman and Kuwait Chapters participated in aid campaigns organized by relief organizations to help Lebanon's displaced.

Truckloads of humanitarian and medical assistance managed to penetrate the land siege and reach Lebanon for distribution to the needy.

When time permits for reflection, the University will be judged on its performance, in keeping with President Jabbra's call: "Excellence is our Passion, and LAU is our Pride."