On Freedom of Expression

My flight back from Beirut landed a few hours ago. I'm back in Cairo. I'm back to AUC. I'm back for another exhausting and meaningful year. I'm back for another semester. I'm back as a different person. I've grown a lot in the last 3 days in Beirut after attending the Arab Free Press Forum. It was exciting to hear testimonies from journalists and it was also painful to hear about journalists being persecuted, condemned, kidnapped, tortured , imprisoned or even assassinated. I attended the commemoration of Gebran Tueni, a veteran Lebanese journalist assassinated in a 2005 car bomb.
He is not the first journalist to die in the name of journalism, in the name of free speech and in the name of human rights. Mab ye I was just naive, but when I listened to Tueni's story and other similar stories, I realized the burden journalists carry. They have a lot of responsibilities. To reach out to the national and international audience, to investigate and do the unthinkable to get their stories, to report accurately and objectively and to defend what they believe in.
This part of the world is difficult. Sometimes it's easier to get out and pick the easier option, life elsewhere, but I can't. We can't and we shouldn't. Allow me to ask a question:-How are we expected to bring change if our life is at stake every single time?
They say to whom much is given , much is required. I already feel the weight of responsibilities weighing me down, but I also feel the voices and perseverance of the people uplifting me.
I keep thinking about the sacrifices some journalists make for their career, cause or even the whole population. It's a risky job and self-preservation is not held dearly. I try to put myself in their shoes and it inspires me....it also scares me. I'm passionate about some causes, human rights, women's rights, good governance etc... but how far am I willing to go?
I don't know.

The Food Coupons

AUC is going to give us 200 pounds worth of food coupons. The last day of classes is the 16th of of December, are we expected to finish them by the 16th?
hmmm, this is what I'm going to do with my coupons. 15 pounds for coffee everyday for a week =75 pounds. 25 pounds for rice and chicken on MW's for Lunch (long days) =50 pounds.
15 pounds for bagels and juice on UTR=45 pounds
Total=170
30 pounds for the next week yay!

I miss good coffee

Cilantro sells something they call coffee, but they are really lying to us.
Last week, I had alot of work to do, so I decided to come to the library a few hours before my class. I left my house in a hurry. I didn't have time to drink my coffee. So, I went to Cilantro to pick up a nice hot cup of coffee. You see, I've only had coffee from there once and I hated it. I usually get cold drinks, juice or even hot chocolate from them. This time I was desperate. I needed my morning coffee!
I asked for a vanilla-flavored latte. The guy was making it and then the other guy asked him if the vanilla-flavored latte is ready, he said oh, I forgot to put the flavour. So, he just added flavor to my coffee. Just like that!
Usually, they add flavor before adding the coffee and milk. This time, it was different. Worst than usual.
I so badly want to get a good cup of coffee on campus!

and yeah, don't even consider mentioning Cinnabon!

The Vote

I voted for Obama a few hours ago. No, I'm not an American citizen. In fact my vote didn't count. I voted on campus, my vote was part of an experiment on students attending American univerisites abroad.
Obama is my choice because he is different. Not racially, ok not only racially. He comes from a different background and his ideas are different than the republican presidents before him.
Obama is going to bring change or atleast he is going to open up the possibility of bring changing to America and the world.
Even though I want him to win, I'm really worried. He survived two assasination attempts, in Colorado and Tennessee. Part of me thinks of him as the next JFK, but JFK was assasinated. This thought doesn't help at all.

PS:- his Kenyan tribe, the Luo left Sudan hundreds of years ago to settle in present-day Kenya. Could we be related?

Disabled students wonder about their special facilities

Disabled Students Wonder about their Special Facilities

As students are coping with the move, disabled students have their concerns.
Email me @ Kizzie@aucegypt.edu

Cairo- Following the administration claim that the walk from one end of the campus to the other end is a convenient 10 minute walk, students especially the ones with disabilities are struggling to cope with an exhausting walk.

Rania Boraie, associate director for special events at the office of communications and marketing was quoted in the Caravan in May 2008 assuring students that the walk is just 10 minutes, so students have no excuse to be late.

Ikram Abdi, a Biology senior begs to differ. “the walk is not 10 minutes and even if you are healthy, you still find it long” said Abdi who is dropped by her driver at the main gate.

Some students don’t find the walk as long, at least depending on where they park their cars.

“my classes are all in the HUSS building, so I park my car in the parking lot behind it. I’m aware of the problems facing other students, but it’s not a critical issue for me” said Sarah Salem, a Sociology senior.

Some students find the long walk exhausting to the point of sickness.

According to Dr. Mohammed Amin, assistant head and general practitioner at the Clinic said, “yes, if you are in a cold class and then you walk outside for a while, you could easily catch a cold”.

Students walk long distances and the weather changes from one area to another, this makes many of them vulnerable to sickness.

On the other hand, Students who suffer from temporary and permanent disabilities have different concerns. Some are provided with golf-carts to help them avoid the long walk, but others complain about the lack of facilities.

“I was in a soccer match and I fell down and I broke my foot. Many professors understood and they excused me when I was late for my classes. I was never provided with a wheel chair or a golf-cart or other facilities. It was hard to walk in the beginning, but it’s better now. I did need facilities in the beginning.” Said Ayten Wahba, an undeclared freshman.

The university provides students with special needs with facilities such as special walkways. Also, every single bathroom includes a special cubicle for disabled students and teachers unlike the old campus.

This doesn’t solve all the problems for students with special needs, if they want access to special facilities, it involves a lot of extra work.

The library, the tallest building on campus is the perfect example.

“They are providing facilities to students with disabilities, but they need to go add that to their ID when they activate it. Then they are able to use the elevator”, said Amanda Click, teaching instructor librarian working at the reference desk.

If students with special needs are required to do an extra step to access much-needed facilities, they have to go through procedures they should be spared from.

For more, visit the Carvan website

http://auccaravan.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/several-students-fall-ill-doctors-think-temperature-changes-to-blame/

http://auccaravan.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/campus-move-costly-to-student-groups/

http://auccaravan.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/questions-linger-about-move/

http://www1.aucegypt.edu/students/caravan/stories/08May25/front_riham.html

Foxy AUC

It all happened on Thrusday. A friend texted me with the news. I didn't have classes on Thrusday so, I wasn't there to witness its appearance.
A fox was seen galavanting around campus. I kid you not!
I'm aware that this campus is in the middle of the desert and we should expect to see foxes "around" the area, but why would we want to see one on campus?
Rehab, where I live was like that when it first started, an incomplete piece of land filled with dangerous animals, but they contained the situation. We shouldn't wait until a student is hurt to take action. Our safety should never be put at risk.
The same friend was tormented in class a few days earlier when a mouse was running at her feet.
should we come to campus with a hunting gun or what?

And yeah, a professor was surprised by a snake in the toilet. What else should we expect?