|
Beach's
popularity decreases
By Khaled Adra---
Like previous years, this year few students and fewer faculty
members visited the AUB Beach--the primary reason being the
lack of suitable facilities. Even though we had a summer filled
with sun and students, including international students visiting
AUB, the Beach remained empty. People still prefer to go to
distant places to enjoy the salty beach water such as Jiyeh,
Halat, Tyre, and Tripoli. The Beirut beaches, specifically the
AUB Beach, did not appeal so much. Mr. Ghaleb Halimi, Director
of Athletics, spoke of a huge project handled by the Physical
Plant, which includes building an Olympic sized swimming pool,
a wading pool, and a cafeteria among other things. Unfortunately,
no funding is available to start such a project. The few people
who actually visit the AUB Beach only do so because it is very
near and cheap. 'I usually finish my classes, do some sports,
and directly go and swim,' said Joanna. Other students, unlike
Joanna, would rather go elsewhere, because they feel the water
is polluted. Some students were heard complaining of the existence
of an AUB sewer on the grounds of the Beach. But Mr. Halimi
assured Outlook that it was only drainage of clean water from
the AUB Green Field that goes into the Beach. Weekly tests on
the water by the Environmental Health and Safety Center (EHSC)
always portray good results, thereby justifying the claim that
the water is suitable for swimming. These reports are kept in
a record by Mr. Halimi and signed by the director of the EHSC.
|
|
