Characterizing AUB

By Elias Abou Samra---

The AUB campus is certainly the most superb campus in Lebanon and, probably, in the Middle East. Looking out on the Mediterranean and Sannine, our campus provides us with a calm and relaxing environment where we can Òlive life more abundantlyÓ. But are old buildings and tall Cypress and Banyan trees enough to build a university character? Certainly, another necessary ingredient for a healthy campus environment is a healthy university spirit, and that must be generated by the student body. To many, AUB is the number one university in the region, despite the fact that competition today is harder than ever. Still, people point to our facilities, staff and equipment, as a sign of our preeminence. However, many universities around the country have acquired staff and facilities that put them on the same level as AUB. Our computer labs are similar to those of any other institution around the country. Sports facilities are not better than those of any ordinary Lebanese high school. Injuries among our athletes are increasing due to the primitive conditions in our track. Swimmers are still searching for an indoor pool because the Lebanese American University refused to accommodate them for another year. There is, too, the ever-increasing tuition fees, which administration justifies by pointing to inflation, even when inflation was very close to zero. A vague financial aid policy accompanies the tuition jumps, pulling us lower in the list of student-friendly academic institutions. In much of all that, AUB is not different from other institutions. What really characterizes AUB is the diversity in its student body. Diversity in political affiliations, diversity of thought, diversity of spiritual background, nationalities and so on. Try to find a political movement in Lebanon that is not represented inside AUB. Actually, many political parties whose activity covers the whole nation today were born in or around this university. During his stay at AUB, a student is exposed to various ideologies and tenets that range from Muslim and Protestant spirituality to communist and socialist doctrines. This diversity could be employed for the progress of our student body, and at the same time, it could be a means for the destruction of the student force. As you all know power of a group does not exist unless it is based on the unity of the members of that group. How can diversity and unity coexist and together contribute to a stronger student body? It is possible if, and only if, a unified student voice is heard on campus. In one of the USFC meetings earlier this semester, a student member asked his colleague to leave the meeting for the reason that the latter had already graduated in the Spring 2001 semester. Apparently, the two members had opposing views towards one of the issues being discussed then. Similar incidents happen daily between students holding disagreeing views and trying to wipe each other out of the leadersÕ arena. Variety is essential in a democratic environment, but it also plays a negative role in critical situations, as when students try to put some pressure on the administration in a certain issue. Here comes the responsibility of student representatives in making decisions that are beneficial for the student body as a whole, even if these decisions are not the best ones relative to their references.