Outdoors overcomes physical constraints


Students this year had to search all over the areas behind the Fisk and Jesup Halls, and even the Kerr Hall garden for their favorite stands in the yearly Outdoors. With the renovation of West Hall, the Outdoors festival for the year 2001 had a partly different setting and location. However, even though it was smaller in size, and had a new set-up, the yearly festival was a success in terms of organization and entertainment provided. On the other hand, student participation was seemed minimal during the hot hours of the day. Nevertheless, with the setting of the sun and the commencement of the entertainment shows, the number of participants increased. The entrance this year was from the Periphery Gate, as opposed to the Post Office entrance of previous years. The garden in front of Kerr Hall, the area behind both Fisk and Jesup Halls, and the Green Oval were crowded with about ninety stands on May 26 and 27. The Campus Yearbook editor-in-chief, Khaled Adra, also Outdoors coordinator, confirmed that they found no problem while organizing the event. "Everyone [the clubs, societies, the Physical Plant, Student Affairs, our advisor] was very cooperative," he said. "They were all a phone call away." A number of participants complained that few students were actually buying any of the displayed goods, or even participating in the offered games. Adra later denied the low turnout in sales and said that the "numbers inside [Kerr Hall, based on counting the money after the stands were closed] were pretty good." The distribution of the stands this year was also quite different. Food was concentrated as much as possible in one area, games for children in another, while the miscellaneous stands such as the fortune-telling and IQ testing also stood to one side. Stands situated behind Fisk Hall, such as the PC Club's network gaming, the Communications Club's photo stand, and the Engineering Society's car-racing were generally empty throughout the day; few people passed by, perhaps because of their out-of-the-way location. The Green Oval stands were the luckiest and the most crowded. Many of the games and activities attracted students because of their originality. Organized by the Masters of Business Administration Society, a cupid game, in which students who had an admirer were given a chance to communicate with him or her by walkie-talkie while cupid and his friends danced around madly, was a great hit. The Latin refreshment stand was also popular, offering drinks made with exotic fruits. Decorated trash cans came in the form of houses, garbage-monster trash cans and even a bathroom pot with toilet paper was trimmed as a trash can. Some clubs, however, seemingly lacking new ideas, depended greatly on past years' successes. The Red Cross Club stand served its traditional delicious and refreshing lemonade, while the Social Service Club offered frankfurter sandwiches. "Some [stands] had the same ideas as usual, while others were very innovative," Adra told Outlook. Sana Mourad, Outdoors' advisor, added, "Students were very creative because they had more space." Some complained that there was not much for students to do. "The age groups targeted in many of the games were definitely not for university students, who have a prestige," said Lamya, a social and behavioral sciences sophomore, sarcastically. Radio One sponsored the music at the event. The thumping of the loudspeakers prompted some students to climb onto the stage and dance, while others preferred to sit on the Oval or in the shade. A limbo competition also took place Saturday noon, and members of the Yoga Club, as usual, performed their yoga exercises among the crowd. At 5pm, the Latino Dance Club performed a five minute dance. The students' graceful movements enthralled all who watched. After all the stands had closed, the Dabkeh Club performed a four-act show entitled Bayader, choreographed by Munir Malaaheb, the club's advisor and trainer. The folkloric show, Bayader, had a Lebanese dance act, followed by a Bedouin, a modern, and finally a mixture of all. Between each different act and dedicated to the occasion of Liberation Day, artist Ziad Ahmadieh performed revolutionary songs of Marcel Kahlifeh, Ziad Rahbani, and Ahmad Kaabour. Later on, Simple Harmonic Motion and the Music Club band performed to crowds of students, who whistled, clapped, and sang along to their favorite songs. "It was the best concert SHM have ever performed," said Marie-Anne, a second year nutrition major, enthusiastically. The Music Club performed contemporary songs by Alanis Morrisette, Paula Cole, and Creed. On the second day of outdoors two other bands performed, Leviathon and negative.