The Social Service Club

   
    For around six years now the Social Service Club has worked to help anyone in need, such as their three main targets for this year, the handicapped, the orphans, and the elderly.
    During the fall semester the club did not prosper fully in their activities, because of such difficulties as the delay in the election of the committee members (finally engineering student Ashraf Sleiman was elected club president) and then the move from West Hall followed almost immediately by finals. 
    In the past club activities have ranged from outings for orphans, exhibitions to promote all types of art that can be sold, and an invitation of Nadim Mohsen to talk about his music last year.  Most of the club's activities are non-profit, in the sense that whatever money received is spent for people in need, and not donated.  For example instead of just donating the money to an institution for the orphans, the club takes the orphans out to the zoo.  "We see what they need and buy it for them," said business senior Rabih Mahmassani, the club's treasurer. To keep their budget balanced, they also hold activities such as last year's hot dog sale. 
    No events have been co-sponsored with other clubs or organizations on campus, for the simple reason, Rabih told Outlook, that "no one has asked us and we are not in financial need to ask anyone.  But if we ever do we have to keep in mind that we need to have the same goal in mind." As for affiliation with political groups, a club rumor suggested that they are affiliated with the Future Youth Organization.  
 Rabih explained that this rumor was due to the huge number of members who were part of the club and the FYO at the same time.  "But this year and last year," Mahmassani explained, "there have not been any committee members with political background."  As a club they have been trying to place a barrier between themselves and politics, but that does not mean that an individual affiliated with a party can not join.  As a club they are not affiliated with a party, and are going along the road of disregarding sectarian and political backgrounds, in order to spend their money on the needy, without regard for biases.