All Around
November 12, 2007
Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar student newspaper since 2004
Vol. 4 Issue 3
Going CRAZY
Students kick back and show off their wacky side during Carnegie Mellon Qatar's annual Crazy Week.
Students go wild during annual Crazy Week
By Dana Hadan
News Editor
A
s students, we receive a lot of pressure in terms of academics, extracurricular activities and personal issues.
Stress finds its way easily into any our daily routine. And
to lighten up and free our minds, at times, is not an option - especially with deadlines and finals approaching.
However, here at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar,
fun is not an extra activity, but a part of our work. Inspired by
Carnegie Mellon’s founder, Andrew Carnegie, whose words I
quote here: “Our hearts are in the work.”
This is one of the main reasons why it is a conviction
at Carnegie Mellon that work must be fun and nothing but fun.
Trust me, there is no point of getting to the destination if you
don’t enjoy the ride.
One of the traditions at Carnegie Mellon Qatar that is
a whole lot of fun, and does not stop us from getting the work
done, is the annual Crazy Week. For five days students get
dressed according to a particular theme and, oh boy, do they get
creative with it.
Crazy week started on Sunday with PJ day. As opposed
to the usual first day of the week, Sunday during Crazy Week
becomes one long relaxing day in which no one will stare at you
if you show up wearing your pajamas.
This day maintains the weekend mood and gives us
the courage to come dressed in our PJs, furry slippers and even
bring along our bedtime teddy bear and blanket.
If your professor doesn’t know that he or she is your
favorite, Monday was the day to make it known. On Professor
Look-A-Like Day students dress like their professors and copy
their styles. Everything from professor Oliver’s bow ties to professor Reilly’s Carnegie Mellon T-shirts. If you weren’t part of
it this year, try to be next year. You never know, this may be the
best way to score extra points.
FEATURE
The week continues with Wacky Day. On this day,
no one judges anyone - really. Everyone wears whatever looks
weird, breaks the rules and looks crazier than they’ve ever
looked before. Strange colors that have nothing to do with each
other, shoes that don’t match or a weird combination of tops and
bottoms. On this day…anything goes.
If you’re an only child, then Wednesday is the day for
you. On Twins Day everyone picks a friend and dresses exactly
like them. Campus tends to look like someone went wild with a
cloning machine.
The week wraps up on Thursday with Carnegie Mel-
lon Qatar Day. This is a
day to celebrate our Tartanism. We get to show
off our pride to belong
to the Tartans by wearing
Carnegie Mellon T-shirts
and pants, and bring Carnegie Mellon bags, mugs
and stationary items.
There could not
be a better way to end the
week.
At left, if a career in
Computer Science
doesn't pan out,
Fadi Mansour (CS
2011) can always be
a court jester.
FOR MORE
PHOTOS FROM
CRAZY WEEK,
SEE PAGE 2.
Page 2
All Around
November 12, 2007
An organization with a passion for helping others
By Mena Assad
Designer
S
ince its founding in 2005, Reach Out To Asia has been
one of the most active non-government organizations
(NGOs) in Qatar, providing educational support services
to several countries in the region including Pakistan, Lebanon,
Indonesia and Cambodia.
ROTA’s mission is to establish proper channels of education all over Asia while contributing to the local community
in Qatar. ROTA’s small but highly active staff has placed ROTA
into regional and international spotlights with a series of accomplishments. Additionally, ROTA was able to raise $28 million
through fundraising efforts.
ROTA’s success is due in part to their international
strategy. Before moving into a new country, ROTA conducts a
series of intense assessments, works with a local non-government organization to manage the project and then executes an
exit strategy and hands over the outcome to the local authorities.
Similar to Carnegie Mellon, ROTA strongly believes
that collaboration is the key to success. “Partnerships are very
crucial,” says David Burton, Volunteer Program Manager. “In
the charity world you can’t do anything by yourself.”
ROTA is very different from most other NGOs. The
first way is that ROTA is very specialized in education, which
gives its objectives a scope that facilitates its success. Second, a
large amount of assessment is done prior to approving a project.
Thus, ROTA goes into the project with the apt knowledge to
carry it out.
PROFILE
But as Burton says, “it’s not the knowledge that makes
the significant difference, it’s the passion and unique philosophy.” ROTA uses the analogy of teaching a man how to fish
rather than giving him a fish. Basically, Burton says, ROTA pioneers a program in a foreign country by teaching people how to
manage and execute programs and thus handing them invaluable skills rather than money.
Another factor that contributes significantly to ROTA’s
success is the passion that is involved in all of its programs. Passion is the prevalent criteria for choosing volunteers. Rota’s programs are uniquely flexible and open, which allows volunteers
to not only perform traditional tasks, but also to get involved in
CRAZY week
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then professor
Marion Oliver (above in the green vest) should be feeling pretty
happy. Oliver's distinct vest and bow tie combination could be
spotted all over campus on Professor Look-A-Like Day. From left
to right, Shahan Jamal (CS 2011), Tarek Al-Wared (CS 2011)
and Urmila Rosario (Tepper 2011) got the look just right. Rumor
is, this will be the hottest trend on Paris runways next spring.
Top right, Mohamad Abu Zeineb lets loose on Wacky Day.
Sporting Hollywood-inspired giant sunglasses, perhaps AZ's
neckwear is a hint as to his real personality.
At right, the Goth look is in. Marjorie Carlson, Mohamed
Mustafa, Khaled Ziya Aeen (Tepper 2011) and Saleh Al-Khulaifi
(Tepper 2011) gives us a glimpse into their dark side.
For the story on Crazy Week, see page 1.
suggesting and designing new programs.
Burton indicated a myriad of ways in which Carnegie
Mellon students can get involved with ROTA programs. For the
lowest level of involvement students can register on the Web
site, www.reachouttoasia.qa, for volunteering and choose which
events to get involved in.
Students can also get involved in internship programs
and helping other Asian countries. Additionally, students can
volunteer in the ROTAsia programs such as Connect ROTAsia,
which revolves around developing an online regional knowledge network between educational institutions to facilitate collaboration throughout Asia.
Finally, Burton describes a local program in which
ROTA supplies 180 computers to needy schools. He says he is
looking for volunteers with the knowledge to set up these computers and prepare them from immediate use.
With the help of the generous community and the
leadership of Her Excellency Sheikha Mayassa bint Hamad
bin Khalifa Al Thani, Burton is certain of exceptional success
through ROTA’s vision.
“Look at your back yard, find a need, bring friends together and make a change.” Because volunteering at ROTA is
not just volunteering, it’s volunteering with a passion.
November 12, 2007
All Around
Page 3
Winning a Student Service Award
A feeling no words can describe
By Noor Al-Athirah
Chairman
T
he Student Service Award is a prestigious award given annually to only six students from
the entire Carnegie Mellon University student body, both in Pittsburgh and Qatar. A maximum of two students are allowed to receive it from the same school. This year only five
were awarded.
Well, Jinanne and I made it. We were selected from around 5,000 students and are the
only two students to receive the award from Tepper, which leaves three other awards for students
from the other six other schools at Carnegie Mellon. I think these facts well explain how thrilled
I am to receive the award.
Since we are the first two to receive this award from Carnegie Mellon Qatar, we did not
know what to expect before we arrived at Pittsburgh. I remember thinking to myself on the plane:
is it going to be like the Emmy Awards or a more closed, high school like ceremony. I remembered the award ceremony I attended in high school where I received two awards, one for being
an academically exceptional student and the other for being the best at my English class. It was a
small ceremony, only students and faculty were invited and we had to go in uniform, which was
a little disappointing for me.
FIRST PERSON
My doubts disappeared as we arrived at Pittsburgh. Having John Robertson, Assistant
Dean for Academic Affairs, Professor Patrick McGinnis, imagine Professor McGinnis with all his
willpower, and the lovely Andy Zrimsek pick us up assured me that my short stay at Pittsburgh
was going to be exciting.
One of the highlights of the first day is the Ducky Tour, where a bus that is also a boat
takes us around Pittsburgh. It was an enjoyable tour; I saw places and buildings I did not see in the
four months I lived in Pittsburgh. We also went to the Bodies Exhibition, which was held at the
Carnegie Science Center. The exhibition displayed actual, preserved body parts and sliced bodies.
It was a horrifying yet enlightening experience.
The ceremony was on the second day. I was very excited and a little nervous. From the
moment we arrived on campus, each of the award winners was assigned a host who escorted us to
the ceremony and the dinner later that night. I felt special.
I was honored to meet so many people and so many distinguished figures. The ceremony
was very well organized, it was simply remarkable. The introduction prepared for me made me
realize things about myself I never realized before because I never think of what I accomplish. I
am always too busy looking ahead.
I was very comfortable when giving my speech, I felt a connection with the audience
I rarely feel when presenting. To top it all, I had my mother, brother, Jacobo Carrasquel, Cleah
Schlueter, Professor Kaufer and his wife, John Robertson, Professor McGinnis, Andy Zrimsek
and two of my dearest friends by my side. I felt I had family, the event could not have been better.
On the last day we went strictly shopping, which my mother and I enjoyed to the fullest,
then headed to the airport. Although my stay was very short, I can honestly say that I had some of
the best time in my life. The award means so much to me.
Being awarded for what you do to benefit the university and the society is a feeling no
words can describe. So to all my hard working fellows, keep it up, benefit yourselves and the
society as much as you can. I am sure someone is noticing.
Fill your
Noor Al-Athirah (Tepper
2008) poses with faculty
and friends after the Alumni
Awards Dinner on Oct. 26
in Pittsburgh. Al-Athirah
was one of only five students
university-wide to win
Student Service Awards. She
and Jinanne Tabra (Tepper
2008) were the first students
from Qatar to win the awards,
and were the only students
from the Tepper School of
Business to win this year.
At right, it only took a few
days in Pittsburgh for AlAthirah to look like a local.
BRAIN with useless facts
• The largest diamond that was ever found was 3106
carats.
• A cesium atom in an atomic clock that beats over
nine billion times a second.
• A Chinese scientist discovered that the Earth is
round during the Han Dynasty.
• A cubic yard of air weighs about 2 pounds at sea level.
• A jiffy is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second. Thus the saying, "I
will be there in a jiffy."
• A meteor has only destroyed one satellite, which was the European Space
Agency's Olympus in 1993.
• At lift off, U.S. space shuttles weigh about 4.5 million pounds.
• Automobile building is the largest manufacturing industry in the world.
• Bamboo plants can grow up to 36 inches in one day.
While in Pittsburgh, All Around founder Noor Al-Athirah (Tepper 2008) spotted a bus with All
Around written all over its side. Coincidence...we think not.
Page 4
November 12, 2007
All Around
NEOMOTION organizes Beach Clean Up event
By Ramsey Ramadan
Neomotion Executive Board
A
t 9 a.m. on Oct. 27, two buses full of students from
the five universities in Education City set off on
a one-and-a-half hour trip to the old village of Al
Jumeilia on the west coast of Qatar.
Sporting gloves and carrying trash bags, some 50
students spent the day working alongside Qatar’s Q-Kleen
workers clearing the heaps of trash that lay on the shores
of the beautiful beaches.
Volunteers were stunned to find the beach in this
condition, especially considering the number of visitors
that pass through here are very small in number. Volunteers picked up everything from barrels containing crude
oil and medical syringes to unopened food products such
as tea, gum, canned food and yoghurt.
GIVING BACK
The biggest task was in picking up the heaps of
plastic bags that blanketed the shore. A Neomotion representative said that on some parts of the beach you would
find yourself walking on nothing but plastic, and when
you reached down to pick it up, you could only rip off
pieces of it as the rest had buried itself in the sand.
The shoreline surrounding Al Jumeilia is frequently visited by people interested in taking pictures of
the village, as well as those who come to admire the mangrove forest that spreads across 300 meters of the shore.
Because the beach is rather deserted most of the year, several people on the cleaning crew felt the condition of the
beach could be a result of the tide.
More than 40 students from Education City spent a day cleaning up the beach in the small village of Al Jumeilia.
The beautiful area was littered with trash, food and plastic bags as far as the eye could see. The Beach Clean Up
was the first event organized by Neomotion, a student run community service organization.
The beach clean up was the initial event organized
by Neomotion, a student run community service organization established in Education City over the summer.
Though Neomotion considers the event success-
ful in terms of how many trash bags that were filled, the
shoreline itself was far from being restored.
Neomotion is currently in the planning and development stage of its second project.
THE KINGDOM
An epic movie promoting unity to combat terrorism
By Rifki Bahri
Politics Editor
I
t opens with a grand montage portraying the history of U.S. – Saudi Arabia relations. The Kingdom, a newly-released blockbuster starring Jamie
Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman, revolves around post 9/11 terrorism.
Four FBI special agents are sent to Saudi
Arabia in order to investigate the bombing of an
American oil company community that has claimed
the lives of 100 civilians including other FBI agents.
Evidently, the main point of this movie is to
show that the war on terrorism is a tough war to win.
Even though the movie tries to view the war on terrorism from neutral perspectives, it has fueled many
criticisms, such as the stereotyping of the Muslims.
Contrarily, a significant element of the movie
that evens the stereotyping is Colonel Al Ghazi (Ashraf Barhom), who ensures friendly
relations with Jamie Foxx’s character in order to catch the criminal behind the devastating bombing attack.
MOVIE REVIEW
It was disturbing to many viewers to find that the group portrayed as the “extremists” was chanting phrases from the Koran prior to committing their horrendous
acts. It may have embedded in American citizens a fear or doubt of anyone speaking the
Arabic language or reciting the Koran.
However, the director tries to make it clear that not all Muslims are terrorists,
and not all non-speaking Arabs are illiterate as he conveys a message of unity expressing
that “We’re all in this together.” This was clarified by the presence of the Colonel, as he
represented the many peace loving Muslims who opposed the idea of terrorism.
The movie concluded in an interesting way, posing the question: “Why do they
Set in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, The Kingdom is a thriller that tracks a criminal investigation shared by two cultures.
hate us?” Well the same reason why both sides wanted to “kill them all,” it all came down
to vendetta. This war will not cease as long as both sides harbor the same mentality.
Attacks of terrorism will always continue as the offspring will avenge the death
of the parent. The U.S. will fight terrorism as long as it exists. In the course of which,
lives of more Muslims will be lost and destroyed and the cycle will go on forever. A rethink of what defines terror is what is called for here.
November 12, 2007
All Around
Page 5
Confessions of a Pittsburgh Exchange Student
By Megan Larcom
Tepper 2010
Cat is the new squirrel.
Hot is the new cold.
Black is the new pink.
Inshallah is the new clock.
Gas is the new water.
Ipods are the new….oh wait, nothing is free in Pittsburgh.
S
o why travel to the Middle East to study at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar?
Well, the answer is simple. I have already championed making thirty-minute brownies
in just twenty minutes, received a gold medal in a ballroom dancing competition and
seen the Northern Lights. I’ve scaled the slopes of Mt. Everest, mastered the art of calligraphy and walked on water.
But I have yet to ride a camel.
So, in mid-June, I decided to study in Doha for a semester. After four months of
countless logistical nightmares, and $620 worth of excess and overweight baggage, I am living in Doha, Qatar. With only two months remaining of my experience, I believe am able to
reflect on the journey thus far.
Perhaps the greatest difference between the Doha and Pittsburgh campuses is a
sense of community. The reception by the students, faculty and staff here at Carnegie Mellon
Qatar has been gratifying. From inclusion in student organization events to community Iftars,
I feel truly welcome.
Megan Larcom (left) and Hillary Smith are both sophomores in the Tepper School of
Business at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. Both are exchange students and TAs in
Doha for the Fall 2007 term.
FIRST PERSON
In Pittsburgh most of my classes consisted of a hundred to two hundred students
sitting in a lecture hall. Consequently, getting to know professors and students at a more
personal level was a rarity - although, I do admit, I am still learning names here.
While the grandeur of the Pittsburgh campus does have its own charm and vantages,
I cannot honestly say that I spoke with, played basketball with or had meals with any of my
professors, as many students do here in Qatar.
Apart from the relative size of this campus, my experience in Doha differs from that
in Pittsburgh because of ‘the little things.’ Hearing Justin Timberlake on the radio while passing a Mosque. Wishing I had a fetish for speed bumps and car washes. Going into Carrefour
and being overwhelmed by fifty varieties of rice.
Turning on the cold water and being greeted by warm water. Listening to the call
to prayer on the way to Chili’s. Walking outside and wishing I hadn’t. The metric system.
Football with a soccer ball. Open-access D-Lists. The cost of water. The ‘cost’ of gas. The
wealth of the country. The juxtaposition of Western influence and Middle Eastern customs.
Pittsburgh and Doha seem polar opposites one day and twins the next. My experience in Doha thus far has been amazing. The benefits of an exchange are endless—new
friends, new cultures, new outlooks. I hope to see many other Pittsburgh students take the
opportunity to study in Doha, just as I hope to see many of my fellow students here study in
Pittsburgh.
Homecoming weekend: Coming home to yesteryear
By Darbi Roberts
Student Development Coordinator
H
omecoming weekend takes place around this time
of year at colleges and universities across the entire U.S. Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh celebrated
Homecoming October 26-28.
The weekend is an age-old tradition aimed at
welcoming its alumni home, encouraging those who have
called Carnegie Mellon their home at some point in their
life to pay a visit to their beloved alma mater with old
friends and continue to be a part of life on campus.
The common misconception of a homecoming
weekend is that it comprises one big football game – perhaps even a rally the night before - and a party afterwards
in celebration of the home team’s victory. However, homecoming at many universities, especially Carnegie Mellon,
is so much more than that.
TRADITIONS
It’s about reconnecting with the classmates, professors, the city and the campus you came to love over
your college experience. It is a weekend to submit oneself
to school spirit all over again. Homecoming is a time to
reminisce about the good old days and times long past.
Events happen all weekend long that celebrate
past and recent successes of alumni, and the development
and advancement of the university.
The weekend is usually brimming with opportunities for alumni to take tours of campus and laboratories to
see what has changed since they were students and what’s
in store for the university’s future.
Even though the weekend revolves around university’s alumni, current students actively themselves in
activities and events. Part of the reason for this is an intentional effort to increase interactions between current
students and alumni in hopes of showing students the love
that past students had and still have for the university.
Alumni usually crave interaction with students so
as to feed off of the enthusiasm that current students have
for Carnegie Mellon in hopes of reminiscing on their own
college experience.
True, the main event on Saturday is always the
Homecoming football game, this year played against conference rival Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, however the “Homecoming Chili Cook-off” is now
the place to be.
The Cook-off was established back in 2004 as one
of the centerpiece experiences for students during homecoming. The event is a competition open to any student,
faculty, staff or alumni group who can whip up a chili they
deem worthy enough to enter.
Judges in the past have included university deans,
provosts, student affairs administrators and guest appearances by Carnegie Mellon President Jarrod Cohen.
Now in it’s fourth year, the Homecoming Chili
Cook-off has not only become one of the most popular
events during Homecoming, but also one of the most
popular events during the entire academic year drawing
almost 1,000 participants, judges and eager student and
alumni tasters. Commemorative bowls are given out to the
first 500 attendees.
In addition to these events, the Alumni Association in conjunction with the Office of Alumni Relations is
responsible for a large part of the programming for returning alumni during the weekend.
Alumni are encouraged to arrive to campus as
early as Thursday to take part in reunion lunches and dinners, guest speakers and lectures and attend classes that
have been opened to alumni visitation such as Public Finance, Robotic Manipulation and Introduction to Chemical Engineering.
The Office of Alumni Relations organizes these
events. From this office comes the Alumni Association,
which is basically a semi-governing body of alumni all
over the world who want to stay involved in the life of the
university.
The Alumni Association is responsible for everything from putting on the Alumni Awards during Homecoming to supporting the regional Alumni or “Clan”
Chapters to conducting interviews for undergraduate applicants. Getting involved with the Alumni Association is
a great way to stay involved with the university even after
you have graduated.
Homecoming weekend definitely provokes rediscovering, reconnecting and reminiscing. Homecoming
is also all about giving back to the university. You might
scoff, “Why the heck would I want to give back to something that deprived me of sleep, caused me more than one
mental breakdown and developed my addiction to caffeine?!?”
Though these things may be true, it’s also true
that Carnegie Mellon is one of the only universities in the
world that can claim a 100 percent placement rate in job
markets and postgraduate education programs.
It is true that the aspirations and passions and
dreams that we have were all developed in those four precious years of college.
And it is also true that Carnegie Mellon graduates
would not be where they are today without the education
they received here – and for that you owe everything to
your alma mater.
Page 6
November 12, 2007
All Around
We live in tents and ride on camels
Join Us!
By Olympia Datta
Opinion Editor
Hurt, anger, optimism, fear, rebuttal and even rebelliousness came tumbling out of the Tartans
as they were asked the question:
“What do you think about the picture U.S.
movies have painted of the Arab world?”
Here is what they had to say:
Omar Nael Shaat (CS 2011)
“I’ve seen many American movies where Arabs
are included, and unfortunately, portrayed as
terrorists and uncivilized people who live in the
desert. They are always biased because they
don’t show the real facts, but rather show what
they want. In fact, these scenes don’t even exist
anymore in the Arab world.”
Samee Ul Amin (CS 2011)
“They don’t quite paint a good picture….in
fact, they miserably fail at the task.”
Hala Abbas (Tepper 2008)
“I think that the U.S. has a bad picture
because they don’t ‘know’ us that well.
‘You fear what you don’t know.’ They have
absolutely no idea of the real Arab world.
They have made their public think that
“the entire Arab world is just desert with
camels and suicide bombers.” They see the
suicide bombers, which are the minority,
instead of the majority of Arabs who are
normal citizens who want to live happy
and normal lives. Unfortunately, that’s
where stereotyped American media plays
the lead role.”
George White, Ph.D. (Faculty)
“I think most U.S. movies do an okay job, but
not a balanced job of portraying Arabs. Movies do an immensely better job of portraying
the Arab world than the news media. The
news media certainly misrepresent Arabs &
Islam. I think the misrepresentation is amplified by influences from the White House &
Fox News, which attempt to fuel support for
U.S. policies in Iraq. The U.S. public is insulated from the real people here, and how they
think. The myths of “evil” can be attributed
to the Middle Eastern religious sects because
of news media bias. We need to repudiate the
Bush Administration policies on military intervention, incarceration, torture and freedom
of information as a first step toward restoring
accurate reporting on the Middle East.”
Editor’s Opinion
Zeyad Tarek Al Mudhaf (Tepper 2011)
“U.S. movies have taken the meaning of
stereotyping to an entirely new level. Why do
Arabs always play the ‘bad guys’ in movies?
Because of the way we are portrayed in the
movies and their media, all Americans incorrectly assume we’re all ignorant terrorists
who live in tents and ride camels. U.S. movies
have really socially degraded us as a society
and that is the most worrying thing of all.”
“Whatever the U.S. is saying about Arabs
might be biased, but Arabs themselves
really don’t care about it. The handful of
people who care about this fake identity
the U.S. is trying to create, speak up only
if prodded to speak. Somehow they lack
that patriotism that gives the U.S., or for
anybody else in fact, the upper-hand in
this fight for the right identity.”
November 12, 2007
Page 7
All Around
All Around
Aday
to
Chairman
Noor Al-Athirah
remember
Maha Obaidan
News Editor
“Two weeks from today, I will be living with a
strange man.”
This was Najlah’s first thought as her mother left
her room after informing her that she was to be married to
a man in two weeks. Najlah, a thirteen-year-old Bahraini
girl, was well trained to become a perfect house-wife for
her future Qatari husband.
SHORT STORY
“I wasn’t worried that I’ll be moving to Qatar, because my older brother lived there; however, I wasn’t sure
how I would live with a strange man that I haven’t seen
before,” she says.
In less than two weeks she had her wedding plans
ready. Her mother and sisters helped her choose different
kinds of materials to be tailored into beautiful traditional dresses, and she bought jewelry of all
shapes and sizes,
“My mother used to say,
you have to show your husband
you lived a prosperous life with
you family, so that he’d provide you
with the same status,” she says.
While going through the wedding planning process, Najlah’s family had a ‘henna’ party that gathered all
of her friends and close relatives. Najlah
sat calmly on a green couch in the center of
the ‘majlis’ surrounded by Asian ladies who
drew beautiful ‘henna’ designs on her feet and
hands.
That night was a special night for her, because she knew it was her last night to spend with
her single friends before entering womanhood.
On her wedding day, Najlah wore her long
green traditional dress that had golden designs embroidered on it. Her long black hair was neatly braided with
mashmoom, which are leaves that have purple scented
flowers. Her older sisters surrounded her, giving her advice
on how to treat her husband while applying makeup on her
angelic face.
She didn’t need more than kohl and light pink
blush that added more color to her perfectly rounded cheekbones. As she was putting on red lipstick on her small lips
she looked at the mirror sheepishly as she wasn’t used to
seeing herself with makeup.
Women’s singing voices and drums welcomed her
as she shakily entered her house ‘majlis,’ where her wedding was held.
She walked in slowly holding her dress up worried
she might trip as she stepped on the scattered flowers and
mashmoom. Najlah walked gradually towards her motherin-law’s and kissed her forehead and then her right hand,
“to show respect to my new mother” she stated.
Her mother-in-law smiled at her as her eyes spar-
kled with tears. Najlah smiled back and walked off to sit
on a cushion that was placed on a small wooden stage. The
stage was a step higher than the ground where people were
sitting. The moment she sat down, the ladies around her
started clapping and dancing while more drums were being
played.
In the right corner of the room a golden table was
placed with three large bronze boxes on it. Her sisters-inlaw carried those boxes and went around the majlis showing off the jewelry and money in them.
“It was a way of showing how generous my husband is to me,” she says. Najlah looked at her sister-in-laws
with a small shy grin on her face as they came up to her
and placed a large gold head accessory that settled around
the top of her head perfectly, and around its sides large
gold stripes dangle. Then they helped her put on golden
jewelry in her ears, fingers and neck.
“Friends and family danced in joy, and I can feel
my eyes swollen up, I was worried I’d cry in front of the
guests, and in the same wasn’t sure I’m ready for my new
life.”
During the wedding female servants came in carrying a large square piece of wood that had an Iranian
carpet on it. They placed the wood in front of Najlah
who erratically sat on it. As she sat there her sisters
placed a huge white cloth on her. Najlah was carried to her husband who was in her room waiting
for her. Her mother and her mother-in-law took
her to Abdullah, “my mother had to come with
me to show approval of our marriage.”
As they took the cloth off her, Najlah stood
in front of the man she was going to spend
the rest of her life with and looked at him
for the first time. He was a young man,
19 years old with strong manly features, dark eyes and dark skin.
“Abdullah is one of the family
and he can take care of you and
your children in the future. You
are gaining a lot by marrying
him.” Her mother used to always tell her.
Abdullah, looked at his wife with a
smile. He walked towards his mother-inlaw and kissed her forehead to show respect for
her, then kissed his mother’s forehead and right hand.
All this happened while Najlah was frozen in her place,
too shy and scared. “I still remember as if it was yesterday,
how Abdullah smiled at me that night.”
Abdullah took Najlah with him to Qatar, and not
once did she feel lonely being away from her family. He
took good care of her and spoiled her. Najlah’s first time to
travel abroad was with Abdullah who took her to Europe
on their honeymoon.
Meanwhile, Najlah was the perfect housewife for
Abdullah. She cooked, cleaned and established a family of
ten great children.
Today Najlah’s sons and daughters are getting
married and she sees how different it is. “I still think our
way of marriage is better; however cultures change as the
world changes.”
Editor-in-Chief
Noor Al-Jassim
Secretary
Maha Al-Khulaifi
Business Manager
Ramsey Ramadan
Marketing Manager
Khalid Ziya Aeen
Designers
Alya Bwazir, Mina Assad
Copy Editors
Marium Chandna, Hind Al-Khulaifi
News Editors
Dana Hadan, Maha Obaidan
Features Editor
Lina El Menshawy
Business Editor
Noura Al-Ansari
Political/World Events Editor
Rifki Bahri
Opinion Editor
Olympia Datta
Entertainment Editor
Omar Alouba
Entertainment Team
Aeshah Anani, Al-joharah Al-Obaidli,
Fatima Hilal, Nada Al-Mahmeed
Staff Writer
Yara Saeed
Web Editors
Yasser Khan, Shashank Jariwala
Publishing Coordinators
Abdullah Alothman, Iyed Jouini,
Mohammed El Haj
Photographers
Saleh Al-Khulaifi, Maryam Alsemaitt
The All Around is a bimonthly student
newspaper. It is Carnegie Mellon University
in Qatar’s budding student body voice.
The first issue was published on the
28th of September 2004.
A team of four students were successful in
publishing 8 issues in the first year
along with the help of their advisor, Kristin
Gilmore.
You may forward any contributions,
enquiries, questions, or suggestions
to our official e-mail address
all-around@qatar.cmu.edu.
Page 8
November 12, 2007
All Around
Entertainment Page
The Insatiable
Let me towards the hanging-lows saunter,
To be like them, in them evaporate,
So full, so complete they seem,
And will soon bathe in their esteem,
Let me towards those grey masses wander,
As they reach out to me,
Releasing passionate thunder,
While they themselves,
With content bloat,
And a thousand desires,
In my mind float.
Lovingly in their mildness they will drown me,
And with their strong arms surround me,
Then rapidly through this corpse,
Will race my blood,
And with their tenderness,
Will my heart flood,
Look, ay look,
Closer they come,
To take me in possession,
To upturn my long recession,
Warms me their passion,
Already overpowering my senses,
And any ability to reason,
Vanishes.
The life of
Beza & BuJava
Towards my grandeur with immense hope
you drift,
Keenly follows the hem you lift,
A fire so wild,
Burns upon the dark mahogany,
Intoxicate me,
Flames intense and swift
Be not so buoyant my mate,
Do not so eagerly wait,
For your thirst to quench,
For your body to drench,
As this momentary bliss,
Will just be a permeable cloak,
Though indeed in my acid,
Will this corpse soak,
A new life will be granted,
As songs of passion chanted,
Though the music will die,
As time like dust will fly,
From the grip of our hands,
Through fierce winds,
From faraway lands,
Which to us at present,
Are unknown,
For those are masses,
Where love has not grown,
Frost at it’s height,
Distances wide,
This surrender of a moment,
Will sweep you in a deadly tide
Of grief and torment
A drop falls,
On the dainty form of velvet,
And I am filled with pity,
Overridden with fear,
For what lies,
In your future near,
As your warmth works its wonders,
I let myself hold you,
And release my passion unto you
Captured you are,
Presently with an insanity so great,
That your mind and heart,
Refuse to separate
Like you and I,
Once my heart is unburdened,
And your senses aroused,
Abandon will I,
My vow espoused
To satisfy your thirst,
For my own verve
My anomalous bulk,
You declare as content,
And when I sulk,
Your body and soul you relent
Oh Angel of Love,
Your thirst like mine,
Do not undermine,
As it will not satiate,
From this yonder you pine,
For is an empty desire,
To satiate,
The insatiable.
Answer to last
week’s puzzle
Think
s is
ho thi
w
w
o
n
k
you
ANSWER:
Mohamad Abu Zeineb (Tepper 2009)
By Marium Chandna
Copy Editor