You know what baffles me about pro-Hezbollah (and affiliates) people attending AUB? They tend to forget that it’s the AMERICAN University of Beirut.
All they do is go there and bash the American system left and right, totally ignoring that they are in the midst of what they’re criticizing. I guess the Lebanese proverb: “2e3ed b7edno w bientof bida2no” applies here. And you know what’s even sadder? The Aounists that join Hezbollah, SSNP and other political parties in their chants against the “American devil.” You’d think they would know better than to be this brainwashed.
Let’s get one thing straight: as an AUB student who graduated back in 2010, I voted three times in my university’s elections and was almost nominated twice with Students at Work. I have every reason not to want to support them but my reasons are personal and not as relevant to the greater picture. But here’s what you need to know: the amount of work any student body would put into enhancing your student life is minimal. But at least with Students at Work, you know they will actually attempt to do something and not live in the orgasm of their victory for a whole year straight.
The independents didn’t do anything as well the year they won via a political play with March 8th people, which happened to be during my junior year. Students at Work needed one more seat in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences back then, one they had relinquished in my year to leave an open list. Their list would have won if it had been fully closed.
With Students at Work, you’ll know that AUB’s Main Gate will not turn into a shouting fest where a slogan calling for the death of a major Lebanese leader is chanted and celebrating the assassination of one of our country’s most inspiring presidents. With Students at Work, Main Gate will not turn into this.
So come Wednesday and you’re standing in front of a ballot, thinking about who you need to vote for, remember that you are at the American University of Beirut because you and your parents believe this is the best education that can be provided in Lebanon today. Remember that the level of the university you’re in is not the way it is because of people whose daily habits have hypocrisy written all over them and remember that your future endeavors, soon after finishing your degree, will not take you to Iran. You’ll be going to the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and France. Don’t be a hypocrite. Vote Students at Work. It may not change your scholastic life but at least you’ll know you’re voting with the air of freedom of the institute that is providing your future.
A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares 
I don’t know what students you’ve seen, but I haven’t really met any america bashers..either side.
I’ve been in AUB for 4 years and the first two years Students at Work won, did nothing. I asked one of the people running what they did, he said “we got printers in OSB”. Really, printers in a university? wow, you don’t say! That’s like saying I was thirsty and I got water. Inno DUH!
Elections are bullshit, both sides are bullshit, no one should vote and if people are going to vote let them vote because the candidates actually stand for something and not because they got harassed/threatened and chased into voting for them *cough* students at work *cough* 🙂
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I worked in AUB elections for two years. I was one of those people who had the list of people with their political affiliations and phone numbers, calling them, etc…
I know exactly what both sides say since I’ve had more than a fair share of contact with both.
As I said in the post, no party will do anything. But with SAW, at least I saw attempts to do things. I’ve had many of my friends be part of SRCs and I know many of the inside info. Many students win and no longer attend, from both sides.
The person who told you about printers is stupid. Simply put.
And if students attending AUB are going to bash the US, the government of which is providing AUB with equipment (USAID). So I guess if you want to bash the US government, just go to another university. Perhaps USJ would be suitable for them.
Moreover, I find it completely offensive and below the standards of the institute these students are a part of for them to chant what they said in the video. This never happened when SAW won.
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Elie, this spoke to my heart. nuff said..
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Well, thank you for reading 🙂
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Dear Elie,
Thanks a lot for your support it is really appreciated 🙂
Concerning our achievements in the previous years, there are many. For example, the last time Students At Work won AUB elections it was 2 years ago in 2009 Elias Ghanem was elected as the VP of AUB students and he did a lot of achievements with the help of the USFC and the Students At Work team. Let me give you some examples: The class-ring ceremony was reintroduced at AUB after 30 years of absence, the AUB Speakers Corner was revived after many years of absence too, the reading period was extended and most importantly a student revolution was organized against the tuition increase at AUB (Unfortunately SAW lost the year after and therefore was not able to continue fighting against this problem and the winning team haven’t done anything concerning this). And there are other Students At Work achievements…
And this year if we win be sure that we will continue working for the benefit of all the AUB students.
Thanks again Elie for the support, it’s always good to hear from alumni students supporting Students At Work 🙂
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I know about all of those. That’s why I said that with SAW, you’d at least expect some degree of work. To be fair, my sophomore year at AUB wasn’t exactly groundbreaking work-wise. But I did see drastic improvement in my senior year with Elias Ghanem, a friend, as VP.
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Marie, regarding the attempts to do something for the AUB community and its campus I’m going to ask you to refer to the achievements of the SAW the last they time they were elected, with VP Elias Ghanem and other USFCs.
As for threatening, I am surprised that you spent 4 years in AUB and claim that SAW threaten or harass… I was personally threatened and harassed year after year for three years and not ONCE by SAW but by other major political parties opposing SAW on campus… It’s seems you were either covering up for those thugs or completely not involved in any student life at AUB.
As a general advice to Marie and others: always get your facts straight before you publish anything online. The internet is painful.
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It’s your word against her word why should I believe you and not her? pray do tell
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You’ve been missed :p (Your reply isn’t addressed to me so I shan’t address it :p)
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Life got in the way, and happy birthday btw
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Thank you 🙂
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