Caravan Weekly, Vol. 74, No. 22

              Caravan
The Student Newspaper of the American University in Cairo
W eekly
  Volume 74 - No. 22
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   Sunday April 17,1994
                                This Just In...
   Finders keepers, losers weepers...A woman who gave up custody of her son has been dying to get him back through court appeals ever since she discovered that the boy had been placed with homosexual foster parents. But the State of Washington Court of Appeals ruled unanimously that Megan Lucas, of Orcas Island, lacketi standing to file a petition because she had already given up custody of the three year-old boy. As an unwed teenage mother, Lucas surrendered her parental rights on September 8, 1992, after a serious bout witli drug and alcohol abuse and child neglect. Washington is one of six states in which adoption by same-sex couples are allowed.
   They won’t bust her asset$...An Indiana woman has won agreement from the U.S. Tax Court that her breasts are business assets and can be depreciated for tax purposes. Cynthia S. Hess, known as "t^esty Love" in her professional life as an exotic dancer, claimed a $2,088 deduction in 1988 for depreciation on the surgical implants that enlarged her bust size. The IRS originally turned down the claim, citing previous court decisions holding that money spent on surgery for the purpose of enhancing appearance was so personal that it could not be considered a business expense. But Special Trial Judge Joan Seitz Pate, ruled that the implants increased Hess' income and that the breasts are so large and cumbersome-they are about 10 pounds each-that she could not derive personal benefit from them.
   -Compiled from Associated Press reports by Rehab El Shehabi

        Magazine controversy leads to banning of Lectures Club
    By Christina M. Yazedjian
    The publication of the Arabic language magazine Fagr (Dawn) by the Lectures Club last week has led to freezing of all club activities through the end of the year and the disqualification of two Student Judicial Board (SJB) aspirants as well as barring the two from running for any student post or club office for the one year.
    The action, taken by the Dean of Students Office Wednesday, came after the club had received verbal and written warnings regarding lectures, flyers and posters which were mainly in Arabic and di.scriminatcd against non-Arabic speakers on campus, said Dr.
Mohamad Fcteha, a.ssociatc dean of students. A lecture sponsored by the club earlier last week was in English by an American member of the AUC faculty.
    In memos shared by the two students, Ihab Erfan, Lectures Club president, and Ahmed Al Hodaiby, Fagr editor. Dean Jan Montassir froze club activities following violations of a probation perirxl.
     "With the publication of your recent issue of Fagr, the university's judgment is that you have again violated policy, as well as the pnK'edure requested of you. Even your advisor was not shown all of what you printed, and the Office of Student Organization
                               University calendar wrong...again!
J
    Several dates marked as holidays on AUC's official Spring calendar, including next week's Sinai Liberation Day, have been shuffled and rescheduled. Just like the 6th October holiday last semester, and for the same reason. Tliey were wrong.
    "It was a mistake. Next time the university will pay more attention and will make sure to verify the dates before being published," said Dr. Mohamed Allam, vice president of student affairs.
    Only last week Sinai Liberation Day (listed on the university calendar as April 24) was moved to April 25, the official holiday when the rest of the nation celebrates. April 24, however, will be an official holiday for Coptic students celebrating Palm Sunday.
    The calendar is also wrong about Eid El Adha, the big Eid. which the calendar has us celebrating May 18 through May 22, when in fact the real holiday runs from May 20 through May 24.
    A .sampling of opinion among
students and faculty revealed Just how confused everyone is. Yasmine Metwally, a Construction Engineering Junior is going ahead with the original Sinai Liberation Day calendar listing because her plans were made "a long time ago."
    "A lot of students will not show up for their classes on the 24th. Personally, I will take a long weekend." .she said.
     Peter Gaballa, a Mechanical Engineering graduating .senior, won't be observing the Coptic Palm Sunday.
    "How can the university give us a holiday? We will be missing academic material taken by our colleagues on that day?"
    Dr. Mohamed Younis, a Mechanical Engineering professor whose graduate seminar meets each Monday, says he plans to meet his class next Monday even if the school is on official holiday. The next Monday is also a holiday. He says he cannot afford to miss two Mondays in a row.
    -Reporting by Sarny El Garraya
Psych. Club spreads drug awareness
   By Fady Shihadeh
   The Psychology Club and other concerned students are launching an anti-drug campaign for Drug and Alcohol Awareness Week which begins today.
   "Our aim is to convince drug users, that it's up to them to quit, and that punishment is needed at times, but it is much more important to convince students that abusing drugs can be dangerous and at times fatal, "said Enian El-Nouhy, psychology club president.
    Tliis week the club will offer different programs daily including lectures, panel discussions, and movies, in addition to speeches by recovering addicts.            The
Psychology Club is planning to set up a booth on the platform, and one between the courts on the Main Campus. Both will offer drug related-brochures and pamphlets, provided by the Student Counseling Center, in addition to other institutions that deal with drug rehabilitation.
    "In order to encourage people to
attend the [events], we will be distributing a quiz which deals with student knowledge regarding the drugs; the quiz is offered by the Student Union. The answers of the quiz will be found if the student reads the brochures and attends the lectures. We will al.so give a drug survey for the use of the Psychology Club," Al-Nouhy said. Anyb^y who returns the quiz or the survey will get a free lollipop and a sticker that says "No to drugs"
                                                                                                 (See 'drugs' coni, on pg. 2 )
Activities was not consulted at all in the process."
    In a separate memo, the dean t(X)k action against the two students because of their prominent positions within the club but akso bccau.se Fagr ran an article announcing their candidacy for SJB, accompanied by their pictures, violating SJB campaign regulations.
    "Letters protesting this have been received from both the SJB and the Student Union," said the dean.
    Tarek El Dakhakhny, AUC's club coordinator, said, "This is unfair for the other students running for the SJB."
    Publicity before the scheduled campaigning period was the main problem, but the Lectures Club has been in hot water for the last couple of months. The second issue of Fagr brought matters to a head.
    According to Feteha, the magazine had some flaws, the most significant of which rotated around the language.
    "There arc many foreign students, faculty and administrators who have a right to read all that is published on campus," said Feteha, who had recommended that the club add an English section.
    He also asked the club to show him the magazine before publication and distribution, but was surprised to sec the magazine being handed out on campus last week without his knowledge.
    The club began to run afoul of
the dean's office following an earlier lecture on feminism. The club was warned that it had failed to meet two conditions: "that the content of the lecture would not be an interpretation of religious doctrines" and that the lecturer's curriculum vitae be submitted before the lecture. "Any irregularities in the future will result in the dissolving of the club," the letter stated.
    "I was surprised to receive this letter," El Hodaiby said. "1 didn't think we were doing anything wrong or violating the university policy."
    In response, the Lectures Club sent a letter to Feteha saying that the lecture had not included any religious issues and that the club had not submitted c.v's in 12 preceding lectures.
    El H^aiby added that it is difficult to discuss social issues without touching on certain political and religious aspects. "Moreover some professors do discuss religious issues in class, so why prohibit students from the same right?"
    Feteha explained that "freedom of speech in class is academic and is controlled to some extent by the professor and [is] therefore permissible. This doesn't mean that we don't encourage student activities. We do and this is our main function, but these should be practiced within the framework of the university policy. This is for the good of the university."
                      Environment carnival postponed for lack of funds
   By Sarny El Garraya
   Short L.E. 150,000, the Student Union postponed its environment carnival until later this month and started negotiating sponsorship terms last week with other companies to reach its L.E.
215,000  goal. The event has been rc.schcduled for April 22 and 23.
   "We care for our reputation, so we would rather postpone the event and wait for sponsors than produce an unprofessional setup," said Yassin El-Orabi, vice chairman of the organizing committee.
   The SU was optimistic about finding the needed funds, but finding a free weekend on the busy AUC spring schedule was a bigger challenge with a long weekend coming up the end of the month and the Employment Fair already scheduled for May 7.
    The SU encountered funding problems when its main sponsor, the Commercial International Bank withdrew as reported in last week's Caravan.
In This Issue:                           
Saddam, E-mail, and                •Pg-2 
AUC...............................       
Sullivan                                 
is not surprised...............    Pg-2  
Professor speaks out for           .pg.3 
English as a major.........              
Is Sharm El Sheikh                 •Pg-4 
an addiction?..................          
Sneak-a-peek.................      •Pg-4 
Love AUC Style...........          .pg.5 
Carafun..........................  .pg.6