LAU clubs welcome new students

LAU students find their niche during clubs sign-up days on both campuses.

October 14, 2011

Students signed up for the First Aid Club at LAU Byblos.

The Byblos campus was congested with students signing up for various clubs.

Click on any photo above to view all seven images.

Over 40 student clubs across both campuses accepted enrollees and welcomed back old members during the clubs sign-up days event on October 6 and 7.

Students from various majors can join clubs that best fit their interests, from those related to humanitarian issues and social work, to those focused on leisure activities such as music, dance and sports.

Riman Jurdak, program coordinator at LAU Beirut, noted with satisfaction the clubs’ increased popularity.

“More students are signing up for clubs this year than last year,” she says.

Clubs are designed to enrich students’ overall experience at LAU and facilitate their participation in the university’s dynamic student life.

“We organize yearly themed soirees in order to encourage socializing, and help students to mingle with one another,” says Paul Khawand president of LAU Byblos’ Cedars Club, adding that the number of new members this year was especially high.

The Red Cross Club at LAU Beirut also boasted a strong turnout.

Sahar Moukaddem, the club’s vice president, pointed out that not everyone who signs up automatically becomes a member.

“We have an interview process to make sure everyone is in line with the rules of both the Lebanese Red Cross and LAU,” she says. “Usually everyone is accepted but it helps us weed out people who might not be serious,” she says.

The club’s public relations officer Nour Araji announced plans for HIV awareness and traffic safety campaigns for the upcoming year, as well as first aid training sessions.

These types of activities are what prompted Rezen Abdulaal, a third-year biology premed student, to join the Red Cross Club.

“I also signed up for the social aspect of the club, and to gain first aid experience that will help in my major,” she says, adding that she’s looking forward to helping people through the club’s activities.

Although he is a recent M.B.A. graduate, Peter Sleiman, signed up for the International Affairs Club at LAU Beirut as a guest, explaining that he’s keen to do volunteer work.

“I’m interested in international affairs, and this club is very active in terms of spreading awareness about important global issues,” says Sleiman, who graduated with a minor in political science and international affairs.

About 100 students registered for the Red Cross Club this year.

The Debate Club draws people from more diverse academic backgrounds,, united by a shared forte in public speaking.

“Students from various majors sign up for the club, but they have in common a great love of debate,” says the club’s president Omar Nahas, an International Affairs student. Nahas adds that new members receive training to enhance their debating skills.

According to Alan Kairouz, program coordinator at LAU Byblos, the university plans to introduce a new club, the Medical Student Association, later in the academic year.

“With the School of Medicine prospering, students are very excited to launch this association. It will be a forum for them to gather and share their interests,” Kairouz says.

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