MedTimes

VOICE YOURSELF! COMMENT, RATE, APPRECIATE

ALFAISAL UNIVERSITYCOLLEGE OF MEDICINE

D E C E M B E R 2 011 VO L U M E 4 I S S U E 1

Inside This IssueThe Dawn of A New Era - Page 4

Alfaisal Freshmen Convocation - Page 5Thinking Pink for October - Page 7

Exclusive Student Contributions - Page 8Constructive Criticism - Page 11

TEDxAlfaisalU: Inspiration from within - Page 13And MORE!

C O L L E G E O F M E D I C I N E A L F A I S A L U N I V E R S I T Y

( + 9 6 6 ) 1 4 4 0 2 0 0 0 - P . O . B O X 5 0 9 2 7 R I Y A D H 1 1 5 3 3 - S A U D I A R A B I A - I N F O @ A L F A I S A L . E D U

WE’RE

BACK!

From the Director and Founder of Med Times“You hold in your hands the latest issue of the Alfaisal Med Times! We

are proud to publish a constant and high quality newspaper—the only one of its kind at Alfaisal University; by the students, for the students! As

Alfaisal makes history by accepting female students, the Press also expanded to welcome our beloved female members! With all these changes and an ever-

growing student body it took us a while to get things moving but hopefully the quality we’ve delivered is a good enough trade-off.You may have also noticed that this issue lacks an Arabic section—the directors are in the process of forming a new MedTimes Arabic section Team...Stay Tuned!Our next issue will insha’Allah be delivered to you within the first week of 2012 and we will bring back our contests! Send in your submissions and feedback to [email protected] Reading!”Bilal Alturkmani - Director of Med Times

“Dear Med Times fans! I am very enthused to see the new face and Press members of our awesome student newsletter! It has been both an honor and a privilege to have been the Director and Founder for the past two years. I am sure the new Press, along with Bilal’s skills, will amplify your voice in creative ways! And so for one last time on my part, ‘Voice Yourself !’”Mohammed Khusheim - Founder and Consultant of Med Times

Facebook.com/AlfaisalMedTimes @MedTimes

Meet the Makers of Med Times:

Bilal Alturkmani: Newsletter Director•Muhammad Khusheim: Consultant & •Founder of Med TimesSyed Ali Rahmatullah: Editor in Chief•Leen Raddaoui: Assistant Editor•Aman Inayah: Chief Reporter•Mohammad Chaballout: Chief Photographer•Norah Aziz: Designer•Rasha AlShawaf: Designer•Fatima Warraich: Social Media Coordinator•Azhar Farooqui: Reporter•Adeeb Sibae: Reporter•Mohammed AlHamed: Reporter•Abdullah Sarkar: Reporter•Anas Abudan: Reporter•Tehreem Khan: Reporter•Saira Munir: Reporter•Bara AlMakadma: Photographer•Saud Bin Alrasheedi: Photographer•

The Press: Hello Lujain! Thanks for agreeing to spare us some time from your busy schedule! Can you tell us a little about what you’re involved in at the moment?

Lujain: I am President of BLC MSA female section 2011-2012, the youngest Saudi international trainer authorized by IFMSA and the WHO, vice president of marketing and recourse development at IFMSA-SA, and a published researcher according the KAIMRC.

The Press: Wow, that’s a full plate! With that resume, why did you choose Alfaisal?

Lujain: Because I believe it will push me forward in achiev-ing what I want, not only as a student or a doctor later on, but as a person as well. Alfaisal is providing me and all the other students with a lot of great opportunities.

The Press: What is that you plan to achieve?Lujain: InshaAllah to become the first female Health Min-

ister in Saudi Arabia.The Press: You obviously have a very hectic schedule, what

is your secret to managing time so efficiently?Lujain: I try to balance as much as I can and alhamdulillah

God gave me a mother that taught me this since I was a child and eventually I took it from her and shaped it in my own way!

The Press: Who is your role model? Why? Lujain: A lot of people, but mainly my maternal grand-

mother and my paternal grandfather. My grandmother was a widow who brought up 11 children while also being the first Saudi woman to ever have a ’Sajil Tijari’ (Trading Registra-tion). My grandfather came from an ordinary Saudi family but made something out of himself and he spoke 3 different languages as well, which was really something considering that people back then didn’t even know how to read or write.

The Press: If there were 3 words you could shout out to the entire world, what would they be?

Lujain: Have Some FaithThe Press: An experience you’d like to share with the

students?Lujain: IFMSA-SA: don’t miss out; you’ll be missing the

best part of being a medical student.The Press: Who is better at Alfaisal- the guys or the girls?Lujain: According to the professors, girls - because we are

more serious in studying. Plus, check the attendance records! The Press: Voice yourself.Lujain: To Allah I give my thanks, without Him I would be

nothing.

Voice Yourself! –with Lujain Alkhalifa

Conducted By: Aman Inayah & Saira Munir

2

Breast cancer is one of the most feared carcinomas

in women. Even with modern advances in its diagnosis and treatment, almost one-fourth of all women who develop this neoplasm die as a conse-quence of this disease.

Whilst breast

cancer is uncom-mon in women below the age of thirty, its prevalence is higher in individuals from North

America and Northern Europe compared to Asia and Africa.

The cause of breast cancer is still unknown. How-

ever 3 sets of influ-ences seem to be

important; genetic

changes (of which over ex-pression of HER2/

NEU pronto-

oncogene is very well char-

acterised), hormonal influences (where endogenous estrogen excess or general hor-

monal imbalance plays a sig-nificant role), and environmental variables (such as irradiation or exogenous estrogen).

Clinically, these patients present with deceptively

discreet, solitary and painless masses often discovered by the affected patient herself or upon examination by a physician. By this time, the carcinoma is usu-ally 2-3 cm in size with regional lymph node involvement in nearly half the patients suffering from the disease.

Drugs, surgery, hormonal and radiation therapy, and

chemotherapy are amongst the most commonly used treatment for breast cancer.

Health Superstitions

Over the years many mistaken health beliefs have developed that have perpetuated through gen-erations of families. Also known as “old wives tales,” some of them can be harmless while others

are potentially dangerous. Here are a few to consider. Spread the word!

Feed a cold; starve a fever

FALSE - Getting adequate fluids and nutrition is important during illness – gotta keep that homeo-stasis thing going on if you want to get better more quickly! While occasional fasting can improve

your health in some ways, there’s no proven benefit in abstaining from food while you have a cold or fever.

Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis

FALSE - This is something parents tell their children to get them to stop the irritating knuckle-cracking behavior; there is no evidence that it does in fact cause arthritis, according to John Klip-

pel. MD, President of the Arthritis Foundation.Spicy foods can cause ulcers

FALSE - While spicy foods can initiate ulcer symptoms for some, they aren’t the cause of ulcers. Bacterial infection and overuse of aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs is the usual cause.

(Find more health superstitions in the next issue!) - By: Cynthia Mosher

UnderstandingBreast Cancer

- By: Azhar Farooqui

3

The Dawn of A New Era – Female students at AlfaisalTehreem Khan

Renowned Greek author and philosopher Plato (427 BC

– 347 BC) once said, “If women are expected to do the same work as men, we must teach them the same things.”

More than two millennia since his demise, yet the words

he once uttered resound truth to this day. This September, a new era in the history of Alfaisal University took shape, as after great anticipation and a well-worthy wait of four years, doors were opened to female students.

An Orientation programme was conducted by Student Af-

fairs on the 10th of September 2011, welcoming new students and offering a chance for everyone to get to know each other and Alfaisal as a whole. Amongst other activities, welcome and introductory speeches were given by HRH Dr. Maha, College of Medi-cine Dean Dr. Khaled Al-Kattan as well as Dr. Paul Ganguly, Professor of Anatomy and chairman of the College of Medicine’s Assessment Committee, Alfaisal University. Like beacons of light that penetrate the early morning

sky, it is hoped that the addition of female students to the Alfaisal student body will illuminate the institution’s long-standing commitment to aca-demic and social excellence with yet greater incandescence.

First Impressions – First-year medi-cal students voice themselves on Ori-entation Day and Alfaisal University

“It was much better than I ever expected, I was very impressed. I am so glad that I will be spending the next 6 years of my life with such great pro-fessors, students and staff.” – Ranim Chamseddin

“Alfaisal opening for female stu-dents was a miracle, a dream come true! A place with awesome col-leagues, great teachers and a huge campus, what more do you need?” – Fatima Iqbal

“Orientation was really nice because I felt my dream would come true, not only about being a medical student, but also learning in the best way possible.” – Aya Farfour

“Alfaisal is the best thing that has ever happened to me; mainly because it was so good at giving a first impres-sion! I was amazed at how profession-al everything was. From the friendly staff to the student centered voices...what’s there not to be impressed about?” – Sarah Rauf

“Alfaisal is a community that allows you to go beyond your abilities, trust yourself, spread the knowledge, and change the world.” – Asma AlNajjar

Voice Yourself - male students on the addition of female students to the Alfaisal community

“New competition, and loss of scholarships!” - Abdallah Ghazal

“I think we need these types of situ-ations in order to make our commu-nity more diverse and liberal; because if you free your mind then rest-assured the rest will follow.” - Naif Al Homoud

“Of course they are our sisters, full respect for them, and for you guys.” - Mussab Chaballout

“A lesson I learnt this summer is that a doctor’s responsibility should not end with showing cancer patients a hopeless end, but with showing them an endless hope.” –Mohamed Danny Ray-Zack, a CRC research team member

“It is a very intensive course of learn-ing experiences, skills and knowledge but it is essential to have a cooperative team and a supporting university, just like Alfaisal.” –Mohammed Riyadh Al-Sadoon, head of the CRC research team

“It was a great experience to partici-pate in the Aramco Summer Festival as it provided us with a chance to rep-resent our university in the commu-nity.” –Almutassem Mouaffak Kazkaz, a CRC research team member

Alfaisal at the Aramco Sum-mer Festival!

During the past summer, Alfaisal students were able

to participate in one of Riyadh’s well

known events; the Saudi Aramco An-nual Summer Festival which provides a few weeks of fun-filled activities meant for all different classes of soci-ety. This summer, the Aramco event also provided Alfaisal a chance to engage in community service by rais-ing awareness of two significant yet unknown diseases within the Saudi community. Alfaisal was represented by two groups of students.

In the first group, more than twelve students volunteered to be

At Aramco Summer FestivalAdeeb Sebai

4

A New Era Begins Alfaisal Freshmen Convocation Ceremony:Mohammed Al Hamed

On the 19th of October 2011, Alfaisal University held its

fourth annual Freshmen Convoca-tion Ceremony in the Prime Minister Rafiq Al Hariri building of the College of Science. Considered one of the most anticipated events of the year, the ceremony is an event where all the great achievers are celebrated for their hard work and dedication to their respective studies. According to a large number of attendees, it was the most successful convocation in the university’s short history. “It was a fantastic event. I felt a lot of dedica-tion coming from the founders who initiated the university”, remarked Dr. Fuad Alyafi, a parent of a student honored on the Deans’ List. This ceremony was especially notable as it had the most amount of awardees; exceeding forty-five students from the various colleges. The highlights of the event included a speech delivered by the Dean of the College of Medicine, Dr. Khaled Al-Kattan in which he shed some light on the number of

students accepted this year; more than 300 from a diverse range of nationali-ties. Dr. Khaled’s speech was followed by the Provost Dr. Faisal Al Muba-rak’s. The Provost stressed on the fact that Alfaisal University recently won

the “Best Educational Institute of Healthcare in Asia”. But perhaps the most charming speech was delivered by the guest speaker, Ms. Seema Khan, Chief Strategy Officer of Saudi Arabian General Investment Author-ity. She emphasized the importance of inspiration, patience and hard work in order to achieve goals. What was much more enthralling though was

the fact that she was Alfaisal Univer-sity’s first female guest speaker; a true inspiration to the university’s first ever batch of female students. Next up was a speech by a remarkable student from the College of Engineering, Naqi

Rizvi. Blinded at the age of sev-en from glaucoma, Naqi gave a motivating speech as a stunned crowd listened to his every word. Speaking of the multitude of obstacles he faced in his pur-suit of academics, the inspired audience sent him off with a standing ovation. Then finally, the bright students awarded on the Deans’ List were given their

certificates; they set an example to the new students that will sure be emulat-ed. The event concluded with a short talk from HRH Prince Bandar, who spoke about the dream of King Faisal becoming a reality. Most importantly though, he declared 2011, “The Year of Saudi Women”—a noble gesture that will truly motivate the girls to continue Alfaisal’s excellence.

part of the Colorectal Cancer (CRC) awareness campaign. A general idea of CRC, its symptoms, pathophysiology, and means of preventions were all targets of this campaign. Two kinds of surveys, one for before and one for after going through the Alfaisal CRC booths were also designed to conduct a research that assessed the CRC prevalence and awareness in the Saudi community.

On the other hand, the second group of

students was part of the Alzheimer’s disease campaign sponsored by Saudi

Alzheimer’s Disease Association (SADA) in which the main targets were to present a general idea of Al-

zheimer’s disease and the proper ways of dealing with Alzheimer’s patients.

In addition, the students found great support from the Alfaisal

administration as the provost himself, Dr. Faisal Al Mubarak along with Drs. Hasan Rajab, Ali Khraibi, and Bernard Juurlink. Furthermore, the booths also had several diplomatic visits from ambassadors attending the events. All in all, it was an exciting way to represent Alfaisal University in the local com-munity while at the same time providing valuable skills to our

very own medical students.

5

On October 19, as the Alfaisal Freshmen Convocation of

2011 came to an end, the chief guest (HRH Prince Bandar) declared that 2011 is “The Year of the Saudi Wom-en.” His declaration was substantiated by none other than the guest speaker of the event, Seema Khan – the Chief Strategic Officer of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority.

Ms. Khan provided a valuable motivational story that truly

captured the hearts of her audience—especially the newly enrolled female students. Alfaisal’s growth delighted her, but she mentioned, “The hardest part was yet to come”. The part she

was referring to was Alfaisal’s becom-ing of a world-class knowledge center. When asked for comments on the award bestowed upon Alfaisal by the World Education Congress, she admitted that she had not expected it; yet more importantly she stated that it should be something that would inspire the students to work harder for a better future.

During a private seating with Khan and her colleagues,

the Med Times reporters observed the passion the group had for setting up “knowledge-based industries”— they also labeled universities such as Alfaisal beacons of hope in the

path to modernization and advance-ment of the nation. They claimed that universities in the Kingdom can be criticized heavily, but the more significant notion was the time frame in which these universities grew and progressed.

Finally, Khan stressed on academic collaborations with

other institutes in not only the nation, but also the region. “Knowledge is power; sharing knowledge, is power for everyone,” said Khan. Leaders like her and her female colleagues truly emphasize that point; power is indeed for everyone and everyone includes women.

A Woman in SAGIA’s Driving SeatAbdullah Sarkar

Alfaisal Freshman Party: Welcoming the New Alfaisal Students

I n response to the laborious academic atmosphere of Alfaisal

University, the Social and Develop-ment committee (SDC) had decided to throw a party for freshman stu-dents, welcoming them to the Alfaisal family. Freshman students played volleyball, soccer and Frisbee on

Alfaisal’s grassy fields. Exhausted by the different sports, they were then offered pizza, brownies and a cake to satisfy their hunger! After things settled down, the students played Call of Duty and Pro Evolution Soccer on PS3. Naif Alhomoud, the manager of the social activities division of SDC

and main organizer of the event, was very impressed with the outcome of the event. “It was an epic party … I hope everyone had a blast and I discovered that most of our new freshman students REALLY LOVE FOOD!” he said.

Anas Abudan

6

Thinking Pink for October – Breast Cancer Awareness Month:A Bake-SaleTehreem Khan

ANNUAL SURGICAL RESEARCH AND RESIDENTS’ DAYSaira Munir

Got dreams of presenting your own surgical research someday?

Quite a few Alfaisal students turned up at this year’s An-

nual Surgical Research & Residents’ Day with similar dreams and hopes; checking out how today’s surgeons

are laying the foundations for future research. Held on the 6th of October, at the Prince Salman Auditorium at KFSH&RC, the event was truly an inspiration for all who attended.

“Being a first year medical student, this day helped me get an insight about the type of research surgeons do. It’s fascinating how every break-through in this field makes a big difference, no matter how small it may be”- Sarah Rauf

October 2011 heralded the dawn of the first-ever event

organised by Alfaisal’s female students. In light of October, the universal breast cancer awareness month, female medi-cal students organized a bake-sale with the aim to donate all raised funds to “Zahra Foun-dation”, a local breast cancer organization in Saudi Arabia.

Thus, October 22nd and 23rd rendered

the reception area on the 2nd floor almost unrecognizable as shades of pink adorned every nook and cranny; stream-ers, helium balloons, flower displays, and even a life-sized balloon arrangement depicting the universal breast cancer “pink-ribbon” sign! The décor, however, was just the icing on the cake – or cupcake, rather. Beyond the hues of pink, silver and white, lay a mouthwatering array of scrumptiously decorated cupcakes, cookies, and a variety of other delec-table desserts – all prepared by the students for one solitary cause: fund-raising for those of our sisters fighting breast cancer. Through the laughter, the smiles, and the virtually palpable enthusiasm, there was no mistaking

the prevailing sense of unity; of work-ing towards a goal directed at bringing

relief to others – sentiments that are crucial backbones of such events, for without them, human compassion remains mere theory.

Here’s what some of the organizers and attendees had to say about the event:-

“I loved how everyone was so ec-static, cooperative, and generous - all working as a team with equal amounts of hard work from each and every

volunteer. The first batch of female medical students proved that not

only could they follow through with a task, but also go beyond expectations. Who would’ve thought… 6,734 Riyals! Con-grats!” – Shrouq Sulaimanie, Chief Organizer

“This event had a different taste to it because it was the first event of this year at Alfaisal, and what made it even more spe-cial is that it will always remain the first event to be held in the university by females!” – Zainab Kareem

“Cupcakes, cookies, and more cupcakes - bliss. In other words,

the sprinkle-topped fundraiser was a success; we had as much fun selling the goods as we had eating them. With the proceeds being charitable, it couldn’t have gone better.”

– Leen Raddaoui“PINK-tabulous! Wonderful spirit,

lots of fun organizing, and a great outcome. May it go towards the betterment of the patients’ lives and the prevention of Breast Cancer all round.” – Yosra AlMakadma

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For there’s something you may learn. Don’t quitWhen the night is darkest,For it’s just a while ‘til dawn;Don’t quitWhen you’ve run the farthestFor the race isAlmost won.Don’t quitWhen the hill is steepest,For your goal is almost nigh;Don’t quit,For you’re not a failureUntil you fail to try.”

Written By: Jill Wolf

Submitted By: Maryam Alkhairy

A Poet

A poet is like a cameraHe zooms in and capturesThe wordsHe sees the forbiddenHe jots it all down like he is a foreteller

A poet is an artistHe passes his brush everywhereHis words are a masterpieceIt’ll be so hard not to stareAt the beautiful colors and languageAnd the beautiful morals of a particu-lar heritage

A poet is a humanAn individual with feelings and an imaginationHe feels, speaks, and writesEither with unconsciousness or with fascination

A poet is a poet -A poet is meA poet in his or her world should be set free-A poet is me

By: AsmaAlNajjar

Immortal Micro Me

Immortal micro me evolving with no limitations,Your growth? Passionately disobe-

Don’t Quit

“Don’t quitWhen the tide is lowest, For it’s just about to turn;Don’t quitOver doubts and questions,

Poetry

Be Hopeful!

It appearsWhen everything is gone.It becomes visible,When everything vanishes.It is so divine thatIt fills happiness in every mind.It is so positive that It drags away all the negatives.It is so beautiful that It hides the unhappiness of life.It is like sunshineAbsorbing the blackest darkness.So why not hold its handAnd travel the uneven path of life?

By: Safia Andleeb

Heartless

Do you think you are heartless like a stone? Or did you just need to be alone? Did your misery drop you here…Or have you just lost your way home? I think you lost your mindWhen you decided to go blindWhen you forget your valuesHappiness is hard to find

dient and boundary-free.

Dysmorphic, defiant, and despicably silent micro me,Your chaotic enthusiasm shall put me in danger,

Breaker of logic, mathematically ir-rational, divider of me,I am indivisible yet rendered with no remainder,

Now. Sounds are seen, colours felt, and water has taste,Eternal micro me had cast the spell of irreversible haste,

A death’s synonym, a healer’s Achilles’, and an evil necromancer,Traitorous micro me ironically named CANcer

By: Mohammad Khusheim

8

Craving Freedom

Piercing anguished screams, Amid soaring bullets they dwell.Salty tearful streams, Exhibit mournful hell.Massacre of the innocent,Is indeed a horrible crime. Brutal butchery at its best,Is the subject of this rhyme.

They march through unsafe streets, Murmuring a heated chant. Hoping words can counteract vicious weapons, For justice their own lives they grant. For every spiraling bullet fired,They frantically disperse. Yet pray that their persistence Would put an end to this curse. United are their voicesHeroic are their souls Poetic are their murmurs, Unafraid of any death tolls.

It’s time to do some redemptionYour sins have reached the skyBecause when death seeks your soulThere’s no time to say goodbye Pray to Allah and ask for forgivenessHeaven is waiting and calling your nameCome clean yourself from all filthinessYou’ll gain glory, happiness, and fame

By: Mohammad Alsadoon

To you, dear leader, words are all I have to give. Oppose you with them I shall, as long as I live.

Dear coward, our heroes will surely prevail. Loss of status is what your coward-ice will entail. Dear murderer, the children you’ve slaughtered can never be replaced. Nor will their dear relatives; you’re exterminating our race. Dear heartless villain, you’re putting our patience to the test, As a mother sheds tears pounding on her deceased son’s chest. Dear imposter, in your promises we will never trust. For how could one who so freely slays his people be considered just? Dear pathetic sergeant, your armies will one day collapse. Our country will be free without further relapse!

The dust on our martyrs’ feet is far more valuable than your reign! The blood that was spilled will not go in vain! Our rights will be restored, our hearts will remain! The torture you’ve put us through will one day rebound! You will endure it in every depth and make not a sound!By utter silence we will no longer abide! Our lips are no longer sealed; our hands are no longer tied!You can pull every trigger and fire every missile, yet these words will not perish. Democracy and justice will forever

be cherished. Our freedom will be granted. Our freedom will be granted. Our freedom will be granted.

By: Leen Raddaoui

San Diego – California – USA, 2008- Taken By: Reem Hamadah

Moraine Lake – Alberta – Canada, 2010- Taken By: Reem Hamadah

Morning Duty

- Taken By: Motaz Chamseddin

9

Dear Alfaisal Students,

Whether you’re a first year or a last year student, you need

to organize your time and set your goals in order to success. Being new to this environment, I faced lots of dif-ficulties and felt lost. By time, I got to know what I wanted better; However, Maintaining my persistence is still a challenge. I discovered that through positive thinking any person can achieve anything, and actually, posi-tive thinking is positive energy. I’m sure you all heard of “positive energy”, but do you all have one?

Positive energy doesn’t just hap-pen to you. You create it, but

how can you create “energy” if energy is free and can directly escape?

Positive Energy

The world has gone from white to green in just a few months.

What it is that has morphed my sur-roundings thus is certainly something beyond our immediate senses. The clouds have lightened from thick and morose and moved out from the zenith, retreating to make way for the sparse, open skies of springtime. The sun, whose rays were challenged by winter’s frosty enclosure, has been set free... it now shines new dimensions unto the world, allowing us to see beyond the cold white walls that had been there.

The wind has changed from skin-flaying heartless cold,

to warmly gentle in breeze, allow-ing pedestrians across the city to lift their heads from the collars of their coats and leave their eyes to meet the horizon, their breaths allowed from visible and protracted to deep and free. The scents of grassy-meadow and nectar revive their senses with every inhalation.

With coats put back into closets, activity is restored

as animals come out of hiberna-tion and people stop avoiding the outdoors. Squirrels are again on the

loose, scurrying in search of acorns, and the birds in flocks fly over our heads, resuming their pre-migratory affairs. Their chirps and caws are again audible, adding melody to our morn-ing stretches.

Get in touch with your environ-ment… you’ll see wonders.

- By: Yosra Almakadma

On Changing Seasons: Winter to Spring

You have got to learn how to keep it in place.

I’ll ask every human of the 7 bil-lions out there a couple of ques-

tions: Do you have a goal? Do you believe in yourself ?

You create this positive energy when you set your dreams and

goals. We all want something so bad, and what we desire is often hard to get. This hard-to-get thing benefits us. In the process of getting the “hard-to-get thing”, you endure all obstacles. You encounter the REAL person you’re going to be for the next years of your life- a hopeful, hardworking human with innovation and determination. Always be sure of what you EX-ACTLY want, even if it’s against what others request from you. In the end, everyone leaves, but your hard work

and legacy remain.

Believe in yourself. Never un-derestimate the powers God

has granted you. Think, imagine, feel, speak, and act. Express yourself. If you suppress your words and feelings, you will face difficulties in delivering your needs to the world. Whatever you achieve has no worth if it hasn’t been delivered to the outer world. No influ-ence accomplished is similar to having no goal accomplished.

Finally, I discovered something essential: Faith. God always has

his way of signaling us the path of our dreams.

“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it”. – The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho - By: Asma AlNajjar

Articles

10

It is clear that ev-eryone is satisfied

with what they get here at Alfaisal, especially the medical students. Nev-ertheless, here is some perspective from my beloved colleagues in 2nd year that I thought I’d share.

You see, ever since the female

students joined the university, the male en-trance changed and so did the organization of the parking space. Every morning, cars entering and leaving the parking have the same entry/exit tunnel. Safety aside, the paths are also only

separated by cones and, needless to say, every-one follows the rules by not driving the wrong way.

It doesn’t stop there - typical

3rd semester male students should reach their classroom at least 30-45 minutes prior to the lecture to sit in one of the front rows, just like at the movies. This is because some individuals value the meaning of friendship by occupying sev-eral seats (6 at least) for their dear friends using everything from books, notebooks, papers,

pens/pencils, or even glasses to do so! Ad-ditionally, the fact that all seats are distributed along the same ground level makes it difficult for students sitting at the back to see the smart board.

Furthermore, and apart from our

class suddenly freezing at around 12:00 PM each day, our ceiling is now sporting a 2x2m opening that was an unfortunate result of the water pipe tragedy none of you have prob-ably heard of. How-ever, the main concern remains regarding the

“Professor...”

CRITICISM WITH BITS OF SARCASM

Professor, the lecture finished 10 minutes ago!

It is of no big surprise that you find medical students at Alfaisal com-

plaining of professors not finishing their lectures on time. This undoubt-edly has lead to a cascade of class delays and eventually, the students are left with no breaks in between classes. Therefore, students would kindly like this matter to be brought up to all the professors in general, and request that the lectures are finished on time... Please, we need those breaks!

Professor, please reference your presentations!

Many students have raised their concerns that some

professors at our medical college are not referencing their PowerPoint pre-sentations adequately. In such cases, students have found it rather difficult to relate the material present in the presentation to its primary source, for example when requiring a more in-depth analysis of the given topic. In addition, some students believe that it is unethical for our professors to use text, diagrams, figures or charts

published by other authors in their presentations without giving them their rightful credit. It should however be kept in mind that this complaint is restricted to but a few professors at our university.Professor...thanks!

Finally, it is of much importance to express gratitude to all those

professors who have taken the stu-dents’ requests and queries into con-sideration, and have worked to come up with feasible, acceptable solutions for the students. - By: Azhar Farooqui

Constructive Criticism

sudden mysterious engine like sounds interrupting our lectures every couple of minutes… - By: Khaled Zaza

Lake Louise – Alberta – Canada, 2010- Taken By: Reem Hamadah

11

By: Ali Rahmatullah

Inspiring, mind-changing, and thought-provoking, were all words and phrases in abundant use in the Twitterverse on the night of November 17th as the regal King Faisal Foundation auditorium was lit up by leaders of the present

and future. After the worldwide popularity of TED Talks and on the back of a successful TEDxNajd last year, Alfaisal’s very own TED licensee, Mohammad Al-Razaz, decided it was time to make TEDxAlfaisalU happen. With an organizing team consisting of Alfaisal greats such as AmmarAwaad, Adel Rajab, Ahmed Alshibi, Akram Husain, Sundus Aljazairy, Hammam Adam, Naif Ghazal, and Samer Al-Sagga, the seven-hour conference was deemed a success.

The three 90-minute long sessions were packed with motiva-tional speeches and stories of dreams becoming reality. Speak-

ers included students and faculty from Alfaisal as well as guests invited from Alkhobar and Jeddah. The highlights of the first session included a flawless performance by Nasir Arain on not giving excuses for life’s problems, a story of success and achievement by world renowned surgeon Dr. Khaled Kattan, and a thoughtful talk on education being a culture by Bara AlMakadma. Between the first and second session, there were refreshments served outside the venue whilst Naqi Rizvi awed the crowd with a beautiful solo on the keyboard piano.

The second session began with Qais Dirar’s discussion on achieving society’s maximum potential in which he introduced

OutLoud, a new club at Alfaisal aiming to do just that. Mohammad Firwanah spoke about the benefits of career counsel-ing and Razan Alazzouni wowed the crowd with her inspiring narration of success as she went from being an unknown fashion designer in Alkhobar to dressing starlets of Hollywood, the likes of Blake Lively and Taylor Swift. Next up, Lujain

TEDx Alfaisal: Inspiration from Within

“- Naqi Rizvi

Always have a smile on your face because it will not only remove your and someone else’s worries but will always keep you ready for a picture!

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TEDx Alfaisal: Inspiration from Within

”“ - Nasir Arain

A successful person is someone who doesn’t waste his/her time makingexcuses.

Alkhalifa powerfully motivated the audience through the power of faith and then the star of the night, NaqiRizvi, cap-tured the audience with a heart-warming tale of overcoming obstacles and the importance of family and determination in achieving his vision. The session concluded with interesting talks by Dr. Hisham Abad of engineering and Maha bint Abdulaziz.

After the brief prayer break, the third and final session began. This packed session brought in the respected Dean of Engineering, Dr. Abdulmajeed Mohammad, who talked about his pursuit of education from a small town in Iraq

to the prestigious Purdue University in Indiana. One of the brilliant speakers of the night took over the crowd next, Dr. Walid AlFitaihi, CEO of International Medical Center in Jeddah. He carefully explained his ten elements of success to a fully attentive crowd and left the stage to a standing ovation. Adel Helmi and Mohammad Samour took the stage next as they unveiled their new social network, Arboreal, which mixed creativity with user-friendliness. Engineering student Mohammad Ashour then emphasized the importance of ask-ing questions before the host of the event Ammar Awaad ended the night with yet another journey—one of bursting out of your comfort zone and expanding your horizons, a tailor-made speech with the cure to a mundane Riyadh!

The closing ceremony began with the man behind the event - the chief curator Mohammad Al-Razaz - who profusely thanked

the organizing committee, volunteers, and audience for giving rise to such a successful event. He also officially launched TEDxAlfaisalU Salon, a club at Alfaisal that would make sure that the inspiring ability of TED would continue at Alfaisal throughout the years.

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The Social & Development Committee (SDC): Hola!

The Social & Development Committee was estab-lished in January 2009, at a time when the most

exciting thing on campus was the cafeteria at lunch break. With the help of Student Affairs, the students of the SDC have grown from a handful to the largest and most active organization on campus. Founded and lead by Adel Helmi, Ammar Awaad, and Adel Al-Rajab, the SDC now includes a vibrant female section under the care of Jude Tashkandi and Sondos Aljazairy. Both sections hope to give you all a vault of unforgettable memories during your years at Alfaisal.

Our Vision

To see the Alfaisal community, especially the stu-dents, enjoying a complete college experience

filled with all the services and activities we have to offer,

and develop an enriched social, athletic, and academic life, bringing everyone in the community together in every way possible.

Our Mission

The SDC is dedicated to providing college experi-ences that are both desired and accepted within our

community while progressing with every step through im-proving on old establishments and also initiating innovative projects.

- Ammar Awaad – Batch 2, COM Males

- Adel Helmi – Batch 2, COM Males

- Jude Tashkandi – Batch 1, COB Females

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Join us by liking our Facebook page “Social & Development Committee (SDC)” & “Social & Develop-ment Committee (SDC) – Females” or follow our Twitter @SDC_AU & @SDC_F. And for any inqui-ries contact us at: [email protected] for males or [email protected] for females.

Marketing and PR Managers

Our primary goal will be, to keep the Alfaisal com-munity up-to-date with all information on events

and projects on and off campus. We promise to make sure each event is strongly promoted, using new innovative advertising ideas along the way.

- Ashfaq Ahmed Faiz – Batch 3, COM Males

- Feda Nasser Al Kaud – Batch 1, COB Females

Student Services Managers

We aim to improve and

enhance the students’ experience at Alfaisal, increasing effective-ness and productivity in every conceivable aspect, changing the ordinary university life, to an extraordinary one, where the student gains from every encounter, and most importantly, making every student feel as a part of the Alfaisal name.

- Khaled bin Bander Alsaud – Batch 1, COS Males

- Noorah Ruxshan – Batch 1, COM Females

Social Activities Managers

While the university strives to give you the best education possible, the Social Activities divi-

sion strives to make your time at Alfaisal as enjoyable as it can be. Every student not only deserves but also needs a break from all the stress and take some time to just relax, and we’ll try our best to provide all the opportunities and events you desire.

- Naif Jaber Alhomoud – Batch 3, COB Males

- Yosra Almakadma – Batch 1, COM Females

Athletics Managers

We believe a strong body leads to a strong mind so we want to provide a rich learning environment

by engaging students in an athletic and competitive atmo-

sphere because we feel sports are an unmatched teaching tool. Our vision is to promote athletic excellence on the field where our athletes will learn life lessons that will help them off the field.

- Ahmed Warraich – Batch 2, COM Males

- Arien Alwabil - Batch 1, COB Females

Clubs Managers

SDC Club’s division intends to work together with the Alfaisal student body in the formation of intra-

university clubs to pro-vide students with the opportunity to build upon and further excel in the fields they have an interest in, and we will continue to launch new clubs every chance we get.- Azhar Farooqui – Batch 2, COM Males

- Norah Alkirdis – Batch 1, COB Fe-males

Finance Managers

Our generous sponsors have helped the SDC stock a good number of supplies that would benefit us

in the future. The Finance division is the pole that all the other divisions lean on and by the end of the year we aim to gain the trust of new resources to provide for their needs. We will be working to control and keep records of all the resources used for any SDC event, using the past to give us the experience we need to improve the quality of future events.

- Hasan Ismail – Batch 3, COB Males

- Sarah Al Azzam – Batch 1, COS Males

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