Feature

Quotes on Friendship

"A new friendship is like an unripened fruit - it may become either an orange or a lemon"
- Emma Stacey

"My friends are my estate."
- Emily Dickinson

"Anybody can sympathise with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathise with a friend's success."
- Oscar Wilde

"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out."

"A friend is someone who is there for you when he'd rather be anywhere else."
- Len Wein

"A friend is one who believes in you when you have ceased to believe in yourself."

"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."

"Sometimes you pick your friends, sometimes they pick you."

"I can trust my friends. These people force me to examine, encourage me to grow."

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being."
-Goethe

"Friendship is one mind in two bodies."
- Mencius

"It's the friends you can call up at 4am that matter."
- Marlene Dietrich

"A friend is a gift you give yourself."
- Robert Louis Stevenson

"Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel; But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatch'd, unfledg'd comrade."
- William Shakespeare

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."
- Mother Teresa

"Friendship with oneself is all-important because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world."
- Eleanor Roosevelt

"Misfortune shows those who are not really friends."
- Aristotle

"Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of joy you must have somebody to divide it with."
- Mark Twain

"My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me."
- Henry Ford

"It is a sweet thing, friendship, a dear balm,
A happy and auspicious bird of calm..."
- Shelly

"The best way to keep your friends is not to give them away."
- Wilson Mizner

"Friendship is always a sweet responsibilty, never an oppourtunity."
- Kahil Gibran
Source: http://www.friendship.com.au

The proposal for SAU was made by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the SAARC Summit in Dhaka in December 2005 and later endorsed by the eight member nations. The Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee laid its foundation at a 100-acre plot in Maidan Garhi, in south Delhi on May 26. The campus construction is due to start early next year. This university cannot be weighed against any other in the region. It will give birth to global students from the region. Faculty, course curricula, facilities and infrastructure will be of global standards.

A course likely on offer is a conflict resolution given that terrorism is a major problem confronting the world but the final decision on academic activities will be taken in February next year when the curricula and by-laws would be drafted.

Here, one can pick and choose any item he/she likes. In this university too, one can have more liberty and wider choice and there will be no narrow distinctive barriers.

The initial investment for SAU will be made by the Indian government after which the member countries could contribute and the university would also raise money from international financial institutions and donors.

The university could take up special studies on economics, culture, religion and societies in the SAARC nations. The progress of the university will be monitored at three layers - inter-ministerial committee, inter-governmental steering committee and a sub-committee.

The sub-committee, which comprises the UGC chairman of each country, is in charge of implementing the project and selected Chadha for the post of CEO. Gowhar Rizvi of Harvard University, who was entrusted with the task of preparing the university's concept note, has advised a middle path between Government-funded and private education. The role of the SAARC nation Governments will be confined to providing annual subsidies and grants, the concept note has recommended. Earnestly it hopes, SAU will enlighten the whole South Asia to compete the present day globalization.

Email: mohd-s-islam@myway.com

Fiction: It's not always healthy to stick to facts.

I am told that it's a common drowsy effigy to be in the youthful 20s and feel agitated over our methodical and already predictable life paved away for us. Studies then jobs, then money and family and ultimately death in a nutshell, so to speak. There must be more, the energy within an average youth ponders to himself. Life has more to it, right? Well such beyond sea level philosophy is fine until they shift to a more deviant mode with the “hippie go lucky” sticker stuck on their forehead. Excessive doping and mopping the ash is not necessarily the answer to anything. In fact, then you simply appear dummier than before because proving a point behind a cloud of stinks-zone in a state of laughter and “oopsies” doesn't really bring a great message to altering the rational capitalist society.

I once asked a friend why he smokes so much. No relationship crisis, no peer pressure, no financial issues and no responsibilities at hand. Ah, that's why! He replied, “There isn't much else to do around here.” No kidding, there really isn't much, but the hidden truth is that we enjoy that. We secretly enjoy complaining about the loud ticking of the clock! We enjoy sulking back and assuming that the life ahead is indeed dark and dead. We want help to get away from this 'zone' and we like to ask for it out loud because the ones in really deep trouble are probably running around busy fixing their mess.

The rest of us are depressed and frustrated because “life sucks.” Why? “There isn't much to do around here!” It's a perpetual sabotaging cycle I tell you a cycle of “mood swinging couch potatoes.” And we enjoy it! As an alternative, so that we can get away from the depression momentarily until we are ready to get back into the self-pity mood, we pick food.

The next alternative, never gender specific, is shopping, pools, movies in a cyclical fashion. The nerd-squad who are usually trapped in their encyclopedias suddenly seem more productive in their silent ways. Then again, what is it all for really? Better jobs, more money, more shopping and eating and finally a stroke and 2 heart operations (mostly those who become doctors).

One of the most amazing facts of youth today would be a mimicry version of having a bipolar disorder. Out of seven days of the week there will be three days of depression, three days of feeling wild and a one-day weekend to re-energize the body for a new contradictory week ahead. And then there are plain idiots too caught up in denials and romanticism. While people were literally hanging off trees in Sidr last year, many back in the city enjoyed the beautiful rain where they drenched for amusement and drew romantic conversations about the pour of emotion. They also discussed the scary yet super cool weather that they could watch behind a safe and sealed window.

And then there were those who were just happy to find themselves in some extra holidays. Sure, not everyone is like that, otherwise how would the world proceed right? Just a few self-centered ignorant peeps along with some tragic lovers or ones too caught up with the latest buzz on Sex and the City or something. Another friend of mine added that too much time meant too much to think about too much nonsense. It's a classic line but the truth is stop sulking and “Get a life really,” you are five minutes short in your life span already!

English in Action
AIUB's action-packed creativity ends in style!

M. Hamidul Haque
& Dr. Silvarine de Silva

ANOTHER first! And what better platform than the American International University , Bangladesh (AIUB)! They came together in spirit of competition, more so for the launching of a brand new product in any English Department.

'English in Action: A Literary Competition', a brainchild of the Dr Charles Villaneuva, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), reached its climax last week on July 24, after a very short two weeks of preparation, where students and faculty members worked in unison to reach a climax in the form of the finals of the English in Action competition. After a two-week elimination round among two hundred students of first and second semester from Arts & Social Sciences, Business, Science, and Engineering departments contested in five different creative categories titled 'Oration', 'Impromptu Speaking', 'Manuscript Reading', 'Dramatic Monologue' and 'Choral Recitation', the best 5 contestants in the first 4 categories and best 3 groups n the last category fought with their hearts in the Grand Finals in front of distinguished judges.

In fact, the panel of judges starred several stalwarts like, Mr Aly Zaker (famous theatre-TV personality and columnist), H.E. Mr Alex Lamadrid (Minister & Consul General of Philippines Embassy), Prof. Shaheen Kabir (eminent faculty & researcher of English, Jahangirnagar University) , Mr Shahnoor Wahid (Assistant Editor of The Daily Star & prominent columnist) and Ms Shenin Ziauddin (popular English news presenter of BTV & faculty, BRAC University).

Master of the Ceremony Dr. Faheem Hasan Shahed, Head of the English department, welcomed the judges, guests, the competitors, faculty members and all present, describing the purpose of such innovative event. Dr. Charles Villanueva, the Dean of FASS, expressed the dream of hosting it soon at the national level for the benefit of the greater student community.

Under the categories of Oration, Impromptu Speaking, Dramatic Monologue, Manuscript Reading and Choral Recitation, fresher and second semester students competed in professional spirit.

The competition was not only for the students. Awards were also lined up for the course instructors who trained the competitors. After the first round of elimination, selected students prepared themselves to deliver their models with much authenticity perceived in each competing individual.

As the judges were calculating and battling with their minds selecting the winners, a faculty member of English, Mr. Debasish Biswas enthralled the audience with Lalon's 'Jaat gelo jaat gelo' while Dr. Charles mesmerized all with a hit Dianna Ross number 'If we hold on together' backed by Dr Faheem on the keyboard.

The winners were as follows: Syeda Noore Aynin (Oration), Fahmim Ferdous (Impromptu Speaking), Ahmed Shakib (Manuscript Reading), Rehnuma Mannan (Dramatic Monologue) and 'Shining Star' group (Choral Recitation).

Prof. Shaheen Kabir, speaking on behalf of the panel of judges, said they (the panel) were very pleased to be a part of this kind of competition, which was the first of its kind in any university. She urged competitions of this nature be spread to other universities in the neighbourhood. She stated that AIUB had taken a bold step forward in promoting English within the campus. The award ceremony was graced by the presence of AIUB's vibrant Vice Chancellor, Dr Carmen Z Lamagna, who first congratulated all participants and their course instructors as well all those involved in making the programme a success.

Dr Lamagna further thanked the judges for taking time off their busy schedules to be with the programme. She said that their presence enlightened and encouraged the students and that she hoped that they would continue to give their support to encourage the spread of English in Bangladesh. She then gave away certificates to all the finalists and their instructors, and crests to the winners and crests of recognition to the respective instructors.

(The writers are Assistant Professors of English department, AIUB)

Exploring the greatness of Louis Kahn

By AIUB Arts & Social Sciences Students

THE Sangsad Bhaban (Parliament House) of Bangladesh situated at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka is a unique creation of philosopher-architect Louis I Kahn. We, the students of Arts & Social Sciences (Department of Advertising, English and Mass Communication) of AIUB found ourselves lucky to get permission from the authorities for visiting the interior of the building and exploring the work of art of this famous architect. Our teacher for the course Art & Aesthetics, Mr. Niaz Majumdar arranged the tour on 14th July 2008. We were lucky to have renowned architect Nahas Ahmed Khalil with us who made us understand the architectural essence of this monumental building.

An artificial lake called Crescent Lake encircles the building. It's as if the entire building is floating thereby symbolizing our green Bangladesh on floating water. Despite 160 ft height (approximately equivalent to a 5-story building), the structure doesn't seem too high from outside. The quiet environment and presence of natural light inside the building has made this structure distinct compared to others. The structure is made up of concrete, and Kahn didn't use columns rather he used concrete walls with circular and triangular openings that ensure natural light and air. Thus, the building does not require much artificial light and air.

These facts mesmerized us a lot. We were also eager to find out the silent environment inside the building and to our delight found a dreamy, calm and quite environment there. These are actually the greatness of the Kahn design. Louis I Kahn was commissioned to design this complex structure in 1962.

Kahn's skills got comprehensiveness in this particular design and thus the building has become one of the wonders of modern architecture and our pride as well. Unfortunately, he died in 1974 before this monumental artistic work was completed. The work was largely completed in July 1983 and was awarded the Aga Khan Award (the highest international award in architecture) for Architecture for the National Assembly Building in 1989.

(The writers are the first batch students of Arts and Social Sciences, AIUB)

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