Civic engagement and AUC

length: 13:10

Lead-in: The idea of volunteering has become a trend for students in today's world. The American University in Cairo proves to have a diverse set of these activities as we explore the role of civic engagement in Egypt.

For the complete script, visit here.

Welcome to the Rundown!

A Radio program called "The Rundown" welcomes you to the world of Technology, where the host Samah Ali and Rundown producers, Caroline Elias and Mai El-Kady join us.

In this episode, the Rundown participants discussed the use of the various technology on campus as well as those emerging in today's tech-sphere. Topics ranged from the use of tablets, mobile phones and laptops, to what's hip and what's practical.

The second half of the segment introduces the Manager of Multimedia services at AUC's Center for Learning and Teaching, Ahmed Zorkani.

Special thanks to Ahmed Zorkani for attending the show, and Rundown producers Caroline Elias and Mai El-Kady.

Music credits:  "Sleepless Nights" by Anitek via Jamendo

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Journal:

- We were not aware of what exactly was to be included other wise we would have been able to make it much content-richer.

- As a group, we did not adhere to our roles.

- We were supposed to have an interview with someone else from the CLT department at 2 PM but she cancelled on the same day at around 9:30 AM. to compromise, she provided us with some names of people to interview, to which we immediately hunted down and interviewed before our 10 AM class with Dr. Kim Fox.

- What we though was an accomplishment turned out to be of low quality. We were able to record everything beforehand but did not realize it lacked information.

Thank you and no, no more group work.

Podcast: Save the World on Your Own Time

Picture taken from http://chronicle.com

Title of the book
Save the World on Your Own Time

Author
Stanley Fish

Excerpt taken from the "Introduction" section of the book.

An M-Audio was used in the recording of this podcast.

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Script of podcast:

Not long ago, there was a time when I was responsible for a college with close to 30 departments and units, a budget of between 50 and 55 million dollars, 400 tenure-track faculty members, 700 staff, 10,000 undergraduate students, 2,000 graduate students, and 17 buildings. On any given day, I had to deal with disciplinary proceedings, tenure and promotion cases, faculty searches, chair searches, enrollment problems, fundraising, community outreach, alumni relations, public relations, curriculum reform, counteroffers, technology failures, space allocation, information systems, chair meetings, advisory committee meetings, deans council meetings, meetings with the provost, student complaints, faculty complaints, parent complaints, and taxpayer complaints. Office hours were 8:30 a.m. to whenever and often extended into the evenings and weekends. Vacations were few and far between. The pressure never relaxed.

When I left the job slightly more than five years, I felt that I had all the time (well, not quite all) in the world at my disposal, and for a while, spent it by trying to improve everyone I met, whether or not those I ministered to welcomed my efforts.

Although I was no longer a dean, I couldn’t shake the habit of being at the office every day, all day. Because I had nothing in particular to do, I roamed the halls looking for things that were wrong and I found them.

Stray pieces of furniture you couldn’t give away sat (or sprawled) in front of an office door. I stuck my head in and informed the occupant (why did he or she listen to me?) that the offending items must be removed by the end of the day.

Continuing down the halls, I found the panels separating two elevators festooned with announcements of lectures that took place two years ago. I proceeded to rip the leaflets down. Halfway through I decided that no one should be posting anything there anyway; so I removed every announcement, no matter how current, and, for good measure, I tore away the surface the announcements adhered to and threw all the thumbtacks and push-pins into the trash.

I noticed that someone had left a small carton of books, intended no doubt for impecunious graduate students who might have made good use of them. I didn’t care; into the trash they went, too.

But then it was time to go to class (I was still teaching), where, in an enclosed space, my students received the full force of my reforming zeal. I told them that I hadn’t the slightest interest in whatever opinions they might have and didn’t want to hear any.  I told them that while they may have been taught that the purpose of writing is to express oneself, the selves they had were not worth expressing, and that it would be good if they actually learned something. I told them that on basis of their performance so far they should sue their previous teachers for malpractice. I told them that anyone who says “I know it, but can’t explain it” would flunk the course.

After an hour and a half they escaped, except for one of them, who came to my office for further instruction. Although it was the end of the third week, she was still not quite sure about the structure of the basic English sentence. (This, of course, was a reflection on me, not her.) I took her through the subject and predicate slots and she seemed to understand who or what an actor is, but she couldn’t quite get the concept of the object of the action.

We were working with a sentence she had composed, “I threw the book into the garbage.” I asked her, “In that sentence what is the relationship between ‘threw’ and ‘book’?” She didn’t know. I tried again: “What is the impact on the object of the action?” She didn’t understand the question.

I decided that an illustration might do the trick; so I picked up a book on my desk and threw it. It hit a shelf of books a few feet away. She said nothing for a few seconds and then asked in a voice calmer than mine would have been, “Can I drop this course?” “Yes,” I answered (hoping to escape prosecution), and she left – the one person in the entire week who managed to get away.

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For a brief preview of the other chapters of the book:

 http://books.google.com.eg/books?id=GiGV7Q-YUNIC&pg=PP11&lpg=PP11&dq=save+the+world+on+your+own+time+stanley+fish+introduction+chapter&source=bl&ots=zWivMb9nMD&sig=bDAOd7kijU7GWahkOUpuX5eq3tM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nEqfUK_lHcXWtAbO6IHgBg&redir_esc=y

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Civic Engagement Promo

Civic Engagement Promo Script:

Lead: There is just so much opportunity to be involved in society by joining student clubs at the American University in Cairo (A-U-C). Explore the diverse amount of activities and topics that the A-U-C community steps on when on the topic of civic engagement.


[00:00] Quiet Background
No money? No transport? Why would you ever volunteer?

[00:04] Rewind sound-effect, part of music

[00:06] Music begins in the background
Because I get exposed to so much. I learned too much from it, yaany, through my experience in any club actually, no just A-Y-B, I've learnt a lot.

[00:16] music continues ...
Well I guess that's good enough. Attend the listening session at A-U-C's New Cairo campus on Sunday, December 9 and Wednesday, December 12 at 10 A-M, each day in the BEC Building, Room 10-60.

[00:26] Music, fade out
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Music used: Aderech Arada Kiddid Remix by Debo Band
Persons used: Samah Ali; Walid Hussien

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Bitly link:
[ http://bit.ly/Ra3VoK ]

An interview with a student: Walid Hussien

Find out more on why students volunteer nowadays. How much do they learn and how much do they actually give back?This is a 4:30 minute segment of an interview with Walid Hussien from Yemen, a petroleum engineering senior at the American University in Cairo.



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Interview 1: Civic Engagement

Interview Transcript

Interviewer:  Samah Ali

Narrator: Walid Hussien

Dates: October 15, 2012

Place: Room 2008,

Library, AUC New Cairo, Egypt

College: The American University in Cairo (AUC)

Prof.: Dr. Kim Fox

Date completed: October 17, 2012

Samah Ali                               Walid Hussien Interview                                        1/1

October 15, 2012

Persons Present: S - Samah Ali, 

                           W - Walid Hussien

Walid Hussien, petroleum
engineering senior at AUC

[00:00 – 00:04] S: How would you define civic engagement?

[00:04 – 00:36] W: Civic engagement is being involved in activities that develop and … develop the community and aim at engaging the community, not just providing service to them. But engaging them so that they would benefit themselves.

[00:26 – 00:29] S: Do you feel it is benefitting the Egyptian Society?

[00:29 – 00:39] W: I feel community service is benefitting the Egyptian society and every society if done well, sufficiently.

[00:39 – 00:42] S: What are you involved in?

[00:42 – 01:08]  W: I am involved in, I was involved in so many clubs, and I still am. For example, I was involved in the AYB club, Help club, theater club, and SPE club, Pinch club, and I was a co-founder and project head of the women empowerment club.

[01:08 – 01:11] S: Why did you start volunteering?

[01:11 – 01:34] W: I started volunteering because I wanted to fulfill my free times and I thought it would be a great way to do that, and to gain a lot of experience, and to make connections, it gives me a lot of self-satisfaction to help others.

[01:34 – 01:37] S: Describe your experience at AYB.

[01:37 – 02:38] W: My experience at AYB was very very enriching, and it opened my horizons, especially after that I got to teach English for a group of unprivileged people in the community of Ein El-Seera, which is a very poor and undeveloped community. I got exposed to that community, which I use to think that going to downtown, and such places is the worst Egypt can be, but when I went there I saw how hard their lives were and yeah, how difficult it was for them to sustain that life for themselves and their children and yet they made time for education. It was very interesting.

[02:38 – 02:42] S: What would a typical workday at AYB be like?

[02:42 – 03:46] W: A typical workday at AYB would be like, me going to the place, the Ein El-Seera, a little place for youth. It’s like a small cultural center and sports center and then I go to the classroom, I wait a little bit for people, they come in and greet me, they’re of different ages, I used to teach mothers and their children in the same class and …. I ask them questions about their days and they ask me questions about mine; where I come from, and things about my culture, they used to ask me questions about that more than they asked me questions about the teaching material, and at the end of the class, we talk for a little bit. They promise to bring me food and they would cook me for the next time, and everything and they’re very friendly and then I go home.

[03:46 – 03:50] S: Would you say AYB is a good example for the Egyptian youth?

[03:50 – 04:31] W: I think AYB is to a big extent a good example for the Egyptian youth, because they involve themselves in so many activities, and they are very committed, very very committed. My head and my project head and a lot of the members there are very committed; they spend so much time planning for things and running meetings, preparing materials and yeah …

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The bitly link to this page!
or simply: ( http://bit.ly/VaWEug )

A Waterfall on campus

So using the previous Nat sound exercise "Sounds around you", I've come up with a silly narration after compiling a few of the Nat sounds.

Wala!



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SCRIPT (Because I'm so professional):

(Squeaking Steps on Stairs)
Have you walked all around campus?

Find the gardens and walk ahead.
(Rustling Leaves of a Tree)

You are bound to find a waterfall.
(Fountain)

So go back, call your friends.
(Squeaking Steps on Stairs)

Bring them hear and have a great time.
(Fountain)
(People Chatting by Tarwi2a)


[Background room tone to maintain balance throughout]

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Sounds around you

Nat Sound Exercise


This is a Nat Sound Exercise. Six different natural sounds were taken from different areas around the Plaza at the American University in Cairo (AUC).

Here is a description of the audio file:

00:00 - 00:06 Squeaking Steps on Stairs
00:07 - 00:12 Customer and Cashier at Quick 24
00:13 - 00:17 Rustling Leaves of a Tree
00:18 - 00:23 People Chatting by Tarwi2a
00:24 - 00:30 Fountain
00:31 - 00:36 Windy

A Documentary: Kohn Ashmore

Kohn Ashmore Illustration
by Jacob Boll, RadioLab

          Documentary:

                                                       KOHN  

                Producer:

                            Andy Mills

                Narrator:

                            Andy Mills

                 Length:

                             08:05

A Brief Introduction

Andy Mills, the producer of the documentary KOHN, is a friend of Kohn Ashmore. According to a blog from Radiolab, Kohn’s voice is what drew Andy’s attention to him in the first place. Over time they created a friendship in which Kohn shared some of his personal stories that led Andy to create this documentary.

What we don’t know is that, Kohn is slow. Slow – he speaks slowly and he walks slowly. This is a cause of an unfortunate accident when he was only 8-years-old. And what is remarkable about this story is that Kohn never realized that his voice had changed, due to two deaf parents, until one day when he recorded himself singing … which left him terrified.

The documentary is narrated by Andy Mills.

Capturing Interest

This documentary is definitely interesting to the average person, one who is not aware of these issues. Andy Mills found a personal story that is unusual, with the added bonus of actually capturing the audiences’ interest by having them ask: How can Kohn not know how his voice sounds like?

Like the little description found under the audio file, we all know how our voice sounds but how can Kohn not know? The documentary sheds light on the life of a disabled individual. Because Kohn shares with us his personal story, we see through his eyes how he sees the world and his reactions to it.

Easy on the Ears

The quality of the audio is smooth and good. I would not call it amateur but perhaps better audio experts may. The transition in the background sound did not disrupt my concentration at all. The producer’s voice was clear and understandable. He also successfully integrated Nat sound that would create a sense of the moment.

For example, when he talked about Kohn’s crush in college, he used the sound of girls giggling. Another example is when he called his friends to talk about Kohn, he would use the same background sound you would use when using a phone.

Smooth Talking

The first thing I appreciated was the narrator’s voice. It was fun. It was clear. He spoke clearly making sure he pronounced every letter well-roundedly. Part of keeping the audiences’ interest was also Andy’s way of narration. He builds emotion with every scenario. He is playful and talks as if he’s talking with us. He also spaces out his words. If you concentrate on him talking, you will notice he may say three to four words fast and the remainder of the sentence spaced out thereby creating clarity and understanding.

Pen to Paper

“He began to cry, he felt angry, how come no one told him about this? He thought, well he could have told him about it. Kohn was the hearing child of two deaf parents.” [03:44 - 03:56]

The narrator’s script is very informal. He speaks as though he is talking to a friend, which brings us closer to the story. Not only that but he builds his sentence on a step-by-step basis on how Kohn felt and what Kohn did next. He also satisfied certain sentences with reasons.

Again, the best part about the way he structured the narration was the way he made it sound “home-y”. It was comfortable and easy on the ears.

Just the Right Size

The length of the documentary was not too long and not too short. The producer successfully provided a reason for every story. Why hadn’t Kohn noticed a change in his voice?—both his parents were deaf and there was no one to tell him. When did he notice he sounded different?—the mix tape story. And so on. All this information was not purposefully stretched out to make the documentary seem bulky and yet we are left satisfied.

Hello and Goodbye

Maybe some would argue but I would have to say that this documentary had a great beginning and a great ending. The producer was not afraid to use Kohn’s not-so-great voice to introduce us to what we should be expecting. He later started with the question, “Kohn, are you ready?” as a sort of enthusiasm or excitement.

The same goes for the ending. Throughout the whole eight minutes, Andy as well as Kohn mention how not-so-great his voice was and well … that kept me curious. It kept me waiting and anxious to hear Kohn singing and Bam! He sings at the end, which I would say put a strong end to a sad and happy story.

The Steering Wheel

The website Third Coast Festival, was very to navigate through. They had different documentaries one after the other marked clearly inside boxes. The word “LISTEN” is placed in the left side of every box that directs us to the audio file with available relevant information. It is not hard to read and the links are obvious and visible.

Perhaps the only difficulty or rather irritation with the website is the audio file. After you are referred to the audio by clicking on “LISTEN”, you will proceed by clicking the play button. Perhaps you’ve missed something and would like to move it a few seconds behind … no, you can’t. In order to do that, you will have to refresh the page and listen to the audio from the very beginning, which is an inconvenience.

Pointing It Out

Perhaps what made this documentary a success is Andy’s familiarity with Kohn. Andy approached Kohn and patiently listened to him. He learned about him and became his “friend”. I would point out that it is this connection they have that made it easier for Andy to create the script. He showed us a relationship between himself and Kohn, which made him create this “special” documentary.