It was fall 2006 and I was a wide-eyed freshman walking into ClubFest. From the first time I had received the Cornell brochure that boasted 200+ student organizations, there were two that I knew for sure I wanted to join: the Lebanese Club at Cornell (LCC) (which I had already contacted over the summer) and the Arab Students Association. I roamed up and down the aisles in Barton searching for the latter, preparing in my mind what I would say when I met the club’s members: “Hi, I’m Noura Choueiri, (said of course, with an impressive Arabic accent) I’ve really been looking forward to joining your club.”

I have absolutely no idea why Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would agree to speak at Columbia University — I mean, we’re talking about Columbia, one of the best universities in the entire world, and Ahmadinejad, arguably one of the dumbest leaders in the entire world. Given, President Bush is no great orator or intellectual thinker either, but at least he lets other people write his responses for him or eludes answering questions altogether. Ahmadinejad, on the other hand, vetoes all diplomacy and subtlety (apparently he’s never heard of “think before you speak”), saying whatever is on his mind no matter the effect on any iota of credibility he may have had left. Thus, when Columbia President Lee C.

It’s that time of year again. No, I’m not talking about prelims or when everyone at Cornell collectively gets sick and you can’t hear what your professor is saying in lecture over all the coughing. No dear friends, its Ramadan!!! I’ve already called/text messaged all my Muslim friends and wished them a happy holiday and am expecting to receive a few calls myself. It’s not because I’m Muslim, it’s just because I’m Arab.

I’d like to open my column by saying welcome to the class of 2011. Last year at this time, I had completed my first task on the “161 Things Every Cornellian Should Do” List by sending in #61 — “an angry letter to the editor of The Sun.” And now, in my second year, I have my own column — who knew?