English Club Oujda (ECO)

Hello everybody,
 
We hope you are having a nice holiday time.
 
ECO is about to issue its annual e-newsletter, that of September 2011. We would like to inform you that we will be receiving your contributions to this issue till September 15th. You may send us any piece of writing in which you express your opinions, thoughts or feelings, or any drawing or picture through which you communicate your ideas, and also any piece of writing you may have appreciated and translated into English.
 
Please send your contributions, questions and suggestions to: englishcluboujda@gmail.com or to
hashasmohammed@gmail.com
 
Please do forward this email to your contacts.
 
 
RAMADAN MUBARAK SAID TO ALL!

After a long absence, I am pleased to write another workshop report, this time about the ending ceremony of the Public Speaking Workshop, in its third season.

I met mostly new faces, and I could see how much energy and enthusiasm came from their faces and moves. As to Mr. Bendaha – the head of the American Corner, he was, with his presence and care for everything, no less energetic than a person in his late twenties, not to exaggerate! To go on talking about remarkable people in this memorable afternoon, I should mention first Mr. Mostafa Chaachaoui, the program supervisor. The workshop has flourished – among other factors – thanks to his commitment, sense of responsibility and care for all members. Finally, I should mention Mr. Jaouad Benaïcha, the cameraman who was capturing the best moments of the party.

The ending ceremony was enlightened by the presence of professors El Mediouni and Bsaithi, who encouraged the activities and efforts done and gave advice to students. They also stressed the importance of keeping this workshop going for the benefit of all. No one would forget Mr. Bsaithi’s witty sense of humor too!

Apart from this, girls’ presence was particularly noticeable. First, they outnumbered boys; second, they were filling the front line of seats; and third, they expressed their impressions more than the boys did. I cannot say if that was the case all throughout the workshop, but I would like to say: please girls, do not say you are on the margin anymore! And please boys: we do need your presence, with the full sense of the word!

I come now to the progress of the ceremony. Once I entered, the music that was playing attracted me. Nice choice guys! Mostafa opened the party by welcoming the attendance. He then gave a brief historical account about the PSW since its first season in 2009, mentioning the names of those who marked each one of its stages.

A video presenting the corner and its services, along with shots from PSW sessions followed. The floor was then open to the members to express their feelings about the season they participated in making. Their comments reflected their pleasure to have been members of the workshop and how much they benefitted from it. I particularly noticed their fluency in English and the easiness with which most of them spoke. As to critics, they expressed their regret for the Reading Club that had to stop this year, for reasons that Mostafa plainly explained, promising to think about it seriously next year “if we’re still alive,” he said. In my intervention, I expressed how much I was glad to see the PSW flourishing, after I gave it the first big push two years ago (with the help and encouragement of many people there is no space here to mention). I encouraged everybody to carry on their activity, learn and improve constantly.

The next step was to reward the American Corner staff who are in charge of running the OAC on weekends: Mr. Aziz Eddif and Mrs. Assia Hamzaoui for their kindness and cooperation. Then Public Speaking Workshop members rewarded Mr. Bendaha with a certificate of appreciation for his innumerable services, professionalism and kindness. Finally Mr. Chaachaoui, Professor Bsaithi and Professor El Mediouni rewarded PSW active members.

It was kind of the US Embassy in Rabat to reward the participants, with very nice certificates signed by Mary Jeffers, the Counselor for Press and Cultural Affairs, to whom many thanks were sent by all the members for her support and care; the same thanks were sent also to all PAS staff who are doing a great job to make the OAC what it is.

Top members were awarded books, which is – in my opinion – the most precious gift that could ever be offered. The last award went of course to the workshop supervisor, Mr. Mostafa Chaachaoui, to whom Mr. Bendaha gave a certificate and a book as well. I cannot move without mentioning Miss Lamia Bilal, who insisted on saying a word as she was given her certificate: “Maskhinash!” (We’ll miss the workshop).

Before last, we had the chance to watch a video report about Miss Sara Fadli’s interesting course in the PSW, noting her personal development – as an example among many – with Mostafa’s testimony about her. The report was signed Mr. Jaouad Benaïcha for filming, and Mr. Mohammed Bendaha for editing (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xierqu_sara-fadli_webcam).

Finally, it was time for lemonade and for sharing the SPW big cake!

What is sure is that everyone will remember Mr. Bendaha’s words: “You’re writing history!”

Soumaya Ben Rochd
21/05/2011

 Twisted Tongues Convey Distorted Identities
(Editorial)  

 I have just been asked by a Moroccan friend about my suggestions for him to facilitate his learning of Dutch language. He arrived to Amsterdam two months ago, and he has shown worth-applauding stamina and interest in the language of the society that is hosting him for studies. In addition to Arabic, his native language, good French, and very good English, the young man is now adding Dutch. 

The PSW (2009-2010): A Promising Season  

The Public Speaking Workshop launched its activities on the 16th of October 2009. The supervising team explained to the participants – whose number reached 18 – the objectives of the workshop, namely: learn to deal with fear, acquire self confidence and deliver a good presentation in front of the public.  

Since most of the participants were students, the team responsible for the PSW decided that the 22nd of May would be the last session, as the exams were getting closer. On May 23rd, a closing party was organized at the American Corner, in which the effective participants were rewarded with certificates. All the participants deemed the PSW to be successful and wished such an activity would continue in the coming years. 

Three Friends, Three Minds
(short story by Mostafa Chaâchaoui)  

(…) Yassine uncovered his sleepy face out of his blankets. In fact, he was used to receive such “good mornings” from his mother, so he behaved as if she was addressing someone else. He peeped at his cell phone to check if there was any SMS. But seeing that there was no message, and it was only 08:30, he resumed his pillow and warm blankets.   

(…)  

“Were you born in a crowd or what?” Added Hajj Ahmed rebuking the young man.  

All the people who were in full concentration earlier burst into a loud laughter. The Imam sermon was forgotten on the spot and that funny incident became the main subject for further discussion outside the mosque. 

 An Introduction to American Culture: Contradiction and Compromise -William Faulkner
(booklet summary by Soumaya Ben Rochd) 

Memoirs of an Adolescent – City of Angels
(by Sara Benmoussa)

Obama’s Speech in Cairo: Is it an Intercultural Bridge Between East and West

 

Participated in the Conference professors: Mr. Abdeljebbar El Mediouni (head of the English Department), Mr. Larbi Touaf, Ms. Amina Hadar, Ms. Houda Kabli, Mr. Abdennour Kharraki and PhD researchers Mr. Mohammed Hashas and Mr. Anas Malki.

Find other articles and contributions in the 7th Issue of Metaphor (September 2010) 

Please contact us to get your copy of the electronic newsletter and previous issues: 

hashasmohammed@gmail.com
englishcluboujda@gmail.com

IN THIS ISSUE

This issue includes writings from special contributors, like professor Mohamed Elkhouche who has dug into his archive to bring out an interesting piece of writing he penned  in 1987 after  the resurgence of the first Intifada in Palestine. This issue also makes use of some poems written by two well acclaimed Arab poets: Mahmoud Darwish and Nizar Qabani. Two High school contributors from Alhoceima have won some space in this newsletter as well, and ECO thanks their participation, and apologizes for the inability to publish all their writings. The book reviews included come to update our readers of 21st colonial, diaspora and exile writings that may be of big interest to them for further studies. ECO thanks all the contributors for their suggestion to work on the Palestinian Cause, and for their participation into its making.

EDITORIAL 
Writing in Defence of the Oppressed

(…) It is true that there is a division in the Palestinian line, and this pushes many to say that we should not be more Palestinians than the Palestinians themselves. It is here that lays the dividing line between commitment to stand by justice and by turning the eye and mind away from  it. (…)

FICTION
The Plague-ridden House
By Mohamed Elkouche
(Fez, 1987)

The grim atmosphere of the house was sharpened and rendered quite intolerable by the deep muffled noise of some monotonous heavy blows from within an enclosed chamber. In utter despair and exasperation, the maddened fat lady took a big key from the drawer of a very polished cupboard in her bedroom, then went in an awkward hurry to release the little girl, whom she had imprisoned in that dark, dingy narrow toilet since yester-morning. Yet, a release it was not; for she had hardly opened the door when she knocked the child down with a heavy poisonous blow. (…)

(…)  But as she prepares to stand up and smash the bastard’s face with the stone; this despicable foe, who happens to be there for some seconds spying on Fifi and seeming to follow the train of her  thoughts in a mysterious way, attacks with a long, hard stick. After thrashing her very soundly, she retreats quickly inside the house. (…)

REPORTS
“A Grave Mistake” Being Taken “Very Seriously”
 

I heard some noise, did something happen?
Yes.
Where?
The Gaza Strip, an “open-air  prison” of 360 km² with a population of about 1.5 million.
When?
From Saturday, 27  December 2008 to Sunday, 18
January 2009.
What was it?
A war.
Against whom?
(…)

The Moroccan Youth Remember the Arab Nakba in Figures 
 Mohammed Hashas and Mustapha Abaji, Morocco
25-May-08

 
Though each of us thinks of Palestine in solitude, this time we decided to think of it together because it is for everybody and it deserves the attention of everybody, be him/her a Jew, a Christian, or a Muslim. We should not say before 1948, rather it is before 1892, the world, especially the Islamic world, was not in discomfort about the situation of Alquods, Jerusalem, because it was in peace within the Ottoman Empire. The majority of the Muslims lived in harmony with the minority Jews and Christians. They all worshipped one God together, though differently. But 1892 events came to change the situation in the region (…)

 POETRY
 I Hear Gaza Singing 
 By Mohammed Benboubker

 
In Gaza
To Gaza
From Gaza 
Around Gaza
None is singing 
All are mourning 
 
Before the new year
The father dies
The mother dies 
 
The son dies
The daughter dies
The cousin dies
The neighbour dies
And I cannot sing
This mourning  
 
The trees I sing on the Xmas day
Are watered with the blood of my kins
The colour the Santa wears.
Lo! 
 
On these days my neighbour and me
Would sing
Around the lightening tree
This year
No tree, no light

BOOK REVIEWS - 1
Remembering Gaza: Book Release Commemorating 1st Anniversary of the Gaza Massacre 

LONDON - “And so I begin. His name was Mohammed Baroud,  and he was a good man,” is how Ramzy Baroud concludes the Foreword to his new book, and embarks on a chronicle so rare and so powerful that the book promises to redefine the way the Gaza story is told. 

 On December 27, 2009, Ramzy Baroud’s new book, My Father Was A Freedom Fighter: Gaza’s Untold Story, was released in London by Pluto Press, to coincide with the first anniversary of Israel’s so-called Operation Cast Lead, which killed and wounded  thousands of Palestinians  in Gaza, the vast majority of whom were civilians. (…)

BOOK REVIEWS – 2
Abdel Bari Atwan’s A Country of Words 
Atef Alshaer, The Electronic Intifada, 24 November 2008

A Country of Words: from the Refugee Camps to the Front Page is a remarkable Palestinian memoir,
exceptional because of its abundance  of compassion, humor and humility.  Its author is Abdel Bari Atwan, editor  of the London-based Arabic-language  daily al-Quds al-Arabi who also wrote The Secret History of al-Qa’ida. Individuals have their own lives and create their own narratives, and for Atwan, his story begins in Palestine. Born in the Gaza Strip refugee camp of Deir al-Balah in Gaza  in 1950, Atwan’s life has been marred
by tragic incidents, including the premature death of his father and later his brother, who supported his education.

POETRY
I am with Terrorism
Nizar Qabbani

The first session took place on Friday, 16/10/2009. Seventeen participants took part in it. Join us too!

Club d’Anglais d’Oujda (ECO)

Le Club d’Anglais d’Oujda a vu le jour le 19 mars 2005 à la faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines, Université Mohamed I à Oujda (Maroc). C’était une initiative prise par un groupe d’étudiants de la filière Etudes et Littérature Anglaises, en 3^e année (l’ancien système), avec l’assistance du chef de département à l’époque, Dr. Mohamed Dellal, du Dr. Khalid Hajji et d’autres professeurs de la filière, et approuvée par l’ancien Doyen de la faculté, M. Mohamed Benbrahim.

Le Club a pour objectif d’encourager et de promouvoir le travail d’équipe entre les étudiants de la filière, de tous les niveaux, et aussi de découvrir et affiner leurs talents en écriture et en communication en anglais essentiellement, même si ECO jouit d’amis, de lecteurs et de contributeurs qui ne font partie ni de la filière ni de l’université elle-même.

Depuis son établissement, le Club a pris l’initiative d’organiser un bon nombre d’activités culturelles, aussi bien à la faculté qu’à l’Espace Américain, qui a été fondé à Oujda alors que le Club existait déjà. C’était donc l’occasion pour ce dernier de nouer et de maintenir une relation de coopération avec l’Espace Américain, dirigé par M. Mohamed Bendaha.

En plus de l’intérêt majeur qu’il donne aux affaires estudiantines à l’intérieur de la filière, ECO s’est ouvert – même si d’une façon limitée jusqu’à présent – sur quelques élèves dans des lycées un peu partout au Maroc, avec lesquels un lien a été établi grâce aux licenciés de la faculté et fondateurs du Club, ainsi que des amis de celui-ci, qui enseignent l’anglais dans ces lycées. Un récent exemple qui montre ce lien et cette ouverture, c’est la contribution d’élèves du Lycée Moulay Ismail (El Hoceima) avec leurs écrits créatifs. D’autres amis, qu’ils aient étudiés à la faculté même, ou qu’ils aient fait connaissance du Club à travers ses membres, ont aussi participé de Rabat, d’Hollande et des Etats-Unis avec de la poésie et d’autres écrits.

Le travail et l’encadrement du Club est pris en charge par des étudiants volontaires, dont le travail, les études, ou encore la distance qui les sépare de la faculté, n’ont pas empêchés de rester fidèles à l’idée de la communication, l’innovation, l’écriture et le travail collectif, afin d’aboutir à un épanouissement des étudiants et de leur filière ainsi que celui de l’université et son environnement.

La librairie d’anglais a été autrefois une sorte de siège pour ECO. A présent, le Club a du rester un espace électronique, mais présent toutefois à l’Espace Américain, avec ses activités, dont la plus récente est l’atelier de l’art de parler en public, organisé depuis mars 2009 (Public Speaking Workshop).

Ajoutons qu’ECO a publié jusqu’à maintenant 5 numéros de son bulletin d’informations annuel, ou encore ce qu’on peut appeler magazine électronique. Dans ces numéros paraissent des articles spéciaux, des articles littéraires et culturels, des nouvelles, des interviews, de la poésie, des résumés de bouquins et enfin des rapports sur les activités en parallèle.

METAPHOR est le nom que portait une première initiative de publier un magazine de la filière d’anglais et qui a vu le jour en 2 numéros imprimés, parus au nom d’un groupe d’étudiants, 3 années avant la naissance d’ECO. Ce même nom, porté aujourd’hui par le magazine électronique du Club – un nom qui inspire de production créative – indique une volonté de continuer un travail qui n’a pas eu la chance de se poursuivre, et le désir d’unir anciens et nouveaux étudiants, et de les encourager à joindre leurs efforts pour le meilleur des exploits. Le contenu du magazine est publié sous forme d’extraits sur le blog du Club : www.englishcluboujda.blog.com

Le Club se voit heureux de compter un grand nombre de lecteurs et de contributeurs à son magazine, et aussi de participants aux activités qu’il entreprend en collaboration avec l’Espace Américain. Bien évidemment, tous ceux que les objectifs du Club et ses activités les intéressent sont les bienvenus. Le Club se réjouit également de recevoir vos suggestions et commentaires pour que le travail et l’écho d’ECO aillent plus loin, avec plus de succès.

Pour quiconque aimerait en savoir plus sur les objectifs principaux du Club, ou recevoir une copie des numéros précédents du magazine, vous êtes cordialement priés de consulter le blog indiqué ci-dessus ou de contacter le fondateur et superviseur du Club, Mohammed Hashas : hashasm@gmail.com, ou d’écrire à la coordinatrice actuelle du Club, Soumaya B. : englishcluboujda@gmail.com

Au nom d’ECO

Mohammed Hashas

Rome, 26 septembre 2009.

   نادي اللغة الانجليزية بوجدة

نشأ نادي اللغة الانجليزية يوم 19 مارس 2005 بمبادرة شلة من طلبة السنة الثالثة من شعبة اللغة الانجليزية وآدابها - نظام قديم – بكلية الآداب والعلوم الإنسانية بجامعة محمد الأول بوجدة، المغرب، بدعم من رئيس الشعبة آنذاك الدكتور محمد دلال والدكتور خالد حاجي وباقي أساتذة الشعبة، وبتزكية من عميد الكلية وقتئذ الدكتور محمد بنبراهيم

يهدف النادي إلى تقوية العمل الجماعي بين طلبة الشعبة في مختلف المستويات، والى صقل مواهب الكتابة والتواصل باللغة الانجليزية أساسا، رغم أن النادي له أصدقاء وقراء ومساهمون لا ينتمون لا إلى الشعبة ولا إلى نفس الجامعة

منذ نشأته بادر النادي إلى تنظيم عدد من الأنشطة الثقافية بالكلية و بالفضاء الأمريكي بوجدة الذي تأسس بعد ولادة النادي، فكانت مناسبة لهذا الأخير لبناء جسور التعاون مع الفضاء الأمريكي الذي يديره السيد محمد بنداحة

بالإضافة إلى اهتمامه أساسا بالشأن الطلابي داخل الشعبة، فقد انفتح النادي ولو نسبيا لحد الآن على بعض التلاميذ ببعض المؤسسات التعليمية الثانوية بالمملكة  والتي ربطت بها علاقة تواصل عن طريق خريجي الكلية و مؤسسي النادي وأصدقائه الذي يعملون كمدرسين للغة الانجليزية بها. وكانت آخر حلقات التواصل والانفتاح على المحيط الخارجي هو مساهمات إبداعية أرسلها لنا مبتدئون من ثانوية مولاي إسماعيل بالحسيمة، وكتابات شعرية من أصدقاء درسوا بالشعبة أو تعرفوا عن النادي عن طريق أفراده من الرباط، وهولندا، والولايات المتحدة الأمريكية

يشرف على عمل النادي وتأطيره طلبة متطوعون لا تلهيهم أبحاثهم ولا دراستهم ولا بعدهم الجغرافي عن البقاء أوفياء لفكرة التواصل، والإبداع، والعمل الجماعي لفائدة الشعبة والجامعة ومحيطها

بداية كانت المكتبة الخاصة بطلبة اللغة الانجليزية  بالكلية هي مقر النادي، والآن يتوزع مقره بين الفضاء الإلكتروني والفضاء الأمريكي

للنادي خمس إصدارات إلكترونية رئيسية لحد الآن تتوزع على شكل مقالات خاصة، و مقالات أدبية وثقافية، وقصص وحوارات وإبداعات شعرية،

وملخصات كتب وتقارير عن الأنشطة الموازية

    METAPHOR تجدر الإشارة إلى أن النادي احتفظ باسم

 كاسم للمجلة، تتمة لمجلة صدرت في عددين اثنين لمجموعة من الطلبة بالشعبة 3 

سنوات قبل تأسيس النادي، وفكرة الاحتفاظ بنفس الاسم الذي يوحي إلى الإبداع والخلق جاءت لكي يكون النادي بؤرة لتتمة عمل لم يكتمل وكذلك لربط الطلبة السابقين باللاحقين وتشجيعهم على العمل المشترك غير المنفصل. تصدر المجلة بشكل موجز كذلك على مدونة النادي

www.englishcluboujda.blog.com  

يسر النادي أن يضم أكبر عدد ممكن من القراء والمساهمين في مجلاته الإلكترونية و أنشطته التي يزاولها بتعاون مع الفضاء الأمريكي، كما يسره أن يستقبل اقتراحاتكم وتعليقاتكم ليكبر صدى وعمل النادي أكثر فأكثر

للاستزادة عن الأهداف الأساسية للنادي والحصول على نسخ المجلة السابقة  المرجو زيارة المدونة أعلاه أو الكتابة إلى مِؤسس النادي والمشرف عليه، محمد حصحاص

 hashasm@gmail.com  

أو الكتابة إلى النادي الذي تسهر على تنسيق أنشطته حاليا ا. سمية
 englishcluboujda@gmail.com

عن النادي

محمد حصحاص

روما 26 شتنبر 2009

The 5th issue of METAPHOR is already out.

You can ask for your PDF copy by contacting us at: hashasm@gmail.com, englishcluboujda@gmail.com

We will be pleased to receive your impressions and remarks.

Next newsletter will come out in January 2010, exceptionally. We have received some contributions about the Palestinian issue, and we have therefore decided to make of it an issue of its own, seeing that January coincides with last year’s war on Gaza.

If you have a contribution about this theme or other, that you would like to share through the club’s newsletters, please feel free to send it to us.

Our best wishes for Eid Al-Fitr!