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‘Afghan Crisis: What’s Really Happening’ In a Panel Talk with Hum-Aahang

 

Hum-Ahang, a student-led society, has dedicated considerable efforts towards working and raising awareness, as well as promoting tolerance and diversity through panel talks and discussion forums on a variety of topics. These range from theoretical philosophical discourse to major socio-political developments around the globe. On August 22, 2021, Hum-Ahang hosted an imperative talk regarding the ongoing Afghanistan crisis that has unfolded after the takeover of the Taliban over most of the country’s districts. Whilst world media has covered Afghanistan extensively, be it the gut-wrenching pictures of Kabul Airport or the supposed ‘PR’ of the Taliban, the indigenous narrative has, in the process, been tragically sidelined.

Hum-Ahang invited four students studying in Pakistan, including a second-generation refugee from the Soviet-Afghan invasion and a Hazara community representative from the Pashtun belt. During the first half, the panelists made significant insightful comments. They first engaged in a general discussion on the history of the region. The panelists analyzed the controversy of the Durand Line, and how the lack of resources for Afghan refugees in Pakistan has led to a general criticism of Pakistan’s policies. This had led to a certain level of reluctance to embrace Pakistan as a true ally of the Afghan national government. They also explained, at length, how people in Afghanistan perceive the recent turn of events; the general public is not in favour of the Taliban taking over.

The crucial question of women’s rights was also raised, especially since under the new regime it is believed that women are being severely oppressed. To this, one of the female panelists expressed that the Western media is being biased; it has portrayed the Taliban as barbaric oppressors of women. She emphasized that there is a selective restriction on female mobility as hijab has been made mandatory. This information proved to be useful in debunking myths about the position of Afghan women under Taliban rule.

Additionally, the panelists shed some light on the imperialistic tendencies of the US, constantly weakening Afghanistan. They also discussed how the Taliban have ‘created a positive image’ for themselves this time as compared to the 90s.

The first half of the talk concluded with an exchange of hopeful, optimistic words, and with the promise that there will be more such informative exchanges between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s youth.

The second half of the talk moved towards a more conventional discussion between academics that have researched and significantly worked on topics like international security and Pak-Afghan relations. They conversed about the role of the United States in providing a contradictory policy with regards to the Taliban, shifting between outward hostility and the negotiation table. The academics engaged with many key areas of research that often get ignored in the Afghan discourse, including the Western portrayal of the Afghan woman and the role of the NATO forces in the region impacting Taliban mobilization and strategizing. The illustrious discussion was concluded by a short question and answer session where the attentive audience pitched in and put forth their queries regarding the topic going through most people’s minds these days i.e Afghanistan’s future.

Overall, the talk was highly enriching and provided a fresh perspective on a topic that continues to shape the future of this region in radical ways. We hope to witness similar initiatives being taken in the near future to evoke further awareness in the youth on topics of socio-political significance.

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“Campus in Fall: To open, or not to open? That is the question” by Areej Akhtar, Maha Uzair & Aiman Rahman

Receiving the email “We hope you are keeping well and safe in these unprecedented times” has become a source of agitation for the majority of us at this point. We have been preoccupied with wistful daydreams about campus reopening for well over a year and we long to settle back into a familiar routine. The government’s decision to open vaccines for people aged 18 and above, as well as the vaccination camp set up on campus has culminated in the hope that campus reopening is a realistic possibility in Fall. An email sent out by the Vice-Chancellor on May 27th states that the “Vaccination policy is a necessary step towards safely opening the campus this Fall”. However, many aspects of the speculated campus reopening have remained shrouded in ambiguity; including the nature of the reopening, the immunization of the incoming freshman batch, and the reimbursement of vaccine costs to NOP scholars and Financial Aid students. Moreover, the surfacing of the Delta variant in Sindh and the alarming plausibility of a ‘fourth wave’ means that the possibility of an in-person semester still hangs in the balance. Amid this uncertainty, conversations with the Student Council President Anoosh Fatima Khan and the Dean of MGSHSS Dr. Ali Khan have lent some clarity and coherence to this issue.

The Nature of Reopening

While there seems to be a consensus among the student body that the campus will reopen in Fall, the nature of said reopening has remained unclear and been subjected to much conjecture and guesswork. Some have hypothesized that the reopening in Fall would entail the end of online learning and a resumption of in-person classes, whereas others have surmised the possibility of a staggered reopening similar to the one seen in the Spring semester. Dr. Ali Khan’s remarks have thwarted some of these assumptions while confirming others. “I don’t think it will open fully. It will be phased, along the lines of what we did a few months ago,” he stated. He further clarified that the resumption of in-person classes is currently very risky due to the problems posed by enclosed spaces. Despite the vaccine rollout, Dr. Khan insists on remaining cautious to some degree, “What we have learned from the pandemic is that as soon as you stop taking precautions, cases go back up.” He communicated how unfortunate it is that the “students, faculty, and staff don’t take responsibility themselves, then ask what LUMS will do”. On the other hand, the Student Council President, Anoosh, is relatively more optimistic about the reopening in Fall. “It will definitely be better than Spring, that is a surety. That was a really difficult time. But this time, we are seeing the schools are doing fine, the universities are doing fine, so we are hopeful that it’s going to be much, much better this time,” she stated. She further hinted at the resumption of more in-person classes “depending on however the ventilation process pans out.”

Reimbursement of Vaccine Costs to NOP Scholars and Financial Aid Students

The vaccination of NOP scholars and students on Financial Aid below 18 via private channels is also integral to the safe reopening of the campus in Fall. According to Anoosh, the university has set down reimbursement policies to ensure this, “They will reimburse the vaccination costs to NOP scholars. Students with 70% or above financial aid will be completely reimbursed, and people with below 70% financial aid are going to receive a 50% reimbursement on vaccination costs.” Dr. Ali Khan also highlighted that the LUMS vaccination camp was set up solely for the convenience of students.

Vaccinating the Incoming Batch

Vaccinating the incoming freshman batch will be crucial to campus reopening in Fall. As Anoosh stated, “ If we are vaccinated and there are like 1200 people coming in who are not, then that puts the numbers completely out of proportion.” Clarifying that the incoming batch does not fall under the Council’s domain, she recalled a conversation with Dr. Ali Khan, and remarked, “They’re going to make the vaccination mandatory by mentioning it on the offer letters so that when they (first-year students) come in, they are vaccinated.” However, the Council is still awaiting the administration’s final word on this. She also shed light on other mechanisms that are being implemented to ensure that the arrival of the incoming batch on campus does not result in a spike in cases. For instance, she even stated that “the O-Week management is considering whether to plan an on-campus O-Week or not”.

The Impact of the Delta Variant on campus reopening prospects

Recently, news has surfaced about a few cases of the “Delta variant” being found in Karachi, and authorities in Sindh sounded alarmed about a ‘fourth wave’ as a result. This is a new variant of Covid’19 which was first detected in India and is believed to have greater transmissibility. The looming shadow of the new variant and how it could interfere with campus reopening plans in Fall has become a source of distress for many students. Dr. Ali Khan has also voiced concern about this, “I’m currently in London, over 60% of people have received their doses here, and even then there is a surge in cases due to the Delta variant.” Speaking on how the variant could impact campus reopening prospects, Anoosh stated, “You can’t really have a very solid prediction with the Covid situation. The entire point is to make the policies in a way that we stay adaptive to the situation. Yesterday the news said that the positivity ratio for Lahore was about 1.2% which is very low. So that does show there is some kind of progress at the moment. Now, God forbid, if there is a huge surge in cases in the future, then naturally we will have to take that into consideration.”

While the vaccine rollout anchors us into some certainty regarding campus reopening in Fall, it is evident from the remarks of the Student Council President and the MGSHSS Dean that the emergence of the new variant, the evolving Covid-19 landscape in Pakistan, and the efficacy of the university’s own protective measures against the virus will have to be taken into consideration before a return to normal campus life can be envisioned. Would campus reopening in Fall remain a pipe dream for us? Only time will tell. Nevertheless, we can still hope that the numbers balance out and LUMS takes appropriate measures to accommodate its students so that we can miraculously sink back into our pre-covid lives. Student protests loom on the horizon as the ambiguity from the admin’s side deepens and the student body’s expectations escalate with time. As tensions run high, all of these aspects bubble and brew into a dangerous potion.

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#LUMSKHOLO: The Campus Reopening Protest

On Monday, 25th January, around sixty students took to the streets outside LUMS to protest the HEC directives communicated by LUMS with regards to campus re-opening. While students claim that LUMS failed to communicate effectively, the admin claimed to have reported and implemented HEC directives within hours of having received them. Certain students went on to quote the admin about earlier comments made asserting the university as a private institution that needs not follow HEC directives. At the same time, the admin asserts that the second wave is hitting hard, and stresses the need to be careful. More so, even when the decision to open campus for all students was made, it came with the clause, “subject to government directives.”

The protest which took place outside the infamous store referred to as Kashi’s (actually: Smoke City) attracted some media coverage as well. Students came with placards that read: “In a toxic relationship with LUMS,” “give students their rights,” “we deserve better,” “lums kholo, lums kholo,” “we deserve campus access,” “we don’t pay so much for online classes.” The last of these seems to be a pressing concern as students say that this ‘u-turn’ no longer justifies the fee-hikes, particularly the hostel fee whose increase was premised on additional costs bearing out as a result of housing and transport arrangements being made at Askari-11.

The protest was successful in bringing two members of the administration to the protest site to hear student demands. The student council served as an intermediary between the two parties, communicating with both. Initially, the admin requested that a couple of students from the sit-in be permitted on campus so that demands could be heard. Upon student refusal, the Dean of OSA and the Provost joined the sit-in outside the main gate. While the Dean of OSA refused to engage with the students, the Provost, Dr. Tariq Jadoon, listened to the students’ grievances. The protestors report that about 43% of the student body will be allowed to access campus after the negotiations following the protest. However, on the very same day, many of SSE in-person classes were unfortunately converted to online classes. While students were left frustrated by this policy, the admin claims that the motive behind doing so was in order to ensure that priority/need-based admission of students on campus is made possible.

Another post in circulation around the LUMS Discussion Forum and the Democratic LUMS Discussion Forum claims that the government is allowing 50% of the student body to return to campus. This seems to have delayed the email promised to arrive on 27th January. While it is past midnight and students have not yet received an email with regards to accommodation, many students worry about cancellation charges as the forty-eight refundable window for plane tickets withers away. For many seniors, being allowed back on campus for Spring 2021 seemed to be the only glimmer of hope in an otherwise anxious time. As the night deepens, seniors sit behind screens, refreshing their inboxes, waiting. Waiting for accommodation, waiting for job acceptances, waiting for graduate programs. Waiting and wondering about what life after LUMS will be like, but wait, didn’t LUMS already end?

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Campus Reopening: A U-Turn?

Pakistani politicans are not the only ones who take sudden U-turns, thereby decimating the public’s hopes and aspirations. The LUMS administration also meanders down these unforeseen curves, bends and U-turns, as it has become evident through the campus reopening debacle of January 2021. As the student body booked their tickets for Lahore, packed their belongings, and planned for an on-campus academic semester, their hopes were dashed by the administration’s latest email that trickled into their inboxes like some murky, ominous potion.

In the aforementioned email, the student body was regretfully informed that the admin would not be able to accommodate the majority back onto the campus, as per the new government directives which entailed that “in no case shall the total number of students permitted to come to campus exceed 30 per cent of the total enrollment.“ This dealt a significant blow to the student body who had only recently begun to restore their faith in the administration’s intentions and motives. It was also established that those who were previously notified about their imminent return back onto campus would unfortunately have to be turned away. This instigated massive fury, bewilderment and protest from the students who felt like they had been promised mere kernels of false hope by the administration. This email, sent on January 23rd 2021, was in direct contradiction with the cheerful, celebratory email sent on January 8th 2021. The previous emailed brimmed with promises of the campus reopening, ” If allowed, we intend to invite all hostel residents who have been assigned housing to return back to campus by February 1st.  Similarly, all day scholars from Lahore who are able to come back to campus will be welcomed once we have the permission from the government”.

With the university suddenly deciding to take back their decision of calling back additional people on campus, there came financial burdens that some students had to bear. Ones who had booked their tickets in advance were forced to cancel their flights, the costs of which are mostly non-refundable. According to one student who attended the Town Hall, the Vice Chancellor Arshad Ahmed stated that they would compensate students who have faced such costs. He is reported to have said that the university will reimburse the expenses accrued as a result of these travel tickets.

In addition to this, some students had already paid the hostel charges included in their fee as well. Given that the student body was notified so late that the university had no plans to open accommodation to everyone, the question was raised as to how students who had already paid their fees were going to be compensated. Those who had already paid were told to email Residence and inform them if they wish to have their money refunded or adjusted in future fee vouchers, and those who had not were told that their accommodation was to be cancelled and new vouchers are to be uploaded February 2nd.

Speaking of expenses, it is also worth nothing how per credit hour fees were increased without prior notice, as were the hostel charges. The question of how such rises are justified has puzzled students, given the fact that learning is still taking place online, and no additional facilities have been granted to hostelites which would help them understand why the hostel charges have increased. Some students, before the university decided to follow government directives, withdrew accommodation after seeing the high amount which was being charged.

The expenses may even be said to be two fold, firstly, the direct loss of money, and secondly, the emotional cost from steadily losing hope of returning to campus and living a normal university life. The student body expresses sentiments of hurt and confusion amongst deceit. They claim that the admin has not been straightforward with their motives, and has also refused to reconcile matters in a civil manner. The graduating batch of 2021 is especially disheartened by the sudden U-turn, as they consider the possibility of all their senior year plan disintegrating into mere ash.

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Report: LUMS Open House

An open house was scheduled for today, which was moderated by the Student Council General Secretary Abdullah Haroon, which lasted for almost 3 hours and 30 minutes. This lengthy and heated meeting consisted of many interesting discussions from both the administration and student body’s side. The open house started with Dr. Ali Khan introducing the agenda and further discussing how the students’ reactions have been somewhat disrespectful overall. He pointed out and showed his distaste at how the speculation of faculty’s pictures from the campus were being circulated and being tagged as hypocrites. He then went on to talk about how the implementation of SOPs is not completely doable and will put everyone at risk eventually while also stating how the administration prioritizes the needs of students who have unconducive environments and connectivity issues. Later on, the chat was disabled due to the overwhelming amount of comments by students in the chatbox.

Then, Dr. Samia took charge and explained to the attendees how a low rate of cases being reported is not a reflection of low infection rate, since maybe the numbers released by the government might not be accurate. She also mentioned how the low death rate in Pakistan was primarily caused by our demographic, which has a very low percentage of the elderly population that is the most at risk. She then went on to compare the situation in Pakistan with various other countries and then concluded that countries who did claim to be coronavirus free have started seeing a resurgence of the virus, especially amongst their youth.

While all this discussion took place, the Dean of SAHSOL, Jeff Redding got involved in the discussion over chat and replied to students’ comments. Mr. Redding targeted the feminists at LUMS for being involved in ‘unethical’ activities and attacked the entire ideology of feminism altogether. He went on to call students ‘hyperbolic’ and kept on making triggering statements that angered the students.

Ammar Shahid, the student representative in this meeting, condensed the demands and concerns of students in a very appropriate manner; he tried to help the administration see the students’ perspective during these uncertain times and that too amidst dubious policies being put forth by LUMS. The international criteria for schools and universities reopening were discussed and put forward by the students; however, Dr. Samia was of the opinion these criteria are not being met in Pakistan. She went as far as to challenge the students to mention a hospital, except Agha Khan, that would fulfill the given criterion. She mentioned that the responsibility of having to take care of a sick student would fall entirely on LUMS and that the university is not ready for something like that right now. Dr. Samia also talked about how we should look at this entire situation with a positive outlook: “You have the opportunity to learn from this very special thing” and showed her confidence in students by saying that they are smart enough to survive this mode of education.

Dr. Farhat then talked about how the admin is thinking about careful phased opening and then moving along as the data dictates. She reassured the students that they are being heard and plans are being devised for the future. She also mentioned how she wished students were walking in their shoes so they would know how difficult this situation is. She claimed that other universities are reopening for financial means and to earn revenue that they would not earn otherwise via online learning and that LUMS is not making any savings in this entire situation.

After this, Ammar Shahid asked about the specifics regarding when will the partial reopening begins and who will be allowed back on campus? The Vice Chancellor took this question and responded that the details would be announced very soon and went on to mention how they have been working on improving the quality of online education, discussed the issue of SSE fees by stating that SSE is the most expensive school and that the fees consist of all the maintenance and other relevant costs that have also been cut to 30%. He also mentioned how the entire decision-making process is decentralized and more power is being given to the Deans. The VC also mentioned that the average student satisfaction for the online semester was almost the same as an on-campus semester, making it a ‘success,’ not acknowledging that instructor approval for Spring 2020 may have been based upon pre-COVID teaching. The university will start off by taking a few hundred students in first and make decisions after they see this stage’s results. He also mentioned how he will not break under pressure and threatening or blackmailing him will not work yet somehow conceding that protesting is everyone’s right.

Ayman Moazzam, a member of the student body, spoke up to side with the admin on how reopening the campus would be a catastrophic idea by citing various concerns, and instead pushed for a reduction in the fee. Aymen mentioned a few studies from Israel and other countries as a comparison to help make decisions but was refuted harshly by other students.

The Student Council’s General Secretary then asked about the tentative date when the students should expect an official correspondence from LUMS about the accommodations, which was replied with  ‘very soon’ by the admin representatives. Following this, Rojah Sheikh raised some points about the quality of online education and the need for the NC/Pass policy to which Dr. Farhat responded by mentioning how they are still debating on whether or not to keep the NC/Pass policy intact for Fall 2020. The VC further added that the faculty has been trained in the summers and effectively equipped for the online semester. He stated that the instructors would be making the course outlines more friendly for online semesters and would be more sensitive to the students’ environments and problems, while also introducing some feedback mechanisms to keep a check on the quality of the online semester.

To this Ammar Shahid responded with the concern that instructor evaluation forms are not a good tool of measuring the students’ satisfaction due to various reasons. However, this concern was not addressed properly by the administration. Safa Imran suggested well thought out ideas on how SOPs can be implemented in case of campus reopening while also presenting a clear image about what students want and think. Lastly, she also pointed out how making feminists or FemSoc at LUMS the scapegoat in this conversation – the way Professor Redding did – was completely outrageous.

The General Secretary raised the concern about students wanting a fee reduction in the online semester to which Dr. Farhat responded by saying that LUMS has a plethora of other expenses and extra costs incurred due to the pandemic. Dean OSAAdnan Khan then reprimanded the students as to how they are not being decent in the chat box and are displaying a spoilt behavior that shows entitlement: “Your entitlement and attitude should be in check. The tuition does not pay for all of our expenses, only 65-75% expenses. The university is in a financial bind since other sources of income have dried out; the donors are not donating as much. We have not cut Financial Assisstance, instead we have increased it.” A student sent a comment in the chatbox, “We pay 4.5 lac and we are entitled to our opinions”. To this Adnan Khan replied, “Take your money and go someplace else.”

Dr. Farhat also pointed out how it is the university’s right to tone police its students. Moving forward, Adnan Khan mentioned how we should keep an eye out for opportunities like pedagogical partnerships to give us some financial assistance.

Jibran Khalil raised the concern about the new SSE fee, “We should not be paying for maintenance; we should not be paying for any maintenance. We want complete transparency on what is it that we are paying for and how will it benefit us? Are SSE students only going to be using it [software]? If non-SSE students are also going to use it then it should be divided across the entire student body.” To this Dr. Farhat responded with, “SSE is the most expensive school and it is somewhat subsidized as well.”

Moving forward, a student pointed out the rude responses from the Dean of OSA, Adnan Khan, and asked when the FA decisions will be announced since the applications ended in February. Dr. Farhat responded inadequately by not covering the highlighted concerns.

Lastly, the VC stated that if LUMS does not open completely in Spring 2020-21 then we will shift to a hybrid model and that the hybrid system is here to stay for a while. The open house ended on the note that there would be more open communication from both the ends now onwards.

Reportedly, a protest may be organized at Lahore Press Club tomorrow to further press the LUMS administration to consider reopening LUMS.

 

 

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Time’s Up @LUMS Admin

Earlier this week, hundreds flocked to a Facebook live session hosted by the LUMS admin. The hashtag was enough to spike an interest as clearly, a lot seems to be going on at LUMS. The hashtag was particularly intriguing since it had been making rounds on twitter the past couple weeks, at times making trends reflecting the resounding call of the student body to help address their concerns. In all these instances of the LUMS student body coming together, one thing was evident, the students are desperate to grasp the attention of the LUMS admin, some hailing the admin to care more about its PR than addressing legitimate student concerns. But what is it that is brewing at LUMS? After a cursory attempt at digging into the issue, this is what we found:

Despite most universities opening up throughout the country, the LUMS admin has decided to take the easier route by refusing to open the campus. It was found that only about 200 students will be hosted in Fall 2020-2021. This is a particularly burning issue in the wake of insensitive “welcome back” content making rounds on the LUMS Instagram page, another social media platform that was filled with student pleas against the injustices of the admin.

LUMS had recently been under fire as a result of an undue fee hike, that too in the middle of a pandemic when most people are losing jobs. The admin did a good job of “reverting” the fee hike, instead only to distribute the brunt across younger batches. Things took a turn for the worse when it was revealed that the LUMS admin would continue to take the same amount of fees despite not welcoming student backs. But it gets worse. It was found that the admin has no strategy or willingness to welcome students back on campus and has refused to invest in capacity building measures to at least ensure that students can be welcomed back in Spring.

Citing a deficit in overall finances as the reason to make students pay increasing amounts, a fact negated by the Not-for-Profit institute’s financial statements found online and the reckless spending on fountains and the previous orientation week, that too despite slashing down on student financial aid, is appalling, to say the least. The LUMS admin time and again has refused to address student concerns resulting in undue hostility where students are pressing towards rogue measures, some even citing a potential protest that could be underway.

The students feel that bad PR is probably the only thing that could get the attention of relevant authorities who are currently not even in the country, making insensitive decisions affecting the lives of those who have to deal with the negative consequences of an inadequate infrastructure such as internet connectivity and often home environments not conducive to learning. This is particularly problematic because there has been a significant decrease in the active coronavirus cases within Pakistan, and a recovery rate currently at 98%. But of course, you need to be on the ground and not in countries plagued by increasing deaths and an exponential increase in the number of active cases to be able to make sound decisions. The severe lack of communication seems to be making things worse. LUMS prides itself on the diversity of its student body with students hailing from a host of regions across the country, but they seem to only use that, in addition to the National Outreach Program, as a marketing gimmick to attract students and investors alike. Time is up LUMS admin. Stop playing with the lives of your student body.

#ReopenLUMS.

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LUMS Under Fire for Callous Fee Hike

In one highly controversial and shockingly unprecedented move, the LUMS administration has managed to turn the entire student body on its ear. A few days prior, LUMS announced its new fees structure that revealed an astronomical 41% increase in semester charges. This was an action thrust upon an unaware and critically unprepared student body – but most importantly, one that could not have come at a worse time.

As the news spread like wildfire, so did massive panic and distress.

In order to contest this decision, students took to Twitter to fight their campaign under the hashtag #LUMSFeeHike that now has nearly 7,300 tweets by students and assorted supporters.

Moreover, a poll has recently been created among students in order to gauge support for a complete boycott of the summer semester, for which enrollment starts tomorrow. A LUMS student has also written a heartfelt letter of complaint to the administration, published by ProperGaanda. The student describes her parents’ precarious financial situation and the lengths her family is compelled to go to so she can attend LUMS – a university that was already considered expensive by most standards.

In terms of addressing student concerns, administrative bodies have demonstrated a display of acute inadequacy verging on outright dismissiveness.

They claim it is only a step away from the previous “blanket fee” structure that allowed students to pay a uniform amount, within the constraints of a specified credit hours bracket. However, the new policy discards this “blanket fee” allowance: an action which many students are arguing will create a disincentive to take courses outside of their majors due to the exponential cost of doing so.

Moreover, it is no secret that LUMS has a poorly designed, inefficient enrollment system which results in students not getting their courses as they had planned. Out of desperation, many students end up having to opt for twenty credit hours in their junior and senior years to complete their degree on time. The university has made no attempts to subsidize students who have no other option but to enroll in more than 12 credit hours.

Whereas an increase in financial support and aid would have been the empathetic response for such a highly revered institution, students were met with the precise opposite.

This sudden shift towards a credit-based fee structure will also result in increased disparity on campus. Students in better financial circumstances will be able to enroll in sufficient courses to complete their degrees on time while those who cannot afford to do so will suffer greatly and may even have to forego completing their minors along with the option of exploring courses not linked to their degrees.

LUMS’ official statement regarding this issue has dashed any and all hopes the student body harbored that this issue would be cooperatively ironed out. Perhaps most disappointingly, LUMS has declared that this fee hike was planned out prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in light of the difficulties this crisis has posed, there is a pressing need for the administration to consider revising its pre-set policies. Instead of responding empathetically, LUMS has taken an alternative route.

It is only providing unsatisfactory justifications in a situation which requires an open and honest approach, as well as a concrete plan involving negotiations and concessions.

A few hours ago, there has been an effort via email on part of the Provost and Vice Chancellor to bring some clarity. They are insisting the fee increase is not as exponential as reports claim and will be revised once more later on in the summer. They continue to hold fast to the claim that the new fee structure is actually benefiting students as it allows those with less credit hours to be charged a lesser amount, and also distributes the workload evenly throughout the 4 years. A concession has been offered to senior and super-senior students who wish to take 20 or more than 20 credit hours in their final semesters in order to complete their requirements. In such cases, the extra charges for each credit hour after the obligatory 16 will be waived. However, the issue still persists for the other enrolled batches.

It cannot be forgotten that at a time where the world is virtually on the brink of economic and social collapse, LUMS has only managed to do more harm than good.

With economists constantly warning the virus is likely to lead to a global recession, administrative systems around the world are planning to transform their approaches to business and commerce. Employees in all economic sectors are being laid off. People are unsure of how to make next month’s rent. Everyone is facing tough, wrenching crises that have virtually no path of resolution.

LUMS, however, is an island amidst this chaos. In one fell swoop, it has alienated both itself and the student body, while also creating a deep and burgeoning rift between the two.

Sadly, no amount of concessions can reverse the damage done. There is a loss of trust, and alongside it, ramped up suspicion regarding the university’s motives. The continued insistence that the new policy is not as detrimental as students think is not helping to bridge the divide. Even now, online platforms are teeming with talk of boycotts, formation of student unions, and mass student protests. There is no telling how all this anxiety and sense of betrayal will be ultimately channeled. The student body is determined to stand together and see this through to the end – whichever end that may be.

https://twitter.com/LSCLums/status/1257761692748054528?s=19

Authored by Manaal Shuja & Marium Mazhar

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Student Council takes actions amidst Pandemic

Written by Manaal Shuja.

 

While we plummeted headfirst into this global nightmare, our Student Council members were busy making sure we’d have a cushioned landing at the end of it.

 

General Secretary Abdullah Haroon describes how their prime goal was to help students feel “at home”; since students can’t go to LUMS, LUMS had to be brought to the students.

 

For many amongst us, the first couple of weeks spent in lockdown were full of anxiety-ridden thoughts of the future. These were compounded by the inescapable realization that everything would have to change.

 

Haroon says, “We had to keep people feeling like they were part of the community – and that’s where our online activities program came in. I was happy to see that many societies took up the initiative on their own.”

 

Aside from pitching activities such as Esports, Book club, and fitness classes, the Student Council also took it upon themselves to register LUMS on Coursera so students could gain access to thousands of free courses. This is not only a great way to keep busy but also an all-inclusive platform where you can pick up new skills. Needless to say, this is one venture the student body absolutely loves

.Coursera - Wikipedia

Moreover, in stabilizing the academic process, Haroon affirmed that the council remained committed to play as representative a role as possible from the get-go. “We’ve been trying to ensure this semester and the upcoming summer semesters are done in the right way – that the learning process is a productive one. To that end, we remain proactive on LDF; all concerns are communicated directly to the VC or Provost.”

 

Haroon states it has been this way from the start, what with emergency meetings with the Vice Chancellor and the faculty as well as stringent cross-questioning of proposed policies. He says, “During these meetings, we had one goal – take the students’ side.” What’s more, he was happy to note that the administration was fully receptive to the council’s suggestions.

 

When asked how the council was coping in such a high-stress environment, Haroon admitted it had not been smooth sailing all the way. “We’re worried just like everybody else but then we have this huge responsibility to fulfill. It’s been difficult adjusting and making sure everyone’s voices are heard. But a lot of our council members are doing amazing work on the field also. We tell them you focus on this work; it’s tremendously important.”

 

With a complete lockdown and global pandemonium, there’s no possible way to feel the way we did before. All that can be done is find a new ‘normal’. Haroon also ruminated on this, remembering especially how so much had been planned for the seniors’ send-off:

 

“Seniors are very sad they didn’t get the send-off they wanted. Juniors too. We had so many plans. But we’re getting along; we call each other, we have Zoom and group chats. There are always issues to be dealt with. It’s been tough adjusting to the new dynamic but we’re doing okay.”

Zoom Memes Surge During Coronavirus Quarantines - StayHipp

Everyone is doing their part – our Student Council more than most. At this point, it’s important to mute thoughts of the future and zoom (no pun intended) full speed ahead to whatever awaits.

 

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The Masked Beast Of Female Accommodation

For most students, moving out of your house and into a dorm means freedom. This is especially true for Hostelites when they come to LUMS compared to other institutes that impose Draconian restrictions such as curfews. The female experience of getting a dorm is more significant keeping in mind the familial and societal pressures that are common in Pakistan. It means that girls can have more mobility to be themselves and use their independence in a project of self-discovery. This freedom comes at the cost of added responsibility. One is prepared to be more mindful of budgets and to take on more mundane chores of laundry, sharing spaces with a roommate and cooking. However, in recent years the costs of living on campus in LUMS have far outgrown the benefits.

 

Having 5 hostel buildings compared to the 7 male hostels, female students are at a severe disadvantage of space. It is almost a perfect ironic analogy of the lack of public space that women are granted in Pakistan. As girls are shunned from public parks, roadside restaurants so too are they shunned from occupying space on campus. There have been countless debates and Open Houses on campus with heart wrenching stories of girls who have been denied space on campus and shuttled off to housing in Askari with the promise of hourly buses for commute. The Administration has assured constantly that it is simply a temporary solution but female students see no end in sight. Last year, there was a discussion that M2 should be converted to a female hostel since it is mostly vacant. Almost expectedly, there was a huge uproar from male students and the decision was revoked. It speaks volumes that the opinions of a few men who are not even occupying that space took precedence over the many women who shared deeply personal stories and traumas as a result of these policies.

 

The administration’s long-term policy is two-fold. Firstly, they have brought back triple occupancy in F1 and F2 aimed mainly at First Years. Secondly, the basement of F5 has been converted into a makeshift refugee camp for day scholars who require accommodation. Imagine this. One room with 14 beds. You wake up to the whim of whoever turns on the light in the morning. You sleep covering your face with you bedsheet to block the light out at night. You pack your things in your suitcases and foldable storage before leaving class everyday and come back to find some things missing still. You try to stay out of the “room” as long as you can and take shelter in a friend’s room most of the time. Whenever you try to ask for some basic decent living conditions you are told to stop being greedy and be thankful you’re given this space at least. That was a typical day in the life of Areej Shamshad in her Sophomore year.

 

Even the hostelites who are “blessed” with a room and just 1 roommate to share it with, the problems are endless. In the unbearable heat of the Lahori summers, every night is a gladiator style fight to the death over mattresses in the air-conditioned common room. The finite spaces are filled, with people removing other mattresses. These conditions are highly stressful for girls who are socially anxious as squabbles and fights have become more commonplace. This semester, the administration failed to fill water in the coolers installed in the hallways leaving the girls to defend against the hot air spewed at them adding to the miserable weather.

 

Basic hygiene and healthcare is also absent in hostels. Maryam and Sania were greeted by bedbugs in their mattresses and cupboards. Arooba had to battle fungus infecting her clothes. When students ask for fumigation, there are additional complications. The inconveniently short time slots that fumigation can take place in do not account for the busy schedules that students have. It is a system rigged against young hostellites whose academic responsibilities stand like a Goliath in front of them.

 

LUMS’ housing facilities feature no accountability measures. There are no escape plans in cases of emergencies. No drills are carried out to prepare students what to do in cases like earthquakes. I still remember my first year living on the 6th floor of F5 and having to run all 6 flights of stairs when there was an earthquake, not knowing what to do. In case of emergencies like fire, we have gotten a glimpse of what to expect. The administration has a simple policy. When in doubt, victim blame. The fire was somehow caused by a cigarette. Curiously though, all the girls who lived in that room were not inside. The only reasonable explanation is a mouse with a nicotine addiction. Even when we tried contacting Residence to get a view and clear any confusions, we were met with no response.

 

Countless LDF posts, SC emails to the administration and Open Houses later, we are still where we started. Women on campus should have a space where they feel safe. If that is not going to be the room which is their home for the next 4 years, where will it be? This matter of not prioritizing female issues points at a more systemic problem entrenched within LUMS. We must treat all students as equal and that starts with giving them space to breathe.

 

 

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MBM: Moneymaking Business Model

MBM does not actually stand for the above-mentioned phrase yet it is difficult to ignore how fitting it is. What does MBM stand for at LUMS? Well, apart from the abbreviation, zero job security, deplorable working conditions, and insufficient pay. Being in my second year as a hostelite at LUMS, I am no stranger to these workers showing up to my door in desperate need of financial help, whether it is for medical treatment of a loved one, or to pay for one’s daughter’s wedding. Recognizing my privilege and position in society, I cannot complain about this situation. However, it pains me to see the embarrassment that befalls these workers when they ask for this monetary assistance, as they are exceptionally hard-working individuals who fail to make a decent living solely because of the exploitative relationship between employer and contractor that they fall between.

The aforementioned relationship between LUMS and MBM is such that MBM trains and pays workers who provide janitorial services in the university. LUMS pays around 23,000 rupees to MBM per worker for around 150 workers. Out of this amount only 17,500 is paid as salary to the workers and the rest is supposedly kept for social security and other fringe benefits. An unspecified amount is kept as commission for the company. So the question that arises from this discussion is why does such an arrangement exist. LUMS can just as easily directly hire 150 workers. A number of labor rights lawyers have spoken out and said it is a mechanism for large entities such as LUMS to outsource having to worry about workers asking for their rights.

The opposing view became evident in an interview with Col. Amer Khan. He stated that the LUMS administration pays the extra amount to MBM in return for toiletry equipment and other miscellaneous items. Moreover, he pointed out that the need for MBM as a facilitator only arises due to the unreliability of janitorial staff. He said that since MBM commands the services of 1800-2000 staff, they can easily replace workers who fail to arrive at work.

In the afternoon of the 20th of April, last Spring, outside PDC where students enjoy their Thursday night “khoka raves”, a very prominent group of these workers gathered. They were in their MBM uniforms and they sat cross-legged in complete silence, refusing to work. They had not received the promised advanced payments for Easter. Most of these workers are Christians who were eager to celebrate the festival. The sit-in continued for hours until a large number of faculty and students arrived on the scene and the matter was taken to the administration. The protestors were hopeful of a positive response but wrongly so. The administration claimed it could do nothing as it was not a direct employer of the staff as if this was an unforeseen circumstance and not a premeditated plan. Anyhow the protest raged on hand in hand with the student body’s enthusiasm for the cause. MBM had no alternative but to succumb to the pressure that their workers had created and release the advanced payments that they were promised. However, this was not without its consequences. The next day 35 workers were removed from LUMS by MBM on unclear charges, according to an article by Abdullah Niazi posted on Profit. However, Col. Amer Khan, when asked about this, did not have any comments.

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Regardless of what follows in this saga of exploitation and protests, one thing is clear; the attitude of the administration towards the workers has to change. A legal take on this very idea would emerge from the precedence set by the Fauji Fertilizer case. Here, the law very clearly laid down that any company such as LUMS getting labor from contractors such as MBM is still responsible for their workers if their service is necessary to the industry. This includes both the well being of the workers and to make sure that MBM fulfills all contractual obligations towards these workers. An Ownership week was carried out very recently to associate values of home with the university. LUMS is nothing without the people who make it functional and the janitorial staff is as critical to this institution as any other segment.