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Everyone’s a mental health advocate

By Anonymous

Everyone’s a mental health advocate

… Until it’s not an abstract concept anymore.

You vomit positivity on your Facebook page, put the Artidote’s latest post on your Instagram story.

You’re a good person.

Until you’re not. Until you see that girl you heard an unsubstantiated rumour about show up. You whisper a witty comment just within earshot, and your friends erupt in sniggers.

Just a bit of harmless fun.

Until it’s not.

And hey, I’m not blaming you. God knows that I’ve done the same thing countless times. Any distraction from our insecurities is a welcome one, and exploiting someone else’s insecurities achieves that while moving us up a rung on the social ladder.

What else can you expect from a people who are taught to look at the less fortunate, not with compassion, but with relief — at least I’m better off than that guy.

F**k your performative woke-ness. Being aware is useless if action does not follow. You have to hold yourself to higher standards. Your expensive university education means nothing if you graduate without learning to think for yourself. Use that brain that-almost-got-you-into-the-Ivy-League-leken-visa-nahi-aya and engage in some good old-fashioned critical thinking. Your definition of mental illness must extend beyond “Be nice to me when I’m sad, while I continue to be a d**k to everyone around me.”

Next time, when you hear something about someone, maybe try weighing your amusement against a person’s reputation. Next time you have a witty remark up your sleeve, ask yourself: is this truly witty, or am I just using the shock value of saying something offensive to score brownie points with the people who I call my friends?

To be brave in this life does not have to mean dying on battlefields. It can also mean holding on to warmth and compassion in spite of the horrible things that have happened to you. If being kind were easy, everyone would do it. Kindness is a virtue because of how difficult it is in practice. To exist in this world and not be jaded; that is the true challenge.

Be better.

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The friends we once had

Remember your best friend in grade 8? I remember mine. We used to talk on the phone for 8 hours straight till my mom would come out of her room at 6AM and glare at me with hints of disbelief and quite prominent traces of anger in her eyes. It would take a lot of scolding and many threats of being ‘phone-grounded’ from my mom to make me stop talking to my best friend. 7 years later, I don’t even know how she’s doing.

It’s the summer of 2019 and I’m about to enter into my junior year which quite honestly I’m still having a hard time believing. But having one of those early 20s crises most of us are pretty familiar with at this point, I’m wondering where it all went wrong. We all have had friends we used to be close to in junior school or college but are not anymore. Some have fought their way into distance and some have ‘drifted apart’ from people they could hardly imagine their lives without. But somewhere in our heads, when we see photographs of our school plays or when Facebook and Snapchat memories rub it in our noses, we stop and think about what genuinely went wrong. Like an epiphany it hits me: being in my early 20’s means I’m about to graduate and it technically also means that these friends I’ve made in my entire life, they are the ones who will know about all the phases I will never want my work friends to know about, They will know about the crazy haircuts, the emo diary entries, the dramatic junior school break ups and all the shameful playlists and posters we had. They will also be the people who have seen our families struggle and make it to where they are, who have seen us fall in love for the first time, they have encouraged us to follow our dream and apply for that English degree everyone else thinks is useless. They are a part of who we are at this point in our lives and we may find many more friends and acquaintances in life but will they will really only know one half of who we are.

I’m afraid this sounds more dramatic than I intended, but it hits me like a slap in the face and I reach out to all the old friends, afraid of not being able to connect like we did in the past yet taking the risk because if not now, then when? We come out of school, looking forward to college and leave college thrilled about going to a university; amidst all these huge changes what we fail to realize is that somewhere between the transition from uniforms to casual kurtis, we forget about the priceless feeling we got when we made that first best friend in grade 6 and promised it was forever.

PS: It’s not too late to text the friend you haven’t seen in years, the friend you terribly miss when you see a packet of cocomo or a cold drink poured in a plastic bag-‘Kal ho na ho’, my friend (shameless Bollywood reference because it can truly never be irrelevant).

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A new road for Kashmir

By Salar Tarar.

(The views expressed in this article are entirely those of the author and are not necessarily reflective of PLUMS)

Prime Minister Imran Khan, on his tour to the US, marked Kashmir as having the only road to lasting peace in South Asia. Perhaps it is then no coincidence that the BJP juggernaut has hurriedly looked to align Mr. Khan’s road sense – backed by thousands of soldiers and a revoked constitutional provision. Peace will now need a whole lot of infrastructure.

The Indian Government has explicitly chosen destruction and despair over lasting peace.

Banaris Hussain, a cook working in Muzaffarabad, looks increasingly worried as tensions flare up around the Line of Control. His family lives in the small town of Jora right next to the border. The constant shelling from the Indian side has led his family, consisting of three daughters and two small sons, to spend the night outside in an open area far away from home. “There is no way to contact them at the moment,” he says. This sheer anxiety and fear is confronted on a daily basis by many families living on the Pakistani side of the conflict. The recent use of cluster bombs, in direct violation of 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, adds further to the lengthy list of atrocities carried out by the Indian side.

What exactly is fueling this new wave of unprecedented violence and infringement of rights against the Kashmiris? Yashwin Sinha, the former finance minister and previously a senior leader of the BJP, has a simple answer: “What the government of India has done with Article 370, and Article 35A, is nothing more than pure politics.” Mr. Sinha believes that the upcoming state elections of Haryana and Mahastra in September/October are playing heavily on Mr. Modi’s mind. There is, however, an alternative answer.
In 1953, Syama Prasad Mookerjee, president of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, died in a jail in Srinagar where he was detained by the Sheikh Abdullah government for protesting against Kashmir being an “autonomous republic within India.” The Bharatiya Jana Sangh is the predecessor of the present day Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Observers argue that Mr. Modi is simply adhering to the underlying ideology of the party that has seen a landslide win in the recent polls. Modi’s campaign speeches were full of several stern warnings hinting firmly about such a radical course of action. While Mr. Modi looks to have enshrined his legacy after completing the BJP’s prophetic mission; he may have, however, permanently stained India’s biggest one liner: The biggest democracy in the world.

Pakistan now faces the throes of a potentially huge political crisis. The demography of the LOC, little known to common outsider, makes the task even harder. As the Indians have strategically fenced the whole border and massively reduced the population levels across the areas directly facing the enemy side; Pakistan has had little space to maneuver. Confined to a single viable main route that crosses directly in-front of many Indian controlled mountains, invaluable human loss is inevitable when confronted with attack. India knows that it can cause persistent loss by carrying a series of surprise attacks every once in a while. Maybe victory can then be attained on another battlefront – one that has to do with diplomacy.

The opposition has quickly rallied behind the government, asking it to immediately take the matter to the UN Security Council. The Pakistani government has started with a robust statement clearly saying that it will “exercise all possible options to counter the illegal steps”. The government must bring its heavyweight allies up to speed with proceedings and use as much diplomatic leverage as possible to squeeze India into a corner of isolation. This might prove to be futile exercise. India’s supreme market outreach and global weight has turned this into a gross mismatch. However, Pakistan buoyed by its recent cordial dealings with the United States, Turkey and Malaysia can certainly transform into a Goliath. In order to achieve such a feat, it must be prepared to answer some tough questions in this quest. What will now happen with Azad Kashmir and Gilgit/Baltistan as India’s new decree comes into practice? Is there a real prospect of war? What really can Pakistan do? One thing is certain though. From now on, Pakistan can only look to construct its own road to peace. As a certain neighbour is determined not to give way.

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Your one stop guide to surviving O Week!

By Arooba Ghayas.

 

Welcome to LUMS!

To all those who had LUMS as their first choice of universities/colleges, congratulations. You made it! I hope you find LUMS to be everything you wished for. And for all those who are coming to LUMS as a secondary/backup option, I genuinely urge you to come with an open mind and heart. You will find the experience to be better than your expectations if you allow yourself to shape it so.

Coming to LUMS, the first and MOST happening event is your Orientation Week. In my personal experience, I had a blast at my O-Week and it was the only thing I would be talking about once I got home. Really, it drove my school friends and family insane! This article will narrate some of my experiences, give some friendly advice, and explain the know-hows at LUMS.

Hostelites, your LUMS journey starts with Day 0 aka Check-in-Day. You receive your smart cards, O-Week parcels, a whole lot of freedom, a little bit of responsibility, and your room keys. It’s going to be so much fun and it begins at this point. Some things that you should keep note of are the following:

  • Triple occupancy is being introduced for the First Years, which means that you have to get along with not one but two roommates (good luck). Hopefully your fate will be kind to you and you will find the best people as your roommates but in case you don’t, RELAX! You don’t have to be friends with your roommates, you only have to learn to be cordial and respectful towards one another. It is advisable to set down some boundaries and ground rules on the very first day to avoid awkward conversations later on. This is important for issues like privacy, how late the light can be on and having friends over. Other than that, just be accepting and accommodating!
  • The rooms DO NOT have an AC, nor can you get it installed. But don’t worry, LUMS has the best sleeping-in-common-rooms culture. So, don’t forget your foldable mattress and be sure to place it in a common room right in time to mark your spot. It might be a bit daunting sleeping in a room with a dozen other people, but you’ll get used to it. Just please, please turn off your alarm as soon as it rings so that others don’t kill you in your sleep.
  • You can install fridges and heaters in your rooms by getting them properly registered. Don’t try to sneak them in because there are unannounced checks by the warden and if you get caught, it means a heavy fine.
  • Each hostel floor has at least one pantry and two communal bathrooms on each side. They are cleaned quite regularly, so no, it’s really not that bad.

Everyone else, O-Week Day 1 is the official start. After the official ceremony is completed, the First Years are introduced to their O-Week coaches and groups. Having been a part of the host team, I assure you all that a lot of time and effort is invested by the O-Week team to make your time memorable. Therefore, I will request you all to give it a fair chance and try to participate in it.

Now I understand that you might already have some friends or relatives who have come to LUMS, but don’t shut down the idea of making new friends, interacting with different people, and slowly stepping out of your comfort zones. My O-Week coach explained the idea and importance of O-Week groups quite interestingly. According to him, each group was a cross-section of the incoming batch, combining students from various academic backgrounds. Therefore, if one was able to interact with one’s O-Week group successfully, he/she would easily adjust in the crowd at LUMS and find familiar faces with ease. That’s why I would insist that you don’t ditch you O-Week group just to hang out with friends you know from before. Spend your time wisely and give yourself the chance to explore, learn, and interact in the environment LUMS provides to you! It will help you immensely in the long run.

Another point that I would really emphasize on is staying out at the khoka. Once you’re in LUMS, you will immediately be acquainted with the space that is considered as the khoka. Your coaches will definitely help you familiarize with the khoka culture but here’s a brief explanation. Open space, round tables, chai, lots of chatter, and rounds of card games. It is THE place to socialize, especially during the first few weeks as everyone is generally more excited and keen on meeting new people. Therefore, don’t hesitate to sit at a random khoka table. Play that round of Mafia. Have that cup of chai with a bunch of people. Sit till past your bed time and watch your friendships grow.

Every O-Week comprises of a bunch of activities, events, or competitions. Yes, there are instances like the Sports Fest or Mind Quest where groups compete with one another. I honestly found such competitions to really strengthen the bond my O-Week group had as we won the Mind Quest hand-in-hand. However, we really need to understand and remember that the purpose behind such activities isn’t finding a winner. The purpose is to provide a platform or situation to the groups to become comfortable enough to come together for a task. Therefore, don’t take the competitions too seriously and focus on having a good time.

Lastly, it is super important to attend and attentively listen to the sessions being held. Very serious issues are highlighted during these sessions which need to be understood by every member of the student body. Moreover, certain guidelines and rules are expressed through these sessions. Understanding of the enrollment system, provision of IST and library services, and proceedings of the Disciplinary Committee are all matters discussed during these sessions. Therefore, it is crucial that you attend these sessions throughout the week.

I genuinely hope that each one of you is successful in making sure you have the best time at O-Week. However, in case you need any help with that you can always try to find me!

 

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Mental Health – a sad state of affairs

 

Cloaked in a black hood, I crept into the darkness searching for a spot that would allow me to drain out the valve of despair seeping the life out my soul. The orchestra of chaos bursting inside my head could no longer silenced by the semblance of normalcy my words expressed.

Until that point, my cheeks had never felt tears stream with sheer intensity. Struggling socially and academically, I had hit rock bottom 7 months into my LUMS journey.

Suddenly, I sensed movement in the corner adjacent to mine. At first, my heart pounded—have I been exposed in a state of extreme vulnerability?

However, a few moments later, a deeper concern struck me: How many other people drowned in the abyss of despair at 3am on a Tuesday?

I clearly wasn’t alone seeking refuge in the dark corners of this prestigious institution.

Adjusting to life in an alien environment can be difficult and the environment at LUMS is far from perfect. A simple visit to the page Help@LUMS will acquaint you with the quantitative severity of mental issues we as a community face.

Apart from the heightened academic competition, a simmering pressure to fit in dominates the social scene. Sitting at the Khokha or having a meal all by yourself can be intimidating. Add social anxiety to the equation and you’ll have trouble finding decent company.

When your bedroom and classroom coexist in the same vicinity, the personal gets entangled with other aspects of your life. Your academic performance might suffer, causing irrevocable damage. Substance abuse is another wormhole you might become susceptible to. This paves the way for mental instability that might linger beyond the duration of your degree.

Despite hailing to be among the most progressive institutions in Pakistan, LUMS fails to prioritize the mental health of its student body.

A mere number of two psychologists cater to the needs of thousands of students. To make matters worse, the repute of these psychologists is embroiled in controversy; several students have complained a breach of confidentiality.

The administration itself is infamous for fostering an apathetic attitude towards the students, viewing individual concerns with a glare of cynicism. This issue was particularly highlighted in the inquiry report drafted after the tragic suicide of a former student.

The report stated, “The Committee repeatedly heard from students how OSA staff, whom students approached during a crisis, treated them without the empathy that the situation called for. The Committee heard examples of students berated after the death of a parent, students being threatened with removal of financial aid, or students chastised for their physical appearances or put down for their class background. While it was beyond the Committee’s ability to triangulate each of these claims, these accounts do fit a pattern of behavior between students and OSA staff that has long been noted by both students and faculty.”

But the aspect that pierces my heart deeply is the veil of stigma shrouding mental health as a serious issue in the minds of the collective majority. During a Psychology at LUMS event, my efforts at raising mental health awareness at the Khokha were met with chuckles of ignorance and derision.

A mountain of change stands in the way of mental health becoming a priority. However, until we begin the arduous process of incorporating long-term solutions into the administrative framework, I believe an impact can be made informally.

Amid the ensuing bleakness, I believe the onus falls on us— ones who have preserved through the turbulence of the early LUMS experience—to help the young freshman and sophomores or anyone still treading in the darkness.

Our help might not be enough or a long-term solution, but I cannot remain passive knowing my fellow colleagues wrestle the same anguish as I did.

So, I urge you to proactively try to make your colleagues feel more inclusive.

I urge you to give advice to that young, shy freshman regarding their aspirations in your society.

Help them correct their technique at the gym.

Strike up a conversation when you spot them at the Khokha.

Sit with them at PDC if they don’t mind company.

Ask them why they have trouble speaking up in class (assuming you are the TA).

 

This obviously doesn’t solve the deeper problem. In the meanwhile, this should not deplete your will to look towards a better future. You would be surprised how often the little things go a long way in making someone feel home.

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You wish you weren’t born a woman

Seven years ago, when my opponent debater quoted ‘ignorance is bliss’ as an attack on our team, I thought it was foolish, because wasn’t knowledge and awareness key to living a meaningful, happy life? Seven years later, I think he was correct, and I was foolish. Ignorance, truly is bliss.

Before you scoff and roll your eyes at me for being a hopeless pessimist, I want to tell you where I come from, and why I think so. I am a woman in Pakistan. Today, as on most days since the past few years, this is the most important identity to me. It is all-encompassing, and truest to my nineteen years of living. However, it is not an easy identity to carry, and comes with a heavy baggage; lustful gazes, domestic violence, sexual harassment and patriarchal norms; to name a few tangible forms. To be a woman is to almost always feel a certain way; not valued, not loved, not human. It is to be wronged repeatedly and to not be able to speak up against it because ‘hamesha se aisay hee hota he’, ‘Allah ne mard ko haq aur ijazat di he’, ‘aurat sabar aur qurbani ka doosra naam he’ and ‘iss ke ilawa kya rasta he?’ Then, to say that I am a woman in Pakistan is to say that I am exhausted; of never being enough.

As recent incidents show, be it a woman’s experience told in the form of tweets and screenshots against a harasser, or pictures of a bruised face against a domestically violent husband, it is never enough. The country sympathetically turns to the man for ‘his side of the story’, and by shedding a few tears, attaching some ‘he never made me feel uncomfortable’ statements, and placing his hands on the Holy Quran as he builds lies, he doesn’t disappoint his fellow men. Spinelessly, he shows that he is drunk in privilege and power, and that he will do whatever it takes to shift the blame. For a day or two, scrolling social media reveals updates on the incident, but as the third day’s sun sets, the country moves on to other important missions such as saving actresses from hellfire by telling them to cover up. On the fourth day, a 6 year old girl is raped and murdered, or a wife is killed for not making a gol roti.

These incidents do not occur in isolation, and should not be treated as such. They are systemic and structural, which means that unless we don’t change the system that produces and sustains men that have been exposed in the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, gender inequality will not cease to exist. Patriarchy and misogyny is internalized and entrenched to dangerous extents. Hence, the cyclical repetition with no head or tail. People condemn domestic violence on the grounds that hitting a woman is not ‘what real men do’ and I wonder what that term even means, and how a chance to preserve and glorify manhood is never missed. If by ‘real men’, they mean not inhumane, why not just use the word ‘human’ instead? After all, haven’t similar notions such as ‘mard ka bacha ban’ harbored enough toxic masculinity in the country?

My thoughts fall into a spiral and my brain aches. With every passing day, I see more clearly that existing power webs are built upon and thrive on the difference of gender. Man is powerful, and woman is powerless. And being powerless becomes tiring. It pulls you down. You wish you could tune out. You wish you could become ignorant. You wish you could un-see and un-hear injustices that remind you of your traumatic pasts; how your aunts were beaten up till they bled, how your sister was groped and chased after in the streets of Lahore, how your friend was raped at a party, how your mother was forced to let go off her dream job so she could be a better housewife, and how the 8 year old you was molested by a man whose relationship to you was of a close caretaker. But being a woman means you cannot be ignorant to how it feels to be a woman. And you wish it felt better, but it doesn’t. So you lock yourself in your bathroom and cry, and you wish you weren’t born a woman.

 

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Ubaidullah Inquiry Committee Report: Resistance, Reformation and Repentance

(Submitted by Rabia Najm)

I remember the exact moment the Ubaidullah Inquiry Committee Report was released because it has had a lasting impact on the way I view and experience my time at LUMS. I was walking back to my dorm from the sports complex when I got the email. I started reading it as I walked. I wasn’t fully aware of the events leading up to Ubaidullah’s passing so I skimmed down to the Timeline Section and started reading from there. Not more than a couple of paragraphs into it, I had to stop. I had to stop because in that moment I felt incredibly overwhelmed and could feel tears stinging my eyes.

While I can never claim to understand or make sense of Ubaidullah’s individual experience at LUMS, I can say that it hit closer to home than I expected it to. Our circumstances were dissimilar, but the feelings of hopelessness and being lost were a commonality, a commonality that isn’t just restricted to the two of us, but to so many students who pass through university in general.

Going to university is a very destabilizing experience. In most circumstances you have to live away from home, or learn to be independent. You have to settle into a new environment and adapt to completely different social settings. Academic stress can be crippling especially when it is accompanied by other problems such as financial or family issues. Getting used to all of this is incredibly hard, and even more so when there is no support from the institutions that should be offering it.

As a first year student, I was going through the debilitating process of learning to handle all of these problems, and in that situation to read the Inquiry Committee Report and realize that I would be getting no help or support from the institution that was supposed to be my ‘home’ for the next four years, was terribly scary. Looking at what Ubaidullah went through at LUMS made me realize that this could be me, this could be my friends, this could be anyone at LUMS and there would be no mechanism in place to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

In desperation I scrolled through the Summary of Recommendations in the report, searching for anything that would give me some sort of hope that my peers and I weren’t alone in this anymore. And it seemed as if my hopes weren’t unfounded; there was an acceptance of institutional failings on part of the committee, a commitment to reforming how certain bodies like the Disciplinary Committee operated and a positive change in how student welfare and autonomy were perceived.

However, despite the fact that the recommendations in the report were received positively by the student body and many members of the faculty, they came to nothing because the report itself was rejected by certain higher ups in the administrative body. As it is with things like these, despite the best efforts of the people involved in the establishment of the Inquiry Committee and the report, the outrage around this tragic incident fizzled out, and Ubaidullah’s batch mates along with other concerned seniors graduated.

Towards the end of Spring 2017-18, the semester in which the report was released, a small group of students made another effort to address some of the issues highlighted in the report by writing a letter to the VC. While no official response was given to this letter, it did garner a lot of support from the LUMS student body in the form of ‘likes on LDF’ and ‘dropping down of roll numbers’, something Luminites are particularly talented at. In the following academic year, Fall 2018-2019, all attempts to reignite conversation on the ‘Letter to the VC’, and the Ubaidullah Committee Report were met with a lukewarm to non-existent response, except the usual LDF activism.

The lack of support and commitment from the student body to the implementation of the proposed reforms is rather puzzling, keeping in mind the sort of events that have unfolded on campus this year. Case in point is how the culture of surveillance and authoritarianism on campus has intensified this past academic year; from the way the M2 issue was handled to how guards with flashlights were stationed in the free parking lot. It is not to say that there hasn’t been any resistance to these policies; however the problem remains that often this resistance is sporadic, reactionary and non-constructive. It does not target the root cause of the problem which may be something like the amount of power a certain individual or office has in the administration, rather it will only target the administrative response in that particular event. While in that moment the huge backlash from the student body may payoff through a revoking of the policy, it has no impact on changing the administrative structure and mindsets behind it, and sooner or later in a similar situation, the same sort of policy is enforced again.

It is great that there was a big enough outcry against the free parking policy for it to be amended, are we going to talk about the fact that this policy is an off-shoot of the increased surveillance culture on campus? This increased surveillance has manifested itself in innocent students being harassed by guards for, smoking in certain places, being warned that they are being ‘observed’ and having their privacy breached by having their rooms broken into or entered without permission. The point here is simple, for there to be constructive long term change in administrative attitudes, our resistance needs to be well thought out and better organized. It cannot be a one- off event in which the students get angry, protest and hope for a response from the powers that be. We need to mobilize the student body to pressure the administration into accepting reforms  aimed at structural changes such as the ones proposed in the Letter to the VC and Inquiry Committee Report.

It cannot be stressed enough how important it is for positive changes like these to be adopted into the administrative structure at LUMS. The type of hostile and unsafe environment that increased campus surveillance has created is terrible for the mental and emotional wellbeing of students especially for those who live on campus, and have no choice but to see it as their home. The insensitivity and callousness with which OSA handles student concerns also has the same impact on student welfare and can lead to increased alienation and feelings of helplessness in students who are already struggling. In a university setting where things like cut throat competition, academic challenges already take a huge toll on student welfare, it is imperative that the structures that should provide support be properly reformed and equipped to carry out their duties.

Events leading up to Ubaidullah’s untimely passing are a painful reminder that LUMS failed as an institution to help a student who desperately needed some show of empathy. The Ubaidullah Inquiry Committee Report has had a defining impact on my time at LUMS because it made me realize that there are other students in LUMS who struggled like me, and some of them were not lucky enough to find the type of informal support networks that I did. No one deserves to feel so lost and directionless that everyday functioning becomes hard, and life becomes a bit less livable to the point that it leads to a spiral that is impossible to pull up from. Our failure as a community played a role in the mental anguish that Ubaidullah Lodhi went through; we owe it to him to make sure it doesn’t happen again to any other student.

 

 

 

 

 

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Some amazing books to read – so you don’t have to rush through them for classes!

 

Calling out to all the newbies coming to LUMS, welcome to your freshmen year! I know the zeal and excitement at this time of the vacations is soaring – while some are awaiting their acceptance letters, there are others who are casually beaching away and chilling with a good book or a movie. So for those who want to know more about life at LUMS but are too lazy to go check out the internet, worry not, I’ve got you covered.

Following are some of the books, which are a must-read for honestly every person, no matter what major you’re thinking of pursuing. Some of these have phenomenal plot-lines and have served as guidance for many contemporary best-sellers too. So without further ado,

 

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad:

This has to be the most widely taught book in classes at LUMS. Be it a class of African Literature, British Fiction, an anthropology class or a history class on colonialism and imperialism – this book will be studied! Personally speaking, even though the book is really good and impactful, it is not for everyone since it contains a lot of nautical jargons and elaborate, dense language. It definitely isn’t my cup of tea, but I wish someone had told me earlier to read it. It would have saved me all the trouble in classes.

So, I highly recommend reading this book beforehand since it will make you familiar with the text and language, making it easier for you to understand it on a second read.

Courses this would be useful for:

  • African Literature
  • Post-colonial history course
  • British/Irish Fiction

 

 

1984 by George Orwell:

Seriously who hasn’t heard of this really creepy, too-good-to-be-true dystopian novel? Required reading for students since it was published, it ranks among the most terrifying novels ever written. Published in 1949, the book offers political satirist George Orwell’s nightmarish vision of a totalitarian, bureaucratic world and one poor stiff’s attempt to find individuality. The brilliance of the novel is Orwell’s prescience of modern life—the ubiquity of television, the distortion of the language—and his ability to construct such a thorough version of hell.

Courses this would be useful in:

  • British/Irish Fiction
  • Socio/History course on totalitarian regimes and politics (mention this book to gain that extra CP point!)

 

 

The Great Gatsby

Yes, you must have seen the famous movie on Netflix with the same name, starring Leonardo Dicaprio as Jay Gatsby; and if you liked the lush setting of the movie (which was truth be told not even close as to what’s described in the text), chances are you’ll love this book! Thanks to its evocative setting, rich themes and masterly prose, The Great Gatsby has secured its standing as a reading-list staple as well as one of the greatest American novels ever written. Here, the moneyed East meets the modest Midwest, and Fitzgerald’s memorable characters — Jay Gatsby, Daisy and Tom Buchanan, Jordan Baker — perpetuate a lavish lifestyle that, alas, doesn’t offer much of a life. The enigmatic Gatsby has the best parties, but it’s Daisy he really wants. He may have no shortage of party guests, but he’s sorely lacking in funeral attendees. A book about loss, longing, identity and the false ideals of American Dream, this book is a must for all introductory level classes.

I know it is really overrated, but it’s better to read and appreciate it at your own pace rather than rush through it in one class. Plus, I can’t say it enough but every-time you read classics, there is always a new perspective that that book has to offer.

Courses this would be useful in:

  • Intro to Literature

 

 

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Here’s the thing about this book: Even if you didn’t like classics you’d probably love this book. It is unique as far as 19th century women fiction goes, but still as relatable today. The language is fairly easy to understand, there is no subtle meaning behind texts (although low-key and very subtly it is screaming feminism feminism!!). It’s a romance, yes, which: extremely normal. But it’s a romance between two characters who are not conventionally beautiful, which is unbelievably rare.

It’s also not a romance or marriage that acts as basically the sole option for its female character. I love Pride & Prejudice, and I think Lizzie Bennet is a feminist (and awesome) character, but there’s no way for that book to end, really, that doesn’t include marriage for her. Three of the five Bennet sisters get married over the course of that book. It either that or the maid status. But not Jane Eyre, here. She does not allow marriage to be the only prospect for her. She goes away and makes a life for herself and then decides whether she wants to follow that path. We don’t even see that in every 21st century romance!

There are other topics also explored like religion, ‘unconventional’ jobs for women (is there really such a thing, even?) and female independence.

Good for you, you’ll be reading this in a few classes this semester (hopefully!) and even if you’re not taking any English courses, I think every woman should read this book atleast.

Classes this will be useful for:

  • Intro to Literature
  • The Victorian Novel: Charles Dickens to Thomas Hardy

 

 

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The brilliant, bestselling, landmark novel that tells the story of the Buendia family, and chronicles the irreconcilable conflict between the desire for solitude and the need for love—in rich, imaginative prose that has come to define an entire genre known as “magical realism.”

Lucky for you, there is ACTUALLY a “Magical Realism” course being offered this semester and guess what – this text is required reading!! But even if you’re not one to believe in anything remotely close to ‘real and magic’ (haha, it is quite ironic), this book is one of those which has an unquestionably beautiful prose, painted with exquisite imagery and a timeless plot and characters. The most wonderful thing about this book is, that even though it is about human interactions, lost love and heartbreak (which is very much real), the text is so blissful, it feels heavenly!

I highly recommend reading this book since it will give you a grasp on what Marquez books are all about. It’s possible you may not read this in every class, but you shall always read a Marquez short story in a class or two.

Courses this would be useful for:

  • Magical Realism
  • Word and the World (although you won’t read this book exactly but you will definitely read Marquez)

 

 

Beloved and The Bluest Eye – Toni Morrison

It is no exaggeration to say that Toni Morrison is one of the greatest living literary voices of our time. In every single work published, Morrison has made a point to reveal the complexities of Black lives, whether captured through poetic period pieces, passionate love stories, or shocking dramas. Even if you don’t exactly read this book, I think Toni Morrison is one of those authors whose books you will most definitely read before graduating.

“Beloved” is one of Morrison’s most well-known novel. It tells the story of Sethe, a former slave who escaped to Ohio in the 1870s. But despite her freedom, he finds herself haunted by the trauma of her past. In 1998, there was a film adaptation of the book starring Oprah (I have yet to see the movie though)

Another of Morrison’s book which lands a place on my top 10 favourite books is “The Bluest Eye”. It tells the story of a young black girl named Pecola and her life following the years after The Great Depression. As a black girl, she grew up thinking that there are only one set standards of beauty: fair skin, blonde hair and blue eyes. The story marks her struggles to keep up with her “ugly self” and not only finding her personality and identity through her skin – but also being confident and proud of it. The text is so raw and emotional that once you start reading it, you will be utterly engrossed in the book. The best part is that it is a relatively short book so you can easily finish it within a day or two.

Courses this would be useful for:

  • Magical Realism (again!)
  • African Literature/ Post-colonial Literature
  • Contemporary Short Stories
  • Early 20th Century American Fiction

 

For courses this would be useful for, I have listed the ones that have been offered before and the ones in which I have already studied the said book. Maybe the instructors would choose to tweak the course outline a bit, but one thing’s for sure: these texts will provide you with a sound understanding on good prose, plot and characterization and they are just really good books to read even if you just want to curl up in your bed with a book and tea.

 

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In -NOT- Laughing Colours

Despite many issues with the LUMS administration and other facets of the institution, the university has continued to excel in academics, producing graduates who have been the standard-bearers of the country.

For an outsider therefore, LUMS epitomizes academic excellence in Pakistan. The sheer efforts of the faculty and students deserve all the acknowledgment for upholding educational standards and establishing a name in international academia.

We also get to hear a lot about university enabling ethnic and other forms of diversity within its community and providing a liberal environment to its students. Recently, however some students have taken this diversity for granted and have actively contributed in making these hallowed halls a less safer place for all its students.

If you happen to scroll down your twitter newsfeed, LDF, or any major forum, you will likely come across the hashtag #LUMS. On a closer look at the trend, you will notice a flurry of activity happening. This has been surrounding a LUMS student Ali Zar who is a self-proclaimed public figure owing to his Youtube channel Inlaughing Colours. This status of a public figure is important here because it raises two important issues. Firstly, since he has voluntarily put up his life and opinions on the internet, that makes him fair game for people like us to comment on (long story short, you can’t sue us). Secondly, it begs the question that if Ali Zar uses his status as a student of LUMS in his content, does that mean he has the moral duty to be more careful not to channel ideas that might be problematic and therefore owing to a negative image of the institution.

Most people have argued that he has the freedom of speech to publish whatever he says. Another group has taken the route of saying that even though his content is problematic and completely not representative of the LUMS body, the onus falls on us the readers to not give him the attention which is his motive. They argue that we must simply ignore him and this will pass. The third group of people say that this point is moot because whoever consumes his content automatically imposes his point of view on us, the students of LUMS. This means that he must be more careful of what he posts on Twitter or Youtube.

 

Let’s look at Youtube first. Just about last year, as part of his vlog campaign: “Life at LUMS,” he was seen to actively endorse harassment in one of his videos. When the issue was brought on the university forum, Ali Zar unsuccessfully defended himself by arguing that as a host it is his responsibility to mimic the characters in his video. Which raised the question whether it was even reasonable to mimic a problematic personality and then post it publicly online to be viewed thousands of people?

Second comes the recent Twitter war that even some instructors got involved in. Ali Zar posted that getting in LUMS was more about merit than class or the privilege that stems from it. This is particularly tone deaf in light of the recent cuts in financial aid which have severely disadvantaged the students who aren’t as privileged in the way Mr. Zar clearly is. Therefore, he unfairly delegitimized their issues and as an extension made it the official stance of the LUMS student body in the eyes of the media and the world outside the university. No matter our outrage on LDF, we cannot convince others that we do not agree with his ideas because of his significant following.

One thing is clear, is that Ali Zar is widely unpopular for his work/ opinions and the recent tweet just added fuel to the fire to his already controversial personality. But let us now address his 3-point response and conclude that getting into LUMS is actually more about privilege than anything else.

When people talk about enrolling in LUMS as a significant milestone, they often miss the point that there is a long list of privileges that the particular individual enjoyed in their lifetime. True, that money on its own cannot buy you admission into the institution, but money helped you secure a place in one of the elitist schools in Pakistan, that prepared you well for all the necessary admission requirements. Money helped you get internet access and other cultural capital that the marginalized community can never possibly afford. Money aided you in seeking career counseling like Dignosco which cost almost as much as a kidney and avail evening tuition services so that you could perform well in your SAT. While, your financial capital may not have directly admitted you into LUMS, it surely did assist you in several other ways.

The case of NOP scholars and those on Financial Aid is a valid opposing argument to make but let us also not forget the proportion of NOP scholars at LUMS in comparison to the individuals studying on a full-tuition fee. Even with the National Outreach Program, the selection criteria is often set very high restricting the total number of beneficiaries. On the other hand, excessive red-tape measures involved with the Financial Aid request makes the process a task too arduous in its undertaking consequently discouraging many from applying to the program in the first place. More importantly, excluding nitty-gritty details, holding assets that may not directly exhibit your financial privilege and utilizing expenses for some essential work will eventually make the person ineligible for assistance.

Lastly, it would be absurd to argue that LUMINITIES have some “class” that makes them superior beings. This extremely nebulous and problematic term class is something more suited in our classrooms under the guidance of learned instructors rather than something to be thrown around carelessly to prove merit.

 

Removing Ali Zar from LDF is not a long term solution because that disowning from the LUMS body is not something the world is aware of. He cannot be allowed to speak for all of us using his public platform.

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#MeToo: LUMS edition

The last semester brought onto LUMS a dark, Lahori smog-esque cloud that seemed to be looming over my female colleagues and I throughout and continues to do so even through the summer break.  

With the curtains opening to the exposé of Dankpuna – the private Facebook group containing grotesquely misogynistic memes with 600 male members (both current students and alumni), elections drama and allegations revolving around the running candidates, the curtain finally falls as we prepare to welcome the incoming first-years with alleged harassers and hard to trust men on board the O-Week committee. Hits in the ever varying forms of sexual harassment just keep on coming.  

While MangoBaaz and the likes found their way into LUMS like gossip aunties and put out articles, the public statements released by the administration expressed regret regarding the incident and promises of furthering conversation on campus were made. However, little has been done to address the toll every incident has taken on the mental health of the female population of the student body.  

Coming to LUMS from toxic patriarchal family settings, from high schools where the headmistress advises the student body to “stay away from the cancerous #MeToo movement” after allegations were made against a teacher because it tarnishes the name of the reputable private institution to beginning to call LUMS ‘home’ – this semester has failed many students who saw LUMS as an escape from all that they left behind.  

It is a rather saddening experience to suddenly become distrusting of the environment around you – of the friends you saw as allies, the seniors you looked up to as mentors, the instructors you trusted to fall back on for support and guidance, seeing the female friends you never thought could betray you standing up to protect harassers and rapists (I’d like to call them what I believe them to be but also what they’ve been proven to be), witnessing the people you grew up with to suddenly be on the other side- it all converges to the boiling point when everyone comes up to you for the affirmation of their reality when your own is pretty much shaken up.  

The recent incidents have left me disappointed, to say the very least, because somehow the whispers around khokha, and sometimes not even whispers but loud LDF posts ‘BUMP’ed far and wide for “someone finally spoke some sense” find their pointing fingers at none other than the victims of the misogynistic environment themselves.  

The over politicization of LDF has also been a huge contributor towards the deterioration of mental health because after a few hundred hits and likes, a post maker becomes the messiah of the masses for being “liberal” enough to see through the “libel overreach” and attempt to put an end to it. But imagine this: apparently, the women who support each other to be brave enough to report against their abusers are blamed for “seeding the idea of harassment” and have confused poor little “harassment” to be RAPE. Gasp. Add victim blaming by bringing in the girl’s alcohol intake and partying background and you have a 180 degree shift in the blame. The fact that these posts are also written by women who have either internalized this abuse or do so to protect their friends who have been accused, just gives a validation to the hidden sexist people on LDF. Comments about how these are the “good feminists” compared to the “feminazis” that campaign to take these harassers to the disciplinary committee create a huge gulf. Debates about this dichotomy become the real issue while the victims do not get justice. 

I realize I’ve taken a somber tone but that’s not why I wanted to write this. I regained hope because of all the strong women who stood up for all of us, who braved ugly storms and kicked down shut doors. They bore the burden of the hundreds of us, sacrificed their mental wellbeing to raise their voice and speak for all of us who were silently enduring the torture. The protest and drafted emails and proposals marked a refusal to be passive. I know this hardly suffices but I would like to thank you all – you know who you are.  

For all the male allies, who stood by us, protested and facilitated us with great numbers and the instructors who used their position to allow their students to take part in the sit-in, who emailed and spoke out when necessary – you give us hope when there’s little to find. 

For the rest of us, the silent victims of the increasingly threatening environment we are beginning to face at LUMS – stay strong. Stand by each other in these tormenting times and for the sake of whatever God there is that and if you believe in, enable each other instead of putting each other down. We need each other far more than we realize.