Caravan, Vol. 63, No. 1

              AUC CHIEFS EXTEND WARM WELCOME
Pedersen urges creativity
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I would like to extend a warm welcome to all students returning to AUC and especially to our new students, who, as they take their places among their fellow scholars, will begin a rich and stimulating life here.
As you sit in the warm, green shade of the courtyard, consulting the AUC catalog, planning your classwork for the coming semester, meeting new and old friends after a summer's rest, I hope all of you, not only the new students, will take a fresh look at the University.
I encourage every student to take advantage of the many new opportunities that AUC offers each year. Explore the resources of our new library and our expanded laboratory facilities-- and enjoy the comfort of our many irrproved classrooms. Cultivate new interests by participating in one of the various student organizations. While formal studies should always remain the top priority of its students, the University's life thrives only with the creativity and initiative of the student body, both inside and outside of the classroom.
Of course students should not work solely on their own. The AUC faculty is here to guide you, and assist you in your studies. As president of the University I hope to meet with students throughout the year in a series of informal gatherings. I would like very much to learn about your* interests and your needs.
I hope all of us at AUC, the administration, the faculty, and the students, will work together to make 1982-3 an exciting fruitful and productive academic year.
Hunsbsrger:
Significant improvements in campus faciiities
Richard F. President
Pedersen
I	am pleased to take this ORportunity to extend a warm wel come to al 1 facul ty and students, both those who are new to AUC and those who are returning. I hope all have had a pleasant summer and are coming to canpus refreshed and looking forward to a year of challenging and rewarding academic work.
Everyone will notice significant improvements in cattpus facilities. The new library is fully operational, despite some still unresolved problems with air-conditioning and other conveniences. It is a pleasant and spacious building with comfortable accommodations for study and research. We can all take pride in it in the fine comnvinity spirit exhibited by faculty, students, staff, farrasheen, and even children who, in June, transferred more than 180,000 books to the new library in an amazingly short time.
In addition to a large amount of routine maintenance, more than twenty classrooms, evenly distributed between the new and the old campus, have undergone extensive renovation. Effective measures have been tak«n to decrease noise from the outside and to reduce internal reverberation. Carpeting has been installed, and lighting has been greatly ittproved, as has the general appearance of these rooms. NO SMOKING signs have been installed, and I appeal to everyone to refrain 'from smoking in all classrooms. All of us share the obigation to assist in keeping all campus facilities in the best possible shape. Pleasant suroundings are a boon to each one of us.
I	would remind both students and faculty that AUC is dedicated to extending every possible opportunity to all of our students to obtain the benefits of a liberal education. The word "liberal" in this context refers not to political ideology but rather to the development of a critical and inquiring attitude to knowledge. This is an entirely different approach from rote memorization, and
one that is much more exciting. Students should feel free to question and to enter into discussion with their professors. In turn, professors should challenge their students to seek understanding.
Ever mindful of our geographic location, AUC also seeks to build intellectual and cultural bridges between Egypt, the Middle East, and the West. We endeavor to expose our students to the best of Western educational
practices while being ever mindful of the cultural and intellectual heritage of Egypt and the Middle East. Our faculty, composed of roughly equal nunPers of Egyptians and Americans (or other foreigners), is admirably equipped to pursue these goal s.
Our high-caliber student body has the intellectual capacity to obtain maximum benefit from our educational offerings, and I urge each student to take full advantage of every opportunity to learn.
Again—Welcome to AUC, and I earnestly hope that students and faculty will work together to make 1982-83 a memorable academic year. Finally, please feel free to let me know your reactions -- both favorable and unfavorable — to academic life at AUC.
Moyer Hunsberger Vice President for Academic Affairs
Allam:
Take advantage of opportunities at AUC
Welcome back to start a fresh new year. For those of you who are new to the American University in Cairo, a special word of welcome and encouragement is due. We are proud to have you with us.
I	am hopeful that all of you will take advantage of the academic opportunities available at AUC, as well as the many co-curricul ar activities university life offers you.
The student government which will soon be formed on the basis of your votes needs to be aware of your ideas, and needs your support and participation. Sports teams and \,l ^ I- '■
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clubs present you with chances to pursue special interests, perform services to the society around us, meet new people with different backgrounds, and develop interpersonal skills.
The co-curricul ar program here is meant to supplement academic pursuits, and to us who work in student affairs is an integral and vital part of the liberal arts experience on which AUC prides itself. Do apply yourselves diligently from the beginning to your studies, making good use of our spectacular new library, and do get involved in activi-
ties. Take advantage of the varied program and multiplicity of kinds of people you will find in the AUC community, as all of this contributes to your "education", in the true sense of the word, and your growth as human beings.
The Offices of Student Af-faris. Registration and Admissions, Financial Aid, and my office are here to serve you, and wish you an exciting and fruitful year as AUCians.
Mohamed Abdel Khalek Allam Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students