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Campus News
IC NEWSLETTER -
SUMMER 2009 23
YoussefKorfali,DirectorofSecondary
School, retiresaftera longcareerat IC.
Do you remember your first day at
IC? Can you tell us about it?
It was March 1975 that I met Mr. Samir
Chamma’a who was at that time the
secondary school assistant director.
“The school is in need of a chemistry
and physics teacher in 2nde and 1ère”
he said
At that time I was teaching graduating
students in the French Baccalaureate
in a school in Beirut. In the horizon the
gloomy fate of Lebanon was being
prepared. But who was I to foresee the
path of history. I signed the contract
and made a visit to Meshref campus
where I was supposed to teach 2nde
and I met Mr. Dumont the middle
school director. I was fascinated by
the physical set up and facilities. I
was mainly interested to visit the
Laboratories building. I can never
forget the high quality equipment in
each section.
Unfortunately, I never had the chance
to teach in Meshref. I visited it several
times after my first to save some of
the laboratories equipment.
What are your fondest memories at
IC?
Who is foolish enough to work in
Lebanon between 1975 and 1990:
International College? During the
worst days, the darkest nights, the
craziest clashes, IC never surrendered.
We worked as one team, for one
purpose; maintain the good standard
of education. These days bring back
those good bright moments during
the worst civil war that Lebanon went
into. Memories like the success of all
graduating students in official exams
despite all sleepless nights of fighting,
acceptance at AUB, Commencement
exercises were never interrupted
except for one year, every first school
day, the first school day of each of my
two daughters and their graduation,
all of chemistry classes that I gave,
all my ups and downs as a teacher,
department chair, coordinator and
administrator. I always dreamed that I
can fly. It is true I flew with You.
What will you miss the most at IC?
Very dear memories stretch in my
mind from 1975 until this moment. It
is a strange feeling when you get in
love and find out that at the end of
the road one and only one thing is still
there “love”. Some people find it easy
to describe love. I would rather like to
keep it as discrete as possible. For IC
some of us named this feeling the “IC
Virus”, I would rather like to call it “love
encounter”. Through this relationship I
developed and progressed, I learned
and still feel so much ignorant, I met
people and made good relationships,
I greeted many with “Welcome to IC”,
and I parted with others in the hope
of meeting them again
Now, that I am on the verge of
retirement what am I going to miss?
Nothing and everything, nothing
because I will make sure to continue
this relationship and everything since
I will not be able to feel the heart
beats see the shining eyes and hear
the music of the classes. When you
are separated from someone you love
you cannot but miss the whole.
What
are
your
plans
after
retirement?
There are no plans for retirement yet.
I will just change my work address
and I will keep on in the education
field. I am just not ready to think
about working for a boss like me. It
does not sound right and being very
demanding I am afraid to enter into
conflict with my boss. On the other
hand because this job will be my last
possible employment, I cannot afford
to lose it.
Q & A
with
Youssef Korfali