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26
WINTER
2011
Letters to the editor
I was one of the lucky Lebanese who spent most of his school
years at AUB. My first three years were in the Elementary
School, followed by all the years at IC, then four years in college,
graduating in 1956.
I have very fond memories of my years at IC. Most of those focus
on my involvement in all kinds of sports, be it football (soccer), vol-
leyball, track & field, the gym, and my favorite at the time: basket-
ball. Thanks to my upbringing at IC, I am still an avid sportsman,
but in tennis, golf and skiing.
Another fond memory was our daily purchase of Kaakeh. We
were not allowed to go through the entrance/exit door to buy
our mid-morning snack (kaakeh). So we always climbed over
the wall, made our purchase, then climbed back in. A few times
a week, we also climbed over the other wall across from the
basketball court, ran away for an hour then climbed back in to
attend classes.
Attached is a photo that was taken of our class, with two of
our teachers, in 1950. I wish I could remember their names or
the names of my classmates in the photo. If anyone recognizes
themselves, I sincerely hope that they will contact me on Face-
book. I was the one with the striped shirt next to the teacher
(I believe it was Mr. Haddad). What is funny is that I have an
identical shirt that I wear often and my wife frequently asks me if
I am trying to be 16 again.
I always look forward to receiving the IC Newsletter. Reading
the magazine and seeing the young faces of students brings back
extremely fond memories.
Wassim Hamdan ‘52
(better known in the U.S. for the last 38 years as Wes Hamdan),
Dayton (Ohio)
French section against English section soccer in 1981…French
section was notorious for winning every single game throughout
middle school then one day, French section was losing 3-0 at half
time. English section thought it was all over and started brag-
ging. French section came back to win 4-3. Stories of each goal
were circulating on Facebook a few weeks ago.
Attached is a picture of the French section team on that famous
day after that celebrated win 30 years ago…
The challenge is always on…French section is seriously willing to
meet and grant English section another chance!
Kazem Hodroge ‘85
Detroit, MI
Standing left to right: Walid Saliba, Rabih Ali, Mazen Itani, Sam
Salamon, Walid Ghutmi, Hazem Youssef
Sitting left to right: Nizar Zakka, Kazem Hodroge, Wajdi Abou
Hamzeh, Bassel Laham, Kamal Khodr
I would like to share this important information/story that I
think will be inspiring for current students. Dr. George Saade
and I (Alfred Abuhamad) are both graduates of IC 1978,
were close friends, received MDs from AUB in 1985 and then
majored in the United States in the same specialty, Obstetrics &
Gynecology and Maternal-Fetal Medicine (high risk obstetrics).
It so happens that Dr. Saade is the current president of the Soci-
ety of Maternal Fetal Medicine in the United States (www.smfm.
org) and I am the current president of the American Institute of
Ultrasound in Medicine in the United States (www.AIUM.org).
Two close friends from IC days that are currently presiding over
two major medical organizations in the United States at the same
time– what are the odds!
Alfred Abuhamad, MD ‘78
Mason C. Andrews Professor
Chairman, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Vice Dean
Eastern Virginia Medical School
In 1970, in class of 5eme, and as was customary, many of us were
on the edge with several “rapports”, and only one incident away