This post is an interview segment which is part of my final audio documentary for AUC's radio production course for class of Spring 2012. My topic basically explores revolutionary music after the January uprising and how entertainment activities have been affected at AUC's campus.
In this post, I interview Ahmed Alaa Fayed, AUC's Student Union president who talks about the SU's entertainment activities after the emergence of several music bands since the January 25 Revolution in Egypt.
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Interviewer and host: Nada Badawi
Interviewee: Ahmed Alaa Fayed, AUC's Student Union President 2011-2012
Lead-in: Music has changed drastically after the January 25 Revolution in Egypt. In this interview segment, Student Union President, Ahmed Alaa Fayed, talks about how music and entertainment events at AUC have changed after the revolution. He also talks about how has it become easier for student organizations to host controversial, music artists on campus after the January's uprising.
Transcript:
SOUNDBITE of Badawi:
"Throughout AUC’s history, there were regular entertainment events where student organizations hosted artists and singers like Mahmoud El-Esseily, Mohamed Hamaki, Amr Diab and many others. How have these entertainment events changed now after the January uprising? How has that changed?" (:31)
SOUNDBITE of Fayed:
"OK, I personally believe that after the revolution everyone is trying to adapt to what’s happening and trying to, as much as possible, to seek the maximum output and the maximum outreach any organization can reach. So simply they are trying to see what the people want to listen and want to see on campus and they try to get these bands here. For example, before the revolution, if anyone would have got like Eskenderella or any political band or whatever, no one would have showed up for the event, but now, everyone come and attend the event. On the other hand, in the past, when Esseily used to come, everyone used to come and see Esseily, but now when Esseily comes, no now it’s a revolution time. So that’s the point, now is a revolution time, so let’s all concentrate on the revolution in all terms even when it comes to entertainment, we should be entertained through revolution related issues. So,
that’s the issue right now and it’s something that’s happening throughout Egypt and it’s just reflecting on AUC on a very small scale. Now everyone is concerned with revolution, everyone is focusing more on the revolution, and how he, she or the organization itself can get the maximum output they can reach from the revolution and gain the maximum things they can reach out from the revolution and gain." (1:32)
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| Ahmed Alaa Fayed, AUC's Student Union president |
that’s the issue right now and it’s something that’s happening throughout Egypt and it’s just reflecting on AUC on a very small scale. Now everyone is concerned with revolution, everyone is focusing more on the revolution, and how he, she or the organization itself can get the maximum output they can reach from the revolution and gain the maximum things they can reach out from the revolution and gain." (1:32)
SOUNDBITE of Badawi:
"Alright. You mentioned something about before, if we used to get these bands, if it were in our hands to get these bands before the revolution, no one would have been interested. But also we have this issue at AUC where when students used to hold student activities or events or forums that would host controversial figures or public figures that would, you know, create problems at the university because we used to talk about politics openly sometimes. Has that changed now? Is the Office of Student Development still restricting student activities in terms of who they can host, what events they can host and what kind of events that they can host? Are there any restrictions anymore after the revolution or has that changed?" (:34)
SOUNDBITE of Fayed: "OK, in the past as we go on, there have been some popular situations like *MAL when they invited Mr. Ayman Nour and the OSD refused. When Mr. Hisham Shafick tried to unite all the student unions in Egypt and create Egyptian student union and he failed because of the OSD and the state security. So simply the OSD was reflecting on what the State Security wanted to do. So simply the OSD was just a tool. After the revolution, the case is different. We were able, under this union, to hold the first Egyptian student union in 30 years here on AUC grounds. Actually we were also to invite whoever we want. So simply we’re getting more freedom, but this is because of the revolution, not because the OSD changed its perception. Actually the osd throughout history didn’t have any problems but the OSD itself tried as much as possible to avoid problems with, especially, the state security. (1:10)
"Alright. You mentioned something about before, if we used to get these bands, if it were in our hands to get these bands before the revolution, no one would have been interested. But also we have this issue at AUC where when students used to hold student activities or events or forums that would host controversial figures or public figures that would, you know, create problems at the university because we used to talk about politics openly sometimes. Has that changed now? Is the Office of Student Development still restricting student activities in terms of who they can host, what events they can host and what kind of events that they can host? Are there any restrictions anymore after the revolution or has that changed?" (:34)
SOUNDBITE of Fayed: "OK, in the past as we go on, there have been some popular situations like *MAL when they invited Mr. Ayman Nour and the OSD refused. When Mr. Hisham Shafick tried to unite all the student unions in Egypt and create Egyptian student union and he failed because of the OSD and the state security. So simply the OSD was reflecting on what the State Security wanted to do. So simply the OSD was just a tool. After the revolution, the case is different. We were able, under this union, to hold the first Egyptian student union in 30 years here on AUC grounds. Actually we were also to invite whoever we want. So simply we’re getting more freedom, but this is because of the revolution, not because the OSD changed its perception. Actually the osd throughout history didn’t have any problems but the OSD itself tried as much as possible to avoid problems with, especially, the state security. (1:10)
SOUNDBITE of Badawi: "OK. After the revolution, President Lisa Anderson imposed a new policy, a freedom of expression policy related to music, content photography on campus. Do you think that has in a way, contributed to, you know, free events, having events without any restrictions, having events without any red lines, having events without any problems as you said. Did that really help in promoting a better freedom of expression policy on campus after the revolution or has that not changed much?" (:27)
SOUNDBITE of Fayed: "OK, I think this new freedom of expression policy was a very clear message showing that AUC has regained its sovereignty over its campus, and that we can do whatever we want on our campus as long as its not conflicting with any of our values, our AUC values. So, I think that was a message to all AUC community to show them that this is our campus right now and we can do whatever we want." (:33)
- Link to interview on blog: http://bit.ly/y2hruz
- Link to interview on Soundcloud: http://bit.ly/yFiEoN
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