Lebanese Students Association voted best club at Melbourne University Night Market
Entering the Melbourne University Overseas Students Society Night Market on the evening of Friday April 11, one could not help but notice the overwhelming number of people carrying tabouleh and hommus in their plates. Walking through the compressed crowd, the aroma of fresh mana'ish on saj and Fairouz's unparalleled voice drew one straight to the Melbourne University Lebanese Students Association's stall. Students of Lebanese and Arabic background, dressed in traditional Lebanese costumes, served and entertained the crowds at hand. To the attendees' delight, the students performed rich Dabkeh pieces. The combination of delicious food, attractive clothing and the lively atmosphere was recognised by the judges who awarded MULSA best club, the highest honour of the event.
ALYA Ball of 2008 Raises over $12200 for Royal Children's Hospital
When celebrity John Symonds from Aussie Home Loans was asked why he attended the 2008 ALYA ball, his answer reflected his respect for the organisation. Symonds explained that he was attracted to ALYA due to his interests in addressing a young crowd affiliated with a highly successful organisation that enjoys wide popularity amongst the youth. He wasn't mistaken when over 350 young people filled Essendon's Roseville Ballroom to capacity to celebrate the contributions of the Lebanese and wider Arabic-speaking community to Australia. Held on Sunday March 9, the 2008 ALYA ball also attracted local member for Essendon Judy Maddigan MP, as well as Victorian upper house members Nazih Elasmar MP OAM and Khalil Eideh MP. Other guests included world record holder in trap shooting Nidal Asmar, as well as popular entertainer Rob Shehadie, who delighted the attendees with stand-up comedy and crowd interaction. Further entertainment on the night involved a belly dance show by the Azura belly dance group and a performance by Lebanese singer Abboude Jendi accompanied by Michael Ghazi on the tabel. Two slideshow presentations were also a major highlight, the first being an entertaining photo collection of ALYA's past 2.5-year journey, and the second an inspiring hall of fame presentation of famous Lebanese and other Arabic-speaking Australians. In addition to it being a celebratory and cultural event, the ALYA ball managed to raise over $12500 for the Royal Children's Hospital. The highly successful event depended on the hard work and dedication of an enthusiastic team who should all be congratulated on their wonderful achievement. The ALYA executive committee would like to thank all the sponsors, especially the major sponsor Dakbee Pty Ltd. Special thanks to Brian Yacoub for his marvelous efforts in obtaining over $11000 worth of sponsorship for the Royal Children's Hospital. The ALYA executive committee would also like to thank all the ALYA members and all those who attended this year's ball. Everyone is now looking forward to next year's event that promises to be even bigger and better.
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Our Youth Our Future - 2008 Australia Day Youth Awards
The Australia Day Lebanese youth awards for 2008, organised by ALYA, the Australian Lebanese Historical Society of Victoria and Australians for Lebanon, was held on Sunday 27th January at the Brunswick Town Hall. The ceremony was attended by over 150 people, including the chairman of the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) and Australia Day Ambassador, Mr. George Lekakis, as well as the acting Lebanese Consul General His Excellency Mr. Mohammed Skayni. Additionally, Senator Lyn Allison, Kelvin Thomson MHR, Liz Beattie MLA, Nicholas Kotsiras MLA, Nazih Elasmar MLC and Matthew Guy MLC were among the dignitaries and guest speakers. ‘Our Youth Our Future’ also featured traditional Lebanese entertainment, including a derbakke duet by brothers Charlie and Joseph Semrani and a dabke performance by the Lebanese Dancers for Peace. A major highlight of the ceremony was the invitation by the Lebanese Dancers for Peace to members of the audience to dance the dabke with them. This resulted in dozens of attendees joining in, including most of the special guests. The entertainment was followed by the announcement of the winners. The event culminated in a cocktail that was sponsored by Zouki Enterprises. ALYA would also like to thank the judges Senator Lyn Allison, Professor Joe Camilleri and Dr. Albert Haddad for their efforts. Congratulations to the following 17 people for their high achievements: Lama Abdel-Khalek, Hala Abdel-Nour, Charbel Asmar (Special Commendation Award), Milad Bardan (Special Commendation Award), George Chouieri (3rd Prize Winner – Ipod), Dania Dabliz (Special Commendation Award), Bernard Eid, Mohammad El-Leissy, Sam Habib, Mike Helal, Christiane Khalil, Elie Khalil (1st Prize Winner – Laptop Computer), Mounir Kiwan (Special Commendation Award), Tarek Mougharbel, Eid Succar, Mohammad Tabbara (2nd Prize Winner – Navigation System) and Seeham Zogheib.
