Op-ed – Page 2 – The LUMS Post

Zoom: A Mirror Into Body Dysmorphic Disorder

17Aug

By adminNo Comments

Op-ed, Opinion

Zoom: A Mirror Into Body Dysmorphic Disorder

By Hajrah Yousaf TW: Body Dysmorphic DisorderHashim describes it as being hypnotized.As much as he wants to stop looking into a warped version of himself in the mirror, he just can’t stop. No matter how exhausted he gets (and exhaustion is always a given), he can’t look away. The vision in the mirror is a snake charmer, and boy is Hashim charmed. No, “charmed is the wrong word,” Hashim says. “It’s more like being repulsed yet still transfixed. If I could look away, I would.”Hashim suffers from Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), which is a psychological disorder recognized by the DSM 5 and characterized by a preoccupation with a perceived flaw(s) in one’s appearance. These flaws cause a lot of emotional distress and can often impact one’s functioning. BDD is frequently accompanied by other men...

Erudite Vernacular and Arcane Tripe: Addressing the Inaccessibility of Academic Writing

28Apr

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Op-ed

Erudite Vernacular and Arcane Tripe: Addressing the Inaccessibility of Academic Writing

By: Rida ArifDespite my intention to major in English, after my first two weeks of freshman year, I was convinced that I did not know how to read.Subjects I had studied for the past four years of my school life were suddenly cloaked in ambiguity as my professors assigned sixty-page supplementary journal articles, adorably termed “readings.” To my dismay, they were far from adorable--they were convoluted, dull, and extremely lengthy. Being the concerned first-year that I was, I spent hours in the library poring over a single reading and making meticulous notes: a feat rarely tackled by anyone past their first semester in university. I would ask myself: why are humanities readings so difficult to understand when in class, the professor demystifies the daunting jargon in the span of ten minut...

When Grief is A Bureaucratic Process: Strengthening Support Systems for Students During COVID-19

29Dec

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Editorial, Op-ed

When Grief is A Bureaucratic Process: Strengthening Support Systems for Students During COVID-19

Petitions, Prayers, & Obituary Emails Written & illustrated by Maira Asaad ‘21With words from Amina Omar ‘22 & Mahrukh Murad ‘24The pandemic has, in many ways, changed the way we’re able to mourn the loss of our loved ones, and what the grieving process looks like; the global community is still registering how the social fabric has been altered by a year saturated with losses. As we approach a hybrid Spring semester, it’s important to reflect on how our education system can continue to expand and strengthen its available support mechanisms for its community.The changing faces of grief in 2020In late November, I attended the funeral of an extended family member who had passed away. It wasn't until I arrived at the funeral home did the full weight of the pandemic sink in: wh...

7Dec

By Aiza NadeemNo Comments

Op-ed

Shifty Thrifting

By: Aiza NadeemThe recent explosion of online thrift stores is a curious development. A simple search on Instagram or Facebook with the keywords, ‘thrift’ or ‘pre-loved’ confirms the multitude of online pages available for procuring everything from clothes, jewelry, sports gear, and more. The expulsion of these stores during this time, in particular, can be attributed largely to the pandemic which has made online modes of shopping popular. As the owner of the online page, SisterhoodPk and LUMS MBA Student Hira Tariq describes it, “People criticize these stores for being too expensive but the reality is even if people sell their stock at 200, 300 % margin, people will buy it. There is a huge demand in the market amongst those who are convenience-oriented.”What Hira discusses here is accura...

Here Lies Hair: Three Accounts of Trichotillomania

18Oct

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Op-ed

Here Lies Hair: Three Accounts of Trichotillomania

A View into Life with a Hair Pulling DisorderBy Syeda Aiman Zehra TW: Trichotillomania, Dermatillomania I haven’t been to the parlor for a haircut since 2018. In 2017, I stopped braiding my hair—and I love braids. My mother gave up trying to convince me to let her oil my hair about a year and a half ago. When I entered LUMS, I ended my relationship with performance arts that spanned years of acting or dancing lead roles. Now, with every passing day, I have started saying more no’s than yes’s to opportunities to leave my house and I have come to equally dread the one thing I desire most: coming back to campus.All of these choices have been solely dictated by an avoidance of overt exposure or movement of my hair. This obsessive behavior started around grade...

3Sep

By adminNo Comments

Editorial, Op-ed

Mental Health

By Aiman Zehra and Mohammad Basit KhanUniversity is a jumping-off point for many: a sudden, sometimes unwelcome, crossover to an age where protective veils are lifted and responsibilities are attached. The campus, hence, boasts a counselling system put in place for struggling students. But, is it a relief in this stress-induced environment or an added factor?Student grievances right now revolve around the lack of quick availability of counsellors. We realise the difficulty in entertaining requests from large batches of students, larger still during exam season, but it is important to remember that taking the decision to involve a stranger in one’s personal life is taxing in itself. From there on, the road should be an easier one. We therefore urge the counselling office to make greater ava...

Choices and Obligations: To undertake a sense of responsibility

1Sep

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Op-ed, Opinion

Choices and Obligations: To undertake a sense of responsibility

By: Mohammad Basit Khan“We have a moral obligation. We have an ethical obligation. We have a legal obligation. We have a ... human obligation to be caretakers and gatekeepers of your welfare and your wellbeing, and we take that very seriously and we want you to be with us in this enterprise,” said Vice Chancellor LUMS Dr. Arshad Ahmad, during his address at the Town Hall Meeting held on Friday, August 21.When Dr. Arshad first addressed the burning question of campus reopening and declared the ethical standpoint the university had assumed during the 3- hour Zoom call, students were optimistic about having their demands heard at the Town Hall. After all, in the age of COVID, there is no doubt that the need of the hour is for compassion to be our guiding principle and to walk together to over...

31Dec

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Op-ed, Opinion

Digitising the Library

By: Mohammad Basit Khan and Wasay AliAre physical books really a thing of the past? In an era dominated by technology, e-books are all the rage, especially in academic institutions. Fears of obsolescence exist, yet libraries continue to be an integral part of university campuses. Instead, the inevitable has surfaced, in the way of collaboration, as a growing number of reputable universities all across the globe move towards digitization of libraries. At LUMS, the Gad & Birgit Rausing Library continues to thrive as printed books remain at the core of its services. A digitization project has been spotted at the horizon. However, budget constraints, infrastructural limitations, and user preferences on campus appear to be some major hurdles.The merits of digitizing the library make the cas...