Sealing the 2006 Election Fiasco
Thursday. They asked for my ID at the campus gates. They never ask for my ID.
“Asef ya 3ammi, ma inti 3arfeh, intikhabat o ma bedna mashakel” (Sorry, elections, and we don’t want problems)
I nod a “Ya3teek il 3afyeh” and walk into the Adaab Department only to be kicked out by campus security– “Barra, barra, ma fi il yom mo7adarat, intikhabat! Intikhabat!” (Outside, outside, there are no lectures today- elections, elections!)
I leave and get into a cab. Intikhabat. Intikhabat. In the cab, my mind went over the long discussion my mother and I had the night before about Jordan University’s annual student elections.
My mother’s experience and thoughts about the student elections are particularly interesting to me because she was the first female to be elected in the Faculty of Educational Sciences back in the 70’s. Then, they had jam3eyehs, which apparently were what gave way to today’s student council, and which replaced something more similar to the today’s student council after what I believe was a turbulent period in Jordan University’s history.
But the Jordan University my mother went to is very different from the Jordan University I go to today, in matters mostly related to the diversity of society, which in turn influences almost everything, including elections. The result is something terrible, for not only are these elections the perfect example of a fake democracy as the university appoints 40% of the chairs, it’s also a disgustingly racist circus reeking with intolerance.
For such reasons, I am personally not involved even slightly in Jordan University’s elections. Not that it matters- my wonderful department does not have a single candidate this year anyway, so the most I can do is just walk around campus amusing myself over the graphic facet of the various campaigns, the worst case of annual visual pollution I have ever seen in my life (it is even worse than the ugly lights lighting up Zahran Street this week, which I’m hoping is a temporary Independence Day decoration).
Tree Molesting:
Naturally, the biggest victims are the trees. Poor trees. As if it’s not enough that JU can’t spare some of the cash on investing in a different type of pesticide- I hate the way the white looks, it’s hideous!
A rose-bush of papers and look, a tree that has businesscards for leaves!
“Interesting” marketing:
Maybe it’s just because I find geekiness attractive, but I thought that this was the most amusing slogan I saw
A feminist man in Jordan? Ma32ool?
They actually passed this out. Charming. Just charming.
7aflet chips
Visual Organization
The visual organization is amusing. How do they even think about hanging stuff up like that?
Calling out to boycott the elections:
Election Parties, with dabkeh et all:
Why you should never hang stuff around the funoon area:
And my personal favorite, even Dino celebrates and cheers:
For more on the politics of the elections, check out the following posts by fellow Jordanians:
Khalaf
Tololy
Batir Wardam (Arabic)
Jordanian Issues (Arabic)
Omar
EP
May 21, 2006 @ 2:11 am
hahahahh 7aflet chips..
I laughed for about 2 minutes when I read it.
But don’t you think their statements are a -wee bit- superficial.. I mean, they’re obviously not gonna do anything tangible
FYI, i’m going to Jordan university.
قويدر
May 21, 2006 @ 2:41 am
People in Jordan are REALLY overdoing it for the elections!
hashmi hashmi
May 21, 2006 @ 3:26 am
When did (dinosaur il 3oloom) get the new stylish lime green stripped coat ??! this is big news.
Reega Reega Hareega
May 21, 2006 @ 3:39 am
hashmi hashmi i don’t know man i miss the dinosuar’s old ugly color, with that clock next to it fixed at 8.20. It was 8.20 during my six year at JU.
Roba …. jam3eyehs! looool !!! The people who invented 3arabizi are screaming with joy right now loool
I loved the dabkeh picture, i remembered when i once saw them celebrating there near the big clock at the entrance gate at about 8 pm at the day of elections and i jumped into the group o ballashet adbek , i don’t know what i was thinking lol
urdunieh
May 21, 2006 @ 5:34 am
wow.. this is quite funny, i dont understand why ppl have to bombard the world with dumb slogans, pics, and papers.. all for some student elections.. so who gets to do the clean-up? there should be rules and regulations as to where ppl can post their campaign ads and the types of posters, banners, stickers, etc. that they can put up around the university.
قويدر
May 21, 2006 @ 5:47 am
That picture with C code! is just pricessless! The code is not even right … but who cares !! The guy is obviously too busy getting elected than actually studying!
euroarabe
May 21, 2006 @ 6:29 am
loved your photos! had to show them off on my blog again, hope thats ok!
cheers!
Khalidah
May 21, 2006 @ 10:00 am
Man!!!
This is way worse than our days … they were not allowed to post anything anywhere … this is too much .. Allah Ye3enkom
Why did they color Dino??? :(
I loved his first look … why the makeover???
3aBBaS
May 21, 2006 @ 10:07 am
Universities elections are only meant to show and prove that hate that still exists between Jordanians & Jordanians from Palestinian origin.
They want to remind everyone that there still exists a Palestinian & a Jordanian…
I wonder if these elections are of any benefit and interest to students..
i was a university student in Jordan, and i cannot remember anything useful done by the students community..Mmmmm?
Anonymous
May 21, 2006 @ 7:45 pm
uni elections bugs me alot!!!
it’s a typical arab thing to rush and fight for a “chair”… but then no one respect or do what it takes to deserve that chair…
people fight for power!!! just to say that they have it and ends up being power-less…
ughh… typical.. typical acts…
students council is meant to be an improtant thing and in many countries it has proper power over what goes in uni and what new laws or rules are set… it gives youth the power to make decisions about themselves…
but somehow… Arabs always manage to ruin democratic thinking and approaches…
[[sorry for being judgmental// not all arabs bad]]
Al-Hajeji
May 22, 2006 @ 9:13 pm
في ذكر الشهيد أهل فلسطين
A post dedicated to The martyrs of falisdeen:
www.hajeji.blogspot.com
Muhannad
May 23, 2006 @ 11:02 pm
I can’t understand why they are electing. 51% of the seats are appointed by the university!! students are still electing?!?!!?!.
heh
loved the bocycoting slogans, دواء ضد الحرية