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EDITORS' NOTE SPRING 2020

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Welcome to the Spring 2020 issue of Asrar! The anticipation is finally over, and after a long time of calling for submissions, receiving, discussing and editing students’ work and what seemed like hours of endless collaboration, we proudly present you this year’s issue in a new, updated webpage.

 

Our top picks for this year include essays and opinion pieces on intriguing topics such as bibliotherapy for patients with depression, cloning and genetic modification, and the tradition of cousin marriage. Faezeh Tawafi's research on how reading can be as effective as psychology counseling provides a different perspective on the treatment methods available for patients with depression. In his opinion piece, Karim Abdelwahed discusses the threats of a genetically modified species to the viability of the human race and advocates for a better understanding of the process and its character. In turn, Fatma Abdulla sheds light on the tradition of cousin marriage and its implications on the cultural and social level, as well as that of physical health.

 

This issue also features creative work from our department’s Creative Writing course with Dr. Brian McAllister which gave students of all majors the opportunity to channel their concerns through literature amidst the challenging times of 2020. In addition, we have included a Comics section that presents the collective work of Nasreen Alshamsi, Rasha Alnuami, and Zahra Akbar. In their choice of medium, they highlight the power of art in depicting human ordeals and signify a heart-rending reality that simply cannot be told by words only. 

 

As you browse through the pages of this issue, be sure to check out our editorial board, our discussions of life during quarantine as well as previous issues and stay tuned for more exciting content to come! 

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Happy Reading,

SPRING 2020 EDITORS

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Mohammed Abdul Salam, Fatima Al Hammadi, Rayan Hamouda & Konstantina Spyropoulou

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