And the tradition continues with the Notre Dame University-Shouf Campus Acquaintance Day as students get together for their yearly homecoming celebration to signal the start of the new academic year and welcome all the new NDU-SC students into their new home!
The campus came to life as students, faculty and staff joined the fun on Tuesday, October 18, 2016 from 12:30 to 4:00pm. Campus grounds filled up with the food, activity and game stalls, the stage and music set-ups, club displays and loads and loads of enthusiasm.
After the national anthem and the NDU anthem, Father Hanna Tayar, Director of NDU-Shouf Campus, welcomed the old and new students to a new academic year. “NDU-SC is a very unique place to be,” Fr. Tayar said, “it is the place for positive academic, social, civic and community engagement- a place where we insist on moving forward, on being supportive and on enjoying all we do. This is the NDU-Shouf Campus family.” Fr. Tayar invited the new students to feel at home, be passionate about learning and become active members of the campus clubs and year-round activities.
In appreciating members of the NDU-Shouf Campus family, Fr. Tayar expressed his heartfelt gratitude to former faculty coordinators, Dr. Charbel Zgheib (Faculty of Engineering- FE) and Mr. Charbel Akl (Faculty of Art, Architecture and Design- FAAD) for their unwavering commitment and dedication during their work at NDU-Shouf Campus. He wished them well for all their future endeavours. Fr. Tayar welcomed and expressed his support to the new coordinators Dr. Joseph Issa (FE) and Dr. Maroun Kassab (FAAD).
The big surprise of the day was when the Acquaintance Day organizing committee presented Fr. Tayar with a portrait of him drawn by artist Maamoun Al Najjar. It was a sincere token of appreciation for Fr. Tayar’s many accomplishments on campus and his genuine care for the NDU-Shouf Campus family. Fr. Tayar was left speechless- “I thank you with all my heart,” he said, “This is truly a wonderful and most unexpected surprise.”
As the sound of applause rose up for the Director and the start of the new year, the campus clubs took the stage to kick start yet another successful Acquaintance Day!