Marlboro's and BlackBerrys

Think of the college students you know. How would you describe them? How do they dress? What are their habits? Who do they hang out with? Students looking as if they just rolled out of bed, girls in Nike Shorts and white v-necks, students hanging out in distinct social groups across campus, cars too expensive to be on a college campus and an abundance of iPhone users characterized my first two years at University. 

 At the American University in Cairo a much different picture is painted. Most students don't drive to school but rather take a bus provided by the University. Of the ones that don't take the bus many have their own driver. You don't see Egyptian students in Nike Shorts or looking unkempt (unless its some kind of fashion statement) but rather you see a sharp fashion sense. The girls carry what are presumably authentic Coach purses and wear clothes sporting the names of all sorts of French designers. Guys also wear designer clothes. Armani seems to be the designer of choice amongst men. Expensive sunglasses seem to accompany most outfits. Most likely due to a limited release of the iPhone in Egypt the smart phone of choice here is the Black Berry. The vast majority of Egyptian students carry one and it seems to be a major status symbol for them. The table tops in most of my classes are littered with the little devices that seem out of place in the greater context of my experience here. Outside of the classroom large social groups, much like the ones that characterize American Universities form but the connections don't seem as distinct to an outsider. Presumably the groups of especially Freshman students attended the same lower schools in the region and are thus connected through them or by some other weaker connection. 

The most surprising characteristic of the students, (and many of the faculty) is the amount that they smoke. Between classes, walking into classes, walking out of classes, people are lighting up. It's hard to walk around campus and not hear your lungs screaming after breathing in second hand, unfiltered, chemical laden tobacco. smoke. It may be hard to find a University in a America with a higher concentration of 18-25 year olds who habitually light up. Social pressure seems to be at work here. During the first week of classes it became obvious that many people had lit up or were lighting up for the first time. A good number of young students appeared uncomfortable holding the cancer stick and many couldn't even light the thing themselves. It seems sad that something so obviously harmful provides the area of greatest visible contrast from walking an American University. 

DM