Forced to Walk!
In the 1916 issue of al Kulliyah, a report on the health of the students stated the following: "Another aspect of the war conditions and the lack of transport was a revolution in the habits of both students and teachers in the matter of walking. The College has always believed that tramps through the country are one of the best vacation experiences. The war forced many to walk who had never thought of doing so before. The only available manner of getting to the mountains was on foot. Carriages became scarce and were to be had only at prohibitive prices."
Al-Kulliyah , 1920, Beirut: A.A.A.U.B., War Annals v. 6, no. 3, p:36-37, AUB Archives.
"As a consequence, our people learned to travel on foot with comparative ease to Aleih, Shimlan, Bhamdun, Brummana, and Shweir, often making the trip for a weekend holiday. The College knows the neighboring country as it never knew it before. Ten to twenty miles one day and back the next day or the day after was a regular part of the life of many of the College community. The effect on the health of the community was marked. They were in many cases more fit, more able to stand exertion, than they had ever been before."
Al-Kulliyah, 1920, Beirut: A.A.A.U.B., War Annals v. 6, no. 3, p:36-37, AUB Archives.