Strong Words Came From the Rider

A Young Student who Rode his Way Through Life
By Moustafa Barakat

Mohammed Ali Seif is a current eighth grader who has spent most of his life at Schutz American School. He is fourteen years old but his mind is motivated and filled with vitality. He is part of a large family with two sisters and a lot of cousins. Physical Education is Mohammed’s favorite subject. He loves the challenge and endurance of working out and playing sports. Not only is Mohammed a great person with an outstanding personality, but he is a dedicated horseback rider. Mohammed goes every day to ride his horses in the Alexandria Sporting Club. Mohammed has two horses, Mister Bombastic and Fabio, and he loves having them both race and compete with one another. Mohammed has had a lot of inspirations and support from his parents and his trainer Captain Yaser.
Mohammed Seif is not only a dedicated and talented horseback rider but also a teacher and inspirer of the sport. Mohammed talked about how anyone could become a great horse rider. The first step is that you have to achieve balance and concentration. The second step is to understand your horse and talk to him, and not be afraid of him in any way and to have a bond with your horse. Mohammed also said that persistence, courage, love, passion and endurance are very important things that you have to achieve to become a motivated horseback rider. “It is all about experience,” said Mohammed Seif. Mohammed is talented and has an outstanding personality.
Mohammed Ali Seif participated in many competitions through out Egypt; he went to a lot of clubs to compete with many other talented horseback riders. However he does not always ride his horses to compete. He loves the feeling of being high above the ground and getting attention from the people around him. He also enjoys the tact and strategies behind controlling his horses. Mohammed Seif also loves feeding his horses and giving them treats for the day.

Looking Forward to Euro 2008

By Omar Zahran

The UEFA European football championship for 2008, also known as the Euro, will take place in Austria and Switzerland. It will take place between June 7th and June 29th this year. This tournament takes place every four years. The winner in 2004 was Greece.
There will be sixteen teams in the championship. Austria and Switzerland automatically qualify because they are the hosts of the tournament. The remaining fourteen countries are Poland, Portugal, Italy, France, Greece, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Germany, Croatia, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Romania, and the Netherlands. Each of the sixteen teams will be split up into four groups. The teams in the groups will play each other for spots in the knockout round. Two teams from each group will enter the knockout round and have a chance to play in, and win, the Euro 2008 finals.
Group A will consist of Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Portugal, and Turkey. They will be the first group to play in the tournament. The first two teams playing are Switzerland and the Czech Republic. They will play in St. Jakob’s Park in Basel, Austria. This will be the place of the opening ceremony too.
Austria, Croatia, Germany, and Poland will make up Group B. This group will begin to play on June 8th, one day after the opening ceremony and Group A’s beginning. The qualifying rounds will be done for Group B by June 16th.
Group C is by far the strongest group in the tournament. It is made up of World Cup Finalists, Italy and France. They are accompanied by Romania and the Netherlands. Italy, France, and the Netherlands are all teams that are internationally known for excellence which make this the most competitive group in the whole tournament.
Finally, Group D is made up of 2004’s winner Greece, Sweden, Spain, and Russia. This group will begin playing on June 10th and finish their qualifying matches by June 18th.
This will be an especially exciting competition because it will have some of the most talented teams in the world. The winner of this tournament will play in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. All of the winners from the continental cups will be able to participate in this cup.

Miss Hultman-Green: Dedication is Key to Success

By Moustafa Barakat

Miss Barbara Hultman-Green came to Schutz this year to teach grade one. Miss Barbara has been a teacher for most of her life. She has taught in many places in the Middle East, including Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. She has four children and four grand children whom she loves dearly. Miss Barbara worked in the United States in Chicago where she taught Music and Kindergarten and worked as a Fine Arts Coordinator.
Miss Barbara has been to many historical places in Egypt. She visited Siwa, Cairo, Port Said, Luxor, and Aswan. She loves Egypt because of its weather and the very congenial people and surroundings. “Egypt is a nice place to live in ”, said Miss Barbara. She loves the teachers and kids in Schutz. Miss Barbara enjoys the grade one class, but she would like to have two divisions for it so that the students and the teachers could benefit. She would like to work with another teacher in grade one and plan things for the classes. Her classroom has an assorted range of students. There are different nationalities, such as Canadian, American, Turkish, Greeks, Egyptian, Hungarian, and Korean.
Miss Barbara is a very compassionate teacher. She said, “I like to listen to kids as listening to children is very rewarding for the child and the teacher”. She loves teaching children because of their honesty. She loves how honest the children are in her classrooms, and she values them to the heart. Another main aspect is their innocence.
Miss Barbara is a very experienced teacher who likes to make the world a better place. She will be definitely missed by her students and colleagues as her contract comes to an end this June.

A Part of Schutz Is Leaving

By Shereen Hassan
For an impressive twenty six years, Schutz has been blessed with Salwa Hussein one of the most caring and loving people on campus. She has made a strong commitment with her positive work ethic and a kind heart. Her success as a school nurse is evident through the highly organized clinic that she runs. Not only is Salwa qualified as a registered nurse in Egypt, but as of 2005 she has been qualified to practice nursing in the United States. Besides working at Schutz, Salwa taught at the Faculty of Nursing Alexandria Universities for five years and also worked in Tripoli for six years at the Oil Company Clinic. When asked why she chose the field of nursing, Salwa responded, “The challenge of helping and taking care of a person, not only physically but mentally, is very rewarding.”
Salwa has gained a lot of experience along with her education. Salwa not only practiced nursing but also taught health from pre-k to the high school level. Salwa was also an instructor in Medical Surgical Nursing and Public Health Nursing located at the Faculty of Nursing in Alexandria. When asked about her experience at Schutz, Salwa replied that “Schutz had a great impact on me. I learned a lot from the students of different age groups. The diverse student body has enabled me adapt to different aspects of the many cultures Schutz possesses.”
Salwa enjoys her leisure time and proudly takes advantage of it. Salwa loves sports, especially basketball and tennis. In fact, Salwa coached the Varsity Girls Basketball team and the JV Tennis not long ago. Salwa instructed aerobics at Schutz for at least five years and also coordinated Schutz’s summer program. Salwa also enjoys walking, jogging, reading, listening to soft music, and even singing. As many of you have probably noticed, Salwa sang a tune from the movie Music & Lyrics in this year’s Talent Show.
Although Schutz has seen several changes in recent years, Salwa was able to cope and to adapt. After Salwa retires from Schutz, she wishes to move to the States to live with her grandson and daughter where she plans to continue to practice nursing. To Salwa, Schutz will continue to be her second home: “Schutz is not just a school, it’s my school, and just like the song I wish that everyone carries with them the greatness of Schutz.” Salwa will be deeply missed by all, and our deepest wishes go to her as she embarks on a new experience in the United States.

The Fog: A State of Confusion between Darkness and Happiness

By Karim Maksoud

The title of the poem is a symbolic tool used in poetry mostly to refer to some kind of obstacle or hindrance in the path a protagonist is following. Mr. RAB uses the same for a thing that causes confusion. As the poem starts, it gives the reader a sense of happiness that the girl feels which can be understood by key words used in first and second stanzas, such as “skipped, ran, joy, toy, sang, delight, ecstatic, and bright”. It brings a mood of happiness to the reader as he sees this young lady elated.
As we proceed to the third stanza which seems to be the turning point of the poem, a sense of worry comes along. The girl thinks that something will come in the way and her happiness will not last very long. At this stage, Mr. RAB creates curiosity in readers as to what is that element which disturbs this young lady. At the end of the stanza even though having this feeling of apprehension the girl sill hopes that she stays happy forever.
It is in the fourth stanza that the symbolic tool “fog” is introduced to the reader. As in the denotation, the word “fog” means “a dark condition in the atmosphere that makes it difficult to see” or it also means “confusion and bewilderment”. Mr. RAB uses it to show the state of confusion in this work. As the fog advances, the girl gets confused as to whether her happiness will stay or will change. Even in the state of confusion she strongly hopes to have the experience of happiness.
In the final stanza, Mr. RAB portrays how this girl’s complete character changes. She is transformed from being happy and delighted to sad and depressed. The words “frowns and cries” most importantly contrasts the first stanza when she was happy. She feels that her happiness is turned into depression as the “fog” “embraces” her.
This is a very important stanza as it reveals the theme as whole as well as the moral behind the story. Mr. RAB says that the “fog” to the girl is like an “old friend” who comes back to her life reminding her of something sad that happened. Her depression is very strong as she cannot even recognize her face in the mirror. The poem in general talks about a situation in human life which has great a impact on one’s state of being. Therefore, this poem is a very creative work by Mr. RAB portraying the bipolar nature of people with extreme characteristics.

The Fog

By Ricardo A. Belgrave

She skipped.
She ran.
She even jumped up and down with joy.
For this was one of those rare moments
When life was to her an extraordinary toy.

She shouted.
She sang.
She even screamed with delight.
If only every moment of every day
Could be this ecstatic and bright.

She hoped.
She sighed.
She then fell to her knees to pray.
If only He would create a miracle
And never make this wonderful feeling ever go away.

She paused.
She thought.
She saw the fog quickly approaching.
If only it would go away forever
Without the usual pain and coaxing.

She frowned.
She cried.
She felt the fog and its embrace.
She met an old friend again that would eventually cause her
Not to recognize her very own face.

Schutz Pins to AERO Standards

By Suraj Baadkar

Schutz recently has adapted to AERO standards and is incorporating service-learning as a part of curriculum. These new improvements in the curriculum will benefit not only the students but also the teachers and the community as a whole.
AERO is a project supported by the U.S. State Department’s Office of Overseas Schools (A/OPR/OS) and the Overseas Schools Advisory Council to assist schools in developing and implementing standards-based curricula. Project AERO which stands for “American Education Reaches Out.” provides stability to curriculum mainly in overseas American international schools which generally have high turnover of teachers every year. Therefore, these set of standards will minimize the impact of staff turn-over at the end of the year.
“Schutz is adapting this set of standards because it believes that a standard based education system is a way of making sure that all students are on the same level regarding skills at any grade level”, said Massimo Laterza (the High School Principal). Schutz like any other international American school has a high turn over of teachers. This disrupts the learning process of the students towards the subject or a specific lesson. For example, the personal interests of a biology teacher might allow him/her to concentrate more on the human anatomy section but when she leaves the next teacher might concentrate more on the botany section, making the students weak in some areas of the subject. The concept of standardized education does not allow this to happen and keeps the students at the same level when they exit the grade. The Standards put a curriculum “floor” which is the minimum level of learning a student should know in order to pass the class. Any additional information is to the benefit of the students, therefore improving the educational system and the outcome of the curriculum in Schutz.
Service-learning is another addition to the curriculum that Schutz has been thinking of implementing. Service-learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction to improve the community as a whole and responsibility of the student towards it. Schutz has always been very active in community service and implementing service-learning in its curriculum will further fulfill one of its missions. Service-learning has been derived from the IB schools model which offers 1 credit for 131 hrs of service in the grade levels of 11th and 12th.
Clearly, adaptation of both AERO standards and service-learning in the Schutz’s curriculum is beneficial to students in their overall development and teachers in their lesson planning. Due to this the school can expect certain basic skills of learning to be achieved every student who is part of the institution.

For more information on AERO standards please visit www.projectaero.org
And Service-learning please visit www.servicelearning.org

Dreams of Change from Strike to Chaos

By Ingy Fahmy
Human beings in general enjoy the act of expressing themselves and having the opportunity to be heard. Some call it freedom of speech, while others call it chaotic rumblings. People of different countries and nations might be more privileged than others in the sense of having more rights to political participation, including strikes, demonstrations, etc. Expressing yourself in a developed country that is open to democracy is something very different than expressing it in countries that are developing and still on their way to democracy. It is in the latter case that it may become chaotic.
On the 6th of April 2008, many opposition and workers activist groups called for a general strike. The strike was a result of the increasing inflation and the rising cost of bread and other important living necessities. The government’s response to this planned strike was to warn all those participating that they would take solid and harsh action, including the possibility of Egyptian citizens ending up in jail.
Egypt as a developing country has witnessed a growing awareness of civil rights. People living in Egypt are becoming more open about expressing their needs and their discontent, especially after the establishment of the Kefaya (the Egyptian Movement for Change) opposition group. The term “strike” in Egypt, however, seems to have had the meaning of going on to the streets aggressively and having the government respond to them in an even more aggressive manner.
Engaging in a strike, especially in Egypt, is never going to be the answer to any of this country’s problems. Egyptians have the wrong definition of strike in their vocabulary, and due to that it will never be the resolution to anything but only a cause and spark to start a fire and open the door to many other issues. If the people of Egypt continue to participate in these strikes, Egyptians will keep failing in their attempt to have their voices heard. The chaotic rumblings will be never ending!

Out with the Old, In with the New!

By Tarek Talaat

Many people disagree with the fact that the Arabic language should be included in Schutz American School's curriculum. I think it should be taught just as a foundation level, and then students should feel free to continue or discontinue the Arabic language class based on their interest in the subject.
The basic level of Arabic is important because the school is located in Egypt, and most students are Egyptian. I feel that students should learn how to communicate, read, and write in their native language. Students eventually will need to know how to read a letter or an email or even read the newspaper to learn about what happens around them. Some students plan to finish up their education and pursue their family business here in Egypt, these are the students who will need it the most because they need their native language to make business plans or write up contracts.
Another reason is that tuition fees at Schutz are very expensive, so I believe that if people pay that much money, they should get everything they can out of the school's curriculum, instead of students just taking private lessons at home. People might disagree with Arabic being included in the curriculum because Schutz is an American school; however, the inclusion of Arabic in the curriculum will not affect the quality of English taught at school if tightly and carefully scheduled.
I personally think that the Arabic language should be taught throughout middle school, and as students enter high school, they should have the option whether they want to continue with the Arabic language based on their interest in the subject.
There might not be a lot of reasons why we should include Arabic in the curriculum, but at least you are going to have enough reasons to argue against the points provided for excluding Arabic from the curriculum. Students can only gain from adding another useful subject to their education.

Integrating Arabic into the Schutz Curriculum

Pros and Cons of a Hot Debate
By Ingy Fahmy

The question of whether or not a stronger and more extensive Arabic curriculum should be implemented all the way from Pre-Kindergarten up to the twelfth grade is now the subject of debate among parents, teachers, and administrators. The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and other concerned parents have been raising this question for at least five years now. They believe that the most beneficial solution is to implement a comprehensive Arabic program in the school, while others completely oppose it. Others think that an Arabic curriculum should be introduced all the way from Pre-Kindergarten but not as a rigorous course, rather one that would teach the students the basics of the Arabic language. Essentially, they believe that a moderate Arabic program should be maintained at Schutz.
Fifty-five percent of Schutz’s population is of Egyptian origin, and with time these Arabic-speakers are stressing more and more the need for a stronger Arabic curriculum. The main reason parents want a stronger Arabic program at Schutz is because they want their children to fully speak the language of their religion, culture, and heritage. Another reason why parents want their children to have a better understanding of the Arabic language is that they believe their children will need to use this language as they continue to live in Arabic-speaking countries. Parents are aware that Arabic is available for students who want to take the class. However, it is not similar to the curriculum offered by the Arab Academy and other Egyptian schools. Students from other schools around Alexandria and Cairo graduate with up to four different languages, including Arabic, which have been taught to them during their school years. Schutz students, on the other hand, graduate on overage with only two different languages and Arabic is not necessarily one of them.
Currently, the Classical Arabic curriculum provided at our school is adapted from the American University of Cairo (AUC). This curriculum is not as strong as the Arabic curriculum of the Arab Academy simply because it is for learners who have English as a second language (ESL). Introducing the stronger Arabic curriculum of the Arab Academy would further enhance the students’ Arabic skills in writing, reading, and in general speech as it would be exposing the language to them while still at a young age so that they would develop as they proceed through the different levels our educational system.
However, on the conflicting side, other parents are totally opposing this idea of a more intensive Arabic curriculum. This small but influential group of parents claims that they have admitted their children into an American school to be taught an American education, not an Egyptian education. Schutz is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) program, and this program only requires the teaching of some foreign languages. It does not require Schutz to teach an extensive Arabic curriculum. Parents who are opposed to implementing a widespread Arabic program feel that adding more Arabic class time may take away instructional time from other subjects like Math, English, or Science.
Whether or not the school is to implement a more extensive Arabic program, students feel that the various school organizations need to end the discussions on this issue and actually take some effective action. Both sides of the debate have their positives and negatives, but just conversing about this issue will not get us anywhere. We need to take a standpoint on this issue and start working towards our goals. We need to reach a consensus that will satisfy all sides.

Dialogue Is the Key to the Future

Inter-Faith Strife Threatens World Peace
By Aya Kordy

Interfaith dialogue is a positive thing in the world today. We must be keen on understanding each other’s religions and traditions. Yet what seems like an effortless idea can be very arduous to accomplish. Most current political crises are either directly or indirectly related to religion. Very recently, a new phenomenon of Islamophobia grew in dimension and consequences after 9/11.
An increasing number of people believe that Islam is not a religion of respect or peace. On the other hand, Muslims try to make it clear that terrorism is clearly forbidden in the Quran. Muslims feel that they should not be judged on the actions of just a few. What the Islamophobe and the Muslims need is simply an inter-faith dialogue that can lead them to a mutual understanding.
September 11 was a day that marked the beginning of a great divide. On that day, two massive planes hit the World Trade Center in the United States of America. No one really knows the complete truth about this terrorist incident. Nevertheless, the paramount issue is why should people kill other people intentionally? Moreover, even if the United States as a country is criticized, it then becomes more logical to talk not fight. Many people were killed without any reason other than anti-American sentiments. If dialogue existed and if people listened to each other, this would have never happened.
On the 30th of September 2005, several caricatures showing Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) wearing a bomb-shaped turban were published by Danish newspapers. This triggered major protests in Muslim countries in 2006. Nonetheless, after this issue finally settled down, more Danish newspapers reprinted the same caricatures in 2008.
The newspapers republished the cartoons to show their dedication to freedom of speech after the police had discovered a plot to kill the artist, Kurt Westergaard, who drew the cartoons. Inter-faith dialogue never occurred between the artist and the Muslims who threatened him. On the other hand, if dialogue had existed between them the artist would have respected the Muslim’s beliefs and brought the crisis of the caricatures to an end.
Religions are different and so are traditions. This is what makes human beings diverse. Cooperation gives humans the power of understanding diversity that exists today. Nations and political/religious leaders have to be committed to respecting and loving each other since they are representing billions of people.

SAT Prep Course Master at Schutz

Ms. Linda Scura on Achievement and Individuality
By Moustafa Barakat

Linda Ann Scura was invited on February 27th to prep students from grade ten to grade twelve for the SAT. Her course is tough and intense, but the results are rather impressive. Ms. Scura has gone to countries all over the world; she has even been to the Cairo American College. She has also been to China, Malaysia, Morocco, and even Mexico.
With a perfect score in all the SAT tests, she clearly has seen a light. Ms. Scura says that the SAT is not a test about intelligence; it is just a number ranging form 200 to 800. But since there is nothing else other than the SAT that measures a person’s aptitude, it is important to value the test as it is the only way to have equal chance of evaluation upon applying to college.
Ms. Scura has two sons who got accepted to their dream college, but they did not quite achieve their potential on the SAT. Linda has improved many schools’ SAT average; for example she raised a score for a student from 1390 to a perfect score of 2400. This is the first year for Schutz to implement such a course, and hopefully it will continue for the next years.
Ms. Scura has examined the SAT thoroughly, and she might have a different perspective than you or your teachers. She sees patterns in the SAT. The SAT consists of three sections: Critical Reading, Math, and Writing, and she saw that in every one of these sections the same kind of questions come on each test.

In the writing section, she explained that the Dirty Dozen rule regarding grammar usage is everything you need to know to get a good score in the writing section. In the Math section, she says that the entire Math that comes on the SAT is basically grade nine Math, but the wording of the question is the difficult part. For international students, Ms. Scura said, “the Reading section of the SAT is the most challenging section for all international students.” The Critical Reading section of the SAT consists of long intensive passages with complex words and questions regarding sentence completion.
You might be surprised to hear this, but Linda did not take any SAT courses or even majored in Math or English. She simply recognized the patterns. Linda Scura has some advice that she would like to give to all students all over the world. First of all, she says, “You have to read to succeed,” and she would like to encourage parents to develop a reading style for their kids. Secondly, Linda wants everyone to know that the SAT is a sum of numbers whereas individuality and motivation are truly the important ways to judge students.

Teaching English and PE: What a Workout!

By Marina Guirguis

Since the end of the first semester, David Parker has taken charge of the athletic department due to Mindi Dryer’s resignation from Schutz, cutting her contract short. Originally coming to Schutz in August 2006 as an ESL (English Second Language) teacher in the Elementary Department, David Parker now jumps back and forth between the two positions.
Mr. Parker originally went into school training in agricultural commercial affairs, and he worked as self-employed valuing farm land. When in Cambridge University in London, he took a ten-week course that qualified him to teach English as a Second Language.
David Parker was enlisted in the New Zealand Army, and he was trained in Australia. He jokes, saying his physical education students may have figured that part out by now due to his intense fitness program. If anything he wishes to change about the school, he would like to see his students be more fit and get rid of junk food which drags them down.
His favorite aspect of the school is seeing the progress of the students, mainly those of his ESL class. Most of these students often come into the course at a no-English level finishing the year speaking fluently. “It’s quite a thrill,” David Parker expresses referring to the joy of knowing he has changed a student’s life by teaching him/her to speak the international language.
Prior to moving to Egypt, he lived in Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. He most recently worked in Japan in an English language school while his wife, Sue, was teaching in the Tohuku International School in Sendai, Japan. He loves Alexandria for the climate and the beautiful days when the sea looks spectacular with magnificent waves and a cool breeze.
He and his wife, Sue, the second grade teacher, have enjoyed their stay here, but all good things must come to an end. This June, David Parker’s contract will come to terms, and the couple will be leaving. What is next for David Parker? Well, he shared thoughts of possibly moving to China, carrying on what he and his wife do best.

Daddy’s Little Girl Lives Diversity to the Fullest

By Aya Kordy

Her name is Linda Forde-Green. She is from Trinidad in the West Indies where she grew up and went to school. She calls it “a place that was dropped out of heaven, just a beautiful tropical island.” She majored in Science at Mercy College. She was a curious child she explained, a child that always wanted to know how things work and what makes them work that way. She has also been "daddy's little girl". She says that her father is the one who made her the person she is today.
After she graduated from High School at the age of 16, she moved to New York City where she got her B.Sc. in Biology. Linda Forde-Green loves animals especially panthers, tigers, and lions which are all exotic cats. Asking her about her only son Donavan was very touching. She describes him by saying that, “He is the joy of my life, a vibrant yet funny child, full of energy and has a great sense of humor.”
Linda Forde-Green comes from a very large family. She has ten siblings. They are a family that is totally diverse in their beliefs, yet they are still very loving to one another. They are seven girls and three boys. Two girls are Muslims, one boy and three girls are Christians, two boys and two girls are Hindus. Miss Linda makes this diversity sound natural by adding, “If you have a heart, it conquers everything”.
The most thing Miss Linda will miss in Egypt by far is the black and white deserts. She added that just looking at the desert makes her know that there truly is a God. As for the people she will most miss at Schutz, she insisted that it is the workers.
Miss Linda enjoys every step of life since every stage has its own memories and joy. "I enjoyed life to the fullest. I do feel truly blessed!", she added. Miss Linda has got no regrets in life; she learned from each mistake and placed it in her box of memories.

Gaza Stripped

By Laila Afifi
Special to The 83rd

Did you watch the African Cup of Nations? Remember the match Egypt played against Sudan on the 25th of January, when Abutreika scored that amazing goal? Do you also remember him lifting his shirt? Remember getting curious about what the second shirt said? Do you remember finally reading the slogan: “Sympathize with Gaza”? Not knowing what he meant, did you run to the internet to find out, or did your curiosity just die?
While the majority (if not all) Egyptians were celebrating their wins in the African Cup, its neighboring country was facing a crisis. Nine days prior to the Egyptians’ victory, Israel had begun air raids on Gaza City killing over forty people within six days. The Palestinian militia retaliated with rockets. Four days into the constant firing, the Israeli army blockaded the border of Gaza; nothing went in, nothing came out. Immediately, Gaza went black as the power was cut off. Hospitals did not have medical supplies, and people walked around the streets with candles. Pressured by the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Israel sent supplies that lasted 24 hours. 1.5 million Gazans were trapped in a ticking time bomb, desperate for the basic necessities to survive. When in desperation, one may make irrational decisions. On the 22nd of January, the wall bordering Gaza and Egypt was torn down. Two days later, the city of Al-Arish was flooded with over 50,000 Palestinians buying supplies and food to take back to Gaza.
Now back to the 25th of January. While Egypt was playing Sudan, Abutreika scored a goal, lifted his shirt to reveal a “Sympathize with Gaza” slogan, and then received a yellow card. That very same day thousands of protesters showed up on the University of Cairo’s grounds to support Palestine and hundreds of students had a silent demonstration on the Corniche in Alexandria.
After the match, Abutreika was verbally hammered about his position on the situation in Gaza. How could Abutreika take the side of the Palestinians? Perhaps it is not a matter of taking sides. We may find ourselves following our government’s stance, torn between our obligations to a previous peace treaty and our obligations to humanity. After all, what does it mean to support the Palestinians, or the Israelis? Upon what criteria will we base our decisions? If we claim it is a humanitarian cause, we will disrespect our past promises. If we choose to support the legal and sovereign nation, we will disrespect our obligations to humanity.
Although it is not always a matter of black and white, we must learn to recognize situations in which humanitarian relief is necessary. Abu Treika’s political showdown attracted the media, and many photos were taken. Everyone was in awe of this awareness campaign happening before their very eyes in no other than a soccer stadium. The internet was overflowing with his picture, yet three days later not one could be found. Questions arose about the reasons why the pictures were removed. This may be related to the reason Egypt was compelled to once again re-seal its border with Gaza. It may be the same reason there was an unsuccessful emergency Security Council meeting discussing the issue in Gaza (opposed by Israel and vetoed by the US). When a Danish cartoonist’s actions were supported by claims of freedom of speech, the very same people who supported this freedom restricted it when it was not in their favor.
Now where are we, Schutz students? Where are we in the midst of all this? We may be wrapped up in our protective little bubble, where our biggest worries are an “F” on an exam or whether a teacher likes us or not. Why don’t we fit in this political scheme? We should want to initiate change, want to take sides. We are indifferent to the idea that Abu Treika’s infamous pictures were removed from the Internet and about the situation in Gaza that we choose to ignore, but how can we change the world tomorrow if we do not know what it is today?

Preventing Misconduct or Punishing it?

By Suraj Baadkar

Lack of discipline is identified as one of the most serious problems faced by educational institutions all over the world. Many educators, parents and students are concerned with this issue and with its eventual influence on the learning process of individual students. About a couple of decades ago according to the 1987 Harvard Letter, the annual average suspension rate in schools around United States was two million per annum. Problems such as intimidation, smoking, cheating, etc., which result in countless classroom and school disruptions, have increased the number of suspensions to new higher levels. Repeated observations and studies have shown that half of the instructional time in the classroom is lost to other minor issues like misbehavior and conversing in languages other than the language of instruction amongst the peers.
All of the instances of misbehavior and other disruptions are due to low awareness amongst the students about disciplinary issues. In order to inculcate morals and etiquette in students, the awareness on such issues should be given at the elementary level of education. Through continuous routine practice, students become aware of the 'to do and not to do' in school environment.
Schutz has always used learning experiences at the very early grade levels to teach students discipline. Nevertheless, as the students grow some of the human characters such as rationality, egoistic behavior and pride grow along with them. They also develop curiosity to try new things and try to expose themselves to things above their age. Recently Schutz has faced some disciplinary issues which appear to be growing instead of decreasing.
Some of these current happenings raise a very important question, "Is discipline concerned with preventing misconduct or punishing it?" It can go both ways. It is described as enforcing classroom rules in order to minimize disruptions. Punishments to enforce these rules are not always the appropriate measure as many students may start to think in a vengeful manner and cause trouble intentionally. Therefore, solutions to such situations would be talks at different levels with individuals and their parents, followed by warning and suspension thereafter.
In order for an educational system to work efficiently and provide best service, both the staff and the students need to work co-operatively for the very simple cause of education. Students need to realize that a disruption to the disciplinary environment of the school worsens their own situation and future opportunities. The teachers should enforce classroom rules which do not allow students to disturb the flow of instruction. They should also not overlook little mischief which then will become a habit to students. This is how to create an environment of positive learning. Misbehavior can be reduced and controlled through spreading awareness amongst the students about the importance of discipline and etiquette on campus and inside the classroom.

The American Presidential Elections 2008

Why Schutz Students Would Vote for Obama

By Ibrahim Fathelbab

The United States 2008 presidential election campaign began on November 4, 2007.

This election is also the 56th consecutive quadrennial election for president and vice-president of the United States. This presidential election agenda coincides with the 2008 Senate elections, House of Representatives elections, and gubernatorial elections as well as many state and local elections. Under article two of the United States Constitution, as amended by the twelfth amendment of the Unites States Constitution, an electoral college will elect the president.
When the Campaign started, some candidates were leading the pack: Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Mike Huckabee, and John McCain.

The American presidential elections have always been very controversial for people in the Middle East. A cange in American political orientation will have its impact on the region.

The two figures of Clinton and Obama seem to be the most attractive to students at Schutz. When asked, Schutz students reported that they would like to see Barack Obama win because they feel that Hillary Clinton is running only to try and prove that she will make a better president than her husband. As to what they think of the election so far, the students said that the election has become very competitive and that the outcome will leave its mark on U.S. history forever.
Concerning the outcome of the elections, some students felt that if Barack was to win, racial discrimination and racism will decrease. On the other hand, some students felt that if Hillary was to win, women’s rights would increase and sexism would decrease.
Up until now, Hillary Clinton seems to have the most votes in the election as well as in her party committee. Though Hillary is beating her party member, Barack Obama, by 74 votes, it seems as though Barack will not put up without a fight.

Scholastic Aptitude Test or Socially Diminishing Quest?

By Moustafa Barakat

Over the past few years, controversial issues arose about the so-called Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Some Scholars believe that it is time to abandon the test, while others believe it is vital for student assessment evaluation. Charles Murray, a social scholar, feels that the SAT is inefficient in determining a person’s aptitude. He said, “The SAT is not perfect and it sometimes is fallacious.” The SAT was created by the College Board; it required intense precision and accuracy to be exact with determining a person’s aptitude. But was it worthwhile?
The SAT exam changed about three years ago. Some scholars believe that the new SAT favored girls more than boys. Girls are scientifically known to be better than boys at fixing grammar and constructing essays. With the addition of the Writing section, which includes an essay, the exam has been unfairly set for the benefit of girls. The SAT has caused another more serious issue; it is the gap between the high scorers and the low scorers.
Perhaps the first question that you will be asked in college is, “How well did you do in the SAT?” This not only creates intimidating situations, but it becomes a way of judgment and separation. The high scorers will probably make their own group while the low scorers will create another congregation.
Despite the fact that the SAT may have caused social issues in this sense, about 80 percent of the educators still give great feedbacks on the test’s precision and accuracy.
The SAT is taken by almost all of the American High School students and a majority of international students worldwide. It could cause disappointments or happiness to students. Educators believe that the percent error of the SAT is less than three percent, which is quite good compared to most of the other aptitude tests such as the ACT and the TOEFL.