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.