Beyonce at Port Ghalib's Opening Ceremony

Beyonce Recieves Acclaim and Objection in Egypt
By Hanna El Amrawi

The First African - American female artist and the second woman to win the annual ASCAP Pop Songwriter of the Year Award, Beyonce Knowles, decided to make a stop in Egypt. Beyonce Knowles performed live on Friday, November 6th, in Port Ghalib. She celebrated the launch of the new Egyptian resort, Port Ghalib which is located next to Marsa Alam. This is the first time that Beyonce has come to Egypt. She performed part of her I AM ...Shasha Fierce global tour.
Beyonce’s decision to perform in this luxurious resort added to the resort growing popularity as one of the most exciting new holiday destination in the Middle East. The resort contains many five-star hotels such as; InterContinental Hotel and Coral Beach Hotel.
Born in Houston in September 1981, Beyonce Giselle Knowles began to perform at age seven. As a teen, she attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston where she honed her musical talents. Upon winning many local awards for her vocal and dancing abilities, she decided to team up with her friends to create an adolescent vocal group, Destiny’s Child. Mathew Knowles, Beyonce’s father signed up to be the group’s legal guardian and manager.
The creation of this group led to one of the most popular female RnB groups of all time. Destiny’s Child had several smash hits such as Say my Name and Survivor. After some difficulties in 2001, Beyonce decided to break away from the group to pursue her individual solo career. In the summer of 2002, she co-starred in the film Austin Powers in Goldmember with her role as Foxy Cleopatra. She then decided to focus on her singing career, and her debut solo Dangerously In Love topped both the RnB and Pop charts in America as well as in Canada and the UK in 2003. She released her sophomore solo album, B’day, in 2006 and three months later she did an award-winning performance for the movie, Dreamgirls. The following year, she landed a role as Etta James in the musical Cadillac Records. Shortly afterwards, she released her third studio album, I Am...Sasha Fierce, featuring number one singles such as Single Ladies, and Sweet Dreams.
Although many upper-class people were thrilled to have Beyonce come to Egypt, some of the lower classes felt excluded. These people of the lower classes felt that it was like an elite concert, that they could not attend. Not only did they not fully know who Beyonce is, but also felt that the cost of this event was extremely high. For a person to attend this event they had to pay an airline ticket, hotel costs and the ticket of the concert. To them, it was just “not worth it”. Beyonce also ran into some problems due to her revealing clothes and different dance moves. Members of the Muslim brotherhood said “Beyonce is not a Christian; she is satanic, serving the devil”.
Even though Beyonce faced some criticism, her performance was highly liked. With such a successful career, Beyonce is a role model to future young artist. We were proud to give Beyonce Knowles our five-star welcome.

Entertainment Corner

Movie Madness!
By Farah Kashwa
Saw 1, 2,3,4,5, and 6!
Saw, probably one of the most famous horror movies ever made, is back again this fall with a horrifying sequel. Special Agent Strahm is dead, and detective Hoffman dawned as the unchallenged successor to Jigsaw’s legacy. However, when the FBI starts to investigate and to be more suspicious of Hoffman, he is forced to put a game into motion and start playing. Jigsaw’s grand scheme is finally understood!

Picture Perfect, until…
Penn Badgley plays the not-so-privileged kid in Gossip Girl but tends to have a lot of action and drama in his life. However, in his new movie, The Stepfather, he steps out of his comfort zone and surprises us all by starring in a horror/thriller movie! In the movie, Badgley plays Michael Harding, a military school student. One day, when he returns home, he finds out that his mother is dating a new guy that has also moved into Badgley’s house. One day, Badgley overhears the neighbor talking to his mom about how her new boyfriend looks a lot like a man on the most wanted list. Badgley’s mother confronts her boyfriend, but he denies it and a week later, the neighbor is dead! Do you believe in coincidences?

Fashion Legend’s Life Made into Movie
A lot of us wear her shoes, glasses, perfumes, and carry her bags. Coco Chanel has had a heavy impact on the fashion world. Chanel is one of the biggest and most respected names in the fashion world today. But don’t be fooled by all the runways and shiny lights. The movie, Coco Avant Chanel, follows the fashion moguls’ life from start to finish: from her nights at the orphanage, doors of opportunities for her, and even where she got the name, Coco.
A Must-See
Law Abiding Citizen is about a man who, ten years after his wife and daughter were brutally murdered, returns to punish the assistant district attorney who let his wife and daughter’s killer not go to jail. Not only does he threaten the man who set the killer free, but he is prosecuting the whole justice system. Gerard Butler plays the man who loses his wife and daughter. He becomes a brilliant sociopath who plans a series of high-profile murders all from inside of his jail cell. Butler triggers Philadelphia’s days of terror.

SUDOKO

A Piece of the Girl who Sang the Blues

Janis Joplin Dared to Be Different
By Nikhil Krishnan
Don McLean, in his famous 1971 song American Pie, was actually referring to Janis Joplin as he sang the famous line ‘I met a girl who sang the blues’. Janis Joplin was undeniably the Blues powerhouse of her time; she emerged as the leading female figure in the late 1960s rock scene when it was essentially dominated by male musicians. Deeply influenced by traditional blues and folk, she explored their preliminary roots in the soil of Rock & Roll through her Psychedelic rock music.
Music critic Lillian Roxon wrote the following of Janis Joplin, “Janis Joplin perfectly expressed the feelings and yearnings of the girls of the electric generation – to be all woman, yet equal with men; to be free, yet a slave to real love; to reject every outdated convention, and yet get back to the basics of life.”
Janis Joplin was born to Seth and Dorothy Joplin on January 19, 1943 in Port Arthur, Texas. During her high school years, she molded her critical, authoritative vocal technique according to singing styles of powerful Blues and folk vocalists such as Bessie Smith, Leadbelly, Odetta and Billie Holiday. Joplin was labeled an eccentric girl and a misfit at her high school and was often taunted for her hobbies of music and painting, and for her dressing and hair style. She nevertheless continued to be the way she was even when attending the University of Texas, where the local student newspaper ran a profile on her tilted She dares to be Different. Her characteristic of being different and standing out would remain synonymous with her for the rest of her life.
Joplin initially performed solo at coffeehouses in Austin accompanying herself with an acoustic guitar. Eventually, she started to get some attention from performance reviewers and Psychedelic bands looking for a lead vocalist. Her major breakthrough was in 1966 when she caught attention of an emerging Psychedelic band named Big Brother and The Holding Company. Though their music was not commercially successful initially, critics recognized Joplin as a great talent who just needed a breakthrough to achieve the success that she and the band deserved. It was not until their second album Cheap Thrills, that Joplin found a good equilibrium between commercial and critical success.
Janis Joplin’s vocal style was heavily acclaimed and described as a strong bluesy force that was wild, screaming and uninhibited yet still focused and deliberate. She was often mistaken to be a black soul vocalist when her breakthrough hit Piece of My Heart aired on radios. Joplin was not only a stunning vocalist but also a spectacular stage performer. Her performance with Big Brother and The Holding Company at the 1967’s Monterey Pop Festival alongside Simon & Garfunkel and The Who and her performance at the legendary 1969 Woodstock Concert alongside Jimi Hendrix have been considered some of the finest live performances ever.
Unfortunately and ironically, Joplin destroyed herself at the age of 27 by an overdose of heroin similar to Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison who died in the same year of 1970. Her posthumous album, Pearl, has been her best-selling album featuring the revered country crossover Me and Bobby McGee and giving rise to a huge posthumous fan following.

Hanna El-Amrawi: CNN’s Next Big News Reporter

Schutz Bids its Audible Voice Farewell
By Farah Kashwa

Hanna could clearly be heard from the front porch all the way to the middle school lockers. She was also always pumped up.
One thing Hanna was not afraid to do was show her true self. Hanna is one of those people that are not afraid to show her true colors no matter who she is with. Hanna is someone that is very approachable and easy to talk to. She always makes you feel welcome, and she will always lend you an ear if you need to talk to her. Although her classmates were not used to all that energy at first, they soon came to realize that when she is around, there is never a dull moment.
Hanna’s role model is her sister. Her sister taught her to be strong and face anything that came in her way. These words of advice had a heavy impact on Hanna. Hanna never runs away from a problem; instead, based on her sister’s advice, she faces these problems. Hanna has a very big family and she loves spending time with them. She said that when she will have kids, she would like them to experience having a big family as well. When Hanna looks down the road ten years from now, she sees herself married and also working!
Even though Hanna is not known for her athleticism, she used to horseback ride when she lived in Cyprus. On the other hand, something that Hanna is famous for is her love of the performing arts. Hanna sings and also acts! What can’t that girl do? She has a great passion for acting and so she is pursuing drama in her senior year, and acing it.
Hanna went to the New York Film Academy this summer and took a journalism course. She came back with a lot of experience and a lot of friends. When Hanna was behind the camera, she felt like she belonged there.
Hanna will surely be missed around school, especially when she calls out “Masssssiiiimoooooo”. She is applying to many respectable universities abroad including University of California-Berkley, New York University, and she is also applying to The American University in Cairo (AUC). Hanna is torn between going abroad and being introduced to a whole new environment and staying in Egypt in AUC and maintaining the “Schutz” environment. If she goes to The AUC, however, she will transfer abroad at some point.
When I asked Hanna what she will miss most about Schutz, she said, “This feeling that everyone knows you and you know everything about everyone; this feeling of unity. You feel like you have the whole school behind your back.”. Well Hanna, I assure you that wherever you are, you will always be a part of the Schutz community and family, and we will always have your back!

Dina Abou El Ela: The Two-in-One Girl!

Schutz’s Very Own Golfer and Future Fashion Designer
By Ingy Fahmy

Dina Abou El Ela has been part of the Schutz family ever since she joined it as a little timid girl in ECP-Half. She has been known throughout her 15 years at Schutz as the girl with the big white bus and headband that came in every color. It is here that we all watched this coy girl blossom into a poised young woman ready to take charge of the life ahead of her. It is not everyday in our community that we get to witness an emerging golf champion along with the title of a fashion designer.
“I want to major in fashion, yet at the same time I want to continue pursuing my career in golf by being part of a college team; therefore, I am still trying to figure things out”, added Dina. She is still uncertain about which college she is planning to attend, but she is considering either continuing her studies in the United States or Europe. She has her mind set on what it is she wants to do with her life. Dina can see herself 10 years down the line as a happily married mom with her golf title and managing her mother’s clothing factory. She deems her mother to be her role model because as Dina explains, “She has four crazy children and runs her own business, yet she manages to keep it all together. She has everything set straight in her mind and gets everything accomplished.”
Having spent many, many years at Schutz, Dina has so many memorable moments. She really cannot point to one event as her favorite or most cherished one; she will always treasure the moments that had her shed tears of misery and laughter between the walls of Schutz. The thing Dina will miss most about Schutz is walking through the gates feeling like home, seeing people sitting on the green tables, and hearing all the noise and commotion coming from the front porch. She admits that it will be hard to let go of all this. Schutz taught Dina how to depend on herself; she explains, “Even though Schutz is a family, and it always will be my family, you will eventually have to dependent on yourself at times”.
Dina is a strong advocate for “Things happen for a reason” and states that growing up in Schutz and getting all its benefits is not just by luck. She believes she was sent to Schutz to make a difference and learn all there is to know in order to be able to embark on a life-long journey where she will hopefully be able to leave a mark in the world. Dina ascribes the person she is today to the people around her who helped her shape her life and character. She would like to thank her family, friends, and teachers for helping her construct her own identity. She claims that every single one of them had an effect on her to make her become the person she is today.
Dina is walking away from all this knowing it all happened for a reason and is grateful that it did in Schutz. She ends by reiterating to the Schutz community that, “Enjoy your time in Schutz, time flies by and you will regret not enjoying it. Schutz is a family and always will be, so do not waste your time wishing something would happen. Make it happen before your time is up, and it is too late”.

Always Above the Rim

Cameron Newell Carries out his Family’s Legacy
By Nikhil Krishnan

After having built a staircase to ultimate success for his two siblings, Schutz will finally do the same for Cameron Newell this year. Cameron clearly stands out at Schutz not because of being the only red-headed hipster in the whole high school, but because of his unique personality.
Over the years, students around the campus have come to recognize Cameron as an amiable fellow with a unique character that consists of a mixture of a strong athletic verve and a distinguished comical persona. I personally expected him to horse around while I tried interviewing him because of his humorous approach to almost everything. However, he was surprisingly serious when he started to describe his personal goals and aspirations and how he would like to transform them into a reality.
Cameron was born on March 31st in the large city of Charlotte, North Carolina. The Newells moved to Egypt when Cameron was 6 years old. Although he has lived in Alexandria for ten years, it was not until the 5th grade that he officially became a member of the Schutz family. His brother Joshua and sister Kara have already graduated from Schutz, and Cameron will be the last Newell to graduate and carry the family’s legacy.
Cameron is an extraordinary athlete at Schutz and has dedicatedly participated in many sports activities by joining Junior Varsity and Varsity teams. Although he enjoys sports, such as volleyball, soccer and baseball, he has always had basketball as his straightforward favorite sport. If a Schutz student claims that he/she has never seen Cameron play basketball, then he/she has probably been daydreaming for all this time. Cameron is always seen dribbling a basketball down the basketball court during lunch and after school.
Cameron showed an initial interest for basketball in 7th grade and has since evolved and expanded his skills at the sport. He professes his love for basketball by claiming that he is “always willing to play the sport all day long and spend all his free time in playing basketball”. He has also shown his fine leadership skills by being the captain of the Boys’ Varsity Basketball team last year. His most memorable moment was when he scored the final scoring basket at the last moment and won the last game of last year’s Varsity Basketball tournament for his team. His favorite player Michael Jordan is his role model since he admires Jordan’s ability to play in different ways each season. He also admires Jordan’s determination to succeed despite so many failures.
He would actually like to take his fascination and passion for basketball to another level by actually playing college basketball at some university in his home state of North Carolina. He would like to major in some sort of business management program, mainly Sports Management. Currently, he is working very hard to get a basketball scholarship, which might play a significant role in expediting his dream of playing college basketball until being drafted for the National Basketball Association (NBA).
When Cameron chooses to do something else other than playing basketball, he occasionally enjoys a good game of pool with his friends. He will obviously miss playing basketball at Schutz’s basketball court in lunch and hanging out with his friends at the green tables after leaving Schutz. Finally, his wise words to the upcoming seniors are the following, “Enjoy your last year before you go off on your own for good.”

A Lawyer in the Making

She Can’t Wait to Enter the Real World
By Hanna El-Amrawi

With senior year coming around, many seniors begin to feel upset at the thought of leaving their school and moving on. They are afraid of the idea of entering a new phase in life. Many become distressed and anxious. However, this senior is quite different.
Nada Abou-Gad can not wait to leave all of this behind and enter the real world. Nada has been in Schutz for seven years. She feels that Schutz has supplied her with enough knowledge and experience to help guide her throughout the rest of her life. She feels that Schutz has taught her the true meaning of friendship, and she will never forget that Schutz made her the person she is today.
Nada was born in December 18, 1991 in Alexandria, Egypt. After a few years, she moved to Washington D.C. Nada has always strived for perfection. She has received the second highest SAT score in her class and has always ranked top in her class. Her hard work and dedication will take her far. Nada plans on moving back to the States and attending either the University of George Washington or the University of Virginia with a double major in Political Science and Pre-Law.
Ten years from now, Nada sees herself as an accomplished lawyer juggling to balance between work and her married life. She hopes that one day she will become a judge in the International Court of Justice in the United Nations.
Nada has a passion for history and English. She will graduate from Schutz with all 3 Advanced Placement history classes(AP World History, AP European History, AP US history, and she is also taking an independent study of AP Comparitive Government). In fact, her role model is Queen Elizabeth III. “Queen Elizabeth is an inspiration to me. In times when women were subordinate to men, Queen Elizabeth proved to be one of the most successful monarchs in history”, stated Nada.

A Day in the Life of a Pedagogue

Mr. B.’s Take on Education
By Nikhil Krishnan

Mr. Robert Blankinship has clearly stood out as one of the most accomplished educators at Schutz. Whether one sees him teaching in his classroom, walking down the stairs, or running his laps after school, Mr. B., as he is commonly known around Schutz, has been recognized as someone who is acutely focused on what he does. Mr. B. has become an essential part of the Schutz community and has shared with us his experience both in education and in life.
Mr. Blankinship was born in Long Island, in New York. He was a good student, but he admits that grades did not come easily walking to him, and that he had to work very hard to earn them. He did his M.A. in Science Education at the University of Texas. Since then, he has taught at various destinations including the U.S., Vietnam, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Liberia, Korea, Singapore, Jordan, and presently, Egypt. He taught for 20 years in Singapore, and he considers it as his home.
His most unforgettable moment as a teacher was at Saigon, Vietnam, from 1970 to 1974, which he describes to be the most exciting and depressing time of his life. He vividly remembers how he and other teachers were being evacuated from the city when the North Vietnamese Communists were approaching the city in 1974. Currently, he has demonstrated warmth for Schutz and has labeled it as “a small school with a friendly environment.” However, at this point of time, he believes that he really needs to “change his lifestyle to the one of semi-retirement in order to have more free time.” “I’m approaching 63, and that’s a good time to be doing that”, states Mr. B.
A model student for Mr. B. is a student who is an attentive listener, a curious person, and a hard working human being. He inevitably values education and is very concerned about how education is being carried out today. “America became a great country because of education,” he states. He is especially concerned about the increase in dropout rates from high schools and colleges. He stated that the main reason for students’ dropout from schools and colleges is because of not reaching their potential as students through either lack of study or inefficient study habits. Moreover, he believes we have quite a few math and science teachers and not enough doctors, engineers, and research scientists, especially those dedicated to the examination of alternative forms of energy. “There needs to be a far greater push to motivate students to enter the sciences and only by having dedicated science teachers is this going to happen.” explains Mr. B.
Apart from enjoying his vocation as an educator, Mr. B. likes to participate in and train for marathons. In addition to that, he likes traveling. He admits to not have traveled inside Egypt as would like, but he definitely plans to when time permits. He has expressed his wish to ease into ‘semi-retirement’ by alleviating his workload to part-time teaching and tutoring, especially training in ESL (English as a Second Language).
Mr B. would like to spend half the year in Singapore and the other half in the U.S. and so forth. Mainly, he would like to stay in Singapore, “I like staying more in one place. It’s nice to have roots and a place to call home. Singapore is that for me.” We earnestly wish Mr. Blankinship to have a good last year in teaching the high school level.

Ms. Rovack to the Rescue

Now Girls Can Openly Talk about Their Feelings
By Hanna El-Amrawi

With a school as small as ours, it is very hard for a person to keep secrets without having them broadcasted around the school. With a student population of less than 300, many individuals are not able to openly state their opinions without being judged or criticized. That is why, this year Ms. Jannette Rovack, the Guidance Counselor, has come to the rescue.
Coming from a large international school in Tokyo, Ms. Rovack realized that Egypt was quite different. She thinks that in most countries there is some type of a support system that helps out teenagers. However, in Egypt, she feels that there is not much support.
Therefore, Ms. Rovack has decided to set up a “Girls Group” where girls can openly discuss their issues in a confidential manner. “I felt that girls in Schutz needed to have a place where they can have nonjudgmental feedback”, explained Ms. Rovack.
The first group meeting took place on Thursday, October 15, during lunch. Before starting the discussion, each member was required to sign a confidentiality agreement that stated that what is being discussed remains in the room. This allowed the girls to feel secure and be able to openly discuss their issues. The girls discussed many issues ranging from school to outside interest; the basic issues that face most adolescent girls. This idea of a confidential place sparked the interest of many upper school girls, “The room was filled with more than twenty girls”, stated Ms. Rovack. The group proved to be a success. Due to the large number of girls that were present, the group is still to decide whether it should meet twice per week.
Ms. Rovack has many new ideas that she hopes to bring to Schutz in order to truly foster this idea of a support system.

EMAC Activities Cancelled and Pushed-Up

Why Did EMAC Decide to Do Things Differently this Year?By Ingy Fahmy

The Eastern Mediterranean Activities Conference (EMAC) organization has decided to make some changes to this year’s activity’s calendar. To begin with, the High School Leadership Conference and the Middle School Festival got cancelled. Then the Academic Games got pushed-up a whole two seasons. All these events affected many students in Schutz, and the changes that took place might have been helpful to one student while being disparaging to another. Massimo Laterza, the EMAC Coordinator, explained that the decision to cancel both the HS Leadership Conference and MS Festival is a temporary decision that will only last for this year.
The cancellation was due to the fact that EMAC is currently undergoing a number of changes. There used to be a total of sixteen participating schools in the organization. However, due to controversies between the schools and within the organization, these 16 schools split into two different organizations, EMAC and Middle East School ‘s Activities Conference (MESAC). As a result, many schools have pulled out of this organization, which has led to a decreased number of participating schools.
Hence, the participating schools felt overwhelmed with the amount of events that they were hosting this academic year. As a result, none of them was capable of hosting both the HS Leadership Conference and the MS Festival. As for the Academic Games, it usually takes place in the late spring. This year, however, it got moved to take place during the early fall. Massimo Laterza elucidates this change to be due to the fact that most students who attend the Academic Games tend to be juniors and seniors who also happen to have Advanced Placement (AP) exams and SATs at around the same time of the event. This discouraged a lot of students to try out for the teams since they felt it would be taking away from their study time for these crucial exams.
Kelly Sullivan, who is the coach/advisor of both the HS Leadership Conference and Academic Games, said that many teachers have been asking the organization to move the dates of Academic Games to February, but for some reason they decided to move it to October.
All these events prove to be very effective on a student’s transcript for college. Therefore, the decisions made around these events are very crucial for all college prospective students. An anonymous senior expresses sadly that they have been saving to attend the HS Leadership Conference for their last year at school because they wanted it to be a memorable one and one that would look good on their transcript. We hope that next year the same unfortunate fate of the conference and festival does not affect yet another graduating class or eager students wanting to attend them.

Team Work Makes the Dream Work

Schutz Boys Teams’ Comeback

By Aya Kordy

The SAS Varsity Boys Volleyball and Soccer teams managed recently to achieve first and second places in the competitions held in Doha. This great comeback of the boys teams is not only a sign of the hard work of the players and coach, but of a sense of great determination.

Coach Tamer Melek explained that, with both hard work and determination, dreams can be achieved. As a result, a victory found its way between the trophies, which were now gathering dust.

The last time Schutz Boys achieved first place in Varsity Volleyball was in November 2005, so that is certainly a comeback that needs to be acknowledged. As for soccer, after ending in disappointment in 2008 with the boys disqualification, this year SAS boys returned with second place. “ We were playing against the weather, the referees, and the crowd, but we still made it to the 2nd place with great effort and team work. Like I always say, team work makes the dream work”, stated Coach Melek.

A Student-Governed Zone

The Student Lounge Is in Need of Our Cooperation!

By Farah Kashwa

The student lounge is one of the most important places for the upper school students. It is a place where students can go to study and hang out with friends. It is also a warm place for students to hide in during the cold winter days. The lounge’s back wall used to have signatures of students who have graduated several years ago. That wall was a symbol of how much the students cared about the lounge; they wanted to leave their mark in a place special to them. However, this wall of memories has been painted over. After hearing comments from the senior class, it is obvious that they would like to leave their mark too.
The lounge’s furniture is a topic that students are not happy about. The lounge has basic furniture that “is not very comfortable”, according to several students. Since some students use this lounge for leisure time or when they want to relax, they would like more comfortable furniture to relax on. Apart from big improvements that will take time, the lounge could have small details added to it to make it more cozy.
The lounge also is not one of the cleanest spots in Schutz. Some people who want to go to a quiet place and work are sometimes disgusted to go into the lounge since, most of the time, garbage can be found lying everywhere. People who spend lunch in the lounge need to learn how to clean up before they leave. The administration has taken several steps to prevent the littering problem by occasioanlly closing down the lounge during lunch time. However, the lounge still needs to be taken care of by students in a better way.
I asked some students about their thoughts on how the school can improve the lounge. I got a lot of great ideas, but they are mostly ideas that would take time to execute. When I asked Arnab Chaudhuri what he wanted to see in the lounge in the future, he said, “I would like the lounge to have a TV.” I asked Youssef El Akkad, a ninth grader, a couple of questions about the lounge, and he said, “I go to the lounge to relax. I think that the lounge could be more organized.” When I asked him what he thought about having a TV in the lounge he replied, “That would be great!”
Most students agreed about having a TV in the lounge. Mrs. Jane Walsh, the Head Librarian, said, “I don’t think that would be a great idea. My main concern is students having access to a TV while they are unsupervised. I don’t know much about the lounge, but I do think that it can be improved.
Changing and improving the lounge will take time and a lot of convincing arguments from students to the teachers and administrators. Since students want some changes that the administration might not support, it will take time and it will also take a compromise from both sides to achieve the goal.

The Spirit Has Graduated

A Campus once Full of Life, Now an Ordinary Campus

By Aya Kordy

More than ten years ago, if you asked any Schutz student what stood out in their school, they would all answer the same thing, “Spirit!” But today, if you ask any of these students that same question, the answer would not be the same. What once used to be the most energetic campus in Alexandria is now just a common campus. It seems like the graduates of the 1990’s took the school spirit along with their diplomas.
When asking Noureen Ben Halim, a student who has been in Schutz for fourteen years and now a senior, what she wishes could be renewed in the school, she replied, “The school’s spirit!” She explained, “The first seniors I can remember were the class of 1998. One of the many things I recall is them dressing up for us, the little kids, on Halloween, and filling the campus with their charisma and unique character.”
We have noticed a great decline in the Schutz’s spirit; starting with the cancellation of the Falcon Cup, to the cancellation of the friendly competitions between students of all grade levels, to the lack of enthusiasm on the senior sale’s day. Where does the problem lie then? How did the school lose its spirit? “The continuous change in teachers is the paramount reason for that”, declared Khaled El Naggar, Ingy Fahmy, and Hoda El Dib, students who have been in Schutz for more than ten years now.
“Throughout the past decade, there was a high teacher turnover to the point that teachers did not get a chance to be fully immersed in the school spirit in order to pass it on to the students”, explained the veteran students. Other students clarified that with the high turnover of the teachers and with the old generations graduating, Schutz’s spirit is quickly fading away. Teachers should be bursting with excitement for everyday and for every morning; however, that is not the case. The lack of awareness of such a crucial component in Schutz is what brought the level of spirit down.
For 84 years, one class after the next graduates from Schutz, and education was always the priority; nonetheless, school spirit was a given. Today, education stands solely on the “must list”. The front porch used to spangle with enthusiasm and students full of excitement. The bond they had with their school was unbreakable. However, today you can barely see life on the front porch, all you see is students enveloped in their studies. All you can see is just an ordinary campus.

Revival of Our Mission and Values

The Need to Remember Our Mission and Values Arises
By Ingy Fahmy

At the center of every successful organization or establishment lie its core values and its mission statement. These two aspects are what steer the focus of an organization toward a certain direction. Without values and a mission, the organization would just be flowing in the middle, not knowing where it is heading or where it wants to head.
On November 5th-6th, the Strategic Plan Core Planning team met and discussed the development of Schutz and its progress in achieving its Strategic Plan. Over the past few years, people have always been talking about the concept of Schutz being a true family. In the meeting, the team reviewed whether this statement still stood to be true. Through the discussions brought up at the SP session, it was evident that people do realize that there is an apparent problem with “Schutz’s Family”; however, the community is still driven and determined to draw back that old sense of family by making sure they understand and believe in Schutz’s core values and mission.
I believe that from Schutz’s core values, one that truly needs to be improved on is: “We believe that every individual has immeasurable intrinsic worth.” Since Schutz is an establishment based on the foundation of family, this concept should really be stressed upon. Every member of our community is equal; each individual should be able to realize and accept what their own worth is so they can empower their character with the ability to achieve their life-long aspirations.
One key concern that evolved from the discussion is how people at times are not getting the information needed so that successful communication is apparent. This does not necessarily limit the communication to informing parents about events or happenings, but it is more about the failure to explain why certain things are being done. Not one party is to be blamed, but rather our entire family for simply failing to ask why.
We, as an establishment built on family values, must have the same determination to steer our community back into focus. We must all come together as a family to realize what is best for our students. We still acknowledge our school mission as our guide to where we are driving our students, and to the future. So please, take a look at our values and mission statement. Make sure you understand what our establishment’s reference to each individual’s intrinsic worth is all about, and if you do not, then simply ask why.

Obama Wins the Nobel Peace Prize

Pandemonium Over the Sincerity of Obama's Choice
By Aya Kordy

In 1895, the foundations for the Nobel Peace Prize were created when Alfred Nobel wrote his last will, leaving much of his enormous fortune to the establishment of the Nobel Prize. Alfred Nobel was a Swedish engineer, a weaponry manufacturer and the inventor of dynamite. Ever since 1901, the Nobel Peace Prize has been honoring men and women from all over the world for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peacemaking.
Many world leaders have won the Nobel Peace Prize in the past for their outstanding contributions to their world. For example, leaders such as President Jimmy Carter sponsored numerous peace treaties, formal Vice-President Al Gore made efforts in creating a world awareness of the rapidly changing climate, and both President Anwar El Sadat and President Menachem Begin signed the Camp David Accord creating peace between Egypt and Israel.
In October, members of the Nobel Peace Committee decided to award President Barrack Obama the Nobel Peace Prize. The decision stunned many around the United States and the world, including those at the award ceremony who were caught on camera gasping when Obama’s name was announced. Members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee said, “Our choice could be seen as an early vote of confidence in Obama, for intending to build global support in his policies. Our choice was meant to build momentum behind Obama’s initiatives to reduce nuclear arms, ease tensions with the Muslim world, and stress diplomacy and cooperation rather than unilateralism.”
After only hours from receiving the news, Obama responded, “I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many transformative figures that have been honored by this prize.” He added, “I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations to confront the challenges of the 21st century.”
Many were stunned by the surprising choice so early in the Obama presidency, which has yet to produce distinct achievements in peacemaking. Several objected to the choice of Obama, as he still oversees wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. While others contended that Obama won the prize as a result of his “star power” rather than significant accomplishments. Surprisingly enough, even former Polish President Lech Walesa, who won the prize in 1983, questioned whether Obama deserved it now. “So soon. Too early. He has no contribution so far. He is still at an early stage. He is only beginning to act,” Walesa said.
Some view Obama’s nomination as an ideal choice, for Obama in less than a year was loved by millions, and he sent his message of peace all over the world. On the other hand, many regard Obama’s efforts as being at their earlier stages and are yet to materialize into concrete and measurable achievements. Whether or not Obama really deserves the Nobel Peace Prize will be determined solely by his actions in the upcoming four years.

Egypt vs. Algeria: Reaching a Boiling Point

A Rivalry that Dates Back to 1989!

Farah Kashwa

For many decades, Egypt and Algeria have always had a rivalry when it came to soccer. There were games where there was heated competition. There were games played as grudge matches. There were games played in unfriendly atmospheres. And then, there is Egypt and Algerian rivalry, which was a rivalry taken to a totally different level.

Egypt last qualified for the World Cup in 1990 at Algeria’s expense. Algerians got very upset and started attacking the referee. After that, at an after-match recepetion, an Egyptian doctor travelling with the team got his eye gouged out by an Algerian player using a broken bottle. As a result, relationships between the Egyptian and Algerian national teams have always been tense.

On November 14th, at the Cairo Stadium, Egypt needed a three-goal win to qualify for the World Cup at Algeria’s expense. Even though it was a hard goal to achieve, many Egyptians had faith in their national team players. Two minutes into the game, Egypt scored! Egyptians thought that the three-goal victory was going to happen easily; however, the second goal was scored in the last two mintues of the game. Therefore, all 80,000 Egyptians attending the match at the stadium were sitting on the edge of their seats for the 92 minutes in between. With the smashing Egyptian 2-0 victory over Algeria, there had to be a sudden-death match.

With the luck of the draw, Sudan was announced to be the hosting country of one of the most intense games both countries have ever witnessed. When the Egyptian national team arrived in Sudan, their bus was attacked by Algerians. However, that was only after the Algerian bus carrying the players was attacked during their visit to Egypt.

Before the match kicked-off, both teams were praying to be victorious because for both Egypt and Algeria, qualifying for the World Cup was something both countries have not achieved in a long time. A couple of minutes into the game, both teams had an unfriendly interaction and started to get violent. Also after a while, another unfriendly interaction occurred between both teams which proved that not only were the fans heated, but also the players. With Algeria scoring a crushing goal, the Egyptian national team never recovered thus allowing Algeria to qualify for in the 2010 World Cup. What happened after the game is what is causing a great political and national turmoil between the countries.

After the match, the Algerian fans attacked the Egyptian fans attending the match in Sudan. The Algerian fans reportedly bought knives and other dangerous weapons upon arrival in Sudan with all the intention of using it against the Egyptians, win or lose! Egyptians, unexpecting the attack, were defenseless. An Egyptian fan who was attending the game in Sudan and witnessed the atrocities said, “We have seen death”.

It was hours of terror in Sudan! Egyptians were hiding in Sudanese houses. Some men and women took off anything representing Egyptian flags only so they could walk in the streets without being attacked. Because many Egyptians wanted to express themselves about the recent events, they have rallied outside of the Algerian embassy in Cairo on the 19th of November protesting and voicing their objections to the recent events.

However, with all these events, the Egyptian-Algerian relationship has been scarred forever. One might wonder what happened to playing just for the love of the game.

A Star Among Us

A Combination of Talent and Passion

Youssef Talaat

Rafik Zaher was born on April 11, 1991 with a tennis ball in his hand. From that day forward, he never stopped loving the game of tennis. Rafik came to Schutz fifteen years ago and will leave a strong mark in Schutz’s athletic record. He joined every team the school had to offer and always fought for the school with passion and ardor. Outside school, he dazzled spectators, both in and outside of Egypt, playing his much-loved sport of tennis.

Being the quiet person that he is, Rafik is often misunderstood to be a lazy person. The truth is actually far from the aforementioned portrayal; Rafik is an extremely dynamic and intelligent person. However, his constant pursuit of several sports and his countless training sessions everyday make school seem like a place to lay back and relax. When asked, Rafik said that three words that best describe him are, "fun, smart, and athletic." He believes that his strong point is his determination. He also believes, however, that his bicep muscles are a weakness he must continue to work on with his friend Mahmoud. Rafik considers two very different people to be his role models: Roger Federer and Lil Wayne; Federer because he is the perfect tennis player and Lil Wayne because he shows the world the meaning of following your dream and influences many, many people.

Next year, Rafik plans to join his friends, Aly and Youssef, in Boston to study Finance at Boston University. He has already spoken to the tennis coach there and has earned a spot on the tennis team. Ten years from now, he hopes to be either a professional tennis player or a worldwide-known businessman. Either way, he would like to thank his parents for always supporting him in whatever dream he decided to follow.

Rafik will miss many things about Schutz, the most of which is talking to Massimo Laterza, the Dean of Students. He is glad, however, to be leaving behind the absence policy that has been a constant hindrance to his pursuit of extracurricular activities outside of school. He believes that Schutz has taught him many lessons the hard way. Rafik will truly miss school next year and would like to tell Schutz that "it will always be his second home." He would also like to advise the upcoming senior class to get started on their SAT’s and college applications because "it is a long and painful process!" Rafik Zaher has truly shined in his fifteen years at Schutz, and the Schutz community has nothing but high hopes for his future.

Mohamed Zahran: Conqueror of the Egyptian Economy

The Soccer Star and Guitarist Is Off to College

Aly El Attal

If you walk around campus during lunch, you will probably see most of the seniors hanging out near the front porch or the courtyard. However, Mohamed Zahran can only be found doing one thing in one place—playing soccer in the covered court. Since he came to Schutz in Grade 2, Mohamed, or Z, as he is more commonly known, has participated in every extracurricular activity imaginable. His friendliness and unique character have made him one of the most lovable characters on campus.

After graduating from Schutz, Mohamed will be heading off to the American University in Cairo with some of his classmates where he will acquire a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He is planning on working hard so he can transfer to McGill and graduate from there and eventually obtain a master’s degree from the University of Southern California or Stanford. His hard work and persistence will help him become a businessman who will "conquer the Egyptian economy" by expanding the family business and starting businesses of his own. Even though his main goal is to become a successful businessman, Mohamed also plans on improving his guitar skills so he could obtain the highest diploma and become a semi-professional guitarist.

Eleven years at Schutz have filled Z with lots of memories and aspirations. He still remembers his first day after transferring from the Alexandria Language School. Alaa El Damaty remembers that "everyone thought he was a foreigner." He says that his most memorable moment at Schutz was when he "scored the winning goal at the last minute in the 2008 Varsity Soccer tournament," which is why he will miss the Varsity Soccer tournaments more than anything else. Mohamed feels that many Schutz traditions are changing these days, so he is glad that he will be leaving those changes behind. Despite that, Mohamed believes that Schutz has taught him something very important about life, which is "to think outside the box." He also believes that Schutz empowered him with the knowledge and skills that will benefit him throughout his life. Mohamed’s words of wisdom to the junior class are, "Live your life."

Many people idolize someone great, such as a family member or a public figure, to set an example for what they would like to become in the future. Mohamed is so unique that he believes that he does not need a role model for inspiration. However, he would like to thank his family for shaping him into the person he is today. Mohamed wants to grow up to become a unique man and to blaze his own path towards success. Z claims that he is very open-minded, but does not work well under pressure. His is known to be shy, funny, and kind, but a more subtle quality that he possesses is his trustworthiness.

Stranger Danger

Opening Up to an Outsider
Noureen Ben Halim

For many people, talking to strangers, and being open to them on the first encounter is unusual. The idea that a person can talk to an outsider and be comfortable enough to tell them about their life during the first hour they meet, threatens many people’s privacy. But for only a number of people, it is very normal to do so.

An instance that happens every day: When person x meets person y on the way home from work. Person x is very stressed out and is dealing with a lot of problems at home and at work. What is bothering them even more is that they have a hard time discussing their problems with family or friends because they are afraid of being judged. Person x and person y happen to be sitting in seats next to each other. Person y comes off as very friendly. They exchange greetings, maybe talk about the weather, and then start to converse about more important things. Person x gets the feeling that person y cares about what they have to say and will not be judgmental. They are at ease, and soon, they start talking about their problems. Person y asks person x where they live, and person x feels it appropriate to say where. They might even exchange numbers. Person x believes that person y is trustworthy, just another passenger on the bus, and there is no harm in giving the number. Person x says goodbye to person y, gets off the bus, not knowing person y’s dangerous intentions.

Person x has just made a BIG mistake. Talking to a stranger is safe only if you keep ALL your personal information private. Person x gave away their number, and home address. Person y could easily find person x’s whereabouts. Like person x, people often feel comfortable around strangers because they feel that they will not be judged. Unfortunately, this could result in a crossing of personal lines. People should be well aware of this and should take precaution. 1) Meeting a stranger and having a conversation should be minimal. 2) You should never give out personal information to someone you have just met. 3) You should never accept an offer such as a ride home from a stranger, even if the location is very near. There is no way to know who this person is. 4) You should be aware of your surroundings and what you say and how you act. It is particularly important nowadays to be cautious and alert. Choosing to open up to an unfamiliar person is like giving them the key to your world, you will never know how or when they will use it to get to you.

The Soon to Be Golfing Star

Issa Abou El Ela Excels in Keeping the Family Legacy

Aya Kordy

Ranked in the top 20 worldwide, Middle East champion, Egypt’s champion and recently champion of the Katameya Junior Open competition, Issa Abou El Ela raised the bar for all Schutz athletes.

Issa Abou El Ela is a current ninth grader, who has been enrolled in Schutz since Pre-Kindergarten. Issa has been playing golf for thirteen years. Despite his young age, he is motivated, committed and dedicated to the game. Issa is part of a large family that is all inspired by golf, "We all started playing golf at a very young age. Now, my younger brother Mohamed who is currently in Pre-Kindergarten practices golf", stated Issa.

Adding to the family achievements, Issa’s father, Amr Abou El Ela was the Middle East as well as Africa’s champion: His older sister Dina, who is currently an eleventh grader, has been the Ladies Middle East champion for two years. "My father is my role model, I want him to be proud of me one day as I’m grateful that such a man is my father," explains Issa.

Issa has always set goals for himself and has always tried his best to achieve them. When it comes to golfing, he says, "It is always the ball and me, nothing else in the world matters."
Issa would like to go pro when he is twenty years old, but until then, he will continue to engage in many tournaments winning himself numerous titles. Of the many championships he has won, Issa is truly proud of the Pan Arab Junior Champion as he has won it two times, securing for himself the title of the junior championship of the Middle East. He is also proud of the Pinehurst World Championship as he was ranked twentieth worldwide.

When asked to pass down a word of wisdom to those wishing to pursue the art of golfing, Issa said "The harder you work, the luckier you get." Issa finds himself blessed that he grew up on the endless green golf course, and he says that the quote by Tiger Woods, "I want to be what I’ve always wanted to be: dominant," truly applies to him.

The Road to the FIFA World Cup 2010

We Bet on the Best

Mohamed Zahran

The 2010 World Cup Qualifications have been going on for quite a while. The qualifications are divided into six factions: Africa; Asia; Europe; North, Central America and Caribbean; Oceania; and South America.

Currently, the teams in the African Zone are divided into five groups. The top team from each group will advance to the World Cup 2010. In the Asian Zone, the teams have reached Round Four with ten teams divided into two groups. The winner and the runner-up of both groups will advance to the World Cup. The third-placed teams from each group will play a home-and-away play-off, with the winner advancing to the inter-confederation play-off with New Zealand.

　
There are 53 teams in the European Zone that are divided into eight groups of six and one group of five. The eight best group runner-ups advance to Round Two and all the group winners will advance to the World Cup. In Round Two, the eight teams will be paired in four, and they will play a home-and-away series. The winners of these four games will advance to the FIFA World Cup.

In the North, Central America and Caribbean Zone, there are six teams left. The top three teams will advance to the World Cup, and the fourth seed will play the fifth seed team in the South American’s Zone in a home-and-away match.

The winner will advance to the World Cup. In the Oceania Zone, the winner of the group is New Zealand. It will now play-off against the team that finishes fifth in the Asian Zone for a place at South Africa 2010. In the South American Zone, the top four teams qualify for the FIFA World Cup. The 5th-placed team enters a home-and-away playoff with the 4th-placed team from the North, Central America & Caribbean.

This year, some great teams are performing below expected. On the other hand, developing teams are doing better than expected. It is hard to determine who will eventually qualify for the World Cup, but I can predict which teams will make a great entrance to the World Cup. Brazil is doing very well in the qualifications as well as Germany. It is still too early to determine which teams are strongest in the African Zone. At the other end of the world, Australia and New Zealand are doing very well, both being on the leader board in their zones. Finally, USA is first in its group. It is quite clear that this year’s competition is tough. We all wonder who will drive on the road to South Africa.

Qahwa Sada: A Shrine

A Country’s Obstacles
Conjured On Stage

Aya Kordy

Have you ever been to an Egyptian funeral? Was it of a friend or a family member? Did they serve Qahwa Sada (black coffee)? According to Egyptian tradition, black coffee is strongly linked to grief and sorrow. Therefore, at a funeral people who come to offer their condolences are served Qahwa Sada, and it is exactly this tradition that the play refers to. Out of 45 plays produced by the annual Egyptian National Theatre Festival, during their 11-day show, one specific play attracted the biggest number of critical views. This play is Qahwa Sada.

Qahwa Sada is not really a play in the traditional sense, with a plot line and gradual development in the characters’ lives. It is rather a number of scenes set together to give a sort of overview of the many flaws of today’s Egypt. Many consider the opening scene as "the most original, even though it’s the most nostalgic of them all." As the 21 actors slowly begin to appear on stage, lights gradually increase with a poignant and moving melody along with it. The actors slowly bury items from the days when Egypt was a prosperous and an affluent country; pictures of political leaders, old actors and actresses, and items that symbolize the good old days.

Although this was a very heartbreaking scene, there were others that were very hilarious. During an hour and a half, the audience observes a scene after the other of almost everything that is wrong with Egypt; lack of ethics among the youth, spread of favoritism, misuse of power by the Egyptian tycoons, the hideousness of modern architecture compared to what Cairo was 50 years ago, absurd fatwas, the weakening of family relationships, the increased poverty and marriage expenses. These issues led girls to become old maids and boys to die in the sea as they try to illegally enter Europe. Qahwa Sada also focuses on the loss of the sense of belonging and the awareness of one’s history. 　

Qahwa Sada was first performed on July 1st, 2008 and scheduled only for 3 weeks at the Cairo Opera House. The show made it all the way to Alexandria and because it was such a great hit, it was performed to Cairo audiences for the last 10 months, and it is still performed with unfailing success. Many celebrities went to see the show, famous directors like Khaled Youssef and Sherif Arafa, several ministers, and even the First Lady, Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak.

Qahwa Sada mourns over everything that many Egyptians long for, from the decreasing bond between families to the deterioration in the economy and the disintegration of the new generation. Qahwa Sada transformed the Opera House into a shrine for all art lovers. From the creation of the first scene you will immediately notice how the impromptu script reflects a true picture of reality, the audience was the mirror that reflected the script. Every moment on stage was matched with an experience once underwent by a member of the audience."Qahwa Sada reached the greatest degree of creativity, and it has definitely raised the bar."

The Wavrins Settle In

It Is a Teacher’s Duty to Also Be a Friend
Mahmoud Ben Halim

Having visited many countries, Mr. Michael Wavrin and Mrs. Chris Wavrin decided to settle in at Schutz hoping to fulfill their educational duties as outstanding teachers. Married for thirty years, the Wavrins have two sons Mathew, 27, and Jacob, 23.

Mr. and Mrs. Wavrin have taught in Nigeria, Poland, Bulgaria as well as their home state Minnesota. When asked about their favorite place, Mrs. Wavrin said it was Minnesota since it brought her childhood memories back. Mr. Wavrin liked Poland a lot since they lived there for eight years.

Mr. and Mrs. Wavrin love to walk. They enjoy Alexandria the most since they can walk on the sea front. They find the Egyptian people very friendly. Their goals, however, are pretty different. Mr. Wavrin would love to continue teaching till he is 65 years of age, and he would still love to work with younger children in the Kindergarten to the third grade. Mrs. Wavrin, on the other hand, wants to retire in Minnesota to do cross county skiing.

Mr. and Mrs. Wavrin always wanted to become teachers because working with the younger generation makes them feel younger. Mr. Wavrin finds teaching as a pretty creative task because every day is different and every day is a new day, unlike a company where a daily routine is strictly followed and room for creativity is minimal.

When asked about what they like to do in their free time, the couple responded that they like to walk and listen to their iPods. Mrs. Wavrin enjoys reading too.

...Ellipsis

AP Literature Students Issue the First Schutz Magazine

Mohamed Zahran

Last month, Ms. Jean Melek, the Upper School English teacher, assigned the juniors in her AP Literature class to do a project for their final exam. Those students are Nada Abou-Gad, Arnab Chaudhuri, Cameron Newell, Ingy Fahmy, Tias Paul, and Marina Guirguis. They worked to develop, combine, and distribute a magazine at Schutz American School. This will be the first magazine ever published by Schutz students.

The Board of Trustees approved the AP Literature class’s request to sell the magazine. The magazine will be sold in the week of the finals for about five to ten pounds. The magazine is open for anyone to submit poetry, short stories, journals, photographs and artwork. The students’ first step in accomplishing their goal was to choose a name for their magazine. Ellipsis came to mind. Ellipsis means the omission from a sentence or other construction of one or more words that would complete or clarify the construction. This name symbolizes upcoming opportunities when there is still more to come. It is usually represented by a row of three periods.

!Flying Back Home

The Huggins Buy an Extra Ticket for Their Ride Back to Texas

Heba El Sahn

On April 11th at around 4 o’clock in the morning, a taxi cab went up the Schutz driveway. Just as soon as Mr. Clay Huggins and Mrs. Susannah Huggins were securely inside, the taxi turned around and zoomed off to Alex Sydney Kiel Hospital. It was by noon that the school was informed that Mrs. Huggins had safely given birth to a beautiful baby girl named Evelyn Amal Huggins.　

Mr. Huggins is the Upper School Science teacher and Susannah is Schutz’s Art teacher for the past three years. The couple has recently introduced the latest addition to our family. She is also the third result of the Schutz Baby Boom (after Malcolm Collins and Talia Abbas). Evelyn is named after her grandmother, from her father’s side. Her middle name, Amal, has a special story that goes along with it. Mr. Huggin’s best friend back in Texas is an Egyptian called Ashraf. Ashraf’s mother has been very helpful to the couple throughout their stay in Egypt. This was especially so after Mr. Huggins was attacked by Abdel Rahman Taher in Cairo. It is in the honor of this kind woman, and the fact that the birth took place in Alexandria, that Evelyn’s middle name came to be Amal.

It saddens people around the school when they realize that they are will not enjoy the Huggins’ company for long. The couple has decided it is for the best that they return to Houston, Texas, to be close to their family. Besides, Mrs. Huggins wants to spend time off work so that she can take care of her daughter. She plans to stay at home for a few years, and right now her classes are taught by Ms. Mai Merdan. Mr. Huggins will luckily be able to work in the same school district where he taught before coming to Schutz.

The couple plans to work overseas again after baby Evelyn is old enough to attend school. When asked whether or not they have an idea of where they would like to work next, they answered they would like to come back to Egypt or try someplace different in the Middle East. Both of them love the culture and weather in this part of the world. Mrs. Huggins joked on how one can see that Evelyn was born in Alexandria since she hates getting cold. Also, the Huggins have studied Arabic for quite some time now and would hate to forget the language. That is why they will ask their friends back home to tutor them.

So, in the end, the Schutz community should comfort themselves by believing that they will not part with the Huggins forever. There is a good chance that the family will return to visit again. As for now, they should wish them the best of luck and send their kind regards as the couple, along with baby Evie, fly back home.

A Tradition that Continues to Be Cherished

The SHS Inducts Its New Members to the Societies

Alaa El Damaty

The elegant tradition of selecting the new members to the Schutz Honor Societies in an Induction Ceremony continues to be an event that the Schutz family deeply cherishes. This year, the ceremony was held on Monday, May 25th. The event proved to be successful, as noted by parents and staff who attended. Nikhil Krishnan, Tias Paul, Nada Abou-Gad, Jomana Abdelkader, Raya Mukherjee, and Assem Heiba were inducted as members of the Societies in a candle-lit ceremony.

The ceremony began with an introduction speech by Ankita Ray, this year’s NHS President. The next part of the ceremony was a solemn one, when the current members lighted candles representing the five characteristics that govern the Schutz Honor Societies. Scholarship, citizenship, character, service, and leadership candles were lit. Citizenship was an extra characteristic for the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) only. For each candle, a brief speech elaborating on how each trait fits with the National and National Junior Honor Societies ideals was read.

The students became officially recognized as members when they repeated after Ankita the pledge of allegiance to the societies. The next part of the ceremony was a memorable one, where the inductees each chose a characteristic that they believe best represents their potential positive contribution to the Schutz Honor Societies. Nada Abou-Gad said, "I chose leadership because I feel that behind every great people is a great leader, who paved their way to success."
The family ambiance was further highlighted as the parents attached the SHS pins to their children. Next, the audience congratulated the newly inducted members.

After the ceremony ended, everyone went outside for refreshments and Seham’s annual, delicious cake.

Overall, the experience was a remarkable one; parents, students, and staff all commented on how memorable the event was. "I’m proud of the great job that the current members did organizing the ceremony, and I am looking forward to working with the new inductees in the coming school year," stated Kelly Sullivan.

A Woman with an Immense Imagination

Dr.Samira Kirollos Comes to Schutz to Tell Exciting Tales

Noureen Ben Halim

Dr. Samira Kirollos is no ordinary thinker. She is a storyteller with a great imagination. Dr. Samira is an international storyteller and enjoys telling stories of adventure, fantasy, and magic.

She has a doctorate in Drama from Stanford University in California. Dr. Samira has also taught drama. She has written for the BBC’s television program Jackanory, and for BBC’s Radio Four’s Book at Bedtime. She is the author of The Wind Children and Other Tales from Japan. Dr. Samira travels to many schools to story tell, and her audience is amazed by how well she can do so.

Dr. Samira came to Schutz on May 20th and gave three separate presentations to students. The first story was about Iris, an ancient Egyptian goddess, and the second was about a sailor. The last story was about two brothers, a story of greed and love. Ksenija Braese, a first grader in Schutz said "I liked the stories a lot, they were nice and funny." Dr. Samira uses body language and moves around a lot on the stage. She can imitate voices to create each scene in the story. Each story had a message overall and lessons about life. The event was successful because it stimulated students’ minds. Schutz students benefited from meeting an author like Dr. Samira and enjoyed the experience.

The Art of Survey Taking

Schutz Students Are Not Taking Full Advantage of Their Rights

Heba El Sahn

Democracy forms the principles of social equality and respect for individual rights within a community. In this school, students should be proud about the prevalence of a truly democratic atmosphere. They are offered several tools to bring about a democratic organization. Schutz offers its students a student council with multiple representatives from each grade, a newsletter to voice their opinions, and participation tools such as surveys and voting. In addition, there is a student representative in each of the board meetings. Students are privileged to have such opportunities even though they proclaim, "It is our right!" This can be true on some level, but this phrase might have a few catches attached to it. A lot of people do not realize that for every right given, a certain duty is expected in return.

For a democratic system to work, the participants must have integrity. They must give their honest opinion and not sway because of outside influences. Sadly, this does not take place on a large scale at school. It has come to the journalism class’s attention that students do not necessarily express their own personal views while taking surveys. The survey taking process, instead of being quiet and quick, is a hassle and basically a calamity. The scenario usually unfolds with a student hollering out what he/she is going to write down across the room. Then, a classmate suggests an alternative answer. This, in turn, leads to the two students getting involved in a debate, with each one pushing to write his or her opinion. It needs to be clear that a survey or a vote is made to give individuals the opportunity to voice their unique opinions. "A survey is more efficient if taken on the school’s website because that ensures a degree of privacy," affirmed Nourhan El Sallab. A class is theoretically supposed to offer various views; however, in reality peer pressure may cause each grade level at school to present only one or two points of view.

Schutz students must realize that when they change their answer because of the influence of a friend, they are then devaluating their democratic rights. It is a person’s duty not to pressure others in formulating their own views, and leave them to express them freely. The HSSC president, Aly El Attal, stated, "Many younger students believe its "cool" to give negative comments in a survey, even if what they’re saying is untrue. They just enjoy showing a rebellious attitude." Surveys are a valuable tool for people to get what they want and students will jeopardize their power if they do not take them seriously. Everyone needs to remember that survey taking is an art.

Struggle for Independence

Women All Over the World Gaining Their Rights

Malak Kira

Is it true that women are treated equally as men? Are women sacrificing themselves for their family if they stay at home? Why aren't men asked to do the same? Stereotyping women as just housewives is the main hitch. They are looked upon as the ones who should just clean the house and take care of the children. This label has existed for hundreds of years. Women were forced to be in a situation where their rights are not totally recognized. As the world developed and education played an important role in modern times, women became more aware of their rights and the situation they were being forced in.

Growing up in communities that value tradition, women have always been thought of as a lesser version of men. The idea that women have a bigger role at home has affected them greatly. They have been limited by their communities. Their rights were lost and so was their independence. A woman should be able to choose what she feels is the right thing to do not only for herself but for her family as well. Each woman has her own criteria for her self-fulfillment; some need to work and others derive their pride by being housewives.

Men play a more dominant role as the provider for the family. It is common to think that men, more so than women, work to achieve their self-esteem and sense of identity. Women today have started to link their self-identity to work. For most of them, the decision to work is all about their independence. Women want to feel more freedom, self-assurance and independence. They do not want to rely on men and feel weaker or less self-sufficient. According to the U.S Census Bureau, 66% of the world’s labor is performed by women, but they only receive 11% of the world's income.

It is viewed by most of the Upper School Schutz students that a woman should work only when she ensures that her first priority is given to her family.

Women should have the choice to work or not to. It is up to them to assess their priorities. The society does not have the right to limit their opportunities and capabilities because they are thus suppressing more than 50% of the society. As the world transforms, this view of women must adjust to this progression.

Ask Mahmoud

From: Massimo
Q: How can a senior remain focused after being accepted in college and finishing AP exams so he or she may set a good example for other students and make sure they end the year on a good note and with good grades?

A: Being a senior myself, I personally think this issue needs to be addressed. After getting accepted into college, seniors start to lose interest since they feel that it is all over, and that what they do will not matter. However, it is very important for them to stay focused since acceptance into college is conditional, and actions taken after any acceptance may get reported to the college. Colleges may also change their admissions decision. As far as grades are concerned some seniors start to care less and less. When seniors find out that their grades will not dramatically affect them after already being accepted into colleges, they do not care and just want to pass.

I think that this should start to change. Seniors should become less grade-oriented and more into what they learn. Seniors are also the oldest in the school, and it is them who are considered as role models by the younger students. So, it is important for them to be good role models. I invite the upcoming senior class to keep my advice in mind since slacking off at the end of the year does not only look bad but also makes the school look bad.

From: Mr. Walsh
Q: If you were to give one piece of advice to the upcoming students in high school on how to be successful in high school, what would it be?
A: Out of my personal experience, I would recommend upcoming high school students to always try their hardest and to always think positively. Also, I would recommend that students always try to be careful about how they are viewed by the public. What I mean by this is their reputation. Students should be careful about how they are viewed by their teachers and friends. Sometimes, one wrong action can ruin someone’s reputation, and changing it is not as easy as it may seem. Try to keep a good reputation so that people respect you and take you seriously.

From: Anonymous
Q: How can a student gain a teacher’s respect throughout his high school career?
A: This is a tough one. A student can gain a teacher’s respect in several ways. I personally think that a student should follow directions and listen to a teacher. A student also earns the respect of the teacher when he/she shows respect to self and to others. . If you respect someone, they will respect you back, and he or she will have no reason to disrespect you.