From the Perspective of a Developing Nation

The Slaughtering of the Pigs Creates Heated Debate

Alaa El Damaty

In 1350, the world was introduced to the deadly Bubonic Plague. Now, in 2009, the world is experiencing a similar phenomenon. The number of people infected with Swine Flu is increasing every day around the world. The first week of June marked the spread of the flu to 62 countries, with 17,410 persons infected and 115 dead. In any world phenomenon, reactions differ from place to place, and Egypt, as a developing country, is going through a unique reaction to the spread of the flu. Unlike many countries, Egypt has taken the decision to slaughter most of its 300,000 pigs. This decision has positive and negative aspects.

It has been noted that Egypt’s tourism has greatly increased since the decision to slaughter the pigs was taken by President Mubarak.. Sharm El Sheikh is a major competitor in tourism of Cancun in Mexico. Many have switched their tourist destinations from Cancun to Sharm El Sheikh because of that decision, thereby limiting the chance of the Swine Flu spreading in Egypt. Despite this positive side to the slaughtering, Egypt has been internationally criticized by many for its actions.

"It has been decided to immediately start slaughtering all the pigs in Egypt using the full capacity of the country's slaughterhouses," Health Minister Hatem el-Gabaly stated after having a Cabinet meeting with President Hosni Mubarak. The question is: will these slaughterhouses be sufficient for the amount of pigs being slaughtered? When the slaughterhouses could not handle the amount of pigs to be slaughtered, the remaining number of pigs was to be burned with chemical substances and then buried in lime while they are still alive. Most humanitarian organizations around the world, especially animal right’s activist organizations, view this act as an atrocious one.

Also, there are not enough refrigerators to fit the hundreds of thousands of pigs slaughtered. The remaining pigs were left to rot, which created more problems. In an attempt to save the meat from rotting, some companies used the pork in many of their supposedly beef products. It was declared by the Ministry of Health that some meat companies have used the pork in products such as luncheon meat and sausage sold in the market.

The killing of the pigs also led to religious controversy; radicals like Michael Mounir entered the scene. He believed that the slaughtering of the pigs is a sign for the start of the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Mounir argued that the decision to slaughter the pigs was not only cruel, but it was meant as a sign of prejudice against the Coptics
As a developing nation, Egypt was brave enough to take the decision to slaughter all of its pigs, but it was not prepared to handle the decision and its consequences.

Please Recognize the Graduates of 2009

Officially Dismissing the Senior Class

Youssef Talaat

Commencement is often misinterpreted by many to mean the ending of a journey, but commencement is only the beginning. Upon graduating, the 2009 senior class will end their high school careers and embark on a tough, long journey full of freedom and responsibility. To be honest, it is sometimes difficult for students to leave the comfort and familiarity of their own homes to discover the new world that is college. College life is significantly different than life at home; parents are no longer around to remind us of our duties and responsibilities and the people we have grown with are no longer there to assist and support us. However, the true personality of people is further developed through the college experience. The truth is, Schutz’s seniors are armed with education, the most powerful weapon of all, and are ready to face whatever challenges await them.

The class of 2009 has been a team since day one. They always acted as one and have always supported one another. Many seniors recall their senior trip to Budapest as one of their most memorable moments in high school as it made them realize the true value of their friendship and camaraderie. Their graduation ceremony, which will be held on June 18, 2009 at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, will be a very emotional period for many of them. Mixed emotions of both joy and sorrow will be exchanged as students leave high school to embark on an unfamiliar journey.

This year’s graduating class will be truly missed next year. Aya Kordy, a junior at Schutz, expressed, “They’re the class I cherish the most, and they are definitely the people I will miss most next year.” Massimo Laterza, Dean of Students, described the class as being “small in number, but diverse in temperament and attitudes.” The class of 2009 will be attending universities such as the American University in Cairo, Babson College, Boston University, McGill University, and Rajagiri School of Engineering. The Schutz community wishes the departing seniors luck in their upcoming journey and has high hopes for their achievements in the future.

An Exceptional Past Leads to a Future of Opportunities

Youssef Talaat Prepares for a Life of Success

Aly El Attal

Ten years ago a shy little boy came to Schutz for the first time. When he entered the third grade classroom in the Pharos campus for the first time, Youssef was filled with fear and a lack of confidence. Little did he know that he was to become one of the leaders of this school.

Youssef Talaat has been a member of the Schutz class of 2009 since 2000. Before settling in Schutz, Youssef attended Kaumeya Language School for 2 years and the American International School (now the American School of Alexandria) for 3 years. Since his arrival at Schutz, Youssef has maintained an outstanding academic record and has filled three officer positions in the High School Student Council.

Despite having such an impeccable resumé, Youssef does not plan on stopping there. He is planning on joining his siblings in Boston next year where he will study Finance and Entrepreneurship at Babson College, a prestigious college on the outskirts of Boston. Youssef is also planning on acquiring a master’s degree after gaining a few years of experience in what he calls "the real world."

As a person who thrives on planning ahead, Youssef has a deeper vision on where he will be in the future. Ten years from now, he sees himself working in his family’s business and having a family of his own. Youssef believes that his cleverness and wit are what keep him moving forward, but he admits that his impulsiveness is his main weakness. However, based on his past actions, it can be said with great confidence that Youssef will overcome his weakness and succeed.

Youssef is one of the people who can be considered as "in the spotlight" of the school. He is not one who shies away from trouble or settles for the average, and that is due to his ambition, a quality of his that may not be very obvious. Youssef cherishes that quality because he believes his late grandfather, who he considers his role model, possessed. He added that his grandfather "didn’t let anything get in the way of his determination." Youssef considers himself a "tough, smart, and compassionate" person.

Leaving a school is never an easy thing to do, especially when it comes to a close-knit community like that of Schutz. Youssef is one of the many people who will miss the family atmosphere in school, and even though it might sound like a cliché, he really believes that, "Schutz is family." The ten years he has spent at Schutz have created a lot of memories. The one he remembers the most is when many students boycotted the canteen and brought food to share with their peers. On the other hand, Youssef is glad that he will be leaving behind all the schoolwork that comes with a challenging high school. When asked what Schutz taught him about life, he responded by saying that it taught him that, "Life is not always about winning; there are invaluable lessons to be learned from defeats." He believes that this is one of the many lessons that Schutz taught him. He would like to show his appreciation by telling Schutz, "Thank you for preparing me for life."

His senior year has proven to be quite valuable for him. He would like to pass on his wisdom to the junior class by recommending that they do not cram their college applications. He would also like to thank his family, friends, and school for making him the person he is today. He is expected by the people in his community to become the great man that he is destined to be.

The Cricket Star

An Inspiration to the Next Generation

Mahmoud Ben Halim

Sunny Thodukayil is one of the most unique seniors at Schutz American School. He has been at Schutz for five years. He is Indian, and he loves to play cricket. He is known at Schutz to be the Cricket Star. Sunny is planning to attend college in India and will study Engineering. Sunny particularly wants to be an Electronic Engineer majoring in Allied Electronics and Instrumentation in Rajagiri School of Engineering in the city of Kochi in south India. However, he is not sure exactly what university in India. Sunny loves electronics and is interested in knowing about how things work. He sees himself working in a big company as an engineer after college. Yet, he is unable to predict where his work will take him to after college.

Sunny is very good in knowing how to deal with people in general. He deals with most people in a very friendly way. However, he is very shy. He thinks that people know everything about him since he does not hide stuff from anyone, and he is a pretty open person.

He considers his dad to be his role model since he is a very hard worker. Sunny is also a hard worker and puts himself to meeting everyday challenges. His most memorable moment at Schutz is his first day at Schutz since he remembers that everyone was kind to him. He will miss his free blocks when he graduates from Schutz. He told me that he will not be glad to leave anything when he graduates as he will miss everything that Schutz gave him. 　

Sunny has another part of him that he is well-known for around campus. He is known as the "Cricket star". Sunny loves to play cricket and has been playing it since he was five years old. He wants to continue playing cricket when he goes to college.

If Schutz taught one thing to Sunny about life it is that life is not fair, and that you have to work hard to get something. Sunny thinks that, throughout his time at Schutz, he has become quite independent. He would like to advice the upcoming senior class to plan things ahead of time and take High School very seriously.

If there are two words that best describe Sunny, they would be "happy and kind." Finally, Sunny would like to thank his parents and friends for being the person he is today.

Follow Your Head, Then

Think Before You Act

Noureen Ben Halim

We have all been through it. We have all met that sweet, caring, kind, person who seems to be everything we ever wanted. Everything is perfect for the next couple months, everything continues to be an utopia, until the problems start. Whether the problem is jealousy, lack of commitment, or simply not feeling what was there before, somehow this relationship was not meant to last. It happens.

Choosing the right person for yourself, is essential for a lasting relationship. The basics are simple for agreeing to start a relationship with someone. 1) If all you have heard is negative things about this person, that is your key to run away. Be careful with who you listen to though because sometimes those who will tell you will be girls who are jealous. 2) Notice how this person acts around his friends. Is he the same person he is when he is around you? A guy’s true self will show up around his friends. For example, it is normal when he jokes around with them by calling them names, but be careful of any signs of a bad attitude ALL the time. 3) Ask yourself, what am I looking for? You MUST have the same interests in mind. By interests, I do not mean goals and hobbies, but on the long run, you should be looking for the same thing. If you are looking for a serious relationship, and the person in front of you seems like the "guy who is confused", you should know although this type of relationship will seem perfect from every angle, it falls apart easily because of the mixed feelings on either side. If this person is not stable, then continuing in this relationship will be very hard. 4) Try to find out what he is like, and what he was like with previous people. Be careful with guys who seem to be rushing a relationship from the beginning. Starting something at a very fast pace will result in a crash and burn. 5) How does he treat you? Respect is very important. You must both have respect for one another. 6) Lastly, do you get along? Do you have chemistry?

The saying "love is blind" is true. We are often blinded by what we see and neglect to think of the consequences of what we get ourselves into. You must really think long and hard about what you want, and make it clear to the people you are with. Love is not what is portrayed in the movies. Love is what we make it. Follow your head, THEN follow your heart.

...And the Winner Is

Slumdog Dominates, Benjamin Button Follows

Youssef Talaat

The 81st Academy Awards (also known as the Oscars) were held at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, California on February 22, 2009. The event was held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was hosted by Hugh Jackman (X-Men, Van Helsing). The ceremony is held to honor the best movies of 2008, and it is considered the biggest and most prestigious movie event of the year. Of course, the biggest movie stars in the business attend the event, even though many celebrities do not get recognized; only the worthy are celebrated at the Oscars.

This year, the nominees for each award were announced on January 22, 2009, one month before the event. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was in the lead with thirteen nominations while Slumdog Millionaire received ten. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the fascinating story of a man that ages backwards; Slumdog Millionare is the dramatic story of a young Indian from the slums of Mumbai that wins twenty million rupees and raises the suspicions of everyone around him. The Dark Knight and Milk both received eight nominations, and WALL-E got six nominations, tying it with Beauty and the Beast for the most nominated animated film in Oscar history. Doubt, The Reader, and Frost/Nixon each received five nominations. Challenging and Revolutionary Road each got three nominations while The Duchess, Frozen River, Iron Man, Wanted, and The Wrestler each received two nominations.

Only four films received multiple awards in the evening. Slumdog Millionaire received eight awards followed by The Curious Case of Benjamin Button receiving three awards then The Dark Knight and Milk both receiving two awards. The Best Picture Award went to Slumdog Millionaire and the Best Director Award went to Slumdog’s Danny Boyle. The Best Actor Award went to Sean Penn of Milk and Best Actress went to Kate Winslet of The Reader. The late Heath Ledger of The Dark Knight won Best Supporting Actor while Penélope Cruz of Vicky Cristina Barcelona won Best Supporting Actress. Best Original Screenplay went to Milk’s Dustin Lance Black, and Best Adapted Screenplay went to Slumdog’s Simon Beaufoy. Best Animated Feature went to WALL-E’s Andrew Stanton, and Best Foreign Language Film went to Yojiro Takita of the Japanese film, Departures.

Over the years, the viewership of the Oscars significantly decreased because people though it was lengthy and somewhat monotonous. Due to this decline in viewership, the Academy hired an entirely new production team that was sworn to secrecy before the ceremony. The Academy attempted to revive the ceremony by changing the general script and theme; they had even gone as far as to advertise it as "The Biggest Movie Event of the Year". Critics had mixed feeling about this attempted change; the Los Angeles Times said the show "fell flat," while E! Online said, "Jackman nailed it!"

HTC Touch HD vs iPhone 3G vs Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1

Touch Screen Technology Is on the Move

Mohamed Zahran

The touch screen technology is becoming more and more popular by the month. With the iPhone 3G in stores, it had triggered other companies such as High Tech Computer and Sony Ericsson to compete with its latest release. HTC had released some models to try to compete with the iPhone, but it never came close to its amazing interface. In order for these companies to try to participate in the race for cell phone mobility, they had to focus on the multimedia side of their devices. Today Sony Ericsson and HTC released two models than can very well compete with the new iPhone. When you are looking for a new phone to replace your old one, four aspects come in place: appearance, hardware, software, and most importantly, it has to be better than your old phone in these three aspects. Each individual has a taste for design. All these phones come in black, but for the iPhone you can choose between black and white black panels. They are all very close in size with X1 being the thickest (16.7 mm), iPhone 3G - tallest (115.5 mm) and Touch HD - widest (62.8 mm). HTC Touch HD is the heaviest (146.4 g).

When comparing hardware, you always look for the most advanced. The Xperia X1 has the smallest screen compared to the iPhone and the HTC. The HTC has the largest with 3.5 in. screen. Resolution is also an important aspect in hardware. Both, X1 and HTC share the same resolution of 800 x 480pixels, but the iPhone has a lower quality resolution with only 480 x 320 pixels. Fortunately, all of these phones have built-in Bluetooth, 3G networks, and GPS systems. Finally, the HTC Touch HD has the most advanced camera with 5-megapixels, coming in second the X1 with 3-megapixels, and in last the iPhone with only 2-megapixels. It is obvious which phone has the most advanced hardware technology.

There are different software companies that are installed in these three phones. They all have their advantages and disadvantages.

I personally would either recommend HTC Touch HD. It has the high quality graphics you need. This smart phone acquires all the necessities you need from a cool design to great multimedia options. Unfortunately, the iPhone lacks many of the hardware technology and I would say that the Xperia would come in second. Like I said it is all about taste.