Volume IV; Issue 1
June 2010
King’s Academy, Manja - Madaba, Jordan
Disruption in the Campus Ecosystem
Pesticides could be a possible cause of the growing amount of dead bird hatchlings appearing around campus By RAMA AL NAKIB ’12 STAFF WRITER
As some people may have already seen, there has recently been a spike of dead, featherless hatchlings scattered across campus. While walking around campus December 2009 and March 2010, one would have, most probably, noticed a substantial increase in these deceased birds. King’s Academy is like a small village; it is self-sufficient, it grows its own food, it manages to feed hundreds of people day after day, and of course, it has its own ecosystem of life. The ecosystem at King’s is separate to that of the surrounding area due to its well-maintained grass, trees, flowers and other such vegetation. King’s Academy is home to numerous species of frogs, insects, small mammals and birds. The presence of birds creates an ambience that sets itself apart from the world around it with the melodious chirping that can be heard anywhere across campus.
At first it seemed hard to explain why all these baby birds were dying; they may have been falling out of their perches, or been stricken by an unknown disease; and chances are, most people didn’t think twice about it. Recently, a pest control company sprayed the campus in an attempt to rid the school of insects, and this may have been the cause. Bird chicks rely on their parents for food as they are not able to feed themselves at their young age. Birds, incidentally, feed on insects. Bird life on campus was thriving until the pest control may have upset the status quo, and this thriving population could not sustain itself due to the limited supply of food. The possible cause for the large amount of dead hatchlings could be due to the natural instinct to survive, causing the adult birds to choose their own lives over those of their offspring. This seemingly minor disruption to an intricate food chain may have caused dire ramifications. see ECOSYSTEM on page 11
ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
The flourishing ecosystem of bird life in King’s may be threatened by pesticides.
Table of Contents Page 2
News in Brief
NEWS
Tribute to Swara
Page 3
Looking Back
OPINION
Dining Hall Food Isreal-Palestine Senior Points
Pages 7-8
Horroscopes
FUN PAGE
Teacher Baby Pictrues Games
Page 9 OUTTAKE Page 10
Page 4 LIFE
Pages 5-6 HEALTH
Drama on Campus
SPORTS
Seniors 10 years from now
NBA Playoffs
Finishing Up Strong
Wrapping up the Year
Boarding Life
Ultimate Frisbee
The King’s Experience
Tournament Season
Big Tobacco Sleep is Important Coping with a Bad Day
Page 12 COLLEGE
ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
The Rexonian captured a rare photo of the elusive Lion mascot, never before seen by civilization.
Introducing the King’s Lion An exclusive interview with King’s Academy’s brand new mascot By ROBERT BAHOU ‘11 EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Has anybody seen the lion? What lion, you ask? Nobody seems to know where the fabled King’s Academy lion is hiding, but we continue to wait patiently for its arrival. Now the surprising part of this is that the Lion is actually currently residing on campus, in perhaps one of the most brilliant hiding spots imaginable, and to take matters further, the Rexonian has been able to arrange an exclusive interview with the Lion, so please, enjoy Rob: Now when the King’s Academy lion was chosen it was going up against an owl, and an eagle, any comments offer on that? Lion: Is there any competition there? Rob: Well, what do you feel makes you better than say an owl or an eagle? Lion: I’m the king, they are mere mortals, I am Kings Academy, I’m the King of the jungle, I have a heart of a lion, King Hussein was also called the Lion, and besides, the owl and eagle costumes aren’t as cool. Rob: Now, can you tell us something about your previous occupation? Lion: Who says that I was occupied? I chose to
take on King’s Academy and bless them with my presence, so in fact I am not the King’s Academy mascot, King’s Academy is my mascot. Rob: So where were you educated? Lion: Well, I had some time overseas and in Europe and in the Middle East, but in fact a lion is educated through experience, I collect my knowledge as I live; oh, and I was also battle tested in the school of hard knocks with stamina. As we know, it is the survival of the fittest; I have survived so I must be the fittest, the rest have been devoured. Rob: Forgive me for this but I am obliged to ask by the department of public safety but, what would you say are the chances of you mauling and or maiming a student? Lion: Fairly good, I prey on weak students Rob: What determines a weak student? Lion: Those who don’t go to class, or morning meeting, or don’t wear a school tie… Yes I like to take swipes at them. Rob: What experience would you say that you have in the mascot business? Lion: A frightening loud roar, an extremely gorgeous coat and sharp, sharp teeth. Rob: But how would you say those would help you? see LION on page 11 In preparation for the first annual graduation ceremony, the entire community lined up facing one another on May 26 to practice the Widmer Inversion Gauntlet, led by three bagpipers and followed closely by Dr. Eric and Dr. Meera.
Senior Matricualtions ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
NEWS
Page 2
SNAPSHOTS:
The Rexonian
Parents’ Weekend Recap By RAFAT NESHEIWAT ’13 STAFF WRITER
Spring Parents Weekend this year turned out to yield a far greater attendance than anticipated. “I was not expecting that many parents to show up to the Parents’ Weekend,” Mr. Dwaine Banton commented. Spring Parents’ Weekend was on April 30th, 2010 and the day began with registrations in the Gallery at 9 am. Immediately after, parents met with teachers to discuss their children’s progress throughout the year. Every teacher had meetings until 4 pm and the University Counseling Office held informational sessions for all parents and students in various locations after lunch. The day was long for parents and even longer for some students. Raja Badr El Din ‘11 had his remarkable art exhibition displayed in the Gallery, which was arranged with the help of Lubna Faraj ‘12, and under the supervision of Ms. Sana Madadha. Raja’s art wholly mesmerized all who were fortunate enough to admire his work. Other
ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
TOP: The Six Guitar Ensemble performs during the night of chamber music. The songs were performed flawlessly and beautifully. ABOVE: A student catches hold of a woodpecker on Campus RIGHT: Swara Salih performs his “Sarumon Impression” at the Junior Class Talent Show.
students also had their art displayed, which livened up the Gallery. “Both my parents and many other parents went to the exhibition. I assume some of them liked it while others didn’t like it as much,” Raja said as he showed the parents his artworks in the Gallery during Parents Weekend. Our basketball teams also had games against various schools. Students played well with the support of their parents cheering on from the stands. A Science Fair was also planned, where students displayed experiments they had prepared earlier. Adel Nesheiwat ‘11 conducted an experiment using circular motion, which many parents had found interesting. Other projects included the mummifying of a rabbit and the development of a bird fetus, along with various other projects. In addition to this great weekend, there was no school on Sunday as it was declared a Headmasters Day, providing students with time to relax and get some work done. All in all, the weekend was a successful and fun event for all those who attended.
ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
A Tribute to Our Former Executive Editor ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
Dearest Swara Salih, We would like to thank you for the countless hours you invested in our beloved paper, and we are all sad about the fact that you must step down from your position as the Executive. Sadly, you can’t be with us forever, but you have made a profound impact on our community and our staff. You have layed the groundwork for the rexonian, which will most likely enjoy a bright future, thanks to you. So, on behalf of all of us in the Rexonian, we thank you, you will be forever in our words, captions, edits and headlines, Yours truly, The Rexonian Staff
Executive Editor Managing Editor Managing Editor
ROBERT BAHOU ‘11 NAYLA AL-MAMLOUK ‘12 IMAN ABU ALIA ‘11
News sub- Editor Opinion sub- Editor Life sub- Editor Fun Page sub- Editor Sports sub- Editor
JOOHO SHIN ‘12 MOUNIR ENNENBACH ‘12 SEEMA SAMAWI ‘11 REEM AL HADDADIN ‘11 ZACK SAMAWI ‘11
Photography sub-Editor Layout sub-Editor Layout sub-Editor
Swara Salih, our former Executive Editor contemplating life without the Rexonian
Faculty Advisor Faculty Advisor
BARAKAT EL SAQA ‘13 ZENA KOKASH ‘10 NADIA AKKAWI ‘11 MR. BOWMAN DICKSON MR. TOM VERDE
OPINION
June 2010
Looking Back Having concluded her Freshmen year, Jin asks “Did the Nines feel welcome?”
The Dining Hall in Depth The food in our dining hall is prepared cleanly and safely, though could be more delicious
By MOUNIR ENNENBACH ’12 By JIN SEUL JUN ’13
OPINION SUB-EDITOR
STAFF WRITER
Many people complain about the food here at King’s Academy. If it isn’t the repetitive rounds of chicken and rice, it’s the rising recurrences of fish. Over the course of the past year, students have gotten more and more impatient with the struggles of the Dining Hall to cook food that is healthy, diverse and delicious. In fact, it seems that as the year draws to a close, many are actually seeing a decline in the quality of the food here at King’s Academy, rather than finishing up strong, as we have in so many other areas. Many students and teachers alike deem the food to be relatively subpar. However, what most students
“The camaraderie within the freshmen class is due largely to the fact that we were led to rely on one another instead of the upperclassmen,” Caroline Kelsoe 13’ conveyed heartily about the freshmen class. The freshmen came to King’s as brand new students this year; every single one of us was becoming a new part of the community. Some may have had siblings or friends in the upper class; however, most of us didn’t and therefore felt as if we had landed on a different planet or a place where we were not supposed to be. Looking back, when I first came to this school, I was curious, anxious and keen to meet everyone. I had expected to be a total stranger at this school in the beginning, but I didn’t anticipate being basically left to survive on my own after merely brief introduction to the upperclassmen during the first couple of days of orientation. So, in order to be exposed to the upper-classmen, I and the rest of the freshmen, had to open up the doors ourselves instead of being truly embraced by the community. As a result, we were usually the ones reaching out to the upperclassmen, though often at times times, they looked down upon us and treated us as inferior. We believed that they would be more approachable than the teachers since they knew what it was like to be new at a young age; yet, it wasn’t that easy to approach them with their biased opinions against the freshmen, the “naive class”. An anonymous freshman also remarked “I think that the fact that we were new and therefore changing the layout of the student body could have put people outside of their comfort zones, essentially setting them against us from the beginning.” We desire to be accepted by them but were rejected often. As Caroline expressed about our freshmen class, the extent to which the freshmen stick together is largely due to their initial reception, or rather lack thereof, by the rest of the more experienced student body. Nevertheless, I want to praise the many upperclassmen who took the incentive to reach out to the freshmen. Their bravery to go against the status quo is not only commendable but also something that ultimately changed many of the freshmen’s views of King’s Academy.
don’t realize is how much work actually goes into preparing well over a thousand meals a day. The kitchen staff check into King’s Academy at around eight o’clock. Preparations for lunch, though, start the day before, with the cooks chopping up and shaping the meat and vegetables; salad is prepared fresh, and is served immediately after completion. At nine o’clock, cooking starts, and the massive amounts of food stored in the kitchen’s huge refrigerators and freezers are removed. The staff go grocery shopping in the local markets in Madaba, thereby helping the local economy. The meat, of course, is stored separate from the fruits, vegetables, bread, and cereals. The kitchen’s machinery is put
Senior points: what are they? Have they proven to be useful? What do the seniors think about them? Love or loathe? Senior points are the latest addition to the rules set by King’s Academy in an attempt for the seniors to “finish up strong” as Dr. Eric Widmer likes to put it. The functions of these points have been applied to the seniors’ behavior only recently, but a number of seniors have gotten into trouble because of them, even though the rules have been active for a relatively short period. Despite the new rule not working for some, it has actually proven successful in keeping most 12th graders on track. So how do seniors gain these lovely points? If a se-
see DINING HALL on page 11
A background on the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis and one student’s opinion PHOTO: MAHATMA GANDHI
By OMAR HALAWA ’12 STAFF WRITER
This is a very pretty picture and I’m glad it’s in our
The Israeli Palestinian conflict is one that brings up anger, suspicion, and, often, skepticism for a peaceful future. It is a fight over a small piece of land that has significance to millions of people in this world; Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike cherish it as one of the main centers of their religion. Religious Jews believe that this land was promised to them by God, and claim all of what is traditionally called Palestine, or Canaan, including the West Bank and Gaza. The more secular Jews follow the Zionist dream of a state in Palestine that provides a safe haven for Jews from all over the world. Palestinians, on the other hand, maintain that this land is theirs, since they have been occupying it for centuries. Many also claim to be descendants of the Philistines and Canaanites, who were already living in the land of Palestine before the Hebrews. In the eyes of many, a simple solution to this issue see PALESTINE on page 11
Though perhaps not the most popular, the Senior Point System has been beneficial STAFF WRITER
into full swing as the morning progresses; the ovens cook the meat and vegetables, the colossal pots boil the rice, and any grilling is done on the big grilling surface that could fit about four of our school’s double desks. After lunch is done and ready to be served, the cooks and workers put the food in hot cabinets until the waiters take it to their tables. Despite what some might say about the food, King’s Academy maintains the highest levels of food safety precautions and hygiene. Everyone handling food, with no exceptions, has to wear a cap to prevent hair from falling into it, meat and other foods are stored and cooked separately, and the
Two States For One Future
The Point of Senior Points By YUSRA BITAR ’11
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nior skips a class, then they have earned themselves three points. If they miss an obligation, such as lunch, school meeting, or co-curricular, they earn two points. Skipping class isn’t the only factor that gains them points, but them showing any form of rude behavior helps them receive an additional point. The consequences, however, are what have caused an outrage among the seniors. Fifteen points would deprive them of going on a once in a life time trip with His Majesty King Abdullah, eighteen points meant the missing of the prom. But what has angered them the most is not being allowed to attend their own graduation ceremony after gaining twenty points, no matter where they stand academically. Even underclassmen have been enraged by this rule, as this consequence is quite exsee POINTS on page 11
ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
LIFE
Page 4
“Let there be a good finish”
The Rexonian
The Reality Behind the Drama Campus has come alive lately with flourishing drama activity
By NAYLA AL MAMLOUK ’12 MANAGING EDITOR
By SANAD ZUMOT ’13 STAFF WRITER
Time is running out, through it all there has been much laughter shared but all good things must come to an end and therefore I fear this year is sadly nearly over. Summer is around the corner, energy builds up inside us and needs releasing in the form of one big fat summer vacation of our own. As the title says, we need to finish strong with our spirits lifted up high, giving our best until the very end, never backing down. We need to fulfill King’s Academy’s vision until the end. A long year has passed. We’ve been exposed to severe pressure packed alongside endless memories, and valuable experiences that will help us succeed in our lives. A lot has been accomplished, but more was meant to be made. All through this journey of success the existence of responsibility was required, whether we liked it or not. It all depended on our determination to stay aboard the costly train of King’s or get off at the next stop. The tickets for the train required respect, respect for all those taking the journey with us be it as passengers or staff. The love of learning was necessary, empowering us with the knowledge to continue on to the next level of transport – the airplane, also known as college. It is a means of transport even more expensive and valuable than that of the train. We need to reserve a seat in the class of responsibility and in order to find the door of this class; we need to live an integrated life, to make the way to that door. Global citizenship means the train is diverse with many passengers from diverse backgrounds, however they all have 2 things in common, the destination of success and the means of getting there – King’s. After enduring high school, we enter the world of colleges, selecting the college of our choice which will take us to our earthy eternity. However before reaching that chapter, we must attain a 2000 or better on our SATs. The higher the score, the better the college, the more success and the better the job we foster in due time. What do we do with all that, after it’s left behind? Well I don’t think that we will regret all the effort we put into our journeys, nor regret the time spent studying valuable sciences and knowledge we have been given, but rather proudly recall those outstanding days, indulged with a thousand memories sprinkled in our minds each persistent to survive. Those days will be our foundations for now and the future, our hope in those days where we will be future leaders of our own lives, jobs, houses, friends, and family. I wish everyone a pleasurable summer vacation, hopefully filled with lots of fun that will unleash the party spirit and energy within each and every one of us thus preparing us for the next chapter in our lives, the next journey only this time, aboard the King’s Academy Express.
The gallery filled with people on the showing night of 12 Angry Jurors. The seating, which was circular, gave all the guests an intimate view of the characters and their facial expressions. People mumbled and giggled to each other, sat in their seats and waited for the show to start. Not many expectations, maybe just some time off from study hall, and a good laugh or two. It began. The crowd hushed and began focusing on the action. Suhayb Jawhari 11’, started it all off with his guard role, a man who everyone could tell was bored and uninterested with his job. One by one, each juror walked into the jury room, each carrying their own emotional baggage. The whole crowd could tell who each character was simply by the way they walked in. They had us all mesmerized. As anticipated of a typical King’s Academy crowd, one would expect the students to talk amongst themselves during a performance, but not this one. The acting became real,
and the show was beyond spectacular. On a more dramatic note, Ms. Jana is directing Private Lives. On commenting on a general overview of the play she said, “The play is about the concept of marriage, monogamy and love by peeking into the private lives of two couples on their honeymoon.” Entering a bit of history, Private Lives heads back to British actors in the 1930s, which will definitely have an excitingly singular viewpoint. To add an extra touch, the play will have its own orchestra, composed of our own King’s singers. Ms. Jana also has many students with diverse talents helping out with the play in any way they can. Her determination to get students involved in productions is exceptionally admirable. The 2009 – 2010 King’s theatrical year has certainly been unforgettable for the entire community. Commencing with Fadi Skeiker’s production and now ending with productions from Mr. John Liestler and Ms. Jana Zeineddine.
Boarding Life on Campus Whether protecting your food or going to the mall, weekend life has its ups and downs By SEEMA SAMAWI ’11 LIFE SUB-EDITOR
Screech! You open the fridge door and alas, it’s happened again! “WHO TOOK MY FOOD?” your mind races in frustration at the audacity some people have in pilfering your food. Being a boarder may seem really pleasant compared to commuting to school but sometimes it’s not. The biggest problem is food; it never stays where you put it. Even if you leave your food in your room, it is still
under attack from hungry scavengers going door to door looting food. Boarding life is very eventful, there’s always a new dilemma to deal with, whether it is fire alarms going off at 3am because of dryers or finding you wet clothes piled on the floor. Your stuff will never be where you leave it. Put your clothes in the dryer and someone will take them out to dry their clothes. Leave your door unlocked and you may never see you money again. Leave your shampoo in
The King’s Experience What is it about King’s Academy that makes it stand out from every other school nationwide? By FARAH KILANI ‘13 STAFF WRITER
If you ask us freshmen a general question regarding our lives here at King’s Academy, we would all agree that we are one step away from the end of our first year, and already, we are all quite certain that our lives are never going to be the same again. So what is it about King’s Academy that makes it stand out from every other school
ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
The cast of 12 Angry Jurors puts on a fantastic show in the Gallery.
nationwide? What makes it the school that will shape the identity of each and every one of us? It was established to be conspicuous without any doubt. Students come from a variety of backgrounds; regions from all over the world, and even from various schools here in Jordan. For many of us, this school is unlike anything we have ever seen; a campus composed of twenty-three major build-
ings spread out over one hundred forty four acres (and a lot of grass) and an international faculty, each willing to meet with students at any time of the day to provide them with the help or guidance desired. King’s truly fosters an environment of friends and colleagues from all walks of life. With such accommodations and this community, creativity and enlightenment are unavoidable. ‘Boarding life’, ‘study hall’, ‘family-style
the bathroom and consider it gone. Thefts, without a doubt, are the biggest problem with boarding. Weekends are pretty lifeless, except for those rare weekends when there are SATs or mocks; campus is pretty much a ghost town, save for 6pm in front of admin on Thursdays and Fridays when most boarders mount the bus to go into town on some bland mall trip or another. Everywhere they turn, they are see BOARDING on page 6
lunches’, ‘school meetings’, ‘dorms’, are just a few of those new notions we have been introduced to as students coming from regular schools. It certainly was not easy to adapt to this life, where responsibility and independence are key; even homework is different here. King’s is not just a school you attend early in the morning to listen to lectures and leave in the afternoon as the same person you were when you got up. It’s more of a community as a whole, walking their way to the auditorium to begin their day, and meeting once again at sit-down lunch as a family. It’s a place where you realize see EXPERIENCE on page 6
HEALTH
What is HEALTH? By SEEMA SAMAWI ’11 LIFE SUB-EDITOR
Health is the term which determines whether a being is healthy or not. To be in good health one must be in “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” [WHO definition] Personal health depends on many factors such as diet, exercise, sleep, stress and
so on. You have to lead a balanced life in order to be healthy. As technology becomes a greater part of our lives, we tend to forget about the necessity of getting out. You need to be active, and summer is the best time, simply because you won’t have any homework keeping you occupied.
Big Tobacco is Watching You The tobacco industry relies on sheep-like teenage tendencies to peddle its product By ADEL NESHEIWAT ‘11 and OMAR MALKAWI ’11 STAFF WRITERS
“Cigarettes Proven Healthy by World Health Organization” No, this is what Big Tobacco (all of the tobacco industries in general) would want us to believe. So now that I’ve got your attention, please continue reading. Firstly, as you probably already know, cigarette smoking is such a widespread and significant risk factor that the Surgeon General has called it “the leading preventable cause of disease and deaths in the United States.” Cigarettes contain eleven known human carcinogens (cancer causing substances), nicotine (cause of the addiction), tar (coats the lungs), carbon monoxide (bonds to blood cells instead of oxygen leading to oxygen deficiency), heavy metals (not good to have in your system), and many other substances. Tobacco use can result in cancer, strokes, and respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, asthma, and emphysema. Labels like light, ultra-light and low-tar can be seen on cigarette packets yet can still be as deadly as regular cigarettes, as they carry the same threats. In 1997, a CEO of a tobacco company said that he would shut down the company if it was proven that smoking causes cancer; and on that company’s website, they admit smoking does cause cancer. And yet, they’re still open for business. They make heaps of money off of their customers, especially teenagers, so why would they close down and turn down billions of dollars? For example, in America alone, up to 88 billion dollars were spent on tobacco products in 2002. It’s nothing personal, strictly business. Also, there is proof that there have been studies done by Tobacco industries in targeting teenagers with their products. Tobacco companies will do whatever they need to do to get young people addicted to their products so that they will end up being customers for life. These companies will need them because they would replace those previous customers that died from smoking. In 1984, a tobacco company called young adults and teenage smokers “replacement smokers.” Since 1987, the tobacco industry has invested a great deal of money in advertisements, sports, concerts, fashion, billboards, brand stretching, samples etc. to sell their products. In 2005, a total amount of 250.8 million dollars was used for advertisements; that’s nothing compared to how much they’re making in total from smokers, right? And with all this money the big tobacco is making from their customers, what do you think they consider them? The customers often people who have problems with self esteem, have menial, boring jobs and are emotionally insecure passive-aggressive individuals. Lacking confidence they are group conformists and followers who don’t usually think for themselves. These facts are not made up; in fact, they are all taken from Big Tobacco’s files that have been used to
Page 5
describe different groups of potential customers for their deadly, addictive products. In 1995, a major tobacco company decided to boost cigarette sales by targeting homeless people. They called their plan “Project SCUM: Sub Culture Urban Marketing.” Are the homeless really, “SCUM?” That’s a little harsh now, isn’t it?
Here are just a few interesting quotes from official documents of Tobacco Companies: “. . . We must in the near future provide some answers which will give smokers a psychological crutch and a self-rationale to continue smoking.” -
January 29, 1964, Philip Morris Corporate Officers, George Weissman to Joseph F Cullman III
“Apples connote goodness and freshness and we see many possibilities for our youth oriented cigarette with this flavor… It’s a well known fact that teenagers like sweet products. Honey might be considered.” - Project report to Brown
& Willamson, Sept 1972
The last thing to inform you about is that as of May 25th, the following law will be fully enforced: “The Cabinet on Sunday decided to ban smoking in ministries and government institutions as well as public places as of May 25, in accordance to the Public Health Law that prohibits smoking in public places... According to the law, public places include hospitals, healthcare centres, schools, cinemas, theatres, libraries, museums, public and non-governmental buildings, public transport vehicles, airports, closed playgrounds, lecture halls and any other location to be determined by the minister of health.” –Jordan Times. Inshallah, this law will be enforced and followed by all. And with that, by law, it would be considered illegal to smoke on the King’s Academy Campus, for as mentioned above; smoking will be prohibited in “public spaces” such as “hospitals, healthcare, centres, schools…” So that’s just a heads up! To all the smokers out there, stop being a sheep and a pawn in Big Tobacco’s game to kill us slowly, and if you’re smart enough not to be a 5arouf then you’ll probably lead a better life.
“Our marketing objective [is] to increase our young adult franchise. To ensure increased and longer-term growth for CAMEL FILTER, the brand must increase its share penetration among the 14-24 age group, which have a new set of more liberal values and which represent tomorrow’s cigarette business.” – RJ Reynolds, Jan 1975 “The base of our business is the high school students” - Lorillard document, Aug 1978
“Today’s teenager is tomorrow’s potential regular customer and the overwhelming majority of smokers first begin to smoke while still in their teens... It is during the teenage years that the initial brand choice is made...The smoking patterns of teenagers are particularly important to Philip Morris...”
- Philip Morris USA reports - March 1981
“The key problem seems to be its lack of appeal to younger smokers and this is the area which needs to be addressed. One Possibility might be to concentrate on sampling and promotion as many young smokers have never had any firsthand experience with the product.” - Discussion of the Marlboro Problem in Australia of 1984
ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
June 2010
HEALTH
Page 6
The Rexonian
Coping with a Bad Day A few different approaches to dealing with stress By BASHAR ABU AL GHANAM ‘12 STAFF WRITER
The Importance of Sleep Sleep is far more crucial than you may think...
of sleep continues, the part of the brain that controls language, memory, planning and sense of time practically shuts down. STAFF WRITER Studies show that seventeen hours of no sleep can have the Wake up, breakfast, school meeting, classes, lunch, cocur- same effect on the body as having two glasses of wine, which riculars, dinner, study hall, and finally back to bed. This is the is about 0.05% blood alcohol, the legal alcohol limit for drivtypical day of a King’s Academy boarder. What is the most im- ing in most European countries. The risk for developing variportant part of all this process? Some would say classes; others ous diseases increases because our bodies do not get the rest may say lunch or sports but as a matter of fact, the beginning that they need, reducing the strength of our immune system. and the end are the most important: waking up and going back The risk of obesity and depression increase because chemicals to bed (sleep, in other words). You are probably thinking “Wait, and hormones, which play a key role in metabolism and mood, what? There are things way more important than sleeping! What makes are released during sleep. The less we sleep, the worse our mesleep so important?” tabolism will get. Research shows that sleep is Sleep is a state in which we are unaware of our food or water: without it, the human body Deciding not to like immediate surroundings. It is when our mind and cannot function. After a given period of sleepbody can rest. Although in a relaxed condition, the less time, the body will stop functioning resultis brain is very active when we are asleep and many in death. Research has also linked lack of practically the ing essential chemicals are released. Various scientists sleep to many global disasters, such as Exxon have noted how important sleep is, and unfortu- same as deciding Valdez, Chernobyl and the Challenger shuttle nately many of us give it low-importance. Lack meals explosion. to of sleep is a serious problem that can lead to an If you have ever pulled an all-nighter for for the rest of some reason, you know how it feels during the unhealthy immune system, depression, and even obesity. Sleepy drivers are the likely cause to more morning. The symptoms include grumpiness, the day. than 100,000 car crashes, 71,000 crash-related inforgetfulness, dramatic increase or decrease in juries injuries and over 1,500 crash-related deaths appetite and so on. Deciding not to sleep is each year in the United States alone! What exactly happens to practically the same as deciding to skip meals for the rest of the our bodies if we do not sleep? day. Final exams are coming up, start to study for them as soon Lack of sleep can affect the brain significantly. It has the as possible without losing any sleep, because it is true: it is most ability to make one irritable and forgetful. Even one night with- likely that you will not remember what you studied the night out sleep can mean that concentration will become significantly before the exam. Remember: sit back, relax, and take a nice, harder and your attention span will decrease greatly. If this lack well-deserved nap whenever you can. By AYESHA SOLAIMAN ’12
sleep
skip
BOARDING
continued from Page 4 desperately trying to find something similar to being at home. A large proportion of the boarders, especially full boarders, suffer homesickness. Not even food is comforting. Some students go home regularly, almost weekly while others have only returned 3 times since the start of the academic year. However, being a boarder is not all that bad. The wonderful thing about being a border is that you don’t have to pack your belongings to go home every
day. You also have the chance to bond better with students as the dorm literally becomes your home and its inhabitants, your new family. And weekend breakfasts are scrumptious, at least compared to those during the week. Being a boarder allows you to grow and develop as a person more independently than if you lived at home. Life as a boarder can be dull at times but when you’re sitting on the grass with beautiful weather outside relaxing or studying on the weekends, the sound of tranquility, camaraderie and unity is all that is heard.
EXPERIENCE
continued from Page 4 that you’ve grown with just a few classes and encounters. A place where time has its value and life has its meaning. “It’s where you learn how to think, not what to think.” In comparison to students in other schools, it’s moderately palpable that a King’s Academy student can be viewed as a highly intellectual individual with a prudent outlook on life. It seems like without us knowing, we are living a simplified example of what the real world is, which
We all have bad days every now and then. It could be a bad day at school, at work, at home, or practically anywhere else. However, the way we react is always different; some reactions can make things worse while others could fix the bad thoughts of the day. Below are some ways to cope with stressful days: Accept the fact that you are in a bad mood. Looking back at all the mistakes you made is just like blindfolding yourself and walking backwards over a rocky cliff. Fighting the bad mood will just make things worse. Key-phrase: Be Realistic! Listen to Music, but not any music! Avoid loud and fast paced music. Try listening to pop, classic, acappella, or anything that puts you in a good mood. Find something funny. Funny videos, emails, or even pictures of you and your friends that will remind you of the good moments of your life. These things will help you realize that things will get better eventually. Go for a walk. This is a great tip that I personally recommend. It relieves stress, and it puts your mind at ease. Organize your personal space. Here, I am mostly talking about dorms- it could be your room at home if you’re a day student. Also, if you are able to find some free time, read a bit about ‘feng shui’ (Pronounced Fung Shway), which is the ancient Chinese art of placing things in specific places to balance energy levels. “Fake it ‘til you make it!” Yes, this is a requirement sometimes. The day could be really stressful to the point that nothing can rally round anymore. Put some motivational posters or prints on the walls of your room such as “It’s a great day!”, “I am happy!” and so forth. I know it sounds a little weird, but it is a subliminal message that can adjust your mood. Go to bed early. Stress will accumulate if you do not get enough sleep to be able to function the next day. Try to indulge yourself by making your bed a heaven. Use soft pillows and sheets, clean the bed, and try to adjust it until you feel free to move when sleepinga little bit of perfume would help boosting your morning happiness the next day. I believe is provided by King’s Academy only. It’s amazing; it really is, watching how you master your life in your own eyes. But most of us here “miss” our old school lives, the normal ones. Back when we would go home in the afternoon after a short school day to where education was simply a horde of boring classes. Putting that aside, I personally wouldn’t want to be anywhere but here, and again, I speak on behalf of many of us when I say this is the place where our community, family and identity are found. King’s Academy is one unforgettable society.
FUN PAGE HOROSCOPES
June 2010
Aquarius January 20 – February 18 Overview: You need an audience with someone important -- but it’s easier to get than you realize. Serendipity may favor you, or you may be able to use a connection you only just learned you have.
20
Pisces February 19 – March
Overview: You may feel outclassed, but it’s not true! See if you can get your friends or colleagues to help you size up the competition -- by the end of the day, you should know exactly what you’re facing
Aries March 21 – April 19 Overview: You’re in a strange position right now, but you can make it work for you if you want. In fact, you may be able to renew a resource you thought you had tapped out, so keep your eyes open.
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Compiled by: Tamara Nassar ‘13
Virgo August 23 – September 22 Overview: Your intellect is feeling a little itch -- so scratch it with some new information or a brand-new obsession! Your curiosity is compelling, and you should have better luck than the cat in the cliché.
Leo July 23 – August 22 Overview: Try to get your friends or family to go shopping with you -- you can feel that your eye for cool stuff and good deals is working overtime, so make sure that you exercise it before the energy passes.
22
Libra September 23 – October
Overview: It’s perfectly okay for you to deal with your own emotions and needs first today -- before everyone else is! If you feel selfish, remember that you have to take care of yourself if you want to help others.
Sagittarius November 22 – December 21 Overview: You are finding new depths within yourself, and may decide that today is the perfect day for new explorations. It’s a very good time to expand your personal range of possibilities and start a new thing.
Taurus April 20 – May 20 Overview: Your moods are legendary, and right now, you can feel yourself sliding into a funk. You may be able to pull yourself out of it, but you are probably better off making the most of it and turning it into art.
Gemini May 21 – June 21 Overview: You may want to hold back a bit and see if you can just watch as others go about their business. Your intuitions are strong, and you may come up with a few key insights that can help quite a bit.
Scorpio October 23 – November 21 Overview: Pay careful attention to your visions and inspirations today -- you may find that you’ve got more than enough goodwill to follow up on the best of them. It’s a good time to start a new journey.
Cancer June 22 – July 22 Overview: You are having a hard time deciding how to deal with a new today -- but that’s partly because you’re not fully trusting your intuitive side. Make sure that you can access your deeper instincts, and also trust them.
Capricorn
December 22 – January 19 Overview: You are feeling somewhat removed from a social situation, but that can be great for you. It’s a good time to look at things from a fresh perspective and see if you can get your people to make little changes.
MAZE (A) - Dr. Yaser Tabaa (D) - Dr. Wafa Al-Sawaftah (C) - Ms. Annabel Raebeck (D) - Dr. Mariam Attar
SUDOKU (E) - Mr. Mazen Jarrar (F) - Mr. Tom Verde (G) - Ms. Fatina Al-Ahmad (H) - Mr. David Powers
(I) - Ms. Elizabeth Aranow (J) - Ms. Lina Awadallah (K) - Mr. Bowman Dickson (L) - Ms. Gabriela Wintner
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? O H W S S UE FUN PAGE
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The Rexonian
June 2010
OUTTAKE
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Where will each Senior be 10 years from Now? PHOTO: ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
Muthana Tarawneh: Successful University Drop-Out Mohammad Qardan: Running a Day Care Center Jana Amer: Doing Community Service for Shoplifting (next Naomi Campbell) Omar Abu Khadra: Successful Lawyer in South Africa Fadi Hamati: Backup Dancer for Miley Cyrus Zaid Al Rifai: UN Goodwill Ambassador Kais Yaghnam: Bollywood Star Zaid Al Nasser: Screenwriter Swara Salih: Bass Opera Singer and Owner of a Fantasy Shop Dana Alasker: Host of a Controversial Talk Show for Troubled Teens and Single Moms Hayat Abu Samra: Singing and Acting on Broadway Ghassan Ghammoh: Winner of the Next American Idol/Cardiothoracic Surgeon Zouheir Ghreiwati: Famous Unisex Hairdresser in Souk Hamidia Lawrence Shweihat: Angry Violininst Nairuz Ajlouni : Film Maker/Musician Razan Abel Hadi: Rockstar Aseel Soub: Pilot Sima Shabaneh: Saving the Penguins Haya Muasher & Marwa Majali: Last seen in Camden Town singing “They tryna make me go to Rehab..” Shireen Shoman: Still Fighting for the Right of Children to Inherit Citizenship from Mother Mohammad Foda: “Running” the World Nick Lee: The Next Jahangir Khan Fawaz Hourani: Used Car Salesman Hashem Hadid: Mukhabarat Tareq Attar: Graffiti Artist Rayan Fadul & Reabal Alkhatib: Establishing the first Michelin Star restaurant in the Levant Jeris Abuhouran: In the Guiness Book of World Records for talking too much Nadine Sousou: Tour guide in Wadi Rum Dana Al-Jawamis: Dictator Faisal Al-Husri: Judge and GQs most eligible bachelor George Steele: Hitchhiking around the world teaching underpriveleged children Arabic Sanad Qarrain: Disc Jockey Mohammad Khodari: The guy who sets up Sanad’s DJ equipment Mousa Qawasmi: Mafia Mob Boss Rinad Salaita: Car Repair Woman Tareq Al Salem: In Prison Tamara Jumean: Handbag designer in Tokyo Tamara Jaber: Plastic surgeon Hussein Hassan: Prince of Philippines / Flash
Dalia Mehiar: Runway Model Sameh Matar: Runaway Convict Khalid Khalid: Chilli Ways’ night shift manager Yazan Abu Khalaf: Chippendale Dancer Nicholas Awad: Gardener and Forum Jumper Raya Zu’by: Working on an oil rig Zena Kokash: Gypsy in Front of the Notre Dame Cathedral Anna Rose Kelsoe: Winner of Nobel Peace Prize Zaha Abuelsamen: President of Girl Scouts in the Middle East Tala Hammash: Inventor of Friz Free Hair Products Luma Samawi: Taxi Driver Faisal Kawar: Still at Yale Maria Mamlouk: Famous Founder of First Choclate Boutique for Strange Flavoured Concoctions Jumana Shahazadeh: In Pakistan raising Awareness for something Mohammad Quraan: CEO of Construction in Madaba Leen Alabed: In Syria Selling Furniture Leen Sinokrot: Married with Ten Kids Mohammad Shdefat: A Minister of some sorts Moutasem Bitar: Syriatel Owner Zahi Darwazeh: Most Famous Arab Chef Maria Zebaneh: Selling Bananas in Madaba Omar Majali: MC at parties Hala Halaseh: CIA’s most wanted Arab Con Artist Ma’an Ahamad: In Italy, sketching and eating pasta Norah Jaffan: Married a Rich Man Moayad Aldehayyat : Physics Professor in Irbid Bashar Jarrar: Nurse and Best-Friend Kais Abu Hussein: Hobo Dina Shawar: PE Teacher Nayef Jaber: Weapon Dealer Hamza Zaidan: Body guard Marwan Fakhredin: On the list of People’s 100 Sexiest Men Alive Hashem Attar: Coaching Arsenal Joud Fareez: Secretary General of the UN Majd Afghani: The Future Voice of Barney Lynn Manneh: Desperate Housewife Sally Bisharat: Working at the Suicide Hotline Tala Shokeh: Public safety at King’s Academy Bader Alesayi: Owning a Hotel Abdulmalik Binshihon: Bellman at Bader’s hotel Rakan Shbeikat: Exotic Actor Yasmine Salah: Fashion Advisor to Hilary Clinton
SPORTS
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The Race for the NBA Championship Ring
Tournament Season Soccer and Basketball teams compete in season ending tournaments By JUMAN TABBALAT ’12 STAFF WRITER
By HAMDI ALAUD-DIN ’11 STAFF WRITER
It takes hard work, devotion and dedication for NBA teams to be triumphant with an NBA ring. The cavaliers have Lebron James as the leader that has the qualities to get them there ; he takes them through the entire game without scoring less than 25 points each game, whether it being a monster jam or just a flimsy fate away jump shot. Celtics have Rajon Rondo and Phoenix has Steve Nash; as the play makers they create the play and they do it faultless. Orlando has Dwight Howard; as the big man down low he is in charge of get hold of the rebounds, to help provide screens for the shooter, or to drive in, either for the layup or a brawny dunk. Boston pushed the Eastern conference Champs, the Cavaliers, to elimination on May 14, with a score of 4-2. Now turning over to the Western conference, Kobe and his teammates were able to sweep out Utah as the same goes for Nash and his Suns who swept out San Antonio. Then the battle for the Western Conference Final was between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns. The two teams faced off in the last seven Western Conference coronets. The Lakers were thought to have held the upper hand, and that Jason Richardson needed to keep a close eye on Kobe, preventing him from making those substantial fate away jumpers. They asked: Can Steve Nash prevent that pass from getting to Kobe Bryant? Can Amare Stoudemire prevent any easy layup coming in from Lamar Odom? All those questions were answered when the Lakers won the series and advanced to the Finals. The battle will continue until a champion is crowned.
The Rexonian
During the course of this school year, our athletic squads worked extremely hard and became stronger overall players. King’s Academy athletes exhibited this improvement throughout the tournament that took place on the first weekend of May. On Friday the 7th of May, King’s Academy hosted the soccer tournament on our own field and stadiums. King’s Academy’s athletes came together in order to compete against various schools across Jordan in the national sport of soccer. The soccer games barely began yet the heat was already on between the teams as they battled for the trophy. While the games commenced, the Round Square and Debate club sold snacks and drinks in order to raise money for their events and keep the enthusiasm and energy running through the veins of the participants and cheering audience. The competition became so intense that the players began getting numerous injuries to the record breaking number of three injuries per two minutes. “However, with all the difficulties, our team stood up and played their best. We faced our opponents with hearts of lions, worked as a tightly knit unit and were awarded second place” Zaid Al Rifai 10.
Even with the abundant amounts of injuries, our athletes managed to rise to the occasion and win some trophies for our school. The varsity soccer team managed to get an astounding second place and the JV soccer team where not far behind with 3rd place. The exhilaration of the weekend continued during the next day when the basketball tournament took off. Each team had two games and King’s Academy emerged victorious even when they were away from King’s and their fans. Their games kicked off from the morning where varsity had a game against the Jubilee school who thrashed their opponents with a massive landslide. JV also managed to beat their opponents, Amman Academy, with a significant difference of 22 points. After they were rejuvenated, they proceeded to the IAA campus and managed to also win both their games. Varsity astoundingly also beat their competitors, ABS, in another massive win thus winning the entire tournament and rising as champions. Junior Varsity also proved they have skills as they also overpowered ABS in their own games by an amazing 30 points gaining them the title of champions as well. King’s Academy proved to excel continuously everyday and our athletes will forever wear our name proudly on all playing fields.
Wrapping Up the Year By ZACK SAMAWI ’11 STAFF WRITER
As the year comes to an end, the Varsity boy’s football teams have ended their season with a spirit of sportsmanship and great joy for their many victories. On the weekend of May 8th, the two Varsity Boys Football teams competed in a tournament on the fields of Kings Academy. The King’s 1 team, coached by Mr. Arthur Clement played against three strong teams- Amman Baccalaureate School, American Community School and Kings 2 Team. As many King’s students cheered and supported their friends, the varsity players played with enthusiasm and strength trying to score as many goals as they could hoping that they’d reach the finals. Wining almost all their games, the team of varsity players lost their final game against ABS 4-0, ending them in second place. “I think all the players have improved a lot over the year and we have all become much closer as a team.” – Kareem Mufti-(12) The second team of strong varsity players, coached by Mr. Geoff, also competed against ABS, ACS and Kings 1, hoping to reach triumph at the end of their long day of playing. The team ended the tournament in third place, losing by a close game against American Community School. Even though both teams did not finish in first place, the Varsity players of Kings 1 and 2 were proud of their achievements for coming a long way since the beginning of the year and are very excited to start the next season of even more great football.
ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
Izzat Mukattash ‘11 diving to save the ball during the intramural tournaments
ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
Faris Batayneh ‘11 spiking the volleyball in a matchup against National Orthodox School.
Disks Hovering Over the School Ultimate Frisbee has boomed in popularity recently ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
By SUHAYB AL-JAWHARI ’11 STAFF WRITER
Ultimate Frisbee has yet to become an official sport here at King’s Academy through the great popularity it has gained over the year. The lawn between the dorms of Meissa and Nihal have become recognized as the place where it all happened. “It all started with a few full borders, next thing we know half the school wants to play it” comments Abdullah Khalayleh ’11 on the great spread Ultimate has had in King’s. Students from all grades and nationalities have embraced this simple game of “throwing a disk from one place to another.” It has brought people together as a strong community as well. Ultimate Frisbee might not be a co-curricular, yet many of the students feel as if playing has become a time of relaxation from studies. “Ultimate has been a good time to relieve stress and play an alternative sport with people that you don’t usually get a chance
to” says Qxhna Titcomb ’11, one of King’s more experienced player s in the sport. Ultimate Frisbee has yet to become a prosperous element at this school in creating chemistry and ultimate fun for the years to come at Kings.
June 2010
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LION
DINING HALL
Lion: The purpose of a mascot is to bring spirit to the school knowing that I’m here to protect, defend and honor our King’s Academy colleagues and also to defeat other mascots. If there was a fight between a lion and a stallion, who would win? A Lion. So that knocks out A.B.S. And what if a lion was up against a scorpion? He would squash it. That knocks out A.C.S. I am at the top of the food chain. Rob: Right, this is a personality test, I am going to say a word and you have to respond with the first word that comes to mind: Gazelle – Lunch, Zebra – Dinner, Dragana – Master, Calculator – Unnecessary, Al gore – Lockbox, North – South, Mufasa - Circle of life, Pride land – Madaba, Chiaroscuro - Elegance, Ross - Betsy. Rob: What took you so long to arrive? Would you say that Eyjafjallajökull [the Icelandic Volcano] had anything to do with it? Lion: It’s a lot of preening that goes on to be the king of the jungle, and the campus had to be ready for my coming up, and no, I flew in before the ash cloud hit the skies. Rob: So where have you been hiding? Lion: Dr. Eric’s Bathroom Rob: Why specifically there? Lion: Who doesn’t want to be close to Dr. Eric? It was really to protect him in case someone got a little ornery in his office. Rob: Well do you have any particular medical conditions keeping you confined in the bathroom? Lion: Some modesty. Rob: How do you feel you would be an asset to this institution? Lion: I will galvanize the campus; I will rouse them like the dawn. Rob: Wow, that’s poetic. So anyway, what would the co-workers say about you? Lion: They are so jealous. Rob: Of what particularly? Lion: My coat, my swagger, the bravado, my mane, my manja. Rob: What hair products do you use to maintain that mane? Lion: The hard water at King’s makes it very difficult as you can see, but I prefer the Dead Sea salts, they give it to us at half the price because of our wasta. Rob: So how did you learn about King’s? Lion: Well since my namesake was King Hussein, it was a very obvious place to come and seek opinion, they had a need and I filled the void. Rob: Where were you before? Lion: Well a good amount of time on the savannah, then some time in Egypt trying to understand Arab culture, I spent some time in front the library in New York, so I decided, as with everyone else, help the mission and vision of this school, so I took the RJ flight over. Oh and by the way, I would definitely recommend their business class. Rob: Did they have any particular concerns with a lion flying? Lion: Do you know of anyone who argues with a lion? They were thrilled! Rob: How do you like Jordan? Lion: I enjoy the mansaf; the mansaf is good, perfect. Rob: What about the King’s food? Lion: It is fine, the variety is good and I don’t really have to work for it, more often I like the large burgers. Rob: When do you plan to publicly appear? Lion: In due time.
floor, stoves, pots, pans, and grilling stations are constantly kept clean. Vegetables are washed in a special machine that first soaks, then rinses them in a chemically treated solution. But if everything is kept so spotless and so much effort is dedicated to preparing the food, why are people still complaining? In fact, some people so detest meals that they even refuse to eat, resorting to other means of obtaining food, such as ordering from places like Chili Ways or eating at home, as in the case of our day students and many of the boarding students. When asked why he prefers to order from fast-food restaurants than having a meal at the
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PALESTINE
continued from Page 3 is the creation of two states: a Jewish state, and a Palestinian state with mutual recognition. It is quite unfortunate, however, that the Jewish state was originally designated only fifty per cent (50%) of the land of Palestine, and yet eventually made up seventy-seven per cent (77%) of it. It is even more distressing that the Jewish state actually received statehood, but the Palestinians did not, only receiving limited recognition by the international community. Furthermore, the territory that is to be the basis of the Palestinian State is under the military occupation of Israeli and Jewish settlements continue to be built there in the face of international criticism. Despite this harsh military occupation, many Palestinians continue their daily lives, build-
Dining Hall, Khalid Khalid ‘10 stated that it simply “isn’t worth it to walk all the way to the Dining Hall to eat food that isn’t even that good.” Ordering food, however, isn’t a very good alternative. While it may seem more convenient, eating too much fast food is detrimental to one’s health and may lead to complications such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in adulthood. To sum it all up, many people agree that the dining hall has serious failings and must reverse its trend towards less than palatable meals. I personally believe that our Dining Hall can sometimes pull up a good breakfast, lunch, or dinner, but with the dietary restrictions currently in place on the menu, it is becoming increasingly difficult for our Dining Hall staff to prepare meals that are both appetizing and healthy.
ing schools and universities, and dreaming of a state to call their own. Some, however, choose to resist in the face of the oppressive occupation. These Palestinians are branded as terrorists, fundamentalists, and anti-Semites, ‘threatening the existence of a state’, and ironically, that state uses illegal weapons against a defenseless populace. In order to resolve this conflict once and for all, a series of initiatives must be taken from both the Palestinians and the Israelis, discussing territorial disputes and the distribution of water resources. Here, a twostate solution becomes the most reasonable resolution to these conflicts. One of the most active advocates of this solution is His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan, who also sees the division of Palestine between the Arabs and Israelis as the only hope left for securing peace in this troubled land.
POINTS
continued from Page 3 treme. Detention and work detail would be a more accepted punishment. The seniors have less than a week left in school and this is the time to wonder whether or not the points have actually helped. Most of the upperclassmen have managed to keep their points under fifteen, while others are still working on excuses to get rid of them. I, for one, believe that these points have been helpful when it comes to setting limits on the seniors’ disappointing actions, as it is doubtful that they would want to miss out on their prom and graduation, two events that greatly determine the seniors’ last impression of their high school years. What do the seniors think about the senior points? Here are a few opinions: “I don’t really care about them, as they don’t affect me in any way,” noted Sima Shabaneh ‘10 “I think it’s a good idea to keep the seniors on track, but they have gotten many people into trouble, which is never great,” said Tala Hammash ‘10. ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
ECOSYSTEM
continued from Page 1 A solution to this problem could be decreasing the amount of pest control visits to a minimum or better yet, simply ridding the school of them completely, and thereby allowing nature to run its course. Student Zain El-Jazara ’12 says, “It was so shocking when I realized how something so simple could disrupt an entire self-regulating system like that; it is such a shame that it took this long to realize what was going on.” While it might be an annoyance to have a few persistent flies buzzing around our heads, it is a small sacrifice we must make to preserve the unique ecosystem we enjoy daily at King’s Academy.
King’s recently held an intramural soccer tournament as a finale for the school’s Cancer Can Be Prevented Too Campaign. LEFT: Malik Al-Jabori competes for the “The Keep Fit Team. ABOVE: The team that would eventually win the tournament poses for a picture before taking the field.
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The Rexonian