Volume III; Issue 3
In Memory of Ahmad
May 2010
Haiti Relief Effort Giving back to the Global Community
By TAMEEM SAMAWI ’13 STAFF WRITER
PHOTO BY MR. TOM VERDE
Students and Faculty alike gather in the King Adullah II Spiritual Center to mourn the loss of Ahmed Tarawneh ‘10, who had passed away a few days earlier in a tragic car accident. Please see “IN MEMORIAM” on page 8 for the Rexonian’s tribute to Ahmad.
Successful Community Service Trip in Ghana
In recent months, since the devastating Haitian Earthquake on January 12th, 2010, the King’s Academy student body and faculty members have been organizing several events to raise money for the Haiti earthquake victims. These ranged from Haiti bracelet-selling (with proceeds going to the country), Coffee House Nights, as well as several feeds. The two-hour Coffee House Night took place in the Gallery and featured refreshments and snacks. Some of the acts included in the Coffee House night included Mr. Tom singing a song (which pretty much rounded up King’s Academy in little more than 3 minutes), some exotic Indian dancing, a hilarious comedian who really “brought the house down”, beat boxing, and other performances. The event was organized by Nariuz Al Ajlouni ’10, Zaid Al-Nassir
STAFF WRITER
On Thursday, March 11, around 30 students and 5 teachers awoke early to catch their flight to Ghana. The plan was to spend 9 days working with underprivileged children at the New Life Orphanage, located in Ghana, as part of King’s Academy’s Community Service program. The students performed several tasks at the New Life orphanage such as teaching the orphans Mathematics and English, playing with them and helping out with sport activities. The school at the orphanage is still under construction, so the students also helped with cleaning and building the school. The children were split into groups, according to academic ability, and
each student helped teach a group. For other activities, the orphans were free to roam about and meet the students. The orphans were aged between 1 and 18 years old. The official language of Ghana is English, and, despite having good comprehension of the language, the orphans did not speak it very well. “Whenever I go to Africa and see how people live, I remember how blessed I am,” said Jin Seul Jun, “The trip was amazing; it was all I could have hoped for and more.” Before the trip, the students underwent a standard medical procedure; everyone had to be vaccinated against several diseases, such as Malaria. The long layover in Cairo see GHANA on page 2
Table of Contents Page 2
News in Brief
OPINION
Horoscopes
FUN PAGE
NEWS Page 3-4
Page 6
Theft on Campus Student Government Internet Blockage
Page 7 SPORTS
Talking to the Captains
The Day is Too Long Mother’s Day Page 8 Page 5 LIFE
My Experience in Ghana Featured Teacher: Ms. Sandra
IN MEMORIAM
Dedication to Ahmad Tarawneh ‘10
’10 and Fadi Hamati ’10 who also had their own acts. Thanks to their organization skills and the performers’ talents, the event raised 1035 JDs which all went to the families of the Jordanian victims of the earthquake. The event and the performers received many gracious praises from the audience, and this made the organizers very happy with the outcome. When asked if he would have another one of these Coffee House Nights, Zaid Al-Nassir ’10 responded with “Absolutely, events like this one are what King’s Academy is all about, raising awareness and helping the people, it is the perfect example of being a global citizen.” Another fundraising event King’s Academy had on campus was the Haiti Relief braceletselling. Several volunteers went around lunch tables selling bracelets that were engraved with see HAITI RELIEF on page 2
Zaid Al-Nassir ‘10 and Nairouz Al-Ajlouni ‘10, two of the organizers of the Coffee House Night, perform for a full house in support of Haiti relief efforts.
King’s Academy Students travel to Ghana to assist orphanage By SEEMA SAMAWI ’11
King’s Academy, Manja - Madaba, Jordan
PHOTO BY ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
Familiar Faces Return Mr. Tristan Chirico and Ms. Nancy Sykes return to teach at King’s By RAFAT NESHEIWAT ’13 STAFF WRITER
The year is almost at an end and the next school year is just around the corner. When everyone returned to school after spring break, Familiar faces reappeared. Who are these faces? One may ask. Well, it suffices to say they are teachers who taught at King’s in earlier years, and this will also happen next year. One of the teachers returning this year is the beloved Ms. Nancy Sykes, who taught American History at King’s last year. “She left to continue studying about the Middle East. What most people don’t
know about her is that she used to be a lawyer and studied the Middle East in the States after she left King’s Academy,” said Mansoor Ghotto ’11. Mr. Tristan Chirico, a teacher who inspired many students at King’s from its birth till last year, will be returning next year to teach Theater and Philosophy, courses that were made popular by his methods of teaching. Abdullah Khalayleh ’11 said that Mr. Tristan is “a very, very good teacher..” Not only are there teachers who are returning next year, but some who already came back quite recently. The constant return of
Mr. Tristan Chirico COURTESY OF COMMUNICATIONS
teachers to King’s shows the strong bond that teachers and students had in years that passed, and one can only wish that this will forever be a quality that King’s Academy’s students and teachers possess.
NEWS
Page 2
HAITI RELIEF
continued from Page 1 the words: “Jordan-Haiti Relief Drive” on them. The bracelets were sold for 5JDs each and were available in three different colors. The volunteers’ hard work paid off with 1100 JDs which will be given to organizations that will, as Reed Ghandour ’11, one of the volunteers, stated “will forward it to Haiti”. There was also another bracelet-selling event that took place on the KA campus, but these bracelets were purchased from a local store and sold at KA for 1 JD each. The bracelets were inspired from the Jordanian red “shmakh.” This particular event was uniquely effective because KA didn’t only help Haiti but also managed to help a local store. The few months in which the tragic Haiti Earthquake occurred helped the essence of King’s to emerge. Students were creative, innovative and selfless and their efforts not only helped Haiti, but they also helped the local King’s community in coming together for a cause.
GHANA
continued from Page 1 gave the group the chance to visit the pyramids of Giza to help pass the time. In spite of the intolerable heat and pesky mosquitoes, the group had quite a time in Cairo. “I am looking forward to this trip. It will be great to work with students who have done extensive service projects independently as well as getting to know them out of dorm life” commented Ms. Kathleen Boswell, 6 days before her trip. She was pleased to be able to use her “’see, need, act’ initiative” someplace where it is needed. Similar enthusiasm and anticipation was projected by the participating students. Among one of the intended sightseeing trips was a visit to the Cape Coast Castle, a former part of the Trans Atlantic slave trade. Nicknamed “The Gate of No Return Castle”, it is a site of great tragedy significant both for Africa and Northern America. Unfortunately, the group did not end up going due to time constrictions. The students did, however, get the chance to visit The Wli waterfall, which is one of the tallest in Africa. “Seeing the water coming down the waterfall made me feel relieved of all my stress,” commented Jin Seul Jun enthusiastically.
The students were pleased to have given all they could to help fulfill the orphans’ hopes and dreams, but they were shocked to see that the orphans did not know their true potential, which inspired to make them work hard to show the orphans how accomplished they were. Jin Seul Jun ‘13 became really close with 3 orphans who truly stood out for her; Joshua, Nana and Eric who were all 10 years old. The three of them were good friends and had a shared dream; to get on a plane, which would be piloted by their own Joshua, and travel to Cairo and watch a soccer match. In the end, the students and teachers were successful ambassadors of Jordan and King’s Academy. They were able to help the orphans in finding themselves and improving as citizens of the world as well as have a pleasant time. The students expressed hope that there will be more trips like this one. They felt that such trips would be beneficial to both King’s Academy and the less fortunate people of this world. “We all survived together, even though some people were skeptical at first, everyone came through, matured and became really close with the children. It was really heart – warming to watch them playing and learning from each other.”
The Rexonian
News In Brief Entrance Exam Changes The King’s Academy entrance exam has changed for all applicants of the next academic year in hopes of being able to place students more efficiently in their appropriate classes. The math portion is now more difficult and thorough; the writing portion’s specified time was low-
ered to only 15 minutes. Finally, a vocabulary section was added to the English part of the examination. These changes will hopefully assist the school in bettering the selection of King’s Academy’s future students. -BARAKAT EL-SAQA ’13
Changes in Junior Fellow Pogram Minor amendments have been made concerning the Junior Fellow program for the upcoming academic year. The Student Life Office has decided to reduce the number of Junior Fellows (which is currently 17) to 10-12 who represent a larger diversity. Their duties will remain the same concerning their day-time work, but they will be participating more actively in co-curricula’s. Mr. Steve Uydess, who is in charge of these amendments, commented
on this change: “I would like to see them work in Amman doing local projects and their own stuff.” The Junior Fellow reduction will be accompanied with the introduction of Teaching Fellows into King’s. The reason behind these changes is that each junior fellow will have enough work to keep them busy for the entire school day, which would allow affairs to progress more efficiently. -SEEMA SAMAWI ’11
PHOTOS BY ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
Members of the Green Club assist in constructing a Geodesic Dome.
Omar Halawa ‘12, representing Cuba in the King’s Academy Model United Nations conference, held at the Dead Sea in late February. The conference was heralded by many as a great success.
Green Club Builds Geodesic Dome King’s Academy’s Green Club embarked on a journey to an Eco park owned by Friend of Earth ME towards the end of February to build a 3 tier large Geodesic Dome; which is a sphere constructed of tubes that proPHOTO BY ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
vides shade for recreational purposes. “This trip was a lot of fun because it was a community service trip and felt very productive,” commented Swara Salih ’10.
-TAMEEM SAMAWI ’13
OPINION
May 2010
The Problem Of Thefts on Campus What can be done to prevent stealing on Campus? By YASMIN LUKATAH ’11 STAFF WRITER
Have you ever felt that you cannot leave your dorm room door unlocked for a second? That when you turn your back something will be taken, perhaps maybe stolen? That’s what many are feeling these last couple of months, now that several outbursts of theft are taking place on campus. The don’t only take from our dorm rooms, but also from lockers and bags. It must be an annoyance to know that with every move we make we need to watch our backs, and that we actually do need to watch over our belongings closely. Is it necessary to lock our rooms when we go to dinner or when we run to the shower? That’s the risk many are taking. Now is the time to take action and protect our personal belongings. Stealing has become more problematic than “misplacing” and “irresponsibility” on our parts, but a true invasion of privacy by rule-breaking students. Who are we to blame when we leave our doors closed, not locked, but in a “safe community” in the hopes that our personal belongings will not just get snatched up by some random person lurking the halls? Has King’s Academy really accepted thieves to its walls? Now our trust is shaken by these thefts, we must be constantly on our guard. Keep your belongings close, as you never know who will want to come in and take something valuable.
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Student Government: Yes We Can? One student comments on the state of the Representation of Students in the Community By SUHAYB AL-JAWHARI ’11 STAFF WRITER
As the second year of King’s Academy came to close to an end, the student body witnessed the Student Government working hard as they made parties for several occasions. The question is, is the Student Government only there to make parties and minor joyful moments for the school? Should the student government from last year be formally “dissolved”, and should we look forward to Ms. Julianne Puente’s new “senate” idea? This latter option consists of voting for representatives from each class, the seven-day and five-day boarders, the day students, and voting for two presidents. I really hoped that the student government would be very productive last year, and would continue to be so this year. After being outnumbered by the votes that my opposing candidate Ghaith Odeh ’11 had, I had faith in Ghaith and the other students to
make a real difference in the school. Should all those daily complaints I heard from my fellow students be shattered and ignored, or should they be heard? Parties may be fun, but I thought that there would be more than organizing parties from the student government. Being a King’s student made me believe in leadership. It is about how students should question authority and should try to make a difference in their school and their community in a well organized manner. However, after returning from the US, I have been seeing some aspects in school simply become worse. I am not saying that we should blame the student government, but I think that they should have more of a say and help to improve the way the school functions as a whole. One should note that student government is a way of transmitting the complaints of the student body to the more powerful staff and faculty. The
student government is a liaison between the student and the faculty as well as an idea generator to help make the school a more joyful place. Ms. Julianne’s senate idea is a great idea, but the procedures are not yet clear. Ms. Julianne is trying to make our voices as a student body heard through organization. Although this idea is different than other student governments that I or others have known. Why should we change the type of government if we can change what the student government can actually do for the school? People may argue that the student government is “like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get,” and that they may be fun but do not actually do anything. What the student government needs is recognition of what they are trying to do for the school, and a little bit of thinking outside the box to find new ideas to help the student body as much as possible.
PHOTO: MAHATMA GANDHI
New Executive Editor Managing Editor Production Editor News sub- Editor Opinion sub- Editor Life sub- Editor Fun Page sub- Editor Sports sub- Editor Photography sub-Editor Layout sub- Editor Faculty Advisor Faculty Advisor
SWARA SALIH ‘10 LEEN SINOKROT ‘10 TALA SHOKEH ‘10 ZAID AL-NASSER ‘10 ZAHA ABUELSAMEN ‘10 DALIA MEHIAR ‘10 REEM AL HADDADIN ‘11 IMAN ABU ALIA ‘11 ROBERT BAHOU ‘11 ZENA KOKASH ‘10 MR. TOM VERDE MR. BOWMAN DICKSON
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 Faculty Advisor
BARAKAT EL SAQA ‘13 MR. BOWMAN DICKSON
Introducing the staff for the 2010-2011 school year
OPINION
Page 4
Internet Blocking
The Rexonian
PHOTO BY ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
Is the IT Department taking “security measures” too far? By ZAHIRA SHABAN ‘11 STAFF WRITER
Usually, it is trust that binds one person to another, and it is trust that encourages someone to open up to their community. However, in a place like King’s Academy, there is virtually no time to test every student’s trustworthiness to obey the school rules or not. One of the most common rules that is set in schools worldwide is the banning of certain web-sites. Other schools choose to be ethical and trust their students on their own. In Kings, it has been decided to block almost every site in order
to prevent students from opening such restricted sites. One can deal with this issue from two perspectives. Choosing to be untrustworthy towards students puts them in a very angry position to turn against the school. It only attracts students to disobey other rules as well, “Why try to prove them wrong if they already chose to think of us as untrustworthy students?” one student says. “It isn’t just Facebook and YouTube, its Google images and hotmail as well.” “Kings Academy is a high school with students responsible enough to make their own way through
the internet; blocking internet is a sign that the school does not trust their own students!” Hani Murad’10 argues. Some teachers believe that blocking some sites decreases problems and shuts down any excuse a student has to say when he or she is caught visiting a restricted site. It also comforts them to know that they are now in full control, reminding them that students will never find a “Plan B” and will never be able to outsmart who is in control. “I am with this argument, it’s a two way street, to have the program remove students [who] must prove that they
have full responsibility and are trustworthy enough” says Abeer Nammari. “Unblocked internet might help people attain self control and get ready for college, as college internet is always unblocked” agrees Rama Nakib’11 In my opinion, everything has
Is Our Day Too Long? King’s Academy ought to make its schedule more accommodating to students By NAYLA AL MAMLOUK ’12 STAFF WRITER
“When I get home, I sleep. I do my homework the next day during my free [period],” said Zeid Morcos’12. That quote is certainly a sign that the school day schedule is too long. Classes start at either 8:00 A.M. on Mondays or 8:15 on other days, the end at either 3:45 P.M or 4:00 P.M., and there is still more! After school activities are required as well, so no one (officially) technically finishes their day until they do their respective sport or club. The minimum time that a student would be free of all their obligations is thus 5:15 P.M. We begin our day at 7:55 A.M. with the daily School Meeting. That makes for an eight to nine hour school day at the least. Our free time in the evenings passes by so quickly, that a boarder will find him/herself in his/her room for study hall almost immediately, or a day student will finds him/herself on a bus back home without spending much free time with friends or doing other personal activities. Thus, our energy is drained and we would have no motivation at the end of the day to do our work. Another factor of our low stimulus is the routine we find ourselves in. It is very fixed and unopened to change, that it becomes tedious and tiresome
PHOTO BY ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
very quickly. After discussing the topic with Ms. Elizabeth Aranow, she told me that she agreed that the day is quite lengthy. She also mentioned that the freshman and the sophomores have an extremely tight schedule with all the ministry requirements they are required to follow, leaving them with the bare minimum amount of frees to “take a breather in”. Another topic brought up was that while the lower classmen have no time, some of the upper classmen are not using their free time in a productive manner. One solution to shortening our time-consuming days is to make our co-curriculars become what we have always known them to be: extra curriculars. It is enough that the students have to fulfill a hefty amount of academic requirements; they should necessarily be forced to do something after the school day is over. That decision should be theirs alone. High school students need to take responsibility for themselves. New schedules are being discussed. One of our own students, Robert Bahou ’11, even suggested a schedule proposal. This issue is still being debated, but we will hopefully enter a new school year with a better time frame.
always been a “two way street” as Abeer Nammari stated, but Kings has taken it to the extreme. How do they expect to have a productive and joyful student society if they have this Internet-Blocking policy that will only create tension?
Every Day Should Be Mother’s Day By SANAD ZUMOT ’13 STAFF WRITER
Everyone knows that “Mother’s Day” is a day that is dedicated to mothers around the world. It is the day we give her presents indulge her with love, and try to make her feel special from morning until dawn. Whether it is serving her breakfast in bed, buying her roses, or even giving her a break from the constant fights or arguments between members of the family, efforts are made to make her happy on this day in most of the houses, if not in all of them. This is what usually happens on Mother’s day, but then we store it all as a good memory and move on to the next day. We move on with our lives and daily routines, we go on to practice our hobbies and activities as usual. We never stop again to give our mother that special queen like treatment. However, we just treat her normally and continue arguing with her about the silliest topics. We keep fighting with our siblings and doing things that annoy her, for it is not her day anymore. Well, here is the other side of the story: a mother is an impossibly independent and powerful person who bears lots and lots of struggles throughout her life. Unfortunately, our malevolent attitude insults her at times and our bad habits annoy her. We forget that she is not superhuman, and that she has feelings and needs. Most of us fail to recognize how much responsibilities she takes and how much of a burden she holds on her back. The reality is that none of us can last one day in her place. A Mother’s day is nothing but a fake-love day. On this day we make sure to show our mothers love and generosity, but we forget to do this on all other days. A mother should not be loved and cared for just for one day. She should not have to each day form our misbehavior and our constant mistakes. Our mothers will not live with us forever, and that is why we should appreciate their presence and try hard to make them happy by showing gratitude. If we do annoy or upset them, we should make for it immediately and give them the hope that we will know better next time. Instead of presents and cards, let’s give a mother authentic love and care. Let’s try to stop being self-centered trouble makers by avoiding what we know she dislikes. Let’s show her that we appreciate the fact that she has lived her entire life just for our sake. Let’s make every day a Mother’s day. For every mother out there I say, stop accepting our strengths against your weakness and our health against your illness. You will not live forever to enjoy the beauty and great wonders of life, and I am sure our behavior is not worth your loss of those opportunities.
LIFE
May 2010
Page 5
Featured Teacher: Ms Sandra Hamilton An esteemed educator from Australia who came to Jordan for one reason: Adventure
By YASAMIN TAYLOR ’11 STAFF WRITER
I am welcomed into to Miss Sandra’s apartment and offered tea, milk and no sugar for me and milk with fresh ginger from her. I am taken on a trip down to her memory lane with stories from her younger years. As a teenager she lived in the countryside in Australia and then moved to Sydney to go to Macquarie University, where she was given a generous scholarship. She studied music, art, medieval literature and linguistics. Life in the city was new and a complete change, as she was introduced to pop culture and heard opera music for the first time in the Sydney Opera House, which she fell in love with. After getting her BA from Macquarie, she received her Master’s from Sydney University. During her summers she and her friends would escape to the beach during the middle of the night, and as I am told these glorious memories, there is a large smile planted across her face. When I move onto her family, she tells me that she has a brother and a sister, both of whom she is very close to. She then giggles, saying “As we would walk down the street with my mother people would fall over my sister and tell her how pretty she was, they would look at me and say that I was the smart one.” Indeed she was the smart one who was the only one in her family to make it to university. She describes her family as “laid back and supportive”. So why would a woman with her whole life in Australia move to the Middle East, a region she had never stepped foot in? “Adventure and age made me come, if not now I would have never come.” When she first told her daughter she was surprised but enthusiastic, partly because the 19 year old would be granted “freedom” from her mother. When asked about her interests, she
responds that she likes to “read, write, play [her] cello, listen to music, and to explore the region.” With the difference of 8739.38 miles between Australia and Jordan there must be some great changes to deal with. The main difference between schools in Australia and Jordan boil down to the way the students act and the way the kids are brought up within education. “The kids here are friendlier and more helpful, and I love the way they interact with the teachers.” Miss Sandra then goes onto talking about the difference between the educations “when the children leave they have more choices when they leave school, for kids that aren’t university material the schools will find other options for them. On the other hand this school focuses more on the academic side of education with the goal of going to university.” During the months Miss Sandra has been a resident of Kings Academy she has grown fond
of leaving the gates of Kings Academy and going off to explore Jordan; she shows off her treasures to me from her adventures, some of them being flowers and shards from Jalil and Hasban. Leaving next year will be tough on her, as she says, “I can’t think of anywhere else as interesting as Jordan in the Middle East .” She would love to stay within the Middle East next year and it is evident that she will live somewhere in the county side considering she refers to herself as a “country person at heart.” As the interview comes to a close I decide to squeeze in one more question on her Arabic skills, she claims that “my lack of Arabic is pathetic, pathetic, pathetic despite Miss Manal’s best efforts, speaking of this I should really get on with some homework.” With this I leave this very intriguing English teacher to get on with her studies.
Ms. Sandra Hamilton plays guitar and sings for the King’s Academy Community on an “Open-Mic” Night.
My Experience in Ghana Yusra Bitar ‘11 tells of her once-in-a-lifetime journey to Africa By YUSRA BITAR ’11 STAFF WRITER
I always wanted to visit the real Africa and not just go on the tourist sites, staying in the five star hotels, and mingling with the “upper class”. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to fulfill that desire when the school arranged a trip to Ghana, in western Africa, where I was one of the 34 people on the trip. I didn’t know what to expect when I boarded the plane going to Ghana, other than heat and mosquitoes. I was also aware of the extreme poverty found in most Sub-Saharan countries. Other than that, I knew close to nothing when it came to living in an African country. We first arrived at the hotel Bora Bora, with all our faces all shiny due to the extreme humidity. In most of the rooms, there was no air conditioning. As one can predict, there was a ton
of whining and complaining, but there was nothing to be done about it. There was also no electricity when we got there. The morning after, each of us realized how beautiful Ghana is. Its citizens were warm and friendly, and the greenery and the nature were mind blowing. We visited the orphanage and when we saw the conditions the children there lived in, no one on the trip would dare to complain about the hotel we were staying in. The youngest was around 8 months and the oldest was 20, but the latter is still in school, struggling with the improvement of her reading skills. None of the kids had actual beds, but slept on mattresses. The majority of them were malnourished, due to the limited amount of food they had. Nevertheless, not a single child gave the impression that they were miserable because they didn’t live in a better house with parents focusing on them and them solely. The smiles on their
face were permanent and grew even bigger when we handed out pieces of candy or small toys. They would say,”I love you very much” after being given an item that many of us here at King’s would probably not be affected by or would simply not care about. We played with the children, taught them at their school, helped them build their school, painted on their plain walls and danced together to Ghanaian music. They are orphans, but that doesn’t stop them from dreaming big. One of them actually said that she wanted to be the president of Ghana in her future. Their resources are limited, but their way of living makes them wealthier than the wealthy. In addition, the group that went on the trip was one that couldn’t be any better. We saw each other at our worst, but we still remain friends. We fainted, dehydrated, starved, vomited, and suffered from heat strokes together.
The trip has changed the way I look at life; although I’ve had my share of unfortunate events, nothing can compare to what these orphans have endured. I learned to be grateful for every small item I have, because some have nothing. The orphans had nothing, yet they were happier than anyone else I have ever known. The loved us simply for the small gifts we gave them. I love them and Ghana for the rich experience they have allowed me to have in life. Chaperones: Ms. Randa Qunsol, Mr. Nart Abdi, Ms. Kathleen Boswell, Miss Nadine Jallad and Ms. Sandra Hamilton Students: Abdullah Abdal ‘11, Haya Abdul Hadi ‘11, Ghaida El-tayeh ‘11, Jaber Al-Sabah ‘11, Lana Al-Kury ‘12, Haneen Tantash ‘12, Hayat Abu Samra ‘10, George Steele ‘10, Hunter Bell ‘12, Nadine Abdullat ‘12, Yasmine ABuzeid ‘12, Faisal AlKabariti ‘11, Sima Shabaneh ‘10, Zachariah Samawi ‘11, Lana Mehiar ‘11, Zeyna Tabbaa ‘12, Majd Massanat ‘12, Fakher el Fayez ‘12, Nofan Jaffan ‘12, Malik Jabouri ‘11, Johnny Khoury ‘11, Reed ghandour ‘11, Jin Seul Jun ‘13, Firas Fouasher ‘12, Farah Matalka ‘12, Celine Zananiri ‘11, Hasan Abu Kharma ‘11, and Suhaib Mohaidat ’11.
FUN PAGE
Page 6
The Rexonian
HOROSCOPES
Compiled by: Rinad Salaita ‘10 Nadine Sousou ‘10 Jumana Shahzadeh ‘10 Reem Al-Haddadin ‘11 Virgo (8/13-9/22): Layla al Naif ‘11
Aquarius (1/20-2/18): Zack Samawi ‘11 School: You will lose a special book this month, but the worst thing you can do is panic about it. Panicking does not solve anything. School is not about having a pen and a notebook in class, it requires using them and making the best of what you have. A brain is sometimes enough to excel. Social life: Blue is not your color of the month. Surprisingly, it’s green!
Pisces (2/19-3/20): Khalook Al Yassin ‘12
Aries (3/21-4/19): Tala Hammash ‘10
School: Take a deep breath, you need it. You will be rewarded for your efforts at school, whether by a simple smile or a gesture to show that your work has been recognized. But beware, competition is on the way. Social life: You are a loyal friend and the people around you appreciate that. However, you must take the time to care for your personal growth. You must not forget who you truly are when you’re around other people.
School life: You are beginning to feel a bit of stress since your exams are coming up very soon. Don’t worry you are going to perform exceptionally well, just do what you always do. Social life: Although you’re going to notice that you’re spending too much money, refrain from taking important decision alone; consult a friend of a relative.
Leo (7/23-8/22): Abdullah Khalayleh ‘11 School life: This month will be a combination of positive and negative developments. Make the best out of all the positive things and try to make the negative minor things. Social life: Your social life and selfesteem will improve drastically this month, because you will get to know more people from outside school that would affect your decisions in life.
Libra (9/23-10/22): Adel Nesheiwat ‘11 School life: Focus, focus and focus, this month you need to put aside everything that is on your mind and set your eyes on your main goal, which is getting the highest grades on you exams. Social life: A surprise will be knocking on your door sometime next week, wait for it. You will be amazed of how many good friends you have surrounding you. Have a night out with your best friends you need it!
Taurus (4/20-5/20): Nairuz al Ajlouni ‘10 School life: This month will be at your best. Enjoy your classes because for the first time in your life, you will see them in a new, better way. Try to make the best out of each class by understanding and participating well. Social Life: If your birthday is coming up, enjoy it; it will be a blast, spend it with some dear friends and family. It will be definitely a night to remember.
PHOTOS BY ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
Gemini (5/21-6/21): Yasamin Taylor ‘11 School life: Your hard work is going to be appreciated by most of your teachers; however you’re going to always tired. Try to relax and choose a better studying plan. Social life: This month you have some difficulties adjusting to what’s going around. Things will get better with the help and advice of a special friend that will rescue you.
Scorpio (10/23-11/21): Sally Shaban ‘11 School life: School is pretty good with you, you are doing well in most of your classes, but do not forget that nothing is for granted so keep you hard work and have fun while doing it. Social life: Things are getting a little bit complicated this month; do not worry too much because everything happened for a reason. You will find your way through what you always wished for.
Cancer (6/22-7/22): Mohammad Qardan ‘10 School life: Don’t procrastinate like you always do, work on daily basis to see an improvement in your grades. Take all advice into consideration. Social life: Sometimes going out with people you do not know may be a little uncomfortable. That’s why you should get to know them well before taking any steps further.
School life: Mocks and APs are coming up, do not freak out because it is not the end of the world. Try to ask you teachers and friends for help. You need each moment this week so do not waste it, because you will have plenty of time to have fun. Social life: Start each day with a smile. Happiness will find its way to you. You will be surrounded with love and support. Good luck in you upcoming exams.
Sagittarius (11/22-12/21): Suhayb AlJawhari ‘11 School: The clock is ticking, but it has always been ticking and there’s no need to get too nervous now. Social Life: When Darwin spoke of the “survival of the fittest” he did not want you to take it literally, so don’t. Have a treat this month, and prove to yourself as well as others that you are a beautiful survivor no matter what the scale tries to tell you.
Capricorn (12/22-1/19): - Rama Al Nakib ‘12 School: This month, you must focus on math more than any other subject. It might’ve been an easy journey for you with this class, but there will be some problems with the subject or the teacher and they will not be solved unless you act cleverly. Social life: you will make a public scene this month, and when you find yourself the center of attention, don’t cry or feel embarrassed, simply walk away or even throw a small laugh.
SPORTS
May 2010
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Captains of the Pride By LAYLA AL NAIF ‘11 and LEEN HAJJAR ’11 STAFF WRITERS
As the year has progressed our sports teams have been vastly improving, going to practices twice a week and winning games against various opposing teams. After speaking to the captains of all our squads, it is evident how well-built each team has become over this period of time.
Boys’ Basketball
Co-Captain Faisal Kawar ‘10, speaking on behalf of his triumphant basketball team said “I’ve come to embody the mantra of action over word, [and] all my teammates have taken on the task of being leaders on and off the court. As a result my team goes beyond conformity, yielding a team that does not take no for an answer”. Co-Captain Bashar Jarrar ‘10 added “When it comes to our basketball team, the only thing that I think separates us from the rest of the teams in Jordan or maybe the region, is that each and every player has a role on the team, whether on the bench or on the court. Every player has been chosen for a reason, and every player on the team has something to add to the way the team plays the game: Hamdi Aluaddin ‘11: the big guy, Faisal Kawar ‘10: the “omniplayer”, Zeid Morcos ‘12: the rising star, Hazem: Mr. Clutch, Izzat: Rebound master, Zaid Nasser ‘10: Sizzling passer, Ali Shajrawi ‘11: the ‘charge’ man, Yazan Fanous ’11: the quick power forward, Zack Samawi ‘11: the shooter, Hussein Hassan ‘10: our off-balance shooter and Muthana Tarawaneh ‘10: our ‘driving’ power. So as you can see, each player has his own “thing”; merge all their talents together and you get one of the best highschool teams in Jordan in our present time. I am certainly proud to be a part of this team, and even more proud of what we have accomplished TOGETHER. The boys clearly work well as a team, and accept any challenges that come their way. They stand tall, and keep their heads held high at all times.” When travelling to Beirut, Lebanon to compete at the American Community School for the Middle Eastern Tournament (MET) the Lion boys finished in second place.
Basketball players Zack Samawi ‘11and Ali Shajrawi ‘11 going for the shot
Girls’ Basketball
The girls’ basketball team seems to have come a long way since September, and they have really come together another as a cohesive team. As for their achievements in Beirut, the team played hard that MET weekend in February, and they found themselves playing like professionals and finished in third place. The team played beautiful basketball against strong teams, trying to win as many games as they could and show the other teams the great pride that they had in one other. “The trip to Lebanon has not only made me love basketball more than anything, but it has also made me appreciate being on part of a real basketball team.” –Tala Hammash ’10 said, after coming home from an exhausting yet exciting trip. The coaches, Mr. Mike McLaughlin, Mr. Iyad Abu
Touq and Mr. David Powers were not only proud of each player’s improvement and achievements as individual players, but they were also thrilled by the image that the Basketball Lions left behind in Lebanon that will surely remain for many years to follow.
Girls’ Soccer
Kicking, sprinting, and timed miles seem to have taken over the soccer stadiums at King’s Academy. As the girls’ varsity team has progressed throughout the year, with endless effort and great teamwork the team has proven itself to both their captains and their coach. The girls’ varsity soccer captains, Lena Abdin ‘11 and Qxhna Titcomb ’11, said the team had many ups and downs throughout the year. Recently the team showed little interest and began to slack off, which led the captains to make a decision to have their team wake up one early morning and go out for a run as a team. One of the players, Sarah Muhtaseb ’12, said “Oh my God! It was so hard for us to wake up that early and go out for a run in the cold. And what was even worse was that we ALL had to be there on time, and for those who were late, the ENTIRE team was punished with another early morning at the track. I’m so glad we finally made it on time as a team and finished our run successfully! And I really hope this never happens again!” After working on their skills and getting back into the game the girls began to show more interest and found themselves at Ms. Gabi’s apartment one night enjoying pizza and snacks to discuss team-building. The girls had come up with some great ideas and are now anxiously waiting for their team apparel to arrive. “It was a great night! Ms. Gabi had ordered us pizza and had other snacks for us. Our team bonded and we eventually came up with a great a design for our sweatshirts and sweatpants. I’m so excited to get them, they will definitely be a great memory that I can take with me next year when I’m at college, and I’ll always remember our soccer team for all our enthusiasm and our hard work through the apparel,” said Norah Jaffan ’10. Ms. Gabi had been a soccer star in her previous schools and this is the first team she has ever coached. When captain Qxhna Titcomb ’11 was asked “Who has been the greatest influence on the team?” She replied, with no hesitation: “Ms. Gabi! She’s been a great coach, finding the balance between being intense and being fun, and doing it so effortlessly! Ms. Gabi has a great attitude at every practice that is contagious. She’s willing to laugh with us and help us improve which creates a great learning environment both on and off the field. She’s had such a huge influence on each person on the team, pushing us to try harder but still supporting us when we mess up.” Lena Abdin ’11, the other captain, who has been playing soccer since she was a little girl says “I can’t get enough of playing soccer.” Lena loves to be out there on the field with all her teammates, cooperating with them and having a good time, and this is what spurs her on.
dedicated to his team at one-hundred percent, along with Captain Abdelkarim Shaban ’11 who strives to strengthen his team by pushing them gradually. Zaid went on to say that “‘the more you sweat in practice the less you bleed in a battle’, so I put my full potential into our practices, and shine as a role model to gain an advantage over the other team”. These Lions had a match quite a while ago against the Amaneh school, and they victoriously beat them 7-2, now that’s something to be proud of boys!
Swimming
New born stars are being discovered as the year goes by, not only on the basketball courts but also in the swimming pool. On February 21, 2010 the Lion swimmers won their first gold medal from the Jordan Federation Championship swim meet that was hosted both at King’s Academy and at the Orthodox Club in Amman. Many other Jordanian teams participated in the competition, that including the Jordanian National Team, the King Hussein Youth Club, the Orthodox Club and the King Hussein Club of Irbid. The Lion swimmers included Hala Halaseh ‘10, and she was truly a star swimmer making King’s Academy a proud school of their victorious swimmers.
Boys’ Soccer
The Boys’ varsity soccer team has just announced that eight or nine of the players will be travelling to India. Captain Zaid Al-Rifai ’10 said “First and foremost a captain must learn how to work well in a group, for there is no “I” in team, he must encourage and motivate others and be a true leader.” He is clearly
Talal Soroor ‘13 and Nadine Samara ‘13 swimming it out in a meet PHOTOS BY ROBERT BAHOU ‘11
IN MEMORIAM
Ahmad Tarawneh
Page 8
The Rexonian
MARCH 23, 1992- APRIL 5, 2010
ool coming back to sch I was anticipating Easght after the long on that Monday ni ds en fri y m see cited to ter break , I was ex ch hi w of e on -mates, and my fellow dorm eh . wn ra Ta ad m ved Ah was our dearly belo ver at I wish I have ne I heard the news th home , inutes before I left heard about 15 m the rumor at first given I thought it was a read that have been sp number of rumors of my d un so e th t ths, bu these couple of mon ious ded frightened , ser friend’s voice soun uld co I it, ve lie d not be and believable . I di make e fact and had to not comprehend th , e calls, I was certain sure . After 16 phon was arest friends and I I lost one of my de him never going to see certain that I was again . w t on , I realized ho From that momen ope w ho , be n ca nt life fragile and transie can king to 2 days ago, ple you were just tal ople ond , how much pe disappear in a sec ht ig br d an y a health work hard to live es to go st ju rk wo hard future and all that ment ly was the embodi waste . Ahmad tru ness verance , righteous of hard-work , perse ct that it is such a sad fa and sincerity, and had ese wonderful traits a person with all th at th unity and the world to leave the comm nce and belonging. cherished his prese end way to Karak , to att As we rode on our ad m ’s thought of how Ah Ahmad’s burial , I the must be feeling at parents and family ort needed all the supp moment, how they en to they must have be and how devastated than at they were more the loss of a son th er and ed the funeral pray proud of. We pray ’s body etery with Ahmad headed to the cem we d in our hearts, as on our shoulders an e th ure into the soils of set his gracious fig fa s ce , d the veil over hi earth and uncovere his ul faint smile on he had that beautif g and always used to seein face that we were s in , I knew that he wa from that point on g lin that was a sign tel r a better place , and ou th d to continue on wi us not to worry an s. lives, honoring hi 0 -Bashar Jarrar ‘1
“I’m the only one who can give a definition of
me.”
“Sometimes life’s just hard for no reason at all.” eryone was worthy of his respect and his time. He In the movie, “Remember the Titans”, Carol Boon probably never e comforted said no to any request for help on a computer problem, her husband, coach of a high school American footb regardless all team whose of who asked. And, likely too often for the sake of his grades, he beloved star player and team captain had just been severely ingave and gave of himself and his time for other jured in an accident. They are apt words for us as people. well, as we cope Ahmad was so proud—in all the right ways. He with the loss of our beloved friend and student, was proud of Ahmad Tarawneh. his home and his country and of his people. He was proud of King’s Most of us, Muslim or Christian, believe that thing s don’t really Academy. He was proud of His Maje sty. Pride can be foolish and happen “for no reason at all,” of course, believing rather that God blind , but Ahm ad’s wasn ’t. He knew things weren’t perfect, but it has reasons even for tragedies. But so very often , as now, we don’t didn’t diminish his love for these people and places, nor his sincere understand them and to us it may seem to be for no reason at all. pride in them. While we can’t always know God’s purposes or the meaning He All these things combined together in his life to beco has behind tragedies like this, we can commit to me a seeking meaning devo tion to serving. He wanted to use his opportunities and purpose in them ourselves. Coach Boone made and the this comprivileges granted him and the things he was learn ment about the tragedy in the movie: “You cannot ing to go far— replace Gerry not for personal gain, but so that he could come back Bertier… as a player, as a person.” And we cann and give back ot replace Ahmad to Jordan. He spoke often of his plans for the future to come back Tarawneh, either. There will always be something missing in each and work to improve the lives of his fellow countrym of us who knew and loved him. But as the players en. He was so in the movie excited when he told me about a summer job oppo did with their captain, we can remember and hono rtuni ty he had r Ahmad. We with a Ministry in Amman, in part at least because can find purpose and meaning as we remember the he could start character he that giving back so much sooner. demonstrated and the lessons his example teach es us. And we can We have all lost someone irreplaceable in Ahmad. honor him by living them out in our lives. Our grief is right and deep and our tears will go on for a long As I think of Ahmad, I’m struck by many things abou time. But we t him that can hold onto these words that the Titan’s Coach Boone told one of I respect and admire. his fellow coaches, “I’m hurting just like you are. Ahmad understood and appreciated the tremendo But the season is us opportuni- not over yet. We did not come this far just to break down and lose ties that he had been given here. He took the fulle st advantage of now.” these opportunities, never taking them for granted or having any The Titans went on to win, far beyond even the hope sense of entitlement to them. s of their down ed captain. We can do the same, if we take these He found things he was passionate about and pursu things that ed them. Ahmad had learned and demonstrated to heart for Then, he used what he learned not just for his own ourse lves. In so benefit, but to doing, we’ll remember and honor him and a part help others and to give them pleasure. of him really will live on in us. Ahmad seemed to not know any unimportant peop le—ev -Mr. Mark Payton