T he R exonian tuesday, October 20, 2015
vol. ix … № 30
Refugee Crisis Tests Global Commitment to Humanitarianism
A Backstage Look at the Fall Play Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
As millions worldwide flee from war, poverty, and persecution, nations begin to take notice
By Rakan Haddadin-Cameron
As some of you may know, every year the theatre department produces a fall play. This year it’s Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, a play based on an extremely obscure quote from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Tom Stoppard, considered a genius by many critics, masterfully captures Shakespeare’s writing pace and language style. Even the 1990 film adaptation was a masterpiece: it has an extremely talented cast, starring well-known actors such as Richard Dreyfus (the Narrator in Family Guy), Tim Roth (Pulp Fiction), and Gary Oldman (Sirius Black in the Harry Potter films). The play was written from the point of view of two obscure characters from Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Despite being lessthan-minor characters in the glorious Hamlet, they offer a hilarious new perspective and recreate the Shakespearean tragedy as a comedy. Tom Stoppard paints his dark yet amusing play with his rich and vibrant characters, including the dramatic, bloody, and rhetorical Player, Hamlet (the vengeful and possibly crazy son of the queen), Gertrude (Hamlet’s mother), Claudius (Hamlet’s uncle/ stepfather), Ophelia (Hamlet’s potential future wife), Guildenstern (analytical, philosophical and generally confusing), Rosencrantz (often confused), and, of course, Alfred. Who is Alfred, you may ask? Who is anyone, for that matter? Well, I ask that very same question every single day of my life, yet still I have not found an satisfactory answer. The play invokes its audience to ponder upon this, as well as many other philosophical and existential questions posed throughout the piece. What makes this piece really shine, however, is the story itself. Continued on page A7
“A l l t h e n e w s t h e y le t u s p r i nt ”
By selma shaban
the future head of the middle school, the idea came from planning backwards: the administration looked at what they wanted to achieve with a student when they reach senior year, and then they thought about what an ideal 9th grader would look like, and then thought about how a 7th and 8th grade could be set up from that. Not only does the middle school provide a longer runway, but it provides “a lot of opportunity for the students to create meaning from what they’re learning and applying it in a real world sense and hopefully moving that in the upper school as well,” according to Ms. Reem. While the objective of the middle school is to deepen the reach of King’s and strengthen its mission, some worry that it is in fact diverting from its original intentions. Ms. Reem spoke about this in saying, “[the middle school] will strengthen and deepen our mission statement. With an additional two years to add onto a student’s experience at King’s we can do a lot more in regards to how we reach each student.” However, when looking at the current mission statement, some parts of the mission statement seem hard to visualize in the middle school. King’s Academy’s mission statement declares that, “Welcoming talented students from all backgrounds, reliContinued on page A6
As the issue of refugees arises yet again, we ask ourselves whether it’s moral and beneficial to accept their constantly increasing number into wealthy countries, and intermix refugees with other people and cultures. There has been more pressure on the European Union to accept refugees coming from wartorn countries in the Middle East, particularly Syria. This causes problems for the country receiving the refugees. First, the argument goes, it will encourage illegal immigration: it could easily convince immigrants that they can come illegally because countries are accepting them. It may also cause too much stress economically for a country to accept all these refugees. This may cause relief on a short-term basis, but also causes underdevelopment in the long run for the nations sending refugees. Accepting the refugees can promote a foreign nation within another, while minimizing local cultural values. So why are people still convinced that Europe should be accepting significantly more refugees? Why are people making this an ethical issue? These questions can be answered in one word: humanitarianism. Humanitarianism by definition is “the doctrine that humanity’s obligations are concerned wholly with the welfare of human race.” This is why most people support Europe accepting and helping refugees because they feel “obliged” to help others. In early September, a heartbreaking photo of a three-yearold Syrian boy name Alan Kurdi, washed up on the shore of Turkey after his boat was capsized, went viral on our media platforms. The issue of immigrating refugees captures the hearts of many people by appealing to their pathos. Continued on page A7
sari samakie for the rexonian
desert chic
Proctors and faculty enjoy the sights of Wadi Rum.
Does King’s Need A Middle School? By Katie Jonsson
Late last spring, the King’s Academy community received an email from Headmaster Dr. John Austin that confirmed the rumors of many and brought confusion to many others. Beginning in the fall of 2016, King’s will not only be a high school, but a middle school as well. Since then, it seems that any time the idea of the impending middle school is brought up with students, it is often met with sighs or scoffs against the idea. One sentence continues to be brought up: “King’s is a high school, and that’s how it needs to stay.” Many students appear to be opposed to the idea while the administration is emphatically advocating for it. Where did this dichotomy arise from, and where does the middle school fall between these two diametrically opposed perspectives? According to Dr. John, the objective of the addition of the middle school is to “give some kids a longer runway.” While the current longest runway for students to learn at King’s is four years, the middle school would add an additional two years to that runway. To Dr. John and many members of the faculty, the current four years are “insufficient.” According to Ms. Reem Abu Rahmeh,
opinion a2–3
science a4
soccer & Politics a5
& c.
Dario Pomar & Seif A bdeen debate the possible presidency of Kanye West
A laa Jabakhanji examines string theory
H yun Taek Lim breaks down this season in the English Premier League
Ahmad Freihat on Proust and ‘Privileges’
Jianing Zhao offers her writing tips for college essays
Suhail Nahhas explores the story of the Moth-man
M ingi Yoon looks at recent developments on the Korean peninsula
Omar Sindi takes a closer look at our new clay carafes
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the rexonian opinion October 20, 2015
The Rexonian
Kanye West for President: A Post-Apocalyptic America by dario pomar
carina ellis, Executive Editor
amin janjua, Managing Editor dina kuttab, Managing Editor ahmad freihat, Copy Editor laura jonsson, Deputy Managing Editor bushra al-sou’b, Opinion Editor sheila baber, Campus Editor katie jonsson, News Editor jianing zhao, Arts & Culture Editor hyun taek lim, Sports Editor pengfei hu, Art Director yuxiao ma, Assistant Art Director ahmed alhroob, Online Editor leen al-zu’bi, Deputy Online Editor rami rustom, Editor-at-Large
Staff Writers sayf abdeen hala almomani leen ayesh alaa jabakhanji rakan haddadin-cameron sophie jaber dario pomar omar sindi mingi yoon
Ahh…the VMA’s—a wonderful celebration of some of the most talented music artists that we enjoy every day. This year, several great singers were nominated and won awards for the songs that we consistently hear on the radio (and might be a bit sick of). It was not a surprise that Kanye West was among those singers. After all, he’s created some catchy tunes. What was a surprise was his acceptance speech. With half of Hollywood in the audience, Kanye West stated his intentions to enter the presidential campaign in 2020, saying “I don’t know what I finna lose after this. It don’t matter, though; It’s not about me. It’s about ideas. New ideas. People with ideas. People who believe in truth. And yes, as you probably could’ve guessed by this moment, I have decided in 2020 to run for president.” For many, this was a shock, and an unpleasant one at that. Take a moment to think about how terrible this would be. Remember, having Kanye as president would mean having Kim Kardashian as First Lady, and I doubt anyone wants that. But there are other, more important reasons why this would be a disaster. To understand the extent to which this would be disastrous, I will take you to a post-apocalyptic America. The year is 2020, and Yeezus is sitting in the Oval Office, which is now transformed into a dark lair decorated with golden chains, golden records, golden walls, golden teeth and, er,
golden stuff. We see him plotting which music artist to execute next, ensuring that he is the only one with top singles on the charts, while Kim K is busy buying herself clothes with citizens’ tax revenue. The needs of all those Americans are being completely ignored, although they are stylishly dressed (which was the second amendment set by Kanye and Kim, the first being that all citizens should speak in rhyming couplets). North West is the Secretary of Education at the ripe age of 6. That way, the only subjects all the other kids in the United States take are the study of Rap Music History (exclusively the History of Kanye), the science of dressing with style (exclusive to Kim K’s style), and the art of wearing corsets (thanks Khloe!). Selfies are only posted if approved by Kim and her organization, The Selfie Factory, so no one wants to take selfies anymore. Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad though. The USA would just be a country full of rapping, brainwashed people, who, as I said before, are always stylishly dressed (and if they weren’t, Kim wouldn’t waste any time in saying, “off with their heads!”) As far as I’m concerned, I’d rather be living in the America portrayed in “The Walking Dead” then in one where Kanye West is president. When election time comes, you can decide for yourself who you want to vote for, but remember my warning.
Kanye West for President: A Global Perspective By SAYF ABDEEN On August 30, American rapper and songwriter Kanye West won the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the MTV Video Music Awards. During West’s acceptance speech, he expressed his gratitude to everyone for their support and concluded his remarks by announcing, “And yes, as you probably could’ve guessed by this moment, I have decided in 2020 to run for president.” For most people, the idea of West running for president is amusing, especially with his reputation as a man with barely any selfcontrol, his extremely rude and wild reactions to the paparazzi, and total lack of experience in politics or public policy. However, all that could change in the next four years. If Kanye is elected president it could mean multiple things to multiple people. To the US, it is most likely to end up as a crisis; with West’s current attitude and priorities, the military is likely to be put off to the side and more attention will be paid to creating attractions in areas such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Florida. However, to the
rest of the world, his presidency could open up a once-in-an-eternity opportunity in political, economical and military advancements. For example, many predict that if West were to win the elections, attention would be redirected away from Israel as a US ally. A lack of US support for Israel could reveal a historic opportunity for the Palestinians and Arabs to take back Palestinian land. Furthermore, countries like Britain, who have been striving for more power, will relish the chance to overtake their American counterparts, as will other European countries like France, which has a touristic competition with the US, and Germany, which always tries to surpass other countries technologically. Also, countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq will take any shot to break through American military restrictions if Kanye redirects resources away from the US military. However, if these predictions are near truthful, it also mean that ISIS (if it survives till 2020) will have one fewer strong opponent to deal with,
and even though it would still have to fight back half a dozen different armies, it will have a larger chance of success in keeping or gaining control. In addition, China and Saudi Arabia will be greatly satisfied by the reduction of economical development in the US, which, under the control of President West, wouldn’t be as powerful as it is today. However, these predictions are only likely to occur if Kanye West is indeed successful in his presidential plans. And with a figure as unpredictable as Kanye West, it is difficult to predict anything. Maybe West could suddenly do a 180 and become the new George Washington. Or half of the country’s money would be directed to his attention -grabbing wife, Kim Kardashian, and the US would fall into a crisis. Or even better, he could remix the American national anthem. From the American perspective, a West presidency would be horrible.But for the rest of the world, it would be a golden opportunity. #KanyeForPresident2020
Corrections, Op-Ed submissions, and letters to the Editor may be addressed to: rexonian@kingacademy.edu.jo
The Opinion page publishes individual authors and their own views, which do not necessarily reflect the views or editorial policy of The Rexonian.
the rexonian opinion october 20, 2015
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Three College Essays You Shouldn’t Write “I’m rewriting my personal statement for the third time.” A friend complains, “Ms. Janan just hated the first two I wrote.” “Why?” “I have no idea.” She shrugs. No idea. That’s a common reality faced by most seniors right now, as the fall of senior year is doomed to drag along, sticky and endlessly like the melted cheese from a slice of pizza. For those who do have ideas, their drafts are often slayed, nonetheless, by our dearest, dearest university counselors, who endeavor to lash our vocabulary, whip our syntax and crucify the meaning between our lines while babysitting cats (shout-out to Ms. Sonja!). What saves a college application essay from the omnipresent lurking threat of rewrite, then? The first step is to check your raw material. The raw material can be a story or a series of scenes and events linked by a major theme like pearls on a necklace. The string must be strong, or the whole necklace shatters. The pearls must seem mundane when scrutinized separately, yet they need to complement each other in size, color and texture when juxtaposed side by side. That is how the whole necklace will shine and highlight your desirable qualities, whether it is creativity, modesty, ambition, or anything else. To convince the Admission Officers to buy your necklace, it needs it to be unique but also able to resonate with your customer
by jianing zhao at the same time. Your fundamental even recall their own heartbreaking goal is to stir empathy from your teenage love stories risen from memaudience without losing your origi- ory because of you. Don’t pain them. nality. There is also more than one It doesn’t hurt to mention some love/ dimension to empathy: compassion, relationship related episodes for a shock, admiration, I-have-been- line or two, though, if you execute through-this-too, etc. As profession- them intelligently. Try to sound inal jewelry appraisers, the admissions nocent and not pretentious. officers are sick and tired of the fol2. Community Service lowing clichés, poorly-designed and We all know it’s too cliché but lots crudely-crafted necklaces that are of people still write about this bedoomed to be buried under dust for cause they have nothing to write… all eternity: or they think they have nothing else 1. “After the most heart-breaking to write. Unfortunately, the officers love story ever…” also know about this fact and so they There are actually people who automatically presume you are a write about this, you know. Inun- boring person with little creativity or dated by seas of hormones, you may insight if you choose something this see yourself as the cavalier on a per- cliché to write about. Don’t get me ilous quest for your Holy Grail, and wrong, though. Community service when the girl rejects your heart, you is awesome; it’s extremely helpful— may sink into the deepest despair. indispensable, in fact—for your reMaybe struggling to crawl out of sume, yet definitely not the best raw the long shadow of a break-up is a material compared to other choices. paradigm-shattering, life-changing It is hard to stir sympathy for those event for you, but in reality, no one whom you want to help (or have cares. There is no love at first sight; been helping) through mere words, there are only strangers who don’t especially if you are not in the US reciprocate eye contact, let alone and the admissions officers may not feelings. The same advice goes for be able to fully understand the imgirls. Even if you extend your topic portance, relevance and urgency of into how you have matured through the situation in which you offered adolescence, your contemplation of service. Your reflection is likely to life and the nature of love, etc., it sound the same as any other who has would actually offer very little help been in such situation: formulaic and because the nature of your raw ma- lacking of original voice. Unless of terial restrains the depth allowed for course, you envision yourself as the you to explore. The admissions of- next Mother Teresa and have gained fices probably don’t want to relive or insight no one else could have gained
through your service experience— but odds are this does not pertain to you. The same goes for MUN experience, some-natural-phenomenon-opened-my-gateway-to-science experience, etc. I know you might think you are the next Newton but really these episodes happen more often in kindergartens. 3. “I have lived a miserable childhood with an alcoholic mother and an abusive father…” It is smart to exchange the misery you experienced with tears and flowers from the AOs, but tears and flowers and that’s it. By complaining about your past miseries you automatically define yourself as one who dwells in the past. Topics like this are important if they happened to you, if the misery part only occupies a small portion and serves to lay a foundation for the greater insights or experiences you have gained later. You do not want to give the impression of a weak loser who has done nothing but sit back and suffer, as poignant as the suffering has been; you want to sculpt your sufferings into higher motivations in life regarding love, academic inquiry or ambitions. Don’t flaunt it in front of others’ eyes as an “I’m better than you because I have suffered and survived”. So good luck to all you seniors writing and rewriting those essays—start couting down the days to that November 1 deadline!
Israel and the Syrian Refugee Crisis by Leen Ayesh After nearly three years since the start of a devastating civil war, Syrian citizens still pay a very high price. After recent drownings of Syrian migrants attempting to seek refuge in many European countries such as Greece, Hungary and Austria, some have become more accepting and welcoming towards them. However, Benjamin Netanyahu, the current prime minister of Israel, is acting the opposite. He chose to neither welcome them nor to offer shelter to Syrian refugees in Palestine, saying, “Israel is a small country, a very small country, that lacks demographic and geographic depth; therefore, we must control our borders, against both illegal migrants and terrorism.” In contrast to some countries, such as Germany, who seem to be attempting to accept more refugees, the state of Israel has decided to
fortify its defenses even more. Netanyahu has declared that there are plans for the construction of a defensive fence on the borders shared with Jordan, plans similar to when a fence was built between Israeli and Egyptian borders. Construction began on this wall last month. This fence could be added to the series of fences, which also include the one between the occupied Golan heights and the Syrian frontiers. The rationale behind these extreme defensive actions according to Netanyahu are to “allow [Israel] to control [its] borders” and to prevent “ Israel [being] flooded with illegal migrants and terrorists.” Netanyahu’s decision has angered Palestinians in particular. Since the 1948 war, many Palestinians have been scattered across different areas in the Middle East, including Syria. After the Syrian civil war began,
these refugees had to pay the same high price the Syrian citizens have paid. They began fleeing from their refugee camps from fear of the dangers of the war. Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, wanted to give them access to their country stating that it’s a must to “stop their suffering, displacement and death as a result of the harsh conditions in the region.” As a result, Abbas appealed to the UN to put pressure on Netanyahu and the Israeli government so that they re-consider and change their decision. Syrians were not very pleased either with the government’s decision. These refugees have no choice but to seek asylum in Europe. Many countries have been a sympathetic, taking in refugees from all over the world, especially from Syria. Because of this, other foreign refugees began to take advantage of the situa-
tion and made fake IDs to help them get into a certain country. It has been estimated that while Syrians make up around 20% of the refugees, 90% of border crossers claim to be Syrian. The German federal minister of the interior, Thomas de Maizière, was quoted saying, “We are seeing forged Syrian passports. There are people who claim to come from Syria but don’t speak a word of Arabic.” Syrians are suffering deeply, from not only the civil war taking place in their homeland, but also in regards to refuge, but they are still just a small percentage of the refugees that are scattered across the globe. In some places, they aren’t even welcomed while in other, they are given special treatment. In the end, the media, our families, and our peers will have opinions, but at the end of the day, it is up to the individual to form their own.
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the rexonian science october 20, 2015
The Fault in Our (Neutron) Stars The Moth Man: A myth told by few? certain rare scenarios where objects Or a villian hiding in the darkness? By Alaa Jabakhanji Following Einstein’s footsteps, Stephen Hawking is one of the many physicists trying to come up with a theory of everything. A theory of everything would be a single theory that will explain our entire universe in an equation no longer than an inch! Finding a theory of everything would certainly be an outstanding accomplishment. Although this theory would not behold a direct effect on your life, the theory of everything is also a theory of space and time and the universe as a whole meaning it would unfold the deepest questions of all time. The theory of everything, explains the theoretical physicist Michio Kaku, “will answer some of the deepest philosophical, theological questions of all time.” Such as, “What happened before genesis Chapter one, verse one?”, “What happens if you can somehow manipulate space and time itself?” Asks Kaku. These questions he explains go beyond Einstein’s general and special theory of relativity and even further beyond Newton’s Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. However, for centuries, physicist have been assuring the world that this theory is just around the corner. So is the human race about to simplify the brilliant yet eerie universe they live in? At first glance, this bizarre theory sounds nearly impossible. Think about it, a theory of everything would have to explain everything from quarks to quasars*. Yet, finding a theory of everything is not impossible to achieve and that is simply because there are only four central forces of nature: electromagnetic, weak nuclear, strong nuclear, and gravitational. Attempts to find a theory of everything date back to the beginning of time. However, if we want to learn about the first solid attempt to find one we must travel back in time to 1687 when Sir Isaac Newton was walking through a garden and saw an apple fall down a tree. At that moment, one of the simplest yet greatest questions of all time was asked “if an apple falls, does the moon also fall?” Newton developed the law of gravity, which worked similarly for small objects on earth and large objects orbiting in space. In his Principia Mathematica, Newton introduced three laws governing the motion of all objects. Although Newton’s achievement was and still is massive, it was incomplete. Despite the incredible phenomena, Newton was not able to explain
would not obey his law. An example was the orbit of Mercury, which is the first planet in our solar system. As each planet orbits around the Sun, it also revolves around itself. Newton’s laws enabled us to calculate their rotation. However, Mercury was not a fan of Newton. Strangely, Mercury’s orbit was off-center. Despite his incredible achievements, Newton failed. Now let’s travel about two hundred years forward in time. Where the physicist Albert Einstein proposes a much deeper understanding of gravity which his brilliant theory of general relativity. With his theory of general relativity, Einstein suggests that heavy objects, objects moving at extremely high speeds can distort or twist space-time. The fundamental idea is that space and time, which in physics were previously identified as two separate things, are in fact “interwoven”. Space was considered to have only three dimensions: length, breadth and height. Then Einstein introduces the fourth dimension, which is time. Einstein explains that all four dimensions are interconnected in a kind of “cosmic sheet”. Einstein’s big idea could be explained as the rigid fabric of the trampoline: if you put a heavy object on the fabric, it will curve, Afterwards, any other object added would simply roll down towards the object. Therefore, according to Einstein, objects aren’t actually pulled by gravity but they’re pushed by space. Unfortunately, about 200 years later, history repeats itself. Just as Newton’s theory did not work for massive objects, Einstein’s theory did not work on the tiny ones. In quantum physics, particles never have specific locations: Simply, each particle only has a certain probability of being in each location. In spite of everything, for their own fields both Einstein’s general relativity and Newton’s quantum mechanics are repeatedly proven immensely accurate. This is where probably the biggest issue in physics is proposed: the two theories are not companionable. Therefore, one of them must be wrong! Quantum mechanics suggest that the behaviors of all objects are only probable. Meanwhile, General relativity suggests that the behaviors of all objects could be accurately predicted. Einstein died in 1955. However, the most solid candidate for a theory of everything was proposed in the following decade: string theory. Despite the complications of the
By SUHAIL NAHHAS
When most hear of the silver bridge in point pleasant, West Virginia, they would commonly remember its catastrophic downfall on December 15, 1967, where 46 Christmas shoppers met their deaths. In theory, the bridge broke because of its poor maintenance and because it was carrying beyond it’s supposed limit, but most in Point Pleasant blame it on a strange beast that has been sighted numerously before the bridge’s end. Known as the Mothman, this
side–lens Exploring the Paranormal Some say that it was directly responsible, while others claim that it was only appearing as a warning of the event. This idea most likely originates from other strange phenomena that took place at Point Pleasant. All of which were reported by John Keel. John Keel was an author who is renowned for writing ‘the Mothman Prophecies’, a book that describes his own investigation of the phenomena in December 1966. During his
creature has been sighted from 1966 to the exact day of the silver bridge incident, and has been described as a humanoid-like creature 6-7 feet tall, weighing an estimated 250 pounds, possessing 15 foot-long bat-like wings that glided rather than flapped when in flight, being covered in short dark hair, having a short stumpy head, large eyes that glowed a ghostly red at night like bicycle reflectors, and being covered in short dark hair. It is able to fly straight up as a helicopter and makes a sound like a screaming woman. It was mostly seen near an abandoned TNT plant that was operational during World War 2. What made this creature such an eye-opener (besides it’s own description) to the public was it’s purported fault for the fall of the silver bridge.
investigation, he also took note of the extra strange occurrences in Point Pleasant that seem to tie themselves to the Mothman. These include UFO sightings around areas where the Mothman was seen, and men in dark suits and shades (known as men in black agents) being constantly present in the area and even making threats to Keel to stop investigating. This is when most began considering that the Mothman could actually be a kind of extraterrestrial visiting Point Pleasant, but others have thought that it was either a supernatural entity or simply a misidentified animal like an owl. But ultimately, none of us will ever know until the creature is found. Until then, it will continue to be a great mystery that goes beyond the conventional understanding of reality.
two theories combined by string theory, the idea behind it is simple. It suggests that the basic ingredients of the world are not particles. Instead, they are tiny “loops” or “strings” that seem to be particles because of their tremendously small size. Just like the strings on any common string instrument, the loops that are described to make up the universe are also under tension. Meaning that depending on their size, they vibrate at various frequencies. That vibration is what determines the kind of particle each loop appears to be. The reason string theory is a good
idea is ambiguous at first. However, it is the only way general relativity and quantum mechanics could coexist. Although physicists were now very excited about the success brought by string theory, it had its own troubles. Firstly, string theory remains ambiguous in terms of details. For one thing, Einstein’s theory was completed by revealing only one hidden dimension; time. Meanwhile, In order to make the mathematics consistent, the initial string theory proposed 26 dimensions. Later on, a more advanced string theory was introduced including a total of 10 dimensions. However, that number
the rexonian soccer & Politics october 20, 2015
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English Premier League: Big Four Continue to Dominate By Hyun Taek Lim
The most popular football league in the world, the most competitive football league in the world, and the most issue making football league in the history, the Barclays Premier League began on the 8th of August this year with a lot of interests from all around the world. Every football fans is expecting a great year with great players and managers. The Big Four of last season (Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Arsenal) are treated as the closest teams which can become the champions. They are based on strong players and competent managers. An overview of each club, including key players, follows below: Chelsea — the champions of last year, The Blues Chelsea, under the one of the best managers in the world, Jose Mourinho, is aiming to be the champions of England two years in a row. With balanced offense and defense, Chelsea is classified as one of the strongest candidates of winning the cup. During the trade market, Chelsea did not lose any crucial players, which is a green light for the Blues. However, the legendary goalkeeper of the Blues, Petr Cech has transferred to Arsenal, which can be critical to the Blues’ defense. With no big losses and earns, Chelsea is trying to regain their place on the top of the table. Eden Hazard: Last BPL season can be summarized as “Hazard’s season.” This midfielder from Belgium tortured the other teams’ defenders with his fast and accurate dribbles. He was literally unstoppable, so he is still tremendously far from the three dimensions we live in. Physicists soon became unconvinced of string theory due to these inconsistencies, but despite all its problems, string theory is the most promising theory currently known by man. At this point, the question is: Why do we constantly stumble in the search of a theory of everything? The strongest possibility is that we simply do not know enough about the universe to be trying to search for a theory as tremendous as the theory of everything. We could be trying to understand the big puzzle while missing most of its pieces. Despite the incredible temptation to believe we’re close to finding an inch long theory that simplifies the universe, the questions is: Why should we be able to find one in the year 2015?
became the BPL 2014-2015 season’s player by the PFA. As the number 10 of Chelsea, his shootings and passes are also great; he scored 14 goals and 10 assists playing all games in the league. It is pretty obvious that Chelsea’s offense this season will be led by Hazard. Can this man color the BPL blue again? “Last season’s Chelsea in the league was perfection itself.” Gwanghwi Roh, 7-year Chelsea fan M anchester City — 2nd place, The Sky Blues, The Citizens After the investment from Mansour, Manchester City became one of the strongest clubs in BPL. However last year, The Sky Blues failed to become the Champions two years in a row; the 2014-2015 season was the worst season for The Citizens after Mansour became the owner of the club. Under Luis Pellegrini, The Sky Blues got Kevin De Bruyne, a young playmaker from Belgium, and Sterling from Liverpool during the transfer market. Manchester City sold James Milner, Frank Lampard and other players who are not that significant for the team. The Citizens want to forget about the last season by becoming the champions this season. Sergio Aguero: 2014-2015 BPL season’s top scorer became the member of Manchester City again this year. He scored 25 goals only playing 31 games in the league. Although The Sky Blues was not good last season, this Argentinian played extremely well. The fans of Manchester City is waiting for him to be the best forward of England again, and Aguero himself wants to do so without small injuries, which made
him to rest 7 games last seaon, in this following season. Can Sergio Aguero become the top scorer of BPL again? Arsenal — 3rd place, The Gunners Established in 1886, The Gunners are keeping the image of a strong club in the world by always joining the Champions League and becoming the Big Four in the BPL. However, the problem is that Arsenal always joins the Big Four not as the champion, and also joins the Champions League toughly. However, nobody can deny Arsenal is a strong team; The Gunners in 20032004 season never lost and won the league. With Mourinho’s rival Arsene Wenger, Arsenal tries to crawl up to the top of the table with the great Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech. Alexis Sanchez: The wing-forward from Barcelona became the king of Arsenal last season. With Eden Hazard, Sanchez is called as the best player in the BPL by the fans. His fast dribbling and football sense were unstoppable during last season; he scored 16 goals and assisted 8 goals. Just like his friend Messi, he is leading the team’s attack, and his plays in Arsenal are making The Gunners very satisfied. Can he bring the golden age of The Gunners again? M anchester U nited – 4th place, The Red Devils Nobody can deny that Manchester United drew a big line in football history. However, that story is only valid when Sir Alex Ferguson was the manager of the Red Devils. Now, under Louis van Gaal, the Red Devils are trying to get the pen back from other clubs and continue
drawing the line again. Manchester United had a rough trade market this year; Di Maria left the club in an awful way and David De Gea almost left the club but failed by a fortunate mistake. However, the Dutch manager bought Bastian Schweinsteiger, Memphis Depay and many more players to strengthen the club. Manchester United, with Louis van Gaal for 2 years now, wants the glory of Sir Alex Ferguson’s to come back this season. Rooney: This English man is a true Red Devil; his career is almost for United. As the captain of the Red Devils, his role in the team has become more significant. His play last year as an attacking midfielder was great; he scored 12 goals and assisted 5 goals. Louis van Gaal mentioned that in this season Rooney will play as a forward like 2 years ago, and obviously the fans became crazy, wanting to see the forward Rooney as soon as possible. Can this English player lead the Red Devils to the top of the table? “I love it [Manchester United]!” Barakat Al-Nahar After the October international break, the BPL has resumed. Like most people’s prediction, the Big Four of the last season is dominating the league. The two rival Manchester clubs are on a roll; their new players are doing pretty well. However in London, the situation is different. Arsenal is near to the top of the table, while the defending champion, Chelsea, is located way down on the table. No one has expected Chelsea’s slump and inner conflicts within the team. BPL will go on, and the world will be united by it.
and this was the first “major clash” across their borders in five years. The two Koreas have remained essentially at war because the Korean War (1950-1953) did not end with a peace treaty, but with an armistice instead. A week after the landmine incident, South Korea started a retaliation against its North counterpart by starting “anti-North psychological warfare” over the border: shouting propagandas with loud speakers, broadcasting the flaws of North Korea’s political system, etc. The level of hostility between the North and the South heightened as the North declared a “semi-war state.” The two sides agreed to resolve
their conflict after a three-day-long talk between Mr. Kim, the second most powerful military officer in North Korea after Kim Jung Un, and Vice Marshal Hwang Pyong-yo of South Korea. In attempt of reconciliation, South Korea agreed to stop the “anti-North psychological warfare” while North Korea expressed regrets for the tragedy of the two soldiers. In addition, the two Koreas concurred to hold reunions of Koreans who were separated from their families since the 1950-53 Korean War. After decades of tension, hidden or explicit, here is finally an accord that shed a hopeful light on the future of the two countries.
Tensions Rise on Korean Peninsula as Rumors Swirl Surrounding Peace Treaty By mingi yoon
On August 8, 2015, the relationship between North and South Korea further deteriorated after two South Korean border guards were severely injured by a landmine planted by North Korea near the military demarcation line, which divided the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) from the middle. One soldier lost both legs; the other lost one in the two explosions. A spokesman of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces stated, “This is a clear provocation by the North Korean military.” The landmine in this explosion—with wooden boxes—was the typical kind used by the North,
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the rexonian features october 20, 2015
Proposed Middle School Attracts Interest But Also Raises Questions Among Current Students About Potential Effects on the King’s Community gions and social classes, the Academy aims to foster empathy, tolerance and harmony.” However, since the middle school will not offer a boarding program, the students will be coming from a select group of students from Amman, and while they may be diverse in regards to economic backgrounds, thanks to financial aid, it would be a stretch to imagine that these students will have diverse backgrounds and religions. The fear of many students is that all of the attention going towards the establishment of the middle school will direct attention away from the necessary issues occurring in the high school. Shouldn’t King’s first focus on ameliorating and improving problems in the high school, and then think about adding a middle school? Dr. John stated that the middle school will not compromise the mission of the school, and that the administration would “never move forward with something that did that.” In fact, something the school has been able to do over the past five years is increase the international population and diversity of the school, and Dr. John believes the school is better for it; however, the middle school would not have this same international diversity. The school is “committed to preserving the issue of economic diversity, so financial aid is still going to be vibrant in both grades.” These grades would still “have the school’s commitment to providing an education regardless of a family’s needs.”
One student, Leen Al Zu’bi ’17, believes, and has heard from students outside of King’s, that the middle school “makes the school look commercial even though it is not,” and is in fact “unnecessary.” Furthermore, if the Academy wants to create a true King’s middle school, it should “at least make it similar to the students, such as including boarding to prepare
munity has heard countless times is the ‘600 goal.’ The school was designed to fit 600 students into the high school, and next year, King’s will be operating at that full capacity. In fact, according to Ms. Reem, the middle school was only opened after we had reached the target number for the high school, so it was clear the results from the high school
the students for what is to come,” lest the school risk becoming “like any other school in Amman with a really expensive tuition.” Something that the King’s com-
were ‘solid.’ Once King’s reaches its maximum high school capacity, it has the opportunity to expand further to more students. However, according to Dr. John, the “goal was not to
simply bring in more kids.” While it would be “great to give this education to more students in Jordan”, the “goal was to create a longer runway.” He added, “sometimes [we] feel like we’re trying to cram too much into 4 years; we want kids to enjoy school…not just race to the finish line.” Two main ideas that come to mind are the space needed for the middle school and the financial repercussions. Walking through the Academy Building between classes, there seem to be too many people in one place at one time. Attempting to accomodate 600 students in this campus seems a stretch, especially when considering the capacity of spaces such as the auditorium and the dining hall, so trying to house 720 students seems virtually impossible, even if the middle school will have its own building. In response to this, Ms. Reem said, “We have been given the luxury of living on this really big campus with smaller numbers, and it was made to accommodate a bigger number of students.” While most schools add new buildings when growing, King’s is merely rethinking its space, and while it may seem crammed at the moment, Dr. John doesn’t see this as a bad thing necessarily. He views the bustle and energy as a good thing that will ultimately help both schools. Furthermore, while the addition of the middle school may involve a capital investment at the moment as certain buildings are renovated and repurposed, the middle school overall will
the rexonian Features october 20, 2015 help the King’s budget. This is partially because no new buildings or facilities need to be built. A problem not often visible to the naked eye is the social barriers that might form due to the middle school. The size of each grade in the middle school will be about 60 students, meaning the entire middle school will be smaller than the present 9th grade. There are already clear social groups at King’s. In almost every grade, Jordanian day student, Asian, Saudi and American student groups form, with a few floaters in-between. This problem may be exacerbated by attempting to have a ‘inclusive’ freshman year consisting of 60 kids who have known each other and been friends for two years, with new students who don’t know each other. These cliques are bound to form again, and possibly be stronger than they are now. However, several members of administration believe that if intentional steps are taken, these cliques will not exist. Ms. Reem believes that the other students coming into freshmen year will ‘break down those little cliques.’ Dr. John believes that while there is a potential for cliques, the “spirit within [the] class is designed to break down those [cliques] and encourage kids to stretch beyond their comfortable peer groups and make new friends.” However, some students see a division in the future beyond just friendships. According to Dina Kuttab ’17, the gap in academic skills will cause a clear divide: “Students from the middle school will be already used to the King’s curriculum, whereas those coming from outside King’s will be at a great disadvantage because they will not be used to the King’s style of teaching, and fall behind.” “They are going to have the same uniform, and look the same as every other King’s student— just younger and shorter,” said Dr. John. Middle school students will be just as much a part of King’s as seniors. The middle school is designed to have communication and collaboration with the high school. Consequently, there will be many opportunities for high schoolers to work with middle schoolers such as acting as tutors or big- brother, big-sister programs, with the main intention of creating continuity between the two institutions. However, to those worrying about ‘their’ school being taken away, fear not—there will still be some division between the schools. The middle school is set to use the current administration building for its classrooms, and there will be a different set of teachers and advisories for the middle school than for the high school, a different schedule, separate co- curriculars, assem-
blies—for the most part, the middle school will be a separate entity within the broader King’s community. So what are so many Kings students opposed to, if there seems to be very little effect on high-schoolers’ day-to-day lives? In Leen’s opinion, “We don’t know a lot about the middle school, so our opinions are a bit prejudicial,” but according to Dina, there is another reason students oppose the change: “The upperclassmen, in particular, have become the establishment of the school. We are finally at a point where we know King’s, and then these massive changes occur.” Citing an ageold political quote, she then said, ‘if you’re young and not a liberal, you have no heart, but if you’re old and are not a conservative, you have no brain.’ Younger students may be enthusiastic about the school, but older students prefer familiarity, and consequently, it is expected that they reject this change. It may seem hard to pinpoint, but something feels wrong to them about the addition. “All I knew was that I didn’t like the idea of it, these kids coming in on my senior year— it just didn’t feel right to me,” Dina states. Furthermore, many students feel as if this whole idea is impetuous and rash. While the email from Dr. John to the King’s community stated that “for a number of years, we have explored the possibility of growing the school downward into the middle years, and over recent months we have held discussions with staff, faculty and parents to explore that possibility,” to many students, the news came as a shock. In the past, when the school considered major changes, such as the bring-your-own-device program, focus groups were convened and students were asked about their opinions. However, this time it feels as if the students’ voices have been pushed aside. In Dina’s opinion, “showing interest in what the students have to say— being more of a community decision—would be better than hearing rumors about it and then getting an email out of the blue.” While this decision was made with the consultation of staff, faculty and parents, it seems as if the legitimate concerns of students have not been heard. Often, students can see a perspective that adults cannot, and ultimately students are going to be the group most directly affected by this change, but it appears as if their opinions were never solicited, and they were never consulted. Since the middle school is already set on its track, what we need now is an open community discussion about the middle school and how we want this to ultimately affect the culture of our school.♦
A7
Based in the kingdom of Denmark, it follows two friends’ journey to save their old friend Hamlet from going mad. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern spend a maddening amount of time debating about the meaning of life, rather than what they were supposed to do, which was…well, we never really get to find out. Neither do they, though. In fact, they debate quite a lot about why they are in Denmark at all. Rosencrantz happily goes along with everything strange that seems to be happening and simply tries to have a good time. Guildenstern, on the other hand, tries to find an explanation for everything that is happening. He finds this increasingly difficult as the plot gradually thickens. Do you ever wonder why you’re here? What is the purpose of your birth? What of death? And all that boring stuff that happens in between? Well, this play will not give you any explicit answers. In fact, it will probably leave you more confused than you have ever felt regarding whether life is really life. Or rather, if death isn’t just life, and right now we’re all in fact dead! It’s okay if you feel confused—
the point of this play is to boil your mind, to stir a chaos of thoughts, force you to reflect upon the alternative possibilities beyond our mundane lives. As a member of the theatre major co-curricular, I play the part of Hamlet. Although the script is hard to comprehend at times, there are some hilarious moments that pop out randomly, involving hawks, tennis matches and handsaws. The rehearsals have gone seamlessly so far, with several casualties and only a few minor injuries, shattered bones and broken minds. Madness is catching, you know? No, I’m just kidding. But come think about it, what if we’ve actually all died, though it seems that we’re all still here because what is death anyway? Does death even matter? Is it what we are now—alive or dead, or in between, or else? In all seriousness, no humans were (extensively) harmed in the making of this play, except perhaps existentially. Watching Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead is a truly unique experience, one you should not miss out on. Come down and see it when it’s performed later this fall!
Although this influx has had a large impact on Europe and the Middle East, this is only a small subset of refugees globally. 59.5 million people are displaced worldwide due to violence in their countries; an estimated fifty percent of them are less than eighteen years old, according to the United Nations High Commissioners for Refugees. In addition, developing countries host over eighty percent of these refugees. In 2014, 1.66 million people submitted applications for asylum, the largest number recorded in history. It is only morally correct for one to support Europe’s acceptance of refugees. As students of King’s Academy who live in a country currently accepting refugees, we should be aware of this topic. The Jordanian
Government estimates that Jordan hosts around 1.2 million refugees, with above six hundred thousand refugees registered with the UNHCR. This means that approximately one in every seven people in Jordan is a refugee. It is important for younger generations in Jordan to sympathize with refugees and to be aware of the migration crisis around the world. As the migration crisis impacts our lives and potentially our future, it is important to understand the human aspect of the issue. As Pope Francis said in his speech to the U.S. Congress last month, “We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as people, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation.”
Dispatch from MUN
Ahliyyah School for Girls — Overall, a disappointing experience. This is not a matter of school competition, where it was bad because it was not ours. It was a genuinely poorly organised event, and it was not taken seriously by its presidents. The topics themselves were not boring. In my forum, the Crisis Committee, we had to resolve the issue of, and debate the solutions to, the 1954 Guatemalan Coup d’État as the leaders of the time (I was Mao Zedong, for example). But the Chair and President were barely researched on the issue and often one or both of them were absent, half of the delegates did not turn up, and the forum was disband-
by jack blacklaw
ed after the second day of debate. This is a more extreme example, but even the Security Council, the forum that is supposedly meant to have one of the highest levels of debate, was abandoned by both chairs and the delegates half-way through the third day of the conference. There were apparently instances of offensive language being passed around in other forums that angered teacher supervisors that went in to observe. To be fair, this is only ASG’s second MUN conference, and it takes time for a school to define and distill its goals. It does not change the results though, and it was still, unfortunately, a disappointment.
& C.
Senior Privileges and Proust: Proust is Love, Proust is Life By Ahmad Freihat Marcel Proust wrote the longest novel in history, In Search of Lost Time, twice as long at 4200 pages as Tolstoy’s War and Peace. The novel follows a young man, and this young man wishes to succeed in French aristocratic society and visit all the best salons. He looked up to another, Charles Swann, a humble and modest fellow who happens to be extremely well respected in high French society. Swann eventually marries a young lady whom he loved, and this young lady made him a cuckold, and tarnished his name. But Swann does not notice and continues to act as though he is high and mighty within French Society; he was in denial when it came to his wife’s actions, and continued to attempt to meet with his old friends the princesses and dukes. The seniors of King’s Academy, although known for exceedingly lengthy emails on the matters of coloring and democracy, haven’t replicated Proust but Mr. Charles Swann. Charles Swan was taken away from privilege, taken away from his high position as we the seniors have. But Charles Swann remained idle and simply stood by and allowed his very honor and reputation to be trampled upon. Inaction had killed him, for (spoiler alert) he does die in infamy. Swann could have fought in a multitude of ways. He could have defended himself, he could have stated his defense of his wife, why he believed her to be innocent at times, Swan could have simply disowned his wife and his bad habit, he could have regained his popularity amongst those who mattered, and he could have simply fought to regain his stance, using brute strength and power. But Swann was afraid of being wrong, more than he wished to be correct. The seniors can attempt to learn from poor Charles Swann, and they can act. Now, this being an Academic Institution there are certain methods which one may use to protest, an actual protest not included. Most schools not being democracies, and rightly so, one must please those in power, obey what they want, and request the return of one’s own power,
without disrespect, without the blurting out of a question implying hostility in a class meeting, and without chaos arising every time a question is asked about the subject in question, the subject being whether we are able to control ourselves or not… Or, in terms of the safe-keeping of our visits to salons and lounges, perhaps we should denounce our wives… or, rather, our bad habits. Perhaps with proof of our capabilities in control and civility we can attain such a place to call our own for an eternity. Perhaps through the use of good manners (I hope all our parents have taught us) we can tell the man and his system, “Hey, we deserve something,” right? But the Narrator of Proust’s tale, whose name is not stated, did attain, after all, what Swann once had, and he did not like it. He had thought there was more to matters, he realized that all those who inhabit the upper echelons of society have dedicated their entire lives to proving to others and to themselves that they inhabit the upper echelons of society and all that represents, art and nobility. But the true nobles of France and Europe were of such a high class they did not recognize the difference between a rich banker and a farmer—they were peasants all. He found that the purpose of prestigious society was solely for others to witness such a presence, and do as he had done, dream of attaining it. Instead, the Narrator found meaning in other matters; he found that education and art represent what we need, and instead of attempting to find life elsewhere we should find it where we are, through knowledge and expression. Whether one agrees with the privileges or believes they are vain, what is important is to not stand idly by, not to imitate Swann. We must either completely ignore matters of prestige or seek them successfully, but inaction will kill us, for we shall remain between two worlds divided, achieving nothing in our seniority, neither fulfillment nor self-fulfillment. We will die in infamy with few knowing our names. Or, rather, we will graduate, and move on.
The Agent of change By Pengfei Hu & Mr. Alex funnell
The students stood…apart. The dismantled puzzle before them seemed like a hopeless venture that one alone could not assemble. Disgruntled and ambivalent, the Agent of Change sought to gain their confidence, but the lack of communication was daunting and so was the collaboration. The students were resistant to change, until the catalyst fully described their endeavor. Slowly, they joined the Agent of Change and formed the table at which they all had a seat. The students were now equal, sitting together and sharing— they had underestimated their unique talents.
What’s Inside The New Water Pitchers? By omar sindi If you haven't noticed, the dining hall seemed different at the beginning of this school year. The floors have changed, the walls are freshly painted with a bright orange color, and as I walked down the aisles I noticed these odd looking clay pitchers standing awkwardly on each table, not seeming to fit in with the fancy juicer and the new TVs. As my curiosity got the best of me, I began to explore these carafes. I was surprised to discover upon removing the lid that there was water inside. I assumed that they were for decoration, to nourish flowers perhaps. Later Ms. Lara explained during lunch that they would be used to store water as a replacement for the water bottles, an environmentally-friendly gesture to
reduce plastic usage. During study hall my mom called, and I shared this piece of news. To my surprise, she told me how my grandfather had used the same style of clay jug to store water back in Jeddah, and how he used to cool water using air. Intrigued, I decided to look up the history of clay pitchers. Also known as earthenware pots, they originated in India and soon prevailed throughout Arabia through trade, becoming part of Arab culture. Scientifically, the capillary action makes water seep into and evaporate through the pores of the clay, making the water cooler. So, really, instead of looking down dismissively at these clay pots, you should take a minute to appreciate what is inside: not only water, but also the amazing technological and cultural aspects behind their odd facade.