BEYOND the BOOKS
Anson Mersereau ’14, Michael Keating ’14, Mimi Melkonian, Spencer McDonough ’14, and Julien Noujaim ’15.
Arabic Nations
relieF eFFort
t
He worlD IS Now
raises awareness
awareness initiatives. last year,
home to more than 45
the group set up a food stand to
million refugees, a number
help expose students and faculty to
that grows every day. In the
Arabic culture — taking the stand
Syrian conflict alone, more
to the Middle School and adding
than 2 million have been internally
’14, Michael keating ’14, Anson
washington, D.C., where it was
a visual presentation “to awaken
displaced or forced to flee into
Mersereau ’14, Julien Noujaim ’15,
airlifted to Qatar with donations
the Middle Schoolers to Arabic
neighboring countries.
emma Nossier (gA ’14), and Ally
from other parts of the
culture as well as turn them on
To aid in the relief effort, Bruns-
Sterling (gA ’14).
United States.
to the idea of taking Arabic at the
wick’s Arabic Club joined hands
Clothing drop bins were
The Qatar Foundation
with Qatar Foundation Interna-
placed in three locations —
thanked Brunswick on its
tional to organize a clothing drive
Brunswick’s Upper School
Facebook page. Now, the
to help clothe Syrian refugees. The
and Middle School, and
Qatar Foundation, which has a
greenwich Academy.
U.S. branch in D.C., is dedicated
The goal: To have every
to educating and supporting strug-
Upper School student give one arti-
the clothes collected during
The group teaches children Arabic
gling areas of the Middle east.
cle of winter clothing, enabling full
the drive.
and Hebrew to help foster coexis-
The club, headed by Spencer McDonough ’14 and advised by
outfitting of 100 refugees. Brunswick and gA rose to meet
Mimi Melkonian, Upper School
the challenge: The drive collected
Arabic teacher, has seven active
402 articles of clothing and enough
members: Spencer, Jimmy Bell
funds to ship the collection to
club awaits an opportu-
Upper School.” later this year, the Arabic Club plans to join hands with Hand In Hand, an organization based in
nity to Skype with the
Israel that educates a young gener-
refugees who received
ation of Jewish and Arab Israelis.
“The opportunity to chat with
tence, with the goal of helping to
the refugees in Syria would be a
quell conflict that has been ongoing
dream,” Spencer said.
in the region.
B
The clothing drive is only one of the club’s many fundraisers and
w w w . B rU N Sw I C kSC H o ol . o rg
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