Volume 2: Issue 3
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December 2013
!IB Busy
AISE’S OFFICIAL IB NEWSLETTER
The Best of 2013 For many looking back, it’s easy to say that 2013 was not the best of years. Between the heavy workload and political turmoil, there’s not much really to miss. But we’ve all had our good moments and in attempt to be annoyingly perky and unrealistically boastful about how this year rocked, here’s a look at some of IB Busy’s favorite quotes of the year taken from our old issues:
اليوم العالمي للغة العربية الثامن A ديسمرى من كل عام هو اليوم العالمي للغة العربية. عرس من < اللغة M االم Mال Aكرى من ٢٢٤مليون إنسان E Fىڡ A الرسق اللغة العربية هي M االوسط. تعريف لليوم E Fىڡ هذا اليوم ،منذ ثالثة أعوام ،قررت الجمعية العامة F وتسعںى لمنظمة اليونسكو ،قررت المنظمة خالل االنعقاد المائة االحتفال باليوم العالمي للغة Eالعربية F A ىڡ ديسمرى شهر من عرس الثامن g < E F والثقاىڡ ضمن نظام من كل عام .وهذا E Fىڡ إطار دعم التنوع اللغوي E M االمم المتحدة. هذه المبادرة قد أخذت من ِق َبل دولة المغرب والمملكة العربية ئيىس من هذه المبادرة هو تشجيع وتعزيز تعدد السعودية .الهدف الر E F االحتفاء بدور اللغة العربية E Fىڡ اللغات والتنوع باالضافة Eإىل g الثقاىڡ g E مساعدة حماية الثقافة والحضارة. أيضا طريقة لتوصيل المجتمعات فإن اللغة ليست فقط للتواصل ،فهي ً F ببعضها البعض .فهذا اليوم بمثابة مناسبة لتوضيح F F الثقاىڡ الكرى E الىى تحمله اللغة العربية معها ويعطي الفرصة gالستكشاف واالجتماعي E باالضافة إىل إسهامتها A للبرسية. نفسها اللغة المزيد عن g E فإن اللغة العربية هي اللغة M االم gال F E ثنںى A عضوا من أعضاء منظمة وعرسين ً باالضافة Eإىل اليونسكو وهي ً تعترى إحدي لغات المنظمة الرسمية g أيضا < اال F E واالسبانية .وكونها من اللغات نجلرىية والفرنسية والروسية والصينية g g الرسمية ،فكل المستندات الرسمية والقرارات تكتب بكل اللغات متضمنة رسميا إال عندما تكون مرىجمة بكل اللغة العربية .وال تصدر أي قرارات ً اللغات الرسمية. اللغة العربية من A أكرى اللغات إنتشارا ،فهي مستخدمه E Fىڡ دول A الرسق M االوسط ودول شمال إفريقيا. E Fىڡ يوم الثامن A ديسمرى عام ٣٧٩١بموجب قرار الجمعية العامة عرس من < M M F االحتفال فهذا وىڡ عام ،٠١٠٢قررت اال مم المتحدة g لالمم المتحدةE . أيضا أيام أخرى لالgحتفال بباىڡ اللغات الرسمية مثل ٠٢ ويوجد اليوم. E اال F E نوفمرى نجلرىية ،و ٣١من من مارس للغة الفرنسية ٣٢ ،من إبريل للغة g < للغة الروسية. تعترى من أهم اللغات E Fىڡ العالم بسبب عدد الناس إن اللغة العربية < تعترى فيما يسمي الىى < الىى تحدد الدول E الذين يتحدثون هذه اللغة وهي E العرىى . بالوطن < E
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لجينة هشام أبو عربان
اليوم لىك تحتفل بهذا E Fىڡ الهند ،قررت بعض المنظمات تنظيم إحتفاالت E االحتفاالت مساعدة لرىويج وتعزيز اللغة العربية وهي اليومE F .ىڡ هذه g عىل أهمية اللغة العربية والتوعية لها E Fىڡ أنحاء البلد. بمثابة E
E Fىڡ مرص كبرىاًُ حيث أنشأت هيئات متخصصة أعطت مرص للغة العربية اهتماماً E كمجمع اللغة العربية الذي M A عىل اللغة العربية أنىس خصيصاً للحفاظ E والتعبرى عن وآدابها والحرص عىل مواكبة لغات العرص الحديث، E مستحدثات اللغة وفتح الباب للتعريب والتوليد بحساب تفرضه Fرصورة المعارصة. االحتفال E Fىڡ مرص مظاهر g ً ً خصصت شبكة صوت العرب يوم ٠١٠٢/٢١/٨١يوما إذاعيا كامال ً لالحتفال باليوم العالمي للغة العربية تحت عنوان "العربية تجمع ًنا" وتتضمن عىل أهمية اللغة ودورها المهم مجموعة من الفقرات والسهرات تؤكد E Fىڡ التقدم F الثقاىڡ والحفاظ عىل حضارتنا العربية كما تعرض شبكة صوت E E A عىل مدار اليوم تتضمن أهم فعاليات االحتفال E Fىڡ وسائل العرب نرسات E االعالم . g الكثرى من الناس الذين أيضا، E Fىڡ هذا اليوم ً تقوم بعض الدول بتكريم E تركوا عالمة Fىڡ بالدهم Fىڡ اللغة العربية مثل وزراء الرىبية والتعليم E E والكتاب العظام. Fىڡ المدرسة M االمريكية E M F يشارك طلبة المدرسة االمريكية Eىڡ هذه االحتفاالت بإقامة بعد المشاريع لنرس التوعية عن أهمية اللغة العربية A الىى تهدف A ولنرس روح الثقافة E M فباالضافة لهذا المنشور ،شارك طالب العربية E Fىڡ المدرسة االمريكيةg . F اللغة العربية Eىڡ الحديث عن بعد كتاب وشعراء اللغة من خالل وضع شارات عىل أكتافهم F E طالبںى الناس لالستفهام والسؤال عن الشخصية وأهميتها التاريخية وما بذلته E Fىڡ هذا المجال.
أيضا بعض الطلبة بعرض المأكوالت العربية A والرسقية لطالب قام ً المدرسة ،فالهدف من ذلك هو Aنرس أهمية هذه الثقافة الذي ال يدري البعض أصولها وأبعادها.
Egypt’s Constitution Views and Viewpoints (January 2013): ”“Absolutely despicable. “Truly the future power dynamics in post-Mubarak Egypt remain ”ambiguous. The Truth About Valentine’s Day: (February 2013) : “It’s a day frankly that educates our children in the “ Kim Kardashian school of love’. IB Classroom Quotes (April 2013): “She’s going to kill me for the rest ”of my life. ”“The water is wet. “The volcanic volcano is under ”water. )“Die, dice. Dice, die.” (Ms. Nadine “Saif, what if I take your DNA and put sheep DNA into it and make ”?you produce sheep milk Berlin: What About Cairo? (June 2013): “Egypt needs a change of heart. Egypt needs motivation. Egypt needs to learn that when German women had to work ten hours a day for six days a week scraping plaster off of old bricks to reuse them, the result was a modern, strong, green city that we should look up to. There is no shame in admitting that we are behind many of the world’s countries; the shame is knowing that we are and then blaming ”someone else. The Person: A Farewell (May 2013): “The most important thing we do leave, though, is our impact on ”people. Here’s hoping for a better year, with equally funny material to write about. Happy 2014 from IB !Busy Yasmine Dessouky
IB Dates & Deadlines Class of 2014: December 19: EE Final Draft January 8: TOK Essay First Draft Class of 2015: January 19: First CAS Deadline Students: December 27: January SAT Registration Deadline January 25: SAT January 30: End of Term 2
World Arabic Language Day
Days Off: 20 December - 7 January: Winter Break January 13: Mawlid al-Nabi
On the eighteenth of December of each year, the International Day for the Arabic language is held celebrating its defining role in cultural and ethnic diversity. Arabic is the mother tongue for more than 422 million people in the Middle East.
*College Board Deadlines expire at 11:59 pm Eastern Time, USA
What is it? On this day, three years ago , the United Nation’s General Assembly decided during one of its sessions to celebrate the World Day of the Arabic language in the eighteenth month of December of each year. This decision was to show support to linguistic and cultural diversity within the United Nations. This initiative was taken by the State of Morocco and Saudi Arabia. The main objective of this initiative is to encourage and promote multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to celebrate the role of the Arabic language to help protect the culture and civilization . The Arabic language is not only a mean of communication, it is also a way to unite communities to each other. Today , it serves to illustrate the appropriate social and cultural treasures which the Arabic language carries.
Dates and deadlines are subject to change. IB Busy! cannot be held liable for any changes.
The Arabic language is the mother tongue of twenty-two members of UNESCO, and is also considered to be one of the official languages of the Organization along with English , French, Russian, Chinese and Spanish. And being one of the official languages means that all official documents and decisions are written in all languages, including Arabic. Arabic language is one of the most widely spoken languages . It is used in countries of the Middle East and North Africa. In line with the UN’s General Assembly’s decision in 2010, the United Nations annually celebrates the World Arabic day on the 18th of December, in memory of the 18th of December 1973. There are also other days to celebrate the rest of the official languages , such as March 20 for the French language , the 23rd of April to celebrate the English language, and the 13th November for the Russian language.
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The Arabic language is one of the most im-
IB Arabic A Students
portant world languages as it is widely spoken in the middle east and it is the foundation of the so-called Arab world . Today In India , some organizations decided to organize festivals in order to celebrate this day . These celebrations, help promote and strengthen the Arabic language as well as emphasize its importance and status among other languages. They also help raise awareness throughout the country among nonArabic speakers. In Egypt Egypt gives the Arabic language great attention as specialized bodies have been established solely for the maintenance and spread of the Arabic language. Among such organizations is the Arabic Language Academy which was established specifically to preserve Arabic literature, ensure that the Arabic language is keeping up with modern-day languages, and open the door for the Arabization of obstetrics. Manifestations of celebration in Egypt Voice of the Arabs radio channel has specified the 18/12/2010 fully for the celebration of the World Arabic Day, under the title “ Arabic brings us together “. On that day talk shows presented on this radio station dedicate their full lengths for the purpose of this celebration as they invite professional guests that help raise awareness about the matter. On this day also , Arab countries honor a lot of people who have positively impacted the status and preservation of the Arabic language. In School Students in school are participating in the celebrations by creating several projects to raise awareness about the importance of the Arabic language and to spread the spirit of celebrating Arabic in School. In addition to this flyer, students have created badges with the names of famous poets and authors. Students are encouraging fellow students and faculty members alike to approach them and ask about their character.
2014’s 1984 Every day, as IB students, we are made to question the validity of the knowledge we receive. Throughout these two years, we have spotted the flaws (and quite frankly, manipulations) of the media”, and how the general public tends to follow the herd, too blinded by the glamor the media seems to provide to accurately see the consequences. It is now the end of 2013, a time where we should probably start wondering how far we have come, and where to go from here. How close have we come to the manipulative dystopia George Orwell has created in his novel, 1984, which he so portrays as inevitable? In his gripping, and somewhat terrifying novel, Orwell tells the story of Winston, a seemingly uniform individual who works for the government in erasing the citizens’ memories through altering the daily supply of information they receive. Now, I’m not one for conspiracy theories and far-fetched assumptions, but ever since reading the novel, the uncanny similarities between Orwell’s predictions of the future and today’s world, stood out, to the point where they were hard to turn a blind eye to. It made me question; how much privacy do we actually have? The use of high-level technology to invade the privacy of the people is perhaps one of the similarities that stand out the most. In the novel, Telescreens, which are “two way televisions” are used by the government of the fictional nation, Oceania, to monitor the activities (illegal or otherwise) of the citizens. It is impossible to turn off the Telescreens, and people we constantly under the supervision of Big Brother. Similarly, the recent social media features allow us to disclose our
Rebecca Tenna locations and what we are doing. Are we, then, directly giving permission for the general public to, with lack of better words, “stalk” us? In all truth, how much privacy can be maintained if such things are available with easy access? The over glorification of technology has driven us to become what I like to call obsessive “sharers”. We feel the need to let everyone know aspects of our lives that we wouldn’t have shared otherwise (myself included!). Another aspect is the media. Yes, yes, it is an overly criticized topic; the media this, media that and we like to blame for our own shortcomings at once. But really, we are fed the knowledge we receive from the media, those who make us think what they want us to think. We are also taught to not bite the hand that feeds us. We aren’t allowed to criticize, to question their validity, much like in Oceania. Winston worked in a sector of the government that erased memories through changing the news, feeding the people a different flood of information depending on the outcome of the previous one. And technology, in our times, enables that even more. So how much do we really question our society and its ability to manipulate us? What if, even the most accurate source is creating illusions, hiding under its trustworthy reputation to win over the minds of the masses? Sure, we would all like to believe that we live in a world where we have the freedom of choice, of at least knowing what we want to know, but sooner or later, as Orwell has predicted, our denial will catch up to us. That is when the “hear no evil, see no evil” era will come to an end.
What Happened to Christmas? As Christmas approaches we are bombarded by Christmas merchandise in stores all over the world. Companies are taking advantage of the season in order to increase their profit. People are soon too distracted with buying Christmas trees, decorations and presents, that they forget what this holiday is really about. Christmas is more about appreciating your family and the little things that many people around the world are not privileged enough to have. It is evident that this commercialization developed gradually through time. We notice this in the Christmas carols. Most of the old Christmas carols are more about religion and the new ones are mostly concerned with the marketable aspects of Christmas such as decorating the tree and sharing presents. Of course there are positive aspects of this commercialization. It brings together cultures all over the world as we all enjoy Christmas as a festive season where we all get together. No matter which culture we belong to or which religion we believe in, we still like to sing Christmas songs and join in the celebratory spirit.
Fatima Nosseir This commercialization is not just evident during Christmas but also during other holidays, such as the Birth of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), as we are all guilty of indulging ourselves with confectioneries produced especially for that time. In Ramadan, food becomes the center of attention rather than understanding what the poor go through and thanking God for all the things we are blessed with. So why are we like that? Is it human nature? Is it human nature that we manipulate each other into forgetting what is important and caring about useless things? If it is human nature and we can’t really control it then what is the solution? I am not going to tell you to boycott Christmas merchandise and songs or the yummy sweets sold during Prophet Mohammed’s Birthday, because honestly that would be just boring and it will suck all the fun out of it. But what I am going to tell you is that while enjoying all these things think! Just think! It’s quite simple and it doesn’t take much energy. Think about the meanings of these holidays to you and the ones around you. After all we are IB kids: we were born to think!
IB Busy’s Top Christmas Songs Yes IB students, Christmas is approaching with all its jolly! Even though Christmas is the perfect time for shopping and spending time with the family, the seniors will have to finish the first draft of the TOK essay and the juniors will have to start preparing for the semester exams! However, these responsibilities will not stop us from enjoying Christmas. Here are the top ten all-time favorite Christmas songs compiled by the IBBusy team, to help all of you jingle all the way through your work! 1.
Michael Bublé - It’s Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas 2. Santa Baby (Glee version) 3. Brenda Lee - Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree 4. Bobby Helms - Jingle bell Rock 5. Selena Gomez and The Scene Winter Wonderland 6. Dean Martin - Let it Snow 7. Michael Bublé - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas 8. Karmin - Sleigh Ride 9. Taylor Swift - Last Christmas by 10. And our all time favorite: Mariah Carey - All I want for Christmas is You Fatima Nossier
THE CREW Karim G. El-Eita Marina Milad Rebecca Tenna Yasmine Dessouky Fatima Nosseir Nour Shoukry Malak Sekaly Omar Youssef With contributions from Lujaina Abu Erban Editing & Proofreading by Farah Salama and Hagar Salama Under the Supervision of Dr. Dina Taher, Ms. Susan Nour & Mr. Khalid Dinnawi Cover picture courtesy of the Class of 2014’s CAS Photography Team The opinions and views expressed at or through this newsletter are the opinions of the designated authors and do not reflect the opinions or views of the school or IB Busy!. IB Busy! is grateful for permission to reproduce any copyright material used in this publication. Acknowledgments are included, where appropriate, and, if notified, IB Busy! will be pleased to rectify any errors or omissions at the earliest opportunity. Copyright © 2012-13 IB BUSY!. All rights reserved. IB BUSY!
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In IB many things become issues, primarily the work. Before entering the IB this year, all I had to work with were some exaggerated rumors. Rumors of piles of work and sleepless nights overwhelmed me. Actually, these rumors scared many bright minds from joining the IB. I realize now that although the rumors held truth to some extent, life in IB isn’t that bad. I mean sure, we have enough work to do (and trust me, I’m not asking for any more), but the whole sleep issue is not as serious as I had thought it would be. Of course, with the IA’s and studying, so far I’ve had to pull a few all-nighters; however, in general, I sleep pretty well. Personally, I try not to get too distracted by other things and work on what I have to get done. This way, I usually go to sleep around 11 or 12 o’clock. Some nights, when I have work to do but “need” a break, it takes me until 1 or 2 in the morning. However, that is not the case most days. Other nights, I don’t have much work to do but still end up sleeping at 1 or 2 in the morning. So as for the hours slept thus far, I have a few records. My record for the most hours slept: Thursday night, from 6:30 PM till 11:15 AM Friday. So 16 hours and 45 minutes of sleep. And my record for the least hours slept: the night when Bio and Chemistry IAs were due resulting in ZERO SLEEP. As in, I didn’t even get in bed. Of course, these are the extremes. However, one thing is certain; IB has successfully changed my sleeping patterns. I sleep way too much on the weekends and not enough throughout the week. I mean, sure, I’ve gotten used to this little routine that I have to deal with, but why? My mental clock is screaming at me to give it a break. I suppose it’s in our best interests. Maybe if we mess our sleeping patterns up now, we won’t have to later on. I think it’s more of a lesson. In the words of our beloved “EX” president Morsi, IB and procrastination “don’t mix”. The love of IB and all of its future perks comes with some sacrifice. Sleep being one of the key areas where this sacrifice applies. Omar Youssef
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Abercrombie & Fitch “All ladies above a dress size 10 US, you are not welcome in my store!”: A statement Abercrombie and Fitch might as well have taped to their store’s door. The fashion world continues to surprise us daily. Has it really come to a point where a brand of clothes victimizes women with specific dress sizes? The American clothing company Abercrombie and Fitch doesn’t carry above a size 10 or larger for women. CEO, Mike Jeffries has been reportedly stating provocative comments directed towards women he labels as “plus size.” Let us imagine what a size 10 US looks like; a 78 cm waist, a 96 cm bust, and 108.5 cm waist. If that doesn’t seem small, it should after realizing that the average dress size for American women is 14. Following Jeffries’ rules, the average American woman is not allowed to shop at Abercrombie and Fitch, and is in a sense forbidden. I’m not sure how restricting individuals from buying clothes by not producing their size is moral or reasonable, especially when the CEO of the company has rude comments to add to his behavior. Jeffries admits his arrogance as he states, “Abercrombie is only interested in people with washboard stomachs who look like they’re about to jump on a surfboard.” Nothing is more appalling than pointing out to teenagers across the world that they will only fit in if they are fit and attractive. Not
If Only Our world would be such a peaceful place to live in, if only we could get rid of the negative characteristics that could lead to the destruction of humanity. Fear would no longer halt potential. People would have the freedom to express themselves and their voices would indeed be heard. Social judgment would no longer prevail. Discrimination would be forgotten. There wouldn’t be room for stereotypes. Societal norms will no longer limit individuality. The fear of social punishment would become a mere concept of the past. People would live happier, healthier, and more peaceful lives. Jealousy and envy won’t be necessary in a world that stresses upon peaceful aspects. If I could invent something, I’d invent a machine that spreads peace throughout the world. This machine will eradicate concepts of hatred, vengeance, and tyranny. The machine will get rid of greed, selfishness, and classism. This machine could change the world; peace will no longer be difficult to implement everywhere. Inequality and injustice will no longer exist. Differences in class will no longer be taken into account; the rich and the poor will work together towards improving their economic growth
Malak Sekaly only is Jeffries manipulating the minds of innocent teenagers who already feel insecure about their looks, but he is also advocating the importance of appearances. He goes on to support his shallow argument by stating, “Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong.” What he doesn’t realize is the all-American kid is most probably a size 14, and will be unable to shop at his superficial store. Looking back at the pervious statistics given, if the average American woman is size 14, does that mean that the average American does not belong, does not have friends, and is not attractive? Does that also mean that anyone above a size 10 is an unattractive loner? Jeffries’ statement reaches millions of girls worldwide, and his superficial comments tell girls everywhere that in order to be popular, loved and pretty, they must not be larger than a size 10. Imagine the million causes of bulimia, anorexia, and eating disorders this one man could cause. Zsolt Zatrok
Sleep Deprivation
It’s truly disappointing to be living in a time where appearances outweigh any other characteristic. It is enough that society has explicit rules on how one must behave and look, but telling them that a acceptable appearance in society’s eyes is the key to happiness is a step too far. Women everywhere should feel free to shop where they please, and should not be restricted by dress sizes produced, and a bitter, superficial man. Nour Shoukry and development; individuals will no longer allow their rights to be degraded. People will have a greater incentive to unite and work together, leading to a greater workforce in the economy and a country’s development and stability. Money and fame will no longer determine success. We wouldn’t have such high poverty levels; we wouldn’t have high levels of crime, suicide, and unemployment rates. Of course, the idea of an “ideal” world is non-existent, but if it were to be, this world would have been a much better place to live in. This machine would be such a fascinating invention, but again, this is just my imagination of an invention that is nearly impossible to achieve. However, I do believe that humans can make this difference, human beings are destined to be the most unique and the most intelligent, and so a human being is by far more capable of change than a machine. Machines are man made inventions and humans have been able to reach complex inventions; human beings will one day be able to accomplish what this imaginary machine can accomplish.