The Rexonian (January 2014)

V olume VII; I ssue 1

J anuary 2014

K ing ’ s A cademy, M anja - M adaba , J ordan

Locked Out of Heaven

By BAYAN AL-MAJALI ‘14 Assigning editor

The Cygnus, a constellation that lies north of the Milky-way galaxy, is Greek for “Swan”. The constellation consists of 9 major stars, one of which is “Geinah”, or “Janah” in Arabic. Found by an Arab astronomer, “Janah” is the major star found on the wing of the swan. It is named Janah because it means wing in Arabic.

In the Cygnus, Janah is the wing of the swan. In King’s, the Janah girl dorm is the north wing of the Sulafat boy dorm. With only around twenty girls living, Janah is a very small, cozy dorm. A dorm of seniors, juniors, and sophomores, Janah is replete with many

types of personalities. The smart, funny, outgoing, shy, and whatever you could think of could be found in Janah.

Walking into Janah with the scent of the lemon trees and sight of an enormous swan greeting you, the dorm becomes a second home. Unlike all of the brother-sister dorms, Janah stands independent. Unlike other dorms, Janah has an astounding view of both the sunrise and sunset. It is on the edge of King’s, making it a more peaceful dwelling. The dorm’s characteristics are found in each of girls. With only one month of co-

Table of Contents PageS 2-3 WORLD

Arab Spring M o vi n g t o M a r s Google Nuclear

Page 5 ARTS& ENTERTAINMENT

OPINION

Egypt Ordering food

Dear readers, Happy New Year! We here at the Rexonian look forward

LIFE

Vine Series Review Songs of the Issue

“I love how it is the smallest dorm on campus. Whatever something bad is said about it, makes the dorm look good. It is just unique.” –Rawan

Mr. Ben Watsky Volleytball

“With only twenty girls, the bathrooms are clean.” –Rawan

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to bringing you the news every month. Due to technical issues, we were unable to publish last fall. We hope you will

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enjoy this issue and look forward to bringing you the news

ARABIC

every month. Best, The Rexonian.

Quotes: “I love how the dorm is small enough that we are very close with each other and provides a very cozy atmosphere.” –Aseel

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habitation, the girls became an extended family with the mother Farah, father Imad, and the aunt Alli. And of course, not forgetting Mrs.Cassie, Mrs.Gertrude, and Mrs.Emily’s homey presence in the dorm. If you haven’t stopped by, then you are missing a lot.

It has only been a month and yet the dorm is developing its own unique identity. Although Janah is the smallest dorm, it will keep on rising to the top.

Mr. Alex’s clothes

“It is so cozy and homey. Oh and Rawan’s vacuum every morning….”

-Raghd

WORLD

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T he R exonian

They Released the Hummingbird

By ABDULRAHMAN JAMJOOM’15 Assigning editor

Google has just attacked; they have released their hummingbird to solve our homework, problems, and to sort our lives. Sept 27, 2013 is the day when the world’s smartest “person” celebrated his birthday; it was Google’s birthday!!! Google have launched its new algorithm, the “Hummingbird” on its birthday, as its gift to the world. Project Hummingbird is the most radical development in Google’s algorithm since the past 12 years; it reshaped Google, and it made it human. Now Google can make sense of what you say, compare things for you, and in the process, became much more efficient. “15 years on, we’re just getting

started” says google, and believe me, they mean it.

Google “Ice-cream Vs. Cake” and see what happens, you get a chart that compares the fats and carbs in an ice cream with that in an average cake. How cool is that? Project Hummingbird modified how Google functions, and made Google understand what you are asking for. For example, if you searched for something about World War I, and move on to search “Germany”, Google used to simply give you information and links to sites about Germany and related topics. Now Google will figure out that you are searching for Germany in World War I, and the results focus on that combined topic. The old Google used to search the word inquiry and match things together to get you the best results, but now it thinks, makes sense of your words, and then searches the results. And thus the Hummingbird tries to provide you with more relevant and accurate search results that will make your life easier. And here we face the question, “Is Google really making our lives harder by simply making it easier in the short run?”

In fairly recent discussions of Google, a contro-

versial issue has been whether Google is making our lives harder or not. On the one hand some argue that Google is simply making our lives harder by giving us access to a huge chunk of sorted data without any effort. Think about it, how did a student 20 years ago research things? They used to spend a lot of time going through books in the library, reading, and analyzing obscure texts. Do you even remember when you last personally went to the library for research? I don’t. Nicholas Carr, the writer of “Is Google Making Us Stupid”, claims that Google is actually making us stupid, as it makes us change the way we read, so hungry for fast and accurate information that we denounce spending time reading books and articles, thus affecting our “ability to concentrate”.

So, is Google making us dumber? I believe that Google provided the world with a tool that makes research much easier and more efficient. This allows you to get more information in less time, and more accurate/relevant info with less reading. And NO, I don’t think it make you dumber. Getting more information and knowledge makes you more cognizant. Furthermore, this new tool makes teachers and professors expect more from us as students now that it’s much easier to get access to info than 20 years ago. So ask yourself, would you rather live in a world with or without Google? Would it make a difference for you?

A Nuclear Future

By Sun Woo Kim’15 Assigning editor

It has been around two and a half years since the Fukushima disaster of 2011 in Japan, during which the tsunami of the Tohoku earthquake caused equipment failures that ultimately resulted in nuclear meltdowns and radioactive material release. The issue has been brought back to limelight this October, when it was revealed that toxic water and radioactive materials were leaking into the Pacific Ocean, two years after the accident. This catastrophic incident has ever since raised questions in both the political arena and the scientific community about whether nuclear energy can be relied on as the future of energy production.

From a political perspective, nuclear energy is a dying fire. Just weeks after the accident, the number of people who “would approve building nuclear facilities in the US” decreased to 43%

(from 57%). With waning public support for nuclear energy, many governments are heading to policies that will reduce reliance on nuclear facilities. The former Prime Minister of Japan Koizumi recently claimed that the country should rid itself of nuclear facilities and switch to other sources of energy. Korea is supporting a “One less nuclear plant” campaign to reduce national reliance on nuclear energy.

However, with carbon emissions growing at an uncontrollable rate, the issue of energy production is one that cannot simply be determined based on public consent. The line between irrational fear and prudence must be clearly drawn.

In fact, the NAIIC, the independent investigation commission for the Fukushima accident, classified the accident as a “man-made disaster” that “could and should have been foreseen and pre-

2013-2014 Executive Editor LARISA ABUGANAM ’ 14 Managing Editor OMAYMAH AL-HARAHSHEH ’14 Assigning Editors BAYAN AL-MAJALI ‘14 SUN WOO KIM ‘15 AMINA AWAD ‘14 ABDULRAHMAN JAMJOOM’15 DIALA AL-RABADI’14 SHAHD QANNAM ‘14 SAEED ARAFA ’14 Photography Editor DALIA JAWAMIS ’14 EHAB AWWAD ‘15 Copy Editor FARAH KHANFAR’15 AYSHA GHOTO ‘14 Layout Editors ALIA SAMAWI’15

Staff Writers NEVEAN DEKAIDEK ‘15 TALA KASIH ‘15 NAJWA KAAWACH ‘14 ZEIN SAID ‘15 FARAH SAMAWI ‘15 Faculty Advisors MR. MATTHEW PLAIN MISS MEREDITH BRYSON

vented.” There are also leading health experts who have concluded that the radiation from the meltdown is relatively harmless when compared to the regular levels of radiation we are exposed to on a daily basis. Thus, while some argue that a possible accident poses too great a cost to pursue nuclear fission energy, others argue that benefits rooting from providence and foresight coupled with further scientific research can offset the costs of a possible accident, and provide clean, sustainable energy.

Happily, the “man-made” disasters can be alleviated by men. The issue of radiation leakage and nuclear disasters can be mitigated through cautious governmental measures and preparation. Furthermore, nuclear fission energy already provides about 13% of the world’s electric consumption. It produces minimal greenhouse gas, and does not require fossil fuels to sustain. It would be imprudent to forgo such a large sector of the energy market. Thus, at our current peak of energy consumption, discrepancies between hard science and policy must be brought down, and policy makers must unite science and policy to create an effective plan for a nuclear future while mitigating the risks of a possible disaster.

WORLD

J anuary 2014

Path to Democracy: Arab Spring

By ZEIN SAID’15 Staff Writer

Frustrated by dictatorships, human rights abuses, political corruption, unemployment, extreme poverty, people across the Arab World and North Africa have demanded more of a say in their countries policies.

When a street vendor set himself on fire in protest in the Tunisian capital it was pictured on cell phones and broadcasted on the Internet. His act touched Tunisians and Arabs across the region.

Since then dictators have been removed from power in Tunisia (Zine Al-Abidine Bin Ali), Egypt (President Hosni Mubarak and President Mohammed Morsi), Libya (Muammar Qaddafi), and Yemen (Ali Abdullah Saleh). Violent protests have surfaced in Bahrain and Syria. Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, and Sudan have also seen demonstrations.

Since the dictators in the three countries were removed, the countries have held fair elections. The people of these countries are also expressing their opinions much more freely – another sign of reform.

In Jordan, protesters have clashed with the security forces but the country has seen nothing like the violence in neighboring Syria.

In Jordan, as a result of the popular call for electoral reform, the parliament has been granted more powers, and the prime minister has been chosen through elections, not appointed by the King. The citizens are also demanding more employment opportunities and lower prices of general commodities.

Unfortunately since 2011, when the Arab Spring started, the chances of democratic reform have diminished. Even the first demonstrations in Tunisia, the Middle East and North Africa remained the” least free in the world,” according to Freedom House. (Around

72 percent of the countries and 85 percent of the people don’t have basic political and civil rights) In Egypt, an elected president, Mohammed Morsi, was removed and replaced by the army-chosen president, General Sisi. The country is deeply divided with partisans of ousted Morsi clashing daily with the incumbent army. Syria is undergoing a bloody civil war, and Libya and Yemen remain unstable and weak.

Watching events in 2013 makes people wonder if the Arab Spring is turning into the Arab Winter. There has been a decline in living standards, more violence, and more death since it has started.

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However, the path to democracy has never been easy, as had been seen in previous historical struggles for democracy (France, Italy, etc.), where the blood of the clash between radicals and reactionaries eventually paved the road to the democracy we see today.

Some even argue that the bloodshed is necessary in order to root out the authoritarian roots, and tone down the initial radicalism. It is obvious that achieving true democracy will not be easy or quick in the case of the Arab Spring. Clearly, we have taken the first step through the removal of the dictators, but the question of how long, and how many more lives this process will take remains.

Moving to Mars

By FARAH SAMAWI’15 Staff Writer

Though Coldplay continues to create an ingenious creation of songs and works, a new innovation has surfaced perhaps taking Coldplay’s song too seriously. Bas Lansdrop, co-founder of a nonprofit Netherlands based organization of Mars One has announced the move to Mars, in which they hope that half a million applicants will apply to. Mars One aims to form a colony on Mars by 2023. 202,586 people have already registered for their one way trip to Mars with an application fee ranging from $5-$75. Of the half a million applicants that Mars One hopes will apply, only twenty four applicants will be selected to move to Mars.

The selection of the twenty four applicants will not be random, the applicants are scheduled to go through four rounds, after each round the selected committee decides which applicants will pass through to the next. The first round consists of an online application, a motivational letter, a resume and a one minute video in which the candidates explain why he/she should be among the first to colonize Mars. In the second round, the candidates are required to submit a medical statement showing that they are in good health, and attend an interview. The third round might become a televised reality show, in which 20-40 contenders will be challenged to validate their survival on Mars. The audience will then vote for a single winner per region, and the Mars One committee will select contestants to fill in the vacant spots. The final round will be an international one, in which all participants will speak in English. Inter-

national groups will be chosen by the Mars One committee from the remaining pool applicants. Through difficult circumstances and harsh living conditions, the applicants must prove themselves worthy. They will receive short term training in an environment mimicking the Mars base.

The first round of training starts this year, after which six groups of four will become astronaut corps. During the whole training process, applicants may be rejected according to their performance.

Mars One has estimated that to send a mere number of four applicants to Mars, the cost would be six billion US dollars, which roughly converts to 4,200,000,000 JDs. The cost includes all hardware operational expenditures and margins. Although the design studies have been completed, the project still lacks funding to cover the entire cost. Once benefactors have been found, the price and calculations of the total price will be calculated more precisely. Thus, they will be able to appeal to possible sponsors.

Mars One plans to have a reality show of the

applicants on Mars, and perhaps in ten years we will all be glued to the television watching a Martian reality show. This whole procedure sounds just like a spinoff of Andrew Niccol’s screen play of The Truman Show. Yet, instead of starring Jim Carry, it may star your friend’s cousin, in Mars. Yet, the essential question remains. Is it worth it? Applicants will be training for ten years after which a trip of nine months awaits them, just to reach Mars. Imagine the isolation, a morning without the chirp of a bird. A winter without the white of the snow. A summer without the coolness of an iced drink in your hand.

A night not with one moon, but two. Would you be able to endure it? Would you be able to live on Mars?

OPINION

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Egypt on the road to democracy…

Or Napoleon’s dictatorship

By Mohammad Abu Hawash ‘15 Contributing writer

The overthrow of the Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi by the Egyptian army- or as some say by the people’s revolution, struck a lot of controversy. Almost immediately after the Army’s intervention, civilians flocked into the streets to either support or condemn the actions of the Egyptian army. The USA was hesitant in calling it a coup, and many Arab states expressed their support of the Minister of defense, General, and Commander-in-chief of the Egyptian forces-Mr. Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. However, does the support from the Arab world and the non-interventionist policy of the United States mean that Egypt is on the right track? Does Morsi deserve what happened to him? Were the crimes which he was accused of by the opposition true?

Egypt has its share of challenges. Its economy is deteriorating, and the people have turned against one another. The army seems to have the upper hand- which means that nothing has really changed for them. The Egyptian forces have always interfered in Egyptian affairs. Mubarak himself was the Air chief marshal of the Egyptian Air forces and the monarchy was removed by the free officers movement in 1952.

The Egyptian forces reminded us of its influence in the country’s politics (which was undermined during Morsi’s reign as President) with the military coup in July this year. The July events had several fallouts, and eventually led to the army storming Rab’a Al Adawyah square in Cairo and slaughtering protesters all over the country.

What we have seen in the last two years was not a very peaceful transition of power. A high death toll accompanied the Egyptian population in its strive to freedom. But what is it exactly that caused all this? And what should Egypt do in the future?

Morsi’s opposition made some surprising accusations against him. Friends of mine who live in Egypt claimed that Mohammad Morsi’s agenda wanted to ban music, theatre and all other kinds of art. Some even went on to say that he wanted to impose a ban on alcohol and enforce the hijab. Other accusations included banning couples from walking in public and freeing criminals who are loyal to the brotherhood. The list goes on forever, however when looking at the freedom and Justice party’s platform, you don’t see any of

these claims clear. You don’t even see links to it.

In fact, when compared to all the other Islamic parties who took part in the elections, you see that the freedom and Justice party was the most moderate. Some of the accusations also do not make much sense. My cousin got married and spent a part of her honeymoon in Egypt while Morsi was in power. I am positive that the couple would not have picked Egypt as their destination if Morsi banned couples from appearing in public together.

So, could these accusations just have come out of thin air? Or is there something on which they are based? The truth is as follows. By looking at the streets of Cairo, you may as well have believed those anti-Morsi activists. Radical and extremist-fundamentalist supporters of Morsi did in fact make claims such as the banning of alcohol and the banning of theatre performances.

Conversely, we do not see such laws imposed by the government. Those people are not involved in the government. You cannot claim that Morsi’s platform had some hidden goals just because a few lunatics mentioned that on the street.

Likewise, it seems to me that the opposition to Morsi are more closely affiliated with the Egyptian media. They had a wider scope of audience than you might think. This enabled them to spread their propaganda quickly, which is one of the reasons why the opposition was successful at rallying so much support. Morsi’s government made a number of mistakes by arresting activists and satirists like Bassem Yousef during a period of time during which the situation in Egypt was closely observed by the local and international community. This bad timing led to even more unrest than what would normally arise from the capture of an activist or a world-renowned comedian.

I personally believe that the army should be held responsible for the way things turned out since the elections. The way in which the Egyptians rushed into the elections was not a particularly good idea. And it was the army who led the way to these elections, confident that the party which they supported was going to win. Then, when the Morsi won the elections to Ahmad Shafiq by that very close margin, the army began to sulk and complain.

Ordering food.

By Tala Kasih ‘15

Contributing writer

Although the food in the dining hall has been getting better, ordering food has become a very popular trend amongst King’s Academy students. A plethora of students are constantly ordering food for dinner on weekdays, and for lunch, as well as dinner, on weekends. Some students directly order from the restaurant themselves, and others use taxis to transport the food over from Amman. From shawerma to pizza, students can order whichever food stimulates their taste buds. Here’s a list of the most popular restaurants amongst students at King’s with their phone numbers. Please make sure you order before study hall starts. Buy food, go local!

Tal3et il deir: 0799303282 Darna: 0795111640 Pizza lover: 0797993535

Holding elections during such a sensitive period of time could only lead to trouble. The people are still full of energy and still ready to start over if things did not turn out their way. Of course, a democratic system of elections will never satisfy every person in the population. It serves to satisfy the majority.

To make things simple, Egypt rook the wrong step by approaching elections at such a delicate period of time. We do not want Egypt to end up taking one hundred years to make the transition like France did. It will also not succeed in a year and half like Tunisia, but that does not mean the only option is to wait a hundred years and suffer under dictatorships and military rule like the French under Napoleon.

Now that Egypt is back to where it was on the 11th of February 2011, with military rule and hopes of doing it right this time, I think Egypt should approach a new way of formulating a successful transition into power. Instead of rushing into elections, the army should carry out a noninterventionist policy and non-bias. That could only work by loosening and eventually removing its grip over Egypt’s internal affairs. Political debate between the 24 parties which took part in the elections while the police maintain internal stability and the Armed forces maintain the borders- especially those with Gaza and Israel. The army should realize that if there is any chance to reach an agreement between the parties, it is if they act and speak for themselves. They should be backed only by their civilian supporters. If need arises, the dialogue between the parties could be facilitated, but by a non-military organization. It should also take as long as it wishes.

Deadlines should be set for dialogue on certain topics, not the entire process. This way, the deadlines can be more loosely dealt with. They could be moved easily and it would not cause such a great uproar if the deadline is passed and no result is agreed on. Egypt needs to take its time and settle its problems using patience and by finding common grounds on which the 24 parties could be condensed into 4 or 5 and therefore be able to lead the way to what we all hope to be Egypt’s transition into democracy and the return of its prosperity.

J anuary 2014

ARTS

& ENTERTAINMENT

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Vine

By NEVEAN DEKAIDEK ‘15 STAFF WRITER

Vine is a (relatively) new app for phones used by millions of people of all ages around the world. The point of this app is to film short videos that are, at most, 6 seconds long. These 6 seconds are used very wisely. In order to gain the followers users yearn for, they must create exceptionally entertaining videos. The amount of creativity, time, and effort users put into a single Vine is substantial. Users show off their musical talents, artistic talents, and most of all their humor through their Vines. Similar to Twitter, Vine users can become “Vine verified”. The difference is that solely famous people (actors, singers etc.) can

be verified on Twitter; while on Vine, anyone that has a significant amount of followers and prevalently popular Vines can be Vine verified. This app seems to allow predominantly “normal” people to become Vine famous. Many Vines prove that users will do almost anything to please their followers. Users commonly say, “do it for the vine,” except in one instance, “don’t do it for the Vine,” when a man was hit by a speeding car while shooting Vine. Some popular and funny vine users are Brandon Calvillo, JEROME JARRE, and Jordan Burt.

Series Review: Orange is The New Black

Songs of The Issue

By LARISA ABU GANAM‘14 Editor-in-cheif

By FARAH KHANFAR‘15 COPY EDITOR

1- Awkward- San Cisco 2- What Would You Do? - Bastitille 3- Atlas Hands - Benjamin Francis Leftwich 4- Knee Socks - Arctic Monkeys 5- Buzzcut Seasomn - Lorde 6- Slip Away - Josh Garrels 7- Nantes - Beirut 8- Bahr - Mashrou’ Leila 9- Landfill - Daughter 10- Hey Brother - Avicii If you have any suggestions for our next issue do not hesitate to contact us! :) “Orange Is the New Black” is a new show released by Netflix with 13 episodes in the first season. OITNB centers around an average blonde woman, played by Taylor Schilling, who gets caught for committing a crime and is sentenced to federal prison. The show deals with the different encounters and stories of the main character Candy Chapman as well as the other female prisoners. It showcases the complexities of federal prisons and what goes on behind bars. It’s meant to intrigue a mature audience and is laced with dark humor as well as lighthearted female drama.

LIFE

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Mister Ben Watsky interview

Volleyball

By DAILA AL-JAWAMIS ‘14

A 1.8-million-year-old skull uncovered in the Republic of Georgia might change the way we view ancient human evolution forever.

The different ancestral species we know today include Homo habilis, Homo erectus, and many others. However, the finding of this ancient skull, older than any skull we have ever found, shows that all of these species may be variants of a single species. Basically, the different species that we have thought to have existed, might all be of the same species, just in different shapes and sizes.

David Lordkipanidze, the paleoanthropologist from the Georgian National Museum in Tbilisi, led the international team is coming up with this conclusion. The main discovery used to help the team reach this conclusion was a skull excavated in 2005 named, “Skull 5.” Scientists describe this skull as “the world’s first completely preserved adult hominid skull.” This skull was different because it included features that other ones did not, such as a long, apelike face, large teeth and a tiny braincase, which was about one-third of the size of ours today. The skull that was uncovered earlier this month includes features found in most of the skulls that we consider to be different species.

Ultimately, this is what led the team in thinking that all of the skulls are variants of the “original” skull.

This discovery is revolutionary and will change the minds of historians and all mankind on where we came from as a race. Not only will conventional wisdom require a complete reorientation, a new direction will be set for scientific research regarding anthropology and archaeology. The books, case studies, and historical records will be altered forever. This is such an important discovery to the scientific community as well as the educational world as it will change the way students are taught. Evolution is covered throughout most public schools, however, the way it is taught could be all wrong, igniting the need for a change in curriculum.

PHOTO EDITOR

1.Tell me about yourself?

a.23 b.Graduated from Yale University in may c.It his second time in Jordan. His first visit was for one day but this is his real time being in Jordan. d.He is very excited to be here e.He really enjoys doing Yoga and loves singing f.He was in an acapella group called Spizzwinks at Yale

2.How did you know about King’s Academy?

a.He attended a job fair in Philadelphia and was asked for an interview b.Also knew about it from Mister John Wolf, a colleague from Yale University.

3.What was your first impression of:

a.School : i.“This place is so beautiful” ii.It fades away quickly as time passes by iii.His first day was awesome, he felt that this place is very nice architecturally. iv.“The breezeway is grand, it’s awesome” b.Students: i.“They are awesome” ii.“first students I met were proctors. They looked happy, thoughtful, mature, friendly and passionate. iii.“I am very impressed of the hard work in which students pay effort in each of their studies. They are engaged, and they are excited to learn” iv.“I love the student’s positive energy”

4.Favorite activities:

a.Glee club: “Makes me happy each week and whenever I finish the rehearsal I feel energized and ready to continue my week” b.Hikes! He loved the Wadi Hidan hike and he says “It made him feel good because the kids were also excited and everyone had a good time.”

5.How do you spend your day?

a.Teaching and thinking about teaching “Grading papers, preparing for class and reflecting.” b.His days are mainly busy because they are filled with activities and duties c.Spends his days with other teachers, talking to friends and catching news from his family and friends back home.

6.What did you think of Jordan before coming and did it change when you came?

a.“I was not totally shocked, I expected what to see” b.“Hospitality here is awesome” c.“I love how now cities from all around the world are being kind of similar but here, the arab culture is still in everyone’s life and it still exists” d.“Also, The small cultural things make Jordan unique” e.“Jordan has a very strong identity in the middle east and it is very well known because people here are proud of their identity and their country”

7.What are some advice you got from old teachers here at king’s that you would like to share with new faculty? a.Engage students not only in class, but also outside b.Excitement has no limit. How much you are enthusiastic about a topic the students will be too. “Class responds to your enthusiasm” c.“If you care, students care more” d.“Students, and people in general, find it really funny to talk in Arabic. At least for me!”

8.What are some advice you give to students?

a.Ask for help when you need it. “Teachers here are amazing, and if a student asks for extra help that makes me think that this students cares about this subject and is actually interested” b.“I love it when students ask for help”

By joshua claxton pg CONTRIBUTING WRITER

J anuary 2014

FASHIONISTA OF THE ISSUE The Most Fashionable Teacher of the Issue

By DIALA AL-RABADI ‘14 ASSIGNING EDITOR

The fashionistas of the Rexonian have decided that Mr. Alex Funnell is the most fashionable teacher on campus for this issue…

“As a faculty member in the states I was labeled by the student body as a “hipster”, namely because of shopping at H&M. At the same time, students started wearing vests to school after a couple of years so the title of ‘campus hipster’ soon dropped. Your own style is something that you feel comfortable in, brings confidence and a smile. Have you ever tried to tie a bowtie? A difficult task for many, but the success feels amazing! Plus their fun to wear.”

“As a faculty member in the states I was labeled by the student body as a “hipster”, namely because of shopping at H&M. At the same time, students started wearing vests to school after a couple of years so the title of ‘campus hipster’ soon dropped. Your own style is something that you feel comfortable in, brings confidence and a smile. Have you ever tried to tie a bowtie? A difficult task for many, but the success feels amazing! Plus their fun to wear.”

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‫ا لعر بية‬

‫‪T he R exonian‬‬

‫أنقى النفوس‬ ‫مالك الحسبان‬

‫تأتي أرواح وتذهب أخرى‪ .‬يعيش إنسان وآخر يموت; هذه هي الحياة‪ .‬الحياة ليست اال مفترق‬ ‫طريق يمر عليه االحياء ويسلكون به مسار حياتهم‪ .‬الحياة التي نعيشها االن ونهواها ليست اال‬ ‫ومضة سنفيق منها بعد وقت قصير‪ .‬كثيرون هم من سيكون صعوبة الحياة ويرددون شكاوى‬ ‫األجداد عن حيا ٍة قد ضاقت االنفس لعيشها‪ .‬كثير من يتخذ من هذه الحياة شأناً كبيراً فيمضي‬ ‫بقية عمره يحملق في سماء أفعاله ويعد نجوم فشله وال يعير جمال النجوم وال روعة السماء‬ ‫أي انتباه‪ ،‬الن انتباهه محملق في إحدى سماوات االنقباض الروحي‪ .‬نحن البشر نجعل من‬ ‫صغار األمور كبارا ونأبى أن نفهم أننا يجب أن نستمتع بنسمات هذه الحياة التي ال بد أن تفنى‬ ‫وأال نقلق إذا ما قد ارتكبنا أخطاء الن التعلم الوجداني يأتي من خبرات األخطاء واستنباط‬ ‫الدروس التي ستجعلنا قادرين على إتمام طريق بدأناه منذ وهلة‪ .‬علينا التمسك بأحبال النجاة‬ ‫واالمل حيث تكمن جوهرة النفس‪ .‬لنجعل من حياتنا ذكرى جميلة تستذكرها أرواحنا وهي‬ ‫محلقة في سماء الخالق راجعة إلى الجنات العليا‪ .‬فهنيئا لمن اتخذ من حياته ألماس يزين فيه‬ ‫غرفة من غرف النسيان التي سيذكرها يوما ما‪ .‬ألسنا نحن من سيعيش في هذه الغرف والذين‬ ‫سيتنفسون عبق عاداتها وذكرياتها‪ .‬لماذا ال نلونها بأزهر األلوان بدال من تغطية جدرانها‬ ‫بدمويات الفشل وعدم النجاح واالستسالم‪ .‬القوة تكمن في داخلنا‪ ،‬يجب علينا إطالق سراحها‬ ‫لتزين منبرا تعليه ذكرياتنا‪.‬‬

‫فتات الشتاء‬ ‫حنين الطعمة‬ ‫أتمشى تحت المطر وأنظر حولي فال أسمع سوى صوت دموع السماء وهي تضرب األرض‪.‬‬ ‫تضرب األرض وكأنها كبتت غضبها لوقت طويل وحان الوقت للتعبير عما بقي يجول في‬ ‫خاطرها منذ زمن‪.‬‬ ‫أنظر للسماء ألحس بالتساقط الرقيق للمياه على وجهي وكأن السماء تخبرني بأنها ال تقصد‬ ‫إيذاء أحد بدموعها فهي تعبر عما بداخلها فقط‪.‬‬ ‫أنظر لألرض فأرى انعكاس ضوء الشارع الخافت على الماء المنسكب عليها‪ .‬أرى كل نقطة‬ ‫وهي تؤثر فيما تواجد على األرض قبلها من ماء‪ .‬قطرات صغيرة مليئة بالحزن تنسكب على‬ ‫األرض‪.‬‬ ‫ال تتوقف الدموع بل تزداد غزارة وكأن السماء تجهش بالبكاء‪ .‬أنظر إلى السماء وأشعر‬ ‫بدموعها تنهمر وما زال كل شيء في سكون تام وكأن ال وجود ألحد‪.‬‬ ‫في لحظة فجائية أقفز فزعاً من صوت رعد د ّو ى وقاطع صوته الصمت المطبق‪ .‬أرى لمعاناً‬ ‫يشبه لمعان األلماس في السماء وأيقن بأن السماء غاضبة لدرجة أنها لن تتوقف عند البرق‬ ‫والرعد‪.‬‬ ‫أسهو للحظات ال أعلم إن كانت قصيرة أم طويلة‪ .‬أسهو وأنجرف مع تيار تفكيري‪ .‬ال أتوقف عن‬ ‫التفكير‪ ،‬ال أستطيع التوقف‪.‬‬ ‫أرى بلور ًة بيضاء ‪ ..‬دون وعي أتوقف عن التفكير‪ .‬مشوشة األفكار أقف في مكاني‪ .‬ال أعلم ما‬ ‫الذي يحصل حولي‪ .‬ال أعلم ما الذي يحصل للسماء فقد توقفت عن اللمعان وعاد السكون المطبق‬ ‫كما كان دون مقاطعة صوت الرعد له‪.‬‬ ‫أنظر إلى كتف معطفي فأرى بلورات هي من أجمل ما رأيت في حياتي‪ .‬شعور بالطمأنينة يتسلل‬ ‫إلى قلبي‪ .‬أحس بالدفء في داخلي مع أن الجو بارد‪ .‬ال أعلم لماذا ‪ ..‬أظن بأن شعوري نابع من‬ ‫هدوء السماء‪.‬‬ ‫هدأت السماء فهدأ قلبي‪...‬‬ ‫بدأت ألتقط البلورات بيدي‪ .‬ال أحس ببرودتها‪ .‬أظن أن شعوري بالدفء في قلبي منعني من‬ ‫اإلحساس بها‪.‬‬ ‫أحس بدمعة تبلل مجراها على وجنتي‪ ..‬لكن أهي دمعتي أم دمعة السماء؟‬

‫األم‬

‫‪Page 8‬‬

‫ألعاب الفيديو‬ ‫أحمد المبيضين‬ ‫ما هي ألعاب الفيديو‪-:‬‬ ‫ألعاب الفيديو أو ألعاب الحاسوب هي ألعاب مبرمجة بواسطة الحاسوب وتلعب عادة على جهز‬ ‫فيديو موصول بشاشة رقمية حيث تعرض عل هذه الشاشة بعد إيصال الجهاز به أو يمكن لعبها‬ ‫على الحاسوب مباشرة عبر إدخال بيانات اللعبة على ذاكرة الحاسوب‪.‬‬ ‫كيف يتم اللعب بها‪-:‬‬ ‫يلعب الكثير من األشخاص عبر جهاز اإلدخال و هو عادة يد التحكم‪ ،‬أو األزرار (في أجهزة‬ ‫اآلركيد)‪ ،‬أو لوحة المفاتيح‪ ،‬أو الفأرة‪ ،‬وفي هذه األيام فتقوم أحهزة األلعب بما يسمى‬ ‫بالمحاالة و هو نظام يعمل على استشعار الحركة و إدخالها الى جهاز اللعب‪.‬‬ ‫أنواع ألعاب الفيديو‪-:‬‬ ‫تختلف أنواع األلعاب من ألعاب المنصات‪ ،‬والمغامرة‪ ،‬واآلر بي جي ‪ ،‬وألعاب تصويب‬ ‫المنظور األول ‪ ،‬وألعاب تصويب المنظور الثالث‪ ،‬والرياضة‪ ،‬والسباقات‪ ،‬والتصويب‬ ‫الفضائي‪ ،‬والقتال‪ ،‬واآلكشن‪ ،‬واأللغاز‪ ،‬وألعاب األدوار‪ ،‬واأللعاب اإلستراتيجية‪ .‬هذا باإلضافة‬ ‫إلى ألعاب الويب التي تلعب عبر اإلنترنت‪ ،‬وهي غالباً ألعاب جماعية‪ ،‬حيث يلعبها في نفس‬ ‫الوقت عدد كبير من الالعبين من مختلف المناطق‪.‬‬ ‫كيف تصنع ألعاب الفيديو؟؟؟‬ ‫تمر عملية تصنيع األلعاب بعدة مراحل و أشخاص قبل وصولها الى الالعب أو المستهلك وهذه‬ ‫العملية هي‪-:‬‬ ‫المبرمجيون‬ ‫الفنانون‬ ‫المصممون‬ ‫المنتجون‬ ‫مصممو المراحل‬ ‫المختبرون‬ ‫مهندسوا الصوتيات والمؤلفون الموسيقيون‬ ‫وقد حظت ألعاب الفيديو بأهمية كبيرة لدى األجيال الجديدة فقد أضافت هذه األلعاب الكثير‬ ‫من المتعة و المرح الى نفوس الناس وهي التي أبهجت أطفالنا في وقت الحزن و التي أدخلت‬ ‫المتعة في أوقات فراغنا‪ ,‬و لهذا الغرض فقد تم تطوير ألعاب الفيديو و تحديثها لتناسب كل‬ ‫سن وكل جيل و كل فئة وما تحب ومن أشهر الشركات التي طورت أجهزة ألعاب الفيديو هي‬ ‫مايكروسوفت فقد طورت (اإلكس بوكس) و سوني التي طورت (البالي ستايشن) و نينتيندو‬ ‫التي طورت ً‬ ‫كال من (نينتيندو د‪.‬س) و (الوي)‪ .‬فقد حرصت هذه الشركات على إبهاج الناس‬ ‫و إفراحهم بهذه األلعاب فحرص على أن تملك ألعاب الفيديو ألنها الحل األنسب لك في كل‬ ‫أوقات فراغك‪.‬‬

‫واقع المجتمع العربي في الوقت‬ ‫ا لحا لي‬ ‫عمر جبرين‬ ‫لم يعد أبناء الوطن كما كانوا من قبل ولم يعد تراب الوطن يصلح لزراعة األشجار لتنبت‬ ‫أبطال‪ ،‬فقد أصبح ملطخاً بالدماء ومغطى بالشوك الذي اختنقت به أصول العروبة والوفاء‪،‬‬ ‫التي تميز بها كل انسان حمل على كتفيه لقباً تكتب به صفحات من التاريخ بعنوان «أنا‬ ‫عربي»‪ ،‬هذا العنوان الذي نقش على جبين الشهداء الذين كانوا نقطة تحول لتاريخ عروبتنا‪،‬‬ ‫فمنهم كان الشريف الحسين والذي على يده انتهى االستعمار العثماني في وطننا العربي‪.‬‬ ‫أما اليوم فمن مناظر الطبيعية الخالبة التي يراها أبنائنا ما هي اال شتاء من الرصاصات‬ ‫الصهيونية التي تحلق في سماء عالمنا العربي لتهبط على أبنائنا وتسقي تراب الوطن من‬ ‫دمائهم ليحصد المزارع الضحايا التي أُ ن ِت َجت بعد انتهاء موسم الحصاد الصهيوني‪ .‬لم أقل هذه‬ ‫الكلمات ألنتقد مجتمعنا العربي بل ألضع دافعاً لكل إنسان عربي بأن ينهض لكي يرى الواقع‬ ‫الذي يعيش فيه‪ ،‬والذي يجب أن يولد هدفاً في داخله أال وهو أن يقف أمام العدو‪ ،‬فإن لم‬ ‫نصبح وطناً متمسكاً ويداً واحدة‪ ،‬لن نتحرر من أسر الغرب وغسل األنسجة الدماغية العربية‬ ‫ولن نستطيع أن نحرر وطننا العربي من قيود الصهيون‪.‬‬

‫مجد الرواد‬ ‫أمسكت القلم فارتعشت يدي فوقع القلم من بينها‪ ،‬عدت فأمسكته بعزم وقوة ألكتب لك‪ ،‬نعم لك يا‬ ‫امي ولكن عجزت عن الكتابة‪ .‬كلمة أمي لوحدها تحتاج إلى تفصيل طويل‪ .‬أمي كلمة من ثالث‬ ‫أحرف تحتوي معنى الحب والحنان‪ .‬أعذريني يا أماه عن تقصيري في وصفك ألني مهما حاولت أن‬ ‫أنت من أتخطى بقوة‬ ‫حقك ‪،‬‬ ‫أوصفك لن أؤتيك‬ ‫أنت كل شيء بالنسبة لي‪ِ ،‬‬ ‫أنت رمزي في الحياة‪ِ ،‬‬ ‫ألنك ِ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫أنت من أزرع بذرة االمل لسعادته‪ ،‬سأحصد وترين حصدي‪ ،‬أهديك يا أمي‬ ‫عقبات الزمان ألجله‪ِ ،‬‬ ‫كلمات صادقة يا نبع الحنان يا من برضاك التوفيق وتحت قدميك الجنان‪.‬‬ ‫كلمات تتزاحم في ذهني فيتعثر اللسان ويعجب بما يقول‬ ‫هل يقول لك أنك أنت المعلمة األولى؟‬ ‫أو يقول أنك أنت المربية األولى؟‬ ‫أم يقول إنك الحب والحنان األول والشفقة؟‬ ‫وبك أمي تعلمت جمال الحياة‬ ‫معك‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫جماال بوجود الحب واألمل والتعاون بيننا‪.‬‬ ‫تعلمت أن العالم يزداد‬

‫اللغة العربية‬ ‫دانا أبو غصيب‬ ‫اللغة العربية هي لغة مهمة جدا‪ .‬عجبا لمن ال يقدر هذه اللغة‪ ،‬عجبا للعربي الذي ال يعترف بها‬ ‫َّ‬ ‫صل هللا عليه‬ ‫كونها لغته االولى‪ .‬اللغة العرية هى لغة كانت سائدة ومنتشرة في زمن الرسول‬ ‫وسلم‪ ،‬فقد كان الرسول يتعامل مع غيره بواسطة هذه اللغة فيكفينا فخرا أن نتكلم لغة كان يتكلمها‬ ‫َّ‬ ‫صل هللا عليه وسلم‪ .‬كما أن القران الكريم مكتوب باللغة العربية‪ ,‬فيكفينا فخرا أيضا من‬ ‫الرسول‬ ‫أن نقرأ كلمات هللا تعالى بسهولة و سالسة حيث أنها لغتنا االولى‪ .‬هنالك الكثير من الناس الذين ال‬ ‫يستطيعون أن يتكلموا لغتنا يعانون من هذا الشيء‪ ،‬فعلى سبيل المثال‪ ،‬ال تصح الصالة من دون‬ ‫القران الكريم‪ ،‬ة لهذا فان معظم الغرب متشوقون الن يتعلموا اللغة ويحترمونها جداً ‪ .‬فياليتنا نحن‬ ‫العرب نتمسك بلغتنا و نحافظ عليها‪.‬‬