The rexonian december 2009

Volume III; Issue 1

December 2009

King’s Academy, Manja - Madaba, Jordan

New Campus Buildings Take Shape New Dining Hall, Faculty Housing, Administration Space

PHOTO BY ROBERT BAHOU ‘11

By TAMEEM SAMAWI, ’13 STAFF WRITER

As one can easily see, King’s Academy is having several constructions on campus. In total we will have 9 new buildings. These buildings will accommodate Storage, Security, Transportation Department, Faculty, a new Dining Hall and Administrative Building. The buildings, fully furnished, will cost 4.5 million Jordanian Dinars in total. The number of workers on each project is decided by the school contractor, whom –unfortunately- was not available for comment. The machines currently occupying the campus will leave shortly after the buildings are completed.

April 3rd was a starting point for three of the buildings: Storage, Security and Transportation Department.

Varying in size from 200-500 square meters, the three buildings are almost ready for use. This will prevent the

over-crowding of space that will occur in the near future, when the school admits a far larger number of faculty and students, amounting to 600.

The most anticipated building by the student body is naturally the Dining Hall, which will be roughly 1100 square meters and will be just behind the current Dining Hall. It will contain a butchery and a bakery, so that Kings Academy can become more self-sufficient. It’s construction has started very recently and finishing it will require about 400 days. The new Dining Hall, once finished, will accommodate the staff, while the students will use the full capacity of our current Dining hall as to make more space for the student body to eat comfortably.

Another building that is currently under construction is the new Administration space. Roughly 1000 square meters on 2 floors, the building will occupy the space between the auditorium and Academic Building. The admin-

istration is still uncertain of what to do with this building, but it will most likely become Office space to cater to our hardworking staff. This building, too, was started on April 3rd and will be ready in August or September.

As for the new teacher houses, they will be 4 different buildings, each containing four 250 square meter apartments. These started construction one month ago and will be finished by the end of July. Some teachers currently reside in housing residences in Madaba and this has posed a problem to some students who like to meet with teachers after school hours. It is certainly much more comfortable for the teachers to be staying on campus themselves. These buildings will be behind the Daycare Center.

We have much construction ahead of us and our campus will definitely be more developed and beautiful next year. So just sit back and watch King’s flourish.

An Interview With Our Founding “Mother,” Dr. Meera Farah Hamati intweviews Dr. Meera as she returns for a “check up”

By FARAH HAMATI ’11

These curious minds are wondering, what was the objective for you visit this time? Was What was your best experience or event it for a specific heroic task or was it just a that happened here in King’s Academy that visit? changed your life?

On the surface it is because I have projects I It was during teaching the first course of am currently working on, but I am actually pinworld religion. And one day we were talking ing to be back. I needed to see how the school about Judaism and Zionism; was going, and I talked to many how these two were distinct students. So it’s a part of selfish from each other, the motif pleasure (giggles).

“Every year is becoming of the return of Jews that How was your impression more complex, challenging of this was dominant in Jewish hisyear different from your and more of a struggle. tory, and the persecutions first year at King’s? that Jews faced. So a PalI was very naïve the first year.

I think this how it is for estinian-Jordanian Student I thought we will find and work every new school for the came up to me and said “Dr. out the problems and therefore first 5-10 years.”

Meera, I finally understand every subset would be easier and how badly they wanted a easier. In fact the opposite was home land, BUT why ours?” true; every year is becoming more It made me so aware of contradictions in life and complex, challenging and more of a struggle. I made me understand and imply a new principle think this how it is for every new school for the in life. first 5-10 years.

Describe your experience in one word.

Did you see that Kings changed drastiPoignant: that which moves you, touches you cally? If so, what changed? hear to the point of tears Numbers have changed for sure. It has beWhat is the thing that challenged you the come a fuller school from faculty to staff to stumost about Kings? dents. I think that we are maturing. We are changI never realized how hard it is for me to live ing mentally and physically in this age. Even up to an integrated life here. I was stressing all though we are a vital community, we are in the the time, gaining weight and not being active midst of growing pains and so is the school. enough.

Do you feel students now have the same Does this still challenge you? voice and affect on the school like the past First, I realized how important of a principal years? and how critical it is, and I am working on it a bit see DR. MEERA on page 8 every day. I am integrating.

STAFF WRITER

PHOTO BY MR. MICHAEL MCLAUGHLIN

Mr. Carlos and his family preparing for the “ghostly festivities”

Table of Contents Page 2 -3

Dining Hall Food

OPINION

Grade Inflation: Pros and Cons College Corner The Benefits of Peer Mediators

Page 4 LIFE

Page 5

Horoscopes

FUN PAGE Page 6-7 OUT TAKE

If There Was One Senior You Would Choose to Save of a Deserted Island...

Featured Teacher Environmental Club Profile Separate Scholars King’s New Subjects

Page 8 SPORTS

The Year in Sports

OPINION

Page 2

The Rexonian

How to Choose the Right Career

internet to check out company websites.

Be a work shadow at a company during quieter times.

Informational interviewing is a great way to find out more about a career. Ask people already in the profession Career Advice from Mathematics Department Veteran Mr. Yasser Sakaji about the pressures of the job and working conditions It is very important to choose the correct field of study there to get a realistic impression of the day-to-day workBy MR. YASSER SAKAJI at the end of Grade 9 because your subject choice deter- ings of the job FACULTY mines whether you’ll be eligible to pursue your chosen Networking. Have you ever heard the saying, “it’s not field of study or employment.

For example, if you wish what you know, but who you know?” Make contact with You can start preparing for your career early. to pursue a career in physiotherapy, you have to study people who are already in the profession. Not only will As parents we may have the misconception that our children don’t know what they want to do with their lives. mathematics and science at high school. Therefore, if you you make many valuable contacts but it may also open We can help them understand themselves better by provid- do have an idea of the career path you want to follow, career opportunities you were unaware of before.

Assess your strengths and weaknesses regularly. ing them with opportunities to develop their talents and make sure that you take the appropriate subjects in high school.

Before making a final career choice, skills from an early age. make sure that there are opportunities ‘’The biggest challenge parents face is to not get directly “Making the right career What subjects to take if everyfor employment or self-employment. involved,” an expert says. “Give children space to make dechoice is one of the most thing’s still up in the air?

For instance, do not target a “sunset” cisions. Parents should be facilitators.’’ Fantasy phase – they Select from as wide a variety of submay want to be a fireman today and a doctor next week. important decisions in your industry like newspapers because it may not have a long shelf-life.

This is normal. Don’t talk down to your child – this may jects as you can so that you gain a clearlife – and sometimes the shatter their confidence. Approach the situation by asking er idea of what interests you. A career most difficult.”

Getting the right qualifications them what it is about being a fireman that they like. When advisor suggests that parents and learners shouldn’t consider formal education Some schools have career exhibitions, children are older, they can sit for psychometric and personat which you have the opportunity to ality tests (most universities have career centers that offer as the only option, for there is an overthis service). Do remember that these tests are only indica- emphasis today on qualifications. A qualification alone meet companies that offer training in the fields of study tors of what path your child could take. You can also attend cannot get you a job. Employers look for skills-orientated you may wish to enter. Visit universities on career-exhibicareer exhibition days with your children to expose them to people. Although mathematics and science are key sub- tion days. Find the institution that offers training in your the different options. It has been said that until you know jects, parents should not force children to study them if chosen field and inquire about course details, duration and they are really weak at them. entry requirements. Speak to people already in the profeswho you are, you will not know what you can become.

But is it the right career? sion to get a clearer idea of what the job involves. Speak Before deciding on a career, it is vital that your children Here are a few tips on how to research the career you to companies that employ people in the field you’re conassess themselves if they are to know who they are and sidering to find out what qualifications they would look what are their strengths and weaknesses. In this way they are considering Familiarize yourself with the career by reading up for in a potential employee. Finally, and perhaps most imensure that they choose a job that suits them. Making the portantly, it is in your interests to speak to juniors and right career choice is one of the most important decisions about it.

Try doing voluntary work (if possible) from an early seniors taking the courses you might want to take and ask in your life – and sometimes the most difficult. Here are age. them what they like about the course and what they would some useful tips for high-scholars: Contact companies you’re interested in. Also, use the have done differently if they could.

Choosing the right subject

Have an OPINION? This is YOUR newspaper too - we want to hear from you!

Write a Letter to the Editor.

The Rexonian welcomes any member of our community to submit a letter to the editor. Please send contributions to Opinion sub-Editor Zaha Abuelsamen at ZahaAbuelsamen10@kingsacademy.edu.jo. Please include your name, and year in school, or position in the community. The Rexonian reserves the right to edit any contributions for grammar and length.

Executive Editor Managing Editor Production Editor News sub- Editor Opinion sub- Editor Life sub- Editor Fun Page sub- Editor Sports sub- Editor Copy sub- Editor Photography sub-Editor Layout sub- Editor Faculty Advisor Faculty Advisor

SWARA SALIH LEEN SINOKROT TALA SHOKEH ZAID AL-NASSER ZAHA ABUELSAMEN DALIA MEHIAR JUMANA SHAHZADEH IMAN ABU ALIA LYNN MANNEH ROBERT BAHOU ZENA KOKASH MR. TOM VERDE MR. BOWMAN DICKSON

The Need For Peer Mediators People who can resolve conflicts around campus with ease.

By ZAHA ABUELSAMEN, ’10 OPINION SUB-EDITOR

On Monday the 26th of October, King’s Academy viewed a skit of two people, Dana Al-jawamis ‘10 and Hamza Zaidan ‘10, fighting over an announcement. They made up a fight and kept arguing until the resolver of the situation (Om el Abed/ Hashem Al Hadid ‘10) came with her amusing character. We all got to laugh about the performance and begun to understand the idea of trying to solve a conflict. A true point; however, was raised: if something like this actually happens, would we need a peer mediator? What do they actually do?

Since the school has dedicated a special program for these peer mediators, I wanted to know how our community thinks of it.

Opinions have differed around this specific topic. Some say that having peer mediators is actually a good idea since any student can report to a trained, non-judgmental mediator to help him or her find the solution. Other people expressed their comfort about having a good listener and an objective point of view being added to their side of the story.

Peer mediation is a way of solving problems with the help of trained people who do not take sides and do not become attached to the situation; rather they help the people disputing to design their own peaceful resolution. Ms. Zeina Othman, the head of the mediation program, added “We believe that conflicts are natural processes

and that finding productive solutions is the goal of the mediation program”. Dana Aljawamis’10 and Zain Halawani’12 also appreciated the existence of such program.

Dana commented, “It makes life smoother, so why not?” and Zain added, “it helps us overcome student obstacles.” Also, an anonymous student wanted to thank the school for having such a program, having said “I am really thankful for this program since it allowed me to trust some wise, trained students who helped me through my problems confidentially and without them controlling or bragging as a voice of authority”.

Even though this program seems to have a good impact on people, others actually disapprove of its role and say that it is not active as it should be. Some people criticized it as being disorganized. Leen Sinokrot’10 commenting on the social concept, said, “I don’t think that it actually has any impact on us as a community; no one is able to trust a stranger for their personal problems because they would be afraid of scandals.” She also said, “The concept of peer mediation is clearly not understood in our community and that’s why people with real issues don’t even bother to ask for that program’s help.”

It is very clear that some people do not know what the program does, or that it has been going on for the past three years at King’s Academy. It is very crucial that they know how this program works, as it could benefit the students at King’s greatly.

December 2009

OPINION

Page 3

College Corner

The View from College Counseling

By MS. HALA SALAH FACULTY

2010 will always be remembered at King’s Academy for its first graduating class, a historic event that we are all proud to be a part of. There has definitely been a cyclone of events since school started on August 28th and the University Counseling Office began its work with a session on the very first day back. Since then there has been a whirlwind of activities, mostly for our seniors, and the pressure has been mounting ever since.

The University Counseling Office has hosted almost one hundred admissions officers and deans of admissions since September from all over Europe, the Middle East and North America, and in turn, we have received rave reviews about our students. A University representative from a large research institution was extremely impressed by the young man who asked if their engineering programs were accredited by ABET and the Five Sisters Colleges were asked what they remarked might possibly be one of the best questions ever by one of our very own young ladies.

Keep up the positive effort King’s students; you are all making your mark in admissions offices everywhere and we thank you for that.

In between university fairs and individual presentations, sessions on how to fill out the Common App, UCAS, University of California, OUAC applications have been or will be held throughout the term as well as meetings on Naviance and essay writing.

We have also been fortunate to have senior consultant, Mr. Bill Mayher with us since the beginning of October. It’s great that so many seniors took advantage of Mr. Mayher’s expertise. Mr. Mayher will be at King’s until the end of November so, seniors, if you haven’t met with him yet, make sure you do before he leaves at the end of November. Juniors are also welcome to make appointments with Mr. Mayher as well.

With much effort from all sides – teachers, students and counselors, we were able to submit our medical applications to UCAS, our Early Decision and Early Action applications to the US and a few special nominations all before November 1st. We should be hearing back from many in mid – December, but that doesn’t mean the work stops here.

We are now bracing ourselves for the next round of applications! Seniors – there is still so much to do, so make sure you are working diligently on those applications, finalizing your essays, finishing up your supplements to the Common App, sending off your test scores (officially), preparing bank statements if required and filling out any necessary financial aid forms. Also make sure to meet regularly with your counselor (prior appointments are advisable) and keep him/her up to speed.

The bulk of the work will be done by the end of December and then it’ll trickle down over January and February. We are anticipating approximately five hundred applications to be submitted by the end of the cycle. By March and April, we should be hearing news, hopefully more good than bad, because inevitably there will be disappointments.

All we can do is hope for the best and do our best.

PHOTO BY ROBERT BAHOU ‘11

Less than Savory Sustenance Is the food in our dining hall that delicous or nutritious?

By NAYLA AL-MAMLOUK, ’12 STAFF WRITER

Which would you prefer: a home cooked meal, or food made to serve five-hundred people? No doubt, most would choose the former. But being in a boarding school, home cooked foods are rarely an option, so good meals are a necessity as we are present on campus at all times. So we must deal with what we are given, or we might as well starve ourselves. There has been much talk about the quality of our Dining Hall food.

As a full boarder, I can tell you that I am not as satisfied as I would have hoped with the meal plan. It is repetitive and not very tasty. I would also question its nutritional value. The students themselves want to see the school nutritionist have more of a say. Last year, a large

amount of students complained that they had gained weight because of the Dining Hall food. Other students had trouble contacting the nutritionist with questions they wanted answered. I myself was one of those students.

This could be a result of the large number of students and faculty the dining hall accommodates during the weekday, because the food is much more acceptable on the weekends, when only the full boarders remain on campus. One anonymous student voiced an opinion on this topic, “I understand that the dining hall staff has to feed five-hundred people, but that doesn’t mean it has to be bad quality. It is a difficult task, but that’s their job, and they should do it better. How do restaurants have good food?

It’s the same thing. And on Kanet, they glamorize the menu. It isn’t like what

they say it’s going to be.”

Another issue students have voiced their concerns on is the monotony of the food. “They should make more of a variety with the food, and the salad bar should have all the vegetables, not just lettuce,” said Rana Abu Laban ‘11.

Yet there are other perspectives by students. Maria Al-Mamlouk ‘10 commented on their “tasty desserts,” and numerous others all agreed that the desserts were appetizing. Also, the snacks that are prepared for the Kazeyia have received positive feedback. Others, such as Johanna Lee ‘13 praised the dining hall on their BBQ nights as well.

Many of us have heard, time and time again, that “they are working on it.” As much as we appreciate the fact that they are trying to improve the food quality, we would like to actually see some results.

PHOTOS BY ROBERT BAHOU ‘11

Moments of Peaceful Protest Students reacted to news of recent disciplinary action at King’s Academy in various ways.

Top Left: Students proceed to the Administration Building hoping to express their concerns about the disciplinary action.

Left: Students gather in support of each other in the Administration Building.

Above: The group awaits the faculty outside of their meeting hoping for clarification.

LIFE

Page 4

The Rexonian

Featured Teacher: Ms. Gabriela Wintner New Psychology Teacher and Girls’ Soccer Coach Hits the Ground Running as she Begins Her Teaching Career

By LEENA ABDIN ‘11 STAFF WRITER

We have all seen this vibrant new teacher walking around campus with her trendy short hair and her books in tote. Ms. Gabriela Wintner is part of the new faculty who arrived this year, and she is teaching AP psychology. Ms. Gabi (as she prefers to be called) went to Union College in Schenectady, NY and played Division 1 hockey there. Throughout her entire life Ms. Gabi knew she wanted to be a teacher and when she got out of college, a mere 5 months ago, was able to pursue her dream and leave behind all she knew to come to Jordan.

“It’s so rewarding working with students and seeing them succeed. They just have this charm and charisma you don’t often find in adults, and it makes each day all the more interesting.” Ms. Gabi tries to motivate her students to always ask “What? Why? And How?” When they leave the classroom she wants them to not only memorize the material but to also question what it is about and how it can be applied to their daily lives.

“Skills are important, but without context, motivation, and direction you can only go so far,” states Ms. Gabi.

Iman Abu Alia, a student of Ms. Gabi’s, a player on the soccer team Ms. Gabi coaches, and also her advisee, says, “The reason everyone really likes Ms. Gabi is because she is so young and can relate to all of us. It’s

obvious she cares about making class more interesting by the different teaching techniques she uses such as movies, demonstrations, power points, and little surveys and experiments. She’s also a great coach who really cares about the team.” Unlike other teachers, Ms. Gabi strives to make her classes interactive and not

just boring lectures .When asked to describe Ms. Gabi in one word students replied with “eager” , “enthusiastic”, “funny”, “light hearted”, and “a breath of fresh air”. Ms. Gabi is certainly a breath of fresh air and we hope she continues her great work in the classroom and out on the soccer field.

PHOTO BY ROBERT BAHOU ‘11

Ms. Gabriella Wintner enjoying some down time with the Girls Varsity Soccer team.

King’s Academy Goes Green

Separate Scholars

Environmental Club to Make Large Impressions on Young School

Why the Separate Girls’ Nights and Boys’ Nights?

By SWARA SALIH ‘10 EXECUTIVE EDITOR

As the students of King’s Academy look around campus, they are able to appreciate the stunningly green landscape and the variety of vegetation, making this one of the greenest areas of the Manja region. Yet, do the students of King’s fully appreciate what is needed to sustain this environment? Does the community at large fully know the environmental problems that plague the area, and Jordan as a whole?

The Environmental Club is a branch of the school’s Round Square organization, headed by Ms. Tessa Fairbairn, with George Steele ’10 as president. Ana Rose Kelsoe ’10, Faisal Akkawi ’11, and Jooho Michael Shin ’12 serve as the Senior, Junior, and Sophomore class representatives respectively. This organization was formed to raise the awareness among the students of their impact

on the environment and to hopefully create a fully “green” community in the school, in terms of energy and water conservation. The club hopes to forge partnerships with environmental groups in Jordan, and create opportunities for the students to assist in making a cleaner, more energy-efficient country.

The club is anticipating a highly significant water conservation project in the Middle East encompassing Jordan, Palestine, and Israel. Friends of the Earth: Middle East is an NGO dedicated to tackling environmental issues within the region, and is hosting several forums this year for Jordanian, Palestinian, and Israeli students to come together to discuss the water distribution among the general populace and to encourage students to make community service partnerships with one another, see ENVIRONMENT on page 8

King’s New Subjects What King’s Academy is Like for New Students

By SANAD ZU’MOT ‘13 STAFF WRITER

We as students have a great opportunity to be at Kings and live the ultimate experience of boarding life. We are all supposed to be thankful and have a good attitude for this chance of our lives. This opportunity was and continues to be overwhelming for us. Personally I did not expect to be treated as well as I have been at King’s Academy so far, as my experience at my pre-

vious school was different.

However, not everyone appreciates the chances that are being offered at King’s. Some new students find the daily routine of getting up each morning to be quite repetitive and tedious.

One of my friends said, “School never stops”, which I really find interesting. I think he was talking about the fact that we wake up at 6 AM, have breakfast, attend the morning meeting and classes , go to our Co-curricular

activities , have study hall , and then repeat the whole process all over again! This is true, but the difference is that it might be exhausting for some students but can be also a really fun new experience for others!

After taking the opinions of most of my friends, I can say that all of their lives changed after joining the community of Kings Academy, because they see CHANGE on page 8

By DALIA MEHIAR ’10 LIFE SUB-EDITOR

Many students find it more efficient and effective to study in the library, as it is a quiet place for concentration and quick access for all kinds of resources. Moreover, it is the ideal place to work on projects if students do not live in the same dorms.

However, a policy has been adopted since last year to schedule certain days for female students to use the library, and other days are for male students, with one co-ed day in between which is Tuesday. Several students have expressed their discontent with the new system, and were especially concerned about projects that involve both male and female students and require them to work together during study hall. Nevertheless, this opposition has not found any changes.

Like most students, I wondered why the library staff decided to enforce this new policy, but after asking around, I found out it was an order they have gotten from the Deans of students. I discussed the issue with Ms. Reem Abu Rahmeh, Dean of Freshman students, and she explained to me the reasons behind this decision. She said that this new schedule ensured a better quality of studying at the library as the number of students present decreased and became more controllable.

“Many students used to come to the library just to socialize for an extra hour, but now, the students you find there are those who really want to study,” she said. On projects that involve both male and female students, she suggested that they use Tuesday nights, and if that is not enough time to finish the work, she recommended that students use the time before study hall or meet together during the weekends.

One student argued that it is not always easy for students to find a time when they are all free to work on their projects together and finish them before the deadline. “What often happens is that one student gets stuck with all of the work to do on his own, because the others are not free on Tuesday, or will not be able to finish their work using only that day.” Another student suggested that only disruptive students should not be allowed in the library rather that punishing the whole student body.

Maybe if students become more respectful of the rules, and show their willingness to follow them, then the deans would change their opinions and agree to alter the system. Until then, let us use the privileges we already have and make the best out of them in hope for a change.

FUN PAGE

December 2009

HOROSCOPES

Compiled by Nadine Sousou ‘10, Dalia Mehiar ‘10 and Rinad Salaita ‘10

Farah Hamati ‘11- Aries (21 March- 20 April)

Tamara Jaber ‘10–Leo (23 July- 21 August)

School: It’s time for you to get back on track; you have to get more serious and to finish the work you have been postponing.

Good luck  Private life: Luck is on your side, get the courage to talk to that special someone and you will surely succeed.

School: Fight for your survival, competition is on your way, this time it’s not easy to win.

Private life: Don’t wear purple, it doesn’t suit you. Remember, blue is your color. Also, there is an upcoming party, make sure to attend it, you will be surprised by who you will find!

Fawaz Hourani ‘10 – Cancer (22 June- 22 July)

Nairuz Al Ajluni ‘10- Taurus (21 April -21 May) School: A science teacher is going to invite you for dinner at his house.

Be careful, do not accept his/ her invitation, they don’t really like you.

Private life: Don’t trust everyone; it’s time to watch your back. And remember number 6 is your lucky number for this month.

Page 5

School: Take responsibility for your actions, this is not the time for pranks.

Private life: One of your friends is in danger, pay attention to the signs of depression; they really need your help.

Dana Aljawamis ‘10- Gemini (22 May- 21 June)

Farah Matalka ‘11- Virgo (22 August- 23 September)

School: You are very lucky to have your friends supporting you, take advantage of them, specially that smart kid who lives across the hallway!

Private life: Remember to balance your time, don’t spend every second with your lover, your friends need you as well.

School: Get more involved in your school activities, and start thinking about college choices.

Private life: Call your friend he/she is waiting to hear from you. They have juicy gossip to share!

Hayat Abu Samra ‘10 – Libra (23 September – 23 October)

Hashem Attar ‘10- Aquarius (21 January- 19 February)

School: Congratulations, you have been doing a great job on your tests. Stop worrying too much; it is not good for your health. Remember to get your beauty sleep, it’s all what you need right now.

Private life: your crush likes you back, so don’t hesitate to take the first step. How about taking them to the movies? But make sure to wear your lucky shirt to give you the courage you need.

School: Believe in yourself, and listen to your own voice. After all, you are the one to determine your future.

Private life: One of your classmates is secretly crushing on you, open your eyes. Remember to wear yellow more often; it brings out the best in you.

Ma’an Ahmed ‘10- Capricorn (23 December -20 January)

Jaber Al-Sabah ‘11- Scorpio (24 October -22 November) School: You need to form a closer relationship with your academic adviser, give him/ her a chance, and you will find out how great they really are.

Private life: Prioritize your social life at this point, otherwise you will be forgotten. Plan a gathering or a party for your friends to catch up with them, but remember that you are always representing your school!

School: Be patient, you will reach your goals eventually. If you need help, don’t hesitate to ask your teachers, most of them are friendly!

Private life: Open your heart, forgive and forget.

Jeris Abuhouran ‘10- Sagittarius (23 November - 22 December) School: It’s time to empty your locker; it’s overflowing with love letters! Put some real books inside.

Private life: Forget about the past, you need a fresh start. Don’t forget, number 8 is your lucky number for this month.

Mohammad Qura’an ’10- Pisces (20 February- 20 March) School: Stop sleeping in your classes, teachers can see! Other than that, keep up the good work.

As a personal advice, remember that school is not everything, so relax and enjoy your time.

Private life: Make a change in your life, buy a new car, join a dance class, or even dye your hair. Just try something new, and you will the feel the magical difference!

OUT TAKE

Page 6

The Rexonian

Question: If there was one senior you would choose to save off a deserted island, who would it be? and why?

Tarek left): “ ( 1 ’1 Attar Tamer se he’s cute.” becau Attar

Mr. Arthur Clement (right): “Jana Amer because breakfast would be dull when she doesn’t threaten me because there’s no nutella.”

Hannah Lee ‘13 (left): “Jeris Abu Houran because he’s right infront of my face.”

Farah Matalka ‘11 (right): “Kais Yaghnam because he’s my bff.”

Mr. Nart Abdi (right): “Ahmed Tarawneh because he’s one of the smartest kids I know.”

Mrs. Leah Ba nton (left): “B ashar Jarrar becau se he helps m e with dorm duty.”

Ghaith Odeh ‘11 (left): “Nayef Jaber because I love him.”

Mr. “Ham Dwayn e B stron za Zai a dan nton ( g.” right beca ): use he’s

Mumen Abdelal ‘12 (right): “Zaid Al-Nasser because he’s my proctor.”

December 2009

OUT TAKE

Rana “Ghass Abu Laban ‘11 (r an Gam ight): been a mouh b part o e c a u se he fm last rem ember y life since I ’s .” can

Iman Abu Alia ‘11 (left): “Hayat Abu Samra because she’s amazing and she’s my everything buddy.”

Farah Hamati ‘11 (right): “Yazan Abu Khalaf because he promised me he’d put braces on by the age of 18.”

Yasmin Taylor ‘11 (left): “Tamara Jumean because I like to make fun of her and I can’t exactly do that if she’s on a deserted island.”

Yusra Bitar ‘11 (left): “Anna Rose Kelsoe because I feel like she’s an angel on earth… like a real angel.”

Robert Bahou Lee be ‘11 ( cause he wo right): “Nick survive n’t on the island f be able to a week or mor .” e than

Page 7

Abduallah Khaleyleh ‘11 (left): “Swara Salih because he entertains me.”

a t): “Jan h ig r ( to ‘13 i Raina ’s really nice o it r k a A tw she because e of the only r e m A on d she’s me an know.”

I seniors

Basel Jayousi ‘12 (left), Ramie Al-Tawil ’12 (second from left), Hussein Abdullah ‘12 (right): “Mohammad Qardan because he’s a big brother.”

Complied by Zena Kokash ’10 and Maria Al-Mamlouk ‘10 Photos by Robert Bahou ‘11

SPORTS

Page 8

Sports in Pictures

PHOTOS BY ROBERT BAHOU ‘11

The Rexonian

GO LIONS! An Overview of this Year in Sports

By LEEN HAJARR ’11 STAFF WRITER

Faris Batayneh ‘11 spiking the ball.

Muthana Tarawneh ‘10 shooting a layup.

Dr. Meera continued from Page 1 It’s hard for me to judge because I am not here all the time. What I have noticed is, at the beginning, students would not mind anyone to lead them but I have realized now that they have found their voice and they are eager to be heard.

If you were here, would you have dealt with the Fire alarm issue differently?

I don’t know enough about that case; it would a need person who is fully aware of the details.

What do you miss the most here at King’s Academy?

I miss morning meetings, although I hated getting up in the morning, but it was like exercise; you feel good after you exercise and morning meetings were just the same. It gave away that sense of community and belonging.

What are you currently doing in the states?

Change continued from Page 4 have never had such a unique and fantastic school in Jordan before. Even though some did not quite enjoy the experience yet, I am sure they will adapt later and become more involved in it.

Environment continued from Page 4 bridging borders in the common goal of improving water efficiency. Several members attended such a forum at the Dead Sea on October 24th. Another forum took place in Eilat, Israel, on December 3rd-5th, attended by George Steele, Ana Rose Kelsoe, Faisal Akkawi,

I am a full time professor at Brown University, teaching, advising students, working with students on Theses and I am also researching.

If you would give one advice to the coming students this year, what would it be?

Be ready to engage fully like you have never engaged before.

What was your Favorite meal at the dining hall?

(Mm...) The sesame crusted CHICKEN!

In King’s, for the first time, we understand why we learn things instead of just memorizing them, which makes learning an enjoyable experience. With all the good things the school is offering us, I believe that it is just going to be a matter of time for us to adjust to it. We all have the ability to follow the current of this school and pass the cycle ahead of us.

Raja Bdr-El Din ’11, Reed Ghandour ’11, Hasan Abu Kharma ’11, Aseel Alsoub ’10, Yara Al-Moumani ’11, Suhaib Mohaidat ’11, and others.

The members of the Environmental Club are especially hard-driven, prompting George to say that after only a few months “the club has been more successful than I thought it would be.” Zack Samawi ’11, another

member of the group, says that he was inspired to join by seeing how “the amount of resources is insubstantial to the amount we use at King’s.” As Abdullah Khalayleh ’11, another member, remarks “We hope to make King’s Academy one of the leaders for becoming more sustainable in this country of already limited resources.”

As our third year has begun, King’s Academy is already glorifying itself with the triumphs and hard work of the members of its sports teams on campus.

This year’s athletic program is slightly different than the previous years at Kings. Most teams are only practicing twice a week with some practices later in the evenings, and each team’s season will continue throughout the whole year for more matches and tournaments. The coaches have divided their players into teams of Varsity and Junior Varsity players depending mainly on the player’s grade levels and athletic abilities. The Varsity teams are made up of stronger and more advanced players that have greater abilities and experience, yet both the Varsity and Junior Varsity teams occasionally compete in matches. One finds that students are generally fully committed to their teams. “I think that having year long seasons will allow us to improve our skills tremendously over the months to come so we can really succeed in winning as many games as we can.” Hayat Abu Samra -10 said that as she walks with pride being a varsity football player coached by Ms.Gabi.

In October there have been a few friendly matches that have already excited our community with victories by the tennis, basketball, swimming, and volleyball teams, with the swimmers having a meet during Parents weekend.

The varsity girls and boys volleyball team led

by Mr. Barry Nabholz (girls) and Mr. Mazen Jarrar (boys) played matches against The Orthodox School.

The girls led the scores in both sets- 25 to 23 and 25 to14, as did the boys winning 25 to 23 and 28 to 26.

The girls and boys Varsity basketball teams played against The Amman Baptist School led by Mr. Michael McLaughlin (girls) and Mr. David Powers (boys). The girls were losing by a great number of points against the strong players of the Baptist School until they incredibly managed to bring up the score in the last minute of the game, losing by only 3 points with a score of 31 to 28. “Our team is playing better this year because we are coming together more as players by supporting each other on the courts.” Said by Layla Al Naif-11 as she is satisfied with the amount of points she made against Amman Baptist School.

The Varsity boys also played an exciting game by leading the score the whole game and winning the other team by a vast margin of 6 points.

The varsity tennis players are privileged to be coached by Dr. Eric Widmer himself, who is himself a skilled tennis player. They won most of their matches against The National Orthodox School, with Karim El Zein winning a game 9 to 0 and Farah Kasih 9 to 5.

The swimmers also competed in a non-scoring meet against The National Orthodox School, with Sterling Beecroft winning the difficult fifty meter butterfly.

As our players continue to fill the courts and fields with rough practices, the Varsity Girls and Boys Football teams have their first MET tournament on the weekend of October 29 through October 31 competing against three participating schools (ABS, ACS, and ACB). We will be looking forward to watching their games for more wins!

The players of each time continue to come together by supporting one another to be better athletes; they are only beginning to lead the way as champions in Jordan.