Raha Times Issue 21

THE RAHA TIMES

MADE BY STUDENTS, FOR STUDENTS

RELATIONSHIPS AND COMMUNITY

As the season change and the weather becomes warmer, hopefully those that have been occupied with school work and extra curriculars can use this midterm break to relax and recenter themselves for the rest of the school year. We hope this Valentine's Day is spent with loved ones, and is a healing experience for all.

Before the seniors start preparing for exams, and before everyone goes back to stressing about their work, take a moment to be proud of yourselves and how far you have come this year. With this in mind, we hope you enjoy reading about the work of your peers

From the school production to discussing the science behind love, come read about the Premier League and our own student perspective on Valentine's Day.

The Raha Times team wishes you a peaceful and stressfree Midterm, spreading love and joy through the break. Enjoy!

IN THIS ISSUE:

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ENDORPHINS AND LOVE: THE BODY'S NATURAL PAINKILLERS

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INTO THE WOODS: CAST INTERVIEW

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CAN ARSENAL WIN THE PREMIER LEAGUE?

universal love.

Aafreen Aurifullah

Love is universal.

It is in the bright eyes of a mother as she smiles at her child's first steps. Within the girl's rose-tinted cheeks, as she holds her bouquet of roses, the eyes lit up with the innocence of adolescent love, And it truly is timeless.

You see it between the smiling glances of two strangers, As he sits underneath the harsh cold rain

To see someone hold an umbrella overhead. It speaks in ways words never can and never will,

And perhaps that is what makes it so precious.

Endorphins and Love: The Body’s Natural Painkiller

The endorphins in our body are natural opioids released by our central nervous system that stimulate what we identify as our moods of happiness, warmth, love, closure and ecstasy. Under these moods, the brain releases naturally occurring chemical endorphins that cause feelings of happiness and euphoria. This release and complex interplay between these endorphins and hormones can lead to physical and emotional well-being and can create a powerful bond between people (Mental Health America).

This release and complex interplay between these endorphins and hormones can lead to physical and emotional well-being and can create a powerful bond between people.

One of the key chemical reactions involved is oxytocin, which is often referred to as the “love hormone”. It is released through acts of closure and physical affection associated with feelings of love, trust, and security. It plays a major role in developing these feelings in not only leveraging romantic bonding and attachment between individuals when building relationships, but in the development of maternal love during pregnancy and childbirth. Similarly, the vasopressin hormone, primarily attributed to regulating water balance in the body has also been linked to increased feelings of bonding in the formation of stronger fatherly love, child nurturing bonds and caregiving behaviors.

Dopamine is also an example of a popular reaction associated with this state and with feelings of happiness and well-being

This neurotransmitter is associated with feelings of pleasure and reward, and is thought to play a role in the reward system associated with parental love, making parents feel happy and content when caring for their children (Cristol) Likewise, in a romantic relationship, it is associated with feelings of recompense in the pursuit of affection, the released feelings of excitement and satisfaction reinforces the behavior and fortifies the desire to continue the attachment/relationship. In a way, the transmitter can work and stimulate an addiction as the pursuit of a reward-system in which behaviors that are associated with it are constantly sought-out. In this way, dopamine may play a role in the motivation to seek out and maintain a relationship (Sprouse-Blum).

The clear manifestation that these endorphins induce with the regulation in feelings of attachment plays a key role in promoting emotional, physical, and mental well-being, and is an essential component of healthy relationships and social connections. Endorphins can elevate our mood and act as natural painkillers to help to reduce pain and discomfort such as in physical activity or injury, and help to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety (Cleveland Clinic) They have also been shown to increase longevity and immunity, as they can help to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the body Overall, endorphins are continuously at work and can be easily stimulated for regulated mental and physical health by simple acts of warmth, closure or spending time with loved ones (Harvard Health)

Eva Dobrescu

BOOK OF THE MONTH

Emilian Roser

Title: The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green

Year of publication: 2012

Genre: Romance

Age: Grade 8 - 9 (13+)

teaches us what struggling with cancer is really like. Meet Hazel Lancaster and Augustus Waters who bond over their shared struggles involving their illness: cancer. At the beginning of the book, Hazel is in a fairly rough spot in her life, but despite his own struggles, Augustus pulls her right out of it into a much better place. Not only does the book contain slow-burn romance, but also the philosophical views of the main character (Hazel Lancaster) on the unfairness of life. Why do these horrible things happen specifically to us? This detrimentally sad book about two starcrossed lovers is a great read for a dark rainy night.

JOHN GREEN

ARSENAL VERSUS MANCHESTER UNITED: THE FIVE-GOAL THRILLER

Arsenal's dramatic 3-2 win over Manchester United was the most watched Premier League match in US history, according to figures from Broadcaster NBC. The Gunners maintained their five-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table thanks to Eddie Nketiah's last-gasp winner It has been revealed that a record 1 92 million English-language viewers tuned in to watch it unfold across their various platforms. The match also drew an additional 382,000 Spanish viewers, making it the most-watched Spanish-language game The five-goal thriller between Arsenal and United proved entertaining from the very first whistle, with Marcus Rashford opening the scoring for United with an outstanding long-range strike after 17 minutes. United were looking for an optimistic opening, but perhaps that optimism turned into over-confidence. Seven minutes later, Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka produced his devastating strike from outside the box to move them ahead The game finished with a staggering win for Arsenal, ultimately achieving 58% of possession of the ball from United. Mikel Arteta's team has emerged as surprise favorites to win this year's Premier League, having taken 50 points from a possible 57 and leading City by 5.

Muhammad Abduljaleel

EDDIE NKETIAH AND HIS TEAMMATES CELEBRATE THE WINNING GOAL SCORED AT THE 90TH MINUTE AGAINST MANCHESTER UNITED IN THE 2022/23 PREMIER LEAGUE

IT HAS BEEN REVEALED THAT A RECORD 1.92 MILLION ENGLISH-LANGUAGE VIEWERS TUNED IN TO WATCH IT UNFOLD ACROSS THEIR VARIOUS PLATFORMS

CAN ARSENAL WIN THE PREMIER LEAGUE?

"Credit to Arsenal… deserved the win, played like Champions!" was Manchester United’s legend Rio Ferdinand's statement following the match Arsenal played United hours after seeing what Manchester City did and once again didn't let that bother them Erling Haaland netted his fourth hat trick of the season in a 3-0 win over Wolves in the early kickoff to move within two points of the Gunners at the top. Had United won, it would have been even tighter at the top, resulting in a three-way title race in the English Premier League. Yet, a few hours after City's win, Arsenal moved their lead at the top back to five points over City.

Of course, Arsenal still needs to play City home and away this season and many believe that this will be the ultimate test of their title credentials. The north London side knows full well the only league defeat they've suffered this season coming into the match came in the 3-1 defeat to United at Old Trafford in September which will make this an interesting match to watch. It is clear that Arsenal are a different team from their previous seasons, with Mikel Arteta transforming the team into a force to be reckoned with. The confidence that they will get from their win against United will be key to their success leading up to the rest of the 2022/23 Premiere League Season.

Muhammad Abduljaleel

INTO THE WOODS: CAST INTERVIEW

The Raha theatre department has taken on possibly their most ambitious project to date with their new musical “Into the Woods”, based on the 2014 Disney movie. Starring students from grades 9 to 12, the musical can be seen on the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th of February. This show will feature all of the classic characters from our childhoods ranging from Rapunzel to Jack and the Beanstalk to Cinderella but, with a twist as each of these different characters’ lives will come to intertwine. Excitement about the play has been brewing since the beginning of the year with so many students wanting to participate that two separate casts had to be formed with students from both the Raha Gardens and Khalifa City campuses working together on the performance! The show has a separate department for the props, where the team has been working hard for months to create enormous puppet renditions of the Big Bad Wolf, Jack’s cow, and various other costume props. With such an amazing student and staff team working behind the scenes and talented student actors bringing the team’s visions to life, the show is sure to be unforgettable for the Raha community!

Here is an interview with Zarah Abraham, playing the female lead role of the Baker’s wife in Into the Woods:

What is your favourite scene in the play?

One of my favourite scenes in the play has to be the ending, although I won't spoil, it’s a very interesting and I would say unexpected conclusion for the play, but it teaches a valuable and, I would say unique lesson, that would normally not be found in many fairy tales.

What is your favourite scene that you are in?

I would say maybe the song, "It Takes Two" that I sing with the Baker Honestly, it is one of the cutest scenes in the play and shows just how far the characters developed through their journey

What advice would you give to students in younger grades wanting to get into theatre?

Stay committed. Theatre is a very emotionally and sometimes physically exhausting form of art, and can be very disappointing at times, but if you really do have a passion in theatre, keep going. Its great in helping with confidence, creativity and passion towards the subject.

What sort of person is going to love this show?

Almost everyone. This show is very unique in the fact that it would appeal to both adults and children through its base stories of fairy tales with a unique but quite mature twist to it. Its a very universal plot especially for parents and children about achieving wishes and dreams. So yeah, pretty much everybody will enjoy this show in particular

What’s the hardest part about playing the Baker’s Wife?

I had originally auditioned for Baker's Wife, since I really loved her songs, but as I got the role and learned more about her character, I realized how complex and three dimensional she was as a character. She has very unique reactions and is a very complicated person- to play her just as she is (messy, creative, headstrong) will be quite a tough job for me, especially when her actions sometimes wouldn't reflect my own.

T R Y N A M I N G O N E R E A S O N T O S T O P C E L E B R A T I N G L O V E .

It doesn’t need to be the 14th of February for you to show your love for someone, but should we celebrate Valentine's Day anyway? I would argue –yes! It is an opportunity for everyone to largely strengthen their bond with their significant other, or even with their friends who they may love as much There isn’t much argument floating around against the act of celebrating love itself, but nowadays, out of all the corporate, commercialized-to-death holidays that exist, many people seem to have a gripe with one holiday specifically - Valentine’s Day.

Many people who make the argument of “It’s such a corporate holiday!” seem to forget about the freedom of the holiday. Sure, you can treat Valentine’s Day as an obligation to shower your significant other with teddy bears and heartshaped boxes of chocolate - or you can realize that it is your life, your relationship, and you can literally do whatever you want to do People seem to take this holiday so seriously, when in fact Valentine’s Day is just an excuse to spend more time with the ones you love. If both you and your loved one couldn't care less about teddy bears and chocolate, then you don’t have to spend a single dime on either of those things. You can even spend the whole day on the couch together, paying for nothing more than a few snacks Even better, you are completely free to go to those corny “Anti-Valentine’s Day” parties, because no matter how much you object, you are still, in a way, celebrating Valentine’s Day I hate to break it to you, but if your loved one absolutely demands that you shower them with overpriced, personalized, traditional Valentine’s Day gifts, that may be more of a them issue, rather than a Saint Valentine one

To continue, the argument of “It’s just another excuse for people to rub their relationships in your face” is even weaker and whinier than the previous. This argument screams to others, “I get insecure when I see happy couples” It is natural for someone to get a bit hurt themselves when they see someone that is seemingly happier than them, or with something that they do not have, but the belief that couples have relationships as an attack on others is a narcissistic, self-centered belief If it makes you feel better, there are probably over a billion people who currently do not have a significant other to celebrate February 14th with, and if seeing a happy couple in public is that much offensive to you, then you can take up the shockingly easy task of staying home for one day, before returning to civilization on the 15th

We need to lower our expectations for ourselves. You don’t need to beat yourself up over the fact that you may not have a significant other while others do. After all, the day being one to celebrate love doesn’t change the fact that you did not have a significant other the previous day Eat a box of chocolate all by yourself, go bowling with some friends, sit on the couch all day watching whatever show makes you happy, even if it is barely related to love and romance You deserve to be happy, and you reserve the right to celebrate the day however you want, no matter what Hallmark Inc. says.

TL;DR: You can celebrate February 14th however you want, you don’t need to buy into the commercialism aspect of things. You aren’t expected to celebrate it, and you don’t need a significant other to celebrate it.

N O P E , V A L E N T I N E ’ S D A Y S U C K S .

What used to be a day of celebration and showing affection to loved ones, is now a commercialized way to show to others just how much money you can spend on a person to show how perfect your relationship is With over 6 million couples getting married on the day and having been voted the best day of the year to propose, Valentine’s Day has staked its name as the day of love almost all across the globe However, with mass commercialization there is almost always a great level of injustice in the way things get produced and distributed. Tons of candy grams and flowers and balloons and who knows what else, made only for Valentine’s day, then afterwards discarded and thrown into landmasses only to be joined by the other Valentine’s day items from the years before With bouquets of flowers to overpriced chocolates this holiday has strayed from what its original goal was: to show your loved ones how much they mean to you through sincerity and genuinely spend time with them

Let’s be honest here, if a single day is the only day you buy people flowers, you’ve definitely copped out on the best partner award The issue with Valentine’s Day is that it gives people the option to fix all their issues with a box of chocolates and a couple roses. Real relationships require consistent work, time and effort for people to grow connections When there is a whole day dedicated to expressing affection for people, we are less likely to spend the time we need with each other on the days where it isn’t for show And of course, there are people that choose to spend it alone, in their own personalized way, but they are a dime in a dozen and too many have fallen into the trap where spending extravagantly is the only way to show true love to one another

Furthermore, with so much being produced on February 14th, one has to question, where does this all come from, and where does it all go. In the United States alone, where the day is celebrated the most, almost 250 million roses are grown just for Valentine’s Day Since roses and other flowers like it require certain conditions to grow, in places like Columbia, Ecuador and Kenya, these roses are grown in preparation and then shipped all the way to the U S (OC Wholesale Flowers, 2023). The number of cards being exchanged annually being around 114 million and just over 36 million heartshaped boxes of chocolate as well (CSS Marketing Team), sold specifically on the day, there is a serious cause for concern environmentally when it comes to disposal of the exorbitant amount of plastic, bottles, printed cards and waste in general that collects during the production and consumption of the special day items.

In the end, Valentine’s day has lost its sincerity as a tradition, with the whole concept of spending money on loved ones being tainted by greed, competition and unhealthy expectations On a day made for genuine love towards the people you care about, feeling pressure to do “normal” things changes the day to one of anxiety and immense feelings of shame and guilt Furthermore, with how bad this specific day is for the environment, we need to question the use for it all together Is this the only day where you are allowed to show affection to one another? Not really Is buying 14 cards in a day then throwing it away the next really necessary? Not really Do we need Valentine’s Day? Not really

TL;DR: With detrimental effects to relationships and global warming, we should reconsider how important Valentine’s Day truly is.

TURKEY AND SYRIA, THE WORLD IS WITH YOU

In a time of disaster and despair, we can always come together to help one another as a global community. On the 6th of February 2023, Syria and Turkey were plunged into crisis as a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Gaziantep As of the evening of the 6th, over 1000 have died in Turkey, with an additional 500 in Syria Thousands across both nations have been left injured, their homes collapsed, and stripped of their lives overnight. With hundreds of aftershocks running along the East Anatolian fault line, the distress has spread across western Turkey and northern Syria. One woman in Turkey, speaking in an ambulance outside her destroyed apartment explained "We were shaken like a cradle. There were nine of us at home. Two sons of mine are still in the rubble, I'm waiting for them"

The disaster brings with it the obstacles of saving lives, providing safety and stability to those in need, rebuilding homes, and reconstructing livelihoods But to undertake such a colossal challenge, the global community must come together. In Northern Syria, an area not currently under government control, a member of the White Helmet aid group pleaded “We need help We need the international community to do something, to help us, to support us North-western Syria is now a disaster area. We need help from everyone to save our people” and the world has responded.

The EU has mobilised over 10 search and rescue teams, with major nations such as the US, UK and Russia stepping in to help alongside them in Turkey. The Prime Minister released a statement explaining that over 45 countries have offered support, with the likes of Bulgaria, Croatia, The Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Malta, The Netherlands, Germany, Poland,

and Romania amongst the first responders The international blue crescent foundation is one of the hundreds of NGOs offering aid and calling for blood donations, medical supplies, blankets, heaters, food and tents. The UAE has set up field hospitals, Japan has sent their international cooperation team, and European nations are working to send rescue dogs, vehicles, doctors and engineers to aid the humanitarian mission.

In Syria, the situation is heightened by the already dire humanitarian crisis. With this year's crisis response underfunded by 50%, the need for humanitarian aid worsens. Medical infrastructure in the region is already beyond capacity, and in the rebel controlled areas of the west, it is hard for international organisations to reach those impacted With only one border corridor currently open, the international community has called for a relaxing of political restrictions and refrain from military activity to allow for the movement of aid. Syria is in desperate need of a major international mobilisation of resources and medical care, however, in light of the earthquake and its catalyzation of humanitarianism, there are hopes that the world will bury its differences and work towards a future for those in Syria

Sienna Rietmuller

Since You Asked...

HOW CAN WE MAKE VALENTINE’S DAY A HOLIDAY DEDICATED TO SELF-LOVE?

Self-love is not just about appreciating the time you have alone, but also--even when it is easy to forget--allocating time to working on yourself to feel better in your own skin. If you want to enhance your physical well-being and focus on your mental health as well on this day, you can manage both problems by making time for relaxation.

This can increase concentration, memory, and optimism while lowering your blood pressure, reducing your muscle tension, and slowing your heart rate. Find the relaxation technique that works best for you.

You can even find something related to Valentine’s Day for a festive twist! Perhaps you prefer to read a romcom, experiment in the kitchen by cooking some festive dishes, see a romantic movie at the movie theatre, or unwind at home while enjoying a box of Valentine’s Day chocolates all to yourself!

The best outcomes for you will only come from the things that you most enjoy doing, so do not limit yourself to this list. Observe yourself and have fun this Valentine's Day!

Raya Al-Imam and Samia Shariff

C A R T O O N S A N D C O M I C S !

"HERE FOR YOU" - DARWIN KECK

"FLYING SHARPIE MARKERS" - PRAGYA PRACHI

This publication wouldn't be possible without the following individuals.

A HUGE THANK YOU TO.....

Head Editors

Hafsah Ali

Lynna Cheng

Farah Hendawy

Lula Williams

Charlotte Suykens

Martino Fabbri

Junior Editors:

Adithi Potty

Pragya Bharath

Sadie Damianidis

Samia Shariff

Sienna Rietmuller

Yuthika Ettireddi

Zarah Abraham

World Events

Yuthika Ettireddi

Sienna Rietmuller

Sadie Damianidis

Sara Mittal

Lili Gyurkan

Cartoons/ Games

Anika Ahmed

Pragya Bharath

Darwin Keck

Jumana Madkour

Krishna Karthik Nataraj

Yuliia Korkishko

Entertainment

Pragya Bharath

Kayla Galbraith

Debate

Zarah Abraham

Adithi Potty

Jumana Madkour

Selim Serif

Creative Writing

Sienna Rietmuller

Aafreen Aurifullah

Emilian Roser

Oriana Stefani

Pragya Bharath

Yuthika Ettireddi

Sports

Adithi Potty

Muhammed Abduljaleel

Symhon Borres

School Events

Sadie Damianidis

Mythili Karthikeyan

Tristan Lauer

Alicia Guzman

Advice

Samia Shariff

Raya Al-Imam

Photography

Ryley Arifin

Tristan Lauer

Science

Alexandria Shahrokh

Eva Dobrescu

Dhruv Kejriwal

Founded by:

Eman Almuti '22

Haya Abusafieh '22

Jiho Youn '22

Alisha Idrus '22

Jannah El-Agroudy '22

Mr Andrew Cole

WORKS CITED

WORLD EVENTS: SYRIA AND TURKEY THE WORLD IS WITH YOU

BLAM MARTIN “SYRIA AND TURKEY EARTHQUAKE: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR ” THE GUARDIAN THE GUARDIAN 6 FEB 2023 WWW THEGUARDIAN COM/WORLD/2023/FEB/06/TURKEY-EARTHQUAKE-SYRIA-WHAT-WE-KNOWSO-FAR ACCESSED 6 FEB 2023

SCIENCE :ENDORPHINS AND LOVE: THE BODY’S NATURAL PAINKILLER CRISTOL, HOPE. “WHAT IS DOPAMINE?” WEBMD, WEBMD, 19 JUNE 2019, WWW WEBMD COM/MENTAL-HEALTH/WHAT-IS-DOPAMINE ACCESSED 30 JAN 2023

“ENDORPHINS: WHAT THEY ARE AND HOW TO BOOST THEM ” CLEVELAND CLINIC, 2022, MY CLEVELANDCLINIC ORG/HEALTH/BODY/23040-

ENDORPHINS#: :TEXT=YOUR%20BRAIN%20RELEASES%20ENDORPHINS%20TO,IT%20MAKES%2 0YOU%20FEEL%20GOOD ACCESSED 30 JAN 2023

“ENDORPHINS: THE BRAIN’S NATURAL PAIN RELIEVER - HARVARD HEALTH ” HARVARD HEALTH, HARVARD HEALTH, 20 JULY 2021, WWW HEALTH HARVARD EDU/MIND-ANDMOOD/ENDORPHINS-THE-BRAINS-NATURAL-PAIN-RELIEVER ACCESSED 30 JAN 2023

“OXYTOCIN | YOU AND YOUR HORMONES FROM THE SOCIETY FOR ENDOCRINOLOGY.”

YOURHORMONES INFO, 2020, WWW.YOURHORMONES.INFO/HORMONES/OXYTOCIN/#:~:TEXT=OXYTOCIN%20IS%20A%20H ORMONE%20THAT,AND%20ASPECTS%20OF%20HUMAN%20BEHAVIOUR ACCESSED 30 JAN 2023

SPROUSE-BLUM, ADAM S, ET AL. “UNDERSTANDING ENDORPHINS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE IN PAIN MANAGEMENT ” HAWAII MEDICAL JOURNAL, VOL 69, NO 3, 2010, PP 70–1, WWW.NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV/PMC/ARTICLES/PMC3104618/. ACCESSED 30 JAN. 2023.

“WHAT ARE ENDORPHINS?” MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA, 2021, WWW MHANATIONAL ORG/WHAT-ARE-ENDORPHINS ACCESSED 30 JAN 2023

DEBATE: NOPE, VALENTINE’S DAY SUCKS. : “OC WHOLESALE FLOWERS | WHY DO ROSES COST MORE ON VALENTINE’S DAY?”

OCWHOLESALEFLOWERS COM, 2023, WWW OCWHOLESALEFLOWERS COM/WHY-DOROSES-COST-MORE-ON-VALENTINESDAY/#: :TEXT=APPROXIMATELY%20250%20MILLION%20ROSES%20ARE,HIGH%20DEMAND%20 UNDER%20DIFFICULT%20CONDITIONS

BOYON, NICOLAS. “LOVE (AND BUSINESS) UNLIMITED: VALENTINE’S DAY HAS GONE GLOBAL ” IPSOS, WWW IPSOS COM, 9 FEB 2022, WWW IPSOS COM/EN/VALENTINES-DAYAROUND-WORLD

THE RAHA TIMES

Thank you for checking out our twentyfirst issue of The Raha Times! See you soon for another freshly-baked newspaper!

- The Raha Times team