Express-February 2021 by usisexpress

Express FEBRUARY 2021 - ISSUE NO: 1

is y k s e h T ! t i m i l e h t

Remarks from our teachers How to make an effective speech? Discordia My Beautiful Homeland Shades of slavery in The Tempest Prepared by the students of United Science International School

2 3 5 6 7

Special thanks to: Ms. Soz, Mr. Muhammed, and all other teachers who have provided us with much needed advice Editor&Design: M. H. Topal(11) Cover Design: A. Özyılmaz (10) Coordination&Submissions: E. Yiğit (10), M. Ş. Kılıç (10) Contributors: T. Yıldız(10), H. K. Koçman(11), F. B. Melekoğlu (11), S. Efe (11), M. H. Topal (11), E. Yiğit (10), M. Ş. Kılıç (10), M. B. Köse (11), H. K. Horoz (8)

A drawing competition was held at the USIS. The topic of the competition was: “Surrealism”

The winning submission of the drawing competition, by H. K. Horoz, the broken glass

Contact USIS at:

United Science International School or @USIS2020

+964 07700459000

us_international_school

usis@uscolleges.org

SOME REMARKS FROM OUR TEACHERS: A few months ago, some of my dear students approached me with a school magazine

idea. I was really glad to see such enthusiastic students in my classes although we are, as USIS, new seedlings. After a lot of effort has been given to writing articles, editing and publishing amidst lessons and exams, it is time to introduce our school magazine ‘Express’.

Express will be a platform for students to convey their own ideas, reflections, creative

abilities and articles. It encompasses a wide range of topics and sections like introduction of cities from students’ perspective, interesting facts, websites to visit, book and film reviews and recommendations, science and technology, interviews, recipes for students, and announcements.

This issue includes poems expressing the realities of life like prejudice, change, and

nostalgia, an article teaching the art of presentations, an article discussing the issue of slavery in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and more.

While taking the first steps in publishing the magazine, any suggestions,

constructive feedback both from parents and students and contributions to other issues are more than welcome. I hope you will get pleasure in reading the ‘Express’.

Muhammed Toker English Teacher

The 3 dots in the logo of the USIS represent:

Caring Integrated Principled

Caring: At USIS, we strive to provide a caring learning environment. Therefore, our students build a culture of empathy, compassion and respect towards others. They have a personal commitment to service, and take action to make a positive difference to the lives of themselves, others and to the environment.

Integrated: At USIS, we strive to provide an integrated curriculum. Therefore, our students

connect different spheres of study by cutting across subject-matter lines with love of learning and by emphasizing unifying concepts and themes. They concentrate on making connections between theory and practical experience and engage in relevant, meaningful real-life activities.

Principled: At USIS, we strive to instill universal moral values by modeling. Therefore, we ask our students to adhere to integrity and honesty, to act with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individuals, groups and communities.

HOW TO PRESENT AN EFFECTIVE SPEECH? Article By T. Yıldız

Ugh! “A piece of writing that tries to

convince us about presenting is easy which won’t change anything!!” you may think. That’s normal because 85% of people struggle with public speaking but actually, it doesn’t mean it’s impossible. It may be difficult, but it is possible. All you need to do is to apply these three steps: prepare, practice, and present. These terms may not make sense now but, I am positive that you will understand their meaning after finishing this article.

PREPARE At first, we must prepare ourselves emotionally. We must embrace what we are going to do, even though it can be stressful. We must reframe it as a “conversation”, not as a “performance.” Additionally, we must convince ourselves that the juries or the audience are not there to watch us fail, they are there to learn something and they want us to succeed. After all, nobody wants to listen to a person failing on the stage, so listeners are on our side. Second, we must know the audience that we are going to talk to, and we must act according to that. For example, speaking formally to 7-year-olds isn’t very neat. We must make sure that our audience understands our point. We should not bore people who don’t know our concept with details, while not making it too simple for the people who are evaluating your level of understanding.

After preparing ourselves, conducting research on trustworthy sources, reading and listening, learning facts and numbers, expert opinions about the topic, and making an outline of our presentation, we are ready to practice!

PRACTICE You might wonder why this step is underlined while others aren’t. I stressed this step because it is the most crucial one. Even the easiest topic from the best presenter can be dull without practice, so you should never delay practicing. Practicing isn’t memorization of what you are going to say, rather, it is understanding your own arguments and examples. First, you must understand your topic, only then you may inform or try to convince others. So try to improve yourself by applying these killer facts that are essential for presentations;

DO NOT WRITE IT! LESS IS MORE Writing a lot of things on your slides is just going to make the practice more challenging. Keep in mind, your slides are there to support your presentation, not BE your presentation. So it is best to keep things as simple as they can be because your slides are slides, not Word documents! Lots of writing will lead you to read the presentation, not presenting it.

Not only is listening to someone read their way through a presentation boring, but it also gives the impression to the listeners that you aren’t as knowledgeable on the subject as you should be. Instead, use your notes for cues, not as the narrative for your presentation.

TRY TO USE MIMICS AND GESTURES When you expand your body, your mind starts to feel more confident and cogent; it starts to see those challenging situations not as threats but as opportunities. Also, it will draw the attention of the juries or audience that is listening to you.

After paying attention to all those things, you must present it to yourself. I prefer to call it “a mirror presentation” but you can call it whatever you want. Repeat what you are going to say but, BE careful! Don’t memorize it, just understand the concept and think of sentences what you want to say. After this step, rehearse the talk to a friend, colleague, or family member that can give you honest and constructive feedback. Lastly, time the presentation so that you see if it is so long or too short. Finally, you are ready for the presentation!

PRESENT The time has come, it is the big day. After all those days of preparation and practice, you think you are ready. You can understand if you are ready enough by asking yourself. If you are very nervous it’s good, it shows that you care about the presentation. If you are not nervous it’s also good, because it shows that you are believing in yourself. And here are some really useful tips that you can use during presentations;

1. Sip water that is either warm or room tempera-

Great public speakers like Barack Obama always use gestures and change their tone according to their words. TONE AND VOICE Not only making changes in your voice will draw attention, but it also will ensure that you are understood or heard. Most of the people speak so fast, very quiet, or too emotionless during presentations and speeches, so you must remind yourself before or during the presentation: “Am I talking loud enough? Am I slow enough to let them keep up with me? (etc.).” When you pay attention to those things you can be sure that the audience will not be bored, but to the contrary, will be interested.

ture, with lemon if possible. This helps with dry-mouth, cuts through mucus buildup in the mouth, and clears the throat, Avoid cold food and drinks, dairy products, carbonated beverages and ensure a glass or bottle of water is within arm’s reach during your speech. 2. Meet and greet the audience before you speak. This shows the audience you’re approachable and personable, Plus, having conversations with your listeners ahead of time transforms scary ‘public’ speaking into natural, relaxed ‘personal’ speaking. ... It’s been several minutes after the presentation. You are in a different mood, everything seems funny now. It’s like a mountain was lifted from your back. You are asking yourself “Is it done? Am I dreaming?” You are just so relaxed over the feeling that completion gives to you. Some things in life are impossible, regardless of the time you put into it; however, a powerful, coherent presentation is not one of them. All you need to do is: prepare, practice, and achieve.

I am on my way—as a result of delusions of finding solace in solitude I am on my way—a magnet attached to my compass, lacking verisimilitude I am on my way—looking for an escort My vision unclear. Is it a fog or is it the sun blinding me My vision clear. I spot an Aster in singularity—‘tis summer time I stop—as two paths appear A swallow flying—I cheer. I ask, “which way” I hear, “go straight” —as if there were a straight path “Go straight” he repeats “I am off ” I ask, “where to” I hear, “somewhere warm”—as if ‘Twas not summer time An Epiphany, ‘Twas the escort, who lead me to solitude An Epiphany, ‘Twas the salty drops blinding me

Discordia Poem by H. K. Koçman

Eight years of my life I’ve spent as an innocent child; there’s no lament. Before moving to a new home where I’m a stranger to everyone Looking for old friends and relatives, every time I close my eyes, I see those memories passing by. Seeing their faces on pictures makes me cry For I see our memories flying by. The people I knew, are in the past now. Replaced by new faces that are here and now. But memories with them will never fade. Etched in my brain the love remains. My homeland that I cherish expatriated to me now as farish. I became a dull person as perished. I miss my country so much!! Oh, my beautiful homeland, I miss you so. I wish that I could be back home. For you, my heart will always be, there until my soul is free.

My Beautiful Homeland Poem by F. B. Melekoğlu

Shades

The

Slavery

Tempest

Article by M. H. Topal

“Thou hast done well, fine Ariel.”

*turns around*

“Caliban! Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself upon thy wicked dam, come forth!” In Shakespeare’s masterpiece The Tempest, the master of masters portrays two unique slave characters, Ariel and Caliban. Although they are similar in their duties, namely, being slaves of Prospero, they are immensely polarized in terms of their living standards, and the treatment they experience. Ariel is more like a friend; Caliban is more like a “slave”. Understanding the way these relationships are structured will be crucial to understanding the text and will give us an insight into the general view of 16th century Europeans towards slavery.. When Prospero, dethroned duke of Milan, and his then-infant daughter Miranda floated upon the isolated island, he had no slaves: he met them on the island. Ariel, Prospero’s right-hand man, is a virtuous, outstandingly powerful spirit. He resisted to work for an evil witch called Sycorax and was eternally imprisoned by her. Caliban, on the other hand, is a physically strong but evil, human-like creature who is not very smart. He was the only “lord” of the island before Prospero’s arrival. As with any other relationship, their characters will shape their interactions with Prospero.

Ariel, the magical spirit, was enslaved for a given time when Prospero freed him from the curse of Sycorax. Caliban, the human-like son of Sycorax; however, is enslaved as a punishment. The relationship was rather mutual after their arrival: Caliban taught them how to survive on the island by showing them fertile and barren places and, Miranda and Prospero taught him language and more. This bilateral relationship ended when Caliban tried to do something horrible: he attempted to rape Miranda. Prospero came just in time to save his daughter and, Caliban was enslaved as a punishment. Expectedly, their treatment is vastly different. Ariel is mostly free to do anything as long as he does what Prospero says. Regardless of that, Ariel still really wants to be free. Caliban, however, is tortured by spirits every night and also is always under custody. Ariel submits; Caliban rebels. Ariel is left alone; Caliban is tortured. These look like something familiar to me: chattel slavery in the 16th century. People sold from western African kingdoms were taken to the Caribbean islands for work. Those who obeyed died miserably from hunger, cold, sickness, accidents, or exhaustion. Their children were born-slaves (on the slim probability that they may live long enough to reproduce). Those who rebelled or tried to escape were tortured and killed, their bodies put to display to remind others what happens to those that try to die free.

NOTE: The Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, written in the 16th century.

Being like Ariel or Caliban in these cases will not help because reality is crueler than theater-friendly content. I do not understand people who try to champion Shakespeare as anti-slavery. He might be indifferent, but certainly, he is not against it. No one watching this play would be inclined to believe that slavery is evil. Rather, it seems like slaves deserve enslavement; because Caliban tries to do a horrible crime, the treatment he gets looks like it is rightfully justified in the play. Ariel is freed from eternal prison by him so, his service may look like it is rightful to a watcher. In reality, no enslavement at that time was just. Unfortunately, people thought that slavery was indeed ethical. They were the inferior race in the scripture* after all. After all, they were “uncivilized” people: not honored by the “superior” mind and body of western civilization. After all, slaves made their profits possible.

In The Tempest, every conversation between Prospero and “poisonous slave” Caliban is full of hate and curses, while Prospero frequently praises “fine” Ariel. The general sentiment is the one who treats well, gets treated well. The one who works right is treated right. The text also gives us clues about the general attitude towards slavery in the 16th century. On the shades of slavery, Ariel is gray and Caliban is black. *Today, Christians do not agree with that interpretation of the verses that were used as justification for slavery. Their consensus is that it was a misinterpretation of the scripture.

There was a child away. People riduculed her everyday. But they didn’t realize, that she is actually wise and kind. They judged her by her appearance. They just criticized, they didn’t empathize. Prejudice is like a spider. Makes eveywhere its home. Prejudice, which they see as rectitude, is an indication of their ineptitude. It must be tragic to be good, because they have misunderstood. Poem by S. Efe

In the past, when I looked for a way to prepare a simple diagram, I had to use MS Paint or Adobe Photoshop. However, these applications simply aren’t designed for such work. As a result, the final product would end up being quirky and flat out ugly. Then, I came across draw.io on the web. Draw.io is a website designed to prepare diagrams. The user interface is very intuitive and easy to get used to. As someone who has used this website for more than a couple of months, I can’t recommend this website enough; here is why.

Cool free app/web

By M. H. Topal

site of the month :

draw.io

What you want from a diagram are simplicity and clarity; what you want from the medium for designing diagrams is reliability, easy usage, simple interface, and all needed features. Draw.io offers all these desired things in its free version! There are templates to choose from when you first open the website; they can make your job quicker in certain situations. On the left side of the screen, you will see hundreds of objects you can select from, and on the right side, there are settings for color, width, height, font size, etc. for the object currently selected. On top of all these, draw.io is open-source software. If the software is open-source, people can view, modify, and share the source code. This ensures the privacy of your content. Besides, if you want to use it offline, you can download the desktop application. I highly recommend draw.io for presentations, homework, or collecting thoughts. Check out “USIS Channel” on Youtube for a basics tutorial.

Ingredients:

-Pasta(500g) -Salt(1 teaspoon) -Olive oil(2 tblspns.) -Butter(2 tblspns.) -Cream(200 ml1 water glass) or mix milk and flour. -Black pepper(1/2 teaspoon)

Optionals:

-Garlic -Chicken(cooked before) -Parsley -Mozarella -Basil -Mushroom

Cool recipe of the month : Fettucine Alfredo First, boil some pasta for about 8 to 10 minutes. Then, add some salt for better taste, and fry the chicken in a medium-sized pan. After that, add some salt, black pepper, and some olive oil. For the sauce, melt some unsalted butter, and add two tablespoons of flour. Stir for about 30 seconds, then add 1 cup of milk. This next step is optional, but you can also add some mozzarella cheese and stir until the sauce is thick. In the end, add all of the ingredients into the bowl of pasta. You can also add some parsley for garnish. Enjoy your meal.

By E. Yiğit and M. Ş. Kılıç

GAMES AND Tongue twisters

RIDDLE

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

e egg! Don’t step on th ! Cough! Cough

Riddles and Questions 1-What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years? 2-The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?

Game 24

3- The Book: 2,4,4,2 4- The Lesson: 3,5,3,6 5- The Test: 1,3,4,6 6- What is the capital city of Switzerland? 7- What is a number that you can eat?

1-a movement toward a goal or

to a further or higher stage 2-introduced or coming from without; not belonging or proper to a thing 3-an account or statement describing in detail an event, situation, or the like, usually as the result of observation 4-a daily record, as of occurrences, experiences, or observations 6-a division of territory, as of a country, state, or county, marked off for 5-indefinite and continuous administrative, electoral, or other purposes duration regarded as that in 7-a learned or erudite person, especially one who has profound knowledge which events succeed one of a particular subject another Page contents by M. B. Köse, E. Yiğit, M. Ş. Kılıç, and M. H. Topal

Express