“Where the lions roar!
HS & MS Performers Bring ‘TLC’ to Standing-Room Only Crowd
The High School
Choir (far left) sang
Coldplay’s “Fix You”
and the Middle School
choirs sang “This
Little Light of Mine”
at TLC. / Photos cour-
tesy Mr. Baron.
by Hana Al-Ameri
(Grade 11)
Arts & Culture
Dozens of talented middle
school and high school students
have had or will have the op-
portunity to sing, play music and
dance at the Tunes, Lyrics and
Choirs (TLC) night on January
19 and the upcoming AISA's
Got Talent showcase on Febru-
ary 22.
Standing-room-only TLC
performances in the afternoon
Show VDay Love with Happy New Year from Around the World!
Candygrams, Shakespeare
by Shaika Al Qassimi
(Grade 11), AISA’s Voice
Valentine's Day is very special
for students. "It is a day were
we are able to show our love
to our friends," said Latifa Mo-
hammed Al Khamairi.
Valentine's Day will be
slightly different than last year.
Last year during Valentine's Day
the whole school had free dress
day and the color that they had
to wear was red, since red is the
theme for Valentine's Day.
Two weeks before the actual
Valentine's Day two girls went
around Advisory and asked
students if they wanted to
send chocolates from Patchi or
poems to other students. There
Boys Varisty Soccer Team Wins Nearly-Canceled ISAC Cup
by Aria Pavlic (Grade 11)
AISA Sports
Cheered on by the home
crowd, the AISA Boys Varsity
Soccer team clinched the nearly-
canceled ISAC Cup, an annual
round-robin tournament held
at AISA on January 13-14. The
AISA Girls Varsity Soccer team
finished with a respectable 2-1
record.
The tournament was scheduled
Was Emirates Palace’s Student Delegates Debate
• •
Xmas Tree Offensive? P2 Refugees at MUN P3
Vol. 1, No. 4
February 2011
and evening in the Drama Room
ranged from piano solos to vo-
cal solos to guitar solos. High
school performers included the
middle school and high school
choirs, junior Gregory Brown on
guitar, and seniors Peter Boulos
on piano and Philippe Trottier
on electric guitar. Middle school
performers included Maya Yang
(Grade 8), Michelle Pyo (Grade
by Shamma Al Khouri
(Grade 11), Cosmopolitan
Chinese student Xin Yu (Grade
11) usually marks has a fam-
was also a Valentine's dinner.
This year, Valentine's Day is
scheduled for Tuesday, Febru-
ary 15, as there is no school on
February 13-14 due to Prophet's
Birthday.
Student Council is planning
to change the exchange of
gifts: students can only send
gifts from girl to girl and boy
to boy. Boys are not allowed to
send gifts to girls, and girls are
not allowed to send gifts to the
boys.
Instead of chocolates and
poems, girls can send girls can-
dygrams, while boys can send
Shakespearean insults, accord-
ing to Mr. Thomas, one of the
leaders of Student Council.
Cheered on by Home Crowd; Varsity Girls Finish 2-1
to have five teams, but the two
Omani teams, the American-
British Academy (ABA) and
The American International
School in Muscat (TASIM),
had difficulty getting a visa to
travel to Abu Dhabi, according
to AISA Athletic Director Mr.
Synoground.
However, he was able to invite
Dubai's Universal American
School (UAS), Qatar Academy
Students see sights, help
orphans in Nepal P4
6), Melinda Knowling (Grade 7)
& Mathilde Bienseant (Grade 7).
“TLC is suppose to be a play
on 'tender loving care' -- if your
soul needs some TLC come to
an AISA TLC concert,” said Ms.
Van Rensburg. She added that
she hopes “to provide a platform
for students to gain performing
experience and teachers and par-
ents to get some 'soul food.'”
New Year’s fireworks on
Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.
in Doha, and Abu Dhabi's Raha
International School as replace-
ments.
AISA Boys opened the tourna-
ment by beating Qatar Academy
2-0, and finished the rugged
tournament with three wins and
one red card.
Left-Midfielder Karim Abu
Eicha (Grade 12) said, “It was
rough, but we still won every
game and kept our home field
Get Down with the Junior Who’s AISA’s prize-win-
• •
Dance Crew P5
Senior Serene Harb, in her
second year of high school
choir, was excited to participate
in Music Night. "There are
many talented students and this
was an opportunity for us to
show it,” she said.
Following last year's success-
ful Coffee House performance
night, this year's Talent Show is
is scheduled to include a variety
Different nationalities celebrat-
ed New Year' in different ways.
In Bali, people bang gongs
while marching a papier-mâché
demon through town, to drive
away evil spirits, according to
the Suite101 writers' network.
In Nigeria children run into their
homes, because if they are still
outside when the clock strikes
midnight, they might be carried
away by spirits!
Chinese New Year, based on
the lunar calendar, recently hap-
pened on February 3. The festi-
val focuses on family gatherings
to honor ancestors, and watching
parades, which feature a huge
paper dragon.
clean from defeat.”
Though some players were
disappointed they did not play
the scheduled teams, Coach
Mangan said, “I'm proud of the
boys coming out undefeated and
looking forward to seeing them
play in the ECC.”
Girls (including this reporter)
won both games against Qatar
Academy, but lost to UAS. Cap-
tain Danielle Cobrand (Grade
ning equestrian? P6
of performances ranging from
dance, to music to comedy, ac-
cording to Ms. Van Rensburg.
Since many students have
signed up to be in it, there may
be auditions, she said. “The win-
ner of the talent show will get
the title 'AISA’s Most Talented
Student' and maybe some other
mystery goodies,” she said.
ily dinner. “I look forward to
Chinese New Year but it’s during
exams this year,” she said.
The UAE celebrated New
Year with the world's highest
fireworks on the Burj Khalifa
in Dubai, while Abu Dhabi had
smaller fireworks and special
dinners.
Two Emirati freshman shared
their wishes for 2011. Meera
Al-Shamsi said, “This year I
would like to be more focused on
school and get better grades.”
Reem Al Ameri said, “I hope
this year will be as memorable
as last year, and will be full of
amazing memories that will
never be forgotten.”
Left: Junior Khalid
Mansoori in a
recent match.
Photo courtesy
Paula Fronda
(Grade 12)
Right: Girls Varsity
Soccer team poses
at the ISAC Cup.
Photo courtesy Mr.
SYnoground.
11) said, "It was good practice
for our team, but we didn’t meet
the high expectations.”
Hundreds of AISA students
cheered on the teams during a
pep rally and throughout the day.
“The games were really excit-
ing and intense,” said onlooker
Samantha Kettle (Grade 11).
Both varsity teams qualify for
the ECC, to be held at UAS-
Dubai on February 12.
 2 A I S A ’ s
Talent Show, AISA Fest
Bazaar Hightlight 2011
Last year’s AISA Fest. / Photo courtesy Mr. Godley.
by Mona Nasser (Grade 12)
Each year, Student Council
plans a variety of events. This
year, Mr. Thomas and Ms. Levi
are the heads. Student lead-
ers of the Student council are
seniors Hamad Al Fahim, Evan
Carstens, Paula Fronda and
Nour Chehabeddine. Junior’s
student leaders are Kebur As-
sefa, Quosain Memon, Delia
Smith, Kevin Van Hoogstraten,
and Nimra Parveen Ahmed.
So far they are planning
AISA's Got Talent, AISA Fest
and the AISA Bazaar.
For the talent show on Febru-
ary 22, since so many students
signed up to participate, music
Fun Facts
• There are about 30 million
Christmas trees sold every year
in the United States.
V O i C E
Emirates Palace’s Christmas Tree Shows
UAE’s Tolerance, Business Savvy
by Fatma Al Khazraji (Grade 12)
AISA’s Voice Editor
It was the night before
Christmas in Abu Dhabi, and
all through the town, the only
stirring was the debate over the
extravagant Christmas tree on
display in Emirates Palace.
In an attempt to host the
world's most expensive Christ-
mas tree, Emirates Palace made
its lobby centerpiece a $10,000
Christmas tree, decorated with
AED 40 million (USD 11 mil-
lion) worth of jewelery, General
Manager Hans Olbertz told the
AFP. Businessman Khalifa
Khouri, who owns the Style
Gallery jewelery store in Abu
Dhabi, provided the 131 sets of
of gold and precious stones.
Many people around the world
did not support the Christmas
tree, with arguments ranging
teacher Ms. Van Rensburg is
from the extravagance of the
likely to hold tryouts. The best
UAE to why a tree should be
five from middle school and the
displayed in a Muslim country.
best five from high school will
“When Muslims spend $11
be chosen.
million on a Christmas tree to at-
“There should be a variety of
talents like stand-up comedy
because most of it is music
and dancing!” said Ms. Van
Rensburg.“People underestimate
the talents in this school, you’ll
be surprised by how much stu-
dents are talented!”
Student Council is also plan-
ning the AISA Bazaar, tenta-
tively scheduled for March 10,
and the 3rd Annual AISA Fest,
which does not yet have a date.
• Last year’s AISA Fest carni-
val -- with a rodeo bull, sumo
wrestling and bungee jumping
-- raised nearly AED 100,000
for UNICEF.
tract foreigners, while there is so
much desperation among people
in our own Muslim family/com-
munity, it means priorities have
shifted in a negative way,” wrote
a Canadian commenter named
Stardust on the online Afghan
Forum.
But setting up a Christmas tree
in a Muslim country has noth-
ing to do with religion – it was
a marketing strategy to attract
media attention, and shows tol-
erance and acceptance of others.
A Christmas tree does not alter
the fact that the UAE is offi-
cially a Muslim country. But we
are also a country where more
than half the population is not
Muslim. Our country with its di-
versity is welcoming of different
nationalities and religions. When
Olbertz was asked if Muslims
would be offended by the tree,
he said, “The UAE is a liberal
country.”
Many ex-pats, including AISA
teachers, share this opinion as
well. Mr. Godley said, “As a di-
verse country,
the UAE citi-
zens are try-
ing to make
everyone feel
welcome by
reconizing as
many celebra-
tions as they
can.”
Setting up
a Christmas
tree is a way
of embracing
the festive
season that is
important to
many foreign-
The Express
Feb. 2011
ers. Besides, a Christmas tree
is not a symbol of the spiritual
Christmas, Mr. Ball said.
Furthermore, Abu Dhabi had
many secular Christmas decora-
tions, such as the winter wonder-
land and Santa’s Isloo in the Abu
Dhabi Mall, the Swiss Christmas
Market at the Beach Rotana
Hotel and the Christmas Bazaar
at the One to One Hotel.
Emirates Palace knew that
during the holiday season, many
people travel and there would
undoubtedly be more visitors to
this oil-rich nation. Khouri's idea
was a marketing strategy from a
business perspective, and based
on the media attention the tree
certainly brought more name-
recognition to Emirates Palce.
Though Khouri might have
gone too far in decorating the
tree, the wealth of Abu Dhabi
does not imply that its citizens
do not help the poor; in fact the
UAE is one of the top 10 donors
of foreign aid, according to a
recent report by Global Humani-
tarian Assistance. This also ties
in with the concept of “zakat,”
or giving 2.5 percent of a Mus-
lim's possessions to charity.
It is tragic that people are
critical of Khouri's display and
have misinterpreted what he had
set out to do. Since setting up a
Christmas tree is not necessar-
ily a religious tradition, there is
nothing wrong with displaying a
Christmas tree in the UAE.
Many locals were proud of
Khouri's porject and his willing-
ness to share his success with
the world.
Photo courtesy AFP.

“The Express” Masthead

Our Mission:
The Express produces an up-to-
date, fun, fresh, fierce newspaper
that will be liked by many, cussed
by some, read by all!
Staff Advisors
Mr. Baron, Mr. Kandil
AISA Voices
Editor: Fatma Al Khazraji
Sheikha Al Meraikhi
Shaika Al Qassimi
Mona Nasser
Arts and Culture
Editor: Maitha Al Mansoori
Hana Al Ameri
AISA Bazaar Lets Students
Run a Small Business
by Sheikha Al Meraikhi
(Grade 11)
AISA Bazaar is a new Student
Council-sponsored event that
would give students the oppor-
tunity to run a small business,
which would help them learn
more about marketing and adver-
tising.
Tentatively scheduled for
March 10, an individual or group
To increase the competition
between the booths, two trophies
will be given out: the first trophy
for the group that collects most
money, and the second is for the
booth that is best designed.
A DJ would be present in the
event to keep the spirit and the
fun alive. Entrance tickets will be Picture illustration by Sheikha Al Meraikhi (Grade 11).
sold ahead of time, and students
could bring two guests.

Admin Corner: Keep ‘Riding the Fence’

Rawdha Al Mansouri of students would pay an amount
Menat El Abd of money to set up a table. Each
Cosmopolitan table can promote games and sell
Editor: Farah Al Suwaidi products such as baked goods. by Mr. Godley, Secondary School Principal
Hanna Al Hassen The money each table collects Growing up in Canada, I spent many summers “riding the fence.” This was a tough job that involved
Shamma Al Khouri belongs to them. riding a horse out over hundreds of miles of fence and making sure that it was in good repair.
Oshba Al Murar Clarification: Long, hard days were spent working far away from the house and there were times when it felt like the
News! In the December 2010 issue, in fence work would never be finished. Sometimes we would stay out for days, camping along the fence line
Editor: Rana Alsaadi the article “Students: ‘I Miss and working during the long, seemingly endless, daylight hours. 
Alyazia Al Hamed the Shout!’” an anonymous On our way home, it always seemed that our horses longed to get back more than we did. We would
Farida Nassar source who said she missed the hold them back as best as we could, buat once they saw the barn, they would break in to a sprint and not
Tanya Tarazi previous student newspaper stop until we arrived back. The trick was to take a path back that would keep them from seeing the barn
Sports: was actually former Shout staff too early and running back with abandon. 
Editor: Jessica van der Walt member senior Shaima al Mar- As I think about this experience, I draw some similarities to school work. Academically, it is important
Ameilia Fox zouqi. In the future, The Express for students to work hard and keep focused. At times, just like on that fence line, it might feel like there
Paula Fronda will strive to avoid anonymous is no end to the work that has to be done. However, this is when we learn to keep working, be disciplined
Aria Pavlic sources and improve accuracy. and stay the path.
While our school year is now half done, and some of us may feel like we can “see the barn” it is criti-
Copyright © 2011 AISA Notes: cal for us to focus and concentrate on staying committed to our studies and to finish strong. We have all
No portion of this newspaper or related
Cosmopolitan now has a rotating worked hard this year, and we owe it to ourselves to continue doing the best that we can.
online content may be reproduced for
public or comercial purposes without
editor. Sports has a new editor I wish you all a fantastic second semester, and I challenge you to do the very best that you can.  After all,
prior written permission. with Jessica van der Walt. the fence never really is finished.
 The Express
Feb. 2011 N E W S ! 3

Student Money Raised for Pakistan

by Alyazia Al Hamed (Grade 11)
During the AISA Model Unit-
ed Nations (MUN) conference
on December 14, more than 20
students representing countries
from around the world, debated
the advantages and disadvan-
tages of refugees moving in and
out of a country.
In the Model UN club, run
by four teachers Ms. Fleming,
Ms. Levi, Ms. Schwartz and Mr.
Baron, students are assigned
a country and they must work
with fellow students to find a
solution for a global issue.
Model UN clubs have been
around since the 1920s, and
AISA's was founded six years
ago by previous principal Mr.
Bolster. Meetings are held after
school, usually once a week.
Delegates pose after the conference. / Photo courtesy Mr. Baron
Fun Facts
• Pakistan is the world’s second-largest
Muslim country.
• More than 400,000 students worldwide
participate in Model UN every year.
During the AISA MUN con-
ference, students debated for an
hour-and-a-half, and developed
resolutions that nations should
take responsibilities for their
refugees, help aid them, improve
their living conditions, help
regulate government policies
and develop a worldwide net-
work that would be able to assist
refugees from all over the globe,
according to Lamees Al Mak-
kawy, a junior who represented
Colombia. They also proposed
that countries should take advan-
tage of their refugees and benefit
from them.
“Overall, the conference was
an excellent way to inform stu-
dents, parents and even teachers
of the importance of the issues
of the world today, and why it is
• 2011 is the 150th anniversary of the first
summer camp.
• CSI is the most popular dramatic tv se-
ries worldwide, with more than 70 million
viewers.
Delegates Helps People in Need
Debate
Refugees at
AISA MUN
necessary make a difference as it
is an international community!”
said Al Makkawy, who par-
ticipated in AISA MUN for the
second time. (Last year's AISA
MUN was on child soldiers.)
Many students are doing MUN
for the first time this year, like
junior Dorien Van Heerden.
“MUN is an excellent way to
learn public speaking, and get
in touch with global issues,” she
said.
Ms. Fleming added, “The
students are improving, they are
asking many questions and are
gaining self-confidence.”
About 15 students have signed
up for the Abu Dhabi MUN,
which is tentatively scheduled
for March.
by Farida Nassar (Grade 11)
In August, a terrible flood
struck Pakistan, causing a lot of
damage and affecting nearly 20
million people.
People had no homes and no
food or aid. AISA has been do-
ing so much effort such as the
30-Hour Famine and assemblies
to raise more than AED 80,000
for Pakistan relief.
Mr. Mirza who has been lead-
ing AISA’s fundraising efforts,
traveled to Pakistan over winter
break to see how the situation
was going at Pakistan and how
AISA’s donations were being
used.
According to Mr. Mirza, “The
situation is very bad in Pakistan,
there’s a slow pace in improve-
ment and there’s hardly any food
or aid for the people,” said Mr.
Mirza. “Many are still home-
Pakistani
children
wait for food.
Photo
courtesy
Mr. Mirza
Pakistan, Imran Khan Founda-
tion and Red Crescent.
Mr. Mirza donated AED
27,000 to Khushal Pakistan and
specified that it invest in food
and aid, schools, and sewer and
sanitation.
After midterms, Mr Mirza and
Ms. Fleming will decide what to
do with the rest of the more than
AED 50,000 that is in a safe.
“I’m very happy that AISA
raised so much money and con-
tributed so much and made a big
difference,” said Mr. Mirza.
He was also happy to see his
family, whom he has not seen in
a long time. His parents trav-
elled from England.
Although Mr. Mirza said it
was difficult seeing people
suffer – not only from rebuild-
ing, but also from bombing
and shootings – he is expecting

‘AISA Assassin’ Strikes Again!

less. There are even places still
underwater!”
‘Double-Murder’ Shocks Middle School Mr. Mirza worked with three
different charities: Khushal
AISA’s continued efforts to con-
tinue helping Pakistanis.
“Our school made a difference
[and will continue].”

by Tanya Tarazi (Grade 11)
Eighth grade students
mourned the “death” of two
more teachers after the “AISA
Assassin” struck for the third
year in a row in early January.
However; students had fun
investigating the “double-mur-
der” for this science project
called “Murder in Our Midst.”
Mr. Mirza and Ms. Holloway
were “murdered” on January
9-10, with crime scenes in the
music room closet and old gym.
To find evidence left behind
by the “killers,” students used
analytical skills by interview-
ing with teachers and forming
forensic labs by comparing evi-
dence such as hair, footprints,
finger prints and mysterious
powder.
“The event engages students
in an interactive unit that is
fun and interesting,” said Ms.
Rasmussen
The killer first struck on
Sunday, February 9, when Ms.
Holloway, the middle school
secretary, found Mr. Mirza
hanged from his scarf beside a
chair in the old gym.
The next day at 7:05 am,
Ms. Van Rensburg found Ms.
Holloway – the only witness to
Mr. Mirza's “death” – lying on
the floor, eyes open with brown
foam coming from her mouth.
The “victims” said they
enjoyed seeing the reaction
of the students towards their
“deaths.”
Both Ms. Holloway and Mr.
Mirza, apparently resurrected,
claimed students were in tears
and shocked.
“I always wanted to be the
star of a show,” Mr. Mirza said
later. “So what better way to be
center of attention than to be
the murder victim?”
Students said they enjoyed
examining the crime. Yara
Hashim said, “It was a fun
project that left us responsible
for figuring everything out on
our own and it was fun investi-
gating the teacher’s deaths.”
Students concluded that
Mr. McGrady was the alleged
“murderer.” When The Express
pressed Mr. McGrady for a
comment, he admitted to “em-
bezzling” school money to start
a rival middle school camp.
“If you've got to knock two
people off, you've got to knock
two people off,” he said with-
out remorse.
Left: “Mr. Mirza” found
“hanged” in the old gym.
Photo courtesy Ms. Meunier.

MS: Roughing It and Loving It at Camp

by Rana Alsaadi (Grade 11)
News! Editor
Middle school students and
teachers enjoyed a variety of
outdoor activities at the annual
Middle School Camp, a trip
to the Sharjah desert, in mid-
December.
Mr. McGrady, a middle school
art teacher, organized the camp
with Ecoventure, a Dubai-based
company that runs outdoor
activities for students. “I went
to a camping trip growing up as
a kid and I wanted to share the
experience with the students,”
he said.
Two camping trips were held,
one for the girls and one for the
boys, according to Ms. Spegele,
the girls’ assistant principal.
The girls went on December
14 and came back on Decem-
ber 16, while the boys went on
December 16 and came back on
December 18.
The trip did not run in the
previous school year but has
run for at least two years at the
school. Mr. McGrady said about
half the middle school (more
than 100 students) paid AED
1,425 to attend. “The purpose of
the camp was to expose every-
one to outdoor challenges and to
build leadership and community
spirit,” Ms. Spegele said.
On the first day of the camp,
students took part in rock climb-
ing, sand boarding, an obstacle
course, and created a fire to
roast marshmallows. On the
second day of the trip, students
kayaked, canoed, and raft built.
“I loved it,” said Ms. Spegele.
“I participated in almost every
activity I could and all of the
teachers did as well.”
Ms. Schwartz supervised
the girls’ camp. “I enjoyed the
experience and the girls’ had
fun,” she said. Dina Hammoud
(Grade 8) was one of those girls.
“My favorite part of the camp-
ing trip was kayaking!” she said.
“At first, it was challenging but I
after I did it, I felt confident. The
instructors were really good.
They taught me how to kayak
and were always there for me.”
Mr. McGrady is hoping for
more students to attend the
camping trip next year. In the
meantime, he is planning a Grade 7 student Ali Baranbo rapelling down a wall.
kayaking trip to Abu Dhabi's Photo courtesy Mr. McGrady.
Mangroves in mid-February.
 4
C O
Students Help Orphan Children in Nepal on World Challenge Trip
by Oshba Al Murar (Grade 12)
In November, six students and
a teacher went on a two-week
community service trip to Nepal
to learn about a different culture,
hike the Annapurna Mountains
and volunteer with a boarding
school for orphans.
Mr. Deschamps led juniors
Janeeta Abbasi, Joumana Asfour,
Claudia Oswald, Delia Smith,
Dorien Van Heerden and Kevin
Van Hoogstraten on the trip, co-
sponsored by World Challenge,
a school expeditions company.
World Challenge offers “an
unrivaled range of expedition
programmers focused 100 per-
cent on the education of young
people, stretching comfort zones
and expanding minds outside the
classroom,” according to their
website.
Juniors and Seniors Get ‘Close Up’ Civics Education on D.C. Trip
More than 20 students on the Close Up: Washington D.C. trip visited several government buildings
in the U.S. capital. Photo courtesy Mr. LeBlanc.
• The top three nationalities at AUS are UAE, Jordan and Egypt.
• The U.S. Capitol has 540 rooms divided among five levels.
• There are more than 100 languages spoken in Nepal.
• More than 1 billion people worldwide watch the Times Square New Year’s
celebrations
Alumna Adjusting to American University of Sharjah
by Farah Al Suwaidi
(Grade 12)
Cosmopolitan Editor
Maitha M. is an 18-year-old
Emirati freshman studying
Architecture at the American
University of Sharjah (AUS)
after graduating from AISA last
year.
While Maitha who has de-
clined to share her full name had
hoped to go to a university in the
UK, she wound up at AUS since
it had a later deadline.
AUS has more than 5,000 stu-
dents, and was founded in 1997
by Sheikh Sultan bin Moham-
mad Al Qassimi, the ruler of
Sharjah. It is very diverse with
Mr. Deschamps said the two
favorite things he liked about
Nepal were the “amazing food
and the most amazing, selfless
people.” Each student had a
duty, such as transportation, ac-
commodation, food and budget.
During the trip, they hiked to
the Buddhist Swayambhunath
Temple, better known as the
“Monkey Temple,” because
monkeys overran the trees
around the temple.
They also visited Kathmandu's
Durbar Square, a collection of
ancient temples and palaces
from the 12th-18th centuries.
“It’s like stepping back in time
a 1000 years,” said Mr. Des-
champs.
At the Nagajuna Modern
Boarding School, AISA students
did numerous programs with the
Fun Facts
82 nationalities – more than
AISA – and 46 nationalities for
the Class of ’10, according to its
website.
For undergraduates, it offers
25 majors and 48 minors, and all
classes are taught in English.
Ms. Merrell, the high school
guidance counselor, recommends
this school, which also had the
most-attended university visit at
AISA in October 2010.
“AUS is probably one of the
top schools available in the
UAE,” she said.
For Maitha, she has had to
adjust to living independently
– doing laundry, cooking meals
and cleaning her room. But she
S M O
more than 100 school students,
such as helping to teach, make
arts and crafts and buying basic
materials the school needed
including sports equipment,
medical care and musical instru-
ments.
“The experience was motivat-
ing and very influential, espe-
cially when we saw the way
they lived and how happy they
were with a simple soccer ball,”
Asfour said.
The IB1-CAS students are
planning to raise awareness and
money to help the school build a
new building on the outskirts of
Pokhara, Nepal. Van Heerden is
planning a photo essay-exhibi-
tion and may have a table at the
International Night.
For more information, visit
www.thenagajunatrust.org.
likes the academic changes too.
“University is more diverse
and is based on independence
and how you take care of your-
self and your own studies. I like
how everyone is treated equally
and as independent young
adults.”
Still, Maitha said that she
misses AISA. “I miss AISA’s
family environment, the coop-
eration, of course my teachers
and friends.”
Her advice to seniors: “Enjoy
every minute spent in school,
because school is one thing that
you’ll always miss, study hard,
stick to each other, help each
other, always be happy and have
Students and their Nepalese guides .Back row: Janeeta Abbasi, Delia
Smith, Kevin Van Hoogstraten. Front row: Joumana Asfour, Dorien
Van Heerden, Claudia Oswald. / Photo courtesy Dorien Van Heerden.
by Hanna Al Hassen (Grade 12)
For the past three years, Mr.
LeBlanc has taken a group of
juniors and seniors on Close Up,
a six-day civic education trip to
Washington D.C.
In December, Mr. LeBlanc
and Ms. Fleming led nearly 20
students on tours of the U.S.
Capitol, the Lincoln and Jef-
ferson Memorials and several
museums; watched Senate bills
pass and met government of-
ficials.
“It’s a good organization and
trip especially because we’re in
an American school and curricu-
lum, so the students can learn
a lot about the U.S.,” said Mr.
LeBlanc.
Founded in 1971, Close Up
provides programs for students
and teachers to participate si-
multaneously. Mr. LeBlanc also
went on the Close Up trip when
he was in high school in 1985,
and saw President Reagan’s
inauguration.
“Using the nation’s capital as a
living classroom, this renowned
program far transcends the
physical boundaries that schools
with walls face as students get
a 'close up' experience with
democracy in action,” according
to the organization's website.
AISA students also met and
learned with students from
all around the United States,
an amazing spirit at school,
never let anything get in your
way.”
Note: AUS application
American University of Sharjah’s entrance.
Photo courtesy Airmaster Equipments Emirates.
The Express
Feb. 2011
including Washington, New
Jersey, Texas, Ohio and Oregon,
according to junior Aisha Al-
Hajeri.
According to Close Up sur-
veys, nearly all teachers reported
that they returned to school
re-energized with new ways to
inspire their students, and nearly
all students better understand
their roles as citizens.
Mr. LeBlanc said, “It's really
gratifying when I get to see the
students learn and get a lot out
of it.”
One of these students was
senior Ayesha Al-Braiki. “It was
a life-changing experience,”
she said. “I loved meeting new
people and learning about a
new place. It was a trip full of
awesome-ness and I would so
do I again!”
Students also met Moon
Yousif Sulfab, a government
official who works for Sen-
ate Republican Leader Mitch
McConnell and a member of
the Congressional Muslim Staff
Association.
“I was really happy and hon-
ored to have met you and met
with your students,” he wrote
to Mr. Blanc in an e-mail after
the trip. “They are the future of
the Arab world, and one would
hope that they will succeed
where previous generations had
failed.”
deadlines are April 14, 2011 for
early decision and July 14, 2011
for regular decision.
The Express
Feb. 2011 A r t s & C u l t u r e 5

International Dance Group Hopes to Philippe Trottier:

Pop and Lock to the Top at Talent Show
Junior Dance Crew members (left to right:) Nimra Ahmed, Amira Anthonijz, Teguh Zulian, Kebur
Asefa, Yu Xin, Lamees Al Makkawy, Tanya Tarazi. Lying down is Steffanie Sanders, while in front is
Farida Nassar. / Photo courtesy Dorien Van Heerden.
by Rawdha Al Mansouri
(Grade 11)
Ten juniors have formed a
new, international co-ed dance
group as an IB1-CAS project,
and they are training to win the
upcoming Talent Show.
The Junior Dance Crew is led
by Dorien Van Heerden, Amira
Anthonijz and Kebur Asefa,
and supervised by Ms. Van
Rensburg. Additional members
are Nimra Ahmed, Lamees
Al Makkawy, Menat El Abd,
Farida Nassar, Steffanie Sand-
ers, Tanya Tarazi, Yu Xin and
Teguh Zulian.
"We're going to perform in
the Talent Show, International
Night and any other events,"
said Van Heerden. "I really love
dancing, and find that our grade
has a lot of potential.”
Following their first prac-
tice on January 11, the group
practices for one or two hours
once or twice a week after
school in the music room. Ms.
Van Rensburg helps choose the
music and gives advice on the
dancing, Asefa said.
The Junior Dance Crew
combines a variety of dances:
bellydancing, Tecktonick, hip
hop and salsa.
"Members of the group teach
each other dance styles, and add
international dances to every-
thing," said Al Makkawy. The
dance group is co-ed so they
can keep our moves appropriate
and show the school they are
Rockstar in the Making
by Menat El Abd (Grade 11) gigs “every now and then,”
Philippe Trottier is a 17-year- mostly on weekends.
old senior who has been playing “It’s a great experience per-
the electric guitar since he was forming live,” he said. “I can’t
12 years old and has recently stress enough how important it
rocked out the school's two is to play in a band and to jam
music arts nights with his heavy with other people. Music is
metal performances. something that has to be shared.
At the War and Pieces and The more people you’re with,
Tundes, Lyrics and Choirs per- the higher the creativity will
forming arts nights, he played soar!”
original compositions. “He is a Trottier has applied to the Mu-
stunning guitarist and a natural sician’s Institute in Hollywood,
performer,” said Ms. Van Rens- California, a city where many
burg, his music teacher. “I hope musicians go to become famous.
he is the first of a large amount The Institute has immersion
of superstars that AISA is going curriculum of workshops and
to deliver.” performances, according to its
Trottier remembers a child- website.
hood heavily influenced by It was recommended to Trot-
heavy metal stars. “As a kid I tier by rock guitarist Paul Gil-
spent my days day dreaming at bert, who teaches at the Institute
school about my idols such as and who has played for Mr. Big
Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica and and Racer X.
Slayer,” he said. While Trottier dreams of tour-
However, he wants to make ing the world, before he leaves
his own path. “One day I hope you can catch him at the upcom-
I will be touring the world in a ing AISA's Got Talent showcase
band,” he said. on February 22.
Currently, Trottier plays in a
band called Osprey which plays
responsible, Van Heerden said.
Asefa, one of only two boys
in the group, danced with a
group in his home country of
Ethiopia. His favorite dances
are the street styles of jerkin',
Tecktonik and pop-and-lock.
Though he intends to study
civil engineering in university,
he likes to dance as a hobby.
“Dancing in front of large
groups can get you nervous at
first,” Asefa said. “But then you
get used to it and become more
comfortable.”
Al Makkawy for one is not
nervous for the upcoming
AISA's Got Talent showcase.
"We have many capabilities and
the chance to win,” she said.

Fun Facts
• The world record for most tap dancers
for a single routine is 6,952 in Stuttgart,
Germany in 1998.
• In the 1950s, you could buy fake side-
burns to look like Elvis Presley.
• Written Arabic poetry dates from the 6th Senior Philippe Trottier rocking out with his guitar
century. hero Paul Gilbert at a recording studio in Paris,
• 40 countries have an “Idol” TV series. France. Photo courtesy Philippe Trottier.

MS Student Places 3rd in UAE Poetry Contest

by Maitha Al Mansoori
(Grade 11)
Arts and Culture Editor
When the British Council
announced its poetry com-
petition to commemorate
Queen Elizabeth's return to
the UAE in November for
the first time in more than
30 years, Arabic teacher Mr.
Hafez searched throughout
the school for a candidate.
One student stood up to
the challenge: Faisal Al
Hosany (Grade 8).
The competition was
looking for aspiring poets to
show their writing skills and
their feelings about the part-
nership between the UAE
and the U.K., according to
Gulf News.
One Emirati and one Brit-
ish student between the ages
of 12 and 16 were chosen
from thousands of submis-
sions.
Though Al Hosany, 13,
did not win the competition,
he did finish third with his
Arabic poem, “A Poem to
Sheikh Khalifa Bin Sul-
tan Al Nahyan and Queen
Elizabeth.”
In the poem, he wrote: “I
am positive and sure that
with Allah’s guidance and
Abu Sultan’s leadership
[Sheikh Khalifa], our [UK
and UAE] relationship will
last and prosper over time.”
Mr. Hafez was very proud
of his student's achieve-
ment. “Out of thousands
of submissions, Faisal was
chosen to be in the top three
and that is a major achieve-
ment,” he said.
Al Hosany started writing
poetry in fourth grade, but
this competition was his first
experience writing a full
poem.
He had the support of his
family, and especially his
mother, he said. When he
received the e-mail saying
he won third place, he was
very nervous and happy at
the same time.
“I had hopes of meeting
the Queen, expressing my
feelings and receiving a
gift,” he said. Despite his
achievement, Al Hosany
said he aspires to be an
engineer.
Left: “A Poem to Sheikh
Khalifa Bin Sultan Al
Nahyan and Queen Eliza-
beth.” Text courtesy Faisal
Al Hosany (Grade 8).
 6 Extraordinary Equestrian
Junior Samantha Kettle One of Top Young Show Jumpers
Is an Olympic Medal in Her Future?
by Jessica van der Walt
(Grade 11) AISA Sports Editor
the Emirates and in the summer
within Europe. She has three
“School and horses is hard work. I’m not the
average teenager who gets time for friends every
A
Junior Samantha Kettle is an horses: Konig de Bonde, Indian
experienced, well-known show Gift and Ivoire Bai Rio.
jumper who recently placed For the past two years, Kettle weekend.” -Samantha Kettle (Grade 11)
fourth out of 30 competitors in has qualified for the juniors
Dubai Juniors and Young Riders Grand Prix in Dubai.
Grand Prix, the top equestrian “I want to thank Sheikh Rashid
showcase in the UAE. for being a great sponsor, and

I
Though Kettle was born in Abu
Dhabi, she is ethnically Eng-
lish and grew up in Spain. Her
passion for horses started with
the inspiration of her parents
Michael and Caroline, who are
former jockeys and currently
race horse trainers.
never giving up faith on me,”
said Kettle. “He’s one person
who has brought my dreams to
reality.”
Last year she placed second
out of 13 riders, but this year was
disappointing – she was in the
lead and but knocked down the

S
They came to Abu Dhabi in
1990 as horse trainers for Sheikh
Rashid bin Hamdan Al Nahyan,
and her mom is currently work-
ing in the breeding section.
“School and horses is hard
work,” said Kettle, who trains six
last fence, costing her first place.
For the past six years, she has
been training with Colombian
showjumper Luis Espinosa.
“Sami can be a very challeng-
ing person to train because she
always has high goals,” Espinosa

A
days a week. “I’m not the aver-
age teenager who gets time for
friends every weekend. But AISA
has been really flexible with me
going here and there so I appreci-
ate that.”
Kettle is also sponsored by
Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan Al
Nahyan and competes throughout
said of Kettle.
She plans to stay in the UAE
for university and continue
her show jumping career, and
Espinosa has high expectations
for her: “In the future with the
right horse, time, and mindset,
Samantha is going to be compet- Kettle at the recent Dubai Juniors and Young Riders Grand Prix, the UAE’s top eques-
ing in the Olympics!” trian showcase. Photo courtesy Smantha Kettle.

Tennis for Two

Top Rugby Player to Leave
Abu Dhabi for New Zealand
S Charles Oswald Plays for AD Harlequins
by Paula Fronda (Grade 12)
Charles Oswald, former striker of the
JV soccer team and former rugby player
Oswald is now in his fourth year of
playing for the JV soccer team. This was
his first year playing under coach Mr.
Arian Teguh and Claudia Oswald
Play for Thrill of the Game
by Ameilia Fox (Grade 11)
Juniors Claudia Oswald and
Arian Teguh are two of AISA's
Oswald added: “You have to
learn to keep a positive attitude
and a calm composure in a game
top tennis players. They play ten- situation.”
nis at Zayed Sports City several Teguh, who has been playing
times a week, and are trained by for the past eight years, practices

P
for the Abu Dhabi Harlequins Rugby
Club, has recently accepted a rugby
scholarship to play at a top school in New
Zealand. “I believe this is a great op-
portunity for me and I am very excited to
start,” he said.
Oswald started playing football when
Mirza and Oswald said they have “good
mateship.” Oswald added: “He is a really
nice guy and we always have a good
laugh.”
While Oswald is excited to move to a
different country, Abu Dhabi and AISA
will always be in his heart.
Belgian coach Sigi Meeuws.
Oswald, who has been playing
tennis since she was six years
old, admires Rodger Federer and
Rafael Nadal – and got to meet
Nadal when she was a ball girl at
the recent Mubadala World Ten-
three times a week. “The best
thing about tennis is the inten-
sity,” he said. “The worst thing is
the backhand stroke.”
Though neither plans on play-
ing tennis professionally, only
for fun, they still love the thrill

O
he was five years old, and he started play-
ing rugby at seven.
“Football has always been a secondary
sport to rugby,” he said. Oswald prefers
rugby over football because he’s had
more successes in rugby.
“I enjoy the mental and physical side of
“AISA has a great sports program and nis Championship. and skill of the game.
my best memories of AISA have been on “Tennis is such a mind game,” “Tennis is a great sport to keep
sports trips,” he said. said Oswald, who refused to fit, and is really enjoyable,” she
“AISA has always been dominant in be interviewed without Teguh. said.
JV sports and that’s why I have enjoyed
it. I have made some good mates through
sports.”

R
it,” he said.

S Two of AISA’s top tennis players are auniors Arian Teguh (left, play-
ing at Zayed Sports City) and Claudia Oswald (right, with tennis
star Rafaed Nadal in the background).
Photos courtesy Arian Teguh and Claudia Oswald.

Fun Facts:
• Each year, Wimbledon uses 52,200 tennis balls.
• The biggest margin of victory in a rugby game was
when Hong Kong beat Singapore 164-13.
The Express • The top speed of a horse is about 70 kph (40 mph).
Charles Oswald (right) out-runs a defender in a recent match.
Feb. 2011 • Soccer is the most popular sport in the world.
Photo courtesy Mathieu Brignønen.