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New Pope, New Hope
Elaine Kim
One day after the conclave, white smoke arose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signifying the election of a new pope. In the midst of ringing bells and cheering crowds, Cardinal Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, emerged at the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. “Viva il Papa (Pope)!” chanted the frenzied crowd, but the pope gave a humble response by asking them to bless him first.
The March 13th election marked the 266th election of a pope, the first non-European in the modern era. The majority of pontiffs have been Italian (217), French, or German (including the former Pope Benedict XVI), but never South American. He is also the first Jesuit to take the title of Pope.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, comes from a modest family of seven. His father worked as an Italian immigrant railroad worker while his mother served as a housewife. After graduating with a chemical technician’s diploma, he chose the priesthood and went on to become the Archbishop of Buenos Aires then the cardinal of Argentina. As cardinal of Argentina, he was criticized for not taking a strong stance on the dictatorship there from 1976-1983. Presumably, he failed to act upon the kidnapping of two Jesuit priests during the dirty war. The Pope has denied any charges.
A strong contender among the cardinals in the 2005 conclave, Pope Francis received the second most votes behind Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI). In this year’s conclave, however, he emerged as the evident winner of the fifth ballot. (In the first few ballots, cardinals voted for each other out of respect.) At a troubled time for the Catholic Church, he is hoped to be the savior of the 1.2 billion Catholics in the world. Underscoring the importance of conciliation between the Muslims and Christians and frowning upon the “inconsistency… between what [pastors and believers] say and what they do”, he holds conservative Catholic views to be true. He is noted for his firm opposition to gay marriage, abortion, and the ordainment of women. It is unsure at this point how he will address the various problems facing the Catholic Church, such as child sexual abuse, scandals in the Vatican Bank, the bureaucracy within the Church, and the rise of secularism, among others.
His simple lifestyle, in correspondence to his papal name (the beloved St. Francis of Assisi, who lived a humble life of poverty), is also reflected in his life at the Vatican. Used totravelling by public transport, Pope Francis refused to take the papal limousine but rather took the shuttle bus with the other cardinals. He has also opted to live in a two-room guesthouse instead of an extravagant papal apartment. As a cardinal, he had lived in a small apartment and cooked his own food, refusing to reside in the archbishop palace.
Meanwhile, Pope Benedict XVI, who abdicated the papacy in February, will remain in Vatican City, retaining his Vatican citizenship. He will be known as Pope Emeritus, and will lead a quiet life in Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, “hidden from the world”.
One day after the conclave, white smoke arose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signifying the election of a new pope. In the midst of ringing bells and cheering crowds, Cardinal Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, emerged at the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. “Viva il Papa (Pope)!” chanted the frenzied crowd, but the pope gave a humble response by asking them to bless him first.
The March 13th election marked the 266th election of a pope, the first non-European in the modern era. The majority of pontiffs have been Italian (217), French, or German (including the former Pope Benedict XVI), but never South American. He is also the first Jesuit to take the title of Pope.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, comes from a modest family of seven. His father worked as an Italian immigrant railroad worker while his mother served as a housewife. After graduating with a chemical technician’s diploma, he chose the priesthood and went on to become the Archbishop of Buenos Aires then the cardinal of Argentina. As cardinal of Argentina, he was criticized for not taking a strong stance on the dictatorship there from 1976-1983. Presumably, he failed to act upon the kidnapping of two Jesuit priests during the dirty war. The Pope has denied any charges.
A strong contender among the cardinals in the 2005 conclave, Pope Francis received the second most votes behind Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI). In this year’s conclave, however, he emerged as the evident winner of the fifth ballot. (In the first few ballots, cardinals voted for each other out of respect.) At a troubled time for the Catholic Church, he is hoped to be the savior of the 1.2 billion Catholics in the world. Underscoring the importance of conciliation between the Muslims and Christians and frowning upon the “inconsistency… between what [pastors and believers] say and what they do”, he holds conservative Catholic views to be true. He is noted for his firm opposition to gay marriage, abortion, and the ordainment of women. It is unsure at this point how he will address the various problems facing the Catholic Church, such as child sexual abuse, scandals in the Vatican Bank, the bureaucracy within the Church, and the rise of secularism, among others.
His simple lifestyle, in correspondence to his papal name (the beloved St. Francis of Assisi, who lived a humble life of poverty), is also reflected in his life at the Vatican. Used totravelling by public transport, Pope Francis refused to take the papal limousine but rather took the shuttle bus with the other cardinals. He has also opted to live in a two-room guesthouse instead of an extravagant papal apartment. As a cardinal, he had lived in a small apartment and cooked his own food, refusing to reside in the archbishop palace.
Meanwhile, Pope Benedict XVI, who abdicated the papacy in February, will remain in Vatican City, retaining his Vatican citizenship. He will be known as Pope Emeritus, and will lead a quiet life in Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, “hidden from the world”.
Rebels in Mali Deterred by French Military Action
Elaine Kim, Feb 18 2013
A French airstrike on Malian rebels on January 10th has helped the Malian government get an upper hand in the ongoing strife. The rebels, supported by Al Qaeda, are from several different countries and have already taken control of Northern Mali. Their leverage stems from a considerable level of equipment and training, funded by illegal activities such as drug trafficking and kidnapping for ransom. It was difficult for the weak Malian government to battle them.
The Malian government asked for the aid of Western and neighboring countries, such as Togo, Benin, Nigeria, France, and Algeria. Algeria has agreed to provide the French warplanes airspace for the strikes, incensing many Algerian terrorists. The terrorists made global headlines this January by taking about 800 workers and foreigners hostage in a British Petroleum gas facility in retaliation. Twenty-three hostages were killed before Algerian forces came to the rescue.
In addition to the 2,000 troops France sent to assist the Malian soldiers, France has conducted an aerial bombardment that brought back the cities Konna and Diabaly to the Malian government’s hands. The rebels responded to the attack with a dashing manifesto to strike “everywhere”, in Bamako, in Africa, and in Europe.
Indifferent to the threats from Algeria and the Malian rebels, France pushed on to the north of Mali, a part of the country mostly controlled by the Malian militants. The French army’s overnight attacks by warplanes and helicopters chased the rebels out of Gao and Timbuktu, the two biggest cities in Northern Mali, creating a momentous win for the Malian government. The residents of the cities, freed from the strict rules of Sharia (the moral code of Islamic rule), celebrated their liberation by taking off their veils and chanting, “Vive la France! Vive la France!” which means “Long live France! Long live France!”
France soon gained control of Kidal, the last bastion of the rebels. The majority of rebels were injured or killed, marking a glaring contrast with the French, who had no losses. The surviving rebel members have fled to mountains near the Algerian border on feet and on camel, or have blended in with the ordinary citizens.
France plans on removing the remaining rebels. Skeptics warn France that it will not be an easy task: Northern Mali alone is the size of France, and there is always the risk of being ambushed by rebels hiding in the caves of the mountains. However, Mali has hope. France intends to negotiate with the rebel groups and Western countries have offered to send airlifts, intelligence support, and troops to assist the French.
A French airstrike on Malian rebels on January 10th has helped the Malian government get an upper hand in the ongoing strife. The rebels, supported by Al Qaeda, are from several different countries and have already taken control of Northern Mali. Their leverage stems from a considerable level of equipment and training, funded by illegal activities such as drug trafficking and kidnapping for ransom. It was difficult for the weak Malian government to battle them.
The Malian government asked for the aid of Western and neighboring countries, such as Togo, Benin, Nigeria, France, and Algeria. Algeria has agreed to provide the French warplanes airspace for the strikes, incensing many Algerian terrorists. The terrorists made global headlines this January by taking about 800 workers and foreigners hostage in a British Petroleum gas facility in retaliation. Twenty-three hostages were killed before Algerian forces came to the rescue.
In addition to the 2,000 troops France sent to assist the Malian soldiers, France has conducted an aerial bombardment that brought back the cities Konna and Diabaly to the Malian government’s hands. The rebels responded to the attack with a dashing manifesto to strike “everywhere”, in Bamako, in Africa, and in Europe.
Indifferent to the threats from Algeria and the Malian rebels, France pushed on to the north of Mali, a part of the country mostly controlled by the Malian militants. The French army’s overnight attacks by warplanes and helicopters chased the rebels out of Gao and Timbuktu, the two biggest cities in Northern Mali, creating a momentous win for the Malian government. The residents of the cities, freed from the strict rules of Sharia (the moral code of Islamic rule), celebrated their liberation by taking off their veils and chanting, “Vive la France! Vive la France!” which means “Long live France! Long live France!”
France soon gained control of Kidal, the last bastion of the rebels. The majority of rebels were injured or killed, marking a glaring contrast with the French, who had no losses. The surviving rebel members have fled to mountains near the Algerian border on feet and on camel, or have blended in with the ordinary citizens.
France plans on removing the remaining rebels. Skeptics warn France that it will not be an easy task: Northern Mali alone is the size of France, and there is always the risk of being ambushed by rebels hiding in the caves of the mountains. However, Mali has hope. France intends to negotiate with the rebel groups and Western countries have offered to send airlifts, intelligence support, and troops to assist the French.
No Exams for New 7th Graders in Korea?
by Gratia Jung, Feb 4 2013
No exams are expected for Korean 7th graders! On January 13th, the 18th president’s transition committee reported that they are reviewing a “no exams for 7th graders” policy which president-elect Park had suggested. President-elect Park previously mentioned that she would eliminate all exams for a semester so that students could find their future careers through various activities including reading and career experience.
However, there already is a voice of concern about the no exam policy that as long as college entrance exams are continued, parents will make their children get a personal education even more during the no-exam semester.
Meanwhile, the no-exam policy will be introduced to some of the selected schools in Seoul for this year. The policy is expected to be enacted in all middle schools in Korea by 2014.
No exams are expected for Korean 7th graders! On January 13th, the 18th president’s transition committee reported that they are reviewing a “no exams for 7th graders” policy which president-elect Park had suggested. President-elect Park previously mentioned that she would eliminate all exams for a semester so that students could find their future careers through various activities including reading and career experience.
However, there already is a voice of concern about the no exam policy that as long as college entrance exams are continued, parents will make their children get a personal education even more during the no-exam semester.
Meanwhile, the no-exam policy will be introduced to some of the selected schools in Seoul for this year. The policy is expected to be enacted in all middle schools in Korea by 2014.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
By Christina Kim, Feb 18 2013
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is celebrated annually to commemorate the historic civil rights leader’s lifetime achievements. Martin Luther King, Jr, was born on January 15, 1929, as the son of Martin Luther King, Sr., who was a Baptist pastor, missionary, and also one of the pioneers of the African-American civil rights movement. An exceptional African American man who fought to safeguard the freedom of those deprived of their rights, King endeavored to eliminate segregation that was happening widely around America in 20th century. From 1955 to 1968, King spearheaded the African American Civil Rights Movement as the harbinger of egalitarianism.
After the African American activist Rosa Parks had been asked to move from the whites’ only seat in the bus in Alabama in an incendiary event, Martin Luther King, Jr. led the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955. He then supported the founding of the Southern Christian Leadership conference (SCLC) in 1957, for which he became the president. He also helped organize non-violent protests in Birmingham, Alabama, attracting national attention to this social issue. Later, he played an indispensible role in the 1963 March to Washington, where he delivered his most famous speech, “I Have a Dream.” There, he gained his reputation as one of the most famous orators in American history.
Throughout his career as the head of African American Civil Rights Movement, he is most celebrated for his achievements in the advancement of civil rights by way of non-violent civil disobedience, whereby people do not follow laws that they regard as unjust and risk punishment without violent protests. Some people would even go so far as to argue that Martin Luther King, Jr. embedded civil disobedience in the modern American consciousness. Like the activists of other nations such as Gandhi, King used civil disobedience as a means of bringing about a governmental change. King said that the movement’s purpose was to “create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation.” As a result of King’s whole-hearted devotion to this cause, African Americans could live, work, and receive education in communities with no segregation by race, color, or religion. His groundbreaking role in the civil rights movement additionally served as a model for other groups seeking to protect and fight for human rights and social injustices in the Unites States.
King’s death was a devastating loss to America, especially to African Americans. He had received death threats constantly due to his fame in the civil rights movement. When President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, he had told his wife that the same thing was going to happen to him. Unfortunately, his premonition came true on April 4th, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.
For the first time in America’s history, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was officially celebrated in all fifty states of America on January 17, 2000. This holiday is annually observed on the third Monday of January, near King’s actual birthday. The Official Martin Luther King Day began when President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a federal holiday to honor King at the White House on November 2, 1983 to recognize the highly invaluable achievements of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is celebrated annually to commemorate the historic civil rights leader’s lifetime achievements. Martin Luther King, Jr, was born on January 15, 1929, as the son of Martin Luther King, Sr., who was a Baptist pastor, missionary, and also one of the pioneers of the African-American civil rights movement. An exceptional African American man who fought to safeguard the freedom of those deprived of their rights, King endeavored to eliminate segregation that was happening widely around America in 20th century. From 1955 to 1968, King spearheaded the African American Civil Rights Movement as the harbinger of egalitarianism.
After the African American activist Rosa Parks had been asked to move from the whites’ only seat in the bus in Alabama in an incendiary event, Martin Luther King, Jr. led the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955. He then supported the founding of the Southern Christian Leadership conference (SCLC) in 1957, for which he became the president. He also helped organize non-violent protests in Birmingham, Alabama, attracting national attention to this social issue. Later, he played an indispensible role in the 1963 March to Washington, where he delivered his most famous speech, “I Have a Dream.” There, he gained his reputation as one of the most famous orators in American history.
Throughout his career as the head of African American Civil Rights Movement, he is most celebrated for his achievements in the advancement of civil rights by way of non-violent civil disobedience, whereby people do not follow laws that they regard as unjust and risk punishment without violent protests. Some people would even go so far as to argue that Martin Luther King, Jr. embedded civil disobedience in the modern American consciousness. Like the activists of other nations such as Gandhi, King used civil disobedience as a means of bringing about a governmental change. King said that the movement’s purpose was to “create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation.” As a result of King’s whole-hearted devotion to this cause, African Americans could live, work, and receive education in communities with no segregation by race, color, or religion. His groundbreaking role in the civil rights movement additionally served as a model for other groups seeking to protect and fight for human rights and social injustices in the Unites States.
King’s death was a devastating loss to America, especially to African Americans. He had received death threats constantly due to his fame in the civil rights movement. When President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, he had told his wife that the same thing was going to happen to him. Unfortunately, his premonition came true on April 4th, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.
For the first time in America’s history, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was officially celebrated in all fifty states of America on January 17, 2000. This holiday is annually observed on the third Monday of January, near King’s actual birthday. The Official Martin Luther King Day began when President Ronald Reagan signed a bill creating a federal holiday to honor King at the White House on November 2, 1983 to recognize the highly invaluable achievements of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Egypt Struggles to Build Democracy Months After Mubarak’s Fall
by Jenny Yoo, G11 Feb 14 2013
On December 25, 2012, the people of Egypt voted on a new constitution drafted under President Mohamed Morsi. Despite an estimated 100,000 anti government protestors convening at Cairo’s Tahrir Square weeks in advance of this watershed event to express ardent calumny toward President Morsi, this neoteric constitution was passed with a 63% “landslide” approval by Morsi supporters like the Muslim Brotherhood. CNN International Correspondent Ian Lee reported from Tahrir Square: “This was one of the smallest turnouts we've seen in any election or referendum since Egypt’s revolution.”
On December 25, 2012, the people of Egypt voted on a new constitution drafted under President Mohamed Morsi. Despite an estimated 100,000 anti government protestors convening at Cairo’s Tahrir Square weeks in advance of this watershed event to express ardent calumny toward President Morsi, this neoteric constitution was passed with a 63% “landslide” approval by Morsi supporters like the Muslim Brotherhood. CNN International Correspondent Ian Lee reported from Tahrir Square: “This was one of the smallest turnouts we've seen in any election or referendum since Egypt’s revolution.”
Tara Todras-Whitehill
These seemingly democratic advances are not as truthful as we or the Egyptians might wish: the constitutional vote was rushed and international organizations that could have overseen the vote had withdrawn from monitoring it due to practical reasons. In the absence of neutral international organizations, the vote’s supervision went into the hands of the Egypt-based NGOs and the local personnel instead, and even worse, the electoral commission recanted votes from polling stations that were said to have had “widespread violation,” to quote from Lee. The many complications behind this constitutional vote obfuscate the story of veritable democracy.
“Don’t look for opposition factions in Egypt to go away—they are still bitter, entrenched,” reported CNN correspondent Resa Sayah from Cairo on December 22. “Many claim that the Muslim Brotherhood and the President have hijacked the 2011 revolution. They’re gonna continue to fight.”
Indeed, demonstrations continued after the constitution’s adoption. On January 27, President Morsi was propelled to issue a month-long state of emergency in three cities on the Suez Canal. Namely, Ismailia, Port Said, and Suez were rendered dangerous areas with curfews beginning at 9 p.m., as embittered and disaffected protestors of the new government took to the streets for four days, with a majority of the protests on January 25—the very day that had deposed former dictator Mubarak two years ago.
Yet, the declaration of state of emergency only reminded Egypt’s frustrated people of Mr. Mubarak, who had frequently used that method to quash skirmishes. Their chagrin fanned, left-wing and liberal-leaning protestors spent the night fighting against the police in Cairo. There, calls arose for rescinding the newly-adopted constitution.
At the crux of repeated clashes lies the fact that Mr. Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood have failed to rally much support for themselves. Egypt’s Supreme Constitution Court has lost 7 of 18 judges due to an overhaul following the new constitution, and it and its president, Judge
Maher el-Beheiry, remain antipathetic to the Morsi Administration. As David D. Kirkpatrick and Mayy El Sheikh wrote in their article in the New York Times on January 19, President Morsi and his faction’s “political victories have not yet translated into real power over the Egyptian
bureaucracy.” Not one of the bureaucracies in charge of the state media, police, army, and the judiciary are yet fully under President Morsi’s unilateral leadership, and this bureaucratic resilience—while letting the Egyptians’ voice go noticed—could feed on social unrest that threatens security across the country.
Political scientist Moattax Abdel-Fattah, who is a member of the assembly that has created the questionable constitution, noted that President Morsi “has, to a large extent, lost his credibility before the opposition—too many false promises.” He added, “There is going to be chaos for some time.”
“Don’t look for opposition factions in Egypt to go away—they are still bitter, entrenched,” reported CNN correspondent Resa Sayah from Cairo on December 22. “Many claim that the Muslim Brotherhood and the President have hijacked the 2011 revolution. They’re gonna continue to fight.”
Indeed, demonstrations continued after the constitution’s adoption. On January 27, President Morsi was propelled to issue a month-long state of emergency in three cities on the Suez Canal. Namely, Ismailia, Port Said, and Suez were rendered dangerous areas with curfews beginning at 9 p.m., as embittered and disaffected protestors of the new government took to the streets for four days, with a majority of the protests on January 25—the very day that had deposed former dictator Mubarak two years ago.
Yet, the declaration of state of emergency only reminded Egypt’s frustrated people of Mr. Mubarak, who had frequently used that method to quash skirmishes. Their chagrin fanned, left-wing and liberal-leaning protestors spent the night fighting against the police in Cairo. There, calls arose for rescinding the newly-adopted constitution.
At the crux of repeated clashes lies the fact that Mr. Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood have failed to rally much support for themselves. Egypt’s Supreme Constitution Court has lost 7 of 18 judges due to an overhaul following the new constitution, and it and its president, Judge
Maher el-Beheiry, remain antipathetic to the Morsi Administration. As David D. Kirkpatrick and Mayy El Sheikh wrote in their article in the New York Times on January 19, President Morsi and his faction’s “political victories have not yet translated into real power over the Egyptian
bureaucracy.” Not one of the bureaucracies in charge of the state media, police, army, and the judiciary are yet fully under President Morsi’s unilateral leadership, and this bureaucratic resilience—while letting the Egyptians’ voice go noticed—could feed on social unrest that threatens security across the country.
Political scientist Moattax Abdel-Fattah, who is a member of the assembly that has created the questionable constitution, noted that President Morsi “has, to a large extent, lost his credibility before the opposition—too many false promises.” He added, “There is going to be chaos for some time.”
Recently, President Morsi’s lack of popular approbation and subsequent political clout was evidenced by two related events. Before his departure for Germany, aimed to enhance economic ties vital to the floundering economy, President Morsi rather hastily retracted from the state of emergency declarations and put the local authorities in charge of establishing curfews. These curfews had already been flouted and protested against.
The second proof for Mr. Morsi’s struggle for presidency came along with a hopeful turn of events. All along, President Morsi had supplicated to the protestors rather nominally by calling for a joint “national dialogue” to resolve dissidences. A major opposition group, the National Salvation Front led by Mohamed ElBaradei, has at last consented on January 30, not oblivious to the pressure for unity from the military. The catch was that Mr. ElBaradei called for the participation of other ministers from the defense department and the interior as well. Such an explicit move as evidenced on Mr. ElBaradei’s twitter feed implied that President Morsi was still not the single head of the government. Mr. ElBaradei also invoked agendas that concerned the redaction of the new constitution.
While this call for bipartisan dialogue does brighten the future of Egypt—especially considering how the National Salvation Front acted in concert with the Islamist Nour Party—, Egypt’s road to democracy still depends on the revival of public trust for President Morsi. In Berlin, Mr. Morsi claimed, “In Egypt, there is a stable government working day and night in the interest of all Egyptians.” This nonchalant and inaccurate comment can only further the schism between President Morsi and the public. On January 28, a public prosecutor parlayed Mr. Morsi’s incrimination of the Black Bloc by labeling it as a terrorist group that constitutes “a national security threat”. According to Kareem Fahim and Nicholas Kulish of the New York Times, the Egyptian state news reported the detention of five suspects.
Blaming the recent and ongoing conflict on this so-called Black Bloc and other leftovers of the previous regime—as Mr. Morsi himself noted—is not the right move, especially when news around the globe reports on the simmering discontent at least some Egyptians seem to harbor. Without establishment of mutual trust, Egyptian anti-government protests most likely will persist until the parliamentary elections coming up in April 2013. Political scientist Abdel- Fattah’s impression of “chaos” augurs ill for Egypt’s fledgling democracy if its new leader is to insist on looking at the matters obliquely, not straight on, point-blank.
The second proof for Mr. Morsi’s struggle for presidency came along with a hopeful turn of events. All along, President Morsi had supplicated to the protestors rather nominally by calling for a joint “national dialogue” to resolve dissidences. A major opposition group, the National Salvation Front led by Mohamed ElBaradei, has at last consented on January 30, not oblivious to the pressure for unity from the military. The catch was that Mr. ElBaradei called for the participation of other ministers from the defense department and the interior as well. Such an explicit move as evidenced on Mr. ElBaradei’s twitter feed implied that President Morsi was still not the single head of the government. Mr. ElBaradei also invoked agendas that concerned the redaction of the new constitution.
While this call for bipartisan dialogue does brighten the future of Egypt—especially considering how the National Salvation Front acted in concert with the Islamist Nour Party—, Egypt’s road to democracy still depends on the revival of public trust for President Morsi. In Berlin, Mr. Morsi claimed, “In Egypt, there is a stable government working day and night in the interest of all Egyptians.” This nonchalant and inaccurate comment can only further the schism between President Morsi and the public. On January 28, a public prosecutor parlayed Mr. Morsi’s incrimination of the Black Bloc by labeling it as a terrorist group that constitutes “a national security threat”. According to Kareem Fahim and Nicholas Kulish of the New York Times, the Egyptian state news reported the detention of five suspects.
Blaming the recent and ongoing conflict on this so-called Black Bloc and other leftovers of the previous regime—as Mr. Morsi himself noted—is not the right move, especially when news around the globe reports on the simmering discontent at least some Egyptians seem to harbor. Without establishment of mutual trust, Egyptian anti-government protests most likely will persist until the parliamentary elections coming up in April 2013. Political scientist Abdel- Fattah’s impression of “chaos” augurs ill for Egypt’s fledgling democracy if its new leader is to insist on looking at the matters obliquely, not straight on, point-blank.
-Spirit Week-
From October 29 to November 1, there was an event that went for 4 days called ‘Spirit Week’. For four days, students in DIS wore fantastic costumes from pajamas to Halloween costumes. The first day was pajama day. During this day, students at DIS wore pajamas to school! There were many pajamas shown.
Some students wore animal pajamas with animal footwear, some students wore casual pajamas, and even some teachers wore cozy pajamas as well!
The second day was crayon day. Students had to wear the same color from head to toe. It was like seeing a rainbow at school! Some people wore red, some people wore orange, and other colors such as pink, purple, blue, green, etc. It was a very fun day. The third day was beach day! It was the end of fall, but the whole school looked like they traveled back in time to summer! The students and teachers wore shorts, casual t-shirts, and brought beach balls! The final day was HALLOWEEN!!! For Halloween, every DIS student enjoyed the day by wearing Halloween costumes! After the first part of the day, the students participated in a trick or treat parade, and all of them got to enjoy a piece of candy! Overall, it was a very fun Spirit Week for both teachers and students. We look forward to celebrating again next year!
Some students wore animal pajamas with animal footwear, some students wore casual pajamas, and even some teachers wore cozy pajamas as well!
The second day was crayon day. Students had to wear the same color from head to toe. It was like seeing a rainbow at school! Some people wore red, some people wore orange, and other colors such as pink, purple, blue, green, etc. It was a very fun day. The third day was beach day! It was the end of fall, but the whole school looked like they traveled back in time to summer! The students and teachers wore shorts, casual t-shirts, and brought beach balls! The final day was HALLOWEEN!!! For Halloween, every DIS student enjoyed the day by wearing Halloween costumes! After the first part of the day, the students participated in a trick or treat parade, and all of them got to enjoy a piece of candy! Overall, it was a very fun Spirit Week for both teachers and students. We look forward to celebrating again next year!
Christmas
by Christina Kim
Christmas has been one of the most widely celebrated and one of the oldest holidays that exist in these days. Annually celebrated around the world on 25th of December, Christmas has been existing on earth since the ancient times of 300 AD Usually, in those days, people celebrated the death day of people in order to celebrate the achievements that the person achieved during the life time. However, it was since the death of Jesus Christ that people started to rejoice the birth of people. Now, Christmas became an official holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the son of God.
The story of the birth of Jesus goes like this: about 2000 years ago, there was a young Jewish woman named Mary who was engaged to a man called Joseph. One day, Gabriel, an angel, told Mary that she would soon have a son of God and his name will be Jesus. She was bemused with the sudden news, but she had faith in God and said, “I am the Lord’s servant; let it be as you say.” Upon hearing this news, Mary and her engaged husband, Joseph, left their hometown, Nazareth, and traveled to the city of Bethlehem. By the time young couple arrived in Bethlehem, it was dark and they needed somewhere to sleep. However, inn was already full. Thus, they ended up in a stable for the night. That night, Jesus was born. When wise men, or magi, was a star in the sky that indicated the birth of new king, they started they journey to the region around Jerusalem and Bethlehem to worship Jesus, the new King. At that time, king Herod was in the throne and he called the wise men to the meeting, asking them to find the new king so that he could worship him too. Thus, the wise men continued their journey to Bethlehem, following the star until they found the stable where Jesus was lying. The wise men brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, which were considered as some of the finest items back in those days. (Frankincense is things that are burned to make the atmosphere around smell good and myrrh are expensive perfume.)
In modern days, people celebrate by decorating Christmas trees, singing Christmas carols, decorating houses with Christmas decorations sometimes giving presents to children. Some factors have been added to the original concept of Christmas, such as presenting gifts to children, decorating Christmas trees, Santa Clause, reindeer etc. Although most of the new ones are made for the purpose of commercializing products, they became part of celebration of Christmas, a worldwide holiday.
Christmas has been one of the most widely celebrated and one of the oldest holidays that exist in these days. Annually celebrated around the world on 25th of December, Christmas has been existing on earth since the ancient times of 300 AD Usually, in those days, people celebrated the death day of people in order to celebrate the achievements that the person achieved during the life time. However, it was since the death of Jesus Christ that people started to rejoice the birth of people. Now, Christmas became an official holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the son of God.
The story of the birth of Jesus goes like this: about 2000 years ago, there was a young Jewish woman named Mary who was engaged to a man called Joseph. One day, Gabriel, an angel, told Mary that she would soon have a son of God and his name will be Jesus. She was bemused with the sudden news, but she had faith in God and said, “I am the Lord’s servant; let it be as you say.” Upon hearing this news, Mary and her engaged husband, Joseph, left their hometown, Nazareth, and traveled to the city of Bethlehem. By the time young couple arrived in Bethlehem, it was dark and they needed somewhere to sleep. However, inn was already full. Thus, they ended up in a stable for the night. That night, Jesus was born. When wise men, or magi, was a star in the sky that indicated the birth of new king, they started they journey to the region around Jerusalem and Bethlehem to worship Jesus, the new King. At that time, king Herod was in the throne and he called the wise men to the meeting, asking them to find the new king so that he could worship him too. Thus, the wise men continued their journey to Bethlehem, following the star until they found the stable where Jesus was lying. The wise men brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, which were considered as some of the finest items back in those days. (Frankincense is things that are burned to make the atmosphere around smell good and myrrh are expensive perfume.)
In modern days, people celebrate by decorating Christmas trees, singing Christmas carols, decorating houses with Christmas decorations sometimes giving presents to children. Some factors have been added to the original concept of Christmas, such as presenting gifts to children, decorating Christmas trees, Santa Clause, reindeer etc. Although most of the new ones are made for the purpose of commercializing products, they became part of celebration of Christmas, a worldwide holiday.