aisa's the express: march 2011 (vol. 1, no. 5)

8/7/2019 AISA's The Express: March 2011 (Vol. 1, No. 5)

1/6

March 2011

Vol. 1, No. 5

Where the lions roar!

by Aria Pavlic (Grade 11)

The Boys JV Soccer team

became the rst-ever AISA win-

ners of the annual ISAC Tourna-

ment, held at Dubai's Universal

American School in late January.

The Girls nished third out of six

Gulf teams.

The Boys, who nished 6-2,

did not play well in the early

round robin games, but bounced

back with a 3-2 win over Qatar

Academy in the quarternals.

We were down 2-0 with four

minutes left, then we scored

three goals, said team captain

Tsotne Papavadze (Grade 10).

Papavadze, who had set the

AISA season record with 27

goals, scored two of the goals.

In the seminals, the Boys beat

the American British Academy

Oman (ABA) in penalty kicks

following a 0-0 tie. In the nals,

they thrashed the American

School of Dubai (ASD) 4-1 to

take home the ISAC Cup.

The JV Girls played exception-

al games as well. Athletic Direc-

tor Mr. Synoground said, I was

so proud of the JV girls. They

are very young team and played

outstandingly against girls a lot

older than them.

The girls played very strongly

in the round robin games, but in

the seminals they lost by one

point. Though Coach Mor-

kin was proud of their ef-

forts, she had higher hopes.

If we had had a chance to

play against Dubai Interna-

tional Academy we would

have placed second, she

said.

Goalie Heidi Pavlic

(Grade 8, and this reporter's

sister) was still proud of

what the team had accom-

plished this season.

We have improved so much

since the beginning of the

season. Even though we did not

come rst in the tournament we

gave the other teams a run for

their money.

Jude Al Hajeri (Grade 8), the

only player from last year's JV

team, agreed. We did very well

for a new team, she said. With

more experiences we could win

[the tournament].

By Hana Al Ameri (Grade 11)

Paranoize, the junior dance

club stepped up to get the

sell-out crowd of more than 500

students and staff on their feet

clapping and cheering at the rst

annual AISA's Got Talent show-

case on March 1.

One of 15 middle and high

school performances on the

program, the eight members of

Paranoize (proled in the Febru-

ary 2011 issue of The Express),

dressed in all-black skinny jeans

and leather jackets, performed

a mesmerizing mix of hip-hop,pop-and-lock, bellydancing and

Tecktonik. Though the talent

show did not announce winners,

Paranoize was the most popular

performance based on crowd

reaction.

We were all extremely

nervous before the show, said

Paranoize member Dorien Van

Heerden (Grade 11). But when

we got on the stage the lights

were so bright we couldnt see

the audience, which relaxed us.

Additional student perfor-

mances included ballet and

modern dance, classical and pop

music, rap and magic show. The

talent show built off the suc-

cess of last year's Coffee House

performance night.

I want to congratulate all the

participants on a super show -- it

was wonderful working with

each and every one of them,

said Ms. Van Rensburg, who

helped organize the talent show

with the Student Council.

I think we have students with

great performing arts potential

and we showcased these up-

coming artists in a superb fash-

ion, she added.

by Farida Nassar (Grade 11)

Egyptian students generally

support the recent protests in

their country but are worried

about the effects on their family

and friends back home.

Over the past several months,

protestors and unions wanted

higher wages and living stan-

dards, more rights and an end to

corruption, according to BBC

and Al Jazeera. On January 25,

tens of thousands of people con-

nected through Facebook groups

marched to Tahrir Square to start

a peaceful protest to remove

President Hosni Mubarak. Over

10 days, protestors clashed with

the police, and about 300 people

died.

Meanwhile the nation split into

groups that opposed and support-ed the president. Though millions

of Egyptians wanted Mubarak

to stay until the end of his term,

millions more who supported

protestors wanted him to quit im-

mediately. Eventually Mubarak

resigned and gave his power to

the Army Supreme Council.

The Supreme Council is now

in charge and they have said they

are committed to respond posi-

tively to the protestors requests,

such as having more representa-

tion in the government and revis-

ing the Constitution. Presidential

elections are scheduled to take

place in six months.

AISA students have been af-

fected by this incident. Mahy

Mohamed (Grade 11) said it was

difcult being away from his

family and country, especially

as they felt danger and lost their

jobs. Seeing the martyrs dying

for their country's freedom also

affected me, Mohamed said. I

do support the revolution, but

[] we should also remember

that he (Mubarak) did a lot for

this country.

Lamees Al Makkway (Grade

11), an Egyptian-Emirati student

also supported the protests, say-

ing that they are an inspiration

for other countries. Though herfamily members are safe, at the

time she said she was concerned

because there were robbies and

destruction in their neighbor-

hoods.

Egypt was in a state that

needed change, for the sake of its

people and the country itself, Al

Makkawy said. This revolution

is going to bring that change and

improve the conditions of the

country.

Paranoize, the junior dance club, brought

the talent show to a rousing end. Members

(left to right): Amira Anthonijz, Lamees

Al Makkawy, Arian Teguh, Kebur Asefa,

Farida Nassar, Dorien Van Heerden, Yu Xin

and Steffanie Sanders.

Dance Group Paranoize Steps Up to Wow Sold-Out

Crowd at First Annual AISAs Got Talent Show

More Photos:

Page 2

AISA Fest is coming!

Are you ready? P2

Shocking Truth of AISAs

Wasteful Ways P3

Australian Students Con-

cerned After Cyclone P4

Experience the Magic of

Aladdin in May P5

Track & Field Sets School

Records in Dubai P6

Egyptian Students Concerned

for Friends and Family After

Protestors Oust President

Above: The Girls & Boys JV Soccer teams pose after the Tournament. / Photos courtesy Mr. Synoground.

Below: Sophomore Tsotne Papavadze (left) crosses over a defender in the ISAC Tournament.

/ Photo courtesy Tsotne Papavadze.

Boys JV Soccer Team First-Ever AISA Winners of

ISAC Tournament; Girls Take Home Bronze

Above: Tens of thousands of protestors in Cairos Tahrir Square.


2/6

A I S A s V O i C E2The Express

Mar. 2011

by Sheikha Al Meraikhi

(Grade 11)

Get ready for the upcoming

AISA Fest -- the fourth-annual

sports and games festival. It will

be held on Tuesday, March 22

through Thursday, March 24.

On March 22-23, there are

soccer matches for the girls and

the boys, and two teacher teams

that play against the students.The teams are divided randomly

based on the color that represents

them. Though all participants

will receive a medal, on the third

day of the soccer matches, the

winning teams of the girls side

and the boys side receive rst

place medals.

On Thursday evening, the

carnival will last from 6-10

pm. Tickets cost AED 20/each

(though only AED 10 for soccer

players), and each student canbring two guests. There are two

sides in the festival. One side is

for the children, and

childrens games are in

the gym. The other side

is in the girls play-

ground where there will

be a DJ, and different

games such as the dunk

tank, rodeo bull and

sumo wrestlers. Finger

food and soft drinks

will be sold.Secondary School Principal

Mr. Godley said, I am excited

and looking forward to AISAFest.

by Mona Al Amry (Grade 12)

Nearly 100 teachers and stu-

dents purchased Shakespearean

insults during this years Valen-

tines Day celebrations.

Last year people could send

chocolate and poems from the

girls side to the boys side. This

year, teachers and students sent

Shakespearean insults to one

another, but only girls to girls

and boys to boys.

Mr. Thomas, a Student Council

leader, said, They were very

successful. They were more hu-

morous than insulting. Student

Council organizers said it

would be repeated next year,

but with better advertising

and adding roses.

Though student organizers

had different opinions of Val-

entines Day, most enjoyed

it. Senior Zein Atout said, A

lot of students were involved

with the event which lead to

a very successful day.

The Express MastheadOur Mission:

The Express produces an up-to-

date, fun, fresh, erce newspaper

that will be liked by many, cussed

by some, read by all!

Staff AdvisorsMr. Baron, Mr. Kandil

AISAs Voice

Editor: Fatma Al Khazraji

Sheikha Al Meraikhi

Shaika Al Qassimi

Mona Al Amry

Arts & Culture

Editor: Maitha Al Mansoori

Hana Al Ameri

Rawdha Al Mansouri

Menat El Abd

Cosmopolitan

Editor: Shamma Al Khouri

Hanna Al Hassen

Shamma Al Khouri

Oshba Al Murar

Farah Al Suwaidi

News!

Editor: Rana Alsaadi

Alyazia Al Hamed

Farida Nassar

Tanya Tarazi

Sport:

Editor: Jessica van der Walt

Ameilia Fox

Paula Fronda

Aria Pavlic

Copyright 2011 AISA

No portion of this newspaper or relat-

ed online content may be reproduced

for public or comercial purposes

without prior written permission.

by Nahil Ali Memon (Grade 11), Express Contrbitor

All the way from 14 centuries ago, one man had completely

changed the face of Arabia, ending the Period of Ignorance and leav-

ing behind an indelible mark in the history of mankind.

This man was none other than the Holy Prophet (pbuh). He was

born on 12th Rabbi al-Awwal 572 AD.

Recently this mans birthday had come on the 15th of February

according the Gregorian calendar. It was a wonderful day full of hap-

piness, worship, and goodwill.

We have much to owe to our Holy Prophet (pbuh) who spread the

religion of Islam and the Oneness of Allah.

This religion reformed the structure of society, preached the

principles of equality and brotherhood, gave women rights, spread

knowledge and piety.

by Mr. Godley, Secondary School Principal

What a great quarter we have had here at AISA. In addition to our

strong focus on academics, our renewed focus on electives c lasses

and extracurricular activities have given us a huge amount to report

on in this issue. If you are one of the students who have participated

in these events, congratulations. Being involved as a participant,

spectator or volunteer helps to make AISA as special place. If you

are yet to join in, make involvement your goal for this quarter. It is

great to have as many people working together and participating as

possible.

Clockwise from top left: The band Another

Plastic with juniors Gregory Brown (guitar)

and Yasir Hashim (vocals, left) and freshman

Varun Patni (vocals, center), and drum-

mer Ahmed, performing Jason Mrazs Im

Yours. Seniors Paris Patras and Naomi

Nasrallah performing Boys Like Girls Two

is Better Than One. Reza Fassa (Grade 6)

celebrates after the drum solo of Bon Jovis

You Give Love a Bad Name. Steffanie Sand-

ers (Grade 11) sings Mandy Moores OnlyHope. Farah Abu-Hijlehsings Britney Spears

Everytime. Seniors Coralie Wojciulewitsch

(piano) and Grainne McClean (ute) perform

a duet of music from the lm Spirited Away.

Senior Philippe Trottier rocks out to Pink

Floyds Comfortably Numb. Lisa Saman

(Grade 10) demonstrates modern dance.

AISAs Got Talent!

Prophets Birthday

AISA Fest: Bigger and Better! Set for March 22-24

VDays Shakespearean Insults are Smashing Success

Join an Extracurricular to

Help Build Community

Hats Off

to Seniors!

Boys on the left

Girls on the Right


3/6

N E W S ! 3The Express

Mar. 2011

by Alyazia Al Hamed

(Grade 11)

Global Village, an outdoor entertain-

ment and cultural venue in Dubai's

Dubailand, just nished its 12th sea-

son. Billed as where the world comes

together, it hosted live performances

from different cultures.

Global Village counts more than 15

million worldwide visitors because of its

diversity and multi-cultural atmosphere.

This year it was held from November 10,

2010 to February 28, 2011.

The venue contains more than 30

pavilions, each representing a nation orregion from the Middle East, Europe,

Africa and Asia. Each pavilion educated

visitors on its culture, including displays

on history, religion, clothing, food and

souvenirs.

According to the Global Village website,

it is a must-go place to go for families

with entertainment and educational

purposes. Freshman Reem Al Ameri

agreed: It is like being all over the

world in one place and you can experi-

ence the best of each country.

There are also more than 100,000

cultural performances every year, such

as the African group, Bollywood danc-

ers, Japanese drummers, Irish dancers,

Cuban ballet, Middle Eastern Dabka,

and Emarati dances, according to their

website.

Economics teacher Mr. Mirza enjoyed

a recent shopping trip to Global Village.

There he purchased a Morrocan tajin(platter), Afghan rugs, African statues

and Turkish lamps. I would denitely

go there next year and I recommend

everyone to at least visit it once in their

lifetime, he said. It was an awesome

experience.

by Rana Alsaadi (Grade 11)

News! Editor

How much trash does AISAgenerate every day? 166.72 kg,

mostly in food waste, paper and

plastic including McDonalds

food containers -- according to a

recent waste audit.

Though the school is on par with

the country's water usage stan-

dards, AISA is exceeding waste

standards, according to audits run

by Mrs. Fairbarn's Environmental

Science class. Almost 100 percent

of the school's waste is thrown

out and not recycled, the audit

revealed. We are doing horribly

and we need recycling programs,

Mrs. Fairbarn said.

The recently-formed Eco Club

(proled in the December 2010 is-

sue of the Express) is the schools

organization to carry out programs

such as recycling. Eco Club

partners with the Environmental

Agency of Abu Dhabis Sustain-

able School Initiative, which

helps reduce a schools ecological

footprint while trying to achieve

sustainability.

It's not just Eco Club, its Eco

AISA, said Mrs. Livingston,

the clubs adviser. We're here to

make the school more sustainable

through action with small groups

and schoolwide initiatives.Though much of Eco Club's

work so far has been behind-

the-scenes, such as planning and

applying for funding, many initia-tives have been or will be complet-

ed in the coming months: waste

audits, recycling bins throughout

the campus, potentially ban plastic

bottles in favor of reusable bottles,

community events such as can

drives, logo contest and t-shirts,

Mrs. Livingston said. The next

event is Earth Hour on March 30.

On January 25, Eco Club

members went into action col-

lecting and recycling six bags of

trash during an in-school clean up.

The clean up was inspired by the

Save Our Camels Day campaign

that cleans up desert waste that is

the cause of death for one out of

every three camels. Junior Nimra

Ahmed, an Eco Club member,

said, I felt appalled that our own

students were responsible for

such littering let alone anyone in

general.

To help raise recycling aware-

ness at home, Eco Club held a can

collection drive in late February.

Lamees Al Makkawy (Grade 11),

another Eco Club member, said,

It is little things such as the can

collection drive that will make big

improvements and set the stage for

a better and cleaner future.

Note: Rana Alsaadi is Eco Clubsstudent president.

by Tanya Tarazi (Grade 11)

Middle school and high school

students discovered the naturalbeauty of Abu Dhabi's remaining

wild Mangroves at the schools

rst-ever kayaking trip in mid-

February.

Two kayaking trips were held,

one for the middle school girls

and one for the middle school

boys who were accompanied

by the Grade 11 Environmental

Science class. The boys and the

Environmental Science class

went on February 16 while the

girls went a week before.

The purpose of this trip was to

go and explore the local environ-

ment of Abu Dhabi and learn

about the ecosystem, said Mr.

McGrady, the middle school Artteacher who organized the trip

with the Noukhada Adventure

Company. Students paid AED

100 to attend.

It was an opportunity to spend

some time outdoors, appreciat-

ing nature, added Ms. Fairbarn,

who teaches the Environmental

Science class.

The 90-minute trip included

kayaking through beautiful

lagoons, narrow channels and

under the full canopy of man-

groves, according to Noukhada's

website.

Students participated in kayak

races and saw wildlife such as

amingoes. Kayaking was dif-cult but with determination we

got the hang of it, said Steffanie

Sanders (Grade 11).

I had so much fun kayaking

for the rst time, it was a great

experience to see the beauty of

nature, said Leila Allaf (Grade

11).

Furthermore, Mr. McGrady

is planning a kayaking trip for

teachers in April and next year

a trip for a smaller group of

students.

Students Kayak Through Mangroves to Learn About ADs Ecosystem

Students prepare for their kayaking trip. / Photo courtesy Mr. Murphy.

Dubais Global

Village offers a

wide variety of

entertainment

and shopping

options. / Photo

courtesy GlobalVillage.

Fun for the Family with

Performances and Shops from

Around the World

Eco Club members. Girls (left to right): Sharon Albuquerque (Grade 12), Christine Desroches (Grade 12),

Claire Thomas (Grade 12), Rana Alsaadi (Grade 11), Lamees Al Makkawy (Grade 11).

Boys (left to right): Mohamed Shaker (Grade 11), Ibrabim Al Hashidi (Grade 12), Saif Al Mazrouei (Grade 11),

Khaled Al Hashemi (Grade 11), Khaled Al Mubarak (Grade 11). / Photo courtesy Rana Alsaadi (Grade 11).

Eco Club Promoting Recycling

Awareness and ProgramsAudit Reveals School Throws Out

Nearly All Waste

Above (left to right): Juniors Mohamed Shaker, Jordan Murray, Lamees

Al Makkawy, Rana Alsaadi, Nimra Parveen and Quosain Memon. Below:

Recycling bins courtesy Celsias.com.


4/6

C O S M O4 The ExpressMar. 2011

by Farah Al Suwaidi

(Grade 12)

Australian students and staff

are coping in the aftermath of

devastating oods and Cyclone

Yasi, which struck the northeast-

ern province of Queensland over

the past three months.

The oods

affected more

than 200,000

people and

caused more

than AED 3 bil-

lion (USD 1 bil-

lion) in damage,according to

the BBC, while

the Cyclone

affected more

than 400,000

people and

caused more

than AED 1.1

billion (USD

300 million)

in damages,

according to The

Guardian news-

paper.

The oods caused more than

30 deaths, and Cyclone Yasi,with 290km/h (181mph) winds

ripped roofs off buildings and

cut power to more than 100,000

people. Shelters were lled,

tourists were own away and

hospitals were evacuated.

Sophomore Claire Taylor is

one of 42 students whose pass-

port nationality is from Australia.

(The school has at least several

more students with dual pass-

ports, though those statistics are

not kept.)

Though Thomas is from the

southeastern city of Sydney, she

said she was sad and concerned

about her friends and family liv-

ing there.

I know people in Queensland

but they were able to get out

before the ooding, she said.

One of her

cousins

recently

bought

a house

there.

She had

to leave itand she is

devastated

with the

damage

done,

Thomas

said.

Their

lives have

gone on

but they

are sad they

had lost some

valuable

stuff.

Assistant Principal Mr. Morley,who is also from Australia, said

his friends and family are coping

well but he was still concerned,

since his wifes sister and mother

live in Queensland.

Fortunately, their property is

safe, he said. A sense of humor

always helps in such circum-

stances, Mr. Morley said.

The Australian character has

been formed in the battle with

the natural elements -- drought,

ooding rains, bushre.

by Oshba Al Murar

(Grade 12)

AISA helped the Go Campaign and

Life and Hope Association to build a

school in Cambodia using the approxi-

mately AED 100,000 raised from last

year's AISA Fest.

Former AISA teacher Mr. Bowman,

the head supervisor for last year's AISA

Fest wrote in an e-mail, The [SomRong

High School] is nished and [opened]

in January [with] the rst pupils, 208 in

total.

He also thanked the students and teach-

ers involved in running AISA Fest, theannual after-school sports festival and

carnival whose proceeds go to charity.

The Go Campaign empowers orphans

and vulnerable children throughout the

world to secure a better future, while the

Life and Hope Association focuses on

education to alleviate poverty, according

to their websites.

Sharon Feder, the Go Campaign's

director of international programs and

outreach, thanked AISA.

Their contribution made it possible

for students in Siem Reap, Cambodia

to be able to attend school past junior

high, she wrote in an e-mail.

Access to education is key factor to

alleviate poverty. Thus, this school willhelp improve families living near Som-

Rong High School.

by Shamma Al Khouri

(Grade 11)

Cosmopolitan Editor

Marwa Farag, an 18 year old

Egyptian freshman at Stanford

University in California who

graduated from AISA last year,

never thought she would be on

local television so soon.

In mid-February, she was

featured on KTVU television

news taking about the protests

in Egypt. "I was watching the

news feeds from Al Arabiyanews channel less than a few

hours that the President went to

Sharm Al Sheikh, she said in

the clip.

A minute later, the eruption

out of Tahrir Square, erupted

into tears and I just started

screaming and laughing and

hugging everyone around me

that he stepped down."

Though far from home, Farag

has quickly adjusted to univer-

sity life, serving as a desk editor

for the Stanford Daily newspa-

per and coordinating Stanfords

Model United Nations confer-

ence.

Though she hates doing

laundry, she likes riding to

class on a bicycle and living in

California. San Francisco is

close enough that you can go

every weekend, she said, but

far enough that you can enjoy

a closer, safer feeling around

campus.

Farag had been worried aboutlosing AISAs diversity, but has

met fellow international stu-

dents. Six percent of the nearly

7,000 undergrad students are

international, according to the

universitys website.

The Islamic Society of Stan-

ford and the Muslim Student

Awareness Network support

Muslim students, though she is

not involved with either organi-

zation.

Since Farag is a freshman, she

has not yet declared a major,

but is considering Product De-

sign or Political Science, with

minors in Middle East Studies

and Hebrew.

One thing she especially

misses from AISA is how laid

back everyone was. Theres

a lot more stress here and a lot

more stressed out people, she

said. Still, she said the workload

is less than when she was in the

IB program.

When asked her advice tostudents, Farag said, You can

really be a part of making your

school what you want it to be,

and thats an opportunity that

you dont get in many places.

All the stress that comes from

college applications and deci-

sions and drama is worth it

when you get someplace and

realize that its exactly where

you wanted to be.

Cyclone Yasi seen from space.

Photo courtesy TopNews.ae.

New School in Cambodia Built Thanks to AISALast Years AISA Fest Raised AED 100K, School Holds 200+ Students

More than 200 students like those on the left use the newly-constructed SomRong

High School (right) in Siem Reap, Cambodia. / Photos courtesy the Go Campaign.

Australian Students

and Staff Concerned for

Friends and Family

200K+ Affected by Floods, Cyclone

AISA Graduate Marwa Farag Quickly

Adjusts to University Life at StanfordFeatured on Local TV News During Egyptian Protests

Farag (left) at a Stanford University pep rally, also protesting with felow Egyptian students during the

turmoil in Egypt. / Photos courtesy Marwa Farag.


5/6

A r t s & C u l t u r e 5The Express

Mar. 2011

by Rawdha Al Mansouri

(Grade 11)

The upcoming Elementary

School production of "Alad-

din Jr." the musical ad-

aptation of the Disney lm

based on the classic Arabian

Nights tale of Aladdin and

the magic lamp -- will be

held at Abu Dhabi Univer-sity on April 13-14.

Students will be perform-

ing songs from the Disney

lm version such as Ara-

bian Nights and A Whole

New World.

There will be a lot of char-

acter dancing in front of a

projected background, and

they will project a back-

ground that will make easier

and they will use local props

to capture the feeling of the

kingdom of Agrabah, said

Ms. Al Jenaibi, the director

who also teaches Grade 1.

This will be the rst El-

ementary School production

in almost seven years, Ms.

Al Jenaibi said. Already 59

students from Grades 1 to

5 are currently practicing

on Monday and Tuesday in

the library, and Wednesday

with Mr. Lemar. "Students

are doing well and are verycommitted," said choreogra-

pher (and PE teacher) Ms.

Crofts.

Though Ms. Al Jenaibi is

in a choral group and has

acted in a couple of musi-

cals, this is her rst direct-

ing experience.

"It is a new experience,

teaching kids drama, she

said. "I am really enjoying

this experience. Aladdin is

one of my favorite movies,

I practically know all the

words to the songs, and that

was before all the rehears-

als. [But] I never fully real-

ized how much work was

done behind the scenes."

Ms. Al Jenaibi came up

with the idea of perform-

ing Aladdin, while fellow

elementary school teachers

have helped bring the magic

to life. Choir teacher Mr.

Lemar is in charge of music,PE teacher Ms. Crofts is the

choreographer, and Grade

4 teachers Mr. Abdelsalam

and Ms. Maika are the set

manager and set designer,

respectively.Costumes are

up to parents, though Ms.

Al Jenaibi has given them

pictures as a guide.

"Come and watch the

show," said Ms. Crofts.

There will be a bus from

school heading to the Abu

Dhabi University with girls

from school who are inter-

ested in watching the show.

by Menat El Abd (Grade 11)

Eric Clapton, the famous British

guitarist and

blues musi-

cian for-

merly of the

bands The

Yardbirds

and Cream,

performed

at Yas

Island on

February 11.

According to Time Out

Abu Dhabi, The legendary

guitarist and bluesman has

cultivated a fan base of mil-

lions with a catalogue of hitsspanning decades and [was] a

perfect opening to the concert

season in Abu Dhabi.

Clapton has won 11 Grammy

Awards for his incredible talents.

According to concert organizer

Flash Entertainment, Clapton is

a legend, and 15,000 lucky people

at the Yas Arena in Abu Dhabi had

a chance to see this rsthand.

Clapton performed with long-

time touring partners drummer

Steve Gadd, bassist Willie Weeks,

keyboardist Chris Stainton, and

backing vocalists Michelle John

and Sharon White.

One of his fans is Pauline

Tarazi, the mother of junior TanyaTarazi who attended the concert

(which had an age minimum of

21).

I was really glad that he came

to Abu Dhabi, she said. He

brought back those old memories

when I used to listen to him when

I was in university in London. I

was so happy that I got the chance

to see him again and listen to him

live.

The cast of nearly 60 elementary school s tudents in the upcoming production of Aladdin Jr., based

on the popular Disney lm adapatation of the Arabian Nights story. / Photo courtesy Ms. Al Jenaibi.

Carpet background courtesy www.carpet-tiles.org.

Eric Clapton Energizes Fans at Yas Concert

Clapton performed hits such as Layla, Crossroads, and Wonderful

Tonight to a packed crowd of 15,000 fans. / Photo courtesy Time Out Abu

Dhabi.

Set Sail with Sinbad in

Magical MS Performance of

Arabian Nights in May

The full cast of Arabian Nights at the Royal Court Theatre in the

UK. / Photo courtesy the RCT.


6/6

S P O R T6The Express

Mar. 2011

by Jessica van der Walt

(Grade 11), Sport Editor

Track and Field coaches hope to

build on last years success with

a larger and more devoted team

after more than 50 students tried

out, and the school improved the

track and eld facilities.

After last years team had only

ve boys and 14 girls, mostly

from the middle school, this

years tryouts counted more

than 30 boys and nearly 20 girls

from the middle school and high

school. Ms. Emerick and Ms.

Pegg is working with the run-

ners, Mr. Holloway with throwing

events and Mr. Baron with the

jumping events.

Last years team was one

of AISAs strongest and most

devoted teams, said Ms. Emer-

ick. It was a young enthusiasticteam, they were really good in the

eld events and the sprinters were

really strong, although they need

more distance runners.

Brad Bixler (Grade 11) is a new

member of the Track team and is

looking forward to the season. I

like the challenge of the sport and

the adrenaline that pushes you to

go a little bit further.

The team will have about three

meets this year.

At the Dubai College meet on

March 7, senior Nicole Gurgel

placed second in the under-18

shot put, Heidi Pavlic (Grade 8)

placed third in the under-15 high

jump and Lou Van Hauwaert

(Grade 6) placed third in the

under-13 800 meter run.

At the DAA meet on March 11,

student-athletes set several school

records. Pavlic placed second in

Girls JV high jump with 130 cm.

The team had been supposed to

travel to Egypt for the ISAC track

meets, but was cancelled due to

political turmoil.

Last years track and eldteam took it really seriously and

the Under-14s nearly won all of

the events, sa id Mr. Holloway.

Ms. Emerick added, Im

expecting similar strong results

from all of the students.

by Ameilia Fox (Grade 11)

Softball was a natural t for sophomore inelder

Claire Taylor. The girls varsity soccer goalie

switched from goalie gloves to a softball mitt last

year and was the teams MVP.

"What helped me in softball was playing goalie

because of watching and catching the ball, she

said.

Taylor is one of the few returning players from

last years developmental team that lost all four

games, playing twice against the American School

of Dubai and Abu Dhabis American Community

School.

This year Taylor said she hopes for a stronger

team, now in its fourth season, thanks to more high

school players.Only four high school students were on last

years team: sophomores Sarah Al Zaabi, Danielle

Colbrand and Xenia Williams, and junior (and

Express sports editor) Jessica van der Walt. AISA is

also part of a new and larger softball league.

This years team of 13 players features seven

high school students: sophomore Emilia Repo and

freshmen Dahnia Asfour, Dara Al Kayyali, Maite

Daneri, Nadia Sarosa and Christeena Twal.

The team is rounded out by Grade 8 student Ol-

ivia Krznarich and Grade 7 students Sonia Aamer,

Louisa Fjallskog, Megan Jackson, Eva Sepiolo and

Savannah Sutherland.

Coaches Mr. Hornblower and Mr. Miller are

optimistic about this season.

"The favorite thing about coaching is the fact

that there are a lot of young girls who are keen and

are excited about the team," said Mr. Hornblower.

"More older girls are coming out so hopefully we'll

be a bit better."

AISA lost the rst game of the season 15-5

against the Universal American School on March

14 in Dubai, but Mr. Holloway said that AISAscompetitors have rosters of mainly American stu-

dents who have been playing since a young age.

However, AISA has looked competitive. We

[were] able to make nice throws and catches, Tay-

lor said, even though some of the players never

played before.

Track and Field Team Sets School Records at Dubai MeetTeam Has Stronger, Larger Team and Improved Training Facilities

Clockwise from top left: At the DAA meet on March 11, Ralph Young

(Grade 10) attempts the high jump, Jude Al Hajeri (Grade 8) throws

the shot put, Zein Atout (Grade 12) in the 4x100m relay and Karim

Abu Eicha (Grade 12) throws the discus. / Photos courtesy Mr. Baron

Left to Right: Lilya Boukornia (Grade 12), Zein Atout

(Grade 12), Af Baaqi (Grade 11), Aisha Al Al Hajeri

(Grade 11), Farouk Abdul Karim (Grade 10), Tim Jonson

(Grade 10), Ammaar Davids (Grade 12).

Badminton Team Expects to Build

on Last Years Success

Left to Right: Mr. Hornblower returns as coach, hoping for an improved season.

Infelder Claire Taylor (Grade 10) was the teams MVP last year. Christeena Twal

(Grade 9) looks to catch the softball during practice. / Photos courtesy Mr. Baron.

Softball Team Hopes for Stronger Season with More HS StudentsReturning MVP Claire Taylor Leads Rebuilding Team

There are a lot of young girls who are keen and are ex-

cited about the team.-Mr. Hornblower, Softball Coach

aisa's the express: march 2011 (vol. 1, no. 5)

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