A New Day For AmericaIAS TIMES

Issue 5 ias.newspaper@gmail.com Winter, 2008

One of the more delightful rituals of a working democracy is the peaceful transfer of power from president to president. For the past three months, and concluding with the inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20th, we’ve been witness to that transition in America. But this year, there was extra incentive to note the change. Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, is the first of African descent. And his rise to power may be remembered in history as a time when America itself changed. 

However, this promises to be no joy-ride for the newly minted president. His short list of crises includes a breakdown of the U.S. banking system, an auto industry on the brink of bankruptcy, failing health care, two ongoing wars, and the prospect of worldwide economic recession. For a candidate who ran on the theme of “hope”, President Obama will be expected to deliver miraculous results.  

His most notable cabinet decision was the appointment of his previous rival Hillary Clinton to be the new Secretary of State. Clinton will be the mouthpiece for U.S. international policy and her influence will carry weight in volatile regions such as the Gaza Strip, South Ossetia, the Pakistan-Afghanistan borderlands, and of course—Iraq. The two heavyweights quarreled over the issue in the Democratic debates, but now must be united not only in correcting president Bush’s many war blunders, but also improving the image of America abroad. Many believe this to be Obama’s greatest strength: his rhetoric lifted the hearts of millions of Americans at a time when they were tired of the cynical operations of the Bush administration. Unleashed onto the world stage, the question is to what extent Obama’s words can restore America’s position as a leader amongst nations. 

His inaugural speech offered a few clues. The event was attended by 2.5 million Americans, the largest crowd ever to assemble to greet a new president. Footage from Washington D.C. showed a mass of people braving the bitter January cold in heavy coats, hats and gloves, yet clearly uplifted by their participation in such a historic moment. President Obama’s words were equal to the temperature, as he soberly assessed the difficulties ahead. But he reached a peak of eloquence when harkening back to the country’s founding and reminding Americans of the ideals that make them strong: 

• Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility.”

And so it is clear that the era of one George W. Bush is over.Matthew Krasner

1

School News

Group 4 Project In November, Grade 12 students were involved in an IB multi-science initiative called the Group 4 Project. The whole cohort: physicists, chemists and biologists took part, under the guidance of IAS teachers Ewa Barylska, Piotr Machowski and Stephen Fleming. The study focused on pollution within a local river and a final presentation was made to Grade 10 and 11 students as well as a number of interested staff. "It was awesome," said Mr. Fleming, "the students achieved their goals and it was great to see the different disciplines cooperating. They did a good job of presenting their ideas." Grade 12's Dominika, who took a lead role in the presentation, said that "the teachers worked as hard as the students and it was a nice change from ordinary school life." IB Mock Exams With final exams looming in May, Grade 12 have recently completed a series of practice tests emulating the real program. The exams can last up to 3 hours and were often in both the morning and afternoon. We spoke to student Badar who described the two weeks as "tough", also commenting that he was "very tired". IB Coordinator Andrzej Cichy explained the importance of the mocks: "The main idea is to challenge the students with a real exam environment; completing activities within tight time constraints. Weaknesses can be identified and teachers can respond before the final exam." Even Badar had to concede that the experience would prove "useful".

Grade 10 Zoo Trip

On February 13th Mr. Fleming took Grade 10 to Warsaw Zoo as part of a module concerning the study of primates. The class had a great day out but had to spend most of the time inside because of rain and snow. They saw many species of apes, monkeys, birds, aquatic animals (including penguins) giraffes and elephants. Events took an exciting turn whilst inside the aviary, when one bird launched a surprise attack on the unsuspecting students! The offending individual (pictured below, top left) went straight for Diksha Amarnani, who told us: "It bit me on the hand. I was shouting, it was quite frightening!" Later on, Diksha was also targeted by a rampaging gorilla. Maybe she should stay away from zoos from the time being! Overall though, everyone had an enjoyable and productive time and Paul Raptis took some excellent pictures. See “Your Space” page for more.

2

Sport

Sports Quiz

Test your sporting knowledge. The answers are on page 9.

1. Why do American football players wear black ink under their eyes? 2. How many players are there in a Rugby Union Team? 3. How much is a pink ball worth in snooker? 4. Which country did famous barefoot runner Zola Budd come from? 5. Which American baseball team has won the most World Series'? 6. In which year was the last Football World Cup? 7. How long is an Olympic swimming pool? 8. Which five events make up the modern pentathlon? 9. In which sport is a "puck" used? 10. Which country did retired soccer star "Zizou" come

A Sporting Year - Upcoming Events in 2009

In alternate years, the world's sports fans are treated to either the Olympic Games, or the Football World Cup. Although neither is taking place next year, there is still a host of important competitions to look forward to. The World Athletics Championships (second only to the Olympics for athletes) will run from August 15-23 in the BerlinOlympiastadion. There are also world championships in gymnastics and rowing. Poland's very own Poznan is the venue for the latter, specifically the exotic- sounding Lake Malta! In the world of cricket the following nations will embark on major tours: India (to Pakistan),England (to West Indies), Australia (to New Zealand), New Zealand (to India), South Africa(to Australia). Rugby fans also have plenty to look forward to: The Rugby World Sevens (a smaller, faster version of the 15 a side game) kicks off on March 5 in Dubai. Also, the British Lions (a composite team comprised of players from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland) are touringSouth Africa. They will play a series of matches against club sides before taking on the Springboks in a "best of three" encounter at the end of the tour. Well away from the dry heat of South Africa, the world's best skiers will be braving the icy slopes of Val d'Isere in France as they compete in the Alpine World Ski Championships.

10.1.

3.

3

Crossword

!"# T&"'H&R#

TH&#& 'L+&# #+,,&#T #&'-ND N"0&# -F !"# T&"'H&R#

2

32

5

35

3

32

2

6

38

34

8

36

39

9

36

33

4

30

6

"<r>??2 #'H-L"#T!' ",&NT 5 T&"'H&R @H- @"# "L#-

" #T+D&NT "T !"# 8 '-FF&& DR!NA!N, P-&T 30 250 -N " '-0P"## 33 A+N, F+ 0"#T&R 32 0-V!& T!0&D 39 #'H--L DJ 34 !"#F? J!00G H&NDR!X 32 G-+R "''-+NT !#

BL-'A&DD 35 AA 38 T&"'H&R @!TH T@!N# 36 ! AN-@ TH"T G-+

AN-@...

D>Kn3 0R.#-+ND &FF&'T# 9 L-V&# R--0 9 4 -A&G D-A&GD 2 @"R#"@F# @"RH-L 6 "#0!L&D" 6 #H"R&# " H-0&R--0 @!TH

0R.B.R-@N 32 !T "LL "DD# +P T-.. 36 L!V&D !N T+RA&G

4

Country Profile: Hungary

Hungarian tribes came to Europe from the area of Ural Mountains. They migrated to the Carpathian Basin and settled down in the region of present Hungary in the 9th century. The first kingdom of Hungary was established in 1000 A.C. by King Saint-Stephen. Hungary also turned into a Christian country during his leadership. After some 450 years, Matthias Corvinus became the king and protected Hungary and Europe from the Ottoman Empire using his huge Black Army. This era is considered as Hungaryʼs golden age, with its impressive cultural development. In 1490, by the end of Matthiasʼs domination, the Hungarians lost some serious battles with the Turks and the country was divided into three parts: the conquered area by the Ottoman Empire, Kingdom of Eastern Hungary, and Habsburg (Austrian) Hungary. The Ottomans stayed in Hungary for 150 years until the Habsburg Empire reconquered the total area of the original Kingdom of Hungary. That meant the Ottoman rule was changed into Austrian domination, until 1848 when Hungary rebelled against the Habsburgs. In 1849, Hungarian forces defeated the Austrian army, and the Hungarian independence was declared. Unfortunately, the Russians intervened and the Hungarian army had not enough power to beat the Russian forces. After the war, von Haynau, the Austrian dictator for Hungary ordered the execution of the first prime-minister and 13 Hungarian military leaders.

The next staggering development in Hungarian history happened after the First World War. The Austro-Hungarian monarchy was defeated and Hungary lost 72 % of her land. The Second World War didnʼt bring any change. Hungary didnʼt lose any territory but was totally damaged and as other East-European countries became part of the Soviet Bloc.

On 23rd of October 1956, the Hungarians revolted in Budapest for their rights and for freedom against the Soviet occupation and the local communist regime. The revolution was defeated when the Soviets sent in over 150,000 troops and 2500 tanks, but that October became a symbol of the freedom-fight. The ideas of the revolution in 1956

became realized 33 years later when Hungary was the first Soviet-bloc country who opened its border to let East-Germans to travel to West-Germany, which was the first step towards the destruction of the Berlin wall and the re-unification of Germany. Hungary became a republic, and the first free and democratic elections were held. In 1999, Hungary was able to join NATO and in 2004 the European Union.  

Hungary has famous architecture, particularly its baroque and renaissance buildings. We can find in Hungary the second largest baroque castle in the world, and the third largest church in Europe. The beautiful parliament and Lánc-bridge in Budapest are the favorite places for the visitors, and these are just few of special buildings in Hungary. Cuisine: the Hungarian traditional dishes are usually quite fatty and spicy. One of the most famous dishes is the “Goulash” soup; not just because it is delicious but because during the Communist time the Hungarian communismʼs nickname was “ Goulash-communism” since Hungary was relatively well-off compared to other east-block countries. However, my favorite main dish is the typically Hungarian “Pörkölt”: a kind of a stew, made basically of beef; believe me, it is delicious. The “Gundel-pancake” or the “Dobos-cake” are examples of dessert. But one cannot imagine Hungarian cuisine without good wines. The variety of perfect Hungarian vines is available. The most famous is the “Tokaji” and the “Egri bikavér “. Maybe you already heard that proverb about “Tokaji aszu” which says: “ Tokaji is the wine of kings, and the King of wines. “Spa culture is also a big part of the Hungarian culture. It came with the Turks, and the huge resources of thermal water made a big business with it. We can find dozens of spas in Hungary. The Hungarian folk art - the dances, music and pottery - is also an important part of Hungarian culture. Actually, the most famous product of Hungarian applied arts is hand-painted Herend porcelain. The beautiful, colorful, and special pieces are really valuable and look pretty on the shelf.  

Important Hungarian People: Did you know that ... ?  

...“ the father of the hydrogen bomb “, Edward Teller was born in Budapest and was educated in one of its famous secondary schools before he emigrated to the USA and joined the Manhattan project of the US Government.   ... the first scientist, also working for the Manhattan project, who wrote a letter to the US president about the dangers of using the nuclear bomb (actually proposing not to use it at all), was also a Hungarian physicist, Leo Szilárd.   Intel processors are developed and produced by a company co-founded by a Hungarian, Andrew Grove.   Microsoft Excel was developed by a Hungarian engineer, Charles Simonyi, who led the development of Microsoft Word as well. An older tool for „word-processing”, the ballpoint pen was also invented by a Hungarian man named Biró László József.  The safety match-stick (safe meant not exploding) was invented by a Hungarian named Irinyi János.  The first mass-production automobile, the famous Ford “T” model was designed by a Hungarian engineer, Sándor Galamb.

5

By Ben Kiss

Articles

Christmas is mostly associated with snowy December days, ornamented trees, warm fires, and families gathering together to be merry and celebrate the gift of their lives. It’s also known for the singing of carols, like “Silent Night” and “White Christmas”. But have you ever thought about how Christmas is celebrated where the sun is bright and it doesn’t snow? Like in the grasslands and coastal regions of Africa? Like in my home of Nigeria? Let me tell you. Maybe like me, next year you’ll be dreaming of a “Black Christmas”. 

On the 21st of December, every member of both the Onumah and Azuka families return home for Christmas from all over the world. Journeying back to the village is always a pleasure for my siblings and me. We see the lush vegetation and green lands well known to Nigeria, and my father takes us to the Ojukwu Bunker Museum that lies between the boundary of Umuahia and Isiukwuato.

When we all return, our mothers prepare a traditional dish called “Otoh” made from yam and other ingredients. The children help the older girls to unpack their bags, and the bigger boys clean up the dust and all dirt in the house. Once everyone settles down, the meal is served and everyone eats from one tray. Afterwards, the children go to Isi-iyi stream to swim and talk with friends, and the adults stay at home and talk about the outgoing year. At evening, everyone goes to the family house for prayers, advice, and the welcoming speech by the elder of the family. In the morning, we wake and say our morning prayers, clean the house, and have our bath and breakfast. Whoever stays home gets to sit with my uncle as he tells stories about the genocide that occurred in Nigeria, his childhood, folktales, myths and legends, and the traditions of our village. Those who leave the house visit the farm; they go to streams like Quanta Water, or Aborji Spring. Some have an adventure by going to a forest called Ndiotisiabe, where many captivating things can be found. There’s no sledding down mountains in Nigeria. No mittens nor gloves. On Christmas day, when we return from church service, we have the toast for the birth of Jesus Christ. Afterwards we have a party and dance, drink, sing and listen to jokes or play games, and pray for long life. What makes the day most memorable? Probably the same for you as for me: my relatives. There is my uncle and his stories, the mothers who prepare the delicious food, and my cousins, most of whom are real comedians. Their jokes and imitations keep everyone laughing, happy, and awake through the night. All of them make Christmas in Nigeria a riveting one.

Christmas in Nigeria

Find Your Future! What Obama means to the world

The hope of millions of Americans was finally realized in January when Barack Obama became the 44th president of the United States. Forty years ago Martin Luther King gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech and this year the glorious and unexpected achievement is right before our eyes. The success is not just for Americans but for all of us across the world. His victory has touched many hearts and it should touch each one of you.

This event tells me that we all have a future in front of us, a destiny, and that we only need determination, diligence, and courage to realize it. This is why we must take our responsibilities seriously ... our brightest hopes depend on meeting them. Obama's historic election is a wake-up call. It's time for us to say from the bottom of our hearts, "I will not be a wasteful child; I have a future waiting for me and it's bright like the sun." Each one of us, no matter our background or race, can become a doctor, a lawyer, anything we want--even a president. That's what Obama means to me: anything is possible! We must only believe in ourselves and hope, and remember that we are all precious as diamonds.

Ottobong Usoro

6

Rejoice Azuka

Profiles

Name: Hira ZainabAge:15 Country: PakistanReligion:MuslimHobby: Sketching, drawing, going out.Opinion about Poland: It’s a beautiful and the people are very friendly and helpfulWhat do you like about IAS? Its a multicultural school which is really goodLanguages:English,Urdu,Hindi and a little Polish,German and FrenchCountries you would like to visit: UAE, AustraliaOne way to improve the school:There should be more disciplineYour favourite subjects: Chemistry and BiologyWhat do you want to be in future? I want to be a doctorFamily:I am living with my parents and I also have an elder sister who is studying in Pakistan.Favourite Colour: Blue and blackFavourite book/movie: I don’t like reading books.Favourite Website: Youtube, MSN.What kind of sports do you like? Basketball,tennis, hockey.How would you describe yourself? I am hardworking, polite, gentle, friendly and kind but i need to be more punctual.

Name: Adrian T. SchlesingerAge: 41Country: America (born in Idaho)Religion:Bahai FaithHobby: Computer gamesOpinion about Poland: Old American Wedding Rhyme:“Something old,something new, something borrowed and something blue.”Languages you know: English, Bad EnglishCountries you would like to visit? England, GermanyYour favourite subject at school? OrnithologyWhat did you want to be when you were younger? A helicopter pilotFamily: I have a Polish wife and a one month old daughter.Future Plans: Maybe in this school, staying in Poland.Favorite color: Rich blueFavorite Book: The HobbitFavorite movie: Lord of the Rings (all 3 parts)Which website do you use the most? www.lolcats.com (comedy website with funny pictures of cats)What kind of sports do you like? American Football, I also like to play Volleyball.How would you describe yourself? “I think I am smart and creative but I can be disorganized.”

7

Your Space

10th Grade Zoo Trip

Want to see your photos in our magazine?

Send them to ias.newspaper@gmail.com

8

Poetry

Being the past

Birds sitting on the old useless walls from your past

Take your thoughts away from present to the past

And makes you peek into the history

And help you figure out the truth about you 

And the loathsome graves from the cemetery

Pushes you toward a thought

Thought that one day you will be the past 

And then imparting you a sudden feeling

Feeling of not being the only one

One that is living a same life

Life that only have one end 

The sound of air mill that touches your ear

As if a call from God

Call that tells you that now it’s your time

Time of flying away 

Away from where the stars are

Away from what the God has created

Away from others optimistic thoughts

Away from where no one stands by me 

But a small thought

Thought of being the past

Zaira Zainab

A song,

A melody played once by all.

One,

Two,

Three shots.

It's quieter than before.

A different, horrifying sound took the lead.

It's not the soft and pristine beat anymore.

Some play the new melody,

Some try to keep playing the old.

A difference split one song asunder,

Two unlike versions that didn't go along.

One had to be stopped, because it was wrong.

One,

Two,

Three shots.

And many, many more.

The dainty sound vanished,

It fell to the ground,

And empty bullets lay beside it,

And everywhere around..,

Kasandra Biedul

Sports Quiz Answers

1. to protect them from the glare of stadium lights 2. 15 3. 7 4. South Africa 5. The New York Yankees 6. 2006 7. 50 metres 8. running, swimming, shooting, riding, fencing 9. ice hockey 10. France Rate your knowledge:1-4 oh dear, you are a sporting imbecile!5-7 not bad, you know a bit!8-9 your sporting knowledge is impressive!10 awesome - you are a sporting Yoda!

9

Poetry

Semaine De La Langue Francaise – 16/23 Mars 2009-02-06 

Le ministère de la Culture in France has organised a world-wide competition to celebrate the vitality of the French language. With 10 given words, some old ones taken from the Latin and some new ones created for the sake of new technologies, candidates can create a poem, a song, an anagram, a cartoon, etc. Imagination and creativity are encouraged… and can therefore take any shape or form. 

Samantha, in Grade 11, has produced the following poem and would like to share it with you. (the words in bold were the given words for the competition).  

“Des Mots Pour Demain” 

L’amour de Roméo et Juliette peut être comparé à un éternel coup de foudre

D’ailleurs, c’est une vision

Leur amour pérenne a transformé le sens du mot amour

Des connections entre les êtres humains ...

L’intensité de leur amour était plus profond que toutes les cellules du génome humain

Chromosomes, gênes et cellules étaient des structures simples en comparaison avec le dilemne de ces amants

Leur amour était une interdiction permanente par leurs parents

Même la mort n’a pu séparer leurs esprits

Leur amour magnifique a conqui cet obstacle

Et même la crainte de la mort !

Rien ne pourra les séparer – ils étaient des âmes soeurs

Leur amour légendaire était plus fort qu’un clair de terre

C’était un capteur qui a converti l’amour comme grandeur physique en grandeur émotionnelle et sentimentatle, pleine de nostalgie

La première fois que Roméo a touché la main de Juliette

Un clic apparut au bout d’un moment entre leurs âmes

Cela était plus qu’être compatible

Ils se désiraient avec la force et le courage d’un lion et d’une lionne !  

Samantha Mckenzie, Grade 11

10

Polska Strona

Zasadzka

Była noc. Zwiadowca przemknął się miedzy drzewami. Dojechali do wielkiego drzewa znakującego koniec bujnej fauny w parowie. Zapukał trzykrotnie. Z góry dało się słyszeć splunięcie.- Nie spieszyliście się zbytnio. -To długi parów pełen orków.-Widzę, odezwał się drugi głos z liści. -Cicho tam Drumbel!-Widziałeś kiedyś krasnoluda łażącego po drzewach?, zapytał głos znowu.- Nie ale teraz widzę, roześmiał się dowódca.-Nasi wojownicy są gotowi.- Dobrze zaczynamy za 5 minut.Atakować! Cała masa strzał wyleciała z boków kanionu. Krasnolud zeskoczył z drzewa i zwinnie niczym sarna rzucił się w wir walki. Od początku ataku wyjścia kanionu zostały zablokowane przez oddział żołnierzy, którzy z niebywałym trudem ukrywali się w liściach. Orki jednak były przygotowane i ni stąd ni zowąd wysypali się z namiotów gotowi do walki.-Co się dzieje?!, krzyczał dowódca do zwiadowcy.-Skąd u licha wiedzieli że zaatakujemy?-Sądzę sir, że wiedzieli o planowanym napadzie. –Najprawdopodobniej mamy w obozie szpiega.Jednak przeważający liczebnością ludzie zgnietli napastników lecz zapłacili za to niemałymi stratami. Po spenetrowaniu i wzięciu ze sobą zdobytego uzbrojenia i zapasów ruszyli w drogę powrotną. Wreszcie dotarli do wejścia na przełęcz dwóch dróg. Już tutaj znajdowały się posterunki zwiadowców. Po przejściu przez mur zewnętrzny dotarli do pagórka, z którego rozprze ścierał się widok olbrzymiej 20 piętrowej twierdzy. Była to jedna z nielicznych opierających się do dziś twierdz. Po powitaniu przez tłum dowódca od razu poszedł do króla .-Wiedzieli o ataku powiedział ze zdenerwowaniem dowódca rzucając na stół głowę orka dowódcy.-Niemożliwe, tylko my dwaj o tym wiedzieliśmy.-W takim razie ktoś nas podsłuchał. Obaj spojrzeli naraz na okute żelazem drzwi.-To jasne że informacja nie idzie od razu do orków.-Już wiem, wykrzyknął król. Idzie przez Ihram! -Ta misja będzie wypełniana przez trzy osoby.-Trzy?, spytał dowódca.-Tak, dołączy do ciebie Drumbela elitarny mag. Spotkacie się na miejscu w karczmie pod jaszczurką. Będzie ubrany w niebieską pelerynę. Dołączycie się do karawany handlarzy prochem strzelniczym po wyjściu z lasu. Wyjeżdżacie jutro o świcie.-Tak jest, powiedział dowódca, stuknął butami i wyszedł.

Artur Brzozowski

Sukcesy Polaków

• Andrzej Wajda zdobył nagrodę im. Alfreda Bauerana festiwalu Filmowym w Berlinie za jego najnowszy film- TATARAK . Głowna role w tym filmie zagrała Krystyna Janda. Film opowiada historie borykającej się ze śmiercią kobiety-artystka występuje w roli aktorki i pani doktor.

  • Na zawodach Pucharu Świata we

włoskim Valdidentro  Justyna Kowalczyk zdobyła I miejsce w biegach sprinterskich-to już trzecie zwycięstwo w tym sezonie.

THE IAS TIMES TEAM Layout & Design: Slim Paul

Supervising Editors: Nick Brown Matthew Krasner, Aneta Grzywacz

Lead Writers: Diksha Amarnani, Rejoice Azuka, Ben

Kiss

Thanks to everyone that contributed to thisissue and to Dr. Hussaini for supporting

the project!

11

atmosphere.

- An IB World School

Continuing your education at IAS will keep you on the winning team:

• IAS was the first independent international school in Poland, founded in 1989.

• IAS is accredited by the world’s leading education authorities: IBO, NAAS, CITA, MENIS.

• Teacher to student ratio of 1:4.

• Dedicated tutors for university guidance.

• 100% university placement.

• Dedicated staff from a variety of backgrounds, including Britain, America, Poland, France and Canada.

• Programs to enhance student progress, including ESL, PSL, and extra math, history, and science classes.

• A variety of after school clubs provided for all students, meeting every Monday and Wednesday.

• Fully resourced and staffed library, providing students with a choice of 30,000 titles.

• Zero tolerance to drugs and alcohol.

• Strong disciplinary policy conducted in a positive and friendly