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