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Issue 9 December 2013 – January 2014

Principal ’s Note

Nicole Helou

A Word from the Adviser

Mr. Chadi Nakhle

Dr. Khoury the Father of All at BHS!

Another year has come and gone and another Speakout issue is out. May 2014 be a prosperous year for all and may our country be peaceful once more. A big thank you to our whole team, especially Mr Chadi Nakhle, Laudy Issa, Christina Farhat and Zeina Chamseddine, without you this issue would not be possible. Enjoy all our news and if you have any suggestions of what you would like to see, please let us know! Thanks.

A Word from the Manager

A lesson in Democracy we strived to give to our students through the revival of Brummana High School Student Council (BHSC). During the election process, students exhibited a spirit of maturity, tolerance and civic awareness which we ought to learn from and generalize in Lebanon… You made us all proud dear students! Hats-off!

A glimpse at this issue of Speakout asserts that we, at BHS, know that a true education is not limited to a classroom or to knowledge of certain subjects but extends to character building and to instilling the right values in the learners. I am pleased with the different opportunities and responsibilities provided to our students through their active participation in clubs, election of Student Council (BHSC), performing duties as prefects, competing in sports, or hosting kids from Dar el Awlad as part of the Community Service Program. Furthermore, the Christmas concert brought a lot of joy to the audience, and was certainly another success. I take this opportunity to thank the Parents’ Association (PA) for refurbishing the Dobbing Hall. Founders’ Day was also a memorable event, with our old scholar, Maxime Chaaya addressing students about the meanings of self-achievement and determination. Finally, I salute Speakout’s team, for its wonderful work, especially on the newsmagazine’s second birthday after its revival. I Serve, Dr. Walid Khoury

BHS News and Events!

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Clubs This year, BHS added to its wide variety of extracurricular activities to choose from by establishing multiple clubs for students to be a part of! With a total of seventeen clubs up and running, managers and members have worked together to organize events and meetings and have since been more successful than we could have ever anticipated! Let’s take a closer look at what all the clubs have been up to thus far. Tuning in first will be the music club: 1)The Music Club Managers: Daniel Hilal, Anthony Chamoun, Georgette Salem, Elias Ghaleb, and Richard E. Harfouche. The music club worked closely with the Christmas choir all through December to perfect their acts for the BHS annual Christmas show, which was extremely successful, as expected! The clubs’ renditions of “Green Sleeves” and “Jingle Bells” made for a unique twist in the many carols that were performed and had the entire Dobbing Hall audience on their feet. Additionally, the music club is preparing to perform for the orphans that will be visiting our school. There also seems to be a surprise in store for them…what’s that? We’ll just have to wait and see! 2)The Cinema Club Managers: Rama Tinawi, Lana Chammas, and Frederic Azar. The cinema club could give Mr. Anis a run for his money if he weren’t a photographer! Instead of taking snapshots of the school’s events, the cinema club has spent their time documenting the live experience of life at BHS by filming the happenings of International Day and Independence Day, as well as having prepared a short film regarding Founder’s Day for playback during assembly. Like many of the clubs, the cinema club is anticipating the orphan’s visit this month and will be catching all that on tape as well. They’ve also aired movies such as V for Vendetta and Dead Poets Society for students to watch on Fridays, after a long week at school. Nothing like a free movie to start off a relaxing weekend! 3)The Food Club Managers: Peter Rassie, Jessica Tokmaji, Beatrice Jardak, and Nizar Kabbani. The food club has focused primarily on raising money through bake sales (as they should!) in order to provide food and beverage for the orphan’s visit, as well as gifts in the form of little trinkets, knick-knacks and candies. The money raised amounted to a whopping $1340 and will certainly be more than enough to make our little visitors happy and put smiles on their faces! 4)The Anime Club Managers: Laila Al Khoury and Anastasia Daoud. A club that is most certainly out of the ordinary is the anime club. Their meetings have been comprised of watching and discussing all types of media ranging from manga (comics) to anime itself – in fact, they’ll be starting a new series soon, so if you’re interested now would be the perfect time to join. Currently, the club is hunting for ideas as to how they can integrate the unique Japanese practices of anime and manga into the upcoming orphans’ event, so feel free to share your ideas with them! 5)The Jeopardy Club Managers: Kamal Abdelnour and Joe Halabi. Last year, Joe Halabi worked hard and raised money alongside SpeakOut to purchase the game system that would allow him to bring the popular game show straight to BHS, and here it is – the Jeopardy club! This club has been hosting Jeopardy games regularly for students to participate in after school, and they may just have some prizes in store for our winners. The club is hoping to amalgamate the game into a fun and interactive method of teaching.. we’ll definitely be following up on how that works out! 6) Fashion Managers: Jad Soda, Sarya Mrowa The Fashion Club is helping out with the orphan event by selling bracelets to buy Christmas hats! This will definitely help raise the spirits of the children. Make sure to help out and raise money!

3 Nicole Abou Samra & Amani Kmeid

11)Tutoring club: Managers: Rawan Deeb and Talar Boghossian The tutoring club has been increasingly active lately, both managers working closely to keep the club alive. In Rawan’s words, the idea of the club is to have students assist each other. The club has 15 tutors, including both managers, all helping out during the stressful time of midyears, whether it is a small question or a whole lesson they have not grasped. The managers are thinking of widening the group to have one tutor from each class, we’ll see how that goes!

Talar Boghossian, manager of the Tutoring club, helping out her peers

7) Environmental Managers: Zaynah Kmeid, Julie Anne Abi Farah, and Patricia Nawfal On Nov 30 the Environmental club went to ‘Horsh’ Beirut to clean the forest along with many schools. This helped raise awareness through Lebanon! In school, they are putting up recycle bins around the campus in hopes that students will use them for their trash instead of the floor. They are also planning a Photo Booth in school to raise money for their events to come. 8) Hiking Managers: Ali Kanj, Riwa Azar There was a hiking event for the secondary students to ‘Hasbaya- Baabdat’, organized by Miss Christina Assili and the club managers, where students enjoyed the nature and fresh air! Hopefully there will be another hike soon! 9) MUN Managers: Amani Kmeid, Christina Farhat, Frederic Azar, Michael AJ, Mira Rawady, Mouhammed Chamaa, Natasha Ghawi, Nicole Abou Samra, Yasmina Aswad The MUN club has split into three teams this year, with three or four managers for each team. There was an Trivia game held in NDU where 6 delegates had to compete with other schools on their trivia skills. 12 High School delegates have been working hard and going to Saturday trainings to prepare themselves for their conference in March. We wish them Luck! The LEB MUN team has officially begun training in preparation for their conference in February. As it turns out, they’re participating in an international conference, which is quite a big deal as many delegates will be from out of the country. We wish them luck too! As for last years delegates, they are awaiting confirmation for their Qatar conference taking place at the end of February and also their Turkey conference taking place in the beginning of March. We wish the best of luck! 10) Drama Managers: Michelle Bado, Demi Korban The Drama club recently acted out “A Christmas to Believe In” for the high school and lower school. There performance was quite a success. Also, they are going to be working on "Animal Farm“ leading up to their performance before the finals!

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As part of our community service program and spreading joy (including some Christmas spirit) all around, the students of BHS along with the Dean of Students, Mr Chadi Nakhle, planned a day full of enjoyment for 42 orphans ranging from the ages of 3 years to 16 years coming from Dar Al Awlad, Mansourieh. A team picked by Mr Chadi to organise the event was headed by Michelle Ragy and Christina Farhat with the help of Teeba Abdullah, Michelle Bado, Michael Abou Jaoude, Jessica Tokmaji, Mohammad Chamma, and myself. The managers and members of other clubs and prefects joined throughout the day to help the children smile. The day began with a big breakfast of manakeesh and getting to know each other. The children instantly became attached to the older kids and would follow them around and ask them to play. Once breakfast was in their stomachs, it was time for games. The children were split into football or basketball, and then other games followed. As the kids ran around and enjoyed themselves, students couldn’t help but join in with the fun, chasing and laughing with the kids. It seemed as though these kids has a perpetual amount of energy as the students found they were tired only an hour into the fun. Even so, we pushed on for their sake. As the day rode on, we took the children down to the Dobbing Hall to watch Frozen, the new Christmassy Disney movie. Everyone sat in silence as they watched the drama of the two sisters, Elsa and Anna; unfold in a city of ice. After that, everyone was invited on stage for a dance before going to a surprise lunch – McDonalds! The kids were taken back down to Dobbing Hall again to watch the music club play a few Christmas songs and get everyone into a good mood. Soon enough, the children joined the music club on stage and the dancing continued. It was a great way to end the day and to see that everyone was happy, even us students were smiling as we watched them dance, we even joined them and dance with them, basking in their happiness. Walking up to where the buses stood, each student had a bunch of kids walking next to him/her; the kids that had gotten attached to them and made them smile during the day. They were handed a gift each, and some more gifts were given to take back to Dar Al Awlad. Pictures were taken, hugs were close and goodbyes were said, and as us, the students, waved off the kids, we could feel in our hearts that we would truly miss them. After only one day, they seem to find a place in your heart, and their energy and happiness was infectious. We all promised we would go and visit our new friends, and make their day once more. I would like to thank everyone for making that day possible, including Mr Chadi, because it was an experience I woulnt trade for the world, and one I would try to carry on to do. Nicole Helou.

A Smile We Strived to Draw on Their Little Faces

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Careers Fair For many, the future is a large, ambiguous question mark. “What do you want to do later on?” or “Where do you want to go to college?” are not easily answered by most students. While some may have a slight idea of the possibilities out there, many are not actually aware of what it’s like to work in their field of interest. They may wonder what an average day at work would look like, what kind of lifestyle accompanies that job, or what the range of salaries is. That is why the school organized a Career’s Fair, from the 4th to the 6th of December. To encourage and support the students in their academic path and future aspirations, BHS brought in several professionals from various fields to talk to the students about their experiences and views on what they do. These included experts in Forensics, Business Administration, Photography, and many more. Students’ were given lots of insight and some even discovered new professions that piqued their interests. This year’s Career’s Fair was yet another success and will hopefully continue to guide students in their future endeavors.

Founder’s Day A time of joyous celebration, this day brought together all the students to commemorate the creation of our school. Since 1873, Brummana High School has greatly evolved and has become an active campus full of students with unique backgrounds. For some, attending this school is an ongoing tradition while for others a new chapter in their lives. Either way, the school has and will continue to impact students lives’ as it shapes them and they, in turn, shape it. That is one of the many qualities we celebrated that day, as we listened to Dr. Khoury’s speech, watched Lana Chammas’s video on the meaning of this day and students’ opinions of it, and cut the cake. The interactive nature of the school. The way it not only gives but allows us to give back in return. We take what it has taught us through classes, activities, and the high school experience and use this knowledge to contribute to the school in our own way.

Sara Karam

A little Something Done With Great Love!

Lebanon by our beloved school. The check held a donation of 10 Million Lebanese Liras which went in support of the children at the center to make sure that they have a wonderful Christmas filled with joy and happiness. Lara Nahra

And that is what we will later be able to do in life, after we graduate. We will be able to not only take in what is around us but to use it to our advantage and for the good of others. We’re therefore given opportunity. Once we realize this, we realize that the school has indeed left its mark on us. Sara Karam

Christmas is known as a time for doing acts of kindness and helping people other than ourselves, and so, on the 10th of December, a huge check was given to the Children’s Cancer Center of

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Christmas Show On December 19, teachers, parents, and fellow students were invited to Dobbing Hall to watch the annual High School Christmas show. All agreed that the event was a huge success glowing with the beauty of the Christmas spirit. Afterwards, all were invited to come together at the reception to share both laughter and celebration, as well as enjoy some delicious foods and beverages. Lara Nahra Santa Fun Run

What better way is there to embrace the upcoming Christmas spirit than by having our Santa Fun Run? This year, it was held on Friday the 20th of December, the day before we all left for the vacation. Many students joined the Fun Run and most of them were either wearing simple Santa hats, or entire Santa Clause costumes. Our students ran from Crepaway back to the school gate, some of them walked, while a few rode on scooters, bicycles, and even a unicycle. Truly, the Christmas season is one of the greatest seasons of all times, filled with fun, kindness, and happiness. Lara Nahra Christmas Play

To start off the Christmas celebrations, the drama club performed “A Christmas to Believe In” in the Meeting House in front of the intermediate and secondary students, on the 17th of December. The play was also performed to the upper and lower elementary students on the 20th as to spread the joy of Christmas and its true meaning. “A Christmas to Believe In”, sees two narrators, one that believes in Christmas and tries to convince the other that the spirit of Christmas is true. So she takes her back to the start, before Jesus was born, beginning with the

birth of John the Baptist and then Herod’s terror at there being another king. The drama club performed a spectacular act with several interesting characters that held their unique roles along with some beautiful singing by Tamara Hajj. It was entertaining to watch and it completely felt like Christmas as the play was being performed. It reminded everyone of the true meaning of Christmas.

Lara Nahra

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The spirit of democracy has finally reached Brummana High School through the formation of the Student Council, or BHSC. It was an idea that ran through the heads of students ever since last year, but it was finally made official during the start of this academic year and students of all ages were buzzing about the upcoming campaigns and elections and what those elected were going do for our school.

BHSC

There were many students running, from grade 9 to grade 12, both LP and IP, as class representatives. There were also students running for Presidency and Vice Presidency, being seniors and juniors respectively. Running for Presidency were Dimitri Bechara (Secondary 3 GS), Michael Abou Jaoude (12IP), and Frederic Azar (12IP). Running for Vice President were Teeba Abdullah (11IP), Dany Hermes (12IP), William Atallah (12IP), and Daniel Hilal (Secondary 2). They delivered their speeches to both Secondary and grade 9 classes on Tuesday 14th January in assembly, telling students what they were willing to promise them of they were elected. Their campaigns ran for the following week and elections took place on Friday 17th January.

The Student Council is now made up of Dimitri Bechara as President and Teeba Abdullah as Vice President. There are also 8 class representatives: Iuns Nasri (9IP), Amir Moujaes (9LP), Alex Chidiac (10IP), Enzo El Adem (10LP), Omar Ibrahim (11IP), Richard Elias Harfouche (Secondary 2 S), Thabet Al Rifai (12IP), and Mira Rawady (Secondary 3 SE). They all met with Dr Khoury and with Mrs. Naamat Little as an introductory to the Student council. Speakout would like to send a big congratulations to all those who were elected and are proud of everyone who ran. It’s a great experience for everyone, students who ran and students who voted, as it shows us the democratic side of society, something we will all have to take part in once we are older. We hope the student council becomes a great success and produces beneficial results for the school. Nicole Helou

Dr. Khoury received the elected members of BHSC to congratulate them

Sports @ BHS! Through our sports, we show our school spirit! Our basketball (and football) teams have been busy at work, with many games being played and cheered on. For the basketball teams, both boys and girls, there was a big LAU Tournament, which took place at the end of January. Our girl’s team got to the finals and lost to IC 23-28, but got through by playing against LAK, IC, College Protestant and ACS. Our boy’s team got to the semi finals, losing to Jamhour 33-47 but played against College Louis Wegman, LES, Jesus and Mary School, BBS and St Francois. The boy’s football team have been playing friendly games and won their latest against BESGB 8-2. We are proud of all our athletes, keep up the good work! Joseph El Helou

BHS Swimmers! We have some hidden talent in BHS – some swimmer s! On February 2nd, Ms Christina Assili accompanied six students, Lynn Ghanimeh, Weiss Hage Hassan, Paloma Nannoni, Zeid Hage Hassan, Gabrielle Ghanimeh, and Faye Ghanimeh to Notre Dame de Jamhour School for a swimming competition. Our students flourished, winning prestigious medals. Lynn and Paloma won 3rd in 50 metre Freestyle, with Paloma also winning 3rd in 50 metre Backstroke. Weiss Hage Hassan wowed all by winning 1st place in both 50 metre Breaststroke and 50 metre Freestyle and won 2nd place in 50 metre Butterfly. When asked why she, a computer teacher, accompanied the students, Ms Christina said that she is both a swimmer and a swimming coach and supported our swimmers, as there is no swimming coach in BHS. We are proud of all our students and hope we have more swimming achievements to come! Joseph Helou

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Hello, my name is Frederic Azar and I am a senior. I started Humans of Brummana High School, or Humans of BHS aka HoBHS last year (2013) in November. I was looking around during break and noticed the different people that made BHS. I was completely fascinated by Humans of New York at the time, so I ventured out with my own version of the popular Facebook page. With every picture taken are quotes, usually I just walk up to people that I would interesting and interview them for a short while. In the meantime, I would try to get something interesting out of that person - and I believe that everybody has a story to tell. Its these stories, opinions, and advice that are the components that piece together this diverse school and which set it apart from others. I hope that I could document every soul that contribute to BHS life. I just wish people will be a little more willing, its tough spending a whole break trying to get a good story. Fredric Azar

Humans of BHS

Nicole El Helou, our current manager, began writing articles in Grade 10 and worked her way up to lead the newspaper her senior year. She has done a fantastic job, following in the footsteps of the newspapers previous manager, Jude Massaad “ Wow, two years already! When we first initiated this newspaper we had no idea it would become this big. There are such dedicated students in BHS who work on this with all they’ve got. I can’t express how proud I am of our students! Happy Birthday Speakout 3a2bel l 100 issue! Laudy Issa and Christina Farhat (myself) started at the very beginning as well, doing a great job as did Basma Naiisseh did last year!

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Two years ago the class of 2012 decided they wanted a school newspaper. Two years later here we are still publishing issues of the much anticipated Speakout. Our staff contacted the students who made the newspaper happen to see what they had to say about Speakout continuing successfully for two years.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SPEAKOUT

Lea Moujaes ( author of miscellaneous articles) “ It’s very important that this student-newspaper continued, that’s something to be proud of. It started as something by the students, for the students and hopefully it will continue that way.” Tiffany Moujaes ( the designer of the Speakout as well as its original logo) “ It was time for the students voices to be heard, Speakout was a means to an end.” One of the unique aspects of our newspaper is the “Hyde Park” section where students get to anonymously voice any concerns or comments to the Brummana High School administration.

One of the great things at BHS is the student body’s voice is always heard and considered by the administration. We are blessed to attend an institution where we have a say in matter. A special thank you to Mr. Chadi, Speakout’s advisor. He has pushed the Speakout team to be the best it can be these two years. Happy 2nd Birthday Speakout, with many more to come!! Christina Farhat

BHS Prefects & BHSC’ Members Take a First Aid Training To Serve Better!

On Saturday 8th of February 2014, the 1st training session for prefects and members of the Student’s Council (BHSC) to become 1st Aiders took place in the US Library. The session was organized by the school in collaboration with the Red Cross, represented by Mr. George Haddad, a trainer, with more than 40 years of service and training experience with the Red Cross. The 2nd and last training session will take place on Saturday 15th of February, at the end of which our 35 students will receive their certificates from the Red Cross.

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The training started at 9:00 AM, where students were received by the school’s doctor, Mireille Zalzal, in addition to the school’s nurse Josephine El Murr, the Dean of Students Mr. Chadi Nakhle and the Intermediate Section Supervisor, Mr. Assaad Chammas.

Students, were given an extensive training about types of accidents, injuries, and the proper ways of interventions. The session lasted till 3:00 PM, and was adjourned to the next Saturday.

When asked by Frederic Azar about his opinion of our students, Mr. Haddad Said: “ They are adorable. I am not exaggerating. At their age instead of being busy with their own fun programs during the weekend, they are here willing to learn something new. This means they are responsible people, I appreciate that!”

Articles

Nelson Mandela is easily ranked as one of the great leaders aiming for peace and racial equality. Mandela was born in South Africa on July 18, 1918 and because of his many achievements July 18 is now known as Mandela day. Mandela became involved in the African National Council and fought against racism, raising awareness about inequality because of skin color. As leader of the African National Council, Mandela became very successful at peacefully spreading awareness. However, in 1962 he was arrested with a few other leaders and spent many years in prison writing books and never giving up. Mandela was persistent and never gave up even when locked in prison. By the time he was released in 1990 Mandela was well known and well respected for being a man of peace and equality. He won a Nobel Peace Prize and was elected president of South America because he took his country from extreme apartheid to democracy. Throughout his life, Mandela won over 250 honorable awards for his actions which have made this world a better place. Mandela was one of the greatest leaders this world has seen and he’s sure to go down in history as a man of peace and equality. The world lost a great leader on December 5, 2013 but not one easily forgotten. Mandela remains a hero in the eyes of those fighting for equality and he will never be forgotten. Zaynah Kmeid

Who is Nelson Mandela?

The Blue Gold Project Lebanon is considered the most fertile nation of the region with approximately 8 billion cubic meters of water, that’s enough to fill 3 million Olympic swimming pools, pouring down on our soil each year. However only 17% of this water is contained, and even less used due to a 48% leakage rate in both of our only dams. That means that just less than 7 billion cubic meters of water is gushing out of our rivers into the Mediterranean every year.

Sanitation and quality is another serious issue. Most fresh water wells and brands do not meet the Lebanese quality water standards and as a result in 2010 costs for polluted water related diseases amounted to a staggering 800 million dollar sum. That’s equal to 2% of our annual GDP. Dirty water induced diarrhea, arsenicosis, cholera, fluorosis were some of the diseases recorded during some of the country’s driest years, for example 2009 and even 2014 which might lead up to becoming the driest winter on record with close to no rainfall during the month of January. How do we solve these problems? How do we protect ourselves from environmental factors such as drought? The Blue Gold Project was designed to answer these questions.

What is the Blue Gold Project? Blue gold is a national 5-year project optimizing the Lebanese Government water strategy. It is based on an analysis of all the studies done on the water sector launching a new vision that transforms water from a simple commodity to a national wealth, and at the same time aims at fixing weaknesses therein and monitoring projects and initiatives that fall within the strategy with the partnership of the Lebanese citizens.

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By expanding the water industry through the construction of new dams and putting government water pipes to work, Blue Gold aims at restoring the Lebanese citizens trust and confidence in being provided this necessity. The cost of the Lebanese government’s water plan for which is planned to stop operating in 2020 amounts to 7.3 billion dollars. This plan is funded by the government and through loans and after eight years, and is supposed to guarantee a balance between supply and demand. The cost of Blue Gold Project for which will beginning execution in 2015 and begin operating in 2020 is equal to 5 billion dollars. This project will guarantee a surplus of 500 million square meters for Lebanon. It is funded by the private sector with controls that prevent monopoly and encourage the contribution of citizens as partners, provided that the water remains the property of the Lebanese State. This project will also ensure a return of 23.5% for the Lebanese State and 12.5% for the private sector. Blue Gold Project will reduce the annual water bill paid by citizens from USD 700 to USD 380. It only needs 16 dams instead of 44, and will provide 3,000 job opportunities.

VOTE FOR THE BLUE GOLD PROJECT! Fredric Azar

There are a lot of little details around us we don't even know the meaning of, and yet, we fluidly incorporate them into our lives. Those include mythological references in big brands. Nike - Sportswear: Nike is the Greek winged goddess of victory, and, arguably, of speed. It's an optimistic, inspirational, confident, and empowering name, perfect for the brand.

Trident - Gum: Trident is a well-known brand of gum, but also Poseidon's primary weapon (Poseidon being the Greek god of the sea), a three-thronged spear. "Trident" also literally translates into "three-toothed”.

Starbucks – Coffee Shop: Starbucks has a Greek reference in its logo. That beautiful woman holding the two fishtails is a Siren. Sirens enchant sailors with their bewitching melodies; they rob them of their common sense and get them obsessed until all their thoughts revolve around reaching the source of the music, and when they crash their ships on the siren island’s rocky shore, they then eat them.

Dove - Soap: You might remember Dove’s very smart advertising about real beauty being natural, and on that note, their logo and name, a dove, is Aphrodite's symbol. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.

Amazon – Electronic Commerce: It was named after the Amazon River, one of the most voluminous (pretty darn big) rivers in the world, because the founder had great aspirations about the company's size. That river was named after the Greek Amazons. An Amazon, in Greek mythology, is a member of a race of warrior women. The Amazons had a matriarchal society, in which women fought and governed while men performed the household tasks.

Mythology in Brands

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Versace - Fashion Label: Its logo is the face of Medusa, a known character in Greek mythology. Popular in movies that revolve around mythology, Medusa is the character with snakes for hair. The story of Medusa is that she was a very beautiful woman who greatly insulted the goddess of wisdom and strategy, Athena, by sleeping with Poseidon in her sacred temple. So, Athena cursed her; she made her so ugly that anyone who looked at her would turn to stone. Essentially, the story of Medusa is not a positive one, her beauty and vanity only ended up getting her cursed.

Marina Naanouh

Interview With Yet another Lebanese Legend

Born in 1957, this special musician is one of the first artists who sang in English in Lebanon. At the age of 17, he participated in many musical festivals and won first place. At the age of 20, he started composing music for numerous advertisements and musical movies. Growing step by step, he finally released an album called “Echoes” in the year 1983, which directly won first prize in the International Music Festival in Germany with the participation of 99 countries! Several of the songs in this album became known internationally and entered the Billboard World Top 10!Having fortuitously and just recently known these facts about Gus Farah, meeting this star became a point on my bucket list, and not just because of the above specifics, but because he also turned out to be an old scholar at Brummana High School and the father of three BHS graduates and one BHS student in Sec 2 H! Therefore, unlike all other ideas on my bucket list, this one wasn’t that hard to achieve after all, so we planned our first meeting to be an interview with him for this magazine, and here’s how it went:

• At what age did you start playing music and singing? o 14 years old. • So at then you started going to a place that teaches music? o No, I actually started going to the guitar club in the high school just for fun. I believe you don’t

study music; either it is in your head, or it will never be. • So was there a band at BHS that you joined? o When I was 17 years old, we formed a BHS band made up of two guitarists and one drummer,

Michael Awad, Ralph Taweel, and me. We called the band “Hickories.” After some time, a bassist called Zahi Aafief joined us.

• And didn’t any of your parents have any problem with you dedicating a lot of your time for music?

o Of course they did. I used to play secretly from time to time. Then they started getting used to the idea.

• I heard that your band was a host in the Miss Lebanon Ceremony that was held in 1982 in Casino du Liban. This shows that you had become famous and professional at that time. Why did you stop?

o Well at then we were still a school band. After that each of us chose his own path in life. You know in Lebanon there isn’t a successful future for music, so they decided to leave this business, but I stuck to it because I love it. I was also able to do jingles to make money out of it, so I found my way out.

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• Do you think that BHS had any role in making you become the artist you are now, or you believe that you could have become the same no matter what school you were in?

o No, of course BHS owes the start because it had a very special encouragement for music and talents. After that, of course it was up to us to find our own parties and concerts that made us become more successful.

• Wasn’t it a bit hard growing big during that time in Lebanon when there was a civil war? o No, it was actually easier than today. People always and will always like music.

• Did you travel anywhere in your career? o Yes, I travelled first to Paris, where I played in metro stations and went almost every Friday

for an interview with Hikmat Wihbe on Radio Montecarlo. Then I travelled to Athens with my manager Rafik Tamba who was also the sponsor for my album “Echoes” that we produced there. That was in 1980 when I was about 22 years old.

• I also heard that you were once invited to play in the King of Jordan’s birthday. This shows that at then you started becoming famous internationally. What happened after that?

o Yes that’s true, but you only get a name; you get no money out of it. We have a lot of mafias in Lebanon. We get blacklisted, so no matter how much my songs got famous all around the world, I didn’t get any money out of it.

• Why didn’t you continue on producing albums? o Producing an album costs a lot of money, and we’re blacklisted in Lebanon. We don’t have

any security for the music in Lebanon, and this isn’t just the responsibility of the government, but of the whole country. I have 109 songs, 20 to 25 of which are recorded. Today I’m searching for a sponsor and I found one, so I may go for a new album soon. I’m keeping this as a surprise!

• And what about working outside Lebanon? o Well after releasing my album I was offered contracts from Warner Bros and Philips, but these

contracts forced me to stay outside Lebanon for a very long time and even prohibited me from selling my songs in Lebanon, so I preferred to keep my family and friends and stay without travelling.

• do you advice new Lebanese artists to travel outside Lebanon for a successful career? o Well if they want to make it big, yes they have to, but if they wanted to keep their personal life

as it is, they would have to stay in Lebanon.

• Now can I know the reason why you are always wearing a Beetles cap? o Well I have always been a great fan of the Beetles and especially John Lennon. I consider the

Beetles my school. I love this band.

Interviewed by Daniel Hilal

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… of the Month Teacher of the Month Mr. Gaby Girgis

When did you start working?

I have been working in Brummana High School for twenty four years since 1990.

Where were you before that?

I worked a few years in some other schools.

What do you love most about BHS?

I really enjoy the free atmosphere that Brummana High School has to offer which of course is tied to its history. The ability to express your ideas or to take part of the decision making in the school is great leaving room for students and teacher the chance to make a change. Definitely, the diversity of the student body is another factor. We have students of different nationalities and different background which gives the schools daily routine a little depth and color. Adding to my point about the schools free atmosphere is the capability for students and teacher to be able to choose between programs and classes.

Anything you’re working on?

Oh yeah, right now I’m planning on pursuing advanced or higher studies in education, more specifically in the management of education.

What was your happiest moment in BHS?

There were many happy moments but definitely one the happiest was finally joining Brummana High School as a full time teacher.

Do you miss being a student yourself?

One of peoples fondest memories are those of their school days. So yes of course, I will always remember and miss my own school days. People usually miss their friends too the most because these were the friends you grew up with, stayed with for quite a large portion of your life and probably what ties them most are the experiences that we have gone through together.

Why did you choose to become a teacher?

I chose to do so because I find that dealing with each new generation that will someday be dealing with our future is very appealing. We are teaching for the future. Also, teaching isn’t all so stressful and can be great since you are dealing with young people nevertheless. The thought of giving the students a good education is fulfilling. For them to use the education to build a better future and to become good citizens is even better.

Are you friends with other teachers?

The environment is great. Yes, I’m friends with most of the teachers.

Interviewed by Fredric Azzar

Mr. and Miss December/January

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Joseph Helou: How long have you been at school? This is my fifth year. What clubs are you a member in? The health and fitness club. What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Playing PS4, and football with my friends. Any new ideas you would like to suggest about the school? We should add a proper gym where students can go work out, and we should also change the sand fields to grass ones. Any idea for your career later on? I’m not sure, but probably something in either Chemistry or Math.

Diane Bou Khalil: How long have you been in school? I’ve been here since 4th grade. What clubs are you in? Photography, food, and reading and writing club Do u have any hobbies? Photography is my passion, I also used to play the piano for 6 years, and I love singing and dancing. What do u like raking pictures of? Views, landscapes, especially sky scrapers and cities, also portraits of people. Would you like to change anything about the school? Honestly I love the school the way it is, but the desks and the doors have too much writing on them, I also agree with the changes the president and VP suggested. What profession would you like to do? I want to study dentistry. But photography is definitely a hobby forever.

Quote of the month: “You must have a few years under your belt!” exclaimed Napoleon. “I’m sure I’ve lived sixty or seventy years,” replied a Hungarian colonel. “You mean to say,” Napoleon continued, “you have not kept track of the years you have lived?” The colonel promptly replied, “Sir, I always counted my money, my shirts, and my horses – but as for my years, I know nobody who wants to steal them, and I shall surely never lose them.”

Celebrity of the Month: Marie Curie: The first women to be Professor of General Physics in the Faculty of Sciences and win a noble prize. Throughout her life, actively promoted the use of radium to alleviate suffering.

Daniel Hilal

Interviewed by Elissa El Mufti

The Fault in Our Stars – John Green I had been avoiding this book for a while now, but I had heard far too many people praise it, and, finally, after endless nagging and recommendations, I decided to read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Let me start off by saying: I regret nothing. One thing I have to put into perspective is that I do not usually read love stories, but, with John Green, I read it overnight. That has to say something about the quality of this novel. Inspired by the death of 16 year old Esther Earl, The Fault in Our Stars tackles the story of a 16 year old terminal cancer patient named Hazel, who is forced to attend a support group by her parents and ends up falling in love with amputee Augustus Waters. What I found to be so remarkable about this book was how human all the characters seem to be. How they are brought to life by their faults and pains. How John Green does not only focus on the pain-gripping cancer story, but throws in narration that will keep you laughing. I suggest you keep a box of tissues (or two) ready for when you read this novel. And I suggest you read it as soon as you can. The story is compelling, and I guarantee you will end up laughing and crying simultaneously. TFiOS ought to be a depressive novel, but, surprisingly, the wit and sarcasm manage to shed an optimistic output on life, despite its characters being caught between life and death. The best part of the entire book is that it is an honest story. I cannot wait to see the movie adaption of The Fault in Our Stars, which comes out in early June. Posters and a trailer have been released so far, and it seems to have given justice to the novel. John Green, I congratulate you on writing the most heartbreaking, hilarious book I have read in months. This can be said a hundred times in a hundred interviews, but it just needs to be said again because it does not stop being true. Laudy Issa

Book Review

Video Game Review

Reviews

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Call of Duty: Ghosts Intro: CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS is the tenth primary installment in the call of duty series, and the sixth developed by Infinity Ward. The game is said to be released on the next-generation consoles which would be the PlayStation 4 and The Xbox One by November 15, 2013, and November 22, 2013. However, the game was released earlier for the PlayStation 4 from some retailers Story Plot Call of Duty: Ghosts is set ten years after a devastating mass event, where the US is no longer a superpower, and its economy and government is in ashes. The remainder of the nation's Special Operations force (Ghosts), who fight a newly built global power in order to survive. Campaign The story is mostly told through the eyes of Logan Walker. However within the game itself during some missions you will be playing as other characters for a limited amount of time and these characters include as well as Logan Walker, an astronaut specialist named Baker, and Logan's father, Elias Walker.

Entertainment Mind Blowing

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Multiplayer The multiplayer in Call of Duty: Ghosts has been changed drastically compared to the previous installments in the call of duty series; one of the changes being that maps now have areas that can be altered or destroyed; "Free Fall", was a pre-order bonus which was downloadable on the Xbox store and the Playstation store. Sniper rifle scopes now have new DRT (dual render technology) allowing the player to see around the outside of the scope which will be blurred once zoomed in. On October 3, a new multiplayer type was revealed, called Squads. This new feature /add-on is a squad that you build and face other squads around the world. Your squad can be leveled up and the NPCs act like a true player. Finally the game now allows players to play as female soldiers and there are now four new game modes Blitz, Heavy Duty, Hunted and Cranked. Extinction Extinction is the replacement of Co-Op mode/Zombies it is the new 4-player mode, which places players against various types of aliens. Players may choose from four different class types, which all have unique traits and customizable load-outs. players can level up their classes allowing them to unlock more weapons and equipment for their character load-outs and I believe this load out is unlocked either after completing the campaign or completing the first stage or two. Kai Koenye

How Well Do You Know Christmas? While Christmas may be an annual holiday celebrated worldwide, it remains packed with mind-boggling facts that remain unknown to many. Instead of cutting down a tree every Christmas, the Germans came up with an alternative by manufacturing the first artificial tree out of dyed goose feathers. The world population is 7 billion, yet, in the U.S. alone, 3 billion Christmas cards are sent. Since ancient times, evergreen trees have been a symbol of rebirth and eternal life. They have always held such a great significance that those very evergreen trees the Pagans used to venerate evolved into the “Christmas Tree”. Ever wonder where the chimney and stockings came from? Well, one popular legend states that, a long time ago, three sisters were not capable of affording marriage dowries, and thus they were lead to a life of prostitution. Don t worry, they were saved by the wealthy bishop, Saint Nicholas, who threw three bags of gold through their open window, and one happened to land in a stocking. The letter "X", a Greek letter that represents the first letters of Christ, has been used to abbreviate the word Christmas "Christ mass" ever since the 1500s. (This has caused many conflicts). Nour Nader

Top tumblrs From Mira Rawady

Poem By Laudy Issa A Little Christmas Poem

Light the fire, bring out the wine, The night is shaping out to be quite fine.

The laughter is spreading and it’s spreading fast, Sorrow is a feeling left in the past.

Lovers are meeting under the mistletoe, Children are waiting for it to snow.

The stars seem to shine a little brighter, The heaviest of hearts feel a little lighter.

Time is running through, it’s starting to get late, But life is better when you celebrate!

Let the joy spread past this one night, May the rest of your days be merry and bright!

Laudy Issa

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1) still no availability of a warm room where IP students can stay in during free periods rather than stay out in the cold. 2) Village leave has been a constant demand made by seniors and yet nothing has been done concerning it yet. Why so? 3) No healthy alternatives are being offered in the school tuck shop, many students prefer not to eat chips and candies. 4) Placing a tea or coffee stand in the school , to allow students to keep warm during such harsh colds.

Hyde Park

Yasmina Aswad

Caricature by Rawan Deeb

The Advisor Mr. Chadi Nakhle - Manager Nicole Helou - Marketing Manager Yasmina Aswad Editors –in-chief Christina Farhat And Laudy Issa - Designer Zeina Chamseddine Caricaturists Rawan Deeb And Nour Harfouche.

The Team: Amani Kmeid, Daniel Hilal, Dima Al Hugail, Elissa El Moufti, Kai Koenye, Lara Nahra, Massara Touza, Mira Rawady, Nicole Abou Samra, Nour Nader, Rony Georgi, Sarah Karam, Zaynah Kmeid.

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