ASD Had Their Say on Election Day! - American School of Doha

THE
OFFICIAL
AMERICAN
SCHOOL OF
DOHA
NEWSPAPER
IN THIS
EDITION:
• Social
Chameleons:
the <strong>ASD</strong> Population
• Reece’s Pieces:
They’re “Nuts”
• The Ogi Ordeal
• The Abaya:
Unveiled
• Fashion ABC’s
• Official
November
Events Schedule
• Guest Comic:
Adam Faruqi
REMEMBER TO
CHECK OUT:
Fashion For a
Cause
State of the U.S
Economy
Youth Against
Crime Rally,
London
Social
Chameleons
The Deceiving
Truth
2
2
3
4
5
They’re “Nuts” 6
Testing Mania ! 7
I S S U E 1
<strong>ASD</strong> <strong>Had</strong> <strong>Their</strong> <strong>Say</strong> on Election Day!
The 2008 Presidential Elections
have been called one of the most
monumental elections in United
States history. As Election Day
loomed closer and closer, more
pressure was put on the capability
of the young and student voters
for their contribution to the
voting process.
On November 4 th , 2008 (the day
all ballots were taken in and
counting begins), 19 of <strong>ASD</strong>’s
own students were 18 and 2 were
19 years old. As is common
knowledge, 18 is the official
voting age in the United States,
and many kids are excited about
eventually being able to make
their voices heard.
One of <strong>ASD</strong>’s voters this year,
18-year-old Mollie Holte says, “I
feel really privileged that I got to
vote this year. It’s very exciting
for me because this was a revolutionary
election. I feel lucky
that I got to be a part of it.”
This year the youth vote was not
to be overlooked. With more
than 500 Facebook groups with
titles along the lines of “One
Million Strong for Barack
Obama”, the young and student
votes were definitely heard.
Not limited to President-Elect
Obama, the youth vote was important
to John McCain too.
There is rarely an instance at any
of his rallies that the senator
failed to offer the microphone to
a young person.
Mollie also said she felt fortunate
for her different understanding
of the world now that she can
vote. “As an international student
I think it’s interesting that
we get to vote, because we are in
the Middle East. We are lucky
because we get to experience the
world more than average kids
our age who live in America.”
Unfortunately, not all of us got
to vote this year. Tahera Rahman
N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 8
READ THIS OR BE CONSEQUENCED!
Hello and welcome to <strong>ASD</strong>’s first edition of your school
newspaper. We must admit it has taken a lot of hard work
and dedication to get this paper out, but as a class we have
learned what it is like to be put under real time constraints
and pressure (like a real journalism team!). As your editors,
we want you the readers to know that you are always welcome
to approach us with your ideas for this paper—we
are always looking to improve. We ask for five minutes of
your time to have a read of our paper and some of the quality
work inside. We hope that you enjoy this edition and
look forward to our next one.
<strong>ASD</strong>esert Eye Editors,
Antonia Webb, Soukaina Rachidi, Chelsie Guner
(17) states: “I really wish I
could have voted because this
was such a historical election.
I’m bummed because I couldn't
be a part of it.”
As many know, President-Elect
Barack Obama is set to become
the President of the United States
of America on January 20th,
2009 as the first African-
American President in United
States history. Be sure to tune in
to this historical event next year!
Chelsie Güner

PAGE 2
News
Are you
interested in
contributing
to the Desert
Eye?
Do you have
an interesting
poem, cartoon
strip, or idea
for an article?
We want you
to be a part of
our team!
The State of the U.S. Economy
The month of October was a
rollercoaster ride for the
American economy.
The month has seen some of
the quickest plunges in history,
as well as some of the quickest
rebounds.
The past several months have
been tough on Wall Street
investors. Many large companies
have gone bankrupt, causing
many stock owners to fearfully
sell out before the market
hits bottom.
Even after the approval of
Bush’s 700 billion dollar bailout
plan on Friday, October
3rd, stocks continued to plummet
to record lows. The last
time the economy was this low
was in October of 2002.
Stocks have dropped by 37%
over the past month - during
the Great Depression they
dropped by 42% throughout
the course of one year. Americans
are also losing their jobs
at an alarming rate. There have
not been job cuts this heavy
since 2003.
Even those who are lucky
enough to have a steady source
of income do not have security.
Estimates predict the loss
of retirement funds at over 2
trillion dollars.
This proves yet again how
unstable the economy is. As
the first injections of the multibillion
dollar bailout hit the
market, prices surged upward.
On Monday, October 13th, the
Dow jumped 936.42 points, or
11.1%. This is the largest increase
in one day ever recorded
in the history of Wall
Street.
Although stocks were soaring
on October 13th, they closed
at 9,387.61. By the October
16th they were already down
by almost 1000 points.
It appears we are all strapped
into the rollercoaster that is the
modern American economy.
Unfortunately, nobody knows
when we will finally see stability
again.
Reece Laudick
Contact Ms.
Painter in
room 2104 in
the English
Wing!

PAGE 3
News
10,000 Londoners Take a Stand
Against Youth Crimes
On September 20 th, 2008, 1,000
concerned Londoners took part
in a march against youth knife
and gun violence.
The march was separated into
two parts, one from South London,
and the other from the
north. The separate marches
strode through the city to Hyde
Park where 10,000 supporting
protestors met.
The protest was the outcome of
the rise in youth violence and
deaths that have occurred recently
in London. Families of the
many victims were at the front of
the march with their troubled
cries on placards; “Stop Knives,
Save Lives”.
The statistics revealed in
Reuters London, showed that
there were more than 22,000
knife crimes in London during
2007 and 2008.
A British Crime Survey showed
that, in England and Wales,
22% victims of violence were
between the ages of 16-24.
Among the speakers at the protest
were the many families and
friends of the victims. Prominent
singer attending, Jamelia,
said, “If you stay silent you’re
part of the problem.”
Antonia Webb
“The protest was the
outcome of the rise in
youth violence and
deaths that have
occurred recently in
London.”
<strong>ASD</strong> STUDENTS HARD
AT WORK!
Posters were prominent and glaring
throughout the city, bearing
the disturbing words, “Put down
knives and guns,” and, “Innocent
children are dying.”
The march was formed by
Sharon Singh and Gemma Olway
through a Facebook group,
and ended up being supported
and advertised by many national
newspapers.
So many people supported the
march and the cause. that the
Prime Minister Gordon Brown,
and London Mayor, Boris Johnston,
both spoke at the protest
through a video conference.
The march has raised awareness.
Evidence supporting the cause
can be seen through the recent
statistics regarding the national
youth crimes.

PAGE 4
Features
The Top 10
Books Checked
Out at <strong>ASD</strong>
To check out any
of these great
books, head to
the <strong>ASD</strong>
Library!
Social Chameleons: the <strong>ASD</strong>
Population
Have you spent most of your
life abroad because your parent
got a job in a country you’ve
never even heard of? If you
have, you are not alone.
A majority of the <strong>ASD</strong> student
body hail from countries all
over the world. Furthermore,
many of these children come
from inter-racial marriages,
adding yet another ingredient to
the diverse mixture that is our
school student body.
What many of you may not
know, is that these individuals
have a special term: Third Culture
Kids or TCKs.
People who adopt a nomadic
life style later in life are called
Adult Third Culture Kids or
ATCKs.
The definition of a TCK according
to David C. Pollack and
Ruth E. Van Reken’s book
Third Culture Kids: The Experience
of Growing Up
Among Worlds is “a person
who has spent a significant part
of his or her developmental
years outside the parent’s culture.”
Being a TCK has many inherent
advantages and disadvantages.
Yet these vary with
the number of times a TCK
has moved, how long they
lived in their ‘home’ culture
and whether or not they are
from an inter-racial marriage.
Benefits may include: being
able to speak more than one
language; being better
equipped to adapt to new
cultural situations; having a
partial—if not a full—
understanding of other cultures,
societies and political
dynamics and possessing a
sense of religious and social
tolerance, to name a few.
Conversely, disadvantages
may include: social ostracism,
depression accompanied
by a withdrawal from
society, a lack of cultural or
ethnic identity, feelings of
solitude and many more.
Priyanka Ghosh, a senior at
<strong>ASD</strong>, described the anguish
she feels being a TCK,
“When I go to Canada I am
the Indian, when I go to India
(From left to right)
Francis Bellevance,
Arielaine Fe
Guilles, Joseph
Robinson, Priyanka
Ghosh, and
Bagzhan
Berdibaeva are
some of <strong>ASD</strong>’s
own TCK’s!
I’m the Canadian. The sad
thing is, I don’t know enough
about either culture to understand.”
Yet, when asked how being a
TCK affected her personality
she responding by saying “My
adaptation skills shoot through
the roof, but it has caused me
to form a shell.”
Pollack and Van Reken’s
book further explained that
“TCKs live in a neither/nor
world. It is neither fully the
world of their parents’ culture
(or cultures) nor fully the
world of the other culture (or
cultures) in which they were
raised.”
The term “Third Culture Kid”
has nothing to do with being
raised in a ‘Third World’
country. It was a phrase
coined by two social scientists,
Drs. John and Ruth Hills
Useems, in a year study they
conducted on American Foreign
Service workers in India
between 1952 and 1953.
Soukaina Rachidi

PAGE 5
Features
Living in a country like Doha,
expats like ourselves are privileged
with maids, drivers, and
top service.
Speaking for myself, my maid
has been with us for eighteen
years now. She has been there
through every moment of my
life. However after my interesting
interview with her I
realized there was more to her
than being our maid.
She has had an interesting
past filled with success, failure,
sorrow, and happiness
that led her to become our
maid.
My maid, Lori was born on a
beautiful island called Ilo Ilo
in the tropical Philippines.
Her mother was a teacher, and
her father, a successful
farmer. Her parents were strict
and she was a bit of a rebel
The Deceiving Truth
I didn’t want to go to school
and wanted to spend the time
around town with my friends!
We even made a gang, but
not the dangerous type, just to
show off to the other teens!”
She said giggling.
Unfortunately, her mother
died while giving birth to her
youngest brother, Naning.
Her grandma had to move in
with them and raise the children
while her father was
working hard on the fields.
Lori was put into a difficult
situation, grieving the death
of her mother, with whom she
was very close. She began to
have a difficult time at school
and grew distant from her
family.
Thankfully, with the help of
her siblings and her friends,
Lori graduated from high
school and got accepted into
engineering school but only
lasted there for two years
before dropping out.
“I guess I should have paid
more attention in my classes,
but my mind was always
somewhere else,” she said to
me over a cup of tea.
could not possibly be one! But
over time, she said that she saw
in our family something she
cherished and she didn’t mind
taking care of the little boys and
when my mother was pregnant
with me, Lori told her she
would surely be there to help
her out.
Lori has been there every step
of the way before and after I
was born.
My brothers graduated from
college this year, and Lori was
happy. As she gleamed at me,
she said, “You know, no one in
my family has graduated from
university, but now, someone
has.”
Every Domestic worker here is
more than just a laborer; they
are people with a story about
how and why they ended up
here.
Some were tricked into coming,
like Lori, thinking that they
were getting a job in an office
or a company. Others came for
opportunity to gain something
they could not find in their
home country.
A reminder to
all seniors
Your senior pages
are due November
21st, so be sure to
get all of your
favorite photos of
friends and family,
and anything else
you would like to
go on your senior
page to anyone on
the yearbook team,
or editors Tahera
Rahman and Dana
Atrach!
“You know, no
one in my family
has graduated
according to her recollections.
“I was like any other teenager.
After dropping out, Lori
ended up having to come to
the Middle East to get a job.
She was told that she would
come to work in an office, but
shockingly enough she was
tricked and became a maid!
First it was hard, and Lori felt
cheated. She had maids – she
Natasha Turk
A big thanks goes out to
Lori for sharing her interesting
life stories with all
of us on the journalism
team!
from university,
but now, someone
has.”

PAGE 6
Celebrity
Birthdays for
the month of
November!
November
2nd:
Nelly
November 4th:
P Diddy
November
13th:
Whoopi Goldberg
November
18th:
Owen Wilson
Do you want
your birthday
posted in <strong>ASD</strong>’s
next edition of
the Desert Eye?
Do you want to
surprise your
friend with a
funny, personalized
birthday
announcement?
Let the journalism
team know,
and we can make
it happen!
Editorial
During the second semester
last year, the Board Of Directors
at <strong>ASD</strong> decided to
pass an initiative that would
make an effort to reduce the
chance of a student having a
peanut allergy-triggered
seizure.
I was told that this was due
to a case of harassment in
the middle school, where
several students picked on
another who had a peanut
allergy by placing peanut
butter on his locker. I can
understand the school wanting
to do something to help
prevent cases like this, yet I
still believe that it is not
right.
They’re Nuts!
Asking for students to refrain
from bringing peanut
products to school is an
example of distrust, and
some may even say an exercise
in hypocrisy, on the
school Administration’s
behalf. A school which
claims to have a Value System
based on responsibility
should not impose restrictions
on other students “in the interest”
of a smaller group of
students.
This just promotes a lack of a
personal accountability, and
completely goes against the
manifesto of the school (“we
value respect, honesty, responsibility
and compassion”).
I spoke with one of the students
in the high-school with
a peanut allergy, Rex Wilkins,
who agreed that this new policy
is flawed. “It’s definitely a
little extreme—especially for
the upper school,” he said.
Wilkins said he believed that
carrying out this initiative for
students in elementary and
middle school could be a
good idea, because, in those
grades, kids are at an age
where they may unintentionally
or even purposely (and
maliciously) trigger an allergic
reaction in another student.
I agree with Wilkins when he
says that this initiative may be a
good idea for the younger students
of <strong>ASD</strong>. However, I also
strongly feel that it has no place
in a High School.
If we cater to the individual
needs of every student, we are
teaching them is that they don’t
need to be responsible for themselves.
This might ultimately set
them up for failure when they
get out into the real world.
They will realize that most people
will not care about catering
to their particular needs.
Reece Laudick
http://tmgstrategies.com/wordpress/wp-content/
uploads/2008/08/skippy_peanutbutter_creamy.jpg

PAGE 7
College Corner
Juniors and seniors, have you
taken your standardized tests
yet? As juniors, it’s recommended
to take the SAT and
ACT as soon as possible so you
can be familiar with them. Taking
the exam early gives you
enough time to improve.
Seniors, it’s advisable to take
the upcoming SAT and ACT if
you feel your previous scores
are not satisfactory. These exams
can be retaken, but keep in
mind that most universities
deadlines are around November,
December, January, February,
and March.
The SAT and ACT were created
to measure or reflect a student’s
high school performance. Since
high schools have varying levels
of rigour; however, they do not
Length
Testing Mania
guarantee admittance into a college.
They are just one of many
criteria used in student evaluations.
Required scores change depending
on the institution. Some
colleges are extremely demanding,
while others will consider
you regardless of your score.
Preparation is important, and
there are plenty of helpful websites
out there. Prominent websites
include Kaplan, Peterson’s,
Princeton Review, and the Collegeboard.
The SAT and ACT have different
content, but they test similar
things. The ACT is designed to
examine a student’s academic
achievement or what he or she
has learned in high school. The
SAT
3 Hours, 45 Minutes
SAT, on the other hand, assesses
critical thinking skills in
math and English. It’s up to you
to choose which exam suits you
best.
It is also important to consider a
school’s preference, since there
are universities where the SAT
or the ACT is preferable.
If you are taking the SAT, top
schools require the SAT Subject
test scores. On the other
hand, if you’re taking the ACT,
this waives the SAT Subject
Test score requirement.
ACT
3 Hours, 25 Minutes (No Essay)
3 Hours, 55 Minutes (With Essay)
Sections 10 Sections 4 Sections
Areas Tested
Science
Math
Critical Reading, Writing, and
Math
No Science
Arithmetic, Algebra, and Geometry
English (optional essay), Math,
Reading, and Science
Interpreting Graphs, Conflicting
Views, Analysis, and Basic Content
Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry,
and Trigonometry
Essay First Section Last Section (Optional)
Wrong Answer
Penalty
¼ Subtracted
No Penalty
Ernesto
Niguid
Copyright 2008 KAPLAN, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Blush
Girls, are you having
trouble keeping track
of what is in and what
is out? Never fear,
because “Blush” is
here.
We will give you the
hottest colors of the
season, the newest
styles in both shoes
and clothes!
What are the colors
for this season?
Purple
This color is all over
the place. Give yourself
the royal treatment
in shades ranging
from violet and
plum, to light purple
and cabernet.
Gold
Want to “look like
money”? Go ahead
and gild yourself in
the warm gleam of
deep gold's.
Chocolate
Every bit is as sinful
as it sounds; choose
your “flavors” from
cocoa to Belgian dark
in tasty textures from
knits to leather.
Sandy Qaraqe

PAGE 8
School News
Raising the Bar
A quick peek at the
upcoming events
finds a busy
November and
exciting spring. Our
school will be hosting
these exciting events
this year and the first
one will be happening
in less then a month.
Swimming:
November 12 th - 16 th
Forensics:
November 19 th - 23 rd
Varsity Basketball:
March 4 th - 8 th
I bet most of you have seen
<strong>ASD</strong>’s new athletics director
Mr. Farmer at some point,
whether he was cheering on our
school at last week’s volleyball
game or taking the time out of
his day to catch up with former
students.
Mr. Farmer has been at this
school since before the move to
this big, unfamiliar building,
back when all of the high
school students were crammed
into one hallway and classes
were held in port-a-cabins.
He has seen the school evolve
and has witnessed the gradual
flow of more and more students
attending our school games.
One of the changes he would
like to make in our school in his
new position as athletic director
includes organizing travel attire
for the EMAC teams.
This idea would help unify our
athletes and make our students
look more like a team.
Even if you’re not an athlete or
traveling, you will be able to
see these uniforms on the athletes
competing in Swimming,
Forensics and Varsity Basketball.
These events are not just fun for
the students involved. They can
be just as enjoyable—if not
more so—for the teachers, students
and parents who attend to
cheer our teams on to victory.
Our school has a multitude of
amazing athletes with bucket
loads of talent. That’s not all:
Athletes at <strong>ASD</strong> have spirit.
They know that they are representing
the student body. As
Mr. Farmer summarized, “<strong>ASD</strong>
athletes do not have their names
plastered across the back of
their jersey’s, they wear <strong>ASD</strong>
across the front.”
An interesting change that you
may not be aware of, is the designation
of students Mollie
Holte and Jason Auger as PR
and Spirit Head of the Varsity
Club Council.
If you’ve been to one of the
recent sports games you have
probably seen their painted
faces cheering from the stands.
After speaking with them I
could not imagine better-suited
people for the job. School spirit
is very important to them, when
interviewed, Publicity Head
Mollie Holte stated, “School
spirit is very important to me
and to the school as a whole.
Having good school spirit motivates
athletes, encourages performers,
and includes the entire
student body. It creates a fun
environment where kids are
proud of what school they are
from.”
You may have heard of the Varsity
Club Council, but do you
know what their responsibilities
are? According to Jason Auger
and Mollie Holte “Varsity club
council helps plan events; like
pep rallies and sports tournaments.
We welcome other teams and
schools when they arrive in
Doha when we are hosting an
EMAC event at our school.
We also make sure we support
each athletic team and activity
at school by being at the games
and performances.”
According to Jason, the bar set
for school spirit is pretty high
His opinion on the matter is that
“As for the amount of people
showing up at games, I think it's
a little better than last year but
there’s still a gigantic gap for
improvement which myself and
the other VCC officers are trying
to minimize.”
Jason’s opinion on school spirit
is inspirational. He has been
quoted saying “School spirit is
important to me, because I believe
that it is synonymous to
pride. People have to be proud
of where they come from, so
why expand that pride to the
school we attend? Who's there
to pick a team up when they
lose? Who's there to lift a team
up when they win? It should be
the fans and right now we have
very few.”
So come on <strong>ASD</strong> and grab your
face paint! Get ready for a fabulous
spirit-filled
year!
Lene Adolfsen

PAGE 9
Sports
Amazing
Raspberry
Smoothie!!
- 1 cup low fat
raspberry yogurt
- 1/2 whole milk
(whole milk for
creamy goodness
or 2% for
“dieting”)
- 1 cup frozen
raspberries
- 3/4 cup frozen
strawberries
- 2 cups of ice
In about mid-May, The Qatar
Cycling Federation, or QCF held
a public bicycle race in which
people representing their affiliated
companies were encouraged
to attend and try to win.
These throat drying, muscle
pounding races were held in Mesaieed
industrial City or MIC.
The sole purpose of these races
was to promote the healthy sport
of cycling in the state of Qatar.
As I walked into the park where
the races were being held, I saw
hundreds of bicycles inside a
shaded stall. These bikes were
obviously for the racing itself. I
looked at the bikes closely and
realized that they were all Treks,
Specialized, Huffys or other
models from proper and expensive
bicycle companies.
In the middle of the park, in what
looked like a drained swimming
pool, a professional stuntman
The QCF Goes Public
was performing tricks on his
specially built stunt bike. On the
left, there were three Red Bull
Minicoopers with their trunks
open and people gathering
around them to collect as many
free Red Bulls as they could
hold.
The first impression that anyone
would have gotten would be:
“Man, these QCF guys spent a
lot of money on this event!” It
was quite obvious that they
really wanted to promote bicycling
in the country and a lot of
money was spent in trying to do
so.
When my name was finally
called up for the adult’s category,
I was given a grey 18” Trek bicycle.
With about 30 other men
competing against me, I was
pretty sure that I did not stand
much of a chance. As I started
peddling, putting one hundred
percent into the race I glanced
around me and realized that I had
overtaken about. I went from the
back of the pack to the front, and
ended up in 3 rd place. Not bad at
all for a beginner!
Cycling, without a doubt, is one
of the most fitness-oriented activities
out there. According to
the British Heart Foundation,
cycling at least 20 miles a week
reduces a person’s chances of
getting a heart attack or coronary
disease by more than half as
compared to the non cyclist.
You lose 450kcal per hour by
just riding 12mph on a straight
road. It shouldn’t take more than
those two simple facts to get you
to buy a bike and get out there on
the road.
Hamzah Chaudhary

PAGE 10
Winners of the 15 th
Annual MTV
Europe Music
Awards
Album of the
Year:
Britney Spears,
"Blackout"
Act of 2008:
Britney Spears
Most Addictive
Track:
Pink, "So What"
Artists' Choice:
Lil Wayne
Rock Out:
30 Seconds to Mars
Shirts drip with sweat and cling
to bodies, as players run around
the track looking forward to the
few seconds they’ll have to fill
their screaming lungs with air.
Yes folks, it’s that time of year,
soccer season is back.
The roster for both the girls and
guys, Varsity and Junior Varsity
teams are set and full. Each
team has roughly 18 players
currently, as substitute players
will be needed for games.
In the third week of October,
the traveling team will be chosen
and the roster will be made
official. Players have been assigned
their positions and game
time is rapidly approaching.
The Varsity boys played their
first game against Doha College
on the 12 th of October. The DC
players were physically much
bigger than the <strong>ASD</strong> team,
which was definitely a factor
that worked in their advantage.
Sports
The Soccer Season is here !
fore didn’t even bother to get
physical on them, even though
they were playing over-physical
with us” said Kadin Arslanoski,
a Junior playing for the Varsity
team.
Sadly, this advantage resulted in
a 3-0 loss to <strong>ASD</strong>. Yet, fortunately
for us, October’s game
won’t be the end of this feud.
The Varsity boys will play
Doha College again on their
home pitch.
The Varsity boy’s new coach,
Mr. Adam Dodge, seems
pleased with the progress his
team has made.
The first game against the Junior
Varsity boys saw a draw of
1-1, however with a little coaching
and practice this score was
rapidly replaced by a whopping
victory of 4-0.
“We slacked off that game and
applied none of the skills
learned in training. Everyone
was being selfish, and not playing
a team game. Fortunately,
“We obviously were intimidated
by their size, and therewe
put our minds to it the second
time around and took the
win” said Ryan Matowe, a senior
player on the Varsity team.
Although the Varsity team appears
exceptional, they realize
that they still have a long way
to go. Coach Dodge still emphasizes
the importance of academics,
and being able to balance
them with soccer.
Hopefully, the players will respect
this rule, as balance is
important for any athlete playing
a sport.
So get pumped <strong>ASD</strong>! Come and
support your school’s Junior
Varsity and Varsity soccer players
at their next game!
Hamzah Chaudhary
A special thank you to Mrs. Patrizi for her photo contributions to our paper

PAGE 11
In The Gulf...
Over time, the Abaya
has seen many changes, not
only in its style but also the
reason its worn by women.
The origin of the
Abaya is not very clear, to this
day many people think that it
existed before the Islam was
introduced to Arabian Peninsula.
At first, the Abaya’s
purpose was to shield a
women’s skin from the hot sun.
However, when Islam was established
women were expected
to dress conservatively,
consequently the Abaya became
their choice of apparel.
It was said that
women should not flaunt their
beauty in front of men outside
their direct family.
During the pre-Islamic era,
women who wore the Abaya
stood out from “lower class”
women, such as the slaves, the
The Abaya: Unveiled
homeless, and prostitutes.
On the other hand, nomadic
women didn’t wear the Abaya
because they travelled from
one place to another, subsequently
they were not able to
wear an additional cover of
garments.
Today, when one sees a woman
sporting an Abaya it means that
they believe in the Islamic
faith.
One can differentiate a Middle
Eastern Arab from any other
nationality because of their
attire. The Abaya is what
makes the Arabian women
unique.
When asked about how the
Abaya makes her feel, Noor
Al- Sowaidi said
“I feel a sense of pride because
this is a part of me, and it is a
way of showing respect to my
religion and my family.”
As much as the Arabians want
to hold on to their culture by
wearing traditional clothes, the
youth are still affected by
Westerners and their styles and
standards for clothing .
An example of this external
influence is the introduction of
designer hijabs for young Arabian
girls. Many wear jeans
under their Abayas, and designers’
high heels.
Ultimately, the Abaya is all
about preference the pereferance
of the individual. It is
often used as a medium for
showing respect to your religion,
culture and family.
Reem Al– Sulaiti
<strong>ASD</strong>’s Journalism
team hard
at work!

PAGE 12
School News
Fall/Winter 2008 Fashion
ABCs
By Katja Novakovic
Ankle Boots: the perfect
combination of
pumps and half-boots.
Best with skirts or
drainpipe trousers!
Big Bags: preferably
in this fall: leather
bags with clinches,
clasps and multicolor
prints! Coloring– try
out this season’s darling:
red!
Drainpipe Trousers:
these extremely tight
pants highlight your
shoes perfectly- Tip:
Favorably in black.
Flower Power: this
year’s flower patterns
are girly and romantic.
Check out the trendy
hippie-style and become
a flower child!
Gorgeous Lace: Prada
has set this season’s
most interesting new
trend by reliving lace
in their latest collection.
High Heels: all varieties
are allowed. The
only must: They have
to be glamorous! Take
materials like satin and
shining gems.
Jeans: denim never
gets out of style!
[See the next sidebar
for more of
Katja’s fashion
advice!]
You see him in the Sahifa. You
see his picture in your student
handbook. You see his name on
the <strong>ASD</strong> website…but who is
Mr. Ladd?
Edwin Ladd was born in the
state of Alabama and moved to
Salisbury, North Carolina at the
age of five. While there, Mr.
Ladd attended high school and
college. In his high school,
courses were limited. Teachers
and students had almost no interaction.
The method of teaching at that
time was not like it is now. He
explained that he is glad that
today’s high school students do
not have to experience that kind
of education, because he feels
his high school education was
<strong>Say</strong> “Hello” to Mr. Ladd!
not sufficient to prepare him for
college—and the world.
His college experiences gave
him more choices, so he was
able to take classes in journalism,
creative writing, and sociology.
As a result of these
choices, Mr. Ladd was able to
cope with the school’s rigor and
avoid courses that he struggled
with—like mathematics and a
foreign language.
Spanish proved to be a huge
obstacle for him, because he
hadn’t taken any Spanish
classes in high school. He was,
however, skilled in Latin.
Mr. Ladd realized that he enjoyed
teaching by the time he
started his master’s program in
A special thanks goes out to Mr. Ladd
from the journalism team for taking
time out of his busy schedule to
provide us with a fantastic interview!
English. After graduate school,
he traveled to London to teach
Photography and English.
Later, he would become a
college dean, then a high school
principal.
As a result of his many experiences
in education, Mr. Ladd
developed a vision, which he
helped bring to reality here at
American School of Doha.
As a director of <strong>ASD</strong>, the greatest
challenge he ever faced was
the campus expansion project.
He said establishing a
state-of-the-art institution was
not easy. There were a lot of
factors to consider. Thankfully,
he wasn’t alone—he had
help. The expansion project
was a success, giving us a wonderful
place to learn.
Furthermore, he predicted that
<strong>ASD</strong> will continue to grow, and
will be a model for other
schools in the gulf in the near
future.
Outside of work, Mr. Ladd enjoys
reading, photography,
travel and all kinds of sports--
especially golf. Surprisingly, he
also enjoys rock-and-roll.
Ernesto Niguid

PAGE 13
School News
On Thursday September 25, the
Student Council held the first
high school event of the year,
Arabian Nights.
Initially many students doubted
that the Arabian Nights would
be held, as not enough tickets
were sold. Yet, on day of the
event more than 120 tickets
were purchased making the
night a great success.
An open buffet was proved by
the traditional Arabic restaurant
Al Sultan, which included an
Arabic barbeque, fresh salads
and a variety of desserts baked
by Student Council members.
A customary tent was set up on
the soccer field along with a
Blast off to a New School Year!
majlis, which gave it a real festive
and Arab mood.
At sunset, students plugged
their iPods in, joined hands and
began to the dance the Dabke, a
traditional Arab dance that is
performed at many celebratory
events.
Many students said that the
Arabian Nights was a unique
cultural experience that opened
their eyes to the Muslim culture
and traditions.
As we started the year off with
the holy month of Ramadan, the
Student Council decided to omit
having a Luau and came up
with the Arabian Nights idea,
which seemed more appropriate
for the students who were fasting.
The <strong>ASD</strong> students applaud the
Student Council for their originality
and a great night and as
the Arabian Nights went so well
there has been talks of holding a
movie night.
Whatever the event is, we look
forward to seeing what creative
and fun ideas the Student Council
will come up with next.
Lina Raslan
Knitted Fabrics: just
in case it gets really
cold: Knitted gloves
and hats are the right
choice.
Minis: the perfect
party & leisure time
outfit. Also stylish:
combine your mini
skirt with leggings.
Natural Colors: a
nice alternative to the
more colorful outfits.
Out of Africa: leopard-
zebra- tiger- and
snake patterns – get
your inspiration from
the wild African animals!
Pastel: feminine &
gorgeous: try out jackets,
shirts and dresses
in those beautiful colors.
Refined Accessories:
jazz up every boring
outfit with some fancy
pieces!
XL Jewelry: the trend
of large-sized jewelry
just goes on! But
take care: just one
large-sized piece at
once!
Y Line: the Y-
silhouette is characterized
by wide
shoulders and tight
trousers. There are
manifold variation
possibilities.

PAGE 14
Movies
Coming to
Doha this
November
Movie Review
Tropic Thunder: Big
Spending with Big Spoofs
Parodies are nothing new in
the film industry, everything
from mockumentaries to horror
film spoofs have been apart of
the cinematic “scene” of Hollywood
for decades..
Movies like Val Kilmer’s ‘Top
Secret’ are infamous for their
pop culture references, which
is the appeal of many parody
comedies.
The Ben Stiller comical masterpiece
‘Tropic Thunder’ has
grossed 150 million dollars
worldwide thus far since its
release on the 13th of August
this year—making it one of the
big summer hits in the US..
Tropic Thunder has mostly
received positive reviews, the
New York Times said the
movie was “shaping up as one
of DreamWorks best prospects
for the summer.”
On the movie review website
rottentomatoes.com, the movie
received an 83 percent positive
rating, which is impressive in
comparison with the extremely
critical ratings the website usually
gives movies.
The film centers around a once
prominent movie star Tugg
Speedman, (Ben Stiller),
Speedman finds himself losing
respect and success in the film
industry.
Caught up in what may well be
his last chance to redeem himself,
Speedman works hard to
regain his former glory by acting
in a big budget film based
on the Vietnam War.
However, he is incapable of
expressing his emotions becomes
an impediment to his
success, and in one eventful
scene he is unable to cry.
This event leads to a dispute
between him and co-actor Kirk
Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.),
who halts the production.
With his hands tied, the director
makes the dangerous decision
to leave the 4 actors
stranded in a part of the jungle
where the film crew wires with
hidden cameras.
The film then follows the
amusing and bizarre
situations the actors
find themselves in,
which they ultimately
try to escape from.
The reason Tropic
Thunder has lived up
to all its hype is because
the film makers
have pulled out all the
stops.
The script has been a
joint project of Ben
Stiller and a group his
friends since he first
got the idea on the set
of the war film Empire
of the Sun in 1987.
The creators of the movie did a
good job of advertising it and
getting people excited about it.
Before its release many fake
trailers with references to characters
or props in the film were
shown worldwide.
For example, an energy drink
used commonly in the film was
sold limitedly in the United
States for a number of months
before the film’s release.
So let Tropic Thunder and it’s
success be an example to all
filmmakers. An example that
will prove that advertising a
film can be just as important as
making one; and that going big
and spending big can really
pay off, even for a comedy.
Talal Alyan

PAGE 15
The Last Page!
<strong>ASD</strong>’s Own Cartoon!
Adam Faruqi
A special thank
you goes out to
Mrs. Fischer, Mrs,
Patrizi, Mr.
Boudreau, Mr.
Shahen, Mr. Fosdick,
Mr. Farmerand
Mr. Richard
Roth from the
journalism department
at Northwestern
for their
much appreciated
help in putting out
this paper.
Directions:
Complete the
grid so that every
row, column and
3x3 box contains
every digit from
1 to 9
inclusive.
Last but not
least—the fabulous
Mrs. Painter
for her perseverance
and assistance
in class!
Many Thanks,
The <strong>ASD</strong> Journalism
Team!