The Cardinal Times Spring 2021 Issue

PAGE 8• The Cardinal Times, SPRING, 2021 ARTS
Q &A: Students share appreciation for Arabic class
By KATLYN KENNY
Lincoln High School offers an extremely
unique opportunity for its students:
taking Arabic language up to the IB
level. As the only public school in the
state that has this course offering, not
only is the program special, it is also
well-loved by all participating students.
Unfortunately, class sizes have
always been small, with the program
and language getting limited exposure.
Forecasting for the coming school year
has shown that not enough students
are enrolled, which could mean the
loss of the program.
The Cardinal Times spoke with different
students in the Arabic program
to hear their perspectives on the Arabic
class at Lincoln. Juniors Leila Besic,
Dalida Farhat, and Lea Rocheleau
in the 7-8 Arabic class shared their
thoughts, along with seniors Anna
Miller and Carson Nitta from the 9-10
Arabic class. Interviews have been edited
for brevity and clarity.
Note: In Arabic, we called our teacher
which can be written in English ‏,ةذاتسا
as Ustada
Why did you choose to take Arabic?
Leila Besic: I began taking Arabic at
West Sylvan because I realized it was
a very unique opportunity that other
public schools in Oregon don’t have. I
also knew Arabic would be helpful to
me in my future, as it is beneficial in
many careers and one of the most spoken
languages.
Anna Miller: I chose to take Arabic
because I had heard such incredible
things about the program from family
friends.
Dalida Farhat: I chose to take Arabic
because not only is it the language my
parents speak at home, but it is also
such an interesting language to learn
as it is so different from English.
Lea Rocheleau: I chose to take Arabic
because of the amazing opportunity
and it seemed like a really unique
and exciting language to learn. I loved
learning the alphabet and how different
speaking and writing the language
is from English.
Carson Nitta: I started Arabic in 6th
grade because the language intrigued
me and it sounded fun to learn a more
unique language compared to Spanish
or French.
What is your favorite part about
the class? About the culture?
About our teacher?
Besic: I really love everything about
the class, but if I had to pick, I would
say my favorite thing is all the amazing
activities Ms. Ruqayya plans for
us. Everything we do is so interactive
and fun, yet it also teaches us so much.
The culture is amazing! Everyone is so
kind-hearted and genuine. The food is
really good too! As for Ms. Ruqayya,
there are way too many things I love
about her for me to pick just one. As
a student in her class, you can really
tell Ms. Ruqayya loves all her students.
She tries so hard to make us happy
and make class fun for us. Just a few
days ago, Ms.Ruqayya taught us how
to make hummus on zoom, knowing
we were stressed with the workload of
other classes. Even with online school,
Ms. Ruqayya manages to find fun (and
delicious) activities for us to help our
mental health. She’s very very compassionate,
funny, empathetic, talented,
and one of the strongest people I know.
Miller: The current 9-10 class has
created such a strong community and
I love everyone so much, and I am so
grateful for this experience and this
family we have created. Ustada Ruqayya
feels like a second mom to me. She
is the kindest, most generous, empathetic,
and caring person I have ever
met, and the best teacher on the planet.
The care and dedication she puts into
her class and to her students’ health,
mental and physical, is unmatched.
I think my favorite part of the class is
just the incredible group of friends and
the connection I will have with these
people forever, and the kindness I have
been taught.
Farhat: I love not only the environment
and community we have built
over the years but also the activities
we do in the class itself. We have done
many fun activities that other classes
don’t get to do, like cooking food, while
also learning from it.
Rocheleau: My favorite part of the
class is the community we have. We’ve
known each other for a long time and
we all have a really good time in Arabic
class. Also, Ustada Ruqayya is an
amazing, engaging, and loving teacher
who makes me excited to come to class
every day.
Nitta: The class community is super
tight and Ustada is by far the nicest and
most caring teacher I’ve ever had. The
culture is super unique and diverse and
taking Arabic has opened my eyes to a
whole new part of the world.
Why would you encourage others
to take Arabic?
Besic: I would encourage others to
take Arabic because it’s truly a very
unique opportunity that Lincoln has
been privileged with. It’s my favorite
class and offers so much to the community.
Miller: I encourage everyone to take
Arabic. Yes, it is challenging and can be
difficult at first, but it is such an incredible
skill to have. Taking Arabic will
push you, but it is so worth it. We also
have so much fun! We learn to make
hummus, we host our annual culture
night, with a fashion show, and many
other incredible things. There is so
much more than just learning the language
that goes into Arabic, and that’s
what I love about it!
Rocheleau: I would encourage others
to take this class to expand the Arabic
program and make an even stronger
community. You get to learn a very
unique language and tell everyone
about what you are learning. Although
the language is different and challenging,
the class itself is not incredibly
hard if you attend every class and try
your best.
Nitta: The Arabic program is incredibly
important to Lincoln. It is the only
PPS high school that offers Arabic
making it very unique. I also think it’s
the coolest language you can learn right
now. Not only is it difficult to find Arabic
teachers in America, but it is also
one of the most prevalent languages in
the world, just as important as Spanish
or English. Also, there are many opportunities
that open up to people who can
speak Arabic because of how few people
have that skill in America.
What has your biggest takeaway
from the Arabic program been?
Besic: My biggest takeaway has been
learning so much about the language
and culture. I feel as if I could effectively
visit an Arabic country and manage
to hold a conversation and live my
day-to-day life there. Furthermore, the
culture is so beautiful and everyone deserves
to experience it.
Miller: My biggest takeaway has been
the stereotypes broken about Middle
Eastern and Arabic culture. As Americans,
we all have this idea of what
we think we know about the Middle
East and about Islam, but most of it is
wrong. Islam is a religion of peace and
kindness, and the more we spread this
message through the Lincoln community,
the better.
Farhat: My biggest takeaway from the
Arabic program is how big of an impact
the classroom environment has
on one’s learning experience. Since the
community in the Arabic program is so
structured and tight-knit, learning the
language is even more fun than it usually
would be.
How has the Arabic program impacted
your life?
Besic: Arabic has impacted my life
more than any other class. I’ve learned
so many things and created unbreakable
bonds with my fellow peers and
teacher. Ms. Ruqayya has taught us
many life lessons, like to always be
kind and compassionate, and that hard
phases in life will pass.
Miller: Arabic has impacted my life in
so many ways, but the main one would
have to be that I’m planning to major
in it in college! I am so excited to continue
my Arabic studies in college and
work with other incredible students
from all over the world.
Farhat: After participating in the Arabic
program, I am now able to keep
conversations in Arabic, read articles
and books in Arabic and write in Arabic.
Rocheleau: The Arabic program has
impacted my life in a lot of ways because
I have learned a lot about the
language and culture in ways that I
would not know if I did not take this
class.
What would you tell other students
who are considering taking
the class?
Besic: I would definitely encourage
other students to take the class! It was
the best choice of my life and I wouldn’t
trade it for anything.
Miller: I would tell other students to
take this class if you’re considering it,
no question about it! You will not regret
it at all.
Farhat: Do it!! Taking Arabic was
one of the best class choices I have
ever made. Everything about the class
is amazing as it always keeps you involved.
There are also so many opportunities
that arise outside of the classroom
by just joining the Arabic class.
Nitta: If you enjoy learning languages
there is no better language to learn.
If you want to learn about a rich and
unique culture there is no better language
to learn. If you just want to
broaden your worldview there is no
better language to take.
Why is the Arabic program at our
school so important and what
would losing it mean?
Besic: The Arabic program is so important
for so many reasons. For one,
Lincoln is the only public high school
in Oregon that offers Arabic, making it
very unique and valuable. As it is not
offered at many schools, students at
Lincoln must take advantage of this
amazing opportunity! Losing it would
be a tragic loss. Losing Arabic would
mean losing an amazing teacher, culture
and class.
Miller: The Arabic program at Lincoln
is so unique, and we cannot afford to
lose it. When I tell other people that I
am studying Arabic in high school and
plan to in college, they don’t believe
me! Arabic is an amazing language,
and the class is so much more than just
1 hour of your day. Losing it means losing
the best teacher and best program
at Lincoln that has been so successful
to its students and has provided a safe
place for its students. I can’t imagine
Lincoln without the Arabic program
and how much it has taught me.
Farhat: The Arabic program at Lincoln
is so important because it allows
students to experience cultures and
languages they would’ve never been
exposed to prior to taking the class.
Losing it would mean the loss of those
in-depth teachings of many things we
would not have learned in other classes.
Rocheleau: Losing the Arabic program
would be so sad for me and everyone
in the program currently. This
has become a much bigger part of our
life than just a language class (In the
best way possible) and not having this
opportunity would be really hard for us
and Lincoln. It is a big part of Lincoln
and a really interesting thing you can
have on your resume or for college applications!!
Nitta: Losing the Arabic program
would be a huge blow to Lincoln’s already
limited diversity.