Issue III April-May, 2011
Going Green on Earth Day! On Earth Day, APA experienced a green transformation! The Garden Club took out time and dedicated themselves to a magnificent project! After digging holes and going on a shopping trip, the garden club planted six trees along the edge of the field. This project was done on none other than Earth Day. It is wonderful to see APA appreciating nature and enhancing the school campus. Not only do the trees represent our green attitude, but it also looks beautiful! Go garden club! Keep up the good work! The Rocks of Life By Najmu Mohseen A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items on the table in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, about 2 inches in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous Yes. Now, recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things your family, your partner, your health, and your children things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else: the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first, he continued, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal. Take care of the rocks first the things that really matter. Set your priorities, because the rest is just sand.
Read Away THIS Summer! By Fatimah Kamara Students! Summer is almost here! Whether you'll be jetting to the "keys", The Middle East, Africa, or Asia, make sure to keep up with some awesome books! You'll be sure to love this booklist: 1) Twilight Series 2) The Hunger Game 3) The Outsiders 4) The Golden Compass 5) The Uglies 6) The Host 7) Speak 8) City of Bones 9) Stargirl 10) A Great and Terrible Beauty 11) Just Listen 12) Marked 13) Percy Jackson Series 14) The Lost Hereos 15) Watership Down Hopefully you enjoy one of these books! There all excellent pageturners that are sure to keep you at the edge of your seat! Don t let that brain fry over summer! Be sure to remind yourself to READ READ READ! The World s Most Wanted By Roshan Latif On May 3 rd, news spread all over the world, stating that Osama Bin Laden was killed while unarmed, by U.S forces in a fortified house in Pakistan. For many years now, Muslims have been accused of taking actions associating with terrorist attacks. Muslims were especially grateful when Obama addressed in his speech that what Osama was doing had nothing to with Islam, and that Muslims should not be blamed. Americans, especially those whose family were victims of 9/11, celebrated this victory. Obama states that justice has been after ten years of searching. But can we throw our hands in the air and be sure it s all over? One man down doesn t get rid of the rest of them. Politics in Rhyme By Amine Boumaraf I gotta hand it to the government, didn't think they could do it; Pulling off a decade long hunt for the man who did it. Telling us all that this is it, live now how you see fit. Telling us all that all the time we wasted didn't waste any bullets. Obama says that he and his crew are pulling an operation, Pretty soon he says that we'll have our salvation. Flying over Pakistan and plotting a bomb invasion, To strike and burn the place where he made his evasion. And when we sit at the sofa and turn on CNN, Breaking news! Bin Laden's life is at an end! Some of us are happy, but some of us pretend; What about the rest of the terrorist's little friends? And to top off that little problem, we've got something else; What about Gadhafi and all the lies that he tells? And the people of Syria, with
their deafening yells? If only they could be pulled out of living in those Hells. Meanwhile, here we celebrate, but what they don't know Is that while one evil guy's down, there's a million more to go. They just don't wanna look at what the camera's got to show; They just wanna live their lives and pretend that they don't know. While we're driving around, buying things from H-E-B, People all over the world are screaming and pleading, "Why me?" Why can t all of us just live unrestrained and carefree? Because, as long as evil rules, freedom has yet to be. Will the world end in 2012? Well I m not going to sit here and play God, so go ahead and ask Him instead. What is the mindset of the student who wears improper uniform? Our hardworking students simply wish to express themselves and let their personality show. I don t remember that being a crime. Why do people like eating other people s lunches? You have to look at their side of the story folks! Their mothers don t feed them enough food, and the vending machine doesn t accept their money. When will kids stop complaining? When you stop complaining about how they complain. Why is the sky blue? Is it? Last time I remember seeing some green, and some pink and purple before that. Maybe I ll look up again and make sure Why are there five prayers a day? Allah SWT wants us to remember Him throughout the day, because He created us and provided all the fortune to us. DUH? Elmo or Cookie Monster? This is Elmo s world, people. Will I ever not get in trouble? How about you grow up and follow the rules for once? Will I have a future in college? Keep thinking that way, and you re bound for some trouble. Keep that head held high and look in the mirror and say that you re proud of that person. Try, try, and try. You ll get there sooner than you think. Will I pass 7 th Grade? Let s meet on May 28. Will I die young? Don t jinx it. If I die, will my parents celebrate? Let me know when the next parent-teacher conferences are. Do monkeys have tails?
Graduates of 2011! Congratulations! You made it! Your teachers and friends at APA are all incredibly proud of all that you have accomplished. As you enter the next stage in your life, I hope you look back on your time with us fondly. The next four years will bring many new challenges, but you both have the skills to overcome them and do great things with your life. My only advice is to find something that you love, and then commit yourself fully to learning as much as you possible can about it. An open mind and strong work ethic will take you places you never imagined. Message from Heather Swanson, AP Chemistry Teacher I think the school has made me more reserved, mostly because I didn't really get to be social. Being social was something I lacked at APA and that ultimately affected my personality. I am going to UT Austin and I plan to fit in by getting involved with a lot of activities and MSA. I really just get involved with everything and everyone. When I go to UT, I m always going to remember to be true to myself and my religion. I will never let anything influence me or change me as a person. APA Senior Ahlam Qerqez I've been at APA for the majority of my school years, so I'm not sure I could say it has changed me... it's kind of a part of me and probably always will be. Inshallah I will be attending UT Austin this fall, and I'll most likely just take part in MSA activities and join clubs that relate to my interests. I will sure keep one thing in mind, and that is to be myself. APA Senior Dania Abdi
Light Chocolate Fudge Cakes 3 2/5 Oz All-Purpose Flour 2/3 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa 5 Tsp Instant Espresso Powder 1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder 1/4 Tsp Salt 1/4 Cup Softened Unsalted Butter 2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar 2/3 Cup Brown Sugar 1 Cup Egg Substitute 1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract 1 2.6 Oz Chocolate Fine Chop 2 Tbsp Powdered Sugar Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sift together with flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt. Place butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed for 1 minute. Add granulated and brown sugar, beating until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add egg substitute and vanilla, beating until well blended. Fold flour mixture into sugar mixture; fold in chocolate. Divide batter evenly among 10 (4- ounce) ramekins; arrange ramekins on a jelly-roll pan. *Recipes studied from myrecipies.com and parenting.com Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or up to 2 days. Preheat oven to 350. Let ramekins stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Uncover and bake at 350 for 21 minutes or until cakes are puffy and slightly crusty on top. Sprinkle evenly with powdered sugar. Serve immediately and enjoy! Pizza Panini 4 Small Italian Rolls 1/2 Cup Bottled Pizza Sauce 1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella 1 Cup Frozen Chopped Broccoli, 4 Tsp Grated Parmesan Cheese Preheat indoor grill or grill pan. Split rolls in half. Spoon 2 tablespoons pizza sauce on half of each roll. Top each with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella, 1/4 cup broccoli, and 1 teaspoon parmesan cheese. Top with remaining bread. Place sandwiches on grill, cover, and cook them for 4 minutes, until cheese is melted. Cool slightly and slice in diagonals. Serve with sliced yellow or red peppers. If preferred, you can add any other ingredients to your Panini!
APA Journalism Club held a poll among high school students and asked each one to pick his/her favorite teacher. After collecting the results, one teacher took the prize. She is none other than Ms. Laura! Congrats Ms. Laura what a great achievement after just one year of teaching! Ms. Laura doesn t teach any of my core classes, but I take drama class with her. In just one class, I admired her personality. She is the funniest teacher I have met, which is a quality I find rare. Her hyper attitude keeps the class excited, and her laugh is just the best. I can literally hear it across the hall every day. She is full of life, and knows how to be strict at the same time. I m excited to see how she makes a boring class like AP Literature enjoyable and interesting when I take it next year! - Faiza Tayyab
No Ideas For Summer? By Dania Sadi Hey guys! We are now at the end of the school year, which means summer is coming up! No more schoolwork, homework, or responsibility! Time for some fun! Even though the summer is a great opportunity to catch up on some reading or getting ready for SAT, it is also a time to relax and enjoy yourself. I m sure everyone is looking forward to the summer and I just wanted to list some fun and exciting things you could do over the summer. If you don t have any plans to visit family or just traveling out of the states, there are many fun things you could do right here in Texas. The number one thing everyone wants to do in the summer is swimming! Luckily enough, we have plenty of great beaches we can visit in the Lone Star State. The list of beaches includes: o Corpus Christi o Galveston Island o Mustang Island o Sea Rim State Park o South Padre Island Inner Space Caverns is also a fun and inexpensive place to visit and learn about the preserved caves in Texas. Inner Space Cavern is located in Georgetown, Texas, which isn t a long ride. Tour guides will take you back in time so you can experience the fascinating story of the cave s history and discovery. San Antonio is another great place you and your family can visit during the summer. In San Antonio, you can go to the river walk and enjoy all the great restaurants and scenery they have to offer. While in San Antonio, you could also go to Six Flags for its rides and attractions. So, don t let you summer slip by, because you have no excuse with all that there is to do! Don t forget that even though we can get carried away with all the fun things to do over the break, we still need to try and study or read once in a while so that the summer isn t a complete waste. Congratulations to our two winners! After two draws, Nazif Yaman and Yasmeen Tizani guessed close enough to the number of red M&M S in the jar! They will both be getting a jar of M&M S and a special prize! Thanks to everyone who participated, we are very grateful for your time and enthusiasm! Farewell Readers! We are very thankful for all the support and love we have received. We hope to become even better writers through every experience. Please look forward to our video on graduation! Have a great summer! APA JClub shall return, Insha-Allah!