Hearing from the Experts

The highlight of this week was our guest speaker, Admiral Phil Wisecup, President of the Naval War College. On Thursday he spoke to you about the need to reach out and understand other cultures as we are all citizens of the world. He stressed the need for education and especially recommended that you read, work on building a good vocabulary, and learn a second language. The Admiral also announced the speakers series that will begin in December. International officers from the NWC will speak to you during our Advisory period about their cultures and role on the world stage. We have scheduled officers from Kazakhstan, the United Kingdom, Chile, France, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Denmark, and Norway. This is a unique opportunity for you to hear about countries all over the world from high ranking military officers. The schedule will be announced in advance and we will be doing readings to prepare for our visitors.

Second Quarter

We have started second quarter and some classes spent time organizing folders. All of your work from first quarter should be saved as it will be invaluable to you when it comes time to study for the midterm. We have already had seven assignments for second quarter: your reflection letter, map of SW Asia, the map quiz, the UpFront question on SW Asia, the life as a refugee worksheet, the interviews with students living in Israel and a current event.

Conflict and Resolution

As you read about the experiences of teens living in this region you quickly discovered that violence and uncertainty are part of their everyday lives. The teen interviews gave you insights into how the Palestinian people have been stereotyped as terrorists even though most just want to live a peaceful and productive life. Hanan, the young lady who left the region to go to school in the US, described how her daily life was a struggle going through endless check points and encountering the military everywhere she went. Upon her arrival in the US she was amazed at the ease of travel and the lack of a military presence. At the same time, the Israeli students complained about living in terror even while undertaking simple chores of everyday life. Should they go the movies or mall when they are favorite spots for bombings?

Seeds of Peace is an organization that is working with Arab and Israeli teens from this region. Through recreational activities, camping events and education, the organization is trying to teach tolerance and acceptance. By planting the seeds of peace with the young, the organization aims to bring peaceful coexistence to this region. We also talked about how Sesame Street has gone international and is teaching tolerance and acceptance to the very young. We can only hope all these efforts will eventually lead to a nonviolent solution so all people in South West Asia can live in peace.

Over a Barrel

You have been given a worksheet to help you understand the article “Over a Barrel” in the October 4, 2019 UpFront issue. You need to read the article and complete the worksheet for homework. You will be using the worksheet for an in class writing assignment.

Growing Up Saudi

In class you had the opportunity to work with a partner on two articles about growing up in Saudi Arabia, as a young man and as a young woman. They live very different lives when compared to our way of life. They are a very strict and traditional society even though over half of the population is under the age of 25. We heard Robert Lacey, author of “Inside the Kingdom,” state that Saudis “hate” Americans for three main reasons: they see us fighting in Muslim countries, we support Israel, and they consider us a decadent society as illustrated by our clothing and reality television shows. Lacey went on to say that only through education will our countries build a better relationship. This was the same message Admiral Wisecup left us.

Finally, we saw a clip from The New York Times on “drifting,” a car racing culture that has emerged as a form of entertainment in a society that limits recreational activities.

Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences

On Monday from 6-8 we have our first conferences. If you have signed up for a conference please make sure you attend. These are your grades and you should have the opportunity to review your progress and plans for the future with your parent/guardian. Your reflection letter should have set the stage for that review. I still have a few openings for December 1 conferences that run from 2-4.