Come join us in celebrating the achievements of the classes of 2012 on June 3rd. The program starts at 4:30 PM.

Also, refer a good student to City of Knowledge and once they register you will both receive a 10% discount on your 2012-13 tuition.

A 15-month-old was hospitalized after a mix-up at a local Applebee’s restaurant. The mix-up left the 1 year old sipping alcohol instead of apple juice. Police were called to the restaurant on Friday evening after the parents of Dominic Wilson Jr. noticed their son acting strange during a family dinner. At first the strange behavior was thought of a result of lack of sleep. The father was stunned when he took a sip of the toddlers drink. The juice was an alcoholic mixture that was stored in a mislabeled container. The child was immediately rushed to the hospital where his blood alcohol level was 0.10.

Thank God the father caught the mistake on time. Had the child finished the whole cup he would have died from alcohol posioning. “It was unreal,” the mother said. “You don’t expect to go to a family restaurant, and your 15-month-old gets served alcohol” according to CNN.

The police have deemed the incident an accident.

California now faces a financial deficit of 24 billion dollars, which plays a major role in public education budget. Now the state of California is facing a tremendous
problem in education cuts. $800 million budget cut to California’s community colleges predicted, that will cause cutting thousands of classes, and shut out 400,000
of students by the next academic year.

California Governor proposed to raise the fees for community colleges from $26  to $36 per unit. This means 36 percent rise for next academic year. That will cost the full-time student 1,080 $ per academic year. That California governor’s suggestion to decrease the cuts.  The state’s nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office has been arguing for years that the fees raising for colleges, it will bring more money for the college without hurting, and affecting middle class, and poor people.

Students with $65,000 family income qualify for waivers and do not pay fees. Students with $160,000 family income get refunded for their fees through federal tax credits, said Steve Boilard, the LAO’s director of higher education.

How do you feel about these cuts, fee increases, waivers, and so-called tax credits?

Five thousand protesters in Syria took over the main square of the country’s third-largest city last week . They said the occupation will continue until President Bashar Al-Assad is ousted from power. The government blamed that all the problems in Syria are because of Muslims who are too conservative. The standoff took place in the Central City of Homs. This weekend, Syrian authorities began shooting at protesters.

For the past month, Syrian forces have attacked the demonstrations violently. However, the government is continuing to blame armed gangs for the killings. The Interior Ministry said that groups such as Salafi groups are considered ultra conservative groups. Despite the problems, Bashar Al-Assad is still looking to gain support from the citizens. Massive funerals occurred in Homs, but the government security forces did not interfere. After the funeral finished, the people marched went to Sa’a Jadida Square where they chanted down with the regime and peaceful. In Damascus University, a group of students said they will not attend classes for three days. So far one student was killed in Damascus University.

Syria’s state run news agency said one policeman was killed along with eleven policemen and security personal were wounded by gangs in Talbiseh on Sunday. This past Saturday, Bashar Al-Assad promised to end 50 years of emergency rule. Emergency laws have been present in Syria ever since the Baath party seized power in 1963.

UMAA is proud to announce the continuation of it’s annual scholarship. The Jafri B. Rizvi Memorial Academic Scholarship will be awarded during this year’s UMAA convention in Toronto, Canada. We are now requesting nominations for Shia students aged 15-22 years and for Shia graduate students to receive the “Jafri Rizvi Award in Academic Excellence for 2011″ which shall be presented at the 9th Annual UMAA Convention.

This year, the scholarship program has been expanded and will be selecting three winners:

First Place Award:   $1,500.

Second Place Award:   $1,000.

Third Place Award:   $500.00

Application material is available on the UMAA web site www.umaamerica.net

Please send all application materials via email to UMAA hemani@umaamerica.net no later than May 14th, 2011 (the date on the website is being updated)

The finalists will be recognized at the final session of the 9th  UMAA Annual Convention on May 29, 20111 to receive an award grant.

If you have any questions, please contact us at hemani@umaamerica.net. We encourage each of you to distribute this email to your friends and family and encourage talented students to apply for these awards. Recipients of the award must register for the convention.

Hey everyone, I’m back with City Of Knowledge’s monthly sports recap! We have some pretty interesting events to talk about like March Madness, the Lakers vs. Miami Heat Showdown, and the Masters Golf tournament so lets get started.

The month of March meant March Madness, and for those of you who aren’t familiar with that, March Madness refers to the NCAA Basketball Championship month. A staggering 68 teams competed in this year’s tournament including college giants like UCLA. In the end, there can only be one winner, so congratulations UConn who beat out Butler 53-41 final score at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Heading on over to the NBA, we had a Lebron James vs. Kobe Bryant showdown in March. Yes people, the Miami Heat took on the Los Angeles Lakers on March 11, 2011 at American Airlines Stadium in Miami, Florida. It was the fourth quarter, less than 2 minutes to go, with the game tied, it was Lakers basketball. So who came out on top? Well sorry Laker fans, but the Lakers just weren’t good enough to beat Miami this time around. Dwayne Wade stole the ball to set Lebron James up for the dunk and Miami took the lead. This lead proved to be pivotal because Miami never lost the lead after that, and finished with the final score being Miami 94-88 against the Lakers.

Now comes the Masters Golf tournament, which for those of you who don’t know, is by far the biggest thing in golf. Taking place in Augusta, Georgia, on the final Sunday, 21 year old Rory McIllroy was ahead of everyone by 4, which is a pretty big margin in golf. Then, Tiger Woods crept in tieing for the lead all the way from -5 to -10. McIllroy ended up collapsing after performing multiple bogeys on a disaster hole 12 finishing with a final score of -4. Woods stayed at -10 and was -4 away from the leader. So who won? Well, it’s a first-timer 26 year old named Charles Schwartzel who crept up the leader board by hitting an eagle at the third hole, then 4 straight birdies during the final four holes to end with the winning score of -14. Way to go!

Hey sports fans, did you know any of these fun facts?

• Tom Brady was the 199^th draft pick in the NFL and went on to lead his team to 3 Super Bowl victories! Wow!
• Tiger Woods makes the most money out of all the athletes in the entire world! His earnings in 2010 alone are $90,508,163! Whoa! :0
• As for internationally, tennis’ greatest Roger Federer made $61,768,110 in 2010, not bad right?

Well, that’s all for now everyone & don’t forget to check back every month for the latest sports headlines right here on the City of Knowledge blog!

Parents are given the option to consider personal genetic testing to predict their own risks for common conditions and are also likely to have their children tested. “The more a parent believes they’re going to get good news, the more likely they’ll want their kids to be tested,” said senior study author Colleen McBride, chief of the social and behavioral research branch of the National Human Genome Research Institute, in Washington, D.C.

Due to the test being able to measure incremental risks and the diseases, a majority of parents who would consider this test would learn their children are at risk for developing potentially serious conditions. So far, 219 parents have already enrolled for this test to be done. Participants were offered genetic tests to assess their susceptibility to eight adult-onset diseases, including colon, skin and lung cancer; heart disease; osteoporosis; high blood pressure; high cholesterol; and type 2 diabetes.

Parents were more likely to want their child tested if they believed the child was at risk for a condition, were interested in genes’ effects on health, or anticipated relief from learning their children were at decreased risk of disease, researchers said.

In Benghazi, the rebels rejected a cease fire proposed by African mediators. The reason was that the plan was not to oust Gadhafi. All the people in Libya want Gadhafi as well as his sons to leave. In their talks with the African Union delegation, the rebels raised the issue of Gadhafi’s reliance on foreign mercenaries from other African and Arab nations, particularly Algeria, said Abdul-Jalil, without elaborating. The people hardly have any belief in the African Union delegation because most of the African Nations are with Gadhafi.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini is strongly backing the rebels demand for Gadhafi’s departure and believes that Gadhafi will break the cease fire more than once. Gadhafi’s forces, have shelled Misrata despite African Union delegation’s on the cease fire plan late Sunday in Tripoli. The shelling of Misrata is terrorizing the citizens and some have been killed. Frattini said Gadhafi’s departure would be parallel to any cease fire. NATO has been operating under a U.N resolution authorizing no fly zone and airstrikes in order to protect the civilians.

In my opinion, the decision to overthrow Gadhafi will be difficult to do. It seems that Gadhafi is hanging on to his power and will not give up his throne. However, in order for Libya to be peaceful, Gadhafi will have to be overthrown regardless the price.

·         The human brain has the capacity to store everything you experience.

·         Women have a better sense of smell than men.

·         You use up 200 muscles when you take a step.

·         Your ears secrete more earwax when you are afraid than when you aren’t.

·         If you’re liver stopped working, you’d die in 24 hours.

·         Wearing headphones for an hour increases the bacteria in your ear 700 times.

·         The average person’s skin weighs twice as much as their brain.

·         There is a disease called ichthyosis that turns the skin scaly like a fish.

·         The lifespan of a tastebud is ten days.

·         Every cigarette smoked cuts at least five minutes of life on average, which is the time it takes to smoke one cigarette.

·         Dentists recommend that a toothbrush should be kept at least 6 feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.

·         Men get hiccups more often than women.

·         Your stomach produces a new layer of mucus every two weeks so that it doesn’t digest itself.

·         Human hair and fingernails continue to grow after death.

·         Every time you sneeze some of your brain cells die.

·         Your tongue is germ free only if it is pink. If it is white there is a thin film of bacteria on it.

·         Your skeleton keeps growing until you are about 35, then you start to shrink.

·         Your hair grows faster in the morning than at any other time of day.

Demonstrators marched the streets of Paris demanding the niqab ban be repealed

Last week, a highly controversial law went into affect banning niqabs, face veils, in France. This past Monday two female Muslims were arrested for protesting the law just hours after it was passed. Ironically, the women were not arrested for wearing the face cover. Instead, they were arrested for protesting the ban outside the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. This incident reflects the high passions the ban has incited among some Muslims. For now the ban only includes the niqab and the burqa, a full-body covering that includes a mesh over the face. Other religious symbols are banned in France such as the wearing of a cross or yamaka.

Researches recently discovered that babies who were fed solid foods before they were four months old were more likely to be obese when they were three. The timing of solid foods does not increase the odds of becoming obese in young children who were nursed however. The odds increase for the children who were never nursed or who were stopped being nursed before the age of 4 months. Early feeding patterns are said to set eating habits and weight later on in life.

The procedure for this study started off with researchers reviewing data on 847 children enrolled in Project Viva, a long-term study of women and their offspring. The woman were being observed from before the birth of their babies and followed for at least three years after their babies were born. The researches found that 67 percent of children were breast fed and 32 percent of then were formula fed. When the babies turned three years old, 9 percent were considered obese.

Scholarships Available

TRANSFORMING OUR COMMUNITIES 2011
Leadership Conference

With the generosity of community sponsors, CAIR-Greater Los Angeles Area is making a limited number of scholarships available to eligible individuals in Southern California who have demonstrated leadership and activism by serving their local mosques and communities.

Please take a moment to apply here.

Deadline for submitting scholarship applications is April 11, 2011. Scholarships are available based both on need and demonstrated leadership and activism.

The daylong conference is designed to train and empower local leaders as well as strengthen communication and relationship building among local communities. The recent challenges facing our community, such as a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment around the country, opposition to mosques, and bullying against Muslim students, underline the urgent need to provide training to strengthen the leadership skills of mosque, youth, and community activists and leaders.

If you are a community activist, an Imam, a board member of a mosque or an MSA, or a committee volunteer, we strongly encourage you to participate in this opportunity to expand leadership skills and provide tools to enhance civic engagement.

Professional and expert trainers will conduct workshops that cover the following topics:

·         Civic Engagement
·         Public Speaking
·         Social Media
·         Media Relations
·         Challenging Islamophobia
·         Know Your Rights

The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and education inside the United States. This non-profit organization also shelters, feeds, and provides emotional support to victims of disasters. In addition to their relief work, the American Red Cross provides with supplying nearly half of the nation’s blood and teaches lifesaving skills. The Red Cross depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission.

On Saturday, March 12, 2011, the American Red Cross began offering assistance to the Japanese Red Cross following Friday’s magnitude 8.9 earthquake and resulting tsunami that left towns and villages in Japan devastated. The earthquake triggered fires and caused much damage to buildings, leaving 5 million households without electricity and one million without water. More than 2,500 houses have collapsed, with 2,500 more severely damaged.  More than 300,000 people who were evacuated before the tsunami struck have been housed in temporary centers set up in public buildings where the Red Cross has distributed more than 30,000 blankets so far.

In the first 24 hours, the Japanese Red Cross dispatched 62 response teams. All of these medical relief teams made up of about 400 doctors, nurses, and support staff are already providing assistance in affected areas through movie medical clinics. Officials believe more than 19,000 people died, but so far about 11,000 bodies have been found.

Those who want to help can go to www.redcross.org and donate to Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami. People can also text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation to help those affected by the earthquake in Japan and tsunami throughout the Pacific.

The crisis in Libya is continuing and Gadhafi is still leading Libya. However, President  Obama has to find a solution to this problem. Obama gave a speech saying that the U.S is involved on a third front and supports the military campaign in Libya. U.S involvement will be limited because if it cannot afford another full scale war. Gadhafi is continuing to harm his people brutally.

The entire Middle East is going through similar problems like Libya. Obama’s speech took place at National Defense University at Fort McNair, not far from the White House. The White House has been anxious from the start to get out of the lead position. The U.S.-led assault against Gadhafi’s air defenses began on March 19. The U.S is not planning to send ground forces, but Obama wants to see Gadhafi get ousted from power.

The White House is not certain what action would be taken if Gadhafi does not leave from power. This war was authorized by the United Nations to save the lives of the Libyans. Even so, Gadhafi is still in power and more force will be required in order for him to be ousted from power. The conflict might take at least one more month in order for it to be solved. For sure Gadhafi will not remain in power. Even if the problem in Libya gets solved, there are other problems similar in countries like Syria, Bahrain, and Yemen. America should not put ground forces regardless what happens due to the fact there are U.S ground forces in Iraq as well as Afghanistan. The two full scale wars in these two countries damaged the economy severely.

Reception Invitation

As you know, City of Knowledge students have been active in Pomona Unified School District’s Interfaith Peace Project. This project included a month of activities including a round-table discussion, anti-bullying assembly, and anti-bullying art contest. In fact 13 CKS students were honored at the awards ceremony on March 29 where they received hundreds of dollars in cash prizes.

Congratulations to Rubab Rizvi, Mohammed Al Hankawi, Delaram Sadaghdar, Sonia Abouelnasr, Abban Abdi, Layla Binesh, Layla Jibrin, Summer Abouelnasr, Sara Shirazian, Sarah Kadhium, Summaya Khuryani, Othman Shilleh, and Tarneem Ahmad!

Congratulations to our winners!

A new cookbook has arrived! The name of it is, “Modernist Cuisine.” and it costs $625, a six- volume set of 2,438 pages. “Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking” is a labor of love created by inventory ex chief technology officer to Microsoft, Dr. Nathen Myhrvold. This cook book has brought together a project so comprehensive, illuminating, and so beautiful that Dr. Nathen considers this price tag very much fair.
If you are among the band of chefs, foodies, and casual eaters who think the scientific approach to cooking is fussy and unsatisfying, Ryan Matthew Smith’s remarkable photographs may give you second thoughts. This book has pictures of the step by step process of creating a dish. From pictures of the ingredients, to pictures of the combined ingredients being made into the actual dish to pictures of it being cooked with precision.

Here are just some of the few amazing features of Modernist Cuisine’s six volumes:

• Stunning new photographic techniques take the reader inside the food to see cooking in action all the way from microscopic meat fibers to an entire Weber grill in cross-section.
• The most comprehensive guide yet published on cooking sous vide (In a vacuum—ed.), including the best options for water baths, packaging materials, and sealing equipment; cooking strategies; and troubleshooting tips.
• Why baking is mostly a “drying process.”

One of "Modern Cuisine's" scientific diagrams

Today, the Pomona Unified School District began its Anti-bullying Campaign with City of Knowledge students. The inter-faith program featured commentary from various members of clergy from the major churches and synagogues in the Pomona area. The assembly had three skits showing the “STOP! WALK! TALK!” method that asks students to stop a bully, walk away, and tell an adult. Each skit was followed by an interactive dialog.

1. Turn off the AC. You may think that because turning off the AC at home can be easy on your electric bill it will also save gas, but that’s not true. Auto testing at Consumer Reports proved that running the AC uses a nominal amount in gas that you may as well turn on the AC and be comfortable on a hot day. In fact, if you want more gas mileage keep the windows rolled up and the AC on.

2. Fill up your car when it’s cold outside. They say that you should get your gas in the morning in the morning or evening because the fuel is cold and therefore denser. The reality is that gas doesn’t change temperatures, so you can fill up your car anytime you want.

3. Increase tire pressure. Some say that if you want to get the most out of a gallon of gas, you should pump your tires. Overinflating your tires is very dangerous since it reduces your grip on the road and can cause an accident. Proper tire inflation is important for both your safety, and so the tires could last a long time.

4. Change the air filter. It’s good to take care of your car because it will run longer, and you will get the most out of your money. Changing the air filter won’t help you save money on gas though. Consumer Reports tests have shown that with today’s computerized cars clogged air filters don’t reduce fuel economy. You should take care of your car to make it last, but don’t look at air filters to reduce your gas expense.

The Superintendent’s Faith-based Roundtable is holding an anti-bullying, anti-violence initiative. The City of Knowledge seniors will be volunteering for this cause. The seniors will add Muslim-American representatives along with other religious representatives.

Monday, March 6^th the seniors attended a meeting with the Pomona Unified School District Superintendent and religious leaders to discuss the details of the event. During their spring break the seniors will be traveling to elementary schools around the Pomona area to present a series of books and skits at assemblies. The main topic of the assembly will be to practice the “Stop! Walk! Talk!” technique devised to help stop bullying in our schools. This concept teaches kids to STOP what they are doing, WALK away, and TALK to a teacher or adult about whats doing on. A few senior were also present at the Pomona City Hall meeting Monday night to discuss the initiative.

Seniors Represent Muslims at the Inter-faith Roundtable

If you need help funding your college education, check out the California Student Aid Comission March Newsletter . It is full of resources to help guide your scholarship and finding search.

Freerice.com is an online program owned by the World Food Programme. Freerice.com is a learning website designed to do two things. First, to teach students second languages, geography, and math. The second is to donate rice and third world countries. For every correct answer ten grains of rice are donated to the WFP program to fight hunger. Using this program City of Knowledge student have combined fighting hunger and learning.

Each student in Mrs.Rios and Mrs.Garcia’s Spanish classes I, II, and III spend once a week in the computer lab earning around 2000-3000 each. That is correctly answering 200-300 vocab questions in Spanish!  Recently City of Knowledge started its own group on Freerice.com. This way we can track the amount the school raises to fight hunger! In just the first week we raised 23,000 grains of rice! Create your own account and join the City of Knowledge group to start fighting hunger!

Islamic Scholarship Fund (ISF) is a 501 C (3) non-profit organization that provides academic scholarships to Muslim students in the United States who pursue college and post graduate degrees in humanities, social sciences, liberal arts and law.

Mission:
ISF’s mission is to address the problem that Muslims are underrepresented in the fields of studies and occupations that make public policy and influence public opinion.  We aim to bring about long term change by providing academic scholarships for students in the fields of humanities, social sciences, liberal arts and law in order to encourage and support the future Muslim lawyers, politicians, writers, journalists, film makers and academicians of the society.

Program Description and Eligibility:
ISF accepts online applications once a year starting in January for a period of three months. Scholarships are awarded to Muslim students who have been accepted to four-year colleges and universities in the US.  Applicants must meet the following minimum eligibility requirements:

1.  Muslim;
2.  Majoring in humanities, social sciences, liberal arts, or law;
3.  Citizen or permanent resident of US;
4.  Minimum 3.4 grade point average;
5.  College junior standing or above;
6.  Active member of his or her community.

Selection Process:
ISF’s Selection Committee which is composed of university professors, non-profit organization leaders and community members with years of experience in the academic and non-profit world review and score applications from April to June. Applicant finalists with the highest score are scheduled for web-based video interview during the month of July.  Final selections are made and all applicants are notified during the first week of August.

Award Distribution:
Scholarships ranging from $1000-$10,000 will be awarded during the second week of August.  With certain exceptions, ISF’s policy is to send checks directly to an applicant’s university.  Exceptions can be made if the awards affect the applicant’s financial status.

How to Apply:
ISF’s application submission system is now paperless. Please visit our website at http://islamicscholarshipfund.org/apply.asp to apply for a scholarship. With the new system students will be given a username and password to login and to upload their application, essay, transcript and letters of recommendations. Providers of recommendation letters will be given a link to upload requested letters of recommendations.

ISF will accept applications through March 21st, 2011.

Please visit us at www.islamicscholarshipfund.org for more information. You can email us at contact@islamicscholarshipfund.org or call us at 650-995-6782
(M-F 9am-6pm PST).

President Barack Obama approved Monday the continuation of military trials for prisoners at U.S prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, ending a two-year ban. Obama reaffirmed his support for trying terror suspects in U.S federal courts. The U.S will continue its cases against Al-Qaeda in the War on Terror.

Under Obama’s order, Robert Gates will end his January 2009 ban against the suspects in the facility. The first trial case that will most likely take place will be the bombing of U.S.S Cole in 2000. Gates told lawmakers that it is difficult to release  detainees to other countries. The reason for this is because the Congress has made the entire process more difficult. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard Mckeon is pleased with Obama’s decision to continue the trials. These trials should not have been cancelled for two years. There are many more trials for other inmates convicted for similar crimes.

This year’s “Tragedy of Karbala” play was a major success. The auditorium was a full house. Even though the staff put out 350 chairs, it still wasn’t enough because around 400 people came to watch and support the play.

This has been one of the most successful plays than in past years. We had great directors. Brother Adam and Sister Humna the plays two main directors did a great job in directing everything. Sister Salaam also helped in this year’s play adding Arabic to Sayyeda Zainab’s speech in the final scenes. Brother Adam not only directed the play, but was a very big part in advertising it. Sister Soha an alum from 2001 who has been in charge of all of the schools social status on the web advertised from Facebook, Twitter, and the CKS Post.

The actors spent months preparing and memorizing their lines. You couldn’t find more dedicated actors. “They weren’t just acting in the Karbala play, they were living it” said Br. Adam. Along with the play, Sister Salaam read a poem she wrote in Arabic before the play. H.I. Muhammad Baig from Orlando came to spoke after the play as well. We had great responses from the audience. Thank you for all the support.

The "Tragedy of Karbala" play

On Sunday February 13 the school held its first ever “The Living Message” in commemoration of the life of our Prophet (s). The event started out with the Mubahala that was directed by Sister Salaam. Actors were from grades 8th through 10th that did a wonderful job in the play. The event continued with a speech by Brother Ashar Shah from Helping Hand for Relief and Development. Brother Kauthar Khan from the Yaseen Educational Foundation took the podium later to give a speech. The night then ended with a speech from Brother Salam Marayati from Muslim Public Affairs Council.

Mubahala Play

Brother Kauthar Khan at "The Living Message"

February was a really exciting time in the sports world, with the Super Bowl as well as the NBA All-Star games occurring during the same month! What more can you ask for, right? We’ll recap everything that happened right here on the CKS blog, enjoy!

Superbowl 2011

The sports world brought us a real feast during the month of February because as we all know, February was Super Bowl month! After waiting another year, Super Bowl 2011 had finally arrived with a match-up set between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on February 6.Quarterback, Aaron Rodgers led his Green Bay Packers to a thrilling 31-25 victory against Ben Roethlisberger and his Pittsburgh Steelers at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas. As it turned out, the Green Bay Packers lead the Steelers in each of the 4 quarters, and the Steelers never had a lead on the Packers the entire game. For those of you interested in the half-time show, this year’s show had the Black Eyed Peas performing with a special appearance by Usher. Now turning back to the game, Aaron Rodgers threw in 304 yards and three crucial touchdown passes to hand Green Bay their 4^th Super Bowl title, and earning him the title of Super Bowl MVP.

As you all know, the Super Bowl wasn’t the only thing that happened in February, we also had the NBA All-Star Games!  This year the All- Star Games took place right here, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Blake Griffin made a name for himself when he performed an amazing dunk while jumping over a car and Justin Beiber made headlines for winning MVP at the celebrity basketball game. Check out Blake’s dunk here:

Then we had the highly anticipated game between the East and the West. The East included stars like Lebron James, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, etc, while the West had Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Slam Dunk winner Blake Griffin. In the end, Kobe proved to be the difference as the West went on to beat the East with a final score of 148-143 with Bryant winning the MVP.

Now here’s a little fun fact many of you might not have known. Did you know Minnesota Vikings football player, Husain Abdullah used to attend this very own school, City Of Knowledge? It’s true, and he’s visiting the school Friday, March 4, 2011 after prayer!

That’s all for now, can’t wait to see what March has in store!

Click here to download this week’s homework schedule.

All of last week the whole school was given free food for the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.). The school enjoyed cupcakes, snow cones, popcorn, cotton candy, salad, and pizza. All provided by the City of Knowledge administration and volunteers. The school was also decorated from top to bottom with decorations all for the Mawlad Al Nabi celebration.

No one celebrates more than Sister Salaam (Middle & High School Arabic teacher). Thanks to Sister Salaam every year the school is provided free candy. Her Arabic classes are the ones who decorate the prayer hall and school so beautifully. Throughout the week of the Prophet’s birthday Sister Salaam and her Arabic Classes have been holding short programs after prayer. Sister Salaam also holds contest during the program the winners of the contest receive money. Thank you to everyone who has made the past week so enjoyable for us all.

Contest in the Prayer Hall

Sister Salaam's room

New Muhajibas!

Every month Mrs. Garcia’s 5th grade class has a raffle. Every week the good students get a raffle ticket put into the raffle. Mrs. Garcia buys presents for the raffle and the raffle is drawn. The better you behave in class the more raffle tickets under your name are put in the raffle.

In Tripoli, Libya pressure from the international community has Moammar Gadhafi’s loyalists to increase the crackdown on the rebels. The U.S Naval and Air Forces moved closer to Libya and will help the citizens against their leader. The United States along with European countries are planning to make heavy sanctions that will harm Gadhafi’s regime.

For the past two weeks Gadhafi has attacked the citizens very brutally, the worst in any Arab regime. Libya’s oil supply has decreased more than 50 percent. The opposition is backed by numerous units of the military in the east that joined the uprising, and they hold several bases and Benghazi’s airport. This opposition is the strongest during Gadhafi’s 42 years of ruling.

Pro Gadhafi forces retook control of the western border crossings with Tunisia. The regime forces also regained control in two cities next to the Capital Tripoli Zawiya and Misrata. The residents are expecting a major battle with the regime forces. In Misrata, pro-Gadhafi forces who control part of an airbase tried to advance, but were by the opposition forces. In Ajdabiya, Gadhafi’s air forces also bombed the ammunition depot nearby held by rebels.

Libya’s dictatorship looks like it is going to fall like what happened in Egypt and Tunisia. In both Egypt and Tunisia the rebellions avoided violence for the most part, but the rebels held on and forced their leaders to leave from power. Even the U.S, Egypt’s biggest ally, did not do anything to help Mubarak stay in power. If Libya’s government falls, it will be considered a domino effect. If Libya falls other dictatorship regimes in Africa will also fall. Possibly, this could hit the other Arab countries. However, in Arabic countries like in Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, etc uprisings will be much harder.

Strokes are rising among young and middle-aged American while dropping in older people. This is a sign that the obesity epidemic is starting to shift the age of the disease. Government researchers compared hospitalizations in 1994 and 1995 with ones in 2006 and 2007. The sharpest increase was 51% which was among men from the ages of 15 through 34. It increased 17% in women around the same age as men.

For males 15 to 34, there were about 15 stroke cases per 10,000, and for girls and women in the same age group were about 4 per 10,000. For every 10,000 hospitalizations in 1994-95 compared with 2006-07, strokes rose:
-51 percent, from 9.8 to 14.8, among males 15 to 34 years old
-17 percent, from 3.6 to 4.2, in females 15 to 34
-47 percent, from 36 to 52.9, in males 35 to 44
-36 percent, from 21.9 to 30, in females 35 to 44

Early estimates from death certificates in 2007 show that stroke is the nation’s fourth leading cause of death instead of the third because it has decreased among older people among the ages of 65 and older. Strokes dropped 25 percent among men 65 and older (from 404 to 303 per 10,000 hospitalizations), and 28 percent among women in this age group (from 379 to 274). Doctors say that the cause of this decline is because of the better treatments, prevention and risk factors such as high blood pressure. To prevent stroke it’s important that we watch what we eat and take care of our health.

For the month of January, the theme of Spanish 1, 2, and 3 was food. We taught the students how to order their food and converse in Spanish with the waiter/waitress. Students were evaluated on their ability to order. We took public transit to this field trip to Casa de Salsa in Claremont.

Students take public transit to Casa de Salsa

The Borders Group INC. has filed for bankruptcy protection and would be willing to close a third of its bookstores. It is the second largest bookstore chain in the US, but has a chance to try to fix their finances as well as overhauling its business. It operates 500 superstores and 100 smaller locations.

Despite its long-term survival, it faces competition from Barnes and Noble, Wal-Mart stores, Costco Wholesale, Amazon.com, and Apple Inc. As of December 25, Borders had $1.29 billion and assets of $1.28 billion according to the U.S Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan. It will close its stores in places such as Ann Arbor, Michigan and Manhattan’s Park Avenue. The 200 closings are going to be superstores and 6000 jobs are going to be lost. Barnes and Noble, Border’s competitor, has 717 stores and has success with its online store and Nook e-reader. This helped Barnes and Noble maintain its competition with Amazon.com. Borders struggled to do this.

Basically Borders has struggled to compete with Barnes and Noble. It got worsened in its executive suite in recent years. It has had four executive chief officers for the past three years and two chief financial officers in 2010. Sales declined by double digit percentage rates in 2008, 2009, and the first three quarters of 2010. With Borders going bankrupt, it absolutely boosts up Barnes and Noble, especially since most of Borders and Barnes and Noble are close to each other.  Due to this bad economy, many main chain stores like Borders will eventually go bankrupt.

Everybody’s favorite halal pizza place has gone out of business. Zuby’s pizza has been a City of Knowledge student favorite for years. Zuby’s has been serving the Muslim community with halal pepperoni, ‘suicidal’ hot wings (the hottest Buffalo wings you will ever try), and much more. It was great place for the family to enjoy arcade games, great pizza, and great costumer service. Who can forget all the school friend trips to Zuby’s? We may not be able to taste the delicious hot wings again but at least we still got the memories! Leave your favorite Zuby’s memory in the comment section below!

The Class of 2005 at their Senior Luncheon at Zuby's

RIP Zuby's

For the 2011-12 school years, a new State law now requires that all incoming 7^th-12^th graders get a pertussis booster/immunization, called Tdap, before entering school. Students who have not received this immunization/booster shot prior to the beginning of the school year will not be allowed to start school.

We encourage you to contact your child’s doctor now to schedule an immunization appointment. Some children may qualify for free immunizations through the Vaccines for Children Program.

The pertussis booster protects the kids against 3 diseases: tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough. This vaccine can help keep your child and family protected.

We’re in the generation where the social media is the most used in the nation. It is what most teenagers are putting their time and effort into. Whether it is Facebook, MySpace, chat rooms, or blogging, it is very rare that any teenager is not on one of these time consuming sites. Most teenage girls these days love to blog. They love to write about whatever is on their mind. It is of course alright and definitely not illegal to blog in America, but what about the Middle East? Have we ever seen anyone blogging from the Middle East? Is it illegal?

We have recently heard that Syria has sentenced a teenage blogger into prison for 5 years. The Syrian court sentenced the 19 year old girl to jail for spying on a foreign country. Tal al Mallohi has been called for release by the United States and the international human rights groups. Her blog was known for poetry and social commentary, focusing mostly on the suffering of Palestinians. An official said that, “she has leaked information that should be kept a secret.” The official did not identify the country she was accused of spying for or give any other details. He said al Mallohi “deserved 15 years in prison but her sentence was commuted considering her age.”

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley sharply criticized Syria’s handling of the case. He rejected what he called “baseless allegations of American connections that have resulted in a spurious accusation of espionage.” Crowley called on Syria’s government to release all prisoners of conscience and allow citizens to exercise their rights without fear of retribution.

On Feb 4, the 5th graders took a field trip to the Griffith Observatory to learn more about the planets and stars. It was an exceptional field trip. Students saw how a comet is created, and also learned that a shooting star can be as small as a grain of sand. They also saw a great show about other planets and what they’re made of.

In Jerusalem, a top Jewish-American leader said that he recently made a secret trip to Syria. This is a sign that Syria’s leader Bashar Al-Assad wants to improve relations with the West. The  leader’s name is Malcolm Hoenlein who is the Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of major Jewish organizations.

His visit to Syria to Damascus was in December was the result of an invitation by Al-Assad. The two met alone without anybody. Hoenlein claimed that his visit was not for the sake of Israel, but as a humanitarian. However, both Israel and America have been concerned because of Al-Assad’s support for Hezbollah guerillas, anti-American groups in Iraq, human rights in Syria, and Hamas Militants in the Gaza Strip. The visit occurred weeks before the revolution in Egypt and in Tunisia.

Hoenlein believes that the Arabs are getting closer to Democracy. Based on this, I believe it is about time the Arab countries change into Democracy. With Democracy in the Middle East, there will be a lot less problems than now. Israel and the Arab nations should stop the hostility. However, in order for the hostilities to end between both sides, Israel has to give Palestinians their rights.

• Eat folate-rich foods: Leafy greens like broccoli, spinach, asparagus, turnip greens, sunflower seeds, oranges, melons, beets, and fortified whole grains. Folate (folic acid) is a water-soluble vitamin that is necessary for healthy blood cell division. The fibers will stabilize your blood sugar and keep you happy.
• B6 foods: bananas, watermelons, chicken breast, red bell peppers, avocado, and potatoes. Vitamin B6 increases the amount of oxygen carried in your tissues, and plays a role in red blood cell metabolism, and protein metabolism. Low levels can lead to anemia, headaches, and depression, so make sure you get enough B6!
• Omega-3: Fish like salmon, sardines, anchovies, and walnuts maintain healthy brain function and are vital for fetal brain and eye development. These foods can also reduce depression.
• Carbs (the good kinds): Whole grains, fruits, and vegetables supply us with prolonged energy, and fiber. These foods affect both our mood and sleep so make sure you always eat your fruit and vegetables. So, the next time you’re feeling down don’t go for the cookies or ice cream. Instead, grab a banana or enjoy a whole grain cracker with a tablespoon of natural nut butter for both a delicious and uplifting snack.

38-year-old Thomas Tang, a mail carrier from Baldwin New York, was accused of pinching thousands of dollars worth of coupons intended for residents’ mailboxes. Police estimate that Tang stole more then 7,000 J.C Penny discount coupons between October of 2009 and January 2011. What would a middle aged man want with 7,000 JC Penny coupons? Police suspect he sells them on eBay, grossing a large profit. Tang was charged with grand larceny. He pleaded not guilty and is now held on $5,000 bail.

Let’s face it, Americans are getting fatter by the year. Recent data shows that BMI (Body Mass Index) is higher on average in America than any other nation. Americans consume many more hamburgers and soft drinks than fruits and grains. This trend toward poorer diets has caused obesity to be the most written-about health problem in the United States. Fat Americans are more likely to have diabetes, coronary artery disease, strokes and certain forms of cancer. It is said to be that America’s bad eating habits is one that almost needs to be addressed house-to-house.

10. New Mexico: Grocery Stores per 1,000 Residents: 0.26 (23rd)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $737 (8th most)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 58 (12th least)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 111 (13th least)

9. Arizona: Grocery Stores per 1,000 Residents: 0.17 (47th)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $761 (4th most)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 60 (21st least)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 109 (11th least)

8. Ohio: Grocery Stores per 1,000 Residents: 0.18 (45th)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $622 (20th least)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 70 (11th most)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 122 (10th most)

7. South Dakota: Grocery Stores per 1,000 Residents: 0.5 (4th)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $547 (9th least)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 64 (23rd least)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 122 (8th most)

6. Nevada: Grocery Stores per 1,000 Residents: 0.23 (29th)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $939 (most)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 58 (10th least)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 114 (19th least)

5. Oklahoma: Grocery Stores per 1,000 Residents: 0.25 (24th)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $676 (15th most)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 69.8 (8th most)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 103.2 (3rd least)

4. Kansas: Grocery Stores per 1,000 Residents: 0.35 (7th)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $610 (19th least)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 64 (23rd most)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 121 (12th most)

3. Missouri: Grocery Stores per 1,000 Residents: 0.26 (22nd)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $623 (21st least)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 65 (18th highest)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 121 (17th most)

2. Alabama: Grocery Stores per 1,000 Residents: 0.21 (37th)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $649 (23rd most)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 77 (4th most)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 113 (16th least)

1. Mississippi: Grocery Stores per 1,000 Residents: 0.21 (34th)
Amount Spent on Fast Food Per Capita: $588 (17th least)
Gallons of Soft Drinks Purchased Per Capita: 82 (most)
Pounds of Sweet Snacks Purchased Per Capita: 113 (17th least)

Recently, the people of Tunisia and Egypt have revolted against the dictatorships they were forced to accept. The people of Egypt and Tunisia both suffered shortage in almost all living necessities for many years and it was about time they had stood up to the oppression, which they did and were successful.

In Jordan, the situation is not very different at all. King Abdullah has ruled for almost 12 years. Just like in Tunisia and Egypt, King Abdullah and his government system had been forced upon the people of Jordan. Jordanian citizens suffer unemployment and very low income even if employed. They barely have enough to cover their living expenses. The majority of Jordan ‘s population is living this limited life due to the oppression by the government system in the country.

People are afraid to say anything negative about the King or the government because they can end up in jail for many years for it. Even though this has been the situation in Jordan for a very long period of time, the people of Jordan might have finally built up the courage to fight for their rights as citizens of the country and make a change in their government. Three dozen of Jordan ‘s tribal figures criticized Jordan’s royal family and issued a message for reform and a complete termination of the corruption and warned that if the royal family were not to follow through with this request, what happened in Tunisia and Egypt will also happen in Jordan. They directed this message straight at King Abdullah. There has been no response from the royal palace to this message, but after recent street protests that criticized the government, King Abdullah was called to step down.