The Other Side. Green Vale Upper School Finds its Head

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "The Other Side. Green Vale Upper School Finds its Head"

Anissa Sparks
5 years ago
Views:

1 The Other Side Green Vale Upper School Finds its Head Green Vale gets another new head of Upper School. If you haven t met him yet, his name is Mr. Marvin. Mr. Marvin has two children, Genna who is in Pre-K here at Green Vale, and Teddy who is in the Young Three s here. Mr. Marvin feels he is a family guy and he says he loves to see his children around campus. Here is some Mr. Marvin history. Mr. Marvin went to Columbia University, and then he was a coach. He tried teaching as a history teacher and loved working with kids. Previously Mr.Marvin worked at Norwood School outside of Washington D.C. He moved to Connecticut in July, but the transition from there to Green Vale was toohard. So a few weeks ago he moved to a house in Glen Head. He came to Green Vale because he feels it is a place of comfort; he also agrees with the culture. He also was impressed by the students when he visited and their commitment to learning and by the faculty and their energy and commitment to learning also. As for Mr. Marvin s feelings, he says so far so good, but the biggest challenge is getting to know us and each of our faces. We all have different strengths and weaknesses and he wants to know all. Even though he has a job of higher authority, he likes to feel equal with everyone. He feels he has a sense of humor, is honest, is a hard worker, and tries not to complain. What he can do for us. Mr. Marvin wants to improve the schedules, and use technology to help us learn better. He also wants to continue improving advisory like Mr.Trevor who right now is in San Francisco. Mr. Marvin likes the dress code and feels we look like professionals. Also, he says we look like professionals, but dress down day is still good, when we limit what we can wear. Mr. Marvin loves spirit weeks and can t wait for ours. So you have met Mr. Marvin. Gabrielle B.

Conflict in Libya: The Continued Geo-Political SCope of the Arab Spring Among the numerous revolutions that have been occurring in many North African and Middle Eastern countries over the past twelve

2 Conflict in Libya: The Continued Geo-Political SCope of the Arab Spring Among the numerous revolutions that have been occurring in many North African and Middle Eastern countries over the past twelve months, none has seemed more inevitable than the one in Libya. While each of the revolutions in that region shares the same source citizens extreme frustration with their governments the behavior of Libya s Supreme Leader Colonel Muammar el-qaddafi over the past forty years of his rule has angered and irritated many foreign governments in a similar manner as citizens in the region. Even though their personal desires for new governance may have been blocked until now, it has become clear over the past ten months that many Libyan citizens and several foreign governments share the same sentiment Qaddafi must go. When he first came to power in 1969 after overthrowing the conservative King Idris, Qaddafi threatened both the United States and Great Britain with all-out war if they did not comply with his demands, in particular the immediate evacuation of their respective military bases in Libya. While both western countries ultimately agreed to leave without a fight, interactions between Qaddafi and the west, especially the United States, have at times escalated into direct battle. In 1981, two United States Navy jets shot down two Libyan fighter jets after the Libyans opened fire on them during US training exercises sixty miles off the Libyan coast. In 1986, President Reagan and his advisers concluded that the Libyan government carried out terrorist attacks in Rome and Vienna the year before and another in Berlin that year, so cut off ties with Qaddafi s government, froze all Libyan bank accounts here, and ordered all Americans to leave Libya. Reagan referred to Qaddafi as the mad-dog of the Middle East, a leader who is focused on a world revolution which is targeted on many of his own Arab compatriots (NYT). In another example of direct and angry engagement between Libya and the United States, Reagan ordered retaliation for the terrorist attacks that same year by bombing Qaddafi s headquarters in Tripoli and two Libyan air force bases as a way to undermine Qaddafi in the eyes of his people. The terrorist bombing of Flight 103 over Scotland in 1988, determined by the United States and Scotland to have been planned and carried out by the Libyan government with Qaddafi s knowledge, resulted in a secret plan by the United States to train 350 Libyan rebels to overthrow Qaddafi (The Economist). The British government also made an attempt to end Qaddafi s regime in 1996, when their intelligence agency reportedly planted a bomb under his car. While the assassination attempt failed (the British agent who reported the incident said they blew up the wrong car), it clearly shows the long-standing desire of some western governments to end Qaddafi s rule of Libya, if not his life. Yet, despite western desire to overthrow him, Libyans have not risen up against him until recently. His long reign, according to Alan Powell of the New York Times, is in part the result of his regime s strong domestic security agency (similar to our FBI) that finds and destroys any group or individual that opposes him or his government. Although Qaddafi rules with an iron fist, Powell suggests that Qaddafi has succeeded because he built a solid network of ties between different tribal groups across Libya in order to maintain political and social order ties that Qaddafi has strengthened through his crafty spreading around of funds from the country s oil revenues. This past February in Benghazi, the BBC reported that a crowd of thousands of Libyans armed with rocks and gasoline bombs protested the detainment of a human rights lawyer who had made anti-qaddafi comments in public. The lawyer, Fathi Terbil, had been a representative of some of the families whose relatives had been attacked by government security forces at the Abu Salim prison revolt in Protests by hundreds against the Qaddafi government s treatment of Terbil were also reported by the Associated Press in Zentan and Al Beyda during the same period. As in neighboring Arab countries experiencing similar unrest, the Libyan protesters used Twitter and Facebook to spread their message and organize more protests. According to both the Associated Press and the BBC, the protests may have started in anger at the treatment of Terbil, but soon turned into protests focused on driving Qaddafi from his role as leader. And, just as in Egypt and Yemen a few months before, the Libyan government ignored the beginnings of the revolution on

3 state-owned television, instead showing images of pro-qaddafi gatherings and rallies. During this time, Qaddafi tried to reinforce his position with his own government officials and pacify the pro-islam sector of his people by offering to double government staff salaries and freeing 110 suspected Islamic militants from jail (AP). But, regarding the rebellious protesters, Qaddafi was not as kind. He ordered his security forces, including the Air Force, to attack and kill rebel fighters wherever they found them. In one incident reported by the New York Times, Qaddafi s forces shot and killed hundreds of protesters in Tripoli as they were leaving mosques after prayer services to head to a protest area. Many of Qaddafi s security force were mercenaries from neighboring African countries, so had no tribal allegiance with any of the rebels and no problem killing them. Because of the violent methods Qaddafi employed to put an end to the revolution, the United Nations Security Council voted in the spring of this year to allow their member nations to take all necessary measures to protect civilians. This permitted the use of United Nations forces to enter Libya to begin a military campaign against Qaddafi and his forces. Their role was not to remove Qaddafi from power, but only to protect Libyan civilians from his aggressive actions against them. United Nations-approved British, French and American forces prevented Qaddafi from fighting the rebels effectively. This was now becoming a revolution unlike any other revolution that was taking place during the Arab Spring. No other revolution of the Arab Spring had the assistance of the United Nations. It is not clear if the Libyan rebels could have succeeded on their own without the United Nations ability to prevent Qaddafi from using the aggressive tactics he had been using against them. By late August, the New York Times reported that rebel fighters entered Tripoli expecting to meet with Qaddafi s typical aggressive retaliation, but only found small numbers of pro-qaddafi fighters. The rebels quickly won the city, and were able to take over Qaddafi s fortress-like compound there. The United Nations helped the rebel cause even more in September, when it removed some of the recent sanctions it had placed on Libya when Qaddafi was in power, and when it acknowledged the rebels transitional government as the representative of the Libyan people. The United Nations also set up a Support Mission in Libya to help the new government write a constitution and organize elections. However, even with all of these positive outcomes, the revolution is not over. The commander of the United Nations-approved air force, Lieutenant General Ralph Jodice II, said in a recent New York Times article that there are still hundreds of loyal pro-qaddafi fighters, both in Qaddafi s coastal home town of Surt and in Bani Walid in the desert, who are a resilient and fierce threat to the civilians. In addition, the disappearance of Qaddafi and his top advisers hinders the new transitional government from establishing a solid footing across the country. The transitional leaders have stated that they would not declare the conflict to be officially over until the country was completely pacified and Colonel Qaddafi and his top aides were either arrested, killed or confirmed to be out of the country (NYT). With the absence of any strong leaders, it is not clear what kind of government will emerge from the current situation. Qaddafi s method of maintaining order when he was in power, namely the support of tribal groups across the country, has left the transitional government the difficult task of bringing together an extremely diverse and argumentative group of citizens. And so, one kind of battle is almost over, but another much different kind of battle will undoubtedly rage on for months to come as Libya and the entire region enter their newest season Arab Fall. -Antonia B. 6th Grade to Revive Snow White and her Seven Roommates The sixth grade is proud to announce that the play this year is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. We are very eager to get started on learning our lines, songs and choreography. The lead role of Snow White is being performed by Katie Russo and the rest of the roles are posted on the wall across from Ms. Iannotta s classroom. The date of the play is November 22nd and we hope everybody will come and see our performance! Geogiana D.

Green Vale Girls Field Hockey Begins a New Era Green Vale Girl s Field Hockey played Chapin on Wednesday, September 21, 2011. It was the first game of the season and it was home.

4 Green Vale Girls Field Hockey Begins a New Era Green Vale Girl s Field Hockey played Chapin on Wednesday, September 21, It was the first game of the season and it was home. In the first half the score was 2-0 and Chapin was winning. But the team was ready to make a comeback and play their hardest in the second half. At the end of the second half the score was still 2-0. Even though Chapin won, the girls worked hard and had fun. And the defense was outstanding! They didn t let any balls get past them in the second half. And Katherine, the goalie saved nine balls from going in! The team played great, had fun, learned a lot, and was able to improve by learning from their mistakes. By Taylor S. Fall Festival 2011 Once again, Student Council, along with the unending efforts of Ms. Iannotta have put together plans for a tremendous Halloween celebration better known as Fall Festival. The Festival is a celebration for the Early Childhood and Lower School divisions of the school given by the Upper School. Games, face painting, food, a huge inflated castle, and a haunted hayride are just some of the highlights. Come out in your best costume and enjoy the festivities. The full schedule of the Fall Festival can be found on page six of this issue. It s Bakin Time Here is a simple baking recipe for anyone who loves to bake. Buttered Popcorn Ingredients: 36 mini vanilla cupcakes 1 can vanilla frosting 3 cups of white mini marshmallows Pop corn boxes(optional) Directions: 1. Line two cookie sheets with wax paper. Spoon 1/4 cup of the vanilla frosting into a ziplock bag. Press out the excess air and close the bag. 2. For each piece of popcorn, use 2 marshmallows of the same color. Using clean scissors, cut 1 marshmallow into thirds, crosswise. Arrange the pieces on the cookie sheet in the shape of a three leaf clover, pressing gently with your fingertips to flatten slightly. Snip a 1/8-inch corner from the bag and pipe a dot of frosting on one end of the second marshmallow. Press the other marshmallow into the center of the cloverleaf arrangement; the frosting will hold the 4 pieces together. Repeat with the remaining white and yellow. 3. Spread the tops of the mini cupcakes with the remaining vanilla frosting. Press 6 or 7 popcorn pieces onto the top of each cupcake. Any loose pieces can be secured with a dot of frosting from the ziplock bag. 4. Let the cupcakes sit for about 30 minutes before stacking them in the popcorn boxes or bowl. Enjoy the cupcakes! -Gabrielle B. Always on the Hunt for Talent! The Other Side is dutifully produced by students of The Green Vale School-that means YOU! The Other Side is always looking for new voices and fresh writers. Your age and grade do not matter as we believe all students should contribute to the journalistic fabric of the School. Please contact Antonia B. of the 9th grade, or Mr. Quinlan of well beyond the 9th grade, and join the fun!

5 The Other Side Knows Your Future! (At least we think so-do not blame us if things do not work out!) SAGITTARIUS You and your partner (romantic or otherwise) are feeling quite different today it s definitely not a good time to make big joint decisions! Try to put that stuff off at least until tomorrow. PISCES Your emotional side is a powerful force today, and you should find that you can cope with feelings that may have been too much to bear (good or bad) just a week or two ago. Embrace life! CANCER Focus on your own issues today you need the attention more than your people do. See if someone close can cover for you while you take a long walk, go shopping or drop back into meditation. ARIES Your personal energy doesn t feel very powerful today, but you can still take care of quite a bit of big business. Just make sure that you re asking the right people for help when you need it most. TAURUS A lunch meeting or dinner with your family should go better than expected for you even if you aren t sure exactly what to expect in the first place! Your social energy needs to be grounded in food. GEMINI You are having a harder time communicating with your people in part because you don t really know what you re thinking yourself. You might need some time alone with your thoughts. LEO You are feeling much more measured and controlled than usual today, and you may find that your energy is just right for a difficult conversation or even a confrontation with a bully. VIRGO You need to get yourself organized which, of course, is your specialty! It s one of those days when you don t feel right unless you re checking things off of a list or putting everything in its place. LIBRA Though the big picture may not be to your liking, you can still have a good time appreciating life s small pleasures. Eat a good meal, take a walk somewhere pretty and try to watch the sun go down. SCORPIO Let go of your baggage. Some of it is likely to fall out of your world entirely, and the rest is both easier to carry and (hopefully) easier to deal with in the future. Your energy is just right for it! CAPRICORN A scathing comment comes your way but it s not intended to be so mean-spirited. You have the choice of whether or not to take it personally, and you should certainly try to take it in stride. AQUARIUS You need to take action today, even if you don t have a plan. Spontaneous activity is actually best for you now, as mental interference just leads to paralysis or something much worse. By Katie R.

THE ANDREW MARR SHOW INTERVIEW: MICHAEL FALLON, MP DEFENCE SECRETARY NOVEMBER 29 th 2015

PLEASE NOTE THE ANDREW MARR SHOW MUST BE CREDITED IF ANY PART OF THIS TRANSCRIPT IS USED THE ANDREW MARR SHOW INTERVIEW: MICHAEL FALLON, MP DEFENCE SECRETARY NOVEMBER 29 th 2015 Now we ve heard the case