Malala, Education and the Taliban in Pakistan

In Pakistan Somehow life continued despite the bomb blasts and killing. The school remained a haven from the insanity of a city in the middle of a war. There was a whole war between Swat and the Taliban. Now that the Taliban took control over Pakistan it was a lot different. A regular girl like Malala Yousafzai was in this situation. Malala Yousafzai was a Pakistani Girl who had a different opinion than the Taliban's. She thinks girls and boys should be treated equally and she Also thinks girls should have the option to go to school. The Taliban said that girls should not go to school and they should stay in their house cleaning or taking care of their children.

Going to school for girls in Pakistan was difficult. You didn't know if your school was a safe space. There have been a lot of cases about schools for girls being bombed in Pakistan.  It was so difficult that Malala heard that the Taliban destroyed a Primary school for girls. Malala prayed for her school and her valley.  She also prayed for the violence to stop.

In 2008 alone, the  Taliban bombed two hundred schools. Suicide bombing and targeted killing were a regular occurrence. A lot of daughters and sisters were prevented from going to school. During Ramadan, some people didn't have power or gas because the Taliban had blasted the electricity grid and the gas line.

Madam Maryam and Malala's Father worked with her and her friends on essays and speeches in which they expressed their feelings about the Taliban's campaign to destroy girls' schools and about what their school meant to them. They planned an assembly where they would make their speeches they called it a "peace rally".

On the day of the assembly, a Pashto TV crew arrived at their school. They were all excited and surprised because they thought people wouldn't care about what a group of girls had to say about peace. Some girls were nervous, but Malala had given a few interviews before, and it was more comfortable in front of a camera.

Malala knew that it was an important opportunity to spread her message of peace and education. As soon as they put a microphone in front of her, words came out sure and steady, strong and proud “This is not the Stone Age “, she said. “But it feels like we are going backward. Girls are getting more deprived of their rights."  She spoke about how much she loved her school and about how important it was to keep learning. 

Living in Pakistan is difficult and other countries should help solve the problem. We hope this war in Pakistan with the Taliban ends, and that girls have the same rights as boys. People need to make a change if they want to stop the problem. Malala is a clear example of changes you can make, even if you are young.

Note from the editor:

Malala was shot by the Taliban in 2012. The Islamic fundamentalist group ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. The Taliban returned to power in 2021 after regrouping in Pakistan and waging an insurgency against the U.S.-backed government in Kabul. Since then, the region has been simmering for months with threats, tension, and violence. Girls are being forced to leave schools, and woman to leave their jobs. Many Pakistani who do not agree with the Taliban regime have had to flee the country and become immigrants somewhere else, searching for security and safety.

Victor Peralta

Guest Writer

6th Grade

How does psychological trauma work in the human brain?

Trauma is a really important thing you should be aware of. This can be really bad for your mental stability. This is why I am going to talk to you about this topic: Because it matters!

When you experience psychological trauma, you can have various symptoms like stressing out really easily. Other symptoms could be:

• Confusion

• Difficult to concentrate

• Anxiety

• Fear

• Guilt

• Shame

• Feeling sad

• Feeling hopeless

• Feeling disconnected 

• Feeling numb

• Angry

• Irritability 

• Mood swings

Psychological trauma is caused by a really bad, scary, or stressful event or events. When this happens your brain has an injury where the trauma begins. This affects the brain in a way that might make you do things that you don't really want to do. This can also make you aggressive and hit someone accidentally. Stress and anger can make you react in a very aggressive or bad way.

There are times where you can feel sad or hopeless for just an argument or something you did wrong. I mean that it is not bad to feel sad, but the thing is that it is so sad that you are hopeless or depressed.

Another example is when you have anxiety, for tests or even just homework. When you get scared you can feel kind of suffocated. 

Trauma is something that you should be concerned about if someone you love has it because one in six people continue to have episodes or reactions after 6 months of treatment, so this can change your life.

You should be careful about psychological trauma because this can affect the way you see the world. It’s sad that people have tried to avoid this but there are some situations where it gets out of control.

If someone you know has psychological trauma or you suspect that that person has been through hard times, you should listen to them without judging them, and ask them to look for a therapist. If the person that has physical trauma is a child, then you should request for them to speak with a trusted adult so they can guide them.

You can have memory loss if you have physiological trauma. Kids can have really bad memories loss. When children have psychological trauma they often have difficulty in identifying and expressing emotions, they also have difficulty in managing emotions.

Physical trauma can affect kids or adults in different ways. Some of them are fatigue, sleep disorders, nightmares, anxiety, depression, and avoiding emotions, sensations, fear that sometimes isn't real, or activities that have to do with physical trauma.

In conclusion, you should take into account the reactions and the possibilities of the trauma and always have it in mind if something happens.

Written by Paula Carrero

6th Grader

The History of the ISS

The I.S.S. or the International Space Station is commonly known as the largest and most expensive structure ever built in space. Many people know that it was built over several years and in many different pieces. Today we will list the modules of the I.S.S. their launch vehicles, and the years when they were introduced to the space station.

Starting in 1998 the Zaraya was launched into orbit by a Proton K rocket. The Zaraya was the start of the space station, we could say it was the core. Next was the unity module and its 2 connection pieces PMA 1 and PMA 2. They were launched in 1998 by the Space shuttle Endeavour. Two years later came Zvezda. It was launched on a Proton K rocket. The month after Zvezda, Space shuttle Discovery, launched module Z1 truss and PMA 3. (Keep the Z truss modules in mind for later) A month later came the space shuttle Endeavour with the P6 truss & solar panels. These will later become one of the big solar panels.

In the year 2001 came the United States lab called Destiny on the Space shuttle Atlantis. Then came ESP 1 on Space shuttle Discovery. Next came Canadarm 2. This was a robotic arm made by Canada. It was launched by the Space shuttle Endeavour. 3 months after, came Quest, the airlock. An airlock is a room made for exiting or entering a vehicle in a vacuum. If you are exiting, it gets filled with air, then the door to the space station closes and the air is slowly released to the space station and the room is emptied of air.  The door opens to space and the astronauts float out. When the astronauts come back, it's the same process, but in reverse. The quest airlock was launched on the Space shuttle Atlantis.

Now that we know how the different parts were released into space, we can see how our station looks like.

Then came Piris which was a compartment where 4 vehicles or modules could dock or connect. It was launched on a Soyuz-U. In 2002 the S0 truss was launched on Space shuttle Atlantis. It was the first piece of the solar array structure.

Next, the Mobile Base System (MBS) was launched on Endeavour. Then came the S1 truss on Atlantis. Right after, came P1 truss on Endeavour. 3 years later came ESP2 on Discovery. After a year came the P3 and P4 truss with their solar panels on Atlantis. Then came the P5 truss on Discovery. The next year came the S3 and S4 truss with their solar panels on Atlantis. Then came the S5 truss and ESP3 on Endeavour. Then came Harmony on the space shuttle Discovery and the P6 truss was relocated at the end of the truss. 

Then came Columbus (the European laboratory) on Atlantis. The next month came Dextre which was a space robot that can be connected to the Canadarm 2, with Dextre came the experimental logistics module, they both came on Endeavour. Then came the JEM module and JEM’s remote manipulator system on Discovery. The next year arrived the S6 truss with its solar panels on Discovery and that completed the solar panels.

Then came the Kibo Exposed Facility on Endeavour. After 4 months came Poisk, a Russian module on a Soyuz-U. 6 days later came ELC-1 and ELC-2 on Atlantis. In 2010 on Endeavour came Tranquility and its Cupula. Then came the Rassvet module on Atlantis.

In 2011 came the Leonardo and ELC-4 modules on Discovery. Then on the last mission of the space shuttle sending pieces to the ISS came Endeavour and brought along the AMS-02, OBSS, and ELC-3 modules.

In 2016 came a new era and a Space X Falcon 9 brought the BEAM module. The Falcon 9 will be the only rocket that will be used from this point on so it won't be mentioned. Then came the IDA-2 module. In 2019 the IDA-3 module. Lastly, in 2020 the auditions were the Bartolomeo module, and later that year the NBA or the Nanoracks Bishop Airlock.

After a journey of almost 30 years, we have a complete space station!

I thank you for reading this post. I hope you enjoyed it and got a better grasp of how the ISS was built. Have a great day! See you next time!

Written by Diego Puertas

8th Grade

Books That Have Impacted Lives

Have you ever read a story that changed your perspective on life completely? Or read about a character who you fell in love with, or cried with, or suffered with? Today, I will share with you some of my favorite ones. But, being the curious mind I am, I also wanted to know which other books had an impact on members of our school community, and most importantly, why. Although it was hard for everyone to pick favorites, knowing why they picked them, made this experience meaningful.

My all-time favorite book, believe it or not, is Dr. Seuss's "All the Places You'll Go!" I adore that book that no matter the age, there is a lesson that applies to you.  Every time I read it, I can find one specific for whatever I am going through in life. Another book that I totally love, because it connected me to Latin American Literature was I was "The House of Spirits" by Isabel Allende. I was 13 when I first read it and it opened my eyes to the immense possibilities writing can give you. I felt empathy and a special kind of love for the character development in Allende's work, and the beauty of her plot.

For Mrs. Fadul, our Literature teacher, it was The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.  In a way, she felt connected to the idea of always giving others what they need; making others feel happy. From Flowers In the Attic by VC Andrews. What most impacted Mrs. Fadul was the suspense and mystery of it, the empowerment of the main character, and how she did what she could for her siblings. Mrs. Fady also mentioned "The Alchemist" and its influence on her path to self-discovery.

Mrs. Rocio Roja's book was “Little Women” by Louise May Alcott. She read it when she was 11 years old, and it made her fall in love with books. That Christmas, she mentions, she only asked for books. Another impactful book in Mrs. Rojas's teenage life was "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. She mentions she has read it more than four times in her life and every time she does, it’s like a whole different story coming alive. Mrs. Rojas loves family stories, and this is one of the best.

Mrs. Sylvia Mena loves "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint- Exupery. She has read it many times in her life. Mrs. Mena mentions the first time she read it she was very little and took everything very literally, but as she grew up, she started understanding the different themes about the meaning of life, relationships... She also mentioned La Dama de Las Camelias because it was her first time reading tragedies. She realized then that not all stories have a happy ending.

Mrs. Georgina Calzada en Mrs. Lilian Acosta share their love for "Tuesdays with Morrie" and how the book teaches you to focus on and value what really matters in life. "The Red Tent" is another one of Mrs. Acosta's favorites. She mentions she values beautiful stories that encourage you to pursue your dreams.

For Mrs. Aida Morel, it's not a specific book, it's a genre. Our Elementary Librarian enjoys reading biographies during her free time because they help her understand and analyze the life events in the characters, and how things change through the different times.

Regardless of the genre or book you decide to choose, there is one thing that is inevitable: One day, you will find yourself in front of a book that will touch your life in such a way, that you will never forget it. Who knows, maybe this list can help you start looking for yours.

Mrs. Marial Valenzuela

MCS Head Librarian 

Follow your Passions

                                                                    Photo credits: www.pixabay.com

Have you ever stopped to think about what are you passionate about?  How can finding what you are passionate about helps you choose your future job or career? Is following your passion enough to be happy? Why is it important?

A passion is a strong desire for something. It means to explore areas that spark your interest, developing your skills in a specific area and to use these skills to contribute to something that is beyond yourself.

You can be passionate about animals, hobbies, art, uplifting others, learning, simple things, health and fitness, entrepreneurship, making a better society, teaching, your faith, taking action and life in general.

But, what does it mean to follow your passion? It simply means to find what you love, and explore how can you include it in your daily life. Focusing on your passion will make you wake up every day, feeling excited about life.

It helps you to relate to your work and career with a positive attitude. You come up with better ideas and also learn and improve in the field of your choice.  Following your passion will additionally help you build a stronger career for your future.

You can be passionate about multiple things. The more things you find that spark your interest, the better human being you will be, plus, if you ever feel you need a change, you will always be able to discover a new passion.

Passion is the fuel that brings the greatest results in life. Are you willing to take the risks and never give up on those things you dream about?  Never let others stop you from achieving what you are passionate about.

Like Mary Forleo once said, "You can't find your passion in your head." Your passions come from deep inside your heart. Identifying your passion will help you reach your full potential in life. Spending life doing what you love will help you be happier, more motivated and achieve goals easier.

"People with great passions make the impossible happen."

Carlos Graveley Carlo
6th Grader

How Does it Really Feel to Be Back to School

Coming back to school has been a strange experience for all of us. As we all know life is no fairy tale. You don’t just get what you want right away, you have to work hard for it.

We can all agree that virtual school was difficult, and not because we saw it in a random video, we lived it and it was real to us. Going back to school did actually seem like heaven at some point. Buying new materials, uniforms, backpacks, etc, was something we were really looking forward to. When it finally happened, it was exciting but nerve-wracking at the same time. For a while, the feeling of being able to sit in a classroom and run in a playground felt like the best thing ever, but it is not so all sunny and peachy in the long term, especially if you are a bit introverted. This is my very true and honest opinion about being back to school.

I don’t consider myself a very social person, and I understand that I have always been like this. I can notice how kids my age use social media such as Instagram to connect and interact with each other. I do not, I just use them for fun. I understand that this means that during the pandemic, a time when I wasn’t going out anywhere, I did not speak much with anyone other than my family members. Due to this, going back to school at the beginning was a bit difficult since I didn’t talk to anyone over the summer vacation. Everything and everyone seemed so different it felt like being the new kid in a new school trying to make friends again. I had to start from scratch, and this is not as simple as it looks. It kind of feels like baking. you can’t start making a cake by putting the tray inside the oven, you need to start by mixing the sugar with the butter and the eggs even if you have to do it a thousand times to get it right. I am still trying to figure out the ingredients in all this process.

It's really funny how every year the teachers say “This or that is to prepare you for the next grade” and we as their students we don’t really focus on what It means. Now I understand it. Being at home connected to meetings and not really not doing much physical activity for an entire year is now taking a toll on me since it is really hard to adjust what we had before to this new reality and routine.

I am currently in 6th grade which means a certain percent of my classes are in the High school building, other than my classroom which is on the Elementary building, on the third floor. This means I spend most of my day moving from one building to another, especially Mondays, and it is tiring. Going up and down the stairs and walking really long distances does not make it better. It is a lot to get used to, especially because we have to wear a mask.

I think that the assignments we are currently doing are pretty hard to understand. It feels as if we skipped a whole grade and started doing things far from our level of knowledge. However,  I do understand that we are supposed to learn new things that challenge us and take us out of our comfort zones, so we can understand new topics and things that will be useful to us for our entire lives.

We all have an opinion on how things should be this year and it is really important that we share it, especially with the school since they really try to help us create an environment in which we feel comfortable and safe so we can learn peacefully and enjoy our education.

To sum it up, everyone is different and we have to learn how to accept that, but in the end, we are all human and we must express exactly how we feel about situations like this one. Me having a tough experience coming back to school doesn't have to mean you do too, and I totally respect that, but I know that some people have been feeling the same way as I have, and it is important that they know they are not alone.

How do you feel about coming back to school? Write it in the comment section!

Maria Alejandra Vásquez Ventura

6th Grader

Columbus: Hero or Villain?

We all know that on October 12 we celebrate Columbus Day. Columbus Day is a holiday in the United States and in most Latin American countries that commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in 1492, to the New World. There is a very tight debate on whether this day should be celebrated or not. Some people state that Columbus was a hero, however many people think he was a villain.

The Hero:

For some, Columbus is considered a hero. They see the positive effects of his journey and claim that he "discovered" a new land, where in fact, he didn't. The truth is that other explorers had already visited America by the time Columbus made it here. Of course, we cannot forget the Tainos, our natives, were already here. The arrival of Columbus definitely marked a new era of product exchanges between Europe and the New World, the discovery of new animal and plant species and a mixture of races.

The Villain:

I believe Columbus got all the credit for something he really did not do. Instead, he is usually not held responsible for many things he DID: He profited, enslaved and sold our indigenous to the Spanish. He exploited them for no pay, no food, or care for their health or their families, took their lands and claimed them for Spain (He even named our island Hispaniola). The only thing our Tainos received from Spaniards was damage and enslavement.

In my opinion, Columbus is definitely a villain. He and his crew were too ambitious, selfish and evil and mistreated a race that was kind and noble. What is your opinion about this topic? Share it with us in the comments! See you next time!

Written by Paula Garcia

7th Grader