Going into a Final Fantasy game is like transferring yourself to another world – one of kooky magic, zany, off-beat characters, and embarrassingly beautiful visuals, (whether that’s something one prefers or not is up to individual taste). Longtime fans of the series know that each successive installment comes with its own history: no two Final Fantasy games are ever the same, yet they share a common lore and mythos. For me, it was incredibly mind numbing booting up the latest installment in the long running series for the first time– anyone that’s followed the development of this game knows the drama, all five years of it, and has likely been informed that Square Enix has gone to great lengths to really change up the Final Fantasy formula into one that is more stream lined and action oriented, certainly at the cost of other series traditions. For this reviewer, it was a matter of had the development team gone too far, had they crossed the point of no return, where a Final Fantasy game would no longer feel like one? And most importantly, with half a decade spent in the making of this one title, could it possibly live up to the hype? These are ultimately the questions that will surround the debate of this title for the months and years to come.

This is Not Your Father’s Final Fantasy

Let’s just get this simple fact out of the way before I can really solidify my opinions surrounding the game: Final Fantasy XIII makes radical changes to the Final Fantasy formula, completely abandoning long cherished traditions, and when it comes down to it, does it for the better. I would not even know where to begin, so just to throw some things out there: the battle system has been completely redone; it is not a simple turn based affair.  Instead of simply waiting for one’s turn in action, players stock their attacks up instead. Different actions take up a different amount of slots in their action gauge. As their gauge fills up, these attacks are executed. This makes for a very action based battle system, so fast in fact, that many series staples have been completely removed – there is no MP, no leveling (although a Final Fantasy X like “Sphere Grid” system remains, except this time, there are multiple sphere grids per character, per class), no random battles, no game overs, and players are only given the ability to control the party leader.

Say what?! We are not even done yet. The pacing of the narrative has been set up in a manner that completely eliminates other series staples – gone are the artificial towns the series is known for, and with it mini games, side quests, and anything of that sort. Instead, player’s simply move from one huge set piece to another, one major battle to the next, with cut scene expositions in between. (And boy, are there a lot, supposedly nine hours of cut scenes in total!) However, for this reviewer, this was fundamentally necessary, and contributed greatly to other aspects of the game, which will be touched upon momentarily.

What needs to be stressed is that despite all these changes, the game nonetheless exemplified the Final Fantasy experience, successfully redefining it. It’s amazing how Final Fantasy XIII can so easily take away everything I love about the series, and still make me feel just as absorbed and involved as I did in the early PlayStation entries. The lore, the world, that essential “fantasy” feeling, it’s all still there, and in some cases, radically evolved from its not archaic predecessors.

The Most Breathtaking Straight Path You’ve Ever Embarked On

So, as formerly mentioned, Final Fantasy strips down the series two it’s two core elements: the story and the battle system. Let’s tackle the former first, and the design choices surrounding it. As previously noted, the game is structured in regards to its story line, one in which the cast is constantly on the run, finding themselves in situations where their lives are at stake. Without going into any story details whatsoever, the characters are put into predicaments of life or death (or in an unfortunate twist, death or death, as odd as that sounds), and have to cope with what this means to them in terms of their past and future. Each character has their own inner struggle and conflict, and the game does a good job of constantly fleshing out individual back story as the story progresses – one knows very little about the character’s at the beginning (the player is simply thrust into the middle of the conflict, and unlike past titles, most of your party is immediately involved from the get go), but events are slowly explained as time goes by.

Another major focus is the interactivity between the characters: In a breath of fresh air for RPGs in general, the cast does not necessarily like each other, some in fact want to tear their fellow teammates a new one. After all, they were placed into their situations, they did not choose to, which leads to some awkwardly hilarious scenes. It’s all done extremely realistically, compared to previous Final Fantasy titles – yes, the characters find themselves in a completely absurd situation, but they react and behave to the situation as much more than the usual anime archetypes. This is only complemented by fairly enjoyable voice acting, and definitely a step up for Japanese localization standards.

When it comes down to the structure of the story, Square Enix made the right choice. Yes, the level design is for all intents and purposes, literally linear – a line from start to finish. But upon turning off the mini-map, I hardly even noticed. There is only one point in the game where I honestly missed the diversions the series is known for, without giving any details, I was expecting a setup similar to the Gold Saucer in Final Fantasy VII, but it never happened. It is a little disappointing, but it also comes with its benefits.

The linear nature of the game tends to truly highlight the game’s gorgeous graphics. The developers obviously invested a great chunk of time into the presentation and quality of how the world looks, and it’s paid off. Words cannot describe some of the breathtaking set pieces players will get to encounter in Final Fantasy XIII – there were many points in the game where I found myself just standing there and staring at my surroundings, which truly felt alive. Characters animate hilariously well, making for often enjoyable cut scenes purely from an eye candy perspective.   I usually find myself bored with RPG expositions, but I   eagerly anticipated the next big scene in XIII, which is a   good sign considering the entire title follows a strict battle   following story model.

Working Up a Sweat

I’m having a little bit of difficulty conjuring up words that   adequately describe the battling in Final Fantasy XIII; you   simply have to play it to really get a grasp of its diversity and jaw dropping entertainment value. It’s fast, very fast, and players have to constantly adapt to the overall situation of the battle or risk a quick death. This is done via changing their party member’s roles and classes, and is the only method venue in which the party leader can control the other fighters on the team. For example, I found myself starting a fight buffing my characters defenses at the start of the battle, changing classes to have them attack, and changing classes again to have them heal up and use magic, all in a fifteen second time span. Despite only controlling one character, I felt more control over my entire party than in any other previous Final Fantasy title. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the breath of the entire battle system: one has to pay attention to chaining attacks, breaking enemies’ weak points, launching them into the air, using summons, correct spells, buffs, and much more.

If this seems a little overwhelming, don’t be alarmed, the game holds your hand every step of the way. In fact, this is the perfect Final Fantasy to introduce new players to the series. I’d even go far as to say that sometimes the game was a little too slow at introducing the full breath of the battling, as it took multiple hours to really get into the meat of the game. Furthermore, the game could have easily benefited from a harder difficulty option, which increased enemy stats. That’s not to say the game is easy – I’ve found myself having to retry on multiple occasions. And when the game does provide a challenge, it really revolutionizes what turn based RPG’s can do – think Final Fantasy Advent Children style action. To top it all off are some of the craziest enemies, both standard and boss fights the series has seen.

Fresh Breath of Air

There will be (actually have been, check out the internet fan reaction, it’s scary!) many players completely put off by what Final Fantasy XIII sacrifices in order for innovation and a streamlined experience, and there’s not much that can be done about it. My best recommendation is to understand why it’s given up what it has and come into this experience with an open mind – I certainly did and found myself pleasantly surprised. The series has always been known to change the formula up every few entries while keeping other elements intact – for me, Final Fantasy XIII truly embodies that spirit, and for the better. I’ll be having a hard time giving it up anytime soon, to the detriment of my school grades!

The Breakdown

Entertainment: There are times when there is a general feeling like something’s missing, but you quickly forget it all as you’re blasting through the next wave of enemies. Although there’s no new game plus, if you find yourself enjoying the battle system (and you likely will!) there are tons of optional enemy’s to encounter and challenge, and it will take quite some time to tackle them all. I definitely want to see this battle system incorporated in future installments.

Score: B+

Presentation: This is top notch perfection, what you’ve come to expect from Final Fantasy. Incredible CG cut scenes and vistas only augmented by my personal favorite Final Fantasy soundtrack.

Score: A

Overall Score: What can I say, I’m a sucker for the series – and this entry is no different, easily the best RPG of the generation.

Final Score: A-

Reviewer’s Notes:

• Due to time constraints, this reviewer has only played for fifteen hours up to the time of this write up. However, players can look forward to upwards forty hours of content.
• It’s a hefty review, but because I don’t want to bore anyone to death and because I’ve found myself sleep deprived, I tried to cut it short (and failed). Regardless, I did not get to say even half of what I wanted to, so if you have any questions regarding the game, feel free to ask in the comments and I’ll do my best to respond.

She was 7 weeks pregnant, just starting to feel her child grow, as well as the love blossom in her heart. Zaynab and her husband woke up earlier than usual this Friday morning, preparing for the doctor’s appointment. They were both looking forward to the ultrasound and updating their wallets with pictures of the unborn child.

A look of worry came over the doctor’s face as she searched for the child’s heartbeat but failed to find it. To ensure that everything was okay with the baby, she pulled up reports from the ultrasound three weeks ago, and began comparing the sizes. To her dismay, the baby had not grown. She had to break the news to the wide-eyed parents, who stood before her, anxiously waiting for glad tidings on their child’s health.

As the doctor informed the dear couple, anguish overtook their faces. A never ending stream of tears rushed down the mother’s once rosy cheeks, now stained with the loss of a child. They stood there, holding each other, watching their dreams of a family shatter before their eyes, searching for the wisdom of their Lord’s doings.

How many of us have found ourselves in situations such as this? Situations that faced us with the opportunity of being content with what our Lord presented us with, along with the choice of rebelling against His Will?

With so much to look forward to, and so much to get us off track, steering away from the path of patience becomes too easy, too often. No doubt, we’ve all been in such a situation; the question is, what did we do in that moment of test? Screaming and crying at that instant, and then realizing what we did was wrong, and that we could have handled ourselves in a better way is in no measure equivalent to being content with what our Lord decreed for us immediately; indeed, a great reward is in store for the latter.

Allah says: “[...] Those who patiently persevere will truly receive a reward without measure!”[1]

Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet  passed by a woman who was weeping beside a grave. He told her to fear Allah and be patient. She said to him, “Go away, for you have not been afflicted with a calamity like mine.” And she did not recognize him. Then she was informed that he was the Prophet SalAllahu alayhi wasSallam. So she went to the house of the Prophet and there she did not find any guard. Then she said to him, “I did not recognize you.” He said, “Verily, the patience is at the first stroke of a calamity.”[2]

We must understand, grievance during a time of trouble is not blameworthy or sinful; as a matter of fact, feeling sorrow when calamity strikes is in accordance to human nature. However, how we channel that distress is what leads to reward or punishment. Patience is holding fast to Allah when the entire world seems to be crumbling down upon us, when everything we ever dreamt of is falling to pieces, and there is no end in sight. Conversely, impatience involves questioning Divine decree, lamenting, and complaining[3]. It is necessary to lighten the heart of emotion, but it is just as crucial to be rational minded, and realize that we are accountable for every one of our actions, including clouded judgment.

At times of calamity, we are blurred with misjudgment and fail to realize the bigger picture. We lose sight and fail to realize that Allah has a bigger and better plan in store for us that we cannot see. How many times have we been stuck in traffic and late to an important event? Anger takes over us, and we mutter and complain. What if, had there been no traffic, we were involved in an accident? What if this traffic was saving us from breaking an arm, or even becoming paralyzed? Allah replaced a bigger evil with a smaller one, to protect His servants.

It was the habit of Prophet Muhammed  to recite “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’oon” at the first sign of trouble, no matter how seemingly insignificant or vast. Not only do we benefit from following the Sunnah, but also attain the reward of reciting from the Book of Allah. Another apparently obvious, but all too often overlooked, step to take when faced with difficulty is to work our way out of it. Looking for the path that will free us from anxiety and hardship holds no sin; rather, it is fruitful in that we are better able to fulfill the purpose of our life with clear mind and light heart.

In the end, it is most important to realize Allah is the Best of Planners. He is our Creator, He knows us best, and what is best for us. There is no reason for us to further question our existence, or become impatient because what we long for isn’t given to us instantly. If something is taken away, rest assured that it is in our best interest, and a blessing in disguise from the Most Merciful. As the Urdu saying goes, “The fruits of patience are sweet.”

[1] Qur’an, 39:10
[2] Bukhari, Book 2, Volume 23, Hadeeth 372
[3] From “Easy Good Deeds” by Mufti Justice Muhammad Taqi Usmani

Father and son, Mike and Ron Morelli on season 7 of the Biggest Loser

Shirtless, cold and shivering, Mike walks up to a cold steel zoo animal weight scale.  He can feel the icy coldness of the scale against his bare feet, and the eyes of his teammates glaring at him.  He hears his weight called and sighs in relief. He lost weight, 22 pounds in one week!

Too good to be true? Can you really lose 22 pounds in one week? Well, contestants like Mike on the show the Biggest Loser manage to lose large amounts of weight over a small span time. Contestants workout for an average 6+ hours a day and consume food on restricted caloric diets, and the results of such extreme management lead to massive weight loss of 15 pounds or more.

But, most health professionals such as doctors, nutritionists, nurses and people with successful healthy weight loss history will tell you for a fact that speedy weight loss is NOT the key to a long lasting healthy lifestyle. Healthy weight loss is not a biggest loser competition. In fact, it’s quite the opposite and follows the Islamic stance of consistency and moderation. In other words, slow and steady wins the race! Sound familiar?

No matter if your goal is to lose a few pounds or to start eating healthier, small, consistent, and moderate changes are the way to go to change your eating habits.  People tend to jump on the Ramadan/New Year’s Resolutions making drastic attempts to change yearly habits, but they fail quickly and give up.

Remember it’s not how many times you fall but how many times you’re able to get up. Here are some tips and small practical changes you can implement in your life on a daily basis for an enduring healthy lifestyle.

Tip 1: It is necessary to consult with your family doctor before embarking on any weight loss plan.

Teens and young adults can have underlying conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, thyroid disease and cardiovascular disease that can worsen with improper diet and lead to severe complications. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to lose weight. Healthy weight loss can improve and help minimize some of these conditions. But only your physician will be able to determine what the best route is for you, and he or she can monitor your health progress.

Tip 2: Pictures are worth a thousand words.

Check out the government new food guide pyramid. Looks different eh? Well, it’s been updated with new information and helpful tips about eating right. One of the more important additions is eating 3-5 vegetable/fruit servings a day and the emphasis on healthy whole grain consumption versus eating white starchy carbohydrates.

Tip 3: Get moving!

Walking briskly for only ten minutes has been shown to increase brainwave activity and blood circulation in your body. If you don’t have the ability to walk or go to the gym, invest in some exercise DVDs. Those workouts can be short but just as beneficial, and you can do them at any time of the day…post Fajr or after Maghrib.

Finally, read the sites below with free information and free fitness videos and an online Muslimah Gym by a fitness instructor featured on Oprah, Sister Mubarakah Ibrahim!

Websites:

Food Guide Pyramid: http://www.mypyramid.gov/

Fitness & Nutrition by Prevention Magazine: http://www.prevention.com/health/fitness

Fit Muslimah & Muslimah Online Gym: http://muslimahfitness.com/

Diet Advice from the Experts: http://www.webmd.com/diet/default.htm

Sheikh Waleed Basyouni Ph.D, Imam of Clear Lake Islamic Center

What is the best characteristic your imam has?

Here are a few first responses to some of the prominent Masajids of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston (ISGH).

“He’s really approachable,” Hira Sheriff from Woodland’s Masjid Al-Ansaar said.

“They answer questions and really break down the ahadith and make them more relative to everyday life,” Najeem Bajudu said about the imams at Masjid At-Taqwa and Masjid Mumineen.

“He’s really nice; you don’t feel weird going up and talking to him,” Anum Abbasi from Masjid At-taqwa said.

“He gives good advice and he’s always available if you need him,” Muqaddas Sarwar from Masjid Bilal said.

Imams play an important role in the Muslim world. They are mediators between arguments, advisors, community leaders, khateebs, mentors and teachers. They serve as the backbone of strength within the Muslim community.

Yet, there is a growing problem in Houston Masaajids with imams failing to connect with their communities and primarily the youth, and some say it is a combination of a lack of resources and the community not finding imams to play a significant role.

Javed Rehman from Masjid Hamza says the best kinds of imams are those who have a balance of eastern and western values.

“(They should) speak English, ideally have been raised here for most of their life and know the Deen,” Rehman said. “But not the cultural aspects that many imams have and pass off as the Deen.”

In essence, a good imam doesn’t just say “haram, haram, haram,” or “halal, halal, halal” but someone who understands the shades of gray the youth occupy and they accept those hues, Rehman said.

But, speaking better English is just one way for an imam to connect better within their locaility. Falah Adnan from Masjid As-Sabireen believes regular youth programs are another kind of investment for imams.

Without the potential hook from youth programs the youth would probably not speak with their imam, and that youth exposure will help the imam adapt to speaking and relating better to the next generation, Adnan said.

“Imams that are more youth oriented are found in masjids where there are youth programs,” Adnan said.

However, one thing everyone agrees on is availability of their Imam.

Imam Mamdouh Mahmoud fromMasjid Al-Ansaar (Woodlands) at the start of the masjid's construction.

“He’s probably the easiest to approach,” Adilah Yelton from Masjid Al-Ansaar said. “I can shoot him an email or pull him aside after prayer.”

Hasan Goplani from Masjid Sabireen agrees his imam is almost always available, but the youth do not often approach him, and it may have something to do with the cultural difference.

“He’s Egyptian and the main body of (our) community is Pakistani,” Goplani said. “The youth might go to a few elders in the community. I go to him for questions of fiqh—but for other questions, I go to scholars that I feel can communicate better.”

However, the lack of connection between the Imam and his locality may also come from not knowing one another, Adnan said.

“(The) youth go to sheikhs more than imams,” Adnan said.

Shuyookh such as, Yasir Qadhi, Waleed Basyouni, and Isam Rajab, before he left, connect better with the youth because they are well known by most, and likewise, the youth find it easy to share personal problems in pursuit of advice, Adnan said.

Although personal connections matter in how approachable an Imam can be, being technology-savvy like Sheikh Mamdouh of Masjid Al-Ansaar is just another way for Imams to connect better with their masjid members Rehman said.

“You can call him whenever and he responds,” Rehman said. “He has Facebook, email, he’ll respond to texts. But you can just post something on his Facebook wall and he’ll reply.”

Criticisms of the masjid imams also run along the lines of cosmetic details—problems with presentation or speech, and it poses a barrier in communication.

And a little more English would be good both Abbasi and Gopalani agreed.

But in the scope of the issue, Imams have become a kind of endangered species.

“We need new imams, but unfortunately, there are none forthcoming,” Rehman said.  “Advertising attractive incentive packages and competitive pay key towards recruiting Imams who can relate to our community.”

When asked about ISGH hiring practices of imams ISGH President Aziz Siddiqi said the person at the head of the committee for Imams, Vice President Farooq Malik, is out of town.

“He’s the one who would know,” Siddiqi said.

When asked if there are any committee members or other relevant persons such as himself who would be able to comment on the status of our Imams, Siddiqi said Malik is the only one who can answer our questions and didn’t comment otherwise.

Despite all, some realize how troubling it can be when you’re at the top of the community and their imams practice what they preach, try to be active and are just like anyone else.

“The sheikhs are normal people and people forget that. They have problems like everyone else. They’re not perfect. People put a lot of pressure on them,” Yelton said.

On the third week of every month, the youth are given the floor to ask their questions, to a knowledgeable person or panel of individuals on a given topic. But this past Sunday’s event was a shift from the normal topics of attitude, boys and backbiting. It was a first for the invited speakers, and a first for Houston to open the floor for women converts to make a positive impact on young Muslim girls. In respect for our sisters, who took the time out to inspire our young audience, we choose to keep the names of our speakers anonymous.

These sisters, whom most have never spoken to a crowd, told their stories of heartache, estrangement from family and friends, and their not-so-easy journeys to finding Islam.

But, whoever said life was easy?

Despite their lack of exposure to crowds, they faced young high school girls in hopes of getting an important message across: to refocus your past into a positive self-fulfilling experience to strengthen your faith.

The session opened with introductions across the panel, as each speaker recalled her experiences from growing up as young girls in Christian homes to time spent in high school, college and now.

One speaker shared her early years of partying and drinking.

Two of the other convert sisters talked about their years of friendship and environments with people involved in gangs and violence.

Another sister, whose husband was also on the same search to find satisfaction and truth in life, told of her experiences of going to a Buddhist temple to a church to Kabbalah, a Jewish discipline. She knew Muslims all her life, but they didn’t seem much different.

“My home girl in middle school was Muslim, but she did all the same stuff as me,” she said.

It wasn’t until her husband’s friend told them about Islam their quest to find the truth ended by accepting Islam.

They talked about being kicked out by their families and leaving makeup and revealing clothes in exchange for hijab. One speaker shared the extent of her attachment to makeup.

“I couldn’t go to the mailbox without makeup,” she said.

Another sister talked about having Muslim friends since middle school, but it was not until college where she discovered Islam in a philosophy class.

That really hits you.

Through our busy day we interact with non-Muslims at work, school, grocery stores, neighborhoods, clubs and organizations, but how often do we share our faith?

One of the suggestions for the best way to present our religion is through our own actions. Fasting, praying or wearing hijab can speak more than mere words.

In the midst of all these incredible stories, a few commonalities struck hard.

First, despite all the fun either from partying, drinking, gangs, violence, drugs and dancing that was at each of their disposal, they didn’t feel the satisfaction from life.

As a Muslim, regardless if you are born into the religion or a convert, we all go through ups and downs with our faith. At the end, it is in submitting to Allah do we find the ultimate peace, and these sisters had the same to say. They didn’t find true satisfaction from their seemingly fun life before Islam, until after they accepted Islam.

Second, they highlighted the importance of staying with good company, and as we all know from the hadith of the Prophet (s.a.), who we are can be defined by who our friends are.

Thirdly, they felt empowered and dignified with their hijab and modest appearances that no man could look at them inappropriately anymore.

Fourth, they regret nothing from their pasts because, it was these experiences, no matter how bad, and hardships, no matter how difficult, they endured to come to where they are now. It brought them to Islam.

Fifth, they advised us to respect our parents and the ties of kinship to the best of our ability. Their parents were strongly against their new found religion, but they appreciate their parents’ guidance to stay out of trouble. They may not share Islam, but it was their parents’ discipline that helped mold their characters.

These stories of heroism deserve to be told to many young girls. The struggles of these sisters are universal experienced by many in different times and places.

We ended the event full of inspiration and winded down with pilates by a local fitness trainer. But, the chicken salad sandwiches, cake and fresh fruits gave our entire gathering a delicious closing.

Prepare your questions and bring a friend for next month’s Q&A and activities that will address tips and pointers for young girls on how to share their faith.

Sara Ali contributed to this story.

Can this even be possible? Is it just an unfair ambush on hardworking students or is it really a legit issue? If private schools do have advantages, what kind of advantages and how have these perks been allowed?  To gain a better perceptive and to shed some light on this controversy, I decided to interview competitors from Islamic private schools, public schools, and the MIST director herself for this year, Safiya Ravat.

I talked with 17 year old Hiba Ali from Klein Forest High School. Before I could finish the first question regarding Islamic private school advantages at MIST, Ali said, “Of course they have advantages. It’s an Islamic competition and those kids are from Islamic private schools.”

Ali use to be a student at Darul Arqam, another Houston Islamic private school, but now as a student of Klein Forest, she says she can see the difference.

Darul Arqam wins the MIST Overall School cup (with gold wings).

“They have entire class periods about Islamic studies and Quran, we don’t, and on top of that they have more Muslim people, which means a giant MSA.”

A giant MSA? Islamic studies and Quran periods? As I concluded my interview session with Ali, I walked away with an enhanced understanding about the specific type of advantages competitors may think private Islamic schools have.

But to fourth year competitor from Darul Arqam, Fatima Iqbal says it’s the support from their community that drives many of them to success.

“If we have any advantage, it’s the fact that our community is praying constantly for us, our power is dua itself,” Iqbal said.

Darul Arqam North Zone is a private Islamic school that has won the MIST Overall Champion award for four consecutive years. So why is it that this Islamic school dominates? I decided to talk to the girl who led the entire Darul Arqam MSA to victory last year, Muqaddas Sarwar, a three year MIST competitor and high school senior, who is also bothered by the circulating assumptions.

“People assume that just because we are an Islamic school, we don’t do anything else, we don’t take AP classes, we don’t take honors classes or do everything else that other people do and that’s wrong,” Sarwar said. “We do the exact same amount of work as public schools do if not more because of our extra classes and so the fact that they think we do MIST stuff in school is kind of absurd.”

Like any other Houston public school, Darul Arqam is required by law to offer the same core classes, but also offers its students additional focus classes like, Quran and Islamic Studies, and that doesn’t include a class or a specific time allocated for MIST.

But even focus classes don’t play as an advantage.

“I can understand where that is coming from because we take classes like Islamic studies people think it is related to MIST, but when it comes down to the actual class it’s a class just like any other class,” Sarwar said. “I treat Islamic studies the way I treat math or physics the material that we are covering is not related to mist at all, I could tell you that.”

Despite all, some say numbers of competitors from each school serve as the largest contributor in placing private Islamic schools on the advantage scale.

“Our MSA is fairly large and I guess, maybe that is an advantage for us, but there are other large public schools like Kempner High school,” Sarwar said.

Although Islamic schools may have a large number of competitors representing their team, they aren’t alone. According to last year’s MIST registration database, 7 competing schools had over 30 students, 5 of which were public schools.

MIST Director Safiya Ravat says when it comes down to it overall school recognition is just there for the sake of being there.

“Schools do put a lot of hype on who is the overall school, but in the end it really is about individual students,” Ravat said. “The individual students who do the best at MIST, they’re the ones who get honors, prizes, and go on to nationals. The overall school doesn’t get national recognition it is just something that has been happening for the past few years.”

The issue of Islamic private schools having an advantage over public school students seems to be just a myth. A falsehood that may have accumulated  from rumors, poor communication or a lack of information.

Looks like all is fair and square from private to public.

Hosted by Interfaith Ministries, an organization that serves seniors, refuges and channels dialogues in the community to express faiths respectfully, this Interfaith Youth Dinner Dialogue is designed for students between the ages of 13-18 to discuss all faith traditions or no faith over a meal, in hopes to open minds and broaden perspectives.

“Young students are extremely curious about one another and love to learn about each other,” Interfaith Ministries manager, Lauren Santerre said.

The dialogues will serve to help students discuss their personal beliefs and learn about each other with an openness and curiosity in a safe and respectful setting.

“The questions are meant to draw out the students’ experience of their faith, and help them find points of commonality as well as appreciate differences,” Santerre said.

Students will be coordinated in small groups with trained facilitators to moderate and guide conversations to help motivate teens to not only share their beliefs but their worldviews as well.

Questions such as ‘Do you think God or a divine power has an ultimate plan for the world?’ and ‘Who do you consider to be the greatest spiritual leader from your faith tradition?’ are just a few of the topics that will proceed at the event.

In regards to preparing for the dialogue, come ready to share and tell, Santerre said.

“Just come with a willingness to learn about others, and be prepared to share from your experience,” Santerre said.

But, some might wonder if answers will be rated according to accuracy.

“You aren’t required to know everything about your religion and there aren’t any wrong answers, this is just a time for sharing and learning,” Santerre said.

It is an initiative to take to learn more about taboos and differences of opinions that all students have regarding their faith traditions.

Additionally, from the teachings of Islam, dialogues like these are welcomed.

Muslim students have always shown a great presence at Interfaith Ministries for dialogue each year by coming out in large numbers and surprising the coordinators with their voice, but Iesa Galloway, Interfaith Ministries Relations Coordinator, thinks it would be nice if they could step it up.

“There is a strong Muslim turn out, and the community actively engages,” Galloway said. “I would say bring a non Muslim friend to the event. It would be easy to pick up a flier and get a non- Muslim friend to come with you.”

Santerre and Galloway both agree discussions help empower our youth and their vision.

All eligible teens are encouraged to attend and dedicate their energies by bringing a non-Muslim friend to spread awareness about their faith.

To register for the event and for more information, please visit www.imgh.org.

This list included many admirable projects, such as revamping the railroad system (since much of the current system dates back to the pre-Civil War era) and creating jobs by working to fix the energy problem the United States will soon face. These fixes would include nuclear energy, similar to the European model and offshore drilling. He also spoke of investing in the education and skills of the nation. He mentioned the ongoing battle for the health insurance reform, going so far as to plead directly to the Congress not to abandon the plan or give up hope. He also spoke of increasing American exports, to make America more self-sufficient.

Obama also took the time to defend his first presidential year. This was not something he chose to do; he had to do it, because of all his promises in the race for presidency that went unfulfilled. Not only did he promise to cut back partisan politics (which has not happened) but he promised to bring the troops home (he has put more overseas) and cut back on how much lobbyists could give as funding (as of yet, nothing has come of this). All these promises fell through, even though there was a Democrat majority in both the House and the Senate.

On top of these glaringly obvious failures is the national debt, a staggering $12 trillion—of which, about $2 trillion is from Obama’s policies.

It is hard to be indifferent to Obama’s speaking style, however. There is little argument about how charismatic and passionate Obama can sound in speeches. The vision he paints of America’s future is something that everyone wishes for and aspires to—but it is nothing more than mirages in the desert at this point. There is no solid evidence that Obama can pull off what he is promising. The fact that he fell short on previous promises does not bode well for his ability to carry out his admirable, yet naïve, goals for his second year as president.

Who could do better, though? Obama pointed out he walked into a bad situation, with no easy way out. To excuse the cliché, he had to play the cards he had been dealt. Who could say they would make smarter or better choices with such a hand? I am disinclined to judge Obama too harshly, if only, because he still has three more years to prove his worth.

“I never suggested that change would be easy, or that I can do it alone,” Obama said near the end of his speech, and he is right in this issue. Change never is easy, nor is it something that will happen overnight. However, change needs small steps to build on, and as it stands now, those small steps are conspicuously absent.

Steve Jobs, Apple CEO, introduced the company's latest creation, iPad Tablet in San Fancisco on Wednesday. c/o N.Y. Times

Unfortunately, I’ve found myself completely torn on the product, so much so that if I were to describe my thoughts in whole, one would assume I had a multiple personality disorder. It is only appropriate then for me to summarize my thoughts from two different viewpoints; I’ll leave it up to you all to come to your own conclusions!

The Mac Fan in Me

Oh boy: has Apple done it again! The company has clearly been advancing this industry forward, and this time, they bring a serious message – the stand alone PC is dead. People today are all about having their personalized media and content on the go, and the iPad is the perfect harmony of hardware and software to deliver on that message. Let’s keep in mind the iPhone OS, with its endless amount of apps and its sleek and easy to use touch interface, has completely revolutionized the mobile phone market, so much so that other companies have dedicated their product life cycles to emulating it but have failed. To have it converted to a beautiful 9.7 inch LED screen is just outstanding, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it!

This beautiful piece of hardware is the future. Not only is it extremely light and slim, with an up to ten hour battery life, making it the ultimate portable device, but the speed of the OS has been upped: now I can get to the Apps I want even quicker. Not only that, but all the Apps have been updated for the big screen, from photo viewing to the calendar organizer and maps feature, everything feels fresh and innovated. Why carry around an inferior netbook or heavy laptop when there’s this?

The iPhone launched at a hefty $600 price tag, but we are seeing the cheapest model of the iPad start at only $500, for a superior product. Apple is clearly tackling the mainstream market for this device. Sure, it doesn’t do everything a full on laptop can do, but it does everything everyday people want, love and need, and it does it exceptionally well.

The Doubter in Me

Look, there’s no way around it – this device is just a glorified iPhone. They took an iPhone, removed the phone bits, enlarged it, slapped a new logo on it, and are calling it the next evolution in portable media? This has to be a joke. I, for one, am extremely disappointed. There is nothing revolutionary about this device at all, and I am not going to fall for any marketing gimmicks Apple is going to throw at me. Let’s be clear here, the reason the iPhone took off is because the personalized App Store and the touch screen interface lent itself well to portable phones.

And despite the fact that it is large and pretty, there are some extremely unbelievable flaws that make this device unusable. Jobs continuously touted the beautiful screen as one of the iPad’s greatest advantages when watching videos or viewing pictures. Sadly, the screen does not output in widescreen, something most laptops do just fine. We all want to internet browse on portable, touch screen devices, there’s no doubt, but the iPad, like the iPhone, does not support flash. This is a decision Apple themselves made, and it’s a foolish one at that. For those that do not know, most of today’s biggest websites use flash, and you’ll soon find many sites with awkward and empty missing spaces, features, and content. Most video streams and online games are done in flash. It’s a shame that a device that hypes itself as a portable internet browser is missing such an essential plug in.

However, the most disappointing and notably missing feature is the lack of multi-tasking in the device. That’s right; you can only do one thing at a time. (This is okay on the iPhone, one does not generally need to multi-task on their phone.) That means you can either be writing an email or listening to music. You have to pick between surfing the internet or going on AIM. Unless there is a significant OS update, this is unexcitable.

I do not need this product at all. My laptop is portable enough, and even if it wasn’t, a cheaper net book most definitely would be and could do more tasks then an iPad. Yes, people will purchase this in droves, but idiots will purchase anything in droves if it’s the next big fad. That doesn’t mean the product brings anything new to the table, and I’m sure the majority of the public will agree.

I want to see who you guys agree with, the definite fan, or the angered doubter, let’s hear your thoughts!

photo courtesy of MIST

Change sweeps the competition floor as local high school students gather to compete in the tenth annual Muslim Interscholastic Tournament (MIST) at the University of Houston on Mar. 20.

MIST was founded in Houston of May 2001 and has grown to include six states—District of Columbia, Ga., Mass., N.Y., Mich., Calif. and one other country, Canada. Designed for high school Muslim Students Association (MSA)  students, MIST allows participants to compete in a wide array of events: Islamic knowledge, art, writing and oratory, group projects such as, science fair and newsletter, debate, MIST Bowl and basketball.

This year, competitors will explore the theme, lantern of modesty, but the Houston MIST team is all-new and looking to make sure competitions run efficiently for everyone, from volunteers to competitors.

So what makes the list for improvements?

“Food,” MIST Director Safiya Ravat said.

“Last year there were some problems, so this year we’re looking into improving the food.”

Other changes will include the point system, different grouping of competitors for workshops and price changes for participants and observers.

The online point system that was used last year is fixed.

“We can now give negative points to students, and we will be enforcing this policy,” Ravat said.

Competitors will get points taken off if they are not in their designated workshop when not competing.

The workshops are there to both, teach and engage competitors, Ravat said. Workshop speakers may include local khateebs, community leaders and University of Houston alumni.

Other workshop policies include gender-specific lectures and a repeat of workshops for those participants who could not attend the first time because of a competition.

In previous years, workshops were filled by a group of students from different schools, but Ravat is not sure that such will be the case this year.

“We’re considering keeping participants with their schools to cut down on possible problems,” Ravat said, though this is still a proposed idea and not an official policy, yet.

The enforcement of the new policy will allow school coaches to help keep participants under control.

In addition to the list of changes, participants will see higher prices to compete or attend.

“It will be $47 for competitors and $42 for non-competitors,” Assistant MIST Director Ambreen Ismail said, “which includes food.”

And to mend the core of participant concerns, changes will take place regarding who will serve as judges for competitions.

“First and foremost, we want professionals,” Ravat said.

There will be a concentration on graduate students and professionals such as, teachers and lawyers.

“One criticism we’ve received is that the judges are under qualified,” Ravat said. “We hope to fix that.”

To make sure the program runs smoothly, there will be back-up judges to take the place of a no-show judge. Judges will also be informed of judging policies such as, not consulting with fellow judges on scoring, prior to MIST.

“We’re trying to make sure everything runs according to schedule,” Ismail said.

This means that judging will start on time, and it is the participants’ duty to be on time for their competitions. The competitions are designed not to overlap and the goal is to keep the same three judges for all participants to keep scoring fair and to ensure competitors are not delayed for their next competition.

However, missing a competition may be inevitable. If this happens, the competitor needs to inform MIST about the possible scheduling conflict.

“We’ve worked with participants who’ve missed competitions in the past, and we try to be accommodating and work things out with them,” Ismail said.

MIST will be held on March 20-22.

The last day of MIST happens to fall on the first day after Spring Break, a Monday, but even if the traditional schedule of a Friday, Saturday and Sunday was followed, participants would still miss school on Friday.

“The last day of MIST is always for the debate and MIST bowl finals,” Ismail said. “Only those competitors will be required to be present.”

These final competitions will wrap up and then, the award ceremony will take place. “That will be later in the afternoon, maybe early evening, so not as many students will miss out on school,” Ismail said.

Overall, MIST should not look so different this year.

“We’re working on improving the quality of MIST,” Ravat said. “Most changes will be unnoticeable on the surface, but we want to make sure everything runs smoothly for the competitors.”