Features
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Kevin Hyde Senior Mohamed Mekki is just like any other student; he enjoys playing soccer, is in the midst of college applications, and is juggling multiple AP classes. Despite sharing similari- ties, Mekki was born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt and saw the violent protests towards the Egyptian government firsthand. Upon moving to the U.S. in Jan. of 2011 with his mother, Mekki leſt Egypt at the height of the Arab Spring Crisis only to be met by new peers and a less chaotic environment for more opportunity in America. Due to the high prices of European uni- versities, Mekki and his mother made the move across the Atlantic for the increased opportuni- ties for college scholarships and careers. “Most people here think that Egypt and the Middle East are terrible places. In reality, all places have conflict. e Middle East is just a perfect place for countries to compete for re- sources, and I think most Americans need to realize that,” Mekki said. While living in Egypt, Mekki faced cer- tain experiences that most others do not. During early Jan. 2011, enraged pro- testors denounced the actions of President Hosni Mubarak. Due to the chaotic na- ture of the country, prison- ers of the national jail were let loose, wreaking havoc on the streets. With prisoners roaming the streets, Mekki felt it was his duty to help out. “Since my parents knew of the riots and protests, they didn’t want me going out into the city. Sometimes my parents would put locks on my door, so I would have to have my friends call and say that we were going to go out and do other things. So my friends and I told our parents we were going to study instead, and then we would go to the frontlines and out in our neighborhood to defend and help out some people,” Mekki said. Since most prisoners were now roaming around the city, Mekki took to the streets to en- sure that people were safe. “ere weren’t really any police or anything, so you couldn’t really feel secure. My friends and I took bats and tried to make sure people were safe and secure. We would rush at the prisoners and try to stop them. During the days of protest, I know a lot of people that got raped and even friends who were shot,” Mekki said. During a relief mission amidst all of the commotion, Mekki tried helping an older civilian. “ere was an older man who was moving kind of slow, so I tried moving him along. He ended up not surviving, but I did my best and tried to help him out. You have to take care of yourself and others,” Mekki said. Mekki’s help did not stop on the frontlines of the protests, however. As the vice president of community ser- vice of Alexandria’s Rotary Club, Mekki frequently went on medi- cal convoys throughout Egypt, helping out various citizens with illnesses who cannot pay for proper care or treat- ment. “Things are much more expensive in Egypt, and most people can- not afford their medicine. What we did was go out on these convoys and help raise money for people who cannot afford to pay for any treatment.” “ W e teamed up with the pharmacy department of the University of Alexandria to help people out. I remem- ber a woman with a rare dis- ease who needed shots that cost more than 500 Egyptian pounds and we were able to help her out and afford them,” Mekki said. Illustrating his humanitarianism even fur- ther, Mekki used his medical knowledge to help out at field hospitals scattered throughout the city during the protests. “I basically just helped out with moving people and making sure people were being tak- en care of. You saw people with serious wounds and acid over them. It was intense,” Mekki said. Despite being in such a contentious area during a vio- lent time, Mekki finds the entire ex- perience to be a learning lesson. “It was strange. My friends and I all have the same life, a peaceful life. So this time was a little bizarre, and it’s not something you see everyday. I feel safe in Egypt, but it gave me a new experience on life,” Me- kki said. Conflicts decreased throughout the summer aſter the first democratically elected president Mohamed Morsi took office. Morsi has recently gotten flack over the possible re- draſting of a Constitution that would give cer- tain religious groups more governmental power, thus inciting riots similar to the ones Mekki saw. Mekki might see these riots in the next few weeks, as he and his mother are visiting Egypt over winter break. ere, Mekki will spend Christmas with his family and attend his sister’s wedding. Mekki is excited, however, certain po- litical obstacles might surface. “ey are voting on the new constitution two or three days before I go to Egypt, so there is the possibility that they will shut down air- ports,” Mekki said. Mekki hopes to study chemical engineer- ing at an American university next year. Sur- prisingly enough, despite his medical endeav- ors, Mekki plans on embarking on a different career path. “No, medicine just isn’t my thing. I just wanted to help out, I felt like it was just the right thing to do. I plan on going into chemical engi- neering,” Mekki said. Features december 14, 2012 The Correspondent 10 Egyptian senior sends powerful message, helps during riots Poms will be hosting its annual winter Mini Camp on Dec. 15 from 12-3:30 p.m. Girls in grades 1-8 are encouraged to come and learn some new dances with the Pom Squad. Participants will learn proper dance techniques as well as dance styles such as hip- hop, jazz, and of course, pom. “It’s a good head start for middle schoolers thinking about trying out for Poms here in the future,” sophomore Elise Bang said. Aſter completing the clinic, the dancers are invited to return and showcase their new dance skills during the sophomore girls’ basket- ball game on Dec. 21. “You can really tell all the girls have a good time dancing and playing games, and it’s really rewarding to see them having fun,” Bang said. Girls can register at the door for $30. •MILLI PANDYA Members of the DECA business club suited up and competed in the regional competition in Rosemont on Dec. 4. e competition contained over a thousand students from all over the area, and over 93 students brought home medals. Students competed in many role plays con- cerning the business world, like hospitality services, tourism, and sports and entertainment marketing. “Everyone else at other schools were very impressed with the Hersey business students,” DECA business club sponsor Dan Vesper said. Overall, DECA had 23 students place in the top three in their role plays, qualifying for the state meet. In addition, seven stu- dents in five categories were regional champions, placing first in their role play in the region. •MATT STADNICKI Poms to host winter camp 93 students bring home DECA medals • F RANCESCA H ERNANDEZ S enior Mohamed Mekki is 6,020 miles away from his hometown of Alexandria, Egypt. Most students are unaware of where Egypt is and what it is like.“I remember when I first moved here junior year; some of the kids still thought we had a pharaoh as our leader,” Mekki said. •GRAPHIC BY: JACK HARGETT AND JESSICA LYNK
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Features2013 Kevin Hyde
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Kevin Hyde
Senior Mohamed Mekki is just like any other student; he enjoys playing soccer, is in the midst of college applications, and is juggling multiple AP classes. Despite sharing similari-ties, Mekki was born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt and saw the violent protests towards the Egyptian government firsthand.
Upon moving to the U.S. in Jan. of 2011 with his mother, Mekki left Egypt at the height of the Arab Spring Crisis only to be met by new peers and a less chaotic environment for more opportunity in America.
Due to the high prices of European uni-versities, Mekki and his mother made the move across the Atlantic for the increased opportuni-ties for college scholarships and careers.
“Most people here think that Egypt and the Middle East are terrible places. In reality, all places have conflict. The Middle East is just a perfect place for countries to compete for re-sources, and I think most Americans need to realize that,” Mekki said.
While living in Egypt, Mekki faced cer-tain experiences that most others do not. During early Jan. 2011, enraged pro-testors denounced the actions of President Hosni Mubarak.
Due to the chaotic na-ture of the country, prison-ers of the national jail were let loose, wreaking havoc on the streets. With prisoners roaming the streets, Mekki felt it was his duty to help out.
“Since my parents knew of the riots and protests, they didn’t want me going out into the city. Sometimes my parents would put locks on my door, so I would have to have my friends call and say that we were going to go out and do other things. So my friends and I told our parents we were going to study instead, and then we would go to the frontlines and out in our neighborhood to defend and help out some people,” Mekki said.
Since most prisoners were now roaming around the city, Mekki took to the streets to en-
sure that people were safe.“There weren’t really any police or anything,
so you couldn’t really feel secure. My friends and I took bats and tried to make sure people were safe and secure. We would rush at the prisoners and try to stop them. During the days of protest, I know a lot of people that got raped and even friends who were shot,” Mekki said.
During a relief mission amidst all of the commotion, Mekki tried helping an older civilian.
“There was an older man who was moving kind of slow, so I tried moving him along. He ended up not surviving, but I did my best and tried to help him out. You have to take care of yourself and others,” Mekki said.
Mekki’s help did not stop on the frontlines of the protests, however. As the vice president of community ser-vice of Alexandria’s Rotary Club, Mekki frequently went on medi-cal convoys throughout Egypt, helping out various citizens with illnesses who cannot
pay for proper care or treat-
ment.
“Things are much more
expensive in Egypt, and most people can-not afford their medicine. What we did was go out on these convoys and help
raise money for people who cannot afford to pay for any
treatment.”“ W e
teamed up with the pharmacy department of the University
of Alexandria to help people out. I remem-ber a woman with a rare dis-
ease who needed shots that cost more than 500 Egyptian pounds and we were able to help her out and afford them,” Mekki said.
Illustrating his humanitarianism even fur-ther, Mekki used his medical knowledge to help out at field hospitals scattered throughout the city during the protests.
“I basically just helped out with moving people and making sure people were being tak-en care of. You saw people with serious wounds and acid over them. It was intense,” Mekki said.
Despite being in such a contentious area during a vio-lent time, Mekki finds the entire ex-
perience to be a learning lesson.
“It was strange. My friends and I all have the same life, a
peaceful life. So this time was a little bizarre, and it’s
not something you see everyday. I feel
safe in Egypt, but it gave me a new experience on life,” Me-
kki said.Conflicts decreased throughout the
summer after the first democratically elected president Mohamed Morsi took office. Morsi has recently gotten flack over the possible re-drafting of a Constitution that would give cer-tain religious groups more governmental power, thus inciting riots similar to the ones Mekki saw.
Mekki might see these riots in the next few weeks, as he and his mother are visiting Egypt over winter break. There, Mekki will spend Christmas with his family and attend his sister’s wedding. Mekki is excited, however, certain po-litical obstacles might surface.
“They are voting on the new constitution two or three days before I go to Egypt, so there is the possibility that they will shut down air-ports,” Mekki said.
Mekki hopes to study chemical engineer-ing at an American university next year. Sur-prisingly enough, despite his medical endeav-ors, Mekki plans on embarking on a different career path.
“No, medicine just isn’t my thing. I just wanted to help out, I felt like it was just the right thing to do. I plan on going into chemical engi-neering,” Mekki said.
Features d e c e m b e r 14 , 2 012Th e Co r r e s p on d e n t10Egyptian senior sends powerful message, helps during riots
Poms will be hosting its annual winter Mini Camp on Dec. 15 from 12-3:30 p.m.
Girls in grades 1-8 are encouraged to come and learn some new dances with the Pom Squad.
Participants will learn proper dance techniques as well as dance styles such as hip- hop, jazz, and of course, pom.
“It’s a good head start for middle schoolers thinking about trying out for Poms here in the future,” sophomore Elise Bang said.
After completing the clinic, the dancers are invited to return and showcase their new dance skills during the sophomore girls’ basket-ball game on Dec. 21.
“You can really tell all the girls have a good time dancing and playing games, and it’s really rewarding to see them having fun,” Bang said.
Girls can register at the door for $30. •MILLI PANDYA
Members of the DECA business club suited up and competed in the regional competition in Rosemont on Dec. 4. The competition contained over a thousand students from all over the area, and over 93 students brought home medals.
Students competed in many role plays con-cerning the business world, like hospitality services, tourism, and sports and entertainment marketing.
“Everyone else at other schools were very impressed with the Hersey business students,” DECA business club sponsor Dan Vesper said.
Overall, DECA had 23 students place in the top three in their role plays, qualifying for the state meet. In addition, seven stu-dents in five categories were regional champions, placing first in their role play in the region.
•MATT STADNICKIPoms to host winter camp
93 students bring home DECA medals
•FRANCESCA HERNANDEZ
Senior Mohamed Mekki is 6,020 miles away from his hometown of Alexandria, Egypt.
Most students are unaware of where Egypt is and what it is like.“I remember when I first moved here junior year; some of the kids still thought we had a pharaoh as our leader,” Mekki said.
•GRAPHIC BY: JACK HARGETT AND JESSICA LYNK
