A few days ago, I had the chance to participate in Chicago’s Hot Chocolate 5k/15k Run along with many of other Syrians. Some of us were volunteering while others were running to raise money. The annual Chicago race aims at raising money for the Ronald McDonalds House that provides temporary housing for many families in…
Tag: Syrian Scholars
If I could vote, I would
If I could vote, I would vote. I know people who literally died to get this right (privilege). I mean no matter how much you hate politics, politicians and these stuff, enjoy the right that someone died to give to you; vote to honor those people… By Jamal November 4, 2014 – Election day in…
To all journalists around the world…
“The courage in journalism is sticking up for the unpopular, not the popular.” Photo credit http://www.mirror.co.uk These are the words of Geraldo Rivera on journalism and if we want to mention an example from our reality, James W. Foley would be the perfect one. From a teacher in Arizona to one in Chicago for Teach…
Choose to Move Forward – and transform lives
In the last two years, I have learned a great deal. Now, as I look back and I remember the last 24 months, it seems as if it was only just yesterday that I was arriving from Syria. The lessons I have gained represent more than the technological skills and knowledge acquired because I have…
What a true fan really means
Original English Ce sont les meilleures équipes …
Impact of Hackathons
Hackathon; probably you have heard this word from a friend or read it on a Facebook page. But have you ever wondered what does it mean or where does it come from? If you try to look it up in a dictionary or on an online translator you may not get a precise translation. So,…
The Father of Syrians did not die today
As I browse through my Facebook trying to choose my words wisely before writing this post, I can hardly find any expressions whether in Arabic or in English to describe the face that is showing literally in every post by my Syrian friends. Pictures of one old man with my friend as a kid;…
TEDxIIT
Two of the Syrian Women at IIT share their thoughts about TEDxIIT: “We are all looking forward to the TEDx event happening tomorrow (April 5th) at IIT. This year, we even have more reasons to be excited about this event, as our Syrian friend Raed Tawil will be there as one of the speakers. This…
Active Citizen Summit
Richard J. Schmierer, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, and David A. Staples, Outreach Coordinator, from the State of Illinois visited us at IIT last Thursday to meet some of the Syrian students, and I was lucky enough to be there. During that visit, they learned more about us and IIT’s Syrian initiative. On the…
I was always welcomed!
Fourteen months after moving to the States, I no longer consider myself a transfer student at Illinois Tech or identify myself as an “International student” in order to identify myself as belonging or not belonging to the Illinois Tech community, to the city of Chicago, or in the context of being different. I now have…
The Mosaic of Syria
We, as Syrians have represented many peoples for thousands of years, many religions and nationalities. But, I discovered that across the different layers of my society when someone is good at something, a scientist, an artist, a cook, a guitarist, a programmer, an athlete, too often, she/he always seeks to prove himself alone, and plays…
The heroes of The Syrian Arab Red Crescent
Every day the number of martyrs and injured people increases in Syria. Bombs, mortars, missiles and other weapons ruin the lives of many Syrians every day. This horrible situation requires a huge number of volunteers who are ready to put their lives in risk in order to save others. The Syrian Arab Red Crescent is…
Syrian Students for a better future 