Community News (V13-I38)

Mohammad Shahid recognized by UCF police

ORLANDO,FL– University of Central Florida freshman biomedical sciences major Mohammad Shahid was recognized by the UCF Police Department , Sept. 9, for an act that helped them arrest  a man suspected of vandalizing campus vending machines

Shahid called the police after seeing the suspect on campus; he recognized him  from a picture he saw in a Tower I elevator.

“He looked a lot older than most of the people here,” Shahid said. “I wasn’t sure if it was even the guy.”

Despite his doubts, Shahid used his friend’s cell phone to call the police.

He was awarded a  Certificate of Appreciation and the UCF Police Department’s Challenge Coin, sponsored by the Student Government Association.

Asif Khan lead research could pave way for ultra-low power computing

BERKELEY,CA–Engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, have shown that it is possible to reduce the minimum voltage necessary to store charge in a capacitor, an achievement that could reduce the power draw and heat generation of today’s electronics.

“Just like a Formula One car, the faster you run your computer, the hotter it gets. So the key to having a fast microprocessor is to make its building block, the transistor, more energy efficient,” said Asif Khan, UC Berkeley graduate student in electrical engineering and computer sciences. “Unfortunately, a transistor’s power supply voltage, analogous to a car’s fuel, has been stuck at 1 volt for about 10 years due to the fundamental physics of its operation. Transistors have not become as ‘fuel-efficient’ as they need to be to keep up with the market’s thirst for more computing speed, resulting in a cumulative and unsustainable increase in the power draw of microprocessors. We think we can change that.”

Khan, working in the lab of Sayeef Salahuddin, UC Berkeley assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences, has been leading a project since 2008 to improve the efficiency of transistors.

Islamic school of Seattle hires new director

SEATTLE, WA–The Islamic School of Seattle has just hired a new School Director. Louis Tornillo brings to the school over 25 years of experience as a classroom teacher, curriculum developer and instructional leader in California public schools. He is committed to continuing the school’s unique program, and to guiding its outstanding staff in fine-tuning the school’s vision and outreach to the wider Seattle community. For over 30 years, ISS has provided a dual-language, child-centered education which develops community leaders proud of their Muslim identity but also ready to become global citizens of a wider world beyond the school community.

It is the only school in Seattle, and one of only a handful of schools in the country, which merges a child-centered teaching philosophy with an Islamic perspective, combining these two ideas into a program which results in powerful learning experiences for its lucky students.

“The quality of the education ISS offers is comparable to the best secular private schools in this area. Like them, its program follows best practices in English literacy and most effective teaching strategies. ISS also believes that infusing Islamic values, history and spirituality gives its students a strong ethical foundation that will prepare them for the pressures of the modern world,” Louis Tornillo said. The kind of teaching and learning which takes place here has a Montessori foundation, giving children opportunities to be creative, to express their uniqueness in project-based learning which is also rigorous and aligned with State standards.

The Montessori philosophy is based on profound respect for the child. Gentle guidance within a thoughtfully prepared environment allows children to grow and thrive naturally, by empowering them as learners making choices based on their needs and interests. Maria Montessori’s research into how children learn, her emphasis on multi-age grouping, and her commitment to teaching for peace, are now accepted by many of today’s influential educators. She was truly ahead of her time.

Finally, ISS educates the whole child, in a nurturing but challenging atmosphere focused on each child’s uniqueness as a learner. It is the synthesis of child-centered education with an Islamic point of view that makes ISS completely unique on the West Coast.

Health clinic holds golf tournament

WICHITA, KA–Mayflower Clinic, a free health care clinic for the working uninsured and people who have been laid off, held its first golf tournament this week.

The tournament is sponsored by Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open.

The clinic was started in December by Wichita attorney Abdul Arif, who is originally from India, and a group of his friends, all immigrants from various countries.

The clinic, named Mayflower Clinic after the ship that brought immigrants to America, is at 3305 E. Douglas. It offers a full range of medical care — everything but hospitalization. It is designed to help people who are between jobs or temporarily lacking health insurance, not those who are chronically unemployed or homeless.

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