Middle School MUN Team Goes to Philadelphia

The NUI Middle School Model United Nations Team competed in the Philadelphia Model UN Conference. From Friday, February 25, to Sunday, February 27, the middle school team went to the Wyndham Hotel located in the Historic District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The conference was sponsored by the Institute for Domestic and International Affairs (IDIA), and Rutgers University. The conference focused on exploring the Middle East and the North Arica (MENA) region with an importance on regional unity as a theme. The students worked with their committees to debate and create solutions to the global issues in their areas. They explored multiple topics such as “Evaluating Healthcare Systems in Conflict Zones” to “Creating a Free Trade Agreement for the Greater Arab Region.” NUI commends them for their hard work and congratulates them for a job well done at the conference. The students who participated and the awards they received are listed below.

1. Yousef Elsherbini- Won the Most Improved Award

2. Ahmed Shaikh

3. Eshal Afzal

4. Menha Ahmed

5. Maraam Chaudhry

6. Aleena Aslam

7. Aliyah Adnan

8. Marium Ghauri

9. Raaid Hasani

10. Ibraheem Ghauri

11. Mariam Eldin

Overtime Win

The NUI High School Boys Varsity basketball team have proven their desire to win after bouncing back from a close loss. The Killer Bees and the Comets went head to head in a game late at night resulting in a defeat. The score was 40-56 but the team was ready to move on to their next game with high hopes.

On February 25th the boys went up against the Jersey Stampede Silvers in an epic showdown resulting in overtime. At 9 P.M. the epic showdown began as both teams were evenly matched until the very end. After four intense quarters the teams were tied, so they went on to overtime. With a stellar performance from Nabeel Hasan and a game winner from Zain Shah the boys fought long and hard for their victory. After the final buzzer the score was 50-46 giving the NUI team another win to be proud of.

NUI Rocks the Mock Trial Competition!

The week of February 14, 2022 was a week of excitement and preparation as the NUI Mock Trial team went up against other schools in the regional competition. Mock Trial is a competition, organized by the New Jersey Bar foundation, that places students into a simulation of a court of law. Each school has a defense and prosecution team that compete with other teams to present their side and defend or prosecute the defendant of the case. The competition is a test of public speaking, improvisational skills, knowledge of the legal system, and acting skills. This year, our prosecution team was led by attorneys Imaad Siddiqui in 11th grade and Hiba Khan in 10th grade, with witnesses played by Mustafa Siddiqui in 9th grade, Ambereen Fatima in 11th grade, and Samiha Ahmad in 9th grade. Our defense team, on the other hand, was led by attorneys Safa Chaudhri in 12th grade and Nora Elkholy in 11th grade, with witnesses played by Hamza Elkholy in 9th grade, Adam Sakr in 10th grade, and Heba Baig in 11th grade. We were also aided by the timekeeper of both sides: Faaz Qureshi in 11th grade. Our NUI team made it to the semifinals of the competition as they competed throughout the week against numerous different schools in the region. We are so proud of our Mock Trial team, and we are looking forward to their future endeavors, inshaAllah!

The New Jersey Muslims Interscholastic Tournament 2022

On Saturday, February 26th, and Sunday, February 27th, Noor Ul-Iman High School attended and participated in the New Jersey Muslim Interscholastic Tournament. The tournament took place at Rutgers University, with many schools competing in a variety of competitions. Alhamdulillah, Noor Ul-Iman High School brought back over twenty awards and won the Best School award.

Muslim Interscholastic Tournament (MIST) is a weekend event filled with a variety of competitions such as Quran memorization, spoken word, science fair, basketball, and many more. Along with the competitions, the event has speakers that come in to talk about a lot of topics relating to Islam. The goal of MIST is to bring the Muslim populations of different schools together by not only strengthening their Imaan, but their sportsmanship. Furthermore, MIST is often the introduction of possible interests for high school students, whether it be relating to the arts, public speaking, math, or science.

Noor Ul-Iman High School students took on in-person MIST this year after having it be online last year due to the pandemic. It was the first time for a majority of students on the MIST team. Despite this, the team placed in over twenty events, Alhamdulillah. These events include Boys Nasheed, Boys soccer, Boys basketball, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Quran memorization, Girls basketball, Knowledge Test, Humanitarian, Math Olympics, Boys Improv, Spoken Word, Scrapbooking, Creative Writing, Mist Bowl, Short Film, and Business Venture.

When asked about the overall experience of this year’s MIST, team captain Anum Ahmad said, “Noor Ul Iman has been competing in the Muslim Interscholastic Tournament (MIST) for years. COVID-19 lockdown started four days after MIST 2020. For many of us, that was our last weekend of normalcy before our world got flipped upside down. Alhamdulillah with Allah’s support we have been able to return this year in person. Seeing almost a third of the high school student body come in support of NUI to compete over the past couple of weeks has been an amazing experience! I am so proud of every single member of the team for making MIST weekend the most memorable two days of the year. Placing in over twenty events and competing as the largest team on the block was no easy task, but together we were able to do it! I speak for all of the seniors when I say that I am so excited to see where the NUI MIST team goes in future years– make us proud!”

Masha’Allah to all the winners and participants of MIST New Jersey 2022! Insha’Allah we pray for them to represent not only Noor Ul-Iman, but the region of New Jersey, well in nationals!

Black History Month Events at NUI!

As you may have noticed by the posters throughout the campus, February is Black History Month! NUI is honoring the occasion by encouraging students to express the themes of the month through art and writing. Middle school Junior Rho Kappa is hosting a poetry and art contest for grades 3 to 8. Students will create a poem or artistic piece based on the theme of standing up for what is right and inspiring others. There will be a gift card prize for first place winners in elementary and middle school! High school Rho Kappa is hosting an essay and art contest for high school students, with the theme of “Celebrate, Motivate, Inspire”. First place winners in each category—art and writing—will receive a gift card prize.

It is vital to understand Black History beyond slavery and racism. The various cultures and backgrounds of African Americans should be acknowledged and honored. The achievements of Black people, even beyond the U.S., need to be brought to light; African Americans should be able to take pride in their past. All in all, Black History Month is a reminder that no race should be neglected in the historical narrative. It’s also an opportunity to address the issue of racism and remind one another to stand up in the face of injustice.

American Sign Language Club @ NUI!

New clubs are always popping up in NUI, and the latest one is the American Sign Language Club! American Sign Language, or ASL, is a special language that uses a series of gestures and movements rather than speech. It is the third most used language in the U.S. following English and Spanish, and is the primary language of the Deaf community. Learning the language allows you to connect with a unique group of people that can sometimes be excluded from global conversation due to their disabilities. The club’s founder and current president, junior Ammar Chaudry, talks about his personal experience with American Sign Language and why he founded the club:

“Since I was younger I always found languages interesting because of how they connected a wide range of people. It had the power to change history just by being used whether it was orally or through writing. Which led me into ASL. I always knew it was a blessing to hear, especially when I found out that some people don't have hearing. It astounded me that they thrived without it by making their own language just for them. ASL was a way for them to finally be heard and it sparked a deep interest in me. Alhamdulillah when I first pitched the idea to my family and friends about forming an ASL club I was taken aback by how interested they were in it. It made me realize that a lot of people thought about it and I decided to go through with making the club. Alhamdulillah, it has been going well and many people have joined the club. They are still learning but it's amazing to see their progress and I am so thankful to everyone involved in this club especially Ms. Correne and the NUI staff for everything they have done to make sure our club stands tall and teaches the next generation about ASL, its traditions and its history.”

The club meets on Thursday during club recess, and if you’re interested in joining the club, email Ammar Chaudry at ammar.chaudry23@students.nuischool.org or Mrs.Correne Khan, the club’s advisor, at correne.khan@nuischool.org.

Rutgers Model UN Conference 2021

On Thursday, November 18th, the Noor Ul-Iman middle school and high school took on the Rutgers Model UN conference. Starting from Thursday and ending Sunday, students were in and out of committee rooms debating a variety of topics, working collaboratively with other delegates from other schools, and writing comprehensive resolutions in regards to the topics they were debating. Alhamdulillah, the high school Model UN team took home eight awards, as well as a large trophy for Best Large Delegation.

Rutgers Model UN (RUMUN), is a four day conference that simulates real United Nations conferences. Twenty seven students, representing the delegation of Kenya, Vietnam, and Russia were tasked with debating and resolving these issues in regards to their countries’ policies. Students were assigned between nine different committees including World Health Organization (WHO), Economic and Financial Committee (ECOFIN), and Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). Alhamdulillah the team took home two Best Delegate awards, from Nora Elkholy (11th grade) and Hamza Abbasi (10th grade). The Outstanding Delegate award went to Tasnim Seif (11th grade). The Distinguished Delegate award went to Anum Ahmad (12th grade). The Most Improved award went to Saad Farooqui (12th grade) and Ambereen Fatima (11th grade). And finally the Best Position Paper award went to Imaad Siddiqui (11th grade) and Ali Yousry (12th grade).

Masha’Allah to all the winners and delegates that participated in the Rutgers Model UN conference, and insha’Allah the team will bring back even more awards for the upcoming John Hopkins Model UN conference!

Art Club

Are you interested in art? Then you should definitely join NUI’s Art Club, open to all high school students! This new club at NUI is all about embracing our creativity and learning about different art styles. It was founded earlier this year by two sophomore students, Mia Serene Hantash and Inaaya Shakir, and is advised by MS. WARDHA Akhtar. The Art Club meets every other Tuesday in the high school wing during recess, so if you’re interested in joining, you can find them there! On Tuesday, December 14th, the Art Club held its first COVID-safe bakesale in order to raise funds for art supplies that will be used in upcoming projects and events. They received an overwhelming response and sold out within minutes! In return, co-founder Mia Serene Hantash stated, “I was happy it worked out and Insha Allah people will enjoy the other things we have planned, too!”

Boys’ Soccer Team

The wind blew in the players’ faces as they came to huddle up. The drizzle became rain as the team looked confused that the score line of 1-1 was not what they expected it to be by half time. The team would not tie or lose their last game of the season. As the final whistle blew after the first huddle, the team came back smiling as they went to win 7-1.

The NUI boys’ soccer team went undefeated this season and this last game showed that they are more than just an undefeated team. They are Muslims coming together showcasing their trust in one another. They are a group that develop their character together as they win as one group. The team had an amazing, undefeated season that they were proud of because they not only had big score lines, but huge school spirit. They were proud of who they were and the message they represented both inside and outside of the school.

New Club: Students for Social Justice

In a world where injustice has become a common sight, our help is needed more than ever. Whether it be racial injustice, poverty, the rapid increase of refugees, apartheid, or even environmental injustice, it is our responsibility as privileged citizens to do our part in improving the wellbeing of our world. This year, the Students for Social Justice club was founded for that very reason. Students for Social Justice is a student led club that advocates for human rights worldwide. This year, SSJ hopes to not only advocate for human rights, but spread awareness throughout the school, fundraise for different causes, volunteer at different shelters, demand our representatives to take action on important issues, and schedule different events and awareness campaigns for students of all ages! As Muslims and vicegerents, it is our duty to protect this Earth and everything on it. This new addition to NUI will ensure that we complete our duties as vicegerents and make true change in this world, insha’Allah!