January 27 marked a new era in Egypt: the start of a “revolution”. Citizens of Egypt rampaged through the streets chanting and protesting for an end to Mubarak’s thirty year dictatorial regime. As Sabrina Elkarmouty, a junior and Egyptian at ASD stated, “All the Egyptian people want is Mubarak to step down because he has made the lives of the locals miserable and has done nothing to help the 40% of people living under the poverty line.” Mr. Dennis Boyle-Woods, a social studies teacher at ASD, further emphasizes the tragedy of the situation. “It’s been a long time and he doesn’t have a very good legacy. Egypt is not better off than it was thirty years ago.”

Recent statistics show that in 2009, the rate of inflation was at 12% with approximately 16 million people living under the poverty line. With all this commotion around Egypt, it is unknown what the future of this historical land holds.

The ASD community had much to say about the situation in Egypt. Many students and teachers had a similar view about this issue: what is happening is good and Mubarak must step down as soon as possible. Mr. Todd Pavel, a history and IB teacher at ASD was “not surprised in a sense that there is a great deal of poverty, but the fact that Mubarak has been in control for so long and has a pretty established security apparatus.”

Many argue that the international community is not that involved with the Egyptian crisis and many believe this is a good thing because the Egyptians deserve to fight for their own rights. Omaima Abdulla, a senior at ASD, believes that “The international community is doing what they can’t, but I don’t think they should be involved because it is a country’s revolution so only the country can decide what they want for themselves.”

With his old age and thirty-year rule, the view around the globe is that Mubarak should step down immediately, not in the fall when Mubarak claims he will. Maha Ibraheem, a junior and Egyptian at ASD believes “He’s too old...it’s time for him to step down.”

But where did all of inspiration come from? Everyone who was asked said that Tunisia was the main motive of this uprising. Abdulla, originally from Sudan, is all for this very idea. “Tunisia did not only inspire Egypt, but also Sudan and many other countries that think their government should come down.”

Egypt is only one of many countries in the Middle East that is going through a progress phase. Jordan, Yemen, and Syria may also follow pursuit. But, what happens next may turn the tables of this crisis that has been one of the first attempts to bring back stability in a nation full of problems.