Muslim Inter-Scholastic Tournament

Short Film
Nasheed/Rap
Community Service
Newsletter
Research Project
Science Fair
Scrapbook

Short Film

The MIST Short Film Competition seeks to encourage audio-visual expression of the Islamic culture and identity among a younger generation and to reward those whose work displays talent and originality.

This year, all short film entries MUST be between 5 - 7 minutes from beginning to end. Competitors MUST reflect on the theme for this topic. Any short film that does not have a clear link to the theme will not be accepted.

1. All submissions are due by the date given by your Region. They should be mailed to your Regional Registration Headquarters. All entries postmarked after the submission deadline will be immediately disqualified, NO EXCEPTIONS.

2. Accompanied with the submission, contestants must also include the Short Film Entry Form. Contestants who forget to turn in this form with their submission will lose points towards their final competition score.

3. The Film group will be allowed 5 minutes to explain how they made the film, what the purpose behind the film is, and what inspired them.

4. Each group will submit no more than one typed page explanation of the film.

5. Film groups may contain between 1 and 6 members working as a collaborative effort or as part of a school project. You can have more than 6 people work on the project, but only up to 6 can be registered for it.

6. Entries MUST be original works that have not been previously distributed/awarded/recognized or publicly exhibited as of the submission date and entrant must be the creator of the submitted work, holding the full copyright ownership therein.

7. Films entered may be of any genre, fiction, documentary, animation, art or experimental.

8. All films MUST relate to this year’s theme or risk losing points.

9. Films may NOT exceed 7 minutes in length (including opening and closing credits).

10. Acceptable tape formats for submission are: Mini DV, VHS or DVD (Video format) only. [The format requirement may vary region to region- check your regional tournament website or contact your regional tournament representative.] The title and the entrant’s MIST ID must be clearly identified on the submission. Entrants shall be notified of submission receipt via email only.

11. Although all possible care will be taken in handling all entries to the extent of practicable, MIST cannot assume any responsibility for any loss or damage to the entries. (The Organizer suggests that entrants purchase an appropriate insurance policy.) Also, competitors should make sure to have a copy of their film because MIST cannot guarantee the return of all short film entries.

12. Competitors will be judged according to the Short Film Ballot.

Nasheed/Rap

The purpose of this competition is to educate the youth about the teachings of Islam through one of the societies most effective mediums and inspire them to increase their knowledge and become compassionate, striving individuals.

There will be a separate competition for brothers and one for sisters. Hence, your team can either be all male or all female. If there are less than 5 teams registered per gender, the competition will be merged. If the competition is merged, the opposite gender will not be allowed in the audience during the performance. All competitors must be prepared to perform in front of an audience.
If you violate and/or not fulfill any of the following rules, you could loose points or even be disqualified from the tournament.

1. MIST ID and order of competition will be pre-assigned on a random selection basis.

2. Competitors shall report at the appropriate time and place designated. Competitors shall be introduced to the judges by their MIST IDs.

3. Groups can be a minimum of 1 member and a maximum of 6 members.

4. The performance should not exceed more than 10 minutes. Points will be deducted from the total score if the performance exceeds the alloted time.

5. The only instrument that can be used for the performance is a duff. Duff will not be supplied by MIST. Each group is responsible for bringing their own duff(s).

6. Competitors will be judged according to the Nasheed/Rap Ballot.

Community Service

Topic: Must reflect this year’s theme.

The following is a list of rules and procedures for this category:

1. MIST ID and order of competition will be pre-assigned on a random selection basis.

2. Competitors shall report at the appropriate time and place designated.

3. Judges shall know the competitors by their MIST IDs.

4. The community service project team must register no less than 2 members and no more than 6 members. More than 6 people can work on the project. But only 6 can register.

5. Each participating team must conduct a community service project that reflects this year’s theme.

6. Each team must have a student director who will present the project to the Judges.

7. One submission per MIST Team.

8. The project idea must be emailed to your respective Regional Registration Headquarters for approval or else the project cannot enter the competition. Send an alternative idea as well. Ideas should be emailed in to your respective Regional Registration Headquarters no later than February 1st, 2008 (see regional website or contact your regional representative to check if date has been modified for your region.)

9. When submitting the project on the day of the tournament, students must also submit a typed Project Outline.

10. Students must also bring a display board, and any other supplemental material to the tournament.

11. Each project will be displayed at MIST and judged at the tournament.

12. Project ideas must be original and innovative. Projects ideas such as “cleaning up the masjid” where students go to the masjid one day and clean it up are not original or innovative. However, if you want to “Clean Your Masjid”, a better idea would be to start a cleaning campaign where students have to start a recycling project, raise money to plant trees and flowers, raise money and paint the walls of the mosque, get all the community members involved in the clean up effort…etc. If you do something that’s been done many times before, you must think outside the box and make it unique. (This example might not apply for this year’s project)

13. Your community service project cannot be a 1 day or a 3 hour project. It must span long periods of time and benefit the community at large.

Project Outline

The following is a list of requirements for the Project Outline:

1. Typed, double spaced, Times New Roman 12 pt.

2. Cover page with title of project and MIST IDs only, stapled on the left side.

3. Executive Summary: A summary of your project, outcomes, problems. No more than a few paragraphs long.

4. Purpose: What would you like to see achieved through this project? State each goal your team has in mind. What problem(s) in our community will it take a step towards solving?

5. Procedure: How do you plan to reach this goal? (List all steps you think will be involved in order to accomplish your goal) Who will be involved, and in what ways?

6. Data: Anything you like to show us or explain can be displayed on the board. Include who was involved in the project, along with what everyone did.

7. Conclusion: How did the actual procedure differ from what you originally planned? What were some obstacles that you faced?

8. Discussion: How was the project integral to Islam? How does it relate to this year’s MIST theme? What are some ways you would like to expand this project in the future?

9. Competitors will be judged according to the Community Service Ballot.

Newsletter

If you violate and/or not fulfill any of the following rules, you could loose points or even be disqualified from the tournament.

1. This competition is a team effort. A minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 people must register for this competition. One Submission per MIST Team.

2. MIST ID and order of competition will be pre-assigned on a random selection basis.

3. Competitors shall report at the appropriate time and place designated.

4. Judges shall know the competitors by their MIST IDs.

5. Three (3) copies of the newsletter should be submitted to the orientation moderator. MIST will not copy any work for any competitors. Competitors are responsible for bringing their own copies.

6. Newsletter should not have the school name anywhere on the submission. Use a fake name until after the competition.

7. Newsletters should be a minimum of 4, 8.5 x 11″ pages.

8. Pages must be printed in duplex (front and back)

9. Extra points are received if newsletter is printed in color.

10. Newsletters must be in article format and must have a masthead with a unique name, volume number, issue date.

11. Newsletter must have at least one paid advertisement from a local community business.

12. Newsletters must inform the club’s members as well as outside members about club news, events, meetings, officers, important news.

13. Competitors will be judged according to the Newsletter Ballot.

Research Project

Topic: Ethnic Pockets: Students should gather statistics in their community about the ethnic diversity in their city wide masajid. For example: How many Ethiopians, Arabs, Pakistanis, etc attend each masjid? Are there any masajid that are overwhelmingly full of only one ethnicity? Students should then asses what caused the population distribution in the masajad. Did the different ethnic pockets just occur out of coincidence, is that just where the populations just happened to settle, or is there a reason behind the diversification and ethnic distributions of the masajid.

Students should then examine the activities that promote diversity in one of the masajid. Suggest what can be done to improve these projects, along with suggestions on other projects that the masjid could take on to promote diversity. Develop a proposal to be given to the masjid that includes these suggestions.

If you violate and/or not fulfill any of the following rules, you could loose points or even be disqualified from the tournament.

1. MIST ID and order of competition will be pre-assigned on a random selection basis.

2. Competitors shall report at the appropriate time and place designated.

3. Judges shall know the competitors by their MIST IDs.

4. One or 2 people can work collaboratively in this competition. If you chose to work on it as a team, only one submission will be accepted from that team.

5. The presentation must be a minimum of 7 minutes and not exceed the maximum of 10 minutes.

6. Visual Aides are required along with the speech. Visual Aides can vary anywhere from a power point presentation to posters, pictures, props and video clips.

7. Participants should note that if any special equipment (i.e., computer, TV, VCR) is required for their presentation then they should contact the organizers of your MIST Regional.

8. A Bibliography page is required.

9. Competitors will be judged according to the Research Project Ballot.

Science Fair

Getting Started
Required Materials and Submissions
Judging Criteria
Rules and Procedures

This competition will appeal to those with interest in science. This year’s topic for all science fair projects must relate to the theme. Science fair topics MUST be emailed to your Regional Registration Headquarters by February 1st, 2008 (see regional website for changes) for approval purposes. Topics must relate to “Diversity” theme, but does not necessarily need to relate to Muslims or even groups of people (Examples: Diversity of the Human Body, Diversity in the Environment). If you do not receive approval for your project idea, you will be disqualified. Up to 4 students can register for this event working collaboratively. Only one project per school will be accepted.

Finding a Topic & Creating your Report/Display Board:

- Topic Selection Wizard: This site provides you with a wizard that helps you identify what project would be best for you. It also provides a menu on the left that helps you create your project including how to: state your question, create background research plan & bibliography, review literature, identify variables and create hypothesis, create your materials list and procedures, conduct the experiment, anaylze data and graph it, make conclusions, write your research paper, create your display board. It even shows you a sample project.

- Tips for a successful project

- Project ideas by area of science

- Science Fair ideas by grade level

- The Idea Bank

- Writing Reports: This site provides an outline of what a good report should include.

- Display Boards: This site provides tips on creating display boards.

- More Display Board Help: This site is an excellent source for those who want to create the best display boards. There are sample display boards as well as a picture gallery of some of the best display boards. This site also provides help on how to grade yourself and how to present your project to a judge.

- Research Paper Help: This site provides you with a detailed sample of a research paper on a project that won 1st place in a 6th grade science fair. Make sure to read through the paper to get ideas on what is expected of your research paper.

- Student Project Handbook: This site provides a handbook that will guide you from A to Z. It will help you come up with an idea, start your experiment, create your display board, write your research paper, and even give you hints on what to do and what not to do when presenting to a judge.

Required Materials and Submissions:

• Each Science Fair Project must have a display board. Your board should be the standard size of 36″ tall by 48″ wide (folds in three panels to 36″ tall by 24″ wide). These presentation boards are self-standing and work quite well. You can either buy the board from any store such as Staples, Office Max…etc or make your own for free from a large cardboard box. The board can be any color.
• Here are a few tips on what could be on your display board:
  a. Pictures taken during the experiment.
  b. Data notebook or background research notebook
  c. Any equipment or material used in the experiment (that is not excluded by rules)
  d. Abstract
  e. Title (as a header at the top of the display board)
  f. Hypothesis
  g. Procedure
  h. Results
  i. Conclusions
  j. Applications
  k. Charts, graphs, tables, or other visual aids
  l. Statistics, where appropriate
• Unacceptable items for display include:
  a. Live animals
  b. Microbial cultures or fungi, living or dead
  c. Animal or human parts, except for teeth, hair, nails, and dried animal bones
  d. Liquids, including water
  e. Chemicals and/or their empty containers, including caustics, acids, and household cleaners
  f. Open or concealed flames
  g. Batteries with open-top cells
  h. Combustible materials
  i. Aerosol cans of household solvents
  j. Controlled substances, poisons, or drugs
  k. Any equipment or device that would be hazardous to the public
  l. Sharp items, such as syringes, knives, and needles
  m. Gases
• Each competitor must also turn in a Research Paper. Your paper must include (but not be limited to) the following criteria:
  a. Title Page
  b. Table of Contents
  c. Abstract
  d. Question and Hypothesis
  e. Review of Literature/Background Information
  f. Materials and Procedures
  g. Results
  h. Conclusion
  i. Acknowledgments (optional)
  j. Reference List/Bibliography
  k. Table and Figures
  For more information on each of the above criteria, refer to the Science Buddies website.
• Visual Aides or any models that help explain your project.
• You are the most important part of your display. You are representing your school to the public and should be dressed appropriately. Do not chew gum. Respect other students and judges. Also, be prepared to describe your project to a judge in a clear, succinct presentation.

Judging Criteria

Each project will be judged on the following:

Rules and Procedures

The following is a list of rules and procedures for this competition:

1. Contestant numbers and order of competition will be pre-assigned on a random selection basis.

2. Competitors shall report at the appropriate time and place designated.

3. Judges shall know the competitors by their MIST IDs.

4. Your interview will be a maximum of 10 minutes. Your presentation should allow time for the judges to ask questions.

5. A display board, research paper, and other visual aides that help your project are required as outlined above.

6. Your project will be displayed with others in a gallery.

7. Project must relate to this year’s theme.

8. Competitors will be judged according to the Science Fair Ballot.

Scrapbook

The following is a list of rules and procedures for this event:

1. MIST ID and order of competition will be pre-assigned on a random selection basis.

2. Competitors shall report at the appropriate time and place designated.

3. Judges shall know the competitors by their MIST IDs.

4. One or 2 people can register for this event. One submission per team. Registered contestants must work on this collaboratively within their team.

5. MIST IDs and Year should be on the cover page.

6. Note that this competition is a scrapbook competition and not an album competition. No albums will be accepted.

7. Must display the events and activities of the MSA throughout the year.

8. Competitors will be judged according to the Scrapbook Ballot.
Tips and Advice

Source of Tips and Advice is Cropaholics

Do’s

1. Design page layouts to highlight your pictures.

2. Color coordinate your decorative papers.

3. Create page interest by cropping an occasional picture in a shape, circle or oval.

4. Use acid-free, lignin-free paper.

5. Use only archival safe pens to write on your pages.

6. Be careful with what you use to adhere your pictures with. Even though it is acid-free, it may not hold your pictures to the page indefinitely.

7. Use a stabilo pencil to write on the back of your pictures when necessary. Acid free pens will not hurt your pictures, but they will smear and will transfer onto other surfaces.

8. Journal often. It is as much fun to read about the event, as it is to see it in pictures.

Don’ts

1. Don’t create such “darling” pages that you only see the page and not the pictures. Why is it you are doing the page in the first place?

2. Don’t crop too much out of your pictures.

3. You are putting so much time and love into your album, don’t scrimp on quality when buying your scrapbooking products.

4. Don’t stack your albums. Stand them up side by side.

5. Don’t cut Polaroid pictures.

6. Don’t scrapbook when you are tired. You’ll find that you make more mistakes.

7. Don’t think that you aren’t creative. Everyone has their own style and every scrapbook ever made is a cherished possession.