Bulletin
Vol. 1 September issue VI
READERS’ THEATER
Readers’ Theatre has been a cherished tradition in the Dramaybaaz Society, providing a dynamic platform for individuals with diverse talents in the performing arts to showcase their abilities Whether performing solo or in group acts, participants engage the audience through a wide variety of creative elements, including acting, dancing, stand-up comedy, beatboxing, even shadow play and reenactments of film scenes, and of course, recitals of poetry, prose, whatever medium that speaks to them Our enthusiastic students take great pride in presenting this lively showcase, which celebrates the richness of artistic expression and collaboration. Each performance is a testament to their dedication, creativity, and passion for the arts, leaving a lasting impression on all those who attend
The mundanity of Readers’ Theatre is the event’s unique aspect. Without the need for elaborate costumes, sets, or props, performers focus on their mode of expression, timing, and collaboration Each act becomes an exciting challenge to engage the audience using the performers' own creativity. This year, the theme chosen for Readers’ Theater is Elements of Nature; fire, earth, air and water. Nature’s four classical elements have inspired many stories, myths, and art for centuries Having cultivated an entire genre of Literature, with an abundance of odes, poetry and prose dedicated to Nature, participants can delve into the extracts referring to Nature and its elements, they can express their thoughts, feelings and interpretations upon the topic, create their own renditions or original pieces, and even perform already published works in however way the feel comfortable in One will have complete creative liberty in articulating their accounts.
Fire, the element of passion and transformation, represents both creation and destruction Earth, grounding and nurturing, symbolizes stability and growth. Air embodies freedom, intellect, and spirit, while Water signifies change, fluidity, and renewal. Through these four elements, students will explore the deeper themes of nature, humanity, and the cycles of life
Dramaybaaz hopes to put on a spectacular show through a series of innovative performances combining poetry, myths, filmography, and more, aspiring to rekindle the appreciation of literary and performing arts.
PROUD
PAKISTANI
Haider Ali, the only Pakistani athlete at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, is an inspiration to us all On September 6th, Ali scored a bronze medal with his season-best throw of 52.54 meters in his sixth attempt in the Men's discus throw F37.
However, this isn’t the only medal he’s won. Ali has won a gold medal at 2020 Tokyo Paralympics in the same category, and a silver and bronze medal in Long Jump at the 2008 Beijing and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics, respectively. He has won 4 gold medals and 2 bronze medals in the Asian Para Games in fields like Discus Throw, Javelin Throw, 100 meters, and Long Jump.
It was at a training camp in Faisalabad, where Haider Ali’s athletic potential was discovered by sports officials in 2005 Having cerebral palsy, he was coached by Coach Akbar Ali Mughal and received specialized training in track and field events, including long jump, discus throw, high jump, 100m, and 200m. His hard work and talent paid off, when he debuted in the 2006 FESPIC Games, an Asia-Pacific disabled multi-sport event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and achieved one gold and three silver medals.
Ali’s perseverance, determination, and hard work beautifully capture the essence of the Paralympics: whether you are disabled, handicapped, or different in any way, you can still soar, reach new heights and achieve exceptional milestones.
SPOTLIGHT
Astronomy has captivated humanity for millennia, inspiring awe as we view Earth as a small element of a vast cosmos The International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition harnesses this fascination, allowing students to test and expand their knowledge of the universe in a competitive yet friendly setting. This event challenges participants and deepens their understanding of astronomy and astrophysics
This year, one of our own, Mahad Ahmed Baloch, participated in this competition and won a Silver Honor, placing him amongst the top 10% of participants. According to Mahad, “It was tough to manage the preparation of the competition alongside his CAIE preparation and the competition itself was also really complicated with questions unlike anything that he has learned but through a lot of trial and error and of course dedication, he finally succeeded”. Mahad has a fond interest in astronomy and it was years of this fondness and dedication which made this achievement possible. He took up the platform and opportunity provided by the competition and fueled his passion project Besides all this, Mahad also serves as the president of the Juno Society, is active in the STEM society, and is currently contributing to MUN marketing and graphics. He also excelled in the Academic Marathon, securing 8th place globally and a silver award at the continental level for his Biology Module. Academically, he maintains high standards with 4 A's in AS levels.
Mahad encourages his peers to balance academics with personal passions, use their time wisely, and leverage available resources to make a positive impact Additionally, he highlights the vast amount of possibilities the field of astrophysics holds Cedar is proud of Mahad's accomplishments and looks forward to his future successes.
HEUSER WORKSHOP
The team of educators and teachers from Heuser visited the students of Cedar College PECHS, in efforts to inform them of Heuser’s classes, academic courses, mock exams and interviews. The courses include MCAT (DHMCAT), ECAT (NUGICAT), BCAT (BIZCAT), & ARTCAT along with SATs classes for students aspiring to study abroad.
They visited on the 10th and 12th September, detailing their state of the art library and Mentorship program Led by Dr Hussham Arshad, this institution aims to provide its students with an all rounded experience. As an example, out of just one hundred students AKU accepted last year, 63 studied from Heuser. As mentioned on their website, they currently have “a 96% acceptance ratio in test prep services.” Heuser also offers mentorship for students through renowned advisors
CEDECO X CEDAR
Having always advocated for environmental sustainability as well as the protection of animal rights, Cedar collaborated with CedEco, a society with a mission to promote environmental care, to implement such practices that ensure an eco-friendly, improved environment. sealing such initiatives in a written document, CedEco's society heads and patron, along with Cedar Care's patron, signed the document with Sir Roque Martin, thus igniting the journey towards betterment
This collaboration consisted of certain clauses regarding sustainability, the first one being ‘recycling program initiative’; aiming to develop recycling programmes for all Cedar institutions, to train the students and staff about waste recycling and sorting practices, while also collecting recyclable waste. Much of these initiatives are intended to contribute to charitable causes, with the College management providing the necessary means and infrastructure to develop a habit of recycling and reduction of waste amongst the staff and students, while CedEco manages the collecting and sorting of said recyclables, simultaneously coordinating with designated charities that would be provided with yields of all recycling efforts. To encourage sustainability, both the parties agreed over proposals regarding the scaling down of energy consumption, minimizing waste and adapting eco-friendly practices by conducting workshops, recording progress and providing mentorship and expertise. Other collaborative projects are also under process, like community cleanups, educational programmes on a green environment, all of which CedEco will, with the support of Cedar College, plan and execute Additionally, this collaboration also touched upon the protection of animal rights and promotion of conservation efforts. CedEco plans to organize awareness campaigns and advocacy events, to draw attention towards animal rights. While CedEco organizes such efforts, College management will fully facilitate their efforts by providing promotional materials, venues and marketing.
This collaboration will prove to be a defining step in the path of creating an eco-friendly space, the wheels set in motion from September 11th. With the plans already in place, we can hope to see a positive change in the upcoming days!
Signed by:
Sir Yasser Ahmed - Patron, CedEco
Ms Dilnaz Avari - Patron, Cedar Care
Sir Roque Martin - Dean, Cedar
Inshirah Shaikh - President, CedEco
PECHS GOWNING CEREMONY
StuCo Cabinet for 2024-25
On Monday, 9th September, Cedar College PECHS held its annual gowning ceremony for the academic year 20242025, a cherished tradition that marks a significant milestone for our graduating seniors. The event took place in the PECHS Hub, filled with faculty, counselors, and fellow students eager to celebrate their friends and fellows on this important occasion
Sir Murtaza began by delivering an inspiring speech, reflecting on the challenges faced by the class and the triumphs they achieved together. The cheers of the crowd erupted as the candidates walked across the stage to receive their graduation gowns from Sir Ali Qazi, followed by Sir Murtaza leading the oath-taking ceremony with all 10 candidates Each gown symbolizes not only academic achievement but also the personal growth and resilience these students have demonstrated throughout their high school journey.
Finally, the moment had come. The atmosphere was electric, buzzing with excitement and anticipation Everyone was on the edge of their seats, eyes glued to the stage when Sir Murtaza first announced the head of Media and Marketing Department: Fatima Saeed Risalat. The position for Treasurer was awarded to Muhammad Omer Shaikh, and the new General Secretary was announced to be Dost Mohammad. The next President and Vice President were declared to be Syed Ali Imam and Danyal Imam, respectively
WELLNESS PROGRAM
Cedar organized a Wellness Program to support the emotional and mental wellbeing of Knights, with a variety of activities and exercises to help students navigate through the stress and turmoil of everyday life
With Ms Perin Avari - Masters in Clinical Psychology from the prestigious Columbia University, conducting this program, the event was overall a success.
The workshop started by creating a pleasant ambience, urging the students to feel as comfortable and safe Kicking off the program with some grounding techniques to recenter oneself to reality, Ms Avari went on to enlighten Knights about certain meditation techniques and elaborated on how to find your inner self through meditation. The prime target of this session was to tactically help students navigate through stress, anxiety or the feeling of being overwhelmed. Knowing the amount of pressure students are in, especially at this stage of life with college applications and career doubts piling on and on, Ms Avari also initiated a steam off session, encouraging students to talk and vent about their toils and troubles.
Ms Avari then asked for the consent of everyone present to document their session for research purposes, and to conclude their meeting, she inquired about the mainstream goals, mindsets, issues and pleasure regarding general teenagers, so as to make a permanent Wellness program as attuned to the audience as possible
Attendees of the Wellness Program
SOAPBOX
On Thursday, September 12, in Cedar College DHA. The cafeteria buzzed with energy as Dramaybaaz, a vibrant society dedicated to the performing arts, hosted its inaugural soapbox event, led by members Sabicah Noaman, Bismat Khurshid, and Ayesha Khalid.
CNMUN
The gathering aimed to foster community dialogue and creative expression among students "Dramaybaz is about so much more than just acting or putting on a play," Noaman emphasized in her opening remarks. "We encourage all types of performance arts whether it be acting, dancing, or stand-up comedy.
Our society is here to provide a safe space for emotional expression and to build a supportive community " The soapbox format is designed to encourage spontaneous discussions on various topics, from trending social media scandals to lighthearted college news, like Cedar's new kitten mascot.
This approach aims to spark conversation and engagement among students, allowing for diverse voices and perspectives to be heard. "We want to talk to you, and we want you to talk back," Khurshid stated. "This is a platform for all of you to share your thoughts and ideas."
The event saw enthusiastic participation from students, who were encouraged to suggest topics for future discussions or even host their own soapboxes. They invited students to reach out via email at dramaybaaz@cedar.edu.pk with their ideas.
With this initiative, Dramaybaz is not only promoting the performing arts but also cultivating a lively community dialogue, making Cedar College a more interactive and engaging environment for its students. The soapbox events are set to become a regular fixture, promising to keep the conversation going and the creativity flowing
One of the biggest Cedar events is coming up: Cedar National MUN. Due to its huge success last year, it is now introducing its second edition set to happen on 27th, 28th and 29th September 2024 at the Cedar College DHA campus In its first edition it became the biggest A level conference with 556 delegates in attendance. The number is set to rise as about 600 delegates have registered so far.
With 11 committees and delegates from various institutions, Cedar National MUN second edition is fast approaching as the team gears up to welcome the future ambassadors. To ensure a smooth experience and inclusivity for all delegates, they have organized a training session on Friday, 20th September 2024 at the DHA campus This training session is open to Cedar students as well who have registered for the conference, so that they may be able to get valuable insight into how the MUN circuit progresses and can interact with delegates they will be debating with a week later.
CNMUN has expanded since last year and is promising delegates not only a good level of debate, but also being a beginner friendly environment. Additionally a kiosk to answer all questions regarding CNMUN has been set up at the PECHS campus as well.
SOCIETY FAIR
This week preparations for the upcoming Society Fair were at their peak. Society Fair, scheduled to take place on 21st September, will be a 4 hour event where all of Cedar’s societies will be actively involved in highlighting their objectives for the year, their past achievements, and their future plans It is also a great opportunity for our Knights to sign up for the societies they are interested in as well as get to know their events and activities A day specific to just getting to know about each and every society, what they do, how they operate and function, all while experiencing the entertaining activities organised by our A2s Society Heads.
All Cedar societies are currently working on marketing their activities for the society fair and making use of their social media platforms to do so Fun and engaging reels and posts are being posted by all the societies to enhance engagement and promote the society fair. Not only do some of these promotions tell the viewers about their plans for the society fairs, they also highlight the creativity of each society in the way they choose to promote their society. Various societies such as Esports, Adventure society, Codes, Shutterspeed, Dramaybaaz and World Chronicles are also posting on their Instagram pages to highlight their work to attract passionate individuals who would love to contribute to their favorite societies Societies like Cedar Culinary, Strokes, Studios, CedEco, Care and many more have started posting humourous reels to showcase their work and to prompt positive responses from the audience. Publications has started to post about their various productive pieces, while Ted-Ed, CEBS, Cedar Legal, and CREW have started dropping hints on their future initiatives as well. C# has been involved in marketing appealing to all those who find themselves drawn to music, while Cedar Union targets all those who find it fun to debate and talk about world affairs and much more.
The society fair is a monumental event for students to take a break from their academics to explore the extracurriculars that Cedar offers, indulging in the magic they bring to our Cedar Community.
ART CORNER
Alphonse Mucha's The Seasons, is a series of decorative panels, each depicting the four seasons; Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, all personified as different ladies, against the backdrop of Nature, to capture the essence of each season.
This specific painting is labelled as Spring by Mucha, showing a nymph-like figure, playing lyre, crafted from a curved twig and the strings from her own hair Each season of the originally issued set was accompanied by a short descriptive poem, imprinted in the image area. In this, Spring is described as "emerging from the mists of winter, brings the joy of the new year with its sunshine and flowers "
Looking closely at the backdrop, the ornaments that adorn the painting and the appearance of the lady, how would you interpret this piece of art, and how do you think this relates the the Spring season?
Let us know your thoughts about Mucha's Spring by emailing us on cedarpublications@cedar.edu.pk
Alphonse Mucha’s Spring (1896)
Try the MURDLE MYSTERY for your daily dose of fun!
UPCOMING EVENTS
DHA
MUN Training Session - 18, 20 Sept
Paddle Tennis - 20th Sept
Debate Session - 20, 21 Sept
CNMUN - 27, 28, 29 Sept
Intro. to Comp. Science and AI - 28 Sept
Psychological First Aid Training - 1 Oct
Intro. to Pakistan Stock Exchange - 3 Oct
PECHS
Debate Training Session - 20, 21 Sept
Psychological First Aid Training - 3 Oct
BEST ART INTERPRETATIONS FROM ISSUE V
MATTEO PUGLIESE - LA PROM
This sculpture offers a poignant perspective, depicting man's determined struggle to break free from constraints and at the same time, exposing vulnerability and the suffocating grip of societal expectations- which is embodied by the wall pulling him back It suggests that individuals must escape the constraints of society, which seeks to conform and stifle their potential. The sculpture symbolizes the relentless pursuit of freedom and selfexpression, highlighting the tension between personal aspirations and societal pressures.
-Myesha Faisal
PUBLICATIONS TEAM FOR ISSUE VI:
PATRON
Ms Aysha Sheikh
EDITOR-IN-CHEIF
Amnah Khan
DESIGNERS
Amnah Khan
Shayan Siddiqui
WORDSMITHS
Alishba Azam
Amnah Khan
Armeen Arif
Emaan Athar
Hamna Siddiqui
Mir Matar
I think this person chose to go with the notion of 'breaking through the obstacles of life'. His face does now express that he's trapped it seems more like he's ascended to some other level Maybe he's trying to portray how humans are capable of anything if they put their mind to it or maybe it shows a sort of acceptance, that if a wall is an obstacle we can break through it, taking it down and coming up with a solution to counter it. We can go over it or beside it by thinking out of the box and leaving it and this can be accepting the obstacle and making it a part of you But also it could have some elemental meaning, like in religion mankind is made of clay, the human body itself is made of what's physical, we eat what comes from the ground and we ourselves also come from within the ground So this might portray some sort of message that we are the same or one, as the wall is also of similar material to clay- bricks. But it does show that they've like ascended to some higher celestial form as you'd expect a ghost to do that which can also be a sort of birth or process of creation Maybe thats what Pugliese feels freedom is like Or even ascension and acceptance, with no pain as seen from his facial expression, showing his acceptance.
-Zainab Khan
Cedar Publications is proud to present the issue VI of Bulletin. This week was all about preparations of the upcoming Society Fair, university applications, various approaching events like Readers’ Theater, Soapbox etc, as well as the sessions of Wellness Program. This week’s Bulletin covers all the anticipated and the previous events at Cedar, keeping our Knights up to date with all the happenings in college, as well introducing our very first comic strip Be sure to look out for the next edition of the Bulletin for more updates about life at Cedar!
