MUWCI TIMES N•5 by Muwci Times

MUWCI TIMES

WHAT A LONG DAY

N•5

MUWCI TIMES N•5 words

Kunzang Tshering Corné Rijneveld Maria Victoria Moreno Jeppe Ugelvig Jiya Pandya Christoph Trost Kevin Holička William Hunt Thembi Molefi Megan Erwin Nanya Jhingran Gaurav Thadaney Kavya Bhat Brenda Wacuka Njoroge

Illustration

Anu Biswas

pictures

Karanjit Singh Oskar Àvila Åkerberg

layout

Cecilia Cortes Jeppe Ugelvig

publishing & editing

Jeppe Ugelvig

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CONTENT EDITORS NOTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Jeppe’s monthly review of the current times MATH STUDIES = IDIOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Kunzang is sick of judgemental people labeling Math Studies-students as retards GUIDE TO ONLINE DATING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Megan tells you how to get started in the world of online romance THE DANGER OF A SINGLE STORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Brenda reflects on stereotypes after hearing a speech by Nigerian writer Chimamanda Adichie IT’S SOON TIME FOR HOME, OR IS IT? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 10 What are you doing for winter break? Gaurav investigates P.R.I.V.A.C.Y II. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Thembi and Kevin reveal the secrets of MUWCI’s storerooms XXX – SCENARIO 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 A new headmaster arrives on campus – second part of Maria Victoria and Christoph’s feature IT’S ONLY WORDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Or is it? Jiya shares her opinion A LETTER OF DEVOTION TO MARGIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Corné feels bad about Margit’s solitude GIRL POWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Kaya visited a self-help group in Korvan Valley COMFORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Nanya talks about the dangerous comfort-zones of our lives MUWCI – THEN AND NOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Oscar’s monthly MUWCI-nostalgia returns AGENT OF CHANGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Will shares his views on American “democracy” in his monthly opinion 3

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EDITORS NOTE

As Brenda mentions in the beginning of her article, the last three weeks have probably been the most intense that the MUWCI population has experienced yet. An extreme amount of IA’s, tests, exams and extra activities has been the main (if not the only) focus, naturally neglecting other aspects of life like sleep and socializing. As the newly distributed handout about workload soon will reveal, stress levels have been high, too high for both years, resulting in great fatigue by the end of this term. Soon, however, we will be scattered back to our respective continents, although some individuals have other plans (see Gaurav’s article on page 10) As we wrap up this term, we also say goodbye to our very own Jonathan Long. I am sure that it will not occur to us before the new headmaster is here, but I would still like to say goodbye and good luck to both Sue and Jonathan, and thank them for whatever contribution they made to this place. It is hard to measure success, so instead of attempting, I will remember Long as the ever-smiling and friendly soul with an incredible rhetoric and vocabulary of metaphors. I welcome you to the 5th and last MUWCI Times of 2011. I am proud to present a strong set of personal views and opinions that reflect the diversity of our group. Be prepared for an even stronger MUWCI Times next year, as our goal is to develop and improve to make the reading-experience something truly unique – every time -Jeppe

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MATH STUDIES

IDIOT

Yes, I said it. Anyone and everyone who takes math studies is an ignorant fool who cannot do even the simplest of math problems. If you are reading this with disgust, horror and do not agree with anything I have said; please read on before you hunt me down to give me a piece of your mind. On the other hand if you wholly agree with the title and the first few lines of this page then this is article is for YOU. With this I hope to clear the misconceptions that many of us have about the souls who are taking a math studies course. Firstly many people are under the impression that the sums undertaken in such a course are unbelievably easy and go something along the lines of Q. If Mary had one apple and John eats it, how many apples does Mary have now? In truth even though the syllabus may not cover topics in depth of a standard or higher level course it still addresses a wide range of issues and the questions are not always as easy as they seem. Another common misconception is that those who take math studies, especially a 2 year course need not study for a placement test as they â&#x20AC;&#x153;cannot sink any lower anywayâ&#x20AC;?. To this I say that even though it may be the lowest course offered in mathematics that does not mean that we have given up all hope and will now never study for a math test. Nobody likes to get a bad grade and some people may even use these tests as a platform to score exceptionally well and move UP to a higher level of math. The level of math we take shows we are most comfortable in and I do not think that this should be mocked. The same person, who takes a lower level of math than you could score higher in another subject, beat you in a game of chess or literally beat you up. Next time someone tells you that they take math studies, do not scoff at them but remember that a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proficiency with numbers is not directly related to how smart they actually are.

By Kunzang Tshering (Math Studies 2 years and proud of it) 5

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A GUIDE TO

ONLINE DATING By Megan

“LovingJack – 41, M, UK Partner expectations: Just be yourself and together we can walk that road, holding each other’s hands. Can you walk with me?” No? Doesn’t do it for you? Don’t worry, there are millions more profiles that might take your fancy. Welcome to the world of online dating. For all those who think romance is dead, look no further. Passionate love letters akin to those of Shakespearian days fill the cyber-world, where the LovingJack’s of the world search for “the one”. Like all unique literary forms, the online dating profile has conventions that must be abided by: clichés, too many exclamation marks and saying you’re “easy-going and sensitive” are big no-no’s. With millions of profiles, the goal is to stand out from the masses and dazzle the potential love of your life with your wit, charm and thatsomething-you-can’t-put-your-finger-on. People go about this in various ways; take “DesperateLonelyLoser” for example: “Bitter, disillusioned SM recently rejected by longtime fiancée seeks decent, reliable woman, if such a thing exists in this cruel world of hatchet faced witches.”

Now the pity card is not to be has shrewdly targeted the bountiful

demographic of emotionally frustrated women who desperately want a damaged man to rehabilitate. However, if you want to spread your romantic net even further you may want to take the approach of “SunshineKid”: “Hey you … … ride on the clouds, pick the sun ... bring it with you and dance barefoot in my heart. Forget the past, lets live in the now and dream about the future. Let’s become one … together.” The existence of clouds and the Sun are pretty well known universally so immediately “SunshineKid” has made a connection with the vast majority of the population. The poetic prose retains that air of mystery and the whimsical “hey you” is off-set beautifully by the intense promise of the last line; “Let’s become one…. Together”. Nice one SunshineKid, full marks. The world of online dating is growing exponentially every year, and is it a wonder why? In the age where we are all so “busy” with our professional, social, spiritual, lorem ipsum :: [Dato]

municipal, archesporial (….etc) lives we can now find our soul mates from the comfort of our living rooms, safe from the risk of humiliation looming ever-present in bars and clubs, the dating arenas of old. And it is not only a thing for the wrinkled, twice-divorced and menopausal; online daters are getting younger and younger. In fact for us, “the Facebook generation”, it seems only natural. We’re used to looking at people’s profiles, walls and pictures and being able to see who their friends are, where they live, where they went to school, their past conversations, their clothes, their mannerisms – all without having to exchange a single word with them. Consequently we are all very keen to distinguish ourselves from the masses but are constrained to a profile picture and a few lines. This results in what is essentially an online dating profile. But just as Facebook friends can become “real-life” friends, so can online dating result in real love (yes, I’ve heard it’s true). Speaking to people about their feelings towards online dating, a word that was quick to leave their lips was “pathetic”. “How can you decide whether you want to get with someone - from a grainy photograph and a three sentence paragraph that is 80% acronyms?!” was the general sentiment among MUWCI students. But just think about the general dating scene in “the real world” – a dark, smoky room, loud music thumping and you’re most likely under the influence of some kind of substance. Is this the environment to find out someone’s true beliefs about the meaning of life and whether they want to get married, have a two girl twins and a boy and live happily ever after? With online dating everything the person thinks is important for a future partner to know about them is written concisely so you can peruse at your leisure. Most sites even have a matching service to sort through the “SpunkyHunk”s and “HotMinx”s and suggest potentially compatible people.

Yes, as I’m writing this the romantic in me is screaming in protest, but I think this serves as an example to show everything that is changing in our society today is not necessarily bad, simply different. So if you decide to venture into the world of online dating, here is my last tip; some need to know acronyms so you don’t get lost in translation:

WLTM Would like to meet GSOH Good sense of humour LTR Long-term relationship F2F Face to face IRL In real life ND Non-drinker NS Non-smoker SD Social drinker SS Social smoker Div Divorced DTE Down to earth KWIM Know what I mean ROFL Rolling on the floor laughing LJBF Let's just be friends GMTA Great minds think alike AFK Away from keyboard SWAK Sealed with a kiss

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DANGER OF A SINGLE STORY by Brenda

What a week! We started off with the bonfire on Sunday night, followed by a series of UWC week workshops, SATs, then finally MUWCI fest. This is keeping in mind all the tests that were given and the piles of work that we all had to do (the brunt of it born by the second years). Go home people and/or travel! It’s about time!

“The problem with stereotypes is that they tend to want to show the differences in people and not how alike they are as human beings”

But now the year is coming to an end and after considering many possible subjects for this article, I’ve decided to talk about stereotypes, knowing quite fully, that it is a topic that affects us all. A female Nigerian writer, by the name Chimamanda Adichie, once gave a talk on TED TALKS on the danger of a single story. She spoke movingly about how we all succumb to believing one thing about a particular place or people, depending on the story that we hear of it; the dominating story that we hear and perhaps not the truth in totality. She speaks about her upbringing and her first stories as a writer. She talks about a boy named Fide, who worked in her family. All she knew of him, was that he was poor as she was told this by her mother. She also speaks about the stereotypical image she had of Mexicans as being immigrants and of her surprise

on visiting Mexico to discover a people who did not fit her image of what she thought they were like. She was equally surprised when she visited Fide’s family, who she soon discovered had a brother who could make beautiful pieces of beadwork. She had only seen them as poor people and did not think of them as capable of doing anything. She speaks of her experience in college and the fact that so many people were surprised at her good English. When her American roommate asked her for her ‘tribal songs’ she tells the audience of her surprise when she produced her Mariah Carey collection of music. What touches me most about Chimamanda’s stance in her speech is that she states very clearly that these are all images that we all hold and are not only confined to certain people. The problem with stereotypes, she says, is that they tend to want to show the differences in people and not how alike they are as human beings. A person is judged by the place they come from, a color that they have, and lorem ipsum :: [Dato]

from a single story that a person may hear about them or their land. Some of these judgments are heard, in comical ways and some, in other ways that seem to be a show of lack of taste and sensitivity. As we grow to know one another in MUWCI, as we learn from each other and learn about each other, as we all try to find a home in this multicultural hub, Chimamanda does not say that we should ignore stereotypes, because sometimes, they still carry some truth in them. She says however, that they only communicate single stories. As we all try to find our place and home in MUWCI, we must be aware of this; the danger of letting a single story dominate our thinking and our behavior. We must remain aware of the many, many more stories that have been left untold. I recommend that you all to watch her 20 minute speech. www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html

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Remember a couple days back I sent you all a survey questioning your Christmas Break adventure? Well I got A TON of results and most of you will be amazed with them. The survey was over a hundred students, and here are the results: 79% of the voters are going home, 12% are staying in India, 6% are exploring Asia, and 3% are going home with a friend. To be honest I am exited about going home, but at the same time I wished I stayed back in India and explored it a little

IT’S SOON TIME FOR HOME, OR IS IT? By Gaurav

more, same with Asia. Or maybe go with a new friend to their house and see how it’s like in their country, and get a whole new level of experience. Isn’t that what a UWC is actually about, rather than waiting to go back home? I know I’m being a little crucial here because all of us do miss our brothers and/or sisters, and definitely our parents. I know I do miss them a ton, and maybe the only reason I am exited to go back, is to see them. We all are a family in MUWCI, but another will never replace our biological families. Why am I saying this? This is because I remember when I took my interview for UWC I was asked, “What will you do without your family”, or somewhere along those lines, and I replied, “Well with only around 200 students, I would consider that a whole family, and try to use that as a connection to my biological family to constantly remember them.” Unfortunately that did not happen. We all miss our family and always will, at whatever age you end up being. In fact, I realized, as you grow older, you tend to feel that necessity of connection between your family and yourself. Anyways, back to the X-mas Break adventure. We all tend to go home, but do you guys who are going home plan on going somewhere else, or even meeting up with a few MUWCI students somewhere on our planet Earth? If you do, that is awesome! Remember guys, take tons of pictures, as pictures are the one thing that will always bring back memories, and preserve them. All I can say now is enjoy your Christmas Break and don’t forget about us. For those of you not going home, hats off and a ton of respect.

WHO'S GOING WHERE?

Going Home

Staying in India

Exploring Asia

(fortsat)

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P.R.I.V.A.C.Y II Photographed by Karanjit Singh Words by Thembi Nhlekisana and Kevin Holicka

Privacy is the last thing that we can enjoy in this small bubble. These 13 rebels on the other hand fight against this typical scene. They indulge in a world of their own. Behind their closed doors, secrets will be revealed.

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1.What does your store room mean to you? 2.Would you give it a nickname? 3.Describe your room back home! 4.Who would you exchange your store room with at MUWCI? 5.What will your parents/bestfriend say? 6.If there was a scenario in your store room, what would it be? 7.Who would you share your store room with? 8.If you could put a piece of furniture, imaginary or real, what would it be? 9.Describe a mood for your store room! 10.If your store room would ever participate for the best room at MUWCI, would it win? Why or why not? 11.Which second/first year would best suit your store room? 12.What would be the soundtrack for your store room?

JENNIE|SWEDEN

1.Privacy (Sila laughing in the background) 2.I don’t have a nickname for my storeroom, I am sorry – Shut up Sila! It’s a place to get away. MUWCI experience can be intense sometimes. At the same time, there’s no escaping you know. You’re

always there and the housekeeping can come into your room and be like “Tikhae, tikhae!” 3.First of all it’s an apartment, not a room. I am used to a lot of privacy. I have my bathroom, my kitchen. And you know, I have all the amenities I have for myself. I haven’t been living properly with my parents for three years.

MARIA VICTORIA|VENEZUELA 1.It’s a fish tank of ideas, poet, and shit and just a lot of things going on here and there. 2.I would call it Narnia because it’s like a closet. 3.It’s communist-like and camouflaged by tree and monkeys. Come on, I am from Venezuela. 12

5.My mom said that it’s unlivable and she’s seen it for real. 6.Walking into my room and discover Anu and Shalmali sleeping on my body with my clothes on.

4.Eh, yeah, No. I wouldn’t want anyone to spend their time in my room. It’s an invasion of my privacy. It’s mine! (Smiles like Golumn) 6.Someone stealing my stuff! (Eyes wide) 7.Flooded. It’s MUWCI. It’s moldy. It wouldn’t win because I will never put it on any competition. It’s just mine! 11.Megan, because she thinks it’s comfy. 12.Hungry like the wolf by Duran Duran.

7.Jini Varghese. 8.The moon, but not Ricardo’s. 9.‘Mi casa es tu casa’ 10.Yes, because it’s shanty (smiles) lorem ipsum :: [Dato]

RYAN|INDIA/CHINA 1.It’s a place I can just hide away from society, anything else? 2.Bob. That’s the first thing that comes to my mind. It’s bob, backward and forward – it’s genius! 3.Bigger than my store room. Oh,

I have my little brother in there so I’ll prefer my store room.

don’t think anybody could die there. It’s too chilled out for that!

4.Ian. He’s got a cool store room.

9.Loungy

5.My mom would be like “sweet” And my brother would do the same. 6.A lot of odd ‘things’ have happened in my store room (laughs) but I

10.It would totally win, dude! It’s got like pro music, super chill out atmosphere, and a candle stand. 11.Hmm all the ‘interesting’ first and second years can fit in easily in my store room.

JESSICA|U.S./BELGIUM 1.It’s a womb of happiness.

5.They would say it’s the womb of happiness.

2.Mommy. 3.It’s big, nice, and red – just like a penis!(Eyes wide) 4.Mavi’s because it’s even more messy than mine so I wouldn’t feel bad messing it up.

6.An industrial revolution. 7.My twin. 8.Sam, because he would be a nice bouncy castle.

9.Melancholy and contemplated. 10.Eww, no! It smells horrible, but it’s gonna be pretty this weekend when I paint it in purple. 11.Someone smelly, but I can’t hint anyone. 12.‘Rock on’ by Jess van de Bon.

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ULRIKKE|NORWAY 1.It’s sleep, maybe? It’s just a place where I can chill. I love to read here and listen to music. It’s like a break from India (laughs) 2.The storeroom in house 5. 4.No one (Silence)

5.My parents would say “Oh, now you got a place where you can sleep” 8.A flying carpet! I always want a flying carpet so I can fly wherever I want. I can sleep while floating and when I want to go to Pune, I can just fly right away.

it’s a brand (Winks) 10.It would win because people want my gifts. I have a gift calendar! 11.I have no idea (screams) but probably most of the Norwegians because I have Norwegian candy and notes on my wall.

9.Moods of Norway, 12.Right now, it’s Christmas carols!

IAN|KENYA 1.Uhm, it means my room, uhm my privacy. A place I come back after a whole busy day. 2.Sure, why not! It’s Dr. Ian’s clinic. 3.Uhm, quite larger than my storeroom, but it’s not that big as well. The bed is on the floor exactly like my store room. You’ll see speakers and posters. You will

always find Bob Marley and Chelsea posters. 4.Uhm probably Rickie. It’s quite cool. There’s this (pauses) what do you call that thing, again? Oh shit I forgot... 5.My parents will find my storeroom much more organized. They’ll be quite impressed. My best friends will definitely laugh because it’s so small and there’s housekeeping.

6.Uhm a ‘screwing’ maybe?(grins) 8.Maybe a couch, yeah. 9.Quite lively actually (smiles) 10.Probably not. It’s plain. Apart from the posters it’s just like a normal room. 11.Maybe Lungelo. No, it should be Lungelo. He’s got the swag (laughs) and he’s been visiting my place a lot. 12.Reggae.

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SOFIA|BRAZIL 1.It means my little musical world, Hehe. The image I have is musical. Whenever I am inside, there’s always music there. This place is more like a mature place for me. It prepares me to live alone. 2.It doesn’t need a nickname. I’ll just call it home sometime. See, the concept of home is very weird. I can adapt myself everywhere so as long as I have my music and of course me, hehe. My family is missing, definitely. But If I’m having a bad day at MUWCI or something, I’ll go back home which is my storeroom. 3.It’s as small as my store room, but I used to share it

with my sister who is 10 years older than me. And it’s really messy ‘cause she has so many clothes. 5.My parents would love it. My dad mocks me a lot because he thinks I am a communist, hehe. I do have Che Guevara painting by Sanni in my door. They will very much love it and they’re also with me now because I also keep their pictures. 6.For some reasons, I am always scared of not waking up. So I’ll be sleeping with a snake in my room. I am scared that no one will find me and the room is locked. The scenario will be someone killed by a snake.

7.I am tempted to say Michael(Ex Triveni coordinator), but I would love to share it with Shaked. We will have so much fun together. I’ll be teaching her Portuguese and she’ll be teaching me how to sing. 8.Have something that is capable to make everything disappear in my room. So when I do this (Snaps) they’re all gone and I can just dance with my music. 9.Whenever I go to the storeroom. I am always tempted to turn on my music. I get the feeling that I’m home. It’s definitely homey, but more than that, it’s a happy and comfy mood. It’s actually nostalgic with my family pictures and notes from my friends too.

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XXX PART II

The New Headmaster stood there, waiting... ...The New Headmaster waited some more and decided

“Sorry for that mass-email, Mr The

to close the door to get some tranquility and privacy.

New Headmaster,

Thinking he was alone The New Headmaster quickly

Kindly pass by The Big White

sat on his new chair in the centre of his new office and

Bubble In The Gardens to collect

swirled cheerfully on it. It took The New Headmaster a

your welcome - MUWCI-bag, if you

couple of seconds to realize that the door he shut was a glass-door – the only element separating the hundred bright, big eyes staring firmly at him. Not knowing how to react The New Headmaster positioned himself in front of the computer and opened the screen that was

haven't done so yet. Best wishes, The

building

the

Reprographics”

closed only minutes ago. 16

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The Big White Bubble In The Gardens was the only thing in The New Headmaster's mind as he left the office through the backyard. Thankfully in this case The New Headmaster did know where he had to go, since he had seen that Bubble many times before. A lonely bag with a blue-green earth-logo was awaiting him in the center of The Big White Bubble In The Gardens. The New Headmaster sat down cross-legged, took off his shoes and opened the bag with excitement. Suddenly the entire floor gets flooded with colourful Mahindra-postcards, shiny, polished mugs with matching logos, many dark blue sweatshirts as part of a school uniform, loads of yearbooks – generously They even gave the “Next Year's Yearbook” - and finally a brand new laptop, with only little battery left and no charger.

A lonely bag with a blue-green earthlogo was awaiting

After all that Welcoming from the Welcome Bag, The New Headmaster checked if he overlooked anything. He saw something at the bottom and

him in the center of The Big White

stretched into the bag to dig it out...It was a

Bubble In The

dusty folder that contained construction plans

Gardens. The New

New

Headmaster sat

Headmaster of his own new house and the

down cross-legged,

structures

that

reminded

The

neighboring apartments. The last page showed many blank lines, marked with a tiny “Signhere” post-it that clearly hadn't fulfilled its purpose. Immediately there is a feeling of

took off his shoes and opened the bag with excitement.

obligation to sign the plans.

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The

dusty

folder

aroused

too

many

The bag must have been almost empty,

questions – he couldn't sign it in that Big

when he found a little entertainment

White Bubble in the Gardens.

package: A set of 6 ordinary dices, but

When he reached the object of the drawings – his officially only planned house – The New Headmaster locked the door and started looking for a pen in his Welcoming Bag. A thick, solid notebook appeared in his hands instead. The comfortable atmosphere of his residence gave him the confidence to have

glance:

Pages

full

names,

each with only one little feature: There was one dice with a lonely dot on each side, another one with a pair of dots, and so on until a dice with half a dozen of dots. The bright yellow post it attached to it read: “For,

whenever

reassurance

your

from

decisions

fate.

Love,

need your

Christmas Buddy!”

numbers and digits followed by € ,$, Rs, £

Thrilled by excitement but tired from the

... Suddenly a big, fat, smelly fish just

day, he lifted the bag ready to take a break

popped up as a drawing in between the

and noticed, there is still something inside

names, some of which he recognized - from

the Welcome Bag.

the back of cars and tractors.

“Let's see if this fits” The New Headmaster

The desire to find the rest of his new

said as he tried on the passed down

possessions made him dive in once more.

Welcome Jacket...

He produced a pair of shades that looked like any other pair. It took the New Headmaster a couple of seconds to realize that

had

the

option

choose

particular color, depending on the situation. A little note said: “Helpful to keep yourself cool,

especially

afternoons.”

heated

Monday

by Christoph and Maria Victoria

IT’S ONLY WORDS By Jiya

“A word on the page, and there is the drama” says writer Sarah Kane in her play 4.48 Psychosis. And indeed, just one simple word on a piece of paper has the power to capture imaginations and create dreams. It may be said that any word; spoken, written or enacted contains that power, simply because they communicate an idea. However, I believe that there is a different magic in the written word: a sort of authority and intensity that the spoken word cannot achieve. The written word is imbibed with a sense of permanence, a sense of control. Writing brings with it a feeling of immortality: the knowledge that what one has to say has been documented and preserved, for future reference. By committing yourself to paper, you are committing yourself to an idea. Your writing lives beyond you, and thus your ideas live beyond you. In society today, the fact that something is printed on paper validates it. It is considered more definite, more accountable than the spoken word. This enables writing to influence opinions the way the spoken word cannot. I believe that it takes immense courage to stand up and speak in front of people. But it takes equal courage to write something and leave it open for interpretation; by making yourself accountable in a much more definite way and for a much longer time. When you speak to someone, you are receiving direct feedback from them in terms of expression and response, and you can influence them with your response. But when you write, you don’t see your reader, and you can’t rejustify yourself. Your words speak for you, speak about you. Writing in itself is dangerous, and “dangerous writing” can change lives. I’ll end by saying this: always think before you write something; it is way more effective that one might believe. The pen is definitely mightier than the sword, but it can be a heck of a lot more powerful than the spoken word as well.

LETTER OF DEVOTION TO MARGIT By Corné Dear Margit, After reading the interview in the previous edition of MUWCI times in which you explain how lack of friends forced you into a life of silent solitude in your storeroom, I, as a friend and on behalf of all your other friends (I’m sure they’re out there!), feel obliged to write you a letter of devotion. To structure my thought, which is blurred with passionate affection, I have made a list of things we all love about you: 1. You’re a very kind person (except to frogs). 2. Your handwriting is really nice. I hope you understand how much we care for you now. You are not alone! Love (yes, you’re loved!), Corne (I tried to find other people to sign this, but they unanimously replied: ‘Norwegian girl? Which Norwegian girl? Ah, Ulrikke you mean! Sure, I’ll sign, Ulrikke is awesome!’)

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GIRL POWER the Self Help Group in Kolvan Valley

Armed with a questionnaire (translated with great difficulty into Marathi – kudos to Chinmay and Kermeen), we went down to Chikalgaon with the intention of understanding how the presence of women’s SHGs affected social dynamics within the village. Sitting on a sheet of blue tarp collecting stories from Putdabai Phale, a well-respected village elder, I find myself gaining some sort of insight into the life of these women.

since the SHGs were conceived. ‘Of course’, she asserts. ‘Women are actively involved in politics – and they are finally asking those difficult questions.’ Shakuntala Phale (of the same SHG as Putdabai) got elected into the Panchayat (village governing system). Last year, the women of Chikalgaon were instrumental in procuring a motorable road and electricity for the village from the ward representative.

‘Being part of a self-help group gives a woman courage,’ she declares, ‘especially in a group run by your family and friends.’ The women of Chikalgaon are part of three separate SHGs – categorized by caste and family relations. They don’t generally mix with other SHGs, the suggestion seems alien to her. We are eager to know if she personally believes things have changed

So how well do these changes sit with the men? She says that the women still listen to their husbands, but certainly not in the same way they did before. ‘We have saved up money now; we don’t need to ask them!’ She seems tickled by the fact that very often, the men have to ask their wives for spending money. It’s easier to run a household now that there is a fixed

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amount of money that comes to them every month, courtesy of the SHG. Of course, some people are still rather dismissive of the SHGs’ efforts. Men are sarcastic, they call the women derogatory names, and none of them are actively supportive. Some men interfere in the SHG meetings. However, the women themselves go to banks and other savings’ institutions in Paud and Pune. The men seem glad to let the women take responsibility – and now that the women have become the breadwinners, censure from the village seems to be on the decline. Education seems to have become an integral part of the conversation. We learn that Putdabai has been to school only until fourth grade. Most of her SHG peers have never been part of a formal education system. The most erudite has finished tenth grade, but she doesn’t take any initiative to educate anybody else. Putdabai’s daughters have all been in 7th grade, one of them is getting a degree in Pune. Putdabai studied in Mumbai until she got married at the age of twelve. We can’t resist asking about the institution of marriage. She assures us that child marriage is a forgotten concept, primarily because local police crack down rather hard on acknowledged cases. The average marriageable age for women is between 19 and 23. As a general rule, people choose to marry individuals within their own caste, though the spouse is usually from another nearby village. Inter-familial unions are losing popularity because they have been informed of complications during childbirth. SHGs confidently help resolve social issues – Putdabai proudly recalls a time the group asked an abusive husband to ‘shut up and get out.’ They have, by picketing local liquor shops and breaking bottles, succeeded in almost solving the problem of alcoholism. They have also played a part in improving public health by ensuring that all serious medical problems are treated by a certified medical professional in Paud or Pune. 21

Bby Kavya And what if conflict arises within the group? Putdabai says that discussion is then the order of the day. All women contribute the same amount of money to ensure all voices are equally heard. They are better than most men at taking economic initiative – shops are rented and brilliantly managed, fish is caught and sold as a source of supplementary income, produce from a sort of ‘kitchen garden’ is marketed. There seem to be absolutely no problems with SHGs as far as Putdabai is concerned – they are perfect. We can’t be certain that the views of Putdabai are shared by all of Chikalgaon’s female population. But I would like to conclude with something Shantabai Phale, leader of another SHG, told me at the health fair. She says, ‘Before I was part of my SHG, I was forced to cover my head every time I saw a man, and I did because I truly believed they were better than I was. With the SHG, I realized that I was perfectly able to do everything they could do – now I don’t feel compelled to cover my head when I leave my house. I feel free and independent.’

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COMFORT Comfort is a trap. The worst sort of a disease is ‘settling down’.

By Nanya

Where has the surprise gone out of our lives? To what did we lose the luxury of unsuspectingly walking into a dark room straight into a party? The luxury of not knowing what’s going to happen five minutes from the present moment. The luxury of walking down a road, and unexpectedly running into an old friend. There is a comfort in knowing what comes next. The girl at the coffee shop down the road, reading a book may secretly be wondering when her prince charming would show up and strike up a conversation with her, but deep down she knows its comfort that gets her back to the coffee shop, makes her order the same black coffee and talk to the same people. Its comfort that stops her from talking to the guy that sits on the table next to hers. Comfort in knowing that more often that not, a guy walks up to a girl in coffee bar and they fall in love. Comfort in the fairytales she grew up with. Comfort in the pink walls of teenage rooms and the giggles over romantic comedies. But are we all deprived? Deprived of the adrenaline in the moment when you half expect something new and suddenly every nerve in your body is craving to know what’s going to come next. Deprived of the instant need to jump up in glee at something that takes you out of the rut that everyday life puts you through. The sigh of relief that gives your fears peace, fears that hint on a monotony that endanger a life worth living. How much happiness do we extract out of safety? Comfort is a trap. The worst sort of a disease is ‘settling down’. To subject yourself to a routine, to an encyclopedia of expectations, is like telling yourself to live in a framework that you can’t snap out of. Routines are like parasites, they trap you in and the comfort encompasses you in a shield, and this is when surprises turn into annoyances. The girl at the coffee shop starts getting attached to her table and her chair and her book and when prince charming does ride by, she has no time for him because she’s too engrossed in doing what she does everyday. The safety of the coffee mug and the view out the window killed her impulse to react, killed her natural craving for the surprise, the setup became a setting, the goal became an obstruction, the means became an end. And where did that leave us? That left us living 250 disconnected lives within an inch of each other. That left us deprived of the opportunity to know something new about someone new. That left us to where we are right now. Is it the best way to live the life we have right now? 22

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THEN AND NOW

By Oscar

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AGENT OF CHANGE By Will The SAT is probably the most miserably boring and frustrating creation of mankind since the invention of sports involving hand-eye coordination. So as I was trudging my way through the critical reading section yesterday morning, I was shocked to find a short passage that actually said something that interested me. This single paragraph on the topic of democracy addressed a question that I’ve thought about a number of times in the past. If one person’s vote doesn’t matter, what reason does an individual have to vote at all? I have always answered this question in the same way that I answer those who question flexetarianism (flexible vegetarianism – the way of the future): my individual actions may change nothing, but if everyone felt this way and behaved accordingly, the world would be much worse off. To expect something of others without expecting it of oneself is hypocritical and wrong, so I have promised myself to rarely eat meat or miss an election. I still think my argument is a fine one, but the passage I read made a much more compelling one. It asserted that the “One vote changes nothing” rationale fundamentally misunderstands the entire idea of democracy – that the entire concept of democracy has developed around the idea that an individual should not be able to change anything, and that a government for the people should be a government by the people – not by the person. Had I not been taking the SAT, I imagine a smile might have crept across my face. What a beautifully simple answer to a question that I had never been able to satisfactorily answer before.

perplexed. Why hadn't something so obvious and integral to the concept of democracy never occur to me beforehand? Why did it not occur to the 43.2% of Americans that didn’t cast their votes in the 2008 Presidential election? Either we have all been operating with a faulty understanding of democracy, or something – our culture? – was telling us not to pay close attention. It occurred to me that while the United States has long been the selfappointed champion of democracy, the American identity has developed an ideology of capitalism and individualism that is almost impossible to reconcile with the democratic philosophy. Democracy is a system of the people, but America has become a nation of the person. And so on voting day millions of Americans say to themselves, without a trace of irony, “Of course I believe in democracy, but what’s one vote worth to me?” I have always known that when I turned eighteen I would vote. This is still the case, but my reasons for doing so have changed profoundly. Had I not taken the SAT on December 3rd, I would have voted next year in spite of the fact that my actions would not have any impact. Now I know better. When I step up to the voting booth and submit my ultimately insignificant vote in the 2012 election, I will do so precisely because it will change nothing at all. Because I am not change. I’m just an agent of it.

When I had time to reflect on this idea later, I became both excited and

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THE•END

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