School live october 2017

ToTal pages: 60

Volume 03 | Issue 03 october 2017

The Happiness Quotient

Bringing Mental Health to the Fore Making the City Healthy

with Plastic Free Powai

Equating Health and Happiness

with Bina Nangia

The Great Debate: Security v/s Privacy

with Amit Dubey

contributors

S C H O O L

L I V E Board Of Directors Richa Aniruddha Sanjay Dua

Harun Robert, a.k.a, Rob

An arts & crafts wizard, and an award-winning designer.

Urvashi Malik

Founder & Managing Director of CollegeCore with over fifteen years of experience in guiding and aiding students.

Hariharan Balagopal EDITOR Mansi Tikoo mansitikoo@gmail.com DESIGNER Ashish Kumar For AdvertiSING M.G Ramachandran Mo. 9953593081 advertising@school-live.com For subscription editor@school-live.com

Prerna Kohli

Clinical Psychologist, a Public Speaker, a Workshop Facilitator and a Holistic Practitioner; 100 women Achievers Award Winner (2016).

Amit Dubey Crime Investigator and expert on ethical hacking.

Bina Nangia

Pioneer in the field of Special Education and Dyslexia, Associated with the NGO, Hope Ek Asha

Jitin Chawla Educationist and career counsellor tells you how to pick the right course

C o n ta c t Kritika Negi 9810560472

School LIVE : Printed and Published by Richa Aniruddha fromPlot No. 202/2E-23, Jhandewalan Extn., New Delhi-110055 Printed at Rolleract Press Services A-83, Naraina Industrial Area, Phase 1, New Delhi-110028 Owned by FUTURE READY EDUCATION SERVICES PVT LTD. EDITED BY RICHA ANIRUDDHA

Connect with us at: www.school-live.com Twitter: @schoolLIVE_mag Facebook: School LIVE ToTal pages: 60

Volume 03 | Issue 03 october 2017

The Happiness Quotient

Bringing Mental Health to the Fore Making the City Healthy

with Plastic Free Powai

Equating Health and Happiness

with Bina Nangia

The Great Debate: Security v/s Privacy

with Amit Dubey

Kavita Devgan Nutritionist, weight management specialist and health writer

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Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017 | 3

Physics and Chemistry Physiology or Medicine Literature, Peace and Economics All of the above

Coral reefs in India can be found in • The Coast of Orissa • Waltair • Rameshwaram • Trivandrum

Which was the first country to adopt GST? • • • •

France USA Britain Japan

The valley of flowers is located in • Himachal Himalaya • Garhwal Himalaya • Kashmir Himalaya • Nepal Himalaya

Which shuttler Won Silver at World Badminton Championship 2017?

Jwallla Kutta Ajay Jayaram Chetan Anand P V Sindhu Oreo Garhwal Himalaya University of South Florida D.P V Sindhu Increased Height

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6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

• • • •

• • • •

Taoism Judaism Zoroastrianism (Parsi Religion) Shintoism

Hundred year war was fought between • France and England • Greek and Persian forces • Civil war in England • None of the above

Which of the following is the latest version of Android Mobile Operating System?

• • • •

KitKat Marshmallow Nougat Oreo

Q. Which of the following American Universities has launched the A.P.J. Abdul Kalam fellowship for Indian students ?

• Harvard University • University of South Florida • University of California, Berkeley • University of Chicago Excessive secretion from the pituitary gland in the children results in • • • •

Increased height Retarded growth Weakening of bones None of the above

Answers

• • • •

Fire temple is the place of worship of which of the following religion?

All of the above Zoroastrianism (Parsi Religion) Rameshwaram France and England France

2 4 6 8 10

For which of the following disciplines is Nobel Prize awarded?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

1 3 5 7 9

Know for Sure Quiz

ed-note

S C H O O L

L I V E

Hi All! I have to share something important with all of you. I visit a lot of schools because I am invited to their annual functions or various competitions etc. And ofcourse I visit my daughters school too.

Very recently I told my husband.. Why do all the children in schools wear such a serious look these days? Why don’t they smile at each other or at us? Why do they try to look away when they see elders? What is all the stress about? What’s bothering them?

We couldn’t find an answer but when we hear of depression in teens, when we hear of suicides because of a stupid gaming app, when we hear of rapidly growing number of children needing psychological counselling, IT DOES worry us.

Honestly, no matter how old fashioned I may sound to you..I still believe in a lot of “old times” lifestyle patterns. Where we spent a LOT of time with our family members, we met our friends every evening and chatted with them, instead of chatting online. We fought and made up, and laughed it out rather than taking everything to the heart and sulking for months. It was OK to be scolded by parents and punished by teachers and it had nothing to do with our sentiments being hurt or we being insulted.

To sum it up.. We laughed on and about everything and then forgot what happened.

You can do it TOO! No rocket science. Please stop taking life and yourself too seriously. Every minute that you waste sulking or complaining or feeling sad will not come back to you.

Remember you are anyways going to laugh about things that make you sad today. So might as well laugh today!

Wishing you a happy life!

Lovingly yours

Richa Aniruddha tweet to me @richaanirudh

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22

CROSSWORD NO. 11

ROSSWORD NO. 11

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ACROSS: 9 1. Small lump (6) 10 (4) 6. Extremities 7.14 Pleasure (3) 8. Angry scene (4) 11.

17 Is in debt to (4) 13. Narrow road (6) 18 15. Wipe out (6) 21 17. Always (4) 20. Stalk (4) 21. Unopened flower (3) 22. Reject (4) 23. New (6)

DOWN: 2. Put on (3) 3. Elevate (4) 4. Aye (3) 5. Not even (3) 7. Blossom (6) 9. Group © (3) Amrita Bharati, Bharatiya Vidya Bhav 10. Kept for future use (6) 12. Mass of salt water (3) ANSWERS: 13. Prosecute (3) 14. Regret (3) ACROSS: 16. Shorten (3) 1.

Ends 7. Fun 8. Fuss 11. Owes 1 18.Nodule Portent6.(4) 7.theBlossom (6) 15.

C. Pass Plaster!

19. Efface A snare17.

(3)Ever 20. Stem 21. Bud 22. Ve 23.

The femur is the longest 20. Unused A bribe (3) bone.

However, If you 9.

Group (3) had a fracture in the second-longest bone in 21. A vehicle (3) your body, which part of 10.

Kept for future DOWN: use (6) the body would the plaster go on?

12. Mass of salt water (3)3. Lift 4. Yes 5. Odd 7. Flower 9. Set 2. Don 13. Sue 14. Rue 16. Cut Answers 13. Prosecute (3) 10. Stored 12. Sea 18. Omen 19. Net 20. Sop 21. Bus

ACROSS: 1.

23 Small lump (6) 6. Extremities (4) 7. Pleasure (3) 8. Angry scene (4) 11. Is in debt to (4) 13. Narrow road (6) DOWN: 15. Wipe out (6) 2. Put 17. Always (4) on (3) 20. Stalk 3. (4)Elevate (4) 21. Unopened 4. Ayeflower (3) (3) 22. Reject (4) 5. Not even (3) 23. New (6)

22

A. Exceptions to the Rule Fill in the blanks

ACROSS: 1. Small lump (6) 6. Extremities (4) 7. Pleasure (3) 8. Angry scene (4) B. Name Tag 11. Is in debt to (4) 13. Narrow road (6) 15. Wipe out (6) 17. Always (4) 20. Stalk (4) 21. Unopened flower (3) 22. Reject (4) 23. New (6) The Chow-Chow and the Shar – Pei are two breeds of dog that do not have pink tongues. Their tongues are______ in colour; the only cat that does not have a tail is the ______ ; the largest rodent is tailless. It’s called ______.

DOWN: 2. Put on (3) 3. Elevate (4) 4. Aye (3) 5. Not even (3) 7. Blossom (6) 9. Group (3) 10. Kept for futu 12. Mass of salt 13. Prosecute (3 14. Regret (3) 16. Shorten (3) 18. Portent (4) 19. A snare (3) 20. A bribe (3) 21. A vehicle (3)

ACROSS: 1. Nodule 6. Ends 7. Fun 8. Fuss 11. Owes 13. Street 15. Efface 17. Ever 20. Stem 21. Bud 22. Veto 23. Unused

C. Your leg will be plastered; the second-longest bone in the human body is the shin bone, called the tibia.

B. a. Strontium (named after Strontian, a Scottish village); b. Gallium (France was once known as Gaul); c. Magnesium and manganese (Magnesia was a district in Greece) Answers: A. black, Manx, Capybara.

a. This element is named after a village in Scotland b. This element is named after France, well, the older name of France c. A district in Greece inspired the name of two elements

DOWN: 2. Don 3. Lift 4. Yes 5. Odd 7. Flower 9. Set 10. Stored 12. Sea 13. Sue 14. Rue 16. Cut 18. Omen 19. Net 20. Sop 21. Bus

There are some chemical elements that have been named after actual places. Can you guess the names of these elements based on the clues given?

11/ © Amrita Bharati, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 2017

14. Regret (3) © Amrita Bharati, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 2017 / 11 16.

Shorten (3) 18. Portent (4) ANSWERS: 19. A snare (3) 20. A bribe (3) ACROSS: 1. Nodule 7. Fun 21.6.AEnds vehicle (3)8. Fuss 11. Owes 13. Street 15. Efface 17. Ever 20. Stem 21. Bud 22. Veto 23. Unused

ANSWERS:

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DOWN:

© Amrita Bharati, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 2017 / 11

6 | Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017

S C H O O L

contents

L I V E 5 6 8 13

Editor’s Note Encyclopædia Britannica School in Spotlight Slam Poetry

COVER

14 Exclusive: A Lesson in Happy Education 18 In Counsel 19 Fit for Life 20 Idea(n)ation 22 Teen Travels 26 Expert Expression 28 Career Chat 32 Positively Positive 35 Study Guide 36 Fun Side: Adventures of Maya 38 Storytelling 42 CyberSafe 44 tête-à-tête 46 DIY: Custom Snapback 47 Expert Expression 48 Rap Up 52 Watch this Space

N

Quick Edit

ever have I taken so long to begin an editorial. That should tell us a lot of how difficult we find talking about mental health.

Even when someone like me believes we are quite adept it, we still haven’t broken through the glass ceiling. But it was quite a challenge putting the issue together as it encompasses so many different aspects, we often forget to address. The idea is to deal with different aspects of mental healthy: the happy, the sad, the doubt and the fear. Ranveer Aujla talks about one such transformation in his new found love for the city of Mumbai. While Aditi Vohra weaves an interesting tale of how mind games can leave us trapped. An important aspect of it also becomes to keep in tune with the child in you, which Angela Arora addresses in her letter to childhood. With all of these issues in tow, we also have Shlok Babu from Mumbai writing about his initiative to make his city plastic free! We hope you enjoy reading the issue as much as we have in putting it together.

“Happy Reading!”

Mansi Tikoo

26

Juniors

54 DIY: Smoke Rings 56 Blog 57 Storytelling 58 Slam Poetry

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S c h o o l

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In the issue focussed on the general mental well being and health of students, we thought it important to even feature a school which works tirelessly in making education happy for its students.

Team School Live had the opportunity to know the workings of this little nestled gem from Sikkim, Taktse International School, Gangtok.

Through the

High Road

T

aktse – a Pre-K through Grade 12, co-educational, Englishimmersion, day and boarding school – was conceived in the winter of 2004 when a group of concerned Sikkimese gathered to discuss the

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problems confronting local society: erosion of values, increasing numbers of alienated youths with few marketable skills, growth of mass consumerism, increasing disparity in wealth, degradation of environmen-

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tal resources, and impoverishment of ethical standards in public office.

They started with the belief that the best way to prepare students for the world they will inherit is through a new kind of education, one that

S c h o o l blends progressive teaching practices with local strengths, a hybridization of the 21st century.

Taktse nurtures lifelong learning, fosters a love for collaborative work in a multicultural setting and cultivate both personal introspection and social responsibility. They work with the intention to provide leadership in the field of education and to actively collaborate with educators around the world. At TIS, round table discussions, question and answer sessions with scholars, artists and community leaders are the norm. The school curriculum empowers students to connect with the environment, appreciate their heritage, to transform themselves, and ultimately, the world.

The students are taught how to read, analyse, think creatively, solve problems, and employ modern technology as a tool of learning. The idea is to root the students in their own culture, grounded by local values such as respect for what came before, a close connection to the environment, and believe in empathy, listening, and patience as ways to effectively connect with and understand others.

The school focuses on both mind and spirit, believing that knowledge and creativity mixed with compassion and kindness make a powerful combination that will serve our students well as they move into adulthood. They believe that this holistic approach, which respects modern and indigenous wisdom, is a strong model, one that is good not only for Sikkim, but also for India and anywhere in the world.

THE SCHOOL

TIS rests on a sprawling, picturesque 35-acre campus at Pangthang, East Sikkim. Connected to Gangtok by three different roads, the school stands at an elevation of nearly 2,000 m and offers unparalleled panoramic view of Mt. Khangchendzonga, the famed third highest mountain in the

Students are rewarded when they read a book and complete a book report. For the younger grades, the Library classes focus on inspiring students to decode words and understand the elements of a story.

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world, considered to be the abode of Sikkim’s protecting deity of the eponymous name.

The TIS campus is an integral part of their educational approach.

The tranquil, natural setting encourages personal reflection, focus, and meditation. The school buildings, designed to inspire, maximize the use of natural light, and facilitate frequent interaction between all members of the community.

The school’s Library program is designed to cultivate a student’s love of reading and develop the skills necessary to be effective researchers

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(using a dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopaedia, Google, etc.). Students are rewarded when they read a book and complete a book report. For the younger grades, the Library classes focus on inspiring students to decode words and understand the elements of a story. Most of books that the school hosts have come from the USA and UK and are invaluable learning tools.

Through the spacious circular Library, the school emphasizes the importance of connecting to the outside world as well as inner reflection.

The well-equipped Computer Center, used frequently by all the students, including the Kindergarteners, is designed to accommodate the technology that works ...not just technology to impress.

TIS CURRICULUM

The TIS curriculum is rigorous, interdisciplinary, and holistic. The combination of Indian, British and American curricula along with the

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S c h o o l

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Taktse nurtures lifelong learning, fosters a love for collaborative work in a multicultural setting and cultivate both personal introspection and social responsibility. They work with the intention to provide leadership in the field of education and to actively collaborate with educators around the world.

unique Taktse approach to classroom management, discipline and school culture promotes high student achievement, encourages independent and creative thinking, and develops a lifelong love of learning in all community members.

With small class sizes, TIS teachers know each child well. High frequency interaction, inquiry, and dialogue drive the learning process as students engage real life issues and learn to question, think critically, and find solutions. TIS classrooms are governed by mutual trust, respect, and col-

gether, with the other village boys, I fought against gravity to pick the juiciest guavas, challenged rocks to a match of tug-of-war to let the stream run free and tussled with the roaring wind as it sought to snatch clothes on the line. To village boys, challenges were like fresh milk and chicken legsalways welcome. So with the heart of a five year old warrior I ran to face the challenges of primary school.

In the village school I lost the battle for a better education. My questions were no match for the wooden stick striking my back. Every day I wobbled home with fresh battle scars.

Every day the stench of fear emanated from my body as I walked to school. I cared not for the numbers nor the letters on the blackboard but the sound of the final bell. It was no surprise laboration. The teachers work with to me that my report card horrified students to create an atmosphere of my parents. My dismal scores never improved and my father’s brow acwonder, excitement, and discipline. quired a permanent crease. Then, at the end of third grade, my parents almost nonchalantly, asked me if I am a village boy.

I wanted to transfer to a boarding With calloused hands, iron legs, school in the capital. I knew I would and the smell of wood smoke emalose my forest and mother’s cooking nating from my pores, I rejected the but desperate to escape, I left. plastic toys that kept me confined During the first few months at my to my house. Instead I used water new school, Taktse, I never asked hoses to make wheels, hacked bama single question.

My hands out of boo to make swords, wove jungle habit, automatically rose to protect ferns into helmets, and stretched discarded tires into catapults. To- myself when teachers walked by.

Student Speak

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and Descartes.

Every year I returned to the village with a longing to wild again. To run with bamboo swords and swing from trees. But the village boys had grown to be village men whose vacant eyes were set on the last bend on the road that would lead them away to bigger cities. The same boys who loved stealing peaches and building animal dens, who taught me to appreciate the verdant forest, now were indifferent to the swaying trees calling for adventure. So I left alone to delve further into the thicket, guided by the yearning to know the origins of streams and to observe the silent shivering of tree leaves. When I first left my village, Slowly with kind words and their set up a computer network and ran Taktse became my forest. Now I’ve willingness to listen to my chal- circles within a For loop as I tried left Taktse and the world has belenges, I grew to trust my teachers. to teach myself to code. My teachers come my forest. A forest I’ve been When they pointed to the library and gave me the freedom to take respon- exploring through small adventures. said there were worlds to discover, sibility for my learning and growth. I now yearn to continue this exploI rushed to take part in the adven- My school was much like my village ration in a stranger distant land. By ture. I got caught in Charlotte’s Web giving me the freedom to wander and flipping through the pages of books, and whispered the name of He- discover by myself. This inspired me listening to ideas I’ve never been exWho-Must-Not-Be-Named. Later, I to build my first computer and then posed to and by growing under a difhunted with Captain Ahab and sat by my first video game prototype using ferent canopy of thought, I hope to the deathbed of Ivan Ilyich. When Construct 2. Through Edx, YouTube, continue this adventure that began I wasn’t reading, I got tangled in and E-books, I learned about trusses, on a monsoon day in the mountains ethernet cables helping my teacher tensegrity structures, the Greeks of Sikkim. — Abhishek Subba

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S l a m

P o e t r y

The World of My Dreams

Pay Attention

Last month I got selected for an article writing competition, So then winning the competition was my new mission; For practice my father suggested to read the newspapers and periodicals, And prepare a daily report which was to be methodical.

Mental Health is often taken into oblivion .

It is the concept we lay our derogatory perceptions upon considering ourselves highbrows and one of the scholarly.

The irony penetrates through our shrewdness that these very perceptions considered moronic and unnecessary are a reflection of our disparaging mentality.

Upon reciting them we unintentionally tend to crumble the last perceptible ray of hope.

Chop the hands that collectively reach out and deprive the people of their very evidently required help that would ease them of the flashbacks of the horrific witnessed past.

The condition worsens as we go about and neglect the unforeseen intentions that pave the way for haphazard actions that we would later regret immensely.

The sweaty palms, perplexing moments and the sleepless nights that dull every bone in the body succumbing to depths of melancholy starts the self hard and scarring journey for the affected individuals.

Within a flick of a second the involuntary and adverse takes place.

A mother loses a daughter a dog loses it’s loved one a family mourns interminably and a precious life lost.

This oblivion and these preconceived notions, this transaction from slight to major depression is the root cause of over 6.9 million lives taken by our very own slanderous perceptions.

It’s high time we act and eradicate and take mental health as a vital issue for it is our humanitarian obligation to reach out collectively to the affected communities through awareness.

So I picked a daily newsletter, And saw something which made me stutter; All the pages were covered with news, Of environmental, political and social abuse.

Instantly I checked the other newspapers, Just to find that they all were apers; Not one of them had a positive report, Not one of them was of any support.

Taken aback I went to my parents, To ask why those papers didn’t have variants; Why only were there murder cases, And criminals and dacoits with black covered faces?

Why were there ecological warnings, Why were there so many people doomed in mournings?

Why were there reports on snatching and kidnappings?

Why weren’t there articles about happy happenings?

Why couldn’t the citizens live in unity, Why couldn’t there be brotherhood and fraternity?

Why couldn’t we respect our mother Earth?

Why can’t we realise it’s importance and worth?

A world where justice for all exists, And honesty, love and compassion persists; A healthy, clean and green environment to share, This is the world of my dreams where everyone cares.

By Jasmine Khanna Class XI K. R Mangalam World School, G.K II

By Aditi Kaushik Class XI Somerville School, Noida

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E x c l u s i v e

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E x c l u s i v e

A Lesson in

Happy Education

Apart from being the birthplace of Angry Birds, the land of Northern Lights, the most stable country, and one of the happiest countries in the world, Finland also boasts of having one of the most successful education systems. Well, they don’t really boast because they don’t teach them that, but you get the idea. While we begin comprehending the various ways in which Happiness can be monitored we also thought of looking at what makes children so happy with their schools and education!

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hat is the first thought that comes to your mind, when you hear the word “happiness”? Think, think. Did you take a moment longer than you would have expected? Strange isn’t it, we could more readily come up with things we hated or things that made us sad.

Ever wonder why? Why are we so ingrained in the ways that restrict our expressing the joy or feeling the goodness?

Well you would be surprised to know, you aren’t the only one in our country. India ranks number 122 in an index of Happiness released by Forbes. Lagging way behind neighbours Pakistan and Nepal, that at least tells us that money cannot buy happiness! If money was indeed the criteria for happiness, all the wealthier countries would be equally happy.

The difference eventually lies with mental, physical and emotional well being. The report says, “the biggest single source of misery is mental illness.”

If one looks at the official “Happiness Index”, it calculates the hap-

piness of a nation based on these factors: caring, freedom, generosity, honesty, health, income and good governance. And now imagine how poorly we are doing on so many of those factors to be so far behind!

We learn early in life that if we inculcate a virtue as a way of life, it is more likely to translate into a health-

ier adult life. One can talk to different modes of being happy, means through which we can achieve it, but why not make the very stepping stones of an individual happy! Education, what we are entrenched in to for over 18 yrs! If there was a body in place which ensured that education not only imparted knowledge but also

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E x c l u s i v e

Happy Citizens

and wisdom, health, spirituality and psychological welfare, a balanced use of time, and harmony with the Bhutan is probably the only country environment. In a study released in in the world which calculates Gross 2015, 91.2% Bhutanese said they were National Happiness (GNH), and gives happy: deeply, extensively or narrowly! it precedence over GDP. Coined by the 4th King of Bhutan, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, in 1972, GNH implies that sustainable development should take a holistic approach In 2016, Madhya Pradesh became towards what constitutes progress and the first Indian state to set up a well being. While material well being department for Happiness, under the is important, there are other factors Shivraj Singh Chauhan government. which have been given more or equal Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra were importance in the state: community, to follow! culture, governance, knowledge

Did you know?

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E x c l u s i v e We thought we must take this opportunity to know what made students around us happy. We asked some of our reporters and look at all these wonderful answers they had!

That one youtube video which promises me that I can lose weight in 10 days makes me happy Nupur Marwah, Class XII, New Era Public School, Mayapuri

•

My dog is my little pill of happiness. Waking up every morning with him lying next to me is one of the most euphoric moments Anjishtha Sharma, Class XI, New Era Public School, Mayapuri Anything that’s out of the ordinary.... A trip, a competition, a new story or piece of music Khushi Singh, Class X, Khaitan School, Noida Books Naayaa Mehta, Class VII, The Shri Ram School, Moulsari Being able to help an underprivileged in any possible manner makes me happy Ayesha Malhotra, Class XII, Ahlcon International School, Mayur Vihar Justice for the deprived and deserving Eesha Mani, Class X, DPS Sushant Lok

•

•

Self-sufficiency and independence Amrita Chopra, Class XII, Convent Of Jesus and Mary School, New Delhi When I return from an exhausting day and I am warmly welcomed by a wagging tail!

Vaani Joshi, Class VIII, Sri Venkateshwar International School, Dwarka looked after your physical and mental health, how wonderful would such a system be!

A very cursory look at some reports would have one prominent point stare you right in the face: a certain education system makes for one of the happiest nations as well! Year after year, the students from Finland outperform their counterparts from all over the world in standardised tests, while their education system is as far from standardisation as possible. We studied their school systems

closely and put down some of the salient features which set them apart.

• They believe and live out the “less is more” theory: not only in classrooms, but as a way of life. Students get 15 min break after every 45 min of class. Very little or no homework. Also, translates to lesser number of school hours for students as well as teachers. Oh, and all the meals on the school at no extra cost.

• Children are allowed to be children as their formal education

starts only at the age of 7! Only when a child is developmentally ready to focus and pay attention are they put into the system of formal education.

Teachers are one of the most respected professionals in the country. The masters programme in education in Finland is one of the most competitive courses, and the very best minds get through! In addition, the same teacher teaches a class for 3 to 6 years, so that they are on a longer journey of improvement and assessment together. There is a great deal of trust ensured between the teacher, student and other share holders.

No private or elite schools, everyone goes to the same public funded schools. No matter your economic strata, you are guaranteed a good education. Results: children learn the value of cooperation over competition.

There is a general curriculum for all the schools, but there is no standardised way of teaching. That leaves the room open for questions for which the teacher may not have answers, and could become a collaborative effort towards finding possible solutions. This also allows the teacher as well to the student to find creative strategies for class!

There may or may not be tests. The objective is to learn, not to pass an exam.

(They also top the world in per capita milk drinking. HINT!) We might not become the best overnight, or even in the immediate future. But at least, we should have our aspirations in the right place. So we might not replicate the Finnish model of education, but we should choose a path which allows choosing happiness over homework. The ultimate aim should be for children to come out as healthy and mentally sound individuals from the school system.

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One Step at a Time

As a practicing Psychologist for over two decades, I have realized that the most basic of human needs is to be happy. What most people don’t realize is that happiness is a choice. Just as we build muscles by repeatedly exercising, learn dance by repeatedly practicing dance steps, we can also teach ourselves to be happy. Dr Prerna Kohli writes

W

hat makes you happy?

Having fun? Spending time with friends? Delicious food? Making Money?

Psychologists have scientifically proven that one on the greatest contributors to your happiness is the gratitude that you show!

“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.” Zig Ziglar Gratitude is your ability and readiness to show appreciation for kindness done to you, and also to return kindness to others. The study

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of gratitude in my chosen field of psychology has actually started in around the year 2000, primarily since psychology over the centuries has been focused on the study of distress and not positive emotions.

Since then numerous scientific studies have empirically shown the correlation between gratitude and happiness.

Psychologists, Dr Robert A. Emmons of the University of California, Davis, and Dr Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami, have done much of the research on gratitude. In their experiment they had one group write daily on what that was gratefully for that day, the

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second group wrote about what irritated them that day and the third group wrote about major events in their life on that particular day. The subjects did this for a period of ten weeks. At the end of the ten weeks, the group who wrote about what they were grateful for were happier and had fever visits to the doctor.

You don’t bargain with gratitude, “I will be thankful when I have a new car, or I will be thankful when I have a new job or more money”. Gratitude is being thankful for the car you currently have, for the job your currently have or the money you have in your wallet now.

As a routine, every morning when you wake up, list five things that you are grateful in your life for. Say this list aloud; it could be for a roof over your head, a loving family, a healthy body, nice clothes to wear and a friend. Bless all these, again in the evening before you go to sleep make a mental list of all that nice things that happened to you today, and thank the universe for these. Focus on the positives! Do this regularly for forty-three days, and see the change in your life. To make this really effective start a gratitude journal, take a blank note pad or diary, and on a daily basis before your, you to sleep write the things are you are grateful for.

Dr. Prerna Kohli, is a leading psychologist in India in private practice for over two decades. To learn more visit www.drprernakohli.in

F i t

f o r

L i f e

ductivity (weight loss/health gain) are actually quite counterproductive (weight gain/health loss). So free yourself from these.

Second: Dump Unhappy Meals

What’s an unhappy meal? Well, boiled cabbage cannot make anyone happy. It can only bore you. And it’s the same for any insipid food that doesn’t excite your taste buds. So there is no point in trying to shove all that down your throat. By the way science also says that when you eat food that you don’t enjoy, the nutrient absorption is very low. So what’s the whole point! Really!

Making Health Happy

Third: Boost The Happiness Hormones

Foods like pepper, eggs, and banana help increase oxytocin in the body.

Oxytocin is the hormone that is released when one is in love or is feeling connected to someone - basically whenever we are happy. Petting a cat, hugging a friend, deep breathing, listening to soothing music, walking amidst nature, and helping someone… all release oxytocin - and so does eating the above mentioned foods. Yes, that’s one reason why I dig bananas!

Also make friends with tryptowant to share with you all a NEW in them. Positive words can manifest word that I have coined, by merg- massive growth and positive change, phan. There is a clear food-mood ing two of my all time favorite and negative words obviously do the connection, and amino acid trypwords -- Happy and Healthy -- to opposite. Take the example of break- tophan found in eggs, cheese, pinecome up with Hea-ppy (Hathy was down, and breakthrough - get what I apple, salmon, tofu, nuts and seeds another combination I played with, mean! But just coining a word can- comes tops here; it makes you hapbut I discarded that as Hea-ppy not be the means to an end. It needs py. Basically this amino acid helps more effort than that. to synthesize serotonin, a chemical sounded well… more happy).

The Next Step messenger that acts as a mood staIt’s a good merger I feel as come to bilizer and keeps us in a good mood.

Here’s my ‘to do’ list to deliver a think of it, both (healthy and happy) Hea-ppy life. have a connect, because unless you are happy, you can’t be healthy and Fourth: Practice Positivity the reverse works, too. We need to First: Dump Rules Challenges will never cease but facput a premium on both, and chase Too many rules keep you from eat- ing daily life and interactions with both. So that’s why Hea-ppy is my ing right and staying healthy. They a positive outlook can significantly new go to word from now. And I stop you from getting anything done boost your serotonin levels, leading hope it is for you too! simply because they are overwhelm- to a happier, calmer you.

Believing in Word Power ing. I feel this obsession with meaAdd your own Hea-ppy thoughts I have always believed that words surement (weight on the scale) and to the list and go on become your are powerful and carry huge energy processes (diets) in the name of pro- Hea-ppiest yet!

Our expert, Kavita Devgan offers her invaluable advice for us to make our health a priority.

I

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Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017 | 19

I d e a ( n ) a t i o n

My Green School: Tapping Solar Energy for a Better Planet

It is often said that actions are easier to emulate than just words. So while we may teach students and kids the paths to follow, nothing can make for a better lesson than actually following through on your words. Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar made one such impactful, environment friendly change in their workings, that its impact will be visible for years to come.

T

he National Action Plan on Climate Change points out “India is a tropical country where sunshine is available for longer hours per day and in great intensity. Solar energy therefore has great potential as future energy source�.

Our Prime Minister brought equatorial countries together to form a Global Solar Alliance to take forward solar energy agenda, the Secretariat

20 | Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017

of which will be situated in India.

Our generation has a great chance to use solar energy and what better place to start with this than with the future of the country - the students?

It is important for students to be aware of the environmental challenges and by switching to solar energy, we can make a contribution to curb global warming.

Our school, Tagore International

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School, Vasant Vihar has taken the initiative and has installed a large number of solar panels on its rooftop and has taken several other steps to create a green school with a low carbon footprint. This is also an educational opportunity for all of us.

The decision to install solar panels was taken in 2014 when it was realized that electricity was not only taking a large chunk out of the

I d e a ( n ) a t i o n

watts, 255 watts, 300 watts and 315 watts. The daily requirement of electricity of our school is entirely generated by these panels. There are no batteries in the school, so the extra electricity generated is sent to BSES, a power supplier, for which the the

There are no batteries in the school, so the extra electricity generated is sent to BSES, a power supplier, for which the the school gets credit.

When enough electricity cannot be generated, mainly due to weather conditions such as cloudy skies or for, electricity provided by BSES is used.

school’s budget but also increasing the carbon emissions of the building. So, to reduce expenditure as well as to contribute towards energy conservation, solar panels were installed. There are panels of 200

sent to BSES and the electricity used from BSES and calculates at the end of billing cycle. The solar panels just need regular cleaning to keep them functioning efficiently, and within a short time the investment begins to pay off. This decision not only shows wise investment by our school management committee but also helps us to become energy conscious students.

A ‘green school’ is a school ‘which uses resources efficiently, has a healthy environment, an ecological curriculum, nutritious food and performs sustainable community practices’. And with the installation of the solar panels, the school can effectively be called a ‘green school’ having taken so many environment friendly measures. There are also 14 rainwater harvesting pits in our school. This has helped raise the water table in and around Vasant Vihar. Our school has a ‘roly poly’ which converts waste generated in the school into urea. Our school also has its own paper making plant to recycle paper. Students use this handmade paper to create attractive cards and folders which are often put up for sale: the proceeds being used for our various social service projects. Grades and report cards are put online so as to reduce the usage of paper for report cards. All such steps are taken to protect trees and environment.

Tagore International School has made a difference and we have set an example by going green. As the Principal of our school Ms Madhulika Sen puts it – “If all schools take steps like us, Delhi would be a much better place to live in.”

school gets credit. When enough electricity cannot be generated, mainly due to weather conditions such as cloudy skies or for, electricity provided by BSES is used. A net meter keeps track of the electricity

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By Sidharth Bhattacharjee Class IX Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar

Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017 | 21

T e e n

T r a v e l s

From the

City of Dreams

O

ver the last couple of months my visits to Mumbai have been quite frequent. Mumbai where do I start, well I prefer to call it Bombay, call me old school but it suits the city better. Bombay is an altogether different life from Delhi, getting away from that rat race, the smoke, and the long traffic jams, well you can’t get away from everything.

My first visit to Bombay was when I was 13 years old. At that time I detested Bombay. I really didn’t like the place, the ocean, the people. It is an old saying that

22 | Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017

time changes a person, four years later I visit Bombay and I fall instantly in love with the place. It was like love at first sight, well not exactly but you get the point.

One of the reasons I might have fallen in love with Bombay might be because it lead me to develop my hobby of photography. I was always interested in it but never really put my mind to it but when I was in Bombay my entire focus was on photography.

So point number one of why I like Mumbai: it finally

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gave me a purpose.

Bombay is full of eateries, every nook and corner has 2-3 cafes, restaurants or bakeries, so my trip to Mumbai consisted mainly of eating, so here are some great places to eat:1, Salt water 2. The Bandra project 3. PAPAYA 4. Ray’s pizzeria and cafe 5. Harsh bakery 6. Sassy spoon 7. Britannia co.

The list is never ending but these are some must haves for me, rest is up to you to explore!

T e e n The other major component of Bombay is its heritage and culture.

If you ever visit Bombay you will see historical building all over, buildings which might be more than 100 years old, whereas in Delhi it’s probably only CP for most people. The Mumbaikars take pride in their culture, they love the city passionately.

The time I visited, one of the day’s happened to be Eid, and I was just strolling at BandStand when I suddenly heard a roar of people. For an instant, I got scared but then out of curiosity I went to see what it was all about. What I saw was incredible.

Around 10-20 thousand people were screaming outside Shah Rukh Khan’s house and with posters and frames and countless other gifts for him, just for a chance to see him. That was my crazy celebrity moment. My other celebrity moment was when I was crossing the Worli sea link, the car next to me had Vir Das sitting in it and as soon as I saw him I flipped out, I started screaming , but I was sad I

couldn’t actually meet him. Little did I know that two hours later when I was in Britannia co. for lunch, I would bump into him! The craziest celebrity moment I’ve had.

I had another really interesting interaction with an auto driver in Mumbai. When I got into the auto it was raining I was drenched, and only after hopelessly looking for an auto for 20 min had got one. As soon as I sat down I observed this wasn’t a regular auto, it had various lights, tissues, magazines, toffees, hand sanitiser and to surprise me even more a sign that said free wifi. I instantly asked the auto driver how and why were these facilities being provided?

He first introduced himself as Sandeep Baache, he told us a very touching story of how his mother had developed cancer and he earned every penny with so much difficulty so that he could afford the treatment for his mother, and he succeeded in helping her. He now donates money to cancer organisations every year, this was

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surprising and inspirational to hear, the most surprising thing he told me was that he had won the Indian humanitarian award 9 times and had also given Ted talks all over India!

Who would have ever guessed that a simple auto driver had achieved so much in life, the man started out with nothing and the motive to help his mother turned him into a helper for humanity .

Getting back to Bombay some of the must see places are: Haji Ali Pali Naka Colaba Causeway Kala Ghoda Victoria Terminus BandStand That’s all for now, this trip taught me a lot and I hope to be back soon!

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By Ranveer Aujla Class XII Step by Step School, Noida

Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017 | 23

R e a d y

R e f e r e n c e

Safety Checklist Section- I : Physical Safety S. No. 1

Yes/ Remarks No

Statements The school maintains Health Cards as envisaged by the Comprehensive School Health Programme of the CBSE.

16

There is a dietician and meal planner on the school panel.

17

The teachers have their meals with the students and monitor their eating habits.

18

The laboratories are well equipped to handle common emergencies.

19

The health climate is being fostered and evaluated on a regular basis in school.

2

The school keeps the medical records of students with special health problems.

3

Parents communicate their child’s health issues to the school.

4

The school has a qualified full - time doctor and/or nurse in the school.

20

The First-Aid protocol for common injuries is displayed at prominent places in school.

5

There is a doctor-on-call for emergency.

6

The school has tied up with a local hospital within two kilometers.

21

The school calls medical experts from time to time to sensitize the students and the teachers.

7

The medical room is fully equipped to handle all emergencies.

22

The school has constituted a parentteacher-student committee to address the safety needs of the students.

8

There is a first - aid box placed at every floor of the building.

23

9

The school carries out an annual medical check up of all the students.

The school has proper sewerage, drainage and garbage disposal arrangements.

24

10

The school staff is sensitized to understand the genuine health problems of the children.

There is a proper facility for safe drinking water with adequate number of water taps.

25

11

The teachers have undergone basic training / bridge courses on counseling, first-aid and identification of disabilities/ learning difficulties.

The auditorium, assembly hall and gymnasium are free from hazardous fixtures and are adequately lit up and well ventilated.

26

The access to school building by outsiders/ visitors is controlled and monitored.

27

All the areas in the school are safe by design and are adequately supervised by the staff.

12

The school has a ‘Health and Wellness Club’.

13

Every teacher regularly makes use of the ‘School Health Manual’.

28

14

There is an emphasis on the intake of a balanced diet by the students and nutritious alternatives to junk food is encouraged.

The staff actively supervises the students both inside and outside the classroom.

29

The benches have rounded edges.

15

The school follows a fruit-break, milk-break or mid -day meal plan.

30

The windows are fixed with proper railings and grills.

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R e a d y

31

The washrooms are hygienic and the disinfectants are kept away from the reach of the children.

32

The electrical appliances are maintained and are regularly checked.

33

The secluded corners, corridors and staircases are kept under watch by staff during lunch breaks and at the time of dispersal.

34

There are ramps and wheel-chairs for differently abled students / teachers and the school environment is disabled friendly.

35

The parents are connected with a messaging system or mobile phone networking.

36

The medical history of every student is available in the school.

37

The special records like blood groups, allergies and medication that need to be prescribed frequently are updated with parental support.

38

The physical education instructors are sensitive enough to involve students in sports according to their physical capabilities and health related issues.

39

The sports room is well - ventilated and well - equipped to handle common sports injuries.

40

The school playgrounds, swings, rides, sports - equipment etc. are safe.

41

The school buses have passed the safety test.

10

42

There is a teacher on board and a helper accompanying the children in the school buses.

11

43

The school buses are equipped with first - aid boxes, drinking water and mobile phones.

44

The elevators and exit ways are examined periodically and on a daily basis, and are maintained with a fitness certificate from the appropriate authorities.

12

45

R e f e r e n c e

The laboratories are safe and spacious enough for hazard free learning.

Section- II : Emotional Safety

S. No. 1 2 3

4

5 6 7 8 9

13

Statements

Yes/ Remarks No

The school has a strong policy statement against child abuse and exploitation.

The staff has been trained to be alert to signs of abuse.

There is a procedure for checking on staff background before they are allowed to work with the children.

There is a child protection policy which includes procedures to be followed for a teacher or any another member of the staff if accused of harming a child.

The school provides ongoing training and development for staff to address their responsibilities to protect children from abuse.

There is a regular qualified guidance counselor on school roll.

The school informs and consults parents and encourages the participation of families in child protection issues.

There is a rehabilitation programme to restore the self-esteem of abused children.

The children are taught the difference between ‘good touch and bad touch’.

The child is helped to understand his right over his own body especially, the right to say ‘No’.

The children enjoy an enabling environment and are encouraged to share their personal confidence with the teachers.

The school provides workshops by medical experts and counselors on adolescence related issues.

The school provides a sensitive platform for building self - esteem and communication skills among children.

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Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017 | 25

E x p e r t

E x p r e s s i o n

We have a body, mind and intellect. Taking care of our body is physical health; mental health is caring for the mind, while taking care of our intellect is gaining knowledge.

Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community. Our expert, Bina Nangia on bridging the gap between attaining good mental health and happiness.

Equating Health and Happiness

T

he World Health Organization famously says, “There is no health without mental health.” Mental well-being is just as important as physical well-being.

In the course of a lifetime, not all people will experience a mental illness, but everyone will struggle or

26 | Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017

have a challenge with their mental well-being (i.e., their mental health) just like we all have challenges with our physical well-being from time to time.)

When we talk about mental health, we’re talking about our mental wellbeing: our emotions, our thoughts

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and feelings, our ability to solve problems and overcome difficulties, our social connections, and our understanding of the world around us.

Health isn’t like an on/off switch.

There are different degrees of health.

People move on a continuum ranging from great or good health to so-

E x p e r t so health to poor health to illness or disability.

Many people fall somewhere in the middle—they’re generally in good health, though the occasional problem may come up.

Mental health is the same way.

Just as someone who feels unwell may not have a serious illness, people may have poor mental health without a mental illness.

We all have days where we feel a bit down, or stressed out, or overwhelmed by something that’s happening in our lives. An important part of good mental health is the ability to look at problems or concerns realistically. Good mental health isn’t about feeling happy and confident 100% of time and ignoring any problems. It’s about living and coping well despite problems.

Academic difficulty, bullying, girlfriend/boyfriend issues, peer pressures, social media, family, siblings, growing up issues can be some of the problems.

What Does “Mental Health Problem” Mean?

Are you having trouble doing the things you like to do or need to do because of how you feel – like going to school, doing any work or hanging out with friends?

Are you having a rough day? Have you been feeling down for a while?

Everyone goes through tough times, and no matter how long you’ve had something on your mind, it’s important that you talk to someone about it.

E x p r e s s i o n

Simple Ways to Be Happy

• Before dinner each night, say one thing you are grateful for. (If you pray, then this can become part of your prayer.)

• Take 30 seconds to breathe. There is no easier way to make time for yourself and be grateful for your own existence than to breathe.

Close your eyes. Breathe in through your nose for a count of three and out through your mouth for a count of five. Do this 5 times.

• Call a friend that you haven’t talked to in a while. We live for close connection. Having Facebook friends and Twitter followers and a large network is great, but it lacks the meaning of close connection.

Reach out to someone who is important to you. Talk about whatever the hell you want. You don’t have to say anything cheesy or uncomfortable. Just enjoy the conversation and be grateful for that person as well.

• Do nothing for 2 minutes. Guess what happens? Nothing! Your family didn’t leave you. You’re not a failure. Nobody judged you.

In fact, the only thing that really happened was that you realized that you can make time for yourself and enjoy your own presence without consuming something (eating, watching TV, etc.).

• Write a Thank You note to someone (friend, parent, grandparent, teacher) this week. If you can’t find anything else to thank someone for, then just write them a note to thank them for being in your life. Any time they spend with you is a gift because they could choose to spend it with someone else.

and friends Have low or no energy Feel hopeless Feel numb or like nothing matters Can’t stop thinking about certain things or memories • Feel confused, forgetful, edgy, angry, upset, worried, or scared • Want to harm yourself or others • Have random aches and pains • Smoke, drink, or use drugs • Hear voices Talk to your parents or a trusted adult who gives good advice when If you experience any of you want and ask for it, respects these things: your need for privacy so you can • Can’t eat or sleep tell him or her anything, lets you • Can’t perform daily tasks like gotalk freely about your feelings and ing to school emotions without judging, teasing, • Don’t want to hang out with your or criticizing, helps you figure out friends or family what to do the next time a difficult • Don’t want to do things you ususituation comes up ally enjoy • Fight a lot with family and friends Mental well being and • Feel like you can’t control your happiness quotient emotions and it’s affecting your Happiness is by product of mental relationships with your family wellbeing. So taking care of mental • • • •

health will make us happy.

To be happy is to be joyful, content, doing what needs to be done, being what I am with no comparisons with anyone.

It’s all about managing our desires and wants. I may want the latest iPhone but can I discriminate between my want and my need? If I need a phone to remain connected with my family then a simple phone should do. But if I want it just because my friends have it then not having one can disturb my mental well being and I can be unhappy.

Easier said than done but my happiness should not depend on things and objects, rather on my mental wellbeing. Cigarette can give person happiness while the same cigarette can be a source of irritation to another. So the happiness is not in the cigarette per se.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony” (Mahatma Gandhi).

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Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017 | 27

C a r e e r

C h a t

Professional Mental Health Carers

There was a time when symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorders were considered to be demonic possession and other superstitions, leading to public outcasting, ostracizing and in some cases execution of the one questioned. But even today there is a certain stigma, incoherence, and ignorance around mental health related illness and problems. This is exactly why we need more professionals in this area. Our expert, Jitin Chawla helps us decode mental health careers in India

M

edicine and surgery have been largely focused on and glorified as the high paying occupation with which the ‘serving the society’ quotient are added on. Mental Health, thus loses out to the largely sought out physical health related job opportunities.

What is a Mental Health Illness?

Mental Health Illnesses are conditions that pertain to the cognitive and behavioral aspect of the human mind. These illnesses can be acute or chronic and do not restrict to any age, gender or residence. Though there can be a specific reason for certain behavior changes, Mental disorders are known to be caused by a complex interaction of biological, social, environmental, cultural and economic factors, thus one cannot pinpoint one reason. The main focus is that people with mental health issues have problems in dealing with society and being social, if not treated appropriately. Also, if the illness is not looked into and the person is left without any help, they wouldn’t be able to function in their day to day life. What does a Mental Health Professional do? As a mental health professional, you will be diagnosing people with mental health illnesses and helping them to cope up with their illness, by various methods

28 | Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017

which can be medical, psychotherapeutic, psychosocial or as a combination of various methods.

These areas of jobs can be of counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, rehabilitation officers, and researchers. The main objective is to provide assistance and get them back on to lead normal social lives.

Psychiatrists and psychologist will be studying the behavior patterns of the patients. The psychiatrist will be conducting various tests and provide the diagnosis based on the

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symptoms. Psychiatrists are trained medical doctors and therefore they can prescribe medicines and psychologists focus on therapy sessions for the patients. They can prescribe a few medicines if they have studied psychopharmacology. A counselor’s job is to take the patient through the therapy. Therapy sessions will differ from illness to illness and there will be various methods used, but the most important thing for a counselor will be to listen to what the patient has to say. They have to make sure

C a r e e r that the patient does not get affected in anyway, and have to conduct themselves in order to get successful results. Rehabilitation officers, help the patients, who have been under the care of psychiatrists, psychologists, and counselors, and have now shown signs of getting back to leading normal lives. These officers will have to be very patient, understand the situation of each patient, but at the same time be strict with them.

After 10+2 one can opt for either MBBS or Clinical Psychology/ Psychology-H. Psychology is generally of 3 years & MBBS for 5 ½ years. For admission in psychology there are two ways - clearing the cut off marks or entrance tests and for MBBS one has to go through NEET entrance exam.

Following the undergraduate course (Psychology), one will have to take up a Masters course, which will be M. Sc/M.A. in Psychology.

There are various types of postgraduate course, with a focus on clinical psychology, abnormal psychology, counseling, organizational psychology, child psychology. Following the masters, one can follow up for a Post-doctoral degree and continue their research and practice.

After MBBS, one will have to get a post-graduate degree or MD in Psychiatry. A diploma course or DPM in psychiatry can also be taken up, but the master’s course is given more value when it comes to qualification. There is a third option, which is Diploma of National Board Exam (DNB) conducted by The National Board of Examinations and is equivalent to an MD Let us look at some careers where employment opportunities are available after courses in psychology.

First of all you have to understand these & choose one of them in specialization in Master. a) Hospitals : After a Masters and/ or an diploma in Clinical Psychology an individual can work with hospitals in the capacity of a counselor.

Premium Institutes for Psychology:• Delhi University • Tata Institute of Social Science, Mumbai • Ambedkar University • Jamia Millia Islamia • St. Xaviers –Mumbai • Banasthali Vidyapeeth • Mumbai University • Punjab University • SNDT University • Christ University

C h a t

right from education boards such as CBSE to ones like the National Population Stabilisation Fund have helplines where students/individuals can dial with queries/anxieties and get a listening ear to solve their doubts. As mentioned earlier, a postgraduation and/or a diploma with a specialisation in clinical/counseling/ social psychology will be extremely beneficial and enhance career prospects.

d) Correction Homes/Juvenile Homes/Prisons: Juveniles (below

the age of 18) charged with crimes are not sent to prisons but to correction homes/juvenile detention facilities. An individual, having done a course in counseling/social psychology can choose to work • NIMHANS with these individuals. Similarly, • All India Institute of Physical prisons across the country may Medicine and Rehabilitation employ counselors on a full-time/ • Central Institute of Psychiapart-time basis to work with intry (CIP) mates/organise special counseling • All India Institute of Medical sessions for them.

Sciences- New Delhi e) School Counselor: More and • All India Institute of Physical more schools are waking up to the Medicine and Rehabilitationrealisation that they may need to Mumbai employ full-time/part-time counselors to help students deal with everyday issues with school life. As a b) NGOs work in several sectors school counselor you may also come and with several groups. Those across children with attention defiNGOs that work with special chil- cit disorders, hyperactivity, learning dren, victims of abuse, on addiction, disabilities, violent behaviour, attenwith elders etc may employ full-time tion-seeking behaviour etc. to name counselors. An individual must be a few. A specialisation in counseling ready for all kinds of scenarios while psychology at the Masters level will working in settings like these. Sev- be extremely beneficial. eral universities offer advanced di- f) Independent Clinical Practise: plomas in clinical/counseling/social With a doctoral degree in clinical psychology which can be pursued psychology, one can also consider after a Masters. It would be ideal to practising independently (along begin working with NGOs in various with a psychiatrist) as a psycholosectors after graduation and decide gist. Since a psychologist practising what kind of groups you would like independently may also have to treat to and then choose to do a Masters patients suffering from depression, and/advanced diploma accordingly. schizophrenia etc which may require Although true for any career related medication along with counseling, to psychology, one has to have an they need to work with a licensed extremely sensitive attitude towards psychiatrist (a doctor who has choindividuals being counseled. sen to specialise in psychiatry) to be able to prescribe medicines. c) Helplines: Several organizations,

Premium Institutes for MBBS:-

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Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017 | 29

P o s i t i v e l y

P o s i t i v e

Changing the Scape:

One Plastic Free Hood at a Time Have you ever wanted to change a situation so much that you actually did change it?

Read an engaging and enterprising endeavour Shlok Babu and his friends, Plastic Free Powai, made to create a plastic free neighbourhood.

“I

t’s the government’s fault, what can we do.” It’s a phrase that has always echoed in my ears; this phrase possesses the power to project the paralyzed, helpless and disabled nature of the citizens in a country that boasts about its democratic nature. Over the years, India has developed as a country full of contradictions and societal dilemma, and we are gradually reaching the peak. In a country of vibrant young citizens, we are fighting a new battle against the old, crippling social norms, and most importantly, the mindset. The mindset of the soci-

32 | Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017

ety determines the path that society would embark upon, it can either be the path of prosperity or, the decaying will to prosper. As a country of young citizens, the youth has attained the responsibility to change the social norms and mindset; it’s our duty to incorporate the values of fulfilling our small acts of change, which give our society a new direction that it deserves.

I have always believed that, while focusing on large-scale issues such as Poverty or World Hunger or Terrorism, we often fail to highlight the small issues within our society that

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can be easily tackled by our actions.

While we discuss the large issues, the little problems that we never consider - gradually grow in magnitude and soon, become a magnanimous issue to solve. A teenager, or an adolescent, possess an incredible ability to spot the smallest of abnormalities due to their desire to find answers to their unending questions. Throughout history, the quest to find answers to questions transformed a young Siddhartha into Gautama Buddha, or the young Mohandas into Mahatma Gandhi - the quest to find answers and solutions

P o s i t i v e l y changes the character of a person.

Similarly, I also spotted a small issue within my community, and I decided to change. For me, it was the problem of ‘Plastic Bags.’

It’s difficult to immediately start an organization or an NGO, without any experience. A year back, I walked into a cleanliness drive of the NGO, ’Swachhalay,’ and soon, I rose up the ranks by learning and working proficiently. Today, I lead the organization as the President of the Mumbai Chapter. It’s a journey that you commence, which gives you an opportunity to learn, grow and develop, and meet new people that will have a profound impact on your life. It’s not just a journey to change the society around me but also to change myself - a viewpoint that should be shared by every youth.

While I continuously learned from my experiences and met new people in Swachhalay, I decided that I was ready to take up the challenge of instituting my organization, to initiate enormous change towards a minuscule issue. Soon, I roped in my trusted childhood friends, and with their assistance, I started ‘Plastic Free Powai,’ or ‘PFP,’ - a mission to make the tranquil and quiet Mumbai suburb and my neighborhood of Powai, plastic free within five months.

To initiate change, youth often restrict themselves to drives, campaigns or appeals; I believe that it is not a sustainable course of change.

To achieve long term transformation or change, we need to establish a self-regulating system that will coexist with the society, and manage the issue. ‘Plastic Free Powai’ is not an NGO or a Charitable Organization, it is a model and a system that curbs the problem and at the same time, ensures that the absence of the particular harmful good does not affect different elements of society that depend on it.

I have always believed that, by enforcing a law to ban plastic bags

P o s i t i v e

Behind the success, I had to endure a lot of rejections, criticism, and insults. I, along with my friends, had to take long walks convincing the vegetable vendors and visit 2,000 homes distributing pamphlets.

It was only due to perseverance and hard work that I was able to implement the project. below a certain micron level, or by introducing extra costs to buy the plastic bags, will only minimize the usage of plastic bags, it will not eradicate the problem. The system neither provides incentives or, economically sufficient alternative for the vegetable vendors and shopkeepers and thus, the laws to mitigate the usage of plastic bags hurts them financially. In this regard, I have formulated a revolutionary system, which can be enforced by the citizens, and at the same time, it benefits all the stakeholders of this issue.

The stakeholders of this system

include the BMC, shopkeepers, citizens, and the Self Help Groups. We need to understand, that we have sufficient alternatives to the plastic bags such as Cloth and Paper bags, although, they are not utilized only due to one reason: ‘It’s costly.’ Unlike big firms and companies who make paper and cloth bags with a high-profit margin, these Self Help Groups make paper bags for a meager price, but they still struggle, as they do not have access to an established market. In this system, we connect with various Self Help Groups (groups of housewives who

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Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017 | 33

P o s i t i v e l y

P o s i t i v e

make paper bags to stay independent and earn money). With our raddi collection drives, we will collect raddi paper from various households, with which paper bags will be made. Through this system, we get

34 | Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017

paper bags made for a very cheap rate, due to two reason: 1. Free raddi paper provides the raw material to the Self Help Groups at a low cost 2. Self Help Groups have a very

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low-profit margin.

By doing this, we reduce the cost of Paper bags to only 50 paise - 3 rupees. We then deliver the Paper bags to the shops using our extensive network of young volunteers from different schools. However, most importantly, we do not gain any profit from it.

Through this system, we have been able to create large-scale change within a short period. In the current stage, we are working with vegetable vendors to produce lowcost bags for them, and then, we will move on to small businesses and shops.

However, the journey has not been easy. Behind the success, I had to endure a lot of rejections, criticism, and insults. I, along with my friends, had to take long walks convincing the vegetable vendors and visit 2,000 homes distributing pamphlets. It was only due to perseverance and hard work that I was able to implement the project. Most importantly, due to my support of my childhood friends who stood by me; it’s essential that you have your most trusted aides by your side while pursuing your endeavors, as they will be ready to absorb your pain and share your happiness. In your journey to initiate change in your society, your society itself will be your biggest enemy, as they will be reluctant to change, and would harshly discourage you, but your courage, perseverance, and hard work will pick you up from the clutches of fear and disappointment, and thrust you back into the mission.

With the assistance of Member of Parliament, Poonam Mahajan, I’m currently working towards creating Plastic Free Powai, which will be a journey that will define me. I hope you that you embark on your own unique journey that defines you.

By Shlok Babu Class XII Oberoi International School, Mumbai

S t u d y

G u i d e

Should You Give the PSAT? Want to start early to your journey to later success, our expert Urvashi Malik guides you through the conundrum of taking the PSAT.

S

ay you’re in the Ninth or Tenth grade, and you have your sights set on the United States of America as your intended college destination. You have all the plans to get yourself ready for the mad rush of Grade 12.

The timeline has been set and you are working your way up, taking one step at a time ensuring that you have not nothing left when the time comes.

Goal in sight, engines at the ready….

BUT WAIT! What do you mean you won’t start till later?

Heard about a test called the PSAT? “Now what is that?” you wonder.

You thought the standardized tests were to start by Grade 11. There are so many tests you are worried about and you so wanted to keep the test-taking to the minimum. You already have enough stress and now this!

The PSAT is the Preliminary SAT. It is an exam that assesses problemsolving skills and subject matter learned in high school in two areas: English and Math.

It happens once a year in October and Grade 9 or 10 is the best time to take it. (Note, you can take it in Grade 11 as well but this counselor recommends using Grade 11 for the SAT / ACT attempts rather than PSAT) Conducted by the College Board, which administers the SAT, this exam is very useful for students in preparing them for SAT and other similar multiplechoice standardized tests for admission to foreign or Indian universities.

“But wait, will it only ‘help’ me prepare for the SATs? Then I don’t need it. I will anyway join some coaching institute in Grade 11 for this purpose” Before you jump the gun and make a decision, let’s list down the benefits

first: The PSAT Score Report provides very detailed and meaningful feedback about a student’s strengths and weaknesses in the skills tested on the PSAT. So, even before you walk into your first SAT Prep class, you know what you need to focus on!

You can become familiar with the kinds of questions and the exact directions you will see on the SAT. This helps you perform better on standardized tests like the SAT / ACT since they aren’t part of the Indian Education system.

Students can see how they performed compared to other students who took the test. Which is an excellent Reality Check!

Get started with My College QuickStart and Student Search Surveys to create a SAT Study Plans and learn more about colleges. You know it, and we know it, it’s never too early to start.

Creates a competitive application to Summer Schools! While the Benefits of Summer Schools is a whole other post, however, it’s important

to note that for the most competitive summer schools like YYGS - Yale, LBW - Wharton, SUMAC - Stanford, PSAT or the SAT is often requested as part of the application!

There, you see, having access to such powerful tools at an early stage can help students plan for college more systematically. Most of all, taking the PSAT will definitely help to reduce SAT anxiety.

In fact, the success of the PSAT has encouraged the ACT to announce the Pre-ACT. Its function is similar to the PSAT and like the ACT is an alternative to the SAT, the Pre-ACT is an alternative to the PSAT. Aren’t you glad you got to know about it well in time? And the proof that taking the PSAT pays off is already out there: the CollegeBoard found that the students who took the PSAT scored 145 points higher on the SAT than their peers who skipped the test. So go, get started!

For more information, log on to http://www.collegecore.in/

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ARDRA! YOU’VE DONE IT!!

THE WHITE WITCH!

SHE HAS DONE IT, BANGLE! SHE HAS TURNED INTO A GIRL AGAIN!!

THE VERY SAME!

WHAT’S THIS?

FAREWELL, MAYA! PERHAPS SOMEDAY WE’LL MEET AGAIN! WOOF!

DID YOU THINK YOU COULD GET AWAY SO EASILY FROM ME?

THE SUN’S SINKING! WE’LL HAVE TO FIND A PLACE TO SPEND THE NIGHT.

COME ON, BANGLE LET’S GET INTO THE WOODS!

I KNOW YOU’RE LOST! I CAN HELP YOU FIND YOUR WAY BACK TO YOUR WORLD. IN RETURN YOU MUST ANSWER MY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COMING WAR

WHAT QUESTIONS?

42

41

ARDRA WARNED ME ABOUT GIVING YOU SUCH INFORMATION! SHE SAID YOU WOULD USE THE INFORMATION FOR WRONG PURPOSES!

I KNOW THAT RAM WILL COME WITH A HUGE ARMY OF MONKEYS GIVEN TO HIM BY THE MONKEYKING SUGREEVA WHOM HE HAS BEFRIENDED…

ARDRA IS A FOOL! YOU MUST DECIDE WHETHER YOU WANT TO GO BACK HOME OR WHETHER YOU WANT TO STAY HERE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!

STAY HERE! STAY HERE!

I’LL SEND WARRA WARRA TO THIS PLACE! STAY HERE!

I KNOW TOO THAT THE MONKEYS WILL BUILD A BRIDGE OF STONES TO REACH OUR SHORES…

STAY… STAY… YOU WILL STAY HERE! I KNOW ALSO THAT KUMB AKARNA WILL PERISH IN THE WAR!

BEYOND THAT, I CANNOT SEE CLEARLY INTO THE FUTURE. YOU MUST TELL ME!

ONLY I CAN HELP YOU FIND YOUR WAY BACK HOME!

YOU’RE TRYING TO HYPNOTISE ME! I WON’T STAY HERE!

I WON’T LISTEN TO YOU OR LOOK AT YOU!

STAY!

I CANNOT!

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44

TO be Continued...

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Beyond the Boundaries S t o r y t e l l i n g

Chapter 1

Hey! Yes I am talking to you, the one reading this. Hi, I am Will, a person from the world of books. I know you are reading this right now thinking what is it and who is it for? Well it’s for you little one.

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I can see that you are sitting in your chair with my book in your hand. Your skin is like honey--sweet and fragrant. Your lovely eyes are focused on me and they are so expressive and beautiful that I can’t help but get lost in them. You are smiling now. First you smile a little

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then as it grows it presses your rosy cheeks up revealing your teeth like a perfect pearl necklace, then your smile reaches your eyes, lighting them causing them to crinkle at the corners. You are much prettier than I had imagined.

I know you would want to see

S t o r y t e l l i n g how I look and how I sound but it’s not possible. I am trapped in this book forever. But don’t worry, soon you will be able to feel my presence around you. Anyway, I am taller than you and probably thinner than you.

What? What did you say? No, you are not fat. You are perfect according to me .

Right now it’s a bit difficult to hear your thoughts but I am sure with time I will be able to hear you more properly.

Okay so continuing on my physical appearance, I have light brown eyes placed below my trimmed eyebrows. My bone structure is fine and perfectly symmetrical.There is softness in my eyes and gentleness in my smile. I don’t look like a Hollywood star but I am not less either.

From years I have had no one to talk to. I am glad that you opened the cover. I am pleased to share my grief with someone.

Okay so lemme tell you how I got trapped inside this book.

I was the number one business tycoon in my days and was going to Paris for a business trip to make an important deal. It was a long flight and I ended up telling my seatmate much of my life story. Only it wasn’t mine. I had always wanted to be somebody else.

I had always wanted to run away from the fame. I had always wanted to live my life like any other normal person. Wanted to go out and hang out with my friends. Wanted to enjoy life.

My passion was writing books. I loved literature. But I had to take over my father’s’ business after he died and couldn’t persuade myself to follow my dream.

So, during my flight to Paris I ended up telling my seatmate that I was a writer she wouldn’t have heard of and was really struggling to acquire fame. After hours of talking with her and giving her false details about myself, I found myself falling

So, during my flight to Paris I ended up telling my seatmate that I was a writer she wouldn’t have heard of and was really struggling to acquire fame. After hours of talking with her and giving her false details about myself, I found myself falling for her.

But it wasn’t just me trying to be somebody else. It was her too.

would watch movies together. Meet up during lunch and dinner. Spending time with her was the highlight of my day. I had a great time with her. Then one day I decided to tell her who I actually was.

“Hey Louisa, I want to tell you something. Its really important but don’t be mad at me because of it” “Yeah , go ahead. I am listening.”

“I..I..am actually not a writer.”

“Oh! that I already knew. You are a businessman. ‘The Will Traynor’ -today’s business tycoon.”

“You knew..... but how?”

“C’mon Will, I read newspapers. I knew from the beginning who were you but I wanted you to tell me the truth yourself.”

“Oh my, Louisa . You are amazing.” for her.

“That I am.”

But it wasn’t just me trying to be From that day onwards I didn’t lie somebody else. It was her too.

Turn to the next chapter. I am al- to her at all. She had given meaning to my life. I could be myself around ready on it. her. I loved her more than I loved myself. Meeting her was the best Louisa wasn’t a doctor as she thing that had ever happened to me. claimed to be but was someone I She was the one person I knew I couldn’t figure out. I didn’t ask her could count on until.... why she had lied to me.

We started meeting quite often.

I found myself going to her house The gun was aimed at my head. Louwhenever I had any free time. We isa was counting down giving me ex-

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

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Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017 | 39

S t o r y t e l l i n g chose you and you are trying to kill me. Please stop Louisa please. I promise you that I will forget this day and we can start fresh.” I pleaded on my knees.

“I can’t.” And with that she pressed the trigger of the gun and the bullet went through my head. I was dead right there and then.

When I woke up I found myself between words, trapped in this book.

Since then I have been waiting for someone to open the book so that I can share my grief.

Chapter 4

actly 10 seconds to speak.

I was at her house. She had called me urgently and I rushed to her house without any second thoughts. “Hey,” I said as she opened the main door.

“Hey. Sorry to call you here like this.

“It’s okay. I am always there for you.” She closed the main door behind me and I sat on the sofa.

“What happened by the way?”

“No, nothing just wanted to meet you. “ And then it happened. She took out her gun and aimed it at my head.

“Hey! Louisa, what are you doing?

Put that gun down.”

“So, Mr. Will let me tell you my truth. Remember the day when I made you sign some papers saying that they were from the insurance company. Well, they were your property papers. Everything that belongs to you is now mine. Your house, your property and all the estates you have ever purchased. I purposely met you, acted as if I was in love with you, listened to your un-

40 | Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017

I had loved Louisa a lot and I still love her despite the things she had done to me. She meant everything to me. I started my day with her on my mind and ended it with her in my dreams.

Hey! stop crying, your tears are hitting my papers. I wish I could reach where you are. I know it’s a sad story but we can’t change our ending stories. I was just waiting for destiny. the day when you start trusting me I will just tell you one thing. Nevwith all your heart.” er trust a person so much that you “But why did you do it? We could have to regret it later. have happily lived together.”

Can I ask you for a favor?

“I have not come here to live with Yes? Okay. Can you place your you. I had come to take revenge. My hand on one of my pages? I want to father was Edward Cliffing. Remem- feel the warmth of your skin. I have ber him?” not had friends since I got trapped .

“Edward Cliffing.??”

So, I guess this is it, isn’t it? there “Yes the same Edward Cliffing are no more pages right? You said who committed suicide because you we were getting close. We will soon rejected his business proposal. We hit the back cover right?. were already at loss. My father had Did you say yes? I guess I heard to repay so many loans. Your deal you. was our final chance to rise again Me? I will be fine. I don’t really but you rejected it. You didn’t even know what happens when you... bloody see it properly.” close the book.

“But it wasn’t my fault. The deal Anyway, you could open the book wasn’t worth a try. Please let me go.” anytime and meet me. C’mon close I pleaded on my knees. the book. I know you can do it. I will “Ha! you think I will leave you af- be fine I promise. Bye. ter all the struggles I have had to go through.”

By “I understand your grief Louisa Aditi Vohra Class XI but I love you. I have never loved a Tagore International School, person so much. I could have loved Vasant Vihar any girl in this entire world but I

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A Letter To My Childhood

B l o g

formation in the long term. Right now, you need not worry if you’re going about the whole neighbourhood in a chocolate stained frock with little streaks of mud on your face. That’s the jovial innocence of childhood. As you reach my age, you’ll have to make sure you are well dressed and presentable at all times, with refined manners and a sense of maturity. This is the time, when you’re mom and dad’s darling, and they make it a point to devote as much time as they can to their little angel.

Once you grow up, you remain your parent’s favourite, but you’re no longer comforted for every little thing you’re afraid of, and are expected to handle things on your own. The days when dad pushed your swing so it would go up higher and higher will soon be over, my beloved! It will be replaced with discussions on your future career, study plans and what not.

Now is the time you can be the centre of all family gatherings because soon the next generation will steal the limelight from you. I do fall asleep on the couch, Childhood was the time when carefree erhaps these lines summarise but no longer am I teleported to my bed! hours were spent wandering about, playthe memories of the life I had You’re spending entire evenings playing, ing in the sun, drenching myself in the a decade ago. Simpler. Slower. dancing and watching television. Soon it rain, giggling seeing rainbows and bubHappy and stress free. And today will all change.

You’ll get to know about bles.

My childhood!

Cherish these mowhen I stand at this pivotal time of the mysteries of this place, and how the ments!

Once you start growing up, you’ll my life which will decide my future, a world isn’t as simple as it seems. slowly realise how these small moments time where I’ve to spend nights learnDon’t grow up the younger me! It’s a would gradually be switched with sitting ing and understanding formulas, subtrap! in rooms with huge textbooks, or in malls mitting projects, be active and social media friendly and also deal with with your friends or rather virtually, on elements like peers and the society, social media. You’re in a phase where I would like to give a message to my there is no competition or pressure; once By Angela Arora younger self. After going through my you start taking the world, you’re faced Class X childhood, there is so much I want to with pressure from the school, the sociTagore International School, tell my younger self, so much to ad- ety, your family to do well and excel in East Of Kailash vise! all fields. But it proves to be good for your

“There is a garden in every childhood, An enchanted place where the colours are brighter, The air softer, And the morning, More fragrant than ever again” —Elizabeth Lawrence

P

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C y b e r S a f e

Security vs Privacy: The Game of Endto-End Encryption Which ranks higher: private safety or the safety of the nation? Our expert, Amit Dubey sheds some important light on the debate.

W

hile investigating the latest terror attacks in UK. British Investigation agencies found that Westminster Bridge attacker Khalid Masood used the WhatsApp messaging service just minutes before the rampage that left three pedestrians and one police officer dead and dozens more wounded.

This lead the Government to request WhatsApp to make their platforms accessible to intelligence services and share the transactional details, chat records and content with UK police. However, WhatsApp rejected Government’s request to access encrypted messages by saying that, they don’t have a provision to store any such messaging data on their server.

To ensure user privacy WhatsApp had introduced end-to-end encryption to their latest version, which meant all the messages, videos, photos sent over WhatsApp can’t be read by anyone else, not even by WhatsApp. This is done to ensure the highest level of pri-

42 | Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017

vacy to the user in their communicaThis feature is enabled by default tion and there is no backdoor entry in the latest version of WhatsApp. possible for cyber-criminals or law- While in the Telegram app, users enforcement agencies. have to start a special secret chat to enable this feature, in WhatsApp you don’t have the option of switching off end-to-end encryption.

The most popular encryption method, “The Signal Protocol”, designed by Open Whisper Systems is used by WhatsApp too.

Clients exchange messages that are protected with a Message Key using AES256 (256 bit encryption) in CBC mode for encryption and HMAC-SHA256 for authentication. With every transmitted message, this key gets changed and is ephemeral, such that the Message Key used to encrypt a message cannot be reconstructed from the session.

When we are living in a connected world, our personal information is online as well. Even if, you lock your device, the details are anyway available to anyone through online servers specially to hackers and law enforcement agencies. This

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C y b e r S a f e

raised a big concern for breach of privacy. As per the latest supreme court verdict, privacy is our fundamental right.

But then increasing terrorist attacks and dealing with high tech criminals, it’s an ever increasing challenge for the law enforcement agencies. When governments are allowed to do anything and everything to counter terrorism, they indirectly turn to spying on their own citizens.

Is national security so important that it is worth this violation of liberty and privacy?

Now, we need to weigh out the priorities. Should we as Indians give up on some of our privacy for better security? Maybe, the government is already in the process to draft a policy to invade our personal freedoms?

A similar incident came into light last year December when FBI approached Apple to unlock the phone of Syed Rizwan Farook, an accused in the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California. Apple in it’s defense said that by creating such provisions for backdoor entry for iPhone could create permanent security issues and iPhones would be

susceptible to hacking from other countries and spy agencies.

On other hand, FBI said that the data on the phone could tell them who Farook and his wife had been talking to and where they were before and after the attack. Such information could help them in preventing further attacks. In the end, they obtained the details from the phone by engaging few hackers and a third party.

All of these incidents raise important concerns. Should the government be given backdoor access to encrypted communications when investigating criminal activities?

Should tech companies refuse to give the government access based on principle? Does that principle put us in danger?

There are strong arguments for either side of this debate.

Let’s stop worrying about national security and focus on personal security. With the increasing digitization of every aspect of our lives, most of our personal data is anyway accessible to the IT companies and the government. This digitization of our reality is sending us down a very

slippery slope into a world where every aspect of our being is being monitored by corporations. You may assume that corporations can’t use my data without my permission but you always accept the Terms and Conditions page whenever you download an app or a game, you don’t have an option to use a service without giving them the access to your data.

With the increasing dependency on a connected world, we become more and more easy to spy on.

There are businesses running with such data mining capabilities. They take advantage of all this information, and they also come up with ways to make us comply and make money out of it. For example, there are insurance companies offering discounts on health insurance to customers based on their FitBit data.

According to law enforcement agencies, terrorism is a very different beast compared to other criminal activities. Our governments generally control crime through punishment. Assuming that such punishments will discourage any criminal from committing those crime in the future. However, in the case of terrorists, the criminal activities are often suicide attacks. The criminals of terrorist attacks are so ideologically driven that their personal life is of no importance to them. They are least bothered about punishment, they cannot be deterred, they can only be prevented.

In addition, terrorist attacks are planned to cause maximum damage with minimum resources. The aim is destruction and terror. While mostly criminals work for personal gains and their consequences normally don’t extend beyond a small sphere of influence. Terrorism is a different issue altogether and it definitely requires proactive monitoring and surveillance to ensure security of people.

You can disagree with me, and I would be happy to hear your thoughts on the subject.

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t ê t e - à - t ê t e

Carving the Minds

Twelve students from Pragyan School, accompanied by their Art & Craft teacher, Ms Meena Bhatia had the wonderful opportunity to meet and interview eminent Indian sculptor, Shri Ram Vanji Sutar at his studio. The famous Indian sculptor has created more than fifty monumental sculptures in the last forty years of his career. He is the recipient of Padma Bhushan in 2016 and Padma Shri in 1999 for his contribution in the field of arts. He is a talented painter as well as a sculptor.

The Art and Journalism students were able to interact with the eminent sculptor and gained valuable inputs from him on the world of Art. Isha Sisodia: Sir, could you tell us something about yourself?

Shri Ram Vanji Sutar: To introduce myself, I was born on 19th February, 1925. My surname is Sutar, which means, carpenter. I got my inspiration when a scorpion bit me when I was a child. I saw that the color of the scorpion was green, the same as the soap…so I sculpted the soap into a scorpion, this was my first sculpture which I made when I was seven years old. Since childhood I have been interested in this. To do something in life I ran away from my home. Seeing my work the Sir J.J. School of Art in Bombay gave me admission directly in 2nd year, so the course which was meant to be finished in five years, I completed in four years.

Shivanshi Gupta: What do you feel about somebody being described as ‘a talent’?

RVS: Talent is not something present only in particular persons.

Everyone has some or the other talent, just like each flower has a fragrance. It is a different thing as to how long it takes you to find your talent.

Shri Ram Vanji Sutar

you the most to be a sculptor?

Who motivated you?

RVS: My life has been full of struggles. I struggled from the age of thirteen-fourteen to follow my passion. I Isha Sisodia: Did you have a had to travel a lot, first to complete my schooling, then to get work. I large family?

RVS: Yes, we were four brothers have always been a self-motivated and five sisters. I was the second el- person. I owe thanks to Shri Ram Kushan Joshi who was my mentor Shivanshi: When was it that dest. and guide. you discovered your talent?

RVS: I belong to a family of car- Suhani Kumar- Tell us about penters. From a very young age I your struggles. Who inspired Manasvee Chaudhary: Did peo-

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have helped my father with his work and my mother with the household chores, this helped me find my talent.

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t ê t e - à - t ê t e

ple believe that you were a good sculptor when they met you?

RVS: No, before seeing my work people always thought that I wouldn’t be good at sculpturing but changed their minds after seeing how I worked.

Neeraja Giri: Which sculpture was officially your first one?

RVS: Officially, I made a sculpture of Gandhi ji in 1948, which was 4 feet high. I was paid only Rs 800 for it! Gandhiji has been my muse.

Manasvee: What difference do you find in the techniques now?

RVS: I personally feel that modern art doesn’t require so much of detailing. But art is just about expressing your views. It doesn’t really matter what the technique is.

RVS: It is quite difficult to decide, but I feel it is the 45 foot Chambal monument at the Gandhi Sagar Dam, in Madhya Pradesh. It is carved out of a single block. It depicts Mother Chambal with her two children- Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, symbolizing the brotherhood of the two states.

Neeraja: How much time does it take to create a sculpture?

RVS: It depends on how big it is, what instruments you have. It can take three days, a week, a couple of months or even a year or so.

Suhani: How much time did it take to create a masterpiece like the Chambal?

RVS: It took me one and a half years to complete it.

Suhani: What are the projects Neeraja: Among these hun- that you are currently working dreds of beautiful sculptures on? which one is your favorite?

RVS: I am currently working on the

statues of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel which is planned to be 522 ft, it will be the world’s tallest statue. Besides that I am also working on a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji, which is projected to be about 400 ft and another sculpture of the Divine Vishnu.

Neeraja: What tips would you like to give us and our peers to live a successful life?

RVS: Always strive to make your dreams come true, they do come true. Focus is an important thing which you must have.

The gallery was overflowing with different types of art and sculpture.

The students also discovered a new technology that can carve out thermocol pieces into a specified shape.

Overall the experience was informative and fun for these students. They were delighted to meet such a talented, jovial and warm hearted personality. They had a great time talking to him and exploring the studio.

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D I Y

Custom Snapback!

Honestly, if you were to pick one accessory that would transform your entire look, it will have to be a snapback! And to have one custom designed for you! Read on for an easy and cool DIY.

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D I Y

You will require: • • • • •

Snapback Foam Sheets Print Outs Rubber Adhesive X-factor Knife

• • • • • •

Pencil Ballpoint Pen Acrylic Colours Brushes Pins Toothpic

Now follow these steps:

•

First let’s pick the custom word you wish to go on the snapback.

Write it out on a small sheet of paper which should be in proportion to your snapback. In our case we have taken 4*2.5inches to fit well on our snapback.

• Take a piece of foam sheet, and we will do a camouflage print on it using acrylic colours • For camouflage print, draw random coloured shapes on your foam sheet • Cut out the custom word, and trace it onto the dried sheet of foam using a ballpoint pen • Now using an X-facto knife cut out from the sheet cleanly • Use some pins to hold the cut out on the snapback, and using a pencil draw the outline • Use some rubber adhesive on the foam with a toothpick, and also on the outline on the snapback • Stick the foam cut out carefully into place • AND our snapbacks are READY! To watch video, look for “DIY Custom Snapback | MadStuffWithRob” on YouTube Follow Rob and share your DIYs with him @: Facebook.com/MadStuffWithRob Twitter.com/MadStuffWithRob Instagram.com//MadStuffWithRob

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Haseena Parkar

Director: Apoorva Lakhia Starring: Shraddha Kapoor, Siddhanth Kapoor, Ankur Bhatia

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here have been many eena held in real life onto the silver bhais in Mumbai, but screen. What acts as a roadblock to only one aapa”, says her character is the film’s screena character in ode to Haseena’s play, which looks and behave s very strength; accurately summing up amateurish and half- baked. the enigma that Haseena Parkar The film depicts the rise of Haswas. eena from a innocent young girl, to Haseena Parkar, a biography on a loving wife and mother, and fithe life of the infamous gangster nally a character who has to live the Dawood Ibrahim’s sister with the rest of her life with a decisio n her same name, is a film with an amaz- brother made. Siddhant Kapoor ing plot but poor execution. The tit- plays a passable role of her brother ular role is played by Shraddha Ka- Dawood Ibrahim but it is public poor, who does a commendable job prosecutor Roshni Satam (modof channeling the respect that Has- elled on Rohini Salian), played by

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ick Riordan brings us yet another trial of the (former) God Apollo, who is abolished from Olympus by Zeus for his awesome assist (or according to Zeus: mistakes) into the body of the teen aged mortal; Lester Papadopoulos. He survives the catastrophe in camp half blood while also somehow succeeding in securing the first ancient oracle; ‘The Grove of Dodona’. Give it up for the scrawniest, flabbiest, very much mortal and the worthless of all teens (as chorused by Calypso) God Apollo (on whom no zit medicine seems to work?!) as he sets on yet another adventure in order to regain his Godly self.

After figuring out the true identity of his

Priyanka Setia who steals the show.

Haseena Parkar is dull overall, with the first half focusing far too much on Parkar’s married life and too little on what was truly the making of the lady who ruled the Mumbai underworld. A film viewer with little or no knowledge of the Mumbai gang wars will most definitely encounter a problem connecting the dots. The film also shows a clear lack of nuance, with things that should ideally have been implied metaphorically actually being acted out. Another major problem is that all the characters have been shown through rose-tinted glasses.

Parkar is shown as a victim of the circumstance, who chooses the life of crime because she is literally pushed into it. The director refuses to take a stand on any of the characters and in fact, they are shown so gently that we are nearly fooled into believing that they aren’t criminals at all!

In conclusion, Haseena Parkar is another addition to the long list of gangster biographies. The writer feels it is only a one time watch.

By Sanika Rahul Savdekar Class XI Amity International School, Sector-46, Gurgaon

enemies: The Triumvirate, and being betrayed by his most trusted aide (who also doubles as his mortal master), Apollo receives the help of (wait for it) the official Bad Boy supreme; Leo Valdez along with his super hot and now mortal girlfriend, the ex-sorceress, Calypso and good old Festus, the huge fire breathing metallic dragon, in search of the most dangerous oracle from ancient times.

To make things worse, the second member of the evil Triumvirate; a roman emperor with a disturbing love of bloodshed who seems to have a certain history with Apollo, stands in the way.

With the help of an assortment of allies Trials of Apollo: The Dark Prophecy

by Rick Riordan

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Fuller House 3

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he most awaited spin-off of all times for the 90’s kids, Fuller House, has arrived with a Season 3 as a Netflix original series.

Fuller House is an American sitcom created by Jeff Franklin as a sequel of the television series ‘Full House.’ The storyline hinges on Donna Jo Tanner-Fuller a.k.a. DJ who’s a veterinarian and a widowed mother of three adorable kids (Jackson, Max, and Tommy.) After the death of her husband, her sister Stephanie, who’s an aspiring musician, and her best

both old and new, in all shapes and sizes and in all forms, Apollo battles with the forces of evil, as he develops greater understanding and deeper camaraderie with his friends and proves his worth in standing by their sides through thick and thin........So let’s follow Apollo as he fights hordes of polite headless creatures, saves pregnant gryphons, saves small diapered grain spirits,saves SOME MORE prisoners and possibly succeeds in securing ANOTHER ancient oracle, by the end of the book you’ll need the help of Mnemosyne,

friend forever Kimmy, who’s also a single mother of a teenager named Ramona, decides to assist DJ so that she gets her life together.

Season 3 comes up with a lot of ecstasy, but also with some cliffhangers at the end. These 9 episodes were just a series of magnificently portrayed dichotomy. While these episodes will show us some cutely shared baby moments of Tommy and Cosmo, it’ll also shows us how all the actors have aged beautifully. While this season depicts a fortunate stroke of seren-

the goddess of memory, just to recall when Apollo and friends fought started their journey and will probably have to drink the waters of the river Lethe just to forget the annoying Shakespearean accent spouted by the Arrow of Dodona but All in all it is a great read and leaves us wanting for more , along with the prospect of meeting our beloved seven from Argo II and exploring more of the Greek-Roman world created by Rick Riordan that us readers have come to love so much.

Rick Riordan is one of my favourite

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dipity for Stephanie, it’ll also help us find out who is DJ’s soulmate. While it shows Jackson’s bittersweet way through the summer school, it’ll take us through a journey of Max’s love for vests and unicorns. And not to forget, the ‘She Wolf Pack’ will not fail to amaze and entertain you with their ongoing bets on Team Matt vs Team Steve. Although, the Full House fans are disappointed about the absence of Olsen twins again in the show.

Fuller House is a promising and intriguing series for all the viewers, which appealingly illustrates the facets of life, love, and family. The former characters of Jesse, Joey, Becky and Danny do have a guest appearance, so the essence of Full House is not lost. This house of San Francisco has truly seen some incredible moments together, and they’ve never failed to uplift each other through the devastating ones. The TannerFullers, along with the Gibblers, are truly ‘Livin’ la vida loca.’

But just so you know, Max is still unhappy about not getting a goodnight kiss from Jackson.

By Amani Chowdhry Class XII Ahlcon International School, Mayur Vihar

authors of all time and I recommend The Trials of Apollo series to everyone, regardless of whether they have read his other books (although it is highly recommended that you read them too), so hope you enjoy the book at the earliest and happy reading folks.

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By Rishika Tomar Class XII Ahlcon International School, Mayur Vihar

Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017 | 49

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The Belgariad Series | by David Eddings

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nce upon a time, the Reader chanced upon a musty set of old book in her attic. One day, she flipped the cover and disappeared, lost in the world of the Belgariad where impossibility is the only certainty. The pentalogy is a perfect blend of characters from regal sorceresses to thieves, from a dark uncon-

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ll around the world, absurd creatures big and small, old and new lurk. Sometimes one stumbles across one skulking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to pounce. And our Indian subcontinent it seems, is teeming with them.

Tooth and Nail, Fur and Scale is a monster hunter’s guide to some of these creatures with 15 both gruesome and gory, and funny and lighthearted stories about mythological and new age creatures of the Indian subcontinent.

All these stories are deviously spun to send shivers down your spine and make you jump out of your skin. And brace your selves, if you happen to be reading this book all alone with a small light in an inky dark night.

Writer and illustrator Anupam Arunachalam embarks us on a journey through the rich culture of India and you’ll meet many queer creatures from Yakshas at airports to giant ants and cow eating trees. It is also interesting that a couple of the

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querable power to flighty dryads and kings of the west, who end up bowing to a simple farm boy.

It recounts the journey of the transformation of a young boy from scullion to sorcerer to King and the meeting of two powerful prophecies which propel the world inexorably onwards, until their final collision after which

only one would remain. Book one, The Pawn of Prophecy was the description of Garion; the innocent scullion’s mingling with people high above his social stature. Book two, The Queen of Sorcery reveals Garion’s own powers of sorcery and his struggle to adapt to the idea, under the able guidance of Belgarath the sorcerer and his aunt,

and not an entire concoction. What I also liked about the stories is that the humans are not always right and their mistakes lead to their own downfall. These tales make us think about the darkness within each of us.

Another thing I find great is that most of the books which talk about creatures like these never give their stories a modern touch.

Anupam Arunachalam however, gives these tales their own unique flavour by fabricating modern stories for some of the animals while mixing humour and horror.

Tooth and Nail, Fur and Scale I feel this is India’s version of

by Anupam Arunachalam Fantastic Beasts and Where to creatures described in the book have Find Them and is a must have their origins in works of old Greek for any bookworm, though and Roman historians such as Meg- 9-13 year olds will enjoy it asthenes which describe these crea- more thoroughly. tures to have inhabited India.

I loved the fact that after each stoBy ry, there’s a note about the beast and Naayaa Mehta its origins: like how the cow-eating Class VII tree was something that a girl supThe Shri Ram School, Moulsari posedly saw in Karnataka in 2007

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Book three, Magician’s Gambit tells of the defeat of Ctuchik the Magician and the winning of the Orb of Aldur, the Jewel which alone could protect the west. Castle of Wizardry observes Garion recast into the role of the Rivan King, The Overlord of the West and the magic of the prophecy at work within his wife, Ce’Nedra of Tolnedra, a rather assertive Dryad. Enchanter’s End Game, the stunning conclusion to this pentalogy, narrates of the meeting between the child of Light and the Child of the Dark, and the subsequent win of Garion, now renamed Belgarion, and the prophecy he served.

This epic saga of David Eddings has often been compared to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of The Rings but to me it is anything but. The only similarity I found was that both were really amazing epics, excellently narrated. The only thing that can parallel the pentalogy genius is the exquisite beauty with which the story unfurls.

What sets this pentalogy apart is the author’s unique ability to define magic in real-world terms and even in terms of physics. In some ways, it can be seen that Eddings wrote this series by envisioning how magic, religion, and divinity intertwine, as well as how they can operate in real-world terms.

Also it deals with the various stages of disbelief, acceptance and purpose in a memorable manner. It prods one to question everything and deals with the extraordinary ordinariness of people. Eddings’ characters are de-

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mix of adventure and discovery, of magic and madness, of friendship and family and much much more, Aparna Kapur and Sanjana Kapur have come together to produce a fascinating and engrossing book.

The book starts off with a young girl; Inara travelling and trying to escape from her pursuers who are sent by the head of the town, Sarla to retrieve a magical rusty artifact that was found by Inara’s father. During her escape Inara comes across Kian, a smooth talking vagabond and his (supposedly) talkative donkey Casio and finding them to be in the same situation as her, tags along as a fellow runaway.

We are taken through the adventures of this trio who travel through different towns while encountering many different places and strange but fun people, out of which some are helpful and some who are hostile are helpful in their own rights (at the very least their wallets are).

They start their adventures together in the cursed land of Misca’s dry belt and go through Chimmie, the town of bells, and quite literally flying into Be-

Ruckus on the Road

by Sanjana Kapur, Aparna Kapur bop the home of the legendary genius Sauceress (this is not a mistake i tell you, because the ‘sorceress’ was very little when she started to work and misspelled her name and it was too much trouble to re-brand everything so....), then hitchhiking a ride in an old milk women’s truck to rescue Inara from the villainous trio of the (Jeez)ay

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lightfully human each with his or her own peculiar traits, each with a secret of their own. The underlying stream of meaning and sarcasm that outlined every dialogue, every word, is what makes this book so delightful. I have read and re-read this book more than 10 times over the course of three years with a different interpretation each time.

For anyone who is curious about Universal Principle and the nature of the universe or just interested in a beautiful epic, I would encourage them to read David Eddings’ “Belgariad,” as well as its sequels; over and over again.

By Khushi Singh Class X Khaitan School, Noida

brothers; Sarla’s henchmen, and then to Inga, the town with the legend of the young warrior boy who had saved the townspeople by vanquishing the evil septuplets who had captured all the shoes of the town..... it was still believed that the boy’s spirit looks after the town till date..... here they were blessed by some once in a lifetime ‘red rain’ that consisted of animal feed (go figure), and went on to reach the town “WHATEVER-WE-WANT” which was named so after Grandma Chini told the children they could call it whatever they wanted,and finally reaching Hazzah, Ianara’s home town for a final confrontation with her father’s captors.

All in all Ruckus on the Road is a delightful read and makes us feel as if we are travelling with the trio to many curious lands and meeting curious-er people to add to our experiences in life. I recommend the book to everyone with a twitch for adventure and a nerve for travel.

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By Parnika Tomar Class VIII Ahlcon International School, Mayur Vihar

Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017 | 51

W a t c h

T h i s

S p a c e

Smt. Shovona Narayan@ DPS Sonepat Delhi Public School, Sonepat celebrated Teachers’ Day on 05 September 2017 in the school premises. The school was honoured to have Smt. Shovona Narayan, an eminent Kathak Dancer as the Chief Guest. Shovana Narayan is India’s most celebrated and outstanding Kathak Maestro of the present age; well known both as a choreographer and a performer. She blazed a trail in the field imbuing it with depth, maturity and ennoblement. She performs in India and around the world, and is the recipient of the Padma Shri.

On arrival, she was warm–heart-

SHIS MUN 2017

Scottish High International School, organized the second edition of a two-day Model United Nations Conference 2017 on 5th August and 6th August, 2017. The conference began amidst fanfare.

The Chief Guest for the opening ceremony was Mr. Sundeep Malhotra founder of Home Shop 18 and Guest of Honour was Mr Karan Bajwa, the Managing Director with IBM, India. The SHIS MUN 2017 got together 584 delegates from various schools across India.

The Director, Ms. Sudha Goyal, welcomed the eminent guests by addressing them as leaders who

52 | Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017

decades of pursuing their careers.

The cultural presentation for the occasion was a confluence of various Indian dance forms which was in tandem with the amalgamation of thoughts of the delegates.

The highlight of the second edition of SHIS MUN were two exclusive committees keeping in mind inclusive education in mind, with delegates in these two committees from underprivileged section of the society. The middle school representing the committee of Special Olympics was also introduced this year.

The closing ceremony of SHIS of others. She hoped that the next two days would see the brightest of MUN, 2017 was held on 6th August minds discussing, deliberating and 2017 in the school auditorium. The drawing conclusions for some of the two action packed days of SHIS pressing global concerns. Both Mr MUN 2017 witnessed youth leaders Sandeep Malhotra and Mr Karan Ba- debating, discussing, negotiating and jwa shared nuggets of wisdom from seeking solutions to some of the crititheir rich experience of two and half cal global issues. exuded confidence to stand alone for ethical purpose, courageous to take tough decisions and compassionate towards the needs

Scottish High International School,

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Gurgaon

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edly welcomed and felicitated by the Pro Vice Chairperson of the school, Ms. R Mann and the Director Ms. Sudesh Singh. She began her performance by enlightening the audience about the origin, history and different aspects of this classical dance form.

Her performance was magical and mesmerizing; she also explained her gestures and mudras. Words can’t do justice to her poise and grace. The PVC described her presentation as Godly.

She left the audience dazzled and awe-struck, leaving an indelible impression on one and all.

Delhi Public School, Sonepat

SCI-EX 2017-18

Sci –Ex 2017-18 was organized on 30th August 2017 with the vision of taking technology from “Lab to Field”.

With an endeavor to promote scientific attitude among young students, this exhibition was one of its kind.

The event commenced with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by the guests of honour which was followed by a dance drama on the five elements of Nature by our little Fortunites.

The Science Exhibition focused on ingraining a scientific and creative attitude in our young Fortunites to make them comprehend the interdependence of science, technology and society through hands- on experience.

The event saw students exhibiting still models, working models and research based projects that were useful and sustainable in protecting health and environment. Each corridor became a celebration of science as little scientists furiously beckoned visitors to stop by and visit their discoveries.

There was a panel of esteemed judges who extolled the work of these future Einsteins. Chairman Mr. Mohan Goel,

Fortune World School, Noida Director Mr. Untak Goel, and Principal Ms. P. Chakraborty also graced the occasion with their presence. The judges applauded the students for

their novel ideas. The exhibition was a huge success as enthusiasm and effervescence overflowed amongst students, their teachers and parents!

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J u n i o r

D I Y

Create Your Own

Smoke Rings!

Having newer and newer toys to play with what we all basically crave for! But who will buy all of those for us? No worries if we can create them on our own, right?!

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You will require: • • • • •

Balloons Bottle Incense Sticks Sticking Tape Cutter

Now follow these steps:

• Take the empty plastic bottle, and with the help of a cutter, cut the bottom.

• Remove the cap, and our bottle is ready • Take a balloon and cut the top bit of it • Stretch the balloon, and place it over the cut bottle bottom • Take some sticking tape, and stick it in place • Light two incense sticks, and carefully slide them inside the

D I Y

bottle • Once you are happy with the amount of smoke inside the bottle, take the incense sticks out • Turn the bottle, and dab on the balloon bottom with your finger • Voila! LOOK at all those rings coming out Should we have a contest to who produces the most number of perfect rings?!

Ready. Set. GO! To watch video, look for “Mad Stuff With Rob 5 Awesome Balloon DIY’s” on YouTube

Follow Rob and share your DIYs with him @: Facebook.com/MadStuffWithRob Twitter.com/MadStuffWithRob Instagram.com//MadStuffWithRob

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J u n i o r

B l o g

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J u n i o r

S t o r y t e l l i n g

With Mr. Boggle standing right next to him, he had to look skinny. But again why brown T-Shirt and red leggings? Oh someone at Amazon has a terrible taste of making uniforms.

Mr. Boggle informed me, ”We are from Amazon.” Obviously, duh!

“This order is for Gauri Kapoor” announced Mr. Boggle. Oh! So this is the surprise that my parents were talking about. My father instructed the two men to carry it inside. So the box was right in front of my eyes. Now let me tell you that Bono was far more excited than me. His tail was wagging much faster than a fan. “Control” I screamed at Bono. Few cuts with scissor here and there and to my surprise was a big study table. “Happy Birthday Gauri” exclaimed my parents.

I was so excited. The table was assembled and put in my room. I wanted to use it right then. Time for study. I took out my school almanac, checked my homework and was ready. The English book and note book were right in front of me. All of a sudden I saw a sparkle in my book

and note book. I heard a voice” How are you?” I got so scared. “I am Mr. Table.” Now I was about to scream.

“Don’t be scared. It’s me. Your table.”

Terrified and scared I replied, ”Hello Mr. Table. My name is Gauri.” “Your dog is so cute. What’s his name” said Mr. Table. My dog was wondering where to hide as he was hiding under the table and the table was talking.

Now I had a new friend in my life.

A talking table. The table knew all my secrets and of course my homework. Whenever I got stuck with my work, my dear table came to me rescue. I must tell you that Bono never liked the table even a bit. It never wagged its tail at table. I thought about telling about the talking table to my parents. But then who will believe me. Do you believe me after reading this story?

My Magic Table

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ne day, I was busy with my school work when I felt tickling in my feet. In a moment I heard Bow Bow. There it was, my little pup, Bono. A light pat on the back and the tail was wagging and the long tongue was out. Sometimes I do wonder how long this tongue is. While I was busy admiring the tongue, I heard the doorbell.

I rushed to open the door. With a broad gleaming smile, my parents Mrs and Mr. Kapoor were standing.

“A big surprise for you Gauri!!” said my mom. Surprise? This is my lucky day! After all most of the days the surprise comes from my teacher in form of a test. They call it “Surprise test” “What’s the surprise mom and dad?” And I knew pretty well what was coming. Now starts the pleading part. Asking them at least ten times about the surprise and my parents moving from one room and to another, I behind them with folded hands. The pleading starts with dad and his answers are obvious. “Surprise? What’s the surprise? I never said that there is a surprise.” said my father. Does he really not know the surprise? How can he act so well? Of course, he knows the surprise. Seems he is simply following instructions from my mom.

Another door bell Ding Dong!

With drooping shoulders I went ahead to open the door. Bono followed.

Two men stand at our gate with a huge Amazon box. The badges were right there. Mr. Boggle and Mr. Stink. Mr. Boggle was short and fat.

Mr. Boggle was wearing brown Tshirt with pink leggings. Yes, you are reading right “Pink Leggings”.

Mr. Stink was a far better looking man. He was of course skinny.

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By Gauri Kapoor Class VI Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar

Volume 03 | Issue 03 | October 2017 | 57

J u n i o r

S l a m

Dear Teacher

By Areeba Suhail Class VI Tagore International School, East of Kailash

My life revolves around you, Under your guidance I grew, For me you are a knowledge tree, And to my problem you are the answer key, I remember the times when you were there for me, through my tears you helped me really see, The knowledge you gave me, will always shine like an angel’s rays, I know beside me you will always stand, And make my knowledge expand, I have nowhere to turn, as you want me to learn, Not just about Math, Science and English, But to learn also about life, As it will help me strive, Dear Teacher, thank you for being what you are and making my life a SHINING STAR!

My Teacher When I see my teacher, I am filled with admiration, I like her so much, she is my inspiration.

In the life best she has been, She is the school queen.

She looks graceful, And is so wonderful!

She is not only a mentor, But also a great friend.

She is sweet and cute, Her voice is more melodious than a flute.

She helps in every situation, I think with her, I have a deep relation.

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By Saachi Grover Class V Ahlcon International School, Mayur Vihar

DL. No.- DL(C)-14/1404/2017-2019 | Date of Publication- 01-10-2017 | Date of Posting-04th-07th | Posting Office-Srt Nagar Po. New Delhi-110055