Vol. 3, Issue 12

Food for thoughtPeople wandering with

Oxygen masks?I wake up every morningTo breathe the fresh air in theskies so blue,And feel the ever so beautifuldew.But someone does not wantme to wake up from sleep,It is you man, who has mademe weep. But you will killyourself man, BEWARE,Don’t tell me you have tech-nology- it will lead you tonowhereIt is the trees, the ozonelayer; all creations of thealmighty that will help yousurviveBut seems you are tired ofyour life,I can foresee the day when allof you would be wanderingwearing OXYGEN MASKS!

Kunal KhilnaniXII F, AIS Noida

Nikita Khattar, XII G & Parth Singh, XI BAIS Noida

Shouts of glee permeated the air the day Kapil Sibal,the new HRDMinister made official his plans to de-traumatize education for class X students by making

class X boards optional. He has stayed true to his reformistnature and has proposed to setup a national unified board,an overarching higher education authority and implemen-tation of the percentile system. He also wishes to institu-tionalize strict guidelines for colleges and schools.The furore generated by the proposal to scrap Boards hascreated deep fissures with both pro-scrap and pro-boardgroups putting forth very conclusive set of argumentswhen looked at it in exclusivity and it boils down to thefact as to whether scrapping boards wouldbe a lesser evil than maintaining the statusquo.Mrs. Mohina Dar, Principal, AIS Noida,suggests, “Mr. Sibal’s proposal to make boardsoptional has both pros and cons. It would leadto reduced pressure but at the same time it willmake it extremely difficult for students whodon’t opt for the boards to tackle the XIIboards. Schools with spurious standardswould need to be regulated so as theydon’t inflate marks of students in Xth.The class X boards shouldn’t bescrapped but their working altered withemphasis on conceptual learning, a rightmix of subjective and objective applicationbased questions and improved accessibilityto counseling.”Many like Sanjana Mohan of class XI of

AIS Saket feel, “Class X students have their noses gluedto the grindstones throughout the year taking the fun out ofstudent life.” Many parents feel that insomnia over boardsand excessive societal pressure for kids at such a tenderage is deplorable. They believe that emphasis on cramminghas diminished the importance of conceptual learning andexcessive focus on topics with high weightage at the ex-pense of other topics. Making the boards optional will curbthe financial burden imposed by tuitions and guidebookson parents and increase their inquisitiveness.Yet a small segment doesn’t see eye to eye with the ma-jority believing that Class X boards will train students forClass 12th and help demystify the boards. They believethat boards are vital to appraise the performance of thepupils and help them decide the streams for XI, a decisionwhich has a massive impact on the student’s career. Thereis a sentiment that grading system will be unfair to hardworkers as 81 and 89 both will get the same grade. SaysMrs. Renu Singh, Vice-Principal, AIS Noida, “Class Xboards inculcate rigor and discipline in students as well ashelp them approach studies in an organized manner”.The way forward is to replace the percentage based sys-

tem by the percentile based sys-tem. Questions should beconceptual in nature. Thereshould be emphasis on vo-cational courses and project-

work based internal-assessment. We hope to see thesechanges in the working of class Xboards and if the boards arescrapped then we hope that thesesuggestions are used as the frame-work of the new system.�

OOppttiioonnaallXX BBooaarrddss

‘A teacher never gives the right answers;he just keeps asking the right questions’

The Global Times ‘by the stu-dents, for the students and of thestudents’ presents its first Contest Issue prepared by stu-dents of AIS Noida. This issuemarks the first in series of news-paper to be prepared by the otherbranches as a part of the “Mak-ing a Newspaper Contest’, to bejudged by eminent panellistscomprising experts from themedia. The issue, prepared underthe guidance of the acting editor,school principal MMss MMoohhiinnaaDDaarr, aims to empower the youth,voicing their concerns, showcas-ing their talents and sharingtheir world view. Bursting with ideas, fresh andbold, children churned out thisnewspaper on-the-spot. Enjoy reading.Vira Sharma

Visit www.theglobaltimes.in

Ateacher, policeman and so-cial activist, Abhayanand,Additional Director General

of Police, Bihar, is widely recognisedfor his revolutionary educational andpolicing models. He is co-founder ofSuper 30, a free IIT-JEE tutorial cen-

tre for the underprivileged. AanviGoel (X), Digant Pandey (XI

B), Vishrutyi Sahni (X F)of AIS Noida divulge hissuccess quotient ...

When and howdid the cop inyou meet theteacher within?The teacher in mewho I was blissfullyignorant of surfacedone night when I came

home from work andfound mother (my wife) andson having a wordy row overpoor mathematics marks in aroutine class I test. As theblame shifted to the father, Idecided to face the mattersquarely. Before I could plan

a roadmap for this encounter, I blurtedout, “Which is the biggest number inthe world?” Seriousness descended onthe proceedings. Shwetank, my son,replied thoughtfully, “There can’t besuch a number, for I can always add oneto it.” The child had discovered the con-cept of infinity in Mathematics and I,discovered a teacher in a policeman. Inmy own childhood, my father, anothertop cop of repute, encouraged me tothink laterally. He too had the ability ofasking questions that would turn theissue on its head. This helped me seethings in all their dimensions.

How and why did ‘Super 30’ happen?Super 30 is s a pious concept: pick outpoor but talented students, those whocannot afford the luxury of coaching forJEE, and give them the last push thatwould send them into the IITs.

How do you explain the success of‘Super 30’ that spreads across multi-ple cities in Bihar? Its success lies in the presence of abun-dance belief in each other, and the ever-growing desire to explode myths.

With competitive exams becoming in-creasingly online, how do studentsfrom remote areas cope up? We are mainly dealing with IIT-JEEcoaching which hasn’t become onlineand not much online access is requiredto prepare for IIT. IIT coaching is thebest as far as a level-playing field isconcerned.

Students gain more from the synergygenerated within. How do you thinkone can generate the same synergy?All 30 students come from similarbackgrounds and preparing for IIT theygenerate a bond and subsequently syn-ergy, which helps them in fighting offstress and preparing for IIT-JEE, com-plementing each other.

What do you expect your students togive back to the society?Giving back is a very generic term andthey can give back in many aspects,giving back what they have; it may bemoney, service or even feeling. Theycan be useful to the society in manyways; they can teach, develop talent,and motivate others.

Preparing for school boards and com-petitive exams-how different?There is a major difference between thetwo; school exams are for knowledgewhile competitive exams teach studentshow to excel over others. School examsinclude inclusive knowledge whilecomp exams have exclusive exams. Un-like school exams, comp exams stresson accuracy, time management, tem-perament and they include negativemarking.

How do you think students can im-prove their lateral thinking?In order to provoke lateral thinking, stu-dents should learn to put the questionson their head and replace the ‘then’ by‘if’ and ‘if’ by ‘then’. Eg: a student ofclass 4 or 5, is asked to make a circlewith a given centre, the lateral questioncan be to ask the student to find the cen-tre of the given circle.

Some tips for students preparing forcompetitive exams?Believe in yourself. You should stay fo-cused and know what you are aiming for.Don’t be casual about your studies. �

Distributed across: AIS Noida/Saket/Pushp Vihar/Vasundhra/East Delhi/ Gurgaon 43/ Gurgaon 46 • Amiown • AIMC Manesar •Amity University Noida/Jaipur/Bhubaneswar • Amitasha Noida/Saket

THE GL BAL TIMESSeptember 16-30, 2009 www.theglobaltimes.inAN AMITY NEWSPAPER

BoardPoll Despite the stress, class X board

exam serves as a springboard forpreparation for class XII ?A. Yes –61%B. No –26%C. Can't Say – 14%

Pic: Keshav Chandna, IV F/ WA, AIS NoidaImaging: Dinesh Kumar

News with Views2 World Mirror

GT is a great help as we come to know what’s happening in our campus and outside as well. It is our very own ‘window to the world.’- Shramik Rawal, VA/ WA, AIS Noida

Race to victory

Vijay Mallya’s Force India team en-sured that the Indian tricolour was fly-ing high at the Spa circuit after India’ssuccess at the Belgium Grand Prix on30th August. This after GiancarloFisichella scripted the first podium fin-ish for Indian Formula One team.Fisichella ended the race at second po-sition just after Ferrari.

YSR dies in copter crashThe popular Andhra CM, YS Ra-jsekhra Reddy, who won two succes-sive victories for Congress, was killedwhen his helicopter hit a hill and ex-ploded on 3 September, 2009. Thechopper carrying two staff and two pi-lots went missing over the Naxal andtiger infested Nalamalla forests. Thewreckage was located after a massive24-hour aerial and ground search. TheUnion Cabinet condoled the death ofReddy and announced a state funeral.

India ScoresIndia’s historic victory in the NehruCup has altered the opinion of all foot-ball fanatics. The dismal result of thedress rehearsal consolidated the veryfact that India was to lose. But contraryto that, Sorabji’s exceptional goalkeep-ing and Baichung’s flawless captaincybrought a wide smile on the Indianspectator’s face at the end of the day.

Charity on the edgeSwiss daredevil Freddy Nock has set arecord for the world’s highest tightropefeat atop Germany’s tallest mountain,the “Zugspitze”. With no nets or safetyropes, the stunt was dangerous but fora good cause. Over 13,000 euros indonations were raised for the charity“Menschen fuer Menschen,”(Human-ity for Humanity) which runs rural de-velopment projects in Ethiopia.

MissVenezuelawins againIn recent years, the MissUniverse beauty pag-eant, has ended withMiss Venezuela winningthe title. 2009 was nodifferent, with Miss Venezuela StefaniaFernandez being crowned. So what istheir secret? Perhaps corporate spon-sors, intensive training and plastic sur-gery are responsible for the six titles.

News DigestVarun Sen Bahl, XI G, Bhuvan Ravindran, IX J,

Vaishnavi Sridhar, X D & Kanchan Joneja, IX J, AIS Noida

Medhavi Arora, X-F & KaranSaharya, XI-B, AIS Noida

Finally light has pierced the murk-iness of nation-wide recessionand the prayers of anxious econo-

mists have at last been answered. India’seconomy clocked an 8 percent growthrate in the second quarter, compared to6.7 percent last year.Still uplifting was the fact that consumerdurable goods, which indicate an in-creased spending on the part of the con-sumers, increased by 15.5 percent, whilethe Index of Industrial Production (IIP)for the month of June was up by 7.8 per-cent as against 5.4 percent year overyear.The growth witnessed in July is thesixth consecutive monthly rise and is thebiggest percentage gain since February2007. The fiscal packages and the hugespending on infrastructure, under theleadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh andMontek SinghAhluwalia will give a fur-ther boost to industrial production.

The Euro zone has been in recession formore than a year and now any sign ofpick up is welcome news. Global recov-ery means a better picture for exportsand improvement in remittances.These figures were better than expectedas most analysts had projected a growthof 5 percent in the last quarter. Theyhave also buoyed the hope that 2009-10may actually presage a recovery fromthe ill effects of the global economicgloom since last year. �

Economic revival:Light at theendof the tunnel

8% growth rate in the secondquarter of 2009

Sale of consumer durables in-creased by 15.5%

Index of Industrial Productionup by 7.8%Drop in unemploy-ment ratesGrowth noticed inthe Euro zone economy

8.0%

15.5%

7.8%

Racefor thethrone

Anantdeep Singh XI F, Parth SinghXI B, AIS Noida

After the defeat in recent Loksabha elections, BJP was di-vided along sharp fault lines re-

garding who shall ascend the BJPpresident’s throne. A consensus devel-oped that a dynamic leader potraying amoderate face of BJP and at the sametime garnering Cadre support.. Anant-deep and Parth of the global times,analyse the chances of the frontrunners.1) Sushma Swaraj: consensuscandidateAge: 57 yrsEducational qualification: LLB Pun-

jab UniversityPolitical support: Has acceptabilityacross the spectrum, from Jaitley campto RSS and even Advani..

Impact: If she becomesthe party president,women’s repre-sentation willincrease in BJP.She believes inVajpayee’s ide-

ology of nationalintegration.

Rating-��������2) Arun Jaitely: Tech savvy strategist.Age: 57 years Educational qualification: LL.B fac-

ulty of law, DU Political support: Has the backing ofthe new wave of modern, young and ur-bane politicians, corporate houses,.

Impact: If he becomes theparty president,rapid reforms andmodernisationin party func-tioning at thegrassroots is ex-

pected. The say ofright wing radicals

may fall and influx of technology is ex-pected with emphasis on youth vote. Rating-��������Narendra Modi: Regional satrap.

Age: 59 yearsEducational qualification: MA politi-cal science, Gujrat UniversityPolitical support: Is the apple of eye

for RSS and the rightwing elements inBJP. However hefaces stiff com-petition frommoderate lead-ers.

Impact: If he be-comes the party pres-

ident, there shall be a sharp rise in rightwing policies and strengthening of thegrassroots.Rating-������

Edit Team on the job

Photography is a passion for me. I enjoyed taking photographs for GT tremendously and tried to bring in anew element of action and not just asking the subject to pose for a frame. -Keshav Chandna, IV F, AIS Noida

The Global Times, September 15-30, 2009

Mansi Kumar XI DAIS, Noida

National Film Awards 2008awarded by the government ofIndia wove quite a few sur-

prises this time. A lot of awards went tofilms from South including that of theBest Feature Film which went to direc-tor Priyadarshan's Kancheevaram. Thefilm portrays the story of a silk weaverin Kanchivaram in British India, who

slowly leans towards communism andbecomes a revolutionary only to con-front his personal needs in the face ofsocial equality. Lead actor Prakash Raj got the awardfor the Best Actor. The Swarna Kamalfor the Best Director was adjudged tothe celebrated director AdoorGopalakrishnan for his film Naalu Pen-nungal while Kannada actress UmaShri is Best Actress for Gulabi Talkies.Digant Pandey of Amity Noida says,

“Such films reflect unconventional andoff track film making and the NationalAwards gives them their right due.”The only two main stream Bollywoodfilms to make a mark were Taare Za-meen Par and Chak De. While TZP wasgiven the award for Best film for Fam-ily Welfare, lyricist Prasoon Joshi wasgiven the award for best lyrics for thesound track Maa. Shankar Mahadevangot the award for best playback singerfor the same song.

Moolah Mantra 3Education & Enhancement

Expressing my thoughts through the pages of GT transformed me from a shy girl to a bold voice. All in all, anything said for The Global Times would be less. - Nishita Khattar, IX J, AIS Noida

Ambika VadehraXI E, AIS Noida

Herd mentality is a national tragedy, foreveryone wants to join some college or theother without a road map or plan about the

future, even though there is NO guarantee of a jobafter a university degree.Also, university educationdoes not necessarily prepare the youth for life.Out there in the market, there is a huge imbalancebetween the skilled manpower required and theskilled manpower available. On one hand we havea glut of unemployed graduates while on the otherthere is a huge shortage of skilled workers. Sothough India does need IIM’s, IIT’s, Universitiesetc., we also require Vocational Education andTraining (VET) because out there in the ‘real’world, not everyone can become an Engineer, Doc-

tor, Lawyer or Accountant.VET prepares learners for jobs based in manual orpractical activities. It aims to provide a linkage be-tween the world of work and the world of education.In fact the need for vocational education was stressedeven in the Gandhian philosophy of basic educationwhich propounded the principle that educationshould be work centered.We need to rethink our pri-orities in life because simply going with the flowwhere our future is concerned is not going to helpanyone-not the market, which requires specializedlabour, not the country which will be unable to de-velop if problems of unemployment and unskilledlabour remain unsolved and least of all us, because ifthe universities continue churning out unwantedgraduates at this rate, then in a short span of timewe’ll no longer have to only imagine the plight ofunemployed graduates- we could be one of them. �

Shama BhatnagarDept of French, AIS Noida

In this modern era ofglobalization, it is be-coming extremely im-portant to becompetitive in the inter-national arena and to in-

teract with rest of the world.Students start learning French as ahobby, but many see it as a helpful andeffective tool that can (and does) addwings to a brighter future. Most stu-dents think it is a tough nut to crack.But on the contrary if one follows adisciplined and systematic approachand make judicious use of their time,he or she can attain top scores in this

field.Getting down to brass tacks: The ques-tion paper is divided into 4 parts:Part A: ComprehensionOne should read comprehensions ofsample papers and previous years pa-pers for vocabulary.Part B: Creative writingStudents should ensure that they prac-tice letter writing, dialogues & storywriting within the prescribed wordlimit. The basic format should be re-membered.Part C: Grammatical conceptsThese need to be understood veryclearly to get a full score.Part D: CivilizationRequires thorough learning verythrough NCERT books as it can bringfull marks.Just to add -AIS, Noida bagged the 1stprize as well as a trophy for the schoolby winning the French Quiz in Al-liance Francaise, Delhi. The top nineschools of Delhi had participated inthis prestigious event. This clearlyshowcases the potential and caliberthat you all possess. Let’s do the samein the Boards and show that winning isa habit with Amitians!

The ‘herd’mentality

Varun Sen BahlXI G, AISN

Mymother never required pri-vate tuition; there werenever more than 25 pupils in

her class.As the curriculum has grownover the decades, so has class size. Infact, the size of my class is more thandouble the size of the class my motherwas in. The only figures that areshrinking are the student –teacher ratioand the probability of admission to acollege which matches our aspirations.With a burgeoning population andhigher education that has not growncommensurately, the need to excel isimperative. The biggest contributorstowards achieving this end are privatetuitions.On the flip side, rushing between mul-tiple tutors leaves a child with a stuntedpersonality. The child does not chal-lenge his own intelligence, but growsdull and incapable of self-study.Self study especially in the junior

classes could be a time of bonding be-tween parent and child. By not takingthe easy way out, a parent could assistin making the home conducive to learn-ing with encyclopaedias, educativeCD’s, and so on. Learning by roteshould be replaced by an enquiring andcurious mind. Such minds could growup to innovate and create- new tech-nology, new literature...maybe even acure for cancer!

French

Gautam ShahXI-H (Synchro, AISN)

Every year the IIT conducts JointEntrance Examination for admis-sions which tests the conceptual

understanding and analytical ability ofmillions of aspirants rather than consid-ering their score in the boards. Prepara-tion for these competitive tests begins

months in advanceIt is fairly common for students to takeup coaching for these entrances alongwith their normal classes. But imaginethe plight of the students. They come-back from school, and after a quick biterush off to their coaching centers whichare generally far away from their homes.They return late and are left with littletime to do anything else. Things get

worse when along with the school theyget numerous worksheets from thecoaching institute.Keeping these problems of the studentsin mind, Amity launched the Synchroprogramme which integrates the CBSEwith extra preparation into one curricu-lum. “A child need not commute fromone corner of the city to other for tutori-als. Everything’s right there.” says Mr.Ashish Sharma, the mathematics in-structor at AICE.“The synchro programme helps studentsto save a lot of time and energy, besidesgiving a lot of space for self-study whichis often missing, when a child takes upcoaching,“ he adds.Mrs.Meenakshi Rawal, DirectorA.I.C.Efirmly feels, “Most students opt for syn-chro because it is the same concepttaught at CBSE level which is followedup at the competitive level for an in-depth understanding. It is noticed thattopics taught at the other coaching cen-tres hold no relevance to the lessonsgiven at school. Many times students getmuddled up with topics.” But, perhapsthe most striking feature of Synchro isthat teachers are easily approachable,and doubts can be cleared the very nextday rather than wait for a week as in thecase of a coaching institute.�

TheTuitionTattle

Successwith SYNCHRO

Pic by: MrAjay Khanna, AIS Noida

For

Anantdeep SinghXI F, AIS Noida

Most people believe that theclass 10th boards are leadingto high number of suicide

cases and enormous pressure. Pals, it’snot the education system and board ex-amination what’s leading to suicides.It’s gaining access to education that’smore traumatic. At 90 percent, a studentcommits suicide not because he has gotbad marks or he hates the boards, butbecause he won’t gain admission in aprestigious college. Further, the sui-cides and pressure will only increaseduring class 12th for a student when itbecomes the one and only Board Examin a person’s life. Also, is it the duty ofan education system only to inculcatemathematics and sciences into the cere-brum of students? No. They must teachhow to cope with emotions includingpressure and class 10th is the right timeto do so. So please increase the seats ininstitutions instead of making Boardsoptional.

Against

Sunaina BhattacharyaXII F, AIS Noida

Should a 3-hour paper be consid-ered the yardstick for 12 years ofeducation? Our education system

fails to absorb children not suited forstudies. At 15, one is too naive to handlethis pressure and it is not unusual that

even deserving students under perform.The boards support rote learning. The aimof education should be to enjoy what onelearns and rote learning is definitely notthe way. Every 90 percenter can’t becomean engineer or doctor. Making X Boardoptional will save a huge sum of the gov-ernment’s expenditure which can be usedto strengthen the education infrastructureensuring that every child in actual termsis entitled to the right of education.�

Making Class X Boards optional:does it make sense?

The Global Times, September 16-30, 2009

Experiencing journalism at such a young age was a unique and refreshing experience, Meeting deadlines, selecting topics,giving attractive captions to articles, everything together, has etched an indelible imprint on my mind “Bhuvan Ravindran, IX- J, AIS Noida

Pic : Keshav Chandna, IV F, AIS Noida

Science & Technology4 Gyan Vigyan

Writing for GT has truly been a great experience. Thank you GT for helping me put forth my perspective on issues I felt strongly about. - Ruhi Kumar, XI D, AIS Noida

Mayank JonejaXI-B AIS Noida

The future is approaching in ablitz. Today’s dust which floatsaround hated and unnoticed has

inspired one of the most intelligent con-

cepts of technology for the future.This SmartDust is a hypothetical wirelessnetwork of tiny microelectromechanical(MEMS) sensors, robots, or devices, thatcan detect (for example) light, tempera-ture, or vibration.Engineers envision uses for the Smart

Dust project, including:Monitoring humidity and temperature toassess the freshness of foods stored inthe refrigerator or cupboard.Monitoring quadriplegics’ eye move-ments and facial gestures and to assistthem in operating a wheelchair or using

computational devices.Communicating with a handheld com-puter for games and other forms of en-tertainment.A user could attach the sensors to his orher fingers to “sculpt” 3D shapes in vir-tual clay visible on the device’s screen.The same idea could be applied to play-ing the piano or communicating in signlanguage, with the handheld computertranslating hand gestures into music andspeech.Detecting the onset of diseases, such ascancer. Experiments on humans are ex-pected to begin as soon as one year fromnow, with adoption taking place any-where from three to ten years, accordingto Smart Dust researchers.In the near future everything you ownthat is worth more than a few Rupeeswill know that it’s yours, and you’ll beable to find it whenever you want it.Stealing cars, furniture, stereos, or othervaluables will be unusual, because anyof your valuables that leave your housewill check in on their way out the door,and wail like an ambulance if removedwithout permission (they may scream at2.4 GHz rather than in audio)! �

Anand Bhusry, AnantAgarwal

XI-C, AIS Noida

SONY PSP: The SonyPlayStation Portable

(PSP) is another handheldgaming console, first of itskind to use an optical discformat, Universal MediaDisc (UMD), as its primarystorage medium. Its largeviewing screen, robust multi-media capabilities, and con-nectivity with the PS3, otherPSP's, and the Internet makeit the gamer’s favourite. Somuch in the palm of yourhand…

APPLE iPOD: The sec-ond-generation Apple

iPod Touch has it all: music,videos, photos, podcasts, e-mail, Web browsing, Internet,radio, games, Nike+, Wi-Fimusic downloads, and anAp-plication Store for adding

thousands of Custom fea-tures. Enough to drive oneover the edge!

SONY PS3: The SonyPlayStation 3 (PS3) is the

third landmark as part of the

PlayStation series. ThePlayStation Network, onlinegaming services, extravagantmultimedia capabilities, andusage of high definition opti-cal disk format, Blu-ray diskmake it too good to be good.But hey, it IS true. So whatsay, cool just got cooler, eh?

NOKIA N97: The newNokia N97 featuring a

touch screen, a full QW-ERTY keyboard, and 32GBof internal flash memory, isquite something. The smartphone also offers 3G sup-port, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, andGPS and comes equippedwith a 5-megapixel camera.With this little baby, stayconnected 24x7. �

Science Digest

Freeware tothe rescue

Raghav KochharXI- D, AIS Noida

So you are fed up with yourcomputer. It crashes everytime you log on, opens spam

sites even if you are not on the inter-net and whatever problems youknow of. You decide to re-boot itand upgrade its RAM, Hard disk andeverything . On the flipside (thecons), you lose all your data and ap-plications you downloaded.Here aresome really helpful applications:DAP(DownloadAccelerator):Verygood and very efficient for any typeof files you are downloading. Worksbest for large files.Recuva: Ever wished to get back afile u wish u hadn’t deleted. This toolwill try very hard to get it back.7-Zip: 7-Zip is one of the best filecompressors. This open source soft-ware will allow you to compress anumber of different file formats.uTorrent: I know that this is a verycommon application, but it doesmake its way in this list. Probably thebest means to download media.Picasa: Picasa was actually one ofthe only applications that I tried firstand in the end came out on top. Itrecognizes cameras, it lets you en-hance photos, and it really keepsyour collection organized.

Ainesh BakshiXI – B, AIS Noida

We quite often mix up ‘automatic’ with‘robotic’. But there is a difference. Anautomatic machine is designed to per-form one function no matter whatchanges take place in the environment.But a robotic machine has a mind of itsown. It perceives the environment andtakes actions which maximize chancesof success. This, my friends is ArtificialIntelligence orAI. For example an auto-matic car doesn’t need the driver tochange gears whereas a robotic car does-n’t need a driver at all!The domestic application of robotics isat the moment unfeasible but theoreti-cally a robot can do pretty much every-thing a human can. So we can have arobot to clean the house, cook food,change light bulbs, do the dishes and in

short everything we don’t want to do ordon’t have the time to do. One shouldnot expect chatty C-3POs, intrepid R2-D2s, or killer Terminators. Instead, ro-bots are humble devices that do meniallabour, and they’re on the verge of be-coming household fixtures.Today also the word Robotics whenmentioned to most people creates animage of a distant future in their minds.But this future is not far away. �

Medhavi AroraX F, AIS Noida

The anticipation is over. Mi-crosoft’s new search engine,Bing (yes, there are actually oth-

ers besides Google) opens the latestchapter in Microsoft’s quest to bestGoogle in the Search Engine Wars.Bing looks lush, delivers great relevancythat might hook many to binging insteadof googling. Vishnu Sinha, X-F, AISNoida agrees, “The homepage imageswhich change daily are a relief to soreeyes.” Bing also organizes its search re-sults into categories on its ExplorerPane. For example, in a search for‘Greenday’, it offers suggestions likevideos, songs, tickets, merchandise, etc.Adds Aanvi Goel, X F, AIS Noida,“The related searches make navigation awhole lot simpler and organized.”

Infinite image-scroll lets us scrollthrough a single page of results. There’are Instant Answers for Sports, TicketInfo, Calculations (2 * pi * 24), encyclo-

pedic answers (the capital of Germany)and Dictionary to mention a few. QuipsMansee Arora, IX, DPS Noida, “Justby hovering the cursor over the search re-sult, we can preview and watch thevideo”. A hover-window next to everysearch result gives a preview of the site.A useful feature: gone are the days when“I would feel lucky” about web searches.Bing is a SwissArmy knife: a single stopfor numerous searches, but still noGoogle Killer. Google is the reigningchamp, the home page of millions, whosename has become synonymous with websearches (“Just google it”). ShivangiKakkar, alumnus, AIS PV gives Bingher thumbs up: “Bing is new and sophis-ticated, and with its attractive name andclean, transparent interface, it may unseatGoogle”. Microsoft is on the right trackas it creates a niche for itself inSearchEngineLand. Time will tell. �

Lending arobotic hand The Bing

Gadget-o-Mania

Being part of the editorial team was a fantastic experience, as reading a newspaper is one thing,and creating it yourself, is another. Fascinating and informative. - Karan Saharya, XI-B, AIS Noida

The Global Times, September 16-30, 2009

AAllll iiss lleefftt bbeehhiinndd iinnaa ttrraaiill ooff ssmmaarrtt dduusstt

U, Me & Hum 5Colours of life

‘I don’t feel like going to schoolas my friends force me to bunkclasses and to smoke. Pleasehelp?When friends try to influence howyou should act, or do something,then that is known as ‘Peer Pres-sure’. It’s something everyone, in-cluding adults have to deal with.Peer acceptance is a deeply em-bedded desire which affects andinfluences human behavior. It istough to be the only one to say‘no’ to peer pressure, but you cando it.Inner strength and self-confidencecan help you stand firm, walkaway and resist doing somethingwhen you know better. You cansimply stay away from peers whopressure you, and say ‘NO’ andwalk away.Better yet, find other friends andclassmates with whom you canspend time, without having to sac-rifice your beliefs and values.Talking to a parent, teacher orschool counselor can help you andprepare you for the next time youface peer pressure.

HandlingPeer

Pressure

Digant Pandey, XI BAIS Noida

Ourancient scriptures referred tofive traits which are essential ina good student. According to

them, a student who sleeps less, eatsless, concentrates well, has the will ofa crow and leaves all his luxuries forthe pursuit of knowledge is an ideal stu-dent. But does today’s student feel thatthese five traits are necessary for suc-

cess in life?Rohan Chandra, the AIS N Boards top-per, does not feel so. He says, “Studentsneed not wholly abstain from worldlyluxuries. A careful balance betweencomfort and priorities will help maintainfocus and achieve success.”In the modern day classroom, some stu-dents just wait for the bell to ring eitherby eagerly counting down the seconds orby creating wacky graffiti. (Graffiti? Thescriptures don’t say anything about that!)

"We cannot compare those times withtoday! The syllabus has become some-what tedious with time," says Aditya, ofVII C. (Okay, we will have to go back intime to check that.)What about eating and sleeping? Thescriptures do not instruct to completelystop sleeping, but to control it. As foreating? Perhaps the problem of growingobesity is a testimony. As a parent says,“McDonalds burgers don’t build careers,just mouse potatoes.” �

In the modern day classroom, some students just wait for the bell to ringeither by eagerly counting down the seconds or creating whacky graffiti.

Vasundhra Pahuja, XII GAIS Noida

In the recent death of the pop icon,Michael Jackson, one of the mostdiscussed facets of his life was his

companionship with his unusual pet,Bubbles, the chimpanzee. I have usedthis example to emphasize my take onthe inherent significance of the bond be-tween humans and pet animals.Petting implies not only ‘owning’ a petbut having a responsible and affection-ate disposition towards it. This in turnentails that a person, who has one ormany pets needs to have a caring, lov-ing and responsible demeanor. Pets de-serve this love because they return samewith unconditional loyalty.Even though indulgent petting is be-coming a fad, “they will be there for

you and your emotional comfort irre-spective of these ‘tags’” says SunakshiMohindra, XII,AIS N. “It gives me im-mense pleasure whenmy pet, welcomesme back so tenderly and warmly”, saysGaurav, XII, AIS N.Today, when everyone’s life is on anemotional roller coaster, pets provide anemotional connect and therefore, com-fort, stability and sanity. They make usfeel loved and most of all special, evenin our gloomy times. Dogs, birds, cats;they all act like antidotes to our tension.It is, therefore not surprising that petsare proving to be a better substitute fora partner or a sibling in today’s lifestyle.This connect and unspoken bond be-tween different forms of lives is prov-ing to be an emotionally evolvingprocess for human beings.

Ruhi Kumar, XIAIS Noida

Themost important day in a person’s life is marriage – because after that day,one’s life is set to change forever. Well, as most of you will agree with me, itis not a decision to be taken hastily.

There has been a lot of hype for a particular show – ‘Rakhi ka Swayam-var.’ We all know that Rakhi is in the news for all the wrong reasons –whether it is her break up or the incident with Mika. People spend yearsgetting to know their partners before they think about marriage; whatis the guarantee that during this 1 month, she would find her idealmatch? There is none. Most people say that it is another publicity stunt;some even feel that she might as well dump the guy the next day andcome back for Season Two. My 65 year old grandmother had this tosay, “Everything – from the way she lowers her eyes to the feelingswith which she speaks – screams fake.” And imagine, rumours are rifethat she’s going to proclaim her break up with her so-called beau soon

after another reality show they participate together as a couple, ‘Pati, Patni orWoh.’However, there is another show, Star Vivaah. It provides a platform for people to findtheir ideal matches while seeing them walk, talk and share their feelings and con-necting with their families. In this way, the person and his/her family watching themcan know properly about them and save themselves ten trips back and forth to their

house like the good old days. This show has a sense of infinity attachedto it as it is not set whether the people who are showcased find theirmatch. A third year DU student says, “I don’t think anything about thisshow is remotely realistic.”Marriage seems to be the most saleable item in reality TV as of now;emotions have surely taken a backseat. Is it virtually possible to find a‘Perfect Bride’ on national television? The thing is – there is no guar-antee, we cannot believe whatever we see on TV because after all, eventhe reality shows are unreal. And after drama queen Rakhi kaSwayamwar, there’s Rahul Mahajan stretching his luck in SwayamwarSeason 2. Given Rahul’s real-life antics and reel escapades in Big Boss,the show might turn out to be quite sought after. What say? �

Counsel’s Korner

SOLEMNIZEDON TV

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‘PUPPY’ L VE!

Being part of GT Editorial Team was an enriching experience. I came to realise that designing and drafting a paper is far more trying than just reading it nonchalantly. - Parth, XI B, AIS Noida

Monisha AhluwaliaCounselor AIS, Noida

Five Traits of a Good Student

“Apart from attaining experience in writing in newspaper-style, I had a lot of fun writing aboutsomething that created a common interest, a bond with the readers!” Kanchan Joneja, IX-J, AIS Noida

The Global Times, September 16-30, 2009

Pati, Patni or Woh:Baby woes

Swayamvar Season 2:Rahul dulhan le jaayega

Perfect Bride:Raw deal

Sach ka Samna:Can’t get more real

than this!

made in heaven

Reality ka Sach

Editorial6

To get in touch, write to us at-The Global Times, AKC House, E-27, Defence Colony, ND-110024 | E-mail: tbanerji@amity.edu | Visit www.theglobaltimes.in | Call up at 41888380/41888381

Newspapers and magazineshave essentially performed astellar role in increasingawareness and more impor-tantly in generating the habitof reading –among the old andyoung alike.The launch of Global Times, a

brainchild of our dear Chairperson, Dr. Mrs.Amita Chauhan, is another unique step in thisdirection where Amitians are involved in pub-lishing a newspaper. Each branch ofAmity willbring out its own issue of Global Times startingwith NOIDA branch, this September.I wish to present the first such edition of GlobalTimes to all Amitians. The inventive EditorialTeam along with other enthusiastic student writ-ers, has worked tirelessly in unison writing, ed-iting and proof reading in bringing out thecurrent issue. Our budding journalists, photog-raphers and artists have presented the readers avaried assortment of engaging articles, both se-rious and light-hearted, covering the entiregamut of social, political, economic , spiritualand the sports world, accompanied by pictorialrepresentations where possible. I am certain thereaders would find the issue a page turner.It is my firm belief that in the publication of theNOIDA edition of The Global Times the stu-dents would gain confidence in their journalis-tic and social organizational skills alongside areal boost to their self-esteem.As the famous author, Arthur Miller once said,“AGood Newspaper, I suppose, is a Nation talk-ing to itself” and that’s what The Global Timesof AIS Noida aims to achieve.Happy Reading!�

Think of high school journalism as an opportu-nity, and you canmake it into whatever you needit to be. — Jamila Robinson

The words spoken byJamila Robinson whoworks with Newspaper As-sociation of Americ at FreePress’ journalism awardssays a lot about the issuethat you hold in hand.A for-mer Free Press featurespage designer and formerapprentice and intern had

shared,“ One of the best lessons I’ve learned wasthe time I was right where you are in high schooljournalism. I wrote what I thought was a dazzlingessay detailing how I wanted to become this won-derful journalist and though I loved reporting, Ireally wanted to be a copy editor. One problem: Imisspelled a word in the essay! Oh, well. ThoughI thought I would surely die then, the way I gotover my embarrassment was not to self destruct,but to do better next time.”That’s the glory of journalism.And, that’s the glory of this precious issue of TheGlobal Times, brought to you by the students ofAmity International School, Noida. The conceptof ‘making a newspaper’ by everyAmity school,with a competitive spirit has brought out the bestin each of them.AtAmity, it has been our earnestendeavour to provide the students with the max-imum opportunity to hone their personality skills.Today, it gives me a feeling of great satisfactionto share this special issue of The Global Times.There is a writer in each of us. The Global Timesprovides an outlet for these writers to pen theirpotentials to be read and reported.To quote Henry Rollins, “If I lose the light of thesun, I will write by candlelight, moonlight, nolight. If I lose paper and ink, I will write in bloodon forgotten walls. I will write always. I will cap-ture nights all over the world and bring them toyou.” �

Dr. Amita ChauhanChairperson

Mrs Mohina DarPrincipal, AIS N

Noida

Muse

SchoolJournalism

�“If you can imagine, if you can create it.If you can dream it, you can become it.”

-WilliamArthurWard

�Our dreams and our aspirations are ourinvitations to set new goals. To achievegreat goals in life we must discover ourpassion and recognize our dreams. Oncewe have envisaged our destination wemust have the courage and the drive tomake those visions come true.

Aanvi Goel, X F, AIS Noida

Pearls of

Good writers arelike artists. Theynot only entertain,but inspire, angerand educate. Thisis what our tireless

GT Editorial Team at AIS, Noidaalong with numerous other studentjournos set out to achieve whilescripting the current Global Times.Much brainstorming and researchhas gone in to enliven the pages ofthis issue. The fact that a good news-paper generates a buzz owing to its

timely and thought-provoking sto-ries and makes the reader want toshare the information with others,was foremost on our minds.Conflicting emotions surfaced espe-cially during the initial planningstages. Would the stories chosen beinteresting enough to be readthrough to the end? Ideating, writ-ing, repeated editing and meetingthe deadline-each step presented anew challenge. I am certain, the re-freshing potpourri of write-ups, de-bates, poems and caricatures will rev

up the potent writing talents ofmany. It has been our endeavour tomake each page look inviting for theyoung readers. At the end of it all,drafting the Noida edition of GlobalTimes was both fun and rewarding.It was beautiful to be a part of thewhole exercise, working closelywith a large team of enthusiastic stu-dents eager to give their creativebest – a reflection of their commit-ment and love for their school. Wehope you enjoy reading it as muchas we enjoyed compiling it for you.�

Bhuvan RavindranIX J, AIS Noida

An army is a nation within a nation, itis one of the voices of courage.

- Alfred de Vigny

The recent commemoration, ofmartyrs of the Kargil War hasbrought a resurgence of patriot-

ism in me. It makes one feel like beinga part of the armed forces.Recently, I read in a national daily, thatthe army is running short of over11000 officers! Disheartening to know,especially, in an educated and over-populated country like ours. But onemust not sit back and lament on pres-ent day shortcomings.A large chunk of the students I knoweither want to opt for MBA, engineer-ing or medicine. A career in the armedforces is low on priority.When I told a friend that I’m a keenaspirant for the armed forces he re-torted, ‘Easy way out. Will save you

from studying hard for entrance exam-inations for engineering and collegesabroad.’So what has really gone wrong ? Hasthe patriotic spirit in us taken a backseat ? Or have greener pastures by way

of more money in other prime jobstaken the better of us? The truth issomewhere in between.There is nothing the Army offers lessthan what other so called well paidjobs offer. It’s just that our defence

forces have not marketed themselveswell.We do not lack in people who still lovetheir country and would like to dowhat best they can for its sake. Joiningthe armed forces is one of the most at-tractive options in fulfilling the same.The school should serve as the firstpoint in motivating students to join thedefence forces – by instilling in them aspirit of patriotism above all else. Theforces offer everything both duringservice as well as after retirement. It isjust that we have not yet fathomed thatwe can realise our aspirations only ifour borders our safe.Lets start from our school. Makingconscription compulsory, like manycountries have done today is one way.Let every student be made to joinNCC, which would serve, I’m sure forsome, as a spring board to enter the de-fence services. Let the schools be thestarting point from where we instil theimportance of being a member of thegreat armed force of India.�

Adhiti RamanXII D, AISN

Famous people attract medianaturally as people would liketo know about the lives and

deeds of the high and mighty, whetherthey are good or downright bad. Di-vorce, marriage even a rape by acelebrity is big news. The demand fora separate Gorkhaland is no news butShiny rape case definitely is wellknown.TRP ratings and consequent corporatesponsors are for celebrity stories as

people are lulled to think less of realworld problems of corruption, nepo-tism and other social ills. Himanshi,XII, Amity Saket adds, “There is andwill always be a certain excitementand hype about the celebrities, espe-cially in India, it is for us to decide thekind of news would work”Granted, celebrity news can be inter-esting. Celebrities are normal peopleput into fairly extraordinary situationswhich makes their lives seemmore in-teresting than ours. As PraveenRavindran, Teacher Coordinator forGlobal Times, AIS, NOIDA, says,

‘It is interesting to read about celebri-ties. But what we see today is amedia- generated celebrity culturewhich has little reference to the realworld. In this image dominated sce-nario, the media appears to have aban-doned its search for the true heroesamongst the common masses whoselives can have a meaningful impacton the people.’ Take for instance PSainath, a writer and activist andwinner of Ramon Magasasay awardin 2007, wedded to the developmentcause.We need many more journalistslike him today.�

Plastic or paper?Vaishnavi SridharX E, AIS Noida

Being under the impressionthat paper degrades faster,people prefer the use of

paper bags. However fast it may de-grade, paper involves cutting of treesand therefore all problems associatedwith it. For that matter, recycledpaper wins in terms of the energyconsumed, durability and transporta-tion. Scientists are advocating theuse of degradable plastics. Microbialactivity only damages the surface ofoxo degradable plastic, leaving be-hind very small pieces of plastic thatare invisible to the naked eye. De-graded pieces of plastic that remainin the environment for long can beparticularly dangerous because theytend to attract and hold toxic residueslike DDT and its breakdown prod-ucts. If these fragments migrate tothe water table, they can end uptransporting concentrated forms oftoxins to other environments. Alsoplastic bags are useless with theirhandles broken and the bottom sup-port torn away. Now the new prob-lem arises – If not paper instead ofplastic then what next?A solution in the form of cloth or jutebags is a good option. Many shop-keepers still prefer to provide theircustomers with plastic bags becauseof their durability and efficiency.This should be discouraged and shopkeepers asked to sell jute bags withtheir wares. This will not only reducepollution but also encourage the juteproducing industries which is the lifeline of millions.

Have we forgotten the Army?

Media only for celebrities

Praveen RavindranTeacher Co-ordinator

GT, AIS Noida

Journos OdysseyCaricature: Adhiti Raman, XII D, AIS N

Editing the GT gave me the opportunity to realize and appreciate the kind of unparalled effortand manpower which goes behind mass communication - Medhavi Arora, X F, AIS Noida

The Global Times, September 16-30, 2009

Published and Printed by R.R. Aiyar at HT Media Ltd, B-2, Sec 63, Noida(UP)./Edition Vol I, Issue I/Price both for free distribution and annualsubscription of Rs. 240.Opinions expressed in GT articles are of the writers and do not necesarily reflectthose of the editors or publishers. While the editors do their utmost to verifyinformation published, they do not accept responsibility for its absolute accuracy.

7Complete LowdownBig story

I always aspired to write an article on robotics. The Global Times gave me this opportunity. - Ainesh Bakshi, XI B, AIS Noida

The sad death of my grandfather leftme and my family thinking- why is itthat life is so cruel and takes away what

we most cherish? But then, after a few hoursof contemplation, we remembered some words spo-ken by numerous spiritual leaders that life and deathare cyclic and that death is inevitable. Spiritualismhelped my Grandmother to move on, for whom theloss was most unimaginable. Spiritualism helpedthe rest of us to bear with the loss.Spiritualism is commonly associated with the eld-erly. But nowadays, many youngsters too are goingthe spiritualist way. With inescapable pressures offamily, studies and peers, the youth also resorts todivinity. Why? Because spiritualism helps themconnect with theAlmightly, it provides a temporaryway out of the general monotony of life, and givesthem time to think about their problems and solu-tions. For youngsters, spiritualism means beingaware of themselves and the world around. It issomething that provides you immaterial happiness,just as Swami Vivekananda believed-"Look afterothers and you wilh have peace of mind."

Life isn’t all that simple for today’syouth. Stress, exams, marks, expecta-tions can take a heavy toll at times.

It is in such moments that one seeks thehigher path. Maybe the idol in the corner of theroom; the book your mother deems holy; the tran-quil thing you accidentally visualize when youclose your eyes. Different things work for differentpeople. But what is that Divine Thread that makesus see the light at the end of the tunnel in times likethis, make the impossible possible and to discoverthe Real Self?“I was at the end of my tether while preparing forthe Boards. I used to simply close my eyes andmeditate, and astonishingly I always got the feel-ing somebody was listening to me,” echoes RaghavKochhar, class XI,AIS Noida. The fact is that thereis a power within us, which gives us the insight tosolve our problems and listen to our tales of tediumand woe. We can’t see it, but we do feel it. Heedwhat your instinct is trying to tell, and sorting outthe multitudes of anxieties would become simpler.That is the power of spirituality.So much for all those atheists and self-acclaimedrationalists. After you’ve read this, laughed andscoffed, and wholly dismissed all the philosophy…just try to ponder over it for a second. If you can-not, then all in all it’s just another brick in the wall.But if you’re able to, then congratulate yourself.You have just rearmed yourself with the spiritualforce within.

There comes a time in every individ-ual’s life when everything seems tofall apart. The problems just keep pil-

ing up until they become this huge sacklabeled “Dilemmas. Thinking about them is haz-ardous to health and mind” and we think we can donothing about it. Life is literally an amalgamationof somersaults catapulting into a roller coasterbursting from a canon. It seems at times that we areplaying an endless game marked with highs and lot

of lows. Then is the time when we have to searchwithin ourselves for the strength to help us survivethe day, to make it through without bursting intotears, to be able to face the world , without break-ing down.And surprisingly enough we do succeed,we do get that strength. And that is what spiritual-ity is for me –the presence of some divinity withinus. The divinity which guides us in every step oflife. You know the tiny voice that warns us when-ever we’re going on the wrong path? That’s the Godwithin us that shows us the path of right or wrong.Divinity has permanent residence within us, thoughwe may not even realise it, and the rent that it paysus is its constant support and love, so why not seekthe spirit within?

Sometime back, I got an e-mail frommy worried friend informing that hiselder brother, aged 21, had not done

well in the exams, and was feeling despon-dent. I remembered my Grandma telling me aboutspirituality, and its importance particularly to youngminds. I urged my friend to advise his brother toseek solace in the same.She said, ‘Soul is the ultimate truth and realwealth’. We are not just flesh and bones; there issomething beyond our physical body. Getting con-nected to the soul, deep inside ourselves is what thatleads us to happiness. She told me that spiritualismmeans revelation that discloses and teaches useverything we possess and carry along with. Itmakes us realize that we are the work of God.Bharat Aggarwal, VII, AIS N believes, “Lack ofspiritualism often leads to restlessness, crime, andunhappiness among youth. Spirituality teaches ushow to deal with troubles and seek happinessthrough our deeds rather than mourning on results”.Parth Gargava, XI-B, AIS N feels “In the presentscenario, where headlines are only made up of theyouth involved in crime, the need of the hour is tosurrender to the eternal force.” Those who are intheir early stages are like fragile boats amidst an en-raged sea. It is only spiritualism which can guidethem out of the ferocious sea.

Today, we may go to temples andmosques and bow our heads in prayer.But how often, do we feel united with

some divine power? One seldom knownfact is that worship and meditation are two differentthings. Worship requires a particular code of con-duct, in some religions dress code, and a fixed andpre-defined way of praying. On the other hand,spirituality, other than being “nutrition for the soul”is a moderate approach to believing in yourself andthe Higher Power. It is neither atheism, nor is itrigid religiosity. It is a broader approach to believ-ing in God. Think about it. Says Ms Ruchi Chaud-hary, Counselor, AIS Noida, who is presentlyworking on her thesis on Impact of Spirituality onWell-being, “Why should we limit our faith to aparticular boundary, a set of rules, a particular con-duct? Spirituality is all pervasive and keeps us con-nected to all the elements of life around and withinus; it is something personal.”Spiritual awakening, has become the need of the dayfor youngsters.As we mature and handle new kindsof pressures, it is important to arm ourselves withspiritual tools. At least once a week, we need towash the exterior layers of dust off our soul, get intouch with our inner self, and rejuvenate and refreshour mind, body, and soul. The yogic ‘Pranayam’ isone more step towards spirituality. Try it!�

“Dilemmas. Thinking about them ishazardous to health and mind” and wethink we can do nothing about it.

Spiritual awakening, in today’s date, is es-sential for us youngsters aswemature andhandle pressures, stress etc.

Youth

Spirit

YYoouutthh HHiigghh OOnnSPIRITUALISM

Aarti Khandelwal, XII- C, AIS Noida

FFiinnddiinngg tthheeSPIRIT WITHIN

Karan Saharya, XI- B, AIS Noida

Divine

SSppiirriittuuaalliittyyFOR ME

Bhavika Govil, XI- G, AIS Noida

Faith

SSppiirriittuuaalliittyyAND YOU

Tazmeen Amna Siddiqi, XI- B, AIS Noida

Soul

SSppiirriittuuaalliittyyPILL

Siddharth Garvgava, VII- B, AIS Noida

You know the tinyvoice that warns us

whenever we’re goingon the wrong path?

That’s the God withinus that shows us the

way of right or wrong.Divinity has permanent

residence within us,though we may not

even realize it , and therent that it pays us isits constant supportand love, so why not

seek the spirit within?

The fact is that there isa power within us,which gives us theinsight to solve ourproblems and listen toour tales of tedium andwoe. We can’t see, butwe can feel it. Heedwhat your instinct istrying to tell, andsorting out themultitudes of anxietieswould become somuch simpler. That isthe power ofspirituality.

Illustration:Susnata Paul, XII- E, AIS N

IllustrationbyKANIKABHATIA,XI-C,AISN

YOUNGERgets

There is more to a newspaper than just reading-it’s sheerhardwork and research- Vaishnavi Sridhar, X E, AIS NoidaThe Global Times, September 16-30, 2009

Spiritualism

The chance given to me by the school to be a part of the GT Team was truly an exceptional experience. - Raghav Kochchar, XI D, AIS Noida

Vishrutyi Sahni, X-FAIS, Noida

Youdon’t play squash to becomefit! You have to become fit toplay squash! Squash – It’s all

about hitting walls!A two player sport played within 4 walls- that is Squash. Like what PoornimaKharbanda of AIS Saket says, “When-ever anyone spoke of an indoor sport Ialways thought of a game of chess orludo and never knew an indoor sportcould be healthy, vigorous and tiring.Kudos to all squash players.” So lookout for the healthiest sport ever (listed byForbes), in the 2016 Olympics.In today’s fast paced world where time ismoney, former world no. 1 JhangirKhan’s words stand true - Squash is “apreserver of health.” The innumerousbenefits of this game has won over allother games for its intensity of exercisein a short period of time and has helpedattract working professionals and stu-dents as a game of squash provides anexcellent upper and lower body cardio-vascular workout, burning 1000 calories,70% more than any racket game andalso sharpening your thought process.I was introduced to this game by a greatsquash player - my dad. The game begunas a hobby for me, and I soon found my-self training with National-level CoachPuneet Singh. He says- “Squash re-volves around the 4 S’s- Strength, Stam-

ina, Speed and pSyche along with De-termination and Focus.” I learnt thatpractice puts brains into your muscles.Improvement in technique enhanced myphysical fitness and led to me to take thecompetitive path as today, I stand inTop-10 in under 15 category.�

Happy Squashing!Ranking Sport Fitness

Score01 Squash 22.5402 Rowing 22.0003 Rock Climbing 22.0004 Swimming 20.7505 Cross country 20.50

Skiing06 Basketball 19.0007 Cycling 19.0008 Running 18.5009 Modern 18.50

Pentathlon10 Boxing 17.50

Extra-InfoRank Sport Calories Burned/

hr 155lb/ 70kg)1 Squash 8442 Soccer 4932 Tennis 4933 Basketball 4224 Cricket 3525 Badminton 3176 Golf 281

RogerrificNishant Roy, VIII D

AIS Noida

The name demands a certain re-spect itself. The man who hasdominated the tennis courts out-

shines all those before him. Roger Fed-erer is the only man to win theWimbledon Men’s singles title 6 times,previously winning it 5 times consecu-tively. Even the great Bjorn Borg hasbeen outdone by this living legend.Federer is an amazingly stylish andgraceful player. Unlike his rival Nadal,he relies on technique rather thanstrength. His elegance is fabulous. Thefinesse of his shots is a wonder. He an-nihilates his opponents with such over-whelming grace that the opponent ishelpless; truly giving him the title of liv-ing legend.Federer has a marvelous record at theGrand Slams. He has conquered theWimbledon and US Open. 6Wimbledontitles along with 5 US Opens is some-thing to boast about. Also, the elusivetitle of French Open was given to himwhen he beat Robin Soderling earlierthis year. Federer has also won his coun-try the gold at the Olympics. Federercompleted a Career Grand Slam whenhe won the French Open proving that hetruly is Numero Uno. �

Anamika Tiwari, IX-CAISl, Noida

Lately, sports icon Saina Nehwalhas been the torch bearer for thebudding champions of the game

of badminton. She is currently ranked

World number 6 by Badminton WorldFederation. She is the first Indianwoman to reach the quarter finals at theOlympics and the first Indian woman towin the Indonesian Open Super Series.Since then, many corporates have beencoming up to support this game. Saniais at par with the stars of yesteryearslike Prakash Padukone and PullellaGopichand both of whom won the AllEngland Championship which are ofsimilar status to the Super Series.Our badminton coach at AIS Noida,Mr. Vijender states, “Unlike the West,the game of badminton may lack theglamour and glitz which is mostly seenin cricket and tennis; it is still beingtaken up by a healthy number of young-sters across the country.”These icons have provided the requiredimpetus to this wonderful sport leadingmany schools and district level bad-minton associations to gear up in searchof new talents and provide better train-ing and infrastructure to the existingones. “Badminton is one sport whichhas lost the due share of popularity itdeserves though it is one of the most re-juvenating sports and in the comingyears, it will have wider acceptance anda bigger fanfare” says Poornima, AISSaket.�

Nikhita Agarwal, XII-AAIS Noida

Women’s cricket in India wasborn amidst the unstable po-litical ethos of the 1890s

when women first played men in competi-tive cricket matches. Initially, matches wereplayed between mixed teams with six menand six women making up a team.Womenplayers, wearing sarees in the Maharas-trian way were inspired by the national-ist drive. However, such efforts weresoon forgotten and women’s cricketgradually receded into the backgroundin post-independence India.Convener of BCCI Women’sCommittee and Former captainof Indian Cricket team Shubhangi

Kulkarni recalls, that earlier the pub-lic was only curious about women’sdressing and collecting funds was themajor problem. But now things arechanging. BCCI is looking after the ad-

ministration, so girls do not have to worry aboutfunds and organization. Nowadays girls are get-ting better exposure and are taking up cricket asa career. A sportsperson can be a coach, umpire,sports journalist or can do administrative work.Mayank Tiku, GT Reporter of class XI, AISVasundhra feels, “This is a competitive worldwhere women rub shoulders with men, soWomen’s Cricket should be given equal impor-tance.” Indian Women Cricket team reached thefinals of Women World Cup 2005 for the firsttime in history. Currently, the Indian Women’steam holds the second position in the ICC worldranking, whereas men are at the sixth spot. It wasMithali Raj who captained the Indian Cricketteam in the World Cup finals.QuipsYashvi Malhotra, Sports Captain ofAISNoida, who’s a keen cricket and football playerherself, “It is heartening to see Indian womenmake a mark in cricket at the national and inter-national level.” The feminists can watch “Bend Itlike Beckham” or “Chak De” and romanticize thefact that a big win can lead to a change in fortunefor women sports.�

‘100 NOT OUT’: Go for it, Ladies!

Badminton – the next best thing The modern day mantrafor fitness: Squash!

Imaging: Dinesh Kumar

I’m extremely exctied about the recognition my sport is finally getting,through the column of this estemeed newspaper. Vishrutyi Sahni, X-F, NoidaSports8

The Global Times, September 16-30, 2009Howzatt!?!

To submit your answers, log on towww.theglobaltimes.in

(Postal/courier entries will not accepted.Last date: October 10, 2009 )

14

1. Name a member ofBCCI’s Women committee?2. Forbes has declared it asthe ‘Healthiest Sport ever.’3. What is Microsoft’s an-swer to the omnipresentGoogle?4.Who is the brain behindmaking X Boards optional?5. Name a book penned byJane Eyre.

9PotpourriMosaic

My experience with The Global Times has been extremely enriching. Now that I’m passing out from school, I’ll miss writing for this wonderful paper. -Aarti Khandelwal, XII G,AIS Noida

KushagrIV-A/W B, AIS Noida.

Sumit, a ten year old boy,was very hard working.He was a student of class V

in a good school. Like otherboys, he was most fond of play-ing football, but his parentswanted him only to study and gettop grade marks.Sumit’s dream was to make it onthe school’s football team. Hewould think about it every mo-ment of the day and at night, hisdreams, too, were filled with thisvery thought.One day, when Sumit returnedfrom school to find his father in-tently watching a football gameon T.V. He quietly sat by his fa-ther’s side and said nothing.Aftera while, his father asked, “Don’tyou have homework to do?”

“I do father,” replied Sumit, “butcan’t I watch the game too? I’dlove to play one day just like aworld champion!”“Well, you can if you want to,”stated his father. “If you can bal-ance studies and the love for foot-ball, I don’t see why youshouldn’t start the game rightaway.”Just then, Sumit’s mother camein. She had heard the entire con-versation. “Yes, you can pursueyour game, but then you must getup an hour earlier each morningfor practise.”“I will start my new schedulefrom tomorrow!” shouted an ex-cited Sumit. He was delighted byhis parents’ encouragement.Sumit started practising daily forlong hours. His determination

soon saw him on the schoolteam. Meanwhile, his elder sisterhelped him with his studies. Hisfamily always stood by him.In time, Sumit competed at theState level. After that he neverlooked back. He went on to playboth national and internationalmatches. Whenever asked abouthis success, he gave all the creditto his parents and family. Hesaid, “I never thought in mychildhood that I’d become a foot-ball player. This is the magic ofmy family. They have given meunconditional love and nurturingand if it wasn’t for that I would benothing, least of all representingmy beloved country today!”�Moral: A love without conditionsfrom a supporting family will helpanyone reach for the stars. With-out the family, humans are noth-ing.

ThehardworkingboyShort story

Nayantara MudurVII I, AIS Noida

For animals the world was a happyplace to live,They only had the gift of friendship togive,Flowers bloomed and trees swayed,Unfortunately the big gloomy cloudwas right, for he said:“It’s time for the demon’s egg to belaid”

To all these luxuries, they had to bidgoodbye,All they had was a great big sigh,For along came humans,And began assuming:

“We are the kings, animals are ourslaves,”Vanished all the things that the animalscraved,

There was no one bound to be saved!

Horses were whip-lashed, tied toheavy carriages,For all those noisy marriagesDogs were to guard houses, sitting out-side doors,And when they begged for food, theywere hit till they were sore.

Scientists locked up some animals incages,They never let them out for ages andages,They never realized that animals wereGod’s creation,They just continued their never-endingobservations,

Why don’t we be kind,And we will soon find,That kindness and sympathy is foundeverywhere,From the tiny shrew to the mighty bear.

Leave them alone!

The King of PopTanmya Awasthi

4-E, Wing-B, AIS Noida

MJ was a great manlike millions of othersi too, am his great fan.his songs, his dance,his spins and his flips,the timeless melodiesmaking up his ‘hits’—Beat It, Bad, Heal the WorldThiller, Jam..the breakdancethe moon walkand the many, many movesmade MJ, the King of Pophis beautiful music will live foreverlike him, there will be no other.

Pic by: Keshav Chandna, IV F/WA , AIS Noida

Painting by:Rahul PaulVII, AIS Noida

If I werea cloud

Vanya Francis3-F, W-B, AIS Noida

If I were a cloudI would touch the sky andtalk to the birdsI would play with the windand frolic while i floatfrom place to placeI would shower water on the landand bring on the rainsAs children play and dance.

Painting by : Kripi Badonia VI B, AIS Noida

ResultsIst prize: Tanmay Bhargava,III A/ W B, AIS Noida

One day, Fizzy the fish was playinghide and seek with his friends Olly theOctopus, Bob and Rob the twinstarfish. Fizzy could find Bob and Robhiding behind the weeds but when hefound Olly, he was stuck on the oldjunk. He pulled and pulled, but Olly

wouldn’t move. “How do we get himout?” wondered Bob and Rob. ThenFizzy remembered that when he tick-led Olly, he would jet away. So he tick-led Olly and swoosh! Olly jetted awayand escaped the junk. “Hip, hip hur-ray,” they all cheered.

IInd Prize: Ayaan Malik, Nur B,Amiown- Pushp ViharIIIrd Prize: Yashwini Seth, Nur B,Amiown Pushp Vihar, Hardik Agar-wal, II B/W B, AIS Noida

Picture Writing Contest

The experience of making a newspaper was great.Making anewspaper is not as easy as it seems.- Aanvi, X F, AIS Noida

The Global Times, September 16-30, 2009

College CampusUniversity Buzz10

The Global Times is a wonderful medium of expression for young minds. It has provided me with an opportunity to reach out to others and share my thoughts. - Nikita Khattar, XII G, AIS Noida

I always thought being a doctor or an engineer was tough.Boy, do I feel bad for an editor. - Varun Sen Bahl, XI G, AISN

The Global Times, September 16-30, 2009

Professor Dr P K Chattopadhyay, Di-rector, Amity Institute of AdvancedForensic Science Research and Train-ing and Advisor, Amity Institute ofForensic Science throws some light onforensic science as a career option.

What are the courses imparted atAIAFSRATAIAFSRAT as an independent institutewas established about three years back.We do not offer any regular courses; weorganise a series of Workshops on theExamination of Questioned Documentsetc which are attended by scientists,Bank Officers, educationists and Re-searchers across the globe. RegularCourses leading to the B.Sc. and M.Sc.Degree and the Ph.D. Programme are of-fered by the Amity Institute of Forensic

Science.Broadly what all is covered under thiscourse?It covers a wide spectrum of theory andpractical lessons in different aspects offorensic such as Biology, Chemistry,Toxicology, Serology, Dactyloscopy,Ballistics, Psychology, Cyber Forensicsetc. Besides extensive classroom lec-tures and laboratory work, the studentsare sent to police establishments, foren-sic science laboratories, Departments ofForensic Medicine of reputed medicalInstitutions, and that of the Defence Re-search and Development Organisation(DRDO). They learn from simulated andactual case materials including Post-mortem examination.

How do students handle these casestudies?We teach them crime scene investiga-tion, handling and processing of evi-dences/exhibits including their analysistechniques like examination of fingerprint, questioned documents, stains ofblood, semen, saliva, ear prints, botani-cal evidences, to name a few.

Do you also train the professionals?

My colleagues in AIFS have trainedcops, researchers employed in labs, bankofficers, army officers and others. So far,several batches of Cops and Army Offi-cers have been trained in the Institutethat offers one to three months certifi-cate courses. Our country has all sorts ofgadgets and equipment to handle variedcases, but lacks the expertise. Most ofthe people occupying various scientificpositions in the forensic science labora-tories are experts by position and not byknowledge, and hence the problems.

What are the Career Options for qual-ified FS students?They can be gainfully employed in theForensic Science Laboratories, Police,Customs, Excise, National IdentificationBureau, Banks, Income Tax Depart-ments, Security and Investment Boards,Land and Revenue Department, Indus-tries, as journalists and Crime Reporters,Departments of Forensic Medicine inMedical Institutes and in the Universi-ties where forensic science teaching andresearches are conducted, and even beself employed as Consulting ForensicScientists. They can also start their owninvestigating agencies. �

Science of CrimeInvestiga-tion

A tool of FS, Polygraph Test is madevery popular these days by a televi-sion reality show. How correct are itsresults?Polygraph (popularly referred as LieDetector) is an instrument that meas-ures and records several physiologicalresponses such as BP, pulse, respira-tion, breathing rhythms, body temper-ature and skin conductivity while thesubject is asked and answers a seriesof questions, on the theory that falseanswers will produce distinctive

measurements. It is used mostly as aninterrogation tool. The use and effec-tiveness of the polygraph is contro-versial, with the manner of its use andits validity subject to increasing criti-cism. It must, however, be added thatmuch would depend on the expertiseand experience of the experts in fram-ing and putting the proper questions,and on interpretation the results.Con-trary to the common perception, suc-cess of this test depends on the personconducting it and not on the suspect.

Muhammad Zulqarnain ZulfiAmity University, Rajasthan

Amity University Rajasthan, organizeda panel discussion on ‘Career Opportu-nities in Media, Journalism and Adver-tising’ on August 6, 2009 in the PinkCity Press Club Auditorium. The keyspeakers for the day were Rajnish Thap-liya, Regional Head, ‘My FM India’;Prakash Bhandari, Senior Journalist-Times of India; Dr. KK Rattu, SeniorOfficer- Indian Broadcasting Service &Dr. Rajan Mahan Bureau Chief Ra-jasthan, NDTV India.The panel discussion laid emphasis onthe passion for the profession, clarity ofthoughts and sound communicationskills as pre-requisites for a rewardingcareer in the field of Mass Communica-tion. Speaking on the robust growth ofmedia and entertainment, panelist Dr.

Rajan Mahan shared, “Thisfield has emerged as oneof the most preferred ca-

reer options.While the emergence of tel-evision medium has created thousandsof jobs in the last decade, the expansionof web-based media, off shoring andbusiness process outsourcing, has led to

manifold growth of opportunities formass communication graduates.”He further elaborated, “Apart from theemployability, Mass Communicationstudies offer an opportunity to have a

privileged profession, where one getschances to voice the thoughts of thecommon men and contribute in the overall development of a nation.”Talking to Global Times, DeepakSachdeva, Head of Department AmitySchool of Communication said, “Theevent was well appreciated by young as-piring journalists and experts from themedia. Overall, it was a fruitful interac-tion and we look forward to more eventsin the future.”The discussion enlightened the aspiringjournalists of the key steps in the careerbuilding process, developing an attitudefor the profession, creative thinking,honing technical skills and implement-ing them effectively.The welcome note was presented by Dr.Muddu Vinay, Head & Dy. Director-Amity Business School, Amity Univer-sity Rajasthan and Mr. DeepakSachdeva, Head of Department - AmitySchool of Communication proposed thevote of thanks.�

Let’s talk career

Shweta Jain

What were you pursuing in Sweden?I am a student of Linkoping University,Sweden, where I am doing masters ofScience Program in Industrial Engineer-ing and Management.

Why did you join Amity?At Linkoping, we have to undergo one-year mandatory internship in a univer-sity anywhere abroad. So I chose tocome to India and study at Amity. It sohappened that my father was posted inIndia as the Chief Financial Officer ofUnitech Wireless and so he suggestedthat I should try coming to India. EarlierI was more keen on going to Germany,as most of fellow students were going toother European countries. But then helearnt about Amity University and we

decided to join it here.

What are you studying here?Amity Institute of Telecom Technologyand Management (AITTM) has devel-oped a special course module for me toensure that I cover all the subjects as re-quired by my parent University duringmy internship. Here, I will be doing pro-grammes covered under B.Tech (Elec-tronics & Telecommunications) andMBA (Telecom Management).

How is your experience so far at Amity?It’s a good university, at par with my ex-pectations. They have all sorts of facili-ties. Teachers are competent andclassmates are quite friendly. The onlything is, here all professors are very par-ticular about addressing them asma’am/sir. Back home we address our

teachers by their first name.

You have just landed in India few weeksago, how have you liked Delhi?The first thing one notices as soon as onereaches India is too many people. Swe-den is a small country with sparse popu-lation. So this is something I had to getused to and now I am. Indian food isspicy but I liked rogan josh and am eat-ing chappatis almost everyday. I havebeen on my first sight seeing tour to TajMahal. It’s beautiful to say the least.

What do you like to do in your leisuretime?Back home, I was majorly into the sportof Fencing. But I guess in Delhi it’s notplayed much or is not very popular. Ihope to find an academy where I canpursue it while I stay in India.�

“AITTM developed a special course module for me”In another of its firsts, Amity University Noida, plays host to a Swedishstudent, Carl Lindgren, offering him one year internship at AITTM.

Mr Rajpal Sirohi, VC AUR has re-ceived the prestigious internationalSPIE GaborAward 2009 at an awardfunction held at San Diego, USA. MrSirohi is also the recipient of the UGCNational Hari Om Sharan Award enti-tled Homi J Bhabha Award for AppliedSciences for the year 2005, nominatedthis year, in recognition of his outstand-ing scholarly contribution to his chosenfield of work. The award carries a sumof Rs 50,000 and a citation.

InternationalGlory

Wassup 11School Lounge

There is nothing so nice as ‘little things’ that gladden our hearts each day. Thanks GT for bringing so much joy to reading through those sparkling pages! - Nikhita Agarwal, XII A, AIS Noida

The Global Times, September 16-30, 2009

Polio Eradiction First AIDGender Bias Tobacco Abuse

Phase 1: RegistrationThe programme was launched withthe opening of Registration Form inthe Global Times issue datedApril 1-15, 2009. 330 students across thecountry were short listed from theparticipating schools.

Phase II: My VoiceTen short listed candidates partici-pated in a Group Discussion heldthrough April-May 2009. The topicsas, India unfit for democracy, Theenvironment – a citizen’s responsi-bility, IPL fanfare in the time of re-cession, The environment – acitizen’s responsibility, Positive im-pact of Globalization –more a hypethan a reality, Education and Success– is there a correlation?, In the 21stCentury, Western Culture is erodingthe Indian traditions and Dealingwith terror – the right way… had par-ticipants voicing their views in fullstrength.Two participants from eachschool, qualified for the next phase.

Phase III: I can & I willThis phase, took the short-listed par-ticipants through a self-evaluationexercise where each of them throughthe activities chosen, learnt to choosea goal, work towards its implemen-tation displaying leadership skillsand acquiring new skills while keep-ing the focus alive. 16 studentsjudged on the ability to translate theproject into action, the knack to rallypeople around one’s ideas, adminis-trative and leadership skills, Initia-tive, Practicality and Creativitydisplayed, qualified for Phase IV.

Phase IV: Be the ChangeWith the objective of exposing thestudents to community service pro-grammes, participants focus on theimportance of Awareness and Sensi-tivity, expand upon their Communi-cation Skills and develop an ExtraEdge that Makes the Difference. Allthis, while providing them withHands-on Experience.The eighteen finalists across Indiashall work in close association withdifferent NGO’s namely Centre forScience & Environment, Sakshi,Deepalaya, Sweksha, Peer Pressure-Kundan Sadan and Exnora, to sensi-tize them on issues they have workedupon earlier.

Phase V: Dare to leadSixteen finalists participate in a onenight two day leadership camp. Thecamp designed to enable the best andbrightest potential in youth shallshortlists 8 semi finalists who show-case their leadership skills at theGrand Finale Youth Power Seminar.

Phase VI: Grand Finale –Youth Power Level 2

Eight finalists present their journeythat commenced eight months backfor a unique talent search with thepotential to harness their ethical lead-ership skills. Judged by an esteempanelist comprising experts frommedia, academia and youth icon, twofinalists bag the Youth Power 2009trophy.

YOUTH POWERProgrammeLevel 2: In Phases

Peer Pressure

Water Conversation Health & Safety Safety/Civic Concerns

To build a healthy democratic society, it is important to build healthy, competent and engaged citizens.With this objective, The Global Times, in association with The Global Education and Leadership Foun-dation (tGELF) launched Youth Power Level 2 in April 2009. The unique ongoing national talent huntacross 8 Amity schools in Delhi and NCR and 25 prestigious schools across India launched in April2009 enters Phase IV: Be the change. Youth Power with the objective of realizing and nurturing the qual-ities of ethical leadership amongst the youth, brings forth a galaxy of 16 Youth Powers across India, de-termined to ‘Be the Change’.Bigger and better, Youth Powers shares how the different phases and the task undertaken by themthrough the journey, sensitized them towards various social issues…

‘Be the Change’YOUTH POWER VOICES

“Moved by my visit to Prerna Niketan,an organization that helps children af-fected by Polio, I launched a fund raiseractivity and collected Rs 5000. I proposeto continue this campaign till I collectsufficient funds to equip 15 children inthis rehabilitation home which is esti-mated to be around Rs 1 Lakh.”

Ashwini Vaidialingam (XI)Sanskriti School

“First Aid is Help or assistance or aidavailable imeediately at site/locationduring an emergency. Convinced by theneed for First AID during my task, Iwas compelled to undertake a 15 daystraining in how to administer First AIDin a City Hospital and ResearchCentre.”

Devesh Matta (VIII )AIMC Manesar

“ I did a survey in my apartment and wasshocked to learn that educating a girl inmiddle class families even today is pri-marily limited to finding good ‘suitors’.Though awareness about the gender biasis spreading, it will take a long time forthis awareness to seep into the grassrootsand translate to social change.”

Sanchit Kumar (IX)AIS Vasundhara

“The agenda of tobacco control is as vastas it is urgent. It is remarkably based onvoluntary efforts, combined struggle andactive involvement of the society as awhole. Someone rightly said, ‘Lifestylecan do more to improve well-being, nowand for years to come, than the avail-ability of the best medicines.”

Jigyasa Chauhan (XI D)AIS Saket

“Irealized that problems as van-dalism, substance abuse andbullying that end-up in vio-

lence are primarily due to peer pressure.If one has to be influenced by another,then why not create a positive impres-sion which could have a positive effectupon another’s personality. “Riya Sen (X B),Vivek High School, Chandigarh

“I learnt that peer pressure is all aboutthe value system. While we must fightpeer pressure, its better still to fight forbetter values, ideals and role models inthe society. Value based education alongwith constant vigilance, awareness,communication, counselling and men-toring is the need of the hour.”Tejasvita Singh, XVasant Valley School

“Peer pressure shows up in a variety ofways. It may be positive as pressure tofollow school or activity group rules ornegative as pressure to experiment withdrugs or drink alcohol. One learns to say‘no’ firmly to the later and walk away.”Chirag Ginglani,Dev Samaj

“Mere knowledge of a predicament anddoing nothing to eradicate it is similar tobuying a present and not gifting it. So, Iconvoked my pals and we put up a playfor class IX who came for their lifeskills classes followed by counselingclasses and brainstorming sessions. Notonly did we teach our juniors about var-ious experiences, but it was also a greatlearning session for us.”Anantdeep Singh (XI E),AIS Noida

“It makes me wonder, when people allover the world are making conscious ef-fort to conserve water, why we waste itso callously. World Water Day is some-thing that should be celebrated everyday and not just on every March 22.”

Richa Chandan (VIII B),RPVV Shalimar Bagh

“Our water supply is finite, whichmeans that we do not have an endlesssupply. We only have the water that wehave now. Ninety - seven percent of allthe water on the earth is salt water whichis not suitable for drinking. Only threepercent of all the water is fresh water,and only one percent is available fordrinking water. We need to leran thateach one of us makes a difference asdoes each drop.”

Aryaman Anand (Class X)The Shri Ram School- Moulsari

“Water (H2O) is difficult to make as Hy-drogen on earth is not available in freestate. Water conservation has thereforebecome the need of the day.Stop that drip and curb the flowheed not my wordsthe taps will run no more.”

Amal Srivastava,Bloom Public Schoo

“My message for the youth is ‘stop in-fection not affection’. Let not this epi-demic consume the world in silence andlet us prevent a torturous future for theHIV infected.”

Radhika Arya ( XI B),Springdales School, Dhaula Kuan

“The task helped me learn that obesityshould not me mocked at. It is a prob-lem that needs to be treated. This mightbe the first generation where kids aredying at a younger age than their parentsand it’s primarily related to the problemof obesity.”

Ishita Bedi (VIII E),AIS Mayur Vihar

“We spend a substantial amount of timeeither in a vehicle or on foot, and thiscoupled with the rapid urbanization hasled to increasing number of accidents,both major and minor, on the road.Hence I chose to work on the task“School Zone Traffic Safety”. I imme-diately studied the parking areas desig-nated in and around the school, routesthat kids use and constituted the AmityTraffic Police for its implementation.Weset traffic safety strategies, awarenesscampaigns and even contacted HUDAAdministrator, DCP Traffic for improv-ing traffic safety in our school zone.”

Ojasvi Khare (XI)AIS Sector 46, Gurgaon, Haryana

“Civic sense in simple terms implies tolive thoughtfully, to let live peacefully.The lack of civil sense is why our coun-try is ‘still developing’. Indians may bethe smartest, cleverest and close knitcommunity in the world, but all is lost ifwe do not have the basic civic sense.”

Chethana V (X H),PSBB KK Nagar

“Illiteracy is a big problem in India. Al-though our Fundamental Right guaran-tees Right to Education, poverty,ignorance and lack of resources is de-priving children of their basic rights.This is an issue of social concern and un-less the society and business world donot chip in efforts, its eradication is im-possible.”

Simran Sachdeva (VIII C),AIS Pushp Vihar

“Ross Perot said, “An activist is not theman who says that the river is dirty. Theactivist is the man who cleans up theriver.” And so, as part of the task, I in-teracted with ‘greenpeaceindia’, col-lected and reused polythene bags, usedbicycle for purchasing grocery fromneighborhood. A Mother Dairy dealereven gifted me a cloth bag when I pre-sented him with a bundle of motherdiary milk packets that I had collected.”

SakshamAggarwal (VIII)AIS Sector 43,Gurgaon

Education & Literacy

Environment

“Illiteracy is a big problem in India. Al-though our Fundamental Right guaran-tees Right to Education; poverty,ignorance and lack of resources is de-priving children of their basic rights.This is an issue of social concern and un-less the society and business world donot chip in efforts, its eradication is im-possible.”

Simran Sachdeva (VIII C),AIS Pushp Vihar

We all benefit by havingyoung people exposed to the

'way things are done' in ademocratic society. Isn’t it time... to'tap the power of youth?'

...Hans Bernard

Every one can be great be-cause everyone can serve.

Martin Luther King, Jr

GT has helped me to cultivate my thoughts and ideas and encouraged meimmensely in developing a passion for writing.- Siddharth Gargava, VII A, AIS Noida

Shreya Pasricha, of AIS Noida, popu-larly called the Queen of the Court hasbeen giving nightmares to her 18 year

old competitors. The meticulous tennisplayer has won innumerable medals and usu-ally plays in the category above her agegroup. A Gold Medalist in CBSE Zonal atthe age of eleven, she was seeded number 2in the Under 14 championship series. Asemi-finalist in the Under 18, she is nowplaying for the Under 18 and Under 14 Na-tionals. She will be making her debut in theITF (International Tennis Federation) in Sep-tember. Anantdeep Singh of AIS Noidafinds more about the secrets of her success.

What does your daily routine comprise?On weekdays, I reach Siri Fort for tennispractice at 8am, stay there till around 11amand reach school by 12noon.After attendingschool, I reach home by 2pm, have mylunch, study and then leave for my fitness at4pm. I come back home at 8pm, study for afew hours and finally hit the bed.

Tennis needs a lot of stamina. What is yourdiet like?I don’t follow a strict diet code, unlike mostsportsmen. I am a great foodie and eat pasta,butter chicken, paneer and sandwiches, apartfrom consuming energy drinks like

Gatorade- especially during fitnesssessions.

Is your family and school supportive ofyou? Who is your biggest strength?Both my family and school are very coop-erative and inspire me to work relentlessly.My Principal, Mrs. Mohina Dar, is alwaysencouraging me to strive for greater heights.My mother is my biggest strength.

You consider tennis as a hobby or a fulltime career?Definitely- a career.

Who do you idolize and why?I take inspiration from Rafael Nadal since Iconsider him an icon for change, strengthand a never-say-die spirit. Despite beingcomparatively amateur he reduced Federer,the world number1 to tears by his game, andstill never lost his sportsman gentleness.

...And finally, any message to the youngaspirants who are trying their hands withthe racket?However hectic be your daily schedule,don’t give up and keep trying. Rememberthat there are people who care and love you,so if not for yourself- for them, just showyourself and the world what you can do.�

Nishita Khattar, IX- JAISN

‘Old is gold’, it is said, andyou know, it is one ofthe truest aphorisms

I’ve ever heard. Let’s take, for ex-ample, classics. Eons may havepassed since they were written, butthe characters are still cocooned inthe aura of their fame, favoritesamong all. Let’s take the irresistibletale of Jane Eyre. Charlotte Brontenarrates the tale of Jane Eyre, the un-attractive yet intriguing heroine,who leaves the reader spellboundwith the intensity of her emotionsand her idealistic life. Jane, an ordi-nary governess, falls in love with herrich and arrogant master, EdwardFairfax Rochester, who surprisinglyreturns her ardour. But hold yourbreath, here comes a twist! On theirwedding day, it turns out that Mr.Rochester is already married! Jane,devastated, but wishing to protecther honour, leaves Mr. Rochesterimparting no trace of her futurewhereabouts. But, unable to grapplewith the excruciating pangs of sepa-ration, Jane returns a year later, tofind Mr. Rochester’s wife dead andMr. Rochester himself waiting forher with open arms! The book endsin a whirlwind of ecstasy, with thewedding of the two lovers and acomplete fairytale ending: ‘and theylived happily ever after’. CharlotteBronte has a beautiful style of writ-ing, she astounds the reader with herknowledge and the depth of the in-sight she has into her characters’minds. Jane Eyre is one of the mostpriceless jewels in the treasuredcrown of books; it surely is a mustin every bibliophile’s bookcase!

Ace at the Courts

Aman Singh AhluwaliaXI-B, AISN

Poets of the Fall (POTF) is a rockband from Finland that wasfounded in 2003. The members

are Marko Saaresto, Olli Tukiainen andMarkus Kaarlonen. Their first single,Late Goodbye was featured in MaxPayne 2 as a recurring theme. The sec-ond single “Lift” was released latershowcasing Marko’s unique, tantalizingvoice and Ollie’s lead guitar, with sup-port from Captain’s deft fingerwork onkeyboards. In 2004, the band releasedits debut album, Signs of Life whichfeatured the singles, as well as Illusionand Dream and other brilliant tracks

that showcased the band’s competenceand range – from rock anthems to softand mellow acoustic songs. The secondalbum, Carnival of Rust, that releasedin 2006, appealed to all those whothrive on rock. In 2007, the Poets begantheir Carnival of Rust Tour, playing 55gigs in 7 countries, with the band’s firstconcert in Asia at IIT, Kanpur. Theband’s third album, RevolutionRoulette, was released in 2008, featur-ing Save Me, along with The UltimateFling and Diamonds for Tears. They re-leased a video of a cover of the famousCasino Royale track, “You Know MyName.” So don’t walk away when the‘heart is yearning’ for more POTF. Lettheir music ‘lift’ you higher. �

Poets of the fall

Kanchan Joneja, IX-J,AIS, Noida

Angels and Demons By Dan Brown

This book is strong and gripping, many ofthe story elements rooted in historical andmodern-day truths. CERN (as mentioned inthe book) is the world’s largest particle physicslaboratory where the World Wide Web beganand the Large Hadron Collider is set. More-over the secret brotherhood, Illuminati and theart sculptors too were true. Many more in-triguing facts and fiction made it worthwhileto film this amazing mystery-thriller.

New Moon By-Stephanie Meyer

This book is about losing true love. The titlerefers to the darkest phase of the lunar

cycle, indicating that New Moon is about thedarkest time of the protagonist Bella’s life asEdward, the gorgeous vampire, conquers hisemotions to keep her safe, away from himself.An upcoming film is set for release on No-vember 23rd, 2009, awaiting the same mad-ness that the phenomenal box office-hitTwilight achieved.

Artemis Fowl By Eoin Colfer

Starring the teenage criminal mastermindand Irish child prodigy Artemis Fowl II,the author summed up the series of 6 books as“Die Hard with fairies.” An Artemis Fowlmovie has been confirmed by Eoin Colfer.Supposedly, the script for the movie is fin-ished, the casting call has begun, and themovie is set to come out sometime next yearin 2010.�

Books hitting theatres

Step backin time

Shreya calling the shots!Pic by: Mr Ajay Khanna, AIS Noida

The team work I learnt, leadership skills and the experience of actually making a newspaper will stay withme for a life time. Hope GT provides me with more such opportunites. -Anantdeep Singh, XI F, AIS Noida

The Global Times, September 16-30, 2009Bag Pack12

Variety

The Global Times Team: Managing Editor-Vira Sharma; Assistant Editors- Tulika Banerji, Shweta Jain; Chief Designer- Dinesh Kumar; Designer- Pankaj Kumar Mallik

Tournament Record in 2009• Under 19 CBSE (Zonal) SchoolTennis Championships,September 2009 – Winner*• Under 16 National Series, May2009 – Semi Finalist• Under 16 Championship Series,July 2009 – Semi Finalist• Under 16 Talent Series, April2009 – Winner• Under 18 Championship Series,January 2009 – Finalist• Under 14 Championship Series,January 2009 – Winner

* Shreya won all her singles and doublesmatches at the CBSE (Zonal). On the strengthof her performance, Amity International hasreached the final round of the CBSE Nationalsto be held in Chennai in October 2009