T O D A YT O D A YT O D A YT O D A YT O D A YNovember, 2011

The Vasant Valley DebateThe Vasant Valley DebateThe Vasant Valley DebateThe Vasant Valley DebateThe Vasant Valley Debate

for the India Today Cupfor the India Today Cupfor the India Today Cupfor the India Today Cupfor the India Today CupNovember comes, and brings with it not only the joy of the much-awaited, breathtaking Founder’s Day, but also the enthralling VasantValley Debate for the India Today Cup. This year, as debaters, we’vetaken the liberty of delving into why the structure and format ofthis particular debate is so unique. Over the past two years, we havetravelled in and out of New Delhi to experience the different stylesof debating in Indian schools. Yet, we have found that the mosthelpful and effective method was right here, at home.

We are quite accustomed to the three fields of adjudication, the three Ms: Matter, Manner and Method. Matter, as is evident,is the content of the speech – what you say. Manner is the delivery of the speech – how you say it. Method, perhaps the mostunfamiliar of the three, is the structure of the speech – how you plan and lay out what you say. Most debates on the circuitgive Manner precedence over Matter, or at most, give them equal weightage. However, the Vasant Valley Debate customarilygives more weight to matter. The rationale behind such a decision is that a debate comprises predominantly of arguments,whose logical deduction and validity are determined by the matter or substance of the debate. There are no restrictionsimposed on the debaters as to how they have to stand, speak, interject or gesticulate, barring however, the banning of termsthat are not parliamentary. As debaters, we find this reasoning completely sound: the art of debating really comes out in thelogical reasoning of creative arguments. The challenge is to develop these arguments soundly, explain them clearly, andconvince the House of your point. While this is aided by how convincing your delivery is, the point of a debate is defeatedif the debaters hide the fact that they have no solid points behind a smokescreen of shouted words, gesticulations, andbeating around the bush. In a debate in which Manner is awarded the highest weightage, people with great deliveries, whoare loud and vociferous, yet don’t have solid arguments, could easily be marked higher vis-à-vis those with brilliant arguments,but a more docile manner. We feel that this puts emphasis on the wrong aspect of debating, the delivery of the speech.Debating cultivates a certain kind of mind – one that actively reasons things out, supports statements, thinks critically, andlooks at things in an unconventional way. If the emphasis of the debate lies in the manner of speech, a whole different set oftalents would be honed more actively. While they are important, they are not what debating, in its essence, is really about.Another format of the debate we really appreciate is the parliamentary style. It is an insight into the importance and relevanceof debating in the functioning of a government. Oxford style debates tend to get slightly monotonous after a point asmultiple teams and speakers are all debating the same topic. The showcase of a demo-debate by the adjudicators themselves,a day prior to the finals was testimony to the unbelievably high quality ofdebating expected by the adjudicators. As noticed by us in various debates,the adjudicators were very competent and prominent individuals, yet inspecializations unrelated to debating. Here, at Vasant Valley School, theadjudicators not only specialize in law and debating, but also in adjudicating.The adjudicators, moreover, uphold the debate’s philosophy ofcommunication by being more than happy to provide feedback to all thedebaters, which, due to their expertise in this field, is extremely pertinentand valuable.A unique principle of the Vasant Valley Debate is the power to veto. In thepreliminary as well as the semi-final rounds, each school can veto a motionfrom the list provided to them. At the end of the process, the motion left onthe board is by and large decided through a mutual consensus, and hence,presumably deals with an area of knowledge with which everyone is familiarwith. This creates another advantage – teams are more or less on an equalfooting when it comes to the knowledge of, and comfort with the motion.We do hope though, that more levels get introduced into the debate.Currently, after just one round of debating, 75% of the teams are eliminated,and the debate progresses immediately to the semi-final round. As debaters,we have a passion for debating, and would thoroughly enjoy the opportunityto participate in more debates.Though we did not win and had our share of disappointment, it was aninvigorating two days, and if we weren’t the home team, it is safe tosay that we would definitely come back.Amira Singh and Vandita Khanna, 11

The Senior Girls Soccer Team, captained

by Brea Dutt (12), won the CBSE North

Zone Soccer Tournament 4-0 against

Chandigarh, and has now qualified for the

CBSE Nationals in Mumbai!

The Senior Cricket Team, captained by

Sadaat Salim (12) won the finals of the

British School Cricket Tournament against

British School by 52 runs!

Vasant Valley School won the second

position at the National Level in the CII Young

Indians Green I contest held in New Delhi.

Gurbani Singh (10) won both the Sri

Lankan Open Ladies Amateur

Championship in Kandy, Sri Lanka Gubani

and the 5th Army Open Ladies Amateur

Championship.

Kamya Sharma (7) represented Delhi State

in the Under-14 Basket Ball Nationals in

Rajnandgaon, Chattisgarh.

SCHOOL WATCH

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The Magic of Indian WeddingsMarriage is a sacred bond between two people who accept eachother for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do

them part. But where’s the funfor those of us who bearwitness to this bonding? It’sall in the big weddingcelebrations! After barelyrecovering from my ownbrother ’s grand and veryPunjabi wedding, I’ve realizedthat if there’s one thing thatyou want to be a part of, it’s awedding. The celebrations

start at least six months in advance, from rich customs like the sagan,chuda and roka, to the fun filled ceremonies – I had to fight ten verytall sisters of the bride to steal my brother’s shoes in order to keepthe respect of the boy’s side intact! The main philosophy behind suchweddings is, the bigger the better. There has to be a very popular DJflown in from some other corner of the world, there should be atleast ten cuisines ready for consumption, the bride’s attire has to beheavy enough for her to be hardly able to move and the baraat, asidefrom being close to two hours late, has to make enough noise to beheard within a two kilometer radius. I’ll be honest; besides all the fun,it is also a very tiring experience. If I hear one more dholwalla say,“nache munde di behen”, or have to put on any more heavy Indianclothes, I would probably resort to some drastic measures. But all inall, these weddings are an experience. They bring all emotionstogether. It is about five days of complete mayhem, but once it’sover, you really want it back. I can’t complain; I now have someonenew in the house to share clothes with! I know I’ll probably face thewrath of all the different cultures when I say this, but honestly, thereis no wedding like a Punjabi wedding!

Suvira Raj Chadha, 12

The Great Metallica UpsetFor the first, and probably the last time in thirty years, the

world’s most successful metal band paved its way to India.

Metallica was finally coming with the F1, a dream come

true for every Indian metal head. They were the pioneers

of thrash metal, the gods of modern metal music. I honestly

wasn’t a huge fan, but this was a concert not to be missed.

It truly was going to be a once in a lifetime experience.

Yet, if only I had known that I would face a horrible upset,

I wouldn’t have stood in line three hours for my ticket. Only

half an hour after the gates had opened, the massive crowd

went and broke the front barrier, all because of an obvious

lack of security, and horrible crowd management by the

organizers. They were metal fans; obviously they were

going to be aggressive!

"But as the dust begins to settle from the

chaos that the cancelled F1 Rocks Metallica

concert caused, the story unravelling quietly

suggests something altogether."

An obvious fault on their part, the organizers tried to coverup, and began to blame the crowd. On quite bluntly calling

us ‘buttheads’ and asking the crowd to move back, one of

the crew members helplessly tried to improve the situation.But with such a lack of security personnel, the condition

seemed hopeless. With no one to guide them, there was no

way the crowd could move back. After almost two hoursof helpless announcements and never ending cursing from

the sore crowd, the organizers finally decided to postpone

the concert to the next day, and that’s when the crowd reallylost it!

Furious fans jumped on stage, and wrecked it! The stage

floor was torn apart,amps were dismantled

and flung off stage in

anger, and wire leadswere torn and ripped off

the stage. There was no

way the concert wasgoing to happen now,

and the fans who were

still sane left the venuein disappointment, while the riot swept across the streets

and parks, surrounding the venue in Leisure valley,

Gurgaon.Until now we thought that the NCR was not a place for

international concerts. Until now people in New Delhi

would brood whenever big artists avoided the city forBengaluru and Mumbai. Until now we thought

that corruption was the cause of it all. But as the dust begins

to settle from the chaos that the cancelled F1 RocksMetallica concert caused, the story unravelling quietly

suggests something altogether. It was gross mismanagement

on the part of the promoters, which stamped on the desiresof thousands of fans who had for years been waiting to see

the legends play.

So honestly, DNA networks, don’t blame the crowd for themassive upset. Learn how to manage one. And finally, after

spoiling the dreams of thousands of fans, and giving the

NCR a disappointing no-show status for any internationalbands that plan to come here in the future, we hope you

remember, we will be needing our refunds.

Rishabh Prakash, 11

Should schools have uniforms?A school uniform is a dress code that helps students identify with each

other and instill a sense of belonging to the institution. A uniform

promotes discipline and also helps develop the moral character of the

student. My father has proudly preserved his school blazer till date and

is really thrilled to display it to his school friends when they get together.

In today’s environment of fashion and brands, children are easily misled

and have a tendency to show off their fancy apparel. Imagine a school

without a uniform – the students would act competitively as to who is

wearing a better brand. People who don’t wear expensive, branded

clothes would be singled out and left out of every friend circle.

School uniforms also have benefits outside the school. They make

students act more responsible and aware of their behavior in a train or

bus with other passengers. They also inculcate a sense of proper dressing

in children and give them a feel of how to dress smartly in college or at

the workplace. In schools where students are not given any dress code,

there are battles between the administrators and students as to which

items of clothing can be considered offensive or inappropriate.

The common refrain of school children is that uniforms are not

comfortable or practical in many cases. Hence, schools should give due

consideration while designing the uniforms and take care that their

students look smart and remain comfortable. Let us take the example

of our school, Vasant Valley; a smart, practical and comfortable uniform

with a logo that enables people to recognize that we are from Vasant

Valley.

We are supposed to and should follow the decorum of the school, which

is why a school uniform is a necessity.

Aadit Raj Gupta, 8

VASANT VALLEY TODAY PAGE - 3

An Interview with Mr: Aroon PurieOn the 21st of October, Mr. Aroon Purie interacted with the studentsof Nursery during a reading of a children’s story he authored. Thetale he narrated was that of a dimwitted yet loveable monkey,Bondhoo, and his attempts to find a job. Manya Kapur (5) andSuryadip Bandopadhyay (5) had a chance to speak with him after,and ask him some questions on behalf of the newsletter:NL: What inspired you to write this story?Mr. Purie: I tried my hand at writing quite by default. When mykids were growing up, children’s books were always Western –they had no Indian characters or contexts. I was running ThompsonPress at the time, and with the great effort and input of prominentauthors and illustrators like Romila Thapar and Ramachandran,we wrote a children’s book based on Indian characters andcontexts.NL: Why did you choose this theme and the character of Bondhoo?Mr. Purie: It’s just a fun story. Growing up, monkeys were alwaysfamiliar, entertaining characters. The philosophy [behind the book]was the same as that of Vasant Valley; having fun as you learn.NL: What do you enjoy most about storytelling?Mr. Purie: This is the first time I’ve done it [read to students]!Reading was a way for me to connect with my kids; a book wasjust an aid. When you read to children, a story gains its ownmomentum, [because] children have so much imagination, thatthey can carry a story forward.NL: Why do you think reading is important for children our age?Mr. Purie: Reading opens you up to another world. When youread a story, it triggers your imagination; you picture it in your head.Two people can read the same story can imagine two completelydifferent things. Stories are key to everyone’s lives; we spend ourlives telling stories – in all our conversations, we are essentiallytelling stories. One of the best definitions of journalism is, “truthwell told”. Reading helps you understand how to tell a story.NL: Do you have any favourite quotes?Mr. Purie: I recently read one in a column in the Sunday newspaper,about drawing upon the elements of nature: ‘Be as hard as adiamond, flexible as a feather, generous as water, and as emptyas air’.NL: What do you think makes Vasant Valley special?Mr. Purie: Our school has a soul. Other schools may have betterinfrastructure, but as long as we have teachers and faculty whoare passionate about the school, everything follows – greatrelationships, great connections. Our students grow up as caring,wholesome individuals, rather than “nerds”.NL: How do you feel about Vasant Valley turning twenty-two yearsold?Mr. Purie: [Laughs] I think it’s great. Each year, as Vasant Valleygrows up, the school matures. We have great alumni coming out;we develop an old student network. I think that the older you grow,the better you grow.

As reported by Mallika Pal

It hasn’t been long since we were crowned champions of theIndian North Zone. It hasn’t been long since we scored the lastgoal against Sacred Hearts School (Chandigarh), setting us 4-0ahead of our rivals. It hasn’t been long since the referee blewthe whistle, signalling the end of the tiring hour-long match. Ithasn’t been long since we all screamed out, jubilant and ecstatic,and ran laughing and carousing around the field. And already,we’re preparing for the next challenge.It being the season, tournaments are lining up week after week,one after the other. The three main ones that we have beenlooking forward to are the CBSE North Zone Tournament, theSubroto Cup and the CBSE Nationals. Already successfullyshowing our supremacy in the first, we have thus managed toqualify for the last. Both the leftover tournaments are inNovember, with a couple of weeks’ gap in between.

The Vasant Valley School GirlsFootball Team 2011

“It hasn’t been long since we allscreamed out, jubilant and ecstatic,

and ran laughing and carousingaround the field. And already, we’repreparing for the next challenge.”

We have different reasons to be excited for each tournament.The Subroto Cup: For girls, the first of its kind. Our chance toestablish our reign not only over the best girls teams in India,but also our first international match, against a team fromAfghanistan! Already breezing through the league quarter finals,we’re hoping to add another trophy to the school’s office mantle.The CBSE Nationals: We won it two years ago, and missed itlast year. Of course, we mustn’t let anyone think we’ve slippedup, so we are obliged to make our occasional appearance andrip the other teams to shreds. Admittedly, our rivals have becometougher, but then again, so have we. The team representing the school this year comprises: Brea Dutt(Captain), Shriya Velloor, Gurbani Dugal, Megha Mehdiratta,Naina Lal, Purvai Rai, Aabshar Wakhloo, Vanshika Ahuja, AditiBanerjee, Saumya Goel, Yashitha Jeet, Aavantikaa Wassan, PiaKochar, Jayanti Jha, Inayat Gill, Sukanya Joshi, Sanah Rao,Aanya Dalmia and Vrinda Puri.And lastly, easily the greatest coach in the entire country,Mr. Gogoi! We wouldn’t (and couldn’t) be a “team” without him.

Pia Kochar and Yashitha Jeet, 10

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Black and White

saurixat idvaalaIsaurixat idvaalaIsaurixat idvaalaIsaurixat idvaalaIsaurixat idvaalaIidvaalaI ka %yaaohar hO Aayaa,raoSnaI kI baaOCar hO laayaa.pOMsala, fUlajaD,I jalaaeMgao,Baa[yaaoM, bahnaaoM ka mauMh maIza krvaaeMgao.faoD,oMgao, laUToMgao, naacaoMgao, gaaeMgao,Parntu Apnao pyaavarNa kao BaI bacaaeMgao.kma pTako faoD,oMgao [sa baar,nahIM maanaoMgao hma glaaobala vaa^imaMga sao har.pTako na faoD,oMgao tao AcCa rhogaa,varnaa p`dUYaNa hma pr BaarI pD,ogaa.raoD pr na faoD,naa pTako,AaOr naa hI ibajalaI ko paola sao saTako.ibajalaI idnaaoM tk nahI AaegaI,Saayad gaaiD,yaaM BaI p`aiPt paeMgaI.saurixat idvaalaI manaaAao,ApnaaoM kI jaana bacaaAao.Axaya SarNa 9

Untitled

I thank my mother for the life she chose to give,Birth is not a matter to be taken lightly,I thank my forefathers for the name they gave me,A heritage I seldom feel I uphold to the fullest.He who gave me the gift of having, I thank Him,By denying the same, sadly, to multitudes in this world,I feel, in me, he entrusted his faith to use it for the better.Though the years that I have lived, in my tiny spec of a life,May have had me in a better place than most others,Today I feel I stand on an even ground as all,Looking at the choices I feared most, straight in the eye.And when I come to ponder over where I stand in this world today,I realize to have everything is to have nothing.When all is had with birth, that I hesitate to call fortunate,What is there to be driven by, to aim for, to live to achieve?It is the curse of having, the biggest burden of all,That oft holds us back from what we are truly born to do,I, who have been gifted with this curse, feel the need to realize this.At this climax of our lives, those who had less and less,Who will now have more and more, is a thought that dreadfully moves me.It is blessing, which blinds us.I thank my mother for life,My forefathers for my name,He for letting me have, for gifting me with the prosperity of His grace,Yet also for having me realize, it is only a gift when we make it one.Often, those who have are lost.In the end, when I overcome that which may hold me back, and oft has others,And achieve in this life happiness and success in its true form,I will have myself to thank.For I, with the burden of having, was not blinded by it,Yet rose to overcome it.

Rishabh Prakash, 11

Every symbol of euphoria

Now lies crippled and torn

What is left is mere black and white

In this colossal world, forlorn.

The petals of the rose, as smooth as silk

Have wilted, feeble and weak

At hand are spiky brutal thorns

Devoid of its colours and mystique.

The once shimmering river

That gushed down the mountains swiftly

With the evolution of black and white

Has lost its grace and beauty.

The emerald green leaves, the russet bark

The sunflowers, yellow and bright

All have lost their colour and lust

What remains is mere black and white.

The boisterous vibrant market streets

Aren’t alluring anymore

The multihued flowers in the backyard

Are repugnant than before.

The hues and tints have been sucked out

Of this mighty world, you see

Its elegance and poise have vanished

It’s devoid of benevolence and mercy.

What is left now are black and white doors

To enter into life and then exit

Black and white countries with black and white

flags

On our (once upon a time) planet.

Ready to shed black and white blood

By being stabbed by black and white swords

For their religion and their race

Killing to receive black and white rewards.

What remains now are black and white men

To unite as one, they refuse

Putting lives at stake, they couldn’t care less

Each other, they’ve learnt to accuse.

They were, are, and will be, only a colour

But it has cost them the world, unfortunately

The world, which was awe-inspiring once

Has sacrificed its aura - intriguing and lively.

For hues to be sprayed all over the world

On the flora and the vibrant wildlife

Prove that the world is neither white nor black

Don’t be a mere colour throughout your life.

Vandita Khanna, 11

ek Aitiqa ka cama%karek Aitiqa ka cama%karek Aitiqa ka cama%karek Aitiqa ka cama%karek Aitiqa ka cama%karnaBa maoM saUrja Cayaa huAa qaa AaOr JaUlao ihla rho qaolailat mauskana qaI tumharo cahro pr doKa jaba maOMnao tumhoJaUlao pr JaUlato hue Aasa pasa kI duinayaa kao Baulaa caukohYa- va ]llaasa kI Baavanaa doKa jaba maOMnao tumho.pOr Aagao pICo kr rhI qaIkoSa kao Apnao mauÐh sao hTa rhI qaIsarlata kI Baavanaa tumharo cahro pr qaIAByaagat sao tuma maorI daost banaI.pUCa Apnao Aapsao @yaa jaIvana hao sakta hO [tnaa rmaNaIk@yaa ijaMdgaI ko kaMTaoM sao bacanao ko rasto hOM Anaokpr ifr [sa saaoca maoM Aayaa ek Ka[- gahrakBaI kao[- AaoZ,o Saala dRSaalaa tao kao[- kmbala kalaa.samaJa Aayaa tba ik bacapna hI vah va@t hOjaba duinayaa hmaarI caala pr calatI hOtumharI maaM̂ kI Aavaaja, nao maorI saaoca kaT laIApnaI raOnak laokr tuma ]nako saaqa gaayaba hao ga[-.doKa tao JaUlao pr kao[- na qaabagaIcaa KalaI KalaI saa laganao lagaahM̂saI tumharI maoro kanaaoM maoM gaUM̂ja rhI qaIAaOr maOM hÐsakr JaUlao kI Aaor baZ,I.]sa baccao kI KuSaI AaOr Apnao bacapna ko hYa-sao lagaa jaOsao [Md`laaok ka CuAa hao maOMnao spSa-Aba ]sa baccao kI AaOr ApnaI hÐsaI qaI gaUÐja rhIhvaa kI gaaod maoM maOM maganamana basa JaUlanao lagaI..

iSaivaka syaala 11

VASANT VALLEY TODAY PAGE - 5

Ahana Mukherjee - Nur A

would like to keep a cat

as a pet because she likes its soft fur.

My Grandparents

'the best story tellers'When I can’t sleep, I get spooky thoughts.

There’s no problem because I have my

grandparents, waiting to be asked by me-

‘’Can you tell me a story?’’ Most of the times

only my grandma agrees as grandpa’s sleep

is more sweet to him. My grandma

sometimes tells me stories of kings and

queens, sometimes stories about animals or

maybe she sometimes might just tell a story

about her childhood and how she and

grandpa became friends. Then at other time

she would tell me such scary stories, that as

soon as I closed my eyes, I would see ghosts

and ghouls! And then a story about fairies

and pixies could put me in a magical dream

forever. My Grandparents are the best story

tellers in the world, or maybe I should say

the whole universe! They tell me stories day

and night, anywhere anytime. I hope I can

be like them and live to tell all these stories

to my grandchildren too!!

Suhasini Takkar IV - B

Night StayI was really excited on 21st October-

my first night stay! We first made

Bhel-Puri and it was fun. Then we

went for a

nature walk

and we saw

lots of

plants. We

came back

and had an

obstacle race. At night we lit a bonfire

and we danced. We also saw the sky

globe and Jupiter through a telescope.

Then we had dinner and went to

sleep. In the morning we woke up and

brushed our teeth and had hot

chocolate and cookies and did

colouring activities. We ate our

breakfast and went home with our

Diwali saplings. I liked the

obstacle race the most.

Tishya Kasliwal II - B

All’s well that ends

well….It was a day like any other. It was a

Friday afternoon and I was in school

with ten minutes to spare for the Big Bell

to ring. I was checking my bag again and

again to make sure I had all my

homework. It seemed like I had.A few

minutes later, after checking my bag for

the millionth time, I closed it and

returned to my seat. Then, Mrs.

Surendran told us that we had to copy

down something in our Creative Writing

notebooks. I sighed and got up again. I

got my book, came back to my chair and

copied down whatever I had to. Then, I

realized that there was a file in my desk

that had to be put in my locker. So I

took my file (I still had my Creative

Writing notebook in my hand) and

shoved it into my locker. Then I slung

my bag over my shoulder, sure that I had

all my homework in my bag. I shouldn’t

have been so sure. Back home, I decided

to finish off my story writing so I

rummaged about in my bag. Strange, I

couldn’t seem to find my book. I looked

again. No luck. I started to panic. Where

was my creative writing? I turned my

bag upside down and an avalanche of

things came tumbling out. (including an

old crumpled letter regarding my low

grades. Oh, well. What my mother didn’t

know wouldn’t hurt her). Just then,

mama stormed into the room. “What’s

this mess?” she asked. “ I can’t find a

book of mine,” I said. Then I did the

thing that any sensible person would

do. I started crying. I expected my

mother to sympathize with me. Instead

she said “Well, you’ll jolly well go back

to school to look for it” Half an hour

later I was back at school. Vasant Valley

was eerie and deserted. I ran upstairs

to my classroom. I looked in my desk and

my locker but there was no sign of my

book. I bawled all the way home. On

Monday, I went back to school feeling

very sorry for myself. I told my teacher

about my lost book and she wasn’t

impressed. I went for a last look to my

locker. Then I saw the file that was in

my hand when I was holding my Creative

Writing notebook. I took it, opened it

and sure enough, there was my

notebook hiding innocently beneath my

papers. All’s well that ends well, you

could say!

Yashoda Jayal V- A

[-d mausalamaanaaoM ka ek mau#ya %yaaohar hO.

yah vaYa- maoM dao baar AatI hO. ek [-d -]la iftr haotI hOM tao dUsarI kao [-d - ]la

jauha khto hOM. [-d ko idna saBaI mausalamaana

jaldI ]zkr naha - Gaaokr nayao kpD,o phnatohOM AaOr maisjad maoM jaakr namaaja, pZ,to hOM.

ek dUsaro sao galao imalakr '[-d - maubaark'

khto hOM. [-d ko idna vao ek dUsaro kao]phar va [-dI doto hOM. isavaOyaaM̂, imaza[-

AaOr pkvaana Kato hOM.

SaaOya- saUd caar - ba

On The Banks Of

The River NileFlowing through Egypt

Is The River Nile

Longest river in the world it is

Flows into the Mediterranean after a while

Life Line of Egypt it is

Granaries next to it

Animals and fishes call it home

Runs through Egypt for miles

Along the River Nile grew papyrus

Paper and boats were made of this

Swimming they did along with hunting

Home it was to other sports too

Egypt without the Nile

Would be a desert in the wild

Fresh water and rich black soil it gives

All this makes it worth its while!

Rajveer Sardana, V - B

The FishOne day Dev and Lini were standing

and catching fishes but Lini and and

Dev could not catch any. They were

very sad. Finally they got a fish and

their cat happily ate the fish. And

even Lini and Dev ate the fish.

Gabiya Nayyar I - C

My Favourite Pet Animal

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Debatable QuotesWhether controversial, thought-provoking,

or just plain funny, the newsletter lists some

of the quotes made by participants during

the India Today Debate.

This house believes that religion is not for

empty stomachs.

Mayanka Mukharjee (Sardar Patel Vidyalaya):

Religious customs have been turned into

billboards for advertisements.

Ankita Nayak (Sardar Patel Vidyalaya):

Religion is a support system for the poor

which acts as a leveller.

Promotion of religion fuels ignorance.

Siddharth Mahesh (St Columba’s School):

Maslow’s pyramid of hierarchical needs

implies that people are fundamentally

engrossed in obtaining essential physiological

and security needs as compared to spiritual

needs. Shouldn’t the poor therefore be

inclined towards looking after their essential

needs as compared to religious ones?

Nikita Khaitan (Sanskriti School): We tend to

attribute our problems to God’s design.

Joyeeta Datta (Assam Valley School): When

all fails, the only thing that urges people to

follow the path of perseverance is their

religion.

Shivin Kohli (St. Columba’s School): If religion

gives you satisfaction and happiness, isn’t it

the same as pornography?

Joyeeta Dutta (Assam Valley School) - Is porn

a necessity? Have people lost all means to

pleasure themselves apart from porn?

Raag Ramdev (Shri Ram School): The power

of religion is used by the rich to maintain a

power balance.

[In reference to Baba Ramdev] This ‘Ramdev’

will not fool you.

This house believes that religious/sectarian/

caste based political parties should be

banned.

Manurut Lochav (Ryan International School):

I think that the people should put that thing

inside them... you know?

We see America, which has a black man

sitting on top.

Aaris Kalra (Ryan International School):

Controversial for expenditure and spending

of the money.

American Idol: The End of an EraThere is a famous saying that goes, ‘old is gold’. It refers tothings that are past their prime yet are still the best comparedto anything that is new – that is, until they completely disappearinto oblivion. More often than not, people will agree that thenew is far, far better than the old. In fact, with the exceptionof antiques and grandparents, this saying cannot be applied toa lot of things without it being misleading.American Idol is no different. Barely three to four years ago,American Idol was the most watched and loved music showin the world. That, however, was simply because it had no solid competitors. Now, withnew shows offering more exciting and promising outcomes and performances, AmericanIdol’s viewer rating has dropped by six percent. Another reason for this drop could be theinnovativeness of the new shows. The Voice, which holds blind auditions, doesn’t allowappearance to be part of the judgement made by the four celebrity judges; a judging methodthat is entirely appropriate for a show that chooses it participants based on their voices.The exit of Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul didn’t do much for the show except ruin it alittle more. The audience often misses the difference in opinion of the compassionate Paulaand the blunt, wisecrack-maker Simon, which often resulted in heated on-air confrontations.The X Factor offered the return of these two highly acclaimed judges on the same panel andthus caused the viewership of the show to increase by four percent.This, however, is not the only thing Idol lacks in comparison to the new music shows today.The episodes of Idol have become monotonous and predictable; if not by inter-episode,then definitely by inter-season. For the impatient audience that we are, this repeat is notwholly welcome. Like a bunch of little girls, the glitz and glamour offered by the new showson MTV and VH1 attracts us to them.Admittedly, there are times when onemisses the old school stuff. Then, it’sAmerican Idol all the way. But at the endof the day, the conclusion can’t be termedsurprising. People enter, have theirfifteen minutes of fame, and then exit,making way for new talent to replacethem. And just like it is with theparticipants on them, it is with the showsthemselves.Aakanksha Jadhav, 9

Editorial Board

Ananya Jain, Aakanksha Jadhav, IndraneelRoy, Tarini Sardesdai, Aastha Kamra,Namrata Narula, Pia Kochar, SharanyaThakur, Vasudha Dixit, Akhila Khanna,Amira Singh, Ishan Sardesai, RishabhPrakash, Vandita Khanna, Ramya Ahuja,Suvira Chadha, Vani Shriya, Vedika Berry

Editor: Mallika Pal

VV IQQ. Why are we celebrating Rabindranath Tagore this Founder’s Day?

“Cause he’s completed like some years of living or something I think.”- Arushi Sakhuja

“Every morning Mrs. Krishnan reads his speech, so it’s like a tribute.”- Shaurya

Dhir

“He’s Bengali and most of the teachers in our school are Bengali.”- Brea Dutt

“We have exhausted all other alternatives.”- Shubh Mehra

“Because it’s all these Bengalis against us Punjabis!”- Suvira Chadha

“He wrote our national anthem and school song.”- Aalika Peres

“Why not?”- Mona Nooreyezdan

“Are we?”- Keihan Sikri

A. The theme of this year’s Founder’s Day is in celebration of the 150th birth

anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, who was born on May 7th, 1861.