NEWSLETTER
13th February 2006

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SCHOOL WATCH

Monday, 16th January : class 5 had their English transcription
Tuesday, 17th January : Two principals, from schools in Australia namely, Karen wearn and Lesley Meyers from schools in Australia visited our school to organize a women’s leadership program to exchange views on the Indian educational system and the Australian educational system.
Classes 6-12 started the escapades, organized by the LEAP foundation
Wednesday, 18th January : Class 9 visited the natural history museum
Thursday, 19th January : Japanese puppet show was organized by Spic Macay.
Monday 23rd : Career counselling starts.
Tuesday 24th : Biotechnology and nanotechnology workshop for class 12. English essay writing and quiz at Springdales public school.
Wednesday 25th: Economics symposium for class 12 Hindi loud reading for class 6
Friday 27th : Class 12 farewell class act

HAPPENINGS

Yesterday, Ishan Gautam and Siddhany Nath participated in the Very Special Arts, 6th annual declamation contest. Ishan spoke on: “If I was the chief minister of Delhi for a day”. He won the second prize in his category (neurologically impaired).
Siddhant Nath spoke on: “Should Ganguly and Tendulkar play in the cricket team?” He received a certificate for participation.

Farewell class act and party
The farewell class act was definitely a memorable one. I mean, it had everything one could imagine to be included in a farewell class act, be it bootilicious dancing by the hottest male talent of class 11, the play that ever so accurately described a day in the life of the class 12 batch, or the kinds of awards given out; it was a glitzy and glamour filled affair. We had a variety of skits and dances show cased which managed to exceed the time limit to a great extent, to the joy of many in the audience. As far as the farewell party, Shuchir Kai Suri was the DJ who kept the dance floor rocking till 12:30 (oh my, that’s well past our bedtimes). It was an emotional party in which the class 11’s felt they could have one final opportunity to interact and connect with the out going class 12’s. Pictures were taken and hugs were exchanged, the air had finality to it. A screen was put up and a movie was show cased that included all the batch members and their interactions in the school. All in all the party proved to be a highly nostalgic affair for the teachers and students alike. A befitting end to their years in school!
By Samad Ali and Nakul Dev.

Are'nt these ladies looking pretty.

A Night at the Night Shelter

On the 3rd of February, class 12 set out for a visit at around 6:30 in the evening to the night shelters at the Old Delhi Railway Station. The purpose of this visit was to expose us to people living in severe destitution and how now the majority of the Indian population led lives filled with misery and contempt.
We set out with a positive frame of mind, not knowing what the journey had in store for us. Happy and excited, we reached the railway station and were greeted by the loud noises, the smell of garbage and filth everywhere. We had heard before that the station would be in a poor state but none of us were prepared for this.
On entering the station, we were divided into groups according to our houses and were assigned platforms to visit. Finding the required platforms was quite a task in itself with the hustle- bustle surrounding us. At the platform, we interacted with people and the replies we got made us aware of the predicament these people were in. Homeless, unemployed with little or no money, the people there got their daily scrapes of meals from begging, scavenging or stealing. Some people had been there for only a few days while others had lived there for their entire lives. Some had run away from their families, others thrown out. Whatever the cause, all eventually were reduced to such a sad state.
Many people there did not have enough clothing to shield themselves from the cold of the night and we could see them huddled up in corners and shivering. This was only in the evening and few could imagine their state by midnight. Some didn’t even have blankets and instead slept on sheets of plastic.
This trip opened our eyes to a whole new world we had no idea about. These people too have hopes and dreams but sadly unlike us, they can never achieve them. The aim of this trip was to show us how comfortable our lives are and how privileged we are when compared to those living in extreme poverty, and this endeavor was successful. Many are upset over problems like “Oh God! My friend has a better Ipod than me.” But this trip made us realize that such problems are trivial compared to those the people at the Old Delhi Railway Station go through every second of every day.
Jaagriti Seth & Jahan Nargolwala

What makes the school bathrooms stink?

This article has been a long time coming. What makes the school bathroom stink? It is one of the most famous and most asked questions…and one can only wonder what the true answer is. Is it the fault of the students or that of the staff? Both parties are to blame.
Why? The answer is unbelievably simple… nobody cares. People use the bathroom for many reasons (some we don’t wish to disclose) and though many complain, few act. We have one band of valiant ‘bhaiyas’ and ‘didis’ who risk their lives to do what no one else does. But sadly this is not enough.
For every person who cleans ten more litter. The flushes do not work and the exhaust fans barely even move. People complain of the smell and what causes it. It is all because of TIPPS (the Indian public place syndrome). TIPPS has attacked bathrooms all over the country and has now attacked our school. There is no known way to defeat TIPPS. It spreads faster than chicken pox and is just as deadly. TIPPS causes nauseating gases that tend to suffocate.
It has been a long time since TIPPS has invaded the once clean and user friendly bathrooms of Vasant Valley School. There used to be a time when one could enter one of these now lethal environments. Will TIPPS ever leave our bathrooms? Nobody knows….
Akbar Iqbal & Jahan Nargolwala

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Kid of the Week

He was last years head boy, this years student’s council rep. He’s “popular”. He’s a lefty with an attitude. He has a mind of his own, and he finds me really mean. Everyone knows him. He is our kid of the week. He’s Ishan Sardesai.
NL: How does it feel to have all your responsibilities as a head boy off you shoulders?
IS: Relieved! Well, because no one is putting that pressure on me anymore, and I hated wearing that badge because it pricked me. I even lost it twice.
(The most responsible of the lot)
NL: Are you into sports?
IS: Umm…Yeah, a little bit. I play tennis in PE classes, and cricket in camp.
NL: What do you want to do when you grow up?
IS: Definitely not my dad’s profession. I hate TV. I want to become a tennis player. Actually I want to become a Supreme Court Judge because I like banging tables with hammers but without becoming a lawyer, because I don’t want to study too much. So since that’s kind of impossible, I’d prefer being a tennis player. Kunal, I think your really mean asking me weird questions when you already know the answers are embarrassing.
(Embarrassing! It’s only a question. You don’t need to give embarrassing answers?!!)
NL: When you were called up on stage for winning the Hindi Vaachan Pratiyogita, you were so excited that you reached the stage in 4 steps. How do you feel?
IS: Hey I also won English poetry by the way.
(Snob!)
NL: Tell us something about yourself that you want everyone to know.
IS: I’m the greatest guy in the world!!! But I don’t have any secrets and even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you. (modest and frank till the end!)
As told to Kunal Datta and Vanshika Wadhwa
Comments by Kunal Datta

Bidding Adieu

Class 5 was so much fun,
Though the teachers had us on the run,
With English and S.St. I had no fear.
‘Cause Mrs. Lobo is a deer dear.
She teaches us with all her might,
And I am glad to say, I’m getting it right.
Mrs. Sakuja and math go hand in hand.
I wish I was the top player in her band.
What can I say about Science and
Mrs. Roy,
To attend her class with pure joy.
Mrs. Chowdhry’s hindi has me spent,
I look forward to dropping it in the tenth.
Now the 5th is at its end
And I am going round the bend.
Thinking, soon I’ll be in the sixth.
I hope I won’t be in a fix.
Simran Puri (Now in class 6C)


SYMPOSIUM ON NANOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY HELD
AT VASANT VALLEY SCHOOL, 24TH JAN. 2006

The symposium on Nanotechnology and Biotechnology that was held at Vasant Valley School provided a platform for students to demystify some truths about the potential that these two emerging areas of sciences hold.for the Future. The symposium was attended by students and teachers of 13 schools besides the Class 12 Science students of Vasant Valley. There were three speakers on the occasion who gave stimulating talks. The session was initiated by with Prof Prasanjit Sen who works in the School of Physical sciences, JNU, New DelhiThe second speaker was Prof. Virander Singh Chauhan is the Director of International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi. Dr. Chauhan inspired students to be curious and have an inquisitive mind
The session concluded with Dr S T Lakshmikumar’s talk.

Tiranga food festival

Class V hosted this on the 25th of January and this is what we found out about some of the foods- Bihari’s are predominantly vegetarian though the Mathili Brahmins eat varieties of fish. Staple food is ‘bhat, dal, roti, tarkari and achar’. Other dishes are based on ‘Sattu’ (flour of the fried gram) like ‘hitli’ and ‘Sattu ki Roti.
Sana.K.Dhingra V-B
Kashmiri’s excel in non-vegetarian cuisine. They use spices, condiments and curd liberally along with Kesar. Rice is the staple food. Kashmiri Pandits, Muslims and Rajputs follow their own cooking Kashmiri pandits avoid onions and garlic while Muslims don’t use ‘hing’ and curd. Thirty six courses with 30 being of meat, The Wazwan is the ultimate banquet.
Dhruv Sagar V-B
Haryana is the ‘land of Rotis’. Wheat, Bajra, Gram, Barley are all used. Gochini atta is made of wheat and Gram flour. They love their lassi.
Akanksha Dean
Himachali’s have the traditional festive meal called ‘dham’. It is served in courses on leaf plates. In the chamba reagion they start with rice, moongdal and a madrah of rajma cooked in rajmah. This is followed by Boor ki Kani and a dark lentil. Topped by khatta, made of tamarind and sugar, the dham ends with mitha, sweet rice liberally mixed with raisins and dry fruits.
Sanya Mahotra V-B

My Pet

My dogs name is Snickers
And he’s one of the greatest lickers.
When I come back from school
He licks me,
all over from my head to my knee.
He runs with me all day,
And when I’m tired,
he still wants to play.
I love my dog, He is so nice,
And he also likes to eat mice.
Sohail Kanwar IV-C

Children's Minds

A first grade teacher collected well known proverbs. She gave each child in her class the first half of a proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. Their insight may surprise you.
Better to be safe than... punch a 5th grader.
Never underestimate the power of... termites.
You can lead a horse to water but... how?
Don’t bite the hand that... looks dirty.
No news is... impossible.
A miss is as good as a... Mr.
You can’t teach an old dog new... math.
If you lie down with dogs, you’ll ... stink in the morning.
Love all, trust... me.
The pen is mightier than the... pigs.
An idle mind is... the best way to relax.
Where there’s smoke there’s ... pollution.
A penny saved is... not much.
Don’t put off till tomorrow what... you put on to go to bed.
Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and... you have to blow your nose.
None are so blind as... Stevie Wonder.
Children should be seen and not... spanked or grounded.
If at first you don’t succeed... get new batteries.
You get out of something what you... see pictured on the box.
When the blind leadeth the blind... get out of the way.

 
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Five things (most) class sixes do that (most of) us seniors don’t:

1.Sing in assembly. [Too bad, they’re upfront!]
2.Write down homework in their diaries.
[They get so little, that’s why.]
3.Stay in class(and section) to eat breakfast and lunch. [How terribly boring…]
4.Carry napkins to eat breakfast and lunch on.[Messy eaters got to…]
5.Visit the library during breaks, borrow a book and READ IT!!
[So what if most(all) of them are by Meg Cabot…]
Class sixes this only means it’s what we SHOULD be doing, not habits you should discontinue
Avanti Gupta

Seriously, this is 110% original!

Scene 1: It was an unnaturally quiet morning, as they trudged through the courtyard and made there way to the prison cell. Before they could sit down on their seats, an abhorrent apparition materializes before them demanding the irrefutable submission of the English homework. The light is sapped from their eyes, as they pull out a ragged notebook and offer it with trembling hands which somehow exude the aura of humbleness.
(Following this there are the usual fights, bunking, sermons, detentions and oh yeah, a few classes in between: let’s just zip ahead to the teacher’s home)
Scene 2: She sat there with the pile of homework frustrated at the sad attempts of ‘creative’ writing. It is pretty creative, since the students have not even tried to remove the underlined hyperlinks from the cut–and-paste (Ma’am, seriously, it is 110% original! I spent the entire night thinking of the topic and the entire bus ride writing it) essay.
Why do children all over the world, in fact why do adults all over the world think it necessary to not let even a drop of creative and original thinking make its way into their work? The root of the evil of plagiarism is in the innate sense of complacence that forms the cocoon around the mind. Ranging from top government officials to high school majors, Copying Without Permission is the syndrome that has risen to the rate of an epidemic.
In public interest, the satisfaction from doing your own work is incomparable to simply copying. Even if you didn’t get the marks you thought you deserved you have the unsurpassable luxury of vilifying the offender.
Note: This is seriously 110% original!
By Svati Goyal

Tomorrow is St Valentine’s Day All in the morning betime, And I a maid at your window, To be your valentine! Hamlet – Shakespeare

On the occasion of Valentine’s Day, the Editorial Board decided to find out exactly how many people really knew why on earth they exchanged gifts, cards and candy with their loved ones on Valentine’s Day. The results were so depressing, that, taking matters in hand, we decided to enlighten you on exactly WHY we celebrate St.Valentine’s Day. Before that, we’d like you to see the extent to which people are aware of why the 14th of Feb is so special…
How do you think Valentine’s Day started ?
“Because there was this dude or something like that in ancient times who… like…. Umm… i don’t know.. no.. oh that’s for Teacher’s Day “ - Sara Hussain
“ I think it was started by a king of love whose name was Valentine and he really cared about women” – (identity undisclosed)
“O.K.,  Lets see.. Because that was the first time Adam took Eve out on a date” – Shatrunjay Devvrat Because some mushy moron wanted a reason to set aside a day for ‘love’. – (identity undisclosed)
Because we need love in this bad bad world “etcetera”... – Pranav Sarin
Honestly, I don’t blame these students’ opinions. Valentine’s Day today is now truly so commercialised that it’s become merely a reason to visit Archies’ Gallery. Knowing the real reason behind the concept of Valentine’s Day, you can celebrate it the right way! Read on to find out what Valentine’s Day was initially all about..
There are many stories around the origin of St.Valentine’s day. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome.   When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men — his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first ‘valentine’ greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl — who may have been his jailor’s daughter — who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed ‘From your Valentine,’ an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, a romantic figure. It’s no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.
“Go, little gloves, salute my Valentine Which was, which is, which must and shall be mine. Love to thee I send these gloves If you love me, leave out the “g” And make a pair of loves.” (17th Century verse on a card)
Think of how touching Valentines can be if you celebrate the occasion with some respect for its occasion. Would you rather have this slipped in your desk? Or one of those unoriginal, often vulgar messages of the 21st century? Remember,  Valentine’s day is not merely an exchange of cards and flowers. It is a celebration in the memory of St.Valentine, one who gave up his life in the name of love. Remember that Valentine’s Day was never, as some people might think,started because Archies was running out of business!
By Sara Chatterjee

 

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A Day Out at the World Book Fair

On the 1st of February, some students from our school had the unique opportunity of buying books for our library from the World Book Fair.
We all selected the books very sparingly, yet when it came to the sum total we had exceeded the budget well above the limit. We were allowed to buy some books on credit; it saved us some serious public humiliation.
To the excitement of students, Ruskin Bond was there to speak individually to every child.
But as we know everything comes with a price……there was a way we repaid our school for the books we had bought. We had to carry all those books back to the bus which was parked at least half a kilometre away.
Tarunima Prabhakar X-A

Book Review:

Is it just me or is everything shit? By Steve Lowe and Alan mcArthur ‘Is it just me or is everything shit?’ is an encyclopedia of everything that is worth complaining about, i.e., everything that the authors hate. It covers everything: from fruit juice to Tony Blair, expensive shirts to fascist teachers, Alicia Keys to George W. Bush, and even the Live 8 concert. It has an original brand of sarcasm and is incredibly funny. . ‘Is it just me or is everything shit?’ is a must-read for anyone in a particularly bitter mood (unless of course they are huge fans of Che Guevara merchandise and Robbie Williams).
By Diva Gujral
Fundamentals

When the arch of water rises over the ocean,
It is a gateway opened,
For archaic motion!
When the flame reaches its zenith height,
The heat burns through the blackened dust,
For archaic light!
When the roots of earth emerge from dormancy,
The complacent solidity gives way,
for archaic frenzy!
When the scarf of wind lets out its infinite roar.
The souls will rise the perfection,
For archaic war!
Svati Goyal, XII-C

UNSPOKEN HEROES

I can’t keep this to myself but would love to share it with everybody about this unspoken hero. Who walks around the school unpresumptionly?
He quietly goes about his ways of helping, accepting, including without discrimination.
I want to loudly applaud Nikhil Pandhi of class 8th B for being such a great buddy, mentor, a pillar to Ashwin Balan, the new student in our school and look forward to many more such heroes as him.
Jyotsna Shrivastava

*!~BUSTED!#^

“It is not sadistic if you are killing a dead cockroach!”
Svati Goyal, missing out on the finer points between life and death.
“Guess how many fools I made of myself!?!”
Karishma Khanna, No doubt many and you’ll surely continue…
“Oh yeah! Vampires drink milk!”
Right Chetna, we’re ALL born vampires…
“I am SHUT UP!”
Uttara Chatterjee…I think you’re good this way.
“You’re sick; S-I-K-A sick!”
Megha Rawla, truly against the disgusting facts of nature.
“It hit her hand, it didn’t hit her.”
Ashwat Sehegal, hmm…if you say so.

Rang De Basanti

What do you get when you put together the grand daughter (Sue) of an English officer who oversaw the execution of our nation’s most valiant freedom fighters, and five friends fuelled with enthusiasm and zest studying at the Delhi University? You get a patriotic, valiant piece of cinematography that elates the heart, mind and spirit. It carries with it an exaggerated yet skillfully placed message of revolution and the power to change your circumstances, as well as a message to go out there and change your world for the better, rather than sit inside and complain and suffer.
Although exaggerated at times, Rang De Basanti has something unique to offer to the Indian audiences, the movie’s soul is patriotic and is all about how much the depth of chronic corruption affects the youth. When you walk out of Rang De Basanti, you’d think twice about not saluting our tri-colour or standing at rapt attention during our national anthem.
It’s a story of courage, a story of bringing to light the problems haunting our very everyday existence, and about what patriotism is really about. It will change you, inspire you, and most of all wishing you had always thought all along that there are things worth dying for in this world, your nation and a cause you truly believe in. The production values are excellent, songs never seem out of place and the performances for a change in a Hindi movie (apart from Soha Ali’s somewhat under acted part) are excellent. A definite must see for all of us waiting for the right inspiration to change our country for the better.
By Samad Ali

Editorial Board

Anadini Rathore, Ashrika Kohli, Bhavik Singh, Kunal Dutta, Sara Chatterjee, Vanshika Wadhwa, Akbar Iqbal, Avanti Gupta, Diva Gujral, Jahan Nargolwala, Mahi Titus, Soumya Dasgupta, Arjun Srihari, Jaagriti Seth, Nakul Dev, Nivedita Venkateish, Samad Ali, Saranya Misra

Sports Desk: Minhaj Adil
Editor: Svati Goyal