NEWSLETTER
1st May 2006

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SCHOOL WATCH

26th, Wednesday: Class 5 Quiz on Asia
27th, Thursday: Class 5 Word Power and Book Chat : Art Specialisation children interacted with Bengali artists
28th, Friday: Mathematics workshop for teachers : World Dance Day! Special Class Act.
29th, Saturday: Class 6 and 7 Math lab workshop : Welham Boy’s Debate, VVS team reached final round

Witness Protection Programme

Witness protection is a method by which, witnesses such as the ones who bear witness in criminal cases are protected against threats before testimony or criminal retaliation after the testimony. Countries like America developed this program as early as 1982, In India this program is as good as not being there. The responsibility of protection lies largely with the police, but our corrupt officers themselves distort cases by tampering with the evidence. It would be fundamentally wrong to expect them to protect our witnesses.
In India the need of such a system is felt more than in any other nation. With major leaders being the alleged ones, and the judiciary working at snail speed, the witnesses have to be given complete protection. There are many examples that are glaring at us asking for our attention hoping that maybe they can trigger a change in the society.
It doesn’t come as a shock when we say that no one has been convicted in the 1984 Sikh- riots.
Zahira Sheikh during examination claimed that her maternal uncle Quaser was not present when the bakery was set on fire as she had stated earlier. She also claimed that she had signed the FIR without knowing its contents. A tape by Tehelka showed Zahira taking a bribe from a BJP MLA. In 2005, Zahira accused activist Teesta Setalvad of pressurizing her to accuse innocent people. The court has later declared Zahira to be a hostile witness. She was the seventh witness in the case who turned hostile.
A more recent instance is the Jessica Lal case. Shayan Munshi (of Jhankar Beats fame) was a key witness in the case. He who was present at the bar when Jessica Lal had been shot, later claimed that he did not see Manu Sharma-the prime accused, shoot her. His reason was that he gave his disposition in English whereas the FIR was noted down in Hindi- a language he cannot read or write. However more recently he did mention that witness protection is very essential in every case.
These are just some of the thousand cases that entered the light. Most cases are never heard and the suspected are mostly acquitted. It is time that we also realize that we aren’t just mere spectators to such atrocities. We can actually make a difference, like we made in the Jessica Lal case.

By Tarunima Prabhakar (X)

The Declining Heritage of Delhi

Delhi is probably as eternal as Rome or Paris as a city and boasts of an equally epic history. According to Indian folklore, Delhi was the magnificent site for the opulent Indraprastha, the capital of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata founded around 5000BC. Since then Delhi has been under the influence of Asoka, Firoz Shah Tughlaq, Humayun, Sher Shah Suri and several other great rulers of India.
Delhi is actually a combination of 7 cities, which include Quila rai Pithora, Siri, Tughluqabad, Jahanapanah, Kotla Firoz Shah, Purana Quila, and Shahjahanabad. From the Rajputs, to the Chauhans, Slave, Khilji, Tughluq, Sayyid dynasties that have occupied and ruled over Delhi, Delhi has seen a variety of rulers, and has been the seat of power since ancient times thus giving it an eternal and never ending feel. In terms of advancements in Science and technology, art, literature, music and other cultural aspects of Indian society Delhi was the forefront of these developments.
It is sad to see that the contemporary rulers of India do little to protect Delhi’s heritage. Every garden you pass or step you take; there is rich and epic history to be discovered. Whether it is the deteriorating tombs of Nizamuddin to the mandirs, mosques and gurudwaras in and around different parts of Delhi, to the old colonial buildings and houses, ancient ruins, pillars, market places, there is no dearth of historical monuments from different periods co-existing side by side.
The Contemporary Indian government in its quest for developing Delhi into a ‘world city’, have not kept in mind the archaeological heritage their city is blessed with and have not embarked upon an action oriented program to restore the ancient, medieval and colonial remnants of our city. Humayun’s tomb, Red fort, Qutb Minar and a few other monuments of supposed ‘significance and character’ are maintained and are up for viewing. Think of the amount of tourists we would have if only Delhi’s rich heritage was promoted the way it should be, and the legacy of our past was restored to its true grandeur.
We should thus take up the cause of restoration ourselves, and push the government to put the job of maintenance and preservation of our archaeological heritage in the hands of private players, since the government takes no interest whatsoever. Perhaps one day we may take a walk in Delhi and truly feel like we’re in a city that blends the ancient, medieval and modern into one, cohesive eternal city.

By Samad Ali (XII)

Top 10 Things to do this Summer:

1. STUDY: Like that’s SO probable. Let’s just skip to the next one
2. CLEAN YOUR ROOM: Yes, it’s been a long time coming! It’s about time to get down to the bottom of that mysterious foul smell
3. JOIN A SUMMER WORKSHOP: To hone those skills
4. READ 100 BOOKS: And increase your chances of becoming
blind by a notch
5. GET A SUMMER JOB: As a wine taster or pulling out grass from a race horse’s mouth. Bound to enhance those entrepreneurial skills of yours!
6. GET A HOBBY: Collecting match sticks or bottle caps maybe?
7. GO FOR A VACATION: And get tanned beyond recognition
8. WATCH T.V. and SURF THE INTERNET ALL DAY: It isn’t as bad as it sounds!
9. Go for a walk to a graveyard with your friend at midnight and come back alone!
10. PRANK CALL: It’s the tried and tested method of relieving one from his/ her boredom. Helps with your creativity too! Try explaining that to your parents when the phone bill comes though.

By Jaagriti Seth (12)
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IQBAL

It was a regular school day on the 28th of March but when it was announced that we were going to watch the movie Iqbal, the whole class screamed with joy. We quickly ate our nashta and rushed to the AV room. What I liked best about the movie was the relationship between the mother and her children and how they helped each other.
I also liked the part when he was chosen for the Indian cricket team and how he never lost hope and confidence. The director has made a beautiful movie, the theme of the movie is amazing, the way he expressed it and the characters he chose were wonderful.
What I didn’t like in the movie was the coach who threw Iqbal out of the academy and tried to bribe him to play badly. I didn’t like the father who didn’t let him practice cricket and would make him work in the fields. After watching the movie I realised that the coach shouldn’t have been drinking as drinking is bad and causes problems.
There are a few morals to this story such as dreams can come true, have faith in yourself, hard work and practice can take you anywhere in life and one has learnt that any disability shouldn’t stop you in life.
By Shimal Bhardwaj (5)

Don’t Do the Crime if You Can’t Do the Time

We are all aware and all have our own opinions of Salman Khan’s incarceration for seven years in Jodhpur Jail. The verdict was shocking and seemed too harsh for such an offence. Perhaps he received a punishment so harsh because of his celebrity status or perhaps the judge wanted to make an example of him. On the other hand it may not be a harsh verdict, after all an innocent creature was killed by a man just for sport.
However, would most of India gone up in arms if a common man had committed the same crime? I think not. The fact that a celebrity like Salman Khan has been jailed in a cell without a fan or pillow has angered all his fans along with most people in the country who claim that the long jail sentence is due to his stardom. But one must look at the whole poaching situation before rubbishing, this theory of stardom being the main factor.
What about the man who hunted and killed most of the tigers in Ranthambore? His sentence is nothing compared to the sentence Salman Khan received. One must look at the positives of this situation. Now all those who have taken part in this terrible sport will be punished in the way they deserve. This sort of thing may have been allowed 50 years ago but in today’s day and age it cannot be tolerated.
By Akbar Iqbal (X)

Our Trip to the River Yamuna:

On the 1st of April, around forty of us reached school for a small trip to the river Yamuna. At the school we were given a small briefing about the trip. Mr. Jha along with three more teachers told us about the yamuna being the main access of water for the poor.
We first stopped at a place where the yamuna was crystal clear. Mr. Jha, accompanied by a few students went into the river for sometime. Soon after, we headed for another destination about 5 kilometers away. As soon as we stopped there we saw the difference in the color and the cleanliness of the water and the ‘najafgarh drain.’ The water was filthy and gave out a foul smell.
After observing the river for sometime we went to another place for a small boat ride of 5 km. In this boat ride we saw the poor people living on the banks of the river Yamuna where they bathe, drink water and wash their clothes from one source only. On the way we saw many coin collectors and many funerals taking place as the river yamuna is considered to be holy and sacred. During this ride we crossed a bridge where we noticed the people stopping there cars and throwing garbage into the river. This shows that we being educated and literate are polluting the river. Due to this the poor are suffering and our holy river is being misused. This trip showed us the importance of river. If we don’t conserve water a world war will take place over it. The Yamuna, a sacred river, is now being misused.
Tarannum Marya & Mallika Sikand (VI)

Limmericks

There was a boy from France
Who loved to dance
But he had a very long nose
And stepped on everybody’s toes
So no one ever gave him a chance
By Saieeshaa Sethi (III)

Once there was a man from
Amsterdam
Who wanted to eat ham
He went to the market
With a very big basket
All he could get was bread and jam
By Ishita Agarwal (III)

There was a new child in school
Who liked to swim in the pool
But the water was green
The colour of a bean
So he sat on a stool
By Kabir Singh Dhillon (III)

The Majestic Beauty of the Jungle is Soon To Be Extinct!

That magnificent, majestic, enigmatic, powerful and fierce, beast of the wild – the TIGER-the largest cat species in the world- IS NOW ENDANGERED!!! One hundred years ago there was a population of 100,000 tigers. Today there are only 4000 tigers in India, 400 in Bangladesh, 300 in Burma, 230 in Nepal, and 200 in Bhutan. There are three major causes behind the death of tigers due to humans. Poaching is a major cause of tigers becoming endangered. About one tiger per day is being poached! They are poached for body parts that are used in traditional Chinese medicines. Tiger balm is popular amongst them. People in China believe that anything named after a tiger has healing powers because it is likely to have a part of a tiger in it. But there is no proof that tiger body parts have healing powers. They are also killed for their skin, which is used to make fur, coats, bags, etc. and are sold at a very high price. It s terrible and unfortunate that some poachers kill tigers just for fun and entertainment!
Habitat loss is another reason for the decline of tigers. The forests of Asia have been used for Agriculture and lumber. Without forests, tigers have nowhere to live and nothing to eat.
Another reason for the diminishing number of tigers is the population fragmentation. The loss of large forests prevents tigers from roaming long distances. This forces the tiger population to breed within the same group causing the gene pool to weaken which leads to birth defects.
National parks and reserves in some Asian countries such as India, T
hailand and Indonesia protect tigers from poaching and other factors that have led to the decline of the species. In India, laws have been enforced forbidding the chopping of trees for impractical reasons and the killing of wild species. “Operation Tiger” has raised money for new reserves which has helped the tiger population increase. The government and the World Wildlife Fund teamed up to create Project Tiger and created 15 tiger reserves. Project Tiger rebuilt the habitat of the tigers and protected them from fires and poaching.
The extinction of this animal would
lead to great ecological imbalance in the world.
SAVE THE TIGER!!!
By Vasudha Dixit (IV)

 
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Pink Panther

Before I begin, it is important that you understand that this is not a review. It’s more like the opinion of an obstinate child who refuses to watch classics being remade, with Peter Sellers being replaced by one so inferior as Steve Martin. I am perfectly aware that by publishing this article, I run the risk of receiving insulting anonymous letters or having tomatoes thrown at me. I also perfectly understand that as I have not seen the movie, I probably ought not to comment. But our beloved editor did ask us to write about something that we feel strongly about. And, trivial as it may be, this is something I do feel very strongly about.
This is the ninth entry in the Pink Panther series. And it’s the second in which an actor has dared to try and match his comedic talents to Peter Sellers’ unforgettable character, Inspector Jacques Clouseau, a bumbling French police officer who is a combination of incredible confidence and unbelievable incompetence. The first was in 1993 with rubber-limbed Robert Benigni playing the son of the Pink Panther called “The Son of the Pink Panther.” The one I am talking about is “The Pink Panther,” starring Steve Martin as Clouseau.
It is traditionally funny to see Britain in the ’60s mock France; it is a little self-aggrandising to see the U.S. in the zeros do the same. The appalling French accents throughout the film alone must be excruciating to any bilingual viewer (for me, just the trailers were enough to have me vow that I would never ever watch such a movie) But this is a comedy and there is always room to be politically incorrect in brilliant satire. Although I doubt this is a brilliant satire.
Beyonce Knowles plays the required great beauty role as Xania, a pop star who is dating the soccer star who is murdered at the beginning of the film. She has two expressions: badly expressed shock and girlish neutrality. Her wardrobe however, is magnificent. The costume designer must not have allowed her mother, who usually dresses Knowles, onto the set.
French actor Jean Reno’s straight man Ponton’s role is said to add the depth needed to keep a necessary undercurrent of pathos and drollness throughout the film. Personally, I feel that this is a quality Sellers could create quite on his own.
As a die-hard fan of Peter Sellers’ I obstinately refuse to be found watching the new Pink Panther Movie. No matter how “hilarious” Steve Martin may be, I shall maintain that the Pink Panther classics are not the kind that can be remade, and Peter Sellers is not the kind that can be replaced.
Sara Chatterjee (9)

Grace Church School
NY Exchange

This exchange was the first of its kind in the age group 12 & 13 years. Dimple Sharma and I accompanying a group of 14 students set out on April 1 for NY, with a couple of days at London en route. Our arrival in NY was a highly emotional point of the tour. The bonds that had been built in the preceding weeks while the Americans had visited India were evident in the smiles and hugs and non stop chatter. Soon it was time for each host to leave with his guest. The next 5 days were regular school .Our students encountered a couple of free periods too (during their Latin and French classes!). “Spit”(a very popular card game) took good care of any such time and even though the school was far too compact in terms of physical space ( especially when compared to VVS) students found place to sit in tiny alcoves outside some classrooms, or had a go at the innumerable computers set up all over the place . On the 3rd day we were lucky to visit the UN and the trip was even more memorable for being a joint trip – teachers and students of Grace Church too took part in it as well. Thursday brought the least expected – flurries of snow! We hurried upstairs onto the roof to click photographs and stick out our tongues – snow tasted great!!
The next week was a lot of travel and sightseeing. We drove through Shenandoah National Park and went “down under” to see the Luray Caverns (stalactites and stalagmites for real). Next we were off to Orlando for 3 days. We spent the first day at The Magic Kingdom and the second at the Kennedy Space Centre. We also found time to visit the Cocoa Beach .The Kennedy Space centre was a truly amazing experience….we relived the moments before the blast off of Apollo 8 and experienced the space Station in 3D! Washington was calm and beautiful, and especially magical by night. What a remarkable trip that was…
Aarti Srivastav

A Way of Life

In a country where we have a Muslim population to rival most Muslim countries, it is distressing to imagine how ignorant we all really are about the real meaning and teachings of Islam.
I’m sorry to have to point this out, but a brief knowledge of their festivals, customs, traditions and practices does not reflect on the true foundation of Islam. The mere fact that we have come to accept Jehadis as terrorists is a testament to this travesty. Rather the mere fact that we have come to associate terrorism with this complex yet tranquil form of submission to God’s will is an even bigger perversion of Islam as a religion and a way of life.
Someone once said that the guiding principle behind understanding Islam is to develop an individual and personal interpretation of the scripture and in doing so find your own balance with God. Thus the opinions voiced in this essay are based on what I consider to be my understanding of whatever little I have read.
In my humble opinion, the teachings are not a sacred set of laws that dominate one’s lifestyle but a guide that permeates into every aspect of one’s life. Islam should not just be an accessory to a Muslim’s life: it should merge with his whole being. It should enter his thoughts, moulding his intellect in its own fashion. Islam should become the eye with which he sees, the tongue with which he speaks and the hands and feet with which he performs day to day functions. It should so take possession of a person that it excludes all else. Every statement should bear the stamp of Islam and every action should be dyed in Islamic colours. Just as the emotions of love and hate are felt by the whole body so, when one adopts Islam in the sense of the world, it should become an issue affecting. One’s whole existence. In essence, the Muslim and Islam should become inseparably attached.
I would not presume to have preached or even attempted to force an understanding on any of you, instead I hope that I have provided merely an insight into the inherent character of the religion.
By Arjun Srihari (XII)
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PUBLIC SPEAKING

What do you call a person whose face is flushed, whose body is drenched in sweat, whose knees are about to give way, and who looks as though he is about to wet his pants? That’s right, it’s a person who’s about to give a speech in public.
Public speaking is not for the faint hearted. There is more to it than just having an opinion. You have to be able to make people look, listen, and crave for more. Don’t feel up to it? Then here are some things that we discourage: -
1. Winning the Miss Universe/Miss World Title – So you’re pretty, you support world peace, you love animals, you’re a nature freak, you’d like to help deliver third world nations from debt, you plan to give away your prize money for the education of underprivileged children (or so you want us to believe). But you have to be able to tell the world of your “benevolent” intentions for us to believe them. Sorry girls, being a pretty face is not enough here – you have to be able to show the world what lies behind the overdone makeup.
2. The Nobel Prize – So you realized after years of research that 2+2 may actually be equal to 8477821538237823738648274632 (one of the authors of this article is currently also working on that theory). Your books are the kind that lie on an intellectual family’s shelf, the pages untouched by any human hand, coated with a layer of dust - sure, you deserve that Nobel Prize. But what happens after you receive it? The media, the speeches, the lectures.. If you can’t handle that, if you’re timid and lack confidence, sorry but maxing that Physics test of yours next week won’t lead you anywhere.
3. Teaching – You know your subject, you claim that it’s your passion, all the facts you know are rearing to come out of your mouth and be learnt by “eager” students. But the moment you open that mouth of yours, everyone falls asleep. You communicate your facts in any random order, you cannot control your “less interested” students – you might want a change of profession.
4. Speaker of a political Party- This is a big no no. To accomplish this job you need to be able to make statements on behalf of your party whenever they are caught in a scandal (which will be quite frequently). It’s not only about your verbal skills but also your sentence structure just in case you’re... you know misquoted and start a civil war or something.
Not wishing you to wail and tear your hair out after reading our enlightening article, we also decided to include some things we can do that do not require the art of public speaking.

Winning:

(1) A Grammy (2) An Oscar (3) A Golden Globe Award (4) A Bafta Award (5) A Tony Award
“How?” you might ask, mouth agape, eyes shining with desire. Well, you’re probably imagining going up to a stage in front of thousands of people (whom you don’t even know) and thanking God, your parents, your various producers/directors etc (whom they don’t even know).
But guess what, it’s not that hard! As long as you don’t forget your siblings, your great aunt Mariam and your puppy dog Biscuit, without which you couldn’t have got this far,
you’ll be all right. And in case of an emergency, crying always works.
Public speaking comes from the heart.. or so they say. To make them believe it, you have to act like you believe it.
Mahi Titus (X) and Sara Chatterjee (IX)

The First Prize Winner for the Middle School English Poetry Writing Competition…

On the way…

I was walking down the lane one day,
And I bumped into God on the way.
He’s no big person, as tall as me,
Enrobed in white, blossoming with glee.
His hair was knotted, a few strands flying,
His soft eyes bore tears, but he was not crying!

“Hello, my child,” He said to me,
His chest puffed out proudly.
”Come, let us leave for the sky,
To this earth say your last goodbye.
For your time has come, you mustn’t wait,
As you are Heaven’s newest bait!”

I listened calmly, but what to say I didn’t know,
To my home or the sky, which way should I go?
My end has come so fast? How?
I am still seven, should I die now?
My head was clogged, confused was I,
Without thanking my loved ones how could I die?

“What happened, young one, are you afraid?
Well let me tell you, there’s been a fair trade!
I made a baby, a new life,
He has been sent to Oliver’s wife,
With his coming, you are going. Don’t be sad!
For you have made me make Oliver a dad!”
By Nikhil Pandhi, (VIII)

The Ripple

The repercussions of the drop,
A single insignificant drop,
Stop until they hit the rock,
And even then they do not stop.

As the repetitions of an act,
Are multiplying constantly,
Unless we begin to use pure tact,
But still they don’t cease completely.

An undue act mustn’t be committed,
For how disastrous the ripples may be,
Can never be exactly calculated.
They are thus unstoppable, even tactfully.

Improbable as a drop may seem,
The ripples are always a seemly find.
Henceforth an act should be well thought,
Before being dropped into the water.

Never drop your thoughts asunder,
For they may just fall into the water.
A ripple stretches far and wide,
For a sort of ripple is a tide.

The repercussions of the drop,
A single insignificant drop.
Stretch far until they hit the rock.
And even then they do not stop.
By Kunal Dutta (IX)
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My first day at harvard

It is 7 AM. I have woken up in my hotel room. I look out of the window to see people rowing and kayaking on the beautiful Charles River against a bright sky. My father remembers his days of sculling team in school. I look back on what I had done yesterday. I had seen MIT and had a wonderful learning experience with students of diverse backgrounds. It was a 5 minute walk from my hotel on Memorial drive; today my journey is to the right of the hotel to the Harvard Summer School.
I order my breakfast of blueberry pancakes with hot chocolate. I am sitting here 12 hours away from home, from India. I get my bags and check out. I tell the porter that today is going to be a defining day in my life. He tells me it will be a wonderful experience. I sit in a yellow cab and the cab driver does not know very good English, as he is Nigerian, He says, “Heybra, where to today?” I ask him to take me to Harvard, as I gaze at lush and green Cambridge from the window of the car. The domes and monuments appear even more fantastic viewing them from this close.
I am eager to catch my first glimpse of “Stoughton Hall” where I will be staying for the next 8 weeks along with other students of my age. As I reach I see that it dates back to 1850 and has red brick walls. I have been assigned a large room on the 3rd floor with a fireplace in the middle. A boy is sitting in my room settling his books and unpacking. I am pleasantly surprised when he turns to me with a bright smile and says, “Namaste!” Rob is with his grandparents who live in Boston and so he is very clued-in about the whole city.
A minute walk from my dorm is Harvard I look out and see green and lush Cambridge Hall, where I will study about demand, supply, elasticity... I had to have dinner at 5:30 pm in Annenberg Hall, that’s right 5:30 pm! I think to myself, that is tea time! We all hung out in the dorms after dinner. As I lay on my new bed with my eyes closed, feelings full of joy, fear, uncertainty, elation and a sense of accomplishment bring me into sleep.
Aditya Kehr (12)

FORWARDING THE BOREDOM

Seeing that my hotmail account has more than 50 unread messages is not an unusual sight for me. Unfortunately most of them aren’t from my long lost cousin trying to find me, or the conformation that I have bought an orangutan but results of amazing boredom. For those who are not enlightened enough to guess what I am talking about: these mails as known as forwards (or chain mails). They are the mails, which fill up our inbox and are complete rubbish. After receiving hundreds of these in a day I decided to actually spend some time and do some research. Surprisingly there is no such thing, as an email tracking program and Red Cross will not pay 10 cents for every mail I forward. The kid with cancer is now 25 years old and is absolutely fine. He does not want any more get well soon cards. If there is a dead girl killing ever “non forwarder” then we should all be dead atleast six times. (That’s around 16000 times for me by the way). Unless you are a strong believer in Internet voodoo you will not be found dead tomorrow morning with nails punched through your eyes. There is no snail that will walk across the screen and proclaim my true love. Oh and speaking about true love don’t tell me to wish for something scroll down and then type
>>>Stop
>>>>>>Stop
>>>>I said stop!!!
I did actually stop the first time you know. I’m not THAT dumb or imaginative. Oh and the girl I like will not make out with me tomorrow just because I spent my precious time forwarding a stupid email to her and fourteen hundred other people. She might actually say thank you but that’s pretty much it. There is no such virus that transmits from a computer to humans and if god has to send me a message he will make my bushes explode before he actually picks up a computer to do it.
So for all those people who are “vela” enough to create chain mails or forwards go down to your local store and buy a computer game for yourself. I will reimburse the money you spent just stop sending me forwards!!!
Oh and you must type out this article on your computer and send it to 2,356 people in the next 2.8 seconds or you will turn blue and go deaf, and your house will burst into flames and you will turn into a hairdryer. That’s pretty much it I think.
By Bhavik Singh (IX)

Your Horoscope
1st May, 2006 A.D

Aries March 21 - April 19
Years after losing friends and family members to the obsession, you will finally admit that your life-long goal of becoming the Pythagoras of isosceles triangles is not worth the trouble.

Taurus April 20 - May 20
The title of World’s Greatest Escape Artist will be passed from Houdini to you this week, after you escape not from handcuffs or a straight jacket, but from a loveless marriage with only the aid of vodka.

Gemini May 21 – June 21
You must be weary of your spouse and drag queens with long toenails or both together as such chemistry is common.

Cancer June 22 - July 22
You will …. Ummm…How do I say this… Be tortured for 16 hours and shot in the head.

Leo July 23 - August 22
This month you should not eat more than 6.236 grams of sodium biphosphate acid or your hair will become white and you will eat grain for the rest of your life..

Virgo August 23 - September 22
This month you will meet an elephant in a large red bikini and befriend a cockroach and call him ‘duckie’.

Libra September 23 - October 23
You may think you’re deaf but you should take out the earbuds and check again…

Scorpio October 24 - November 21
The stars hold nothing but discomfort and pain for you this month. You will call your Maths teacher “Mummy dearest” by mistake.

Sagittarius November 22 - December 21
The stars speak the truth when they say that your significant other will metamorphosize into a baboon while he/she sleeps.

Capricorn December 22 - January 19
A romantic hot-air-balloon ride will quickly sour when it becomes clear that you and your husband are guinea pigs in a dangerously amateurish meteorological experiment.

Aquarius January 20 - February 18
The results of next week’s medical exam will send a chill up your spine, or at least they would, if you were able to feel anything from the neck down.

Pisces February 19 - March 20
Beware of chemicals labeled H2O as they may result in loss of a VERY VERY vital organ. Not much of a loss for you though..

New astrologers on the Ed. Board : Sara Chatterjee, Bhavik Singh, Ashrika Kohli,Vanshika Wadhwa (IX)
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!BUSTED!

“Can’t she go die sometimes?”
Weighty demands, Karishma Khanna.
“Have the kittens magnified?”
Umm..I really doubt they’ll do that…Anonymous
“I can’t eat snacks before meals, but I can eat them after meals.”
Restaurants must come up with appetizers after dinner and deserts before For… well, Anonymous
“Because he doesn’t have enough money, he should increase his family!”
Devanshi sure needs some help, from her salary members in looking for a dictionary!
“A termite is called a bhichu in Hindi, right?”
“No a Bhichu is called a scorpion in Hindi.”
Avanti Gupta and Karishma Khanna, lost in translation.
“Ladyfinger is the French name for French fries right?”
Anonymous, Don’t tell that to McDonald’s; they might change their recipe!
“What angle are you listening from?”
Perhaps the same lines you are thinking along…Karishma Khanna.
Anonymous: “I didn’t cry!”
Nivedita Venkateish: “But did tears come out of your eyes?” And crying would be…..?
"What is cheesecake made of?”
Suchita Salwan, CHEESE perhaps?

An Ode to the Graffiti in the Physics and Chemistry Laboratries

Some people think they know what God is all about. Guess what, they don’t. We, students of Vasant Valley on the other hand, have had a one on one encounter with God, and we can say this with conviction.
Take into account the Graffiti in the Physics and Chemistry Labs, for instance. The tormented souls, with their main inspiration being boredom, churn out these marvellous masterpieces, to escape the drudgery of the lesson. One of the tables, in one of the labs, for instance, screams:
“Tired of getting those high marks?
Bored of being the topper?
Join ********* classes
"Marks se no marks, AB SUCH MEIN POSSIBLE!!!”
“Crucification is less painful than Ch*******.”
I mean, what connection does the ghastly quality of Britney Spears’ music have with the Viscous Drag? I can comprehend the fact that both of them are, well, for lack of better words, hardly what I would describe as “FUN”, but THAT’S WHERE THE SIMILARITIES END!!
Isn’t it sad how jocks, artists and musicians are worshipped in this institution, but the hidden talent of these graffiti artists is yet to be discovered, if not appreciated? They are merely bored souls, craving just to carve out a path of their own on this planet we call Earth.
Fortunately for us, THEY make it passably survivable.
By Akanksha Chawla and Ria Sen (XI)
Note: Once again, we mean no offence to Graffiti-ers, or, well, to Physics or Chemistry as subjects. They are pure, unadulterated FUN. (!?)

A Yorker

A pastime in the Eighteenth Century played by gentlemen – today cricket has evolved into a modern day sport. Competitiveness and rivalry are the two pillars that differentiate it in the Twenty-first Century.
Clearly, it is a sport played not only by gentlemen. Cricket today is watched by millions of fans and plays an important role in politics, advertising and TV ratings.
Though the modern version of the game; rife with sledging; allegations of match fixing; doping scandals etc. – it still continues to instill values and ideals envisioned when the MCC and Lords; the Holy Land of cricket formulated the rules of the game. Cricket is eagerly followed by millions of fans, and instills and inspires character in the youth of today.
Hatred and prejudice, triumph and disaster – those two impostors; are cast aside when the elite ‘Gladiators’ enter the ‘Coliseum’ to the roar of their adoring fans.
Victory, Defeat, Passion, Courage and Determination on the field, are what draw the endless throngs who support their ambassadors of the sport. What other sport but cricket could prompt two nations like India and Pakistan at each others throats; to cast aside their differences to witness which team prevails in a simple game played by 22 men, instead of two armies of soldiers!
It is easy to comprehend why Cricket plays a major role in shaping the character and spirit of sportsmanship in School. It builds character, instills humility in victory and correspondingly graciousness in defeat. Most important of all it inculcates the right attitude –which is often lacking in today’s generation.

That is why it is imperative our School takes Cricket a lot more seriously.

We have the equipment, grounds, as well as the potential and skills to play. However that is not enough. Our players must imbue a passion for the sport, a desire to exceed and do their School proud. Most important of all is to develop the right attitude towards the game and to develop teamwork.
Matches could be organised more frequently to build up valuable match experience and match temperament. Considering that there are so many VVS parents willing to give of their time to coach and provide match practice, there is no issue in terms of support.
Until these steps are taken, it is doubtful whether VVS will ever have a team worthy of competing in cricket tournaments with credit; or to make a mark amongst the top cricket playing schools today.
These may sound like trifles, but to quote Leonardo Da Vinci: It is trifles that make perfection, and perfection is no trifle!
By Arjun SriHari (XII)

EDITORIAL BOARD
Anandini Rathore, Ashrika Kohli, Bhavik Singh, Kunal Datta, Sara Chatterjee,
Vanshika Wadhwa, Akbar Iqbal, Avanti Gupta, Diva Gujral, Jahan Nargolwala, Mahi Titus, Soumya Dasgupta, Tarunima Prabhakar, Minhaj Adil, Jaagriti Seth, Nakul Dev,
Nivedita Venkateish, Samad Ali, Saranya Misra

Sports Desk: Arjun Srihari

Editor: Svati Goyal