Vasant Valley Today 2
| SUMMER TRAINING | DEBATING PARLIAMENTARY STYLE | |
| This June, around 10 students from Class 11 did a 3-4 week long summer training job with the India Today Group; the key idea being, to provide us first hand exposure to an office environment and to help us learn more about some of the career options open to us.I was initially placed with the Art and Editorial department of Computers Today. I spent a week there, learning about the entire process of putting the magazine together - researching, writing the story, adding the graphics, adjusting the page layouts, printing, meeting the deadlines - a lot goes into making the magazine, the way we finally see it. Most of my time here was spent with the Art and Graphics department where I got acquainted with the kind of software that is currently in use and with the requirements a job like that has.After a week, I shifted to the main India Today marketing department where the work revolved around handling the huge number of new subscriptions, working in the Customer Services section and tracking various contests and their responses. | The one difference that struck me between the Computers Today office and the Marketing Division of India Today was that as the CT office had intensive deadlines to meet, it was absolutely essential for the people to work in tandem with each other and to cooperate. The office atmosphere was more informal and everyone worked with each other as a team - this was also probably due to the fact that the office was smaller.I have to admit though, that the actual work that we did was a trifle mundane and I was a bit disappointed, as it was not very challenging. However I am still glad I joined the office because it was certainly a very insightful and new experience for me. In fact it was an eye opening opportunity for all of us. The whole experience made me a lot more independent and helped me understand what a full time job is all about.The people in the office were very friendly and supportive and they took time out of their already packed schedules to explain their work to us. I'd like to thank the India Today Office for this opportunity and for their encouragement and support. Malini Kochhar XI B |
On 21st April, six students (Swati Bhargava, Sakshi Sharda, Bansuri Kaushal, Sameera Badhwar, Nilanjana Dutt and me) went to the Australian Embassy for a workshop on the International Parliamentary Style of Debate. Andrea Comber, the coach of the Australian Junior Team conducted this workshop. It was a most interesting and educating experience.The International Parliamentary style of debating is quite different from the one we learn and practice in school. It is widely accepted and it moves at a quicker pace. Moreover, speakers are not judged individually, but team wise. The speakers and the team are judges on style (40%) content (40%) and strategy (20%). Strategy is completely new to us, as we usually do not debate team wise. Strategy refers to the role of each speaker, the structure of each speech, and the structure of a team's case, timing, rebuttal, and just simply being strategic (catching your opponents on their mistake, being attentive etc.). The debate consists of two teams of three members each: Government (this team supports the motion) and Opposition (this team opposes the motion). The teams consist of First Government, Second Government and Third Government speakers and similarly First Opposition, Second Opposition and Third Opposition speakers. The debate starts with the First Government's speaker. He must define the motion, introduce the issue, set the scope of the debate, outline the case line, and state the split. The split is basically the division of arguments between each speaker of the team. Each speaker speaks for eight minutes. Once the second minute of the speaker's speech starts, the members of the rival tem can start asking questions or rather Points of Information, as they are called.
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jokes off the web |
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| A Pakistani visits a Senator living in the US. He is extremely impressed by the level of affluence that the senator is living in. So he asks him, how do you manage it on a meagre Senator’s salary? The Senator takes him to his window, and points at a huge, magnificent bridge. He smiles knowingly and says "10 percent."Two years later the Senator decides to repay the visit by his Pakistani counterpart. | So he flies to Pakistan and then goes to the minister’s house. The Senator is extremely impressed by the minister’s lifestyle and says "however did you manage to accumulate so much wealth in two years?" The minister takes him to his windows and points. "See that bridge?" The senator is puzzled. "What bridge?" The minister looks at him, smiles and says "100 per cent!" | |
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