EDITORIAL

A thousand years gone by, and another millennium sets in. The new year not only marked the dawn of a new millennium, but another decade for Vasant Valley.  Our school has managed to build a strong reputation in the last ten years, but obviously there is no room for complacency. We, from Vasant Valley are the ones that bear the responsibility of creating this school's tradition. 

A question that often arises is whether we are proud of being a part of Vasant Valley. A school is not just a place where you go to study or socialize; it is much more than that. It is where you spend the most precious part of your life. A place that gives you friends that you keep for the rest of your life. It's a place that brings us all together and gives us a wholeness, a sense of belonging, a feeling of fraternity. So, is Vasant Valley a place that will make our chests swell with pride, fifty years later?

What is the identity of a person from Vasant Valley? Are we any different from a Dipsite or Modernite? Is there a picture built in ones mind when I say I'm from Vasant Valley? We have to draw that picture ourselves, and make sure it is one of someone unique and someone others can respect. Respect cannot be asked for, it has to be earned.  To be unique and outstanding is not to adopt an identity from somewhere else, but to build your own. Our school certainly does not lack achievers and leaders. It can be safely said that we constitute the cream of this society. But why is it that we still fail to prove that we are the best? Why is it that our sports teams and debate and quiz teams very rarely adorn us with a win? The answer to this and all the earlier questions is that we lack school spirit. We are without the killer instinct, the ‘feeling’ that will help push our school to the top. The feeling, that we want to achieve something not only for ourselves but for our school.

We are the privileged few that get an education in a school like this. But privileges cannot be gotten without giving something in return. Is our school working towards making us a person who is willing to give back to society when he takes so much from it? It is easy for us to criticize the school, but isn't it necessary to do something about it too. Why do we just sit back and watch OUR school getting pinned down, and that too by ourselves. Are we there to support our teams when they play a match? Do we feel the pain of loss and cry when our team loses? Have we all stopped believing in ourselves?

A time comes when we all must get serious about life. We must realize that we are a part of this school. Its time we give something back to this school so that a tradition evolves that will stick with this school forever. We are the authors of this schools future, a responsibility none of us can ignore. Our present attitude is of one who doesn't care. But the point is that we have to care. Wouldn't it feel good to be a part of something you have given a good name to?

Many schools have the advantage of a past heritage and reputation. We have the advantage of not being bogged down by traditions. We have the advantage of being able to shape this school the way we want it and give it a unique identity. The clay in our hands is still soft. Its time we stopped acting ignorant of our responsibility. Let us lay a strong foundation and be torchbearers for generations to come. May the memories we leave behind not be ones that we regret later.

Akhil Wable

Editor (2000-2001)