NEWSLETTER
February 2008

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THE NOTICE BOARD

Class 6-8 had a Hindi Dialogue Competition.
The winners are:
6 - Ojasvi Goyal
7 - Vasudha Dikshit
8 - Vandita Khanna
An interhouse Computer Quiz was held for classes 6-8, and the yellow house team (comprising of Ojasvi Goel, Tulsi sharma and Vivan Marwah) won.
In the RJ Memorial Basketball tournament, the VVS team won 14:7 against Modern School Vasant Vihar.
A Just a Minute Competition was held for class 6, and Preenon Majumdar won first prize.
An Economics Symposium was held for class 12, and the team comprising of Ridhika Agarwal and Upasna Chopra won first prize.
Soumya Dasgupta won first prize in the quiz round of the Y. Kumar Student Award for International Peace and Brotherhood, held at Springdales School.
Many of our students participated in the Gymnastics Zonals in 2007.
The girls in the Under 8 category secured position.
The boys in the Under 8 category secured position.
The artistic gymnastics team (under 10) secured first position.
The girls artistic gymnastics team (under 12) secured first position.
The boys artistic gymnastics team (under 12) secured third position.
(for full results, visit the school website.)
Congratulations to all!

Farewell classact : Gimme more !

The Trouble with Time

“Individually we are one drop.
Together, we are an ocean.”

Though the quote is kind of corny, it had a profound impact on me when I read it - not because it stresses the importance of unity, but because I found it typical of, time as an entity. We stay caught up with our hectic lives, in complete oblivion of the passing seconds - yes, the seconds, every single second, is vital. For, as is so typical of time, the seconds add up. Seconds become minutes, minutes become hours, hours become days. Just as tiny droplets of water all contribute to the making of an ocean. And before you know it, you’re swept away by the colossal tide of time, you’re looking back wondering where all the time you had went.
Bidding farewell to our seniors was an incredibly emotional time. During the dinner, we looked at old photographs with them with a sense of nostalgia. We could only imagine how they felt, leaving their home of more than a decade. In contrast to the humorous class act earlier in the day, the evening was an overwhelming experience of finally saying goodbye, for both of us.
I wish to put across a message to all my juniors- live these years, no, your entire life, to the fullest. Never resent the endless stream of reviews, double Math lessons and examinations, because there will be a point of time when you will long to have all these things once again. Enjoy each moment like it’s your last - after all, your school years are supposed to be the best in your life…
On that note, I hope you all have an amazing 2008 and enjoy the rest of your school year immensely.
- Diva Gujral

We'll miss you guys!

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Product (RED)

You see Bono and Oprah walking the streets of Chicago, decked out in red, walking a red carpet outside Gap to launch a line of red clothes, before they head off to Apple to buy ten of those new red iPod nanos. What are they doing? They’re shopping to save the world.
Thousands of men, women and children die daily of HIV/AIDS, a disease rampant in North Africa. What is (RED)? How does (RED) help these individuals? It’s pretty simple, really. You purchase a (RED) product from a wide variety of choices or sign up for one of many (RED) services. Your proceeds are used to buy and distribute anti-retroviral medicines for people suffering from HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa. Two pills a day. Everday. For sixty days. The result? They stay alive. Ultimately, you save a life.
Who’s doing it? Embraced by the giants of the technology world, it’s been artistically integrated into the wallpapers of Windows Vista, the logo embedded onto Dell PCs in all its glory, and exclusive red Nano and Shuffle iPods released by Apple. The apparel ranges from red T-Shirts sporting the words ‘Inspi(RED)’ and ‘Empowe(RED)’ by Gap, to rose tinted sunglasses designed by Giorgio Armani himself. Mudcloth Converses, Hallmark Diaries, American Express Credit Cards, Motorola V3s, all badged with details inspired by (RED). And to help, all you have to do is shop.
George Clooney’s doing it. Vanity Fair’s doing it. Facebook’s doing it. It’s one of those rare things that everybody seems to be doing, but this time, it’s for the better of humanity. It’s not charity. It’s being the change you want to see in the world. And, if it helps, it’s saving 4,400 people a day.
Red. It’s more than just a colour.
- Mallika Pal

KAAVAD

 On the 7th of February I was walking towards the class act area in Junior School talking about how our school always persists on making us sit through Rajasthani dances, and how I knew almost all the moves by now. Boy, was I in for a shock! What we saw was Rajasthani, but definitely not a dance.
That day we met the children of Vishvakarma, a.k.a. the Kaavad makers of Chittor, Rajasthan. Kaavad is a 400 year old tradition and is actually a type of box with a lot of doors. Every door opens to tell a different story and is painted by the Kaavad maker Kaavadiya bhats (story tellers). Epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata are painted here from memory. The most amazing thing is that no Kaavad has ever been subjected to a pencil drawing. Every picture, design and detail is painted on straight, without any reference.
On this day, we met a Kaavadiya Bhat who told us 3 or 4 stories using his kaavad. To a Kaavadiya Bhat his Kaavad is sacred. The kaavad is known as a shrine or rather a temple that travels to the devotee. Both talent, kaavad making and story telling are passed on from father to son. Kaavadiya Bhats believed themselves to have descended from Shiva’s Brow. These people make their living telling stories on the streets of Rajasthan. Sitting next to the Bhat was the Kaavad maker. He demonstrated to us how the Kaavad is built and painted, while the Bhat told us stories. For lack of words I would say that it was..pretty cool.
Though we all might think that it’s better to read books, I feel that there is a magic about story telling that is slowly going extinct.
Namrata Narula, 7

‘THE NIGHT OUT’

Friday evening, Chandini Chowk, A place where two very unlikely individuals will meet. Yes, the poverty stricken homeless individual with no shelter, no dreams and no goal except survival, just for another day; and the student, the child, who is set to do great things in the future, the face of the youth and this exposure just another step.
The journey was long and plagued with traffic. Traveling the full length of Delhi is no easy task by any means, especially at rush hour. A quick briefing and we experienced poverty at its worst. Spots on the road to rest for the night were being sold for Rs.15, which shocked a few. The homelessness, the sheer poverty stunned us, but unfortunately, amused some of us.
Seeing poverty makes some uneasy, even queasy to and our immediate reaction was to hide or keep our valuables safe, fearing pick pocketing. We were only brought to the realization of the need of this habit later, when we visited the NGO shelter and we learned of the problems that are faced by these people. Most of us were on the verge of falling sick on the coldest evening of the year, but we moved on. We saw people sleeping around the Jama Masjid. Poverty shadowed around, unfortunately for us, it reeked, and the smell of an open latrine was omnipresent. We proceeded to our final stop, a Kebab joint, where we were served piping hot Mutton seekhs - for some, the highlight of the trip. Perhaps the most important segment, as we reflect, is the global issue that is poverty. And hopefully we will be able take back from this negative situation a positive experience.
- Kartikeya Khanna, 12B

GO-BAMA!

This year, the presidential elections in America are going to make history, no matter who wins. On one hand, we have the sincere and charming Barack Obama, whose victory will make him the first African - American president ever. But on the other hand, we have the ever so “experienced” Hillary Clinton - who could be the first woman American president ever. And on the Republican side, there is John McCain who is a highly decorated war hero. So no matter who is chosen, these elections will bring about a major change. The American citizens have been very involved in the battle between the two Democrats, so involved that the voter turnout for the Democrats has far exceeded the voter turnout for the Republicans. In fact, the total voter turnout this year is extremely high because there is so much excitement between the two choices of a potential black president and a potential woman president. Basically, it’s this high because of the Democrats.
Coming to Clinton - mainly the older women and Hispanics like her, because she’s competent, experienced and they trust her. But others disagree because they associate her with her husband, Bill. He may have been a good president, but they all remember his many flaws and don’t think Hillary is capable. That’s why Barack Obama’s taking the lead. He’s got the charm, the charisma, he’s down-to-earth and the younger generations love him. Between the Clinton and Obama voters, we see a huge generation gap.
Obama became the attraction in the race when Hillary recited her laundry list of proposals with a deadening monotony, constantly offering her “experience”, which makes her sound more like a Republican than a Democrat. Hillary simply doesn’t inspire. He does. And the people of America are just looking for something to believe in, and that I believe they will find in Obama. I guess I’m making it quite clear that I’m an Obama supporter, but either way, whoever does get elected- U.S.A. will experience many changes, the main one being the gradual disengagement from Iraq. I do believe that Obama will win because of the mistakes and strategic errors of the Clinton campaign that give Obama an opening to be exploited masterfully. It is Obama’s charisma that is winning this election, but it was Clinton’s mistakes that opened the door.
- Devika Agrawal

 
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Think About It...

“I dream of the day when a
chicken may cross the road
without its motives being
questioned.”

Traditions of V-Day

Last year, the newsletter delved into the history of the hallmark holiday that is St. Valentine’s day. Indeed, people use this time to express their love to their ‘Valentines’, whether in the old style of poems and flowers, or the new fangled traditions of partying the night away. However, upon research, I uncovered some very ‘interesting’ Valentine’s Day traditions, which may entice you to try them out, or just have a good laugh reading them.
1) Hundreds of years ago in England, many children dressed up as adults on Valentine’s Day. They went singing from home to home. One verse they sang was:

Good morning to you, valentine;
Curl your locks as I do mine -
Two before and three behind.
Good morning to you, valentine.

2) In Wales wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favourite decorations on the spoons .The decoration meant, “You unlock my heart!”
3) In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.
4) In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a young man. If she keeps the gift, it means she will marry him.
5) Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine’s Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.
6) A love seat is a wide chair. It was first made to seat one woman and her wide dress. Later, the love seat or courting seat had two sections, often in an S-shape. In this way, a couple could sit together - but not too closely!
7) Think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry, As you twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off. You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell off.
8) Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is the number of children you will have.
9) If you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you will also know how many children you will have. Some of these may be a bit quirky, but St. Valentine’s Day has always been a day about love, so whatever you may have done on this special occasion, keep in mind the message that it tries to spread, for the sake of St. Valentine!
- Soumya Dasgupta

BENAZIR - Another Martyred Bhutto

Perhaps the whole world saw Mohtarma retire to her inevitably draped bed of flowers, blood and tears. As her peach coffin was lowered into the familiar sands of Ghari - Khuda - Baksh, she lay dead, but her spirit, entranced by the wanderlust of Jannat, must have at once begun its journey. The crowds smitten with sorrow and pestilence collected coldly at her burial (chanting amidst wails) and rummaged through the sudden outburst for the ‘truth’ that lay shadowed in her death.
The Bhutto blood had always been tough. Zulfikar - Ali too, like his daughter, was martyred in his early fifties. Educated at the University of California and the University of Oxford, Zulfikar was known for his mercurial brilliance and wit. Becoming the 4th President of Pakistan in 1971 was indeed a great achievement, as was his entry into the United Nations as the youngest Pakistani ever. Zulfikar founded the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in 1967, following which he delivered various moving speeches, owing to his charisma (a trait seen in Benazir also). In 1951, Bhutto married Begum Nusrat Ispahani who bore him four children.
The youngest, Shahnawaz, had always been a high aspirant. His desire to excel in higher studies drove him to extend his hand abroad much like his father. In 1979, when the military dictator Zia- Ul Haq hanged Zulfikar, Shahnawaz was away studying in Switzerland. But tragedy resurfaced in the Bhutto family just a year later as young Shahana (as he was called lovingly) was found dead in his French Rivera apartment in Nice, under mysterious circumstances.
Zulfikar’s elder son Murtaza was born in 1954. A socialist rebel, he took to arms after his father’s assassination in dubious circumstances. Murtaza chaired the military wing of the PPP, namely the al - Zulfikar and organized a number of attacks on Beirut, Damascus and Lebanon, under the garb of socialism. He too much like his father, died a matyr for Pakistan one evening, as a group of terrorists fired at his contingent, shooting incessant rounds at him.
Another child, not frequently talked about is Sanam, Zulfikar’s younger daughter. Since early womanhood, she kept away from politics and this is why she has ‘fortunately’ lived on as the only surviving blood relation of Zulfikar and Nusrat.
The eldest daughter, born to the Bhuttos in 1953 was Benazir. Her name much like her quick witted personality meant ‘uncontrollable’. Tenacious and charming, Benazir was a rather shrewd young lass. This helped her lead the Oxford Union, while she studied at Oxford University. Later on, she was also invited to attend Harvard. At eighteen, she charmed everyone at Simla, when she had accompanied her father Zulfikar. “Part and Parcel of every discussion, Benazir also brought a smile to the likes of Indira Gandhi”, reminiscences a witness of the Simla treaty in 1972. Benazir was sworn into office after her fathers assassination in 1979 to lead the PPP and then again in 1988 to become Pakistan’s first woman Prime Minister. After a tumultuous stint of over six years in hardcore ‘dirty’ politics, Benazir fled to London fearing a threat to her life.
During the interim, Benazir’s PPP operated from London with the help of her controversial husband Asif Ali Zardari, who had also served as Pakistan’s Environment Minister during Benazir’s reign. She lived safely for eight years only to return to her doom in 2007, just after addressing her last rally in Rawalpindi, following which a suicide attempt made Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto a Shaheed or as we know it, a Martyr.
- Nikhil Pandhi
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The Golden Statuette

As the Oscars approach and the stars of the glamour world are thrown into frenzy, the stark difference between the nominations of this year and the decades before are brought to light. In 1991, Julia Roberts was nominated for Best Actress in the movie Pretty Woman (note : a romantic comedy). Ten years later, in 2001, the nominations included the previously done-to-death genres of romance, comedy and tragic drama. However, in 2008, just seven years down the line, serious movies seem to have dominated the scene, with movies like “Into the Wild” a story of a man who tries to escape the chains of a dull life and hitchhikes to Alaska, where the people he meets change his life.
And its not just the Oscars. If you read the movie reviews in the newspaper, the ones with the highest ratings and the most gushing and appreciative reviews are the ones that address an underlining issue, like Taare Zameen Par, which brings to light social issues such as dyslexia. Movies that were once classified as “romantic comedies” have been labelled with a derogatory title - “chick flicks”.
Which raises a question, what happened to watching movies for entertainment? What happened to collapsing with laughter in the movie hall, tumbling out of your seat and hearing peals of laughter ring out as others around you did the same? What happened to watching a movie to relax, to get rid off all stress and tension in your life for those blessed three hours?
Argumentatively, the movies of nowadays do serve a higher purpose. Many situations and problems of the country, of an individual are made clearer to the general populace by the usage of such media, and patriotic movies like Chak De India certainly roused patriotic fervour into the hearts of the Indians like never before.
But shouldnt the purpose of the feature film be carried out in the making of such movies? The main purpose of a movie is to provide entertainment. And while movies like the aforementioned are incredibly enlightening, comedy as a genre in most mainstream movies seems to have died out completely.
We believe that there should be a balance in the film genres ruling the roost. Seriousness and drama and social/political/patriotic issues should be balanced out by those light Sunday-afternoon movies. And maybe in another decade or so a feature film with a balanced genre list will be winning that coveted golden statuette.
-Vani Shriya and Ramya Ahuja

That’s me!

It was the season of autumn. On a tree with dry, auburn leaves there was a poster saying, ‘WANTED”. A black and white picture was printed of a girl named, Udita Raghbeer. Her picture showed dark brown, shoulder-length hair and small eyes. Below it in thin, bold writing it said;
‘Udita is nine years old, born on 8th of September, 1998. She studies in Vasant Valley School in class 5-A. Her mother’s name is Anjali Raghbeer and she is an author, her father’s name is Pankaj Raghbeer and he’s a business man. Her sister’s name is Urvi Raghbeer; she studies in the same school in class 8. Udita’s dog’s name is Fudge.’
Next to her picture there was a black and white picture of him too. He had long ears and was a tri-colored Bassett Hound.
The poster also said that Udita loved animals, watching television, playing on the computer and eating sweet things. Her hobbies were Robotics, Piano, Tennis and Badminton. She disliked bitter medicines and sleeping late.
Udita is good at vocabulary and she can spot hidden things very easily. She knew the Z of every electronic item and could figure it out within minutes. But she does not focus and she is afraid of the dark. She was on cloud nine when she got her pet dog and wasn’t quite happy when she was ill in 2007 and missed school for two months. She really wants to win a subject in school and take part in many quizzes, plays and robotics.
“Do have any idea where to find her?” asked everyone. I popped out from behind the poster that I had made in Disney world and wiggled my fingers and said,
“That’s me!” -By Udita Raghbeer, 5-A

NEW BEGINNINGS

The Bhaiya and Didis have been here since the beginning. Although we’ve looked at them ONLY as the “bhaiyas” and “didis” I’m happy to say that now, they have a new identity-they’re parents of kids at our school. The other day, Mukesh Bhaiya, better known as the one who wins all those medals on sports day was distributing sweets because his young son had just got admission into Vasant Valley School. I thought I’d get Mukesh Bhaiya’s outlook on this whole thing:

A Best Friend

A best friend is someone you love
A best friend has come from above
A best friend stays in a struggle with you
A best friend will have something to do
Playing, playing and playing more
This is what you call a fun galore
Artworks and Projects you do together
In either bad or wonderful weather
Playing, playing and playing more
Like I said that is fun galore
If you don’t have a best friend too
You’ll get one fast
I tell you
But don’t buy friendship with
gifts and presents
Whether rich or a peasant
Have fun and be yourself
Like characters in books in your bookshelf
Remember to do this to your best friend
Fun, Fun and fun together
In either bad or wonderful weather
KAAMYA SHARMA 4B
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WHODATHUNKIT?

The world is loaded with facts that will benefit no one, and yet they are fun to know. Here’s a list of ‘Lesser Known Facts’ that are totally worthless -
1. In every episode of Seinfeld, there is a Superman somewhere.
Wow, we have some serious Seinfeld-watching to do…
2. Coca-Cola was originally green.
A little strange, but hey! If you can have Pepsi Blue…
3. Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the US Treasury.
Seriously? Too bad the stores don’t accept it!
4. No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, and purple. This IS actually pretty useful for those of you who have to write a poem for homework!
5. A snail can sleep for 3 years.
Clearly there’s not much on the social agenda…
(stay tuned for more completely useless trivia!)

Visit To The Psychology Ward

 The Psychology students of class XII were taken on a very ‘special’ fieldtrip on the 29th of January 2008. The destination was the Psychiatric ward of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Once there, in a room which otherwise doubles up as a recreation room for the patients, we were given a presentation by a resident psychologist, Dr. Sharan. We were briefed about various psychological disorders, and found some very interesting if not startling facts. 25% of the world suffer from a mental disorder at some point in their lives. Which otherwise translates to every one in four people, which is indeed a disturbing statistic. It is indeed a whole new experience to think that the person sitting next to you could possibly suffer from depression, schizophrenia or any other disorder! We were also lectured on the pros of taking up psychology as a profession and were surprised to find out that although India has the same number of psychologists as a country like New Zealand, we are short by a large margin. A question and answer session followed in which an occupational psychologist told us about the various activities a patient in the ward engages in everyday. Dr. Sharan and his colleagues answered our questions patiently and then proceeded to take us on a tour of the ward. Although it was a very different experience, I could not help but feel that in some way we were intruding on the lives of so many people, who may not even want us there. Nevertheless, the visit did enlighten us on many aspects of mental disorders as well as sensitize us about people who suffer from these disorders.
- Soumya Dasgupta

 

A Little Too Much Monkey Business

It sparked off a debate that took two countries by storm. Tempers flared and people screamed, shouted and created a fuss. It was everywhere, the news channels, the radio; the newspapers- everyone was covering it like there was no tomorrow. It has threatened the relationship of two countries, with politicians getting involved as well. And it was all because one man MIGHT have uttered the word ‘monkey’.
It all started in early January this year, during a test match between India and Australia at the SCG (Sydney Cricket Ground). The umpiring had been horrendous and India had been on the receiving end of numerous poor decisions that may well have changed the outcome of a match in which India went on to lose after fighting bravely till the end. So as it was, tempers were at boiling point and all it needed was a spark to ignite the kind of fire that takes days to put out. And just that was found in the form of the Australian all rounder, Andrew Symonds allegedly being called a monkey by Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh. Shameless stuff, don’t you think? After all, did we not all in some way or the other evolve from monkeys, or, if you want me to be a little more technical, ape like beings?
So what’s the big deal? Off the top of my head, I can think of at least 20 more offensive words that he could have called him. I’m quite certain that if Symonds had been the one to ‘abuse’ Harbhajan and call him a monkey, we would have all been oblivious to this whole issue because he wouldn’t have taken it racially. Not to mention that with his fairly 'unique' hair-do and sunscreen, Symonds does resemble a monkey a little (not that there is anything wrong with that, of course).
In my opinion, it was all most likely a ploy to get Harbhajan angry and for him to retaliate, so that he could be banned from playing in the series. After all, he had caused them a world of problems in that match. Fortunately or unfortunately, whichever side you look at it from, it may have worked and part of the reason why he was dropped for the next match could have been this.
In today’s day and age people are constantly making mountains out of molehills. We’ve seen it happen for a variety of reasons including in the name of religion or for fifteen minutes of fame. This incident is no exception. It was blown completely out of proportion and the true colors of a lot of people were brought out. The Indian team, especially the captain, Anil Kumble handled it well and stood up for their team mate, and the BCCI acted correctly, for once. So even if Harbhajan did in fact use the M word on someone else, like most people on the planet have, and is punished, I think it is high time people around the world took a good, long, hard look at themselves. It is extremely disturbing that a minor incident like this can overshadow issues like starvation and hunger in the headlines of countries around the world!
-Akbar Iqbal
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MOVIE REVIEW
Jodhaa - Akbar

 

If you’ve already read the other reviews for Jodhaa Akbar then, well, all I can say is don’t listen to them; because apart from one very vital component (which will be disclosed later) the movie actually was pretty much magnificent Granted it was historically inaccurate. And it was very, very long.
But the point is, most of India’s cinemagoers, don’t care about historical inaccuracy since most of the time they’re just going to see a movie to watch their favorite hero/heroine and talk about it for the next couple of days.
And criticize it or like it they definitely will be able to talk about it.
So the movie’s theme is pretty simple: Akbar, Akbar and more Akbar. Hrithik Roshan does a splendid job and would have been the star of the show had his co-star not been Aishwarya Rai. She actually puts up what I think is the best performance of her career. Together, they make you sit up whenever they’re on screen.
The movie otherwise is very, very gentle. Each scene takes its own time with a story of its own, and combined with the positively beautiful sets and intricate designs it becomes a feast to look at. AR Rahman compliments Turkish instruments (baglama, tar) with Indian tunes for music that sort of merges in with the scenes so that in the end the whole movie is something you’ve never seen before on Indian screens.
But that, I think, is exactly what the problem is.
The Indian audience (Including me) just doesn’t have the patience to sit through four hours of something we’ve never seen before. Through the first half you wait expectantly for each scene, bedazzled by the sword fights, the luxury, and the beauty of each monument shown in the movie. But very soon you get tired of listening to what happened to Akbar, since Jodha disappears sometime during the second half. The complicated dialogues become a bore to hear and the sword fights became incredibly predictable.
I’m not going to say anymore about how bad it was, because the truth is the movie itself wasn’t bad. It’s just the length that finally gets to you, making such a magnificent movie such bore.
Still, go watch Jodhaa Akbar, so that even if you don’t like it, like most of India’s population you can, you know, still talk about it
-Tejasvita Singh

TO DO OR NOT TO DO

This year my family and I decided to be adventurous and go watch the republic day parade at the India Gate itself. The experience was tremendous and left me and my family full of patriotic sentiment. As we left the venue a lady came up to me and pinned a paper flag to my jacket and this only heightened my presently “highly patriotic mood”. I continued the day with the flag pinned to my jacket and at night, slipping the jacket off, I went to bed. Then, just yesterday, I happened to wear that jacket again and noticed the Indian paper flag still pinned onto it. I un-pinned it and was just about to throw it into the dustbin when I realized with a start that this would be utter disrespect towards our national flag. Slightly unsure of what to do I thought: of tearing it. But wouldn’t this too be a form of insolence to our flag? Eventually I realized that I couldn’t throw it, tear it, burn it, feed it to the dog, bury it, eat it and finally I gave up. My question to you is, what happens to all the flags that are printed on Independence Day, Republic Day, etc? Are people actually so conscientious that they have carefully put away every flag ever pinned onto them or presented to them or bought by them or are these flags contemptuously discarded? AND…WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH THAT PAPER FLAG THAT NOW LIES ON MY DESK?!
- Avanti Gupta

Please forward all your suggestions and feedback to newsletter@vasantvalley.org. Feel free to contribute articles and reviews via this email id.

 

Kartikeya Khanna: “Can I have one McChicken with no ice?”
…And a Coke without lettuce?
Vedika Berry: “Let’s get hungry!”
And miss out on the lovely McChicken with no ice?
Tanya Najhawan: “Why did you break the paper?”
Because I didn’t tear the window.
Tanya Najhawan: “I asked her and stole it.”
The horror!
Aalika Peres: “What are you, the criminal police?”
Yes, and we’re looking for Tanya Najhawan.

The Book Trolley

1. The Twilight Saga - Stephenie Meyer
This series has become a craze amongst the girls of Class 8 and beyond. It consists of Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse, and centers on the forbidden love of a Vampire and a Mortal. The ups and downs of being a teenager combined with the added hassle of being… oh, in love with the thing you’re meant to EAT, gives us one of the most explosive horror romances ever written. With bloodlust and murderous vampires, revenge and international vampire policing, everlasting love and extreme jealousy, this is a roller coaster of pure excitement. Every girl should read this, even if only to fall in love with Edward Cullen, the perfect Vampire, and so should any boy brave enough to read one of the best series ever.
2. Airman - Eoin Colfer
Another spectacular novel from the best selling author of Artemis Fowl, Airman is based in the early 20th century period. Connor Broekhart was born flying. Literally. His father is a close associate of the King of a small country and his hero is Victor - an aeronaut, a genius, a swordsman, a spy. The story focuses on the betrayal and regicide of the king and his mentor with Connor being wrongfully blamed for both. Thrown into jail, he escapes by building a flying machine. The action scenes of this book are electrifying and as usual, it’s another brilliant storyline from the Irish author.
3. Wormwood - G. P. Taylor
A celestial tale fraught with terror, sorcery, treachery and supernatural strife, this story is not for the faint of heart. A book has been discovered, detailing a prophecy about the end of the world. A comet is hurtling towards the earth, fulfilling the first part of the prophecy. The question is, do the people on earth even WANT to know about the second part? And what does an angel fallen from grace have to do with it? Warning: This book seems so real that it has been known to give nightmares!
- Ayesha Malik

Editorial Board:

Mallika Pal, Ramya Ahuja, Suvira Chadha, Tejasvita Singh, Vani Shriya, Vedika Berry, Ayesha Malik, Devika Agrawal, Nikhil Pandhi, Sanjana Malhotra, Tara Sen, Akbar Iqbal, Avanti Gupta, Jahan Nargolwala, Mahi Titus, Soumya Dasgupta, Tarunima Prabhakar
Editor: Diva Gujral