T O D A YT O D A YT O D A YT O D A YT O D A YOctober, 2011

SCHOOL WATCH

The world’s best racers, the crème de la crème of world racing andall in all terrific athletes and competitors are coming to India toshowcase their talents and supreme abilities behind the wheel ofthat sleek, fast automobile which whizzes by in a matter of seconds.

A first hand Formula One experience uninterrupted by televisioncommercials is something Indians are alien to, never having hadthe opportunity to witness. Many have been for long cravingthis chance to see the Formula One action live in front of theireyes. Many are F1 fanatics who don’t miss a single race. And ofcourse, there is sure to be great support for our home teamForce India at the Indian Grand Prix, especially in the light of thefact that the our racers performed strongly in the recentlyconcluded Singapore Grand Prix.The stage is set for what is sure to be an intriguing, exciting andenthralling race at the Buddh International Circuit in GreaterNoida. Grab your tickets before they run out and be surenot to miss the experience of a lifetime!

Ishan Sardesai, 11

F1 in India!

Mark the date in your calendars: October 30th, 2011. The Airtel Grand Prix of India willcommence on this date at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, the 17th

race of the 2011 season. Finally, the speed, intensity and adrenaline rush of FormulaOne is coming to India!This Indian Grand Prix has been waiting to happen since 1997. Many locations wereconsidered, including Bangalore, Gurgaon, a street circuit in New Delhi and a site inLucknow. But eventually, in September 2007, the Buddh International Circuit in GreaterNoida, Uttar Pradesh was selected to be the venue of the Indian Grand Prix.It was decided that the Indian Grand Prix would be held for the first time during the2009 F1 season. But the much talked about Indian Grand Prix (like so many greatthings that threaten to happen in India) was postponed to the 2011 F1 season.Now, after all the waiting and days of excitement and enthusiasm, the Indian GrandPrix is well and truly upon us! In just a couple of weeks’ time, Indians like you and I willwitness something that we have never seen beyond the confines of our television sets

at home. F1 is coming to our part of the world and with its incredible pace, heat and sheer death defying action, it issure to send Indian fans into raptures.What a sight it will be to see a Sebastian Vettel in his Red-Bull Renault or a Jenson Button in his McLaren-Mercedes ora Fernando Alonso in his Ferrari steaming down the track at more than 300 kilometres per hour, wheel to wheel and rimto rim. It will truly be an awesome spectacle!Perhaps the drivers’ championship will be decided by the time the Indian Grand Prix comes along, keeping in mind thatVettel needs to just finish 10th at the Japanese Grand Prix to secure the coveted, prestigious World Drivers’ Championship fora second consecutive season. He became the youngest driver ever to win the World Drivers’ Championship last season andthis season, he has simply grown from strength to strength leaving all his rivals like Button, Hamilton and Alonso amongstothers far behind. But even though the Drivers’ Championship may be decided, the World Constructors’ Championship willbe up for grabs and nothing will be taken away from the drama and exhilaration of the Indian Grand Prix.

“In just a couple of weeks’ time, Indians likeyou and I will witness something that we

have never seen beyond the confines of ourtelevision sets at home. F1 is coming to our

part of the world and with its incrediblepace, heat and sheer death defying action,it is sure to send Indian fans into raptures.”

The team comprising of Gautam Nagpal (12),

Shaurya Mittal (12) and Amar Singh Dhingra (12) won

the Robotic Olympiad at the national level and have

qualified for the World Robotic Olympiad to be held at

Dubai in the senior high category.

The team of Preenon Majumdar (9), Yadush Yadav (9),

Indraneel Roy (9) and Ayush Sharma (9) won the second

position in The Robotics Quiz held at the Pathways School.

The Senior Chess Team comprising Varun Datta (12),

Veer Gupta (11), Abhiveer Arjun (10) and Shubham

Agarwal (9) won the second prize at the Shri Ram Bansidhar

Chess Tournament organized by The Doon School.

Akarshita Dhawan (12) and Tushar Bhargava (11) won

the third prize in the Shri Khoj Quiz and Gagan Beri (11)

and Harkirat Badal (11) won the third prize in Science

Cartoon Making competition held at The Shri Ram School.

The winners of the English Inter House Debate are:

Class 9-10: Aditya Srinivasan(10) and Namrata Narula(10)

Class 6-8: Shridhar Singhania (6)

Vidur Jain (4) won the Declamation competition.

Mahin Bhardwaj (5) and Yashoda Jayal (5) won the Spin

A Yarn competition.

iSad‘Why join the navy if you can be a pirate?’ – Steve Jobs (1955 – 2011)The year? 1955. The date? February 24th. The birth of a genius.Fast forward to 2011. It’s a sunny October morning, and my eyes open to the sound of mycousin talking into his iPhone. I yawn and stretch, noticing my earphones are emitting a tinnysound courtesy my iPod. I had left it running the night before, owing to the extreme tirednessbrought on by playing Angry Birds on an iPad for half the night. Casting an envious glance atthe MacBook my cousin is currently checking his email on, I reach for my phone to check mymessages and freeze. R.I.P Steve Jobs. It’s not just from one person. It’s everyone. The worldcomes to a screeching halt as the inventor of the devices that enables it to function passes away.

Steven Paul Jobs. It’s a household name, the name of a remarkable man, the man behind Apple. Can anyone need more of an introduction?We all know his early history courtesy his incredible speech at the Stanford University graduation ceremony in 2005. He was adopted,grew up in California, started Apple in a garage in 1976 and changed the way the world worked. He brought accessibility to technology;he made it fun. He may not have been the one to bring personal computers to offices, but he’s the one who brought them to people –ordinary, young or old, technologically-challenged people. He wasn’t just the co-founder of Apple, and that’s important to remember. In1985, Apple fired him. His countermove was to form NeXT, which was later acquired by Apple and whose operating system providedthe basis on which the OS X and iOS were designed. NeXT was significant because it proved that he didn’t need Apple. Apple needed him.Perhaps this next question seems slightly off-topic; but who over here has seen Toy Story? Or A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc.,Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, WALL-E , Up, or Toy Story 3? The answer to that question is probably, everyone. Allthese incredibly popular films were produced by Pixar, a company originally owned by Steve Jobs. When Pixar was acquired by Disneyin an all-stock transaction worth $7.4 billion in 2006, Jobs became The Walt Disney Company’s single largest shareholder.The world runs on the creations of Steve Jobs. He was not a God- temperamental and exacting; he made mistakes like the rest of us. Hecheated his partner out of a fair share in the bonus of $5,000 paid to him by Atari for writing the code for the game Breakout, and deniedpaternity of his daughter Lisa for two years after she was born. Yet his mistakes made him human.People say that he revolutionized technology. More importantly, however, he brought innovation into technology and made his creationsindispensable for all of us. Who here doesn’t own or covet at least one Apple product? The ‘i’ before the names of each of his deviceshelps separate genius from ordinary, and stands for the innovation that was his most exemplary quality. Is there anything else left to be said?Rest in iPeace; Steve Jobs.

Vani Shriya, 12

The Greatest Myth of Rock & RollThe Greatest Myth of Rock & RollThe Greatest Myth of Rock & RollThe Greatest Myth of Rock & RollThe Greatest Myth of Rock & Roll“More rock stars have died at 27 than at any other age.”The 27 Club gained wide publicity recently due to the death of famous musician, Amy Winehouse. With over 40 members, The 27 Clubis the title given to a group of significant musicians, all of whom died at age 27. It is also called the Forever 27 Club, Club 27 or theCurse of 27; names that could very well be the titles of terrifying blockbusters (which, naturally, I wouldn’t have the courage to watch).The club was created following the death of four eminent rock musicians in the late 60’s and early 70’s, all of whom died within twoyears of each other. The first of the four is Brian Jones, the founder of the Rolling Stones, who drowned in July, 1969. Following himwas Jimi Hendrix: famous guitarist, singer and songwriter (Purple Haze, Voodoo Child), who died of asphyxiation in September, 1970.The queen of rock and roll, Janis Joplin, died of a probable heroin overdose only 16 days after Hendrix. Last of the four, the infamousJim Morrison, lead singer and lyricist of The Doors, died exactly two years after Brian Jones, on July 3rd, 1971.Kurt Cobain, a man who needs no introduction (nevertheless, for those woefully ignorant of the history of rock and roll – he was the foundingmember, lead singer, guitarist and songwriter for Nirvana), joined the Club in 1994 when he committed suicide. Interestingly, his sister claimsthat as a child, Cobain would talk about how he wanted to join the 27 Club. Certainly, the topic came up in discussions between him and hisfamily members. Following his death, his mother said, “Now he’s gone and joined that stupid club; I told him not to join that stupid club.”There are many explanations offered for the unusually high amount of deaths at age 27, one of them being numerology. This theoryalleges that around age 27, people go through a transition, and for the musicians born with a 1 or 9 Life Path, this age is especiallysignificant. This transition can be a shaky time, and all the six prominent members of the 27 Club (excluding Amy Winehouse) wereexperiencing this transition at the time of their death. Numerologists suggest that the mix of an overwhelming transition with thesubstances and egos that surround musical superstars created a recipe for disaster. The causes of death among members of the 27 Clubare wide ranging, from carbon monoxide poisoning to an electrocution to a plane crash. It is, however, interesting to note that onlyaround twenty percent of the musicians died of a drug overdose.As for Amy Winehouse, the cause of her death is still undisclosed. Surprisingly, contrary to what most people immediately concluded,illegal drugs were not the cause of her death. In fact, no illegal substances were found in her body. However, Bruce A. Goldberger, atoxicology professor at the University of Florida,said that some prescription drugs, illicit, and‘designer’ drugs can escape detection. Also, thepossibility of her death being caused by legallyobtained drugs still exists. There has been muchspeculation about the cause of her death, which willfinally be revealed on October 26th. Make sureyou’re tuned in, so that you know the reason forthe tragic loss of one of the music industry’s most talented members. Amy Winehouse’s lifestyle and long standing abuse of drugs andalcohol was well documented, and is likely to have contributed to her death. I sincerely wish that she hadn’t said “no, no, no” to rehab.

Amira Singh, 11

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The Inter House Indian Music Competition 2011The Inter House Indian Music Competition 2011The Inter House Indian Music Competition 2011The Inter House Indian Music Competition 2011The Inter House Indian Music Competition 2011It was that time of the year again. Auditions were held, singers were selected, songs were

finalized and practices began. The whole school was geared up for the Inter House Indian

Music Competition 2011.

What was different about this year’s competition was the higher quality of the performances.

The first position in the group song category was secured by Blue House, which sang Khwaja

Mere Khawaja, a difficult classical number, with great energy and enthusiasm. Green House’sBrea Dutt and Rishabh Prakash did a fantastic job of singing the winning duet, Pehli Baar

Mohabbat, with the emotion that the song required. The students sang extremely difficult

classical ragas in the solo category, won by Purwa Chauhan of Red House. Red House won the final trophy.

This year, we had a Vasant Valley alumnus, Ketan Sharma, in the prestigious panel of judges. It was great to hear his inputs as he

gave some brilliant performances back in his school days, which are still popular amongst the students.

Very rarely does one actually find children inclined towards Indian classical music. Powerfully influenced by the music culture ofthe West, we find it hard to stay in touch with our own traditional music. Some say that the modern generation only listens to

upbeat, energetic music, ignoring the more classical Indian songs. However, witnessing the Indian Music Competition celebrated

with such zeal every year, such a rigid assumption becomes hard for me to imagine. Yes, I do agree that many teenagers do prefer

Tiesto’s electronic dance music to a Rahat Fateh Ali Khan classical ghazal. But the fact that most of us are willing to cheer for our

houses and support our friends who are performing such songs says a lot about the students of Vasant Valley School.

Akhila Khanna, 11

VASANT VALLEY TODAY PAGE - 3

vasaMt vaOlaI ‘Aaja tk’ ihndI vaad–ivavaad pityaaoigatavasaMt vaOlaI ‘Aaja tk’ ihndI vaad–ivavaad pityaaoigatavasaMt vaOlaI ‘Aaja tk’ ihndI vaad–ivavaad pityaaoigatavasaMt vaOlaI ‘Aaja tk’ ihndI vaad–ivavaad pityaaoigatavasaMt vaOlaI ‘Aaja tk’ ihndI vaad–ivavaad pityaaoigata14 A@TUbar 2011 kao pUro idna ko daOrana 33 ivaValayaaoM ko baIca kD,o

maukabalao tqaa dao carNaaoM saohaokr dao TImaoM mau#ya carNamaoM Aamanao–saamanao baOzI qaIM– vaoMkToSvar ivaValaya tqaavasaMt vaOlaI ivaValaya! jaIhaÐ vasaMt vaOlaI² sabako idlakI QaD,knaoM toja hao rhIM qaI.vasaMt vaOlaI ‘Aaja tk’ ihndIvaad – ivavaad pityaaoigata ko

mau#ya carNa ka AarmBa huAa.Pa`ityaaoigata ko AMitma carNa ka ivaYaya qaa – ‘Aaja kI yauvaa pIZ,Imaaobaa[la AaOr [NTrnaoT kI duinayaa maoM jaItI hO’.yah vaad – ivavaadsaMsadIya ZMga sao ikyaa gayaa. vasaMt vaOlaI ivaValaya nao ivaYaya ko pxa maoMtqaa vaoMkToSvar ivaValaya nao ivapxa maoM Apnao ivacaar p`stut ike.maaobaa[la va [NTrnaoT vaastva maoM AlaadIna ka icaraga hO. yah Aaja kIpIZ,I ko ilae ek sauivaQaa nahIM ja,$rt bana ga[- hO. sabjaI vaalao saolaokr ir@Saa vaalao tk ko pasa maaobaa[la hO. maaobaa[la Aba maaobaa[lanahIM rha maanaao ek 5 $pyao vaalaI Aama klama kI trh bana gayaa hO.ipClao vaYa- kI p`ityaaoigata kao jaItnao ko baad vasaMt vaOlaI kI TIma prjaItnao kI bahut baD,I ija,mmaodarI qaI. hmaaro ivaValaya ko sadsyaaoMvaMidta KnnaaÊ Aasqaa kamara tqaa iSaxaa kamara nao [sa ijammaodarI kaobaKUbaI inaBaayaa AaOr hma sabako isar gava- sao }Ðcao kr ide. prMpra koAnausaar T/afI iWtIya sqaana pr rhI ivapxaI TIma vaoMkToSvar ivaValaya kaodI ga[.

EaImatI purI nao ivajaotaAaoM ko purskar p`dana ike tqaa p`ityaaoigata kaAnt ‘Aaja tk’ ko vairYz p~kar Ajaya kumaar nao KUbasaUrtI saoikyaa. ]nhaoMnao Ca~aoM sao savaala javaaba ike AaOr Apnao ivacaar BaIp`kT ike. ]nhaoMnao hmaaro jaIvana maoM ihndI ko mah%va kao BaI roKaMiktikyaa.[saI ko saaqa vasaMt vaOlaI ‘Aaja tk’ ihndI vaad– ivavaadp`ityaaoigata samaaPt hu[- AaOr pUra ivaValaya KuSaI sao JaUma ]za.

AakiYa-ta Qavana 12

Education – Just Another Brick in the WallWinning essay of the English Essay Writing Competition (X-XII); the second andthird prize winning essays were written by Vedika Berry and Vani Shriya respec-tively, which can be read on the school website.The connotations of the 1979 Pink Floyd hit song, ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ arevague to me. The very first time I heard Roger Waters’ gruff voice, I misheard hislegendary lyrics as “We don’t need no education; we don’t need no birth control.”Now this seemed odd to me. Sure, I could empathize with the angst felt towardeducation by the kings of rock and roll, not really the most pedagogical of arts, butI couldn’t fathom why rockstars, paraded upon by women (read: groupies) at everyconcert, every after party, even every batmitzvah, would protest against birth control.A few years later, I read somewhere that the song was written in reference to thedemolition of the Berlin Wall, education being analogous to the pettiness and rigidityof the iron cur tain. Till date, I haven’t bothered to figure out the cryptic messagebehind the song – politically charged or the product of blackboard trauma? This isquite uncharacteristic of me, as I relish discovering the propaganda behind popculture (Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds blew my mind). However, the reason Ihaven’t engaged in in-depth research on the topic, is that very frankly, I don’t thinkmuch of the philosophy.I wish I were oblivious enough to ignore the context in which the song was written,and easily write a superfluous piece cementing my conviction in the paragon oftruthfulness and enlightenment that is education. In fact, I completely understandthat from the perspective of disgruntled American teenagers who grew up in an erain which teachers were dowdy and oppressive, the government was paranoid andaddicted to napalm, and peers were annoyed and addicted to marijuana, ‘education’,which was cited to mould the future leaders of the world – elitist, corrupt, pseudo-mavericks at the time - was viewed as a repulsive prospect. Liberalism, peace andhippie culture were celebrated, and so tempting to indulge in; the anticlimax ofwhich was the straitjacket that was education.Fast forward to decades later; a world in which Richard Branson, Bill Gates andMark Zuckerberg – all high school or college dropouts to some degree – wield theirsceptres over the world. They didn’t have to endure gruelling hours of churning outtheses or caffeinated all-nighters. They made their footprints through innovation,not education. But they are also (as reluctant as I am to use a cliché) the ‘exceptionsto the rule’, in a world of seven billion and counting. One out of which is me, whowouldn’t be writing this essay, flaunting my vocabulary, knowledge, and evenpenmanship, were it not for my education.I won’t lament the downfall of the uneducated or extol the virtues of the scholarly.I will simply quote Freakonomics, in which author Steven Levitt, an Economicsprofessor (education) at the University of Chicago (education) conducts an analysisof falling crime rates in the United States in the 1970s. The reason? Ironicallyenough, birth control. However, most of those surveyed credited the trend to anadvancement in school teaching – reflecting the widespread acknowledgement ofthe fact that there is no substitute to education, and the quasi fact that it is the rootof battling all social evil.Hey teachers, don’t leave those kids alone.

Mallika Pal, 12

Lennie SmallWith a colossal body yet a tender mind,As though his maturity progressed in rewind.A life of untainted innocence he did live,An air of childish purity he’d give.Outsized, hefty and extremely tall,Contradicting his size his name was Lennie Small.Infatuated with things soft to touch,But expressed this desire far too much.Several other qualities he did possess,Some of which left his life a mess.Unaware of his uncontrollable strength,To unexpected extremes he went.Worried and distressed, he knew where to go,A consoling friend returned to his face a glow.George Milton, to his face brought a smile,A comrade who would walk that extra mile.A bond so true; complex yet intense,George as though was Lennie’s sixth sense.Symbiotic crutches through a rocky course,They helped each other with no remorse.Yet one day upon him came such trouble,Getting out of which would be a struggle.He killed a ranch worker’s wife,Creating a situation of immense strife.A fumble too big for George to undo,In his mind the dilemma grew.The men on the ranch wanted Lennie no more,And were searching intently from door to door.They were determined on their mission,In scarcity of time, George took his decision.Lennie was unaware of the conflict within his friend’s mind,As he picked up a gun and shot him down from behind.

Ojal Khandpur, 11

Movie Review: Johnny English Reborn

Rowan Atkinson is back as the hilarious British spyJohnny English. The movie opens in a stereotypicalBuddhist commune in the mountains, wherethe English live in self-imposed exile. Johnny Englishis dismissed from his agency after botching up amission in Mozambique, but is summoned back after

five years by the British spy agency MI7 as a super spy. English is back in action and allset to uncover an international conspiracy that is colluded to kill the Chinese Premier onhis visit to Britain. He is paired with a rookie agent, Tucker (Daniel Kaluuya), and guidedby reluctant agent Pegasus. A Rolls Royce (that only recognizes English’s voice) and adozen exclusively designed gadgets add some glamour to the movie which is entertainingyet predictable. The characters are well interpreted and the story is smoothly executed,and although it cannot be considered as one of those ‘falling off your chair’ comedies,it is a great family watch and would appeal to audiences of all ages.

Ananya Jain, 9

Baart kI phcaanaBaart kI phcaanaBaart kI phcaanaBaart kI phcaanaBaart kI phcaanaAMgaojaaoM ka Saasanakala tao huAa samaaPt laoikna ]nakoAvaSaoYa Aaja BaI hOM basao hue hma saInaa tanakr svayaMkao svaaQaIna maanato hOM laoikna Aaja tk ]naka AnaukrNahma krto rho. 63 vaYa- pScaat\ Aaja AspYT hOphcaana hma @yaa qao AaOr @yaa hao gae prMpragatsaMskar piScamaIkrNa ko Aagamana sao iksaI maaoZ, prhmaoSaa ko ilae gauma gae.ihndI baaolanaa tao dUr Aaja samaJa tk na AatI raYT/BaaYaa baaolanao maoM Sama- mahsaUsa hOM krto AMgaojaI BaaYaa maoMhI baaolacaala hO svaIkaya- va ]icat Aaja ko pqaBa`YTyauvaa yahI hMO samaJato.raYT/vaadI Baavanaa saiht hma svatM~ tao hue prMtu AajaBaI AMgaojaaoM ko baoSarma gaulaama Baart sao inaklanao kI hIjaldI lagaI rhtI hO hmaoM caaho hao pZ,a[,- ivavaah Aqavaakama.praQaInata sao pUva- hmaarI naOitkta hmaara ptIk vasaaMskRitk &ana hmaarI SaaoBaa baZ,atI qaI duBaa-gya saoAaja naa tao naOitkta ka inaSaana hO AaOr saMskRit hOM gaMgaakI gaMdgaI maoM GaulaIM hu[-. cailae Aaja Apnao Aap sao ekpSna hOM pUCto hOM kaOna hma, hmaara Aist%va hO @yaa?gaulaamaI kI inaSaanaI kao BaartIya BaUima sao ]jaaD,kr]gaato hOM ek na[- p`kar kI raYT/Iyata.

vaMidta Knnaa 11

A Mistake that Made a Difference

Telemarketing. What may have once been a harmless word in the dictionary has transformed intoan almost uncontrollable monster that creeps up on you when you least expect it. That Sundayafternoon you decide to take a much needed nap or that instant when you finally decide to sitdown in front of your books and attempt to study, hiding behind a garb of polite greetings and“How are you ma’am?”s, the ‘cold callers’ seem to know exactly when to irritate you the most.

My frustration with their persistence reached the stage at which I developed an aversion tounknown numbers, simply ignoring calls from them. But one afternoon a few days back, myphone began vibrating and as a reflex I answered without looking at the number. The secondI picked up, I was already regretting my decision. I realized that I would have to engage inpointless conversation before I could cut the call without being too rude (it is their job, afterall). As usual, the person at the other end was talking unintelligibly fast. At first, I couldn’teven figure out what the call was about. Upon further investigation, I realized the man I wasspeaking to was actually a student from DU, calling on behalf of an NGO, Relief India Trust.

“While I know that the Telecom Regulation

Authority of India has now enforced

strict rules regarding unsolicited

telemarketing, I hope that I keep getting

calls from organizations like these that

give me a chance to, in some small way,

make a difference.”

An organization aimed at community development as a whole,Relief India Trust is involved in everything from rescuing childlabourers and educating them to running a free ambulance servicefor pregnant village women. Among their many endeavours, theyalso oversee the collection of money to fund operations onchildren who have severe medical conditions, whose familiescannot pay for their treatment. As it turns out, there is f ive yearold girl, Nikitha, who urgently needs open heart surgery and isbeing treated at Fortis Escorts. Though I was wary of the caller’srepeated requests for my address so he could send over the child’sdocuments, I promised to check their website. Without divulgingmy personal details, and after a few more calls from them, Imanaged to confirm their legitimacy and through my father, sentmoney to the organization. I got a call today from a number I nowknow only too well, to tell me that only a few thousand rupeesremain to be collected before Nikitha can undergo surgery. I feltproud to have played some role, albeit a small one, in helping tofurther an effort that could save someone’s life.While I know that the Telecom Regulation Authority of India hasnow enforced strict rules regarding unsolicited telemarketing, Ihope that I keep getting calls from organizations like these thatgive me a chance to, in some small way, make a difference.

Ramya Ahuja, 12

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VASANT VALLEY TODAY PAGE - 5

A Tale Of Bravery

‘A Tribute To My Grandfather'My grandfather, the late Capt. Moolchand

Sharma was the youngest among his four

brothers and a sister. He displayed

determination, grit and courage from an

early age. An intelligent child, he was very

sincere student and had an outstanding

academic record. Though physically not

very intimidating he possessed uncommon

strength and speed and was a fine wrestler

and an expert in the art of staff fighting.

After his matriculation he got married to

my grand mother and joined the Indian

Army. Once he came on leave during the

Baisakhi Mela and a champion wrestler

challenged my grandfather’s village at the

Akhara. Since my grandfather’s elder

brothers were now a little old to wrestle

he accepted the challenge and promptly

handed out a humiliating defeat to the

challenger. So much so that the challenger

ran away from the akhara after being

thrown over the shoulder twice. A kind

man, always willing to help others he is

still remembered fondly by his family and

village elders. It was in 1971 when my

grandfather was stationed in Sikandrabad

that the IndoPak conflict stirred. India

liberated East Pakistan which is now

Bangladesh. On the 27th of November my

grandfather’s regiment was mobilized to

the Chumbh sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

By the 9th December 1971 the Indian

Forces were taking heavy casualties, as an

armoured division of the enemy had

sneaked deep into our lines using the

terrain. My grandfather commanding a

battery of heavy motors and eight

pounder guns brought the enemy to a

grinding halt with vicious and accurate

firing. The scared enemy tanks requested

air support and on the 12th December at

1:30am in the morning my grandfather left

the safety of the bunker to monitor the

enemy movement. He fell victim to a

rocket attack by enemy fighter jets. My

brave grandfather went to heaven fighting

for his country and as they say in the army,

‘He sacrificed his today so

we could have our tomorrow.' Even

though I have not met him, I sometimes

cry when I hear somebody talking about

their grandfather. I am very very proud of

my grandfather’s sacrifice for our country,

and now whenever I feel scared, I say to

myself 'I am Talin Sharma, grandson of

Moolchand Sharma and I shall not be

afraid'. I LOVE YOU DADAJI- “The bravest

man I know”.

Talin Sharma V- A

Taj MahalTaj Mahal so great and fine

Shah Jahan made you shine.

Throughout India you are known

Majesty and power you have shown.

Taj Mahal you shine so bright

When you stand in the beautiful twilight

Wow! What a unique sight!

So Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa,

Steve Jobs, the Mona Lisa

Just like them

Each day, it blows people away!

Aashna Sawhney & Dhruv Chauhan IV- B

dIpavalaI kI SauBa kamanaaeoM

Diwali is a festival of lights, love and care.

During Diwali we have fun making rangoli. We

light beautiful candles and do puja on this day.

We should not burst crackers because it

causes lot of pollution. The next day when

you see the sky it is dull and full of smog.

This year we will

celebrate Diwali

on the 26th of

October. On

Diwali we get

little plants from

school. This Diwali I would like to eat a pizza

for dinner.

Arshya Gaur and Vedika Shrikhande II C

CrackersCome Diwali, come Diwali,

Mom buying flowers from phoolwali,

The bright – bright diyas,

Making the house shine.

Colourful rangoli everywhere,

And lots of mithai and gifts to share

Come Diwali, come Diwali

Bursting crackers for fun

One by one as they shoot right up,

Lighting up the sky so bright,

Oh! It’s a wonderful sight.

But the pollution it causes in the air,

Is really not fair,

Smoke, smoke everywhere,

Disturbing people and animals here and there.

Diwali is a festival of lights,

And it brings happiness in everyone’s life.

Naaz Gill III - B

Aryan Prakash I- B

jaa rha hUÐ taja mahlavaha^M sao khanaI samaJa kr Aa}Ðgaa

AaOr tuma sabakao bata}Ðgaa.taja mahla - taja mahla

saat AjaUbaao M mao M sao hO yao ek.Saah jahaÐ nao banavaayaa qaa

ApnaI baogama maumataja kI smaRit maoM.ivadoiSayaaoM kao maugQa krta hO yao

SaaoBaa hO [sakI Anaok.iSavama Samaa- caar - sa

A beautiful structure is Taj Mahal

Built in the memory of Mumtaz Mahal

Shah Jahan’s beloved wife

After she lost her life

It is very beautiful

A place holy and peaceful

Its marble is white

That so shines at night

Tessellations in Taj are everywhere

Inlay work has been used there

It is as white as a dove

Taj is a sign of love.

Sumona Sarin and Naina Shukla IV - A

Diwali

Sukriti Jain, I- B

Krishna Dev I- C

Since You Asked“I really want to win a pin in the standard tests

this time. How can I?”- Running Late

In my opinion, if you’ve never even won a bronze

pin, don’t start trying now. But if you want to

start gunning for silver, or better yet, gold, these

tips might help:

1. A positive attitude helps. Put on your running

clothes, sneakers and a head band. Blare ‘Eye of

the Tiger’, glare at yourself in the mirror and say “I can do this!” Half your battle is

totally won. Well, not really - but it helps to be positive.

2. Start running. Beginning with a small distance and then slowly progressing to bigger

and tougher distances and terrains will make your muscles stronger and increase your

stamina. Listening to music helps. Use music to make this journey bearable and even a

little enjoyable. If you like sad, slow acoustic songs, I suggest you develop a taste for

other genres as well.

3. Lastly, do some upper body exercises to increase your upper body strength. Push

ups, pull ups - the whole nine yards. This will help you while doing sit ups and rope

climbing, trust me on that. Plus, everyone loves biceps!

And finally, remember that this won’t happen over the span of a week. This takes a couple

of months of perseverance. I suggest you put ‘Eye of the Tiger’ on repeat starting today.

Until next time, xoxo

Tips from an Indian Traveler1. Always have good company and if you don’t, travel alone. Call it Murphy’sLaw if you like, but you will always end up changing the nappies of the baby inyour group or being made in charge of coordinating sightseeing visits.2. Beware of cheating guides and travel agents. Now don’t say I didn’t warnyou, because what your travel agent calls the “baast pelace far shapping” is onlyjust a source to get his commission.3. Don’t try to be overfriendly with locals; they hate it. Being too sweet isn’t inyour nature, so naturally it makes them suspicious.4. Be Indian; bargain. Cling onto the hair of the shopkeeper if he doesn’t reducethe price of your favorite pair of bangles by five rupees!5. Try to smile when the person staying next door to you in your hotel turns

out to be your father’s uncle’s youngest daughter’s eldest son. Indian Families:they have a way of following you to the most unexpected of places.6. Please, please don’t carry your own paranthas or pickles for the travelling

bit of the journey. Opening your dabba makes other people uncomfortable.7. Carry a special pair of ultra clean, self sanitizing, quick drying, self perfuming

set of clothes (only for Rs. 499) just to use in Indian toilets. I don’t think I needto go into the details of this one!8. Do not support xenophobia. I know you feel a complex when the receptionistgives the foreigner next to you an extra sweet smile and only a nod ofacknowledgement to you. Admit it.9. Try not to laugh when the price of the same thing is quoted as Rs. 100 for

you and Rs. 1000 for the foreigner next to you. It’s just a matter of adding zeroes.10. Switch off your phone. Trust me, it soothes your nerves not to have thisnuisance ringing every second and sending you into panic attacks. Your friendswon’t kill you for not answering their call. Okay, maybe they just might.11. Always carry bottled water and don’t get too excited to try local food. Wemay have the strongest digestive juices but just take it easy on your stomach!

12. Try not to imitate a lonely planet traveler. Your oh-so-adventurous trip may turn into a not so adventurous oneafter all! Remember, they have the expertise, you don’t.13. Don’t wrinkle your nose in disgust and say how dirty

we Indians are or how filthy our cities are. I know youlove the dirt, you live in it.14. Come back and be all praise for the place and the

trip even if it was disastrous! Let this cycle of unwaveringdishonesty carry on.And lastly, after my million or so instructions and restrictions,just relax and try to enjoy!

Riddhima Yadav, 11

Two and a Half Men:

Life without Charlie

The premiere episode of Season 9 was probablythe most watched episode in Two and a Half Menhistory as it was sans our much loved middle-agedbad boy Charlie Harper. After much controversy- probably one of the biggest public TV showfeuds between CBS networks and Charlie Sheen(the man who portrayed Charlie Harper) - fansand critics were eager to see how the new seasonwould fare out. Would Alan (John Cryer) and Jake(Angus T. Jones) be able to carry the show ontheir own? Or would the once smash hit show fallinto obscurity? However, Chuck Lorre and hiscompany had another surprise in store for theviewers - the introduction of a brand new characterplayed by none other than Ashton Kutcher.The premiere was slightly disappointing. Therewere moments of nostalgia during Charlie’sfuneral, at which all his ex-girlfriends werepresent, especially when Alan provided a muchdeserved eulogy to the character that made Twoand a Half Men famous. The rest of the cast provedto be a hilarious ensemble, but the network’s lackof faith in the already existing cast led to theintroduction of a very poorly scripted and evenworse portrayal of the character Walden Schmidt(Ashton Kutcher). With a haphazard back-storyand a failed suicide attempt, Walden Schmidt, arecently divorced internet billionaire, shortly endsup becoming Alan and Jake’s new roommate.With the show only four episodes in, to be fair,it’s not that bad. Bits of the show can still makeyou laugh and it is steadily building in the ratings.Yet you can’t help but miss Charlie, his playboylifestyle, snarky sense of humor and the bitingrepartee between Alan and Charlie. Though JohnCryer’s character still remains just as amusing,the character of Walden Schmidt hasn’t changedmuch. Walden at this point exists as a foil for Alan’smany insecurities and shortcomings. But there isstill a spark of hope for the new Two and a HalfMen with a lot of events and more laughs yet tocome. So at this point, all we can do is sit back andwatch them unfold in either failure or success.

Tarini Sardesai, 9

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Editorial Board

Ananya Jain, Aakanksha Jadhav, IndraneelRoy, Tarini Sardesdai, Aastha Kamra,Namrata Narula, Pia Kochar, SharanyaThakur, Vasudha Dixit, Akhila Khanna,Amira Singh, Ishan Sardesai, RishabhPrakash, Vandita Khanna, Ramya Ahuja,Suvira Chadha, Vani Shriya, Vedika Berry

Editor: Mallika Pal