The Carmel Express

2011-05-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

THE CARMEL BAND

by Rhea Khanna
9-B

The school band has always been a success on all of the functions organized in the school. It was always in the lime light because of the immense hard work they had put in and their positive attitude towards it, today it has reached great heights and is known for its talent all over the school. This band started on 25th July 2009 and from that very day all the students have been putting their heart and soul together to get all of this in place and to achieve great success. However the band was not a solitary effort. It was a cumulative effort of almost 30 students. There were many more people involved behind this achievement. Special trainers and instructors were called from south India to teach the children to get their notes perfect and all those melodious tunes. Raju sir and Paul sir had given their best efforts so that the students of Carmel could be treated to something different from their original routines. The students stayed late in school and practiced. Even after school ended they spent 2-3 hours in the campus getting all their notes perfect. Sister Swati, the principle of the school was also very encouraging and used to stay late with the students making sure that they did not have any problems during their practices and also provided refreshments for all the students as practicing in the blistering heat is not everyone’s cup of tea. But as it is said

"Hard work pays and is never a waste."

Now the school band has been playing on every occasion and has been appreciated by all the guests present there. Even on our annual day which was the "biodiversity exhibition" the school band was given a chance to show the parents their skills and talents and was greatly praised. Even the media could not stop praising it in the newspapers that how great the band of Carmel convent is.

Simran Angrup a student of the Carmel band says that” it is just a beautiful experience playing in the assembly every morning which has actually given me a chance so that I can discover myself even better."

Sukhmani Singh another student of the Carmel band says that” I have been greatly honored to play on the occasion and it was great fun with everyone and I know these days of my school life are just very memorable ones."

We all hope that it maintains its success and keeps on making Carmel proud.

"Long live the Carmel band"

EARTH DAY !

2011-04-21T23:05:00.000-07:00

EARTH DAY!

The need to protect the earth is increasing everyday. To spread awareness for the same, Carmel convent celebrated “earth day” on the 21^st of April. Students of all classes took part enthusiastically and hoped to protect mother earth.

Tiny tots of class 1 and 2 had a general discussion on ways to save the earth. Class 3^rd students planted a few saplings and learned how to recycle paper and tins. Anya a student of third class said, “we learned how to recycle paper , tins &, plastics bottles & not to cut down trees .” The students of 4^th and 5^th class took part in a rally and held vibrant and appealing charts and banners and walked around the school premises. The passerby’s stopped to have a good look at this little marvel and it turned out to be quite a success.Rehmat a student of class 6^th commented,”we enjoyed reciting and writing slogans.I would like to spread the message,that – don’t destroy your nature recklessly because she loves you selflessly.”Class 7^th conducted plays and dramas,depicting the increase in problems related to our earth.Class 8 students used paintbrushes and sketch pens as weapons and competed in a poster making competition. ONE OF THE SUPERVISORS, ANU MA’AM SAID,“THESE KIND OF ACTIVITIES ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO INCULCATE THE LOVE FOR MOTHER EARTH In THE CHILDREN . IT ALSO BRINGS OUT THEIR TALENTS.THE GIRLS’ CREATIONS REMIND US THAT WE ALL SHARE THE SAME PLANET AND SHARING EARTH MEANS TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT WE USE AND HOW WE USE IT.”Students of class 9 had conducted a survey last week of the plants, flowers, trees of Carmel. They had covered the entire green belt of the school. The survey included the uses, age, location and special features of the plants. The information collected was displayed beautifully. According to Manju Ma’am (class teacher of 9^th A) “I am really happy that children have made a sample for others in conserving the beautiful nature. They have really put in lots of hard work and it’s really good to see them working so enthusiastically.”Class 10 marked the day by making paper bags, made of recycled paper, painted t-shirts, made bookmarks and exhibited posters.Riya,a student of class 10 said,”we had a lot of fun making posters. All the students initiated to go home and plant a tree.”

Students have the biggest stake in environmental protection. They are strong medium to disseminate environmental knowledge and concepts to the largest possible audience. Carmel’s earth day celebrations had it’s own grace and beauty and the students successfully spread the message.Remember, ' IT’S YOUR MOTHER CALLING.DON’T KEEP HER ON HOLD...!'

The world is ours to take,

2011-04-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

-By

DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

For a long time, I as a reporter have been in a quandary as to what to write. Should I be writing about India’s glorious triumph in the world cup? Or maybe Anna Hazare’s fast which seems to have brought about a revolution amongst the Indian generation to fight corruption head on? Maybe it should be about Japan’s courageous response to one of world’s greatest catastrophes? But maybe I need not look too far, or too big. Because alas! At the end of the day, these are not the problems that WE are going to be fighting for, as of now. These are issues we can follow from afar, not influence.

India’s triumph in the world cup as elating as it was, was a result of the team’s conscientious efforts and not ours. Fact is that they would have worked equally hard for either a win or a loss. Looking at the way the Indian electronic media seems to work had we lost the cup to Sri Lanka, there would have been numerous news flashes JUST to criticize and not to appreciate. Is that how capricious we are?

Now lets talk about Mr. Anna Hazare, a social activist who’s name I’m sure you hadn’t heard until a few weeks back. How many of us know that Anna Hazare, “started his career as a driver in the Indian Army in 1963. He spent his spare time reading the works of Vivekananda, Gandhi, and Vinoba Bhave; they inspired him to become a social worker and activist. During the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965, he was the only survivor in a border exchange of fire, while driving a truck.” I will accept I didn’t. But his determination to help India fight the evil of corruption persuaded many to look up this man of extraordinary resolve and exemplary courage. He has brought about a revolution. A new will to fight for what is right. But how long will this last? I’m sure in a few days he too will be forgotten and so will the cause he’s fighting for. Until ofcourse another such man emerges from within US to take a stand for another such cause. Till then we will sit back and watch. Watch as our country suffers the ravages of corruption at the hands of a few politically driven individuals.

Japan showed immense will power and strength after the gigantic tsunami struck. Ever since, the world has been contemplating the great apocalypse. It is a clarion call. Maybe our end is near. But if there is anyone to blame, it is solely us. The human race. And our negligence and disregard for our planet. Japan has put in its best efforts to beat this calamity, just like they did after Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And they will emerge better off than before. How many of us have even the resolve to fight our daily problems?

These issues are too major, too vast for us. What we need now is ability to control our own lives. To think for ourselves and to not be driven like cattle. If we know that a person is corrupt, we need to speak up and not wait for another Anna Hazare. Problems are a part of life, we need to learn how to solve them. Its like one of my teacher’s always said, “A problem comes with its solution. Its like this.. If you guess what’s in this basket, I’ll give you half the eggs and if you can guess how many there are, I’ll give you all 20”

The answer lies within the problem itself. What we need is a positive outlook and determination. The world is ours to take. So why not take it?

Saathi painting competition-22nd August

2010-09-03T23:59:00.000-07:00

SAATHI-A FRIEND IN NEED!
by-Saina Kohli
The Nongovernment Organization, Saathi -a brainchild by puniita Singh, supported by the eager students of carmel held its most recent attempt for the underprivillaged children ,today itself on 22nd august.

To discover their hidden talent saathi organised a drawing competition for the 300 slum children on the topic “raksha bandhan”. The competition was held in the GOVERNMENT MIDDLE SCHOOL, sector 52, itself .The students of the school were very happy to see the saathi members and were extremely excited to participate in the competition.

The latter had provided each and every student with a drawing sheet colours, and other materials required. Every single need of the school children were taken care by the saathi volunteers.Saathi members not only guided the children but also motivated and interacted with them through out the competition.As the competition ended ,the saathi team awarded the prizes to the top 3 winners and councellations with a lot of excitement and exuberance.

To bring joy to the students and to encourage them, biscuits and chocolate were also distributed. As the initiative was successful,each student along with the saathi members were filled with delight.

Kushboo a student from government middle school, said “all the didi’s are very good , they talk to us very nicely”

Neha another student of the school added”it was very nice. I enjoyed so much with the didi’s”

Saina kohli , a saathi volunteer of class 9th said “Seeing the heartwarming smiles on the faces of the children, filled me with delight. I had a lot of fun working with them”

Ankita a volunteer of class 9th commented “it was so much fun.the children were very happy"

The slum children’s lives are woven with difficulties and need a helping hand which is being bestowed by Mrs. Puniita Singh and we hope to extend this spirit amongst each person!

thank you

saina kohli
Stay tuned!!

independence day!

2010-09-03T23:45:00.000-07:00

by-Saina kohli
Hum chalein toh Hindustan chalien

This motto was opted by Carmelites today itself on 15th August while Carmel convent school celebrated India’s 63rd independence.
The program had started at 8 am with a welcoming speech by class 10th which concluded the honour and respect Carmelites feel for our country India. Then the chief guest, Mrs .Neelam, also the librarian of the school hoisted our national flag while side –by – side, for the honour of our country a parade was held in which participants from class 8th to 10th actively took part. The parade was lead by the school band and the different squad leaders.
The march past was soon followed by a devotional dance by class 4th, dressed in the tri colours. After which L.K.G performed a dance on the song ”Jis desh mien Ganga behti hai” proving that also the little ones dint stay behind when it came to our country India.
The dance was soon followed by the song “Jai Hind” harmonised by class 7th and “kandhon se milte hai kandhe” by class 10th.
Then our chief guest Mrs.Neelam announced “I feel very honoured today being the chief guest and i want to thank all of you and especially sr.Swati.” she also made the Carmelites repeat after her the motto of our country,”JAI HIND”.
As the programme finished all the students dispersed, enjoying the day and admiring the bulletin boards.
When asked later about the program Mrs.Neelam answered “I am so privileged that I was the chief guest of this function. According to me the program was very good and a lot of effort was put into it.”
The principle, Sr.swati said ”According to me the programme went very well despite the unpredictable weather. I want to thank all the teachers who put in so much effort to make this programme an honourable one”
Sr. Sushmita who helped a lot in organising the event concluded “It was very well organised. Teachers and children had taken up a lot of trouble and i feel very happy that this programme came out well”
amrit gosal, a student of class 9th said ”we had a lot of fun today and the programme actually reflected the respect we feel towards our country”

-saina kohli.
class 9th b.

Come out and Play!

2010-08-03T06:53:00.000-07:00

Always one to encourage participation in sports ,our Principal Sr.Swati along with the school cabinet organized an Inter-Squad Basketball Match on Friday,30th July.The match was held between Satya and Namrata who had started rigorous practice weeks in advance.The teams comprised students ranging from class 8 to class 12 who all displayed strong teamspirit.The match started at 9:15 A.M. with students of the participating squads enthusiastically cheering on the players.After a fierce game with tensions rising high the Namrata squad emerged victorious with the score 28-5.Roopam Attari of class10 scored the most baskets with 10 points to her credit.Sister Swati also came out on the field to encourage the players.Amla Srivastava,one of the organizers had to say,"It was a very exciting game and I really enjoyed organizing the event."A spectator Sehaj of class 9 said,"I was supporting Namrata so I am very happy with the outcome.They played so well, I was on my feet the entire time as the match was such a thrilling one!" It was a wonderful event and all the students went back glad and rejuvenated!

Ankita Srivastava

2010-07-23T05:05:00.000-07:00

-BY SAINA KOHLI AND FIZA GUPTA

CLASS-9B

MINI FETE !!!

Born on October 1st,1823 sophie leeves received a new name -Sister Veronica of the passion for her deep faith and belief in God. Mother veronica and the apostolic carmel sisters together conducted the carmel convent institution on July 16th,1868.

Celebrations are those magical moments that define our culture, our life, our passions and our happiness.To celebrate this crucial day Carmel Convent celebrated its feast on July 16th,2010.The preparations of this fete started many weeks before. Every class came up with different ideas and worked on them 24/7. With a great spark of excitement carmel's feast started with an assembly in the school's auditorium. The assembly was followed by a prayer dance performed by the carmelites and a few words spoken by Sr.Swati expressing her gratitude towards carmel.

Now came the entertainment as we all engaged ourselves in the different activities going on in the school. The school was populated with carmelites dressed in casuals.Refreshments being an essential requirement for a fete this big,the school was buzzing with different varieties of stalls including the BFC- burger,fries and coke; the chana kulcha stall ,the candy shop,the bakers ,the bhel puri stall,fresh juice stall and many more.To keep the little ones entertained there were many games and fun activities.the latter had even organised a tatto making corner.Not forgetting the older carmelities a dj was called and the entire auditorium was filled with the rhythm of songs.Instead of the money the latter was selling and buying for money coupons.

When asked mrs.puniita singh about her experience she commented"It was very innovative and exciting.It was good to see every one coming together and hopefully,it would be an yearly effort."

Saina Kohli of class 9th-b chirps in "It was a very exciting to see the teachers and children working together on the carmel feast.we all had so much fun!"

Fiza gupta of class 9th concluded"it was such a blissful day and a great thanks to sr.swati for arranging all of this "

Naina of class 2nd added"i loved eating burgers and the games were so interesting"

In all it proved to be a very exciting memorable day and we hope it comes again soon!!

2010-05-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

ROCK OUT FOR A CAUSE....!!!

SAATHI IS ORGANISING A ROCK CONCERT ON 27th MAY AT ROCK GARDEN, CHANDIGARH.

IT IS PROVIDING A PLATFORM FOR THE BANDS OF CHANDIGARH AND IS ALSO RAISING FUNDS FOR THE UNDERPRIVELEGED CHILDREN.

HOPING FOR A GR8 RESPONSE.

COLLECT YOUR TICKETS FROM CARMEL CONVENT SCHOOL- SEC-9 B FROM 10AM TO 1PM ...!!!

Warriors of the Environment!

2010-05-14T04:07:00.000-07:00

The Eco Club of Carmel Convent School had an educative session on 14th May with representatives of the NGO the Environment Soceity of Chandigarh.An enthusiastic group of 50 children prepared innovative posters and presentations to show their concern for nature.Ms Mrigya of the Environment Society said ,"Nowadays everyone knows about the environment,can prepare long speeches on the environment,why don't we just start acting towards it?''They showed inspiring presentations about how the effort of one individual can start a trail of hundreds.They also gave the students simple and practical tips to improve the degrading conditions of the environment at their own level.Mr Ranbir,another representative stated,''If you don't do some kind of social activity you should not be called a human.''They also gave the children information on some action plans formed by the soceity to preserve Mother Earth like the Batton Rally on the 4th of July and the I Care I Act plan for this year's environment day on 5th June in which they are urging people to avoid the use of private vehicles for one day.They hope to make Chandigarh global with this plan making it one of the main cities in the world fighting for the environment.All in all they greatly motivated the children who went back determined to make a difference in the world.

By-

Ankita Srivastava

"HAND HYGIENE!"

2010-05-11T09:19:00.000-07:00

-Saina Kohli , Ankita srivastava and Sehaj Kaur Ghuman

To make students aware on how important it is to keep our hands clean for better hygiene Mr.Rajesh Kumar an expert in hygiene and science visited Carmel Convent School on May 10th at 10:30 A.M to provide us with facts and the importance of keeping our hands clean.

The action was named as Hand Hygiene and as an effort to make the surroundings hygienic and worth residing, educative pamphlets which informed the students about the 7 steps of washing hands were distributed.
Promoting- Pura Hand Sanitizer- a discount coupon was given to all students.The only way to save ourselves from pandemic diseases is to stay Germ-Free.

Later Mr.Kunal Seth of Times of India took over and promised and motivated us to take a pledge to pass on this message and educate everyone on hand hygiene.

Mrs.Puniita Singh concluded saying that the session was very informative and she hoped that all of us would benefit from it .She thanked Mr.Rajesh and Mr.Kunal for taking out valuable time from their schedules to make us aware about hand hygiene.

So "Clean hands, Save lives"
Make it a mantra for life.

saina kohli, Ankita srivastava and sehaj kaur signing of

stay tuned!

2010-05-07T20:39:00.000-07:00

BY FIZA GUPTA,CLASS-9B

MOTHER

As it is rightly said by Brown,

"The sweetest sound to mortal given,

Are heard in mothers home and heaven."

Nine months of courage and hours of labour pain designates a woman with the most beautiful title on earth 'THE MOTHER' ."Ma, Mom, Mum, Ami Jaan, Mother, Mum" Whatever the language, the region, the religion or the country may be the meaning of the word mother remains the same.She is hybrid of love, passion, courage, patience, etc.

Mother- a preacher, a teacher, a friend and an idol.She is the one who holds our hand when we take our first step.she is the one who teaches us the letter of our life.She guides us on the right path and teaches us how to discern between right and wrong.She acts as a blanket in cold,shelter in rain and protects us from any mischief.

"God could not be everywhere so he invented mother".Mothers are meant to be the cheerleaders of their kids,sometimes in loud and visible ways,sometimes in loud and unspoken ways in the background.Mothers are often the backbone of the family.Mother's job is not always an easy one.Mothers have to make sacrifices. Mothers can have their heart broken.

"The heart of a mother is a cup abyss at a bottom of which you will always find forgiveness."She teaches how to crystallise our thoughts into reality. she is an angel in disguise. She makes us laugh when we cry. she has an answer for every question and makes life simple and easy for us. When we grow up she does not back up from her responsibilities but take the charge of even our duties.She sacrifices millions of seconds of her life for us and never exaggerate it. She has only learnt how to give and forgotten the lesson of asking.

"All that I am, my mother made me". My mother is a representative of God on Earth.She is a very inspiring person, the reasons for this are endless.My mom has been through multiple hardships over the course of her life and throughout it all she has become an exceptionally strong, loving an wise person. She has taught me all of the founding principles of my life and for that I am extremely thankful.I dont conceive when she gets up in the morning because when i get up, she is already bathed and dressed. Usually,I find her in the corner of her room resiting some prayers and telling the beads of rosary. After her prayers she comes to the kitchen. She's is gifted with pleasant nature. I have yet to know her loose temper. Many a times she has saved me from my dad's wrath, but this does not mean that she has coddle me with her pamperings.After every such occasion she tells me to behave properly in a notably gentle manner. She drives her points in a very understanding way.

To me she is pillar of strength.Even in the face of adversity she never looses her calm. She usually says that one should be independent enough to make one's own decision and choices,elders are merely their to guide them.

"A mother is the one to whom you hurry when you are in trouble."Every year their is a day set aside to celebrate the role of a mother.-MOTHER'S DAY.It is celebrated on 8th may.It is a great oppurtunity for the children of all the ages to show love and affection for their mothers.Gifts and cards often handmade are given as the sign of love.Mothers day is a special day for the mothers, as they get the flowers of what they deserve. Describing mothers love is virtually impossible.

A Soldier’s Epitaph

2010-05-07T08:58:00.000-07:00

Dark clouds seemed to have
Enveloped the dawn,
Crowded thoughts seemed
To run across as a fawn.

The night was long
And full of blood,
When the battle cries had
Rung wide and loud.

Metals had screeched
And voices had cried,
Bodies in agony had
Crawled and wriggled.

The soldier now lay quiet,
Reminiscent of his glory;
The vicious scenes all around
Reverberating a sorrow story.

He had kicked and punched
And fought as a gladiator;
Alas,when the bells of victory rung
He was no more the same warrior.

The beats of life had slowed down
The soldier had only one fading thought
He had done his country proud-
The honour-he had never sought.

Archita Ahluwalia

From the wanting to be a ‘CADET’s’ pen..

2010-05-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

“So how was it?’
Asked my Dad, as he drove me out of the PJ Gate.I looked back at the College for the ‘final glimpse’ and found a plethora of emotions welled up inside me.Irealised that my own school would be seen differently by me now....it’ll not be the same and that is exactly what happened..it seemed my Dad’s question wasn’t so easy after all.My almost moist eyes were an amalgamation of feelings of being joyous and poignant..Yet I couldn’t guess why the four letters RIMCmeant so much to me.
RIMC or The Rashtriya Indian Millitary College(original name was The Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College but re-named later) is a prestigious institution for boys
situated in the beautiful Doon Valley of Dehradun .Taking only 25 cadets in the six month term and with fixed admission of only 1kid per state, the school enjoys a great tradition as a feeder institution for the National Defence Academy and subsequently the Indian Armed Forces. Rimcollians, the name by which alumni of the RIMC are usually denoted, have gone on to hold the highest ranks in the Army, Navy and the Air Force.

My Dad a fighter pilot , currently a serving officer in the IndianAirforce is a pass out from the RIMC. Dad o’ways talked with great passion about his school which I could never relate to since I wasn’t all that passionate about mine.I used to rather find it funny when at random parties he would meet a stranger and after conversing with him realise that he was aRimcollian and then he would not be a stranger any longer.The camaraderie these rimcos share is amazing and now I too enjoy every iota of watching them celebrate!
Attending the passing out ceremony and talking to varied cadets taught me something..
This small journey had been an eye opener for me as I discovered myself.After meeting these cadets I learnt the joy of pushing and pushing myself’and then the satisfaction of ultimately emerging victorious.Ihad learnt to challenge myself beyond limits.
But in their journey what made it all the more invaluable for these guys was the memories of the special people they shared them with.Standing on the other side now iwould like to tell you that these cadets have been divided into 4sections and practically their lives our divided by these sections..
The pearls of sweat with the juniors and seniors alike on the grounds,the dorm bearing a silent testimony of these precocious cadets, the gates of their innumerable CB’s, the euphoria of winning a Cup with section mates as well as taking defeats in their strides--everything like a family ..

And above all what made it all the more interesting were the people who taught each other the unwritten values of friendship and accepted each other for what they were-‘course mates..’ Their never ending ‘lotteries’,their kitroom adventures and the rolling on bajri-- was a journey for these termers from “Greenhorns to Gentlemen”.
Well one thing I was sure of, that these memoirs are my philosopher’s stone turning every obstacle into an opportunity only for that quitessential spirit called RIMC.
Perhaps I now had the answer to my Dad’s question .I said “Thanks Dad…”

Cheers RIMC
Signing off
Archita Ahluwalia

I'M GOING TO HARVARD!

2010-05-07T02:35:00.000-07:00

Step towards your Dream College!

A career counseling session was held on 6th May,2010 for class 12 in Carmel Convent School in which they were given information on SAT(Scholastic Aptitude Test).Professionals from the Manya Abroad Group in partnership with the Princeton Review gave detailed information and answered all the queries of the students.Ms.Meghna Kapur,a representative of the institute stated,''SAT is a smart test.They test the basic concepts of the students in reading,English and Maths.''Telling students about the Ivy League i.e. the top universities of the world including Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Dartmouth and Stanford they also explained the admission procedure,requirements and training programmes for different universities.Mrs Mukhmani,an ex-Carmelite who is now working with the Manya Group said,''Cracking SAT is not difficult.However they put tricky questions to confuse the students as they only want those who have logic-based intelligence and not fact-based.''With the help of an interesting presentation, the representatives gave the students useful information regarding exam dates and the preparation required to get high scores.Gultash,a student of class 12 said,''I found the session very interesting and informative.The students who are thinking of applying to foreign universities will now start considering their options seriously."Along with the SAT scores the students found out about other co-curricular activities that are of relevance in applying to universities abroad.All in all the students went back with their heads full of important information and dreams of touching the sky!

By-

Ankita Srivastava

PARADISE.....

2010-05-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

HIDDEN HEAVEN IN HILLS..

BY - SEHAJ GHUMAN

Away from the hustle-bustle of cities, hidden in a valley - SURYAVILAS is the place to rejuvinate. Just 60 km from Chandigarh,serenity of a pristine valley can be felt.

My experience of a holiday at this luxury and spa resort was extraordinary. With facilities ranging from a personal theatre to a gymnasium all in the midst of nature. While listening to the wind whispering through the pine trees one can take a dip in the outdoor Infinity pool.

The green cover spread across the resort revitalizes our health. In the Spa the mineral and sea salts spread an aroma that is extremely refreshing and relaxing. The emphasis on nature represents the source of life. Exotic world cuisines are put forth to feast on.

Days spent at this resort leave an indelible mark on one's life. It is indeed a land of subline tranquility.

VIPIN PUBBY ATTENTS REPORTERS MEETING IN CARMEL....

2010-05-05T04:32:00.000-07:00

-SAINA KOHLI

VIPIN PUBBY AT A MEETING IN CARMEL

Vipin Pubby, a journalist by profession, currently the resident editor of THE INDIAN EXPRESS ,chandigarh and the author of the book - "shimla then and now" appeared in a meeting held at carmel convent school on 1st may'10 for the young reporters.Puniita singh and all the carmelities of the reporters and the photography club were present in this meeting.

Mr.vipin bestowed everyone with his knowledge and experience on article writing and reporting and took up many questions asked by the students.He also shared his working techniques with carmelities and told us briefly about the editing of the newspapers.Being an experienced professional ,he also gave us the basics on how to make a report interesting.The meeting was held for about 1 hour and clearly was a very informative experience.

According to puniita singh,the organiser of the clubs,"Mr.pubby has been with us for 3-4 years.In fact our first endeavour started with indian express itself. He has shown a remarkable personal intrestin reporters club from the begining and we are very honored to have him."

Anhadh rai a participant of class 9th concluded "It was a very good experience.If meeting's like these are held often we carmelites will surely be awesome journalists and photographers someday" . Saina kohli chirps in "Mr.vipin not only did told us the basics on writing but also updated us on current facts "."we are very keen to meet him again."points out Ankita srivastava."We all look forward for this kind of meeting again" added Anushka ghai.

“International Worker’s Day”

2010-05-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

By Prerna Sharma and Fiza Gupta
Class-9B

“The only liberty an inferior man really cherishes is to quit work, stretch out in the sun and scratch.”

International Labour Day or most commonly known as May Day is a day observed all over the world on May 1 to celebrate the social and economic achievements of the workers.

The students of Carmel Convent School today celebrated this day with lots of joy and fervour. The programme started with Sr. Swati, principal of the school lighting a diya and praying for the good health of the workers of our school, who selflessly help us in all the tasks. A Power point presentation was shown to all the students so as to make them familiar with the faces behind our lives of comfort in the school. On one hand where Baijnath Bhaiya has been in school for 37 years, Meena Aunty on the other hand has just joined the school 9 months ago, but all the workers unselfishly fulfill our demands in every possible way. It is because of their hardwork that our school remains spick and span all the time.

Strange is the situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to a divine purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however there is one thing we do know, that we are here for the sake of others, for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy and working for their well being selflessly. The workers in our school altruistically work all day in the scorching heat, so as to give us a day of relief and comfort. A student of class 9^th Nikhita Kansal said, “It was fun doing something good for our workers and it was the best to know that they liked it,” It was a great pleasure for everyone to see all the workers smiling. “Senior Girls don’t respect the workers anymore, we should be more concerned for them in the same manner as they are concerned for us.” said Keerat. One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men but a machine can’t do the work of an extra ordinary man. All the workers in our school have some extra ordinary capacities which helps our school in all aspects.

So remember always, without labour nothing prospers.

2010-05-02T00:04:00.000-07:00

-by FIZA GUPTA CLASS- 9B

Aping Of Western Culture By Younger Generation

Life in the big city is fast paced. The influence of modernization and western culture is reflected easily in the attiude of young generation.The glamour of big cities attracts the young generation to the cinema halls,restaurants,and discotheques.They consider to be 'cool' to be seen at the parties ,where alcohol flows freely and all inhibitions are shed.Bunking classes, using abusive language,truancy,bringing cell phones and electronic stuff,etc are becoming common in schools.They feed on coca-culture,pop-music and disco dance, the youngsters are forgetting there values and traditions completely.In there blind aping of western culture,maxims like 'simple living and high thinking'seem old fashioned and outdated.The youngsters are becoming more demanding,many a time going far beyond their means to fulfil their temptations for fancy things.They seem to have lost respect for the elders.The gap between the old and young is widening gradually as the youth is developing a rebellious attitude towards everything.They are being more aggressive than before. Very early in life,they are being exposed to too much violence and relationship through cinema,television and Internet.

Where will all this lead the younger generation to ??? I think the schools should insist upon value-orientation programmes to discipline and quieten the minds of the youngsters.The energies of the young must me employed in constructive ways so that they feel proud of being what they really are.

CABINET 2010-2011

2010-04-30T10:39:00.000-07:00

CABINET TAKES ITS OATH!

The new cabinet elected for the academic session 2010-2011 took its oath on 30th April, 2010 promising to uphold Carmel ’s flag and its noble ideals. The ceremony started off with the entire Cabinet taking the stage brimming with enthusiasm and excitement. The School Pupil Leader Gultash Guron started the proceedings with a solemn promise of doing her best to make Carmel reach new heights in all spheres be it academics, sports, art, cultural activities or any other and invoked Mother Mary’s blessings. She was followed by the Assistant S.P.L. Amla Srivastava and all the other members of the cabinet. The Principal Sr.Swati then pinned on their badges and congratulated each girl heartily. She spoke a few inspiring words saying, ‘‘We have only one chance to walk down the path we are working in. The stage has been set for you. How you make a difference now depends on you. I wish you all the best.” The new cabinet seems set on putting in their heart and soul to fulfill their promises to the school and their fellow students. When asked an excited cabinet member Amla said, ‘‘I am delighted to have been appointed to this position of great responsibility. I fervently hope that I am able to live upto the confidence my teachers have shown in me.” This year the cabinet certainly seems to be charged up and ready to lead Carmel to greater heights.

-By Ankita Srivastava

NO MEMORIES..NO HEIRLOOM...

2010-04-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

O!Those Letters!

The world today has become a fast -moving, technology-based place.This has changed the lives of the people in many big ways.But the smaller changes which are not that significant are the most touching!Imagine the joy a granddaughter used to feel when she would find a hand written letter from her grandfather in the letter-box.This was the scenario just fifteen years ago.And it is something that our generation can never experience!Because today it is considered old-fashioned and silly to send a letter which will probably reach a fortnight later.Why waste time!Just type out the message,click Send andVoila!your email reaches your loved one before you count to ten.However one virus and all those typed electronic messages are gone forever.The hand written letters are treasured and preserved for the generations to come.They are much more personal and precious when you can hold a piece of paper over which the pen of your long- lost relative once moved.The emails are nothing more than dull,lifeless black words on a white screen which you read once and never spare a thought for again till the day they are lost beyond recovery.Bring back the letters,bring back the love!

-By Ankita Srivastava

STUDY...ALL DAY??

2010-04-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

Remembering School Life!

I studied in Germany for two years. And when I came back I was struck by the harsh differences in the education imparted by these two countries. I remember my first day there, when my teacher took us out in pairs and taught us how to cross a road. We then went on to a nearby forest where we picked acorns as part of our nature class. I returned home amazed to find that a school day could be so enjoyable. The days flew by in a jiffy while I visited the municipal corporation, went to church to listen to the choir and went to a nearby ground on a sunny day to collect wild flowers! For Maths homework, the teacher used to say that we had to spend only ten minutes with our books and do as many sums as we could in that time. Some could do two, others five. But the teachers got to know each child's individual ability. We would listen to audio tapes of nature sounds where we were supposed to identify the different seasons! Even though those two years were the happiest school days of my life, some teachers were of the opinion that Indian and other foreign students were much more hard working than the students there, probably because they were used to it. The German children became so used to the easy lifestyle that when the time came for serious study they could not adapt to the workload. Here the students are assessed according to the number of hours they put in cramming facts while there the assessment is according to what they put into those hours. Thankfully our education system is changing for the better as the Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) being introduced in schools is a good mix of Indian and European techniques involving hard work and fun. This system will hopefully make school life for students what it should be - enjoyable years of fruitful learning!
-By Ankita Srivastava

TASTE THE WORLD.....

2010-04-30T05:55:00.000-07:00

CUISINES OF THE WORLD
BY- SEHAJ GHUMAN

Food is the most significant symbol of a country. It is a notable fact that almost every country on Earth has its own extraordinary and exceptional cuisine. The tradition and rituals of a country have an effect on the genre of food. The cuisine reflects the lifestyle of the people.
One of the most prominent cuisines of the world, is the American cuisine. The food eaten by the Americans has always been the object of criticism, as it is unhealthy and calorie-laden. The deep fried burgers along with the ready-made drinks like beer make the American cuisine universal.
The aromatic Italian food with its distinctive herb fragrances is considered the ancestor of fine culinary art. Italian pizza, pasta and wine are always in limelight.
Indian cuisine is one of the oldest and most diverse cuisine in the world. Its rich and unique flavours are emerging in the world.
The location of Thailand has a great bearing on it's cuisine. Thai cuisine has many food products with fish and other marine animals. Seasonings of coconut milk, pineapples and citrus plants make it exclusive.
Ancient civilization of Aztecs and Mayas used to feed on Mexican cuisine. It is based on the assortment of products like maize, avocado and pumpkins. Mexican tequila, tacos, burritos, tortillas and fajitas are very sought after.
Food is God's gift to humanity and each cuisine in this world satisfies our taste buds.

STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE SOCIETY

2010-04-30T05:04:00.000-07:00

The female is an ignored spiecie in our male dominated society which still practices gender bias.There is an apparent discrimtionin the upbringing and eduction of the girls in the rural areas,middle and lower classes of the society.This is all due to our old traditional customs, values and ethos of the society which do not encourage women to contest against men and come out victorious,also the harassment of working women resuts from the dominant position of the male bullies and the fear of economic insecurity of the female workers.

From the starting of birth the only sufferer is the female.Most of the people of the country consider the birth of a girl as a sin commited in their previous lives for which they are paying now.In our male dominated society , female education is relegatted to the back ground and all the family funds and resources are lanished on the upbringing and education of the sons.

As someone pointed out "if we educte a boy we educate a person , on the other hand if we educate a girl we educate a family." Some conservative section of the society regard women as weak and inferior to men and hence unsuitable for outdoor work .These people are highly mistaken.In now days , modern women are fully equipped with education , expertise, confidence,self esteem and respect and independence . If we glance at the result of public examination we reveal that the rank and the percentage of the girls is superior. If women can run home efficiently, they can manage the affairs of the state with the same procession.Women do not lag behind men in any sphere.

The rise in the standard of living is possible when women supplement the incomes of the males. National development is impossible without the whole hearted contribution and active participation of women .We can also root out the evil of male domination by reserving seats for women in parliament on the lines of reservstion in local bodies.This measure will end the marginalistion of women in the supreme policy bodies and pave the way for their emancipation,enlightment and empowerment.

FIZA GUPTA,CLASS-9B

NEW VENTURE OF SAATHI

2010-04-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

SAFETY DRIVE

by - SEHAJ GHUMAN

Scars of Accidents don’t heal easily, sometimes they last a lifetime. Accidents hurt a lot but Safety doesn’t…..
By following the traffic rules, there is no jeopardy.
Persisting with the noble endeavor of removing the economic divide, for the underprivileged, Ms. Puniita Singh organized a seminar for the students of Government Middle School, Sec-52 Kajeri educating them about the traffic rules. A group of 160 students reached the Traffic park, Sec-23, with transport facilities organized by the NGO – SAATHI.
Ranbir Singh, an official at the Traffic Park gave an informative and interactive lecture, followed by awareness videos directed by Mr.Jaspal Bhatti. Mr. Ranbir stated, “The initiative of educating these children about the traffic rules is admirable. It is imperative for the young children to know all the traffic rules, as the number of accidents taking place in Chandigarh is on the increase. Tools and machinery can be repaired but our lives cannot.”
The children gave an eager response and appreciated the NGO’s efforts. They were given souvenirs, which would remind them of the safety rules.
Inspector Prem Singh Dalal, said, “Hope that Saathi keeps carrying on the great work. Youngsters are the most likely victims of the accidents, they don’t wear helmets or seat belts which cost them their lives .After today, I hope these students will follow the Traffic rules.”
So, when you drive safely, you arrive safely.
Better late than never….

INTERVIEW WITH SISTER SWAATI -SAINA KOHLI AND FIZA GUPTA

2010-04-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

Interview With Sister Swati
Saina : How do you feel being the prnciple of carmel convent school?
Sister : it makes me feel no difference .it makes me feel proud .i am happy to serve carmel.
Fiza : what is your vision for our school?
Sister : my vision is to make children happy and make them bloom in what ever capacity they posses.I wish to get support from the school committee and to render my support.
Jaisha: How do you feel about the creation of the carmel band?
Sister : i feel very proud.when i do any thing i do my best, and rest i leave to the day to come.When you do anything with 100% effort the results are always in your favour.
Saina : can you tell us briefly about your childhood journey to being the principle of carmel?
Sister : My teaching career started in 1987.i teached 2 years in Goa,3-4 years in gujrat and 4 years in jammu-jammu was the best experience.whenever i talked to people they phrased "you should be a principle ; we expect you to came back as a principle".
Fiza : what do you think is lacking in the carmelites?
Sister :no ...nothing is lacking that way . everything is provided in carmel.But i sometimes feel integrating that what we learn and teach in the school , we dont see it being practiced.
Fiza : How do you feel about the discipline of our school?How do you think can you change it?
Sister : Well it is my feeling....that from the day I have come the discipline has improved alot.

(we all laugh with her) I dont want you girls to follow 'policeman' discipline , i dont want you to pass by the corridors with your hands at the back and a finger on your mouth showing 'i am quite sister'.But in the class i want that the students should be responsible enough to maintain discipline whether the teacher is their or not.
Prerita : what are your expectations from us?
Sister : As students i expect you to be children of prayer, because carmel represents prayer.I want the students to stop their bad habits like using foul language and bullying,etc.
Fiza : what do you want the future of carmelites to be?
Sister : School should excel in quality not in quantity.Whatever we do we should put in our best .Multiplying children is not necessary but the quality we bring out is .
Jaisha : What does carmel mean to you?
Sister : to me carmel means prayer.
Saina : You have often pointed out in these past years about our uniforms and flicks being inappropriate , what do you think about it now?
Sister :What i dont like is that the girls are altering your tunics with your own taste. Its not like that i want the student to make 2 plaates and apply oil but i just want hair to be neatly tied.
Prerita : As the news travels fast ,there were rumours that our dress code would be changed into suits...is that true?
Sister : As long as your uniform is neat it should not come to your worries.......and anyway changing uniform requires little time.
Saina : What are your views about the CCE System currenty in 9th and 10th?
Sister : Im very happy about it,i feel that children are getting more opportunities and i specifically feel that cce system should be alloted to every class from middle school,that way everyone will participate in the upcoming events.
Saina and fiza : how do you feel about the upcoming clubs like reporters club,photograph club,ngo,etc.....??
Sister : to be frank i feel the oppportunities are only given to very few students and by increasing the number of clubs every student can participate one way or another.i just love children and want to do what is best for them.
Saina:since you are such an inspiration,who was your first inspiration i mean your role model?
Sister: well i remember my class teacher of 2nd class.he teached me many values with love though he was strict he was very affectionate.he was my inspiration. that's what i wish to give you.i want you to do the best.
THEN WE ALL GREETED HER BEST OF LUCK AND PROMISED TO COORDIATE WITH HER..............
-interview taken by Prerita Nandwani,Saina Kohli,Fiza Gupta and Jaisha Garg

SISTER MARIA CHRISTI'S FAREWELL-SAINA KOHLI

2010-04-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

SR.MARIA CHRISTI'S FAREWELL

Sr.Maria Christi's journey in carmel began from feeling nervous to feeling confident to feeling proud.nervos-as her carmelites would inovate,confident-as her carmelites became ambitious and proud-as her carmelites acheived their goals .
Her journey is now at a standstill of depression.depression-of leaving carmel convent school chandigarh, after 7 years being Carmel's principle.
In an attempt to expose the gratitude carmel feels towards her,Carmelites today on 26th april presented her with a memorable farewell.
The program began from a welcoming speech followed by a power point presentation which exhibited her unforgettable stay at carmel as a principle.
Class 12th then harmonized the song "climb" representing the ache carmel feels on sr.maria christi's leaving. the song was followed by an entertaining rajasthani dance and a hym by class 10th on the lyrics of "i haple you dance".
to participate in sister's farewell the little ones dramatized a play on different type of vessels thus naming sister Maria Christi the "vessel of god".
During the farewell carmelities held out their designed banners calling"sister dont go".
In the end sister Maria christi said that she was confident of the future of carmelities and that she woudnt be what she is today if it was not for all the sisters that helped her make carmel a better place,but even with her brave show she couldnt hide her tears from us.
Mrs .mala said"she has done so much for our school we will really miss her "
Acording to Mrs.manju "it was very emotional,every item in the farewell was the best and every item gave a message"
Mrs.amrita and Mrs madhu said "its very touchy,its like missing a mother and looking for another"
Mrs anurita commented"I had a short tenure of 1 year with her but she inspired me the best.she's my role model"
Mrs vandita kapoor said"Sr.Maria Christi is endured with exsiquite quality of knowing you silently."
Wherever her life may lead her Sr.Maria Christi was,is,and will always be with us.
-SAINA KOHLI

ANTIDEPRESSANTS IN CHILDREN-SAINA KOHLI

2010-04-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

ANTIDEPRESSANTS IN CHILDREN!

Depression is a disease that afflicts the human psyche in such a way that the afflicted tends to act and react abnormally toward others and themselves. Depression in the adoloscents is greatly underdiagnosed and leads to serious difficulties in school, work and personal adjustment, which may often continue into adulthood. It is often described as "an exaggeration of the duration and intensity of normal mood changes" .
Key indicators of adolescent depression include a drastic change in eating and sleeping patterns, significant loss of interest in previous activity interests , constant boredom , disruptive behavior, peer problems, increased irritability and aggression . For many teens, symptoms of depression are directly related to low self -esteem stemming from increased emphasis on peer popularityor getting into relationships before their ages. For other teens, depression arises from poor family relations, which could include decreased family support and perceived rejection by parents .
Depression can lead to suicide.Antidepressants are used to treat people with depression. Antidepressants may increase suicidal thoughts or actions in some children and teens. Sometimes we teens sometimes grow sucidal.
Adolescent suicide is now responsible for more deaths in youths aged 15 to 19 than cardiovascular disease or cancer .
Among children, the highest percentage of users was seen in girls and boys ages 15-18. More than 6% of the girls in this age group used antidepressants, as did 4.2% of the boys. If these figures were extrapolated to the entire pediatric population, it would mean that one of every 16 high-school-age girls and one of every 23 high-school-age boys in a country were taking some type of antidepressant.
Until recently, adolescent depression has been largely ignored by health professionals, but now several means of diagnosis and treatment exist. "Although most teenagers can successfully climb the mountain of emotional and psychological obstacles that lie in their paths, there are some who find themselves overwhelmed and full of stress.".With the help of teachers, school counselors, mental health professionals, parents, and other caring adults, the severity of a teen's depression can not only be accurately evaluated, but plans can be made to improve his or her well-being and ability to fully engage life .
-SAINA KOHLI
CLASS 9TH b

WE'LL MISS YOU SR.MARIA CHRISTI

2010-04-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

By: Prerna Sharma and Fiza Gupta

“Goodbyes are not forever,

Goodbyes are not the end,

They simply mean I’ll miss you,

Until we meet again.”

It was heartbreaking when we heard that Sr. Maria Christie, our beloved principal would be leaving us soon. Earlier we just thought it was a rumour but yesterday all the students and teachers bade adieus to her. Yes, it is true! Principal Sr. Maria Christie will be saying goodbye to the school she has called home for the last 7 years. As she recalled her experience she said that, past in 2003 she came to the city beautiful and entered the school with a slight fear in mind as to how will she work here. But she found God on her side encouraging her to put her fears aside and persuading her to enter into this new world.

Sister recollects her experience in Chandigarh as a challenge for her principalalship. But it is from her that we have learnt to take up challenges, no matter what the results may be and so did she. Her hard work can be clearly seen. Her idea of a new building for the primary students, the golden jubilee celebrations, the evening classes for the students, numerous new clubs and not to forget the school band, they all were a hit.

Sister Maria Christi lovingly nurtured the greens and it was in her time that the pharmaceutical garden was developed. All the decisions taken by her were with ease and clarity which were carried out meticulously. She was a charismatic and energetic principal who never let down the students and helped them in every possible way. From a small bruise to a big achievement, sister always presented us sweets. As she leaves us, she is leaving as a satisfied person and has no regrets at all.

She had worked for 2 yrs in Himachal, 3yrs in Goa and then 7 yrs in Chandigarh. Now she is again going to Goa her hometown and will be the principal of Carmel Convent High Secondary School there.

Her final message to all the Carmelites- “ Be simple as that is what makes Carmel girls special and always live up to the motto of in ‘God we Trust’”

We know that the world is round and we may meet Sister again, someday or the other. Let’s hope for the Best!!

cosmetic surgeies- saina kohli

2010-04-29T06:34:00.000-07:00

COSMETIC SURGERIES...

In today's society the picture of beauty is a rail thin super model with the body of a goddess posted on billboards all around the world. Children are brought up playing with Barbie dolls with the body measurements of would be 39, 18, 38. Because of these pictures and other figures of beauties projected all over, a person is convinced to believe that to be beautiful and happy, one must look like these images. To most, the easiest way to achieve this is my having cosmetic surgery performed.

Plastic/cosmetic surgery for "beautification" is a result of our materialistic and image reinforced society to what society chooses to be "beautiful" Even smiles are beginning to look as though they have come off of production lines. Teeth are bleached and perfectly even. cosmetic standards are rising to a level that exceeds good sense. As a result, it lowers our self-esteem, since we are trying to "become" what is accepted as beautiful.

We should be happy with just the way we are, not needing plastic surgery to feel "better "and accepted...

Sometimes Low-income people that are attracted to the visions of beauty on the magazines are caught in the lure of these "fake" surgeons. These doctors promise perfect results at half the price of experienced surgeons. Some of these doctors may even produce fake credentials, such as fake PhDs, for customers to view. Customers see these and without doing any research on the doctor, pay the money for the surgery to be performed. With the increase of untrained surgeons performing these procedures, the risk of death and many improper results also increases greatly.
People considering plastic surgery should be informed of all the risks. They should not be concerned with trying to live up to society's standards and by the price of the operations. They should most be concerned with the real price, their lives!.

-SAINA KOHLI

CLASS - 9TH B

ELECTION TIME...

2010-04-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

Britain at Electoral Crossroads

BY -SEHAJ GHUMAN

One of the world's oldest democracy and highly esteemed nation is ready for a variation. 10 Downing Street is ready for a newfound owner.
With the vital date of 6th May 2010 just around the corner,the British are ready to make a choice. Gordon Brown,David Cameron and Nick Clegg are gearing to take power over the House of Commons.
The Labour Party this time led by Gordon Brown is aiming to secure a fourth consecutive term in office,but the latter will face a nasty competition from the Conservative Party,who hope to regain the same dominant position in UK politics as in the 1990's with David Cameron as their front runner. Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats hopes to make inroads into the mandates of both the sides.
The leading Labour Party believes that a lot can be achieved by the strength of common endeavour.They claim themselves as a "Democratic Socialist Party" and promote living together in the spirit of solidarity,tolerance and respect. On the other hand,the Conservative Party is offering rebuttal by promoting a VOTE FOR CHANGE. They are bullish on getting the sluggish British economy moving and hope to raise standards in the schools. The Liberal Democrats promise to build a FAIRER BRITAIN. They are the only party promising to deliver positive changes in the environment.
Britain is gearing up for a three-legged race instead of a two-pole playoff.
A tough competition awaits the trio, even as the whole World waits with

2010-04-29T04:55:00.000-07:00

CELL PHONES MORE INPORTANT THAN MAN’S BEST FRIEND . . . .???

SEHAJ GHUMAN

Albert Einstein quotes “it has been appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.”
It has transcended enough to give man’s best friend the back bench. People are splurging money in thousands to buy the new cell phone in town, whereas there is no psychiatrist in the world like a dog licking your face.
Money will buy you a cell phone that might entertain you for a while but will take a toll on your health, it may make you feel satisfied with your success but if you really want to feel rich then just count the things that money can’t buy. So no matter how little money you own or lack the new technologies, having a dog will make you rich. So let us pay attention to the things that matter in life than the things that would make us popular in high – school !!!!

EARTH DAY

2010-04-29T04:50:00.000-07:00

SAVE OR GRAVE
BY-SEHAJ GHUMAN

The Earth is degrading at a tremendous speed, Mother Earth is threatening her own children. Carmelites cannot sit back and let this happen.
Carmel Convent School,Chandigarh is making a great effort to put the green foot forward. 22nd April, marked as World Earth Day was celebrated by the latter as an effort to save Mother Earth.
The Primary school students carried out a procession to create awareness among the Chandigarhites. Tiny-tot, Arni was promoting water conservation saying, "A bottle of water that we throw,could help a plant grow."
One of the teachers, accompanying the students in the rally, Ms.Chandarvati stated,"This day is very important and is a vital one for each human being. I am educating the students about the do's and dont's for preserving nature."
Interactive sessions and competitions were held throughout the day, students eagerly made posters,slogans and masks. Saplings were planted on the campus ground.
Ananya, a class X student said, "We are destroying our own home, it is the duty of each responsible citizen to contribute in preserving it." Offering solutions, a teacher Ms.Esha said, "If we want to benefit the Earth, we can grow more trees, save water, cover small distances by foot instead of travelling in vehicles."
Acting fast will be our last hope of avoiding disaster. Sr.Maria Christie, Principal of Carmel Convent School commented, "We should treat each day as Earth Day, our efforts to save Mother Earth should be on a regular basis." So SAVE the Earth or GRAVE the Earth, the choice is ours....

Books our Best Friends

2010-04-26T08:27:00.000-07:00

By: Prerna Sharma

“Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a standstill.”

Celebrated on 23^rd of April, World Book Day seeks to promote reading amongst the youngsters and to gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those who have furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity. 23^rd April is also considered as a symbolic date in world literature as on this date in the year of 1616 died Shakespeare- whose writing contained more actual wisdom than the whole body of English learning. This coincidently happens to be his birth anniversary as well.

To commemorate this event the British Library, Sector-9 Chandigarh organized several competitions which took place on the 22^nd and 23^rd of April. The competitions organized were Dress as your favourite book character, Book mark designing, draw your favourite Shakespeare character and a debate competition.

The Carmel girls this time also shone brightly. They bagged 4 prizes in all the competitions. Maria Joseph stood 1^st in the Fancy Dress Competition, Prerna Sharma of class 9 came 2^nd in draw you’re your favourite Shakespeare character and Jaisha Garg and Meghna Bhasin stood 3^rd in the book mark designing and debate competition respectively.

The chief guest Mrs. Sumita Mishra honoured the prize distribution ceremony with her noble ideas. She said that books are works of art and science and vehicles for ideas. They magnificently materialize creative diversity, generate universal knowledge and contribute inter cultural dialogue.

“Books improve our knowledge about others and of their philosophies and therefore enhance our understanding of the world. They also provide development opportunities for all ages and in particular for young people.” said a parent present at the event.

On 23^rd April 2010 let us celebrate every aspect of books across the world and recognize them as instruments of peace.

Every Day should be the Earth Day

2010-04-26T02:22:00.000-07:00

By: Prerna Sharma and Inayat Sood

Earth Day is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the earth’s environment. Celebrated on 22nd April it is a day devoted to show our gratitude towards earth. This day aims at growing eco-activism among the people and specially the children.

The students of junior wing of Carmel Convent School, Chandigarh celebrated this event by planting a new tree “CHAKRASIYA” in the Pharmaceutical Garden in the school campus. Students of classes 1 and 2 actively took part in the poster making and slogan writing competition. These tiny tots could be seen jumping actively showing around their posters some of which read “Plant a tree, Save the Earth” and “Preserve Nature and Save the Planet”. The senior students were also not behind in the race for protecting our Mother Earth. The students of classes 6 – 9 took part in Mask Making, Slogan Writing and Poster Making competitions. On one hand the posters of senior students displayed intense messages like that of “Global Warming is Global Warning” and on the other hand the students of class 6 are now too conscious to pluck a flower.

“The earth’s climate is significantly changing at a faster than normal rate. One thing remains clear that mankind’s actions are behind these changes. We’re not environmentalists but can contribute by saving electricity”, said Prerna Sharma and Inayat Sood of class 9. For 200 years we’ve been conquering nature and now are beating it to death. It is good that the younger generation is coming up and putting a lot of effort to preserve earth. This was what Sr. Maria Christi, the principal of Carmel Convent School said “I’m happy to see the students creating awareness on this topic. And it is not only today that we should save the earth, but it should be done regularly by saving electricity and using the water judiciously”.

So our message on this earth day for all is “DON’T BLOW IT – GOOD PLANETS ARE HARD TO FIND” remember always we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children

2010-04-23T06:44:00.000-07:00

BY-SEHAJ GHUMAN AND SAINA KOHLI

OUR INVITE....
WALK FOR THE HERITAGE..!!

An initiative taken earnestly by Carmel Convent School.
Save our heritage because it's not the honor that you take with you but the heritage you leave behind.

Carmel Convent School will come forth in the Chandigarh heritage walk which will commence tomorrow, 18th April at 6:30 am at the cultural venue- the open hand monument. The volunteer conservers of the heritage will walk 2km to the rock garden in a fascinating procession which would be outlined by a rally organized by Carmel Convent School.

The Carmelites will entertain the audiences with a dance and music concert followed by a refreshing welcome speech. To engage the audiences, a group of activities will be organized by the latter, which would analyze the knowledge of the attendants and will update them on the new facts with attractive posters, banners and pamphlets. The prize winners will be rewarded by souvenirs.

A cleanliness drive will be coordinated by Carmel Convent School which would contribute to the idea of a better hygiene for the tricity.

Only with the good intentions of the school administration - the heritage can be preserved .So, let's stop encroachment and PROTECT OUR HERITAGE !!

So, we invite you to transmit a reporter and a photographer to cover the event.

Thank you.

2010-04-20T04:45:00.000-07:00

THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY!!!!!

Environment has degenerated to such an extent that now there's so much pollution in the air that if it weren't for our lungs there'd be no place to put it all.

Carmel Convent School , Chandigarh is not behind in the race for protecting Mother Earth. The continuous efforts made by our school are blooming as our school has one of the most eco-friendly campuses in the tricity. The latter has been organizing abundant activities like models on endangered species, environment quizzes, CD waste management and making hand-made paper bags to ban plastics.
Several saplings were planted in the Pharmaceutical gardens of our campus on the occasion of Vanamohatsava. PowerPoint presentations were used to deliver the message of conserving our environment.
It’s cool to be an Eco-School so – GREEN, that’s how Carmelites would like the world to be!

by - ankita srivastava ; saina kohli ; sehaj ghuman

What is Saathi?

2010-04-03T03:02:00.001-07:00

- By Sachi Singhal

Saathi, is a friend in need for those who have none, a ray of hope for those who have lived in darkness forever, and the corner of that innocent smile on those faces who had long forgotten what is it to smile again.
Inaugurated on 17th December, 2009 by the Governor Gen S.F. Rodriguez and Home Sec. Mr. Ram Niwas, this Non- Governmental Organization (NGO) is an Alternative Innovative Centre (AIC) where more than 300 underprivileged kids are taken care of. We look after their every need; see they are not deprived of any facility the administration has bestowed upon them and teach them the fundamentals of everything, from the origin of Santa Claus to how to maintain personal hygiene.
Our main aim is to make them worthy of main stream schooling (In simple words, they are coached in the evening; mainstream is the type of schooling we have been through or are doing). Every helping hand is welcome, every sincerely interested person invited. Come, join us! 

Decisions and Deliberation - Saathi's First Meeting

2010-03-17T06:32:00.001-07:00

- Meghna Bhasin

On the 17th of March, Saathi, the NGO formed by the students of Carmel Convent School, held their first official meeting.

The meeting commenced with the singing of the National Anthem, after which the members of Saathi sat down to begin their elaborate planning and decide on the agendas for the upcoming months.

The structure of Saathi was decided as follows – The NGO is divided into five committees, namely, the Community Service Committee, the Cultural Committee, the Sports Committee, the Social Committee and the Extra – Curricular Committee. Each Committee is headed by a Committee Leader, who is changed every two months.

The team decided that their goal would be to execute at least five to six projects in the period of two months. The projects, depending on their type, would fall into the section of the different committees.

Together, the members of Saathi discussed their ideas, displaying great insight and creativity and finally, a list of agendas were created. A few events that we are sure to see in the future include a Sports Day, organized in the Government Model High School, Sector 52, a Rock Concert, organized in the Rock Garden, as well as other educational activities like sermons on the importance of road safety and first aid, well as competitions and quizzes.

Another cool thing which will soon be seen is the Saathi NGO t-shirt, which will be available to all volunteers, as well as anyone who wants to support the Saathi cause.

All the members of Saathi seem fired up and enthusiastic as can be. This will also help them in another major project – profiling. Every single student of The Sector 52 Government Model High School will be closely interacted with, and his/her records will be kept in order to ensure the all round development of every child and to make sure that he/she is happy. The aim of Saathi is to grow close to the students of the school.

The meeting ended with the rendition of the National Anthem, and the promise of great things to come.

It looks like we will see many interesting developments in Saathi’s agenda scheme. Don’t forget, Saathi is always open to more volunteers. Lend a helping hand and save a child!

The Event of the Year - Sports Day

2010-02-18T06:42:00.000-08:00

-By Meghna Bhasin

On the 14th of February, when most people were celebrating Valentines’ Day, the students of Carmel Convent School, Sector 9B, Chandigarh, had a different game plan; and using the word ‘game’ is extremely apt, for they were celebrating their Sports Day in which Classes first to the eleventh took part with great vigor and enthusiasm, performing in front of parents and the Chief Guest, Mr.
The function started off with a bang, as the school band magnificently welcomed the chief guest, followed by a march past conducted by the students of Class 9, displaying the values of pride, and discipline.
This performance was only the beginning of many other enthralling ones. Each class showcased a fantastic performance, each unique in their own way whether it was the graceful ‘Peace prevails’ dance by Class 6, involving many yoga postures, or, ‘Emotional Ecstasy’ by Class 8 , whose skillful dance moves, choreographed by Enayat, a student of Class 8 herself, set everyone’s feet tapping.
Even the tiny tots got an opportunity to showcase their hard work. Twirling and swirling with ribbons, hula hoops and umbrellas in their hands, in performances like The Colours of Life and Seasonal Sonata, they seemed to be having even more fun than the enraptured parents watching!
Various races were held, and the children of each class took part with fierce determination. Some of the competitions included the wheel and barrow race, shuttle race, hockey race and bucket race for the older students, while the younger ones took part in just as delightful races, like, rolling the log to the fair, off to grandma’s house and Cinderella’s walk.
The Chief Guest presented special awards to students who had achieved special merits in athletic excellence and also enlightened them through his insightful words of wit and wisdom.
The display of the band at the end was an absolutely spectacular. Dressed in their uniforms of green and white, bearing their shining instruments of percussion, the Carmel Convent school band mesmerized their spectators. They flaunted their routine with a perfection that left a rapt expression on everybody’s faces. The combined effect of drums, with trumpets and other brass instruments was a sight to behold.
Carmel Convent’s Sports Day was an occasion that will be remembered. The students, who put in a lot of hard work and practice, also were in extremely high spirits because of their success.
The participants as well as their parents went home exultant. What better way to spend a day than that?

Saathi : Spreading awareness among masses

2010-01-21T01:54:00.001-08:00

- By Sachi Singhal

Learning personal hygiene is one of the most essential aspects of childhood lessons, which, unfortunately, were not provided to the kids under our care, until recently, when Saathi took the initiative to educate these children about this mandatory and inevitable in every day life and lifestyle.
On 20th January,20 Saathi volunteers along with Punita ma’am and Harpreet ma’am, armed with a projector and laptop marched into the building of Government Middle School, Sector 52.
As the projector was set up in one classroom, the other volunteers, organized in groups of three, went into different classrooms to introduce these kids to a subject alien to them but absolutely necessary at the same time. This introduction was followed by a half an hour lecture cum presentation on personal hygiene. Basic everyday things like washing hands before and after meals, combing and brushing teeth everyday, healthy food and lifestyle, punctuality and cleanliness were covered. The eager kids were hooked to the animated cartoons and the attractive presentation, and listened and responded eagerly to the questions stated at them. Even their teachers appreciated our efforts, says Mrs. Diljeet, a teacher in one of these classes, “Your presentation was simple yet efficient, and was a good way of teaching these young children the basic facts and ways of healthy living,”
Sachi, the project leader for this event, also quotes,” This experience was a unique one, educating both the teacher and the students. Even though we were the teaching group, we also gained a lot in return, right from creating awareness among masses to the content and thoughtful looks on each of the children’s faces. I shall never forget this exhilarating experience in my life.” Meetali further adds,”Facing so many expectant faces was a hard task, but as the atmosphere became warm and comfortable, it felt great to be with the amiable and friendly kids, and teaching them was an unforgettable experience.”
Adrija, another volunteer, further chirps in, “This interactive session created awareness among these not so fortunate children, and taught us the art of patience, understanding and spreading education among as many as possible, and we are evergrateful to Saathi for providing us such an amazing platform.”
Punita ma’am, our head supervisor, quotes,” I am really pleased with the way Saathi has shaped up. Teaching these children was a hand on job, and the flying colours with which our volunteers have succeeded in performing these tedious tasks has amazed me a lot. Three cheers for Saathi.”

Saathi – Inauguration to new lives

2009-12-30T03:08:00.000-08:00

- By Sachi Singhal and Meghna Bhasin

It is everyone’s hope to be able to do charity work and some good to the society, but, on the 17th of December, 2009, this hope was turned into reality.
Under Carmel Convent’s initiative, an NGO, or as we proudly say ‘our’ NGO, namely Saathi was inaugurated in Government Model High School – 52 on the 17th of December, 2009 by his Excellency Gov. Gen. S.F. Rodriguez and Home Secretary Mr. Ram Niwas.
The average man is on the whole content and also blissfully ignorant of the strife of those who are not as fortunate as himself. However, it is the society’s responsibility, our responsibility to uplift them.
This is where Saathi comes into action. This NGO is special because it is by the students, for other students and completely comprises of students. We aim to send these 300 students under our care into mainstream schooling, where they can have an equal opportunity to display their talents and complete their education at a level which fully matches that of the more privileged.
The first task that came into our hands was collecting a stunning amount of Rs. 45,000 which would be utilized to buy the required sweaters for the students under our care. Within two days, we crossed our benchmark with the help of all our generous contributors.
Also, organizing a whole inaugurating function was no piece of cake, but under Punita Ma’am’s guidance, we, as First Lady Jean Rodriguez kindly quoted, pulled off the show spectacularly. Both the Governor and the Home Secretary provided us with food for thought through their insightful and encouraging speeches.
Cheenat, a member of Saathi shares his experience with us, saying, “Looking at the delighted smiles of all the kids was a reward in itself!”
Saathi is now an integrated part of our lives. This is not a pass time, it is a mission, a responsibility and this is just the start.

PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE PROGRAMME

2009-12-12T02:28:00.000-08:00

By – Sachi Singhal
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Society, Chandigarh, with the hardcore determination and philanthropic efforts of Gen. Dr. Rodriguez (Governor of Punjab), and Mr. Ram Niwas (Home Secretary, Chandigarh), hence by gave way to their brain child, the partnership initiative programme, providing education to 9000 under deprived children across the city.
On the formal meet of all the involved NGOs of the respective AIE centres (Alternative Innovative Education centres) this Tuesday, Mr. Ram Niwas and Gen. Dr. Rodriguez interacted with them, proceeding over the various concerned issues, the needs and demands, the progress, etc. A very dedicated and jolly natured man, Mr. Niwas told us about how they cover regular medical check ups, adequate clothing for all, actually tasty mid day meals, among many other things for these children, fitting them in their network of more than 200 concerned NGOs.
In his speech, he also stated that,” The first time he saw these kids, one of them had dirt smeared on his face, some hadn’t bathed for a week, and many hadn’t seen the face of a meal in ages.” But as we looked at the students studying sincerely, wishing us a very pleasant good afternoon, and looking like well behaved, normal school children, we were left wondering if that is actually possible… But yes, where there is a will there is a way, and both our respected governor and home secretary are living examples of this saying.
In his speech, Gen. Dr. Rodriguez, showing us the real side of our City Beautiful, related that, “No amount of rituals will make you a divine or a holy person, only doing good deeds will do so. And this society can be made better by just giving an hour or so of your week in serving the needy, donating all you don’t need but is in a good condition, and helping us in smooth and efficient functioning of these activities. And all those who have problems, bring them to us, and we’ll find solutions for them. Its our responsibility to give back the society more than what we have taken from it, and that’s what will make us a better human being.”
After these immensely passionate but at the same time completely truthful speeches, we moved towards departing, when we met an ailing lady who had come from all the way to Jammu to make the completion of her daughter’s education possible, whose situation greatly moved us, and we have made arrangements for providing her daughter with proper education as well as secure lodgings. With tears full of gratitude, she was very thankful and went back home with a happy heart and a content mind.
This experience actually touched our hearts and left us wondering about all the other ailing people in the society, and how we could be of help to them.
This function made us aware, about the ugly and ignorant side of the City Beautiful, about the determination of our leaders to make it better and how we are to become a part of this beautiful organization.:)

HOLINESS IS FROM WITHIN

2009-12-10T02:04:00.000-08:00

By - Sachi Singhal
Bells ringing, bhajans blasting from enormous speakers, ladies singing all night, ending with a lavish 5 course meal for 200 odd people, who are there just to have free food….No this is not a festival scenario, but a scene straight out of the jagraata organized by Mrs. A, who has kept this to “please” God, by singing out His praises all night, and giving modest donations to the main singers, namely “Rama company and Co. – we make a jagraata unforgettable.”
Don’t we see such scenarios every other day, where fat wealthy ladies like to splash money in order to “please” god all the offerings and those off-tune bhajans ... making herself a public nuisance, as their neighbor’s daughter has an entrance exam tomorrow, and cannot study, and no car can pass that street, because it has been thoroughly encroached upon my the tent company – we provide tents for all jagraatas…
And there you are left wondering… Isn’t spirituality supposed to come from within…??
What happened to those people who used to meditate and pray sincerely every night, thanking Him for each day as it comes by. Have they been replaced by these show offs, who believe singing on blaring loudspeakers is holy, where as helping a poor child get food is just so “low class”…???
Holiness is a feeling, a divine pure feeling of serenity and security , which cannot be achieved through these bhajans and jagraatas, but instead come from WITHIN…
Being kind to the needy, helping those in distress, putting those going off track right back on the track, these philanthropic deeds will actually give rise to those positive serene feelings, not littering the land after hefty jagraata and bragging about just how holy and pure hearted creature you are, while running your car over a stray dog.
Be good, be honest, live your life well, and just enjoy each and every moment innocently…God could never be more pleased with you

ECHO From the ECOSOC

2009-12-06T01:49:00.000-08:00

By Mannat Sibal

On 8th November 2009, 26 Carmelites and 23 Johnians assembled and actively participated in the first simulation of the JTP MUN’09 at the St. Johns High School, Chandigarh.
The programme kicked off with lobbing where everyone according to their committee formed blocs and alleys after which the committee started. The ECOSOC Executive Board comprised of Abhivyakti Saxena The Chair followed by Deeksha Bhardwaj the Scenario Director while Karan Singh directed the committee and Aseem Goel was the Rapporteur.
The delegates enjoyed a great esteem of knowledge as well as fun. MUN taught us to be self-confident and it brought out the best that was lying within. The delegates have got so deep with MUN that now our countries have become our identities. The delegate of Pakistan (Vardaan Arora) stated his opinion, “JTP was like living a dream, even though it went a little rough in the middle but it is still something great!”. The committee did have it s ups n downs but it ended up with a light and an informal session. I the delegate of Australia cherish each and every moment spent in the MUN and I love to recall all the Point on the Floor, The Resolutions the Unmoderated Caucuses, Personal Privileges etc.
MUN is about fun, friendship, jumping on the benches to be heard….. But not only is this it something to learn from…….. It is something MESMERIZING, KNOWLEDGEABLE and SERENE..:)
LOVE MUN FOREVER!!!

JTP MUN : An Unforgettable Experience

2009-12-02T23:23:00.000-08:00

JTP MUN: Carmel’s initiative for training the future MUN stars
By – Sachi Singhal
Carmel and St. Johns came together for a simulation of the Model United Nations, with 26 Carmelites and 23 johnians becoming the delegates of 24 countries, debating as well as having fun at the same time.
Model United Nations is a debate on the academic front where students represent countries and discuss various matters of global concern. The agenda for our first simulation was Kyoto Protocol in the General Assembly and Mitigation of the impact of financial Crisis on trade and development in The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
The Board comprised of Pearl, Rajat, Divir, and Aditya in the General Assembly while Abhivyakti, Deeksha, Karan and Aseem chaired the ECOSOC.
Sunday, 8th November… There was constant mingling, lobbying around and formation of the two blocs, namely, Anti USA and Pro USA. The committee begun with a roll call taken by our rapporteur Divir, where each “delegate” had to answer Present, or Present and voting for their respective country, after which the real cut throat debate commenced. There we sat, young delegates buzzing with fresh energy and flowing information, itching to put forward our country’s stand. At first we were kind of docile, but as we tuned in, numberless point of orders, point of inquiries, point of information were on the floor, and their was our session
With the help of chits, which were passed through messengers (namely Akshay, Ashish and Arpan)the blocs came on mutual decisions for the main aim of each committee, i.e., landing on solutions acceptable to all countries. After discussing countries’ stands on Kyoto Protocol, various moderated and unmod caucuses were passed, in which we discussed various matters in further details. Finally, the committee was adjourned for lunch, and the blocs got together to discuss solutions. In the unmoderated caucus that followed, working papers made and ready to be voted upon (we didn’t make draft resolutions this time), Sarthak (El Salvador) and Harjasleen (Iraq) on one team and Anekant (UK), Meghna (USA), Srajit (Korea) and myself (Burkina Faso) on the other, and after discussions and amendments, voting begun.
The second resolution, namely our resolution, passed by 80% votes.
And with this our committee was adjourned and we walked out of the classroom with a strange kind of happiness accompanied with a sense of accomplishment, that yes, we are officially MUNers. Collecting outside the classrooms with our friends and other fellow students, we discussed about our whole unforgettable day, and with Arpan’s rocking drumming, our unexplainably interesting, enjoyable and too great to be true day came to an end. In a tête-à-tête with some of the delegates-
Ashwan Thakur, the delegate of Kuwait (GA) shares his experience,” JTP MUN was like a dream come true. Even though I felt lost in the start, I soon caught up and as I look back to that day, I feel a sense of nostalgia when I think about how we were so awed by this eye opening experience. The JTP MUN was a completely unforgettable experience.”
Meghna Bhasin, the delegate of US, further chirps in, “Quite some time has passed since out MUN was held at St. Johns. But, I still can’t shake off the habits of the Delegate of the United States. The JTP MUN was our first experience, and it was really one hell of an experience! Our Executive Board was absolutely wonderful and we kept surprising our laugh get at the witty jokes of our Chair, Rajat Jain’s witty humor. There was a bit of friction between the two blocs – Anti USA, and pro USA, and when it finally came to making our resolution papers, it was the former’s paper which was passed. Time flew before we even realized and when we departed, I felt like a more aware person; as is my vision, which had been so limited, had been broadened! All those sleepless nights spent in research had been worth it, and now I know that I definitely want to get a chance to take part in an MUN again. The fire has been lit!!”
Kanika Sehgal, the delegate of China, with a nostalgic grin, comments,”I did something I was itching to do since forever. Now that our first simulation is over, I look back and feel a rush of adrenaline pass through, along with all the good unforgettable memories which I will cherish forever. It wasn’t just all fun, but also a lot of hard work, and I gained a lot of confidence and awareness out of the simulation. Proud to be an MUNer.”

Okay so now let me make reading this post a little more clear to you –
Bloc – A group of countries, having similar needs or thoughts (just like friend circles)
Working Paper – It contains all the solutions blocs offer
Draft resolution – A more organized working paper on which voting is done
Lobbying – Making friends with ally countries
Points – Just like questions, but in a more organized manner, different points for different uses, like point of inquiry is to ask about the procedure, etc

Idea Exchange: An encounter with an Unlikely Hero 18th November 2009

2009-12-01T23:07:00.000-08:00

by Sachi Singhal
Indian Express: Idea Exchange Programme
People from various sections of the Indian Express media team came together to interview Mr. Om Puri, one of the best and most talented gems of the Indian Cinema. A self made personality, he has given 32 years of his life to various arty as well as publicly entertaining films like Ardh Satya, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron and more recently Singh is King.
Standing perplexed between the constant milling and hustle bustle of the Indian Express team, while we all waited with bated breaths, there entered a man with a casual walk and a pleasant smile on his face, and his deep majestic voice intimidated us all. A man of jolly spirits, Mr. Puri was extremely open about his life, both personal as well as social. A self made personality, Mr. Puri also enlightened us about his childhood struggle, about how he used to pick up leftover coal bits thrown out of the engine, which he used as fuel at his home, and many other incidents which left us glassy eyed, wondering how actually did he reach his present super stardom.
With an applaudable sense of humor, he also related an incident of his comic encounter with Shabana Azmi when she exclaimed, after seeing this then struggling actor with a shaggy mane, “How dare you come to Bombay with a face like this!”
A firm believer of training and practice, Mr. Puri also related various incidents from his National School of Drama days. His good natured personality and his deep, almost extraordinarily masculine voice gripped our souls and left us gaping for breath.
His advice to all the journalists, both established as well as upcoming ones is that they are an integral part of the society, and are much needed in great numbers, provided they are considerate and sensitive about their fellow personnel and have a display a good deal of honesty. Cheers to all the journalists! And kudos to this Unlikely Hero! :)

Dr.Mahbub-Ul-Haq interschool debate'09

2009-10-08T00:02:00.000-07:00

-By Ekakshra Mahajan & Riddhimma Shrivastava

In order to honour Dr.Mahbub-Ul-Haq the pioneer of human development programmes, the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and the UNDP organized an Inter school debate every year. This debate has three rounds namely, The Regional Round, the National Round and the SAARC round. The 12th regional round of this debate was held on 6th October 2009 in Carmel Convent School Auditorium, Sector 9, Chandigarh. Topic provided by UNDP as per the Human Development Report this year: "Act Now to Reduce Global Warming- Poor Women have a higher stake?".Over 18 prestigious schools from the region participated.The excitement and anxiety were palpable in the auditorium as each participant took the stage.All the participants were applauded by the judges for their excellent performance The topic “Act now for global warming- poorer women at higher stake” undoubtedly went through a series of parley, discussion and debate. Most prestigious schools from the tricity took part in the debate which included Manav Mangal, DAV15, Sacred heart, Guru Nanak public school, Vivek high school, Mount Carmel, Bhavan Vidhyala, St. kabir, KBDAV, St.johns, St Stephens and Carmel convent were amongst the participants. Arshdeep of Manav Mangal started the discussion with third world countries mentioning how the poor women are extremely affected by Global Warning as they don’t have access to clean drinking water and they have to travel miles everyday. Mount Carmel quoted that we have to be a part of the revolution of resolving global warming and be the change. Sanya ojha of Vivek high school highlighted the irony of the situation where people wearing Armani suits and traveling in chauffeur driven cars complain about global warming but are least affected by global warming. Supporting the motion, she felt that poor women have no means to adapt to this unruly climatic change. Shayar Majumdar of the same school, who spoke like a veteran however felt that global warming and climate change are skateboards which keep on sliding to extreme positions. Aditya Chawla of St. Johns high school felt that the women and their families are barely able to scrape together a meager income to somehow cover expenses. Garima Yadav of Carmel Convent pointed out that women are 14% more likely to die of a disaster as compared to men. ‘It’s time to stop thinking and start acting.’ says Garima.Divir Gupta seemed quite oppressive of President Obama’s quote, ‘No nation however large or small can escape the impact of climate change.’ Chitwan singh of Bhavan Vidyalaya felt that Women must be the heart of relief efforts and rebuilding of shattered communities.
Mrs. Manjeet accompanying Shishu niketan felt that even though the competition level was very high the participants had crammed up their speeches and the "emotional touch was missing". The winners were Dav15' school's Akshay shrredhar who bagged the award for the Best Speaker For the motion category and Dav 15 also won the runners up trophy.
Gurpreet Sodhi of St. Kabir bagged the award for the Best speaker in the against motion category.Sacred Heart school bagged the overall trophy. The participants were elated.
Akshay shreedhar said,"I am very happy that my efforts have paid off." Nonica Singh, Donna Suri and Rene Singh were the judges.Nonica Singh said that content mattered the most and felt that all worked very hard all were good speakers.Ms Donna suri said that this was a great platform for students to work diligently and succeed in life.

I WANT TO GO BACK IN TIME!!! Mannat Sibal

2009-08-29T07:38:00.000-07:00

I want to go back in time....

When 'getting high' meant,
enjoying the heights of the swing.
When drinking meant
just apple juice.
When dad was the only hero known.
When love felt in moms hug and
the worst enemies were only
our siblings!
When dads shoulder was
the highest place on Earth.
When hurt were only knees and
broken were only toys.
I want to go back in time
when goodbyes meant only till tomorrow.

Unfortunately.....
WE HAVE CHANGED
ANS SO HAS
EVERYTHING ELSE!!!

FRIENDSHIP IS THE BEST THING IN LIFE!! Mannat Sibal

2009-08-24T09:42:00.000-07:00

Friendship is when friends push when you need it, but never too hard and they stand back when the time is right but never too far.But the true test of friendship is if you're willing to do it all back in a heartbeat. It's when your life is so much better because you know them and they bring out the best that lies within.
Friendship plays an important role in our lives No way do friends have to be exactly the same, I mean come on friends do have similarities but they also have their differences. The key to opening up the world of friendship is not just to focus on the similarities but to accept each others faults because true friends do not judge each other. Friends love unconditionally. Friends do have their little angry moments from time to time but at the end of the day all is forgiven and forgotten. Why let something that happened in the past ruin what great friendship you could have together in the future??? A true friendship has many memories, both good and bad, but all are important. When they look into our eyes they exactly get to noe that something is wrong and is bothering you and all they have to do is offer a hug and they make you feel a thousand times better. Friends can stay up all night on the phone talking for hours just because you cannot sleep and they would do anything to get that thing off your mind!!When you know that they'd never lie to you and would never hurt you and if they did you know that it would only be for your benefit. Sometimes you wonder how she knew, but then you realize that's just how close you are. They can make you laugh when skies are the darkest and they're there with a good movie and some popcorn when your totally depressed!.Have you ever noticed that when a friend is happy you find yourself happy too, even when it has nothing to do with you???To a friend I've found that nothing ever sounds stupid, funny or unbelievable and you never feel hesitant saying whatever it is and when you turn your back around you always see them standing there waiting for you to return. Don't ever loose faith in your friends, love them instead.To a friend I have found that there are many good friends around, but true best friends are hard to find easyto keep but if gone never to be seen....

The Zeal of Independence at Carmel Convent Mannat Sibal

2009-08-24T09:35:00.001-07:00

Patriotism is in the air and with the same spirit Carmel Convent celebrates the 62nd Independence Day.
The festivities were marked with the flag hoisting ceremony by the chief guest, Father Stephan Fernandis. A parade was performed by the students of class 9 accompanied by the newly formed Carmel Band which was breath taking. Their synchronization was so astounding that it left the viewers with a deep sense of belonging towards our Nation. The students of class 8th later presented a tableau high lighting the mile stones on the road of independence of India in the fields of Agriculture, Technology and Sports. The show came to an end with a tribute to our “Kargil Heroes”and the “Mumbai Terror Attack Victims” Seeing such enthusiasm in the students Father Stephan Fernandis remarked, “Everyone has a right of freedom and today I could see it in the play which the students portrayed. The way they had shown how India developed or rather changed during these 62 years was just mesmerizing!”.
“The play was excellent and the presentation was absolutely fabulous!”, said a few sisters and teachers.
Every student now swells and says with pride, “I AM PROUD TO BE AN INDIAN.. JAI HIND!”

But I Say It Is My Dad! Mannat Sibal

2009-08-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

Everybody says,
that if ever in our days,
we see footsteps walking,
beside our ways,
everybody says He is The One
the Almighty the creator of the Sun.
but to me today
i want to say it is my dad walking throughout
the way.
As to keep his word
I'll do anything in this world.
All he ever wants is,
love and respect.
nothing else in any other aspect.
People say that we may lead
our life,
our way but then again
I would like to say its my dad who
will guide me my way!

An awaited Encounter with Mr.Vipin Pubby By Mannat Sibal

2009-08-24T09:25:00.001-07:00

After a long wait we got a golden opportunity to meet Mr. Vipin Pubby the Chief editor of THE INDIAN EXPRESS.
It was the end of the Golden Jubilee Year when we the reporters met Mr. Pubby. We grabbed a lot of information from him about the working of the press. I eagerly asked him, “How do you get so much information in so less time?? And how do you form the report before the time granted to you? As you could be having 4 situations at one time!!” to his reply he said, “The reporters have to be very agile and have to manage their time accordingly as mentioned above their might be 4 situations in the line but we have quite a few reporters who tackle the situation. Even if there are only one or one , they have to manage their time and complete their report and send it for printing”.

As all of us had different questions one of the reporters asked him, “What if you face a problem that there is something more important which has come up and that news has to be put up un tomorrows paper but the papers have already gone for printing?”. Mr. Pubby replied, “ if something of that sort happens we immediately stop the printing and reform the layout again and if we do stop the printing it would be only if the news has to be at the front page or it would be making the headline” i added, “is it so easy to stop the printing and just start all over again?” “Yes it is easy because printing just takes about 1 or 2 hours.” He clarified.

After this very interactive and educational session we all thanked Mr. Vipin Pubby for helping us clear our doubts. In very little time we grabbed so much from him that we respect all the journalists of the country who put themselves in an situation in which we normal people would never want to be.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN "ECHO" REPORTER

2009-08-21T06:12:00.000-07:00

BY EKAKSHRA MAHAJAN

A day in the life of an “ECHO” REPORTER

ECHO literally might mean the repetition of sound for many.

But for all MUNers {model United Nations} it just stands for

The rocking magazine, that updated everyone on what was

Happening in every committee. Our day usually used to start

with a backup team accompanying the conference staff and the

ECHO people to CII or PHD chambers {the place where it was held}

This was one magazine where anyone could be criticized, anything

Could be reported, and any picture could be taken with a

“Not so nice caption”.

In one phrase it was a “rules are meant to be broken”

Kind of a magazine.

Our team, which had to represent the HRC committee,

Comprised of vasundhara and me and Trust me, it used to take us an hour just

to think of a suitable Starting and the rest just followed.

After all, if it began with factual details would we get many readers?

[Take yourself in this situation]

The usual thing that we experienced in those three days

Were the bewildered looks of the delegates whose either chits

had been reported or their malevolent practices.

Take for example the case of the delegate who was

representing New Zealand in our committee. Well she

was so shocked to see her yawning picture in the issue,

with a head turner caption that it seemed that her next

step would be to murder us. {lol;}

However the best thing which we can never forget

were the fake chits that we used to pass on to the delegates.

Like, we sent a chit to the delegate of Pakistan saying

“ I love your ideas. Would you go on a date with me”

Anonymous. {lol;}

And guess what? Instead of replying back and making

Use of such an interesting opportunity he reported it

To the rappoteur. Oh and I forgot to mention we had

Been asked to do all this “ natunki” by the executive board itself.

{Seriously}

God! What an interesting ex. Board we had. The chair’s “pataka”

The rapporteur’s “bebo” everything was just so remarkable.

The chair sent a chit to the delegate of India saying “ yummy

Yummy desi boy” which left a stagnant look on his the

Delegate’s face as he Expected the conference to be a decent one.

Everything was just too good to be true.

The last day was however the one to be cherished where

The ex. Board as well as the delegates danced and showcased

Their capabilities irrespective of who were their allies or friends.

It was thus a lifetime experience, which I would never forget.

But then it is a part of life that “good things come and go” and one can’t

Keep chasing them. So let’s just wait for the next MUN…

Until then this reporter wishes you a happy and gleeful

ASTANA-VISTA.

2009-04-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

KYA JOOTE SE CHALEGA DESH!!!

2009-04-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

BY: DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

'SHOE MANIA': It's raining shoes everywhere!!!

In India, flying footwear is the new hunger strike, overtaking even the trendy Facebook protest as an expression of protest.

Latest in a string of four shoe-hurling incidents during the month-long elections underway across India, is when a 21-year-old computer science student took aim at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a sparsely attended rally in Ahmedabad.

The shoe, of a yet-to-be-disclosed brand, landed 20 feet from the Oxford-educated economist, who appeared not to notice the tumult. Known for his cerebral, if dry, oratory, Singh, 76, continued to hold forth on economic development, reading from a written speech.

Elsewhere in Ahmedabad, someone also lobbed a traditional wooden sandal (Kharaon) at the BJP prime ministerial candidate L K Advani. It was the second time a sandal of conscience has been launched in Advani's direction this election season.

"Joota: The ultimate nonviolent weapon," a front-page headline in the Mumbai Mirror tabloid on Monday. An editorial cartoon in the paper showed shoes being handed back to hurlers on silk pillows with a new wristwatch inside, "to get around the election Commission's code against bribing voters," the caption read.

The shoe-as-missile-of-discontent appears to have been inspired by Muntadar al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who lobbed both his shoes at former President George W. Bush in December. Zaidi became an international hero. But he also drew a year in prison.

In India, New Delhi journalist Jarnail Singh kicked off the "shoe bite," as the gesture is known here, when he threw a shoe at the home minister, P. Chidambaram during a news conference this month in the capital. He said he was frustrated by the minister's reply to a question about riots in 1984 in which hundreds of Sikhs were killed.

"Shoe-throwing is a real expression of the frustration of the people," said Anil Bairwal of National Election Watch, a watchdog group. "But you have to consider that citizens are at a loss for what to do. For too long, they have hoped that the parties would improve themselves, be progressive, put the right people in the seats and work for the betterment of the people. But none of that has happened."

Throwing one's shoe at someone is seen as a powerful insult across South Asia and much of the Middle East. We Indians rarely wear shoes indoors after being out in the often unsanitary streets. Showing the sole of a shoe is also considered an act of disrespect.

So far, no one who has thrown a shoe in India has been jailed. Some pundits here say that is a sign of the health of the world's largest democracy. Others say politically astute leaders realize that arresting the offenders may only make them bigger heroes -- and politicians bigger villains -- in the public's eyes.

The only problem is that actually hitting a politician has proved difficult: Shoes are apparently inefficient projectiles.

Even so, some elected officials are taking precautions. In Gujarat state, Chief Minister Narendra Modi has started putting up volleyball nets around the stage at his rallies to make sure a shoe doesn't hit him.

2009-04-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

10 THINGS ABOUT 10TH

2009-04-27T05:04:00.000-07:00

1O THINGS ABOUT 10TH ..............................................................

BY :PIA BAKSHI

Hello beta! Which class are you in?
Uncle, I will be going to 10th.
Oh my god!That is so sad …..DO you know that when I was in 10th , I studied all the time……….filana filana……..
Ugh……….we have all gone through that conversation with everybody we have met in the past couple of days .Starting with a sympathy and ending with endless advice. We all rush back to our room and turn up thw volume of our favourite radio station to drive away the haunting memories of the night mares we have been having since the last day of 9th when we are the junction of 9th and 10th.It was difficult for all of us to reconcile with the fact that the girls who spent all their time in dancing etcetra were now going to be only on the study table.Music would be replaced by poetic recitations;novels would be replaced by intimidating arithematic books.
The first day of 10th is still remebered by us all. Wafter the cheers of excitement and hugs all the unsurity, fear and anxiety of last night returned bringing with it new apprehensions.Just then the teacher entered and the rest is history…………………………………..
We have completed 1 month in 10th and all our initial fears seemed silly.Our life is not synonymous with just studies , though it is an extremely important segment of the 15th year of our existence.We still danc e; sing; read ;write. The difference is that now we feel responsible at the threshhold of growing up.
10t is perceived by different people in different ways. Cumulation of this diversity has always intrigued me.Divanshi remarked,”It is certainly better than 9th.Simerpreet Kaur could not agree more. Though Sanam chawla thinks that 10th is hyped and no matter what we say the pressure persisits.Ganeev further adds that because of friends 10ht is just the same as the other classes.ON the other hand Chahat says,”10th has made me responsible .Arti Goyal cheerfully added,”Its great!Though there is still pressure we still have fun.Eman, agreeing with aarti, adds,”I love 10th Iit is not half as bad as projected.”.”Gurshhen says,”It is better tha more interesting than 10th.”Deeksha explains ,”children are under constant pressure because the 10th class certificate follows you in evry venture of yours….and this is bound to have negative consequences.
On a positive note eman further remarks,”You cannot achieve something unles you love itso I have started loving mt studies.”
WE still go out and meet uncles and aunties who in unecessary concern inquire ,”How is class 1oth going, beta?” with a sadistic smile. We reciprocate, with a sheepish grin of our own and prudly declare ,”Great!!!!!!!!!!Could’nt get better.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”…………………..

2009-04-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

Reported by: Ekakshra Mahajan

The 22nd of April was widely celebrated as ‘World Earth Day’ especially in educational institutions nationally and globally. The idea was conceived in 1969 by Gaylord Nelson, a U.S Senator from Wisconsin and was accepted as one of the most powerful ideas of the era. It became very popular, drawing 20 million people in the first year (1970) itself. Yet, 39 years since the first Earth day was celebrated, it is disturbing to think that the forests continue to deplete and Global Warming is even more prevalent.

Earth Day was celebrated in Carmel Convent School with joy, hope and zeal. The programme initiated with a prayer praising the creations of almighty God and asking him to protect Mother Earth and bless the students and staff to help succeed in their endevour to conserve the environment. A video, ‘Inconvenient truth’ was played alongside depicting the beauty of the benign Earth, the most priceless gift of Nature and what human beings have made of it to satisfy their greed. As Fredreich Nietzche says,” The Earth has a skin and that skin has diseases, one of its diseases is called man.”

The students were given tips on conserving the environment and the use of plastic bags was discouraged, highlighting the repercussions of using the same. They were advised to use car pools, use CFL lights and follow the policy of ‘Recycle, Reduce and Reuse.’ The children were encouraged to undertake the responsibility of being custodians of this Earth and safeguard the planet thereby doing their bit for the environment. The message that ‘Every day is Earth day’ was conveyed to the audience by Sister Swati, the Vice- Principal of the school.

The trailer of the Walt Disney film, ‘Earth’ was played and children were encouraged to watch it in cinemas as a tree would be planted for every ticket sold.

Students of the secondary classes, inspired, decided to become torchbearers of the environmental campaign and therefore held the Face painting activity to exhibit their conviction with their faces painted to illustrate The Earth, The Greenhouse effect etc.

Followed by the programme was a poster making and slogan writing competition for the primary classes.

As Marshall McLuhan says
“There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all the crew!”

SAVE HER.........SHE NEEDS OUR HELP !

2009-03-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

GIRL CHILD

BY EKAKSHRA MAHAJAN

The tender cry on the soft pillow

silences the heart far below.

Finding it might be difficult

as the heart beats away,

but killing the child forever

is a sin committed today.

Girl child, yes is who I am talking about,

but you don’t care

as you yourself act as a lout

The poor thing can’t say a word,

but hopes to soar high in the sky

like a bird

Alas! you kill it

without a feeling

in your heart’s core.

The Last Day to Cherish

2009-02-20T07:02:00.000-08:00

Reported by: Vasundhara Majithia

On the last day of the academic session 2008-2009, students of classes VI to the IX presented short skits and songs to express their gratitude and love to God for this memorable academic session which allowed them to grow as human beings and imbibe values from their teachers, fellow classmates and the Value Education classes. The program initiated with a prayer followed by the performances of class IX A which portrayed Environmental concern depicting water pollution and noise pollution followed by a song, 'Heal the World.' Class VII A staged a skit on the impacts of terrorism wherein the Khanna family lost their father to the Taj tragedy and was left indebted. Class IX B performed ‘No Full Stops in Life’ which encouraged students to follow their dreams wholeheartedly which was followed by ‘Happiness is an inside thing’ and ‘Friendship- A rare treasure’ which put forward the importance of Friendship and Giving. Class XI-B sang a song about friendship accompanied by the foot- tapping beat of drums followed by Class VIII-B which presented, ‘Power of Words and amazing Love.’ This was then followed by ‘The Judgment Day’ by class VIII A which opened with God meeting everyone and counting their deeds, good and bad. Mr. Simon Smith, G.Dog, Michael Jackson and Satan were greatly appreciated owing to the humorous script. Class VIII B celebrated and cherished this year and recollected whatever they had learnt this year followed by Class VI A, B and C who staged ‘Peace and community Building’, ‘Mismedia and I’ and 'Values I have Learnt this year’ respectively. It truly was a memorable day as every class endeavored to do their best and cherished their last day of togetherness with their Class teacher and fellow students. We all hope that next year will be as bright and meaningful as this one and will once again bring a radiant smile on our faces.

The Pre-Primary Annual Day

2009-02-08T05:14:00.000-08:00

Photo journalist: Ekakshra Mahajan
Reported by: Vasundhara Majithia

As Carmel Convent School ushered into its golden jubilee this year, the tiny tots did not stay behind in conveying their excitement and enthusiasm as they put up a grand show marking 50 glorious years of the eminent school. The show was held in the school auditorium on 8th of February in the evening.The event was graced by Mr. Samwartak Singh, Director, Public Instruction, Schools. The show began with the symbolic lighting of the lamp which was followed by a prayer dance and 'Young King Cole.'The versatility of these budding artists enthralled the audience. The prime focus of the programme was to emphasize on the need of national integrity, honesty and environmental concern as well, through a vibrant and colourful display. 'Goldie Locks and the three bears' received a thundering applause by the audience as parents waited in anticipation to spot their girls in the entire regalia, dressed in swanky clothes supplementing the already bright atmosphere. Revamped versions of 'Little Red Riding Hood' and 'The Honest Woodcutter' were staged which encapsulated the minds of the audience through a realistic presentation. The thrilled young artists focused on the nation's diversity and performed the folk dances of Gujrat, Kashmir and Punjab, posing the popular 'Singh is King' look.

"It was a lovely experience training the kids. They were full of enthusiasm and loved to dance", says Ms. Meenu Palta, the music teacher.

The toddlers, adorned in vibrant costumes performed with great vigour and fervour winning the hearts of all the viewers. The little children expressed their love and reverence towards their school in 'Qawaali Ki Raat'. The Carmel flag was waved at the end the finale and the Chief Guest stated that he was extremely glad to see the little ones, whom he fondly called 'his little stars' progressing in the responsible hands of Sr. Maria Christie. He further added that he was sure that Sister's hard work, commitment and diligence will take the school to even greater heights.

The principal Sr Maria Christie was moved by the innocence that the tiny tots reflected as they danced and sang around on the stage on this memorable day.She said, "I would first of all congratulate and thank all the students and the staff that made this program such a success. She further added, " no matter how arduous life might be or how difficult sustenance in this competitive world might be ,we must never lose the child in us that pines to smile at a walking old lady; that willingly gives her colours to her friend to help her beautify her drawing; that is untouched by malice, corruption and materialistic pleasures."

With a smile adorning their glowing faces and with great pride and happiness, after celebrating with each other the success of the show, the young, talented Carmelites returned home marking the end of their spirited celebrations….

Practices for the 'Joseph and his amazing technicoloured dreamcoat'

2009-01-30T20:29:00.000-08:00

Photo journalist: Jannat Thapar

PEACE WITHIN

2009-01-30T06:08:00.000-08:00

by: Kashish Madan

Peace day-2 minutes silence and then back to the hustle bustle of daily life ,
but have we really thought about peace,looked for peace,experienced peace.
peace is not just a word, it is a feeling,it is transcending all that which
fills our mind.peace is not something that can be bought or experienced just
like that,it is something that has to be attained. At the end of this journey
we call life,we may or may not have attained peace but if once we have experienced
it we have lived a lifetime. Peace is not absence of war or presence of friendship,
it is that strange calm that settles before a storm,it is that feeling of bliss that
permeates through us on reclaiming a lost loved one,it is the smile of an innocent
child,it is the love we see in the eyes of someone we care for. Peace can make war
seem like an obligation to be fulfilled,hatred a chance to make someone experience
love;sadness an opportunity to make someone happy.

Peace at the end of the day, is not something 2 minutes silence can bring,it is that calm within and if even a few people can truly experience peace then we humans will have learnt the meaning of PEACE WITHIN............

send off {class 12}

2009-01-30T05:13:00.000-08:00

29th January
Reported by:Ekakshra Mahajan

Photojournalist:Jannat Thapar

29th January was indeed a day of tears and crumbs as class 12 students were invited for their farewell to cherish and celebrate the 14 glorious years they spent in their beloved school CARMEL CONVENT.
Adorned in gorgeous saris, most of them savoring the experience of wearing the Saree for the first time in their life perhaps,but only when they had overcome their fear of making a faux pas.

The program started with a message for the students and a touching candle march followed by a song sung by class 11 which was all about backpacks and stuff. However, the most breathtaking performance was the hip hop dance which rocked the audience off their seats.

After all the clapping and cheering was over, the students of class 12 gave touching speeches thanking each teacher and class fellow for their unconditional love and support.The most memorable speech was, however delivered by Ajab Boparai who confessed at first that she did not want to deliver an impeccable speech and casually thanked each and every teacher and revealed what she liked the most in their class, adopting the most affectionate means to do so.

After this came a round of games initiating with four corners after which the girls who qualified were split into teams and made to play a game in which they had to pass balls of all sizes from ping pongs to footballs, without dropping them, into a bag. Another interesting game that was played was grab the prize in which the girls who fulfilled the desired requisites had to run to the stage and grab their prize. The first one to do so would win the prize. Like for example "girl wearing pink earrings", so all the girls wearing pink earrings had to run to the stage and before the others and snatch the prize. It was quite a sight to see girls in stilettos and pencil heels running at the speed of lightening to grab their prize!gosh!

Next came the BHANGRA {oh..our favourite dance form punjabiyaan di shaan}.The foot tapping music and the enthusiastic vigour of the dancers excited everyone and filled the atmosphere with joy and exuberance.
Aakriti Sharma, a student of class 12 on being asked to describe her experience in one word exclaimed that it was "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" which literally means fantastic.Trishi Grewal on the other hand just had to say one thing"Treasure these years. They are not coming back."
But this year for the class 12 students was not without complaints.They were rather disgruntled that their overnight trip was cancelled and no cabinets were chosen from their batch this year.
At 12;30, the audience was asked to leave and the send off's were given titles and they headed towards a spread of lunch which they hoped would last forever ...............
"letting off is never easy!
but who so ever learns this act
has learnt the secret of life"

FRIENDSHIP IS FOREVER !!!

2009-01-16T02:20:00.000-08:00

BY : DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

As Class IX approaches its end, this I would like to dedicate to all the people who have been more than just friends to me. Those who have supported me when I needed it most, those who've ever cared for me, those who've helped me and those who've loved me beyond recall. This I dedicate to all my friends. Even though next year we'll be together, we'll still be lost in our own personal abyss after that its up to fate if we ever meet again ( I wholly wish fate was in my hands ). This is to all those who have not contacted their friends since a long time. For you destiny has different ends try and make them meet.

WHAT HAD ALWAYS BEEN MINE !!

I stood at altar of time,

To accept what I had done,

To regret what I hadn't done,

But the blood that coursed through my veins,

Would not be bound in chains,

The confusion was shattering,

My sanity battering.

I looked back helpless,

To see what I had become,

Even though a lot of time had passed since then,

The memories were still as bright as the sun.

Today, I stood at the top of the hill,

Looking back at those plush fields,

Remembering the day we'd met,

Those scary woods that we'd tread.

The four of us had been together,

Bridged across life's various weathers,

Helped each other through sorrow and pain,

Any effort we made never went in vain.

But then came that sad day,

We had to go...................our own way,

We cried and wept,

our eyes wet,

But we knew nothing could be done,

We remembered how we had begun,

We hoped that time would heal,

These wounds deep and surreal.

But now again I stand at the Altar of time,

To see what became mine and what couldn't be mine,

We stand across some miles apart,

The spaces that have torn us from each other part by part.

But then again,

Time played its game,

By a touch of fate,

We met....all the same.

The clouds of misery,

Around dissolved,

The blanket of confusion fell,

My problems solved.

It was a reunion,

I had always dreamt of,

But it would come to light,

I had never thought.

Once again,

I now stand at THE ALTAR OF TIME,

To rejoice, not

for what had become mine,

but, for what

HAD ALWAYS BEEN MINE...

MY FRNZ!!

Yeh Hain Mumbai "Humari"Jaan

2009-01-09T03:32:00.000-08:00

Yeh Hain Mumbai “Humari” Jaan……………..
By :PIA BAKSHI
Hello people,
I really don’t know how many people are going to read this letter from my side to the entire Mumbaikar community.
But, this is a tribute to all the residents of the amazing city of Mumbai post the day that left a mark on us all, the day that, without doubt, is one the most unpleasant unfortunate and unforgettable happenings in our country, the day a pall of gloom descended over the whole of India, the day Mumbai was struck by the 26/11…………….
26th November, popularly known as India’s 9/11, has strummed the brain chords of the people of the entire world, especially our country, our motherland, our India………..
This is a letter thanking all the Mumbaikars for showing camaraderie and a never say die attitude after that disturbing day………..
I remember that I had woken up from a deep slumber when I switched on the TV to tune into FRIENDS. While surfing through the channels, trying to reach my destination, my eyes saw something they certainly weren’t expecting………. I closed my eyes, blinked twice and widely opened them before gluing them to the TV set. And it wasn’t an imagination of two sleepy eyes but the truth. “Aamchi” Mumbai had been targeted mercilessly. The Breaking News flashed in front of my eyes reporting the trouble and pain it had caused. I remember shedding tears as I heard about families who lost their loved ones ,about families of the Martyrs .I still recall the frantic reporters claiming to be the first ones to bring live pictures from the scene. Seeing helicopters hovering and our men in black coming out of them above the beautiful Taj was a sight no one could have ever dreamed of. After a long struggle and a battle between the two forces ,Mumbai was free to breathe; to heave a sigh of relief; to be the city of dreams all over again, though the images of that day have left scars on everybody in India……..
After the horrifying struggle for almost 3-4 days, everybody expected Mumbai to have shaken up…..to be burning under the fire of hatred…..to be urging to take revenge.
But hats off to the Mumbaikars who peacefully settled matters through silent protests, candle marches and integrity instead of communal frenzy and mass killings. Hindus,
Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and people of all other religions came together to raise a voice against this atrocity. Just a month after the attack, Hotel Taj still stands tall and how! The Mumbaikars spirit never dies and people have resumed their old routine of getting up with a smile; reading a newspaper; having a bite; going to the office in the famous local trains; coming back home after a long and tiring day at work but still willing to take the kids to a movie and the wife for a dinner; returning home and sleeping off with dreams of a new day; of a new morning; of the first rays of sunshine and of the speedily recovering “Aamchi” Mumbai.
This sounds like a day in the life of any ordinary person. But mind you, Mumbaikars are not ordinary people, they are a group of extraordinary people with an extraordinary approach to life and an extraordinary vision………..
From being the epicenter of Fashion to being the house of our favourite stars; From giving us our Bollywood to giving us our stars; From teaching us how to live to teaching us how to integrate, “Aamchi” Mumbai has won our hearts again. The people of an area determine the fate of that place, therefore more than the place, the accolades are sent in the way of you all who possess the enthusiasm and love and warmth and happiness that we all wish to imbibe.
I am a resident of Chandigarh, a student of class 9th, and have never been to Mumbai in my 14 years of existence but you all know what, your plight has affected people not only near to your residential home but people from as far away places as Punjab. I am not a Mumbaikar, at least technically, but I am working towards being a Mumbaikar at heart. After all-‘Yeh Hain Mumbai “Humari” Jaan’ ........................
Yours truly; your friend and ,undeniably, your Punjabi Mumbaikar-
Pia.................

DESPERATE TIMES DON'T ALWAYS CALL FOR DESPERATE MEASURES!

2009-01-06T07:39:00.000-08:00

BY: DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

After the terrorist attack of 26th November in Mumbai, the mood and rhetoric in India is reminiscent to that of the U.S after 9/11. As in the U.S then, outraged Indians swear never again. The phrase ‘War on terror’ invented in the U.S after 9/11, is now being widely used in India. This is a dangerous militaristic mood. It led the U.S into the disastorous invasion of Iraq. Let it not lead India into the same sort of misadventure.

Americans reportedly called 9/11 another Pearl Habour and the analogy sparked a determination to respond with guns and bombs. Many Indians while sympathizing with the U.S pointed out that 6,000 people feared dead wasn’t a huge number when compared with 50,000 killed over a decade in Kashmir. The U.S was apparently suffering from a small dose of Islamic terrorism that has long since wrecked Kashmir. The reaction was hugely preposterous considering that these were the same people who had never equated Kashmiri terrorism with war and always told India to be calm and not bomb terrorist training camps in Pak. But when they got a taste of it at home they went ballistic, declared it war with terrorism and vowed to kill all those ‘bad’ guys.

Cooler heads pointed out that ‘The War on Terror’ was a meaningless phrase. Terror is simply a tactic used by certain groups, and you cannot wage a war against a tactic. You can declare war on an enemy country but not on an NGO – which is what terrorists exactly are. When terrorism arises from an ideology or set of grievances, imaginary or otherwise, killing a bunch of ideologues may simply deepen those grievances and create several more terrorists. There was no Al-Qaeda before U.S’s alleged ‘War on Terror’ but the invasion created large Al-Qaeda cadres which have now been cut to size but remain a festering sore.

Indians who accused U.S of over-reacting to 9/11 are now themselves following pursuit. The media hyped it as ‘The War on Mumbai’, 'War on India’, ‘War on Terror’ etcetera, etcetera. Journalists and politicians who cautioned against jingoism in U.S after 9/11 are fanning it today in India.

Even the normally so-called ‘cool headed’ people are so agitated that they want to drop grenades on Pak. After the Iraqi war haven’t we learned that bombing cannot eradicate terrorism or the extremist mind set? All our invasion will result in is a Pakistani military response which will strengthen the hands of those Pakistani’s who support terrorism. It will constitute to yet another grievance that shall be exploited by the extremists. Let us not repeat the errors of President Bush.

Angry Indians say action should be taken. True but the action has to be patient diplomacy and international pressure which shall bear fruit though slowly but effectively. Outraged citizens do not want to be told to take it easy and respond to terrorism with diplomacy. Alas! Some problems do not have quick and effective military solutions. Lets not forget Britain had to live with Irish terrorism for almost a century.

Let us in such times of trouble avoid Bush speak and recall the old prayer "Lord, grant me serenity to accept things I cannot change, the courage to change things I can and wisdom to know the difference."

I know friends they say that desperate times call for desperate measures but amidst all this chaos let us not forget how much we have to lose if we follow the path of violence. Besides threatening countless innocent lives we also pose the risk of creating stronger and more determined terrorists. Bombing Pak seems to be the most feasible solution to most of us but believe me it isn't. It is on this note that I end my article leaving the decision up to you so as to decide which is going to be the more effective solution - a THIRD WORLD WAR which shall not only risk a thousand lives, 90% of them harmless but shall also cause significant damage to our resources or PATIENT DIPLOMACY which shall set India as an asset to the whole world. I chose the latter which one will you pick?

My DAD in the OGs....................

2008-12-08T05:59:00.000-08:00

My Dad in the OGs…………………
By: Pia Bakshi

“Smartly dressed in the olive green sporting a beret on the head with a stick in the right hand and numerous medals glorifying the entire attire, accompanied by an aura of authority and confidence and a spirit of patriotism”-This is how my papa would look when he would wake me up for school. This picture is engraved in my mind for, god knows how long now. Seeing my father in the whole regalia was now a routine and my day was incomplete without getting a good look of him like this; like my dad in the OGs…..
“Not to question why…….but to do or die….”My day would start and end with this saying –quintessential of an army officer; and of my dad in the OGs…………….
I remember ,how as a kid ,I would wait for papa to get back home and catch a glimpse of him in this attire before going to the park……As his gypsy would pull through the driveway, I would jump and run to open the door to be the first one to receive him. This was the highlight of my day. As he would change into his comfortable casuals, I would slip into his uniform’s shirt which in itself was like a gown for me. But none the less, I would give my million dollar smile for the pic that followed. I actually felt that I could never look better.
As I began to grow up I tasted another flavour of the army life-Papa would stay away from home for a long time. I would see all the kids with their fathers and it did prick initially but I soon realized that m y father was not with us, not out of choice but out of duty which for an army man inevitably is a choice. I soon respected this angle all the more. I still remember that when people would talk about their father, I would proudly declare that my dad is in the army; serving the nation; he is my dad in the OGs……
Then soon I witnessed one of the best and the worst part of being an army girl.
The frequent postings caused a 360% change in my life after every 2 years .From Dalhousie to Delhi; From Meerut to Gwalior, I have seen it all. This might seem like instability to an outsider. But getting to know different kinds of people- from untouched places like Dalhousie to the hip and happening crowd in Delhi,. I have seen and lived with them all. If this sounds instability then you certainly need a reality check. In the 14 years of my existence I have come across so many people that it has inculcated in me one of the best possible traits –to be Amiable and mingle up with different kinds of people with great ease. All because of my dad in the OGs……..
Another great thing about being an army kid is that you get an opportunity to live in a colony. The sense of camaraderie that follows in itself speaks volumes of its importance. Getting to learn, grow, celebrate and mourn together makes the Army family the strongest and the most bonded. I was lucky to experience it because of my dad in the OGs………….

Even now when I recall the old times, I am flooded with nostalgia. I remember how eagerly I would wait for papa to come home for his Casual Leave. Annual leave, (which was the longest), felt like bliss. The scene 24 hrs before papa’s arrival would be-Mama in the kitchen cooking papa’s favorite meal with great love and enthusiasm; my sis and I sitting in our room, diligently and with full on dedication making cards for papa; our helper would be busy in getting the home cleaned and just in the perfect condition. The anticipation and excitement on getting to see papa after such a long time was inexplicable. And then there would be a phone call. Ma would rush to get it and on the other side of the call ,one could hear papa in his deep baritone saying,” I am just 5 minutes away”. All of us, including our helper ,would rush to the door and wait………….After what seemed like hours papa would enter and we would all jump n excitement. The moment he would enter we would all bombard him with the silliest of questions which at that moment meant important. After all he had come home; my dad in the OGs……..
And in the wink of an eye the time to return would soon come by. And before we know it Papa would be gone. This was followed by tears from the side of all us but now it is easier to reconcile. People say that for an army officer his Nation comes first. But for papa both his nation and his Family were the top most priorities and I proudly say that Papa carried out responsibities on both fronts with great expertise, like a true man; my dad in the OGs…..
My papa is currently posted in Ferozepur and at the moment is home for his Annual Leave and yes! You guessed it –I am very excited.
Even if Papa is not around and even though I am staying in a civil atmosphere ,I am still an army brat; I am still the daughter of my dad in the OGs………
In case you are wondering why I am writing this then I think you need to know that today i.e. 8th December is celebrated as Armed Forces Day…Today is the day that gives these brave hearts the love and admiration they deserve; today is the day when these real life heroes get recognition for their work; Today is the day when these “dudes” are given accolades for their tremendous work.
If any of you reading this were not aware of this great day then don’t feel bad. You do not need a day to acknowledge these true men .It is an inner feeling. If you respect them and their efforts from within then you truly deserve to be one of the members of the army family.
These people, even after all their sacrifices, are left unnoticed. Not many bother to go through some article like this. But these are the men who give up their today for our tomorrow. It is time we introspect and rationalize.
Well I need to go ……………..and make this day special for my father;
my dad in the OGs……………

TERRORISM: A GLOBAL THREAT

2008-12-06T03:20:00.000-08:00

BY: DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

MORE THAN earthquakes, its terrorism that shakes mankind. The forces of nature are blind and as such indifferent to human suffering. The earthquakes occur just because that is how nature functions. Man seems to be the most dangerous enemy of the earth who ravishes it, its resources, and monopolizes and devastates everything on its surface. Now, the greedy humanity is eyeing the moon, the planets and beyond. But, these things aside, a section of misguided humanity has a different perspective of the world inhabited by its own limbs, i.e. the other fellow beings. They have converted themselves into terrorists and their religion is terrorism.

The scourge of terrorism is universally endemic barring a few countries for some reasons. Like a double-edged sword, it hacks right and left indiscriminately or like a blind mad elephant kills anything and everything that comes in the way as it marches on towards its target.

At present, it is more frightening than the likelihood of the third world war, which is more calculating and sane than in the past. It could be Al-Qaeda, LTTE, Maoists or any other fundamentalist or politically motivated groups. Among the terrorists that kill in the name of religion, the structure is minus one. Leaders of the first and the second wrung two. The technical hands/experts are the third slot. The ground forces, the executors of the evil plans. The so-called leaders or the planners do their nefarious work from secret and safe hideouts or from places with front camouflaged establishments. Of all, the worst type belongs to the fundamentalist groups. The suicide bombers belong to this group. They are programmed to kill like unfeeling robots. They are incapable of possessing any conscience and are devoid of rationality.

To most, ignorance is bliss. I would quote an incident that made me itch to consider what is happening in our country. It was when a group of university students in Delhi shouting anti-government slogans demanding that laws stricter than Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) should be applied to terrorists. A journalist asked the mike holding student leader to elaborate POTA. He started beating about the bush giving foolish, irrelevant explanations and finally shying away with an embarrassing smile. Pity surged forth for this young man and numerous others like him. If university students can be so naive and ignorant, what could be said of terrorists?

Obviously, they are just programmed like robots and they can do only one thing and that is to kill and destroy. Creating anarchy, affecting a nation's economy, demoralizing and destabilizing governments and causing panic among the masses are some of their motives.

Those they kill include Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Parsis, and anyone. Men, women, children, the good and the bad are all bundled together and are killed, for powerful blasts or indiscriminate shooting do not have the intelligence to distinguish between human species.

Governments around the world acknowledge this modern cancer that pesters the civilization, but they are hindered in their efforts to counter it. There is distrust of each other in international relations. Narrow national interests, exposure of their vulnerability to the other nations, their sense of inadequacy in dealing with terrorism etc are a few of the things that the world doesn't fight terrorism as a united front.

No country would like to share expertise and technology with other nations to fight terrorism, which unfortunately is still not recognized as a common enemy. The security agencies and intelligence gathering network suffer from inadequacies in many aspects. People are also not much cooperative as they fear harassment at the hands of the police more than an injury in an attack.

In Stalin's era when the notorious KGB (KGB was a Russian organization with a military hierarchy aimed at providing national defence) men knocked at a door, nobody dared speak up. It was feared more than a devastating fire. When there was in fact a fire, someone would shout, "Neighbors, it is only a fire in the neighborhood not the secret police."

The government wakes up after the harm has been done. Then a red alert is declared. Security is beefed up. Then TV channels show handbags or purses of ladies being searched as classic examples of the very alert police. The oft- repeated clichés of red alert or beefing up of the security or posting police men at the site of the blasts look more a mockery than anything of any practical use. These activities are actually mere futile exercises and are always hard to sustain by the insufficient police. The bomb blasts in Mumbai are the latest example that epitomize the slackness on part of the government that was supplied with a warning but to no avail.

The need of the hour is for the governments to sincerely treat terrorism as a global problem faced by the entire humanity and not by any given nation and discuss all its aspects in detail to find ways and means to effectively deal with it. Patchwork, here and there, is no solution and the cancer will keep spreading its tentacles with immunity.

M 'n' M ('M'eeting the 'M'ayor)

2008-11-25T05:23:00.000-08:00

M `n’ M (MEETING THE MAYOR)
By: PIA BAKSHI
WHOPIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is how we the students of the reporters’ club replied to this new venture of ours.We had gotten the oppurtunity to interview the mayor and yes it definitely was something that we were looking forward to .our liason was going on on for a long time but finally that day the mission was accomplished.We set out all geared up to bombard him with our questions.
All five of us, namely Archita, Deeksha, Kashish, Urvashi, Jannat, Ma’am and I sat in the car. I was completely sandwiched but honestly speaking I did’nt really care.I was anyways too happy to notice any of the minor loopholes.I sat in the car rehearsing and we could all feel our excitement crossing all bounds.We were practically jumping in our seats until the time we realized that we should spare the poor car.
And after what seemed like the longest drive of my life, we reached the MUNICIPAL CORPORATION office.We had our new member JANNAT THAPAR, as our official photographer cum reporter who was geared up for her first day at work.As soon as we stepped down she was ready with her camera and we were ready to pose.We went inside and met Gaurav Sir who is a senior reporter from Dainik Bhaskar.After a briefing by sir we all went upstairs to see the office.
At first glance we found the building to be imposing but later as we stepped in we loosened up.Afte all we were reporters and were no less than any other person in the office premises at that time…… ummm ……………..atleast at that moment we thought so.
“The mayor is on his way and should be joining us shortly”said his PR consultant and that is the time we actually got a feel of it;that is the time we realized that we are in a government office;that is the time we understood that this is the place where all the serious business takes place.
We were taken to see a presentation on their latest project SCADA.It felt great to be one of the earliest members to be able to see and understand it.After this briefing we went to the mayor’s office .The office had something about it ;something that made it special;something that made you want to be here.
We saw his table-a lamp , a pile of files a calendar and a picture of Saibaba-at once we got an idea of his true personality.We seated ourselves on the comfortable couches and waited for the moment .
And then came the Mayor,Mr.Pradeep Chabbra,the first thing that struck my mind when I saw him was that he looks to nice and sweet to be a politician and this forming the base of our second question.
But before we could start the mayor jestingly asked us if the questions were difficult. This broke the ice and then the first question was asked by me regarding his childhood.To this he replied,”My childhood has been very difficult.I lost my father at the age of 14.So life has been full of struggles for me.I am a self made man.”
Deeksha took on from here and asked,”Sir, politics has always been perceived as the most corrupt field.What is your take on that?”He said that each and every field is corrupt but the problem is that the corruption is publicised whereas the goodness is not even considered.”
Then Kashish asked him what he would do if he became the prime minister of the country.He wittily replied,” I am a ambitious, not over ambitious.”
And with that we ended our tete'-a-tete' with the Mayor of the city beautiful.
We came out of the building feeling a sense of accomplishment that yes,we have achieved what we wanted.We got to know and learn a lot about the mayor and from the mayor.Hearing everything from the horse’s mouth in itself was a great feeling.As I sat in the back seat of the car ,I realized my experience at the MC office and believe me this was the first time I felt like a REPORTER in the true sense and essence of the word.

EXCHANGING IDEAS DURING THE "IDEA EXCHANGE"

2008-11-23T03:09:00.000-08:00

EXCHANGING IDEAS DURING THE “IDEA EXCHANGE”
BY: PIA BAKSHI
I was in school sitting in the computer room trying to finish the report (within the deadline)of the event that took place in the school premises on that fateful day.Then entered Puniita Ma’am with a news I certainly wasn’t expecting.We had been invited to the Idea Exchange in the Indian Express office which, otherwise, is quite a restricted meeting.And this event was to be graced by the eminent actor Anupam Kher .We have seen him as a father who lost his son in SARANSH ;as an alchoholic father in DADDY;as a schezophrenic man in MAINE GANDHI KO NAHIN MARA;and as an intense actor in A WEDNESDAY.But we were given the oppurtunity to see him as he was.He was to be himself and it was a great experience t see the actor we see on the silver screen in his real avtar.We arrived at the Indian Express Office at quarter to 4.The meeting was to start at 4.Well in time we went to meet the Editor-in –Chief,Mr Pubby who was kind enough to give us comfortable seats that gave us just the perfect view .We were all sitting and preparing when the reporters walked in.And we realized that- Yes, the moment was not far away .Soon we would be sitting in the presence of the great reporters and…. Anupam Kher.
Dressed in a simple sky blue shirt and a pair of denims entered Anupam Kher .But don’t go by the the simple understated attire because with this casual style came confidenc e and an intimidating aura as a must-have accessory.After a warm greeting to all the people present with a special reference to the three of us i.e Deeksha, Kashish and and me, the series of questions began.
A pinch of humour; a teaspoon of wit; a bowl full of intellect; a cup full of optimism; honesty as garnishing-and the recipe of Anupam Kher’s special answers is ready.Not a single moment was monotonous.Every single moment was full of fun and gave us a chanceto learn and grasp more.
We were all expecting a very serious atmosphere but it was truly surprising to see the casual, warm and friendly environment.The first question asked was about hi s baldness and he took it in the best sport .He quoted a sensational statement that would change the lives of many people-He said that”BALD IS FASHIONABLE” and the elan with which he said it we were bound to agree.
Further when asked about his work as the Head of the CENSOR BOARD, he repplied that he wanted to bringforth anything that was true but at the time censor anything that was objectionable.
When a senior reporter asked him that out of KIRRON KHER and him who the better actor was, he candidly said that without doubt it was him.Further justifying, he mentioned that while he had done 100s of movies ,his wife had done 20 or so –so their was no comparison.
Our inquisitive Deeksha asked him what he thinks of how the movies are being projected now and how they affect the child psychology .To this he answered that movies are just an extension of the writers’ imagination and therefore, essentially, they are not meant to inspire and mould the minds of the young viewers .He further added that the parents should take an initiative in making sure that what their children watch is suitable.
When I asked him about his entire experience in the film industry, he was flooded with nostalgia. He said that it was truly brilliant.With its ups and its downs-all have made him the man he is today.I further asked him, “Both your debut movie that was SARANSH and your most recent ,A WEDNESDAY ,speak volumes of your talent and calibre.But which is your personal favourite and why?’’
He replied by saying ,”My choice would be DADDY because it spoke of human failure and to play such an intense character in itself was a challenge.Also MAINE GANDHI KO NAHIN MARA for the same reason .”
And after getting a picture and a couple of autographs we rounded up our brief rendevouz.As we were walking back I was elated .Walking through their corridors I actually realized that I ,at the age 14, had just spoken to one of the most distinguished actors in the entire film industry.With that thought in mind, I involuntarily gave myself a pat on the back and went towards my car.Well, it is certainly the truth that while speaking to him none of us were nervous.And now when I look back I actually feel like I had accomplished a big thing-I did not lose my composure on seeing such a big star and that in itself was such a big achievment for me and my friends.On that note I end the description of that day –THE DAY OF MY FIRST INTERVIEW!!!!!!

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN "EDITOR"

2008-11-21T23:36:00.001-08:00

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN “EDITOR”
BY: PIA BAKSHI

As my car went inside the gate I could feel the adrenalin rush…….I stepped down to make an entry in the visitor’s book and that is when I realized….hey! I wasn’t a visitor, I was an intern...I was working with them …for the next two days I was a part of the Indian Express family …
Then I spotted my fellow Reporters’ Club members, or should I say my colleagues .……..Yes, we were given the chance to edit the children’s day supplement of the Indian Express and boy, were we excited.
The distance from the parking to the main building was like the longest walk of my life.I was overwhelmed .After all this was the first time they had students our age do something so big.
We first met ma’am Chhavi who aqcainted us all with our basic task that day.We had to shortlist 80 articles out of the 300 they had received.After a quick briefing we set to work. We went to their conference hall. It was imposing but we realized that, if we have been given this oppurtunity, we surely have something in us.So with full confidence in ourselves and our abilities we sat down on the comfortable chairs getting a little familiar with the place.And soon we were given a huge pile of articles and pictures etc. sent in by various schools. Our basic aim was to keep everything that was original and eliminate everything that appeared to be copied.
I actually felt like Meryl Streep in Devil Wears Prada .The difference was that while she rejected clothes we rejected articles .Also while she did it with no qualms; we were actually experiencing a mental battle. All these children had made such great effort but it is ardous to keep all articles.After what seemed liked a whole day of deliberations we finally drew a consensus as to which articles to keep and which to avoid.
We were then introduced to ma’am Shweta who was also, once, a carmelite.Her expertise and experience inspired all of us and helped us learn all necessary things for our future ventures.
13th Nov too, we were asked to come to view the designing of the page.We practically saw how a dull white paper is changed into a pageant of colours.Aso we went through our shortlisted entries and checked them for any grammatical errors.Sitting on the reporter’s seat I was experiencing what I had longed to experience –a feeling of being an editor; a feeling of being trusted with the responsibility of a newspaper; the feeling of knowing that –Yes! You are capable of realizing your dreams.
Next, we visited the canteen where we were treated to a sumptous bread pakoda floating in my favourite ‘imli ki chattni’.That was truly a satisfaction of taste buds.With each bite, I was savouring the taste of this snack.Not because of the way it was made or anything but because this was the first time I went to the canteen of a workplace after a hard day’s work.
We bade farewell to all the people who were instrumental in helping us realize our dream.Also we thank the entire team for being so supportive .We also appreciate the effort of all the students who had sent their articles to this esteemed newspaper.I sat in the car knowing that from on we all could proudly call ourselves-“STUDENT EDITORS” ………and I drove off taking with me the experience of a lifetime.AS I rolled down the window to catch a glimpse of this office I was fludded with nostalgia.
“Yes today we had done someone proud –our families; our friends; our teachers; our school; our mentor-but most importantly the someone was “US”. It is difficult to gain respect in the eyes of others but it is all the more difficult to gain respect and pride in your own eyes.We were our scrutinizing critics and that day we pleased the critc in us……

A SAFE SOUL?

2008-11-21T22:02:00.000-08:00

A SAFE SOUL???
BY:PIA BAKSHI

Unaware of her future
In her mother's womb
Lies safely a little soul

a soul so pure
a soul so unsure
Her paternal would not accept her
when she will be born
The thought would scare her mother
from night till morn
Inside the soul would face
Anticipations for a new phase
While the mother knits a sweater
waiting for her daughter
to make her life better
The father spurns her back to reality
which for a girl is all cruelity
Soon the dream has no meaning
nor does the sweater she was weaving
Bound in the shackles of society preesure
the mother decides to kill her treasure
to kill a soul ,that never saw her
to kill a soul,that pined for a touch of her mother
to kill a soul that meant no harm
to kill it without any alarm
a girl soon will die of this perception
a girl soon will be a victim of oppression
The mother is suppressed
utterly depressed
Soon will come tha day
when she will go the extra way
To see the world
would be the soul's desire
Not to feel first the funeral pyre
The day knocked at her door
when she could avoid it no more
Unwillingly supporting this suppression
she went ahead and got abortion

Unaware of her future
once,,,,,, in her mother's womb
laid "unsafe" a little soul

student editor

2008-11-14T05:11:00.001-08:00

“Aap kis kaam ke liye aye hain?” asked the gatekeeper as we drove in through the gates of the Indian Express with Punita ma’am. ”We are the editors for the special children’s day supplement.” We nonchalantly replied, but all of us were excited and it really was hard to remain calm ad composed. Chavvi, an Express staff member briefed us and told us we had to choose authentic and original articles. As we sat down in the conference hall, segregating the articles I realized that it was a tough job, you had to put in the articles of those children who really seemed to have worked hard, that was just one day’s work.
The next day we edited the articles and chatted (well, actually gossiped), a little with Sheveta an ex- Carmelite also working with Indian express. She gave us a lot of tips which helped us in editing.
All this really wasn’t work,, the serious atmosphere that prevailed was filled with spurts of girly chatter. Doing all of this brought a lot of joy and cheer to us for it was something different and a once-in-a lifetime opportunity. These are two days I can never forget, the two days when I was a student editor.

Obama’s win, time to re-adhere to what we preach in our country

2008-11-13T08:18:00.000-08:00

BY: DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

``My idea of society is that while we are born equal, meaning we have a right to equal opportunities, all have not the same capacity,`` said father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi and this was what proved to be correct in the recently held US elections where `the Black` what most of the news papers called Barack Hussein Obama captured the seat of United Nations’ Top Dog registering a landslide victory. ``The quote says, all have not the same capacity so a `Black’ may have the qualities which a `Wihte’ do not posses.

I do not know whether I should comment on the election of Obama but I am sure that the same sets an example for our country’s politics as well where most of the political battles are fought over communal and casteist issues. Obama belongs to a community that had been struggling to make its mark after inching up from the age old slavery. He also had many examples where forefathers of his community had failed to make their mark despite their sincere effort to make the world realize that no human being is big or small by birth.

Mahatma Gandhi and prior to him many thinkers and observers pleaded for the cause of equality but never achieved a complete success. Now when the whole world is looking and though a little bias is still apparent in the reaction to Obama’s election. Obama is at top and no wonder that our great leaders had tried first to initiate the society into equality besides creating room for the downtrodden and suppressed as their matter of right. I felt particularly happy while reading that Obama is impressed by the Gandhian philosophy.

Though it is indisputable that most of the observers and political commentators highlighted Obama’s victory but most of them said it to be a historic Black’s entry into the White House. Another matter as I read in one of the national dailies that Obama during his campaign never tried to take advantage of the colour of his skin. Ironically, most of the papers and other media eulogized his victory as a Black’s victory and those who did not write it straight painted the background of his picture black thus saying it through visual and not words.

Is it not enough to indicate the bias? Anyhow he had made history and what makes be happier over it is the fact that he got it riding on the Indian principle of equality. And all we need is to re-adhere to what we have been preaching to the world that all are equal and thus deserve equal treatment.

A CUB NO LONGER

2008-11-13T01:12:00.000-08:00

BY: ABHIVYAKTI SAXENA

I was wandering in the world…

Thinking......

Remembering the day…

when I had been sinking,

Into a river full of evil.

When my mother came and pulled me out

She protected me in and out

I sat....

Remembering the carefree life I had

I did not know what was to be sad

My life was filled with comfort and leisure

All I had was happiness and pleasure

When I wept the household shook

But now not even I person looks

I miss my mothers consoling hand

Upon my head like a magic wand

I miss those lovely birthday treats

Those gifts and presents and loads of sweets

The new things which my father bought

From classy shoes to beautiful dolls

I remember my sister’s sly grin

whenever I used to enter in

I knew she had played a prank

For this was her habitual plan

Then we used to screech and shout

Till my mom sent I of us out

Now remembering those days…

Are fond memories of mine.

I may be older and much stronger

I regret being A CUB NO LONGER.

I.E in I.E : VISITING THE IDEA EXCHANGE AT INDIAN EXPRESS

2008-11-09T22:11:00.000-08:00

BY: DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

Our liaison with The Indian Express began when we first went for a visit to the office to find out how the organisation was working to bring out a newspaper full of information every morning. The visit left us so mesmerised that we became eager to know more. Since it failed to satiate our hunger and desire to know more about reporting and editing, we looked for more opportunities to gather information. And finally the continuous effort of Punita Ma'am and the constant support of Sr. Maria Christi helped us get enrolled for an internship program with was scheduled to start of with us, Kashish, Pia and me attending one of their most prized endeavors, THE INDIAN EXPRESS – IDEA EXCHANGE! At hearing this all of us turned in unison to ma'am and the expression on our faces could only be described as awe. We were about to leave our footsteps on the sand of history. We were the only fortunate people who didn't belong to the Indian Express but were to be allowed to witness this prestigious event. And all this was to the credit of the Resident Editor of The Indian Express Mr. Vipin Pubby who very kindly opened the doors to let us learn much more.

The person whom were to meet is a big name of Bollywood and we never had imagined of siting face to face with him asking questions. He is a man of virtue, of honor; he is undoubtedly the star actor of a Wednesday. Yes my friends it is Anupam Kher that I mention.

It was by the touch of fate that we the members of the Reporter's Club were given a chance to interview the eminent personality during the prestigious Idea Exchange programme. It was the very first time that outsiders, moreover class 9 interns were allowed to witness this awesome event. Since we were the only fortunate ones to have sat there and witnessed this happening so let me quote one of the incidents,

On being asked whether being bald had made him conscious, he wittily replied "Bald is fashion. Moreover one of my fans gifted me a shirt saying, some have hair other's have brain. So you know it was never that bad."

This was only one of the anecdotes that he mentioned there. Anupam Kher as it is has been a great actor but to imagine that he has such a wit was beyond bounds to me before I actually sat across him. It was indeed a lifetime event at this age. We really had it, guys!

The event served a dual purpose while increasing our knowledge it also provide us with some humorous events that we shall recount years later too. It was indeed like killing two birds with one stone. We had gone there expecting some entertainment of meeting a film star but ended up gathering practicability of life!!!

THE MEANING OF LOSS.....IN MY WORDZ

2008-11-07T06:43:00.000-08:00

BY: KASHISH MADAN

Loss may mean the world to every person on this earth, but to me it has come to mean an entirely different thing. Loss for me stands on a completely different level than pain or anything else associated with loss.
Loss for me is the losing of identities, of that something which makes it difficult for you to understand what this world is all about, of being afraid of being simple and sweet, innocent and understanding.
I wonder at times whether I’m actually made for this world, for even though I understand I do not feel it enough, for even though I know it seems I do not know at all. It feels at times I am too naïve to survive in this world, too confused to know and accept my identity. Perhaps if I had a second chance, but then this is life, you don’t get second chances.
Maybe this is life, the search of identities and beings, of seeing loss as the road to the real you, because at times you have to lose something to get it back. Till loss persists, the search for your identity goes on; maybe loss isn’t so bad after all.
Loss for me has come to mean a search. A search for the real me.

SOLITUDE:

2008-11-07T02:25:00.000-08:00

BY: DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

Solitude,

An emotion crude,
It comes to haunt one,
Unnerving some,
Scaring all,
Making them shout and for help call,

It makes the best of protagonists fear,
What's in store for them as the future nears?
Makes one cry out for help,
Shout and scream, shriek and yelp.
With elapsing times the feeling grows,
Eating at one like hungry crows.
Life as such becomes miserable,
Taking away all that is desirable.

Help! Help! Help!
Shout and scream, shriek and yelp.

Forgetting one and all,
Only to remember that in the end you'll fall.
Love and compassion, kindness and passion,
Become a part of the past that'll never again happen.
Silence everlasting seems to reign,
It moves with you, your energy it drains.

Help! Help! Help!
Shout and scream, shriek and yelp.

But no one comes to your rescue,
The whole world seems to go askew.

So take initiative,
Make your life better,
Share your feelings or in the end,
You'll be the one to suffer,
THE ENDLESS PAIN OF SOLITUDE.

WHY NO DIWALI GIFTS?

2008-11-03T03:52:00.000-08:00

BY : DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

Another house meeting, some more agenda’s, more solutions but still one common problem why no Diwali gifts? Yes friends, the dominant question today at the MC office was the demand for Diwali gifts by the office personnel. Our elected heads today focused more on their selfish demands than on pressing issues such as the depressing condition of the streets throughout the city. It is a sad predicament in which our local government has landed.

While important issues such as encroachments were touched still the house kept on deviating back to their major concern: Diwali Gifts. The question stood on floor for almost three quarters of the meeting. While others were busy debating why Diwali gifts had not been distributed amongst the staff some intelligent minds still thought straight. Mr. Mukherjee finally brought the house back to agenda by demanding an explanation to the bills that had been passed but not executed. Next, Mr. Chandpuri reminded the house of the reality of the situation asking why were laws that weren’t going to be executed passed in the first place, quoting the example of the June 2007 fire laws. The issues which seemed to major concerns of the politic environment were considered for merely seconds before the council went back to dissecting the diwali issue. Chaos ensued and no sense prevailed.

The Commissioner though not thoroughly satisfied with the direction in which the meeting was heading chose to answer the questions. Keeping apace with his diplomatic strategy he silently calmed everyone down by showing his concern on the deteriorating condition of the police staff and further by adding that necessary steps shall be taken on behalf of the commissions to tackle encroachment problems. He assured everyone that diwali gifts had not been distributed since their feasibility was matter of great concern.

All in all maybe if our leaders wish maintain their positions on the board then it is high time they start considering issues that will help us as well instead of continually deliberating on selfish trivialities such as diwali gifts.

DRAMA IN NEWS OR NEWS IN DRAMA?

2008-09-28T21:26:00.000-07:00

BY: DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

Our life is a frenzy of emotions and to add to our daily tensions of surviving in this competent world are the ever hyping news channels of today. Yes friends, I undoubtedly am talking about the Hindi news channels of INDIA. Any small occurrence is the 'big thing' for them. When in an endeavor to scare people they are at their best. Even in news channels dramatism is the talk of the town. Dramatizing the news in order to gain the uppermost position on the TRP charts is the need of the hour. But in this process, are the news channels showing the real content on their channels? Or they are just creating their own sensational lines for feeding their 24 hour slot! In the process of the dramatization, one cannot dilute the essence of the news. This mantra needs to be enunciated clearly amongst the producers who today desire nothing but popularity.The sensitivity no longer prevails in the news. It seems that they could go to any extent to achieve the maximum eye balls at TRP. Every news channel airs every piece of news – they consider important - for 48 hours and that's to say for the whole day forgetting to look at any other news; as if nothing else important thing was happening in the world other then that.As such to gain those eyeballs new methods are being brought into practice. Dramatization has become a part of our news crunch. The news nowadays has become like a thriller episode of an action movie. All the news channels are trying to do is sell their stories by exaggerating the unnecessary details and in this process, over hyping the entire news.Every other day, a new news channel is been launched. Although on the positive side this increases the competency in the news channels thus, promising better news. On the negative side it adds another drama tv to our television further deteriorating the quality of the already diluted news.Freshness is always welcomed in life. With elapsing times things do change for the betterment. But too many experiments are not always healthy. We can only hope that our news channels don't forget their basics. The entertainment channels are enough to give the daily dose of drama to the audiences and thus there is no need at all for the news channels to follow their example. Sensationalizing news doesn't mean that we forget the news piece itself. So friends stay tuned. 'MILTE HAIN, EK BREAK KE BAAD.

Mera Bharat Great (wid a rollin 'r')

2008-09-11T04:11:00.000-07:00

BY: PIA BAKSHI

Yes, this independence day this slogan was more popular than its original version.Wondering why ....then read what the gen next had to say about thier MOTHER TONGUE(now only on their mother's tongue.)Dhuvan from SD college says,"I am more comfortable with English...even in school I had major problems with hindi."On the other hand Smita from PU says ,"hindi is my language...I am anyday more "comfy" with it.Shruti,from MCM says,"hindi is a language I have no clue about."Stammering while speaking hindi or making some basic grammatical errors while using our matra bhasha is the new fad amongst "youngistaanis".but if this is in then i am definitely, totally and certainly out.using words as a weapon and being cool as an obsession ppl today are brutally attacking and mercilessly killing this language.Shivangi Gulati,an alumnus from our school and currently in pu says,"for me "hinglish " is the way to go since i am comfortable with both the languages.But sorry to disappoint you my friend, hindi is now just a nominal mother tongue.with something as wannabe'ish as "funky boys" or "cool chics" written on the bonnet of their cars the future of our country proudly declares-i don't like "the" hindi... i like "the" english........ya right............we all laugh it off but today lets introspect, today lets rationalize, where are we heading.we don't respect our language but still shout out "jai hind" and "vande matram".why this confusion ?why this contradiction?introspect, rationalize........Neha Bakshi ,from pu says,"we try to emulate "firangis " in everything -their accent with the rolling Rs was just the beginning".she further added,"there was a time when rajma chawal was the favourite but now sushi is the thing..even if the cuisine doesn't satisfy your taste buds..why is the question".col.sanjiv bakshi said,"not being comfortable in their shoes is just a reflection of their insecurity ,unconfidence and unsurity."a 19 yr old from pu says,"hindi is so not my language.english is the way to go.it is my mother tongueyes english has more value on a global platform but in our quest of mastering thi language ,english has become an obsession ,an addiction.ppl or the youngsters today are giving weightage to anything that is english and ignoring anything that in some way or the other is hindi.LO BEHOLD! fab india is the craze & khadi bhandhars are dying a natural death,a legacy started by the father of the nation....Rachit from pu says,"lets be us yaar, yes lets be hindustaani."adding to that thought ,lets be Indians ,lets live upto our pehchan (i mean i-d-e-n-t-i-t-y).hightime we get back to the reality, get back to our roots and not be floaters.lets live up to the saying "Mera Bharata Mahaan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I JUS' WANNA PLAY MA MUSIC ?

2008-09-09T20:09:00.000-07:00

BY DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

"Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul."

The old adage just gives the essence and importance of music in our life. Music has come a long way ever since its introduction into the humane world 50,000 years ago. But the success of music cannot be counted in days, perhaps minutes and seconds would be adequate.

Music is a completely different era of a lifetime that has become a part and parcel of our daily chores. 'Music is becoming more and more a soundtrack of our lives' says Saadgi, a student of class IX. It is becoming a constant background presence in our cars, at our workouts, and on our computer speakers at home. We may not consume music for our own sake but it permeates our lives.

Even as you read this article digesting the facts that I'm feeding you with there are still people around the globe who are sauntering around with ipods or artist's penning down new songs. Every 7 people out of 10 listen to music on a daily basis for at least 2 hours a day. Music has evolved with man. Man unconcerned has evolved beyond imagination. Music has treaded a long way from the simple and nerve soothing blues to the ballistic but good sounding rock.

Music has progressed more than its competitive acts such as dancing, which reflects in the talent hunts conducted on a yearly basis. Programs such as the American Idol, Indian Idol, and Voice of India etcetera encourage young budding musicians to come forward and showcase their talents. They provide a platform for them to excel in the particular field. Further the popularity of these shows tells the tale of the rising passion for music in today's generation.

From the romantic tunes of Enrique to the rocking music of the Jonas Brothers, Shakira's hip-swiveling songs to Rihanna's acoustics and of course the heart throb of the nation Hillary Duff's hip-hop to Vanessa's blues.................Music has different genre's and styles.

'I love Hillary's latest album, Dignity, it's so awesome, I mean she's fantastic', says Harleen.

'Shakira's songs are worth an ear', says Donna.

'Enrique rocks, he has a terrific voice and the lyrics of his songs are as good as the tune', says Sejal.

Music is a moral law; it gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to imagination, charm and gaiety to the world and life to everything else. It influences, inculcates and inclines. It changes the state of mind of a person. Music captivates. Rhythmic music always catapults the attention of everyone. Music takes us out of the actual and whispers to us dim secrets that startle us to make us wonder who we are, for what are we here, whence and whereto. When asked, Vanshica exclaims 'Music need not seek attention, it catches it automatically. There is something mystical about music; you can hear it even in the silence of things.'

"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music", says Saachi a student of class VIII.

Music does what nothing else can do. It portrays different feelings from diverse angles and goes beyond itself to calm and compose a person. But is all kind of music aiming for the same. I don't think so. The change in the nature of man has brought about a change in music as well, it has not only become more aggressive but also abusive. What was meant to soothe soul now diverts it. People incline towards what they see and hear and this type of music doesn't have the best of effects on people, especially on the younger naive generation. Driven by an impulse they listen to such music when suggested and due to lack of proper judgmental qualities they lead themselves into unwanted trouble by reciting these kinds of songs in front of elders and even go further ahead by influencing siblings by such things.

Words are a dual edged sword; they can cut and slash, whereas they can also heal and cure the wounds of the past. Music should be used as a medium of spreading happiness and joy instead of propagating hostility and menace. Some unruly people threaten music by using an opprobrious approach, which is highly unjustified.

Take music as a way to cleanse your soul and answer your inner woes not as one to jeopardize your innocence and scorch your conscience.

A DAY IN THE OFFICE OF THE NEWSPAPER

2008-09-09T20:08:00.000-07:00

BY: DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

An imposing building, long driveway and a perfect corporate working atmosphere greeted us as we steered into The Indian Express office in Panchkula. With thousands of queries in our minds we had gone to this office to satiate our hunger and know about the working of a newspaper. To help understand things better we had Puneeta ma'am with us and as we alighted from our vehicle a suave Mr. Mufti Ali warmly welcomed us to the office and later escorted us to the editorial hall where news from the whole world were pouring on the computer screens.

Significantly, we had gone to the office at a time which is considered to be 'peak hours' in terms of work and hence the editorial was alive with all the hands moving frantically on the keyboards. The monitors had been frequently changing texts and printers continuously releasing pages. Peeping occasionally on one or the other computer, we were finally guided to the room of the Resident Editor of the Indian Express Mr.Vipin Pubby, who then showed tremendous patience to respond to our volley of questions.

We were excited beyond belief to know how a newspaper is run. A curious Urvashi pounced at the chance and voiced her query,

"How do you basically design a newspaper?"

"Designing involves experts; we appoint trained design personnel's for the same" Mr. Pubby replied.

"But the breaking news, how is it incorporated in the news edition?" Abhivyakti put in.

"Usually we have reporters working till late hours at night. So, if the news reaches us till 12, by when generally it does reach us, it is included for the current edition. But if somehow it is delayed, it of course is covered the next day"

"How do you decide what is the best matter to publish?" I inquired.

"Well, it's basically on how important the news is. Sure we put in articles that attract the attention of the masses, but that's not all is it, we also have other things to cover in a news daily.So we consider it from a reader's point of view then further decide what's best."

"But now-a-day's people are more interested in paparazzi than the usual knowledge giving articles. Even though it is that way Indian Express has a way of putting in more knowledge giving articles" Archita asked.

"Well, that's one reason that Indian Express is not as popular as maybe the Times of India. But we have a reputation to live up to and that's the standard which we are trying to maintain. And as far as the paparazzi is concerned it more of the youngsters who are so keen to read it. Indian Express aims for others as well. We do provide what we consider a sufficient amount of it." Mr.Pubby replied.

Pia who is interested to pursue journalism as a career eagerly put in "What traits do you look for in journalist?"

"Of course one should be a graduate, that is properly educated, alert to one's surroundings, quick to grasp things, interested in the affairs of the world, a good writer and perhaps a good typist." He smilingly added "You may willingly do a course in Mass Communications also but it won't guarantee you a job over the others because most importantly we look for a vigilant citizen who is keen to investigate"

Still not satisfied with our success we took Mr.Pubby's leave and moved on to the other reporters. Here we came to know that this office was basically to handle the local and regional stuff whereas they depended on their Delhi head office for national and international stories. "Since national and international stories are the same so there was hardly any time to waste preparing them here when the pages are transmitted online immediately after being prepared in Delhi or as a matter of fact in any part of the world." Khushboo one of the reporter's we conversed with clarified.

Anyhow, after a strong verbal and theoretical dope regarding sharing of news content and preparation of the paper, it was time to move on to some practical knowledge. We walked up to Bharti who gave us a bird's eye view regarding news gathering and designing. Later Sumit clarified our doubts regarding the photography section.

Then it was again Mr. Ali who took us to the printing press in the basement of the building. Oh! It was a huge facility and a gigantic machine. By the time we reached there the newspaper was about to publish. We hardly had to wait a few minutes before the machine started roaring and within seconds, thousands of copies of well-folded newspaper piled up and were removed manually to the dispatch section, where they were being packed by dozens of the men. As we took to our vehicle, the newspaper vehicle loaded with packets of papers also left the premises. We were a little confused and felt it was so early for the paper to leave the office as it was supposed to reach our houses in the morning.

Parul another one of the reporters cleared our doubts and said that the paper was supplied to the whole region from here and the early edition would be going to far off plaes that took hours of long drive to reach by the morning. The paper which we get at our house is the updated late city edition packed with all the local stories and was published after midnight. Completely satisfied with our progress we set off for a long traipse to our car. Here we came back home with enough knowledge about the way a newspaper shapes up at its office.

INDEPENDENT INDIA

2008-09-09T20:07:00.002-07:00

BY: URVASHI KAPILA

The land where Ganga and Yamuna cleanse the soul. The land which offers, respect to all religions, dignity to its diverse population and celebration to millions of festivals. Yes, that land is my Mother India.

It's an immense pleasure to look back at the 61 glorious years of our country's Independence and to be called an Indian.
It's a country where Catholic lady stepped down to make way for a Sikh prime minister who is sworn in by a Muslim president to serve a country whose population comprises 80% Hindus. It is this diversity of India, which showcases its true spirit. Over years India has been ruled by innumerable foreign invaders who came here looking for riches but became a part of India's culture and added more spices and flavours to the country. It is this 'unity in diversity' which has made Indians beat all odds and crown India as the next world power.

The true power of India is its people, as today every 6th person in the world is an Indian. Also this human resource is educated, skilled and motivated, with more degree holders than the entire population of France. Today India has shed its image of a country with snake charmers and is recognized as the world leader in the field of Information Technology.

The Indian economy is the fourth largest in terms purchasing power. And with an ever-eager-to-buy middle-class which is now close to half a billion it is likely to emerge as the second largest consumer market in the world. We Indians are not only amongst the wealthiest races but we also cherish each paisa sometimes by saving it and sometimes by splurging it.

In the field of Science too, progress had been eminent as Indian scientist form 12 per cent of the work force in United States, 34 per cent at Microsoft and 36% at NASA. These scientist break new grounds in their respective fields and help, not just India but, the entire mankind tread with the times
Whether the world wants it or not, it will be difficult not to interact with Indians in more ways than one. It is important, therefore, to understand, with much greater clarity and honesty than before, the meaning to be an Indian and the pride that it brings along

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2008-09-09T20:07:00.001-07:00

BY: ARCHITA AHLUWALIA

Begins with ?Hey was sup???. ?Nothing much?, and concludes with ?tc?? ?>3 u? is the prevalent netlingo and the latest fad among the tech wizard teens. Young Carmel brigade, a lot too eager to chip in has also joined the bandwagon and is experimenting in the new domain?.?

Going home and chatting with friends you spend your day with in the school, so as to be a part of the social network, is an ultra cool style statement for most Carmelites. The so called cool obsession of being on blogs or of creating one of your own has now begun from the early teens. Most commonly and frequently visited sites are Orkut, Facebook and MSN messenger, which are giving a cut throat competition to information giants like Wikipedia and Google?

The ultimate objective to join these social sites is to appear hip- hop - happening in their respective groups or rather their JING-BANGS and make friends with the opposite sex. Gullible, impressionable, immature minds sometimes land up in big time trouble as they try to stretch themselves a little too far from the set normal limits and overindulge. They go to the extent of disclosing their identities and other confidential details to the strangers without realizing the repercussions of their acts.?

Over dosage can be transforming for an individual as the young teenagers? project themselves very differently from their natural self. As a result of which their entire persona goes for a six.?

Students tend to go astray and deviate from their goals as they get glued to the PC and while away their precious, never to return time, only to regret later. So let?s all take a stock of the situation because it?s never too late and take corrective steps by imbibing internet mannerisms and etiquettes. The mantra of success is use INTERNET IN MODERATION?.

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Reported? by-Archita Ahluwalia?.??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????

A GLANCE BACK

2008-09-09T20:06:00.000-07:00

BY: KASHISH MADAN

The past has a way of coming into the present and influencing it in such a way that it is our past which defines our present.
India is known for it's spices and colours,it's diversity of religions and different sects ; but most of all it's known for it's satygrah and it's khadi, it's Nehru and it's Gandhi.
The freedom struggle of India was a call for action ,action against the British who were oppressing it's people day in and day out.
Since that fateful day in 1857 when the Indian sipahees rose against their British officers ,India's destiny was decided by her people.
From Mangal pandey to M.K. Gandhi,the time was tough and painful,the road taken full of harsh realities of how difficult the mission undertaken was.
It was men and women like Lala Lajpat Rai ,Laxmibai, Jawaharlal Nehru,Bhagat Singh,Chandrshekhar Azad,Sarojni Naidu and many more, some well known and others perhaps lesser known, that India attained it's goal.
The path which our ancestors took was both tough and difficult,but it is precisely because they took this path that India stands where it does today.
It is the dreams and aspirations of those men which have formed the base for our present.
It is the dreams of the past which are forming the reality of the present.
It is up to us now to make sure that these aspirations do not die out for both our present and future is dependent on them.

A DIFFERENT TIME

2008-09-09T20:04:00.000-07:00

BY: KASHISH MADAN

It was a different time
A different age
A time of fearlessness
A time of courage
A time to show
What it really meant to be Indian
It was a time of sacrifice
It was a time of pain
It was a time to show
That we could conquer all
A time to rise
A time to rebel
A time to show
That fear abided in no heart
It was a time of love
It was a time of hope
It was a time to show
That we were all one
A time of celebrations
A time of victory
It was a different time
A different age

RAK-SHA 'BAND'HAN

2008-09-07T23:49:00.000-07:00

BY: KASHISH MADAN

Raksha Bandhan is a festival celebrating the bond of affection between brothers and sisters. Rakhi for many centuries has encompassed the warmth shared between the siblings.History has it that during the medevial era when the Rajputs were fighting the Muslim invade , Queen Karnawati the widow of the then King of Chittor realised that she could in no way defend the invasion of the Sultan of Gujarat,Bahadur Shah, she then sent a rakhi to Emperor Humayun. The Emperor touched by the gesture, accepted the rakhi thereby accepting Queen Karnawati as a "sister" and immediately started off with his vast troops to protect Queen Karnavati. Since then rakhi has been a symbol of love and protection for all.It is widely believed that due to our fast paced lives the relationship of siblings has gone through a change and they are no longer as close as they once were.Here is what our students say:My brothers are a bit irritating but the little things they do are very touching.They definitely will be my support in the long run. - Preetika Sihag IX
They are a bit young but as they grow older i'm sure they'll help me in my time of need. - Simran Sodhi X
My brother will always be there in times of need no matter how much we fight. - sukhmani X
Me and my brother don't really talk that much because of the age difference but we still care about each other and he is always there when i need him. - Mehak Dhillon VIII
Me and my brother have a love'n' hate relationship and though we fight a lot at the end of the day i know he'll always be there for me and he'll help me out if i get into any kind of trouble. - Ramneek XI
We have a very beautiful relationship and if any time he needs me i'm there for him and if i need help he's there for me.He has always supported me and there's nobody like him. - Parul Khanna IX
Well whether you love them or hate them,whether you argue with them or have a sentimental chat with them, brothers were, are and will always be our support in times of need .So let's just FIGHT ON!!

I RESPECT THOSE ARMY MEN…..

2008-09-07T23:44:00.000-07:00

BY: ABHIVYAKTI SAXENA

Those bravehearts , full of pride,
who ensure that none of us ever cried.
Fighting on the frontiers, with guns in their hand.,
Fighting for their country…. for their Motherland.
Never do they feel a sense of Superiority,
Serving the nation is now their priority.
While the entire country cherishes a gold medal win.
They put their lives at stake despite
knowing chances of survival are slim.
Surviving battles or the enemies crimes,
They put up a good stand from time to time.
Sail through this with bravery and valour,
Have seen through life in every flavour.
Those Protectors of the nation, those Gentlemen,
Oh ! How much I respect those ARMY MEN……

The Carmel Express

EARTH DAY !

The world is ours to take,

Saathi painting competition-22nd August

independence day!

Come out and Play!

Warriors of the Environment!

"HAND HYGIENE!"

A Soldier’s Epitaph

**From the wanting to be a ‘CADET’s’ pen..**

I'M GOING TO HARVARD!

PARADISE.....

VIPIN PUBBY ATTENTS REPORTERS MEETING IN CARMEL....

“International Worker’s Day”

CABINET 2010-2011

NO MEMORIES..NO HEIRLOOM...

STUDY...ALL DAY??

TASTE THE WORLD.....

STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE SOCIETY

NEW VENTURE OF SAATHI

INTERVIEW WITH SISTER SWAATI -SAINA KOHLI AND FIZA GUPTA

SISTER MARIA CHRISTI'S FAREWELL-SAINA KOHLI

ANTIDEPRESSANTS IN CHILDREN-SAINA KOHLI

WE'LL MISS YOU SR.MARIA CHRISTI

cosmetic surgeies- saina kohli

ELECTION TIME...

EARTH DAY

Books our Best Friends

Every Day should be the Earth Day

What is Saathi?

Decisions and Deliberation - Saathi's First Meeting

The Event of the Year - Sports Day

Saathi : Spreading awareness among masses

Saathi – Inauguration to new lives

PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE PROGRAMME

HOLINESS IS FROM WITHIN

ECHO From the ECOSOC

JTP MUN : An Unforgettable Experience

Idea Exchange: An encounter with an Unlikely Hero 18th November 2009

Dr.Mahbub-Ul-Haq interschool debate'09

I WANT TO GO BACK IN TIME!!! Mannat Sibal

FRIENDSHIP IS THE BEST THING IN LIFE!! Mannat Sibal

The Zeal of Independence at Carmel Convent Mannat Sibal

But I Say It Is My Dad! Mannat Sibal

An awaited Encounter with Mr.Vipin Pubby By Mannat Sibal

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN "ECHO" REPORTER

KYA JOOTE SE CHALEGA DESH!!!

10 THINGS ABOUT 10TH

SAVE HER.........SHE NEEDS OUR HELP !

The Last Day to Cherish

The Pre-Primary Annual Day

Practices for the 'Joseph and his amazing technicoloured dreamcoat'

PEACE WITHIN

send off {class 12}

FRIENDSHIP IS FOREVER !!!

Yeh Hain Mumbai "Humari"Jaan

DESPERATE TIMES DON'T ALWAYS CALL FOR DESPERATE MEASURES!

My DAD in the OGs....................

TERRORISM: A GLOBAL THREAT

M 'n' M ('M'eeting the 'M'ayor)

EXCHANGING IDEAS DURING THE "IDEA EXCHANGE"

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN "EDITOR"

A SAFE SOUL?

student editor

Obama’s win, time to re-adhere to what we preach in our country

A CUB NO LONGER

I.E in I.E : VISITING THE IDEA EXCHANGE AT INDIAN EXPRESS

THE MEANING OF LOSS.....IN MY WORDZ

SOLITUDE:

WHY NO DIWALI GIFTS?

DRAMA IN NEWS OR NEWS IN DRAMA?

Mera Bharat Great (wid a rollin 'r')

I JUS' WANNA PLAY MA MUSIC ?

A DAY IN THE OFFICE OF THE NEWSPAPER

INDEPENDENT INDIA

?????????????? www.the?facebook?of carmel.com????

A GLANCE BACK

A DIFFERENT TIME

RAK-SHA 'BAND'HAN

I RESPECT THOSE ARMY MEN…..

From the wanting to be a ‘CADET’s’ pen..