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Did you go on a vacation with your family recently? Do you wish to put down your thoughts about something that’s troubling you? Did a speech or talk inspire you to be a better human being? Are you a budding poet or painter? Whatever be your interest, use this space to speak up. “Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher.” Gautama Buddha 06 MY SPACE HEART OF AN ARTIST: AMAN PATHAK, class XI, DAV Model School, Sector 15, Chandigarh HALLOWEEN NIGHT: PARVATHY, class V, Sree Aurobindo Public School, Thiruvananth apuram S o, one morning, just like any other 16-year-old, I woke up and started scrolling through Instagram. An alarming number of stories were about finding the greatest treas- ure of them all, the Ambrosia, ie Tickets for Avengers: Endgame! “Yoo got em tixx” and other tomfoolery was being exchanged. Exasperated by all this propaganda, I kept my phone on my table and carried on with my day. However, one thought re- fused to leave my mind – "What’s all the hype about?” I mean, one of these joyous jaybirds was a person I knew very well. They weren’t even interested in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, I texted them, “You said that you didn’t even LIKE Avengers?” In the next few seconds pat came the reply, “It’s in vogue, baby girl.” And all I could think was, “Really?” Peo- ple from Gen Z waste so much time, energy and money to do or watch things they aren’t even passionate about? Why do it then? I want everyone who’s reading this to sit back and reflect on this thought, “Are my choices, likes and dis- likes a mere result of peer pressure?” Because we live in a world where not being active on social media spurs instant judgment. And some- where deep down, we’re all afraid of it. That’s why we scour the internet to search for tickets of a movie we don’t know head or tail of. Otherwise, “LMAO bruh you got no chill.” Following fads isn’t ‘chill’. Chill is being your- self, owning yourself and not bowing down to every- thing your peer group says. You do you. KIRAT KHANDELWAL, class XI, Army Public School, Dagshai MY MOTHER SINGS ME TO SLEEP PAULA JUDITH, class XI, Sainik School, Thiruvanathapuram Will you give a young bird you tended to the hunter’s arrow? Will you leave the sky to fall on the world if it was in your hand? How then will I let you out in the streets Where sin is not just a word, but a habit And you, my sweetheart, don’t lie; I know you’re afraid of mon- sters you’ll find in the city They’re nightmares wrapped in flesh and bones. Lust lulling them to sleep Stay with me, dear, until I make you a fire; A fire for a soul too young, Burning the city down, shak- ing the earth and bringing life that’s hidden in the ground The light that the darkness fears and flees, you’ll be the fire, a burning legacy. But until then, dear, stay with me Under the covers, and sleep We’ll draw love and whisper peace; Until then, dear, stay with me Do not open the door and go out in the streets. TELL ME IF MY VOICE ISN’T REAL URVASHI BANERJI, class IX, Delhi Public School East, Bengaluru Tell me if my voice isn’t real The weak lass would try to conceal The whispering voices invite to seek in, The lurking shadows hurt me from within ‘No, no’ Cried the feeble doe Trapped in the endless cycle of sorrow, Patiently waiting for tomorrow. The creeping darkness seeping from within The haunting darkness devouring with a sickly grin THE WORLD OF TOMORROW SHREYA RAVI, class IX, The Brigade School – Malleswaram, Bengaluru Time talks to me, And tells me to imagine about something so wee, I guess I would like hap- piness and no sorrow, Something like the world of tomorrow. There might be time machines, Or teleportation from a mansion to a burrow, All of this would be pos- sible, In the unpredictable world of tomorrow. New inventions, new laws (maybe), And people who won’t follow these laws, Shall be labeled as ‘slobby’. My only fear is age, which acts like an invis- ible cage, The rules of age we shall be bound to follow, In this dangerous world of tomorrow. I think that I’ll just stay here, Maybe I’ll lend an ear, To know what’s it’s all about From a group of future fanatics from Scarborough, Who love the neutral world of tomorrow. STORMY WEATHER: ADVAIT HARISH, class XII, KV INS Dronacharya, Ernakulam Want to see your articles and views featured in print and online? Register now at: toistudent.com HOW TO REGISTER: We have kept the registration process simple. You can regis- ter as a student, teacher, parent or ex- student. Simply key in your name, school details, email id, include a pic (optional), DOB, and you’re good to go. REGARDING THE SUBMISSIONS: We trust that the content sent by you is origi- nal. Kindly ensure that you have attached your image with the submission, and also mentioned your class, school and city details. FORMAT OF SUBMISSION: Text/Video/Image You can also mail at [email protected] WRITE FOR US M ovies have a major im- pact on our lives and contribute to shaping our personalities. Most im- portantly, they have the pow- er to shed light on issues impacting our society. They provide a platform for all sections of society to ex- press and exhibit their views. Presently, however, the Indian entertainment industry is falling short on this aspect. Diversity in television shows for young chil- dren is especially important, as they are at an impression- able stage in life and their opinions are eas- ily swayed by the things they see. It is important to portray characters that are dif- ferent from the viewer, as this exposes the child to people who come from different walks of life, and are sensitised on the difficulties faced by many peo- ple around the world. If the minority groups are repre- sented on television as heroes, children, who look up to them, grow up to be open-minded adults. The representation of dif- ferent religions, races and genders is crucial for diver- sity in cinema and televi- sion. F. Earle Barcus, a pro- fessor of Boston University, con- ducted a con- tent analysis on children’s tel- evision in Holly- wood. He found that there was a sizeable discrepancy between the numbers of female and male characters. Females account for just under one- third of all characters. This seems discouraging, but it is an improvement from the 1:6 ratio that he had found in an earlier study. Bollywood has also changed with time. The cul- tures and tradi- tions of many sections of peo- ple in India have been captured over the years. Although diver- sity in cinema and television has ameliorated over the past few years, there is still a long way to go. TARUNYA SASHIKANTH, class XI, NPS HSR, Bengaluru IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY IN MOVIES AND TV SHOWS S ometime back, when we drove to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Tanzania, short, round huts made of mud and straw in small settlements made by the Maasai tribe — guarded by a wall of wood — came into view. Tall men and women lined the en- trance to the settlement. We stopped, as- suming it would be difficult to make them understand that we wanted to take a tour of their little village. But to our surprise, the head of settlement spoke fluent English! After the pleasantries, he told us that the tribe had to buy wa- ter from the Government as there is a paucity, especially in summer. For their survival, they depend on cattle and live- stock. The Maasai tribe is particularly known for its colourful attire and un- usual traditions like 'Enuoto', the com- ing of age ceremony which involves days of dancing, singing and rituals like 'Ad- umu’ – the jumping dance, in which el- igible bachelors get brides on the basis of how high they jump! Although India certainly doesn’t need any more unusual rituals, what we Indians, can learn from the Maa- sai tribe is how incredible they are in their lifestyle. Even when the Tanzanian govern- ment tried to encourage the tribes to mod- ernise their traditional lifestyle, they stayed attached to their roots and con- tinued their age-old customs. They send the boys of the tribe for higher educa- tion to the cities, but the boys come back home to teach the younger generations. They have also brought technology to their villages in the form of smart phones and projectors to make their lives more comfortable. They have kept their distance from the outer world, yet opened a window, to modern life. They have become ‘Urban’, but are still ‘Tribal’. Maasai tribes have taught us to soar high in the sky and yet keep our feet grounded to the earth. These ‘tribal war- riors’ also live in close proximity to na- ture and depend on it for their daily re- quirements, like building fences from hardy plants etc. Maasai tribe’s never-say-die spirit, cheerful demeanour and easy lifestyle highlights the fact that we too must live life to the fullest. They are content with living their life in the middle of the savannah grass- lands, slowly inching towards develop- ment. And seeing the little children studying in traditional huts in the re- mote area, using up-to-date textbooks and stone slates for writing, I felt that we should be ready to learn things from unexpected corners of the world. AANYA BEDI, class XI, Carmel Convent School, Chandigarh IMP: All the articles and poems are published with bare minimum editing. ME MINION: ANJALI SHARMA, class XII, KV INS Dronacharya, Ernakulam CREEPY FELLA: SHRAAVYA SHETTAR, class VII, Presidency School NLO, Bengaluru THE URBAN TRIBES OF TANZANIA WHAT'S ALL THE HYPE ABOUT? Get organised, success will follow T hat day I was a bundle of nerves with a bunch of but- terflies in my stomach. It was the day of my grade four piano exam. The very words on my hall ticket taunted me. Weeks of prac- tising my pieces, scales and aural tests seemed like a minuscule amount of practice at that moment. Of course everyone was telling me it would be just fine and I would do a great job, but their comforting words were of no avail. The week leading to that crucial day was easily the most hectic one in my whole life. To my relief, the exam- iner was really kind and encour- aging. Her presence helped me calm down and give my best shot. Fear, anxiety and nervousness gradually were replaced by happi- ness and satisfaction. But because I left all my practice for the last minute my marks weren't that great. This experience taught me how to be more organised and responsible in the future. It also proved that without organ- ised and regular hard work, suc- cess will remain a dream. SAFA FATHIMA RAFEEK, class IX, Greenwood High School, Varthur, B’luru My Space doesn’t end here. The discussions and debates continue on www.toistudent.com. So if you want to serve your views on the web too, head to www.toistudent.com. Register now!
