EXCELSIOR · 2013-03-28 · participate in debates. It would be really encouraging to see those from the floor reveal their debating skills. The students were really ecstatic after

participate in debates. It would be really encouraging to see those from the floor reveal their debating skills. The students were really ecstatic after a town exeat, and have already started planning the new items they are going to try on the menus of various restaurants next time. July i s al read y nearing its end. With time just flying by, I would like to remind everyone to make the most of all the moments and use the time they have in d o in g so m et hin g productive...and nothing that they will regret. Editor-in-chief Jannat Faiyaz 12S

A very warm...I guess “foggy” welcome back to everyone, back to our Alm a Mater p resently shrouded in wisps of mist, the presence of which is greatly appreciated by the students as it m akes visibi lity for t he old impossible. Everyone looks forward to getting into their cozy beds each night, to falling off to sleep with the lulling sound of the rain. But this season of fresh air, rainbows and pristine beauty is also accompanied by the parasitic leeches, worms and the fluttering carpets of moths spread all over every morning, which can hardly be overlooked. Students are making a tremendous effort in trying to forget that they have a new and more difficult test waiting for them every morning, an effort which is greater than the one put into revision. Gone are the days when young inventive minds used to dream and wonder

during the excruciating study hours. Now the young geniuses are forced to stare into their books, which have taken the place of the windows. This new system is keeping the students on their toes and is surely going to help everyone in their last minute preparations before the examinations. Everyone is trying to show off all their table tennis and badminton skills acquired over the years as the Inter-house matches begin. Chess and carom boards too are be ing d ragged out o f t he cupboards as some are trying to prove their intelligence and some their sense of direction. Our gifted soccer players once again beat the poor team in orange. We know what the result of a next match will be but still we would like to wish them all the luck. I ’ d l i k e t o congratulate all the new fac es who have been plucking up the courage to

EDITO R’S NOTE

W Y N B E R G - A L L E N S C H O O L , M U S S O O R I E

JU LY 200 8

MO NTHLY I SSUE EXCELSIOR Special points of interest Guess Who??? (This

time it isn’t as easy as

the previous one)

Rack your brain to look for the HIDDEN WORDS

Are you the Quiz

Master??? Check it out.

Common Saying s Unscrambler.

Opinion Poll : “How

would you grade the new m ul tim ed ia room ?”

Inside this issue:

Interview with Ms. Payal Bannerjee

2

Interview with Mr. Gaurav Dudeja

3

Inter-house English Debate (Junior)

4

Inter-house Hindi Debate (Junior)

4

Inter-School English Debate (Senior)

5

Inter-House Soccer 5

A Trip to Dehradun 6 Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

...back to our Alma Mater

Jannat: Why did you choose teaching as a career? Being gifted with quite some talents, you did have varied options. Ms Banerjee: Well, I wanted to do so many things at the same time in life - dancing, singing acting, writing, drawing - just about everything ! I however grew up in a family of educationists and academicians. I loved seeing my mother guiding children, teaching them, moulding the youth…It was then I saw the respect in their eyes, and a chance to communicate. I guess that’s why... Jannat: How were you introduced to Wynberg-Allen and what brought you here? Ms Banerjee: Mountains have always been my weakness. I absolutely love their mesmerizing aura. So when I came across an advertisement in the papers which said Wynberg-Allen wanted an English Teacher - I didn’t want to lose this opportunity of working in the mountains that too in the best school in Mussoorie! “Passion” and “profession”… you know. Jannat: What are your interests? (I know there are many) Ms Banerjee: I love writing poetry and I find animation absolutely amazing. I love drawing too. Physics interests me a lot. Dancing, acting, travelling - I love them all. Jannat: What do you like to do when you are free? Ms Banerjee: Well, here in Mussoorie, I can go on gazing at the mountains and the clouds and when I am overwhelmed by the sheer beauty around me, I write and write and write… Jannat: Where were you born? What are the few memories you have of yourself as a toddler? Ms Banerjee: I was born and brought up in Kolkata. I was the naughtiest girl in school and home. I loved studying though. I still do. I would play football in muddy fields in the rain, till my mother would pull me home by the ears. I would love climbing trees with my friends and flying kites from the roof in the afternoons when everyone would sleep. My best friends were my four dogs and a pet eagle. Jannat: What did you hate and love most about school life? Ms Banerjee: I hated exams! And loved my library, art and games periods. I loved tournaments, playacting, friends, teachers (especially my English Teachers) , debates...almost everything. But most of all what I hated was when the bell would ring for school to give over. Jannat: What are the things you just can’t tolerate, both in people and around you? Ms Banerjee: Hypocrisy and betrayal. I try to be myself always and expect the same from everyone around. Something that I really abhor in the way people are now days is their lack of responsibility. They don’t want to stop and help even when people die by the roadside, leave alone lend a helping hand. Jannat: Would you like to see anything changed or any changes in the school? Ms Banerjee: I love the way the school is - so well planned out and so beautiful. Jannat: What do you think about the students here? (my favorite!!) Ms Banerjee: They are absolute bundles of energy!! I love them. I don’t like the fact that at times they can really be shy. I mean given their talents, potential and capability, they must forward with more confidence. They are very very helpful and very, very nice. Jannat: What are your plans for now? Is there anything you feel you’ve become really attached to in this place? Ms Banerjee: I really do want to start my club. There are so many students who are so interested in theatre and dance. I have really become attached to my students. Everyday, as I leave school, I look forward to seeing their faces again, smiling at me and wishing me “Good Morning” the next day. It does make my morning good.

PAGE 2

E XCELSI OR inTERview An i nter view wi th Ms Payal Banerj ee

Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty. – Mother Teresa

JU LY 200 8

PAGE 3

Experience is what a comb gives you after you lose your hair.

E XCELSI OR inTERview JU LY 200 8

Jannat: Sir, how does it feel to be back in your Alma Mater? Mr. Dudeja: It feels great. I’ve been coming here quite frequently. I think this must be my tenth visit at least, as an ex-student. Jannat: What do you reminisce about as you walk around the campus? Mr. Dudeja: There are memories everywhere- with the gate-keeper, here, at every step. Jannat: What are the changes you see around here? Mr. Dudeja: Well, everything is quite the same except the stones which seem to have been polished now. Before they had a more natural look. Jannat: So are there any teachers at present who taught you? Mr. Dudeja: There are many- Mr. .L. Tindale, Mrs. M. Mehrotra, Mr. Upadhyay, Mr. Champa, Mr. Kurian, Mr. and Mrs. Hatwal, Mr. and Mrs. Cashmore, and of course Mr. Mishra - I can’t even remember the number of times I was beaten up . Jannat: What was the naughtiest prank you played on a teacher? Mr. Dudeja: (laughs). I didn’t do it deliberately, but once we were playing catch-catch on the terrace in front of the headmaster’s office. Mr. L Tindale, our cricket teacher then, too was with us and by mistake I broke the glass of a windowpane. Mr. Martin came by and I was saved –hats off to Mr. L Tindale who faced all his wrath bravely. Jannat: When did you pass out from school? Mr. Dudeja: 1995. I’ve been here from 1-12. Jannat: What is the dearest memory you cherish in your heart of school? Mr. Dudeja: Every moment is close to my heart, from class 1-12. Jannat: What are you doing right now? Mr. Dudeja: I am the Assistant Commissioner Income Tax, New Delhi. Jannat: What made you choose this line? Mr. Dudeja: Well, it was a choice between business and civil service then. I went in for civil services exam and cleared it. Jannat: How were you in school? Mr. Dudeja: I was the naughtiest and most notorious. I never studied; I got 57% in ISC. It was sports that I loved and I was the best at it. I bagged almost all the Games colors. Jannat: What was the naughtiest thing you did? (Mr. Dudeja revealed this after some persuasion.) Mr. Dudeja: I had a TV, a heater, a music system with speakers all over the class 9 dormitory since I was a prefect. I managed to threaten my warden not to complain about me but one day he did. Jannat: Who was your favorite teacher? Mr. Dudeja: Mr. L. Tindale, though he never taught me. He was my cricket coach. He always caned me “for no use” when he was MOD. Anything used to go wrong and he used to pull me up. Jannat: How has Wynberg-Allen helped you? Mr. Dudeja: Wynberg Allen has helped me in every way. What I am today is due to this institution. Jannat: Anything you’d like to say to the students? Mr. Dudeja: Right now you won’t realize what you have here. The times spent in school are the best in one’s life. You people here are really lucky.

An i nter view wi th Mr. Gaurav Dudej a

Jannat: What is your advice to the students here? Ms Banerjee: I only want the students to realize how good they are. I want them to be more responsible for themselves, their families and this school. I would suggest they be more confident and assertive.

PAGE 4

On the 9th of July, 2 00 8, Wyn berg-Al len Senior School once again a s s e m b l e d in t h e auditorium to listen to the first English Debate for the Second Term. T h e t o p i c prevailing in the house was “Every cloud has a silver lining” and every contestant put across his/her point very convincingly.

The first speaker for the afternoon was Avtansh Gupta of Condon House who spoke for the m o tion fo l lo wed by Tenzing Lama who put forward her views against the motion. Next in line were Nishant Philip and M a h i k a B a n e r j e e representing Allen House. After an impressive account given by Allen House,

Christin e Wilson an d Raghav Mutneja of Powell House debated on the topic pass ionat ely. The last speakers for the debate were Parth Gulati and Anisha Pawa of Foy House. While the results were bein g t abu lated members of the floor very eagerly came forward to express their views too. Pratikchha Bachhar, 12S

Int er -House Engl i sh Debate (Juni or )

The results were as follows: Individual positions: 3rd position - Anisha Pawa (Foy) 2nd position - Parth Gulati (Foy) 1st position - Nishant Philip (Allen)

House positions: 4th position - Condon House 3rd position - Powell House 2nd position - Foy House 1st position - Allen House

On 30th of July , the students and teachers were t reat ed to an aft ern o o n o f Hin d i Debating in the Junior Division. The judges for the debate were Mr. A. Up ad hy ay, Ms. M. Mehrotra, Mr. K. Singh and Mrs. Swynynberg. The topic t hat prevailed in the house was “Television Has Disrupted

Family Peace”. The young speakers were very eager to put forward their views for and against the motion. They spoke of how viewers were affected by soap operas in their day to day life. Nonet heless, t he speakers against the motion were confidently able to contradict their opponents. We had three new speakers for the afternoons

d e b a t e – M a d h a v Bhardawaj, Vaibhav Bansal and Shantam Aggarwal who were as se rt i ve an d displayed a fiery style in putting forth their views. While the tabulation was going on, many ardent speakers came to the lectern to express their vi ews. It was very heartening to see their keen interest in the debate.

Int er -House Hi ndi Debate (Juni or )

E XCELSI OR JU LY 200 8 reports

Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. – Confucius

The results were as follows: Individual positions: 1st position - Mayuri Nathani (Condon) 2nd position - Amisha Pawa (Foy) 3rd position - Aman Motwani (Condon)

House positions: 4th position - Condon House 3rd position - Powell House 2nd position - Allen House 1st position - Foy House

...debated on the topic passionately.

Mayuri Nathani spoke profoundly

PAGE 5

On Friday, the 18th of July, our school participated in an Inter-School Debate Competition held at the Raja Ram Mohan Roy Academy in Dehradun. The school was represented by Charishma Prakash(12C) and Vinith Kuri an(11S). Mrs. M. Masters was the teacher-in-charge of the debating team. The topic prevailing in the house was ‘Poor parenting is the root cause for unrest among the youth.’

A total of 11 school participated in the event. Many prominent schools from Mussoorie as well as Dehradun and Delhi were present. Each school was rep resen ted by t wo s t u d en t s . The ju ry comprised a panel of three judges. Our school was the third to speak. It seemed as though the debaters were on a battlefield. Fiery speeches were followed by the scathing rebuttals , but the speakers seemed to be oozing with confidence and they seemed as though that

they had done this sort of stuff several times. The debate was very keenly contested with no participant giving an inch. It was even tougher for the judges who seemed to be suitably awestruck by some of the speakers. In the Individual Category Charisma Prakash finished in Third Position. In the overall ranking, the school finished 2nd only to St. George’s College. Vinith Kurian,11S

Int er -Sc hool Engl i sh Debate (Seni or )

E XCELSI OR JU LY 200 8 reports

An expert is someone who takes a subject you understand and makes it sound confusing.

Inter -House Soc c er The onset of the monsoon marked the outset of the soccer season here at Wynberg-Allen. The misty soccer field was filled up wi t h Bec kh am s an d R o n a l d i n o s o f Wynberg-Allen. Boys had passionately awaited this season to exhibit their stupendous skills at soccer. Mr. Champa and Mr. Hatwal had their boots on till late in the evenings as they endeavored to make every player a soccer champion. Inter-House Soccer began with junior matches.

Junior boys were no less than any renowned soccer player in the world. They played exquisitely with great team spirit. Foy House proved itself better than any other house and took the lead. The players turned out to be a firm backbone for their House as they looked set to grab the giant soccer cup that was eagerly awai t in g it s possessor. Senior boys also gave a superb account of their marvelous proficiency on the soccer field. Allen House won its matches

against Foy House and Condon House. Powell House drew with Foy House as both the teams were invincible Condon House won its m atc h again st Powel l House. Although the teams suffered defeat sometimes, they were undeterred and played with admirable team spirit. At the culmination of Inter-House Soccer, Foy House was the possessor of the most awaited Soccer Cup for year 2008. Neeraj Agrawal,12S

House positions: 1st position - Foy House 2nd position - Allen House 3rd position - Condon House 4th position - Powell House

Vinit and Charisma gave an exquisite account of themselves

E XCELSI OR JU LY 200 8 reports

PAGE 6

When you're right, no one remembers. When you're wrong, no one forgets.

A Tr i p To Dehradun “This red part you see here could be vegetation of some kind, this black part is marshy land and this is…. Hot coffee full of dripping chocolate sauce with…. smudges of dark red dots…“those could be houses or huts...” A nudge. ‘No leave me alone. Ummm choc…’

Another nudge, harder this time and my mind snapped back to reality. I looked around - the AC was cool, the rotating chairs were nice, the desks were sleek, the 25 children sitting around me looked comfy enough and the two teachers at the back were- I should say suitably interested and oh yes, how could I forget to mention the scientist giving a lecture on remote sensing.

Well, from what I gathered when I was somewhat alert, was that remote sensin g is us ing speci al satellite images of earth to distinguish

various natural or man made features on the land rather than going to the location itself (nothing to do with chocolate sadly). After a very inform ative lecture, of one hour we were asked a polite and slightly rhetoric question ‘If you’re getting bored we can move on.’ To let you know where we are - I’ll start from the beginning. Class 11S & 12S had gone on science trip to Dehradun to visit the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology and the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing [IIRS], both equally impressive in their own distinguished ways. W ad i a In s t i t u t e –

Destination One and home to facilities such as the electron microscope, an x-ray diffraction m achine, minute seismology labs and remote sensing labs, a well stocked museum of fossils, stones and rocks dating back to

prehistoric times –just to mention a fraction of what we actually saw.

IIRS - Destination Two and home to facilities such as up to the minute sate llite inform ation and pictures, an edu-sat (education via computers) facility, a UN building and very cozy lecture rooms.

We were shown through each institute by efficient and learned scientists, some explaining objects and topics wonderfully while others were a bit too advanced for us. The electron microscope (magnifying capability of 1,000,000 times) and the seismology lab interested us the most I think. And last but not the least, Destination Three - McDonalds & food.

We would like to thank Mr. A.C. Kurian and Dr (Ms) S. Saxena for kindly accepting to be our escorts on this eventful day.

Pulakit Singh, 11S

PAGE 7

E XCELSI OR

What are we here for? The reason behind our existence

These questions will plague our minds forever And the answers will never make complete sense.

All the time we dedicate Troubles we take to find answers

We search for ways to fulfill our unknown duties on earth In order to make a life much better and sincere.

We waste precious moments Mulling over explanations we all know somewhere

But those which are known only to our souls And are not meant to be advertised bare.

If we just live life, The way it is truly meant to be lived.

Not pondering and trying to find a reason to why we are alive, Which only ends in making our minds restless and grieved.

If only we realize what we have, Understand the meaning of having been gifted life

Make full use of the time we have in this world And fill it with every emotion; from happiness to strife.

If we just live at peace with ourselves And at peace and in harmony with each being that is living,

Appreciating the beauty of each and every thing, And thanking the Creator for all his giving.

We will never ever know, Of what will happen and where it will end,

But we know what we have now will never come again So its best to live life fully and make all the amends.

Jannat Faiyaz

12S

A gentle wind had been blowing through the leaves, Making them shuffle in uneasiness.

The cloud had hidden the morning star, As if showing its vengeance.

For it was the loss of the most precious one, Staring right at my face.

I tried to recall all that I’d gone through, While I stood there lost in my reminiscences.

They’d laid her down in a wooden box, Her body was all numb and frail,

Her beaming eyes had been forever shut, Her glowing skin had turned all pale. Then soon the lid was placed on her,

Her beautiful face thus covered, And then she was carried away,

Leaving me and my life in a havoc.

I hadn’t thought my life would take such a turn, My strength, my support,

Would give me such a lesson to learn. Abandoning me, in a world full of strangers.

Leaving me behind, her own child, To face every danger.

My carefree life was thus brought to a sudden halt, And at that moment I did feel it was the Almighty’s fault.

But then the sun did shine and all was bright again, And I realized that a promising future was waiting ahead.

Though the grief and sorrow will always remain. Deep within I know I will be joyful again.

So I have got up, got ready, To face all the challenges life has to offer.

Knowing that even though she isn’t with me today, Her soul will guide me all through the way.

Sakshi Gupta

10A

The greatest test on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart. - Robert Ingerson

JU LY 200 8 POETS CAFE

Unfaded MemoriesExistence

E XCELSI OR JU LY 200 8 Art attack

PAGE 8

The greatest tragedy is when man gives up what he wants most for what he wants now!

-Pratikchha Bacchar, 12S

-Anisha Tamrakar, 11C

-Ankita Rana, 12C

-Farah Aijaz, 12C

E XCELSI OR JU LY 200 8 Art attack

PAGE 9

The higher we soar, the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly. -(Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche)

-Nishtha Dua, 10B

-Kalsang Yangzom, 12C

-Chandu Mahesh, 12C

-Sagar Kalra, 12C

How well do you know your teachers??? Can you guess who the following teacher is? 1. Teenage fear – None. 2. Favourite dialogue – Mad chap. 3. Favourite song – I Always Love You by Kenny Rogers. 4. Dream destination—Italy. 5. Self description in two words – typical LEO. 6.Other career desire – Leading an organization. 7.Favourite past-time – Listening to music with a book. 8.Secret desire – Learning how to swim. 9.Most prized possession – My brain. 10.Most memorable incident – Getting married. 11. Rapid fire :- (a) Madhuri Dixit or Aishwarya Rai - Madhuri Dixit (b) Jeans or Bermudas - bermudas

Guess Who???

PAGE 10

E XCELSI OR JU LY 200 8 inquizitive

Satisfaction does not come with achievement, but with effort. Full effort is full victory – Mahatma Gandhi

Hi dden Words

Hidden in each sentence is a word belonging to one of the categories listed. Find the hidden word, and identify the category to which it belongs. For example: When I grow up, I want to be a ranger.

In this case, the answer would be animal. The hidden word is bear (When I grow up, I want to be a r anger. 1. The sun setting against the horizon makes Cairo seem magnificent . 2. On a dare, Bob decided to jump in, knowing the water would be cold. 3. Look, I will not tolerate this nonsense anymore. 4. After much drunken gin, eerie noises may be heard at night. 5. As the mug was full, I v ery carefully added the cream.

Instruction

colour animal vegetable

colour animal vegetable

sport plant colour

fruit drink colour

sport professional natural phenomenon

body organ colour texture

1. Who was the child of a Prime Minister, the parent of Prime Minister and a Prime Minister? 2. In which three languages are most films in India made? 3. Singer Lucky Ali’s father was a famous actor. Name him. 4. Which famous book would you associate with the Kanha National Park? 5. In America , this punctuation mark is called a period. What is it called in India? 6. What unique geographical record does Mongolia hold? 7. It weighs only three pounds and is the most complicated machine known to man - yet each

one of us gets one free. What are we referring to? 8. Which bird holds the record for staying underwater for the longest period of time? 9. If you look through a powerful telescope on a clear night, how many planets would you be

able to see? 10. What is the difference between the manner in which a horse and a cow get up?

Qui z

Common Sayi ng Unscrambler

The following phrases or sentences are common sayings, which are missing the last word. The letters in the words have been scrambled, although the order of the words has not. The object of the quiz is to decipher the scrambled saying, then select from the answer options the word which is missing. For example: etrtbe tale nath... In this case, the answer would never. The saying is, "better late than never." 1. nd'ot tpu hte rcat rfoebe het... 2. a chtits ni miet vessa... 3. yelar ridb tesg hte... 4. o'ndt yrc rveo pitls... 5. tac tog uryo...?

PAGE 111

story never always snake

wagon man horse beast

radish garden sunlight worm

water earned present milk

lip tongue answer dog

I don’t deserve this award, but I have arthritis and I don’t deserve that either. – Jack Benny

E XCELSI OR JU LY 200 8 inquizitive

Instruction

nine ten wonder cloth

E XCELSI OR JU LY 200 8 Opinion poll

PAGE 12

Handle yourself using your brain but handle others with your heart.

Each Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached logically without guessing. Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit. So must every column, as must every 3x3 square.

Sudoku EDITORIAL BOARD

Editors-in-Chief : Neeraj Agrawal Jannat Faiyaz Ankita Rana Assistant Editors : Ahmed Maqsood Khan Pratikchha Bacchar Nishi Baranwal Kalsang Yangzom Karishma Khanna Pritha Dutta Surbhi Gloria Singh Diwank Singh Tomer Aradhyanayan Tiwari Art Section: Farah Aijaz Abhishek Kumar

How would you grade the new Multimedia Room? a) Excellent b) Good c) Unnecessary

Student s’ Pol l Teac her s’ Poll

25% Unnecessary

35% Excellent

40% Good

53% Excellent

47% Good