ADITYA BIRLA WORLD ACADEMY

ADITYA BIRLA WORLD ACADEMY NEWSLETTER (Senior School) - August 2016

EDITION 1 :AUGUST 2016 ADITYA BIRLA WORLD ACADEMY ABWA Newsletter Editorial Team  Editor in chief o Pritika Nayak o Kamya Sankaranarayan  Assignment Editor o Jaineshaa Naheta o Aakriti Jain o Juhi Sarvaiya o Aashna Doshi o Sneha Kumar o Virajini Sanghai o Naira Sarkari o Advait Trivedi o Palak Shah o Simran Jhaveri o Vedika Sarathy o Anoushka Shah  Web Content Manager o Ananya Patel o Manav Shah o Jay Sampat o Storm Butti  Editorial Photographer o Deborshee Hore o Sachika Bhojani o Aeka Chatra o Manya Bajaj 1

EDITION 1 :AUGUST 2016 ADITYA BIRLA WORLD ACADEMY SCHOOL EVENTS Inter House Table Tennis Competition 2016 By: Advait Trivedi Grade 10 th On the July 30 , Aditya Birla World Academy held its annual Table Tennis Competition. The competition took place in the basement. There were 105 participants, spread out in age groups ranging from Under-10 to Above 16. The 105 participants battled it out for the Top 3 spots in each category which was up for grabs. The matches were exciting for the participants to play and the viewers to watch. The participants kept cheering for the other participants belonging to their house. The house captains gave their motivational speeches and the atmosphere around the basement was building up, as all the four houses were ready to prove their mettle. After a gripping couple of hours and 7 long finals, Aditya Birla World Academy finally had its 7 gold medalists. From the Under 10 Category (Boys), Ishaan Makharia emerged victorious. From the Under 12 Category (Boys), Chaitanya Ahuja of the Aryabhatta was the winner. Tejas Venkatesan of was the winner of the Under 14 category (Boys). The Under 16 category (Boys) was won by Manav Shah of the Aryabhatta House after he defeated a resilient Jash Khandelwal of the Vivekananda house after a long drawn out final. The Under 16 Category (Girls) was won by Arushi Narayanan of the Kalidasa house. The Above 16 Category (Boys) was won by Shainil Kothari of the Chanakya House after he defeated his fellow house mate Shaswat Betala in an exciting final that grabbed the attention of all present in the basement. The Above 16 Category (Girls) was won by Vivekananda’s house captain Vedantini Bhogilal who made her house proud. Aditya Birla World Academy’s Annual Table Tennis Competition was a massive success and was enjoyed by participants of all ages alike who were giving their hearts out for the house. Aditya Birla World Academy looks forward to hosting the next annual Table Tennis Competition and till then young sportsmen, do not count the days, make the days count. 2

EDITION 1 :AUGUST 2016 ADITYA BIRLA WORLD ACADEMY HMUN India 2016 By: Pritika Nayak Grade 11, IBDP HMUN India provided a forum for meaningful debate on issues significant to the international community. It offered delegates an opportunity to gain insight into the art of diplomacy, understand the value of collaboration and compromise, and build skills in public speaking, research, and debate. With approximately 1500 delegates from 13 countries and 150 schools, it was a chance for us to interact with many delegates and enhance our knowledge with different perspectives on a global topic. There were 15 fascinating committees at HMUN, this year and each was one of its kind. Personally, HMUN India was an enriching experience and I found myself emerge more confident and passionate after this MUN. Most of all, I enjoyed the self-satisfaction after conveying my points and working in committee of more than 200 delegates. The crises introduced in committee were very stimulating and challenged us to tackle the complex issue beyond the committee room. Our solutions to the topic were very comprehensive and approached every aspect of the topic, weighing pros and cons of the repercussions of our actions. Imagining ourselves to be UN representatives of different countries and grappling to negotiate solutions at a diplomatic level was a great exposure and indeed developed our critical thinking skills. This year, Yug Bhansali was awarded honorable mention and the below is his experience: “HMUN India was a rewarding and challenging experience where I polished my skills of diplomacy and public speaking. I was in the UNECE, representing Italy in the topic of income inequality. Our discussions and debates spanned from taxation policies to investment in human capital to even gender and racial discrimination and such a wide array of opinions from each topic furthered my understandings in the principles of economics. For me, the most important takeaway from this MUN was the people I met. It always surprises and pleases me to see people from all over the world that have their own unique talents and diversified backgrounds. I would like to thank the school for providing us with the opportunity to go beyond academics and further our horizons”. 3

EDITION 1 :AUGUST 2016 ADITYA BIRLA WORLD ACADEMY To balance out the work and make the conference more enjoyable, HMUN included social events such as ‘delegate dance’ and ‘HMUN’s got talent’, where entertainment was at its maximum. Overall, it was a fun-filled learning experience and those four memorable days is definitely unforgettable! Inter House Street Play By: Palak Shah Grade 10 th On August 15 ABWA not only celebrated Independence day, like every year, but also hosted the Inter House Street Play competition; an event that students were arduously preparing for. The competition took place in the school auditorium with the judges being Ms. Franak and Ms. Shalini. Post flag hoisting, the event kicked off with Grade 10 conducting an assembly on Independence Day. Following which, the competition began. The comparer called upon the first house – Chanakya – whose topic was “Wise and Otherwise”, where they highlighted the importance and power of the Youth. Next in line was the Vivekananda house who decided to raise awareness about War through their portrayal of Humanity and War and the fact that humanity over-powers the other. The third house was the Aryabhatta who through their play, promulgated and fought for the rights and respect of the LGBT community. Lastly, the Kalidasa house displayed an act on Drug Abuse and its consequences on pressured teenagers wanting an escape from reality. All the four houses – as mentioned by the judges- illustrated thought provoking social issues that are all very relevant in today’s time and need awareness drawn towards them. The diligence, team work and individual performance of each house and participant were commended. 4

EDITION 1 :AUGUST 2016 ADITYA BIRLA WORLD ACADEMY Finally, it was time for the result to be announced. Anticipation was etched across every student and house teacher’s face. Mrs. Sinha read out the result, with Chanakya at fourth place, Aryabhatta at third, Vivekananda at second and Kalidasa at the first position. After the ecstatic cheers of the Kalidasa house, the teachers and students vacated the auditorium, taking back with them the essence four powerful and important issues portrayed using a plethora of creativity and of course a patriotic spirit. Art Competition By: Storm Butti Grade 10 th Our school held its annual art competition this month on the 18 of August, and as always our students continued to blow away the minds of the judges with their creations. The competition consisted of three categories: th th Category 1: 6 and 7 Grade th th Category 2: 8 and 9 Grade th th th Category 3: 10 , 11 and 12 Grade Each category was given a different subject and a medium they had to work with, whether it is making a short stop – motion film or creating a mural. The challenge proved to be a difficult one, and the students surprised the judges with their creative interpretations of the topics. Category one was told to make a 3- panel storyboard about “Mowgli at a Rock Concert”. Each group of students came up with a unique story to go with their pieces. Whether it was a long tale planed ahead of time, or a short story cooked up impromptu, the judges were surely entertained by them. I think it’s I Story board : Grade 6 & 7 Vivekananda house 5

EDITION 1 :AUGUST 2016 ADITYA BIRLA WORLD ACADEMY safe to say, if I was given the same challenge couldn’t do half as well as they did th th The 8 and 9 grade, was given the challenge of making a mural based on their interpretation of “Captain India” India’s superhero. The creations were beautiful; some were 3D whereas others used various materials ranging from leaves to clothespins. You could tell that a lot of work had been put into each piece. Given the opportunity to pick a winner, I don’t think I would be able to. Lastly, category three was told they had to make a short – film. But that wasn’t even the toughest part of the challenge. I think it’s safe to say what really threw the students off was that they didn’t have any theme. So the films ranged for different genres to themes. Making Mural: Grade 8-9 Aryabhatta house The films went from discussing serious issues like depression to humorous satire discussing the cons of video game apps like Pokémon GO. Each creation was well thought out and a good st contender for the 1 place. ABWA’s students have once again been successful in proving their talents and capabilities. It has been an interesting art competition and we look forward to the next one. Janmashtami Celebration By: Virajini Shanghai Grade 9 Janmashtami is the annual celebration of the birth of the Hindu God Krishna. Like every year, even this year we came together to celebrate this joyful event during one of our many assemblies. This year, grade 6 presented an extremely interesting assembly by which the audience was captivated. This was truly a result of their hard work and enthusiasm. Grade 6 was successfully able to portrait the message of why and how Janmashtami is celebrated throughout the world. They promoted interaction with the student body through a game, in which selected students were called upon stage to perform the given task. They used different modes of presentation such as a power point presentation, as well as a song and dance, which were simultaneously performed. We enjoyed the great assembly put up by Grade 6 and look forward for to more such celebrations at ABWA. 6

EDITION 1 :AUGUST 2016 ADITYA BIRLA WORLD ACADEMY Inter House Chess Competition By: Naira Sarkari Grade 10 th The ABWA Annual Chess competition took place on Saturday, the 20 of August. The categories ranged from Under 8 to Under 16 in the boys and girls categories separately. Upon finally being allotted our opponents, everybody took their places around the neatly lined tables with chess boards on them, waiting for the arbiter to declare that the time had started. Once the matches started, the whole aura of the basement turned from a fish market to a church’s pin drop silence. Everyone intensely focused on only their matches in an instant completely forgetting the previous conundrum in the basement. The matches went on for roughly 30 minutes each with a few students completing their games within 15 minutes flat. Each match getting over for various reasons such as 1 illegal move, running out of their 20 minutes allotted time or finally, a check mate. Every match was extreme in its own way although the matches between the boys in the above 16 category was the most severe. The reigning Champion was beaten in a surprising turn of events but came second all the same and the intensity of that match was of the roof. The turnout for the competition this year was pretty good with a total of 91 students participating in total. Everyone encouragingly supported each other and after the event got over, each person congratulated the other. We always look forward to these inter house events and will definitely be eagerly waiting for next year’s Chess competition. 7

EDITION 1 :AUGUST 2016 ADITYA BIRLA WORLD ACADEMY Awards Day 2016 By: Aanshi Gupta Grade 12, IBDP Aristotle once said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” It is this spirit of excellence that drives the students of Aditya Birla World Academy to push themselves to discover new frontiers and be the best versions of themselves. This endeavor and strive for excellence was celebrated at the 8th Awards Day of Aditya Birla World Academy. To begin the auspicious evening, the lamp of knowledge was lit by the dignitaries. The light of the lamp represents the knowledge that we strive to achieve. It radiates the spirit of perseverance, enthusiasm and our promise to nurture our innate potential to its fullest by dispelling the darkness of ignorance. It is said that when movement and purpose fuses, when light and shade fuses, a masterpiece is created. It was this masterpiece that left the audience in awe, as our classical dancers and talented singers came together to produce a fantastic performance. This was followed by a video and speech by our principal, Mrs. Sinha, as she presented details about the action packed year gone by. Mrs. Birla’s address to the audience was both, inspiring and moving. It motivated the students to work harder and strive to be the very best in whatever they do. We were privileged to have Mr. Rahul Sharma as the guest of honor. He is not only a dedicated musician but also a role model. His hard work and passion for music is what enables him to be such an accomplished artist and his address to the audience motivated them to imbibe these qualities. The evening concluded with the House awards, both cultural and sports. The students of Kalidasa and Chanakya House were ecstatic about their win. The Awards Day acknowledges not only our academic pursuits but also celebrates the growth that we have experienced in many aspects of our lives that will eventually make us who we are. The event left us all in high spirits, with a promise to perform even better this academic year! 8

EDITION 1 :AUGUST 2016 ADITYA BIRLA WORLD ACADEMY Creative Writing A Moment of Doubt By: Hriday Mehta Grade 10 All he could see was blood, people were running in all directions in panic trying to hold onto their futile mortal lives, dropping dead one by one at his feet as he devoured their fear and panic. Omar Bin Mustafa had heard a lot about the devil in Abbahideen who mercilessly tortured the sinners who dwelled in his lands. He was the devil now, slaughtering anyone who came in his path, and those who tried to flee from it. It seemed as he and his seven comrades were death itself, no one stood a chance in front of them. Omar Bin Mustafa landed on the shores of Mumbai, on the 26th November 2015; 7 years after the tragic event where his Uncle Ajmal Kasab was caught and hanged by the Indians. He was filled with animosity for these people, he intended to start his mission from the Taj Hotel itself, to show the Indians that the Al Qaeda feared nothing, and if you cut of one of their heads, two more would emerge and take its place. His enemies seemed ubiquitous, he intended to spare none of them. Getting past the security was a child’s play, and he managed to infiltrate the hotel with ease. The reception was crowded with prey and Omar opened fire on the people, the very people because of whom his mothers were widows, and brothers were orphans. The people were caught totally of guard, and began to run in panic and confusion. However, Omar’s men had blocked the escape, and there was no escape. Most of the people were dead within minutes, and Omar advanced to his next main target – the restaurant. When the gang of terrorists walked inside, no one blinked an eye. Khorasan, one of his accomplices threw a grenade in the air, which blasted, causing terror all around. Omar walked in and started shooting anyone he saw, his mind was filled with resentment, his heart was filled with rage, he was determined to end this – once, and for all. He shot down an old couple, and then another young girl; the place was flooded with corpses. People tried to escape the restaurant, but there was no leaving when the Dark Angel himself came to feast. He was about to leave, when he heard something move. It was a small girl, not more than 4 years old stepped out. Her parents had been killed, and she was bawling in fear and pain. The terror within her eyes, her feeling of helplessness and sorrow was enough to shake Mustafa out of his rage. The stone heart of Omar Bin Mustafa melted to see this terrible scene and he finally realised the intensity of the damage he had caused. A moment of doubt struck him, he began to doubt his 9

EDITION 1 :AUGUST 2016 ADITYA BIRLA WORLD ACADEMY own ideologies, his own principles – the very principles for which he lived… and killed. He had been doing this for Allah – but is this what Allah wished of him. Tears stung his eyes as Omar Bin Mustafa turned around and began to leave when suddenly Khorasan yelled a battle cry and fired at the girl. Omar stepped in, and took the bullet straight to the heart, which he hadn’t bothered to use until now. As he breathed his last, he prayed to Allah, not for compassion, but for justice – to make sure such a terrible thing never happened to anyone again. 10

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