the telegram (vol 3)

DOING OUR PART

Zainab Soni

Every year the prestigious Karachi Boat Club hosts an interschool regatta where the city's finest rowers compete for medals. This competition is the most sought after event for anyone associated with Karachi Boat Club.

Months of training go into this competition, you have to make sure that you don't even skip a single training session because every minute of training helps you in the real race. Not just that, but the 3 day event its self, sucks the life out of you. Every second of it is worth it though, competing in a race is an exhilarating experience. From the very second the umpire screams "row" till the finish line. The minute your body gives up and all you have left is willpower, is the minute you realise how much of a love hate relationship you have with rowing. The thrill of the competition is in the last 200 meters in a 1km race. When adrenaline flies through your veins, you're gasping for air and your body is sore but you have to keep going. The second before the race ends is your strongest moment and it's the best worst

feeling ever.

The actual fun is watching the races. When you see your team get the lead you hear your heart beat out of your chest. You run all around the club to follow the boats on the water, you scream your lungs out so your team knows that you always have their back even though you're not on the water with them. At so many points you would find people from other teams rooting for your team and that felt amazing.

This competition isn't always about different schools and how they perform. It's about giving it your all and watching other rowers perform well too, despite the school that they are from. It's about all the hours of training that all these rowers have given to rowing. It's about that feeling of unity when you feel proud of your friends for winning the medals that they have earned. It's about all the new friends that you make and the excitement that you feel while watching an intense race. Ultimately it's all about your love for rowing.

Wednesday, 2 March 2016 | the telegram vol 3 |

Editor: Amna Chaudhry Photo Credits: Ahmed Saigal & Nashmia HasnieC E D A R C O L L E G E

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Wednesday, 2 March 2016

Volume 3

THE POWER OF SCIENCE

Fatima Mahmood and Neha Gheewala

Science has always been a medium of explanation. It tried presenting itself in some shape, whether it gave you a theory to ponder upon or a fact to make your evidences more substantial, science never did disappoint.

Now, I'm not stating that we as scientists hold all the answers to the universe and have an explanation for everything or could detect the loop in the plot, it is just that there is something that is ceaselessly enthralling about science, a fascination that can not be described and a curiosity that never could be quenched.

And that's the pride of a science student.

There are about 37.2 trillion cells in the body, some of which are dying this very instant as you're scanning this page and at the same time, they're being replaced.

We are composed of materials as old as the universe and of dying stars all mixed together and engraved within our bodies. In other words we are literally made of star dust, and the thought itself is mind numbing.

As science students often times than not our subjects seem a mouthful, the tasks look tedious and not always are we welcomed with an enticing topic but we are rewarded with knowledge that gives us a better understanding of how things are supposed to function

Ever wondered why we have a

variety of eye colours?

That is because of a pigment called melanin, the lack of this pigment leads to blue, green and other light shades while having a significant amount of it gave you an eye colour in the spectrum of

darker shades.

Philosophers such as Aristotle established the foundation for the world of science, his gift came in the form of metaphysics, physics and biology.

As a child I used to trace the path of an aeroplane in the sky, my tiny brain not comprehending how such an object could stay up in the sky and not fall, till physics came along and held my finger and showed me the reason why.

Chemistry taught me fancy ways of naming everyday items, instead of water I could say dihydrogen monoxide which literally translates

into the same thing.

Biology answered my question as to why I froze on stage or got particularly excited when I tried something fun, why my heart would beat like a tattoo and my skin break out into goosebumps all due to a hormone called adrenaline.

It's wondrous how the same element could be used for the better good of humanity like producing electricity or to completely eradicate it, credits go to uranium.

I guess in a way that's what makes us science kids lethal, we hold both the disease and the antidote in our hands, and it's within our capabilities on how we plan on using them.

If we can use an equation to create nuclear bombs imagine what else we can do, given the resources.

I could rant on about the sinister and beauties of science or describe the miracles that happen everyday, within the confined space of our classrooms, but none of it will truly be fruitful till you as a student decide to take a sip of this cup and call it your cup of tea.


There are about 37.2 trillion cells in the body, some of which are dying this very instant as you're scanning this page and at the same time, they're being replaced.

UJAALA

Rabia Mustafa

When I got to know that Parents Voice Association – Ujaala, a rehabilitative school for special children, was offering internships I jumped at the opportunity.

Surprisingly, Ujaala was very well-organized. The classrooms had all the required resources which helped in enhancing the learning of the children. The school had alarge sports ground to maintain the fitness of the students as well as a conference room for formal meetings with the teachers and volunteers. Ujaala focuses on art too and the children get an art period to express their creative sides on paper and through crafts.

The children at Ujaala were nothing like I expected them to be. They were very well-behaved and fun to be around. They had a bright smile on their face even after all the adversities they face in life. They had this desire to learn which I have never seen in anyone before. Their goofiness lit up my day.

There was this one particular kid that fascinated me the most. His name was Naqeeb: a pre-teen skinny boy with messy hair.. He was a natural leader and also loved to make people laugh which is

probably why I connected with him the most as I possess these traits too.

Realization hit me hard. I realised that I was actually a selfish person who was so way too engrossed in her own life.. At the same time, I felt liberated and happy. I felt as though I had taken a breath of fresh air and found it to be bracing and delicious. It had sparked something with me – a determination to help people who are mentally and physically disabled.

That extraordinary day was one of the defining moments of my recent life. It set a lot of subsequent days in motion as it made me realize that being happy is vital for a full life. And for this, I’ll always be grateful to the children at Ujaala.

Nashmia Hasnie

“Each one should teach one” left an impact on me after the seminar conducted by Parents Voice Association. As the youth of society, it is our responsibility to remove the social stigma surrounding special children. Everyone must realize that all

children, special or not, are the same. They both want to be loved and accepted society. Special children just need to be handled with more patience, love and care. One of the major problems, prevailing Pakistan is that mental retardation is considered a taboo.

This mindset can be changed only through awareness, awareness that can be spread through the media and word of mouth. As volunteers of such an organization, we have the

ability to talk about our experience and The Early Intervention Ordinance. Such an Ordinance is the first in Asia and has the potential to decrease the number of handicapped children being born. Within four days, the parents will be informed if their new born child suffers from any mental disability, by the doctors as well as the government so that necessary treatment could begin at an early age. Due to the lack of awareness, many children have received delayed formal training, therefore, mostly pregnant mothers should be made aware.

After hearing mothers of mentally handicapped children speak of their experience, I realized how critical it is to spread awareness. Already being faced with a challenging task of raising a special child,

societies inconsideration makes it even more difficult. One cannot even begin to fathom how these mothers felt when harsh suggestions of abandoning their child were put forward or how bus conductors, shop keepers and others didn’t feel it was necessary to treat them with more patience than usual.

After working with these children, I realized, how small and unimportant my problems are compared to theirs. The frustration of not being able to write the letter “A” or being able to express themselves fully. Sure, at times it was challenging, but at the end of the day, I went home with contentment. I was born with the abilities others yearn for, and I was never thankful for it. Working at Ujala has truly been an eye opening experience and I know that working for Ujala is just the beginning of a long journey.


THE REVIVAL OF PAKISTANI CINEMA: PART 1 (DECLINE)

Zaid Abro

Majestic-trouble-extinction-Revival-and more trouble. These words are perhaps the most truthful way to describe the timeline of the once glorious Film Industry of Pakistan. An Industry producing more than a hundred and fifty films per year in the 60s and 70s, came at a stage where it even struggled to churn out a meager two films for the year. So what happened? What went wrong? The Cinema which produced masterpieces such as Armaan, Aina, Sargam, Anjuman and many more, stood or so still stands at a point of almost nothingness.

During its golden era (60s and 70s), Pakistani films were extremely popular, Bollywood movies were banned but that never really made that big of an impact as the local films were popular. Pakistan faced a major shift in its political scene in 1977. The military regime brought wide scale changes in the film industry. The first wave of censorship was launched into the Pakistani cinema, a wave of censorship which may perhaps forever cloud the industry. Filmmakers were required to have educational qualifications(which included Islamic education, made compulsory by the new regime), rules were set on female clothing to be worn in movies, Men and women showing affection on screen was also restricted, movies made on sensitive political topics were not allowed. The

industry wasalready suffering from a loss of veterans due to the Partition of East-Pakistan faced a storm that it did not survive. From more than a hundred films, the number of movies slowly lessened and lessened as time passed. Not only that, the new government put a large amount of restrictions on the construction and operation of cinema houses, many were ordered to be demolished to construct multi-purpose ‘Plazas’, as construction goes in Pakistan, most didn’t really see a new structure. Film-making was no longer a profitable venture, when there are no outlets (cinemas) to sell your product widely, if you do manage to produce any to begin with. From 750 cinema houses in the country, by 2002 only 170 remained. Those that remained were barely making profits and had extremely poor conditions and no new releases.

Creativity and freedom of expression, the very essentials of theatre and cinema were blocked thus films slowly phased out. With so many restrictions, desperate filmmakers took to producing violent action movies containing rowdy fighting

sequences, going to the theatre gradually became a social ill. Women working in the industry were looked down upon and labelled sleazy, no longer did ‘respectable families’ look favorably towards working in the film industry. Personal Religious beliefs were forced into cinema to make it ‘morally acceptable’, this eventually killed the cinema. With the Industry not producing any films, the general public preferred to stay at home instead of going to the theatre, foreign films were watched at homes using VCRS. The films currently being made (if any), were not good enough, those that could’ve been were shot down by the restrictions on the new regime.

Today we see the film-industry being injected with new life, how did that process start? What are the new problems that come with it and does the old cloud from the 70s still loom?


the telegram (vol 3)

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