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The following is an
excerpt from a letter written in appreciation of Debashish Chakrabarty’s
(DEB) article on plagiarism in the April 22nd issue
I read with amusement
and a certain degree of concern your excellent article in the April 22nd
issue of the Weekly.
As you have rightly pointed out, the crying need of the hour is to
introspect our respective roles in leading upto the present situation,
unpleasant though it is. We, as parents, are equally to blame for
creating this hype about marks and grades(and all associated forms of
evaluation) as the ultimate yardstick of a student’s performance.
Agreed, at a macro level, one does need a standard formula to assess the
academic worth of a pupil, but that remains only ONE aspect of the
complete picture. The development of the student has to be seen from a
holistic perspective, the ultimate goal being to produce a well-rounded
personality, polishing the innate attributes to a gem-like quality that
projects the optimum potential of the person.
In the haloed context of the Doon School, the issue assumes geater
significance as we move towards the IB Certification. I am reminded of
another thought-provoking front-page article some time ago in the
Weekly, by none other than the Dy.HM, Mr. Philip Burrett,deliberating on
whether we were indeed ready in the true spirit for the IB. Apart from
other infrastructural requirements for the IB, which the school is
naturally taking care of, it is to be seen whether the general ambience
(read mindset of the students) is indeed in a state of readiness. A lot
of ground needs to be covered, considering the IB places a high premium
on honesty in terms of assignments etc. In the backdrop of the ugly
controversy of plagiarism, you have raised some very pertinent questions
in your article. Please accept my compliments for the well-written
article. In today’s scenario, there are not many role models for the
confused adolescents under constant pressure to perform. On a campus
like Doon, the teachers are under constant scrutiny 24X7, being
evaluated more by their actions than by hollow words. There are only a
few who actually lead by example, and believe me, the boys worship them
as icons. The younger generation has a far greater sensitivity than what
we credit them with...it’s more often a collective failure on our part
to lead them up the right path with the strength of
I do hope the debate you have tried to ignite through your article would
be carried to its logical end.
(Udita Chowdhary,
Parent) |
Creative Kudos
Please allow me to
express to Naveed through the columns of the Weekly, my very deep sense
of appreciation for his short story ‘A Greenish Fate’ which appeared in
the Saturday, April 15 issue.
I remember, in my days, Mr. S P Sahi, who was our English teacher, laid
considerable stress on the art and quality of writing. Short stories and
essays were always his favourites and I remember how keen we were to
write in those days. Although I was nowhere near the Deelip Surves, Mani
Shankar Aiyers, Swaminathans, Deepak Lals and so many others, yet, I
never gave up trying. Today while reading Naveed’s article, I am very
happy to learn that the same practice, albeit in different times and
ways, continues at the old alma mater.
If the Editorial Board agrees and the Headmaster permits, I am willing
to offer a trophy in the name of my parents for the best short story
written each term.
(Ashim Kumar Mukherjee,
ex-44 T ‘58)
Nature’s Bounty
Shashank Peshawaria (C form)
Nature is an oasis
A fertile spot, where
Fresh water flows, and majestic palm trees grow.
It has its own depth
When you seek for it,
You hear incantations,
In its fresh breath.
It has its own magic,
Rustling dry leaves, swaying trees,
Snow-capped mountains,
Flower-strewn valleys.
The piercing rays of sunlight,
Dance off the flowing water,
Taking you into an unknown world of colours and shades.
The cycle of seasons,
The animal kingdom,
And mankind alike,
All bow before Nature’s might.
It nurtures your heart and soul,
Awakening the far reaches of your mind.
In abstract gestures it reveals
The meaning of life.
Treat Nature like a good friend,
Or it will give all life, an abrupt end.
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Online Edition:
http://www.doonschool.com/magazine
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IPSS© All
rights reserved. Printed by: The English Book Depot, 15 Rajpur
Road, Dehra Dun, Uttaranchal - 248009, India. Published by:
Philip Burrett, The Doon School, Dehra Dun.
Editor-in-Chief: Akaash Pathare Editor: Shikhar Singh
Senior Editors: Rijul Kochhar, Uday Pratap Singh Hindi Editors:
Amritesh Rai, Suhaas Khullar Associate Editors: Ashish Mitter,
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Chaturvedi, Arvindanabha Shukla Special Assistance: K.C.Maurya.
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