SOMETHING TO PONDER OVER

ON 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF EARTH DAY

WORLD

















Population



Density




























Urban
%
age

2020






















7.8
Billion






52
persons
/
sq
Km







56
%
1970






















3.7
Billion






25
persons
/
sq.Km







37
%

INDIA

2070
(
Proj)










1.64
billion



551
persons
/
sq.km





53.5
%

2020






















1.38
billion



464
persons
/
sq
km





35
%

1970






















0.55
billion



187
persons
/
sq
km





19.7
%

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

SOURCE: W O R L D - O - M E T E R APRIL 2020
 50 YEARS OF
EARTH DAY
By Piya Sharma, Grade 11, SNS Gurugram

Senator
Gaylord
Wilson
was
increasingly
concerned
about
the

environment.
He
had
witnessed
a
disturbing
oil
spill
the
last
year

and
was
inspired
by
the
ongoing
student-led
anti-war

movement.
It
was
dawning
on
him
that
public
awareness
would

lead
to
popular
pressure
to
include
environmental
protection
in

the
political
agenda.

He
announced
the
idea
to
the
national
media
and
recruited

Republican
Congressman
Pete
McCloskey
to
serve
as
his
co-

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

SOURCE: CNBC & THEATLANTIC.COM APRIL 2020
 economic
much
more
severely
than
those
of
a

higher
one.
When
there
is
a
heavy
downpour,
it
is
a

minor
inconvenience
for
the
rich
Parks.

Their
camping
trip
to
celebrate
their
son's
birthday

is
cancelled;
they
have
a
garden
party
the
next
day

to
make
up
for
this.
For
the
poor
Kims,
however,
this

rain
is
disastrous.
Their
home
is
completely
flooded,

chair,
and
a
25-year-old
named
Denis
Hayes

most
of
their
belongings
lost.
They
are
forced
to

from
Harvard
as
national
coordinator.
Hayes

sleep
in
a
gymnasium
with
other
displaced
people.
built
a
national
staff
of
85
to
promote
events

across
the
land.
April
22,
falling
between
Spring

On
a
personal
level,
many
of
the
people
my
age

Break
and
Final
Exams,
was
selected
as
the
date.

constantly
must
remind
themselves
that
the
future

they
are
dreaming
of
may
not
even
be
possible
by

On
this
day,
20
million
Americans
took
to
the

the
time
they
grow
up.
One
of
our
seniors,
Ananya

streets,
parks
and
auditoriums
to
demonstrate

Bhagwat,
enunciated
this
quite
well
in
a
recorded

for
a
healthy,
sustainable
environment.
It
was
a

discussion
conducted
by
the
school.
I
mean,
I
hope

bi-partisan
event
-
enlisting
support
from
both

the
reason
the
youngest
generation
now
is
called

ends
of
the
political
spectrum,
and
various

Gen
Z
is
not
because
'z'
is
the
last
letter
of
the

socio-economic
groups.
It
was
also
a
unifying

alphabet.
platform
for
environmental
protection
factions,

bringing
together
groups
who
focused
on

There
are
many
structural
challenges,
such
as
lack

different
aspects
(example:
deforestation
vs
oil

of
infrastructure
to
produce
eco-friendly
fuels.

spills)
under
a
common
umbrella.
Significant
roadblocks
exist
in
the
form
of
the

It
hasn't
been
a
smooth
ride
since.
While
we've

seen
several
achievements,
the
problems
are

numerous.
The
heavily
decorated
film
'Parasite'

commented
on
how
the
effects
of
climate

change
will
affect
those
of
a
lower
socio-

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

SOURCE: CNBC & THEATLANTIC.COM APRIL 2020
 While
climate
deniers
are
an
obvious
issue,
even

steps
taken
by
politicians
who
are
vocal
advocates

for
climate
action
fall
short
of
the
mark.
I
think

Hasan
Minhaj
words
this
very
eloquently:
“At
some

point,
political
pragmatism
has
to
reckon
with
the

reality
of
climate
change.

You
can't
negotiate
with
science.
You
can't
meet
it

powerful
organizations
who
derive
profits
by

halfway.”
Politicians
need
to
wake
up
and
deal
with

exploiting
natural
resources,
such
as
the
palm

what
is
essentially
a
ticking
time-bomb.
Extreme

oil
industry
which
is
responsible
for
large
scale

measures
need
to
be
put
into
place,
and
that

deforestation
and
the
consequent
loss
of

initiative
needs
to
be
taken.
There
is
some
hope
in

habitat.
This
issue
spawned
the
popular

the
form
of
the
Green
New
Deal
in
the
US,
but
such

campaign
'An
Orangutan
in
My
Bedroom'.
In

things
remain
rare.
fact,
according
to
the
Carbon
Majors
Report

2017,
just
100
companies
are
responsible
for

The
current
coronavirus
lockdown
has
proven
to
us

71%
of
global
emissions.
that
we
do
have
the
ability
to
come
together
to

create
a
massive
impact
in
a
short
amount
of
time.

There
exists
a
species
of
people
who
do
not

China,
the
world's
second-largest
economy
and

believe
climate
change
is
real.
Unfortunately,

largest
emitter.
Emissions
there
fell
25%
in
mid-
they
count
amongst
their
ranks
some
very

February
compared
to
just
a
few
weeks
earlier.

powerful
people,
like
POTUS
Donald
Trump.
He

has
even
withdrawn
the
US
from
the
Paris

In
Europe,
the
daily
carbon
emissions
of
the

Climate
Agreement.
European
Union's
twenty-seven
member
states

As
a
debater,
I
have
once
encountered
the

motion
'This
house
will
censor
all
reports

denying
climate
change.'
It
remains
one
of
the

most
intriguing
motions
I
have
ever
debated.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

SOURCE: CNBC & THEATLANTIC.COM APRIL 2020
EVEREST VISIBLE FROM PUNJAB

to
do
something
revolutionary.
\

The
youth
involvement
is
a
common
strand

between
then
and
now.
Dismayed
at
the
lack
of

action
at
glaringly
obvious
issues,
with
the
clock

ticking
away
unheard,
a
young
girl
chose
to
protest

i n s t e a d
o f
a t t e n d i n g
s c h o o l .
To
h e r ,
t h e

environment
was
just
as
important
as
her

h a v e
f a l l e n
b y
5 8
p e r c e n t
s i n c e
t h e

education.
She
went
from
protesting
alone
to

implementation
of
strict
measures
to
curb
the

becoming
TIME
Person
Of
The
Year
2019.
Actually,

pandemic,
including
nationwide
lockdowns.

she
does
not
need
any
introduction.
The
arrival
of

Researchers
have
determined
that
carbon

Greta
Thunberg
transformed
the
global
climate

monoxide
emissions
in
New
York
City
have

movement.
dropped
by
almost
50
percent
compared
to
last

year.
When
us
children
mused
that
the
world
should
be

more
like
Harry
Potter,
we
meant
the
flying
brooms

The
Himalayas
are
now
visible
from
Punjab
due

and
all,
not
the
plot
of
the
later
books
where
the

to
the
ease
in
air
pollution,
a
sight
which
has
left

government
refuses
to
acknowledge
the
severity
of

the
residents
in
awe.
an
obvious
threat,
and
the
children
have
to
take

matters
into
their
own
hands.
It
has,
however,
come

However,
this
is
only
a
temporary
relief.
Much

to
that;
and
I
believe
we
have
risen
to
the
occasion.
effort
is
going
to
be
required
to
maintain
this

situation
once
things
return
to
usual.
Welcome
to
the
fiftieth
Earth
Day.
Remember

what's
at
stake.
Act.
Today,
this
very
moment.
If
we

When
the
earth
day
was
first
started
in
1970,
the

wait
for
tomorrow,
it
will
be
too
late.
hole
in
the
ozone
layer
above
Antarctica
hadn't

even
been
discovered!
Yet,
there
was
a

consciousness
and
desire
to
rise
to
action.

Today,
with
much
more
information
and

doomsday
predictions,
we
are
again
beginning

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

SOURCE: CNBC & THEATLANTIC.COM APRIL 2020
 THE PHYSICS OF BEYBLADES
By Devarya Madhukar , Grade 6, SNS Noida

Beyblades
(Bey)
are
mere
toys,
but
they
can
be
more.
There
is

some
physics
behind
these
wonderful
toys,
but
before
I
get
to

that,
let
me
explain
what
Beyblades
are.

Beyblades
are
spinning
tops
that
battle
each
other
using
manual

strength,
which
is
then
converted
into
spin
power
(RPM)
using

tools
called
launchers.
These
tops
came
into
existence
in
the

1990's,
made
by
Takaratomy
a
Japanese
company
which
makes

toys.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 VICTORY
VALTRYEK

but
their
stamina
and
balance
is
low.
That
is
why

one
should
try
and
wait
the
battle
out
or
knock

them
over.
If
you
are
an
attack
type
user,
you
should

try
and
angle
your
launch
and
get
as
many
hits
as

possible.
The
angle
of
your
launch
gives
the

Beyblade
a
better
grip
on
the
stadium
floor,
and

hence
the
attack
type
does
not
waste
its
stamina

(energy)
circling
the
stadium
and
immediately

Since
then
they
have
changed
a
lot
and
are
still

starts
a
series
of
attacks.
Because
the
driver
is
flat

popular
with
children
and
I
have
yet
to
come

and
the
launch
is
angular,
there
is
much
more

across
a
toy
store
that
does
not
stock
them.

friction
created
between
the
driver
and
the
stadium

Over
the
years
there
have
been
several

and
hence
gives
the
attack
type
the
ability
to
attack

generations
of
Beyblades.
This
is
the
time
line
of

without
wasting
its
spin.
Please
note
that
the
Attack

Beyblades:
type
bey-blades
are
weak
against
Defense
types.

1990





























2008

























2015
DEFENCE
TYPES:
Because
these
Beyblades
are
all

about
defense,
they
have
thick
and
round
layers,

Beyblade
gen
1






Metal
saga





Beyblade
Burst
heavy
disks
and
round
ball
shaped
drivers.
They

take
the
center
of
the
stage
quickly
and
stay
there.

There
are
four
types
of
Beyblades
Bursts
and

They
have
excellent
balance
but
if
caught
off

they
are
made
up
of
3
general
parts:
the
layer,

balance
they
lose
immediately.
Defense
types
are

the
forge
disk
and
the
driver.
They
all
fit

weak
against
stamina
types.
together
to
form
the
Beyblade.

Types
of
Beyblade
Bursts:

ATTACK
TYPES:
These
Beyblades
are
tricky.
They

have
a
layer
full
of
contact
points,
a
light
disk

and
flat
drivers
(tip).
They
try
and
finish
the

battle
quickly,
dealing
loads
of
damage
per
hit,

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 RAGING
ROCTAVOR

combination
tip
coated
in
rubber
from
which
a

plastic
point
protrudes
out.
This
facilitates
a
good

counterattack,
because
when
the
Beyblade
tilts,
the

stadium
comes
in
contact
with
the
rubber,
giving
a

very
strong
attack
by
increasing
the
friction

between
the
Beyblade
and
the
stadium.

Additional
types
of
Beyblades:
STAMINA
TYPES:
The
stamina
type
of
Bey
Blades

have
lot
of
endurance,
and
hence
they
have

REVERSE
ROTATING:
These
spin
in
the
opposite

light
layers,
heavy
disks
and
sharp
drivers.
They

direction
of
the
regular
Beyblades.
Hence
meeting

have
amazing
stamina
and
are
meant
for
long

head-on
while
attacking.
battles.
If
one
uses
stamina
types,
then
one

should
launch
the
Beyblade
45
degrees
right
or

DUAL
SPIN:
These
Beyblades
change
their
mode
of

left
of
one's
opponent.
This
will
let
the
player

spin
during
a
battle.
dodge
their
moves
and
prolong
the
battle.
The

significant
thing
about
stamina
type
are
that

RULES
OF
THE
GAME
they
create
a
lot
of
centrifugal
force,
keeping

1
Beyblade
is
played
in
a
bowl
like
stadium

them
so
centered
that
they
can
spin
for
a
very

2
It
is
played
in
the
best
out
of
three
format
long
time.
Stamina
types
are
weak
against

3
If
one
bey
is
still
spinning
while
the
other
stops
the

Attack
types.
winner
wins
a
point
4
If
one
bey
manages
to
disassemble
the
other
then

BALANCE
TYPES:
These
Beyblades
are
pretty

that
is
worth
2
point
unpredictable
and
you
should
only
use
them
if

you
work
well
with
attack
types
who
are
just
as

hard
to
control.
These
types
have
layers
with

big
contact
points,
but
there
are
also
built
for

stamina
and
defense.
There
forged
disc
is
very

evenly
balanced.
There
tips
can
vary
‒
they
can

be
sharp
or
flat.
Sometime
there
can
be
a

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 KING
KERBEUS

Types
of
Attack:

Smash
Attack:
When
the
Bey
charges
head
on

and
deals
a
massive
blow
to
the
other
Bey.

STORM
SPRYZEN


Upper
Attack:
When
a
Bey
gets
below
the
other

Bey
and
tilts,
sending
the
other
Bey
flying.

Barrage
Attack:
Like
the
name
itself
there
is

barrage
or
incessant
number
of
attacks
which

stops
only
when
the
other
Bey
has
burst
or

stopped
spinning.

By
now
you
must
have
figured
out
that

Beyblade
is
not
a
game
of
pure
luck.
It
is
a

combination
of
skill
and
strategy.

Beyblade
Burst

As
said
by
Sun
Tzu
in
his
famous
book

'The
art
of

War',
“
The
good
tactician
plays
with
his

adversary
as
a
cat
plays
with
a
mouse,
first

feigning
weakness
and
immobility,
and
then

pouncing
upon
him”.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 MY LOCKDOWN EXPERIENCES
By Kalika Pahwa, Grade 5, SNS Gurugram

In
February
we
got
this
news
of
Corona
virus.
It
came
from
China

through
bats.
In
the
beginning
it
was
not
that
serious
but
after

sometime
it
started
spreading
and
became
very
serious.

The
government
told
us
to
take
precautions
like
washing
our

hand
properly,
learning
to
make
masks
if
we
go
outside
and

maintaining
social
distance
etc.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 On
22nd
March
we
were
told
to
express
our
thanks

and
gratitude
to
the
doctors,
nurses
and
all
the

people
who
were
helping
in
the
hospitals,
shops

etc.
by
sounding
bells,
utensils
etc.

I
was
not
able
to
go
even
to
the
society
park
to
play

with
my
friends
since
no
one
was
coming
outside

their
houses.
Still
the
virus
did
not
reduce
and
we
were
forced

to
take
a
step
of
LOCKDOWN
for
21
days.

On
7th
of
April
we
started
our
school
online
classes.

Everything
was
closed
except
for
the
essential

It
was
quite
interesting
initially
to
sit
in
front
of
the

goods.
The
various
Online
apps
like
milk
basket,

laptop
and
see
all
your
friends
and
my
teachers.
Big
basket
etc.
were
only
supplying
the

essentials.
However
as
the
days
went
on
I
started
to
feel
that

going
to
school
and
meeting
my
friends
was
much

In
the
beginning

I
had
many
things
to
do
at

better
than
sitting
in
front
of
the
computer.

home
but
after
a
few
days
it
became
very
boring

sitting
at
home
and
only
watching
TV
or
doing

The
Corona
virus
might
be
the
most
scaring
and

other
work.
challenging
adventure
for
me
and
I
will
never
forget

this.
During
these
21
days
I
heard
on
the
television

our
Prime
Minister
addressing
the
nation
and

It
is
very
important
for
us
to
stay
at
home
and
take

telling
us
the
things
we
need
to
do
in
order
to

care
of
ourself
and
our
family.
keep
our
selves
and
others
safe
form
the
virus.

Among
the
things
he
told
us
to
do
was
the

lighting
of
Diyas
and
candles
in
the
evening.

Everyone
said
that
the
light
and
heat
from
these

will
help
reduce
the
virus
effect.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 LOCKDOWN'S CONVIVIAL
# WE ARE HEROES #HOME SWEET HOME

By Disha Jain, Grade 6, SNS Noida

Wanna
travel?
Go
out
somewhere?
Me
too!

This
is
my
first
vacation
in
which
I
didn't
go
anywhere,
no

travelling,
no
movies.

Though
I
am
not
sad
about
it.
I
am
happy
I
can
spend
time
with

my
family!
There
are
so
many
things
we
can
do
at
home
-

cooking,
household
work,
playing
board
games,
reading,

writing
and
many
other
things.
God
has
given
us
plenty
of
time

to
spend
with
our
family,
we
should
be
grateful
to
him.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 Before What
effort
have
we
people
made?
Only
lockdown?

Some
people
around
the
world
have
taken
small

initiatives
towards
saving
their
country/world
from

getting
sick
of
Covid-19.

At
Greater
Kailash
police
station,
women
cops

made
masks
for
the
people
who
cannot
afford

them,
over
200
masks
were
sewed,
the
masks
are

All
of
us
are
heroes.
We
are
saving
our
country

pink
coloured
and
are
double
layer
masks.

by
taking
small
precautions
and
hopefully,
all
of

us
together,
will
come
out
of
this
safely.
Our

country
is
just
like
a
mobile
phone,
it
is

recharging
and
soon
would
be
fine.

I
love
experimenting
and
learning
new
recipes.
I

made
yummy
orange
popsicles
and
for
a
sweet

delight
I
made
chocolate
pudding
for
the
first

time!!
Everyone
appreciated
the
yummy
food

items.
I
felt
happy
to
get
appreciated
by
family

members.

A
boy
named
Rohit
has
made
a
sanitizer
hand
band.
Rohit's
sanitizer
band
can
be
worn
like
a
wrist

Remember,
the
winters
when
in
the
morning
it

watch.
The
band
is
filled
with
sanitizing
lotion
that

used
to
be
foggy
and
there
used
to
be
so
much

can
be
used
upto
30
times.


pollution?
Can
you
see
that
pollution
now?
The

air
is
so
clean
and
breathable.
When
I
stand
on

the
balcony,
I
can
hear
the
chirpings
of
the
little

birds.
I
guess
they
celebrate
the
clean
air.

Because
of
Covid-19,
pollution
has
reduced;
I

can
sit
in
the
balcony
for
some
time,
breathe
the

fresh
air.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 sanitizers.
These
small
initiatives
can
Stop
covid-19

from
spreading.
So
let
us
all
stay
at
home,
stay
safe,

and
help.

ROHIT

An
app
named
'aarogya
setu'
has
been
made
by

the
government
of
India.
It
can
track
us
and
find



out
whether
we
are
sick
of
the
virus
or
not.

State
governments
have
set
up
over
21,000

relief
camps
to
give
shelter
to
more
than
6
lakh

people
during
the
ongoing
countrywide

lockdown,
the
Centre
said
on
Tuesday
amid

criticism
for
migrant
workers
returning
from

cities
to
their
hometowns
in
various
parts
of
the

country.

In
my
society
people
are
collecting
funds
and

donating
to
the
PM
Cares
Fund.
We
also
help

the
people
who
cannot
afford
much,
by
giving

them
some
important
things
like
masks,
and

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 MY LOCKDOWN EXPERIENCES
By Agrima Singh, Grade 6, SNS Noida

“Others
have
made
a
lot
of
mistakes
and
we
have
made
a

mistake
by
letting
them
but
now
we'll
have
to
pay
for
everyone's

mistakes.”
This
old
saying
has
been
heard
across
the
world
a

total
of
3
times,
in
World
War
1,
in
World
War
2
and
as
I
like
to
call

it
World
War
3.
But
this
isn't
a
world
war
against
another
country

where
we
are
fighting
against
each
other,
this
is
a
world
war

where
we
are
working
together
to
fight
a
virus
which
is
unlike

any
other.
Yes,
it's
the
deadly
coronavirus,
which
has
caused
a

huge
havoc
across
the
world.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 Not
only
have
I
been
reading
but
I
have
also

engaged
myself
in
painting,
writing
and
doodling.
I

have
a
marvellous
time
doing
all
these
things

because
I
feel
that
once
I
start
doing
them
I
cannot

stop.
I
feel
as
if
all
my
thoughts
are
being
jotted

down
in
words,
pictures
or
doodles
and
it
feels
as
if
I

am
in
my
own
little
world
which
is
all
about
me
and

these
interests
have
helped
me
a
lot
to
develop
a

This
is
a
virus
that
has
had
the
largest
morbid

self-assured
attitude
towards
my
thoughts.
I
would

connection
ever
seen
but
the
most
important

definitely
recommend
trying
all
the
hobbies

fact
is
that
this
is
the
same
virus
that
has
made

mentioned
above
but
please
select
something
you

everyone's
lives
go
through
quarantine.
We
are

are
comfortable
with.
Do
remember
that
you
have

going
through
maybe
the
toughest
time
of
our

to
study
as
well
so
make
sure
you
make
a
time
table

lives
and
we
should
be
grateful
that
we
are
safe

because
I
have
one
and
it
helps
me
a
lot.
because
not
everyone
is
as
lucky
as
we
are.
We

are
quarantined
for
a
while
inside
our
house

Let
us
make
a
better
future
by
making
sure
we
all

and
although
it
might
be
VERY
boring,
we
have

follow
all
the
rules
set
by
the
government.
Life
in

to
remember
that
being
safe
is
our
most
pivotal

Quarantine
might
make
us
feel
like
a
caged
bird
but,

goal
right
now
and
we
will
have
to
sacrifice
a

as
I
mentioned
earlier,
being
safe
is
right
now
is
the

few
hours
of
the
outdoors
if
we
want
to
survive

biggest
priority
so
let's
not
go
and
do
any
outdoor

the
situation
we
have
got
ourselves
in.

activities.
We
hope
things
get
better
soon
and
go

back
to
the
way
they
used
to
be
for
the
best.

Needless
to
say,
our
routine
has
changed
quite

a
bit.
However,
on
a
positive
note
we
can

explore
many
different
types
of
interests
now

that
we
have
so
much
time.
I
have
been
doing
a

lot
of
reading
recently,
about
2-3
books
every

single
day
and
it's
such
an
amazing
privilege
to

have.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 MY LOCKDOWN EXPERIENCES
By Sharika Kaul Dutta, Grade 8, SNS Noida

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 DON'T LET SCHOOLING COME
IN THE WAY OF EDUCATION
By Dravin Malik, Grade 5, SNS Noida

Education
is
not
only
going
to
school.
It
can
be
done
whilst

sitting
at
home,
but
one
should
have
the
zeal
to
do
it.
I
am

reading
books,
reading
some
chapters
from
grade
6
books
and

writing
notes
about
the
chapters.
This
is
how
I
am
ensuring
my

learning
continues.

I
am
trying
to
maintain
a
balance
between
playing
games
and

reading
books.
I
play
games
for
2
hours
and
read
books
for
an

hour
and
a
half.
I
am
still
working
on
the
balance.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
My
parents
and
I
are
trying
multiple
different

fi t n e s s
r e g i m e s
l i k e
H I I T
t r a i n i n g ,

Suryanamaskar,
Bollywood
Dance
Fitness.
I
feel

happy
talking
to
my
parents,
relatives
and

friends,
making
different
things
with
my

brother
and
watching
T.V.
and
playing
games.

I
have
learned
the
importance
of
spending
time

with
my
family,
the
importance
of
learning

different
things
online,
and
most
importantly,

learning
the
importance
of
making
and

following
a
routine.

I
am
trying
to
keep
myself
engaged
by
doing

things
which
I
could
not
do
before,
like
game

developing,
crafting
new
things
using
my

imagination
and
cooking
new
dishes
with
the

help
of
my
mother.

During
these
negative
times
because
of
the

p a n d e m i c ,
c o r o n a v i r u s ,
t h e r e
i s
s o m e

happiness
in
our
home

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 THE AMBIDEXTROUS
SCHOOL
By Shloka Pandey, Grade 7, SNS Noida

We
have
always
been
taught
to
use
our
right
hand
for
daily

activities,
right?
On
the
other
hand,
lefties
(people
who
use
their

left
hand)
are
considered
evil
and
a
metaphor
for
misfortune
in

roman
legends.
Part
of
this
is
due
to
design
in
the
world
which
is

often
right-hand
based.

If
we
talk
about
writing,
you
must
have
noticed
there
are
people

who
write
with
their
left
hand
and
they
are
pretty
good
at
it!
But

the
interesting
thing
is
that
there
are
geniuses
who
can
write

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 STUDENT
OF
VEENA
VADINI
SCHOOL,
MP

⁄\‹~
M
ʻ›?•ƒ
⁄‒
‹£
?«ƒ
·¡P
T
?¢
›‒·ʻ¡|?⁄fi
‒
\|ƒ
¡?·~
‹¡‒
„?|“\K
ݢ
?«ƒ
‹·¡S
T
?ƒ
‹`“›K
?£
¡⁄‒
M
\‹~
?ʻ›⁄·¡?›\·£
⁄?‒
¡·~
‹?⁄¡\K
?¢̀
¡‒

The
skill
of
ambidexterity
indicates
that
the
left
and

right
sides
of
that
person's
brain
are
pretty
much

symmetrical.
So
try
this
yourself.
Maybe
one
day

you
have
an
ambidextrous
skill!

with
both
their
hands!

Such
people
do
exist
in
a
place
called
Singrauli

in
Madhya
Pradesh,
India.
Students
of
a
school

n a m e d
' V e e n a
V a d i n i
S c h o o l '
h a v e

ambidextrous
skill
of
using
both
their
hands

with
equal
power
for
writing.

They
have
a
high
speed
of
writing
with
both

hands
and
that
to
in
six
different
languages
like

Hindi,
English,
Urdu,
Sanskrit,
Arabic
and

Roman.
And
luckily,
they
finish
their
3
hour

exam
in
1
and
a
half
hours.

The
principal
of
this
school,
Mr.
B.P
Sharma
is
an

ex-army
man
who
got
inspired
by
the
same
skill

of
Dr.
Rajendra
Prasad,
the
first
President
of

India.

Whenever
a
new
child
comes
in,
he
or
she
holds

the
pen
with
one
hand,
and
they
are
taught
to

use
their
other
hand
after
a
month.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 LYING- IS IT GOOD OR BAD
By Edha Sharma, Grade 8, SNS Noida

Lying.
It
is
one
of
the
things
that
we
do
unconsciously,
and
we

are
masters
at
it.
Even
though
we
do
not
know
when
we
are

lying,
it
has
a
lot
of
impact
on
your
body
and
is
very
visible
to
the

people
you
are
telling
the
lie
to.

But,
first
of
all,
before
we
go
into
detail
about
the
effects
and

various
facts
about
lying,
we
need
to
know
what
it
is.
Lying
is

when
we
tell
false
statements
to
someone
to
make
them
believe

something
that
we
wish
was
the
reality.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 Did
you
know
a
liar
can
be
simply
detected
by

noticing
a
change
in
even
their
most
little
physical

properties.

For
example,
when
we
lie,
there
is
pain
that
can
be

visible
through
our
eyes,
we
have
a
controlled

smile,
we
can
show
the
symptoms
of
anger,
fear
and

we
are
very
impatient.

Also,
our
facial
behaviours

There
are
many
effects
on
our
body
even
when

may
not
match
what
we
are
saying
and
our
posture

we
tell
a
little
white
lie,
to
make
other
people

could
be
out
of
sync.
feel
better
or
special
about
them.
We
hear

about
10
to
200
lies
every
single
day.
There
are

Well
now,
the
choice
is
yours,
even
after
knowing
so

many
devices
that
humans
have
been
creating

much
about
lying,
would
you
still
pursue
it
in
your

over
the
years
to
detect
these
lies,
starting
from

life
and
make
your
life
and
the
life
of
the
people

polygraphs,
blood
pressure,
breathing

around
you
better
for
a
short
period
of
time,
and

monitors
and
voice
stress
analysers,
eye

always
fear
and
hope
that
the
truth
never
comes

trackers
and
even
infrared
brain
scanners.
out
as
it
will
bring
immense
pain
or
live
an

honourable
and
truthful
life
(even
though
I
think
it

Lying
is
nothing
new
in
nature,
and
still
humans

will
be
very
hard
as
we
have
been
brought
up
in
this

do
a
lot
of
it.
Why?
What
is
the
need
to
lie?

manner
that
lying
is
a
very
integral
part
of
our
life)

and
cause
pain
to
people
around
you
for
a
little
time

Humans,
good
interactions
is
the
key
to
success

and
never
have
to
live
in
fear?
in
life.

The
choice
is
yours
and
only
yours
to
make.
When
we
lie,
our
brain
is
put
to
a
lot
of
work.

Well,
people
started
getting
better
and
better

at
it,
and
better
liars
got
better
stuff
and
better

opportunities,
while
hopefully
remaining
in

good
relations
with
people
around
them.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 HOW LEONARDO DA VINCI
MADE MONA LISA SMILE
By Shloka Pandey, Grade 7, SNS Noida

MONA
LISA LEONARDO
DA
VINCI

Mona
Lisa,
also
called
Portrait
of
Lisa
Gherardini,
wife
of

Francesco
del
Giocondo,
Italian
La
Gioconda,
or
French
La

Joconde,
oil
painting
on
a
poplar
wood
panel
by
Leonardo
da

Vinci,
is
probably
the
world's
most
famous
painting.

It
was
painted
sometime
between
1503
and
1519
when

Leonardo
was
living
in
Florence,
and
it
now
hangs
in
the
Louvre

Museum,
in
Paris,
where
it
remained
an
object
of
pilgrimage
in

the
21st
century.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 depths
of
the
morgue
under
the
hospital
of
Santa

Maria
Nuova,
peeling
the
flesh
off
corpses
and

exposing
the
muscles
and
nerves
underneath.
He

became
fascinated
about
how
a
smile
begins
to

form
and
instructed
himself
to
analyse
every

possible
movement
of
each
part
of
the
face
and

determine
the
origin
of
every
nerve
that
controls

each
facial
muscle.
The
sitter's
mysterious
smile
and
her
unproven

identity
have
made
the
painting
a
source
of

This
helped
him
a
lot
to
design
the
masterpiece.

ongoing
investigation
and
fascination.
There
were
two
theories
behind
the
smile
of
Mona

Lisa:

There
are
many
portraits,
including
Leonardo's

The
muscle
that
compresses
the
lips
is
the
same

earlier
La
Belle
Ferronnière,
in
which
the

muscle
that
forms
the
lower
lip,
he
discovered.

subject's
eyes
appear
to
move
as
the
viewer

Pucker
your
lower
lip
and
you
can
see
that
this
is

moves.
Stand
in
front,
and
the
subject
is
staring

true;
it
can
pucker
on
its
own,
with
or
without
the

at
you;
move
from
side
to
side,
and
the
stare
still

upper
lip,
but
it
is
impossible
to
pucker
the
upper
lip

seems
direct.
Even
though
Leonardo
was
not

alone.
It
was
a
tiny
discovery,
but
for
an
artist
who
is

the
first
to
create
the
appearance
that
the
eyes

during
making
a
painting
like
the
Mona
Lisa,
it
was

of
a
portrait
are
following
you
around
the
room,

worth
noting.
the
effect
is
so
closely
associated
with
him
that

it
is
sometimes
called
“the
Mona
Lisa
effect.”
There
is
another
facet
of
science
involved
in
the

smile.
From
his
studies,
Leonardo
realised
that
light

But
how?
Dozens
of
experts
have
studied
the

rays
do
not
come
to
a
single
point
in
the
eye
but

Mona
Lisa
to
uncover
the
scientific
reasons
for

this
effect
for
years.
And
finally,
they
solved
the

biggest
mystery
of
the
history
of
art.

At
the
time
when
he
was
perfecting
Mona
Lisa's

smile,
Leonardo
was
spending
his
nights
in
the

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
instead
hit
the
whole
area
of
the
retina.
The

central
area
of
the
retina,
known
as
the
fovea,
is

best
at
seeing
colour
and
small
details;
the
area

surrounding
the
fovea
is
best
at
picking
up

shadows
and
shadings
of
black
and
white.

When
we
look
at
an
object
straight
on,
it

a p p e a r s
s h a r p e r .
W h e n
w e
l o o k
a t
i t

peripherally,
glimpsing
it
out
of
the
corner
of

our
eye,
it
is
a
bit
blurred,
as
if
it
were
farther

away.

So,
the
world's
most
famous
smile
is
naturally

and
fundamentally
difficult
to
achieve,
and

therein
lies
Leonardo's
ultimate
realization

about
human
nature.
His
expertise
was
in

depicting
the
outer
display
of
inner
emotions.

But
here
in
the
Mona
Lisa
he
shows
something

more
important:
that
we
can
never
fully
know

true
emotion
from
outer
display.
There
is

always
a
sfumato
quality
to
other
people's

emotions,
always
a
veil.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 SPACE – ANOTHER ORLD
TO LIVE IN
By Myra Pathak, Grade 6, SNS Noida

Have
you
ever
dreamed
of
going
to
space?
I
have!

And
what
if

we
live
there.

Hello
everyone.
I
believe
it's
possible
to
shift
to
another
planet,
a

planet
as
basic
as
Mars.
Research
proves
that
there
has
been

water
found
on
Mars
and
we
could
even
take
rivers
of
water
from

Earth.
But
is
water
the
only
thing
we
need
to
make
a
living?
No,

clearly
no.

We
need
food,
oxygen
and
so
much
more.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 whenever
we
want
to
take
a
bite.
Sounds
like
fun!

We
could
send
all
the
people
who
are
unhappy
on

Earth
to
Mars.
Or
we
could
keep
Mars
as
an
option

for
when
the
Earth
gets
blown
into
a
thousand

pieces
because
of
global
warming
or
gets

destroyed
because
of
a
natural
disaster.

So
now
it's
time
for
all
of
you
put
on
your

It
would
be
like
starting
over,
just
like
when
you
are

thinking
caps.
How
many
of
you
want
to
be

writing
an
article
and
it
gets
ruined.
It
takes
time
but

scientists?.
I
would
want
to
be
one
too.
I
love

it
would
be
better
than
the
last
one.

creating
new
things.
I
have
come
up
with

something
called
an
“Oximet”.
Which
is
actually

Wouldn't
it
be
great
to
live
on
a
planet
you
were
just

something
you
can
attach
to
your
everyday

studying
about
in
4th
grade?
So
I'll
leave
you
with

clothes
and
it
gives
you
oxygen
to
breathe.
But,

this
thought.
How
would
you
like
to
have
a
cup
of

we
still
can't
wear
everyday
clothes
in
space.
We

coffee
in
a
beautiful
house
on
Mars.
need
Space
Suits.

Have
you
seen
the
material
in

space
suits?
We
can
simply
attach
that
to
our

clothes
because
I
respect
fashion
and
I
don't

think
that
you
would
want
to
wear
the
same

white
space
suits
daily.

Clothes
‒
Check
Oxygen
‒
Check
Water
-
Check

Aha!
How
are
we
going
to
eat
food?
All
of
our

food
will
fly
away
due
to
low
gravity.
So,
I
have

another
idea;
we
can
put
food
in
containers

with
transparent
lids
which
we
could
lift

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY:
CHANGES THE WORLD
By Nishtha Sehgal, Grade 8, SNS Noida

Did
you
know
the
first
synthetic
dye
discovered
was
mauve
or

purple.
An
accidental
discovery
made
by
young
18-year-old

William
Perkin.

We
live
in
a
world
filled
with
surprises.
It's
nearly
impossible
to

even
imagine
a
colourless
world.
Colour
characterises
the
world

as
beautiful.
It
is
what
makes
things
around
us
stand
out.
Colour

helps
make
sense
about
things
around
us,
otherwise
if

everything
be
black
or
white
it
would
be
difficult
to
distinguish

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
one
thing
from
another.
For
this,
we
ought
to

thank
the
one
and
only
William
Perkins
for
he
is

the
one
who
discovered
the
bizarre
concept.

In
1856,
scientist
William
Henry
Perkin
failed
in

an
experiment
to
synthetically
produce

quinine,
a
chemical
that
helps
treat
malaria.

The
beakers
used
in
the
experiments
were
left

filled
with
a
dirty
brown
grease.
When
Perkin

cleaned
out
those
beakers,
with
alcohol.
The

brown
grease
became
a
vivid
rose-purple
dye.

William
Perkin
named
the
dye
'maviein'.

WILLIAM
HENRY
PERKIN
Mauveine
was
a
permanent
stain.
The
following

discovery
opened
new
doors
for
Perkin.

Soon
he
opened
a
dyeworks
shop
in
London.

Perkin
invented
other
synthetic
colours
as
well.

By
1862,
Queen
Victoria
herself
wore
garments

dyed
with
mauveine.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 XENOPHOBIA
IN THE TIMES OF CORONA VIRUS
By Nirali, Grade 9, SNS Noida

Xenophobia.
It
may
be
a
modern
term,
but
the
idea
of
such
a

practice
has
always
existed
in
the
very
roots
of
our
societies.

Derived
from
a
pair
of
Greek
words,
the
word
Xenophobia

literally
translates
to
'the
fear
of
strangersʼ.

This
hate
of
different
ethnicities,
nationalities
and
castes
has

been
the
cause
for
some
of
the
most
brutal
and
unforgettable

mass
murders
and
tortures
in
human
history,
the
list
including

the
Jewish
Holocaust
as
well
as
the
ongoing
ill
treatment
of

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

SOURCE: CNBC & THEATLANTIC.COM APRIL 2020
 seen
to
be
east
Asian”,
Wong
said,
“even
if
you
are

not
coughing
or
displaying
symptoms,
people

naturally
walk
away
from
you.”

The
pandemic
has
also
been
observed
as
the

dominant
reason
for
the
downfall
of
Chinese
and

east
Asian
businesses
across
the
globe.
Not
only
do

people
have
to
face
the
danger
of
getting
ill,
but

'lower
cast'
Hindus.
And
just
as
it
has
happened

they
also
a
burden
of
losing
their
job
and

before,
the
recent
Corona
pandemic
too
has

businesses.

caused
trails
of
xenophobic
activities
to
follow.

One
of
the
various
examples
of
this
situation
is
Bo

People
who
have
absolutely
no
connection
to

Ky,
a
pho
restaurant
located
in
New
York
City's

the
virus
and
are
not
even
Chinese
at
the
first

Chinatown
that
used
to
welcome
at
least
120

place
are
becoming
victims
of
violence
this
new

customers
on
daily
basis,
yet
since
the
virus

disease
is
spreading
about.
Instances
of
racism

outbreak
the
number
has
reduced
to
30
customers.
directed
especially
at
east
Asians
have

increased
drastically,
some
of
the
examples

But
most
importantly,
along
with
the
threat
of

being
posting
racist
pictures
on
social
media,

ruined
economy
looming
over
various
countries,
it

refusing
to
serve
or
respect
east
Asian

is
the
people's
mindsets
that
has
been
most

customers
in
restaurants
and
at
public

affected
by
the
Corona
pandemic.
People
of
east

transport
along
with
harassing
east
Asian

Asian
descent
are
being
tagged
as
'dirty',

students
on
public
streets
and
universities.

'insensitive',
and
'bioterrorists'.
The
virus,
in
fact,

has
'made
people
more
racist
than
sickʼ.
Brian
Wong,
a
student
from
Hong
Kong

studying
in
Britain
experienced
racist
threats
on

public
transport.
Jonathon
Mok,
another

student
from
Singapore
was
victim
of
a
violent

attack
on
the
streets
of
London,
for
which
he

may
now
require
a
facial
surgery.
“If
you
are

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

SOURCE: CNBC & THEATLANTIC.COM APRIL 2020
 The
prejudice
and
injustice
they
are
teaching
their

children
will
eventually
be
carried
by
them
in
the

future,
until
the
world
is
again
shredded
in
the

chaos
this
hatred
is
causing.
The
global
community

will
yet
again
be
divided
and
the
international
unity

our
leaders
aspired
and
worked
so
hard
to
create

will
be
brought
down
to
its
knees.
If
the
situation
is

not
handled
now,
our
future
generations
will
pay

Several
social
media
sites
and
news
channels

for
it.
are
becoming
active
platforms
to
spread
this

irrelevant
hate
and
fear
in
people,
which

But,
even
after
all
that
has
happened,
it
will
be
false

ultimately
is
not
helping
the
situation
get
any

to
say
that
all
hope
is
lost.
No,
there
is
still
hope
left.

better.
And
the
most
influenced
by
this

We
all
want
circumstances
to
go
back
to
normal.
But

prejudice
taking
place
are
the
youth,
primarily

the
vision
for
a
better
future
can
be
made
into

students.
An
example
of
this
can
been
shown

reality
only
if
we
choose
to
act
right
now
and
choose

when
a
photograph
depicting
Belgian
high

to
act
together.
Put
aside
our
difference
and
fight

school
students
in
Chinese
outfits,
stretching

this
global
threat
as
a
community,
as
a
family.
This

their
eyes
in
racial
gesture
and
holding
a

virus
has
harmed
almost
every
single
nation
on
the

carboard
sign
saying
'Corona
Time'
was
posted

planet,
and
it
will
only
be
wise
if
we
decide
to
fight
it

on
Instagram
as
well
as
Facebook.
with
a
collective
approach.
Because
after
all,
where

there
is
unity,
there
is
always
victory.
A
large
population
of
humans
may
have

developed
the
notion
that
each
east
Asian

person
is
responsible
for
the
outbreak
of
this

virus
that
has
killed
many
people
across
the

world.
But
what
they
often
forget
to
notice
is

the
way
this
global
hatred
is
affecting
the

young
population
of
the
world.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

SOURCE: CNBC & THEATLANTIC.COM APRIL 2020
 Book Review by Siddhi Kochar, Grade 5, SNS Noida

Many
of
us
have
a
phobia
of
visiting
dentists.
But
what
if
you

couldn't
escape
it?
A
young
boy
Alfie
has
similar
feelings
about

the
dentist.
His
last
visit
to
the
dentist
was
6
years
ago.
And
now,

a
new
Dentist
was
in
town.

Children
would
place
their
tooth
for
the
tooth
fairy
but
instead

of
a
dream
gold
coin,
find
dead
rodents,
a
pig's
eye,
1000
dead

spider
legs
and
other
nightmares.
Alfie
set
out
to
research
about

who
was
behind
this
mischief.

This
book
connects
with
me.
I
love
how
David
Williams
has
put

together
this
world
of
the
Demon
Dentist.
You
will
surely
be

rolling
on
the
floor
laughing
by
the
time
you
finish
reading
this

book!
I
surely
recommend
this
book
to
you
but
be
warned!
This
is

a
horror
story
with
too
many
made
up
words
(and
of
course;
Raj

the
newsagent!
)

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 My India; Ideas for the Future
Book Review by Nishtha Sehgal, Grade 8, SNS Noida

My
India:
Ideas
for
the
future
is
a
collection
of
excerpts
from

A.P.J.
Abdul
Kalam's
speeches.
The
speeches
are
from
his
post-
presidency
year,
usually
addressed
to
universities,
schools,

institutions,
in
India
and
abroad.
He
included
ideas
on
science,

nation-building,
compassion,
self-confidence,
and
achieving

goals.

In
the
book,
Abdul
Kalam
built
a
roadmap
for
children
to
follow

their
dreams.
His
speeches
focused
on
positive
thinking
and

determination.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 Last
but
not
the
least,
the
book
is
full
of
knowledge,

positive
thinking
and
true
experience.
It
is
filled

with
many
heart
touching
stories.
It
takes
out
the

best
in
young
minds,
leading
to
the
realisation
of
a

better
India.

In
his
first
set
of
ideas/excerpts-Love
Your

Country,
he
inspires
young
minds
through

examples
of
great
leaders
such
as
Mahatma

A.P.J.
Abdul
Kalam
Gandhi
and
Nelson
Mandela.
He
also
talks

about
his
meeting
with
young
soldiers
who

were
loaded
with
determination.

The
second
and
third
set
of
excerpts
simply

touched
my
heart
(Lessons
for
Life
and
Dream

Your
Dreams)
where
he
encourages
children
to

believe
in
their
dreams,
and
they
can
only
be

pursued
with
firm-determination.
He
also

mentions
that
disability,
poverty,
age
cannot

stop
us
from
reaching
our
goals,
if
we
follow

them
with
a
strong
mind.
In
his
words
“Dreams

transfer
in
thoughts,
result
in
action
and

knowledge
makes
you
greater.”

In
the
last
three
collections
of
excerpts,
Abdul

Kalam
highlights
the
lessons
of
humanity,

humility,
and
flexibility
to
encourage
young

minds
to
develop
as
great
human
beings.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 CORALINE
Book Review by Siddhi Kochar, Grade 5, SNS Noida

“Sometimes
a
door
is
closed
for
a
very
good
reason”






























































































-Neil
Gaimon

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 This
book
has
brought
out
another
part
of
me.
The

bravery
of
Coraline
inspires
me
and
the
amazing

literature
of
Neil
Gaimon
is
top
level.

It
plays
with
your
emotions;
from
happiness
to

cruelty,
from
love
to
hate
and
from
dull
to
dramatic.

I
would
recommend
you
read
Coraline.

The
book
“
Coraline”
by
the
bestselling
author


If
you
have
not
read
it
yet,
you
are
yet
to
discover

Neil
Gaimon
is
a
must-read.
It
describes
the

your
true
self.
adventure
of
a
little
girl,
Coraline,
which
takes

place
in
her
own
house,
behind
the
old
door
in

the
drawing-room.

She
travels
through
the
door
and
finds
another

mother,
another
father
and
an
exact
same

world
until
the
truth
comes
out.

Coraline
ventures
through
the
door
in
order
to

save
her
parents
in
an
unexpected
world.
She

knows
that
if
she
enters
that
door,
she
may

never
be
able
to
come
back.

Her
cruel
other
mother,
with
long
and
pointy

fingers,
papery
skin
and
big
black
button
eyes,

wants
Coraline
to
stay
with
her,
forever.

v olatile U ncertain C omplex A mbiguous

APRIL 2020
 110
YEARS
OLD
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