THE LEGACY WRITE FOR THE RIGHT

EDITION VI 2020 Shri. S. R. N. Mudiraj (1930-2003) Founder Chairman Johnson Educational Society WRITE FOR THE RIGHT

The world is in a state of never-ending crisis today. We face a climate catastrophe, impending war, innumerable humanitarian concerns and on top of all this – the virus pandemic. Countless rights of minorities are lost and breached every day. There also exists stigma against mental illness, body positivity, and ethnic groups. The English class provided us an opportunity to take an essay writing competition on the theme Write for the Right. The essays that came out of this were diverse, nuanced and brought about awareness on sensitive issues in their uniquely creative styles. The winning essays - ‘A Colour of Concern’ spoke the blunt truth of racism against the colour of skin, not only in America but also back home in India. ‘Making Room for Hope…’ showed us how casteism still exists in this country many years after independence. And ‘The Afghan Girl’ spoke about how we ignore the toll war takes on children and innocent people who face the repercussions. Further, yet other essays talked about matters we often forget in the larger scheme of things. These include: the stigma we have on seeking help for mental health issues; bullying people you think are lesser than yourself; and the pain the trees endure by what we’ve done to the ecosystems of the world. We hope reading these essays in this magazine makes you aware of how much we still have to accomplish, and the might of the pen that could take these issues forward.

Ananya Beura Student Editor Mission To achieve and sustain exemplary standards, at national as well as global level, in both formal education and student discipline by providing quality education and all round development for every student. We are committed to build and maintain a culture for continuous improvement in all functions of our institution and monitor every success. Vision

To ensure all children from our school are able to adjust with respect in this fast-changing global environment, along with the ability to lead in any field of their choice with the utmost integrity and courage. The journey continues at JIB The Editorial Board

Staff Editorial Board

Ruchi Sethia

Ruchi Sethia Bindu C.G. Malathi Ramaswamy

Student Editorial Board

Anuroop Mantripragada

Haarika Chitti Tanvi Raparla

Aditya S. Krishna

Aaditya SriKrishna Sivapriya Ganti

Ananya Beura Designers

Anuroop Mantripragada Aaditya SriKrishna

Anuroop and Aaditya - It has been a great endeavor to be a part of the magazine. In the beginning, it was difficult to envision how the magazine would look like, but we are quite happy with how it has turned out. This magazine challenged our creativity and made us realize our hidden potential. It has been an enriching experience which will remain with us throughout our lives. Student Editors

Tanvi Raparla Ananya Beura

Tanvi – Getting the role of an editor was a splendid way to contribute to the magazine. I was super excited to put my skills to use and everything turned out great. Also, Ananya was an ideal person to work with. We couldn't have done it alone. Though it took a lot of time and effort, we edited all the articles and write ups to the best of our ability.

Ananya – Although Tanvi and I hadn’t anticipated the volume of work we had to do, it was nevertheless a novel experience. Being in charge is never easy and putting up this magazine pushed us to take tough decisions. While the pandemic slowed the process I’m proud of all my classmates who put in work into making this magazine possible in these uncertain times. Coordinators

Haarika Chitti Sivapriya Ganti Aditya S. Krishna

Haarika – This responsibility to collect pictures has been a great job because every time I had to find something, it wasn’t only the pictures, but I also found myself reminiscing those amazing times in JIB.

Sivapriya – Collation of all the write ups was not a cakewalk and it required a lot of patience. developed my communication skills while coordinating with my team members to bring forth the best of the ideas.

Aditya - It was a pleasure working with a group of bright minds like my team and I learnt a lot along the process. Although my contribution was less, I had fun working on the Legacy of JIB and that's my biggest takeaway from this.

About the Cover Page

Cover page Credits: Sivapriya Ganti, Grade 11

“Verba virtute” -painting symbolic of Write for the Right. Over the years, writings do not fade as what is once written is not erasable. The green hand signifies the origin of writings on palm leaves with a quill being used initially. Metamorphosis occurs but writings serve in the fight for the Right. Newspaper bits in the background depict the power words possess to stand for the Right in the attainment of justice. Contents

In Conversation with the 1 Administrator The Principal Writes 5 The COO’s Voice 6 One for the Album 7 Colour of Concern 8 Haiku and Ikebana 9 Making Room for Hope... 10 The Hindu Young 11 World Quiz The Afghan Girl 12 Quaking Bali 13 Anantagiri Hills 14 Drama Club 15 National Science Day 16 ACK Alive 17 The Crowning 18 My Musings…On a Lighter Note 19 Dance for the Nation 21 Un-economic Debate 22 Knowing our Weaves 23 Hindi Corner 24 Strokes of Creativity 26 Theatre Club 27 Teachers’ Day 28 Ongoing training-The road is 29 endless! Teachers’ Workshops Potpourri 30 A Toothsome Blend 31 Speak Up 32 Munnar 33 Paper Tales 35 Cultural Club 36 What to expect from 37 the future? Children’s Day 38 Voice of Trees 39 Stellar Scintillations 40 Studio 42 VA exhibition 44 University Fair 47 Eco e-Newsletter 48 French Corner 49 Silenced by Stigma 51 Christmas Celebrations 52 Mathemagic 53 Republic Day 54 A Statue Speaks 55 When the Stakes are High 56 To Aadi, From Adi 57 Science Club 58 Wonderla 59 Voice for the Voiceless 60 Me and My Bookshelf 61 with Bindu C.G. 63 8 things you should know before you join IB 64 Uncut Gems Farewell-Walk in Venetia 66 From Within to Without 67 Alumni Response 70 Placements List 72 IN CONVERSATION WITH THE ADMINISTRATOR Q – Would like to hear from you Sir, in your own words, the meaning and interpretation of the JGS logo. A – The JGS logo encompasses the entire philosophy of what according to me a school should aim at seeing in its students. The logo itself has had a transformation journey from a rigid triangle to a flexible one which you all see today. The logo initially comprised of a rigid triangle denoting the process of education. Later, I changed it to a flexible triangle because the entire process of education is flexible and child centric. The human figures moving into the triangle symbolise that the first purpose of a human life is to receive education through experiential learning and aim to get enlightened. The figures rise high to show development in their personalities and finally move out of the triangle. It conveys a message that ‘sky is the limit’ for any child who acquires education. Once they get educated, they should pass on this wisdom and serve their purpose in the society. ‘Joy of Being’, was very carefully chosen as JGS always aims at making the children learn to be happy and not rich. When a child wants to be happy, he strives for excellence and understands the rue values of life.

Q – Who has been your inspiration? A – My father is my primary source of inspiration. He is also the Founder of JGS. He not only taught me several life lessons but also showed me how to dream big and work hard to turn your vision into a reality. Along with him, many pioneers, teachers and students at various points in my life have continued to inspire me.

Q – We would like to hear more about our Founder Chairman, his convictions, his ideologies, his aspirations that served as the driving force to lay the foundation of JGS. A – I personally feel, my father belonged to a generation that we will not see again. He belonged to a time when people never searched for short cuts to succeed. They struggled hard to achieve their vision, took pride in their struggle and never shied away from sharing their failures that became important learning lessons for their successors. My father started his career as a government school teacher and retired as a Headmaster. He wanted to do something for the society and felt that education is the key to development for any nation. He had a strong conviction that every teacher should be given utmost respect. With his vision to provide ‘quality education to all’, JGS, Habsiguda was established in 1983. Dedicated to the pursuit of excellence, JGS is a comprehensive system with an inspiring and dynamic curriculum that will help students to realise their full potential, encourage them to pursue new interests and equip them with the skills required for success in the competitive 21st century.

Q – Have you ever felt the weight of the legacy vested upon you? A – Yes, because I always understood the gravity of the responsibility vested upon me. At that time, I was focusing on building a career for myself in the field of genetics which was also my passion so I was reluctant to be an Administrator. My father tried to pass on all his wisdom to me but it took some time for me to detach myself from I was pursuing and realise that I had to abide by my responsibility as the eldest son and take this legacy of JGS forward. Of course, today hen I look back I feel that I have devoted my life to a very meaningful cause. My students’ love and gentle support has given me a strong will to carry forward my responsibilities. pg 1 Q – What is the USP of Johnson Grammar School? A – The school at any point of time and for any major decisions believes in involving all its stakeholders. The basic principle is to have transparency in all processes and I always strive to have a democratic culture in the organisation which makes people feel that they are very much a part of the institute and are just not the employees. Apart from this, the staff that is working with me since the inception of the school, the loyalty and dedication of the people who are a part of the JGS fraternity and the visionaries who at all times have ensured to implement strategies that are practically feasible and beneficial FOR THE STUDENTS.

Q – In the last 40 years, the school has definitely seen a lot from a humble beginning of 6 students to an ever growing family. How does it feel? A – ‘From humble beginnings, come great things.’ One feels short of words when asked to describe the heart of his/her journey. I feel very happy and thankful when I reflect upon the growth graph of the school. The teachers who have invested their time, energy and youth for years. Every staff member has worked with perseverance and through their innovative thinking and hard work has turned the hopes and dreams of every Johsonite into a shining reality.

Q – With everything available at the click of a button, how important do you think is the role of a teacher? A – A teacher is the most important interface between the school and home who can interact with the children at an emotional level. Technology should be used as a support to enhance the teaching learning process. It should not usurp human values. Human emotions are very dynamic in nature, so the teachers should be more involved to nurture the students with care. The habits and character of the child should be developed. The teachers should make the child accountable and responsible. Empathy is another trait that every teacher must possess. Being able to put oneself in somebody else’s shoes and perceive the world from their perspective can have a humongous impact in a child. Each child thinks differently, a teacher must understand and act accordingly.

Q - In this ever-changing world, how important is the role of the parents according to you? A - Parent is the first teacher in a child’s life. Teaching children with diligence requires investment of time. Nobody can substitute a parent. There is a very subtle difference between being friendly and being friends. Parents should focus on building a learning process wherein a child can learn on his own. In the end, parents should always remember that both the teacher and they are educating the child. When a child sees that they both are on the same page, they do better in school.

Q - What according to you is examination and why is it important? A - It is an integral part of the teaching learning process. It enables the students to identify whether they have understood the concepts and the subject matter. The student should express his / her thoughts and ideas in a manner which others can understand. A child needs to master the art of meaningful learning which is long-lasting. This process emphasises the importance of deeper understanding over recalling factual information. Rote learning doesn’t allow a deeper understanding of the subject and besides, it is short lived. pg 2 Q - What would you have chosen as your career, other than becoming a teacher? A - I was never into teaching. Administrating, organising and developing institutions are my forte. If not into the field of teaching, I had pursued research in Genetics and had qualified as a Scientist.

Q - Co-curricular activities rejuvenate our mind. What is your take on this statement? A - Co-curricular activities essentially take you outside the confines of a classroom. They act as a catalyst, where every student has the opportunity to learn beyond the subjects taught. When students involve themselves in activities like sports and other cultural field, they enhance their intrinsic human values and imbibe in them team spirit and ability to pursue their dreams. They become confident and are able to experiment and discover their strengths and abilities which are not yet exploited.

Q –What is your take away lesson from your school days? A - My school and teachers played a major role in my life in laying a strong foundation in my life. Not just academically but also in shaping and moulding my personality and character. I feel teachers are the visionaries who dream for their students even before the student himself understands his/her calibre. One such teacher in my life was my Science teacher,Mr.Subramanyam, who always inspired me. He had changed my complete vision towards pursuing education. Later, in my life, when I understood that I was destined for a role of an Educationist, I also understood the impact that a teacher can have on the lives of his/her students. This realisation has helped me in guiding my staff to connect with their pupils.

Q -Which is you favourite book? A - The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It is a about a young boy’s voyage and his quest to pursue his dreams. With each passing obstacle and hurdle he encounters, there is a lesson to learn. When we are determined to achieve something the entire universe conspires in helping us achieve it.

Q - What is success according to you? How can one achieve it? A - Gaining knowledge and have an attitude to learn comes before bench marking success. The more knowledge and skills we acquire, the better we become.The benchmark of success varies from person to person. We have to choose between a successful and a satisfied life. The answer according to me for this question would be to love what you do. If we love what we do, we strive for excellence and every effort and episode then gets personified as a success story. Hard work and dedication are the keys to success. We should set up habits in the early stages of our life that will help us follow our dreams in the later stages of life. Q – Do you think, the value systems are floundering amidst the youngsters as it is often claimed? A – Every child is a reflection of his parents and teachers. School and parents are equally responsible to inculcate moral values among the students. Every child should walk out of his home, with all his concerns resolved by the parents and should walk out of the school with his worries resolved by the teacher. The values and principles flourished in early childhood will become rituals in a child’s life much more powerfully, when both the teachers and the parents are involved in tending to the growth of these values. Every child, when born is like a soft clay that can be moulded by the adults around, As a society, we cannot give up on our children, In fact, every single day, we should dedicate our efforts in making them a better version of ourselves. I am very optimistic in my approach and always believe in my students who have and will continue to do great things.

pg 3 Q – With regards to school, what was the proudest moment for you? A – Every single day is a moment of pride for me. When I look at the students, I marvel at their achievements, when I look at the teachers, I bow down to their relentless and selfless efforts, when my support staff works with such dedication and my admin staff acts as a pillar of support for everyone, I am filled with a deep sense of satisfaction and pride and admire the unity and a sense belonging among the people around me.

Q - Definition of a leader in your own words. A - I do not have a definite definition of a leader. I quote ‘Never have I thought that I’m the owner of the school.’ The teachers should think that they’re the owner of the school. I believe in the idea of leadership through service. We have to create many leaders. The key of the leadership should not be kept to oneself. The work is supposed to be delegated among the staff. Teachers should take decisions in the interest of the child. A leader should work as a servant of the organisation. A leader should identify what should he/she do best, where his/her weaknesses are, and how people are reacting to him/her. By exhibiting high degrees of self- awareness, transparency, and integrity, they motivate employees to believe in their vision and make it a reality.

Q - What motivated you to start Mudiraj Memorial School for the underprivileged children? A - It was the Founder Chairman’s dream. He believed that an institution should be affordable to all the parents. Many children are born talented, have immense capacity for understanding, and are naturally bright but poverty has deprived them of education. I tried my best to abide by the responsibilities being vested upon me. Our hard work is bearing fruit and we are looking forward to many such endeavours.

Q - Your message to the entire family of JGS- the students, parents and the entire staff fraternity. A - While academic excellence is our major thrust, the school should devote to prepare the students for life, groom them to face the challenges of tomorrow, and encourage them to be socially relevant. We should constantly make an effort to live up to this ideology and include it into everything we do, with the aim that we will be able to ensure that the children grow to their full potential, while constantly being groomed to pass out as men and women competent to bear responsibilities in all walks of life.

Dr. B. Chandra Sekhar

pg 4 THE PRINCIPAL WRITES

Dear Reader, The sixth publication of The Legacy is back after a gap of two years. The magazine now floats with its usual buoyancy and finger-in-every-pie creativity for its ‘Write for the Right’ tagline, 2020 issue. Thoughts are ephemeral and choosing the best that had to be featured here was never easy. Predominantly set at the precincts of Johnson IB World School, Mallapur, the magazine features warm intimate portraits of life here every day. Creative and fun, ever changing and constantly challenged, they ably communicate our everyday stories. By combining intellectual and emotional keel, the students and staff have bolstered enough strength every day to showcase events, competitions, outdoor and indoor actions featured here. The alumni have also made it to the pages with their reflections. I hope the experiment will continue even as it keeps you in delight when reading this. I take this opportunity to thank, with all the love I can muster, all the people who have stood by us over the years. The young editors impress me with their simple nobility. The expert hands of the Editorial Board constituting of Mrs Malathi Ramaswamy and Ms. Ruchi Sethia was crucial in all the stages. With his excellent life changing experiences that challenge our idea of life, living and education, Dr. B. Chandra Sekhar remains constant like the North star pioneering our navigation. The young COO Mrs. Divya Chandra Sekhar is the tensile backbone that binds us together. What more can we ask for? In spite of it all, I too sense the ironic affection an artist has a right to feel for the pictures he has created. I pray you, look at it kindly and share our commonality and excitement in the spirit of education. Warm wishes, Bindu C G pg 5 THE C.O.O’S VOICE

Dear Parents, In June 2018, Johnson IBDP embarked on a journey to move to a bigger campus with an aim to make the IBDP curriculum more connected to the parent school community.The plan was to lay out a future growth for the curriculum which included extensive planning in terms of strategic transformation, space allocation and sharing of resources for the programme to be accommodated in this campus and, more importantly, to provide additional amenities to the students. Apart from this operational change, I would like to focus on the fact that this year proved to be a good year in terms of both academics and non-academics. It gives me pride to inform you all that we have successfully completed the second review from the IB in 2018. I am also very proud of the student and teacher community that has worked diligently in achieving a 42 grade this year - the highest we have achieved in a decade of running the school. This year, university placements have been extremely good as well. Many students have secured scholarships ranging from 25 to 100 percent.8 students secured placements in national universities such as Shiv Nadar, Ashoka and Flame. 12 students have secured placements in international universities such as Kings College London, Drew University, University of Toronto and University of Manchester to name a few. We at Johnson believe that the heart of education is to identify oneself- “thinking about the role one has in society”. We try to instil this into every student in whatever they do at school. The IBDP curriculum further provides the scope and edge for us as educators to follow this in our day to day routine. Due to constant enhancements of the syllabus and the aim of the IB to connect every subject to the present world issues it makes both the facilitators and students be exposed to this aspect, thus shaping their role in society. This year itself, we have had professional development workshops for English, Economics, Mathematics, CAS, French and TOK. Next year we will be investing in more such workshops for other subjects. These professional development workshops help every IB facilitator to engage with national and international educators providing a platform of learning but more importantly, to exchange ideas and be exposed to transformational experiences that will be “brought into” the classroom environment. With so much of optimism, my whole team and I look forward to a bright future and thank each one of you for your support and encouragement as we continue on this powerful journey in providing Quality Education to all. Happy reading! Divya Chandra Sekhar pg 6 One for the Album

GRADE 11 2019-2021

GRADE 12

2018-2020

pg 7 P R I Z E W I N N I N G E S S A Y COLOUR OF CONCERN - S A N C H I T G O L L A P A L L I , G R A D E 1 2

Modern yet connected to the roots of the dark past, a dark truth of humanity. The level of importance given to this six letter word puts a mirror in front of humanity showing its dark nature. “COLOUR”. Racism, a topic that has been carried on from generations to generation like some sort of valuable identity that families pass onto the ones next in line. Though we live in this bright colourful world, we humans are still stuck in the world of “black” and “white”. An incident that occurred to me a year ago, forced me into this thought that have we really developed? As people, as a society, as humans? Every single day of my high school life I encountered a woman whose ancestors seemed to be from Africa. Every day was a story to me. I would sit in front of her as she would go on talking to herself, but indirectly the message was for all the people present at that very moment. “these whites, they lashed my grandfather like a dog, made him work like a dog, fed him like a dog, treated him like an animal! But why? Was it just because he was black and not white? Just because he was not pleasing and shiny enough to be considered human? Why?” she asked. Day after day she would go on telling stories about the discrimination faced by her family. I have seen many of this sort where people were killed or abused at parks or bullied at schools and work places just because they were “black”. Why is this colour so bothering to us humans? What about it makes us not consider it? And this is not just the US but in our very own country, India. The amount of importance the “fair” skin gets is more than any other skin type. Why? Is it some sort of gate pass to everything? The irony is that we want our world to be colourful, our lives to be colourful yet we are colour blind, because everything we consider to be superior is just one colour. “It's 2019, we have changed” is a contradiction to the situation of humanity itself. This is an issue that is still present in every corner of the world, and in everyone’s mind. Be it in a positive way or a negative way. But isn’t everything just a colour? We worship Kali Maa, but refuse to show the true colour of Lord Krishna (whose real colour is black). A gift of nature has been discarded by us. The importance that every colour holds is far more immense than our likes and dislikes as humans. The lack of acceptance and appreciation is a matter of huge concern because we define beauty by a colour and not by its actual meaning. But we always have to remember one fact, we forget that we see a bunch of stars at night only because the sky is black. With this thought if a generation is brought up, then colour would just be colour and being human would matter more.

There comes a time when silence is betrayal

pg 8 HAIKU AND IKEBANA

English A students organised an Ikebana and Haiku competition on the occasion of Teachers' Day 2018 where they presented beautiful floral arrangements and poems. The atmosphere was wrapped with the fragrance of flowers and poetic renditions, inspiring everyone present. -Student Editors

pg 9 P R I Z E W I N N I N G E S S A Y Making Room for Hope...

- A D I T Y A S . K R I S H N A , G R A D E 1 2

Back in 1947, India got its independence and Kistulal was not happy. His wife had just given birth to their daughter Beena a few months back. It was a roller-coaster of emotions with new found freedom in grasp and a bundle of joy in front of his eyes. He must’ve been happy. No one could tell. He was not a man of emotion. But the few people who could see him eye-to-eye were his family members and the other people of the Vanzara community. In the dense jungles of present day Chhattisgarh, his descendants still roam still waiting for this so called ‘independence’ to arrive. I worked as a journalist for 27 years around those areas, filming them, talking with them, and learning from them what the world means to them. It is quite shocking to see that not one of them thought of the world as hostile for treating them the way they were treated. They accepted who the world took them to be. Kistulal died in his cold hut deep in the jungle. His daughter was my best friend. Always curious to know about where the rabbits came from and why it always rained water. She loved the immli toffees that I got her from Patna. Her family were the sewer cleaners of the village in Chhattisgarh and her uncle was one of the few of their community who fought for freedom as per Article 15 of the Indian Constitution. Alienation was one of their day-to-day struggles. They were never allowed to come a kilometre in sight of the upper class and they weren’t even allowed to touch the holy ground of the Mahashiveshwar. Even today as I write this, lakhs of the supposed lower class Vanzaras roam the jungles of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh as nomads with no place to live, no shelter to take and no freedom to breathe. I met Beena yesterday. She came home to tell me she had cleared the Civil Services examination. She wanted to bring change and a new age of enlightenment to her caste. I could see the shine on her face and the glimmer in her smile as she dreamed of the near future. I am proud of her and her perception of the world. It seems to me, her curiosity has not left her. The 2000 year old caste system didn’t dishearten her and her longing for ‘independence’ kept her going. The human mind has just, in the last few years, begun to appreciate the various diversities and pure varieties of the beings living under the biosphere. They are still infants in the understanding of the word ‘equality’ and will continue to do so at the start of the new Millennium. I hope the story of a depressed class girl will inspire the other suppressed voices out there, if this ever goes out. Inspiration can be helpful when the human mind doesn’t think about the barriers. But to all those Beenas out there still wondering where rabbits and inspiration come from, they are from your hearts; keep searching.

Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning

pg 10 J U L Y 3 1 , 2 0 1 8 THE HINDU YOUNG WORLD QUIZ

There was a sudden rush of adrenaline when the Quiz Master announced,"The winners, Sachit and Aditya from Johnson Grammar School," one which we will remember in the years to come. The Hindu Quiz was added to both our highlight reels after we won it in the Hyderabad region to reach the Nationals in Kolkata on the 31st of July 2018. It was truly a proud moment for us; representing our school, and also having fun answering questions about current affairs, science, history and technology.

- Aditya S. Krishna and Sachit Galhotra, Grade 12

pg 11 P R I Z E W I N N I N G E S S A Y The Afghan Girl - A N A N Y A B E U R A , G R A D E 1 1

In the 1980s, National Geographic covered this picture on its issue. It soon became one of the most iconic symbols of Afghanistan’s struggle with peace. She is just another nameless girl in a refugee camp, in the rugged war-ridden terrain of Afghanistan. But she stands for much more for the rest of humanity. Her eyes pierce through the picture, looking at you, almost blaming you for what she’s going through. There’s anger in her eyes, flaming anger. And rightly so, she’s a young girl who’s supposed to study, and get educated but she’s been thrown into the turmoil around her for no fault of hers. Countries with power and money have fought on her land and made her peace-loving Afghanistan a place of violence and fear. She stands for all those refugees of war. She stands for all those millions of people stranded all over the world, suffering, dying because of human greed. They have lost everything. Their families, their livelihood, their culture, because of our greed. We have lost all our humanity in the midst of our selfishness. We do not care for refugees. They are only trespassing into our territory and taking away our resources. Her angry eyes stand for the rage she feels. When her gender, her identity, her land renders her powerless, she cannot do much. But she implores us, with that glare, that even though we’ve lost touch with our humanity we haven’t completely lost it yet. She’s a symbol of the eternal struggle, of the helpless and of those without a voice. She is that voice. Her picture single-handedly changed the perspective of millions of people. But that was in the '80s. We still have refugees all over the world, the Rohingyas, the Syrians. Those who are cannot speak for themselves. And her picture continues to be a constant reminder of hope. The hope left behind by the dying embers of her anger.

War is sweet to those who haven't experienced it

pg 12 QUAKING BALI I S L A N D O F G O D S

The trip to Bali during October 9 - October 13, 2018 was a terrific adventure for 13 of our students and accompanying staff members. Unexpectedly, the group experienced an earthquake on the second day of the proposed schedule for the week. Shaken but excited, they looked forward to the events lined up for them. Everyone visited Ubud village to witness a marvellous native dance, and a volcanic site, Kintamani. They also partook in water sports at Benoa beach and white water rafting. Memories from this enthralling trip will be cherished forever.

-Student Editors pg 13 N o v e m b e r 1 4 | 2 0 1 8 ANANTAGIRI HILLS

Set amid the Eastern Ghats, Ananthagiri Hills is a beautiful retreat 90km away from Hyderabad city.

KOTHAPALLY KAYAKING RESERVOIR

Students and staff members were in high spirits as they kayaked on the Nagasamudram Lake, trekked a jungle trail, and visited the Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple. No better way to celebrate Children’s Day 2018 and start the second term of the year :)

-Student Editors

pg 14 DRAMA CLUB

The three clubs of Johnson IBDP were formed with the vision of giving our students wide-ranging opportunities to express themselves beyond the classroom. The Drama Club, spanning July - December 2019, was an enriching experience for all its members. Each one of us brought something unique to the table- sense of humour, camaraderie, spot-on acting skill or impeccable styles of storytelling. We presented several plays including one portraying the trials and tribulations of the LGBTQ community for Teachers' Day, and another challenging stereotypes for Founder’s Day celebrations. We also performed some plays for the children at the S. R. N. Mudiraj Memorial School.

-Roopa Kaustubha, Grade 12

pg 15 National Science Day

National Science Day celebrated on February 28, 2019, opened up a window of opportunities for students to explore their scientific calibre. The aim of the competition was to present futuristic technologies as physical models. Different teams came up with unique ideas; my team’s presentation was on the Dyson Sphere. A Dyson Sphere is an encapsulation of a star using photo- sensitive material to produce energy.

That is, it can enable us humans to efficiently utilise the true power of our star. We also made a separate model of ‘hologram maker’, providing our audience with a conceptual tool to visualise what the Dyson Sphere could do in the near future. We wanted to showcase the idea that the future is closer than we think it is. Collaboration and capitalising on our individual strengths was key to the success of our project. My friend Akshith added hidden Easter eggs in the project. Vignesh’s perseverance helped us

hold onto our idea even when the going got tough. Hrishwikesh’s creativity helped us solve technical problems. Greeshma and Rishita’s eloquence helped us deliver this sophisticated thought as an inspiring story.

-Krishna Chaitanya, Grade 12

pg 16 JULY 2019 ACK ALIVE

Amar Chitra Katha, is an Indian publisher of graphic novels based on biographies, religious figures and cultural stories. The company was founded in 1967 by Anant Pai.

Students of grade 11 had the amazing opportunity to visit the Amar Chitra Katha studio located in Hyderabad. For those of us who grew up reading ACK comics, this trip turned out to be a warm walk down the memory lane. Our day’s events also included a brief visit to Ramanaidu Studios followed by an informative lecture by Mr. Chakravarthi on art forms and cinema. A short film, Vedika, was a thought- provoking watch on farmers suicides all over the country. A picture with Tollywood actress, Samantha, who had come for the promotion of her movie ‘Oh! Baby’ marked a delightful ending to the day.

-Student Editors

pg 17 THE CROWNING

The investiture ceremony held on August 14, 2019 marked the rise and recognition of student representatives of the Johnson IBDP community, vested with the power and hopes of their fellow students. 14

They aced a written test, oral interview, and were also backed by student votes. With a view to further enhance and streamline various activities, a cultural secretary, a sports captain, and class prefects were also inducted alongside the head and assistant prefects.

-Aditya S. Krishna, Grade 12

pg 18 MY MUSINGS...ON A LIGHTER NOTE

● Other people: Where there is a will, there is a way. JIB students: Oh God will make a way…

● The demand for sleep is highly word count elastic. The more the number of words, the less the sleep.

● That point of time in my life, where enhancing my Internal Assessments seems more important than enhancing my personality.

● The struggle is real when you have a free period but cannot go to the ground for PET.

● Random person: OMG! This app is ● super cool! It does multitasking and Others: Wikipedia helped me in completing my assignments! many more It’s very helpful! JIB Student: Have you heard of JIB student: *scary plagiarized Managebac? noises*

● The ‘H’ in IBDP stands for ● Claim: IBDP is the most happiness. Didn’t find it? prestigious and difficult Exactly. curriculum. Counterclaim: N. A.

pg 19 ● “What’s your worst nightmare?” Asked the therapist “My supervisor cutting down my Extended Essay word count.” Replied an IB student.

“What’s your worst nightmare?” Asked the therapist “Turnitin not showing my plagiarism more than 25%.” Replied an IB student.

“What’s your worst nightmare?” Asked the therapist “Getting a 45 grade and failing due to non-submission of CAS reflections.” Replied an IB student.

● Anything can happen only in two places: 1. A Rajinikanth film 2. An IB student’s laptop

● Things that happened overnight: 1. Demonetization in India 2. JIB student’s Extended Essay, also in India.

● ENGLISH A LITERATURE PUNS 1. How do you tell an unlucky man to go away? Ans: Satia’go’ 2. How do you ask an unlucky man to come to you? Ans: Sal‘ao’ 3. In this world full of trustworthy people, don’t be anyone’s “Et tu, Brute?”

- N I T H Y A D A S , G R A D E 1 2

pg 20 A U G U S T 1 5 . 2 0 1 9 DANCE FOR THE NATION

Abhinruthyaa, Alekhya, and I presented a Kuchipudi dance on the song “Swetcha Bharathi” to commemorate India’s 73rd Independence day. Our performance was a heartfelt tribute to those who fought for India’s freedom. The audience applauded our efforts enthusiastically.

-Sivapriya Ganti, Grade 11

pg 21 A U G U S T 2 0 1 9 UN-ECONOMIC DEBATE

The economics students of Grade 11 and 12 organized a debate for the non-economics students on August 31, 2019, as a part of their subject integration with CAS. The topic of the debate was “History shows that economic prosperity of nations can only be achieved by human rights violations.” This debate encouraged the non-economics students to reflect on national and global issues of human rights violations from an economics point of view. Ananya Beura was adjudged the best speaker, and Sanchit Gollapalli the runner-up by the judges.

- Student Editors

pg 22 Knowing our weaves

A school field trip is undoubtedly one of the most awaited days in a student’s school life and so was our trip to Pochampally. On the 22nd of August, 2019, we visited one of the most famous weaving hubs of India, known for its globally renowned Ikat patterns. This trip was initiated, planned, and executed by the Business Management and Economics departments. We had the opportunity to witness a variety of processes and techniques that go into the creation of such beautiful sarees and dress materials. Our interactions with local weavers, workers, and supervisors gave us a chance to understand and appreciate multiple perspectives.

We tried to explore interdisciplinary aspects between Pochampally weaves and our subjects. For instance, Economics students were keen on understanding weaver subsidies. Business Management students were seen studying the business model, procurement of raw material, the process from weaving to distribution, and marketing. It was news to us that Pochampally weavers collaborate with some big brands, including Allen Solly, to produce fashion goods. Maths and Visual Art students were keen to explore the creation of patterns and designs. Links with Chemistry included dye mixture and preparation, and principles of Physics were in action in their weaving machines. Indeed, our visit to Pochampally, the first such trip of 2019- 2020, was an enriching and memorable experience for all of us.

-Avani Reddy, Grade 11

pg 23 हद कॉनर

अथ वता का अथ सबको पता ह,ै फर भी भेद-भाव ह,ै सब लोग एक समान ह, फर भी रंग, प, लग संकण बनाते ह। अनेकता म एकता कहते ह, शीत यु खतम होने का नाम नह लेता, नारीवाद का समय कहते ह, नारी को कलंक बोलना बंद नह करत े । गत के माग पर चलत े ए, हम अपन े वसूल क चता जला रहे ह। अपन े संकार को संभालकर, स के साथ चलना सीखो, अान के अंधकार और “म” से मु वयं मल जाएगी। -शवया का यारवी

मोबाइल क गोद और हम ।

जब कसी चीज़ या वत ु का आवकार कया जाता ह,ै तो वह लोग के फायदे को यान म रखकर कया जाता ह।ै परंत ु उस चज का उपयोग हमार े ऊपर नभर करता ह। ऐसा ही एक आवकार जसने हम सब के जीवन को बदल दया है, वो है मोबाइल फ़ोन। मोबाइल फ़ोन एक ऐसी चज बन चुक ह ै जो उ, लग, जात-पात का भेद-भाव नह जानती ह।ै वे सभी के पास ख़ुशी-ख़ुशी स े चला जाता ह।ै जसके पास ह,ै वह उसी का बनकर, उसे अपना गुलाम बना देता ह। लेकन दोत यह सोचो क या हम गुलाम है? तो फर य हम इसके गुलाम बने? हम मनुय अपन े मन के मालक ह। कहा जाता है क 'अत' हर चीज़ क खराब होती है। तो दोत वैसे ही मोबाइल क अत भी हमार े पूर े जीवन को बबाद कर सकती ह।ै तो इसलए इसका सह उपयोग करे, अपना बचपन जीए और अपना जीवन सफल कर।े

-पुजवी का यारवी

pg 24 pg 25 S T R O K E S O F C R E A T I V I T Y

Art club

This club was a collaboration between the IB and the ICSE students (Grade 8), with IB students serving as facilitators for their ICSE juniors from July- September 2019. The objective of its various art-based activities was to help students bring out their creative ideas and design wonderful things. Simultaneously, it turned out to be a wonderful learning opportunity for us too. One of our initial activities saw students draw different images on the topic-“Walk towards freedom”. Some of these budding artists were invited to explain the reasoning behind their works. Also, for Teachers' Day, students were asked to make bookmarks for their teachers. Each group produced 5 beautiful bookmarks the next week. -Student Editors

pg 26 THEATRE CLUB

Being a part of the Creative Writing and Drama Club gave IB students an opportunity to interact with their ICSE juniors (Grade 8) who were immensely talented and open to exploration. Several activities spanning July-September 2019, such as script writing for Independence Day and a story writing competition kept the juniors engaged. They also expressed their ideas creatively in both verbal and non-verbal ways on different themes and presented different short plays. Students played several interactive games; adding humour, and laughter to learning. Throughout the club’s functioning, motivating and supporting one another was a priority.

-G. Vaishnavi Tejaswini, Grade 11

pg 27 5 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 9 TEACHERS' DAY

A G l a n c e

The first year in a new workplace tends to be the most memorable one for many of us. This is my first year teaching the IB programme at Johnson, and every day here brings new positives with it. I was mesmerised by the event organised by students for Teachers’ Day 2019. I felt welcomed into the JIB family with lots of love and respect. I fondly remember two exciting and interesting games students made us teachers play, the compatibility test and Kahoot. Kudos to our students whose efforts made the day special for all of us!

-Mrs. Sandhya Nalamasa Mathematics Faculty

pg 28 Ongoing training - The road is endless! Teachers' workshops

IBDP Subject Specific Workshop With Mark Kucharski, Workshop Leader, February 2020, Bengaluru Theory of Knowledge

French ab initio (Online, June-July 2019) Theory of Knowledge (Mumbai, February 2019) Theory of Knowledge (Bengaluru, February 2020)

IBDP Subject Specific Workshop-Economics English workshop for experienced faculty February 2020, Bangalore February 2019, Mumbai

pg 29 Pot-Pourri

On September 5, 2019, the Psychology Department organised a competition for students, inviting them to present their views on the theme of global interconnectedness. The title “Potpourri” signifies two things- one, the myriad ways in which globalisation influences us, and two, participants had the opportunity to express their views via different mediums. Social media, travel, tourism, and food among other things emerged as the major factors connecting people across the globe.

- Student Editors

pg 30 A TOOTHSOME BLEND

TANVI RAPARLA, GRADE 11

Following is a short poem highlighting food’s impact on global citizens; with food serving as one of the many mediums of our ever-growing interconnectedness.

Food, I think, is the most excellent phenomenon, Because without it, survival would be gone. Food, the nutritious thing that keeps us alive, For many centuries it has been travelling worldwide. Food is a way of bringing people together and making the bonds stronger, The delicious promise it holds is the only thing that makes us wait longer. Indians eat food with their hands and this is not dirty, Because this allows you to feel the warmth of the food that pacifies your worry. That is why the Mexicans have adopted this Indian culture That enables them to relax and savour the flavour. The saffron that is grown in the Kashmir valley, Ends up in a beautiful dish cooked in Bali. When people try out the diverse cuisines, Like the pizza, rice, wine or the Belgium cocoa bean, This makes them enjoy and savour every moment, Forging the bonds and making them permanent. Food has the power to provide something more than just nutrition, It is one of the key factors that supports a country’s tradition. From the veggies on the pizza you eat, till the powder that makes your tea, All these components have travelled across the sea. This is only possible when all the countries in the world respect, The technology, the culture and the environment which helps us interconnect.

pg 31 S P EPC IEA LA M KE N T IUO NP - T A N V I R A P A R L A , G R A D E 1 1

Dear Reader, I hope you are in the pink of your health. I know you are wondering who this anonymous writer is, but it doesn’t make a difference if you did know me. I represent myself and I also represent a group of vulnerable people who have been constantly bullied. Why? Just because they try to keep to themselves and not poke their noses into others business. These days, not being a social butterfly is considered a sin. A SIN! Seriously, where do people get all these weird conventions from? If I don’t know what’s the latest fashion trend, I’m bullied. If I don’t know the name of the school’s cute basketball team captain, I’m bullied. If I don’t know something about a phone, I’m bullied! What kind of weird game is this? If you haven’t understood yet, I’m writing this letter to seek help from people like you, who believe in equality and anti-bullying. This is not just about me. There are others out there like me, who are shut down by their so-called friends. Okay, let me share with you a personal experience of being bullied by my classmates a few months ago. I had just moved to a new school and everything was amazing. I knew I would take some time adapting to the new environment but it was only once I entered the real class that I realised just how hard it would be. For the first few days I was left alone, no one bothered me. As days passed, people figured I spent a lot of time studying. Just studying and trying to improve myself made me a “NERD” in their eyes. This time they didn’t just ignore me, but they did it in a way that portrayed that they would rather be with anyone but me. Even during sports classes no one selected me as their team member. At first, I got very upset about it and cried to myself. I thought I was the one at fault. That I was the one who was very different that people didn’t even want to be near me. I talked to my counsellor about it and she told me to be patient. [PATIENCE]- the only thing that acts as a hope to the bullied. People who are bullied don’t stand up and rebel against the bully. Why? Because many believe the bullying will eventually stop if the bullied patiently take in all the insults that others throw at them. People think they have the liberty to bully those who are vulnerable. The ones who SHUT UP AND JUST LISTEN! The ones who don’t have the courage to fight for themselves. I want to change that! I want to be their voice! I want to stop this foolishness! I want it all to stop! What do bullies get when they watch us crying, feeling lonely and helpless? Pleasure? I don’t think so. You know what’s their main reason for bullying? It is jealousy. The ones who bully others are scared that the “weaker ones” would surpass them towards excellency, their name and their social image. “If your social image is ruined, your whole life is ruined.” - this thought fuels their jealousy. No matter what the reason is, bullying must stop. People like us need a voice. A voice to protect our identity and to protect ourselves. We need people like you to fight for us! We anyway don’t have a say. So we want you to be our backbone, our supporting structure, our voice! Please help stop bullying. Yours respectfully, The bullied.

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel

pg 32 Munnar

Munnar, also known as south India’s Kashmir, is surrounded by rolling hills dotted with tea plantations. The 5-day trip to Munnar starting October 27, 2019 was adventurous, tiring, breathtaking and enthralling all at once. The view from our hotel was a dramatic landscape surrounded by magnificent mountains in the backdrop. The sun set very early on all days and it rained most of the time. On the second day we went on a long trek to Anamudi peak (the highest peak in the Western Ghats and South India). The trek was draining but well worth it as we felt we were as high as the clouds. Many of us also participated in an adventure activity the next day- stream transit. This trip to Munnar brought us closer to nature, and also to one another; creating moments that have strengthened our friendships.

-G. Vaishnavi Tejaswini, Grade 11

-Picture Credits: Yashashwini Reddy , Grade 12

pg 33 pg 34 PAPER TALES

Field trips are always both educational and exciting. One such trip for us was our visit to Bhadrachalam from November 9 - November 11, 2020. The prime attraction of this trip was our visit to the ITC paper factory. Major credits for the organisation of this visit go to Ms. Vini Sehgal, (daughter of Mrs. Rita Sehgal-faculty member) who is associated with ITC. As imagined, the visit gave students and accompanying staff members a real-time exposure to the process of paper making. Never before had we seen rollers manufacture paper. The green and yellow helmets covering our heads, although essential for safety purposes, evoked giggles too. This visit enabled us to truly integrate classroom learning and real - life situations.

-Pujasvi, Grade 11

pg 35 C U L T U R A L C L U B

The Cultural Club saw students work hand-in-hand to showcase how different parts of India celebrate festive occasions according to their respective traditions and practices. Our focus was to familiarise ourselves and those around us with the rich and diverse heritage of our country. Music and dance served as our primary mediums of expression as we undertook several activities spanning July - November, 2019.

-Varuni Vangaveti, Grade 11

pg 36 WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE FUTURE?

- A R J U N G O L I , G R A D E 1 1

“It’s the best time to be alive!” you say waking up from a virtual world which is completely made for satisfying you. You cannot tell the difference between reality and virtual anymore both in senses and emotions. From the history that your brain just downloaded, you know that people used to dream and have negative feelings like sadness, grief and envy. You’ve never experienced these, simply because things like jealousy and envy don’t apply anymore. Everyone gets exactly what they want. There is no evil, there is no death. Death is non- existent, unless you’re stupid enough to ‘accidentally’ fall into the core of Alpha Centauri, which someone has actually done- 800 years ago, when the old man was 10,000 years old.

Ageing stopped being a problem in 2045, when it was solved by the scientists of the still immature and young humanity. Moreover, you don’t crave food anymore. It’s an instinct you’ve got rid of. There’s no breakfast, like you read about. In fact, there’s not even a morning. You live in a giant cylinder rotating to simulate gravity. There was a movie which had something like it, - ‘Interstellar’. Quite a fascinating watch, considering it was made thousands of years ago.

No one conscious ever works, from advanced self-aware robots to other species of living. Looks like the human race was pretty late to the party! There are 3465 species out here already in the Universe, and many more just in line. From the beginning of true advancement in human technology, there were people who were against it, who said AI would cause the ultimate dystopia. But that obviously didn’t happen. Because intelligence without limits, wired to your brain, turned out to be the best thing ever. In fact, your intelligence does all your work, faster than all the potential of the conscious beings combined.

Our curiosity to know what the past looked like forced some of us to live in a simulation of the past. Our civilisation still cannot travel into the past. But what it can do, is travel to the future. People have already done that and never come back to tell us, because we can’t travel backwards. Back in the days, people felt their purpose was to make the universe a better place. But being limitless now feels like the purpose of the universe is to satisfy you!

You do miss something but do not know what!

pg 37 1 4 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 9

CHILDREN'S DAY

Which child wouldn't want to have a surprise party on Children's Day? Well, we definitely didn't expect the amazing present that was waiting for us on the 14th of November, 2019. One of our beloved teachers, Ruchi Ma'am, impersonated an IB student and pretended to go through all the trials and troubles we face. It was truly amusing to watch her act like us! A quiz with chocolates as the reward was next in store for us.

We had to guess the song after listening to its opening music and guess the names of some iconic places. Such a rush it was! Wait, there was more! As the day’s events drew to a close, we were greeted by the smell of pizza wafting in the air and we ate the delicious cheesy pizzas in no time. One thing is for sure, our teachers definitely knew how to win our hearts :)

-Student Editors

pg 38 Voice of Trees

- G R E E S H M A R E D D Y , G R A D E 1 2

One of the first things that came to my mind when I heard the word “voices” was animals and nature. Taking the Real- life Situation of “How trees talk” for my TOK essay showed me how every little living thing on this planet has a voice. As far as I knew until recently we humans were the only ones considered to feel something towards each other and have the ability to express those emotions out loud. But I now understand how others also have voices. It’s just that we can’t hear them and they have their own way of making others listen or sense those voices. Trees like fir and birch are one of the most famous trees that are known to be best friends and are connected through a latticed fungi network underground which enables them to share nutrients with one another. Similarly, a huge network of chain between the trees in the neighbourhood is formed by which they share necessary supplies; in other words they “speak”. Trees also release certain fragrances into the air through their leaves when they sense danger or if something happens to the tree itself. This shows how trees think about their neighbours when harmed, and they have fragrances assigned for each kind of danger like sensing an insect, a predator, a windstorm etc. Sadly, ecological and environmental changes happening around the world are not only making some trees go extinct but also leaving other trees alone. Critical climate changes are leading to infestations and logging which often threaten the communication networks that trees establish underground. As mentioned earlier, paper birch and fir maintain an Eco-friendly relationship with the fungi that connects them and sends required nutrients like water and carbon to the roots which are required for their metabolism. Despite the fact that trees are our major source of oxygen and also a source of rains, thousands of trees are chopped every single day and I wonder how much they cry for help and scream in anguish. The Alberta wildfires, among the most extreme in Canadian history, swept across thousands of hectares of forest and lasted almost 20 days. Although their actual cause has not been stated till date, the wildfires were suspected to be caused by human activities. This created a furore among countries all over the world and also made me think about the massive impact of the fires- burning trees and also causing problems for the surrounding ones. Given the insanely drastic climate changes that our planet is going through, I feel trees are the only source that can save us from this problem. We should plant trees in large numbers and take care of them. Chopping trees is certainly not the most divine way to return the favour that nature has done us.

One touch of Nature makes the whole world connected

pg 39 Let's see who gets the ultimate 5 seconds of fame this month!

pg 40 STELLAR SCINTILLATIONS

The theme for this year’s Science Day event at Johnson IBDP was ‘Stars - their use in our lives.' It was indeed a scintillating time on November 29, 2019, as all the groups presented their ideas creatively, including a movie on the ceiling! The day’s proceedings gave immense food for thought to all the attendees. Team “What If?” won the competition because of their fresh perspective on what would happen if we didn’t have stars at all. The event proved to be a brilliant success, thanks to the amazing efforts put in by all participants and the science department. -Student Editors pg 41 STUDIO

Yukta, Grade 12 Title: The story of Identity Description: This painting is with reference to the story of Billie Eilish, who conceals her real self with oversized clothes as she prefers not to disclose her figure. Similarly, in this painting, I covered the face of the girl with flowers to disguise her actual features. I used many elements from Japanese culture and also referred to the Van Gogh work 'Irises' for the blue flower.

Praseeda, Grade 12 Title: - Divine Azzure Size: - 19 x 14.5 Inches Medium: - watercolours on paper Description: - The moon is said to be the form of Lord Shiva and his son lord Ganesha in Indian Mythology. To worship the moon on “Karva Chauth” day which is an auspicious occasion, means worshipping our deities. I have used the techniques of wet wash in watercolours to show the blend of blue colour on the luminous surface of the painting.

Greeshma, Grade 12 ‘Change’ in medium Despite the size of the living beings, right from a dainty butterfly to a robust elephant, there is no escape to changes. Using glass, I presented how fragile the other species are to the changes in Nature caused by humans who are in a managing position of the eco system. The red and yellow impasto in the background shows the destruction of Nature caused by disasters like forest fires. pg 42 Nithya, Grade 12 Title: E=MC Size: 44*28 Medium: Relief work Description: This work is an installation taking a cue from a spiritual person’s explanation of a fact and how innocent people can be confused. I used the elements connected to the Hindu religion and placed items that are normally used to ward off evil as a belief that is also exploited by fake saints and soothsayers. They go to people who cannot afford to go to places and promise that the body will be cremated in religious places. But what they actually do is take the finger and handprints of these dead bodies and use it for other crimes. Even after the police investigate and find out who the criminal is, due to wrong fingerprints, the authorities also withdraw the case as the person is dead.

Manasvi, Grade 12 Title: Transformation Size: (19 .2 x 14, 18 x 14.1, 18 x 14) Medium: Acrylic on canvass Description: Growing up in a typical Indian, thoughts and ideas are not expressed which is shown in the first frame. The next is trying to accommodate the change in ideals and thinking which has resulted in adapting to certain fashion changes. The third is trying to be ultramodern and express one’s self without any fear. I have brought about these changes through these three paintings in acrylic using different techniques and colours in accordance with my thoughts.

pg 43 VVAA ttiioonn Divya: Visual Arts gave me a iibbii platform to view this world from a xxhh completely different perspective. I EE believe it’s one of the best courses where you can express yourself without any restrictions. My exhibition based on the theme ‘Cord and Genogram’ allowed me to express my gratitude towards my parents for supporting me from the beginning.

Yukta: The whole journey of learning art was not always fun and easy. I remember my first visual art where everyone was in their own corner, sketching, surfing through thousands of ideas on Pinterest. The subject requires a lot of experimenting and other students’ inputs especially when you are creating your exhibition works. This whole process of helping each other brought me close to my classmates. My theme for the final exhibition was ‘Storytelling’, beginning from ‘Adam and Eve’, the source of human existence.

Greeshma: Beginning with the biggest change in life through ‘Metamorphosis’, I With practical experience and a lot of research and exploration, the IB portrayed the much-needed cycle of visual art exhibition spanning February 4-6, 2020, gave all of us a platform ‘change’ in several small aspects of life. to showcase our thoughts. The eleven artworks presented by the eleven students each carried their own significance and depicted deep and The biggest lesson I learnt through my intricate ideas creatively, using various mediums. Effort, hard work, journey was this- nothing in this world is creativity, risk- taking, organisation and team work is what helped the entire exhibition to be a good show to the viewers and enriching to the stable, everything changes, but that imperfection has perfectly created the students. It would be incomplete if there is no mention of the person who was the main pillar behind the success of all the world that we live in today and only when students: the visual arts facilitator,Mrs. Geetha Bhaskar. Her things change, we get to see something constant help and motivation inspired all of us to strive new that always leaves us with forimprovement and made the exhibition what it was. astonishment, confusion, excitement and much more.

pg 44 Nithyadas: If we open a daily newspaper, or watch a TV channel or even randomly scroll through our social media feed, we see crime in some or the other way. So, considering the subject, which is always a current topic, I took ‘Crime’ as the theme Sriya: My theme is ‘Narrative for my visual art exhibition. This Art’, where there is a story exhibition helped me acquire an in-depth behind every artwork. I also understanding of a crime, the intentions address social issues. I tried of a criminal and about the different to focus on those issues forms of depicting my ideas. The entire which are both generally addressed experience made me a more socially and also which are considered by responsible person. many as taboo. I chose this theme because I always had an urge to . express the emotions of victims and IB visual art has been my medium through which I could fulfil my wish

Manasvi: The visual arts exhibition was an enriching experience which gave me a broader view of all aspects from the perspective of arts. I learnt how to convey Yashaswini: My theme was Movement and I chose bold meanings and concepts using gestures this particularly because I was always intrigued in art. My theme was on culture, representing about how kinetics exists in almost all the significant ‘What we were and where we are today’ as aspects of our lives. Overall, it was an amazing human beings. My depictions involve women, experience and I learnt a lot about organisation and traditions and festivals celebrated across my the importance of team work and its spirit. home state Telangana. Overall, I learnt about different art making techniques and more about my culture.

pg 45 Satvik: The theme for my visual arts exhibition is ‘Travel’. Based on my passion for cars and shoes, I experimented with different mediums and portrayed how we travel from one Praseeda: My art exhibition place to another, the exhaustion we is based on the theme face, the memories we carry and then, ‘Geometric forms to illusion’ having a halt to a journey called ‘life’. starting from a zentangle and then taking it to the moon and illusions. It was a proud moment for me as it was my first exhibition ever. It was really enjoyable and enriching at the same time.

Akshith: The theme for my exhibition was ‘Sports from different perspectives’. My experiments such as connecting a spider web to a cricket stadium, helped me discover my inner creativity. My experience as a visual art student was amazing and I’ve learnt many things from art and I’ve built up imaginative skills through the subject. Rishitha: Visual arts gave us an opportunity to look at things and people in a broader way and from different perspectives. It personally developed risk taking ability within me for I chose a bold topic. My exhibition was all about my views and thoughts on one of the most prominent social issues, ‘Non-Binary’. Overall, it helped us grow both as individuals and as a team member.

pg 46 University Fair

The day-long University Fair, held at our school on December 9, 2019, was a window of opportunity for all students to explore various options as they decide on their next academic destination. Our in-house career counselor, Mrs. Arthi Rawat, was at the helm of affairs in organising this event.

Representatives from many Indian and foreign universities, including Ashoka University (India) and University of Kansas (USA), were in attendance to discuss with the future graduates, their career path and preferred undergraduate courses. Many parents and students who attended the fair went home with some clarity on their next academic steps. Students understood the requirements of different universities and were seen having discussions on how to meet those requirements and get admission to respective dream colleges!

- Student Editors

pg47 Eco e-Newsletter

A Quarterly Newsletter by the eco students

Johnson IBDP’s first Economics e-newsletter, ‘58C Ceteris Paribus’ was officially launched on December 18, 2019. It was the brainchild of the Economics Department and served to integrate their subject-related learning with CAS.

With special emphasis on the current global issues of development, sustainability and various activities spearheaded by students, this newsletter has paved the way for several such relevant and creative student-led initiatives to follow.

-Student Editors

pg 48 l l e s t t e m p s s ' a m u s e r

P O P C U L T U R E

L E P E T I T P R I N C E ( B O O K E N T R E L E S M U R S ( M O V I E ) A N D M O V I E ) A M É L I E ( M O V I E ) Francois Marin is a French language and literature A pilot, stranded in the desert, Despite being caught in her teacher at an inner-city Paris meets a little boy who is imaginative world, high school. Marin encounters his prince on a planet. This magical Amelie, a young waitress, share of problem students, teen musical fable begins as a pilot decides to help people find violence, ethnic tensions between makes a forced landing on the happiness. Her quest to classmates and education barren Sahara desert. He is spread joy leads her on a barriers within the group, all of befriended by a little" prince journey where she finds true which test his patience and -- from the planet Asteroid B-612. love. more importantly -- his resolve as an educator. pg 49 KIDS UNITED – FRENCH MUSICAL GROUP

This is a French music group created to support UNICEF campaigns.

Songs by Kids United: On écrit sur les murs L'oiseau et l'enfant Pour changer le monde

FRENCH CARTOONS

Le Petit Nicolas

Nicolas, a naughty French schoolboy, believes that his parents are plotting to abandon him in the forest to make room for their second child. He requests his classmates' help to thwart their plan.

Les aventures de Ladybug et Chat Noir

Marinette seems to be a normal teenage girl she dreams of becoming a fashion designer. She lives a double life as a crime-fighting superhero known as Ladybug. She uses her superpowers to help protect her native Paris from supervillain Hawk Moth. She is assisted by fellow hero Cat Noir, even though she insists she doesn't need him -- a stance she might not take if she knew his alter ego is her crush, Adrien. Together,Ladybug and Cat Noir help keep Paris safe from Hawk Moth and other villains.

-Tanvi Raparla, Grade 11

pg 50 Silenced by Stigma

- R O O P A K A U S T U B H A , G R A D E 1 2

“Illness”, “sickness”, “poor health”, all these terms are often used to indicate the physical part of our body. Yet, not many openly express such things about their mental condition. The world is changing, developing, growing by the day and slowly diminishing old beliefs and prejudices. However, the stigma surrounding mental health has yet to die out. When growing up, I was protected in a tight cocoon of love and support, not knowing the cruelty, hatred and judgement that existed in people’s hearts. It was at the age of thirteen that I had witnessed just how much society can affect a single person and push them to their breaking point, just until they snap. As teenagers, we face a lot of pressure. From family to perform well in school, from friends to fit in with them and from society itself to maintain the picture-perfect image they have of you. I experienced this first hand, simultaneously bearing witness to the destruction that it left in its wake. When the pressure got too much for me to handle, affecting my social and school life as well, I started seeing a therapist. It was a welcome change, finally having someone that I could share my problems with and also someone who could explain to me what I was going through. At that point of time, depression and anxiety were like a second skin for me. Having to constantly battle it alone, seeing my therapist made me feel slightly better for I could never express to anyone else what I was going through. That was the stigma that came with mental illnesses. There was also another boy who I noticed at my therapist’s office. He had more regular sessions than me. He never really spoke to anyone, always kept his head down and avoided making eye contact. Later I learnt that he was a senior at my school. His story got published in the local newspaper, which had completely twisted it out of proportion, labelling him as an unstable person and a social outcast. His parents had divorced when he was only eight years old, with his alcoholic father taking full custody. He had a very difficult life at home where physical abuse became a constant companion. All that combined with the pressures he had at school became too much for him, so much that the school counsellor had recommended him to a therapist hoping it would help. None of the details of his home life and abuse surfaced until after he took his life. Even his therapist did not have the full details, saying that the boy never talked about anything. He would just sit there, surrounded by four walls and simply stare into space. It was not the circumstances of his home life that made him snap but the judgement and verbal abuse from his former friends about his mental condition. Why, I wanted to ask, was having a mental illness like depression or suicidal tendencies unspeakable and immediately labelled one as being unstable? Why, instead of supporting him when he needed them the most, did they make him an outcast and isolate him, tormenting him about something which was out of his control? It was this stigma and backlash from society that prevented the boy from divulging his problems to people around him. It is this stigma and backlash from the society that I’ve lived with for many years. There is only one thing I wish to say for people going through situations like what the boy and I had to go through. Mental illness is never a choice. The only thing that can be done is to prevent it from taking over your life.

It's so common, it could be anyone. The trouble is nobody wants to talk about it. And that makes everything worse.

pg 51 Christmas Celebrations

Festive cheer and warmth were profound at Johnson IBDP as we geared up to celebrate Christmas 2019. In the days leading up to Christmas, starting December 12, 2019, we organized a variety of events, both on and off campus. A short programme was organized at the S. R. N. Mudiraj Memorial School which involved depiction of the Nativity scene, carol singing, and distribution of snacks. We were delighted to see the smiles on the faces of children there. ‘Gift a Smile’ a CAS- initiative, saw students and teachers donate clothes and other goodies for those in need. On campus, we played several games including ‘Secret Santa’ and ‘Do It. Spread the Joy’ which witnessed enthusiastic participation from staff members and students alike.

- M s . R u c h i S e t h i a , P s y c h o l o g y F a c u l t y

pg 52 Mathemagic

I N M E M O R Y O F S R I N A V A S A R A M A N U J A N

On December 21, 2019, our Mathematics Department celebrated the birthday of Srinivasa Ramanujan, the renowned Indian mathematician by organising Johnson IB’s first ever Maths Day. With the day’s theme being “Maths Around Us”, students were encouraged to explore and appreciate the relevance of mathematics in various domains such as art, architecture, music, dance, and warfare. Their research and presentations were lauded by everyone. -Sivapriya Ganti, Grade 11

Chakravhuya Math in Eiffile Tower

EDEN Project Math in Art and Architecture of Parthenon

Math in Music Math in Dance ppg g1 53 J A N . 2 6 . 2 0 2 0

REPUBLIC DAY

India is globally recognised for its traditional weaves and yet, a variety of influences are causing many of us to undervalue our heritage. Students of Johnson IB decided to utilise the Republic Day stage for raising awareness and displaying the timeless, unmatched beauty of Indian weaves. Their presentation involved a succinct dialogue between two students appreciating Indian weaves and taking the initiative to learn more about them. As they discussed a particular weaving pattern, two other students displayed an example of the same in the background. This short yet meaningful presentation is one among the many ways in which young people can support our traditions.

-Alekhya Narayanam, Grade 11

ppgg 1 54 A Statue Speaks

- R U C H I S E T H I A

As high school students, when Ms. Ruchi To some, I'm a still figure, Sethia and her cousin Mohit Maroti had the Though once I possessed immense strength and vigour. opportunity to make a documentary I don't speak, nor do I squeak. highlighting a socially relevant issue, they Yet, you will spot me in almost every chose to lend their voices to statues. Although street. inanimate and mute, every statue has a story To some, I become a cause of tension. to tell. Ms. Ruchi's poem tells the story of one Still, I'm brought to life on a couple of such statue. occasions. The day I was born and the minute I died, To garland me, a queue is lined. On other days, I'm left in dirt, My feelings and sentiments often hurt. I wonder, if this is the way of conferring respect To someone who commands honour and deserves the best? I have thousands of followers, Yet, my spirit is confined. This is me, The undersigned. - A Statue

The sound of writing is mute, purpose of writing is unmute.

pg 55 WHEN THE STAKES ARE HIGH THE AUCTION SHOW

“Deal or No Deal”, organised by the Humanities Department gave students and staff members a real-time experience of the excitement and energy which characterises an auction show. Grade 11 and 12 students were given the roles of sellers and auction houses respectively. Every auction house was also assigned a teacher mentor. Weeks of preparation culminated on the final day, i.e., January 31, 2020. Sellers put their most innovative products on the line, and auction houses tried their best to outperform one another with creative strategies. Audience members were visibly engaged throughout the event. The juniors, now seniors are already looking forward to its next version!

-Aaditya Srikrishna, Grade 11

pg 56 To Aadi, From Adi.

Dear Aadi,

These two years will go by too quickly for you to take it slow, so here are some things you might want to know, to make the most of them. Find your tribe, love them hard. Truer words have never been spoken. Friendships forged during this time, both with your classmates and teachers, are bound to remain forever. You will learn a lot from your experience with people in the corridors and classrooms. The importance of staying balanced throughout your time in the IB is definitely high up on the list. Sure, you’ll be upset for not getting enough free classes and PETs, but that shouldn’t be a reason for you to procrastinate. It is okay to be unsure of what you want to do, because by the beginning of Year 2, your mind will start inclining towards your interests and what you want to study at your dream university. So, stop stressing out already! But that doesn’t mean you leave things up in the air.

You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. Your career choice might be forced on you or you might be forcing yourself to follow a particular stream, but find out who you are by yourself. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT let others tell you who you are.

Missing deadlines does not make you cooler, trust me. If you have a homework submission on managebac, excuses such as- ‘my managebac wasn’t working’, ‘I didn’t get any mail’ don’t work. So, try to keep up with the deadlines and again, don’t procrastinate.

Another EXTREMELY IMPORTANT thing are your citations. You don’t want to be caught plagiarising! Learn the MLA-8 citation and tattoo it into your brain because without this, your internal assessments and extended essay will be blatantly invalid. Take naps and get some sleep whenever you feel tired. When you keep working late and miss out on sleep, your mind tends to drift off to the dusty lands of Sahara or to the penguin tribes of the Antarctic. So, rest your body and mind so that you can focus more in class and sweat more on the ground.

Speaking of sweating, balance is required not just between fun and study, but also in mental and physical stability. Don’t stress yourself to the breaking point. All work and no play make Aadi a dull boy, and no one likes seeing Aadi dull. So, work till your body says yes to work and cool down till your body is charged up to focus on work again. Like a great fictional character once said- “If I keep my body moving and my mind occupied at all times, I will avoid falling into a bottomless pit of despair.” (Traeger 207). Lastly, don’t be ashamed of who you are and don’t try to avoid who you want to be. Learn something new about yourself every day. It is a part of the process of self-discovery so that you become the best version of yourself. You are 100% you and 100 % awesome.

So, don’t have any regrets and carry on my flame by inspiring the next set of Aadis to greatness. Your senior, Adi.

pg 57 SCIENCE CLUB

The Science Club was a haven for all the mad scientists among us. Spanning July 5, 2019 to February 7, 2020, we worked on developing solutions for key issues that affect students and the environment around us. We zeroed in on two prominent topics- unsatisfactory management of traffic inflow in the school and a blog for our IB discussions. Months of intense discussions and experimentation led us to arriving at some solutions for the ‘traffic problem’. During our concluding presentation, we also launched an interactive blog, “IBEING- Learning never ends” with a vision to strengthen communication networks in our IBDP community. There is immense scope for further development of our projects and we are determined to carry forward the good work. Nirav Ramidi and Tanvi Raparla, Grade 11

pg 58 Our trip to Wonderla amusement park on February 8, 2020, was a splash of fun that definitely took away the stress of the last few weeks of school before exams for the seniors. With the majority of Johnson IB family in attendance, this trip turned out to be extra special! We had a gala time on all the adrenaline rushing roller coasters and rides. The cool water rides gave relief on a sunny day. Juniors and seniors could be seen bonding and laughing together. Rain disco and lazy river were the two most memorable events that all students remember fondly. As the day progressed, we were so engrossed in all the adventure activities that no one wanted to leave. We’re already looking forward to another such trip!

-Student Editors pg 1 59 FEBRUARY 2020 Voice for the Voiceless

“Voice for the Voiceless” was a silent, masked campaign spearheaded by students of grade XI under the able guidance of our Principal and English faculty, Bindu C. G. Our aim was to speak to our audience’s conscience and create awareness against animal cruelty. On February 15, 2020, observing complete silence, we stood in a circle wearing white masks. We displayed banners and videos highlighting the cruel treatment meted out to animals. Our silence and masks represented the fate animals bear, largely because they cannot stand up for themselves against human greed. We are glad we stepped out of our comfort zones and took up this initiative. We are determined to take this project forward and hope that many others will join us along the way.

-Student Editors

pg 1 pg 60 Me and My Bookshelf with Bindu C.G.

Tanvi and Ananya have read innumerable books outside the classroom and have interesting stories to say of their own far beyond the textbook. In turn they have observed Ms.Bindu C G who for some reason peers over her book collection daily in the classroom shelf after a teaching session. She wipes and cleans them too often! The curious girls decide to explore the persona of the one who traversed from the lone caterpillar in The Cherry street to the seeker in Siddhartha. Here she mentions a few books with passion that has paved way to her profession.

Q: How were you first introduced to the English language? Born and brought up in a well-educated but simple Malayali family, I had the privilege of being surrounded by people who appreciated the magic of ‘literature’ than the marvel of money at a very young age. My father’s transfer to Ooty during my second grade helped me receive a sound education in some of the best British schools that exist till day where I was first introduced to English.

Q: Where you the same vivacious person from childhood? No, I was shy and timid. Being an introvert, I found it difficult to make new friends or speak up for myself. The only world I wanted to live in was in my cosy bed reading books I could lay my hands on.

Q: What was your earliest reading memory of a Q: Growing up, I’m sure you would have transitioned to particular book? some favourite books. Do you still remember them?

I still remember the first English story book that I The first of my favourite childhood classics were Enid read called My Cherry Tree House by Cece P. Blyton’s books. I basked in the Famous Five’s wonderful Navarro: The story of an adorable, little but slow journeys and the exciting adventures of the Hardy Boys’ and caterpillar, Milo, taught me the values of in many of those characters, I traced myself. Fantasy independence and responsibility very early. became a reality for me, a way to escape playing THE GAME!

Q: There are quite a number of people who don’t think as highly of literature as you do. They don’t read books. What do you think about these people?

Given the diversity of the literary universe, I feel sad for people who haven’t at least read one book. They miss out on an entirely new world filled with the wisdom of the universe crafted with the magic of words. To mention a few, from Tagore to Tolstoy to Ishiguro to Arundhati Roy, writers have shaped human thinking and revolutionised societies in countless ways. One who does not accept that is handicapping himself and his generation

pg 61 Q A book that really touched you? Throughout your reading journey, you must have read some of the best novels, but you might’ve also read some which you didn’t As a young child, the touching story of a working horse particularly see eye to eye with. A little insight? Black beauty by Anna Sewell haunted me for a long time. It made me aware of Man’s cruelties against There are some books that I wouldn’t recommend for younger animals and how the human world sees them through audience because of their questionable morality. Books like Perfume and Lolita push the boundaries of what is considered a an uncaring lens and consider them so insignificant literary classic. Read these books only if you can differentiate when in actuality they hold a much influential and between appreciating literature and condemning the amoral powerful position. nature of the story.

Q: That one memorable book? Q: Every reader has that one book that they can’t get enough of. What is your all-time favourite work of literature? Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. The novel’s main theme of the spiritual path of self-discovery really resonated within me A book I hold so dearly that I even have it in my choice list for students is “The Old man and the Sea”.Now and then, as I read snippets from this book, I feel inspired and completely rejuvenated by Hemingway’s inimitable style. I’ve read this book throughout my life and at each stage, I grasped the meaning differently. “A man can be destroyed, but not defeated”

Lastly, I just wanted to add, even though I hold a solid inclination towards my native culture, I always seek to acquire from new cultures and the translated literature course of the IB is very dear to my heart.

Q: As an English literature teacher, what kind of stigmas are you faced with in everyday life? What are the larger lessons learnt?

A student’s language responsibility sometimes become the sole responsibility of an English teacher. This is a huge problem in many areas. I like the IB’s ideology in this aspect: Every teacher is a language teacher because every subject has a subject specific terminology and expression. Also everyone expects an English teacher to have read many books. This is not necessarily true and is unfair too. One lifetime is not enough to cover the volumes of literature we have today.

In my opinion, the life lessons and moral values that I learn from one good book makes reading one of the most sublime actions. And when you wipe the dust off a book, you are in some way dusting the dirt off your soul!

- Ananya Beura and Tanvi Raparla, Grade 11 pg 62 8 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE YOU JOIN THE IB

If you’re reading this, you’re probably already in the IB. You can’t leave now, so you might as well know how to make most of your time here:

1. Choose your subjects wisely: Don’t choose subjects based on how easy you think they are. Choose subjects only when you’re passionate about them. Because the IB really pushes you to think deeply in terms of the subject, and no interest in the concepts will only make you feel lost. So take Physics HL only if talking about neutrinos and elastic collisions makes your heart skip a beat.

2. Start your IAs early: But don’t stress out too much over them. Of course, you’ll do much better when you’re clear from the start. And if all else fails you can wait for an epidemic to break; do your math IA on Corona (at time of publication there is no need to even wait)

3. The beloved acronyms: IB loves its acronyms, the EE, CAS and TOK (also IAs and IOC). They’ll make you feel like tearing your hair apart but in the end these three points will work best for your university applications.

4. To what extent: This phrase will either be your best friend or your worst nightmare. Remember, TOK is meant to work your mind like that hamster on the wheel. Even the smartest hamsters run out of juice sometimes, now to what extent is that normal?

5. CAS reflections: More important than your activity and service is its reflection on Managebac. Use the fanciest words you know and make your jog in the park with your dog an exploration of the interaction between the community. Of course, please genuinely do some service to the people and the environment around you.

6. Extended ‘how many words left?’: Your extended essay can be frustrating, and choosing the topic can be just as important as your subjects. Make sure you’re really excited for your EE, and your supervisor is too. You don’t want to be crying yourself to sleep in the first 500 words. But we can’t guarantee that this won’t happen to you even if you like your topic. They can be tears of joy, or maybe your Bio Extended is the effect of tears on well- being.

7. All-nighters: IB can be very stressful, and sometimes even when you meet your deadlines you’ll be forced to lose your sleep. And that’s on every senior ever.

8. Detox: Regardless of all these scary things you’ve just read, don’t freak out. Don’t lose out on your social life and if you can, stay back after school for an hour of sweaty, detoxifying basketball.

- Ananya Beura, Grade 11 pg 63 pg 1 UNCUT GEMS

Our Top Picks in Movies, TV shows and Songs…

A perfect blend of old and modern classics with recommendations from Sanchit, Yukta, Aryan (XII), Aaditya, & Showmik (XI)

We tend to give up too easily sometimes, but this movie taught us that the situations we’re in and the people around us always teach us the bigger lesson.

With ‘Parasite’ winning the Best Picture at Oscars 2020, it’s high time we pay attention to the growing Korean culture. ‘Descendants of the Sun’ was the most successful K-drama made. It captivated audiences worldwide with its honest portrayal of all our duties and the sacrifices we make for love.

‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ is the undisputed classic of our generation. A movie about three friends and a bachelor trip that helps you experience real happiness in life; your friends, your family and your memories.

Despite playing like a rom-com ‘Marriage Story’ is an intense heart wrenching movie that shows us the personal and creative extremes people are pushed to. At a time when forty percent of all married couples get divorced or separated, it’s not surprising that this movie touched us more than we thought it would.

pg 64 Funny and warm, ‘Modern family’ is a mockumentary family sitcom that portrays the hilarious dynamics between three families. Its ever evolving humour, amazing cast and tight writing make this show a must-watch. Especially on those hectic weekdays when we just need to slow down.

With a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, ‘The Good Place’ is a wacky afterlife comedy written by the creator of ‘The Office’, Michael Schur. What it does best is its continued disregard for its plot. It is a genius creation that teaches serious ethical and moral philosophy in the most non-serious manner possible. All episodes streaming on Netflix now.

Who thought Billie Eilish and James Bond would ever meet? Masterful suspense blended with Billie’s quiet vocals make “No Time to Die” the perfect Bond theme we never knew we needed. Billie outdoes herself every song, and still manages to convince us her genius is unexplored.

Even though Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ In The Wind” became an anthem of the civil rights movement in America, it continues to ask the hard questions even to this day. But what is the answer to those questions? “the answer my friend is blowing in the wind.” Either the answer is too simple, right there in the wind for you to catch, or it’s an eternal struggle, the wind being impossible to hold and the answer is pointless. Which answer you choose, is up to you.

‘Lag Ja Gale’ is that timeless song, that as Lata Mangeshkar said herself, ‘can never rust with age’. It’s breathtakingly simple and all its beauty lies in its singer’s voice. There are no more words to describe it, you just have to listen.

This list finally wouldn’t be complete without a Spanish song. “Despacito” was only the beginning of the worldwide reggaeton obsession. And “Con Altura”, a reference to great heights, satisfies that flawlessly. With Rosalia on vocals and J Balvin on the beat, both at their peaks, this song is irresistible. We bet you’ll at the least tap your feet listening to it.

pg 65 FAREWELL WALK IN VENETIA

Farewell, Buddies -Aditya S. Krishna, Grade 12

Farewells for the outgoing batches are among the most emotional events in a school’s journey. The class of 2018 had their farewell, “Aloha” on April 18, 2018. For the class of 2019, grade 11 students were keen on giving their seniors a beautiful and memorable farewell, and hence the theme, “A Walk in Venetia”. The setting for this occasion on April 23, 2019, was that of a classic Venetian masquerade carnival of the 1600s. Everyone was engulfed with feelings of nostalgia and hoped that this end would only mark the beginning of new progressive journeys for our outgoing students. pg 66 From Within to Without! Service at Sadhana

As part of our Service under CAS, my entire class and I had the privilege to vist Sadhana, an institute for the specially-abled. We had the privilege of meeting the director of this institute. After his talk about mentally disabled people and what cruelties they undergo in their lifetime, we proceeded to entertain the inmates. We were told to bring a sapling each to plant it at Sadhana. My classmates and my seniors organized a culturalprogramme to entertain the residents of this institute. There was dance and music. The inmates responded with great affection and joy. When we were done with the cultural activities, we decided to paint the floors of the institute to make it a brighter place. We now understand that we have to help those in need and make sure they know that there will always be support for them.

-Tanvi Raparla, Grade 11

pg 67 Where they are

Yashila Raparthi, University of Manchester

Akarsh Chowdary Chalasani, G Jayitha Reddy King’s College London, UK Belloit College

Ananya Kommu, Arizona State University

pgp g1 68 Anirudh Krishnan, Ashoka University Keshavan Komadur, Shiv Nadar Unoiversity

Srujana Vepa, Flame University

pgp g1 69 Alumni Response Akarsh Chowdary Chalasani The two years at Johnson IB have been instrumental in setting me on the path that I am currently on. Johnson IB offered me more than an internationally recognised qualification. The teachers at Johnson IB, place an emphasis on independent research and critical thinking, skills that are proving to be extremely resourceful at university. The sophistication of subject content helped me realise where my interests lie, while imbibing in me a drive to learn more. On a personal level, Johnson IB helped me hone my interpersonal and leadership skills, which are of great benefit as an Academic Representative here at Kin's College; and when working on political campaigns.

Ananya Sure, I’d love to write about the school, not because I love it but since I had a good time while I was there. At first, I was shy of talking in public; public speaking was never my thing until I got assigned to do a lot of it here in JIB. It has boosted my confidence in such a way that I’m now able to give my own speeches much better and more easily. I’m more efficient in managing my time and keeping up with deadlines, and I wouldn’t have acheived this if it wasn’t for the staff at JIB, always pushing me to do my best. They helped me get out of my comfort zone and create an identity for myself. I’d like to thank the staff for it.

Srujana JIB was an extension of a space that I was comfortable with. The warm group of people here was definitely the main reason for such an easy transition into the IBDP for me. Though it was a small team - both the staff and the students - it made a very efficient system in which we could learn and grow. Having said that, it was definitely nothing less of a challenge. It was a crunching time, writing the EE, the ToK and all the IAs. But it was worth it, I'd say. I found some amazing friends with whom I shared incredible memories, and of course, not to forget the essential life skills. All in all, the two years were a great experience which I'd live through all over again, had I a choice.

pg 70 Anirudh I am indebted to Johnson IB World School, and it is a debt I am glad to owe them – for I strongly doubt any other community is willing to give away all the skills you’ll need in college and the good memories enough for a lifetime, for so little in return from you. At Johnson IB, one’s work is neither motivated by fear, nor by grades, nor, God forbid, by rankings. It is instead their deliverance of the IB Curriculum, which is a combination of sports, community service and a constantly modernising academic framework, that motivates its students. Here students are provided with the opportunity to work hard at work worth doing. As a student at college I see that there are many here who are deer in the headlights to the worlds of citation and essay writing. I am glad I am not one of them. This is in large part due to Johnson IB’s commitment to academic integrity and their execution of the Extended Essay module of the Curriculum. I have no regrets studying here. I was surrounded by like-minded friends and by supportive staff. I am privileged to have spent my days in their company, and I hope it is a privilege you will come to share with me.

Jayitha Learning how to be open-minded has helped me to adjust in Beloit college that consists of people from different parts of the world. My researches in IB have helped me to be a better inquirer in my college life.

Keshavan The two years spent at JIB were beautiful to say the least. From Akarsh's memes to bus rides back home with Adi, spectroscopy in the Physics lab to analysing Keat's poems in the English class, the same old school lunch menu and Ganesh Anna's chai to finish it off with, the time spent with the fifty-odd people under one roof was just amazing. I can never thank enough those involved in creating such lovely memories.

Yashila Johnson Grammar School IBDP and ICSE was a platform that gave me the knowledge and strength to overcome challenges the world gives you. I met different people through JIB and some of them prepared me for the real-life situations that the school might not prepare you for. I thank my teachers, classmates and juniors for shaping me into the person that I am today. pg 71 PLACEMENT LIST

Sai Srujana Vepa Nishika Choppala Keshavan Kommandur Flame University, India NIIT, India Shiv Nadar University, India B.Sc. Applied Mathematics B.Tech. Computer Science B.Sc.(R) Physics Full program fee Academic 100% Academic Scholarship 100% Academic Scholarship Scholarship of INR 5,60,000 for 4 years. per academic year

G Jayitha Reddy Pooja Kasarapu Yashash Chandra Beloit College , USA Drew University, USA Swansea, UK B.Sc. Microbiology with Major: Biochemistry and Aerospace Engineering Business Management Molecular Biology 3000 GBP scholarship for 60 percent Scholarship 32,000 100% scholarship from Next the academic year USD per annum Genius

Gayatri Kommera Yashila Raparthi University of Toronto, Rishabh Chhibber University of Manchester,UK Canada St. Mary’s College B.Sc. International business, B.Com.- International BBA A n A n a l y s i s o f S o c i a lf iMnaendciea, aCnad mecpoaniogmnics with Business, Economics, J a n - M a r c h 2 0 2 0 professional placement year Finance pg 72 Anirudh Krishnan Manish Reddy Akarsh Chowdary Chalasani Ashoka University University of Toronto, King’s College London, UK Liberal Arts B.A. – Canada B.A. Philosophy, Politics and Economics Economics with History Economics (Commerce and Finance)

Nithyashree Kalyan Samhitha Reddy Nikhila Gayatri Arizona State University University of Toronto Flame University, India B.Sc. Economics B.A. Social Sciences: Liberal Arts Economics B.A. – Literature with Film and Media

Suksheetha Ananya Kommu Shreya Terli University of Edinburgh, Arizona State niversity– Woxen School of Art UK College of Fine Arts , and design B.A. Architecture USA B.Des.-Visual Bachelor of Fine Arts Communication

pg 73 I am the voice of the voiceless; Through me the dumb shall speak; Till the deaf world's ear be made to hear The cry of the wordless weak. From street, from cage, and from kennel, From jungle and stall, the wail Of my tortured kin proclaims the sin Of the mighty against the frail.

Far Christ, of a million churches, Come near to the earth again; Be more than a Name; be a living Flame; Make Good; in the hearts of men. Shine full on the path of Science, And show it the heights above, Where vast truths lie for the searching eye That shall follow the torch of love.

~ An excerpt from ‘The Voice of the Voiceless’ by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

JOHNSON IB WORLD SCHOOL Mallapur Website: www.johnsonibdp.org Email: [email protected] Phone: +91 8297131222 +91 76610 46611