Established in 1936 The Doon School WEEKLY “I sketch your world exactly as it goes.” -Arthur Foot August 1, 2020|Issue No. 2576 Point-Counterpoint Letter to the editor A new platform A debate on the relevance of Sunday A response to the Headmaster’s An insight into the exprience of classes. comments in last week’s interview. online MUNs and debates. Page 2-3 Page 4 Page 5 An Eye to the Future Varen Talwar It has been almost half a year since to replicate simpler times that has COVID-19 was termed a global led to one of the most peculiar Our eye to the pandemic by the WHO. One would and interesting changes in our, or imagine that things would have at least my, outlook on life. Earlier, future should normalised over the course of the we used to be obsessed with plans always be open... past few months, and that people for the future: winning this trophy, would have adapted to the new earning that position, staging this because the world order by now. However, if play, or performing that song for future holds there is anything that the past few the band. We used to be dreamy- months have taught us, it is that eyed planners of the future. opportunities, ‘normal’ has no meaning. Normal However, now, when we are busy while the present keeps changing, because we all just struggling to keep the very fabric try to stick to our current states at of our present as close to our only consequences all times. That is why we groaned memories of the much simpler when we had to leave School at past, the future takes too much that we should keep worrying the start of the pandemic; and headspace for pondering upon. about the future. All I am saying it is precisely why we will groan Mind you, by ‘future’ I do not mean is that our eye to the future should when it is finally time to go back the horrifying thoughts you might always be open, no matter how to School now, despite the fact that have about your dream college preoccupied we might seem to we had wished for the opposite at shooting you down, or your grades be with the present, because the the beginning of the lockdown. being dismal. By future, I mean the future holds opportunities, while Humans are, by nature, creatures small things we used to plan for in the present only consequences. of habit. Our adherence to our School – the beloved and hard- It’s true that the future can be current surroundings gives us a fought Inter-House competitions alarming to think about. However, sense of belonging and normality, and, more relevant to the current I feel that, contrary to popular and in times like this, when the time, Founder’s. belief, it is also the only thing you locus of our existence is constantly People say that we should live in can control. Your past is gone, shifting from one normal to the present, and not worry about and your present is riddled with another, we are all desperately the future. I have never been a the effects of your past. The trying to tether ourselves to some fan of this philosophy, now more future, to me, has always been aspect of our old being. That is why than ever. We are biologically a hopeful, better place – a place the School is trying to make remote programmed to worry about the full of possibilities. Of course, learning as similar as possible to future, merely because of our you have to work in the present, our actual School experience. We animal drive to make progress in but it is always because of your have essay competitions, Inter- our species’ status and fitness. vision for the future. If you are House competitions, and activities Anyway, ‘focusing on the present lost at sea, you hang on because of going on. It is also why the Weekly and forgetting about the future’ your dreams about what you will tries to mark Saturdays with the comes from a point of privilege do when you reach land, and not same excitement of getting hold too high up in the social hierarchy about the sharks encircling you, of a Weekly that one feels at School. for me to think that it is applicable for sometimes the present is just Perhaps it is this obsessiveness to me. Of course, I do not mean not good enough. 2 the doon school weekly Should there be School on Sunday? Mr Anjan Chaudhary Avyukt Kochhar Brunch time is now the new school starting time on Never have so many phone calls buzzed at the same Sunday. The sumptuous array of food served by Mr. time as they did upon seeing a bizarre extra column Makhija and his team has changed to a new norm in the timetable. But then again, we are The Doon of sitting in front of a digital screen. It was initially School, and the need to start a new term with a bang hard for me to accept Sunday as the new norm, but runs in our DNA. slowly as I settled down. I realised that this has been So, why exactly is Sunday supposed to be a rest a paradigm shift. So, personal liking or dislike are not day? Pardon me, all atheist readers, but religion has a important anymore. The online mode of teaching significant role to play in this. In Abrahamic religions, has changed multiple approaches to pedagogy. As a it is believed that God worked six days and rested school, which is a miniature version of society, one the seventh day while creating Earth. In Hinduism, had to balance the feasibility of synchronous and it is believed that Sunday is the first day of the week, asynchronous mode and I agree with GYA when which is supposed to be reserved for worshipping he talks about ‘substituting’ the F2F model with the gods and goddesses. St. Thomas once said, “Without online one. It has its challenges as in the heart of any work, it is impossible to have fun.” This could easily interaction is the impact on learning and the SAMR be reversed: without rest, it is impossible to work metric is difficult to implement in the first place. effectively. You need a day off to recuperate before tackling a new work-week. All children, regardless of their school or age, eagerly look forward to Sundays as they get to spend time As a boarding school, we are with their loved ones. One of the few silver linings of the pandemic is that it has made all of us reflect expected to work on Sundays. on our lives. It has made us realise that in today’s day Designing a timetable is a and age, we have forgotten the most important thing in our lives- cherishing the moments we spend with herculean task, given the our loved ones. These Sunday classes prevent us from plethora of subjects School engaging in this. That the human brain and body can only work offers. so much before it begins to deteriorate is borne out by many recent studies. For instance, a 2018 research conducted by the Pew Research Centre has As a boarding school, we are expected to work on concluded that despite the numerous advantages of Sundays. Designing a timetable is a herculean task online learning, the negatives are fast emerging; these given the plethora of subjects School offers. Several include poor attention spans, anxiety, depression and schools will not even go on that road to offer added lack of in-person social connections as well as the value. I see Sunday schools as more F2F contact small number of teens who become addicts and non- knowing very well that the new learning approach has functioning adults. blended opportunities. Even though we have four The vast majority of us are overworked and stressed schools a day, there are multiple disciplines which out, teetering on the brink of burnout. Stress is could not be incorporated with the right balance that hard on the body, and rest is absolutely essential to we feel our students should be engaged in. Within productivity. While it is imperative that growing kids this routine there are multiple disciplines that require like us make ‘Work is Worship’ our mantra, one should hands-on experience and therefore one needs more not forget that ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull online contact. More online transaction time allows boy.’ The fact that Doscos are accustomed to getting necessary discussion which augments curiosity. Have straight back into the fast life and the action-packed we compared the current scenarios of other sectors schedule of School cannot serve as a justification for like the banking sector or the online sector to their Sunday classes. More than the physical fatigue, it is functioning a few years ago? Could we think of them mental exhaustion that is caused by Sunday classes. (Continued on Page 4) (Continued on Page 4) Saturday, August 1 | Issue No. 2576 the doon school weekly 3 (Continued from Page 3) (Continued from Page 3) working on Sundays a few years back? Clearly, the Waking up to laptop screens on Sunday mornings norms have changed. It is important we also accept is not ideal and certainly worse than waking up to the new norm and take this as an experiment in the the Chhota Hazari followed by the popular Sunday right spirit. I know a counter-argument could be raised brunch.