#StudentBlogger: A letter to you By Misha Raichandani, 10 A Ekya JPN
Our Schools
Adjusting to the new normal has been a pretty smooth sail for most of us, as compared to the minorities at least. It’s been almost 17 months or a year and a half since all of us heard the word ‘corona’ first, and I just had a massive reality check moment about a week ago. The last year and a half have been super monotonous for me; getting up, doing school, doing homework, studying if I want to, and wasting or whiling away time, and the whole process repeats. Productivity has been superficial, only an idea that exists on apps like Pinterest and wonderlit blog posts I read sometimes, and self-help videos that have become a source of entertainment rather than serving their purpose. They make it seem so easy, but it’s not. To sit and do something worthwhile for a confined period of time has become such a task. I admit that I’ve been constantly distracted, but that’s why I’m writing this because I know the majority of us students are facing this too.
Online school is something that I really like, and I think a lot of aspects of it should continue even with the reopening of in-person classes. I hope it does. A lot of tools we use right now are really great and effective in learning and should be continued, and taken upon. Coming back to the point, there’s a lot going on for us all right now. I’m constantly running from one thing to another trying to finish everything and holding everything by this thread that might just become loose one day, and break. And that’s when I thought what is productivity without peace?
To truly be able to give it you’re all in anything, there should be some motivation and enthusiasm to complete said task. We all lack it sometimes and go through extended periods of no motivation to study or do anything that actually has a purpose. For example, over this big lockdown, I gave up on many of my old habits, like reading. Firstly, I thought I didn’t have enough time to sit and finish the books I wanted to, and secondly, during the free time that I did somehow manage to get, I focused my leisure on shows, and movies, etc. It became so bad that even when I tried to read something new, I couldn’t. This territory was new to me. I had never faced the inability to read for my pleasure, being an avid reader since I was a kid. It spurred emotions in me, and I knew something was wrong. I did, in fact, leave reading for myself for a long time, until just a few weeks ago, when I picked up a book that had been sitting and collecting dust and read it when I was a little sick and had nothing better to do. I finished the book within a day and I was so glad to know that I still had that imaginative side of me intact.
What I’m trying to say is that when we savor the authentic parts of our soul, we achieve a little peace and motivation. We need to keep giving ourselves small reminders that to achieve one big goal, whether you know what that is or not, we need to do smaller things right now, as a person and student that will help lead up to it. We all also deserve breaks, and rewards because no one can survive in an only work environment and routine. Your big goal in life doesn’t need to be your destined career path, it can be as simple as wanting enough free time for yourself, completing an art project, or who knows, living in a big mansion someday. All I’m saying is that there are plenty of goals out there waiting for you to put on your determined face and best foot forward so that you can reach out and attain them. I hope this little article or rant really, of mine, gives you some encouragement or propels forward that drive to do a little better, because you can!
Misha, XA, EJPN
Explore more
Ekya / April 03, 2024
The Power of Learning with Intent: A Guide to Purposeful Education
In a world brimming with information, the art of learning has evolved beyond the mere acquisition of facts. Learning with intent, a deliberate approach to education emphasises quality over quantity, depth over breadth, and purpose over passive absorption. It’s about cultivating a mindset that transforms knowledge into meaningful action and empowers individuals to navigate the complexities of the modern age effectively.
At its core, learning with intent involves setting clear objectives and actively engaging with the subject matter. Whether exploring a new language, delving into scientific principles, or honing a creative skill, intentionality infuses each learning endeavour with purpose and direction. As Albert Einstein aptly said, "The only source of knowledge is experience." This quote amplifies the importance of active participation and hands-on learning, highlighting that true understanding arises from deliberate engagement with the material.
Furthermore, engaging actively with the material is paramount. Embrace challenges and embrace mistakes as opportunities for growth. This proactive approach not only deepens your understanding but also cultivates critical thinking and problem-solving skills essential for success in any field.
Moreover, learning with intent emphasises relevance and applicability. Seek out opportunities to apply newfound knowledge in real-world scenarios, bridging the gap between theory and practice. By contextualising learning within your personal or professional sphere, you enhance its significance and utility, making it more likely to stick.
In conclusion, learning with intent is a transformative approach that transcends traditional notions of education. By setting clear objectives, engaging actively, prioritising relevance, and fostering a growth mindset, individuals can harness the full potential of learning to achieve their goals and thrive in an ever-changing world. So, embark on your learning journey with purpose, and let each lesson propel you towards a brighter, more fulfilling future.
By Sweta Pradeep Rao
Senior English Educator
Ekya School JP Nagar
Ekya / April 02, 2024
Gadget-free Summer Break
With summer vacation around, I urge parents to explore various ways to facilitate children to make healthy choices during their vacation time.
Last week, when we asked our Early Years to visualise their characters and create a story, most of them came up with stories about ghosts and monsters attacking others. When we had conversations about what gave them this idea, we understood that these story ideas emanated from their online games. While gaming per se develops specific skills and requires focus, it also stifles the imagination of young children. Since it is visually appealing, children tend to remember those images in their heads all the time.
I often see parents providing very young children (1 year to 3 year olds) with gadgets as the means to keep children engaged and entertained. I see children watching phones in the waiting areas of clinics, hospitals, school lobbies and banks.
This brings us to a fundamental question “ Should children be engaged by parents all the time?” Not necessarily. What is likely to happen if children were not handed over gadgets at the waiting lounges? What would they do? Some of them may cry, some may throw a loud tantrum, and some may crib. If parents show resilience and allow children to settle down themselves, they will soon find ways to keep themselves engaged. Likewise, during summer vacation. What if this is a “no gadget” vacation and parents do not take up the responsibility to engage their children? What would children do? How can parents show resilience here and facilitate children to make healthy choices? I leave the readers with this thought for this summer vacation.
Mathangi R,
Head of School,
Ekya NICE Road.
Ekya / April 02, 2024
The Eye of the Storm
In the hushed embrace of an Indian evening, our journey began, a symphony of anticipation orchestrated by the hum of jet engines and the flutter of boarding passes. The promise of adventure beckoned from distant shores as we boarded our flight bound for the United Kingdom, our hearts aflutter with dreams of far-off lands and newfound horizons. But as we soared through the velvet sky, a foreboding shadow loomed on the horizon, a harbinger of the chaos that was soon to unfold. In the blink of an eye, the tranquil serenity of our airborne sanctuary was shattered by a deafening crack, a burst of purple lightning that danced across the heavens with an otherworldly fervour. The air crackled with electricity as the plane shuddered beneath the force of the storm, its metal frame quivering in defiance against the tempestuous onslaught. And then, in a heart-stopping moment of sheer terror, the heavens unleashed their fury upon us, casting our fragile vessel into a maelstrom of chaos and uncertainty. The sky darkened to a shade of ominous charcoal as the winds howled with a primal ferocity, tearing at the wings of our faltering craft with savage intent. The cabin was awash with panicked cries and frantic prayers as we clung to our seats with white-knuckled desperation, each passing moment stretching into eternity.
And then, as if mocking our feeble attempts at control, the plane tilted almost 180 degrees, its nose plummeting towards the earth with a sickening lurch. Time seemed to stand still as we hurtled towards the ground, our fate hanging in the balance as the world spun wildly out of control. But just when all hope seemed lost, a glimmer of salvation emerged from the chaos, a beacon of light amidst the encroaching darkness. With a mighty roar, the engines surged to life once more, their thunderous symphony drowning out the cacophony of the storm as we clawed our way back from the brink of oblivion. As the storm clouds parted and the sun cast its golden rays upon the horizon, we emerged battered but unbroken, our spirits buoyed by the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity. And though our journey had been fraught with peril and uncertainty, we emerged from the crucible of the skies stronger and more resilient than ever before. For in the crucible of adversity, we discovered the true measure of our strength, our courage, and our unwavering determination to defy the odds and chart our course through the tempestuous seas of life. As we touched down on solid ground once more, I couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of the world around us, a testament to the indomitable spirit of the human soul.
Arjun Narasimhan Kuppuswamy
Grade 8C
#StudentBlogger: My experiences in organizing cubing completition
As a seventh-grader, this was the first time I ever conducted a competition for a large audience. This cubing competition has taught me a lot, from how to organize an event to how to host a user-friendly website. After successfully conducting this event, I started to think more about how all of this started.
Sometime around September in 2020, my friends and I connected over our joint interest in solving the Rubik's cube. At the time, there were only three of us.
We liked to share our talents with other friends in our class and hoped to inspire some of them as well. I think that we impressed a lot of non-cubers because a few months later, we had more than ten people in our grade who could solve a Rubik's cube. That got us thinking; If ten people in 7th grade knew how to solve the Rubik's cube, imagine how many people on all our campuses would know how to solve it. This was the initial thought that sparked the idea of a cubing competition. What's more fun than competing in an event that you love!
At the time, we never anticipated hosting a website or parsing through the Google sheets API to compute the results or live streaming the finals of the cubing competition to a large audience, yet it now seems like something we could do effortlessly.
We started in January 2021 where we first made our competition form. All this form did was show a scramble and let the user input their solve time in there.
Fast forward to July 8th, 2021, we proposed the cube competition and sent it to our CCA Coordinator: Shanthi Sivaram. In the spirit of full disclosure, it was her help that eventually helped us organize this competition. In case you want to view it, the proposal is here.
Later that afternoon, we figured that we needed to host a website for the user to experience enhanced clarity and so that it’s easier to view the results. Because we were on a time constraint and figured we just needed a simple website, we decided to use https://www.sites.google.com.
On our website, we included information about the competition, the rules, regulations, and of course hype videos, trailers, and flyers. The website is here in case you want to view it.
By Aug 15, 2021, we had finalized the website. We built it such that it had five tabs (Home, Schedule, Compete, Results, Rules).
By August 17, 2021, at 4:41 PM, our site was completely ready and we had prepared to keep the website open for the competition between Aug 18, 2021, → Aug 23, 2021
Two days after we opened the form, we had only 1 participant. We had frankly anticipated more participants. Would we be able to proceed with conducting this competition? Was this all a premature idea? Had all of our planning gone to waste? These were some things that were weighing on our minds during that period of time. But 3 days later, (to our relief!) the participation numbers had exponentially increased to the point where we had more than 30 participants in our competition.
But on the last day (August 23) we ran into a problem. A critical oversight that we somehow didn’t think of. Our google drive had run out of storage space. It all seemed quite expected in retrospect considering that almost every recording that a participant uploaded was more than 200 MB and our meager 15 GB of google drive space just couldn’t handle it. The mistake that we had made was using our personal accounts to run the competition rather than our school account (which had unlimited storage). As a result of insufficient storage space, the form had closed and was no longer accepting submissions even though there were a good three hours before we had scheduled it to close. We eventually had to move all of the recordings to our school accounts manually, and this was as gruelling as it sounded. In my opinion the bigger the setback, the more likely you are to not face it the next time, which will be true in our case.
Once the competition forms had closed, we had to start planning for an even bigger occasion which was the live stream. The top 8 participants qualified for the finals and this was based on the top 8 fastest solvers in the qualifiers.
The go-to software for live streaming is undoubtedly OBS Studio. We were lucky enough to have fellow 9th grader Krishna Ramasimha help us out with the streaming portion. In addition, we had the experienced 10th graders, Skanda and Sutej, pitch in and help us judge/moderate the event.
The live stream was supposed to be conducted on a website called OBS.ninja. This is by far the most powerful platform to conduct the event because the participants can show his/her video and share his/her screen with us which is critical to maintaining honesty and integrity within the participants.
The finals were scheduled to be on Aug 28, 2021. We invited all of the participants to a meeting and invited teachers from other campuses to our dry run.
Although using OBS.ninja seemed like an able idea, it was way too complicated and we found it really difficult to organize the event on such a user-unfriendly (yet powerful) platform. In the end, we decided to stick to our trusty old friend, Zoom. Conducting the live stream on Zoom meant that it would be harder to stream the event, but easier to conduct the event.
The finals were meant to be in a head-to-head format, but in the end, we decided to save time and make the finals a ‘best average of two solves format’. The participant who was solving would need to focus his/her camera on his cube and share his screen simultaneously. This was a lot easier for the participants to do, and made our process a lot simpler.
The night before the competition, we all slept crossing our fingers and hoping that the event would run smoothly.
On the D-day, we were up early and ran through our final checklist.
The stream started, the enthusiastic finalists logged in all wanting to be the best cuber among them. It was the moment of truth, all our efforts were culminating in this one hour! It began as planned. To keep it interesting, in between the solves, we interacted with the audience and other cubers on their thoughts on the pandemic and many other related questions. We had to coordinate many events backstage like sharing the scrambles in the chat window with each participant getting a scramble of equal difficulty.
I think that our prayers were successful because we were able to pull off the event with no major hiccups.
It was a nail-biting finish complete with having to verify the videos for their veracity before declaring the final winners. You can find the live stream here.
And that’s my story. I would like to re-emphasize the fact that this competition has taught me a lot not only as an organizer but also as a person. I learnt how to convey a negative message in a positive manner without hurting anyone’s feelings and despite being strict, I ensured that all the participants were happy in the end, and it was just for everyone.
Another silver lining in the Covid Pandemic cloud is the fact that we all have a little more free time than we used to, and what better way to use it than to learn new skills!
Looking forward to EkyaCubes 2.0, and hoping to see you at the event! Happy cubing.
By, Rishikesh Muralimohan, Grade 7, Ekya Schools J P Nagar
Leave a reply