News Letter - Cathedral Vidya School

The Cathedral Vidya School, Lonavala
Newsletter
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish’d, not to shine in use!
As tho’ to breathe were life.
—Alfred Tennyson, “Ulysses”
The wave of excellence that begins to build at CVSL, from the beginning
of each Fall semester, gathered momentum and crested during the month of
October amid an iridescent spray of events and achievements. The highlights
among these were Spandan, a two-day sporting event in football and basketball,
and a massive theatrical Ramleela event, which involved virtually the entire
school.
In various capacities, of varying weight, students, faculty, administration,
housekeeping and kitchen staff, costume designers and prop artists; drivers;
computer, light, and sound technicians; stagehands and stage designers all
pooled their talents to help Dr Sudhir Azad, who scripted the play, mine the very
complex Hindu scriptures for a timely and updated message aimed at today’s
youth about values “for ever old, yet new,” to quote the English poet Robert
Browning.
In her congratulatory address to the school, following the play, one of our
trustees, Mrs Nayar, beautifully—and simply—summarized these values when
she spoke to the students about their ability to face any challenge if they had God
in them. As a prelude to the Dussehra break, the school’s epic mystery play—to
apply, in keeping with CVSL’s great cosmopolitan spirit, a European term to a
Hindu spectacle—Jai Shree Ramleela was a triumph for all involved and a credit to
the academic institution that conceived, birthed, and nurtured it, under the
unflagging drive and devotion of its principal, Meera Sain.
Another chief guest, the actress Sarika, spoke of her amazement at the
professional ease and assurance with which our cast of amateurs enacted and
produced the play, and carried out all the intricacies of its dramaturgy; after that
triumphal collage of old and new, traditional and modern, had unfurled its
sinuous theatrical wave through the cool Lonavala evening against a shimmering
backdrop of stars.
Paul Dyer
Faculty, English
SWIM MEET AT THE PARSI GYMKHANA, PUNE
On Monday, October 1, we were excited to attend the first swimming
competition in which our school has ever participated. The competition was
held at the Parsi Gymkhana in Pune.
The competition involved 4 X 20 meter freestyle relays for boys and for
girls. Sharanam Soni, Heeral Jagwani, Yvonne Ghadge, and Tara Contractor
represented the girls, while Sahil Sen, Aditya Menon, Utkarsh Sanghvi, and
Siddhant Shindé represented the boys. Both the events were in the Under-16
category.
Five schools participated: Bishop’s Camp; Bishop’s Co-ed;
Kalyaninagar, Undri; Vibgyor, and CVSL.
It was a hot afternoon. After a very long ride, we reached the Parsi
Gymkhana, whose representatives welcomed us warmly. Everything was
extremely well organized, as was the opening ceremony. The races, till the very
last second of each one, were breathtaking. Unfortunately, we came third in both
the boys and the girls categories
Following our races, we were felicitated with medals and certificates.
After that, patiently and with great enthusiasm, we watched the remaining
relays. The event climaxed in a feast, as we were famished after swimming. And
watching. Then the people in charge escorted us back to our vehicles.
All of us look forward to upcoming tournaments, as this was a great learning
experience.
Bhushan Gawali
Sports Co-ordinator
SPANDAN
On October 13 and 14, 2012, Cathedral Vidya School, Lonavala, hosted its
second annual Interschool basketball and football tournament. With full zeal
and enthusiasm, twelve schools from Pune, Mumbai, and Indore took part in the
grand event. The opening ceremony was inaugurated by Commodore P.J.
Rangachari of INS Shivaji, Lonavala, and by Mr Vineet Nayar, Vice Chairman of
CVSL. Mrs Meera Sain, Principal, felicitated the coaches and managers of all the
participating schools.
All matches were played according to the FIFA rules. Pune District
Basketball Association and Pune District Football Association referees were
selected to ensure fair play amongst the teams.
Jamnabai Narsee School (Mumbai), Ecole Mondiale World School
(Mumbai), Choitram International School (Indore), Mercedes Benz International
School (Pune), Symbiosis International School (Pune), International School
Aamby, Vishwashanti Gurukul (Pune), Rims International School (Pune),
Singapore International School (Mumbai), Podar International School (Pune),
The Bishop’s Co-Ed School (Pune), and The Cathedral Vidya School (Lonavala)
participated in this event.
The basketball teams had a certain rhythm to them on both ends of the
floor. When the players were completely in tune with one another, it was seen as
a thing of beauty, with the ball quickly skipping from one player to the next until
it reached the shooter with an open shot. Conversely, when players didn’t value
teamwork, they had the tendency to hold the ball several seconds too long, only
passing when it was apparent that they didn’t have a chance to score themselves.
This threw the team's rhythm out of whack, and by the time the open player did
get the ball, he or she was either tuned out or his teammate had often recovered
enough to defend him.
We had an Under-16 and an Under-18 team. Our under 16 team won the
first 2 matches they played, with ease; but against Bishops we sustained a loss
that really pained us all; the Under-16 team were runners up to Bishops. Our
Under-18 team, owing to deficiencies in their practicing together as a team,
despite beautiful solo players, lost all its matches, some so closely that there was
only one point between victory and defeat. Sadly, time was not on our side, but
we all still live on knowing that we gave our best and that next year will give us
another chance to win.
Just as the girls did, the boys also had an Under-16 and an Under-18 team.
The boys Under-16 team played wonderfully, leaving us all speechless. They
won the entire tournament, which made the entire school inexpressibly proud.
The Under-18 team also performed amazingly, playing against Mercedes Benz
International School, most of whose players stood 6 foot tall and higher. Our
Under-18 team played one awesome game after another, winning each one; but
sadly, in the last match, between CVSL and Ecolè Mondiale World School, we
lost by 6 points, coming in second.
When hosting a tournament, the host team always has an extra edge over
the other teams, and this was certainly the case with our football teams. CVSL’s
A Team was successfully able to exploit the home-turf advantage and take the
trophy home.
We played our first match against Choitram International School from
Indore; our team beat the opposing team with an easy victory by 2 goals, in a
match that started the tournament with a big bang. With brilliant performances
from all our first team players, we played a cracker of a first game with its own
share of amazing finishes and saves.
At the end of the first match, our team was left with an insatiable hunger
for the trophy. Our next match was against EMWS (Ecole Mondial World
School), which promised to be a nerve-wrecking fixture for our team who had
just recently lost to EMWS at a tournament. With great determination and
motivation, our players stepped on to the field with their sights set on a clean
victory and achieved their goal with a final score of 3-0. This just proved to all
the critics that our team was here to win and only win. On our own ground, we
successfully defeated a team that had just bested us, without any hassle, at a
recent tournament. We successfully qualified for the semi-finals against a team
which would have given us a tough fight, were it not for our great morale.
We played SIS in the semi-finals, on the second day of Spandan. We
defeated SIS 3-0 in a game that was completely controlled by our team. SIS had
great chances in the game, but our team keeper successfully kept his clean sheet
with amazing reflexes and great agility.
After our morale-boosting victory in the semi-finals, we went in to the
finals against JNS (Jamnabai Narsee School). The match began with both teams
nervously prodding around the field trying to score without leaving too much of
a gap for the opponent to strike a goal. Slowly but surely, possession came back
to the Cathedral Vidya School team and we took advantage of it by scoring 2
decisive goals.
With little retaliation from the JNS team, the match drew close to the 40th
minute. JNS managed a quick goal in order to lighten the blow of the defeat by 1
goal. As the final whistle rang, the winning team flooded the ground and began
celebrating their great feat.
The overall progress of our team was all thanks to the sincere efforts of
our coach as well as our captain, both of whom always encouraged the players to
perform and play their natural game. Overall, the Under-18 team persevered
and successfully won.
CVSL Vs CIS
2-0
CVSL Vs EMWS
3-0
CVSL Vs SIS (Mumbai)
3-0
Semi-Final
CVSL Vs JNS
2-1
Final
Spandan was a lot of fun for players and spectators alike. The players
were nervous and anxious and exited for their matches, while spectators cheered
and screamed while their teams went forth to play for the big shiny trophy that
everyone in every team had his or her eye on. Despite the ups and downs of our
school’s individual teams, the tournament was nothing short of a spectacular
success for the school as a whole.
At the concluding ceremony, during which the trophies and certificates
were distributed, Mrs. Sain said, “I believe that our students are learning to deal
with ups and downs of life through these events. They begin to understand that
everything requires lot of practice, perseverance, and discipline. Winning or
losing does not matter much as long as they understand their own capabilities
and must realize to make the most of their potential.”
The Cathedral Vidya School has now grown strong enough to host its
third interschool sporting event: Spandan 2013. Along with the taste of victory,
Spandan has given our faculty and students the courage and confidence to
dream of hosting events on a larger scale and emerge as winners as well.
Bhushan Gawali
Sports Co-ordinator
Yamini Tekwale
Faculty, English
The well known actress Sarika (winner of the National Film Award for
Best Costume Design for the film Hey Ram in 2000, and winner of the National
Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in Parzania in 2002) and
Sameera Iyengar (Math major and co-founder of Junoon Theatre Company) were
the distinguished guests of honour. Mr Vineet Nayar, the Chairman of
Cathedral Vidya Trust, and his wife were also present on this occasion. Mrs
Meera Sain, Principal, felicitated the distinguished guests.
The program performed a very important service by dramatizing and
presenting central tenets of the Hindu religion that, while coming from episodes
occurring thousands of years ago, are still extremely relevant today. The
program illustrated the eternal struggle between good and evil in both the
traditional and modern lifestyles, and, in the process, highlighted
characteristics—such as truthfulness and selflessness—which transcend cultural,
religious, and ethnic lines, and instruct us to follow moral and ethical guidelines.
Although some of the audience may have read the Ramayana, and others
may have heard the story from their parents or class teachers, the actual play had
an irreplaceable function. By giving a moving visual presentation, Jai Shree
Ramleela added a realistic flair to the timeless tale.
This was especially effective for the students, many of whom subscribe to
a see-it-to-believe-it concept. Sometimes, merely reading or listening to a text of
such magnitude and complexity will not be conducive to our comprehending its
brilliance.
On the surface, special effects provided by fire and flight kept the
audience captivated for the duration of the play. The props and costumes were
equally enchanting and worthy of bedecking Lord Rama’s palace. Indeed, one
could tell that no corner was cut in making this play what it was. The thought
process behind it was clear.
The whole play was a show of devotion to the loyalty and truthfulness of
Lord Ram. Just as during a pooja, the finest silk and thread is used to adorn the
lord, so too, during the play, only the finest apparel, stage design, and
enthusiasm was employed.
Countless individuals from all ages worked tirelessly to create a show that
was an unqualified success. The young students in the Vanar Sena, despite their
being tired from days of practice, performed to the utmost extent of their abilities
with a smile on their faces. The sparkle in the eyes of these children lit up the
stage in a way no lightshow could equal.
The energy and excitement displayed by the participants and actors was
one of the reasons the play was such a success. Their energy permeated the court
and gave the audience a memorable experience, transporting them to Ayodhya,
Mithila, and all the other settings in which Lord Rama enacted his Leelas.
The play showed how even in today’s world, Rama and Ravana exist, not
as separate beings but in our hearts. The play also showed the differences in the
lifestyles and the thinking of the people of today and those of the people in
Rama’s time. Under the guidance of Mrs Sain and Dr Sudhir Azad, Jai Shre Ramleela
was put together entirely by the school students and they deserve a lot of credit.
All in all, the essence of the play lies in the fact that these actions which
took place thousands of years ago have been preserved in words and enacted by
various people in various places. This version of the Ramleela took place in the
school and endeared itself to all hearts. Yet the enduring message of the timeless
Ramayana remains the same: no matter the place or time, good has, and always
will, emerge victorious over evil.
Yamini Tekwale
Faculty, English
As if all these events weren’t enough, October 5 saw the launch of CVSL’s first
student newspaper
ELIXIR
brainchild of newly-elected headgirl Shriya Sekhsaria, and her multi-talented
team: Aishni Parab, Tanvi Rao, Malavika Nair, Jeh Patel, and Nathan Pitchaikani
(Editors); Mehak Mewawala, Saahil Mutha, Cassandra Pereira, Karan Tamboli,
Akshay Shet, Krish Mehta, Abbas Ali, and Parshav Sheth (Photographers); and
Chiranjeev Setty, Prerna Jogani, Anjali Ramesh, and Ria Shukla (Administrators).
Originally partly in black and white and now in full color, the fortnightly
Elixir contains articles and columns from both teaches and students on a wide
spectrum of subjects relating to academic and social issues, entertainment and
(polite, respectful, suitably sanitized) gossip, the worlds of fashion and film, and
many others.
This article cannot pass into print without my saying that on its launch,
Elixir achieved, within moments, something teachers and prefects struggle daily,
against Herculean odds, to accomplish with only middling success: students
making their way from assembly to class in a silent stream, all their noses buried
in their new newspaper. That vision of scholarly quietude remains one of the
most uplifting and soul-stirring moments of my time at the school so far.
Paul Dyer
Faculty, English
And finally, to wash off all that make-up, the grime of the game, the disfiguring
newsprint
teaches displacement reaction in Chemistry
in Learning by Doing
Every week chemistry students of CVSL do some projects or experiments
to experience the co ncepts that they learn in chemistry.
This time it was displacement reactions
Grade 8 students enjoyed the process of making soap in the chemistry lab and
learned the displacement of hydrogen in the carboxylic group present in higher
fatty acids (or dinary oil such as coconut oil, olive oil, castor oil and any edible
oil) by sodium ions present in sodium hydroxide.
Fun -filled learning activities make the learning environment live
They give satisfaction.Successful results in experiments make students feel proud
Uncover young research scholars among them
Create good thinkers and inquirers
Eradicate the hurdles in learning chemistry
Build scholastic confidence
Students have used edible oil and sodium hydroxide in making soaps. It was
really a fun-filled learning experience.
Balaji Thoppay
Faculty, Chemistry
Curtain
Having held itself up as long as it could for our delight and edification, the wave
of excellence has crashed back into the night of memory, the sea of time. But
memory itself remains, an eternal trove of all that was, and a very human
guarantee of the accomplishments the future will unveil. And the lessons
remain, too. And the photographs, echoing through time and mind.
“One equal temper of heroic hearts . . . To strive, to seek, to find, and not to
yield” (Tennyson, “Ulysses”)
One Day
‘One day’
Two words
That people say at least once a day
To convey that their dreams will come true
But will they?
Do we ever know for sure?
If yes, I have just one question
How?
How do we know?
If we are right or wrong
Or if we are going to be able
To do anything worthwhile with our lives?
Will we ever be
Our real true selves
With no lies
And no deceit?
How?
One question
Never answered
Aimlessly floating around
Like a ghost
Haunting us every minute of every day
Afraid, we run away
Or hide
But no matter what we do
That doubt
And that feeling of insecurity
Is a part of us
Never to be apart
And apparently
Never to be overcome.
Simran Banwani
It’s the Beachside I Talk About
The winds hustle
And the leaves rustle
The silence is so amazing
As I sit at the coast gazing
The waves rise and fall
My eyes don’t seem to move at all
The nature’s beauty set free
I am so amazed to see
The water scatters along the coast
But to manipulate this nature no one can boast
Superficially there has to be no doubt
It’s the beach side that I talk about
In the blue sky, down the horizon
Gracefully sets the sun
Generating a colorful landscape
Complimenting at which, I can’t escape
The world appears to be so complete
The buildings and the pollution seem so obsolete
The grains of sand cling on to me
I am in love with them, I agree
It’s the heavenly abode that is revealed
And the immense peace that is unleashed
Absolutely there has to be no doubt
It’s the beach side that I talk about
Yasha K. Khuthia