IT training the teenager today TruePDF march 2019

I think casting one’s vote during elections should be made mandatory to ensure full participation in the democratic process.. Adhishi Pokharna 21 Mody University Each adult person in the

Beauty talk with

Ad position RAte (per insertion) size

from the chief editor

Vol 9, No 06, february 2019

Magi Murzello, naresh Karmalker,

nasreen hashambhoy, Pearl d’souza, Verus Ferreira

ConTriBuTors

Gp Capt Achchyut Kumar, Janvi Manchanda,

Prof dr John Mathews, K s Joseph,

Maya shah, rama ramesh, robert Clements,

dr shefali Batra, dr Vibha Gupta

The TeenAGer TodAy

58/23 rd road, TPs iii, Bandra (w), Mumbai – 400 050

Tel: +91-22-26557443 (d), +91-22-26403312

editorial enquiries: editorial@theteenagertoday.com

social media: facebook.com/theteenagermag

twitter.com/theteenagermag

suBsCriPTion rATes (PrinT ediTion)

1 year: `300; 2 years: `575; 3 years: `850

Airmail (1 year): `2,500

Payment via Money order, demand draft, Mumbai Cheque

in favour of The Teenager or via neFT (details as below):

A/c name: The TeenAGer

A/c number: 0157053000005375 A/c type: savings

Bank name: The south indian Bank ltd., Bandra (west)

iFsC Code: siBl0000157

e-mail these details to subscribe@theteenagertoday.com:

Amount, date on which payment made, account name,

transaction number, name, address, contact number.

To subscribe to the digital version of the magazine log on to

magzter.com

disClAiMer: All rights reserved reproduction in any manner

without prior permission of the publisher is expressly prohibited

The publisher makes every effort to ensure that the magazine’s

content is correct however, we accept no responsibility for any

errors or omissions The opinions expressed by experts are

their own and in no way reflect that of the publisher

Printed and published monthly by Joby Mathew on behalf of

The Bombay Pauline Periodicals society Printed at Kalajyothi

Process Pvt ltd, Plot no w 17-18, M.i.d.C industrial Area,

Taloja, dist raigad, navi Mumbai 410 208 and published at 23rd

road, TPs iii, Bandra (w), Mumbai 400 050 editor: John Gilbert.

The Teenager Today has always been a magazine with a difference! a significant way your magazine has maintained this distinct characteristic from its very inception is placing before its readers inspiring life stories of people from all walks of life, who they can look up to as their role models More especially over the recent months, while we kept introducing new columns, specially geared to our specific readership, and inviting new contributors to join our writers’ gallery, we strictly adhered to this

This thought has been uppermost in our minds when choosing cover stories, lead articles and even news bits from our schools and junior colleges They all have a message to convey to the readers like the beautiful musical presentation When you Believe

by Fr agnel Multi-purpose School & Junior College, ambernath (Maharashtra) or the brief profile of arundhati Banerjee, a teenager of Indian origin who now lives in australia

The March issue also brings you the true story

of Sindhutai, one of the most touching real life stories that I have read

in the recent past Think

of a 9-months pregnant lady, thrown out of the house by her husband, giving birth to a child in

a cattle shed, and on return to her mother’s house being turned away by her becoming the “mother of over

1400 orphans.” having nowhere to go she thought of committing suicide first, but gave up the idea and started begging at railway platforms to feed her child and herself!

Ironically, this becomes the turning point in her life Mai (that’s how her numerous children call her) recalls: “When I was on the street begging for food and fighting for survival, I realised that there are hundreds of orphans like me who have nowhere and nobody to go So, I decided to take care of them, and raise them

as my own I had no one with me; everyone abandoned me

I knew the pain of being alone and unwanted I did not want anyone to go through the same experience.” To eliminate the feeling of partiality among her “children”, she even sent away her biological daughter to a care taker home in Pune, who today runs

an orphanage herself!

at the ripe age of 72, Sindhutai experiences a tremendous sense

of joy, the joy of giving which can also be ours, if we are willing

to follow her example, making a difference in the lives of people around

future 50 school shaping success award

+ 64th sgfi national championship

easy everyday outfits

40 learn it, speak it

understanding words and their structures

competition corner

what falls down gets used!

43 poets & poetry

soul strings

“If you want to fl

y, give up ever

ything

that weighs you

down.”

~ Toni Morrison

email, post or tweet! editorial@theteenagertoday.com facebook.com/theteenagermag @theteenagermagwe’d love to know what you think of the articles and columns in your mag.

t-mail

Tweets @ theteenagermag

Mansi‏ @Mansi_7147 Thank you,

TTT, for featuring Black Pink on the

cover of the January 2019 issue! This really made my day and this article is definitely going to attract more people towards K-pop.

Jaanvi @btsarmy_galaxy_ i read

your article on BTS in the September

2018 issue of THE TEEnAGEr TODAY at school It was great! Thank you for taking time to research about them and writing a good article that ARMYs would love to read.

You are doing an

excellent service to English

teachers I also work out the

exercises given in the column

The page is easily understood,

interesting, informative and

The articles are

generally short, which

allows a child to finish

reading a feature

article without losing

interest All the articles

and information are

good conversation

starters for teens and

their parents There is no doubt

that TTT has a great influence

on the habits and attitudes of the

teenage group Keep going TTT!

Vinod C Dixit

Ahmedabad

I just received the February 2019

edition of TTT and I want to

thank you for acknowledging

my work and featuring it in

the Photo Pik column of the

facebook fan speak

Meenu Sharma TTT is the mag every individual should be in touch with It has all that a teen needs

— Music, Poets & Poetry,

Sci-Tech, Fashionista I’m so proud of

TTT for featuring K-pop recently

(till now BTS and Black Pink)

It’s enhancing our awareness Please feature some more groups

like Twice, Exo, etc in the Music

column.

Karishma Verma

Thank you so much

for featuring Black

Pink! Please feature

also Hailee steinfeld

or Taylor Swift as I’m

a big fan of these two.

Kuwar Ji Keshri

THE TEEnAGEr ToDAY is a very important and useful magazine for teenagers.

magazine This indeed was the best birthday gift ever! I have a request… though you have interviewed the

band Sanam before; we

would love to have another interview since the band recently hit 5 million subscribers on YouTube

Radha Dubey

Mathura

TTT is an awesome mag! I love all its

pages Soul Strings and

Photo Pik are superb

and Wired and DYK

are mind-blowing! The

article Winter Hair Care

For Teens by Shahnaz

Husain is really helpful

The article on Swapna Barman by

Gp Capt Achchyut Kumar has inspired

me a lot Thanks for this wonderful magazine Waiting for your next issue!

Thendral

Chennai

THE TEENAGER TODAY is so awesome! It is the best magazine for teens It has helped me a lot in solving my problems It inspires and imparts knowledge about many things from careers

to fashion TTT is a friend to every teen It’s a true guide for those of us who don’t know which way to go.

Swarnima Singh (14)

Deoria

youth experience

It just so happened that after

giving three different aptitude

tests I was selected along with

six other students to represent

our institution at Quanta 2018

organized by City Montessori

School, Lucknow

It was my first international-level

competition and I was way too excited,

resulting in loss of sleep two days

before we had to leave for Lucknow!

Upon entering the gates of City

Montessori School (CMS), I was the

only one standing with my jaw open

for about seven seconds There were

students from all over the world —

Form IV (See Rule 8)

1 Title of the Newspaper : THE TEEnAGEr ToDAY

2 Periodicity of Publication : Monthly

Address : Society of St Paul, 23rd Road, TPS III, P.B 9814 Bandra (W), Mumbai - 400 050

Address : Society of St Paul, 23rd Road, TPS III, P.B 9814 Bandra (W), Mumbai - 400 050

Address : Society of St Paul, 23rd Road, TPS III, P.B 9814 Bandra (W), Mumbai - 400 050

6 Place of Publication : 23rd Road, TPS III, P.B 9814 Bandra (W), Mumbai - 400 050

7 Names and addresses of individuals

who own the newspaper and partners

or shareholders holding more than : The Bombay Pauline Periodicals Society

one per cent of the capital 23rd Road, Bandra (W), Mumbai - 400 050

I, Joby Mathew, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Brazil, USA, Russia, Germany, Nepal, Jordan and many others

I would really like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Dr Jagdish Gandhi, Founder-Manager of City Montessori School, Lucknow, for organizing this beautiful and innovative event

On the first day we interacted with students from other countries The Brazilians were the sweetest while the Russians, in my opinion, were a little cold I personally made some good friends like Luisa, Bernardo, Marianna, Michele and Meera We spent 12 hours

a day together learning about each

others’ cultures and the language and clicking pictures We would even have lunch together sometimes

Sadly, the four days passed very quickly and the event came to an end While departing from each other I could see tears in their eyes and they could surely see mine 96 hours were enough

to make us very close friends

None of us wanted to leave All of us promised

to stay in touch forever but deep in our hearts we all knew that that promise was only meant for a couple of weeks Life has to go on

While leaving, Bernardo said that he would surely be visiting India again

and quoted Shakespeare: “Though

parting is such a sweet sorrow…”

I couldn’t hold my tears back and we both went our ways

People often say that sometimes our entire life is short enough to give us a lifetime of memories I would say that this was not true in my case 96 hours were enough

Aditya Mishra (17) / St Joseph’s College,

Prayagraj

dear youth counsellor

I HAVE A MAJOR CRUSH ON HER AGAIN

I have a crush on a girl since I was in class 6; now I

am in class 10 In class 7, I proposed to her and she said

‘yes’ but after that she did not speak to me again When

my friend asked her whether she liked me or not she

commented on my looks saying, “He is not that great

I will not date him; he is very bad looking.” After that

I never looked at her but one year later we were both

in the same class and she tried to be friendly with me

At that time I didn’t speak to her, but now in class 10 I

have a major crush on her again What should I do to

get my mind off her?

Ashish (15)

Dear Ashish,

You must be quite puzzled about this girl’s behaviour

and her comments about your looks must certainly

have hurt However, the writing is on the wall — she

isn’t really interested, and it brings no joy when a

relationship is so one-sided, don’t you agree? You have

rightly identified it as a crush; so it will pass And you

can certainly help yourself by focusing on your board

exams and your future career, along with some sports

and relaxing hobbies to develop your personality The

journey of life has just begun and you’re sure to find

someone warm and caring along the way!

MY LIFE IS FULL OF PROBLEMS

I’m a very stressed person and my life is full of

problems Though I’m good in studies I want to be an

English singer I’ve many dreams in life but something

is not letting me grow Sometimes I even think of

committing suicide I’ve a childhood friend who’s a boy

and we’re just friends He’s not talking to me anymore

and we just chat on Facebook When I asked him the

reason for not talking to me he said that it’s because of

his board exams What kind of a friendship is this?

Madhulika (15)

Dear Madhulika,

You haven’t mentioned your ‘problems’, but I can see

that you are very discouraged Suicide is not a solution

to problems; it is destroying your true potential, which

you have not even begun to discover Problems help you

to discover your inner strength and build your character,

so tackle them head-on Take support from people who

love you and whom you trust; seek help from a student

counsellor Use stress management techniques such as

listening to music, exercising, prayer, doing pranayama

(under guidance) and more

If you are sure that English singing is the right dream, then ask yourself: how good are you at singing? Are you formally trained? Do you participate in school and inter-school events? Have you recorded your voice to make a portfolio? To achieve a dream, you have to break a big dream into small steps and tackle them one step at a time.Understandably you feel hurt that your friend isn’t paying attention to you However, he is seems quite focused on his studies, which is great If you are his good friend, please do support him, as the board exam year is

a very important one for his future

I’M NOT MENTALLY STRONGI’m a 16-year-old girl in Class 10 I will soon appear for my board exams But, in this final year of high school, I secured only 70% in one of my exams In

my last test, I secured 81.6% I feel my problem is my attitude; I’m not mentally strong Today my spirits are up; tomorrow my spirits may go down I can’t maintain consistency Though it seems like shallow thinking, sometimes I feel that the reason for this is because my sun sign is Gemini I want to change myself completely but don’t know when I will be able to My dad says, when we are able to know who we are, we will always have a high spirit and full faith in ourselves How will I

be able to know who I am?

Bhargavi

Dear Bhargavi,You feel like you yo-yo between high and low spirits, and your dad is egging you on to make a change in yourself Perhaps you are not quite ready for it, but your board exams will soon be here No matter which sun sign you are, change is about bringing out the best in yourself Start the journey of self-discovery by listing out your values, the beliefs you hold that help or prevent success, your strengths and weaknesses, your talents and your moments of success Keep a journal to record your thoughts and changes Reflection will deepen your thinking

Your goal right now is academic success, so develop consistent study habits Use study skills — mind maps, grouping things, flash cards and more More importantly, use the 25-minute technique Study with great focus for 25 minutes without distraction; then take

a 5-minute break Do another 25-minute slot, followed

by a 10-minute break You can do up to 4 back-to-back 25-minute slots before you take a longer break Building consistency in one area will help you build consistency in others

Nasreen Hashambhoy is a Counsellor, Life Coach and a Facilitator of training

programmes for schools Through a combination of coaching, counselling and facilitation techniques based on cognitive science and positive psychology, she helps clients achieve their true potential She is the author of

the series Values In action published by Better yourself Books.

MY PARENTS HAVE GIVEN UP ON ME

This year I have my Std X board exams and I know

that I am not studying up to the mark Even my parents

have given up on me Whenever I study, I start thinking

about my future when I know that I need to concentrate

on my present I’ve tried to put an end to my life but

failed I told my mother about this and got the worst

scolding ever My dad is not talking to me either

Prachi (16)

Dear Prachi

People usually think of putting an end to his/her life

when they perceive that there is no hope left for the future

I am not sure what more is making you feel this way Your

parents must have been shocked, upset and helpless about

what you tried to do Perhaps the only way they knew

how to express themselves at that time was to scold you or

stop speaking to you Whatever the situation you face, you

have one freedom — to choose your thoughts about how

you see life — and that is where your inner power is

You have come into this world with the potential to

make a difference; your future is about discovering how

you can make the difference Seek help from a school

counsellor, and also help yourself: Take a blank page;

write down what you want in future at the top; then, at

the bottom write, ‘Class 10’ Draw a ladder and write the

steps that come in between, as best as you can Pin this

up on your wall and turn your future into a goal, a source

of excitement Use study skills and time management to

help you focus on the present and to make your studies a

stepping-stone to reach your goal

I WILL LOSE MY BEST FRIEND

I’m a student of Std X I am in contact with a girl since

last year, for 6 months through Facebook I have met her

several times She is my good friend But I feel like I’m

in love with her now Sometimes I think that I should

propose to her But at the same time I think that by doing

so, I will lose my best friend What should I do?

Sameer (16) / Rudrapur

Dear Sameer,

You are facing the classic dilemma and it isn’t easy to

make this choice! So, how about not making the choice

right now and letting time reveal whether she is right as a friend, or as the love of your life?

Friendship is a very important component of love It makes love last longer and stand the test of time Once you complete your education and select your career, if you still feel love for her, you can propose to her then However, if you feel you have changed your mind, you can continue as friends and no one will be hurt

Connecting with someone on social media and meeting them can pose a safety risk Do you know her background well? Have you met her family and friends? Has she met your family? It is important to be a bit cautious and avoid a future heartbreak

I CAN’T CONCENTRATE ON MY STUDIES

I am good in studies but these days I can’t concentrate

on them All I can think about is my account on Facebook, my cell phone and boys I am really worried that I will spoil my academic performance like this I really can’t talk to my parents about this because they won’t understand me.

Garima

Dear Garima,Your life seems to be going out of balance While it is normal to want to connect with online friends and to have crushes at your age, excess time on only one area

is like binging on your favourite food — it can make you sick And you’re absolutely right — there will be consequences not just on academics, but also on the quality of your life if you become addicted How will you feel if: Your academic results hit rock bottom? You lose your real friends because you chased virtual ones? Retrain your brain! Take each important area of your life — your studies, a hobby, exercise, time with family and friends, time for social media and so on Draw a

‘thali’ with ‘bowls’ on a paper In each bowl place one area and how much time you will spend on it daily/during the week Put it up on the wall and challenge yourself to stick to it Give your cell phone to your mum

at that time so you are not tempted to use it!

email your problems to editorial@theteenagertoday.com with subject line ‘dear youth counsellor’

I think casting one’s vote during elections should be made

mandatory to ensure full participation in the democratic

process Every vote counts because of which the nation

progresses Therefore, if casting one’s vote is

made compulsory, India will surely become a

true democratic republic

Sargun Saini (15)

St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

The word democracy means, ‘the government by the

people, of the people and for the people’ Therefore,

to maintain this definition, voting should be made

mandatory for every eligible citizen If a person doesn’t

want to vote for any of the parties in the fray, the EVM

Machine has the provision for choosing ‘none of the

above’ There is no right for anyone to complain about

the government if he/she has not voted in the

election Voting should be made compulsory if

we want the right leaders for our country

Arisha Ali (13)

Jeevan Marg Sophia Sec School, Deoria

Everyone who is eligible to vote should be given an

official holiday so that all can exercise his/her right to

vote, and help transform the nation for the

better rather than letting their opinions remain

limited to dining table debates

Adhishi Pokharna (21)

Mody University

Each adult person in the country has the right to vote, but

the irony is that there’s no participation in this process by

a large majority of people Without the full participation

of citizens it is impossible to choose the right leaders

Casting one’s votes should be made mandatory as every

single vote counts To ensure full participation and to

make the process less time-consuming online methods

of voting can be used, though there is an

additional virus of corruption The web portal

owners can be easily bought with cash

Joel Tomy (14)

St Francis De Sales School, New Delhi

Yes, I think that casting one’s vote during elections should

be made mandatory as the idea of voting is founded on

a goal to establish a responsible government and not only

a representative government Being a responsible citizen,

one has the right to vote All of us should vote

to make a better future for our country

Tamanna (14)

St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

Voting is the sine qua non of democracy which permits

citizens to assess a government on its performance and

choose another, if needed, that will fulfil their aspirations

If you do not vote, you have no right to complain India

has seen rising voter turnout over the past few years

Mandatory voting is hardly a concrete solution Rather than forcing someone, the right course of action should

be to sensitise citizens politically, in addition to making polling booths disabled-friendly and safe for women voters

Shailja Pandey

Nainital

In a democracy, voting is the most important form

of political participation that a person has because

it ensures that politicians are elected by the

people, and not assigned to their offices by someone else

Mahak Singh (12)

St Anthony’s Jr College, Agra

Democracy means that all the citizens actively participate in the decision-making process of the government This is possible only when we choose the right leaders who talk less, work more and will LISTEN to our opinions Some say: “I wish I were born

in America or Germany.” Ironically, these are the people

who do not vote We are given the power and

if we do not use it, we don’t have the right to complain

Jyoti Jain (14)

Mary Immaculate Girls High School, Kalina

According to me, it should not be made compulsory

to vote If voting is made compulsory, it will become

exactly the opposite of democracy Merely making something mandatory doesn’t solve any problem

Priyangasri K (14)

St Joseph’s AI Hr Sec School, Chennai

Voting is the most important duty of every citizen of the country above the age of 18 By exercising our voting right properly, we make sure that the government is formed by the people and for the people Every vote of the citizens will show active and full participation of the people in the formation of governments Mandatory voting will ensure that not a single vote goes waste or not included in the process of nation building

Senjuti Saibal Bhattacharya (18)

A C Patil College of Engineering, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai

A democratic government is the ideal form of government, and casting one’s vote is the best way to bring in a democratic government When people cast their votes, they express their opinions about the different

parties, leaders, etc., in the fray At the same time the party/people in power also will get to know their weak areas and failures, as well

Supriya (16)

St Francis de Sales, Janakpuri, New Delhi

t-point of view

ThIS MonTh’S ToPIC: do you think that casting one’s vote during elections should

be made mandatory to ensure full participation in the democratic process?

Yes, casting one’s vote during elections should be

made mandatory We have the right to vote, we should

use it It affects the future of our country It affects our

future generation and the economy of our country We

should all go to vote, making the best use of our right,

and privilege

Chahat (15)

St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

Universal Adult Franchise is based on equality, which

is the basic principle of democracy However, it should

not be made mandatory Casting one’s vote in elections

should be left to the discretion of citizens

It will have a negative impact if it is made

mandatory

Maria Alexander (16)

Choice School, Tripunithura, Eranakulam

Some think one vote is too small to matter, and so it is

useless to vote They fail to see that their votes contribute

to the country’s development as it helps in choosing the

right leaders I think voting should be made

mandatory as to ensure full participation in the

governing of the country

Khushi Litoria (14)

St Francis’ Convent Inter College, Jhansi

“Your vote, Your voice” Voting gives one the chance to

choose the right representatives; and so casting votes

should be made mandatory If we don’t exercise our right

to vote, the country will head towards anarchy

Be sure, “The ballot is stronger than the bullet”

Preethi S (11)

St Joseph’s AI Higher Secondary School, Chennai

A country cannot be truly democratic until its citizens

have the opportunity to choose their representatives

through elections that are fair and free All should

exercise their voting right, and participate fully in this

democratic process Casting votes should be

made mandatory to ensure this participation

Priyanshi Maheshwari

Sophia Girls’ Sr Sec School, Bhilwara

Casting one’s vote during elections should be obligatory

It is rightly said, “My vote — My choice” And being an

Indian citizen, it shouldn’t be optional As our country

is based on the system of democracy which consists of

equal rights for everyone, there should be full

involvement in the democratic process

Anamika Singh (14)

St Joseph’s Convent High School, Patna

Large participation of voters in the election process makes government formation truly representative Unfortunately, many people do not vote, thinking their votes would not matter While it is important

to have high turnout of voters, making voting mandatory is contradictory to the democratic value

of freedom Instead, the government agencies should make people aware of the importance of voting Further, election process should be made more comfortable like having booths closer to residences,

making election booths cleaner with adequate ventilation, employing proper crowd control methods, etc

Anuj Rikhye (12)

St Francis de Sales School, Janakpuri

Single drops constitute an ocean, and so also every vote contributes towards the formation of a country In

a democracy, government is constituted by the people through election process, and so casting one’s votes should be made mandatory for all

Ishmeet Kaur (14)

St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

Yes, it should be mandatory because India is a combination of people of diverse thinking and beliefs Every single vote determines the quality of our

governments So, we should vote to ensure our full participation in the democratic process

Krishna Jain

B J M Carmel Academy, Chandrapur

The democratic process is a wheel in motion All the spokes need to be equally affirmed for that wheel

to revolve efficiently Making voting obligatory will

produce governments with more stability, legitimacy and a genuine mandate to govern, and so is very necessary

Smriti Minhas (14)

St Joseph’s Convent School, Jalandhar

Yes, casting one’s vote during election should be made mandatory to ensure full participation in democratic process Taking part in the formation of the government of the country is a fundamental human right which can be exercised only by casting our votes,

leading to the formation of a responsible government

Sejal Sancheti

Sophia Girls’ Sr Sec School, Bhilwara

neXT MonTh’S ToPIC:Misuse of the Sedition Law is a threat to the right to expression enjoyed by every Indian citizen What do you think?

email your opinion in 100 words to editorial@theteenagertoday.com by March 8, 2019 along with your name, age, school/college, city and a casual pic of yourself your opinions could appear in our april 2019 issue.

nIdhIKa BahL

Success in high school doesn’t

always result in success in

college College may be just

another learning environment

in your view, but there are

considerable differences Here’s

how to succeed in college in four simple words: Have good, consistent habits Sounds pretty simple, right?

Maybe a little too simple? After all, what defines “good”? Many people achieve college success by paying attention to what works for other students Yet, that’s not always a

guaranteed method Some students

do well in spite of their bad habits, which can make it hard to sort out

what will actually work for you

Thankfully, plenty of time-tested advice exists to help you out

Whether you’re starting college right after high school or pursuing a degree, these tips will help you

1Attend class regularly. You may

not have studied in high school,

but you will need to in college Being

a successful student only happens

by being present Missing classes can mean missing out on important information and good opportunities for improving your understanding of

Photo: © heManT MehTa / 123rF.CoM

Nidhika Bahl is a Certified Coach with The John Maxwell Team,

Master SPIrIT Life Coach, Theta healing® Practitioner and nLP (neuro-linguistic Programming) Master Practitioner She is the author

of The Queen of the Comeback and the official Life Coach of Miss World 2017 Manushi Chillar Connect with her on Facebook:

facebook.com/author.nidhikabahl; Twitter/ Instagram: @nidhikabahl

the material being taught Your class

attendance also has a big impact on

the impression you leave on your

professors Even in large classes,

they notice They will be much more

willing to give you support when

you need it if you demonstrate

your commitment by showing

up consistently Also, professors

emphasize the most important

information in class You also might

catch a break on your grade if your

attendance has been excellent

Ensure that you’re participating, too

Asking one intelligent question per

day will ensure that you’re making a

good impression on the professor

2 Make friends and get involved

You have a new life now with

new people Get involved in campus

life so you feel at home A few

activities and friends will make you

feel more at home Increased comfort

will make it easier to concentrate on

your studies

3Ask for help before you’re

in trouble. All professors and

teaching assistants have office hours

Make good use of them Larger

universities also have tutoring

available, often for free The sooner

you ask for help, the less help you’ll

need You’ll also minimize your

stress

4Avoid being anonymous. Ensure

that your professor knows who you

are Teachers at the college level can

be great resources when it comes to

building your network and finding

hidden opportunities They are

often well-connected or know which

direction to point you in But the

key to getting them to open up and

offer extra help is usually to treat

them as regular people who have

real lives outside of school Visit

them during their office hours and

show interest in the things they

might be working on Make return

visits every few weeks And be sure

to participate actively in class If you

come across as genuine, instructors tend to be delighted by the chance

to provide any assistance they can

That could be anything from writing

a glowing recommendation letter to introducing you to a great mentor

5Be on time I am sure you’ll agree

that feeling rushed isn’t a good headspace to begin a class with

Also, most professors are sensitive to any signs of disrespect and regular tardiness can only harm you over the semester By arriving to class five to ten minutes early, you will not only impress your professors but will also give yourself the chance to slip into the right mindset, feel relaxed, and go over your notes and any reading material again that might be discussed in the upcoming session

6 Avoid falling behind. The pace

is much faster in college Once you fall behind, it can be very challenging to catch up Avoid procrastinating Begin writing papers and studying for tests early enough to do well

7 Focus on taking great notes.

It’s hard to fail if you have good

notes It’s hard to do well if your

notes are terrible If the professor mentions it or writes it on the board, it’s imperative that you capture the information Ask for any clarification during or after class Guard your notes with your life

8 Set a schedule and follow it. You

can do extremely well in college and still have a lot of free time if you plan your days wisely Avoid wasting time There’s no reason

you can’t spend eight hours total per day in class and studying That still leaves a lot of free time to do whatever you want

9 Keep a daily progress journal.

Building self-awareness is one

of the best ways to stay motivated

in college You need to be able to evaluate how well you’re doing each day Set daily goals Then, before going to bed each night, take a moment to write something simple like ‘All done’ if you’ve completed all of your tasks for the day If you didn’t, then quickly jot down why you weren’t able to This way, you build a system for being mindful of your actions and holding yourself accountable

10 Target getting good grades.

Your first employer after graduation will be very interested in your academic record If you wish

to attend graduate or professional school, your grades will be critical You’ll have more options if your grades are good College is a major investment of time and money Make the most of your considerable investment Show up to class, take good notes, and stay on top of your assignments Establish beneficial habits early in the first semester and you should do well

It all boils down to this: Successful students tend to practise habits and

a mindset that allow them to feel

in control of their education They

don’t study harder; they study smarter

They experience less stress than other students And they enjoy the learning process rather than seeing it

as merely a means to an end

Monica Fernandes is a freelance writer from

Mumbai for whom writing is a satisfying hobby She has authored a book for teens entitled Towards a Fuller Life published by Better yourself Books.

MonICa FernandeS

“I love to hear a choir I like the

teamwork It makes me feel optimistic

about the human race when I see them

cooperating like that.”

— Sir Paul McCartney

In a choir all the participants sing

in unison When the conductor

indicates that they should sing

softly, they all do so No bright

ties and co-operation is being shaken

to its foundations Elderly, infirm parents just about cope on their own when their children leave them to pursue their ambitions in another country Responsibilities and duties are forsaken

Contrast competitive behaviour

to those of twelve-year-old twins, Sunil and Anil, whose single mother supports them by cleaning apartments Sunil is a precocious boy,

Great leaders have shown how cooperation can be used to achieve goals Gandhiji galvanised an entire nation to join his non-violent movement for independence from British rule On 4 June 1940, Sir Winston Churchill, the war-time Prime Minister of Britain, gave a stirring speech to his demoralised armed forces He galvanised them to fight the Nazis, telling them, “We shall go

on to the end We shall fight on the

All we get is a vicious cycle of stress,

distress, unhappiness

How calmly and gracefully seagulls

swoop down and pick up fish from

the sea! They take only as much as

they need for their sustenance They

instinctively know that there is no

need to jostle as there is enough fish

to feed them all This is cooperation

in action Contrast their actions with

that of creatures much higher on

the evolutionary ladder, with their

highly-developed brains which they

often misuse for scheming

Newspapers, magazines, TV, social

media, all combine to bombard

us with the western values of

individualism and competition where

only I, Me, Myself matter Our entire

value system emphasizing familial

spark tries to stand out by

singing at the top of his

voice During the Republic

Day Parade, our armed

forces march together in a

disciplined fashion

Competition is a necessary

tool for our very survival

for it spurs us to greater

heights Without competition

all aspects of society would

stagnate and life would be

dull Too much competition,

however, results in no

time for us to be calm, for

relationships, for enjoying

ourselves, for our spiritual and

physical well-being We have

made winning the be-all and

end-all of life, aggressively

grabbing much more than our

needs, jettisoning our values

excelling in sports and studies On the other hand, his twin brother Anil has

a learning disability and suffers from fits Every evening, without fail, Sunil patiently teaches his sibling

The young mentally-challenged

students of Atmavishwas, Goa, were

to sing at a concert when one of the participants, Deanne, backed out

Her classmates stoutly declared that they would not go on stage until she came Some last minute telephone calls had to be made by their teachers to convince Deanne to come Deanne did turn up and the entire group went happily on stage

beaches We shall never surrender.” Jack Welch, the famous CEO of General Electric, USA, involved everyone in producing innovative ideas for running the company and made the workplace informal

The best place to practise cooperation is at home When the entire family shoulders some responsibility, the family remains united and happy

Mother Teresa once said, “None of

us, including me, ever do great things But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.”

ENpower (a flagship brand of

Enlearning Skill Development

Pvt Ltd), has developed India’s

first entrepreneurial learning

and development programme

dedicated to ‘nurturing

entrepreneurial minds’ among early

teens

ENpower follows a structured

process that helps children learn,

inspire and empower in the

career area of their passion It

encourages every child to think out

of the box, experience the entire

entrepreneurship life-cycle and

understand entrepreneurial life-skills

and processes

The grand finale of India’s

Future Tycoons, the first-ever

entrepreneurship platform designed

by ENpower to attract young minds

to present their ideas, was held on

10 February 2019 at CoWrks, Worli,

Mumbai The event attracted over

1200 teams from 252 schools across

52 cities It witnessed the top 12

teams competing for a cash prize of

winning team Their venture Bloom

is based on the idea of an external tap attachment consisting of an array of sensors, Digital IOT tech and Micro nozzles, which converts water to mist The aim is to conserve water and reduce its consumption

by 90% Advit had come up with an idea to make a FitBit for water taps that converts water to mist, thereby reducing the water flow and saving the amount of water utilized

The venture of the Second

Runners-up team from AVM Bandra, Owlett,

provides students with news from around the world that is fun and easy to read Since children are

unable to form opinions about current events due to the jargon used

by newspapers, the idea was to make

a simplified version of newspapers for children

The First Runners-up team from

Hyderabad presented True Wipes that

converts wasteful corn crops into chemical-free, handmade wet wipes with high water-holding capacity

The Most Innovative Idea was won

by a team from Kota which took part

in the event via video conference Their idea has multiple products which advocate water conservation and re-use of grey water in the flushing system of toilets

The Best Brand Idea was bagged by

a team from National Public School,

Chennai, with Enfocation, a platform

that provides experiential learning through local skilled workers who also benefit in the form of additional

income sources The Best Elevator

Pitch was won by another team from

National Public School, Chennai,

whose venture FreEd, allows public

school students to partner with private school students for their

education The Best Business Model

was won by Poshan, yet another

team from the same school, for their

app that provides healthy meals for pre-teens from home chefs

events

current affairs

Alfonso Elengikal is the bestselling author of you Can

Make a difference, you are destined For The Skies, Let The real you Stand Up! and the recently-released discover The

hero Within you (available on stpaulsbyb.com).

aLFonSo eLengIKaL

Former President K R Narayanan

made history when he, with wife

Usha, went to a nearby polling

booth to vote on February 16,

1998, the first day of the General

Elections After standing in queue

for a while with many of the

Rashtrapati Bhavan staff, he cast

his vote, becoming the first

Indian President to exercise

his franchise while in office

Presidents till then refrained

from voting, as a sign of their

‘neutralness’

Narayanan reasoned the other

way about, stating that it is

most natural for the citizen of a

democratic country to vote So,

he being the first citizen of the

country should set an example

to the rest of the citizens by

voting, which he did in the

simplest possible way

Celestina Cruz, a well-known

journalist from Philippines,

wrote commenting on the

Indian Elections (1996) in

the South China Morning Post

(Hongkong): “That a populous

country like India can change

its leadership without a

major political or social upheaval is

admirable India has shown the rest

of the world what it means to be

truly and intelligently free.”

Beautiful words of praise, I think,

and well-deserved, too! But frankly

speaking, a large measure of the

credit for this should go to our

masses In spite of everything that

goes wrong in the country, we have

had uninterrupted elections, all

through, and almost always, good

majority of the Indian masses do

go to the polling booths and cast

their votes with the determination

to make democracy work Not

only that democracy is ingrained

in the Indian masses, but they still

continue to believe in the power of

democracy

Vote we must, as citizens of the largest democracy in the world, exercising our ‘sacred’ right to choose our representatives to govern the country/state, till the next elections I believe that one of the major reasons for the country reaching the pitiable state it is in today is the fact that a good number of the ‘educated class’

refuse to vote, when required to, for the flimsiest of reasons Or when they do, they do not do so in the best interests of the nation And the result

— too many thugs and criminals continue to find their way to the Parliament and State Assemblies turning these into ‘market places’!

“Do not let gundas step into the sacred precincts of the Parliament and state assemblies (he was referring to politicians with criminal records) and desecrate them with their presence,” was Anna Hazare’s advice to the people of India as he began the third phase of his battle for a strong Lokpal Bill to curb corruption in public life

Vote we must; and only for those who are known for their honesty, integrity and proven love for the nation, in addition to being readily answerable to the people whom they represent and who have voted them

to power All other considerations come only next!

If you are not yet eligible to vote, you will soon be eligible

So it is important that you become aware of this serious responsibility as early as you can, and prepare yourselves

to take it up by keeping a watchful eye on those who pose themselves as ‘leaders’,

by keeping abreast of what is happening around the country, and above all, by training yourselves to be leaders of a better calibre than the present lot.The Indian masses may be illiterate, but intelligent They somehow believe in their power

to change a government More than once they have thrown out, exercising their power, irresponsible governments, both at the Centre and in the States, when they were dissatisfied with their performances

I doubt whether the above can be said about the ‘educated’ people

of the country They do talk about democracy a lot, but do not show half that interest when it comes to exercising their voting power The price we have to pay for keeping democracy alive is eternal vigilance!

“As we let our own light shine, we

unconsciously give others the permission

to do the same.”

— Nelson Mandela

The world today is changing

rapidly The paradigms are

shifting endlessly We are

moving from peace to violence,

from honesty to corruption, from

love to lust, from community to

self-centredness

The new year at Fr Agnel

Multipurpose School & Junior

College, Ambernath, was marked by a

celebration called When You Believe…,

a musical attempt to awaken the

self-belief in oneself The students brought

alive on stage, through

dance-drama-song sequences, the values that are

missing in the world today Recreated

in the theme, When You Believe…, was

a world where good rightfully defeats

evil, where goodness reigns supreme even after the forces of darkness use all the crookedness at their disposal to consume it

Through the portrayal of characters from the innocent world of Walt Disney, the students showed that the need of the day is to believe in oneself and in the guiding hand of

the Almighty When You Believe…, the

musical extravaganza, was a child’s cry for peace, a plea for a return to humanism In a world, where it is very

easy to go astray, When You Believe…

was a call to unlock from within each one the inherent goodness that we are born with, to join hands together to make a better world

The creed When You Believe… rang

out as the anthem of the event

It became the very soul of every participant and the heartbeat of every person who witnessed the event

I believe for every drop of rain that falls

I believe that someone in the great somewhere

Hears every word

No horizon is too far

No storm too strong

No night too dark

No thunder too long The impossible becomes possible and every mountain can be moved

If only you believe.

The puzzles fit in together Burdens become light as a feather Hope comes within your reach Any miracle you can achieve When you believe!

Everyone present was truly touched and went back home feeling empowered to save the world from ruin by ushering back peace, love, joy and goodness and willing to sacrifice their personal gains so these lost values may once again govern our thoughts, words, decisions and actions

Hope in distress

I believe Hope for change:

Caterpillars show the way Magic happens… When you believe

A call for unity

campus buzz

teen fiction

YASHI TRIPATHI

It was a cold, winter night The sky

was covered with a thick, dark

canopy of clouds From a patch in

the never-ending sky, peeped a

silver, full moon Fog hung low

over the harbour The ocean

glimmered silver and amber

because of the reflection of

the dim harbour lights

Everything looked faded and

vague in the thick fog which

covered the ocean and ground

“Hurry up, Dave It’s already

11 p.m.; we’re going to be late We

need to find a hotel Drive faster!

We will freeze out here!” Katherine

complained

It was the weekend and four

teenagers, Katherine, Dave, Esther

and Greg had decided to take a road

trip to a nearby town and spend the

weekend there They had one year

left until college and because they

had all been selected to different

colleges, they wanted to spend as

much time together as they could

“I’m trying The hotel is just

around the corner,” Dave assured

them At that very moment, the car

stopped Katherine looked panicked

“Don’t worry, I’ll check that,”

Dave said and got out of the car He

opened the hood of the car “The

engine has heated up too much We

need to take a break”

“But we have to get to the hotel”

Katherine protested

“Come on, Kat Don’t be such a party-pooper The reason why we are taking this trip is because we wanted to explore some new place and have some fun,” Esther insisted

“Yeah, Kat Look there’s the harbour I can get some sweet pictures for my photography portfolio It wouldn’t hurt to look around You could sketch something,” Greg said as he took out his camera from its case

“Okay, fine But if something bad happens, for the record I already warned you,” Katherine said as she got out of the car

The cold, night air blew in their faces making their faces flushed and red They started walking towards

the harbour Amber streetlights lit their way as they walked down the road There were abandoned buildings on each side of the road This part of the town was abandoned

as it was very old and the people who lived here had migrated into

a different part of the town The residents decided to let the buildings stay because they wanted something

by which they could remember the good old days

They soon reached the harbour

It was made out of wooden planks and rusted iron nails The wood screeched beneath their weight as they walked towards the edge

“Whoa…” Esther exclaimed, captivated by the hollow, unadulterated, pure beauty of what was ahead of her

“See I told you it would be worth it,” Greg said as he started taking pictures with his camera Katherine decided to sit on a conveniently

“I think so, I mean it’s quiet and peaceful,”

Esther replied

“I’m glad you do,” the lady replied

“What brings you here?” Katherine asked

“It’s a long story My husband left with his ship a few months ago I haven’t heard from him since I like

to come here at night and look at the ocean, waiting for him to come back

I am sure he will come back soon…”

the lady said with hope and promise

in her voice

“Wow, sounds romantic!” Esther said

“It would be if he comes back,” the lady replied, smiling as she stared out into the open ocean

“So, you just sit here and wait?”

Dave asked

“Yes, I do I have been waiting ever since he left Waiting for something

just increases the value of it

Honestly sometimes I think the wait

is better than the outcome,” she said

“What do you mean?” Greg asked

“It means that I don’t know what lies ahead He might come home well or he might be ill He could’ve deserted me, too I don’t know what’s coming Sometimes, ignorance is better than knowledge

As they say, ignorance is bliss,” she replied, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye

“It’s somewhat true,” Katherine replied The lady turned to look at Katherine

“Besides, the waiting is romantic It’s filled with hope and promise, that’s all one needs, right?” she asked

“Maybe,” Katherine replied It was then that the wind started blowing furiously

“We should get going, nice to meet you, Mrs …?” Dave said

“Arianna Joel,” the lady said with a smile which would remain engraved in their minds.When they got back to the car, the engine roared to life without a hitch They soon reached the hotel and took refuge in the warmth and comfort of the insides Katherine took the liberty to ask the manager about the lady

“Um do you know that lady who hangs out around the harbour?

It was some Arianna Joel waiting for her sailor husband?” Katherine asked the hotel manager

His face turned chalk white, he looked shaken and scared When he recovered, he replied, “So, you saw the Lady of the Harbour I thought

it was something my mother had cooked up to scare me at night.”

“What do you mean?” Katherine asked and everyone else turned to look at them

placed bench and sketch out the fine

view They spent some time talking

and working “I have finished it It’s

just a rough sketch right now, I will

fair it out at home,” she said

Suddenly, they heard a loud thud

Esther said, “Did you hear that?”

“Yes,” they all replied

They turned around and saw a

woman, clad in a black dress, staring

at the ocean

“Hello, my dears,” she said,

smiling “What brings you here on

such a cold night?”

She had curly, raven coloured hair,

a porcelain face and deep blue eyes

Something about her seemed soft

and fragile

“We’re just hanging around

Checking this place out, taking

pictures and stuff,” Dave replied

“Do you like it so far?” she asked,

her smile never leaving her face

teen fiction

“Fifty years ago, this harbour was

alive and swarming with ships

Arianna was married to Henry Joel

They had both settled in this town

after running away and marrying

for love Arianna was rich, she used

her fortune to buy her husband a

ship and get a place in this town Her

husband had to go on a voyage for

trade Arianna was very sad when

he left; she used to wait all night by

at the harbour Under the moonlight,

she used to stare at the ocean until she

couldn’t keep her eyes open anymore

and slept, listening to the sound of the

rising and falling ocean waves She

had spent a month waiting when she

heard the awful news Her husband’s

ship had been taken by the storm and

had sunk Her husband was dead

After that for some time Arianna

grieved and mourned She used to lie

awake all night at the harbour, still

staring at the ocean waves, her tears

mixing with the ocean Eventually, she forgot that her husband was dead Like in the first few months after her husband’s departure, she used to wait at the harbour She died, waiting in that very harbour, having frozen to death It is said that her hope lived on even after her death

She still sits there, waiting every night for her husband’s return Her hopes are still alive and her ghost keeps on waiting for that someday when he will return…”

Everyone was shocked and moved

at the same time

“I know we just probably met a ghost but I don’t feel scared,” Esther said

“Ghosts were people after all…”

Greg added

Everyone remained silent, not knowing what to say The story was still beating with every beat of their heart

Months after the trip, when Katherine finally finished the painting, it looked like this:

There was the ocean ahead, glimmering and shining It was full

Then in the middle of everything, there was The Lady of The Harbour and her husband Both of them were sitting with their hands enveloped

in each others’, staring out into the open sea The ship could be seen peering from the seams of the picture

Yashi Tripathi (14) is a student of

City Montessori School, gomtinagar, Lucknow

LOG ON TO

www.FutureFocusINdia.com

A FUN-FILLED WEBSITE FOR CAREER OPTIONS AND MORE !

GREAT DEALS FOR TEENS

Visit

www.FutureFocusIndia.com

to also get Great Deals on Cake Shops, Coaching Classes, Hobby Classes & lots more

in a city near you

DO WHAT YOU LOVE , LOVE WHAT YOU DO









inspiring lives

MaJ (reTd) PradeeP Khare

“Let no one ever come to you without

leaving better and happier Be the living

expression of God’s kindness: kindness

in your face, kindness in your eyes, and

kindness in your smile.”

― Mother Teresa

Sindhutai Sapkal is much more

than just a name Sharing

her birthday with Jawaharlal

Nehru, the 70-year-old lady

hides many stories behind her

strong personality Full of energy

and passion, she is referred to as

“Mother of Orphans” and as she

talks about her life and her children

you can see the pain, troubles and

miseries she has faced and overcome

with her hard work during her

lifetime But, from all the emotions

you see on her face, an unusual

sense of confidence which she has

derived over the years through her

experience is something you get

inspired by

“I am there for all those who have

no one,” she says with affection

You can see flashes of her life as she

talks about her journey and how

she became “mother” Being an

unwanted child, she was nicknamed

“Chindhi” which means ‘torn piece

of cloth’ Though her father was

keen on educating her, she could

not continue her studies after fourth grade due to family responsibilities

She got married at the tender age

of ten to a thirty-year-old man Her abusive husband beat her up and threw her out of the house when she was twenty, and nine months pregnant She gave birth to a baby girl in a cow shelter outside their house the same day and walked a few kilometres in that condition to her mother’s place, who refused to give her shelter “I cut the umbilical cord with a sharp-edged stone lying nearby,” she recalls She thought

of committing suicide, but gave up that thought and started begging at railway platforms for food to look after her daughter

Can you believe that she has now changed the lives of thousands of people! Till date she has adopted and nurtured over 1,400 orphans, helped them get education, got them married and supported them to settle down in life She is fondly referred

to as “mai” (mother) The children are not given up for adoption She treats them as her own and some of them are now lawyers, doctors and engineers

The circumstances she has faced could force anyone to lose courage and succumb to the adverse

situations But Sindhutai emerged stronger with every difficulty she faced and became a ‘mother’

to over 1400 homeless children, when she herself was in a hand-to-mouth situation With her love and compassion, she has gathered

a huge family of 207 sons-in-law,

36 daughters-in-law and over

1000 grandchildren Till date she continues to fight for the next meal She does not take support from anyone but gives speeches

to earn her daily bread and butter

“By God’s grace I had good communication skills I could talk to people and influence them Hunger made me speak and this became my source of income I give many talks

at various places and this gets me some money which I use to take care

of my children,” she says

Born in Pimpri Meghe village in Wardha district of Maharashtra, she was keen on completing her education and used Bharadi tree leaves to write as the family could not afford a slate Her early marriage put an end to her desire to study

“I was told there are only two processions in a woman’s life; once when she gets married and the other when she dies Imagine my state

of mind when they took me in a procession to my husband’s home

Maj (Retd.) Pradeep Khare is a veteran of the Indian army

he has authored two inspirational books real Inspiring Stories and Unsung heroes he writes a motivational blog Fragrance of Success and runs a motivational youTube channel guldasta

he can be reached at pradeepkhare2011@gmail.com

in Navargaon forest in Wardha,” she

says

While begging, she realized that

there are many children abandoned

by their parents Having faced

difficulties herself, she could feel their

pain and she decided to adopt them

She started begging more earnestly

in order to feed the many children

that she had adopted Gradually she

decided to adopt every child who

came across as an orphan and, over

a period of time, she emerged as the

“mother of orphans” “When I was

out myself on the streets begging for

food and fighting for survival each

day, I realized that there are so many

orphans who have nobody to go to I

decided to take care of them and raise

them as my own,” Sindhutai says

To eliminate the feeling of partiality

among children she gave away her

biological daughter to Shrimant

Dagdu Sheth Halwai, Pune Her

daughter herself runs an orphanage today Many years later, her husband came back to her and apologized for his harsh deeds Having devoted all her life to the orphans, she forgave him and accepted him as her ‘child’,

as she could only harbour motherly love for all She affectionately introduces her aged husband as the eldest child!

She has six organizations operating under her name which work towards various needs of orphans “I had no one with me, everyone abandoned

me I knew the pain of being alone and unwanted I didn’t want anyone

to go through the same And I feel immense pride and pleasure to see some of my children doing so well

in their lives One of my children

made a documentary on my life,” she says Her life’s story inspired

many and a Marathi film called Mee

Sindhutai Sapkal was made on her

life which won a national award She has received over 500 awards for her extraordinary support to orphans Whatever amount she received as awards, she used it to construct homes for her children The construction is still going on and

The unusual life of Sindhutai is an inspiration

for all of us Even after facing so many

hardships, she stood tall and made her way

into everyone’s heart She proved that if you

are dedicated, nothing can stop you from

changing the lives of thousands of people

around you.

she is constantly looking for more help from across the globe to give shape to her dreams “I approached the Maharashtra government several times for help but I never received

it I used to beg earlier to fulfil the needs of my children and I will continue to do so,” she says

The unusual life of Sindhutai is an inspiration for all of us Even after facing so many hardships, she stood tall and made her way into everyone’s heart She proved that if you are dedicated, nothing can stop you from changing the lives of thousands of people around you We salute this brave lady and hope that the country gives birth to many more such strong daughters and mothers

young achiever

Arundhati Banerjee is a budding

young artiste who has won

prestigious dance competitions

At the young age of 16, she

is an Artreprenuer and founder

member of AIDA-Bharatanatyaved,

a dance academy in South Australia,

imparting training in Indian

classical, contemporary and folk

forms

A resident of South Australia of

Indian origin, this Class 11 student

of Brighton Higher Secondary School

has been selected to represent South

Australia as a national finalist at Miss

Diamond Australia 2019 in Brisbane

As part of her pageantry journey she

supports the institution e.motion21,

a non-profit organisation that

provides Australian-first,

evidence-based, innovative dance and fitness

programmes for children and young

adults with Down Syndrome

She identified e.motion21 as an

organisation as her charity given that

she is passionate about performing arts and how dance can make a difference, bring joy and happiness irrespective of age, gender and levels

of abilities She believes that “Dance

is for everybody — integration of mind, body and soul.”

Arundhati will soon be coming up with a production titled the Dancing Sutra this Fringe Season 2019 at the

Marion Cultural Centre in Adelaide

Dancing Sutra will be a dance ballet

depicting the Story of Eve around the

theme “From Darkness to Light”

integrating Indian classical, folk and western forms The proceeds from the show will go to the organisation

e.motion21.

Arundhati has trained in

Bharatanatyam under renowned

Guru Padmashree Shobana Chandra Kumar, a national award winner, actress, dancer, and choreographer

She is currently receiving training in

western forms of dance like ballet, hip-hop, jazz, tap, etc., in addition

to getting specialised training in the areas of art of emotions, the ancient text in dramaturgy and learning to

play the instrument nattuvangam.

She has been awarded membership

in the prestigious International Dance Council partnered with UNESCO for a second consecutive year Just recently, she won the Miss Glamourgenic-Talent Supreme Title

at Brisbane and was selected as the National Finalist-Face of Capezio She is presently with the Australian Girls’ Choir and performed at the Adelaide Oval for the test match between Australia and England Arundhati’s mantra is “Dance is for the soul and for the betterment of the society.”

Fencing is a relatively unexplored sport

in India, though it was one of the first sports to be played at the Olympics

It is based on the traditional skills of swordsmanship

Siddhi Misal, a student of Fr Agnel Multipurpose School, Ambernath, started training in fencing when she was in Std

7 The sport attracted her when it was introduced in the school With the help

of her coach, Rajesh Shinde, she regularly participated in tournaments organized by the Maharashtra Fencing Association

She won the first position at the District Level in the Under-14 category

Motivated by her success, she went on to participate in the State Level tournament, where she bagged the silver medal

Siddhi, now a student of Std 9, has been an avid sportsperson since she began her schooling She enthusiastically participates in athletic events and even

plays volleyball She brought home

the State Bronze medal in the Surya

Namaskar Competition, making her

school proud

Siddhi lends her voice to the school choir, participates in elocution contests and general knowledge quizzes, and all the while maintaining her position

as a meritorious student in academics, too!

Achievers like Siddhi Misal are an inspiration to young girls growing

up in small towns across the nation where sporting is often of secondary importance, and reserved as a boys’ domain It is heart-warming to see her parents support her in sports, and especially in one like fencing which is traditionally a man’s game

Siddhi continues to foray with a never-say-die attitude We wish Siddhi all the very best in all her endeavours

India’s only magazine for quotes and anecdotes worth remembering

Single copy: `15 1 year: `170 2 years: `300 • •

• 3 years: `420 Life (15 years): `2200 • For more details log on to iquote.in

What is a good skin care regime for

teenagers?

Teenage is a time when there is

much hormonal activity This affects

oil glands, leading to oily skin,

blackheads, spots, pimples and acne

A teenager should understand his/

her skin and give it the kind of care

it needs ‘Cleansing’ is the keyword

for teenage skin The pores must

be kept free of hardened oil and

the oiliness of the skin must also be

reduced Use a face wash or cleanser

that is specially formulated for oily

skins Then wipe with an astringent

lotion using cotton wool Pat the skin

briskly with the cotton wool pads

This improves blood circulation to

the skin surface and adds a glow

You can go for a ‘clean-up’ treatment

at a beauty salon It includes removal

of stubborn blackheads, which helps

to prevent acne

What hair care regime should a

teenager follow?

Hormonal activity during teenage

affects the scalp as much as the skin

The scalp is rich in oil-producing

glands These become more active

during adolescence The hair

becomes greasy and limp due

to the excess oil coating the hair

shaft Dandruff is common during

adolescence When the pores of

the scalp are clogged with oil, the

distribution of natural oil along the

hair is disturbed This causes dry

Shahnaz Husain is one of the most popular and highly sought-after persons in the beauty care industry in our country today, in addition to being a pioneer of the herbal beauty care movement A Padma Shri awardee, she is the CMD of the Shahnaz Husain Group of Companies, the largest organization of its kind in the world with a global network of salons, spas and beauty training academies THE TEENAGER TODAY is highly pleased to associate ourselves with her, and sought her answers

to some of the common problems our regular readers face

the surrounding tissues of the skin, resulting in inflammation This

sets the stage for pimples and acne

‘Cleansing’ is the keyword for prone skin The pores must be kept free of hardened oil and oiliness must be reduced Use medicated cleansers or face wash containing ingredients like tulsi and neem Use

acne-a facne-aciacne-al scrub or cleacne-ansing gracne-ains to discourage blackheads Use a skin tonic or astringent lotion to wipe

hair, while the scalp is oily Dandruff and other conditions can also make

an appearance during adolescence and can lead to acne on the face, back and upper arms Make sure that your hair and scalp are kept scrupulously clean The hair should

be washed at least three times a week using a mild herbal shampoo Use less shampoo and rinse well with water Avoid oil applications if the scalp and hair are oily

How do I treat an acne-prone skin?

Acne occurs on an oily skin and starts with a blackhead An oily skin is prone to blackheads, as pores get clogged with hardened oil Neglected blackheads irritate

and tone the skin Avoid oily creams and moisturisers Use non-oily matte moisturiser or sunscreen gel Night time cleansing is a must Go for salon

‘clean-ups’ where blackheads will

be removed Removal of blackheads

.

.

.