Here lies the poetic masterpieces of a bored committee member who decided to dabble in a bit of poetry in order to entertain themselves and now hopefully to entertain you.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
(anonymous) is very boring,
I want to go to the loo.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
How are people talking,
Someone help me, I want mentos too.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
(anonymous) why are you so far away?,
I am missing you.
~Anonymous
Q: What is Donald Trump’s favourite beverage?
A: Mueller Lite, served by his personal Barr-tender.
―Michael R. Burch aka “The Loyal Opposition”
What separates President Trump from other politicians is his ability to actually deliver on his promises. As Ivanka Trump states, he is the most successful president of the 21st century. He has done this by the creation of 4 million new jobs, the increase of economic growth by 4.2%, and the reduction of unemployment rates which are now reaching a 49 year low. The problem arose when the Democrats threatened to impeach the President with baseless accusations of his colluding with the Russians. An irrational accusation that has little factual basis and is, in fact, a witch hunt started by the Democrats to distract the American people from his faithful service to our country.
As Mike Pence says, President Trump won the election fairly and on his own merit. The information provided by James Comey was unverified and it is the President’s responsibility to make sure that official information is genuine. Hence, firing the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations was completely justified, as accusations without proof become propaganda, and therefore ending those to maintain the security of one’s country is not an unreasonable act. The Mueller investigation itself is based on theories and hence is completely invalid, a waste of resources and should be put to an end. The investigation being released to the public would not be beneficial at all since the public would find all kinds of ways to twist and turn the information to mean something that is entirely misleading.
When the question of impeachment rises, the Democrats continue to make baseless accusations. Two hours of non-stop ‘debate’ within the democrat can be summarized in one sentence, ‘Trump is bad.’ That is the sole basis of the Democrat argument; they detest Donald Trump. Furthermore, their incompetence is reflected in the question, ‘would you please repeat the question’, which was repeated numerous times. Donald Trump is a successful businessman who simply gets things done; without the hassle of constructing an image. His honesty is what appeals to the masses, and his impeachment is a way for the Democrats to blame the President for their personal losses. It’s unfortunate that this strategy barely works on the democrats themselves. With only half of the Democrats in favour of impeachment, they do not seem to have much luck convincing the intelligent American people of arbitrary theories. William Barr correctly states that in the meeting with Mr Muller there was no evidence that proved Trump to be in any collusion with Russia, because there is, of course, none.
Trump’s work is also often put under the radar, he is disregarded by the Democrats since they choose to only view the work that is considered to be negative and unhelpful towards the American Government. If impeachment is the only answer, how does that reflect on the government’s reputation? Impeachment might not be the only answer. Even now, only some of the Democrats are for the impeachment of our President. The Democrats only have substantial evidence and must support their claims instead of carelessly making statements that will only lead them to their own losses.
— By Janani, Samaa, Divina, Udita
Mentos are pretty much the only things that can keep delegates from falling asleep in committee, and the strongest (maybe only) motivation that people have to keep talking. But surely even people who hide from the chairs are worthy of artificial, sugary, chewy candies?
The chairs may not agree.
But there are ways of fooling them to get what you rightly deserve.
1. Having fast reflexes
If you’re sitting next to someone who constantly gets mentos chucked at them, it’s fairly easy to steal some. When the chairs throw mentos to them, try to snatch it out of the air before your fellow delegate can, if you’re fast enough. If you’re even more skilled (or if the chairs have really bad aim), you can catch it easily, while still seated, being subtle about your thievery. If you’re not skilled enough to do that and do have to stand up, the chairs and the delegate whose mentos you just stole are more likely to notice you and demand you give the candy back. If this happens, be sure to shove the mentos in your mouth as fast as you can, as then they won’t be able to do anything about it. You may get chucked out of committee, but who cares? At least you have candy.
2. Agreeing with your co-delegate
If your co-delegate is the sort of person who has a lot to say, it’s easy to pile on to their points to get more candy. For example:
Delegate A: I further think that Donald Trump has made a fool of himself by tweeting about how he is proud of himself for having ‘fans’.
Delegate B (you): I CONCUR.
Chair: *chucks mentos to both of you*
As you can see in the above example, the chair will have been outsmarted by your witty and thoughtful remark, and will give you mentos that your co-delegate earned for you. Yell your agreement louder for better results.
3. Sneaking them out from under the chair’s nose
If you want to be super dramatic and get out of your seat to stand at the front of the room while talking, there is a likely chance you’ll be able to steal mentos from the chair’s desks. This will be a lot easier if you have a boisterous co-del who can dazzle the entire committee as well as the chairs with their sensational points, giving you time to steal a handful of mentos for the both of you. (The delegates of France in the HSC would be very good at this.)
4. Making deals with logistics
The logistics team are always in committee, passing chits and getting bored out of their minds. And they have access to the mentos that you rightly deserve. This is incredibly unjust, but cest la vie. If you’re smart enough though, you can strike a deal with them and get yourself some candy. Or bribe them. Either works.
5. Take them during lunch
The chairs almost never let their guards down, but the rare occasion that they do is during lunch breaks. If you are sneaky enough, you can stay in the room until the chairs leave for lunch and then take mentos from the blessed jar so temptingly standing on their desk. Hope that the chair has not counted the number that are in their jar before they left for lunch, and don’t take so many that it’s very obvious. Then once committee starts again, eat them slowly, making everyone around jealous and in awe of how you have earned so many of these divine, artificially flavoured, overly sweet candies.
Committee is beginning, your mind is all over the place and the last thing you need right now is a playlist, right? But take a moment to reconsider.
What would some good vibes do to you? Soothe you? Relax you? Annoy the chairs? Get you in the zone?
You can listen to it here. It’s MUN TIME BABEY!!!
Social media is the utopian new world. A world in which every person must have the perfect skin, body, family and travel photos. There is no room for imperfection. Editing your face and body to make yourself look more appealing has become an open secret in today’s world.
This practice exposes the increasing self-consciousness and insecurity that today’s youngsters are grappling with. Apps such as Instagram and FaceTune have made it exceptionally easy to change the way we appear through filters, smoothing tools or retouching. It is hard to determine what is genuine and what is not anymore.
People have also started to airbrush more than just their appearance. Airbrushing ones relationships is one example. They try to display a perfect image on social media whereas in reality they are unhappy and have conflicts amongst each other.
In today’s world, there is only a certain body type and face type that is considered to be beautiful. Young people aspire to look like the stereotypical models and influencers they see on social media, such as Dove Cameron with the “perfect” smile and Gigi Hadid with the “perfect” body. Although people have always aspired to look like their ‘role models’ who appear perfect at all times, it has become easier today to change your appearance. Further, this practice has become much more pervasive than ever before.
In today’s world, as online communication outgrows face to face communication, young individuals have the idea that their online “self-image” is more important than their real one. They can easily alter their online image to make it look more glamorous; however, in reality they struggle with accepting their physical traits. The habit of enhancing the online image gets perpetuated and they do not take any interest in improving their real self-image. Further, this practice of aping the most popular look stifles the individuality of youth, that should ideally be celebrated. Dr Helga Dittmar of the University of Sussex and Dr Emma Halliwell of the University of the West of England in their research paper state that, “boys can also be harmed by altered images. Pictures that exaggerate models’ muscle development and definition can encourage “unhealthy muscle-enhancing behaviours” such as taking steroids or other supplements.” this often leads to addiction.
Last year the psychiatrist Dr Pippa Hugo warned that photo retouching by teenage girls was becoming the new normal. As many as nine out of 10 teenage girls in some schools would doctor themselves to appear thinner, she claimed – with disturbing psychological consequences.
When people who are overweight edit their pictures to make themselves look skinnier, and then meet their friends in real life the backlash may be more detrimental than being teased for not being skinny in the first place.
Teenagers struggle with the effects of this airbrushed world and need some kind of safety net, and the body positivity movement is trying to be one such safe-space. It is an interesting social movement that believes everyone should have a positive view towards their body and love themselves to the fullest while accepting their physical traits.
According to the data crunchers at Whisper, a style App, 35.1% define body positivity as “being okay with flaws;” 29.3% define it as “loving yourself;” 21.1% define it as “being confident;” and 14.5% of users define it as “appreciating your body.”
Although some believe this is an idealistic movement, the reality of the situation is this. Things are changing – and the first steps are encouraging, as seen on websites such as Hollister, where models are shown with all their natural “flaws”!
Having a certification for websites that do not modify any photos would also help add momentum to this movement. This movement aims to combat the need to mould yourself into stereotypes, and encourages you to celebrate “the real you.”
People that suffer from a medical condition, such as acne, that affects their appearance often use Apps to boost their self-confidence. This temporarily creates a sense of security only online. However, this does not cure the root cause of the condition. Online acceptance attained by using modified and airbrushed photos may often reduce the drive these people have to actually improve their condition in real life.
Of course, editing can be considered as an art and a means to confidence and power, just as make-up often is today. There are certain advantages that make photo editing a better alternative to make-up, such as, it does not tamper with your skin in any way but has the same results, and that too at no cost. This serves the purpose on social media as many a time we never actually meet the people we know online. However, many people use it excessively and often go to extremes and alter their face structure, nose, lips, but then that too, is better than actual cosmetic surgery.
To conclude, the difference between reality and online appearances has increased manifold. How young people deal with this difference can affect them in several ways. If they are not conscious of this, the risk becomes greater as time goes by. Hence, like all things, airbrushing and modifying appearances online, when done in moderation is controllable and probably something we must learn to live with in the new world.
Both the tension and the stakes are high as Iraq accuses Kuwait of stealing oil through slant-drilling into reserves present in the Rumaila oil field. There appears to be an invasion on the horizon as Iraq makes demands and threatens military action. This seems to be the climax of the underlying animosity between the two nations.
This animosity was first apparent in 1961 when Kuwait became independent. Prior to this, the country existed, up to World War I, as a “Qadha,” a district within the Basra Province. It was an integral part of Iraq under the administrative rule of the Ottoman Empire. The Iraqi government has since been trying to claim Kuwait as their own by claiming historic rights to the country. A small crisis emerged, wherein the Iraqi government threatened to invade Kuwait, but it was averted due to plans by the Arab League to form an international Arab force against Iraqi actions towards Kuwait alongside British military intervention.
However, it is interesting to note, Iraq is in financial debt to Kuwait. Kuwait openly admitted its support of Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war and even loaned the country large sums of money — though, due to Iraq’s impoverishment post the war, the country has not been able to repay the entire debt owed.
It is likely due to this, funnily enough, that Iraq is angered about oil prices. Kuwait is producing more oil than ever and allowing the prices to drop rapidly. It is estimated that for every dollar the price of oil reduces by, Iraq loses a billion dollars. Iraq has claimed that Kuwait is violating their treaty by producing large quantities of oil, but Kuwait does not show any signs of stopping.
In May, the president of Iraq, Saddam Hussein publicly stated that the overproduction of oil by Kuwait (thus lowering the worldwide prices) was a form of economic warfare against Iraq. He appears greatly angered by this and military threat seems to be looming over Kuwait.
The US, however, has not tried to stop Iraq from following this path at any given point in time. Iraq seems to be taking this as a green light to go ahead with what they are planning.
Kuwait, with Iraqi troops close to its borders, does not seem to be making any counterattack. It is possible that they are trying to avoid the conflict entirely, as Iraq has an extremely strong army that will be able to overpower Kuwait’s minuscule defensive forces rather quickly. However, conflict seems imminent with Iraq going on the offensive.
Assuming we’re all fortunate enough, Iraq will be forced to retreat and revoke their accusation, however unlikely that possibility may seem. Until then, we’re all in the dark.
Imagine living in a country, and only feeling comfortable to converse in a language that 10 percent of the country speaks fluently. Now imagine this language being a foreign language. Imagine oppressing the remaining 80 percent that do not speak the language and making them believe that they are somehow inferior. This is the reality in our country.
With phenomena such as globalisation, English has become a universal language and is deemed necessary for children to learn. English in most countries is correlated to progress to a point where the first speech given by the first Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, was delivered in the English language. With just 20 percent of the Earth’s population being able to speak the language, it is interesting to understand why it is considered a global language and why it is given the power to kill off other languages.
English is considered the language of the elite and has been considered so since British colonisation. With the British conquering almost the entire globe, English was used as a powerful tool for colonisation and imperialism. It was successful in white washing native cultures and strengthening British rule. English is often used as a colonial tool even in society today. It continues a social hierarchy with English speakers being more successful and on top of the social and economic ladder. Hence, it encourages the non white population to be as white as possible with their accents and their industries, creating security and respect for English speakers and disdain for people who are fluent in languages other than English and therefore ‘inferior.’ India is culturally dense and has over 122 major languages and 1599 other languages many of which will be lost forever if no one speaks them. Parents who can afford it want to send their children to English medium schools, and those who can’t still aspire to do so. This results in fewer people being comfortable to speak in their mother tongues. The United Nations lists over 577 languages as ‘critically endangered’ with only a few people of the older generation (who are semi-speakers) speaking the language. 527 languages are ‘severely endangered’ and 646 are ‘definitely endangered.’ As many as half of the world’s languages are expected to be extinct by the end of this century and it’s estimated that one language dies out every 14 days. All these languages are from Asia, Africa, North America, Australia and South America-all states that were colonized. Although the goal of English today is not to white wash cultures, it achieves its colonial goal; establishing the supremacy of white culture.
If one takes a closer look at the origins of the language it is interesting to find that along with its French and Latin roots, it also stems from Middle Eastern, Asian, and other European languages. The English language dates back to the 5th century, when Germanic tribes invaded Britain and their languages merged to form Old English. Various Latin words, along with some French, were mixed in with Old English, hence creating Middle English. British colonization led to the adoption of many foreign words, creating Modern English as we know it today. Words like anonymous, guru, loot, safari and cigar, have Greek, Sanskrit, Hindi, Arabic and Spanish origins. The beautiful thing about any language is its ability to adapt and merge with modern culture. For example, the youth is leaving behind traditional English in favor of a faster, more time efficient form used on social media today, consisting of various short forms. This new English and is far more nuanced and this fact is often overlooked. For example, ‘okay’ is different from ‘ok’ which is different from ‘k.’ Linguistic evolution is completely natural, but sadly it is still insisted upon that we learn English the same way it was taught in the 15th century. I believe that it is the natural course of a language to evolve and grow as situations, attitudes, and understandings change, and this is what the system lacks; the ability to adapt.
For whatever reason, English is the one language that the globe speaks, even if it is not fluently spoken everywhere. The amount of people that speak English is also on the rise. The reason it is a ‘global language’ is because it is used for global marketing, communication and business, all of which are fields dominated by the elite. And to be the elite in their respective societies they must learn English. It is a vicious cycle that erases other languages as a side effect but it also allows us to have a universal language for all of mankind. Communication is key and being able to communicate without translation accelerates our growth and potential. As long as the flexibility of language is maintained, and it is taught for learning purposes it can do no harm. But it is often used to uphold an unfair hierarchy which defeats the whole point of a global language that stands for common culture.
Everyone had their favourites – that one corner in the library where you made your first friend, the glue-covered tables in the art room where Miss Pinky yelled at you, or maybe the AV room, where you sat tracing the grooves in the fake wooden flooring instead of singing along with Miss Anita. Whatever your favourite room was before the school changed forever, whichever room it is you miss the most, we’re united in our mourning. That being said, let’s find out just how loser-y YOUR nostalgia is.
The Library
Everyone loved the library. It was where you went if you had free time, where you could read book after book, where you could gossip endlessly with your friends. It was home. If this was your favourite spot, you’re not alone. Chances are you have a tight-knit group of incredible friends, and you’d convene here at lunch everyday. Even so, it’s likely you sometimes needed a break from all the chatting, and even then the library was your refuge. Its dark corners and tall shelving allowed you to disappear into some fantasy world for a while, and emerge only when you absolutely had to.
The Art Room
Now, this one’s complicated. BIS OGs will remember Miss Pinky’s room up on the 4th floor with its sink to wash brushes in and Sunita Didi fiercely guarding the gold and white paint bottles. But the OG-OG BISites will remember Miss Pathak’s old art room on the 2nd floor, where we rolled long, thin ropes of clay to turn into snakes and bowls and houses, where we cut little shapes out of folded paper to make snowflakes, and where we scraped crayon off of other crayon – creating black magic. If either of these rooms is what you miss most, you’re probably a hippie peace, love and flowers sort of person, wearing tie-die shirts and listening to jazz. You enjoy sipping herbal tea while talking in hushed tones about the melancholic life of Van Gogh and exactly how his name is really pronounced.
The AV Room
If this place was your favourite, you have more suppressed energy than you can handle. The ground isn’t free, so these are the walls that get assaulted by your sponge balls, and these are the floors that get pounded by your feet as you try to escape it. Every day at 10:40 you had your snack-box out and ready for you to run all the way up to the 4th floor to call first dibs on the room so you and your friends could play some version of a game involving a ball and running. If you miss the AV room more than anything else, I can say with some confidence that your dream job would be in sports.
The Comp Lab
Yes, newbies, that’s what it was called originally. Not the IT Lab, and most definitely not the IT Hub. Rows of computers lined up so everyone’s backs face each other, and yet every class that passed through this room found a way to talk so much we disrupted the teacher’s plan. If this was your favourite spot in school, you likely yearn for the simpler days of MS Paint and IXL Math and even further back, when computers classes meant playing Art Attack games for an hour and comparing the paintings you and your friends came up with. How nice that little barrel of virtual glitter looked, swinging across the page on that log elastic rope. What you wouldn’t give to be there now, waltzing across a canvas, inadvertently creating some sort of masterpiece… And instead here you are, burdened by reality and responsibilities. Oh, well, at least you know it only gets worse!
The Hall and Kitchen
Trust me, you are not alone. Those tiles may be gone, but they will never be forgotten. Funnily enough, as many OG-BISites will remember, those tiles were a change from the OG-OG tiles we had. Even so, those multi-coloured floors, that painting of the last supper, and so, so many meals built most of the memories we have grown up on. If this was your favourite room, you’re a people-person. You love being around the people you love, even if you can barely hear each other over the din of every other set of friends that’s just as close to each other. Seems like you’d get on just fine in the clubs of Mumbai! You’re brave, outgoing, and you have a lot of opinions – on life and on lunch. But most of all, you have grown up in a place that has allowed you to be all that you are, and you’ll hate to leave it.
The naming of the Press issue for each year of UNiS undergoes much debate. Suggestions in the past have included “The MUNday Blues”, “The PRESSentation” and “Pressed Into Action”… some questionable, some utterly brilliant, but who’s to say which is which.
That being said, the Press Corps at UNiS has had some fantastic titles in the past. 2016’s “The Quill and Ink” added a touch of Harry Potter-esque ethereality to the whole affair. “Pressing Matters” from 2017 highlighted the importance of matters discussed in the issues, and last year’s “The UNiS Express” promised fast-spreading breaking news as the Press debuted its digital format.
In the past, we the Press Corps have promised a variety of things, from magic to importance to speed. But this year, we wanted to introduce an idea, a feeling, a moment. This is a moment so universally experienced, so utterly relatable, that you’ll be just as surprised as we were to realise we had no idea there was a word for it.
It’s a feeling that’s rather hard to describe, when you’re SO close to remembering that one word, but all your years of mugging science notes and multiplication tables and Shakespearean quotes collapse into a useless heap before you? The moment of utter frustration in which no suggestion seems sufficient because you cannot for the life of you seem to recall the EXACT adjective to describe your incredulity toward the remodelled-BIS? We can all relate – but if we ask you to explain what it feels like, it’s likely you’re struggling to find the befitting words. That ‘almost seen’ sensation of being on the brink of an epiphany is itself, to most, a seemingly undefinable state of being. But we’re here to define it for you: presque vu. Yes, there’s actually a word you can struggle to find to express the feeling of struggling to find a word!
And so, the Press Corps 2019 are beyond ecstatic to introduce Press-que Vu, your one stop platform to conquer that mind-block! Read articles explaining feelings beyond description, explore perspectives you’ve never before considered, and flood your mind with new thoughts, concepts and art. Keep reading, and soon you’ll have vanquished presque vu yourself.
– Aria Panchal and Aditi Marshan
Press-que Vu 