 |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
Books, not students have rooms Panchkula, November 5 But Government Primary School, Sector 4, in spite of being endowed with a building and ample space to hold classes, is unable to put the infrastructure to its optimum use. For instead of students, the rooms in the school are occupied by books and over the past few months the school building has begun to house more books than students. While one whole rooms of the school has been converted into a permanent storeroom for books of senior classes, the second room “accommodates” students as and when the stocks of books piled up inside permit enough space to hold classes. Interestingly, these books are not even meant for the primary school. It’s only shouldering the burden for its senior wing, which is short of space. Consequently, while 40-odd students of Class III sit cramped inside the classroom, students of the nursery class, as also those of Class I, are forced to occupy corridors in the absence of any space for them in any of the other classrooms. Little Mamta, who topped among girls in Class II, says: “We keep shifting in and out of the room depending on the number of book sets that are stocked in the school building. In the past few months, we have spent most of our time attending classes out in the open.” While officials have been apprised of space constraints on the school premises and urged to find a new storeroom for books of Classes VI to X, there has been no response from the authorities concerned. Most of the staff refused to comment on the matter fearing reprimand, though students said a truck usually visited the school premises every fortnight and offloaded huge bundles of books for stocking. Classrooms are out of bounds for them once the unloading of the truck begins. Gradually, these books find there way into the school where these are actually needed but before a lot goes out, a fresh lot is ready to take its place. “With winter approaching, we are worried about our children. Though most classes don’t have furniture, it is essential to at least use rooms to hold classes especially when these are available,” a parent said.
|
|
Aakriti tops in architecture exam Chandigarh, November 5
|
|
Playing old music the new way Chandigarh, November 5 In many ways then, they are to Germany what diehard classical musicians are to India. That explains why SPIC MACAY, under its World Heritage (Virasat) series, has invited them for concerts in India. After a performance at Max Mueller Bhavan, Delhi, they are scheduled to hold two concerts in Chandigarh tomorrow. They will perform at AKSIPS School, Sector 41 at 10 am and again at Saket High School, Chandimandir at 12.30 pm. On the eve of their performance in City Beautiful, members of the Wind Quartet spoke about their passion for classical European music and the threats it faces from the more popular forms. “Back in Europe, classical chamber music has its own, special following. But it can’t be termed popular by any means. We face tough competition from pop, rock and jazz, which are much more prevalent across Europe,” says Fabian Schaefer, who plays oboe for the Quartet, which also features Balazs Taiger on the clarinet, Philipp Zeller on the bassoon and Gideon Seidenberg on the French horn. Driven by similar passions, they share a common goal - one of recreating the magic of old pieces written by legendary composers like Beethoven and Mozart. What is surprising, however, is the age of the Quartet. With all its members in their early twenties, it is an incredibly young group that plays old music. That does not, however, keep them from interpreting contemporary music. So devoted are they to the character of the composition at hand that they even follow the rules of the time in which the composition was written. “We don’t play classical music the romantic way. Our job is to recreate the aura around the piece, recall the genius of its composer and play in a way that old music sounds new,” says Philipp, who took lessons in the violin and the piano before setting down for the bassoon. The Quartet has vowed to play already-written music. Ask the members if that deprives them of the charms of creation and they say, “We create within the parameters of a given composition. That’s even more challenging. But there is no denying the fact that our music is appreciated mostly by older people because it is complex,” says Gideon Seidenberg. In its mission, the musicians are generously backed by the Government of Germany, which has 130 orchestras and 22 conservatories of music. “Germans love their music just like Indians do,” say the Quartet members, who have had little exposure to Indian classical tradition.
|
|
Play marks cultural festival Chandigarh, November 5 Structured with sensitivity, “Betiyaan kyon nahi” dealt with the issue of foeticide and killings of newborn daughters. Written and directed by TV and film artiste Dr Ranjit Sharma, the play was well constructed and well presented. Apart from the play that left the audience in a pensive mood, the presentation featured other music and dance items, which made the moods lighter. Prizes were also given to those children who secured more than 85 per cent marks in class X and XII board examination. Five prizes were given to winners of the lucky draw held as part of the function. The Director, Doordarshan, Mr M. Arshad Sahil, was the chief guest on the occasion. |
|
|||||
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Aakriti Dhimana, a student of Bachelor of Architecture at College of Architecture-IET, Bhaddal, has again stood first in the fourth semester exam conducted by the Punjab Technical University. She secured 862 marks out of 1050. She also has the distinction of topping the university in the first semester examination of B. Arch held in 2004.