Our hearts filled with excitement and enthusiasm, on the 13th of February, as me and my friend Sameera, dressed in our formals, with our speeches in our hands, headed out for the Pathways World School Aravali. We were nervous to say the least! Leaving our own school to go for a competition can be both fun but at the same time scary. The privilege of going on a long road trip along the hilly roads while your other friends have to sit in class and study is the part that makes this experience fun, however, being wished good luck by all your teachers is when you feel the pressure. Even though you know they will love you and be proud of you no matter how you perform, it still scares one to think of disappointing them. We reached thankfully just in time. The most memorable moment of the day was when our names were announced and we realized that we were the first participants. My speech was on feminism and equal rights for women. It had been read out at the USA House of Representatives while Sameera’s was a poem
on beauty and the beast. With our amazing content we did manage to grab a little attention from the crowd. However we were both bursting with nervousness inside. Even though we did not win anything, it was a great experience for we got to hear people of different age groups, full of confidence and assertiveness. We got to learn from them as well as us. And like every other trip of ours to Pathways World School Aravali, this one proved to be memorable as well!
Ammarah Khalid
Form 11
‘How could a beauty beast be? Or a beastly beauty together could be?’ – These were the lines that probably startled the entire audience at the Curran Anand elocution competition which is held every year in the memory of an ex-Pathwazian, Curran Anand, to celebrate his love for literature and books. Since we reached Aravali a bit late, we were quite nervous and unsettled at the sudden start of events. I had practiced my poem, called ‘Search’ by Lalitha Iyer, quite a number of times by then, however I lacked that confidence that should’ve overtaken the wave of nervousness. The first poem was recited, and the second, and the third – and how lovely they were! I was impressed by the Aravali students, for they recited the poem with just the perfect enunciation and expressions. Sonnet 25, by William Shakespeare was the highlight of the competition and both the students who recited the sonnet bagged the prizes. For me it was an entirely different and a new experience because I generally am very confident when it comes to public speaking, but reciting a 40-line poem with no beforehand practices gave me a shiver. I was so nervous that I forgot the latter part of my poem and ended up making my own lines which luckily made sense and rhymed as well. However it did not make enough impact and the entire essence of my poem was lost. I did feel a little lost but there is always a learning in everything.
Sameera Khurana
Form 9
