#Inter-House Group Song Competition

[townpostin]

Inter-House Group Song Competition Concludes at CPS Adityapur

Nehru House Wins Group Song Competition at CPS Adityapur The Inter-House Group Song Competition at CPS Adityapur marked the end of Musical Bonanza Week, with Nehru House emerging victorious. JAMSHEDPUR – The Inter-House Group Song Competition at C.P.S. Adityapur concluded the Musical Bonanza Week on July 13, 2024. Students from Classes 6 to 8 participated in this event, showcasing their musical…

[sisbhopal]

Inter House Patriotic Group Song🎵and Dance🕺 Competition was organised at Sage International School for the students of Grade III to VIII on 9th August 2023. The theme of the competition was 'Patriotism'🇮🇳. The event was graced by Respected Vice Principal Ms. Bhawna Shrivastava. The event was judged by prestigious music🎼 composer Mr.Manohar Rao and renowned choreographer Mr. Milind Dabhade. The participants of all the four houses performed par excellence and were applauded by the audience. The results of Group Song 🎶Competition were

I Position: Daya House II Position: Yatharth House The results of Group Dance 💃Competition were I Position: Daya House II Position: Abhinav House

[sweetiepie08]

Rebel Z (Chapter 10 Final)

nvader Zim fanfic

While analyzing Zim’s PAK for weaknesses, Tak discovers strange coding that sends her on a search for answers. The clues lead her to uncover a conspiracy that governs all of Irken society. When the truth sends her on the run, she has no choice but to return to the one place the Tallest would never willingly go: Urth.

Meanwhile, Dib has noticed odd changes in Zim’s behavior. Has the invader simply grown bored of his mission over the last few years, or is there something more interesting going on?

People who asked to be tagged: @incorrect-invader-zim , @messinwitheddie, @reblogstupids, @cate-r-gunn

If anyone else would like to be added to the tag list please let me know.

Chapter 1. Chapter 2. Chapter 3. Chapter 4. Chapter 5. Chapter 6. Chapter 7. Chapter 8. Chapter 9. Chapter 10. 

Thank you for reading! I do plan to continue the story in a sequel fic, but I may take a short hiatus first. I hope you enjoyed this!

Be on the lookout for the next book in the series, RevolutionZ! In which Zim and Tak attempt to join the Resisty and gain new companions! Dib fills his gap year by joining an alien rebellion! Gaz gets dragged in too! And what happened to Zim in Death Melee is explained! 

However, I will most likely only be posting links to Ao3 than full chapters to Tumblr. Again, Thank you everyone for reading!

[-]

“So, what exactly the fuck was all that stuff with the punch about?” Dib asked once they were a comfortable distance away form the Massive.

Zim glared straight ahead at the stars. “It’s nothing that concerns you, human.”

“Bullshit!” Dib slammed his hand down on the control panel. “Your little stunt could have gotten us killed. Out with it!”

Zim gritted his teeth and gripped the steering mechanism until his knuckles quaked. Dib braced himself for the inevitable screaming denial. Instead, Zim let out a pained sigh. “Fine, if you must know, I figured out three Urth years ago that my mission was a sham and my leaders were trying to have me killed, so I took revenge. Happy?”

“We know all that,” Tak snapped. “And anyway, I told you your mission was a lie a long time ago. What I want to know is how you managed to betray the Tallest without your treasonous thoughts setting of your life clock.”

“Yeah, and who’s Spek?” Dib added.

“You wish to hear Zim’s tale of woe?” He clenched his fist and heaved out another sigh. “Fine. Three Urth years ago, the Tallest contacted me, telling me they selected me to participate in Death Melee, an inter-galactic event that all would be watching.”

“The one where they throw criminals on a planet together to fight to the death?” Tak deadpanned. “That was your first clue?”

“They told me the rules had changed and it was now a contest of elite warriors. For my partner, they gave me a Spek, a smeet just shy of his cadet years. He hadn’t even seen his first cycle yet…” Zim’s fists shook as he cut himself off.

“Since you’re still alive, I’m assuming you won,” Dib said.

“Yes, but…” his gaze fell to the floor. “Yes. Anyway, throughout the Melee, it became clear to me that the Tallest lied. This was still a game for criminals, but Spek…” Zim narrowed his haunted eyes, “he was only there to lessen my chances.”

Dib watched, mesmerized. He thought he’d seen the many moods of Zim. He’d seen everything from proud boasting, to spiteful rage, to pathetic schmooping. But this, this was something else entirely, something he never expected to see from the alien. True remorse.  

“On my journey back to Urth,” he continued, “I had too much time to think and when made it back to m base, I was done with all of it.” Rage grew in his voice with every word. “I knew they lied. I knew they’d been lying. For a moment, I thought, if they didn’t want my genius, maybe someone else would. And that thought was enough to set off my life clock. Instead of simply ripping out my feedback chip, I infected it with a virus that sends the Control Brains a loop of my Urth memories, preventing it from receiving new thoughts and experiences.” A bitter, satisfied smile came to his face. “As far as I can tell, it hadn’t noticed anything was off until now.”

“And the machines I saw you building?” Dib pressed.

Zim drew himself up. “I have a contract with the Resisity. I build them machines, they appreciate my genius and send me monies.”

“And that’s what you’ve been doing for three years?” Dib asked, voice sripping with skepticism.

Zim nodded and said nothing more.

Dib stared at him, trying to get a read on this whole tale. He wasn’t sure what to believe. Zim’s reason for existence seamed to be pleasing his Tallest. The little green monster talked of nothing else since arriving on Urth. He couldn’t imagine Zim wanting anything else and he’d fallen for the schmoopy act before. But this was not schmoop. It was too subtle, too quiet. And that betrayal of his Tallest couldn’t be denied. Something had truly changed.

Dib looked to Tak to gauge her opinion, but her face revealed nothing except careful calculation.

“I’d heard the Resisty had been growing and gaining power,” she mused. “New technology granted them upsetting victories and made them more of a problem than they once were. They could be the key. We need to fight if we ever want a chance of defeating the Control Brains and freeing our people, and for that, we’ll need an army. With your connection and my information, we could pose a real threat to the Empire.”

Dib expected Zim to launch into another tirade about how he wasn’t in it for the politics. That this was all a personal mission and he had no interest in going rogue. That did not happen.

Instead, Zim said nothing for a long time. He simply stared through the windshield in tense silence. But then, a grin grew slowly on his face. “I’m in.”

[-]

When they made it back to Earth, they found that Gaz made use of MiMi and Mini Mouse as gaming companions, Dad bought her excuse that Dib was hanging out at Zim’s house, and that he hadn’t even stopped home long enough to notice the two additional robots in the living room.

Dib went straight to his room and laid out all of his recording devices. He had the notes he took the night Zim and Tak rambled drunkenly on the couch. He had the audio recording of the old man Irken that he couldn’t wait to translate. And he had the spy camera he’d been wearing to capture the whole experience. He never got so much undeniable proof on one mission before, and no one, to his knowledge, had this much evidence of this quality ever. He’d be king of the Swollen Eyeball network if he showed even a fraction of…

His eyes drifted to the Swollen Eyeball emblem pinned to his bulletin board and he let out a sigh. The Swollen Eyeball… what a joke. They’d been reduced to a bunch of anti-science conspiracy nuts. The organization became a competition to see who could shout their wildest theory the loudest. What were they compared to a real evil alien empire, a real soul-sucking, Lovecraftian horror, and a real space alien rebellion?

No. This was bigger than some crack-pot conspiracy group. This rebellion universe-shattering consequences. And he was going to be part of it.

[-]

Out in his ship, Zim stared at his PAK connector with warry eyes. He wasn’t sure what held him back now. His stunt on the Massive already solidified his traitor status, but this felt different, more official. It was one thing to enact vengeance on those who betrayed him. It was quite another to completely detach himself from society.

He’d been unwaveringly loyal to the Empire since his conception, but they didn’t want him. He’d seen that years ago. So what was he waiting for?

He disconnected the PAK from his back and ignored the lifeclock in the corner of his eye as he plugged it in. He opened the hatch, clicked a pair of tweezers in his fingers, then reached them toward his feedback chip.

At a light tug, his computer’s voice gave an automated warning.

You are attempting to remove the feedback chip. Doing so is an act of treason against the Irken Empire. Are you sure you want to proceed?

Zim closed his eyes and pulled the chip free.

[-]

Tak’s footsteps echoed as she walked across the concrete garage floor. MiMi’s metallic feet clacked beside her. Apart from that, the room was silent. She was used to silence. One grows accustomed to it when traveling alone through space. But these last few days had been anything but. And with Zim as her dubious ally, silent moments like this were certain to be few and far between.

And yet, this moment, she felt the need to fill it with something.

She popped open the windshield of her ship and hopped inside. “MiMi, my disc please.” Mimi reached into her head and took out the Urth data storage disc. Zim wasn’t the only one with a secret stash.

Tak took the disc from Mimi and placed it in a tray on the ship’s control panel. “Ship, track six please.” As she hopped out, music began to play. Smooth, jazzy horns filled the air and the singer began crooning.

Maybe this time, I’ll be lucky. Maybe this time he’ll stay…

The song was from an Urth performance art piece. The vocalist sang about some male mate. That part didn’t interest Tak in the slightest. Still, there was something about it...

Not a loser anymore, like the last time and the time before…

The song continued to play as Tak opened the engine access panel and began her work. While manipulating the many gears and wires, she found a few interesting repair methods that the human implemented over the years. Many employed the use of an Urth bonding strip called “duct tape”, which she had to admit came in handy. The human didn’t do a bad job, even if it was pretty slap-dash.

All the odds are in my favor, something’s bound to begin…

She finally untangled a mess of wires and reconnected them.

It’s gotta happen, happen sometime…

She fused together the final wire and the ship hummed to life. Fuel Regulation Systems online.

Tak smiled, “Okay Mimi, looks like we’re finally getting somewhere.” She ducked back into the access panel as the song his its crescendo.

Maybe this time I’ll win.

[sbbpsbhopal-blog]

Watch wonderful performance of SBBPS students of Raman House in  Inter-House English Group Song Competition 2017.  SBBPS is a leading CBSE affiliated school in Bhopal, India. 

[freckleslikestars]

We had houses named after a famous person within the field, and you got sorted into them when you were eleven. I was Newton (maths, green), and we also had Cavendish (science, light blue), Orwell (English, dark blue), Brunel (design technology, red), Wilberforce (humanities, purple), and they added Pendalton (sport, orange) just before I left.

The year after I left they changed the uniform to be blazers and ties, and your blazer and tie had to have your house colour on it.

We had inter house and intra house competitions, like we had a sponsored walk each year in which the house that raised the most money won, and we had house panto, and house song and, obviously, sports day. There were other things too. And then with intrahouse we had weekly competitions like dodgeball and building structures from spaghetti and marshmallows and juggling competitions and all sorts of other things.

Winning interhouse comps didn’t really get the students anything, but winning intrahouse meant that the next week your tutor group would get breakfast on Wednesday, which always encouraged us to win, particularly when a lot of us didn’t get breakfast at home and couldnt afford the breakfast that the school served.

Now I think about it, it’s kind of fucked up that we were made to compete just to be able to have one breakfast a week.

I was so totally not aware that people didn’t know that being sorted into Houses was a real thing in UK schools. It’s not something made up just for the Harry Potter world, it’s a real schooling system, I was in the St George House at my school and everyone had the same attitude to Prefects as everyone in the HP world did to Percy Weasley I can assure you.

[werewolvesversus]

Gigante Salvaje

An excerpt from Byron Dunn's story, as seen in WEREWOLVES VERSUS: MUSIC.

Everyone else in the chorus was making melodies and harmonies between and against each other. We weren't The London Werewolves or Scavenge of Song. There would be no Grammys for the Kansas City United Scavenge House Junior Chorus. No blurbs in Rolling Stone saying we were the breakout hit of the werewolf community before the feature article on Beyonce's secret project. Pitchfork wasn't listing us in their top ten picks of “magically diverse” musical groups. That doesn't happen to inter-scavenge extra-curricular teenage howl choruses from Kansas City.

But we weren't those mundies singing on TV either. Put any one of the other chorus members on something like The Voice and they'd wipe out the competition—so long as no one revealed their magical status and brought out that bigot vote. I, however, was probably nowhere close to that sort of shaming. At least not from mundies.

“Emmerton Morris!” Ms. Lianne said. She waved her hands and the chorus hushed. “What was that?”

Of course people laughed. When weren't they laughing at me?

“Uh...” I wanted to say 'howling' but I had no choice. The truth had to be told. “Singing?”

“Exactly! That was just singing! Shallow, human singing!” She smacked the back of her hand with each word as if she were smacking my own. “Are you human?”

The American Scavenge Association would tell me the answer was yes. More militant groups would say hell the fuck NO. My real answer would have been “Yeah, I mean... I guess> so, but—” and that was not the answer Ms. Lianne wanted. It wasn't the answer I wanted either.

“No.” I said.

“Then why are you doing it? Howl!” She pointed at my chest. “Isn't there a wolf in there? Is there anything in there?”

Read the rest in WEREWOLVES VERSUS: MUSIC! Download the entire issue for any price on Gumroad or Itch.io! Your purchase will benefit all of the contributors to this issue.

[fyhyungwon]

Additional translation by Dana Hong. © Dazed

[forljh]

[Article] From survival show rookies to K-Pop stars

Talking to the seven-member group, who rose from participants on survival show NO.MERCY to become rising stars in South Korea’s music scene

Paris. Summer, 2017.

It should be a gorgeous mid-August day but the rain is apocalyptic, drenching the hundreds upon hundreds of people queuing outside one of the city’s most celebrated music halls. They’re here for the first ever European shows by Monsta X, the seven-member South Korean group whose mix of pop, hip hop, and heavy EDM combined with dark, tough, and sometimes cabalistic concepts has seen them gain a fiercely dedicated global following.

When the lights do go down, the screams are piercing and reverential. Monsta X’s show is broken into group and unit performances (where members do something special, from a spin on the decks to covering popular Western songs) and every gesture, word, and ad-lib will wind the audience higher until the room virtually pulses.

Backstage, however, things are much calmer. Vocalists Wonho, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Shownu, and Minhyuk, and rappers Jooheon and I.M, emit a serene, friendly professionalism. They’re wearing their stage costumes: Kihyun, the main vocalist, sports a sizable and sparkling Chanel logo brooch, while Monsta X’s leader, Shownu, has a thick band of sequins around a sleeve that throws light right into your eyes. Their entire effect is dazzling and distracting – all seven in tight trousers and jackets laden with diamante chains and epaulettes, beautiful faces smooth with makeup – and it will send their fandom, known as Monbebe, wild over the next two hours.

While fans will commit their favourite moments of the night to forums or YouTube, Kihyun can’t pick just one standout memory from the tour, which began in June. “Rather than just one particular moment, it’s just whole moments of time,” he explains. “Even when we perform in front of people who speak different languages, that all members enjoy the concert together gives me goosebumps.” Shownu, however, pinpoints his as “at the end of the songs like ‘넌 어때’ (‘I’ll Be There’), Monbebes prepare something special, like placards, so we’re always surprised.”

“We’re having fun every day,” says Minhyuk, as I.M adds, “We spend most of our free time sightseeing and eating. We’re always walking around, taking pictures.” Jooheon nods in agreement: “It gives us inspiration.”

Monsta X, who debuted in May 2015, were born from NO.MERCY, a survival show created by their label Starship Entertainment. In the show, existing male trainees vied against each other to debut in a new boy group. NO.MERCY initially shocked its audience when I.M, a total newcomer, was added to the mix late and ended up controversially being chosen for the group, knocking out fan favourite #GUN. It was a contentious start to idol life, but the competitive tension fast become an enviable camaraderie, complete with family-esque banter and bickering which, alongside Monsta X’s underrated, slow burn success, helped earn the unwavering loyalty of the Monbebes.

Like most artists, both Monsta X’s music and their members contain notable contradictions. Their singles frame them as one of K-Pop’s more intimidating groups – the cinematic strings on “Fighter”, the graceful choruses and tight raps on “All In” and “Beautiful”, and “Hero”s crunching EDM and its sibling, the passionate, infatuated “Stuck” – but, as Kihyun says, “even if we look a certain way on the outside, it’s just an image. For example, Jooheon might look chill and tough, but inside he’s quite sensitive.”

This contrast was recently presented to the casual listener with the fizzy “Newton”, their first aegyo-heavy (cute behavior) official MV (music video), but a recent interview points to grittier songs as their personal favorites, creating a lot of guesswork as to their next concept. Wonho, who habitually scratches at his palms idly while other members speak, snaps to attention and smiles. “Actually we’re working towards the next album, but we haven’t fixed a particular concept just yet. So when we know we’ll call you directly... if you want.”

“Even if we look a certain way on the outside, it’s just an image” – Kihyun, Monsta X

Their sensitive side has never been concealed, but you need to delve into their albums for it, seen on likes of the mid-tempo soul of “Amen” and “Need U” or the extraordinary, piano-lead “Broken Heart”. Or invest in their reality shows Deokspatch X, Right Now!, and newer series X-Ray (“You saw that?” Kihyun asks in English, surprised – and you can just catch his slight lisp), where their off-stage personalities veer like go-karts through sassy, embarrassing, risible, protective and tender.

Of course, far more lies beyond those facets. “I’m actually writing songs most days, particularly at the hotel between concerts,” Wonho divulges. Notorious for removing his shirt on every stage, he’s the incorrigible flirt, the sweet, muscular show-off – but has, alongside Jooheon and I.M, become far more involved with the group’s output and devoted himself to honing his craft. One of his compositions, the bittersweet lyrics and upbeat trop-house of “From Zero” is a fixture on the set-list, a duet he performs with Hyungwon. Despite calls from fans to commit “From Zero” to tape, it’s still only for the stage, though Wonho isn’t entirely discounting the idea. “That’s something we need to discuss further as the song was originally developed without a plan for release,” he muses. “So we’ll think about it.”

One of the most compelling inter-band unit performances on this tour is 2Chain (Kihyun and Jooheon), who, after releasing a striking cover of R&B singer Crush’s “You & I” earlier this year, cover Lil Wayne’s “Mirror”. Jooheon has written his own verses for it, brutally self-judgmental yet ultimately empowering words he uses in a volatile performance that emotionally knocks you from your seat. “It was Kihyun who suggested ‘Mirror’, and I liked the song as well,” he explains candidly, sat beside the singer who reassuringly taps on Jooheon’s knee throughout.

“People don’t always say complimentary stuff to themselves, and I thought about what I was missing, where I wasn’t good enough – like, trying to see the whole picture,” Jooheon adds in Korean. “I realised it was my fans who were most important in my life, so I tried to match myself with them, seeing the fans from my perspective and seeing myself from the fans’ perspective. I guess I tried to put a lot of things into those lyrics…” He trails into silence – although known as one of Monsta X’s big on-stage personalities, today he’s quiet and watchful, and Wonho breaks the sudden lull. “Wow, that’s going to be really hard to translate,” he blurts, making the others laugh.

“I don’t particularly think about if we’ve had to work at becoming friends, which I guess means it hasn’t been difficult” – Minhyuk, Monsta X

Besides Monsta X, the members have their own projects – mixtapes (Jooheon, I.M), photography (Kihyun) and illustration (Minhyuk). I.M’s introspective 2016 track “Who Am I” was the pertinent musings of a young idol, asking “am I born for me or born for success?” Despite a year speckled in career milestones, answers remain unfound. “I think I’m still looking,” he replies in English, which he undoubtedly picked up from a childhood spent in Israel and the US. He’s the maknae (youngest) at 21 years old but possesses a disconcerting directness and a wry intensity. “Asking myself questions like that makes me grow up and be stronger,” he says, leaning in, elbows resting on his knees.

The group’s meme king, Hyungwon, isn’t a big talker in interviews but a joy for fans with his droll humor and expressions, which consistently go viral. Under the moniker DJ H.One, he’s been DJing on the tour and appearing at dance festivals like Ultra Korea “to show new things about myself. I’ve been practicing for about eight months in my own time.” His preference is for crowd-pleasing EDM; he throws a sliced and diced version of Monsta X’s single “Beautiful” into his sets, and as Hyungwon adds, “there’s a song called ‘Bang Bang Bang’, it has Jooheon rapping over it. I think the reaction (from the crowd) is so much better when we’re together.”

Unexpectedly, it’s Shownu who has impressed the public through the dance show Hit The Stage and beauty show Lipstick Prince, where male idols are taught the art of makeup. Formerly awkward enough around people to have earned the nickname ‘Robot Shownu’, he’s blossoming. “Lipstick Prince really helped me a lot to become confident around other singers and be able to get to know them, and Hit The Stage helped the way I perform,” he admits. “It’s definitely good for us to be working solo, but we never forget it’s Monsta X that makes solo activities possible. Also we have more fun together than alone.”

Together they’ve certainly achieved impressive goals – from winning last year’s Male Dance Performance at the Seoul Awards to topping the Billboard World Chart with their recent album, The Clan Pt. 2.5 Guilty. “We haven’t really thought about awards,” Minhyuk says of potential future wins. He’s interrupted. “A Grammy!” demands I.M, laughing, then apologising. “But rather than awards, we want to be a group the next generation can look to, like ‘I want to be like Monsta X’,” Minhyuk continues.

“We’re a family... We shine brighter when we’re together” – Shownu, Monsta X

Monsta X might well inspire others. After all, their dynamic – even in the unnatural confines of an interview – is one of warmth, acceptance, and familiarity. It’s in the little looks they shoot each other, the nudges of support, and Minhyuk, with his sunny smile and a speaking voice that cracks a little on the edges, embodies all that, creating an easy atmosphere that relaxes his bandmates.

“I don’t particularly think about if we’ve had to work at becoming friends, which I guess means it hasn’t been difficult,” Minhyuk muses. K-Pop fans often question if the appearance of closeness in idol groups is strictly for business or if they’ve truly bonded. “Well, y’know, I am a businessman,” he says slyly, making Wonho snort with laughter. “Just kidding! I think it’s been just a naturally flowing relationship.”

That there might be a member who remains hard to read sparks a debate. Kihyun tilts his head, squinting at the ceiling. “Even difficult members are so easy to read. I don’t know…” he says, half to himself.

“No, no!” says Minhyuk, with glint in his eye. “I have one. I.M. He’s our youngest so he seems to easy to read, but sometimes he’s really not. It’s like he has his own world.”

“I think he just has no thoughts during those times,” Shownu offers.

I.M’s world would be..? “Maybe Mars?” he replies, straight-faced. “But anyway, we don’t get angry, we’re always happy,” he quips, to explosions of disbelief around him.

There’s just enough time to look back at their career thus far and define, beyond the music, what’s set them apart to succeed. In a rather endearing way to end things, what Shownu says is mistranslated into “I think the difference is we have quite great bodies…” Kihyun laughs so hard he rolls into Jooheon’s lap as Minhyuk protests loudly – “Great bodies? Great shapes, great shapes!” he re-translates as Hyungwon and Shownu look startled, and I.M, Jooheon and Wonho wear the smiles of those who can no longer be embarrassed by much at all.

Shownu patiently starts again. “Firstly, all of us have great shapes, and we’re very dynamic…” He pauses. “I’ve never used the word ‘dynamic’ (‘역동적인’) before,” he says hesitantly, a leader who tends to let his group do most of the talking, “...and we’re powerful on stage. We’re a family. We’ve known each other for a long time and we shine brighter when we’re together.”

Article by Dazed

[fy-shownu]

[INTERVIEW] From Survival Show Rookies To K-Pop Stars

Talking to the seven-member group, who rose from participants on survival show NO.MERCY to become rising stars in South Korea’s music scene.

Paris. Summer, 2017.

It should be a gorgeous mid-August day but the rain is apocalyptic, drenching the hundreds upon hundreds of people queueing outside one of the city’s most celebrated music halls. They’re here for the first ever European shows by Monsta X, the seven-member South Korean group whose mix of pop, hip hop, and heavy EDM combined with dark, tough, and sometimes cabalistic concepts has seen them gain a fiercely dedicated global following.

When the lights do go down, the screams are piercing and reverential. Monsta X’s show is broken into group and unit performances (where members do something special, from a spin on the decks to covering popular Western songs) and every gesture, word, and ad-lib will wind the audience higher until the room virtually pulses.

Backstage, however, things are much calmer. Vocalists Wonho, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Shownu, and Minhyuk, and rappers Jooheon and I.M, emit a serene, friendly professionalism. They’re wearing their stage costumes: Kihyun, the main vocalist, sports a sizable and sparkling Chanel logo brooch, while Monsta X’s leader, Shownu, has a thick band of sequins around a sleeve that throws light right into your eyes. Their entire effect is dazzling and distracting – all seven in tight trousers and jackets laden with diamante chains and epaulettes, beautiful faces smooth with makeup – and it will send their fandom, known as Monbebe, wild over the next two hours.

While fans will commit their favourite moments of the night to forums or YouTube, Kihyun can’t pick just one standout memory from the tour, which began in June. “Rather than just one particular moment, it’s just whole moments of time,” he explains. “Even when we perform in front of people who speak different languages, that all members enjoy the concert together gives me goosebumps.” Shownu, however, pinpoints his as “at the end of the songs like ‘넌 어때’ (‘I’ll Be There’), Monbebes prepare something special, like placards, so we’re always surprised.”

“We’re having fun every day,” says Minhyuk, as I.M adds, “We spend most of our free time sightseeing and eating. We’re always walking around, taking pictures.” Jooheon nods in agreement: “It gives us inspiration.”

Monsta X, who debuted in May 2015, were born from NO.MERCY, a survival show created by their label Starship Entertainment. In the show, existing male trainees vied against each other to debut in a new boy group. NO.MERCY initially shocked its audience when I.M, a total newcomer, was added to the mix late and ended up controversially being chosen for the group, knocking out fan favourite #GUN. It was a contentious start to idol life, but the competitive tension fast become an enviable camaraderie, complete with family-esque banter and bickering which, alongside Monsta X’s underrated, slow burn success, helped earn the unwavering loyalty of the Monbebes.

This contrast was recently presented to the casual listener with the fizzy “Newton”, their first aegyo-heavy (cute behaviour) official MV (music video), but a recent interview points to grittier songs as their personal favourites, creating a lot of guesswork as to their next concept. Wonho, who habitually scratches at his palms idly while other members speak, snaps to attention and smiles. “Actually we’re working towards the next album, but we haven’t fixed a particular concept just yet. So when we know we’ll call you directly… if you want.”

Their sensitive side has never been concealed, but you need to delve into their albums for it, seen on likes of the mid-tempo soul of “Amen” and “Need U” or the extraordinary, piano-lead “Broken Heart”. Or invest in their reality shows Deokspatch X, Right Now!, and newer series X-Ray (“You saw that?” Kihyun asks in English, surprised – and you can just catch his slight lisp), where their off-stage personalities veer like go-karts through sassy, embarrassing, risible, protective and tender.

Of course, far more lies beyond those facets. “I’m actually writing songs most days, particularly at the hotel between concerts,” Wonho divulges. Notorious for removing his shirt on every stage, he’s the incorrigible flirt, the sweet, muscular show-off – but has, alongside Jooheon and I.M, become far more involved with the group’s output and devoted himself to honing his craft. One of his compositions, the bittersweet lyrics and upbeat trop-house of “From Zero” is a fixture on the setlist, a duet he performs with Hyungwon. Despite calls from fans to commit “From Zero” to tape, it’s still only for the stage, though Wonho isn’t entirely discounting the idea. “That’s something we need to discuss further as the song was originally developed without a plan for release,” he muses. “So we’ll think about it.”

One of the most compelling inter-band unit performances on this tour is 2Chain (Kihyun and Jooheon), who, after releasing a striking cover of R&B singer Crush’s “You & I” earlier this year, cover Lil Wayne’s “Mirror”. Jooheon has written his own verses for it, brutally self-judgemental yet ultimately empowering words he uses in a volatile performance that emotionally knocks you from your seat. “It was Kihyun who suggested ‘Mirror’, and I liked the song as well,” he explains candidly, sat beside the singer who reassuringly taps on Jooheon’s knee throughout.

“People don’t always say complimentary stuff to themselves, and I thought about what I was missing, where I wasn’t good enough – like, trying to see the whole picture,” Jooheon adds in Korean. “I realised it was my fans who were most important in my life, so I tried to match myself with them, seeing the fans from my perspective and seeing myself from the fans’ perspective. I guess I tried to put a lot of things into those lyrics…” He trails into silence – although known as one of Monsta X’s big on-stage personalities, today he’s quiet and watchful, and Wonho breaks the sudden lull. “Wow, that’s going to be really hard to translate,” he blurts, making the others laugh.

Besides Monsta X, the members have their own projects – mixtapes (Jooheon, I.M), photography (Kihyun) and illustration (Minhyuk). I.M’s introspective 2016 track “Who Am I” was the pertinent musings of a young idol, asking “am I born for me or born for success?” Despite a year speckled in career milestones, answers remain unfound. “I think I’m still looking,” he replies in English, which he undoubtedly picked up from a childhood spent in Israel and the US. He’s the maknae (youngest) at 21 years old but possesses a disconcerting directness and a wry intensity. “Asking myself questions like that makes me grow up and be stronger,” he says, leaning in, elbows resting on his knees.

The group’s meme king, Hyungwon, isn’t a big talker in interviews but a joy for fans with his droll humour and expressions, which consistently go viral. Under the moniker DJ H.One, he’s been DJing on the tour and appearing at dance festivals like Ultra Korea “to show new things about myself. I’ve been practising for about eight months in my own time.” His preference is for crowd-pleasing EDM; he throws a sliced and diced version of Monsta X’s single “Beautiful” into his sets, and as Hyungwon adds, “there’s a song called ‘Bang Bang Bang’, it has Jooheon rapping over it. I think the reaction (from the crowd) is so much better when we’re together.”

Unexpectedly, it’s Shownu who has impressed the public through the dance show Hit The Stage and beauty show Lipstick Prince, where male idols are taught the art of makeup. Formerly awkward enough around people to have earned the nickname ‘Robot Shownu’, he’s blossoming. “Lipstick Prince really helped me a lot to become confident around other singers and be able to get to know them, and Hit The Stage helped the way I perform,” he admits. “It’s definitely good for us to be working solo, but we never forget it’s Monsta X that makes solo activities possible. Also we have more fun together than alone.”

Together they’ve certainly achieved impressive goals – from winning last year’s Male Dance Performance at the Seoul Awards to topping the Billboard World Chart with their recent album, The Clan Pt. 2.5 Guilty. “We haven’t really thought about awards,” Minhyuk says of potential future wins. He’s interrupted. “A Grammy!” demands I.M, laughing, then apologising. “But rather than awards, we want to be a group the next generation can look to, like ‘I want to be like Monsta X’,” Minhyuk continues.

Monsta X might well inspire others. After all, their dynamic – even in the unnatural confines of an interview – is one of warmth, acceptance, and familiarity. It’s in the little looks they shoot each other, the nudges of support, and Minhyuk, with his sunny smile and a speaking voice that cracks a little on the edges, embodies all that, creating an easy atmosphere that relaxes his bandmates.

“I don’t particularly think about if we’ve had to work at becoming friends, which I guess means it hasn’t been difficult,” Minhyuk muses. K-Pop fans often question if the appearance of closeness in idol groups is strictly for business or if they’ve truly bonded. “Well, y’know, I am a businessman,” he says slyly, making Wonho snort with laughter. “Just kidding! I think it’s been just a naturally flowing relationship.”

That there might be a member who remains hard to read sparks a debate. Kihyun tilts his head, squinting at the ceiling. “Even difficult members are so easy to read. I don’t know…” he says, half to himself.

“No, no!” says Minhyuk, with glint in his eye. “I have one. I.M. He’s our youngest so he seems to easy to read, but sometimes he’s really not. It’s like he has his own world.”

“I think he just has no thoughts during those times,” Shownu offers.

I.M’s world would be..? “Maybe Mars?” he replies, straight-faced. “But anyway, we don’t get angry, we’re always happy,” he quips, to explosions of disbelief around him.

There’s just enough time to look back at their career thus far and define, beyond the music, what’s set them apart to succeed. In a rather endearing way to end things, what Shownu says is mistranslated into “I think the difference is we have quite great bodies…” Kihyun laughs so hard he rolls into Jooheon’s lap as Minhyuk protests loudly – “Great bodies? Great shapes, great shapes!” he re-translates as Hyungwon and Shownu look startled, and I.M, Jooheon and Wonho wear the smiles of those who can no longer be embarrassed by much at all.

Shownu patiently starts again. “Firstly, all of us have great shapes, and we’re very dynamic…” He pauses. “I’ve never used the word ‘dynamic’ (‘역동적인’) before,” he says hesitantly, a leader who tends to let his group do most of the talking, “…and we’re powerful on stage. We’re a family. We’ve known each other for a long time and we shine brighter when we’re together.”

[saswatnanda1]

BACK TO SCHOOL-IV

The changes in the learning pattern in Classes III and IV, were significant and exciting as well. Class III made us the full-time members of the school,  I.e., we could now go home after about 1 and a half hour than we used to go before. This sounded disappointing initially, but, other changes were such that they restored excitement.

 One of those were now, we were to have different teachers for different subjects. For the first time, we came to know that English was not just a single subject, but a combination of two-Language and Literature, and we had to study both separately. This sounded good, now we have a new subject!

 All the students and teachers of our school were divided into different groups or ”Houses”. These houses were namely- Robert, Subhash, Young, Bamfield and Biggs. From class III onward, we were allowed to participate in inter-house competitions.  It is always a great feeling when one gets to represent his/her house. I was put into Robert(Blue) house. Once a week, on the day we had our games class, we used to wear our House Uniforms. Through our activity, perhaps the school wanted to remind us each week that our house should not just be our pride, we should be the trustees of our house. We should also make our house proud. We should also be responsible towards our house. This was a new concept for me. I had always tried since to get my house some prizes in inter-house competitions.

 Thanks to Mummy, I was a bit good at recitation. Now matter whether in Odia, English or Hindi, I made sure that I participated in the recitation events held every year. Mummy used to train me of the ways to speak, to deliver effectively and to present pleasantly.  I tried my best in keeping those in mind while reciting, though a bit nervous at times. Over the years, this nervousness factor almost was done away with, but still that instinct remains “What if?” Regardless of this, I ensured at least two or three prizes for my house in recitation each year.

 Its often said that teachers are our best friends. The student-teacher relationship is one of purity, connectivity and honesty. A teacher knows exactly what goes on in the mind of the student at a particular time. That is why perhaps, the position of a teacher is equated with God. I remember an incident in Class III, which strengthened my belief in this fact.

 I had always tried to ensure that I followed my teachers’ commands sincerely and strictly. But I was not in the right always. Once, when I was in class, sitting with my friends, talking , I was beaten up with a wooden ruler by my English teacher. I was too shocked to even cry at that moment. I don’t know from where I had developed a theory in my mind that my teachers will punish me when they feel extremely sad and hurt. I had thought that when my teachers will beat me, they will actually be beating themselves. When I will be beaten with the ruler, it is actually my teacher who will be shivering with the pain. All these thoughts struck me then, one by one.  That made me realize how hurt my teacher would have been when she had beaten me, how pained she must have been, and all those feelings made me cry. I was in no mood to take consolations and cheers from my friends. The only thing that kept on pricking me was that I was the cause of my teacher’s pain. At that very moment, I decided to seek her forgiveness once the class got over. Miss was watching me all through this very closely.

 When the class got over, and everyone had moved out of the class, I walked up slowly to her and said,”I am sorry”. What she said after that just astonished me. She smiled, gave me a warm hug and said,”My dear, I could also have punished your friends, but I only punished you. Do you know why? Because, I knew that only you realize what punishment means actually, and therefore, you accept the punishment. Accepting the punishment from a teacher, is the first and the biggest step towards correction. I am proud of you Saswat!”

 I was speechless. Did Miss know what was I thinking of? Did Miss know what I felt when I got the beating? At that very moment, I realized that our teachers were the ones who actually understood each of their students extremely well, and accordingly they know which student can be corrected in what way.

 One day, a subject teacher of ours was on leave. So, another teacher came as a substitute for that day. He discussed with us on several things, related to our studies, our school. One of the many things we cam to know from this interaction was that we had a school song. This was news. We never knew that we had a school song. Sir taught us that day the song which remained in our minds and hearts since then for ever:

 From far and near, we gather here,

In this Stewart School.

To overcome evil with good,

Is what our hope and aim.

 Oh Stewart School!We are so proud of you

Oh Stewart School!We will be true to you.

 As we learn knowledge day by day,

Let there be unity.

To far and wide our fame will spread,

As God’s words leads the way.

 Oh Stewart School!We are so proud of you

Oh Stewart School!We will be true to you.

 With the motto “Fear of God”,

We strive on each new day.

Gaining knowledge and wisdom,

As we go on our way

 Oh Stewart School!We are so proud of you

Oh Stewart School!We will be true to you.

 This song was not just another composition.It was a matter of pride for all of us. And that should be reflected whenever we stand up to sing this song. This song underlines the aim that Stewartonians have, to work tirelessly towards overcoming “evil with good” with the weapons of “knowledge and wisdom”. This song gave every Stewartonian a mission in life. No wonder, Netaji was a alumnus of such a great institution! And I stood at that very place where this great soul had once been trained to fulfill the great mission that was destined for him!

[365footballorg-blog]

A History of Liverpool in Italy: Not Throwing Punches

For a club who base so much of their reputation on European pedigree, Liverpool have reason to fear their trip to Napoli, particularly in the context of their previous visits to Serie A clubs in European competition.

The early stages particularly, have been cruel to the Reds, but their story in Italy began back in 1965 with a controversial defeat to Inter at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium; a 3-0 reverse to overcome a 3-1 deficit from the first leg. Bill Shankly’s sides did not often lose but he seemed to struggle to overcome Italian opposition.

While Italian sides came to feature regularly when the Reds progressed to the latter stages of competitions, they were infrequently brought together before Christmas – though it has happened a few times before.

Shankly had an opportunity to put things right just a year later, when his Liverpool side were drawn against Juventus in the European Cup Winners’ Cup first round. Travelling out to the first leg in Turin, the Reds were in good spirits, having beaten Everton in the Merseyside Derby the weekend before, a resounding 5-0 victory that was to feature in terrace songs in years to come.

The Bianconeri, by contrast, had just ‘enjoyed’ a third 0-0 draw in a row, Varese following Foggia and Atalanta. Their defence had yet to be breached, even if the 1-0 opening day win over Napoli provided the only goal in the first four games; perhaps a low-scoring affair was inevitable.

The game proceeded in just that manner, Juventus keeping well within themselves, but pushing forward a little more than a Liverpool side who were condemned for their negative play in the Italian press afterwards.

With the Reds’ only real outlets being the right-hand pairing of Alf Arrowsmith and Tommy Smith, the hosts were able to ensure their defence remained unbreached, but found breaking through the rearguard at the other end just as tricky. As the game progressed into the last ten minutes, still scoreless, Juventus rallied again.

Giancarlo Bercellino broke free, and fed a pass across the box beyond Liverpool goalkeeper Tommy Lawrence to the feet of Giampaolo Menichelli to slot it into the net. The scrambling Lawrence flung himself of the ball, forcing what looked a certain goal away.

Less than a minute had passed before Gianfranco Leoncini picked up the ball just beyond the centre circle. He stepped forward around ten yards, and unleashed a fierce drive into the top right corner of the goal, Lawrence helpless this time. Juventus closed ranks, and Liverpool were left to rue what might have been – learning from their mistakes enough to earn a 2-0 victory in the Anfield return.

Some 44 years later, Liverpool found themselves in Florence in September, with Rafael Benitez looking to out-think Cesare Prandelli in the Viola dugout.

A run of five victories had the Reds believing they might be on to something special, and 2,500 made the trip to the Stadio Artemio Franchi, which had removed the cages that usually housed away fans.

By half time, the game was over, Stevan Jovetic embarrassing a defence that was missing the protective shield of Javier Mascherano not once but twice. First, the teenager was put through by Cristiano Zanetti to roll home a precise effort past Pepe Reina. Later in the half, he doubled the hosts’ lead after turning a Juan Vargas cross into the goal during another period of Fiorentina pressure.

The match was to kickstart the Viola’s campaign after an opening day defeat to Lyon, and they went on to top Group E after winning five games before going out on away goals to Bayern in the round of 16 . Liverpool rather spluttered to third place, losing to Fiorentina at Anfield; they ended up third and dropped into the Europa League, losing to Atletico Madrid in the semi-final.

Fast forward 13 months, and Liverpool were back in Italy again, visiting the Stadio San Paolo to face Napoli in the Europa League group stage. By this point, Roy Hodgson’s side were under a fair amount of pressure back home, and restless fans demanded a performance.

Instead, they saw a team set up to emulate Shankly’s trip to Juventus all those years ago. Hodgson decided to rest Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres to keep them fresh for a game against Blackburn Rovers, and set his side up to keep Napoli at bay, fending off Walter Mazzarri’s side at every turn, save for a squeaky moment when Paul Konchesky flicked a Marek Hamsik that looked goalbound away from the target.

Unlike the game at the Stadio Comunale, this time the game plan paid off. The Partenopei showed flashes of attacking intent in the first half, but after the interval seemed to settle into the inevitable 0-0 that came about. With Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi misfiring, despite a few efforts during the first half, the longer the match went on, the more Liverpool looked like winning it.

The draw ended up being a footnote in both sides’ campaigns, as they progressed to the knockout stages, only to be knocked out by Villarreal, in Napoli’s case, and Braga, in the round of 16, for Liverpool.

This week’s game will neither make nor break either side’s season, but it seems likely the Partenopei will have to overcome a Liverpool side who have a history of coming to Italy not throwing punches, but making blocks.

Forza Italian Football

A History of Liverpool in Italy: Not Throwing Punches was originally published on 365 Football

[blackkudos]

L.A. Reid

Antonio Marquis (L.A.) Reid (born June 7, 1956) is an American music executive, musician, songwriter, record producer, author and former television music competition judge. He has served as the chairman and CEO of Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, the president and CEO of Arista Records, and the chairman and CEO of the Island Def Jam Music Group. Reid was also the founder and CEO of Hitco Music Publishing and the co-founder of LaFace Records.

Over the course of his career he has worked with artists including Fifth Harmony, Kenneth Babyface Edmonds, Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Boyz II Men, Outkast, Toni Braxton, TLC, Mariah Carey, Avril Lavigne, Paula Abdul, Pink, Justin Bieber, Meghan Trainor, Rihanna, Kanye West, Usher, Ne-Yo, 21 Savage, Young Jeezy, Ciara, Zara Larsson, Jidenna, Jennifer Lopez, Future, Travis Scott and Rick Ross.

He appeared as a judge on the first two seasons of the U.S. version of the television show The X Factor, but in December 2012 announced he would not be back for the show's third season, saying he wanted to focus on his leadership at Epic Records.

Career

Beginnings

Reid first began his music career as a drummer, with his first appearance on record being with the Cincinnati funk rock outfit Pure Essence. Pure Essence released one solitary 45 in the mid-1970s. They later appeared on local FM rock radio station WEBN's second annual LP compilation, but the group was renamed 'Essence'. Reid would experience more mainstream success when he became a member of the 1980s R&B band The Deele, best known for their 1988 hit "Two Occasions", a song on their third album Eyes of a Stranger. The band had broken up before the success of the single, then reunited to promote "Two Occasions" as it rose up the charts under Dick Griffey's Solar Records. The song peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

1989–2004: LaFace Records and Arista years

After The Deele disbanded, Reid and band mate Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds founded LaFace in 1989 through a joint venture with Arista Records, with funding from Arista Records creator Clive Davis. The label soon became one of the premiere destinations for popular African-American entertainers who created Black Pop music that was easily accessible to both Urban and Top 40 radio formats. Reid signed 14-year-old Usher to the label, whose six album releases have sold 65 million units worldwide. Other popular acts on the label during its peak include Toni Braxton, TLC, and Outkast. Both TLC and Toni Braxton went on to sell more than 65 million records each, becoming two of the most successful acts in music history. Initially headquartered in Atlanta, the label played a significant role in building the current landscape of the Atlanta music industry.

Hitco Publishing Group

With the belief that good songwriting is essential to the success of recording artists, Reid formed the Hitco Publishing Group in 1996, as a joint venture with Windswept Music. While starting up Hitco, Reid was looking to connect to a wholly new market of producers and songwriters and talent spotted the young Shakir Stewart whom he saw as someone with "a finger on the pulse of the next generation of hot producers in the Atlanta music scene". He gave the future senior vice president of Island Def Jam Music Group his first position as an inter-level creative person at Hitco.

In May 2000, Edmonds and Reid sold their remaining 50% stake in LaFace to parent company BMG. The label became an imprint of Arista Records, with Arista taking on sales, marketing, and promotional duties for its acts. At this time, Reid also succeeded his mentor Clive Davis as president of Arista Records.

In 2000, LaFace was merged into Arista Records with Reid being promoted to president and CEO of Arista Records. In 1997 Reid was accepted to the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program in preparation to become CEO of Arista Records in 2000. Reid signed his first unknown artist, pop/rocker Avril Lavigne, to Arista. Her debut album Let Go sold 6 million copies in the United States. As president of Arista Records, Reid signed artists such as P!nk (whose November 2001 album Missundaztood sold 5 million copies in the US) and Ciara (whose September 2004 debut album Goodies sold 3 million copies in the US).

Under Reid's tenure at Arista, Usher (whom Reid originally signed at LaFace) completed production on his multi-platinum hit 2004 album Confessions, which went on to spawn 4 #1 hit singles and sell 10 million copies in the United States alone. Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below also went on to sell 10 million copies and won a Grammy Award for Album of the year.

2004–2011: Island Def Jam Music Group

Following the merger of Sony and BMG, L.A. Reid was released from his contract at Arista in 2004 and quickly became the chairman and CEO of The Island Def Jam Music Group in February 2004. Reid is noted for bringing Mariah Carey's career back to prominence with her multi-platinum 2005 album The Emancipation of Mimi after her career had stalled from 2001 to 2003 with less than stellar sales and general lack of public interest for her two previous projects Glitter and Charmbracelet.

Reid also played a role in the successes of artists such Kanye West, Rihanna, Bon Jovi, and Justin Bieber and was credited for the musical comeback of Jennifer Lopez with her 2011 album Love?. Reid stepped down as Chairman/CEO of Island Def Jam in March 2011.

2011–present: The X Factor and return to Sony Music

In early 2011 Reid became a judge on the U.S. version of the British television singing competition The X Factor, alongside its creator and former American Idol judge Simon Cowell, 80s pop star Paula Abdul and former Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, who replaced British recording artist Cheryl Cole.

Reid was assigned the Boys category throughout the competition, aided by friend and singer Rihanna at the Judges' Houses stage of the competition in The Hamptons. His final four acts were Marcus Canty, Chris Rene, Astro and Phillip Lomax. Lomax was eliminated on week one of the Live Shows, with Astro being eliminated on week six. Marcus Canty came fourth in the competition and was eliminated by the public vote in the semi-final (week eight). Chris Rene was Reid's most successful act who came third overall in the competition, bested by Josh Krajcik (who was mentored by Nicole Scherzinger) in second place and Melanie Amaro (mentored by Simon Cowell) who won the show. After the season ended, Reid worked with Astro, Marcus Canty and Chris Rene on their music careers.

In July 2011, Reid became the chairman and CEO of Epic Records. The label's roster included various former Jive Records artists.

In September 2012, Reid returned for The X Factor's second season along with Simon Cowell, while Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul were axed from the panel, along with Season 1 host Steve Jones. Joining the judging panel were new judges Britney Spears and Demi Lovato, while Khloé Kardashian and Mario Lopez replaced Jones as co-hosts. Reid had his team of finalists in the "over 25's" including Tate Stevens, the winner of the season. Reid announced in December 2012 that he would not return for the third season in 2013.

In May 2017, Reid left his position at Epic following allegations that he had sexually harassed an assistant at the label.

Awards and honors

On August 30, 2006, L.A. Reid, along with Babyface, was honored as a BMI Icon at the 6th annual BMI Urban Awards. As of 2006, he has won 18 BMI awards. Together with Babyface, Reid has produced and/or co-written penning numerous R&B hits, racking up over 40 No. 1 singles.

Reid was honored with the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences' President's Merit Award at the Grammy salute to Industry Icons celebration on February 9, 2013, the day prior to the 55th Grammy Awards. Reid is also a 3 time Grammy Award winner.

Reid recently received an award from BET Honors for The Business of Entertainment Award.

Reid is the co-author (with Joel Selvin) of the New York Times bestseller Sing to Me: My Story of Making Music, Finding Magic, and Searching for Who's Next.

Wikipedia

[newsnigeria]

Check out New Post published on Ọmọ Oòduà

New Post has been published on http://ooduarere.com/news-from-nigeria/breaking-news/teenage-drugabuse-nigeria/

Tackling the rising menace of teenage drug abuse in Nigeria.

Written by Ogundeji Michael O  @sauccy360

In the times past, drug or substance abuse was a distant issue. We heard about it in the media or watch scenes in movies. And if there drug takers in our society then, the were closeted – they were the deviants of the society. They were not proud of it and therefore, hid their shameful indulgence form public eye.

Drug abuse, has been described as “a patterned use of drugs in which the user consumes in amounts or with methods which are harmful to themselves or others”. Medical professionals are of the view that any type of drug can be abused. From the commonest of painkillers to prescription drugs.

That said, it is drug abuse in Minors that should be everybody worries. Minors usually youngsters below the age of 18. That is why the increasing prevalence of  drugs among youngsters under that age category is a recipe for disaster. Minor drug abuse is therefore, the use of medicine excessively by a set of peer under the the full age of legal responsibility.

Furthermore, this means a group of teenagers ranging from 12-18 years of age taking unprescribed medicine for negative purposes of getting ” high”.

The issue is wide already spread  and yet underrated in the country even as it is pervasive in our states, communities,and is accepted as a norm in streets. The rate at which this obscene activity is growing is alarming.

There is need for a sober reflection on this growing menace and a new national action plan combating drug use and abuse especially with a focus on children. We have to do it before it gets worse than what it is currently. Even now, it is bad enough for the future because we are facing an uncertain posterity if we don’t act now to mitigate this malaise.

Sometime ago, i witnessed an Inter-House sport competition held in a secondary school in Lagos. My finding with regards to doping by the youngsters during games left me jaw negatively dropping. This was the height of the unimaginable as i least expected children of their age range to be found wanting in this criminal activity. More so, as they were already using to get unfair advantage and cheating their way to sporting glory at a tender age.

After the game i went to congratulate the overall winner a male and then I asked him a few questions. Immediately he started to talk, i noticed his tongue was bluish. It was apparent. I turned to his teammate, the one i noticed was so closed to him, and asked why their captain had a blue tongue. A being who he is, the youngster boasted about the Captain’s dope. He told me it is baba blue. So i asked if the  Captain had cough or cattarh. But the boy laughed, maybe at my naive question and he told me “you won’t  understand”.

This discovery happens to be the scariest thing that I have ever seen from this peer. It made me restless and I have been trying to find out more of these. I noticed in my findings that it is not only the kids in this particular school that perpetuate themselves in the taking of illicit drugs. It is something that is widespread and systematic and it is gradually becoming rampant. Kids from your neighborhood may also be guilty of this as I write.  Maybe your siblings too or even your children. This thing is the master of all cover-ups and that could be the reason why you have not noticed.

These kids, they have code names for the drugs. An unsuspecting mind may not fathom what the sinister meaning of the words may be in their conversations  unless a person is really careful. Some of the code words in words such as Coda for Codeine, Trams for Tramadol, Rochi for Rephenol, while some have even get high on methylated spirits. Yes, it is that bad now.

It baffles me how children of now adays have grown to become “Alpacinos” under their parent’s watch. If you have to imagine it, what  the future of these teenagers hold is scary if this unwholesome practices continue in the kindbof flourish that it is now. If a child at such a tender age could not believe in his or her physical ability to do sporting activities, what does the tomorrow hold?

As medical sciences has proven, the effect of these drugs in latter days does more damage to them physically and  mentally and could, as a result, lead to memory loss, short sightedness, migraine, increase in heart beat, stroke hypertension, seizures and untimely death.

Children are often motivated by some negative portrayals they see in entertainment content mostly from western cutures, what they see and hear in the media. Some of these negative behaviors are also reinforced in local entertainment content. And in this regard, one can call out Olamide’s song, Science Student, as glorifying this type of behavior. Children often tend to behave or act according to what  a particular celebrity whom they see as models do and by that, they end up being motivated negatively.

Lil Wayne, the famous American rapper, for instance sang and explained how codeine makes him feel in his song Me and My Drank. He said

Sippin’ on some drink The color purple like Celie Really They say I should chill Before it kills me But so will A car crash or a nine milli (That’s true) And I ain’t even mention cigarettes or airplanes So grab a Sprite Heres a pint We can share, Wayne Yeah Mayne Tastes so sweeto just pour it in my drink And I’mma sip until I lean hard Drink got me moving slower than a retard”.

As explained in this song, some contents are self expalnatory. The color of codeine is pruple and it is a thick syrup that some drink raw or better still mix them with other beverages. They furher expressed how harmful this syrup is to their health, how it can kill them but the addiction is on a  high side and this makes it harder for them to stop.

Lil Wayne has suffered uncountable number of seizure in the past few years and has nearly lost his life from those seizures on several occasions.

It is the duty of parents to notice if there is a slight change in a child behavoural or attitunal mannerism of their children. Be it physical or emotional. If a child who does not sleep ordinarily after coming back from school around 2pm suddenly starts to sleep whenever he come home and doesn’t until, say, 10pm, the parents of such a child should show concern and probe him deep.

If a child does chores that literally takes 2hours in less than 30 minutes, don’t feel yes, my boy is strong. Probe it! Parents have a lead role to play as it is their duty to check what a child does, drinks, eats, wears and even how he or she talks. But instead, it seem that some parents would wave it without questions with typical dismissal “na small pikin dey worry am, he go change”. Most parents don’t even have time for a heart-to- talk with their children. They think it is enough care to buy them clothes, cater for their feedings, and send them to school. But these, important as they are, doesnt justify good parentage.

Issues like drug, alcohol and sex are worth discussing with teenagers. It is absurd how some parent cant build confidence in discussing sexual issues with their teenagers. This shouldn’t be a big deal. You can’t discuss how a child was brought into existence and you feel a Biology teacher would do that better than you, the parents?

The rate at which this obscene calamity is growing in our society is alarming. There is need for this to be curbed fast before it gets messier than it already is.

The bulk of today’s societal faults are mostly traced back to the mass media. This is so because the medium made it paramount for us to uphold issue that needs awareness and this uncultured habit need to be stopped by using all tools in the mass media. The media needs to do more of gatekeeping as to what not just children but its entire audience watch or listen.

Also there is need for government to sensitize children in schools and work with the mass media to create publicity messages to let them know the negative effects of irresponsible behavior as danger to them and that it can ruin there lives. They all should therefore, say a resounding no, to go drugs.

[calicoe]

West of Gray (chapter 3)

"I knew this was going to happen."

Kate watched from her spot at the Gryffindor table as Shawn's sky blue eyes darted around the Great Hall wildly. His pupils were dilated, and his mouth was stuck in a permanent grin for the time being. He was shaking slightly, but that was due to the bouncing of his leg underneath the long wooden table.

"How much did he eat?"

Kate turned her head to the girl sitting next to her, shaking her head in annoyance. "Merlin knows."

The girl laughed, her blonde hair almost white against her black robes. Having just cut it before arriving at King's Cross, it fell to a straight line midway down her back, entirely flat and shining. When she turned her head back to the hyperactive Shawn sitting across from them, it moved with her like a waterfall, and about her freckled face, the shorter strands hung forwards to hide her hazel eyes. The only thing holding them back was the think black frames of her glasses.

"Anywho, how was that vacation with Mum, Dad, and the others? You were with your cousins in the states right?" Kate asked, focussing all of her attention on her "sister", Clyo Thornton, Gryffindor's other Chaser along with her brother, Paul. Her tanned skin glowed in the candlelight of the Great Hall and with the little makeup she wore her freckles danced across her face like ballerinas, showing themselves off to the world.

"Yeah, we stayed with them all summer and honestly, I was ready to come home to the gloomy and sun-deprived country that we live in by the second day. Do you see this? It looks like I got a spray tan!"

"What did you do? Roll around in a bag of Doritos?"

She glared at Kate, "Not funny." Flicking her eyes in the direction of her older brother, Paul, who was casually conversing with his twin, Caspian, and their best friend, Ethan Cunningham, a little way to the girls left. "They weren’t complaining though. They love it! The bloody gits were so happy they were getting tan, I can't even look at them. They look like fucking Mexicans!"

Clyo groaned in exasperation, burying her head in her hands. "Next time Kate, you can go in my place. You're practically family anyway so it won't make a difference who goes and who doesn't. As long as two girls and two guys are going, we're good." She picked her head up from the long oak table and looked around. "Where are the first years? I want the sorting to be over with asap. I'm starving."

Kate shook her head and laughed as the doors to the Great Hall swung open and a line of first years entered the room, following Professor Sprout obediently. Their gazes wandered around the Great Hall in awe, and a few of them had their jaws hanging open as they stared up at the velvety black ceiling dotted with numerous stars, and the thousands of candles floating above them. They crowded around the top of the Great Hall where the professors' table was located along with a lone stool sitting at the centre of the stage. An old, tattered hat was sitting atop it.

Silents cloaked the hall for a few moments before the hat twitched, and a rip near the brim opened up, startling some of the first years. An old, raspy voice echoed about as the Sorting Hat began to sing.

"A thousand years or more ago, Before Hogwarts came to be, There lived four kingdoms of renown, Whose names are still cloaked with mystery;

Bold North, from wild moor, Shrewd South, from glen, Sweet East, from valley broad, Cunning West, from fen.

By North, the bravest was Prized far beyond the rest; For South, the cleverest Would always be the best; For East, hard workers were Most worthy of admission; And power wallowing West Were loved for their ambition.

Now millennium later, When the Kingdoms have long been gone Time comes that rivers run salty, And the false sister shall break the bond.

Each of these four descendants, Plagued by an unfortunate casualty, Shall cause the rise of a new God, To rule over one's chastity.

The great queen, upon seeing herself vanquished, Will exhibit an excess of masculine courage; On horseback, she will ride unprotected entirely, Pursued by swordsmen through a forest long forbidden.

'Twas navigation that showed the way, For the founders of Hogwarts to find me, And now I hope to aid in a battle, Only four will be witnessing.

Now slip me snug about your ears, For the Sorting must commence, I'll have a look inside your mind And tell where you'll place best!"

Applause broke out around the Great Hall as the hat sat motionless once more. Kate and her friends shared quizzical looks as they clapped. "Well, that's new," Kate whispered to Clyo as Professor Sprout started to read off the names of the first years.

"No kidding. The last time it gave advice was before the second wizarding war." Clyo replied, her eyes fixated on the young first-year girl sitting on the stool.

"Well, I thought it was really pretty." Shawn cut in just as the Sorting Hat yelled out the girl's house. The whole Gryffindor table burst into applause as she made her way towards the front of the table.

"Of course you did."

"Now before dinner begins, I have a few announcements that I'm sure will be the topic of conversation this evening."

Clyo let out a loud groan, mimicking that of many others throughout the Great Hall as Headmistress McGonagall approached the Phoenix podium at the centre of the platform. Kate elbowed her in the side, ignoring her childish whimpering as she waited for Headmistress McGonagall to continue.

"This year the inter-house Quidditch Cup will not be taking place," McGonagall said, pausing at the outraged yells from a few Quidditch players, Clyo, Shawn, Caleb, and Kate included. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance as she looked about the great hall, stalling on Kate. Kate quickly shut my mouth and kicked Shawn in the shin, causing him to yelp in pain as the Great Hall quieted down.

“Violence is never the answer.” He whispered, glaring in his fellow Prefect's direction as he clicked his tongue in distaste.

“It is in my book,” Kate mumbled, causing Clyo to let out a little chuckle in amusement as the group focused their attention back onto McGonagall

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy." Whispers spread about the Great Hall like wildfire as the Headmistress continued on with her announcement. "I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that with much convincing the Ministry of Magic has allowed for Hogwarts to be the host of the first annual Tetrad Trials."

"Similar to the Tri-wizard Tournament, the Tetrad Trials will consist of five magical tasks. From each of the four schools participating, a single student is selected to compete in the competition." Professor McGonagall paused, her eyes (if possible) hardening even more. She leaned her pale, wrinkled hands upon the podium, her face impassive. "Now let me be clear. If chosen, you stand alone. And trust me when I say these contests are not for the faint-hearted."

"But we will continue that conversation later, we will be housing three other wizarding schools from across the globe," whispers of excitement and curiosity started to work their way about the Great Hall, and Kate shot Clyo an excited look. Xavi? Kate mouthed, earning a shrug in response. She signed, crossing her fingers that her childhood friend's school was one of the three coming to Hogwarts for the Tetrad Trials. "A student from Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Mahoutokoro School of Magic, and Uagadou School of Magic will be participating in these trials alongside one of our own. They will arrive in three days time, and I expect a warm welcome to be given when they do. . ."

Kate and Clyo discreetly high-fived at the announcement of Mahoutokoro School of Magic. The rest of McGonagall's lecture on etiquette was lost upon the students as they whispered and gossiped about the coming trials and once dinner appeared all thoughts about the Sorting Hat's song were that of a distant memory.

[nraskovcas-blog]

Creativity

At the moment, for my creativity, I am hardworking and rehearsing for the Inter-House Band Competition on Thursday, 1 June. This is one of the most important things for myself, as my Diana House is currently leading and I want to keep it. Tinn and me are playing the guitar part of the song. It is not that hard, but we are practicing and making sure that we keep up with the rhythm and the rest of the group, because if the piano will slightly play faster or slower, we will need to make sure that we quickly react to this kind of change, as piano is the leading instrument for the song in our case.

[daffodilsschool-blog]

Daffodils School - Club Activities

Daffodils Schools CCA - CLUB ACTIVITIES

In Daffodils it is imperative that apart from the academic activities, every student should participate in one or the other intra co curricular activity. However it is possible that a child may not be keen on joining any of co curricular activities offered by the school. Yet there may be some activity that the child may be interested in. Such an activity may require the help of experts who have not only proficiency in the activity but has an aptitude in training students in that activity. Daffodils has sponsored a number of clubs in the school each of which is manned by an expert or a team of experts in the activity assigned to each club. The activities of these clubs and the experts who have been given the responsibility of organizing and conducting them have been carefully and thoughtfully chosen by our CEO himself. It is hoped that the activities of these clubs will cater to the specific and individual interest of the students and help in identifying and developing the latent skills and intelligences of the students who avail them.

Guitar Club

Playing the guitar, enhances the functioning of the brain, serves as a stress reliever and gives a boost to the student’s social activities and brings out and develops the musical intelligence that is latent in the individual.

Mr.Prakash our Guitar Club Instructor is a lead guitarist and enjoys working with children. He has studied music in Sarbabharatiya Sangeet and Sanskriti Parishad, West Bengal.Prakash wants to put his ten years experience to good use, especially in identifying and grooming budding artists carve a niche for themselves. His area of expertise extends to vocal music, and playing Tablas, Dholak and the Mouth Organ. He is a multi linguist and enjoys teaching different kinds of songs. A disciplined teacher who connects with youngsters easily, Prakash is in his element when he is strumming the guitar. Our children enjoy every session with him and that motivates them to learn willingly.

Western Dance Club

Today’s youth have shown a keen interest in Western dancing. Whether a variety show on the stage or TV or an informal get-together like a birthday party, Western dancing is a definite part of the programme. Western dancing brings out and develops the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence of an individual. Daffodils has on its board two Western dance instructors :

Mr.Arun is a dancer, a performer and an instructor at various studios like Fusion Studio 5678, Intention Fitness and SAF Studio. He is well versed with the Hip-hop, Bollywood, Western, Salsa, Freestyle, B-Boying and Contemporary forms of Dance and has choreographed many dance programs .A few to mention are: A Dance reality show featured in ‘Amrutha’ television in the year 2011; State level Dance Festival organised in the year 2013; Inter college Fests and Inter school dance competitions. He is the Western Dance Club Instructor for students from Classes 1 to 5

Mr. Kishan Bilagali is a well experienced and known choreographer in town. He is an expert in Bollywood dance and hip hop dance. He is the Western Dance Club Instructor for students from Classes 6 to 9.

Bharatanatyam Club

Among the various genres of Indian Classical Dances the Bharata Natayam is a major genre of Classical Dance developed in the temples of South India. Daffodils has two Bharatanatyam Dance Instructors

Ms. Gayathri S who has completed her graduation in B.E. Information Science in 2015. Her repertoire of dance forms includes Bharatanatyam, Bollywood, folk dance and contemporary dances. She obtained a Junior degree in Bharatanatyam under the guidance of Ms. Seema Javahar. She is currently undergoing a diploma course in Bharatanatyam from the Alliance University. She has two years of teaching experience at Bharateeya Sangeeta Vidyalaya. She is the Bharatanatyam Dance Instructor for students from Classes 1 to 5.

Ms.Satyavathi is being trained by her father and Guru Sri K.M.Raman in Pandanallur style of Bharathnatyam from the age of 5.She has spread the fragrance of her hidden talent for more than 28 years. She is a post graduate in Kannada from Mysore University.She has been honoured with YuvakaBhiradari award from Bombay in the year 1996.She is a full time instructor at Sri Raja RajeshwariNritya Kala Mandira,Bangalore and Tumkur. She has been training a number of students for last 15 years. Besides giving solo and group performances in many major Dance Festivals and performing centres in India she was also involved in directing and choreographing dance ballets. She is the Bharatanatyam Dance Instructor for students from Classes 6 to 9.

Music Club

Learning music caters to the discovery and development of the latent musical intelligence that Gardner spoke of. Everybody loves music. Daffodils sponsored Music Club encourages students to explore the extent of musical talent available in them and provides the resources required to develop that talent.

The Music Club Instructor is Mr Ravi Ghai. He is the founder of KAYA Music. KAYA is engaged in music since 2009. Currently KAYA coaches more than 150 school kids in western and Indian music, primarily choir singing. They cover a wide range of music genres languages. Their repertoire contains diverse themes mainly: motivational, devotional, patriotic, social and environmental, besides classical drawn from musicals.

Western Music Club

In this globalised world interest in Western Music is increasing. Perhaps as Rudyard Kipling opined East may be East and West may be West and never the twain will meet in other human activities but where Music is concerned the fusion of Western Music with our country’s music is a trend that is proliferating in every field of musical activity. Yet there will be amongst the students of Daffodils many of whom would like to learn Western music in its purest form. This Club is for them.

The Music instructor for clases 1 to 5 is Mrs. Suma Manjunath, who is trained in the field of light music

The Music Instructor of the Club Mr Sreevats has worked with several excellent musicians in India as well as overseas – Joe Anthony ( ex-drummer for Lucky Ali),Hanu and Manu Kholsa (joint ex-executives of Los Angeles based music production house Sonic Symphony ), Ollie Roberts(of UK based heavy metal bands FuryBorn and Silent Prophecy) to mention a few. He is currently a primary composer, guitarist and vocalist in Bangalore based progressive rock group Rainburn. He has a wide experience working as a Music teacher in various schools of New Delhi.

Dramatics Club

The purpose of the Dramatic Club is to provide a creative outlet for the theatrically inclined children and to learning about acting, play production and stage work.

The Instructor in charge of the Dramatics Club is Mr. SyedInamullah - an Engineer by profession. He has been trained under RathanThakore Grant and Mike Fontana. He has conducted a number of workshops and has also directed Star Spangled Girl which was staged at Alliance Franchise. He has acted in many plays under Cult Productions. His passion for dramatics has drawn him towards exposing children to the intricate art of organizing and conducting courses that develop the skills of acting, play production and stage work.

Literary Club

The Daffodils Literary Club provides those students who are interested in pursuing literary activities like debates, essay writing, declamation etc with a platform to hone their literary skills.

School Band

Daffodils has a School Band. The Band Master is Sgt Denzel Peterson(Retd) who served in the Indian Air Force Band for 15 years from 1972 to 1987. From 1987 he has served in various schools as a Band Master and is at present the Band Master at Baldwin’s Girls’ High School and Bethany High School.

Key board Club

Many students are fond of the keyboard. Daffodils has provided a platform and an opportunity for the children to learn the keyboard. Mr. Vishal is the keyboard instructor.

German Club

There may be some students who would like to be proficient in the use of more than one language. The German Club is the platform where they could learn German.

The German Club Instructor is Ms Rashmi. She has A1/A2 Level certification in German from Max Mueller Bhavan, Goethe and B1 level certification from the Max Mueller Bhavan, Bamgalore. She has more than 2 years experience as a part time German Trainer in Challenge Academy.

Scouts, Guides, Cubs and Bulbuls

The Scout and Guide movement started by Lord Baden Powell in England in 1907 spread to all parts of the world which were parts of the British Empire. Scouting came to India in 1909 and the first scout troop was started in Bangalore in Bishop Cotton Boys High School in 1909.

The Bharat Scouts and Guides entrusted with the task of organizing and running the scout and guide movement in India with the avowed purpose of developing the spiritual, physical and emotional development of the boys and girls under its care, is a voluntary, non-political movement open to all with distinction of cast, colour, religion or creed.

The units in Daffodils are ably led by Mrs Indumathi, Guider and Mr Vasanth, Scouter

Taekwondo Club

Taekwondo is a Korean Martial Art which is analyzed in detail by Choi Hong in his “Theory of Power”. Speed and dexterity are the defining characteristics of Taekwondo. While there are different types of Taekwondo, anaerobic, aerobic workouts, relaxation and meditation exercises, a focus on ethical discipline, personal success and leadership skills are important components. Taekwondo helps to develop the all round personality of an individual.

Ms.Pallavi ,Taekwondo Club Instructor has completed her Masters degree in Economics. She has worked as an assistant coach at KTA, is working as coach at Don Bosco Engineering college, Delhi Public school, GEAR International School, Elite English School, Little Flower English School and Premier English school,. She has participated in 2 Internationals, 48 Nationals Championships, 30 State Championships and 41 Inter collegiate Championships .She has won many awards, a few to mention are:

State award, Bangalore Ratna award, Kempe Gowda award, Pancha Ratna award, Budda Peace award,Chatrapathi Shivaji State award, Vishwamanya Viveka Ratna award, Onake Obavva award.

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