Queen Mary College’s former chowkidar denied pension

By Rahib Raza

Published: February 2, 2011

Protest against Principal Dr Marayum closes down Durand Road

LAHORE: Queen Mary College’s (QMC’s) principal came under fire on Tuesday when hundreds protested against her in front of the college.
The protesters gathered around Nasreen, a former chowkidar at the QMC for 32 years who has not been paid her pension, and accused Dr Irfana Marayum, the principal, of apathy towards her condition.
Nasreen has been bed ridden for the past three years and has been unable to come personally to collect her pension.
However, her son, Abid Ali has been visiting the QMC for three years but has not been able to get his mother’s pension released. The administration, he said, insists his mother come personally to collect her pension even though he had explained that she was ill and could not walk. “Education Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman wrote to Dr Marayum asking her to release my mother’s pension but the principal was not bothered.”
Other QMC employees said that Nasreen’s case was heart breaking for them. They could not believe that she had been reduced to begging for her right.
Ali said his mother often cried when she was reminded of her pension. He said that he was her only son. He said he had six sisters to look after.  “The money from my mother’s pension is much needed in the house.
I have been to the college about a hundred times but they have not budged.”
Another relative of Nasreen’s said, “The principal is aware of Nasreen’s condition. She has always been very rude.  If she continues to ignore us, we will be forced to protest in front of the chief minister’s house.”
The protest closed down the Durand Road in front of the college. An employee, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The Express Tribune that the principal did not consider the services of non-faculty employees valuable to the welfare of the college. Nasreen’s condition, he said, was a sign of that.
A QMC faculty member said, “This is the worst example of brutality. An old female worker has been left in such an intolerable condition without a pension.”
Another faculty member said, “The principal enjoys luxuries in her office and chooses to feign ignorance regarding the problems of her staff that are equally responsible for the prosperity of the institution.”
Dr Marayum was not available for comments.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2011.

Shah Jewena championship: Aga Khan, LGS lift English team trophies

By Rahib Raza

Published: February 1, 2011

The Aga Khan University debaters hold the trophy. PHOTO: FATIMA BOKHARI

LAHORE: The 8th annual Shah Jewana Debating Championship, 2011 came to an end on Monday with the Lahore Grammar School (LGS), Johar Town, the winners among schools and Aga Khan University (AKU) the winners among the participating universities across the country.
Held at the at the University College of Lahore (UCL), Topics for the final round debates included the spot fixing controversy involving some Pakistani cricketers in 2010 and diplomacy around the case of an American citizen, Raymond Davis, who killed two Pakistani citizens last week in ‘self-defence.’
The day started with preparations of the school teams on the topic: ICC should not have banned three Pakistani cricketers before the final verdict from the tribunal was received.
Three teams from Aitchison College and one from LGS competed in the finals.
From Aitchison College, Belal Qasim, argued that, “If the suspected players were not suspended and later found guilty, all the games involving them would have been held questionable.”
Asad Khan from the LGS contented, “Until the players were proven guilty, they should not have been suspended, especially when the cricket boards lacked evidence and were depending upon unreliable sources.”A collective effort of four team members showed consistency on justifying their individual roles and won the argument, with Aitchison College as runner ups of the event.
Saboor Karamat, one of the adjudicators, said, “After judging the line of arguments of both sides I gave LGS points on their argument that justice cannot be served before trial. They had a valid defence and communicated properly with the audience.” He said that the LGS team defended their position well. He praised them for their ‘general knowledge’ and ‘confidence.’
The final debate among the universities was a contest between three teams from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and one from the AKU.
The topic was: Granting diplomatic immunity to Raymond Davis.
Participants from LUMS argued over Davis’s trial in Pakistan. They said, “Under the law, he is a prisoner of Pakistan. His trial should be held in Pakistan. The US government would never let a foreigner accused of murder go. Why should we?”
The AKU participants said, “We have an ideal tool for bargain. We should ask for Dr Afia Siddiqi’s release in exchange of Raymond Davis. This should be proposed to get the most out of this traumatic episode.” The AKU were judged winners.
Dr Sayyed Asad Hussain, UCL director and chief guest at the event, appreciated both the teams and applauded the speakers. “They made the listeners feel like a ping-pong ball getting swayed by their arguments.” The best speaker’s award was presented to Zaib Aziz from LUMS.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st,  2011.

Urdu debates: Lahore School of Economics wins

By Rahib Raza

Published: January 31, 2011

Final round of English debates scheduled for today.

LAHORE: The Lahore School of Economics (LSE) on Sunday won the Urdu debates competition at the 8th Annual Shah Jewana Debating Championship underway at the University College Lahore.
Abbas Nazir of Sialkot Medical College got the Best Speaker Award. He had spoken on drones for Pakistan. Joint secretary of LSE team Ahmad Sultan said the topic for the final required a lot of preparation. He said the format was different but his team’s experience had helped then win. The final round of the English debates is scheduled for Monday (today).
The semi-final results would be announced on Monday morning. Aitcheson College, the Salamat International Campus for Advanced Studies, the Lahore University of Management Sciences, the Lahore Grammar School, the Aga Khan University, the Institute of Legal Studies, the Government College University, LSE and Westminster College, Islamabad, competed in the semi-final. The topic assigned to them was Prioritising Industry over Domestic Consumers for Gas Supply.
Earlier, “International Financial Institutions should be held legally liable for the economic collapse of countries that have implemented their policy proposals” was debated in the fifth round.
Ayesha from LUMS presented proposals for different economic systems and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programme. Umer Bhatti of AKU said the aim of such competitions should be to promote awareness rather than giving definite conclusions on topics. He said his team had provided its proposals in simple language that can be understood by everyone.
Senior adjudicator Faiza Ahsan said the competition was meant to provide a platform for discussing important issues and coming up with solutions for them. “We are not entirely focusing on conclusions. Forming an understanding of these issues is more important,” she said.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st,  2011.

Debating competition: Schools battle varsities on second day

By Rahib Raza

Published: January 30, 2011

The fifth round and quarter finals will take place today.

LAHORE: Schoolchildren came up against university students on the second day of the Eighth Annual Shah Jewana Debating Championship on Saturday.
Rounds two, three and four of the English debates and rounds three and four of the Urdu competition were held on Saturday. The fifth round and quarter finals will take place at University College Lahore today. Saturday’s subjects of debate included scholarships, political assets, mistruths of war, Wikileaks and the progress of institutions.
Many younger debaters came up against veteran seniors, but insisted that they relished the experience.
“They are more experienced, they have been debating for years, so obviously it’s very hard for any of us to win against them,” said Asad Ahmad of the Salamat International Campus for Advanced Studies. “No doubt we are learning a lot.”
“It’s a great platform for under-19 teams to be on the same level as universities,” said Lahore Grammar School debating coach Faiza Ahsan. “It gives the debaters the chance to grow.” The school teams competed with universities, but they were scored in comparison with other debaters from the same age group. “The idea is to give them the exposure that the competitors from the universities probably wish they had got when they were in schools,” said senior adjudicator Awais Maqbool Bari. “None of the debating competitions have ever allowed schools to compete at such a level.”
The quarter finals will see schools competing with schools for the trophy and the award for best speaker. But the students competing in the Urdu debates will not get a separate trophy or award for best speaker.
“We have six trophies to give away since we have introduced schools to the competition this year,” said Fatima Bukhari, president of the University College Association of Debaters, which organised the competition.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th,  2011.

Parliamentary debating competition: Shahjewana 2011 kicks off at UCL

By Rahib Raza

Published: January 29, 2011

Three rounds held on the first day

LAHORE: The 8th Annual Shahjewana International Debating Championship 2011 kicked off at the University College Lahore (UCL) yesterday. A total of 74 teams are competing for the English title and 34 for Urdu.
The four-day debating competition, organised by the University College Association of Debaters (UCAD), is the biggest debating competition in Pakistan.
Schools, colleges and universities from all over Pakistan are participating in the tournament during which social as well as economic, sports, cultural, religious, educational and political issues will be debated.  Lahore Grammar School, Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute, National University of Science and Technology, Beaconhouse School System, Rawalpindi Medical College, Bahria, Kinnaird College, Government College University and Lahore University of management Sciences are among the teams competing.
Fatima Bukhari, the UCAD president, said “This competition aims at encouraging students to identify problems and seek solutions by questioning things.”  On Friday, the English debaters discussed ‘Privacy on the internet’.  There were two rounds of Urdu debates held during which religion being a hurdle in success and privitisation of PCB were discussed.
Based on the Parliamentary style of debates, four 2-member teams are given 15 minutes as prep time after they are assigned a topic. The four teams are categorised as Opening Government, Opening Opposition, Closing Government and Closing Opposition.  The first two speak in favour of the motion while the last two oppose it. Every team member has seven minutes to argue their stance on an issue. A SISA debater, Usman Mehmood, said, “I have never been in a 2-on-2 format before. It is tougher and more exciting.”  Umar Khan, the chief adjudicator, said “This is one of the most prestigious parliamentary debating competitions in Pakistan.
The best speakers participate every year, which means tough competition and great debates.”
The competition’s final will be held on January 31 (Monday).
Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th,  2011.

NCA thesis display: Heritage, depression dominant subjects

By Rahib Raza

Published: January 27, 2011

National College of Arts welcomed the general public on Wednesday to the display of students’ theses. The juries have already graded the work.. Photo: S. Hussain

LAHORE: National College of Arts welcomed the general public on Wednesday to the display of students’ theses. The juries have already graded the work.
A total of 164 students have displayed their work throughout the college premises.
The work of Product Design and Interior Design students has been displayed at the Tollinton Market Gallery. Out of the 164 students, 51 students belong to the Architecture Design Department, 42 are of Product Design, 30 of Fine Arts, 12 of Interior Design, 9 of Film and TV, 8 of Multimedia, 7 of Musicology and 5 of Ceramic and Textile Department.
Frequent themes this year are cultural heritage and depression in society.
David Courtyard of the college saw Allaudin Chohan, a Musicology student, perform qawali as part of his thesis on Qawal families. A display had pictures of the Din Muhammad family, the Santu Khan family, the Manzoor Ahmad Khan family, the Kerala Rajpoot family and the Wairanwalley family.
The Fine Arts theses, had four major disciplines: miniatures, painting, printmaking and sculpture. A lot of figurative work was exhibited with many students focusing on suppression of women in society, and their personal lives.
Rao Haider, a lay visitor, said that art depicting women’s travails had become a cliché . He said that he would like to see a more optimist approach as there was always hope.
Amal Uppal, a Fine Arts student, said that often teachers encouraged students to highlight darker subjects like depression, loss and pain. “I have tried to portray a positive side of the society.
I am glad the viewers are appreciating it,” she said. From the heritage of Balochistan, to fictitious histories ‘inspired by video games’ called Battle of Rowzanak and studio apartments as an idea of accommodation in a city that was ‘running out of space’, the display is worth a visit.
The display will continue till January 31st.
with ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY PPI
Published in The Express Tribune, January 27^th,  2011.

Commemoration: Pakistan-China friendship to be celebrated

By Rahib Raza

Published: January 24, 2011

‘Chinese language should be part of school curriculum,’ says Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Mahfooz Elahi.

LAHORE: The government of Pakistan has declared 2011 as “the year of friendship between Pakistan and China” to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations. The foreign secretary, Salman Bashir, has asked chief ministers and governors to hold events throughout the year to celebrate the friendship.
A notice had been sent to educational institutes in the provinces. Each institution is encouraged to make its own calendar for holding special events relating to the Pakistan-China friendship.
The Chambers of Commerce and Industry have also been called upon to consider holding events such as business conferences and formal receptions.
The provincial governments may also organise special programmes in various cities and districts. The Punjab government has sent these recommendations to all the DCOs and higher education officials. May 21st, the date of establishment of ties, has been set aside for special events and functions.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2011.

Street life: Lahore’s fading splendour showcased

By Rahib Raza

Published: January 19, 2011

Photos show how city’s cultural heritage is being lost.

LAHORE: A bittersweet portrait of this city, showcasing its hidden architectural beauty as well as its grotesque civic issues, runs at the Alhamra Arts Council till January 22.
Photographer Qasim Naeem said his intention with the ‘Lahore Tilak’ exhibition was to highlight places that are not normally included in discussions of the city’s architectural or cultural marvels.
“Many places and subjects that are so close to our true culture get ignored,” Naeem said. “Haveli Nonehaal, for example, holds such enchanting beauty that one cannot get enough of it.
Unfortunately it is also used a dump where people throw garbage. I wanted to highlight such areas of Lahore that we know exist but don’t know where and how.”
Many of the city’s monuments are rapidly deteriorating and Naeem’s pictures capture the fading art of Lahore, whether that be in railway platforms, old mosques, or the streets of the Walled City.
They also capture the people who live and work near these places.
Arif Khan, professor at Punjab University, said he was impressed with the pictures. “Work that motivates you or inspires you to do something is what I consider a successful exhibition and the work of this young artist does that,” he said. “Every picture has its positives and negatives and both hold beauty.
They show us parts of our city that are slowly fading from attention and our lives.”
Some visitors to the exhibition did not appreciate the HDR imaging of some photographs. “I would have appreciated his fusing of glorious Mughal cultural representations with examples of difficult lives, if he’d showed us the originals,” said Mukhtar Awan, a miniatures artist.
Lahore Tilak is the first exhibition of digital photographs by Naeem.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th,  2011.

Abdur Rahman Chughtai: ‘The Defensive Sword’

By Rahib Raza

Published: January 18, 2011

Chughtai’s colour palette was appreciated by many. PHOTO: EXPRESS

LAHORE: “Peace and protection always flourish under the shadow of a sword” said Arif Rahman Chugtai, the son of the legendary artist Abdur Rahman Chughtai and the organiser of the exhibition titled ‘The Defensive Sword’.
“Artists never advocate war, they advocate peace and harmony. Spreading the message of peace and harmony is the message of Allah and artists throughout the ages have understood this well,” he added.
The exhibition organised at the Chughtai Museum to mark its 36th anniversary will continue for the next three months. It aims to emphasise the protective nature of the sword and its role in maintaining peace.
The exhibition featured paintings of Mughal emperors and Islamic caliphs among other historical figures and was well received by critics and art enthusiasts. “The perfection of the lines and the fusion of different shades move you. His beautiful imagination that he so perfectly transferred onto the canvas never ceases to amaze me,” said Tariq Mehmood.
Nahid Malik said she found Chughtai’s paintings of Caliph Haroon Al Rasheed the best. “He has used many shades of green to represent the Caliphs personality. His use of different colours is remarkable,” said Malik.
Sundus Chaudhry, another art enthusiast present at the event, was of the opinion that Chughtai’s work was unmatched. She said that many people had tried to copy his work but had failed.
“You begin to appreciate the brilliance of his work within seconds of laying your eyes on it.”
The exhibition also displayed Abdur Rahman Chughtai’s unfinished work that he signed and gave to people as souvenirs, as well as the famous painting titled will and power that was chosen to become a national postage stamp. Chughtai was considered one of the best artists of the Sub-continent.
His admirers include Allama Iqbal, Pablo Picasso and Queen Elizabeth II.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2011.

Entrepreneurs’ exhibition: Working women get their national day

By Rahib Raza

Published: January 17, 2011

Participating entrepreneurs brief Fauzia Gillani, the First Lady, about the furniture displayed at the exhibition. PHOTO: ONLINE

LAHORE: The working women of Pakistan now have a day dedicated to them. Welcoming a growing number of working women in the country, First Lady Fauzia Gillani announced on Sunday November 22 will  henceforth be celebrated as the National Day of Working Women.
The announcement came at the third and last day of the Women Entrepreneurs Furniture Exhibition at the Pearl Continental Hotel.
The exhibition organised by Furniture Pakistan (FP), aimed at offering career opportunities to women. Twenty-two women entrepreneurs from across the country were invited to display their work.
Funded by the United Nation Industrial Development Organisation and Pakistan Stone Development Company, a subsidiary of the Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation, the exhibition was praised by the participants as a unique platform to display their work.
The products ranged from beds to doors to decorative art.
Furniture Pakistan chairperson Yasmeen Rehman commended the creativity and efforts of the participating entrepreneurs as well as the students. She said that the furniture industry in Pakistan had a long way to go and so did the working women. “The government is realising the endeavours of our women and are working towards making them an empowered class of the society.” She said the government had already increased the women’s quota in civil services to 10 per cent.
Sadia Wahab, the representative of a participating company, said that the exhibition had not only provided an opportunity to see where the industry was heading, but also an opportunity to meet new clients.
At the mosaic stall, Nazia, the export manager of the company said that such events gave individuals and companies a chance to grow bigger and better.
Ayatullah Durrani, the state minister for industries, was also present. He said, “Finally in Pakistan, a carpenter has become important enough to sit next to the First Lady.” He promised to make the efforts of working women productive by expanding the industries.
Shahzad Ansar, the FP CEO, said that the percentage of women entrepreneurship in Pakistan was very low.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th,  2011.

 

Film festival: FiLums 2011 promises to be bigger and better

By Rahib Raza

Published: January 16, 2011

The event will have documentaries, animation, short and feature-length films.

LAHORE: From 50 to more than 600. That is the how much the annual LUMS International Film Festival (FiLums) 2011 has grown since last year.
Around 400 of those who registered for the three-day event, from February 11 – February 13) belong to Pakistan. Two hundred and two filmmakers belonging to 40 foreign countries including the United States, England, Ireland, Iran, India, Germany, Turkey, Romania, Serbia, Taiwan, Canada, Iraq, Spain, Poland, France and UAE have also registered online.
Muhammad Ali Shah, the proud extra curricular activities officer, said about the 80-member society. “Students who worked on their own to revive film have managed to become the largest student-organised film festival in Pakistan.”
FiLums convener, Rafiq Abdur Rehman, told The Express Tribune that teams and individuals from Lahore Grammar School, National College of Arts and Lahore School of Economics were among those who had the highest number of registered entries. “About 80 per cent of the registrations from Lahore are from schools,” said Rehman.
Sundus Naim Siddiqi, FiLums society president, was excited about the high number of registrations from foreign countries, “Last year we did not have any foreign entries by individuals.
The ones that we had had been sent by the French embassy!”
Rehman attributed the mammoth increase in registration to “no registration fee and not asking for copyrights”. “If somebody doesn’t want us to use their work for publicity we don’t,” he said.
According to the organisers, a lot of Indian and Iranian film makers have expressed an interest in attending the event in person. They said that they would do all they can to help those interested in obtaining visas.
With security a huge concern Hassan Iftikhar, FiLums general secretary, said that the society would arrange for 600 smart cards for participants and guests for the event.
In order to make the process of registration and submission easier, FiLums is using withoutabox, an online submission system, used by major film festivals and recognised by the Internet Movie Data Base.
There are four film categories for FiLums 2011. These include short films (2-15 minutes), animation (2-15 minutes), documentary (5-40 minutes) and feature length (30-60 minutes).
On the first day, FiLUMS is planning to screen the premiere of a Persian film Heal by Mian Adnan Ahmed.
Films will be judged for their theme, content, creativity, script, cinematography and editing.
The entries will be judged by a panel of judges comprising directors, actors and some members of the FiLums. Adeel Hashmi (a documentary maker), Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy (Emmy award winning filmmaker), Samar Minallah (filmmaker), Mian Adnan Ahmad (filmmaker), Hammad Khan (director), Syed Noor (director, producer) and Moammar Rana (actor) will be judging the young talent at FiLums. So keep your fingers crossed!
Published in The Express Tribune, January 16^th,  2011.

Social issues depicted in paintings of children

By Rahib Raza

Published: January 12, 2011

The way Ali’s paintings have shown innocence of children thrown in nature’s devastating challenges truly move one.

LAHORE: Ali Azmat has highlighted the ‘distortion’ in the society in his paintings of children currently on display at Ejaz Gallery.
“My work seeks to remind people of what we are giving to the younger generation. I think our children are facing the worst as is a major part of our society these days. It is insecurity.”
A recurring theme in exhibition titled, Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom, is innocence painted in various situations.
Talking about his painting where a child is shown fixing the broken head of a doll, Azmat said that the purpose was to draw the attention towards how children are most affected by insecurity. Yet they are often not talked about it. The images portray the untold negativities of our society, he said.
He said that his work focused on spreading awareness in the society.
The pictures were praised by prominent artists and art teachers from the National College of Arts and the Punjab University. Several visitors said they found the paintings “interactive and communicative.”
They said they were moved by the idea of highlighting issues through painting that man faces.
The artist’s choice of acrylics on canvas as his medium and bright colours reflects the optimism of the children and their imagination.
Dr Mujahid Kamran, the PU vice chancellor who was also present said, “Art is a way of educating people.
The way Ali’s paintings have shown innocence of children thrown in nature’s devastating challenges truly move one. I would want this exhibition to be displayed at PU as well.” The paintings will be on display till January 13.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2011.

 

Schools forced to think outside the box

By Rahib Raza

Published: January 11, 2011

‘It’s better to be friends with your students’.

LAHORE: School administrations have enforced different strategies, with varying degrees of success, to control the misbehaviour of teenagers at their institutions.
Hafiz Usman, branch-in-charge of Lahore Grammar School (LGS), Johar Town said that when a students acts out in class or on the field the teacher in charge disciplines her. “The most we can do is ask the student to leave the class or call their parents in for a meeting. If the problem persists, we expel the student. We don’t, however, expel any students over academic performance,” he added.
Lahore College of Arts & Sciences has come up with a novel way of dealing with its students’ disciplinary problems. Discipline committees have been formed with student members. The idea being that peers can better understand the problems and come up with effective long term solutions.
Dr Naheed Malik, an educationist, pointed an accusing finger at the media.
“The media has been the basic problem. Certainly, youth today have a broad knowledge of the world around them. However, they are also more rude and stubborn.” Malik said that western and Indian media “has given fresh minds new ways to cheat the system.” She added, “Sometimes I have heard such language that I have been shocked into silence.”
Gone are the days when stiff corporal punishment was meted out to students who dared disobey their teachers or flout school rules. Schools in Lahore now have strict regulations about the kinds of punishment permissible for disobedient students. Teachers can no longer physically punish students.
Usman said, “Physical punishment makes a child retaliate. Behavourial problems are common in teens but they have to be dealt with carefully.”
The most common complaint voiced was that students are rude towards teachers who are mostly helpless. Many schools including Keynesian Institute of Management and Sciences (KIMS), Resource Academia, Salamat International Campus for Advanced Studies and Lahore Learning Campus have developed the system of detention to deal with misbehaviour.
Beaconhouse School System student Najya Kamal said, “Sometimes it seems we get called for nothing. Older students should get the same treatment as we do.”
LGS student Ahmad Jaleel shared his perspective. “Mostly students who excel academically are chosen to be monitors and prefects. But academic excellence does not amount to crowd control skills. These goody-two-shoes just serve to amuse us.”
Teachers still have a measure of control in the classroom. They, however, also need to have patience and tolerance in abundance. Faisal Hanif, a teacher at KIMS, said, “You can’t really use old school ways of disciplining students. It’s better to have a friendship with your students rather than insulting or punishing them.” He said that being friendly with students can be more productive in the long run and is a superior way of maintaining control.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2011.

Student event: CARMA’s first day generates excitement in participantsStudent event: CARMA’s first day generates excitement in participants

Student event: CARMA’s first day generates excitement in participants

By Rahib Raza

Published: January 7, 2011

Students thrown into real life media situation to test skills.

LAHORE: The Convention for Aspiring Reporters and Media Anchors (CARMA) organised by the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) Daily (journalism society) pushed off on the first day of its 4-day period with activities that tested the skills and comprehension of student delegates regarding today’s journalism and media. The event was judged by professional journalists, editors, reporters and producers.
The activities kicked off at 9 am, registered delegates were sequestered into teams consisting of two or three members. Teams then signed up for events that were of interest to them. Some headed off to get a better grasp of reporting while others made their way to sessions focused on real-life scenarios that the new media is currently facing. The first day consisted of two rounds.
Round 1 staged a scenario of a terrorist attack on a bank and asked delegates to show their understanding of journalism. LUMS Daily president Asghar Kazi said, “The activity set up a typical event that journalists would cover. The aim was to educate students about the scenarios journalists could face on a daily basis.” Round 1 was appropriately called ‘Shootout’. Delegates, now, had to give live coverage of this event using microphones and cameras. There were scored on reporting, editing and overall presentation, their understanding of this scenario was key to their success.
Round 2, ‘Discover the Difference,’ set up a question and answer session in a press conference. Delegates’ analysis skills were being judged here by media professionals from The Express Media Group and Geo Network. Delegates were provided with an article that was the basis of the press conference and their level of understanding was the basis of scoring in this round.
Salman, a delegate from BNU, said, “This activity will certainly be good for us, more so than any lecture. This is such a perfect way to understand what this career holds for us.”
LUMS Daily media coordinator Amna Wasim said, “Students were given real scenarios in different events. After completing the tasks set out for them, they will have some idea of reporting and news analysis. Hopefully, journalist ethics is also in their mind.”
LUMS Daily, she said, had put this event together so that students could grasp what it meant to be a successful journalist.
Hamza Ghaffar, director of CARMA, said, “I hope this event will improve the skills of our delegate. They might just be the shining stars of tomorrow.” Shahla Khan, a judge from Geo TV, said, “I was impressed by their efforts. The delegates had done some excellent research. Certainly, they missed out on some things, but overall it was a fantastic job.”
Students from the National College of Arts, Beaconhouse National University, Lahore Grammar School, Institute of Business Administration, Punjab University and Karachi university participated. Beaconhouse Liberty campus head delegate Eman Wasim said, “CARMA is a wonderful platform for young, enthusiastic and inquisitive minds like ours. It helps us put our views about the media on a platform.”
CARMA continues today at the same venue. Judges will announce the results of Thursday’s activities. Students will be given new activities today.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2011.

 

CARMA kicks off for a 4-day event

By Rahib Raza

Published: January 6, 2011

Students encouraged to pursue opportunities in media.

LAHORE: Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) Daily, the school’s journalism society, has organised the second Convention for Aspiring Reporters and Media Anchors (CARMA). The highlight of the day was the speech delivered by Talat Hussain, chief guest for the opening ceremony. The convention aims to spread awareness about the media and journalism amongst students and to share career opportunities for them.
The 4-day event includes competitions, seminars and workshops that students from several disciplines, including media, from all over Pakistan, are attending. Last year’s CARMA registered only 200 out of the 700 applicants. This year 2,000 students applied and 600 were registered as delegates.
Students from National College of Arts, Punjab University, Beaconhouse National University, Aitchison College, Institute of Business Administration, Kinnaird College, Lahore Grammar School and Sadik Public School, Bahawalpur, are participating.
On the opening day, participants were introduced to anchoring, reporting, editing and production. Students also debated the pros and cons of the media. The ceremony revolved around the theme of refining the media. CARMA director Hamza Ghaffar said, “The media has many career opportunities for students.” He said the the top performers will get internship opportunities at Express while others will be given certificates.
LUMS Daily president Asghar Hussain Kazi said, “We want people to know about the ethical boundaries for the media.”
Shahrukh Aslam, a student, said, “This debate targets the top percentile of the educated elite. These people can make a difference to the current situation, the common man is not capable of taking things into his own hand.”
Journalist Talat Hussain made a presentation about media studies so that students could get a realistic picture of the media. He said, “Some people see media as glamorous but these days it is one of the toughest professions. It will get even tougher in the years to come. Students should know how to report and comment on people’s beliefs, on controversies, on blatant lies without taking sides.”
He warned, “Most students don’t realise how tough this industry is. The industry is growing and while mainstream media does a fairly good job, there is room for improvement. People will be alright as long as they focus on information and not the debates.”
Career counselling was proposed for students interested in pursuing a career in the media. Dr Atif Alvi, a LUMS professor, said, “The media is growing and it pays well. We are moving towards a better future. These students will add value to it.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 6^th, 2011.

 

Architecture exhibition concludes early

By Rahib Raza

Published: January 5, 2011

NCA students come up with ideas on rehabilitating flood affected.

LAHORE: The two-day exhibition of the fourth year students of the Architecture Department of the National College of Arts (NCA) was called off early on the second day following the assassination of Governor Salmaan Taseer on Tuesday.
NCA Principal Prof Fauzia Qureshi announced the decision to the participants and the guests an hour after the exhibition commenced at the Zahoorul Akhlaq Art Gallery.
The exhibition was based on rehabilitation proposals prepared by the students who visited the flood-hit areas of Khan Colony, Bindu Milana, Bukhpur and Chahnanowalla north-west of Multan. The students had prepared the proposals based on the research findings as an academic exercise commissioned by the faculty.
The participating students hoped to win approval for the plans and their implementation. Some of them, however, feared that their work might go waste.
The proposals were scheduled to be presented before a jury of renowned architects on Thursday, January 6.
Before the exhibition was called off, Syed Mohammad Mehdi, an architecture student, gave a presentation on the scope of the research and the proposals. He said, “We have worked keeping all aspects in mind. We even used mud bricks and bamboo walls”.
The focus of the proposals was housing architecture and rehabilitation and reconstruction ideas. Awais Ahmad, another student, said that the exercise was meant to generate ideas to help the government find solutions for the affected areas and people.
Students tried to convince the viewers about the practicality of their proposals.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2011.

 

New Year’s Night: Fog, cold fail to dampen spirits

By Rahib Raza

Published: January 2, 2011

People celebrate the New Year in Lahore on January 1, 2011. PHOTO: AFP

LAHORE: Lahoris welcomed 2011 with enthusiasm despite the nearly freezing temperature and thick fog. From private parties to impromptu celebrations on main roads, the city had it all.
However, there were also incidents where things turned sour. The party at the Park Plaza was fun to begin with but things got out of control after a few hours. To make matters worse, the organiser disappeared.
Gloria Jeans had made arrangements for music performances from different schools, making it an event for young and old.
DJ Shaano stole the show at Cosa Nostra with his choice of trance tracks. Partygoer Sajjid Ghani said, “I’m not a big fan of trance music but this rocks!”
Breakfast was also served after the party ended in the early hours of the morning. “It was a surprise but it was amazing. I had been wishing for a good breakfast,” is how an attendee Sumaira described the serving of a breakfast.
Veranda Bistro was the venue picked up by Verve for its New Year’s party, which was also a hit.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 2^nd, 2011.

 

UMT theatre event: Clumsy censors mar final day’s plays

By Rahib Raza

Published: January 1, 2011

Festival organisers, participants blame each other.

LAHORE: The SICAS’s play on the second day of the University of Management and Technology (UMT) drama festival was marred by bleeps signifying the organiser’s objection to the dialogues.
Yasir Ejaz, director of the play ‘Ruk ja bandey’, said the dialogues were required to highlight the plight of a rape victim. He also complained about the audience some of whom kept commenting loudly during the performance. “We expected a more mature audience,” he said. The organisers took the University of South Asia’s act off the schedule saying that the dance performances included in the play were not ‘appropriate’ for the stage.
USA students said that they had been preparing for the performance for over a month. “The management should have communicated their concerns early on,” they said.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Abdul Mohsin, the festival director, said that it was his team’s first experience of such a large crowd. He said that some plays were taken off because the script submitted for them were incomplete. He said that the management had a strict policy against vulgarity and could not allow a performance that did not meet the criteria.  In the first performance of the day “Main Kia Hoon”, Lahore School of Economics team dealth with patriotism.
Anam Zahoor, the director, said that they wanted the need to show one’s love for the country through action and not just words. The play was written by Dawar Lashari and Hamza Ghaznavi.
Superior University’s mime ‘Thinking from heart’ followed LSE’s performance. It was directed by Naveed Ahmad.  Ahmad praised the UMT management for organising the festival, saying that such events could help promote the fading theatre culture in the city.
Other performances included University of Lahore’s play ‘Zindagi ki pehchan’ and University of Central Punjab’s ‘Diya jalaye rakhna hai’.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 1^st, 2011.

 

The Story of Nativity

By Rahib Raza

Published: December 29, 2010

A re-scheduled Rear View production draws a small crowd.

LAHORE: Security threats and technical faults ruined an otherwise decent performance of the Story of Nativity (the story of Christ’s birth) at the Naulakha Church on Tuesday night.
Students from UET, NCA, SKANS and the Cathedral Schools made up the group that performed. The play was originally scheduled for December 23 but was postponed because of security reasons. Only 200 instead of 500 people showed up since all of the invites could not be re-sent in time. The original chief guests Sister Pillar of Convent and Father Bernard could also not watch the play on Tuesday. Naulakha Church Reverend, Dr Majeed Abel, the chief guest encouraged the students, “The technical faults that we had added a Christmas feel to their performance. Christmas was a very rough time for Mary too. All these students are gifted artists.” The other chief guest, Safia Waheed, a clinical psychologist and a Harvard University graduate, also appreciated the students’ performance, “All of us could see the efforts they put in. More practice could have made it even better! I loved their costumes and the set.”
Mrs Edgar Gulzar, a teacher at St Peter’s School said, “I enjoyed the carols and I loved the kings’ costumes. Had the event not been postponed it would have been a much better performance.”
Aaron, a performer, from St Peter’s said that he was proud of what they had achieved despite the team’s schedule. The event was organised by Rear View Productions. Omer Khan, a UET student admitted that the low attendance de-motivated the performances. “I’m sure the crowd must have felt that.” Asher Shehzad Gill, the event director, was pleased with the students’ performance “considering the fact that we did not have a ‘mature’ cast”. “They should be encouraged more,” he said, “but unfortunately people aren’t interested in charity communities. They don’t help.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2010.