An abode of inspiration

Voices-it has given me a home where ideas run wild and there is always room for positive criticisms. It has made me a better writer, an open thinker and it has made me appreciate hard work. I can’t remember feeling as happy as I do, as fulfilled as I do after walking out of the doors of The Statesman House on a Sunday every month.

To be a part of Voices is to be a part of an enormous, lovable family. In the past year I have met people who have turned into confidantes, made friends who have always inspired me. Our Editor, she has been the teacher and the critique, she has been our mentor, the head of our family. During the annual fest, Vibes 2016 I remember her telling us to conduct ourselves with utmost dignity and grace, because at Voices we are taught to respect and value others as well as ourselves.

Going back to the first article I wrote for Voices, I find myself smiling and motivated. I have always wanted to write and have always wanted my thoughts to be read and acknowledged, Voices has given me that. It has been my biggest stepping stone and I will always owe a part of myself to it. 

It completes 23 glorious years and nothing other than pure tradition coupled with newer approaches could have helped achieve this. Happy birthday Voices!

Here are a few things that I shall always be indebted to you for;

To the friends who inspire

To the our teacher who loves without hesitation

To the  ideas that float around the office on the Sunday mornings that we meet

To the scent of creativity

To holding onto our roots, only so that we can dig deeper  

To the extended family

To the innumerable mini debates, heated discussions and friendly spats

To the Voices card that shall always be one of my most prized possessions,

And finally, to the unrivalled memories.

 

Baring my heart to you Voices, and here is a wish that the ink in you never runs dry.

(Prapti Dasgupta, Class XII, Garden High School)

 

Full of colours

The sound of footsteps is heard up the long and sprawling staircase. Muffled voices and heavy breaths due to exhaustion flow through the glass gateway. Laughter and giggles light up sullen and drooping faces. Chairs are rolled about in great haste. These details describe somewhat what a  coordinator experiences at a Voices meeting. Nothing is even remotely apparent on the shiny surface. All those exchanges of silly remarks and brainstorming ideas and so much more keep us desperately clinging to this beautiful attempt at an enterprise. 

Though plenty of differences grow between us, there is an invisible bond which yields unity as each of  us wields the same weapon against a common enemy: a pen against paper. So on 2 September all the colours which we have together produced in the numerous issues of Voices for so many years will brighten with equal vigour and dazzle the eyes and hearts of all who dare to stay and watch.

 

(Sumedha Mukherjee, Class XII, The Future Foundation School)

 

You have given so much

Voices means so much to me. It has gifted me memorable moments that would be cherished forever and has given me beautiful possessions and has made me accomplished that I could never think of. That I would one day be able to write in a prestigious newspaper like Voices, had struck me dead in classes VII-VIII. Being a part of this wonderful family, I feel privileged. On its 23rd birthday I would like to dedicate this little poem to Voices, which has given me so much in life.

Yes, it’s your birthday

It’s an auspicious day

To be remembered forever

To be cherished like ever.

 

Since your entry in my life

You’ve always given me 

Something or the other

Now, it’s my turn to compensate

 

To give you all I can

To light you up with a heavenly smile

I write this poem for you only

You are my ultimate lover, seriously!

 

With all your grandeur and pomp

You quietly stand tall

Conveying your repute silently,

Your greatness spread far and wide.

 

You are a shining gem

You are priceless treasure

I bow my head down to you

And so does the entire universe!

Have a great birthday!

 

(Ahana Chattopadhyay, Class X, Gokhale Memorial Girls’ School)

A family, an assurance

Outside the window the grey sky is giving away a message of another gloomy day. Those cold raindrops have been cascading down incessantly during the last few days. The pitter-patter against the windowpane only intensified the peaceful silence in my room and the strong aroma of the brewing coffee added to the ease. 

The pages of my notebook lie open on my desk, occasionally fluttering against the breeze. It’s been a long wait in hope for words to roll out of my pen that I may scribble down.  May be sometime it is too hard expressing strong emotions in simple words. It doesn’t matter how much we say, some feelings can’t be put into words. The feeling of love, acceptance, safety, and admiration blended with duty, responsibility and expectation is a surging wave of emotions is always inexplicable. 

As I pondered in my mind to find my true feelings that have grown in me since I first joined the Voices, I found it next to impossible. It gives us a feeling and warms our heart in a way which only a family can do. It is like an extended family where we find faith. She has taught us to be responsible, to be mature and has nurtured our thoughts with love and care. At a certain points in life when doubting our capabilities, this family has given our thoughts shelter and has presented us with an opportunity to prove ourselves once again. 

Voices has become the song of our heats and has accepted our true potential. She has gifted us with the canvas where our imaginations paint their own graffiti’s and our young voices, thoughts roar louder with each day. 

 

(Ishani Bhattacharya, Ex-Sakhawat Memorial Government Girls’ High School)

 

A letter to my inspiration

Dear Voices,

I have been a part of your huge family for more than three years now. And to think about the all the experiences, the friends and the joys that I have shared with you is a remote possibility because they are unending. 

You gave me and my fellow writers to come together and share, you provided us with the magic wand to create magic with words and you gave us a home where we redefined what friendships and fraternity are. You are that haven where all our rebellious thoughts, ignored dreams, subdued wishes come true. 

But in Voices every day we chase our dreams we make lasting friendships with our wishes. We, the writers, have stumbled upon you. You are our greatest confidante and companion. You witness our highs and lows, our ecstasies and agonies through our writings. 

You carry our messages with utmost care, to all the voracious readers waiting to immerse themselves in the world of fantasy, fiction and facts.   Your musty pages have a heavenly sense of relief that engulfs the readers, the writers, the dreamers, the realists, the optimists.

You touch so many hearts at once. You inspire us to make this world a better place, urge us to make every sad person smile and encourage us to set sail on a voyage of truth, of righteousness. Moreover you let our opinions matter, you let our feelings be recognised and let our beliefs, our views fly high. 

You are there every Thursday morning with tales about the world, about fascinating people, with our creations and with Mr. Brendan MacCarthaigh’s enlightening column that helps us get through the week with stalwart optimism. You are a friend, a parent, a support and a teacher to us. 

You are everything. On your birthday my wish is: May you achieve more milestones and always take us with you, because we are as big a part of you as you are a part of us. You make this strange world a little less strange by making it feel a bit more like home.

Optimistically yours

Many happy returns!

On 2 September 1993, school students got a platform to raise their voices through Voices Rswhere we can discuss literature, science, travel, film and many other issues. It is the family that everyone wants to be a part of. I still remember my first day with Voices, how anxious I was as I stepped into The Statesman House. 

I found some boys and girls of my age gathered in front of the big gate and started talking to them. Their cordial behaviour made me feel like being in a family. Being a part of Voices is like a dream come true. Birthdays give a new beginning, a time to start new endeavours with new goals. Happy Birthday!

(Madhurima Kundu, Coordinator, Class IX, M.P. Birla Foundation H.S. School)

 

Distant, yet so close

Voices birthday belongs to the list of very important dates I have in my mind. Because being a part of Voices doesn’t only mean writing articles and submitting them on time, it’s a lot more than that. It is like being a part of a family that will always be there for you. Even though I’m not in Kolkata anymore, even though I can’t attend regular meetings like before, Voices will always be a part of my heart. A very happy birthday!

(Diotima Roy, Class XI, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North, US)

 

A wonderful family

The year 1993 was not ordinary since it was when our beloved ‘Voices’ was born. It is not just a supplement but the voices of the students of Bengal. It is an amazing world where creativity is nurtured. It is a crazy family where the members are tied with eternal bonds of friendship. It provides a platform where you can express your thoughts, your imaginations. Though it has been only a few months since I have become a part of this kin but my life has changed a lot. It has never been so good before. 

Of the many things I have learnt ‘teamwork’. It has taught me that unity is strength. Teamwork and collaboration can together achieve wonderful things. I want to thank Voices for introducing me to a world where there is only happiness, excitement and creativity.

Wish you a very happy birthday!

(Sutanu Bhattacharyya, Class XI, Patha Bhavana)

 

My second home

It was 2 June of this year. I was filled with trepidation and hesitated to enter the hallowed Statesman House for my interview was on that day. After it was over and other formalities were through, I was given the Voices Identity card. I was literally transported to a Wonderland. It was too good to be true!

For my first meeting, I was filled with mixed feelings of nervousness and euphoria. There were too many questions whirling in my head. At the meeting, the newly appointed and other coordinators were discussing various topics and suddenly I realized that I had become a part of them. I felt blessed to be in the midst of such a creative ambience. Then we had this extravaganza called Vibes at Nazrul Manch spread over two days. I did a bit of anchoring and felt the thrill of being on the dais of such a wonderful auditorium in front of so many brilliant students, teachers and of course the judges.  

Voices has brought a tremendous change in my life, and has made me feel quite at home. It is a place where one can pour one’s heart out. I’m quite bashful by nature but Voices has helped me to overcome my inhibitions.

Here’s wishing Voices a very happy birthday!

(Souromi Banerjee, Class X, Auxilium Convent, Bandel)

 

The best bond

Our favorite supplement Voices turns 23 on 2 September. May this year be full of happiness just like all the years in the past. Let us stop for a moment and thank the people who made it possible in the first place. 

Voices formed when a group of school children approached The Statesman for a chance and a stage to showcase their writing skills. Their wishes were  fulfilled and the first issue was a single page in the main paper called The Statesman in School. As it flourished and made way for talents other than writing Vibes, the exuberant inter-school fest was born. 

Voices acts like a bond between coordinators of different batches. We all come from far off places but the moment we discover that the other person was a coordinator too once upon a time, we suddenly feel like he/ she is a long lost friend. This sense of oneness attracts the previous batches and keeps them active even after they have passed out of school.

Many happy returns! 

(Akash Kumar, Class XII, Dreamland school)

 

(Sayani Majumder, Class XI, Bidya Bharati Girls’ High School)