Eunoia Issue #2: Change & Growth

The Laerdal Road Tunnel

How Innovation has Lead to Change in Norway

Words of Change

A Letter of Life Lessons that will Change Your Perspective

Supporting Ukraine

A Timeline of the Russo-Ukrainian War

And More Inside!

S O S B

O a k H U B

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# 2

eu·noia noun Derived from the Ancient Greek word meaning: A well mind; beautiful thinking.

The Editorial Board Devanshi Panigrahi Dhivya Iyer Karan Reddy Mihir Talati Mrinalini Harish Navika Natarajan Pranav Vishwas Pranet VP Tejsai Kakumanu Varshini Gopinathan

1. Events At Oakhub Pranet V. Prabhakaran

2. Supporting Ukraine Navika Natarajan

3. Confronting Change Alvira Khan Aaditya Menon

4. Words of Change Ms. Tishya Ghosh

5. Making a Change Simar Baweja Karthikeya Sharma

6. Worded Woods Dhivya Iyer Aayushi Singh

Are you interested in

7. For the Love of Food 8. Coronavirus Corner Dhivya Iyer

9. Growth

writing for Eunoia to be featured among other brilliant writers?

Nischal of M3

10. The Laerdal Road Tunnel Pranet V. Prabhakaran

11. It's Puzzling 12. Artist Spotlights Anika of M4 Ms. Advithi Emmi

Do you have any questions, concerns, insights or feedback for our editorial board?

Write to us at editorial@blr.silveroaks.co.in !

Events At Oakhub

Through the Student Led Conference for the students of Grade 9, acorns reflected on their learning in all these months and also could exhibit their rich creativity and collaborative prowess through the amalgamation of which they brought to us an evergreen SLC. The salient feature of this SLC is the development of an acorn’s reflective skills, which will help them in all stages of their personal and professional life.

An opportunity given by our school to participate in an inter-branch Model United Nations conference allowed the students to socialise, indulge in discussion, understand systems and the world around them, think about turmoils and understand drawbacks in all aspects of sustainable development. Notably, on the 9th of February, our school celebrated International Mother Language Day (which is globally recognised by the United Nations) by encouraging young minds to participate in Just-A-Minute sessions and collage making competition. In the Just-A-Minute session, our acorns were expected to present their views on certain topics (given by the school impromptu) in a bilingual fashion.

This event developed the communication skills of a student and also educated the students about audience imperatives and time management.

The collage making competition conducted for high schoolers let their creative juices flow and allowed them to accommodate all their thoughts and ideas in a fixed amount of space which developed their information and media literacy skills.

Our school also asked us to participate in an inter-house essay competition on the topic “Integrated approach in science and technology for a sustainable future” developed the scientific temper of students and also made them aware of the applications of sciences and its impact on human society. Through this activity, the students improved their language skills and thinking skills.

All in all, the above events and competitions helped to cultivate rigour and introspection among students, because of which they will grow into responsible young citizens who have a clear balance between

ancestral

traditions,

modernization and contributing to the development of cutting-edge technologies. In my opinion, there was also an implicit connection of change between all the events, a change in the way of perceiving things, a change in understanding the multi-faceted nature of life (The COVID-19 pandemic) and a change in understanding our role as a global citizen.

Supporting Ukraine

By Navika Natarajan

CONFRONTING CHANGE

o p S t l t i s g i t ht r A

Anika, M4

W o r d s

of change

It is not only to enjoy the smile, but also to accept and reflect on the sadness.

o p S t l t i s g i t ht r A

Making A

Change

Weatherall D, Greenwood B, Chee HL, et al. Science and Technology for Disease Control: Past, Present, and Future. In: Jamison DT, Breman JG, Measham AR, et al., editors. Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries. 2nd edition.

Washington (DC): The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank; 2006. Chapter 5.

Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK11740/ Co-published by Oxford University Press, New York.

Piret J and Boivin G (2021) Pandemics Throughout History. Front. Microbiol. 11:631736. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.631736

W D E O D ODS R O W

Dear Diary: A Short Story by Dhivya Iyer Dear Diary, We're not allowed to leave school. I'm really upset because school is boring and Timmy needs to go for a walk and my friends are all home. I'm also happy because Mom at home is mean. Her eyes are red and whenever she hugs me my shirts always turn red and they smell like blood which I don't like, so I'm happy I get to stay at home.

Maybe dad will come and pick me up. I could ask Miss Leighton about him but the last time I asked an adult about him (I asked mom) she yelled at me. And then she fell over and didn't get up for an hour so I had to make my own dinner which I burnt and she didn't take me to school. She vomited in the bathroom and when I vomit she always cleans it up but mom doesn't have a mom to clean up her vomit. I had to use the bathroom downstairs.

Dear Diary, Miss Leighton keeps the curtains closed and when Anna tried to open them Miss Leighton shouted at her. I don't understand why. Miss Leighton says we'll have to stay here for a while longer and that we can't eat all our food at once. I'm hungry, and so is everyone in class which is bad because I remember Mom saying a hungry kid is a bad kid.

I wonder who's feeding Timmy.

Dear Diary, Miss Leighton went outside for thirty minutes today and when she came back, she sat us all down and told us things have gotten very serious outside. She told us we're big enough to understand what's happening. She told us about the Virus, which we all heard about. It makes people sick and they get colds and coughs and fevers, and they vomit sometimes, and no one's allowed to see them until the Virus passes. We all knew that. It's boring history. But then Miss Leighton told us that the symptoms (that's a new word I learnt today) have changed. She told us that the Virus-infected vomit out blood and they turn crazy, and their eyes go red and their skin cracks. They're angry and sad and happy in a minute and they're dangerous to small children.

I told Miss Leighton, later, that that sounds like what happened to mom. Her face got really sad and she told me mom is probably gone. She sounded like when mom told me dad is gone, too.

I asked if dogs could be affected, and if we could go and get Timmy and Miss Leighton told me she's sure Timmy will be fine. But I don't know how he can be fine if there's no one to play with him.

Dear Diary, Today Roger cried because he said it's his birthday and he misses his mum and dad and he doesn't have cake. Miss Leighton calmed him down and she went outside the classroom and locked the door behind her and came back with a small cupcake and two bags full of food which she put in the cupboard. She looked really tired and her face was kind of pale, which was weird, because she's always really happy and bright. Roger ate his cupcake and we all got a proper dinner, which made us sleepy.

I'm glad I brought Hannah to school, because I can't sleep without her and I hug her when the really loud groaning noises come right outside our door or the window.

Dear Diary, Miss Leighton's sick. She doesn't want us to come near her but Anna brought her soup. Her eyes are a little red and her skin is crackly, and she told me that soon she'll have to go outside and she can't come back inside and no one can let her, no matter what she says. She told this to the class louder, later, but I was still happy she told me first.

Miss Leighton said she'll be leaving tomorrow and we should only open the door if the person outside has clear eyes and smooth skin. And if they don't wail or groan or make a lot of noise.

Dear Diary, Miss Leighton's gone. Me and Bill are the official leaders of the class, and it's hard but also easy because everyone's really scared and Miss Leighton told everyone to listen to us. She left and sometime later, during dinner time, she knocked on the door but her eyes were really red and she was wailing, like the bad people outside our window and so Bill and I didn't let her in.

I was eating out of a plate with dogs and flowers drawn on it and I thought about Timmy and if he's getting to eat too. I hope he is. Maybe mom has gotten better and she's feeding him and she's going to come get me.

Dear Diary, It's been a whole week since Miss Leighton left and the food is running out. But there are too many cracked people outside and so it isn't safe for us to go out. More and more kids are crying and I want to cry too but I can't because I'm the leader. Bill isn't crying either and he holds and squeezes my hands instead, which is good because then I can squeeze his hand back.

Dear Diary, Today there were a lot of yells and shouts and some squishy noises, which was different and weird and all of us went to the big table in the corner and hid under it.

The door to our classroom was banged on and me and Bill went to check and the eyes were brown and they weren't red, so we opened the door. Bill told the person what happened while the two people with them helped all the kids out and gave us some food. There are twenty of us and three of them, and they whispered and talked for an hour before they all took us outside. Six of us went with each of them and Bill went with the big man and I went with the tall young person. I asked them if we could stop by my house and pick up Timmy and their eyes went really sad and filled with tears and the big man closed his eyes and took three deep breaths and when he opened his eyes again they were wet.

They both told me we couldn't do that, that Timmy is probably gone and dead, which is a new word I hate the meaning of. I don't like it. And that finally made me cry and the last woman picked me up and the man picked up Bill who was also finally crying.

I don't like that I can't see Timmy again. And I can't see mom or dad again, and I saw Miss Leighton again but she was on the floor and she was bloody and she wasn't moving so I wished I didn't see her. I wished I didn't see the outside either because all the trees were dead and there was a really bad smell of vomit and blood everywhere, and it's too quiet. And whenever I step somewhere my shoes make a squishy noise and when I looked at them, they were red and disgusting and there was pink goop all over it. Mom would be really upset.

The big man told our class that ‘it’s all over now.’ I don’t really think it is, because Timmy and Mom are gone and I don’t think that will ever change, which means that this feeling will be there with me for the rest of my life and that scares me.

The Magic Door by Aayushi Singh, MYP 3 Picasso Oh magic door oh magic door, I have never seen you before, Mind telling me what you are for.

Do you give Luxuries ?

Or show some Memories ?

You look a lot like the one from my diaries.

You look like you have been here for centuries I put my Ear near all I hear is a chime With a keyhole as big as a dime.

“Oh the world is dreaming, really such a crime.”

For t

od Fo

v e o o L f e h

This mouth watering recipe is an Indian dish made from chunks of paneer marinated in spices and grilled in a tandoor. It is a vegetarian alternative to chicken tikka and other meat dishes. It is a popular dish that is widely available in India and countries with an Indian diaspora. At first let us understand the procedure of the paneer tikka marinade which is my grandfather’s authentic recipe: To do so we will require the following ingredients : 1) Greek Yoghourt / Traditional hung curd - 1⁄2 cup 2) Onion petals - 1 or 2 (according to your requirement) 3) Green bell Pepper - 1 or 2 (according to your requirement) 4) Paneer (Cottage Cheese) - 250 grams 5) Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp 6) Mustard oil - 1 tsp 7) Red chilli powder - 2 tsp 8) Cumin powder - 1 tsp 9) Coriander powder - 1 tsp 10) Garam Masala - 1⁄2 tsp 11) Black salt - 1⁄4 tsp 12) Raw mango powder (Amchur powder) - 1 tsp 13) Gram flour - 2 tbsp 14) Salt- to taste

METHOD: To start off : Dice the green bell pepper and cut the onion into nice petals . Add half a cup of hung curd in a bowl. To that add two teaspoonful of red chilli powder, one teaspoonful coriander powder, 1 teaspoonful cumin powder, 1 teaspoonful amchur powder, quarter teaspoonful black salt, half a teaspoon of garam masala, some salt to taste.

Mix 1 tablespoonful ginger garlic paste, two tablespoons of gram flour. After adding the required ingredients, mix the paste thoroughly.

Prior to adding the cottage cheese and 1 teaspoon of mustard oil to the paste and mix thoroughly.

Post that add 250 grams of cottage cheese to the marinade, 1⁄4 cup of green bell pepper and 1⁄4 cup of onion petals to the marinade and mix the paste thoroughly until all the flavours blend together.

----------------- In order for the vegetables and paneer to soak in the flavours, leave the mixture aside closed for about 60-120 minutes-----------------------Open the mixture giving it a quick stir and then insert the ingredients following an order of insertion in a skewer. Preferably insert the green bell pepper at the bottom, the paneer cubes in the middle and the onion petals at the end.

Post this, bake the tikka at 450 F degrees for 10 minutes and then turn on the broil.

Broil for 2 to 3 minutes until the paneer pieces look charred. (NOTE:If you want paneer even more softer- bake at 450 F degrees for 5 minutes and broil for 3 to 4 minutes.) and voila!

Delicious Indian style paneer tikka is ready to serve!! Garnish with some fresh coriander and squeezed lemon juice to enhance the flavour.

Coronavirus

corner

Even the smallest of changes can have a huge impact. This applies to physical changes; in Ice Age, the squirrel fiddles around with an acorn, and an entire iceberg breaks off and results in a mass migration. That’s the simplest example.

This concept also applies to other types of changes. COVID, for example. COVID is, by far, the biggest change that’s wreaked havoc in the world lately. It’s been two years, and we’re still suffering from the aftershocks, still trying to recover from the pandemic, the corresponding lockdown, the new regulations, and everything else that was a result of COVID. COVID shattered our aspirations and hopes. It ruined future plans, took away opportunities, changed the way we communicate with our friends and family. By affecting these aspects, it also changed our perspective on many of things we normally view as mundane activities.

Let’s take grocery shopping, as it’s something everyone does. It’s a common household activity, isn’t it? Before COVID, it was a chore, something normal and boring. Now, and a year ago, it was seen as a source of panic for many. We were scared that the supplies would run out, and our families wouldn’t have enough to get by.

Our perspective on something like grocery shopping changed entirely; families hoarded food, we switched to online shopping, we were scared about running out of supplies, and prices for healthcare, medicine and groceries skyrocketed , making us more thoughtful about what we bought.

Our perspective on things like relationships, school, work and environmental issues changed as well. Four years ago, if you told any student that a few years in the future, they’d be celebrating the reopening of school, they’d look at you like you were crazy. But that’s exactly what’s been happening: students are so immensely grateful to be away from online school and back in physical school, with their friends and teachers and desk, chair and whiteboard.

We were also taught the value of our relationships, and how important they are to us. Being separated from your friends and family for such a long period of time can only ever be a bad thing; and COVID taught us to value those bonds we formed with each other, the video and phone calls we conducted, the texts we sent to friends. It taught us to be grateful for the little things; things as simple as a ‘good morning’ from your best friend, things we got every morning and took for granted before COVID came along.

We can also say COVID made us more compassionate and changed the way we look at our neighbours, our friends, our family. We saw people suffering because of this change, people who weren’t able to cope as well as our families did, and we extended branches of support, to help them. Scientists collaborated with each other to create a vaccine, and they’re still working to solve this problem and fight all the strains of COVID. In their communities, people checked up on their family members, supported friends who suffered a personal loss. People brought food to the infected in hospitals and made plans to cook for the infected in apartments and communities.

In one memorable case, people sang from their homes to keep their neighbours, who were alone, from being lonely.

We were more tuned into the environment; amongst the reports of COVID cases in countries and the new vaccine development, stories were told about how the skies above Delhi were clear blue for the first time in years. People in Punjab could see the tips of the Himalayan mountains, which were more than a hundred miles away. Pollution was cut down; the skies and rivers became healthier.

This was a direct result of the lockdown. We looked at the environment differently; people understood the impact our human activities have had on the planet and how even a few days of halting all this activity has resulted in such a drastic change. If only a few days and 1.3 billion people can cause such an enormous change, what can a year and 500,000 million people, working to the good of the planet, do for the environment?

These are only a few ways in which COVID has changed our perspective, for the better or for the worse. What are some ways that you can think of in which your perspective has been altered because of COVID?

By Dhivya Iyer

W O T H R G

THE LAERDAL ROAD TUNNEL

By Pranet V Prabhakaran Change is the constant which empowers growth and makes room for a positive revolution in the society, shaping minds of various people and introducing a new facet to society. Change makes life smoother and more enjoyable. In order to explore this same change, I will be writing about the world’s longest road tunnel in Norway, and the change brought about by it.

According to roadtraffic-technology.com, the Norwegian parliament sanctioned the construction of the Laerdal Tunnel in 1992, which was successfully completed in the year 2000.The website says that the 24.5km-long tunnel stretches between Aurland and Laerdal on the new main highway, connecting Oslo and Bergen in the country of Norway. It made the commute between Oslo and Bergen and through the mountain terrain smooth and easier. It also removed ferry charges and made intercity connectivity more effective.

Throughout the course of the tunnel construction, various machines and equipment were used.

Computer-controlled drilling jumbos and traditional drilling methods were used to ensure great precision for tunnel sections to meet more than 10 kms into the rock and 1000 metres under the mountain.

Various other tools and implements like navigation satellites, laser beams and wheel-mounted loaders were used as well to understand survey points inside the tunnel, to indicate the usage of bearings inside the tunnel and to transport materials within the tunnel.

The tunnel has been subdivided into 4 sections with 3 large mountain caves (at 6 km intervals) which are large enough to allow coaches and trains to turn without having to reverse. While the main tunnel has white lights, the caves have blue lighting with yellow lights at the fringes to give an impression of sunrise. The caves in the tunnel are meant to break the routine, providing a refreshing view and allowing drivers to take a short rest. The caverns are also used as turnaround points and for areas to help lift claustrophobia during the 20-minute drive through the tunnel.

As the main purpose behind the tunnel was to smoothen transportation and commuting, a group led by acclaimed psychologists at SINTEF joined hands with an organisation called NPRA to ensure passenger safety and convenience. The Laerdal Tunnel is longitudinally ventilated through only one ventilation air exhaust shaft, which is about 18 kms from the Aurland end of the tunnel. One significant feature here is the continuous monitoring of air quality within the tunnel and automated air cleaning system at times of necessity. Another feature of the tunnel that is important in ensuring its safety is the installation of phone channels for police, fire stations, fire extinguishers, hospitals, etc.

During the course of the tunnel construction there were various challenges, like disposing of 2.5 million m3 of excavated rock from the tunnel. The NPRA, being agriculture friendly and environment-friendly, resolved to construct more than half of the tunnel from 2.1 km in a place called Tynjadal. Tynjadal is a side valley, opening out about 8 km east of the town of Laerdal.

Considering the factual information about the Laerdal Tunnel, it has certainly brought about a great change in the country of Norway. The Laerdal Tunnel revolutionised the infrastructural potential in the country of Norway. This change is witnessed in the variety of tools and implements which are used for the tunnel’s construction like laser beams and wheel mounted loaders.This also talks about the changes which have taken place in the fields of science and engineering over the years and the sustainable future we are stepping towards. It also changed the perception about road safety in Norway due to the unique measures which it has taken for emergencies.

As mentioned earlier, the construction of the tunnel has made the lives of the Norwegian citizens easier by making the drive between Oslo and Bergen easier through the mountainous terrain. This brought about change in the commuting and transportation system of Norway making life more efficient and increasing connectivity.

As Norway is an environment concerned country, the tunnel is the first in its kind to be equipped with an air treatment plant, which has spread awareness about how air treatment helps in preventing respiratory illnesses and decreasing pollution; this has brought about a change in the way people will view Norway in terms of environment friendliness .

"The Laerdal Tunnel revolutionised the infrastructural potential in the country of Norway."

In addition, Norway’s commitment towards the psychological health of its citizens is shown in the fact that the caves in the tunnel give a feel of sunrise to break the monotony of the 20 minute drive. This has shown a change in tunnel designing and a unique change in the infrastructural planning of Norway.

“Verdict Media Limited.” Verdict Traffic, Road Traffic Technology, www.roadtraffic-technology.com/projects/laerdal-tunnel/.

“Laerdal Tunnel by Staff.” Engineering.com, Engineering . Com, 13 Oct. 2006, www.engineering.com/story/laerdal-tunnel.

“Facts about Laerdal Tunnel for Kids.” Easy Science For Kids, 10 July 2018, easyscienceforkids.com/laerdaltunnel/#:~:text=The%20construction%20started%20 in%201995,equivalent%20to%20%24113.1%20Million%20USD.&text=The%20 Laerdal%20Tunnel%20is%20 longitudinally,Aurland%20end%20of%20the%20 tunnel.

It's Puzzling CROSSWORD #3

SUDOKU

CROSSWORD CHAMPIONS Week 1 - Parthiv (House of Hawks) Week 2 - Srihita (House of Whales) Congratulations Winners!

The Editorial Board Design Team Varshini Gopinathan Pranav Vishwas Devanshi Panigrahi Editorial Team Mihir Talati Tejsai Kakumanu Dhivya Iyer Navika Natarajan Pranet V Prabhakaran Karan Reddy Mrinalini Harish

Photo Credits: Bankim Desai [Cover], Suzanne D. Williams, Tina Hartung, Ahmed Zalabany, Christian Grab, Kjell Jøran Hansen, Taha Mazandarani, Jon Tyson, Dayne Topkin, Ross Sneddon. [Free to use under Unsplash Licence, and Flickr Public Licence]

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