Pathways Senior School - TOK Buzz-Valentine's Day Special 2022

Lo

E V Senior School Presents

TOK BUZZ Valentine's Special

TOK BUZZ

Contents

TOK COLUMN ARTICLES INTERVIEWS INTERACTIVE Message from the Director 1

T.O.K. From the Principal's Lens - Ms. Manjula Shenoi 2

Pages 1-3

Pages 4 - 16

Pages 17 - 30

Bingo Crossword Puzzle Word Search Riddles

31 32 33 34 35

TOK WITH DWAYNE SIR:

WHAT IS TOK?

Theory of knowledge (TOK) plays a special role in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) by providing an opportunity for students to reflect on the nature of knowledge and how we know what we claim to know. It is an extension of epistemology, with core concepts related to philosophy and a certain TOK framework it follows. The core concepts are evidence, certainty, truth, interpretation, power, justification, explanation, objectivity, perspective, culture, values, and responsibility. Throughout the IBDP journey, students explore these core concepts alongside various themes such as knowledge and the knower (central theme), knowledge and technology, knowledge and religion, knowledge and indigenous societies, and knowledge and politics.

STUDENT REFLECTIONS

In one of my most memorable TOK lessons with Dwayne sir, we discussed if seeing was believing and whether we can trust our senses to give us reliable knowledge.

Something which we often practice in class is encouraging debate based on reasoning and rationality and listening to others' perspectives. Throughout the semester, we covered various topics (such as knowledge and technology), discussed multiple differing viewpoints on topics related to TOK, and explored the main concepts and themes.

In Fiona Ma'am's TOK class, we have started with the theme of knowledge and language. As an introduction, we always discuss our opinions about the topic at hand, which is usually followed by a TED video regarding the same.

After viewing these videos, such as "How Language Shapes The Way We Think" by Lera Boroditsky, we revisit our views on the topic and revise them. Often, group debates are also conducted to encourage an exchange of diverse beliefs and work on our argumentative skills.

:FIONA MA'AM

classes amalgamate curiosity, debate, and imagination.

NEERU MA’AM: TOK Each class brings a rush of emotions as we're asked to find the certainty of the mere element of truth as we try to get to the core of all knowledge. Recalling one class, we debated on the responsibility of historians to convey history's truth objectively and how perhaps all that occurs today may be a result of melded history. Like this class, TOK challenges us to explore reality beyond what is presented in textbooks and investigate "why we know what we know".

TOK BUZZ | Student Reflections

01

TOK WITH

STUDENT REFLECTIONS

TOK class has been informative and engaging. We tend SAURAV SIR: Myto debate on various topics and have opposing views on

almost everything making the class entertaining. An example of this would be the train problem given to us in which we had to choose between the fate of 5 people on a track or changing the direction of the train on our own to kill one person. Here we have opposing views where some of us, such as I, chose the utilitarian approach of saving the five people at the cost of one. In contrast, the others went with a moralistic approach of being bystanders, therefore having no personal role in the deaths.

The inherent nature of TOK is that it is debatable and open to discussion. Our classes propagate this very vexed nature. Our classes involve discussions on various topics and a lesson in which we learn about the fundamental constituents of knowledge. I remember a specific instance in which we took a seemingly irrelevant viral video of a woman advertising a company on top of the Burj Khalifa and looked at it through the lens of TOK. This ability to link epistemology to everything and anything makes our classes extremely captivating.

AKASH SIR:

:NAZNEEN MA'AM

I recall feeling as if I was immersed in an ocean of information, claims, and counterarguments during one of the TOK conversations in class as if nothing inside the universe made complete sense any longer. Everybody is questioning life's fundamental principles and knowledge. I was around two groups arguing the concept of our existence incessantly. The classes create an ambition of learning as a lifetime pursuit but never accept information without doubt.

Acknowledge the difficulties in our paths but never become overpowered by them. To create our own thoughts while never dismissing others who hold opposing views.

TOK BUZZ | Student Reflections

02

TOK WITH

STUDENT REFLECTIONS

the rigorous investigation at the heart of SUMAN MA’AM: While TOK initially drew me, what I've appreciated the most is being surrounded by people who keep me interested in the investigative process. There is a sense of ease and mutual understanding in class that comforts me and encourages me to discuss my ideas, both when they're perceptive and when they're way off the mark. I really enjoy my class.

TOK, in its essence, can be encompassed under an amalgamation of epistemology along with its application in our day-to-day lives. True to its denotation, Agrima ma'am reflects the principles of philosophy through her lessons in the most Socratic kind. By giving us various scenarios alluding to the TOK principles or by showing us the art of making TOK easier to understand through, in its face value, random objects; Our Plato-esque experience is further enriched with the emphasis on thinking for yourself.

As for our essays, the quote by C. Hitchens, "That which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence" sums it up better than I ever could.

TOK BUZZ | Student Reflections

:AGRIMA MA'AM

03

CAN WE KNOW AND LOVE SIMULTANEOUSLY?

VANSH VADAV

Since antiquity, love has been a centrepiece of philosophy, producing theories ranging from entirely materialistic and scientific conceptions of love to theories of love as an intensely subjective and metaphysical affair that defies rational examination.

Nevertheless, love is still as ineffable as ever.

That does not mean it is intangible, though, for it is undeniable that love plays an unavoidable role in human society; humans commit both acts of benevolence and barbarity in the name of love. It is also the subject of incessant romanticization despite its double-edged nature. For many, love, or the lack thereof, festers in the imagination without it ever seeping into the real world.

We want to love and to be loved, yet we are still apprehensive because we know how hard that is.

Therein lies the question: to know and to love. Can we have both? Can a philosophy— an epistemology—of love be deduced?

Indeed, in that case, love must adhere to certain epistemic notions such as belief, evidence, and justification. At face value, it seems so, for does the relationship between philosophy and love need to be stated?

After all, it makes up the word Philo-Sophia, meaning "love of wisdom."

However, love's susceptibility to overdetermination presents a hurdle in describing love epistemologically.

Borrowing on the literary trope of the blind lover, we often idolize our beloved and think the best of them even in the face of evidence to the contrary. Best explained by Marie-Henry Beyle's theory of crystallization, which likens the onset of love to the crystallization of a twig in a salt mine, love's crystallization is the process by which the mind finds perfections in its beloved at every turn of events.

TOK BUZZ | Article - Can we know and love simultaneously ?

04

However, just like the salt of the mine, the

Then, is love compatible with knowing a

perfections are wholly the mind's addition,

product of balancing the two? Applying

beneath which the twig lies. The process of

philosopher Kym Maclaren's problem of

falling out of love can then be described as

"letting be" to love would make it seem so.

the process of unravelling the

When overdetermining, the extent of

overdetermination of the mind. If the justified

knowledge is determined by the knower

true belief account of knowledge is applied

rather than by the known (whether that be a

(which is by no means perfect), then love born

thing, or in the case of love, a person). Such

out of overdetermination is not knowledge at

information is limiting as it is untrue and can

all, as it is distinctly untrue. On the other hand,

also be damaging.

underdetermination cannot lead to love at all, much less any form of relationship.

Maclaren illustrates this through the example of a horse trainer who trains his horse without any concern for its need to play. In doing so, his horse becomes weaker and gloomy, eventually breaking down. The horse trainer did not correctly know his horse and therefore hurt it by not letting it be. False determinations and the simple act of incorrectly knowing can be damaging. Letting be is then a requirement of truly knowing; it allows one to engage in just the right amount of determining, not too much, not too little.

Reminiscent of the concept of giving our loved one's space, this philosophical understanding offers credence to how we can know and love in our daily lives.

Only by truly knowing can we then truly love.

Love has justification because, through it, we crave to know and share the world as received and transformed by the eyes of our beloved. It is undeniably greater than a single person.

Love is also evidently a belief. Finally, our knowledge of love is true when we let be, engaging in the constant balancing between over and underdetermination. Then maybe, just maybe, a justified true belief is created. An epistemology—a way of knowing—that is manifest in loving.

TOK BUZZ | Article - Can we know and love simultaneously ?

05

THE DARK TRUTH OF VALENTINES ANOUSHKA GOYAL

You'd be surprised to hear that our beloved Valentine's Day is indeed dotted with the execution of Saint Valentine, penalized merely for his desire to function as a wedding officiator. At the command of Emperor Claudius, the clergyman was put to death in the most pitiless manner imaginable – beheaded on the 14th of February, which later was marked as the day of love. What disturbs me to this date is how no one questions the rendition of love through the lens of cruel extermination. In fact, besides the sickening premise of the holiday itself, the likes of gift shops have exploited this eerie image of love to spur sales of valentines presents; couples are

As a matter of fact, in the process of romanticizing love, a great deal of couples end up romanticizing the callous strands of the relationship as well, per se, physical abuse. Over time, their preoccupation with fairy-tale love causes them to pass over any form of dishonest dealings, or worse, they accept it as a token of intimacy within their relationship. How is it that tying up your partner is thought to be enjoyable? That, when in love, being compliant is the only way to be?

pushed to indulge in what seems to be, at least at face value, a consumerist holiday.

Romantic love, seemingly the only form of love that matters, brings with it a whole host of societal pressure, broken promises, and mismatched preferences.

TOK BUZZ | Article - The Dark Truth of Valentines

06

For the vicious manifestations of love, lovers are pestered into purchasing overpriced gifts to prove their fondness of one another. Why is it that these couples define love simply based on the gifts they receive? Why is an expensive gift weighed up as a token of affection while a relatively low-priced one is thought to be insulting? Through media and advertisement, retail industries have planted the notion that gifts with high monetary values are the only ones that represent true love. The jewellery, clothing, and flowers sales skyrocket as industries gambles upon the upcoming generation's nascence of love.

In the harum-scarum idea of young love, we forget the true significance of love.

We redefine Love every chance we get, elucidating abuse as nothing short of affection; we unknowingly force ourselves to believe that with love comes maltreat.

Moving on, when put together with valentine's day, this fallacious illustration of love tends to swell into potent ramifications, building insecurities in the minds of people. As a result of societal pressure and doubt about the relationship, people may cater to

The thought of not receiving big-budget gifts overpowers the true essence of relationships. Restaurants and stores jack up their prices on the premise that lovers will wish to do something "special" for one another, and weirdly enough, we go along with it. Why do we only truly enjoy valentine by breaking the bank? Why do we let our relationships spiral into tragedies under the pressure of celebrating valentine's day the way a mass of people think it's supposed to be celebrated

disreputable means to rid themselves of their frustration. Acid attacks, rape, and unorthodox coping mechanisms for heartbreak are good cases in point. The extent to which people go to relieve themselves of their heartache is unthinkable; some turn to drugs, while some find peace in revenging their former lover through any means necessary.

TOK BUZZ | Article - The Dark Truth of Valentines

07

L I M I T L E S S

L O V E

Limitless Love Ada Sethi

Love is an omnipresent feeling that

Polygamy is essentially a custom that

inevitably occurs within the true essence

involves having more than one wife or

at least once throughout the time they

husband at the same time – by definition.

spend on this earth. As you may know

To be honest, our generation is such that

already, love comes in a variety of forms.

we are open to accepting all the kinds of

When it comes to the preferences of one's

love out there. Then why does it take time

significant other, there are opinions and

for us to comprehend and accept

choices as to how many partners are

polygamy? Why is it that most of the

involved in the relationship as well. The

population is averse to this form of

taboo surrounding polygamy has been a

relationship simply because many

long-lasting feud between monogamists

perceive polygamy as synonymous to or an

and those opposed to the notion of having

excuse for infidelity, which is far from the

numerous lovers simultaneously.

truth?

TOK BUZZ | Articles - Limitless Love

08

Monogamy is a rule that we blindly follow

Serial monogamists are, at the end of

and perceive to be the only way to form

the day, attempting to forward their

relationships. For so long, we have been

agenda by arguing that polyamory is

told that having relationships with

only a phase or exploration of the

multiple partners is wrong, that this

uncertain and confused. Polyamory,

thought has been embedded in our minds

they argue, is a veil for those who

and passed on to the newer generations.

wish to be unfaithful with no

Monogamy should be anything but the

remorse when it's far more than that.

standard or bare minimum in a

So, while we try to attain a consensus

relationship.

on the subject at hand, all I can say is that the generation before us is striving to emerge victorious in matters of various controversial

Adding on, when it comes to monogamy,

topics, and polygamy must be one of

just because polygamy is a concept that

them too.

has now come into play does not mean that monogamy is a conservative way of building a relationship. Meaning that while people may choose to explore their connections in whatever form pleases them, one mustn't limit themselves to a certain rule that is generated by the heteronormative ideals and conservative society that remains and will always be present - despite efforts to create an abundance of acceptance. At the end of the day, people may prefer monogamy over polygamy for many reasons. I only feel that polygamy shouldn't be shunned away within this vastly evolving society.

TOK BUZZ | Articles - Limitless Love

09

La

L

a

Lan

d

ABHIMANYU SENGUPTA

If you have not seen La La Land or have no knowledge regarding the events that occur

The important message present in the

in the ending, it would be best to watch the

ending was how we must choose

film before reading this article.

Rarely does a film come along that has an ending that divides as many people as does the ending of La La Land. Some call it a perfect ending, while others criticize its sad and disappointing approach. While, yes, the ending does have an unconventional approach compared to most romantic comedies/musicals, it also delivers an important message through a realistic portrayal of a seemingly perfect romantic relationship's end.

between our priorities. Sebastian and Mia, to achieve self-fulfilment, part ways by the end of the film. While it is an unhappy scene, we realize that the relationship would have likely left the two individuals sadder than they are now. Either Mia or Sebastian would have had to sacrifice their dream career to spend time with the other. Instead, the couple would rather see the other person succeed than see them pursue a relationship that ultimately leads to no self-fulfilment. Just like these two characters, we, as an audience, have a lot to juggle in our lives. While it may not be a romantic interest necessarily, we also need to select what is most important to us and let go of things, however dear they may be, if they keep us from achieving our dreams.

TOK BUZZ | Article - La La Land

11

To condense this into a simple analogy: consider that you are currently working hard towards a good university in order to pursue law while also being in a romantic relationship with a significant other.

Often, romantic films (especially those as cheerful as this one) portray the ending of the film to be equally

While you may be very happy being in

merry: "they lived happily ever after…"

a relationship, it eats up a lot of your

However, it is impossible to satisfy all

time. Whenever you go back to studying for the university, you dedicate far too little time for the

your wants and needs, and a few things need to be omitted. If a relationship is eating up your

relationship to hold much value, and

chances of achieving your goal, then

when you start to focus more on the

choosing between the two has to be

relationship, your goal and ambition

made. And in this film, love decided

slowly start to slip away. This is when

that both the characters want the

you need to choose between the two:

other to be what they aspire to be.

which is more important to you?

While a la land shows the eternal struggle between love and careers, it is essential to note that a balance is indeed attainable.

TOK BUZZ | Article - La La Land

12

LOVE JIHAD

Nandini Sarin Being the oldest societal construct, religion

and its oblivious attack on love

is one of the most potent and insidious means of shaping and controlling society.

Religion is said to be the opium of the masses. I remember pondering over the certainty of truth, as I recall a quote by one of my classmates, "truth is what we choose to believe". I understood that truth is often a catalyst to conspiracy theories. "Karnataka will bring in a law against love jihad", read the contentious headlines that ignited curiosity, eventually boiling down to the link between "truthful" conspiracy theories and religion.

What is the truth in religion? What does religion teach us about love?

"Muslim men target Hindu women for

To answer these questions, one

conversion into Islam, by means such as

needs to investigate the religious

seduction, feigning love, deception and

insolence that attacks love and the

marriage, for domination through demographic growth and replacement". This claim, labelled "love Jihad", is an Islamophobic conspiracy theory believed by proponents of the Hindutva ideology that

system of reverence that religion teaches. In many significant religions, humility and selflessness in the devotion to and quest for spiritual enlightenment are emphasized.

captured the country's imagination at large.

When Jesus asks us to love our

Hindu women seek to be protected against

enemies, where do we go wrong?

"predatory" Muslim men, who intend to

What allows religion to transform

propagate their religion through marriage. I

into evidence against the inherent

understood through this that marriage had

humane capacity of love? The answer

lost its true essence. It has become a subtle

to this is simple, oblivion and

tool used for the subjugation of women,

egotism.

rather than simply becoming a social contract that recognizes the love between two autonomous individuals. Religion is a pleasant illusion to fuel the same.

TOK BUZZ | Article - ‘Love Jihad’ and its oblivious attack on love

13

This argument boils down to the fact that religious belief seizes the foundational values of love and besieges it with oblivion that subjugates the capacity to love.

TOK being the root of this opinion, religion lacks certainty in truth, evidence propagation, and advocacy responsibility. Once a community recognizes the inherent ability to love, rather I believe in the responsibility of religious advocates to propagate objectivity of scriptures rather than emotion. While

than its mere societal responsibility, love can escape from stupefaction.

religion may be a system of sacrifice, one mustn't sacrifice their moral values searching for spirituality. The absence of such a system evidences this very belief's contradiction. This absence causes oblivious sentiments towards faith, causing egotism towards others, and hence gives birth to conspiracy theories such as "love jihad".

TOK BUZZ | Article - ‘Love Jihad’ and its oblivious attack on love

14

True Love Doesn't Exist,

at least not in the way we think.

YASHVARYA GOYAL Growing up, my idea of love was shaped mainly by fairytales. I wore sparkly dresses, pretended to converse with squirrels, and patiently waited for Prince Charming to show up to my door with a glass shoe in hand. The films taught me there is someone perfect for everyone, and once you find that someone, all your problems simply vanish.

Even though finding them may require eating a poisoned apple (sometimes), but it would all be worth it in the end once you get your happily ever after.

Disney has made itself a nifty 200 billion dollars by selling unreasonable fantasies of true love and 'the one' to gullible children.

Fairy Tales, which later in life transition to romantic comedies, make us believe that true love is over-the-top romance and utter devotion.

The kind of love which is greater than any sacrifice or conflict. In fact, true love seems to have a checklist: it's endless happiness, it's with the perfect person, it's unwavering, it's unconditional, and it lasts.

Sadly, all this could not be further from the truth. Love is not even an emotion.

Scientifically,

it

is

a

mechanism

that

encourages

reproduction by supporting its emotional aspect. The emotional connection ensures that offsprings have a family, home, food and increases their chance of survival. Oxytocin and dopamine, the key hormones in this chemical reaction of love, promote feelings of closeness and commitment. Hence, we feel the need to express it through grand romantic gestures. We compromise and knowingly or unknowingly sacrifice ourselves to be ideal for our partner, just to keep them around. We almost forcefully forge faith and loyalty in our relationships, clinging almost desperately. We took pride in these things, but slowly we are realizing the contradiction that lies in our way of loving.

TOK BUZZ | Article - True Love Doesn't Exist

15

As a society, with more exposure and access to the world at our fingertips, there is a pragmatic shift in our approach to relationships.

We recognize that perfect love does not exist because we are not perfect beings. When two flawed individuals with different beliefs, histories, and fears come together, there will inevitably be complications and arguments. Sometimes, the differences are reconcilable, and sometimes they're not. It has become easier to seek someone new at any stage of life through social media and dating apps. So when we find something irreconcilable, we repeat the whole process with someone new instead of staying in an unfulfilling relationship. That is only until you reach another dead end.

We change and grow all our lives, so even if by chance you stumble upon someone 'perfect,' they will not stay that way forever. Even constitutions such as marriage have become temporary under this pretence. Divorce rates have shot up in recent years, especially during the pandemic, as couples spend more time together and face more adversities that highlight the flaws in their relationship and inch them closer to their end. If one is in a 'happy relationship,' they have either not reached a dead end yet or are living unhappily because that's what one does - make it work.

Life is too short to endure unhappiness in the hope that making it work will someday lead to your happily ever after. It might, but it might not and wasting the present on a gamble is certainly an unwise decision. We are so in love with the idea of true love that we hurt ourselves to preserve it. The truth is that the fairy tale kind of true love I dreamt of as a kid simply does not exist. Relationships come with an expiration date and their ups and downs. A partner will not solve all your problems, read your mind, or wake you up from a deathly spell that your evil stepmother put on you, but they can certainly make you happier. Partners should be just that – partners in the literal sense of the word. Someone you can share your accomplishments and failures with, someone who sees you for who you are and still chooses to be with you every day. It may not be forever but its worth enjoying while it lasts. We may never find 'the one' but having 'someone' can be pretty magical too.

TOK BUZZ | Article - True Love Doesn't Exist

16

SCHOOL DIRECTOR

An Interview with Ms. Sonya Ghandy Mehta

WHAT KIND OF SEX ED DO YOU THINK IS REQUIRED IN DP?

See, where sex education is concerned, definitely it has to be age-appropriate. It varies from age group to age group. So what topics are spoken about in senior school would be a little different, or it would be about the kind of contact, context and how deep you go into a topic.

But when we talk about what are the important points that we need to talk about in sex education? One of the most imp-ortant things that one would need to talk extensively about is the whole issue of consent and what it means. Another topic that I think one needs to talk about that is crucial and pertinent for this age is body shaming. The more conf-idence one has in themselves, and how comfortable you are in your own body. Nobody can be a size zero, and neither should you be. And I don't think that it's also appropriate for students to focus so much on the physical appearance of their friends and classmates because then that makes it very superficial.

TOK BUZZ | Interview

17

An Interview with Ms. Sonya Ghandy Mehta

what, according to you, are the risks of teenage relationships?

Yeah, this is an excellent question, and it's something that needs a lot of discussions. While I can accept that there is a lot of curiosity, most teenagers feel that is the thing to do. They think that if they are not in a relationship and haven't experimented with physical relationships, there's something wrong with them. Adolescents or teenagers look wholly grownup, but their brain development is not complete. And therefore, a lot of teenagers believe that they know everything about what they're doing.

Nothing is going to happen to them. It may happen to somebody else, but invariably things can go wrong. And then how they react to it always becomes difficult because they don't have the maturity to understand the various implications. I've said to you all last semester; you have your whole life to do all this sexual experimentation and move from one relationship to another. Enjoy the childhood that you will think back on and miss at this point.

Do you think it is important for teenagers to explore their sexual orientation?

I think it's more important to explore yourself as a person, as a being, because your sexual orientation is where it's part and parcel of that. And I'm not saying that one mustn't even go down that road right now because that would be an essential aspect of yourself to explore and dig deep and find out exactly where your orientation lies.

It should not define you as a person. Many things should define individuals, but sexual orientation should not be the defining point.

TOK BUZZ | Interview

18

An Interview with

PRINCIPAL

Ms. Manjula Shenoi

WHAT KIND OF SEX ED DO YOU THINK IS REQUIRED IN DP? Sex education in terms of its depth and intensity increases as you move grade wise up.

Sex education is a comprehensive set of knowledge and process of learning, both learning the spectrum ranging from emotional to physical and social aspects of sexuality. What I meant when I said it's a broad spectrum, what each of these has to be dealt with and how much of it has to be dealt with and to what depth one has to deal with it will depend on how the students grow. It should include information about who you are. So in terms of the identity aspect of it too, as you start growing, the body and then the understanding of the body and how it would change as one grows. Aspects of puberty,

menstruation,

and

growing

even

further

aspects

about

safe

sex

contraceptives, prevention of sexual violence, sexual orientation, gender identity, and body image.

I would say from the primary years into the lower middle school to the upper-middle school, to high school, to senior high school, sexual education really never stops, it just increases in in terms of its intensity. Sometimes it's even required to a certain level at college or university.

So this entire gamut Is what, in my opinion, is sex education, irrespective of whether it's only DP or whether it's MYP. So I'm not going to align the program to sex education. Still, I feel it's highly significant and of great importance for one's well-being and the health of everyone around you because if you understand and know all these aspects, you know what's good for you. Automatically, you will know what's good for others because it gives a better under-standing and makes you realize the importance of protecting your rights and the rights of others. As you live through life or as you journey through life.

TOK BUZZ | Interview

19

An Interview with Ms. Manjula Shenoi

do you believe that love has an age and gender restriction?

So for me again, over here, it is love. In most cases, when you talk, it automatically leans towards attraction or the sexual aspect of love, but I think love is part and parcel of one's life's journey, right from birth to death.

And so, the answer directly would be absolute. It does not have any age. Neither does it have any gender restriction. I would say love is the basic foundation for any relationship that one will have through life's journey, and so one needs to look at which lens of love are you talking about.

Even if you're looking at it from various lenses, I don't think there is an age or a gender restriction for it. It is what one decides on how one wants to take it forward. So there is the platonic love between a mother and child or siblings or a teacher-pupil love and care. See, the aspects of compassion and care are the platonic aspects of it where we are looking at it in terms of more the relationships that I talked about. Take just friendship as an example. You love your friends, and you would do anything for your friend. That's also loving. And then you have the love that goes to make relationships depending on your orientation, which then could culminate into marriage and children or may not culminate in marriage and children. So whichever way it is, I don't think one could assign in the muck in terms of age or gender.

how has the portrayal of love in literature changed from the Shakespeare era to today?

Do you think it has changed? Frankly, I don't think the portrayal of love has changed. Has it become more open in the way, in terms of what one sees and how it is said? Maybe yes, there is a change, but love has remained loved. The idea has remained the same.

Anything in life, for that matter, is contextual. It's time that helps something or anything in life to evolve. So if you're looking at love, has it evolved? Yes. Has it changed? No. No, that would be my answer.

TOK BUZZ | Interview

20

QUESTION 01.

WHAT KIND OF SEX ED DO YOU THINK IS REQUIRED IN DP? ILA MA'AM Economics Teacher/DP2 Coordinator

MONA MA'AM BM Teacher/DP1 Coordinator

Sex education is vital to be given during school days; however, looking at the age group, I don't feel there is any lack of

I think it's time that we become

information on this topic. Thanks to the

more open-minded and discuss

internet and social media, this

issues like sex education, rather

generation has got quite a good

than treating it as a taboo.

exposure compared to any of the

Education in all forms does help

previous generations.

in holistic development of any student. In DP, students are

Instead of sex education, we need to

mature and understand their

educate our students about respecting

responsibility as a learner.

each other or spaces in relationships, valuing and

I think concepts like self-defence and sex

understanding consent as these are extremely

education should

important for any

surely be a part of

healthy relationship.

the DP education in some way or the other.

SAURAV SIR

English Teacher/Dean of Residences

More than sex education, I think a respect for the opposite gender and empathy with all kinds of people of various sexuality should be imbibed.

TOK BUZZ | Interview

21

QUESTION 02.

DO YOU THINK SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENTS SHOULD CELEBRATE VALENTINE'S DAY IN SCHOOL? ila ma'am Economics Teacher/ DP2 Coordinator Be it valentine's day or any other festival, the actual meaning behind such days is to spread happiness and harmony amongst all. In fact, before thinking about others, we must think of our happiness. If we are happy ourselves, then we can spread happiness. In that way, every day can be a valentine's day, and there is no need to wait for a particular day. When you talk about celebrating it in school, I don't encourage it. Not every student can celebrate it maturely, and it might be upsetting for students who cannot celebrate it.

I remember a few years back, valentine's day was celebrated in Takshila as a fundraiser for CAS. I saw students who couldn't get any gifts and were upset. I think festivals should bring happiness and not bitterness which can be the case if valentine's day is celebrated in school.

mona ma'am BM Teacher/DP1 Coordinator You know, I'll speak what I feel. I think Valentine’s

Day

is

all

about

lovers

expressing their affection with greetings and gifts. We should continue to value the customs and traditions in my opinion.

However, we should celebrate Valentine's day as a day where you express your love to all those who deserve to know your love. It can include your friends, your family, parents, and everyone. So Valentine's day should not be looked at with a very narrow focus, but it should be viewed as a day that has more meaning, which is more broad, while being celebrated.

TOK BUZZ | Interview

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QUESTION 03.

ARE SEX OFFENDERS WORTHY OF LOVE? NAZNEEN MA'AM Psychology Teacher Of course!

They have done something wrong. There is no denial of that, but there are multiple things one must see, how and why the person may have done such action. Of course, punishment and consequence are necessary, but we can't disown the idea of love from them: as a human, everybody in this world requires love to an extent.

NIHAL SIR

Psychology Teacher/School Psychologist

I wouldn't say it in a certain yes or no, but it depends on their personality, background, social background, and involvement. I don't think I would say yes. So no, of course not. The sexual offence is something that I believe is intolerable. It is pathetic. More than the offender, as a psychologist, my first concern would be towards the child/person who has been suffering through that. Therefore I don't think sex offenders can be loved.

BUT THE REASON WHY SEX OFFENDERS DO WHAT THEY DO IS SOMETIMES BASED OFF STRONG HATE TOWARDS A PERSON OR A GENDER…

NAZNEEN MA'AM

Psychology Teacher

I'm afraid I have to disagree with that. It's not a decision, but rather a wrong choice. We all make good and bad choices, and they have extreme choices in their life. I think one's past and current situation determine choices; therefore, we can't judge people even though they have made bad decisions. Ultimately, I disagree with the idea of not deserving love.

TOK BUZZ | Interview

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QUESTION 03.

ARE SEX OFFENDERS WORTHY OF LOVE? HOW DOES IT DEPEND ON SOCIAL BACKGROUND?

NIHAL SIR

Psychology Teacher/School Psychologist

In some cultures, child marriage is still allowed, which is technically illegal, but there are still many cases from many places where child marriage has happened below 18 years of age, especially with girls. I would consider it as crossing the line and knowingly doing the wrong thing.

IF A SEXUAL OFFENDER IS NOT STOPPED OR GIVEN A PUNISHMENT, WOULD THEY BECOME A SERIAL SEXUAL OFFENDER?

NIHAL SIR

Psychology Teacher/School Psychologist

Yes, of course. Unless or until they are caught red-handed or reported, they would continue. I heard of this happening in another school in a village school a long time ago. I don't know the details, but what happened was related to a support staff member, and this case became such a big issue that a whole area was closed down.

TOK BUZZ | Interview

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QUESTION 04.

TO WHAT EXTENT HAS THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY TRANSFORMED POLITICS? ashwani sir

Global Politics Teacher

While the LGBTQ+ community has transformed politics all over the world, I’ll focus more on India. We changed our laws in India regarding the community only after 1993 or ’94. Before that, our laws were mainly based on that of UK's (due to the colonisation), which was mostly derived from Christianity.

According to Christianity, having same-sex marriage

is a sin.

Due to this the Indian constitution also said it was a

sin.

However, after India made these new changes to the constitution, they can have a relationship, but they still are not allowed to get married.

The credits for these changes in the constitution lie solely with the protestors. If it weren’t for mass protests across the world for LGBTQ+ rights, India wouldn’t have had them today. And protests have always played an important role in the political decisions made by a country or a state.

TOK BUZZ | Interview

25

QUESTION 05.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT? VAIDEHI MA'AM English Teacher I do believe in love at first sight. Certain things only click with certain people.

The click that two people have, or as the cliché goes, is the cupid with its arrow. It's when your heart tells you that 'that's the person.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THAT AND FRIENDSHIP?

VAIDEHI MA'AM English Teacher Even if it is the person you click with, it usually starts with a friendship. If you fall in love, you should still take time to be friends before going into a relationship.

QUESTION 06.

TELL US ABOUT ONE OF YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH LOVE DURING YOUR SCHOOL DAYS. Spanish Teacher

kartar sir

I have always been in love; I have always been in love with my subject!

But of course, during the age of adolescence attraction is common, but I was mainly focused on sports and my academics. With that said, love is a really beautiful thing and it’s a wonderful experience. It would be best always to allow it to positively and helpfully impact you.

TOK BUZZ | Interview

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QUESTION 05.

WAS THERE AN OCCASION WHICH MADE YOU START LOVING A SUBJECT/PERSON? kartar SIR Spanish Teacher Life is not only confined to materialistic things or people. It can happen with anything, for example, falling in love with mathematics. I got low grades, but I started putting in effort and passion, and I got 92/100 in math. I think one's interest in a subject can also drastically be impacted/determined by the relationship between the teacher and student. If that is positive, it may help to create love for that subject.

QUESTION 08.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP? SRIRAM SIR Physics Teacher First of all, there have to be some common qualities for a healthy relationship. If there aren't any commonalities, it shall be chaotic. Of course, as I speak of commonalities, there shall be differences. So, to a possible extent, you should accept those differences or "agree to disagree", if I may put it that way. So until and unless you get to know the person, you cannot know whether your wavelength matches. You might have a particular attitude towards life, so unless you feel this person has the same attitude towards life and many other things, you can't get into a relationship with that person. Love at first sight, I believe, is just infatuation.

TOK BUZZ | Interview

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QUESTION 09.

SINCE THE BOARDERS HAVE THE SAME SCHEDULES, DO YOU THINK THEY HAVE A BETTER CONNECTION BETWEEN EACH OTHER THAN THEY MAY HAVE WITH DAY BOARDERS?

SaURAV SIR

English Teacher/Dean of Residences

Well, I certainly feel that, yes, the opportunity to create more meaningful bonds is so much more when you're spending the day together because the school part is so structured that everyone is pretty much busy. I think that valuable relationships are created when you have free time. And when you start speaking about things beyond your work, your curriculum or something like that, it's more of an opportunity. So I can tell you that in our generation, even today, the kind of bonds that I have with my boarding school friends is impressive. My day boarding school friends find it very strange how am I so close to my school friends even at this age.

QUESTION 10.

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT HIGH SCHOOL RELATIONSHIPS PLAY AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN DETERMINING COLLEGE CHOICES? NEENA MA'AM Collge Advisor No, I have not come across even one kid in my 17 years who would jeapordise their college decisions, because everybody is so competitive. Nobody's going to give away their life goals, and why should you? There is only one place at the top.

And if you are not competitive and it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter, then you probably are not even responsible to yourself. You owe that much to yourself. You can still do it. You don't really have to be in the same work-space to be friendly. In reality, you need to maintain a healthy relationship in your own space.

TOK BUZZ | Interview

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QUESTION 11.

HOW ACCURATE DO YOU THINK THE ALGORITHMS ON ONLINE DATING APPS ARE? aMIT SIR Mathematics Teacher Gone are the days when matchmaking was a tedious task. With artificial intelligence, matchmaking apps are doing this job with a click. According to its database, you enter your interests or likings, and these apps find suitable matches for you. The previous history of searches and likings are also considered while searching the new matches for a person.

In my opinion, these online matchmaking apps, which work on a set of mathematical algorithms, can only decode certain personality traits and find a similar and compatible match but cannot make sure that the information entered by a person is authentic and accurate. So these algorithms can work and serve the purpose to a certain extent only. It is also important that two people meet each other, observe and spend time together for a fruitful and healthy relationship.

QUESTION 12.

TO WHAT EXTENT IS LOVE DETERMINED BY BIOCHEMICAL PHENOMENA? JAYDIP SIR

Chemistry Teacher

Love is the most complex word found in the English dictionary, which is a culmination of multiple emotional and biological processes, and feelings. It will be an oversimplification of an otherwise complex concept if we describe Love as a physical phenomenon.

TOK BUZZ | Interview

29

Many people will have their reservations while defining Love, but it is a complex emotional and biological expression that depends on multiple things related to body and mind. The English word "love" is quite tricky, and it means a broad set of emotions, which is why I love cooking while others love socializing and making friends. In the previous example, I prefer to spend time happily by choosing an activity close to my heart. Why I love cooking has a biological explanation. Still, somewhere in my emotional existence, the wiring in my brain connects cooking with happiness, and that developed over a period, which in all probability is a statistical function, where I connected making others happy and my happiness through a process called cooking.

It is wholly dependent on my conditioning process, and that's why I love solving math problems, but some may find Keats, Shelley and Wordsworth's poems more loving than otherwise dull numerical manipulations. So, in the process of defining Love, if someone thinks I love math because people around me, in my developmental ages, were all mathematicians or did some numerical manipulation and analysis, then I should tell them, no one in my family is a mathematician, including my parents. They are instead people of literature. Does that mean the people who introduced me to the intricate world of numbers were magicians with excellent skills in numerical manipulations? Then probably all my childhood friends should have math preference like me (which is untrue). So, what makes me love math or someone who loves painting is quite complex. And that's why some Love dandelions, simple grass flowers, but some love roses or lotus, which have the more 'socalled' aesthetic appeal and olfactory stimulants.

Does that mean Love has nothing to do with the body and bodily biological phenomena?

Animal love is more of an instinct, but humans better transform animals. While biological phenomena, like hormones, help attract Love, the emotional attachment and psychological process keep Love sustained. Love is more trust and faith than physical attraction and phenomenon. And that's why we all love our mother's cooked food, not because our mothers are the best cook in the world, but because we trust that our mother (and later wife, daughters/sons and others) cooked food is best for us under any conditions, and we trust that wholeheartedly. Sometimes love is such a complex biological and psychological concoction than what it starts with, and where it ends are pretty uncertain and how opposites attract. I love watching "Kung-fu Panda" and "The Shawshank Redemption" repeatedly when they are not like the so-called love movies, but it touches our psyche, which shows that not everything is caused by biological attraction.

To conclude, we must accept that biological phenomena give an extra dimension, determination and courage that we common people do extraordinary things, and that's how Laila-Maznoo, Hir-Ranjha, and Romeo-Juliet stories triumph time and time again.

Biological hormones and our sense of security take us towards what we feel close to our heart, but it's also how we are conditioned in our early years, which makes us see what is loving or not so loving. And that's why a simple grass flower often makes us wonder and fall in Love, though it is aesthetically inferior or has lesser olfactory appeal.

TOK BUZZ | Interview

30

How predictable are you?

BINGO! Actually remembered all the ways and areas of knowledge

Came prepared with resources before class to win a debate

TOK is your favorite subject

Had someone prove your best argument wrong

Loved TOK in year 1, crying in year 2

Been triggered while debating whether the world is “real” or a simulation

Asked your teacher, "you gave us homework?"

Cried after watching the Titanic

Asked your teacher for relationship advice

Randomly brought up a greek philosopher in discussions to sound smart

Had your only point stolen by someone else

Said something controversial and ended up offending someone

Used ‘as abc said, I agree with abc’ when asked my opinion in class

Had / Was a secret admirer

Given a lecture about your own controversial beliefs

INGO

Started a debate out of spite with someone/the teacher

TOK BUZZ | Interactives - Bingo

31

Can you read our minds?

CROSS

Crossword

ACROSS 4. As Francis Bacon once said, “Knowledge is _____” 7. 14th feb is st. _____ day 9. A love that is not sexual in nature.

11. Justified true belief 12. The month of love.

TOK BUZZ | Interactives - Crossword

DOWN 1. baby that shoots love arrows 2. Truth, Interpretation, Power, Justification, Explanation, Objectivity, Perspective, Culture, Values and Responsibility. What’s missing ?

3. whitebird of love 5. deadlines for writing commentaries 6. language of love.

8. red pill, you’re a warrior; blue pill, you’re a coward 10. 3 words, 8 letters

32

SEARCH SEARCH SEARCH SEARCH SEARCH It's time to

Search for love

WORD LIST:

RESPONSIBILITY CERTAINTY POWER CULTURE EXPLANATION TRUTH

TOK BUZZ | Interactives - Word Search

OBJECTIVITY JUSTIFICATION EVIDENCE PERSPECTIVE VALUE INTERPRETATION

33

TOK BUZZ | Interactives - Puzzle

34

spot the 6 differences

put your eyes to a test!

RIDDLES

A boat sinks and every single person drowns. Who survives?

How many months have 28 days?

A Farmer Had 17 Goats. All But Six Died. How Many Survived?

What is the only English word with three sets of double letters?

There's a bowl with seven apples. You remove three. How many do you have?

Before Mount Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain on Earth?

What word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?

A guy walks into a store and steals a $100 bill from the register without the owner’s knowledge. He then buys $70 worth of goods using the $100 bill and the owner gives $30 in change. How much money did the owner lose?

35 TOK BUZZ | Interactives - Riddles

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CONTENT TEAM

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