Noida:Imagine Creativity, Knowledge, History and Art all coming together to give you something impactful and meaningful!! That is what “Jharokha 2017” brought at Pathways School Noida was all about.
This year, the theme of the event was “OTHERING” – A very meaningful topic to everyone. Somewhere or the other, someone is being viewed as alien and different, and that is just helping people establish a wall in their mind and a block towards inclusion. Without even realizing, people fix their mindsets with borders everywhere, and that is what we intended to break through this event.
In every topic – from English to Environmental Science – we found deep connections with us as individuals, and this world as a society. We were able to find an “other” in every scenario, but our main aim was to find “who is that other”. With this in mind, students created a display of work connected with the theme, including art and music. The journey through time and space took us from Slavery in America to partition in India, all having an “other”, and a “fixed mindset”. It made each one of us question our own mindset.
An opportunity like this not only helps students understand serious issues but also encourages adults to realize and bring a change in themselves and the society, by having an all new perspective towards things. It was really fascinating to see how one thing could be interpreted in so many different ways. Viewers and parents thoroughly enjoyed these interactions and learned so much through a mere 2-minute talk with each other. Some of the grade 9 students also made a movie of freeze frames that showed how “others” are created both consciously and unconsciously. At the end of the day, students, parents and guests realized that differences do exist, but they are there to be celebrated.
All-in-all, it was a very fruitful day that we can add in our ‘Pathways memorable-event list’.