Role of Media

"Role of Media in our Society"

Media plays a vital role in the making of a society. It is in fact, one of the founding pillar of any society.

In Pakistan, mass media however, is throwing a serene negative impact on people.  Every channel on Television is competing to show the worst news to the public first.

Forgeting the "Media's Social Responsiblity Theory", the organizations, it seems, are busy generating money instead. There are hardly ever a PG sign. 

The children and softhearted people suffer after watching dead bodies, terrorist attacks and bomb blasts on TV. Our youth no more knows their own culture and is confused between Indian and westernized culture.

I remember my childhood when we used to wait for daily cartoons, dramas and watch news at nine. However, we have a lot of channels to watch now - which should be good. But, it is not. There is no balance between entertainment, channels for children and news channels.

 Abroad there is a complete counseling session given to people who suffer termoil and distress. However, there is no such awareness here. Because of continuous terrorism news on TV, our children are scared to go out. They hardly play out any more.  Very few channels have regular shows for the children. Children have no choice but to watch programs, which are inappropriate for their age. 

This is one of the prime reasons that video games are becoming popular day by day. 

A large number of people view channels of our neighboring country rather than watching our own. The channels of our neighboring country always promote their culture through their dramas. While our soaps and dramas are exhibiting more of westernized image, which is hardly 1% of entire population. Our channels only target the urban cities (specially cabel channels).

It is said that media influences and touches people’s heart instantly. It is a great power!   The media has forgotten that the point of making a good society lies on their shoulders. Everyone wants to earn money and that is all! It is all because of lack of proper management of Media industry at large. It is important that they realize what is good to watch and what should be watched! After all, it is media, which plays an important role in the making of a society!

Obituary of Mrs. Deena M. Mistry

This is an Obituary for Mrs. Deena M. Mistry.  I wrote this for my Print Journalism teacher Mr. Jalil two years ago. Since university is over, I thought of publishing it online now.

Obituary of Mrs. Deena M. Mistry

Karachi, February 1^st , 2011:- Pakistan’s eminent educationist, Presidential Pride of Performance recipient and former Principal of Karachi’s second oldest school, BVS Parsi High School, Mrs. Deena M. Mistry, 86, died of brain cancer, on Thursday, January 27, 2011 in a local hospital in Karachi.

The cause of her death was a brain infarction, which afflicted her on Tuesday. A few hours later she slipped into a coma and could not come out of it.

Mrs.Mistry had been suffering from postural hypotension for the last few months and often had spells of dizziness, which once resulted in the breaking of her left arm.

Mrs. Mistry was born on February 29, 1924 in Karachi. She was the grand daughter of Seth Shapurji Soparivala who founded the ‘Bai Virbaijee Soparivala Parsi High School’ in 1859.

Mrs. Mistri was a member of the Zoroastrian Community. She was married to Pestonji, an architect, for 57 years who survives. They had two sons Farhad and Afshad who were present in her funeral which was held on Saturday, 29^th January, 2011.

She graduated with a BA (Honours) from Bombay University in 1945. In 1962, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and obtained her Diploma in Education.

Mrs. Mistry was the principal of Bai Virbaijee Soparivala Parsi High School for over 64 years. Under her tenure B.V.S. Parsi High School was rated as the "The Best Private Boys School for the Millennium" in Sindh , Pakistan.

At the time of her death, Mistri was Chairperson of Westminster School and College, Karachi and a consultant at The Accel School, Karachi.

In 1992, Mistri successfully fought her battle with breast cancer.

She was awarded the "Pride of Performance" by the President of Pakistan - General Pervez Musharraf on 23rd March 2002 for the invaluable contribution she has rendered towards providing quality education in Pakistan.

Known for her strict disciplinarian ways, Mistry will be fondly remembered as ‘Iron Lady’ by her former students.

Her focus was on being punctual to school, involvement of parents by checking the report cards and signing them for weekly tests and monthly report cards.

'Being an excellent teacher herself, she always emphasized on being grammatically correct than speaking wrong English with an accent. There would be occasional caning for students while a tight slap was easy to receive. Such was her fear that even after having graduated, I would dare not pass in front of her room when visiting BVS', says one of her students.

She had a large number of students who were very fond of her. Their long list included Dr Feroz Ismail who was always at her beck and call. She developed warm and cordial relations with the parents of her students as well and never failed to inquire about them every time she met her pupils.

The school was initially a co-education school for Parsi population of Karachi. In 1919, BVS became a boys only school with Mama Parsi School being separated for girls.

With the independence of Pakistan and upon Quaid-e-Azam’s request, BVS began accepting Muslim students, a trait of openness always displayed by the small but industrious Parsi community.

 Mrs. Mistry began teaching at BVS in 1950 and became the principal in 1972. Her time was the golden period for the school, which churned out future leaders in their fields like medicine, engineering, business and politics.

Situated on prime property in the middle of Saddar, Mrs. Mistry turned down many an offer to move the school away to areas like Clifton and Defence.

She also stayed away from overly commercializing BVS, keeping the school morning shift only and retaining only the matriculation system instead of having dual standards of matriculation and Cambridge.

She simply used to respond to demands of parents to the need of Cambridge system by saying “I can’t have class difference within one boundary wall”. I am a proud graduate of BVS staying there from 1986 to 1996.

'One can also imagine the middle-class friendly nature of the school as my monthly fee started from Rs. 150 and ended at Rs. 520 in 1996. Until last year, the school’s fee was around Rs. 1800, which is far less than majority of the 'leading school systems'', told a graduate of BVS.

She had been diagnosed with cancer in 1992 and one could see her will power that she continued to be in school even though her health had deteriorated. She would tell absent students “I get sick from 1.15 pm till 7.45 am the next day, but never between 7.45 am to 1.15 pm.”

The managing committee, principal, staff members and students of the Bai Virbaiji Soparivala Parsi High School have condoled the death of Mrs. Deena Mistri, a long-serving principal of the school who devoted 60 years of her life to the cause of education, PPI reported.

Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan also condoled the death of Ms Mistri.

Word count: 825

Education

There is a big difference between being literate and being educated. Today, our problem is "Education".
I have seen many people being literate, but unfortunately, not at all educated. And its too late to educate them too. They are used to of their habits and disregard anything that they think is not within their belief systems. They can not distinguish between the right and wrong and simply follow their minds. Such people overlook the greater good and focus only on their immediate future and pay no attention to long term needs and necessities. I think therefore, we should focus on our youth and make them not just literate but educated as well. Criticizingly somebody is very easy but when it comes to actually doing something, majority of us steps back !
Society is NOT created by government. BUT by each and every INDIVIDUAL present in it. Society is the combination of all institutions combined, including political, family, recreational and religious institutions. We think for our careers,our families, our bank balance...but forgets the most important thing, our identity, our country, that is Pakistan.

Every single person have to understand this and have to contribute something to the society we live in and make the youth educated and aware. We all have to act in some way or the other so that Pakistan can have some actual progress. Small acts CAN make a difference.
Educating ourselves and the people around us is the solution to make people realize the difference between happiness AND contentment of heart and peace of mind. And indeed, it is the solution of the current crisis that our country is engulfed in.
So how can we educate ourselves? By opening and broadening our thoughts and views to approach, and annalyse things thoroughly. By viewing things from all angles and then setting judgement. And By reading and by listening to others.

Our another problem is that we dont listen. We think that what we have to say is the most important thing and is correct. We neither listen to others nor accepts their point of view,because we are totally absorbed in our own perceptions!
Again, the main point is EDUCATION.
May we get the will to act and make a difference !

"STUDY IN STYLE"

When I first entered KU, I realized that all the females were nearly in same attire-that is Burqa/Abaya. It was a hot day and I was sweating in my Lawn outfit and therefore, I was astonished to see all the females giggling and gossiping in their Black Burqa's and Abaya's. I remember covering my head thinking it's some kind of rule.

Later on, I realized that most of the girls wear Burqa's for these three main reasons. According to them:

1) "We come by bus/points, therefore it is safe."
2) "We don't have to worry about what to wear daily and about fashion."
3) "We don't want to get tan."

The crowd that moves around at university differs from department to department. The students of Audio visual, IBA can easily be recognized with their way of dressing. And you could easily say that as Karachi is a cosmopolitan city, University of Karachi is a small cosmopolitan place in itself.

People from all over the city and some from rest of the country come at the University of Karachi to study. Few foreign students are also seen. This makes the entire university a small multi-ethnic place.

Let's talk about the male student's attire. They look as if they have given us the benefit by wearing clothes. Most of them are in dirty jeans and a shirt, and top of everything, chappals/slippers in their feet! They definitely need a dressing tutor!

What you wear to university definitely shows your personality and others judge you by it. Being a student, it's always wise to give oneself comfort first. But chappals/slippers with jeans? Come on guys, ever heard the word sandals, if not socks or a pair of shoe?

And I'm still unable to understand the girls who can walk all the way from Silver Jublee gate to their departments in their chappals and sometimes even in heels.

And the girls who manage to straighten down their hair and let them open in hottest weather of Karachi, I salute you ladies =P You could do anything for fashion.

So the students I believe are really perplexed about what to wear to university. Being a student myself, I researched some tips on university dressing and thought to share.

For girls:



v AVOID BLACK: Avoid wearing black on a sunny day. If you wear Burqa or abaya, then opt for a lighter shade instead of black. There are pretty colours available in the market. Go for blues, beige, creams, greens, purple and all the light colours.

v AVOID THICK FABRIC: Karachi's weather is hardly ever cold. So, woolen and thick fabrics are a must NO. (Except of course the two months of winter). Go for Lawn, Cotton and light khaddi. As for colours, go for morning shades like orange, white, blue, pink, and other floral colours. When mixing colours, don't go with more than 2 to 3 shades. You don't want to look like a "golagunda", do you?

v WEAR COMFORTABLE WALKING SHOES:

Unless you enjoy being miserable, this is mandatory. Ladies, please don’t walk around campus in high-heeled pumps. This isn’t Sex and the City-- it’s a college campus, and you’re going to be walking constantly. Save the cute heels for the weekend.

v WEAR COMFORTABLE CLOTHES: You may be the type who doesn’t mind a little discomfort in the name of fashion, and that’s fine. But there will be days when cozy clothes are a must, like during finals, so make sure you have them on hand.

v MAKE LOW MAINTENANCE CLOTHES: Time is at a premium in university. You wouldn't want to wash them daily or iron them. Go for shirts like swiss-lawn and cotton shalwar kameez.


v WEAR WEATHER APPROPRIATE CLOTHES: Keep in mind that you’ll be walking around campus all the time, so if it is a cold climate, bring a coat, scarf, sweater etc. Wear whatever you need to keep warm even if it messes up your outfit. Similar goes for rest of the seasons.

v HAIR MUST BE TIED UP IN HOT WEATHER: Go for high pony, or a twisted knot or a braid. You could always use a matching catcher to give yourself the exquisite look. In winters, go for scarfs and let down your hair (But avoid that when wearing woolen clothes as it damages the hair).

v Last but not the least; you are here to study, look like a student (but with a style) !

For Boys:

v WEAR COMFORTABLE CLOTHES: Think T-shirts, cotton shirts, sweats, and cozy jeans.

v AVIOD SYNTHETIC FABRICS: Wear cotton or Khaddi shalwar Kameez and avoid all other synthetic fabric.




v Chappals/slippers with Jeans are a must NO! They don't go with it! Instead wear joggers, sneakers or sandals. And say YES to wearing socks. And please, Flip-flops are a must NO.

v HAIR:Carry your hairstyle decent yet fashionable.

If you wish to grow your hair, do that in November-February.
For Both:

The weather of Karachi is humid and hot. You need to buy a perfume or a deodorant. It’s a MUST! And, try to have a bath daily. It not only makes you feel fresh, but also gives your body relaxation.

Well, these are the things I really wanted to tell the students of University of Karachi. I hope it'll be helpful. =)

"THE MOST MOUTH-WATERING THING"

Note: I wrote this for my university blog.


Around 3 in the morning, I was sitting with my laptop and wondering what to write about. I had written my blog on Prem Gali ( food-street of KU ) earlier but couldn't post it as Sadaf (my class-fellow) had already penned down nearly everything that I had written, in her blog.

I had to find a new topic. And there, I felt a little hungry. I needed something to munch on while writing, and there came the thought. The bite-sized samosa's of KU !

The mere thought of them made my mouth watery. The bite-sized samosa's of KU are available in most of the canteens but are famous from the canteen in front of the main cafeteria. They make them fresh and hot.
The best thing about these samosa's is this that they are very cheap to buy. You get to have 6 of them at only Rs.10 (you get 5, if you add masala, at the same price).

I remember the day when I first met them (my delicious Samosa's). We had four consecutive classes that day and we had hurriedly come to Sociology department, walking all the way from Mass Communication department.

It was around 5:30 PM and the weather was hot. We were all tired, thirsty and hungry. There was a Canteen right next to the Sociology department.

We rushed to the canteen to eat a snack. And there I first saw them. They looked so tiny and I almost laughed looking at them. I also remember thinking whether they are hygienic to eat or not. You see, we were new at the university and didn’t know much.

The first bite of them made me realize how good they taste. And from then on, I often eat the bite-sized samosa's.

Another good thing which I got to know about these samosa's is this that you can also buy them frozen (not fried). You can take them home for a party or simply to have them at tea.

My family and my cousins now often make me bring samosa's home for them. They love it too. If you belong to KU, and you have never tasted these samosa's, you have missed the best thing of this place!

Last Tuesday Set Me Thinking . . .

Note : I wrote this for my university blog.


Last Tuesday, I had a mid-term exam. I came to university with my brother. He stopped the car on the road (as path to department's entrance is blocked). I looked here and there for a way to reach my department's entrance. The path seemed blocked for people as well - you cannot jump over the barrier, can you!

Anyway, I decided to walk through the garden as that seemed the only way towards the gate. I stepped on the grass and started walking. The grass was not mowed in ages it seemed. And after three steps I realized that my socks and shoes were getting wet- apparently the grass was watered that day (read: over watered). I came inside my department sulking!

After my written exam, there were two classes to take place. The teacher of the first class was nowhere to be seen. It was a hot day and the lobby didn’t have any fans. I and my friends decided to go sit on the backside of the department and wait for the teacher to arrive.

There are broken chairs and scrap stocked up in the back side of the department. It has a dessert like view. There are wild plants, thorns and bushes and dry desert sand in sight. You could see nothing except wild for nearly four miles. (It must be pretty scary in the night, I must add.)

We were sitting there when a student came and told us that there's a meeting going on and classes won’t take place that day. I decided to call home for someone to come pick me up. And now we were all waiting for our cars.

It was nearly sun-set by then. And I could see the beautiful sun coming down right in front of me. It was such a pleasant sight. Anum my friend took a picture of the sun. It was mesmerizing moment. We sat and watched the sun drowning down in the wild.

That moment gave me ideas and some queries too. I wondered why there isn’t a proper parking space for cars. Why do we have to park car on the road and why can't people who come to drop students enter the path towards entrance of department. Why isn’t the only garden of mass communication not properly maintained? Why aren’t there trees? And flower bushes?

The mass communication building named Dr. Feroze Ahmed Institute of Mass Communication has recently being built. It could have been properly maintained. When I had entered the department for the first time, I had really liked the architecture. Though, the building didn't give the impression of a building related to Mass Communication studies.

The walls are plain white. The notice boards have notices and marks only (read: just white pages on the notice board). There are no posters. There are no colorful images reflecting the spirit of a media person. And nobody even cares. Students and teachers come and go, without paying attention to the place.

There are only two sofas in the entrance hall and both are broken. Somebody forgot an office table ages ago in the hall, and that’s where the students sit. Others have to either go sit in empty classes or remain standing in their free periods.

There is no cafeteria in the department either. There's only a small tuc shop where you can find hardly anything.

The backside where I sat is like a store place. All the junks are disposed there in the open.

Why isn’t the administration utilizing that wild beautiful place to make it a garden cafeteria and sitting place for students. They should do it - make it a garden! I can imagine how it will then look when the sun will set.

And the administration should make a committee that makes the department looks colorful. (And, please get rid of the newspaper trees that somebody made in a hurry for Earth day months ago from the wall beside tuc shop, it's awful).

Administration should get some proper seats and benches for students and visitors in the entrance hall. And teachers should inform office clerks when they decide not to come. Because when we ask the office staff, they always say that they don't know and we should wait (Of most of our queries and questions, their answer remains same "We don't know").

It'll soon be two years for me in this department. And I think my department is a beautiful place, just not maintained. And I hope to see positive, beautiful changes in the coming next few years.

The World in 2050

When I got up this morning, I found no electricity at home. The water was not coming either. I left for the market as I had some groceries to buy. I stopped at the patrol station and realized that the station was closed. Upon inquiry, I was told that on Tuesdays the stations are shut downed to save patrol and gas. Somehow, I managed to reach the market.

The prices of vegetables and daily food products are reaching the sky, I observed. A poor woman was crying because she didn't have enough money to buy vegetables to feed her children. I gave her some money and returned home.

The weather was a hot and humid and I decided to lie down for a little while. I started thinking of my morning and wondered what would happen in year 2050 if today, things are so difficult.

In 2050, electricity would either be too expensive for the masses; or people would have found a new way to light up their homes and provide energy to devices and machines. Perhaps, people would start using lanterns and candles again. They might again build houses with big gardens and large front yards. We are making electricity from water today, but in future it seems that even water would be scarce. Solar energy is also used to make electricity. May be every machine and device would then be made to work with solar energy. Perhaps we will have to charge our machines in the sunlight first, to use them later in the day.

Fresh water, our basic necessity of life is also a problem today. The poor living in underprivileged localities have very little clean water to drink and use. In future, water would be limited for only the affluent. The poor will either find a way to live without the clean water or they will start utilizing the sea water for daily purposes. It is for sure that water prices are going to be very high.

The cars in 2050 will be made to run and work without patrol or gas and only rich will be able to afford them. The masses will return to using bicycles. People would sit at home to do office work to save money going to offices. Patrol would be a term like 'fossils'.

The prices of vegetables, meat, fruits would be very high. People would instead take energy and food tablets; one in breakfast, one for the lunch and one for the dinner. Only very rich people would be able to buy food, which by then, will all be made artificially. Crops would not grow in farms, as weather would be changed. Instead, it would be made artificially in crop industries. Similarly, clones of animals would be made for eating purposes.

The weather would be hot, beyond human to bear. So, people would stay at homes most of the time. All shopping would be done through smart phones. Children would be taught at homes with artificial intelligence devices. Books would not publish and only e-copies will be there.
That will be a time of advancement BUT, with more problems and issues then in any time in history. I was worrying about my morning and in future, these issues would be longed.

Things like flour and fruits would only be available in museums. That will be a time to worry about. Today, we use things without thinking about the future. Our children and perhaps we too, will see a time when basic necessities of life will not exist, or exist-too hard for people to have.

Therefore, it is very important for us to realize it. We complain about prices hike and load-shedding yet still use things in excess. We should save things. We should save electricity, water and everything for our future, because it will be us and our children who will suffer!

Word Count: 648