Science for a better world

Winner:

The world has become a ‘global village’ as a result of the great advances made in science and technology. In the ancient world people were afraid of the Moon and they even worshipped it. But today man has defeated this past by landing on the Moon.

Although man’s curiosity about the world around him has resulted in great development, his thirst for knowledge is never satisfied.

Today people enjoy many benefits of modern technology such as the television, radio, fax, internet and e-mail. They all bring the world together as one family. The computer is the most efficient machine in the world and it is used in almost every field now.

With the development of medical science man has been able not only to prevent many diseases but also cure the many illnesses that plague man.

Science has many good uses but there is a bad side to it too. Its development has also resulted in environmental pollution. It is a great threat to the world. Today the ozone layer which protects the Earth from the UV rays of the Sun is being rapidly destroyed due to pollution. Even science cannot stop this. Development of technology has also led to the invention of nuclear weapons. In the future, some developed countries may even wage war using nuclear weapons to show their strength. It would be dangerous for all. It is therefore important to ensure that science is used only for a good purpose; to improve the living standards of the people and not to pose a danger for the future generations.

H. M. Aruna Prashad,
Grade 8,
Gunapala Malalasekara Model School.

Courage, a key to success

Winner:

Most of us will have to surmount many obstacles as we go through life until we get close to our final journey, death.

We know that life is not a bed of roses and that there would be some thorns too pricking us.

However, we can defeat them in just one flick if we have courage.You can define courage as a very powerful word. Try to imagine for a moment that you are in great peril.

At such a time the most important factor is to have the courage to convince yourself that you can surmount it. This would have a good impact on your noble qualities.

As schoolchildren especially we must have the courage and self esteem to face examinations without being afraid of them and backing out.

The letters c, o, u, r, a, g, e make up a word whose meaning cannot be described in words.

Courage is visible in various instances such as when young of birds try to fly for the first time in their lives.

The author of ‘Harry Potter’ has also described Harry as a very courageous boy.Remember, the people who are rich and famous today may have begun their lives by having courage. Here is a wonderful saying that aptly describes courage.“Courage is not defined by those who fought and did not fall, but by those who fought, fell and rose again!” - Anonymous

Dilmi Abeytunga,
Grade 7,
Bishop's College.

What are dreams?

Winner:

Dreams are a series of experiences which pass through the mind when one is in deep sleep. They are in the form of images. Dreams may be in black and white or in colour. Even small children dream when they are asleep. A person who is blind from birth is also able to dream about things he knows by touch and sounds.

Dreams generally occur during the stage of deep sleep . They may last 10 to 40 minutes.

Many experiments have proved that dreaming is essential for mental and physical well-being. Dreams happen due to a psychological and physiological need. Some people say that dreams are messages from God about impending problems and disasters.

There are some people who day - dream. But day - dreaming is not a good habit. You may be familiar with the story about the girl who dreamt so much of becoming rich in the future by selling the pot of milk she was carrying on her head and eventually broke it by going to dream as to how she would walk once she’s rich.

There are some instances where dreams do come true. The dream of Princess Mahamaya, Saint Nandanar’s dream and Calpurnia’s dream are some of the examples.

Tishani Thathsarani Ekanayake,
Grade 9E,
Pushpadana Girls College, Kandy.

Are school uniforms necessary?

Winner:

As a student I believe that wearing a uniform to school is necessary due to many reasons. A uniform is a specially designed mode of dress provided by the Government for schoolchildren or by the authorities of private school.

Children clad in uniforms which are especially white, are a common sight in the morning on week days. It is a pleasing sight to most of us. In the morning, they are dressed in clean, white uniforms and are very neat in appearance. However, in the afternoons, students returning from schools are not so neat and nice.Some psychologists say that we can analyse the behaviour of a student by the neatness of his or her uniform. In the afternoons we could clearly see the state of many of the uniforms. It is essential to keep our school uniforms neat and clean by washing them regularly and ironing them daily,if possible.

Many children do not take good care of their uniforms as they get them free of charge from the Government.Does anyone think about Dr. C.W.W. Kannangara when they don their school uniforms every morning? Some of you may not even know what a lot he has done for the development of education. If we think about him, we will not be able to dirty our uniforms and not pay attention to keeping them clean and neat.

It was he who introduced the free uniform system too just like free education. He always considered the rich and the poor as the same and believed that the uniform is a good way to prevent this from being obvious in schools. When they all dress the same way they can be considered equal. This leads to unity and harmony among small children.

Many children may really prefer to wear coloured clothes than uniforms. But, it is better if children wear uniforms because then it is easy to identify to which schools they belong to.According to scientific research, wearing white coloured uniforms is good for the health because reflects the sunlight and protects the body from the heat of the Sun. So, it is evident that there are many advantages in wearing uniform to school.So, whether we are rich or poor we should use the uniforms given to us with care and dress to school in a neat manner.

R. Thuvaragan,
Hindu College,
Bambalapitiya.

Use pocket money wisely

Winner:

Most of us are given pocket money by our parents and elders to spend on whatever we want. However, getting money without having to undergo any hardship doesn't mean that we should spend it lavishly and waste it on unnecessary things such as snacks and comics. Instead we should plan on how best to spend such money. One can spend pocket money on things that he or she really wants instead of spending it on useless things, just to show off to friends or others.

We should cultivate the habit of saving at least a portion of the pocket money we get for future use. We can either put it in our tills ,(piggy banks )or in banks where it would be kept in safe custody. We can save it or use it to buy something practical. We can even spend it on charity, as most of us do.

“Put by something for a rainy day” is a popular saying. So, if we save pocket money, it could even be used in case of an emergency, when one is short of money.

However, its important to keep in mind that not all children get pocket money since many parents find it difficult to do so due to financial problems. Hence, such children are deprived of the joy of having pocket money to spend. Sometimes these children may not be even eating three meals a day.

By saving our pocket money we can even help such children to lead a happy and healthy lifestyle. So, let us use our pocket money wisely and not waste it on unnecessary things.

Shahani Razzak,
Grade 9L
Ilma International Girls School.

Olympics, a platform to foster peace

The Olympic Games is one of the biggest sporting events in the world. It is held to display the great talents and skills of sportsmen all over the world. Players from all nationalities get together and compete against, speed, strength and power.

It also helps unite all players of different countries. Sri Lanka generally has a squad which comprises talented players, though it is small. Susanthika Jayasinghe was one such sportstar who won a silver medal at the Sydney Olympics and became the second fastest woman in the world. Olympic Games is not only an arena meant for sports but also one that promotes peace and harmony among all players as they get-together and are able to make new friends, learn about new customs and cultures and understand the value of sports. So, let’s make the London Olympic Games not a mere opportunity to select winners and losers but an opportunity to promote peace which is essential in today’s world.

The Olympic countdown for this year’s Games has begun. The 2012 Games will be held in London from July 27 to August 12.

Shahani Razzak,
Grade 9L,
Ilma International Girls’ School, Rajagiriya.