Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
1
Another category was the Panel Discussion category in which Agha Fahad Abbas partici-pated and effectively analyzed the problems that South Asia faces. Kashaf Ali was the participant for the Seeds of Change competi-tion where she presented an innovative idea to tackle the air quality issue in South Asia. From the LUMS Economics Department, Sir Turab Hussain, Sir Ali Hasanain, Sir Adeel Tariq and Sir Sanval Nasim and from LSE, Ma'am Sadia Hussain and Ma'am Mariyam Haroon represented the Pakistan Team as judges. The country coordinator, Sir Ali Hasanain, conducted a very interesting panel discussion titled "South Asia in three decades" which was a discussion based on the World Bank Project, "Pakistan@100", that Sir Ali is cur-rently working on. He was one of the judges for the Seeds of Change Competition at SAESM 2019. Sir Turab Hussain, who is one of the founding members of the SAESM ven-ture, and the Head of the Economics Depart-ment judged the Panel Discussion competi-tion. Moreover Sir Adeel Tariq, Ma'am Sadia Hussain, Ma'am Maryiam Haroon and Sir Sanval Nasim conducted the Quiz Competi-tion with great rigor.
THE PLUMS DISPATCH
CAMPUS: The first day of classes on the 21st of January saw the arrival of Ajoka Theatre at SDSB to conduct a play com-memorating the “International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women” and “Human Rights Day”. “Barri” was a heart wrenching tale following the lives of four women who had been incarcerated for various reasons. The story begins in a narration by Zahida who had recently been imprisoned. A rights activist, she had felt that she was well aware of the plight of women. How-ever, her conversations with her other inmates show how removed she had been from the common woman. This realization begins with her meet-ing with an aged lady, Jannat, who was serving time in the stead of her fugitive son. It continues with Mariam, a darvesh, who was imprisoned for dancing at a shrine when some men termed her immor-al. Her situation was made more complex for she had been raped by the prison staff and had fought to avoid an abor-tion. Zahida’s, and the audience’s, realiza-tion continues with the eccentric Jameela who had killed her aged husband. It is later revealed, however, that Jameela had been married of as a child, denied the right of divorce, and been the subject of domestic violence. All of this led her to do what she did.
Ajoka Theatre Arrives At SDSB
By: Saad Hanif Class of 2019
COLOMBO: SAESM 2019 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, which took place from the 21st of January to the 23rd of January, was truly a remarkable experience for Team Pakistan.
The team comprised of 10 brilliant stu-dents: 9 from LUMS and 1 (Hiba Hassan) from Lahore School of Economics (LSE). Amongst them, Saad Hanif had the privi-lege of representing the Pakistan Team as the group leader. 6 instructors which in-cludes 4 from LUMS and 2 from LSE represented Pakistan as judges for the event. At SAESM, the 10 members of the team were to be allocated to various categories of the competitions. Moreover, each par-ticipant was required to present a research paper from one of the themes provided and the best paper from each category was to be chosen. Hiba Hassan, Sahil Nisar and Sanha Tahir won the best paper awards in their respective themes and made Pakistan proud! The rest of the team also put a wonderful fight, especially the Quiz team which lost to India in the final round after a nail bit-ing contest. The quiz team comprised of Hiba Hassan, Jazib Parvez, Sajid Faiz Ma-lik and Sanha Tahir. In the highly competitive and renowned Budding Economist competition, Baneen Abbas, Saad Hanif, Sahil Nisar and Wajeeha Zia Tung had the privilege to represent Pakistan. Sahil Nisar was able to reach the final round of the competition and made the team proud.
LUMS Delegation at SAESM 2019
2nd EDITION FEBRUARY, SPRING 2019
LUMS News in a Glimpse
LUMS Makes History at the World Universities’ Debating Championships 2019 LUMS represented Pakistan and made history at the World Universities’ Debat-ing Championships (WUDC), which is the biggest debating competition in the world, including about 400 teams. Earlier this month, Taha Iqbal and Talha Wani, two undergraduate students who are also a part of the Debating and Recitation Socie-ty at LUMS (DRUMS), made 12th place in the English as a Second Language Cat-egory (ESL). They received a total of 14 points- the highest achieved by any debat-ing team in Pakistan. This makes them the 16th and 19th ‘Best Speakers of the World’ respectively, for ESL. Faysal Bank Supports NOP Faysal Bank Limited is the latest addition in the list of prestigious organizations that support the National Outreach Program (NOP) at LUMS. This program allows talented and high achieving students from all over Pakistan to attain a world-class education at the University, covering the cost of their tuition, hostel expenses and living and book allowances. Faysal Bank’s top leadership, including the Pres-
ident Mr. Yousaf Hussain, met with the LUMS team, consisting of Mr. Shahid Hussain, Member Management Commit-tee and Board of Trustees, among others. The guests from Faysal Bank were given a detailed overview of recent achieve-ments and future plans of the University, and presented a donation cheque in sup-port of the NOP.
Time: 7:00 pm
Venue: B3 basement, SDSB
EDITORIAL: Pages 3
A Right Denied
IN PROFILE: Page 4
Syed Maaz Captain Football Team
IN THIS ISSUE SPORTS: Page 7
1. In Focus: SLUMS
EC
2. LSF, Chinasi Trip
POETRY SECTION: Page 5
CURRENT AFFAIRS: Page3
Moving towards Af-
ghan Peace
LETTERS TO THE
EDITORS: Page 5
33rd Lahore International Book Fair
Lahore has always been a center of lit-erary, educational and cultural activity in Pakistan. It has fired the imagination of writers, artists and thinkers over the ages. The city is regarded as Pakistan’s cultural capital. With a focus on ‘Literature’ as encompassing a variety of genres—from fiction writing to history, politics, art, ar-chitecture, and culture— Lahore Interna-tional Book Fair Trust has done considera-ble efforts to reclaim and employ Lahore’s rich and varied literary tradition.
The 33rd Lahore International Book Fair started on Thursday, February 1 and con-cluded on Monday, February 5 at the La-hore Expo Centre.
It brought together local and inter-national academic and research insti-tutes, think tanks, and publishers un-der one roof attracting book lovers of all ages. The Lahore International Book Fair Trust has organized this event in collaboration with Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Associa-tion. As many as 262 stalls were set up for this year’s fair, including publish-ers belonging to the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and India. Around 30 foreign publishers had also set up stalls at the event. (cont. on page 2)
Despite first being written in 1986, Barri seems to be a timeless performance. It is also to the actresses’ credit that the audi-ence was always drawn into the story and was able to take home a powerful message: there is diversity in the experience of wom-anhood and there exists a need to dispel institutional forces geared against them.
By: Adil Ashraf Mayo Class of 2021
Khokha Natak - A Revival of Art
Life at LUMS experienc-es a standstill each time Waqas Manzoor and his team set their stage at the most crowded of places on campus. Waqas, currently enrolled in the MPhil Edu-cation Leadership and Man-agement programme at the School of Education ob-served that the LUMS com-munity had little interest in
On 24th November, sports teams from all around the country.
The news of Khokha Natak’s success reached LUMS’ very own Dr. Bi-lal Tanweer who in re-sponse encouraged Waqas to continue his work and ensured support from the Gurmani Centre for Lan-guages and Literature. (cont. on page 2)
Urdu literature and any un-conventional form of theatre. He achieved this goal by paying tribute to the greats of Urdu literature by a series of spontaneous theatrical per-formances called “Khokha Natak”. Their first skit was welcomed by an overwhelm-ing amount of audience some of which ended up joining the team later on.
By: Ahmad Kamran
By: Muhammad Zain Class of 2021
PRODUCED BY: ABBAS SIAL, ZAINAB SHUJA & ADIL ASHRAF
By: Iman Agha Class of 2021
ENTERTAINMENT: Page 5
Pakistani Cinema Revival
ART SECTION: Page 6
Horoscope, Sudoku & crossword
2
LSF
LSF promised the much needed break for dele-gates who had been overly involved with their academic life. Now was the opportunity to show-case their sporting ability. LSF was an all-encompassing sports gala with eager participation in almost all registered events. In the end, owner of Lahore Qalandar, Mr Fawad Rana delighted the delegates with his presence at the closing ceremo-ny.
Psi Fi
It was now time to dwell in the world of science and technology. Psi Fi provided the delegates a platform to exhibit their innate talent and prove their mastered skills to the judges. With over 13 events, Psi Fi had something for everybody. If youweren’t a Math Geek, then Tour De Mind was your way out. If you happen to be a big Sherlock fan, then you had Science Crime Busters that put you in somewhat similar Sherlock situation. Robo Wars, in particular, became the center of attention leaving the audience and judges in complete awe.
Haleema Hasan went for her semester exchange at
the FH Joanneum University of Applied Sciences in
Austria in Fall 2017.
Recollecting her time, she writes “Karachi is beauti-
ful in its possession of passion and fury. Graz is beauti-
ful in its possession of peace and acceptance. And my
beautiful Lahore, in both”.
Apart from the exchange being a “remarkable op-
portunity to travel Europe, interact and study with peo-
ple from around the world and gain valuable exposure”,
Haleema believes that it added to her personal growth
and learning in ways that she cannot condense into a
few sentences.
Similar to Fatima Laraib’s advice about the selec-
tion process, Haleema Hasan also told us that the key
was to “be honest about your interest and excitement
and think of how you can represent Pakistan and
LUMS at Austria”.
When in Austria, she made lots of friends and mem-
ories, all of which broadened her horizons of thinking
and living. Haleema dedicates a part of her learning and
growth to the “downs” of the experience as well in
which she felt a cultural gap due to lack of awareness
amongst the people about her “personal and cultural
habits or way of being”. But she wants all students who
take on this journey to know that “it all really depends
on your outlook of the experience” and to not forget
that patience is key.
Seeing semester exchange students light up when
reminiscing their times, one not only feels tempted
to live the experience for oneself but the concept of
growth through experiences outside of the formal
setting of education also reaffirms itself. With stu-
dents such as Fatima Laraib and Haleema Hasan, or
Sarim Jamal and Awais Khalid who are always will-
ing to help the incoming batch of interested students
during the entire procedure, applying for semester
exchange is definitely worth a shot.
THE PLUMS DISPATCH
During your time at LUMS, you get a lot of opportu-
nities to explore and discover yourself. Be it the vast
range of courses, variety of university societies, numer-
ous trips, frequent seminars and talks, or batch nights
and raves, it is true that LUMS allows one to experience
quite a lot. But there is also no doubt that it can get very
overwhelming as well. While everyone has their own
coping mechanism, I think semester exchanges are
good modes of escapism; albeit with their own set of
pros and cons.
Currently, LUMS has formal linkages with universities
in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany,
France, Austria, Japan, China, Sri Lanka and India. Out
of these, Waseda University in Tokyo and the FH Jo-
anneum University of Applied Sciences in Austria are
fully funded as per the OSA, and so are the more popu-
lar ones amongst students.
The selection process is executed by the Office of Stu-
dent Affairs.
All applications are assessed on the basis of a written
statement of purpose and one-on-one discussions with
students shortlisted for interviews by an assigned panel
that usually consists of Prof. Yasser Hashmi, Dr. Sultan
Sial (Faculty, SBASSE), Dr Imran Rashid (Faculty,
MGHSS) and Mazhar Mohsin Chinoy (Director, OSA).
Although every student experiences the exchange in
their own unique way and there is no set checklist of
things that will guarantee an acceptance followed by a
lovely time at the exchange, however, listening to expe-
riences of past students is always a great idea. In an
interview with PLUMS, Fatima Laraib shared that her
Waseda University exchange during Fall 2018 not only
allowed her to “expand the relevance of her political
science degree from theory to practice” but also
“understand from the vintage point of East Asia”.
Contrasting the two educational institutions, Fatima
said that “although the quality of class discussions and
talent of students at LUMS is no less, or perhaps better,
however, Waseda students conduct themselves with
greater educational integrity, discipline and communal
harmony.” She also felt that as result of the exchange,
she is able to “empathize more with the top down ap-
proach and take pride in LUMS as an institution”.
When asked about the application process, she told us
that she went by her mother’s advice which was to
“conduct yourself as a well-informed global citizen
with a lot of pakistaniyat”. From her job at a chat café
where she worked as a translator or mediator while
“conversing with Japanese adults who were learning
English, about culture, religion, and politics” to her
invitation to be “a guest speaker for ‘Ethnic Harmony in
Pakistan’ at a series of Campus Asia”, Fatima felt the
five months fly by with incredible memories.
Lahore Book Fair (cont. from page 1)
The Exchange Semester Experience By: Maryam Kiyani
LUMUN
The most eagerly awaited Model United Nations Conference in the country, LUMUN promised the participants thrilling and intellectual debates sur-rounding the issues of both international and domes-tic significance. The event kicked off as soon as the winter break began, attracting over thousands of del-egates from all over Pakistan. The conference de-manded the delegates to research thoroughly and think critically on the topics for their respective com-mittees. In the end, Lyceum emerged as the best del-egation at LUMUN.
YLES
If you had an innovative business idea in your mind but never really knew how to execute it, then YLES was your chance to present and prove the world. With successful entrepreneurs welcoming the event with their presence, there was more to learn than the sheer desire to win. YLES taught the delegates that success in the market dynamics is not easy as it is normally perceived to be. After all, with patience, resilience and hard work, any new enterprise is bound to succeed.
Khokha Natak (cont. from page 1) Along with appreciating this idea, Dr. Tanweer has also been making an effort by promoting this project on his social media accounts. With immense support by a prominent faculty mem-ber, the Khokha Natak team prepared for their next series of performances that was scheduled for the 31st of January. This act was an adaptation of Patras Bukha-ri’s comic essay “Cinema Ka Ishq” which featured two friends who were fond of the cinema despite the un-pleasant experiences that they had to face. The play was executed brilliantly by the team. The effort put in was evident from their coordination during the skit and the skilled acting by Syed Muhammad Murtaza and Jawad Ghulam who stole the show right at the begin-
ning. A performance rehearsed to perfection with the actors doing justice to their roles might be a rare sight but when it happens, it sure is a delight to watch! While talking to a member of our editorial board, Waqas Manzoor emphasized on the need to revive Ur-du literature at LUMS that is considered one of the top institutions of the country. He is confident that the ef-fort put in by the Gurmani centre and the Khokha Na-tak team will be matched with a much larger response by the LUMS community that can not only understand but also empathize with the plays being performed. The team will now prepare for their next show that will be performed this Valentine’s Day. Waqas and his team-mates are hopeful that their project will be carried on by many talented batches that LUMS is waiting to wel-come.
LUMS DURING WINTERS
Saif Imtiaz Class of 2021
The fair hosted books on a wide range of topics, in-
cluding education, fiction, politics, regional and interna-
tional languages as well as colorful titles for children. The
fair also showcased old books not easily available in the
market. A number of events such as a ‘Mushaira’ as well
as a painting and drawing competition for children were
organised. The attendees enjoyed these events and loved
the ambience. According to the LIBF trust, the number of
visitors has been growing rapidly over the past few years
which is a sign of the event’s success and people’s grow-
ing interest in book reading.
Provincial Minister for Higher Education Syed Raza
Ali Gillani inaugurated the book fair and visited different
stalls. He appreciated the holding of book fair every year
and said that such events play an important role in promot-
ing the habit of books-reading in the public.
Many publishers offered discounts on a variety of
books which attracted people from all walks of life. Espe-
cially, books for kids were very inexpensive due to which
school administrators were able to get good collections for
their schools’ libraries. Apart from this, books on science
and medicine, which are normally more expensive were
available at affordable rates.
Events like these play a key role in keeping the book-
reading habit, which has been gradually fading out, alive
and keep the youth in touch with Pakistan’s rich literary
tradition.
3
THE PLUMS DISPATCH
United States has taken a major step towards reconciling the seventeen-year long war against the Taliban. While the Afghan government has found itself uninvited from the talks, American and Taliban officials have found common ground in the peace framework- the insurgent group agrees to guarantee that transnational terrorists are given no access to Afghan territory tied with the withdrawal of US troops at the cost of larger concessions from the Taliban. The issues facing the peace process are several. For one, the Taliban refuse to acknowledge the government’s legiti-macy denouncing it as a “puppet regime” and have ruled out any negotiation process or power-sharing arrangement. In recent developments however there is hope that the Tali-ban will consider opening up to talking to the government once all foreign troops withdraw. Trump has been incessant on bringing an end to military involvement in the Middle East and has recently expressed desire to “reduce … troop presence and focus on counter-terrorism” and has hopes of reaching a political settlement.
However, Afghani domestic views voice the concerns of a vacuum of security enforcement in Afghanistan in the case that foreign troops withdraw in a haste. Afghan wom-en who were severely underrepresented fear the infringe-ment of their freedom in the case that US troops leave and Taliban form government. However, the Taliban have guaranteed the protection of their rights in accordance to Islam which has been met with skepticism and rightly so. The most recent development following the talks was the meeting held in Moscow between Afghan politicians, including Hamid Karzai, and Taliban leaders in the absence of the Afghan government which dismissed this as insignif-icant and the Taliban representatives stated that the meeting was not for negotiating, as Zalmay Khalilzad would have hoped, but merely a discussion of finding a peaceful solu-tion to the Afghan situation. However, the talks could be seen to be the first impactful step in the intra-Afghan pro-cess towards a peace settlement in Afghanistan. The situation in Afghanistan is passing through the most formidable period. People of Afghanistan have suffered immensely, and they desperately hope for sustainable peace. Amongst multitudes of challenges that Afghanistan faces perhaps the most formidable that will sure-footedly set Afghanistan to a path of sustainable peace and progress is successful political reconciliation amongst all parties. Although historically Afghanistan had a loose federation and has always abhorred the concept of strong central au-thority, it has always remained united as a country. It can only be hoped that the next round of talks expected in the end of February will contribute towards the peace process. (last updated February 12, 2019)
A right, denied. Tot Batot
Moving Towards Afghan
Peace By Zainab Shuja Class of 2021 The right to equal opportunity is universally re-
garded as being critical to ensure fairness and equity
within a society. Consequently, it follows that any
society or institution that believes in this right must
endeavor to ensure that this right is not infringed and
that effective mechanisms are developed which guar-
antee its sanctity.
It is this right which is embedded within the
LUMS ethos in a significant manner. Promotional
videos about the LUMS undergraduate program all
revolve around the idea that success, particularly aca-
demic success, in LUMS is dependent on no other
consideration except an individual's hard work and
merit. LUMS promises a space where all students are
provided the same academic opportunity to excel and
wherein exists no systemic prejudice which discrimi-
nates against anyone. It is the personal view of this
author that this promise of an egalitarian environ-
ment, strictly in the academic sense of the word, goes
beyond simple promotional videos and admissions
brochures; it may well be described as one of the
founding principles of any university and LUMS is
no exception. Simply put, should this right not have
been guaranteed, many of us would not have chosen
to come here.
Given how critical it is that everyone at LUMS be
provided the same academic opportunity, the conse-
quences of a poorly conducted enrollment are appal-
ling. By a poorly conducted enrollment, I do not
mean an enrollment which results in some people not
getting the courses and/or the instructors of their
choice. By a poorly conducted enrollment, I refer to
an enrollment process that results in students having
insufficient credits due to sheer arbitrariness.
Take for example the current freshman batch. Many
of them have insufficient credits to qualify for their
respective Dean’s Honour Lists. Of the freshmen
asked, a few had one or two credits short, others
were lacking close to five credits - which is equiv-
alent to being an entire course short. This was not
because they chose to enroll in a few credits. This
is because the constraints put on them by zambeel
forced them to limit themselves to less credits than
they wanted. Forced may seem like too strong a
word, but it is the most apt. They were outright
denied the opportunity to pursue their academic
interests, and to try for an achievement as august as
being placed on the Dean’s Honour List because
the digital infrastructure of LUMS was unable to
cope with the stress of the entire student body en-
rolling at the same time.
Boiled down, this means that students were
excluded from certain academic opportunities that
were available to others due to an enrolling system
that seems to rely primarily on luck. More simply
put, students wanting to study were barred from
doing so because a system created by LUMS for
the express purpose of facilitating this desire to
study is ineffective in its operation. Is this not a
flagrant infringement of the right to equal oppor-
tunity? Can this not be classified as the breaking of
the LUMS promise not due to malicious intent but
due to incompetence?
This is a grave issue, one that strikes at one of
the foundational ethics upon which LUMS stands.
To be unfair in a matter as central as the provision
of equal academic opportunity is to err seriously.
Given that there is no malicious intent behind this,
it can also be readily forgiven and forgotten given
that it is rectified. However, instead of rectification
the matter has only moved towards further degra-
dation. One can only imagine what the situation
will be like for the batches that are yet to come.
I often wonder, can you fall in love with a city the way you fall in love with a person? Because I think I have. Exploring a city’s lanes and secluded corners, like you would of a lover as you would lay with them, on sunny afternoons, etching new words upon their skin with your fingers. You would stare your lover, noticing all their quirks and building fantasies around them. Imaging the winters and the summers, and the autumns, while lying down next to them up-on the grass during spring. You would talk to it, like you tell all your secrets to your lover and designate a few hours just to them, as if they belong to no one except you. You feel an inexplicable safety in know-ing that this is the only city that would hold you and your secrets safe in its soul and would never reveal them to anyone, thus forging a bond that could never be breached by anyone else no matter what.
I struggle every time I plan to write about Kara-chi. It is so oxymoronic, so juxtaposing; like it infuri-ates and amazes at the same time. It continues to blow my mind with its mesmerizing sights.
I cannot help but stand on different vantage points and just continue gracing my eyes with its architec-tural excellence realizing how this structure along with the others around, have seen several instances of love, hate, naivety, success and failure between people of all ages. Its streets always lead me to a world crazier than the one I have come from, and one can never know what adventure awaits them in the moments to come.
You just carelessly walk along the streets know-ing that there is a world stranger than the one out-side it – a world where anything can happen and that anything has the capacity of increasing the value of your life exponentially.
Out of all the metaphors I could use on you, I choose a tortured one. I want to call you a neglect-ed mother, who open heartedly welcomes her chil-dren regardless of who they are as people or what they do. Every day you have millions of people coming in to you, learning how to survive and get-ting a bit closer to their dreams while growing up a little in the process.
Some mover further away, some choose to stay, but you stand where you are – welcoming every-one with open arms even though the space keeps getting smaller and your buses may accommodate three passengers per seat. Karachi, I hate to admit but you are on the verge of dying, but there is val-ue in your dying breath. The recording of each breath is worthy and hopeful and not opportunistic at all. I surely know that you will rise against all your challenges and will dance to the beat of your own drum because that is how it has always been, mad and crazy. And for someone like me, yours is the only understandable madness. The only chaos I can love unfathomably.
To Karachi With Love By Marium Zaidi Class of 2022
4
We had the pleasure of speaking to Captain of
the LUMS football team, Syed Muhammad
Maaz. In a candid discussion we talked to him
about his LUMS journey and his passion for
football.
How would you describe your LUMS experi-
ence and how did football become a main-
stay in it?
If I am to encapsulate my college experience in one
word, it would be ‘football’. In my Freshman Year I
tried my hand at a few societies, left them prema-
turely but football has been a constant in my life. I
joined the team in my freshman year and haven’t
left since.
I had been playing football regularly since high
school, being a part of the school team and later
captaining it. After coming to Lums I made sure
that football stayed an integral part of my lifestyle.
I was only able to become a regular part of the play-
ing 11 in my sophomore year. It was a testing time
for me but I believed that I will get a chance. And
when I got it, I made the most out of it and there
has been no looking back ever since.
What does the football team mean to you?
Any members of the team you want to men-
tion especially?
Probably the best thing about the Football team is
this culture of a being a very close knit community.
I share a great off the field repertoire with my team-
mates; we help each other out in courses, hang out
together, dine out collectively, etc.
Some of my best friends have been from the Foot-
ball team. I believe that to create a good team and
to perform well on the field you have to be good
friends off the field. Every member of the squad is
very talented and worth mentioning in his own
right but I especially want to mention Ali Shayan
the Vice Captain, Ayan Raheel our goalkeeper and
Emad in the defence.
THE PLUMS DISPATCH
How would you describe your experience in
the football team and how would you mentor
your juniors?
Although, there are times when I’m swamped by
work, I ensure I don’t compromise on my football.
Its always about prioritizing things in life. In the
football team we share a very beautiful bond. I have
always tried my best to help my juniors not just in
football but also in their studies and other aspects
of life. Its always interesting to bring together dif-
ferent individuals and make a solid team out of
them. For me its very important that I keep my boys
motivated. We have a number of talented players in
the junior batches and I am hopeful that they will
take LUMS football to new heights.
Football is a sport passionately followed and
played in Pakistan, yet Pakistan hasn’t been
able to produce anything of substance on the
international stage. Your thoughts?
First of all football’s
popularity in Paki-
stan has mush-
roomed only recently
since the advent of
the Digital Age. But
in many cases it is
restricted to being a
leisure activity. As
far as footballing
infrastructure in Pakistan is concerned, its level is
abysmal even compared to other South Asian coun-
tries. To be competitive on the international level we
need to have proper infrastructure that provides ad-
equate coaching to the talent at grassroots and
brings it to the top.
How can Pakistan improve domestic
football?
The PFF needs to get its act together. With the
new government it needs to depoliticize its vari-
ous federations. New academies need to be cre-
ated, there are hardly any outside of Lahore
and Karachi. It needs to appoint the right tech-
nical staff at the right positions. Contrary to the
belief of some Pakistan has great coaching and
technical staff that just needs to be supported. I
am very optimistic about the future. I have ex-
perienced firsthand in Karachi how these vari-
ous leagues have helped many talented players
make their mark and they can be a good start-
ing point for football to flourish.
Football squad:
S. Muhammad Maaz (C) , Ali Shayan (VC), Ha-
ris Saleemi , Oneeb Afzal Arbash Malik , Ham-
mas ,Talha Minhas ,Umar Arshad, Moeez
Masood , Ayan Raheel (GK),Emad Mir,
Ammad, Uzair Butt, Ibrahim Basit, Roshaan Ali
Khan, Taha Nadeem,Waqas Majeed, Hamza
Younus, MuazAlvi, Hassan(GK), Fahad (GK),
Wajahat, Velani, Emaan Yousaf, Mustafa
Waqar.
In Conversation with the LUMS Football Captain
By Abbas Sial Class of 2020
The country is in a festive mood
right now as its premier sporting event is
returning for its fourth installment. And
the atmosphere among the LUMS commu-
nity is no different. With up to eight
matches now being played in Pakistan and
the arrival of many blockbuster stars, the
event hopes to be a bonanza for viewers
and players alike.
The LUMS community has a
unique tradition of celebrating and cherish-
ing the PSL in its own unique, distinctive
and vibrant flavor. Having seen the previ-
ous three editions play itself out, rest as-
sured there can be hardly any doubt that
last night’s match would certainly eclipse
the daunting quiz or the hated PDC food
as the news of the day. The meme wars are
about to begin and people are eager to let
the Weapons of Mass Destruction loose.
Trolling has become a favorite pastime for
Pakistan’s youth but in LUMS it is all the
more fascinating since here for two weeks
the opponents happen to be your best
friends.
Another interesting sight in these
days are the various tape ball
matches taking place across the campus
with the cricket ground seeing its high-
est attendances. To play our part in this frenzy,
we conducted a survey across the cam-
pus asking students their favorite team
for the PSL 4 title. And the results have
been surprising to say the least. Of the
300 people surveyed, more than one
third voted for the latest inductee Mul-
tan Sultan which till a few months back
was without an owner (surprising?) La-
hore Qalandars just edged out Karachi
Kings, owing not only to their following
of these franchises but also to a large
number of students from these cities.
Here’s the shocking part, the two most
successful franchises in PSL history,
Islamabad and Peshawar ended up with
just 8% votes. Turns out success is not
always the paramount to popularity
here.
According to our survey most people in
campus believe that Multan, Lahore
and Karachi have the healthiest chance
to win the tournament.
PSL Fever Hits LUMS
“Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars favorites to lift the PSL
trophy, according to PLUMS survey”
5
THE PLUMS DISPATCH
To the years in LUMS
Amber Juman Class of 2022
I came as a toddler: having just learned to
crawl
But I planned to fly here
Each step I took was fragile and filled with
hope
The building loomed over me and seemed
mightier than ever
In my innocence all I could see were the
wings that I wanted
I was unaware of the stones that I would
fall onto
That would scrape my wings and tear them
apart
That would bleed even after four years
I came as a teenager: rebellious in my
dreams
I had the energy to speak the loudest, to put
in all that I had
I longed for inspiration as I ventured deeper
in my journey
I knew I had to make most of this time
So I compromised on sleep, on health and
on life
I gave all that in hopes that this would fill
me up
This would teach me to fly
This would make something out of me
I came as an adult: mature in my wants
This was the year where life planned to
teach me the worst it could
Where the true colors of friends are seen
Where loneliness is tackled
Where every moment is the hardest to get
through
Where after every fall, I would dust myself
and try again
As I squeezed the last bit of energy in me
I came as old: weak and tired to my bones
I sat and gathered the few that I had left in
my life
I wore different colors and danced in the
rain
I laughed till tears rolled down my cheeks
I painted my room till the white of previous
years had disappeared
I sat alone till the loneliness had vanished
I grew the wings when I least expected to
I had become much more than what I had
expected to.
“immersed”
by Zainab Shuja Class of 2021
I plunge into it all deep,
Waves and all.
The weight of the water climbs over,
Lulls me into sleep.
The silence underwater deafens,
The noise and chaos silenced,
And it all slows down suddenly,
I ask myself if this is heaven.
My limbs give away in surrender,
I let myself fall to the bottom,
Not scared for the first time,
Poetry Section
Pakistani Cinema– Road to Revival
It’s been more than a decade since the release of Shoaib Man-soor’s Khuda Kay Liye (In the Name of God), a film credited to be the harbinger of the new-age Pakistani Cinema. Many have seen the last decade to be the decade of revival of Pakistani Cin-ema. Films like Waar, Jawani Phir Naheen Ani, and Teefa in Trouble have set new benchmarks of commercial success at the box office. Besides, there were serious films like Dukhtar, Moor, Mah-i-Mir and more recently Cake, which garnered significant critical acclaim. But is the ‘revival’ stage really over? The an-swer to this is not a simple a yes or no.
For many people, Pakistani Cinema, in its relative com-mercial strength, is yet to reach its former glory. The ‘Golden Years’ of this platform were the 1960’s and 1970’s when legends like Waheed Murad, Muhammad Ali, Zeba Ali, Nadeem Baig and Sabiha Khanum dominated the stage. Slow progress in the commercial success of Pakistani Cinema is largely due to the small number of cinema screens in Pakistan. As of September 2018, Pakistan had only 161 cinema screens, with 59 of them being in Lahore alone. This has hampered the prospects of attracting investments which in turn limits the scope of production budgets for pulling out films consistently. More screens essentially mean more avenues of reve-nue generation for filmmakers. Strong-er cinema business is a requisite essential for an effective and durable revival of the cinema. Only in the success of cinema lies the hope and prompt for investors to recover their investments and sustain production cycles in the face of a highly competitive Bollywood in the region and globally. At the initial stages it is important to sustain Cinema Houses even on foreign content and the zealots of the so called ‘culture protection’ should see the commercial equation as well. Instead of banning Indian films on Pakistani screens, there is a need to increase the number of screens so that business flourishes and by association so does our industry.
Apart from that, the censorship conundrum is hurting the growth of Pakistan’s film industry. There’s a sheer lack of concern on the part of the Information and Culture Ministry to delineate a logical and clearly chartered censorship policy. There have been huge losses to film importers as well as local produc-ers due to the censor boards’ complications and unfathomable decisions. For instance, Mahira Khan’s Raees was banned from Pakistani screens despite the outcry of the film fraternity. This denied Pakistani Cinema owners a much-needed opportunity to revive profits after the losses sustained owing to the self-imposed ban on Indian films in 2016 (over Uri attacks).
It further spooked shaky investors. Addition-ally, Shoaib Mansoor’s directorial Verna was also banned, although later lifted but the damage had been done. In all these cases, the decision making was opaque without any clearly demarcated policy stand-ing. Censorship is further complicated by the devolu-tion of censorship to provincial level. Each film has to go multiple censorship ‘trials’, making it a cumber-some process for the producers. A centralized censor-ship policy and professionally constituted censor boards are the need of the hour to save the nascent cinema revival from setbacks.
Is that all that the film industry suf-fers from? Not really. In fact, with the given size of the film productions and absence of cinemas, one is forced to question the very notion of calling it an industry. There are issues with the content of the films as well. With the limited budgets available it’s the sto-ry and plots that can garner Pakistani films a space globally. Iranian cinema is a prime example of the fact. Take for instance the understandably huge criticism over Syed Noor’s Chain Aye Na. The film depicted a retro-gressive mindset regarding women where the heroine falls in love with the hero despite his violent behavior
in the beginning of the relationship. Similarly, the film Punjab Nahi Jaungi, although a record breaker at the box office, faced serious criticism from activists, film critics and even academics in the country. This was, unfortunately, due to similar tendency of depicting the lead woman (Mehwish Hayat) as a docile and mallea-ble character.
However, the brave and defiant character of a rape survivor in Verna, played by Mahira Khan came as a breath of fresh air. The film got praise from the film critics and women rights activist for touching the oft-tabooed topic with clarity. This gives a ray of hope that all is not bad and a critical process will eventually bring better films in the future.
All is not doom and gloom, yet the revival of Pakistani film industry is far from over. Much is need-ed still. In the given circumstances, Pakistani cinema is in need of a sound financial roadmap to establish the commercial equation of the film industry on sustaina-ble and robust foundations. It also needs to work on its content and most importantly, it needs the support of a critical audience - you!
By Sohaib Zafar
people from smoking and would be very
hard to implement. It would rather force
the smokers to smoke inside dorms to
avoid fines . Perhaps the administration
should find a middle groud and not deal
in black and whilte
Usman Ali, Class of 2021
Gym Why is the gym above the aquatic center not for students? Students train harder than the faculty. Most of the faculty members just do light training to main-tain their physical fitness, which is a great thing. But for students, this is the time to build their structures and, hence, they have to put in a lot more effort. So a better gym would bring more benefits to the student community rather than the faculty.
Adas Farooq, Class of 2021 Khoka Raves We are witnessing a remarkable era in LUMS’s history, my alumni friends tell me that Khoka raves never took place during their time. The Khoka rave cul-ture is beautiful because it stands as an
Letters to the Editor From competition to cooperation I think it is time to bring an end to a phe-nomenon associated with LUMS: a rat race. Maybe we can try to help each other out instead of bringing each other down. Even a cutthroat corporate world that you step into through the doors of SDSB, can use a little cooperation and warmth in-stead of the incessant “friendly” competi-tion. Maybe it's time to work together instead of working against. To ask ques-tions without the fear of judgment and get help without the underlying selfish mo-tive. We should start taking steps in the right direction so that we may dissipate stress and bring relief to our batch mates . Zainab Reza. Smoking policy Last semester saw an overriding focus of
the administration to turn Lums into a
smoking free campus. While I agree with
the demerits of passive smoking and all
the criticism that is being bolstered in
favor of the policy’s implementation, I
also feel that an outright ban would simp-
ly make life miserable for the student’s
that smoke. This policy will not stop
Epitome of the freedoms and liberty our community prides itself, yet it makes you think how LUMS truly is a bubble and things are very different outside this beautiful 100 acre. Maha Kamal, Class of 2022 Student Council Elections In a few months we will be bombard-ed with candidates who will promise to change the world in return for our votes. The SC elections have become more of a popularity show. It im-portant that accountably measures for the SC members are set on the mani-festos that they contest their elections on. Maybe the people running this year can include instruments of ac-countability for themselves in their manifestos and stay true to the promis-es they make during their campaigns. Ahmed Raza, Class of 2020 Write to the Editor by sending in your entries to [email protected].
6
THE PLUMS DISPATCH
Libra – Sept 23 to Oct 22
You will be faced with shock and des-
pair when you realize no one cares
about how many midterms and quizzes
you had in one day. Try not to cry.
Scorpio – Oct 23 to Nov 21
Your problems will come to an end as
soon as you realize that partying twice a
week (Thursdays and Fridays) can keep
your liver healthy and your morale
boosted as you look forward to the next
week! Happy hours can be 24/7.
Sagittarius – Nov 22 to Dec 21
Avoid going to the gym this month as
embarrassment awaits you when you
learn that working out and brownies
from the Khoka do not go together.
Take a moment to appreciate all the
pizzas and burgers that you have been
consoling yourself with!
Capricorn – Dec 22 to Jan 19
Your GPA prospects improve signifi-
cantly as you find out that the person
you copied off from in the last exam
turned out to be a CS major. Rejoice!
Aquarius – Jan 20 to Feb 18
If your life isn’t going the way you
want, have another go at blaming some-
one else for it. You might get it right
this time.
Pisces – Feb 19 to March 20
Avoid calling your parents this weekend
because they’re finally starting to get
over the trauma you put them through
by not calling them since the semester
started.
Aries – March 21 to April 19
You will realize very soon that the
song “Body by Loud Luxury” is not
the only song that you can dance to.
Consider focusing on your playlist a
little more. This is a good month to
stop listening to Cardi B. For good.
Taurus – April 20 to May 20
Your ideas about how feminism is
cancer are irrelevant. Do not make a
fool of yourself. The #NotAllMen
movement should only be about how
full of yourself you are.
Gemini – May 21 to June 20
Every dog has its day. Some day in
this month might be yours. Emphasis
on the ‘might’.
Cancer – June 21 to July 22
A disappointing month awaits you as
your prospects of finding love go
down the drain. Even the rishta aunt-
ies on LDF these days can’t hook
you up. Raise your morale by calling
out all the couples in the student
lounge.
Leo – July 23 to Aug 22
It is okay to cringe occasionally, or
maybe all the time because of the
sheer stupidity around you. If you
don’t cringe at all then your only re-
sponsibility is to know you’re the
stupidest person around.
Virgo – Aug 23 to Sept 22
This will just be another month of
not remembering names and referring
to everyone as Buddy, Hero or Boss.
Nothing to worry about, though.
Most of them don’t know your name
either.
By Haris Ahmed Qureshi
Life at LUMS in ink Comic designed by Shafaq Saeed Class of 2021
7
THE PLUMS DISPATCH
LUMS SPORTS FEST ’19
SLUMS is not just a hectic work place but also a
platform that transforms you through exposure to
many new people, cultures and nations by arranging sports events at na-
tional and international level. I strongly believe that nothing is impossible
till you have a pulse and that's what Slums teaches you and makes you
believe in.
SLUMS for me is a place of unlimited opportunities, which one can
use to explore his/her potential. Slums has provided me exposure on
national and international fronts that I wouldn’t have dreamt of oth-
erwise. It is a fraternity, a brotherhood, a family; which makes you
smile, laugh, cry but above all sticks by you throughout your four
years and beyond. Presiding a society of over 100 people isn’t easy
but its every bit worth it.
Nadeem Ahmad, President
Zaid, VP Admin
Game. Set. Match. Championship. It was a familiar tale for Novak Djokovic as he romped his way to seal a 7th Australian Open Title- the most by any man in tennis history. The astonishing ease through which Djokovic demolished the great Rafael Nadal at the 2019 Australian Open final- hitting a mesmerizing 34 winners in the process- was frightening to watch. It was the most one-sided victory I had ever seen in any sport. To put the dominance in perspective: Nadal only got one chance to break the Djokovic serve all the way in the 3rd set, when the tie was well and truly over. This was the same Nadal who flawlessly reached the final without losing a single set. As for Djokovic, his god-like performance was truly a spectacle to behold. I’ve said it time and time again and the recent Australian Open win only reaffirms that claim: Novak Djokovic is the greatest tennis player of all time. At his best, he is truly un-conquerable. Speaking of his career: Career Grand Slam? Check. Holding all four Grand Slams at the same time? Check. Win-ning all Master 1000s? Check. Ranked number one in the world? Check. Over a $100 million in prize money? Con-quering all surfaces? Check. Djokovic is the only player in tennis history to have achieved all of these in his or her career. His current level of dominance sharply reminds me of 2011 and 2015. In 2011, he won 10 titles which included 3 Grand Slams, had an incredible 41 match winning streak and had a staggering 10-1 winning record against his foes Nadal and Federer. It enabled the legendary Pete Sampras to describe Djokovic’s season as the “best achievement in all of sports”. He was insuperable. In 2015, he was even better. Djokovic won an astonishing 11 titles which also included three Grand Slams and 6 Master 1000 tournaments. Additionally, he broke the record for prize money in a year by making $21 Million and ended the year with the number 1 ranking by some distance. Defeating him was impossible. In 2011, Nadal called Djokovic’s performances as one at the “highest level.” 8 years on and little has changed. I wonder what Nadal thinks of his performances after the Serb’s phe-nomenal one-man show at the 2019 Australian Open. 2011 and 2015 were both golden years and Djokovic is recreating that at the present. We are truly wit-nessing a resurgence of his best. The recent flourish all be-gan after his injury comeback. Speaking of Cincinnati- Djokovic’s victory there enabled him to become the first player in tennis history to win all nine Master 1000 tournaments (Indian Wells, Miami, Rome, Monte Carlo, Madrid, Canada, Cincinnati, Shanghai, and Paris). It is a staggering achievement and one which Federer (with Monte Carlo and Rome missing) and Nadal (with Mi-ami and Paris missing) struggle to replicate. So is Djokovic the best? His head to head record against the present elite certainly support his claim. Djokovic currently leads Federer by 24-22 and Nadal by 28-25, which includes a career-defining win against Nadal at the French Open – a tourna-ment where the Spaniard is considered ‘immortal’. Djokovic enjoys the best head to head record amongst the three, and is the only player to have defeated Federer and Nadal in all four Grand Slam events. He has consistently defeated them in all surfaces, and thus has proven himself to be king of all surfaces. To be the best you have to beat the best and Djokovic has consistently shown that by now. The Australian Open win has shortened the gap between Federer and Djokovic to five Grand Slam trophies. It may seem like a lot, but he does have time on his side (Djokovic is six years younger than Federer). Keeping in mind the lack of challenge from the next generation stars such as Zvevev, Thiem and Khachanov along with Nadal’s consistent injury woes and Federer’s poor form, if Djokovic maintains his current level of dominance, he will easily close the gap on Nadal and Federer. You wouldn’t want to bet against him overtaking Federer’s supposedly unstoppable 20 Grand Slam wins- starting with the French Open next. As a matter of fact, if he wins that, he will be the first man to hold all four Grand Slam trophies simultaneously twice, which is another stunning achievement. It will take something special to topple the legend-ary Serb.
The case for Novak Djokovic
By Fahd Ahmed Class of 2019
SLUMS has planned alot of events targetted for the wellness and recreation of LUMS communi-
ty this semester. First event for only Lums community are the mixed handball and volleyball
tournaments. The purpose of these events is to integrate the community and relieve academic
stress. A futsal league and badminton open are also lined up in the month of march. Other than
these, to test the raw strength and athletic abilities of our athletes, a marathon, power weekend
and Mr. LUMS are also planned in April.
Upcoming Sports Events at LUMS
If you take SLUMS out of the equation, my four years at LUMS
seem incomplete. The culture, the people and the bonds that you
end up making, make it more than just a society. It's a family where
everyone has each other's back and you know you can count on others.
It hasn't been an easy ride but if I could go back in time I'd still make
the decision of joining SLUMS because it has clearly been one of my
most fulfilling decisions
It has been a constant struggle of learning new things since Sophomore year.
Being in the Executive Council, I have had the pleasure to be around some
hardworking and passionate juniors who have conducted back to back sporting
activities. I am more than honored to be part of the success of SLUMS this
year
Aqsa Khalid, VP Training
Taimur Mujeeb, VP Mktg
Up Close with SLUMS
The annual LUMS International Sports Fest is one of the biggest sports events hosted by the LUMS Office of Sports, Wellness and Recreation and student society, SLUMS (Sports at LUMS). This year, LSF’19 was held from January 4th to 7th 2019 and was attended by over 160 schools and institutions, with more than 1200 delegates from around the country. The event included Futsal, Cricket, Tennis, Squash, Volleyball, Badminton, Basketball, Throw ball, Table tennis and Swimming among others.
Under the Social Responsibility Program, the LSF host team arranged for the second time, a blind cricket tournament. A closing ceremony was held at the end to honor all participants, the guests included prominent members of the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council.
Popular upcoming Pakistani singers, Asim Azhar and Arsalan Hasan performed for the dele-gates on the third day. The social events ended with an awards ceremony and a closing dinner with Lahore Qalandar players and Farhan Ayub as the chief guests. Lahore School of Economics and Iqra University Peshawar shared the title for the best delegation in the over-19 category while Nixor was declared the best delegation in the under-19 category.
The purpose of this mega event was to promote sports at grassroots level, to provide a plat-form to the athletes and to promote an environment of healthy competition among the youth of Pakistan.
I am a strong believer of strengthening a body from inside, so my
main focus this year has been to integrate the SLUMS general
body through events which has proven to show results. What I
have learned from my 4 years at LUMS is to not rely on the end
goal for being happy but finding happiness in the process.
Abdul Moeed, VP Events
8
PLUMS EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
President: Ali Bin Rizwan
Vice President: Muhammad Affan Ahmed Treasurer: Tehreem Mahboob Alam
Editor In Chief: Mustafa Humayun General Secretary: Samar Nawaz Khan
PLUMS EDITORIAL BOARD
Abbas Ali Khan Sial, Nida Hassan, Ahmed Kamran, Hasan Amin, Zainab Shuja, Maryam Nasir, Maryam Ahmed Ki-
yani, Muhammad Bilal, Adil Ashraf Mayo, Sana Khalid, Taufeeq Haider Khan, Muhammad Zain
Email your contribution at: [email protected]
Visit our website: www.plums.lums.edu..pk
