Do we still remember?

Written By: Mahad Tariq

"I woke up, I prayed, I was as excited as ever.

That this day would be the end, occurred to me never.

My mother and father waved me as I went past

For none of us knew it would be our last

My forehead was still warm from my mother's kiss

The very forehead the bullet failed to miss

Our school; our home, our safe haven where we played and grew

Would one day host a mast massacre no one knew

Peaceful we were sitting in our class

That's when the school echoed with the blast

The savage, the beast entered with his gun

We pleaded for sympathy but there was to none

They made sure that no target was missed

They failed to realize the youngest killed was only six

I screamed, I screeched , I made every sound

But help was indeed nowhere to be found

Perhaps it was all written in our fate

And help, when it came, came very late

We watched as our brave teacher got engulfed in fire

We watched proudly as each one of us slowly became a martyr

With time we forgot the fear and the excruciating pain

For remember martyrs never die, we always remain

We have left behind a legacy that you'll all remember

Try not to forget us every December."

\

I had been thinking of writing about this for a very long time, but was afraid of how all the emotions that I had faced on that accursed day would rush back; how shocked I’d been when I reached home from my school to know that APS, Peshawar had been attacked by militants; how helpless I had felt, to watch the number of martyrs increase with every passing hour to finally reach an unprecedented number of students and staff killed in all of Pakistan’s history. How heartbreaking had it been, to see the whole media coverage; parents and family members rushing from one hospital to another in search of their loved ones, injured students in their blood stained uniforms being carried to the ambulances. How depressing it was, when the images of the scene emerged few hours later; the picture of the auditorium where the largest massacre took place, the blood stained shoes and uniforms, walls riddled with bullets, bodies of children lying atop of each other.

And how disheartening it was, to read the stories of the attack; of how brutally those children and teachers had been massacred.

Do we remember those 144 innocent lives that were mercilessly extinguished that day?
But do we still remember?

Do we remember those monsters that did not even spare a six year old girl Khaula for whom, it was her first day of school?

Do we remember the 13 year old Uzair who received 11 bullets to his body?

Do we remember the brave principal of the school Tahira Qazi, who chose to face the militants and die with her students instead of escaping the scene?

Do we remember the valiant teachers who refused to leave their students and fought until the last moment to get them to safety, only to be cruelly killed in the process?

Do we remember how after the attacks some anti-state figures refused to condemn the attacks?

Do we remember how the survivors later returned to that very same school, where they watched their friends die in?

One year into the incident and I often find questioning myself: where do we stand now? Have we forgotten everything? Have we silenced our call for revenge? Have we learned anything from it at all, or has it just become another occurrence which will be mourned every December and forgotten the other 11 months?

I am aware, as students, there is little we can do. We cannot completely console the grieving families. We cannot return their sons, fathers, sisters and mothers to them. We can do little in countering the terrorism in Pakistan. We cannot change the attitude of our careless leaders. But what little we can do in the aftermath of this tragedy is to remember these unfortunate souls, to remember their sacrifice, to remember the bravery they showed at the face of barbarity, to remember the survivors who are still struggling with moving forward, to remember our enemies and their sympathizers, to remember the sacrifices this country has made in moving towards peace and prosperity, remember to live our lives with a responsibility of serving our country to the best of its interests, remember to counter the extremist ideology, remember the dreams that the young martyrs had, remember that they were the bright future of this country, remember that we must carry their missions forth.

Remember the promise that we made to ourselves on that day;

Of never to forgive and never to forget.

The Bake ""Sale""

Written by: Faryab Haye and Hamna Fatima

Bake sale, bake sale, bake sale.. for weeks, posters and fliers were taped all over the campus walls featuring the prep section bake sale! For those who don’t know; a bake sale is not like Black Friday with huge discount on bakery items such as fresh bread, cake and pastry (as it’s name might suggest..), instead, it’s like a small carnival sort of thing, arranged in our school each year. This so-called carnival includes small rides, stalls for all kinds of street food, games and other attractions. Then the profit made from these adequately priced stalls and attractions goes to charity (or so they say).

This year the attractions included much of the same attractions as every other year, with a few exceptions; we had a camel, a horse, ..even a donkey.. and, and, and rickshaw rides (because of course we’d all like to experience rickshaw rides), a toota-hoa-not-safe-at-all-please-attempt-at-your-own-risk ferris wheel, a swinging (pirate?) ship, giant hamster balls and quad-bikes from sea view!

You know what’s fun? Riding on a horse, laughing at your friends falling off the horse..
You know what’s not fun? ACCIDENTALLY STEPPING ON HORSE SHIT. YUCK. It’s like bakra eid all over again; looking on the ground while walking is definitely a good idea during bake-sales...

Inside the tent there were several different stalls. All sorts of over priced food items were available; biryani, haleem, pizza, rolls, limca, cotton candy and even soup (really?). Aside from eatables, there was hairspray, games, jail, roses and song dedication. (Rumor has it some A-levels went from person to person and gladly exploited the economy; “Hair spray karwana hai? Sirf 30 rupee ka hai? Karwalo na??”).
Songs were blasted at ear-splitting volumes (because what’s a bake sale if you aren’t at-least half deaf?) and people enjoyed them to the extreme.

Kon nazar agaya, bhai? :/

Classes were bunked, water thrown at people, and Chapter Studios, once again did a wonderful job, taking pictures of everyone who demanded so. And believe me, lots of people wanted their picture taken. Bruh.

Friends were forced to give treats:
“Bhai aap kei SAT mein 2000 agai, treat tou banti hei na??”
“”Abay, dafa hoja, baray aye””
(Psst psst, I’m looking at you, Osman) (and Asad) (and Daniyal) (and Shahzain) (and Maheera) (and you too, Abdullah-- Entreship kai baad treat dena must hei..)

The jail was fun though, 7th graders dragged people in and forced them to bail themselves out! Here’s a picture of one of the inmates in its natural habitat:

Perhaps the best stall was the face paint; we’ve all seen paintings of Mickey Mouse and cat faces but this year’s face paints were on a whole another level!

..And we thought Annabelle was scary!

One tip for bake sales though, DO NOT greet your old teacher's, even if out of respect. They will hold onto you, they will ask you to buy something from their stall and you will end up doing what they say…

Moving on, DID ANYONE NOTICE THE DUST INSIDE THE TENT? It was like watching Mad Max Fury Road all over again. You literally couldn’t see more than 10 feet ahead of you! I feel bad for all the kids whose parents got a look at the state of their shoes when they got home. Sprinkling water onto the mud was a futile attempt at remedying anything…

Outside the tent again… We (Arbaz, Kamil, Sara and Faryab) decided it would be a great idea to go up to random people and start singing random songs. So if anyone was wondering why we did that, even we don’t know… It was fun though, serenading/creeping people out with Frozen’s Let It Go, Phineas and Ferb’s theme song, Dora the Explorer and Dexter’s Laboratory… and inspired the Blogging Society’s head to hide in the girl’s washroom, fearful of us… (insert creepy laughter here)

After that everyone was supposed to gather for a very important announcement… which everyone already knew about... （´☣౪☣) 3 DAY WEEKEND, YAY! （´☣౪☣)

In the end the whole affair was a huge success. The attractions, although extremely overpriced, were very enjoyable and everyone had loads of fun. The Prep Section, truly, did a great job arranging this year’s Bake Sale. Well done!

(◕‿◕✿) 

5 things that every single person alive has got to do at PAF Chapter.

Hi guys, Whatcha doin'? Studying? Are you freaking kidding?

You've got almost the whole life to open and read boring, old course books. You may walk out solemnly out of your classrooms, struggling with e=mc₂ or gritting your tooth and nail to balance the balance sheet, but the only thing you’re really gonna cherish, years from now, are those memories filled in your pockets, loaded with joyous moments, never ending laughter, twists and turns, tearful moments and killer endings.   

College. The word implies so much, so many things to do, so many people to kill, and yet so very, very little time. Your life here, at PAF Chapter, is going to be the highlight of your life, the part of your life that you'll recall and reminisce for ages, and ages to come. And so here we bring you, from yours truly, Faiq (and Hamna and Asad) (and Huda), a fun-guide to steer you through the basic crazy stunts you can carry out to glimmer your college life:

• A must for ALL the Science Students!!! DEMOLISH ALL THE LAB EQUIPMENTS!! (Kidding.) (Sort of).
  We've all had those days in the chemistry or biology labs where things were just not going according to plan; from an entire freaking burette falling down to meet its beloved white tiles like the clash of the titans (A1S4 better know what I’m talking about), to smashing the slides while adjusting the stupid microscopes that just won’t focus right, to spilling concentrated (go big or go home, brah) Hydrochloric Acid all over your chemistry mid-term exam, to Sir Nasir subtly shaking his head and wondering which demonic ritual unleashed you inside his lab: it's all been seen and done. In fact, you're not a real science student unless you've wrecked massive destruction at least once in the laboratories and gotten scolded until your ears bled off.
  Tips on how to get away with breaking things, though? Blame it on your friends. Your beaker broke? The girl next to you did it. The acid dripped down the counter and burnt a hole in your shoe? The girl next to you did it. The ceiling fan fell down? The girl next to you did it.

• Selfies! Seeeelfieeees!!! Selfies everywhere! It's a must!
  In the washroom! Because of course you'd want to remember the good old times spent in the washroom! And ESPECIALLY those days when there actually was hand-soap-thing in the dispenser..
  
  

  

  Yeehaw! Show off that handwash, gurl!

  
  
  In the library! Because, hello, what else are libraries for?
  In the resource room! It has good lighting!
  During lectures! "Miss board pe lectures ki pictures le raha tha na :/"
  In the gym! Because taking pictures is almost as fruitful as working out using those extensive, scary-looking machines!
  In the corridors! Because we're too $waG,, of course Sir Adnan won't notice us using our phon— "BHAGOOO HEADMASSSTERRR ARAHAY HEIN!!!!!!"
  
• Arguing with the Librarian. It's a must. It's such a must-y must, we can't even begin to describe how huge of a must it is. Be it on vague topics, like forgetting to return a book for 5 months, or why the O Levels library apparently contains every book needed by the A Levels, or the talk on the price of rice in China, or otherwise, Sir Makeen has the talent to turn even the most boring moments into frankly, something quite entertaining.
  
• Another thing you'll see oh-so-common at Chapter: Literal crowds of people around one poor person in a maroon gown. Now I wonder, and you wonder, and everyone wonders; what's so special about all these society heads that people won't leave them alone?
  
  Aha! It’s kind of simple really. Favors. Certificates. Getting reputable positions in the school events and bragging about it to all your friends. "Sunoo mein assistant director of media of PAF Intellect ban gai :D:D:D" And how do you accomplish this feat? Befriend these presidents. Laugh at their lame, 2012-meme jokes. Support their utterly weird, awful stances on things: because well, who will select you for events and marathons if not the Inhouse and the Sport Society heads? And who will get you into various debate teams if you don't chum it up with Usama Khawar?
  
  I mean, it's basically worth it. Chances are, despite their possibly bad sense of humor, all of the society heads are actually gr9. Who knows? And at the end of it all, you get certificates! With a C! Certificates! So, wouldn't you totally pretend to care about a certain Outreach Society Head and the constant rejection he faces with girls...... if it means he can get you into volunteering programs and make your university application legen-wait-for-it-dary, legendary?
  
  
  

  

  Hota hei, hota hei, yaar. Saab kai saath hota hei.

  
  
• And the best, create your own memories at Chapter. Be yourself! (Unless you can be Iron Man, in which case, please always be Iron Man.) Brave the O Levels canteen lines and buy yourself a sandwich! Glue a gold coin to the floor and watch people try to pick it up and fail (spectacularly)! Or even better, put awfully huge amounts of glue on a chair and make your (unsuspecting) best friend sit on it. Watch their shirt, and your friendship tear to shreds. I did that once. She's still not talking to me.
  Make memories: make crazy-ass fan-freaking-tastic memories that will be the talk of the school for years after you're gone! Like, once, this guy jumped off the first floor balcony when his girlfriend broke up with him.
  Next week, he had another girlfriend, but really: it's the thought that counts, no?

Soo, what are you gonna do that will make you a stand-out at Chapter? Do you have an idea? No? I have one, sir jee! That guy jumped from the first floor and got a new match. Now, you try your luck from the third floor and get three. Pretty good deal, no?

*psst, Wahaj, we’re looking at you*

Now we can’t really force you to do anything (although we’re pretty sure, regardless of if you’re AS or A2, you have already taken a selfie in the bathroom. Don’t lie. We’re onto you.) but this is just a great place to start if you’ve been searching for a To-Do List or whatever. Also, just because we mentioned 5 things doesn’t mean that’s all there is to experience in the red brick buildings, there’s tonnes of other stuff too!

(Or so we’ve heard).

Headboys and Headgirls- Some things you know... and some things you don't

Written by: Hamna Fatima

Edited by: Asad Raza

*whispers* Aaaaand we’re LIVE!!

The toe-crunching, peanut-buttering Blogging Society of PAF Chapter brings to you some juicy details and some dirty laundry on none other than our esteemed (and NEW!!) headboy, headgirl, and their deputies. You’d have to be a dead sock to not know who they are yet but, dead sock or not, we’re here for you with some facts that’ll have you in a nail-biting ecstasy.

(Side note: Don’t do ecstasy. It’s dangerous.) (May even get you killed too.)

(Also on a side note: I can’t believe they made Fred black-haired in this Scooby Doo movie, this is blasphe— ohmygod, Shaggy did not just compare life to a chocolate souffle, this is g o l d.)

Anyway, for our headboy: Ismail Vohra

Symbol: Fingerprint. (or was it thumbprint?) (whatever it was, it was fancy. #thappalagao)

“mein na hi koi itna fit hoon, na ho meray koi six packs hein, na koi itna lamba hoon, tou app log kabhi bhi meray paas asaktay hein, grab my collar and go ‘Ismail bhai, ye kaam kyun nahi hoa’.”

Headboy of the year, 2015-16, Ismail Vohra, is many things; he plays chess, writes poetry, sings certain songs for certain girls (wild crowd screams in the background) and has a very philosophical approach to life and society. He likes web-designing, social entrepreneurships, and has a passion for community service.

What was your first thought when you won? ‘The first thought I had was kai kaash Vinay larki hota, aur mein usse shaadi karleta, because he’s sucha jiggar and he’s such a brother that kaash wo larki hota, and I would’ve married him.’

Indeed, Ismail.

What do you plan on doing now? ‘Yar saaf baat hei, ghar pe soona hei yaar, thoray choray pan mein ghomna hei, aur kiya yaar that’s what it’s all about…

                                                                                        ….Just kidding, yaar.’

Ismail, in all not-kidding-serious-ity, plans to make every individual in the school feel happy about their school, feel proud of Chapter. He plans on organizing many events, in his words: a Welcome, field trips, entrepreneurships, college nights, water carnivals etc. He’s presently thinking of something along the lines of a cruise— I bet everyone who voted for him is just thinking, Damn. I knew I made the right choice.

Well, you did.

Would you kick a truck for fun? ‘Yaar truck ko laat marnay kai lie, dekho mein tumko ye btaoon yaar mein kamzor sa pyara sa bacha hoon, itnay mein phaaday wadday karta ziada karta nahi hoon, ab zahiri baat hei truck pathan ka hoga, uspe likha hoga “maan ki dua” tou I respect that— tou buri baat hei yaar, maan ki dua likha hota hei, mein maan ki buhat respect karta hoon, so I’m never even ever gonna touch that truck.’

Along with being approachable, always open to suggestions, Ismail also likes to sing songs for this one, certain AS student. Here’s a sample, you can thank me later. ;-)

Aw, Ismail, don’t go betraying Vinay already… :-(

Our headgirl: Syeda Hoorulain

Symbol: Diamonds! (because who doesn’t love diamonds?)

Diamonds are rare. It’s true. Diamonds obsessed with children are rarer still, and diamonds obsessed with children who also think they’re serial killers are practically impossible to find. Yet it’s practically a twist of fate, or maybe just plain old luck that we got one as our Head Girl.

Crazy, funny and obsessed with movies, drill machines, Tom Cruise, hacking Snapchats and sometimes nurseries, Hoor is what you’d call a gem. (Get it?) (tell me someone got that?) Considerate and compassionate, and frequently late to Biology lectures, she’s definitely someone you can count on and trust. Her friends refer to her as “mommy” (and no, that is not weird) because she’s always there for them, doesn’t tolerate anything against them and loves them all almost as much as she loves Jon Snow.

It’s true. She says, “I seriously cried and shed tears when I learned about Jon’s death. It was a very sensitive topic for me, and a very tough time.”

We can tell, Hoor, we can tell.

When the results were announced, the first thing to cross her mind was: “Hayee, ab kitne logon ko biryani khilani paray gi”. Well, Hoorulain, I don’t know about everyone else, but you can definitely count me in on the list :p

Our deputy headgirl: Anoosha Imran

Symbol: The Anchor

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the name Anoosha Imran? Probably that it’s a hella nice name? Yeah, same. How about the second thing that comes to mind? Probably wondering why YOU don’t have an as awesome name??

[glares at parents from across the living room] ‘I trusted yOU!!’

(Life tip: If you want to not get caught bunking classes, contact her! She’s a professional!)

(Don’t tell any of the General Paper teachers though.)

Loves coffee and cricket, Anoosha is the kind of person who’s so pretty you want to perform a Satanic ritual with pentagrams to look like her you’d want as your best friend, always— she’ll have your back no matter how bad things get, she’s open-minded enough that you could talk to her about anything! Anytime! Even at 2 in the morning! And she’ll do anything to make sure she’s exactly the kind of deputy head students can come up to without hesitation.

Sounds like a winner, huh?

And with a straight-up wonderful name too.

Our deputy headboy: Murtaza Haroon

Symbol: Hats!

Murtaza does not…

                               …have his phone.

Isn’t that the saddest thing you’ve heard all week? Let’s have a moment of silence for him…. and for the absence of his phone…. [someone yells from the back: did the Headmaster take it, Murtaza?]

*moment over* phew.. that was exhausting, how do people do this whole silent thing anyway?

Hard-working, easy-going, and ooh did I mention hard-working?, Murtaza is perhaps the perfect deputy headboy we could’ve ever had. His speech, even though frequently (and by frequently, I mean every 7 seconds) interrupted by the microphone being the usual piece of cabbage, was terrific; and his symbol!!! Hats!!! Who doesn’t love hats?!

Aaaaand who doesn’t love Spiderman???

Okay, I don’t.

But Murtaza does!! Our spies tell us he starts singing the Indian Spiderman tune randomly everywhere. ((You know that Spiderman Spiderman verse, choraya meray dil ka chen.)) And with the literally millions of people screaming for Murtaza during his speech— one question remains unanswered: do you have a superpower, Murtaza? Wait, could it be, could it actually be- are you Spiderman?

(Hopefully without the suit, though— I can’t remember a single time I looked at Spiderman’s clothing and didn’t cringe to death.)

And that’s all people, for now. Don’t forget to sign up for membership in the Blogging Society- the topics are up on the Facebook page and the last date is October 10th!! Hurry, hurrrrrrrryyyy!! Write, Write, WRITE!!!!