Survival of the fittest?

Well, It Is More Like The Survival Of The Chillest

Ekam Sibia, AIS Gur 46, X I

Charles Darwin, bless his cravat, the man who brought us the theory of evolution and ‘survival of the fittest’, would likely be rolling in his grave if he saw the state of modern humanity. Here’s the thing, Charlie (can I call you Charlie?), your whole ‘fittest survive’ business seems a tad outdated in the era of ergonomic chairs and unlimited chips.
In the animal kingdom, it’s a gladiator arena – the strongest, fastest, sneakiest creatures reign supreme, leaving the slowpokes and the fashionably challenged to become lion kibble. Makes perfect sense, right? But you have never met a millennial.
The modern world has thrown a giant, fluffy beanbag chair at the whole ‘survival of the fittest’ concept. We’re a generation that thrives on takeout and on avoiding anything remotely strenuous. Our motto? ‘Work smarter, not harder’ which translates loosely to ‘delegate everything to a robot while we perfect our bed-rotting game’. The fittest in 2024 are the ones who can master the art of “strategic napping” under fluorescent lights and convince their boss they were ‘just brainstorming with their eyes closed’. And not to mention that the fittest human now has a perfectly curated online persona that screams ‘success’ even if their bank account sings a different tune.
Take, for instance, the gazelle. In Darwin’s day, it was all about outrunning the cheetah. These days, the gazelle would probably just whip out its smartphone, order a ride-sharing cheetah with a five-star rating, and be munching on metaphorical grass before the real cheetah even showed up.
Here’s how Darwin’s theory gets lost in translation in the 21st century. Natural selection? More like natural selection of the most comfortable Netflix queue. Strength? From the time when the strongest dude got the most food to tapping a button, and a feast arrives.
Think about it. We’ve engineered a world where weakness is not just tolerated, it’s celebrated. We have participation trophies for everyone, elevators for climbing one measly flight of stairs, and self-checkout lanes so that even the socially awkward can avoid human interaction.
Darwin would be having a conniption. Here he was, picturing a world where only the toughest survive, and we’re all out here surviving on naps and existential memes.
But hey, maybe Darwin was onto something after all. Maybe in the modern world, the ‘fittest’ are the ones who can adapt the best. The ones who can master the art of the perfectly curated online persona while simultaneously binging reality TV. Maybe ‘survival of the most comfortable’ or ‘survival of those who can fake it till they make it’ would be more fitting for our modern, Netflix-binging, carpal tunnel-inducing world.
But hey Charles, thanks for the whole evolution thing. It’s pretty cool, even if we’ve become a bunch of glorified useless and egoistic mess of what we call a ‘human’ in the entire process.

Best wishes for exams

Board exams are here again, and my dear Amitians have already appeared for their first exam. This time of the year tests your nerves as you juggle academics, extracurriculars and personal growth. I wish you all success in achieving all your dreams, but most importantly, I wish for you an abundance of happiness. Be happy in whatever you strive for, knowing that you gave it your best shot. Be proud of yourself, of the effort and hard work you have put throughout the year. Taking the board exams requires a lot of dedication and courage, and all of you have the mettle to come out with flying colours. You must trust yourself, and be assured that your hard work will definitely bear fruit. It is important not to worry about results, as true learning is a year-long journey, not a last-minute race.
I also want you to take good care of your health. Eat nutritious meals and stay hydrated as a healthy body fosters a sharp mind. Stress not only affects your physical health, but also your mental well-being. Always remember that exams can only evaluate your knowledge, not your worth as a human being. Life is a continuous process of learning and testing yourself, and boards are just the beginning. Yes, they are needed to instill resilience, confidence and discipline – qualities that will take you far in life. Accept this time with a sportsman’s spirit, without fretting. Scoring well is important, but so is the pursuit of your passions and hobbies for overall growth. Board exams are only your first step towards greater achievements in life – so, enjoy the process with a smile!

Future for youth

Recently, a friend wanted to know if her son’s article could be published in The Global Times, as he was preparing for an international exam that required his work to be featured in a newspaper. When I explained that we could not do so, since he was not an Amitian, it once again reinforced for me the exclusivity of GT. Indeed, ours is the only registered student newspaper in India, created entirely for and by Amitians. It is a testament to the visionary leadership of our Chairperson ma’am, and for more than 15 years, it has been more than just a platform for students to express themselves – it has become an aspirational space. Each edition reflects the creativity and passion of Amitians, shaping them into confident individuals ready to take on the world. Our contest editions push editorial benchmarks higher each year, and the Youth Power teams rally behind important social causes.
In fact, GT’s impact resonates even after school years. Many Amitians, who were once part of GT, are now shining in their chosen fields and have always credited the newspaper for their excellent presentation, communication, and teamwork. Recently, I met alumni Stuti Kakkar and Priyansh Mohan, co-founders of MEINE Electric, (read page 4) a groundbreaking startup that has secured funding from a Chennai-based company. Both attributed this milestone to the ecosystem of learning inherent in all the exclusive programs envisioned by our Chairperson ma’am, including The Global Times. Indeed, the legacy of excellence continues even when Amitians fly the nest, and I feel really proud that GT serves as the wind beneath their wings.

GT M@il

Dear Editor,
The making of a contest edition is a sojourn, a stay with fresh ideas wafting our mental space. During the ideation process, the team knew its motives. It knew that a platform of expression is paled if new information and well written perspectives on controversies does not ink the papers. After the process of rejection and re-evaluation, the topics finalised were all to be contented with. We remain grateful to The Global Times team as they always drift us to our innate writing geniuses. As the drafts went by, and so did the meetings to refine them, the initial foresight of our Contest Edition formed its black and white basis, however, still lacking a splash of colour. We struck gold with our graphics and art department as they filled in the room for visual galore with ample finesse. With its final release, the AIS PV Contest Edition was all it could have been - balanced, novel, and bound by heartstrings.
Harshil Bedi, AIS PV, XI B