Farewell edition 2014
description
Transcript of Farewell edition 2014
[GRAB YOUR FREE COPY]
Until We Meet Again
Special Farewell Edition
You are fiddling with the tassel on
your graduation cap. You look up.
You realize they are about to call your
name soon. The long line has some-
how managed to reach the stage. This
is it. You look at the crowd where
your parents are waving at you with the
same exuberant smiles they had the
day of your orientation. Your father
has the camera ready where he does
not want to miss the moment. You
are ready. With a smile plastered on
your face, you reach the stairs of the
stage. Your friends are waiting on the
other side, holding their diplomas.
You cannot wait to go and join their
celebrations. However, looking at
their faces, the same faces that you
had become so fond of in these past
four years, you start to feel a lump of
dread. Was it too soon to say good
bye to these people? This place,
where the inanimate classroom and
hallways had over the years become
soaring fortresses? Taking your last
step towards the stage, you stop and
think that maybe, just maybe, you re-
ally were not ready to let go of this
place.
It is that time of the year when either
you are teary eyed that you are leav-
ing behind a place where it feels that
you spent an eternity at or ecstatic
that a new chapter in your life is be-
ginning. Even with these heavy doors
opening for you, ones that will
(hopefully) await you with open arms,
you will miss this place. It may be an
immediate withdrawal, or for some of
you something that you will reminisce
about years later. But you will miss this
place. I have become friends with
many of you, and have been inspired
by some of you to go down a path with
the same passion and dedication you
have. I have attended classes with you
and have sometimes been in awe with
how you perform. However, many
times I have hardly seen you in classes
and have gotten much higher grades
because of it (thank you, for that). I
have experienced your color week
and have seen some of you the hap-
piest then. From being the most in
character ‘paindus’ to being the least
scary Daakus, you made your last
weeks at LUMS memorable ones.
From being part of societies, embrac-
ing them till they become part of who
you were, to taking part in almost
every event taking place, no matter
how apt you really were to perform
in them. Yes, this was the same confi-
dence that made you sing that Adele
song at that Karaoke Night with undi-
vided passion, even though you only
knew half of the lyrics. The very
same one that made you try out for
the football team when the closest
you had actually come to playing be-
fore was that one time you accidental-
ly kicked the ball outside your house.
But hey, you would probably do it all
over again if given the chance because
it is during these years that some of
you found out what you truly wanted
to do (or in many cases, stay far far
away from). From aspiring to be a
CEO of that fortune 500 company or
dreaming of starting your own busi-
ness, you will remember this place
with every success and failure that you
come across after graduating. From
always wanting to go to that dream
school, the one you do not admit but
have had its poster on your wall since
you can remember, to finally having
some clue as to which direction you
wanted to take. Yes, you will miss this
place. From the PDC food where all
meat dishes surprisingly taste the same,
to hotspot where, admit it, it broke
your heart a little when you found out
it closed down. From all the ambitious
all-nighters you planned during the ex-
ams to finish a semester’s course in
two days, to all the mini panic attacks
you had when you skidded towards the
HSS department a minute before 5
pm to submit an essay you completed
a half an hour ago before the deadline,
even though you had a month to com-
plete it. From all the times you were
supposed to be studying, but ended up
at T block, to all the times you just
would not wake up for your classes
(the instructor had forgotten you were
still enrolled).
Even though many times you have hat-
ed, screamed and pulled out your hair
because of LUMS, you have also spent
a time here that you can call as being
your own. A time that no matter how
difficult it was, one which you thought
would never pass, you somehow still
managed to climb that mountain. Now
when you sit in that hall for the very
last time, to receive your diploma, a
token that symbolizes these four or five
years, you will feel proud. Proud of the
person you have become and what you
have achieved. You will look at your
friends, the very same ones who stood
beside you even when you lost all faith
in your abilities. The instructors who
were your stepping stones for what you
are now. Yes, you will miss this place
for it is one that took you in as a per-
son you thought you would be and
through twists and turns, made you
what you wanted to be.
-Hira Qureshi
Writing this is more difficult than
any exam I have ever taken at
LUMS. My overly sentimental and
dramatic disposition will just keep
me trapped in the little things that I
will miss. The cup of tea that would
keep me awake in class after I gorged
on Zakir’s white handi at the wrong
time of the afternoon. That moment
when a code decided to work, just
minutes before the deadline when all
bugs had gone loose. The regular
Friday debates on the merits and de-
merits of having PDC’s diesel birya-
ni.
But amidst all the high tension
LUMS drama and food therapy, you
manage to discover yourself and
learn to appreciate others. We all
have had our shares of torrential his-
tory with the LUMS Administration
but despite all of that, we found pro-
fessors who were passionate about
what they did and transformed their
classes. LUMS breathes through the-
se people.
-Amn Rahman
There are only two thoughts that I
can share with the graduating class of
2014. I sincerely hope that each and
every one of us finds happiness in
whatever we go on to do. I under-
stand that many of you will get mar-
ried before years end, others will fly
off to exotic cities working for big
companies, some will leave for fancy
grad schools and some might take a
long time to figure out what they
want. Yet finding happiness might be
one of the most difficult things to do.
That’s why I implore each and every
one of you to always be kind to eve-
ryone around you. Having spent four
years at one of the finest institutions
in Pakistan merits a place of privi-
lege, and hence makes it our respon-
sibility to show compassion as little
or as much as we can. Godspeed,
Class of 2014!
-Hussam Masood
As much as it may be a sacrilege to
say this to the society dedicated to
words, sometimes they are not
enough to convey a feeling.
I will miss you all. Some more than
others, but that’s just me being hon-
est.
-Shahrukh Aslam
A Few Words From
Our PLUMS Seniors
-Compiled by Aisha Hamid and Illustrated by Zainab Ali
In Retrospect LUMS Square: Before being re-
vamped, the Khoka looked like a
“chai dhaba” you find on your way
on one of those LAS trips. A couple
of broken plastic chairs and tables
was all that could be seen. Now, the
entire area has been cemented and
wooden chairs and tables have been
placed and I bet you can’t even re-
member how it initially looked it.
The LUMS Confessions page on
Facebook: For months these confes-
sions were the only thing people
talked about. While some of the con-
fessions were actually cute, most of
them were creepy. In one of these
posts, a guy admitted following a
girl’s car for more than half an hour
to see where she lived. After confes-
sions like these, most of the people
were happy the page was deleted.
Although, later other pages like
“LUMS insults” and “LUMS Crush-
es” did sprout out, none had the im-
pact of the Confessions page.
CHOP CHOP! Ahhh. Who
would’ve thought? Chinese food in
LUMS! And it’s not even expensive.
What more do you want from life?
JAMMIN! It’s been more than two
years since it was opened, and in our
opinion, it’s still the most important
change. To explain to you our rea-
sons for saying this, we’ll ask you 3
simple questions:
1) It’s June, and you just came out of
class. Where do you go?
2) You need to eat French fries and
you’re in no mood of going to T-
Block. Where do you go?
3) Pakistan vs. India T-20. Where do
you go?
Yes, that’s right.
-Rana Musa Tahir
Four Years of Inqilaab Remember when you were about knee-
high and smelled like the last meal you’d
had with the runny nose and twinkling
eyes? Those were the days. When was
the last time you caught yourself sighing
“Aaj kal kay bachay...” to realize how
abysmally OLD you sound? And now
you’re (near about) graduating! Jeez,
somebody hit the pause button, right?
Well, for a moment simply forget the
impending future of career confusion,
potential failures and—gulp—taxes; take a
minute to relish the past glories and re-
mind yourself why, regardless of all po-
tential failures, you will always be awe-
some. Simply, ‘cuz you’re a kickass 90s
kid.
1) SCHOOL WAS A WHOLE DIF-
FERENT WORLD THEN
You remember that time when Ma’am
XYZ made you sit next to a boy because
you and your friends wouldn’t stop whis-
pering during a lecture? It’s cute how
sitting a girl next to a boy was a punish-
ment once, only borne by poking your
partner with a compass when the teacher
wasn’t looking (or was that just me?) But
forget gender divisions— girl or boy,
when the class got out to play “King-
Stop” in the games period, you could
show no mercy, right? All those leaps
and “peechay jao, yeh cheating hai” or
teaming up against the class bully to kick
them out of the game ASAP. Or were
you more of a London-Stop (or Polo-
Stop) person? Whatever your favorite
game, you knew Games Period was a big
deal; basically one of the highlights of
your week.
2) MOVIES & TV SHOWS WERE
THE WORKS OF ART, I TELL YOU
One word to make an analogy of then
and now, alone, shall explain what I
mean. Doraemon. Agreed that the car-
toons are based on a manga series, pub-
lished years before any of us were even
born, but, dear God, if I have to see one
more sight of that lazy-ass, ungrateful
Nobita whining to get his easy
way out, I will scream.
Because who doesn’t miss
good old Cartoon Network?
Heck, even PTV’s 7 PM car-
toons? Johnny Bravo was the
smoothest player you knew
and Carl the dorkiest dork
you’d ever know. “Hakuna
Matata” was not only the song
of the decade known by heart;
it was also your own child-
hood motto (did kids even
have one before Timon and
Pumba came around?). And no matter
how many times you’d seen Home
Alone, that kid would be hero-
worshipped as the bad-ass of our time.
Pokémon was a TV show? No friends;
Pokémon was a lifestyle. We can’t for-
get those boys exchanging Pokémon
cards in class or at home, completely
lost in the trade. Back to those visual
works of genius. Remember Cow and
Chicken? Try watching it again and
you’ll be childhood-scarred-forever-ed
from the innuendos. And who can for-
get Bollywood cinema? Biwi No. 1,
Haseena Maan Jaye gi, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. “Pyaar dosti hai” anyone?
*fist bump* See, what I mean? The
90s wasn’t childhood—it was a rite of
passage. It prepared us for LIFE.
3) FRIENDS
When was the last time you talked to
your muhallay ka friend/ chaddi bud-
dy/ 4th grade best friend? Trust me,
it’s time to call them. Because if noth-
ing else, they’ll remind you what a blast
the 90s were. All because you guys had
each other. How many windows did
you break with your red- or white-
taped cricket ball, or even the Rs. 50
rubber ball? How many turns did the
muhallay ka elder “bhai” make you
field for before finally giving you a shot
at batting?
And what bonded friends more than
playing “FLAMES” together. Don’t
remember? You write 2 names, a girl’s
and a boy’s, and see how they end up
in the future. Remember, when we
talked by exchanging notes on scraps
of paper (cell phones at age 6/7/8?
Once, that would have been hilarious)
and made paper fans to handle the
heat instead of being blessed with air-
conditioning?
The 90s was a way of living, something
that many of you are molded by. As
you graduate or plan for the next job,
the next bill, the next mortgage or even
the upcoming marriage (seriously,
when did we grow up?) I leave you
with this wise Italian quote to help you
in the next stage of your life: "We can
fix anything if there's spaghetti in-
volved!" Yes, Mario does know best.
-Zahra Rao
You’re A Kick-Ass 90s Kid!
Ayesha Tahir
1) LUMS begins to take in increasingly
large batches, much to the chagrin of
the current students, as freshies con-
taminate everything from the REC to
the sports fields, to classes, with their
strange peppiness and excessive enthu-
siasm. As a result of the freshie inva-
sion, parking issues get worse, the RO
becomes more reviled than ever.
2) Hilarious attempt to boycott the
PDC ensures even more hilarious re-
sults when on the day of said boycott
the PDC is full as ever. Campusmail is
flooded with emails from the ever ac-
tive Student Council which ask us to
build a WOW KYA BRANDNEW
menu for the umpteenth time, using
currently existing PDC food offerings
as the main options. (In additional
news, Student Council elections get
funnier by the year).
3) LAS gets disbanded mostly because
man, that’s a society that knows how to
have a good time. Is reinstated and
starts to organize bigger and better
trips than ever- after displaying much
sadism at registration desks. Culture
Society becomes the kind hearted sav-
ior for those who cooked themselves
in the sun for LAS registrations but
failed to make the cut.
4) Cat population seems to be on the
rise. One suspects that the gardeners,
guards and janitors reserve a soft spot
for these cuddly well-fed clawing death
machines, who have no sense of pro-
priety and attack you if they see you
with a paratha roll without so much as
a warning.
5) A beard-less Santa Claus in disguise
who pretended successfully for a num-
ber of years to be the VC was finally
exposed for crimes of adorability and
cuddliness and replaced by new scary
authority figure.
6) WILDLY successful ‘I need Femi-
nism’ campaign paves way for the for-
mation of Fem Soc- a society respect-
ed for its wonderfully proactive and
pragmatic response to the problems
faced by upper class, well-educated,
clearly-in-touch-with-reality students.
7) The female gym at LUMS gets radi-
cal new makeover, and strange medie-
val torture devices are replaced with
actual top-notch machinery and tools.
(YES!)
8) A group of well-built, muscled, pro-
tein-shake consuming guys come up
with Mr. LUMS competition, provid-
ing girls with eye candy and the guys
with complexes.
-Minahil Gillani
You’re In This Together! We don’t have any words to describe how you’re feeling right now, but if we did, it still wouldn’t encompass the profoundness of your state of emotional flux. But
we can’t deny the obvious that you are grateful for the four years you have spent at LUMS and that you are feeling a little timid, maybe a little scared, to leave be-
hind this period in your early adult life.
We may not be aware of the finer emotional whims each and every one of you is experiencing right now, but the fact remains that all of you have been in this to-
gether. Together, when you stayed back at the REC room even after the cheque had been paid. Together, when you set multiple alarms to attend that 8 a.m. class
and when you called to wake that friend up who had slept through class hours, when you couldn’t remember the last time you slept for a good 8 hours and when
you were typing away at the speed of lightening just seconds before that gigantic essay was due.
We don’t know exactly what you, who have seen and lived a full four years here, will miss the most about LUMS – but we do know that LUMS has proffered you
all little things around which you had settled yourselves comfortably. Debate teams, sports teams, societies did not just augment your CV but offered a pathway to
realize your full potential. You have stuck around with these groups because they have supported you; they have made you feel loved – every day of the year. You
won’t have this next year. You won’t be living in the same place. You might not even share a bunch of group-messages on WhatsApp about group presentations
whose deadlines somehow always suddenly seemed perilously near.
So, maybe we are not entirely clueless about how you’re feeling. Fear seems unavoidable for this particular list. You’re scared of losing that inexpressible feeling of
walking into LUMS for the first time and as you take those final steps – past the gate, the guards, the LSE students seeking access and the random A-Level kids
looking up at you as though you hold the answers to the universe when really you’re just as scared of the future as they are.
But remember one thing: the best years of your college life aren’t behind you – they carry on with you, repeating in the motion of a boomerang. They are bound
to be a part of your life as you choose between moving to London and moving away from London; moving out of Pakistan in search for the elusive job or moving
back to Pakistan to finally settle down and marry the man/woman of your dreams.
We know that you have had your fair share of regrets: waking up late; that boy or girl in your class whom you couldn’t muster up the courage to talk to; partying
and then studying last minute for that quiz or paper the next day. But consider the parting words of a fellow student – remember that each and every one of you is
this way. Everyone is his or her own biggest critic and it’s very easy to let yourself down. Nobody did his or her readings on time (except for the chawka students,
of course); nobody had the perfect day at LUMS. You all have set high standards for yourself and you think that you will fail to achieve every goal you have set as
you look back at what you have missed out on college. But that’s okay – don’t worry!
Because you’re still young; you’re still in your twenties; you’re still in your prime. You have all the time in the world. We know (because we’ll be in your position
in the next less-than-four-years) you feel it’s too late when you regret not applying for an internship or not taking that specific course that could decide the fate of
your grad school applications. We share the uncertainty that our friends are more accomplished; more successful – more ready to immerse in the real life after
college.
But that’s just it. LUMS has opened up endless opportunities for you. And it’s easy to feel that you have lost yourself amongst them. You have never had to make
those hard “grown-up” decisions (except for maybe choosing courses jin main A aram say ajae) that you’re suddenly expected to. Some of you have already made
those decisions—already applied to graduate school, or that dream job. Many of you, however, may find yourself lost in the numerous offerings that come with a
liberal arts degree. You’re not sure whether you’re on the right road. You’re not sure whether you have taken enough English courses so that you can apply to the
relevant grad programs. If only you had majored in Biology and still lived your childhood dream of becoming a neurosurgeon. If only you had applied for every-
thing and done everything.
We – the students who have shared your tears and pain with every 8 a.m. class or Zambeel-based GPA damage, and your joy over dengue holiday week and
LUMS on those frosty nights – want you to realize that you can still do anything. You can still explore your options. Go get a grad degree or try photography for
the first time. We want you to think, to contemplate. You’re graduating from college with an open heart and mind. You can’t allow yourself to lose endless oppor-
tunities at your disposal. Because college has been about more than just handing you over a degree; it’s been about honing you as an individual.
We want you to come back to LUMS sometime after you graduate. And we want you to visit PDC when it is empty; the library when it is desolate. You’ll then
realize that at that place, which is normally occupied by countless people, you’ll feel at home, safe. This is what LUMS has given you: a sense of security and well-
being; countless memories, friends and mentors; a sense of individuality and maybe even a step up that ladder to oft-feared adulthood.
We want you to realize that you have been in this together and we as Luminites are always in this together.
Carpe Diem!
-Junaid Aftab
THE PLUMS TEAM
PRESIDENT
Hira Qureshi
VICE PRESIDENT
Rohama Malik
GENERAL SECRETARY
Natasha Barlas
HEAD OF DIRECTORATE
Ayesha Tahir
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF CHRONICLE
Aisha Hamid
Sana Haque
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF LUMINAIRE
Minahil Gillani
Rana Musa Tahir
DIRECTOR CREATIVITY
Zainab Ali
DIRECTOR PUBLICITY
Aman Amin
DIRECTOR MARKETING
Izza Adnan
SENIOR EDITORS
Amna Memon
Ayesha Khurshid
Junaid Aftab
Nimra Arshad
Zahra Rao
Ayesha Tahir