Populating Mars: Students bag NASA award, radio play
26th Jan 2013
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Student pose with their trophy | Photo: Vinay Kumar
part from meritorious academic achievements, Dikshant International School in Zirakpur, keenly encourages its students to expose themselves to various extra-curricular activities, in order to get more out of life, besides achieving success. This is materialised by way of providing platforms through various activities in arenas like theatre, fine arts, music, dance etc.
Recently, the students of the school won first prize for their project "Space Colonisation at Mars" at NASA's 'Student Space Settlement Design Competition' at the International Space Development Conference (ISDC), held in May, 2012 at Washington D.C.
As an outcome of this win, NASA, in collaboration with Julia Tcharfas had asked the school to develop a radio drama. Julia Tcharfas is an artist and curator working on a series of exhibitions focusing on space colonization design history for the BBC. The students not only scripted, but also enacted a captivating radio drama to be broadcast worldwide by BBC London in association with NASA as a Mars Awareness programme.
The script prepared by the students is a fiction which is based upon the students' project on "Space Colonisation at Mars". Envisaging life on the red planet, they wrote a script covering different scientific concepts explained in the project. It revolves around two kids who accidently reach Mars along with their scientist parents. The parents are involved with many other scientists and astronauts in setting up the colony on the red planet and the story is about their experience during the adventure trip which is edifying, humorous as well as mysterious.The play will be aired worldwide in the month of February, 2013, by BBC London and Resonance 104.4 FM, an award winning, Arts Council funded radio station in London.
Recording the radio drama |Photo: Vinay Kumar
On the commendable achievement, Mitul Dikshit, Chairman, says, "I see the radio show as a real public forum of presenting this generation's imagination about the future and developments in human acheivement. This initiative seems to be a great source for spreading ideas on this subject."
Nandini Sharma and Manya Sharma represented the school at NASA during the submission of the project. About the project and their visit, they firmly hold out that it was a moment of a lifetime. Meeting the scientists and astronauts and the knowledge shared is like a dream come true for them. Harnoor Bindra, who is in the fourth standard and enthusiastic to make a career in theatre says, "Recording on radio was indeed wonderful. We learnt a lot of new things and the interaction with veterans during the recording session was indeed knowledgeable." Bindra's classmate, Jaskaran Singh who is a member of the theatre team adds, "I believe we have never learnt the properties of Mars in a better way. This platform enriched our knowledge and was undeniably wonderful and interesting."
http://www.sunday-guardian.com/young-restless/populating-mars-students-bag-nasa-award-radio-play
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