Page 253 - DAIS Insignia 2020-21

A Pyrrhic Victory Tears trickled down my face as we sprinted across to Trinity Church, the Les monuments de Paris
vantage point from which I viewed sights and sounds that were the
'Jeff, I need a raise,' I asserted bluntly. embodiment of terror: sirens wailing. Carcasses covered in sheets. Paris a beaucoup de monuments riches en histoire. Cet article est sur les monuments les plus célèbres de
Smoke engulfing the once-magnificent edifice. Paris.
'But I can't, Brian, we're in recession.'
The rudder of a plane plunged from above. Stanley and I looked at each D'abord, la Tour Eiffel. Elle a été construite comme l'entrée pour l'Exposition universelle de 1889. Il mesure
I worked overtime thrice per week, had a perfect performance-review, 300 mètres de haut. Du haut de la tour, on peut voir la ville entière ! La nuit, il y a des spectacles de lumière
and needed money for my daughter's college fees. I stormed out of the other, piecing together what had happened.
qui sont très beaux! La Tour Eiffel offre de formidables vues
office that night, ready to come back the next day with a vengeance. A A plane went through the towers. et elle fait une partie importante de l'histoire française.
seething letter of resignation was to be slammed upon his desk. A We looked at each other again. The towers were about to fall to dust.
guileful grin crept up on my face. Un autre monument magnifique est l'Arc de Triomphe. Il a
Both towers imploded behind us, as we darted, the ephemeral joy of été construit en 1836 pour commémorer la victoire de
10th September, 2001. I complained about salary. 11th September, cheating the hands of death obliterated. l'armée française à la bataille d'Austerlitz. Depuis le
2001. I would have something more significant to complain about. sommet on peut apprécier une belle vue et il y a des
That harrowing scene shattered me, plunging me into the oppressive guides qui expliquent son histoire. Il y a aussi de centres
Denial.
shackles of depression. commerciaux et des parcs à côté qui sont très amusants.
I felt it before I saw it.
A Pyrrhic Victory? Enfin, il y a Notre-Dame de Paris. C'est une cathédrale
Rippling vibrations radiated throughout the room as if a high-magnitude Jose Marrero catholique médiévale qui a été construite
earthquake struck. en 1163. Il a de beaux vitraux et des
1969 - 2001 sculptures de personnages bibliques
A fleeting silence ensued, before ear-piercing screams began to
reverberate throughout the 84th floor. Clouds of crimson and “He helped people till the end.” importants. Il y existe également des
musées contenant des objets anciens. Malheureusement, le 15 avril 2019, il y a eu une
clementine began to shroud the North Tower. Could that be…fire? No. I “You good?” Stan asks, as we gaze at the memorials, his arm slung over énorme incendie qui a détruit une grande partie de l'intérieur du bâtiment, mais la
was hallucinating. This was a figment of my imagination. I pinched me. Tears trickle down my face. I cannot answer. plupart des artefacts ont été préservés. En raison des dégâts, la cathédrale Notre-Dame a
myself.
Donned in the suits we wore to work that day, Stan, myself, and those été fermée pendant un certain temps.
Anger. The adrenaline rush. who survived made it a yearly tradition to visit Ground Zero every Ce sont trois des monuments les plus célèbres de Paris. Ce sont tous les éléments très
A phantasmagoria of horror and panic ensued. September 11. There were 2,996 souls that left us - I could easily have importants de l'histoire et d'excellents endroits à visiter.
been one of them. I spend my days with my family, still trying to accept
“Who committed this Satanic crime?” a voice thundered. Ritvija Dalmia
reality.
Enraged, I knew I had to escape. But from where? My co-workers posited
“You good?” Stan repeats.
that descending would be impossible as the floors beneath were a Humanity’s ineptitude
warzone and made the (fateful) decision to ascend. Viscerally, I “Yeah. But this whole experience? A Pyrrhic Victory,” I mutter. From the SARS outbreak in 2002 to the H1N1 epidemic in 2009, one would have hoped that humanity would have mastered grasping information on
descended. Ahaan Jindal combatting another such outbreak. On the contrary, the Covid-19 Pandemic has absolutely devastated the world, and until a suitable vaccine can be

Then a soft banging sound. developed, or if under fortuitous circumstances, the virus mutates to something harmless, it will continue to prove a thorn in our side.
“Lord, don't let me die. Please send somebodyanybodytohelpme!” Spreading like a conflagration to approximately 210 countries, not only has the virus snuffed out copious lives, it has also consumed our lively hoods. Be
it halting all sporting events dead in their tracks or delivering crushing blows to the tourism and travel industries, the ripples from the fall out of our
That sound subsequently eclipsed the palpable fear around me, albeit
current predicament will indubitably be felt far in the future.
momentarily.
Does this really imply that our priorities in research and development in the fields of science and technology should drastically change? Short answer,
Bargaining. An engendering of anguish.
yes and no.
A calloused hand waved through a hole.
Voices will be raised in caution, and fears increased tenfold, as even after the crippling effects of the pandemic dissipate, the tendrils of apprehension
Salvaging all my energy, I pulled out a stubby man.
and pandemonium that have been sewn into the very fibre of society. This will surely Influence our future endeavours in the biotech field from the
“Hallelujah! I have been saved! I'm Stanley.” a raspy voice vocalized. driver's seat. The lack-lustre performances from governments around the globe in handling the crisis really begs the question: what if the world would
have fallen prey to an even deadlier disease which perhaps, had a greater mortality rate than covid19?
“Blood, sweat and tears” is a phrase used to depict unceasing efforts.
'Bile' or 'phlegm' is never added to that. With a mutilated Stanley slung In this scenario, it would be safe to assume that national economies would plummet and lives would be snuffed out like candles faced by a churning
over my shoulder, I tumbled down Staircase A, the repugnant mixture of tempest. Eighteen months is simply too long for a vaccine to be developed and this could serve as a brutal reminder that research and development in
blood, sweat, bile and phlegm advancing up my throat. “ Take me away, the fields of fundamental biology need drastic improvements in order to bear the brunt of any ensuing crisis.
God. Not the promising young intern, who now lies bleeding, impaled,”
The simultaneous assaults of the anti-racism protests around the world, which may have caused a major upheaval in human society as a whole, along
the voice pleaded.
with the detrimental effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic, should hit the world like a slap in the face. It clearly elucidates the ease with which humanity
In the distance, the faint, inviting light of day waited to greet us. The can be overwhelmed, made to slump in defeat, causing us to come crashing down on our knees. Therefore, it is evident that in-depth research into the
finish line was near. fundamentals of biology, the likes of which haven't been seen since the 1960's must be undertaken by scientific institutions around the globe, using
unwavering resolve to yield definite results.
“But why didn't I go?” the voice enquired perspicuously.
However, in no way does this imply that our priorities in regards to science and technology should shift in the slightest. In fact, this is all the more proof
Depression.
that we should redouble our efforts. Despite arduous toils of NASA and other such organizations, the enigmas of the universe that lurk in outer space
Leaves you scarred. continue to elude discovery. Be it SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, which has fascinated even our primeval ancestors, to dark energy,
“Get onto Liberty Street and cross it. Now!” a fireman directed. dark matter or the origin of the universe, a cornucopia of knowledge lies tantalizingly close to our outstretched fingers, and if precured, will surely go a
long way in quenching our thirst for the unknown.

“ flourishing and happy, if any “ cannot be achieved Additionally, technology forms the backbone of modern society and its constant development and enhancement moulds the direction in which
True sustainability
No society can be considered
humanity is headed. Spearheaded by technological firms all around the globe, new innovations sprout up from the midst of ingenuity which serves only
to better our standards of living. This is the one field in which nations have poured their hearts and souls into, and with strong leadership at the helm,
part of the population is kept without social the dystopian future that merely seemed like a science fiction dream, would change from a near impossibility to simply ‘over-ambitious.’
poor and miserable. Unlike the prior crisis, one would hope that humanity used this as a learning curve. Plunging into the intricate tapestry of bafflement seasoned with
“
economic, political and
Kshitig Seth sustainability - “ nuggets of invaluable information which is fundamental biology, is integral for humanity to thrive, and for better or worse, our
cultural equity.
actions from here on will have indelible ramifications to the future. Humanity's gateway to salvation lies invitingly ajar, but our
Malvika Murkumbi own ineptitude, time and again, bars our way forward.
Moksh Jhaveri
Sriya Bodapati
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