Q2 MAIN EDITION SPOOKZILLA SHIKISHI VOCÉ
CONTENTS CREATIVES An article for every question in mind, read through to find out 03 MESSAGES A few words from our dearest President and Co Editors. Read through to check out some breathtaking clicks. Club engagement, read through to find out more. How was the community benefited? Find out. 40 52 PICTURE PERFECT AVENUE UPDATE 07 CLUB SERVICE 15 COMMUNITY SERVICE Professionally developing with many projects, read through. 27 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Read how the club connects across the oceans. 37 INTERNATIONAL SERVICES
President's Message I am thrilled to present to you the second edition of Blogger for the RI year 2022-23. The editorial team of the Rotaract Club of SLIIT has once again outdone themselves in bringing you a magazine that truly captures the essence of our club's activities and achievements in the second quarter of the year. As we go with a motto for the year "Strive to Empower Life", explore what we did in the second quarter, the magazine not only covers the events and activities of the club, but also includes a creative section that showcases the talents and skills of our fellow members. This is a testament to the diversity and richness of our club's membership. As the famous writer, John Steinbeck once said, "A writer, I think, is someone who pays attention to the world." The editorial team of Blogger has paid close attention to the world around them, and their efforts have resulted in a publication that is not only informative but also visually stunning. I encourage all of you to take the time to read this edition of Blogger and enjoy the fruits of the editorial team's labor. I am confident that you will find it to be a valuable and enlightening read. On behalf of the Rotaract Club of SLIIT, I would like to thank you for your continued support and wish you all the best as you explore this edition of Blogger. Rtr. Lathushanan Koneswara President 2022-23 Rotaract Club of SLIIT
Editor's Message We are delighted to convey our greetings as the Co-Editors of Rotaract Club of SLIIT for the RI year 2022–23. We consider it a privilege for us to publish the "The Blogger" for the second quarter of the year. We appreciate your support for our publication. These pages will direct you in the path of a wide range of projects featured under each avenue in along with the original articles written by our very own club members. Our amazing members have contributed greatly and it is because of them that we were able to create the "The Blogger" for quarter 2. We wish to take this opportunity to acknowledge all of our club's wordsmiths for using their creativity to complete all of the blogs and translations on time while still balancing their academic commitments. I hope you're looking forward to reading and enjoying "The Blogger" in Q2! Rtr. Kavindu Githmin Rtr. Abirami Thanabalasundaram Rtr. Anuji Karunaratne
Sub-Committee Meetup Public holidays are usually supposed to be calm and tranquil. But the hustle (and the fun) never stops for the members of the Rotaract Club of SLIIT. That’s why we flocked to the Bird’s nest (pun intended) on the last Poya day of 2022, with the intention of forging new friendships, planning new projects, and catching up on old times. Since many events this year were held virtually, it was the first time for most of us to meet each other physically. But there was no awkwardness at all…just falling into the familiar patterns of cracking jokes and the occasional teasing. The members of the sub-committees had time for a quick chat before our president, Rtr. Lathushanan Koneswara called the meeting to order. After warmly welcoming everyone, it was time for a quick round of introductions from the Board of Officials for the RI tear 2022-23. The president also shared his personal experiences about how being a Rotaractor has helped him to further develop his skills and talents. He emphasized the importance of grabbing whatever opportunity, Rotaract throws your way. On a lighter note, the president also talked about how the bonds forged here would last throughout our lives; we could meet our first client, business partner, best friend, or even sometimes our life partner (Yes, it has happened before).
PENNED BY: RTR. KUSHLANI NAGAHAWATTA Then the Sub-Committees had their individual meetings where we brainstormed ideas for upcoming projects, while the Top-Board officials dropped by to chat. Afterwards we moved on to a fun icebreaker in the form of Charades, where each group was given two chits with the name of a movie or TV series written on them, and they had to act it out so the other groups could guess. It was especially fun trying to figure out what the movie was based on the hilarious and sometimes outrageous acting. The IT com guessed most of the answers, guaranteeing them a reputation as professional binge-watchers. After the mandatory selfie where everyone tried their best to stay visible, it was time for the day’s activities to wind down. And as always with any Rotaract event big or small, the memories we gathered are ones for the ages. EDITORIAL MEMBER 2022-23
CLUB SERVICE
One of the biggest orientation activities presented to Rotaract Club of SLIIT new members is Rotaverse. Rotaverse is a tremendous opportunity for all the students of SLIIT to be a part of RACSLIIT family. More than 100 people participated virtually in Rotaverse – Phase 1, Rotaverse project chairs made the decision to hold Phase 2 after a week filled with excitement in Phase 1. Phase 2 had three consecutive days of clear understanding of every aspect of the SLIIT Rotaract club avenues as well as to educate people about Rotaract District and how things operate there. The introduction to the Club Service and Community Service Avenues of RACSLIIT took place on October 11, 2022, on the opening day of Rotaverse – Phase 2. We invited ADRR Rtn. Rtr. PP Rivi Wijeratne and ADRR Rtn. Rtr. PP Mindula Perera as Guest Speakers for Day 1 to discuss the avenues in District perspective. The presentations delivered by our own Club Service Directors Rtr. Dewmi, Rtr. Vishen, and Community Service Directors Rtr. Pasindu, Rtr. Madhumini helped the participants understand the avenues of RACSLIIT, and they encouraged participants to join their committees. On October 12, the second day of Rotaverse – Phase 2, the Professional Development, Sports & Recreational, and International Services Avenues of RACSLIIT were highlighted. We invited ADRR Rtn. Rtr. PP Nimesha Jayamanne, ADRR Rtn. Rtr. IPP Rashmika Silva and Rtr. IPP Himaza Hilmy as our guest speakers on Day 2 to talk about the avenues in district approach. PENNED BY: RTR. SITHUMI GUNARATHNE TEAM LEADER 2022-23
The presentations made by our own PD Directors Rtr. Chathushi and Rtr. Enuka, Sports & Recreational Director and Team Leader Rtr. Anupa and Rtr. Koshila, and International Services Directors Rtr. Haily and Rtr. Lakshani contributed participants to understand the opportunities offered by each avenue and motivated participants to enroll their committees. On 13th of October, third day of Rotaverse – Phase 2, the Editorial and Public Relations Avenues of RACSLIIT were introduced. For Day 3, we invited Rtr. Kawshi Yogarajah and Rtr. PP Praneeth Madushanka as Guest Speakers to speak more about the avenues in the District aspect. The session continued with Rtr. Abirami‘s presentations on Editorial in RACSLIIT, introductory presentation to the PR and IT avenues of RACSLIIT given by Rtr. Ginuri and followed by an presentation from our Directress for Corporate Partnerships Rtr. Onelie guiding the participants in understanding the avenues of RACSLIIT and prompted them to join their committees. To break the ice, we organized a kahoot quiz based on the 3 days of Rotaverse – Phase 2 to test the participants’ knowledge on what they have gathered throughout the consecutive 3 days. We think that everyone gained knowledge and volunteered to Club’s avenues.To all the participants, we congratulate you all on your new journey with Rotaract club of SLIIT Family. We hope that you all will be with all throughout the year. Thank you to the Rotaverse organizing committee. We owe a great deal of appreciation to the guest speakers who contributed to make this event achievable for you. We also like to acknowledge the efforts of our newest members. We are pleased that, thanks to everyone’s assistance, we were able to accomplish this project effectively.
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HOLIDATE “Christmas is doing a little extra something for someone else” Charles M. Schulz Christmas is one of the biggest festivals celebrated by almost everyone around the world regardless of religion, race or language. We were all taught to be good kids during our childhood in return for Santa’s secret gifts. The Christmas decorations, the seasonal Christmas movies, getting Christmas gifts and playing Christmas games have all been a part of our life since we were born. However the recent past situations such as the pandemic and the economical crisis has become an obstacle for our country in celebrating Christmas with the people we love.
‘Holidate’ was a creative initiative organized to recreate those memorable moments this year after being unable to celebrate a proper Christmas for the past couple of years. This project was chaired by the Club Services directors of Rotaract Club of SLIIT for the year 2022-23. The main purpose of Holidate was to reunite the board of officials after their semester exams and improve their overall well-being. This was further focused on developing and strengthening the bond between the members. All board members were so happy to see each other after some time and it was a great time for them to relieve their exam and work stress. It was also an important time for the girls to catch up with all the gossip and simply spill the tea. To add a bit more fun to the party everyone was instructed to dress in colours of red or green. This was quite entertaining since the guys faced a really hard time to get an outfit and the girls struggled in choosing from their multiple options. Everyone was also desperate to come for the party where we played the most popular secret Santa. Each member was assigned to be a secret Santa of another and everyone was extremely curious to find out their secret santas. The secret Santa was held successfully following a delicious dinner. The members were also really excited while opening their gifts and even found a few of their secret Santas.
Holidate brought a smile to each board members’ face and helped them charge themselves for another tiring yet adventurous year ahead. This project is therefore significant in developing fellowship among the club and providing a space to create and cherish wonderful memories with their loved ones. Christmas therefore brings joy to everyone despite how old we are. It is these moments that make us realise how amazing our life is and how many loved ones we have around us. PENNED BY: RTR. ABIRAMI THANBALASUNDARAM CO-EDITOR 2022-23
COMMUNITY SERVICE
“No race can prosper until it learns there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem.” Booker T. Washington. Farmer to Farmer Farmer-to-Farmer Phase 1 is an initiative taken by Rotaract Club of SLIIT to spread the knowledge of horticulture to publicly support the economic hardship in the country these days. This was held on 12 September 2022 from 6- 7.30 pm through Zoom technology with more than 65 participants.
Farmer-to-farmer aims to promote organic agriculture through gardening and planting and reduce economic growth and poverty during the economic crisis. Accordingly, Farmer is a project with 2 phases. This was done through the Community Service avenue of Rotaract Club of SLIIT. This program is the first phase and the next phase is to be held as SLIIT Agro Fest. PENNED BY: RTR. KASUNI MUNASINGHE EDITORIAL MEMBER 2022-23
The Great BLUE PENNED BY: RTR. SHEIKHA HANNA EDITORIAL MEMBER 2022-23
The project commenced on the 6th of August to the 24th of September 2022, where a group of our enthusiastic Rotaractors participated in a team with a focused goal: to enrich and restore the great blue. The project was carried out at the Sri Lankan Coastguard Post in Dehiwala and began to collect waste materials on the coastline. Furthermore, the Coastguard Post was an excellent spot; initiatives have already been set up and maintained bins on the beach. There is still a massive quantity of plastic and debris washed to the seaside from the sea. Nevertheless, the Great Blue team managed to collect 16 bags of plastic, polythene, and paper and then were handed over to a local waste management recycling center, ‘Ecofriends’ in Colombo. Furthermore, the Coastguard Post was an excellent spot; initiatives have already been set up and maintained bins on the beach. There is still a massive quantity of plastic and debris washed to the seaside from the sea. Nevertheless, the Great Blue team managed to collect 16 bags of plastic, polythene, and paper and then were handed over to a local waste management recycling center, ‘Ecofriends’ in Colombo. The volunteers were extremely passionate about the beach cleanup and volunteered to assist in cleaning the beach and collecting plastic bottles for recycling. The project team managed to inform the group of all ages about the damage done to the environment by excessive and careless use of plastic, how observable behaviors contribute to the problem, and how to relieve it. Fun games, an after-lunch meal, and dances made the project memorable and successful. The volunteers were extremely passionate about the beach cleanup and volunteered to assist in cleaning the beach and collecting plastic bottles for recycling. The project team managed to inform the group of all ages about the damage done to the environment by excessive and careless use of plastic, how observable behaviors contribute to the problem, and how to relieve it. Fun games, an after-lunch meal, and dances made the project memorable and successful.
"As you grow in knowledge, you will know, That you have two hands... One to help you, The other is to help others.." -Audrey HepburnPranaama is a program reserved for those who are living the retirement life and have fulfilled their duty to the country as a citizen. It is Organized by the community service unit of Rotaract Club of SLIIT and this project was going to be implemented in two phases.
As the second half of the first phase, the renovation of the elder's home began and the volunteer committee members themselves did not forget to clean and repair the elder's home and paint it. The first phase of the Pranaama project was successfully completed after the renovated elder's home was handed over to the that elders on 30th October 2022.the project was demonstrating the value and showing the self-satisfaction of caring for the elders. The first phase of the Pranaama project was started on 18th of July 2022 at 10am with fifteen members at the KLP elderly homewhich aims to take care of the elderly with utmost care and empathy to help them live a peaceful life in a pleasant environment. The committee members made sure to spend quality time with the elders which included fun games, singing sessions and various other occasions. PENNED BY: RTR. UTHPALA ABEWICKRAMA EDITORIAL MEMBER 2022-23
I am very much of a night owl, so even though I knew I had to wake up early the next day, I only went to bed at around two am on Saturday, the 24th of September. I heard my alarm going off at six thirty, and it took me pretty much an entire quarter of an hour to make up my mind to get out of bed. I scrambled around, trying to get ready at top speed, and took a taxi to get to the pick-up point to take us to the English Dhamma Centre of Mahamevnawa, which was our destination for the day...Rtr. Imesh, our Sergeant Ayya, and Rtr. Isiri had already arrived, and after around forty-five minutes of journeying we reached there. The chief monk welcomed us, and invited us to have breakfast. I remember Sgt. Imesh gulping down all the food, while Isiri struggled to finish just two slices of bread. We were told to tidy up the kitchen afterwards, and to prepare a refreshing drink of lime for the monks and the Sangha Dhana as well. At around 10 am Rtr Kavindu joined us, and we had a wonderful meditation session under the guidance of the monks. This gave us much needed peace of mind and encouraged us to be more present in the moment. We also got the chance to have a very insightful conversation with the monks and gain a glimpse into what life is like at the monastery.
After lunch, we prepared to go on a small bus trip to hand out a few donations, which was something that I was eagerly looking forward to. We first went to an Elders’ Home in Colombo, where there were around hundred residents. We donated the commode chair and magazines published by the Mahamewnawa. Afterwards we were assigned separate tasks, and my job was to prepare the Sangha Dhana along with Rtr. Isiri. Meanwhile Rtr. Imesh and Rtr. Kavindu were given the tasks of setting up a sewing machine and a commode chair. The purpose of installing a sewing machine was to train people so that they could earn money that could be put towards more charity work and donations. Since Rtr. Isiri was a good cook, we were able to get things done smoothly and well within the given time. We even prepared more lime juice! Then we all pitched in to clean up the bookshop at the monastery.
After a meritorious day, it was around seven at night when I finally returned home. As a Rotaractor, I’ve been a part of many projects and events, but there was something more fulfilling about that day. It was a day where I had spent time with peace of mind and contentment from contributing towards a great cause. The Project Amisa Puja will be an ongoing project for the upcoming months as well. I warmly welcome you all to come and be a part of this amazing project. It is one small step that starts the great leap towards making this country a better place. We next went to the homes of a few less fortunate families and gifted them money towards paying off their electricity bills. We also were able to provide enough funds to a small business owner who ran a tiny Hopper Stall, to buy a new gas stove. That was pretty much it for the trip and after returning to the monastery we cleaned up the fish tank as the last task for the day. PENNED BY: RTR. PASINDU SERASINGHE CO-DIRECTOR 2022-23
Christmas is a joyous time where we share gifts with each other, spend time with our families and enjoy a good meal. But is this the real meaning of Christmas? While we enjoy the magic of the season, we should also not forget that there are plenty of people around us who are less fortunate, especially due to the recent economic collapse of the country and the high inflation. Many families are suffering, and some are even unable to afford two meals a day. Even though parents sacrifice many things to try and provide for their children, it’s still not enough, and they are exhausted. Celebrating Christmas is just a dream for many of them. So, we wanted to provide some relief for them during this festive season in whichever we can bring joy and happiness and to make sure the true meaning of Christmas lives on. This year, for the 4th consecutive time, the Rotaract Club of SLIIT organized the project “Christmas for Everyone” with the sole purpose of helping communities in need that are mostly overlooked.
With ‘Christmas for Everyone,’ we focused on communities in need based in Lunawa area, near Moratuwa. With the help of Father Sameera, who is the parish priest of St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s Churches, we were able to distribute stationary items, sweets, and snacks to 40 kids in this area. Father Sameera helped to identify families who were mostly affected by the current economic situation and made sure all the donations and goods made it into the hands of the families who were in dire need of relief during these trying times. On the 29th of December we visited the church with a bundle of gifts in full of excitement. We sang carols with them and enjoyed some quality time. The kids and their parents were so happy to be a part of it. And we donated used teddy bears for the small kids. We were truly happy to see the smiles on the faces of the children when they received their gifts. We are grateful for all the donors and sponsors who gave their utmost support. And a huge thanks goes to the organizing committee for making the project a massive success even during these trying times. The team was able to show us the true meaning of Christmas. “Christmas for everyone” project reminds us of the value of helping individuals who are in need, and that seeing the gratitude on their faces is the biggest gift we can receive. PENNED BY: RTR. NAVODYA WEERASINGHA COMMITTEE MEMBER 2022-23
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The only way to find your voice is to use it – Jen Mueller VOCÉ As such is how important public speaking and presentation skills are. Even though public speaking is a challenge that many individuals struggle with, it’s been proven that those who are confident and fearless to voice their opinions in front of others are far more likely to succeed in the ever-changing world. VOCE, a project undertaken by the SLIIT Rotaract club under the personal development avenue, aims to improve individuals public speaking skills. The project commenced on the 11th of September and continued until the 23rd of October 2022, with a combination of 2 phases. Phase one branched out to 6 sessions, starting with an introductory session hosted by Rtr. Akaam Zain, President of Hills Capital Toastmasters. The session highlighted Rtr. Akaam’s public speaking career trajectory, from his early days to the present. In order to ease the tension and forge a bond between the participants and the mentors an ice breaker session was conducted. During the session both the participants and the mentors introduced themselves and continued forth by playing “Two truths and one lie.” The icebreaker session was indeed enthralling, and the participants were afterwards divided up into teams, each of which was led by a mentor.
Session one of the project was “Script Writing and Presentation.” Mr. Mohamed Yasir, the immediate past president of the Hill Capital Toastmasters Club, enlightened us with his presence and walked us through mastering the art of presentation and crafting an incredible script. Mr. Mohamed Yasir enthralled the audience with his knowledge on screenplay writing, which included the art of using quotes and humor as well as strategies for luring the audience. Rtr. Shamah Badurdeen served as the session’s moderator. In the second session, “Body Language and Gestures,” Fathima Rifka, the current president of the Matale Toastmasters Club and a content specialist for the D82 Public Relations team, gave insightful guidance on how to present oneself with confidence by maintaining posture and gestures, enhancing the influence of a speech. The session attracted more than 60 viewers who stayed engaged throughout. Rtr. Pasindu Gunawardhana served as the session’s moderator. The third session focused on “Stage Presence and preparing for Questions.” Mr. Shareef Mihlar, the founding president of the Matale TMC and the current vice president of the Qatar Toastmasters Club, emphasized the importance of using stage presence and guided the audience on how to respond to questions like a professional. Rtr. Pasindu Gunawardhana, acted as the session’s moderator. Mr. Shareef Mihlar primarily concentrated on stage aversion and made explicit suggestions for overcoming it.
The influence you have on the audience during a speech is mostly determined by the vocal variety you use. The fourth session on “Vocal Variation and Pronunciation” was delivered by Ms. Nepa Wickramasinghe, president of the Hill Capital Toastmasters Club and a former Local Committee Vice President for Business Development at AIESEC at the University of Peradeniya. The guest speaker during this session made detailed explanations of how to employ vocal variation in public speaking, such as changing voice tone and pitch. Rtr. Shamah Badurdeen facilitated the session. The fifth stage and final session of Phase 1 was on “Connecting with your audience,” where Mr. Amhar Raleen, the Vice president Education at Hill Capital Toastmasters Club and an assistant public relations manager at district 82 toastmasters (Sri Lanka and Maldives) enlightened us on how to bridge the gap between the listener and the speaker while retaining the audience’s interest. Rtr. Shamah Badurdeen served as the session’s moderator. Phase 2, the most awaited segment of the VOCE enabled participants the opportunity to have their public speaking abilities evaluated in real time by mentors, Toastmasters, and guest judges. Six mentees spoke before the three judges that were present. The six speeches were split into two groups, with each judge assessing two speeches in each group. After the first three speeches, there was an intermission during which Rtr. Madara sparked the audience with her enchanting performance, followed by the remaining speeches. We wrapped this wonderful journey by expressing our gratitude to our mentors and the guest speakers for the time and effort they invested into ensuring the success of this project. I want to conclude by saying: if you want to move people when you speak, discover the magic of storytelling. PENNED BY: RTR. SHAMAH BADURDEEN EDITORIAL MEMBER 2022-23
We were able to successfully complete the “Sell Me This Pen” project on December 28, 2022, with more than 40 members through zoom technology, which was held as another mission of Rotaract Club of SLIIT under Professional Development Avenue. One of the objectives of the project was to create and enhance marketing skills in the youth. It was another goal of ours to pave the way for successful future entrepreneurship. The guest speaker of our project was Mr. Michael Messmer Melran, a senior marketer in the industry for over thirty years. The program consisted of a very special Q&A session with a presentation by him. Mr. Michael enthusiastically answered the questions raised by the audience. Because of this, we received many positive responses for the participants. We were able to successfully fulfill the main requirement of the program to encourage prospective entrepreneurs to sell their products and educate entrepreneurs about the current market situation. This was another successful attempt by Rotaract Club of SLIIT to produce a graduate entrepreneur from the university. Sell me this pen PENNED BY: RTR. THANUSHI THILAKARATHNE EDITORIAL MEMBER 2022-23
“Regular brainstorming is as critical to an organization as regular exercise is to your health. It creates a responsive, innovative culture.” – Tom Kelley Intranet- Phase 2 (Ideation) The 2nd phase of the project “Intranet” was “Ideation” & it was another opening initiative of the Professional Development Avenue of Rotaract Club of SLIIT thusly the 1st phase. In this phase, it was collecting all the novel ideas into one place & generating new brainstorming projects which are conclusively known as initial planning discussed. Since this project consisted of phases, the 1st phase was Toggle Track which was held on 8th August 2022 & the 2nd phase was Ideation. What is the concept of Ideation? Fundamentally, the process of creating, refining, & presenting new ideas is known as ideation. Nonetheless, an idea is fundamental thinking which can be either visual, physical, or abstract. The four stages of ideation include problem identification, fact gathering, problem characterization, and idea generation. Moreover, the 2nd phase was held virtually on 13th August 2022 for about 45 min via Google Meets with 17 participants exclusively with the Board of Officials. The Digital Communications Director, Rtr. M.R.M. Rikas arranged this session.
As per the beforehand discussion with 2 Professional Development Directors & the Digital Communications Director, the major concern of this session was “Figmajam” which is an online platform precisely used for planning & brainstorming purposes. Making the initial planning, monitoring, & documenting each & every project idea with an ease were the goal of this session. This session was successfully concluded with a piece of great knowledge & valuable information to the participants regarding the ideation which is critical for forthcoming novel projects. PENNED BY: RTR. PINITHI LANSAKARA EDITORIAL MEMBER 2022-23
Project PictureX was implemented with the idea of broadening the mindset of those who are interested in stamping a footprint onto the realms of Media. It was carried out virtually branching out to 3 phases and was successfully conducted with the collaboration of experts from the field of; ‘Commercial Photography, Cinematography and Graphic Design.’ PIICCTTUURREEXX
Phase 01 of the initiative consisted of a session focused on Commercial Photography, in where a true veteran, Sachith Kodikara walked us through his experiences that he faced and enabled the participants to know all aspects of photography. He started his photography journey when he was studying in the US and continued forth in Sri Lanka in pursuit to broaden his knowledge further. Rtr. Pasindu Gunawardhana served as the session’s moderator. Phase 02 of the project was devoted to all cinematography devotees who wished to craft their motion photos into a visual narrative. Kushith Gaveesha, a professional with 6+ years of experience engrossed the audience with his expertise and capabilities. He shared his artistic production leaving the audience curious for more content. Rtr. Shamah Badurdeen facilitated the session. It was a 3-day session which commenced from the 11th of December to the 14th of December with the aim of creating great talents for the future. PictureX a project dedicated to all photography and cinematography enthusiasts to think outside the box and express their form of art digitally.
The final Phase of PictureX emphasized on Graphic Design where our fellow expert Mazin Jinnah with 7+ years of experience, joined us all the way from the California, United States. He walked us along the unfamiliar path of Photoshop and carried out several tutorials which later turned into a masterpiece leaving the participants anticipating for more and had the questions coming in till the very last minute! Rtr. Shamah Badurdeen served as the session’s moderator. The project was concluded successfully achieving its aims and set objectives! PENNED BY: RTR. SHAMAH BADURDEEN EDITORIAL MEMBER 2022-23
INTERNATIONAL SERVICES
“My origami creations, in accordance with the laws of nature, require the use of geometry, science, and physics. They also encompass religion, philosophy, and biochemistry. Overall, I want you to discover the joy of creation by your own hand the possibility of creation from paper is infinite." – Akira Yoshizawa One of the original initiative projects of the International Services Avenue of Rotaract Club of SLIIT was the latest project, known as “Shikishi”. This project was entailed with 2 different phases, such as, the “Phase I – The workshop” & the “Phase 2 – The Competition”. The elite objectives of this project were to develop the creative expertise of the public by educating them with the art of folding papers, Origami and to toughen the fellowship amongst the Rotaract Clubs of the Rotaract District. Project Shikishi What is “Shikishi” & Origami? Fundamentally, Shikishi is a Japanese word describing specially prepared fancy tinted or decorated square papers which are used in autography, poetry & origami, etc. And profoundly, Origami, is the Japanese art of paper folding or the art of folding objects out of any paper to create both twodimensional and threedimensional subjects.
This initiative commenced virtually from the 5th of September 2022 until 21st of October 2022 via Zoom conferencing platform with more than 75 participants. Correspondingly, the Phase 1 – The Workshop was held on 14th October 2022 at 7.00 pm and the Phase 2 – The Competition was held by instructing the participants to submit a small video clip of them making a beautiful Origami art. This session was conducted by Ms. Tamashi Kasthuriarachchi who is an Origami Instructor in Sri Lanka.. PENNED BY: RTR. PINITHI LANSAKARA EDITORIAL MEMBER 2022-23
Creative Section
1610 Italian scientist Galileo Galilei uses a newly invented instrument - the telescope - to resolve the band of light running across the night sky, known as the Milky Way, into myriad stars that he presumes must be at a great distance. 1750 English astronomer Thomas Wright speculates that some fuzzy patches in the night sky called nebulae (or nebulas) are external galaxies like the Milky Way, far beyond our own. 1771 French comet-hunter Charles Messier publishes the first version of his catalog of non-stellar objects, which eventually includes over three dozen galaxies even though he has no idea of their nature or great distances. 1845 William Parsons, Ireland’s third Earl of Rosse, uses the world’s largest telescope of the time to resolve spiral nebulae such as M51 (known today as the Whirlpool galaxy). Astronomers largely assume it is a nearby whirlpool of gas because no stars can be resolved. Galaxies are cosmic islands of stars, planets, nebulas, gas, dust, and dark matter that are separated from one another in space but collectively help to tell the story of the universe. With the Hubble Space Telescope, we have begun to understand galaxies as time capsules that chronicle how the universe evolved, from the birth of stars within them to the buildup of immense galaxy clusters. However, this modern realization of the cosmic role and significance of galaxies, including our own, took centuries to emerge.
1920 At the Great Debate, held before a public audience in Washington, DC, astronomers Harlow Shapley and Heber Curtis argue whether spiral nebulae are part of our galaxy or outside of it. 1924 American astronomer Edwin Hubble publishes a paper demonstrating that M31, known then as the Andromeda Nebula, lies far outside our own galaxy. He later develops an evolutionary sequence of galaxy types in an attempt to organize his observations. Hubble also uses galaxies as “markers of space” to measure the expansion rate, and hence the age, of the universe. 1932 Studies of galaxy motion (building on earlier studies of stellar motion) provide evidence that an invisible form of matter, later dubbed dark matter, dominates the universe. Galaxies contain only a small fraction of the mass in the universe. 1964 The discovery of the cosmic microwave background provides observational evidence for the Big Bang hypothesis. This means that galaxies must have evolved from a hot and dense fireball. 1970s Astronomers Vera Rubin and Kent Ford confirm the existence and dominance of dark matter in galaxies by measuring the motions of stars within. 1990 NASA’s Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) revealed minor temperature fluctuations in the early universe that led to the amalgamation of matter and the formation of early galaxies. 1994 Hubble confirms the existence of a supermassive black hole in the core of galaxy M87. Subsequent Hubble surveys find that such black holes are common to galaxies and that a black hole’s mass correlates with the mass of its parent galaxy.
1995 The Hubble Deep Field finds thousands of galaxies, including many very distant ones, in a comparatively blank-looking patch of sky. 1996 High-resolution imaging from Hubble definitively shows that brilliant objects known as quasars are located at the cores of faint, distant galaxies. Many quasar host galaxies interact with neighboring galaxies, which fuels activity near supermassive black holes at galactic cores. 1998 Observations of supernovas in distant galaxies show that the expanding universe is accelerating. Astrophysicists hypothesize that this is caused by an unknown form of energy, labeled “dark energy,” that permeates all of space, pushing the galaxies farther apart at an ever-increasing rate. 2003 NASA’s Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) produces an even higher-quality map of the cosmic microwave background showing fine structure in the early universe, which led to the distribution of mass and galaxies observed in the universe today. 2014 A ten-year compilation of observations allows astronomers to assemble the most comprehensive picture of the evolving universe, spanning ultraviolet to near infrared wavelengths, in a small patch of sky known as the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. PENNED BY: RTR. KEERTHANA GUNARETNAM EDITORIAL MEMBER 2022-23
Dear little flower, A different breed than the rest, Standing purple in a sea of yellow. They sneer and point out your flaws, You are not one of them, You are different. You think differently than the rest, You want more than what is enforced upon you, And yearn to make them see… To make them see that your mind Is not as bad as they think Dear little flower, They sneer, Why would you want to spread your seed? Who would want one so soft and delicate as you? With your strange dreams and strange looks? I may be different my friends, I may be quiet, I may be soft, But what’s so odd about wanting to fly freely in the wind? To see the world and live? I believe -
Nonsense! Sneer the yellow flowers, Silly little flower, you ought to have been born yellow, You ought to have the sense to be like us at least in spirit You cannot fly in the wind! You are rooted to the ground – where it is safe and stable! Quiet now, silly little flower - Or else we will Uproot you! … Dear little flower… Where is your voice? I haven ’t heard you in a long time… … Years have passed… I come to the old field once more And stop in surprise The yellow is gone… It’s a sea of purple that I see now… A race not so cold and cruel, One that is now kinder to those whose Dreams guide them… With a wild gust of wind, the purple flowers rise, They are flying now – free from the roots that chained them down… But where is the dear little flower who started it all? …uprooted. All those many years ago… P E N N E D B Y: R T R. E S HINI H A SIT H RI E DIT O RIA L M E M B E R 2 0 2 2-2 3
WE’RE STILL APART NOTHING’S CHANGED AND NEVER WILL BE BUT AT LEAST OUR STARS ARE ALL THE SAME THE SUN WILL SET THE MOON WILL RISE A BILLION STARS WILL FILL THE SKY EVERY DAY WILL END THE SAME PENNED BY: RTR. MINOLI RASHMITHA EDITORIAL MEMBER 2022-23
Does AI art count as art? Scrolling through my Instagram feed, I came across an AI (artificial intelligence) generated artwork some time ago. Out of curiosity I gave it a try and was amazed by the result. There are several websites and apps that can be used to generate AI art. DALL-E, Nvidia canvas and Neural Blender being some of them. To create something, a prompt has to be given and the AI will create an “artwork”. Ever since I first saw AI generated art, I’ve been pondering whether it really counts as art. The definition of art according to the Oxford Languages is “the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power”. But something painted by an elephant still counts as art. So yeah, AI art does count as art.
What the AI does is collect information and images from all across the internet and create an image according to a given prompt. Lately the AI has become so advanced as to fool the majority of people into thinking they were made by a real person, in contrast to the earlier days when AI generated art was clearly distinguishable from human created art as most of the images consisted of unrealistic proportions. But as of lately, tools like DALLE-2 have helped people create more realistic images in many different styles according to the person's liking. Seeing so many creative works being generated by AI, using instructions of a human, I came to the conclusion that AI art really does count as art. It can be compared to a person asking an artist to commission an artwork. The artist is given a set of instructions and they have to draw according to the client’s needs. The reason AI art is not well received in the art community is because it poses a threat for thousands, if not millions of artists that make a living out of making art. AI programmes are either free or extremely cheap in contrast to the quite expensive charges of artists for commissions. Therefore, it must come as no surprise when people turn to AI programmes to make their art for them.
Then there's the other problem of does the person that gives the prompt to the AI count as an artist? I believe if the creation of the art takes a lot of steps, to produce a high quality artwork, it means that the person behind the prompts and the ideas does require some amount of skill to navigate throughout different AI programmes and even within the same AI programme. But in the case of creating an artwork with a single prompt, the person giving the prompt does not qualify as an artist. Perhaps the most talked about problem regarding AI art programmes is the fact that the AI can steal other artists’ works, especially that of digital artists, to create their art. Much of the backlash against AI art programmes has been about this, as artists were furious that their art is used without their permission and without any payment to the original artists. It's imperative that we, as humans, help another person out and pay for real, human artists rather than rely on AI to create art. AI is, of course, a novel tool, and the hype around AI art may die out when people start to think of the ethical dilemma that it presents to artists. But only time will reveal whether people start to rely completely on AI, or whether the hype will die out. PENNED BY: RTR. ROSHELLE PERERA EDITORIAL MEMBER 2022-23
The Beast Within