Facts About Sikhism By: Sujal Mirchandani

 Facts About Sikhism

By: Sujal Mirchandani

Sikhism originated in India in around the 15th century and is now the 5th largest religion in the world. The religion consists of ten gurus starting from Guru Nanak Dev and ending with Guru Gobind Singh and teaches the belief in one God, which is an idea known as Ek Onkar. The religion teaches three basic principles, which are praying to God, earning money honestly, and helping out others in need. The holy text in Sikhism is the Guru Granth Sahib which is also known as the 11th and the final guru. 

In Sikhism, there is a concept 5 K’s, which were created in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh for a group of highly devotional Sikhs, known as Khalsas. The K’s consist of kes (uncut hair), kirpan (short sword), karha (steel bracelet), kanga (comb), and kacchera (undergarment). Each of the 5 elements is an important aspect of being a Sikh; for example, having uncut hair represents surrendering your ego to the guru, and having a sword signifies fighting for yourself. Although the 5 K’s were created for a specific group of Sikhs, they are an integral part of every Sikh’s identity in today’s world. 

Sikhs pray in temples which are called gurudwaras. One of the biggest and the most significant temple in Sikhism is the “Golden Temple” located in Amritsar, Punjab, India. It is believed that Amritsar was just a lake and a forest in the past, where Guru Nanak used to meditate, before he passed away there. After Guru Nanak’s passing, Sikhs started to believe that the lake had special healing properties, which prompted the construction of the Golden Temple in the middle of the lake. Guru Ram Das, who is known as the 4th guru in Sikhism, began the construction of the Golden Temple, which was later completed by Guru Arjan Dev in 1601. The temple was destroyed and rebuilt on many occasions as the Sikh community faced attacks from enemies. Eventually, the exterior of the temple was covered in gold plating in 1830, which is why it is now called “Golden Temple.”

Bibliography

BBC Bitesize. “Features of the Gurdwara - Practices in Sikhism - GCSE Religious Studies Revision - Eduqas,” n.d. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zm848mn/revision/1.

EBSCO Information Services, Inc. | www.ebsco.com. “Golden Temple (Sri Harmandir Sahib) | EBSCO,” 2024. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/literature-and-writing/golden-temple-sri-harmandir-sahib.

SikhNet. “Who Are Sikhs? What Is Sikhism? | SikhNet.” SikhNet. SikhNet, 2019. https://www.sikhnet.com/pages/who-are-sikhs-what-is-sikhism.

“The Five K’s | The Pluralism Project,” Pluralism.org, 2026, 

https://pluralism.org/the-five-k%E2%80%99s.

Fahrenheit 451 Book Review By: Sujal Mirchandani

 Fahrenheit 451 Book Review

By: Sujal Mirchandani

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is set in a futuristic society where books are banned and burned by firemen. The firemen in this society are given orders to burn the houses of people who are caught with books but they do not know why books are such a big deal in society. The main character, Guy Montag, is one of the firemen who starts to question why books are being banned. He begins to secretly hide books instead of burning them like the other firemen and reads them. After reading some of the books, he eventually understands how important books are to a society. 

The story focuses on a society where books are censored because they do not want people to think hard. Instead, they want people to stay distracted so they do not question what the government is doing to them. The government fears that if the public gets smarter, they will speak up. 

Overall, this book was very intriguing because it made me wonder what the world would be like if there were no books. Also, I felt that this story is relevant today because people do not spend enough time reading as they are always on their phones. I would give the book a 4 / 5 star and I would recommend it to people who like sci-fi and dystopian. 

 

The Great Gatsby Book Review By: Sujal Mirchandani

 The Great Gatsby Book Review

By: Sujal Mirchandani

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is set in the 1920s and focuses on the life of a millionaire named Jay Gatsby. The book is narrated by Nick Caraway, Gatsby’s neighbor, who gets along with Gatsby and learns more about his secret past. Gatsby loved a girl named Daisy Buchanan in the past, who left him because he was poor. Due to this, Gatsby worked hard to be a millionaire and now throws lavish parties to get Daisy’s attention. The book focuses on how Gatsby tries to win Daisy back.

The book focuses on the American Dream by portraying Gatsby to be poor in the beginning and becoming extremely wealthy later on. Gatsby keeps working hard to improve his social status in an attempt to win Daisy back. 

Overall, I enjoyed the book because it was very powerful and thought-provoking. I would give it 4.5/5 stars and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys books about character development. 

How to Avoid Procrastination By: Sujal Mirchandani

 How to Avoid Procrastination

By: Sujal Mirchandani

Have you ever avoided doing work because you were not ready to face it? Sometimes putting things to the last minute can seem like a good option instead of facing them because it seems like you have a lot of time to do it. But as the due date starts to get closer, you start feeling more stressed and anxious, forcing you to rush through your work. This action is called procrastination, which doesn’t symbolize laziness, instead, it is a behavior that comes from being overwhelmed or stressed. If you need help avoiding procrastination, you need to understand why you are procrastinating, break down your work into smaller pieces, and take breaks to freshen your mind. 

The first step you need to take to beat procrastination is to figure out why you are doing it. You need to evaluate if you are procrastinating because of how long and overwhelming the work is, or because you are afraid of failing. Once you figure out the cause of your procrastination, you can come up with the best strategy to overcome it. 

The next step is to break up your work into smaller pieces, which would allow you to manage your work without feeling overwhelmed. If you have a big project from school that is due in a week, you should plan out what you want to accomplish each day before the due date. This would make the work seem easier and faster, without making you rush one day before the due date. 

Lastly, it is important to take frequent breaks as you work to ensure you stay fully focused. Working for long periods of time can be mentally challenging, so it is important to take a few minutes break to ease your mind. You should plan breaks as per your needs. Some people might take a 5-minute break after working for 45-minutes while some people might take a 5-minute break after working for 1-hour. You need to identify how long you can stay focused before you need to take a break and plan accordingly. 

Procrastination is a habit which can be changed if you adjust your mindset. It is important to note that you do not need to be perfect with everything, you just need to try your hardest. You do not have to be better than anyone else, you just need to be better than when you first started. Working towards overcoming procrastination is a good habit since it will make you build better habits and get control of your time. 

Works Cited

Data, College . “8 Tips to Avoid Procrastination.” CollegeData, 2024, www.collegedata.com/resources/campus-life/8-tips-to-avoid-procrastination.

Long-Distance Friendships by Krish Shah

 Long-Distance Friendships by Krish Shah

Every friendship is important as it has a different role in your life. Some friendships are there to motivate you academically, while others are to force you to have fun. This is why I believe that maintaining long-distance friendships is necessary. No friendship should be lost due to distance. I believe that there are important steps to take to maintain your friendships. Specifically, taking time out of your day to ensure that you are communicating with them. Communication is extremely important in long-distance friendships, especially when you are not able to see them every single day. Additionally, being patient with schedules and time differences. Oftentimes long-distance friends will not be available as they have a completely different routine that does not align with yours at all, but it is important to remain patient and give them some time. Lastly, finding ways to show your gratitude for them is important. I believe that it is important to show that you are grateful for their friendship and you could do this by sending a nice text, letter, or shipping over a gift. These are just a few tips that I have to maintain long-distance friendships. Every friendship is important and I believe that ensuring you maintain these friendships even though you are hundreds of miles apart is crucial.  

Works Cited

“How to (Realistically) Maintain Long Distance Friendships | Ensemble 

Magazine.” Ensemblemagazine.co.nz, 2025, www.ensemblemagazine.co.nz/articles/long-distance-friendships.

Weather and Mood by Krish Shah

 Weather and Mood by Krish Shah

The weather plays a large part in the mood that I am in. When it is rainy, I am usually in a gloomy mood, but when it is sunny, I am happy and excited. Studies show that good weather positively impacts our mind, while bad weather is associated with negative emotions. The weather has a large impact on the activities I do during the day. When it is sunny outside, I am usually more active and spend time outside with friends biking or walking around my community. I have more energy to interact with people and complete more activities. On the other hand, when it is gloomy outside, I prefer to stay inside my house and complete any computer work I have. Other times I decide to scroll on my phone or watch shows online. I have found that weather has a large impact on my mood, emotions, and activities, which is why I have started to pay more attention to the weather and plan my activities around it. I believe that the connection between weather and mood is extremely strong and largely impacts people's lives. This is why I believe that individuals should begin to consider their routine and to do lists based on the weather. 

Works Cited

Zhang, Weida, and Wenzhang Li. “How Weather Conditions Affect 

Well-Being: An Explanation from the Perspective of Environmental Psychology.” Frontiers in Public Health, vol. 13, 4 July 2025, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1553315.

Is Breakfast The Most Important Meal? by Krish Shah

 Is Breakfast The Most Important Meal? by Krish Shah

People often say that breakfast is the most important meal, but does it truly make much of a difference? In my opinion, breakfast does make a difference in students' energy and performance throughout the day. Studies have shown that breakfast increases children's energy and brains. It allows them to think and act more efficiently. Beyond studies, I have seen that eating breakfast makes a difference in my life. For me, I used to drink a glass of milk before I went to school, and I found that by the end of thirty minutes of being at school I would become extremely hungry. It was difficult for me to focus because I was hungry. After I noticed this, I began eating a few fruits or a slice of toast in the morning and I saw how much of a difference this made. I was not truly hungry until lunch time and I was able to focus better during class. I have seen firsthand how important breakfast is and how much of a difference it can make in a child’s life, which is why I believe that everyone should eat breakfast in the morning or even attempt to for a few days if you do not usually eat anything. 

Works Cited

“Every Child Should Start the Day with Breakfast | Texas Children’s.” Texas 

Children’s, 2018, www.texaschildrens.org/content/wellness/every-child-should-start-day-breakfast.