On 30th October 2015, Raunaq Bhalla and Pranati Haldia, headboy and headgirl respectively attended 'Lead On! 2015', a leadership programme held at Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar. 'Lead On!' provides a platform for young leaders of different schools to interact with and learn from one another. An interesting activity named 'Walkie Talkie' successfully helped the students break the ice. They were then divided into groups and allotted tables based on the colours of their ID cards.

Our first speaker of the day was Mr. Raghav Chadha, spokesperson of the Aam Aadmi Party. He told the students how he had sacrificed a promising career to join politics and he entreated others to work towards nation-building. He emphasised that politics might not be perceived to be an alluring career opportunity but it was upon the youth of the country to change the notion about an occupation that actively helps in shaping the course of the country.

The next session was with Papa CJ, a motivational speaker and stand-up comedian. Papa CJ told the students about the importance of good communication, and quickly set them to task. He asked them to form groups and work on a presentation based on a topic they felt very strongly about. While Raunaq's group decided to take up the cause of the LGBT+ group, Pranati and her group decided to tackle the sensationalised issue of 'eating what one wants to eat'. Some of the presentations were showcased and marked on a score of 10. It helped students appreciate the importance of clarity and expression while communicating with others.

The students were then engaged in an activity named 'Expound', where three chits had to be picked, and a play had to be scripted based upon the lines noted on the chits. This led to some hilarious and yet thought-provoking performances!

After a quick lunch, the young leaders were reshuffled and randomly divided into the four houses of Hogwarts. 'The Quest' was much like a treasure hunt, and the students were very excited to take part in this activity. They were given floor maps of the school, and were given a clue, which would guide them to the next clue. This activity intended to make the children realise the importance of team spirit and co-operation.

The last session of the day was with Mohammed al-Ghazzawi, counsellor in the Syrian Embassy, and Waiel Awwad, a Syrian journalist. They answered the numerous questions of the house regarding the Syrian crisis, and the way in which it is being addressed. All the students were deeply sensitised about the issue as the emotional responses of the speakers truly left a mark on the audience. We thank our School for giving us an opportunity like this as it truly stretches our horizon.