Raising awareness about substance abuse in teenagers

On 19th July 2024, the Stem Club at The Bishop’s Co-Ed School, Kalyani Nagar embarked on a journey towards educating their peers on the dangers of drug abuse. The Stem Club, in collaboration with the school Drama Club staged an impressive performance highlighting the issue. 

The event commenced with a speech by Adit Singh Rawat. He introduced the club to all the students present. The short but captivating introduction was followed by the skit, led by Kyle Irani, who narrated the story of the protagonist Aayush and his friend Sameer. Kyra Irani joined him at the podium answering queries regarding Aayush’s behavior and the toll drugs were taking on him. Aayush, remarkably played by Vihaan Shortriya, was a young boy who got peer pressured into substance abuse by his closest friend Sameer, played by Akshaj Verma. 

The story not only centered around how Aayush got drawn into his addictions but also how he got out after the tragic death of Sameer. Aayush’s rehabilitation was depicted by means of a beautiful dance choreographed by Shikhar Chaube who truly captured the essence of Aayush’s struggles.

After the skit the school counselor, Dr. Yajyoti Singh, spoke at length about the psychological factors contributing to Aayush and Sameer’s addictions and the associated side effects. Principal, Mr. Ashley Eates also took the stage, sharing insightful remarks and offering invaluable counsel to the students. The event came to a close with the Vote of Thanks delivered by Mihir Vaidya. He thanked each and every member of the cast as they came on stage for a final bow.

The event was an incredible success with countless hours of practice behind it. The story was a passion project of Mihir Vaidya whose enthusiasm spread to Kyle Irani, Dheya Bachkar, Adit Singh Rawat, and Preeti Humnabadkar who wrote the script.

The success of the event was largely attributed to the mentorship of teachers Mrs. Sandra D'Souza Jose and Ms. Jovia Dsouza, as well as the leadership of student director, Kyle Irani. Encouraged by the outcome, Mr. Eates decided to organize a subsequent performance at the Bishop's School, Camp, in the following week.