Page 9 - Spectrum Volume 14 Issue 8 (1)

2021 | Spectrum | Volume 14 Number 9 9

The Impossible Persian Pillow

NATALIA RISHMA A

For Alexander the Great, the
world of the Iliad was a world
of gallantry. He was enthralled
by the effects the simplicity of
the poem could have. He adored
the writings of Homer so much
that he was rumoured to have
Celebrating love for what it is, beyond boundaries
kept a copy of The Iliad with a
dagger under his pillow. It was
Not Your Standard Rainbow his most treasured belonging.
Ambitious is what one would
PRIYANKA SRINIVAS (art), indigo (harmony) and imagine Alexander would define
violet (spirit). Due to mass- himself as. His treatment of
Displayed from tall ceilings, production issues, however, pink Homer is an olio of his approval A symbol of incredible value- Alexander replacing
short windows, empty roads and and turquoise were dropped, and of Greek values and Persian the Iliad and Odyssey in a casket
crowded shops, the pride flag indigo was replaced with blue. customs. to his relationships and morality, mixed populations. But all in
is the most common way of This new 6-striped rainbow is the To keep the Iliad under his and propelled him to question vain. Till his death, the Achillean
expression for the LGBTQIA+ pride flag as we know it today. pillow avowed his unequivocal his father’s policies as King of motivation to lead a conquest
community. Since this community The sub-communities in the allegiance to the model of Macedonia. Being a devotee of haunted Alexander’s ambitious
does not fit the traditional norm, LGBTQIA+ community have Homeric heroism. His Iliad was Greek traditions had quite an mind. With Aristotle as his
representation makes a world flags of their own. For example, not only a symbol of Homeric influence on his Persian mind teacher, the seed of philosophy
of difference. It is commonly the bisexual flag consists of arete but also a mark of Persian He romanticized the idea of and Homeric values had been
agreed that a flag symbolizes three colours: pink, purple and ceremonial grandeur. Alexander creating an amalgamated land and planted young. The Iliad was his
pride better than most forms of blue. Similarly, the lesbian flag was particularly enamoured by aimed to do so by nullifying his shelter and companion; it was
expression. Hence, what started consists of seven colours from his superhero, Achilles, and the opponents, entrusting a quota of his noblesse oblige. Keeping
as a flag for gay people is now a pinkish-orange palette that stories of his heroism. The Iliad administration to pliant nobility, a copy of the Iliad with his
a symbol of pride for the entire represent non-conformity, love influenced most aspects of his encouraging mixed marriages, dagger, the work of a pen with
community. The first pride flag and community. life, from his warfare stratagem and building new cities with a sword, was a true checkmate.
was designed by an openly gay
artist from the United States Not restricted to flags, the
named Gilbert Barker. It was six rainbow colours can be
used anywhere in the form of
intended to be displayed as a emojis, art renditions, food Made on Earth... Sourced
symbol of pride for the gay
community at the San Francisco etc. Such usage is the most
common way for LGBTQIA+
Gay Freedom Day parade in people to recognize each other from “Out of this World”
1978. However, it has evolved
quite a bit over the years. in different social spaces. Due
to their history and widespread
The original flag had eight recognition, the pride colours RAMAY RAJ SINGH The asteroid belt which lies richest man in modern history
colours: hot pink (sex), red are vital for the LGBTQIA+ between Mars and Jupiter with a net-worth of +1 Trillion
(life), orange (healing), yellow community to be heard and Metal, food, and water – a has hundreds of thousands of Dollars made it so by creating
(sun), green (nature), turquoise be equal. triad that defines regions, their asteroids, almost all of which a stronghold in the Oil industry
standing, and their abilities. have valuable elements which in the US, and it is widely
Humanity has so extensively could be excavated for use. believed that the next man to
SRM student becomes integrated itself with tools made The list includes elements reach or cross this threshold
of minerals, mostly metals and like water, gold, silver, silica
would be someone related to
semiconductors, making them etc, which form the bedrock
India’s 68th Grandmaster an inseparable part. The use of of our civilization. Similar mining celestial bodies. But
the justifiability to disturb the
elements found in the earth’s deposits have also been found
crust, control of rivers and on celestial bodies in our solar balance that has existed in the
STAFF WRITER farmlands has decided fates of neighbourhood. solar system by plundering it all
as we have on earth, to satisfy
endless civilizations. We have
SRM Institute of Science and indulged ourselves into countless John D. Rockefeller, the our needs is unknown.
Technology (SRMIST) is proud skirmishes for dominance over
to announce that its student Arjun these major resources.
Kalyan has become India’s 68th
In the grand scheme of things,
Grandmaster recently. This there was no such shortage of
18-year-old is pursuing his them. We never overdid the
first year in B.Com at SRMIST. planet’s capability to renew,
He has crossed the 2500 ELO ensuring a prolonged balance.
mark after scoring a win at the Lately, however, a shift is in
ongoing GM Round Robin effect. Since the 1970s, we are
“Rujna Zora-3” in Serbia. Arjun taking more from the planet than
had come close to becoming a at the Biel Masters 2018 and it could replenish, 1.7 times
Grandmaster in the previous followed it up with his second more. In other words, we are
tournament last week but has GM norm at the Roquetas De running out of these inextricable
missed it by a whisker. Arjun Mar. We are proud to have him elements which, in effect, run
Kalyan is an IM with two GM as our student here at SRMIST our modern society. But it seems
norms and has an ELO of 2500. and wish him many more laurels the solution to these problems Estimated financial value of Asteroids based
He scored his first GM norm in the future. lie right behind us. on the composition of its crust (Statista.com)