Q) A girl in my class has suddenly started acting weird around me. She’s very touchy-feely and keeps saying bizarre things that make me very uncomfortable. I think she has a crush on me… how do I make her understand that I’m not “that” type without being rude? Oh, I’m female myself, by the way.
A) Ah, the perils of being attractive…sigh. I feel you, little one (and no pun at all intended, no no!) In my time it was just the boys but what with section 377 being repealed and all, this is just going to be doubly hard for you young ones!
Hmm, now to your problem. It is a tricky situation to land yourself into. Try making your sexuality clear with subtle hints like gushing over the college hottie – the MALE hottie, mind you! If her affections see no trace of ebbing even after that, you should gently tell her that you would prefer a little less of physical contact. In case that doesn’t work too, then, my dear, there are but two options. Either you tell her on her face without mincing words that you are not interested in her, or get a boyfriend! But word of advice – before you take any extreme steps, do make sure that the poor girl is actually “that type” as you put it and not just an unassuming, over-friendly soul.
Q) I have an absolutely gorgeous cousin and I’ve lately started developing feelings for her. But I’m so scared to act on them because she’s a relation and all… What to do?
A) Aiyyo. Feelings for cousins is not a very good thing, rama rama! For one, if you start a relationship with her and eventually it turns out all wrong, things could get very awkward for both you in the future because you are bound to keep bumping into each other at all family gatherings. Also, I don’t know about your family, but usually a lot of parents wouldn’t encourage inter-family love-shuv so everything will have to be done with the utmost secrecy which can get pretty taxing, my dear. If your feelings for said cousin are particularly strong and you really think being with her is worth taking all the above-mentioned risks however, I suppose you should go for it and talk it out with her. If she feels the same, well and good. But if not, take it with a pinch of salt and save those feelings of yours for the next gorgeous girl you meet (preferably outside the family this time!) All the best!
Creative writing
Fancy yourself as a writer? Looking forward to letting those creative juices flow this year? DU is reputed for its versatile and brilliant ECA. Creative writing as an extra curricular activity in DU does get its share of opportunity if not ample attention.
However, this does not imply that there is no scope for budding writers in the varsity. Numerous intra and inter college activities are conducted throughout the year to hone this talent. Literary associations of colleges, some more active than others, have a major role to play in this. Creative writing competitions are part and parcel of almost every Delhi University festival. An opportunity to showcase your writing prowess is offered in inter university festivals like Antaragini and Rendezvous as well.
English departments throughout the varsity also organize departmental literary fests, where writing competitions are often the highlight of the event. One of the most famous writing competitions in DU is Flair, the literary event conducted by Hindu college. It is a short story writing competition for which entries are invited in October and November and the best entries are published in a journal dedicated to Flair that comes out in July.
An emerging trend in creative writing competitions these days is the use of visual and one line prompts. Creative freedom is offered to the participants as the format ranges from free verse, short story , script writing to poetry.
Inter and intra college writing talent is also inculcated through the medium of college magazines. Students often find a mode of self-expression via these magazines and journals. Some colleges like MirandaHouse and JMC even have a separate prize/scholarship for students who have shone exceptionally in this field.
Truly a writer at heart? Keep an eye out for Wordspill, DU Beat’s upcoming creative writing competition.
With a deadline of December this year, Delhi University’s Institute of Life long learning is preparing to make lectures and some of the best course content available online.
The Human Resource development Ministry has awarded ILLL a 2 crore pilot project to develop e content for 14 papers of seven discipline. The list includes mathematics, botany, chemistry, economics, history and commerce.
The project is a step in the direction of ILLL’s Rs 100 crore proposal to set up a national centre for e-content development for the undergraduate and postgraduate courses under the University Grants Commission’s Model Curricula.
If the plan is successfully implemented, it would bring about a significant change in the field of higher learning as the best content and lectures would be accessible to eligible students throughout the country. Furthermore undergraduate and post -graduate studies would be available under the same roof.
E learning would also enable students of any college to access lectures on different topics. In addition to providing information about a particular topic , the e portal would include video lectures, online quizzes, animations, simulations to help students achieve a better level of understanding.
The e-learning material would include certain value additions to the traditional content such as a glossary of difficult terms, common misconceptions, pop-ups, points to ponder, web links etc
The major concern regarding the implementation of this measure has been that there might be a compromise in the quality of education provided. The varsity is however planning to set up an internal quality assurance cell to assess, monitor and enhance quality standards.
According to Vice -Chancellor, DU, Deepak Pental, “We are not even in the top 10 Asian Universities despite having all the programmes, faculty and infrastructure. There’s need for enhancing quality on all fronts and we’d like to have an internal mechanism for this. We would like to compare our university with global standards for which we may even consider inviting an international agency. The academic council would be consulted for its opinion before we proceed on this.”
Over the years, Delhi University hasn’t exactly won accolades when it comes to infrastructure in the colleges. Freshers don’t expect much, and soon, like the old students, acclimatize to the infrastructure, or the lack of it. However, it seems that all this is going to change. Various colleges have begun to plan and implement various new projects to give a boost to the infrastructure in the academic session. From Wi-fi enabled campuses to snazzier sports facilities, improved hygiene conditions to better security around campus, Delhi University certainly seems to be on a revamp drive. While the over all atmosphere in the university is one of satisfaction, the occasional murmur of complaint cannot be ignored. DU Beat did a survey on the emerging face of DU.
The Sri Ram College of Commerce seems to be leading this change as it is the first college in DU to have started computer based learning in the classroom with the teachers using laptops and projectors to conduct classes. Says, Professor S. K. Aggarwal, “This new way of teaching is extremely convenient. It is easier to explain and easier for the students to understand as visual aids leave an impact.” The college has provided the laptops to the teachers at a subsidized rate. They are currently trying to tie up with companies like Dell and HP to extend this facility to the students. The students are very happy and welcome the change. Says Priyanka Bagai, a first year student pursuing Bcom honors in the college, “It’s a nice change and it saves a lot of time because now teachers don’t have to write on the black boards. Moreover, everything is there on the screen in the form of bullet points which makes it easier to understand.” The SRCC campus is also Wi-fi enabled and the classrooms are centrally air-conditioned, providing a comfortable classroom environment. Sri Venkateswara College is also making its Science block air-conditioned which they plan to extend to the Arts Block by next year.
The revamp drive is not just restricted to the classrooms. Some colleges have also renovated facilities like auditoriums and canteens that gives a facelift to the image of the college. The Hans Raj College Auditorium has been transformed from a decrepit building to a beautiful hall, which is fully air-conditioned. The auditorium, which wasn’t much to write home about, is now a source of pride for the students.
Hans Raj College, reputed for its brilliant sports infrastructure can boast of having the only electronic shooting range in DU to help hone the sport that has fetched India medals in the Olympics. Another boost to the sports infrastructure will be given by the construction going on for the commonwealth games. SRCC, along with other colleges like Hindu College and St. Stephen’s college in North Campus, has been the center for construction for the Commonwealth Games projects. Various sites have been dug up in north campus, which are to be the sites for the Aquatics Complex and for Rugby events. The University will be allowed to use the facilities after the Games. This will provide world-class facilities for the budding sportspersons in DU.
With sports facilities being adequately taken care of, the question on many students’ minds is that will basic facilities like toilets be given similar treatment. Now some colleges are beginning to look into this matter. The washrooms have been renovated in Miranda House and Hans Raj, much to the relief of the students there. Says a student of Hans Raj College, “The toilets were in a pathetic state and were generally frequented by the dogs in the college more than us. The stench used to be unbearable and they were used as a last resort. Renovation was long overdue.” Not only have they been made clean and hygienic, they have been given a swanky new look, which the students find very appealing. However, students from Sri Venkateswara College, Hindu College, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College have expressed their displeasure with regard to basic hygiene conditions in their college. On conditions of anonymity, they have that the problem with toilets is particularly bad as they are filthy and stink. Moreover, it is reported that there is a problem with the water taps as well, as some of them are dry, while some do not turn off and thus inundate the surrounding area with water
The death of a class twelfth student in a posh south Delhi school due to the alleged lack of medical facilities should draw attention to the fact that many colleges on campus face a similar problem. Many colleges on campus don’t have any sort of infirmary or a medical room. The few that do don’t have a trained doctor manning it. Take Jesus and Mary College for example, where the nurse nurse also doubles as a storekeeper. Lady Shri ram College is one of the few colleges where there is a medical room with a trained nurse in attendance. Reputed colleges all over the University do not have such facilities. If they do, none of the students are aware of it, which defeats the whole purpose of the room. Students from St. Stephen’s College, Hindu College, Miranda House, Hans Raj College, Sri Venkateswara College and many others were unable to confirm whether their college had such a facility, let alone provide details. Many a time, students requiring medication for some minor ailment have been unable to find it within their colleges
On the whole, the infrastructure situation in the University has ameliorated, drastically. Even as these measures are being perceived as a definite step in the right direction, but some students feel DU still has a long way to go.
Dean of students’ welfare : 27667092
Email: [email protected]
DTC head office: 01128855125 (Scindia House)
JAGORI Safe Delhi Campaign team: 26691219/ 20 ext – 30
Auto rickshaw complaint number : 23378888
Tiffin services at reasonable rates:
North Campus
Sri Sai Caterers,
KD-228 Pritampura
Tel. 9811138031, 011-65135345
Price: Rs. 60 per meal (Only vegetarian food served)
South Campus
Red Chillie Caterers,
15/2, Kalkaji
Tel. 9810733631
Price: Rs. 50 per meal (Vegetarian food)
Rs. 65 per meal (Non Vegetarian food)
NSS chairman (Prof. R.S.Mann): 27667474
Vice Chancellor 27667011, 27667190 27667049
Pro-Vice Chancellor 27667899, 27667758
Dean of Colleges :27667066, 27666642
Director, South Campus 27662865 24116876
Director, Campus Open Learning : 27667041, 27667799
Registrar: 27667853 , 27666350
Controller of Exams: 27667934, 27666348
Toll free anti-ragging helpline number:1800-180-5522
Email is [email protected]
Perhaps the fact that this is one of the most highly awaited and anticipated movies of the year will make any review of it redundant, since most people would have made up their minds to watch it irrespective of what the reviewers have to say. Hence the job of the reviewer, already difficult in the face of the hysterical fanaticism surrounding the Harry Potter franchisee, will be made even more challenging as a result of the insular audience. Moreover, in the event of a less than obsequious review, the reviewer shall almost certainly be torn apart by a furious fandom.
However be that as it may, it needs must be said that the movie based on the sixth installment of the Harry Potter series fails to meet up to expectations. Directed by David Yates and produced by Warner Bros., the film seems to have set out to create a story all of its own, merely borrowing a few characters from the original book in the process. To those familiar with the Harry Potter books the events as they unfold in the movie shall come as quite an unpleasant surprise. Although movies traditionally do diverge from the original plot in the novel to make it shorter or more visually appealing, the gross elimination of absolutely essential points in the book and its replacement with trivial frivolities will be a thorn in the flesh of every true Harry Potter fan. Gone are the detailed memories of Voldemort’s past that Harry explores during his sojourns in the penseive. Characters crucial to the story of the seventh book have completely failed to make an appearance while the culminating and highly anticipated fight between the death eaters and the students within the Hogwarts castle is entirely and inexplicably absent.
What results is a tame and insipid story full of school girlish romance and little else. Almost the whole of the movie focuses on the trials of the heart faced by the main characters, and while this was indeed touched upon in the original book, it seems to have assumed centre stage in the movie. The producers may have been trying to cash in on the massive Twilight craze with this cheap stunt, but the result is that the plot is a gigantic failure.
Not so the cinematic effects. While the corrupted storyline might cause it to be voted the worst Harry Potter movie plot wise, the breathtaking cinematic effects are sure to raise its stock sky high. Brilliant direction and exquisite animation and special effects make the movie an intensely wonderful visual experience. Harry Potter’s world, albeit the twisted one of the movie, comes alive with this motion picture. Truly, magic never looked so real.
The acting again is mixed. Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange is simply breathtaking in the short while that she occupies the screen, while Rupert Grint playing Ron Weasely does a creditable performance. Michael Gambon is an imposing albeit slightly over the top Dumbledore while Alan Rickman as usual plays Snape to perfection. Jim Broadbent too, very well portrays the newly introduced character of Horace Slughorn. Daniel Radcliff and Emma Watson however are again disappointing with their amateurish acting and unconvincing manner of expression.
Overall, the superb cinematic effects manage to make up for both the weak plot and tiresome lead actors, saving this movie from becoming the utter fiasco to be added to the list of failed book adaptations that it was otherwise headed to be.
My Rating:
Plot/Story: 1/5
Special Effects: 5/5
Overall: 2.5/5
]]>A fresh new year and a fresh new bunch of fests to look forward to! We bring to you the ECA calendar of the year that was so that you can get an idea of all the fun that’s in store for you this session.
BITS Pilani
Oasis, the annual cultural festival of BITS, Pilani is an eagerly awaited event and sees a high level of participation among DU colleges. Known for its energy and rock nights, it is also one of the biggest competitions for most ECA societies, especially western dance and fashion.
Jaipur literary festival
The Jaipur literary fest is the biggest of its kind not only in India, but all of Asia. It is a celebration of national and international writers and encompasses a wide range of activities including film, music and theatre as well as readings, talks, literary lunches, debates, children’s workshops and so on. Last year it was attended by the likes of Aamir Khan, Anoushka Shankar, Moni Mohsin and Fatima Bhutto. This year, expected bigwigs include William Dalrymple, Amitabh Bachchan, Bashrat Peer and Advaita Kala among others.
IIT Delhi
IIT Delhi’s ‘Rendezvous’ is among the largest cultural college festivals in Northern India with participation from over 400 colleges and attendance from over 30,000 students. Though all its events are equally thrilling, their rock show ‘Blitzkrieg’ definitely takes the cake with its eclectic performances.
IIT Kanpur
Antaragini is IIT Kanpur’s much talked about annual cultural fiesta. Watch out for their drama and music events which are a big hit among DU colleges. Apart from them, the other events like the fashion show, panel discussions, essay writing competitions, workshops etc. are also not to be missed. Once again, IIT Kanpur also hosts a brilliant rock show.
Old World Theatre festival
Another highly anticipated event, the Old World Theatre festival showcases the best of drama from across Delhi University. Last year, many plays from various colleges made it including ‘MacWho’ from Venky, ‘Line mein lago’ from KMC and ‘Accidental Death of an Anarchist’ from LSR. This is a must watch for all theatre addicts!
Let’s not forget our own college fests in the flurry of out-station events, shall we? Now, onto some of the notable DU fests!
Tarang, the LSR festival is one of the most energetic carnivals in DU. Competition levels here are pretty high with all the top colleges in and around the University vying for the coveted awards. The same can be said for Nexus, Sri Venkateswara College’s annual fest which draws a huge crowd every year. Last year saw performances by Euphoria and their own hugely popular college band – Fire Exit. Their play, “MacWho” was also a big hit. Crossroads, SRCC’s fest had a wide range of events ranging from the usual dramatics, music, debate competitions and such but also including adventure sports like zorbing and rafting. Performances by Advaita and Kay Kay were major crowd pullers too.
With all the fests being such roaring successes last year, we wonder what they have planned this time around. Going by their track record though, we’re sure they’ll surpass their own standards and surprise us again. Here’s to another great, exciting, fun-filled DU year!
5. “What’s your problem?”
“Nosy jerks asking stupid questions. Yours?”
4. “Go to hell”
“Funny way of inviting people over to your place, but ok!”
3. “Get lost”
“No, my phone has GPRS”
2. “Fuck you”
“You wish”
1. “Shut up”
“…”
Off the beat foodie trail
1. What: Patel Chest bhelpuri
Where: Patel Chest main gate, north campus
A small over laden cart, beside a bald, fat gentleman who whips up the most delicious puffed rice potpourri. Very quaint, I’d call it.
He is well known in the area, and ask any bhelpuri connieussier, they will swear by the Patel chest guy. The recipe is a well guarded secret. The puffed rice is conjured up well with spicy sauces and flavorings, which make this bhelpuri the most unique of all varieties. The bhelpuri can be customized according to your tastes, which is a major add on. The toppings are different too in this case; there is crisp groundnut and fresh coriander, so that makes it all the more eatable.
2. What: Chhole Kulche
Where: right outside Hans Raj main gate.
His chole kulche are definitely understated. The kulche are soft and tender, while his chole are well steamed and nice. All he takes is a mere 10 rupees for a scrumptious meal.
3. What: Momos
Where: A) outside Venkateswara College, Satya Niketan
B) Momos at Bungalow road, Kamla Nagar
Stuffed dumplings couldn’t come cheaper. For Rs 10 a plate, which incidentally includes 5 momos, it’s a total rip off. With hot chilly sauce as accompaniment, this is something every DUzen should experience at least once.
4. What: Chole Bhature
Where: “Chacha’s” opposite Hans Raj hostel gate, Kamla Nagar.
Although I suspect they are a franchisee of the original Chacha’s, their chole bhature nevertheless are up to Chacha’s high standards. They could even be recommended over the original, as there is just enough place to stand and eat, unlike Chacha’s shop. At the same price per plate, this one sure is a must try.