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August 5, 2009

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What kind of a DU-ite are you ?

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1. What is the first thing that you do when you wake up?

a. Drink a warm glass of water and head to the park for morning exercises.

b. Paint my nails a fresh pink to match with my pink hot pants.

c. Switch on the television to do pranayam with Baba Ramdev.

d. Curse at the alarm, nearly breaking it in annoyance.


2. What time do you usually reach college?

a. I am always on time; coming in after the professor is the highest form of discourtesy.

b. I am usually tied up in some event meeting or the other; but I make sure that I get all the notes photocopied regularly.

c. Er college, eh? I am not really sure…usually in time for the next class.

d. I like to saunter in late, though just in time for the attendance.


3. How did you spend your summer vacations?

a. I went to Goa and shopped till I dropped! I am going again in October; really holidays here get so dull.

b. I joined the Art of Living and took to Vegetarianism.

c. They were quite fruitful, I deem. I interned at a company for two months, worked on my College Magazine and joined Alliance Française.

d. Uh, well, I slept, watched movies, ate and slept.


4. How did you do in your final exams?

a. The marking was decidedly unfair! I think I’ll file an RTI.

b. Are they out?

c. Oh, I don’t study at all, ya know? I mean who does, in college?

d. I managed to do fairly well. Of course, had it not been for the umpteen societies that I am a part of I might have topped the University.


5. What do you usually do in your free time?

a. I like to read, write poetry, catch up on all my assignments, meet up with school friends, watch tennis and play scrabble.

b. I like to go for long walks and delve deeper into the many mysteries of life.

c. I like to pamper myself at the salon; head massages are a must. At night, I absolutely love to go clubbin’.

d. I’m not sure…sleep some, maybe?


6. What do you plan on doing after college?

a. I want to see the world. There is so much suffering; I’d like to make a difference.

b. I am working on building a stout CV for campus placements in case I don’t get into IIM Ahmedabad.

c. Dad said there was something in the offing, can’t bother to remember right now.

d. I am looking for my fairytale; I am convinced that I am meant for grander things in life.


Check your answers. Whichever of the following occurs most often is your result.

The harried over- worked DU-ite- 1. a, 2. b, 3. c, 4. d, 5. a, 6. b.

The glassy- eyed idealist- 1. c, 2. a, 3. b, 4. a, 5. b, 6. a.

The languid DU-ite- 1. d, 2. c, 3. d, 4. b, 5. d, 6. c.

The simpering jobless DU-ite- 1. b, 2. d, 3. a, 4. c, 5. c, 6. d.

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Your Beat

Debating Societies in DU

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n515107959_781827_1769Debating in Delhi University is very different from debating at the school level. The main difference stems from the existence of Parliamentary Debating.

While conventional debating (the kind you did in school) involves a team with one person for and one person against an idea, Parliamentary Debating (PD) involves different teams with one team for and one team against an idea. A team can consist of two or three people (depending on the tournament) and teams typically fight in multiple preliminary rounds during a tournament, at the end of which the top 8 teams are selected to go into the quarter-finals.

PDs are different, not only because of their tournament style or the fact the one side will “win” but also because of the values involved. Your oratory ability is considered second to your points and adjudicators (who are also students and not the teachers or IAS officers you had in school) award the debate to the team that can best prove their case rather than the team that has the most fluent speaker.

While there are many Debating Societies that take part in PDs, there are many that don’t. Indeed, there are even colleges which don’t have Debsocs. Debsocs are vital, not only because of the network that allows you to be invited for PDs, but also because they provide the training that is crucial to winning.

The money in both conventional debating and PDs is good (although one has to be very good at PDs in order to win). In conventional debating, the writer’s records put the average prize at around Rs.900. Almost every department in every college in DU has their own festival which usually includes a debate. Therefore there are plenty of debates to take part in, especially during December. Most Debsocs that participate in PDs organize one or two every year.

Debsocs vary from college to college: some are very active and drill their juniors into shape, while others do not. In the end it depends on you college and priorities. Debating teaches one not only how to speak but also how to think logically about a situation and express one’s thoughts clearly, skills that will be of great use in the real world.

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DUB Speak

Word On The Street: Fast Trax

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If you’re wondering what just opened up at “that petrol pump near JMC” we will put an end to your curiosity! This snazzy restaurant is Fast Trax, a fast food joint certainly in the league of Mc Donald’s. However, don’t jump to conclusions and presume the prices on the menu are proportional to the eatery’s swanky ambience. One is pleasantly surprised to discover that this was not the case and the food items are easily affordable! The first time you go there, I suggest you opt for the “20 Rupees Wala Burger”. They have certainly come up with innovative though extremely unusual names for their burgers. The cheapest vegetarian and non-vegetarian burgers are called “rock star” and “don” respectively. These could be coupled with any beverage ranging from iced tea to the chocolate milkshake. But for all of you who would wisely choose water out of this range, we advice you to carry your own instead of buying it from here! After you eat the scrumptious don or rock star, we doubt you would try anything else because they are definitely  “value for money” burgers.

But for all those rare times when your pocket is a little fuller and your stomach considerably empty you can go ahead and try a “California”, a good buy for all you mayo-chicken freaks. Now what we don’t want you to try is the pasta simply because of the lack of consistency in its taste.   Also if you decide to say, “I’ll have the rajma-rice box” at the counter, go home for your mum makes it best! One can even indulge their sweet tooth in the delicious chocolate desserts they have to offer. All in all I declare Fast Trax  is a fairly good place

MY RATING: 3/5

THE BEST THING ABOUT IT: DON AND ROCK STAR

THE WORST THING ABOUT IT: UNAVAILABILITY OF THE ‘BEST THINGS’ FOR THEY FINISH IN A JIFFY!

(your feed back would be well appreciated. Aditi is available at [email protected])

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Reviews

Movie Review: Night at the Museum 2

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Directed by: Shawn Levy Staring: Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria, Robin Williams Produced by: Shawn Levy, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan There is something about sequels, something that makes you cross your fingers and send silent prayers to the heaven. There are not a great number of sequels which are better than their predecessors and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is sadly no different. There is little novelty in the follow- up and the plot could do with a little more semblance. Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) is now a successful albeit an unhappy entrepreneur. Larry discovers that his old exhibit friends are being moved to the Smithsonian Institution in light of budget costs. Teddy (Robin Williams) tells Larry that the exhibits will be leaving without The Tablet, thereby ending their nightly shenanigans forever. On receiving a call from Jedediah (Owen Wilson), Larry finds out that Dexter, the mischievous capuchin monkey stole The Tablet and an evil Pharaoh Kahmunrah is attacking them. What follows is a journey through Federal Archives, meeting with the moxie- inducing Amelia Earhart, conversing with a marble Abraham Lincoln, flying ancient planes and rescuing Jed from an hour glass. Throw in an assortment of oddball characters like the card- dealing Al Capone, small man Bonaparte, Darth Vader, Oscar the Grouch, and voila, you have a battle at hand! Night at the Museum 2 is by no means great entertainment. The concept, exhibits coming to life at night, which was interesting the first time does not amaze anymore. The gags are forced and there are unnecessary corny conversations. However the movie’s redemption lies in the lisping Hank Azaria, who is amusing as the evil Pharaoh. Amy Adams is spunky but Stiller falls short of expected standards. Robin Williams is wasted in a large and chaotic cast, though the three cherubs (voiced by Jonas Brothers) singing love ballads are refreshingly enjoyable. The special effects are brilliant, especially the touchy feely pink octopus. On the whole the movie is pleasant but hardly riveting. Rating: 2/5]]>

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Features

Analyze Yourself: The Facebook Quiz Phenomenon

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In this digital age, online social networking has taken the world by storm. It is an easy and effective way of finding and staying in touch with friends and family and the perfect forum for expressing oneself. Most importantly, it is the best place to waste any surplus time on one’s hands. Facebook, the ruling King of networking sites has seemingly come up with the most innovative, though unproductive way of doing so – quizzes!

Every Facebook member takes these sometimes funny, almost always unimaginably silly quizzes. They range from “What does your birthday month say about you?” or “What historical character are you?” to “When will you die?”, and “Are you girly, a perfect princess or a tomboy?” or something to that effect! The common link in all these quizzes is that it reflects a human need for attention, if not from people, then from computer programmes. Everyone loves being analyzed and branded as something, even if it makes them more like everyone else in a time when everyone wants to be different just for the sake of it. Take for instance the quiz which analyzes people on the basis of their birthday month; there are only 12 months as compared to the thousands of people who take the quiz. So many different people with so many diverse characteristics cannot possible be pigeonholed into 12 categories. However, no one minds this. Legions of people who take this quiz are a testimony to this fact.

Some of the quizzes are amazingly bizarre. “When will you lose your virginity?”, “How many children will you have?”, “What kind of butt wiper are you?” are just some of the examples. Most quizzes have questions that involve praising oneself. For example, in the quiz “What do your eyes say about you?”, there is a question which says “what do people say about your eyes?”. The options are “They’re very beautiful”, “They’re very scary”, “They’re very deep”, “They’re really pretty”, “They match your personality” and “People don’t really talk about my eyes.” It is clear that whenever someone answers a question like this, they obviously don’t go about conducting surveys. They can either choose any of the first six rather narcissistic options or they can choose the last one. If they go for the latter, the result of the quiz would probably be something like “Your eyes are unexpressive”. Most people know that and end up choosing one of the first six options and thereby praising themselves. This way they also manipulate the quiz to get the answer they want. So basically, people like being analyzed in the hope that the image the quiz creates conforms to the image they have of themselves or is something better.  Vanity in its starkest form indeed!

However, one thing cannot be denied. These quizzes are a lot of fun and a nice way to relax. So what if it involves all the above mentioned things? After all, everybody on some level already knows these things. Bring on the quizzes!

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Features

Delhi’s Demonstration Destination: Jantar Mantar

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The recent gay pride parade held in June was a riot of colours, a celebration of diversity, and a march against anti-gay laws. It was a procession that demanded freedom of choice and expression. And there could not have been a better place for its culmination than Jantar Mantar, the epitome of freedom of expression and Delhi’s prime demonstration destination. In fact , many DU protest marches / rallies have been known to culminate here..

Jantar Mantar of Delhi, one of the five observatories built by the 18th century Rajput king Maharaja Jai Singh II, has been the site for many a protest, demonstration, procession, strike and dharna ever since the Narsimha Rao government banned rallies at the Boat Club. This choice of location seems to be very apt as it is situated on Parliament Street, which leads up to the Parliament House. The dharnas at Jantar Mantar that have been going on for three to four years are a testament to this fact. Says Sheetal, a little girl holding fort at a bandh with her mother, “We have been here since 2006. We want the government to rehabilitate the Bhuj earthquake victims. There are still a lot of people who have not been given any support and are without shelter.”

Sub-inspector of Police at the Parliament Street Police station, Bhup Singh, said “There is at least one procession here every day. Most of the time the demonstrators restrict themselves to Jantar Mantar, but sometimes, with prior permission of the Police, come onto Parliament Street, in which case we need to block the road and divert traffic”. The traffic is diverted to the parallel road, Jai Singh Marg. This diversion of traffic causes great inconvenience and chagrin to commuters. Says Subroto Das, a retired executive, “the traffic is often diverted( because of the demonstrations). When that happens the buses do not come here. I have to walk a lot to get to the nearest bus stop. This disrupts my routine and is very irritating”. Agrees an employee of a bank located on Parliament Street, “Even though we employees have found alternative routes to reach our office, this almost-daily drama serves as a hindrance to our customers who have trouble reaching the branch. This causes minor losses to our business.” However, some daily commuters have acclimatised to the frequent disruptions. Says Promila, a personal assistant to an MLA, “These protests do not bother me. If one is underway, I simply walk a little to Janpath and catch my bus.”

These protests often get out of hand, and the police have riot control vehicles on standby. “If the protesters get too rowdy, we are forced to use water cannons and tear gas to contain the mob”, adds the Police officer. This tear gas also seeps into the offices on Parliament Street and leaves the employees with their eyes stinging for a long time. Moreover, the noise is an irritant to these employees.

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News

Puffing away on campus

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Delhi University- One of the most important centres of higher education in the capital- seems to be one of the most popular smoking hubs as well, with its members lighting up all over campus. This situation persists despite the fact that DU is a non smoking zone as of February 15 2008, not to mention the fact that smoking in public places is an offence punishable by law as of October 2 2008.

Every college in DU declares itself to be a non smoking zone at their main gates. However students violate this rule. Says a student of Hindu College, “I do not believe in this law. I have the democratic freedom to smoke wherever I like and I do so. Nobody has asked me not to, till now.” Some colleges have niches, which smokers haunt, like the area behind the Nescafe in various colleges. So as long as non -smokers avoid these areas, the fact that people are still smoking on campus doesn’t bother them. However, most colleges have smokers scattered all over the campus, and most often at the most frequented hang outs, like the canteen, much to the chagrin of non-smokers. Says a student from St. Stephen’s College, “I have had many an argument with people who smoke in front of the arts and science dhabas in our colleges. But it somehow never seems to cease.”

For smokers in North Campus colleges, Delhi School of Economics is a safe haven. Numerous students and teachers can be seen puffing away over a cup of tea in front of the JP Tea Stall. Most people generally come here to socialize with people from other colleges. However there are some who come here exclusively to smoke. Says a student form Hansraj, who is a regular at D-School, “I come here to smoke as everybody smokes here. Nobody seems to mind. This area is fairly secluded and the police almost never come here.” This come as quite a surprise as there is a PCR van and many police officers constantly posted on the road between St Stephen’s and Hindu. When asked about why the smoking in the vicinity goes unchecked, the officer on duty responds, “We are here to provide security to the Dr Manmohan Singh’s daughter in St. Stephen’s. But if the smoking bothers you, you should give us a call.”

While most colleges have displayed laxity in enforcing the no- smoking rule, colleges like Miranda House and Jesus and Mary College have clamped down on smoking within their premises. Smokers have been forced to find places outside their colleges. Says a student of Miranda College, “The authorities are very strict about not smoking within college. So smokers generally smoke on a couple of benches which are located outside our hostel gates.”

The general consensus is that since the ban on smoking has not been very effective, a more concerted effort is required on part of the authorities if Delhi University is to be made a tobacco free zone anytime in the near future.

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News

DUTA strike(s) again

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The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) is striking back with a vengeance. This time around, there are three sound reasons for the strike-the UGC’s recent amendment in the National Eligibility Test (NET), the disapproval over the proposed semester system and issues with the amendments in the 6th Pay Commission.

The main concern of course was the withdrawal of exemption from NET to PhD/M Phil holders. Lakhs of college teachers and aspiring lecturers with PhD and MPhil qualifications across the country are facing a bleak future with the University Grants Commission (UGC) suddenly seeking to amend its regulations making a pass in the National Eligibility Test (NET) or State Level Eligibility Test (SLET) mandatory for appointment as college teachers.

A lecturer at Jesus and Mary College states, “The DUTA strike was called on because of certain issues. One of them was the University’s decision to make the NET examination a compulsory qualification for a lectureship appointment.  Up till now those who had finished their MPhil were not required to sit for the exam. However it’s not going to be the case now as teachers who have completed their M.Phil will be required to clear the net. Moreover it’ll b implemented with retrospective effect, which is unfair to those teachers who have not cleared this exam but worked at their post for some years already. Thus the backdate effect of the NET would have negative implications effect for them. In any case, NET is not an adequate parameter for judging a teacher’s capability or mastery of the subject.”

The amendment, when implemented, would virtually make a lot of lecturers with PhD and MPhil qualifications who have not passed the NET or SLET, ineligible for appointment in universities and colleges. The migration of such teachers from private colleges to government colleges and universities would be affected as well. More importantly, this will lead to a major faculty predicament in Delhi University.

Says Mitali Mishra, professor at Lady Shri Ram College, “This strike is for the sake of our professional dignity… We are all permanent teachers and the problem of the NET exam doesn’t effect us directly. However that does not prevent us from protesting against an unfair system which is holding our profession back and preventing a lot of talented people from taking up teaching. The NET exam has often been criticised at the highest committees but no decisive action has ever come out of it. The authorities should either make the NET a better test or do away with it altogether”.

After allegedly observing a fall in the quality of teachers at the university and college level, the Bhalchander Mungelkar Committee decided to make the NET/SLET compulsory .It now remains to be seen whether DUTA will have its way in the immediate future or not.

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