October 14, 2014

An institution with a 42-year old foundation, College of Vocational Studies is an off-campus constituent of Delhi University situated in South Delhi, right beside Shaheed Bhagat Singh College.

CVS is a compact college with just one academic building, enclosed in a structure made using red-brick. A downside of being compact is that classes run till 4:00PM for many sections. In the centre of the structure is an open area called ‘centre stage’ which constitutes of an elevated platform and enough space for an audience of 500 people to stand – a place used for fests and other events. The college does not have an auditorium. Instead, CVS has a seminar hall used for guest lectures and indoor events like quizzes and debates. The field is among DU’s biggest and is a favourite among students during winter (also due to its proximity with the canteen).

The college is equipped with technological aids like a fast Wi-Fi network and projectors in most classrooms. Teachers walking into classrooms with laptops and teaching via presentations is normality at CVS, which is a boon for students of theory-intensive courses like history and management. Speaking of management, the college has active business-related societies, namely the FIC, Econox and M.Soc. Seldom will there be a week when the seminar hall is not host to an event organised by either of these societies!

Inspite of being an off-campus college, CVS is not strapped for hangout spots and food joints. Select Citywalk, DLF Place and MGF Metropolitan malls are just a stone’s throw away (or a 10 rupee shared auto ride). Also, near the college are multiple Maggi points and juice huts. Right in front of the gate is also a Frankie’s roll stall. CVS’ own canteen is renowned for its extensive menu.

After the introduction of FYUP, CVS could not offer vocational courses, naturally leading towards a change in the college’s name – College of Management Studies was one doing rounds among students and teachers. The modification lost necessity post the reintroduction of the three-year programme.
College of Vocational Studies may not be among the top 10 colleges of DU right now, but it’s closing in, and is unambiguously high on sophistication and exposure.

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Arts & Culture

Teamwork Arts brings English theatre to India – Going Solo 2014

By Ishaan Gambhir October 14, 2014

British Council in partnership with Teamwork Arts organised three solo plays in Delhi from 9th to 11th October 2014 as part of Going Solo, their 2nd International Theatre Festival. The plays were held at FICCI Auditorium and Stein Auditorium, IHC.

The three plays that were performed were Don’t Wake Me starring Jaye Griffiths, Guy Masterson starrer Shylock and If These Spasms Could Talk, a solo written and enacted by Robert Softley. The event arguably invoked all emotions possible through theatre.

Written by Rahila Gupta, Don’t Wake Me is based on a true and moving story of a mother’s fight for her disabled son’s rights. Halfway through the play, the son, named Nihal Armstrong, perishes. The ballad showcases the challenge of being the mother of a special child and the anger it brings with itself. Shylock is a humorous analysis of Shakespeare’s famous Jew from The Merchant of Venice. It’s written from the perspective of Tupal, a minor character in Shakespeare’s play with just 8 lines. The solo attributes connotations never thought before to Shakespeare’s play while subtly highlighting the plight of the Jewish community in olden times.

If These Spasms Could Talk, performed only once during the festival on the concluding day, is a touching and inspirational performance by Robert Softley, a patient of cerebral palsy. He gently takes the audience through dealing with his life. The performance was met with deafening applause.

The festival was acclaimed in Delhi and received an audience of over 200 viewers for all its shows. The organisers termed it as “a spectacle of brilliance, a phenomenon of inspiration and a collusion of emotions”. Other Indian cities on the festival’s map are Kolkata, Bengaluru and Mumbai.

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