October 22, 2014

While most of us were busy criticizing and preparing ourselves for a smoke-filled Diwali, a bunch of students took an initiative to change the scenario. Students from PicWic, the film and photography society of Aryabhatta College, DU collectively prepared a series of images to spread out a message to the pubilc.

The main motive behind the collage is to urge people to change their ways of celebrating the festival. The students thought about all the people who live without a roof over their heads, while their surroundings get suffocated with smoke and cause a number of health hazards to these people.

“Besides the pictures, we also have an idea to buy all the stuff that we need for Diwali from the street-stalls, instead of those big shops, just to make their Diwali a little more happier. The main struggle during the entire execution has been to encourage people to support us”, said Mohit Jassoria, President of PicWic.

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Small Screen

TV Review: How to get away with Murder

By Priyanka Kapoor October 22, 2014

Everything about How to get away with Murder speaks about the presence of an unsettling competition, ticking like a time bomb from a flashback unto the future. Nonetheless, it is one of those shows which are meant to make you cringe with a need to pause, rewind and catch-up because just before you think, you have got everyone figured, BAM! Human nature is unpredictable.

We follow a jolly looking Wes (Dean Thomas of the Harry Potter world) into a crowd of somewhat glamorous-looking class of Criminal Law 100 , helpfully renamed as How to get away with Murder by one of the most attractive characters of this show—Viola Davis as Annalise Keating. But this is not it. We are supposed to get a double treat since we are not only to keep in the past story built from power-lusts and career-fights but we are also helped into the consequences of a terrible future that is much darker and of course, involved with burying up the dead bodies (Literally).

I am indeed tempted to say that the best thing about this show is everything but since that pertains to my fan-part, I intend to leave that. Now firstly, the actors know their jobs pretty well. Cover up by a murderer is one thing. But covering up a murder by methodical diplomacy and tact, on a full- blown-bureaucratical-scale is indeed a treat to watch. For deception is one heck of a thing. Secondly, you can hardly know who is manipulating who. In a world full of lawyers, if manipulation is not used aptly by the writers, I say the show is a waste. So I guess, if you are one for scandalous crimes and the art of deception- A win-win is sure!

But according to that truthful cliché line—‘everything has its setbacks’; I am bound to set out the limitations as well. Accordingly, this show tries too hard sometimes to connect the dots. I mean what kind of a student goes barring in the house of a professor, unannounced?

Perhaps, Lawyers! The answer is always Lawyers.

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Uncategorized

Five ways to celebrate an animal-friendly Diwali

By DU Beat October 22, 2014

This Diwali, make sure that your pet does not pay the price of your festivities. Remember, the fireworks which are a humongous source of delight for us, are a medium of torture for the sensitive ears of our pets who can hear frequencies well beyond the human range of hearing. They are neither acquainted with the religious sentiment behind the festival nor are they aware of how safe or dangerous the crackers are for them. Hence, it is our responsibility to make our pets and other animals feel safe and secure amidst the deafening noises.

Here are five ways to do so-

Keep your pet indoors

Your pet might get bewildered by the loud noises, the smoke and the unanticipated excitement if kept outside. Add to this the chance of being injured by crackers. Keeping your pet inside will reduce the trauma and ensure he/she is out of harm’s way. Also, try to distract them with television, loud music and so on.

Do not leave them alone

It might seem appealing to visit your loved ones on Diwali but if you are the owner of a beloved animal, kindly refrain from doing so, especially during evening hours. Your pet needs your presence in order to feel safe. To them, you are their world, it is you who will save them from whatever havoc has broken loose causing the distressing noises.

Feed them before the fireworks start

The fear and wariness is likely to kill your pet’s appetite. To them the noise is a sign of potential danger. Make sure they are fed before the fireworks start.

Use pet-friendly crackers

Celebrate Diwali in the traditional way without compromising with your pet’s comfort. Light up your house vibrantly with oil lamps and coloured lights and use fireworks like phuljhadis and chakris which provide a pleasant sight but no noise pollution. Gift your pet accessories like ear muffs to cut out the noise.

Spread Awareness, keep watch

Spread the above points amongst anyone and everyone. Teach children to not trouble pets and strays for mere enjoyment. Be vigilant, stop children and adults alike from harming them. Make sure that there is a special area beyond which firecrackers aren’t allowed, most housing societies follow this, and it is high time all neighbourhoods did so. And since such an area is normally an open space, like a field, make sure that there are no stray animals around.

Image source: The Hindu

Ishani Rajkhowa
[email protected]

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Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies

Enactus CBS wins National Championship, all set for World Cup

By Isheeta Sharma October 22, 2014

We have all heard or seen the name Enactus around campus but how many of us, who are not a part of the campuses, actually know what Enactus is all about? A conversation with Vatsal, the President of Enactus CBS (College of Business Studies) that has won Enactus National Chapionship 2014 and is now representing India in the International World Cup at Beijing, cleared our doubts.

Enactus is an international non-profit students’ organisation spread across 36 countries which involves college students to make self-sustainable employment models for the underprivileged that would continue to exist even after the students move out of the circle.

Every year , a national competition is held in Mumbai where Enactus teams all over India come together to showcase their projects and the winning team goes on to the International World Cup.This year the team of CBS won the National Championship and left for the International World Cup on October 20.

There are three projects that they will be putting forward , the first being a sanitation solution project for women in urban slums where awareness camps are held to discuss menstruation, a woman entrepreneur is chosen who is then linked to the manufacturer companies for sanitary napkins. The appointed woman sells these sanitary napkins in her locality at a cheaper rate while earning a profit. This project has been adopted by the Government of India and is being implemented in 23 districts across India. The second project is called ‘Akshar’ where waste paper is collected and recycled to be bound in eco-friendly note books which would be sold in various colleges, campuses, companies, etc. The third is ‘Gramodhar’ where students have adopted a village called Ghamroj and provide it with income generating activities like poultry farming, beauty parlours and boutiques along with libraries and health camps.

With the final aim of winning and last touch-ups in action, the team is more excited than nervous to be part of such a huge event with various activities and a wide range of speakers.

Isheeta Sharma
[email protected]

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Campus Central

Common Entrance for DU and other central universities probable

By DU Beat October 22, 2014

The recent recommendations made by Union Human Resource Development Ministry in a meeting held at the Delhi University, suggest that soon all central universities might have common entrance examinations for both under-graduate and post graduate courses. Alongside, there is also a proposal which suggests common syllabus and central ranking system. The meeting was attended by seven Central University Vice-Chancellors.

According to the directions, probability to facilitate credit transfer and student mobility would be considered in “common national curriculum.” This would allow students to migrate to other universities because of the common syllabus. This could also result in students taking courses and credits in one university while enrolling in another. Hence, the recommendations are still at the consideration stage.

“We are still at the preliminary stage of this recommendation which was proposed by the committee in place constituted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. We are just discovering possibilities and trying to evolve a feasible outcome. No decision has been made yet”, said DU media coordinator, Malay Neerav. A common entrance examination could turn out to be a boon for most students as it could provide a benchmark for students across boards and streams to compete for a seat. An All India Ranking would be a possible option for students to decide their courses and colleges, as currently there is no common ranking system within India as credible and efficient as the QS World University Rankings.

Amitoj Singh [email protected]

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