The first time I read a DU Beat newspaper was when I was in Class XII, my elder sister had carried home a copy. At that point I was debating between a very crucial matter of mind and heart, to either study engineering or choose a career in journalism. Though I did not end up choosing what I really wanted, the innocuous edition of the newspaper constantly remained in my head throughout the year and I can safely say, that it being my first physical evidence of student reporters actually existing, became the stuff of dreams. Not only did I end up joining DU Beat as a correspondent but had the amazing opportunity to lead its Web Editorial team. I realized that dreams are not just limited to eyelash blowing and shooting star gazing. I was here, I was part of the team.
It wasn’t all glamorous though. There were deadlines and scathing feedbacks, there were low days when the audience wasn’t appreciative and days when I questioned the purpose of it all. But then there were days, when the story you worked your ass of on got some really wonderful comments, the ideas you imagined were wonderfully executed, but the silver lining for me in every situation was the people I worked with. Some of the best the University could provide, they are creative, intelligent and thankfully, have a good sense of humour. I have spent more than a year with them and calling them a family would be an understatement. We have worked harder during the low times, and celebrated the exuberance of the good ones. And yes, we have partied like nobody’s business.
This year, we have more or less achieved what we had set out for and in the process not only did we grew up but learnt responsibility and teamwork in a manner no one else could have taught us better. Sure, my social life would have fared a little more better if not for DUB and I probably would have been hated a little less by my college authorities but no way could I have ever had the opportunity of proudly exclaim to be friends with people from across the University, to be able to talk to people, and by people I refer to everybody from society members, DU administration (usually inaccessible but not very unfriendly), random college students, cleaners, auto drivers, people who we see almost every day but do not have an incentive to speak to. DUB gave me an incentive, it taught me that stories exist in the most unseeming discussion. It allowed me to participate in protests as well as concerts, meet Bollywood heartthrobs and scrounge and interview the talented students in the University.
It will be really hard not being a part of several DUB WhatsApp groups and being instantly aware of any incident that occurs in the University or looking at everything with an aim to report. Of course I am miserable at the prospect of leaving, I had become accustomed to this life but as they say, new opportunities await and I can’t wait to boast about my association with DU Beat with future acquaintances, not that I do any less of that now. I am extremely proud of the people who will be leading the team next term and it won’t be a long shot from truth to say, that I feel like a mother hen around them. I have helped recruit some and hopefully taught something to many. I am sure when I say this, we all will carry a part of DUB wherever we end up in life and as it has become a common motto in the team, “DUB is for life.”
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