Having been in DU Beat since my first day of college way back in the summer months of 2012, I have been lucky enough to see DU Beat transform and grow, and luckier still to have seen a similar change in myself. From practicing saying “Hello!” in my head before I could muster up a conversation at my first DU Beat meeting to eventually heading the weekly Editorial meetings, these three years have changed me completely. Of course, one can expect to see an improvement in their writing after joining a newspaper, but the improvement that most team members see in themselves is what takes them by surprise.
My DU Beat experience has been nothing short of a college education, with the only difference being that in place of a piece of paper (my degree) to show for it, I have countless memories and seemingly unbelievable moments. To capture everything in a couple hundred words is futile exercise, so I’m not even going to bother attempting that! Instead, I’ll try and put into words what this journey has meant to me.
From the art of apologising to the art of forgiving, various incidents in my tenure have taught me so much. DU Beat helped me see what I’m good at and how I can improve the areas I lack in. It showed me what it means to be accountable, whether it’s as a Correspondent or as an Editor. It gave me the space I needed to express myself and ample opportunity to learn how to be patient. It taught me how to hold my ground and exercise editorial discretion. It made me realise that some days at work can be extremely hard and difficult to get through, but the overwhelming sense of achievement once the work is done is completely worth it. It showed me how to receive criticism and give feedback on a daily basis and what really motivates a team. Pride, dejection, euphoria, triumph and satisfaction; I’ve felt it all in these past three years. Semester after semester, Mondays have been the highlight of my week just because that’s when our weekly Editorial meetings were held. My Monday afternoons will be horribly empty and sans coffee from now on, which I’m not dealing with too well!
The truth is that no matter how much I try, I simply can’t give to DU Beat what DU Beat has given to me. This organisation has been everything to me, constantly changing its role in my life as and when required. When I needed to get away from problems in my personal life, the ample workload came as a handy distraction. When I wanted to reach out and meet people who inspired me, the tag of DU Beat came to the rescue. When I was grilled during placement interviews about what I’d achieved in my college life, the many projects I’ve worked on at DU Beat gave me enough matter to talk about. When I faced rejection elsewhere, the words of encouragement from my team mates kept me going. I have my seniors, juniors and peers to thank for such a wonderful journey. I have deep affection and respect for most of the people I’ve worked with. I think I first realised this bond when my sleep cycle changed during my summer internship, and my team mates adapted the work given to me according to that! They even started slipping their hands into mine quite naturally every time we had to cross a road together, because they knew I would panic while doing that (hey, Delhi roads are really dangerous, okay?)
I’m not sure when I’ll feel the same way about another project or organisation again, but now that I know what I’m looking for, I’m never giving up the search to find the next DU Beat in my life. I can’t call DU Beat the best part of my college life, because DU Beat has been my college life. Being a part of something special makes you special and I am forever indebted to this “independent student run newspaper” for making me feel incredibly special.
Priyanka Banerjee
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