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What will you get if you combined “Sex and the City” and “Friends” together? Desperate Housewives! It is a sitcom that ran for 8 seasons covering the lives of 4 female friends and their neighbours at Wisteria Lane in a town called Fairview. Mystery sets in when one of the housewives, Mary Alice commits suicide even though she seemed to be happy in her life. She, as the narrator, unfolds the story of what had happened after she had killed herself. Like any other soap opera, it has the usual characteristics of betrayal, dark secrets, revenge, and manipulation, but combined with the intense bond that Bree, Susan, Lynette and Gabrielle share along with the humour that runs along the show, makes it a completely unique show in itself. If you loved friends, you’ll love this show just as much. Bree Larson is the perfect housewife who will keep her home spic and span and take all measures to hide her family’s secrets. She is very religious and old-fashioned and having a gay son definitely brings about a change in her. By the end of season 4, she learns to trust her friends with her secrets. Susan is a dorky and widowed woman who falls in love with a new neighbour Mike Delfino and ends up marrying him. Lynette is a mother of 4 children who has to leave her success in the workplace to gain success as a mother. Gabrielle, on the other hand, is a runway model-turned-housewife after she married a rich man, Carlos Solis. While the directors and producers might not have a direct progressive ideology, it is subtly liberal and that makes it more consumable. More than housewives, these four women take on the roles of detectives, advisors, organisers, and even hold conventional jobs throughout the show. The enforced stereotypes scattered around the show are funny and parodic commentaries on the concept of traditional households. Moreover, it is relatable to the dis-functionality of a regular Indian household. The humour, sarcasm, and relatability of the show make it a gripping and addictive watch.   Feature Image Credits: The Hollywood Report Varoon Tuteja [email protected]]]>

Being college going students, we are busy with travelling, studying, and hanging out, we often forget to focus on our sense of style and the individuality it generates. While it is totally acceptable in fashion to experiment with new styles and pieces, yet there are certain mistakes that we tend to make when it comes to dressing up for college.

1. Occasion, and season appropriate clothing: It is a boon that Delhi University does not have a dress code but as young men and women, we tend to use that freedom and steer beyond a rational sense of fashion. Wearing mini-skirts and shorts with no thigh high boots in winters is a big no-no. Wearing a denim jacket in summers will make you sweaty and that’ll definitely ruin your look, if not your day.

2. The disease of flip-flops: Oscar Wilde tells us that we can never be overdressed, but underdressing is a calamity. I’d be a millionaire if I had a dollar for every time I see someone wearing flip-flops to class. Moreover, when they pair it with sweatpants, my instant reaction includes an eye-roll and an urge to give them a Miranda Priestley treatment from “The Devil Wears Prada”.

3. The (fake) designer label hoarder: It’s very natural to be attracted to the sense of high fashion that a designer piece brings but not everyone is fortunate enough. Rather than carrying a fake Louis Vuitton birkin that looks cheap, carry an affordable branded purse that looks elegant and matches your style. Or, try to get your hands on designer items during their sale season and then, show it off unapologetically.

4. Lazy cuffing: If your pants are too long and you haven’t had them trimmed or you just like to cuff them for styling reasons, it is important to learn the art of cuffing. Cuffing shirts does not only make them casual enough for college but also save you from the heat in the summer.

5. Inappropriate sizing and proportion: It is obvious one should stick to their size of clothing, but the aesthetic of baggy clothes can be trendy. The general rule around it is to wear something structured and fitting to balance the look. The lengths of your clothes should be fashionable. Pro tip: A fitting t-shirt with chinos along with vans can be your go-to look whenever you’re running late.

6. Bridal make-up look: It is not wrong for girls (and boys) to wear a full face of makeup. Makeup is an art form and improves your aesthetic but it is imperative not to overstep. A BB cream, mascara and lip tint can go a long way for your everyday college makeup.

 

Feature Image Credits: Teen Vogue

Varoon Tuteja
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It has become mandatory to party on New Year’s Eve and hang out or else the occasion will be considered “boring”.

The new year is not far away and everyone is busy making plans on how to spend the night of 31st December. People who seek to enjoy this day to the fullest are filled with enthusiasm. However, the celebrations now seem to have become a battle of not being left behind in terms of partying and hanging out.

It is a pity that what was once seen as an option to spend the eventful night has now become a compulsion. Having all that alcohol running down one’s body while wildly jumping and listening to famous trance music in a club seems to have become “partying goals”. There is hardly anyone left who plans on doing things differently. The problem is that we want to appear cool by uploading fake candids and putting catchy captions and the urge to do so, unfortunately, is completely natural given that everyone around is doing the same.

Among everyone’s “cool” plans, if there is someone who plans on spending the night with their family, taking a nice ride, or maybe simply cutting the New Year’s cake, that person will instantly be labeled boring. We need to accept that we are obsessed with alcohol, and a great chunk of it is because we have seen things that way. We have seen it in the movies, we have heard it from our elders and we have watched others do it. We have been waiting for the chance to experience drinking on our own, and celebrating without alcohol isn’t worth thinking of anymore.

If we think about partying during the New Year, it is funny in many ways. For instance, before starting anything new or commencing with any activity, we are praying to god or maybe eating something sweet. But when it comes to the New Year, we end up welcoming it by intoxicating ourselves with different substances i.e in an unconscious state. If we really expect to have a positive year ahead, how positively do we welcome it?

The New Year celebrations too seem to have become a victim of a party-frenzy attitude. And talking about doing something special, what’s special in doing something that we do on any random weekend? So, let’s break this obligation this year and actually do something different — something worth remembering!

Feature Image  Credits: The Fix

 

Karan Singhania

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The young stand-up scene in India has opened up numerous avenues for people wishing to work in comedy. But young as it is, this horizon is already dominated by men, both in terms of numbers and reach. Read on to find out why this is problematic and how we can rectify it.

The Indian stand-up comedy scene is on the rise. Social media has given certain comics and collectives an almost cult-like following, the kind that was once reserved for movie stars. In fact, for movie stars, collaborating with these young comedians is one of the best ways to gain social media traction while promoting a film. However, the stand-up scene and what it stands for has changed drastically in the last five years. Stand-up comedy does not represent a random person cracking self-depreciating jokes in a club on a Saturday evening anymore. Today, it stands for millions of views on YouTube and Facebook combined and the content going viral within hours of being uploaded. For instance, every time All India Bakchod (AIB) puts up a video, my Facebook timeline experiences a sense of mass hysteria, with people wildly sharing and appreciating their content.

But like every young and vibrant industry, it seems that women are not given their due in comedy either. Some of the most prominent faces in the Indian stand-up comedy scene are AIB, East India Comedy (EIC), Schitz en Giggles (SnG) Comedy, Vir Das, Kanan Gill, Kenny Sebastian, and Radhika Vaz among others. While Radhika Vaz, Mallika Dua, Aditi Mittal, and Kaneez Surka hold a place in this scene, they do not enjoy the same kind of following that their male counterparts do. To put things in perspective, let us take a look at the numbers. Aditi Mittal, Radhika Vaz, and Mallika Dua – three of the most renowned female comics in India – collectively have 230,000 subscribers on YouTube, while Kenny Sebastian alone has one million. There appear to be two basic reasons for this. The first is the presence of this “guy gang” of young male comics that seems to have hijacked the current scene. The second is that people simply assume that women are not funny, even when they clearly are.

This “guygang” that I talk about is a group of young men who extensively collaborate with other male comics and provide each other new horizons for exposure to a different audience. This is a symbiotic relationship of collaborations, guest appearances, and drop-ins that help both parties by making their content more interesting and simultaneously increasing their fan base. AIB, SnG Comedy, Kanan Gill, Kenny Sebastian, Zakir Khan, and Abish Mathew are always working with each other, thus effectively doubling their audience each time they collaborate. The lack of such a group for women results in the reach of Vaz and Mittal being limited to the audience that is subscribed only to their respective channels. The second phenomenon that plagues female comics is that people believe women cannot be funny. This syndrome that dissociates women from humour is deeply rooted and ingrained in our minds. Come to think of it, when has a guy ever used humour as a defining feature of the women in his life? The idea that women cannot be funny is so entrenched in our minds that it prevents us from appreciating the funny women out there. For example, Radhika Vaz did a hilarious piece on women being uncomfortable with bodily function around someone they just started dating. The sketch was relatable and garnered immense applause from the live audience. However, a lot of people in the comments section said things like “How is this comedy?”, “Do people even laugh on her jokes?”, and “This is about just as funny as a miscarriage.” This is problematic since most male comedians put up pieces that are, at best, mildly funny but their work does not incite the same kind of anger. Female comics are expected to deliver every punchline and call-back that is nothing short of absolutely hilarious because if they fail to do so, their work would be seen as another excuse to reinforce the belief that women are not funny. Indian female comics therefore have to work twice as hard to get half as far.

The brand of comedy that these women put forth is not only relatable, but also very real. Through their sketches, they call out everyday sexism and double standards, all the while making us laugh. Their brand of comedy, which is both “woke” and devoid of sexist jokes, fails to make certain sections of the population laugh simply because the joke is on them. In recent times, people have degraded what humour means by limiting it to making fun of men in drag or using the “annoying girlfriend” trope for laughs. These jokes are popular because they require little thought and provide the comfort of upholding the status quo. It is in such times that these female comics act as beacons of light, proving that humour does not have to put a community or gender down to make people laugh. Another valuable lesson from this situation is to understand the need for working together and being united in order to grow. When women start to actively seek out, mentor, promote, and educate other women in all spheres, be it films, music, comedy, politics, or business, we will witness the stratospheric rise of a generation of women who value friendship and sisterhood and are duly appreciated and recognised for their work.

 

Feature Image Credits: Blogbeats

Kinjal Pandey
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If you are spending this Christmas or New Year snuggled up in the warmth of your home or PG and thinking of some suspense thriller to get you through those party hours then Remember Me can serve the purpose well. This thriller written by acclaimed author Mary Higgins Clark is full of twists and turns and will surely keep you engaged.

Menley Nichols is trying to come to terms with the tragic death of her 2-year-old son, Bobby while taking care of her infant, Hannah. Adam’s old friend, Elaine helps the family get the Remember House at Cape Cod on the shore along the beach. The house has legends attached to it. She gets her bouts of post-traumatic stress a number of times while vacationing at Cape Cod with her husband and baby girl. Meanwhile, a death of a rich girl takes place in the neighborhood and her husband, Scott Covey is suspected of the murder. Menley’s lawyer husband, Adam takes up the case of defending Scott while juggling work in New York. On nights when Adam is away, Menley has nightmares of her accident of her son which wakes her up abruptly as well as Hannah, she hears/hallucinates her dead son calling out to her. Time and again, people say something about the house which alerts her even though she absolutely loves the house. Her work for her magazine and next children’s book keeps her distracted and partly sane. Her work also helps her to discover stories about the house she is living in and the city. But amid all this, Adam is not at ease when Scott is acquitted. The plot twists and turns to solve the ultimate questions nagging Menley and Adam’s minds.

The twists are absolutely unexpected and keep the reader hooked to the very end. It is the perfect suspense read while you are fighting the winter blues because the story is set in the beach town of Cape Cod with the summer breeze and starry nights.

 

Feature Image Credits: Kobo

Prachi Mehra

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With the end of the semester, it’s that time of the year where we look back and think of all the things we could do.

The dreadful month with the semester exams are over. The endless preparation, extensive consumption of coffee and painstaking nights looking at the books while scratching the head are now all over. But end of the exams also marks the end of another six months of college, and we naturally end up evaluating the semester thinking about how things were and how they could have been.

Looking back at when the semester began, all of us remember the plans we had made and the things we had promised to do. We had made a plethora of points under the “not-to-do” list and the ones we wanted to do. There were six valuable months of the college life which we planned to spend by learning new skills and increase our knowledge. The list might have varied from joining internships, taking classes to being a part of the college societies. The main highlight of the list might have been the point to study seriously from the beginning of the semester. Now that the semester has ended, many of them seem a fantasy.

Time flies and this is probably the time when this fact hits us hard. We have all heard that college life is probably the best time of our lives. But this also happens to be the time when we shape ourselves for the future. The tug-of-war between making our resume and making memories seems to be never-ending. The semester that began with the most ambitious of targets ended up being filled up of nights that were spent drinking, the classes that were bunked, the most pointless of conversations that took place in the canteen and so much more. The thing is- this is what gave us joy.

But there’s always room for hope and improvement. So once again, with the coming of the new semester there will come a much planned and thoughtful list. This list will be much better than the previous one. This is will also have the points listed in a strategic manner such that the loopholes of the previous semester are covered. Some of us might also give ourselves the liberty of setting a bit more than what is possible. And all of us know the line, “If I set a big list, I’ll complete at least half of it.”

The process of preparing this list seems no less than a ritual and will probably be followed this semester as well. So let us all prepare our lists filling them up with the best and the most filtered points. But yes, let’s see how many boxes we tick this semester!

 

Feature Image Credits: IStock

Karan Singhania
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Third-year Political Science students of the University of Delhi, who had opted for ‘Public Policy in India’, an optional paper offered in the fifth semester, have filed a complaint to the University over the out of syllabus questions in the exam.

Questions on the feminist perspective on the state, the forest policy in India, and a short note on Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan had left the third-year students of the University in B.A. (Hons.) Political Science  baffled, with many raising allegations that these questions were not part of syllabus. These students had opted for the optional paper, ‘Public Policy In India’, offered in the fifth semester and the exam was conducted on Saturday. Enraged students have filed a complaint with the authorities regarding the issue.

The question paper which is of 75 marks consists of 8 questions out of which any 4 are to be attempted, each question carrying 18.75 marks. Of these 8, three questions — Discuss the forest policy of India. What are the challenges facing the policy today?, Discuss the feminist perspective on the state, and a short note question on Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan have caused distress. Moreover, the Hindi translation of the question on feminist perspective was also not appropriate, students alleged. The complaint was first raised by students of Daulat Ram College and Ramjas College.

Students of Ramjas College have written to their Department Head Tanvir Aiejaz to mark them ‘leniently’ or they will be ‘at loss’. Both students and teachers have raised a hue and cry over choice being reduced/restricted to students after such out-of-course questions in the examination. Suranjita Ray, the teacher-in-charge at Daulat Ram College, has already written to the University’s political science head, Navnita C Behera, asking her to look into the matter. In the letter to Behera, Ray has said: “I request you to instruct the paper setters and the moderation committee to keep the prescribed syllabus in mind. Such a thing impacts the performance of students,” as told to The Indian Express

Some teachers have claimed that the question paper might have been changed during the moderation process. Usually, the varsity sends the question paper for moderation and then it is printed and sealed. A three-member board set up by the University prepares the question papers and a senior teacher of the department is enthroned with the responsibility of moderation. After the semester system came into effect, the process of setting the question paper and moderation norms have changed which thence arises many problems.

 

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat

Oorja Tapan

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Due to a hostel crunch (only about 10 campus colleges have hostel facilities), most students are forced to reside in private hostels and paying guest accomodations. This has made places near the campus like Hudson Line, Vijay Nagar, Kamla Nagar and Mukherjee Nagar in North Delhi, and Satya Niketan, Amar Colony and East of Kailash in South Delhi very popular for out-station students.

However, the high rates cause problems for students as many come from outside Delhi and relatively humble backgrounds. Some students’ organisations have been fighting for a standardised rent agreement for the past three years. As of now, there is no fixed slab and owners increase prices as they please.

The NCR kids cannot escape the heat either. The college and university hostels do not accommodate students who are National Capital Region (NCR) residents. This limits their chances at these hostels, which are more economical. They need to look for private accommodation, as travelling from home everyday will be difficult. While at the time of admission, PG owners are abound with promises, how far are these promises kept at the end of the semester?

Students who stay in these PGs say the facilities aren’t as nice in reality. Most have to pay over Rs 12,000 for a very small room. The bathroom has just enough space for them to stand. Even the WiFi is mostly useless because so many people use it. Even when the proprietors might give away the rooms for below 10kit is important not to get deceived by it as the rates are mostly not inclusive of food, internet, electricity or AC charges (something which the proprietors do not mention voluntarily at the time of booking of the book for fear of losing their prospective tenant). Interestingly, at the beginning of he academic year, the paying guest accommodations try to woo students with a host of modern facilities and comfort living (as one PG owner of BD Estate claimed “One fruit everyday”). But those facilities surprisingly either never materialised or fazed out by September (the same PG would give one banana only once a week).

Electricity bill remains a bone of contention between students and landlords in most of the PGs where the rent is not inclusive of electricity charges. Some PGs charge Rs.8 to Rs.10 per unit of electricity over and above the monthly rent, while the government charges Rs.7 to Rs. 8 per unit. Sometimes the proprietors go to the extent of charging even for the electricity used in the mess or the common corridors. While the electricty rates are generally supposed to come within Rs. 1000 (even as per the enhanced standard rates of the PGs), most of the students find their PG owners adding impractical figures on the rent slip every month. And the figures only increase evry successive month.

Often the curfew time at the boys’ PG is10pm to 12 midnight, while a girls’ PG would usully set the curfew at 8pm. When asked about the reasons behind this differention, PG proprietors woul explain that the restrictions are more from the parents’ side and that it is not something that they imposed. If the parents tell them that they are comfortable with their daughter returning late, they apparently wouldn’t have a problem.

While the PG owners, in order to satiate parents anxious of their wards’ wellbeing, would initially drive home the idea that they would shut the gates at 8pm “sharp”, in reality, the PGs are more liberal than that, often stretching the deadline till 8:30 or even 9. As Shristi, a student of Ramjas claimed, “the dealine gets stretched with each passing month”, although this is an instance which would be hard to generalise for all PGs.

While the exploitative PGs go on minting money, it is important to serve the wake-up call to the UGC to remind it to ensure adequate accommodation for all students in college hostels. Because while education is hard, the exigencies of staying in Delhi are harder.

 

Feature Image Credits: Hindustan Times

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak

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Instagram has become a rage in the young millennia’s life. Every new cuisine one tries, every new book one reads, every new dress one buys, the world gets to know about it through Instagram. It has become a new platform for people to kick-start their businesses. It is a way for people to give way to their hobbies and passions. For a photographer, his/her Instagram account is a digital profile of his/her work. Unlike the old times, one does not have to carry their portfolio around but simply an Instagram account.
Here are some useful tips for those budding photographers to help them grow their followers and reach.

Be Consistent
As a photographer, one must pick up a specific theme/ genre whether it is nature, fashion, architecture, wedding, etc. Being consistent in one’s area of interest brings out the expertise in the photographer. Gaining expertise in one area attracts more clients looking for an expert photographer.

Make a Plan
As an Instagram blogger, the quote “out of sight is out of mind” holds unequivocally true. One must be regular in uploading their artwork. Uploading daily can bring a sense of permanency to your presence. One can schedule days and plan the number of posts which need to be uploaded, so the followers are aware of one’s progress and routine.

Make Use of Updates
Instagram constantly rolls out with various new updates. Making use of Instagram stories, its new filters, and other features like boomerang, superzoom, or stop-motion can help a photographer in putting out more work. Staying up-to-date with new updates will not only show your extemporisation skills but also serve as a guide for your audience, building a consistent follower base.

Location
Making use of the location update, a photographer can attract local businesses. Local businesses even sponsor a photographer(s) to increase their outreach.

Create a Clientele
A budding photographer must follow others to learn about their work, or if one is in the fashion arena, one must follow popular social media influencers. DM them for collaborations or show interest in their work by posting comments.

Bio
Keeping one’s bio interesting yet crisp can go a long way. Always provide contact information to keep all avenues open.
Using Instagram in a creative and smart way can go a long way in expanding one’s business. One gets to promote their hobbies or passions which can change into full-time professions with the help of Instagram.

 

Feature Image Credits: NBC News

Prachi Mehra
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Vansh Sabharwal
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Varoon Tuteja
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Gazing around the empty room and suffocating walls, I typed ‘How to  commit suicide’ on Google and the first result that appeared was the contact number of Aashra Helpline. I am a strong girl wrapped in untold stories of dark phases of life. The society perceives me as a confident and happy girl, but when I enter my room I ask myself if life is worth living. Maybe that night the voice of a stranger sitting far away from me, convinced me to give life a chance but I wonder why there is an absence of voice near to us.

The University of Delhi provides free counselling sessions to students and faculty members to help them cope with stress. At present, the ‘Mind Body Centre’ located in DU’s North Campus offers face-to-face counselling to girl students and faculty members. The helpline that was started by DU in 2015, however, caters to queries and offers therapy to all students irrespective of gender. However, has the helpline helped is significantly impacting mental health amongst students?

Despite similar services offered to students, almost every year approximately five students of the University commit suicide due to various reasons ranging from rejection in love, poor academic performance, family issues, and depression. The lack of professional counselling centers in colleges can be seen as a prime reason behind this. Moreover, the lack of awareness of such services in the student community is partially responsible for creating these issues. More often than not, a student looks for a listening ear and non-judgemental atmosphere.

Every hour, one student commits suicide in India, according to the 2015 data (the latest available) from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). In 2015, the number of student suicides stood at 8,934. In the five years leading to 2015, 39,775 students killed themselves. The number of attempted suicides, many unreported, is likely to be much higher. India has one of the world’s highest suicide rates for youth aged 15 to 29, according to this 2012 Lancet report.

Speaking to a professional can help one in understanding what the student need. This can range from self-help tips and breathing exercises to a course of psychotherapy and medication. Everyone is different and will need differing levels of support.

 

Feature Image Credits: HR Review

 

Naimisha

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