The third and final day of Tempest dawned rainy and damp with the Western Dance competition, nukkad natak, and the star night with Neeti and Shakti Mohan being the main attractions.
The Indian choir competition by Geetanjali, the Indian music society was the first event for the day. Being judged by Ms. Srimanjari, faculty in the Department of History of Miranda House and associated with SPIC Macay of the college, and Dr. Bharat Bhushan, who is a Ph.D in Music. The choir from Swaranjali, Hansraj College were awarded the first position. They were followed by Alankar, Hindu College, and Alahyaa, Daulat Ram College.
One of most well-attended and energized events of the day was Halla Bol, the nukkad natak event organised by Anukriti, the street play society of Miranda House. When enquired about why Halla Bol was non-competitive this year, Shivangi Tewari, one of the members of Anukriti revealed that the event this year was dedicated to one of their members who passed away recently- Mokshi Wadhera. She said, “Mokshi was a free spirit and also lifted those of people around her. This year, we wanted our event to not only encapsulate her spirit but also be a platform that’s being denied to people right now in light of recent events. We wanted teams to not be bound by expectations or competition, and just traverse the entire genre of nukkad and express freely.” The feeling of solidarity with one another and freedom could be felt as 10 teams performed plays about diverse and often, controversial, topics. The event was presided over by Mr. Kushagra Singh, an artist with the Asmita Theatre Group, and Mr. Fahad Khan, who has his own theatre group.
Burlesque, the Western Dance event by Tanz, the Western Dance society, attracted quite a crowd. It was judged by Tarun Sharma, choreographer of Tanz, Mohit Raj Thapa, a member of Dance Works, and Caroline Prada, an international dancer. Misba, Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, won the first position and Verve, Sri Venkateswara College won the second.
Tempest 2016 ended on a high as Neeti Mohan and Shakti Mohan, alumnae of Miranda House, performed to a huge crowd in the college grounds. While Neeti Mohan enthralled with her powerful voice, belting out crowd pleasers like Jiye Re, Jiya Re and Paani Da, Shakti Mohan danced to foot-tapping tunes like Chiitiyan Kalaiyan. In their enthusiam, the crowd broke the barricades twice. The sisters proclaimed themselves to be proud Mirandians as Tempest was brought to an emotional and fitting end.
Image Credits: Chirag Sharma, Paurush Bhardwaj, Mridul Kumar, Alex Arthur, Jasmine Chahal and Gerush Bahal for DU Beat
Arushi Pathak, Kartikeya Bhatotia, Shubham Kaushik and Tooba Towfiq
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
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Project name – Innovating College Placements: The Challenges and Changing Dynamics with the Industry
Project Coordinator – Dr. Gauri Mishra, Ms. Anuradha Bawa Singh, Dr. Anu Satyal
Names of students participating – Aishwarya Jha, Charanjit Singh, Gitika Dua, Deepesh Aggarwal, Divyansh Madan, Ritesh Sinha, Ishita Ahuja, Shubhangi Goyal, Fatima Mubarak, Kannupriya Gaur
The team of students from the College of Vocational Studies (CVS) has launched an innovation project to show that the process of placement carried out in Delhi University needs to undergo a substantial amount of change, in order to match the level of the process carried out in foreign universities. The research process focuses on innovating and redefining the parameters of the placement programs in colleges under the Delhi University.
The research project will study the scenario in selected colleges of the university and the Central Placement Cell, by taking the College of Vocational Studies placement cell ‘ASPIRE’ as its pilot study and try to find better standards of operation in the placement process. The Central Placement Cell of the University, although successful, is not operating to its full potential. The gaps need to be filled and a better response in terms of competing with the best universities needs to be created.
The study, now in its analysis stage, plans to conduct two kinds of survey to assess the factors related to college placements. The first survey will be conducted on the students of University of Delhi, the pilot survey studying the needs and aspirations of the student as far as the industry is concerned, the kind of jobs being offered and the pay packages being given. The second survey will study the Industry trends of hiring students of University of Delhi.
According to Aishwarya Jha, a student involved with the project, “A student might disagree, but the major goal of every student taking admission in college is getting placed, be it immediately or after a few years. We don’t think there aren’t any job opportunities. We believe there is only a need to establish a successful interface between the candidate and the company. And we have planned to do just that.”
The students plan to use both qualitative and quantitative techniques of data analysis. A structured questionnaire and unstructured interviews of the respondents, both will be used.
The world’s largest TV streaming service Netflix is finally in India! People especially youngsters spend a lot of time watching TV shows, movies and documentaries, making this service almost a necessity. If you’re planning on subscribing to Netflix, or are still confused on how it can make your life different, here’s a brief lowdown on what Netflix India is all about.
Subscription and Video Quality
In India, Netflix is offering three different kinds of subscriptions. These include the Basic Plan for Rs. 500 for a month, Standard Plan for Rs. 650 a month, and the Premium Plan for Rs. 800 a month. The Basic Plan allows you to stream on a single screen, whereas the Standard Plan and Premium Plan allow the subscriber to use the Netflix account simultaneously on 2 and 4 screens respectively.
The good thing is that Netflix is free for the first month, but for signing up you need to give your credit card details. One has the liberty to cancel Netflix subscription at any point of time.
The Basic Plan offers standard definition videos; the Standard Plan offers videos in High Definition, and for Ultra High Definition, one needs to subscribe the Premium Plan.
What you can watch
Netflix offers a variety of shows, documentaries, indie movies, animated movies, etc. It also produces its original content, some of which include the well-known House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, etc. One can surely watch these, albeit most have already. However, Netflix may not be able to stream House of Cards as Zee Cafe already has licensing rights for it. But you can watch ‘Orange is the New Black’, which is probably one of the most well-known Netflix original shows. Other things that separate Netflix from other streaming services and cable service are:-
Recommendations- Netflix recommends according to what you like to watch, but you don’t always have to follow those recommendations. Instead, Netflix makes a playlist for you if you rate shows on it. This playlist is based on the ratings you give to movies, on the basis of which assessment is done on the kind of content you like, the movie star duos you prefer, etc.
Plethora of options- The good things about Netflix is that it is not limited to TV shows and movies alone. You can watch other things like documentaries, Stand-up comedies, talk shows, etc. Netflix is a boon for independent filmmakers and they get an outstanding reach through it.
What’s in store for India- For starters, one can watch a lot of classic and contemporary Bollywood movies on Netflix. They also have a lot of indie cinema which will include documentaries made by independent filmmakers in India.
Regional shows- Netflix India users can also watch shows in their regional language including Punjabi, Gujarati, etc. Based on the response, they will add more shows on customer demand.
Disadvantages
Probably the biggest disadvantage of subscribing to Netflix India is net speed. Nearly everyone in the country complains of problematic Internet speed. As a solution, Netflix has teamed up with 4G services, which is just a start.
Why should I subscribe to Netflix?
Piracy– Indians are used to piracy. A lot of people do not see the point of subscribing to Netflix when they can download on Torrent and watch content. This is where Netflix is a step ahead. In a lot of places, torrent websites are absolutely banned and one needs VPN for accessing. Netflix streaming means no need for breaking the law, and watching seamless content rightfully.
Spoon-feeding– Netflix will basically save all the extra work you do in research of likeable movies, and shows. On the basis of what you like, Netflix will already lay down content for you that you will love.
Censorship– True, one can watch the same shows on TV, but does anyone remember how anything even remotely ‘offensive’ (not) is taken off from the episodes? Netflix offers shows which are completely uncensored.
The Premium Plan– A lot of us in college live with our roommates, and can easily share a Rs 800 plan that will give access to each of us watching shows on different laptops simultaneously.
Possibilities
It is known worldwide that Netflix produces original content of its own, including Specials and Continuations. This will give a chance to Indian indie filmmakers to team up with Netflix and produce original shows like TVF Pitchers, ScoopWhoop Baked, etc. This also means that Netflix will be in constant competition with other services like Hotstar. Though this is just a thought shared by many people, Netflix may actually act upon this in the future.
If these aren’t enough reasons, there is no reason to fret. Sign up on Netflix, stream a new show, experience what’s in store for you and chill!
Image Credits: longlivecinema.com
Sudisha Misra
[email protected]
In a shocking incident that took place on the 9th of December, in College of Vocational Studies, a German Shepherd pet dog named Shanky was brutally killed by her owner Sukhbir. Sukhbir works as a sweeper in the same college and kept Shanky in his quarters located inside the college premises at the back of Principal’s bungalow.
Sonya Ghosh, an English Professor at CVS, who works as an animal activist told that she was called by Sukhbir and informed that Shanky had escaped and bitten another safai karamchari. By the time she reached downstairs, she came to know that Shanky was badly beaten by Sukhbir. Immediately, a PCR arrived on her request and the body was sent to Tuglaqabad Animal Husbandry Hospital for post mortem.
The post mortem report revealed that Shanky was hit repeatedly, especially on her chest area which resulted in the bursting of her lungs. In the end, she was tragically smashed on her head. On digging further, it was found out that the pet dog had not bitten anyone and was killed because of another reason. For the past three years, she was being taken by Sukhbir for breeding in spite of Professor Sonya’s perpetual requests to get her sterilised. The dog had recently given birth to five babies and had become irritable because of her confinement in the quarters. Shanky killed four of the five babies, thus preventing Sukhbir from making money out of selling the puppies. Out of spite, the owner ended up killing her.
An FIR under the Penal Code Section 429 was lodged on the same date and according to sources, Sukhbir may get arrested for animal abuse and also for being an unlicensed breeder. Shanky had turned three this year and had been a favourite amongst students. She was often seen playing with students during the football practice. The news of her tragic killing spread rapidly through WhatsApp and Facebook, with many students expressing shock and disappointment.
Akash Jindal, a student of DCAC is a mountaineer, and an entrepreneur, working passionately for Viral Hepatitis awareness. In a recent conversation with DU Beat, he talks about the mountains he has climbed, his non-profitable work and the next big thing in his life- climbing Mt. Everest.
Q. Let’s start by talking about the mountains that you have surmounted, your brainchild Mission Outdoors and recent work related to Viral Hepatitis awareness.
I have been climbing since I was 16. It’s been more than six years now, and I’ve come a long way. It all started with a training camp called Basic Mountaineering Camp in Himalayas. Ever since, I have climbed many peaks between 17,000ft and 21,000ft of varied conditions, technical pitches and altitude. Most of the climbs in India have been in Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh and outside, I have climbed some of the highest mountains in Europe, Australia and Iran for which I hold some records.
After graduating from DCAC, I joined a friend who I had met a few years ago to start Mission Outdoors. Our company is a bit different from other adventure travel outfits as our products range from backpacking in Australia to skydiving in Russia to climbing Kilimanjaro. As of today we have had operations in Russia, Nepal, Australia and Tanzania and its growing ever since.
I’ve been campaigning passionately for Viral Hepatitis patients as I was tested positive recently, but it was all a hoax. I do it because initial few Hepatitis tests can be misleading and I wish to make the society aware about it.
Q. Do you have an inherent passion for mountaineering? Or was it a certain someone or an incident that inspired you to climb mountains at a young age?
Honestly, I wasn’t athletic naturally and I trained myself with grit and determination. I was an average kid in sports back in school. It was only in class 11, I started browsing the internet about adventure sports and I stumbled upon Kayaking, but unfortunately the seats were already booked. Then I was suggested by the same school if I would be keen on doing a basic mountaineering course offered by them. It was a blessing in disguise. The course was not even close to what I had presumed it to be, it was a hardcore climbing camp of 26 days training on rock, snow and ice which culminated with climbing a 17,000ft peak and a written test. Clearly, I picked up this sport as fish to water and there has been no looking back. What followed was an advanced course in mountaineering and expeditions.
Q. Out of all the mountains that you have climbed, which one would be your absolute favourite? Are there any particular reasons for it?
It’s really hard to filter out one as there are so many unique experiences. But to pick the most beautiful and equally hard climb, it would a 20,000ft mountain in Himachal Pradesh, Deo Tibba. We did this expedition in 2013 and it was particularly very hard as there had been a cloud burst and tragedy in Badrinath. It was a special climb because despite facing setbacks, even before the start of the climb, we were tagged as crazy and stupid people trying to kill ourselves. We came back victorious and satisfied that with calculated risks, some goals are worthwhile. Apart from this, the trek to the base of Deo Tibba is a visual treat, it’s through meadows, beautiful valleys and equally serene rivers where one can find sheep, wild horses, and if lucky, even encounter a bear.
Q. The world recently saw the release of Everest and how debilitating it can be. And yet, there you are, ready to take this challenge. So how are you preparing for climbing the Everest?
I always had Everest in mind, After my basic mountaineering course, I knew I had to try this sometime in my life but I was patient to not hurry it up. Everest is different from other climbs, it’s really really high. One needs to be in his prime shape not just physically but also mentally. Many people think that climbing requires lots of physical endurance and skills, there’s no doubt about that. But one thing which most people miss is the mental endurance. I have personally witnessed many times when my body had given up, but it was my mind that pulled me up and still pushing me higher.
Everest is possibly the greatest test of human potential and I want to take this challenge, it’s going to be fun and thrilling. Regardless of the end result, I believe we should push ourselves to the extreme to see how far we can go. We should just be true to our dreams.
Q. Set aside mountaineering for a while, what kind of places other than mountains, do you like to travel to? Which are some places that would take the first few spots in your wishlist?
My two recent climbs have been to Russia and Iran in August and September, respectively. Not only did I climb the highest mountain and volcano of these two countries, but I also travelled as far and wide as I could. Iran was such a dream vacation, I was hosted by acquaintances who treated me like a family. I went for skydiving, bicycling, and beach and got to understand their culture, food and history. What we hear on TV is just 10% of the real thing. We need to go and see it for ourselves to understand how wrong we are about some places. During my travels, I like to experience things like a local, not like staying in a hotel and get into the “hop- on hop-off” city experience.
Q. Why are you campaigning vehemently for Viral Hepatitis patients? Is there a particular incident behind it?
A few months back, I was in the process of obtaining visa to Iran. The prerequisite was to get a few medical tests done amongst which were Hepatitis B & C. I was (wrongly) tested positive. Needless to say, I was devastated. During that hour long drive back home from the lab, I kept wondering how my life would change, for worse, and in just a couple months time. The more I read and researched about it, the scarier it became. Apparently this virus can stay dormant inside a host body for 20 years, and just one day, out of nowhere, decides to pop out and infect you.
I pulled a few strings; spoke to a doctor friend who recommended a couple of confirmatory tests. I chose another lab this time around. Though I’d been anxious, it still came as a surprise to me that I tested negative I went for another series of tests, and I tested negative again!
I posted about this on Facebook to let people know, and what followed was a call from a friend whose uncle was also tested positive and was never suggested for any confirmatory tests. Clearly, there was very little awareness in the society. It was then that I spoke with one the organisations which works in the healthcare sector. Having received their support, I was all geared to do my bit to create as much awareness as I could.
Q. Delhi University has its share of students interested in adventure sports, mountaineering to be precise. Any word of advice you’d like to tell them?
We are privileged to be studying in DU and staying in Delhi. There are so many weekend trips to the mountains that can be done solo or without any prior experience. We are lucky to be situated so close to the Himalayas, an overnight bus journey will take you to the footsteps of the Himalayas.
Back in my college years, I worked with the university officials to build a climbing wall at University stadium, its taking time, but I am pretty sure someday it will come up.
Finally, if someone wants to venture into this, then it can only happen when you have the courage to take that first step. We need to believe in what we are and what we love doing. 20s is the age of exploring yourself, we shouldn’t focus on settling. Settling is saturation and we are too young for that. I just hope that everyone gives at least one try to their dream without fear of failure or doubt and see how easy it was to follow what drives us.
Image Credits- Akash Jindal
Sudisha Misra
[email protected]
Dear Auburn,
When I go out with my boyfriend on dates and such, I always end up wearing jeans or leggings. I tend to feel uncomfortable in skirts and shorts. Yet, I wish I could upgrade my oomph quotient without looking provocative. Please help!
-Plain Jane
Answer: Dear Plain Jane,
Don’t feel disheartened. Trust me, there are a plethora of options that you can explore! Firstly, you could upgrade your jeans by taking onto ripped denims. Or pair your jeans with crop tops and tank tops. The same goes for leggings.
Secondly, try out those long, fluid and flowing maxi dresses. They’re really chic and come in wonderful patterns and styles. They’ll fulfil your wish of being covered, while at the same time, they’ll make you look really pretty and girly.
Other than that, you could also think of adding things on and enhancing your present look with accessories and make up. Eg: Mascara, smokey eyes, red lips (as perfected by Taylor Swift) and diva like eye liner will give you a dramatic and impactful look; or a little junk jewellery will turn your lacklustre outfit into something nice and hip(pie)!
The key is to have fun and experiment. And most importantly, do so confidently.
Much love!
xoxo
Auburn
Is fashion your biggest foe? Does it intimidate you? Do you feel like a dodo when it comes to making sensible fashion choices? Do you wish to be a fashionista but aren’t sure how and where to start?
Well, our dear fashion-stricken reader, we’ve got a one-stop solution to all your fashion queries! DUB introduces to you the latest fashion app, Wooplr. This app will help enhance your fashion knowledge: it will guide you through the latest fads and trends, help you customize a style for yourself, suggest shopping options and Voila! Turn you into a stunning diva! So check out the app and be prepared to rock the college scene with your new-found fashion acumen!
Is there a difference between the freedoms that men enjoy as compared to those that women do? And if there is, is it a difference that should persist as a general and socially acceptable manner in which society functions? These are some of the thought provoking questions that Oxfam India’s new video, ‘These Indians are in the Spotlight for all the Wrong Reasons,’ addresses. Watch the video here.
The video features four women and four men, from different geographical regions of the country, who are required to stand in their respective spotlights and answer questions with yes/no for an answer. For every yes, the spotlight turns brighter and for every no, the spotlight is dimmed. The questions were of a nature that reflected personal freedom, such as, whether or not they could walk home alone at night without worrying about their safety, whether they could work after the birth of a child or whether they would be required to take their spouse’s surname after marriage. At the end, the people standing in brighter pools of light enjoy considerably more freedom than those standing in darker ones. No prizes for guessing the results. All four men stood in pools of bright light, while the women stood in relative darkness. The spotlight here, serving as a marker of freedom, indicates the rapidly depreciating level of freedom that women enjoy in a patriarchal society.
The video is followed up by a quiz that you may take it here, in which the viewer can assess their own personal level of freedom along the same lines, in the face of similar questions. My result stood at a lowly 4/10 while a male friend scored as high as a 9. This scorecard was just as shameful as poor marks on that report card in school. Except, for the poor marks in that class test, you had only yourself to blame. For this below average scorecard, we, society as a collective whole, must hang our heads in shame.
The Indian Constitution, the sacred laws of the land, grants every citizen the Right to Freedom, provided they are not antithetical to the independence of the nation and do not disrupt public order. Therefore, politically and theoretically, a distinction between the sexes in terms of the freedom they enjoy, does not exist. This variation is largely a social construct that is constantly reinforced by the stereotypes and social practices that are considered a given, and very rarely questioned. In a society where women continue to be blamed for incidents of rape, and ‘provocative’ dressing is considered a justification for this heinous act, equality of the sexes appears to be a distant possibility that may never quite materialise unless each individual decides to take matters into their own hands. Equality begins at the very base-the family. Unless male and female children are treated in the same manner, with regard to education, respect, inheritance, work and marriage, equality cannot be expected in the larger domains of public life. India stands at a rank of 127 among the countries of the world in terms of Gender Inequality, according to the Gender Inequality Index of UNDP report of 2013.
Oxfam India aims at creating an equal and just society through their work with the underprivileged sections of society. They emphasise on the rights and freedoms that every individual is entitled to. Their work is spread out across several areas of justice, such as economic and gender justice. Poverty, health and education are primary focus areas.
Image Credits- oxfamindia.org
Featured Image Credits- junkee.com
Abhinaya Harigovind
[email protected]
The winners for Quizbola were Nipun Kalra of Ram Lal Anand College, Sarthak Suri of Ram Lal Anand College and Aman Gautam of Sri Venkateswara College. The first prize in Corporate Roadies was won by Harnaman Singh of College of Vacational studies and Rajannya Lahiri of Jamia Milia Islamia College. Fun-her-tainment was won by Chetan Sharma, Ankit Kadian, Himanshu Paliwal and Prateek Shukla of ARSD College. The first prize for Cash-It was awarded to Yamini Kalra, Priyanka Chugh and Rinky Garg of Gargi College. Mind-n-Money was won by Saksham Dewan of SSCBS, Vaibhav Gupta of SGGSCC, Neil Suri of Dyal Singh College and Tanvi Sinha of IPCW College, Shitij Singhal of IIT Delhi in the first and second slot respectively. Lastly, Amazing Race awarded its first prize to Roopika Kapoor, Parichita Raghav, Isha Setia and Isha Somani.
According to Ruchika, a participant from Kamala Nehru College, “This is the third consecutive time I’ve visited jmc Commerce fest, every year, it’s just getting better!”
The fest, which continued for seven hours, witnessed a variety of stalls, ranging from food to innovative craft works. DJ and Dhol added a further lively touch to the event.
Image Credits- Preeti Sridhar from JMC
Lovleen Kaur
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