Latest
DU Beat – Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper
Tag

2018

Browsing
Your Beat

Complaining about 2018: A Fad

By

The good and the bad, the world somehow settles into this binary. It is the inevitable balance that brings us closer to ourselves- a balance that needs acknowledgement.

Joy is a complex emotion driven by our beliefs. Sometimes, you find it in the smallest of things, but more often than not, you lose it somewhere in the madness around. How can you tap something that you have been made to feel incapable of? You wait. You feel the misery, and then live in the joy that follows, it is always a balance. Through all phases of dejection, you become a little more grateful, a little more compassionate, and a little more you. Encouragement comes from the erratic.

At the beginning of each year, we are easily driven by our “resolutions” and ideas. But soon, the zeal lessens. In
these moments of discontentment, sadness becomes a routine. The only joy that becomes, is the idea of complaining. Basking in the January sun in the afternoon; the warm, fuzzy feeling that goes a long way to heal our respective deliriums are all blessings that we sometimes fail to register.
Gandalf, the wizard from Peter Jackson’s, The Lord Of The Rings, says, “I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay small acts of kindness and love.”

The idea of love and kindness can be difficult to display. The instability and roughness become a part of our lives, and not without some purpose. It is in our conflict that we receive kindness from others and in that, we restore our own balance.
However, at the end of each year, the idea of celebrating the joys of the year that has been, is overtaken by the idea
of complaining about the not-so-happy days. Quite possibly, 2018 was not the year for everyone. But even through
the rifts, there is a lot we can learn.
“Even the acknowledgement of the sadness is very important. Resisting this acceptance to evade self-accountability can also be challenging later,” says Chahak Gupta, a third-year literature student at Hindu College. “This builds up to a troubling self-victimisation induces us to be a little less grateful than we should be,” she says.

“2018 was a challenging year for sure. But I will remember this year for how significant it has been in my life: a not-so-tranquil upheaval of sorts. The problem and the solution followed in a fashion,” says Pratiksha Rana, a student of Fine Arts at Amity University. Sometimes the best thing to do is to live in the moment.
Complaining takes the pressure off of you, but it just passes it on to the listeners. A positive thought, on the other hand, it encourages relationships.

The joy we feel is driven by our belief, and so is the sadness, or any emotion for that matter. So wouldn’t it help to
reflect more on the joys, every now and then? Complaining about the sadness seems to be taking over us, and hence, the joys often tend to feel underwhelming.
When this year ends, maybe we could all think this: “For bringing me closer to myself, for bringing me closer to my
dreams, for inspiring gratitude in me, for introducing me to numerous joys and sorrows, I am thankful for this last
day of an amazing year.”

Feature Image Credits: Kartik Chauhan for DU Beat

Kartik Chauhan
[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

World Book Day: 10 ways to Preserve your Reading Habits

By

This world book day, DU Beat celebrates the art of reading and brings to you 10 ways to cultivate and preserve your reading habits:

No matter how much convenience a Kindle has to offer, you can never get over the smell of new books or the excitement of finding a rose in between the pages of your old high school favourites. The bookmarks, the coffee stains, the little notes in between the chapters, on every page, make reading a book so much more special. This world book day, we celebrate authors, editors, writers, illustrators, publishers, and libraries for preserving the essence of reading, over all these years. Always.

This celebration of books is marked in over 100 countries all over the world. In 1995, UNESCO decided that the World Book Day will be celebrated on 23rd April every year, to commemorate the death of William Shakespeare as well as the birth and death of several other prominent authors!
This World Book Day, DU Beat brings to you a list of ways through which you can preserve your reading habits and your love for stories;

1. Read a little every day

The first step to cultivating and sustaining your reading habits is to make sure that you take out at least 10-15 minutes from your daily schedule to sit and read. Be it during breakfast or before your bedtime, make sure you read. This will unconsciously create a habit of reading for you.

2. Carry a book along wherever you go

A book can prove to be the best company. It’s proven to be therapeutic and also the most productive use of your time. Be it a 10 minute ride or a 10 hour journey, make sure that you have an out to drown yourself in the world of words.

3. Make a list

Create a list of the books that you want to read. It could be in your personal diary, your journal or your phone’s notes folder, make sure that you constantly have at least 10 names on your to-read list. Keep adding recommendations and crossing out the ones that you’ve read. This will serve as a great source of inspiration to you to read more.

4. Fill your book rack

Keep filling your book shelves and racks with books that are close to your heart, books that feel like home. Buy classics, in an effort, to honour the stories that have shaped our history and always have a book on your bedside table.

5. Visit a library at least once a week

Issuing books from a library is a much cheaper alternative to buying them each time. It also keeps you on your toes about the return dates and the overdue fines.

6. Try out used book stores

You can donate boxes full of your old books and get discounts on the old books. There’s something so special about reading a book that’s already been read with all the footnotes and bookmark imprints and coffee stains.

7. Set a goal

Decide the number of books that you want to read in a year. It could be 10 or 50 or 100. Give yourself a target and actively work towards achieving, rather exceeding that target.

8. Create a log

Create a little diary where you write the starting date, the ending date, and approximately the number of hours you spent reading the book. It’ll serve as motivation for you to read the next book in lesser time.

9. Create a board of your favourite quotes

Write down your favourite quotes and lines on a board, without paying attention to the order. Mess it all up a little. Keep the conversation going and read those sentences every day to remind yourself why you read.

10. Don’t give up mid- book

We all have our phase of a reader’s block and of not being able to find the book interesting enough to be completed, but try your best not to give up mid-book and complete what you’ve started. If nothing else, it’ll give you a feeling of an accomplishment.

More than anything, remember that reading is an art in itself and it makes this world a much more beautiful place to live in! Be it the romances or the comedies, books give you a reason to not give up, to laugh, to love, and to live a little more. They take you to a world that is completely their own but also yours. Cheers to books and stories that make you who you are and make this world a lot more beautiful!

 

Feature Image Credits: Popular Science

Muskan Sethi
[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Events

Mushaira 2018: Performing Poetry of Dissent

By

The much awaited literary festival of Hindu College, Mushaira 2018 witnessed students flocking from a myriad of colleges of the University of Delhi. The event started with customary lighting of lamps by Nasera Sharma, Guest Speaker, along with Dr. Anju Srivastava, the Principal of Hindu College, and Manisha Pandey, Speaker of Hindu College Parliament. Muhammed Daniyal, Minister of Literary Activities of the Hindu College Parliament delivered the keynote address delineating the problems they had to face to come up with the speakers line-up. He presented a timeline of how the society evolved from the stage of genesis to the present day. He painted Mushaira as a stage to revoke the atmosphere of hysteria and intolerance.

Nasera Sharma began with the first speaking session on “Ignored languages and their revival with special emphasis on Urdu”. She made a strong point about the current generation before talking on her subject, about holding the power to resolve the issues that the current generation created. She quoted “Sarkar aati jaati hai par naagrik bane rehte hai”. She protested the belief of eliminating the use of English in order to promote Hindi before telling about how different languages like Pashto and Sanskrit are related through grammar. She emphasised on how India came close to the Middle Eastern countries through literature. Bemoaning the lack of knowledge of people she mentioned that Urdu is a victim of political divisions. Concluding her talk, she shed light on how the originality and beauty of the Hindi language is dying.

Maintaining the poetic vibe, Hindi Kavi Sammelan followed next. More than ten guests were invited to speak on this event. Madhyam Saxena was the first speaker who started the session on a comic note leaving the audience in giggles. The short poems or shayaris as we know them revolved mainly around romance. Some notable guests who came up to mesmerise the audience were Shambhu Shikhar and Azhar Iqbal. The presence of such renowned artists added to the lustre of the already entertaining event. Even though it was the longest session of the day, but the laughter didn’t let the enthusiasm fade. The session also featured some university poets such as Nitin Kumar of KiroriMal College and Sanjana Jha, who is a Hindu College alumuna.

The last and the most anticipated performance of the day was a Qawali session by Junior Qutbi Brothers. They began their performance by informing the crowd about the 800 year old tradition of Qawali, which they believe, is an integral part of the cultures of the Indian subcontinent. They serenaded the crowd with devotional songs like Chaap Tilak as well as popular hits like Coke Studio’s version of Afreen Afreen by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. The first day of Mushaira 2018 ended on a soulful and melodious note.

 

Feature Image Credits: Sahil Chauhan for DU Beat.

Oorja Tapan
[email protected]

Karan Singhania
[email protected]

Sandeep Samal
[email protected]

Bhavya Banerjee
[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Fashion

Fashion Through the Lens of History

By

It is intriguing to see how the different events in history have influenced and changed the way people have dressed throughout time.

 Some of the most popular fashions are classic, and hardly ever “go out of style”, while other clothing items could be considered “fads”- styles that are never to be worn again. Fashion can also be influenced by world events such as war or the economy. For example, during World War II, people were forced to create simple outfits that were practical enough for wartime duties. Let us see how from the 1940s to the 1990s, popular fashions reflected the changes in society as the styles of clothing and accessories evolved with time.

The 1940s

Fashion in the 1940s was a good mix of comfort and glamour. For men, suits, ties and hats were commonplace in public. Women wore dresses and skirts, almost always with a pair of gloves. Fur was very popular, as were animal skins. No animal was off limits, as crocodile purses, lambskin lining, and leather sleeves became popular. Overall, clothes in the 1940s were very bright and colourful.

The 1950s

By the mid-1950s, James Dean from the movie “On the Waterfront” popularised the style of the “greaser”. Swept-up hair, jeans and leather jacket defined the look of a rebellious teenager who felt misunderstood by his parents. The waistline was a major issue in the 1950s. Some women liked the snug fit of their dresses while others liked the dresses with no waistline, often referred to as “sack dresses.” The important thing is that people were beginning to feel a little more freedom when it came to their fashion choices. No longer did people feel like they had to conform to a certain look for certain situations. Moreover, 1957 was the year in which Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (at age 74) became “an adjective in her own time.”

The 1960s

Fashion in the 1960s was bi-polar in just about every way. While the early sixties witnessed styles which were more conservative and restrained, the late 1960s popularised psychedelic dyed shirts, long hair and beard for men and unbelievably short skirts for women. It’s almost like the 1950s bottled everyone up to such an extent that in the late 1970s, they exploded like an old pressure cooker. In the 60s, for the first time in the 20th Century, London, not Paris, was the center of the fashion world.

The 1970s

 Much of the experimental, so-called “hippie” style with its floral patterns originated in the early 1970s. It is probably the first decade in history when women could be seen wearing pants in every walk of life. One new style that became quite popular were pants that looked like a dress. They were called Palazzo pants. Men weren’t wearing hats anymore, their hair was much longer and they didn’t always tuck their shirts in.

The 1980s

By the mid-80s, pop music stars like Cyndi Lauper were ushering in an entirely new style, wherein bright coloured accessories like sunglasses, bangles and hoop earrings were a necessity. Loud makeup and neon were no less important in this style. Society’s love for the brand was epitomised by the Coca-Cola brand clothing in 1987. MTV had a huge impact on fashion, as teens across the US were tuning in to watch music videos starring wildly dressed celebrities. By the late 80s, Nike had grown into one of the most profitable clothing companies in the world. Like Coke vs. Pepsi, Reebok vs. Nike was the athletic wear battle of the decade. With the help of Michael Jordan, Nike won the war.

The 1990s

Ripped jeans were popularised for the first time in the 1990s.Teens were digging through their dad’s box of old clothes to get their hands on some authentic ripped jeans to wear. Boys and girls both wore baseball caps in many different ways. By the late 1990s, musicians had a much greater influence on what young people wore than designers. Hence hip-hop style was arguably the most popular among young people.

 

Feature Image Credits: Polyvore

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak

[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Enactus

Enactus Nationals 2018: Battle of Entrepreneurial Action

By

Founded in 1975, Enactus is a global student organisation which inspires students to take entrepreneurial action to improve the lives of others. The Enactus World Cup is an annual event featuring the best social innovation projects created by the top university and college teams. With less than a few months left For the world cup and even fewer months left for the Nationals, it would be fitting to take a look at the preparation of some of the Enactus teams from Delhi University.

While Enactus Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies was named Global Champion for Project Rahat last year, this year will witness heightened competition among colleges of University of Delhi to qualify for the Enactus World Cup.
Home to some of the pre-eminent Enactus teams of India, DU claims the legacy of presenting some of the best social innovation projects in Enactus history.

On being asked about their preparation for the Championship, President of Enactus Ramjas Rohit Saha asserted, “With various up and running projects fulfilling many a sustainable goal of the United Nations in the fields of health and well being, our focus for this year’s World Cup is on providing social welfare through clean water, sanitation, and zero hunger.”

As we move on to the college nestled at a walking distance from Ramjas, we will feel the heat of the competition emanating from Enactus Hindu College. The team from Hindu prides itself upon three remarkable projects, Project Oorja, Project Veerangana, and Project Shreshth, the first of which boasts of being in collaboration with LEDsafari, a social start-up based in Switzerland.

One of the strong contenders amongst teams from 36 countries, 1700 campuses, and 72,000 student participants around the globe is Enactus CVS (Centre of Vocational Studies). Sticking to the forte of their college, CVS has decided to pick projects that involve earning livelihoods through vocationalisation- Project Raah and Project Madari. Speaking about their preparation for the Nationals, President of Enactus CVS Anshul Arya claimed, “As a team of young minds, I think Enactus CVS has a perfect blend of knowledge, commitment and dedication to help the underprivileged people.”

Keeping in mind the inputs provided by the judges at the competition last year, Enactus LSR is also gearing up for the Nationals, and has taken some major steps to drive its projects towards sustainability and scalability.
When entreated to spill the beans on their preparation, President of Enactus LSR Amisha Patel commented, “Under Project Auric, wherein our women entrepreneurs of Mangar village in Haryana produce dishwashing liquid, we are actively looking to collaborate with NGOs to expand our reach.”

Claiming the legacy of exceptionally brilliant initiatives such as Project Jazba, Project Zaffran, and Project Tarang, Enactus Miranda House led by its President Anjali Rai, is expected to provide some intense competition to the other teams of Delhi University this year.

As the we inch towards the Enactus Nationals, it would be a marvel to watch these incredible teams challenge each other in the entrepreneurial battle of the year. However, even as these teams battle it out, it is important not to lose track of the motive that ENACTUS stands for: channelising entrepreneurial spirit, passions, and ideas to create good in the world.

 

Feature Image Credits: Arran High School

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak
[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

What Does it Mean to Have a Fresh Start?

By

New Year is usually associated with a fresh start. However, the question to ponder about is what exactly does a fresh start mean? Does a fresh start mean that we leave all our trouble behind and not try to clean up the mess? Shouldn’t we be trying to fix what has gone wrong? More importantly, can we start afresh only at the beginning of a new year?

I would like to believe that you can start fresh at any moment. The second I feel that my life is not turning out the way it is supposed to be should be the time I could start afresh. I shouldn’t have to wait for Day 1 of the year to bring about changes. A fresh start should be changing all your bad experiences while never forgetting them. One should learn to accept the past and make peace with it. A new beginning should be exhilarating, one that makes you feel that everything in the world is infinite. You should be able to feel that you are infinite and capable of achieving anything in the wide spectrum of possibilities. Most importantly, you should decide that anything in the whole wide world that is not able to match with this feeling is perhaps something you should not bother about.

This is because life is too long and somewhere along the line we start losing ourselves to the mundane things about it and stop living. We forget that living is all about jubilation, euphoria, and ecstasy. So when we do get the sense to start afresh, it is important to decide not to lose ourselves all over again to the drudgery aspect of life. So take the trip that you have been long planning to or throw out all the old stuff that is of no use and just occupying space in your closet. Anything that will help you to kick-start your new beginning, you should do it. You don’t have to wait for a special occasion to do it. This is because if you wait for a specific occasion, you will never be able to do it. Seize the day because after all ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’.

 

Feature Image Credits: Videezy

Anukriti Mishra

[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

2018: A Pandora of Goals from a University Student’s Lens

By

We grew up breaking new year resolutions, at times breaking ice to pave new ways and sometimes breaking ourselves. Let 2018 be a year of some realistic goals that we must make to  acquire the best version of ourselves.

We often make goals of achieving the best marks, getting into the best college, and creating the best career but sadly, less do we invest in creating the best of us. Goals are perhaps not the materialist needs but rather a ladder to grow, grow as a person with determination in the eyes of adversities. You get to understand these unconventional goals as you slowly leave the doors of school life and turn to the faces of university, a goal in itself.

Let’s look into some secret goals that we all wish, we would do!

1) To break down– We are often taught to stay strong but then as we grow older, deep inside we realise that how essential it is to break down, break down before it breaks you. Cry out, scream out, break some vases and throw some tantrums and hold yourself up again.

2) What if? – So, still stuck wondering ‘what if’ you would have done that? ‘What if you do that?’ well what if I say DO IT, right now! There would always be so many buts and ifs however, the reason that you are still thinking about it the sole reason why no ifs shall stand a chance. Be it be your ambitions or a grand confession of love!

3) Pick your battles – “Sometimes you have to let go of some wars to win a battle.” Don’t pick every argument that it exhausts you at the end, be wise enough to be choose your battles. It takes determination and courage to ignore unnecessary fights.

4) Challenge yourself– Challenge yourself a little more, do things that makes you scared. Be it be walking away from a toxic relationship or developing jogging habit. Remember, as your knees beg for rest from life, push yourself a little more. The beauty at the top is worth it.

Finally, promise yourself to pick every stone that time throws at you and make a beautiful monument using it.

 

Feature Image Credits: Freepik

Naimisha
[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
Events

New Year Itinerary: What’s Happening Around the Capital at the New Year’s Eve

By

Still have no plans for the coming days? Worry not, we have a list for you whether you plan to go stag or make a bash with your friends.

The National Capital has a number of parties and events lined up for you across the upcoming days. We bring to you our top three pick specially curated for you, your friends, or your family.

1. Smaaash New Year Carnival at Gurugram

Located at the DLF Cyber Hub, Cyber City, Smaaash is the perfect destination for Arcade Games, food and Drinks. This is the go-to location if you want to step into the New Year high on action. The event gets rolling at 8 PM on 31st.

2. New Year Bash Party at JLN Stadium

With artists like Sharry Maan, DJ Sonali Katyal, Rapture Dhol Mix Nites, Qisaa The Band and many more lined up, this event at the JLN is the perfect destination if you want to start early, as the gala starts by 6 in the evening on 31st December.

3. New Year Bash at the Lord of the Drinks Meadow

Located at the New Deer Park in Hauz Khas Village, this certainly is the best choice if you are fine with shedding a few extra bucks for the classiest experience. With DJ Sam scheduled to arrive, this would be nothing short of a perfect way to look forward to a perfect New Year.

Go ahead, make your choice and secure your booking at the official website of these venues.

 

Feature Image Credits: AllWording

Nikhil Kumar
[email protected]

Keep Reading
By
DUB Speak

Attainability of New Year Resolutions

By

New Year resolutions often end up being made with a lot of hope and promise, but end up being discarded about halfway through January.

New Year’s resolutions are very hard to keep. What starts off as an extension of the idealistic “New Year, New Me” ideas is then supposed to carry onto a whole year, which sounds just impractical. The idea that we can instantly, magically transform ourselves only at a particular time of the year defeats the purpose of self-improvement. Sure, for those who are able to accomplish these self-defined goals might see their value, but for most of the general population they seem unattainable.

Maybe, it has to do with the fact that the motivation for resolutions comes only once a year. After that initial push and flurry of excitement towards accomplishing a newly put forward goal wears off, we lack the motivation towards fulfilling that task. However, what must be understood is that instead of seeking constant motivation towards achieving something, we should instead look for discipline. On days when we don’t find the motivation to do things, we needn’t stop and hope for it to arrive by itself. We should continue preparation towards it constantly, even when we don’t feel like. So that, on the days we have the motivation, we are prepared to utilise it the best way possible. Even keeping realistic, easily achievable resolutions becomes difficult when we wait for things to just go our way. Instead, let’s work in a way so that we progress daily, little by little, by keeping our discipline, and not running after motivation. That way, we won’t need the push of “New Year, New Me” or other catchy slogans to remind ourselves of the fact that we hold the power to change, any time we want.

 

Feature Image Credits: Beyond Entertainment Blog

Rishika Singh
[email protected]

Keep Reading
By