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This Halloween, the University of Delhi is geared up to offer its students something unprecedented. The viability of the plan, however, has been put to question.

 

On October 28, 2018, the United Grants Commission (UGC) issued a statement, making it mandatory for all professors to dress up on Halloween. The statement specifies that all professors should come to their classes in the guise of a superhero, literary character, or cartoon.

 

A student from Dyal Singh College, on the condition of anonymity shared his excitement with us, over the last category, “I am all charged up to see how well my professors live up to their caricatures drawn on the last page of my notes!”

 

While many students are celebrating the statement, the enforcement of the order is ambiguous in the academic circles of the staff rooms of various colleges. A professor from Ramjas College wrote a letter to the authorities—in no uncertain terms— that this was “a rudely disrespectful compliance expected out of all of us (professors).”

 

In the letter, the professor goes on to say, “We should have the freedom to choose our clothes, at least! Our options are already so limited.”

 

Some might argue that the conscious choice of clothes of their professors are nightmarish enough; to begin with, that is. Put into question, the authorities issued a public statement on 29 October that claims, “This practice will heighten the sense of connectivity between the professors and their students. The idea is to instil friendship into the equation.” As innocent as the intention is, the results just might be surprising for the authorities to observe.

 

But there are others who claim something good comes from this decision too. “Seeing as how Diwali is only a week from Halloween, we could take this as a step towards being more inclusive. The students will have a lot to learn,” said Ramprasad Guru, a Festival Analyst who works as a freelance. But it is easy to say that the professors do not agree as they have unanimously agreed to protest on Thursday outside Arts Faculty in North Campus.

 

In the diametric expectations of the students and professors, the tension increases for the latter. As the students want their professors to come to their 8:30 class as Dolores Umbridge and explode into cheers and jeers immediately, and as the professors are resolute on escaping this humiliation, one significant element hangs in the balance – education.

 

College administrations are perplexed over the idea of loss of time of students due to the fiasco. The time that they could otherwise spent waiting in lines to get permissions for organising events in their respective colleges. Arguably, it is good to see that the administration department is not vexed by the decision directly. But then, it is hard to impress an innovative idea on them.

 

It remains to be seen what awaits the fate of a thousands of professors this Halloween. But whether classes are cancelled or the students actually see a Khaleesi marking the stupefied students’ attendance, it is a victory for the dedicated college goers of Delhi University.

Disclaimer: Bazinga is our weekly column of almost believable fake news. It is only meant to be appreciated and not accepted.

Feature Image Credits: Scroll

Kartik Chauhan

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As exciting as college is, there are some downsides to it as well. Sometimes it is too much pressure. Or is it the case always? Let us explore this. 

31 October 2018 is a special day because it is Halloween. But the speciality of the day is in the idea that it is meant to celebrate fear and in that, it is meant to help us learn to stay strong through the moments of fear. Fear is a complex emotion, to say the least. It takes away all our initiative when it strikes. But sometimes it works in the opposite direction too. All of us would relate with the fact that we as students cannot work unless we have the fear of deadlines seeing as how many of us write our assignments on the last date of submission. So maybe fear works to create this productivity for us. But there are some fears that can never work in a positive way.  These fears feed on you. And burdened by such elements, we see ourselves plummeting to a swift doom. The aforementioned fears are the fears of seclusion, anxiety and judgement in college. All of us have felt them. In fact, we have lived them. As distressed as they make us, they also work some lessons into us. These lessons are often not registered by us.

Everyday is a mounting challenge for us when we do not recognize the importance of our beliefs. Our ideals are not necessarily always  extensive or  accurate, but these beliefs will make us  learn to hold on to ourselves. And that is what we must do, when we feel secluded. At times, we feel dejected and abandoned. But more often than not, this feeling of being lost comes of its own accord. It is in these times that we fail to recognize the companionship of our friends because we are broken by the ignorance of an indifferent acquaintance. It appears that the arbitrary opinions of a person weigh us down too much. So much so that we restrain ourselves from a social background and accept seclusion as the way of life. It happens that seclusion is inflicted by others. But in that moment, whom do you latch on to? The model fear or of hope? Answer yourself. You will probably answer in favour of the latter, and that is when you know you have won the battle with seclusion.

Dr. Jennifer Guttman, a clinical psychologist and cognitive-behaviorist in one of her videos says, “Whether it be dealing with something you are avoiding or overcoming an insecurity, facing your fears is important when it comes to getting the most out of life.”

It is natural for us to feel out of place, anxious, and even fear the judgement that surrounds us. People can hold prejudices close to themselves about you despite all your efforts to put your best foot forward. This disappointing truth sometimes takes away our incentive to work in a social construct. Forcing us to withdraw to such a state of being self-cornered, this fear can wreak great havoc in our lives. But then, it is a choice. A choice to fall prey to this deception of fear would ultimately mean the end of a lot of opportunities. So when you are facing fear next time, remember what Halloween teaches us.

Remember that fear makes the wolf look bigger than he is. Remember that “Fear makes you a prisoner, Hope sets you free.”

Feature Image Credits: Thrive Global

Kartik Chauhan

[email protected]

Many colleges affiliated to the University of Delhi have decided to seek help from professional ghostbusters to combat the frequently occurring mishaps that are causing problems for both, the administration and the students.

In the past few months, University of Delhi has seen increasing incidences of infrastructure failure, administrative delays, and incidents of violence. Recently, a large portion of the plaster fell off from the ceiling in one of the rooms of Hansraj College hostel.  Earlier on 11th August, a section of the newly constructed false ceiling came crashing down in a classroom of the College of Vocational Studies.  Last year too, ceiling collapsed in Daulat Ram College, leaving several students injured.

Considering that these episodes can also be life-threatening, college administrations were severely critiqued for being negligent. Recently in the executive council meeting, all colleges unanimously accredited paranormal forces for causing such mishaps. On the condition of anonymity, a member of the Maintenance Committee of College of Vocational Studies (CVS) said, “The infrastructure of CVS is top notch; there is no carelessness on our part that could cause injury inflicting miscarriages. We strongly suspect some extra-terrestrial forces behind the ceiling collapse.” The executive council of Delhi University has proposed a budget of one crore that should be allotted for hiring professional ghostbusters who will undertake all necessary activities to counter this. The activities are scheduled to take place during the examination break, provided the Finance Committee accepts the proposal and releases funds.

Many people claim that accusing sinister forces of interfering with day-to-day deeds of the Varsity is the administration’s desperate attempt to negate accountability and shift the blame. Addressing these allegations, a member of executive Council resonated, “If you look at the geography of North Campus, you’ll see several landmarks that have a dark history, such as Khooni Jheel and Flagstaff Tower located in the Kamla Nehru Ridge, which is adjacent to the North Campus. It is very much possible that eldritch energies from these places intrude in the campuses.”

Miranda House, one of the most acclaimed colleges of Delhi University has also witnessed eerie occurrences ever since its auditorium, one of the oldest constructions in the college, was closed for renovation work. It has been a while since the auditorium has been undergoing retrofitting, but not much progress has been made. On the condition of anonymity, the official in charge of the renovations told DU Beat that all attempts to develop the work is being vandalized by unknown people. The workers often find their construction gears either missing or damaged. The rumor is that the ghost of English architect Walter Sykes George, who designed Miranda House at its inception, is sabotaging the work because he is not pleased with the new design of the auditorium.

Whether or not the rumors have any substance or they are simply an excuse meted by the officials to distract attention from their failures is for people to decide, depending on whatever they want to believe in.

Feature Image Credits: Shutterstock
Niharika Dabral

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If you’ve seen American shows or sitcoms, the craze and hype of Halloween won’t be a notion alien to you. If you haven’t, you shall still be apprised with the basic gist of the huge occasion October 31st is. And if you still don’t have a clue about what we’re talking about, chances are you’re living under a rock.

With the advent of the notion of globalization and the world becoming a ‘global village,’ traditions and values of the diversified hues are being adopted regardless of the geographical borders. Commendable, won’t you say? The fluidity of festivals is a worthy example and an idea with bright potential. While pondering over these noble and mighty ideas, one would wonder about the insertion of American celebrations, say Halloween, in the Indian culture; the more, the merrier, right? It’s not so simple.

Spooky pumpkins, ridiculous costumes and over-the-top makeup, trick or treating for children and themed parties for the adults, the story of Halloween runs deeply in the Western culture. But this story shall be subjected to a few technical and intellectual difficulties in the Indian counterpart for some painfully valid reasons.

  1. The trick or treating: Lol. India Mein?

There is only one rule which dominates the rule book of Halloween: children are supposed to ask for either treats or tricks from the houses they choose to knock on. Once you’ve absorbed the concept, try to picture this imagery in the Indian context. Firstly, as kids, the idea of not talking to strangers/taking things from strangers is hammered into our brains for blatant reasons. Secondly, the traditional rule takes place in the hours of an evening, and well, we all know how safe the streets of India are once the sun sets. The whole placement of children asking for trick or treat, hopping between homes can’t be executed for essential safety reasons. The parental philosophy paradox could not be more relevant here! Thus, one brick of the Jenga falls.

  1. The ‘Dress to Success’ Concept: Future ki Kahani, Halloween ke zubaani?

Myriad people, myriad mind-sets. Generalization is an abominable sin, but that doesn’t stop us from highlighting the sectional plight. We all know the formidable tales of Sharma ji ka beta and our dearest Pappu. To some extent, the minds of Indian parents still hover around the ‘successful’ careers of medicine and engineering. Halloween will just be another fancy dress competition where the kids will be reflections of the future their parents visualized for them. A Halloween with a motley of costumes: some with lab coats and lawyer robes, and some in superhero costumes. And here stands the purpose of Halloween defeated!

  1. The Intolerant India: Nahi, aapne pehen kaise liya?

The Intolerance debate became the favourite newspaper headline for the media for a loooong time. And a little momentum of the debate holds relevance in the Halloween modalities too. Fancy this: someone wearing the costume of a respectable figure, indulging in smoking/drinking. Such a scenario would seem minuscule to the young blood, but it sure has the potential to freeze a conventional street and make the dresser the victim of harassment. To talk about the restrictions surrounding the female dress code and the ogling that would invite, well, let’s not pull that string. Loyalty to figure and orthodox ideas run deep in the country, giving everyone a shade of intolerance and further hampering the creative streak of the Halloween celebration.

  1. The Notion Fallacy: Kaunsa amusement?

Diwali is the festival of lights. Holi is the festival of colours. Thanksgiving is the festival of gratitude. And Halloween is the festival which celebrates horror and everything spooky (hint: the pumpkins). Lights, colours, gratitude, are diametrically related to the spreading of horror in the community. Think of the gory and abhorrent ‘tricks’ people would commit in the name of Halloween; the Indian community is that unpredictable.

  1. The Market of Festivals: Bhaiya, aur kitne?

CBSE Political Science books taught us the importance of diversity in our country. This diversity lends us a colourful flavour to the cultural hemisphere, with a plethora of festivities lining up to be celebrated. With an average of two-three festivals per month booking up our calendar schedules, do we need one more to crowd our holidays? Specially the month of October which brings the celebration of Durga Pujo, Dussehra, Diwali back to back, the idea of another festival succeeding Diwali times indeed sounds less favourable and extremely tiring.

Colourful candies, orange pumpkins, shades of costumes flooding the streets under the black night; can the horror and fun of Halloween float through the Indian minds? Candy for thought!

Saumya Kalia
[email protected]

Image Credits: history.com

We all know that people have their own ways of celebrating Navratri and Halloween. We stumbled upon a rather quirky, or innovative (depending on your taste) poster. The Delhi University Culture and Festivities Union (DUCFU) have planned a special event- a Navratri and Halloween mash up- A Halloween theme Dandiya Night.

bazinga pic

The poster said that the event, which is open to all, shall be a night of Dandiya Ras, in very traditional, Halloween outfits. Oh there is more, the performing band is our very own, Evolution in Darkness and Pain, yes friends, yes, EdaP will be there too! And as a special request from the EDaP members the Dandiya sticks shall be replaced with daggers. Moreover, to complete the Halloween feel, the rangoli shall be made of fake blood or real blood, depending upon the DUCFU’s budget!

So it does not matter if you come dressed as a Zombie, as Frankenstein or Rakhi Sawant (a hot Halloween favourite) everybody is welcome to enjoy the Halloween Dandiya Night.

1)      Principalstein: Monster Supreme. Reigns over institution and inspires fear in the other monsterettes as well. Mission – To exterminate students’ happiness and convert college into self-styled deluxe prison

2)      Professaur: Inordinately stingy when it comes to marks and even more so in the case of attendance. Efficient substitute for sleeping pills

3)      Librarianator: Hobbles about yelling at people to keep quiet while contributing significantly to noise levels her/himself. Main aim is to rob poor students by charging them for every second past the due-date

4)      Canteen Hag: Devoid of change at all times but more than happy to substitute it with inedible toffees. Takes sadistic pleasure in making students wait for the maximum time possible before food is served.

5)      Class Nerdatron: Prime informant for the monster outfit. Annoyingly regular with assignments and permanent resident of the front row seat. Serves mainly to facilitate execution of various tortures on classmates by fellow monsters

Celebrated on the 31st of October, Halloween is a much anticipated festival in Western countries but has yet to make a mark in India. It supposedly has its origins in an ancient Gaelic festival called Samhain, roughly translated to mean “summer’s end”. On this day, the borders between this world and the Otherworld were believed to become thin, allowing spirits to pass through them and enter the world of the living. To ward off evil spirits, people would wear masks and costumes which would later inspire the elaborate fancy-dress parties that are now intrinsic to Halloween celebrations. The term itself was originally spelt as Hallowe’en, short for All Hallows’ Evening, which we now know as All Saint’s Day. Though Halloween precedes All Saints’ Day by a day presently, there was a time when both events used to take place on the same day. In fact, Halloween used to be celebrated on May 13th but the date was shifted to November 1st to coincide with the Christian festival of All Saints’ Day by the Church in an effort to dilute the pagan connotations.

The Jack-o’-lantern was initially a device to scare off evil spirits like the costumes and masks. The ancient Celts believed the head to be the most powerful part of the body since it contained the spirit and the body and hence, would place skeletons carved out of the “head” of vegetables like turnips and rutabaga on their window sills to protect themselves from ghosts.

The popular custom of “trick or treat” has surprisingly grave origins. It is possibly inspired by the practice of “souling” which was practiced in the Middle Ages by poor people who would go door to door and receive food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls’ Day. The custom firmly established itself with Walt Disney portraying it in their cartoon. Later on, UNICEF even conducted a national campaign in US for children to raise funds while doing the rounds on Halloween, asking for “trick or treat”.