February 2017

With quality performances in varied events, informal and competitive, the second day at Reverie 2017, the annual cultural festival of Gargi College, was a day full of activity.

The Indian choir event, organised by Samranjini, the Indian music society of the college, was the first event of the day. Samranjini, the Indian music society of Gargi College, and Alahyaa, the Indian music society of Daulat Ram College, bagged the first position. The second position was shared by Dhwani, the Indian music society of Lady Shri Ram College for Women, and Alaap, the Indian music society of Sri Venkateswara College. The third position was bagged by the MuSoc of Kirori Mal College

The street play competition, Aabhaas, was held by Kshitij, the Hindi theater society of Gargi College, and was one of the most sought after events of the day. After a string of stirring performances on various social themes, Anubhuti, the dramatics society of Sri Venkateswara College was adjudged the winner. Et Cetera, the cultural society of Guru Tegh Bahadur Institute of Technology, for their performance called Coming Soon, centred around the forced opinions in modern times were given the second position. Natuve, the dramatics society of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, were awarded the third position for their act about the child sexual abuse called Thora Dard Hi Sahi.

gopr1199_1487173333797_high — EDM night on Day 2 of Reverie with the Progressive Brothers

In the ad making competition held by Cinematrix, the film making society of the college, Anish Sagar from Deshbandhu College, Digvijay from Deshbandhu College, and Mallika from Indraprastha College for Women, rose above the rest to win the first, second and third positions respectively.
The next event was, Reverie Idol, the Hindi solo singing competition, where Ridhima from Miranda House and Ishita from Dyal Singh College (Morning) jointly emerged as the winners, while Vaibhav Sakshi from Miranda House and Sarat from Hansraj College jointly came second. Sukriti and Sourabh from SGTB Khalsa were give the third position.

Next up in the line was stage play completion, Nivacanna, hosted by Gargi College’s stage play society, Upstage. A total of six teams participated and they were judged by a panel of Narendra Bhutani, Shatrupa Sinha and Anusuya Aggarwal. Shunya theater society of Ramjas College secured first position for their production Evam Indrajit. Second position and the Best Production were awarded to The Players, the theatre society of Kirori Mal College, for the staging of Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time. Ibtida, the dramatics society of Hindu College, was awarded third position for their play There Stands Alone.

The highlight of the Reverie day 2 was actress and model Urvashi Rautela’s presence. An alumuna of Gargi College, Urvashi charmed the crowd with her inspiring speech. “Only way to do great work is to do what you love and you must find what you love. If you haven’t found what it is, then keep looking”, she said. She also remembered her college days when she was a part of Enliven, the western dance society and danced with the faculty and the union members on her popular hits.

The crowd danced to the EDM duo of Sunny Sharma and Karan Bhalla, known by their stage name, Progressive Brothers, a name populated after their debut at Sunburn and Supersonic, as the second day at Reverie 2017 drew to a close.

Images by Vegh Daswani and Gerush Bahal for DU Beat

Joyee Bhattacharya ([email protected]), Nikhil Kumar ([email protected]) and Niharika Dabral ([email protected])

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Daulat Ram College

VICHAAR 2017: A Two-Day Conference by the DebSoc of Daulat Ram College

By Vineeta Rana February 15, 2017

On 11 and 12 February 2017, the debating society of Daulat Ram College organised Vichaar, an Indian youth parliament. This was the inaugural edition of the conference, which took place after nearly four months of intense planning and commitment.

The conference simulated a number of committees, from conventional ones like the Lok Sabha, the Chamber of Princes, and the Research and Analysis Wing, to the highly specialised and unexpected Akbar’s Court of Navratnas. The esteemed executive board that conducted the discussions in the committees allowed both experienced debaters as well as newcomers to learn more about contemporary issues and find viable solutions to them. The various agendas that were the points of deliberation were in reference to sedition, the integration of India at the time of Independence, terrorist attacks, and unified religion. The variety of opinions and the characterisation of delegates as parliamentarians truly added to the dramatic and enjoyable nature of the conference.

The weekend was vibrant with delegates dressed up as their portfolios in traditional Indian attire. While the college buzzed with excitement and anticipation for the beginning of the event, the opening ceremony gave everyone a glimpse of the executive board and the organising committee. As the Founding Secretary General, Shubhi Vadehra, stated, “The motivation to organise the simulation of Indian committees came from our daily lives being hugely impacted by national issues. Any law that is passed by the government affects an affluent businessman as well as a village farmer immensely. We plan to provide the participants with the ability to work on such issues and respond to national concerns.”

This goal was duly achieved as both delegates and the executive board agreed that the committees were prolific and the conference was a rewarding experience. The end of the event saw resolutions passed in committees as solutions to the concerns that were raised. The closing ceremony included prizes being given out to the best delegates as well as the executive board being recognised. The heads all talked about the conference being a success and about fruitful debate taking place. Finally, the debating society as a whole surprised the Secretary General, who is also the society President, with a small memento. The two-day extravaganza concluded with a sense of accomplishment and fulfilment for all parties involved. The first edition of Vichaar is only the beginning of a legacy for the debating society of Daulat Ram College.

Image Credits: Indian Press, Vichaar

Vineeta Rana

[email protected]

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DU Annual Fest Season

Ratna Pathak Shah and Bismil star on Day 1 of Reverie, 2017

By DU Beat February 15, 2017

There are events which do not kick start but rather simmer and build up. The first day of Reverie 2017, the annual cultural festival of Gargi College reached its crescendo on similar lines as the event, starting serenely and gradually growing in terms of the crowd and activity.

The fest started with an address by the Principal, Promila Kumar. She talked about the college completing 50 years and wished for the success of the three days of the festival. The inaugural guest was Ratna Pathak Shah, actress and theatre veteran from National School of Drama, known most popularly for her role as Maya Sarabhai in Sarabhai vs. Sarabhai. She set the perfect precursor to the day ahead, sharing her experiences as a student and the role of competitions in shaping lives.

Ratna Pathak Shah at Reverie 2017 Picture credits: Gerush Bahal for DU Beat — Ratna Pathak Shah at Reverie 2017
Picture credits: Gerush Bahal for DU Beat

Competitive events for the day started with Saptak, the duet singing competition. The event saw brilliant performances one after the other, much to the delight of pouring crowd. Swardhana and Pramansi from Daulut Ram College won the third position, Aishwarya and Megha from Gargi College tied with Gagan and Kavya from Hansraj College for the second position, and Vaibhav and Vidhi from Jesus and Mary College won the first position. The second major event of the day was Dhanak, the folk dance competition. After a string of colourful performances, Nrityangana, the Indian dance society of Sri Venkateshwara College were adjudged first for their brilliant show of a dance form from rural Telangana. Nrityakriti, Maitreyi College were awarded the second position and Nupur, Kamala Nehru College, the third position. Khayal, the solo singing competition ended with Vaibhav from Miranda House, Swaradhana from Daulat Ram College, and Taranjot from Venkateshwara College bagging the first, second and third positions respectively.

Possibly the most popular event of the day, Zenith, the western dance competition, was a spectacle of excellent performances. At the end of the event, the Misbah group from Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, Zeal from Maitreyi College, and Verve, from Sri Venkateshwara College, stood out above the rest, winning the first, second and the third positions in that order.

The reverberations of the first day of the three day extravaganza at Reverie 2017 ended with the epic bacchanalia at the main stage. The performance of Bismil had the audience mesmerised as they covered popular Bollywood numbers. The night concluded with hands waving cellphone flashlights to the music.

Here’s forward to two more phenomenal days at Reverie 2017, and its Fiesta for Renaissance.

Feature Image: Gerush Bahal for DU Beat

Joyee Bhattacharya ([email protected]) , Nikhil Kumar ([email protected]) and Niharika Dabral ([email protected])

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Arts & Culture

A Serving of Flesh- The Santa Clarita Diet

By DU Beat February 14, 2017

Want to feel younger, sexier and more energetic? Try the all new ‘Santa Clarita Diet’, a show so absurd, funny and real- that you’ll be hooked on forever.

Starring the cannibalistic come back of Drew Barrymore , this Netflix Original belongs to the satiric genre that manages to make a flesh-eating zombie a casual, rather uneventful happening. The show follows a married couple (Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant) whose lives are transformed when Barrymore is turned into an undead cannibal. The show follows the attempts of the couple trying to maintain a normal life while parenting a sassy sixteen year old and killing people for food at the same time. The show may be extremely silly with Barrymore coughing up human fur balls and farting corpses, but it does so in a rather endearing manner, one that makes you root for this crazy couple right to the end.

With plenty of rather graphic images right from human smoothies to devouring fingers and excessive vomiting, it’s not for the weak in the stomach and is downright entertaining for anyone who’s ever been fascinated by the supernatural. Complete with quirky elements like a nosy repellent neighbor, a Serbian baka and even tear-gas, this is one show you cannot miss.

Barrymore plays a zombie cannibal in the gory, silly comedy that is packed full of bloody encounters and tasty fingers. It’s certainly not for everyone –after all it is an acquired taste.

Anahita Sahu

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Top Picks

Penny Hacks: 4 ways a college student can earn some money!

By Anagha Rakta February 14, 2017

No one likes asking their parents again and again for extra pocket money (especially when it is followed by your father and mother giving you judging looks). So why not earn a little bit on the side?

Read on to know about some simple ways you can earn money, while attending college!

Do a part-time job: There are a lot of options where you can work as a part-time employee and get paid well. Check if your time table allows you to work for four-five hours at a stretch and apply to a few places near your college/home that have the job for you. This is not only just good for the money, but also the experience will teach you a few things about corporate jobs and be a bonus point on your CV.
Sell your previous semester books: There is a very good chance that the bookstore you got your last semester books from will accept them and pay you half the price. There are many bookstores in the Kamla Nagar market and the Patel Chest area in North Campus that you can go to for queries.
Teach young students: You can home tutor young students and you can either teach them subjects like math, science, English or you can teach creative skills like playing an instrument, painting, creative writing or dancing. Ask your friends and family to help you reach out to some kids aged between 10-16 years and spend two to three days a week with them and you’ll have a fun experience!
Walk dogs for your neighbours: Who doesn’t like soft, furry animals? People in your locality who have dogs would probably not have time to take them out on walks and for playtime and would certainly be willing to pay someone to do it for them. If you’re a dog lover and would want a daily 20 minute time with a fluff-ball, then start asking your neighbours already!

Yes, now you can splurge a little too much on junk food, clothes and gadgets!

Featured image credits: FilmEdge.net

Anagha Rakta
[email protected]

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Your Beat

Changing The Course Of History: Who Won The Battle Of Haldighati?

By DU Beat February 14, 2017

Recently, Mohanlal Gupta, a BJP MLA from Jaipur’s Kishanpole constituency, proposed that the historical Battle of Haldighati(1576)be “amended” in Rajasthan University’s history textbooks. Contrary to the popular notion held by historians that the war was won by Akbar, Gupta proposes that it was Maharana Pratap who won it instead, and that the textbooks should reflect the “facts”. Sadly, this is not a Bazinga. This could very well become reality for the students.

Politics has long been intertwined with history. Power decides which party should pick up the pen and dabble it in ink, in order to record the destiny of an era bygone. History has always belonged to the kings and queens, written and read from their perspective. This incident is no different. On one hand, it reflects the paranoid reaction of the establishment — an effort to sanitise and clear the textbooks of any ‘uncomfortable’ details or events from the past. There is a systematic effort to shun the students from asking too many questions or thinking too much. It is as scandalous a move as the decision to remove cartoons from CBSE’s class 10th NCERT books of Political Science, a few years ago, just because they proved to be offensive to a particular politician. Come to think of it, even CBCS’ system, with its truncated syllabus and semesters, does not allow the student enough time to grasp a thorough understanding of his or her course.

On the other hand, it also showcases how easily loyalties get transferred.If Tipu Sultan was till now, to historians at least, a just ruler who occasionally plundered and attacked a population only to expand his territory, the current regime portrays him as a straightforward political villain.The question historians pose is: “Didn’t the thirst for territorial expansion affect every ruler of the era, making Tipu no exception the case?” TipuJayanti celebrations in Karnataka have been politicised and mobilised around this issue, even creating a violent ruckus last year, with the BJP and RSS vehemently opposing the celebrations in the state.

When it comes to history, whom should we rely on? Whose perspective should we accept at face value and whose should we outwardly rejected? These are not apolitical questions in themselves. That said, however, the decision to make a choice should be left with the citizens. As the optimistic youth of the nation, students must not be cheated out of their freedom to make a choice based on reasoning. There should, in a democratic setup, be scope enough to face the negatives in history alongside the positives. The last decision must be arrived at by the youth itself.

Image credits:www.utoledo.edu

With inputs from The Times of India.

Deepannita Misra

[email protected]

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Uncategorized

You Got Chocolate

By DU Beat February 13, 2017

‘A balanced diet is chocolate in both hands’ quotes an ardent chocolate lover. Indeed! Who does not crave for chocolates? Only the ones hit by the desire to lose the extra calories gained from sweet chocolates refuse to have them. And, nine out ten people love chocolates and the tenth one actually lies!

There are different types of chocolates based on different proportions of ingredients:

Milk Chocolate– almost 85% of solid chocolate is used with milk compounds.

Dark Chocolate– no milk or very less percentage of milk is used with cocoa and sugar, hence also called black chocolate or plain chocolate.

White Chocolate– is based on sugar, milk and cocoa butter without the cocoa solids.

Organic Chocolate– they are certified organic chocolates.

Raw Chocolate– it is the form of chocolate which has not been processed.

Unsweetened Chocolate– which is pure chocolate liquor mixed with some form of fat to produce a solid substance.

Bittersweet Chocolate– is chocolate liquor to which some sugar, less than a third, more cocoa butter, vanilla flavouring and sometimes less then that is added.

Semi-sweet Chocolate- does not contain milk solids. ‘Converture’ is a term used for chocolates rich in cocoa butter.

Compound Chocolate– is a confection combined with cocoa and vegetable fat. It is often used for candy bar coating.

Modelling Chocolate– is a chocolate paste made by melting chocolate and combining it with corn syrup, glucose syrup or golden syrup which is mostly used for decoration of cakes and pastries.

Nowadays chocolate has dozens of flavours changing with the taste of the chocolate lovers. Mint, vanilla, coffee, orange, strawberry, mixed fruits, etc flavours are used along with ingredients such as peanuts, raisins, almonds, caramel, oreo, etc making a luxe composition of sweet savoury delighting everyone who consumes it.

Chocolates’ got goodness:

Chocolate has always been a delicacy but only in the recent past it has been recognized as a significant source of phytochemicals with healthful effects. Cocoa beans contain flavonoids which are found in fruits, vegetables, tea and wine. Flavonoids help in reducing the risk to heart diseases. Chocolates contain anti-oxidants which gobble up free radicals, destructive molecules that are implicated in heart disease and other ailments like cancer. Chocolate has an aspirin like effect that reduces platelet activity. Dilation of arteries improves blood flow and heart functioning which makes it suitable for people with high blood pressure. Levels of cardiovascular risky pro-inflammatory substances are reduced by the flavonoids present in the cocoa beans.

Chocolates can be evil:

An ounce of chocolate contains roughly 145 calories and 8-10 grams of fat. If this is what people add to their diet daily, a fire ticket to the fat farm will be inevitable then. Good quality chocolate should be substituted for other less healthy treats such as donuts, muffins and candy. Also, all the promising health benefits from chocolate have used dark chocolate and not the overly processed milk chocolates full of sugar that are mostly available in the market. People opt for sweetened chocolates with high levels of sugar because of the overpowering taste of dark chocolate which actually contains flavonoids. Choose dark chocolate to enjoy the benefits of chocolate!

Chocolates can be the cure for a bad day and also a secret to healthy immune system.

Image credits: www.rd.com

Radhika Boruah

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Events

Valentine’s Day Special: Top 5 Romantic Movies to binge on

By Kriti Sharma February 13, 2017

“Acceptance is the key to happiness.”

That’s some really sound advice, courtesy my astute grandmother. When I received these wise words of wisdom, I stowed them away in my sub-conscious mind. But with Valentine’s Day lurking around the corner, I see the perfect opportunity to employ them.

Another Valentine’s Day is going to come and go, and I’m going to be as single as a hydrogen atom, awaiting another of its kind to come along. Find the reference amusing? Pause and look at your own life for a minute, buddy. It probably is just as pathetically hilarious as mine.

But experience is a great teacher. And my several years of battling loneliness on the damned fourteenth day of February have taught me to take solitude in my stride. So while the couples out there are busy making fluffy plans, I’ve figured out an illustrious one for myself: Binging on dessert and romantic movies, simultaneously and harmoniously, in enviable synchronisation.

If this Valentine’s Day, you are a) single or b) too lazy to go out or c) too prudish to give in to V-day clichés, listen to grandma and be the master of your own happiness. Take the following cues and just fag out in the luxury of a warm bed, good food and lots of cinematic romance. Basically, give in to some ‘khud-khushi’, minus rat poison, ceiling fans and sharp, incisive instruments.

Top 5 Romantic Movies to binge-watch this Valentine’s Day:

1.Made of Honor

Theme: Best Friends fall in love, eventually!
For anyone who has ever loved their best friend, this one will reaffirm your faith in your friendship and make you believe that perhaps, some day, the two of you will land up together. Hope is the best companion a lone heart needs on Vday. This one will surely give you optimistic feels.
Also try: Love, Rosie and Valentine’s Day
For Bolly fans: Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

2. Titanic
Theme: Mammoth sacrifice for soulmate
Some movies are classics. And classics are hard to let go off. Titanic is a movie that reverberates with all generations. Sacrifice has always been the cornerstone of true love. Jack and Rose do absolute justice to the portrayal of this concept. A must watch, even if for the hundredth time!
Also try: Fault in Our Stars and The Notebook
For Bolly fans: Veer-Zaara

3. My Best Friend’s Wedding

Sometimes, love is unrequited. And things become even worse when your harbour unreciprocated feelings for your best friend. But if you truly love your best friend, then you’ll find your happiness in theirs. Selfless love too is rewarding and gratifying.
Also try: 500 Days of Summer and Casablanca
For Bolly fans: Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

4.Love Story

Based on Eric Segal’s classic novel of the same name, this one, although old, is sure to warm the cockles of your heart. Watch out for heavy sentiments, though (“Love means never having to say you’re sorry”). Also, spoiler alert: not all love stories have a happy ending.
Also try: A Walk to Remember, Dear John and The Last Song
For Bolly Fans: Kal Ho Na Ho

5.Sleepless in Seattle

Tom Hanks is like the SRK of Hollywood: The undisputed king of romance. Need I say more?
Also try: You’ve got mail and Cast Away
For Bolly Fans: DDLJ, Main Hoon Na, Dil Toh Pagal Hai and any and every SRK movie ever made

Some more suggestions: Love Actually, Letters to Juliet, Nights at Rodanthe, One Fine Day, The Last Kiss, Breakfast at Tiffany, Becoming Jane and Me Before You.

Write in with your recommendations! I would love to hear from you.

Image Credits: Pinterest, Joblo.com, hollywood.com, ats.edu.mx, pinterest.com, parkcircus.com

Kriti Sharma

[email protected]

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DUB News

Delhi University to digitize the process of tracking PhD progress

By DU Beat February 12, 2017

Delhi University will be developing a dedicated online portal to track the progress of students enrolled in a PhD program. The portal would facilitate all the major processes, starting from enrollment in the program to submission of thesis.

“A portal is being created to make the students’ works reliable. Notification regarding their research works and field reports will be available on the portal. However, the research work and findings will be kept confidential,” said an examination department official.

Currently all the work pertaining to the academic program, which includes enrollment, attendance, research report, interview, viva progress and others is being done manually making it a cumbersome process involving a lot of paperwork.

“But with digitization, all these records will be maintained on the online portal. The portal will not only help PhD scholars but will also ease the work pressure on the staff,” the official added.

At present, 27 departments of University of Delhi are running PhD programs in the fields of Arts, Commerce and Science.

In the year 2014, the varsity signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University Grants Commission (UGC) to upload the thesis and dissertation of its research scholars on the digital database ‘Shodhganga repository’.

Aditya Narang
[email protected]

With inputs from Ndtv.com

Image Credits: Clipart from http://anniebruton.wordpress.com

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DUB Speak

The many ‘whys’ of Valentine’s Day

By DU Beat February 12, 2017

Amidst the visual of rose petals, romantic dinners, and overwhelming gestures, here’s a reality check to shake you back to the practicality of this phenomenon called the Valentine’s Day!

Love has been glorified, idealised, and yearned for by the likes of this world at a certain point in time. Its comprehensive pervasiveness and accurate relatability render all hearts susceptible to major feels on countless occasions. With that in consideration, a day to celebrate ‘romance’ by the population might be received with a motley of feelings. For, it is on the 14th of February when the sections of the society get conveniently bifurcated into categories of two. One, comprising of those who harbour the companionship of a partner and revel in the joys of love;the other, that of those who are either yet to find their ‘soulmate’ or are stoic towards the ideals of love. The first category consists of intricate divisions; one may choose to glorify and extol their lover on Valentine’s Day by showering all essentials associated with this idea, be it chocolates or flowers. Or, one may choose to treat this celebration of love in generality, discrediting the concept and notion of ‘Special Days’
and absolute carnival.

The foundation of Valentine’s Day has been acknowledged and merrily accepted, but this piece of writing you’ve stumbled upon shall peer into the logistics and technicalities of the necessity of this celebration. So, if you’re immersed in the vessel of love and refuse to fall back to the black-and-white aspects of it, then please direct your attention to an idea more favourable to your liking.

When it comes to Valentine’s Week, a compilation of mucky days, the traditional norms state the need to celebrate external love. It is seen as a gateway of thriving on love with your partner, but the ideals of love with oneself seem to fade away. It seems more convenient to term it as a ‘Relationships’ Day’, for those who are luckily or unfortunately (for you to decide) single are often left feeling unloved and isolated. Elaborate gestures and gifts seem to find their way in the day’s scheduling, and it goes without saying that self-given gifts would be eyed with ambiguity. Secondly, a problem common to all ‘Special Days’ is the exclusivity granted by them. Valentine’s Day is taken as that one day of the year which requires overwhelming efforts and expressions to portray that inextinguishable love for your partner. However, the rest of the days harbour no such compulsion. It is only in mid-February when our romantic spirits are validated to be aroused and acted upon. Neat process, isn’t it?

Here’s where the habitual aspect of Valentine’s Day comes in. If you’re happy, people will shower their pity and sympathy on you, for being single is a crime for this self-proposed ‘Love Police’. And if you’re sad, all the lonely complaints about not being with someone and the disconcerting side of it shall cloud your mind. All the grim grumbles shared by all genders grant a solemn touch to the day which is touted to be the beautiful commemoration of love.

My beef is not with the concept of love; pulling that threat will be similar to unboxing Pandora’s box. The reason for my contention lies in the escalation done by the world to propagate this ideal. From Kiss/Rose/Teddy/, or rather ‘Weird Days to planning a grand proposal or feeling awkward around friends who are single or dating, the redundant aspects of it seem to be hogging the limelight more than they deserve. Love is best when it remains undefined, and its celebration is pure when it remains undated.

Saumya Kalia
[email protected]

Image Credits:Good Night Morning Quotes Birthday Anniversary Wishes

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