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To date or not to date?

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Our generation is called out for many things, but it is mostly looked down upon for being selfish in relationships. Why is it considered so wrong to put your needs ahead of someone else’s?

It is 2018, and no one in our generation knows how to date. What’s more interesting is that they are aware of it and making the conscious decision not to step into a relationship at all. It is 2018, and dating is now only casual. Why is that? We are the products of a generation that gave up most things, including dignity, to sustain a relationship and having seen how exhausting it can be, we choose not to date. We are currently living in an era where we are trying to change the essence of relationships from needing to be selfless and forgiving to giving equal importance to ourselves and our goals first.

How is this a bad thing? Why is this transition from unhealthy relationships to self-love looked down upon? We’re in our 20s, not knowing what the future holds in store for us, not being sure of what we need – is it fair to add a relationship to the list when we don’t even know what we want? Our 20s are the only time we’ll get to experiment, to try new things, and to know ourselves better. Whether you decide to date or not to date in this time and age, you will realise how tender this age is to understand others before you even understand yourself.

Gone are the times when people would choose love over their career; it almost feels like there isn’t even an option of “love” anymore. And that is selfish, but being selfish isn’t wrong here. Thinking about yourself first is a sign of maturity that the previous generations were alien to, and putting your needs before someone else’s is a concept that they don’t understand, but should. Don’t let them make you feel bad about your dating life. We’re doing a favour to the next generation by building a foundation of healthier relationships.

 

Anagha Rakta
[email protected]

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News

DUSU President Appeals for the Suspension of Classes Amid Pollution

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Rocky Tuseed, the President of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), appealed to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Delhi (DU) to suspend all classes till Sunday in the wake of alarming levels of pollution in Delhi.

In a letter to Mr. Yogesh Tyagi, Tuseed expressed concern over the effect of the pollution on the health of the students, especially as the semester examinations are about to begin. He also referred to the Lt. Governor’s order that demanded restricted entry of trucks, cessation of all construction activity, and the shutdown of schools in the city till Sunday, saying that a similar order needs to be in place for the DU students. A request for a joint meeting of the administration and the student body was also made in the letter.

Pollution has hit a record high of 478 on the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi. The return of the odd-even scheme is also being contemplated by the state government, which was to be resumed only if the AQI exceeded 500 points. However, the severity of the current situation has prompted the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to advice the government to re-start the scheme. So far, the call by the Indian Medical Association to declare a public health emergency has also been resisted, despite the problems caused by the smog in terms of vision and respiratory issues.

It is absolutely imperative that keeping these short-term fixes aside long-term policy actions are taken by the government to improve the state of the city’s air. The general public needs to give its full and unequivocal support towards making the city better for all of us to live in. It is truly infuriating that it has taken a crisis of such a scale for people to realise that the environment we live in needn’t be annihilated for satisfying human greed.

 

Image Caption: Record high levels of pollution have already led to the shutdown of schools.

Image Credits: India.com

Rishika Singh

[email protected]

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Events

Finance and Investment Society, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College Organises ‘House of Traders’

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The Finance and Investment Society of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College hosted a new edition of the decades-old mock-stock titled ”House of Traders”. The hype of the event was such that there were 200+ registrations from various colleges. The event had both online and offline preliminary rounds with the final round held on the college campus on 26th October.

The offline prelims consisted of an exciting quiz where participants had to bet on the answers and the teams with the highest closing balance moved on to the next round. The final round had three sub-rounds where all the teams had to trade with a given capital in a mock stock and form policies as the Parliament of different countries. Gurmehar Sethi and Bhavya Mathur emerged as the stars of the event with the highest amount of capital at the end of third round.
The event was successfully conducted by the event heads Prasoon Aggarwal and Anuj Sharma with the help of FIS members and guidance of core team and convener Mr. Rajkumar Aggarwal.
As is always said, productivity is never an accident, it is rather a result of the commitment to excellence, intelligent planning and focused efforts. These efforts led led to a successful event with an overwhelming response and feedback.
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Events

The Finance and Investment Cell, Hans Raj College organises Finance Platter

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The DU-famed Finance and Investment Cell of Hansraj College organised its flagship event ‘Finance Platter’ in association with Innolabz on October 27, 2017. The triad of scintillating events conducted this year was appreciated by everyone alike.

The event began with the lighting of the lamp ceremony conducted by Mr.Saurabh Chaturvedi, founder and CEO of Innolabz along with the society’s core team members. This was followed by the mock stock competition- ‘The Stockfather’, the prelims of which witnessed a crowd of over 300 participants speculating on various securities as per the news and rumours. The outcry round was a frenzy filled trading in the American, Chinese and Indian stocks. The auditorium resonated with sounds of deals and negotiations, some that closed and some that failed.

‘Prisonbreak-Narcos on Death Row’ was another event set in the sinister world of crime, drugs, and money-making. The selected teams were required to strategise their way to escape custody. One member of the team donned the role of a bureaucrat while the other became a terrorist, and the two together had to manage resources amongst their groups to terrorise various locations of the national capital.

The B-plan competition, ‘Power2Idea- Think. Plan. Execute’ had an illustrious judging panel which constituted Mr. Saurabh Chaturvedi, founder and CEO of Innolabz, and Mr. Rajesh Parekh, a Chartered Accountant having an experience of over 25 years in the finance industry. The most innovative 18 abstracts were shortlisted and those who made it to the final round then delivered a presentation of 7 minutes each, explaining their concept in detail. The judges were impressed with the quality and level of participation they witnessed in the event.” We were amazed and astonished by ideas presented before us. Thinking that bricks can be created out of cigarette butts or incense sticks that don’t emit smoke are any day out of the box. These ideas are worth incubating”, said Mr. Saurabh after the conclusion of the event.

When asked about the reason behind the successful turnout, Shubham Suri, President of the society said,” We have always tried to beat our own standards and innovate new events. This keeps the team focused on its objectives. We hope to witness the same level of enthusiasm and appreciation in our next fest as well.”

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DUB Speak

Mystery Rooms: The Perfect Escape Destination for You

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Based on the concept of live online games, this real life adventure location can guarantee you a wonderful and unforgettable experience with friends and family.

If you’re one of those Sherlock Holmes fans who have long been planning to test their secret detective skills and prove the mettle of your mind against the race of time, then Mystery Rooms is one of the perfect places that deserve to be on your must-visit list. Located at Rajouri Garden, you can easily reach the location by road or taking an e-rickshaw from the Rajouri Garden Metro station.

The place is situated on the ground floor of the building and plays around with the concept of escaping out of a difficult situation. It applies a combination of puzzles, riddles, and codes to unlock and escape out of every situation. It has a variety of games in increasing levels of difficulty.

The games that are currently available in the Rajouri Garden centre include Hurt Locker, Lockout, Abduction, and Cabin in the Woods. Beginning with the easiest one, Hurt Locker is a game where you are required to diffuse bombs that have been left behind by terrorists. In Lockout, a game that’s more difficult than the former, you begin as a wrongly convicted prisoner who has to escape from jail. In Abduction, which is the second most difficult game – and the game that we tried our hands at – you are a political personality of your country who has been kidnapped by terrorists and have to escape before your country’s administration bows down. In the most difficult game, Cabin in the Woods, you have to enter into a forest to solve a murder mystery. In all the above games, you get only an hour to escape out of the situation.

The cost of having this experience varies in accordance to your team size and timing of the visit. On weekdays (Monday to Friday) the charges for two, three, and four persons is INR 900, 800, and 700 per person respectively. For a team size more than five, it’s 600 per person. On weekends and special holidays, the charges for two and three persons is INR 1000 and 900 per person respectively. For a team size more than four, every person has to pay 800. While the minimum team size is two, the maximum team size can include only eight persons.

Our team tried our hand at Abduction. A team of three people, as the time was racing against us, we realised that we had overestimated our detective skills, finding out that everything was connected somehow and that no clue or object was useless. Nevertheless, we managed to unlock three out of four stages of the room within the given time, an exhilarating feat.

Do visit this place with your friends, as you’ll take back an experience that you won’t forget!

 

Feature Image Credits: Srivedant Kar for DU Beat

Srivedant Kar
[email protected]

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DUB Speak

How to Reduce Social Media Usage before Exams

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One of the biggest hurdles towards effective studying during the exam season is the internet. In particular, social media seems to be impossible to avoid. Here are a few tips on resisting the temptation to avoid checking the screen all the time.

There need not be any elaboration on the point that social media is a major irritant during exam time. It’s one of the most intense love-hate relationships of modern times. We love the fact that we can collectively laugh at the typos, puns, wordplays, and even at death and depression in the form of memes. We can connect with best friends and those we love over distances. We simultaneously also hate the feelings of anxiousness and nervousness we get as we wait for important replies, the feeling of emptiness when we see nothing new as we refresh our feeds at 2 a.m., and when we realise that we are way more dependent on social media than we should be.

While one should ideally reduce social media usage for general mental well-being and one’s eyesight, the fact that it distracts people from their exams that are to take place in a month will probably be the biggest encouragement people need. So as exams are nearing, here are some general precautions you can take to stop your validation-seeking, FOMO-avoiding (that’s Fear Of Missing Out, for all you acronym illiterates) side from running to the warm embrace of red notification pops, waiting to be clicked on.

Firstly, notice which apps you spend the most time on. Whatever they are, uninstall them. If you cannot seem to do so, then limit your use. Set time limits mentally, or set alarms if you can’t seem to check on yourself. Realise that memes and Instagram feeds will remain even after you’ve finished studying and that they will have no contribution in telling you the pointers of that 5 marker.

Note what kind of things make you spiral out of control. If they are YouTube videos, set limits on the amount you see. If they are WhatsApp messages, then mute your notifications or switch your internet off when you’re not on your phone. Whatsapp usage is actually easier to reduce nowadays. Why? Those ugly new emojis, obviously. (sorry for the burn, WhatsApp, but it’s true and we all think so.)

Finally, if you have zero self-control, then appoint a friend to police you and send reminders to stop scrolling. It might seem a little intense but if you’ve read this far into the article, you might need it. Remember, a friend in need during times of no restraint, is a friend indeed.

Image Credits: Sagoon

Rishika Singh

[email protected]

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DUB Speak

Hacking the Delete Button of your Brain

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The advancement in neuroscience and continuous research proved that the brain erases a lot of stuff.  Here is a take on how to do it voluntarily.

The results of science and technology are no less than fascinating. The brain is one of the most complex organs to be studied, and scientists have not known a lot about it leading to intensive and continuous research in neurology. Finally, experiments and studies have finally revealed that our brain has a “delete button” which all of us can access.

A report published in Daily Amaze talks about how the brain functions and as a process of its functioning, it erases memories. The cells that remove waste from the brain by glial cells. These cells are also the very cells that speed the signals between neurons. The report emphasised the importance of sleep. While we are asleep, the brain cells shrink  their size by more than 50% enabling these glial cells to create space, i.e., remove waste from the brain. An exhausted and sleep-deprived brain would mean that the glial cells won’t be able to remove waste and add to the misery.

So, what does this mean? Well, it certainly would make all the sleep lovers happy and probably encourage to sleep for as long as possible. This article does provide scientific reasons to encourage sleeping though. But, the important point here is that we need to maintain a balance of sleep in our brain. We need to ensure that our brain needs to remove waste and this would require sleeping. So yes, you might need to think before planning to study overnight before exams hoping you will make through. This is also the very reason power naps are recommended while studying. Also, the other important thing which this study implies is once we wake up from sleep, we will be fresher, more observant and more grasping. It will be because we will have enough space in our brain to learn. Not to mention, it will also be more efficient meaning it will work better making us a bit sharper mentally.

Now, the best part of the story. How to control it? Well, there’s a simple solution to it mentioned in the report. The less you think of something, the higher are the chances of  that thought fading away from your brain. Well, this isn’t the most tempting answer to the question but accept it or not, this is what is actually happening inside our minds. The major concern here is that we have difficulties in letting go of something because it has such a huge impact on us. Naturally, we would want to delete something that is negative and not something we want to be reminded of. Again the question, how do let go of such thoughts?

We can’t control what comes in our minds but we can control what do we want to think of? It’s easier said than done,but  that’s the challenge. How can we feel a great impact on ourselves if it isn’t challenging enough? There’s no rocket science involved in bringing a change in ourselves. It’s not a difficult math question involving formulas to find the answer. All it takes is our willingness and patience to wait until we experience a change. We have been hearing these things now and then. These scientific conclusions confirm that these “teachings” actually work. Eventually, it just comes to us and we need to decide whether we are capable enough of inducing a change in ourselves or not.

 

Image Caption: The brain has a delete button and there’s way to use it

Image Credits: HEALAM

 

Karan Singhania

[email protected]

 

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Bazinga

Bazinga: DU Instructs Students to Don White on Anti-Black Money Day

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India’s economic sphere was at the epicenter of administrative functions and the ripples of reaction which went through the Indian populace on November 8th, 2016. The honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, in an unanticipated move, declared the scrapping off of INR 500 and INR 1,000 currency notes from circulation. The leader heralded this decision to be a hail mary cure for black money while introducing the new INR 500 and INR 2,000 denomination notes. This landmark decision has been engraved in the history of India as the celebration of the Anti-Black Money Day.

Ahead of the first-anniversary celebration and the subsequent notation, the University of Delhi has decided to acknowledge the economic revolution by pitching in the celebrations. In a press conference held on 3rd November, the Vice Chancellor announced that all students will be required to wear only white clothes on the Anti-Black Money Day, that is 8th November. He went on to cite the reason for this sartorial decision. “As our country gears up to celebrate honourable PM’s milestone decision, DU encourages its students to show reverence and appreciation for his efforts and the consequent positive changes it has led to. As a show of solidarity and unification, all students are requested to wear clothes in white colour on a momentous day.”

While DU’s association with this noble endeavour is laudable, the reaction from the student community has again been tepid and enthused in varying proportions. Vineeta Rana, a third-year student at Daulat Ram College, remarks on this forced decision, “Demonetisation as an economic process has invited mixed reactions and its success still remains questionable. To celebrate a decision which has harmed people in equal numbers, by making it mandatory to wear a certain colour on 8th November is nothing short of autocracy. By joining the white-wagon, our voices will be forced to join the clamour of unfair politics.” However, Kartik Kher from College of Vocational Studies believes that this step will link education with politics. He says, “The idea of standing by our country and appreciating the positive changes is extremely necessary for progress. DU’s decision to be a part of the celebrations is beyond clothes and colour, it’s symbolic of how education will continue to be affected by the nature of socio-political climate in the country. We, as dutiful citizens and students, ought to respect the same.”

Demonetisation was set out to be a scheme aimed at uprooting the clutches of corruption and black money. One year since its implementation, the challenges and milestones still remain to be tackled with and achieved.

Feature Image Credits: Scroll.in

Saumya Kalia
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The Auburn Umbrella

Steal the Gaze with a Perfect Pair of Jeans

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A pair of denim jeans has the potential to make or break a look. Hence, it is important to pick a right fit and style for yourself. We can always rely on a pair of jeans to save us from any wardrobe disaster. Today, the market is full of different denim styles. So, to enhance your shopping experience, Auburn Umbrella brings you a guide to buying the perfect pair of jeans befitting your body type.

1. Form-fitted Jeans
Also known as skinny jeans, this kind fits and extenuates your curves from every slant and angle. They are most suitable for petite or hour-glass bodied women with slim legs.

2. Cropped Skinny Jeans
They are much similar to the form-fitting pairs, except these come in ankle-length. Some have, adding to the aesthetics and the latest trend, a fold near the ankles.

3. Bootcut Jeans
New bootcut or the bell-bottoms are fancier and a lot more loved than the earlier retro trends. Bootcut design gives great fit till the knees, and then the fabric subtly opens after the calf muscles which gives you the perfect flare above your shins. Though bootcut suits all body types, but it looks the best on curvy bodies.

4. Boyfriend Jeans
People started calling these boyfriend jeans because they look like they were borrowed from boyfriends. These are tight near the waist and the hip area, and then broaden a little bit as they move down. This style ideally looks good if you are curvy or have a pear-shaped body. Avoid if you are petite.

5. Straight-fit Jeans
Straight-legged jeans are the perfect answer to the dilemma of skinny vs boyfriend jeans. They make your legs look longer than they are and suit all body types.

6. High-waisted and Low-waisted Jeans
In the recent times, high-waisted jeans have become very popular both within the street style as well as in high fashion. If you’re petite and curvy, then this style will make you look taller while enhancing your curves. Low-waisted jeans were in fashion for a long time in the past decade. This pair looks good on skinny girls.

7. Mom Denims Jeans
This style is basically a refined version of boyfriend jeans. They are high waisted and the cut makes the buttocks appear disproportionately longer, larger, and flatter than they otherwise might be. It readily suits all body types.

8. Distressed Jeans
Ripped jeans, not of the DIY variety, will almost always look awkward if you’re too short or too tall for the regular styles. For instance, if you’re on the shorter side, a cool rip in the knee might hit you somewhere on your calf should. While if you’re too tall, then a knee rip might end up on your thigh. This uber cool variety needs careful measurements to give the desired look.

 

 

Feature Image Credits: I Draw Fashion

Radhika Boruah
[email protected]

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Events

The Marketing Cell of Aryabhatta College organises Exult’17

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The Marketing Cell of Aryabhatta College in association with Innolabz organised EXULT’17, a fun-filled fest on 26th and 27th of October, 2017.
The first day was filled with enthusiasm and energy. A day full of exhilarating games, soothing music to delicious food and drinks! There was a soul to it. A soul that was vibrant, contagious and exuberant. The college was beautifully decorated by the team members from the entry itself and was a perfect example of eye candy! The minute one set foot inside the premises of college, one could feel the vibrancy. Outside the building, various mini-games were set up and stage and tents were put up on the football playground. It set the mood for the celebrations. The tone of decorations was very festive.
Various mini-games from drizzle throw to human tic tac toe were held and various students and teachers loved to be part of it. With each game, the winner was awarded various prizes like coupons of various outlets to cash-backs. Various other games like Impractical Jokers, Scavenger Hunts were also organised. The games were mind-boggling, adventurous and were filled with dares and thrill. The participants were from various colleges and were divided into teams and competed vigorously and were given a fixed amount of time to complete their tasks. The winners were awarded with various cash prizes and in kind.
Foodgasm a food game was also held. It was a game filled with fun for the foodies that were present out there. Participants had to eat the most in order to win followed by the tagline ‘eat till you last’.
B-quizophilia: a business quiz curated entirely by Innolabz was also organised in the college premises which experienced tremendous participation from various Colleges of Delhi-NCR.
The tents put up were occupied by various food stalls selling delicious food and drinks. From Dosa to Pasta to Waffles everything was finger licking delicious. The drinks did their job right on that hot sunny day!
The first day slowly came to an end as the sun started to set. The day was undoubtedly a success and did not fail to bring a smile on everyone’s face.
 Riding on the tremendous success of the Day 1 of Exult’17, the Marketing Cell of Aryabhatta College kicked off the Final Day events with enormous zeal and motivation. The first event of the day was #StartAb, in collaboration with Josh Talks and Facebook.  The team warm-heartedly received Mr. Bhavishya Wadhaman, founder of 98FIT.com as the first speaker of the day. 98FIT.com, unlike other online fitness trainers that aims for a healthy living without sacrificing on the available food choices, employing the use of Artificial Intelligence. It is an up and coming start-up and the brainchild of Mr. Bhavishya. He stayed on for over 2 hours as students listened keenly, and was more than happy to answer every single question after the engaging session. Later, we had Mrs. Arunima Shekhar on the stage from Tell-a-Tale, telling us delightful stories of experiences and life.
#StartAB ended with a Facebook presentation video on how it has been positively helping change lives all over the globe and its new plans for developing countries.
As fully expected, Josh Talks ended on a high note.  It was followed by an interactive workshop on Entrepreneurship by InnoLabz which received a great response. The last item on the list, an ‘Open-Mic Standup Comedy’ session began in the next 30 minutes. A lineup of 9 participants from various colleges, some of which being Motilal Nehru College, Ram Lal Anand College, Aryabhatta College and Sri Venkateswara College eagerly expected to wait for their turn. It was a session jam-packed with humor and hilarious jokes, with everyone enjoying every minute of it and actively participating as the audience. Aryabhatta College and the Marketing Cell are extremely proud to have hosted one of the first of such event in the South Campus of the University. We all hope to have a bigger and better version for the next year.
With prizes for the Top 2 winners given out and Exult’17 finally drew to an end. The members and the teachers were proud in the culmination of an immensely successful event all over the university, thanks to every dedicated member of the team.
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