Being a Delhi University student offers ample opportunities for internships that aren’t limited to what you study during your degree. Certain options are common, irrespective of streams. A look at what entails popular internship job profiles.

It can seem very daunting to find yourself being idle in college. Somehow, everyone but yourself seems to be bustling with things like society, internships, or a social life (gasp). With the internet, however, it has become easier to navigate through two of the above. Having seen people around me successfully engage in one of those two things, I feel like I have ample information on the most popular internship jobs, skills required for them, their exposure, and so on. Here’s a brief:

Content Writing

First things first, content is pronounced like the “co” in “coffee”, it seems. That’s definitely something you should know about content writing. It’s usually a work from home job that pays per rupees 100/n number of words or articles you write. The pay mostly ranges from 2,000-4,000 rupees a month, fluctuations depending on the work you do and its frequency. A flair for writing, knowing your audience and appealing to them, as well as creativity are the essential skills.

Campus Ambassadors

Bonus: This is something that you can say you do to sound important to your equally clueless friends/family/somewhat-clue-having Sharma ji. Big companies, event organisers, and new companies launching a product recruit Campus Ambassadors in order to spread information about their product or event, through means such as word of mouth and social media. The pay ranges, depending upon the popularity of the company and your performance (like sales or registrations). Payment in kind is also done via vouchers for products or free samples, or future long-term association with the company. Good communication and social media skills are the core skills required.

Teaching/Volunteering With Charity Organisations

You’ll be surprised and slightly happier with the world to realise how many wonderful organisations are working for societal betterment. Teaching the underprivileged is a big part, where elementary education is given out by helping with reading and maths. Non-Governmental Organisations also have jobs like the ones mentioned above as well fundraising, marketing, web design, and so on. As the name suggests, it is mostly unpaid with provision of certificates but the satisfaction gained from making a small change is what draws volunteers to it.

Social Media Marketing

Put your obsession with memes and putting up those story status things to an actual use! Similar to the work, remuneration and skills required of a Campus Ambassador, this is mainly of the work-from-home kind and it helps if you have an influential presence (so not your best friends liking all your posts) and knowledge of social media to create eye-catching stories, captions for events that result in mass participation.

Web Designer

While this isn’t limited to a degree, it requires specific skills like knowledge related to Coding, Programming, CSS and Java among others. Knowledge of extremely fun-sounding tasks like Data Interpretation and Analysis is usually required. Pay ranges from 3,000-6,000 rupees a month and both full-time and part-time options are available.

Image Credits: DU Beat

Rishika Singh

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Last week, Taylor Swift won a civil case against ex-DJ David Mueller who sexually assaulted her in 2013. Here’s why the incident matters.

As a woman, I live in fear of sexual assault on a daily basis – when I’m walking home after dark, when I’m alone in a cab in broad daylight, when I’m going on a first date with a man. Even with my handy pepper spray and a blunt knife in my bag, I never truly feel safe. I fear being groped, molested, and raped more than being robbed, kidnapped, and sometimes even murdered. But most importantly, I fear the aftermath of my assault. I am afraid that no one will believe my testimony or take me seriously again. I am afraid that people will look down on me for an incident that is not my fault and somehow try to make me feel like it is. It is for all these reasons that I am ecstatic about Taylor Swift’s win against her sexual assault perpetrator.

In a world where celebrities and their lives are often paraded as the epitome of perfection, it is difficult to comprehend such imperfect confrontations. When Mueller, who was invited to meet Swift before a concert in 2013, grabbed the pop icon’s behind under her skirt, Swift did not go public with the accusation. She did what most women do, and kept the episode under wraps. When her security personnell approached Mueller only to be faced with him refuting the claims, Swift reported the incident and provided photographic evidence to Mueller’s place of employment, the radio station KYGO. KYGO fired the DJ two days later. Post being fired, Mueller struggled to find work anywhere to the extent that he filed a defamation case against Swift in 2015. He sued her for $3 million in damages and still denied the fact that he had assaulted her. This is when the lawsuit became public. Swift countersued for a symbolic sum of $1 and last week won the case after it went to trial.

Taylor Swift has an unfortunate and undeserved reputation of being a “slut” and being “silent”. Because of the public nature of her romantic relationships and the fact that her music draws from personal experiences with love and boys, people believe they have the right to label her in certain derogatory ways. Even more infuriatingly, society believes that once a woman is labelled a “slut”, she is no longer entitled to bodily autonomy. This is then coupled with accusations of Swift being a “silent” spectator who does not participate in women’s marches or rant on Twitter (despite episodes like donating a hefty sum to Kesha to assist her with legal expenses in her fight against sexual assault). Both of these labels are used as excuses to somehow make her testimony less credible and worthy.

The problem is that Swift isn’t the only one. Women are constantly scrutinised for everything they do. After the verdict was declared, Swift admitted, “I acknowledge the privilege that I benefit from in life, in society and in my ability to shoulder the enormous cost of defending myself in a trial like this.” She took on the case to prove to young women that it is possible to hold their perpetrators accountable, stating, “My hope is to help those whose voices should be heard.”

In light of the outcome of the trial, I, amongst many other women, am not only relieved but also empowered. This is what a public sexual assault case can do. This is why Taylor Swift’s win matters.

Image Credits: TMZ

Vineeta Rana
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There are growing cases of teen depression all around the world. Even when teenage is supposed to be the most wonderful time of their lives, teens suffer from isolation. What really causes this form of depression and what can be done to prevent it?

Teenage is considered to be the golden age of one’s life. And why not, since this is the age when one is blooming, free from responsibilities, and as energized as he or she can be. Making endless friends, sharing carefree giggles, learning life as it comes and sparkling with ideas and creativity, teens are ready to take on the world. With all the energy pouring in, rejoicing the freedom and feeling the blood pumping up with ambitions, it is supposed to be no less than the state of nirvana. Unfortunately, the reality contradicts this notion. Teenagers today are suffering from issues trying to suppress it all within themselves just because they are scared to confess about it. This has devastating consequences and is very unhealthy, to say the least. One such problem that the teens suffer from is isolation.

Isolation is defined as the state of being in a place or situation that is separate from others; it is the act of separation itself. Despite having a whole lot of friends “apparently”, as they put it, teenagers have the sense of being lonely, of not actually being connected to people, which results in the growing feeling of alienation. In fact, untreated depression has been identified as the leading cause for suicide by the United States’ Department of Health and Human Services. Even after being surrounded with social media platforms which encourage one to socialise more, it is ironic how teens have ended up being isolated instead.

As per a survey provided on www.ineedalighthouse.org, approximately 20% of teens suffer from depression before they reach adulthood. That’s a staggering number! The causes of this problem range from hormones and inherited traits to early childhood trauma. The problem worsens when one suffers from depression despite being free from the aforementioned causes. Coming to cell phones, over the years, mobile phones have percolated into our normal lives and have become an integral part of our daily routine. Waking up and checking our cell phones for text alerts regularly, taking out time to use a bit more of our mobiles, or using them to pass our time has become a very common habit. Mobiles are our go-to option and our last resort. Socialising is about talking to people and interacting. Take a second to think about it, how can we really be social if all our focus is concentrated upon a device that won’t even talk back to us? (No, Siri is a program and not a human being.)

Low self-esteem is in itself a huge problem and it highly contributes to depression. It makes one feel under-confident, stops them from speaking, makes them question themselves unnecessarily and develops the tendency of being hesitant every time. What does this further do? It stops them from communicating with others. People end up spending a lot of their time overthinking. Yes, one should spend time with his or her own self, but to curse oneself  and restraining from expressing ideas and emotions is certainly unwanted. Peer pressure is an important factor. Bad influence is one thing, but to think of oneself in a lowly fashion just because one’s peer does something and brags about it is not the only way to go about. The peer may be right or might even be better, but that does not mean that the person not following the same path is wrong or worse. Vulnerable minds are prone to fragility and often become victims of manipulation. Again, while we should keep our minds open to listen to other’s opinions or ideas, we also need to keep in mind the difference between appreciation and application. Regarding someone’s opinion is a good thing. But to beat up oneself for not acting upon the same is a disrespect to the self.

Blaming technology seems a fair and logical option, but at the same time we need to question our use of technology. Depression stemming from technology is a state of mind and we hold the key to change our minds. We need to socialise in literal terms by speaking up and interacting. Maybe it’s all about expressing ourselves and maybe we are doing it wrong. Maybe, we can just try to go and speak up to someone. We need to accept the fact that there’s something wrong in the way we are doings things and not in the things that exist. We need to realize that we are grooming ourselves for the future, and then ask ourselves what kind of people do we want to become? Teenage is an eventful phase, and we are the only ones to make it into a phase that is worth remembering.

Image credits: slideshare.com

Karan Singhania

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Are the DUSU polls a medium to national elections?

While the elections of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) are often compared on a larger canvas with the national elections in India, it is important to note the gradual yet consistent path that has been carved out by several national political parties to seek control through their respective established on-campus student wings.

On a similar note, it has come to my knowledge (as covered by two leading newspapers) that different groups like the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress Party, among the others, have hired new executive officers for the first time, solely for the purpose of the elections in the University. The poll advisers are not students but professionals, vested with the responsibility of guiding the members of their student wings- the Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti and the National Students’ Union of India, respectively. The new recruits are indulged in the planning and handling of funds as well as the execution of campaigns, lending them a professional touch.

Since it is a championed belief that the DUSU elections form the first step into the abyss of politics for any aspiring student, the parties would want to leave no stones unturned when it comes to compromising with their probable victory. This is quite evident through the various modus operandi resorted to throughout the period of campaigning.

Further, with the declaration of the manifesto of the National Students’ Union of India a couple of days ago, all eyes are eagerly awaiting for others’ manifestoes to come out as well, so as to commence with their own screening process and boil it all down to one choice on the big day!

Image Credit: IBN Live

Shrija Ganguly

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