This is the time of year when the first and second year students bid farewell to their seniors, signalling the end of the latter’s undergraduate life. It’s naturally a nostalgic time for the third year students, but what we often tend to forget is how overwhelming it is for the juniors as well. It’s a flash-forward to what we’ll be experiencing in one or two years’ time and how far we can come in such a short journey.
Farewells are crushing reminders of the fact that not only are we saying goodbye to our friends, but that we’re saying goodbye to our leaders and our mentors. We’re saying goodbye to those who have helped us form our identity and help us grow in ways beyond our imagination. They are reminders of how much we’ve evolved and how far we’ve yet to go.
The lead-up to the farewell is the usual: frantic running around and last-minute panicking by the juniors, and enthusiasm and denial by the seniors. The day itself is a package of fun with an abundance of food and beverages. There are speeches, continuous photo sessions, and energetic dancing, but the common theme between all these is the bond between the people.
All farewells include laughter and tears, excitement and nostalgia. It’s never easy to think about how you won’t interact with these people on a regular basis anymore, or how you have no one to guide you anymore. But we take solace in the knowledge that they’re always only a phone call away. We take comfort in the memories we’ve formed together and which will be cherished for a lifetime.
You know something impacts you a great deal when you’re unable to write about it without being cheesy and clichéd. It’s a faux-pas I’m willing to indulge in for the sake of honesty.
So for those of you who’ve yet to experience this year’s farewell, be prepared. The heavy hearts are only an indication of your attachment to the seniors, and the sorrow will pass. Embrace the emotions and take it all in – you’ll be on the other side of the equation soon, after all.
Born Ajay Singh, the diminutive, shaven-headed politician is known for his powerful oratory, though most of his speeches hinge on divisive lines and has been in the forefront in keeping the communal politics alive in the country. We bring to you five changes he has brought since his appointment as the CM of Uttar Pradesh.
ANTI-ROMEO SQUAD: The CM called an end to road-side harassment, and asked for the setting up of ‘anti-romeo’ squads all over the state. This Squad is supposed to keep a check on eve teasing cases, from day one itself, over 900 people have been questioned by these squads.
PAN-BAN: He has ordered a ban on the consumption of pan, gutka in government offices and schools as a move to further the cause if ‘SwachhAbhiyaan”
METRO: The new CM has also announced Metro train projects for Gorakhpur (his LokSabha constituency) and Jhansi.
CRACKDOWN ON MEAT: He ordered a crackdown on illegal slaughter houses and meat shops, and to check cow smuggling. Many meat shops were burnt and businesses on strike with supplies drying up. The government has clarified that only illegal abattoirs would be targeted. 2 Illegal slaughterhouses in Allahabad (Rambagh and Atala slaughterhouses) have been sealed. Moreover, several meat shops and slaughterhouses in Lucknow and Varanasi that had been operating illegally have been sealed. This also included the iconic ‘Tundey Kebab’ shop in Lucknow.
REVELATION OF MINISTERIAL INCOMES: An hour after he took oath on March 19, Adityanath ordered all ministers to declare their income, movable and immovable properties within 15 days. He asked them to submit declarations to the CM secretariat.
A diary will remind you of the good – and bad – times you had in your past. Keeping a diary or journal is a great way to express your emotions on paper and treasure experiences. Years from now, you’ll wonder what you were doing years ago. A diary is a great way to express your feelings and pour out your heart when you’re sad or when you just need someone to tell your innermost thoughts to. It can also help vent out anger and frustration as well as excitement. Many of us start maintaining a journal one time or another but never kept it up. We started during a difficult time and simply abandoned writing when things got better. It doesn’t have to be that way. Writing a journal can also be to record happy memories. Some of the most influential people in history kept detailed journals of their lives which served two purposes: a permanent record for posterity, and cathartic release for the people writing them. Even if you think keeping a diary is too old school, well you are greatly mistaken. Writing can be a hobby for one and practice for another. Writing enhances your personality. Even if you don’t think you need either, keeping a journal has great benefits you can enjoy immediately.
Effortless writing, everyday
The motive should be writing for no audience or rather, writing just to write. It is indeed a great practice. Diary writing can be rough and ungrammatical. Though looking back on these entries may sometimes be embarrassing and mortifying, you will be able to trace the improvements- compare ‘then’ and ‘now’.
My diary, my purpose
“Do I feel guilty about reading what was not intended for my eyes?”-ask that to yourself if you find yourself reading someone else’s diary. But to face the truth, one of the functions of a diary – a function we would more than likely deny to ourselves – is to be found and read. A diary is the one place where we have the opportunity and the luxury to be truly, cruelly honest, and it’s not inconceivable that we would secretly – dangerously, even – want others to learn those true thoughts.
3. Introspect yourself, maybe?
While you write a diary, you can typically preserve everything you observe. But when you raed it to yourself, you will realise that the notebook is not about other people and that it is about you. On the other hand, you can write to discover “the moments of revelation.” You may choose to write about heightened moments – “moments of emotional crisis” – because these are times when “human beings reveal themselves most accurately.” Keeping a diary, is essentially about coming to better understand of oneself.
4. Unavoidable Unpleasantness
The keeper of a private journal should not be termed as a ‘different breed’ of person. They are not the ‘lonely and resistant ones’. But by any chance if the anxious malcontents of your diary are read by your children, they can be afflicted some unknown facts about you. It is not necessary that someone who writes a diary would have this compulsive need to write things down because he/she is does not feel blessed, nor are delighted with life. Making others understand about the phases in your life can be fagging if they think they know you because they have read your diary.
5. Veracity and development
Maybe what she was referring to was that you have the moment you lived and then you have the moment you’ve written about – something you can always refer back to. Referring back to old journal entries – looking back on situations, life changes, old sufferings – gives one a kind of reassuring feeling. You look back on these situations and times – some “which today would seem unbearable” – and you realize you lived, you survived. You were even able to write it all down! And doing so can lead to great wisdom about the self. The insights you gain from looking back at old journal entries are the feelings of mortification while discovering your own “fraudulence and pomposity and immaturity.” These insights can make you desperate to change yourself, “to sound less idiotic.” Your journal entries, can lead you to a private commitment to personal growth.
6. “Do not argue with me!”
Keeping a diary is an invaluable aid when it comes to winning arguments. You can say, “That’s not what you said on February 3, 1996.”
Here’s why you might want to sit down regularly to jot down your thoughts. Even if you don’t think there’ll ever be a documentary that uses your journal for flavour commentary, there are plenty of reasons to keep one for yourself. Maybe you want to leave something behind for your children who tell your story and what you accomplished. Maybe you’re more practical, and want a way to harness your creativity. Maybe you just want the cathartic release that comes with regular writing. Whatever it is, these are all great reasons. Let’s look at each one, and why they matter so much.
Welcome to the month of post-farewells and dreadful exams, when cheer is lost and nights are muddled with syllabus crams. Prepare yourselves; for the night is dark and full of terrors!
Home to innumerable panic attacks. The ground zero of anxious forebodings. The terminating station and commencing point of a plethora of journeys. For students within the college circumference of their lives, May is the month of examination woes and much more!
It’s a curious observation that a certain 31 days could be so diversely perceived by the populace, and can also be the foundational block of a confluence of emotions. Cut to the beginning of the month when the farewell fervour is slowly fading away, and everyone collectively (and unwillingly) makes an endeavour to return to the study mode. Waves of nostalgia and tears of goodbyes have been drowned in the expansiveness of the syllabus. The excitement of attire selection and the assimilation of the reality is slowly digested, as the first of May is reflected on our calendars.
For the seniors, the transition from bidding goodbyes to welcoming late nights perturbed by piling notes goes downhill by the incessant questions alluding to your future. Unwelcome concerns of “Job nahi mili abhi tak?” or “Aur padhke kya karoge?” have been consciously heard and ignored. The stress to ace the final annual examinations of your three-year journey, is however, met with a nostalgic familiarity. You might have appeared for your first semester exams unaware of the course and then slightly escalated the degree of preparation. And as you sit for tests which might have a bearing on where you end up in the next few months, the pressure to perform is higher than ever.
Let’s change the lens and visualise the April-successor month from the eyes of the first and second years. Exhaustion becomes them as they wrap up the multiple Department, Society, and College Farewells for the outgoing students. Weeks of relentless efforts to deliver a successful farewell are followed by weeks of stressing over the vast syllabus you’re oblivious of. While some may choose to dedicate the post-exam period to trips and generally whiling away time, others may begin an internship hunt in May to be able to land a good opportunity in the Summer vacations. The stress to score well is coupled with the woes of doing a rewarding summer internship, and hence, May becomes the focal point of worries.
As you prepare to board the plane to Examvillein the next couple of days, absorb the maelstrom of emotions capturing your heart and don’t surrender to the pressure. The innumerable memories which college presents you with is there to stay forever, and what you make of the next few weeks will affect you in varying degrees.
It’s going to be hot. It’s going to be worrisome. It’s going to be vexing. Are you ready for the showdown?
The ceaseless chatter and jam-packed surroundings of DMRC tend to make one feel annoyed and uncomfortable. This is when podcasts come to our rescue. Other than distracting the mind from the obvious discomforts, podcasts also upgrade our knowledge and make metro rides productive.
Here a list of five of my favorite podcasts.
Bitch Media: Backtalk.
Bitch Media is a nonprofit, independent, feminist media organization dedicated to providing and encouraging an engaged response to mainstream media and popular culture.
Their weekly podcast: Backtalk is best described as a “Feminist Response to Pop Culture”. Basically, Backtalk is a snappy conversation between two Bitch editors about everything from movies, television, news magazines, fashion magazines, blogs, comics, advertising to computer games. Currently, Amy Lam (Contributing Editor) and Sarah Mirk run this podcast. Every Thursday I update my knowledge on Hollywood, Trump and western pop culture. And even though you might think that western pop culture is not of relevance to a Delhi University student, but Backtalk is actually informational and interesting. If not for anything, then listen to Backtalk for the best-undiscovered music recommendations.
NL Hafta is a weekly podcast by Newslaundry, which covers everything that made “news” and also provides media critique. The format is such that, Newslaundry’s team sits, discusses, disagrees, and dissects what’s been happening and how it’s been covered by the news media. Area experts, authors, and journalists join in the conversation from time to time. It’s insightful and fun. Listen to NL Hafta and ace every serious “politics” conversation with the smartest of comments that you can pick up here. Since NL Hafta is behind the paywall, to listen to it one needs to be a subscriber of Newslaundry.
The Awful and Awesome Entertainment Wrap By Newslaundry
The world of pop culture is crowded with all sorts of stuff. Some of it is awful and some of it is awesome, but all of it is on Abhinandan Sekhri and Rajyasree Sen’s radar. Films, scandals, books, advertisements, music, and television — find out what is worth watching/listening and why some things need to be ignored. At the end of each podcast a question is asked and if you can answer five questions correctly then a gift from Newslaundry will come your way.
Unlike NL Hafta, this podcast is free for listening.
Radiolab, with Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, is a podcast that can engage an unscientific mind in a story about the gene editing capacity of DNA. Such is the charm of Radiolab’s sound and music-rich audio documentaries. All episodes are available for free download.
Reveal is an investigative reporting program made by The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) and PRX. It examines what governments, big businesses, and communities are doing while being hidden from public view. It is hosted by award-winning poet Al Letso and is produced by several renowned journalists of CIR. Reveal does not accept donations from government entities, political parties, or individuals who could present a conflict of interest. Totally depended on money from subscribers, Reveal speaks truth to power.
6. Strange Flavors (Another week, another flavor – a little less stranger)
Strange Flavors simply sounds like a wholesome-relatable banter of three friends. It’s co-hosted by Faras, Shah-Ameer (Shimmer), and Amber who discuss everything under the ambit of pop culture from the perspective of desis living in America. The guests who feature on their show are mostly PoC artists and tbh, I’ve discovered several hidden gems via this podcast. Tune in to Strange Flavors as you do regular chores or wait for metro to resume on the blue line. Caution: Don’t listen in the gym because you might drop a weight on your feet as you break into a fit of unexpected laughter.
If you identify as feminist, then there are a few phrases that you must never utter. The reason for having forbidden a few phrases is that no well meaning and equality promoting comments can be mutually inclusive of racism, homophobia or even hospitable sexism. Sometimes people (read: hypocrites) proudly proclaim their feminism, and at the same time don’t shy away from slut-shaming someone. If you are not one of them then here is a list of phrases you must never say.
“She/he was asking for it…”
No matter how scantly a victim of rape was dressed; no matter if he/she was drunk or sober, feminists recognize that except the rapist no one else is responsible for a rape. Justifying or rationalizing something as terrible as harassment, molestation or assault is nothing but victim blaming and slut shaming.
Image Credits- lottielamour.co.uk
“I will not cook because it is sexist!”
Said no feminist ever.
Image Credits- steffidias.blogspot.com
“Stop crying. Man up!”
If you happen to be a normal human being and not a robot then chances are sometime in your life, you’ll cry because, you know, emotions. It’s perfecting normal to shed a few tears and if you are a boy and someone chides you by suggesting “Stop crying. Man up!”, then you should tell them to shut up.
Image Credits- wisper.com
“That’s a women’s/ man’s work.”
A true feminist will always move beyond societal gender norms. He’ll never discourage a male friend from opening a beauty parlor and similarly won’t ridicule a female for pursuing bodybuilding.
Image Credits- The Indian Feed
“A housewife? Ewww”
A feminist will never dismiss, demean or patronize someone for simply being a housewife. Instead we must recognize that domestic work is sidelined and needs to be recognized and respected as other labors. Besides feminism, at the end of the day, is about choice and therefore, whether you are a home maker or a sex worker, your work doesn’t make you any less of a feminist.
It’s one thing to embrace your uniqueness and be different from others, but it’s another thing all together to practice othering. To emphasize that “I’m not like other girls” reinforces that the “other girls” are undesirable. According to Michaela McNamara, “Instead of saying we’re not like most girls, let’s clarify that we’re not like society’s preconceived notions of women. By striving to be different from the rest of the female population, we’re basically saying that being a woman isn’t good enough. It is unnecessary, and even harmful, to put down our entire gender to separate ourselves from the crowd. I’m not like a lot of girls. But I am like tons of other girls, too.”
Hello Meal for you! Founded by Tushar Kanti Das, Amandeep Singh, and Saraswat Mishra, the alumni of Swami Shraddhanand College, University of Delhi, the organisation serves a wide range of demands.
An app-based delivery service conceptualised with the goal to provide instant food anytime and every time, Hello Meal is a start-up which seeks to cater to the dual goals of excellent quality and sufficient quantity. With a vast menu and the vision to instil and diversify into new domains, the food-delivery service seeks to provide palatable food to all communities. Following a technical-oriented approach, Hello Meal has incorporated various services to allow a wholesome experience to the consumers. Operating through Zomato, it allows the user to pre-book orders, thus, tomorrow’s lunch or dinner can be decided and booked the night before itself! Along with this, through their quirky food jackets referencing ideas from pop culture, Hello Meal is a trendsetter in designing jackets which consumers can happily indulge in. Doing away with the usage of tissues to clean the hands, this start-up provides their customers with wet-wipes instead.
[caption id="attachment_49326" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Friends on cover[/caption]
Hello Meal is a budget-friendly source of exquisite pleasure with their affordable prices, and provide multiple options ranging from economy meals to thaalis and platters. Their well-thought services are an added advantage, and they promote an ideology of ‘Mood Kia. Food Kia.’ They are the convenient solution to the woes of all college students. The co-founder, Tushar, remarked on this unique initiative, “This is a part which is not touched yet. For students, we need something more accessible and affordable to serve their daily needs.”
[caption id="attachment_49328" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Food on your plate[/caption]
For quick, delicious, and pocket-friendly meals, this is your place. You can find Hello Meal on Zomato to book the food of your liking, and they shall take care of your wishes, be it pre or post meal! For more details, explore them on:
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/hellomeal/
Play Store :https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.invetechsolutions.hellomeal
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/hello_meal/
Image Credits: Saumya Kalia for DU Beat
Saumya Kalia
[email protected]]]>
Desi Hoppers, the hip-hop dance crew that has been making headlines with their dance performances, not just in India, but across the world, are all set to come to Delhi this April! The winners of world’s biggest urban dance competition, World of Dance, shall be meeting with their Delhi fans through a Dance Workshop.
StreetMation Dance Workshop is being organised by Dance N Inspire, to give the hip-hoppers of Delhi the golden opportunity of meeting with and learning some dance techniques of their favourite, Desi Hoppers. The workshop is being organised in Saraswati Music College, Delhi over three days, from April 28th to April, 30th 2017.
What’s more interesting, is that the entry to the three Day Dance workshop can be earned for free! The organisers of the workshop have rolled out Applications for an online dance competition, “Isse Kehte Hain Hip-Hop”, where the participants shall be required to upload a solo dance video in the bid to earn their entry to attend their dream workshop. Don’t forget, the application process for the online dance competition is open only until the 20th of April.
So all you Delhi’s Hip-Hoppers, what are you waiting for?
Ankit Kawatra, founder of Feeding India and a recognised social entrepreneur has been named in the “Forbes 30 under 30” list under the Social Entrepreneurs category from India. The Forbes “30 under 30” list features young innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders who are challenging conventions and making an impact in the world. The second annual list includes 30 honorees for each of the 10 categories that make up the list and includes eminent personalities like Alia Bhatt, Margot Robbie and Joseph Schooling.
An alumnus of Delhi University’s Keshav Mahavidyalaya College, Ankit left his corporate job at the age of 22 to start Feeding India -a youth-run, not-for-profit organisation that channelises excess food to feed the hungry. Having started as a team of 5, the organisation grew into a network of more than 4,500 volunteers in 46 cities in India feeding over 6 million meals.
“Being on the Forbes 30 Under 30 List is like a dream come true. This is not just recognition for me, but also for my dream of a hunger free world, where no child has to die of not having proper food. I am honored to be on the Forbes List, and forever grateful to the Feeding India volunteers, team and supporters who have been with me through thick and thin. This recognition will help establish Hunger a stronger concern globally and take us all a step closer to my dream.” says Ankit.
In September 2016, Ankit was appointed as the UN Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon amongst 18,000 applicants across 186 countries and also won the Queen’s Young Leaders award in UK for his exceptional work in transforming the lives of others.
His NGO, Feeding India, not only facilitates combating hunger by the distribution of excess food from weddings, parties, corporate events and households but has also started innovative projects such as ‘The Magic Truck’, which is a 24X7 refrigerated vehicle moving around the city collecting and donating excess food.
In a change brought about in its admission based on sport quota, Delhi University has decided to scrap the cemtralised fitness test for sports from the upcoming academic session. The fitness test, from this year onwards, would be based on a specific sport and will be held along with the trials of the corresponding sport.
The previous policy, which used the 50-50 formula, giving equal weightage to trials and certificates has now been changed giving 60% weightage to the trials and 40% to the certificates.
According to a senior university official, changes are being made in the admission process of the sports quota in order to make the process more transparent.
“This year, four types of changes have been made, including the decision to do away with the centralised fitness test and conducting a game-based fitness test. This would allow us to judge the fitness parameters of the student in that particular game/sport. Secondly, the weightage of the sports trial marks and certificates has been increased to 60 and 40 per cent respectively,” he said.
Furthermore, the trial test is divided into three sub-categories: game specific fitness test, overall playing ability, and test of fundamental skills of a sportsperson.
Another major change that has been brought about is that it would be mandatory to score at least 30 per cent out of 60 per cent marks. Trials will include points for sports, fundamental skills, and playing abilities. However, nothing has been decided about the number of points to be awarded for each level yet. Till last year, it was mandatory to get at least 25 in the 50 per cent weightage of the trial.
The fourth change is that the category-wise sports certificate list would now be made available in a ‘drop down’ menu divided into nine heads. The aspirants will just have to choose/mark the category under which his/her sport certificate lies, and will have to upload the scanned copy of the same online. The university will also make the verification of the uploaded certificate online.
