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Quite a masquerade

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So, who doesn’t fancy a little drama in their life? At the risk of sounding slightly presumptuous, I would have to say that most of us do. For those who prefer their dose of it on stage rather than off, Hindu College’s annual theatre festival—Masquerade—was the place to be.

The two day event hosted by the English Dramatics Society, ‘Masque’, saw some of the finest colleges of DU showcasing their acting prowess. On day 1 of the fest, IP College for women, LSR, St. Stephen’s and SRCC proved their mettle as masters of nuanced expressions; while on day 2, Kirori Mal College, Hindu College, Sri Venkateswara College and Ramjas College gave them a run for their proverbial money.

To judge the participating teams were two distinguished members of the theatre fraternity. Ms. Amina Sherwani, a distinguished theatre person, journalist and sculptor. She has vast experience in people’s theatre and has performed all over the country as scriptwriter, director as well as light and set designer and has produced and directed over fifty plays. Mr. Milin Kapoor, renowned cinematographer and special effects editor. He has more than 28 years of experience in film, video design, interactivity and cyber space. He has worked on over 400 productions and with some of the biggest names in the Indian film industry.

 

The most striking performances on the first day were that of LSR and SRCC; wherein SRCC stole the limelight with their witty mystery piece titled ‘Three Blind Mice’. While each member of the SRCC team did a commendable job; it is noteworthy that the IP team consisted of only three members and their dedication was par excellence. Their play ‘Sonata’ explored the world of a writer as the events of one night that occur in the lives of these women are penned down. LSR presented ‘Skeleton Woman’, a story about two people who defeat fantastical odds to be together. St. Stephen’s had put together a play that dealt with the phenomenon of False Memory Syndrome called ‘Anna Weiss’.

On the 22nd of February, Sri Venkateswara college mesmerised the audience and the judges with their play ‘Pulp’, a  comical journey of two playwrights and their rushed attempt to churn out one decent play after another, in order to pacify their producers. Hindu College won many accolades for their production ‘Dead Man’s Testimony’—an adaptation of Ayn Rand’s ‘Night of January 16th’, although they did not compete. KMC presented ‘Line’– a story about five people attempting to reach the front of a queue using all kinds of strategies and Ramjas told us what happens when a joke goes awry in ‘Mr. Kolpert’.

 

The results declared were as follows:

1st place – Sri Venkateswara College for ‘Pulp’

2nd place – LSR for ‘Skeleton Woman’

3d place – KMC for ‘Line’

Outlaw Award (For the team which did something different)  – St. Stephens for ‘Anna Weiss’

 

 

 

 

 

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Fest triggers stampede at Ramjas

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Friday, February 10, 2012. This date will be marked as one of the darkest pages in the history of  DU. In an incident that is nothing short of frightening, a terrible stampede at Ramjas College injured several students. The college was hosting its annual fest and a certain singer, who goes by the name of Honey Singh, was to perform there at 6.30pm.

At 4pm, the traffic intersection between Delhi School of Economics and Ramjas was in a state of complete chaos with police vans speeding towards Ramjas from all sides. The rumours and panic that spread among the students who were on the road at that time, did little to help the already grave situation. The speculations soon became wild and reached all the way to Vishwavidyalaya metro station where stories of a possible death were doing the rounds.

Fortunately, there have been no reports to indicate that any lives were lost. However, a girl (rumoured to be a student of Dyal Singh College) allegedly fell in the stampede and was so severely injured by the rushing crowd that she had to be admitted to a hospital and is still in ICU. “ It was a nightmare, there is no other way to explain it. I regretted going there so badly that I was almost in tears,” said a student on the condition of anonymity.

The college authorities are underplaying the incident because the blame for the entire fiasco is being pinned on them. Students were initially entering one by one in an orderly fashion when the college decided to throw the gates open to make their job simpler. “ We decided to open the gates at 3pm because a very large crowd had already gathered by then. A girl felt slightly uncomfortable and was rushed to a hospital,” said the Principal of the college.

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Arts & Culture

Smiley all the way

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Director : Tomas Alfredson

Cast : Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Toby Jones, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ciarán Hinds

Rating : 4/5

The career of Gary Oldman – frequently cited as the finest actor working today never to have been nominated for an Oscar – is something of a mystery. In the 1980s, he appeared in British films as disparate as Sid and Nancy, Prick Up Your Ears and The Firm, and rivalled Daniel Day-Lewis for versatility. A move to Hollywood in the early 90s did nothing to stop his curiosity and desire to play a huge range of roles, which included, from 1990 – 1994  Lee Harvey Oswald, Beethoven, Dracula, Rosencrantz and, most wonderfully of all, Norman Stansfield in Luc Besson’s Leon, a linen-suited corrupt cop to end all corrupt cops.

Then, around the mid-90s, something appeared to change. The films became more about the fee and less about the performance. He was still good value as flamboyant villains in the likes of Air Force One and The Fifth Element, and contributed interesting shadings to a Republican senator in The Contender, but an element of vitality was missing.

With the honourable exceptions of his excellent James Gordon in the Batman films, and his noble Sirius Black in the Harry Potter series (works that he has candidly described as ‘the least amount of work for the most amount of money), his work in the past decade has been negligible. You haven’t heard of most of the films he’s made, because they snuck onto the shelves, straight to DVD, as if ashamed. Apparently this is due to his desire to raise two young children by himself, as a single father. While personally commendable, the world has been waiting for a performance by Oldman that reminds the world of this fine actor’s immense talent.

Now, at last, we have one. Tomas Alfredson’s brilliant adaptation of John le Carre’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy novel succeeds on pretty much every level, but the first thing that we must be thankful for is that it rehabilitates one of the greatest British actors of the past quarter century.

In 1973, Control(John Hurt), the head of British Intelligence (“the Circus”), sends agent Jim Prideaux(Mark Strong) to Budapest to meet a Hungarian general who wishes to sell information. The operation is blown: fleeing, Prideaux is shot in the back by Soviet intelligence. Amid the international incident that follows, Control and his right-hand man George Smiley(Gary Oldman) are forced into retirement. Control, already ill, dies soon afterwards.

Percy Alleline(Toby Jones) becomes the new Chief of the Circus, with Bill Haydon(Colin Firth) as his deputy and Roy Bland and Toby Esterhase as close allies. They have established their status by delivering apparently high-grade Soviet intelligence material, code named “Witchcraft”, about which both Control and Smiley were suspicious. Alleline shares Witchcraft material with the Americans, obtaining valuable US intelligence in exchange.

Smiley is brought out of retirement by Oliver Lacon, the civil servant in charge of intelligence, to investigate an allegation by agent Ricki Tarr(Tom Hardy) that there is a long-term ‘mole’ in the upper echelon of British Intelligence.

The codenames of the five senior officers under suspicion are derived from the English children’s rhyme “Tinker, Tailor”:

Tinker, Tailor,

Soldier, Sailor,

Rich Man, Poor Man,

Beggar Man, Thief.

With silver hair, thick-rimmed glasses, and a brilliant, analytical mind, Oldman’s Smiley is as much great detective as he is super-spy – a feeling reinforced by the casting of Benedict Cumberbatch as his Dr Watson, Peter Guillam, and the unseen presence of Karla, his Russian nemesis. Interestingly, Benedict Cumberbatch’s most acclaimed role is that in the popular BBC TV-series, Sherlock. His performance in the movie is, perhaps, among the strongest – a great feat to achieve when cast alongside such big names.

Alfredson was also very much the right man for the job. Building on the success of his superb vampire film Let The Right One In, he creates a paranoid, anxious milieu in which everyone smokes, nobody can be trusted and where everyone – friends, lovers, colleagues – ends up betraying everyone else, almost as a reflexive action.  Alberto Iglesias’ music does a lot to set the right mood for each scene.

The whole story is like an intricate chess match, every move, every agent – every information piece is as vital as the opponents’ next move. So intensely cerebral that one wishes at so many moments that they had the option to rewind and hear the dialogues once more.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is definitely worth a watch(and so much more) but like  the massive stickers in the film’s elevator keep reminding us, ‘mind your head’.

 

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VC Receives over a Thousand Forms

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VC Receives over a Thousand Forms
It was bitter realization for Delhi University administration on
Wednesday, 16th February, when over 1,000 students from across
colleges and departments expressed their concern over absentee teachers.
The students also raised the problem of inadequate infrastructure and
security for women students. According to officials, the university
administration received over 1,200 feedback forms of which nearly 1,000
raised the issues of absenteeism among teachers and inadequate
infrastructure.
On 31st January, Vice-Chancellor Dr. Dinesh Singh had had an
interaction with students of most DU colleges, a first in the history of the
University, where he had requested the students to fill up a feedback
form each. In the meeting too, students posed tough questions to the VC
on absentee teachers, lack of basic amenities and security.
Students’ Union president of IP College, Nikita, has been quoted as
saying, “Because of teachers’ strikes the academic calendar has gone
haywire and the syllabi are later completed in a rush, making students
suffer. What is the University doing?”
In the feedback forms, the students complained about how the class work
was completely disrupted due to teachers’ non-cooperation as well as the
abysmally poor infrastructure in many colleges. They explained in detail
how everything right from the classrooms to libraries to laboratories was
lacking proper infrastructure. Laboratories in several colleges are still
under construction, at a time when the final practical exams are drawing
close.
“The university did receive feedback forms in which students raised
concerns over absenteeism, inadequate infrastructure and security for
girls. This is a learning experience for the administration and at least we
have initiated a process of dialogue. I met over a 1,000 teachers as well
thereafter and I feel follow-up dialogues will help address most of the
concerns,” said Prof. Singh about the issue.
Several Principals, during their scheduled three-day meet with the VC,
have also apprised him of similar problems. In fact, disruption of the
academic schedule was the focus on the second day of the meeting on
Tuesday, 15th February, when Prof. Singh interacted with Principals of
west Delhi colleges. The VC then met the principals of South Delhi
colleges on Thursday, 17th February.
Principal of Kirori Mal College, Prof. Bhim Sen Singh, went on record to
say, “The administration is serious about restoring the academic
atmosphere in the university. In the recent past there was a complete
breakdown of communication between teachers and the administration
due to the rife over the implementation of the semester system. It also
sent a wrong message to the world outside. We see things settling down
and the new VC is trying for amicable solutions, I believe things will be
better here on. After all, all stakeholders should think of students’ welfare
first.”
Amrita Dasgupta
[email protected]

It was bitter realization for Delhi University administration on Wednesday, 16th February, when over 1,000 students from across colleges and departments expressed their concern over absentee teachers. The students also raised the problem of inadequate infrastructure and security for women students. According to officials, the university administration received over 1,200 feedback forms of which nearly 1,000 raised the issues of absenteeism among teachers and inadequate infrastructure.

On 31st January, Vice-Chancellor Dr. Dinesh Singh had had an interaction with students of most DU colleges, a first in the history of the University, where he had requested the students to fill up a feedback form each. In the meeting too, students posed tough questions to the VC on absentee teachers, lack of basic amenities and security.

Students’ Union president of IP College, Nikita, has been quoted as saying, “Because of teachers’ strikes the academic calendar has gone haywire and the syllabi are later completed in a rush, making students suffer. What is the University doing?”

In the feedback forms, the students complained about how the class work was completely disrupted due to teachers’ non-cooperation as well as the abysmally poor infrastructure in many colleges. They explained in detail how everything right from the classrooms to libraries to laboratories was lacking proper infrastructure. Laboratories in several colleges are still under construction, at a time when the final practical exams are drawing close.

“The university did receive feedback forms in which students raised concerns over absenteeism, inadequate infrastructure and security for girls. This is a learning experience for the administration and at least we have initiated a process of dialogue. I met over a 1,000 teachers as well thereafter and I feel follow-up dialogues will help address most of the concerns,” said Prof. Singh about the issue.

Several Principals, during their scheduled three-day meet with the VC, have also apprised him of similar problems. In fact, disruption of the academic schedule was the focus on the second day of the meeting on Tuesday, 15th February, when Prof. Singh interacted with Principals of west Delhi colleges. The VC then met the principals of South Delhi colleges on Thursday, 17th February.

Principal of Kirori Mal College, Prof. Bhim Sen Singh, went on record to say, “The administration is serious about restoring the academic atmosphere in the university. In the recent past there was a complete breakdown of communication between teachers and the administration due to the rife over the implementation of the semester system. It also sent a wrong message to the world outside. We see things settling down and the new VC is trying for amicable solutions, I believe things will be better here on. After all, all stakeholders should think of students’ welfare first.”

Amrita Dasgupta

[email protected]

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“DUTA, March On!”

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“DUTA, March On!”
Delhi University Teachers’ Association organised yet another ‘dharna’
on Wednesday, 10th November at 2pm in front of the recently appointed
Vice Chancellor, Dinesh Singh’s office in North Campus. It was in
furtherance of protest against the implementation of the semester system
in 13 undergraduate science courses.
The event was mainly presided over by Prof. Aditya Narayan Misra,
leader of DUTA. Although these protests have been very common over
the last year, Wednesday witnessed a group of teachers with rapidly
diminishing tolerance.
Prof. Misra spoke about the association’s recent grievances. The letter
sent by the university on November 2, asking colleges to withhold
teachers’ salaries if they do not submit an undertaking stating that they
will teach in the semester mode, became a reality in Hindu College,
Miranda House, Kirori Mal College, Dayal Singh College and Acharya
Narendra Dev College. The teachers of these colleges have not received
salaries for September and October. The teachers of Guru Nanak Dev
College and Guru Gobind Singh College resigned en masse in protest.
More recently, there were some disturbances and protests in Ambedkar
College where police was called in to issue arrest warrants against the
involved teachers.
DUTA claims that the VC and HRD Minister, Kapil Sibal gave
statements in the press without ever consulting them or the Students’
Executive Council. They say that they were given several dates for
discussion during last May and June by Prof, Deepak Pental which
were later cancelled on some pretext or the other. There has still been
no ‘civilised’ debate on the issue between DUTA and the University.
They were very clear that “police and the hon’ble High Court cannot be
brought in to run a university”.
In view of the recent events, Prof. Misra gave strict directives to his
colleagues on the 10th November. He urged every teacher to vehemently
oppose the semester system and told them that “all exams should be
planned as per the previous pattern of the annual mode”. To professors
of science, he said “no teacher should set a paper or invigilate any
practical if semester system is forcefully implemented”. He stated loudly
that “semester system is not the yardstick for the achievement of a
university. It does not make the university better and different regions
have to follow different patterns according to their needs.”
An important revelation that was made during the event was that
Principals of several colleges are allegedly reporting to the VC that their
college is prepared for the semester system when in reality even half the
syllabus has not been covered in majority of the courses thus far. For this,
Prof. Misra requested students to speak up. He asked the teachers to “step
down from every post that you hold in your college. Let the Principal run
the entire college by himself!” (sic)
The speech was periodically interspersed with slogans of “DUTA,
march on! Semester system nahi chalega” and “DUTA zindabaad!”
Prof. Abha Dev Habib of the Physics Department of Miranda House
shared her thoughts and said “Semester System cannot be implemented
with the heterogeneous mix of students that DU admits every year.
DU cannot be compared to IIT and JNU which are autonomous bodies
that cater to a homogeneous crowd because of their specialised entry
requirements. Its implementation will significantly harm science students
and remove the procedure of re-evaluation of answer scripts. The
MHRD’s sole purpose of imposing the system on DU is to enable it to
collaborate with foreign universities and they are not looking into the best
interest of the students. The VC is using his ‘emergency powers’ which
are not required right now as we have done nothing wrong. Teachers are
on strike not because they want vacation or to wreak havoc but because
they want to stand up for what they feel is right. Some of the best teachers
of DU are here today and we have all come after taking our classes.”
Amrita Dasgupta
[email protected]

Delhi University Teachers’ Association organised yet another ‘dharna’

on Wednesday, 10th November at 2pm in front of the recently appointed

Vice Chancellor, Dinesh Singh’s office in North Campus. It was in

furtherance of protest against the implementation of the semester system

in 13 undergraduate science courses.

The event was mainly presided over by Prof. Aditya Narayan Misra,

leader of DUTA. Although these protests have been very common over

the last year, Wednesday witnessed a group of teachers with rapidly

diminishing tolerance.

Prof. Misra spoke about the association’s recent grievances. The letter

sent by the university on November 2, asking colleges to withhold

teachers’ salaries if they do not submit an undertaking stating that they

will teach in the semester mode, became a reality in Hindu College,

Miranda House, Kirori Mal College, Dayal Singh College and Acharya

Narendra Dev College. The teachers of these colleges have not received

salaries for September and October. The teachers of Guru Nanak Dev

College and Guru Gobind Singh College resigned en masse in protest.

More recently, there were some disturbances and protests in Ambedkar

College where police was called in to issue arrest warrants against the

involved teachers.

DUTA claims that the VC and HRD Minister, Kapil Sibal gave

statements in the press without ever consulting them or the Students’

Executive Council. They say that they were given several dates for

discussion during last May and June by Prof, Deepak Pental which

were later cancelled on some pretext or the other. There has still been

no ‘civilised’ debate on the issue between DUTA and the University.

They were very clear that “police and the hon’ble High Court cannot be

brought in to run a university”.

In view of the recent events, Prof. Misra gave strict directives to his

colleagues on the 10th November. He urged every teacher to vehemently

oppose the semester system and told them that “all exams should be

planned as per the previous pattern of the annual mode”. To professors

of science, he said “no teacher should set a paper or invigilate any

practical if semester system is forcefully implemented”. He stated loudly

that “semester system is not the yardstick for the achievement of a

university. It does not make the university better and different regions

have to follow different patterns according to their needs.”

An important revelation that was made during the event was that

Principals of several colleges are allegedly reporting to the VC that their

college is prepared for the semester system when in reality even half the

syllabus has not been covered in majority of the courses thus far. For this,

Prof. Misra requested students to speak up. He asked the teachers to “step

down from every post that you hold in your college. Let the Principal run

the entire college by himself!” (sic)

The speech was periodically interspersed with slogans of “DUTA,

march on! Semester system nahi chalega” and “DUTA zindabaad!”

Prof. Abha Dev Habib of the Physics Department of Miranda House

shared her thoughts and said “Semester System cannot be implemented

with the heterogeneous mix of students that DU admits every year.

DU cannot be compared to IIT and JNU which are autonomous bodies

that cater to a homogeneous crowd because of their specialised entry

requirements. Its implementation will significantly harm science students

and remove the procedure of re-evaluation of answer scripts. The

MHRD’s sole purpose of imposing the system on DU is to enable it to

collaborate with foreign universities and they are not looking into the best

interest of the students. The VC is using his ‘emergency powers’ which

are not required right now as we have done nothing wrong. Teachers are

on strike not because they want vacation or to wreak havoc but because

they want to stand up for what they feel is right. Some of the best teachers

of DU are here today and we have all come after taking our classes.”

Amrita Dasgupta

[email protected]

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