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Namrata Gupta

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‘Fiction’ and ‘non-fiction’ are the two genres that a writer goes for. There was a time when fictional books were written only for entertainment purposes but that is not the case anymore. The new trend is to provide morals to the readers apart from engaging them. The learning derived from the two genres are slowly but steadily converging to a single goal of reminding the readers of something intricate yet basic, sending across a message about the world they are currently inhabiting or dream of, for better or worse.

The fictional books provide a platform to the readers to identify themselves with the characters present in the book. The reader, in the process, suffers if the character he/she identifies with, encounters sufferings and is made to learn a lesson in the end. The non-fictional books intend to give out a message by describing the journey of a person’s life or some other real situation. It appears as if the fictional books serve as examples of the contexts explained in the non-fictional books.

While Harry Potter’s battle with Voldemort tells us that with grit, determination and by having faith in yourself, any evil can be fought and defeated, his endeavors throughout the series , leave a message of perseverance  until you have achieved your goal no matter how messed up the circumstances are. The same morals can be derived from a non-fictional book containing an account of someone who has strived hard, against all odds, to achieve a position he currently enjoys, the autobiography of a renowned individual as an example. The suspense that a reader enjoys while reading an autobiography to know how the individual got out of messed up circumstances is the same as the suspense enjoyed when the reader grows restless to know what will happen next to a character in fictional books. A non-fictional book giving an account of the partition of India as seen through the eyes of an individual who has survived the partition, gives the same moral message of violence and wars being disastrous and futile, as a fictional book in which the same scenario is related. The examples can be innumerable.

Thus, the demarcation that separates the two genres, although being there, is blurring when it comes to the morals and the learning derived from a certain book. That being said, both are equally intriguing facets of writing.

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Bearing testimony to the fact that what happens in a nation has a strong impact on the youth, who is willing to fight back to achieve a better society, Hansraj College saw the emergence of a new society dedicated towards providing self defence training to girls, including those who are not a part of Delhi University.

An inaugural programme was conducted in the college on the 16th of January, which also served as the orientation programme of the ‘Girls Defence Society’. Dr. Rajnish Garg, additional District Commissioner of Police, Mr.Anil Kumar, ACP, Mrs. Sushma Rawat, SHO, Mr. Rohit, S.I., were present at the ceremony to lend support to the initiative. A short film, made by the college’s Film Society, was screened, serving as a motivating factor along with the encouraging words spoken in praise of such an initiative.

“The training programme has been initiated with the reference to the Nirbhaya gang rape case. We have kept three time slots, of an hour each, for the training for convenience and greater participation. As of now, fifteen days’ training will be provided by the constables of Delhi Police. It is free of cost. We want to provide a platform to the girls to be able to defend themselves against any mishappenings.” said Vanshika Singh, the President of Girls’ Defence Society.

The training programme would be held in the college itself. The programme aims at strengthening women, both physically and mentally, to be able to answer back during instances of eve-teasing and protect themselves. Certificates would be provided to those who would join this programme.

Switched at Birth is a television teen/family drama series by ABC Family. Created by Lizzy Weiss, the  one-hour scripted drama revolves around two teenagers who were switched at birth and grew up in very different environments. It is the first mainstream television series to have multiple deaf and hard-of-hearing series regulars and scenes shot entirely in American Sign Language.

The story is intriguing, the script is spectacular and the on-screen display of talented star cast is just awesome. Talking about the storyline, Bay Kennish is an artistic teenager being raised by her stay-at-home mother Kathryn and former professional baseball player father John in the wealthy Kansas City suburb, along with her older brother Toby . After genetic testing that confirms Bay is not biologically related to her parents, the family discovers that the hospital mistakenly switched Bay with another newborn, Daphne Vasquez , a deaf teen who lost her hearing as a result of meningitis, living with her struggling single mother, Regina in the low-income neighborhood of East Riverside .When the two families meet, the girls struggle with their identities as Bay relates to Regina’s artistic abilities and Daphne is drawn to John’s athletic skills and to Kathryn’s cooking abilities. The new living situation forces the girls, along with both families, to understand their differences and embrace their similarities.

The series’ debut was the highest-rated show debut for ABC Family till date. Through some creative writing, brilliant planning and equally brilliant execution, this show has managed to create a unique audience for itself and is a must watch if you like this genre. Currently, the show, which is over 50 episodes old, is in it’s third season and growing stronger with each new episode.

Switched at Birth is known for its emotional episodes and inspiring messages.As a viewer and a fan , one is guaranteed to get all kinds of warm and fuzzy feelings while watching this one-of-a-kind TV series, thanks to Bay (Vanessa Marano) and Daphne’s (Katie Leclerc) always-endearing chemistry. Tune out the rest of the world and let this one sink in!

Image courtesy: fanpop.com

If you think that the best part about New Year’s Eve is partying and you are cursing your stars because you have to stay at home this year for some reason or the other, then you gotta check out this list of things which can probably help you in making this New Year’s Eve exciting. Here you go:

1. Meet the old you

If you maintain a diary or a scrapbook, go through it. Realise how stupid you had been when you started writing your diary and note the process of change. Relive the moments which are gone, point out the mistakes that you had committed and speculate about the ways in which you can become a better person. There is no better time to do this but the beginning of a new year. You can also go through your Facebook timeline to see what status updates, links and videos you shared this year!

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2. Watch special programmes on television

Various channels offer a variety of shows to be watched on New Year’s Eve. Abstaining themselves from the regular melodramas, actors come across the audience in an entirely different form in order to entertain and amuse them. If you are a die hard fan of some television actor, look out for him!

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3. Talk to your oldest buddies

Apart from just sending out a text wishing your friends a happy new year, take the initiative to actually talk to them. Pick out the people who were once a significant part of your life but you’ve been out of tough with and talk to them asking about their lives and how the year went. Trust me, you will end up reminiscing about the stupid acts you had done together.

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4. Spend time with family

It has not been preordained that you have to spend the time with only your friends. Spend the eve with your parents, have a nice chat with them and reassert the importance of family. You can also cook something for them to make the night special!

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5. Plug in your earphones

Create a new world for yourself. Get high without alcohol. Plug in your dearest earphones and forget the world.

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New Year Eve comes only once in 365 days (well, mostly). Do not forget to make it a memorable occasion!

Image courtesy: tumblr.com, www.ackbbq.com

 

The University of Delhi is up for bringing out the latent talents of the students through three e-journals, which are, the journal of creative writing, the journal of the Humanities and the Social Sciences and the journal of the Natural Sciences.

While, the journal of creative writing has come forth with its first edition on 13th November, the other two are yet to be launched. DU-Vidha, the title given to the journal of creative writing, signifies literary genres as practised in the university and creative dilemma and deliberation , as experienced by writers in negotiating what to say and just how to say it. Being published twice a year, the online journal welcomes the contributions in both Hindi and English. Poems, short stories, imaginative prose of all kinds, paintings, sketches and photographs for publication are invited from the students, both undergraduate and postgraduate.

The journal of the Humanities and the Social Sciences, proposes to showcase the research being conducted in India and by the young scholars of DU, in particular. The submissions may relate to any area of the Humanities and Social Sciences, between 6,000 and 8,000 words in length and must conform to the ‘Harvard’ system of referencing. The online journal will be published once in a year.

The journal of the Natural Sciences( Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Geology and Earth Sciences) invites contributions for publication in the inaugural issue of the journal. Again, the submissions may be between 6,000 and 8,000 words and must conform to the ‘Harvard’ system of referencing.

The journals will foreground significant work by students and teachers at DU, will have eminent advisors and peer reviewers, will be free of charge with open access.

The journal of creative writing invites the contributions by post as well as by email while the other two, as soft copies, initially. The soft copies are to be sent as Word attachments.

The journals of creative writing and Humanities and Social Sciences are to be edited by Prof. Harish Trivedi, Advisor, Academic Publications, University of Delhi while that of Natural Sciences is to be edited by Prof. Avinash Khare FNA, department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi.

A great number of entries for all the three journals have been received via mail till now. Prof. Harish Trivedi says that “I hope that the initiative gets better as the days pass” and is positive about the response from students. Praising the talent of the students, he says, “We come across some outstanding pieces while going through the entries”.

Know more about the three journals here.

After almost a month of last minute cramming, pulling off all nighters (successfully or not) and running on endless caffeine, the post-exam break is now here. Here’s our compilation of the top 5 things to do in it:

1.  Watch Breaking Bad

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You cannot miss this! Watch all the seasons of this amazing TV show called Breaking  Bad, if you haven’t yet. In case you are already done with it, download a TV show which you have been waiting to see all this while but were too lazy to download. Do complete AT LEAST one TV series. Other must-watch shows suggestions include Sherlock (the UK release date of season 3 has been announced as 1st January 2014), Suits, Parks and Recreation and Arrested Development. Even while you are reading this, keep the downloading tab open!

2. Read

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Read everything written by  Gabriel Garcia Marquez and/or Amitav Ghosh. You are going to cherish reading their work and one day, you will be glad that someone gave you this piece of advice. Winter holidays are the best days to have some good reads since you can creep into your blanket with a cup of hot coffee beside you and have a great time while reading.

3. Go for  road trips

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Road trips are fun. Push yourself inside a car with your buddies, keep the music volume high, break the 60km/h or the 80km/h speed limit and see how amazing life can get. This should not be done on busy roads of course. STAY SAFE.

4. Sleep

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Among all the other things, do not forget that this is the only time when you do not have to wake up early for classes and it is going to last only for some days. So sleep as much as you want to. But, remember not to perpetuate yourself into a state of total inactivity.

5.  Experiment with your looks

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Let those people who have been seeing you in the same look since like eternity heave a sigh of relief. New looks are usually given the best compliments. Even if you don’t do it for people, do it for yourself. Everybody needs changes. You too. Try while you can.

One last option? Hunt for an internship through our internship updatesWith these words, I hope you make your break worth having. Have a good one people! 

Be it student initiatives, changed academic  systems, social work, protests, international trips, inviting celebrities or launching awareness campaigns, Delhi University has witnessed them all. Quite recently, i.e. on 7th August ,2013, ‘Pink Chain’, a month-long campaign to create awareness about breast cancer among the students of Delhi University,  was launched in the national capital. The programme which is disseminating information about breast cancer will end on the 4th of September.

Being an initiative of Punarjeevan Bihar, an NGO, along with eminent doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in association with the Department of Bio-Technology (DBT) Science Centre, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur (SGTB) Khalsa College, it has some serious messages to give to the students regarding breast cancer. It is meant to create awareness regarding the feeling of caring for oneself, for the protection of women’s feminism and self worth, and maintenance of their healthy or disease-free journey of life. The students from Miranda House, Daulat Ram and Khalsa College were present at the launch.

Screening of the documentary-drama- ‘Pink Chain’, power-point presentations and experiences of people who have seen the disease closely will act as tools to create awareness about breast cancer. Interactive sessions will be held and presentations will be made by the AIIMS doctors. Several colleges will be grouped together to give information about breast cancer.  It can be regarded as a campaign dedicated solely  to the nation’s  women.

While the past week saw sessions in colleges such as Hindu, SRCC and SGTB Khalsa, several other colleges would witness similar sessions in the coming weeks. Here is the schedule of the same:

[tabgroup][tab title=”Forth-coming events”]

16th August: Hans Raj College/Ramjas College

19th August: Sri Venkateswara/Motilal Nehru/RLA College

21st August: Gargi/Kamala Nehru/LSR

23rd August: Lady Irwin College

26th August: Satyawati College

3rd September: ARSD College

4th September: Jesus and Mary College [/tab][/tabgroup]

It does not take a million to earn another million and the students of  Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) embarked upon a journey to prove it and succeeded. In mere six hours (yeah, that’s right! SIX HOURS!) , a four digit figure was converted to a whooping six digit figure, thanks to the extraordinary marketing and entrepreneurship skills portrayed by the young and talented minds of FMS. All this was done with sublime precision and creativity of the students of FMS who captured the hearts of the people of the national capital on 15th July.

‘Merchants of Delhi’, the flagship event of The Marketing Society and Entrepreneurship Cell of FMS, had the students divided into 15 groups, who earned Rs.1.22 lacs with just Rs.7,500 , with each group being handed Rs.500, in six hours. Last year, the total amount earned was around Rs. 74,000.

The objective was to go out to the streets of Delhi and multiply the amount by utilising the seed capital given to each team. The teams were given just a few hours to think, strategise and implement their ideas. Mobile phones and wallets were strictly banned. Revealing the name of their institution was not allowed either.

From innovative ideas like drawing random sketches and customized greeting cards for the people around to daring ones like boys dancing on item numbers, offering career counseling to students outside coaching institutes and further, the clichéd ones like selling roses, singing and poetry, they implemented them all. Their efforts borne fruits and three teams earned more than Rs.11,000.

“It was an exhilarating, fulfilling yet a body numbing experience. Given that this was our first sales stint, this day will go down in our memories as a truly special and memorable one”, said Shivam Agarwal, Sneha Motwani & Pooja Pai, part of the winning team.

Image credit: FMS Facebook Page

The University of Delhi had hosted a Mathematics competition, as a part of the Legacy of Srinivasa Ramanujan Conference, in December 2012 . The fourteen winning undergraduate students visited King’s College, London and Newton Institute in Cambridge, in cohesion with the award which allowed them a trip to the UK to visit eight Universities. They were hosted by the Department of Mathematics.

The students and their academics were given a tour of King College’s Strand campus, delivered by Max Wells, a first year undergraduate Mathematics student, accompanied by Dr Alexander Heinz, Deputy Head of International Programmes and Dr Alexander Pushnitski, a Reader in the Department of  Mathematics.

The School of Natural & Mathematical Sciences, looking forward to working closely with Delhi University in the future, was delighted to welcome the students and academics.

More recently, the winning team also visited the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences in Cambridge, a national and international visitor research institute which runs research programmes on selected themes in mathematical sciences and attracts leading mathematical scientists from the UK and overseas to interact in research over an extended period.

The students from Keshav Mahavidyalaya, Ramjas College and St. Stephen’s were guided on the tour by Dr. Sachi Srivastava, Associate Prof. of Mathematics and Lt. Parminder Sehgal, Dy. Proctor. They met faculty and learnt of the various programmes at both the institutes.

[via Delhi University official website]