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Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College

Rock Veda performs at Kalrav’14 – the Annual Cultural Festival of DDUC

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The annual cultural festival of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College (DDUC), Kalrav took place on the 27th and 28th of March after getting postponed frequently. The festival was scheduled to take place in February but got cancelled due to internal issues.

The event was exclusively for the students of DDUC. The college held its Annual Prize Distribution Ceremony for the year 2013-14 on the same day. Mr. S.P. Dixit, IAS Officer and Mr. Ravi Chaturvedi, an eminent cricket commentator were the chief guests for the event.

An exhibition of photographs clicked by the members of the DDUC photography society was put up. A very distinct event, Mera Gaon, Mera Ghar, Mera Bachpan was also held. Different departments of the college showcased memories and artifacts from their childhood. This event was especially designed for outstation students to portray the traditions and culture of their home state. The fest also saw a Grafitti contest whose theme was “The Blissful Life”. Students of B.Com (Hons) won the top spot. This was followed by a concert- Satvik Heights by Ankit Batra , an internationally acclaimed singer, an enthralling performance by the Delhi Drummers and also by the band, Solfege.
The second day began with Satvik chants recited by the Music society. Inter department contest was held for traditional games like pithoo, stapoo, rassi kood and lattoo; most of which was won by the Department of Zoology.

Exult-the dance society and Rhythm-the music society mesmerized the crowd with their performances. Yavanika- the theatre society’s performance was appreciated by all. “Their spirit was superb”, said Aashima Sharma, a volunteer at Kalrav. This was followed by the performance from Rock Veda, a fusion band that has also featured on MTV’s Coke Studio. The fest came to an end with the lighting of the sky lanterns by the college students.

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Spo(r)tlight

Formula One season kicks off with new rules and regulations!

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Cars bolting faster than 150 kmph, screeching tyres, breathtaking turns and lightning quick pit stops- Formula One is back!

The high adrenaline sport kick started on 16th of March in Australia with Nico Rosberg of Mercedes taking the pole position. However, this season is not only about speed. With new F1 regulations in place, the high speeds have been tamed to make way for more skillful and tactical driving.

The most notable changes this season are the two extra races, and the inception of in-season testing. In 2014, F1 goes old-school as the turbo-charged engines return to the tracks for the first time since 1988 with 1.6 litre V6 engine replacing the 2.4 litre V8 engine. Also, the cars will now carry 100 kg of fuel at the start of the race rather than 150 kg like last year. Therefore, the engineers face the challenge increasing efficiency while maintaining the power output of the machine.

The Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) has been replaced by the improved Energy Recovery System(ERS). The KERS system makes use of electrical systems in the motor generator installed in the car’s transmission, converting mechanical energy into electrical energy and vice versa. The harnessed energy gets stored in the battery and is released when required by a push of the button. This produces a maximum of 80 hp boost over 6.6 s of a lap. The ERS system can store ten times more energy than the KERS system and harnesses energy from the electrical machine attached to the turbocharger and the heat converter. This system produces a boost of up to 161 hp for a massive 33 s per lap. This will contribute to a significant reduction in lap time.

This season will also see the penalty points system replace the Grid-Place penalty. If a driver collects 12 penalty points, he will be banned from the ongoing Grand Prix. The introduction of in-season testing might prove to be a boon for teams looking to improve their cars in between the season. F1 teams will remain at the race venue for a two-day test with one car after four European Grand Prix.

The 2014 F1 season shall be the longest ever with 21 races planned, putting the drivers and the entire teams to the ultimate test of stamina and persistence. With the new guidelines in place, this season is expected to be the perfect balance of adrenaline and speed, and a battle of wits.

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Spo(r)tlight

Runbhoomi – Sports fest of College of Vocational Studies concludes.

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College of Vocational Studies(CVS) celebrated the 3rd edition of its annual sports fest, Runbhoomi from 8th-11th March 2014. The fest had events like football, basketball, volleyball and various other academic contests. The fest is generally targeted for the students enrolled in Bachelor of Business Economics(BBE), Bachelor in Financial and Investment Analysis(BFIA) and Bachelor of Business Studies(BBS) courses in the Delhi University. However, the various academic events are open for all the students. This year the target group got extended to the new Bachelor of Management Studies(BMS) course as well.

Runbhoomi’14 saw teams participating from a total of 11 colleges with Shaheed Sukhdev College Of Business Studies(SSCBS) pulling out at the last moment. Colleges like Keshav Mahavidyalaya, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur(SGTB) Khalsa College, Gargi College and others participated. A total of 11 events were carried out at the fest.

The fest kicked off with the Opening Ceremony with performances from Zest- the Western Dance Society of CVS and other solo performances. Arun Hooda,  former DUSU President was the Chief Guest.

The Football Tournament (Boys)

First Position – College of Vocational Studies(CVS)

Second Position – Shri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce

Third Position – Ram Lal Anand (E) College

 In the girl’s tournament, it was Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce(SGGSC)  who took the first prize while CVS came in at the second position. SGTB Khalsa College bagged the third prize.

The Basketball  Tournament (Boys)

First Position – the host team, CVS

Second Position –  Bhim Rao Ambedkar College.

Third Position –  Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College.

 The girls of CVS took home the first prize in their respective Basketball tournament with Gargi College coming in at second and SGTB College at third.

The Cricket Tournament

First Position – Bhim Rao Ambedkar College.

Second Position –  Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce.

Third Position – CVS

The Volleyball Tournament

First Position – CVS

Second Position – Gargi College

Third Position – A tie between Ram Lal Anand (E) & SGTB Khalsa College.

The various Athletics events included relays and shotput where CVS came in at the first position and Gargi College at second on an overall rankings basis. Apart from sporting events, the fest also had a Dance competition wherein Gargi College won the first prize with CVS at second and Maharaja Agrasen College at third.

The Finance and Investment Cell also organized Venator-The Sports Manager as a part of the fest. The team representing Everton FC of Khurram Areeb and Shivam Sharma won the first prize.

Empressario -The BMS society of CVS organized an IPL bidding simulation which was won by the team representing Chennai SuperKings comprising of Premik and Aman won. The second prize was bagged by the team of Neelansh Khurana and Abhishek Gupta of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College.

The team of Khurram Areeb and Shivam Sharma also won Deadline Day- A Transfer Saga, a simulation of the financial side of the world of football comprising of transfers, free agents and player contracts. They represented Chelsea FC in the event.

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Spo(r)tlight

SGTB Khalsa College wins the Inter-College Lawn Tennis Tournament

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Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College hosted an Inter-College Lawn Tennis Tournament with the finals being played on the 4th of March. Hansraj College and the hosts fought it out for the ultimate prize. The match followed a Best- Of –Three format with two single’s matches and a double’s match. Each match was a three-set match.

In the first single’s match, Kunal Anand from Khalsa college beat Dhruv Goel from Hansraj two sets to nil with a score of 6-1 and 6-3. In the next single’s match, Saurabh Singh from Hansraj beat his opponent, Rohit Bisht in straight sets with a score of 6-1 and 6-3.

With the game tied at 1-1, it was all to play for in the final match, which was a double’s match. Kunal Anand and Deepak Vishwakarma from Khalsa College beat Dhruv Goel and Saurabh Singh from Hansraj in a thrilling match to take home the final prize.

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Interviews

In conversation with Saniya Shaikh: Skeet Shooter from LSR

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Saniya Shaikh is a 2nd year student studying in Lady Shri Ram College for Women. But she is no ordinary girl; she represents the Indian contingent in Skeet Shooting. DU Beat was able to catch an interview with this inspiring sports person.

At what age did you start shooting skeet and what got you into the sport?

I was 13 years old when I started shooting skeet. Being born in a family where my grandfather, dad and all my uncles are national level shooters, the sport runs in my blood. Growing up with guns and accompanying my dad to the shooting range in competitions was a part of my childhood. I got into this sport because of my dad. He always tells me, “I prayed to the Almighty Allah to bless me with a daughter as my first child and I wanted her to be a daughter.” So it was all because of my dad’s dream that I got into this beautiful sport because he saw this dream for me even before I was born and I thank him from the bottom of my heart for introducing me to this sport.

What all competitions have you participated in?

I have participated in more than 30 world cups, world championships, Asian shooting competitions, Commonwealth shooting and a few Grand Prix.

Tell us a little about your daily routine and training.

I get up at 4 in the morning and then train for 8-9 hours, which gets a little difficult since my training hours clash with my college timings. In the evening I hit the gym and exercise for 2 hours as I am a gym freak.

Given that it is an unconventional sport for Indian kids, did you face any problems on your way to becoming a professional player?

The best thing I love about Shooting is that it is an unconventional sport. It’s different and interesting. A girl like me would have never settled for something conventional (laughing) or less interesting than shooting. Also, there has always been a huge support from my family and that’s why I never felt any problem.

Who had the greatest impact on your shooting career?

My father! He is a real inspiration to me. I am pretty sure he would have gone through a tough time training a kid like me. So now, I am going to get him an Olympic Gold!

In your spare time, what else do you like to do?

I love listening to music. I am also learning to play a guitar at the moment. Moreover, I am a big fan of Usain Bolt and hence, I read about him a lot. I have got two pets and I like to pamper them. I also love horse-riding.

Did you receive any aid from DU to further promote you as a player?

All I can say is in India we give importance to a very few sports like cricket and tennis but sports like shooting do not get the same kind of recognition and support. However, thing are changing gradually and as a shooter, I will do whatever I can to make it a more appreciated and recognised sport in India.

What is the best advice that you can give to a young aspiring Shooter?

I would just like to say that every shot is the first shot. Shoot as if you are never going to shoot again. Do not think about the misses. We all miss, we are all humans. Show the world that you are the best!

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Gargi College

Students debate brain drain and more at Reverie 2014

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Sameeksha, the Hindi Debating Society of Gargi College organised two events on 5th February, as a part of the college’s Annual Fest – Reverie 2014. While the first event was a Hindi Extempore Competition, the second was a Hindi Debate Competition.

The event saw participation from almost 16 students. They were each given 1 minute to think and 2 minutes to speak.
Some of the topics for the event were ‘loo tantra, bheed tantra mein badal rha hai’, ‘kya kavi keval kalpana mein hi keen hai’ and  ‘urbanization and reduction of villages’.

Aseem Aggarwal from Hindu college bagged the top position. Mohit from the Faculty of Law and Tajwar from Gargi college went away with the second and third prizes respectively.

The event was judged by Mr. Upendra, Editor of Samwad. He was accompanied by Ajay Kumar, member of the psychology department of Gargi college and Zola Kisha Adhikari.

For the debate competition, a total of 7 teams spoke on the topic – ‘Videshon mein bhartiya pratibha palayan – Majboori ya mahatvkanksha’ (English translation: Brain drain in India – Helplessness or aspiration)

The debate was judged by Dr. Viresh Raj Sharma, a Ph.D from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Krishna Meena, an Assistant Professor at Gargi College.

At the end of the debating sessions, Deepanshi from Gargi College won the first prize. Mohit from Faculty of Law bagged the second prize in this event as well while Vikas from Sri Venkateswara College attained the third spot.

Catch live updates from Reverie 2014 here | Visit the Reverie 2014 Facebook Album here

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Gargi College

Gargi wins folk dance competition at Reverie 2014, SGTB Khalsa at second spot

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The event saw performances from nine teams including Miranda House, Mata Sundari College and Kalindi College.The dance forms on display included Kawariattam, the famous Gidda and the evergreen Bhangra. The teams that emerged as winners were Gargi College who bagged the first prize while Shri Guru Teg Bahadur Khalsa College (SGTB Khalsa) and Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce (SGGSCC)went away with the second and third spot respectively.

sgtb01

Khyati Thapriyal, a trained kathak dancer and one of the finalist of the Indian reality show India’s Dancing Superstar, graced the event as the judge. She was accompanied by Rashmi Bhardwaj, a member of the Philosophy department of Gargi College and also a trained Bharatnatyam dancer for 15 years.

Commenting on the performances put up by the various colleges, Ms. Thapriyal remarked, “It is fascinating to see college students receive such platforms for dance. With the level of performances put up, I am sure as soon as they pass out of colleges, they will crack several opportunities.

Catch live updates from Reverie 2014 here | Visit the Reverie 2014 Facebook Album here

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Spo(r)tlight

‘WOW’rinka: The Swiss goes on to win the first Grand Slam of the season

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The final of the first Grand Slam of the year was set between the crowd-favourite and the top-seed, Rafael Nadal and the eighth seed, Stanislas Wawrinka.

The match started with blistering pace amidst the Australian twilight and a packed Rod Laver Arena. Both the players started the match strongly with the Swiss serving the first game. The match came alight in the fourth game of the set when Wawrinka break Nadal’s serve to take an early 3-1 lead. He then saved three break points to ultimately serve out the set for a 6-3 score.

The crowd was in for more shocking events when the 8th seed broke Nadal in the first game of the second set. He then held his serve to take an early lead of 2-0 over the Spaniard. While playing a shot from the baseline, Nadal let out in pain in the next game. He held his serve but quickly went away for a medical time-out, while Wawrinka argued with the ref for complete disclosure of the injury. Nadal came out after six minutes but only for his fans to see his performance drop. The Spaniard lost the second set 6-2.

However, Nadal was not going out without a fight. He broke the Swiss’s serve in the second game of the match to win the third set 6-3.

The top seed started the fourth set much strongly. While Nadal’s fans were praying for a comeback, the Swiss broke the Spaniard’s serve in the sixth game of the set to take a 4-2 lead. After that, it was all Wawrinka as he held his nerves to go on to win the Australian Open 2014.

He was the first man since 1993 to beat the world no.1 & 2 in a Grand Slam and also, the first man ever to beat Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in a Grand Slam.

Image Credit: Official Australian Open Facebook Page

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