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Finding Time for Yourself

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We as college students have a lot to get done in a very limited amount of time. As a result, we find ourselves rushing from one place to the other, both physically and mentally.

This is an age and time when overwork is overtly glamorised. Excuse my sexism, but the pop-culture-induced image of a woman in a tight top-knot, computer in one hand and a cup of coffee from Starbucks in the other, rushing to her workplace, is seen as something that demands reverence and is ideal.

The influence of this is that we, as a part of society, subconsciously become like that. We think that being a part of three societies, the head of the college magazine, interning with a remarkable company, whilst maintaining a good GPA is ideal. When in reality, it is anything but ideal. We strain our bodies to such an extent that when we get back home, we fall on our beds like corpses and have just enough breath left in us to fall asleep. And it is the same thing over and over again, one day after the other.

We have been conditioned to say ‘yes’ to opportunities, they may potentially be the next big thing for us. We have become so accustomed to getting to college for a 5:30 practice session because it may potentially win us the next tournament, taking up the summer internship instead of going to your hometown because it will look good on your resume, getting less than five hours of sleep because there is always so much text to read.

I am not saying that we should reduce ourselves to doing the bare minimum, or hazardously doing nothing at all. Boredom is more exhausting than overwork. Rather, we could find the few things that truly interest us and then give our heart and soul to them, even if it means giving up on the one thing that everyone else seems to be after. What college students essentially lack is the art of saying no. There may be an underlying feeling of guilt or culpability of missing out on opportunities associated with the same.

My contention is that every person, ever more so the college students, should have at least a couple of hours every day where they can reflect on life, see if their reality is in line with their dreams. Life doesn’t need to be a mad race where we are ascending on a pedestal which is so far away from our own. We ought to say nowhere no is deserved, and when our health is in question, no opportunity is big enough that we may need to compromise.

 

Feature Image Credits: Le Soir

 

Maumil Mehraj

[email protected]

 

 

 

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Campus Central

How Having Dogs as your Furry Friends in College Helps

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College can be tough. Coming into the real world, with real responsibilities and a wide array of people can sometimes take its toll on even the best. While nobody is expected to instantaneously find people they get along with, this period of meeting and discovering new people can take its toll mentally. It is a period when you miss the familiarity of school and school friends the most. Coping with this transition can be hard, some turn to family, some to old friends, and some to four-legged furballs.

 

Colleges are known to treat animals with the utmost love and respect and even have internal societies or (external) non-profit organizations set up who actively take of these animals. Colleges like Lady Shri Ram college in South Delhi have animal non-profit organisations as a part of their National Service Scheme Programme (eg, Fiappo) as well as an internal animal welfare society that takes care of the food and overall health needs of animals on campus.

Image Credits: Friendicoes, LSR
Image Credits: Friendicoes, LSR

Many have found solace in the company of these on campus buddies, especially those with pets who find themselves in a different city, starting life over as an adult. Drawing from personal experience, having to leave your pet behind can be as difficult as having to shift out of home for the very first time. I, as well as many known to me have often found ourselves wanting to escape human interaction at times. Hot chai and the company of Batman, the friendly campus dog, are like therapy for the soul. Sunshine, Oreo and Hazel (among many others), are some of the stars that frequent the classrooms and grounds of Lady Shri Ram College, on the lookout for someone in need for unconditional love. Having a bad day? Missing home? Had a fight with a friend? No problem! If no one else, there are definitely a few you can make happy (who will return the favour) with something as simple as a belly rub, and they’ll repay you with warm licks (read as: kisses).

Image Credits: Friendicoes, LSR
Image Credits: Friendicoes, LSR

As time goes by, you also notice people who once terrified of animals, melt, by the overwhelming amount of love these friendly felines have to offer. What once was a scream when something fuzzy rubbed up against your legs in the canteen, now becomes a shriek of excitement on being visited by an old friend.

College hostels house some of our friends as well as some of our animals, who unlike humans, enjoy the perks of shelter and food, free of cost. Our college hostel is home to many cats, fed on a steady diet of milk, ensuring their return as company. These animals influence our lives to the extent that they may even find their way into college graffiti or society logos, shedding light on their important position in our lives. While not everyone may end college as an animal fan, but for the most of us, they become more than friends, they become family.

Image Credits: Friendicoes, LSR
Image Credits: Friendicoes, LSR

Feature Image Credits: Action for Animal Welfare

Meher Gill
[email protected] 

 

If you have furry pets in your campus too, send us an article with pictures, explaining how these friends have made life in college easier for you! Mail your pieces at [email protected]

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Campus Central

Enactus Highlights 2017-18: SSCBS Wins Enactus World Cup and Enactus Nationals 2017

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Enactus, a household name in the University of Delhi, is the world’s largest experiential learning platform. This social venture has helped transform communities with the involvement of young visionary minds at the college level. Here are the highlights from the projects, achievements and initiatives from the Enactus societies of Delhi University:


Enactus Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies (SSCBS)

Enactus SSCBS, established in 2009 is one of the most well-known names in the circuit. The team for the academic session of 2017-18 secured the first position in the Enactus Nationals 2017. Their flagship projects Udaan and Raahat were adjudged as the best projects by the jury. They went on to represent India at the Enactus World Cup in September 2017 in London. They bagged laurels for the country by lifting the World Cup as well as the Water Race trophy. Since their inception, some of the projects they have worked on are Project Akshar, Sanitation Solutions, Project Gramodhaar, Project Udaan, Project Raahat, to name a few, to work towards causes like unemployment, eradication of open defecation, usage of affordable sanitary napkins etc. They have received prestigious grants from Mahindra, Ford, and KPMG. Enactus SSCBS has also actively worked with Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs). Project Raahat has a partnership with Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board for the allotment of public toilet complexes. This year, they also organised a Social Start-up Fest where social enterprises were invited to showcase their projects to NGOs and investors. On World Water Day, they hosted a Sanitation Conference which received acknowledgement from the Honourable Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Suresh Prabhu.

 

Enactus Lady Shri Ram College

Established in 2012, this chapter of Enactus has paved their position in the circuit as one of the most hard working and active societies. The team has successfully worked on five projects till date, namely, Project Maati, to initiate a transformation from chemical to organic farming in Punjab, Project Yuvaakti, focussing on the skill development of the women from Chaina and Bajwara in Punjab, Project Kalakaashi, to restore indigenous crafts in Varanasi, Project Auric, working for the economic benefit of rural women in Harayana. Their most recent venture, called Project Utthaan aims to curb air pollution and addressing the issue of degrading air quality. Under this project, the team has promoted vertical gardening services. Project Utthaan focusses on uplifting poor nurseries and the skill enhancement of the stakeholders involved. Enactus LSR were also among the top 24 teams in the Enactus Nationals 2017. They have also collaborated with NGOs like Santiniketan Society for Youth Empowerment, Kolkata for Project Auric and IFFCO Kisan for Project Utthaan.

 

Ready, Set, Go! #NC17 #EnactusIndia #WeAllWin

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Enactus Hindu College

Since its formation in 2013, Enactus Hindu College has come a long way with their social initiatives. This year, they effectively worked on Project Oorja and Project Veerangana. The second phase of Project Oorja sought to develop a low-cost solar lamp to economically empower the street vendors. This project promotes the use of renewable sources of energy, imparting a significant environmental impact. Enactus Hindu College received the Blue Dart Empowering Competition Grant 2017 and Mahindra Grant 2017. Project Veerangana is an enterprise to promote women safety by training women in self-defence. Apart their main projects, they also work for ensuring a safe environment for stray dogs in harsh weather conditions.

Enactus Motilal Nehru College (MLNC)

This chapter of Enactus was established in 2014. The team was among the top 24 in the Enactus Nationals 2017. Enactus MLNC has actively worked towards the welfare of animals. Their Project Parivartan started with the goal to create a safer environment for stray dogs through practices like sterilising and immunising to fight diseases like Rabies. Project DESI developed from the previously mentioned Project Parivartan. DESI stands for “Duty to Empathize, Sterilize and Immunize” stray dogs. Under this project, the team collaborated with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), college campuses and Animal Welfare NGOs to create a healthy environment for stray animals. Apart from animal welfare, Project Parivartan also branches out to women empowerment through the employment of underprivileged women living in Chanakyapuri making handmade dog collars and leashes. The team has worked with NGOs like Pet Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), Friendicoes, and Sonadi Animal Welfare Trust. During National Volunteering Week, Enactus MLNC organised an event called Coexistence in partnership with PETA Youth India and Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO), to spread awareness about the animal protection acts and the concept of veganism.

 

Enactus Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (SBSC)

One of the most active members of the social community, Enactus SBSC, since its beginning in 2014, has worked on four major projects. Project Karva aimed at forming a business model, to not only provide women with vocational training, but also grant them with a market to sell handcrafted pots. Their second venture, Project Roshni, in which they collaborated with Janata Rehabilitation Center and Nai Disha NGO, sought to empower the visually impaired. Project Aahar started with the goal to achieve “zero hunger” by providing employment opportunities to the seasonally employed migrant workers from in and around Delhi, to train them to run their food stalls. In the academic session of 2017-18, Enactus SBSC laid the foundations for Project Vidyut. The project involves an aim to influence the villages in India to switch to alternate sources of energy, like biogas. sbsc

Image Credits: Enactus SBSC.   

 

Enactus Hansraj College

Conceptualised in 2012, Enactus Hansraj has actively worked towards providing entrepreneurship avenues for marginalised women through Projects Swaad and Lekhni, and establishing the facilities of clean drinking water with Project Boond. The team is currently working on two flagship projects called Project Aangan and Project Mithaas, aimed at building a network of crèches for the benefit of underprivileged children. Under Project Mithaas, this year they also worked towards promoting bee keeping as an alternative source of income among the farmers of our country. They introduced two social campaigns called Ahsaas and Aashayein. Under Ahsaas, the team helped organise several workshops for blind community. They collaborated with Navjyoti NGO under their dream campaign, Aashayein, for the holistic development of children.

Enactus Sri Venkateswara College (SVC)

Enactus SVC introduced two new projects during its 2017-18 session. Their first initiative, called The Crimson Project, started with an aim to manufacture, and consequently increase the availability of reusable sanitary napkins. Project Barqat, their second venture this year works towards imparting training among target groups to help them in the procurement of raw material, assembling of the parts, production and the final installation of solar bulbs. Enactus SVC has worked on other projects like Project Aushadhi, which was an enterprise to bond the homeless with unusedlized excess medication, Project Heartist, to help train artists, Project Captain Compost to help turn waste into soil amendment, Project CiggB, an anti-smoking project. Under Project CiggB, the team has conducted several online and offline campaigns to raise awareness. During Volunteering Week 2018, they organised three successful events over a period of 6 days, namely, Captain Cleanliness, Trash the Ash and Win with waste.

 

Enactus Kirori Mal College (KMC)

The KMC chapter of Enactus started in 2016 has successfully catered to two projects since its inception, and is currently in the works for four prospective projects. Project Patradya works towards providing a bio-degradable alternative to plastic in the form of edible cutlery made by a community of Afghan refugee women. Their second endeavour, called Project Dor, aimed to alleviate a group of women in Sapera Basti, Najafgarh Delhi, who were at the brink of prostitution, through production of scarves using the traditional art of tie and dye. Enactus KMC bagged the second position at the Enactus Rookie League, and was shortlisted for the semi-finals, emerging as a part of the top 24 teams of Enactus Nationals 2017.

 

We officially kick started our School Outreach Programme at DPS Ghaziabad Vasundhara to generate awareness about the plastic menace and provide a healthy and environment-friendly alternative in the form of our project Patradya. We hope to do more of these in the future to continue with our ultimate goal of educating more and more people about issues that prohibit the sustainable growth of our society and mutually find solutions for them. If you are interested in organising/holding awareness workshops on refugees and/or tackling the increasing plastic waste that’s crippling our environment, kindly message us or drop us a mail at [email protected]. #enactus #dpsghaziabad #sustainability #weallwin #projectpatradya #environment #enactusindia

 

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(All information is based on the data received from participating colleges in a DU Beat survey)

 

Feature Image Credits: Enactus, Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies.

Bhavya Banerjee

[email protected]

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DUB Speak

World Happiness Report 2018 – What it Means in Context to Indian Universities

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Contrary to popular opinion that India is the land of merrymaking and celebrations, there has been a significant dip in India’s ranking in the World Happiness Report over the past few years. We examine the reasons behind this at the university level.

The World Happiness Report is an annual publication by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) which has been impaneled with the charge of calculating the rankings of national happiness and analysing the data from various perspectives.

The 2018 World Happiness report was released on 14th March. Finland was crowned as the happiest country out of the 156 countries that were surveyed. India’s ranking has dipped further in Global Happiness Index, in comparison to previous years. The parameters used to evaluate the levels of happiness were GDP, per capita income, social support, healthy life expectancy, social freedom, generosity, and absence of corruption. India’s ranking was far behind from other neighboring countries such as Pakistan (75th), Nepal (101st), and Bangladesh (115th), to name a few.

As we know that university spaces are simulations of the real world, it is prudent to examine the happiness index from the perspective of colleges and universities in India.

Financial inequality and sharp economic disparity among the population has long haunted India. People living in equal societies are happier. Similarly, students hail from different strata of financial strength. There is sharp incongruity on financial lines among students. This might evoke a sense of insecurity among students.

Home to a population of 1.3 billion people and growing, an entry in premier education institutions necessitates vicious competition among students, thereby evoking acute stress. Meeting high expectations from society and family becomes difficult which renders students helplessness. A majority of the students don’t feel satisfied with their course or college.

Lack of proper infrastructure in the field of education is also a biting factor when compared to counterparts in the foreign countries. Students don’t get the required machinery in the country to hone their skills before they go out seeking jobs.

Campus spaces have become increasingly unsafe for women and for the students who have little offbeat opinion. Cases of harassment are on rise. India can never be happy if 50% of the population is always on an alert or alarmed and don’t feel secure. All of these make way for a public perception that women’s safety has not ameliorated since the indignation following the Nirbhaya case in 2012.

Despite making progressive strides on the health front, the mental health has been left largely unaddressed. The government spends 0.06 per cent of its total health spending on mental care. The same situation corresponds to our universities and colleges; students facing mental health issues don’t find the proper affordable treatment for it.

One might argue that the sample size for the concerned survey was very small when compared to a 1.3 billion population, but visibly things are not at right place and the entire country has been painted grim. The NDA government needs to consider this report as an indicator of the youth’s falling trust for the current government.

Feature Image Credits: Hindustan Times

Sandeep Samal

[email protected] 

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News

Delhi University, JNU, IIT-D and other higher education institutions can no more receive foreign funds

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Union Home Ministry has cancelled the FCRA-2010 (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) licenses of various acclaimed higher education institutions, including Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), University of Delhi, IIT-Delhi, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Punjab University, Gargi College (Delhi), Lady Irwin College (Delhi), Mumbai University, Pune University and others after they reportedly failed to file their annual income and expenditure statements, for the period 2010-11 to 2014-15, to the government. A FCRA licence is mandatory for any organisation which wants to receive funding from abroad.
The list consists of 18,871 names of several top-notch universities, educational institutions and noteworthy non-governmental organisations (NGOs) whose FCRA registrations are cancelled. Prominent associations, trusts and societies are also affected by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) order like Supreme Court Bar Association, Kamala Nehru Education Society, Kasturba Peace Centre, Gandhi Peace Foundation, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, School Of Planning & Architecture-Delhi, FICCI Socio-Economic Development Foundation, Kamala Nehru Memorial Hospital, Escorts Heart Institute, Cancer Educational Society and People for Animals. Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, Armed Forces Flag Day Fund, Doon School Old Boys Association, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College (Delhi), Dr Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia International Trust, Coordinating Voluntary Adoption Resource Agency, Bombay Diocesan Society, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (Karnataka), Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (Bengaluru), Shri Mahatma Gandhi Charitable Trust (Gujarat) and Sri Satya Sai Trust also feature on the list.
The organisations were asked to submit their replies by July 23, failing which action would be taken against them. The MHA also directed 1,222 NGOs – including Sri Ramakrishna Math, Ramakrishna Mission, Indore Cancer Foundation Charitable Trust and the Coimbatore Christian Charitable Trust – to authorise their bank accounts and provide relevant details to the government. The move comes after the government found that the organisations – all registered under the FCRA – had not validated the bank accounts through which they receive foreign funds. In a circular issued on September 8, the ministry had asked all NGOs to take rectifying steps to avoid punitive action. A similar request was earlier made to 2,025 NGOs on June 7. Ministry officials said non-validation of such accounts had been halting efforts made by banks to comply with FCRA provisions.
The BJP government has already revoked the registration of over 10,000 NGOs in the last three years for allegedly failing to file annual returns as prescribed by the FCRA. Furthermore, violation of regulations was cited to disallow more than 1,300 NGOs from renewing their registration in the recent past. The NGOs, however, allegedly claim that the government has been selectively targeting them. “It is not a level playing field,” Ravi Chellam, the executive director at Greenpeace India, told Hindustan Times. “When political parties need funding from foreign donors, they amend the law retrospectively. That is a problem – the law should be applied fairly to everyone”, he said.
Promila Kumar, the acting principal of Gargi College, told the Indian Express, “We have filed our returns. In fact, we got a reminder about filing returns recently and we informed the government that we have already complied. I’m not sure why this has happened.”

Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

 

Oorja Tapan

[email protected]

 

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Campus Central

Enactus 2016-17: Project Highlights and Events

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Enactus, the global non-profit community which seeks to inspire action, has transformed communities in more than thirty-six countries with the help of visionary minds. Emphasising on the monumental impact of entrepreneurial action, the Enactus community has been working towards manifesting an independent world by generating employability through its unique projects. Colleges under the University of Delhi have established their presence through relentless efforts and have emerged successful in catering to the plethora of social issues plaguing thousands of lives. Here is a compilation of the events, projects, and achievements of the prominent Enactus societies of the University of Delhi.

Enactus Ramjas

The Ramjas chapter of this social venture commenced in 2011 and has successfully catered to three models of business since its inception. These include the Enactus Store, Project Bawarchi, and Project Transcreation. Enactus Store is an online platform which specifically caters to the products and services of Enactus teams all around the country. Project Transcreations seeks to help the transgender community to sustain their lives through providing them with entrepreneurial avenues such as cab driving, jewellery making, etc. They have also launched their very own beauty parlour in Saket solely run by transgenders. Project Bawarchi is a canteen exclusively being run by victims of drug and substance abuse near North Campus and is accompanied by food carts and tiffin delivery. The society has also conducted myriad events to serve the community this year. Under the umbrella of its Project Transcreations, Enactus Ramjas organised a transgender fashion show along with an LGBT pride march. It also conducted the biggest Enactus Festival in February of this year and saw a successful participation. Semi-finalists of Enactus Nationals 2016, the society has carried out more than 30 sensitisation campaigns related to drug abuse since the launch of the project.

Enactus Hindu

Conceptualised in 2014, Enactus Hindu launched its Project Veerangana in this academic session. The social endeavour aims to propagate safety ideals for all by transforming young, unemployed women into self-defence instructors. The previous social campaigns of the society include Project Shreshth and Project Oorja. Their pilot project, Shresth, transformed a group of financially dependent women from the Badli Industrial Area, Rohini into self-sufficient entrepreneurs who manufacture and market incense sticks under the brand name ‘Aanchal Aggarbatis’. Project Oorja strives to preserve environmental balance by providing clean solar lighting solutions to tackle the menace of rising carbon footprints. Under its current project, the society introduced a campaign titled ‘Be A Veerangana,’ and witnessed two months of intensive offline and online promotions, encouraging women to share instances of harassment and breaking the taboo around crimes. At Mecca 2017, the annual cultural festival of Hindu College, their team conducted ‘Road to Safety,’ a unique? simulation of the streets of Delhi, with the objective of raising awareness about simple safety measures which can come in handy in our day-to-day lives. The animal community was also served with its ‘Warmth for Paws’ initiative to provide clothes to street dogs with sweaters made from discarded woollens in the bitter cold months of December and January.

Enactus Khalsa

One of the youngest members of the Enactus community, the Khalsa chapter of the non-profit endeavour germinated in August of last year. While their pilot project is currently under development, they successfully organised an awareness campaign within the college. Titled #LetsMakeGodTalk, the students of the college were induced to deliberate upon the social sphere. On Daan Utsav, the society also organised a visit to a girls’ shelter home and spent a day there with the kids playing games and interacting with them.

Enactus Miranda House

An active member of the social community, Enactus Miranda House has been the launching pad of four successful initiatives since its inception in 2011. Namely Project Zaffran, Project Jazba, Project Tarang, and Project Daryaft, the society aims to boost the issues of financial dependency amongst the women community, strengthening the standing of acid-attack survivors, developing environmentally complementing products, and enhancing the tourism sector, respectively. This year, the society organised a seminar – ‘Astitva’ in relation to Project Jazba, along with a seminar with Mr. Vikramjit Singh Rooprai on the occasion of Heritage Day under Project Daryaft. The annual festival of Enactus Miranda House – Impressa 2017, was organised with the theme ‘Breaking Stereotypes,’ and witnessed events such as open mics and movie screenings. In addition to organising a waste collection drive, the society has also conceptualised an internship programme ranging from the Campus Ambassador Program to Synergy, the Winter Internship Program to propagate ideals of entrepreneurship and initiative.

Enactus SRCC

Perhaps the oldest member of the Enactus community, Enactus SRCC has been doing pertinent projects for a decade now. Some of their recent projects are as follows. Project Life On Wheels facilitates micro-credit for rickshaw pullers by enabling them to own their rickshaws. Project Aahaar is an initiative to rehabilitate underprivileged women by providing them with culinary training. Project Azmat was an endeavour to liberate manual scavengers by providing them with a sustainable source of livelihood through a development of a micro-enterprise and to facilitate construction of proper toilet systems. Project Sattva was an initiative to bring efficiency in India’s dairy sector by the rearing of high yielding cattle and value addition to milk through a mutually beneficial relationship. Project Asbah aimed at providing clean drinking water to rural households through the development and marketing of clay-based water filters produced by a community of potters. With projects like these, Enactus SRCC secured the second runners-up position at the Enactus Nationals 2016. They have received the prestigious KPMG grant and Walmart grant in recognition of the progress made by their projects.

Enactus Shaheed Bhagat Singh College

Since its formation in 2014, Enactus SBSC has come a long way with three socially relevant and inspiring initiatives. Their first project, Project Karva aimed at the upliftment of women. Under Project Roshni, visually impaired people were taught how to make candles as an attempt to become independent as well as self-sustaining. Inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, they conceptualised their third project, Project Aahar, which seeks to provide affordable as well as hygienic food to people in need. Other than the projects, two fundraising campaigns were conducted this year. From 5th-7th October 2016, Campaign Umeed took place where members sold bookmarks and notebooks made by the specially challenged children of Deepalaya School. On the 109th birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh under Campaign Anghaar, candles made by the visually impaired to the students of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College were sold. Campaign Sparsh addressed the women residing at Anand Parbat and introduced them to NGO GOONJ’s ‘My Pad’ – a kit that contains undergarments, sanitary pads, and a manual on menstrual health. They also addressed the issue of child sexual abuse as it is one of the major evils surrounding Anand Parbat through organising interactive activities for the children and showing videos that demonstrated the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touching.

Enactus Maitreyi College

Established in 2014, Enactus Maitreyi is currently working in collaboration with the National Coalition of People Living with HIV on their third project – Project Samya. True to its name, Project Samya aims at bringing equality to women affected with HIV who are evidently socially excluded and are often forced to quit their jobs. Enactus Maitreyi’s first project, Unnayan, helped the women of Mayur Vihar to make and market a liquid dishwasher, ‘Clean Ninja’ for them to become self-reliant. They launched their second project, Swadhin in 2016, with the aim of helping the physically impaired community by equipping them with entrepreneurial skills. This year the society started its own plantation drive. Other than this, Enactus Maitreyi purchased stationery items for the specially-abled students of Anukriti School, with its own funds by keeping aside INR 2 from the sale of every product. To raise funds, Enactus Maitreyi launched a fundraising campaign called,#IDidMyBit, which was conducted over a period of 2 months. A photo booth in Connaught Place was also created to raise money.

Enactus Sri Venkateswara College

Conceived in 2015, Enactus Sri Venkateswara College has been appreciated for its innovation and uniqueness of projects. The society has successfully churned out three projects, namely Project Captain Compost, Project Aushadhi, and Project CiggB. Project Captain Compost aims to provide a solution to the garbage menace in the city while uplifting the social and economic status of ragpickers at the same time, and Project Aushadhi merged the two issues of homelessness and medicinal waste. Winner of the Blue Dart Grant worth INR 40,000, the society launched Project CiggB this year which focuses on the disposal and recycle of used cigarette butts. To establish a communal outreach, they organised stalls in the fests of Hindu College, Indraprastha College for Women, Kamala Nehru College among others, along with stalls and exhibitions under ‘Heartist,’ where they provided a platform for street artists to showcase their skills and sell their products. In association with ‘People for Animals’ and Enactus SRCC, Enactus SVC also set up a winter cloth collection drive in December 2016. They have also collaborated with ‘Parivartan’, the social service society of Sri Venkateswara College for interaction and skill development of slum children and organised a special event for them to celebrate Children’s Day.

Enactus Hans Raj

A cognizant member of the Enactus community, Hansraj College’s Enactus has been running four projects since its commencement in 2011. Project Lekhni has been successful in helping five women from Jhandewalan to rise from the status of victims to the masters of their lives, Project Boond seeks to solve the problem of clean drinking water for the underprivileged masses by providing them with low-cost water purifiers that run without electricity, and Project Mithaas is an endeavour aimed towards providing a stable source of income to farmers in India by encouraging them to adopt beekeeping as a practice. Enactus HRC conceptualised Project Aaangan this year to provide day-care facilities to working women of lower income strata. Winner of the Best Project for showcasing the spirit of VEER at Enactus Nationals 2016, Enactus HRC has, in addition, conducted a donation drive for Project Aangan. Aashayein’16 was an initiative for the kids of an NGO Navjyoti to help them experience the dream they wished to live. It was a small drive by Enactus Hans Raj to fulfill wishes and spark a fire in them by overcoming challenges.

 

Feature Image Credits: Google Sites

Saumya Kalia
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Niharika Dabral
[email protected]

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Decoding Fashion Society- It’s more than just a strut in stilettos!

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Delhi University has all sorts of societies to accommodate various talents, be it drama, dance, debate, photography or even the most glamorous of them all: fashion. When one visualizes fashion, one thinks of spotlights, high heels and flawless models. Anyone who has had the luck of witnessing a DU fashion society perform can affirm that such performances scream confidence and ooze glamour. However, underneath the makeup (and what phenomenal make up it is!) and costumes, simmer hours of rehearsals and meticulous conceptualizing, a fact that people are unaware of.

Themes and Dresses
Before preparing for the ramp, it’s the dresses and props that are designed and this is not about randomly assorting an array of garments.Rather, everything is made exclusively on the basis of a theme.

The Institute of Home Economics’ fashion society Poise has won praise for their awe-inspiring and graceful performances on themes such as ‘Palace of Illusions’, which showcases the Mahabharata through Draupadi’s eyes (it must be inspired by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s book of the same name) and ‘Naqaab’, which depicts multiple personality disorders.

‘Prophecy’, the fashion society of Lady Irwin College prides itself for interesting interpretations of topics such as ‘Circus’ and ‘Gods and Men’. Their most famous creation was ‘Contemporary Cleopatra’s Eviction’, which is a recreation of Egypt’s iconic pharaoh Cleopatra’s descend and demise.
‘IVogue ‘, the fashion society of Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce aced almost all the completions last year with the theme of the liberal and much needed rendering of LGBTQ Rights.

‘GLITZ’, the fashion society of Kamla Nehru College have performed on themes like ‘Androgyny’, ‘Feminism’, ‘Fifty Years Of Fashion’, ‘LGBT’, and very recently- ‘Rape’, where they showcased the journey of a rape survivor who must fight the stigma of society and earn justice.

Bhavya Atreja, President of ‘Prophecy’,says, “The hardest part of running a fashion society is to make a theme and then present it accurately thorough our dresses, props and expressions so that the audience can understand it. It takes a lot of creativity since we don’t seek help from any choreographer.” “For weeks I’ve been taking trips to Shanti Mohalla, Katran Market and Chandani Chawk to get desired fabrics. Once you get the cloth, it’s another challenge altogether to convince the tailor to stitch it accordingly within a limited budget.” Chitra Dabral, Secretary of ‘Prophecy’ sighs.“But at the end it’s worth it,” Medha Singh from ‘Glitz’, reveals, “We not only have to walk effortlessly in high heels, but we also have to plan and portray a theme relevantly through a fashion show which is not an easy task as a fashion show isn’t as expressive as say, a dance sequence or a play. Designing an entire collection, creating props, doing everything in a fixed budget- everything is a challenging task in its own. But all said and done, the end result makes all the hard work worth it.”Talking about themes and dresses Sarthak Kathuria, President of ‘IVogue’,points out, “I would really like to mention the fact that fashion societies should understand the difference between fashion and fancy dressing. While everyone’s different taste in fashion is appreciated, fancy dressing kills the vibe of what fashion is. Also, plagiarism is another issue that is in play and must end in order to have a healthy and fair environment for the fashion societies to exist.”
Plagiarism is a pertinent problem and has increased manifolds, especially after the practice of hiring the same choreographer by some societies has started taking place.

Rehearsals and sequences
It is usually assumed that fashion societies don’t have to do anything in terms of rehearsals. “It’s just about looking good and walking” many people are heard saying. However, to be honest, it’s just a stereotype.
Addressing this issue Bhavya Atreja, says “We get to hear this always- you guys simply walk in heels. But I want to ask them, can you spend even two hours in heels without complaining? We practice daily for two hours minimum and it takes lots of sweat to master our walk, expressions, sequences and poses. It’s very calculative in terms of timings and music beats.”Sarthak Kathuria, echoes the same sentiment, “People have a misconception about the work of a fashion society, because all they think we do is ‘walk’. What they don’t know is how much practice goes in to perfect the kind of walk that looks good on stage and is acceptable for a fashion show. Understanding the right posture of the body, the right kind of poses, switching between paces, to name a few. Working to create a theme altogether is a great task in itself. From designing the garments to developing a great choreography and music are all important things that need to be taken care of. So we practice 5 days a week, for a minimum of 3-4 hours, which increases to sometimes 5-6 hours if we have events coming up in the near future. The more time one invests in practicing the right way to walk, the better the body gets adapted to walk easily on stage, especially for girls since walking with poise and confidence in a pair of heels is no joke!”

Like it takes choreography in dance and direction in theater, fashion also requires sequences to be orchestrated. When to enter and leave, where to take a position and how to strike- a pose all these things are diligently thought of and now with the invention of chair arrangements, horizontal-vertical – cross formations and dangerous lifts- everything should go as per plan.

Dealing with harassment
On 21st January 2017, during Aurobindo College’s fest ‘Mehak’, ‘Poise’, the fashion society of Institute of Home Economics was performing. In the middle of their performance, due to circuit failure the music stopped. Hoping that the music will resume soon, the models stood in their positions, whereas it took about five minutes for fixing the glitch. Meanwhile, the rowdy elements in the crowd started passing lewd comments such as “Khadi kyu hai? Naach na!” Some of them even threw coins on stage. Somehow, the models kept calm and ended their performance. When they were leaving the stage, one particular voice shouted another expletive.Unable to take it anymore, Srishti Panday (member of ‘Poise’) turned back, showed that guy her middle finger and called him out from the stage.

Regrettably this isn’t an isolated incident; eve-teasing and name calling are frequent occurrences during fashion shows.Medha Singh from ‘Glitz’,Kamla Nehru Collage, agrees, “Unfortunately, every girl in a fashion society has dealt with something like this on stage at least once. The advice that we give to our members is- Do not let them get to you. You’re stronger, and better, than one mean comment passed on to you by an ignorant member of the audience. Slay them with your confidence!”

Sarthak Kathuria, President of ‘IVogue’ resonates “We have seen a display of rowdy behavior happening and heard various lewd comments too but I believe it has reduced over time. Although, we train our members to deal with any such instance that might occur when they are performing. We can’t really change the mentality of the person passing any unwanted comments, so we usually ignore such things or simply laugh it off.”

Bhavya Atreja, President of ‘Prophecy’ reiterates Sarthak’s view but also insists on taking a stand, “We have always faced such unruly attitude from anti-social elements in the crowd. Although we concentrate more on our performances while on stage, if something like this happens off stage then the whole team takes a strict stand.”

What it takes
What exactly does it take to run or become a part of a fashion society?
According to ‘Poise’,a person has to be confident and willing to stick with the team in through thick and thin. Bhavya Atreja, values “regular practice, sincerity and creativity.”

Sarthak Kathuria has valuable advice for those who want to work in this area,“The only suggestion that I would want to give anyone who wants to be with us is- join only if you’re ready for all the work that goes in developing what’s being showcased on the stage. And removing all preconceived notions about a fashion society before joining one is a must. To pursue glory only for yourself won’t take you far. You must work as a team and for the team.”

If you think only certain body type and height can get you in, then Medha Singh from ‘GLITZ’ has some insights for you, “Freshers are often intimidated by a fashion society, and they are wrongly led to believe that we only pick people who fit in a certain body type or height requirement. Our advice to them is to not give in to these myths. Anyone with a passion for fashion and creativity is welcome in our society, despite the way they look. We’re all about cultivating fierce girls who feel comfortable in their own skin. Pro tip for auditions: Confidence is the key.”

Now you can imagine that with designing, choreographing and practicing for long hours, a ramp walk is certainly not a cake walk and that being in a fashion society is more than just a strut in stilettos. All that glitters is truly, not gold!

Niharika Dabral
[email protected]

Image Credits: Gerush Bahal for DU Beat
Image Caption: Lady Irwin College’s ‘Prophecy’ showcases ‘Cleopatra’s Eviction’

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DUB Speak

The many issues faced by College Students

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A college student has many definitive issues that almost all college students feel. Given below are a few such issues. Read on and let us know if you relate to any of them.

  • Perpetually broke

    If you’re a college student, you are bound to be broke. One of the biggest issues which almost all college students face is handling and dealing with finances and the going gets even rougher when you live away from home. No matter what ensues, no college kid ever has had enough money at any given point of time to go all out and spend on themselves without thinking of all the other expenses they have and doing a mental check of finances. Whenever the cash gets low, the thinking gets irrational. “Was it right to spend Rs. 30 on that rickshaw ride? Honestly, I could’ve just walked!”

  • Being politically, socially correct at all times 

    We’ve all heard the fact that when you enter college, you step into the real world. In college, you meet many new people from different walks of life. Diversity gets a whole new meaning and you realise just how different people can be from each other. In a situation like this, it’s almost impossible to not offend anyone with a joke you crack or a casual remark you pass. But, that’s just how you learn to survive outside the four walls of school.

  • Time management

    College life is so much more than just unit tests, exams and assignments. You have societies which literally suck the life out of you, internships that exhaust; which you have to straddle with academics. Time management is apparently something almost none of us understand or master. One often finds himself/herself perpetually complaining about never-ending work, sleepless nights and time that almost never is enough. The key is to not put your feet into too many boats at the same time and prevent yourself from reaching the burnout phase.

  • Socialising

    A very important aspect of College is friends. There are school friends who you have to keep in touch with, new college friends who you have to get to know better and deal with everyday, society friends, tuition mates, long lost friends and just friends left, right and centre. And there’s so much to do with them! Attend events, attend the best fests in town, explore the city, go to the famous hangout places and go to the not so famous hangout places. And that’s when the conflicts and problems arise because no one knows how to hangout with everyone and visit every place and cross every item off the bucket list and handle regular college stuff, all at the same time. (Prioritisation is the word.)

Feature image credits:
www.sovhealth.com

Akshara Srivastava
[email protected]

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Arts & Culture

UMEED- ‘A Drop of Hope’ that every child deserves

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We can easily agree that childhood is the most beautiful phase in a person’s life. Majority of us have been blessed to live with such comforts and joys that we are  able to recollect our own childhood memories with bitter-sweet nostalgia. For some however, they may only remain bitter. I talk about those whom we come across at least once in our daily lives, selling flowers and toys on the roadside, malnutritioned kids performing acrobatic acts and dangerous stunts in the hope of alms or children roaming helplessly in the streets without shelter, clothes or even a few drops of water to quench their thirst. They eventually either resort to begging or get chained in the dungeons of work where they are repeatedly exploited under grueling conditions.

For Subhrajeet Gautam, a young college student like many of us, this remained a frequent sight. What really made him different though, was that unlike most of us, he did something about it. Driven by an extraordinary dream to see a day where no child would be deprived of basic essentials such as food, clothing, education and medical security, he joined his college social service society to gain substantial knowledge. Through the society he not only visited children in slums and hospitals, but even held regular classes for those living on the streets to gain basic education. On 26th January, 2011 with an amount of just Rs. 1,500 in his pocket, he formed an organization called Umeed- a Drop of Hope, with a small camp of cloth donation as its first campaign towards humanity.

Since its inception, it was Mr. Subhrajeet’s spirited passion and conviction that “all individuals, in their own little ways, possessed the power to become great agents of change” which drove Umeed to make a significant difference in the lives of more than 80, 000 children. Umeed was also honoured as the most active NGO of Delhi and Rajasthan by Smt. Sheila Dikshit and Ashok Gehlot in 2011.

To promote social service and inspire every human soul to understand the true importance of caring for other human beings who are not as gifted or fortunate enough is the main aim of Umeed. Their social activities and community service operations include donations of basic amenities like provision of food, medicines and clothes to the needy, education to the underprivileged children and every possible help to poor families including an enhancement of their living conditions by providing them a healthy, safe and happy environment. By means of Nukkad-Natak- street theatrical performances, awareness campaigns and educational programs, they also work towards the improvement of social welfare and eradication of poverty, illiteracy and other deep-rooted evils of the society.

What started as a campaign with only one hundred volunteers in 2011, today comprises of more than 30, 000 volunteers in over seven states of the country, transforming it into a National-level NGO.
In Delhi, the team of Umeed has been working on three projects. They are:-

KNOWLEDGE FOR ALL (KFA): To encourage students with ample knowledge to invest a few hours of their days in teaching underprivileged children. This project runs in three slum areas namely Kirti Nagar, Laxmi Nagar and Indraprastha.

PARIDHAN: A cloth drive in which volunteers are required to collect unusable clothes, books, toys, stationary, etc from residential areas or colleges, and after getting them recycled, are made to distribute among the poorest families and children of the societies who need them the most. It urged to spread the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Realize” mentality among everyone in the society.

GO GREEN 16: An initiative to save the environment by promoting afforestation all over the country and making our planet earth greener and more beautiful through means of tree plantation, tree adoption, drip irrigation etc.

Sonal Garg, an active volunteer of the mission KFA at Laxmi Nagar believes that, “Every child is an extremely passionate and curious learner. Every now and then, I am surprised to come across children who are so ingenuously dedicated towards their studies that when it’s time for them to leave, they become sad and beg us to stay for as much time as possible, and teach them something new. Their little enthusiasm-filled eyes speak of how much strength and wisdom they possess even in the worst conditions of life. You even form a special bond with them which compels you to come back again and again.”

Thus, every person with a simple desire to serve the society wholeheartedly can be a part of the Umeed family. They offer virtual as well as summer internships. To apply, log on to www.umeedngo.org and fill in the form requested.
For more information, visit:-
Facebook page – www.facebook.com/umeedthehope

Image Credits: www.umeedngo.org

Shagun Marwah

[email protected]

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DUB Speak

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, which ‘fests’ do I attend of them all?

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Use your imagination! It is the morning sun shining through your window, summoning you to come out of the covers, you splash yourself with the steamy water, wear the best of your attires, clear the hazy mirror for some self admiration; suddenly you  catch the glance of your eye and ponder, ‘Where am I off to, though?’

“Water, water everywhere, not a drop to drink.” – this quote from S.T. Coleridge’s famous poem ‘The Rime of an Ancient Mariner’ befittingly describes the dilemma we, the students of DU, face; especially in the winter semester, wherein each date on the calendar associates with itself half a dozen of cultural carnivals, department fests, academic congresses, MUNs, panel discussions and similar fancy names taking place in several colleges across the university. The notice boards are replete with posters of all hues and sizes.

The past week was the perfect example to quote when it comes to simultaneous conduct of events in colleges. Miranda House’s Tempest, Kamala Nehru College’s Ullas, Hindu College’s Mecca and JMC’s Montage were the annual cultural fests coinciding on almost the same dates of 19th, 20th, 21st& 22nd February.  In addition to these, there was Deshbandhu College’s Sabrang and Ramjas College’s Mosaic Unplugged. Not only the college fests, but the department fests like Hansraj College’s Vanijya Utsav, SRCC’s Ecostasy and DCAC’s Quest had more or less overlapped each other. The list is not exhaustive of course, there are numerous other clashes; to the extent that, big colleges like SRCC [Fest of Eco & Fine Arts] andHindu [Fest of Commerce & History], have different departmental fests going on together causing chaos, confusion and reduced footfall.

Moreover, numerous big stars’ performances happen back to back. Hard Kaur performs one day, Kailasa the next day coinciding with Papon. This is followed by Arijit Singh on the next day and Mohit Chauhan towards the end. The crowd is of students after all, who have to juggle parental concerns, attendance and internal exams that have begun in most of the colleges.

All in all, hosting a plethora of events on a single date does practically no good to anyone, the endeavours made by organising team get a cold response,lower than that it potentially could have got. The crowd of spectators and participants gets distributed; and at times students even miss out on some posters, or if at all they read, it all skips the mind completely. Students with fests in their own colleges have to either ditch their loyalties or have to let go of a major fest.Performing societies have to juggle multiple performances in a day sometimes the number going up to three and four. Moreover, the organisers of one event don’t get to see and learn from the mistakes and qualities of others zeroing the objectives of holding these fests.

Hence, in the best interest of everyone, the fests should not ideally clash; the organisers should keep in mind the taken dates, and encourage healthy competition providing congenial atmosphere to learn and enjoy. The DU Beat events calendar can prove to be a blessing in disguise for that matter!

‘Happy Festing’ fellow DU-ites!

Image Credit: Gurman Bhatia for DU Beat

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