Many students studying Journalism Honours and Psychology Honours under CBCS guidelines received information about the Skill Enhancement Course’s external and internal assessments’ final marks distribution from their college’s faculty members close to the date of their final examination. With the dates of receiving this information varying in different colleges, students from Journalism Honours in Kamala Nehru College (KNC) learnt about the same from their teachers hours before their examination. Interestingly, the confusion of the Psychology Honours’ batch of Daulat Ram College (DRC) was clarified only upon receiving the question paper.
The discrepancy was found out in various colleges upon receiving the admit card. Students of Journalism Honours in KNC and Lady Shri Ram College (LSR) found a 50-50 marks distribution for external and practical assessment for SEC in their admit cards. While KNC students had been studying the course keeping the 50-50 distribution in mind, LSR students were uncertain as they had been following the 75-25 marks distribution, with 25 being allotted for internal assessment. Students from other colleges also underwent similar confusion. “Our admit cards said that the SEC paper that was documentary production would be of 50 marks. But the paper actually was for 75 marks.”, said Aditya, a Journalism Honours student from DCAC.
The situation varied across different colleges and different departments. In certain colleges, the final distribution came to the students’ knowledge quite late, while in certain colleges like Indraprastha College for Women (IPCW), there had been no discrepancy about the same neither in the admit cards, nor with the faculty.
The entire situation around the distribution of marks created confusion and hustle among students. “We were pretty confused since we didn’t know how the marks would be divided and how we are supposed to answer had it been for 50 marks.”, said Utkarsha, a Psychology Honours student from Daulat Ram College, where no clarification from the faculty had been received regarding the SEC Emotional Intelligence paper.
DU Beat reached out to faculty members, but received no comments from their end. There is still uncertainty whether the discrepancy had been for the Journalism Honours and Psychology Honours courses only.
Such action by the college administration as well as the faculty members makes us question whether the students’ best interests are really at heart. After all the formalities and unnecessary steps the students are forced to go through to receive their admit cards, such a massive error with regards to the marks distribution is a careless mistake by the authorities. Students who prepared accordingly, having faith in the college administration and the teachers, were shocked on the day of the examination. With all the buzz around exams and the pressure on students, why was this matter handled so inadequately by the authorities?
A confluence of talent, enigma, and exuberance, the second day at Tarang gleamed with enthralling events and exhibitions to be lavished upon!
As the extravagance spilt over the second day of Lady Shri Ram College’s fest, Tarang, a vast spectrum of talent exhibitions was gloriously presented by teams from a multitude of colleges. With colours of vibrancy and exhilaration floating around the rooms and corridors of LSR, the penultimate day of the fest let spirits soar high and eyes feast upon all the magnificence as a day of exhilaration unfolded!
The day witnessed events of a broad range – from the photography competition, the treasure hunt, and the script writing competition to workshops scaling around sculpting and jewellery-making. Vaktritva, the public speaking society, organised Tarkvyuh, the parliamentary debate competition. Gaurav and Pratyush from the Delhi School of Economics cross team won the Hindi parliamentary debate.
An a cappella competition titled A Cappella – Pitch Please organised by the western music society of Lady Shri Ram College saw the final participation of the nine best western music societies. The melodies of Coldplay, Twenty One Pilots, and other contemporary artists were performed on the stage. The competition was judged by Miss Sherry Mathew and Miss Kamakshi Khanna. At the end of all the performances, Kamakshi Khanna, singer/composer of “The Stage” fame, took the stage and performed three songs from her latest album Cakewalk. “It’s so great to be back here, back to my favourite auditorium”, said Kamakshi, who is also the ex-President of the western music society of Lady Shri Ram College. The results of the completion were as follows: first position grabbed by Euphony of Gargi College, the second position was secured by Echo of Jesus and Mary College, and Swaranjali of Hansraj College seized the third position.
The competitive pulses escalating with every question, the quiz society unrolled the pop culture and India quizzes. The former, open to all participants, witnessed cross-college teams. In the pop culture quiz, Abhishek Kapoor, Akul Gurtu, and M Vishnu Vardhan bagged the first prize, with Varun Rastogi, Rabin Jacob, and Puranjay winning the second prize. The third prize was awarded to Raktim Nag, Raman U, and Gokul S. In the India quiz, Soumya Sagar, Kartik Puri, and Ankush Bhardwaj secured the first prize. Apratim Chandra Singh, Jayant Verma, and Bishal Kumar took the second prize and Ankur Agraj, Abhishek Mishra, and Priyam Sneha bagged the third prize.
The Indian musical society of LSR organised Bandish, the solo instrumental competition, with participants displaying their prowess on the equipment of their choice. The room was filled with melodies of beats circling the atmosphere with each participant.
The aesthetic creations were also presented by Hive, which organised the musical interpretation painting competition. The first prize was won by Narendra of College of Arts, with Anishka from Kamala Nehru College and Sushmita from Deshbandhu College bagging the second and third prizes respectively. A Special Mention prize was also awarded to Avani from Hans Raj College.
As the chords crawled in the depths of the heart, the dance society presented Mudra, the classical solo and duet competition. A myriad of riveting performances clad in artistic precision and cultural aura paved the way for applauses and appreciation. In the solo category, Aishwarya from Sri Venkateswara College, Nimisha from Janaki Devi Memorial College bagged the first and second prizes respectively. Chhavi from Gargi College and Unni Vishwanath from Hans Raj College won the Special Mention prize. In the duet category, Tejaswani and Nandita from Hans Raj College were awarded the first prize.
To set in motion the rhythmic wave for the evening, the Indian musical society organised Amalgam, the fusion band competition which witnessed the participation of six teams after the screening of 17-18 teams online. As the bands performed compelling compositions from the realms of the industry and that of the soul, the crowd collectively cheered for the beautiful ambience. With Hans Raj College seizing the third prize and Shiv Nadar University bagging the second, the team from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College was awarded the winning prize in this enthralling event.
Drawing the eventful day to a close, Tarang’s pro night on the second day witnessed the enigmatic presence of the EDM artist Anish Sood. An Indian musician leading the path to Electronic Dance Music within the periphery of the country, the DJ played the likes of The Chainsmokers’ Closer and Don’t Let Me Down, amongst other songs and compositions. The tunes sent the audience into a daze, who swayed rhythmically to the edgy music and went gaga over the artist. With the lights shining at their brightest and the waves of energy palpable, the evening ended on high notes and the crowd yearning for more!
Lady Shri Ram College’s much-awaited annual fest, Tarang, is finally here. Tarang 2017, with its theme of “redefining rhapsody” is a three-day long spectacle taking place from the 3rd to the 5th of February 2017. With starry pro nights, exhibitions, games, competitions, workshops and great food, the first day of Tarang was definitely a hit.
Take a look at the Day 1 happenings at Tarang captured by us in time-lapse.
The western music society of LSR organised events for both solo participants, as well as teams of three. In the solo category, Zacharyah Matthew Abraham of Ansal University,Kishore Ningthoujam of Amity University and Gurpreet Kaur of Jesus and Mary College won first, second and third place respectively. In the trio category, Kishore Ningthoujam, Lishma Manandhar and Rhea Toor, accompanied by Saarim Khan from Amity University won the first prize, Shikha Agnihotri, G.S Kasturi and Manikaant Suryan, accompanied by Ujjwal Sharma and Ashanka Saha from NSIT won the second prize and Riddhi Sharma, Rigzin Angmo and Klirka Engtipi from Shri Ram College of Commerce won the third prize.
The dramatics society of the college held its stage play event “Yavnika”, and presented five of the best productions of this year. Among the participants were – Yakshagana, the theatre society of Northern India Engineering College, who performed “Shunya Battey Sannata”; Sri Venkateswara College’s Verbum, with “Learning to Drive”, a nonchalant yet hard-hitting play that revolved around child sexual abuse; Natuve, the theatre society of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College with their hilarious production “PA…BHA…KA…”; Shunya, the theatre society of Ramjas College with “Evam Indrajit”. The last performance of the day was “The Play That Goes Wrong” by Dramanomics, the theatre society of the College of Vocational Studies. The non-competitive event allowed the different societies to showcase their performances without any rivalry.
The latter half of Day 1 at Tarang saw a steady rise in footfall, perhaps in anticipation of the star performances scheduled for later in the evening.
The Indian music society organised ‘Malhar’, the Indian solo classical competition. Bhargavi from Kirori Mal College claimed the first position, while second position was shared by Shreya from Shri Ram College of Commerce and Gurditt from Guru Tegh Bahadur Institute of Technology. Rajagopal from Shiv Nadar University took the third place.
“Izzaz”, the choreo group dance competition was organised by LSR’s dance society. The first position was jointly shared by Hans Raj College and Gargi College, while the second position was won by Kirori Mal College.
Towards the end of the night, Kanika Kapoor made a short appearance to endorse fashion brand Lulu and Sky. She gave away vouchers of the brand to winners from a previously organised competition and sung a few of her songs like ‘Chittiyan Kalaiyan’ and ‘Da Da Dasse’ on popular audience demand.The highlight of the day was Prateek Kuhad’s soulful concert. He had the crowd completely captivated with his honey-like voice and lilting music.
Missed Prateek Kuhad’s performance? We’ve got you covered! Catch a glimpse of his performance below
The first day of Tarang also offered a range of workshops on pottery, jewellery making and modern calligraphy. With such an energetic start, the next two days of the fest are surely something to look forward to.
Econvista is the annual fest of Department of Economics of LSR which was held from 19th Jan-21st Jan’17.
Econvista 2017 – The International Economics Symposium was organised by Department of Economics of Lady Shri Ram College (LSR), University of Delhi from 19th-21st January, 2017. The first day of the fest began with a learning session ‘Ideas Conclave’ which was graced by speaker Arvind Virmani, an Indian economist who was appointed India’s representative to the International Monetary Fund in 2009 prior to which he was the Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India. In his talk he focused upon the issue of corruption that has paralysed the entire system giving the students a flavour of how policy making works.
Keeping in line with the theme of Econvista ‘17 of exploring alternative development paradigms, The Ideas Conclave witnessed a panel discussion on ‘‘Achieving Inclusive and Sustainable Development: Feasibility & Challenges of Market Economy.” The Chairperson was Dr. Geeta Gouri, a former member of Competition Commission of India while the esteemed panelists included, Dr. Farzana Afridi, Dr. Surajit Mazumdar and Dr. Anirban Kar. The discussion began with Dr. Afridi highlighting the dire income inequality that exists today, particularly in context of the liberal market reforms of the past few decades implemented in emerging markets of the developing world. Dr. Mazumdar took the discussion further by bringing to the forefront the exclusive nature of our economy in status quo. In a labour surplus country like India, people face unemployment or are paid low wages as sellers of their labour services. Following this, Dr. Kar elaborated on problems that remain unsolved through free market operations, such as the under provision of public goods or coordination problems.
Ideas Conclave unleashed its third event of the day, ‘Theatrical Play’ by the renowned Chilsag Entertainment Network. The performers not only charged up the whole atmosphere by their chuckle some act, but also left the audience to ponder over the quotidian yet paramount subject of ‘Woman Empowerment’. The concluding and the most awaited session of the day was – slam poetry by a group called ‘Slip of Tongue’. The theme of Econvista 2017 was “Thinking Beyond the Invisible Hand: Exploring Alternative Development Paradigms”. This session can easily be accredited for having gathered the largest audience as compared to the other sessions. The slam poetry performances revolved substantially around the theme of development and its denotation to them. The first performance was by a trio of Diksha, Shubhra and Cheryl wherein they spoke about norms that women have been following till date.
The online events were Economic Reelties, Eco Trails and Eco Toons, and flagship events were Dr. Saroj Gupta Memorial Paper Presentation, Policy Dilemma, Eco Prayog, Mock IP, Checkmate and Eco Matters. Zestomania was, as per popular opinion, one of the most exciting events of the second day at Econvista’17. Also, the interactive events were Galloping Producers, M Triple A and Zest-O-Mania. The amphitheater became interesting with a flurry of activities as teams from colleges from all over the country engaged in a battle of speed and intellect. All these events entertained participation of students from most of the colleges of Delhi University, and from colleges outside Delhi.
Becoming Assiya is a book by Simran Keshwani, a third year literature student at Lady Shri Ram College for Women. The book is about a misplaced Syrian refugee who deals with her violent past and her journey for survival and finding herself.
The Syrian Civil War which has spelled confusion and chaos for the people living in Syria has caused one of the largest refugee movements in the history of the world. The death toll has been enormous. People lost their homes, their families, and for many, the will to live. Becoming Assiya tells the story of one such refugee and the journey she takes, dealing with fear, pain and anguish.
The book promises to be a reflection of the struggles of war-time Syria and ponders on the complexities and subtleties of human emotions. When asked about her inspiration for the book, she replied, ‘‘the reality of our times.’’ “It breaks my heart to say that there could be so many girls like Assiya out there, stuck in War torn Syria or Kurdistan, while we sleep in our ivory towers and comfortable blankets. Their struggles and their tryst with pain, loss and blood can never be compensated for. I wanted to capture the tragedy and in doing so, I realized it is not only theirs. It’s ours’’, she said.
For a first time author, touching upon an issue of such complexity and churning a book out of it, is certainly a brave attempt. She cites her inspiration as humans and human life. “That is what defines us as a race I think – our drive to overcome hate and hurdles and march on. We need to keep remembering we are all human, past the divisiveness and hate. That is what Becoming Assiya is a small endeavour towards.”
A brief introduction of the book: “Becoming Assiya is the story of a misplaced Syrian refugee and her trial with a past of Blood, wounds, War, Doubt and Hatred and the troublesome Hope of a better tomorrow. The woman’s journey encompasses through the landscape of Wartime Syria, through her mother’s journal and the rebuilding of a Post War identity for a land washed with blood, and what it meant to be alive, stuck in the middle with No Identity. Identity and Struggle, two complex concepts intermingle in this book and intersect at a common point, that of finding yourself.”
About the author: Simrann Keshwanii, 20, is a Final Year literature student at the Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi and the Founder of a start-up, Born Of a Million Thoughts, that deals in on-ground Social Activism. She plans on changing the world, one word at a time, for words are mirrors and swords.
The book is scheduled to be launched on the 27th of February, 2017.
From sudden infrastructural changes to administrative departments running around and looking all dazed and cold feet, whether we choose to agree or disagree, but the preparation for NAAC inspection sent almost every college in a frenzy last year. And with the NAAC Peer Team coming, preparations caught up in full swing, involving an uncanny resemblance to a household situation where an unforeseen wedding had suddenly come up. With all the white-washing, denting-painting, revamping, reckless spending of money, running around, fake smiling, boastful talks about one’s college in the air during ‘NAAC days’, our belief in the aforementioned analogy only gets stronger.
With a panel touted as a meticulously chosen handful of very experienced academicians and people who understand the ‘education system very well’ coming and assessing colleges under NAAC, the question arises, does a grading matter after all?
What is NAAC?
The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is an autonomous body established by the University Grants Commission (UGC) of India to assess and accredit institutions of higher education in the country. An outcome of the recommendations of the National Policy in Education (1986) which laid special emphasis on upholding the quality of higher education in India, the NAAC was established in 1994 with its headquarters at Bangalore.
Upon requests by individual colleges and universities, the primary accreditation agency of the country conducts assessments and grades institutions. The agency’s cumulative gradation of institutions is based on parameters like curriculum, faculty, research, infrastructure, learning resources, organisation, governance and student services.
The process: How does it accredit colleges
Assessment and Accreditation are broadly used for understanding the “Quality Status” of an institution. In the context of Higher Education, the accreditation status indicates that the particular Higher Educational Institutions (HEI) – a College, a University, or any other recognised Unit therein, meets the standards of quality as set by the Accreditation Agency, in terms of its performance, related to the educational processes and outcomes, covering the curriculum, teaching-learning, evaluation, faculty, research, infrastructure, learning resources, organisation, governance, financial well-being and student services.
The top and the bottom: How did DU perform
While most colleges applied for the NAAC accreditation long back, the visits majorly took place last year and the scores were released soon after. In the initial phase, IPCW secured a CGPA of 3.33 (Grade A) and ANDC secured the second spot by getting a CGPA of 3.31 (Grade A).These were followed by Gargi College (3.30), St. Stephen’s College (3.21), Jesus and Mary College (3.26), Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies (3.16), Ramanujan College (3.06), Shivaji College (3.26), Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce (3.02), Keshav Mahavidyalaya (3.01), Bharati College (2.85), PGDAV (2.74), Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College (2.63), and Motilal Nehru College (2.60).
Later in the year, SRCC and LSR emerged at the top with a whooping score of 3.65 and 3.61 respectively. Take a look at the top 10 scorers in the table here.
Top 10 scorers
Image credits: HT Media
These scores are valid for five years after which the colleges will again have to apply for accreditation. It was in 2012 that UGC made accreditation compulsory for higher educational institutions and DU executive council adopted the decision in 2014.
Does the grade even matter?
As far as we remember, such a panel as meticulously chalked out as NAAC didn’t exist many years back. While grading brings in a state of competitive spirit (as if the previous branding and rep-bias that exists in the university wasn’t enough already) the question arises, does the same grade then not end up shining the pride of the already well established and some popular DU colleges and create biases against some others who might actually be needing a lift from the loom of being less sought after and meagerly funded?
Whether the committee gives out grades on the hastily dip-dyed infrastructure especially revamped for their visit or the actual system in place is still a question for many to ponder upon.
The accreditation process got a thumbs up from some colleges, however, many raised objections over the assessment criteria too from time to time. Speaking to a popular national daily, Babli Saraf, principal of Indraprastha College for Women, said there shouldn’t be a “one-size-fits-all” criteria for colleges. “The criteria shouldn’t be the same for a liberal arts college like ours, where we do not have the provisions for a laboratory and are not involved in research publications,” she said.
In most cases, colleges started a laborious and hasty revamp revolution, to save their grace in front of the NAAC peer team and not to raise their quality standard in general altogether. When your transformation drive is initiated to fulfil a set of stipulatedideas by a panel that is not even remotely looking at how you provide for the students, the timely assessment of whether the students and teachers are happy with the administration of the college, whether the college has some unique traits that may not figure in its already set parameters, if the college is lacking in research, what should it do, then that grading doesn’t stand much ground. The NAAC website says that they provide a ‘qualitative part of the outcome as a Peer Team Report (PTR)’ which is an objective report prepared by the Team highlighting its evaluative judgements, mostly using precise keywords instead of long sentences about the college under consideration, but I doubt these objective answers bring any real on-ground changes.
Does a low grading not mar the reputation of a college that might be in dire need of those funds, facilities and attention that it rightfully deserves in order to raise itself to a better education imparting platform? What good is a grade for colleges that are already popular among students and parents and get truckloads of funds? Should a grade not help encourage a college to become a more holistic space than label it as an ‘A’, ‘B’ or ‘C’ type college for years to come. Finally, does a grade mean anything more than a fancy wall hanging of a newspaper clipping on the college walls for many many years, or does it actually ignites change? This is for time to tell and for us to ponder.
If you are interested in reading about NAAC and the process, log on to http://www.naac.gov.in/ for detailed information.
Much like the Dark Knight who silently overlooks the city of Gotham in the dark recesses of the night, the volunteers of Friendicoes at Lady Shri Ram College care for the animal life on campus when nobody is looking. In talks with the volunteers, we discovered that this NGO not only feeds the “stray” animals but also looks after their immunisation and sanitation.
A first year volunteer, Khushi, explains that the dogs and cats on campus are fed twice a day- with a rotational duty list, the volunteers ensure that all dogs are given Pedigree, milk, bread and water according to their individual dietary requirements. In addition to the food, these animals are bathed at regular intervals and are made to wear collars- the best part, these collars come in a range of neon colours, the hues of pink and orange that complement their shiny coats perfectly.
A recent event showcases the concern and love the volunteers have for the dogs in LSR. A dog who gave birth has been given a small, shady area to make sure she is not disturbed by the footfall and the daily college chaos. Understanding that a new mother is overly protective of her pups, the volunteers have cut off the area ensuring the safety of both the students and the mother.
When asked why they chose to work with Friendicoes , when it had an additional requirement to be vaccinated for Rabies, a condition that scares off most students, the volunteers promptly answered- “for the love of animals”. To these brave students, the so called “stray” animals are not simply animals found on the street , but lives that deserve attention and protection. They firmly believe that it is every single individual’s responsibility to help and care for those who cannot fend for themselves- animals and humans alike.
These courageous humanitarians are bold and conscientious, fulfilling their responsibility in every way possible. After all, it is the silent crusader who works tirelessly behind the scenes and saves the city, when the citizens are fast asleep, dreaming of a better tomorrow.
Oshikka Lumb, a student of Lady Sri Ram College (LSR), has recently established her startup ‘Markitiers’. The startup is based on youth marketing, investments, CSR and consultancy services. Oshikka, who formed the startup along with her friends, Mahima Sharma and Manav Kaushik, had tried her hands on various startups and then devised a way of forming her own startup friendly organization. The newly recruited team comprises of various students from across DU, segregated in departments like digital marketing, creative marketing, event marketing, Startup social responsibility, offline marketing, recruitment services and Public Relation and communications, among others.
Oshikka Lumb, Founder, Markitiers
An alumnus of Jesus and Mary College, Oshikka had keen interest in Marketing. According to her, there’s a need of providing a suitable platform to the youth. For this purpose, she had implemented the ideas of youth marketing and social startup responsibility, which will aim at empowering programs and campaigns to effectively link brand and the youth. With an aim of changing the conventional ways of marketing, the startup strives to benefit the associated startups and youth at the same time. Coming from a typical academic background, where major struggles include psychological pressures of getting good marks, Oshikka managed to put her best foot forward in the field that interested her the most. Inspired by Steve Jobs, she reflects firmly on the belief of ‘following the gut’ and taking risks to inspire and invent new ideas.
Recently, Oshikka received the ‘Young Entrepreneur’ Award by the Entrepreneurship Cell of LSR. In context of her achievements, she said, “I am glad to see my efforts bearing good results. I would like to encourage all the aspiring young entrepreneurs to trust themselves, discover their ideas and explore their being.” By the year end, she plans to create a social network portal for all startups to ensure their efficient interaction in the market.
Over one week, elections for student’s union take place alongside selection of new office holders across all societies and departments. The democratic process followed involves nominations, formation of core teams for candidates, preparing and releasing agendas; campaigning takes over a period of a week at the end of which elections take place through secret ballots. Once the new office holders of LSR’s student union, department and societies are elected, a formal handing over ceremony takes place to begin the session.
On 1st April, the outgoing student’s union of LSR announced the new team who would be taking the reins as follows:
President: Charu Maheswari
Cultural Secretary: Shambhavi Diggi
General Secretary: Aditi Dhillon
Treasurer: Smitha Sabu
The election campaign started from 28th March with informal confrontation, to 1st April when results were finally announced. 84% of the student body of LSR voted as elections came to an end with new office holders. We got in touch with the new union to learn about their vision, election experience and insights into their agenda.
Can you describe your campaign?
President, Charu Maheshwari: The focus of my campaign was two-fold. Firstly, it was increasing approachability of the students’ union by engaging with the students’ body on a personal level and eliminating the difference between the electorate and the elected. Secondly and more importantly, the goal is to unify the student body as one unit by bridging the gaps caused by differences on various grounds.
Cultural Secretary, Shambhavi Diggi: All we did in our campaign was having great fun! We made some songs for the campaign and we would sing them as loud as we could while playing our daphli. Every time we started singing, people would join in and everyone would start singing with us. One day, we even had a mime campaign where all of us painted our faces and went around college telling people to vote, it was definitely one great idea to implement.
Treasurer, Smitha Sabu: I have been working on my agenda for the past 3 months before elections. I made my agenda as realistic as possible. Apart from making a feasible sponsorship plan I also tried to address the general concerns faced by the student body in large. The campaigning and agenda were based on my principles – honesty, transparency and dedication
What was the process like?
President, Charu Maheshwari: Even before we started preparing for the elections, our seniors had told us – “It is going to be a time like never before”. And so it was. The preparation period, which extended as long as a few months for some candidates is nothing short of life-changing. There is far more learning in these two months than any of us had imagined. Falling, learning, getting back up – that is what it was all about.
Cultural Secretary, Shambhavi Diggi: The election process was extremely hectic and exhausting. We were completing our assignments, trying to attend classes, making our agendas, preparing our posters , trying to plan a campaign, talking to as many people as we could together with performing in all the fests. However, in the end it all paid off.
Any particular moment you’d like to recall from the elections?
President, Charu Maheshwari: So, this happened around 15-20 days before elections. It wasn’t the best day I had had. I was having a tough time coping up with the circumstances, and was on my way to the incumbent union member’s room to withdraw my candidature. My roommate happened to cross me on the way and noticed I was uneasy, and there it was, an hour long therapy session in the middle of the corridor. We took a U turn, and started preparing for the next two weeks with double the enthusiasm.
Cultural Secretary, Shambhavi Diggi: I was really nervous during my confrontation , but as soon as I went onto the podium, I fixed my vision on my friends sitting right in front of me, I knew that they were there for me and hence I was able to answer all the questions. When the results were out, I recall calling up my mother as all of us shouted into the phone. She couldn’t figure out a word but she heaved a sigh of relief because she knew that we won. At last it ended.
What are your future plans for the college?
President, Charu Maheshwari: The only ‘future’ I am looking at right now is the next one year, and how it will be about reaching new heights and setting new benchmarks. Although it has hardly been a few days since we as a union have started working together but, take my word when I say this – the coming year for LSR looks better than what you can imagine.
Cultural Secretary, Shambhavi Diggi: We’ll be focusing on things one step at a time to make the year a grand success!
General Secretary, Aditi Dhillon: I feel truly lucky to have a great team to work with for the upcoming year. We hope to make this year unforgettable.
Treasurer, Smitha Sabu: I truly hope to live up-to the expectations set upon all of us and give back twice as more, than the support I received from the student community. As I intend to follow Martin Luther King Jr’s quote, “I am not interested in power for power’s sake, but I’m interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.”
Every year, societies from colleges across the campus compete neck to neck and put up spectacular performances during the fest season. This year too, saw certain teams shine a little brighter than the rest. We bring you a series with college societies that put their heart and soul into their respective fields and took home the top prizes at various cultural fests.
The best college society in each category was selected by creating a tally of the top 3 positions at competitive events held during various cultural fests of this season. Whenever a society won the first prize they were awarded 3 points, for the second position they received 2 points and for the third position, 1 point was added to their tally.
For the Western Music category, Western Music Society of LSR scored the maximum points in the tally. Western Music Society of LSR’s 14 points were followed by Zephyr (Kamala Nehru College) that scored 12 points. Musoc (Kirori Mal College) bagged third spot scoring 10 points.
The society has been a consistent performer in the Western Music category. This year, their production was widely appreciated and applauded wherein they covered a Jazz Gospel number called ‘Come Unto Me’ by Take 6 and their own arrangement of Janelle Monae’s ‘Electric Lady’.
Satwiki Adla, the President of WMS said, “The secret to our success is our dedication. We practice everyday diligently for 4-6 after college hours. Another strength of our society is also the understanding and love that we share for one another and the music that we make which binds us all together into a close-knit family. The ability to be able to work on our strengths while pointing out our weaknesses is something we strive to achieve at LSR WMS .”
Names of performing members:
1) Satwiki Adla – President
2) Sparsh Bajpai – Secretary
3) Sharanya S – Treasurer
4) Pallavi Pervela
5) Kim Biak Hoih
6) R. Lalthansangi
7) Hlingdeikim Changsan
8) Maulshree Kumar
9) Roli D Yeputho
10) Thinley Chodon
11) Megha Lama
12) Sange W. Thungon
13) Imlikokla Kichu
14) Sangey Dolma
15) Lentina Longkumer
16) Tenzin Choezom
17) Ruth Lalrinawmi
18) Bhavya Kulshreshtha
19) Lucy T. Vaiphei
20) Anna Charenamei
21) Faith Kasar
Winners Tally: Western Music
Nine college fests were referred to while evaluating the top societies tally this fest season which were: Tarang, LSR; Ullas, KNC; Tempest, Miranda House; Montage, JMC; Mecca, Hindu College; Reverie, Gargi College; Nexus, Sri Venkateswara College; Shruti, IPCW and Confluence, Hans Raj College. The society emerged victorious at the following fests:
1st Position: Ullas, KNC; Montage, JMC and Mecca, Hindu College
2nd Position: Nexus, Sri Venkateswara College and Shruti, IPCW
3rd Position: Tempest, Miranda House
(Hover on the icons below to know more about their victories)
