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College Societies and New Students

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This article focuses on how the society culture of colleges affects the newly admitted students and what they teach them since many come with a dream of joining one.

Societies are the most fun part of college. So much so that many colleges are primarily known for their societies and the students they have produced. For the students who have just stepped out of school and are entering into the realm of college life, societies are a way of making contacts with senior students and learning things that interest them.

A society in college is not just a mere group of people who share a similar interest towards something and put their efforts into winning all the events that come along, but a family. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that most people prioritise society work over classes and assignments. Getting into a society also helps in building up a social life, especially for newbies.

A college in the University of Delhi is known not just because the students taking admission scored the desired percentage as required by the cut-off but also because of the ‘society culture’ there. One might hear Alahyaa doing their morning routine in Daulat Ram College or one might witness a practice session of Shunya in Ramjas College. Societies never fail to amaze the new students, the very reason why there is a huge line to audition to get into some of them.

Likewise, the society culture helps student look at things from a new and different perspective. One looks up to the seniors in college as he/she manages the work and organizes the fests. One tends to admire instantly the president of a debating society when he/she comes up to speak. There is therefore, a lot to learn from the societies. The most important of all learnings being, teamwork.

Isn’t it absolutely amazing to see how the seniors of your society manage every single thing on their own? As first-year students, we are immediately drawn towards them and admire their art of handling things so well. We learn to voice out our opinion and at the same time listen to what others have to say. We learn management and we learn hard work. We learn to keep our calm when inviting and calling people to our events and we learn to be patient with them all. We learn that our strategies won’t work every time and that a little failure will come sometimes with huge successes and that it is okay.

Image Credits: DU Beat

Akshada Shrotryia

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DUB Speak

Pros and Cons of DU: From Liberalism to Infrastructure

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The University of Delhi is a hub of intellects from various corners of India and abroad. The name and fame of DU are spread far and wide. However, how well is this fame justified?

Delhi University is a dream of many. From Assam to Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh to Kerala, students flock in to study in the centuries-old, prestigious university of India. Be it privately funded or government aided, the colleges under DU are known for the excellent courses provided in Arts, Commerce, and Sciences. Illustrious reputation doesn’t necessarily ensure everything proficient. And I say that because of the pros and cons that must be highlighted in lieu of the hype that people relate to a national university like ours.

As I begin in favour of the university, I must say that the liberal staff and students are the pillars in making DU differently awesome. From Pinjra Tod to Nazariya, students of DU are collectives of various mindsets that have helped shape the future of the university.

  1. Less stringent curfew timings for the girls’ hostels: After upheavals from students communities about the huge differences in the in timings of boys’ hostels and girls’ hostels, the curfew timings of many hostels became less stringent, allowing the girls to stay past 10 p.m. at night.
  2. LGBTQ representation: People of all genders must be paid equal respect and attention – that’s what has been the main agenda of the queer collectives that stand to empower the students of DU and Delhi-NCR region. This is indeed a great step towards creating awareness about equality in every aspect of social life.
  3. Social work for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs): The National Service Scheme (NSS) and Equal Opportunity Cell of DU provide ample services for the students who have entered the university through the PwD quota. Ranging from scholarships to placements, no student is denied help when needed.
  4. Dynamic societies: DU is known for its vibrant societies, be it dance, music, drama, or photography. The fame of these societies is spread far and wide as they have won in national platforms.
  5. Flexible class hours: More than anything a student can ask for! The teachers are cooperative, in many cases and allow for rescheduling the classes. In fact, for internal examinations, the dates are chosen by the students. How grateful are we?
  6. DU is cool enough to have created the excellent course design of Cluster Innovation centre (CIC). Students who enter CIC through entrance tests can later choose their own set of subjects and that too in the college of their choice, provided they have good grades. Which other university in India has given the student this choice?
  7. Politically active students try to make conditions better here in DU. The student unions work for better fests, better amenities, and a better environment for all.

Cracks and crevices are a part of every institution. As much as we are grateful for everything mentioned above, we should also highlight the ills of the institution.

  1. When we talk about the infrastructure of DU, we do have a frown on our face. Be in the classrooms in the government aided, and semi-government colleges, something or the other is always missing. Fewer classrooms and ever-increasing number of students has led to the downfall of the infrastructural amenities. The students’ unions are trying their level best to pave way for the coming batches to take over the improved base in the college.
  2. Student exchange programmes: DU hasn’t been much active in the student exchange programmes from different colleges in India and abroad. This is a lag that DU needs to work on to provide better opportunities to students.
  3. Specialised courses: DU doesn’t provide extensive specialised courses in the various disciplines of the university. This makes the students opt for other universities for higher education when they want to go for specialised courses.
  4. More colleges like IHE, CVS: Vocational studies are important courses that need to be more diversified and integrated. Better opportunities can be provided to students who want to go for more branched out disciplines like performing arts, photography, mass communication, etc.

 

Feature Image Credits: News18

Radhika Boruah
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Campus Central

DU’s Dramatics Societies: Politics in Plays

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The dramatic societies of the University of Delhi are one of the factors that add to the charm of the varsity. Bollywood actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, Manoj Bajpayee, and Shah Rukh Khan as well as well as filmmakers like Satish Kaushik to Imtiaz Ali have all been a part of dramatic societies. Theater and nukkad nataks (street plays) for the longest time have been used to promote social issues. With simplistic yet appealing performances they are able to draw huge crowds. It is because of their communication ability government bodies have often collaborated with Delhi University societies to spread awareness.
Ibtida, the dramatics society of Hindu College collaborated with the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana and subsequently performed in nine districts of Rajasthan. Earlier, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment asked the street play societies of Daulat Ram College and Miranda House to promote the Accessible India campaign. Before that, BJP Mahila Morcha roped in Anubhuti, the
dramatics society of Janki Devi Memorial College to promote their Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign.
While these associations show harmony between governing bodies and DramSocs, to say that both share an amicable relationship would be far from true. Today when a culture of censorship is being forced down on educational institutes, it is the dramatics socs who are raising the loudest voices of dissent.

Plays such as Chacha Chaudhary Aur Dina Nath Ki Waapsi by Kshitij, the dramatics society of Gargi College, Sare Jahan Se Achha by Ibtida, the dramatics society of Hindu College, and Sawaal Toh Uthega by Manchtantra, the dramatics society of Sri Guru Gobind Singh College Of Commerce openly speak the government ideology. It’s not new for DramSocs to take a volatile political stand, but in the recent times, they have come under the radar of authorities.

On 17th March 2015, Delhi University Student’s Union (DUSU) sent a notice to the Principal of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College (SGTB Khalsa College), asking the college authorities to take strict action against Ankur, the theater society of SGTB Khalsa College for performing their play ‘Welcome to the Machine’ which, according to DUSU, is anti-Hindu in nature. Welcome to the Machine revolved around the how certain parties polarize the society on communal lines for political gain. It also spoke about the growing influence of religious bodies on cultural and education institutes.

Last year too Ankur logged heads with DUSU. They had to postpone their street play competition, Pratyaksh, which was being organised on the second day of the college’s annual cultural festival, Lashkara after the police requested the college to call off the event as a precautionary measure against clashes.

Earlier this year Mukhatib 2017, the annual screenplay festival organised by Shunya-the theatre society of Ramjas College on 31st March 2017 saw four plays being censored by the authorities to avoid any type of unrest in the campus. The organisers of the event were reportedly asked for the scripts of the plays which were to be performed in the festival just before the event. This was followed by the cancellation of four plays which had elements of nationalism in them. The students replied to this attempt of the administration by sealing their lips with black tapes and tying black bands around their arms.

These recent developments clearly show that dramatics, an art form that has always been used as a revolutionary tool, has come under scrutiny. But in a county of Safdar Hashmi, it is impossible to tone down the natakwalas. Be it suspension of events, threats or backlash, varsity’s street play/theater artists will still reclaim the campus.

 

Feature Image Credits: Kartik Kher for DU Beat

Niharika Dabral

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DUB Speak

State of Co-Curricular Activities in Delhi University

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Famed for its performing societies and star alumni, does the University’s ecosystem encourages the growth of co-curricular activities?

If there’s anything that the University of Delhi is famous for besides its headlines-grabbing cut-off percentages each year, it’s the star alumni. Apart from politicians, some of the country’s top artists are also DU graduates, partly stemming from the fact that Delhi in itself is a city that promotes such fields with its various cultural centres that regularly hold performances and workshops by experts.

At the college level, however, the stepping stone for the likes of Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan is the college societies. Upon closer inspection, though, it becomes obvious that enough is not being done to facilitate their workings. Right from the inception stage, it is difficult to find out about the formalities required to start a society. The presence of a faculty advisor is also a condition and it takes a lot of hassle to find a convenor because most of the teachers are already under a lot of workloads, having no incentive to take on additional responsibility. Further, the music, dance, and theatre societies require spaces for their daily practices. In institutions like Jesus and Mary College and Hans Raj College, it’s cumbersome to book the Auditorium for practices as obtaining the administrative permission takes a lot of time, which leaves students without proper practice spaces. Colleges like Miranda House, Kirori Mal College, and Sri Venkateswara College do not have proper auditoriums currently, which results in finding nooks and corners of the college for practices. This becomes tiring, and due to no allotted space for each society, societies secure spaces on a first come first serve basis, leaving other groups in a lurch. As performances and competitions’ season nears, these colleges have a disadvantage since necessary rehearsals are unable to take place.

A good portion of the already meagre society funds has to be devoted to booking external auditoriums during the fests’ season as well. Lack of funds is usually cited as the reason for the delays in construction and repair work, but recurring stories of the collapse of unused funds amounting to crores contradicts that claim. Finally, the members of these societies themselves are often not treated well by the faculty and administration. Professors are often unwilling to co-operate regarding rescheduling of the internals on account of performance events that the members have to attend – which is representative of the disinterested attitude of the University as a whole.

There are a few efforts being made. Miranda House, for one, has developed an app that lets societies book spaces online, cutting scope for bureaucratic work. Such efforts, however, are very rare and should be the norm instead of an exception.  On the whole, a very sorry state of affairs exists and it’s quite saddening to see that basic facilities are unavailable in the country’s premier liberal arts colleges due to administrative roadblocks, sitting on funds, and an ironically uncaring attitude in the world beyond academics.

Image credits: DU Beat

 

Rishika Singh

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Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies

The Society Season at SSCBS starts with a bang

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Two weeks into college and the freshers already seem to have their hands full. As the ball gets rolling, every society is vying to get hold of the brightest of the lot and the students are trying to combine quality with quantity. The coveted Career Development Centre (the team that deals with the recruitment of the final year students) was the first to sieve out its Organising Committee. All the other societies, big and small, have started promoting themselves in full swing. Bullet-in boards in different corridors have been assigned to different societies to display the kind of work they have been doing, orientations are being held in break times for students to come and find out if they fit into these societies. To add to the students’ dilemma, a lot of societies become impossible to juggle with the other societies in the peak work season and a lot of other societies explicitly bar students from joining certain other societies.

Among the various things that set CBS apart, the importance it attaches to the societies is distinguishable. One of the very amusing things is the anxiety surrounding the recruitment season. Getting into the best of societies seems to be a matter of grave concern for the freshly admitted students. To add to the energy in the air, many societies like the Blitz (the dance society) and Verve (The streetplay society) are auditioning the students in open ground for everyone to see. All the other societies have booked rooms for interviews and group discussions. So if the students are not attending lectures, they are cueing outside rooms to audition for their preferred societies.

Image Credits: Darkroom, the photography society of SSCBS

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Campus Central

College societies to question, express and click

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The Quiz circuit quizUnlike common perception, winning a quiz competition is more about how much you can analyse and deduce than how much you can memorise. Societies around the university will second to this opinion. Quiz culture in the University is not many years old and has a small but dedicated team of enthusiasts. “It’s a group of like minded people participating in quizzes together and learning together as everyone brings something to the society,” defines Abhaas Mohan, founder of Conquiztador, the Quizzing society of Sri Venkateswara College. As for the auditions, societies have their separate method of evaluation. “Every person has their own interests, therefore we cannot expect them to be good at everything. we have a written test which has questions from every field. Then based on overall score and sectional score on our personal we take people in, There are also people who join us after the auditions,” says Abhaas. For Quest- the Quiz society of SGGSCC, it’s all about testing while having fun. “We have fun and interesting questions, where we can entertain them as well as test their aptitude and decide if they are good enough for quizzing or not,” says Utkarsh. As for preparing for a quiz competition, everyone agrees it’s about what you read, the movies you watch and the number of quiz competitions you attend as it gives you a fair idea on the way questions are based and what to expect.

“Frankly, there is nothing like preparing for a quiz. There might be moments where you think you know everything, but you actually know nothing,” relays Utkarsh.
Lookout for
  • Landmark Quiz- if you win this you are apparently a legend in the field.
  • Cannot Place? – a quiz conducted by the Delhi NCR Quizzing Fraternity
  • Karnataka Quizzing Association
  • World Quizzing Championship
  • Competitions organized by various colleges in Delhi University.
creative writingWrite a little Writing is one of the most immaculate form of human expression. For an activity of such kind, it is imperative that there be a society which brings together individuals with a special gift in the play of words and help them enhance their qualities. Almost all colleges of the University have a Creative writing society, which regularly hold workshops and sessions and also competitions. Auditions, usually involve submission of original pieces be it prose, poetry and then the shortlisted go through an impromptu writing session. Look out for:
  • National Novel writing month
  • SRCC- Zephyr fest
  • LSR- Expressions
Catch the Photo bug With the availability of camera’s which are smarter than it’s users, highly professional online editing tools and a captive audience, it’s not hard to declare oneself as an amateur photographer and why not, photography is all about how you perceive things around you and if that only includes your self reflection in the mirror, so be it. But then there are these and they are individuals who take it to another level, who strengthen their foundation and learn from their peers.
photography206“I have been into photography, so the next logical step was to be a part of a society where you meet other photographers and get to go to photo walks and learn from professionals,” says Jayati Bhola, a member of the Fine Arts and Photography society of Kirori Mal College.
Giving an overview of the auditions she explains,”We have ECA trials, with grading systems in which 20 or 30 marks are for certificates, then some marks for portfolio and then on spot. We give random themes to people and a limited time in which they have to submit their photographs.” Things in St. Stephens are done a little differently though,”Technically, everyone who wants to be a part of the society, is a part of the society. but the working committee is decided on our own. We notice their work for 6 months and if we think they can contribute well, they become a part of the executive council,” says Satender Singh, President of Stephen’s Photography Society, which also might be the only society to have it’s own dark room. Like all societies, this society also receives funds from the college but they are nominal and a lot of expenditure is self incurred. “We get sponsors for our fest. Also, our team is in charge of the college calender and so we get the calender printed and get some profit out of it, but that money is not much,” explains Satender. Look out for
  • Various competitions by colleges in the University.
  • Online competitions.
  • Nikon School workshops
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Juxtapose

DramSoc v/s DanceSoc

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Juxtapose, DUbeat weekly wits

Juxtapose, DUbeat weekly wits

Graphic Credits: Gurman Bhatia

Dance Society or the Dramatics Society? Two of the most prominent and active societies of Delhi University colleges. Today Juxtapose gives you an opportunity to pick your favourite and reason it out with the opponents.

So hit the link and get started!

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Your Beat

IN FOCUS : STREET PLAY SOCIETY

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street

Huge crowds. Incessant singing and slogan raising. Raised voices. Loud invitiations to draw in the audience. A rampant air of festivity.

If you’re in DU and you notice an event with the above characteristics, then make sure you stick around. For what you’ll eventually witness will be a fine piece of street theatre performed by enthusiasts and concluded with a message meant to mobilize the youth.

Street theatre in DU is usually performed by the Hindi Dramatic Societies. However there are also a few groups which function as separate societies dedicated solely to this form of theatre.

Street theatre is largely devoted to addressing social and political concerns. Society today is witnessing widespread internal and external crises. From terrorism to communal riots to a wholesome political paralysis, the country is plagued with numerous evils. Hence it’s commendable that students of the university take it upon themselves to spread necessary awareness through a medium which shall reach the largest audience.

The street play societies also have the most amount of fun, aays Samriddhi Kukreja, Vice president of Kahkasha, JMC, “We have these sessions where we aim at making the voice of each member reach its highest frequency. So the whole group repeats “anna” and each time the frequency increases. Also, we want each of us to be comfortable with words that would otherwise make jaws drop. For instance, we have sessions where each member is expected to say “condom” really loudly. So these are some the fun things we do.” Various events last year saw the JMC girls perform on the much controversial theme of “homosexuality” and receive significant appreciation.

Besides JMC, Venky has Anubhuti which has been in existence since the last eight years and has immense popularity to its credit. St. Stephens has Shakesabha, Miranda’s Anukriti is popular for its signature human pyramid and Khalsa’s Ankur have been extremely instrumental in raising awareness.

The most reputed of all is Verve, The Street Play Society of the College of Business Studies. Last year their Annual Theatre Festival, Manthan, got a lot of colleges together to perform street plays in government schools and public places.

The street play culture ensures that even while you’re having fun, you’re getting across important messages to the society. Surely it’s a combination well worth exploring!

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