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Stress Busters for the Exam Season

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With end semester exams right around the corner, here are few cheap and doable stress busters you can count without burning a hole in your pocket or being too elite or pretentious.

When exams knock at the door, it is common to go paranoid. Exam stress is an actual accepted psychological distress. It can lead to severe anxiety, that turn into physical symptoms like nausea, stomach ache, headache and even dizziness. In this time of chaos, one looks for easy stress relievers that don’t put a dent in your college finances. Often, stress busters are highly elitist, they involve dinners at expensive restaurants and retail therapy that one can’t cope up with.

Here are few stress busters you must do in times of distress:

  1. Talking is Therapeutic

Of all exam stress busters, the best is, of course, talking and communicating stress. If you just cannot get rid of the constant exam tension, how about talking about it with your favourite person? It can be your friend, cousin, sister, teacher, classmate, parent or anybody else. Saying your problems out loud will even help you articulate.

  1. Music and Dance on the Loop

“Mujhe naachne or gaane ka bahut shaunk hai.” (Dancing and singing are my favourite hobbies.) . Read the phrase in typical Anjali’s voice from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. Indeed, music transports you and the energetic dance can rejuvenate you from the many all-nighters you will pull this semester. Plus, music is a great way to not feel alone while studying. Pro-tip: The Local Train can literally save all of us.

  1. Sound Sleep

This is probably the most important one. With exam season upon you, it’s important to keep in mind to sleep well. Most of the students often spend all of their time worrying about the exams, and tend to sacrifice their nights for the same. Always remember, a well-rested mind can do wonders. Use white noise or a constructive podcast to listen to while sleeping, that will help with your concentration and productivity.

  1. Slow and Deep Breaths

Before reacting to the next stressful occurrence, take three deep breaths and release them slowly. If you have a few minutes, try out a relaxation technique such as closing your eyes and meditating or just shouting loudly. These are some tricks to calm oneself down.

  1. Talking Loud and Slow

Whenever you feel overwhelmed by stress, practice speaking more slowly than usual. You’ll find that you think more clearly and react more reasonably to stressful situations. Stressed people tend to speak fast and breathlessly; by slowing down your speech you’ll also appear less anxious and more in control of any situation.

  1. An Effective Time Management Strategy

Choose one simple thing you have been putting off (e.g. buying the book for a particular subject), and do it immediately. Just taking care of one nagging responsibility or subject can be energizing and can improve your attitude.

  1. Drinking plenty of water, eating small, nutritious snacks

Hunger and dehydration, even before you’re aware of them, can provoke aggressiveness and exacerbate feelings of anxiety and stress that exams give you. Thus, keep yourself energised and fit by having fppd at regular intervals.

  1. A quick Posture Check

Hold your head and shoulders upright and avoid stooping or slumping. Bad posture can lead to muscle tension, pain and increased stress. It’s most like that you’ll be stuck at your desk most of the day, revising or studying the vast syllabus. In those times, make sure your workstation reflects good ergonomic design principles meaning it’s good enough for your height, doesn’t require you to stress your arm to rest and is comfortable.

  1. Setting Realistic Targets

It is advisable to make realistic revision targets per day instead of trying to squeeze in a lot in one day. If you make unrealistic targets and are unable to achieve them, stress will definitely shoot through the roof and lower your learning power.

  1. Taking out time to unwind

Take out at least half an hour to watch your favourite TV programme or surf the Internet for fun or listen to your favourite music or just laze around. Getting bogged down with too much stress can ruin your positive energies so take that short break and don’t feel guilty about it.

Hopefully these 10 stress busters will equip you enough to handle exam stress like a pro. If you still feel stressed, seek help with people around you. All the best for your exams.

 

Feature Image Credits: Scopio

 Chhavi Bahmba 

 [email protected]

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Campus Central

The Dearth of Home-Cooked Meals

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Being an out-station student isn’t easy, especially when it comes to compromising on food. Let us look at the role the college canteen plays in a student’s life.

Good food is probably on the top in the wish-list of all university students. However, most of the students don’t have access to the heart warming home-cooked meals. After a long and exhausting day of sleeping during lectures and wrangling in society meetings, we all long for comforting meals. But, where does one find them?

After discussing about this issue with lots of students at a personal level, I found out that most students resort to the college canteen for their meals. A very small proportion actually carried lunchboxes. Even the hostellers and PG-dwellers prefer the canteen over their promised, paid meals.

“Being a PG student, the lunch that I get is usually iced coffee or bread butter everyday.  Although I don’t prefer eating food from canteen daily but I have to rely on it. If I were a Delhi student, I would never consider food from canteen. Also being a PG student, I am broke more than half of the time so it’s real struggle deciding what to do about lunch. So although I don’t love canteen food, but it has become my lunch everyday,” says Avni Dhawan, student of Kamla Nehru College.

Deewanshi Vats, a resident of the Under Graduate Hostel For Girls (UGHG) says, “Though we have a 4 meal package in a day, the quality of food is pathetic. You literally have to search for dal in dal which is just nothing but water! We don’t get nutrient rich food like sprouts and dry lentils at all; also no curd! Salad (only cucumber) provided is usually stale. Quality of rice and other vegetables is really low.”

With the poor quality of meals provided, most students have no choice left but to fall back on the canteen food. This affects them both financially and health-wise. Spending good proportions of monthly pocket-money on unhealthy, and often not very tasty food is not the ideal preference of any student. This is where students cherish home-cooked meals packed in lunch boxes the most.

“One thing you miss more than home is homemade food! It’s quite understandable that you cannot get the same ‘ghar ke khana ka taste’ when you move to a different city; and for a while will enjoy eating fancy food and junk, but there is this saturation point where you will miss basic daal and roti and then no other food will be able to satisfy your tummy!” commented an out-station student of Daulat Ram College.

It truly becomes a sorry state of affairs for the outstation students when it comes to the matters of food. But there is one ray of hope for all the outstation students. With the end of the semester around the corner, one can comfort themselves with the loving thought of returning back to home after the exams are over and enjoy the warmth of those homely meals to their hearts’ fullest content. It almost seems like the delayed gratification, worth all the while.

 

 

Feature Image Credits: The Outlook

Aditi Gutgutia
[email protected]

 

 

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DUB News

JNU Moves Delhi HC Against The Protesting Students

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Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has moved the Delhi High Court (HC) against the protesting students for “gross violation” of the court’s previous order of August 2017 banning protests within 100 metres of the administrative block. 

The contempt plea has been filed by JNU Registrar Pramod Kumar, along with the University’s standing counsel Monika Arora against the protesting students for violation of the Court’s order of 2017 banning protests within 100 metres of the administrative block. As reported by news agency Indo-Asian News Service, the plea is filed against the Delhi Police, JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) President Aishe Ghose, General Secretary Satish Chandra Yadav, Vice President Saket Moon and former JNU student leaders N. Sai Balaji, Geeta Kumari, Sarika Choudhary, Apeksha Priyadarshani, Krishna Rao, among others.

The plea read, “The instant petition is being preferred by the university against the contemnors for gross and continuing violation of the order dated 09.08.2017…by protesting within 100 meters of the administrative block and the day-to-day administration of the petitioner University due to which the working of the university has come to a standstill.”

Two FIR’s have been registered against JNU students on Tuesday who clashed with the Delhi Police. The FIR’s have been registered at two different police stations against unidentified individuals. Over the past few weeks, severe protests have led to clashes with the police after they were barred from marching towards the Parliament as it reconvened for the winter session. Delhi Police set up barricades and closed down four metro stations around the Parliament. Students were allegedly lathi-charged which led to severe injuries to both police personnel and the students.

JNUSU on Tuesday said they are ready to undertake a march to the Parliament 10 times if their demands are not met. The resignation of JNU Vice-Chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar has also been demanded. JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh quoted to The Hindustan Times, “Police had detained at least a hundred students including me, and Satish (General Secretary of JNUSU), just to make sure the high powered meeting with the secretary (MHRD) does not take place.” Followed by a press conference in the JNU Administrative block, she addressed, “We have made it clear in the meeting, that the agitation will stop only after all our demands are accepted, and if the VC has a problem with that then we demand his resignation…”

 

Students at JNU have been protesting against the fee hike and have conveyed their demands to the Ministry of Human Resource Development. One of which stated, the protesting students should not face any enquiry.

 

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Anandi Sen
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DUB Speak

National Press Day: A Closer Look at Student Journalism

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Looking at student journalism in Delhi on the occasion of National Press Day, an account of student journalism through the eyes of students. 

 Journalism was and still remains to this day one of the most dangerous, exciting, albeit under-appreciated professions. The case remains more so, In India. media freedom group, Reporters Without Borders released a report in 2018, which put India fifth on the list of the maximum number of journalists killed in 2018, the death count being six. In the current atmosphere, many students at Delhi University (DU) and universities across India look at journalism as a career option. For many students, this career starts from the undergraduate level through college magazines and organizations such as DU Beat where valuable experience on how a media organization functions can fit into a students timetable.

For many students, working in student media and student journalist has been an enriching experience. As Chhavi Bahmba, a first-year student at Sri Venkateswara College and a correspondent for DU Beat says, “Student journalism has been one of the most liberating things, and the highlight of my college life. It has given me access and a platform to write. Also, people around me also get a voice as I can put their thoughts forward. It’s been a stepping stone to my career.”

There is also the fact that deadlines and missing them are one of the deadliest sins in media, and working as a student journalist inculcates that. Aditi Gutgutia, a first-year student at Lady Shri Ram College says, “It compels me to write as a habit and makes me fight the urge to procrastinate.”

According to Faizan Salik, A student from Jamia Millia Believes that exposure is one of the most important aspects of a student journalist as he goes on to say “ it is a veritable bridge that can expose you to multiple dimensions of life which is untouched otherwise and hence promises some good amount of fermentation in the long run.” He also goes on to talk about how it working for that can be a challenge but that is something that he and several others have had to overcome. He says, “Being a part of something like this in a university like Jamia was a challenge that we at The Jamia Review, a student-run journal of Jamia Millia Islamia has taken a step further and hopes to incorporate everything that it requires to achieve our goals.”

There are, of course, negative aspects too, some of which are synonymous with journalism as a profession. Jaishree Kumar, a third-year student at Ramjas says. “I learnt that journalists are treated badly and worshipped. It is also rewarding and exhausting at the same time.”

There are the obvious downsides of handling so much workload along with regular classes, and another problem put up by Jaishree was how working for student newspapers not associated with the College administration also doesn’t help attendance as even though her teachers are supportive of her work, they cannot give her ECA attendance.

In conclusion, in the current politically charged climate, student media has given aspiring journalists a place to hone their skills. The experience that we get is valuable and the experiences and contacts that we build cannot be found anywhere else.

Feature Image Credits: Scopio

 

 

Prabhanu Kumar Das

[email protected]

 

 

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Campus Central

The Unspoken College Essentials: Delhi Metro and Buses

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This piece aims at comparing and contrasting between two of the most popular transportation mediums amongst the students of the University of Delhi (DU) in light of the National Transportation Day.

The daily pilgrimage to college is clearly left incomplete if one does not mention about transportation, be it the long metro rides or the jam packed buses! Here is a comparison and evaluation of Delhi Metro and Delhi Buses on various factors ranging right from comfort to money.

1. Comfort:

The metro offers a comfortable journey as one is away from the sudden breaks and jerks. But the seats are something which everyone has a mutual hatred for! Hard and uncomfortable, with people trying to squeeze into the tiniest of cracks and effectively invading your privacy is something everyone is troubled during the metro rides.

The buses on the other hand have a much more deadlier relationship when it comes to seats and people. The local buses which you board on places near the campus are surely very crowded. But the ones that connect bigger areas offer respite with only one person per seat.

 

2. Time efficiency:

The metro is steady, stable and unvarying in this attribute. It takes the same amount of time, every time, more or less. Constancy is a much desired trait, no doubt, in humans as well as in one’s means of transport. The bus on the other hand is at the mercy of the city’s infamous traffic jams. Bus travel can stretch excruciatingly long at times but that is if you are truly unfortunate. For reliability, metro is always the wisest option.

3. Expenditure:

The bus wins this one hands down! Personal observation! Where it costs me about 200 rupees for 5 days of travel in the metro, and that too if I stick strictly to my route from home to college and college to home, the bus offers unlimited travel for Rs. 165 a month to wherever I may want to venture (student perks, y’all! ). So much more money for food

4. People:

Travelling alone in the metro can be quite tiresome when you are forced to eavesdrop on conversations you otherwise will have no interest in. Although for some it’s the opposite, some who find spicy snippets of gossip amusing.

The bus on the other hand has not yet put me through such an ordeal. Till now I have found the people in the bus to keep their love affairs to themselves. Although there is no guarantee of this remaining unvaried in the future since the people everywhere are still the same puerile Delhiites.  (Of which I’m one and proud to be so!)

5. Congestion:

This is completely susceptible to the time of your travel. Both the metro and the bus fare more or less the same in this category. Both are filled to the brim in office hours with no breathing space. People are known to die (almost) in both. Both subject people to the same kind of harrowing treatment on trying to board or de-board the metro/bus. People are inconsiderate of others in both and no matter how crowded, they often tend to let other people have a whiff of the gases brewing inside them

6. Accessibility:

Bus stops are everywhere. Metro stations are on their way but even then, in a city like Delhi, they cannot achieve the ubiquity of the bus stops. Constructing metro stations is a lot more work and requires a lot more space. Buses are far more convenient on this front.

7. View:

Metro gives an aerial view and can be quite awe-inspiring the first few times. One is left gaping at the neat roads and tiny cars crawling along, their rash movements imperceptible at the height I was at. But one gets used to all things in life, especially the good ones. No one stares out the window in the metro any longer, they are all busy staring at their phone screens, texting, playing games or have earphones plugged on. Soon I started feeling nostalgic for the road. The metro gives an isolated feeling at times, as if you are disconnected from the outside world.  On the road you get a closer view of the workings of the city, you feel closer to its heart brimming with blood and activity!

 

Feature Image Credits: Hitesh Kalra for DU Beat

Chhavi Bahmba

[email protected]

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Constructing a Smile

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Why is it that in this gloomy, fast-paced world we don’t put in a little extra effort to make others smile more often? On World Kindness Day, this year let us try a bit harder to turn a few frowns upside down!

As children we’ve all been told on countless occasions to be kind to those around you. It sounds like such a simple and obvious idea and well, it really is! But somewhere down the road the whole concept seems to have gotten lost in its journey. We tend to forget how easy it is to be kind. Kindness is a gift which everyone can afford. So why is it that we don’t share it more often with people around us?

The single, smallest and the most random act of kindness can make a person smile. Given that we live in such a dismal and cynical society, we all can use a little cheering up. Little acts such as greeting the cab driver a good morning with a happy face can bring joy to a person in ways one never thinks. Who knows your day will turn out beautiful just by saying kind words? It’s almost saddening to see how nobody greets each other anymore.

Our lives these days are very busy. It’s as if we barely have time for ourselves, let alone others. We are so occupied in our own businesses that we ignore the others’. We fail to ensure whether those around us are doing well or not; did they smile today or not? Just a “How are you?” after a “Hey” can make a person feel special and acknowledged.  The words of Dalai Lama ring all the more true now when he said, “When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace,”

Being kind is like giving hope to someone who feels alone. We don’t realise how our words and actions impact those around us. Nobody knows what the other is going through. We casually crack jokes that often can be derogatory but are yet supposed to be “funny”. Thus, always think twice or thrice or maybe even a hundred times before being rude to someone.

It’s the best time to be nice to people around you. Kindness can be expressed in the most mundane actions, for instance, smiling at someone, offering to open the door, letting them know they look nice or maybe just making them laugh.

On asking around I received different views by others as to what they feel is an act of kindness, most people associate kindness as an act which makes them smile. This includes gestures right from sharing music, reminding your friends to ‘stay hydrated’, a random hug, marking your friend’s proxy or just recommending a good book!

What act of kindness did you do today? Did you make someone smile?

 

Feature Image Credits: Navya Jindal for DU Beat

Aditi Gutgutia

[email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Campus Central

Massive Protest Breaks Out in JNU over Fee Hike

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A massive protest broke out in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Monday over fees hike during the Varsity’s convocation ceremony, leading to clashes with the police.

On 11th November 2019, thousands of students from JNU clashed with the Delhi police after the protests over drastic fee hike escalated. The students were demanding the withdrawal of the draft hostel manual, which they claimed has provisions for fee hike, dress code, and curfew timings. They were planning to protest outside the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) premises where the varsity’s third convocation that was being addressed by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu was held. While Naidu left the venue after attending the convocation, the Minister of Human Resource Development (HRD), Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ was stuck due to the protest for over six hours.

The students were demanding the withdrawal of the draft hostel manual, in which service charges of INR 1,700 were introduced and the one-time mess security fee, which is refundable, has been hiked from INR 5,500 to INR 12,000. The rent for a single-seater room has been increased from INR 20 per month to 600 per month, while rent for a double-seater room has been increased to INR 300 per month from INR 1,000 per month. The draft hostel manual also has provisions for dress code and curfew timings, the Students’ Union alleged, even as the administration denied these two claims.

Over 600 police personnel were deployed to handle the protest organised by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU). Several blockades put up by the police were also broken by the protesting students, who started their march towards the AICTE around 11.30 a.m. Barricades were placed around the JNU Campus, as well as on the route between the AICTE auditorium and the University at Baba Balaknath Marg and nearby areas. As the protest escalated, students clashed with the Delhi police, leading to skirmishes. Water cannons were used to disperse the protestors and police claimed that students were detained. This intensified the protest, with the students shouting against the Delhi Police, as well as the Vice-Chancellor (VC).

As reported by the Times of India, the JNUSU office-bearers later met the HRD Minister who assured them that their demands would be looked into. But the VC still hasn’t met with the union. “The VC is destroying the varsity. We have made several attempts to meet him on campus, but there has been no fruitful result,” Aishe Ghosh, president of JNUSU.

The students claim that the decision to hike fees by 300 percent is exclusive of students from marginalised communities. The protest is also against other actions of the varsity, like restrictions by the administration on entry to the Parthasarathy Rocks – a hillock inside the campus, or attempts to lock Students’ Union office.

DU Beat spoke with a foreign student from JNU agitated against the administration who threw light on the condition of foreign students. The student revealed that the Science students of the Foreign Nationality category pay up to 1500$ which counts nearly INR 1 lakh per semester. The Arts students of the Foreign Nationality pay up to 1200$ per semester, which equates around INR 87,000. “Just because we are “foreign” category doesn’t mean everyone comes from well to-do families. Around 40 Tibetan students’ who passed the entrance exam, could not afford the fees. They couldn’t join. JNU has a good population of SAARC country students. The fee is particularly neck breaking for South Asian students who come from third world countries,” they said.

Image Caption: Posters elaborating on the fee hike crises were circulated among students' via whatsapp and social media. Image Credits: Unknown
Image Caption: Posters elaborating on the fee hike crises were circulated among students’ via whatsapp and social media.
Image Credits: Unknown
Image Caption: Posters elaborating on the fee hike crises were circulated among students' via whatsapp and social media. Image Credits: Unknown
Image Caption: Posters elaborating on the fee hike crises were circulated among students’ via whatsapp and social media.
Image Credits: Unknown

In these circumstance students’ raise pertinent questions like-“How is this affordable? And how does this hold to any foundational values of JNU?” while the responses remain bleak.

Around 15 to 20 students who were graduating were sitting inside the auditorium main gate in solidarity with the protestors. The JNUSU has said the strike would not end until the hostel manual is withdrawn.

Feature Image Credits: India Today

Shreya Juyal

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Campus Central

LSR and the Concern of Juxtapose ’19  

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The Annual Academic Meet- Juxtapose’19 to be held on 7th and 8th November 2019 at Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) was cancelled a day before the event.

The Annual Academic Meet- Juxtapose’19 to be held on 7th and 8th November 2019 at Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) was cancelled a day before the event.

The Department of Journalism was at the forefront of discussions inside the gates of Lady Shri Ram College for Women since the last week due to concerns centered around the Annual Academic Meet- Juxtapose 2019.
Juxtapose’19- scheduled for 7th November and 8th November 2019, was aimed to be focusing in a quest to engage students in a two-day event raising questions and saving the integrity of Media as a whole. However, the event ceased to face the light of dawn. The reasons behind the cancelling of the event are majorly cited as administrative and departmental glitches and communication gap.
The RnR held in the campus on 8th November 2019 put forth the take of the Department of Journalism which comprised of the President, Treasurer and the General Secretary. The Department Union expressed the incident to be disheartening as it culminated the hard work of 1.5 months. It was said that the proposal for the Academic Meet was not signed, as a result of which-the Union had to wait for long hours for sanctioning of the needful.
The Student Union of the Department admitted the fault on their part of circulating a message which reiterated their concerns, parts of which received backlash. Thereby, a message was issued which mentioned an apology for the manner in which the message was framed and its articulation.

The Organising Committee of Juxtapose released a WhatsApp message which stated that the Principal had not checked the proposal despite frequent visits of the students. However, soon after, the department issued an apology stating that their intention was not to defame their Principal but to bring attention towards their issues.

Another WhatsApp message mentioned that, “We phrased a new theme, reworked a competition, invited another key note speaker, made new trailers for the event, edited the posters and proposals to incorporate the changes. However, at 2.30PM in the afternoon, the students were told that Juxtapose cannot happen since the proposal cannot be signed one day before the event.”

Adequate response could not be gathered from students as one of them responded, “We as a department have decided to be united and have only the union talking about these matters.”

The statement further informed that the Union plans on engaging in a healthy conversation with its faculty to discuss the concerns and to formulate a plan of action in order to ensure that similar incidents do not take place in the department again.  The Union mentioned that a statement would be released soon and did not wish to respond as they mentioned that they are “in the middle of making a plan of action which requires the consensus of the entire department.”
Arpita Chowdhury, first year student pursuing English Honours who witnessed the meeting during the RnR said, “The meeting was fruitful because I wanted to get a clear view of the matter. It was a good idea to clarify on this issue. It also made me come across the proceedings of the college.”

The Department released its official statement on 10th November 2019.

Image Credits: Department of Journalism, LSR Image Caption: Statement released by the Organising Committee of Juxtapose'19 (Part 1)
Image Credits: Department of Journalism, LSR
Image Caption: Statement released by the Organising Committee of Juxtapose’19 (Part 1)
Image Credits: Department of Journalism, LSR Image Caption: Statement released by the Organising Committee of Juxtapose'19
Image Credits: Department of Journalism, LSR
Image Caption: Statement released by the Organising Committee of Juxtapose’19 (Part 2)

A response from the staff and administration is awaited. A General Body Meeting is said to held on 11th November to discuss the matter further.

Feature Image Credits: Career India

Priyanshi Banerjee

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Arts & Culture

Chai Pe Charcha : The Love for Chai at Campus

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From the loveable Raja bhaiya at the Patel Chest in North Campus to the Chai spot behind Jesus and Mary College in the South Campus, the entire University of Delhi (DU) has fallen in love, head over heels over Chai, and this article traces why is that so. 

Tea is more than just a beverage, it’s the elixir of life. Here are few of the many reasons why DU can’t be imagined without chai and chaiwallahs.

Chai brings an inevitable feeling of belongingness and warmth. It’s like a home away from home. This feeling of familiarity that chai brings often takes away the anxiety of starting somewhere anew, hence precisely why the Fresher’s feel at peace when they are on the campus with their favourite chai spots. It’s often that the vibe of the place and the people make you fit in.

Abhinandan Kaul, first year student from St. Stephens College, said “As I entered the DU North Campus, I had been introduced to the famous Sudama Tea stall, “north campus ki shaan!” “Sudama“- the Amar Chitra Katha character symbolizing true friendship, transforms friendship in DU too. It’s such a cute place to build strong bonds with minimum resources, I always go there with my friends to chill out with a hot cup of tea and biscuits!”

Drinking chai is a habit, it has become part of the everyday routine we follow. There’s a specific time for it. There’s a specific place for it and a specific ‘nashta’ or food to go with it.  Whether it be after the 2 p.m.  lecture or receiving calls from your mother everyday exactly at 6:30 in the evening to ask you only would you be home for chai, A hot cup of tea cannot be missed.

Noihrit, third-year student from Ramjas College said,  “Chai is constant for me. Whether I scored well or poorly in my exams, had a good or a bad day, hectic or leisurely society work, chai is indivisible from me. Spending my evenings with friends and chai at the tea point at Old Gupta Chowk is something which I’ll relive forever.”

Infact, while many of us fall in love with chai, there are many who fall in love at chai. With a cigarette in one hand, chai in other, sitting on the plastic stool, bursting out with our most vulnerable thoughts, discussing everything from weird exes to family troubles to even anxiety issues, chai spots pave a way for a perfect conversation with your special one. Chai and momos constitute a perfect day at the campus.

Prabhanu, first-year student from Kirori Mal College says, “I met this girl online way before I got into DU and I live in South Delhi. So we started talking and to meet her I had to go all the way to Civil Lines and all we used to do was drink chai and smoke sutta (cigarette) for hours until I had to go back home. Our first date included going to a hospital in Civil Lines, chai and sutta. And we are currently seeing each other.”

Its 3 a.m. and you have a sociology internal in the morning, an economics assignment to submit and a begging session to ask your teachers for attendance is also due. Chai in this moment of extreme chaos, rescues you.

Jaishree Kumar, third-year History student, Ramjas college said, “I once stayed up all night to finish my assignments. No sleep at all. Nada. Chai came to my rescue to keep me up.”

Chai is the staple for all societies, whether it be to survive the rigorous practice sessions or just to gossip about other societies with a cup of tea in hand. Chai helps all to perform.

Yaksh Handa, first-year student at the Hindu college said, “So members of the Deb Soc, before commencing the day’s proceedings, would go out to the Hindu ke saamne wali chai tapri, to get a shot of adrak wali chai, and over chai, everything from politics of the right wing to the stupidity of the debsoc seniors and to the quirky nicknames for our debsoc tshirts was discussed. I feel such short and unplanned chai tapri visits keep the soc entangled in a common thread.”

One will be amused to know that chai has a very special place in hearts of this organisation, the DU Beat, as well. Infact, the very feature image you see, is the last spot of the senior-tour which apprised the juniors of the most memorable places at college campuses from there to be gone seniors.

Vaibhav Tekchandani, Photographer and Video Editor at the DU Beat, said “The last fest season, all of us, i.e. The Village Area, the photog family, as well as the correspondents, without any said notice or gesture used to accumulate at these chai wali tapris and everything from the live updates to the captions was discussed. It was a beautiful feeling and I’d give anything to go back to those days.”

From broken hearts to broken hands, all was treated at the chai wali tapri. It is the greatest source of making memories that will give you nostalgia every time you pass through that place.

Janesh Sahni, Photographer and Video Editor at the DU Beat says, “Raja bhaiya’s Tapri has been our go to place since like forever. I broke my hard drive last year during Tempest and we all tried to fix at Raja Bhaiya while I panicked hard. “Meltayi Maggie” is melted cheese Maggie that you can get at Raja Bhaiya, we coined that term.”

Chai brings a pool of memories for not only just for society members or DU Beat members, but for each student of DU. From assignment discussions to ranting about college professors; everything takes place at chai wali tapri. People like Raja Bhaiya and things like Sudama ki Chai becomes actual realities of our lives, than just places.

Waise bhi, it’s the gospel truth that Chai bina Chen kha re. (All this while one thing remains the gospel truth; there is no peace without a cup of tea.)

 

Feature Image Credits: Janesh Sahni for DU Beat

Chhavi Bahmba 

[email protected]

 

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Campus Central

Peer Pressure- The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

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All of us have experienced peer pressure at some point in our lives. Here’s decoding the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of peer pressure.

Right from school to college, we spend a considerable amount of time every day with our friends. Thus, it’s only natural that we pick up certain habits and thoughts which belong to them. But when we feel compelled to be just like them or adopt their lifestyle, it most definitely is peer pressure.

Peer pressure is a circumstance wherein we tend to get carried along with our peers and get influenced by their lifestyles, habits and even their thought-processes.

To identify if you are succumbing to peer pressure, ask yourself just one question – “Am I doing this because I want to do it or because everyone around me is doing it?”

Adolescence is a tricky age to be in. We get fascinated by anything and everything. We learn and unlearn every day. This is the very age when we get more influenced by our peers than by our parents. Consequently, we end up doing a lot of things to ‘fit in’ and be ‘cool’.

One of the worst things that peer pressure can lead one into is the loss of identity very early in life. One starts disregarding himself/herself for not being like others and constantly try to be one among the lot. If not found acceptable to one’s peers, a person starts dismantling parts of themselves every day and rebuilds to get validated.

Adopting the thought-processes of your peers without scrutinizing them can puncture your ability to think and reason. One might end up becoming an individual with no original ideas and thinking. It’s very close to having a mob-mentality where the actions and thoughts of people around you become your own. Thus, it’s pertinent to make sure that you don’t lose your inherent personality while engaging with your peers on a daily basis.

Adoption of habits is one of the most common forms of peer pressure that exists around us. Willingly or unwillingly, we fall into this trap of adopting the habits of our friends. Many a times, we tend to start living the lifestyles of our peers. More than half of the young people start smoking or drinking merely out of peer pressure. The phrase, “Don’t be a chicken, everyone’s doing it” is enough to compel one into doing a certain thing.

The above mentioned aspects can be attributed to negative peer pressure.

While the term peer pressure is always taken in a negative connotation, it’s not really the case. While it may lead you into making destructive and unhealthy choices in life, it can  at the same time also push you towards self-betterment.

One of the best things that peer pressure can do to you is that it makes you sit back and evaluate yourself. It’s undeniable that we all have the scope to grow and learn. Constantly being around people with conflicting opinions and personalities will make you challenge the personality and thought-process you’ve been carrying hitherto then.

It also makes you look beyond yourself and accept those conflicting personalities. Selectively and carefully analyzing them will help you bring positive aspects into yourself and make you grow as a person. Having a sound group of friends who push you to do better every day is like finding a gold mine. They will help you experience positive peer pressure. Thus, be careful of the company you choose to hang out with.

The most important thing to realize while experiencing peer pressure is that it is more internal than external. Mastering our minds to comprehend right from wrongs can make you go a long run into not succumbing to negative peer pressure. Also, doing away with the rigidity of one’s personality and thinking and considering the opinions and constructive habits of those around will help you extract the positive out of your peers.

 

Image Credits: Scopio

Shreya Agrawal

[email protected]

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