Amidst all the pollution, unrest, price rise and all the pandemonium gripping the city of late, if there is one respite for the common man, where he can enjoy nature like it used to be – it’s in a glass of freshly prepared juice at Fruitoholic! With moderately priced juices and smoothies, it’s a popular hangout amongst the young and the old alike. It has three different joints at three corners of the city at Himayatnagar, Kharkhana and SVM Mall. Apart from the regular fresh fruit juices, this place also serves Yogurt smoothies, Milk shakes, Mighties, Vegetable blends and Coolers. Recently the store has included sandwiches, salads and desserts in their carte du jour.

Moses Edla of Badruka Degree College, a regular at Fruitoholic says, “It’s nature served chilled in a recycled paper glass at Fruitoholic. I am quite a regular at its Himayatnagar joint beside The Clove restaurant. When I have had a rough day I go to this place and have my favorite banana-orange smoothie which livens me up instantaneously! My friends and I turned the place into our regular hangout and the modestly priced menu goes easy with our pockets too.”

Fresh fuits! Credits: Spinal Tap

Swati Reddy of VCE, another known face at their Kharkhana joint says, “This place is such a relief from the other popular overcrowded and overpriced places in the city. I first got to know about this place through a friend of mine and I have been a regular from then. My favorite is the jumbo sized apple-orange milkshake with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. I even skip my meals to enjoy it. I sometimes go for a quick sip to this place before I rush to catch my college bus. This place is ideal for a quick bite with your partner when you don’t have much time. My mom and I have a drink every Saturday, it’s like a weekly ritual for us. Fruitoholic! Rocks!” she says.

Ideal for morning joggers, fitness addicts and health freaks, this place provides the required nutrients and vitamins, all in the different array of fruits and vegetables. The place first opened up in Himayatnagar but to a very ordinary response. The place was considered to be like any other fruit stall and had to face stiff competition from the neighboring Café Coffee Day and Pure ’o’ Naturals . But as the place began to have more customers it became popular and in no time it became one of the busiest fruit juice cafés in the city. It started to grow and opened new stands at Karkhana and very recently at the SVM Mall. The recipes for their favorite fruit juices can also be known on request says a stall employee at Himayatnagar.

Fruitoholic! - SVM mall. Credits: Spinal Tap

B.K.K.Anurag of VCE, who is a regular at their SVM mall joint says – “It was when we went to the SVM to celebrate a friend’s birthday that I first checked out this place and I must say it was love at first sip. It was a very hot day and the cold blackcurrant smoothie was just nirvana. Since then I have enjoyed all their fruit juices and we also order them home when there is a party. The home delivery is free and brisk unlike other hi-fi eateries.”

As full of life and nature this place may seem, there are a few complaints by the customers. Akshay of MREC laments, “The place is very small to hang out for long hours. The SVM outlet has only one table and is almost considered a place for take-away. The Himayatnagar joint is better with outdoor seating but it still lacks the ambiance one expects.”

“Sure the place lacks space and the hi-fi ambience but nothing can beat the smell and taste of fresh fruit in every thing you order here at fruitoholic,” says Ramesh Babu, a Cognizant employee.

The storekeeper at the Himaythnagar stall Kishore is more than happy to talk about the response and the attention the store is getting. He adds, ” It has been nice to see many people being supportive and we have been welcomed warm heartedly. We are working on the complaints we are getting about our store and  are working on it. I am sure we’ll soon get to cater to a wide range of customers and try and satisfy all of them. ”

So next time when one feels the blues of the frantic urban life they know where to head for, to hold nature in one’s palm and sip life through it.

For those internet bugs out there: Fruitoholic is on Facebook

Every invention since the early Iron Age has changed the face of the world and made human life more convenient and luxurious. The Television is the primary source of entertainment for a majority of the population today. Television programmes have various genres and therefore different target audiences. Due to the varied content, presentation style and unique plot line, these accordingly appeal to people of different ages, thought processes, lifestyles and even cultures. Youngsters between the age group of 16-24 form the largest number and quite understandably are much sought after by the creators of television shows.

Increasing westernization and signs of Indian youngsters aping the west, not just in regular habits of food and lifestyle, but also in their mannerisms, attitudes and mind frames account for this trend of western shows being popular even in India. In just a century, Rudyard Kipling’s famous quote “East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet”, stands to be contradicted. For today, the twain are meeting and in more ways than one. A great number of the urban Indian youth is glued to channels like Star World and Zee Café, for their much-deserved quota of entertainment.

“I like western shows because I’m done with this over-the-top unrealistic set-up of Indian dramas. I guess I need a much more convincing storyline and a realistic outlook. Indian shows tend to lack a bit of freshness and the idea of sacrificing your life to make someone else happy seems pretentious and far-fetched,” voices Zehra Zahur, a final year student of Muffakham Jah College of Engineering and Technology. “Shows like ‘Lost’ have a very interesting storyline. Like who would have ever thought that 5 seasons of being stranded on an island would have worked? But it did. And the popular 90s show ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, in which the main protagonist was able to connect with the audience despite being from the fantasy genre, was because it had elements of reality in it,” she adds.

“Western shows are different from the regular ‘saas-bahu stuff’. The story of such shows is written, keeping in mind the younger generation. They have the right amount of humour and seriousness, acting and presentation,” opines Idya Apoorva, a second year student of International Academy of Computer Graphics. Her friend Madhuri Maram from the same college quips, “We search for something that is just like us. We relate to shows like these and require that ‘relating’ to fuel our imagination.”

Being the exhaustive medium of communication that television is, the genres of television shows are many. Some of the most popular ones are:

Comedy. Also called ‘sitcoms’ or ‘situational comedies’. This genre is popular not just among teenagers, but among adults and elders as well. ‘Friends’, ‘How I met your Mother’, ‘Desperate Housewives’. ‘Office’, ’30 Rock’ are some commonly watched shows. Starting in 1994, ‘Friends’ featured in ten seasons for a decade. It is about a group of six friends, who live, love and struggle through their dreams in New York City.

Friends - A decade of pure entertainment. Credits : Pens Eve

“Even though ‘Friends’ reflects a culture which is much more forward than the one we have in India, it is very warming to watch because universal values such as friendship, compassion, honesty and love are displayed. That’s why it’s such a popular series. The humour is very effective as well. I’m totally addicted to it,” says Mrs. Urmila Mahajan, a parent of two youngsters and a teacher at International School of Hyderabad. “Aside from the fact that they’re so funny, these shows are also very relevant to us as teens. They also, for that half hour make us forget all the stress of the day and we have a great time watching them, especially with Friends,” opines Urvi Desai, a student from Jai Hind College, Mumbai.

Mystery/Drama is another popular genre that has the audience on their toes. Shows under this genre generate oodles of thrill and excitement among the viewers. ‘Lost’, ‘House’, ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, ‘Prison Break’ are a few shows that fall under this category. ‘Lost’ premiered in 2004 and has been running in its 6th season. The show falls under the genre ‘Island Fiction’; it is about a group of people from different walks of life, stranded on an uninhabited island. The show deals with their struggle for survival in the wild and from the fundamental barbaric instincts of human nature. “All of them have a secret, all of them are lost!” – the tag line of the show is enough to get anyone hooked!

Entertainment Reinvented. Credits : Pens Eve

“Tele series not only provide entertainment, but also pass on useful knowledge to the viewers, like in the case of medical and crime series. Being a student of Psychology, I like to watch shows related to my field of interest such as ‘Criminal Minds’ and ‘Psych’. I also like to watch ‘Lost’, ‘Bones’ and ‘How I met your Mother’. The degree of entertainment on shows like ‘Lost’ and ‘Heroes’ is extremely high, due to the suspense created by good content – which is why they are extremely popular. There’s a lot of variety in the shows which is good for the viewer. So being addicted to series is not as harmful as many think,” observes Zainab Rangoonwala, a second year student from St. Francis College for Women. “The blend of CGI and natural locations make ‘Lost’ more realistic. The excellent and gripping storyline adds to the impact,” shares Divya Teja, a final year student from Indira Gandhi National Open University.

“When my friends were going gaga about a certain tele-series, I wondered why they were being so stupid. It was just a ‘show’! But ever since I watched the first episode of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, I have been hooked on to it. I saw 35 episodes of one hour each, in a span of 48 hours – if that defines ‘addiction’,” reveals Megha Agarwal, a second year student from Government Law College, Mumbai.

Various Shows. Credits : Pens Eve

While youngsters may take the ‘tele-obsession’ in their stride, not all parents are happy about it. “My daughter was in town for her study holidays; however, all she did for two whole days was to watch ‘Grey’s Anatomy’. It’s a good thing if youngsters like a show and follow it, but continuous watching is unacceptable and irresponsible,” states her mother, Mrs. Sangeeta Agarwal.

Crime being an inseparable part of human history and behaviour, naturally tends to be a popular genre in the television shows. These shows are thought-provoking and gripping, and can be consequently exceedingly addictive. ‘Criminal Minds’, ‘Bones’ and ‘Psych’ are some shows that explore this genre. Premiering in 2005, ‘Bones’ with the tagline, “To unravel a murder, you have to strip it to the bone,” has created waves and is showing in its 5th season.

“These shows are very addictive and consume a lot of one’s time. It depends from person to person actually; if you watch them in a proper way, like one or two episodes a day, then it’s okay.. But most people usually end up watching many episodes at once. And if you’re doing engineering, don’t watch them!” suggests Syed Ali Mohammad, a second year student from Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal.

Western shows like their Indian counterparts, provide the urban youth with the right amount of ‘funtertainment’, which accounts for their popularity. The high attractiveness quotient of the main protagonist (like Dr. Shepherd from Grey’s Anatomy, Temperance Brennan and Seeley Booth from Bones and Michael from Prison Break to name a few) is also a contributing factor in determining the viewer’s reception to the show. However, that is not always the case. As Tripti Gupta, a second year Multimedia student from International Academy of Computer Graphics puts it, “Western shows are popular because the characters are very real! We can relate to them.”

Catch them on DVD. Credits : Pens Eve

Despite the wide cultural gap between the philosophy of western shows and the mindset of Indian youngsters, the two are quite inseparable. “Television shows that showcase a free, independent and liberal way of living, away from the maze of conservative Indian Society catalyze the GenX of India to imbibe the culture prescribed by the shows. Indian society is embedded with various control and the thought of breaking free, encourages youngsters to at the least watch western drama which tells them, ‘You think of it, we DO it’,” explains Isaac Prince Jeffrey, a youngster from Bangalore, who works with HP.

“TV series like ‘Friends’ , ‘Southpark’ and ‘Lost’ are extremely popular with our generation. They can be thrilling and entertaining, and are a great pastime. However, some people get addicted and sit for hours on end watching episode after episode. We should all remember that television series are merely a source of entertainment, not a substitute for real life,” sums up Nandita Mahajan, a student of Mass Communication, from St. Francis College for Women.

With all the hysteria surrounding these shows, everyone seems to be satisfied – the creators because their work is being appreciated, the viewers because their appetite for continuous dosage of entertainment is being satiated and even the distributors, who bank in on the obsession and make good profits. “Television shows from the West are popular among the young and the old alike in Hyderabad. And to promote them, we keep having new and exciting offers most of the time,” says Sai Kishore, Salesman at Landmark, Banjara Hills.

Exciting Offers. Credits : Pens Eve

For good or for worse, the tele series obsession is here to stay.

Here’s hoping that the tele-obsession does not distract you from the noble path of books and good marks this exam season. Wishing you all the best for exams and a very pleasant summer!

To find out more about television shows, log on to:
http://www.imdb.com/

The above incident, though fictitious, is based on true occurrences and many college students will be able to relate to it. Is the lecturer justified in doing so? Or is she being a little too strict? This brings us to the question, how strict is too strict for colleges?

After 14 years of wearing a uniform and following strict rules and regulations in order to be the disciplined and obedient student that all parents and teachers want a child to be, college offers youngsters a chance to heave a sigh of relief and be themselves. Every school student dreams about the perfect college life which is bindaas and carefree, and eagerly looks forward to the commencement of a life where there is no uniform to be worn everyday, instead one can wear an attire which reflects his or her personality, where lecturers are more approachable and not as strict as school teachers, where everyone treats students as young adults and trusts their decisions; a life which includes milestones like the 18th birthday, first bunk, first election where one gets to vote, and probably even the first date, first cell phone, first ATM card, first vehicle and first job! All these things are hallmarks of what is called ‘growing up’. Then why is it that sometimes, even in college, students are treated like kids and unnecessary rules are imposed on them?

Many of the colleges in the city manage to irk students with some weird rules which according to students are not required. One such rule is the dress code. Pradeepa Iyer, a student of Sri Indu College of Engineering and Technology said, “According to me my college has a whole set of stupid rules. Firstly, no mobiles allowed, but we still carry them. Secondly, the dress code for girls which I find really hard to digest. Girls should only wear salwar with dupatta. No jeans, t-shirts, shirts or even kurtis! All the girls are complaining but to no avail, the management doesn’t seem to be bothered. Even the boys are not spared and should come only in formals with shirts tucked in! Is it a professional college or a school?” Bindu Korla of DVRCET said, “My college is kinda strict. ID cards and formals are a must. I really don’t understand why a dress code is required!” She further added,  “We still have to do homework, not assignments, similar to a school student! We are still treated as immature beings. Innovative technical ideas are hardly considered. It is almost like the lecturers don’t believe that we are future engineers. The shoddy formalities make our task difficult!”

Another thing which angers students is when colleges try to restrict their

Tons of homework! Is it college or school? Credit:Mystical Vigilante

movement, whether it is going in and coming out of campus or on the campus itself. Smitha Vrath of Stanley college of Engineering and Technology said, ”My college is too strict. We can enter college at anytime but we can’t leave early. We have to take the Principal’s permission to do so. I feel it is ridiculous that at this age, we are not allowed to be ourselves. Even if the last hours are free, we are forced to stay back!”  Sirish Aditya of CVR college of Engineering said, ”My college is not a little strict, it is more of a primary school! I’m almost an engineer and I am not supposed to be seen in the corridors, grounds or the library during class hours, they treat us like little kids! My HoD threatens to call my mother if my attendance is not up to the required percentage. I would say 90% of all the rules in my college are unnecessary.”

Though Sri Charan Panchavaty Ganesh, another student of CVR, agrees his college is strict, he feels that most times, it is justified. “My college is strict sometimes, but most of the time it is called for. Colleges are under private ownership, protocols within premises need to be strict to keep everything in check. Taking into account the quality of the crowd and the atrocities against girls in some colleges, ‘grown up’ is not ‘grown up’ enough as yet,” he said. However, there are a few things that he would like to speak up against, “But, blackmailing students is utter treachery. Giving low scores just because the student wasn’t paying attention in class, despite doing well in the exam can’t be justified in any way. By doing this the teachers are just putting the future of the student at stake when they should do the exact opposite! What are they doing here, playing God?” he retorted. When asked if there are any rules in his college which according to him are not required he replied,  “Students are checked for their bus ID cards each and everyday. If someone forgets to bring it then he or she is fined even if the faculty knows that the student possesses the card and has paid the fee! Another outrageous rule is that a boy and a girl can’t sit together in the bus. Either they want us to grow up to be socially narrow minded or they just don’t trust us!”

Pin drop silence in class! Credit:Mystical Vigilante

However. there are a few colleges which treat the students like the young adults that they are. “I’ve never felt that my college is strict. We have an open gate system and our dress code is pretty flexible and comfortable.” said Rajitha Sanaka of St. Francis College. She further said, ”Well, one time I wasn’t allowed into the class for being 5 minutes late and another time I was made to stand at the back of the classroom just for talking to my friend in class for a minute! These incidents made me feel a little weird but apart from these, everything is fine.” Nidhi Inani of JNA & FAU said, ”Our college is not strict at all. Since we are an arts college we are not confined to classrooms for classes, our classes are usually outdoors. There are no rules that make us feel like we are in school. We have an open gate system. Everything is fine as long as we submit assignments on time and fulfill the required 65% of attendance.”

The rule of not wearing T-shirts is happening to be the most unwillingly accepted rule where every other student is just compelled to wear formals everyday. This engineering institute wants students to look professional and slaps a fine on anyone wearing casual wear. “T-shirts are banned both for boys and girls. We understand if they want to bar us from wearing T-shirts with cheeky messages, but I was fined for wearing a plain T-shirt,” states C. Sammat Kumar from IT.

Also the angle of comfort was highlighted by other students.

“Our college is in outskirts and so we need to travel a lot and since most of us don’t feel comfortable in formals, we should be given right to wear anything in which we feel comfortable as  students are quite sensible of not wearing party wear in college,” opines Ritu Verma , a 3rd year student of the same college. “After spending years in school wearing uniforms, It is also a way to express our individuality, and when you are spending hours stuck in a lecture, it is important to be comfortable and T-shirts provide that comfort”,  suggests Apurba Mandal of  Information Technology.

“College is the only place where we can explore new fashion trends and no one should dictate what we wear. T-shirts are the coolest option for college goers”, quips Madabhushi Vennela of 3rd year. She also adds that there are many students, who can’t afford so many clothes. Those, who have only 2-3 shirts are struggling in the mid of semester due to this rule. Nithish Bandari, a 3rd year student adds, “Formal shirts are for executives and students should look like students, not executives.”

T-shirts are extremely comfortable and fit for the long hours of college. Tees can be dressed up by accessorizing or teaming it up with a shirt or scarf, to give it a formal look. The idea of banning tees is simply baseless. Conspicuously, the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, which also seems restricted these days and with such rules springing up, students don’t even have the freedom to dress either. “A college implementing such a bizarre rule must surely have an 18th century mindset,” states Alekhya Goud from IT, 3rd year.

There seems to be a thin line between discipline and moral policing and students across CMEC college profess that their clothes reflect their individuality, which should not be suppressed. When it comes to dress code, a drive against obtrusively suggestive attires or those with cheeky messages or photographs is understandable. But T-shirts? They are innocuous, perhaps the most decent among casuals.

Guys comfi in tees, chilling out under shade in summer. Credits:Rabble Rouser

“Tees cause negative appeal by having their captions in front. Round neck tees are body attraction oriented. Dressing makes an impression so it should be impressive and shouldn’t provoke others. Also in a formal setup of college , informal wear  is highly not  justified,” quips Mrs.Usha Bala, a lecturer from CM engineering College. Authorities say they are insisting on formals to promote professionalism. What professionalism? Yes, colleges are temples of learning just as schools. But they aren’t offices, where dress codes should be enforced. And professionalism — or concentrating on studies and not dresses, if that’s what the authorities mean by the terminology – isn’t about attires, but is synonymous with dedication and hard work.

Dress codes may be justified at certain places and on particular occasions. For instance, it’s commonly perceived that in temples, people are expected to wear simple, traditional clothes so as not to divert attention of others towards glossy attires. At a condolence gathering, people wear white to respect the solemnity of the occasion. In these instances, one appreciates the moral and social gesture. However, a ban on T-shirts in colleges appears too far-fetched, even a wee-bit ludicrous in its purported mission. The thrust should be on stemming obscenity and propagating decency, not in formulating incomprehensible rules under the garb of ‘professionalism’.

Apparently, T-shirts have become strictly No-No in CMEC. The students of CMEC allege this rule is just a way of extracting extra money from them and is highly unfair. However, the students accept that for presentations and in laboratories, a neat formal attire is justified but banning the Tees in college is totally not justified.

Unlike other college fests, the fest at NMR had around four individual fests organized by different departments from the college with their own names and unique events under each fest. Dr. D.N.Reddy, Hon’ble Vice Chancellor of JNTU (Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University), Hyderabad was the Chief Guest and Nalla Malla Reddy, Hon’ble secretary, Nalla Malla Reddy Educational Society started off with the inaugural address. He said, “The united we are, the stronger it reflects in our celebrations.” Then there was a message from the Chief Guest after which, he initiated the Tech Fest and from there on, four different fests began to enthrall a large number of students who have visited the college to participate in various events.

Sambhavaat '10. Credits : Nocturnal Czar

The fests held at Tech Fest were Sambhavaat (Mechanical Engineering Department), Yatna (Electrical Engineering Department), Medha’s (CSE-IT; MCA Department), Cihan (Electronics Engineering Dept). All these fests were unique in functioning and the only thing that they had in common was the campus. The Tech Fest got a huge response as students from various departments from other colleges were pouring into the campus and it was full of young technocrats moving about. It was a delight to watch all the events take off simultaneously and have a healthy atmosphere. All were busy in their respective events, a few conducting and the others participating.

SAMBHAVAAT ’10, the fest conducted by the Department of Mechanical Engineering, had a few unique events to be noted. They conducted a workshop on amateur Aero-modeling which would teach beginners on how to make a radio controlled glider and later fly it by themselves. “Wow, I can fly something I made and can control it easily with the remote in my hand.. The workshop was very useful for all of us,” said Swathi Reddy, a first year Mechanical Engineering student of the college. The other catchy event from this dept was “CREA” Assembly. This was an assembly of an IC engine. Participants had to perform the operation in a stipulated time limit and who did it faster, won. “It was good to see many students take up the challenges put up and compete with one other,” said T.Mohan Das, Head of Department, Mechanical Engineering.

Robotics. Credits : Nocturnal Czar

YATNA ’10 was a fest conducted by the Department of Electrical Engineering. It was very well organized and planned right from the start. All the third year engineering students were the organizers and they got a hold of good sponsors who encouraged talent and were willing to the best to encourage. YATNA had many attractive robotic competitions apart from the paper and poster presentations. “The track on which my bot had to travel was very tricky and I had to focus to stick till the very end,” said one of the participants of the Robotics Event. They also conducted a number of fun events which included treasure hunt. They kept the participants busy and gave them room for relaxation with these events. “We did have a very good time.. Though we came here for just a paper presentation, we did take part in a lots of other events and it was so well-organized, that none of the events clashed!” said P Deepthi, a 2^nd year Instrumentation Engineering student from Bhoj Reddy College of Engineering.

Seminar credits : Nocturnal Czar

MEDHA’s ‘10 was a joint event of the CSE IT and MCA deparments. They had presentations and seminars based on latest technological advancements on their fields. They had all the technology related events like advancements and application of various projects. They conducted LAN-gaming, which was the star attraction of the fest. Students were pouring in from all streams of engineering to wage wars in the gaming world and see test their skill, “In gaming you have to be very serious.. one can’t afford to take chances and it’s the survival of the fittest,” said D. Chaitanya, a third year CSE student of NMR College, who was also the organizer of gaming.

CIHAN’10 was conducted by the Electronics Engineering Department. They had a very good number of events like paper and poster presentation, project exhibition, live models, etc. In project exhibition and live model presentation, a student had to show his working model of the project and explain it on the basis of details like the usage and applications. “By presenting my model and after interacting with the judges and answering their queries I could get some new ideas which I will use to implement the next time,” said  Raja Nihanth Reddy, studying 3^rd year Electronics Engineering at Aurora Technological and Research Institute.

Robotics Event. Credits : Nocturnal czar

All the fests were running parallel to each other. They had their own set of participants and visitors and NMREC was the only venue for all the events. There were no problems of inconvenience for any participant as it was well planned and handled. It was unlimited fun at every camp and who ever found the one more interesting spent a lot of time there, at the end of the day gaining knowledge is what one looks into at a fest. “It was great to be here and we learnt a lot and spent very good time for two days,” quoted a visitor, Viraj Reddy, studying final year Electronics Engineering at CVR College of Engineering. Waiting for the next TECH FEST when all these four departments will be gearing up to set new challenges, and encourage everyone to perform much better. Another long year to go and this will happen in a much better way and will for sure go beyond the expectations of all.

All The Best!

It’s rather easy saying than doing. One can guide you through tough times suggesting you, help you to live with the ills and odds that life keeps in store for you, teach you the difference between good and bad to go a long way up, but very few personalities can go to an extent of molding their life as an example to their inheritors. One such phenomenal person is our reverent Swami Vivekananda. No wonder the competence behind his conceptions has driven today’s youth to celebrate his birthday, the 12th of January, 148th anniversary this year!

“I am a viscid admirer of Swami Vivekananda. Every year I make it sure to spend time in Rama Krishna Math on his birthday which is now being celebrated as National Youth day. I find no other way to express my gratitude to this legend, for his words showed me a right route when I was almost balled up”, shares Naureen Tabassum, a medical student from Gandhi, while Sirisha Rathod from NIFT chunks, “I very often forget my incumbency as a civilian, just like any other young selfish fella. This place here (Rama Krishan Math) succors me in dipping myself into the holy feeling of being bounded.”

Commemorations are generally celebrated to remember a person, who is no more but is still loved. But few like him are memorized for their outstanding service to Indian ideas whose yearly observance deserves a lot more. Many ideas of his have only been confined to sayings and were hardly ever followed. On an average most of the students say they adore the words of Vivekananda, how far is that true, is indeed a personal question.  “Swami Vivekananda is my role model. His preachings are worth admiration but the application part is the real question. Motivation he induced is afresh. I thought giving them a try but failed to shadow them because somewhere they involve pluck which is a social issue all over again”, regrets Nishita Taduri from BVRIT.

Vivekananda Institute of Human Excellence. Credit: Divina Eileen

Few Populace have experienced the facts that have been out through Vivekananda long before but the hesitation to jab them and moralize them is quite vivid today. “Society plays a vital role directly and indirectly in a person’s life. Even if one stabs to take a positive direction, efforts to moralize themselves, they fail to sustain optimism due to the society. ‘Be good, the rest just follows’ is an old saying. Live with the society, walk in the path it walks in, else you’ll not even know that you are lost the moment you started to take a different path, all alone. Swami Vivekananda’s propaganda’s are ideal but are hardly valid to the society at present” remorses Karthik Shah an adherent of Vivekananda, when surveyed why people defer to comply his sermons after knowing they are right.

He was a man who went across nations spreading knowledge. He was a man who was more respected around the world than here in India. The Vivekananda Vedanta society of Chicago which was set up to real the twin ideals of realizing god within and serving god in man holds one of the examples for the following Swami Vivekananda has. It’s an irony that people are honored better after their loss rather than when they are around us. Divine souls always have their place reserved in history irrespective of others visions and perceptions.

He was the first to define the essence of education. It was he who made the stand of youth powerful, in fact a meaningful one. Educational Institutions today are named after Vivekananda in reverence but none really knows if they are precisely following his ideas.  ‘Education with knowledge is important; Strive for Excellence, success becomes your trademark before you even think of it’  is what he deemed in and now the very institutions train students to compete for marks in the name of success though they put up a distinct mask in public, of course for public. “People respect him, they love his teachings, they accept the fact that his thoughts make one a perfect person, yet they fail to inculcate them, its sad that simple things seem to be so complicated these days”, mumbles Gaddam Puneet from TRR.

Rama Krishna Math. Credit: Raghu

“I have seen 13 batches from our school in my experience. 10th standard has been the last platform where the students give a serious thought about their liability towards nation, as we motivate them to the best where Swami Vivekananda’s preachings play a vital role. Once they step out from here they say, they hardly have time for themselves and so anticipating dedication towards nation must be a bigger expectation” recounts Rev. Sister John Paul the Ex-Principal of St. Anthony’s Girls High School. It’s not easy to suddenly start following the teachings of the great man, but surely the desire to change can initiate it. Out of hours and hours of surfing in the internet dedicating a few minutes to sites like http://www.vedantasociety-chicago.org can help a lot in ones development , proving the fact that there are people walking in the light the man left behind.

“His ideas were simple, but true. They initiate success in life. They were all about love, knowledge, truth. He believed that purity, patience, and perseverance are three essentials to success. His views about a religion were different; it is oneness, unlike today’s religion which has become a point of fight. Many social organizations have been started to keep his preaches and principles alive.  http://www.sevalaya.org/ in Chennai and http://www.spiritualbangalore.com/spiritual-organizations/vivekananda-kendra-yoga-research-foundation/ in Bangalore are the few sites of the social organizations committed to Swami Vivekananda’s sermons.

When youth say they respect his ideas, why is there no room for patriotism? Why is this generation dreaming of life abroad? Why not India?

“When it comes to beliefs and orations, patriotism and stuff sound diplomatic, good. But they are too tedious in everyday life. All of us like boasting in public about patriotism, progress, oneness, keeping them in practice is impractical. Unless their financial position doesn’t support them, why would anyone prefer to strive in India when there are several other options offering us better lives abroad?” question’s Amay Setty from DVR.

“Its fortunate for him that Swami Vivekananda is not between us today. This world would have changed him literally, or even otherwise, we would have his ideas, his teachings and philosophy confined only to writings on the walls”, opines Roobella Subash from SVIT.

Vedanta Literature House. Credit: Raghu

This is a wireless generation. Western culture has not only influenced youngsters but has become an essential part of their life. Rather than passion for progress, its love for non-yielding sophistication we witness at present. But was this Vivekananda had striven for? Selfish at times, has been associated with today’s generation, but isn’t that totally different from the wise man’s ideas which said about helping others? In his words ‘They alone live who live for others, the rest are more dead than alive.’  “I heard a lot about this man. His love for nation will be remembered till India survives on the world map. I adore him, respect him but his preaches cannot be practiced today the way they were expected to. Remembering him is all a man can do for now, to be precise” says Sindhu Machanna from Gitams.

If youngsters owe respect to the ideas of Vivekananda then let his birthday not be, only the birth anniversary of him but be a day of reckoning. If not, all the questions put across will go answer less, it does not go as a loss to the man but a casualty of youth today. After all its love and love alone that he preached, is missing today!

“Chaat is tasty, easy to find and amazing comfort food. Most importantly, it is easy on the pocket too. What else could one ask for! It is a fabulous option anytime, any place. It is very me!” said Yerremsetty Sandhya, a student of Loyola College. B. Aakruthi Vaishnavi, a student of Sreenidhi Institue of Science and Technology said,  “I think the reason why chaat is so popular is because it is so yummy and tangy. It is ready to eat and you can get it instantly. Chaat can be had even on a full stomach! I love Dahi Puri and the meetha chutney that is added to it. I can eat Pani Puri any time of the day!” she further added,  “The best chaat I ever had was in Chandni Chowk, Delhi.I have many memories attached with chaat as in my school days, my friends and I used to go to this particular bandi opposite the bus stop there and eat Pani Puri for Rs. 2 per plate everyday!”

A man prepares the stall before it opens. Credit:Mystical Vigilante

Apart from the tangy, tongue-tingling taste that chaat offers, there are some other reasons why it strikes a chord with the younger lot.  “Chaat bandi’s serve as an avenue for friends to meet and converse over some snacks. It is cheap and readily available. Chaat is a lifeline for us college students. Whenever we are hungry and running short on time, we can go to the nearest chaat stall and grab a quick bite to keep us going through the day. The best part is that we don’t have to dig deep into our pockets for it!” said Ronny Mukherjee of Guru Nanak Engineering College. He further added,  “I absolutely relish chaat! My day feels incomplete unless I chow down a plate of Bhel puri!”

According to  Kailasa Manisha of Aurora Degree College, the secret of chaat’s success lies in the fact that it has lesser calories when compared to other junk food. “It is spicy but at the same time, it is light too. It has lesser calories than pizzas or burgers and thus, is a relatively healthier option.” She then added,  “The affordable prices have got a lot to do with its popularity. We youngsters are almost always low on cash, therefore, chaat usually comes to our rescue. I feel that Indians are addicted to Pani Puri because it totally suits our taste buds.” For Suman Tatelu of JBIET, it is the easy availability that makes chaat her favourite. ” I love Pani Puri because you don’t have to go far away or to a big place to eat it.” she said.

Lip-smacking Pani Puri! Credit:Mystical Vigilante

Hungry kya? Chaat kha!!! Credit:Mystical Vigilante

Pani Puri... Keep it coming! Credit:Mystical Vigilante

Although chaat rates really high among youngsters when it comes to easily available, affordable and tasty food, it has been constantly criticized for being unhealthy and unhygienic. But, this doesn’t stop chaat connoisseurs from relishing it. As it is said, Khaane waalon ko khaane ka bahaana chaahiye! (People, who want to eat just need an excuse to eat!) Rasamsetty Lavanya of Jyothishmati College of Engineering and Technology said,  “The hygiene level of chaat depends on the place you are eating at. I agree that it doesn’t come under the proper diet plan, but it is amazingly comfortable street food. Whenever I’m hungry, I head to the first chaat bhandar in sight!” Debsuta Roy of Institute of Aeronautical Engineering said,  “Nowadays many chaat stalls are taking precautionary measures for hygiene and are using plastic gloves while making chaat. I love  chaat because you can’t find that taste in any other food and it refreshes my mind.”

Chatpata Ragada chaat in the making! Credit:Mystical Vigilante

Krithika Sundaraman of ILS Law College, Pune thinks the hygiene levels play a role in the taste.  “It is probably the unhygienic conditions of chaat bandi’s that makes the food so tasty. In big hotels or restaurants, where chaat is made with mineral water and is to be eaten with spoons and forks it doesn’t taste that good! Certain things should be had in specific places. It is fun to eat chaat from the roadside bandi!”

However, there are still a few who are not die-hard fans of chaat. Karthika Anagha of St. Francis College said,  “I don’t like chaat. I inherently dislike the taste. I’m a classical singer and I think it is bad for my throat. My first impression about chaat itself was bad as I was down with an upset stomach the first two times I had it. But, I like Pav Bhaji.”

Chaat is evidently a clear winner when it comes to popular fast food among young college-goers. It can be easily said about chaat, ‘No one can eat just one!’

The Farewell frenzy has spread like wildfire among the students, especially the seniors, most of whom can’t stop gushing about how they are going to look in saris.  “I’m really excited for the Farewell. Everywhere in college, it is the only topic of discussion. Everyone is asking the same question to each other, ‘Which color sari will you be wearing?’. I’m really looking forward to it.” said Harika Jain, a final year B.A. student. Malise Paul, another senior said,   “I’m really excited about wearing a sari. However, I’m also a little sad that college is over. I’ll miss all my friends and lecturers.” Some students have also made plans to party after the programme. Neha Singh, a 3rd year Mass Communication student said,  “My friends and me have pooled in money and we are going to go to 10D after the programme. We’ll dance and have lots of fun!” She further added,  “We are really excited about dressing up in saris. Yesterday we went shopping and bought heavy and expensive saris exclusively for the Farewell. Later, we’ll be going to buy matching accessories.”

The juniors have come up with a short programme for their beloved seniors which includes 2 group dances, one by B.Sc students and the other by B.Com students. The former has a fusion theme whereas the latter’s theme is a girl’s journey from school to college. Dona Ghosh, a 2nd year B.Sc student and one of the dancers in the first dance said,  “We started practicing on 3rd march and are really excited to perform. We will be dancing on a medley of Desi girl, Twist, Taal, Uff teri ada and Zoobi doobi. We are trying to create a fusion between Indian and Western.” Surabhi Bhandari, a B.Com student and one of the dancers of the other group said,  “We are going to depict the various stages of a girl’s life from childhood till the college farewell. The songs that we have chosen are ABCD….., Chak dhoom dhoom, Paathshaala, Aaj main upar, Khud ko kya samajhti hai, 10 on 10, Remix, Main tera dhadkan teri, Hai junoon and Jaane nahi denge tujhe. We are really looking forward to performing for our seniors.”

Apni toh Paathshaala, Masti ki paathshaala! Credit:Mystical Vigilante

Members of the Miss Francis organizing committee at work. Credit:Mystical Vigilante

Taal se Taal mila! Credit:Mystical Vigilante

The programme also includes the prestigious ‘Miss Francis’ contest, which is like a beauty pageant for the outgoing students, but with a francisian twist. Over the years, this contest has gained immense popularity and the number of girls vying for the coveted crown have greatly increased. Aditi Rao, a 2nd year B.Sc student and one of the members of the Miss Francis organizing committee said,  “We are working really hard to ensure that this year the contest sets the bar at a great height for the ensuing year. There were many entries this time, so we conducted a preliminary round which was a written test with personality based questions and picked out the final 15 who will compete on the day of the event. The upcoming rounds are Introduction and Talent, a quiz to test their know how about St. Francis & finally, judges’ question.” She further added,  “We arranged for sashes and crowns for the winners. The crowns are really pretty. I’m going to compere the event for the 1st time. I’m really excited about it.”

The Miss Francis contest has become a thing of  tremendous importance and honor to the participants. Sheetal Iyer, one of the finalists this year said,  “The whole idea of Miss Francis creates excitement. It is a privilege to bear that title. Even being a part of the contest is an honor. Being one of the finalists shows that we have carved a niche for ourselves in college over the years.” Disha Pancholi, another finalist said,  “I won the Miss Fresher 1st runner up title in my 1st year, it was then that I decided that I want to be Miss Francis. I am very attached to St. Francis. So, when I saw my name on the list of finalists it was like a dream come true. If I win, I will be deeply touched.”

However, not everyone is going gaga over the Farewell. Sunaina Bhagwandas, a B.A. final year student said,  “After 3 years of being in the same place, I’m so tired that I can’t wait to get out of here. I’m not really looking forward to the Farewell. Mostly I won’t come on that day.”

Love it or Hate it, but the Farewell at St. Francis has surely got all of its students talking about it and they definitely had one hell of a time preparing for it!

“Budget” is something, which fuels the whole nation. Money is the only thing, which has its influence on every walk of life; shell out a little more money and it eases the work to be done. Money has always brought pleasure and it allows people to meet their basic needs in day-to-day life. Today’s youth is exploring every sector and has its share of knowledge and presence in all the fields. Youngsters would be affected both positively and negatively by the budget because they are considered as the largest consumers in every sector.

Money Transactions. Credits : Anu Bindu

Starting off with the star attractions or the most commonly used goods, which the youth of today depend on and use the most – Gadgets. No student today can survive without a mobile phone or a cool music machine. There might be days, when one can dream of forgetting important college stuff like notes or records, but everyone makes sure they have all their entertainment material, the iPods and MP3 players with them, all the time. “Who goes out of the house without a mobile in their pocket? When you have the mobile with you, the money in the wallet doesn’t matter much,” says Hrudya Palanki, from St. Pious Degree College.

The new budget has made provisions for cost reduction on these electronic gadgets and now the students eyeing at a new smart phone can easily afford it compared to the yester years. Upgrading gadgets galore with all the new stuff in the market can be done easily. The government has reduced the excise rates on electronic goods facilitating one to get a hold on them. Laptops, smart phones or other things, just take time to choose the best and grab it.

Everyone needs to fuel their ideas and work on them in order to achieve them. The youth today is all set with new hopes and ideas and will take over this whole system sooner. Unfortunately there is a hike in the fuel prices now and this will cost us a lot more than it used to. The oil reserves in India will be drained out soon and there will be adverse conditions in the future. “Hope the young engineers will come up with a new alternative regarding the fuel, it’s costing me a lot to travel while going for different coaching institutes which are widespread in the city,” says Amogh Mohan, a student from Nalla Malla Reddy Engineering College.

Monetary Transactions. Credits : Anu Bindu

The education sector is given a boost, more funds have been allocated to the education this time which will help the common man to avail his Right to Education. This boost to the education sector will help those, who crave for education. It will eradicate illiteracy and encourage the students aiming for higher studies. The future years will have a higher number of educated people, who will take some valuable decisions and lead the country effectively or cast a valuable vote as responsible citizens. Education allows one to think better.

Many will be finishing off their studies and will be looking for jobs, start their careers and earn a living. The government is not favoring foreign investments and has stopped privatization of sectors, which is nothing but reduction in the job facilities offered. Unemployment has very bad effects on the youth, when they can’t fund their expenses and need money to avail some basic needs, they tend to earn it by unfair means. The man-power of the youth should not be wasted to do unproductive work that goes against the nation.

New Vehicles. Credits : Nocturnal Czar

Well, after seeing in to the pros and cons of the budget that is released, we can see that there are some impacts on the youth and their lifestyle. Students need to be familiar with these governmental activities from an earlier age itself. This will help them know the changes taking place around them in a better way and look at everything with a broader sense.

“The annual budget comes from us, from what we earn and pay the government in the form of taxes. So the students should try to know more about it. That will help them do justice in the coming years, for themselves as well as others,” says P.M.K.Raju, a parent. Many elders had the same opinion that it was better if students were aware of this and learn to handle it well for the time when it will be their turn to be a part of the democratic rule.

In conclusion, issues like budget should be understood well so that we can act accordingly to be better citizens. Understanding it helps in overall development of the country, so better late than never… let’s get familiar.

But the question of the hour is Why college Fest?  What does it take to make it possible?  Here is an attempt to clear the 5 Ws 1 H and give an idea about the fest. A survey among the students has been taken from colleges in and around Hyderabad.

The grounds for conducting a fest in a college have many motives but to emphasize the top few reasons for fest to be conducted are:

1. To bring out the hidden talent in the students.

2. Look into world outside the college gates.

3. To learn time and finance management.

4. To bring in coordination among the students of all years and branches.

0^th reason ‘Branding of the College’

Various Sponsors. Credits: Morle'La Wheermy

Functionality of Fests:

For an event to get noticed, their always should exist ‘Uniqueness’ or ‘Difference’ in comparison to the other fests. A college fest also requires umpteen hours of prior toil. To carry out an event certain rubrics and statute titles are to be maintained and followed.

Initially the skeletal structure of the event, the Budget is decided and interested students are requested to register for the coordinators’ team. For a fest to function there are various committees that are formed like: Core, Committees like Sponsors, Organizing, Event Heads, Publicity and Communication, Letter Work, External and Internal affairs and Volunteers.

The prominence is given to students who can work in parallel on more than two events at a time as the events should take shape from the outline. Various departments share few students. At this phase the entire process of functionality is divided into three heads. They are:

* Event Management: – Development of the events to presentation on the day of the fest. From paper to the end user application; perfect work which attracts people to the fest and which shows the events are better than the rest.

* Publicity: – Decisions on events to be publicized more, media partners to tie up, maximum strategies to get attention, how to get extra attention.

* Sponsors: – The critical zone of elimination. Uncanny Sense and Communication skills prioritized.  Every student faces in prioritizing who sponsors and who doesn’t.

Prakriti: Agricultural Fest. Credits: Morle'La Wheermy

The important zone of the complete fest is to zero in on who supports and who sponsors the fest. To approach the exact company/person which is directly related to the theme of the fest is very significant. Maintaining documentation of the sponsors approached is a good tactic. “Some politely reject our request and some make us talk for hours together or snub. The best way to start with sponsors is to do a lot of home work on who sponsors, where, how much and how does he/she get convinced, then pick up students who are good with the analyzed work and send them for sponsorship,” says Gaurav Kaushal, Student- Aviation, CMEC.

“To find sponsors for the fest is a mental work. It needs a lot of logic. We have to be very careful while speaking, one word in a wrong context drowns the complete idea of sponsoring,” says Akshay Neelakantam, Student- ECE, SVIT. One important aspect is, to find whether the sponsor we are approaching has sponsored any other event or not. In case of a positive response try to “Maskafy“.  “My college is not a renowned or deemed university; it’s not very popular, so initially it was scary to start off. Now after working on it, I feel it was a really excellent experience,” said Rohit Mishra, Student- ECE, SVIT.

With recession still affecting the economy, many companies point a direct “NO”. The businessmen and company sponsors have their own reason. “We always try to analyze the type of fest students organize and to get the best advantage and benefit for our company,” said Mr. Laxman Rao, Managing Director, S One Technology Private Limited. When asked about recession and its effect on the fests he says, “Basically before recession, all the decisions were taken by the local marketing dept but now everywhere the market is down, so even we have to try cost-cutting measures. We choose only such fests where we can get 99% benefit for sponsoring. We don’t sponsor just because we have money, right?”

“We mostly prefer fests where there is lot of female crowd who intend to look gorgeous. So in most cases we prefer such colleges where we apply our constraints,” said Shine Mathew, Marketing, Anoos Beauty Parlour. “The first thing we look into when we tie up with the college is the “BRAND” value. Most students tune into Radio channels at random. But in cases, where we are sponsoring them, they listen to our channel even during the advertisements. That way we gain more listeners,” said Sidharth, Ex-Marketing Incharge, Red FM (93.5).

Parakram: Sports Night or Sports Fest. Credits: Morle'La Wheermy

“Stalls are the best way to indulge students to stay on the campus. Games stalls and Food stalls get a lot of profits. Our college has a lot of these every year. We even get celebrities for college fests which results in more crowd inflow. Stalls are also best parts of economy for fests. Arranging stalls is extremely tiresome though,” said Dinesh Rayala, Student- EEE, CBIT.

Publicity, in the present day, is mainly done by enrolling with media and radio partners, online social communities, by sending texts to friends, by putting on posters and banners in college and on college buses, sending students to put on posters in other colleges and thereby publicizing the event. Few with a mega budget put on hoardings too. Grabbing attention towards a fest is difficult. It requires a lot of talent and new ways to design the poster. It should be impressive.

The posters and banners are to be catchy. One has to create easy and simple ways to convey the content. “To make posters, we usually ask for ideas and draft themes from all the students and once we get them, we sit down and select the best. If nothing is good then we design a new one altogether. In most cases, these things come to the forefront at the 11^th hour. I have been making the website for my college fest for the past three years. In case of website, the template design takes 15 days, and coding at max an hour or two, if the content is ready. Event heads have to give the description of their respective events, and then the description is given to those students who can make it more effective,” says Karthik Navuluri, Student, CVRCE.

The arguments on a small decision, the rebellion ideas against college for taking selected people, the open protest from specific crowd for not asking them individually to take part in the fests are some of the serious issues. Suharsh Raj from MVSR says “Passionate and interested students are always welcome. It’s not a one man show. One cannot expect such individual requests.”

Event management is a huge responsibility. Everything needs a clear outline and work in all the directions. “We design an event and we have to test it in all the possible cases. Many colleges come up with new events every year. So in order to keep students stuck to our events, we need to be more creative and appealing. The outlook is to be made very glossy. All the events are to be well taken care of,” says Aditya Venkat, Student – ECE, Aurora Engineering College.

Sahaya 2010 : A fund raising event and college fest. Credits:Morle'La Wheermy

View Point:

Most college managements do the fests for Branding of the college. Few follow it just because it’s in vogue. When questioned “How Branding happens?” most students answered, “It’s a simple logic, when our college gives us permission for fests, then we show our college in the best possible way. All those who attend the event look at the best ends of the college. All the students praise the management. The college can get students with better ranks in the college which increases the popularity.”

“We encourage students to have a fest because they will get to learn more things; which is the prime motto and they enjoy it too,” said Mr. Narasinmha Rao, Ex- Principal, SVIT. “We take the initiative of bringing out the potential and hidden talent of the students by making them organize the fests,” says Mrs. Meenakshi Dhondi, faculty in-charge, Gaia 09, SVIT.

Few students feel, “we get to showcase our talent, skill and working spirit when the fests are conducted.” Whereas a few others feel that, “Working for a fest we will learn new things like how to manage the finance and time, according to the situation.”

The co-ordination among the students is the key aspect to success. There also exist reasons for students to work for the fest like attendance shortage (as attendance is given to students who work for the fest), popularity (name in the poster, pamphlet), self-satisfaction, compelled by college, and Coordinator certificates which adds to the résumé. Scathing comments do prevail as critics always like to see things only from their perspective.

Preparing a model. Credits: Suharsh Raj

Mrs. Subha Sharma, a parent comments, “No festival is as big as a college fest for students. They sort of do everything for the fest. At the beginning it looks like a tough job which is hard to make real, but these students make it a perfect presentation by the decided date. My daughter started working on her college fest from 2^nd year. Initially I objected to it, but then after viewing the work that they put into to make their fest, I am now proud.”

“When we started working, everything was confusing and vague. We had to design, code, test and make it work within a short span of two months. It was fun working with other students from the college. Most of the decisions are taken in the regular meets. We usually consider students who are regular to meets as “IN”, and exclude those who don’t and start working. It’s tough but fun,” says Shahbaj Sheikh, Student- IT, BVRIT.

Hopefully, this article would interest all those students, who want to be part of the fest but question themselves, “Why should I work for the fest and what will I gain?” And for those, who are already working, a few more ways of making college fests a sure-fire.