A Cool Shirt on a hot summer day! Credits : Ankit Madaan

So, summers are here! It’s the time of the year when lemonade replaces most of the water bottles! Now, when the season changes, there’s one question that comes up in our mind, “What should I wear now?” Well, read on to find the answer!

On the turn of a new season, most of us don’t approve of what our wardrobe has. Everywhere you see filmstars and models, wearing beautiful things which are usually not worth the price tag they come with. You look into your closet and everything looks like you’ve worn it a dozen times. What do you do? Revamp! Summer means bright, sunny, tanning, and of course, being cool when it’s all hot around you. It’s that time of the year when you get out of your thick leather and fur jackets and get into those short, easy and cooler clothes. This summer has a lot to offer in terms of fashion, be it for men, women, or teenagers!

Get funky with flip-flops! Credits : Blending Words

Ladies, heading out to party on a summer night? Get your hands on a toga dress; long or short, the choice is yours. Pair it up with a pair of flats, stilettos or even wedges, and you be will a complete head turner without putting in much effort, the dress does all the talking. Going pink and cute is ‘in’ this season so don’t be afraid to get that pink frock with some bow or even hearts on it, flaunt a little love and go girly! Put away dark, depressing shades and bring in the bright in the fruity ones. Lemon, raspberry, papaya; all these soft shades are ‘in’ so make sure you get some of these! One of the trends that haven’t faded with the winters is animal prints. They’re still popular, so get bold, get those funky prints! Semi-formal is the way to go this party season.

If you’ve got it, flaunt it! Short skirts, shorts, capris, they’re all in! Prints are in, so don’t be afraid to combine and experiment with them, and create a new and confident look. When it comes to accessories, go bold! Every girl has an accessory in her wardrobe which has a bold, not-to-be-missed look to it. Don’t be afraid to wear it this season, whether it’s a chunky necklace, a bright bag, or funky heels. Another unavoidable accessory are sunglasses! One cannot do without them. They are available in different colours, styles, and shapes. With variety available, you can create different looks depending upon the occassion.

Ashruti Shah, a Fashion Designing student at NIFT, says, “Asymmetrical short haircuts, aviators, shorts in funky colours, loose and sheer shirts, flip flops, cotton frocks etc. are all the right choice this summer! These days even harems with short tops are new and popular.”

Crocs! Credits : Ankit Madaan

Zainab Malik, from St. Francis College says, “Well, the word ’summer’ sounds so cool and easy to pronounce, but its effects are not so cool and easy! While its summer, the most important thing is to keep the colours in mind. Bright, sober and light colours work well during the season. Go with green, yellow, orange, pink and white. I basically avoid dark colours.”

Afshan Ahmed, a student at Hamstech Institute of Fashion Designing, says, “More of the prints, floral skirts teamed up with tank tops will rock and then you have linen finely stitched pants. Jeans are a big no for me this summer.”
Deepika Phakke, Placement Ambassador at BMS III, St Francis College says, “White is THE colour of the season, for it brings not just mental peace in this scorching sun, but is also simple, comfortable and hip. Could be as simple as wearing white tee shirts or white cropped pants, accessorised appropriately so as to not miss out on the fashion factor. Summer collections at Splash, Wardrobe, Globus etc. have never disappointed me! So you don’t really have to watch out what you wear this summer because ‘keeping it simple’ is the mantra this season!”

Kurti and Jeans, one of the most comfortable and popular trends. Credits : Blending Words

Kainath Saima, a homemaker, says, “Simplicity is a sign of elegance, but by nature every woman wants to keep in step with fashion. Since summer is the season of flowers, floral prints will add some cheer to the wearer. One can wear bright colours in ganji and pair it with shorts and flip flops for casual wear and short skirts are best for parties. People who don’t wear western clothes should go with soft cotton or linen suits.”

Now, coming to guys, bright shades, checks, and the evergreen t-shirts are in. Different types of caps are available, so pick them depending upon what suits your style. Dull colours, millitary shades, browns are all out. Experiment with colours, but make sure you don’t overdo it and end up looking funny. For college students, shoes can take a backseat for a while and slippers can come in. Many brands have introduces new kind of footwear exclusively for men.

Ankit Madaan, a Journalism student from TIAS, Indraprastha University, New Delhi, says, “Well, I’m planning to wear some light shades of pink shirts or sky blue tees because pink is in, and blue makes me feel cool! As it is, the world cup fever is on as well, so ‘bleeding blue’ will be my mantra for kicking the starting stone for summers! It’s a good idea to equip your closet with a few casual t-shirts, as well as a few formal shirts. Ensure that the items are made out of light, breathable materials-such as cotton or linen. Also, wear shirts that flatter your skin tone. Crocs are my all time favourite summer slippers! Try clubbing your clothes with different colours of crocs! Team up suitably, and there you are, all set for a summer splash!”

Musharaf Hussain, graduating from St. Mary’s and Business Development Manager-e2labs, says, “When it comes to summer I only prefer light colours in clothing like white, cream, light blue, dusty brown in cotton or linen which also give you a elegant and royal look and shades are always on when I’m out. When it comes to a haircut, I would suggest it to be short and spikey rather than long hair. Footwear in leather would be irritating and uncomfortable, so it is better to go with converse, or anything which protects your feet from the heat and is comfortable at the same time.”

Go Casual. Credits : Akram Hussain

Many colleges have restrictions when it comes to clothing. So here are opinions of some college students as to what they plan to wear this summer.

Safa Faheem, a student of Shadan College, says, “Summer reminds me that I desperately need to shop! Come summers, white is the way to go! Layered stuff, colours, scarves, stoles, shoes, canvases, tight clothes and leather items, all need to be ditched this season! I’m going to go for colours that are soothing and cooling, like yellow and light blue. Flip flops are in and very comfortable. Accessories should be limited, but goggles are highly important, can’t do without them in summer! Metallic shades and smokey make up is a total no. Shorts, capris, sleeveless and even micro sleeved tops are good but make sure what you’re wearing is loose and airy. Button down shirts are my personal favourite.”

White is the way to go, soft and cool! Credits : Blending Words

Harsha Khandelwal, a student of St. Francis College for Women, says, “Personally I like the colours white and orange, and they’re in too. A plain tee or a light coloured one on jeans teamed up with a traditional dupatta is very casual, yet cool.”
Mehreen Saman, a student of Sultan Ul Uloom College of Pharmacy, says, “I’ll go for casuals, wearing cool soothing colours like white, blue, and other light colours. If something Indian, I’ll go for cotton or linen.”

Gyandeep Kaur, pursuing BBA from Avalon Aviation says, “According to me, fashion not only makes a woman look trendy, but also improves her self confidence. I check out almost everywhere to get for the kind of stuff. Places like malls, exhibitions and of course at markets like Charminar, Sultanbazaar and Sindhi colony too because I don’t want to miss all the funky things out there!”

Nasra Fatima, a student of Sultan Ul Uloom College of Pharmacy, says, “Well at least at the college I go to, most girls dress casual. I would just think simple and casual with a touch of classy, maybe a cute white flowy top and some sandals or maybe some cute flats.”

With so many new trends, and a little bit of creativity, one can make a style statement for sure this summer. So, open your wardrobe, or go shopping if you need to! Remember, some of the most stylish people around, are wearing some version of the same thing all the time. True style has nothing to do with clothes and everything to do with how you wear them.

The origins of the ‘water pipe’ smoking device date back to around the 16th century. It was invented in India during the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar. However, smoking tobacco was not a widespread activity in India even after it’s introduction by the Europeans. The equipment was essentially designed in order to filter the smoke from tobacco using water. This ancient smoking equipment was then famous among ambassadors and aristocrats. The Arabs call  it the ’shisha’ and are the world’s largest smokers in number, for they use it for social smoking. The Arabs have most number of cafes offering hookah in the whole world according to statistics. This smoking trend is the most happening style these days in the Hyderabad city hangouts.

There are a lot of places in the city where most of the teenagers are most expected to smoke hookah. Busiest places in the city like Himayathnagar, Sr Nagar, Jubillee hills, Vidyanagar etc. which are always full with students on the streets are one of the hot spots for hookah parlours. Hookah, in the past few months, has overthrown the craze for hangout places like gaming centers, movies theatres and even restaurants. This new trend has been very rapidly evolving in improving the tastes and flavours offered and the fun loving youth is fast accepting the changes in habits.

There are many hookah smokers who think smoking hookah does not cause as much harm as cigarettes or cigars. This makes only a few of the hookah smokers aware of the fact that it is equally harmful as smoking cigarettes and even potentially more harmful when consumed in higher amounts. The very design upon which the device is designed, smoke purification using water, is not much effective as it is thought to be by the teenagers. Due to this lack of wealthy information and hype of unhealthy fashion the young are definitely not on the right path.

“I don’t think hookah is a very harmful habit and I also feel it is much better than cigarettes.” says Kaushik, one of the frequent hookah smokers and a student from Pixelloid animation school, Hyderabad. “I actually don’t bother about the health part over the fun part.” says Shashank Maganti, another hookah smoker and student from Narayana junior college, Hyderabad. There are opinions among the youth regarding the ill effects of smoking hookah which actually convince a lot of their peers to start smoking it.However there is some resistance among the non smoking youth, who simply cut off the very thought of hookah as a fashion. “Who said hookah is fashionable.?Its bullshit and is not worth the money” says Subrahmanyam a student from GITAM university Vizag. Vijeyendra Vallam a student from CVSR college of engineering says “i dont advice the prevalent smokers but would ask the new comers to think as of what is the very purpose of smoking hookah”.Our country apart from offering wide diversity in traditions and cultures also has a very diversified bunch of opinions and attitudes among the same age group. There are a lot of places in world which use hookahs made and exported from India. Contradictorily there are reports on raids and bans on hookah smoking in a few parts of the country, especially Gujarat. The government is not so amused with the widespread popularity of hookah smoking in such places.

Several hookah parlours and cafes have been banned and their licenses have been canceled in the western countries like the U.S.A and Canada in the past, which now have been revived due to the increase in the popularity globally. The main crowd targeted for these parlour owners is reportedly the young-adult age group and people from middle eastern countries and communities. The rate of increase of the popularity has triggered many scientific research institutes to perform and analyze tests on hookah smoking. The results are not very pleasing. Doctors and scientists have confirmed the effect of smoking hookah is as genuine and as good as smoking cigarettes. Scientists say that the moisture from the water used for purification may make the smokers less irritated which falsely interprets them about its true ill effects.

So it would be very wise if every teenager smoking hookah thinks over issues relating to health and even wiser  if they make decisions which not only bring a change in their habits, but also among the others.

http://www.vidyouth.com/2009/06/22/getting-hookahed/

Travelling in RTC bus is no joke. credits : Libran Dranzer

The first and the foremost thing you need to have in your wallet before entering an RTC bus is rupee coins. They maybe any but should be enough to buy you a ticket to your destination or else the conductors are often angered if you hand them a 100 rupee note for a ticket which would cost you somewhere between Rs. 7-15. Nikhil.K, a student of SNIST says, “It is not like the conductor won’t have the change, just that he thinks it is your duty to keep the correct amount for the ticket. It is my opinion that people who travel often should keep the change keeping the conductor’s situation in mind, especially in crowded buses, but how on earth should the rest know about how much change they should carry. They shout at those people also, chiller ledaa!?” A short-tempered conductor wouldn’t mind flying out abuses if you are female and if you are a male, well there is high probability that he asks you to get off the bus. Female conductors are no exception when it comes to this episode. If at all they are kind, they give you the change and in certain cases, they write the amount they have to return you on the back of the ticket and if the passenger forgets, the money goes into his pocket. Ramesh, a bus conductor laments,”It is most irritating when, early in the morning people give me 20 and 50 rupee notes. How and where from should I give them the change?  In my opinion, it is basic manners to carry some change if you want to travel in RTC buses.”

After you enter the bus, the first thing any passenger would do is look for a seat to sit down and relax until their destination is reached, but in

A crowded RTC bus credits : Libran Dranzer

most of the RTC buses, this wish is not granted since they are often crowded. So, you are actually considered “lucky” in case you get a seat. Keerthi.P, a student of GRIET quips, “I started travelling in RTC buses after joining college only and one of my friends who used to travel regularly told me about the difficulty to get a seat. I didn’t consider it then, but later I realized how true it was!” It is not really a big deal to stand, but what’s worse is that they get so crowded; you won’t even have space to let your feet support you. The ladies section is just fine but the men’s section is pitiable for the travelers, yet funny to watch. Leave aside having place to stand, you find people foot-boarding-at least 8 people on a foot-board. Sometimes, the ladies section also faces the same condition. Divya Kamath, a student of GRIET recollects, “I hadn’t known how foot-boarding feels until one day I myself did so. I knew the bus was over-crowded and sort of intentionally got in. I was actually foot-boarding- hugging the rod with one hand while the other draped around another foot-boarding woman’s shoulder, one foot on the footboard while the other dangling out of the bus. It was indeed a worthwhile experience!”

It is funny how the buses get crowded so drastically. They collect more and more people at every bus-stop and the funnier thing is that the crowded buses get more and more crowded. One can clearly notice that the number of people getting into the bus is thrice the number of people getting off the bus! Ultimately, it becomes so jam-packed that you get sandwiched between two people. Shruthi.K, a student of SNIST says, “I was literally smashed between two women, one who was totally sweating and the other carrying a college bag and pressing it against my back. It was horrible. I was so tight between them, that even if I were in that position without the bus floor, I would be floating in air rather than the gravity pulling me down.”

It gets hell suffocating with less oxygen entering in and more carbon-di-oxide filling the bus-environment and in such a case, someone who really deserves sympathy is the conductor as he has to push himself through the crowd and give tickets. He wouldn’t even be in a situation to place his hand inside his big old-fashioned bag. Over crowded buses tilting to one side is not an uncommon sight anyway. Ultimately, it looks like a diagram of “closely packed atoms in a solid substance” in school science textbooks.

Fortunately the mens' section is empty credits:Libran Dranzer

There is more to this. As the men’s side gets more and more massed, they obviously tend to move towards the ladies’ section and this of course is the best chance for some perverts to grab. Jyoti.S, a student of Pragathi Degree College recalls, “Once, when my friend and I were traveling, a man was constantly pushing himself over my friend. Despite her requests to him to step back, he persisted. Ultimately, she drove him back by stepping hard on his feet with her pencil heels.” However, not all women are so brave; most of them accept it as another plague while travelling in an RTC bus.

The most hilarious thing however is the cat fights! Women, as a matter of fact shout out abuses at each other. What’s all the more surprising is that these women wouldn’t even have known each other earlier and it is amusing as to how two strangers can fight over a petty issue, that too for such a short period of time. However, they fight as though they’re long time enemies! Vandana Reddy, a student of GRIET  says, “I recently came across one such fight where one woman accused another of stealing money from her purse. She was yelling abuses at her. The accused obviously got offended and asked the woman to check her bag. When she didn’t find the money in her bag, she accused the woman next to her. It was very funny to watch the three of them yell at each other. The conductor was patiently trying to stop the fight, but in vain.” Ultimately, a patient bus-driver, conductor or the co-passengers are the ones who have to stop it all.

There’s the good side of traveling in this bus too. People, who travel everyday by the same bus, get to meet the same set of people, some of them who eventually become good friends. They give you company in the bus and there are lot of things two strangers can discuss when compared to what two friends can. Rohitha.S, a student of VNR VIgnan jyothi institute of engineering and technology says, “Most of the time I travel with my friends in college bus. Sometimes, when I miss it, I travel by RTC buses and at that time I have the company of the people whom I everyday meet at the bus stop. That way, I have a couple of friends from the other colleges.” Students claim that although the bus journey is abrade initially, one easily gets used to the rash and rough ways of journeying in this bus. Where else can one find so many varieties of people!

RTC buses at Lakdikapul credits:Libran Dranzer

At last, it is suggested to those people who never have traveled by an RTC bus is to get a joy-ride in this large-sized public vehicle.  It can be tiring but is more of fun. It is no less than an adventure. It is just not possible to experience all the above things else where. So, every one of you out there, make an effort to travel by an RTC bus, at least once. It IS worth a try.

Yes! This is what today’s youth are on. Music, chatting, calls, games and what not does a cell phone today offers. It’s true that students are expected to find new ways over the older ones. Well, the purpose of having a phone for making calls has almost become aged today with messages and games being the younger generations of the mobile family. “My dad gave me this phone so that he can easily talk to me but for me, this is my pastime honestly,” says Katragadda Kishore from MNR.

Technically, its approximately a 3 inch long, one and a half inch wide slim metal or a plastic made piece with digital display that has room for a battery and a sim card, fitting easily in the front pocket of a trouser. But actually, to a student it means a lot more. Few can even forget to carry their class notes but not a cell phone that day. “One day I started for my bus stop, suddenly on my way I realized I had forgotten my cell phone. I rushed back home 5 minutes prior to the bus timing, this is a little beauty,” quotes Sneha Joshi from MRIET.

It all starts in the morning sending good morning messages to all the names in the phonebook. Then suddenly it turns into an mp3 player in the bus, thanks to colleges for being in the outskirts of the city. Also thanks to the latest softwares and applications for giving cell phones a new dimension. With the advent of Bluetooth, students started transferring songs and media stuff to pass time while they travel. One hardly looks at his watch almost sunk in this chore. But the fact happens to be the bus stopping in front of the college gate. “The other day the music of a popular telugu movie was out, one of the guys in my bus downloaded the songs. As soon as he got in the music spread to every mobile, no wonder with the help of Bluetooth. Isn’t it great? I love my phone!” exclaims Shiva Varma from DVRCET.

If you think its college, classes, faculty, and how could phone be kept away, it’s wrong! Unfortunately classrooms offer the best place to use a cell phone for a student. This might just sound a little astounding but definitely not unusual. First bench or the last bench doesn’t really matter, but a bench with completely covered desk helps the best. Soon after this part concludes the movie begins.

Mobiles @ class room, CREDIT: RAGHU

Lecture starts rolling and fingers start moving over the keypad under the desk. Eyes on the board, focus on the phone. In a lighter view while theory of communications is going on above the desk level, practical sessions of communication go on below the desk level. “No wonder we can’t make comments while a professor is teaching out there. Thanks to cell phones! At least now we can share them with our classmates in a very convenient way. Class time is the best time,” shares Karthik Chava from Chilkur Balaji Institute.

In the midst of all this, the lecturer suspects him and throws a question. How does he counter it? Well, he is smart enough to catch the prompts from his friends. Poor professor trusts him and even compliments him for his attention towards the class, which basically is on what might be the next reply for his message. This goes on and on.

Chatting during the class hours. CREDIT:Raghu

“It’s easy, in fact very easy, when you get used to the keypad, you don’t need to look at the phone every time to use it, so its rather easy to look at the lecturer while you message,” meeds Rubella Vijay when asked about how tough it is to text during the class hours.

Classroom messaging is like driving a bike without license and then evenings is just storming away on the same bike at 100mph with license, the freedom of using a phone sitting next to a teacher. “Cell phone and bus is the best combination, perhaps because it is the only place where you can listen to your favorite music with no objections unlike at home. I miss it a lot, if I forget my headset for a single day,” says Rucksar Begum from SSJ.

In addition to this, leading cell phone networks and companies seem to have caught the pulse of youth with the introduction of offers like the pulse, message offers and more for many latest handsets. Just about 50 bucks every month and have the luxury of using a cell phone has been the case today. “I think cell phone is to sms friends, and that too at Rs.49 per month is just wow,” retorts Kavya Pidaparthi from MREC.

Mobile during the practicals, Credit:Divina Eileen

“Cell phone is merely to serve the purpose of communicating with dear ones. Unlike this, I find people precisely of my age group ruining their lives by spending their most valuable time pushing off their exams aside, on this small stupid piece,” says Deepthi Pandulkar, a UG student from Hyderabad Central University.

On the flip side what does a parent think of his child and his cell phone?  Well thank the colleges again. If not for their location outside the city not many students may have experienced the pleasure of using a phone. While few are really worried about their child getting addicted to a mobile phone and try and take those important steps against it, there is another grade of parents who know the ill effects but still are helpless. If this stands as such, it’s a pity that the third class of parents is unmindful of the negative impact of a mobile.

“A parent always has to carry the responsibility of observing his child more vitally considering the age in which they are in.  I think this is where our personal experience plays a crucial part. Parents and children may have different opinions on a single thing, but a parent is always in charge of his child” opines Mr. K.S. Murthy a BHEL employee.

“My phone is the best. It hides all my secrets and so it’s my most priced possession,” says Nandita Masetty a second year graduate from Osmania Women’s college.

students sharing messages. CREDIT: Raghu

“It’s a wonderful piece that allows you to connect to people instantly through messages and at low cost too. But it must be used for the very purpose of communicating when needed and not to waste time on it,” remarks Sameer Sirwani from TKR.

“My child is always with his phone, he can even change his dinner time but can’t change his chat timings,” admits a parent Mr.Gudipati Chari, a bank employee. “I wonder what my daughter does with her phone all the time. I tried explaining several times but failed. I even tried taking off her mobile but found her maintaining one in secret. What’s so happening there that children instead of avoiding things we warned about, start finding new ways to have them?” questions Mr. Bhaskar Chalasani, a Bsnl employee. When the same question, what do your parents think about you using a cell phone was put across students they came up with different replies. “It’s simple parents do take care of their children and they have to, but that doesn’t mean that they got to control them hard few issues like mobiles and internet. The faster you hit the ball to the wall, the harder it bounces,” answers Tania Shah from Guru Nanak College of engineering.

Though many have distributed views over using a cell phone, it’s essentially to connect people. It’s advancement to letters and land phones. But this boon should not turn to be a bane to a student’s life with the way he uses it. What about internal question papers being forwarded in messages before the exam? When there is nothing wrong using these mobiles then why do students have to cover their phones and put a security lock over their phones? On the other scale when parents say that they trust their child, why do they have to secretly open his inbox?

Well, its time not only to answer these questions but also to look for the remedy, effectively through a student mind. After all, it’s a student’s thing.

Rose day organised by college students Credit: Alternate Self

Love ‘aaj kal’ is no more veer-zaara types. One changing his/her partner is as normal as changing their cell phone model. One moment a person logs into social networking sites like facebook, myspace or orkut, he/she finds that his/her friend is in a relationship. But the very next moment that person gets the shocking news of his/her fallout. All of us are living fast track lives, all are in a hurry to just hook-up with someone, no matter how that person is, not realizing if he/she is actually made for us or not. Is that the insecurity of ending up single, that forces us to get into a relationship?

Let’s find out what do the youngsters within the age group of 15-23 years have to say about relationships. How important is being in a relationship? Aarti Sharma, a medical student says, “The feeling of being in a relationship is unique. Who doesn’t want to be pampered? But yeah! It has become a trend of ‘on and off relationships’ these days”. Hadiya Majid, a BDS final year student says, ”Well, it’s not very important to have someone in your life. There is a certain age at which you can think of getting into a relationship. Breaking up and making up is a sign of immaturity. When you are not sure about your relationship, then why get into one?” Sakshi Singh, an intermediate student says, “It’s very fine for any two people in love, to be in a relationship. It’s standing up and saying to the world, ‘Hey that’s my love!’ It’s all about being there for each other, no matter what the world says”. Rahul, a Mass Communication student says, “I always had a girlfriend since my seventh grade. In fact I always waited for a new girlfriend before breaking up with the old one. For the past eight months I have been single and I am having a blast right now. You don’t need a girlfriend to stay happy”. Kalyani. A says, “Relationships are special moments together. You share your secrets, laugh together, cry together, make promises and say ’sorry’ a million times. These moments bring up smile on one’s face and make one feel loved”.

Single Ladies Credit: Alternate Self

Alisha Merchant, a BDS 3^rd year, says, “Commitment is very important in a relationship. Few people get into relationships just because they think it’s cool to be in one.”
“Being single is all the more fun. You have all the freedom, and you can always hangout and have fun with your girl friends. Being in a relationship gives you a secure feeling and makes you feel loved and cared, and makes you more confident as an individual. Personally I do not like break-ups, nobody does. One can always handle the relationship with maturity instead of ending it there”, says Adhiraj Singh, a B.Tech multimedia student. Balaji says, “Relationships change your perspective towards the world. They make you feel special and everything around you more beautiful”. Here is what Akhila Sagar, a dental student, has to say, “A relationship means loving your partner. Some people just love the whole idea of being in love.  If two people understand each other, then they should go ahead and be in a relationship. It’s ‘hip’ to be in a relationship. Break-ups are sad, but it’s okay if there is no love and respect left for each other in the relationship.”

In today’s fast paced life, what one needs is a stable relationship, a reliable partner to fall back upon. But because of lack of time, one does not give enough attention to working on the relationship. It’s very common for youngsters to get into a relationship, be it a serious one or not. Everybody likes it initially, as it is exciting, but with time the excitement fades away and reality comes into play. That’s where one gets to know if their partner really loves them or not.

Our hectic schedules also play a major role in hampering our relationships. One becomes more frustrated and vents out his/her anger on his/her partner. Mood swings, low tolerance levels, fast paced lives and the desire of trying out newer things are the reasons for most of the break-ups. Its cool to tell others how many ex’s one has had. A person gets into a relationship when he/she feels the need for the special care and concern and once their partner fails to give the same amount of love and importance, they decide to end it there. Sometimes youngsters are so indecisive that they make up after breaking up. There is a rise in the number of ‘on and off relationships’ these days. Such relationships are termed ‘unhealthy’. Love isn’t a switch that one switches on when they want to enjoy the beauty of the relationship and switches off when he/she thinks it’s just not the same feeling anymore.

Gang of girls having a good time Credit: Bhagyashree Deoda

Why can’t one face one’s status of being single? Is it peer pressure? Events like rose day and prom nights organized in colleges mainly for couples build up pressure in college goers to have a boyfriend/girlfriend, because all their friends have a boyfriend/girlfriend except them. Break-ups are saddening and depressing. Sometimes it becomes very difficult to let go as certain memories stay longer, even after the relationship has ended. Break-ups remind an individual of his/her shortcomings, make one feel uncertain about future and give him/her a ‘loser’ kind of a feeling for failing to maintain the relationship. Sometimes it’s no control upon oneself or rather, getting attracted to every new person you meet, that makes one head towards a break-up and switch their partners.

Every relation has its ups and downs. Relationships are a roller coaster ride of emotions. All of us like being in love. It’s always nice to have someone who loves you, cares for you and believes in you. Believing in fairytales isn’t wrong, but expecting your life to turn out into one is. What matters is whether you are commited or single, enjoy the moment and life will surely rock!

The foyer of Hari Hara Kala Bhavan was filled up with cut outs and banners all welcoming the distinguished guests. At one side of the entrance beautiful paintings by Mrs. Lakshmi Vaneswari, an artist, were on display and for sale.  V Care also put up charts and photographs with captions displaying all their activities, shows, programmes and camps organized so far, during the last one year of its existence.

The Charts depicting the activities of 'V' Care. Credit: Pearl Rive

Classical Dance by the Gadwal Children. Credit: Pearl Rive

Mrs.Vaneshwari's Paintings .Credit: Pearl Rive

The show started off with a prayer followed by a classical welcome dance by five students of Gadwal Blind School, one of them, Kum Nagarani was a Rashtrapathi  Awardee for classical dance.  The children danced wonderfully and were in sync with rhythm in spite of their vision disability.

The main attractions of the evening were that of Harinath Reddy, who was the winner of the popular dance reality show ‘Dhee’ and little Rasheed of ‘Rela Re Rela’ fame. Rasheed was bubbling with excitement and presented his folklore songs with full enthusiasm. The audience simply lapped up the songs and their witty lyrics.  He was jumping with joy after every song in the midst of heavy applause from the audience.

The anchor, Gayatri Bhargav introduced Harinath Reddy as a dancer from Orissa who rose to fame through the show ‘Dhee’.  He was runner up in ‘Boogie Woogie’ which is also a dance show on Sony TV. He also choreographed the 56^th Film Fare Awards.  The first dance performed by him and his troupe was a tribute to Michael Jackson.  His world famous song ‘Dangerous’ was replete with moonwalk and caught everyone’s fancy. He performed 5 times on the stage at intervals with a medley of Bollywood hits and enthralled the audience. He also coyly donated Rs. 30,000/- to the V Care organization and was the highest donor during the ‘SPANDANA’ show.

Harinath thanking the audience for their support. Credit: Pearl Rive

"We Want Rasheed... ". Credit: Pearl Rive

Harinath sets the dance floor on Fire . Credit: Pearl Rive

All the delegates spoke one by one interspersed with a performance by the artists to keep the audience buoyed up and maintain interest. They applauded the efforts of the organization and for their active participation in various activities to help the differently abled people.  Each dignitary was given a memento and a live plant to promote afforestation.  All the people present in the auditorium were urged to donate as much as they can by the anchor.  Donation boxes were placed all over the venue for collections.

One more attraction of the evening was Mr.Mahesh who was trained under the famous choreographer Raghavendra Lawrence. He lost both his legs but very nimbly danced away to popular numbers of Bollywood and was the highlight of the programme. “I really enjoyed the show. We should learn a lesson from these differently abled children, especially Mahesh, who have proved that nothing is impossible for a human being. My kudos to V Care  who have given these children the opportunity and facilities to learn and perform”, says Mrs Rukmini Venkateswaran, a home maker.

Telangana Shakuntala. Credit: Pearl Rive

Mahesh performing on stage. Credit: Pearl Rive

'V 'care with the media. Credit: Pearl Rive

Actress Telangana Shakuntala also was a person hard to be ignored.  She was invited on to the stage amidst thunderous applause.  She announced that the day coincided with her birthday and was happy to be celebrating it at the SPANDANA.  On public behest she even rattled off some of her popular dialogues in the film ‘Nuvvu Nenu’ where she is the antagonist.  She announced a donation of Rs. 10,000/- to V Care and lauded the efforts of the organization for a very noble cause.

Another attraction on the stage was Mr Jagan from Srikakulam who is a stage artist and has many dance performances to his credit.  He has a prosthetic foot and in one of his performances he held burning lamps on both hands and danced with one foot to a devotional song on Lord Sri Rama and paid tributes to Him. It was a heart riveting performance.  The song changed track to a song ‘Rhythm of Andhra’.

“This show is better than the opening show ‘Colours’ with very good response from people of all walks of life” opined the anchor Gayatri Bhargav.  “The show was a grand success and the objective of the show was fully achieved.  Harinath Reddy’s dance was simply mind blowing.  We volunteers were in a great frenzy as he set the stage on fire”, gushed Sandeep Sharma, a student volunteer of V Care from MVSR Engineering College.

Shalini, a volunteer, read out the annual report and history of V Care and its objectives and said “we need more funds, more sponsors and are presently raising funds for a building for merging many orphanages and also want to start a home for the aged and an orphanage together so that the wise old people can have the company of unfortunate children and the children can in turn learn good values from them”.  The hall burst into loud applause and this idea was widely appreciated.

The show went on for about three hours and the fun-filled evening came to an end at 10.00 PM after honouring all the artists. More details about the organization check out the website www.vcare.org.in.

The quintessential Bollywood romantic movie has managed to tug at our heartstrings time and again. Love, the most powerful and passionate of all emotions, has been the cornerstone of many Bollywood films since time immemorial. Extravangant dates, countless red roses, huge teddy bears, love letters written in blood and suicide threats to get everyone to approve (remember the famous ‘Mausi jail mein chakki peesing and peesing’ scene from Sholay?), these are the requisites for a perfect mushy and filmy prem kahani. But, does youngistaan of the 21st century believe in this kind of love? Do the young and the restless of the jet age whose motto is ‘Move on’ actually think that movie love exists in real life?

“I don’t think it exists in reality. Unlike reel life, things are practical in real life. People are not entirely governed by their emotions,” said Shamili Reddy, a former student of Hamstech Institute of Fashion and Interior Design and an upcoming designer. The youngsters seem to have accepted the line that separates reel from real. Many youngsters are of the opinion that the romance shown in movies cannot be replicated in reality as the events depicted on the silver screen are a product of fantasy and creativity. Suman Tatelu, a student of JBIET said, “Things are exaggerated in movies. Almost everything is over the top. But, things can’t be so sweet all the time in reality. That is why I think that the kind of love shown in films does not exist in real life.”

Gen Y was never this fast. They do things quickly and expect results even

The romantic way of expressing love, popularized by 'Maine Pyar Kiya'. Credits: Mystical Vigilante

quicker. In an attempt to keep up with the blinding pace of the jet age, almost all youngsters have become expert multi-taskers; and can they be blamed? The amount of pressure they have to deal with every day is enormous. Academics, projects, sports, extra curriculars, socializing, friends are just some of the things that they have to juggle. Add to this a girlfriend or a boyfriend and it becomes clear that an average college goer has to divide his or her time among all the above mentioned. Thus, evidently, going out of the way to woo that special someone and devoting all the time available to this task is out of question. Therefore, youngistaan’s verdict on whether movie love exists in reality can be justified.

When asked about her opinion on the subject, Deepika Phakke, a BMS student of St. Francis College for Women, Begumpet replied, “No! Not at all! Reel life is something completely different. Things that are depicted there can’t happen in real life. Movie love is all fiction.” Aakruthi Silamkoti, a student of SNIST said, “Movies are commercial. There’s hardly any reality in them. In reality, it depends on the individual. There may be some people who believe that such intense emotions can actually be experienced and indulge in extravagant displays of affection. But I am sure that they are very few in number.”

There are two sides to every coin and as Aakruthi Silamkoti rightly pointed out, there are a few people who swear by the tried and tested Bollywood ‘Prem Kahani’ formula. Kailas Manisha, a student of Aurora Degree College said, “I think that the filmy kind of love does exist. According to me, it depends on the age of the people involved. When two people are younger, there is more chemistry, more passion and more heat! But, with age, people tend to become more practical.” Rajitha Sanaka, a student of St. Francis College for Women, Begumpet said, “The film industry is booming in India. Bollywood churns out the maximum number of movies every year. People watch movies and get influenced by them. Thus, I think movie love does exist in real life.”  Celeste Li, another student of St. Francis College for Women, Begumpet said, “Movie love may exist, but I think it is very rare nowadays. Everything has become so casual now and the tendency to get carried away is more.”

Only on paper, fiction and in fantasy? Or does it happen in reality too? Credits: Mystical Vigilante

Though it is evident that the young lot believes that movie love does not exist in reality, most youngsters agree that it is the way of expressing the emotion that differs, not the emotion itself. Every young girl has daydreamed of her own Rahul (Dil to Pagal Hai), Raj (DDLJ) or Edward (Twilight) and every young boy has fantasized about his Paro (Devdas), Rose (Titanic) or Bella (Twilight) at least once. Indranil Mukherjee, an employee of GE said, “I am a practical person. But I do believe in love. Though the depth and intensity of the emotion itself may be the same if not more than movies in some cases, the manner of expressing the emotion is different. It is less dramatic in reality. However, my girlfriend is a hardcore movie fanatic and she loves the movie version of romance. In that way, we balance each other perfectly.”

The younger generation is of the opinion that the heroic acts of devotion and bravery that are usually shown on the silver screen are not required to express love. But, a warm smile, a tight hug, a tender caress; or in today’s world a phone call, a poke or an SMS can go a long way in showing that special someone that they are cared for.

There were a wide range of aircrafts on display and many global companies which manufacture the aircrafts were present there to explain their work humbly and share their experience with the visitors. There were suppliers of parts, training schools, manufacturers, the Airport Authority of India, The DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation in India) and also were many partners of firms. It was a delight to anyone who has always been fascinated by the skies

Sh. Praful Patel, Hon’ble Minister of Civil Aviation, Government of India had inaugurated the event on 3^rd and then the proceedings took place from there on. There were many air shows and a variety of aircrafts were been taken high up into the air and then hovered around the place for a while to enthrall the audience and keep them excited. Unfortunately, two pilots lost their lives in an plane crash during air show by the Indian crew. The aircraft hit a local telecom tower and crashed into a building in the Begumpet area.

There were conferences held during this event in which delegates from various countries and different manufacturing backgrounds took part and shared their knowledge and new innovation in the field of civil aviation and the airline industry. “When all the giants meet at one place to sit and discuss what changes and new implementations they have done with their airlines, the results and the outcomes, there is a chance for the new aspirants to learn more, gain knowledge and improve it, ” said a 3rd year B.tech student  Sri Harshitha from G. Narayanama Institute of Technology and Sciences, who has attended a few of the conferences.

There were exhibitions by top-ranking companies like Bell Helicopters, Rolls Royce, Boeing, etc. They not only exhibited their global standards, but also briefed the visitors on how things work with them individually. Indian based companies were more in number, like Air India, Indigo, Kingfisher Airlines, Spice Jet and others. Apart from the exhibitions, there were a wide range of stalls set up at the event which were by the training schools, manufacturing industries which supply the parts, book houses which have wide range of collection of the all the kinds of books and multimedia which will teach people about aviation.

Tail View of a Flight. Credits : Nocturnal Czar

Fueling an Aircraft. Credits : Nocturnal Czar

Bell Helicopter. Credits : Nocturnal Czar

The students who wanted to seek a career in aviation industry could make the most of this event because it served as a medium of information exchange and had their doubts regarding the industry answered by many intellectuals from the industry. “The stalls set up by HAL and NAL-CSIR especially were knowledge imparting and explained in detail about the various processes they follow. It was so nice to see a set of videos being played, which was very useful, ” says a 3rd year B.tech student Aditya Dudu of Sreenidhi Engineering College.

Internal Parts of an Engine. Credits : Nocturnal Czar

Stalls put up by various Flying Schools. Credits : Nocturnal Czar

Stall by a Manufacturing Company. Credits : Nocturnal Czar

All the aircrafts were kept in plain view to the visitors and everyone was elated to watch them so close and have a better view of the planes which fly around in the sky. There were many varieties of planes put up on the show from single seater aircrafts to double seater and even the huge passenger flights could be seen with ease and one could learn more about their functioning as they were hovering around.

It was hugely successful event. “Though the prices of entry were high… it was worth every penny,” claims Sendil Nagaranjan, a 3rd year B.tech student, from St. Martins College of Engineering. There were visitors pouring in on all the days and it was well-organized and managed so that no problem arose with any issue and security was given highest preference. It is hoped that such events take place in the coming years and enlighten us with the knowledge and exposure we gain from them.. “Flying a 70-tonne aircraft at 3500ft above sea level and my office will be completely equipped with latest electronic gadgets … This is it… I wanna become a PILOT,” said Chaitanya Varma a 3rd year B.Tech student from Nalla Malla Reddy Engineering College, on an ending note.

Technically table tennis is  just a miniature version of lawn tennis played indoors. It is a totally fun game in which two or four players hit a hollow little ball back n forth. The game is controlled by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), founded in 1926. Since 1988, table tennis has been an Olympic sport which includes four events. From 1988 until 2004, the events were men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles and women’s doubles. Since 2008 the doubles have been replaced by the team events. Professionally speaking TT is a very intriguing game but when looked at from a youngster’s point of view it is purely fun and entertainment.

Manali trying to stop the TT madness. Credit: Whimsical Angel

“idiotic…stupendously idiotic” says Ramya Rallabandi when asked to describe TT in short to which Manali Shah adds saying “its fun when we play together, but it actually gets on our nerves when the guys just ignore us”. This is how the situation usually is in TKR college specially with the guys of ECE who tend to run headlong into the sports room n pounce on the TT paddles as and when they get the slightest chance to do so. “why just guys..?? even girls are kind of obsessed with it. It’s like total fun n I love playin it..you sort of  get addicted to it if you know how to play” says Harsha Munipalle quite unlike the other girls who feel that TT is an obsession mostly with guys.

Loads of people and numerous opinions. While this is how the girls feel, the guys have a totally different take on this . “theres no obsession involved..guys just take it as a normal sport” says Pavan Kumar but Ayush Agarwal straightaway proved that it is an obsession by interrupting with “TT…its my favourite sport..i ve been playin since my childhood…I hav a TT table at home…it is one of the best indoor games…it is called ping pong in china…” and so continued his nonstop chatter till someone called him to play again . Usually guys and sports come as an inseparable package but the height of obsession seen in TKR with regards to table tennis is outrageous . Giving that there are numerous other sports options provided by the college it is evidently an obsession if people are constantly fighting over a single sport .

conclusively it can be said that table tennis is a fun and entertaining sport which builds a person’s sense of balance , concentration and eye to ball contact but as the old saying goes “too much of anything is too bad” even TT can sometimes get onto people’s nerves.

It’s rather about the life of ventriloquists and puppets of today’s world. It’s about a lot more educated fools, and about one state which is on the brink of being two.

More, this is reality.

Mr. Student

Lately, it seems like Mr. Student has made some new friends – the high-rise building and the matchstick. The tormenting body piercings are now a fashion of the bygone era. The hippest and the most happening thing today is self-annihilation. It’s more like an elevated version of crowd-surfing (way too elevated, one can say) with the crowd standing at a safe distance or it’s just like holding a cigarette between the lips and lighting it from the other end! The intriguing thing is, Mr. Student manages to do all this despite the innumerous petrol bunk bandhs and dearth of anything close to what can be called a ‘high-rise’ building. “The suicides should be discouraged. It’s not the way of going about with the issue. It might as well give rise to anti-social elements and people can be killed in the name of these suicides and get away with it”, opines Nitin Kumar Jindhula of CVR College of Engineering. Though there are different, non-destructive and a less sensational ways of retaliating, there’s this essence of heroism missing in them. So why would Mr. Student want to take to such a lowly approach? He’s Mr. STUDENT, remember? The invincible force when the exam papers are not around! And as long as Mr. Student is helping feed the teleprompter that’s increasing the viewer base of the various news channels, nobody is complaining. Not even the fellow students for that matter. In fact, they keep hoping and praying that someone lends Mr. Student a lighted match or a route map to the tallest cell phone tower in the city so that THEY get an extension for submitting that assignment of theirs! Ha! Long live his motto!

Mr. Politician:

Playing Politics? Credits: AP Government

Lately, this guy has been busy emulating the eccentrically diet-conscious teenage girls, for he seems to have developed a new fad – fasting. It so much seems like a ‘healthy’ change is taking over the political world. Perhaps everyone will soon get to see a ‘fit’ Mr. Politician (in pretty much a ‘figure’ative sense!) taking charge. Surely, Mr. Gargantuan-pot-bellied politician is going to be extinct. But before one could croon the What-An-Idea-Sirji tune, it is better we check out each other’s heads. One might as well find a dunce’s cap there! Amidst all the chaos of the all-glorified fast-for-a-cause chaos, something is already gone extinct – THE CAUSE ITSELF.

“It is unacceptable. The whole thing is just a publicity stunt. If we start giving in to such demands, even someone like you or I can resort to fasting for some stupid reason.” Parvathi Das, a student of Bhavans College, voices her opinion. If there were TRPs for individuals, then Mr. fast-unto-death politician would have topped the ratings, for the fasting tactic is more of putting oneself before the cause than putting the cause first; in a nutshell, an attention grabber. Had it only been the other way around, either most of the lanes would have already had roads or most of Mr. Politician’s community would have been dead. Either way, the world would have been a happier place to live in!

Mr. News Reporter:

Glorified News Sense. Credits: Wording Noise

These days, the news channels are as lit up as the Diwali sky. The exploding news flashes and the breaking news clamors just wouldn’t stop. And Mr. News Reporter doesn’t want this dream run of his career to end anytime soon. Hence, he’s making the most of it. One misplaced article or one out-of-the-place adjective is enough to provide livelihood for the whole media industry for years on end. Considering that, the present scenario is a kick of serendipity right in the locker for Mr. News Reporter! Jackpot! And in the process of news reporting, a lot of extra garnishing is done by Mr. Reporter, along with some extra editing, and  a mountain is made out of what might have been an ant hill. Often, among what’s edited out, is something everyone has forgotten about – the truth. The theme of secessionism is the one they have been banking on lately. “Media is very manipulative. The coverage is often pretty biased and there’s seldom any truth in it. Mostly, they show unnecessary details which are way too hyped and sensationalised”, opines Sowmya, a B.Com Regulars student of Bhavans Degree College.

The students want the colleges closed down, the politicians want to use this for amassing votes and the media wants all this to happen for their coverages. Everyone is running after their own selfish motive, and call it a common cause! Can it get any crazier?

P.S. At the end of it all, the Everyone-Lived-Happily-Ever-After part gets screened out by the editors (of the real world, yeah) and is left to gather dust in the drafts section. It gets to wait till the story comes to an end.