AMODAAugust-September issue Graduation special

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Anshu kaura

Anshu KauraEditor

Avichal Chum

Editorialboard.cu@gmail.com

Sanya Puri

Mr. Amandeep SinghMr. Ajay Pal SinghCol. Kulwant Singh

Anmol Chaudhary

Simran Jit Singh

Ashish Sharma

Chinenye Gabriel Iheanyichukwu

Kirti Kathpal

AkshikaAnkit Wadhwan

Mehak Paul

Disha GhaiSavvy Aggarwal

Isha Sood Manik Mahajan

Editor

Arts & Design

Creative Writing

Article Writing

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Faculty Coordinator

Message from the Editor...

I take great pleasure in bringing to you another issue of our bi-monthly magazine, Amoda!

The past few months have marked some significant endings and begin-nings. We witnessed the starting of a new batch as well as the convocation ceremony of our seniors. Through the pages of this magazine we wish to bid farewell to batch 2008 and we wish them all the very best for their lives ahead, God-speed! Also, to batch 2012, welcome to the Chitkara family !

In this issue we will also recount the various events which have taken place at Chitkara University, bring you at pace with the latest trends in technology, literature and music, and entertain with some beautiful creations put together by the members of the editorial board as well as readers such as yourself.

I would like to thank Col. Kulwant Singh for his guidance throughout and also my fellow members of the editorial board, for being able to bring out this issue at such a short notice of time. I hope you enjoy reading!Cheers!

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Inside...

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Events

Music Room

Sketches

Movie Reviews

Creative Zone

Students welcomed with the Chitkara University spiritA great beginning!Blood donation campClick while you walk !The presidential suiteIt’s good to learn something new!The International day of peace celebrationTrek to Nepli-Kansal ForestBe my hostRecord participation at General Technical QuizSeeds of reminiscence (Cover Story)

The sounds from HeavenBorn and Raised - John Mayer

The Expendables 2The Bourne LegacyBarfi

It’s now safe to switch off your deviceA great beginning!Magnify the small picture -Live the goldThe secrets to ‘a happy space’Curiosity about CuriosityBuy an iPhone, Or…………Cloning : A blessing or a curseTALENT – ‘It’s in you’PROCRASTINATION: A universal forteSoul renewalFriendA longingEve of my lifeGadgets you just might want to try

32 Reading Room

The Lady Tasting TeaPaths of Glory

EVENTS

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Students welcomed with the Chitkara University spiritManik Mahajan2nd Year

Another year has passed by and while we will not be seeing some familiar faces anymore, we will surely be wel-

coming a new batch of students in our little family here at Chitkara University.

Through the 18th of August to the 20th, orien-tations were held for the new coming batch of 2012 at our university. The first day was reserved for the day scholars, while the fol-lowing days for the students residing in the hostels.

Students from the now second year at the university volunteered to shepherd the new students into the right directions in terms of the process of registration, directives regard-ing our college’s protocols and facilities, and of course the directions to different places themselves.Our Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr.Rajnish Sharma and Mr.Kuldeep Sharma, directed these volunteers in regards of man-aging the orientation process.

The students were welcomed with short notes from our Vice Chancellor, Brig.(Dr.) RS Garewal, Col. YC Chibber, Col. Kulwant Singh

and Mrs. Bhushra Zaman.

The students were introduced with the many variety of subjects pertaining to their lives here at the university. They were briefed on the system of grade allocation, and how it is a continuous and contiguous process that re-quires not only hard work on a regular basis but requires such in an intelligent manner. They were briefed on the regular and varied in nature evaluations that they will have to endure, the ‘unique’ system of grade allo-cation and the opportunities that they will be provided with to explore their potential. A session on the operation and nature of Chalkpad was also delivered to both the stu-dents and the parents who had come to visit the campus.

Now, the students have officially been briefed and the session commenced on the 21st, and we saw the same pale and vacuous expres-sions on the faces of these ‘new’ students that we had when it was our time. But, they will catch up, wont they? Sure, we did, didn’t we? In the words of Sun Tzu, “Never give up, never surrender”, that’s how it’s done.

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A great Beginning!Ankit Wadhawan2nd Year

The batch of 2012 was given a welcome at Chitkara University amidst great zest and fervour at the Fresher’s 2012. The

day long affair was held on the 6th of Septem-ber, 2012, and saw promising response from juniors and seniors alike. The Fresher’s, con-ceived with the intention of the ceremonial ushering in of the new batch was a huge suc-cess, with a plethora of students coming in and showcasing their talents. It all began with the dance performances and singing which left everyone spell bound. This was followed by a fun skit about the various aspects of studying at Chitkara University. Pretty faces weren’t scarce too, as seen by the overwhelm-ing participation in the Mr. & Ms. Fresher’s contest, which saw the competitors battling out each other in different rounds and show-ing that a good personality gets you places. Culture wasn’t left far behind, with the Bhutanese students performing one of their street dances, a Nati folk dance per-formance by the native Himachal students, and a Bhangra performance by the college’s very own famous Bhangra troupe, BPG. The prize distribution ceremony was pre-

sided over by Mrs. Madhu Chitkara, the es-teemed Vice-Chancellor, Chitkara University, Punjab. After a great day at it all, the stu-dents were given another special treat in the form of a DJ night, and as they danced away their worries and frets, they knew, they were truly at home!

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BL D DONATION CAMP“SHARE BL D- SHARE LIFE”Ashish Sharma3rd Year

A blood donation camp was organized on 5th September, 2012 (Teacher’s Day) by Chitkara University (Baddi) NSS Unit Cell along with GMCH-32, Chandigarh. The camp was

inaugurated by the respected Vice Chancellor of Chitkara Uni-versity, Retd. Brig. R.S. Grewal. This was the first event of 2012-13 academic session organized by NSS Unit Cell. Students, who joined the NSS for the first time, got the opportunity to be a part of this event. They were given different duties like registra-tion of donors, giving them refreshments, helping the doctors & technicians present at the venue. By doing these activities, the NSS members learned a lot about team work and event man-agement skills.

The event was widely promoted by the NSS Promotional Team. Online campaigning was done to spread awareness about the upcoming Blood Donation Camp along with the some new, in-novative posters and slogans on Blood Donation. There was a lot of enthusiasm among the students to be a part of such a selfless and generous activity. Students had gathered to register even before 9 am. A whooping 200 registrations were made and 112 students donated their blood in the time frame of 9 am to 1 pm. The donors were given ample refreshments. The Donors were also taught important points regarding blood donation by the Doctors present at the venue. A team of 5 Doctors and 5 tech-nicians from GMCH-32, Chandigarh was present to collect the blood for the Blood Bank. They constantly monitored each and every donor to ensure that the event went smoothly.

The donors acknowledged the clean conditions, healthy refresh-ments and a disciplined team work by the NSS team, when asked to share their experience about the camp. Overall, this event by NSS Unit Cell was a huge success and the students of CU, Baddi are already looking forward to more activities going to be orga-nized by NSS Unit Cell.

On being asked, Ashima – a first time donor said, “I was always scared of donating blood. However, encouragement by my friends and members from the NSS cell motivated me to donate blood. The donation was done smoothly without any trouble and I felt really happy after donating the blood. I was also happy to see the good coordination among the NSS members while organising this event. I hope more such events are organised by them.”

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Cl ck wh le you walk!Shivani Goyal2nd Year

Freedom for a photographer has always just been go-ing for a walk in the woods, finding the perfect light and getting the shot. That peculiar sense of creativity is

boosted by the movement and the exposure to the chang-ing scenery. The great thing about a photowalk is that it doesn’t need be a formal or structured occasion; you can wander streets you are deeply familiar with, or explore un-chartered territory whilst capturing moments and breath-ing life into them forever.

This exotic photo-walk was organized by the members of ‘Pic It! -a photography club’ viz Sheena Gupta, Shivani Goy-al, Shamit Arora and Nishant Sharma on 7th October 2012 at Rock Garden,Chandigarh under the supreme conduct of Ms. Vanita Jaitly and Col. Kulwant Singh, and was the first of its kind event in our university.

The entries for participation were registered online to ac-centuate catering to the students. The objective of the event was to get the photography aficianados there, explor-ing their surroundings, exercising their creativity and taking pictures. The motto was to look beyond the common eyes, capture not just what you see but what you feel. If some-thing moves you, snap it, by doing this you can hold onto that moment which would have just passed by otherwise.

The photowalk got its feet wet with the assemblage of the students along with the core team of ‘Pic It!’ at the thresh-old of Rock Garden. Then the artistic colours began imbuing to the brim. In nutshell, the photowalk was a huge success and was a perfect mix and match to many innovative eyes. The steps towards photography shall surely strive for more after this.

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The Presidential SuiteAkshika Sharma2nd Year

“An age of genius must be succeeded by an age of endeavor and extravagance by cleanliness and hard work. ”

Adhering to the above-mentioned quote, a competitive cleanliness drive “The Presidential suite” was organized by the Hostel Committee on 20th September 2012. It was a one of its kind event, and was compulsory to be attended by all the boarders of 2012 batch i.e. the students residing in Aryabhatta and Kalpana hostels.

This event aimed at making the fresher’s feel comfortable and at creating a home like atmosphere while they stay at the hostels. The students excitedly transformed their hostel abodes to the best they could and explored their aesthetic capabilities to the fullest. The winners were judged on how tidy their room was, and the manner in which their room was organised. The jury comprised of Col. Kulwant Singh and Col. Y.C Chibber for the Aryabhatta hostel and Ms. Sandhya Sharma for the Kalpana hostel.

Sanjana (B120010359), Tanvi (B120010414) and Anantdeep (B120010052) were the winners in the Kalpana hostel, while Anmol Garg (B120030021), Sanjay Jaggi (B120020232) and Varun Kaistha (B120030127) were the winners in the Aryabhatta hostel. It was a fun filled event mixed with a sense of belonging and an ” in –

home” feeling!

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It’s good to learn something new!Ankit Wadhawan2nd Year

A workshop on web designing was organised by ‘Abstruse’, one of the newest clubs at Chitkara University,

Baddi on the 11th and 12th of October, 2012, at the college premises. The workshop saw almost a hundred students participate in what turned out to be a great, interactive session for learning the basics of HTML.

Web designing is all about creativity, and this was brought to the fore as the members of the club taught the students about the various integral aspects of HTML. The students were provided with an enriching and knowledge b o o s t i n g experience as they implemented what they learned side by side on their laptops.

The workshop, aimed at the first year students of the university, was given a big thumbs up by all who attended and the feedback

received by the core members f u r t h e r e n c o u r a g e d them to organize more such educating events in the future!

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THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE CELEBRATION‘INDIANS FIRST, STATES LATER’

Ashish Sharma3rd Year

The NSS Unit Cell of Chitkara University, Himachal Pradesh, along with CUTC, the leading theatre group of the college, celebrated the International Day of Peace on 21 September, 2012 at the campus premises by organizing a street play. The street play, with its central theme as ‘Regionalism’, was the second major event of this academic session after the highly successful Blood Donation Camp, also organized by the NSS Unit Cell.

The idea of the street play came from Gagandeep Singh, President of the NSS Unit Cell. Regionalism, which prevails in many parts of India, is also one of the main obstacles to national unity. The main objective of the play was to show people that rather than belonging to a particular state, people belonged to their country first, i.e. India. In short, ‘Indians first, States later.’

The venue of the street play was the area under the CU Bridge. The members of NSS Unit Cell and CUTC were amongst the cast of the street play. Each member played the part of a person hailing from a different state of India. They raised lots of questions regarding regionalism, why it still prevailed in our country, its effects on people, and how to minimize these effects in their short but power packed performance.

The street play was highly anticipated by the students, thanks to the innovative promotion strategies used by the teams of the NSS and CUTC. A huge crowd of around 500 students that had gathered to watch the street play cheered

it on throughout its duration. The powerful performances, the innovative plot and the pivotal theme of the street play drew lots of loud cheers and applause from the audience. The play made the audiences think about regionalism, and how it could be countered effectively only by peace.

The faculty members and workers also enjoyed the street play. Amongst the audiences of the street play were Dr. Rajnish Sharma, the respected Dean Academics, Chitkara University, Himachal Pradesh and Retd. Brig. R.S. Grewal, the esteemed Vice Chancellor. They enjoyed watching the play and appreciated its theme. They showered their blessings on the cast of the play and on the NSS Unit Cell & CUTC for organizing such a memorable event on the International Day of Peace. Brig. Dr. Grewal also encouraged the members of the NSS & CUTC to organize events and plays like this with more frequency in the future. Such words of encouragement and appreciation by these respected figures were met with a huge round of applause and loud cheers.

Overall, the International Day of Peace Celebration was a successful event organized by the NSS Unit Cell and Cut C of Chitkara University, Himachal Pradesh. The students of Chitkara University, Himachal Pradesh are looking forward to more collaborative activities by the NSS & CUTC in future.

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TREK TO NEPLI-KANSAL FORESTAshish Sharma3rd Year

The NSS Unit Cell of Chitkara University along with the Forest Department of Chandigarh, organized a trek to the Nepli-Kansal Forest on 2nd October on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. The trek was highly anticipated by the members of NSS, who got the opportunity to explore the rich wildlife, flora & fauna, and the serenity that the Nepli and Kansal forests have to offer.

Twenty NSS members were joined by around eighty other students from different colleges and universities in and around Chandigarh. They were also joined by some students from the International Youth Fellowship, IYF. A very inspirational and moving speech was delivered by a senior forest department official to the participants. The need to conserve and protect our forest resources was presented, and some rudimentary ways to do so.

The trek began at 6 am, the partaking groups formed, comprised of 15 students each; each group was allocated a guide and two policemen for security purposes.

The groups were accompanied by some birdwatchers who helped the participants to in searching the motley variety of birds that reside in the forest area. The students learned of several exquisite plantand animal species that dwell in the Shivalik region. The opportunity to get away from the loudness and the causticity of the cities brought great tranquility and glee for the participants. It was indeed a pleasuring experience for the wildlife enthusiasts and regular trekkers. The trek ended around 11 am.

At the Forest Department House in the forest, some mouth-watering and delicious refreshments awaited the participants who were quite hungry after the long, yet enjoyable trek. Overall it was a refreshing and a great learning experience for the members of NSS Unit Cell of Chitkara University and they are eagerly waiting for another opportunity to go to the beautiful and wildlife rich Nepli and Kansal forests.

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Be my hostIsha Sood3rd Year

“Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that dai-

ly life requires and provides; and in this re-spect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become.”

Sufy club of Chitkara university rightly be-lieves in the above saying. The literary club of our university recently conducted a work-shop on 21septmeber,2012 for the students so that they can improve their skills in the following fields- Creativity, personal moti-vation and personal interaction skills. The learning methods used were engaging and beneficial to students which will help them in their personal and professional lives. The seminar was divided into two parts basical-ly-The first part consisted of self-exploration, exploration of the opportunities world has,

and developing individuals, personal self dif-ferentiation. The second part concentrated on how to become a better presenter. Shonit Sharma, ceo of wanders journey was the host of the day. It was an interactive session so everyone was seen enjoying it. Around 200 students attended the seminar.

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Record participation in General Technical QuizAvichal CHum3rd Year

The IETE General Technical Quiz was held on 17 September 2012, in the university campus. With over 400 participants,

the quiz turned out to be a huge success. The quiz was conducted simultaneously in 4 examination halls under the supervision of approximately 40 invigilators.

The quiz comprised of 70 multiple-choice questions that had to be answered in 40 minutes. It was divided into various sections including a general section, mixed bag section, latest technology section, graphics section, etc. Each section carried different distribution in terms of marks and difficulty. Many of the students were not privy of the manner in which a general technical quiz is conducted, and found this experience as both a new experience and an eye opener. The students really enjoyed taking part in the

quiz and showed keen interest in partaking such events in the future.

The winner of the quiz was Saurabh Sharma, a 3rd Year ECE student. The first and the second runners up were Ranbir Singh and Anshul Anand respectively. All the winners were awarded by the Vice Chancellor, Brig (Dr.) RS Grewal. The next best 17 participants with the highest scores were also awarded certificates of distinction. Upon witnessing such an exceptional response, the organizers doubled the prize money. Overall, the General Technical Quiz, which was the first of its in Chitkara University, bore a great fruition. The participants appreciated the level of the questions and level of management by the organizers.

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Seeds of ReminiscenceManik Mahajan2nd Year

Nostalgia, it is one of the best feelings that a person can have. It brings with it a sense of warmth, familiarity and strange

serenity. The peculiar caress of nostalgia is particularly everlasting. Through the course of our life, we often see and do things that seem transient and insignificant, but these are the very momentary adventures that sow the seeds to a lifetime worth of happy memories.Our university saw it’s first ever batch passing into the next course of their lives on the 31st of September 2012. These young adults who were the first of our kind, are now going to be called adults. They will cease to be answerable to their parents, their teachers, their friends or their grades, and begin to realize that the only institution they should care about caring is their own. They will now be unequivocally independent, responsible for their actions and the repercussions that their actions will hold; they will no longer have a fallback and in no time find that they have become the fallback to the people in their life. Their life will hold for them new and endless opportunities, opportunities to grow, learn and do. These boys and girls will be the men and women who will hold in their hands the power to shape the future. These birds will now have left the nest, to discover a whole world of remarkable and infinite possibilities.The first ever convocation in the history of our university was a in every sense of the word, truly memorable. The students were jubilant, the parents were proud more than they ever could be and the teachers who were the coal to these students’ rolling engines were filled with both glee and the trial of seeing them go.The guest of honor was the chief of DRDO, the Defense Research and Development Organization, Dr. V.K. Saraswat. He has been the heart and soul of the Indian military research for

a very long time, and it is under his pious tutelage that the Indian armed forces have flourished and undergirded a strong and distinctive stand in this world.The convocation started with a marvelous display of vocal talents by a group of students that included Namita, Kirti Passi, Preety Siwach, Ankita, Asmita, Palki, and Shipra Chib who sang our university’s anthem. After which a few short

words of final goodbyes were delivered by our Vice Chancellor, Brig (Dr.) R.S. Grewal. One could see in voice, the deep sense of attainment when he cited the numerous accolades of our university and our fellow students. He took great pride in the fact that despite being a university that has only just begun, we have been able to create an aura of awe wherever we have laid our ground. Be it Foreign exchange programmes, accreditation of our curriculum by world’s leading universities and their willingness to

Cover Story

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accept our students as transferred students, the various technical and cultural events that our university has won and organized on a national level, these achievements have simply given an impulse to many that have yet to come.Dr. V.K. Saraswat was more than impressed with our university’s laurels. His address for the convocation was about sustainable development and research in India. He began with introducing the need to adopt judicious and carefully planned development methodologies and later described the trail that the Indian Government is currently embarking upon and the intended directions of their course of actions in the near future for the facilitation of this cause.

He laid great stress upon this critical issue, and tried to explain that our resources have begun to deplete and at the current brazen rate of consumption and exploitation we will expended all of our motherland’s bounties not far from now, whilst creating a huge disruption in the ecological balance in the form of lost habitat to indigenous species, tremendously polluted metropolitan areas and a choleric dependency on alien institutions for the vital resources that we currently seem to undermine, thus instigating

a socio-economic and environmental turmoil in the nation. He cited data from numerous studies and concluded by stressing upon the need to do something about these exigent circumstances, before it’s too late. After his enlightening words, the students were awarded their degrees along with a copy of the holy Bhagwad Gita by the esteemed bench comprising of Brig (Dr.) R.S. Grewal, Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Dr. Madhu Chitkara and Dr. Ashok Chitkara, Dr. Varinder S Kanwar, Dr. Satish Kumar, and Dr. S.K. Salwan.Following the ceremony, the university’s first annual magazine ‘Advitya’ was released. The word Advitya draws its roots from Indian philosophical traditions and can be interpreted as the desire to attain the self and world identity, become liberated and second to none.After the conclusion of the formal ceremony, the students proceeded to the most recognized part of any convocation, the hat throwing. T h i s marked the culmination of a chapter of their life and the beginning of the next. One could see the emotions oozing out of the students, their parents and the teachers. It was a long journey that they had to travel to get to this day, and the seeds of all their hard work and effort, all their sacrifices and dedication bore to great fruition.The years one spends as a student are the best ones of their life. It is during this period that we are given just enough opportunities to be able to learn without losing, to be able to grow without breaking, to want to reach and not be afraid of falling, to forgive but not to forget and most importantly, to learn to live. This is the very reason why we hold onto these years no mater where life might take us. These are the years that we can say, with all our hearts, made us.The first batch to ever call themselves Chitkarians, the batch that emanated the ‘Spirit of Chitkara’, as our beloved Dean Dr. Rajnish Sharma likes to say, is now going to be a part of the real world. We wish you godspeed!

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Not a long time ago, there was an age where there were no smart phones, tablets, laptops, iPods and the endless

plethora of devices that constitute our very ex-istence today. It was a time when only a frac-tion of time was spent on inconsequential ac-tivities and recreation meant relaxation and refreshment instead of sore eyes and migraine. This period included archaic activities such as reading newspapers and books, going to the park for an odd jog, and an overall amount of privacy, the likes of which are hardly seen in to-days over connected world. This not so old state of affairs was nothing but a decade ago and its demise came with the sud-den burst of the World Wide Web. Along came the influx of humungous amounts of all kinds of information. It was miraculous, discovering what lay on the other side of the horizon at the click of a button, an infinite, ever expanding encyclopaedia where anything and everything could be accessed without any restrictions, with the appropriate bandwidth of course. What, then, went wrong? How did this oth-erworldly, quixotic powerhouse of knowledge cave in on us and began feeding on our brain like a symbiotic beast? Enter the mainstream social network, of course! Suddenly, someone had the genius notion of creating a portal for people where they could put all information

about their lives and very humbly stalk every-one else’s. It worked. Then, these websites got popular. Lots of fortunes were made, and entire generations were hooked on to a place where they could see what everyone else in their peer group/ social circle was doing. All the time.

With all this happening around, technology fi-nally took the leap into becoming intensively entwined with our lives. In came even smaller devices which created a brand new shell around us, making us sink even further into the virtual and out of the real world. Smart phones made it possible to be lost in this world throughout the day, and the advent of tablets and other mar-vels of technology cemented the fact. So has all been lost? Are we never to recover from this predicament of the information age? The answer, most surprisingly, is no. As long as we realise that everything in excess leads to bad things and that posting a status every five minutes on your favourite website will lead to absolutely nothing but the insolent wastage of the precious commodity called time, there is still hope.In the meantime, keep your phone in the cup-board where all your old books are getting dusty and pick one. You won’t regret it.

Creative ZoneIt’s now safe to switch off

your deviceAnkit Wadhawan2nd Year

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“Little agitation turns boiling” the headline from a very common newspaper explains how intense a situation was. Such is not something extraordinarily different but a very common perception and a feeling that each one of us goes through daily.Now, are you able to revive back the recent time you felt it? Read the headline again.We humans are so easily driven by flow, that we forget what we are living here for. A lit-tle rumour in the market that the petrol rates may rise would result in huge roars much be-fore, even when it may not happen. That how proactive we are!, but in the negative sense. What we need to understand here is, “We need to live the moments”. Obviously anything that rise, would fall one day. Well if the world is so critical, then be happy your engines don’t run on cooking oil, because if that was so, even a billionaire would have been just surviving.The headline I talk about refers to the recent “Grid failure at Bhakra Dam” in India. Masses and masses roared with agitation of no elec-tricity and poor system because they all were watching the same small picture. Now lets magnify the same and find how moments could have been golden. Nobody turned up to point out that the weather outside was beautiful. Nobody enjoyed the fact that the Grid failure in India was fixed in less than 2 days while the same took 4 complete days in US.

Thus it is indeed very important to see the broad picture to live golden moments even when its useless for the outside world. Beauty always adds to life, thus look for it everywhere.

ZoneMagnify the small picture

-Live the goldSIMRAN JIT SINGH3rd Year

The chief enemy of creativity is good sense.

- Pablo Picasso

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THE SECRETS TO ‘A HAPPY SPACE’savvy aggarwal3rd Year

Many of us have often come across this little, seemingly unearthly, most probably non-existent and highly

unbelievably unrealistic expression called ‘Happy Space’. Once in a blue moon, we read or hear people saying that they are in a ‘Happy Space’ at the moment (whoa! really?). So what exactly is this so called ‘Happy Space’? Can there actually be any space so happy (beside a cozy bed)? If yes, does it really exist? If it exists, which seems like a far fetched probability, how can it be reached?Let’s simply start by trying to understand what this ‘Happy Space’ is. While many surveys, researches and studies have been carried out around the world to measure the happiness quotient of people belonging to different backgrounds in terms of both culture and profession, the factors which provide glee and happiness to people have also been tried to be determined simultaneously. Well you might wonder why would scientists be bothering themselves measuring happiness of people rather than working out complicated formulas and developing breathtaking technologies using their Einstein heads but surprise! surprise! the world is in dire need of happiness and though it might not occupy the top slot of the list of worries of the leaders of the world but its definitely climbing the charts.Without going into the statistics, let’s just ponder over this ‘Happy Space’ for a moment. Although everyone may have his/her own interpretations but more generally a ‘Happy Space’ can be believed to be a state of bliss which makes a person feel most comfortable

with his surroundings. It’s a state in which a person feels joy radiating from within without any events or occurrences of the outer world disturbing the individual’s inner equilibrium. This inner equilibrium acts as the grounding strength for the person who is then able to live his life productively while enjoying the calm and cushion of a little bubble surrounding him.Putting it in simpler words, ‘’A Happy Space is a state of sheer happiness when a person feels calm, content, hopeful and joyful no matter what!”.Guess what, this ‘Happy Space’ actually

exists and anyone and everyone can achieve it! While you may deceive yourself into believing that

only years of meditation, fasting and following strict rituals that instruct

people to leave the greed for materialistic luxuries alone can put you in the ‘Happy Space’ but following is a list of some simple steps and tricks which can put you in this sought after ‘Happy Space’ right away.

• NurtureYourHobbiesNever give up on your hobbies. It may be gardening, painting, dancing, singing, acting, writing, photography, sports, music, art or anything else, just never stop doing it. Remember hobbies form the most important part of the recreation process and also help to refresh your brain and life. So make time for your hobbies and nurture them as beautifully and healthily as you can. The saying, ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ could never be more true!

A Happy Space is a state of sheer happiness when a per-

son feels calm, content, hopeful and joyful no matter what! ”

“

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• ExpressGratitudeGratitude is one of the most selfless gestures and expressions. No matter how fortunate or unfortunate you think you are, always express and feel thankful to life, nature and people who have provided you with everything small and big that you possess. While you may not have everything, you still have something and that something makes for a sufficient enough reason for you to feel gratitude and express it. Expressing this wonderful feeling naturally brings a sense of contentment and makes space for more positivity and effectiveness in your future endeavors.• StopTryingToChangeOthersI know it’s easier said than done but hey! can’t we try? Well many of us consider it our moral duty to correct everyone around us and be their moral mentor but seriously, get over it. No matter how right you think you are, you definitely have no right to police others. Stop making a big issue out of little things that others do (which in most cases are completely unintentional) and accept the people the way they are. Just like you, everyone else is human too and making mistakes is a universal human right. So check yourself before you go about judging others.This one step is sure to send you into a ‘Happy Space’ right away!

• DoSomethingNewThis one’s interesting. How long has it been since you tried your hand at something new or made a sincere effort to learn something that you didn’t know before? Well if it’s been long then it’s high time you do it because life doesn’t happen twice. Learn a new language or read a new book. Learn how to bake a delicious cake or try out a new hairstyle. Just do something new or crazy and do it with all your heart!

• KeepnoregretsA regretful heart never makes anything better, it only knows how to cry in vain. Remember what’s done is done and frankly a time machine hasn’t been invented yet so you might need some extraordinary amount of luck if you’re trying to

go back in time to undo something. Whatever you have done in the past has helped you reach where you are today so don’t feel sorry and let it go. Concentrate on your present and build your dream future!

I might have suggested just a few but there are many more ways which you can discover to reach your ‘Happy Space’ and I hope you find yours soon enough.The following lines by John Burrough rightly bring out the importance of every moment in life.“I still find each day too short for all the thoughts i want to think, all the walks i want to take, all the books i want to read and all the friends i want to see.” Life is short, fill it with a lot of Happy Spaces!!!

26

Curiosity about CuriosityDisha Ghai3rd Year

It was a big day for NASA as their most anticipated project the “Curiosity Rover” successful landed on the red planet. Mars has

always been under the suspicion of holding the resources necessary to support life. Curiosity aims at tabulating Martian climate, geology, role of water, and whether or not its environmental conditions can support microbial. The date 26/11 is excruciating for Indians but NASA gave us a reason to smile on this day by launching a historic voyage from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. November 26, 2011 7:02 am was the moment marked in history when curiosity along with Mars Science Laboratory blasted off in its chariot-Atlas V Rocket. After a phenomenal journey of 567 million kilometers curiosity hit the Gale Crater on mars.

Switching on to a bit of men talk – the figure of lady Curiosity!! Well, Curiosity is a small SUV sized, 6 wheeled robot, which is precisely 10,9, and 7 feet in length, width and height respectively and weighs around 899 kilograms. Curiosity is about 5 times heavier, 15 times larger and twice

as long as its predecessors-”Opportunity” & “Spirit”. One commendable feature that makes curiosity far better than its predecessors is its parts like legs & wheels, neck &head, body, arm, hand ,observation tray, power source, Sundial, Chem cams, Hazcams, Mardi, UHF antennas and many more that will explore the mars in a way a human body do albeit not organized as human body. The phenomenal 9-month journey from earth to gale crater was accomplished precisely at 10:32 pm PDT on 5 august, 2012. Reaching the landing site was not as trivial as a tourist at a new holiday spot but instead it was a long seven-minute terror for the scientists working for it at NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL in California). The heart sinking 7 minutes for scientists were marked by 5 successful landing events that include

• Atmospheric entry at 10:24:33.8 pm PDT• Parachute deploy at 10:28:53 pm PDT• Heat shield separation at 10:29:12.7 pm PDT• Rover Separation at 10:31:26.7pm PDT

And finally the touchdown at 10:31:45.4 pm PDT, this touchdown site has been called “Bradbury Landing” in the name of famous author Ray Bradbury (92) who died this year. Here started the new expedition of exploring (potential at) Mars. It commenced with measuring air and ground temperature that swing from -2 to -75 degrees (Celsius) and -3 to -90 degrees (Celsius) respectively.

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Each sol (solar day) is marked with a special, new and indefinable experience of the alternative Earth (envisaged).Each drive of curiosity is foreseen with lots of anticipation and that fortunately leads to some new discoveries. Till date, the curiosity’s longest drive is recorded to be about 160 feet on sol 50.Panormic images are also proving to be of great significance, the images of rocks containing ancient streambed gravels provided an evidence for the existence of streams that once ran vigorously at a speed of 3 feet/sec(hurray!! a positive note for habitable environment).October 1 was a felicitous day as curiosity’s instrument on arm examined a rock target called “Bathurst Inlet” and the very next day (October 2) it came across a patch of wind deposited soil called “Rocknest”.

October 4 was an important day as curiosity was ready to take a scoop of soil for mineral analysis and chemical analysis that will reveal past environmental conditions and important ingredients required for life respectively.

It was all about Curiosity’s expedition till date but as its journey will continue for the next 21 months. We all can be the part of this extraordinary journey as Curiosity rover has checked-in on Mars using the mobile application – Four Square (location based social networking site). This is a hailing news for all the anticipators (like me)to know the different locations of Mars that are being travelled and examined by curiosity .Keeping my fingers crossed for the positive results regarding possible human habitat that may destine Sunita Williams next space tour to Mars( You never know!!). Lets uphold the curiosity about Curiosity.

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The iPhone has been long awaited and has been an object of desire by so many peo-ple all across the globe since a very very long

time. People had postponed buying new phones when the news of the new iPhone being launched in about a year started blowing through the me-dia. And when this much hyped device was finally released, most people did not receive it with the same awe as they did the previous models, and yet these people ended up waiting in seeming-ly perpetual queues for days to get their hands on the ‘new iPhone’, despite not getting what they sought, and despite not needing what they bought. The iPhone costs a fortune, and it can be veritably said that it is an elitist product. Here are some ideas for things to do with the same amount of money that one would end up spending for buying one:

Buy an iPhone, Or…………Manik Mahajan2nd Year

1

2

3

Don’t buy an iPhone, save the money.

Don’t buy an iPhone; buy stock in

IBM, Apple or Pfizer instead.

Don’t buy an iPhone, buy a second

hand motorcycle instead.

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5

6

7

8

9

4Don’t buy an iPhone, go on a short

trip to Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Ma-

laysia or Saudi Arabia instead, and

yes these cost roughly the same

amount as does buying an iPhone.

Don’t buy an iPhone, buy a Lenovo or

Acer laptop, they offer maximum con-

figurations with minimal costs, all in

the price of an iPhone.

Don’t buy an iPhone, get your car

pimped out. A good mechanic can

do wonders with your car with the

amount it costs to get an iPhone and

make your mundane and “John Doe”-

ish car, a sweet chariot.

Don’t buy an iPhone, buy a tiger. Tigers

are awesome.

Don’t buy an iPhone, take the money, lay

it all on a bed and roll in it. Scrooge Mc-

Duck seemed to have so much fun when he

swam in his money. You should try it, it’ll

be awesome.

Don’t buy an iPhone, help opening up of

schools and clinics in Africa and the

Southern Americas. Yes, there are or-

ganizations that open schools and medi-

cal institutes in the third world and

poverty-ridden countries for the sake

of being human. There’s more to it, the

same amount of money that will let to hold an iPhone

in your hands can let some malnourished, underprivi-

leged child in a distant country with abysmal liv-

ing conditions have a childhood or at least a fighting

chance at having one.

30

CLONING : A BLESSING OR A CURSEShivani Graak1st Year

Cloning, initially a figment of imagination of the science fiction writers, has now become a reality. The birth of cloned

sheep and calves would help mankind in many ways. High milk yielding animals and increase in the population of endangered species can be of great benefit to mankind. Yet, worldwide indignation has come to the fore after the successful implementation of cloning. The Vatican has even said, humans should be born “in a human way”. Cloning could very well mean growing of animals in farms. Man should use this science for the betterment of society.A clone is an exact copy of the parent plant or the parent animal produced by taking a non-productive cell from it and developing it artificially. In 1997, the scientists at the Roslin Institute and PPL Therapeutics, near Edinburgh, Scotland were successful in creating the world’s first clone of an adult animal. Dr Ian Wilmut was the leading British scientist who created a lamb, Dolly. A cell was taken from the udder of a 6-year adult Finn Dorset sheep during its gestation period. It was then turned into an embryo and implanted in a surrogate mother. Dolly, thus born, had the same genes as its biological mother. This was a scientific breakthrough and was intended to provide a boost to the work on ageing, genetics and medicine.By September 1997, the Roslin Institute was successful in producing two lambs, Polly and Molly, using a similar technique as in the case of Dolly. But, both were produced with the help of cells taken from a 26-day lamb, and carried a human protein gene. The use of “nuclear transfer” method represented a step towards achieving more efficient production of proteins that could be used to treat human disease and injury. Researchers slipped human genetic material into the nuclei of the cells

from the lamb. A gene each for high milk-yield and antibiotic resistance were also introduced. The researchers believe that production of such animals could help in saving the life of haemophiliac patients.Researchers have developed a technique for cloning genetically customised calves which would produce milk with medicines for man. A breakthrough was seen with the birth of Charlie and George in mid-January, 1998 at Texas. Females developed through this technique would be used for this purpose. Researchers are also in the process of developing cows, which would produce human serum albumin. Albumin is a blood protein which regulates the transfer of fluids in the body. This would help patients suffering from liver disease, malnutrition and extreme burns.In India, at Karnal, diary scientists were successful in producing several identical buffalo calves from a single embryo. The same technique, which was used to produce Dolly, was applied. This would help India produce high milk-yielding calves, which would have high resistance towards diseases. Cloning could also help us to save all those animals which feature on the endangered list. However, like every new invention of science, cloning has its baneful aspects. A doctor, Richard Seed expressed a desire to carry out such experiments for the childless couples. A New York-based scientist Dr James Grifo said that this technique could not be used for human cloning as it accompanies several problems. In an attempt to clone Dolly alone, 277 experiments were carried out before achieving success. Preliminary findings about Dolly have shown that her genetic material is ageing three times faster than her actual age. Human cloning could also burden an offspring with oppressive expectations and crush him by identical crisis.

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The US President, Bill Clinton, asked a Biotech Advisory Committee to study the implications of human cloning. He asked the committee to review “the ethical and legal issues associated with the development in technology”. He had further asked the administration not to grant funds for the research on human cloning. According to the President, an attempt towards this direction itself would be unethical.The Vatican, which had earlier expressed its displeasure over test tube babies, said that humans ought to be born “in a human way”, and not in a petri dish of a laboratory. The Church said that cloning would be an attempt to throttle “the dignity, both of human procreation and of the conjugal union”. In an attempt to clone humans, man is trying to reach beyond his means and trying to become God. The Vatican has appealed to all countries to enact laws banning human cloning. The cloning experiment to alter the animal species in Scotland also drew flak from the Vatican. The UNESCO, in its 25- Article declaration, to protect the individual’s right to dignity and human rights, banned human cloning on November 11, 1997. The success of the cloning experiments in Scotland and Texas, India and other countries could mean mass production of farm animals, reared for milk and meat. This would mean that more animals would come under the butcher’s knife. By cloning the endangered animals, man would be able to produce them on a large scale. Soon, they would be reared on farms for their fur, skin, skeletons and tusks. He has already raised alligators, snakes and ostriches in farms and skins them alive to produce exotic and fancy items. It has been this

greed which has led them towards the brink of extinction.The discovery of radioactivity augmented the nuclear arms proliferation among several countries. Cloned animals would also be reared to cater to the greed of the humans. Human cloning could lead to the evolution of super-humans as envisaged by the Nazis. The entire human race could then be subjugated by these genetically engineered marvels. We are on the threshold of the new millennium: any attempt towards human cloning or the production of clone animals could spell doom. As humans, we have to act with restraint and follow the ethics with a good demeanour. Cloning could be the next ‘giant leap for mankind’, if carried out prudently.

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TALENT – ‘It’s in you’Chinenye Gabriel Iheanyichukwu3rd Year

We are all gifted by God in diverse ways, but what do you have in you that makes you exceptional among

your peers? You will be baffled when you dis-cover the uncommon abilities you have got in you. Some of us are fortunate enough to discover it at a very tender age, but some may never know until they give up the ghost.Our talent directs our paths and serves as an authentic and secure route to being prosper-ous in life. ‘In spite of the fact that success is not a guarantee no matter how talented you are’, you could still use your talent to impact the lives of others positively. The big question is ‘What are you talented at?’ if you are given the ultimate test will you be found wanting or waiting? Yes! It is in you, others see it before you, lis-ten to what people have to say about you, there are things that you could do with ease, go with your guts, do what makes your heart dance and your eyes light up, look at your-self in the mirror and tell yourself the truth. Listen to your heartbeats, when it speeds our intent becomes fuelled by passion which enables action. True talent lies in living your passion.Nobody knows you better than you know yourself. You must remain open and recep-tive to new ideas. Try everything, whatever your hidden talent is will shine through as you will be mediocre at everything else. This will help you to quickly realize what you are not good at. There is an appointed time for everything and our tasks on earth must be fulfilled, your talent must not be repressed, it must not be ignored. Do not let the gift in you wither

away while you stare in awe. Act wisely! “IT IS IN YOU, DISCOVER IT TODAY”

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PROCRASTINATION: A UNIVERSAL FORTESavvy Aggarwal3rd Year

Mankind has known the art of procras-tination aka postponing well since its origin. We procrastinate everything,

be it big or small, from visiting an old friend to working on a project or an assignment. Pro-crastination is so perfectly imbibed into our minds that we don’t even realize how com-monly we do it. It has become a part of our lifestyle, and something, which we accept as natural and indispensable. But do you know how this very natural art of yours is keeping you away from experiencing some of the most wonderful things in the world? How not pro-crastinating for even once can save you from all that unnecessary trouble you bring upon yourself every time you put off important work for tomorrow? How you are losing out on all the fun and happiness simply because you are procrastinating?

Well you might think that I am crazy for exag-gerating a simple harmless act into some sort of an offence but hold your judgment for a lit-tle while. Take a moment of silence and try to think of all those times when postponing even the smallest of things cost you your time, en-ergy, mind and happiness. Not one but a hun-dred such hurtful memories will come to your mind when this very art of procrastination led you farther from where you wanted to be. If only you had not procrastinated, you would be closer to your goals and your joy.

Trust me when I say that it only takes a mo-ment of courage and determination to trans-form that sweet temptation of procrastination into the energy and vigour to carry out the work at that very Time. Laziness is the virtue of the weak and the unadventurous. It lures you with false and imaginary fantasies rather

than rewarding you with your dream reality. A happy reality can only be achieved through spontaneity of action that gives way to an in-creased possibility of success. Now ask your-

self this, “does working hard really hurt that much or do you feel more hurt once you re-alize that you couldn’t achieve something just because you kept postponing your share of hard work well until the end?”. If you choose the latter, then it’s high time you get into ac-tion for if not now, then when?

It takes only a few moments of dare to venture into the righteous field of fortitude, where fac-ing what life brings forth is a way of life is a way of life and not procrastination. It is our duty to face any and all predicaments that may be hurled at us during the course of our life, and although it takes true mettle to surrender the shrouds of laggard and work till one’s spine breaks, do- ing so is what makes a man great.

The Procastination Clock

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Soul RenewalAnubhav Chaudhary2nd Year

On the way to the road untraveled,There’s no chance for redemption,I’m trying to buy a new soul,

Something that won’t get me drenched me up like this.

How did I get here?No fragments to recall,I’m withering in confusion,

No guidance at all.

There’s a feeling that goes soon,Lighten up by each ray of moon,And as the darkness comes closer,Life tends to become much clearer.

Dreams are the sole reality,Real world doesn’t seem so catchy,

In meantime, the feeling comes back again,But is snatched away by the gleams of brightness.

Hope is seen in midst of abyss,Waves clamber over each other,To find the truth of happiness,

But it comes to those who are a believer.

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LifeTanya Bhardwaj3rd Year

The moments spent with youForm my treasure trove

From which I draw one bead at a time miserlyTo enrich me when I’m impoverished emotionally

When my energy is drainedWhen my brain is strainedWhen my soul is sappedWhen my spirit is sacked

The image of a smiling YouKindles a spark anew

With blood in my veins replenishedI jump back into the battle of life with new vigour, refurbished

When my heart bleedsWhen thorns of griefIt’s only your memoryThat lessens my agony

With your image captured in my heart deeplyI can feel what you muse, ponder and perceive fondly

Your mental image is so strong and livelyThat I feel you’re so close to me physically

Am I not favoured and fortuitous? {Guess}That in each state of my consciousnessWalking, sleeping, awake or dreaming

You are a part and parcel of my feelings

I can sense you feeling my heartacheI can discern you sharing my jubilant state

With the sensation of your image engulfing my beingI live on and on, till ages unborn…

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A LongingHarmeen Suri3rd Year

A constant longing of the one you desire,

burns the inside with a piercing pain...

A mourn so intense and filled with fire,

an ardent cry to meet with and regain...

The bliss of a gentle touch as if to conspire,

a lifelong suffering with a love stain...

Although a vivid mortal exterior,

it sobs when it wants to obtain,

the one it craves for and desire,

it alters into a wish that drains away in vain...

The eternal love i require,

is miles away, which makes me insane...

A bond so strong, one wishes to acquire,

is now just a sand castle amidst a heavy rain...

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Eve of My LifeHarmeen Suri3rd Year

Whimsical, how things change,

and then refuse to be all right...

Things are now a little strange,

i cant, even though i want to be upright...

I will now prevail with a shame,

despair, amidst a profane delight!

I accept and so shall take the blame,

despite all, i wish i could overwrite...

Ahh! i demand to decease...

I wish to view who will grieve,

on the merry day of my demise will make peace,

with the mistakes i did perceive…

I wished for eternal bliss for all,

but was just a bitter nostalgia at my life’s eve...

38

For all the die hard

Harry Potter fans out there, this is one thing they’ll not want to miss. Ditch your

present TV remote, and buy this wand. Just flick your wand to change

the chanel. You can program the wand to learn which chanel to

go to.Cost: INR 3710

Magic wand

remote

Gadgets you just might want to tryAvichal Chum3rd Year

38

Morphie Juice Pack

Pro

The monster of all

protective cases for the iphone. If you want an all in

one package - protection from water, shocks, dust, drop, sand, and

best of all - and additional 2500maAh battery, then this case is for you.

Cost: INR 7000

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A 250 RPM, 6

barrelled, 12V battery operated minigun, is what you

need when you go out, enacting the scenes from a sci-fi movie. Or

just use it to punch some holes through the wall.

Cost: INR 220000

Creation m134

Minigun

Built of beautiful

Rhodium-plated metal, this 2Gb USB flash drive would

be a perfect gift for a spy. Follow your Bond dream and enter a party wearing these cufflinks, steal all the top secret data and leave. But don’t

forget to take the obligatory hot girl along with you !

INR: 6815

USB flash drive

Cufflinks

A clock that won’t

need any battery, literally!This nifty little clock runs only

on water. One refill will last you 12 to 14 weeks. Available in various beautiful designs, it’s been designed

to keep track of time, even while changing the water.

Cost: INR 250

Water Clock

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40

Reading Room

Throughout the course of human endeavor, the greatest discoveries have been a product of fortunate accidents.

For those of faith, serendipity sounds musical and sweet, the more puritanical masses may argue otherwise but a falling apple may change their mind.At a summer tea party in Cambridge, England, a guest states that tea poured into milk tastes different from milk poured into tea. Her notion is shouted down by the scientific minds of the group. But one man, Ronald Fisher, proposes to scientifically test the hypothesis. Ronald Fisher is no ordinary man; he is a pioneer of statistical analysis and knows how big a difference the methods of obtaining and processing data make in the bigger picture. He proposes to give her eight cups, four of each variety of order of additions, in random order. One could ask what the probability was for her getting the number she got correct, but just by chance. The lady manages to correctly tell all the cups of tea against the odds of 1 to 70. Thus inculcating new ideas for randomization in the mind of Fisher and his colleagues, ideas about beating and predicting the odds. The lady with the heightened taste buds was called Dr. Muriel Bristol, and this tea party discussion was the birthplace of Fisher’s Exact Test.The lady tasting tea is an almanac to some

of this century’s most brilliant ideas and notions from some of the greatest minds of our time. The author uses a gripping blend of wit and ardor to present very convoluted hypotheses in a very basic yet intriguing manner. It offers very different perspectives about the very rudimentary things that often go unnoticed.

The Lady Tasting TeaManik Mahajan2nd Year

41

RoomPATHS OF GLORY savvy aggarwal3rd Year

It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it

- Oscar Wilde

“”

Got your own book reviews ?

Mail us your reviews ateditorialboard.cu@gmail.com

A book adeptly written in a gripping flow, Jeffrey Archer’s ‘Paths Of Glory’ might not be a true mirror of historic reality

but it does manage to arouse a reader’s curiosity about its subject which is ‘George Mallory’, a legendary mountaineer who is considered by many as the first ascendant of Mt. Everest. The book follows the life of its character very closely right from his childhood, schooling, his college adventures to his adult maneuvers. An adventurous mountaineering drama, the book gives a good glimpse into early British life, conventions and the gradual emergence of mountaineering as a sport that lured many high-spirited enthusiasts giving way to the RGS(Royal Geographical Society) taking the initiative and launching world’s first attempt at conquering the world’s highest peak of Mt. Everest whom the protagonist calls his love. The book’s tagline ‘He loved two women and one of them killed him’ rightly describes George who loved both his wife and Everest unconditionally. Author portrays Mallory as a connoisseur of mountaineering whose art and talent were evident to his peers throughout his life and who have no doubt that Mallory conquered the summit before plunging into the darkness and coldness of death.The book also softly describes the social

side of Mallory who is not only a faithful and compassionate friend but also a passionate lover and husband and a loving dutiful father. He writes letters to his wife every day during his terms as a soldier in the World War and his voyages to conquer Everest. The letters pour out Mallory’s infinite love for his wife with whom he wished to spend every moment of the rest of his life.However destiny plays a gamble and the daring mountaineer has to do away with his life during his final conquest. What is left behind is his legacy as a disciplined and devoted mountaineer who became an inspiration for the future generations.The book projects Mr. George Mallory in a highly inspiring light and pays tribute to his life which might have been short but definitely left a huge impact on this world. But will his name ever be included in the list of heroes? That still remains a question.

42

Music RoomThe Sounds From Heaven

Manik Mahajan2nd Year

Ankit Wadhawan2nd Year

Music is an essential part of our being. Even the gods haven’t been impervious to the effect of music, and right since

the time of Apollo, the greek god for music and poetry among other things, to the time of Taansen, our society has been one in which music and its bearers have held a high pedestal. So, from this issue on, we bring you some of the most amazing, exploding songs from contemporary and the not-so-contemporary times. Songs that will blow your minds, more or less, for as the Bard from Avon once said, “If music be the food of love, then play on.”

This time round, we bring you ten of the best Hard Rock songs that’ll send the roof of your house flying away and shatter your neighbour’s windows. Proceed at your own risk, but do! 1ACDC-HighwaytohellThe opening riff of this song is enough to tell you what’s in store for the next three minutes. Released in 1979, it is one of the most recognisable songs by the super awesome hard rock act known as AC/DC. Listen with the volume all cranked up!

2DefLeppard-PhotographDef Leppard is one of those bands which you

instantly like, due to their easy flowing guitars and the hard pounding drums. This song, released in 1983, was a product of the lead singers infatuation with Marilyn Monroe. Like all your good photographs, this one is definitely for keeps!

3Aerosmith-AngelAngel was released in 1988, and became an instant crowd puller. It shows the best of Steven Tyler’s vocal range and is very pleasing to the ears. This track is just beautiful. Give a listen to know what we’re talking about.

4Motorhead-BorntoraisehellWritten by Lemmy in 1994, it is a heavy metal legend and the lyrics will just blow your mind away.“What are you waiting forWhat do you think you were created for”.This song will send chills down your spine

5 U2- I Still Haven’tFoundWhatI’mLookingForThis song has a deep spiritual temperament to it, and questions the yearning of the soul to

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seek what it doesn’t know it wants to seek. It was a smash hit worldwide and is one of the classic examples of good rock music.

6DeepPurple-SmokeontheWaterReleased in 1972, Smoke on the Water is the rarest of the rare classic. The riff is considered to be one of the greatest riffs ever created in music, and is the reason why Deep Purple is the legendary band it is today. Listen to it and you will never be the same again.

7BlackSabbath-ParanoidConsistently ranked amongst the greatest heavy metal songs of all time, Paranoid, released as a single for their second album in 1970 is an example of what happens when the best of the best get their mojo right.

8Survivor-EyeoftheTigerNo need to explain why this song rocks to those who love ‘’Rocky’’. The song has been used time and again to introduce that spark to sports, concerts, and political rallies. It was to ‘that’ generation, what ‘Chak De India’ is to us now.

9Gunsn’Roses-ParadiseCity“Captain America’s been torn apartNow he’s a court jester with a broken heart”This song is one of the greatest songs in the music history, just listen to know why.

10TheRollingStones-PaintitBlackBlack is serene, black is vapid, black is intricate and black is simple. Black just says it all, The Rolling Stones seem to think so too. Black just makes sense, and so does this song.

If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music

- Albert Einstein

“

”

Got your own music reviews ?

Mail us your reviews ateditorialboard.cu@gmail.com

44

Born and Raised – John MayerAnkit Wadhawan2nd Year

A three year gap between two successive albums is a standard for any respectably talented artist. John Mayer’s newest

venture, ‘Born and Raised’, makes these three years seem totally worth the wait. Trying to maintain the creative flourish and grow as an artist, recording and writing amidst constant touring, simultaneously trying to prove to their studio why it should treat their next endeavour as economically viable along with pleasing their listeners and fans, musicians tread a thin line. But, every now and then, people like Mr Mayer come along, people who are truly gifted and whose talent transcends boundaries of age and genre. John Mayer has had a reputation of sorts for not shying away from exploring his creative boundaries and not sticking to a constant image, much like the celebrated British musician David Bowie. He has tried his hand at Rock, Blues, Jazz and even the taboo for rock musicians- the shamelessly commercial Pop. You expect him to do just the same with ‘Born and Raised’, and believe me you, he does not disappoint.‘Born and raised’ is a full-on blast of what is known as Folk, Country and Americana music. Warm guitar solos, ear-pleasing riffs and strong, consistent tunes that hold their own- that’s what greets you in one of the most amazing efforts by John. The inaugural track, also the second single off the album, ‘Queen of California’ is the kind of song one would tap his/her feet to, or listen to while driving through the countryside on a warm, sunny day. This is followed by the nice and simple ‘Age of Worry’. The third track, the album’s lead single is one worthy of attention. ‘Shadow Days’, as it is called, is a good example of why John Mayer is what he is today, having the rare ability to mould any which genre and give it his own twist.The next one, called ‘Speak for Me’ is an interesting take on today’s music. This is

succeeded by a personal favourite, ‘Something Like Olivia’, which has interesting lyrics set to a very melodious, philharmonic riff. After it comes the introspective title track ‘Born and Raised’, with a nice, mellow harmonica which completes the country inclined flavour of the album.‘If I Ever Get Around to Living’, ‘Love is a Verb’ and a couple of tracks that follow are again, pleasing, if not striking tracks which you don’t mind giving a listen to every now and then. The penultimate track on the album, ‘A Face to Call Home’ is the amazing surprise waiting for the patient listener, surely one of the fine ones by John in recent years. This is followed by an interesting, folksy reprise of the title track, which sums up the album.In the end, you are u n e x p e c t e d l y g i v e n a mood lift by t h i s fine album, one w h i c h you would love l i s te n i n g to again.

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Living Things - Linkin ParkAnkit Wadhawan2nd Year

One of the most anticipated albums this year, Linkin Park’s Living Things more or less met the huge expectations of its enviable list of fans,

though it never went beyond your average LP song list. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a perfectly great album. What’s missing is the prevalent and coherent, epic “feel” that was a prime constituent of all the recent Linkin Park albums we’ve come to love and recognise. Bringing out an album with new material two years after their amazing concept album, “A Thousand Suns”, which was a bit of a gamble and a drastic experiment with their sound, polarising fans and critics alike, Linkin Park was expected to deliver even more with this album. The album, which was claimed by frontman Mike Shinoda and vocalist Chester Bennington to be more “faithful to their previous work” and containing more of the signature rap- rock combination which made them who they were, certainly does not dissapoint. Shinoda also went on to say, “It doesn’t lose any of the creativity of the newer stuff and it brings in the energy of the older stuff. It’s kind of a comprehensive sound. I feel like we’ve been able to take all the stuff we’ve learned on the way and put it all together in each song and still keep it fresh and forward-thinking.”- This self-explanatory statement forms the crux of what makes up ‘Living Things’.The very first track of the album, the second single to be released, “Lost in the Echo”, is an amazing reminder of what Chester and Mike can do at their prime, with the rest of the band backing them up with the characteristic ‘electronic-rock’ sound. The next one, called “In My Remains” is a good track reminiscent of the Minutes to Midnight days, with Chester at the helm. You also hear Mike in his baritone, non-rap voice, which is always given a great welcome by those who know Linkin park well. The third track and the lead single off the album “Burn It Down”, more than verifies Mike’s previously mentioned claims, and how! Arguably the best track from the album, Burn It Down is the perfect amalgamation of the new electronic, and the old nu-metal and alternative sound of this pioneering band. Mike’s verses are to watch for, along with the heavy, layered production. The next one, called “Lies Greed Misery”, is something pleasantly new. An effects-laden rap by Shinoda followed by the signature Chester howl. The chorus

isn’t very catchy though. Then comes the fifth track “I’ll Be Gone”, a personal favourite. This is one of the better tracks from the rap-rock giants and is sure to make you get goose bumps when you experience Linkin Park at it’s very best. This is followed by “Castle of Glass”, the sixth track.This one, the third and the last single, is again showcasing the new, not-so-afraid to sing Mike and the electro-nu-metal twist given to the album. It is a nice, different tune that you won’t fret listening to. The next one is the short but power-packed, “Victimised”, which is bang on in terms of music, vocals, guitars (courtesy Brad Delson) and drums (Good old Rob Bourdon).It is one of the most enjoyable tracks on the album. This point on, Living Things becomes what it promised to be. The next couple of tracks, “Roads Untraveled” and “Skin to Bones” are something we’ve gotten used to expecting by now- Mike at the lead, again. And of course, he does a good job on both! Chester isn’t left behind, providing the backing vocals for Mike. Both these tracks are a bit on the soft side, proving that LP isn’t all about hard hitting, thrashing music. The track that succeeds them is called “Until It Breaks ”, which has Mike back at the rap. It is an unnecessary addition to the album, but one you don’t really mind. Following it is the short instrumental “Tinfoil”, which has the band doing a short but interesting jam, of course the chemical, eerie sound of “Session” persists! The song transcends into the ultimate track- “Powerless”, which looks borrowed straight from Minutes to Midnight until the instrumentals totally hit in; a good, decent track to end a similar album. So, let’s get to the final verdict: Living Things is a great, rather amazing album. But, all of us who’ve know Linkin Park at their peak can be very sure that it certainly isn’t the best that the band can give us!

Director: Simon West ; Producer: Avi Lerner ; Screenplay: Sylvester Stallone, Richard Wenk ; Music by: Brian Tyler

Director: Simon West ; Producer: Avi Lerner ; Screenplay: Sylvester Stallone, Richard Wenk ; Music by: Brian Tyler

The wait is over! The biggest action film of the year is out and is dominat-ing the box-offices all over the world.

Simon West (known for helming the Cage blockbuster, Con Air.), takes over the direc-tor chair from Sylvester Stallone for The Ex-pendables 2. The film boasts a larger cast of action heroes than the previous instalment, with newcomers Jean-Claude Van Damme, Nan Yu, Chuck Norris & Liam Hemsworth joining the series veterans Sylvester Stal-lone, Jet-Li, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren and Jason Statham with Bruce Willis & Arnold “The Governator” Schwarzenegger given larger roles.The Expendables receive a job from Mr. Church (Bruce Willis), to retrieve a “MacGuf-fin” from somewhere in Eastern Europe. Obviously, the things don’t go as planned

and when one of their men is murdered by the villainous Jean Vilain (Van Damme), The Expendables vow to take revenge. What follows is an action packed, testosterone fuelled ride that make most of the 90 min-utes plus film a worthwhile watch. The film doesn’t have much to offer in terms of sto-ry or character development but makes up with the brilliantly choreographed action sequences and the wry humour from the manly cast. Sylvester Stallone does a fine job in portraying the only character the film largely focuses on, Barney Ross, the leader of the Expendables. Jason Statham as Lee Christmas is also fun to watch. The film is never short of bullets firing, bloodshed and people being killed.But, it’s the inclusion of Chuck Norris as

Booker in the film which gives it a comi-cal yet action-packed tone. His entry in the film is at a very crucial point, when the Ex-pendables need help badly, he single hand-edly defeats an army of bad-guys and even “kills” a tank! The dialogues exchanged be-tween Norris & Stallone are some of the film’s funniest lines. The larger roles for Arnie & Willis means that they get to show their action skills and speak some funny one-liners in their scenes. The scene always bring a smile to any action genre fan when Arnie yells John McLane’s, “yippee kay yay” or when Willis tells Arnie’s character that, “you’ve been back a million times, now its my turn”! The climax, set in an airport ter-minal along with the hand to hand combat between Stallone & Van Damme is simply a blasting experience.

The film pays homage to the action he-roes and films of the 80’s and 90’s, and mostly derives its humour from the roles that the actors have previously played. Simon west has directed a sure-shot blockbuster what may be the last big hit of this summer after the debacle of Total Recall & the Bourne Leagcy. If you want over 90 minutes of testosterone fuelled, gut wrenching, spine shattering, de-capitating, round house kicking action film, then The Expendables 2 is the right choice for you!!!

Written by :Ashish Sharma3rd Year

Director : Tony Gilroy

Producer : Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley

Screenplay : Tony Gilroy, Dan Gilroy

Music by : James Newton Howard

After The Bourne Ultimatum in 2007, when Matt Damon decided not to return to Bourne Series for a few years, Universal Pictures decided to make a new film parallel

with the Bourne universe, though, with a different character. That film turned out to be The Bourne Legacy. Here’s a review of film, whether it lives up to high standards set up by its predecessors or not?The Bourne Legacy introduces us to a new character named Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner). He is the part of Operation Outcome which provides its agents with green pills that enhance physical abilities and blue pills that enhance mental abilities. But when Jason Bourne’s actions expose the Treadstone Project & Operation Blackbriar, CIA Director Ezra Kramer (Scott Glenn) decides to call Retd. Colonel Eric Byer (Edward Norton) for help. Byer immediately decides to eliminate every single person associated with Outcome. Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz), a scientist responsible for making the green & blue pills for Outcome agents, escapes an assassination attempt and now, must team up with Cross for her survival.The film takes a long time to establish its characters and has very long conversation scenes, unlike for a Bourne film. There is less action here as compared to previous films. Some action scenes are too long and are unevenly placed in the film. Director Tony Gilroy is unable to capture the shaky camerawork which made the previous Bourne films so gripping to watch. The story does not make much sense as compared to previous films. Here, our protagonist travels the globe just in search of a ‘hit’, making the whole premise look ridiculous. Also, while Jason Bourne is taking on CIA all by himself, Cross is running from it, nobody knows why. These all things take the film away from the charm that the previous Bourne films induced upon the viewers. The sense of anonymity, the amnesiac feeling which was the core of Matt Damon films, is absent from this film. This is a major drawback as the absence of these 2 things never allows us to care for Cross, the viewers are unable to connect to Cross, emotionally.Jeremy Renner plays his role perfectly, but, is let down by a weak script and dull direction. His hand to hand combat scenes with bad guys are superbly choreographed. Rachel Weisz as Dr. Marta Shearing is believable. Edward Norton should have been given more screen time, as he’s the main villain, but is never seen on field. The only time the film looks like a Bourne film is the chase scene on motorcycles, through the roofs and the streets of Manila. It is hard to imagine Bourne films without Matt Damon just like it’s hard to imagine Pirates of Caribbean without Johnny Depp or Mission: Impossible films without Tom Cruise.

Written by:Ashish Sharma3rd Year

BarfiThe major question that everyone raised, when Ranbir Kapoor won the accolades for his performance in Rockstar, was that, “Is he going to deliever the same performance like this in his upcoming films?” Some said yes, some said no. If you are wondering whether his performance in Barfi is as good as his turn in Rockstar, the answer is no, it is better! Director Anurag Basu (best known for Murder and Life in a Metro), tells the story of a mute and deaf man and his rendezvous with love and friendship with sheer excellence.In a single song we get introduced to Murphy aka “Barfi” Johnson, born deaf and mute, raised by his lone but loving father. A happy go lucky guy, who charms everyone with his wits and friendliness, Barfi falls for the beautiful but sadly unattainable Shruti (Ileana D’Cruz). Barfi wins Shruti’s heart easily but after being pressurized by her mother Shruti marries a Bengali Babu and moves to Kolkata. Barfi’s father gets ill and due to lack of money, he attempts to kidnap his childhood friend, the autistic Jhilmil (a barely recognisable Priyanka Chopra) to get ransom for his father’s treatment. Thus, begins a new adventure which is hilarious and heart-warming at the same time.Ranbir Kapoor is simply superb as Barfi. He uses his effortless and flawless physicality to convey his character’s emotion in a manner that makes us question the need for words. We even get to see the slight shades of Charlie Chaplin and his grandfather, the legendary Raj Kapoor, in the film’s slapstick sequences. This performance also proves that Ranbir is on his way to become one of Bollywood’s greats. Priyanka Chopra as the autistic Jhilmil shines throughout the film. She employs physical quirks and mannerisms to great effects. It is a highly laudable performance and Priyanka easily captures the innocence of Jhilmil, trapped in a world of her own. Ileana D’Cruz makes an impressive Bollywood debut as the beautiful Shruti, battling her internal conflict as she is compelled to turn away from her love.Director Anurag Basu is able to capture the strong performances from his cast and blends them with his own poetic vision. The cinematography is beautiful that lends depth and resonance to the film. The only point to criticize in the film is its erratic timeline. Otherwise, Barfi is a deeply moving story about the people who touch our lives with love and leave footprints on our hearts.

Ashish Sharma3rd Year

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House

Sharad Dabra

Fascist Takeover

Harmeen Suri

S k e t c h e s

57

Flower Pot

Namrta

Abstract

Ashok Khanna

S k e t c h e s

Winner of Hostel Competitions

Winner of Hostel Competitions

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Flowers

Garima Kondal

Pink Floyd

Harmeen Suri

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