The Xavier’s Pressvolume v, issue 1 The ST. Xavier’S College NewSleTTer augusT, 2012

Xavierites Break New GroundAshwin Chandrasekhar finds out where the class of 2012 is headed

As St. Xavier’s bid farewell to yet another TY batch, we decided to feature some of the hatchlings, from across the major tranches, who have left the warm and fuzzy environs of college, to make their first solo flight in the outside world.

Post-graduation seems to have found favour with many Xavierites, some of whom accepted admission offers over lucrative job ones.

Cambridge University:After spending almost a fortnight at Trident on company budget, TYBA Eco-Stats major, Akshay Kohli, decided that Citibank wasn’t for him, and that he would much rather spend the next year completing an Economics Diploma at Cambridge.Joining Akshay Kohli at Cambridge is Raahil Rai whose obsession for Model United Nations and Economics has him pursuing a core Economics Diploma. Raahil’s three-pronged course will see him take intensive classes in Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and Econometrics.

Young India Fellowship:An exciting year of Liberal Arts education awaits Kshiti Gala, ex-Cultural Secretary of St. Xavier’s. She is one of the 50 people from all over India who have been selected into the YIF which collaborates with University of Pennsylvania to design and deliver the all-expense-paid-for post graduate programme.

Yale University:For those who dream of a future in Ivy League corridors, Nidhi Parekh is the one to approach. She has been accepted

into the MA program in International and Development Economics alongside another Xavierite, Shweta Bhogule.

2012 was one of the best years for placements that the college has ever seen, with more and better job offers being rolled out to TYs. Those who explored opportunities outside of the Placement Cell’s offering landed themselves jobs in top-ranking companies in their chosen fields.

McKinsey & Company:Ankiti Bose, Malhar 2011 chairperson, struck gold when she got accepted into one of the most respected consultancy firms in the world – McKinsey. The firm is said to be the doorway into some of the best and biggest business schools around the world and one certainly believes that Ankiti Bose will bear the Xavierite tag with aplomb, wherever she goes.

JP Morgan Chase: JP Morgan Chase is one of the biggest investment banking firms in the world and BMM student Oscar D’Souza finds himself in the much envied position of working

for them. JP Morgan Chase is always in the news for all kinds of reasons and one hopes to see newsreels featuring this Xavierite in the future.

Dalberg Global Development Advisors:Snigdha Kumar, who interned with Ernst & Young previously, is now putting her consulting services to use at Dalberg which brings consultants from the private sector to international development organizations such as the United Nations and World Bank. ET Now:BMM student, Nikita Saxena, known for her exploits on the debate circuit, has found herself a promising career in the media as she trundles along as a reporter for ET (Economic Times) Now, working her way through the convoluted world of Brand Equity.

Some other places where Xavierites are headed include Oxford University, London School of Economics, Bain & Company, and Teach For India, among others.

This list of people going places is not exhaustive. In fact, it is only what our limited sleuthing skills could reveal. While trailing our highly accomplished seniors, we noticed a common thread running through them – they all were comfortable in their own skin. From majoring in a subject they loved to engaging in extra-curricular activities they enjoyed, all of them carved (or found) their niche in college and then went on to excel in it. All eyes are now on the class of 2013 to see which new heights they take Xavier’s to.

Alaric Moras talks about Poland’s extreme surveillance system and its implications for democracy in the country in our international opinion section.

World-WisePage 2

XPress PollPage 3

College CalendarCentre-spread

JC Student Turns AuthorPage 6

Find out which Malhar department Xavierites have votes as their favourite, in our monthly XPress Poll. Accompanying the poll is our take on the results.

Your guide to the year’s most important and eagerly awaited events, both in college and out. Prioritise your extra-curricular activities and stay a step ahead.

Kadambari Shah interviews SYJC student Shreya Mathur who has bagged a book deal by HarperCollins. Find out more about her, the book, and the inspiration behind it.W

hat’

s In

side

Editors’ Block2

The EvolutionBefore I started writing this editorial, I decided to go back and read what the previous Editors-in-Chief had written in their first pieces –

for a little inspiration but mainly to put off writing my own.

As I went through five of them, I realised each Editor had brought something new to The XPress. The first, Lillian, gave this paper a structure and a name – Subject To Change. The second, Mridula gave it regularity and the best run it has ever had. Third, Sucharita subjected the name to change and made it The Xavier’s Press. Following her, Neil, changed the title he held then from Headitor (our creativity at its best) to Editor-in-Chief. Fifth, Adhitya gave it colour. It remains to be seen what I bring to it, aside from an editorial resting on the laurels of the

past Editors-in-Chief.

The XPress, for those new to it, is the college’s monthly newsletter bringing you information on not just the goings-on in college but outside of it as well. It’s not just about reporting or being your mouthpiece (although, of course, that) but also about being your niche. It’s about capturing the diversity of this college and maybe someday, in a quote, you.

The XPress, for those used to it, will really be the college’s monthly newsletter. It will be in colour, although not a lot of it. And it will give stiff competition to The Gazette and Raga, speaking of which, three of our editors – Nayantara Ghosh (TYBA), Kadambari Shah (FYBA), and Prthvir Solanki (FYBA) – were headhunted from there. And one – Ashwin Chandrasekhar (SYBA) – from LA because that’s where we get our word games from.

Where Are They Now?Lillian D’Souza (2008): Majoring in International Studies at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. Mridula Chari (2009): Pursuing Masters in Media and Culture Studies at TISS, Mumbai. Sucharita Kanjilal (2010): Reporter with Hindustan Times, Mumbai. Neil Maheshwari (2010): Teach For India Fellow in Hyderabad. Adhitya Dhanapal (2011): Pursuing Masters in Arts and Aesthetics at JNU, New Delhi.

Sadia Zafar (TYBA)

Alaric Moras (SYJC)

Editorial TeamEditor-in-Chief: Sadia Zafar (TYBA)Editors: Ashwin Chandrasekhar (SYBA), Kadambari Shah (FYBA), Nayantara Ghosh (TYBA), Prthvir Solanki (FYBA)

Join Us As A Writer!Send two prose writing samples and your contact details to thexpress@xaviers.edu.in. Past experience is not necessary.

Poland - Privacy Control SettingsImagine you’re on the phone with your financial consultant about all the money you’ve ever accumulated in your life. Now, imagine that your every word involving account numbers, planning, investments, stocks and shares are made accessible to any member of your country’s government. Scared yet?

This is what the people of Poland, by diktat from the European Union, are forced to live with. Started in 2009 and achieving fruition by 2013, The INDECT Project, (INtelligent information system supporting observation and DEteCTion for security of citizens in urban environment), though aimed at combating terrorism and criminal activities, will turn bizarre science fiction into a chilling reality.

INDECT allows bodies of the government to perform complete phone, internet and even flying surveillance and communication monitoring on any citizen within Poland. That means your every

phone call, website visited and location visited are recorded and maintained by the government, supposedly allowing them to prevent unlawful activities. And what’s outrageous is that any police officer can perform surveillance on any person,

requiring nothing more than a simple written warrant to do so.

The ‘offences’ for which inspection is allowed include loitering and swearing in public – activities which are not remotely punishable. Anyone in contact with these ‘offenders’ can be targeted too, making privacy in Poland an issue of international concern.

In Greece, surveillance is only permissible after the judiciary has exhausted all other means of investigation. Taking a page out of Greece’s book, surveillance in this manner, then, should only be permissible in cases involving escaped convicts and suspected terrorists who are serious and legitimate threats to a nation’s peace. Project INDECT, however, is a small step towards slowly allowing governments worldwide to access every detail of people’s lives. In addition to being unconstitutional and unhealthy, it is also unsanitary, flushing down people’s right to privacy down the Communist drain while allowing the spirit of democracy to rot.

What then is the agenda of the INDECT program? Prevention against terrorism and illegal activities or the destruction of civil rights as we know it? We leave you to think for yourself. But think quietly; Big Brother is listening.

Where writers opine about international issuesWorld-Wise

College News 3Malhar

Local Chugs In

Celebrating the general spirit of Mumbai, Malhar Local is all set to become bigger and better this year, exploring the city and its different moods like never seen before. Almost as if to make up for the fact that the world might be ending soon, there is a sense of urgent joviality and live-while-you-can attitude even as fresh young volunteers come and experience the thrill of being part of a tradition that lies at the very heart of the college.

Unlike the half-hearted attempts and late timing of the Mumbai monsoon this year, Malhar work and the ensuing stay-backs in college have started with full zor-shor. The air is palpable with excitement: OGs and OCs rushing about, making preparations, drinking copious amounts of coffee, attending inter-departmental bonding sessions, and engaging in ‘serious talks’ with volunteers. The Quartet, on the hand, stays cooped up in the Moffice. The XPress was able to catch VCP-E, Neishaa Kumaar, on her way from the Comps Room to the Moffice, who said, “It’s awesome!” when asked to talk about Malhar.

We agree! This Malhar looks set to become the best this college has ever seen. And all one can do now is look at the countdown timer in the foyer and wait for the hard work of the 1200-strong workforce to bear fruit.

Welcome, FYs!The XPress and all of St. Xavier’s College, extends a warm embrace and hearty welcome to the new recruits of Xavierite army, the first years students of Junior and Senior College. At the onset, it’s essential to make one thing clear. We’re not just a college of some thousand students but we are, together, fostering a way of life. As you step into the archaic and stunning gothic architectural marvel that is St. Xavier’s College, you will find yourself surrounded by the constant manifestation of this lifestyle. But the beautiful thing about the ‘Xavier’s way of life’ is that it remains open to interpretation and one can easily find themselves making the transition naturally.

Xavier’s has something for everyone and as you go through the motions of the calendar year, you will realise that that isn’t just platitude we begin paragraphs with. With

a myriad of college festivals, apart from the ubiquitous Malhar, one can find opportunities to be a part of something substantive, making friends and learning a thing or two along the way.

You now belong to a college that allows you to take up a course in Zen Buddhism in order to complete a credit in your Honours certificate. You now belong to a college that has students writing research papers on the ‘Economics of the Foyer Market’. You now belong to a college that has its

own theatre festival with tickets that sell like hot cakes. (NCPA

can learn a lesson or two from Ithaka.) You now belong to a college which houses many secrets – from what makes the pigeons in the 40s classrooms go bat-crazy to the 100-year-long history of the benches you sit on. We’re going to leave you to uncover these secrets and more, and while you’re at it, relax and let the air of this college work its magic on you.

To celebrate the spirit of Malhar, The XPress asked Xavierites to vote for their favourite Malhar department. Based on more than 200 votes amassed in slightly over a week, we now present to you the results of the XPress Poll.

Coming in at first place with 24.6% of all votes was the Malhar giant, Security. Surprising everyone by obtaining a 13.5% share was one of the smallest departments in Malhar, Raga. LA, Raga’s arch rival, came in at third place with 11% of all votes. Conclave and ETC rounded off the top 5.

Adhitya Dhanapal, OC LA (Malhar 2011), expressing disbelief over Raga’s popularity. His own department came in third.

Lillian DSouza, an ex-Raga OG paying homage to her department. Meanwhile, Mridula Chari, OC Raga (Malhar 2010) voted for Finance, which came in at 8th position.

CP Malhar, Aadi Vaidya, playing it safe.

To check out the full list of rankings, go to http://goo.gl/3M1gF.

Ishita Chaudhary (SYBA)

Sanjay Chautala (TYBSc)

The top and bottom 3

Here’s how people reacted:

FYJC students strike a pose for The XPress

XPress PollWhere Xavier’s votes

When in Xavier’s do as the Xavierites do – soak up the warmth of fun-filled college events every giddy year of the short student life! Short of gladiator events, St. Xavier’s College offers its students a wide range of extra-curricular activities ranging from Malhar to Janfest. Amidst all this activity, it is easy to understand why students may feel disoriented by the rapidity with which one event blends into the other. But fear not. To help you plan your participation in advance, we at The XPress have organised all the events in this handy college calendar.

The first big event of the academic year is, of course, the college festival – Malhar. Malhar’s history can be traced to about 34 years ago when an enterprising group of students met in the Volleyball Court hoping to start something new. Today, it is one of India’s largest college festivals with a workforce of 1200 students. Alongside Malhar, is NM College’s Umang and Sophia’s Kaleidoscope. Proving that festivities can also be backed by a good cause, the Xavier’s Resource Center for the Visually Challenged organises Antarchakshu, a festival which looks to spread awareness about the visually challenged, in September.

The Annual Sports Day which sees athletes vying for the olive wreath is organised in November though newbies would do good to remember that sack racing and the potato and the spoon race are not exactly events here. Come December and if we haven’t all perished due to the apocalypse, then a cultural extravaganza awaits us in the form of IIT Bombay’s festival Mood Indigo. We also have Ithaka, the annual theatre festival, where plays, directed and performed by students, are presented. The Econundrum, organised by the Eco Circle, and Palindrome, organised by the Biotechnology department, take care of the cerebral exercises for the month.

Another big event is the inter-college festival Antas, organised by the Hindi department, which includes popular events like Bollywood dance and Hindi plays. January heralds the mellifluous tones of the spring when the Indian Music Group organises its annual festival – Janfest, a veritable extravaganza for Indian music lovers. The festival, attended by people from all over Mumbai, has played host to musical greats like Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia and Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma. The English department organises the Film Fest and BSc IT organises its annual IT festival – Xenith. In February, the college bids adieu to its TY students heralding the end of the events for the academic year.

We have done our best to include as many events as we can, but it is by no means an exhaustive list. There are many other activities, like the annual seminars organised by the different departments, that take place throughout the year. While we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible, tentative dates and events are subject to change. Readers are advised to confirm schedules with event heads before making any definite plans. But do giddy up!

College Calendar

• St. Xavier’s Malhar Local arrives

• NM College creates a splash with Umang - The

Mariner’s Saga

• Council for International Programmes opens

applications for HCAP, Yale/Berkeley Summer School,

OMG (Canada), Sciences Po (Paris), and Comillas

Pontifical University (Spain)

• Science Exhibition-cum-Seminar at St.

Xavier’s

• Selected students head to Paris and Spain

for their one-year long exchange

programmes

• Sophia College’s annual fest, Kaleidoscope - Rewrite

the Future starts

• The Xavier’s Resource Centre for the

Visually Challenged (XRCVC)

organises Antarchakshu

• Students cram for end-semester exams

• Third Year students face the mad rush of applying

to foreign universities for post graduation courses.

Steer clear.

• Annual Sport’s Day

• Statistics Department organises its first

ever inter-college Stats Fest

August 2012

September 2012

October 2012

November 2012

December 2012• English Lit department raises

the curtain; St. Xavier’s annual

theatre festival, Ithaka, begins

• The third national Economics

Festival is brought to you by

St. Xavier’s Eco-Circle

• The biggest cultural fest of the year - IIT Bombay’s

Mood Indigo - kicks off

• Mithibai College’s Kshitij joins the line-up of fests

in December

• Hindi Lit department presents its annual inter-

college fest, Antas

• Students come decked out in their finery for

Traditional Day

• Biotechnology department organises Palindrome

• BMS department organises Pandemonium

• TISS and TIFR entrance tests keep TYs on their

toes

• Placement Season commences for the TYs

January 2013• JC students enter prelim mode

• Meanwhile, Senior College students get busy with

CIAs

• Indian Music Group’s much-awaited classical music

concert Janfest begins

• BMM department organises Zeitgeist, the Media

Conference

• BSc IT organises their annual IT fest - Xenith

• English Lit department presents Film

Fest to celebrate 100 years of Indian

cinema

• Selected HCAP students head to

Harvard for a 10-day conference

February 2013

March 2013

• Xavier’s Institute of Communication

organises its annual media fest, MadMA

• SYJC students brace themselves for their

Board exams

• St. Xavier’s bids farewell to its TY students

• Silence descends over college with the

start of the end-sem exams

April 2013• Applications for the Extra Curricular Committee

open

May 2013• Applications for the Malhar Organising Committee

open

• JC students leave for Belgium as part of the EUMIND

exchange programme

• Selected students head to Yale and University of

California Berkeley for summer school

• Budding JC lawyers sit for the Common Law

Aptitude Test (CLAT)

June 2013

July 2013

• College reopens

• Applications for the Student Council open

• FYJC students step into college

• St. Xavier’s celebrates College DayNayantara Ghosh (TYBA)

General Page6Summer Abroad

Xavierites who have been globe-trotting this year as part of the different international programmes that Xavier’s offers share their best memories from their trips with The XPress.

An educational and cultural exchange, the EUMIND programme saw us staying in the homes of Belgian students, studying in St. Lambertus School, and understanding how the education system works in their country.

Aarti Kuber & Mihika Potnis (SYJC)

Aditi Kumar & Vivek Paul (SYBA)

JC Student To BecomePublished Author

Meet Shreya Mathur – an SYJC Science student, avid reader, Pottermaniac (she cried when she didn’t get a letter from Hogwarts on her 11th birthday), and, quite possibly, one of HarperCollin’s youngest soon-to-be-published Indian authors. Kadambari Shah finds out more about the author, book, and the inspiration behind it.

K: What is your book about?Shreya: It’s about a teenage girl called Ira who discovers that she can predict question papers, and the twists and turns her life takes thereafter.

K: What inspired this idea?Shreya: This was just after I had finished my prelims before the Standard X Board exams. I had a friend who, right before the exams, used to guess which questions were important, and that got me thinking – what if someone could actually predict question papers? My intention was not for it to be published. The very thought was scary – adults write books, not kids. But pushed by my friends, I sent it to Kanishka Gupta from Writer’s Side literary agency and before I knew it, HarperCollins had bought the rights to ‘But Ira Said’.

K: What makes your book different?Shreya: It is unique in the sense that, today, we hardly have any young adult fiction that is actually written by young adults.

K: Has writing about predicting question papers honed your own skills at it?Shreya: No, sadly, no skills of mine have been honed. I still tear my hair over exams.

K: Could you share a funny story about the publication of this book with our readers?Shreya: When I first sent my sample chapters to my agent, I wrote a really grand, pompous cover letter in a desperate attempt to sound grown-up. And…forgot to attach my sample chapters to it.

Student of the Monthwhere we interview a student with extraordinary achievements

EUrope Meets INDia (EUMIND)Programmewherein 17 Junior College students spent two weeks in Belgium

I was in for a surprise at Berkeley, a small and colorful city, where most of the students were either Indian or Mexican, leading

me to speak more Hindi there than I ever had in India!

Having taken up Managerial Economics and Law as my summer courses, I engaged in heated class discussions, made

presentations in front of a large audience, and learnt to write academic papers of the standard expected of a regular UCB

student, a process, which while otherwise intimidating, was made much easier after the first year I spent under Xavier’s Autonomous system.

Weekends in San Francisco, themed parties, an LMFAO concert, and the time I went to the Berkeley Lab hoping to get exposed to gamma radiation and become The Incredible Hulk topped off an amazing two months I spent at UCB.

where five students attended summer school for two monthsUniversity of California, Berkeley

“What did you learn at Yale?” is the question we’ve been asked most often since we returned. We could rattle on about the International Dimensions of Democratization, Religion & Violence, or even do some extensive Stata coding in order to elaborate Econometrics & Data Analysis. Or perhaps talk about the lecture where the professor took the whole class out for pizza and discussed the European crusades.

But the classroom or pizza parlour weren’t the only places where the learning happened; it was the times we spent with our friends there. Friends only 2-weeks old who encouraged us to bungee jump when we considered backing out. It was these friends and the experiences we shared with them that we are going to treasure forever. It was about diving 250 feet into the unknown, head first.

where two students attended a two-month summer school with a tuition waiverYale University

Dancing in sarees in 7 degrees Celsius, going on shopping sprees, visiting art museums, an amusement park, a chocolate factory, the beautiful cities of Brussels and Antwerp, spending time with our hosts and their families, and partying the Belgian way at the Tongerlo festival, were the highlights of our trip.

Kavya Hegde (SYBA)

Leisure Page 7

Aries: You, my friend, are a Dachshund. You’re possibly sausage-shaped, with really short legs and a pointy nose. Sounds unattractive? Well, on the bright side, sausages are tasty.

Taurus: Taurians, you’re Bulldogs, because you’re really stubborn and willful. And maybe also because you have a flat nose.

Gemini: Geminis are most like Cocker Spaniels: inquisitive and always filled with energy. You come in various colours. I mean, your fur.

Cancer: One of the prettiest, most faithful dogs ever, you’re the Collie. Be warned, you need constant grooming, or your coat might not shine like it’s supposed to.

Leo: Hello there, Beagle. You’re full of power and exuberance, but also very cute and docile. Down, boy.

Virgo: You must love Paris Hilton because you’re a Chihuahua! You’re small, vicious, and tend to bite people’s ankles. But it’s okay; all dogs are nice.

Libra: Librans are the gentle giants – the Great Danes! You look big and

DogoscopeThink you know your brands? Think again! Guess the names of the following companies and you could be eligible for a special prize!

I Don’t Logo

I Don’t Logo: (a) British Petroleum (b) Chanel (c) Michelin (d) Lufthansa (e) Expedia (f) Mitsubishi

Spot TheDifference

All the words you need to figure out start with ‘in’ or ‘out’. We then added a self-sufficient, valid word after either of the two. After adding this word, the meaning changes dramatically.We provide a clue for the added word, followed by a clue for the combined meaning. However don’t expect us to tell us whether you add it to ‘in’ or ‘out’.

Example: injury - in + jury = injury (judicial body, wound)

In Group, Out Group

In Group, Out Group: (1) Outbreak (2) Intuition (3) Infiltrate (4) Outback (5) Outcast (6) Outfit Spot the Difference: (1) Red Balloon above tree higher in the sky (2) Balloon with face, top changed to green (3) Purple Balloon pattern

intimidating, but your heart’s made of chocolate, candy, and other sweet things.

Scorpio: S for Scorpio, S for Saint Bernards. You’re big and you drool a lot. But that’s mainly because you love food. I think you should be called Saint Burger instead.

Sagittarius: Sagittarians are most like Dalmations. And there are only about 101 more of you. You are friendly, smart, and,

of course, lucky!

Capricorn: Capricorn, you’re one of the most-loved dogs ever, the Labrador. Easily the most energetic (and hyper) creatures

alive, you’re known to have the most lethal puppy dog eyes (use

them to your advantage!).

Aquarius: You’re the big personality in a small package, just like the Pug. You also have big tennis ball eyes, like Dobby.

Pisces: Pisces, you appear as a big and ferocious dog at first, just like the Rottweiler. It could be because of that square-shaped head. Or also because Rottweilers are known to eat children. But, as mentioned before, all dogs are nice!

Ever wanted to know which dog you’d be?

Predicted by Saint Bernard,Fawzia Khan (SYJC)

1. (rupture, epidemic) 2. (class, foresight)3. (penetrate organization, sieve residue)

4. (posterior, remote area) 5. (mould, reject)6. (healthy, costume)

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

changed from right to left (4) Black base balloon solour of stripes changed (5) Two small balloons together changed from left one in front to right one infront (6) Tree on right smaller (7) Checkered balloon moved to left (8) Colours of stripes changed on balloon with writing (9) Tent on ground collours changed from red to blue (10) Person sitting on ground with white t-shirt moved forward (11) Tent on left missing