We are back!Finally...

Greetings IIST! The Sounding Rocket is back. It’s been

almost 5 months since the last issue came out, and a lot has transpired during these turbulent times. The Syrian crisis got deeper, the US spy secret is out, Ben Affleck is the new Batman, a new bunch of young faces have landed in IIST and we have had yet another successful edition of Dhanak. Meanwhile, your beloved newspaper has undergone some changes too. We have found two new editors to fill in the vacuum left behind by the former editors. The sections like N&M and S&M (not what it sounds like) now have new people at the helm. We have tried to reintroduce some new sections like News of the World.

Speaking of new faces, TSR extends a warm welcome to the new batch. We have got some tips for your survival, ‘cause you know, it’s a jungle out there (literally too). Seeing your enthusiastic response during Dhanak, we have high hopes for you.

There is a Dhanak Special in these

pages too. This recently concluded extravaganza was inaugurated by none other than Padma Shri Resul Pookutty, who granted us the pleasure of a personal interview. Other highlights were the second edition of IIST MUN, The Ministry of Magic Post-War Council, The Battle of the Bands, the Alligators from Denmark and The Incredible Hulk. We can’t wait for Conscientia 2014.

Oh, and the new Library building is now open. The old room is now The Virtual Reality Lab (the room is actually empty, but then, it’s a Virtual Reality Lab). The architecture is amazing, the building is huge. On the downside, it is not as accessible from D4, the Fiction section is a bit lonely, work is incomplete with wires still jutting out from the floor and the Wi-Fi connectivity is poor. We are positive that these things will be fixed soon. But, we will miss the charm and convenience of the old, small, cozy library. Adieu to you.

The other new building that has opened up is the Admin

more11 News of the world

Top stories from around the world to keep you updated

04 To the FuchchasEssential tips for the

freshers for survival in the campus

more

08ChromespottingEditor explores cool stuff

to watch out for on the internet

16Dhanak 2013Special feature on IIST's

recently concluded Annual Cultural Extravaganza

10Freshers' DebutTwo First year girls tell a

familiar story making this piece a debut of all sorts

15SargasmNew comic about science,

sarcasm and serenity

feature featureAn exclusive interview by TSR editors with Academy Award winner, Padma Shri Resul Pookutty

25 October 2013 . Volume 4 Issue 1 . 20 Pages

Students’ Newspaper, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology

For internal circulation only

02 cover storyBlock. While nobody can explain the purpose of a hole on the lobby floor at the entrance of the building, the rapidly constructed behemoth is a grand marvel to look at.

Breaking Bad has ended. With Blood, Meth and Tears (FeLiNa). It’s the end of an era. It is now widely regarded as one of the greatest TV shows ever. A spin-off series called ‘Better Call Saul’ is on the floors now, with the adorable Bob Odenkirk playing your second favourite lawyer (after probably Harvey Spector) on the TV. Goodbye Walt.

FFT. No, we are not talking about the algorithm to evaluate Discrete Fourier Transform faster. It’s the new forum called the Food for Thought. A forum where, as the name indicates, the mind receives

nourishment. Debates, discussions, ideas and talks, all find an equal place here. The response so far has been really encouraging and we hope that this club endures the test of time.

For more news on the campus, do check out Echoes. You can contribute to Echoes if you happen to be a part of anything going around in the campus that is worth publishing. Apart from Echoes, we would really like contributions for the newspaper in the form of Articles, Opinions, Sketches, Photographs and Quotable Quotes.

And now that your beloved newspaper has been taken over by a new set of people, we decided to revamp it a bit. Hence the new design. It is hoped that it is pleasing to the eye, although there is no denying that we stood

on the shoulders of the giants. The previous editors made the job easy and much less painful for us and we would be eternally grateful to them. Do let us know what you think about he new look.

This is where the editorial signs off. Enjoy the rest of the newspaper. Criticisms are always welcome.

P.S Independent cartoonists, photographers and other artists are invited to submit their works. Just drop us a mail at editor@thesoundingrocket. You can contribute to regular columns, and maybe even start one of your own. The newspaper is, after all, by you (or atleast some of you), for you and belongs to you.

editor@thesoundingrocket.org

TSR has entered the fourth academic year of its publication. Originally started using funds collected from students in buckets that editors took from door to door in their hostels, the Institute generously agreed to take over the charge of printing after the reprographic facility had been set up from the fourth issue onwards. Each issue of TSR is approved after examination by the Publication Council's members from the faculty. We thank the Library and Reprographic teams for their invaluable support and all our readers and facebook fans for their kind gesture. Feel free to contact us for obtaining digital copies of our archive issues.

editor@thesoundingrocket.org

Editorial BoardThe Sounding Rocket

Prabodh KattiAbhishek PanchalSourajit DebnathAtma Anand

03news

echoesFreshers' Party

Abhyuday, the Freshers' Party, great success! After Unleashed, 4thcoming and Hi5 that did happen (and Sexto Fresco that didn't), a long-awaited freshers' breathed some fresh air into the otherwise tense atmosphere of the institute. Over the top compering aside, the performances didn't completely suck (granted we can't judge them either). Some of them that particularly stood out like "Bhaijaan Sutta", The freshers' play (is the table lamp merchandise for sale?), the still dance and of course, the Intro! The other highlight of the event was the Mr. and Ms. (not Mrs., MC) Fresher, bagged by Amogh Auknoor and Maria Ratlami respectively. To sum up, it was one hell of an evening. TSR congratulates the second year students on the success of the party and for reviving an important tradition of the institute that was on the verge of extinction and welcomes the Freshers.

Remote Sensing DayRemote Sensing Day was celebrated on 21st August. As part of the celebrations, there was a quiz and a drawing competition. Contrary to popular perception, the quiz was a general one and not based entirely on remote sensing. The winning drawings were put up in the library, although they didn't paint a flattering picture of the astronomical bearings of the participants.

7th Semester VivaOn an average, every academic year in IIST is tougher than the same one for the preceding batch. New projects, topics and assignments are always added and tend to accumulate in the curriculum. Final Year B.Tech.'s had a more than interesting experience when they faced the first ever Comprehensive Viva of the 7th Semester. It led to a string of disappointing moments for the teachers, a lot of headscratching for the 2nd and 3rd Years who spent all their time trying to explain stuff to the seniors and unending sleepless nights for the viva students.

Aerospace ClubAerospace students of the third year have come up with a new club. As a part of the club activities, the club held an Ornithopter making workshop, which was a huge success, with around 90 students attending the same, two-thirds of which were freshers. This was followed by an Ornithopter making competition, with 14 teams registering for it. The winner of this contest was Pinaki Sarkar and team of First Year. The winner will be recieving a prize when the Aero Club is formally inaugurated.

Dandiya Night IIST celebrated with the inaugural edition of the Dandiya Garba Night. Featuring our multipurpose basketball court as its venue, the Puja and Arti (that too bilingual, no less) were much appreciated. Inspite of that, the inexperience of an average IISTian with a Dandiya was painfully visible and no amount of pretty lights decking the court could salvage that fallout. Kudos to the organisers for adding another dance and music night to the annual calendar.

Ganesh ChaturthiAfter nearly a full week of raucous evening gatherings and calming morning prayers, Ganesh Chaturthi successfully concluded with the Visarjan parade throughout the campus with its usual barrage of loud music and infectious charm. The venerable Puja laddoo was auctioned for the sum of 2.1k, which was soon followed by music, dance and colors.

New URL filter SENSEX, Sussex, Middlesex, Sextet, Sextagenerian, Sexto Fresto, Mean Girls, Girls Aloud, Girls of Swat Valley... The list is endless, but these are a few of the words that you cannot search on the Internet, thanks to a new filter that blocks any website whose URL contains these words and few others like them. When asked about it, the system administrator replied that it was the need of the hour as around 30% of the traffic is composed of objectionable content. But he has assured that he will look into the matter as soon as possible. Until then, it is advised that IISTians use the internet responsibly and not let the matter slip out of their hands.

echoes

04

There is a Roman saying that every seven years the human

body replaces itself, replenishes itself. IIST is now in its seventh year and has taken it seriously.

It all changed when Honourable Minister of HRD Kapil Sibal suddenly woke up and decided “What if there was only one exam? One exam to rule them all!” Excited, he scurried to the press conference and proudly announced his master plan. At that moment, IIST too decided it was time for a change. So, it came to pass that 2011 was the last batch to enjoy the 4 day holiday given to us in April owing to ISAT.

Anyway, we extend a warm welcome to the freshers. We know it’s already late and you have acclimated yourself to the campus. However, we felt it was our self-imposed paramount duty to hand you some tips anyway to help you survive these four years (and then some more, conditions apply). 1. 7.5 GPA: Everybody asks us only one thing: How tough is it? Well, let us tell you this: A student with this GPA in a pre-reform era would be considered academically insulated. Yes, it is tough, compared to the 6.5 we have. Adding to agony is the added quiz and a shortened semester. You will have to study a little harder, a little more. That’s it. (Easier said than done, but then what do you expect us old timers to say?)2. Short semester: We counted, it’s 3 months and 15 days. That’s short. And three quizzes. Ouch. So, you can either a. Whine (We do too, newspaper is just an excuse) b. Make the most of it. Go, visit Kovalam, Kallar Falls, Ponmudi, the museum complex, Varkala and Kanyakumari. Hang out with your friends every weekend. Go and surf good stuff on the web. Don’t while your time away on social networks. Read books.

Make this semester very busy.3. Laptop illa: You won’t realise, but that is a blessing in disguise. Yes, laptops hog most of our time now. But back in those days, we had the most fun. Read good books. I gobbled up more than 10 books in my first semester. It has since dropped to just 2 per semester. Also, the precious moments you will enjoy with your friends in this semester will be the ones you will sorely miss in your future semesters.4. Academic work: Don’t already worry about projects and internships now, unless you have something very specific in mind. We have always managed everything a day before the exams. It has been a bumpy ride, though.5. Saturday weekday: Yes, that idea rattles us to our very core. Yes, it is outrageous that you have to sacrifice a few of your Saturdays. Saturday is the best day of the week, because it comes after Friday and the next day is Sunday, which is an assignment finishing day. But, then make the most of it. May the force be with you.6. Fests: Oh, they are awesome. Come Dhanak and Conscientia, you will have the time of your lives. Four really awesome days, participate in everything you can. If you are not, then volunteer, because today’s volunteers are tomorrow’s coordinators (yes, we saw that Notice too). But do not, for the love of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, sit idly in your room or sleep. And if you did not head-bang at the pronite/BotB and instead just sat around pretending it was Konchords, I hate you.7. Dating: There was once a boy who used to consume copious amounts of sugar. Tired of telling him off, his mother took him to a Babaji. Normally, he would have just given him a booti (herbal thingy,

not that thing from that Bollywood chartbuster). But he told him to come to him after two weeks. Taken aback, his mother took him home and brought him back after two weeks. The Babaji then, in a very soft tone, explained to him why too much sugar is bad, why you should take everything in moderation, life without sugar is also nice and stuff like that. The mother then asked him why it took him two weeks just to say that. He then confessed that he too, like the boy, had a thing for sugar. How could he give the boy an advice on moderation when he himself was a sugar-head who can’t think of living without it for a moment? So for two weeks, he was practicing what he would later preach. Moral: Sugar fattens. Cut the carb. Eat healthy.8. Food: While it remains true that IIST provides some of the best mess food among engineering colleges in India, as you grow older, you will start getting bored of it. Do not worry though, Trivandrum has a sufficient number, if not a lot, of eateries. There is Aryas, Indian Coffee House with its fascinating architecture, small parantha street at Thampanoor, Domino’s at Sasthamangalam, Windsor Rajdhani, Ambrosia at Kowdiar, Zam-Zam at Palayam, Dossas at Vazhuthacaud, Khana Khazana and so on.

To the Fuchchas

The author can be contacted at prabodhkatti@gmail.com

opinionby

Prabodh Katti

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What does this graph say?Send us your interpretations at editor@thesoundingrocket.org. Winner's name will be announced in next edition and a surprise awaits.

Tried and tested tips for the First Year Bachchas to survive the campus.

05interviewSounding Off...An interview of Padma Shri Resul Pookutty by TSR

R esul Pookutty needs no introduction. The academy

award winner graced the campus with his presence at the inaugural ceremony of Dhanak 2013. After that, TSR decided to take an interview of him. He is a person who has touched the sky, but has his feet firmly rooted to the ground. He talks straight from his heart, in a very simple and crisp manner and is not afraid to call a spade a spade. Over a cup of tea (Black for him, latte for us), he talked to us about his life, his work, the youth of the nation, what it means to an Indian, his family and Trainspotting.

TSR: Sir, Thank you for seeing us on such a short notice. We are the editors of College Newspaper, The Sounding Rocket.RP: Do you know the name of my book? It’s Sounding Off (Chuckles).TSR: Has it been published?RP: Oh yeah, yeah. In Malayalam it’s called Sabdatharapadam.

TSR: Sir we read on Twitter that you went to Sriharikota. How was the experience?RP: It was actually a mistake, you know. They must have marked it as an ISRO program. Until I saw students today at the airport, my impression was that I was going to ISRO. So I asked them what is scheduled for today. Today morning, I have dedicated the whole day for you. APJ had told me about the institution. So I wrote in Twitter that I am on my way to Sriharikota. Immediately, Times of India gets back to me and says “We want to do a story. What are you doing there? We want to do a story.” I replied I didn’t know (Chuckles). But I have been to Sriharikota. I have been working…I plan to

work on a film based on APJ’s life. I want to know how they launched a satellite and, uh, how they carried a part on a cycle! Can you imagine that? They carried a part on a bicycle. It can happen only in India. That is actually the strength of India. I’ll tell you one small thing. Just before my Malayalam film’s release, the digital board that I am working on, made in the US, a very high end board. Everything was complete. And then the mainframe computer crashed just before I have to record. So what we do is, we record all the automation, fine tune everything and finally, record for the film. It takes two hours. So, just before I go in for a take, the mainframe computer crashes. So to get the two hour work done, I had to work 72 hours non-stop. Because systematically, system got crashed. One engine crashed, I went for a support engine. Then the router started misbehaving. When router starts misbehaving, there is no digital clock, which is the reference point. All the sounds start going haywire. So I called up the company. They said it would take 48 hours to ship it. I said “Hello, Friday is my release”. And it happened on Wednesday, uh no…. Tuesday. Friday is the release, I

can’t do it, I have to deliver. So even when the digital clock is not working, I kept on doing things one by one by one by one. The last 1 hour of Kunjananthante Kada was mixed in the old style, the analog time. How we used to record, we memorized sound. See every shot has a particular sound, whether a car is coming or a song is playing. This counter, car is coming, this counter music is playing, this counter dialogue is coming, this counter… we used to memorize. We used to memorize the whole scene and then perform it on the board. No automation, nothing, we used to physically perform. The whole film used to be performed. So I did that. If I don’t deliver by midnight, the film will not be completed. They were having as audio cassette release in Cochin, and the director noted something is wrong as I could not come for the function. Then I perform at 11:30, finish it, then I stream it from Bombay to Chennai in half an hour, take the morning flight, come to Chennai, Check my master… I physically carried the master and gave it to the theatre in Cochin.

This can never happen outside. This happens only in India. We are

Resul Pookutty with TSR editors

(continued to next page)

06 interview

going to try, until the last moment. If the rocket has to be carried in the cycle, we will do it. That is the spirit you have to keep it to yourself. Try and try and try…. Danny Boyle used to tell me “The greatest thing that I saw in the Indians was that everyone that I meet in the streets doesn’t want to be what he is.” The vegetable vendor doesn’t want his son or daughter to be a vegetable vendor. That is the driving force of the country.

TSR: So in the US, they will just postpone the release?RP: Yeah.

The sorry state of India is that we don’t make anything. We have the best IT machinery in the world. Have we made one operating system that the world uses? Nothing, Nothing. Except the Tally, nothing is made in this country. How come we don’t have a Steve Jobs? As a country as a collective intellect, what is that we have given

to the world? Nothing. Look at my industry. Post-independence; we were making 3 films a year, 5 films a year, 10 films a year. 60 years after independence, we are making more than 1000 films a year. The highest no. of films we make. We are the biggest industry in the world. Tell me one camera that is made by India. One microphone, one speaker, forget… 1 light stand, made in India. None. Are we not talented? That is the reason why I am in India. I can have a better job, I can have a better pay, and I can have a better living if I shift my base to Hollywood. But that’s what

everybody does. That’s what every IITian has done. I am an Indian, because I understand the flaws of my country. I should have the courage to say yes, my country has a problem, and it is also my problem. The very people, who won’t throw trash on the road outside, come here and throw the trash on the road. What kind of mind-set is this? It has to change, and change from you. Everything that we create in the country in entertainment, we

create for the youth. When we sit in the boardrooms of the studio and discuss the economics of

filmmaking, Youth. The youth has to come to the theatres. In a way the youth is responsible for the trash that we see in the entertainment today. You have to understand it and you have to resist it. It is all in the name of you people, and even I am on your side.

TSR: Sir you are a master of an unseen art. You must require tremendous attention to detail at work. How do you unwind?RP: (Chuckles) I do not know if these adjectives are true. I only think it one way, when I am working, I am working. It your

perspective about me that I am hardworking. I am just working. I am not even working, I am living. That is my life. I found my art. I found my thing. So I don’t get tired. If I don’t solve the problem, I don’t feel sleepy. You are not working hard for yourself. In other people’s perspective it is hard work. I don’t need to unwind. When I am working, I am unwinding. I don’t need a special time. After 15 days I was locked up in my studio, last two days I haven’t slept. So I slept till 9 o’ clock today.

TSR: Sir but still, you might have some hobbies, movies…RP: Of course I watch movies. I play chess with my son. He likes playing chess. So I spend time with my kids. I read them stories. They won’t go to sleep until I read them the story. So I feel very relaxed when I am with them. And, my brothers have come today (points to his brother, across the desk). They don’t get to see me. All of us went and had lunch together.

TSR: You have worked with masters like AR Rahman and Danny Boyle. How was the experience?RP: Danny Boyle was, to me, uh.. because I had a poster of one of Danny Boyle’s film in my hostel…TSR: Which film?RP: Trainspotting.TSR: That’s our favourite Danny Boyle film too!RP: I am sure all of you are trippin’! It is a cult film of the British cinema. If you take modern British cinema, Trainspotting is a cult film. To work with him, unbelievable. I get a phone call, “Would like to work with Danny Boyle?” I said “WHAT?” Then I went to IMDb to check. Yeah, Danny Boyle is making a film in India. And Rahman, ummm.., we never worked together before Slumdog (Millionaire). And in Slumdog, we were never together.

(continued from previous page)

Resul Pookutty tweets before leaving for Sriharikota... we mean IIST!

Danny Boyle used to tell me, “The greatest thing that I saw in the Indians was that everyone that I meet in the streets doesn’t want to be what he is.”

07interview

Me and Rahman sat together and worked in Ghajini (2008) that was post Slumdog. We had mutual respect for each other’s work. He is a genius, no doubt. (Pauses) and he respects me and my work. When we sit down to work, we work as colleagues. Master, genius it is all out of our system. We sit together and laugh and joke and work.

The beauty of working in the west is that they hire you; they hire you because they see something in you and once they hire you, they let you be. They allow you to create what you want to. So you flourish. If Danny hadn’t allowed me to do what I have done…Most of the things I hadn’t discussed with him but I just went about and did it. I don’t know I would have gotten that kind of freedom if there was some other director. So, I really enjoyed.

TSR: You have worked with Indian directors also. Did you have that kind of freedom?RP: I have reached a point in my career where everyone who approaches me knows that I am doing some value addition to the product. So they have respect for that. When you are working for a film, there is nothing trifling. You are contributing to the film as a technician, as an artist. So you have to mingle what you know to the project to further this man’s vision.

TSR: Sir you are currently living in Mumbai.RP: I live in Mumbai.

TSR: How does it feel to come to Kerala?RP: I came to know the value of Kerala when I left Kerala. Muttethe Mullakku Manamilla. TSR: Sir, none of us know Malayalam.RP: It means the jasmine in your courtyard has no value. So for me, knowing Kerala was actually

from outside Kerala. That was the biggest problem with my life. So coming back here is always nice. I lived a very short time in Kerala. I would say that till the age of 15, I lived a full life. I never went to school to study. I went to school to play. Nobody taught us. Nobody forced us at home to study. We just studied. Every time in your life you cross something. I remember the time in my life when I started reading out loud in the school. Now when I look back, that was the first time I conquered my fear. What is education? Education is what makes you fearless. Every Friday, there’s one period for art activities. You go out, you collect money from people. Then the last period of every Friday, you assemble things, collect flowers and things, and invite people to speak or tell a story or sing. One such Friday, I stood up and sang in the class. So every stage in my life, I crossed fears. Who would have thought that a man like Gandhiji, who walked barefoot, would conquer the mighty British Empire. Indians who lived in that generation, probably 1% would have thought Gandhiji would win freedom, 1%. One thing – Fearless, being fearless. I remember Gandhi’s speech when he went to London, England for the Round Table Conference. He said you guns, your canons are like phooljhadis for us in Diwali. We are not afraid of you. That is what education has done. He got us freedom by only one thing – being fearless. Who would have thought that non-violence would win us freedom, when every other attempt, every other attempt was to fight the British. He said do not fight. Ignore them. The whole idea of the Civil Disobedience movement was to ignore. Ignore the power. For me that is education.

TSR: Sir, you had set out to become a physicist, how did you end uo

in the world of sound mixing and sound….RP: Destiny. (Laughs) I didn’t have enough money to study (for) my masters. So I chose to study law. So after law, I found sound. Because I thought it was an extension of physics

TSR: Last question sir. Any message for IISTians?RP: Please don’t look at me as a person who can give messages, I have no messages. I can only say one thing: The only thing that is going to make you successful is if you want to be successful, if you want to leave your mark. Two things: perseverance, and stability, and hard work. If you can dedicate 10 years of life into one thing and one thing only, genuinely, truthfully; nothing, nothing can go wrong with you. If you are truly genuinely truthful to yourself, nothing can go wrong with you. That should be the prayer of every parent in this country. That should be the oath you would have to give to your parents when you move out from the house. I am a father of two; I understood the value of my parents when I had my kids. When you are away, when you are out of the house, you have no idea how it feels to us. And when we send you out in the world, we don’t know, we don’t know the institution, we don’t know the people. I hold my son every night when I sleep. Still today, I don’t let him sleep, because I know that he is only going to be with me for the waking hours. We don’t know what our child is going to face. So the only way to give back to your parents is to be truthful to yourselves.

TSR: One question. How is life after winning the Oscar?RP: It hasn’t changed me, it hasn’t changed my life. It has changed people’s perception about my work.

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08 opinionThe fact that I am sitting here today is after the Oscar. I wouldn’t have been invited here if I hadn’t won one. For me, I am still working the way I used to work. I have to meet up to the people’s expectations. Infact, after the Oscar, I have to work harder. It’s actually taking a toll on me. I am trying to forget I have won, so I haven’t even kept my Oscar in the studio. I haven’t kept any of my accolades in the studio. But I keep these things. The Rocket that you gave me, I keep that. That inspires me. I have a bigger rocket, which American Consulate has given me.

Beginning of my career I started with my documentary. I travelled the length and breadth of the country. I have seen people in parts of Bihar and UP. You have not seen anything. You are the most fortunate people. You have not starved. You haven’t, you know, prayed for water. You haven’t seen anything. I have seen these people, and I thought, what is the point?

If one of my signatures can help that man, I will do that. I cried that day. Why I didn’t become a doctor, why I didn’t become an IAS officer. One signature of mine could’ve changed his life. That is what you have to think, when you become what you become. You are actually going to change somebody’s life. You are the most fortunate people. Until it has been taken away from us, we wouldn’t know, forcefully or otherwise.

TSR: Lastly, I would like to say that I saw a poster of a film in the city recently (Kunjananthante Kada). The films are usually publicised in the names of the directors and the actors. The poster was small, but on it, in big capital letters, there was written Resul Pookutty.

RP: That’s what I told you in my talk. That is what I strived for. The industry didn’t need me. Nor do they do now. One of the biggest VP (Vice President) in Bombay said “Resul. We don’t need you. We don’t need you in this country. Bollywood can function without you. You are actually a burden for us. I mean, after doing all this, this is what I get. Forget about everything, I have to make a living. I have a family. I have my brothers, sisters; I have to make a living. And someone says that we don’t actually need you. What will you do? And the other side of the coin is that they publicise my name so that the product can be sold. These are the two sides of the coin.

Resul Pookutty's tweet about IIST. Feel Good :)

Chromespotting byAbhishek PanchalAdventures of an Internet Explorer (no pun intended)

Choose Life. Choose a hobby. Choose a dream. Choose friends who are gonna be your family. Choose a good laptop, an android, a wristwatch and a headphone. Choose good health, daily sports, and exercise.

Choose regular calling to your parents and assuring them of your well-being. Choose a room where you will discuss politics, sports and philosophy with your friends. Choose shorts and track pants and casual wear. Choose a traditional attire to wear on occasions. Choose NOT to sit in your room during Dhanak and Konchords. Choose Conscientia. Choose DIY (do it yourself ) and wondering what the hell you are doing with your life on every weekend. Choose sitting with friends on those benches in front of the canteen and feeling the grass with your bare feet. Choose having food in a city restaurant and complaining about the mess food. Choose coding. Choose image editing. Chose LAN gaming. Choose good movies/ TV series to watch and having long conversations about it. Choose writing for TSR and Drishtikon. Choose reading novels. Choose rotting away through quizzes, every last hour of your end sem in a miserable hostel room, nothing more than an embarrassment to the self, cursing yourselves for not studying in quizzes. Choose your passion. … Choose life… Choose IIST... But why would anyone want to do things like that? Few people chose not to choose life. Some chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got a bunch of books to study and a social network to hang out?

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09opinionFace it. Now that you’re here, you

need to survive in IIST at any cost. Here is a very brief and possibly life-saving list that IISTians have meticulously gathered over the years as the answer to the life, the universe and everything. The order doesn’t matter.

5 websites definitely worth spending time on.

Quora: As its tagline suggests, it’s the best source of knowledge in the universe. Quora is Facebook for people with university degrees and contempt for swag and YOLO. All you have to do is Question whatever you want and Answer whichever question you can. There is a system of upvoting an answer if it’s good just like Reddit and you get credits for that. While likes on Facebook help in solving problems like hunger, water scarcity, heart failure and uplifting the low self-esteem of narcissistic womenfolk, Quora upvotes give you power to publicize the best answers out there and ask questions.

Stumbleupon: Imagine you are on a voyage in a boat and all you find around you is a sea of mundane everyday stuff while you long for something cool to happen. Suddenly you stumble upon a unique island which has all the stuff that you like. You enjoy your time there and leave. But wait, you again stumble upon another similar island. Now that’s what this website is all about. Every time you hit ‘stumble’ button on the top, you discover a new webpage with content based on your interests. In fact you might stumble upon a web page with a list of cool websites to be visited (stumbleception). So go explore the best of the internet and save your time doing it.

Reverbnation: Reverbnation is social network for music lovers. You receive updates on activities

of your favorite musicians (mostly independent), their profiles, their fan base and also their latest gigs. Besides this site also showcases latest trending music and artists among the fans all over the world or even in a particular region/country.

Cracked: This site gets you high on humor. But do not snort it directly else you might end up ODing like Uma Thurman did in Pulp Fiction. It’s filled with heavy dose of pop culture references, cool facts written in really hilarious way, and you will become a conversation starter in your social circle. Not to forget you can write your own article and get paid for it.

Deviantart.com: ‘A paradise on internet for art lovers’ would aptly describe this website. This website covers everything under visual arts including both hand drawn and digitally created art. Artists all over the world share their artwork through this social website and you get to use them, share them and last but not the least, to appreciate them.

Special mentions: what-if.xkcd.com, buzzfeed.com, pinterest.com, theunrealtimes.com, sportskeeda.com, vocabulary.com, iwastesomuchtime.com

5 websites with really good comic strips

1. xkcd.com by Randall Munroe2. theoatmeal.com by Matthew Inman3. smbc by Zach Weiner4. explosm.net (cyanide and happiness) by Kris Wilson, Rob DenBleyker, Matt Melvin and Dave McElfatrick5. zenpencils by Gavin Aung Than Special mentions: ‘comics that say something’ page on quora.com, Abstruse Goose,

the loading artist, Phd comics

5 fb pages you should like1. Faking news2. The frustrated Indian3. If*@#$&glovescience4. Terribly tiny tales5. The vigil idiot Special mentions: what the f*@k facts, 8crap, Tech Gooner (an IISTian's blog page), The Sounding Rocket

5 YouTube channels you should subscribe:1. Vsauce2. Epic rap battles of history3. How it should have ended4. Lifehacker5. TheViralFever

Special mentions: comicbookgirl19, whywouldyouputthatoninternet, AddictiveTipsTv

It is said that 'An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.' Same goes for sitting idly on your Social Network stalking, sharing and commenting. While Internet is full of pussy and cat videos and their importance is a matter of perspective, you need to prioritize your interests so that at the end of it all you don’t think, “I need to get a life.” While social networks were one of the biggest ideas to materialize at the turn of the century, it shouldn’t hamper your own imagination and creative ideas. Keep exploring! P.S: The lists mentioned above are my own suggestions and it’s not an exhaustive list. You can differ on them or have your own list. If so then do drop me a mail with your suggestions (I would love to explore). Constructive criticisms are welcome.

The author can be contacted at abhishake.iist@gmail.com

10 freshThe Story of our livesTwo girls from first year narrate a gritty, yet an all too familiar tale of challenges faced by two people in a new, unfamiliar environment.

byTerryl Stewart

Tom and Chloe were happy. Their old master was kind enough to

sell them to the same person. He knew that they had been in love for the last 4 years and was good enough to ensure that they remain together. Their new master, Phil, seemed good enough. He had assigned them to the kitchens. He provided sufficient food and the shelters were good too. But one week after they moved, tragedy struck. The master's lady love refused to marry him. He was angry and frustrated with life and took out his frustration on all the couples he saw.

One fine day, Phil found Tom having dinner with Chloe. He stared at them for a while, frowning. He then picked up a stick and walked towards them. Chloe looked over to Tom in alarm. "You! Stop right there. Where is your apron? Did you not know you are not allowed to eat without your apron?" Tom asks, "But why sir? I wore the apron when I prepared the food. Why do I have to wear it while eating it as well?" This irritated Phil immensely. "Are you questioning my authority? Do you not realize that I am the Boss here?" Then he turns his attention to Chloe. He pulls her aside by the apron and tells her" You'd better watch it lady. I have seen you with this fellow quite a few times now. I am observing your mannerisms and your actions."

That night, when Chloe and Tom

returned to the quarters after a stroll, Phil was waiting for them. He smiled at them and asked them whether they always stay up so long? "Do you not know that you aren't supposed to be outside your quarters after 9 pm? You cheap, disgusting creatures! You are utterly shameless. You are inviting unwanted attention to yourselves. Don't you have any brains? And that too girl and boy! Do you realize that this is not a park?"

Times were bad not just because of Phil but also because of the attitude of the others who had been working for Phil for a long time. There were no females in the house and Chloe's arrival had been a huge sensation. Many of them kept finding excuses to talk to Chloe and kept staring in a very weird manner while speaking to her. A guy called Mark was the main perpetrator. She was extremely uncomfortable and felt very, very vulnerable. A group of them, Mark inclusive, followed her around, coughing to grab her attention and smiling weirdly at her each time she turns. She felt really awkward and didn't know what to do about it. All this affected her mentally and she really couldn't work as well as she used to. She ignored it as much as possible but sometimes retaliation was the only option. Tom, who had been very supportive in the beginning, soon began to tire of the daily drama. He too was subjected to a lot of humiliation

and discrimination because of his closeness to Chloe and he was resenting her for that.

One morning, she was picking fruit from the orchards when the group saw her. They followed her around, coughing and commenting and yelling 'Mark' every few minutes. She ignored it and continued with her work but suddenly the group disappeared and only Mark remained. He called out to her. She chose to ignore him. He called out again and asked her to stop. She turned around and asked him what he wanted. He started making some lewd comments about them getting together when she absolutely lost control of her emotions. She screamed at him. She yelled like she'd never before. She cursed him and let out all the frustration that had been building up. He didn't mess with her again. She was at peace. The gang did not trouble her much after that, at least not directly. Indirect comments were always there but she got used to it.

It wasn't all that bad. They didn't have to endure as much as some others had to. Life goes on and you get used to it. What happens to Tom and Chloe after this is a mystery but all I can say is that sometimes things get better and sometimes worse. You just have to take it as it comes.

Disclaimer: The above article is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to a person living dead or IISTian is purely coincidental. TSR does not necessarily sponsor or subscribe to the views of the authors and it expects reader discretion.

11newsNews of the WorldUS Shut down

Nobel Prizes Announced

byPrabodh Katti

From October 1 to 17, 2013, the United States federal

government entered a shutdown and curtailed most routine operations after Congress failed to enact legislation appropriating funds for fiscal year 2014, or a continuing resolution for the interim authorization of appropriations for fiscal year 2014. Approximately 800,000 federal employees were indefinitely furloughed, and another 1.3 million were required to report to work without known payment dates. Only those employees and services deemed "excepted" under the Anti-deficiency Act continued government operations. The 16-

day duration of the October 2013 shutdown was the third-longest government shutdown in U.S. history, after the 18-day shutdown in 1978 and the 21-day 1995-96 shutdown.

A "funding gap" was created when the two chambers of Congress failed to agree to a compromise continuing resolution. The Republican-led House of Representatives, pressured by conservative groups such as Heritage Action offered several continuing resolutions with language delaying or defunding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (commonly known as "Obamacare").

Analysts were concerned that the political gridlock will extend into mid-October, when Congress and the President must agree to raise the debt ceiling to avoid the prospect of defaulting on the public debt. Following the debate over the debt ceiling in May 2013, the Treasury Department was forced to engage in extraordinary measures to fund the government. In August 2013, the Treasury informed Congress that the extraordinary measures would be insufficient starting in mid-October and further specified, in late September, that the U.S. would begin to default on its debts if a new debt ceiling was not approved by October 17. On October 16, Senate approved the Continuing Appropriations Act to resolve this impasse, which allows federal government funding till January 15, 2014 and suspends the ceiling till February 7, 2014.

Museums, Smithsonian Institutions, zoos, National parks, Memorials, landmark sites, NASA website, Curiosity tweets are a few of the many non-essential services that were shut down. Source: Wikipedia

N obel prizes have been announced. The highlight of

this one is of course, Peter Higgs, who apparently didn’t even know he had won it until a woman on street congratulated him. That is because he doesn’t own a mobile phone. He shared the prize with Francois Englert of Belgium.

The Peace Prize went to Organization for Prevention of Chemical Weaponry, for their contributions in destruction of chemical weapon stockpiles in Syria. The nominees included Malala Yousafazai, the girl who took a bullet for education, and Vladimir Putin, for preventing yet

another US invasion. Physiology Prize went to James

E. Rothman, Randy W. Schekman and Thomas C. Südhof "for their discoveries of machinery regulating vesicle traffic, a major transport system in our cells". The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2013 was awarded jointly to Martin Karplus, Michael

12

U N sued over Haiti cholera epidemic Lawyers representing

victims of a cholera epidemic in Haiti have filed a lawsuit against the United Nations at a court in New York. They say UN peacekeepers introduced cholera to Haiti in 2010. The disease killed more than 8,000 people and made hundreds

of thousands sick. The lawyers are demanding compensation of $100,000 (£62,000) for every person who died and $50,000 for each of those who became ill.

The UN says it has legal immunity.Lawyers filed the suit at the US

District Court in New York. They said they were left with no other option after the UN had rejected previous claims for compensation.

"The UN refused to even consider them. We then felt we had no choice but to file in a national court," Brian Concannon, director of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, which is bringing the case, said.

BBC international development correspondent Mark Doyle says investigations have pointed

strongly to leaking sewage at a camp for UN soldiers from Nepal, where cholera is endemic, as the origin of the outbreak in Haiti. No cases of the bacterial infection, which causes diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and muscle cramps, had been recorded in Haiti for a century until the outbreak in late 2010.Leading cholera expert Danielle Lantagne, who once worked for the UN, said in the past that the outbreak's "most likely source" was the UN camp. In February, a spokesman for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the petition for compensation was "not receivable" under a 1947 convention which grants the UN immunity for its actions.Source: BBC

News of the World (continued from previous page)

UN sued over Haiti cholera epidemic

Tokyo it is !

news

Levitt and Arieh Warshel "for the development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems".

It was a shot in the arm for Short Story community and a good news for the lovers of the medium

when Alice Munro, "master of the contemporary short story" was awarded Literature Prize.

Americans Eugene Fama, Lars Peter Hansen and Robert Shiller won the Nobel prize for economics

on Monday for developing new methods to study trends in asset markets.Source: Nobelprize.org

Immunity or impunity?

And the announcement for which everyone was waiting with

bated breath- It’s official, it’s Tokyo. 56 years after its first time in 1964. It was a neck to neck competition with Istanbul and Madrid. The only cities to have hosted more than once are London, Athens, LA and Paris. And yet again, India did not contest for the same. Well, all we

can hope is that we are ready with a bid by 2017 for New Delhi 2024 (It has already been indicated that New Delhi would be the city, if India ever bids successfully). Meanwhile, the Common Wealth Games 2014 will be held in Glasgow, UK. The Winter Olympics 2014 is in Sochi, Russia and the FIFA WC 2014 is in Brazil. Source: BBC Shiny Happy People

13opinion

Our college is full of marvelous objects worthy of description.

Take for example our gargantuan State of the Art library, the progress of the construction of our institute (which by the way is way faster than Indian Governmentally possible). Then there’s our “efficient” hostel administration which is more diplomatic than the Swiss when it comes to having a very “sound logic” and never fail to “listen” to the ideas put forth by students and believe in “equal” distribution of responsibility among all. Also a recent survey claims to have found out that sitting in front of turned off PCs increase your Communication Skills, even if it means shifting the C Programming Lab out of the Programming Lab. But then again the same way one simply doesn’t judge a book by its movie, one just doesn’t get away with judging the lab by its board. But none of that is the highlight so far. In a moment of Divine intervention, the Administration, whose benevolent faces as always was oozing with the milk of human kindness, finally gave a green light for the Fresher’s day leaving many seniors surprised. Once again our famed all-in-one adaptable basketball court managed to add yet another successful event to its resume. The subsequent topics have been isolated as we feel they deserve honorable mention.

R2D2 Talking about the beeping bot

from star wars, we are not. This is something else that demands the same kind of courage and intellect shown by R2D2 in times of desperation. This is the most adventurous strip of ‘land’ in all of

IIST. This is the new abode of the Aerobics club, which people attend irrespective of their BMI. Frankly we would love to say we have seen better ‘roads’ than the R2D2 but are fearful of inquisitions on the lines of “Hey, Where on earth is this road?” or “What road?” Yes we are talking of our holesome ‘Route to D2’. For the people who say IIST has no pool, we say that all we need is the Rain Gods to say ‘Behold!’ And what you have it a wonderful sight to feast upon, even without all the makeshift acrobats hopping from one speck of land to another. And no they are not trenches dug for war; they are just a product of the awesomeness of our eco-pals, the fuel enthusiastic daredevil drivers who make you go flat against the “wall” or hang on to the edge of the “cliff” in a moment’s notice for dear life under any condition whatsoever (if you chance to be passing by the “SAC”). All you baddy champs out there know there ain’t no better warm up! So till the distant day the intervening buildings complete, keep flexing your muscles and do give swimming a thought, cause these “pools” are far less greener than the one they take us to (and no, it’s not because of excessive chlorine). May the Force be with you on R2D2.

In a much anticipated turn of events, an effort to “repair” R2D2 has been started and is expected to be over before the release of this issue, although due to the presence of at least two feet of free space, making a ‘drainage’ might be regarded as a more permanent solution.

Once again with a marvelous

stroke of insight (coupled with a dire attempt to cordon off certain areas during Dhanak) the R2D2 is blocked for most vehicles enabling fellow pedestrians to contemplate their next leap in an oasis of serenity.

The Activity ParadoxOn your “orientation” you might

have heard the mention of words like Vox Materia, Robotix club, Eco club, Physics club and so on. Many are still wondering where they are. Well, they seem to have taken a sabbatical for a few years now. Although Vox Materia does have an email id and the Robotix club even has a room whose sole purpose appears to be a model storeroom. And we all know our Physics club and Eco club have evolved into a sort of a phoenix, rising from the dead in the start of every semester. If you say that these are the holy sanctuaries where stuff are built, then in our defense most habits are actually acquired in the 1st year itself (although hanging out of windows for WiFi purposes is seldom used later) and in the event of the forceful abduction of a commodity (the internet), which is a fundamental right in many countries, and at the same time not holding any parleys tends to extinguish the spark of creativity of the aspiring scientists who come with a package of enthusiasm which we feel must be tapped before being sapped. Perhaps someday the other clubs will learn a thing or two from the Queen among clubs -the Astronomy club and finally declare that a box of chocolates exponentially increases the footfall. And no we are not duty bound to praise the astronomy club but yes we did it out of the voluptuous depths of

The Rest is SilentVignettes on random stuff in the campus by two rather observant second year students with a thing for metaphors and Star Wars

byAtma Anand &Shashank N.

14

STATUSsimble

Quotable QuotesQuotes that brought a smile :)

"See the electrons in a conductor travel nearly at the speed of light, so the syllabus also has to go fast."

-1st Professor when a student complained that the Electronics syllabus was going too fast “Actually the electrons move at a few mm/hour due to repeated collisions during motion.”

-2nd Professor, in response to the above

our hearts.As of recently the sheer quantity of

freshers (at last a house full) seems to have ignited a creative flame in many a soul. One can now see a multitude of clubs (not to mention severely fair sports tournaments of all conceivable games) fighting for the attention of the apparently jobless juniors (after all they have no laptops and experience says neither the Windows nor 4 odd desktops can handle the inflow) along with others. The main clinching point however is the fact that these clubs

come equipped with Wi-Fi (Dear quiz club, while proximity is a good move it’s not the only thing). Only time can tell what providence has in store for them. We can safely say that the precise number of clubs and the precise activity that these clubs do can never be determined simultaneously at any given time.

And most certainly no Student Activity discussion can be complete without the mention of our lone sentinel by the R2D2, the long forgotten building, the one which

we think withstand the ravages of time and the wheels of change: the SAC. But then again even its rumors are less trustworthy than our poor Schrödinger’s cat’s life, although a few religiously believe it will be completed sometime. And yes it is a tradition to paint the buildings as soon as they are sure it won’t cave in.

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The Rest is Silent(continued from previous page)

The authors can be contacted at atma1106@gmail.comnitundil@yahoo.co.in

This thread from a passed out senior's wall left us Gigli-ing

Disclaimer: Views expressed in the article belong to the authors. The article does not necessarily reflect the opinion or policies of The Sounding Rocket.

15chetta po

Sargasm a comic on Science, Sarcasm and Serenity

by Abhishek Panchal

laborat

ory

Earth 2013...

Report says we have discovered a new stellar object with unusual signals

Ya.. those small spikes in the curve do indicate that...

Sir our deep space observatory have found evidences of intelligent life on a planet 15 light years away. they have got traces of field activity which cannot be natural. I guess they are advanced enough to have good detection systems.

We must try sending few signals and hope for positive reply.

No, these signals are from exoplanet with intelligent life formyou are back on that seti thing. concentrate on your work“

““

“

Few years ago In A laboratory of Planet THrae few light years away...

#1 The Unusual Signals

'Lord Stark' by Vinay Gajmoti (Avionics, Third Year)A sketch of Robert Downey Jr.

16Dhanak 2013

Preparation technically started previous semester, when the

theme was decided democratically. ‘Fantasia’, as the name suggests is a land where dreams come true, where imagination is on Red Bull and the characters from your beloved tales come to life (It is not a trip). Posters were ready to be dispatched all over the world and things were looking really good for D13.

Then, Edward A Murphy Jr.’s law happened.

The review meeting of Conscientia 2013 kept on postponing, and due to that, Dhanak preparation could not start. The dates got finalised just one month before the Fest, giving the organising team little time to prepare. VIT decided to organise its Model United Nations on the same days as ours, which was definitely a bad news for MUN 2013 and resulted in a relatively poor outside participation. The issues with the international band’s funding and approval nearly killed the Pronite. Publicity of the fest left a lot to be desired. The room availability crisis was dangling like a sword over the festival. Support provided by the institute in few areas was cut off. Sponsorship gaps created sleepless nights for the finance coordinators. Flexes were not prepared in time. Academic work kept piling up. Differences of opinions, which at times turned nasty, did no good. Onam was a diversion too, with people going all the way to Kanyakumari in the middle of the night to buy flowers. And participation for events like group dance was poor (four teams), which was partly due to a major roadblock in the city.

But, the team pulled it off. With panache. Despite all the problems before and during the festival, they absolutely, totally pulled it off. The campus lit up with fantasy and

dreams, thanks to the hard work put in by the Deco team. ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’ was put into practice by the Hospi team. There is not a speck of doubt about the fact that the Pronite of Dhanak was the best in the history of Dhanak. The Alligators described the audience at Dhanak and the hospitality as the best they ever received, and boy did they Rock! Other events similarly were organised pretty smoothly, thanks to hard work and cooperation of coordinators. After the beautiful opening ceremony, the amazing second day and the legendary third day came the dull fourth day (With a few exciting incidents that spiced it up a bit though. We cannot go into details), a phenomena that happens with every Dhanak in IIST. With that, the curtains were down on Dhanak 2013.

Battle of the Bands was surely rocking, with good quality of participation

and enthusiastic audience. MUN was a learning opportunity for a lot of participants in the fields of diplomacy and world affairs. Ministry of Magic made it clear that magic means business and that wizard-muggle cooperation is the way to go. Quizzes were smooth, with one group sweeping almost all the quizzes (MELA, General, Travel and Biz). Treasure Hunt though, left a lot to be desired, with misplaced hints and wrong laptops messing up the prospects of a few contestants.

Came (out) Alive!

d13

20 ft. Hulk was a major attraction

Battle of the Bands rocking the stage

17Tweet Tweet...#dhanak2013

d13

18

Delicious food is something a person living in a hostel surely

misses. Mummy waala ghar ka khanna – The thought itself brings a nostalgic memory of the appetizing smell of the culinary delights that dear mother used to prepare for us. Although nobody will ever cook as well as our mothers, we still strive to find someone who tries to come close to it.

So we try to bring you the restaurants we are exploring.

Being vegetarians, we can only help you in vegetarian sections although some are mixed restaurants having separate veg and non-veg sections.

To the "fuchchas" (First year bachchas): it is important to note that there are limited number of restaurants that serve food after 3:30 pm. So make your plans accordingly.

All the ratings given here are from minus infinity to 10, 10 being impossibly impressive.

Arul Jyothi Location: Bakery junction, Near Thampanoor flyover.

Probably the best Malayalam food in the city is served here, Dosas being the speciality. The ambience is so-so but the quality of food has overshadowed everything. A must visit place if you are hungry and want to have tasty and not so expensive South Indian food.Cost for two: Rs. 300/-

The Verdict:

Windsor RajdhaniLocation: Kowdiar Junction

If you are looking for exotic dishes and a great, a little high society atmosphere, this place is for you.North Indian food is savoury and delicious. Must try if you are missing home-made food. Avoid sizzlers and Italian cuisine. Nice place to spend your weekend with friends.

But remember, with great food and great taste come greater bills. Cost for two: Rs. 1200/-

The Verdict:

Rohit VarunFood Taste 7.5 7

Food Quality 8 8Ambience 7 7

Rohit VarunFood Taste 8.5 8

Food Quality 9 9Ambience 8.5 9

Hunger ManiaTwo second years give their reviews on two city restaurants

hungry kya?by

Rohit SinghVarun Pandey

The authors can be contacted at mostani1994@gmail.com varunpandey133@gmail.com

F o o d f o r Th o u g h t(meta.) anything that provides mental stimulus for thinking.

An open forum in IIST to:

• Learn, share and explore ideas and opinions.

• Organise activities (debates/discussions/ talks etc.)

• Interact with different people in and outside the campus.

and much more…

For Details, Contact:

Shubham Nigam(2nd year) 8547760430

Atma Anand(2nd year) 9746627401

19

ResponsibilityEditors of Drishtikon decide to own up to whatever went wrong in its 2012 edition

opinion

Responsibility is a difficult word. Difficult to live up to once it is

expected of you, difficult to let stuff happen because so much is riding on you, and in a sense difficult to live with once you have accepted it. But it is also an easy word. Easy to make you strive towards a goal if your mind is made up, and easy to live with given that you have a clear conscience. We all live on the very thin line between these flip sides of a coin that can make or break you.

In a job that involves many people, groups, organisations and entities, everyone starts off by putting their mind, heart, soul and whatnot into it with the best of intentions. Minor fissures crack open wider and shortfalls inevitably happen. Then, things start to fall apart. Screw ups do happen. And before you can go into damage control mode, the whole thing blows up in your face.

Well, of course, it wasn’t me. It was him/her/<insert any other gender appropriate pronoun here>. Whether it is about poo under the dining table or the biggest scandal in the history of Independent India, it has always been someone else.

The year 2012-2013 was a string of incidents like these. Important institute traditions were broken, events that were supposed to be held were not held, authorities and students had tiffs, the cultural scenario of the campus touched a new low and people in general became indifferent. Although the blame game always attracts more and more players all the time, it is about time that we man up and start taking responsibility for some of these things.

One really important institute tradition is Institute Day, the institute’s birthday. It had, until then, been celebrated without fail every year. Due to unavoidable circumstances, it fell through last

year around. This was an exception which seems to be on its way to becoming a new tradition, but we’re not talking about that here. Every year, in that ceremony, Drishtikon, the cultural and literary mosaic of the students of IIST had been launched. And, we the editors failed to deliver in that respect. On 28th January, the former president of India Dr Kalam visited us, a perfect time for inauguration. And sure enough, the day did come and the first draft of the magazine was presented before the world. Photographs were clicked and made into DP’s and a ray of hope sure did shine. A few more changes and the final draft would be ready. Already it was long overdue and it was high time we rectified it.

We assume here forth that you have seen the final press print copy of the magazine. If you haven’t, we hope you look at it soon.

If you have, this is where it gets tricky. Who exactly is responsible? The most convenient option would be to blame it on the authorities, because they can take it. After all, it was them who went for the in-house printing instead of the offset printers. It was them who printed an A4-pages-stapled-together dwarf of a magazine. But it would be unfair to blame them entirely. We delayed. We procrastinated. We missed deadlines. Each person involved in it caused some bit of delay, most of which accumulated. You know where it goes from here, it’s a rabbit hole every one of us has gone down.

In our defence, it was not easy to get it done earlier. There were exams, quizzes, projects, and a very hectic (and compounding the agony, short) semester. But yes, it is plainly obvious that we could have done much better. After the dust had settled, we tried to analyze what exactly had gone wrong. How did our labour of love (You should see the design

and the typesetting; they were new and extraordinary, we know it took a lot of time and effort to design it), our hard work end up becoming an object of ridicule?

A certain guy, rumours have it, banged it on their table, demanding an explanation. He was justified in being indignant. How often do you come across somebody in IIST who is neither indifferent about something nor lazy to call people out on it, however trivial or important the issue at hand might be?

We, of course, have an option of taking this issue as an isolated incident, as water under the bridge. But, more often than not, such debacles are often symptoms of systemic illnesses.

The more prudent, and indeed, the better option would be to accept responsibility and learn from our mistakes. That’s easier said than done. The way the world runs now is definitive proof of that. So, this time, we will not offer any more excuses, we will own up to whatever was wrong with Drishtikon (any pats on the back are also welcome though), we will assume responsibility for both our failures and our successes.

Quiz Club of IISTFriday evenings at 5.45

Bring a pen and a friend

20Crossword

Across:

1. Point of View. (10)3. Caltech. (6)4. Astronomy/ Behind Adithi. (3)7. LAN party favourite. (3)8. Even a monkey with this is a photographer. (4)10. American 1990 Band from LA. Also the thing that you use to make stuff in Mech. Lab. (4)12. What should (and could) have been the name. (5)13. Your favourite subject’s course code starts like this. (2)16. The first person to enter C106 after its redecoration during Dhanak would be the first Man on ___! #verybadjoke. (3)18. The (16) and this are separate! (3)19. Lad from Vilakkupara, Pride of India. (5)

Down:

1. Rainbow. (6)2. If you fold it right, this one flies too! (3)5. One does not simply miss ____ Pankaj’s class. (4)6. Overrated, in mess officials’ opinion. (5)9. Not if you are a gamer! Or a Hindu! (4)11. Where a few passouts are now. Blue blooded institute. (3)14. An affectionate way to address you friend. Popular amongst Hyderabadis. (4)15. India’s Second largest Aerospace firm, after HAL. (3)17. Water Tanker/ Semiconductors. (4)20. Household Power Supply. Also, prelims of an entrance exam. (5)

Drishtikon 2013Annual students' magazine of IIST

Send your articles, poems, stories, artwork, images, etc. at drishtikon13@gmail.com

Coming Soon in TSR

Get ready for fresh columns.

Movie, TV series, App and Book reviews , FakingNews@IIST

Contact us if you are interested in any of these.

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