Imag - Imagine

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Prabhjot Virk Roadie5.0

letters to the editor The Editor iMAG

The Editor iMAG

Congratulations on your first outlet. As scintillating is the essence of the word “iMAGine”, I hope the publication leaves tremendous impact on its readers and gets its much deserved felicitation. Dreams are the manifestation of our imagination that catches the span of the moment. A dream is abstractly defined as that you see during your sleep. So when your screechy alarm rings tearing your ears off, just snooze the button and dream a little more. Dreams are depicted as aim & pursuance of life, or even a step further as higher motive in life and passion. But let me halt you for a minute; aren't these the steps to achieve our goal in life? They say ideas and thoughts just don't come out of the blue but as a matter of fact, they do. A dream, seen either during the day while you are in middle of a lecture, or in the night during the sleep actually scintillates you for an aim. It creates a rousing, a craving that drives you to fulfill your dream. The scintillation, nonetheless, may die in the budding stage or go on to the extent of ultimate zenith of the individual's life; as the case may be. Quoting Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, he said, “Dream, Dream & Dream”. A dream can be so worthy and inspirational as an innovative idea that Einstein had postulated and given hypothesis of relativistic physics just on the basis of thought experiments! So now you see that your seemingly worthless dreams and out of the world thoughts can turn out be quite fruitful if applied properly with utmost optimism. So if you think you can dream then you can dare to pursue it too. Remember making a dream your aim is harder than pursuing it. Regards, Navpreet Singh UIET,Panjab University

One of the most favorite places (not mine, please note) of my class to hang out while at college, is not Stu-C, or the green benches to bask in sun, or the new canteen, or the cool PU market, but the cute little photostat shop residing peacefully near the stairs of ground floor of the Academic Block 1, UIET Sector 25, conveniently adjacent to the class of Biotech 2010. Already the biotech people are notorious for their highest number of subjects & huge syllabus, being in the vicinity of the photostat shop adds to their joy & to my misery. They savour the tiny cubicle before & after every lecture, practicals, and in some extreme cases, even during our rare bunks, like I may visit an apparel showroom or the Archies; for asking the Bhaiya for ANY NEW, repeat, ANY, notes, or transparencies the teachers may have given. On the days there are none, they come back empty handed, eyes downcast with sorrow, in total contrast to the jumps of joys and smiles of excitement when there are; as the whole set of 70 odd students gather their way outside the shop. It has to be noted that the group also consists of a very reluctant me. They wave the warm sheets in air, showing off. A day well spent. They return to their homes, eyes shining with the prospect of studying and cramming something different and new, while, I, clutching the new notes look around hopelessly for someone, Anyone, who would share my feelings & offer sympathy would agree that as students of UIET, we are not supposed to be so studious and obedient. Finding none, I keep the pages in the back pocket of my bag, which has grown substantially heavy by the addition of these daily intrusions. I never get around to open the pocket, let alone removing them from my bag and reading them, till the night before sessionals. Question is, am I a True UIETian, or are They ? Regards, Vidhi Verma Biotech, UIET

The Editor iMAG I am nearing almost 3 years in college and I am still without a girlfriend. Is it required to have a steady boyfriend/girl-friend in college? "Chandramukhi ho ya paaro, ki farak painda hai yaaro!" The fleeting pleasures that the college dudes and dames wake up with every morning from day ONE in college, is to become two from one! Guys without girlfriends and bikes are treated as pariah in the college community. You can call them DESPOS (and yes, that's what everyone becomes)! The Dream-boy/girl personifies in the figurative form of Angelina Jolie (walking and holding hands on a beach), or Tom Cruise (sipping the fruit punch mock tails from the same glass). The thoughts get wilder and more whimsical until they finally start going around with a person of their choice or else they simply compromise just for the heck of the “committed status” symbol. Else they simply moan and groan under the heavy yoke of “singleton-ism”. Regards, Anonymous

I write-down to speak-up!

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WORDICT Irina Brar: Chandigarh Golf Icon, has been a winner all the way... The nation's top ranked lady golfer at the age of 16! She faced a rough patch owing to spinal injury in November, 2002, but here is the winner continuing... 1. You had won a medal in figure skating as a 4 year old. So how did golf happen to you? My mom is a golfer. So I used to go hang out at the golf club waiting for mom. I thought it was too slow, but I got inspired to start while watching a PGA tour event in USA in 1995. Then I bought a golf set, and realized I was really good at it, and was hooked! 2. In India, sports other than cricket do not enjoy as much support, especially financially; on top of that, women in sports earn only a small fraction of what their male counterparts earn. Does this situation bother you? We definitely need more sponsors to support golf and women's golf in particular. It gets really expensive to play the tour, and until we get sponsors, the numbers won't increase. Cricket overshadows every other sport into oblivion. 3. You became the nation's top-ranked lady golfer on your 16th birthday. That is something like doing a Sachin Tendulkar in golf. How does that feel? It felt good. I was lucky to have great social support, my mom would travel with me, dad would finance the travel, and school and friends were supportive. 4. You saw a rough patch in your career when you fractured your lowest vertebra in November 2002. How did you cope up with it? It was hard to take a break when playing one's best. Mom was great, she kept me entertained and pampered even when I was on bed rest. I am a very positive person, so there was no moping around; it was seen as an opportunity to relax instead of a forced break. 5. Coming back after 11 months of a forced hiatus (after November 2002), you clinched the Punjab Ladies Open Amateur Golf Championship title by a big margin. That really shows your class. What inspires you/inspired you to go on? I really missed the game during the break. I was dreaming golf, eating golf….so when I could play; I was just so motivated and excited that when I was back, the scores took care of themselves. 6. You have modeled for a Mumbai jewellery outlet and are also the brand girl for Nike. How was that experience? It was interesting, my friends made so much fun of me though. Fame is fun while it lasts. 7. The best compliment you ever got? Don't remember. Probably that I inspired many girls to take up golf. 8. Could you tell us something about your future plans? Where do you see yourself and Indian golf 5 years from now? I am currently pursuing a second Masters degree in Sport Psychology from USA. Next year I start a PhD, and will be a practicing sport psychologist. I also plan to get back to golf after my back heals. Indian golf is growing at a fantastic rate. In 5 years hopefully we will have many Indians playing the PGA Tour, and hopefully Jeev would have won a Major! 9. Whom do you look up to for inspiration? Tiger Woods. Need I say more? 10. How have your parents' supported you as a professional golfer? My parents have supported me in every way possible. Dad helped with the finances, Mom is my sport psychologist, mentor, everything rolled into one. I would not be where I am without their involvement. 11. So what is it that really takes to be an 'Irina Brar'? Interesting question. To sum it up, I would say: I am not afraid of being different. And I work hard to be the best at whatever I am doing. Quick Facts: 1. The book that you're currently reading: The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying 2. The last movie you saw and loved: Marley and Me. 3. What did you dream last night? I didn't get enough hours of sleep to dream!! Don't remember, usually I do. 4. One thing that you would want to say to the readers of iMAG? Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you deal with it. 5. The craziest thing you've done? Moved to a different country to an alien place to pursue my dream. Interviewed by: Amita & Kriti

In ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’, everybody at the Hogwarts school of Witchcraft is scared because one by one, students are being petrified and nobody knows by whom. A friend asked what Japinder Gill petrified meant, and I said, “Pathar-ified.” Did it strike you that petros, the Latin word for stone (and the source of both petrify and petroleum) and our pathar have the same consonants? Is it just a coincidence? The answer is “No.” All the languages of Europe, of North-India and of western Asia have one common ancestor- the Proto-Indo European (PIE) language- which was spoken around 7000 years ago. Those people then migrated in waves to different parts of the Eurasian landmass, taking with them their shared words. Millennia have passed, but a few words still remain recognizable across the tongues. The Latin os means ‘bone’, hence the words ossify and osseous. We call the bony remains of a dead man asthi. A desiccated thing is totally dried up, because the Latin siccus means ‘dry’, exactly what the Punjabi sukka and the Hindi sukha means. The words potent, potentate, omnipotent, impotent, potential, all centre on the Latin root potis, meaning ‘powerful, able.’ The pati of an Indian woman is her master and her lord. The words young, juvenile and junior have the same consonants as our yauvan and jawaan, and mean the same too. We call our cattle pashu and the Latin word was pecu. When money had not yet been invented, the wealth of a man was determined by the size of his flock. That is how the Latin word pecuniarius which meant ‘related to cattle’ came to mean ‘related to wealth’ and gave us both pecuniary and impecunious. Naash for us means death or complete destruction. The Latin nox means ‘harm, injury’ and nex, ‘death, murder.’ These roots engendered innocent, innocuous, noxious, obnoxious, pernicious, internecine, necrosis and necromancy. For us, death is maut or mrityu, and the act of dying, marna. The Latin for death is mortis and morire means ‘to die.’ The words it produced are murder, mortal, immortal, mortify, moribund, mortuary, mortician and postmortem. Our mythology said that Amrita (a-mrita) was the drink of gods which could make one immortal. Similarly, the Greeks believed in Ambrosia, the food of gods (a- + mbrotos, related to mortos , ‘mortal.’) This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more of such fantastic correlations waiting to be discovered by you! Think what you call your throat, sugar, your father and your mother, or look up at the night sky. They all will lead you to more such PIE roots. Keep exploring! Have fun!

It’s beter to let people think you are an idiot, than to open your mouth and prove it!

MAGink

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Choices I died in the last hour somehow...I don't know And God opened his gates - it was the time to go I didn't lament dying as it didn't feel so bad Only the pain of my kin was what made me sad Because forever in my life, at its every juncture, My life had been dear to me...but death had been the next great adventure. So I walked on... On that path through a heavenly lawn. I can easily recall, that not much had I walked, When on that cobbled track, I reached a fork. On a signboard was written "RIGHT HELL" and "LEFT HEAVEN" And it also gave the direction to some cloud numbered 7. The way to hell was ragged and hard While the same to heaven was handsome and smart. And the cloud 7 was up there ....where no way went. It just stood there...to the "RIGHT" slightly bent. But leaving that I thought about my whole life About all those times when I had put my parents through strife. About those moments, when because of me my brother had cried And about all those insects...under my feet which had died. It's true that after death, you see your life as a movie. And you have to decide whether it is horror or emotional, cruel or groovy. I had also shoplifted my favorite - Bryllcream hair gel And so I decided...that heaven may be good but I deserved the hell. And so heavily, hesitantly and unwantingly I took the right - the way which was rugged and broken. Dry bushes, sand and stones were its only token. With a regretting heart I noticed that the way was comfortable So much that I wondered, if hell was likable! And as I approached the gates of the hell, I could figure out Satan and he was dressed well! Remembering his job, I felt pity on the devil's plight, And when I noticed it - I couldn't understand...DEFYING TRADITIONS, HE WAS DRESSED IN WHITE!!??

Just For You I always wanted to talk, but could never dare. Whenever you came in front, I could not help but stare. I had my ideas and feelings to share, But still I wasn't convinced that you really care. You had filled my dull life with zeal, Just a talk with you had become a big deal. There's so much about you, that I feel, You will never know, how hard this was, to conceal. Everybody's life does take a turn, But for my mind, your memories were difficult to burn. Evaluation of my past, tells me that I was wrong, And here's how I have changed my love song. There was a time when I could do nothing but stare, But now my life has changed its gear. I'm ready to say what you always wanted to hear, Yes, yes I want you to come near.

Abhishek Kashyap UIET,Panjab University

Oh! He was an angel with those wings and that golden ring. Maybe he was here to demonstrate the effect - (I'll miss but) the heavens can bring. Though sad, I approached him and saluted with a spirited air. And he replied the following, tossing back his blond hair. "O son of the LORD - as thou comest' here, be proud for thee see the heaven from wherest' thou art' standing. Thou art' the 7th man to comest' here and who hast' been fair in his judgment and understanding." And suddenly it dawned upon me, That I was the 7th man here to be. That's why the road was rugged and shriveled, BECAUSE it was the road less travelled! And I asked the angel if God was on the cloud 7 He affirmed, since the cloud favored the 'RIGHT' The actual way towards heaven. And then a magnificent door appeared And as I entered, my doubts all cleared, A deep divine voice spoke to me, That before, "The Heavens" I should see, I must know why and how I'm there. Although in my whole life I had been a liar Although many sins I had committed, And to my many desires I had submitted. Then why in the name of heaven.....in the hell I don't lie? And I was answered there and then... Doubts and problems life puts forward when, It never matters with God, whether you win or you loose, But it does matter with him...WHAT YOU CHOOSE. The ways of the RIGHT or the ways of the WRONG, On these decisions of yours....his decisions about you throng. Because his destiny is not governed by man's talents or vices... But wholly, solely and only by....HIS CHOICES. Love Upadhyay UICET, Panjab University

Artificial hands, artificial sand... Artificial hands and artificial sand, What's then slipping??? Slipping out of hand. No feelings, no opportunities, What's there to lose? When you've nothing… Absolutely nothing, from which to choose! Why this worry? Why this rush? Carry on with your mundane task, with peace and calm, And maybe, just maybe, you won't lose that charm! It's this place, this world, It's this time, It's NOW!

Seemant Dadwal UIET,Panjab University If pun is bad, poetry is verse!

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Gaurav Chibbar UIET, Panjab University

Books I like The Death Cauldron Sitting by the window side in my house, with a cup of coffee in hand, I can feel the zephyr blowing on my face. The tintinnabulation of the sea waves and the sound of the cuckoos bring a balmy feeling to me. My house is located on the suburbs of kanyakumari, away from the kerfuffle of the city. It is not very far away from the sea, with a beautiful kaleyard with lanky trees in abundance. My wife and I shifted to this beautiful house last year after getting married. With no kindred here, we had started our married life with full zest. I am a doctor by profession and run my personal clinic. My wife Anamika, was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, high on pulchritude, absolutely an angel. She was a teacher by profession. She was as beautiful as a goddess. Her seducing eyes, outlined with kohl and the kisscurl on her face made my heart flutter. She had the serenity and the innocence of a child on her face. Her lissom body and her presence made the temperature sour upto several degrees. She made my heart kindle with emotions. She was paramount to anything else in the world for me. Today, sitting by the window side, I remember my dear wife. I am all alone. I feel completely knackered with a feeling of being kaput. It all happened three months after our wedding. It was a wonderful evening. Anamika was too excited as she had been promoted and had received kudos at work. To celebrate her success, I decided to prepare supper. She went to the kaleyard to collect fruits and kales. Suddenly I heard a klaxon in the backyard and I heard Anamika scream. I rushed to the kaleyard and saw Anamika being pushed in a car. Before I could rescue her, the car drove away. With my hands on my knees, I knelt on the ground. I was shattered. The pain was unbearable. Five months have passed now. The serenity suddenly turns into sounds of kookaburra. I hit my knuckles hard. There is a yearning to get rid of my frustration. My heart begins to swelter with the heat of retaliation. My life has been out of kilter for a long time. There is an urge to transform the jangling discords of my mind into peace. I move out of the house, with proper kit I had arranged for this very day. Driving the car through the countryside, I reach a cottage amidst a murky place on a small hummock. I rush and open the lock. A woman is tied to a chair, almost unconscious. She is my wife. She had been tortured enough. But today would be her end. This would be her final kip. I would put the kibosh on her life. This knave woman will die today. I take out the kalashnikov from my kit and finally shoot my dear wife. She is dead. I then take the petrol can and spill kerosene on her body and burn the corpse so that no one would ever recognize her. I then pack the seared cadaver in a rucksack and dispose it off in a drain. I am finally at peace. I am driving back home with a feeling of joy. I will kick off my life with new zeal. She has finally paid the price of betrayal, for betraying my trust, my love for her, by indulging in an affair with Ayaan. The fire started when one day I saw her with Ayaan outside her school while I was returning from my clinic. I also heard her talking on phone with him. He was one person in her life about whom I did not know. I could not see her with anyone other than me. My intense love for her prompted me to get her kidnapped, so that no one would have the sleekest idea that I did it all. And now I have achieved my goal. I feel happy and contended, like a Kaiser. Now I will live life king-size. My life will no more be kinky. I reach my bedroom and open her cupboard. I wanted to simply erase that woman out of my life. I wanted to dispose off all her assets. Taking out all the knick-knacks, I find a diary under her clothes. I read her diary. Her diary was the perfect epitome of her love for me. All she had written was that she loved me a lot. The diary entry of the day before I got her kidnapped was: “Today I met Ayaan. I did not tell about the meeting to my husband. I know this is wrong. But this is all I could do. My eternal love for my husband has prompted me to have an affair with Ayaan or else he will kill my husband. I love my husband a lot. I hope he will forgive me for my sins. God please forgive me for my sins. Please show me a way out. I am sorry. “ I felt a lump going down my throat. I wish I had read this and known the veracity of the findings before killing my wife. If I had trust on my wife, I would not have killed her so savagely. Today, I am all alone, living in grief, in love of my wife, leading a life I have orchestrated myself. I have shattered my life into smithereens. I have mucked up and vandalized my life myself. I am paralysed and there is no motive of my existence. In the throes of gloom, I have locked myself in a single room. Life is repugnant without her. I have my wife's diary as the only relic of her memory. I am living vicariously with her and will die for her. I don't expect my wife to forgive me for my sins. I deserve something more than death. I have created this cauldron of death myself….

Mansi Arora UIET, Panjab University

Copy from one person and it’s plagiarism.Copy from more and it’s research.

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Life Of Pi Yann Martel Genre: Fiction Publisher : Penguin Books (Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2002) Piscine Molitor Patel, self-christened as Pi, and interestingly named after a swimming pool, lives in Pondicherry, where his father owns a zoo. As the protangonist of the story he comes forth as a sensitive, observant, earnest young person who refuses to take facts for what they are. Though born a Hindu, he embraces Christianity's message of love and also becomes a devout Muslim. As the priest, pandit and imam tell him to choose one, Yann beautifully moulds the frivolity of religious dissent. When he is sixteen, his parents decide to emigrate to Canada, taking an entire shipload of now-yankee animals with them. Tradegy however strikes when the ship sinks and he is left to fend for himself, cope up with the loss of his family, and, survive with a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a 450 pound royal Bengal tiger on a single lifeboat. The story takes interesting turns as the true nature of the human psyche rips apart in the face of crisis. The story is not just an effortless allegory but infact an unputdownable adventure. Life of Pi is a novel that sees, wonders, explores; a piece of art that that challenges life itself with the claws of survival, and enchants all with the ripping quality of its being. Just when you thought you were done with fiction, Yann Martel makes you gobble those thoughts up, with helpless certainty and unimaginable charm. Martel is powerful in language, simplistic in thought and a master at storytelling the perfect ingredients for an-edge-of-the-seat voyage that excites, enchants, hypnotizes, and most of all keeps you turning that page. Just one more time.

The Google Story David A.Wise Genre: Non-Fiction Publisher : Pan Books It's the 'TO DO' book! It's not just a dry account of how one of the defining turn points of our time came to be, but is definitely more than that. A lot more! It's an inspiration, how to carry on even with the odds majorly stacked against you and tread steady for what you believe in even when the world goes the other way. The story has been given in a uniquely capturing way. The best part is that it starts from the very beginning… No kidding! It kinda takes you into the minds of the two brilliant 'Google Boys'. It starts with their background to how they met to how they materialized the one unfathomable task without which we are paralyzed in today's world, 'GOOGLE'. It also gives an account of how Google functions, where its think tank lies and how it continues to build up wonders. So, if you wanna know how Google came into being and how its thirty-two-year-old founders managed to take Google from just another search engine to a company that has a market value worth billions, just grab yourself a copy and start Googling!

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Taking

The

Leap...

RJ Meenakshi is the bubbly and vivacious host of MY FM, Chandigarh’s “Oye Hoye Meenakshi!” Her show targets the youth of the city and helps them express their love on-air. She invites listners to play the game of love and test their love they share. She plays cupid on-air and helps those who wish to convey their liking for someone by proposing on behalf of the caller. Her honesty ensures that people confide in her. Have you ever thought: "I wish I wasn't an engineer?”... not because it's tough to cram up 5-6 different subjects every semester, for 4 years, along with managing the lab work; but because you feel you're not cut to apply yourself in the core technicalities of your stream.

On asking a couple of UIET girls about their dream career, one said, on condition of anonymity, "I wanted to become an FBI agent, because it's so adventurous and thrilling. I regularly used to watch serials like Medical Detectives, Tehkikaat and X-Files. However, I felt that my physique wasn't good enough for this". When asked whether she would pursue the same if given the opportunity now, the answer came as a surprising no. "I will not be much successful if I join FBI at this stage, considering all the practicalities. However, I'd love to pursue it as a side kick.” Ah well, reality bites.

"I wish I wasn't a doctor, or a dentist, for that matter?”... not because it still gives you a shiver when working with cadavers, or its overwhelming and uninteresting at times to learn all about the physiologies and anatomies of the human body; but because you feel you wanted to achieve stardom, gain instant money, and worry about the latest fashion trends rather than curing everyone around you. "I wish I could have tried harder to convince my parents to send me off to the acting school?"... because you still feel more alive than ever while you are practicing for the annual college fest. "I wish I hadn't given up my dream of joining the Men-In-Blue?"…just because your tutions seemed more important to you at that time, or your small city didn't have too many facilities to offer. In our college gang, hostel friends and everywhere in the people around us, we all know the joker of the group, the one who can make us laugh endlessly by his gags & pranks, yet didn't pursue his talent; and the girl who paints so well that your eyes widen in appreciation every time you see the beauty she has created; or the captain of the college cricket team (whose good luck every cricket player admires, but very few know it was due to family pressure that he had to give up his place on the Ranji Team); or the bubbly girl whose dressing sense is so 'chic' that you used to wonder how she got her style, until she told you she'd missed the interview at NIFT barely, and didn't appear for the 2nd time, "for personal reasons". So it's happened to all of us, or to someone who's close to us. Engineering, Medical, Law & Commerce are the predominant professions one can think of. All the parents want their kids to become one of the above or some of the above, and for same old clichéd reasons: job stability (though recession has changed the current equation everywhere!), money, and respect, even though it's a known fact a "theatre production manager" would raise more eyebrows than a simple C.A.!! Which of course brings us to probe these rather ostensible facts of life. Is money worth giving up your dreams for? Or are dreams meant to be dreamt and got over with, when the real world is as ugly as it can get? There's no denying the fact that if you're not pulling yourself up, then someone will pull you down. Nor that, non-science students (unless exceptional) are not treated with the same respect that science students get. Nor the fact that while engineers (in non recession times) are on the financial joyride at 22, most artists move in to comfortable living posthumously.

Are dreams not worth it? Is life not worth taking the leap? Says career counsellor, Varsha Verma, “A large section of students are unaware of what they really want to achieve in life. This amounts to a situation like boarding a train without knowing one's destination. Undoubtedly it may result in waste of precious time as well as money. As such parents direct them to a safer option, which is not wrong either.” However, as it is evident from the fall of global economy, it is unlikely that we would get the job for which we have slogged for the past 4 years anyway. This is the time when our old dreams haunt us the most. There's no way the psychiatrist is going to lose her job, or the newspaper reporter will go starving (not literally), or the chef will be out of business. According to Varsha Verma, presently, due to recession, jobs related to environment and nature will survive. Recession has 2 types of effects: 1) Primary and Direct effect on IT sector, tourism, luxury, highly specialized jobs, and 2) Secondary and indirect effect on conventional jobs. In a survey conducted by Team @ iMAGine, we asked some pertinent questions (sample space 120 Students) and found that a whopping 69% of the respondents were not pursuing a career of their choice. The main reason that they were stuck in more conventional, high paying jobs was mainly due to parental influence and friends. P. Mannar Jawahar, Vice-Chancellor of Anna University, Chennai: says, “Graduates should continue the learning process and equip themselves in their respective fields even after graduation.”* In the wake of the current crisis, here's hoping that we learn to think deeper, soar higher, live more. Even if it means taking that leap. I wish I could, I wish I would, I know I should, I wonder, I stood. Q1. Is your present career the one you wanted to pursue from the beginning?

Remember when you were 8 yrs old & your reply to the "What will you become when you grow up?" Answers like Astronomer, Newspaper boy, Chef, Heroine, Dancer, or even Superman came without the slightest hesitation. Of course, it is unfair to compare because you were immature and hardly had any knowledge except for the people around you. But what these answers reflect is your spirit of adventure. We all think of our childhood dreams with a touch of nostalgia, yet few work hard enough to get those dreams into action.

Q. How did you end up being an RJ? M : I never wanted to become an RJ. I was more into theatre. I have done 17 plays, and was selected for a movie opposite Dino Moreo. But my mom and dad didn't let me go to the Big Bad World of Mumbai. I was very disappointed. I had won the Best Actress Award for 3 years consecutively at NSD, and I could see my Bollywood Dream just crashing. Then radio happened. I went to this certain radio station, and from more than thousand people, got selected in the top 3. So that's it! My journey!

Interviewed by: Vidhi & Umang Compiled by: Vidhi

Q. Why do you think people relate to you so well? M : Basically I am a very expressive person. And more importantly, I'm very genuine in my show. It doesn't make any difference to me whether I am "On air" or "Off air". I don't become some other personality when I am in front of the mic. I am the same Meenakshi who's talking to you right now. I am not like : "Yo man! Hey! Ho! You're listening to Blah Blah Blah .. “ I can't do it. Q. How did you come up with this idea, of hosting a love show? M : Because I truly believe in love. I love everybody. It's a never ending feeling for me. It's like Meenakshi = Love. I can do any other show but love is the best. Q. How come you are so good at listening to people, solving their problems and most important, at match making? Your shows are always a great hit, with calls pouring in and in. M : I was like this right from childhood. Used to pair up my friends, first approaching the gal from guy's side and then the guy's, with the girls' answer. I feel this is very natural with me. In fact, I used to solve up all the fights between my friends and family. So much so, that at the end of the day, the fight between mom and dad was never resolved until Meenakshi interfered. It's natural for me to listen to people and give them advice. Q. How did you come up with this latest show of yours? "Fantasy nights?" M : I thought that Meenakshi has brought so many people together and has solved so many of their problems. What next? I needed to take things to a new level. The Chandigarh audience was pretty shy and liked to keep things in the closet. No one believed me when they heard my idea. They said no one would call up and we'd have to make fake calls. But I said I've never taken fake calls, and won't take them this time too. I'd rather end the show. But when the show actually surfaced, the response was amazing. It's such a hit now that I get calls till 1 at night... Quick Facts: Belongs to: Chandigarh Education: BSc. Chemistry (Gold Medalist) Love to me is: Where you can be yourself Qualities of an ideal partner: Real, passionate and a good sense of humour. Last book read: The 3 mistakes of my life Hate: Maths Favourite movie: Dil Se Believes in Blind Dating: Yes Favourite dish: Vegetarian sizzlers Ethnic or modern? Fusion Beach or hill top? Beach Favourite place to hang out around Chandigarh: Kasauli What's more important for an RJ: Spontaneity or Sensibility: Spontaneity

Q. : It's not an easy task to keep a daily show alive. You need to have fresh ideas for every moment, because the audience is pretty constant. But you have done this. What's the secret behind this creativity? M : I am thinking about my show 24/7. Even while sleeping or eating. I see some weird guy on road and I think okay I'll talk about him today. I can't separate radio from my mind and lifeIn a nutshell, "Its a passion for me, so it's easy.." Q. What is the best thing that you like about yourself as an RJ? M : I love people! I just love people, and that's the biggest advantage I have. I haven't seen God, so the people are God for me. Q. What qualities should a person have for being an RJ? M : Passion, and only Passion for your profession. You have to be passionate about people, because they are the ones who'll make you successful. You can't fake this, because if you do, you can't sustain for long. Q. : How can I prepare to become an RJ? What about training? M : Anybody can be an RJ, but he needs to have the above qualities. And as per training : the basic training starts at home. Have a recorder and tape yourself. You're the best judge of yourself. You'll know how good or bad you sound. But, at the same time, if you've participated in Elocutions at school level, it really helps.And about the formal training, I think theatre teaches amazing voice modulation. My experience in theatre has taught me a lot. It's better to do theatre than to do training.

Q2.What made you join this field?

8

CROSSWORDS Religion Is The Root Cause Of Terrorism FOR

AGAINST

Jet fuel fire balls bellowed orange as two jet liners crashed through and through the New York City skyline. The air turned black, acrid as people screamed, squirmed, cried, in mute shock and utter disbelief at the blatant reality of the brazenly obvious. If only, we had thought.

“The first crime was committed on the day when someone fenced a piece of land and said, 'This is mine'. So mine and thine are the mother of all crimes in this world. When somebody murders a person, only the convicted is punished. Why not the weapon? No my friends I refuse to say so that religion is the root cause of terrorism. If you have studied science you should agree that root of every invention is not the theory it's the practical.

In the worthy words of Osama Bin Laden, 'We must understand our religion. Fighting is a part of Sharia and hostility towards America is religious duty. We will be rewarded.' Well, if only we had thought.

If you are familiar with biology you should agree that the root of diabetes is not the sugar but the root is a weak pancreas.

The bloodiest attack, ever, on Indian soil. 3 Days. 183 Dead. 11 Targets. One Root. Ajmal Kasab. Lashkar-e-taiba. Pakistan. One Root. If only, we had thought. Terrorism is the organized use of violence directed primarily at non combatants. A recent report discusses how the face of terrorism has been completely revamped in the times. Its not just a national problem anymore, it's a global malaise. And it propogates the rule of the sword. Blatant. Indiscriminate. Audacious. Impune. The recent spate of terrorist attacks should help us get to the root of this mess, if nothing else. The Godhra riots 2002, The Ayodhya massacre (Babri Masjid), and the 1993 Serial blasts stand as grim witnesses to a rather checkered history of religious riots. To say that poverty is the root cause of terrorism is like saying that obesity is the root cause of lung cancer. Terrorism in our age is fuelled by the rich, wealthy, educated. Besides, there is poverty in many regions of the world from which terrorism doesn't originate. Take Africa for eg. poor, diseased and ignorant. Just how many terrorists has it produced? Forget the fact that terrorism requires an inordinate amount of wealth, terrorism cannot, may not and will not survive without an ideology behind it. An extremist, fundamentalist ideology, which meets nefarious intentions and hits where it hails the bulls eye. Religion. The attacks on the christians in Orrisa, and the Kashmiri Pandit issue are among others in the sea of examples. And it is not merely that the goals of the terrorists do not justify the means that they choose. It is merely the means that they choose to tell us what their goals are. Saddam Hussain, for eg was not really seeking to defend his people but to subjugate his neighbours. The LeT was not just creating a scare, but disrupting international relations with the US in particular and the west in general. You can't but it. And you dare not bargain. You can't appease it. And you dare not ignore. You can't win it. And you dare not dare. Ah, well, if only we had thought.

Amanpreet Kalra UIET, Panjab University

The root of every solution is not the calculation but the counting numbers. If you are a homemaker you must understand that it's not the salt but it's the vegetable which is the basic thing you require. Now today we are here not to talk about fiction we are here to talk about logics. Religion can never be the root of terrorism. Just like theory helps to understand the invention, sugar adds to diabetes, calculations make easy way to solutions, salts adds to taste the same way religion adds fuel to fire. It will be entirely wrong if I say the religion has nothing to do with terrorism but here the theme is not about the different factors of terrorism it's about the basic root of terrorism. The basic root of terrorism is not the religion but the human greed, the greed to have more money, the greed to have power, and the greed to rule the people. Apparently terrorists say that it is Jihad, but if they are fighting for jihad then I must say that they don't know its meaning in the first place. This was a peek into just one phase of terrorism. Where is the question of religion where terrorist groups like LTTE work. Are you going to believe it that a terrorist like Daud Ebrahim is conducting illegal activities for the religion? Not at all. It has nothing to do with the religion. If Osama Bin Laden is a terrorist just because of religion then why America, why London, why not India first? Religion is never the root of terrorism though it adds fuel to fire. I am not saying that religion only teaches us the peace and love. In today's era the world is quite topsyturvy: We have schools and colleges, that are supposed to educate us, which instead keep us ignorant of real knowledge, while making us memorize useless facts (the battle of Panipat was fought in Panipat in the year 1789) We have complicated Judicial systems, where justice is often delayed, seldom delivered. We have medical systems, which try to keep us forever sick, instead of making us healthy. We have fashion which is less about clothes and more about nudity. We have governments which instead of governing and protect us from looter, loot us through high taxes. So it's quite natural that in such a world, we have religions that are supposed to be about love, peace, compassion and harmony, but somehow manage to preach the opposite and drive people to kill, burn, destroy and rape in its name. Religion seems to create a peculiar 'my savior is better than your savior' type of mindset. Is this much different from 'My Dad's richer than your Dad!'? When we are speaking of religion, we are meaning something artificially placed or superimposed on the living entity. After all, what was there before you started calling yourself a Christian, a Hindu, a Muslim, or a Buddhist? What characteristics of yourself existed before you started calling yourself any of those things? We've already established that the first quality of the living being is that you are eternal, spirit soul. You cannot take this quality away from yourself. All religions are founded on the fear of the many and on the cleverness of the few. The point is that those clever people have always used the religion as a tool. When it rains, the prostitute and the Pope get wet just the same. But all these factors are far away from establishing that religion is the root of terrorism. We must divert our attention towards somewhere else and try to find out the roots of terrorism.

Atul UILS, Panjab University

It is not best that we all should think alike, it is differences of opinion that make horse races

9

Know Your Stars Goodbye Cupid, I'm not stupid... Interestingly, I don't really know why such things happen around me. Or is it may be I notice too much. By the end of December, the biggest gift galleries are loaded with super-cute collections of stuff toys, cards, gifts and what not! You name it, & it's there. Yup, in the “bye-cya-tc” age is it that difficult to express love, that you need toys to mime you??? Well, LOL! Not really. No matter how much the so called “West” progresses it certainly doesn't really determine the “East”. If you eat, drink, surf the net, check your mails, talk to friends or yell at your siblings, without the west interfering with it; then why blame it for things like Valentine's Day. You've accepted it yourself. However, this over-hyped concept of this most romantic day in the year, I believe is a cause of worry for many. Not to those who don't have reasons to celebrate; but instead to those who have enough reasons to be happy. The one's who are dating, are just so confused on “101-tips-to-be-a-great-bf” or replace it with gf instead. Just which out of the 101 tips, to follow man! And just imagine the ambiguity in the minds of those who are two-timing or probably three-timing. How unconventional would be the way of dealing with three phone calls after 11pm. One needs to learn the art of “timemanagement” from such great luminary chieftains. And how can they actually break through the waves like a spindrift! Why Young India, wants to take center-stage and perform the Romeo and Juliet (Version 2009) every now and then. Frankly, the more this part of India, tries to be the hot-topic, latest proofs of their idiotism are achieved. The epical love story ends in nothing but, an exaggerated Indian “saas-bahu” soap; adding another episode to the list. Oh please, get the latest fashion statement right; what is happening is “not happening”. If we ought to take out one day like V-Day from the year, for those we love then there is more to it. Originally, V-Day is nothing but the day when the martyr St.Valentine is believed to have been buried. And the Catholics thereafter, wanted peace and chimes of amity to be everywhere after his execution. So, they indiscriminately did sprinkle love everywhere. And not just gave a piece of it to their spouses, alone. The enchanting red rose, was the favorite of the Roman Goddess of Love Venus. But, never did she set any rules that it could only be given to your girlfriend? Ever tried thinking of giving one to your mother? I don't think one needs to be so self-absorbed. You certainly can buy an iPod-nano for your dad, if your bf's got a 'Rolex' from you. It costs almost one-tenth. Why can't any of us break-free from the stereotypical ideology of spending the fourteenth day of the second month of each year, away from family? I just can't comprehend. For that, I've just got few words for the little baby with wings, for the Cupid. For if you can strike your golden arrow at everyone who matters to me, my entire world; then let me tell you I'm completely indoctrinated by your love potion. And say, if you cannot, I still adore you. But then I'll need to rethink and reflect and say, “Goodbye Cupid, I'm not stupid...” Ishana Luthra UIET, Panjab University

One Miss Call It's 10 o'clock at night and I've just received a missed call from a friend. According to our norms, it means that she had done with her dinner and refreshments and has just sat down to study. I smile. She's my old class fellow from school days, back in Haridwar, my hometown. We've been friends for long but now she's away, in Jhansi. Watching the “1 missed call” message on my mobile simply tells me that she misses me as much I do. And that I'm really not alone and forgotten in this strange city of Lucknow where I stay, alone, to take care of my education. However, I return to my studies. Struggling with physics, it's soon 11:30 & I definitely need a break. Ah! Here's one... Suddenly my cell flashes &and vibrates for maybe a second. This time it's another friend from Chandigarh who must be feeling the need of a break too. She's a childhood pal. A buddy with whom I spent many evenings with, playing Badminton, Hide and Seek, and numerous other small-children games. Seeing her name, I suddenly feel full of energy as nostalgic memories of our jovial and candid friendship brush past me. A perfect timing, I realize. Surely the mind wireless system works accurately. I pick up my cell and launch a reply missed call to her before keeping it aside to start struggling with another set of physics problems. My name flashing on her mobile must have assured her that her friends are in the same boat as she is, in strange surroundings, loads of studies, heaps of work, and away from parents and home. The community feeling of belongingness hasn't lost its way anytime. Never mind, I'm back again to my books. It's over an hour since I last received a missed call. Of course, it's not late in coming. Before that, I launch a reply call to my best friend in Pantnagar, who had buzzed in for exactly two rings at 2am the last night, signalling me Good Night & that it's time for me to sleep as well. As soon as I put away my mobile, it starts ringing, and rings and rings. I see the caller. It's a classmate from the same city. The phone rings for 50 seconds before hanging up. I do not make any attempt to pick up as it's a rule among us that whoever has a dialler tone set up must not pick up in the first call. She must be taking a break, I realize, listening to the latest Fanaa melody. Getting bored with studies. I smile. This missed call business has surely fetched me a lot of smiley moments today, heart to heart connections with my buddies, without ever tampering with my cell phone balance. Soon its 2am, my sleeping time. Studies over for the day, I launch a final call to my best friend again, calling it a day. All my dearest friends, so far, yet so close to my heart. Giving me a sense of security, the feeling of love, support and concern. I drift off to a deep sleep, only to be woken up in the morning at 6:30 am by a Beethoven symphony my ringtone. The phone rings for a good twenty seconds before getting quiet. I blink my eyes, stare at the screen and groan. Its mom, telling me to wake up and get going.

The power of Thought, the magic of the Mind!

Aries : Jupiter and Saturn are playing hide and seek this summer, it'll be great if you can stay away from the den. If your house has got a den, change the house immediately, or better still burn down / blow up the den. Life is bound to take a turn, for the better or for the worse. For better luck, follow the simple upayaya : add the digits of currency number of the ten rupee note in your pocket. Multiply by 5, add 3 and subtract 2. Add the digits till you get a single number. Write this number on a paper. Make a paper plane. Fly it from your terrace while facing the south west direction. Your bad luck will fly away. Taurus : If you're being bullish, remember you're just being foolish. Watch your step. For the sun is slowly but steadily slipping behind the moon and may affect your balance. Physical or mental is yet to be ascertained. If you never liked corns before, try again, your tastes may have changed. You're acting way too cheesy these days anyways. Gemini : You might have a strong urge to go out hiking, or biking. However the other half of your split personality might want to stay indoors. So you may act either way. To get rid of this split, try the following upayaya: take out all the split ends of your hair. Collect them, count them and add 3 to the number. Multiply with 5 and now, throw it in the dustbin. A Piscean with a golden incisor might help you bite in- to success. Cancer : Love will come your way if you let it. If you don't it'll hit you over the head and run away really fast. Really really fast. For better luck, try jumping a traffic light. I mean literally. Also, fruit is about to give you a pending message. This message could come in the form of a choking fit, a zinging-zap of pain in a cracked lip from a citrus fruit, or possibly just spasmic, uncontrolled excruciating bowel cramps. Whatever it is, try peeling the fruit in an up-down manner, while facing the south and only after the 18th, that's when the sun moves out of the fit-ting orbit. Leo : Keep track of the reality shows, you are bound to be a pop star. Eat more popcorn, act all corny and at night, don't forget to gaze at the stars. If you can find your name in a constellation, that's a sure shot indicator of stardum(b). The universe conspires to make you win if you can find 'loser'. Chant 'mera naam chin-chin-choo', on a full moon night while facing west for better luck at the auditions. Virgo : You're in luck! If you think it's my job to tell you that, you're highly, highly mistaken. You're going down, Mr! As upayaya, stand still (motionless as well as expressionless) on 3 limbs (2 legs and one hand) near the water cooler, while keeping the water flowing. Continue for 3 hours, 3 minutes and 3 seconds. Now use the free hand to turn off the tap. Libra : Today is not your lucky day. It's tomorrow instead! So you can seek some solace while picking up your broken teeth with a prosthetic arm. Keep a white elephant to avoid a black eye. Always balance the act. You must offer a lavish meal to Saturn and Jupiter who are conniving against you. Offer at 6AM sharp, while facing west. If it does not get accepted, consume it yourself. No point wasting food in this time of global recession. Scorpio : I'll give you a hint in three words : voluptuous, gorgeous, curvy. For you the future comes in like a lion. Yes you're roaring, and you're the king of the jungle. If only you live in one that is. And the three words were my last three dictionary 'words of the day', nothing to do with you, forever-craving animals. Sagittarius : The sun is now in the fourth house and the moon is right opposite in the fourth window. To avoid influence, close all doors and windows of your house. You will have a bad hair day this entire week, so it's better that you stay indoors anyway. A Virgo with polka dotted red socks will be your lucky charm this week. Capricorn : Venus is prone to hic(cups) this week. Do not drink before /after dinner. The feeling in the pit of your stomach is going to explode at noon. Or sometime afterwards. Do not read anything today. Not even a word. Or a letter. If you just did, you will have bad luck for the next three days. Aquarius : Change the frame of your specs to a bright electric blue. Your vision will extend beyond horizons and you will finally 'see' success in all its true colours. Open your room lock 101 times in 3 minutes and the key to success is all yours. Just iMAGine, it never was! Pisces : The water God smells something fishy. You're a small fish in a big pond and what's worse, you even stink like one. Stop acting like a cold fish even if all that you are fishing for is compliments. Remember, there are plenty of other fish in the sea, even if you're a master at the fish tale. Any problem in career, family, or relationships? Contact us : [email protected] Note: Meant only in serious humour. Not intended to hurt or endorse personal belief. Follow at your own risk.

10

I.n.corporate

Hirdesh Madan is the regional head of renowned CAT coaching institute of ChandigarhBulls Eye. He is engineer MBA with consistent university ranks. He is also an expert career counselor and a regular speaker at CII seminars.

The P in PhD IMAGine: Why do you think students should

When you think about it, it's hard to write about 'PhD'. People don't do a PhD for the sake of a PhD; they do it because they're interested in something that's worth the time that a PhD takes. This, if you're wondering, is near five years. And honestly, stating such blatant facts doesn't even get you anywhere near a PhD. So having put things in a bit of a 'perspective', why even bother with one? Good point. Let me tell you a little something about the doctorate. It's fun. Trust me. You'll go four days trying to squeeze in time to write an article for a magazine, and when do you finally get the time? Two in the morning, after you just came home from the office finishing up a report that you're supposed to mail your advisor before the next morning, having been reading up on pending journal articles (no you silly thing, I don't mean the secret diary of Adrian Mole, aged 13 and three quarters) all evening, that since you couldn't take some decent time out during the day from the classes and labs. So, fun, right? If you knew me, you'd know I'm saving my big rusty box of sarcasm for later. When people ask me what kind of research I do, here's what I tell them- The work I do tries to figure out why and how it rains. I'm selling the notion that you've gotta love what you're doing. Keeping an eye on a million droplets (we love fancy words- think of a droplet as something that's a hundredth the size of what falls on your head during rainfall) buzzing around in a cloud-gone-ballistic isn't the sort of thing most people would get a kick out of. Don't be fooled though, not everyone I know here lives at the office, and 'visits' the house for food and a quick nap. Heck, most people I know don't! So doing your doctorate isn't inherently about working 20 hours a day, and not saving up enough time for a shave. It isn't- you could probably very well do with 8. But you've gotta be willing to work, because at the end of the day, being successful here is no different than being successful at an MBA- which, I'll tell you, more often than not wrenches out 30 hours a day from you. Where do I go from here? And the answer to that is- I have only a faint clue, which is really a good thing. You need to have a slice of uncertainty going about, because if you eat it right, you'll sense a funny feeling that I call optimism. It's good to have optimism. It lets you pick the better of three doors, when the best two shut themselves on your face. And what you can bet your bucks on is that little lantern of 'doing what I like, and doing it right'. Heck, even with our research, we like stochastic turbulence better than deterministic, because it's more challenging, which really, makes it more FUN!

Harmandeep Khare, Graduate Student, UD

aspire for MBA? Do u think every student is made for MBA? HM: A student shouldn't definitely go for MBA .It is just a shorter path to reach higher level where lots of responsibility and leadership is required. MBA makes it easier.MBA is basically an American concept and MBA people have better skill set, so industries started accepting them. Conclusively, it is just a chase for money. And No, every student is not made for MBA. IMAGine: How many hours should a student spend for CAT preparation? HM: Two hours everyday of consistent self study can help the student to crack CAT. IMAGine: More IIM institutes shall be opened in India soon; do u think it is a good decision or will it compromise on the quality? HM: This decision was a long overdue, 40 years and only 7 institutes in country as big as India! The gesture is a good intention and will serve good for people though quality will be challenged to some extent.

CAT Scan.

IMAGine: What is your take on the reserved seats

Things are never the way they seem. Sometimes things never should be the way they seem. Lots of us realize this painful lesson at some point of time or the other... getting dumped by someone, flunking in exams, just an overwhelming feeling of nothingness... without rhyme, without reason. A lot of us had that “something's wrong” feeling after CAT. Something dreamt about slowly, but surely vanishing into the thin smoky realms of dead aspirations. For many of us there was just one B- School in India, IIM-A. The pride of being “Branded for Life”. There was optimism also. An absolute, unheralded, never say die optimism about the whole thing. Results came. IIFT started the trend. It was a no-go, but once again the optimism kicked back. “Not even interested in Foreign Trade for God's sake man”. “I heard that the only thing kick ass about the institute is the chicken parantha waala outside the campus” (true!). The whole campus was rife with the scores, but mixed in somewhere, under the excited chattering, and slightly nervous calculations was the expectation. Would the call come? Would the score in English clear the- cut off? The cut- offs in a state of perpetual motion would never cease. One morning they would be inexorably high, to be crossed by only the mighty few, by the evening they would have touched depressing lows, vaulted across easily by the vast hordes. The results came out. The depression followed. For some it was a brilliant result. Cause of even more depression for the rest of us. Foul play some cried. “That person dint study at all. I know because we marroed gehris together. How did he get the call and not me?” but we all knew the bitter truth. CAT rewards the bright, not the harder working. A day's result, a year's hard work, a lifetime's dream, didn't add up somehow. Some played safe. Took GRE and TOEFL and thought of higher technical education with a bit more enthusiasm. Some took solace in the fact that at least they had a job to go to after college. Some of us hung on still...a few good colleges still willing to take a chance. What riled the most was the rejection for the calls.. 'Sorry, while we do believe you are brilliant, you just aren't good enough for our institute'. Some of the calls for the GDs started coming in. Tutorials for the same started. New fundas, new ways to 'present' yourself and newer college interview panels to please. Interviews over, it was finally time to unwind. Results came in. Some with top institute calls couldn't convert any, some with just one good college cracked it, some didn't care by that time. There was a lot of growing up we did as individuals. Realized the truth of the cliché “life ain't fair” and kind of made peace with it. Right from the friend who took a piece of the brick of the IIM-A wall for motivation to the guy who decided to pursue a PHd, life did go on. Because you see, this CAT thing isn't really all it is cracked up to be. It is an exam at the end of the day pure and simple. Not the life and death scenario it is made out to be. One year post the carnage, I say with confidence that the CAT was one of the biggest learning experiences of our lives yet, but not in the ways we probably had imagined. We didn't learn faster ways to calculate as much as the art of staring at failure and still trudging on. We didn't learn proper grammar usage as much as understanding ourselves. Life will not come to a stop because of one paper and we have more strength than to let one paper get us down. And now we look at the future a bit differently...not with less optimism... but with more wisdom. Knowing that sometimes things work out if only you give your best and just forget about the result! Shakespeare probably said it best... ‘Tis over, this fight, who cares who won, for, a battle may not decide, the tide of the war'.

for SC/ST in B-schools?

Karandeep Singh Kapany MICA.

4) The next best institute after Bulls Eye? Career

HM: Inspite of all this being politically motivated, none of the admissions in these reserved categories have percentile less than that of 98. So they very well deserve it. IMAGine: What do you think that engineers possess which makes them better performers in CAT than others? HM: The potential of engineering students is filtered at class X level. They are good in mental aptitude and have practical knowledge. So, undoubtedly they are better performers and don't lack anything. IMAGine: What makes Bulls Eye unique? HM: Faculty makes Bulls Eye unique from other institutes. IMAGine: What made you decide to go for MBA? HM: Initially I thought of taking the gate examination, but then my mind changed and I decided upon MBA.I took IMS material and studied from it. After my graduation I went for 1 year of job and then sat for MBA entrance exams. After completing my degree, I went for job for one year again and then finally decided to go for counseling. IMAGine: If not at Bulls Eye what would you have been doing? HM: Working in the corporate sector. Quick Facts: 1) Last book read? - The book of numbers. 2) Craziest thing done in B-School? In the classes, we rotated chairs. 3) Last movie you saw? GURU Launcher 5) Describe 'The Hindu, An interesting read'. I

Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard

don't read Hindu. Interviewed by: Amita & Tanvi

11

i’s on U

The College Anatomy It's been close to three years at college now. Here is an outpour on the various blends of guys you come across in a college. The Dude Justice will stand in denial if we start the proceedings with things other than an ode to The Dude and his dude-ness. The Dude (with a capital first 'd') is an individual who, as per the perception of the non-Dudes, is destined to have a ball of time during the entire run of the college. The Dude is prima facie good-looking, has an expertise in woo-talks and thus, manages to find an immediate and frequent reckoning in the otherwise coveted uptown lanes of the equally good looking ladies at the college. Things usually end up falling well in place without much of an effort on his part, and he's seen making a public appearance everyday with his girlfriend for the rest of the college tenure. Not to mention, his college tenure is usually marked with unsubdued rumors of his ventures amongst the girls of other colleges as well. He, in secret, will be humble enough to attribute his meteoric shoot to glory to the concept of MTV & the associated tidbits (lingo, fashion, damn ya !! attitude etc.). The Dude is usually pseudo intellectual but his aura makes him appear witty and Mr. Know-it-all. He is usually given to sophistication & lavishness. Variants of The Dude may include the one blessed with good brains as well. In this case, The Dude will be the Zeus and will go down immortal in the history of the college and fables of him will be narrated to the subsequent generations. The Wannabe The Wannabe belongs to the most thriving and rapidly growing breed in the college. The Wannabe is basically a Cut-Copy-Paste identity. The Wannabe fears his fellow wannabes for they might outshine him at some point of time. On the other hand, The Wannabe keeps on hunting opportunities for seeking attention or a brief stint with stardom. The Wannabe might manage to get a girlfriend for himself during his vanity fair at the college, but that'll depend on his luck, his extent of being a Wannabe and the girl. We must actually consider certain typical wannabes hereby: The Wannabe Dude: Idolises the Dude of the college and befriends him so as to give an impression to the world that he is a part of the cool bandwagon. He poses and fakes hard in order to come at par with The Dude. The influences can be seen in his fashion which is marred by the style he has borrowed from elsewhere. The Wannabe will be spotted adorning himself with low slung jeans and T-shirts with one-liners targeting the ladies. The Wannabe Dude will have an air of arrogance for reasons unknown, even to himself. All in all, The Wannabe Dude is an adjective that symbolizes "The Fall of Dude". The Wannabe Rockstar: This genre of wannabes is the next generation phenomena. The degree of being a wannabe is the highest under this subcategory. The Wannabe Rockstar is incited by his surroundings to develop a sudden appetite for rock music in the first year of college. He manages to give an ear to certain tracks from certain rock bands for a month. What follows soon is his rechristening himself as a 'metalhead' and growing up longer locks. He makes it a point to update the music section of his profile on social networking websites with an elaborate list of bands ranging right from Jefferson Airplane, Clash to Meshuggah. Not to forget, The Wannabe Rockstar hasn't listened to most of them and has copied the list from the profile of probably another wannabe rockstar. He loves to sport T-Shirts of bands which are preferably unheard (he hasn't heard them as well) and sound cool. The Wannabe Rockstar is smart though. Before wearing these T-Shirts, he makes it a point to check into Wikipedia regarding the name of the band members and a list of popular numbers. On being asked about the band t-shirt he is wearing, he vents out the Wikipedia homework and is hailed thereafter. The Wannabe Intellectual: The Wannabe Intellectual identifies the fact that intellectual pursuits might bring him recognition and thus shuns, in his word 'worldly pleasures' and resorts to stimulating his grey cells. He gets bored soon and thus ends up staying a wannabe. The Bright Bigshot The Bright Bigshot is the meritorious and the righteous one. The Bright Bigshot has things well in place for him and will stay well. He is focused and understands that he must study hard because this is what he is supposed to be doing. Consequently, The Bright Bigshot gets good grades throughout and is known to the professors of the college. The Bright Bigshot has his own methods of getting (not seeking) attention by being quick enough to write a C++ code or setting up the connections during the practical sessions. Seemingly, the Bright Bigshot has qualms in accepting that he is a bigshot and therefore his official statement at the eleventh hour of the examination is always like "Kya yaar, kuch bhi nahi aata". Perhaps, he tries to play the tranquilizer or express empathy with the sorry state of the non-bigshots or probably it's just his way of looking cool by giving an impression that he didn't study much but managed to go on a scoring spree. He is rest of the class' ready reckoner on class schedule, ongoing subject topics and whether the next lecture is to be bunked or not. Not to mention, the Bright Bigshot is the show spoiler when it comes to mass bunking. The Bright Bigshot and gets happy sharing a joke with another Bigshot about how he once committed a stupid syntax error in a computer program. The Bandit The Bandit is an evolutionary consequence. In other words, very few enter the college as Bandits. It is after a series of academic results or other events at college that a Bandit is born. It's an inborn curse on The Bandit that makes its presence felt at this stage. Before any further articulation, we must consider the chief variants of The Bandit. "I used to be nice" Bandit: This category must be pitied upon. The Bandit belonging to this category is an erstwhile brilliant student. Hard luck took a toll upon him and he ended up getting bad grades or a couple of reappears in the exams. This marks the beginning of a vicious circle of failures and the lad gives in. He keeps off from studies even at the most crucial hours and stays in his own living space doing nothing. The teachers rebuke him and victimize him of their 'dark sarcasm'. The ladies despise him, The Bright Bigshots mock at him in their conversations and The Dude hardly notices him because he is busy elsewhere. "You got fags??" Bandit: Another kind of The Bandit is the one who is lured by the highs of the human mind. Drugs, that is. The Bandit, in this case forgets the world outside and serves himself throughout the day by staying stoned and rolling a joint, with Jimi Hendrix crooning "Excuse me while I kiss the sky" in the background. College is passé. The Underground Man The Underground Man is an unsung hero at the college. He has certain distinguished talents but never comes under the limelight. The Underground dwells on the backbenches of the classroom and is largely overshadowed by the Dudes, the Wannabes and the Bright Bigshots and if spared by them, is bullied by the Bandit. The Underground Man isn't exceptionally good at academics. In certain cases, he might be as bad as The Bandit, but then you wouldn't associate the word 'meaningless' with him. Much is not known about The Underground. All in all, he is away from recognition and ladies. So, which bill do you fit in ?? PS: Any resemblance to person, dead or alive, is purely coincidental. Bhupinder Singh UIET, Panjab University

I Don't Know Why Insecure I am of people, I don't know why They'll go, they'll vanish I'll be waiting, I don't know why;

I'll talk, they'll turn deaf

Restrictions I'm in

But think you don't want to

I'll come, they'll blind themselves;

I like it, I hate it;

I want you to see

From friends I want, but

But feel you can't

Handcuffs I'm in, I don't know why;

Family not, I don't know why;

I want to continue

With my failure, they'll leave

I want to talk but am silent

You know why

If I fall, I'll keep lying; I'm sinking in the ground, I don't know why;

But I'll stop,

I want to act, but am still I want everything, yet not, I don't know why; I want you to listen

Cheistha Kochhar Sri Venkateswara college,DU

i's on u : because winners don’t write different things, they write things differently