Volume VI, Issue 1 The ST. Xavier’S College NewSleTTer July, 2013

The Xavier’s Press looks at the pros of being a part of Malhar 2013 - as well as the cons

Join The XPress as it speaks to the new ECC team about their past experiences and future plans, and a piece on the returning DebSoc.

College NewsPage 4

College NewsPage 5

Features PagePage 6

XPress RecommendsPage 7

Kadambari Shah talks about the Tagore workshop for teens, while Chinmayi participates in the French Day celebrations.

Read the winning entry of the first of our monthly XPress competitions!

Read the results of our monthly poll. This month, find out about what the college thinks about Malhar and its importance.W

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To Do or Not To Do

The XaVIer’s Press

To DoFor the past 34 years, Malhar has enthralled youth from all over the country. Being one of the best and biggest cultural festivals in Asia, it’s not hard to see why students of our college are found with heads bent, diligently scribbling away to glory in order to complete their applications before deadlines come to bite. It is widely accepted that finding yourself in a Malhar department is as good as topping any exam. So when an FYJC student says that Malhar is one of the reasons for her joining St. Xavier’s, don’t be surprised.

And why not? Malhar is an experience every Xavierite must go through. St. Xavier’s atmosphere is perpetually at an affectionate high. We often find ourselves sharing CIA notes with students we’ve never seen, yet they’d look like long, lost friends to any third person. And Malhar sure does play its part in this. The workforce is an entangled web of people that constantly and gradually reaches out to people across streams and batches to form a dysfunctional, but tight-knit family. Many an introvert has found himself being the centre of attention during the usual foyer shenanigans soon after Malhar – and we hear no complaints.

The newer students, still transfixed and starry-eyed with the mesmerizing structure that makes our college, have an excuse to stay back after hours and

take in the environment. Everyone loves the arches, the canteen and the shrouded alcoves and corners of our college. Making idle chit chat over cups of chai in the foyer seems like the ideal thing to do in the monsoons rather than working on long assignments at home.

But Malhar isn’t all about lazing

around college and meeting new people. Being a part of the workforce is a responsibility to be taken on with complete dedication. Students working in the college, long after the last bell, frantically setting things in order to ensure the smooth running of their departments is a common enough phenomenon during the months leading up to Malhar. Malhar is a crash course on life lessons that you will remember forever. The experience, the memories, the embarrassing incidents, the idle gossip, the camaraderie that you’ll extract is a gift worth keeping for a lifetime.

For the more academic-oriented, Malhar gives you those magical 60

hours in which to complete your ECC credits, and what better way to do it? You’re part of various events which host the most talented of students, while interacting with some incredible personalities. With perks like these, why wouldn’t you do Malhar?

Not To DoIt’s here. It’s in the corridors when you

attend classes, it’s in your inbox when you check your email, it is the topic of every foyer conversation when all you want to do is sulk about the latest Prof. Aggie project. With the kind of following and hype that Malhar generates, you’ve got to be living under a rock to not know how intrinsic and invasive Malhar is for a Xavierite.

But here’s a question we’d like to ask. What’s so great about Malhar? It takes up your time; you don’t study anymore, you skip classes, you don’t eat properly, you miss out on all those tiny but important social things with friends. Malhar might be everywhere but opting out of it could be the best decision a Xavierite could ever make. There is much more to Xavier’s than Malhar, despite what they’d have you believe.

FYs, what better time than this to get out your feelers and figure out what you want to do in college?

(continued on page 3)

The Xavier’s Press consists of a bunch of enthusiastic writers who present the ongoings of college in the simplest, most accessible, and fun way possible. Or so we would like to believe.

Editors’ Block2

Editor-in-Chief: Prthvir Solanki (SYBA)

Editors:

Prakriti Bhatt (FYBA), Ishita Chaudhary (TYBA), Kadambari Shah (SYBA), Raadhika Vishvesh (SYBA)

Writers: Abisha Fernandes (FYBA),

Alaric Moras (FYBA), Fawzia Khan (FYBA),

Kimberly Rowe (FYBA), Doohan Vaz (SYBA),

Chinmayi Pilgaonkar (SYJC), Sanjana Sule (SYBA),

Jheel Gada (FYBA), Mehernaz Patel (SYBA), Shreya Mathur (FYBA)

The Great Xpress EditorialThe Xpress Editorial Team walk into the room, confident of acing their interview, but come to the dull realization that there is no one to ‘interview the interviewers’. Undeterred, they set about answering questions that nobody has asked them in the most professional way possible. 1. What inspires you to write? Prthvir: There’s a unique passion that drives someone who writes. We at Xpress have this passion in abundance. Also, my family astrologer told me that one day I would be as good a writer as Chetan Bhagat.Raadhika: Basically a lack of skill at everything else we do. We cannot sing. Or dance. Or play any sport. Or do much else with much success. 2. How do you pick your writers? Ishita: Gladiatorial matches in the Woods.Raadhika: We usually check their kundalis and how their stars are aligned. *goes back to reading ‘The TamBrahm’s Guide to Achieving Perfection’*Prakriti: We ask for a couple of prose samples and take their interviews.Prthvir: *looks around surprised* We get samples?

3. Last year, the Xpress moved leaps and bounds ahead in quality and quantity. How do you expect to reach those standards? Prakriti: Our working and reputation hinge solely on the fact that we know what the word ‘verisimilitude’ means.Prthvir: We have great writers, great editors, a great college to cover, and an eye for detial and punctuation,

5. What do you seek to achieve with the monthly competitions you have now?

Kadambari: Depends.Raadhika: We want to interact with our audience. And what better way than to

have a platform where our readers get to showcase their....Prthvir: Basically, we have this large empty space to fill...Ishita: ...on Page 6. We really can’t come up with that much content every month. 6. How does it feel being the only boy in an otherwise all-woman team? Prthvir: *puts on his shades* The usual. 7. How well does the team work with each other? Kadambari: DependsIshita: Oh, it’s wonderful. We adore each other. It’s like a small dysfunctional family. We even complete each other’s...Prthvir: Sandwiches.Ishita: It’s true. He eats my sandwiches all the time. 8. What is your vision for the Xpress? Raadhika: Good readership...Prakriti: Quality articles...Ishita: Informed opinions...Kadambari: Depe...Prthvir: FUNDS. 9. Why should people read The Xavier’s Press? Raadhika: We do not mention economic principles or psychological theories anywhere.Prakriti: Xpress is thin enough to be opened within your books so you can pretend to study in class.Ishita: We are really, really okay at what we do.

10. What is the logic behind putting out an issue a few weeks before Malhar and during the CIAs? Raadhika: I have Eco Circle work later...Prthvir: Raga edits need to be done...Ishita: LA events have to be created...Prakriti: We are really busy otherwise...

Join Us As A Writer!Send two prose writing samples and your contact details to thexavierspress@gmail.com. Past experience not necessary.

The Team

yourself in an amazing place, where there are a ton of brilliant, eclectic people to be discovered and your own legends to be created. Stand out from the crowd by being…Zara Hatke.

Current Events 3(continued from page 1)

There are ample organizations and societies in hidden niches and cupboards under the staircases waiting for young, fresh(er) blood. Don’t let the enormous campus intimidate you. Walk around, visit the quiet and beautiful chapel, explore the libraries and take it all in. Experiment with all the different cuisines from the canteen to figure out which one’s your favourite (then do cost-benefit analysis).

For those of you who aren’t from Mumbai, explore the city. Check out all the tourist haunts; this will be the only time you will actually be free enough to stroll along Colaba Causeway or bargain in Bandra or travel all the way to Juhu-Chowpatti with friends just to try that new flavour of gola.

SYs, we truly believe that this is the most fun you will have in your entire college experience. SY involves the kind

Alternate RealitiesIt’s that time of the year again, when Malhar is the only thing on people’s minds. Conversations begin with “What are you doing for Malhar?”, and squeals of “I got into *insert department name*” erupt sporadically around the campus. However, for those out there who wonder whether life beyond the Malhar Planet exists (gasp!), we, the all-knowing Xpress team, have the answer. There are more than a few Xavierites who choose not to take part in the festivities and we got a chance to catch up with them. We met last year’s Vice Chairperson - Conclave, Nikita Kohli, as she hurried her way to the library. “I’m trying not to fail the GRE.” she says far more jovially than we would have imagined. Similarly, ex-OG Raga Deepika Padmanabhan also seems to burying her face into large-sized books. “Preparing for life post-graduation – studying for GRE, and getting college apps sorted” is the reason she isn’t a part of Malhar this

year. We wish you luck, Nikita and Deepika. Ex-OG Admins Sneha Mani, and Abhinay Bhasin, as well as ex-OG Raga Wayne D’Cruz, plan to go on (separate) holidays with friends, while ECC Lit Coordinator Stefan Tobias will (hopefully) devote some time to study for the CAT exam. Antara Atrey, ex-OG IPA would be participating in one of the events that she had herself handled last year. The XPress team wishes all of them luck for all their endeavours. We realize that choosing to not take part in Malhar is a concept that is relatively new and unheard of. As an anonymous source working for Malhar said, “Why are people being so ambitious in life? I’m definitely going to fail even college exams.”

Well, we urge other lucky souls who are free during the three-day festival to wisely plan their Independence Day weekend!

of self-discovery that makes men out of mice. Be experimental, get your life for TY in order, figure out internships over summer, look up courses, apply for cool positions in oft mentioned organizations and make a difference, make a statement or just make a pao and give it a cool name (like the BMS pao).

TYs. You’ve paid your dues and bled your weight in gold. This is not the time to be running around. Or rather, it is the time to be running around for other things; SOPs, recommendation letters, farewell photos, year-long dissertations and (god forbid) unfinished SIP hours. This is your last year in college and lounging around in the foyer will never feel as good and you’ll suddenly want to issue every book you’ve never even heard of. Time has never been costlier (even the tragically over-priced chicken momos will seem like a better offer).

So don’t follow the herd. You’ll find

The lives beyond Malhar

Malhar’s annual social cause invited 55 children from ‘Seva Niketan’, an institute that looks into the welfare of the children of tribal migrants, into our college for a leisurely day filled with games and other fun activities this year.

Children participated in various activities throughout the day, including a game of cricket and a hugely entertaining round of Antakshari. Much to the envious eyes of some (most) Organisers and Organisers-in-charge, they were also given the opportunity to throw large blocks of sponge drenched in water at the Quartet.

CP Pooja Dewoolkar says, “I would be okay if the workforce began throwing the sponges at me everyday, our hectic schedule leaves little time for bathing.”

“Organising a picnic for a group of kids who never get to go for an outing seemed more like a day we relived our childhood” said Pooja. “Seeing them laugh, made us smile.”

We sure wish we come up with more activites like this, regardless of a Malhar being around the corner, or not.

Malhar’s Social Cause

Fawzia Khan

CP Pooja - drenched, lost and rethinking her priorities

College News4Do you spend your nights worrying about how you’re going to get your ECC hours? Well, there’s somebody else having the same nightmare too.

“My primary goal is to make it easy for students who are not involved in fests like Malhar to complete their hours,” says the Cultural Secretary for 2013-14, Vaishnevi Paatil. And one of their biggest concerns is publicizing events.

Stefan Tobias, the LA coordinator complains that the Debate and Theatre Society was ‘dysfunctional’ last year. Aishwarya Dongre, the IPA coordinator, claims that she checks notice boards pretty often but hardly knew of any workshop. However, the biggest task is to get the really shy but talented people to come forward according to WPA coordinator, Madhurima Rajwade. And that’s why creating awareness about ECC activities is important.

In order to amass and fully utilise the

diverse talent pool that Xavier’s has, the ECC has come up with the idea of a ‘Talent Log’. Vaishnevi says that students can register with the ECC and can be matched up with various events according to their talents. The form

is already online and can be accessed via Facebook too. Radha Malkar, FA coordinator, is concentrating on interesting and different workshops ranging from shoe-painting, origami, and pottery to animation, Madhubani and other tribal arts.

The main goal of LA is reviving the

Theatre and Debate Society. Tobias seems to be keen on debating and acting workshops along with other interesting ideas.

Restarting the College Choir is on WPA’s agenda. Madhurima’s own experience in Junior College has motivated her to get it back on track.

Lastly, in order to attract more participants, IPA will be organizing workshops that require no previous dance or music experience. Even niche workshops like the one on Kalaripayattu, a form of martial arts from Kerala, are what the IPA will be offering.

Don’t be surprised if your mind begins to veer from Freud’s questionable concepts to the more acceptable twittering birds in the sky. Siddhant Sarpate, Informals coordinator, plans to start regular bird watching trips and visits to national parks.

Extra on the ECC

Solving their ConundrumLR 44 was abuzz at 1:30 pm on 15th July as the Economics Circle of St. Xavier’s College held its first orientation. The largest Eco Circle in Xavier’s history, the 14 member organisation (this author included) outlined its ambitious plans for the coming academic year, foremost among which is raising the academic standards of the activities conducted by the department by exercising quality control and incorporating real world scenarios into theoretical constructs.

Further, in a new move this academic year, the department has decided that there will be no Honours programme for the new batch of FYBA students. Instead, certificate courses will be periodically conducted by the department. These will include group discussions, debates, lecture series and guest lectures by renowned economists and trained professionals across a variety of fields. Apart from being more intensive and highly

academic, these courses will add value to your CV and can be completed by anybody, not just a few Honours students. Say Eco Circle Chairperson Nikita Kohli, TYBA, “We are also planning to conduct

video lectures and classroom based application activities that simulate real world economic situations to give students a comprehensive and thorough knowledge of the topic under study.”

With a whole host of activities planned for the upcoming year including the Khandala seminar in November, the theme for which revolves around a return to basic economic theory and its application in modern economic reality, Econundrum, the college Economics festival in December, the release of Arthniti, the department’s international standard journal in early 2014 and a host of myriad activities planned , the Eco Circle certainly has their work cut out for them.

Introduced to provide students with a platform for the exchange of ideas, the Debating Society promises opportunities galore, namely to master the art of parliamentary debating, which remains one of the most relevant forms of debate at present meetings. R e g u l a r practice being the focus of the Deb Soc this year, LA Coordinator, S t e f a n Tobias, TYBA adds, “We intend to a r r a n g e a workshop i n v o l v i n g sessions with ex-students to acquaint Xavierites with parliamentary debates. The numerous inquiries and responses that we have received so far have been quite enthusiastic,”

With plans to meet once every week, the Deb Soc kick starts anytime post-Malhar. Don’t you think it’s time we allow our argumentative selves to resurface? We at The XPress will be looking forward to it!

Deliberate. Dispute. Discuss.

Jheel GadaRaadhika Vishvesh

Shreya Mathur

College News 5donate blood, save lives

“Tum Mujhe Khoon do, Main Tumhe Parle-G Doonga!”‘Khoon do, zindagi bachao’ – This is what the Social Service League propogates through its annual SSL Blood Drive which will be conducted by the Mahatma Gandhi Seva Mandir Blood Bank, on the 7th of August.

The organization has adopted approximately 60 children suffering from thalassemia, which is a disease triggered by the weakening and destruction of red blood cells, caused by variant or missing genes that affects the manufacturing of haemoglobin. Thus, people with thalassemia have less haemoglobin and fewer circulating red blood cells than people who don’t, which in simple terms, means that these patients need blood on a regular

basis.

As Malvika Char, Project Secretary, Blood Drive, put it: “We are inspired to work for this blood drive the way we

do, because we are trying to contribute a small part to making the larger picture better.” Snacks will also be provided to those donating blood. Apart from that, there’s a sale where Xavierites will be selling cupcakes,

perfume, bracelets and savouries.

Saloni Bhatia (SYBA) says, “Giving five minutes of your time could make a difference to someone else’s life”. So let’s attend in large numbers and help make a difference to the lives of others.

French students of SYJC upped their Français quotient during the celebration of French National Day on Wednesday, 18th July 2013. Originally celebrated on 14th July to commemorate the storming of the Bastille prison and the beginning of the French Revolution to end the despotic reign of Louis XVI, these SYJCs gave the occassion their own spin by putting together a potpourri of entertainment.

E n t h u s i a s t i c a l l y adhering to the blue, white, and red dress code, the colours of the French National Flag and sporting quintessentially French badges made by the students themselves, everyone definitely got more than what they bargained for - fun, food and frolic. Seated with a box containing a pastry, a quiche, wafers and a cold drink, the students played audience as their

classmates took the stage.

Amateur actors took the stage and acted out the delightful story of a pair of identical twins playing the standard “identical twin prank” on

their unassuming pen friend, whom they meet for the first time. Singers sang wonderful renditions of Bonjour Mon Amie and Aïcha, while the Science students put on their dancing shoes and took the stage by storm.

Says Arya Thacker, SYJC, “It was very exciting to see my

friends on stage. The food was really good too. We learnt a lot about the French culture as well.” The teachers, Prof. Debjani and Prof. Lokur, were delighted with the success of the event and the enthusiasm of the students was infectious. All in all, it can safely be said that this was a day well spent.

Students go French

Tagore for Teens

In celebration of the 150th centenary year of Sri Rabindranath Tagore, The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Mumbai, the Department of Ancient Indian Culture (AIC), St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai and The Ministry of Culture, Government of India collaborated to host a workshop called ‘Tagore for Teenagers’ on 28th June, 2013. At the NGMA, this two hour workshop was specially designed

to familiarize students with the life, art, literature and music of Tagore.

The workshop began with a brief introduction by Prof. Anita Rane Kothari of the AIC Department of our college, followed by the singing of one of Gurudev’s (as he was fondly called) songs, ‘Aguner Poroshmoni’, meaning ‘Bless My Life’ in Bengali. The melodious chant set a peaceful tone for the rest of the workshop. Next, Ms. Marina Datta of the NGMA enlightened students on the life and works of Tagore through a slideshow with several pictures, thus adding colour to her words. The students of our college performed a dance and Prof. Anita Rane Kothari read out the eminent short story ‘Kabuliwallah’ to touch upon Tagore’s literary contribution. Ms. Pheroza Godrej ended the session with a vote of thanks.

However, the highlight of this session was looking at Tagore’s paintings that were a part of the collection ‘The Last Harvest’. His style of painting and unusual brush strokes were a treat to look at, making the afternoon extremely memorable.

Party like it’s 1789

And this is Tagore AS a teen

Chinmayi Pilgaonkar

Kadambari ShahDoohan Vaz

Features Page6

I spy an FYIt’s

raining; Malhar’s in the air and college is suddenly

looking a lot more crowded. Welcome, FYJCs! You guys are now Xavierites!

Congrats! A few baby steps old in college, one thing on your to do list is to probably try

every trick in the book to look as un-FYJC as possible. Right? Try and blend in all

you like, you’re quite easy to spot.

They show up wearing the

Xavier’s tee with the Xavier’s cap and the Xavier’s watch,

carrying the Xavier’s bag.

They are in deep contemplation of how many

staircases are required to reach a place.

They are in two minds about

standing up and wishing the teacher as she entered the class,

just like they did in school.

They walk around with

eighteen of their new acquaintances.

Jheel Gada & Chinmayi Pilgaonkar

From the winner of The XPress creative writing competition, Rishabh Iyer, SYBA

Choo ChooIf you were examining a line of boys placed against a wall, chances are that you wouldn’t notice who Thomas was. Thomas was an ordinary boy. He didn’t have the gel-laden hair which his classmates flaunted, his tie was right up to his neck threatening to crush his little throat, and his shoes were polished every Tuesday (and occasionally on Wednesdays) when his mother finished preparing his lunchbox early, which usually consisted of a roti and a vegetable he did not like.

Thomas was considered an outcast by his peers. He ate alone during his recess, he talked to himself about ducks for hours on end, and he never had company when traversing to the distant and mysterious land of the toilet.

Thomas would have grown up to be a quiet engineer, who lived alone and saved his earnings for a monthly meal

at a nearby posh restaurant and share them with his ill-treated moustache. But Thomas thought differently. He was a radical thinker. His ambitions were very much outside the metaphorical box. And you’ll understand this better when you know that Thomas wanted to grow up and become a train.

One would often see Thomas with his lips pursed and hands rolling by his waist like a steam engine, running around parks and roads. At first his parents thought it was just a phase. But such phases don’t last until you’re 14, do they?

While most around him wanted to become doctors, journalists, some ambitious ones even gynecologists, Thomas remained firm on his stance. He wanted to become a train and nobody could stop him.

The world seemed determined to feast

upon him and tear his dream apart. Nobody believed in him. They said he was mad, outrageous and some even questioned his sanity.

So Thomas ran. Away from all the negative energy that was slowly cocooning him into a shell of dogma. He ran as fast as he could until he reached a set of tracks. Train tracks.

Thomas slowly stepped onto the track bed. The gravel felt familiar. This was what he was meant to do. He looked forward, eyes glowing with determination. He put his hands to his side and began rotating them and running forward. He whistled joyously and let the air crash against his face. For the first time in his life, Thomas was happy.

Soon, a train arrived and collided into him. His head was never found. Thomas was remembered by nobody.

Leisure Page 7The Xpress

recommendsThe Xpress poll

Want to do something interesting with your time, but can’t figure out what? Don’t worry; we’re here to help you out (hopefully).

You could use your time to give back to the community by joining Haiyya. Borrowing its name from the famous catchphrase “Zor lagake...haiyya,” it works towards making public situations better. An initiative started by a young Harvard university graduate, Deepti Doshi, Haiyya gives you an opportunity to hone your leadership skills and be a community change maker. They are currently working on a public safety campaign to make Mumbai a safer place. They also conduct self defence workshops. Join Haiyya as an intern or a fellow, and be the spearhead of change.

If you’re a shopaholic, or just looking for some retail therapy, then the perfect place for you to visit is Tappu Ki Dukan. Located at Fort, this place is funkiness galore. Selling everything from mugs, aprons, bags, clothes, to wacky captioned pillows; it is the best place for all your day to day items but with a kitschy edge. You will fall in love with their zany captions, their one-of-a-kind feel and their quaintness. Well hidden from the public eye, it is located on the second floor of the Kermani building, and you have to pass through an optical shop to get to it. But that just adds to the charm and aura of the place. So now that you know the secret way to this treasure chest, we wish you happy hunting!

Sanjana Sule

Leading with 20+ votes, option (c) wins the poll, making it quite clear that while everyone loves Malhar, there is a general feeling (or not, we’re not sure; do a score of FB visitors to our page represent an actual microcosm of the college?) that everyone concerned should take the larger picture into perspective and not blow things out of proportion.

So chill out, have fun. Don’t ruin your health or your CGPA over it. Learn how to balance life and Malhar and friends (and all three together!). At the end of the day, it’s only a college fest.

Peace out.

keeping in tune with our cover story, the xpress decided to find out what you think about malhar

Have queries? Seen something cool? Want to get featured in The XPress? Email us at thexavierspress@gmail.com.And while you’re at it, go like our Facebook page to get the latest updates and follow our Twitter handle @TheXPen for bad jokes, semi-scoops and other fun stuff.