Hey, Here is a Blog on VIT by VITians.
VIT's own blog.
Address of blog is vituniversityblog.blogspot.com
To put your opinion there, send mails to address:
vitbloggers.vitu@blogger.com with post title in place of Subject.
Your opinion will be published directly.
(Please keep the language clean)
20080811
20080325
Periyar EVR Central Library
Ever been to the VIT campus? You have missed something if you haven't seen the library then. Yes. We are proud of our library. Or at least we were.
Periyar EVR Central Library (Central library previously) is one of the best things the University has given to its students. But the administration has been pretty bad in the past few months and the students (Indian students to be more precise) are quite unhappy with the developments taking place.
The first fact is that the VIT central library is a truly good place as far as books are concerned. There are more than 1.3 lac copies of almost 50k books out of which a hopping 15k is added in the last year and thus the library has a good collection of almost all sorts of books ranging from the technical ones to English novels.
Another truth is that the Library is a well built structure and is one of the most beautiful spaces in VIT. In fact according to many people it used to be the best place where every person felt good.
Not the same case anymore.
For the past few years, VIT has been increasing the intake of students in almost geometric progression and it has affected everything from the roads of the college to the neighbourhood of the college. And since the library was the best in the college, it is probably the worst affected. The library which used to be a silent place with a few students sitting on every third table, is now one of the most crowded places with almost every chair occupied.
And so, instead of increasing the size of the library, the administration brought out rules.
Well, first thing, the rules are applicable to Indians only and foreigners can always talk something out of them if ever somebody catches them by mistake.
Now come to the rules.
1. Library is not for discussions and teaching. As a consequence of this rule, if you are seen with your lips moving, (especially in case of two people with opposite sex) then whether sound came out of your mouth or not, you are sure to get a warning from the staff, which is never going to be less than 20 decibels, since they need everybody to know they have caught someone talking. Of course, it does not disturb anybody sitting there.
I still wonder why are there tables with 4-6 chairs around them where you are supposed to sit seeing each other's face, but without uttering a word.
The staff members discussing with their discussions audible at all the seats on the ground floor is a matter that you are not supposed to talk about.
2. You are supposed to keep your cellphones switched off (Indians only, again) and anybody who is seen even reading a message under the table must be punished. But if the library staff members' cellphones ring, from the librarian to the attender, may be it's for students' entertainment.
3. You must wear an ID card. Sorry for putting again, but it's again for Indians only. In case you are not wearing the card, staff members can not only bully you, they do not have problem even humiliating you with their fillips. Of course, it does not disturb the students of the library. It's just discipline which needs to be kept.
4. You cannot take any notebooks or notepads inside the library. Actually it's something that totally depends on the mood of staff sitting there. According to written rules read earlier, you could not take in any printed material. But once I saw that a spiral notepad was allowed but a bound one was not. God knows the difference.
Anyways, foreigners can even go inside with books. It's OK.
There are some small things too, like you cannot get into the library clad in 'casual' dress, or even jackets. But foreigners are allowed inside with half-pants (probably half-pants made outside the country are formal) and bottles of soft-drinks. But I do not want to bother you with petty things like these and in-time details. Or may be I did. Anyways, long live the library.
Periyar EVR Central Library (Central library previously) is one of the best things the University has given to its students. But the administration has been pretty bad in the past few months and the students (Indian students to be more precise) are quite unhappy with the developments taking place.
The first fact is that the VIT central library is a truly good place as far as books are concerned. There are more than 1.3 lac copies of almost 50k books out of which a hopping 15k is added in the last year and thus the library has a good collection of almost all sorts of books ranging from the technical ones to English novels.
Another truth is that the Library is a well built structure and is one of the most beautiful spaces in VIT. In fact according to many people it used to be the best place where every person felt good.
Not the same case anymore.
For the past few years, VIT has been increasing the intake of students in almost geometric progression and it has affected everything from the roads of the college to the neighbourhood of the college. And since the library was the best in the college, it is probably the worst affected. The library which used to be a silent place with a few students sitting on every third table, is now one of the most crowded places with almost every chair occupied.
And so, instead of increasing the size of the library, the administration brought out rules.
Well, first thing, the rules are applicable to Indians only and foreigners can always talk something out of them if ever somebody catches them by mistake.
Now come to the rules.
1. Library is not for discussions and teaching. As a consequence of this rule, if you are seen with your lips moving, (especially in case of two people with opposite sex) then whether sound came out of your mouth or not, you are sure to get a warning from the staff, which is never going to be less than 20 decibels, since they need everybody to know they have caught someone talking. Of course, it does not disturb anybody sitting there.
I still wonder why are there tables with 4-6 chairs around them where you are supposed to sit seeing each other's face, but without uttering a word.
The staff members discussing with their discussions audible at all the seats on the ground floor is a matter that you are not supposed to talk about.
2. You are supposed to keep your cellphones switched off (Indians only, again) and anybody who is seen even reading a message under the table must be punished. But if the library staff members' cellphones ring, from the librarian to the attender, may be it's for students' entertainment.
3. You must wear an ID card. Sorry for putting again, but it's again for Indians only. In case you are not wearing the card, staff members can not only bully you, they do not have problem even humiliating you with their fillips. Of course, it does not disturb the students of the library. It's just discipline which needs to be kept.
4. You cannot take any notebooks or notepads inside the library. Actually it's something that totally depends on the mood of staff sitting there. According to written rules read earlier, you could not take in any printed material. But once I saw that a spiral notepad was allowed but a bound one was not. God knows the difference.
Anyways, foreigners can even go inside with books. It's OK.
There are some small things too, like you cannot get into the library clad in 'casual' dress, or even jackets. But foreigners are allowed inside with half-pants (probably half-pants made outside the country are formal) and bottles of soft-drinks. But I do not want to bother you with petty things like these and in-time details. Or may be I did. Anyways, long live the library.
20080223
Admissions
VIT University, Vellore is one of the most sought after colleges today. The admissions to the college are through the entrance test called VITEEE.
VITEEE 2008 will be held on 19th April 2008 (Saturday) across 31 cities (see the list on the official site) for 12 streams/branches of B.Tech.
VITEEE is considered to be an easy exam as far as the level of questions is concerned but the sheer number of application, that is sure to cross one lac this time, makes it a tough competition.
Any details about admissions can be found on the official website for admissions:
http://www.vit.ac.in/admissions/admissions-index.asp
VITEEE model papers/sample papers are made available by the college for just Rs 100. Also, the solutions to the last year's papers (VITEEE-2007) are available here where you can download them for free:
Physics
Chemistry
Mathematics
Biology
All the details regarding the VITEEE can be obtained from the official site of the college. For other details, you may ask the students of VIT available at Orkut. The link to the Orkut community forum on VITEEE is:
http://orkut.com/CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=1431087&tid=2583315046346480003&start=1
Wish U All The Best!
VITEEE 2008 will be held on 19th April 2008 (Saturday) across 31 cities (see the list on the official site) for 12 streams/branches of B.Tech.
VITEEE is considered to be an easy exam as far as the level of questions is concerned but the sheer number of application, that is sure to cross one lac this time, makes it a tough competition.
Any details about admissions can be found on the official website for admissions:
http://www.vit.ac.in/admissions/admissions-index.asp
VITEEE model papers/sample papers are made available by the college for just Rs 100. Also, the solutions to the last year's papers (VITEEE-2007) are available here where you can download them for free:
Physics
Chemistry
Mathematics
Biology
All the details regarding the VITEEE can be obtained from the official site of the college. For other details, you may ask the students of VIT available at Orkut. The link to the Orkut community forum on VITEEE is:
http://orkut.com/CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=1431087&tid=2583315046346480003&start=1
Wish U All The Best!
20080204
Finally Going Wi-Fi
Long long back I had heard a rumor that we would be having wi-fi in our University in sometime. Sometime passed. More time passed. More and the wi-fi never came. Some days earlier we came to know that the Technology Tower and main building were already wi-fi. Yet another rumor.
But we found that the second 'rumor' was true when we saw teachers using internet on their laptops without any wires or modems attached to it. And then we knew that the college has provided the staff with the internet and now it is hardly ever going to be there in our hostels.
After sometime though, through some of my friends who have been to some meetings with pro-chancellor and claim to have an idea of things earlier, I came to know that wi-fi would be coming to the hostels. Though it was difficult to say how long it would take and probably it may not come during this academic year.
But today I saw a friend of mine using wi-fi in the hostel. He had been to the college to get the internet for himself as he needed it for his project and came back with a wi-fi connection which is working irregularly yet as it is being set. So most probably, finally, we are going to have a wi-fi in VIT.
It's working only in some parts of some hostels as it is in a two-week testing period yet but I hope it'll be working in all the hostels soon.
So finally VITians are going to have at least some internet in hostels, and if nothing, now they can proudly tell their friends in other colleges that we too have got a Wi-fi.
But we found that the second 'rumor' was true when we saw teachers using internet on their laptops without any wires or modems attached to it. And then we knew that the college has provided the staff with the internet and now it is hardly ever going to be there in our hostels.
After sometime though, through some of my friends who have been to some meetings with pro-chancellor and claim to have an idea of things earlier, I came to know that wi-fi would be coming to the hostels. Though it was difficult to say how long it would take and probably it may not come during this academic year.
But today I saw a friend of mine using wi-fi in the hostel. He had been to the college to get the internet for himself as he needed it for his project and came back with a wi-fi connection which is working irregularly yet as it is being set. So most probably, finally, we are going to have a wi-fi in VIT.
It's working only in some parts of some hostels as it is in a two-week testing period yet but I hope it'll be working in all the hostels soon.
So finally VITians are going to have at least some internet in hostels, and if nothing, now they can proudly tell their friends in other colleges that we too have got a Wi-fi.
While Getting Famous
It's not easy to cope with increasing fame. Many a time people are unable to cope with it because they do not try hard enough. Sometimes they are unable because they try too hard. And probably VIT is going through such a phase.
VIT. India's International college, as they advertise it. And to a lot of extent, it is. With the number of increasing foreign students, there is no doubt VIT is going international. But with the local practices it follows, shall the college be able to bring and maintain a respect for itself at that level, is a big question.
To start with, we can have a few lines from Deccan Chronicle, a Chennai based, relatively new, but popular newspaper. DC has a news about VIT cultural fest drawing huge crowd under a column called 'Paloma's Pick' (Chennai Chronicle, page 31, Sunday Feb 3) which writes: "The one big dampener on the entire event was the stringent separation of the sexes right from the entry to the food to the exit...". It cannot be said what effect would such a news have on the image of VIT at local, national, and international levels.
The practice of separation of boys and girls in the state is old and there are reportedly a number of colleges that have much more stringent 'rules' regarding the same. But with the international accreditations VIT has achieved, it is necessary for the college to cope with the international standards which probably the management finds impossible to deal with. In fact, the college management has been very diplomatic on the questions of inequality between the two sexes and the different practices followed for girls and boys, the one most questioned being the 'in-time'.
If you are not aware of the 'in-time', you can have a little idea here. The hostels for boys and girls are closed at different times, the time for boys being 9/9.30 daily except Saturdays when it is open till 11.30 in the night. Whereas the timings for ladies' hostels are governed by the library and the hostels close at 7.15 on weekdays and 5.15 on weekends as the library closes at 5 at weekends. Girls are allowed to extend their timings by a 'late-slip' till 8 on weekdays if they are in the library, subject to the condition they are in the library before 7PM.
And this is what the students have become habitual to. But when some event is there and people from outside come, it either surprises the outsiders or the insiders. All of the musicians who had concerts in the college have failed to conceal their amazement after seeing the wide barriers used to separate boys and girls. In an altogether different case, it was surprising for the students to see the college allowing girls to stay in the library till 12 in the night when it was the time of UK accreditation. But the earth went round again after a few days and the limits went back which surprised nobody.
The most surprising thing (for boys, irritating for girls) has been the day of VITEEE, the entrance examination for the college. That is a day boys cannot enter the college campus because of the exam going on. But unlike girls they can go out if they wish. Whereas girls cannot go out because the library is closed on the day.
There are a few more interesting facts and concepts like separate hostel id (for girls) to go outside the campus, fax from home (for girls) to go out of town, invisible cannot-sit-here boards throughout the campus (strictly followed for girls and boys found together), except canteens and library (thank God!) and whistling annas. By now you must not be surprised to know girls and boys have to be in different sides in the largest auditorium of the college.
Though we cannot expect much change in these things and sometimes they get even worse, it seems some things are changing for good too, as the new pro-chancellors of the college have been good enough to listen to the problems of students and give them necessary freedom at times. But there is more bad than good yet and there is a long, long way to go before the college gets truly international.
VIT. India's International college, as they advertise it. And to a lot of extent, it is. With the number of increasing foreign students, there is no doubt VIT is going international. But with the local practices it follows, shall the college be able to bring and maintain a respect for itself at that level, is a big question.
To start with, we can have a few lines from Deccan Chronicle, a Chennai based, relatively new, but popular newspaper. DC has a news about VIT cultural fest drawing huge crowd under a column called 'Paloma's Pick' (Chennai Chronicle, page 31, Sunday Feb 3) which writes: "The one big dampener on the entire event was the stringent separation of the sexes right from the entry to the food to the exit...". It cannot be said what effect would such a news have on the image of VIT at local, national, and international levels.
The practice of separation of boys and girls in the state is old and there are reportedly a number of colleges that have much more stringent 'rules' regarding the same. But with the international accreditations VIT has achieved, it is necessary for the college to cope with the international standards which probably the management finds impossible to deal with. In fact, the college management has been very diplomatic on the questions of inequality between the two sexes and the different practices followed for girls and boys, the one most questioned being the 'in-time'.
If you are not aware of the 'in-time', you can have a little idea here. The hostels for boys and girls are closed at different times, the time for boys being 9/9.30 daily except Saturdays when it is open till 11.30 in the night. Whereas the timings for ladies' hostels are governed by the library and the hostels close at 7.15 on weekdays and 5.15 on weekends as the library closes at 5 at weekends. Girls are allowed to extend their timings by a 'late-slip' till 8 on weekdays if they are in the library, subject to the condition they are in the library before 7PM.
And this is what the students have become habitual to. But when some event is there and people from outside come, it either surprises the outsiders or the insiders. All of the musicians who had concerts in the college have failed to conceal their amazement after seeing the wide barriers used to separate boys and girls. In an altogether different case, it was surprising for the students to see the college allowing girls to stay in the library till 12 in the night when it was the time of UK accreditation. But the earth went round again after a few days and the limits went back which surprised nobody.
The most surprising thing (for boys, irritating for girls) has been the day of VITEEE, the entrance examination for the college. That is a day boys cannot enter the college campus because of the exam going on. But unlike girls they can go out if they wish. Whereas girls cannot go out because the library is closed on the day.
There are a few more interesting facts and concepts like separate hostel id (for girls) to go outside the campus, fax from home (for girls) to go out of town, invisible cannot-sit-here boards throughout the campus (strictly followed for girls and boys found together), except canteens and library (thank God!) and whistling annas. By now you must not be surprised to know girls and boys have to be in different sides in the largest auditorium of the college.
Though we cannot expect much change in these things and sometimes they get even worse, it seems some things are changing for good too, as the new pro-chancellors of the college have been good enough to listen to the problems of students and give them necessary freedom at times. But there is more bad than good yet and there is a long, long way to go before the college gets truly international.
Riviera Review
4 days.
129 colleges.
2125 external participants.
More than 30 cultural events. Plus gaming and sporting events.
More than 3 lacs rupees worth of prizes for cultural events only, which doesn't count informal events' prizes from sponsors like Airtel and the enormous number of chocolates given out to the audiences in almost all events.
1 Rock night.A concert by Shankar Mahadevan.A laser show, fireworks, an international juggling show, one DJ night, and Prakash Raj for the valedictory function of the festival.
That was Riviera 2008. In facts and figures.
But that is just a little fraction of the story.
Riviera 2008. Four holidays for some people, starting 30th January. And four 'work' days for many. When they worked day and night, and made the event a success. All the people who did their work with full devotion, or less than that, or more than that.
It was a show an entry point for some and a last event of its kind for some others like me. It was meeting new people, getting to know more about many, and enjoying with the old ones. It was watching people perform, seeing them doing things with a passion, it was watching teachers dance like anything, even with us and it was learning about students who thought these things weren't good enough to go out for.
Riviera taught me a lot. Till its last moments. In fact, even after the actual thing was over. It told me that even though I have worked on a lot of things, I have missed a lot many things in my college that could have done. My few hours at the reception desk made me realize that it's not just wastage of time or some boring piece of work given to people which they do sitting at these places. It's not just responsibilty but equal amount of fun (or maybe more) also. And, it has told me that even being the good guy I am, I am not the best guy out here (that much I knew for sure) and that there are people who are still hundred times as good as I am. (actually they call it being stupid, not just good, at both the levels, mine and 100 times that)
Truly speaking, fests like Riviera tell us the importance of work and activity in life. They tell us how important it is to think, to have new ideas and implement them. The same events, however interesting, if simply repeated, do not touch our souls the way they do for the first times. That is the reason 'Salad Dressing' and 'Kite Flying' were welcomed whole heartedly and were liked more compared to the old events like 'Wordsworth' which were removed from the list this time. The want of having something new made the 'Bluffmaster' as successful an event as the parallelly going ad-zapped which has been a favorite for years. 'Sand Castle Sculptures' and 'Rangoli' were liked a lot and people kept on clicking pictures of them even two days after the competition was over.
Anyways, now there are just two things. It was a great fun to be in the Riviera '08. And that it's over now.
129 colleges.
2125 external participants.
More than 30 cultural events. Plus gaming and sporting events.
More than 3 lacs rupees worth of prizes for cultural events only, which doesn't count informal events' prizes from sponsors like Airtel and the enormous number of chocolates given out to the audiences in almost all events.
1 Rock night.A concert by Shankar Mahadevan.A laser show, fireworks, an international juggling show, one DJ night, and Prakash Raj for the valedictory function of the festival.
That was Riviera 2008. In facts and figures.
But that is just a little fraction of the story.
Riviera 2008. Four holidays for some people, starting 30th January. And four 'work' days for many. When they worked day and night, and made the event a success. All the people who did their work with full devotion, or less than that, or more than that.
It was a show an entry point for some and a last event of its kind for some others like me. It was meeting new people, getting to know more about many, and enjoying with the old ones. It was watching people perform, seeing them doing things with a passion, it was watching teachers dance like anything, even with us and it was learning about students who thought these things weren't good enough to go out for.
Riviera taught me a lot. Till its last moments. In fact, even after the actual thing was over. It told me that even though I have worked on a lot of things, I have missed a lot many things in my college that could have done. My few hours at the reception desk made me realize that it's not just wastage of time or some boring piece of work given to people which they do sitting at these places. It's not just responsibilty but equal amount of fun (or maybe more) also. And, it has told me that even being the good guy I am, I am not the best guy out here (that much I knew for sure) and that there are people who are still hundred times as good as I am. (actually they call it being stupid, not just good, at both the levels, mine and 100 times that)
Truly speaking, fests like Riviera tell us the importance of work and activity in life. They tell us how important it is to think, to have new ideas and implement them. The same events, however interesting, if simply repeated, do not touch our souls the way they do for the first times. That is the reason 'Salad Dressing' and 'Kite Flying' were welcomed whole heartedly and were liked more compared to the old events like 'Wordsworth' which were removed from the list this time. The want of having something new made the 'Bluffmaster' as successful an event as the parallelly going ad-zapped which has been a favorite for years. 'Sand Castle Sculptures' and 'Rangoli' were liked a lot and people kept on clicking pictures of them even two days after the competition was over.
Anyways, now there are just two things. It was a great fun to be in the Riviera '08. And that it's over now.
20080129
One day to go!
Lights. Camera. Action.
It's all set. The lights are lit. And the cameras are ready. The big cameras of cameramen, the small old cameras of participants and their friends, digital cameras of all those interested and the cellphone cameras of all those who keep it with them even after the ban on camera phones in the college.
Soon, that is, morning of 30th January they'll cry out 'action', that will last for four days.
And yet another Riviera will be over.
That was really some 'kitni-aasani-se-tumne-keh-diya-riviera-will-be-over' expected dialogue because there is a lot more to Riviera than I concluded it with. Uncounted number of students and even staff members shall be working and have worked day and night for these four days. Preliminary rounds for the selection of local teams have been going on for almost a month. Lot of students have been working for the preparations of sports, culturals, games and what not.
Let me take a look.
Enter the VIT. Go to the reception that has been working already, two days before the start of Riviera, day and night. You get past the Rangoli made there without ever realizing that there were at least 4-5 people who made it sitting there for hours. You cross the main building and see the big posters of gaming that catch your attraction for once even if you are not a gamer. You reach the back of the the main building, at Anna auditorium where these people are selling tickets and saying thank you just like the guy sitting at the billing counter of the nearest supermarket.
No exaggerations, they have made the ticket buying system this complex this time. Give your name at one counter that is according to your block, get the copy of your identity card stamped there and get the tickets at another counter that is serving only tickets. No names asked.
Come out of Anna. Most probably you will be using the back door because the ticket window is there just in the back corner of the auditorium. Can you listen to the voices of bands and some guy singing? (or shouting, depending on your taste) Most probably, Yes. Because whatever the time be, the bands there are practicing. Probably this is the other thing besides the reception counter that is working day and night.
That was just one side. Well, not of Riviera, but Anna. On the other side, there is Riviera control room. Colored in the colors of Riviera from the time when these colors were not even decided. Riviera control room is the place where everything is there, except time. The room is in a rush always, people come and go, plans are made, preparations are done, posters are colored, dance practice is done, volunteers come to 'do something' and register, experts are called and assigned works. So much happens there and this is the center. Which is standing still but running at an unmatched pace.
And then you pass through the road in front of library, where labour is removing the sand castles that were made yesterday, one by one. Sand castles, that are not just hardwork, but something that contain ideas, thoughts, a desire to win, and simultaneously, innocence. You sit there in sand for hours just to make something that you know will not be there tomorrow. Though, there are no waves from the sea, Sand castles are sand castles only and they are made to vanish.
And then there is the shade in front of the LH, where dance practice is going. Almost any time of the day I pass through that area I can see people dancing there. Be it an evening with the sun shining over or 8.30 night when I'm back from the food court.
And that all is happening when the Riviera has not started. When it starts, I hope it will be really much more enjoyable.
So, keep fast forwarding to rewind.
It's all set. The lights are lit. And the cameras are ready. The big cameras of cameramen, the small old cameras of participants and their friends, digital cameras of all those interested and the cellphone cameras of all those who keep it with them even after the ban on camera phones in the college.
Soon, that is, morning of 30th January they'll cry out 'action', that will last for four days.
And yet another Riviera will be over.
That was really some 'kitni-aasani-se-tumne-keh-diya-riviera-will-be-over' expected dialogue because there is a lot more to Riviera than I concluded it with. Uncounted number of students and even staff members shall be working and have worked day and night for these four days. Preliminary rounds for the selection of local teams have been going on for almost a month. Lot of students have been working for the preparations of sports, culturals, games and what not.
Let me take a look.
Enter the VIT. Go to the reception that has been working already, two days before the start of Riviera, day and night. You get past the Rangoli made there without ever realizing that there were at least 4-5 people who made it sitting there for hours. You cross the main building and see the big posters of gaming that catch your attraction for once even if you are not a gamer. You reach the back of the the main building, at Anna auditorium where these people are selling tickets and saying thank you just like the guy sitting at the billing counter of the nearest supermarket.
No exaggerations, they have made the ticket buying system this complex this time. Give your name at one counter that is according to your block, get the copy of your identity card stamped there and get the tickets at another counter that is serving only tickets. No names asked.
Come out of Anna. Most probably you will be using the back door because the ticket window is there just in the back corner of the auditorium. Can you listen to the voices of bands and some guy singing? (or shouting, depending on your taste) Most probably, Yes. Because whatever the time be, the bands there are practicing. Probably this is the other thing besides the reception counter that is working day and night.
That was just one side. Well, not of Riviera, but Anna. On the other side, there is Riviera control room. Colored in the colors of Riviera from the time when these colors were not even decided. Riviera control room is the place where everything is there, except time. The room is in a rush always, people come and go, plans are made, preparations are done, posters are colored, dance practice is done, volunteers come to 'do something' and register, experts are called and assigned works. So much happens there and this is the center. Which is standing still but running at an unmatched pace.
And then you pass through the road in front of library, where labour is removing the sand castles that were made yesterday, one by one. Sand castles, that are not just hardwork, but something that contain ideas, thoughts, a desire to win, and simultaneously, innocence. You sit there in sand for hours just to make something that you know will not be there tomorrow. Though, there are no waves from the sea, Sand castles are sand castles only and they are made to vanish.
And then there is the shade in front of the LH, where dance practice is going. Almost any time of the day I pass through that area I can see people dancing there. Be it an evening with the sun shining over or 8.30 night when I'm back from the food court.
And that all is happening when the Riviera has not started. When it starts, I hope it will be really much more enjoyable.
So, keep fast forwarding to rewind.
20080128
Sand Castles
It's all Riviera-Riviera. well, just two days to go for the Riviera, starting 30th Jan and 28th was looking all colored in Riviera, though I could not go to collect my Riviera T-shirt and tickets for the Shankar Mahadevan and Bandish and the from-where-are-they-coming Junkyard Groove. The dances are going all the day it seems and I can see boys and girls working hard to get their steps in right in rhythm throughout the evening, in the open shade. (God only knows what that term means. I don't know how an open thing can be a shade simultaneously but they call it so)
Today the most interesting thing on the show was the 'Sand Castle Sculptures' preliminary rounds in which people made beautiful designs of sand. It was near the ladies' hostel in front of the library. The game was probably scheduled at 5 because when I reached there people were ready to start with their piles of sand and it was sometime after 5:30.
Although the event was good, the organisers failed to realize that by the time the event will be over, the sun would be no more there over us and people there would need lights. The light available, when I reached again after 7, was too less and people were using cellphones' lights to keep their work going.
But unaffected from light problem, there were some beautiful designs to be seen. the first on I saw was a simple football field design. (Hope it's that only, as I would not be able to differentiate even if it was for hockey)
There were different type of designs. Some of them simple, but beautifully carved, almost perfect. Some were complicated designs, but not that accurate. Some were complicated, and still very accurate. Though the lack of light there posed problems for spectators also, it was altogether a great experience that reminded me of beaches and the sea.
It was nice to see that people were interested in the event irrespective of the troubles with light etc. and there were still some clicking pictures.
In short, though the event was not as good as it could be conducted, the organisers of the event should be appreciated for the innovative idea and a new start. Hope it gets only better in the future.
Today the most interesting thing on the show was the 'Sand Castle Sculptures' preliminary rounds in which people made beautiful designs of sand. It was near the ladies' hostel in front of the library. The game was probably scheduled at 5 because when I reached there people were ready to start with their piles of sand and it was sometime after 5:30.
Although the event was good, the organisers failed to realize that by the time the event will be over, the sun would be no more there over us and people there would need lights. The light available, when I reached again after 7, was too less and people were using cellphones' lights to keep their work going.
But unaffected from light problem, there were some beautiful designs to be seen. the first on I saw was a simple football field design. (Hope it's that only, as I would not be able to differentiate even if it was for hockey)
There were different type of designs. Some of them simple, but beautifully carved, almost perfect. Some were complicated designs, but not that accurate. Some were complicated, and still very accurate. Though the lack of light there posed problems for spectators also, it was altogether a great experience that reminded me of beaches and the sea.
It was nice to see that people were interested in the event irrespective of the troubles with light etc. and there were still some clicking pictures.
In short, though the event was not as good as it could be conducted, the organisers of the event should be appreciated for the innovative idea and a new start. Hope it gets only better in the future.
20080127
Riviera
Riviera, the annual cultural festival of VIT is about to begin soon. For details you can view the official Riviera site:
http://www.vit.ac.in/riviera/main.html
Other links on Riviera:
http://tubious.com/riviera-culfest
http://letmeknow.wordpress.com/2008/01/25/riviera-08-culfest-at-vit-vellore/
http://campus-indiarockz.blogspot.com/2008/01/riviera-08-vit-vellore.html
The korean link to Riviera is:
http://home.kookmin.ac.kr/~world/technote/read.cgi?board=announce&y_number=314&nnew=1
And you can see the translation here.
http://www.vit.ac.in/riviera/main.html
Other links on Riviera:
http://tubious.com/riviera-culfest
http://letmeknow.wordpress.com/2008/01/25/riviera-08-culfest-at-vit-vellore/
http://campus-indiarockz.blogspot.com/2008/01/riviera-08-vit-vellore.html
The korean link to Riviera is:
http://home.kookmin.ac.kr/~world/technote/read.cgi?board=announce&y_number=314&nnew=1
And you can see the translation here.
Hostels
It was F block I started with. Most of the students do that. And all did back then. It was a great hostel. There used to be 6 students in a room such big that we could just adjust. But still, life was intersting. In fact it was the start of learning in my life. This was the place where we learnt what the hostel life. It was, enjoyment-wise, the best hostel I ever had, and it goes the same for my friends. In fact for most of the people, first year is the best as they learn to live life in an altogether new way.
The food at the F block was a thing with which I took some time to adjust with as there were no separate messes for the South Indian food and North Indian food. But after I got habitual to that, I feel it was better than separate North Indian and South Indian foods as we hardly get the taste of the other than we opt for.
Then came the second year and we learnt a new lesson, we got rooms as early as we submitted our drafts. Thankfully I got a good enough room, and I shifted with 3 of my friends of which one left for a single room. Life in the second year, that is, G block was great too, except that people were more busy as many of them had got their computers and laptops, including myself and were busy with themselves rather than in 'addas'.
One thing to be noticed. G block mess food was one of the worst I have ever had. Though I was a regular at my mess, and remained, I can say it was the most difficult food I had to cope with. In fact, some of my friends left for the Special mess, which was known as International mess at that time, the trend now increasing more.
The third year I lived in A block, the administrative block. The good thing was that the block was a traditionally built hostel which gave a good feeling, and the bad thing was that I was away from all the friends of my group who lived in the newly made J block, as I had got my hostel fees draft late.
In my final year I was able to join my friends back and life was better again, eating in the H block mess that I had gone to during my third year too. The mess was almost as good as the one in the first year, being run by the same caterer.
That is what was about my hostels. Currently there are ten mens' and 5 ladies' hostels already running with more under construction in VIT. Most of the hostels providing good residential facilities, although the first year students generally have to face some difficulty in getting accomodation for the first few months. Also, there are number of restrictions, good and bad, useful and completely useless, and sometimes things are comlpetely out of logic too. But that is not too big a price for the securities and facilities provided by the hostels.
The food at the F block was a thing with which I took some time to adjust with as there were no separate messes for the South Indian food and North Indian food. But after I got habitual to that, I feel it was better than separate North Indian and South Indian foods as we hardly get the taste of the other than we opt for.
Then came the second year and we learnt a new lesson, we got rooms as early as we submitted our drafts. Thankfully I got a good enough room, and I shifted with 3 of my friends of which one left for a single room. Life in the second year, that is, G block was great too, except that people were more busy as many of them had got their computers and laptops, including myself and were busy with themselves rather than in 'addas'.
One thing to be noticed. G block mess food was one of the worst I have ever had. Though I was a regular at my mess, and remained, I can say it was the most difficult food I had to cope with. In fact, some of my friends left for the Special mess, which was known as International mess at that time, the trend now increasing more.
The third year I lived in A block, the administrative block. The good thing was that the block was a traditionally built hostel which gave a good feeling, and the bad thing was that I was away from all the friends of my group who lived in the newly made J block, as I had got my hostel fees draft late.
In my final year I was able to join my friends back and life was better again, eating in the H block mess that I had gone to during my third year too. The mess was almost as good as the one in the first year, being run by the same caterer.
That is what was about my hostels. Currently there are ten mens' and 5 ladies' hostels already running with more under construction in VIT. Most of the hostels providing good residential facilities, although the first year students generally have to face some difficulty in getting accomodation for the first few months. Also, there are number of restrictions, good and bad, useful and completely useless, and sometimes things are comlpetely out of logic too. But that is not too big a price for the securities and facilities provided by the hostels.
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