Inking a new beginning and a message

Suffocating and boring- this is pretty much how every Class 12 student describes the three month break that follows the dreaded board exams. So getting a call from HT for the selection of HT campus journalists was a much-needed breather.

I realised that this was (if at all I was selected among hundreds of other students) a significant opportunity in terms of my first big break as a journalist.

Incidentally, journalism is my first career choice. Braving the ‘Dilli-ki-garmi’ to find the HT office was a task in itself. Anyway, I managed after getting expert directions from the ice-cream wallas and some rude uncles, who found more delight in chewing paan than in helping out a youngster like me.

Feeling a little apprehensive, I entered the office library, only to find four gregarious people sitting and chatting about life after boards, college choices, music, movies and sitcoms. I instantly felt at ease. Breaking the ice, they welcomed me and told me about all the work we had to do as campus journalists, if at all we got selected.

Thereafter, we were joined by five more like-minded people. After a small test, we were treated to delicious sandwiches. Finally, we were called to the editor’s office. Dreading the outcome of my valiant (though rather incompetent effort), I entered the office, only to find a warm and cheerful face telling me and five others that we had been selected as HT campus journalists. My mood instantly zipped from ground zero right to the top of cloud nine!

So, here I am, introducing the campus journalists in my capacity as editor of the week.

There is Neeraj, a commerce student, who doesn’t quite exhibit the traits associated with his zodiac sign. A Leo, Neeraj is subtle and quiet... so much so that most of the time his presence in a room goes unnoticed

Then there is Apoorv, a science student who describes himself as a ‘metal-head’. He plays the guitar and hopes to form his own rock band in the near future.

Anwesha, a science student, wants to get into IIT. She also wants to be a part of the media, theatre and dance clubs in college.

We also have Purnika, a commerce student who aspires to become an economist. She hopes someday to work with Raghuram Rajan and contribute towards India’s economic development.

We also have in our group Yusra, a humanities student who loves psychology and wants to pursue mass communication.

And finally there is me, Rishabh. A humanities student, I am a die-hard enthusiast and want to dabble in almost everything to see what life has to offer. I have a love for the English language. And there is one thing common among all of us -- we are all looking forward to the fun-filled and hardworking weeks ahead as campus journalists.

At this stage, there is one thing that I would want to tell all my fellow college aspirants. Venture into college life with an open mind, positive attitude and enthusiasm. Only then will you be able to enjoy, learn and grow from each experience.

Rishabh Suri, Ramjas School

‘My head is full of new ideas’

A wise man makes more opportunities than he finds. This saying makes sense because opportunities may not always land up at your doorstep. You create them. I have believed in this philosophy for quite a while now. Let me introduce myself. I am Rishabh Suri. These days I am mostly exhausted and at my wit’s end,thanks to the seemingly unsurmountable and harrowing admission process.Essentially a peaceful person,I like reading books and watching movies,with Dan Brown and Chetan Bhagat being my favourite authors.

At the tender age of seven, I had made up my mind about my career choice. I wanted to be an astronaut. However, this lofty goal was not to be attained. Scoring terrible marks in maths, and writing formulae in chemistry and physics that would have put Newton to shame, I realised in time that science was not my calling. I chose humanities in Class 11, much to the horror of my parents and teachers.Music is the love of my life. I also have an argumentative side and I am a natural debater. I have participated in various debates at school and won a number of accolades.I like to please people around me and always like to cheer somebody who is feeling low. Being a Leo, I like to be the centre of attraction, and can be quite rude to people who give me an unwarranted cold shoulder. Calm, yet a storm of new ideas is how I would like to describe myself in a few words.

I intensely dislike people who lie or simply ‘hide’ the truth. Maybe this aversion has something to do with my aim of becoming a journalist. One day I want to become the editor of a national daily. Therefore, this chance to work at Hindustan Times as a campus journalist is much more than a mere opportunity to me. I am hoping that this experience will open up new vistas and insights into the field of journalism. I am also hoping that I will inculcate the skills that are essential prerequisites for this profession. As I embark upon my stint as a CJ, I request all of you to encourage my efforts (and those of the rest of my fellow CJs) by regularly reading our columns and sending us the much-needed feedback.

Anwesha padhy, Amity International School

‘I love escaping into the characters of my books’

Being a science student,I should be a rationalist. But I can’t shake the feeling that your sun sign is creepily accurate about the kind of person you are. Go through one of those astrology books and you will know just what I mean. I am a Leo. And as a consequence, I am naturally flamboyant. I am very ambitious. I am adamant bordering on stubborn.

On a more personal level, I am quintessentially a character out of a chick flick. I am quirky and talk a lot. Then get worried about talking a lot. My daily conversations are peppered with references from movies and books. My idea of a perfect day is curling up in bed with a good book in hand. This, despite the fact that I am very hardworking and disciplined when it comes to pursuing my goals and ambitions. I love reading books because it gives me an opportunity to escape into the lives of the characters. Living their lives; experiencing their emotions; being at two places at once is what gives me a huge kick. And frankly it is a lot easier on the pocket when you want to travel to Europe - just take up a Jane Austen novel and you are already there. As someone who read all previous campus journalist columns religiously and dreamed of being pictured as a CJ when I grew up, the very idea of getting selected was overwhelming, surreal even.

I am certain that my experience as a campus journalist is going to be very memorable.

Neeraj V Murali, Rishabh Public School

A big hello to all my fellow college aspirants. All of you would be calling the shots, right now, I hope; about the preferred choice of course and college. Don’t fret, as this is just the beginning and you still have a lot to experience.

I am feeling a sense of euphoria right now, because, after all, being a campus journalist in HT is fun. Let me seize this opportunity to introduce myself. I am a commerce student with a passion for English. I am also an avid reader with a liking for every genre, except, maybe self-help books. I love to write anything from poetry to prose. Agatha Christie is my favourite author. I aspire to be an author-cum-editor. I am taking English as my major subject and would love to study at St Stephen’s. I have written and self-published four books. I adore the quirky play of words and I wish to explore new horizons with words and I believe that this is a great opportunity to work towards that.

Parnika Singhal, St Thomas’ School

‘I have fallen in love with Jeffrey Archer’

Hello! Fun-loving, humorous, friendly and adventurous is how I would describe myself. I am also a food enthusiast. With a love for drawing and singing, I am a stickler for discipline and truth. My name is Parnika Singhal and I studied at St Thomas’ School.

At home, when I’m not sleeping or fighting with my brother, I almost invariably plug my earphones to listen to music. I have recently fallen in love with Jeffrey Archer and have a tough time convincing my mother about my newfound passion for the author’s books! Through this stint as a college journalist, I am looking forward to getting a flavour of the life of the scribes I avidly follow on television.

I shall tell you about all my experiences post the results (the forbidden truth) and share every detail of the admission process that I shall be undergoing. Needless to say, I shall also share my experiences on campus after I finally enroll into a college. So three cheers to a happy and meaningful start!

Yusra Hasan, Mater Dei School

‘It’s a long journey to discovering oneself and I don’t know myself yet’

Describe myself? Well, talk about questions that leave you blank.

I’m just another regular 18-year-old being pushed around by our education system. I hail from a convent school, just acquired the much anticipated CBSE Board result and passed with an impressive 95%. To continue blowing my own trumpet, I won the best speaker award at the annual oratorical competition back in school. To throw in a few descriptive adjectives, I’m an amiable and friendly person.

And it’ll be safe to call me funny. I don’t think I can be more narcissistic than this.

But do these words really describe me?

I don’t think so. I think I’m more than that.

I like to think of myself as a thinker. A bit of a dreamer. But I would also like to be an avid doer. I yearn to travel. To see the world and change it, maybe.

But as far as the “who am I” question is concerned, I’ll serve you with the blunt truth. I don’t know. In fact does anyone really know who they are? It’s a long journey to discover yourself.

But in my opinion this is what makes each of us unique.

Apoorv Gupta, Cambridge School

‘I am hoping to meet good people and compose great music in college’

This changing phase of our lives – it’s one experience worth learning from.

In the last couple of years, I have learned the importance of taking good decisions, and that’s what I’ll emphasise upon.

Music, technology, language – this is what has occupied most of my academic years. For now I have plans of doing BTech in computer science engineering. After knowing the results of my entrance exams, I am left with the task of choosing the best option out of what I have in my hands. Personally, I am happy about the opportunity to change things by performing better in the choice of my trade (stream) and taking my interests/hobbies forward. I am hoping to meet good people and having a considerable exposure in the coming years. However, I would try to be cautious in terms of utilising my freedom, as every senior has told me that it is the reason why many people fail in college. I have just joined a hard rock band and I am trying to give it a good start. After years of listening to a vast variety of music and getting inspired, I now plan to work more on my composing skills with my guitar.