Volume 12, Issue 2
the word
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM NEWSLETTER
2 February 2012
Reflections from Kolkata This January, two of our senior concentrators, Nasir Husain and Mac McAnulty, had an extraordinary travel and study opportunity, sponsored by the English Department. Mac and Nasir were chosen from a number of very impressive applicants, earning a fullyfunded three-week trip to Kolkata, India to experience Jadavpur University. They both offered up some post-Jadavpur reflections to share with us...
The campus of Jadavpur University overflows with life. No spaces are left unfilled. People play cricket in corridors and parking lots. They crowd around windowless ledges to drink milk tea and smoke cigarettes. They dodge motorcycle traffic on their way to class. We relied on our hosts to navigate these spaces, somewhat overwhelming at first. They taught us how to bowl and bat, how to pay taxi fares, and how to avoid indigestion. They invited us into their homes, introduced us to their loved ones, and in doing so, opened up
a world to us. Surely these friendships will be what I cherish and remember most about my time at Jadavpur. So, perhaps the most meaningful way for me to provide an account of the trip is to provide a short anecdote about each of our three hosts. Sujaan Mukherjee picked us up from the Kolkata airport at two in the morning after our flight from Delhi was delayed. I’m almost certain he was waiting several hours for us, but he was far too kind to let us know. Sarbajaya Bhattacharya had us over for a home cooked meal, including
Inside this issue:
a heavenly Bengali poppy seed paste called posto. She was always sitting on the steps of the English Department, there to welcome us back after each of our trips. Lav Kanoi was late for everything, but only because he was so generous with his time. He was perpetually stopping to feed the stray dogs, or to talk to a rickshaw driver, or a street vendor. But when you finally did get him, you couldn’t ask for a better person to share a tea and a chat with. –Nasir Husain
Boylston Prizes For Elocution
Reflections from Kolkata, continued
2
Due Date: March 22, 2012 (4pm)
Welcoming Our New Concentrators
2
Competition Date: To be announced
Faculty Spotlight
3
Upcoming Events & Deadlines
3
What’s SAC Up To?
3
Event Spotlight
4
Opportunities
4
"For the delivery of memorized selections from English, Greek, or Latin literature," not to exceed five minutes in length. Competitors should submit four copies of their selection, in person, for approval on or before the deadline at 5 p.m.