MUWCI TIMES
N•2
MUWCI TIMES N•2
words Maria Victoria Moreno Kevin Holička Rounak Maiti Gaurav Thadaney Jiya Pandya Paroma Soni Jeppe Ugelvig Marte Sandbugt Pettersen Corné Rijneveld pictures Sanni Lindroos Karanjit Singh Oskar Ávila Åkerberg editing and publishing Jeppe Ugelvig
EDITOR’S NOTE Orientation week is over, and so is the “hype” and excitement of the first few weeks: starting classes, constantly meeting new people, Ganesh Festival, going on your first overnight. And even though all second-years tried this last year, there is still something “new” to the repetition – a sort of mixture of intense nostalgia and reflection of a year that, quickly or slowly, went by. Simultaneously the whole campus seems to have struggled in the extensive monsoon, which supposedly is the strongest one in many years. Pune was under water for a period, to much regret for the Saturday travelers, but most especially for the thousands of people living in the slums along the Mutha-Mula river. It is scary how something taking place so close to us can affect us so minimally, once again proving that MUWCI is an inescapable bubble if you forget to pay attention. Luckily the weather has improved, and in this moment I am actually seeing sunlight for the first time in many weeks. The odor of moldy clothes that is surrounding campus these days will hopefully soon be gone, or at least replaced by something else (sweat, perhaps?). This means less mosquitoes, but more snakes. We can never be left alone here, can we? I also want to use this opportunity to welcome a new set of writers from both batches: Corné, Marte, Gaurav, Paroma and Jiya are ready to deliver monthly entertainment and depth for your hungry IB-souls (more first-years to come!). This month we have a wide range of articles, from Rounak’s music review of Bon Iver to Jiya & Paroma’s idea of the typical first year student. Guess what Maria Victoria is talking about in her article “Little Travelers” or enjoy some brain-gymnastics with Gaurav’s very own MUWCI-Crossword. And lastly, enjoy or very own fashion editor Kevin’s fantastic editorial featuring photographer Sanni and model-material Justine. This I am proud to present in the first color-edition ever to go on print! Enjoy,
-Jeppe
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GANESH CHATURTHI
GAURAV COVERS TO THE ANNUAL GANESH FESTIVAL
By Gaurav It was one Tuesday afternoon, the 6th of September, when a wide range of MUWCI students assembled at the MUWCI temple - nearing the football field- to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi. Ganesh Chaturthi is an Indian Festival celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesha (Ganpati). For Indians, this is a very popular festival and even considered the most important festival, to some. The reason for its popularity is because Ganpati is a very popular God and he is said to remove all obstacles to success. He is also said to be the giver of fortune and help avoid natural disasters. *BOOM BOOM* blasts the music from the school ambulance as people celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi outside the temple. As people were dancing to the music, they were throwing a pink colored powder on each other. The best part was how the ambulance would move slowly and come to a stop so people could start dancing again. Just getting down to the gate took more than two hours. It was a day full of memories that people will never forget about. When the crowd got to the gate, they had to walk to a village nearing the river in order to submerge the statue of Ganpati. The worst part was when those who got to get onto the tractor were all squished like sardines, for every time they had to stop and pick up a lazy person from walking to village. Once they arrived the village, they had a prayer in their temple with all the statues of Ganpati. After the prayer, people walked through an alley made of cow dung in order to get to the river. Finally reaching the river, people gave their final prayers before submerging the statue. Once the Ganpati was submerged, everyone ran to the truck in order to get back to school for shower. Unfortunately, when they got to school, most of them had no water and had to stay covered in pink powder.
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ALONE By Marte
It is hard to be alone, when you are constantly surrounded. I need more time and space for myself I am trying to keep myself busy I am trying not to be alone Yet. The white figure to the right, telling me to listen, Listen to myself, take some time off The white figure to the left, telling me to listen, Listen to myself, take some time to socialize Right turns out to be wrong And left turns out to be right. I want to break the halo. To pull your hair. Let the spirit go to the things you love Let the body go to the things you hate as easy as that. There is a vacuum Loner or popular Happiness or loneliness Agreed? Life is a fucking hard diction Love Life
For the first years: There might be times when you think: I have never been surrounded by so many people 24 hours a day, yet; I have never felt so alone. But you will end up loving it.
MUSIC REVIEW By Rounak
ALBUM: BON IVER ARTIST: BON IVER (JUSTIN VERNON) GENRE: EXPERIMENTAL FOLK FEATURES: “CALGARY”,“MICHICANT”, “WASH”, “TOWERS” & “MINNESOTA Justin Vernon’s aim behind the album was simple - to take a risk, and try something entirely different from For Emma, Forever Ago. As far as I’m concerned, he’s succeeded, and brought a completely radical yet amazing texture to his music. Unlike For Emma, Forever Ago, it’s evident that Vernon hasn’t simply sat down with a guitar and composed a couple of songs to make a record - it sounds as if each song was created from its most raw form- a single melody, eventually becoming the elaborate arrangement on the record. Trumpets, French horns, synthesizers, Strings, baritone and electric guitars, finger cymbals, saxophones and tremolos are just a few of the insanely versatile instruments that feature on
this record- leading to each song being a lot heavier and deeper than most of the songs on his earlier album. It’s hard to point out particular songs that are good, mostly because as one song goes to the next, I’m too preoccupied with marveling at the last one I heard. ”Towers” is very distinct in the entire album - apparently inspired by the time when Vernon lost his virginity in the Towers Dorm at College. Whimsical lyrics, as well as the shocking yet sublime chord progressions throughout.. But if one song that stands out had to be named, it would definitely be “Calgary”. “Calgary” is pretty much one of the best songs I’ve heard this year, because other than being based around a very beautiful melody it’s an interesting song in its usage of instruments - after a synth drone underneath Vernon’s chorus vocals, the open chords strummed by an exceptionally brightly-toned guitar joins in. The cold, wind-like “oooooooh”‘s in the background and a distorted guitar riff climax, leading into the closing, which is just Vernon singing over a strummed guitar, at which point I just smiled, because that’s all one can do after listening to a song which can so perfectly combine sadness and optimism. As Vernon’s newly donned ghostly falsetto rings into my headphones, I’m reminded of a winter morning, with a crisp, cold air and scant yet comforting rays of sunshine. (Holy shit, I am so spaced out)
THE LITTLE TRAVELERS By Maria Victoria I’ve been travelling for a while now, I don’t think anyone knows when this started exactly, I don’t even remember, it’s been a while now. I do know that I started travelling “officially” until the 1930’s, that’s when the real competition started. I remember that things used to be simple before, we used to stay around in one same area, which didn’t require much effort, from us, or from others; we did it for the pleasure of doing it. I don’t think we saw this coming, or maybe we did but we ignored it but after all these different groups started moving in enormous quantities we knew things were changing. The curious thing is that the groups were just like us, we were just like them. We were the same but travelled in different groups under different conditions. It was only after this however that we started being recognized everywhere. We had reached a point in which we needed help. Hundreds of men started sitting hour after hour and day after day to make more of us. I’m not quite sure of how things worked, I remember that before 2 or 3 men at a time would work with us occasionally and we would never leave that area. Now it became a more systematic process, see we’re very simple structurally …but we’re many. It’s quite an arduous labor I suppose, all I know is that now things happen in a huge room with hundreds of men sitting in lines… at the end we are wrapped in groups of 20 with a pink (or sometimes white) layer and then sent to travel. As I was saying, we’re a big group and we’re growing each day. Now sometimes even women and children help us out, they take a little longer than men do, but they’re good help. I really don’t know why they don’t work in the same place men do, they stay back home and do the same but for longer. They help us from before the men leave to the big rooms and until after they come back, the only difference is that they don’t send us away to travel, they give us to the men, they are the ones who send us away at the end. I’ve heard here and there that it’s around 30000 men in the big rooms, plus double the number of women and children. That’s a lot of help. On a normal day each one of them would send 500 to 1000 of us away. Since we’re so many, our essence is everywhere in that big room, everywhere. Men must like it, and I guess children and woman must as well, what other reason would there be for them to sit all this time with us. After work, they go to sleep with our essence stuck to their hands and clothes, they smell like us. I’d even say that they smell more like us than the people we go to visit after our trip do. Millions of tendu leafs are sent to the big rooms every day, lots of little colored strings are sent as well. We’ve grown to be very known in India and in other nearby countries. We’ve even crossed the ocean in boxes, sometimes it’s harder then others, sometimes we have to hide. From what I’ve heard we are asked for more than those fancy travelers dressed in white and yellow (those that come dressed for the occasion - with a filter and a tie), even though apparently we harm more than they do. But people like us, so what’s the problem? Some of our travel stops are in places where people use us daily, others use us only when they’re alone. Some use us while they work in the fields and some
while they drive their car. Some do it publically and some seem to be ashamed to be with us instead of the other formal white and yellow travelers. Every destination is different but they all like us as much… too much I’d dare to affirm. I don’t know what it is that makes us so famous. I don’t know why it takes so many hands, big and small, to send us away but so little coins to receive us wherever we go. I don’t know much of what goes behind this whole trip, I don’t think you do either. But what’s the problem anyways, right? We’re here, no? Enjoy
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MEET MUWCI TIMES: KARANJIT SINGH
- Well known for his love for high contrast pictures and bold editing, he is the official in-house photographer for the MUWCI times. - Contrary to his almost negligible weight and height, he is a highly influential member of the MUWCI times. - He lost his braces two months ago, much to the increase of his popularity amongst the female population on campus. (Call him on 09855069077) - Being the most distinguishable member of MUWCI times, his skinny jeans, effeminate scarfs and forever 21 cardigans are in high demand. - He likes to be called “Call Me Singh” -His plans after MUWCI consist of avenging the death of hundreds of Sikhs, learning how to drive and getting a mani-pedi in a random European country.
HEY THERE UPPER HILL-TOPPERS, KEVIN BOY IS HERE, YOUR ONE AND ONLY SOURCE INTRO THE SCANDALOUS LIFE OF MUWCI’S ELITE. RUMOR HAS IT THAT A KLEPTOMANIAC HAS INFILTRATED INTO OUR CLOSETS. THE SOON-TO-BE IGNORED MASS E-MAILS WON’T HELP ANYTHING. YES, KURT HAHN HAD IMPOSED THE CELEBRATION OF DIFFERENCE, BUT NOT THE CELEBRATION OF SILENCE. IT’S TIME TO SCREAM OUT AND KEEP OUR EYES WIDE. WAIT A MINUTE, WHO’S THAT GIRL WHO HAS BEEN WEARING EVERYONE’S CLOTHES AROUND THESE DAYS? SHE’S NOT LITTLE J, IS SHE? YOU KNOW YOU LOVE ME, XOXO – KEVIN BOY
SLUT!
''What's wrong with wanting attention - I just don't want to get raped.''
Gen&Sex Coloumn By Corné
In the first session of Gender & Sexuality, Anya very effectively sums up the dilemma of many women in today's society: the right to dress and express versus cultural sensitivity. Except for the character of the conservative, sexist and mildly racist Bengali Rounak had rather convincingly manufactured (it's all in the glasses), none seemed to agree with the claim a Toronto police officer had made this summer, stating women wearing miniskirts were asking to get raped. However, all agreed wearing revealing clothes does often provoke intimidating behavior. Hence, having agreed on the sexist nature of our society, the question became one of means by which to change this aspect of society. As for Toronto - the statement of the police officer was followed upon by a march of self-professed 'Sluts', naturally called 'The Slutwalk'. The miniskirt promenade reached, amongst other places, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Asheville. Ironically, the H&M miniskirts were exchanged for FabIndia shalwar-kameez when the Slutwalk hit New Delhi. Still, Shalmali’s mom did not approve of the Slutwalk, because the women called themselves sluts. True, the nomenclature does deem a bit inappropriate: in a way, a Slutwalk consisting of fully covered women is like me proclaiming to be proud to be black. Or a Manchester supporter. On top of that, the element of irony might be mistaken for a tolerating of the word ‘slut’. I’m convinced that in order to eliminate the gender inequality, we must reduce its
terminology and consequently the stigmas attached to it. Justine mentioned a Norwegian experiment where in one school, the words ‘’boy’’ and ‘’girl’’ were merged into one. Goy. Or Birl. Whatever. ’Slut’, even when its meaning is being turned upside down by a bunch of stampeding women, will always connote with women being sexual objects for those who want it to, just like ‘nigger’ will always provoke a notion of black and white - one of racial divide. I guess the streets of Delhi weren’t wandered for miniskirts - it was a march for choice. After all, the concept of miniskirts being a way of expressing femininity (rather than sexual objectification) is a highly debatable one. On that note – would you judge a girl for going to Paud in a miniskirt? In the Gen&Sex session we all claimed we didn’t, but I’m pretty sure we do. Surely I am pro-choice, but that doesn’t mean we can simply disregard a huge number of people that may take offence at the revealing of legs – however nicely shaved. Just because I have the freedom of speech to call anyone a titsucking cunt, does that mean I should? I see why people wouldn’t want to silently accept a culture of gender inequality by melting away in a pair of jeans on a Mayday afternoon, but I strongly believe it is not okay to be disrespectful to a culture you don’t fully comprehend – neither is it the way of changing it. To me it is still unclear as of what is the way – but I doubt the Slutwalk is the way to walk it.
DESCRIBE MUWCI IN 25 WORDS By Gaurav A
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UNITED FUN TRIVENIES BUGS NATIONS SNAKE ACTIVITY TALENTS ROOMMATES
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INDEPENDENT CREATION READ WADAS BIODIVERSITY EAT FAMILY UNITY CARE
LOVE HOMESICK ZOO RELATIONS EGALITARIAN PRESENTDAY INNOVATION
THEN AND NOW N•2 Pictures by Oscar and Karanjit