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VOICES - A Newsletter by NSS, SRCC
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Vice President’s Note…………………………………………………………………..3
आवाज़ - Dhriti Bafna…………………………………………………………………….5
Little Things - Srushti Swain…………………………………………………………6
Raise Your Voice - Lichi Sharma……………………………………………………8
Unheard Shrieks -Jatin Jindal……………………………………………………….9
Voice of the Earth - Deeya Jain…………………………………………………...10
Sunsets Could Talk, Too - Meena Priyadarsnee K………………………..11
Voices - An Article - Tanya Bahl…………………………………………………..12
Freedom of Speech - An Illusion?...............................................................13
Homecoming - Naionika……………………………………………………………..14
Voices - Aayush Kumar………………………………………………………………15
Silence - Nandini………………………………………………………………………...16
Voices - A Compilation - Skandh Gupta………………………………………17
Pipe Dreams - Shivika Singh……………………………………………………….18
Is silence the absence of all sound? Or just the absence of noise? Is it positive or negative? I believe it can be both but more positive than negative. We conceive of silence as a void — an unsettling condition that begs to be resolved. Silence in most social situations is perceived as uncomfortable. ‘An awkward silence’. ‘A pregnant pause’. A fleeting condition through which we pass, not moments we relish. Seconds can feel like minutes or the pause in the action can feel like nothing more than a blip. Silence leaves us with nothing but our own thoughts. No prompt to answer or through line to follow. But that is just one way to look at it. Silence, though deafening, is enlightening too. It has the power to draw our attention to our breath, to our body, and to our impulses. It makes us supremely aware of everything around and inside us. Instead of considering it as lack of communication, silence must be treated as a very powerful form of communication.
During a speech, if the speaker pauses in between he is trying to mean something. If the pause is very short, it means that he is trying to recollect what he is going to speak next. If he pauses for a long time, it means that the speaker wants the audience to either think about the matter he said or he is looking for some kind of response from them. It can also mean that the speaker is seeking the attention of the audience because he is going to say something very important next.
In a regular conversation too, silence often plays a part. Often much more effective than any voice modulation or gesturing. It can be taken that by remaining silent; a person is trying to say that he is upset. More often than not silence as an answer to a question is perceived as a reluctant or shameful affirmative. Silence can also be used to admit defeat. In debates, if the opposite party gives his views and we are unable to give counter points and remain silent, then it is that we admit defeat to him. But all through these silences, one thing remains common: communication. Understanding and appropriately using silence as well as comprehending that of others gives you an opportunity to grow as a communicator. In this process, you’re creating a new way of talking, a new way of listening and a more connected and successful way of relating. Never underestimate the power of silence!
