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My name is Srushti Prabhudesai. I am currently studying English literature and Portuguese in the second year at Parvatibai Chowgule College - Margao. I was born on 04 December 1999 in Dubai - U.A.E to my parents, Abhijit Prabhudesai and Anupama Prabudesai. I have lived most of my life in Curtorim, a small village in South Goa.
I did my primary education at Les Anges Academy and Little Fingers Primary School. I completed my S.S.C.E at St. Rita’s High School. For my higher secondary schooling, I studied at Loyola Higher Secondary School where I studied science for two years.
I started learning Ballet at the age of four and I continued learning for three more years. I began taking Bharatnatyam lessons at the age of seven. I also started learning to play Western Classical music on the Piano. I also had the opportunity to learn ‘Fado’, which is a semi classical style of Portuguese music under the guidance of world renowned fadista, Sonia Shirsat.
This is what I wrote when we were asked to write a profile of ourselves at the beginning of the course.
Rain
For a lot of people the rains instill a feeling of listlessness and boredom, but not for me! I look forward to the rains like a stallion would a stream after a long run. The pitter-patter of the first rain drops cause smiles to spill across faces, faces that have experienced much and faces that haven’t as much. The fragrance of the wet soil, as it lets the rain drench it’s every particle, they call it ‘Petrichor’. I don’t. The word somehow doesn’t seem to do justice to the sublime sensation. It makes me believe that magic exists in nature, makes me believe in the power of nature.
A few days into monsoon, and the villages are suddenly attacked by green mania. The plants begin to grow like they never did before and with what appears to be a newly instigated passion to thrive.
Children dancing in the rain, grown-ups scolding them for doing so, mothers reminding you to carry an umbrella lest you are attacked by the rain and end up falling sick, rushing out of the house to get all the clothes put out to dry back before they’re wet again...so much of our lives is linked to this gift from above. The rains make me fall in love over and over again with the innate charisma of nature.
I wrote this piece when we were asked to write a short article about the rain.
Whoops a Daisy…...Ouch!!!
Well it’s that time of the year again when everything is green. Sitting in a corner with a good book and a hot cup of coffee…..Aah! Now that’s what I call Heaven on Earth. But beware folks! Not everything about the cooling showers is divine! Watch every step you take, for you never know when the unassuming ground might decide to toss you like an olive in a bowl of Salad Nicoise. Well, olives don’t have bones, but you do, and you very much need them. So here are a few pointers for those of you who are new to our institute and for those of you who have been here for a while but have frequent bouts of amnesia.
First things first. Our college has a pretty decent campus and it gets nice and green during the rains, but the green never seems to fail in encroaching over the footpaths and other cemented surfaces. So if you want to avoid any slippery mishaps, you ought to use comfortable footwear with sufficient grip on the soles. Secondly, walking on the roads is much safer as opposed to using the footpaths (as long as you watch out for vehicles) since the moss doesn’t really grow there. For all those of you who are into sports and other outdoor physical activities, be prepared to have numerous falls, because let’s face it, it’s pretty much inevitable. Walking with football shoes or other such shoes with studs on cemented surfaces will most definitely ensure a breath-taking experience (literally). Last but not the least, we have the green mats that have been most considerately placed all over the campus for our safety, but remember that the sense of security that these provide may not always materialise for your benefit. There were incidents last year where people had falls in spite of these mats. One such incident took place when one of the college professors who happened to be pregnant at the time was leaving the main corridor through the exit that leads to the writing centre/computer science block. She was walking down the steps when she had a terrible fall. According to the professor, “The carpet was full of leaves and moss and it was super slippery”.
It is now time to announce the ‘Most Slippery Areas in College’ awards. The first place goes to the path starting from the end of the main corridor to the canteen. The second place goes to the entire pathway leading from the corridor to the computer science block and from the canteen to the same and the third place goes to the area to the right of the entrance to Block D.
Having a fall isn’t a pleasant feeling and I’m not even talking about the embarrassment which should be the least of your worries. Missing out on lectures and activities due to broken bones or strained muscles is very annoying. So keep in mind the advice (or don’t if you want to feature into Chowgule’s funniest college videos) and brace yourselves for the unexpected! I really hope all of you have a safe, secure, and un-eventful rainy season!!!
This was my first attempt at writing a report for an Aether issue. It was in the form of an op. ed.
Politics and The College: The Principal, Professors and Students Speak!
An Interview with the Principal
The students of the Writing for Media course got involved in a discussion regarding the recent
political developments in Goa. It was decided that this should be featured in the upcoming issue,
and we set to task asking students on campus about it. It was noted that most of them were
unaware of the present crisis. The teachers, though, seemed to be aware of the issue, but, each
had their own opinion about it. We also got in touch with the principal of Parvatibai Chowgule
College of Arts and Science, Dr. Nandakumar Sawant.
The principal called the situation a “big threat to democracy” and stressed upon the fact that
people have forgotten their core values and sense of integrity. If politicians were to keep shifting
parties, the people would slowly begin to lose faith in the system itself. When asked for his
advice to young aspirants who wished to join politics, he said that one should reflect upon what
one really wants to do. “Educated youth should understand grass root level issues that exist.”
Close attention must be paid to the philosophy of the party one wished to join.
He is a strong believer that politics should be kept away from the college campus. This was his
response when asked the choice of alienating the college from political activities. Involvement in
politics would create a divide amongst the students and teachers because of their respective
affiliations. Events like the Youth Parliament help students to understand the functioning of a
parliamentary session. He thinks implementing discussion forums and imparting social values
would help young voters chose a candidate wisely.
Although the college is famous for Arts, it does not offer Political Science as a course. This is
because there aren’t many students who opt for the subject. He thinks that international politics is
gaining importance and might think of starting a course in Liberal Arts that entails studies in
politics, ethics, and philosophy.
Opinions of the Professors
Asst. Prof. Delilah Pacheco states that although something like this is predictable, she was
hoping that it wouldn’t happen. When asked whether she would vote in the future in spite of this
disheartening situation she replied in the positive saying that the public seems to be more active
now and that “hopefully they will vote for the right people”. Dr. Anagha Bicholkar states that she
has lost her faith in the government. She also believes that we deserve the people we vote for.
She believes that we should take a strong stand and not sell our votes in the future. She feels that
we should encourage genuine, educated, young blooded people who stand a chance at initiating
change.
Asst. Prof. (Dr.) Sachin Moraes of the Department of Sociology feels such a phenomenon is
bound to happen as “they say power corrupts absolutely”. According to him, this isn't a new
phenomenon as it has been happening since 1989. He says that the lesson we should learn from
this whole situation is to elect clean candidates. He feels that we are to be blamed for what has
happened and that crying now is pointless. Asst. Prof. Noel Goes from the Department of History
feels that people are overreacting to the horse-trading. People continue to vote for the same
candidates as they solely think of their personal benefits. He believes that popularity is what
matters as opposed to qualities when it comes to being elected. This can be seen in colleges too
as even in the Councils of colleges, the members elected are generally from the same
friends-circle who tend to be popular amongst others. He feels that people don't want to vote for
new faces as they are scared of change.
The Students Speak
10 members from the Congress party leaving and joining the BJP has received various responses
from the citizens of the state. What do the students of Chowgule college feel about this?
Well, after speaking with the students, we realized that most of them had gone out to vote this
year. However, it does seem quite ironic that most of them, even after casting their vote, are not
aware of the current changes in the politics of the state. Some found out about it through the
most obvious sources such as the print and television media, some heard of it while walking on
the streets or when their parents conversed about it. A few of them found out through memes!
Although they seem to know the crux of the matter, they don't seem to understand the entirety of
the situation and many don't realize the implications of this sort of politics.
However, this is not the opinion of all of them. Some seem to have grasped the situation well in
terms of the whys and hows but they feel that this action is absolutely unethical and
unfortunately, that this event has led to them losing faith in the institution of democracy and the
system of voting. Nonetheless, they feel at times like these, awareness is pivotal and programmes
to educate the people about the right and wrong of things should be done. They believe that the
young voters must especially be more careful while placing their votes.
This was my second report. It was in the form of an interview and I did it with two other classmates.
Let’s Football!!!
Football is such an important part of our lives as Goans. Nothing can compare to an evening
spent in sweating it out on a football field amongst fellow footballers. If you’re an ardent lover of
the game, you’re in luck. Parvatibai Chowgule college has a club for the sport, named the Tigers
Football Club (TFC) which includes the college team for men as well as women.
Nayshirl Alvares from the Department of English and Sociology is a Midfielder (Left Wing) in
the women’s football team. She joined the club in her first year for sheer love of the sport. She
also needed a means of collecting hours, and this seemed an excellent way of getting them. She
plans on continuing her membership of the club. She believes that playing football for the
college doesn’t affect her studies, contrary to most beliefs, but instead it acts as a stress reliever.
When asked if she was happy with the facilities she replied in the negative and stated that there
was lack of equipment and the ground wasn’t vacant most of the times as the men’s team also
practiced on the same ground. She believes that this year, the players in the team need to
cooperate better than last time, be responsible and punctual.
Keagan Alvares, also belonging to the Department of English and Sociology is the goalkeeper of
the men’s football team. He used to play for Grassroot Development F.C. Goa and Salcete
Football Club earlier and this led to him joining the club. According to him, their practices have
already begun and the boys are so diligent that even when the coach doesn’t come for practice,
they train themselves and practice hard. Keagan agrees that playing football didn’t affect his
studies last year, but he also stated that it affected his first lecture in the morning as he wouldn’t
reach on time after practice. He firmly believes that the facilities are good and says that as long
as they have a good ground such as the one in college, you don’t really need anything else. His
personal goal for this football season is to develop his skills whereas the team’s goal is to bag the
first place in the University football tournament this year.
So a big shout out to all of you football lovers! If any of you are interested in joining the Tigers
Football Club, even if you’re a newcomer, now is the time. For more details you can check out
our instagram page or contact the former members of the club.
This was my second attempt at interview styled report.
Editorial
Ever since India gained its Independence, the greatest power possessed by her citizens has
probably been the Freedom of Expression. Being able to express one’s self is truly a beautiful
thing. This very newsletter is a compilation of thoughts, beliefs, and opinions of various
people. It has materialised only due to the Right to Freedom of Speech that is conferred to us
by the constitution of our country.
As the country continues to fight its own struggles, it is a privilege to be able to speak or
write about how we feel regarding the affairs of the state, or as people of the 21st century. In
recent years, there have been many attempts to silence the voices that threatened to unmask
and publicise the corrupt and backward mindsets of politicians and bureaucrats that tried to
loot the country, create communal hatred, and deprive the citizens of their rights. Some of
these attempts to suppress questioning minds have proved to be successful. But it is our duty
as the future of this country to use our Right to Freedom fearlessly for the benefit of our land,
and to make ourselves heard even when the noises of oppression and violence are deafening.
After all, the pen is mightier than the sword. We can never be silenced, ever, if we are in this
together, for although our bodies will one day cease to exist, our words have the chance to
remain immortal. So, pick up your pens folks! Speak up! Let us show the world how
powerful we are!
This was my first editorial.
Literature and Music
The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance, also described as ‘The New Negro Movement’ as coined by Alaine
Locke was the rebirth of ‘black’ literature, music and arts. It emerged as a result of the Great
Migration, during which thousands of black slaves travelled from the southern states to Harlem,
New York to avoid white supremacist domination and in search of better educational
opportunities, health care and job facilities.
In the field of literature, many notable poets and authors made their mark during this
revolutionary period. Poets such as Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen used English to
express their feelings through poems, some of which attained vast fame, eg: ‘The Weary Blues’,
‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers’, ‘Heritage’, ‘Incident’ and so on. Another famous black poet was
Claude McKay, who was known for his collection of poems titled, ‘Spring in New Hampshire
and other poems’. W. E. B. Du Bois wrote a periodical named ‘The Crisis’ which spoke about
the various issues faced by the African-American people. He referred to the dilemma faced by
these people as ‘Double-Consciousness’, wherein they felt torn apart between having an African
ancestry and living amongst white culture. There were a few female authors whose works grew
in prominence at the time, one being Zora Neale Hurston, who is the author of a famous novel
titled, ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’ and another being Nella Larsen, author of another
well-known book called ‘Passing’.
The music produced during this renaissance was exceptional. Genres that weren’t as popular
before such as Jazz, Ragtime (a mixture of blues and ‘slave’ music) and Blues achieved a major
chunk of popularity and ingenuity. Singers and musicians such as Billie Holiday and Louis
Armstrong rose in prominence as their music spread to all ears, irrespective of colour. The
suffering, inner struggles, conflict and financial instability experienced by the people were
projected through their music. The revival and modification of some of the African culture and
traditions influenced the literature, music and other fine arts of this period.
Citations:
1. Barreto, Andrew. “Origins of Harlem Renaissance.”
2. Timelines TV. “American Voices / Black America 02 - Harlem Renaissance.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Bc2Tekynis. February 1, 2013.
3. Help Teaching. “Literature Lesson: The Harlem Renaissance.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nea0rMpolNE. February 1, 2016.
4. CrashCourse. “The Harlem Renaissance: Crash Course Theater #41.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDzVtXbtEow. December 22, 2018.
The Jazzy-Blues
The evolution of Jazz and Blues
28 August, 2019, is the day dedicated to The Harlem Renaissance by the students who have
opted for the course, American Literature in the 20th Century. There will be a musical staged by
the students, as a part of their course work.
Most often than not, we tend to listen to music that might actually be an adaptation blues of jazz,
but we are not aware of it. I hope that by reading this piece, your knowledge about this genre of
music will increase.
The arrival of the jazz and the blues transformed pop music and was one of the factors that paved
the way for the evolution of modern music. Dating back to the era of the Harlem Renaissance
(approx. 1920’s-1940’s), this genre of music was initially considered low class. While ragtime
gained popularity during that era, the blues remained in the background. Apparently, the
influence of ragtime and blues is said to have given birth to, the very famous, much loved, jazz.
With the ‘black culture’ gaining more prominence in America, these forms of music soon came
into the limelight. Jazz and blues were soon used in Hollywood musicals, and the nightclubs and
bands that played this music gained immense popularity. The influence of the jazz and blues was
also seen in various other genres, such as, country music and swing. This led to the development
of strong rhythm beats as well as the honky tonk.
Just as how jazz gave rise to the honky tonk, blues gave rise to boogie-woogie and the R&B
style. Currently, rap is a more celebrated form of the R&B. Rock’n’roll was symbolic; it was a
combination of the blues and country music, which was probably a symbol of unity between the
African-Americans and the Americans.
Reference:
Goodier, Mandi. "The evolution of music: Blues, jazz and the rise of popular music." Reader's
Digest (n.d.). Article. 21 August 2019.
<https://www.readersdigest.co.uk/culture/music/the-evolution-of-music-blues-jazz-and
the-rise-of-popular-music>.
This was another piece a classmate and I wrote for Aether. It was based on the Harlem Renaissance.
Social Media: Is It Hampering Your Growth?
Do you ever scroll through your instagram feed, look at the “perfect” muscular figures, the “perfectly” chiseled faces and let out a sigh? Do you ever wish you could do those splits or be more popular or travel more? In short, does social media make you feel like you’re not good enough? Well, if it does, you’re not the only one feeling that way. In fact, most social media users develop some sort of complex from watching, reading and in general using social media.
While it’s nice to watch your friends grow or learn new things from your favourite artists, it’s important to not let their success make you feel miserable about yourself. Everyone struggles, it’s just that most people prefer to share their stories of success instead of their failures and hardships. When you’re on your journey to accomplishing your goal keep a lookout for inspiration, but don’t forget to keep yourself motivated at the same time. Instead of saying, “Oh, I wish I could do that…” say, “If she can do that, so can I!”. Social media platforms give out a lot of new ideas and information, but while trying to stay up to date with what’s happening, don’t forget to let your own ideas run wild, the best part about you is that little spark you’ve got! So the next time you feel a little depressed because you don’t think you’re getting anywhere, don’t worry about it. Take things one step at a time, hardwork always pays off. Breathe, clear your head and tell yourself you’ve got this!
Short Story 2:
Eric hadn’t been to Mortustown in a while. 18 years in fact. The woman sitting across him in the train reminds him of his sister. Where does she live now? How has she been doing? Does she think of him at all? Well, he doesn’t think of her very often, so it couldn’t be fair to expect her to do so. The grey, smoky sky turns a pale blue. Trees fly past as the debris of an ever-growing city transform into vast expanses of green fields and plains, dotted occasionally by cattle and farmers. The train slackens to a slow rumble and eventually stops. This is it. Eric hops off the train, and walks out of the station. A lot has changed about the place, but his feet lead the way, taking routes they were so used to running along two decades ago. He finds himself standing at a cliff, overlooking one of the most beautiful places he had ever lived in. Would it be worth going back to those times, even if it meant experiencing the pain all over again? Eric doesn’t know the answer, and more importantly he doesn’t want to. He walks away to the Alder tree and kneels at its great roots. The tomb stone seems a lot greener now. Eric reads, “Leah Elizabeth Brooks, loving mother of Jane Clare Brooks and Eric Karl Brooks”. A silent tear rolls down his cheek, in memory of what once was.
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