Reverts some changes in gemfile

minor change in capitalisation

CNAME

@@ -1,2 +1 @@
-wona.co.in
-
+watchout.iitr.ac.in

Gemfile

@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
 source 'https://rubygems.org'
 
 gem 'github-pages', group: :jekyll_plugins
-gem 'rdiscount'

Gemfile.lock

@@ -102,7 +102,6 @@ GEM
     rb-fsevent (0.9.7)
     rb-inotify (0.9.7)
       ffi (>= 0.5.0)
-    rdiscount (2.2.0.1)
     rouge (1.10.1)
     safe_yaml (1.0.4)
     sass (3.4.22)
@@ -121,7 +120,6 @@ PLATFORMS
 
 DEPENDENCIES
   github-pages
-  rdiscount
 
 BUNDLED WITH
-   1.12.3
+   1.13.0.rc.1

_config.yml

@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-markdown: rdiscount
-highlighter: pygments
+markdown: kramdown
 permalink: /:year/:month/:title
 
 rdiscount:
@@ -22,8 +21,8 @@ defaults:
       is_category_page: true
       layout: category
 
-name: WONA
-url: http://wona.co.in
+name: Watch Out, IIT Roorkee
+url: http://watchout.iitr.ac.in
 gems: [jekyll-paginate]
 description: The official news magazine of IIT Roorkee.
 paginate: 10

_data/categories.yaml

@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 ---
 - name: academics
+  title: Academics
   subcategories:
 - name: cultural
-  subcategories:
-- name: tech
-  subcategories:
-- name: sac
+  title: Cultural
   subcategories:
 - name: columns
+  title: Columns
   subcategories:
     - name: coverstory
       title: Cover Story
@@ -15,15 +14,34 @@
       title: Big Story
     - name: almostfamous
       title: Almost Famous
-    - name: phekingnews
-      title: Pheking News
     - name: guestcomentary
       title: Guest Comentary
-- name: editorial
-  title: Editorial
-- name: verbatim
+    - name: editorial
+      title: Editorial
+- name: tech
+  title: Tech
   subcategories:
 - name: career
+  title: Career
+  subcategories:
+- name: sac
+  title: SAC
+  subcategories:
+- name: phekingnews
+  title: Pheking News
+  subcategories:
+- name: verbatim
+  title: Verbatim
   subcategories:
 - name: sports
+  title: Sports
   subcategories:
+- name: internblogs
+  title: Intern Blogs
+  subcategories:
+    - name: summer2016
+      title: Summer 2016
+    - name: summer2017
+      title: Summer 2017
+    - name: summer2018
+      title: Summer 2018

_data/categories_name.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+---
+academics: Academics
+cultural: Cultual
+columns: Columns
+coverstory: Cover Story
+bigstory: Big Story
+almostfamous: Almost Famous
+phekingnews: Pheking News
+guestcomentary: Guest Comentary
+tech: Tech
+career: Career
+sac: SAC
+editorial: Editorial
+verbatim: Verbatim
+sports: Sports
+internblogs: Intern Blogs
+summer2016: Summer 2016
+summer2017: Summer 2017
+summer2018: Summer 2018

_data/homepage_categories.yaml

@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
 ---
 featured_articles:
-- bigstory
 - editorial
 - almostfamous
 - phekingnews
-- verbatim
 - tech
 
 new_articles:

_data/youtube.yaml

@@ -1,4 +1,24 @@
 ---
+- title: In conversation with Anil Kumar
+  id: TCcMKcYeZuU
+  link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCcMKcYeZuU
+  tag: verbatim
+
+- title: Behind the Scenes of Swaranjali '17 
+  id: UJdrYcND7E8
+  link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJdrYcND7E8
+  tag: music
+
+- title: The Making of "Aaj Ka Kurukshetra" - Street play by Dramatics Section, IIT Roorkee
+  id: WoWh_SCzta8
+  link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoWh_SCzta8
+  tag: dramatics
+
+- title: In conversation with the Director, IIT Roorkee 
+  id: 8HszMROqZYs
+  link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HszMROqZYs
+  tag: director
+
 - title: Behind the scenes of Prelude'16
   id: lTo0HwzFOgU
   link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTo0HwzFOgU

_includes/cat_header.html

@@ -1,12 +1,25 @@
-<div id="header" class="container-fluid category-header">
-  <div class="cover center-both text-center">
-    <h1 class="title">{{ page.category | capitalize }}</h1>
-  </div>
+{% assign post = site.categories[page.category].first %}
+<div id="header" class="container category-header">
+  <div class="row">
+    <div class="col-md-8 tinted cover-image center-fill-container">
+      {% if post.image != nil %}
+      <div class="img-container">
+        <img class="center-both img-center-fill" src="/images/posts/{{ post.image }}" alt="">
+      </div>
+      {% endif %}
+    </div>
 
-  <div class="left">
+    <div class="col-md-4 cover-details">
+      <div class="cover-title">
+        <a  href="{{ post.url }}" class="cover-link">
+          <h1 class="title">{{ post.title  }}</h1>
+        </a>
+      </div>
+      <div class="date">{{ post.date | date: "%-d %B %Y" }}</div>
+      <div class="cover-excerpt">
+        {{ post.excerpt | truncate: 350 }}
+      </div>
+    </div>
   </div>
-
-  <div class="right">
-  </div>
-
 </div>
+

_includes/footer.html

@@ -1,15 +1,25 @@
 <footer class="container-fluid">
-  <div class="center-both">
-    <div class="container">
-      <div class="row">
-      <p class="col-sm-4 pull-left">&copy; Copyright 2016 &#8212; Watch Out! News Agency</p>
-      <div class="col-sm-4 pull-right">
-        <div class="row">
-          <a class="col-sm-4" href="/about/">About Us</a>
-          <a class="col-sm-4" href="http://fb.com/WatchOutNewsAgency">Facebook</a>
-        </div>
+  <div class="pre-footer container">
+    <div class="brand pull-left">
+      <img class="logo" src="/images/logo-black.png">
+      <div class="name-container">
+        <div class="name">Watch Out!</div>
+        <div class="desc">Official Media<br>Body of IITR</div>
       </div>
-     </div>
     </div>
-	</div>
+    <div class="social pull-right">
+      <!--      <a href="/team">Team</a> -->
+      <a href="/about">About</a>
+      <a href="/guide">Guide</a>
+      <a href="/getinvolved">Get Involved</a>
+      <a  href="http://fb.com/watchoutiitr"><img src="/images/fb-logo.svg"></a>
+      <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZ7tKOzy4EJpuVxtdcp1A"><img src="/images/youtube-play.svg"></a>
+      <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/13290672/"><img src="/images/linkedin.png"></a>
+    </div>
+  </div>
+
+
+  <div class="container copyright">
+    <p>&copy; Copyright 2018 &#8212; Watch Out! News Agency</p>
+  </div>
 </footer>

_includes/head.html

@@ -21,13 +21,21 @@
 
   <!-- Open Graph protocol -->
   <meta property="og:site_name" content="Watch Out! News Agency" />
-  <meta property="og:title" content="{{ title }}" />
+  <meta property="og:title" content="{{ title | xml_escape }}" />
   <meta property="og:type" content="{% if page.excerpt %}article{% else %}website{% endif %}" />
-  <meta property="og:url" content="{{ site.url }}{{ page.url }}/" />
+  <meta property="og:url" content="{{ site.url }}{{ page.url }}" />
   <meta property="og:image" content="{{ site.url }}/images/{% if page.image %}posts/{{page.image}}{% else %}posts/main-building.jpg{% endif %}" />
-  <meta property="og:description" content="{{ desc }}" />
+  {% if page.description != null %}
+    <meta property="og:description" content="{{ page.description }}" />
+  {% else %}
+    <meta property="og:description" content="{{ desc }}" />
+  {% endif %}
   <!-- Open Graph protocol -->
 
+  <!-- Facebook tags -->
+  <meta property="fb:app_id" content="691723664330476"/>
+  <!-- Facebook tags -->
+
   <!--[if lt IE 9]>
     <script src="https://oss.maxcdn.com/html5shiv/3.7.2/html5shiv.min.js"></script>
     <script src="https://oss.maxcdn.com/respond/1.4.2/respond.min.js"></script>
@@ -39,6 +47,7 @@
   <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" href="/atom.xml" />
 
   <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/base.css" type="text/css" media="screen, projection" />
+  <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/table.css" type="text/css" media="screen, projection" />
 
   <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/jquery-2.1.3.min.js"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/bootstrap.min.js"></script>

_includes/header.html

@@ -3,32 +3,71 @@
   {% assign post = page %}
 {% endif %}
 
-<div id="header" class="container-fluid {% if page.is_post %}post-header{% endif %}">
-  {% if post.image != nil %}
-  <div class="cover-image center-vertical"><img class="center-both img-center-fill" src="/images/posts/{{ post.image }}" alt=""></div>
-  {% endif %}
-  {% unless page.is_post == true %}
-  <div class="cover center-both text-center">
-   <a  href="{{ post.url }}" class="cover-link"> <h1 class="title">{{ post.title }}</h1></a>
+<a  href="{{ post.url }}">
+<div id="header" class="container {% if page.is_post %}post-header{% endif %}">
+  <div class="row header-row outer-row">
+    {% if post.image != nil %}
+    <div class="col-md-8 tinted cover-image center-fill-container">
+      <div class="img-container">
+        <img class="center-both img-center-fill" src="/images/posts/{{ post.image }}" alt="">
+      </div>
+    </div>
+    {% endif %}
+    <div class="col-md-4 cover-details">
+      <div class="cover-title-label">
+        Cover Story
+      </div>
+      <div class="cover-title">
+        <a  href="{{ post.url }}" class="cover-link">
+          <h1 class="title">{{ post.title  }}</h1>
+        </a>
+      </div>
+      <div class="red-strip"></div>
+      <div class="cover-excerpt">
+        {{ post.excerpt }}
+      </div>
+    </div>
+    </div>
   </div>
-   {% endunless %}
-
-  <div class="left">
-  {% if page.is_post and post.next %}
-    <a class="center-both scroll-buttons" href="{{ post.next.url }}">
-        <span class="glyphicon glyphicon-chevron-left" aria-hidden="true"></span>
-        <span class="sr-only">Next</span>
-    </a>
-  {% endif %}
-  </div>
-
-  <div class="right">
-  {% if page.is_post and post.next %}
-    <a class="center-both scroll-buttons" href="{{ post.previous.url }}">
-        <span class="glyphicon glyphicon-chevron-right" aria-hidden="true"></span>
-        <span class="sr-only">Previous</span>
-    </a>
-  {% endif %}
-  </div>
-
+</div>
+</a>
+
+<div id="new-articles" class="container content">
+  <div class="container-title">New Articles</div>
+  <section>
+    <div class="row outer-row">
+      
+      {% assign counter = 0 %}  <!-- Count of articles rendered under new articles -->
+      
+      {% for post in site.posts limit: 10 %}
+      {% if post.category == "coverstory" %}
+        {% continue %}
+      {% endif %}
+      {% assign counter = counter | plus:1 %}
+      {% if counter > 5 %}
+        {% break %}
+      {% else %}
+      <div class="col-sm-{% if counter < 3 %}6{% else %}4{% endif %} article-col">
+        <a href="{{ post.url }}">
+          <div class="article">
+            <div class="center-fill-container img-container tinted">
+              <img src="/images/posts/{{post.image}}" alt=""  class="img-center-fill center-both {% if post.image == null %}hidden{% endif %}">
+            </div>
+            <div class="details">
+              <div class="head">
+                <h3 class="title"><a href="{{ post.url }}">{{ post.title  }}</a></h3>
+                <div class="tag"><a href="/category/{{ post.category }}/">{{ site.data.categories_name[post.category] }}</a></div>
+                <span class="date">{{ post.date | date: "%b %e, %Y" | upcase }}</span>
+              </div>
+              {% if counter < 3 %}
+              <div class="excerpt">{% if post.excerpt != null %}{{ post.excerpt | markdownify }}{% endif %}</div>
+              {% endif %}
+            </div> <!-- details -->
+          </div>
+        </a>
+      </div>
+      {% endif %}
+      {% endfor %}
+    </div>
+  </section>
 </div>

_includes/horizontal_post.html

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+{% assign post = include.post %}
+<div class="row article article-horiozntal">
+  <div class="col-md-4 center-fill-container img-container">
+    <img src="/images/posts/{{post.image}}" alt=""  class="img-center-fill center-both {% if post.image == null %}hidden{% endif %}">
+  </div>
+  <div class="details-container col-md-8">
+    <div class="details">
+      <div class="head">
+        <h3 class="title"><a href="{{ post.url }}">{{ post.title }}</a></h3>
+        <div class="tag"><a href="/category/{{ post.category }}/">{{ site.data.categories_name[post.category] }}</a></div>
+        <span class="date">{{ post.date | date: "%b %e, %Y" | upcase }}</span>
+      </div>
+      <div class="excerpt">{% if post.excerpt != null %}{{ post.excerpt | markdownify | truncate: 250 }}{% endif %}</div>
+    </div> <!--details-->
+  </div> <!--details-container-->
+</div> <!--article-->
+

_includes/navbar.html

@@ -1,41 +1,53 @@
-<div class="navbar-wrapper" data-spy="affix" data-offset-top="0">
-  <div class="container-fuild">
-
-    <nav class="navbar navbar-default">
-      <div class="container">
-
-        <div class="navbar-header">
-          <button type="button" class="navbar-toggle collapsed" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbar" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="navbar">
-            <span class="sr-only">Toggle navigation</span>
-            <span class="icon-bar"></span>
-            <span class="icon-bar"></span>
-            <span class="icon-bar"></span>
-          </button>
-          <a class="navbar-left" href="/"><img class="navbar-logo" src="/images/watchout.svg" alt="WONA Logo"></a>
-        </div>
-
-        <div id="navbar" class="navbar-collapse collapse">
-          <ul class="nav navbar-nav">
-            {% for cat in site.data.categories %}
-              {% if cat.subcategories != nil %}
-              <li class = "dropdown">
-                <a class="hover-underline" href="#" class="dropdown-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown">{{ cat.name | uppercase }} <span class="caret"></span></a>
-                <ul class="dropdown-menu">
-                  {% for subcat in cat.subcategories %}
-                   {% if site.categories[subcat.name] != nil %}
-                    <li><a class="hover-underline" href="/category/{{ subcat.name }}/">{{ subcat.title | uppercase }}</a></li>
-                    {% endif %}
-                  {% endfor %}
-                </ul>
-              </li>
-              {% elsif  site.categories[cat.name] != nil%}
-              <li><a class="hover-underline" href="/category/{{ cat.name }}/">{{ cat.name | uppercase }}</a></li>
-              {% endif %}
-            {% endfor %}
-          </ul>
-        </div>
+<div class="pre-nav container">
+  <a href="/">
+    <div class="brand pull-left">
+      <img class="logo" src="/images/logo-black.png">
+      <div class="name-container">
+        <div class="name">Watch Out!</div>
+        <div class="desc">Official Media<br>Body of IITR</div>
       </div>
-    </nav>
+    </div>
+  </a>
+  <div class="social pull-right">
+    <a href="/about">About</a>
+    <a href="/guide">Guide</a>
+    <a href="/getinvolved">Get Involved</a>
+    <a  href="http://fb.com/watchoutiitr"><img src="/images/fb-logo.svg"></a>
+    <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCthZ7tKOzy4EJpuVxtdcp1A"><img src="/images/youtube-play.svg"></a>
+    <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/13290672/"><img src="/images/linkedin.png"></a>
   </div>
 </div>
 
+<nav class="navbar navbar-default" data-spy="affix" data-offset-top="110">
+  <div class="container">
+    <div class="navbar-header">
+      <button type="button" class="navbar-toggle collapsed" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbar" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="navbar">
+        <span class="sr-only">Toggle navigation</span>
+        <span class="icon-bar"></span>
+        <span class="icon-bar"></span>
+        <span class="icon-bar"></span>
+      </button>
+      <!-- <a class="navbar-brand" href="/">Watch Out!</a> -->
+    </div>
+    <div id="navbar" class="navbar-collapse collapse">
+      <ul class="nav navbar-nav navbar-right hacky-css">
+        {% for cat in site.data.categories %}
+          {% if cat.subcategories != nil %}
+          <li class = "dropdown">
+            <a class="hover-underline" href="#" class="dropdown-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown">{{ cat.title }} <span class="caret"></span></a>
+            <ul class="dropdown-menu">
+              {% for subcat in cat.subcategories %}
+               {% if site.categories[subcat.name] != nil %}
+                <li><a class="hover-underline" href="/category/{{ subcat.name }}/">{{ subcat.title }}</a></li>
+                {% endif %}
+              {% endfor %}
+            </ul>
+          </li>
+          {% elsif  site.categories[cat.name] != nil%}
+          <li><a class="hover-underline" href="/category/{{ cat.name }}/">{{ cat.title }}</a></li>
+          {% endif %}
+        {% endfor %}
+      </ul>
+    </div><!--/.nav-collapse -->
+  </div>
+</nav>

_layouts/category.html

@@ -5,25 +5,15 @@ layout: layout
 {% include cat_header.html %}
 
 <div class="category-posts container">
-  {% for post in site.categories[page.category] %}
-    <div class="category-post row">
-      {% if post.image != nil %}
-        <div class="col-sm-3 center-fill-container img-container">
-          <a href="{{ post.url }}">
-            <img src="/images/posts/{{post.image}}" alt=""  class="img-center-fill {% if post.image == null %}hidden{% endif %}">
-          </a>
-        </div>
-        <div class="col-sm-9 details">
-          <h3 class="title"><a href="{{ post.url }}">{{ post.title}}</a></h3>
-          <p class="tag">{{ post.excerpt }}</p>
-        </div>
-      {% else %}
-        <div class="col-sm-12 details">
-          <h3 class="title"><a href="{{ post.url }}">{{ post.title}}</a></h3>
-          <p class="tag">{{ post.excerpt }}</p>
-        </div>
-      {% endif %}
+  <div class="row">
+    <div class="col-md-8">
+      {% for post in site.categories[page.category] offset: 1 %}
+      {% include horizontal_post.html post=post %}
+      {% endfor %}
     </div>
-  {% endfor %}
+    <div class="col-md-4">
+      <div class="fb-page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/WatchOutNewsAgency/" data-tabs="timeline" data-width="330" data-height="540" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/WatchOutNewsAgency/" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/WatchOutNewsAgency/">Watch Out! News Agency</a></blockquote></div>
+    </div>
+  </div>
 </div>
 

_layouts/layout.html

@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@
 
   <body>
 
+    <div id="fb-root"></div>
+    <script>(function(d, s, id) {
+      var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
+      if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
+      js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
+      js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.8&appId=691723664330476";
+      fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
+    }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script>
+
     {% include navbar.html %}
     
     {{ content }}

_layouts/post.html

@@ -1,38 +1,76 @@
 ---
 layout: layout
 ---
-{% include header.html %}
-
 <section class="post container">
-	<h1>
-		<a href="{{ page.url }}">{{ page.title }}</a>
-	</h1>
+  <div class="header">
+    <h3 class="tag">
+      <a href="/category/{{ page.category }}/">{{ site.data.categories_name[page.category] }}</a>
+    </h3>
+    <h1 class="title">
+      <a href="{{ page.url }}">{{ page.title }}</a>
+    </h1>
+    <div class="date">
+      {{ page.date | date: "%B %e, %Y" }}
+    </div>
+    {% if page.author != null %}
+    <div class="author">
+      - {{ page.author }}
+    </div>
+    {% endif %}
+  </div>
+  <div class="row body">
 
-	<section class="byline">
-		{{ page.date | date: "%B %e, %Y" }}
-	</section>
+    <section class="col-md-8 content{% if page.justify %} justify{% endif %}">
+      {% if page.image != null %}
+      <div class="center-fill-container cover-img" style="height:{{page.height}}">
+        <div class="img-container">
+          <img class="center-both img-center-fill" src="/images/posts/{{ page.image }}" alt="">
+        </div>
+      </div>
+      {% endif %}
 
-  <section class="content{% if page.justify %} justify{% endif %}">
-    {{ content }}
-  </section>
+      {{ content }}
+
+      <div class="fb-content">
+        <div class="fb-like" data-href="{{ site.url }}{{ page.url }}" data-layout="standard" data-action="like" data-size="small" data-show-faces="true" data-share="true"></div>
+
+        <div class="fb-comments" data-href="{{ site.url }}{{ page.url }}" data-width="100%" data-numposts="5"></div>
+      </div>
+
+    </section>
+
+    <div class="col-md-4">
+      <div class="fb-page" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/WatchOutNewsAgency/" data-tabs="timeline" data-width="330" data-height="400" data-small-header="false" data-adapt-container-width="true" data-hide-cover="false" data-show-facepile="true"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/WatchOutNewsAgency/" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/WatchOutNewsAgency/">Watch Out! News Agency</a></blockquote></div>
+    </div>
+  </div> <!-- body -->
 
 </section>
 
-<div id="related-articles-container" class="container-fluid">
-  <section id="related-articles" class="row">
+<div id="more-articles-container" class="container">
+  <div class="head-wrapper">
+    <h1 class="container-title">More from {{ page.category | capitalize }}</h1>
+    <a href="/category/{{ page.category }}/"><span class="view-all">view all</span></a>
+  </div>
+  <section id="more-articles" class="row">
 
-  {% for post in site.related_posts limit: 4 %}
+    {% for post in site.categories[page.category] limit: 5 %}
+    {% if post.url != page.url %}
+    {% if forloop.index < 5 or found %}
     <div class="article col-sm-3">
       <a href="{{ post.url }}">
-        <div class="center-fill-container img-container">
-          <img src="/images/posts/{{post.image}}" alt=""  class="img-center-fill {% if post.image == null %}hidden{% endif %}">
+        <div class="center-fill-container img-container tinted">
+          <img src="/images/posts/{{post.image}}" alt=""  class="img-center-fill center-both {% if post.image == null %}hidden{% endif %}">
         </div>
-        <div class="details text-center ">
-          <h3 class="title">{{ post.title | truncatewords: 4}}</h3>
-          <p class="tag">{{ post.tag }}</p>
+        <div class="details">
+          <h3 class="title">{{ post.title | truncatewords: 7}}</h3>
+          <div class="date">{{ post.date | date: "%B %e, %Y" }}</div>
         </div>
       </a>
     </div>
-  {% endfor %}
+    {% endif %}
+    {% else %}
+      {% assign found = true %}
+    {% endif %}
+    {% endfor %}
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 </div>

_posts/2013-10-07-carpe-diem.md

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: Carpe Diem
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: editorial
+---
+
+When Thorace was giving the world two of the most beautiful words to live by, he perhaps did not foresee how the profundity of his thought could lie so overshadowed by the poetry of his phrase. 
+
+The ideology that lost itself somewhere beneath the romance of the words “Carpe diem”, correctly translated as “Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the next day”, was to find your one true passion and then follow it through. After 2000 years of Chinese whispers, however, all that remains of it is a fey and clumsy, yet widely followed, misinterpretation that only furthers indolence in character and beckons it away from effort and responsibilities towards finding
+easy ways out.
+
+What now seems as impractical and nebulous and obviously riddled with uncertainties was in fact, to begin with, a most pertinent concept of following your heart into something that truly stirs your interest. It was the idea of sallying forth to find and honor your calling and then keeping at it with conviction in self. What Thorace really wanted us to do, then, was to find our way out of the fray as much as we worked our way to the top of it.
+
+Our strange liking towards the convention of being unconventional demands that we do whatever it is that tickles our fancy, be it studying the chronosynclastic infundibulum, whistle blowing, playing pen carom or even mass email spamming. Many a great man has and many will indulge in such philosophical posturing as to eulogize the courage of treading these paths. The gravity of this thought, though, ought to lie not in the treading of the path with blithe carelessness towards
+the consequence but seeing and working it through to the end of it. If blithe carelessness it were meant to be, how then would one tell truancy from true pursuit? And yet, if we were to labor through to the end, an overriding of drudgery over passion it would be. It seems fair then that the metaphorical presence of poetry in one’s life be welcome so long as a worldly sense of direction stays in place. Where complacency does not mix with the quest to follow one’s
+passion, nor does compromise on one’s passion, with a desire to be rewarded, there, perhaps will be reclamation of a correct construe of Thorace’s wisdom. Whether there is a need at all, however, to shy away from either a complacent disregard for the end or from a submissive compromise on passion is for no one to tell. It was after all always a poet’s business to ask questions; never to expect answers. 

_posts/2014-08-24-the-stranger-sites.md

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: On Stranger Sites
+image: on-stranger-sites.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: bigstory 
+excerpt: There are two things at which IIT Roorkee is much better than its peers. The first, of course is laying new roads. The other is constructing buildings, which within years of their emergence become as obsolete as what Kapil Sibal became after being the HRD Minister.
+---
+__Introduction__
+
+There are two things at which IIT Roorkee is much better than its peers. The first, of course is laying new roads. The other is constructing buildings, which within years of their emergence become as obsolete as what Kapil Sibal became after being the HRD Minister. The existence of the Thomso/Cogni office (depending on which time of the year it is) and a highly functional laboratory for the Biotechnology Department bear testimony to this hypothesis. At the same time, however, there are several places that do not appear to be as useless. No, we are not talking about the secluded spots behind Civil and Architecture Departments here. Or wait. Maybe we are.
+
+ Regardless, this is a fact that we must take with a pinch of salt, or a shot of vodka if that be the case: for all their relevance to our lives - most of us have never cared to bother enough about the several landmarks here in R. We might've often seen them as a fleeting blur in the background, but it is very rarely that we have stopped to take a second glance. Watch Out! brings to you the complete story behind some of the most baffling examples of modern(?) architecture here in IIT Roorkee with the hope that the next time somebody stops and asks you the way to the erstwhile transmission tower, you are not caught like a deer in the headlights of Salman Khan’s car.
+
+__The Tower of Gloom__
+
+One thing that stands out of the picturesque view of the main building is the EC tower. Often referred to as, "What in the hell is that?"; one cannot easily fathom the reason for the presence of this tall structure right in the heart of R. The tower, apart from being the center of a lot of non-magazine-friendly jokes on campus, also attracts a lot of attention from unsuspecting freshmen.
+
+Surrounded with mysterious stories, one of which hints the presence of a secret silo in its basement, we set out to find the history and purpose of this structure on campus. The caretaker from EC department explains, “When it was built around 1978-80, the plan was to install a transmitter on the tower for the purpose of microwave research. They also had necessary equipment mounted on top to facilitate it. However, the plan never worked out and ultimately the equipment was removed.”
+He further adds on how the same experiment was proposed at BITS Pilani but it was IITR, where the structure was actually built.
+
+Some civil and earthquake engineering student and professor groups have conducted research projects over the years on the structural stability of the tower. The tower was used again by Prof. R.K. Nayyar in the 1980s for mounting the telescopes so as to observe a solar eclipse. However, it now remains in a highly shoddy and unmaintained state. Unfortunately, the same can be said about the entire EC department.
+
+__The three metaphors of advancement__
+
+Taking a leap from the EC circle to the Gaon, the divide between the inhabitants of this region and the rest of the campus starts becoming evident. Cut off from the Students' Club, Nescii, CBRI and other places on campus that are bustling with activity; the students in this area are often forced to spend most of their time inside their hostels. This is why as soon as reports of the construction of a Multi-Activity Centre behind Cautley Bhawan started flowing in- students were absolutely delighted. However, most who saw the first brick of this centre being laid have long since graduated, and the rest live in a faint hope of the structure being complete in time for their 25th Alumni Meet.
+
+As a news note in one of our 2011 issues states, "The four storey structure is planned to have an auditorium, a restaurant, a post office, coffee corners, food courts, shops, banks, and a bowling alley." The news note also promised that the construction would be complete in the next 15 months.  42 months and three Thomsos later- the work is yet to finish. A conversation with the project manager reveals that the much awaited M.A.C, built at a cost of over 68 crore rupees, should finally be ready by the next semester. The construction phase is nearly complete and the process for issuing tenders has started.
+
+The indoor sports centre is expected to reduce the burden on the packed UG club. The building also promises to offer rooms to various cult-soc sections for practice and meetings. The commercial centre will be home to a number of franchises providing refreshing new alternatives to Dominos. To top it all off, one of the buildings will be an indoor auditorium, accompanied by a new open air amphitheatre. If everything goes according to plan, starting next semester a desire to have a gratifying burger would no longer necessitate a trip to Pentagon.
+
+The institute architect, Mahua Mukherjee, states that NBCC is given the tender for all construction work that happens inside the campus. It is supposed to give an entire schedule of the construction undertakings.
+What went wrong causing the entire project to be delayed remains unclear, and nobody from the administration is ready to answer. Perhaps, the best what we as students can do, is remain patient and hope that the M.A.C. delivers what it promises.
+
+__Numbered trees, Locked Gates and The Night’s Watch__
+
+If you ever happen to chance upon a photograph of IIT Roorkee from the 1960s, you would see that the last 50 years have seen a great deal of changes. Right from the construction of several new department buildings, bhawans and a sprawling library, to the establishment of a new lecture hall complex and a fully furnished students' club - our institute has clearly shown signs of improvement. However, what most people fail to notice are the several other changes which are slightly more difficult to explain. For example, our campus has a lot more trees now than it ever did before. While some believe that the trees, numbered in an erratic fashion, have been put in place for the promotion of Chetan Bhagat's next what he likes to call a novel: 4008 Ways to Repeat a Storyline; we'd strongly refute them as mere rumors. No book of Mr. Bhagat needs any publicity, after all.
+
+Another unnoticeable aspect of life here in R is the presence of a vast multitude of guards and watchmen. While their contribution to our individual lives may seem to be very little, they are undoubtedly an important part of the campus. The daily guard meetings are occurrences that are almost impossible to go unnoticed by anyone who is even mildly observant. What happens in these meetings however, is an entirely different story. A conversation with one of the guards reveals that in the meetings held thrice every day, the guards are instructed about their duties and given suggestions on how to cultivate good thoughts in their minds. As anyone (read: almost everyone) who has had to stay up for the night to study for an exam would agree, staying awake without internet can be a gigantic pain in the posterior. And when you are responsible for the safety of many hundred students, staying awake and passing time during the wee hours of the night, every night of the week, is a challenging task in itself.
+
+Capable of bringing certain humanities departmental electives to shame; questions that are often discussed in these meetings are, 'What is life?' and 'Why is family important?'. The guards are also advised to think about God, being friendly with each other, and the importance of knowing the only campus rule, "Do not step on the lawns". Apart from this intellectual erudition, the guards are also taught about certain campus spots where they need to watch out for
+budding lovers, and when and where they need to check for ID-cards.  
+
+__Epilogue__
+
+It is said that a lifetime is not enough to fully explore the city of Rome. In a similar context, these 4-5 years of college life are probably inadequate to fully appreciate all the quirks this campus has to offer. A quick glance at the institute’s timeline (which is now uploaded on the official website of our institute) reveals the steady pace of IITR’s development. In our attempt to explore its various idiosyncrasies, we have tried to cover the major places of interest within the campus premises. Naturally, there are more mysteries to be uncovered and more myths to be busted. So if you ever find the iron gate in front of the Senate Steps or the one on Thomason Marg closed, be prepared. There might be an underlying story behind it. Or, it just might be getting very late and you should head back to your hostel.

_posts/2014-11-14-us-and-them.md

@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: Us and Them
+image: us-and-them.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: coverstory 
+excerpt: William Deresiewicz, essayist and literary critic created quite a stir recently by criticising Ivy League Universities for producing, from what he likes to describe the graduates as, excellent sheep. The article by William Deresiewicz paints a good picture of what college education should ideally be. Everyone is born with a mind, he writes, but it is only through introspection, observation, connecting the head and the heart, making meaning of experience and finding an organizing purpose that you build a unique individual self.
+---
+
+### The unwanted divide
+
+William Deresiewicz, essayist and literary critic created quite a stir recently by criticising Ivy League Universities for producing, from what he likes to describe the graduates as, excellent sheep. The article by William Deresiewicz paints a good picture of what college education should ideally be. Everyone is born with a mind, he writes, but it is only through introspection, observation, connecting the head and the heart, making meaning of experience and finding an organizing purpose that you build a unique individual self. This process, he argues, often begins in college, the interval of freedom when a person is away from both family and career. 
+
+During that interval, the young person can throw himself with reckless abandon at other people and learn from them. Some of these people are authors who have written great books. Some are professors who can teach intellectual rigor. Some are students who can share work that is intrinsically rewarding. 
+
+Superficially, any student or faculty in general might not find anything missing or out of the regular. Yet, the differences are visibly jarring to any student or faculty member who have had a stint in other institutes. It is difficult to ascertain whether the blame lies on the students for their mere resume-building approach to college coupled with the lack of genuine curiosity in their core, or on the complacency on part of the professors. Mayhaps both augment the other. Watch Out! News
+Agency sets out to investigate the non existent student-faculty interactions and ascertain the why and how.
+
+
+### The Ordinary Classroom Experience
+
+An ordinary lecture in any given ordinary day of an ordinary student at IIT R involves an hour long confrontation with audio and visual continuum of information. Truly, the rooms of Lecture Hall Complex are designed in the manner to support this advancement of technology. To professor’s dismay, this hasn’t helped with the hypnosis inducing effect of the powerpoint presentations.  The kind of slides used in our lectures are nothing like the ones conceived to turn routine lectures
+into interesting demonstrations. There are, however, some professors who still have their faith intact in the old chalk to black-board approach. Many students find themselves more comfortable with the chalk-to-board method than the stale approach of powerpoint presentation. “Things get faster to grasp once the professors pick up a chalk and start explaining on the board” adds Aman Kedia, CSE 3rd year, “By that you get ample time to make notes and even feel free to ask a doubt
+in between.” 
+
+Even so, there is not much scope in terms of the pedagogy involved, as the student faculty ratio takes care of that. According to a report in a newspaper that appreciates the beauty of nature TOI, the government stipulates that the IITs must have a teacher-student ratio of 1:10. While the average is 1:15, IIT Roorkee has the largest student faculty ratio at 1:20. Since recruiting faculty is a rigorous process, only a limited number of faculty can be hired every year. Although efforts are
+being taken by the institute, it is envisaged to take about 10 years to reach the optimum student faculty ratio. There are a few exceptions to it. Passing the buck to the student faculty ratio will however not move us an inch towards a better classroom experience. Asst. Prof. Balasubramanian, Computer Science Department explains why. ”The students are hesitant to ask questions in the classroom initially,“ says Dr. Balasubramanian. ”They must be open with the teacher and ask questions
+whenever they have any doubt. In order to avoid any communication gap I have made myself accessible to students by email and a facebook group. Out of my 3 hour lecture class per week, I keep half and hour for interaction with the students.” Prof. Balasubramanian sets a great example on behalf of the faculty members, in ensuring that students don’t hesitate while studying their courses. Efforts in a similar vein in our institute will promise to improve the effectiveness of classroom
+education. 
+
+
+### Bridging the Gap
+
+A significant number of  researches indicate that informal interaction of students with the faculty can go a long way. This interaction can play a substantial role in deciding the professional aspirations of the student along with several other academics related parameters. However cliched this piece of information may be, in a civilization like ours, our teachers play a dominant role in determining our identities.
+
+“There is a small jump in the level of studies when someone begins with engineering. The system has evolved in such a way that it is necessary to understand the fundamentals of science before actual engineering starts” Prof. D.K. Nauriyal, the Dean of Students’ Welfare, remarked when asked about a certain disconnect of the students with academics. “It is very crucial for the students to remain patient through this period so as to become a good engineer.” According to Prof.
+Nauriyal, this is the same reason students start to lose interest in the studies from the very beginning.
+ 
+ Earlier this semester, Prof. Nauriyal mentioned in an interview with WONA that the institute is  going to initiate, on a trial basis, a system of Faculty mentors for a small group of students. “We are going to monitor them closely and take weekly reports from the students and faculty about their performance. We will counsel them if they are still on the weaker side. Right now, we’re doing this for all the students who have a backlog and we’ll be extending this for all academically
+ weak students later”, adds the DOSW. A group of 4-5 professors will mentor about 15-20 students each. However it is unclear on when the programme will be initiated. Even though, this idea may appear to be in its nascent stage, it is a step closer in the right direction. “A mentorship program should be initiated in accordance with the student-teacher ratio“ Dr. Jogendra Nayak, from Department Of Management Studies, remarks, ”Students are far away from their families. Role of
+ the teachers is not only teaching, first is guidance. For a good counselling cell, from every department, one or two faculty members with adequate emotional quotient should be nominated.” WatchOut also believes that a formal programme for the first year undergraduate students can be envisioned where the students get a chance to know the professors from their departments. Once the ice is thawed, the students will be much more motivated to approach their professors for academic
+ or non academic related queries.
+
+
+### To Research and beyond
+
+ Research is one of the key areas where any institute’s contribution to the society can be measured. One of the certain ways to measure the quality of research in any Institute is to look at what the numbers have to say. According to Professor Anand Bulusu, sponsored research in our institute is 1/8th of the average of IITB, IITK, IITM and IITKGP. In terms of number of research papers the numbers stand par with the the older IITs. Even though the number of Ph.D. students have increased
+ substantially in the institute in the past few years, the state of undergraduate research remains an area where all the IITs face challenges.  
+
+ Many students are eager to engage in research but it is a case where expectations belie reality. Professor Anand Bulusu, ECE Department shines some light to this aspect. ”Undergraduate Research requires patience and time to build background. Students often lose interest and stop research abruptly. “ says Prof. Bulusu, ”As a consequence, Professors become highly selective in handing out research projects. A program like URA (IITB) needs to be implemented here too wherein the
+ students are academically awarded for their research efforts.” 
+ To those who are not aware, Society for Promotion of Undergraduate Research (SPUR) of IIT Bombay is the organization that has smoothened out the whole process for interested students. Undergraduate research programme (URA) in IIT Bombay. It consists of  three categories of awards:
+ URA 01 : It is a non-credit project that can be undertaken before the fourth year. It gets further reflected on a student’s resume.
+ URA 02 : Awarded for B Tech Projects (BTP). Bonus 6 credits are also awarded.
+ URA 03 : Awarded for Dual Degree Project (DDP). Bonus 6 credits are also awarded.
+
+ The quality and quantity of research projects under faculty members would increase substantially if something like this is initiated in IIT Roorkee. Some appreciation and a pat in the back would not be amiss in case of the students achieving something significant in research inspite of a demanding curriculum.
+
+
+### The Great Debate
+ The debate on the significance of 75% attendance rule has been going on for a long time. Since its inception, arguments, both for and against, have been laid down and battled upon on all the possible student forums. The rule still stands tall in IITR and also lays the foundation of a lot of possible disciplinary actions against students. Needless to say, proxy is the second most popular word in IITR after chapo.
+
+ Prof. P. Sateesh Kumar, head of ACM-IIT Roorkee Chapter, has another view on the whole debate. “Classroom provides the best platform for interaction and it is this interaction that gives depth to an engineer’s mind. Students should not miss classes at any cost.”  In general, it is observed that irregularity on behalf of the students in lectures, gives a negative feedback to the teacher in question. It further gets reflected in the grading process and hence hampers the overall
+ performance for the students. Most importantly, it destroys the understanding between the teacher and students and further increases the distrust.  
+ Some students might give arguments against the rule, pertaining to the nature of the subject, personal interest and methods of teaching adopted by teacher. The effect of their words, sadly, gets neglected due to a few cases of insincerity on behalf of certain students.  “In many cases we see the students themselves are reluctant to indulge into studies”, counters Supratim Dey, 3rd Year, GT. “There are students who do not ask doubts or attend classes for that matter in a
+ class, even after a professor’s motivation. We cannot simply blame it on the teacher.” Whatever the conclusion of this debate may be, the 75% attendance rule is a reality. Its implementation, however, remains subject to the professor in question. As a consequence, at the end of a semester, a substantial number of students can be found pestering the profs for leniency in this rule to prevent a back.  
+  
+
+### Conclusion
+
+Criticism can never be an approach to tackle any problem. To put things in perspective, our institute is a great place with a myriad congregation of individuals (be it professors, students or alumni). The interactions between them leads to exchange of powerful ideas on which an institution such as ours stand. The disciplines of science and engineering have evolved through this very process of discourse. We have tried to address the underlying issues that creates distrust between the teachers and students. This distrust is highly unacceptable as it gets reflected in activities that are beyond academics and demand an understanding between the students and the professors. Deresiewicz’s idea of college education may be too utopian for IITR’s taste, but with efforts from both the sides, we can make a better environment for learning and excellence here.

_posts/2015-04-04-career-series-abhijit-nimgaonkar.md

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Career Series: Abhijit Nimgaonkar, ZS Associates"
+image: zs-building.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: career 
+---
+
+Abhijit Nimgaonkar holds the position of a partner in ZS Associates which is a consulting firm. An ‘81 batch, Electrical and Electronics Engineering graduate from BITS Pilani and one of the most experienced names in the domain of Management Consultancy, Mr. Nimgaonkar is in-charge of the India Operations of the firm and heads the office of ZS in Pune.
+
+We present the transcript of a discussion we had with him over a cup of coffee during Cognizance 2015, pertaining to the work of a management consultant, his life in the corporate world and the students of IITR. Career Series is Watch Out!’s initiative to guide the soon-to-be graduate IITR junta in making a sound career choice. One of the first entries in the series, in conversation with Mr. Nimgaonkar:
+
+__Can you tell us something about Management Consultancy and the kind of job that a Management Consultant does?__  
+You must be aware about the terms called Mathematical Modeling and Data Analysis. In simple words, it is basically trying to reach a conclusion using data. It is applied to a wide range of Marketing and Sales related areas. That is simple maths. You might have a particular opinion about a particular sales or strategy. But how can you back that opinion or advice with facts and analysis that supports those facts? That’s what you call Business consulting. There are business decisions
+that need to made very quickly and incorporate this fact based and analysis based approach. For instance, in sales and marketing space you got to own the entire space. This can be done by making the sales people smarter about their job and for that they need information that can be used by the same to woo the customers and convince them to buy your product. This may come through identifying the right customers, having correct information to talk to them intelligently and convince them.
+Technology is used to do that, which is also termed as Technical consultancy.
+In the middle of that there is an operational practice too. We do analysis on the back-end data, procured through various channels, and provide digestive information that can be fed to the sales people, the managers etc. For mass audience you need these operations and technological solutions. For business consulting, it is about answering a question for Vice President of Marketing or Vice President of Sales which is a higher level of decision making. Management Consultancy is a
+union of all these three sets.
+
+
+__Can you tell us something about your early days in this domain?__  
+I graduated from BITS Pilani in Electrical and Electronics Engineering in 1981. After that, I did a job in a software company where I used to set up mainframe computers. After serving 4-5 years in that firm I joined ZS, which was a start-up at that point. I wasn’t very sure about joining it, but after I met the founder Prabhakant Sinha, an IIT-Kgp graduate and the then Professor in Kellogg School of Management I agreed to it. At that point, I was working on a project that involved writing the
+911 system for the city of Miami. I left that after its completion and joined the newly founded 20 membered firm. This brought both a challenge and an opportunity in my life. In retrospect, I believe that it was one of the wisest decisions I ever made. 
+
+__What are mistakes that you observe that people make an undergraduate level?__  
+What I observe is that people are very impatient. I am not sure if that’s just the IITs or your entire millennial generation but people wish to try a lot of new things very early in their lives. They are impatient and many times their aspirations can turn out to be unrealistic. I have a slightly different philosophy from what you might hear from the mainstream entrepreneurs and visionaries. I consciously try to manage, a balance between new ideas and expertise. I have realized
+over time is: Innovation depends on expertise. And expertise depends  on a mundane word called repetition. Practising what you’ve learnt makes you a true expertA and tcademia or entrepreneurship, this applies to many other domains too.
+
+__According to you, what has been the key to your success?__  
+I’ve just been very lucky. But there are a few other things that play an equally important role: You have to believe, first of all, in what you’re doing. The hard--work and the sincerity eventually pay-off but there are times when the pressure can get to you. Especially when you’re in a fast growth mode. But if you are persistent enough and remain focused, then success follows. 
+
+__What are the future prospects of Management Consultancy in India?__  
+Management consultancy, 25 years ago was very different from what it is now and I think that the change is going to continue that way. We have now small teams doing work in India that was once sold as a big consulting project 10 years ago. There has been an explosion of data. You must be familiar with the phrase of of Big Data. In short, it isa set of information that can be characterised with a lot parameters and variables.  Today, all sorts of decisions are driven by
+hard-core data that is collected over the internet through you and me and tThat data is making Amazon find out what book you’d like to read to what strategic decision that needs to made by a company. WAll of us are in the business of that and hence, the challenge here is to find out ways to handle that data. For instance,  there’s a client who submits us his business problems through web and it in itself becomes a consulting project for us. The strategy-making for a company has
+departed from being a traditional quarterly or half-yearly event to a much more exciting, real-time process.  In the core of it, I think that what we call Management consulting might change but the business problems would remain the same. 
+
+
+__What are the characteristics of a person that are needed to succeed in this domain?__  
+There are 3 characteristics of a good consultant: Treat people right.. Do the right thing. And. A gget the things right. People are the greatest assets in this area and one has to give them proper respect to each and every person he/she deals with. Apart from this, we face a lot of competition and in this age it is very crucial for a person to be honest and sincere towards the work. 
+Adding to that, a person might be very honest and courteous but after that it is extremely crucial  for a consultant to be analytical about a problem. Dealing with ambiguity, thinking through the problems and being confident about the facts before making decision, separates a good consultant from a mediocre one. 

_posts/2015-04-16-when-structures-become-shakles.md

@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: When Structures Become Shackles
+image: structures-shackles.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: coverstory 
+---
+
+Our institute, in some moments of acute apophenia of an overly enthusiastic Mechanical Engineering undergrad, can be visualized as a machine with innumerable gears running in mysterious synchronization. It is indeed commendable, for those men in the white building who have managed to disentangle the channel and jurisdiction of work despite its bizarre oddities. The issue however, gets raised over the efficiency and accuracy of the existing channels. Bureaucratic barriers, induced
+by the lethargy of employees and combined with a stereotypical atmosphere of the infamous government office, creates a painful experience for a student trying to pave his way through the process. At many points, the pedantic nature of the administration make the accomplishment of even the rudimentary tasks tedious and time-consuming.
+
+
+Watch Out! News Agency hence tries to point out the flaw in this existing machinery and explore the ways in which the splices can be removed to make the campus a better place to live. In the due process we mainly encounter the three frontiers of student community who have been fighting a constant, yet meaningless battle with the shenanigans of the administration: the technical groups (comprising of FSAE, Robocon and KNox), the Cultural Council and the Students’ Affairs
+Council.
+
+### Extreme Trajectory Hazard: FSAE, Robocon, KNOx
+
+Feels good that all those creative minds who, as toddlers were fascinated with the game of Mechanix made their way to this premiere institute where they now have spanners and grease on their hands. This campus is the home ground to various technical groups where students transform their ideas and innovations into reality. SAE is the umbrella organisation, under which functions: Team Robocon, FSAE and Team KNOx. These groups participate in the competitions where they are pitted
+against innumerable colleges across the country. Time over time these groups have done groundbreaking work and held their ground even in the worst circumstances but the last academic year did prove to be a disappointment for all the three groups.
+These groups function on the money received from sponsorship from various companies as well as the funds provided by the Alumni of the college. Roughly at the beginning of the autumn semester of 2014, the administration passed a decree to shut down all the Alumni funding of these groups and make the Institute the lone benefactor of these projects. At that time this came as relief to the groups and they submitted a budget, waiting for approval. However, after much deliberation this
+decision was overruled and the norms were restored to the older ones. “A lot of time was lost due to this deadlock and we were far behind our schedules”, said Aman Gupta, finance secretary of Team KNOx; the team had to skip a year of competition at BAJA SAE India. Similar was the fate of Team Robocon and FSAE as well.
+The imposition of the ban on alumni funding has been the result of complains from the alumni regarding the inability to maintain the account of the money being invested by them for the benefit of the students. Although the confrontation is legit, it is outright atrocity on the part of the institute to address it by withholding all the technical groups responsible for it.
+Somewhere there is a lack of trust between the students and the administrations and that prevents the students from triumphing to their potential. “If funds can be allotted to the Hobbies Club, they can be provided to the technical groups like us as well”, said Prakhar Agrawal, secretary of Team Robocon, who asserted that strategizing the entire process of procurement of funds is the solution to the problem and not these point-blank prohibitions.
+
+
+### The Cult Conundrum
+
+Each member of the cult knows enough sorcery to be able to cast a spell on the muggles of the R-land when life gets terribly mundane by the excellent show of their skills. The cultural society does constitute a major chunk of the student activity in the college and these aficionados of art play a pivotal role in making life interesting in IITR. Be it dance, music, drama and many others; the final demonstration in front of the audience, needs back-breaking practice hours.
+However there is more to it. These guys have to do a lot more to run the errands around this place. Things pertaining to permissions and approvals, which are tedious and can be comfortably termed as redundant.
+
+The major issue is regarding the permission to use the department, or the LHC for any activity. The lecture rooms of any department can be used only till 8 o’clock in the evening and not more. Since, the classes are extended till six; it leaves just an hour to sum up the entire thing. This comes as a great displeasure to many. “The administration does not let us use the rooms and the auditorium beyond 8 pm which is very inconvenient, most of the events start at 6.30 pm. Now
+that the in time for girls has been extended to 11 pm, it would be ideal if they could start trusting us with the keys thereby letting us conduct our events between 8 pm and 11 pm. This would also encourage students who are a part of NSO to attend our events”, said Dhanush Hangal, the secretary of the Literary Section. Similar is the discontent of all the groups who have to use the department facility for conducting intro talks and the interview tests.  
+
+The time constraint is primarily due to the fact that the caretakers, who need to attend to the activities in the department, are officially employed till six. There isn’t a mechanism which can mandate them to stay beyond the working hours. This often leads to ___ payments which are out of the student’s pockets to make them stay till the undertakings are over. The amount is meagre but unjustified, nonetheless. Even to get this 90 minutes window, one has to go up a directorial ladder,
+obtaining permissions at each level. After checking for availability with the OC maintenance, the permission to use a classroom has to go through two stages of approvals from the faculty advisors; only to land on the HOD’s desk, who has the final discretion over the matter.
+
+Many of the other facilities which should ideally be at the disposal of the students are made chargeable. For instance, a sum of money, which amounts to around Rs. 1500-2000 is meant to be paid to the maintenance facility for using the OP Jain Auditorium. The money needs to be pooled in by the students first and is reimbursed later by the cultural council. If the money is to be transferred between two departments of the institute itself, the need for the students to manually
+intermediate the process is dispensable. “A huge amount is to be paid for booking the auditorium, which I think is unnecessary for the students of the institute, to the least. These facilities are open for the students in IITD, as and when they need it and not after running the application through three signing faculties, which takes a couple of days”, said Akshay Agrawal, the secretary of Dramatics Section.
+
+The Music Section has its own set of woes. They are allotted a room in the administrative block next to the control rooms. Their predicament lies in the fact that they need permission to issue the instruments for every show and there is no way around it. “We are the Music Section, the instruments should be available as per our convenience. The instruments are locked up in the inventories right besides; it is not even locked but we can’t enter”, says Manush Gupta,
+secretary of the Music Section. The section also feels deprived of the authority to use the Music room apart from the scheduled timings of six to eight in the evening, even when a show is due for the coming weekend. The members of the section believe that they would give get longer practising hours if the section was opened at other timings too. “Handing us keys to the section would solve innumerable problems”, further adds the Secretary.
+
+A lot of problems are believed to be solved by the opening of the new Multi Activity Centre in the vicinity of RKB. But it doesn’t end here. An underlying fact that needs to be understood by the relevant authorities is that the system needs to be freed from the current bureaucratic entanglements. Students need to be trusted with the property of the institutes so that its resources can be utilised efficiently. Power to the students, just enough, such that they have the liberty
+to make decisions like when and where to practice, is necessary to increase the quality of the output. The current levels of hierarchy in the white-colored house, contribute more to increasing the perplexity of the process then systematizing it.
+ 
+         
+### The Myth of Student Representation
+
+It is matter of great concern and sincere introspection for IITR administration when one of the student representatives openly admits the following statement: “There is no such thing as Student Representation in IITR”. The candid frankness combined with the weight of the position from where the aforementioned statement originates, effectively suspends all hopes of a positive change that an average IITR student dreams of in his campus. “The administration encourage students to give ideas but it’s up to them whether they choose to welcome it or not”, remarks Rajveer Jaat, Treasurer (SAC 2014-15). In an extended conversation with the Treasurer, we also got a chance to ponder upon the attitude of the administration towards the student activities that are organized in IITR. “Macroscopically, if you’ll see then you would observe that students are doing the work and professors are guiding them. Reality is that anything that is happening around you is being done with the permission of a professor. For instance, if Cultural Society decides to do something then it is doing it their advisor’s way, not on their own. Independence is missing everywhere. Even the Professors among themselves praise each other after a successful event instead of praising the students for the efforts they’ve put in”, adds Rajveer.
+
+The attitude of the administration is evident from looking at the long bureaucratic procedures involved in getting a simple permission any random activity on the campus. The elected student representative in question, attributes this to the lack of trust displayed by the IITR administration on the students. “Our institute does not believe in the students. Not at all. Administration doesn’t think that we are responsible adults. There is a trust issue. Unless you have a signature or forward from a faculty, the Dean office would reject your application”, says the Treasurer, when asked about what would it take for an ordinary student to get approval for a student activity. “If at all you approach them with some idea of event or initiative, they would ask you to come via a certain student body. This means that your idea shall pass through a faculty advisor. If it survives, even then there’s a big possibility that your event or idea might be scrapped citing some reason that they think is correct. This de-motivates the student”.
+
+### Breaking Free
+
+The Multi-Activity Centre, even after a rather unorthodox architecture (we acknowledge the fact that any random Archi guy would use a better adjective) emerges as a boon to the plight of Quizzing and Music section. It is also believed that even Choreography and Dance section would get a proper room to practise for their performances and, without a doubt, for their farewell function. On a serious note, the emergence of MAC is one of the most important things that have been achieved in this academic year and is set to have a defining impact on the quality of student activities we see today.
+
+The future of technical groups like FSAE and Robocon also hangs at a delicate point. The faculty members serving as the guardians of these section should accept the tenacity of the enthusiasm that binds the members together. The students on the other hand need to be sensible enough when it comes to the size of the funding they demand. It becomes crucial that the encouragement and appreciation they are expecting from the administration would take its time and hence measures for availing the funds from them should be made in small steps. 
+
+It is evident from the frustration of students occupying the central position in the SAC that the day when the administration would openly admit the faults in the system and take concrete steps in revamping it, are far far away. We might not exactly be living in a dystopian, almost-Orwellian universe as much as many vocal students might choose write on public forums, but indeed the sense of an abstract lethargy can be experienced when one heckles with the system for a small favor. Speculations suggest that the next semester would see the appointment of a technical secretary in the SAC, who would represent these technical groups in the assembly. Only time will tell whether this would actually help the engineers or this would impede the already sluggish administrative machinery of IITR.

_posts/2015-04-25-dhun-15.md

@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: Dhun'15
+image: dhun-15.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: cultural 
+---
+
+The cultural week began with the much awaited show of the semester by the Music Section. Much awaited, because for the first time in many years, the Open Air Theater was finalized as the hosting place for the show. A place best suited to head-bang and enjoy rock music matching the spirit with which it is played, OAT has been one of the most underutilised places in our campus. Anticipating a Battle of Bands/MJGF worthy concert, the crowd gathered on a fine Monday evening to a
+rock-concert worthy backdrop which was apparently crafted by the members of the Music section themselves.
+
+The setlist of the show was exquisitely chosen with some mind-numbing tracks of ‘Flying’ by Anathema, ‘Holy Drinker’ by Steven Wilson, Madcon’s 'Beggin' and 'Titanium' by Sia. The popular hindi tracks of ‘Aao na’, 'Jee Karda', 'Zarra Zarra' and evergreen ‘Dum Maro Dum’ combined with all-time favourite English rock number, ‘Baba O’Riley’ by The Who, promised a show that the artists of Music section had been waiting for quite some time.
+
+Keeping in mind the excitement created by the posters for the countdown of the event, the evening sadly didn't turn out the way as it was expected. From a technical point of view, the sound-check was not done properly prior to the event. As a result, the crowd occupying a major area in front of the stage didn't experience the full impact of the music and some great performances were rendered reaction-less with almost no hint of enthusiasm from the audience. Some of the disgruntled junta
+of IITR after the show, attributed this incident to the mediocrity displayed by the Audio section. This however is not the first time a mishap in Music Section's performance has taken place due to the audio system.
+
+Apart from the fundamental issue of the voice of the artists not reaching the ears of the audience, Music section continues to fight a bureaucratic battle with the Cultural Society. The lamentable state of equipments in the music room combined with a lack of proper practise on behalf of the members due to restricted timings of the section, plays a major role in the outcome of an event like this. Adding to that, it should be noted that the section gets the access to the main
+stage two days prior to the event which, in their opinion is nowhere near sufficient to pull off a flawless concert.
+
+It must be understood that attributing all the blame to Audio Section is a little unfair. The musician enjoys the spotlight and the praise and in this process, Audio always takes a back-seat. Even as members, the incentives for them to work hard are quite low since the success of a concert is inevitably attributed to the dexterity of the musicians and not to the technical support crew. The overall outcome of the show was not very positive. The song, Baba O'Riley, which was meant to
+be the show-stopper for the evening was enjoyed by only around half of the population that was initially present.
+Dhun, being the penultimate event of the Spring semester (and ultimate for a majority of seniors of the Music Section) holds an important place in the hearts of music lovers of the campus. A mishap like Dhun'15, for whatever reasons there may be, should not get repeated.

_posts/2015-08-11-of-facts-and-pacts-1.md

@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 layout: post
 title: "OF PACTS AND FACTS #1 : AN OVERVIEW"
 tags: [wona, column]
-category: editorial
+category: sac
+image: sac.jpg
 excerpt: It is something everyone talks about and takes a passing interest in. But when it comes to casting votes, most of the junta can be found feigning sweet slumber on that fateful Sunday morning. And hence, politics at IIT Roorkee inevitably boils down to a select set of kingmakers and their minions.
 ---
 In one, among the last few senate sessions of the previous semester, a bill was passed, that changed the face of student representation on the campus once and for all. The regular structure of SAC was dissolved and replaced by an independent system where anyone could contest and everyone would vote.

_posts/2015-08-13-of-facts-and-pacts-2.md

@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 layout: post
 title: "OF PACTS AND FACTS #2 - THE STRUCTURE"
 tags: [wona, column]
-category: editorial
+category: sac
+image: sac.jpg
 excerpt: In this piece, the second of a series, Watch Out! takes a look at the reasons behind this perception and at the reforms which have been announced to how the junta elects its representatives.
 ---
 What is the SAC? How does it function, and who are its representatives? Beyond a few fuzzy beliefs, an unnervingly large section of the student population has little, if any answer to these questions. There is a temptation to blame many of the issues associated with the SAC on so-called “poly” and a flawed election system, an assumption which does hold true, but only partially in light of the actual powers of the SAC.  

_posts/2015-08-20-of-facts-and-pacts-3.md

@@ -2,12 +2,13 @@
 layout: post
 title: "OF PACTS AND FACTS #3 : THE ANALYSIS"
 tags: [wona, column]
-category: editorial
+category: sac
+image: sac.jpg
 excerpt: The pre-existing power has been broken down to pieces and redistributed. But further empowerment has been ominously disregarded. Even more disturbingly, there has been no discussion of handing more power to the students. The system is still wholly patronizing, regarding a campus full of adults like petulant children unable to think for themselves.
 ---
 In the third and the last of the series, ‘Of Pacts and Facts’, Watch Out! scrutinizes the reforms and its repercussions at a microscopic level.
 
-###RESPONSIBILITIES REDEFINED
+### RESPONSIBILITIES REDEFINED
 
 The spirit of the reforms can be encapsulated in a single phrase – Task specificity.
 
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ The removal of the vaguely demarcated, all-encompassing posts of the past and in
 
 The clear definition of the responsibilities each post entails and the increased emphasis on set manifestos will also lead to higher accountability and lesser shirking of responsibility among the elected members.
 
-###OF PACTS AND FACTS
+### OF PACTS AND FACTS
 
 In a candid chat with WatchOut!, D.K. Nauriyal,  Dean of Student Welfare, admits that huge regional influences and cases of intimidation among the students were prime motivators to initiate changes in the election process.  
 
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ And indeed, even after the reforms, factionalism has reared its ugly head yet ag
 
 The nagging presence of regionalism also threatens the possibility of a divided SAC. A core committee comprised of candidates with different political affiliations and divergent agendas is a realistic possibility. This might, however, turn out to be a blessing in disguise. If channelized properly, this can lead to constructive discussions and progressive decisions.
 
-###THE CHAOS IN THE CAMPAIGN
+### THE CHAOS IN THE CAMPAIGN
 
 This election, the first of its kind, is unprecedented in terms of numbers. The electorate consists of a whopping 8000 for the institute level posts. Every candidate is expected to reach out to the entire campus within a span of a single week. That boils down to a 1000 people a day.  
 
@@ -63,7 +64,7 @@ This also tilts the balance unduly in favour of the boys. With the curfew and re
 In IIT KGP and IITB where similar systems of elections are followed, central debates for every post are conducted right before the elections; a common platform within the span of a single evening where all the candidates are allowed to appear on stage, address the audience and be questioned. In addition to this, student media bodies in other IITs are allowed a fair amount of leeway to function, to fulfill the role of media in a full fledged democracy.
 
 
-###IS STUDENT REPRESENTATION A MYTH?
+### IS STUDENT REPRESENTATION A MYTH?
 
 Democracy, in essence, is about empowering the masses. It is about shifting power to the people. In a true democracy, the decisions are made by the masses. Their representatives act as the medium to effect these decisions.  
 
@@ -85,7 +86,7 @@ On being asked about the same, Vamshi Chowdary, ex president of SAC, offers a ra
 
 This regularly exhibits itself in the form of decisions taken without adequate consultation with those they affect. Case in point, the recent expulsion fiasco, where the SAC, like the rest of the campus, was reduced to a mere spectator.
 
-###ASSUMPTIONS AND APPREHENSIONS
+### ASSUMPTIONS AND APPREHENSIONS
 
 Everything we knew about the elections has changed and this is no man’s land now. The focus of the reforms has been on increasing the power of the ballot. But we have identified more than a few grey areas.  
 

_posts/2015-08-21-worc-reforms.md

@@ -1,10 +0,0 @@
----
-layout : post
-title : "WORC - Election Reforms"
-tags: [wona, column, sac]
-category: sac
-excerpt: From dictatorial campaign rules to curbed leeway, there were enough reasons for the candidates to be vexed right from the start. Even the most apathetic voter has been victim, with the administration imposing restraints on inter-bhawan movements and gatherings on campus. As the whole campus brims with door to door campaigns and last minute calculations, WatchOut!, revamps the WatchOut! Redressal Cell (WORC) and sets out to examine how the IITR junta respond to the mighty election campaigns and the resulting restrictions to life on campus.
----
-<iframe width="720" height="415"
-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YHoJ-z9zXlQ">
-</iframe>

_posts/2015-10-10-conversation-doa.md

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: In conversation with the Dean of Academics 
+image: main-building.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: verbatim 
+---
+
+The administration and the students might not share the same standpoint if it came down to tagging certain campus issues as problems. Chances of seeing eye to eye in the choice of solutions to issues that both parties even agreed on tagging as problems might prove to be bleak. Discussing affairs in a conversation with Professor Pramod Agarwal, the Dean of Academics, Watch Out! tries to find answers to some (often unanswered) questions. An insight into the system’s modus operandi:
+
+_On feedback forms -_
+
+__WONA:__ The close of every semester requires the filling out of feedback forms by the students. How are these response forms handled and how do they contribute to the constitution of the teaching staff in the semesters that follow?  
+__DoA:__ The response forms help the teachers learn where improvements can be made in the teaching pattern. Officially the HOD may ask the teacher to do the same if the student feedback reflects high levels of dissatisfaction. In addition to this, the response forms serve as one of the bases while shelling out the Outstanding Teacher Award every year.
+
+__WONA:__ Little in the system seems to have changed despite the students’ feedback being repeatedly negative in several cases. Do we have any other forum through which the students can voice their opinions? Or any other body that addresses pedagogical grievances or academic queries through direct student-professor interaction?  
+__DoA:__ We have now started the online response forms which are considered to be more authentic. As for the student-teacher interaction, every department is supposed to have a Student Consultative Committee. The Electrical Department has one such functioning committee, with the HOD, chairman DRP, chairman DAPC and student representatives from every year. The committee meets twice a semester and based on the feedback received, a lot of improvements have been made in the
+system. In most of the other departments, however, this committee has not yet been formed.
+
+_On Undergraduate research -_
+
+__WONA:__ Do we have a defined procedure to take projects up at the Undergraduate level? The absence of proper procedural knowledge makes it no picnic to start working on a topic of interest.  
+__DoA:__ Interested students can approach the faculty members directly. To help the students with this, we have already notified and requested all the departments to maintain displays of the information relevant to projects at the UG as well as the PG level. Deals for purchasing LCD screens for the same are underway. We also aim to start an annual newsletter intended to carry the details regarding B.Tech, M.Tech and consultancy projects for each department.
+
+__WONA:__ Many students face problems while trying to take up interdisciplinary projects for their BTP. Is there a possibility that they might be denied the permission because grading becomes difficult with the involvement of more than one department?  
+__DoA:__ No, not at all.  In the last few years I have seen students taking up interdisciplinary B.Tech projects. The Committee from the mother department goes to the other department in order to carry out the evaluation of the project. Of course, if the student himself has contacted the faculty members or if they already have a project running in collaboration with each other, it is up to them to decide what the problems in engaging a student under the project can be.
+
+_On rules and fines -_
+
+__WONA:__ In order to repeat a course and avoid an year back, how does the payment of Rs.45,000 as penalty by the students justify being a solution ?  
+__DoA:__ As per the rule, you cannot register for the 3rd year if you haven’t cleared the 1st year and if you have not cleared 2nd year, you cannot, similarly, register for the 4th year. I would, in fact, say that it’s a Rs.45,000 discount because being unable to register for the 3rd year owing to a hold-up in the 1st sem would demand you to skip that particular sem while paying its fees nonetheless. This means working for an additional sem and thus, an extension in your stay
+here. Paying the fine lets you complete your degree within the designated time interval.
+
+__WONA:__ In addition to the 5 CGPA expulsion rule, has any other rule been implemented in this direction ?  
+__DoA:__ We have completely revamped the grading system for the first year in order to get rid of the anomalies in the 5 CGPA rule. We are now planning to implement a new rule that outlines that if a student fails in 1 or 2 courses in the 1st year, he will be put under “low pace” category, requiring him/her to complete the course in 5 or 6 years, instead of 4 years. The 5 CGPA rule is only for the 1st yearites. The low pace course shall, however, apply to all the
+students from the first three years in college and so, will not bank on this rule.
+
+__WONA:__ What sort of assistance do the students put under academic probation get from the system? There was some talk of a Student Mentorship Programme earlier this year.  
+__DoA:__ Meetings with these students are being conducted and they are being advised to be more regular and careful about their studies. As for the Student Mentorship Programme, I personally feel that we cannot have a system for everything. You are always free to consult the faculty and your seniors whenever you need guidance. In fact, I always ask my students to come to me for clearing doubts in any subject. If I can solve, I will definitely help.

_posts/2015-11-15-inter-iit-15.md

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: Inter-IIT'15 and Udghosh
+image: inter-iit-15.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: sports
+---
+
+After the conclusion of the Inter-IIT aquatics meet held at IIT Madras and Udghosh 2015 held at IIT Kanpur, Watch Out News Agency, in a talk with Kuber Dutt Sharma, GS Sports, attempted to analyse the performance of IIT-R contingent, the future plans of the Sports Council and probe into some lesser known behind-the-scenes facts about the Sports division.
+
+Addressing the concern about the aquatics team’s debacle, he admitted to the ignominy and regarded the graduation of the old, experienced and talented members as the primary concern. He was hopeful of rebuilding a new team which could take us to the helm. The hope also rests with other sports as the inexperienced contingent at Udghosh gave a sterling performance in spite of losing some key seniors and finished as overall runners up. The team structure will be changed to
+include team hierarchy to address this issue. It is to be noted that the inability of acquiring proper aquatics coaches was another major factor. Needless to say, with the current geographical location and the post not coming under the government pay scale, there are not enough incentives for coaches to head towards R-land. Even if the Sports Council starts thinking of replicating the sports structure of other major IITs, the answers again point to the weather and location of
+Roorkee which badly limit the practice hours of the aquatics contingent unlike other IITs like Madras and Bombay. A temperature controlled pool has been dismissed as being beyond the budget of the institution, but the Sports Council remains optimistic about broaching the issue again. The proposal is underway to modify the timings of the Sports Complex so as to ensure proper access to every sports enthusiast on campus. Regarding the possibility of training our sportsmen at Noida
+extension campus under professional and international coaches who would otherwise hesitate to come to Roorkee, the response was rather allusive. “The infrastructure there”, says Kuber, “is not very developed and the institute is trying its best to train its sportsmen. For instance, the athletics team was sent to Dehradun to train on synthetic tracks.”
+
+There were also some revelations on the future plans of the Sports Council. The participants in Sangram were disadvantaged with a very short prep time last year but that won’t be the case this year. Some good infrastructural and structural changes are on a roll. For instance, a new gym is being built which will greatly improve the sporting scenario. Taekwondo has been included under the Sports Council. The wastage of sporting equipments is a sad practice, and those
+will now be utilised to train students of Anushruti, ABN etc. so as to equip them with better facilities. These equipments will be used to promote sports in nearby villages in association with NSS.
+
+How these changes affect the fortunes of the institute in the upcoming Inter-IIT and Sangram remains to be seen.

_posts/2016-01-15-trial-and-error.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
 layout: post
-title: Trail And Error
+title: Trial And Error
 image: mac-front.JPG
 tags: [wona, column]
 category: bigstory 

_posts/2016-07-28-stupid-little-humans.md

@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: Stupid Little Humans
+image: rajendra-bhawan.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: editorial 
+---
+
+Humans are the only species to have evolved so gracefully that they have had the ability to use their brains at a creative level. Add to that, we were given the chance to do what we wanted to with _one whole planet_ as we deemed fit. Think about it. We were given the chance to build a masterpiece. A masterpiece we could live in!
+
+__What did we do instead?__  
+Let me reiterate the fact that I mentioned while opening this article before answering the question. Humans are the only species that had the resources to build their own kingdom. And what did we do instead?
+
+We started making a series of stupid decisions.
+
+In all probability, it started with that guy who said “Well, let’s capture other territories and rule over people.” Say it aloud. Now think about how absurd that sounds! It’s like you’re eating a pizza: a beautifully baked pizza loaded with the choicest of toppings, with herbs and spices that flirt with the perfect, gooey cheese, and so much of it that you can barely finish it yourself. Then you see another guy, enjoying _almost_ the same pizza; maybe he traded the pepperoni for some barbecued chicken, whatever. You see this, throw your pizza away, and go snatch this guy’s pizza. And we all know what happens when you snatch somebody’s pizza. War ensues.
+
+_I’m sure like any warm blooded human you lost your senses to understand the metaphor as soon as I mentioned pizza. I don’t blame you. In fact I’m just going to take a little break and help you get back on track. Pizza, here, equals land or territories that were attacked. You’re welcome._
+
+You’d think we’d stop at this one massive error in judgement, but no. Some of us still want a bite of that pizza that is out of bounds. And the other half of us who got bored of wars and bloodbaths found leisure somewhere else. For example, we decided to download Instagram and make the Kardashians famous. Then we ourselves took a shot at getting famous by using doggy-filters on Snapchat. Not to mention, it didn’t really work. We deface buses and roads because someone posts something on Twitter. What’s funny is, all that’s just about the virtual world.
+
+In the real world, we have almost made Donald Trump the most powerful person on the planet. We let our celebrities drive cars on footpaths, and reward them not only with a free get-out-of-jail card, we give them hundreds of crores of rupees for telling us a stupid story about a rustic,brawny man who kills goons, falls in love with some girl (who 9 out of 10 times is Sonakshi Sinha), dances to a reckless lyric-music combination (with a disaster of a cameo by some wannabe rapper), and then kills the leader of those goons. Every damn year.
+We think that our environment like a bouncy air-castle on which we could just recklessly jump around while we ignore the fact that one poke sharp enough might render us all obsolete. We think climate change is a hoax, and kill dolphins while trying to take selfies with them.
+
+Speaking of hoaxes, we built the concept of religion to help us feel safe. And as a back-up to religion, we build the concept of romantic love : something that we claimed would be strong enough when the strongest of our belief fails. Now I don’t know when you are reading this, but with absolute certainty, I can say that someone killed someone because of either love or religion right about now.
+
+I hope you’re all convinced that humans are a stupid bunch of people. But there’s still this one unanswered question.
+
+Why did I go on this long rant about humans and their follies, you ask? Why did I go out of my way to establish that making stupid, immature and reckless decisions that are almost always catastrophic is a distinctly human virtue?
+
+Well, it’s because I want you to feel good about yourself. I want you to know that you made the most quintessentially Indian mistake you could’ve made: you fell prey the _‘engineering
+lele bohot scope hai’_ prank that (I do not understand why) our elders have been playing on us. You had the brains, but you made a stupid move. And it’s okay. We’ve been there too. The good news is, you’ve chosen IITR, the perfect place to nullify this mistake of yours.
+
+_Or have you?_

_posts/2016-07-30-summer-diaries-inria-research-centre-paris.md

@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Inria Research Centre, Paris"
+image: inria-saclay.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: summer2016 
+---
+
+_Shashank Anand is a 4th year student in the Department of Civil Engineering. Read on as he recounts his experience of working with the POEMS team at the Inria Research Centre, Paris during the summers of 2016._
+
+### Making it there:
+Having secured a decent CGPA and after getting a positive reply from Germany, I decided to apply for the venerated DAAD Scholarship. However, thanks to my dreadful luck, I could not apply for it as my mentor decided to move to USA in October end and I was left with no other options.  
+Unbowed, unbent and unbroken, I started looking for other opportunities and came across the Charpak Internship Program for France. Subsequently, I sent applications for an internship position.
+
+I got a positive reply from the POEMS team (INRIA Research Centre, Saclay) and applied for Charpak Research Internship Program 2016. (For all the details about the programme, visit this link, [http://www.inde.campusfrance.org/en/page/charpak-research-internship-program](http://www.inde.campusfrance.org/en/page/charpak-research-internship-program)). This program is really competitive unlike Daad Scholarship Program for Germany. I was one of the 25 students from all over India to be awarded this Scholarship by the French Embassy.
+
+I was getting paid by my lab as well as the Charpak Scholarship Programme. All the important arrangements were taken care of by Campus-France team (an enterprise responsible for promoting French higher education).
+
+Alluding to France, they have summer vacations till August and winter vacations in November end to December. So the most advisable duration of apping would be September End to Mid November and if you are not successful in securing a position then you can also try in January-February. 
+
+From my personal experience there are two things that matter the most in your application. 
+
+* __Length:__ The length of your email should be as small as possible touching upon only the most relevant details. 
+
+* __Content:__ Key things for getting a positive reply.  
+
+  * Why have you applied for that particular professor or you may discuss something from his/her personal page.
+
+  * Your experiences in the field of research you are applying for and your expectations from the internship.
+
+
+
+![Inria center, Paris](/images/posts/inria-paris.png)
+*The place: Inria Research Centre, Saclay, Paris*
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+### Work:
+
+My area of interest lies in the field of High Performance Computation. I got an opportunity to work in POEMS team (INRIA, Saclay) on the aforementioned topic. The research theme of the team is centered on the conception, analysis, numerical approximation and control of mathematical models for the description of wave propagation phenomena. 
+
+My mentor was trying to simulate three dimensional propagation of elastodynamic wave, but the computational cost was too high for practical purpose and this is the point where my internship work started. The first week’s work involved reading literature and understanding the problem. In the second week, after having long technical discussions with my mentor, I proposed a roadmap to deal with this problem and I started working on that. By the end of my intriguing internship, I
+was successful in reducing the computational cost by a considerable amount.
+
+Talking about the working culture of the team, there was an optimum balance between creativity and discipline. I was enthralled by the the passion everyone showed in what they were pursuing. All the team members used to go together for lunch which was really delicious. We used to have informal conversations on topics ranging from European girls to Brexit. Every Friday evening there used to be a barbecue, a perfect start for the weekend. 
+
+### What’s to love about the place?
+
+![Shashank Anand pencil sketch](/images/posts/shashank-anand.jpg){: style="height: 500px;"}
+*Return gift from one of my friends, for a wholesome meal of daal*
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+* __Weekends in Paris__  
+I was lucky to get an internship in the city of lights, Paris. I spent my three weeks exploring Paris which is not enough to explore this alluring place. One weekend, I prepared typical Indian daal for my French friends and they loved it. One of my really good friends Florent, who was also my lab mate, made a sketch of mine as a return gift.    
+Walking through the streets of Paris was an unparalleled experience. Just wandering through the city is entertaining full with resplendent insights into the history, art and romance of the place.  
+Fortunately, I visited Paris during Euro Cup tournament. The ambience on the streets of Paris during the match of France in Euro Cup was nonpareil. After the historic win of France over Germany, people went crazy and then I realised that one could feel the heat of an India vs. Pakistan cricket match even in France. Everyone was celebrating as if they had won the tournament. I got to see the final match in the fan zone in front of Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately, France lost to Portugal and after the match you could see the France supporters walking like zombies across the streets.  
+      
+* __Travelling around__  
+Being a travel buff, I had some special plans for spending my weekends. Summer is the best time in Europe to travel. I visited different places like Saint Michaels, Marseilles, Rennes, Bruges, Brussels, and Amsterdam etc. You can also go for some adventurous sports like hiking in Calanque in Southern France which was awesome. 
+
+* __People and Food__  
+People are really helpful in Europe. So you will not find any problem. Yes, you need to be a bit careful but there is nothing to be scared of.  Personally, I loved the French food. I tried different kind of meal, cookies, chocolates, and drinks. While travelling I preferred to stay with the locals rather than in hotels. You get to know their lifestyle and typical local food which in itself is a unique experience.
+
+### Takeaways: 
+
+To conclude, I would like to say that my internship has definitely given me a better understanding of my skill set and where my career may take me, but most importantly, I’ve come to learn that you must be passionate about what you are pursuing. Don’t just sit in your cabin and do regular work, take a look at the things around you, talk to your lab-mates, try to know their perspective, these things matter a lot. 
+
+In the end I would like to say that there are many excellent opportunities waiting for you, all you have to do is start exploring your way out.  Chase the idea of happiness and success will find you! 
+
+
+_If you have an internship experience you’d like to share, write to us at watchout.iitr@gmail.com_

_posts/2016-08-02-summer-diaries-citigroup.md

@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries : Citigroup"
+image: citi.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: summer2016 
+---
+
+_Aman Srivastava is a 4th year student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Read on as he recounts his experience of working with Citigroup, Pune during the summers of 2016._
+
+### Making it there
+
+Citigroup arrives on the campus for interns fairly early during the internship season. Though the company only invites applications from Computer Science, Electronics and Electrical students, you are given an option to send your resume to them even if you are not in the mentioned branches and have a good programming background. They do shortlist people from the resumes they receive, as in my case. 
+
+The rest of the process is pretty standard. They have an initial programming and general aptitude test comprising of multiple choice questions on Data Structures and Algorithms and 2 stand alone coding questions. The test is pretty long so make sure you maintain your seriousness and focus throughout. Also you have an option to choose between C++ and JAVA depending on your comfort before starting the test. Once you clear the test, you have to go through a technical interview followed
+by an HR round. Both of these rounds are pretty easy to crack. They mainly judge you on your personality, communication skills and extra curriculars. 
+
+### Work
+
+Citi likes to call itself “An IT firm with a banking licence”. So evidently the company puts a lot of focus on the quality of its software infrastructure, all the software that the company uses over the world is developed internally. Something that is equally putting off and fascinating, depending on how you look at it, is that the firm is extremely concerned by the security of its network, meaning that you are not allowed to install anything on your system that is not
+approved by the IT team. Sometimes the approval process takes weeks to complete. 
+
+![Citigroup](/images/posts/citi-1.png){: style="width: 45%;"}
+*Sex and the Citi*
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+As far as the workload is concerned, it is not really taxing. You might even feel too unoccupied at work at times, but then you really learn to ask people for work. The aim of the internship is not to contribute humongous amounts of code but to get a glimpse into the corporate world and see how Citi as an institution functions. The work hours usually depend on the team you have been assigned to. For me, I usually worked from 11-7 on regular days. The company requires you to wear formals
+to work except on fridays. 
+
+
+![Citigroup office](/images/posts/citi-3.png){: style="width: 45%;"}
+*The workplace*
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+
+You are basically assigned a project that you have to complete and present it during the final week of your intern. All of the interns have generally their own independent projects in different teams. As a part of the CIB (Corporate Investment Banking) team, I had to deal with the Investment Bankers who were part of Citi Offices over the world and develop software as per their requirements. I was able to complete three different projects during my time there. One of them involved
+automating the process of rollback, backup and network filecopy while deployment of applications by other developers. The project was immediately pushed to production and became popular with all the developers within no time, by the time I left it was being used by over a hundred applications. Another project that I worked on was to parse SQL stored procedures before sending them to deployment, the parser I developed was written in Groovy which is a Java framework. During the
+intern I got experience with working with shell scripting, Java, .NET MVC, Angular.js and several other technologies are being used in the industry currently.
+
+The workspace given to you is equipped with dual monitors and a desk phone. Since all the interns are in different teams, you might not even see some of them regularly. The company offers a lot of perks at workplace. There are numerous coffee/tea and vending machine across the floor,
+these are also accompanied by foosball tables and carrom boards. 
+
+The office is located at Pune’s most beautiful IT park, other giants around citi are Barclays, Symantec, Vodafone, Credit Suisse etc. Every cluster in the IT park has its own huge cafeteria with vendors like Subway, Dominos etc. Believe me, out of all the things, you won’t get bored of the food. 
+
+### Place
+
+Pune offers you all the luxuries of a metropolitan while subtly maintaining its rustic feel. Depending on how you like to spend your evenings, the city has everything on display, be it nightlife or just a pleasant walk around the park. Locals say that if you drive towards any direction for about 50 kilometers you are bound to find yourself amidst hills. 
+
+![Outing](/images/posts/citi-2.png){: style="width: 45%;"}
+*Kyunki second saturday bank holiday hota hai*
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+
+The city, referred to as the oxford of the east, has an awesome artsy presence. The theatres are almost always featuring an acclaimed play and the city has a great pub-quizzing scene. There are music shows, circuses, fairs, food tasting meets, book clubs, developer seminars and what not happening almost always. And as a bonus, the city has India’s largest Crossword, also the weather is always pleasant. 
+
+### Summing up
+
+The overall experience gained during this intern was very rewarding. I was lucky to meet nice people who made it feel like home and enriched the stay further. At the end of two months you really begin to know what you really want to do with your career and if you are a little more introspective, even with your life as a whole. The internship succeeds remarkably in giving you a peek into the corporate world and familiarizes you with the sparkly world of wall street finance.   
+
+_If you have an internship experience you’d like to share, write to us at watchout.iitr@gmail.com_

_posts/2016-08-02-summer-diaries-samsung.md

@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Samsung Research Institute Bangalore (SRIB)"
+image: samsung.jpeg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: summer2016 
+---
+
+_Parag Nandi is a 5th year student in the Department of Earth Sciences. Read on as he recounts his experience of working at the Samsung Research Institute Bangalore during the summers of 2016._
+
+### Why & how Samsung R&D?
+
+As an engineering student I was always intrigued by the scope of IoT and connected devices. And the designer in me screamed to explore the less travelled roads of UX Design for IoT, to create a tranquil synergy with home environments.
+
+![Samsung ID card](/images/posts/samsung-1.png){: style="width: 45%;"}
+
+Samsung Research Institute Bangalore (SRIB) is one of the few R&D Centres in the world which focuses extensively on UX Research for IoT and connected devices. And the fact that Samsung is the market leader in consumer products amplifies the scope of the entire project.
+
+I applied at Samsung R&D Bangalore off-campus, through the company’s website in November 2015. Following this, I had one round of Skype interview with the Sr. Designers at Samsung. The next day I was notified about my selection for the internship position in UX Design. The entire process was very smooth and took around a week.
+
+### What I worked on
+
+I completed two major projects at SRIB. One was on Samsung Smart Hub/Smart TV and the other was on Tizen OS. In the Smart TV project, initially I had to propose 15 unique problem statements focusing on daily home scenarios with suitable solutions for them. Then out of the 15 problem statements, I had to choose one and create multiple models of solutions for it and finally present the best possible solution. To understand the pain points of users pertaining to TV viewing experience,
+perception and comfort of IoT, use of smart devices & wearables I had to conduct quantitative and qualitative UX Research. Based on the data acquired from the research, I chose to design a system to automatically detect when a user falls asleep while watching TV using wearables/smart watch and turn off the TV to save electricity and allow sound sleep.
+
+![Taking surveys](/images/posts/samsung-2.png){: style="width: 45%;"}
+*Understanding user behaviour through surveys*
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+As part of the Tizen OS project, I had to propose USP ideas for the Tizen phones to be released in July, 2017. As these phones are mainly targeted towards people shifting from feature phones to smartphones for the first time, this project demanded the creation and extensive study of different user personas who will be using this phone on daily basis. Based on the user needs derived from the interviews and other research findings, I proposed a few ideas. Finally, 2 of my ideas were
+selected and proposed to the Korea HQ and hopefully will translate as USP of the next generation Tizen phones. Apart from the major projects I had participated in UX Research for S-Voice and had conducted User Surveys to understand the Indian mobile market.
+
+![Samsung office](/images/posts/samsung-3.png){: style="width: 45%;"}
+
+The overall work experience was good. The work hours are generally flexible and depend on the team you work with. The UX Design team had the privilege of the pilot program where we had to complete 45 hours weekly and there was no issue of daily work hours.
+
+### Takeaways 
+
+Internships are great time for networking and getting to know people who will inspire you throughout your life. These 2 months in Bangalore have been one the most enriching periods for me so far. I got to meet and exchange ideas with some of the best minds from the Indian tech industry. One such meeting was with Srivatsan Chari, co-founder of ClearTax (the first India startup to be backed by Y Combinator). Seeing him hustle with his team in the office and then spending an hour with him in a
+Bangalore pub was enough to feel the motivation oozing from Srivatsan. 
+
+Another fruitful meeting was through UXProject — Masterclass where I got to meet with some of the most awesome designers from UrbanLadder, Zeta and Pensaar. The folks at Razorpay had called for IIT Roorkee Bangalore meetup with a focus on promoting entrepreneurship among IIT-R students.
+
+![Razorpay office](/images/posts/samsung-4.png){: style="width: 45%;"}
+*Razorpay IIT Roorkee meetup*
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+And last but not the least, one of the biggest takeaways was the PPO. The good folks at Samsung R&D were kind enough to give me the opportunity to join them as Sr. Designer after college.
+
+_If you have an internship story you’d like to share, get in touch at watchout.iitr@gmail.com_

_posts/2016-08-06-the-heroic-in-men.md

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "The Heroic in Men"
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: editorial
+---
+
+What is it about the Wailing Wall of the Herod’s Temple or the St Peter’s Basilica that it leaves us gaping in awe at the majestic structure? What is it about the stupendous pillars of Karnak, rooted in the ground and outstretching out to the sky,  that we feel so timid and fragile in front of the massive boulders and sink to hunches, as if the heavenly weight were to be borne by our undernourished shoulders? How do the gargantuan pyramids manage to diminish a man’s existence and disparage
+his birth, by the virtue of its size, even when most of it is contrived to be empty? Is it the sanctity of those beautifully carved colossal stones that makes us look small and our deeds appear blasphemous in contrast to its holistic superiority? Or is it just something in our brains?
+
+Men have always worshipped greatness more than any God. Humans are enticed by enormity more than any form of beauty. This is the lust that drives the sudden influx of emotions when we stand facing the aforementioned works of architectural dexterity but to anything and everything that a man feels small and insignificant, in front of. 
+
+Ponder over why man never has sculptured a bourgeois figure for a Demigod but always the humongous Herculean figures with oblong cheek bones and robust body. He has always felt inadequate for himself but dreamt of the extraordinary. 
+
+But look at it this way. This underestimation of ‘self’ has worked wonders for him, apart from the cases it hadn’t. It is this submission to the ethereal that leads to introspection. Its equivalent to the ‘divine intervention’ that we talk about, which directs you to look back at your life in the chronological order of the events and realise the wrong of your ways. You close your eyes, feeling the cold summer sweat in a place of worship maybe, and it's when the first
+tear that rolls down that you feel the sacrilege on your part. At this moment are the epiphanies reached and characters change. It would have been the time when the most ruthless would refrain from killing and the most nefarious would drop his stolen bag of gold. You open your eyes slowly and exhale, penance in your breath.
+
+The central theme of the entire episode is the way the man looks down upon his own self as a diminutive element, dwarfed by all that is ‘majestic’ and ‘great’, brings about the change in him. It’s with an agonising heart that he is able to look into the mirror and this is when the metamorphosis happen.
+
+But think of a man, the one who is in the zenith of his career and tell him that altruism is the noblest virtue and that he must live for others. Admonish him that he has been such a narcissist monster and then he would question his own beliefs. He would marinate in his own mediocrity with the guilt for his own unworthiness. Unable to become what he considers as the ideal, he would give up trying. And since the noblest is beyond his grasp, he gives up eventually all ideals. Integrity
+killed by internal corruption. Conscience used against itself. He takes himself for a sinister who can never come clean. 
+
+Now that he has taken himself as your disciple, praise the ordinary so that greatness is no longer a distinction. Imagine again those Greek sculptures of the Gods be grotesque pieces of stones rather than the virile muscularity contoured all through their body. Would you bow? Now that you know whom you bow in front of is someone amongst you. This way you have destroyed his strive for excellence. Just as a hiker would lose his prerogatives if one amongst every ten scaled the Everest. 
+
+Now that we have unravelled our weaknesses, would it be rather comfortable to say that Randist theories on the philosophy of individualism were correct and have provided a plausible explanations of the loopholes in our idea of self-assessment. Can a temple be contrived in such a way that, instead of a feeling minimalistic, we could feel extravagant. The one that could have the horizontal blind like pillars and not those towering kinds; whose interior would be scaled in such a
+way as to magnify the spirit of humans rather than stunting it. Will this modification in structure figurative bring a change in the gusto by which a person approaches life?
+
+Something to think about, indeed. For he, who thinks of himself as the master and not the slave, is unimpressionable. He would have the audacity to embark upon new journeys without flinching to the fangs of hatred hurled at him during the course. The most peculiar idiosyncrasy is cutting the chase for the great, as greatness can be found within the self. Self-amplification instead of self-pity. Recognising your worth and fostering in an healthy environment and not giving away to the
+wrath of a crushed self esteem. Being driven by a vision and not by social acceptance and appreciation. It would take a diligent effort to suppress an individualist because it is only himself that he works for.
+
+Titillating it is, to talk of glory but this person, an individual, is susceptible to becoming a self-centered narcissist. And if everybody begin exercising their independent will then societal harmony would shrink to niches and civilisations would fall. Shadowing one’s inadequacies is ignorance and change doesn’t happen until challenged by disapproval of the self. 
+
+_Hence, the assertion completes the cycle, in the argument of how to be look at oneself and whether to believe or not in the heroic in men._

_posts/2016-08-07-childrens-crusade.md

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Children's crusade"
+image: children's crusade.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: editorial
+---
+
+Wars are absurd. World war II was more so in the sense that it was fought by people who had no place in it - school teachers, bakers, farmers, fishermen and fresh graduates - ranks and ranks of people enlisted as bullet fodder. These people who had no or little experience in handling a gun were like children in most respects. Thus it would not be wrong to call it a Children’s Crusade, as Kurt Vonnegut does in his novel ‘Slaughterhouse - Five’.
+
+The propaganda of the time glorified enlisted men as heroes and unfortunate victims as martyrs, inspiring impressionable young men to enlist in search of an adventure. Once the first bullet whizzed past them, all the philosophy went right out of the window. All the mattered was their survival.
+
+Most retellings of the war, paperbacks to movies in full 3D, are quixotic when they depict the soldiers of the Allied forces as brave men fighting a righteous war.
+
+If we juxtapose this analogy to our lives too, aren’t we too part of a Children’s Crusade? As kids we always looked up to the achievements of great men and women. We decide to pursue our dreams but when we actually achieve them, all that remains in us is sense of accomplishment mingled with a tinge of disappointment. An example we can all relate to would involve the conundrum created by the brand-IIT. In contrast to the utopian IIT we had in mind before coming here, it would be a humble understatement to even admit that we weren’t disappointed after coming here. ~~Since our idea of glory itself is a fallacy, we are bound to fail whenever we strive to achieve it.~~ _Our  sense of glory, hence gets clouded by the abominable lull created by this feeling of uneasiness._
+
+As children, we are too innocuous to ask the right questions. Or even if we do, we are told never to ask such a question again. We believe whatever we are told. Once we grow up such questions become hackneyed and trite to the effect that we don’t bother what lies beyond those questions. Yet, sometimes we are left with no real choice but to keep living our old dreams that no longer make any sense. Life is in itself the war we must survive by contributing our part to society (be it by studying or by working for Thomso/Cognizance or whatever). In some way or the other we are playing our part in the Children’s Crusade.
+
+The idea infesting the paragraphs above, being a product of a casual musing on part of some random minds in this campus is merely an observation of not much consequence at all. So, coming up with a conclusion has been a bit of a pain in the backside as they say. At the risk of straying from the topic, it is worth mentioning that few people do come and take world by storm forever changing the world. Looking at them, can we say that they too are a part of a Children’s Crusade? Maybe we haven’t seen much of the world or lack the intellectual means to realize the nature of the world. The world in itself can never be contained in as crude a philosophical observation as the Children’s Crusade.

_posts/2016-08-07-philosophy-is-death-of-man.md

@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Philosophy is the death of man"
+image: philosophy.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: editorial
+---
+
+Albert Camus once said, “Man is the only creature who refuses to be what he is”. I guess he simply felt that our need to be acceptable takes away a part of us that was meant to define our individuality and instead leaves behind something alien in its place. What some call transformation and self-actualization could be a futile and miniscule attempt to make ourselves a little similar to that which we deem worthy of existence. How does one decide what is worth existing or fighting for?
+Is it what makes us happy? 
+
+![Albert Camus](/images/posts/albert-camus.png){: style="width: 65%;"}
+Albert Camus, the man behind __absurdism.__
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+Probably not, because if you look around for just a moment you’ll surely find more frowns and grimaces than smiles. Everyday I see people running scared of happiness, scared to let it out as if it’s a disease; on the corner most tables of restaurants, in buses, in workplaces, in the market, in the balcony of their homes pretending to enjoy company if they have any at all. Nothing deserves attention until it is spoken and even then we jump at the first chance of escaping that
+situation. We’re not blind, we just don’t feel responsible. 
+
+If I say something is worth my time, it would rarely be my honest opinion. I’d be hoping that the person I’m doing it for is looking at me. But that can’t happen in every case, true- we hope the society does make a note of it; after all what the people say becomes the truth. I’m not blaming anyone; all I’m saying is that many of us live our lives without realizing what we really want. We’re a nation that criminalizes homosexuality on the pretext that it is unnatural, this being
+one of the many ways in which our traditions defy logic and violate the universal freedom rights. So if we are so smart as to make pompous intriguing claims like __‘philosophy will be the death of man’__ we must really know our world well, we must have disobeyed every living social being that is conditioned to the system to the point of irreversibility. But then that’s not the case either.
+
+So in the absence of free will or absolutism we would be but different versions of the sole form of existence we know, different only in the way we look. Take this for example, when you see an animal in the zoo or in the wild, you associate some attributes to it which are present in all the other creatures of the same species. You might distinguish between them based on their skin colour, size, countenance; but these are all physical features and we have only nature to thank for it.
+Animals differ from us in this respect, they blindly follow the laws that nature has set down for them, they don’t defy rules because they lack the ability to question them or to even notice anything out of the box in the first place. This beats the whole purpose of an ethical treatment of dilemmas in their world.
+
+In our world however, man has suffered every time he has stopped questioning. Man must question, he must strive to find answers, he must dare to think different, he must; howsoever scary that may be. It is the only way we grow, evolve on a psychological level. It is the only way we can realize what we really are capable of: our strengths, our weaknesses and our mistakes.
+
+As an underlying thought in the Shiva Trilogy by Amish, it has been said that a tradition that makes sense today might not make sense tomorrow. The caste system, for instance, made sense during the early Vedic period but is no longer valid because we have come a long way from those times. Our physical attributes have remained the same, we still resemble our ancestors but our thoughts have changed. And psychology is the science that helps us understand this change, it only seeks to
+direct us on a path giving us someplace to begin figuring out this vast ocean of the human mind and its working, it does not however wish to order us in anyway. The psychologists themselves have nothing more concrete than their own imagination to prove their hypothesis.
+
+This also begs the question: could it all be a part of the natural order of things? Is it possible to experience cognitive changes without inducing thoughts? This could also mean that animals might have the ability to extract emotional content from the most extreme of their experiences in whatever minute way they can. Maybe we don’t see it because it’s not the way we do it.
+
+![The Time Machine Cover](/images/posts/the-time-machine-cover.png){: style="width: 40%;"}
+
+Maybe philosophy doesn’t possess the power to mold our cognition in the absence of an initial thought in the same direction, latent but natural and strong. After all, philosophy itself comes from the ‘scientific’ treatment of some emotion (and bear in mind, I say ‘scientific treatment’ only to prevent myself from transgressing into a completely irrelevant domain). But then maybe this is just an idea you fall upon one day that ceases to make sense the next. Nevertheless,
+the comparison to animals, though, important is not absolute. One could find some idea about it in the novel, The Time Machine by H.G. Wells where the author explains a futuristic world devoid of technology that has turned into one, way more backward than the history we’ve developed out of. Interestingly psychology is the only science where we are free to make sense out of every idea the way we want to. And if that philosophy is unfathomable to you, you’re probably
+reading something you don’t need to. Philosophy was never meant to be complex.
+
+Saying that philosophy will be the death of man is like saying that neuroscience will be the death of free will or in other words - the cure is the root cause of the illness. Something like religion - it caused the Crusades and ended it, it teaches us to live in peace and harmony but works as a whetstone for perpetrators to sharpen their weapons against humanity. 
+
+Furthermore we create an illusion for ourselves to satisfy our need to be as per someone else’s liking. And the forces that drive us to achieve the same can be attributed to the laws of philosophy. We think, and we reach conclusions. Conclusions wherein we tend to attain beyond reach and somewhere we keep draining ourselves. But, isn’t that what life is all about- “To grow, to be more”. And it’s our ethical reasoning that shall be responsible for the aforesaid endeavor. Will
+philosophy ever make sense as a whole? I do not think so. It is like a huge mountain of knowledge that gets covered in layers of foolery from time to time.
+
+The understanding that it demands is currently missing somewhere behind the sheets of our casually accepted beliefs, do we ponder upon things to satisfy a personal thirst for knowledge and depth or just because a random idea flew into our minds from the factory of world cohesion? What makes us different from animals is our cognition; it is there because we have immense scope for bringing a change that can revolutionize everything and not just our own lives.
+
+The man of today lives as if there is no philosophy. Does that mean we are content, that we have all the happiness of the world in our hearts or that we have perpetually accepted the universal truth- desire is futile because nothing lasts forever?
+But then does philosophy have a ‘survival value’- a term often used by C. S. Lewis? Can it die? It sure can disappear because we won’t die instantly if it does but even then, philosophy has no survival value, it gives value to survival instead. Philosophy has lost importance today because we have failed in our duty to preserve the art. Everything ranging from music to motion pictures to our actions and the words we say are becoming meaningless. We’ve been so numb to the pain that our
+words and actions cause that it’s difficult to realize it anymore. Philosophy was supposed to grow but everyone chose to abuse it. I’m still not sure if philosophy can ever be the cause of such agony that it leads a man to his grave but there is one thing I am particularly certain about- we will cause the death of our own philosophy and the process has already begun!
+

_posts/2016-08-07-summer-diaries-tata-steel.md

@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries : Tata Steel, Jamshedpur"
+image: tata-steel.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: summer2016 
+---
+
+_Aman Mansuri is a 4th year student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Read on as he recounts his experience of interning with Tata Steel, Jamshedpur during the summers of 2016._
+
+If you want to have an intern in core engineering which leaves you with enough time to still pursue other career options, Tata Steel is the company for you. The Inspire Summer Internship Programme through which Tata Steel recruits paid interns comprises an 8 week project which focuses on live problems the industry is facing.
+
+### Making it there
+
+Tata Steel follows a typical selection process that includes an aptitude test, group discussions followed by personal interviews. Aptitude test consists of the core questions from your respective field of study along with logical reasoning and English. The questions are easy and you will be able to clear it with your basic concepts being clear. However, a good score in department specific questions will increase your chances of getting shortlisted irrespective of your
+performance in the other two sections. 
+
+Aptitude test is followed by a group discussion on a current affairs topic. Make yourself comfortable with the topic that has been in news lately and if you are lucky, you might get the same topic you went through a night before. Group Discussion further narrows down the pool to a few candidates. It is followed by a Personal Interview round with different panels for different departments. Interview is mostly technical with a few typical HR questions.
+
+### Work
+
+Induction day at Tata Steel is where they give you a sneak peak into the reach and working of the company. It is followed by a safety training and then projects are allotted based on your personal preferences. Projects vary from highly research focused to extensive experimental analysis which requires frequent plant visits. 
+
+![Tata Engineers](/images/posts/tata-2.png){: style="width: 55%;"}
+
+Tata Steel Jamshedpur division is an integrated steel plant where right from the raw material processing to rolling out steel coils is done at the same place. So as an intern, you have the opportunity to work in plants ranging from Pellet plant, Coke Plant to Hot Strip Mill. I was assigned a project in the furnace area of Hot Strip Mill. The aim of the project was to increase the reliability of the Induced Draft( ID  ) Fan in one of the three furnaces. It revolved around Vibration
+Analysis and bearing temperature reduction. I was able to decrease the delay time to close to 50% during my 2 months stint as an intern. Your work experience heavily relies on the guide and plant allotted to you.Working hours are from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, 5 days a week which is subjected to change depending on the attitude of the guide allotted to you. All the workers are very co-operative to the extent that they might consider giving a thought about leaving their work to help you do
+your own. Work is not very hectic and is easily manageable. 
+
+
+![Basketball Court](/images/posts/tata-1.png){: style="width: 75%;"}
+
+The company provides 3rd AC return tickets from Jamshedpur to respective institutes. The accommodation is also provided in its Graduate Trainee hostels with a double sharing and a single room if you are lucky enough. The food expenses are not covered, though there is a mess in the hostel that can get you through 2 months time. However, Jamshedpur does have good eating options to say the most. Anand, Madrasi, Moti Mahal, Novelty are the places to soothe your taste buds if you are not
+satisfied with the mess food. There are a lot of street food options available around the hostel area. 
+
+### The place
+
+Jamshedpur doesn’t have much entertainment options. Dimna lake, Dalma Sanctuary, Jubilee Park and Zoo are the major attractions in and around the city. It also has a multiplex and a bowling alley. And if you find yourself with enough time on weekends, you can pay Kolkata or Puri a visit which are 4 and 8 hours via train respectively.
+
+### Takeaways
+
+To sum it up, Tata Steel is a very good option for both the core enthusiasts and the people who want to have a core experience while still pursuing some other career options. Work culture is culled out and people are warm and helpful. The city might seem boring at first but once you get used to it, you may start enjoying its peaceful and slow life. And if you are diligent and hard -working enough, you might end up getting a PPO!
+
+_If you have an internship story you’d like to share, get in touch at watchout.iitr@gmail.com_
+

_posts/2016-08-08-summer-diaries-itc.md

@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: ITC"
+image: ITC.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: summer2016 
+---
+
+_Aman Agasi is a 4th year student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Read on as he recounts his experience of working with ITC during the summers of 2016._
+
+### What is ITC?
+
+ITC is an Indian conglomerate which was established in 1910 as the Imperial Tobacco Company of India. Today its diversified business includes five segments: Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), Hotels, Paperboards & Packaging and Agri Business & Information Technology. ITC is one of India's foremost multi-business enterprise with a market capitalisation of US $ 40 billion and a turnover of US $ 8 billion.
+
+### Nature of the Internship Project
+
+For the summer internship program the projects could be targeted at a specific problem like the removal of air bubbles in the refill of a gel point pen floated this season. Others could be loosely held around optimising of a plant as a whole like the one requiring the increase of efficiency of the chemical recovery plant of the paper factory.
+
+The project could conform to your specialisation or it may lie somewhere outside your sphere of study like the one I dealt with in the paper boards and speciality paper division of ITC. The wood required for the manufacturing of paper is stored in the unsheltered wood yards. Due to large standing time it lost most of its moisture content which negatively affected the pulp yield. The job was to devise a method to retain the moisture in wood. I had to dwell into fields alien to me, like the morphology of wood as I am a student of mechanical engineering.  
+
+
+![Stack of wood](/images/posts/ITC-1.png)
+*This is one stack of wood containing 2500 tonnes of wood. 60 such stacks were maintained at all times in the inventory*
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+The biggest challenge was the size of the inventory which held one lac to three lac tonnes of wood. All the wood yards taken together spread over a sprawling 35 acres of land. The rapid rate of moisture loss made all the corrective measures futile.
+I approached the problem by devising certain proactive and reactive measures. The proactive measures checked the moisture loss from the first day of wood unloading in the yard while the reactive operations aimed at replenishment of the lost moisture at the time of use. The scale, economic feasibility, available resource management were the primary fields of deliberation for each solution put.
+
+### The Programme
+
+The best part about an ITC intern is that the process is proficiently organised and impeccably coordinated.
+The show begins in the month of April with the ‘mind over matter’ induction programme held at Bangalore. Rather lucrative, the first moment of pride was felt when we got a deck of business cards with our names on it.  This is around the time we were provided the project brief and the location.
+
+At the time of joining we were first summoned at the headquarters where we got to interact with the senior most members of the division. We were then inducted into the factory and made familiar with all the departments and the technical intricacies of industrial processes.
+
+The reviews were held every two weeks in the eight weeks internship period. The first review was confined to the department and so was the third. The mid review was attended by the senior management at the divisional headquarters.
+
+This review was particularly important as it provided some inquisitive opinion about the approach. The system is such that final review is presided over by the Unit Head and only on his recommendation does the project qualify for a review at the headquarters.
+
+### The Experience
+
+Irrespective of the outcome, the project is always enriching in terms of value added. The factories deploy advanced management practices which are inexcusably adhered to. The organisational setup would not fail to escape your notice. Witnessing the colossal industrial setup at Bhadrachalam was most certainly amusing.
+
+
+![The blue pill](/images/posts/ITC-2.png)
+*The blue pill*
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+We worked along with our ‘project guide’. The system encourages the manager to share the responsibility of the project with the internee. This association plays an important role in deciding the overall outcome of the project.
+
+We were also assigned a mentor who was a person of higher authority in the plant and assisted in pushing things through. The work culture was supreme and the people of factory were cooperative and recognised our cause. As an unspoken rule no one would ever refuse to clarify doubts regarding the technicalities of their field of work. You can reach out to anybody in the factory for assistance.
+
+We were entitled to buy books for expanding the reach in the field of study and visit other factories if need be.
+
+### Future with ITC
+
+Without being too optimistic, the PPO conversion rate is somewhere between 45-55%. It is predicted that the figure would at least touch the upper bound owing to the discontinuation of the practice of visiting colleges for placements by ITC. The initial package is 19 lpa. People getting a PPO almost always end up in the division they interned in.
+In PSPD, the factory locations are very far off from the main cities. However, chances are that you would be relocated to the Divisional Headquarters in Hyderabad after a year or two. After that you will be sent to the factory on requirement. Consequently, the job might require a lot of travelling and hence a compromised work-life balance.
+
+### Free ka Gyaaan
+
+The projects given in internships are such that if the solution is found then it could generate millions for the company. Hence, you would be entrusted with major roles and responsibilities. Your credit worthiness would keep your head above water. Scan the depth of the internet for doing the literature survey. Be cautious of your claims and have strong conviction in your findings.
+
+Benchmark your solutions with the other producers in the industry. Try to find references where the technology has been implemented and runs successfully. If assigned with increasing the efficiency of the plant then start by checking whether all the machines are operating at their maximum capacity.
+
+It might take you a while to scale you thinking up to their intimidating level of production. Thus, try to quantify the benefits of the proposed solution because ultimately it’s the crispy green stash that moves things.  
+
+![Avoid doing things like this in the factory](/images/posts/ITC-3.png)
+*Avoid doing things like this in the factory*
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+### How to get an ITC intern
+
+The recruitment is a day long process. The day begins with a presentation by ITC. The first shortlisting is done by evaluation of a Group Discussion. It is followed by two stages of interviews; the latter is taken by the senior management.
+
+A group discussion is conducted among groups of 8 or 9 students. A page long case study is presented where the stance of discussion could be on a logical analysis of the situation, a moral/ethical dilemma or a many other debatable things. The one which I participated in was an account of an air crash incident which had a handful of survivors. 20 items were to be arranged in the order of priority that the survivors must carry in order to get out of the forest safe.
+For cracking a GD try to read the case study as fast as you can and initiate the dialogue. However, there are no brownie points for speaking more than others. Speak little but reasonable. Explain your constructive in an assertion followed by reason format. Don’t dominate the talk rather try to bring the bench on a common ground while safe guarding your own points.
+
+The interview focuses on technical competence more than anything else. As a rule of thumb you should have at least two subjects (of your own branch) thoroughly prepared for the interview. They would test you only on the subjects that you claim to be proficient in. Guys in Mech could prepare from Thermo, Fluids, Solid Mechanics, etc.
+
+Prepare a precise resume which highlights primarily your technical endeavours and also glides over the extra curriculars. The resume would be discussed head to toe. Try to steer the course of the interview in the direction of earlier internships/ projects that you have done. The longer you stay on those topics the better it fares you.
+
+The HR people may ask their few trick questions testing your willingness to take up a job in the remote cities and give up on the city life. Or whether it would hurt you conscience to produce tobacco which is ‘injurious to health’ at which point ideally you should cross your legs over and light up right in from of him... Okay leave that part out. Or they could ask you a million different questions which suit their fancy but know that originality is the key. 
+
+_If you have an internship story you’d like to share, get in touch as watchout.iitr@gmail.com_

_posts/2016-08-09-summer-diaries-reckitt-benckiser.md

@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Reckitt Benckiser"
+image: reckitt.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: summer2016 
+---
+
+_Raveesh Kalra is a 5th year student in the Department of Chemical Engineering. Read on as he recounts his experience of working with Reckitt Benckiser, Gurgaon during the summers of 2016._
+
+As a chemical engineer in IIT Roorkee, interested in finding a core intern, your options can get pretty limited. Either you let the department do the work for you and land an intern at some refinery (which would add nothing to your resume as you probably won't be working on a project there) or you get the option of 5-6 companies to apply through the TPO (ITC, Shell, RB, Reliance, Schlum, Shree Cement).
+ITC was the first of these companies visiting the campus and I forgot applying for it, RB was the next one. RB was visiting IITR for the first time and me, probably like everybody else, had absolutely no idea about the company but the generous stipend that they offered seemed to generate all the interest they needed. A simple google search will tell you that it is no small company though, with brands like Dettol, Harpic, Lysol, Mortein, Airwick and Durex under their belt.
+
+
+### Making it there
+
+RB opens for Chemical(B.Tech and Dual) and Biotechnology for their internship program does a basic resume shortlisting (There is no CG cutoff but a 7.5+ CG with a decent resume seems to do the trick). The CG stops playing any part after this as there were interns with 7.6 to 8.9 CG from other IITs. This is followed by a Group Discussion which usually involves discussions on new product development under their already existing brands. A thorough read of the presentation that they provide with the shortlist is preparation enough for the GD. 
+
+The only other round after the GD is the personal interview, the interview is a mix of HR and technical. Some preparation on any particular core topic (both Chemical and BT) does help in moving the discussion in the right direction.  In my case the discussion moved to a previous intern. The fact that that intern was also in an FMCG (ITC) did help my case. The HR part of the interview involves discussion on what your expectations from the company are. Some knowledge of RB's brands can help you a lot here as well. 
+
+PS: Although RB did not select any intern from BT in 2016, they do have openings for them.
+
+### Work
+
+Location: Summer interns from IITs are sent to the Gurgaon R&D facility. This is among only 7 global R&D category centres for RB handling R&D for a 8.8 Billion GBP company so trust me when I say this that work here does make a lot of difference.
+
+![Workplace](/images/posts/reckitt-1.jpg){: style="width: 55%;"}
+*The workplace*
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+Aim of the internship: All the interns are given market relevant projects and have full freedom to use the facilities available to shape the project. I personally got the opportunity to work on Dettol original handwash and Harpic. My projects involved staying in the lab and making batches of the hand wash with variations in the formulation and making a demonstration to show the efficacy of Harpic. Although the projects I had did not warrant a lot of work outside of R&D, some interns did have projects which involved meetings with marketing and/or the manufacturing or the sales teams which provides a broader understanding of the FMCG companies.
+
+Work Culture: As one of my co-interns very aptly put it during one of the team meetings, nobody seems to be in a rush at RB. The work hours are 9AM- 5PM and nobody expects you to stay or work beyond that, which is pretty comfortable considering how much some other companies expect an intern to work. People are pretty relaxed and as long as you achieve your deliverables, nobody would put any pressure on you. If anything, there are days when it gets a little too relaxed and you have absolutely nothing to do as your batches are under study. RB has a future leadership program(FLP) through which they have been hiring engineers in the last few years, which means you will easily find 1-2 years seniors from IITs which eases your opening up with the other senior members of the team.
+
+### Location
+
+There are only two things you need to know about Gurgaon, Cyber Hub and the Sector 29 market. Oh and there is this wonderful market behind sector 29 which has some amazing food trucks. Aaand unlike Delhi, pubs in Gurgaon can sell freshly brewed material! 
+
+### Summing Up
+RB is a pretty good company to do an intern, especially if you are targeting FMCG companies. At 45k it offers a great stipend for a non-coding company. Being a multinational brand, it looks absolutely amazing on your resume. The work of interns is mostly limited to R&D and they do not take interns for operations or supply chain.
+
+<b>Tips for people interested:</b>
+
+- Read up on the brands under RB
+- Having a decent CG always helps
+- Brush up your core subjects a little before going for the interview
+
+_If you have an internship experience you’d like to share, get in touch at watchout.iitr@gmail.com_

_posts/2016-08-11-summer-diaries-microsoft.md

@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Microsoft"
+image: microsoft.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: summer2016 
+---
+
+_Priyanka Jain is a 4th year student in the Department of Computer Science and engineering. Read on as she recounts her experience of working with Microsoft, Hyderabad during the summers of 2016._
+
+At Microsoft, interns work on projects that matter – and the team will rely on your skills and insights to help deliver those projects to market. You’ll get the opportunity to work on real projects and have fun along the way. This is your chance to show off your skills and work on cutting-edge technology. MSIDC hires for two locations in India- Hyderabad and Bangalore. I was assigned the Microsoft India Development Centre, Hyderabad.
+
+### Making it there
+
+Selection Process : Microsoft has a quite simple but repetitive selection process.
+
+<b>Rounds</b>
+
+- The first round was the MCQ round with 15 questions based on basic algo and data structure. 10 minutes were allotted for this round and around 40 students were shortlisted after this. 
+- The next was the online coding round. In this 3 questions were asked, again from data structures. All the students got through .
+- Next was the group fly round, where they asked to write the working code of the given 2 or 3 questions, on paper. After this around 20 students were shortlisted.
+- Next was again a similar round, they gave one question and asked to write its working code on paper. Around 15 students were shortlisted for the final interview.
+- In the final interview the interviewer asked me to give the basic solutions of the data structure based 3 questions. I don’t know if he was satisfied with my answers or not.
+
+The most important and I guess the only thing you need to do to crack Microsoft’s selection process is to brush up your coding skills and go through the Algo and DS sections of geeksforgeeks thoroughly. Application process starts a week before the tests actually start. Students are asked to submit their resume to the TPO and also fill the priorities among the companies which arrive on the same day. There is no cg criteria as such, but even if there is , then it must be above 6 or 6.5 I believe.
+
+### Work
+
+I was placed in the STCI (Search Technology Centre India) Bing local team along with 3 more interns.The project allotted to me was mainly frontend development. It was basically about designing a dashboard to provide at-a-glance view of KPIs (key performance indicators) for Bing team’s internal use . All the projects were idiosyncratic. 
+
+The first 1 or 2 weeks were invested into getting acquainted with the internal tools and languages. We made a rough outline of the workflow for the rest of the weeks, which is updated regularly as the project progresses.
+
+The mentorship program at MS is really nice. Every intern is assigned to a mentor and a manager.Specifically talking, my mentor was like my project partner. Not only we discussed every idea thoroughly before taking it in front of the manager, but he also guided me through all the major or minor block points during the entire internship period. Again my manager was also very helpful, we used to have a weekly meeting specifically for my project .
+
+![work](/images/posts/microsoft-1.png)
+
+The work culture at MS is really cool and relaxed , there is no restriction as such.
+Weekly sync meetings make sure that the work is not delayed and the rest is all upto you ,how you want to work , at what hours etc. Although the nature of work depends mostly on the project at hand, most of the time life is easy.
+
+### Summing up and key takeaways
+	
+The intern provided a great insight into the software development industry. Knowing how this tech giant pulls off work has been a wonderful experience.This was the first development experience for me, so I had a lot to learn. Knowledge in specific areas is not a prerequisite if you are clear with your basics. The entire team at Microsoft was cooperative and guided me through my incompetencies. Even if you know stuff, there is a lot more to learn out there, so keep gaining!
+
+_If you have an internship experience you’d like to share, get in touch at watchout.iitr@gmail.com_

_posts/2016-08-11-summer-diaries-schlumberger-mumbai.md

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Schlumberger, Mumbai"
+image: schlumberger.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: summer2016 
+---
+
+_Akanksha Patel is a 5th year student in the Department of Electronics and Communications. Read on as she recounts her experience of working with Schlumberger, Mumbai during the summers of 2016._
+
+### Making it there
+ 
+Schlumberger’s selection process had 2 rounds. The first round was a resume based selection. The second one was a the personal interview. 
+For the first round, Schlumberger looks for all round performance of a student. Having 2-3 projects on the resume and some involvement in extracurricular will get you through. In my case, having a sports background definitely helped.
+ 
+For personal interviews, there’s one thing that Schlumberger does differently than others. Before entering the room we were given some time to prepare our answer to the following: introduce yourself, what do you know about Schlumberger and why Schlumberger. The interview began after that and I was mostly asked questions based on my resume, nothing in particular to either electronics or the oil-field. However, this was not the case for Earth Sciences students. They were also asked some questions related to their field of study.
+ 
+### Work
+
+<b>Details about the firm:</b> Schlumberger is the world’s largest oilfield service provider.It offers both summer and winter internship programs. Summer internship used to be of 2 months but the company recently changed the duration of the intern to 1 month. It is divided under various segments and my intern was under the Wireline segment.
+ 
+<b>Aim of the internship:</b> The aim of the internship was to get us acquainted with the work of a field engineer. Since mine was not a field job, I did not get a chance to actually see the work done by a wireline engineer but I did get a feel of it by interacting with the engineers of the firm.
+ 
+<b>Day to day work:</b> Our first few days of the intern went in knowing about the base and learning about the different labs that the segment had. By the end of the week we were assigned our intern projects and we majorly worked on that for the next 3 weeks. Apart from the projects, Schlumberger has introduced a new online learning system known as the e-mentor. It has full 4 week study material and task sheets that were supposed to be done alongside the project.
+
+![work](/images/posts/schlumberger-1.png){: style="width: 30%;"}
+
+<b>Work culture at the firm:</b> The working hours of the intern depended highly on the segment we were assigned to. For Wireline Segment, it was from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Since, I my intern was at the base and not on the rig, the nature of work was relaxed for me, but that’s definitely not the case for a field interns. People at the place were very friendly and helpful. Many a times they had stepped aside form their own work to help us out. There was no buddy system rather we all were reporting directly to the Field Segment Managers.
+
+
+<b>Experience gained:</b> I learned a lot about the oil-field services even though I could not visit a rig. We also attended the Schlumberger Injury Prevention Program as a part of the intern. Moreover, I got a chance to work on an android based project, which was something totally new to me.
+ 
+
+### Summing up and  advice to people gunning for it
+
+As the oil prices have recently dropped the whole oil and gas industry went in the downfall and Schlumberger is no exception. I felt that this is not the right time to join the company as the drop in the oil prices has affected them terribly. As a result, the company has entered into a cost cutting phase, to such an extent that the stipend of the internship was decreased from Rs.30,000 to Rs. 10,000 and accommodation was not offered to the students who had a place to stay in Mumbai (IIT Bombay students).  During my stay there I have seen people getting fired and resigning. Though the employees are quite optimistic about the rise in the oil prices but that’s going to take time. So my advice would be not to join until you’re really interested in this field.
+ 
+And if you’re still willing to go for it, build a strong resume. Present your work in the right way. Get it proofread by your seniors and friends. And for the interview, prepare about the things you’ve mentioned in your resume, your projects or earlier internships and be confident. That got me through.
+
+_If you have an internship experience you’d like to share, get in touch at watchout.iitr@gmail.com_

_posts/2016-08-15-summer-diaries-adobe-research.md

@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Adobe Research, Bangalore"
+image: adobe.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: summer2016 
+---
+
+_Tathagata Sengupta is a 5th year student in the Department of Mathematics. Read on as he recounts his experience of interning with Adobe, Bangalore during the summers of 2016._
+
+### Making it there
+
+To begin with, yes, CGPA did matter while applying it on campus (actually it is your department rank which gets you shortlisted for the company). As a matter of fact, I never found a single person below the 8.5 mark in the research team, so it’s safe to assume the cut-off to be the same. However, I’m not exactly sure about the product team which was mainly based in Noida. 
+
+![making it there](/images/posts/adobe-1.png)
+
+There was a first round of online test asking you simple questions on probability, ad-hoc algorithms, a short essay on how to make the world a smarter place. This was followed by a telephonic interview which is generally taken by junior members of the research / product team. You can expect questions from basic data structures and algorithms, probability theory, discrete mathematics etc. I was asked questions from Real Analysis for which I gave a proof from Walter Rudin’s book on the same. I’ll advise against it though. For tips regarding the interviews, chill. They are statistically random. 
+
+### Work
+
+Even though Adobe is mainly known for its Creative Cloud, the research team based in Bangalore mainly collaborates in the area of Marketing Cloud. They have huge data centres installed wherein they get data from the Adobe Analytics software. Hence the projects are mainly in areas of data analysis, machine learning and natural language processing (some things you’ll hear quite regularly).
+
+Prior to the initiation, a team of three is formed taking into consideration the variability among the members in terms of the institute and their majors. A broad topic is then assigned to each team along with a mentor. Mentors vary from a wide spectrum; from statisticians to communications engineer.
+
+The entire internship programme was divided into three parts. In the first three weeks, of our internship, we were asked to delve into the problem domain related to our broad topic. We have to come up with some what 80+ problem statements and ideas. These ideas must be well posed and should be backed by some literature. In order to do this, we were provided free access to various conferences and journals of the likes of ACM, IEEE etc along with marketing journals like Forrester, etc. My team’s broad topic was “Persuasive Online Content”, hence our ideas mainly focussed on the different technical and marketing aspects leading to persuasion. This included ideas in the domain of UX, image processing, language processing, social media analytics, art theory etc. During this time, we interacted with multiple mentors whose specialization involves any one of our idea cluster. We interacted with the people from UX team as well. Focus is mainly on this aspect as in corporate research, coming up with a problem is equally important as finding its solution.
+
+![work](/images/posts/adobe-2.png)
+*Team Coax*
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+Next part of the internship mainly focussed on finding the solution to our problem which involves things that I’m bound not to disclose. It was mainly coming up with a model which estimates the persuasion score of any content based upon the training data set obtained from the campaign analytics from Adobe database. The final part was to come up with a demo and write the IP and papers of the work we did.
+
+The timings were “flexible”, which meant that you are allowed to work 24x7 as long as you take a bath every once in a week. Lunch and dinner was free as an incentive. There was a pantry which had unlimited supply of chai, coffee (filter or CCD), soft drinks (as hard ones was strictly prohibited within the campus), biscuits and masala oats (acquired taste). There were rumours regarding availability of Maggi somewhere in the 10 floor pantry which was never substantiated. And of course, there was free pizza (order amount refundable) every Sunday. So work ceased to be work when you are munching the whole time.
+
+The work culture is not akin to the other corporate sectors; people are mainly focussed on research rather than development. Much focus is provided to reading the research papers and coming up with ideas to improve upon the limitations provided in them. The mentors encourage the interns to go for higher studies prior to joining them as it would open up new avenues for thought process which is required in a corporate research environment.
+
+### What’s to love about the place?
+ 
+Bangalore is well known for its cool, pristine weather throughout the year with natural breeze blowing. BS. It was always raining. And being near to Marathahalli, you’ll be missing all the action you have heard about this place. So it’s a hell lot of traffic and mud and waterlogged streets. Trips to Koramangala, just 7 km away and you find some of the best English cafes and restaurants. 
+
+### Takeaways
+
+Adobe Research is a good company to intern at if you are eager to join the corporate research sector. You will gain experience in some of the coolest research areas like Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Image Processing etc.
+However, some of the tips to make your intern a successful one :
+
+- Try learning new things and implementing them. As most of the time you are chasing several deadlines, the mentors tend to allocate task to people who know the topic, leading you ending up doing stuffs you already know.
+- It’s better to do an introductory course on Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing as you will end up working in this.
+- Try to get familiar with research. 
+
+_If you have an internship experience you’d like to share, get in touch at watchout.iitr@gmail.com_

_posts/2016-08-16-summer-diaries-schlumbarmer.md

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Schlumberger, Barmer"
+image: schlumbarmer.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: summer2016 
+---
+
+_Abhijeet Mittal is a 4th year student in the Department of Industrial Engineering. Read on as he recounts his experience of working at Schlumberger, Barmer during the summers of 2016._
+
+
+### Making it there
+ 
+As I write my experience of Schlumberger, I recollect the days when I also was very anxious and worried, thinking whether I would get that coveted internship. But in the end it went well.
+
+### Schlumberger has three rounds for selection
+
+1. <b>Resume Shortlisting:</b> As is the case with any good company, your resume plays a great role in your selection at Schlumberger. Schlum pays heed to your leadership qualities, your instances of working in a team etc. A very important part is that, if you are good at co-curricular activities CG actually would not matter. My friends at Barmer (IITD people) had it in the range of 7-7.5. To sum it up, a decent CG(7 and above) alongwith a good background in co-curricular activities is enough to get you going through the first round.
+
+2. <b>SOP round:</b> Second round was the so called SOP round (statement of purpose). Three minutes were given to each selected candidate and three rudimentary questions were asked. 1. Tell us about yourself. 2. Why Schlumberger (It’s actually pronounced as “schlum-bur-ʒay”) ? 3. How are you going to benefit Schlum. My advice here would be to keep calm, reflect the leadership skills you achieved at IITR. As I was the then Thomso Convener, so I talked about how I’m managing the fest and why I’m confident that I would very well manage the rigorous work culture at Schlumberger.
+
+3. <b>Technical/HR round:</b> The final round is the Technical cum HR round. Here they test basic fundamental knowledge of your field related subjects (for non Earth Science people). Here again they judge you on your confidence and your ability to think in a particular situation. Make sure to read a little about Schlumberger, what it does etc.
+
+### Work
+ 
+![work](/images/posts/schlumbarmer-1.png)
+
+<b>Details about the firm:</b> As you might be aware of the fact that Schlumberger is the world’s largest oilfield services company. Schlumberger is a fortune 500 company with a revenue of over 35 billion dollars and approx. 95,000 employees. So, Schlumberger actually is one of the rare companies of this stature hiring from IIT’s.
+
+<b>Aim of the internship:</b> Schlumberger’s work is divided into 24 segments out of which I was allotted the wireline segment. When you join Schlumberger you are given the position of Field Engineers. The work of a field engineer is to manage the day to day oil exploration/extraction jobs. And yes, it is a field job. The work of Field Engineer is very complex and millions of dollars are at stake if one small mistake is committed, so as interns our job was just to observe how a Field Engineer works (we were not allowed to do work at oilfield). 
+
+Apart from that we were given different projects. My project was to manage their tools inventory, standardize their audit and rig books and also study in detail a tool named RST(Reservoir Saturation Tool). Apart from the projects, there was an e-mentor program in which we were required to study about the technicalities of oilfield industry and the various jobs in the particular segment.
+
+### Life@Schlumberger
+ 
+![life](/images/posts/schlumbarmer-2.png)
+
+The company provided a sumptuous accommodation. We stayed in a resort with almost all the luxuries we could imagine.  All our travel expenses were also borne by the company. Because of the nature of work, Schlum pampers its employees heavily. People at Schlum are really helpful but at the same time they’re very busy so most of the problems you need to tackle on your own. Now coming to the point of locations, the condition at Barmer is very harsh with an average temperature of about 45 degrees. So if you are not mentally and physically fit, it would be very challenging to survive in those conditions and that’s why Schlumberger choose its candidates accordingly. Almost every location be it India or outside has its own limitations. Talking about leaves, you work for 8 weeks continuously (even Sunday) and then take a three weeks break (for permanent employees).
+ 
+### Summing up and key takeaways
+
+The work that is assigned to an intern at Schlum is very rudimentary. You won’t require any prerequisite knowledge, mostly you’ll observe how a field engineer works. You’ll find IITians at the top positions at Schlumberger. Schlum feels that IITians can handle difficult situations better than others and this is the only quality for which it hires from IITs and offer handsome salaries. Now a word of caution, as oil prices plummeted recently, Schlum is continuously firing its employees. In one year it has fired more than 30,000 employees. The situation is not cheerful presently because of the insecurity of the job but people predict that this is going to end soon.
+
+![takeaways](/images/posts/schlumbarmer-3.png)
+
+Technologically, Schlum is way ahead of its competitors and it is a very good company if one likes the kind of work. For the initial one year they’ll send you to places like Thailand, Singapore or Middle East to complete your pre-school, school and post school in Schlum.
+ 
+### Advice to people gunning for it
+
+With this I would like to summarise by saying that  Schlum is a great company for an internship experience. You’ll not learn much about your core field but you’ll be introduced to an entirely different field of oil industry and you’ll find a very talented peer group. Schlum is an internationally recognised firm, so if you wish to plan for MS in the energy sector, it is a good company to take one or two years of experience. A lot of people work for two-three years in Schlum earn a lot and then fund their international MBA’s. So if you think this way, Schlum is a good option for you. But, for people who want to enhance their technical skills, Schlum is not the right firm that you are looking for.
+
+
+_If you have an internship story you’d like to share, get in touch at watchout.iitr@gmail.com_

_posts/2016-08-17-summer-diaries-amazon.md

@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Amazon"
+image: amazon.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: summer2016 
+---
+
+_Dhaval Kapil is a 4th year student of Computer Science and Engineering. Read on as he recounts his experience of interning at Amazon._
+
+### Making it there
+
+The selection process for Amazon SDE Internship is pretty straightforward:
+
+1. **Online Round**: The first round is an online round, where you are asked around 20 MCQ questions and 2 coding questions. The MCQs cover topics such as basic algorithms, data structures,  and basic probability(without any negative marking). The coding questions were based on algorithms and data structures. Anyone comfortable with problems on websites such as 'geeksforgeeks' and ‘interviewbit’ won't face any issues in clearing this round.
+
+2. **Second Round**: The second round consisted of a _technical interview_. Again, direct or slightly modified questions from 'geeksforgeeks' were asked and we had to first discuss our solution with the interviewer and then write the solution(pseudocode) on paper. Corner cases and minor bugs were pinpointed instantly. The level of difficulty was higher than the ones asked in the online round.
+
+3. **Third Round**: The third round, again, consisted of a _technical interview_. The interviewer scrutinized my resume thoroughly and asked me about my projects in detail. Discussion about one of my projects went over for around half an hour. Next, I was asked a 'design problem' wherein I had to design a real-time leaderboard system. The interviewer was impressed by my solution which involved a combination of 'heap' and 'trie' data structures, as well as latest technologies like Elasticsearch and Memcache. As far as I can infer, this round revolves around your resume. One of my batchmates was asked algorithmic questions in this interview also.
+
+According to me, going through the algorithms and data structures section of 'geeksforgeeks' and basic knowledge about networking, database, operating systems is sufficient to crack the Amazon SDE internship. As such, your CG has no relevance in the process.
+
+### Work
+
+Amazon is an American electronic commerce and cloud computing company. It has a flat hierarchy and is characterized by small teams of size 7-10(generally). At Amazon interns are treated at par with other employees. A good thing about teams in Amazon is that a particular team handles operations throughout the world, irrespective of its location. The team is responsible for designing, developing, testing, deploying as well as maintaining their services. So basically, every member of the team has full control of their software.
+
+I was assigned to AFT Receive Team. It consisted of 6 developers and 2 interns. My team manages the receiving of products from vendors within Amazon Fulfillment Centers throughout the world. There are associates in FCs who are trained to use our software to aid them in receiving external products. I was assigned the project 'Auto population of Expiration Date'. Previously, the associate had to manually enter the expiration date for an expirable product. This introduced human error and took a considerable amount of time. My project aimed at automating this process.
+
+My work involved working with a lot of technologies such as Java EE, Spring, AOP, Elasticsearch, and Memcache. For anyone new to any of these, it would have been a very good learning experience. I had the freedom to plan and set goals for my project. During the last few weeks, I was even given access to the actual servers so that I could deploy and test my work.
+
+The work culture in Amazon(or any other company for that matter) depends mainly on the team and manager. I found my team to be pretty amazing. There was a good balance of work and fun. I was assigned a mentor who was very supportive. The whole team used to have meals together and also go for frequent outings. There were facilities for playing table tennis, pool, Xbox and even indoor cricket! On every Friday night, we, along with 1 or 2 other teams, used to play Mafia.
+
+As such there were no 'office hours', but I usually did 12-8. The work was pretty relaxed and I used to spend a significant part of my time watching videos on Youtube and working for my GSoC internship. In my free time, I managed to look into other projects and helped to improve/fix any bugs along the way. I also spent a lot of time participating in Amazon's internal Capture the Flag Competition. I managed to secure 2nd position worldwide which later on led to the Seattle Information Security team in contacting me :)
+
+I was placed in Bangalore, which has an amazing weather. Also, my office was in the World Trade Center, which is a beautiful building located in an integrated lifestyle.
+
+### Summing up and key takeaways
+
+As I had already worked with the technologies that I was using during my internship, I didn't find my work technically exciting. However, apart from my project, I learned a lot by studying the source code of other projects and interacting with highly skilled people.
+
+_If you have an internship story you’d like to share, get in touch at watchout.iitr@gmail.com_

_posts/2016-08-25-join-the-cult-music-section.md

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Join The Cult: Music Section"
+image: music-section.jpg
+tags: [wona,column]
+category: cultural
+---
+
+_The Music Section, IIT Roorkee has a reputation of delivering wondrous performances catering wide ranging tastes along with fostering a camaraderie to envy. Read on as Sahil Lamba, the current secretary of the Music Section, talks about his experience with the section, how it refines your art and that unforgettable time the crowd cheered his name to which he smiled and gave his sticks a spin._
+
+#### <b>What is the best part of being in the Music Section of IITR?</b> 
+
+I feel that people listen to very limited genres of music and being a part of the section changes that the most. You meet people who are into different kinds of music; Indian Classical, <b>Ragas</b> and <b>Qawwalis</b>, Bollywood (yes, there's some good music here too), Folk Pop, Blues, Jazz (and Fusion), Psychedelic, Progressive and you start listening to all kinds of stuff. You have access to frets almost all the time and when you try to tap your way across the fingerboard, you start learning about music theory, scales, and keeping up with time signatures. Listening to so much at once trains your ears to focus on distinct elements in harmonies and various techniques utilised in a piece. You learn the art of improvisation and jam with people who have different approaches to music. It’s a great and fun learning experience with some of the most talented people you’ll ever meet.
+
+![Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” at Dhun’16](/images/posts/the-wall-dhun-16.png){: style="width: 55%;"}
+
+*Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” at Dhun’16*
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+#### <b>How has the Music Section changed your life?</b>
+
+A person’s skill level develops significantly after being part of the Music Section because, during preparations, people push you to extend your limits and present something that you've never tried before. You're not bound to a single instrument anymore, I'm essentially a drummer but I can work the guitar, bass and even sing to some extent now (although I only sing to myself). With sufficient experience in the section, one also observes how to manage people and keep them motivated enough to finish up tasks. I've learnt a lot about life, the universe and music from everyone at the section.
+
+#### <b>Could you explain the structure of the Section?</b>
+
+There's no defined structure of the Music Section, though we try to maintain proportion between the number of guitarists, percussionists, keyboard players, vocalists and other instrumentalists that we take. We usually recruit around 10­-15 people across all years and branches (even M.Tech). The roles vary from year to year; the most experienced members are responsible for ensuring smooth practice sessions, audio setups, pointing out mistakes and getting them corrected. Some of them accountable for figuring out various technicalities of songs and passing on that information to everyone involved. The youngest and new recruits are more involved in the music and are generally asked to suggest good numbers, figure out their parts and are guided in the process. Apart from this, everyone has the responsibility of perfecting what they play and are free to get involved in any role that they like.
+
+![“Stairway to heaven” at Dhun’16](/images/posts/stairway-to-heaven-dhun-16.png){: style="width: 55%;"}
+*“Stairway to heaven” at Dhun’16*
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+#### <b>Some hacks to crack the recruitment process?</b>
+
+A good selection of songs prepared for the auditions will surely leave a lasting first impression. We won’t grill you when you’re playing although we do expect a good level of understanding of your instrument or catching up a certain scale (if you’re a vocalist). A little knowledge of music theory would help guitarists and pianists in latter rounds, and beat sense, consistency and groove while playing is required for percussionists. However, the most important of all is that you’re confident and enjoy whatever you play/sing.
+
+#### <b>How did your recruitment go?</b>
+
+My recruitment was pretty straightforward. I dedicated about a week to prepare 2 songs; <b>Diary of Jane</b> by <b>Breaking Benjamin</b> and <b>The Sound of Muzak</b> by <b>Porcupine Tree</b>. I got myself listed outside the section, went in, played for 10 minutes and 26 seconds and was sent back with a <b>"We'll inform you"</b>. I played the primary beats of the songs (which seemed extremely complex at that time) and was then asked to employ different techniques such as heel­-up kick drumming, playing 16th notes and the 3/4 time signature. Post that, I was presented with a groove and I was asked to improvise on that. I was fortunate enough to have 5 years of experience with all these rudiments while learning in rock school so it was pretty easy to follow. I was called 2 days after and was informed that I had been selected and was to wear shorts and a shirt for the intro <b>chapo</b>.
+
+#### <b>What was your most memorable moment/performance?</b>
+
+It’s the best feeling when you go up and walk on stage to your set, and the crowd starts cheering. It brings a little smile on your face and gives you a shot of confidence. At Swaranjali ‘14, I had invited all my friends to watch the show and when I went onstage, they started shouting <b>“Lamba! Lamba!”</b>, with the crowd joining instantaneously and this was not part of some scripted act, so I started looking at the audience following the whooping, trying to locate them (believe me, you can’t see a thing down the stage with all those lights glaring in your face), I smiled and gave my sticks a spin. That has been the most memorable moment of every show since then, and I thank my audience for that.
+
+![Post Swaranjali’15](/images/posts/post-swaranjali-15.png){: style="width: 55%;"}
+
+*Post Swaranjali’15*
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+#### <b>Recount some glories and achievements of the group.</b>
+
+The group has grown a lot over the years. The level of each and every performance has increased exponentially and we’ve been successful in delivering 4 shows in a single year (which is an accomplishment). Not too long ago, the group’s main focus was to put up 2­-3 shows in a year but, things have changed now. Many a times, we record our own practice sessions to learn more about studio setups and to achieve that crisp sound. We’ve also shifted our focus on promoting music culture by delivering popular numbers in our shows. Our activities are not restricted to the campus, we’ve been participating in various fests of other colleges and secured podiums too. Unplugged jam sessions at random locations during Thomso/Cogni are always on our checklist. We’ve started <b>Friends of Section</b> to involve everyone in our endeavours and keep the good music around, all year long. So, a lot of stuff goes on and it feels great to be a part of it all.
+
+#### <b>Can you tell us more about the Friends of Section initiative?</b>
+
+Friends of Section (FOS) was started by our secretary last year to provide a platform to students who are not part of the section but are confident enough to perform live in front of an audience. We have auditions to shortlist students for an FOS show although the expectations are somewhat lower than our section recruitments. We practice for our section shows and parallelly train and guide the FOS students for about 2­-3 weeks, provide them with our instruments, audio equipment and a stage to showcase their talents. We plan to have one FOS show in every semester with the initiative to uplift the music culture in the campus.
+
+#### <b>Obligatory question, your first crush on campus?</b>
+
+I don't know if I should do this or not. She was the Additional Secretary of the section when I joined, and I first met her in my introductory meeting after the recruitments. She was in her 4th year and fortunately was part of a five­ year course, so I got to spend a good 2 years practising alongside her. She is primarily a vocalist but can also play the guitar even though she has the fattest fingers in the whole world.
+
+#### <b>Three words to describe yourself.</b>
+
+Misty mountain hop.

_posts/2016-08-26-join-the-cult-choreo.md

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Join the Cult: Choreography and Dance Section"
+image: jtc-choreo.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: cultural
+---
+
+_To almost the entire institute, the only memory of Thomso’s Footloose is the Choreography and Dance Section mercilessly thrashing their competition. Read on as Nidhi Srivastava, the current secretary of the section talks about the choreo family, their string of wins in inter collegiate competitions and how the recruitments might just leave you pleasantly surprised._
+
+**How has the Choreo Section changed your life? What is the best part about being in the Choreo section?**  
+The Choreography Section taught me how to build a better bond with the juniors, seniors, rather everybody; to have more fun on the campus. I never thought that my life would end up being like this, because when I came I imagined all the students to be these extremely ghissu types, but the environment was totally different. Even today, I see the same environment in the Choreo Section,which is more like a family, I suppose?
+
+We are not here to just dance, one of the main principles of this section, apart from following your passion, is to build a bond with the members. I have a motherly feeling to my juniors and it grows every year. It has been a pattern, I think, that the 4th year is close to the 1st year, and I think it is because of this feeling or sense of being like a parent on campus. 
+
+**How is the choreo section structured?**  
+We have one secretary, which is the post I serve, and there are two additional secretaries, Prajwal Bhatt and Agniva Si. Then we also have two joint secretaries each from the second and the third year. To be honest, the whole trend of secretaries doesn’t really matter, it is more of a superficial post, and everybody contributes equally to the section, which is nice. 
+
+**How does the recruitment process go?**
+There are basically three levels in the recruitment process. First, is you prepare your own dance sequence with your own choice of songs. The second stage is when we pick our own songs, the most random and challenging music, and you have to dance to that! This stage tests the ability of the dancer to adapt to various beats on the spot. The third is the interview round, where we end up talking to you to see that sense of group dynamics that I was talking about. This process of recruitments
+has been this way since the very start and the only element of mystery is the song in the second round.
+
+![Footloose performance](/images/posts/jtc-choreo-1.png){: style="width: 65%;"}
+
+**Can you share some hacks for the recruitment process?**  
+We are looking for a friendly person. One who can gel with the group dynamics. What we see in the interviews is how would he be able to mingle with the people of the section. Some people come for the centre stage and the limelight, which may cause problems in the group, so to avoid all of that we look for a selfless, friendly person. And of course, bakchodi toh aani hi chahiye! 
+
+One thing I would like to admit is that it is kind of difficult for boys to get into the choreo section, because one, there are so many of them and two, we expect boys to come up with something new and cool, like backflips and somersaults, maybe.
+The easiest hack, to be honest, is that you should do something that impresses us. Use your own discretion and impress us!
+
+**How did your recruitment go?**  
+My recruitment was very normal. In the first round I picked “Twist” from that Saif Ali Khan movie Love Aaj Kal. However, the second round was kind of dramatic as they played a random ‘50s song, and asked me to dance to that! As if that wasn’t enough, they played “Pardesi, Pardesi..” next! And that’s how we take the recruitments. These songs are completely out of the blue and leave the most prepared dancers confused!
+
+**Your most memorable moment in the section.**  
+Thomso ‘15. Anyday.
+
+Towards the end of our performance in Thomso’15, I was supposed to be lying down, and as the song ended, the whole convocation hall audience rose with me, and every single one of us was overwhelmed with happiness, so I think that was one of the best moments on campus. And we did end up winning the Footloose event of Thomso ‘15. 
+
+![Choreo group pic](/images/posts/jtc-choreo-2.png){: style="width: 65%;"}
+
+**Some recent glories and achievements of the section.**  
+When I was in the first year, that was the year when Thomso came back after being discontinued for a while, and ever since then, we have been winning the Footloose event of Thomso, so it has been three consecutive wins for us! Last year, we participated in the IITK’s cult fest and ended up being the second runner ups. This trend of participation outside the campus started last year, so we hope we continue winning accolades for IITR!
+
+**How does choreo section help people who want to learn dance?**  
+We do realise that people want to learn how to dance, but unfortunately, choreo section is meant for the performances in events like Thomso, Jashn and the orientations. So it isn’t possible to let people join the choreo section just for learning. We look for a certain prerequisite skill before we take that person in the choreo section, which is why the recruitments are the way they are. 
+However, we do organise flash-mobs and events like those to teach the IITR junta how to dance, and events like FoS, which started just the last year, might help people who aren’t a part of choreo showcase their worth. We are going to try  keeping more dance workshops too, like the contemporary dance workshop a couple of years ago and Garhwali Dance workshop the previous year. 
+
+**Can you tell us a bit about the section’s Friends of Section initiative?**
+Actually it is an informal event which the choreo section organises for people who are not it’s members. I guess the IITR junta loves, in fact everybody loves to dance and somehow not being a part of the section might lead to a lot of people giving up on their dream of performing on a stage. So this is a platform where people can show up and portray their talent. It is open for everybody.
+
+There are a lot of people who miss out on their auditions for the choreo section in the first year, so what we have done through the FoS initiative is that we have made it easier for them to showcase their talent and if they do end up being brilliant, it is a huge plus point when they show up for their interviews in the next recruitment cycle.
+
+**Which is your favourite dance form?**
+I have tried a lot of dance forms, but my favourite has to be contemporary!
+
+_The Choreography and Dance section goes recruiting in the MAC auditorium from 6-9 pm today and from 10-6 am on the weekends._

_posts/2016-08-26-join-the-cult-drams.md

@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Join the Cult: Dramatics Section "
+image: jtc-drams.JPG
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: cultural
+---
+
+_The Dramatics Section is revered for the rigour and discipline that goes into each play along with soaking the audience with a deluge of emotions that accompany their works. Read on as Ishwar Dutt Sharma, the current secretary of the section, talks about the work that goes into every play, how he absolutely admires the joker and that one mind blowing improvisation he did onstage._
+
+
+**How has the Dramatics Section changed your life?**  
+More than anything else that this section has taught me, it is the rigour that goes into each play that I treasure the most. Delivering a play requires little more than a month’s practice and it is during that time that you learn to detest mediocrity. You practice and fine tune every dialogue and gesture to perfection and see yourself thinking at every step. It is upto you to add quirks to your character and make it truly yours. In terms of purely creative thought, I do not think I’d enjoy any
+activity more than that.  
+As for the people, I can comfortably say that this section my primary support system at IITR.   
+
+**What is the best part of being in the Dramatics Section of IITR?**  
+This has to be a tie 
+
+  - **The people:** The culture in the section is such that you enjoy the whole process of making of a play much more than the play itself. The football sessions we have, the bakar at the chapos. 
+
+  - **The feel:** After days of relentless practice, remembering the dialogues, the feel of each and every word that comes out of your character's mouth. Living that character for all those days! It’s not the applause at the end of the play that i am talking about. It’s the week after, when walking towards your class, somebody you don’t recognize, comes up to you and says, “THAT was a great play” #Feels  
+
+All that and also you can always get away with anything by saying “I was rehearsing a dialogue, of course it was a line!” . 
+
+![The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940](/images/posts/jtc-drams-1.png){: style="width: 65%;"}
+*Mid play inebriation during “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940”*
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+**Could you explain the structure of the Dramatics Section family?**  
+I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you or recruit you.
+
+As for our work around the year, we stage 4 plays, two each semester. Three stage plays along with a street play in the autumn semester. 
+
+**What are some hacks to crack the recruitment process?**  
+We, at the dramatics section, aren’t looking for made actors. Of course some background in dramatics can earn you a few brownie points but that would still be just 5% of the overall personality that we are looking for. We put in enough practice and efforts to ensure that even if somebody is going on stage for the first time in their first year, it wouldn’t show. 
+
+You don’t need to prepare anything before coming for the audition, it is a simple three step process which can be easily prepared on the spot. Bring your friends along with you!
+Basically, don’t fake anything, just enjoy the process. 
+
+
+![Aavirbhav](/images/posts/jtc-drams-2.png){: style="width: 65%;"}
+*“Aavirbhav” - The street play during Autumn’15*
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+**Which is your most memorable performance?**  
+This was in the last semester in the english long length play we did, **The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940** by John Bishop. This was a comic murder mystery, and we were near the climax of the play, trust me when I say that it was an intense scene! You could hear a pin drop in the overflowing OP Jain auditorium! The murderer was trying to get away with killing everybody by setting the scene up as an accident and he wanted us to act natural. As soon as he asked us to act natural, I, true to my character started whistling and roaming around. It was an onstage improvisation and the burst of laughter from the audience that followed has to be the most memorable moment for me. 
+
+**Your favorite role?**  
+My favourite role has to be Roger Hopewell, the character I played in the aforementioned Musical Comedy Murders of 1940!
+
+
+![Aavirbhav](/images/posts/jtc-drams-3.png){: style="width: 65%;"}
+*“Ant Nahin” by Badal Sircar*
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+**What’s the one role somebody else played that you wished you did instead?**  
+The Joker in The Dark Knight! I am pretty sure he did it better than I can ever dream of doing but I would just like to be in his shoes.
+
+**Three words to describe yourself.**  
+Easy-going conscientious 
+
+**Things you can tell us about the Friends of Section initiative.**  
+Friends of section was one of the initiatives started last year by the music section and then also by the dance and choreography section which basically involves performances of students from the campus who might not be a part of the section. We are trying to start a friends of section for dramatics section as well this year and the format of that is being worked upon. Till that time, if there is any group of people on campus who can prepare a play and need a stage to perform can contact us any time! We would be more than happy to offer suggestions and ensure that cultural council provides you a stage to perform the play.
+
+_The Dramatics Section recruitments take place in the Chemical Auditorium from 6-9pm today and 9am to 8pm on the weekends. Be there._
+

_posts/2016-08-31-student-mentorship-programme.md

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Student Mentorship Programme: A new hope"
+tags: [wona, news, sac]
+image: smp.jpeg
+category: sac
+---
+
+Often a freshman’s life becomes a tightrope walk between diving into various co-curriculars while chugging along with the daily ordeal of academics. In an effort to foster a healthy interaction with senior students, the institute has flagged off a Student Mentorship Programme (SMP). Still in its nascent stages, the initiative promises to reform the inhibitions to senior-junior interaction and constructive information flow, imposed by a plethora of reasons, both administrative and otherwise. 
+
+#### <b>How is the student mentorship programme structured?</b>
+
+The Student Mentorship Programme consists of two units:
+
+1. 	*Institute Student Mentorship Programme (ISMP)* - The aim of the ISMP shall be to help freshmen in adjusting to the new environment through fostering healthy interactions with senior students. This is to be achieved by allotting a “mentor”, that being a senior student, to a group of 10 freshmen. The mentors will be chosen after careful consideration and will be responsible for guiding the freshmen to make the most of their time in IITR, warding off some misconceptions and apprehensions that they have. The mentors are supposed to be go to sources for queries ranging from the trivial to the profound.
+ 
+2. 	*Departmental Academic Mentor Programme (D-AMP)* - The D-AMP shall be a more specific unit of the program, and it shall focus on helping freshmen overcome academic difficulties they might face in the initial phase, be it towards a specific course, or inability to keep up with the general pace of the classroom.
+
+#### <b>How can I be a mentor?</b>
+
+While the primary round of accepting applications through e-mails has already begun, what follows shall be a close analysis of the resumes of the applicants. An initial requirement of having a CGPA in excess of 7.5 has already been laid forward. After short-listing students on the basis of their CVs, there shall be a comprehensive review of their academic, behavioral, social and overall acuity through a series of interviews and one-on-one interactions with an SMP representative. A peer-to-peer review system shall also be set up to make the screening of the applicants as effective as possible.
+
+#### <b>Who all are eligible to be mentors?</b>
+
+The SMP demands highly motivated 2nd, 3rd and 4th year students who have had enough exposure to successfully guide incoming freshmen through the tribulations of adjusting to life on campus. Students who have been contributors or active members of campus organizations, who have had stellar college academic records, who have had successful stints as interns in various reputed firms, or have, in any way, proved their mettle as extraordinary individuals are invited to sign up for the SMP. The SMP seeks students who can be positive role-models to freshmen and help them exploit the arsenal of academic and co-curricular resources an institution like ours offers.
+
+Naturally, students from their final or penultimate year shall be given preference over sophomores. However, any student who believes that he can add constructive value to the vision of the SMP should definitely apply to participate in the programme.
+
+#### <b>How do the mentors benefit?</b>
+
+The SMP promises to help mentors develop strong soft skills, as they shall be interacting with the 10-12 mentees assigned to them under the programme. Building a rapport with the assigned juniors and trying to understand what problems they are suffering from shall definitely enhance the communication skills of a mentor. We also sincerely believe that a program like this shall not only help the freshmen understand the tricks of surviving at IIT Roorkee, it shall also help seniors gain a wider and refreshed perspective about opportunities and prospects at IIT Roorkee.
+
+As far as resume points are concerned, the Dean of Students’ Welfare has promised to award a certification of appreciation to outstanding mentors, and a certificate of acknowledgement to every mentor on completion of a his/her tenure. Also, since a mentor shall be dealing with the responsibility of at least 10 students, including the details of your term as a mentor shall definitely serve as a decent testament to your sense of accountability, and hence serve as a valuable addition to your resume.
+
+#### <b>How do the mentees benefit?</b>
+
+The institute offers infinite resources in terms of academics, career-building, research, sports and cultural activities. As a newbie to the institute, the availability of so many prospects may seem intimidating. To have a mentor assigned to you, who has been through the carefully constructed vetting procedures, might serve as a reassuring factor as you wade through the many challenges and opportunities granted to you. The SMP is a very intricately structured effort that has constant overviews and is open to feedbacks and criticisms. A meticulously designed effort as this, in all certainty, shall make the life of an incoming fresher immensely easy.
+
+#### <b>Our two cents of wisdom</b>
+
+The importance of this initiative in bringing about a sea change in the campus dynamics cannot be overstated. With the campus ethos currently in place in Roorkee, it is extremely difficult to get in touch with willing and credible mentors from outlets other than a few campus groups. Arcane rules such as the initial freshmen curfew further inhibit interaction during the early months. The SMP promises to narrow down this rift and bring about a healthy interaction. As is not the case with a lot of other student initiatives, the ISMP enjoys the rare backing of the powers that be in the main building.
+
+The programme has been wildly successful in IITB and IITD and is a vital cog in the campus machinery there. In terms of incentives, it is also seen as a credible and worthwhile PoR. Being the student driven initiative that it is, the success of ISMP indubitably depends on the student community to engage and take it forward, earning a resume point or two in the process.       
+
+_For further details contact -_
+
+_Sankalp Asawa: [sankalpasawa@gmail.com](mailto:sankalpasawa@gmail.com), +91-8226805401_
+
+_Vatsal Sanjay: [vatsalsanjay2308@gmail.com](mailto:vatsalsanjay2308@gmail.com), +91-7895940240_
+
+_<b>Interested students should draft an email with the topic “Mentorship Programme”, include their name, branch and year of study, enrollment number and phone number in the body, attach their resumes and send it to [mentorshipiitr@gmail.com](mailto:mentorshipiitr@gmail.com) and [dosw@iitr.ac.in](mailto:dosw@iitr.ac.in).</b>_
+
+

_posts/2016-09-20-prasoon-gupta-interview.md

@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "In conversation with Mr. Prasoon Gupta"
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: verbatim
+justify: true
+image: prasoon-gupta.jpg
+excerpt: In this interview, Mr. Prasoon Gupta shares his experience with Sattviko, the story behind the Idea Cafe at IITR and his aim to nurture and promote campus entrepreneurship at IITR.
+
+---
+
+_Sattviko is a restaurant chain which fosters the Sattvik way of cooking, co-founded by IIT Roorkee alumni Mr. Prasoon Gupta and Mr. Ankush Sharma from batch of Civil Engineering, 2009. Recently, Sattviko has opened a new outlet at IITR ‘Sattviko Idea Cafe’ in the Multi Activity Centre. In this interview, Mr.Gupta shares his experience with Sattviko, the story behind the Idea Cafe at IITR and his aim to nurture and promote campus entrepreneurship at IITR._
+
+
+__WONA: How did it all begin, the idea of Sattviko?__
+
+__Prasoon__: As far as Sattviko  is concerned, I feel very proud about things I’m connected with-my country, the institute I graduated from etc. But when you go out in the market, people only talk about the things that are not there, they don’t want to change things and bring those changes which they’ve always been craving about. When I left my first venture ,  I spent the first couple of months in the US, and one thing I was very clear about when I was there was that if I’m going to start a business, I’ll start it only in my country. That’s when we thought about Sattviko.
+
+__WONA: What was the motivation behind the Idea Café  in IITR?__
+
+__Prasoon__: One thing that bothered me about IITR until a couple of years back was that no one used to talk about the entrepreneurship and innovatory ecosystem here.  I remember I had come here for interacting with the first year students some years back. At that time, MAC was being built and someone approached me and suggested that why don’t I set up Sattviko here. It was a very vague idea as no one can expect a lot of money coming from IIT Roorkee, and as all of you are students we couldn’t charge as much as we normally do.
+
+The previous year around April, I created a Whatsapp group which has now grown into a very famous group, “IITR Entrepreneurs” and has around 180 members right now. So in the past one and a half years, I’ve observed that people have started talking about the IITR Entrepreneurship ecosystem and that has happened because of the only reason that now we (alumni entrepreneurs) are together unlike before. We have a platform now. When we signed the lease for this restaurant in last September-October, I had a simple idea in mind. You see in foreign universities, people have a lot of informal discussions at places that, simply put, inspire innovation. In fact, If you go to Stanford, there’s a café where most of the prominent VCs from the silicon valley have informal discussions and interact with entrepreneurs. I felt that something of this kind should happen in Roorkee too and that people who want to innovate should connect with people who can help them innovate.
+Our objective was that the place we’ll create, will not just be a cafeteria but a place that can inspire ideas so that 10 years down the line you can say that I had this idea in Sattviko idea Café.
+
+__WONA: How do you plan to provide such a platform for entrepreneurship in this cafe?__
+
+__Prasoon__: My basic idea is to give the students a place, an environment and provide support, all the rest can be done by the students themselves, we’ve got very smart people in IITR. We would soon be launching a membership program but at this point, we’re selecting people and offering them membership. As I posted earlier, whoever in IITR feels that they have some specific talent, whatever it may be, they should come and share their ideas. We will try to connect them with the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs. Once things start happening, we can get the process more organized. The cafe also comes with a conference room, a TV with internet connectivity to facilitate video conferencing and a discussion room
+
+![Bakar Room](/images/posts/prasoon-gupta1.png)
+
+
+__WONA: Is the administration involved in these ideas of incubation and mentorship ?__
+
+__Prasoon__: See, this is a commercial space. I’m running a restaurant and I’m not selling anything but food. In general when you come up with a venture and go to incubation center and do all that stuff, there’s a lot of bureaucracy involved that hinders the actual process. I wanted it all to be free flowing and that no one should mind you doing what you want to and we could support it to some extent. The administration has been really supportive. A little bureaucracy is unavoidable, so is politics for Roorkee. We were given this place around 10 months back, and we’re opening up right now, so it’s not like we’ve not faced challenges. At one point, this project was almost shelved and had to be revived. In fact, I’m grateful that IITR has also given us the rest of the space on this floor.
+
+__WONA:What is your take on campus entrepreneurship in IITR?__
+
+__Prasoon__: You should have at least 150 entrepreneurs graduating every year, the number right now I think is around 10. Due to ventures like Startup India, startups now have national recognition and people know that startup is not a bad option. 
+
+__WONA: Do you think Roorkee has any disadvantage in setting up an entrepreneurship ecosystem?__
+ 
+__Prasoon__: Roorkee doesn’t market itself. No one knows that the first guy in India to get Foxconn as an investor to his company is from here. There’s a guy named Gaurav Solanki, who writes scripts for Anurag Kashyap. So people from here have started writing books, making movies and are successful entrepreneurs. If we start to market IITR by taking all these things together, even though not overnight, but in 5-10 years, a big change will be seen.
+People have started hearing about IITR entrepreneurship, which never happened before. The administration itself conducted the GEC which had never happened before and we would like to repeat it this time also. The Director Prof. Banerjee and Prof Sandeep Singh, Dean Alumni Affairs have focused very much on Alumni connect during their tenure.
+
+__WONA: Any campus memories you would like to share with us?__
+
+__Prasoon__: Yeah. I have an indirect connection with Watch Out! too. When I was a first-year student, there was only one group that I wanted to get into, that was Watch Out!. I used to love writing. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get in. In my 3rd year, I was the convener of Thomso and you guys did a nice coverage and in my final semester here, I featured in the [Almost Famous](https://captnemo.in/wona/2009-04.pdf){: style="text-decoration: underline"} article in your magazine. I love the kind of fun writing you guys do.

_posts/2016-09-26-robo-kaun.md~

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Robocon: An account of glories and achievements"
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: tech
+image: robocon_cover.jpg
+excerpt: Team Robocon IITR accounts its journey from being mere fanatics to soaring new heights by being ranked 5th globally at Abu-Robocon'16 and the Best Debut Team.
+---
+
+_Abu-Robocon is an Asia-Pacific level Robotics competition focusing on real life problems that the world faces like the energy crisis and finding a source for sustainable applications. Teams like Japan, China, Vietnam, India participate to showcase their technological prowess in this battle of wits._
+
+__Take us back to how and why the group started.__
+
+Back in 2009, Team Robocon IITR was founded with the sole purpose of gaining an edge over the technological advancements surfacing in this tech savvy era. And to apply our knowledge to the test by competing with others that share the same enthusiasm and passion for robotic advancements in India. Our alumni collaborated with Models Section of Hobbies club and transformed it to Models and Robotics Section (MARS in short).
+
+![Robocon](/images/posts/robocon_1.jpg){: style="width: 65%;"}
+
+__Tell us about your recent performance in the competition.__
+
+Since attaining the Best Debut Team Award in 2009, there was no turning back. We have been in the India Top 8 twice, stood 5th in 2016 and secured the Best Aesthetic Award. 
+
+__What was the problem statement this year?__
+
+This year the theme was energizing the world. We had to build 2 robots, an autonomous and an unpowered bot. The autonomous bot had to push the unpowered bot on a designated path using non contact forces. After completing the path, the bot had to climb a 2.5 metre pole and achieve “Chai yo” (Cheers from the host country - Thailand).
+
+__How does the team function to get the bot ready?__
+
+The team is divided into 2 parts - Design & Fabrication, Controls & Algorithm. As the names suggest, the Design team works on the 3D model and multi body dynamic analysis of the bot while the Controls team focuses on the navigation and actuation of the bot. The team works like a startup, focusing on R&D all year round and with the help of rapid prototyping, able to implement the research on the bot effectively.
+
+![Team Robocon](/images/posts/robocon_2.jpg){: style="width: 65%;"}
+
+__What support do you receive from alumni and faculty?__
+
+The Robocon Alumnus are constantly updated with the ongoing research and progress of the team. Most teammates feel a sense of attachment even after they have left IITR. Working in their own startups and big companies, they are able to help us in outsourcing components, 3D printing parts that are otherwise complicated to manufacture, provide financial and Moral support. The IITR faculty have been with us in every step, easing out administrative issues inside IITR and providing research facilities for solving the otherwise complex parts of the problem statement.
+
+__What are some roadblocks that you face?__
+
+Undertaking such a monumental task obviously has its obstacles. I remember the week before the 2016 Robocon, we were practicing vigorously in order to achieve the lowest possible time for completing the task. And in our practice, we completely overlooked the mechanical fatigue damaging the main chassis. Unfortunately, the customized slider arm that we had designed and fabricated needed to be replaced. The task that would have otherwise taken a week to complete, took 3 days of back to back night outs immediately after which we packed our bots and departed for Pune. It took the combined effort of the 25 team members to get the bot up and running again.
+
+
+_Watch Out! congratulates the team on their impressive recent showings and wishes them the best for their future endeavours._
+

_posts/2016-09-26-robocon-glories-and-achievements.md

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Robocon: An account of glories and achievements"
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: tech
+image: robocon_cover.jpg
+excerpt: Team Robocon IITR accounts its journey from being mere fanatics to soaring new heights by being ranked 5th globally at Abu-Robocon'16 and the Best Debut Team.
+---
+
+_Abu-Robocon is an Asia-Pacific level Robotics competition focusing on real life problems that the world faces like the energy crisis and finding a source for sustainable applications. Teams like Japan, China, Vietnam, India participate to showcase their technological prowess in this battle of wits._
+
+__Take us back to how and why the group started.__
+
+Back in 2009, Team Robocon IITR was founded with the sole purpose of gaining an edge over the technological advancements surfacing in this tech savvy era. And to apply our knowledge to the test by competing with others that share the same enthusiasm and passion for robotic advancements in India. Our alumni collaborated with Models Section of Hobbies club and transformed it to Models and Robotics Section (MARS in short).
+
+![Robocon](/images/posts/robocon_1.jpg){: style="width: 65%;"}
+
+__Tell us about your recent performance in the competition.__
+
+Since attaining the Best Debut Team Award in 2009, there was no turning back. We have been in the India Top 8 twice, stood 5th in 2016 and secured the Best Aesthetic Award. 
+
+__What was the problem statement this year?__
+
+This year the theme was energizing the world. We had to build 2 robots, an autonomous and an unpowered bot. The autonomous bot had to push the unpowered bot on a designated path using non contact forces. After completing the path, the bot had to climb a 2.5 metre pole and achieve “Chai yo” (Cheers from the host country - Thailand).
+
+__How does the team function to get the bot ready?__
+
+The team is divided into 2 parts - Design & Fabrication, Controls & Algorithm. As the names suggest, the Design team works on the 3D model and multi body dynamic analysis of the bot while the Controls team focuses on the navigation and actuation of the bot. The team works like a startup, focusing on R&D all year round and with the help of rapid prototyping, able to implement the research on the bot effectively.
+
+![Team Robocon](/images/posts/robocon_2.jpg){: style="width: 65%;"}
+
+__What support do you receive from alumni and faculty?__
+
+The Robocon Alumnus are constantly updated with the ongoing research and progress of the team. Most teammates feel a sense of attachment even after they have left IITR. Working in their own startups and big companies, they are able to help us in outsourcing components, 3D printing parts that are otherwise complicated to manufacture, provide financial and Moral support. The IITR faculty have been with us in every step, easing out administrative issues inside IITR and providing research facilities for solving the otherwise complex parts of the problem statement.
+
+__What are some roadblocks that you face?__
+
+Undertaking such a monumental task obviously has its obstacles. I remember the week before the 2016 Robocon, we were practicing vigorously in order to achieve the lowest possible time for completing the task. And in our practice, we completely overlooked the mechanical fatigue damaging the main chassis. Unfortunately, the customized slider arm that we had designed and fabricated needed to be replaced. The task that would have otherwise taken a week to complete, took 3 days of back to back night outs immediately after which we packed our bots and departed for Pune. It took the combined effort of the 25 team members to get the bot up and running again.
+
+
+_Watch Out! congratulates the team on their impressive recent showings and wishes them the best for their future endeavours._
+

_posts/2016-09-26-robocon-glories-and-achievements.md~

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Robocon: An account of glories and achievements"
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: tech
+image: robocon_cover.jpg
+excerpt: Team Robocon IITR accounts its journey from being mere fanatics to soaring new heights by being ranked 5th globally at Abu-Robocon'16 and the Best Debut Team.
+---
+
+_Abu-Robocon is an Asia-Pacific level Robotics competition focusing on real life problems that the world faces like the energy crisis and finding a source for sustainable applications. Teams like Japan, China, Vietnam, India participate to showcase their technological prowess in this battle of wits._
+
+__Take us back to how and why the group started.__
+
+Back in 2009, Team Robocon IITR was founded with the sole purpose of gaining an edge over the technological advancements surfacing in this tech savvy era. And to apply our knowledge to the test by competing with others that share the same enthusiasm and passion for robotic advancements in India. Our alumni collaborated with Models Section of Hobbies club and transformed it to Models and Robotics Section (MARS in short).
+
+![Robocon](/images/posts/robocon_1.jpg){: style="width: 65%;"}
+
+__Tell us about your recent performance in the competition.__
+
+Since attaining the Best Debut Team Award in 2009, there was no turning back. We have been in the India Top 8 twice, stood 5th in 2016 and secured the Best Aesthetic Award. 
+
+__What was the problem statement this year?__
+
+This year the theme was energizing the world. We had to build 2 robots, an autonomous and an unpowered bot. The autonomous bot had to push the unpowered bot on a designated path using non contact forces. After completing the path, the bot had to climb a 2.5 metre pole and achieve “Chai yo” (Cheers from the host country - Thailand).
+
+__How does the team function to get the bot ready?__
+
+The team is divided into 2 parts - Design & Fabrication, Controls & Algorithm. As the names suggest, the Design team works on the 3D model and multi body dynamic analysis of the bot while the Controls team focuses on the navigation and actuation of the bot. The team works like a startup, focusing on R&D all year round and with the help of rapid prototyping, able to implement the research on the bot effectively.
+
+![Team Robocon](/images/posts/robocon_2.jpg){: style="width: 65%;"}
+
+__What support do you receive from alumni and faculty?__
+
+The Robocon Alumnus are constantly updated with the ongoing research and progress of the team. Most teammates feel a sense of attachment even after they have left IITR. Working in their own startups and big companies, they are able to help us in outsourcing components, 3D printing parts that are otherwise complicated to manufacture, provide financial and Moral support. The IITR faculty have been with us in every step, easing out administrative issues inside IITR and providing research facilities for solving the otherwise complex parts of the problem statement.
+
+__What are some roadblocks that you face?__
+
+Undertaking such a monumental task obviously has its obstacles. I remember the week before the 2016 Robocon, we were practicing vigorously in order to achieve the lowest possible time for completing the task. And in our practice, we completely overlooked the mechanical fatigue damaging the main chassis. Unfortunately, the customized slider arm that we had designed and fabricated needed to be replaced. The task that would have otherwise taken a week to complete, took 3 days of back to back night outs immediately after which we packed our bots and departed for Pune. It took the combined effort of the 25 team members to get the bot up and running again.
+
+
+_Watch Out! congratulates the team on their impressive recent showings and wishes them the best for their future endeavours._
+

_posts/2016-10-04-elective-selection-algorithm.md

@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 ---
 layout: post
-image: elective.jpg
+image: "electice_selection_algorithm_cover.png"
 tags: [wona, column]
-category: 
-isImageCover: false
+category: academics
 ---
 
 Are you totally flummoxed after seeing the elective registration list?
@@ -11,4 +10,7 @@ Does the sound of 'Fiction of the Indian Diaspora' gives you constipation?
 Or
 Are you stuck choosing between the elective which has your crush and the one which guarantees you a dassi?
 
-Fear not, ladies and gentlemen of IITR. Watch Out! News Agency proudly presents the solution to all your problems (which you must have, as always, left for the last minute): The Elective Selection Algorithm.
+Fear not, ladies and gentlemen of IITR. Watch Out! News Agency proudly presents the solution to all your problems (which you must have, as always, left for the last minute): The Elective Selection Algorithm.
+
+![Taking surveys](/images/posts/elective_selection_algorithm.jpg)
+

_posts/2016-10-06-national-digital-library.md

@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "National Digital Library: Digitizing Resources"
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: academics
+image: ndl_cover.jpg
+excerpt: The National Digital Library is a project initiated by IIT Kharagpur with the aim of creating a national online education asset for students.
+---
+
+-- _Vikrant Saha, Tanvi Verma_
+
+__The National Digital Library is a project initiated by IIT Kharagpur with the aim of creating a national online education asset for students. Currently in its rudimentary stages, the initiative has integrated online repositories of around 110 institutes and plans to add more to the foray.__
+
+#### <b>What is NDL?</b>
+
+Recently, IIT Kharagpur put forth a proposal to the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) seeking the creation of a national online educational asset for students interested in research and innovation. The National Digital Library (NDL) is an all-digital library that will integrate all existing digitized and digital contents across various Institutions of the nation to provide a single-window access to different groups of users ranging from primary level to higher education level and even life-long learners of our country. Except for copyrighted content, digital data of about 110 institutions at the primary level will mostly be available for free, although access to the materials will be determined by the policy of respective institutions and their access rules. Educational materials are available for users ranging from primary to postgraduate levels and in all types of specialisations. It will provide vernacular content in all disciplines and in varied forms of access devices including video lectures and provisions of learning to cater to a diverse and wide ranging audience.
+
+![National Digital Library](/images/posts/ndl_screenshot.jpg){: style="width: 65%;"}
+
+#### <b>How do you use it?</b>
+
+An institute or individual needs to register with a user id and password and login using those for accessing some classified materials. That being said, registering for the NDL is simpler than recovering the password of your facebook iD. One simply has to visit the host website [https://ndl.iitkgp.ac.in/](https://ndl.iitkgp.ac.in/){: style="text-decoration: underline"} and click on register. Do this and a portal of seemingly infinite knowledge is all yours to explore.
+
+#### <b>How is NDL different from other digital libraries?</b>
+
+In today’s world, where technology is fast metamorphosing every human activity, one may find a plethora of e-learning resources and digital libraries but NDL definitely stands out as being the premier project in India aimed at integrating all the pre- existing digitized and digital contents across educational institutions of the nation. The NDL project was launched with the vision to build it into a “National Knowledge Asset – the key driving force for education, research, innovation, and knowledge” and “create a 24X7-enabled integrated NDL as a ubiquitous digital knowledge source of the Nation catering to immersive e-Learning at all level in all disciplines”. The NDL project team has been collaborating with several institutions of the country to harvest metadata of e-contents from the Institutional Digital Repositories (IDR) of the respective Institutions and provides the technical assistance to the institutes without an IDR. Currently, around 110 institutes are involved in this endeavour. 
+ 
+NDL is built following an open virtual metadata standard and will provide a single window search facility to act as a one-stop shop for all digital resources. NDL search contents can be personalized using filters based on the education level, subject, difficulty level, learning resource type, author and source while other digital libraries may not offer all these choices. Apart from this, NDL seeks to provide educational materials in all vernacular languages, to broaden the target audience and promote the linguistic diversity in the sub-continent. NDL can accommodate materials in any language though user interface for searching and browsing has initially started with the languages Hindi, English and Bengali and will slowly expand to include other languages also.
+ 
+#### <b>Our two cents:</b>
+
+Currently in its rudimentary phase, the NDL project’s long term aim is to provide learning materials in various languages, in all disciplines, in different forms of access devices; and to cater to differently-abled learners as well. 
+
+As is the case with initiatives like NPTEL and GIAN, NDL is an ambitious step towards a more progressive and open learning culture in the country and creating some accessible open standard to share resources. While it starts in good stead, it depends heavily on the execution as to how it pans out over the years and compares with similar western repositories it tries to replicate. 

_posts/2016-10-13-in-conversation-with-director-iit-roorkee.md

@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: In conversation with Director, IIT Roorkee
+image: director.png
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: verbatim
+---
+
+_“A Director walks into a bar …”_
+
+_As our Director comes to the end of a successful tenure, we spoke to him regarding a variety of topics ranging from his time at Roorkee, R’s university hangover and the rigidity accompanying change in IITR. In a candid conversation that ensued, Prof. Banerji let loose on how he sees IITR progressing along the years, the lethargy of the student body and his attempts at creating leaders among students._
+
+<div style="text-align: center;">
+  <iframe width="720" height="415" align="center" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8HszMROqZYs"></iframe>
+</div>
+
+### How has your time in Roorkee been?
+
+I think I have loved it here in Roorkee for two reasons. One, I've learnt a lot about being a leader because that itself is a huge learning experience. The second part is of course just being here. I mean, I think, I’m proud of the fact that this is possibly the most beautiful campus in India. And that it has been maintained reasonably well. So, I think those are the two parts which I think are very important why I say that I loved it.
+
+### Can you recount some major projects undertaken during your tenure?
+
+Two or three major changes things that I can say, one is the influx of young faculty members- the average age going down from 52 to under 42 is huge.
+Second thing that I think that has changed is, slowly but surely, a research culture is creeping in. The number of PhD students that came here were about 750.
+And graduating were about 120-130. This year we have about 1600+ PhD students, and the ones graduating, around 292. The number of sponsored research projects have grown, although not much as I'd like to. 
+
+Five years in an institution is a very small time. You can't make large changes when because you make very large changes, there's always this chaos that accompanies them. And I hope that the Advaita ERP programme which is trying to get everything online and connected to each other, will have a long lasting impact. So, I think I’ll probably mention these three as far as the subject matters.
+
+### You have served as a dean in IITB for six years. What difference do you find in the administrative functioning in Roorkee and in Bombay?
+
+You know, today IIT Bombay is a very different place. It's actually more bureaucratic than possibly, us. I jokingly tell people that over here we try to break the bureaucracy and IIT Bombay took the bureaucracy that we left! 
+
+When I was over there, I think, fundamentally, the difference between IIT Roorkee and IIT Bombay of that time is that the Director does not matter. There's a lot of delegation, of authority, and responsibility. The authority delegation, I’ve done over here as well. But the responsibility part that the heads of the departments think about their departments and work towards its betterment and not think of themselves remains.  
+
+When I was the dean, I very rarely told the director what I was doing. It's only when I needed him to be there for this and this reason that I spoke to him. So the director could look at the outside world and look at the big picture. 
+
+This place has a history of the head of the institution being the orator. In the sense that everybody at that level at the institution looks upto him ki ye baat karega. That aspect was not over there and I know it because who was the director over there, is now the chairman of the Board of Governors over here. 
+
+I think in an academic institution debate is a very important part. If someone will say something, you have to defend it. That is something that I don't see here. Files come to me, and, I find no reason for it. We are trying to bring changes, with SAP, and all that process.
+We are trying to create something but how that will work out is something that we don’t know. I think here we are very centralised. I have to tell everyone what's to be done. The head of a department just forwards it and ultimately lands up over here.
+
+Today IIT Bombay is very very different. I mean, for small small things, it become so complicated. I would say that between IIT Bombay of today and IIT Roorkee of today, IIT Roorkee is the better place because it’s moving towards more openness, more flexibility whereas IIT Bombay is going towards more rigidity. Because there's whole lot of rules and regulations. So, I think they are going on different trajectories. Where we are relative to each other, I can't tell because I don’t spend too much time in Bombay. So, I think that's the key thing.
+
+
+### We still have some archaic rules, a curfew on girls and a relatively rigid academic system. What are the roadblocks to changing these at IITR?
+
+About three years ago, I completely changed the academic system. I brought in flexibility, and whether the flexibility in reality, is happening is something that I don't know. What we are trying to make is that we are trying to do changes from institute centric to student centric.
+Unfortunately, students are not, a very enlightened lot. The fact that each one of the undergrad students can choose his or her own path is something that, and I think, and I do agree on paper it looks beautiful. There are certain hitches, that are going to come, but I think with what we are trying to do, that academic flexibility will come along. It may take two to three years for systems to change. I think that's all I can think of.
+
+One of the first things I did when I came back here, is try to say okay let’s look at the curfew of girls, right? Let’s do something about it. Immediately, another section of girls came in and told me that, "Sir, we feel safe being locked up at night."
+
+I said ‘Boss!”. You see, the point I am trying to make is that one group of girls came and said, "Sir, we want to remove the restrictions". I said, “Sure! I think it's criminal”. But then, almost half an hour later, another batch of girl students came in and said, “Sir please don’t change it!”, our parents are very happy. 
+
+I can't handle this, because I do not understand this. IIT Roorkee has surprised me over and over and over and over again. 
+
+### IITR has been consistently ranked as the sixth best. Taking the ranking at face value, where do you think lies the difference between us and the original five IITs?
+
+The thinking process. The thinking process of everybody, including the students. I blame students, mostly. The last time I went to Saharanpur campus I told the students there that you are not IIT students; what you did IIT students would never do. So I think, because to a certain extent that at all levels, this place still does not believe that it's an IIT. And that's where the history comes in, right? 
+
+All the other IITs were created afresh, and they started as IITs. This was the University of Roorkee, which became IIT. I'll also say that University of Roorkee had a lot of good things that were destroyed in the first 3-4 years of being an IIT.
+
+I think, the fact is that,I'm trying to make the students run things. I've seen that even among a lot of students, self interest becomes paramount. Such a thing becomes an issue. I think that is fundamentally the issue is over here the mindset is not about the institution but ourselves. I’ve mentioned this to the faculty, I have mentioned it to my Deans, and all my students that self-interest determines what you are. I just lay my case. If 8000 students all work together who can do anything to them. But, even a batch of 60 students there’s no unity.
+
+The cultural council is not united. Once if the cultural council is united, and therefore what happens is, again, and I am telling you that I'm making a controversial statement over here, that, you lose out. Because, the divide and rule policy! 
+
+I get the best people from around the world. Fantastic researchers, brilliant faculty. They come over here, and Roorkee grows over them. And there’s a statement and I'll go with it, that you can take a person out of Roorkee, but you cannot take the Roorkee out of a person.
+Even alumni. When I'm talking about IIT Bombay too. We used to have these gatherings of 5000 people, everybody working right? 
+
+And this is fundamentally. I'm telling you frankly, IIT Roorkee easily, easily, with almost no effort can be the third best IIT. Why, because IIT Bombay and Delhi are currently very well established, you know the why that is? Because those two IITs are on autopilot. In the sense that you don’t have to tell the faculty anything, you don’t have to tell students anything. Everybody does what is best for the institution. They do sponsored research of almost a hundred and fifty crore rupees a year. 
+
+I'm telling you, the ranking is fundamentally about being known in the world.
+Fundamentally. I'm telling you, how the students are different from the other IITs? In other IITs, General Secretary banta hai to kisi ko pakad ke banate hain wahan pe. Koi banana hi nahi chaahta. Yahaan pe, I still remember, about three years ago where the guy who became the SAC ka kya hai President, usko kandhe pe leke you people were announcing. Delhi University hai kya hai yaar. I mean, it was a guy who was like, and he was being taken around by students and I was like, kya hai yaar.
+
+I think every piece of the puzzle, okay, is, is equally responsible for IIT Roorkee sixth rank.
+Easily, we are better than Kharagpur, Kanpur, and Madras. And I am the person who has been in all these places. I'm telling you very frankly. The sixth rank is because we ourselves are totally satisfied being the sixth IIT. We do not aspire for anything better than the sixth rank. 
+
+It is every student for himself or herself, this is how it is. Faculty members will always be.
+So, I think that culture, that old culture still here. I'm shocked, even in IIT system I feel someone calling a one year senior "Sir". That used to be like, for officers! You know, that culture has not grown out of this place. And that's the reason why it exists. I'm telling you very frankly, if today you look at it from hard basis, its basic perception. The external perception is what matters. Today, IIT Hyderabad is better known than IIT Roorkee. 
+Internationally nobody knows IIT Roorkee. 
+
+I think that, that the main thing IIT Roorkee lacks is a todo attitude. Go out, and tell the people that we will do it for you, okay? We will work with you. These are the areas that are our strengths and that's all for this this this this purpose. That I think is the key to IIT Roorkee being third very easily nothing, no doubt. I think that's the fundamental issue.
+
+### Undergraduate Research at IITR pales in comparison to the other IITs. We have a minimal number of students taking up research as a career. How can we turn this around?
+
+Undergraduate research is a tautology. Undergraduates cannot do research. Because to do research, you have to gain so much knowledge and you cannot. What can an undergraduate do? Undergraduates have ideas. They need to solve a problem. We need to develop something to solve a problem. That is something that cannot be individually pursued.
+
+Form teams. Solve problems yaar. You see, that's what I'm trying to say. If you look at it, that's what I was trying to tell the students also. And I support all students. Do something yaar. Get an approach. Try to solve a problem. Research leave it to the Phd students.
+If you look elsewhere, none of them are doing research. If they are doing research it is stupid. Because they don't have any knowledge. You people don't have knowledge. But you have ideas. Ideas do not require knowledge.
+
+### What is the biggest regret from your tenure here at IIT Roorkee?  
+
+I tried to create leaders among students, but I failed. I have never said no to anything. I am the only director who has given airfare to students to go for inter IIT. The only thing I have asked them is to bring the general championship, which hasn’t happened in the past 5 years. See you guys are from Watch Out! You should go and hit everyone with your work. That’s what IITs are about. You come here, the world is yours. Every time I interact with students working in Thomso, Cognizance I tell them “Karo, kuch karo”. They have done wonderfully in terms of bringing sponsorship and all. You know when Techfest started, it became international. But Cognizance is still a regional fest. Aspiration is what I want my students to have. Go and become global leaders. Be the best in what you do. Screw the system, yaar. In the system or among students there would always be good people and bad people.
+
+At least during my five years here, I haven’t seen anything big coming from Roorkee. I have always been there for everything students want to have. Be it Cognizance, cultural activities, sports, anything. Every time I try to get some good people to come for Cognizance because I feel that if students interact with them, someone might learn and go out and do something big. A major problem here, both with the alumni and the students is that they feel for the institute, but they don’t want to contribute towards the institute’s growth. This is fundamental and it is not because of the university culture. Come on yaar, it has been 15 years, that means a generation’s time. Even after all these years, having had a director who has only been in the IIT system- studied in an IIT system, taught in an IIT system and come here thinking that this was an IIT.
+
+### It has been established that a major reason for Roorkee’s undoing is the student populace. How has the response from the students been?  
+
+We opened a tinkering lab. I thought there will be a mass of students trying to figure out when it is going to open. The tinkering lab at IIT Bombay is completely run by students. I asked the Director, IIT Bombay, “Has the satellite gone up?”. He had no clue and had to call and ask a student to find out the details. People should start taking initiatives. A lot of things have been started by students, but they lack continuity. For example, groups like FSAE, Robocon etc. I had expected that over five years, their race car would start winning after accumulating knowledge over these years. You should be going forward. Similarly with Robocon, the robotics group. The students should start working around their ideas.
+
+How many students have even tried to find out what the faculty works on? Would you disagree with me if I say the answer is quite negligible? I have been saying this to the faculty as well when asked the question what the institute does for them. The institute gives you a place to stay, world class research facilities, a salary. Who is stopping you from doing things? The point I am trying to make is, the efforts have to be started from individuals.
+
+How is NSS, NSO, NCC treated here? Look at the sports facilities here. Gen. Vishwambar Singh represented India in Asiad. Air Marshal Athawale represented UP in Ranji Trophy and he was the topper in his class during his time. India’s snooker no 5, who used to play with Geeth Sethi comes from University of Roorkee. Where are such achievements now? Roorkee has the best sports facilities among all IITs as said by external review committees. How many students take advantage of these?
+
+Students are more interested in the bandwidth of the internet here. What is the opportunity you grab here? The speed of the internet. Here people complain about the number of companies visiting the campus. More than 240 companies visited last year which rivals any other IITs. Do you know what recruiters say about IIT Roorkee? They say that they see a remarkable difference between people of IITR and other IITs. Do you know what the problem is? Communication. Because you do not go out of your rooms and speak out.
+
+### IITs are autonomous universities. However we rarely focus on any aspect apart from engineering. With this as the case, how do you see us blossoming as full blown universities as in the west?  
+
+We are good at science and technology and we should be the best in that. I have it completely clear in my mind that the universities you are talking about in the west started brilliantly from the beginning. Look at Berkeley where I went, it was the best in Physics. We had ten nobel laureates and there was a Nobel laureate corridor. It was the best in biology. The Haas school of management had 3 Nobel laureates in Economics. They started from the best.
+
+The mandate of the IITs was for technology. Every IIT has a management school. I fundamentally say one thing. Why would a guy who can get into IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta come to IIT Roorkee management school. So what do we have? We have the people who couldn’t get into IIMs. Whereas, the faculty that we have over here, the other IITs would love to have. That’s where we get the best, in science and engineering. Not in social sciences. Look at JNU. JNU was created in that fashion. I still remember when I was a youngster, JNU’s CS department was the best in the world. Today it’s a liberal arts university. Where is science and engineering? Nowhere. I think there’s nothing wrong in being the best in what you are, rather than aping something we couldn’t create.
+
+### Can you complete the joke, “A Director walks into a bar…”?  
+
+Everybody goes out. A director walks alone. So even if he goes into a bar he’s alone.
+
+_We thank Prof. Banerji for his time and the wonderful conversation that ensued. Prof. Banerji had the following concluding remark for us -_
+
+_“I wish I had known about Watch Out! five years ago. Then I would’ve done something different for Watch Out! I believe you guys have a great responsibility too. I want to go back to Bombay and hear that Watch Out! has done something great.”_
+

_posts/2016-11-24-placements-at-r.md

@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Places to go: Placements at R"
+image: placements-at-r.png
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: career 
+---
+
+Despite being over a century old, Roorkee falls behind a few early birds when it comes to placements and loses its preference in that respect. It is also believed that the seclusion of IITR from the urban civilization, contrary to that of Bombay and Madras, and the consequent difficulty in transport and lack of accommodation facilities outside the campus could also be a part of the problem. The gospel that ‘R comes behind B, D, and K’ expands into a non-alphabetical regime of non-core placements, making it the ruby in the rubble. Watch Out! delves into the student perspective of placements, the current scenario and the effort it takes to land your dream job in your dream company.
+
+
+### The current scenario
+
+
+The zeitgeist of 1980s and 90s defined the choice of graduates of University of Roorkee to join PSUs, engineering services, civil services etc. The winds changed their direction soon and today we see a higher student proportion opting for finance, software, consulting, analytics, management roles in the private sector along with core jobs, the option of higher studies and a few starting up. The pattern also varies with IITs and is connected with the campus culture, student faculty interaction, motivation factor etc. 
+
+
+This disparity is visible in terms of placements, as clarified by Dr. Padhy, Professor-in-charge, TPO, _“If the companies were to pick, say 2 out of 7 IITs, then Roorkee would be at a disadvantage”._ At this point, it is only natural that the reader starts to reflect upon the mysteriously ridiculous circumstances in which he opted for the institute in the first place.  
+
+
+A general comment on the placement scenario at IITR is a difficult one to make. In software and technology profiles most major companies visit the campus including giants such as Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Adobe etc. But R surely lags behind its sister institutions in finance, consulting, FMCG and core profiles with not many top guns attracted to IITR junta. 1037 offers were made on-campus by 248 companies during the previous academic year. 
+
+
+### Student preparation
+
+
+Placement drive is more or less a platform for interaction between the employer and job aspirants. It brings the industry and the graduates together on the table. The preparation culture at IITR is something worth rethinking. The general student attitude towards placements in Roorkee remains a lackadaisical one even now.  In the words of Prof. N.P Padhy, _“Students in Roorkee have to be more serious with the business.”_  Many companies couldn’t even find suitable candidates for the roles they were seeking. According to Naman Agarwal from the TPO, _“Many a times companies give negative feedback about student preparation especially when it comes to aptitude”._
+
+
+The campus life provides immense opportunities to explore the technical side of everything leading to satisfactory performance in software and core profiles. With non-core jobs like management consultancy, finance, analytics etc., there is little exposure your undergraduate life can offer you. 
+
+
+The Training and Placement cell conducts workshops with an aim to give students a better exposure and make them prepared for interviews. The Talerang workshops which used to be conducted earlier had to be dropped due to sparse participation. In the previous year workshops by companies like 4P, Smart India etc. were conducted by TPO but the turnout was poor. 
+
+
+At the same time, the quality of such workshops also remains a question, with some students pointing out that they were below the mark. It seems there is a gap between what students seek through such workshops and what they are actually offered. In such a situation, from preparation of CVs to training for interviews students lack proper guidance and in most cases the only inputs are those from their immediate seniors. Speaking about the need to be more focused as far as placements are concerned, Prof. Padhy says _“70-80% of the students are fine. But 30% of them require serious counselling. Motivation factor is to be added. Also, importantly, one has to be very serious about his plans, what he is looking for. If you go to, IITK, if there are 1000 students, only 700 register for the placements. They are those who actually want a job and serious about it. Here, all 999 register for placements. But they still prepare for MBA, MS, Civil Services. It is not a bad idea to try many things parallel. But for a candidate to be successful in something, he has to be clear in his mind as to what he is looking for.”_
+
+
+Looking from another dimension, the limited number of opportunities might also lead to a lukewarm approach from the part of students. For example if you take FMCG sector, the only company which comes to Roorkee is ITC, while other majors like HUL, Nestle etc. show their presence in other IITs. Even in consulting or finance, Roorkee has not yet been able to tap into the big players. This is certainly a matter of concern at the same time a deterring factor for preparation. While some go for higher studies, others try their luck with whatever little options available. A new company might come to Roorkee and if they do not find qualified graduates, they may withdraw from the next season. This definitely fetches a negative impression for the institute in front of employers. Similarly, when students find few opportunities in their desired field, they are demotivated to prepare and get satisfied with whatever they could get their hands on. This leads to a vicious circle of lesser efforts, poorer placements and limited opportunities.
+ 
+### Roorkee sleeps
+
+
+The quality of students is one big thing for any company when it decides to visit a campus for placements. Even when we say that we don’t have many top guns visiting the campus, it is good to stand in our shoes and rethink whether we can offer the quality which they seek. No doubt the intellect and potential of IITR graduates is top notch. But what matters is whether we are groomed for the industry and the world we step into. A frivolous attitude never pays off. _“Suppose the placement brochure says that we have a finance club, a consult club or an analytics group, wouldn’t a company in these sectors automatically get interested in the graduates here?  But do we have something of this sort to offer here? The answer is disappointing.”_ says Aditya Gokhale’15.
+
+
+### Informed decision making
+
+
+The realities and expectations, opportunities and probabilities, skills and potentials need to be weighed before choosing the way forward.  _“You should initially talk to a few people in the industry you want to join. And get their perspectives to help you decide whether you are cut out for these jobs or not. More importantly, you may be interested in something, but the companies might have no interest in you. So the reality check has to be done while in college.”_, notes Mr. Aravind Singhal, Founder and CEO of Technopak, a leading boutique consulting firm. 
+
+
+Career decisions in R are built in interesting ways, with the primary inputs coming from seniors’ experiences and what peers think about certain profiles. This raises another major concern: It is easy to believe that job X is what you want to do or company Y is where you want to go when you have little idea about what interest and you and where do your strengths lie. 
+
+
+### Career: A lifelong journey
+
+
+It is also important that students have a long term vision about the industry and the work they wish to do in life. It should be an informed decision rather than going behind all that glitters. _“Nowadays, you see a job which pays more than 10 lakhs, and you rush towards that. You have to find out what you are really good at”_ says Prof. Pathy.  
+
+
+Placements are a market driven world. Currently the opportunities in software, consultancy and finance are huge and offer higher pay than core sector jobs which account for only about 15% of the job market. One needs to put further analysis and thoughts on how different industries are going to evolve in future and needs to make an independent decision about what one would like to do with their lives. _“Students often have a very myopic view of things extending to 12-18 months, mostly driven by the fashion of the day, joining an ecommerce company or a consulting company, instead of considering whether they are suitable to the industry or not. A lot of ecommerce companies in my opinion, will shut down, in the next few years. Management consultancy may look far more glamorous from outside than it actually is and is going to go through a significant amount of disruption in future”_, notes Mr. Singhal.
+
+
+### Tapping into alumni network
+
+
+IITR, a globally acknowledged institution with a legacy of more than 150 years has an alumni base spread over different parts of the globe playing crucial roles in various MNCs, PSUs, research institutions, civil services, startups etc. But it’s a fact well acknowledged that IITR has always performed poorly in exploiting this vast resource. The easiest way to bring a company to the campus is by making use of alumni who are part of the organization.  _“We basically target a company. We identify alumni working in the company. We use them to reach out to the decision maker. And they are very supportive to be honest.”_ says prof Padhy. To treat the alumni not just as a source of money who should be pestered for sponsorships in fests is the first thing to be taken care of. Building a strong relationship with the alumni can bring in better industrial collaboration, exchange programs, financial aids, technical expertise and significant opportunities for students. When a call from alma mater is always close to heart, why not we try better to tap into this tremendous resource?
+ 
+### To learn
+
+
+The only way to learn is to try. College is a place to try out multiple things. _“First and foremost, students should make sure they study what they have gone there for. The primary motive of being in college is to learn. Make it a point to explore different things. In the process they will understand themselves, develop capabilities and an all-round personality”_, says Mr. Singhal. It’s not too late to get rid of our somnolence and introspect. Remember that naughty boy from John Keat’s poem?    
+
+“So he stood in his shoes
+And he wondered,
+He wondered,
+He stood in his shoes
+And he wondered.”
+
+

_posts/2016-11-30-heart-to-heart-with-the-admin-of-iitr-confessions.md

@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: Heart to heart with the admin of IITR confessions
+image: confessions.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: phekingnews
+---
+
+
+_Mr. Admin walks into the room with a black monkey-mask on. Our first instinct is that we are going to be mugged, but we realise that no one has any usable money left. He takes a seat and crosses his legs._
+
+
+### Hi! We’re from Watch Ou..
+
+Yeah yeah. I know. Can you get to it quickly? It’s end-term season and the confession page gets really busy. 
+
+
+### Right to it then. So, what do you think of IIT Roorkee. Like, what’s your role here? 
+
+Oh. This place is full of cowards. All of them are wimps, I tell you! _Opinionated_ wimps, though. People here have a say in everything. They want to go on a rant against their professors, the mess food, the lecture timings, everything! They want to ask the guy on their floor who keeps playing loud music to shut up. They want to ask the pretty girls out for a cup of coffee. But, they also want to keep their identity hidden. Which is where I come in. I’m the channel that gets messages through to the receiver. I’m here to make sure that all this is done.
+
+
+### Does it get stressful, this job? 
+
+Don’t get me started on this! It gets irritating when people start messaging the page with death threats if you haven't posted confessions over a span of 2 days. These futile attempts to menace end up messing up my ability to pay attention to those presentations in class (not that I want to pay attention). It's funny how their haystack filled brains strive on the daily dose of who’s hating, who’s dating, who’s crushing and who’s blushing. God, I wish I could get a break! I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love this job, but even I have tutorials and assignments to copy! 
+
+### Must be exhausting, copying and pasting all those confessions.
+
+Oh you smart guys with your sarcasm. Let me tell you how tiring this responsibility is. I have to manually check and censor each of the confessions. It is almost impossible to comprehend the English. Itz jst rndm cllckn of alphbts sumtyms whch dnt evn mk snse. 
+Recently, I found out the outrageous fact that the administration keeps a tabs on the kids by checking my page. I don't want to put my users, however stupid they might be, into trouble because #brocode. 
+Also, there exists a range of confessions which are not meant to greet the desperate eyes of the IITR junta, because a few secrets are meant to be buried. Thus, these end up being filtered out.
+
+
+### (rather excitedly) What are those secrets? 
+
+_(Eyes in those monkey masks grow wider. We jump in our seats and hurriedly mutter “Never mind” and move on to the next question)_
+
+
+### Um, what do you think of these “lovers” posting confessions?
+
+I’ve always been a hopeless romantic. I admit, I’ve had my own share of lovestruck semesters here. I have been rendered speechless in front of the love of my life a couple of times. What can you say! Some of us are just too shy. Does that mean that we are incapable of love? True, we’re awkward, and end up blabbering nervously strung together sentences and pick-up lines we plucked off the internet in front of our crush while our palms get sweaty and our heart pounds, resonating it’s beats through our chest, but does that mean we can’t give the girl of our dreams the happiness she deserves? At IITR Confessions, we aim to give our timid, socially clumsy brothers a chance at love.
+
+
+_(We won’t lie. We teared up a bit right here.)_
+
+
+### But there are so many people posting fake confessions about their friends! How do you deal with that?
+
+It saddens me, to be honest, that today, the sanctity of a confession page is disregarded completely. I mean, seriously? IIT Roorkee needs to take love seriously. And as the admin, I’ll work ceaselessly until the fifteen thousand followers of our Facebook page know how important anonymous revelations of love are.
+
+
+### You don’t have fifteen thousand followers. It’s barely even ten thousand!
+
+Still more than you guys have, right? 
+
+### That hurt. Moving on. What is the recruitment process like for becoming the admin?
+
+We get into a group of 15 people and grill the prospective candidates.
+
+### Really?
+
+No, that’s just dumb! Our recruitment is an analogous to Darwin’s theory of natural selection. We handpick our candidates using an algorithm which has been circulating in the confession community for generations. These potential candidates are put through carefully drafted rigorous linguistic, semantic and analytical challenges. The refining process goes something like the following.
+
+- Right off the bat, we ask our prospective candidates to provide us the juiciest gossip of the campus.( Yes, we need to judge their definition of juicy.) 
+We weed out a huge chunk of admin-hopefuls here. You’d be surprised how very unfit people at IITR are at being paps.
+
+- Next, we ask our contenders to process some really bad English. 
+_(V wnt 2 c if u cn hw hi iz ur glas ceelng)_
+
+- Then, we..
+(Right here, the admin saw us excitedly take notes. He stopped.)
+Excuse me! We'd like to keep everything under the cloak of secrecy and we expect everyone to appreciate that. Are you actually naive enough to believe that I'd let you reveal my recruitment procedure to the entire campus? Come on!
+
+
+### We apologize. Although, could you name a couple of people who’ve been admins? 
+
+I don’t remember a lot of them. Though, Amit Singhal was an admin back in his time. 
+
+### No he wasn’t! There wasn’t even a Facebook page then! There wasn’t even a ‘Facebook’ then!
+
+I see you’ve done your research. Nice. Ok no he wasn’t. But he keeps hacking into our page every now and then. We have to change our password every two days!  
+
+### Well, I guess that’s the end of this, then. One last question though. What do you think of Watch Out!?
+
+Well, there was this outrageous rumor going around in campus that Watch Out! was behind this page, but I assure you, you guys are not cool enough to do it. 
+<br/><br/>
+
+
+**_The article features in our Autumn’16 print issue. The issue delves into the roadblocks to having a truly meritocratic election at IITR and expounds on the limited academic flexibility offered at Roorkee. To read our previous issues visit: [https://issuu.com/wona-iitr](https://issuu.com/wona-iitr)_**
+
+
+
+
+

_posts/2017-01-20-career-series-lovneesh-chanana.md

@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Watch Out! Career Series : Dr. Lovneesh Chanana"
+image: lovneesh.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: career 
+---
+
+_An engineer himself, Dr. Chanana serves as a government advisor on e-governance, business process reengineering, consulting and capacity building. Having worked with giants in the industry including the likes of IBM and SAP, he expounds on how potential collaborations of industry and academia can offer a goldmine of opportunities for engineering grads._
+
+
+**In common parlance, can you explain to us what e-governance is and how it influences our lives?**
+
+Dr. Chanana – Simply stated, e-governance can be described as use of information and communication technologies to deliver government services with a view to enhance efficiency, effectiveness and transparency. The end goal of such online service delivery to improve government-citizen interactions leading to more participative governance. In terms of influence on a citizen’s life, e-governance application offer huge transformational potential for an inclusive development. Take the example of passports – from a 45 days issuance cycle, it has been brought down to a 3-4 days. You can track the status anytime. Similarly, a farmer in rural India can have instant access to soil data, expertise on improving yield in his field and mandi rates etc. The potential is huge. Mygov is another classical example of providing a platform for inclusive citizen participation. And the recent development on demonetization coupled with the push to digital payments has provided the much desired impetus towards incentivisation of e-services. 
+
+**How did e-governance suddenly become an area of academic and practitioner interest?**
+
+Dr. Chanana –There are two three reasons for the sudden increase in interest level of both academia and practitioners. One, the holistic packaging of initiatives by the current Government in terms of well-defined programs such as “Digital India’, ‘Smart Cities’, ‘Make in India’ etc. This has provided the required direction and unified objective oriented push to digital agenda. Second, the fast paced developments in technology coupled with affordable acquisition and usage models such as cloud have opened up a canvas of new form of applications which could lead to transformed government processes. The third area that is more of an offshoot of the first that I mentioned above is the unsaid competitive environment that has been created among state governments and even central Ministries. Given the high level of visibility and potential impact of IT interventions in Government from social, economic and political aspects, all governments are taking steps to ensure that they are not left behind. So to summarize, the three factors for e-governance to become an area of increased interest levels are (a) the programmatic approach and the new models for management of these programs (b) the rapid advances in technology specifically for government services and (c) the socio-technical approaches required to leapfrog in this areas.
+
+**How can e-governance be of interest to students?**
+
+Dr. Chanana – When it comes to students, I feel that there can be three broad areas: a career in e-governance; entrepreneurship; and research. This is besides their normal expectations as citizens. From a career perspective, e-governance offers huge opportunities both in technology as well as management space. The sheer size and complexity of e-governance projects (e.g. rail reservations, income tax etc.) offer great learning potential for both technology and management oriented minds. Consulting in e-governance is another career option. The world of tech startups and creation of productized solutions for e-gov is another area that may be of interest. Students willing to take up research can do so in a variety of areas in e-gov e.g. mobility, cyber security, digital payments etc. 
+
+**What is your take on the role of industries in pushing academia towards research?**
+
+Dr. Chanana – I won’t say that one stakeholder group pushes other to do something. It is always a collaborative effort. Industry academia collaboration in creating an environment of actionable research is a much talked about area (though I am not sure about the actual level of its success). The contribution from industry can come in a variety of forms including identification of real life problem statements, joint projects, curriculum development etc. Joint training, management development programs and capacity building is another area of common interest. Knowledge sharing on success and failures of research projects could be another area for collaboration.
+
+**In USA, companies tend to allot projects to students via professors. If these projects prove successful then many-a-times they are taken up by the students as their PhD programs with funding given by the companies. Why don’t we get to hear of such opportunities in India?**
+
+Dr. Chanana – If one observes closely, some form of this exists in our system too. Take the example of numerous centers of excellence set up jointly by industry and institutes. These centers do work on creating prototypes which can be taken up for rapid development and deployment by industry. One may argue on the qualitative success of such models but intent and plan of execution do exist.
+
+**What is the industry’s stand on the current education system offering enough in terms of practical exposure to students?**
+ 
+Dr. Chanana – One has to be mindful that in academia, the priority is to ensure that students get an effective conceptual learning which can be supplemented by industry experiences from a practical exposure standpoint. This can be achieved by industry involvement in curriculum design so that the inclusion of relevant concepts which are close to industry expectations can be achieved. Also, getting industry professionals as faculty may help both sides. Though, I must say, it sounds easier than it actually is. 
+
+
+**What is your message to the students of IITR?**
+
+Dr. Chanana – Take pride in yourself and be proud of your capabilities. Don’t be in a hurry. Think of your long term career and not the job alone. Focus on acquiring technical and soft skills in the first few years and the paths for your professional journey will automatically open up. And one last thing – never forget your institute, your teachers and mentors. 
+
+
+_<b>The article features in our Autumn’16 print issue. The issue’s Cover Story delves into the roadblocks to having a truly meritocratic election at IITR and the two big stories analyse IITR’s security and expound on the limited academic flexibility offered at Roorkee. To read our previous issues visit: [https://issuu.com/wona-iitr](https://issuu.com/wona-iitr)</b>_
+

_posts/2017-01-29-the-locks-they-are-a-rattlin.md

@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "The locks they Are A-rattlin’"
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: bigstory
+image: security_cover.jpg
+excerpt: As is the case with most things at IITR, various inadequacies come to the fore only after an unfortunate mishap. The recent scrutiny involving the curfew of girls and the inadequacy of the IITR hospital have seen the unearthing of many such shortcomings in the area of safety and security at IITR.  Watch Out! digs deeper into a domain that is understated in its importance and as a result is oft overlooked.
+---
+
+_While a student’s life revolves around juggling academics, sports and culturals, the aforementioned subjects face a lot of scrutiny and form the crux of casual discussions about life at IITR. As is the case with most things at IITR, various inadequacies come to the fore only after an unfortunate mishap. The recent scrutiny involving the curfew of girls and the inadequacy of the IITR hospital have seen the unearthing of many such shortcomings in the area of safety and
+security at IITR. Watch Out! digs deeper into a domain that is understated in its importance and as a result is oft overlooked._
+
+## How safe are we?
+
+### The problems:
+
+Roorkee, being volatile by virtue of its inherent communal diversity, provides a challenge while securing the campus from various threats. The vicinal areas are purported to have a high crime rate and pent up tension. The campus of Roorkee, during the day, acts as a connecting link between parts of the town. However, a chat with the Security Officer, Mr. K.P. Singh reveals that the entire blame cannot be shifted onto IITR’s unfortunate locality. According to Mr. Singh, the challenge is
+as much internal as it is dependent on externalities.
+
+The institute makes it mandatory for families of staff and faculty to possess colour coded dependent passes, with an aim of serving as an accountable measure of the people residing in the institute. But as is the case with most other rules of the land, there are always some who inadvertently find loopholes and flout the norms. This makes it very difficult to gauge the exact number of people using a single dependent pass. To quote Prof. D.K. Nauriyal, “We have servant quarters
+where if one is allotted, 8 dependents would stay there and we don’t know if they are actually dependents or not.”
+
+Being aware of threats posed by such situations, the institute takes it upon itself to enforce certain restrictions which inevitably curb a student’s freedom of movement. The justifiability of such restrictions is arguable, with each side having its own merits and demerits.
+
+### Solutions and steps taken: 
+
+Securing the campus is inextricably linked to extending various other facilities in the campus. Arguments against suspending the women’s timing restrictions are often quelled by citing the age old reasons of security and porosity of the campus. Under a budget of around 25 lakhs per month, IITR currently outsources the security to private security contractors. 
+
+Security being out of the jurisdiction of the SAC, the last SAC worked towards pushing a proposal for improving security in the campus, with an emphasis on the timing restrictions. The proposal intends to build on the recommendations of the Justice Verma Committee, which was constituted to look into the security of women after the brutal 2012 Delhi gang rape. The committee unequivocally stated that locking women up is not the solution to the security of women and that it is the
+prerogative of universities to provide for the security that enables women to exercise as much freedom as is guaranteed by the constitution. While one can’t help acknowledge the gravity of the obstacles to absolute security on campus, locking up adults well into their 20s seems rather short-sighted and primitive, as far as solutions go. “We’re not questioning the students’ judgement”, says Prof. D.K.Nauriyal, “Our only concern is their safety. There have been times when we’ve
+personally roamed around the campus and found lots of eve teasers. We rounded them up and took them to authorities. The moment we’re sure that our girls are safe, we’ll open it for 24x7 as we’ve no problem with that.”
+
+![Locks Rattling 1](/images/posts/locks-rattling-1.png){: style="width: 40%; float: left; margin-right: 4%;"}
+
+The proposal acknowledges the porosity of the campus as one of the primary bottlenecks in achieving better security. This is in part to the fact that there are various public offices within the campus and partly due to unauthorised and unaccounted residents inside the campus. Proper documentation of vehicles as well as institute residents is suggested as a way to counter this challenge. The in place scheme of dependent cards is a sufficient measure if implemented thoroughly and
+documented comprehensively. This needs to be complemented with a similar scheme for vehicles. The proposal suggests defining “authorised vehicles” as a vehicle belonging to a faculty or employee of the institute and accompanied by a dependent card. Unauthorised vehicles would require the submission of ID Cards/Driving Licences before entering the institute.
+
+The occurrence of eve teasing in the campus, despite all preventive measures, is lamentable. IITR has a relatively unknown and dormant body called the “Committee against Sexual Harassment (CASH)”. Its inactivity has essentially lead to all such cases being handled by the DOSW office. CASH is headed by Prof. Ritu Barthwal of the Biotech department and constitutes of various professors. However, students who encounter cases of eve teasing barely know of such a bureaucratic
+structure and do not resort to pursuing a complaint actively.  To quote the DOSW, “It’s not dormant. But it’s activated only when there’s a complaint received. The point is that lots of complaints do not come to the committee. The moment we get a complaint we immediately forward them to the committee and there are actions.”
+
+## The October Revolution:
+
+![The gathering in front of the main building](/images/posts/locks-rattling-3.jpg){: style="width: 65%;"}
+*The gathering in front of the main building*
+{: style="text-align: center"}
+
+After grappling with the administration’s nonchalance on the issue of the 11pm curfew on girls, the student body finally resorted to a peaceful protest against the rule. Students defied the deadline and gathered at the gates of Kasturba Bhawan, equipped with candles and banners, and started the march at 11 pm. An assembly of around 400 students was then led on towards the Main Building, ultimately proceeding towards the Hill View faculty residences where attempts for an audience with the
+Chief Warden, Kasturba Bhawan and the DOSW were made. The DOSW ultimately agreed to address the students gathered and this is what he had to say on the issue, “We are not indifferent to your problems. We need to look after the security of you students, especially girls.”He focused on the porosity of the campus, saying, “People go to CBRI, moving through the campus. You have NIH here. You have many spots like servant’s quarters and all that. All kinds of people come here.”
+
+He added that they agree with the views of the students, in principle, but their only concern was security which they must ensure. The involved students then took up the matter with the MHRD through a letter. The MHRD in its response has appointed Prof. Pradeep Kumar, Department of Civil Engineering as the Nodal Officer for coordinating on the issue. However, the institute still waits for a decisive outcome to this issue.
+
+## Hospital Inadequacy:
+
+![Hospital](/images/posts/locks-rattling-2.png){: style="width: 65%;"}
+
+As is the norm in Roorkee, many a critical issue is brought forth only after serious mishap. The unfortunate and tragic death of Anurag Sharma owing to an injury on the squash courts last year, opened the can of worms regarding the health care issues on campus. The mumbles of discontent have burst forth after this freak disaster. As unanimously agreed upon, it’s high time the medical facilities on campus were revamped to meet the standards one comes to expect of a premier
+institution. Following the incident, a special meeting of the SAC was called for, wherein myriad problems were brought forth regarding the institute hospital and the counselling cell.
+
+Following multiple complaints regarding the dire state of affairs at the institute hospital, an assignment was undertaken to compare IITR’s facilities with sister IITs’. As expected, Roorkee’s paltry facilities are further dwarfed in contrast. The facilities available at other IITs are admirable. For instance, the pathology lab of IIT KGP has been awarded two citations for consistent quality maintenance. Most other IITs are well equipped with emergency rooms and advanced
+equipment like Multi Parameter Patient Monitor, ECG, Radiology and Pathology services. IITD stands out, having 24 hours ECG facilities and excellent emergency medical support.
+
+The problems of the IITR hospital are twofold, with both the staff and equipment found lacking on several occasions. The complaints start right from the hostile reception one receives at the registration counter. The modus operandi calls for doctors to visit the hospital every time a student shows up with a medical issue. But the doctors tend to show a step motherly attitude towards their duties at the hospital, and consider it a necessary chore.
+
+The location of the physiotherapy department on the 1st floor defies common sense. Adding to this, there are no wheelchair facilities for the injured or the aged. Questions have been raised regarding the hygiene on the premises, photos of algae in water cooler having created quite the uproar. The lack of specialists is a matter of serious concern. The hospital lacks basic monitoring equipment. The existing equipment, including X-ray and Ultrasonography machines are
+dysfunctional and unmanned. It’s no clairvoyance to predict an impending tragedy considering a widespread sports culture in the campus. The pathology lab lacks proper equipment and staff to execute basic tests like Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3, ANA, etc. The bed strength of the hospital can’t cater to the needs of the entire junta on campus. It’s a chilling realization that we are at the Lord’s mercy in case an epidemic breaks out, considering the dire absence of good
+hospitals in Roorkee. Ambulance service is sparse and slow, especially in cases of transferring students to medical units outside IITR.
+
+In an interview with the CMO, he insists on the production of the medical booklet at the counter since it confirms the students’ contribution to the medical fund. He also berates the lack of discipline among the student community visiting the hospital and insists that they form queues and maintain decorum except in case of emergencies. Speaking about the problems that the hospital faces, he acknowledges the shortage of doctors and specialists. He confirms salary issues as a hindrance
+to hire a trained radiologist. He, however, assures us that the X-ray and ECG issues will be resolved, and informs us that, in a welcome step, lifts and wheelchairs are being planned.
+ 
+ In spite of all talks and promises, the situation has gone southwards. The administration plays the location card as their defence for the lack of facilities and trained personnel in the hospital. But the institute hospital, if properly developed, can turn its inopportune location to its advantage, and act as a focal point for healthcare in Roorkee. This will consequently attract qualified people. The current state of affairs in the hospital leaves much to be desired. The
+ recent agitation and the subsequent discussions will hopefully pave the way for remedial actions. In the meanwhile, improved student participation and deliberations will surely act as a pressure point for the administration and lead to proper management of the medical fund.
+  
+## Epilogue:
+
+A lot has been said on the same, and the issue of security and safety on campus has been up for debate for more than a decade now. But as far as definitive measures to solve these issues go, the admin has very little to show. The implementation of a lot of the above said changes could bring about a sea of change in the current state of safety on campus. Achieving this also calls for co-operation and understanding from the student body. It requires one to conduct themselves in a manner that does not put one in danger outside the campus while also working in cohesion with the security authorities.
+
+__The article features as a Big Story in our Autumn’16 print issue. The issue’s Cover Story delves into the roadblocks to having a truly meritocratic election at IITR along with an added Big Story analysing the limited academic flexibility offered at Roorkee. To read our previous issues visit: https://issuu.com/wona-iitr__

_posts/2017-01-30-sac-general-body-meet.md

@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "SAC General Body Meet | 30th January, 2017"
+tags: [wona, news, sac]
+category: sac
+image: cover-gbm.jpg
+author: "Aditya Peshin, Vikrant Saha, Ayushi Gupta, Nikhil Arora, Saurav Mahale"
+excerpt: The Senate Hall on Monday, played host to a first of its kind, open for all General Body Meeting organised by the Student Affairs Council. The event aimed at giving the student body a chance to voice their concerns regarding their issues at IITR and to communicate them directly to the General Secretaries. It also gave the appointed secretaries an opportunity to share their contributions and policies with the student populace. 
+---
+
+The Senate Hall on Monday, played host to a first of its kind, open for all General Body Meeting organised by the Student Affairs Council. The event aimed at giving the student body a chance to voice their concerns regarding their issues at IITR and to communicate them directly to the General Secretaries. It also gave the appointed secretaries an opportunity to share their contributions and policies with the student populace. 
+	 	 	 	
+### Opening Remarks:
+
+The meeting started off with an information dissemination session, with all the General Secretaries providing a brief insight on the various projects proposed and passed under them. 
+
+The meet was started by the GS Hostel Affairs and Convenor of the SAC, who updated the attendees on various future projects like the provision of Wi-Fi in the Lecture Hall Complex. Taking inspiration from other IITs in developing a strong Bhawan culture, IITR will be holding Inter Bhawan Cultural, Sports and Technical trophies. Adding to that, a proposal regarding the entry of boys in the girls’ hostels till the canteen and the garden had been approved, subject to the condition that a maximum of three boys can be accompanied by a girl in the bhawan. In further developments, talks were in place for an extended break during Holi and Diwali. An interesting insight was the breakup of the Rs. 6000 charged by the institute towards extracurricular activities. It was clarified that this is the only fund at the DoSW’s disposal and it is divided in the following fashion:
+
+
+![Meta Chart](/images/posts/meta-chart.jpeg){: style="width: 90%;"}
+
+
+Some changes relating to technical, academic and alumni affairs were intimated by the respective secretaries. To the relief of many students, an update on the attendance rule was given, stating that the proposal to increase the attendance to 90% was rejected by 14 of the 21 head of departments, with 3 HOD’s still undecided. Talks for a Q&A BOT, that can answer any question any student has, are ongoing. To ease the process of sharing current institute affairs, a Media Cell in association with Watch Out! and a Broadcasting Channel are to be set up. A temporary Alumni Connect on Request portal will be set up which will enable crowdfunding by multiple alumni along with internship opportunities, all through a single channel.
+
+
+### Question and Answer session:
+
+![GBM 1](/images/posts/gbm-1.jpg){: style="width: 50%; float: left; margin-right: 4%;"}
+
+The meeting was then opened up for the general populace, who spoke up about their concerns regarding the biggest issues plaguing the campus, specifically the unpleasant experiences of students at the institute hospital, the nonchalance of the administration to address the issue of the girls timings, and the difficulties arising due to cultural gap faced by the international students during their stay on campus. Here are some issues covered in the meeting :
+
+**Representation of international students in the decision making:** International Students who attended this meeting proposed two suggestions which they felt sorely needed to be implemented. They requested that there be an “International Student’s Day”, as well as demanded student representation at the institute level. The members of the SAC promised to raise this issue in the **next senate meeting.**
+
+**Induction Period:** To better help the new students adapt to the shift in culture, as well as allow the non-english speakers to gain equal footing, a 3 week induction programme is being proposed. Also, an elective induction program is being planned for the students in the higher years, letting them explore their interests, before finally deciding their electives. We should see results at the **beginning of the next semester.**
+
+**Branch change:** One of the most pressing issues throughout the meet was a call for an increase in the number of seats available to branch-changers. An increase of seats to the proposed 10% is not feasible because of a lack of funds. It was clarified that most IITs keep a certain number of seats vacant to accommodate branch changes in the future. This being a toll on the institute’s fund, is not a viable solution for IITR. However, plans to increase this number from 2% to 7% are already underway. Also, the authenticity of having branch changes after the 1st sem was questioned, to which the SAC befittingly replied that the current system is actually more beneficial for the students and for once, the other IITs may follow in IITR’s steps.
+
+**The counselling cell:** An Increase in the number of counsellors to three from a current situation of only one has been proposed. The last time the suggestion was rejected because, according to the DoSW, there is a reluctance by students to utilise it.
+
+**SAC Website:** SAC has plans to release a website of their own, within the **next 5-6 days**, with the aim of improving the depth of penetration of any new information, and letting all students access the most important information, neatly compiled, at their fingertips.
+
+**Alumni Connect:** A Connect on Request platform has been announced, which will be functional from the **2nd week of February.** Also, an Alumni Internship program has been proposed, which will allow alumni to directly recruit students for their summer/winter internships. 
+
+**Alumni Funding:** This portal will allow students to seek guidance from alumni who have gone down the same road, as well as allow groups to raise crowdfunding requests where in teams participating in competitions may receive financial support from their alumnus. In the interest of transparency such alumni funding requests will involve the following stakeholders:
+
+ - The beneficiary: Groups, sports teams, etc.
+ - Dean of Alumni Affairs and International Relations office
+ - ARC
+ - The donor
+
+
+**Feedback Forms:** Students demanded transparency in the results of the feedback that professors got for teaching a course, and asked the SAC why no action was taken against the professors even though the course was deemed unsatisfactory. The SAC promised to push for the transparency of these feedback forms in the **next senate meeting.**
+
+**Foreign MoUs:** When the topic of foreign exchange programs (rather, the lack thereof) was raised, the GS Alumni Affairs agreed that having just 14 MOU’s was not up to the mark of an institution at this level. He has agreed to work with the Dean, International Relations to increase the number of MOU’s with other universities exponentially, and says we may reach 50-60 MOU’s by next year. Also, the topic of a summer school was raised, with the response being that it was already being considered by the Dean of Alumni Affairs and International Relations.
+
+**Clashes between minor and departmental course examinations:** We have a Dean of Planning whose sole role is ensuring the preparation of the examination calendar after holding meetings with the HODs of each and every department. Earlier, departments had an option to recommend to the administration about the scheduling of their courses but from next semester onwards, it has been made compulsory for them. So, it is expected that this problem will be resolved now.
+
+**IITR Hospital:** The unfortunate experiences of many students at the campus hospital has led the SAC to develop a rulebook for defining each and every aspect of the administration and the employee structure of the hospital. The SAC has promised to release this within the **next 15-20 days.**
+
+**Heaters and Coolers:** The plea of students to allow the use of heaters and blowers in the hostel rooms have been heard by the Administration, with plans of having a common room in each bhawan with 2 AC’s, for the convenience of the students. Also, the general secretaries will question the rationale behind coolers only being allowed in the top floors of each bhawan in the next senate meeting.
+
+**11pm curfew of girls:**  The inaction of the SAC and the Administration to resolve the issue of the girls hostel timing was raised, with the reply from the SAC being that there were complications that had not yet been resolved, like the reluctance of the PhD and MTech students to opt for increased timings, citing the harassment that they face working under certain guides in the night. The questions were also quelled citing the inability of the students to put forward a perceptible demand in front of the administration as one of the reasons. With the hue and cry that occurred last semester, such a claim can barely be justified.The SAC representatives said that they have to resolve this issue before they could propose a change in the restrictions imposed by the administration. In a meeting with the Director, earlier today, it was principally agreed to permit entry into hostels for the opposite sexes. The catch there being that this will be implemented in stages.
+
+### Our two cents:
+
+![GBM 2](/images/posts/gbm-2.png){: style="width: 40%; float: left; margin-right: 4%;"}
+
+The sister IITs are no stranger to such General Body Meetings. IIT Bombay has a very organized idea of GBMs where the Gymkhana President - a faculty-in charge of the Student’s Gymkhana - chairs the meeting, and aims at reviewing the performance of the Office Bearers. All students can attend the meeting but only members of the General Body present can vote. The meeting is conducted once a semester and the quorum is 50% of the members.
+
+Being a first in IITR, the meeting set up a good precedent for the next batches of representatives to follow. However, the success of such a meeting heavily depends on an informed and strong response from the students themselves. The scant numbers at the senate hall on Monday is a lamentable manifestation of the enthusiasm that such discussions see on the SAC facebook group. The other factor defining such a meet is how the students’ questions are met. While most responses offered adequate justification and logical arguments, few failed to be satisfactory. A few discussions were concluded with the promise to put forward a solution. Promising it may seem, but whether the word is backed up by work remains to be seen.
+
+IITR has had an appalling record when it comes to tangible action on the part of its student representatives. The earlier executive committees have had a track record of passivity, with only a few coming off as outliers. This SAC has clearly differentiated itself in this regard. In the short span of time afforded to them, there has been laudable work done. However, much needs to be done as IITR can be seen to finally wake from its slumber. Promising it may seem, but whether all the words are backed up by work remains to be seen. 
+
+### References:
+
+[https://gymkhana.iitb.ac.in/~hostel15/Docks/SAC-Constitution-April-2012.pdf](https://gymkhana.iitb.ac.in/~hostel15/Docks/SAC-Constitution-April-2012.pdf) - pg 23 onwards

_posts/2017-02-02-in-conversation-with-mr-rajiv-sikri.md

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: In conversation with Mr. Rajiv Sikri, ex-Secretary, MEA
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: verbatim
+author: "Utkarsh Ruhela"
+image: rajiv_sikri_cover.jpg
+excerpt: Mr. Rajiv Sikri retired as Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs after an illustrious career spanning 36 years with the Indian Foreign Service. Read on as Mr. Sikri talks about the growing role of policy think tanks, the nationalist wave enveloping the world and his love for Russian authors.
+---
+
+Mr. Rajiv Sikri retired as Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs after an illustrious career spanning 36 years with the Indian Foreign Service. In this capacity he had overall responsibility for India’s relations with East Asia, ASEAN, Pacific region, the Arab world, Israel, Iran and Central Asia. He earlier served as the Special Secretary for Economic Relations supervising foreign economic relations, including India’s external technical and economic assistance programmes. He has also served as India’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan, and headed the Departments dealing with West Europe as well as the Soviet Union and East Europe in the Ministry of External Affairs. Mr. Sikri completed his bachelor studies from St. Stephen’s College, majoring in History and entered Foreign Services in the following year.
+
+Read on as Mr. Sikri talks about the growing role of policy think tanks, the nationalist wave enveloping the world and his love for Russian authors.
+
+<b>A lot of think tanks and independent organizations like in Washington DC have come up in India as well. How impactful is the contribution of such organizations like Carnegie, IPRC?</b>
+
+There is no competition between our think tanks and DC’s think tanks. They attract the best minds of their country. It is also because of the revolving door policy. One day you are working in a think tank and the other, you are in the administration, this policy also gives incentives there to work. It is not such a case in India, you don’t have funding and infrastructure. But, all this is changing. There are a few brilliant people working in these organizations now, and it seems to be a growing sector in our country as well, but it’ll take time. We need to consolidate our research sector and at the same time, the attitude.
+
+<b>The introduction of your book, “Challenge and Strategy: Rethinking India's Foreign Policy”, mentions your love for books. Which are some of the books that moved you?</b>
+
+I don’t read fiction much, even lesser lately. But, It’s mostly fiction which impacts you. I have been touched a lot by the Russian authors in my early young days. Particularly Tolstoy. I found, his work to be incredibly descriptive. It immerses me in itself. The setting, the characters. Both Anna Karenina and War & Peace. I enjoyed Vikram Seth’s ‘A Suitable Boy’. Because, of course it is a detailed piece of writing and deals with the whole Indian society of a particular time period. Short stories by Chekhov. The reason, I am compelled and moved by Russian authors is maybe because of my stay and service in Russia. The grandiosity of Moscow can be felt through these author’s works.
+
+Another book I enjoyed was by Prakash Tandon (Chairman of PNB), he has written a trilogy, “A Punjabi Century”, because I wanted to know more about the place where I come from.
+I currently started watching this TV series as well, “The Crown”. I loved it. It’s the most recent piece of art I enjoyed.
+
+<b>We can see that the masses are more “aware” of their standing in the globalized world, no country seems to be free of the bias of national sentiments. Do you think these populist sentiments creeping in the foreign policy of nations is a worry?</b>
+
+What has happened is the period of growth and prosperity that began after the second world war ended some time ago. When the economy is expanding the jobs are expanding, you take that for granted. But, the history shows that there are always ups and downs and development don't always go in a linear fashion. After the second world war there was a sense of idealism and will to create structures and to observe the rules of civilized behavior, so much carnage and destruction had taken place in the wars. Those who were the victors structured it in the manner that they became the Guardians of the world, Japan, Germany were kept out of it. The European Union was created created by which started as European Coal and Steel community. Who could have imagined in 1945 that their grandchildren would live in a Europe without borders, obviously threat from Soviet power were affecting as well, situations changed Soviet Union break up is this was the world with Americans was going to dominate it was just the beginning of the process which is still changing.
+
+The 1789 was the French Revolution that was followed by Napoleonic wars and subsequent defeat of Napoleon and formation of Congress in 1815, what all it took was about 26 years, to see the parallel, it was in 1991 Soviet Union broke and it is 2017 and things have changed again. China has gone up, Russia is rising up again. The assumptions behind the European policies and American policies, it is an end of a particular era today. What you see today as Brexit and the rise of Donald Trump, it is the reactionary forces against globalization. Globalization was meant to bring benefits into the nations but there are downsides to it as well.
+
+<b>What role do you think the average citizen plays into considerations pertaining to foreign policy?</b>
+
+First of all, there is a behavorial aspect. There were these attacks on Africans living in India. These assaults lead up to certain aversion from that country’s point of view towards India. These are sensitivity issues. We should take care of such things.
+
+Or when we go abroad, what kind of impression we leave. For example, how there has been a positive impact of Indian techies, what they have created all around the world. And, managers. All around the world. If 50 years ago, we were a nation of snake charmers. It reminds me of a joke, when Bill Clinton was coming to India, his administration said India is always asking for this and that technology. Bill Clinton said, “Is there anything we can get from them?”, and one of the delegates said, “There’s this technology they use,  such innovative, out of the box solutions of tricky problems. They call it ‘jugaad’.”
+So, when Bill Clinton asked for ‘jugaad’, Atal Bihari Vajpayee burst into laughter and said. “I can’t give you this technology. Because Mr. President, our whole country runs on this thing called ‘jugaad’.”
+
+That’s a joke, but there’s the impression that if you’re Indian, you are intelligent, innovative and hard-working. On the other hand are Gulf countries, where Indian workers go and they are exploited. That leaves a negative impression of weakness and poverty. Our culture and arts are recognized worldwide. All in all, every Indian is contributing towards foreign policy. We just need to capitalize on the positive aspects, and eliminate the negatives out of this equation.

_posts/2017-02-22-can-we-trust-ourselves.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: Can We Trust Ourselves? 
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: editorial
+author: "Lanka Adarsh, Vedansh Bhartiya, Yash Singh"
+image: can_we_trust_ourselves.jpg
+---
+
+_“The problem with people is that they are so stupid. So stupid that they have no idea how stupid they are.” - John Cleese_
+
+Trust is a fundamental cog in the machinery that drives the world. We trust drivers to follow traffic lights and not bump into cars. We trust news agencies to give us factually correct quality content; our politicians to make the right decisions. However, the grounds on which it is built are largely unknown – our decision to trust others is perhaps a subconscious, impulsive one, acting more as false assurances than absolute security against potential deviations. When weighed collectively with the consideration that our senses (and what they perceive thereof) are not “facts” as we wrongly attribute them to be, an unsettling question presents itself: Can we trust ourselves?
+
+George Orwell floated such an idea before the world in 1984. By tampering with evidence and indulging in propaganda, Big Brother is successful in reinforcing the desired belief in the subjects’ mind. Elizabeth Loftus, who specialises in false memories, has shown that they are easily born or planted. In her TED talk, “How reliable is your memory?”, she explains how false memories are responsible for a three quarters of wrongful convictions and other bizarre, irrational beliefs and occurrences that constitute our identity. Memory, she states, is unlike a recording device which stores information without modification; the brain is plastic, and accounts evolve over time into stories that distort the truth to great extents. She attributes this phenomenon to misinformation and the subconscious or unconscious acceptance of memory (or other sensory stimulus) as fact.
+
+Oftentimes, hypocritical behaviour is foreign to our awareness. Christened the “Actor-observer bias”, this phenomenon encapsulates how our angry disapproval persists despite the probable circumstances under which a fellow human being has committed an infarction (say jumped a signal) – but when the observer becomes the doer, he feels that his act was justified. Here, empathy is stifled by ignorance of the said principle, rendering us not completely impartial, in contrast to what we tend to believe.
+
+In 1999, Dunning and Kruger presented their hypothesis, seconding Bukowski, who had previously remarked: “The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts while the stupid ones are full of confidence”. By checking the consistency of actual test scores of candidates against their own predictions, they concluded that high-ability individuals underestimate themselves, while those with low abilities overestimate themselves. This illusory superiority is a manifestation of the lack of metacognitive abilities; i.e. people are unable to recognize their incompetency.
+
+Even if it rests on false pretences, trust is necessary for the continuation of normal life. In its absence, external chaos and internal anxiety would uproot all order; it is a safe assumption, having no basis and yet – having no evidence to the contrary either. Every fact or principle was once an assumption; unbounded scepticism is hardly helpful in the establishment of such bases, which the civilized world believes to be true. This said, perfect trust is a symptom of ignorance. The longer one lives, the more selective they become about who they trust. Trust is bestowed upon others because we believe we are intelligent and capable enough to make such choices; however, in light of the above considerations, it seems that the foundations of this faith are built on the marshy lands of our perceptions and memories, which are, in and of themselves, unreliable and fallible.
+
+__The article features in our latest print issue. The issue delves into the roadblocks to having a truly meritocratic election at IITR and expounds on the limited academic flexibility offered at Roorkee. To read our previous issues visit: https://issuu.com/wona-iitr__

_posts/2017-02-27-the-sac-has-holes.md

@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "The SAC has holes: Analysis of the electoral system"
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: coverstory
+image: cover-sac-holes.png
+excerpt: In most discussions pertaining to systems, processes and cultures, IITR is found to be lacking when compared against its sister IITs. The previous academic year saw us moving one step further in one such domain – our electoral systems. However, just as we saw the transition being successful and meritocracy coming to the fore in the case of elections, an unfortunate incident in Jawahar Bhawan, took us two steps backward.
+---
+
+In most discussions pertaining to systems, processes and cultures, IITR is found to be lacking when compared against its sister IITs. The previous academic year saw us moving one step further in one such domain – our electoral systems. However, just as we saw the transition being successful and meritocracy coming to the fore in the case of elections, an unfortunate incident in Jawahar Bhawan, took us two steps backward. Incidents like these force us to dwell upon our shortcomings, both in terms of students and organisations. Herein, we try to offer an analysis of the electoral system at IITR.
+ 
+## The earlier system of elections:
+ 
+The earlier system of elections at IITR required for a two level voting system to take place. A council of 108 members, called SAC-1, consisting of Bhawan level office holders was elected, with a voter’s vote restricted only to the posts in their Bhawan. The elected 108 then voted for a SAC-2 which became the primary executive body of the SAC, responsible for institute level decisions and changes. This system created a need to unite a majority of 55 candidates under a single umbrella. What filled that void were easy targets based on identifiable and personal common grounds. Unbecoming as it might be of an institute of our stature, but votes were cast based on regional and factional preferences.
+ 
+## The Jawahar fiasco:
+ 
+![SAC Holes](/images/posts/sac-holes-1.png){: style="width: 40%; float: left; margin-right: 4%;"}
+
+Political “factions” in the campus often run the risk of being taken a little too seriously. It does not take time for members to take personal disputes in a collectivist sense and act accordingly. With this as the case, disputes such as these often tend to boil over and snowball into full blown clashes, violent in their nature and immature with their logic. This aptly sums up the Jawahar fiasco.  
+This has led to the DOSW cancelling the elections and in constituting an interim SAC to carry on the workings till the next elections, prophesised to take place in March’17. This step may look reasonable, but has its own flaws. _When we asked the DOSW on what basis the student representatives would be selected, there was no specific answer but vague mentions to analysing career plans and listening to ideas proposed by the candidates._ The question here is not that of the competency of the candidates, but rather of checks and balances to ensure it. No election will be perfect. However, it needs to be fair and transparent.
+ 
+## The current scenario:
+ 
+Even though the system has been revamped and the atmosphere seems to favour competent candidates but there still remain some grave issues that need to be addressed, before we move onto the next election. Looking at the new election system, we spotted a few anomalies, and a multitude of illogical clauses making up our Election’s code of conduct that insidiously hinder meritocratic politics. We approach these, one at a time and offer a few solutions to them.
+ 
+![SAC Holes](/images/posts/sac-holes-2.png){: style="width: 90%;"}
+
+## Drawbacks of the current system:
+ 
+#### A public addressal system (or a lack thereof):
+ 
+Perhaps one of the biggest issues yet to be addressed, there exists no provision for candidates to put forward their opinions and debate openly about issues that plague the campus. The outlet for such an addressal system does exist now in the form of the ineffectual and seemingly fictional “Bhawan Addressal System”. The system is a relic and allows for candidates to make speeches of a specified duration in each hostel, highlighting their credentials and plans. 
+
+However, the system is a complete failure, partly due to the apathy of the student body and partly due to the system it promises to be. The ADOSW mentions, “We tried allocating time slots to candidates for using the Bhawan addressal system. The observation was that the voter turnout was scant and uninterested.”
+ 
+#### Printed Posters:
+ 
+Usage of printed posters for campaigning is prohibited, even though they are an extremely important way of communicating the agendas of a candidate to the masses. Instead, the code of conduct allows for hand written posters to be put up on stipulated places. The motive behind this restriction is a logical one - to ensure that the students do not overspend during the election process and the problems of accounting such a provision faces. However one does not have furrow their brows to come up with a solution to this problem, discussed in the later stages of our story.
+ 
+#### Online Campaigning:
+ 
+The code of conduct strictly prohibits online campaigning of any sort since it cannot be regulated and that there are no checks to arrest any unwanted developments, which might lead to the defamation of the college. In a scathing but true indictment, “An online portal is being worked on and we wouldn’t mind going online after the college has attained a level of maturity befitting an IIT”, says Prof. Nauriyal.   
+ 
+#### Unequal footing for the female candidates :
+ 
+![SAC Holes](/images/posts/sac-holes-3.png){: style="width: 40%; float: left; margin-right: 4%;"}
+
+Since the girls have to be back in their own hostel by 11 pm, as well as cannot enter other hostels for campaigning as easily as the male candidates, they enter the ring with a handicap. The roots of this can be found in the age old issue surrounding the curfew on girls. With that in place, a female candidate can barely match the reach of a male one.
+ 
+#### Limited Role of certain posts:
+ 
+Certain posts at the hostel as well as the institutional level are viewed as redundant, as they have no assigned responsibility, and a very limited active role. The ADOSW’s response is best stated in his own words:
+“It is always the responsibility of the elected member to implement what he has planned. No one restricts the representatives to any particular activities. If the Secretary is enterprising enough, he can bring up new ideas, and if they are good we will go ahead with them. No post is irrelevant and if the students are ready to work on their posts then there is a lot that can be achieved. If someone just wants to enjoy the perks of being elected, he will not work. Furthermore, if you genuinely have a sound logic to refute some posts, do come to us and we will consider it accordingly. A similar thing happened with General Secretary (Finance) this time, as we felt that the budget didn’t need a separate person just to handle the financial affairs and we got rid of the post.”
+ 
+## Solutions:
+ 
+![SAC Holes](/images/posts/sac-holes-4.png){: style="width: 40%; float: left; margin-right: 4%;"}
+
+They say learning never stops, and it shouldn’t in this case either. We take this opportunity to examine our procedures to see where we lack, and how we can improve.
+ 
+#### Soapboxes:
+ 
+A soapbox is a central event where the contesting candidates comes and ask relevant questions to each other. It misses the tension and heat of a debate all while having incisive questions asked among the candidates in the fray. When asked about a soapbox Prof. Indradeep Singh, ADOSW (Discipline) cited the trivial and workable details such as the unavailability of an adequate space and security issues as the roadblocks to conduct such an event. “The student population is around 8000. Considering that around 1500 turn up, we lack a place to accommodate them at once”, says Prof. Indradeep Singh.
+ 
+#### Comprehensive accounting of printed posters:
+ 
+We suggest for the election commission to limit the following factors in the case of printed posters:
+
+- Content: A template can be followed which allows for a poster to display the candidate’s credentials and plans, succinctly and concisely.
+- Numbers: A stipulated number of printed posters can be obtained signed duly by the commission.
+- Locations: Certain locations can be pre-decided, apart from the existing ones that would allow the posters to get considerable traction.
+ 
+Accounting for the aforementioned factors immediately deals with the hazards posed by unsupervised spending and ensures effective campaigning. The election commission in IIT Bombay, allows for banners and flexes to be put up in pre decided spaces, which both curtails any extra expenditure, and gives equal footing to all the candidates involved in door-to-door campaigning. Each candidate is allowed to put up a 6’x3’ flex, containing the candidate’s photo and announcing the main points of their manifesto.
+ 
+#### Centralised portals:
+ 
+The fairness of not having discussions and campaigning on online mediums cannot be debated. Such discussions often venture into uncomfortable territories and cannot be stopped from proliferating into controversies. However, we understand that there is no online portal or forum where candidates can put up their manifestos, nor does the general public have any idea as to where they can find a copy of the manifesto. In other IIT’s, provisions of online portals displaying each candidate’s manifestos have proven to be an extremely efficient method to keep the masses updated on each candidate’s modus operandi, and has helped the decision making process stay simple yet based on merit.
+ 
+We suggest the creation and maintenance of a regularly updated web portal, upon which candidates can post their manifesto, a portal where the general electorate can compare the profiles of the candidates, as well as have a neutral third body asking the right questions to each candidate, and posting the answers onto this forum. As was mentioned by the DOSW, work on such a portal in already underway and we can hope for the aforementioned points to be present in one way or the other during the next elections.
+ 
+## Epilogue:
+ 
+It is accepted that improvement in every system is an iterative process and each iteration takes time and thorough deliberation. The newly adopted system in IITR is a welcome step towards meritocratic politics and is still in its infancy. However, the general student populace is still largely lukewarm towards the elections and some reforms need to instituted to overcome that. With the perspective of history and an eye towards the future, we should anticipate what new potential challenges may lie over the horizon and consequently the reforms that need to be devised to ensure fair and transparent elections. 
+
+__The article features as the Cover Story in our latest print issue. The issue’s Big Stories analyse IITR’s security and expound on the limited academic flexibility offered at Roorkee. To read our previous issues visit: [https://issuu.com/wona-iitr](https://issuu.com/wona-iitr)__
+
+

_posts/2017-03-05-exchange-diaries-switzerland.md

@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Exchange Diaries : Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Switzerland"
+image: switzerland-2.jpg
+tags: [wona]
+author : "Chitransh Chatnani"
+category: academics
+---
+
+To experience and learn, to learn and apply, to apply and succeed or fail, and hence experience something new altogether. This for me is the instinctive orbit that makes growth modulus. And if the experience is eccentric, days are not dreary and the evenings become laughable.
+
+One of the eccentric experience I had wanted to have since my second year in college was to go on a Semester exchange to Europe. The idea of living a considerable time in a first world country, learn in an evolved curriculum, meet people from around the globe, speak a new language, and grasp where we (the probable cream of Indian education ) stand on an international platform was enticing enough to take this journey.
+
+### Application process
+
+While the concept of exchange semester is quite popular in IIT-Bombay and Delhi, it is still a nascent trend gathering momentum in Roorkee. To make it happen, you apply at a University abroad (that has such an MOU signed with IIT-R) through a bureaucratic channel that will take around two months. 
+
+The exchange application is supported with grade sheets of previous semesters and internship certificates. This has to be supported with a comparative list of all the courses that you’ll be taking in the applying university with the ones that home university is hosting in the particular semester. Course descriptions have to be on the same line more or less. The Indian credit system is supposedly more strenuous than the ECTS system in Europe, so for 20 credits that we were supposed to score in Roorkee in autumn semester of fourth year we had to cover 30 ECTS at HSLU.
+
+This set of application is first passed by the Exchange coordinator in your respective department. This is forwarded to the Head of Department who then forwards it to DAPC committee for scrutiny of credits etc. If forwarded by the DAPC the application moves swiftly to further tables. The HOD then sends it to the Dean of Academics who then sends it to the Dean of International Affairs. It is from here that the application is sent to the International Office of foreign
+university. Then, if the foreign university is convinced with your CV and letter of intent you’ll get a letter of acceptance in the next month. In the end you have to obtain a No-objection certificate from Dean of Academics and Dean of Student’s Welfare. 
+
+After getting all these signatures you have to breathe and congratulate yourself, get the finances in place and move forward to obtain VISA for that respective country. Flight tickets. Goodbyes. Take off.
+
+### The Fall of 2016
+
+![Switzerland 3](/images/posts/switzerland-5.jpg)
+
+We (me, Deovrat and Kshitij) applied together for Hochschule Luzern, Switzerland and were ecstatic to get our acceptance e-mail on 18th May, 2016 for the coming Fall Semester. (September ’16 – February ‘17). The dogs of CS-169, Rajendra Bhawan had been unleashed to waggle tails for European blondes, hike along scenic Alps, bootleg through Roman alleys, and growl Grützi at every other firang dog that passed through.
+
+We flew on 2nd September.  Their international office had helped us with getting affordable accommodation and all the Visa documents.  The reception was warm - an orientation program that included basic German classes, hikes, city tour and an inter-cultural workshop had been chalked out for all the 70 odd students making an exchange in various departments of the University.
+
+The classes begun from 21st September and hence came forward the clear picture of why Switzerland tops the Global Competitiveness Ranking every successive year. While in India people jump to college directly after schooling, Swiss students join an office or industry as an intern for two to three years to know their trade, which is followed by diploma or graduation. So, my classmates were all three or four years older and with much substantial knowledge. 
+
+### Hochshule Luzern
+
+![Hochshule-Luzern](/images/posts/Hochschule-Luzern.jpg)
+
+30 ECTS meant 8 courses - 2 Major modules (12), 2 Related Modules (6), 3 Minor Modules (9), and a language course(3). 
+
+One of the minor modules was called ‘Swissness’, which covered everything about their history, culture, geography, governance, and industries. It was compulsory for all the exchange students. This module and Deutsch language course was an interesting experience as the lectures were very interactive and student body was a diverse concentration of cultures from everywhere. A particular lecture on the democratic structure of Switzerland was followed by a discussion between me,
+Sebastian (from Dublin), Katja (from Vienna) and Andrew (from California) about our own Parliaments and voting rights. We ended up in a bar competing who would get their bottoms up done faster. Indians are pro. RP is bliss. 
+
+The other six modules were all in the domain of architecture. The related modules were a compliment for the personal project that an individual is designing or researching about in his major module. I worked on three different design projects, two case studies and a research paper through the semester.  Every week for every project a 90 minutes slot was fixed with the professor of that particular module. The professor has 12-16 individual projects under him or 3-4 groups if it’s a group project. The personal discussions were very intensive. I grasped that much of the learning is imbibed when one discusses his progress week after week with his mentor, in a tuition kind of methodology. Those 90 minutes were a dreadful fear through the semester, because you cannot subterfuge a person who has been following your work from the very beginning. A lot of homework had to be done so that I have enough substance for making a quality discussion. Snow falls were missed and all nighters were adored a lot of times.
+
+ September to December went from week to week managing work, time, and food. I got a bit frustrated for not being able to live the Euro-trip I had imagined. One weekend in November, I decided to close my laptop and go to Venice for Bienalle.  The intriguing Italy of kings and merchants, a city floating on water, narrow alleys leading up to grand piazzas and majestic Castles. It was all fun and smoke, but I was choked with unsurmountable work for the weeks that followed. From
+ Christmas to New Year were holidays half spent sleeping and half in the mist of French Alps. January was lined up with exams, final presentations and critique.  
+
+### The Swiss Deal
+
+![Switzerland](/images/posts/switzerland.jpg){: style="width: 50%; float: left; margin-right: 4%;"}
+
+Swiss folks, like their climate, are usually very cold. They have evolved confined to each other in small communities that thrived in valleys and lake sides surrounded by mountains. Being a major tourist destination, the locals have seen a lot of foreigners all their lives and somehow have grown indifferent to their presence. While serving the visitors with all hospitality and services, they remain closely knit in their own inner circles. A greeting in Swiss German is the password to get
+ them talking, but don’t try to get too friendly. They take time to absorb a newbie in their life.
+
+Although the popular notion of being a honeymoon destination still holds, it is a very narrow view for a country overshadowing major global players in technology, economy and environment preservation. A landlocked small country between major powers like France, Germany, Italy and Austria, it is with great resilience and determination that they have been able to hold on to their idea of Swiss conservatism and national identity. Swiss German is a very different dialect from
+ German that even the Germans find difficult understanding.  Being in the center of Europe and being filthy rich courtesy to the Jews that developed the banking system to rope in all the gold, the country has had a rich past in art, architecture and medieval towns. Moreover, their neutral stand and powerful defense has been able to preserve these treasuries through the dark ages of World War. 
+
+![Switzerland 4](/images/posts/switzerland-4.jpg)
+
+In spite of being conceited and snobbish like a goblin, the Swiss have sentiments. And all their emotional nerves are attached to some pounding heart in their wrists. The people have an OCD with time skills. Being late was never accepted. Being an Indian was a major joy for the fun we can have in recklessness. The food they eat is no food at all. Cheese, chocolate and bread are supplements for us, main course for them. ‘Swiss Watching’ by Diccon Bewes is much recommended book to know about
+ Switzerland and its people.
+
+But in all this time and amidst all those clones of perfect sapiens, I made some good friends. Lee, Axelle, Juan, Viki, Andrew, Rhys, Jamie, Toby, Michael, Reem, Sebastian, Sam, Manuelle were delightful humans to remember. 
+
+Now, I am much excited for my last year in R-land. The campus has a different vibe, much progressive and less fearful. With every new notice there is a relentless cry to break away from ever withholding past. It’ll be another eccentric experience to meet girls whistling in Main building lawns coming back from BusTea at 4 o’clock in morning. 
+
+__Ciao.__
+
+![Switzerland 2](/images/posts/switzerland-3.jpg)

_posts/2017-03-09-dogs-are-here-to-stay.md

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Dogs are here to \"stay\""
+image: dogs.png 
+tags: [wona]
+category: sac
+author: "Aman Nayak, Anurag Mall, Nikhil Arora"
+---
+
+The last few months have seen a rise in the cases of dog bites in and around the campus, with several students speaking out on social media to express their grievances against the dog menace. A large section of the student community has regularly petitioned the Students Affairs’ Council to take concrete action regarding this issue. Here, we try to look at the issue and figure why it refuses to die down.
+
+### Our hands are tied
+
+![Animal Welfare 1](/images/posts/animal_welfare.png){: style="width: 45%; float: left; margin-right: 4%;"}
+![Animal Welfare 2](/images/posts/animal_welfare_2.png){: style="width: 45%; float: left; margin-right: 4%;"}
+*Ref: [http://www.awbi.org/awbi-pdf/circular_abc_cantonmentboards.pdf](http://www.awbi.org/awbi-pdf/circular_abc_cantonmentboards.pdf)*
+
+According to a circular [1] issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India, stray dogs cannot be beaten or driven away from their localities. They can however, be sterilised, immunized, and released back into the same area in accordance with the Animal Birth Control programme; which happens once every two years in the campus. According to K.P. Singh, Chief Security Officer, these sterilised dogs (whose right ears have been notched) are often displaced due to aggressiveness, which leads to
+other fertile and territorial dogs from outside the campus taking their place. What follows is a perpetual cycle wherein these dogs that have now entered the campus are sterilised and then again released into the wild on account of aggressiveness, and so on and so forth. The end to this is the utopian ideal of having every dog in the country sterilised and immunized, through the IIT Roorkee campus or otherwise. 
+
+![Animal Cruelty Memo](/images/posts/animal_cruelty_memo.png){: style="width: 55%;"}
+*Ref: [https://jaagrutiindia.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/public-grievances-circular-pg-1.jpg](https://jaagrutiindia.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/public-grievances-circular-pg-1.jpg)* 
+
+Furthermore, a memorandum issued by the Department of Personnel and Training [2] states that in all problems relating to stray animals, “no association, recognised or unrecognised, shall take recourse to action on their own, either themselves, or through any person employed by them like Security Guards.” 
+
+### The stalemate
+
+Essentially, laws protecting animal rights makes it very hard for the authorities to act upon the students’ requests, and restricting the entry of dogs is impractical given that the campus is porous. Sterilising and vaccinating the dogs is currently the most practical means to make our campus safe. Additionally, preventing dogs from entering the bhawans by monitoring the gates constantly is definitely workable.
+
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_posts/2017-03-14-placements-16-17.md

@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Bang for the Buck: Placements 16-17"
+tags: [wona, column]
+image: iit-convo.jpg
+author: "Yash Singh, Vedansh Bhartia, Sahil Grover"
+category: career 
+---
+It goes without saying that placements are a serious business for the student community of the institution, perhaps the reason for joining an IIT for many. From boatloads of aptitude tests, group discussions and resume submissions to clean shaven faces and suited up personas, they sure take a heavy toll on students. As the campus moves through the second phase of placements, we analyze the placements so far. This report considers all placements this academic year, **till February** (second phase of placements is still in progress) and throws light on the key trends and statistics. 
+
+<div class="infogram-embed" data-id="placements-983578" data-type="interactive" data-title="Placements"></div><script>!function(e,t,s,i){var n="InfogramEmbeds",o=e.getElementsByTagName("script"),r=o[0],d=/^http:/.test(e.location)?"http:":"https:";if(/^\/{2}/.test(i)&&(i=d+i),window[n]&&window[n].initialized)window[n].process&&window[n].process();else if(!e.getElementById(s)){var
+a=e.createElement("script");a.async=1,a.id=s,a.src=i,r.parentNode.insertBefore(a,r)}}(document,"script","infogram-async","//e.infogr.am/js/dist/embed-loader-min.js");</script><div style="padding:8px 0;font-family:Arial!important;font-size:13px!important;line-height:15px!important;text-align:center;border-top:1px solid #dadada;margin:0 30px"></div>
+
+![UG CTC 1](/images/posts/ug-ctc-2.png)
+
+![UG CTC 1](/images/posts/ug-ctc-1.png)

_posts/2017-03-18-predictably-irrational.md

@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: Predictably Irrational?
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: editorial
+author: "Lanka Adarsh, Aman Nayak, Rhea Parekh"
+image: predictably_irrational.jpg
+excerpt: Are intelligence and rationality the same thing or being intelligent doesn’t necessarily mean being rational?
+---
+
+Think of a well-engineered car: an engine with good horsepower, sound suspension – capable of navigating numerous types of terrain. Assume that it has to go from point A to B via a thin, rather arduous patch of road. The degree of success, then, is dependent not only on the car itself, but also on the proficiency of the person driving it. While the line between the two is thin, once visible, it cannot be overlooked.
+Intelligence becomes the car, and rationality the driver. The car is a given; unalterable and permanent.  The driver’s resourcefulness, then, determines the probability of reaching the destination. In casual conversation, intelligence and rationality may mean the same; however (counter-intuitive as it may sound), they are only weakly correlated, and therefore, largely independent of each other.
+
+Intelligence is defined as "ability to efficiently achieve goals in a wide range of domains", while rationality is "the art of choosing and implementing actions that steer the future toward outcomes ranked higher in one's preferences". Intelligence – quantified by IQ – is a measure of how easily one picks up various skills (the “theory” component). Rationality (measured by RQ) is the ability to use acquired skills, account for various innate cognitive biases, other non-cognitive domains such as empathy, socio-economic factors and make decisions to deliver a desired outcome.
+
+From an evolutionary standpoint, intelligence precedes rationality. Jared Diamond hypothesised that an average tribesperson of Papua New Guinea is more intelligent than the average European, his rationale being that European countries have a good standard of living and good accessibility to important services, while in the case of the tribes, isolation from such facilities presents challenges to the continuation of life on an almost daily basis. Meeting these challenges requires intelligence, synonymous with adaptability. Simultaneously, perfect rationality is never possible. This is for two reasons: first, the number of cognitive biases is so great that we do not have the ability to account for all of them. Secondly, any previously acquired knowledge is inevitably associated with certain prejudices – more so in the case of people with higher IQ.
+
+Unlike IQ, however, RQ is not an unalterable quantity; one may make himself “more rational” by learning about the thinking errors and fallacies the human mind has a tendency of committing, and avoiding them in practice. Greater rationality leads to a happier future, as it signifies agreement between one's actions and one's view of the consequences of those actions in the future.
+
+In hindsight, it becomes apparent that rationality and intelligence are differentiable attributes. Ernest Hemingway once mused: “Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know”. Intelligence (here) encompasses self-awareness – knowing one’s capabilities and limitations; the good and the bad embedded within. Focussed on the possibilities these entail rather than actually pursuing them, intelligent people often swim in rivers of self-doubt and self-hate. Rational people skip straight to the answers, and are able to get what they desire out of such situations. Morality and ethics are unimportant, insofar as they are able to fulfil their own needs. Intelligence becomes severely debilitating; rationality frees us from its chains as long as we learn to forget what we assume we know.

_posts/2017-03-22-cogni-31.md

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: Cogni '31, 2431!'
+image: cogni-31.png
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Suvam Das"
+category: phekingnews
+excerpt: Cognizance is indubitably the biggest of IITR’s army of fests. It has been fondly described as the 2nd largest technical festival in Asia.
+---
+
+Cognizance is indubitably the biggest of IITR’s army of fests. It has been fondly described as the 2nd largest technical festival in Asia. The abovementioned fact may be questioned but the writers of this article choose to believe whatever other facts a random freshman working for Cognizance Sponsorship Team would speak out loud on phone. With its ever widening reach, and the rumored ever increasing fixed deposit, Cogni’s pockets seem to grow deeper with every passing year. We take
+a leap ahead across time as WONA’s in house time traveler dishes the dirt from 2431.
+
+_“This. Is. Not. A. FRAT. HOUSE.” Words I heard last whilst hauled out of the conference room._
+   
+Ironically, Cognizance has been a fraternity for centuries comprising of over-ambitious Roorkee engineers hosting Tomorrowland beneath the farce of the annual tech-fest. There’s the age-old iron-clad hierarchy, hazing deadlines and certain rituals you must go through to advance. Today you’re going to learn all about the hierarchy, the workload, the average access range and most importantly, the possible exit opportunities. The Cogni syndicate has traversed a million miles since its inception in 2003. Now in the year 2431, with a consistent state-of-the-art money making machinery established as the Cogni Tower (after the demolition of the unregulated and widely unappreciated ECE Tower), the organization has scaled heights deemed unachievable by any in the subcontinent. The rumoured 30 lakh deposit at the break of the 21st century coupled with the strategies of the miser mindset of generations, responsible for tech-ing it to yet higher degrees of riches, shows no signs of ebbing. The break of spring ’96 (read: 2096) witnessed an exogenous boom in the mildly-incubated domestic trading hub providing the impetus to scale the Cogni Street department up to create ripples in the national economy with every passing edition. Gone are those days when the syndicate just used to gloat as the title sponsor of the poverty-stricken cultural counterpart for the better part of a century.
+    
+The core team comprises of members, rolling in on an annual basis from the pool of sophies, juniors & seniors, featuring as the most dedicated players in the organization. This lot is driven to stage the perfect carnival and they make sure the underlings follow the same trend. Not to mention, the drafting of the fresh blood they need to brainwash along the semi-corporate obsequious work culture that dictates the syndicate. People are fenced in, with command and control, to result in a trained herd of sheep. But another option is to understand and to accept that people seek actual purpose, trust and transparency rather than the dosage of control & command – which makes sense and thus, has been immaculately ignored.
+     
+The managers and executives stand next in line in terms of authority and not always in terms of workability. There are the ambitious ones, willing sycophants at times, gunning for the top notch in successive academic calendar. A certain group belongs to the category who just wants to be engaged on-campus throughout. Then, the silent spectators who love to sit back & relax after they have ensured their customized IDs, t-shirts, certificate and the fat cheque! (yes, cognizance pays; started somewhere in the mid-2200s ) Anyhow, these people are expected to be grilled & grill regularly– grilled by the seniors, sponsors, professors, clerk, random guy from the administrative block & grill pretty much everyone else left in the universe. The chain of screaming, aggravated by the overwhelming pressure of retaining MoUs & roping in new patrons, brings everyone together in the evening like a regular, (dys)-functional family.
+      
+       
+__Verdict:__ It’s not about what you expect or the reality or even the surmounting & overwhelming bank statements, you get programmed into the motto eventually - “There’s no nobility in poverty. I have been a poor fest, I have been a rich fest, and I choose rich every effing time.”
+

_posts/2017-04-01-now-we-see-you.md

@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Now We See You"
+tags: [wona, column]
+image: illustration-camera_1x.png 
+category: phekingnews
+---
+
+A month after the breaking of the metaphorical “pinjra”, IITR has seen a palpable change in the levels of security and surveillance employed in the campus. One of the oft cited challenges to the free-campus movement was the lack of security and the porous nature of our campus. In a fitting response to these issues, the administration has upped the supervision in the institute to previously unforeseen standards with even greater levels anticipated in the future. Upon a closer examination of these measures, there have been some unsettling discoveries that have caught our eye and refuse to let go of it.
+ 
+
+### The low down
+
+The security of the campus can be broadly analysed through the lens of the Human Resource employed and the technology accompanying them. As a first and warranted step, there has been a significant increase in the number of guards patrolling the campus. However, incredulity kicked in when we came across the plan to employ a group of three female and two males to observe vigilance across certain hotspots. The move bears an uncanny resemblance to a policing tactic employed in a neighbouring state. Referred by an uncalled smearing of one of Shakespeare’s chief protagonists, that move has seen considerable flak from various sections of the society for it aims at outright moral policing and privacy breach. We can only hope that this likeness in implementation is not driven by a likeness in vision and aims.
+
+![Respect my authoritah](/images/posts/we-see-you.png)
+
+Our mild incredulity grew stronger upon learning the technological upgrades planned under this security overhaul. We would like to start by outlining the planned purchase of TASER guns and Heat Vision goggles for the security guards. This is accompanied by the acceptable aim of ramping up CCTV surveillance, in and around uncharted territories such as the dark corners of the Civil Department and places where students usually visit in groups of two. The increased security measures would cost the administration Rs 3 cr per year along with a onetime cost of Rs 4 cr for equipments and installation. One can get a decent idea of what this means by comparing with the institute’s annual medical expenses of Rs 3.5 cr and academic scholarship/fellowship spending of Rs 8.5 crore.  
+
+A member of the administration, when questioned about why there was such an indifference towards the student populace’s right to freedom, completely discredited the question, while showing concern about the motives of the students who find themselves out of their hostels late at night. 
+
+"When the students were protesting for a restriction-free campus, they argued that they would use this freedom towards constructive purposes like working in the various technical and cultural societies. However, now we hear cases of students wandering around with no purpose, holding hands and engaging in what we believe are just frivolous activities for students of this age. We expect the students to be more responsible."
+
+He further went on to say that if more such students are observed in the coming days, the administration might have to revoke the liberty that was handed to the students. This comment was a rather unwelcome one, considering the fact that a majority of the IIT Roorkee students have never had a chance to ‘hold hands’ with someone they’d like to.
+
+Our incredulity snowballed into utter disbelief when we were told of an intended purchase of Drones to kick start the much more effective and consequently intrusive aerial surveillance. With drones envisioned to be a part of the IIT Roorkee airspace, what this means for the student community and SDS’s yearly exhibition is something that only time will tell.
+
+### Our two cents of wisdom
+
+We are still unsure of why these measures are being taken, as the institute rules do not categorically ban any forms of PDA. This move clearly questions the students’ morality and instead of being a protective measure, it is more of a privacy breach. There is a fine line between campus security and privacy invasion, and it is ironical how, in spite of being promised “freedom” through the Pinjra Tod movement, the students are still under the watchful eyes of the inner party. 
+
+That being said, Watch Out would like to caution all the students to tread carefully post-midnight and avoid giving the authorities a chance to hold things against us. After all, trying to contain your raging hormones is better than being contained in your hostels post 11.

_posts/2017-05-24-decoding-eas-iitr.md

@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Decoding EAS-IITR : Early-warning, Earthquake Alarm System"
+tags: [wona]
+category: tech
+author: "Ekdeep Singh Lubana, Vaibhavi Katiyar, Dhawal Pagay, Aman Nayak"
+image: earthquake.jpg
+---
+
+Secluded into a nook, on the third floor of the Biotechnology Department, a computer whizzes away. On the first look, one might have an impression of being in a “Mr. Robot” episode, and when you get to know that the mainframe sitting in front of you is analysing real time data from approximately 80 places, distributed over the northern regions of Uttarakhand, your “Mr. Robot” vibe just grows stronger. Only if it was meant for the same purpose, as going on in our minds. Well, it isn’t. 
+
+The newly installed, “Early Warning Earthquake Alarm System,” nicknamed EAS, is an impeccable innovation in the field of disaster management systems. Achieved through concerted efforts from researchers at IIT Roorkee and “Space Dynamics,” a venture by Italian entrepreneurs into the field of “Disaster Mitigation Systems,” the project was executed under the umbrella of Disaster Management and Mitigation Center, Uttarakhand. 
+
+Earthquakes, under their current level of understanding, are quite indeterministic in their nature, i.e. one cannot pinpoint the place of origin, time of occurrence, or the intensity of an earthquake. However, EAS, post-analyzing real-time data (shown in the image,) from certain selected earthquake-prone regions, calculates the time that shall be required for the secondary seismic wave to travel between the epicentre and the location under observation. This is known as the “Lead Time.”
+
+![EAS 1](/images/posts/eas1.jpg)
+
+Earthquakes begin with primary waves, which move at an average speed of 6 km/s, and are followed by secondary waves, which move at 3 km/s. Ground particles vibrating in the direction of propagation do not tend to cause any damage, however, for the case of secondary waves, one observes particles vibrating perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation. Perpendicular vibrations allow for damage of humongous orders.
+
+A magnitude 7 earthquake, analytically, releases approximately 32 times more energy than a magnitude 6 earthquake. Hence, on the densely populated Gangetic Plains in Uttarakhand, an earthquake with magnitude greater than 7 or 8 has the potential of causing overwhelming damage to human life and property. 
+
+To explain the methodology in a brief, seismic sensors have been deployed in tectonically-active areas, and regions which have had a past record of earthquakes. Himalayas, due to the folding and faulting between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, tend to be tectonically-active region. As repercussions of the same, adjacent regions - such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Nepal - have had an earthquake-fling of their own, with earthquakes of magnitude greater than 8, on richter scale, being observed in the past. Currently, collisions which can lead to disastrous earthquakes, in the aforementioned regions, are being anticipated. This is why, with EAS as a weapon, Seismologists in the state of Uttarakhand have been on a “night watch.”
+
+![EAS 2](/images/posts/eas2.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+The biggest highlight of EAS is the algorithm that estimates the magnitude of the earthquake in real time simulation, in a matter of 3 seconds, only. Roorkee, being about 120 kms away from the Himalayas, can observe an S-wave in about 40 seconds, if the epicentre of the earthquake lies in Himalayas. After estimation of intensity within 3 seconds, and an additional 10 seconds for an alert to be issued, EAS provides Roorkee with a lead time of about 25-30 seconds. Additionally, warnings shall be issued, only if the magnitude of earthquake exceeds a 6 on the richter scale. Four or more sensors should back the notification, else, no warning is issued. Within the inevitable 10 seconds required for the issuing of warning, the S-wave moves ahead by about 30 km - making this region the blindspot. However, the epicentre is usually a teeny bit into the depths of Himalayas, and, hence, the corresponding blindspot turns out to be a sparsely populated region. Still, an earthquake of magnitude more than 8 can cause some serious havoc in regions reaching upto Delhi.
+ 
+In recent years, the population in northern Uttar Pradesh has increased significantly, and, more importantly, the entire region sits on soft soil, which tends to amplify wave motion rather than dampen it, hence increasing seismic risk. Fortunately, due to the recent developments in all the nearby villages, broadband network and mobile phones’ connectivity has become very routine. Thus, following the Earthquake emergency measures - post-issuing of the notification - can turn out to be a life-saving choice.

_posts/2017-05-27-guide-to-branches.md

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Watch Out's Guide to the Branches at IIT Roorkee"
+tags: [wona]
+category: academics
+image: branch-guide.jpg
+---
+
+It is pretty difficult to choose a field of study that you might have to stick with for four (or five) years. We know because we've all been there. Hence, to make the process a little bit easier, we came up with this rather elaborate and painstakingly devised guide to the various branches at IIT Roorkee. With an analysis of the various specialisations available, including an overview of the syllabus, future prospects, and some inside information from IIT Roorkee, we hope to give you a perspective of what you might be getting into!
+
+<a href="/WatchOutsGuidetoBranches.pdf" style="text-align: center"><button type="button" class="btn btn-primary btn-block btn-lg">Download the Guide Here!</button></a>

_posts/2017-05-30-search-great-indian-literature.md

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: In Search of Great Indian English Literature
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: editorial
+author: "Lanka Adarsh with inputs from Utkarsh Bajpai, Aaushi Kamble, Saurav Mahale, Ravee Chawal and Saihimal Allu"
+image: indian-literature.jpg
+excerpt: Literature, which is art married to thought, and realization untainted by reality – seems to me the end toward which all human effort would have to strive, if it were truly human and not just a welling up of our animal self
+---
+
+#### “Literature, which is art married to thought, and realization untainted by reality – seems to me the end toward which all human effort would have to strive, if it were truly human and not just a welling up of our animal self” – Fernando Pessoa, _The Book of Disquiet_
+ 
+Methods/means of communication have evolved simultaneously with our species; what began as gestures and symbols grew into languages, each with their innate grammatical logic and vocabulary. A desire to store information led to the creation of dialects; these twin inventions, when used in conjunction - to address the need of expressing oneself - was baptised “literature”. Today, literature is not merely a means to preserve knowledge; it serves to express the writer’s ideas, opinions and beliefs. It is this body of work - thus derived - that is used as an instrument for the infusion of ideas on a large scale. 
+ 
+Literature – by nature – is subjective; any effort made to sift good literature from the mediocre, the bad and the useless will tend to elicit mixed responses from its readers. Nevertheless, for purposes of this editorial, the term “good literature” needs to be defined and elaborated upon.
+ 
+If there is such a thing as good literature, it is thus declared by scholars. Notwithstanding this observation, one of the primary characteristics of a great book is universality - its ability to engage a wide range of audiences, each with their own complexities and taste. The story and the quality of language – the yarn and the way it is spun – are also definitive attributes. The fourth – perhaps lending it the added advantage of relatability – is insight; a commentary, reflection or discourse on the human condition; oftentimes, this may be implied rather than direct, deduced from the actions of a character or correlations in characterisations.  Most importantly, however, any great work of literature should distinguish itself, being unique in at least one way: in Julian Barnes’ _The Sense of an Ending_, it is the unreliable narrator with his seemingly malleable memories; in Elanor Catton’s The Luminaries, pivotal characters are assigned each of the twelve zodiac signs or associated with one of the planets, and the narrative is based on the lunar cycle. Richard Flanagan’s The Narrow Road to the Deep North enchants the reader with its hauntingly beautiful narrative, employing no direct speech.
+ 
+Listing these characteristics does not liberate literature from the wrath of its subjectivity, for these parameters are, in themselves, subjective; several books deemed abhorrent upon release go on to become classics (_The Picture of Dorian Gray_ by Oscar Wilde is one such example); whether this is due to a delayed acceptance of unpopular opinions is hard to ascertain. Tastes also differ from one person to the other, scholarly or otherwise; _The Narrow Road to the Deep North_ was reportedly rejected outright by a jury for a national prize, but went on to win the Man Booker Prize.
+ 
+#### “For some, English-language Indian writing will never be more than a post-colonial anomaly, the bastard child of Empire, sired on India by the departing British; its continuing use of the old colonial tongue is seen as a fatal flaw that renders it forever inauthentic.” – Salman Rushdie, _Mirrorwork: 50 Years of Indian Writing_
+ 
+Essentially, there seem to be two types of Indian (English) literature: the first, originally written in English, and the second, written in a vernacular language thereupon translated to English. With both, several shortcomings are immediately visible.
+ 
+In the same passage as the source of the latter quote (a preface), Salman Rushdie ponders over the reason for the inclusion of only one translated work in the anthology; he sees it as a manifestation of the “genuine problem of translation in India”, where authors writing in vernacular languages do not get the recognition they deserve due to the inadequacies of their translators. This problem, he assures us, is “certainly much diminished” due to efforts made by UNESCO and the Indian Sahitya Academy – but “not eradicated”. A parallel can be drawn with the national film industry; when being voiced over in a different language, the derived meaning may greatly diverge from the one originally implied.
+ 
+While prizes do not always herald the addition of new works to the conglomerate of good literature, they are important markers of their quality. To date there have been only four Indian recipients of the Man Booker Prize (of whom only one – Arundhati Roy – can be considered “truly” Indian), one of the Nobel Prize for Literature (Tagore), and none of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction; this rather paltry number is cause for concern. 
+ 
+What, therefore, are we doing collectively wrong?
+ 
+Most noticeably, there is no incentive to use English as a medium. In order to communicate with the masses, the language that ensures most readership is Hindi; any English work, therefore, in order to be commercially successful must use oversimplified language, in addition to clichéd stories and themes. As a result, a majority of contemporary Indian literature is unimaginative, unoriginal and oligopolistic, with the likes of Chetan Bhagat, Durjoy Dutta, Preeti Sheenoy, Ravinder Singh and Amish Tripathi being its forerunners; these are the figures the younger generations of readers and authors look up to, forming a vicious cycle of mediocrity. Indian literature seldom strays outside the narratives of jilted lovers or stories of overcoming loss; while these are possibly elements of a great work of literature, it cannot be constituted by these alone.
+ 
+Furthermore, it is quite rare for an Indian author to use quintessential English vocabulary, owing mostly to the education meted out in Indian schools. Our stories and poems contain nouns and expressions that we – as Indians – see and use in our everyday lives. A set of such words would be _Memsahib_, train station, railing, _Oye_; their English counterparts are (respectively) Madam, railway station/ train depot, balustrade and pardon me. While these sets may seem largely identical, they are markedly different in spirit and effect; one seems to pride itself on its Indianess, the other lends it a universal air. Although books using a regionalised vocabulary are less likely to succeed internationally, several have; Kiran Desai’s _The Inheritance of Loss_ is one such work.
+ 
+India, while tolerant (in the sense that it allows for the peaceful coexistence of several diverse communities, whether divided by religion, state or caste), is eternally averse to unpopular opinions; how, then, do artists – because writers are artists in their own way – express themselves honestly? Salman Rushdie helplessly maintains a safe distance from India – the setting of his Man Booker Prize winning book, _Midnights Children_ – in light of the large protests that erupted after the release of The Satanic Verses; M. F. Hussain was rather harshly chastised for his painting depicting a nude Saraswati; while India may claim to be a democracy, freedom of speech and expression are only valid unless no sentiments are hurt, which is rather often. Being vocal in opposition of a popular viewpoint precedes social exclusion and ridicule.
+ 
+Perhaps as India grows older, there shall be more room for art and literature; for now the picture is rather bleak and uncertain. 
+
+_Illustration Credits: Christoph Neimann_

_posts/2017-06-06-story-of-pibit.md

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "The Story of Pibit"
+tags: [wona]
+category: career 
+image: pibit_logo.png
+excerpt: Pibit is an IITR start-up which has created a digital platform for the local merchants where they can connect to potential customers.
+---
+
+__WONA: What does Pibit exactly do?__
+
+__PIBIT__: Pibit has created a digital platform for the local merchants where they can connect to potential customers in real time. Thus, solving the problem of low sales during off-peak hours by luring customers through real-time offers.
+In addition to this, Pibit also offers the feature of pre-ordering so as to save you valuable time and money.
+
+__W: What future do you see for Pibit from here on?__
+
+__P__: Well, we have been able to establish our market in Roorkee and parts of Dehradun without any kind of financial aid from anyone. After an extensive market research, we're planning to expand to Tier 1 and 2 cities as soon as we get funded.
+
+__W: Recently you have been dilating to other cities as well. What were the challenges you faced initially and while expanding?__
+
+__P__: As far as establishing the market in Roorkee is concerned we didn't face many difficulties given the fact that our team wholly consists of undergrads. Expanding to Dehradun was an uneasy task. Commuting to Dehradun from Roorkee and then back to Roorkee was quite hectic. Gaining the local restaurant owners' confidence wasn't a cake walk. However, the most challenging thing was building a team in Dehradun, because it's difficult to manage a team when none of your core team members is actually present there at all times. The good thing is that even after these challenges we've managed to come this far.
+
+![pibit 1](/images/posts/pibit_team.jpg)
+
+__W: What sets you apart from your competitors?__
+
+__P__: What gives Pibit an edge over its competitors is that most of its competitors do not provide real-time offers and pre-ordering features. That makes Pibit the only online platform that gives real-time connectivity, personalized offers, pre-ordering and home delivery all at one place.
+
+__W: What advice do you give to budding entrepreneurs?__
+
+__P__: It takes a lot of guts to start something new. There are all possible risks of failures. One thing that matters the most is how persistent you are? Nothing great is achieved easily. Set your GOALS, know your TARGETS, keep working until you achieve those targets. There are all sorts of people out there to discourage you. It's a good thing though because the feeling of proving them wrong is exhilarating in itself. And it's one the best boosters to move forward.
+
+__W: How do you think the administration can help promote entrepreneurship on campus?__
+
+__P__: The administration can be helpful in many ways, for instance, reducing the minimum attendance percentage required to take exams. Many foreign universities offer a no. of major and minor courses in entrepreneurial studies. Our college too can introduce such courses as electives. There are many projects that receive funding from the administration. In the same manner, good business ideas should also be sponsored. The introduction of Tides Business Incubator is a good start to a start-up culture at IIT-R. Steps like these are surely going to give rise to the number of budding entrepreneurs on our campus.
+
+
+_To share your start-up story with us, send it to watchout.iitr@gmail.com_

_posts/2017-06-13-beautiful-life.md

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: It's a Beautiful Life
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: editorial
+author: "Lanka Adarsh, Anushrut Gupta"
+image: beautiful-life.jpg
+excerpt: The gods envy us. They envy us because we're mortal, because any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed.
+---
+
+#### "The gods envy us. They envy us because we're mortal, because any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed." - Achilles, _Troy_ (2004).
+
+The value of any commodity in our possession – philosophically or economically – is ascertained by a lack of abundance. Life is universal, but never in perfect competition; the longevity and quality of, as well as the insignificant infinite incidents constituting our lives vary globally. Nevertheless, death is the indiscriminate adjudicator that unites us. Perhaps it is the only reason we ever do anything; a visible eventual end reinforces the value of our life, spurring us on to make the most of each day.
+
+What, then, will we – our attitudes, outlooks and dispositions – make of a significant increase in the average life expectancy?
+
+If the (hypothetical) elixir were to bequeath to us an additional 120 years – that is to say, a life expectancy of 200 years – one immediately assumes that scientific and technological progress will accelerate by an unimaginable magnitude, for greater work logically follows greater amount of available time. In retrospect, however, it is short-sighted to exclude the talent for procrastination with which we are naturally endowed. The perception of time as an infinite commodity shall incentivize a majority of the human race to recursively postpone autonomous tasks, resulting in collective underachievement.
+
+Counterintuitively, there shall also be a – eventual, if not immediate – decrease in population. Assuming that most countries of the world shall be developed by the time such an elixir is made available, the prevalent family size shall be significantly smaller. Men and women shall hop in and out of relationships – having enough time to find the “love of their lives” – a hunt that shall, perhaps, forever elude and disappoint them.
+
+Meaning is innate in language but never in life, forged by its bearers (in an attempt) to make sense of the series of circumstances that establish themselves as parts of their lives. It is sought from a definite number of sources – primarily suffering, love and work. Love and work become largely irrelevant in this scenario; very rarely shall these be the sources of fulfilment, and fodder for discerning meaning. By exclusion, we shall turn to suffering to define our lives. What a sad life this shall constitute! With suffering predominating the emotional landscape – and additionally milking it for meaning – an aversion to happiness shall prevail, for it (logically) becomes the antithesis of meaning’s forge.
+
+#### “Living, naturally, is never easy. You continue making the gestures commanded by existence for many reasons, the first of which is habit. Dying voluntarily implies that you have recognized, even instinctively, the ridiculous character of that habit, the absence of any profound reason for living, the insane character of that daily agitation, the uselessness of suffering” – Albert Camus, _Suicide: the one truly serious philosophical question_
+
+Wrought and marred by misery, humanity’s faith in the absurd shall be solidified; once the “uselessness of suffering” is established – those that rely on it as the foundation of meaning shall eventually realise that there is none – any reflective, contemplative being shall surrender himself to the reasoning that his/her existence is worth nothing, that nothing will possibly be different on their passing. Employing Adrian’s logic (from The Sense of an Ending) that one may choose to renounce their life upon examination – since it is a gift given to them and therefore, theirs to reject – intellectually endowed people shall renounce their lives the way Adrian did. Who, then, shall lead this world into the great unknown that is the future?
+
+Our lives, although flawed, shall never be as disastrous. Perhaps it is conducive – even ominous – to have a life of eighty years. A supernumerary life may arouse gratitude initially, when one has a standard to compare it to; over time, however, it shall be the source of a universally prevalent disdain.
+
+_Illustration Credits: Scott Laumann_

_posts/2017-06-18-the-ericsson-awards.md

@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "The Ericsson Innovation Awards"
+tags: [wona]
+category: verbatim
+image: ericcson_team.jpg
+---
+
+**_“Swedish vodka and the best meat you could ever have - hmm, well, if only I wasn’t a non-drinking vegetarian.”_**
+ 
+_"Four students from IIT Roorkee made the institute proud by grabbing the top spot at the prestigious Ericsson Innovation Awards, hosted at the Nobel Museum. We had a chance to talk to one of the members of the contingent, and ask him all about their exploits in Sweden._
+ 
+ 
+
+__WONA: First off all, how’d it all begin?__
+ 
+__TEAM SNAP__: Getting the first prototype ready, filing a patent, and publishing a paper on the results of the pilot implementation - an idea that I had while sinking in my bed, has certainly come a long way. I had the idea for this project in December, 2015, and have been working on the same, since then.
+ 
+To begin with, the device is basically a multispectral imaging tool, which images a leaf at different wavelengths, in a very controlled environment, calculates Geo-imaging Satellites (GIS) based spectral parameters, and correlates the same with the nitrogen content in the leaves. Hence, you get to know the nitrogen content in the leaves, which can then be correlated with the nitrogen content in the soil, and, thus, you can get to know the optimal nitrogenous-fertilizer content, required for the best yield of your crops.
+ 
+
+__W: Tell us something about the Ericsson Innovation Awards.__
+
+
+![EIA 1](/images/posts/ericsson1.jpg)
+
+
+__TS__: The Ericsson Innovation Awards, which were started in 2009, tend to promote innovation amongst university-students, motivating them to come up with original ideas. Thinking that we were original enough, we submitted our project. I had looped in others, the current team as you know, to participate in the competition. However, it was Ankit Bagaria, who led the ante further in terms of everything not-tech. I had one job: getting the product ready, i.e. a working and presentable prototype.
+ 
+Though we did apply for the competition, I wouldn’t be lying if I said that we were the quintessential should-not-be-selected team, back then. However, “it’s a new day, it’s a new sun.”
+ 
+With a great presentation, and some great pilot runs coming our way, we realized that we could actually make it. And we actually got into the top 13 out of 907 teams, across the globe. WE were shocked with the selection, frankly. Hell, there was a team from Stanford! Last year’s top 3 had included a team from MIT, so, I wouldn’t be over-extrapolating if I said that we had actually beat teams from all the biggies.
+ 
+ 
+![EIA 2](/images/posts/ericcson2.jpg)
+ 
+ 
+__W: Must have been pretty overwhelming!__
+ 
+__TS__: Well, things just got wilder, for we actually made it into the top 3, and were selected to present our prototype at the World Finals, which was supposed to be held at the Nobel Museum, Stockholm, Sweden.
+ 
+We got an actually presentable prototype (believe me, the one used for pilot implementation looked like a screwed up shoebox) ready, which was giving quite awesome results. We tested this one for a decently healthy leaf, and a totally dead leaf, and the results were amazing. 
+
+
+__W: Talk us through your first day in Sweden.__ 
+ 
+__TS__: We reached our Hotel, “Hotel Connect, Kista,” near the Ericsson’s Global office, Kista, Sweden. If you are into electronics, you are in for some anxiety a
+ttacks when you get to this place. Linear Technology, Xilinx - the ones you use for making all the basic structures - to biggies like Panasonic, Bosch - who build upon those basic structures - everyone had their offices here. KTH’s research facilities were a 5 minute walk. I, for one, was certainly witnessing transcendence. 
+ 
+We were supposed to record a 45 second pitch, the very next day, in the morning. Not much of a big deal, since it had been months that we had been practicing our pitching skills. I must say, though, the Ericsson Studio was beautiful!
+
+
+![EIA 3](/images/posts/ericcson3.jpg)
+
+
+These guys, they have projects from 5G to virtual reality to predictive transport network systems to whatever-you-want-to-get-anxious-about. We also got to click ourselves with an emmy award - certainly won’t win one, ever, in my life, but, at least, I shall always have a click to back my bluff with.
+ 
+Meanwhile, our crew had witnessed some additions. We had the global talent acquisitions head, some interns, and some other employees join us. 
+ 
+ 
+__W: Coming to D-Day. What was going through your head?__
+
+__TS__: Back in Studio, we started pitching our MVP and demonstrated the same to the Ericsson employees, who were kind enough to stop and listen to our rants of how Agriculture is dying. 
+ 
+At the Museum, I don’t think I could control my anxiety anymore. We were at the Nobel Museum! While everyone was busy mugging their pitches, I was going around the Museum, doing experiments with some pretty hefty equipments - which, unlike our labs, was working. The gift shop - it was a heaven of its own. From Bob Dylan to Einstein, there was everything. 400 well spent Kronas later, I realized we had 10 minutes left before our pitch. High time I mugged up my part of the pitch? Certainly.
+ 
+The jury was chaired by Sara Mazur, Head of Ericsson Research with Caleb Harper, MIT Media Lab, Dr. Catherine Mulligan, Imperial College London, Mattias Fyrenius, CEO Nobel Media, and Johan Jörgensen, Founder Stockholm FoodTech, as the jury members.
+ 
+Snap the scene to the pitching room, we pitched our hearts out. Unluckily, we had too much content, and too less time - our Business model, we could just half-explain it - luckily, though, the judges did not care for it. Clicking images and get chlorophyll content? “You think I’m crazy, convince me with that, we’ll get to the business model later” - certainly what the judges felt, for all they asked us were technical questions. Now, here is where the 1.5 years of efforts helped us. We were spot on with the technical questions; frankly, I could speak a lot more than I did for the technical aspects. 
+
+
+__W: What was the best part of the trip, you know, apart from being the global winners!__
+
+__TS__: THE RADIOHEAD CONCERT. It was something that had us overwhelmingly excited from the moment we landed in Sweden!
+ 
+If you want to witness transcendence, go watch these guys live. I have been a fanatic of Radiohead, for an year now. Going there, I got to know why. The stripped down versions, the little flings they’d play with their instruments and vocals, it was too much for me to bare. I swear, if someone hugged me, I’d have sobbed hard.
+ 
+ 
+![EIA 4](/images/posts/ericsson4.jpg)
+
+
+I’ll give you this - when I retire, Sweden it’ll be. The people, the place, the atmosphere - it was all so satisfying.
+ 
+ 
+__W: Looking back, did you back yourself from the start? How confident were you?__
+ 
+__TS__: Well, since we never got down to the business model, I was pretty sure we’ve missed this one. There seemed no reason to me that a technical venture could win a technical competition, after all. Silly me? Spot on, because we did win. 
+When you feel like you are screwed and there’s no chance that you could win a dime, but you bag 25000 euros (pretty huge, eh?), believe me, you burst out with some huge rushes of adrenaline.
+ 
+_And, that was it. Team SNAP got some snaps clicked, snapped out of the Museum, out of Sweden, and back to 40 degrees Celsius of grueling summer heat in India, from a pleasant temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. The experience got us through some amazing rushes of excitement, for sure!_

_posts/2017-06-26-summer-diaries-fuzzy-logix.md

@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Fuzzy Logix"
+image: deept1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: summer2017 
+author: "Deept Mahendiratta"
+excerpt: "The company is basically focused on In-Database Analytics i.e. performing the analytics inside the data warehouse itself, without having to extract the data for analysis. The company is expanding and has also begun providing analytics services to its clients."
+---
+
+### Making it there 
+<br>
+**Selection Process:**
+Fuzzy Logix has a well-defined selection process. The company usually comes for campus selections and opens for all branches. For the first time, online tests were conducted for shortlisting this year. The first step consisted of the selection of students with a CGPA greater than 7 for the online test. Then, after resume-shortlisting with preference being given to students with a CGPA of 8 and above, interviews were conducted.
+ 
+**Rounds:**
+The first round was the online test containing 10 basic aptitude questions, 10 simple questions based on C/C++ (mainly syntax related) and a very basic coding question. After the first round, around 55 students were selected for the personal interview round.
+
+For the interview, two panels, one for the technical interview and one for the HR interview, were created and the two interviews were carried out in different rooms. In the technical interview, difficult questions were asked on coding and probability and we were grilled based on our technical knowledge. On the other hand, the HR interview was based on an interaction with the panel with discussions that revolved around our resume. Some basic C++ programming, Object Oriented questions, and a few puzzles were also asked. If you can interact well, explain properly what you have done throughout your college life and present your achievements, your work here is done!
+A total of 8 people were selected for the internship after the interview round.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/deept2.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### Work
+<br>
+**Details about the firm:**
+​Fuzzy Logix has two main corporate offices, one located in Charlotte, North Carolina and one in Bangalore. Fuzzy Logix develops libraries and functions for various data warehouses like Netezza, TeraData, TeraData Aster, Oracle Exadata etc. The company is basically focused on In-Database Analytics i.e. performing the analytics inside the data warehouse itself, without having to extract the data for analysis. The company is expanding and has also begun providing analytics services to its clients.
+ 
+**Aim of the internship:**
+The aim of the internship was to get us well acquainted with the work that Fuzzy Logix is involved in. No specific prerequisites were needed. We were taught the basic languages and softwares that Fuzzy Logix uses during our first-week induction program at the company. We were then allotted various projects in groups of two on the basis of the languages we knew beforehand. More or less, the work involved the testing, debugging and documentation of already built functions.
+
+**Work culture at the firm:**
+The work culture at Fuzzy Logix is quite cool and similar to that of a startup. There are flexible working hours which range between 10 am to 7 pm. No predefined seating arrangement is followed; we are allowed to sit wherever we wish to work. There is a table tennis table and a well-equipped pantry. We can eat or play anytime we wish to as long as we are not required to work. We just have to make sure that the assigned project is completed before the deadline. The company requires you to wear formals to work except on Fridays. In short, Fuzzy Logix follows a culture similar to that of a startup and hardly that of a corporate. The best part of being in Fuzzy Logix is that you get to work with your seniors and friends from IIT Roorkee and IIT Kanpur.
+
+### Summing up
+<br>
+**Experience gained:**
+​I learned a lot about various languages used specifically for Data Science and also got an insight of the important functions used. We are also allowed to attend various team meetings so that we could get an insight of how the work is carried out in an IT firm. Overall, it was a great experience for a person like me, who had no background in coding. The mentors and people around helped me from scratch and cleared the silliest of my doubts.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/deept3.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+**Advice to people gunning for it:**
+Though the work at the internship might get redundant after a while, it’s the foundation of the work done at Fuzzy Logix that you learn during your internship. You learn the basics of Data Science and see how various functions work.The work for interns basically revolves around the development, testing, debugging and documentation in various data analytics platforms. Work done at Fuzzy Logix is quite different from that at a conventional IT firm and that’s what makes it more interesting. You may be expecting that there would be a lot of Data Science, so you may get upset on this front as most of the interns are made to work mainly on development projects. But since it’s more of a startup, you can work closely with the team and also get to know about the work being done in other projects. Overall, there is a great learning atmosphere. If you’re willing to go for it, build a strong resume, present your work in the right way and get it proofread by your seniors and friends. As for the interview, prepare well about the things you’ve mentioned in your resume, your projects or earlier internships and be confident. Also, a good command over coding would definitely give you an edge.

_posts/2017-06-26-summer-diaries-qualcomm.md

@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Qualcomm"
+image: akanksha1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: summer2017
+author: "Aakanksha Doda" 
+excerpt: "Qualcomm is an American multinational semiconductor and telecommunications equipment company that designs and markets wireless telecommunications products and services. The company headquarters are located in San Diego, California, United States and has 224 worldwide locations."
+---
+### Making it there:
+
+The selection process for Qualcomm is carried out in three rounds.
+
+**Online test**: The initial shortlisting is done on the basis of this test which consists of three sections namely 
+
+1. Quantitative and Verbal
+
+2. Object Oriented Programming and Algorithms
+
+3. Electronics/Software 
+
+The third section is to be chosen by the student depending upon which profile they've applied for. One can opt for both the options (if interested) and extra time is allotted accordingly. The time given for each round varies from 25 to 40 minutes, which might seem quite less compared to the number of questions asked. So, time management plays an important role.
+Right after the test, there is a presentation the next day which is to be attended compulsorily. It is here that they brief the applicants about the company and its work culture as well as announce the names of the shortlisted candidates for the next round which is carried out the same day.
+
+**Technical Interview:** In this round, questions mostly about your past projects (if any) are asked. So, it is important to be up to date with your projects/previous internships. Also, if you do not have any projects in your resume related to the profile you've applied for, slightly modified questions from 'geekforgeeks.com' are asked to check your knowledge of mainly data structures. You may be asked to write a pseudo-codes of the same in the language you prefer.
+ 
+**HR Interview:** If you have been selected for this round, the chances that you have already been hired as an intern are pretty high. In this round, they basically want to know how easily you can open up in a new environment. This round is more like a light conversation than an interview. A little knowledge about Qualcomm can be helpful here.
+Apart from learning about algorithms and data structures from 'geeksforgeeks.com', a basic knowledge of Linux programming and practicing aptitude questions (interviewbit.com/puzzlersworld.com) is enough to crack the selection process successfully.
+
+### Work:
+<br>
+Qualcomm is an American multinational semiconductor and telecommunications equipment company that designs and markets wireless telecommunications products and services. The company headquarters are located in San Diego, California, United States and has 224 worldwide locations. It played a major role in the 3G and 4G industry and is now working to launch 5G networking soon. 
+The internship commenced with the assigning a mentor and a manager to every intern. Most of the interns were given projects regarding testing or error handling of previously written codes. 
+I worked in the WLAN Software Team and my project was to add a feature to record and handle the error that occurred when a user configured the WLAN Modem. The whole project was to be coded in C language using various other techniques like socket programming, etc. The main obstacle in my project was the file size in which all the configuration commands sent to the driver were to be recorded. This required an extensive use of different data structures and understanding previously written codes for VAP configuration. My mentor was very helpful and always available to clear all my doubts. The manager allotted to me, on the other hand, generally remained in his office and rarely checked on my progress during the internship. 
+ 
+The work hours depend on your project and the team assigned. I used to stay in the office from 10 am to 6 pm while a few of my co-interns used to work in slots – 11 am to 4 pm and then after dinner – 9 pm to 12 midnight. The project is assigned considering that you are a two-month intern which means that the work is not very pressurizing. All that expected of you the completion of the project by the end of the internship. Apart from work, there are team lunches and outings organized weekly/monthly depending upon the team.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/akanksha3.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Perks and fun:
+<br>
+Qualcomm takes very good care of its interns providing the best of facilities. All the interns are provided with luxurious apartments, cab service, gym, etc. Qualcomm offices are not exactly in the main city, so you may have to travel for an hour or more to find some happening places. However, the office buildings are well equipped with a lot of indoor game areas like foosball, TT, carrom and video games like FIFA too. The best part of doing an internship in Bangalore is that most of your friends are also in Bangalore, the center of India's technology industry. There are a lot of places in and around the city to have a good time. The pleasant weather adds up to the fun of bike trips around the place. Also, this city has some coolest places to dine in and the nightlife is amazing.  
+
+Qualcomm also organizes many competitions and fun events. During my internship, there was a photography competition and a singing event organized for the employees and interns. A major part of a Qualcomm internship is the Qualcomm Idea Quest whereby all the two month interns have to submit a new idea related to the domains in which Qualcomm works and if the idea is selected, teams are made and funding is provided to execute the idea in not more than 15 days at the end of which, a winning team is announced. Also, there are various days celebrated by the company – Qliving day, in which we were taken to WonderLa, Qsocial day and many more.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/akanksha2.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Key takeaways
+<br>
+Qualcomm is a great company to have an enriching experience and meet some of the best minds during your intern. This company provides you an in-depth view of how the corporate world works, letting you decide whether you want to join it or not. I would suggest to all the folks aiming for Qualcomm–software that you don't need to be an excellent coder or have a great resume with many projects, all you need is to be clear with your basics and you are good to go. 

_posts/2017-06-26-summer-diaries-tata-steel.md

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Tata Steel"
+image: shrutika1.JPG
+tags: [wona, column]
+category: summer2017
+author: "Shrutika Yeola" 
+excerpt: "As is common, in my 3rd year, I was still ascertaining where my interests lay. The question of whether I should take up an internship in my “core” field (i.e. Metallurgy) remained largely unanswered until a professor advised me to do so. I chose to.."
+---
+
+As is common, in my 3rd year, I was still ascertaining where my interests lay. The question of whether I should take up an internship in my “core” field (i.e. Metallurgy) remained largely unanswered until a professor advised me to do so. I chose to take heed of his advice: I had studied these subjects for two and a half years, and felt I had nothing to lose.
+ 
+TATA Steel’s selection process is relatively easy, in that it has no CGPA criteria. The first round was a 2.5 hour long online test comprising questions of Mental Ability, English and Metallurgy. 10 out of 90 candidates were then shortlisted for a Group Discussion, where we were asked to “imagine that you are waiters working for a loss-making hotel. How, then – in your capacity as a waiter – can you do to turn a profit?” 6 students consequentially made it into the personal interview round.
+ 
+Never had I (previously) faced the critical eyes of the interviewer; although initially cynical of such an exchange, I managed to exceed my expectations, and the interview has since become a fond memory. I was asked a mix of technical and HR questions. An in-depth knowledge of two sub-topics is also necessary to get past the interview ( a detailed version of the proceedings can be found <span style="color:#72C5EB">[here](https://www.quora.com/What-was-the-best-interview-experience-you-have-had/answer/Shrutika-Yeola-1?srid=7fLI&share=f2d2636c)</span> ). Two of us were thus selected to intern at TATA steel.
+ 
+There are three other ways to bag the internship:
+ 
+1. <span style="color:#72C5EB">[Mind Over Matter (MOM) competition](http://www.valueabled.com/mind-over-matter-season3.aspx)</span>: Details can be found on Channel I. Questions are of a technical nature, and are to be answered either individually, or in pairs of two. All 3rd year students (regardless of their field of study) are eligible to participate. 23 students were selected through this route.
+
+2. <span style="color:#72C5EB">[Women of Mettle](http://www.valueabled.com/women-of-mettle.aspx)</span>: Since the programme is a recent development, I do not possess adequate information about the same. Relevant details can be procured first-hand from the website.
+
+3. Word-of-mouth recommendations (a.k.a “contacts”), although this directly implies that a PPO cannot be secured.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/shrutika2.JPG){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### Work culture:
+<br> 
+The primary focus of TATA steel is values, as is evident by their motto “Values stronger than steel”. Many-a-senior had stated that the company is indifferent to incurring loss, but is very uptight about basic ethical considerations (such as wearing a safety helmet). Non-adherence to such simple yet important rules is liable to get you fired. Excluding such circumstances, however, one’s job at TATA Steel is largely secure. At present, it is the best corporation for a “core” job in Metallurgy; the joining salary has also risen to 10.5 LPA. 
+ 
+A 5-day working week is the norm, with working hours being 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. Interns are put up in the Graduate Trainee Hostel (with double rooms for boys and single rooms for girls), which is not without its fair share of problems: a time restriction for girls (7:30 pm), absence of basic commodities such as Wi-Fi, washing machines, and a considerable number of insects. Most days are tiring, and there is no energy left to wander the city (on working days). A mess adjoining the hostel provides food 4 times a day.
+ 
+The stipend is a humble Rs. 10,000, in addition to reimbursement of 3-tier A/C tickets for travel. The quanta of work depends on the guide, but is usually manageable. The attire is also determined by the guide, although safety shoes and a safety band are compulsory. The internship/ job is ideal for those having parallel pursuits such as the UPSC and CAT (or a completely different career) as there is sufficient time left over. At the end of one’s time here, there is a 20 – 30 minute long presentation, serving as the sole criteria for securing a PPO.
+ 
+My project was on “The Crystallographic and Texture Analysis of Ti+Nb+Mo HS 800 Steel”, under the Flat Product Technology Group (it is scarcely as dangerous as it sounds). A few days of study on the topic at hand fosters an interest for it. Moreover, I was fortunate enough to be appointed a guide who kept in constant touch through weekly updates, and also helped me with experiments. Sincere work can result in the publication of a research paper within the stipulated period of two months; many students have done so in the past.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/shrutika3.JPG){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+TATA Steel possess a variety of equipment: the Coke plant, Pellet plant, Blast furnace and LD furnace, to name a few. One gets to see, in real time, all that they have studied and – at long last – an answer to why we study the course.
+ 
+The employees of the plant are rather helpful; they are forever ready to help and guide the interns.
+ 
+### About Jamshedpur
+<br>
+Jamshedpur has a scant number of attractions: Dimna Lake, HUDCO Lake, Jubilee Park, the Dalma trek and the Zoo. Further off (4-8 hours away) are Kolkata, Puri, Konarak and Bhubaneshwar. Bakeries and restaurants nearby include Bon Appetite, Le Bon, and Brubeck. Though it may initially seem (by observing the area around the Railway Station) that you are in for a dreadful bore of two months, time shall tell you different.
+ 
+The weather here is mostly hot and humid, interspersed by frequent rain (once every 3 days).
+ 
+### Takeaways
+<br>
+TATA Steel is best for those in metallurgy wishing to pursue a “core” job, or explore its possibilities. It is a rather secure job, and the probability of being laid off is very low, provided one sticks to the ethical code of the corporation. Chances of bagging a PPO, as well as of publishing a research paper are good. Its work culture makes it a good company to start with.<br>
+
+![pic4](/images/posts/shrutika4.JPG){: style="width:80%;height:auto"}

_posts/2017-06-30-summer-diaries-wipro.md

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Wipro"
+image: Aryan1.PNG
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Aryan Khaitan"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "Although Wipro is famously referred to as a mass-recruiter, the fact that there were only 13 interns from different IITs in the Pune Campus was kind of contradictory to the maxim. Wipro sure expects a lot from their interns, by giving them projects that would probably make their employees wonder how without any prior experience, an intern has been given such a role!"
+---
+ 
+### Making it there 
+<br>
+**Selection Process:**
+Wipro, on paper, had a considerably difficult selection criteria. The company usually comes for campus selections and is open for all branches. They kept a CGPA criteria of at least 7 for core and 8 for non-core branches. You need to fill a form in the beginning which includes all details regarding your interest and explaining all of your personal information. 
+  
+**Rounds:**
+It is then followed by an online test which has some really easy questions. I was able to nail the coding section in less than 10 minutes, which was one-third of the time they had allotted for it. The speed of solving the questions was probably a criteria too, considering the fact that I got through to the next round.
+
+ For the interview round, we had to go through two panels. The 1st one was the technical one in which interviewer asked 2-3 questions about our preferred programming language (C, C++, Java, Python), and some about the basic functioning of operating systems. He also often served us with some curveballs, like ‘What have you done for your country?’, which might make you wonder if the technical interview has morphed into an HR interview. You can expect some puzzles here, too. My HR interview was taken by a senior lead at Wipro, and he was probably way more chilled out than you’d expect an interviewer to be. A total of 13 people were selected for the internship from Roorkee. Eight among us were allotted in Bangalore, 3 got Pune and 2, Chennai.
+
+### Work
+<br>
+**The company**
+ 
+Wipro is a name that needs no introduction. It was, however, an exciting time to join the firm as it recently launched a new logo and unveiled its new brand identity. The new identity would mark Wipro's emergence as a trusted digital transformation partner to clients, delivering at global scale with increasingly localized capabilities, and leveraging hyper-automation, robotics, cloud, analytics, cognitive and emerging technologies. The new logo, "connects the dots" for its clients integrating deep technology and domain expertise, applying insights from across industries, and consistently delivering world-class integrated, end-to-end capabilities and services, it also highlights the company's strong technology heritage and reflects capabilities for the future.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/Aryan2.PNG){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+**Internship experience**
+ 
+It’s safe to say that a major part of your internship depends on your mentor, and I was lucky to get a really brilliant and experienced person as a one. Although he was one of the busiest people in the office, he never burdened the work on us and equivalently divided the workload among our team. Wipro also took special care to make sure that we mingle with everyone by putting me in a team of three people, all of them from a different IIT. 
+ The project we were allotted was different from the profile we had worked on. And soon enough, we realised that this is how IT works. You don’t get a project on the kind of profile you had worked on and hence you need to be prepared for everything. This project, however, was not only intellectually stimulating but also exposed me to an important real-world problem, something that I feel shall help me over the long run. 
+ 
+**Work culture**
+ 
+The office hours were typical, as we were asked to work from 10 am to 5 pm on weekdays. This left weekends free for us to visit all the nearby places. Moreover, the workload was also flexible, depending on the kind of mentor you get. (I’d like to reiterate here by mentioning how your mentors are really cool people who will treat you as a younger brother during your whole internship period.) You get free snacks and beverages, daily, and a personal cubicle to work in. In a company of close to two lakh employees, the fact that an intern would get a personal working space seemed pretty cool to me! The office had a pretty free culture, as we enjoyed occasional games of pool and table tennis. Our mentor too joined us some time, but would often, in  a friendly way, taunt us for wasting time here rather than working! 
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/Aryan3.PNG){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### Summing Up
+<br>
+To all the people who would be targeting it for next year, the work for interns basically revolves around the development, testing, debugging and documentation, depending on  the different projects Wipro gets from their clients. You can either be the part of the whole project or just a part of a minor project depending on how massive it is. The stipend is a decent one. However, there are chances that you might end up getting a mundane project, something you really can’t help yourself with. However, there is no doubt that being a part of a giant like Wipro exposes you to the most amazing business problems and you shall probably take away some key lessons on how you should deal with clients and your colleagues.

_posts/2017-06-31-summer-diaries-adobe.md

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Adobe"
+image: Aashaka1.JPG
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Aashaka Shah"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "The research internship takes place at the Big Data Experience Lab of Adobe Research in Bangalore. Interns are given a vast problem space from which they have to read literature and generate ideas. Most of the projects fall in the domains in which Adobe is working on or is interested in expanding its hold on."
+---
+
+### Making it there 
+<br>
+My selection to the internship was based on my grades. The top 5 department rank holders from CSE and top n ( n <= 5 ) from EE, ECE and MnC get this VIP-level direct entry to the Big Data Experience Lab, Adobe Research, India. The other procedure of selection involves a coding test followed by telephonic interview. They also have a few other off-campus internship opportunities for women via the competitive coding contest - Codhers and Adobe India Women in Technology Scholarship.
+
+
+### The Work and Culture
+<br>
+The research internship takes place at the Big Data Experience Lab of Adobe Research in Bangalore. Interns are given a vast problem space from which they have to read literature and generate ideas. Most of the projects fall in the domains in which Adobe is working on or is interested in expanding its hold on. It might come as a surprise to many, but apart from the ubiquitous PDF, Photoshop and Illustrator, the infamous flash player and the coveted Behance invites, a lot of Adobe’s revenue and customers come from its Marketing Cloud. It is in this domain that the Adobe India Lab works on. The projects may span multiple different areas like video, systems, text, email, etc but almost always have a touch of machine learning attached to them.
+ 
+Each team consists of 2-3 interns and two mentors. The mentors are friendly, there are team outings and meetings are also usually very interesting.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/Aashaka2.JPG)
+ 
+On a more serious note, the internship is divided into three stages, which loosely translate into choosing a problem (problem defense), thinking of a solution (solution defense) and a demo (final presentation). The first stage goes a long way in improving your presentation and analytical skills and the next two stages, your technical skills. 
+ 
+The timings are flexible, which means you can work for as much as you can, there is nothing to stop you from working. In fact, interns also tend to work on Sunday, lured by the prospect of ordering free (till a certain, but huge, amount) food for both lunch and dinner. Lunch and dinner on all other days is free and provided in the cafeteria. There is a pantry at every floor which always has a stock of milk, coffee and tea, while maggi, fruits and cornflakes finish quickly.
+ 
+Adobe tries its best to keep work lively for its interns and employees by organizing fun activities like volleyball tournaments, chess competitions, Friends quiz, and stand up comedy shows. Apart from that, one can find interesting things to do in Bangalore using apps like LBB and Insider.in.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/Aashaka3.jpg){: style="width:80%;height:auto"}
+
+### Key Takeaways and Advice
+<br>
+One of the goals of the internship is to publish research papers and file patents, which is a useful addition in case one plans to pursue research in the future or make more money on the side. As for the structure of the internship, one of my mentors fondly referred to the internship program as a mini-PhD program. To be fair, I couldn't have agreed more! The prospect of a research internship had always appealed to me from the start of my second year. An internship at Adobe Research seemed like the best of both, the industry and the research world when I had accepted the internship offer. As my internship progresses, I believe that I made the right judgement. 
+
+![pic4](/images/posts/Aashaka4.gif){: style="width:100%;height:auto"}
+ 
+As mentioned previously, a ‘wild-card’ way of getting this internship is on the basis of your CGPA. To the smug readers falling in the aforementioned category, here’s a warning! Unless you are the DR1, or have a secret contact in the TPO who can reassure you otherwise, do not live in the bubble of comfort of having already scored an internship, as Adobe’s intake policies could change every internship season. 
+
+

_posts/2017-07-01-summer-diaries-pwc.md

@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: PwC"
+image: Soumya1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Soumya Ranjan"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "As an Electrical Engineering student, I tried my hand at core engineering in my sophomore year but it pretty much felt forced, and so I decided to follow my interest in finance, business and market modeling and the technology associated with it like Machine Learning, Artificial Neural Networks, etc. And that is how I ended up with PwC India."
+---
+
+### Making it there 
+<br>
+Well, I wanted to get an internship as soon as possible, so that I wouldn’t have to rush to the TPO in borrowed formals for a whole semester, or possibly two. At the same time, I didn’t want to compromise on my interest areas. I became choosy and PwC was only the 4th company I applied to, after a long hiatus of two months following American Express, Goldman Sachs and ITC, three of which I botched on the 1st day itself after getting shortlisted. The company requires you to submit your CV (did I forget passport size photographs?) via the TPO and conducts a written test that is pretty “CAT-like”, consisting of Aptitude, Reasoning, and Verbal Sections. Thereafter, selected candidates are called for an interview. The main point is to focus on your CV. They will grill you on your CV, much like Gordon Ramsey in Hell’s Kitchen, and you need to justify everything that’s on it. Your interests are another area of focus as the field of work that will be assigned to you will depend on it. After this technical interview, there will be an HR interview, in which you just have to be yourself for some questions and lie with a straight face for others.
+As they recruit through official channels, you are not allowed to apply off campus. BUT, PwC does allow, in fact, encourages its employees to refer persons known to them. So if you have relatives in PwC, it’s probably time to renew old family ties. At the same time, do look for opportunities on their official website (https://www.pwc.in/).
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/Soumya2.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### Work
+<br>
+A few insights into PwC as a firm. PwC is one of the “Big Four” accounting firms in the world and the biggest amongst them in terms of revenue and services provided. PwC India provides industry-focussed audit and assurance, consulting and tax services to public, private and government clients in all markets. Now, as you can imagine, such a diverse business model promises you a lot of exciting fields in every domain possible. I was selected for Technology Consulting which comes under Advisory group. As the name suggests, it provides solutions to various challenges faced by the clients in terms of adoption, acclimatization, and troubleshooting associated with new technology.
+
+I was assigned to Enterprising Applications division. My work was to develop a mobile app. The app was based on the general safety of the user. I was asked to study the market dynamics of various safety apps currently present in the market and devise a frame for a fool-proof application that can be easily used on all mobile platforms. After that, I would have to use the phone’s sensors, without any add-on devices, to realize my ideas.  Also, I had to work on a business strategy to pitch the unique features incorporated into my app.
+
+A big misconception that people carry about working in a corporate world is the monotonous nature of the work. But believe me, with the right company and work culture you do not need to fear about that. The daily working hours were fixed and there were no rigid timings unless you had to face a client. My Project Manager was a chilled-out person and gave me a free hand on imagining and designing my app. Colleagues were super awesome with no air of superiority and you could even stroll into a Partner’s cabin for a small chat. So yes, the work environment was relaxed and you could seek anyone’s help without hesitation. Apart from regular work, you could participate in CSR initiatives to gain a broader perspective on life. Or you could just spend a day at the gym or challenge anyone for a game of table tennis or football. We also had a buddy attached to us who was supposed to take care of our daily problems and most importantly, take us out on a grand lunch. We had a CCD Coffee machine and unlimited snacks on each floor, so you would probably be caffeine addicted by the time you leave the internship. All in all, if you are looking forward to challenging yourself, you wouldn’t regret interning at PwC.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/Soumya3.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### What’s to love about the place?
+<br>
+Coming to the most important part of your internship program, the location. Honestly, I had applied for Bangalore and Hyderabad as my preferred locations but I received Kolkata, which by the way, houses the headquarters of PwC India. Let me assure you, Kolkata is absolutely the worst place to be in during summers. But as you will be in Air Conditioned rooms either at office or at home, you wouldn’t really mind that. Daily transportation was by auto rickshaws and if you feel like going to gym, but don’t have time, you can always hop onto a local bus. Kolkata, compared to other metros, is not an expensive city to live in. Being the erstwhile capital of British India, it houses lots of monuments, amusement parks, temples, museums and some amazing restaurants. The Bengali cuisine takes some time getting used to, especially if you are from North India, but you can expect a variety of cuisines in any metro city. You have amazing opportunities to visit Darjeeling, the Sunderbans and if you are feeling a bit adventurous, you can always pay a visit to Northeast India and Bhutan. I can guarantee you a fun stay in Kolkata at dirt cheap price.
+
+### Summing up
+<br>
+The greatest skill I learned from this internship is how to reinvent yourself as the situation demands. Summing up, internships are all about getting your hands dirty and meeting amazing people, who are considered giants in their field of work, and expanding your network. You should always approach them with an open mind and prepare yourself for the surprises and amazing challenges thrown your way. The best way to create an impression during an internship is to showcase your efforts and “never say die” attitude. Don’t bother slogging off extra hours but be prepared to justify every minute of your work. For people striving for such an internship, maintain a decent CGPA (> 7 will do in most cases) and have a life outside regular academics. Be involved in issues and fields you are interested in. After all, it’s not just about spending a summer and earning a stipend, it’s all about providing your life a direction.
+

_posts/2017-07-04-summer-diaries-americanex.md

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: American Express"
+image: rohit1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Rohit Joshi"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "AmEx has two offices in India for Risk and Information Management, in Gurgaon and Bangalore. Gurgaon has a large office with around 6000 employees. I was posted in Bangalore, known as the Big Data hub of AmEx, which has a strength of around 500. AmEx has a great work culture."
+---
+
+American Express was one of first few companies that visited the campus to hire interns. As is for most companies, CGPA was certainly a criteria for initial shortlisting of the applicants. However, AmEx has no specific CGPA cut-off, and it depends on the number of applicants. (For IITR it was around 8.) There is a perception that AmEx hires only programmers, but it is not so. From IIT Roorkee, AmEx hired for the profile of a Business Analyst/Risk Analyst Intern.
+
+### Making it there
+
+**Selection Round:** 
+There were 4 rounds in the selection process. AmEx looks for people who come from different backgrounds, who bring in varied experience and diverse skills. This is reflected in the type of interview they have as well. In each round of personal interview, they try to gauge the interests, the perceptions, and the personality of the candidate besides the quantitative aptitude. 
+
+**Online Round:**
+The round consisted of 20 MCQs. The time allotted was 50 mins. The questions were quite easily doable, and tested Mathematical Aptitude, Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning. The MCQs were similar to CAT questions. Strict shortlisting was done on the basis of the online round, and only 15 students were selected, give or take.
+
+**Technical Round 1:**
+The first technical round revolved around Guesstimates. It started with conversations about current affairs, politics, and cricket and then moved on to the guesstimate part. The interviewer asked three guesstimates, each followed by a 10-15 min discussion. The main objective of the round is to see how the candidate understands, structures and solves the problem. I was encouraged by the interviewer to think of multiple approaches to solve the problem. I would recommend you to have a look at the general structure used for solving case-studies and guesstimates before the interview.
+
+**Technical Round 2:**
+This round was meant to test Mathematic and Analytic Aptitude. At first, we had discussions regarding AmEx, particularly its expansion policy, competitors and future. Finance and previous internships and projects were also a topic of discussion. These were followed a few puzzles, most of which were of a medium difficulty level. There were also a few questions about Data Analysis and Statistics. It is recommended that you brush up basic Maths and read up about the company you are interviewing for. 
+
+**HR Round:**
+This was like a generic HR interview. There were usual questions regarding previous internships, projects, interests, background, ambitions, strengths etc. The best way to tackle these questions is to be brutally honest.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/rohit2.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Work
+
+AmEx has two offices in India for Risk and Information Management, in Gurgaon and Bangalore. Gurgaon has a large office with around 6000 employees. I was posted in Bangalore, known as the Big Data hub of AmEx, which has a strength of around 500. AmEx has a great work culture. They have open workplaces, no cubicles, and no offices for anyone but VPs. This means the person sitting next to you may even be a Director in AmEx, which was actually the case for me. AmEx ensures that employees have a great work life balance. The office timings are very flexible and there is always an option of working from home whenever you feel so. The only criteria is that you deliver your work before deadlines. However, I would encourage interns not to work from home; instead try to learn as much as they can from people in the organisation.
+
+The responsibility of delivering a project is given to smaller groups of 2-3 members and each person works on multiple projects. Personal Accountability is something which is emphasised a lot in AmEx. Interns are given individual projects and a mentor to guide through the project. I worked for the performance marketing (aka AmEx Advance) team. The primary work revolves around leveraging AmEx Closed loop data to develop 3rd party marketing solutions. At a high level, the project revolved around developing state-of-the-art models for targeting in the digital space. The project had application of state-of-the-art algorithms on big data its core, with some knowledge of Digital Marketing platforms. The project demanded programming in Python and PIG. It is always beneficial if you master at least one programming language, after which adapting to a different language is not a difficult task.I would recommend python. As I was working on a huge chunk of data, most of the codes had to follow the Map-Reduce framework. This differs from project to project. Many of my fellow interns used SQL, SAS, Hive as well.   
+
+Interns are generally given the projects that would have otherwise be given to regular employees. The best things about AmEx is the people! Almost everyone I met was really friendly, eager to help, which I guess is imbibed because of the overall integrated work culture. We had frequent discussions with higher management regarding the project. For my project, I had weekly review meeting with the VP. Involvement of Senior Leadership in all the projects, was one of the things that stood out for me. Also, the HR team strived really hard to organise experience-sharing sessions by the top executives from India and US offices, which gave us insights about the values AmEx believes in and the overall functioning of the organisation.
+ 
+### Location
+
+The AmEx office is in Koramangala area of Bangalore. Koramangala is an absolute paradise for foodies. It has a range of restaurants, cafes, bistros and clubs. There are exquisite English Cafes, Pizza Places, Theme Restaurants, Buffets, Continental Bistros and Fast food places. You name it, they have it. The weather is great if it isn’t raining. There are many places to visit in and around Bangalore. You can checkout Wonderla, take a trek to the Nandi hills or spend your weekends in Pondicherry, Coorg or Ooty.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/rohit3.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Summing Up and Key Takeaways
+
+AmEx is good company to intern in if you are aiming to work as a Data/Business Analyst or would want to head into research. The internship was a great learning experience for me. Being an intern in AmEx, has led to overall development of my personality, gave me an insider’s view on corporate life and truly helped me in consolidating my future choices. Conversations with the many employees of AmEx were a learning experience in itself. I understood right at the start of the internship that data manipulation and interpretation are going to be a major part of the project. I was not a coder before I joined AmEx. Nevertheless I worked hard on it. During these 8 weeks at AmEx,this is the most valuable skill I have developed. A major takeaway was something my VP said to me in the initial stage of the project, “You have to give your 100% to the project, finally it is ‘your’ career on the line”. 
+
+Some tips to make your internship a successful one:
+
+1. Strive on developing skills and learning new things.
+
+2. Master at least one language used for data analysis. Python is recommended.
+
+3. Interact with people around you. Most of them are going to be highly skilled and experienced in the work you are doing. Ask for help whenever you need. Believe me, you will save a lot of your time.

_posts/2017-07-04-summer-diaries-nokia.md

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Nokia"
+image: pranav1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Pranav Gujarathi"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "Apart from mobile phones, which used to be their flagship product, Nokia-Siemens is also known for being one of the world’s foremost Network and Solutions company, recently having merged with Bell Labs. Many of the prominent Telecom companies are its customers for its networking infrastructure and solutions. The department that I was working in is responsible for optimization of networking maintenance and performance. "
+---
+
+### Making it there
+
+The selection process was pretty straight-forward and short. A shortlist was announced among all those who applied. Going against the trend, ‘resume-shortlisting’, to them, was not just another term for CGPA-shortlisting, as is the case for most of the other companies. But then again, the internship was announced in mid-March, and the number of candidates was not huge. Therefore, it's possible that they didn’t have to resort to it. But there is no telling what will happen next year; if they announce it earlier and the CC overflows(which will), they would face the same dilemma that all other companies do.
+ 
+The process had primarily three rounds.
+
+1. Round 1 was like any other preliminary test, consisting of Aptitude, English and an additional section based on a choice of either Electronics or Software. The Software section consisted of objective as well as three actual coding questions, with the difficulty level being easy (at least according to me).
+
+2. Round 2 was a video-based interview. At the beginning itself, they made it abundantly clear that they were looking for candidates specifically for Data Science related projects. The interview was short with me explaining my past experience in the subject and them asking a few questions based on my work in earlier internships.
+
+3. Round 3 was basically an HR round where they made sure that we were committed to pursuing the internship as well as the subject it was primarily going to be based upon. This, in a way, provided a choice to those who wanted to back out in case they weren’t sure about the subject.
+ 
+### Work
+
+Apart from mobile phones, which used to be their flagship product, Nokia-Siemens is also known for being one of the world’s foremost Network and Solutions company, recently having merged with Bell Labs. Many of the prominent Telecom companies are its customers for its networking infrastructure and solutions. The department that I was working in is responsible for optimization of networking maintenance and performance. 
+ 
+The work environment was pleasant and we were treated like all other employees. We were also given all the company benefits (assorted insurances and what not) and resources available to full-time employees. In fact, our designation was that of a short-term consultant rather than a college intern. 
+The five of us were assigned four projects based on ML, NLP and also a little front end development. There was no rigid sub-allocation, so we were free to decide our tasks by ourselves. There was considerable leniency and those less familiar with the subject and the requisite programming tools were given ample time to familiarize themselves. The office hours were flexible enough for me to be able to find time to pursue some free-lance DS work in the first month. We would often be allowed to work from home or stay late, the office space being open 24x7. It was suitable for night owls like me, who for some reason can function better after 12 am(It was another stroke of luck that I found a PG arrangement in the adjacent building).
+ 
+The projects required us to be able to learn quickly and be flexible and adept at programming tools. We did not, however, have any senior subject expert guiding us or working with us;  where we lacked, we had to educate ourselves, which is not new to DS enthusiasts for whom the internet is the biggest boon and perhaps the only resource, for the field is new and under development. It was thrilling to be part of a team that was working on solutions to be deployed at a global level. Imagine finding out that your team’s work is being verified and prepared for deployment in Ireland. After this, the ordeal of having to subject ourselves to extensive and invasive pre-employment medical checkups almost seems worth it.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/pranav2.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+ 
+### Key Takeaways
+
+A key thing to note about Nokia’s internship recruitment was that from the get-go, they were very particular about the subject that the internship was going to be based upon. Data Science is a very popular field and yet it is not as extensively spread in India as one hopes it to be. Hence, most of the internships for it are in start-ups, which people are left to fend for off campus.
+ 
+For those firm about establishing their future in this field, it is a unique opportunity since we had all the freedom that startups do, as well as the resources and perks only a large established company can provide. However, it may not be ideal for those blindly applying to all companies with the work profile being remotely related to Software in any way; there is simply no spoon feeding of subject knowledge. 

_posts/2017-07-05-summer-diaries-amazon.md

@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Amazon"
+image: sudeep1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Sudeep Kandregula"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "Bagging an Amazon internship is simple. Get through the online round and two technical rounds. Pretty straightforward right?"
+---
+
+### Making it there
+
+Bagging an Amazon internship is simple. Get through the online round and two technical rounds. Pretty straightforward right? Well, let me go into the details:
+
+1. **Online Round:** There were around 20 MCQs and 3 coding questions. Make sure you give importance to the MCQs as well, as my friend who solved 2 coding questions did not get through whereas I who had solved only 1 did make to the next round presumably because of my MCQ performance. It was basic CS stuff, nothing too fancy.
+
+2. **Technical Rounds:** There were two technical rounds. Okay, so make sure you study geeksforgeeks. It’s really that simple. Amazon doesn’t ask you fancy questions with complicated algorithms, they ask you straightforward Data Structures and Algorithms, but they ask for complete implementation. They especially look for corner cases and null checks. All code is checked by them and they can see loopholes in your code quite instantly. After the base question they ask if there’s any improvement that we can do to improve space or time complexity. In the second round they asked me another technical question (again slightly modified from geeksforgeeks) and asked me questions about my resume. Make sure you know your resume because they rigorously analyze it ask you about it.
+
+So that’s pretty much all there is to scoring an Amazon Internship, CG really has no relevance and is not a major criteria. 
+
+### Life At Amazon
+
+The first week of Amazon went into getting used to the work culture and orientations. Work culture at amazon is unique, There are no fixed timings for when you want to come in. Extremely flexible. In fact from my what I know, there is no record of how much time we are spending in office or logged on. I worked as much as I needed to on different days. Some days I worked from 10am - 12am. Some days i came at 12pm and left at 5pm. They don’t measure how much time you’ve spent at office but rather how much progress you’ve made. Having said this, I’ve gotta say that there is a ton of work at Amazon. 
+ 
+I was assigned to the FBA (Fulfillment By Amazon) Inventory Experience Team. This team caters to warehouse operations and the cool thing about Amazon is that the work we do impacts not only India but can be used by anyone in the World. At Amazon, I never felt like an Intern. The work they gave was pretty much as much as a full-fledged employee would have to do. My project was about creating a User Interface for a new validation that Amazon wanted to implement in their warehouses. So I had to create front-end, back-end and Service integrations for my UI along with coordinating with the product manager regarding the design and utility of the UI and coordinating with other services that my UI needs to use. I, myself have never done any front-end coding and hence it took me the first week and a half just to get the basic UI frame up and running (had to learn JS, Spring MVC Framework, Html, CSS, etc). After that most of the work was researching a ton of stuff and then implementing it. The whole backend was written in Java. 
+ 
+I did work a lot, but we had a ton of fun too. My whole team was extremely friendly and we had our quarterly outing at a resort! In our office there’s pool, table-tennis, carroms, foosball. A couple of other interns and I used to play pool everyday in the evening. My internship was at Bangalore which had beautiful weather but horrific traffic. Now when i say horrific I mean it. I’ve never experienced such horrible traffic, haha. But it doesn’t really matter, you kind of get used to it after a while. Every weekend I used to go somewhere or the other, sometimes with the other interns, sometimes with my friends from Roorkee interning here as well, and sometimes with my team! There was never a dull moment in my time here. Work was exciting, I was learning how to write clean and concise code and learning a bunch of new things. My peers always gave me helpful tips and helped me out when I was in a bind. 
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/sudeep2.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Summing Up!
+
+My internship at Amazon has taught me a ton of things. First and foremost, make sure you make the most of your college days, because they are extremely precious and we can’t get them back. Secondly, life here is not as monotonous as I thought working at a corporate company would be, working at Amazon was a pleasure! And last but not least, Bangalore is a joy to be in, with a ton of exciting things to do! (Except for the traffic. I hate the traffic. And trust me, you will too). 
+

_posts/2017-07-10-summer-diaries-berlin.md

@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Technical University of Berlin"
+image: Himanshu1.PNG
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Himanshu Nagpure"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "This was my first experience of foreign travel and a research internship. I learned how to live in a foreign country which has a different culture, different language and a different way of living."
+---
+
+### Making it there
+
+While I was applying for internships on campus, I was also searching for foreign internship programs like DAAD, EPFL, Charpak, Mitacs, Viterbi etc. Seniors help a lot in getting you familiar with these programs and letting you know the particulars of each program. Generally, the procedure for all foreign internships is similar. They ask you to fill in your educational details in a form and upload your résumé, statement of purpose (SOP), motivation letter, no objection certificate (NOC), letter of recommendation (LOR), passport, transcripts and finally give your choices for the projects out of the given choices or of your own. In Mitacs, you were given many options for the projects in multiple universities across Canada. In EPFL and Viterbi, you have to find your institute of interest and give your idea about a project of your choice, which is tough if you don’t have any. However, DAAD has a very different selection process. To apply for the program, you need to be in the pre-final year of your course and have an CGPA above 8.5 till the current semester. First of all, you have to send emails to the professors of government universities of Germany (which was the most tiresome part), and if they agree to become your mentor, you ask him/her for an invitation letter and a German host confirmation letter. You have to upload these documents along with the other documents mentioned above and some of your personal documents to the DAAD portal. 
+
+DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) is a German government funded program which helps students of different countries experience internships and masters in Germany. The scholarship is 650€ per month plus 525€ for travel. The application process has a deadline almost every year on 1st November and the results are declared in December or January. But the process is longer than just filling the form. It is better to start sending emails to the professor from the month of September as the professor may take time to respond or may not respond at all. I made a list of all the top ranking universities (based on QS world ranking) and searched for professors whose research area matches my area of interest. It is advantageous to read their research papers or articles, as it helps you know the professor better and enables you to mention in the email the specific work you would like to do under him. The professor would also feel good that you are taking interest in his/her work, which increases your chance of getting a reply. An email should consist of your introduction, your interests, any of the professor’s work that interests you, what you expect from the internship and lastly a mention that your internship would be funded by DAAD. 
+
+Seniors can also help in writing emails. I also used Mailtrack as I wanted to be sure if my mails were really seen or not, although this isn’t a good habit. If you have a very good resume and are very specific about the research topic, you will most probably get a reply after two or three emails. I got three replies from professors of three different universities. I found that working in TU Berlin would be the best option. The duration of my internship was three months, from the 15th of May to the 15th of July under a professor from the mathematics department of TU Berlin. 
+
+Big cities are more expensive than smaller ones, so finding cheap accommodation and food is a problem. But, I still chose Berlin because TU Berlin was the best of the three universities. I politely rejected the other two offers mentioning that another professor had already accepted me. Then I requested the professor for the invitation letter, which took nearly a week. After that I filled the details in the DAAD portal and performed some formalities like uploading the NOC and the LOR, and writing a motivation letter regarding my project and my motivation behind taking it.
+
+I started completing the remaining process for DAAD application. It includes providing your passport details, making a German VISA, hunting for accommodation and cheap currency exchange rates and most importantly booking flights. Booking flights in advance and also for the return journey is a good idea as prices increase dynamically. I booked my flights in February when the rates were quite low. If direct flights to your destination is not cheap, then flying to either Munich or Frankfurt is better. The cities are well connected by bus and train services. You can also find some domestic flights having rates comparable to trains and buses. Flixbus is the most economical option one has in Germany and many other European countries. 
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/Himanshu2.PNG){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+Getting a visa is not difficult. If you have your passport already ready, which you must in January, the visa application hardly takes 20 days. The process is simple: there is a short term visa available for a short (less than 3 months) stay in Germany which is called Schengen visa, which is valid for most countries in the European Union. All you have to do is book an appointment at the visa application centre near you, fill in the online or offline form and take the printout to the centre on the appointment day. It takes 2-3 hours for biometric scanning and verifying your details. Visa application is free for DAAD students but still you have to pay the convenience fee of ~1500₹.  
+
+One of the toughest parts of the DAAD process is to find accommodation in Germany. The cheapest accommodation available in any city is that of Studentenwerk, however it is only for semester exchange students. There are also sites which allow one to post ads for rent like WG-Gesucht, but one should be careful on such sites because scammers might reply very quickly and ask for advance payment of rent for making a contract. Guest houses are available in many universities but most of the times they are full. It is also a good option to contact a PhD student working under the Professor for accommodation inquiries. I found one site named ‘spotahome’ where apartments were available for rent at reasonable prices. There were many people going to Berlin so sharing with them helped me in having accommodation for low cost.  The rates here are very high and generally getting an accommodation under 300€/month is difficult. I was lucky, having finalised my accommodation by the end of April. The apartment we chose had a kitchen so we decided to take some rice, dal and masala with us. 
+
+I did my currency exchange beforehand from buyforex.in. You should carry enough money for at least two weeks worth of expenses because the monthly scholarship starts only after you make your bank account in Germany, which takes at least a week. A international travel card is a good option if you don’t want to take money in cash. It is an easy, fast and reliable means of exchange, and can be issued from any nationalised bank. 
+Note: Learning German is not required as you will find English speakers in your institute and in the worst case you have your Google translate app.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/Himanshu3.PNG){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Work
+
+My internship was in the combinatorial optimisation and graph algorithm research group of the Mathematics department of TU Berlin. My professor was a very kind and helpful person. On the first day of my internship, he allotted me my laboratory (with my name written on the door, cool!), which contained an email account of TUB. The project overview was sent to me earlier but he explained the problem statement very clearly and gave me my first task and some research papers and books as a reference. 
+
+In the main campus of TUB where I was working, there are seven faculties and every faculty has 6 to 7 institutes. I was working alone on a new project on “Instationary Gas Flows: Complexity and Algorithms”. Basically, my study was on the model of gas flows in a network. This was a completely new research topic, and the work was based on graph theory and optimisation techniques. I was supposed to do some theoretical stuff at first and then implement it using any programming language to find the maximal flow. My professor helped a lot by clearing my doubts. I was expected to dig deep into this new topic and try to gain an intuition about what actually happens if the networks complexities are changed. I was not supposed to publish a research paper because it is tough to publish in 2 months and the project took me some time to get comfortable with. 
+
+The work culture is completely different in here. Students and professors are very dedicated to their work. PhDs are very much engaged in doing their research. There are a number of seminars arranged by the PhDs in the institute every week and topics discussed there are those from the latest research that anyone can sit and listen to. I attended some of them though most of the talks were bouncers for me. Professors and students are very friendly with each other. They work, eat, play or chat together over times. Students don’t feel shy to talk to the professors. Professors ask PhD students and interns to join them for lunch (they don’t pay for us if you are thinking so). And there are no working hours restriction. I can come, work and leave anytime. I used to go at around 10 am and work till 5 pm with some time for lunch and stretching in between. The work is relaxed with no strict deadlines so I can work at my will. But, at the end of the week (i.e. Friday), the summary of the work should be presented. There were some PhD students working in the institute who became my friends. We used to play foosball and carrom in our free time after work.
+
+
+### What to love about the place
+
+Obviously, when you are in Germany, there is almost nothing you don’t like. When I landed in Frankfurt, my first vision of a German city was astonishing. The city was so clean, the air was fresh with almost no pollution and everything so well maintained that I was feeling almost uncomfortable at first. 
+
+The people here greet others very happily and friendly. Generally, when you buy something from the shop, the person on the counter first asks, “Good morning, how are you?”. When I ask someone for help (e.g. for directions or for a translation), they feel like it is their responsibility to help. This shows the really amazing nature of the Germans. 
+
+The bus service in Germany and other countries in Europe are very comfortable and restful. All the buses have A.C. and are very clean. Most of them have USB ports and some even have free wifi. They almost always run on time. Also, the six lane highways are so even that you cannot tell the difference between flying in a plane and travelling in a bus. The countryside is bright green with lots of windmills installed. Wind is one of the primary sources of energy in Germany. They even decorate the fields in various ways for beautiful views from the highways. 
+
+Almost all the countries of Europe have great travel attractions. Even Germany itself consists of many beautiful places to see. The north coast of Germany (the Baltic and the North sea) has many wonderful cities with very beautiful beaches. In south Germany, there are many beautiful forests in Bavaria. Even cities like Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and Leipzig contain many attractions. And if you are in Germany, it is easy for you to go anywhere being right at the centre of Europe. Major German cities are well connected to other countries of Europe by road, railways and planes. Weekend trips are best because you don’t need to worry about work. 
+
+![pic4](/images/posts/Himanshu4.PNG){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+If you are a fan of football, then this country is for you, but the time is not suitable since the league ends in May. However, you can always visit football grounds for a minimal entrance fee.
+
+The one thing I did really miss about India was the food. Indian food is the best. Being used to it, I found German food bland and tasteless. The only dishes I liked there were the sweets. So we used to cook our own food daily. Vegetables, along with snacks and fast food, can easily be bought from supermarkets at reasonably low prices. 
+
+The weather in Germany is the best in the summer. Temperature ranges from 7 to 30 degrees  with good sunshine. There are cold breezes blowing almost all the time, so carrying warm wear is recommended. The sun rises here at around 4 in the morning and sets at 10 in the night during summers. It was at first difficult for me to manage sunlight after 7. But I got used to it eventually. It also used to rain unexpectedly once or twice in a week. 
+
+### Summing up and takeaways
+
+This was my first experience of foreign travel and a research internship. I learned how to live in a foreign country which has a different culture, different language and a different way of living. I never followed traffic rules as strictly as I did while I was there. 
+
+My internship was also a memorable experience. I learnt how research actually takes place. The cooperation of professors and students were necessary for a good internship experience. You feel very proud working on a problem which no one has touched before. And when you get results, you feel really happy for yourself. 
+
+I would say that from a foreign intern, you should expect to see the working environment, the respect and the facilities you never felt before.  You should expect to make new friends (including professors) who are very helpful and kind. You should expect to see a new world. 
+
+For those who are already excited for the opportunity, start your hunt for a professor from September onwards. And keep your passport ready!

_posts/2017-07-12-summer-diaries-jindal-stainless.md

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Jindal Stainless Limited"
+image: Renju1.JPG
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Renju Kokkatt"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "Jindal Stainless Ltd, a part of the O.P Jindal group is India’s largest stainless steel company. They have stainless steel plants located at Hisar in Haryana, Jajpur in  Odissa, Vishakapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, and also in Indonesia."
+---
+
+### About the Company
+
+Jindal Stainless Ltd, a part of the O.P Jindal group is India’s largest stainless steel company. They have stainless steel plants located at Hisar in Haryana, Jajpur in  Odissa, Vishakapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, and also in Indonesia.  The Hisar plant where I interned, is spread over a few hundred acres and has a turnover of Rs. 140 billion and produces hot rolled and cold rolled coils and sheets,  coin blanks, razor and precision strips etc. 
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/Renju2.JPG){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### Making it there
+
+JSL came for recruiting interns early in October with openings for Metallurgy, Mechanical, P&I and Electrical. The recruitment process included resume shortlisting, group discussions and personal interviews. There wasn’t any CGPA bar for shortlisting. For Mechanical and Industrial Engg students, the personal interviews were more of a ‘walk me through your resume’ type with questions about your previous works, projects and internships along with usual HR questions and a few technical ones. On the other hand, for the Metallurgy students they went more on the technical side with questions about process metallurgy, steel making etc. The interviewers also tested your management skills by citing examples of different day to day problems you might face in the plant and asking you to solve them. 
+
+### Work and Culture
+
+Together we were 19 interns at the Hisar plant from IIT Roorkee, IIT Kanpur and a few NITs. Some were placed at their corporate office in Gurgaon. The internship began with a 3 day orientation session through which we were acquainted with the manufacturing processes and facilities here. For mechanical and P&I students, the projects were related to increasing productivity of mills, improving efficiency of processes, logistics planning, procurement planning, waste heat treatment etc.  For those with metallurgy background, the projects dealt with improving the quality of stainless steel, enhancing efficiency of steel-making processes etc.  Monthly review meetings were held with the plant head and other members of the senior management.  
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/Renju3.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+I worked on two projects here. The first one was in the finishing section of the Hot Rolling Division where I was given the task of enhancing the productivity of the line. We used time motion study, delay analysis etc. to find the bottlenecks in production. The second one was with the Production Planning & Control Dept. where I worked on optimizing the logistics planning of the company. The aim of the project was to reduce dead freight on trucks using algorithms for truck utilization. 
+
+Personnel safety is given utmost importance inside the plant and you would be allowed to enter production facilities only with protective helmets and shoes. The safety culture soon becomes a habit of your life too. Work hours are from 9:30 am to 6 pm and 6 days a week. Interns are treated like regular employees and therefore, attendance and work timings are strictly followed. The good part, we were given club membership with indoor courts, gym and swimming pool and increased stipends owing to higher profits of the company. Interns are accommodated at Engineer’s hostel which is located close to the plant and are provided AC single rooms.
+
+The city doesn’t have much to boast about except the legacy of colossal industries and manufacturing plants. Nevertheless, it’s got almost all celebrated food chains and a few local attractions too.  Delhi, Shimla, Mcleodganj etc. are also possible weekend getaways.  
+
+![pic4](/images/posts/Renju4.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### Summing Up
+
+It was the second time that JSL came for internships in IITR. They are in the process of restructuring their internship programme and recruiting more people from Tier 1 colleges in India. So, in the years to come, you can expect more from the company.  The internship familiarizes you with the day to day operations of the company and provides insights into the working of the core sector. For students interested to join or experience the core sector, JSL provides an enriching experience. The company also selects interns for Pre Placement Offers. The students from the previous batch have already joined the company as Graduate Engineer Trainees.

_posts/2017-07-13-summer-diaries-texas-instruments.md

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Texas Instruments"
+image: Tanvi1.JPG
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Tanvi Sharma"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "Integrity. Commitment. Innovation. These words are the foundations of work culture at Texas Instruments. The company tries to instill these values in each employee. In fact, they even conduct a fun workshop on mindsets and behaviors, filled with a lot of group activities and tasks.
+"
+---
+
+### Making it there 
+<br>
+The internship recruitment process for Texas Instruments is pretty similar to that of other companies. It consists of a preliminary test followed by two interviews. Prospective interns can apply under any of the three profiles of analog engineer, digital engineer and software engineer. One can opt for hardware and/or software profiles in the test. The hardware section usually consists of questions on the concepts of analog and digital circuits as well as questions testing general aptitude. In the digital section, apart from the usual questions on K-maps and digital logic, most of the questions focus on the mosfet implementation of gates. The software part, however, focusses on usual coding questions followed by a common aptitude section. 
+
+For more information​ on questions, as well as some reference materials, you can visit the following link: 
+https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FCvqKO0Pp16vOhasx3EJdtPHiMix-3Tobi5yrLri9Q8/edit
+(Courtesy: Seniors)
+
+After clearing the online test, there is a technical interview round, for both the analog and digital domain (or coding domain, based of the profile applied for). Based on your performance in the test, you can be eligible for both the rounds. In the interview, they mainly try to check your concepts and logic. They may try to confuse you on some concepts, as well as help you out at some places by giving hints. The interviewer might also offer you a cookie if you are lucky!
+
+The HR interview round follows the technical round. Most of the discussion in my HR interview revolved around my second year summer project on Embedded Systems, what I did as part of it, where can it be used and what features can be added to make it more useful. The interviewer looked quite satisfied with my answers. Looking at my resume, she told me that you will enjoy a lot in TI.
+The result came in around 4 hours. An internship offer letter was later delivered to us along with a starters kit consisting of a pen, an Intex fitrist and a T-Shirt.
+Texas Instruments is a dream company for many electrical and electronics engineers. If you keep your logic and concepts clear, (with a bit of luck) you can easily make it through the selection process. Moreover, TI does not believe much in any CGPA criteria and anyone having CG > 7 can sit in the online test.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/Tanvi2.JPG){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### Work
+<br>
+Integrity. Commitment. Innovation.
+These words are the foundations of work culture at Texas Instruments. The company tries to instill these values in each employee. In fact, they even conduct a fun workshop on mindsets and behaviors, filled with a lot of group activities and tasks. One-day-trainings were organised on Perl, Verilog, Advanced Unix, C and CCS Architecture during the first week to give students a head start in their projects. You could choose and attend the ones which seemed helpful to your project.
+
+Based on my interaction with various other interns, I can say that most of the interns are given work related to designing, testing/verification or doing some initial work on a new project/new methodology. Each intern gets his or her individual project.
+One of my friends was given a new software which had been recently launched in the market and was asked to explore how it can be used by the company. Another one had to design components in analog domain. Everyone gets a mentor to guide them in their projects. Mentors also give feedback during the mid-term and final evaluation, which plays an important role in deciding whether you will be offered a PPO or PPI.
+
+I was a part of the backplane MCU (Microcontroller Unit) team, particularly the Standard Cells team. The project helped me gain in-depth knowledge of the working and structure of flops and the reasons they can fail in different conditions. I had to work on the robustness of the flops. Later, I had to develop a framework which detects the failure cases in a flop and corrects itself. I worked from around 9-6 but the timings were usually flexible. However, for girls, there is a restriction on the timings. So, I could not stay in the TI campus after 8 p.m. because of the Karnataka state government rules on women security. The weekends were quite fun, and were usually spent hanging out with friends at places in and around Bangalore.
+
+Depending on your project, you may find the work interesting or boring. But the upside is one can always ask the mentor to modify the work according to his interests. Also, since there are so many experienced people around, you can learn a lot just by interacting with them. Everyone is quite humble and always willing to help.
+During the internship, TI organises a workshop on ‘Presentations with finesse’ in which they teach presentation skills like maintaining the correct body language, introducing yourself effectively, among other skills. Apart from this, we attended an IEEE conference, had power lunch with one of the most senior members of the team, and went out for team outings. I also went to a government school on the outskirts of Bangalore when I volunteered in the Back to School campaign.
+<br>
+![pic3](/images/posts/Tanvi3.JPG){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+<br>
+TI gives its interns free access to its entertainment and sports facility area - Texin. It offers a plethora of recreational activities like music, carrom, snooker, TT, badminton, meditation, etc. It’s quite fun to go there and relax for some time when you get tired of your work.
+
+### Summing up and key takeaways
+
+<br>
+Overall, it is quite an enriching experience to know and be around people who explore in the industrial domain. Some of the most important things I learnt on this internship are:
+* Always be curious about how things happen and connect with as many people as you can.
+* You can explore a lot even on a small topic. Learning matters, not completing.
+* Keep moving even if you can’t see the path ahead. One day, everything will become clear.
+
+

_posts/2017-07-17-summer-diaries-schlumberger.md

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Schlumberger"
+image: Ghanendra1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Ghanendra Shrivastava"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "Schlumberger Ltd. is the world’s largest oilfield services company employing approximately 100,000 people from 140 countries and engendering revenues of approximately $35.47 billion."
+
+---
+
+### About the Company
+
+Schlumberger Ltd. is the world’s largest oilfield services company employing approximately 100,000 people from 140 countries and engendering revenues of approximately $35.47 billion. 
+
+### Making It There
+
+In my sophomore year, I was quite akin to most of my colleagues who didn't have any particular field of direction but had wee bits of experience in all fields. For people in similar situations,Schlumberger is a considerable option as it keeps you open to other career options.
+As with most companies, the recruitment process starts with shortlisting of resumes. Schlumberger recruits from almost all branches and as such, there is no CGPA bar. But  Schlum pays heed to your leadership qualities, so a CGPA of above 7 along with past instances of leading and working in teams can give you an edge. This is followed by a Group Discussion round where you are judged on your leadership skills and your ability to drive the conversation. The last round is a generic HR interview round where questions regarding your life and related to the company are asked. Your interview is likely to conclude with the usual “Do you have any questions for us? ”, so make sure you have a good question prepared beforehand as this can have a big impact on the interviewer’s mind.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/Ghanendra2.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### Life at Schlumberger
+
+The journey starts with a three-day orientation cum training program in Mumbai where you learn about the company and the Oil industry in general followed by safety training. Safety is a major concern for the company, so much so that you may even get fired for not taking necessary precautions like wearing seat belts while travelling.
+
+After the orientation, every intern is assigned a Mentor, a Field Service Manager and a Field Mentor to guide them throughout their tenure. My field location was Agartala, Tripura and base location was Mumbai. My work was roughly divided into two major projects, the first of which was to modify the design of a cementing unit and to increase its efficiency with respect to money and time. Secondly, I had to make a tool for the efficient mobilization of assets. Apart from these, I was also working on a mini project to improve the efficiency of the base office.
+
+At schlum, interns are given huge responsibilities and the same goes for the freshman employees. Having a bigger role than usual from the offset is a good motivator as it gives you the feel of being an integral part of the firm. For our field work in Tripura, we had a very hectic schedule. We had long days with no fixed working hours, no weekends off and seemingly never-ending work in a remote location. On the plus side, if you do a satisfactory job, you are very likely to get a PPO with additional perks like good accommodation and traveling benefits on top of a handsome pay. The best part is, you get to travel a lot and experience living at different places.
+
+### Takeaways
+
+This internship is a complete package of learning, starting with a brief understanding of the Oil and Gas industry. From there, it moves quickly to the field work wherein you are expected to put in long hours in remote locations.But it ends well with mind-boggling projects in corporate offices. Since it is only a month long intern, it gives you an entire  free month which can be utilized for management, consultancy or other similar internships. 
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/Ghanendra3.jpg){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### Summing up and advice to people gunning for it
+
+This internship is a great opportunity for all those who do not have a clear plan of action for the future. Due to the recent shattering of oil prices, the company is suffering from diminished revenues and cost cutting, so your motivation needs to be knowledge and not money. You are bound to face new challenges on a daily basis, which will improve your decision-making and adaptability skills while providing you with the necessary experience. The key to success is interacting with everyone and having the persistent zeal for learning. If you continue to perceive and experience things, money will not at all be a issue in the long run. Most importantly, if you are into this kind of work, you get to experience firsthand, the work culture of a Fortune 500 firm which is still way ahead of its competitors. 

_posts/2017-07-19-summer-diaries-schlumberger-2.md

@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Schlumberger II"
+image: Vij1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Shubham Vij"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "Schlumberger is the world’s largest oilfield service sector company which is divided into various segments (Slickline, Wireline, Drilling & Measurement etc)."
+---
+
+### About 
+
+Schlumberger is the world’s largest oilfield service sector company which is divided into various segments (Slickline, Wireline, Drilling & Measurement etc). Schlumberger covers a vast multitude of nationalities and you’ll find engineers from almost every discipline working in some sector or the other at  Schlumberger. 
+
+### Selection Procedure 
+
+Schlumberger generally comes in the month of August and there are 3 rounds an aspirant has to go through before he/she can make it as an intern there. The first round is basically resume based shortlisting. The chances of making it to the list increase, for people who are involved in various extracurricular activities ( Sports, Groups, Fests etc. ) and the chances further increase if you have certain  Position of Responsibility ( POR’s) under your belt. 
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/Vij2.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+The second round involves a group discussion in which the Schlum people gauge you on your ability to drive a conversation, your speaking skills and how valid and supported your points are. The GD involves abstract topics (tick mark, parallel lines, a dot etc.), so as such no preparation is required for the GD. Just go in with an open mind!
+
+The final round is the Personal Interview, which comprises of some standard questions. Taking into consideration my PI experience, they didn’t ask me any specific questions. It was more like a general talk when you meet a random person and you tell him about the stuff you do. 
+
+But still, keep 2-3 points in mind when you face your PI. Tell them about your leadership skills and team working abilities and be confident about the stuff you have on your CV ( Resume). 
+
+### Life at Schlumberger 
+
+At the start (irrespective of your segment), all the interns gather in Mumbai for a 3-day induction programme. The induction programme includes an introduction to the Oil and Gas field, and we are made sensitive towards the various safety measures we need to follow during our jobs. 
+
+After the orientation, everyone is sent to their allotted location, where they are assigned their mentor, FSM (Field Service Manager) and a Field Guide from whom we have to extract as much information as possible about the industry. I was assigned Vadodara as my field location and my segment was Wireline (WL). After a week I was sent to Barmer (Rajasthan) where I spent almost a month and then returned back to Vadodara.
+Work at Schlumberger is quite hectic, 7 days working, no fixed timings and every day is a challenge. It is certainly not a run-of-the-mill cubicle job. At its base, it involves exploration and people at Schlumberger are extremely efficient in what they pursue. 
+Coming to my projects, my first project was depth tension analysis of Cerus (.xml) files in which I had to write a code to calculate the total number of Jars for subsequent runs in a well subject to certain stipulations. It’s a Slickline project and you’ll understand more once you get acquainted with the field.
+My second project was to analyse and improvise the Process Flow Diagrams for Explosives, Handling Radioactive Sources, Service Delivery, New Employee Orientation and analysing Jarring Data. These were some of the action items of the Barmer Base which were closed marked by the completion of my project. 
+The third project which I did, was conducting an Employee Satisfaction survey for the employees of the Barmer Base. This is when for the first time the topics we studied in our courses at the campus (Market Research Course) came to our rescue. A questionnaire was floated among the employees of the Barmer Base. At its core, my project involved analysing the responses and giving the best possible solutions to enhance the satisfaction levels of the employees  
+
+Apart from the Base projects, we also have Rig visits/ Field Visits (Rigless Jobs) where we get to see and get our hands dirty with the actual oilfield stuff. There are a variety of jobs in the Wireline Segment and field visits are an essential part of the intern which makes it easier for you to decide whether you are a good fit for Schlumberger. For those of you who are enterprising, sporty, love to face challenges, and can work 24X7 without exhaustion, then it’s the right place for you. Intern at Schlumberger is an altogether different experience; it’s an experience of a new lifestyle, the lifestyle of the oil industry.
+
+Food, accommodation, travel and other facilities are provided for by Schlumberger and you’ll not have any complaints with the basic necessities. Apart from that, throughout your intern, you’ll be travelling a lot, and exploring new places which you’ll probably never visit during your lifetime.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/Vij3.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Takeaways and Advice
+
+The internship is basically a long term interview process for the company and a good opportunity for you to decide the kind of life you want to live. Life here is away from all social circles, away from family and you may feel lonely at times. Your crew and the office staff is your family at Schlumberger. 
+
+People who aim for a job at Schlumberger need to build their leadership skills. Apart from academics, they need to get involved in the activities which are going on in the campus, take initiatives, work on them and be proactive. Enhancing your organisational skills and developing your communication skills is a must. In addition to this, you should also be able to handle emergencies when confronted by them.These are the qualities which the company looks out for when it comes for recruitments. 
+
+For any further questions and clarifications, you are free to approach me at any time!

_posts/2017-07-21-summer-diaries-iihs.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Indian Institute for Human Settlements"
+image: iihs1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Venkatesh Babu Arunachalam"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "The Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) is a National interdisciplinary institute which specializes in urban studies, practice and academia relating to Indian Settlements"
+---
+
+The Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) is a National interdisciplinary institute which specializes in urban studies, practice and academia relating to Indian Settlements.
+
+**Your ticket into IIHS:** IIHS has a completely tailored process, based on each individual’s work, interest and aptitude. (There are no benchmark Grade Points as such). They prefer students having prior associations (as part of academia / projects / prior internships/ workshops attended, etc), with the related field of work. The organization is quite multifaceted, as the teams consist of folks from multiple backgrounds, disciplines, states and countries. Both graduate and postgraduate interns form an integral part of the institute.
+
+**The process:**
+
+<u>Step 01</u>: Fill up their online internship application form (found on the website itself - http://iihs.co.in/). You would be asked to fill in your interests, qualifications, CV, portfolio of work (if any).
+
+<u>Step 02:</u> Wait for a few days for them to get back. (They take interns only if there is a requirement as part of a specific research or project.)
+
+<u>Step 03:</u> Remind them over mail or call, if ‘Step 02’ fails to happen. (Please be polite and pitch in your email id, contact number and your application date to help the HR team keep a note)
+
+<u>Step 04:</u> If you are considered for the internship, you would be connected through a skype or telephonic interview.
+
+Min. Preferred Internship period: 4 – 6 weeks. 
+Average internship duration:  2 – 6 months
+(Yes, they do give extensions to internships). There also exists a high chance for your internship churning to a full-time job since they are expanding the institute rapidly (A gigantic New campus is in the pipeline, scheduled to commence very soon).
+
+**Ideal time to apply:** They hire interns all-round the year, so suit yourself!
+
+**About the Institute:** The scope of their work reaches out to macro level concepts like poverty, population, housing, climate change, economic development, sustainability, governance, urban systems et all. The institute collaborates with various government, public and international bodies, colleges and institutes to carry out projects and research work, which is usually of sky high standards. A continuous learning and development systems- among others, an Urban Fellowship Programme (UFP), a Doctoral research program and several other workshops, training and capacity building programmes take place quite frequently.
+
+Other online courses, talks, seminars, book fairs, exhibitions, film screenings take place on a regular note too. A well maintained and stacked public library adds additional charm to the workplace.
+
+The institute also is known for its state of the art labs - Word lab, Media Lab, Design Lab, Geospatial Lab, Urban Informatics Lab. 
+
+I was part of the design lab, which is into spatial design, setting guidelines, master planning and suitable practices in the built environment. My work included reviewing and setting up standards for labor accommodation pan India, campus planning and some furniture, graphic design.
+
+**The people:** A diverse range of vibrant and fun individuals, which includes engineers, architects, planners, researchers, economists, media junkies, artists, etc. 
+
+**Work Ethics:** Quite an enriching place to be in. The work load is nominal with flexible and customized schedules. Team leads and colleagues are very supportive and take time to help you with your work hands on. 
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/iihs2.jpg)
+
+**Location:** Located in the quiet and elite suburb of Sadashivanagar, you get to experience the old charm of the city – with lakes, silent lanes, street food, concert halls, vibrant markets, various malls; all within a short distance. The transport networks are also quite approachable – with the metro, bus other public modes. The institute has 5 branches currently – Bengaluru, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Trichy.
+
+**Office infra:** A adequately large setup with latest tech, flexible work zones, well stocked library, state of the art research labs, multiple meeting and conference rooms, recreation facilities, a terrace garden and some great coffee!
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/iihs3.jpg.png)
+
+**Summing up:** The entire internship was a unique experience, which I am sure would be difficult to match elsewhere. The work the institute does is especially prestigious, big and necessary for today’s urban communities. The continuous process of learning and re-learning was very exciting too. I would encourage interested students to be a part of this paradigm, to broaden his/her horizons. 
+
+![pic4](/images/posts/iihs4.jpg)

_posts/2017-07-24-summer-diaries-jindal-steel-works.md

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: Jindal Steel Works" 
+image: anushka2.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Anushka Chandrawat"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "The Summer Internship Program offered by JSW is adequately organized and structured. Before we landed in Mumbai, we were given a list of projects to chose from. "
+---
+
+### Making it there
+
+JSW only goes to a few Engineering, Commerce and Law colleges and takes a total of  approximately 30 students per year as their summer interns. JSW came to Roorkee around October for their presentation, where they elaborated on their selection process. The arduous process has three rounds: 
+
+1. **SOP & Resume Short-listing:** We were required to make an account on SIP(Summer Internship Program) website and fill a form. It consisted of general questions like “Why JSW?”,  “What are your strengths and weaknesses”, “Out of the Box Thinking”,etc. We were also required to upload our resume. We were consequently shortlisted for an online test.
+
+2. **Online Test:** This test consisted of only psychometric questions, which are quite easy to solve with a few hours’ practice.
+
+3. **Skype interview:** It is crucial that one dons a professional attire. Within this interview there were two people who took turns to interview all the candidates: a HR representative and an official serving in a more technical capacity. I was asked very basic questions related to Chemical Engineering, but most questions had to do with my SOP. They seemed to give a certain weightage to positions of responsibility and sports. All in all, the interviewers were very friendly. They seemed to be looking for people who could balance both academic and extracurricular activities; I mentioned my position as the Joint Secretary of the Dramatics society and my stint with the Inter-IIT Basketball team.
+
+The three rounds culminated in the selection of two candidates, of which I was one.
+
+### My Experience At JSW
+
+The Summer Internship Program offered by JSW is adequately organized and structured. Before we landed in Mumbai, we were given a list of projects to chose from. It comprised a mix of technical , Finance and Economics intensive projects, but they were, nevertheless, consultancy projects in various fields.
+
+To begin with, I’d like to mention that I’ve travelled a lot in my time here. First I was in Mumbai, where we had a 4 day orientation about the company and the internship. There was a freshers’ party, where we were treated to good food and introduced tot high-ranking officials of the company. We were then assigned the projects we were going to be working on (based on our resumes and the preferences we had filled in earlier). My project was under JSW Energy labelled “Exploring Boiler Operations for High Ash Indian Coal”. It was located in Jaigad Thermal Plant owned by JSW near Ratnagiri. 
+
+For the next 5 weeks a fellow intern from IIT BHU and I ventured to the beautiful shores of Ratnagiri to work on our project. Our consultancy project aimed at reducing costs incurred for JSW through research and analysis of data to optimize and reduce costs, thus providing a solution. 
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/anushka3.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+#### Here at Ratnagiri
+
+Most of my internship was spent at the Ratnagiri plant. It was here that we met our mentor and 2 “buddies” (colleagues assigned the task of helping us out). The beauty of the township was breathtaking. There was a beach around every corner and we usually spent our holidays roaming these sandy shores. There was also a wildlife sanctuary nearby, on account of all the greenery. We were accommodated in a spacious flat, stocked with everything we needed. The mangoes, for which Ratnagiri is famous, were exquisite as well. We also observed incoming shipments of coal on the JSW-owned port,  an exciting sight for a chemical engineer.
+
+In the 5 weeks that we were there we collected data, analyzed it, made reports and a few models to predict an optimal solution to run the plant. One of the most exciting things about the project is that we were actually contributing to the company; the project dealt with real issues and would have an actual impact on the company. This was one of the most crucial considerations of the internship.
+
+#### Vijaynagar Trip
+Out internship also entailed a trip to the Vijaynagar Plant near Bangalore. We were shown the township, with all its facilities, and even went on a trip to Hampi, A UNESCO World Heritage Site! Hampi is an ancient city with an array of archeological sites. We also had the opportunity to listen to the wise words of the GMHR of JSW Steel, the EVP Operations and EVP Allied Services & Mines. Towards the end of our visit, we were treated to a generous party at Hyatt.
+
+#### Back to Bombay!
+Following our trip to Vijaynagar we went back to Ratnagiri, where we prepared presentations to summarize all that we had done; the seniors there helped us make modifications to the same. We headed back to Bombay where we presented these to the  associates of JSW. Yet another party marked the end of our internship.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/anushka1.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Summing Up
+It was a wonderful experience! I learnt much about how the corporate world works, how industries and consultancies work. From parties to presentations the internship really was the whole package. The internship is not just for undergraduates of Chemical Engineering; a lot of the work also included non-core fields. A balanced resume with a blend of extracurricular activities, positions of responsibilities, a decent cgpa and good communication skills is capable of bagging the internship.
+
+Interning here was an astounding experience, and one that I’m bound to remember.! 
+

_posts/2017-07-24-summer-diaries-s-p-global.md

@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: S&P Global"
+image: Vaibhavi1.jpg
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Vaibhavi Katiyar"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "Headquartered in New York, S&P Global is a publicly traded American company. It is the parent company of S&P Global Ratings, S&P Global Market Intelligence, and S&P Global Platts, and is the majority owner of the S&P Dow Jones Indices(S&P DJI)."
+---
+
+S&P Global does not recruit from the campus, for both - internship and placement. I applied off-campus, on S&P’s online portal for internship. My work profile, till now, has been in “Energy Economics,” which actually helped me get through the resume shortlisting process, because my applied sector concerned ESG Indices. The application was submitted during the month of March and the results were declared by April. 
+
+The entire process comprised of four stages:
+
+1. Resume shortlisting: One was supposed to upload one’s CV on the online portal, whilst applying. I’d like to point here that many people confuse resume with CV, however that is not the case. A CV is supposed to be more descriptive whereas a resume should not exceed a page and a half.
+
+2. Technical Interview: The technical round is conducted over skype and goes for a span of 45 minutes. It encompasses questions about one’s existing knowledge and questions about any previous projects/interns completed by one.
+
+3. HR round of interview: A telephonic interview - one receives a mail confirming one’s application status, as that of an intern, within a day after the HR interview.
+
+4. Final round of interview: The area or the sector, that the intern will be working on, is decided.
+
+### Work
+
+Headquartered in New York, S&P Global is a publicly traded American company. It is the parent company of S&P Global Ratings, S&P Global Market Intelligence, and S&P Global Platts, and is the majority owner of the S&P Dow Jones Indices(S&P DJI). Of the 4 units mentioned, I interned at S&P Dow Jones Indices. 
+S&P DJI defines the way people measure and trade the markets. They provide essential intelligence that helps investors identify and capitalize on global opportunities. Currently the largest global source for idex based concepts and home to iconic financial market indicators such as the S&P 500 and S&P Dow Jones Industrial Average, S&P DJI operates in India as Asia Index Pvt. Ltd., wherein 45% of the stakes are owned by BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) and the remaining 55% by S&P Global.
+ 
+I worked in the sector of ESG Indices, wherein my job profile was that of a Research Analyst. There were 2 divisions in the ESG sector – the “Corporate Ratings team” and the “Financial Institutions team”. I worked in the former. 
+S&P Global Ratings’ ESG team provides intelligent analysis to global institutions, worldwide, that are in need to assess the impact of their ESG risks and opportunities - presented by ESG climate change, resource constraints, demographic shifts, innovation and technology, politics, regulation, etc. - and that aim to capitalize on the transition to a greener and more social economy.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/Vaibhavi3.JPG){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+ 
+The intern was duly divided into 3 parts. The first week comprised solely of the training sessions to get me acquainted to indexing, the importance of ESG while calculating the market capitalization index, and some concepts related to carbon-footprinting and equity markets. The training sessions went on till the end of the intern, and were organised on a weekly basis after the first week. For the initial 4 weeks, I worked on the E-part of the ESG sector, which involved monetizing the environmental aspect to check compliance with the Paris Treaty and calculate the carbon-footprint of the companies that were traded in S&P DJI. For the remaining 3 weeks, I worked upon a very different project which aimed at quantifying the S-LCA ( Social Life Cycle Assessment). Apart from these, I also worked on a few sales support tasks that involved a bit of market research using “FactSet.”
+
+At S&P, the work was not done on a regional basis, rather, for each project, a global team was formed, which was decided based upon the available capacities of the analysts. Each team comprised of 4-5 members - a supporting analyst, a senior analyst, a lead analyst, and the line manager. The line manager was decided based upon the time zone compatibility of the client (company being dealt with) and the analyst available. With the senior analyst mentoring you, the line manger could be anyone across globe. For Example, in my case, the line manager was based in London. There were regular VCs organised, for knowledge sharing and to keep track of the work done by everyone. Everyone works on multiple projects, with the projects requiring the use of Excel VBA, Factset and MATLAB.
+
+S&P has open workplaces, than cubicles. The Senior management ensures that the work-life balance of the employees was not disturbed. There are no mandatory working hours. The only thing important is to drive the project to completion by the due deadline. At times, I used to work from 9am to 9pm, however, there were days, when I would reach at 12pm and leave by 6pm. As long as you deliver upon the task assigned to you, no one is bothered about how long you work. Employees could also use the leverage of working from home, however, in general, people prefer working according to the time zone of the client they are dealing with. 
+
+### Location
+
+S&P Global has its office on the 14th floor of the BSE building. It’s situated in South-Bombay and is surrounded by other corporate houses. The place has an abundance of eateries around it, with employees preferring to explore these, than eat at the pantry/canteen, during lunch. Thus, you know where you’ll find people to chat with. 
+An important highlight would be the “weather.” It can get a bit depressing if it’s pouring continuously for 5-6 days, for, chances are, it’ll kill your weekend - Bombay is an amazing place to explore or hang around, on weekends.
+
+### Summing Up
+
+To the people in non-circuital branches, I would advise them not to be too obsessed with the on-campus hiring, as there are not many non-circuital companies that visit the campus. People tend to get very disturbed if they are unable to make it through a visiting company. However, the visiting companies are not the sole companies present. Although, I don’t discourage anyone with entrepreneurial inclinations, who actually do want to work in a start-up, I’ll recommend that rather than getting demotivated and switching to apply off-campus, at start-ups, it’s better to search for suitable roles in the prominent companies based upon your interest.  You never know which giant has its shoulders ready for you to stand upon.
+
+For S&P, it’s an amazing place to intern if you have your interests vested in domains of equity markets, commodity pricing, energy economics, bond calculations, indexing, or other finance related fields that you might be intrigued by. S&P shall provide you with the opportunity to understand and implement the latest index products, conceptualized by the clients, along with liaising with key stakeholders in the business - internally and externally - with exposure to the clients, by working with them. The people are amiable and always ready to help, in case you encounter any difficulty.
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/Vaibhavi2.jpg){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}

_posts/2017-07-30-jashan-uom.md

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: University of Manchester"
+image: Jashan1.JPG
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Jashan Singh"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "Research is serious professional work and is treated as such. Although the British atmosphere and culture felt quite weird at first to a student such as me, with having lunch at 12pm, dealing with excessive rains, sunbathing if the sun ever shines (3 days out 7), the 9 to 5 work culture and then having dinner as early as 6pm, health and safety induction programs that stretched the entire week (apparently, prevention is the best cure, literally), celebrating weekends, and Happy Hours (it’s exactly what you think it means) after a conference at the department with the professors, you get used to it soon."
+---
+
+### Prologue
+<br>
+“Biotech waale toh sab foreign intern maarte hain” was the phrase I had constantly heard since my first year. Since the placement office doesn’t fancy the “Core Biotech Internship Program” if there ever was such a thing, <b>we</b> have to make do with Europe, North America and Australia over the IT rich cities of Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Gurgaon. 
+<b>we</b> = Biotechnology, Metallurgy, GT/GPT, etc
+Since DAAD, EPFL, Charpak, Mitacs and Viterbi are well known to send students off for internships on a full stipend to universities abroad, many people end up applying to such programs. And if you know anything about the Indian education system, there is bound to be some major competition which entails higher GPA requirements, a resume adorned with previous research projects and blessings from The Almighty Himself/Herself (feminism). 
+To sum up, getting a foreign intern is almost as tough as JEE Advance or changing your branch!
+<br>
+### Making it there 
+<br>
+Students forget that the internet can be used for other things as well. If you have convinced yourself that you want a career in research (just to keep you going through the process), here are some useful <b>intern-ey</b> things to do/keep track of while you are online:
+1. The new semester usually starts from September in the EU region so that’s when the professors are looking for kick-starting new and interesting research projects.
+2. Look out for funding agencies like the British Council (again the requirements are pretty much the same as stated above), but apply anyway.
+3. Search for reasonably high ranking universities (according to your status)
+4. Search for professors whose research interests align with yours
+5. (If you don’t have one, pick the topic that you have studied the most)
+6. Prepare a Cover letter (primary email) and a resume (not a CV; they are different things).
+7. SOPs (Statement of Purpose) are highly specific to the research area that you want to go to and usually, professors tend to ask for it in successive emails (if you get there), so no need to prepare it beforehand.
+8. Just have a friendly conversation with the prof (over email or Skype), subtly ask for a stipend and Voila, you are there.
+9. Apply for the passport that you lied about having. (If already have one then proceed to step 10)
+10. Acquire the Acceptance letter from the University and make sure it states “Visiting PGR student” or something similar and not an “Internship”. (Needed for step 11)
+11. Get a short term student visa (at least 15 days before your flight).
+12. Fly!
+
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/Jashan2.JPG){: style="width:60%;height:auto"}
+
+### Life at UoM
+<br>
+People expect a scenario similar to certain American college movies, but that’s just superficial.
+Undergraduate life is the same in almost every part of the world, only the work culture, hangout spots, night-outs and party plans change. It is important to remain in touch with that part of your being when you are on an internship abroad. 
+Research is serious professional work and is treated as such. Although the British atmosphere and culture felt quite weird at first to a student such as me, with having lunch at 12pm, dealing with excessive rains, sunbathing if the sun ever shines (3 days out 7), the 9 to 5 work culture and then having dinner as early as 6pm, health and safety induction programs that stretched the entire week (apparently, prevention is the best cure, literally), celebrating weekends, and <b>Happy Hours</b> (it’s exactly what you think it means) after a conference at the department with the professors, you get used to it soon.Fortunately I befriended some undergrads to get me back in the groove and really explore Manchester as though a first yearite would. It’s the after work/dinner social life where things get interesting.
+Remember when I said it was all superficial? <b>I lied. </b>
+<br>
+### Exploring the country(s)
+<br>
+Before leaving for my internship, people usually told me to roam different cities, look at the famous attractions, click loads of photographs, and basically be a tourist. This, really, is not a bad idea, because you can easily go on pre-planned, cheap trips across Europe and manage 2-3 countries on long weekends.
+But to me, it was all about being a traveller, exploring the culture and the people while having someone awesome keeping me company. We would take it slow, a country or a city in a weekend like the way it is meant to be done. We could never see as much a tourist would in a single day over the entire weekend and we never wanted to either.
+<b>Honest opinion</b>: Do some sightseeing on Google Maps 3D and then plan your trips, you would definitely enjoy more.
+<br>
+### Epilogue
+Keeping it simple, an internship to an overseas university is a must for all students as it teaches you not only how much research means in the world but that opportunities are limitless for the so called “non-core” fields.
+
+

_posts/2017-08-01-summer-diaries-visa.md

@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: VISA"
+image: princi1.png
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Princi Vershwal"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "I made it to Visa Inc’s internship program through an off-campus attempt. Like many good companies do, Visa conducted an online coding contest on HackerRank, but this was open only for women. Similar to many other contests on Codeforces, it had five coding questions. Post the contest, they invited the top-50 participants for a couple of interview rounds in their Bangalore office."
+---
+
+### Making it there
+
+I made it to Visa Inc’s internship program through an off-campus attempt. Like many good companies do, Visa conducted an online coding contest on HackerRank, but this was open only for women. Similar to many other contests on Codeforces, it had five coding questions. Post the contest, they invited the top-50 participants for a couple of interview rounds in their Bangalore office.
+
+There are many companies like Cisco, Morgan Stanley, and Codenation, that conduct such online contests during the internship season, so keep a check on the HackerRank calendar. These contests usually have a stiff competition, as students from various colleges and branches all over from India participate in such competitions. For preparation, practice ceaselessly on online portals like Codechef, Codeforces, HackerRank, and HackerEarth.
+
+For this year, however, Visa is planning to come to the IIT Roorkee campus for hiring interns. The campus hiring process would probably be similar to the other companies, that is, one coding/aptitude round followed by a series of interviews.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/princi2.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### The Work and Culture 
+
+Visa genuinely cares about its employees, which is something that was evident with the way I was treated throughout my tenure here.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/princi3.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+As far as the projects go, it all depends on the team you are assigned to. There are real time projects related to the work going on in the teams. Interns usually work the same way as a regular employee does, apart from the ton of guidance regarding their work. I worked on an individual project, but there were other projects which had people working in teams of two or three.The working hours are flexible, but most of the interns work from 9 am to 5 pm. Most of the teams have daily standups which help keeping the work on track. 
+
+Apart from all the serious work in the team, our two months were full of team outings and social events within and outside the office. Additionally, special events which were arranged only for interns (including booking the entire movie hall). Visa also provides all the luxuries including a good place to stay, daily travel, and food. This is a big advantage for first-time Bangalore visitors like me.
+
+Moreover, every year, Visa has a Global Intern Summit (it was in San Francisco, USA this year) where we had a chance to meet Visa’s interns from more than 14 other countries, 	the CEO (Al Kelly), and the CTO (Rajat Taneja) of Visa, along with the other great people working at this company. 
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/princi4.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+### Words of Advice
+
+If you are a non-CSE student, getting an internship in a coding profile might seem difficult to you. However, with the right amount of dedication and meeting the right people, you can make it to impressive heights. For instance, here is a conversation I had with my mentor Sean McArthur, who is a full-time employee at Mozilla.
+
+
+<i>Sean: So what kind of a student are you? Are you a topper or a backbencher at your college?</i><br>
+<i>Me: Actually, I’m average. I don’t enjoy my subjects as much as I like to code, which is why I study all of my departmental courses just before the exams to survive. I have had just one course in C++, that too in my first semester and I managed to get an A in that.</i><br>
+<i>Sean (surprised): No other course? Nothing at all?</i><br>
+<i>Me: No</i><br>
+<i>Sean: Oh my god! Really? That’s so cool! I am so impressed! Then how do you know so much about this field?</i><br>
+<i>Me: The internet at our college is pretty fast!</i>
+<br><br>
+That is it! If you learn to effectively exploit the facilities our college has, you’ll be good to go. Additionally, here’s some other advice I can offer 
+<br>
+
+- Do a coding internship only if you are interested in it, otherwise don’t waste your time. Anyone who has a good knowledge of the subjects related to Computer Science can get hired by a good company, irrespective of his/her branch. However, a good CGPA is always important and you will, very soon, get to know this in the coming internship season.
+
+- Do not run behind campus placements (especially for internship). Explore more. There are way better options.
+By the end of my 6th semester I had four internships, all in different fields of CS and in different companies (Fuzzy Logix, Visa, Morgan Stanley and Mozilla(Outreachy)), and I’m a student of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering with a CG of 7.4! So, learn more and explore as much as you can. Read blogs, see what all opportunities are there, find out where your interest lies, and do not be afraid of making wrong choices, you are just in the 2nd/3rd year of your college. This is the time to learn and not run behind an internship.
+
+- Being a student at IIT Roorkee, you are surrounded by some of the best coders, developers, and researchers. We have people from all branches and fields of science who have expertise in various domains of CSE. Connect to people around you and talk about their experiences and work. 
+One of the major reason I could have such an amazing summer is because I met the right people at the right time. 
+
+- Ask questions. No question is ever dumb. Go out and talk to people, take random trips to SDSLabs, MDG or any other room in the hobbies club. People will always welcome you. 
+
+- If you ever get a chance to attend any good conference or event, (like, I went to Google I/O this summer), go there and explore even if it is being hard on your pocket. These experiences are completely worth the money.
+
+- If you are planning to do a remote project like GSoC/Outreachy, try not to wait till third year, it will be better if you do it in your second year. Honestly, if you are doing it for the sake of learning(and not earning) do it after 2nd year, as at the end of your 2nd year you have a lot of time to learn.
+
+- Use your 2nd year summer breaks wisely. They form the springboard for your 3rd year internships.

_posts/2017-08-03-summer-diaries-nig.md

@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "Summer Diaries: National Institute of Genetics, Mishima"
+image: sonali-1.png
+tags: [wona, column]
+author: "Sonali Srijan"
+category: summer2017 
+excerpt: "The National Institute of Genetics, Mishima is a research institute that serves as a host to the DNA Data Bank of Japan. It provides post-graduate education under the Department of Genetics, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), and is a hub for international and domestic research collaborations."
+---
+
+### About NIG
+
+The National Institute of Genetics, Mishima is a research institute that serves as a host to the DNA Data Bank of Japan. It provides post-graduate education under the Department of Genetics, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), and is a hub for international and domestic research collaborations.
+
+### Making it there
+
+I’m currently availing the Honda Y-E-S (Young Engineer and Scientist) Plus scholarship (2016-17) that funds Y-E-S awardees to pursue a ten-week (or more) long research-based internship or masters in universities of Japan. The Honda Y-E-S award (India) is a recognition granted to academically inclined pre-final year students from a list of IITs shortlisted every year.
+
+<b>Selection:</b> The Y-E-S is an initiative to disseminate green technology, and aims to strengthen technical prowess among the Asian youth, holding competitions along the similar lines in countries like India, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar. 
+
+After going through the online registration, the applicants (third-year undergraduates) are filtered based on a cutoff-C.G.P.A (greater than 7.00 GPA in each of the first four semesters). This is followed by a written round, which requires an essay on a pretty broad topic that allows you to connect with your field of expertise in the subject. About ten students are then shortlisted for the interview from each IIT.
+
+The interviews are based on eco-technology, and finding unique ideas to tackle current environmental issues. After getting past the first interview, the finalists received a confirmation call along with a biography of Soichiro Honda San, the founder of Honda Motors. The final interview for Y-E-S (2016-17) was assessed by Mr. Shirish Garud, Director and Senior Fellow, TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute). It was a really interactive session, where we were asked questions based on our technical competence, the write-up, general awareness and co-curricular activities. 
+
+After the above intermittent rounds of rigorous personal interviewing at the Honda headquarters in Delhi, the final awardees are felicitated at a decorated event with a handsome prize money. Furthermore, they are encouraged to take up research internship projects in Japanese universities, through financial funding via the Y-E-S plus scholarship.  
+
+The aforementioned sequence of chapters got me interested to avail the scholarship. And after a month-long mailing session, I earned the chance to work at the Model Fish Genomics Resources Laboratory at the National Institute of Genetics (NIG or Idenken in Japanese) in Mishima, Japan. 
+
+Mail-trackers like Mixmax came in handy, given the time difference between India and Japan (the latter being 3.5 hours ahead). A befitting resume and a few crisp and aptly crafted e-mails worked for me. Keep the mails short and to the point. I would recommend using IITR webmail wherever possible. 
+NIG also accepts undergraduate research enthusiasts via a separate one-month long summer internship program called NIGINTERN. 
+
+### Work and life at NIG
+
+I chose to take up a core part of the ongoing forward-genetics research in Danio rerio (zebrafish).  My job was to rough-map/locate a chemically-induced novel heterozygous mutation in the zebrafish germline that manifests a direct impact upon spermatogenesis, for a better understanding of the shift from mitosis to meiosis in vertebrates. The job required precise liquid-handling techniques and electrophoretic data-analysis skills, and a hands-on training experience in the first week helped me get through it. The project required me to conduct multiple PCR reactions, an idea that was initially intimidating. 
+The first day at the lab wasn’t really great. The DNA extraction experiment went wrong and I ended up with a dead specimen.
+
+![pic2](/images/posts/sonali-2.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+I received considerable technical support from my Professor (Sensei) and the Assistant Professor that made project details lucid, along with other numerous concepts that I had previously read but forgotten. 
+
+Work hours were flexible, but given the slightly demanding nature of the project, I would often quit work late in the evenings. Every alternate Tuesday, we had a Journal Club, that’s a confluence of multiple labs presenting and discussing recent publications in germ cell research. I must admit many of the discussions were beyond me, given the fact that developmental biology is not part of our curriculum in the strictest sense. Despite the same, the discussions apprised me of the general flow and also to the format of a typical research-oriented presentation.
+
+Added to that, I was lucky enough to attend the NIG Retreat: an institute-level symposium that takes place every two or three years, where activities like poster-presentation events, research overviews, general discussions and sumptuous meals are organized at an enticing location. It was an amazing experience for me, all the fantastic presentations and the authentic Japanese cuisine made it an unforgettable event. It was also a wonderful opportunity for me to socialize with international researchers. 
+
+During the second month of the internship, lab visits were organized for all the visiting interns. The experience was indeed very enriching. 
+There doesn’t exist a discrete “buddy” system there, but people in my lab were very thoughtful to send me details about the Indian researchers at NIG. Moreover, my sensei gave me a ladies’ bicycle (called “Mamachari” in Japanese) to travel around conveniently in Mishima. NIG is located on top of a hill, and it was always overwhelming, cycling down the descent with the view of Mt. Fuji. 
+
+![pic3](/images/posts/sonali-3.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+The first few weeks were pretty challenging. One of the main reasons being the language barrier. I couldn’t really make the best use of my rudimentary Japanese acquired by a two-week long self-learning program. NIG, being very receptive to foreign students was luckily very sensitive towards this issue, with all seminars conducted in English. Despite that, there were underlying issues in explanation of concepts, doubt sessions, troubleshooting etc; stemming from lingual differences. Especially outside the campus, problems were very visible. Google translate came in handy, though it does translate many words in a wrong way. Sign-language was my last resort in worst-case scenarios. The locals helped me a lot to cross this language divide.
+
+Another reason was the food. But after a few days, I adapted to it quite well and in fact, came to develop a taste for many of the local dishes including Japonica variety rice, unagi (eel), okonomiyaki, omu-rice (traditional omelette-rice), and sushi among other delicacies. I would often eat lunch at the campus cafeteria, and prepare breakfast and dinner by myself. This ensured I developed the skills to cook decent food on my own. 
+
+After my project was complete, I got the chance to attend an international research symposium on Regulation of Germ cell development in Kyushu University, Fukuoka. The brilliant talks with some very innovative sessions were quite resourceful and insightful. 
+
+### What’s to love about the place
+
+Everything!
+
+![pic4](/images/posts/sonali-4.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+![pic5](/images/posts/sonali-5.png){: style="width:70%;height:auto"}
+
+After five hectic days of work, I would always save up time to travel during the weekends. Japan is a country that can boast about the best of scenic landscapes. Be it volcanoes/mountains (oh yes, I climbed to the summit of Mt. Fuji in a very bad weather, covering a significant portion of the ascent all alone. Yay!), hot sulphur springs and black hard-boiled eggs (Hakone), sandy beaches (Atami and Numazu being closest to my prefecture; though rich Honshu-dwellers head straightaway to Okinawa), high-rise concrete jungles with clean air with lots of places to shop and party (Tokyo: Akihabara, Shibuya, Shinjuku; Osaka, Fukuoka etc.), shrines and monuments of cultural and historic importance (Kyoto, Hiroshima), Disneyland and Universal Studios, thrilling roller-coasters at FujiQ highlands, the very popular Shinkansen (bullet train)... And the list goes on and on. 
+
+Apart from these places, Mishima, the place where NIG is situated, is no less. A very peaceful town with the majority population as sexagenarians, it’s very close to nature with some very picturesque riversides, and offers a spectacular view of Mt Fuji. Located in Shizuoka prefecture, it is home to Japan’s longest skywalk, and is surrounded by cool getaways. 
+
+### Key Takeaways
+
+The internship was amazing in every sense of the word. Science and symposiums, huge culture exchange, travel, hard-learnt punctuality lessons, indispensable life-skills, a sense of accomplishment that follows completion and a resolve to learn the Japanese language. That‘s the many takeaways from this other-worldly experience.