A peek into the geek world

They used to be uncool, but are soon becoming the epitome of all that’s desirable, at least for some

NISHANTH S COONTOOR 

They’re all over the place. They’re the ones you either envied or ridiculed all your life. They’re the ones you have hated too when your momma made those torturous comparisons after the results. Yes, we are talking about those geeks, also known as nerds at colleges.

So what’s special about these amazing species that gets everyone around them talking everywhere they go? “It’s the fact that they know it all! While many of us wonder which language that teacher is talking in, they have already started nodding their heads. This sight amazes me every time,” says Navin Khanna, college student who even has a slogan ‘Hail Ho, Sir!’ for them.

“But they have a dark side too,” says Nikhil Hulamani, a college student. “They possess the strange power to make you think twice, even if you are sure about something. Extreme precaution and care are required when dealing with them just before exams. They can either make or break your confidence,” he says.

Dressed in formals almost all the time with glasses and well oiled hair, these nerds wander about college campuses in search of their prey. And before you know it, you are caught and it’s all over.

“But thankfully, there are ways to identify one,” says Madhushri Dhoot, a collegian. “These are first benchers with their hands touching the sky high above them even before the questions are asked. Always in class, looking towards the board with their head held slightly high (literally), these have their adda in the library,” she adds.But these one-of-a-kind species are not complaining at all. “I’m simply proud being one. The kind of importance you get during the exam season just keeps me going,” says Sharath B S, a student who walks around with a ‘I’m a geek. Love me or leave me’ tshirt. With the kind of admiration that this species get, it might not be long before it’s the hottest trend. After all, ‘Beauty and the Geek’ was a reality show too. So, if not the beauty, be the geek!

There have been many unconfirmed reports where students have changed to become nerds for better prospects, in every sense of the word. Scared and worried that you might be left out? Fear not! Here’s one way to look like a geek even if you are not. Look up and look down. Slightly nod your head. Look up again. Performing this act slowly in front of others two times a day while walking in your campus for the next 10 days can do wonders. While the world around you might mistake you to be thinking about quantum physics, you know the treasured secret – mission nerdy!

Shift of power

Students seem to be taking undue advantage of the fact that teachers can be pulled up for being harsh
NISHANTH S COONTOOR

Every Teachers’ Day,when students felicitate and thank their teachers,I think of how much the student-teacher equation has changed.

Gone are the days when students respected teachers out of fear.Gone are the days when students would be corrected by teachers without fear. Here are the days where students are taking teachers to task – for all the wrong reasons. Recently in Bangalore, when a student complained about being reprimanded,threatening to take the teacher to the police, the teacher, who claimed she was innocent, resigned.

Student indiscipline has been on the rise for a long time now.With hyped reports of teachers punishing students, the students seem to have found a new weapon against schools.

The whole teaching community gets the rap for the fault ofone teacher. “People must understand that even teachers have gone through student life.All that they want is the well beingof the student. No one ever bothers to see the teacher’s point of view. Students can be wrong too,” says Rekha Dinakar, a teacher at Carmel High School. Another teacher says the fault lies with parents too. With no time to spare,they feel guilty and hence support their child.

Thanks to this, teaching is no longer a noble profession, feels another teacher from a leading city school. “It is in fact a high risk job. There have been cases where teachers advice others not to take up this profession.With this kind of attitude amongst students, not all go out of the way to correct students. It seems to have become a ‘I pay, you teach’ business.This can only result in chaos and a spoilt future of a child which otherwise would have been great.”

“Parents should build a sense of loyalty with the school and help teachers correct their wards. Listen to what the teachers have to say before blaming them. They must understand that teachers must be assertive to an extent. And now they are beginning to do so too,” says Dorothy Menezes, principal,Carmel High School.

Schools need not give harsh punishments at all. Making students do small yoga exercises is enough to ward off their laziness.And you can barely call it a punishment, she adds.

The Mirror Squad spoke to some students who feel that the onus is on both sides to maintain the teacher-student equation. Says Ravi, a highschoolstudent, “In my father’s time, if a teacher beat a child because he did not do his homework, it was okay. But now, the law says corporal punishment is not allowed. If a teacher is blamed unfairly, even I would not like it, but I also feel teachers should not be too rigid and understand that times are changing. We respect them still, but would not like to be treated harshly by them.”

His friend Kavya adds, “Parentstoo must teach children how to respect all elders, then they will automatically respect teachers. Teachers are like our second parents, so we must respect them more.”

“The fault of improper judgement lies on both sides.Lack of discipline at home and over-pampering shall only lead to more indiscipline. It’s not about taking sides, it’s about the answer. While teachers can counsel the child and encourage positive behaviour,parents can trust in their wards being in safe hands and co-operate with school authorities,”says Dr Sulata Shenoy, a child psychologist.

Law goes up in smoke

In spite of a law about proximity of cigarette shops to colleges, most people don’t care

Susheel W Karkada

While research may say that 24 per cent of all people who smoke will die of a smoking-related disease, Vinay K, a student of MSRIT says with youthful practicality that there is still a 70 per cent chance that you won’t. Having picked up the habit when he was in class 12, he says, “Smoking is more like a transition act when boys become men and it was a cool thing to do in school.”

If you see the number of students smoking, you just might think that cigarette companies make their biggest profit from this age group. The fact that you find the little paan-beedi shop so close to colleges (in some cases, even inside the compound) doesn’t help in reducing the addiction.

“It’s common for students to go out for a smoke during a short break,” says Ramkishen B, studying in MSRIT. When asked if there was enough time for the students to go and come back, he says, “Time is not the problem when the shop is right inside the college.”

According to the law, there should be no shops selling cigarettes within 100 metres of an educational institute. It seems that many don’t know about this law and those who do, don’t really care.

Nikhil V, studying in BITS, says, “Even though there is a cigarette shop right opposite my college, it hasn’t influenced me to take up smoking. The shops don’t force you to smoke, but can be a temptation for those who are already in the habit.”

It’s not just one or two colleges in Bangalore that have cigarette shops next to them. If you do a look-see, you’ll find all colleges, big or small, private or aided, have these shops close to them in open violation of the law.

Kishore R K, a student of HKBK, says, “I took up smoking during my second semester exams in a shop next to my college.” Quiz him on his reasons and he gives you an answer most kids can hide behind — exam tension.

It’s not just boys who are used to puffing away. A large number of girls too enjoy the dangerous pleasures of the cigarette. “A lot of girls smoke,” says Melanie D’Sa, a student of Mount Carmel College, adding that there are a large number in her college itself. “For me, smoking is usually associated with men and to do something like that gives me an empowered feeling,” she says. She also concedes that sometimes it can be peer pressure.

As far as shopkeepers are concerned, they are very clear that it’s just business as usual and they are not the students’ conscience keepers. We told a shopkeeper about the law, seeing that his shop was so close to a college. His reply was, “Students are my main customers and if I don’t sell what they want, they’ll find another shop to go to.”

Mummy speak

Parents, who set the biggest example for children, have far more important issues to think about than cigarette shops near colleges. For them, their child getting into a good college is of the greatest importance. A parent, Sundari E K says, “Getting a seat in a college itself is a tough job. We can’t be choosy over these issues,” referring to the closeness of these shops to colleges.

The principal of a college in the city says, “These students are young adults, they know how to say ‘no’. We can’t dictate terms outside our premises, but we can request the government to take strict action against such shops.”

(Some names have been changed to protect privacy).

Just a bit more power, please!

Fifty cc bikes? What’s that, say under-16 students, who are supposed to ride two-wheelers of that capacity in the city
SAGAR V

Gone are the days of simply walking to school, or having your parents drop you there, or even rushing out of your house, shoes in hand, your tie flying wildly behind you, as some form of arranged transport honks frantically.

School children these days have found a new means of getting to school conveniently, at leisure, and in style. Sixteen years of age is indeed sweet, for they can now apply for a Learner’s Licence — LL as it is more popularly known — and cruise to school on papa’s two wheeler,or even better, a brand new one of their own.

Of course, the fact that LL holders are not permitted by traffic rules and law to ride bikes that have an engine displacement of more than 50 cc,is ignored. And by a substitution(1994) in section 4 of the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988,this phenomenon is blatant stepping over the law.

Ajay has been riding a Honda Dio to school for the past few months. When queried about the legality of this, he’s puzzled. He says, “Wrong? No,not that I know of.”This is justified as it happens all around him. Strangely, not many are fined for riding something that is at least 100 percent more powerful than the lawful limit. Nitin and Vinay are two boys who almost died while riding a RX135 on the Outer Ring Road, where you have a seemingly never-ending stretch of asphalt in front of you. Only, you have to weave in between countless trucks,provided they haven’t run you over already.

Says Vinay, “Yes, I know we were not qualified to ride that bike. For my part, I’ve learnt my lesson, and won’t be doing anything of the sort again.

“Parents are, mostly, very much aware that their children are riding something they aren’t supposed to. Often, it is with the consent of whoever owns the bike that the under-18 person uses the vehicle. Parents cite many reasons for allowing this.

“When nobody has the time to drop my son to school, and he has no choice but to go by public transport, he’ll hardly be in time to school; he takes his father’s old bike, which no one uses,” says Susheela K whose son rides the 150 cc bike. “But,of course, I make sure he is very responsible about it.” It is a comfortable set-up, she says, especially as BMTC buses hardly arrive on time, and they are often choked, congested and bursting with people. And autos are expensive.

In India, the urban market for 50 cc mopeds and scooterettes is virtually non-existent,and there are few models and variants available. And,it seems, no teenager would be willing to be seen with something like a Kinetic V2 XL, or aLuna TFR. “It’s hardly cool to be driving those things. They just don’t move!” says Rajshekhar Bhandari, a class 12 student.

But if a traffic policeman signals you to stop for a routine check, then you’re done for.Well, mostly. Says Nitin, “The cops sometimes find it acceptable if you’re riding a Honda Dio, or a Honda Activa, both of which have an engine capacityof 102 cc. But if you’re a Learner,and you’re riding a motorbike that is more powerful,you’re definitely fined.” Defaulters are fined Rs 300 for not possessing a driver’s licence. The boys will have to keep in mind of what Uncle Ben once told Spiderman: With greater power comes greater responsibility.

(All names have been changed)

Behind lock and key

Colleges, in a throwback to school days, lock gates during working hours to prevent students from being.. well… students!

SRISHTI DAIV

Be it malls, cafes, fast foodjoints, or college canteens,flocks of college students having a goodtime at any point in the day is a rather common sight. Thankfully,the age-old tradition of bunking classes has not yet ended, no matter how hard the authorities try. And they do try hard!The transition from school to college means stepping into a little more freedom, exploring the world with all the zeal of youth. Well, putting a rude full stop to that zeal are certain colleges where it’s a throwback to school — locked gates and strict vigilance!

In Vision PU College, it’s possible to walk out of the gates only during lunch. According to Anita R, a lecturer in Christ Junior College, “Though the open gates provide students an opportunity to walk out of college whenever they desire, it is still essential to lock them as many other blocks of different streams are a part of the campus.”While Anita may understand the restlessness of a student who wants to pop out for a chaat or an icecream, SunitaD, mother of a collegian, is very supportive about her daughter’s college rules. “Gates must be closed during college hours.There are better ways than getting out of college to take a break and come back refreshed to studies,” she says, perhaps having forgotten what it was to be young and full of beans to explore the world.

If you thought it was the fear of missing out on the day’s classes that might stop students bunking, never fear. Students have the most ingenious ways to make for all that time — time that they spend not so studiously.”What’s photocopying for? We are their biggest clients,” says Sameera Kriplani of Mount Carmel College who manages to skip class everyonce in a while.

In a gesture that’s true to the collegian spirit, colleges such as Krupanidhi PU College, JyotiNivas College, and Mount Carmel College do not keep their gates closed during collegehours.

On the other hand, BishopCottons Girls’ High School’s gates stay securely locked during school hours. Even the StJoseph’s PU College gates are well guarded, not allowing the boys to escape. CMRIT students have to go through the heads of department by stating their reason to leave college premises.A letter then has to be produced at the gates to the guards.

Mahalakshmi, mother of CMRIT student N Pavani, says students doing their degree are mature enough to understand when they need the break and whether it is necessary or not.She doesn’t find the need to have gates closed during college hours. Cheers to mommies like that.

Every college has its own reasons for open and closed gates.As far as students are concerned,given their natural restlessness and the desire to use their newfound freedom that college affords,closed gates only means just another obstacle in the way of coming up with a unique way to get out!

RULES,OTHER SOLUTIONS

Problem 1: No sleeveless for girls. Known solution:Wear sleeveless kurtas and cover up with a dupatta.Or wear a shirt on top of the ganji you’re wearing.Take off when appropriate.

Problem 2: No coloured hair. Known solution:Wear a bandana,hat, or a wide hairband to keep those pretty tints undercover. Whip off as you step outside the gates.

Problem 3: No short skirts Known solution: None. Unless you are THE fashion diva and can carry off a pair of tights under a skirt.

Problem 4: No frayed jeans and shorts Known solution: Pretend you don’t have the money to buy new ones.Ask for an ‘appropriate clothing’ grant.Works well for perennially broke hostelites.

Problem 5: No cell phones. Known solution: Find a roomybag that can hide it.Keep it on silent mode and say you have separation anxiety if you get caught out.

Of love and other demons

Not only did college students follow a discreet colour code, they also found ways to not spend too much money on Valentine’s Day
BANGALORE MIRROR BUREAU & BANGALORE MIRROR SQUAD

While obvious signs of Valentines weremissing on college campuses, a festive atmosphere prevailed all around on Thursday, February 14. Many students ‘attended college’,but not their classes. With roses in hand, greeting cards and huge smiles, students in colleges seemed to be in celebratory mood all day. In some colleges, students had dressed up for the occasion and manyof them followed the ‘unofficial dress code’.

Some wore red – an indication that they were committed,while others wore grey – an indication that they were not interested,those rejected the concept wore black and those who were hoping to be asked out,wore white. Some people followed the colours and others followed the heart.

There were unofficial ‘how many roses have you got’ contests in some colleges,while in others, there were the Mr and Ms Valentine,crowned in the canteen,avoiding the watchful eyes of teachers.

Harish, a student says,”Amidst serious proposals,which must have taken place, there were many who even grabbed this opportunity to fool their classmates that they were interested.And many got fooled too,thus being marked as the Valentine fool!”

This Valentine’s Day was very expensive for many collegians. “I’m paying Re 1 instead of 10 paisa for a message,” was the instant complaint of a young man. Many couldn’t afford the overpriced flowers as well.But the youth found a noble way out of this problem too!

The same flowers were circulated amongst students and taken back after they were given as gifts to their Valentine. Many even sent messages in advance to their loved ones to save the costly message charges today.

Students reported that in several colleges, while the classes were quite empty, it was a peaceful day. “Lecturers actually left early because of V-day. V day is more or less accepted by colleges as a part of the calendar so instead of troubling lovers they have become more accepting — but not openly,” said Priyanka A,a degree student.

Interestingly, one college displayed a notice asking students not to bunk — the penalty if they did, Rs 150.The money will be collected by the college, but to add insult to injury, parents of the truant student too will be called and asked why their child was missing from college.

V-DAY DRESSCODE

Blue – free for love

Green- waiting

Orange- going to propose

Pink- accepted the proposal

White- already booked

Yellow- broke up

Black – rejected

Tuition confusion

Teachers say tuition classes lead to indiscipline and lack of interest in college

NISHANTH S COONTOOR
Most students would agree they can’t do without tuitions. Parents too feel this adds to their child’s education. But teachers and lecturers have a different view… they say it encourages absenteeism and sometimes, even tardiness.
In a city where you have tuitions in almost every street, not going to one makes everyone ask you, “Don’t you want to pass?” So, many sign on. “It’s a trend. Everyone goes, so why shouldn’t I,” says B V Prashanth, a student. “Many students give in to peer pressure, then get insecure and finally attend tuitions. A few others go to coaching classes to achieve that extra edge,” he
adds. Not all colleges complete portions on time or complete them at all. “Thanks to this, we
have to take tuitions. Also the student-teacher ratio in large colleges is skewed, and we don’t get individual attention,” adds another student.
But many a time, tuitions are not the decision of the student. “All of us only want to avoid the blame game if there’s any failure. Moreover, students are well-grounded everyday due to tuition classes, which keeps them on track and focussed,” says C R Srikanth, a parent.
But all said and done, tuitions come with their downside too. “Absenteeism for days in schools and bad behaviour is nothing new today thanks to this new trend,” says Rekha Dinakar, a school teacher. “Some students even tend to look down upon teachers because they no longer feel dependent on them,” she adds. “Study time is also lost, which otherwise could have got great
grades,” says Sandhya Menezes, principal, Carmel Pre-University College.
So should this tuition system be a complete no-no? Tuitions should be subject-specific, is Menezes’ instant reply. “Subjects that require practise in problem solving can be taken up for there’s no harm in working more. What’s the use if you listen to the concept being explained again when you have followed it in college,” she adds. The vice principal of another city college adds, “I’ve seen tuitions also encouraging carelessness because students don’t take notes in class saying, ‘I will learn this in tuition anyway.’ I’m not against tuitions, but it is not a substitute for college.”

“Schools and colleges could come up with new innovative methods of teaching to make learning an experience. In this way, they will not only improve the quality of teaching but also convince students that what they learn in school or college is enough,” says Karan Shetty, a student.
S Vishweshwar, a tuition teacher, feels that it’s all a matter of choice. “No one is forcing things on students or parents. Also, one must understand that not all students are bright and may need more attention. If tuition helps them, then it’s good. Many also like the personalised attention given during tuition.”

Study at BU: What’s that?

College may be fun for the most bit. But many students say they often face issues that no one talks about much. The Mirror Squad looks at some gripes… all off the record, of course. That’s the only reason many college goers spoke out in the first place.

BANGALORE MIRROR SQUAD

Say Bangalore University and one thinks bureaucracy, disorganisation. This description might
well seem complimentary though. Sample this: “Semester exams at a BU college wrap-up in mid-December. There is no declaration of when college is to re-open; apparently BU administration does not believe in official communication between the college management and student body. Communication of information like re-opening dates, exam dates, timetables, college events, holidays, roll numbers etc. is left to the networking or string-pulling skills of the students,” says one angry engineering student.

Come second week of January, some students start making a few phone calls, figuring it might be time to get back to college. Prashanth Sai, a degree student says, “College phones are a waste of time – if they are not out of order, one might get the following responses: “Ask the principal, we are not informed/It will start soon, don’t worry/Call tomorrow, I’ll tell you.”
Students, though, know better than to take the official route; they call someone they know in the admin to get a vaguely accurate response, a response anyway – sometime around Jan 15, they are told. The date, as it turns out, is Sankranti, a holiday! Therefore, they and others who rely on their intelligence go to college on January 16 to find a turn-out of 20 students out of a class of 110.

The admin seems characteristically surprised, “College is re-opening today? Oh! Wait for an hour, the timetable will be ready. Then you can come from tomorrow.” For the next three days, there are 10 people in class, no lecturers, no timetable. On Monday, about 40 students and a professor finally turn up.
The quality of teaching too is going down, says another student Maina Pai. “The professor begins teaching, writes ‘Boots and Shoo Manufacturing Company’ on the blackboard. Then comes ‘debencher, seprate’… the spelling mistakes are endless. We students, who hope against hope every semester that the quality of teaching improves, get back to reading novels, playing hangman, messaging (not any more though) and gossiping during the hour-long lecture. In the next class, a professor enters and without introducing himself or the subject, opens a textbook and begins reading, faltering after every third word. When asked a question, he refuses to answer,” she adds.

Memo from the taught

• Make college fun, along with studies. More people will attend the class
• Remember, you were young once, so let the environment be enjoyable and motivating
  for us students
• It’s the age of the Internet, guys. Introduce swipe cards for attendance, video conferencing or e-learning would be cool
• Lugging around notes is passe, can we bring laptops and pen drives along?
• Have a reality TV show that portrays campus life.The ratings will be sky high
• Let go of rules like restrictions on dress codes, ban on mobiles, hair not being coloured, no freaky T-shirts. We will still study as hard, even if we look colourful

Even a week after re-opening, there is no sign of a timetable even though professors come and professors go. If you ask students why they don’t do anything about this dismal state of affairs, they say, “It’s Bangalore University, nothing’s going to change da.” Considering the number of BU colleges and therefore the number of students that are dependent on them for education, the symptoms look disastrous.
So, at the end of the day, understanding that we have to study and we have to attend college, we carry on. But will someone listen to us?

Art of chit making

SUSHEEL W KARKADA

Ever since exams were invented, students have been finding innovative ways to cheat. Some have succeeded and are in high posts; othershave seen the ugly side ofcheating and paid the price;whereas for a few, it gives a high and a huge sense ofachievement. Of all the methods available to cheat,one of the oldest and most common is the chit (also known as bits). Chits are very small pieces of paper about 1/6th the size of an A4paper, filled with enough condensed information to fill the entire answer sheet!

Not everyone can make these chits because what one writes must not only be extremely small but also clearly legible. Some chit makers call themselves artists, others say they are talented, but the truth is that they are all cheaters!

MODERN CHIT-MAKING
Thanks to modern technology, anyone can make a chit. All you have to do is go to a photocopy shop and ask for a “micro-xerox”. Hey presto, your chit is ready! This is so popular that some shops have small-sized paper to save you the trouble of cutting up A4 sheets! A student studying in a popular engineering college says, “I only micro-photocopy chits for the internals, it is too risky for the externals.”
Students say photocopied chits are easier to understand, and can be passed around to anyone in need. In case of trouble, it can be thrown away and there is no risk of getting caught as
handwriting can be easily identified.
And the businessmen know this too! While A4 sheets cost 30 paise per copy near colleges, micro-copies cost Re 1, even though they use lesser amount of ink. “We know what they use
for, and they don’t seem to have a problem about paying a little more,” says a photocopy shop owner. Another shop owner says, “Some students actually micro-copy entire chapters and it is becoming a common trend.”

USING THE CHITS
Once the chits are made, the task is to hide them. These chits have to be hidden in places which are normally not checked but are also easily accessible. “Making the chits is the easy part! Using them is difficult!” says another student.

Chit-making has become a dying art with few takers. And if you decide to get something micro-copied for your exams after reading this, get ready to face the consequences as well! Cheating is like an addiction, once you start it is difficult to stop. And if you are found cheating in an exam, you could ruin your education, so it’s not worth it at all.

But if you are still foolish (or desperate) enough to go to all this trouble, you need luck on your side to get away with it! Anyway, that’s a different story.