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Email: elan@gardencitycollege.eduwww.gardencitycollege.eduYouth Spark

Volume 5 Issue 36

Wednesday, 11 November 2015

When exams are near,They cause great fear,Many things are not clear,And some subjects are not dear.Exam stress is at its peak over the coming weeks. The pressure to achieve a clutch of A*s has never been greater, so it’s no surprise that many students struggle to cope. Two weeks before, comes the timetable, none of us can dream of living a life that is stable at that point of time.The stress levels are massive, causing tears and sleepless nights to many. There are times when students tend to forget everything and are unable to concentrate. The high- achieving

students who are perfectionists can be most in danger. Some feel anxious and often give themselves negative messages like ‘I can’t do this, I’m useless and I’m going to fail’.It can be difficult but try to replace these with encouraging thoughts such as ‘this is just anxiety, it can’t harm me and relax, just concentrate, and it’s going to be ok’. Everyone is walking on eggshells. The students at least have something on which to focus their nervous energy but for the teachers the greatest battle is containing their own concerns and battling with setting the toughest possible question papers.Exams are a hassle. We say this because

it’s true. No one likes doing them and cramming information into your brain over a short period of time can prove to be very stressful. A bit of stress can make you going, but too much of it can make you exhausted, angry and annoyed. Exams are pretty much always stressful. But it’s completely possible to manage some of the stress that’s brought upon by exams if one uses different strategies. If there is stuff you are not strong on, or you are really stressed out, there are people who can help you.There are a whole bunch of things you can do to help you get through exams the best way you can. Manage your stress, break your study material into manageable chunks and start working through it. Plan some break times and days off too! Take the pressure off. If you are putting too much pressure on yourself, try to realise failure isn’t fatal. Study together, go easy on substances. Make sure you don’t pin all your hopes on one outcome. Have a few options, and realize that if your heart’s set on one thing there are always going to be other paths to it.

Isha Sehgal, I sem, MJM

Students and SuccessTrepidation about

examinations

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We are heading towards growing violence, poverty and its unbearable consequences. The system we have created is responsible for many dark patches in human life. Over centuries, the system have been cleverly modified, manipulated and even corrupted with the thought to serve the interest of few. But because man can adjust to live under any condition, has enabled him to survive. Most of the societies have developed and they try to stay in power by controlling the economy.

This is the age where work is done only if one has wealth to display in their bank accounts, where there is massive disparity between rich and poor and the youngsters leading to indiscipline. There are millions of people who go to bed without food every night and in comparison to this there are people throw away their food. Wastage on one hand and being deprived on the other. What kind of system have we created?

When we talk about terrorism, it clearly states what these horrendous terrorists have done to us and not what we have done to them. It form a simple ideology that we never tend to look at our own crimes but point out what others have done to us. Nobody wants to be a terrorist. But they’re driven towards terrorism. Due to the simple reason that everything is snatched from them , be it their farmland, their property, their resources, etc. They can’t make

a living out of what they are left with for their kids and families. Day by day things just got worse for such people leaving them with no option but to snatch away peace of many people who tried snatching theirs.

In reality it all limits down to power and democracy. We are creating massive sufferings that have no limits. An individual might not be able to change the whole system, but

our history is filled with examples of people who threw themselves to adopt radical changes. Dedicating one to a great cause, taking responsibilities and gaining self knowledge is the essence of being human. Humanity’s greatest ally is the self-educated individual, who can read, understood and walk around with their eyes wide open.

Bhaswati Guha ,MEM, SEM 1

Which World You Want? The Choice is YOURS…

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WAITING… No matter how much I try to push you awayYou are like a tattoo on my skin even todayMy heart is not accepting that you’re gone

My mind thinks of you day in and outIt’s your thoughts that wakes me when the sun rises

It’s your dream that haunts me when the lights are outYou have moved on faster than eyes can see

But I’m still, Dreaming,

Hoping, Waiting,

That one day in my arms you’ll be…

MAHIMA, BAJ 1st Sem

Young hearts put to workChild labor refers to working or employment of a child at a very tender age, where they do not reach a legal age to work. The employment of these young children, snatches their childhood away. Not only this, it also affects the young minds mentally, physically and socially. Not long before, child labor was announced as means of indulging in malpractices by many international organizations and NGO’s. But over the period of time, there have been some changes in the way working of a child is being seen. For example, a child artist, working in some soap operas, now, does not fall under child labor category. Or maybe it does but the fact and the child being made to act and work is not questioned like it was before. In many large scale industries, little children are made to work vigorously towards making crackers, not realizing they are being subjected to many gases and diseases. It

is said that children who fall under the age of 5 to14 are restricted to work in any country. But the scenario portrays something else. These young hearts do not work to have fun, poverty and lack adequate amenities force them to take up such tasks. Dating back to the period of industrial revolution, little children were made to work near big fire furnace and chimneys, selling

match boxes, flowers and cheap article to earn money. There were times when they were made to work for hours and in return were not paid enough money. The basic ideology needs to change, for the good, bringing about a big change in the way people see. Child labor needs to come to a halt. The sooner, the better.

SRISHTI SAO, MJM, Sem 1

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It Is Better To Burn Out Than To Fade Away

‘It is better to burn out than fade away’ – the lines of the great Kurt Cobain, a lead singer and a guitarist of the very famous rock band Nirvana. Kurt’s life itself is a portrayal of his message. Nirvana had released great albums and just when they were coming of age and when things had started looking up for them, was when Kurt Cobain shot himself after an overdose of drugs. Sad, isn’t it? Yes, he burnt, he didn’t fade. Nirvana didn’t fade, nor has it faded till now, it still burns miraculously in the hearts of millions of people all over the world. Enough of these memories, let’s go down to the crux of the matter; the question is, to burn or to fade away. The world we live in, is a ruthless place. Here, the bold people take all sorts of actions and the rest of them get blown into minor fractions. These bold

people burn their lives away, yet their deeds never fade away.These people are the winners who never waited for the trophies, who remained honorable and glorious till the very end. It was a flash, no remains for the wind to blow away. History is full of such legendary examples – Julius Caesar, Napoleon and Mahatma Gandhi. Every age has had such

people who will never be forgotten. It’s true; burn rather than fade, die with honor rather than let it decay. An honorable end is far more worthy than a disappointing final phase of anyone’s life. All the greatness gathered over the years can be ennobled by a stellar end or all of it can be depleted slowly by a bad end.Life is meant to give and earn in the process, it is indeed meant to be lived for virtue and till the end. When it reaches the end, the end is meant to be very special, it’s meant to shine out, it has to be a memorable one and the end must be fiery. In the end one must burn and live forever. Staying and decaying is for the lowly. The real ones burn themselves and their light shines throughout.

Isha Sehgal, MJM, Sem 1

Depressed, Am I ?I feel weird,

But I still smile on seeing pretty things,Laugh at funny jokes,

Talk to people in the most positive manner,And enjoy nice bright days.

It’s when I sit alone, I feel the body getting cold,

There is something that seems so broken.I look at myself in the mirror,Sadness surrounds my face,

Still I have the ability to smile in spite of having a dull face.

At times I don’t like what I see in the mirror,Tears begin to fall,

But the best I can do is,Just smile my way through it all.

I feel lonely at times,And the other moment I am bright,

I fall weak for a moment,And the other moment appears as a shining light.

Am I depressed or is it just a feelingThat surrounds my heart day and night,I wish I could drive away this confusion,Not once not twice, forever even at all.

NAMITHA AI, MJM, SEM 1

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PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN ADVERTISEMENTS

When people say sex sells, most of the time what they really mean

is that sexy women sell. For decades, advertisers have been finding different ways to feature women in ads in order to entice buyers. And, it would seem, the strategy works.

But the way women have been portrayed in advertising has changed over the decades, and changed the way society views women because of it. From housebound drudge to sexpot to business leader, ads are constantly arguing with us about women’s role in society. Chances are that it shows a westernized oriented woman, wearing a formal office wear, driving a car and using a laptop computer. She is depicted as a go getter who has shed her traditional inhibitions in her single minded drive to become a successful achiever competing equally with men.

The advertising industry has always targeted the women from the early years be it for household products like toothpaste and washing powders, electronic goods like TVs and radios to daily grocery products and food as well as products for her grooming and personal care. But due to more and more women now into full time work, a drastic change has taken place where a portrayal of her as the loving and obedient wife, eager to please homemaker, doing her daily chores is unlikely to cut any ice with these new independent working women. But

the depiction of working women as mentioned earlier in that stereotypical manner with the belief that working women will find these images of a self driven highly ambitious and western oriented women something to aspire is also fraught in extreme danger. Most

working women find this stereotypical depiction very alien. This ambitious woman, financially independent and extremely self obsessed may occur in only as a very small minority. For most working women they do not ever want to even remotely resemble

6such a woman. More importantly, working women resent brands which endorse such depiction of them in this alienating manner.

A typical working woman is someone who works full time in the purchase department of a large multinational. Her day starts at 6 am when she wakes up and gets her children ready. She also finds time to pack lunches for her husband, her kids and for herself. She leaves home by 8.30 am and reaches office by 10 where she works hard till 6pm. Back home she sits with her kids, helps them do their homework, cook dinner and also find some time to catch up on her favourite programs on TV. It’s very late when she has put the children to bed, spend some time with her husband and finally gone to sleep. So while advertising has shown her breeze through the day with everything at her command, her real life is a constant struggle to finish all her tasks and balance her work and family life. Even though she can afford some domestic help or there could be in-laws to help her, she ends up exhausted and totally tired by the time she goes to sleep. The next day is another battle. The pressure of a full time occupation along with demands of being the best home manager, results into a whole generation of working women who are stressed out and exhausted beyond belief.

Advertising in order to succeed has to address this point of the working women struggling to balance work and home but stressing out due to the deep rooted fear that she is not seen as giving her best in her role of

home maker. So even though she may be doing extremely well in her work arena, her real test is when she delivers results in the home front, her children are not feeling neglected at home or their grades are not suffering, the running of the home is like clockwork and the family is happy.

So what can advertising do to reduce her stress? To begin it, brands through advertisements can make her feel important and appreciate her for doing a great job. Brands can make her feel that she is doing her best and thus give her the recognition she deserves. Also the onus is on brands to relieve her guilt of her not feeling that she is not doing enough. Brands can go a long way with her if they can make her feel as an explorer who is using the experiences she goes through in enriching her lives of her family instead of being a purely achievement driven go getter. Brands can reassure her that life has its ups and downs, the experiencing of both is very important and an integral part of modern day living. So if she had not been able to come home early when her child was sick, she needs to feel that such things happen and is not a reflection of her in a bad light.

Brands can also help in enhancing her self esteem. It needs to reassure her that she has played a very important part in the overall success story of the family. Brands also need to commend her on her achievements. Not just achievements of the family or in the external world but also her personal achievement inside the home. Her being celebrated as the perfect mother, wife or even a cook makes her feel that she has not neglected or put her family behind her career.

Advertising has a huge role to play in making the modern working woman feel elated and proud of her achievements. Advertising needs to show her as a woman who is HUMAN and not always able to balance the work and home in the near perfect manner. She can fail at times, she is not a superwoman but her efforts are always 100%.The least advertising can do is recognize that she is human after all and go beyond the stereotypical portrayal of a working mother, a superhero who can easily sail through the work demands of her external world while ensuring a smooth functioning of the home without any hiccups.

ISHA SEHGAL, MJM

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MARINE DRIVE

Sultry sun shining above,Dangling waves clashing below,Hitting the immovable rocks,

Like problems hit our life.We stand still and struggle through,

Reverting the waves like the rocks do.In the water, reflecting sun rays,

Turning the surface, alike a pearl.Increasing tides with every waves

Splashing water on the rocks, dead.Asking it to wake up from death,And feel the affection of waves.

The gelid breeze kissing my face,Leaving a feel of beloved.Caressing my hair gently,

Like my mother does lovingly.Marine drive filling my loneliness,

Caring like a mother and loving like a beloved.PERVERT SHE OR HE?She was walking in sari,

People staring at her belly.Followed by numerous guys,

But she is a pervert, because sheWas showing her belly.She walks with attitude,

In her western uniform of office.Returns home late because of work,

So she is a pervert.She wears skirts,

Roams around with boys.Stays for night out,

So she becomes a hoe.People think they are advanced.

Listens to Taylor & Gaga,Watches only Cruise.

But thinks a girl is pervert,Because she’s a girl and no other reason.

ABHISHEK MAYANK, MCA 1st SEM

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Publisher: GCC Publication, Garden City CollegePatron-in- Chief: Dr. Joseph V. G. Chairman, Garden City CollegeEditorial Board Patron: Dr. Siddaramaiah Pujar Principal, Garden City CollegeStaff Editorial Board : Dr. Payel Dutta Chowdhury, Vice-Principal, GCC. Prof. Manjunath M. Prof. Revathi Anand Prof. Liji Ann John Prof.Joyce Thabitha Sherley Prof Shivani VermaStudent Editorial Board:

Ms.Prathiksha Mishra Isha Sehgal Abhishikta Kumar Sharadindu Bhattacharyajee Anu Rrusariyo Bhashwati Guha MuzumdarStudent Contributors: Bhaswati Guha Isha Sehgal Srishti Sao Mahima Abhishek MayankStudent Editor: Namitha A.I.

SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT

Low pants and short skirtsLaughter, smiles, cries and smirksA chitter here and a chatter there

When thrashings and fights are not so rareWhere no one is even close to hermit

It smells like teen spirit.

When our parents are no longer friendsTheir objections increasing with the changing trends

Perturbing arguments rising every nightAhh! The teens would not give in without a fight

When the personality strangely splitsIt smells like teen spirit.

Wider views and Widest of the gangsBack bitching and HELL YEAH !! the notorious pranks

Bunking classes just for funWoahhh!! Friends and enemies in tons and tons

But the best part being stealing meritsIt smells like teen spirit.

Where young minds race in all directionsAttitudes in infinite variations

The diet pills and hardcore gym classesThose sparkling faces like ignited matchesWhen everyone wants to cross their limits

It definitely smells like teen spirit.

Isha Sehgal, MA Mass Communication, sem 1