sls mirror july issue
TRANSCRIPT
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Just like in a plant blossoms a bud new
The message of new arrival was spread as winds blew
A mass shelved; in them zeal, gusto and fire delve
Full of varying talents is our batch of 2012.
Taking this journey in PDPU one step at a time
A lot of learning awaits, itll help you shine
Life is a voyage, the sea as time is erratic
Keeping changing sails, all will guide you to your benefit
Do not get too serious, dont even take things for granted
SLS is all about learning for your mind
And satisfaction for your heart we have chanted.
And the SLS familys complete! Inside this Issue
Monthly Newsletter from School of Liberal Studies, PDPU
VOL I | ISSUE 05
July 2012
-Interview: Dr. N. R. Dave
-Message from the
Editorial Team-Plethora of Activities
-Induction Week Experiences
-Plethora of Activities
-Know Your Major workshop
-Creati-witty
-SLS reaches out to Academia
-Upcoming Events
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Interview of Education Advisor
Dr. N. R. Dave
The School of Liberal Studies has beengraced with the presence of a visionary in technical
ducation, a man who has given his life in service to
humanity. With more than fifty years of being in
ducation, and three decades in administration, Dr.
N. R. Dave has played a key role in the formation of
he School of Liberal Studies. Despite his venerable
tatus as a veteran of education, his ideas are fresh,
nnovative and relevant to the need of the hour.
We, the Editorial Team were fortunate
nough to spend some time with the EducationalAdvisor and Former Director General of Pandit
Deendayal Petroleum University to ask about his
perspective on the pursuit of Liberal Education.
Recalling the inception of SLS, he told us of
how the idea of creating the School of Liberal Stud-
es in an Energy University took shape.
With Colleges such as Schools of Petroleum
Technology, Petroleum Management, Technology,
olar and Nuclear Energy, the University would be
very limited in nature, the education becoming
olely job-oriented. But, we need people possessing
eadership and thinking qualities. And for this we
need a different set of skills. The world cannot con-
ist simply of doctors and engineers. We need those
with have literary skills and who can be opinion
makers. When such people are sought in our coun-
ry, Jawaharlal Nehru University is the only empha-ized source. We look forward to creating a group
of people of such qualities, who are aware, con-
erned, well-read, and have acquired the right kind
of knowledge to provide an outlook to issues, be it
orruption, international issues or other societal
problems.
It is essential to have a wide view of things, a
multi-dimensional approach. An emotional connec-
ion with society is also necessary. To inculcate this
n the youth, School of Liberal Studies was founded.
Not only do Liberal Studies students think, they
give a new direction to thinking. Every issue in this
world needs to be re-viewed. And the youth has to
provide this new vision. The thinkers now are the
trend setters. Let the youth think for themselves
and prepare their own world.
In the entire conversation that we had with
him, Mr. Dave combined humour and wit with the
serious issues of the present education system. At
one instance he recalled an event from his days as a
Principal where his students protested as they
wished to be free to study for the approaching ex-
ams. He replied with saying he have given them the
freedom to learn from the start. He considers
teaching a noble profession, as it includes changing
a persons life, guiding them to the right path. He
finds it unfortunate that not many students wish to
take up teaching as a profession, but he feels happy
when students respect the life a teacher lives.
As this light mood continued in the office,
we asked him if he wished to give a message to the
new, 2012 batch, to which he said that his message
is generally too long, and let out a moment of
laughter. Life is a very serious matter to be taken
seriously, he said. Spread smiles everywhere, stayhappy and radiate happiness, he advised us all,
Even the teachers.
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Message from the Editorial Team
Leaving High School for College is a tumultuous
time. Frightening and exciting at the same time, we allget caught up in the storm of emotion and frantic activ-
ity that marks the application and admission process.
Sometimes, the actual beginning can even take
us by surprise.
We all have our own notions and ideas of what
it's going to be like, irrespective of what research we've
done, or the opinions we've solicited. But, as our newest
batch can probably attest to, the reality is utterly unlike
anything we could come up with.
Even so, the whirlwind that is the SLS Induction
cannot be properly conveyed to any that have not been
a part of it. The enormity of the implications of that first
make-or-break-week, that often defines your stay on
campus, the rush of all the introductions, the press of
information, all of which you're soaking up as fast as
you possibly can. Words will never be enough.
For most of us, it was affirmation we're in the
right place, the pace and the environment. It eased us
into the identity of SLS work till you can't any more,
and have a blast along the way. In that sense, we're a
curiously self-contained lot; we draw affirmation out of
the experience itself, and need or want little from out-
side or outsiders. New though we are as a college and
philosophy, the Induction Week embodies our foremost
strategy tackle everything head-on, and let the
nay-sayers fall to the sides and the rewards speak for
themselves.
And yet, here we are. Finally with a full rotation
of students First through Fourth Year, academics and
co-curricular activities alike progressing in full swingalready, the very walls of the classrooms we use brim-
ming over with a desire to prove ourselves.
Sitting back and looking at this drive, all that
comes to mind is, 'Look out, World. We're growing in
leaps and bounds, and we're here to take everyone by
storm.'
Not to forget, SLS Mirror wishes all its readers a
very happy Independence Day! Jai Hind.
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The first day of college for everyperson, be it a boy or a girl, is
one of the days he or she longs to
see and experience. It is that oneday, which tells them what the
institution they have entered is
like, lets them see and explore
the gateway to a new world, with
expectations of freedom and a
new life.
SLS organized an Induc-
tion Week for all first year stu-
dents. The week consisted of
various activities for the stu-
dents like interaction with pro-
fessors, seniors and the course-
mates alike. It helped us know
everyone around us better, and
gain familiarity with everything
around us.
Day One started with all
us fresh new students register-
ing and running around paying
the college and hostel fees. After
this we were all made to sit in
the lecture theatre, and intro-
duced to some professors, those
for English, Ms. Neeta Khurana
and Economics, Dr. Himani Joshi.
Soon enough, we were asked to
get back on our feet and rush tothe grounds, not knowing what
was in store for us... In the
grounds we were instructed to
form groups based on our Zodiac
signs and describe ourselves as a
group, but also individually.
We were then allowed to
rest in the lecture theatre for
some time and later introduced
to the subject of English Commu-nication. Then we were thrown
out again, this time, to perform
the activity 'The Great Wall of
China' which had us running
around the campus looking for
stuff to connect into continuous
lines - some found steel rods,
some made do with shoe laces.
After this heavy-duty exercise,
we were again allowed to settle
back in the theatre and asked tosketch our 'Buddy', the person
sitting next to us, without look-
ing at him or her, and to know
them better. It was great fun, be-
cause instead of faces there were
often caricatures, and we all had
a gala time bonding.
Day Two began with the
Introduction to International Re-
lations, by Dr. Rupakjyoti Borah,
followed by Public Administra-
tion, which was introduced by
Dr. Santosh Kumar and Mr.
Anurag Srivastava.
We were next shown pic-
tures from Day One, us having
fun in candid shots and asked to
list two of our strengths andwrite them on two chart paper
cut-outs, but we never did find
out what happened to them.
Then came division into groups
of 10 and activities of bursting
balloons, followed by carrying
the feather-light tea cups on our
heads and racing each other
(which saw people picking up
the cups and tying the cups to
their hair, in an effort to makethem stick). Just when we
thought the bag of tricks was
over, we were asked to volunteer,
for an unknown task - the hand-
picked, and now doomed boys
were made to wear saris, and
girls asked to tie, well, ties. This
was followed by a chilli hot-dog
eating activity, after which we all
broke off for lunch. When we
seated ourselves back in the lec-
ture theatre we were introduced
to the entire faculty for the first
time.
Induction Week at SLS: My Experiences
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The Editorial Team interacted with Dr. Nagendra S, Director (Sales & Strategy), Media and Entertain-
ment, Ignis Technology Solutions, a firm in the United States. Here are the highlights of the interaction:
Q. What do you think of the Liberal Studies concept introduced in India?
A. It is a fantastic concept; the real idea of education is liberal arts. We say it is more prevalent in foreign
countries, but I think its a concept that has been adopted from the ancient Indian education system - itsa very Indian form of education. But difficult part is that it takes a lot of effort to understand this kind of
concept, to create a dialog between masses and eventually make it work like main-stream courses. We
need to first educate the stakeholders about Liberal Education. This can be done in various ways like cre-
ating marketing tools stating how Liberal Studies will help the stakeholders.
Q. What do you think is the scope of Liberal Arts in India, and outside India as well?
A. It is massive. People with Liberal Arts background are absorbed in almost all the main streams. Liberal
Arts student like you all, need to make conscious efforts to explore the avenues for yourself. In India, the
concept would be alien to almost all the organisations, it is you students who need to go out there and let
the whole corporate world know about this course and the uniqueness of it.
If you want to work in the US, you dont need a degree. What I mean is that more than a degree, you needinnovation and the ability to think individually. But yes, you need to check your ability to compete with
students who have been pursuing the same course in countries where it has been established for years.How much does your knowledge and exposure match theirs? Accordingly, you need to prepare your-
selves to compete. Apart from all this, you should talk to as many people as you can and begin network-
ing.
Q. How did the US happen for you?
I am a seeker, at least I call myself one. I have seen myself evolve over a period of time. If a person wants
to succeed, he shouldnt run behind brands. Instead he should experiment with smaller organisations and
firms and opt for work that would give him experience. The same thing happened with me. Smaller firms
gave me more space to nurture my skills and helped me pave the path for where I am today. Moreover, I
belong to a profession where I need to be closer to my customers and a large number of them is in North
America, and thus I moved to the US.
(With inputs from Nupur Saraswat)
Plethora of Activities
Industry professional from US visits SLS
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The US Consul General Mr. Peter Haas ac-
companied by his political specialist visited Pandit
Deendayal Petroleum University on 12th July,
2012. He delivered a lecture on Indo-US Strategic
Relations. Mr. Haas showed a keen interest in inter-
acting specifically with first year students of both
liberal studies and engineering. In his lecture, hepointed out some of the very important and con-
temporary aspects of Indo-US relations which have
grown in the last few decades. He also talked about
how the United States, India and the world have
been working together to revive the world econ-
omy, post recession.
This session was highly interactive and our
esteemed guest addressed the questions asked by
students covering the areas of United States Sub-
Prime crisis, bilateral trade relations, fight against
terrorism and maintaining relations with the
United Nations. He was also asked about his views
on Indias Foreign Direct Investment policy , par-
ticularly with respect to the retail sector.
Mr. Haas appreciated the idea of liberal
studies education in India and applauded PDPU for
the same, as he too has been a student of liberal
studies.
(With input from Foram Patel)
US Consul General Mr. Peter Haas interacts with PDPU students
Plethora of Activities
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Know-Your-Major workshop
organized for Batch 2010
The School of Liberal Studies organized aweek long workshop for its semester five studentsfrom 10th to 16th of July, 2012 at the PDPU prem-
ises. These workshops focused on the scope of the
various subjects offered as Majors and Minors as a
part of the course curriculum. The main aim of the
workshops was to help the students streamline
their area of specialization.
The workshop was specially designed to
help students resolve the dilemma of choosing an
appropriate Major and Minor as their field of spe-
cialization. The in-house faculty held introductory
seminars on the seven major subjects being offered
at SLS, clearly defining the opportunities that came
along with them. To give students a better under-
standing of the current workforce scenario, spokes-
persons from various industries were invited to de-
liver guest lectures on their current endeavours,
requirements of the market, the job opportunities
that await fresh graduates and the skills required to
make a career in the students area of interest come
out successfully.Some of the speakers included Mr. Shekhar
Pandey, Associate Vice President at Mudra Commu-
nications Ahmedabad; Mr. Dipesh Shah, VP Corp.
Services & Bus. Development, GIFT City, Gandhina-
gar; Mr. Vipul Dave, HR Circle Head, Tata Docomo
(Gujarat); Prof. Falguni Vasavada Oza, Assoc. Pro-
fessor, MICA; Mr. Hitesh Budhbhatti, Business/
Marketing Head, Times of India (Gujarat) and Mr.
Jagat Shah, Founder, Cluster Pulse.
These sessions helped students in under-
standing their inclination towards various subjects
and enhance their knowledge of diverse fields.
These professionals and speakers in a way did not
just speak about the industry and subjects but
more about their own background and struggle
which helped students learn much more than just
about the concerned subjects. The guests and stu-
dents also interacted in question-answer sessions,
thus clarifying many of the doubts and confusions
that prevail among students before taking such a
major decision.
- Nupur Saraswat
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Juhi Sharma (SLS09)
Siddharth Mishra (SLS10)
Kajal Dungerwal (SLS09)
Jinal Mevada (SLS09)
Janki Gandhi (SLS10)
Janki Gandhi (SLS12)
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I opened the door and sat in the car,
To reach my college, some place afar.
My tummy was churning,
As that day was a different morning.
It was my first-day to my college,
I set out with dreams and aspirations in my baggage.
Wandering how will be my new day,
As strangers had arrived to become known to me
from far away.
I entered the gate as a shy girl,
Hoping to see a known face among unknown people.
In my class there were students hundred and six,
Me being unknown that with whom my friendship
would fix!
Someone came to me and said me hello
Someone else smiled at me with
some fear in heart below.
Slowly slowly with span of time ,
These all strangers became great friends of mine.
Now I feel relief in my heart,
Because all of them are now my lifes part
- Shivani Shah (SLS12)
For My College-mates
Gloomy mist impaired my vision,
Icy wind froze my entrails with great precision
I shivered in anxiety and fright,
Beneath a dark sky, during twilight.
I want to flee, I want to flee,
To seek refuge in the depths
of the Hills of Tranquility.
Impending doom towered upon me,
My limbs betrayed my urge to flee.
The rush of adrenaline within me dissipated,
This ill fate! dearly hated.
I want to flee, I want to flee,
To seek refuge in the depths
of the Hills of Tranquility.
What a dreary life I lead in the city,
Among me and my acquaintances
exists great animosity.
Much to my shame and embarrassment,
My nose sniffing at betrayals sickening scent.
I want to flee, I want to flee,
To seek refuge in the depths
of the Hills of Tranquility.
Society mocks upon those with no money,
There exist those with no time to be funny!
Is such a life worth living?
A life dictated by cigars, beer and thieving!I want to flee, I want to flee,
To seek refuge in the depths
of the Hills of Tranquility.
I want to flee, I want to flee,
To seek refuge in the depths
of the Hills of Tranquility.
The Hills of Tranquility beckon
to you to hasten forth!
The Hills of Tranquility
- Shashank Sreedharan (SLS12)
Riya Ramani (SLS12)
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Dr. Himani Baxi
Durva Vyas | Gayatri Chauhan | Harpalsinh Vaghela
Kruti Nair | Parthvi Choksi | Shinjali Divanji | Yash Modi
The Editorial Team:
PANDIT DEENDAYAL PETROLEUM UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF LIBERAL STUDIES
Off KobaGandhinagar Highway
Raisan, Gandhinagar, 382007
Gujarat, India
Phone: +91 79 23275231 Fax: +91 79 23275030
Visit us at: www.sls.pdpu.ac.in
Upcoming Events at SLS
Independence Day celebrations at University grounds on 15th August, 2012.
SLS Foundation Day celebrations on 24th August, 2012.
Global Village Phase II organized by AIESEC Ahmedabad and PDPU on 4th and 5th
August, 2012.
Human Resource Conclave at PDPU on 9th August, 2012.