The Christmas Brunch

The notice on Christmas Eve quite simply said that on Christmas morning there would be a brunch at 11 am. While this was taken by many as an invitation to sleep in on the merry holiday, the foresighted ones descended near the cesspool en mass to check whether the rumours of apple pie and maple syrup were true.

They were met with a veritable feast! There was dark coffee with a dash of hazelnut sauce – which in the generous spirit of the day, you could fill your cup to the brim with; also apple juice sparkling in little plastic cups (notice of course that this was an ‘and’ option which meant you could have both!) There were pancakes drizzled in maple syrup and honey, bread topped with cheese and veggies; risotto, which left some of the GB stumped (sample: yeh chawal aise kyo banaya hai? Why have they made the rice like this?). For the non-vegetarians there was Firecracker Lamb and Sheperd’s Pie, while the vegetarians had Au Gratin and Rose Potatoes with Onions and Barbeque Sauce. Last but not the least – there was plum cake with a chunk of vanilla ice cream topped with strawberry syrup and grounded cashew nuts.

No surprises therefore as to the fact that Christmas morning saw endless lines, with even localites who’d gone back home for the holiday rushing back to college just for the meal. What made the food seem even more amazing was the fact that it was served outside, near the cesspool. The benches, the steps, the edge of the cess pool were soon all filled with chattering laughing students, relaxing in the wintry sunshine as they ate the grub. Even the resident lecturers ate the meal near the cesspool, making the brunch seem like a large-scale college picnic.


What more can one want? The food was good, the company amazing and last but not the least - it felt like a Christmas morning.

Christmas Eve Celebrations in NUJS

The Christmas mood which had set in since the Juno-X’mas Night came to a climax on Christmas Eve when NUJS celebrated the festival in its own special way. The Boys’ Mess which was the venue for the celebrations was bedecked with Christmas decorations – a result of the effort put in by some of the First and Second years who had worked all through the afternoon. Though the forty-five minute power cut just an hour before the starting time of the event gave everyone a scare, they didn’t let any of it dampen their Christmas spirit and the mess looked like it had never looked before.

The event, which was organised jointly by the Cultural Committee and the Mess Committee, and emceed by Abhisar Bairagi began at around seven. There were ten carols sung by the choir consisting of excited First years and Second years, with Joseph and Rahul Varghese on the guitar and synthesiser respectively. Starting with ‘Joy to the World’, the choir then sang ‘O come all ye faithful’, ‘Angels we have heard on high’ ,’Silent night’, ‘Away in a manger’, ‘Rudolph the red nosed reindeer’, ‘Santa Claus is coming to town’, ‘O Holy Night’ (duet by Zothanpui and Udit), ‘Jingle Bells’ and ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas’. Many of the General Body had made an effort to attend the programme by squeezing time out of their pre-planned arrangements for the evening and they responded with boundless enthusiasm to the programme. They sang, they swayed, they aaawwwed when ‘Rudolph the red nosed reindeer’ came on the stage and they clapped and laughed along, when Santa did his little gig.

There have been significant changes in the way NUJS celebrated Christmas this year- it was bigger, merrier and also yummier! Here’s hoping that these changes are here to stay in the way of a tradition in the years to come. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!


- Sakshi Agarwal (First Year)

A Gym at Last!

Having been in the pipeline for as long as we can remember, the NUJS gym was inaugurated by Prof. M.P. Singh on 22nd December 2008 amidst much fanfare. Students, faculty and administrative staff can now use the facilities of the gym for a nominal payment of Rs. 100 per month. Indeed, the gym, located near the side entrance to the academic block, saw a steady inflow of footfalls all through the evening. The administrative staff in particular made a beeline for the weights. Several members of the faculty also tried their hand at some of the apparatus. The gym boasts of a treadmill, two cycles, a bench press, two exercise balls, a multi-station and other paraphernalia.

Juno-Christmas Night

Christmas came early to NUJS with the much-awaited first-of-its kind Juno-Christmas Night, billed as “an open-air acoustic sing-along concert under the stars,” featuring songs from the Juno OST and popular Christmas carols.

All afternoon, the campus was abuzz with activity and Christmas spirit as students from all years scurried about preparing for the event. Five o’ clock saw a large and enthusiastic crowd gathered in a semi-circle in the open space in front of the Boys’ Hostel: laughing, chattering, excited people in red and white, sporting Santa caps and clutching sing-along handouts with printed lyrics. The golden baubles from the campus lights added to the Christmassy air. The announcement of the Second Year results caused a minor delay, but the cloud of results had to drift away at the sight of so much merry-making.

Of the two emcees, Kavita was the epitome of the Christmas elf, spreading good cheer; Sroyon, the image of Father Christmas as a fifteen year old. The programme started off with them telling us why the programme had been organised that Friday evening: firstly, because many of us wouldn’t be there in college on Christmas Eve; secondly, to encourage people to donate their old clothes to charity; thirdly, to raise funds for buying iodized salt to be distributed to dwellers of nearby slums.

The first half of the programme comprised songs from Juno and some random songs chosen because they “fit in with the mood of the evening.” The all-acoustic ‘band’ was led by Appu and Joseph, with six or seven others joining in the chorus for some of the songs. The audience joined in with handclaps on the more peppy numbers such as Tree Hugger and Loose Lips. Joseph and Appu’s adorable duet on Anyone Else but You was especially well received, if the number of “aaawwww”s was any indication. Some of the songs carried dedications: Puff the Magic Dragon was dedicated by Appu to the Barbies and G.I. Joes lying forgotten in all our toy cupboards, and Ripzong dedicated Travelling Soldier to those who lost their lives in the line of duty in the Mumbai attacks last month. Just before we all broke for tea, Sroyon incurred Appu’s wrath by inciting the audience to request her to perform What’s Up by the Four Non-Blondes: “I’ve requested it like a hundred times but if you all beg her she might just oblige.” But oblige she did, and though she faltered slightly with the lyrics, she was as usual, note-perfect.

The tea tasted wonderful in the wintry evening, and was served for a change in kulhars instead of cups. Afterwards we all reassembled for the second half. We were greeted by a choir dressed in red and white that sang Christmas carols and was joined lustily by the all and sundry. Beginning with the sweet and calming Silent Night, they moved on to O Come All Ye Faithful. Voices reached a united crescendo on Gloria in Excelsis Deo. Joy to the World and Feliz Navidad officially ended the Juno-Christmas Night. But before the guitars and amps were packed up, another request came from everybody. How could one have a Christmas Night and not sing Jingle Bells?

It is true that Joy to the World started on the third take, Sroyon in his eagerness introduced Piazza, New York Catcher one song early and whistled off-key on Tire Swing, and the chorus was not always perfectly coordinated, but the enthusiasm of both performers and audience made up for the minor mishaps, and no one really minded. The evening ended with songs and smiles on everyone’s lips.

Protest Theatre/Film Fest

The Centre for Human Rights and Citizenship Studies, Open Space and Cinephiles Anonymous hosted a theatre and film festival on 17th and 18th December 2008.

The festival kicked off with a powerful performance by Mr. Parnab Mukherjee. Parnab, one of the leading alternative theatre directors of the country, enthralled the audience with his three solo plays. The evening started off with a touching rendition of Mahasveta Devi’s “Breast Giver”. This emotional short story explores the conflicts faced by a young Adivasi women and also serves as a powerful metaphor for the exploitation of the underprivileged. Using simple everyday items such as tape, a churidar and a towel, Parnab’s one-man performance was an interesting example of a ‘Third Theatre’ production. The second play was about a woman who becomes the ‘object’ of a photographer’s project, only to face the dreadful consequences which follow. The last play describes a man’s thoughts just before he is about to commit suicide. The sharp and often provocative script set the tone for an intellectually simulating and culturally satisfying evening.

The movies to be screened included the “Brandon Teena Story” on which the movie “Boys Don’t Cry” was based, “Work in Progress” about the World Social Forum in Mumbai and a collection of short films on AIDS.

November Issue of Writer’s Block Hits the Stands

The eagerly awaited November Issue of Writer’s Block, the (approximately) monthly NUJS rag, was released by the MagCom on 12th December 2008 (we did say it was eagerly awaited). The issue set a new record for page count and carried an unusually high number of entries by the General Body. Of particular note was Taking Stock, an article on the changing teacher-student relationship in NUJS. The article was authored by Goutham Shivshankar of the Class of 2009. Another popular new feature was Writer’s Blog—a selection of posts by Noojie bloggers featuring, among other topics, sneezing, child labour, mondegreens, insomnia, spies, bots, and Thomas Hardy.

Of course, the Issue also contained the regular features that people have come to associate with Writer’s Block. The MagCom Restaurant Review—titled Tea or Coffee—focused on Dolly’s Tea Shop and India Coffee House. The SportsCom was chosen as the MagCom 'Society of the Month', and the 'Know Thy Family' pages featured profiles of the campus security guards.

As usual, the issue attracted wild praise, a moderate dose of controversy, and furnished under-the-desk and over-the-pot entertainment during the week that followed.

First General Body Meeting of the Winter Semester

A recent poll conducted by the MagCom found that 82.17% of the NUJS students have attended a GB meeting at one point or another. And why shouldn’t they? GB Meetings offer a chance to know, to gripe and to shout. Mix in a liberal dose of legal jargon and some everyday college controversies and you have close to two hours’ worth of entertainment that would give the latest Yash Raj a run for its money.

The first general body meeting of the Winter Semester was a surprisingly sedate one, with a modest turn out. Two amendments to the NUJS Constitution were made, one that confirmed the division between the Magazine Committee and the Juridical Review and the other relating to a Society’s power to show-cause GB members. Other maters of grave importance included the impact of the recession on the impending fests Invicta and Outlawed, and proposed changes in the Examination Rules and the Academic Calendar. Of particular note was the fact that all of the topics on the Agenda were covered, a feat rarely achieved.

Candle Light Vigil

On 1st December, a candle light vigil was organised around the “Pillar of Justice” at the main entrance to the University campus. The idea for the event originated from the faculty. The Vice-Chancellor lit the first candle to mark the commencement of the vigil. A large section of the student body participated in the event, and over five hundred candles were lit. A two-minute silence was observed in memory of those who lost their lives. As part of a pan-Indian movement envisioned as a mark of solidarity, the students also wore white clothes.

A faculty member was heard to remark that this low-key and sincere event marked a welcome change from many that seem to be arranged by various organisations for the benefit of the press alone. The President of the Student Juridical Association also took this opportunity to announce an open forum for discussion that would be held on 2nd December inside the campus.