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.

NUJS Hostel Safari

On 18th November 2008, more than 50 NUJS girls made their way through the corridors of the Boys’ Hostel for the first ever NUJS Hostel Safari, an event organised by the MagCom. Armed with cameras, loads of courage and hankies to cover their noses, they bravely walked where few (if any) sane women have ever gone before.

To enrich the Safari experience, the MagCom provided them with guide booklets that contained floor-by-floor maps and highlighted the places of interest. Among these were the rooms widely recognised as the messiest and dirtiest in hostel, and also some which were so elaborately and painstakingly ‘done up’ that the girls themselves were left wondering if they should ask the occupants for a few tips on interior décor. Another prominent place of interest was the corridor where the ‘Pink Lady’, the resident ghost of the Boys’ Hostel, first made her appearance. The adventurers ended their tour at the terrace where some nutters (read MagCom members) put garlands around their necks and “served” them Pepsi.

For a few hours, the NUJS Boys’ Hostel was converted into a monument of interest and viewed through the eyes of an outsider. For a few hours, the Hostel felt like a different kind of circus.