Inking a new beginning

Suffocating and boring- this is  pretty much how everyClass 12 student describes the three month break that follows the dreaded board exams. So getting a call from HT for the selection of HT campus journalists was a much-needed breather.

I realised that this was (if at all I was selected among hundreds of other students) a significant opportunity in terms of my first big break as a journalist. Incidentally, journalism is my first career choice. Braving the ‘Dilli-ki-garmi’ to find the HT office was a task in itself. Anyway, I managed after getting expert directions from the ice-cream wallas and some rude uncles, who found more delight in chewing paan than in helping out a youngster like me. 

Feeling a little  apprehensive, I entered the office library, only to find four gregarious people sitting and chatting about life after boards, college choices, music, movies and sitcoms. I instantly felt at ease. Breaking the ice, they welcomed me and told me about all the work we had to do as campus journalists, if at all we got selected.

Thereafter, we were joined by five more like-minded people. After a small test, we were treated to delicious sandwiches. Finally, we were called to the editor’s office. Dreading the outcome of my valiant (though rather incompetent effort), I entered the office, only to find a warm and cheerful face telling me and five others that we had been selected as HT campus journalists. My mood instantly zipped from ground zero right to the top of cloud nine!

So, here I am, introducing the campus journalists in my capacity as editor of the week.

There is Neeraj, a commerce student, who doesn’t quite exhibit the traits associated with his zodiac sign. A Leo, Neeraj is subtle and quiet... so much so that most of the time his presence in a room goes unnoticed. Then there is Apoorv, a science student who describes himself as a ‘metal-head’. He plays the guitar and hopes to form his own rock band in the near future. Anwesha, a science student, wants to get into IIT. She also wants to be a part of the media, theatre and dance clubs in college. We also have Purnika, a commerce student who aspires to become an economist. She hopes someday to work with Raghuram Rajan and contribute towards India’s economic development. We also have in our group Yusra, a humanities student who loves psychology and wants to pursue mass communication.

And finally there is me, Rishabh. A humanities student, I am a die-hard enthusiast and want to dabble in almost everything to see what life has to offer. I have a love for the English language. And there is one thing common among all of us -- we are all looking forward to the fun-filled and hardworking weeks ahead as campus journalists.

At this stage, there is one thing that I would want to tell all my fellow college aspirants. Venture into college life with an open mind, positive attitude and enthusiasm. Only then will you be able to enjoy, learn and grow from each experience.

Editor's list

Finally, I, Rishabh, as the editor of the first week, convened the edit meeting. It was fun, lively and interesting!

SETTING UP THE EDIT MEET

The first meeting was held as soon as the final HT campus journalists were selected, with all of us brainstorming about our responsibilities

THEME OF THE WEEK

We selected the theme for today’s edition - introductions. We decided that all of us would give you a sneak-peek into our lives and academic backgrounds

TASKS SET OUT

We all had to do what we are best at doing, ie describing ourselves and sending in our profiles. Since this was the only task decided upon, everybody agreed that there was ample scope and time to give in our best

THE MOST DISCIPLINED JOURNO

It’s too early to tell. According to what I have observed, all of them seem equally disciplined and hard-working

WORK I DID THIS WEEK

Being the editor, I had to write the first piece, announcing our arrival to the readers. Essentially I had to write a little something about everyone in the team

...AND NEXT WEEK’S EDITOR IS
Apoorv Gupta - hold your breath and watch this space, for there is a lot more to come!