MONTHLY NEWSLETTER JULY 2012 BACK WITH A NEW LOOK EDITION VIII
Unbeaten Summer of Exclusive for Cine Quiz Century 2012 first Years The Kollywood Quiz ...Pg 2 ...Pg 5 ...Pg 7 ...Pg 8
THE ONLY FOUR YEAR RIDE The first day of first year. - there’s more. Much more. Yes, you onto who you truly are without be- strated in more ways than you can Congratulations! Among the many will have loads of fun. There will be ing sorry about it. If you think this is possibly imagine. Adapt, but not firsts in life, trust me: this one is thousands of pictures, Canteen/ easy, think again. There will be many at the cost of losing yourself. Ev- going to be a clear memory even Canopy treats and surprise birthday such moments where you’d wish erything you are now made of dif- when you graduate (especially parties to mention a few. No doubt you were someone else or lived in a ferentiates you from the crowd. then). There are colleges in movies, - you will meet interesting people ‘cooler’ town. There will be instanc- When you pass out, make sure you the colleges which elder siblings or from varied schools of thought who es where you’d go to extremes to still possess your differentiators. friends animatedly talk about and challenge your comfort zone. get accepted by peers. There will Get ready. Wear your seat belts. It’s then there’s the college you enter. But amongst all the action, definitely be times where you dom going to be one hell of a ride! You are probably expecting both (if these four/five years are going to inate or get dominated by those not more) and understandably so. test one major trait - your ability to around you. You are going to see ASMA AFREEN But take it from a final year student be yourself. Your capacity to hold Darwin’s theory being demon- IV ECE
this will help you find people who share common interests and is a great way to make new friends. This is how I made friends in col- An Open Letter To The Freshman lege, and I have absolutely nothing to regret. Go for lunch and din- ner with friends, have a movie night in your hostel, watch sitcoms, play your favourite sport, keep yourself busy and before you know it, Dear freshman, your first semester will be over. If the mess food doesn’t seem appeal- Let me start this letter by welcoming you to SASTRA. This is your ing at times, or you need a late night grub, Maggi will be the saviour. first step on a journey, which will to a certain extent decide the course of College life is all about striking a balance. When it comes to aca- your life. You are about to embark on a four (or five, in some cases) year demics, don’t expect to be spoon fed. Stay focussed on academics, study long journey. A journey that will teach you a lot about yourself, other little by little every day. Don’t procrastinate on assignments. Submit them people and life. on time and you will automatically feel relaxed. Don’t cram before an Looking back at my first year here, I remember the initial few exam, or if you do, you’ll realize soon enough, that there is no point in weeks being filled with confusion and nostalgia. My parents wondered doing that. Unlike school, the college does offer certain liberties when it how I would manage to keep my room clean, wash my clothes, wake up comes to attendance. So sometimes if it all gets to you, take some time on time, attend classes and manage assignments without being under off, take a long walk or just sit in the canteens (without getting spotted their watchful eyes. On the other hand, I began to enjoy the liberty that by your professors that is), or stay in hostel and finish watching an entire college life offered. Back at home, it was lights out by midnight (max), but season of your favourite sitcom. here, there was no mother nagging me to wake up on time, eat my meals Never hesitate to ask for help. Everyone out here will help you. on time, and more importantly, study, which felt wonderful at first, but Age is no bar. You will find that seniors are as accommodating as your then eventually took a toll on me. peers in answering all the queries you will have. Never feel ashamed or There are so many things, I wish I had been told about college intimidated to ask for help. Asking for help will only benefit you in the life and of what I had been told, I wish I had listened a bit more carefully. long run. Walking around the new campus can be a daunting task at first. Choosing The best bit of advice that I would like to give you, something what to wear (or rather what not to wear) can be an intimidating one. which would have been told to you by everyone who has had their fair Picturing worst case scenarios can keep you up all night. You may also share of college experiences, but which I would like to reiterate, is to cher- be upset and nervous right now. You’re probably missing home, missing ish every moment you spend here. Don’t get stressed out. Form healthy your family and friends. You probably just want to quit college and go relationships with your peers, professors and seniors. Have a set of close back right now. These feeling are totally natural and trust me on this; they friends. Keep your goals in mind; make best use of whatever the college won’t last long. has to offer. Try out everything at least once. You may never know what The best advice I would give you to cure homesickness and survive catches your fancy. In all, just have truckloads of fun. college is to relax, socialize and keep yourself busy. Attend as many ori- Tejas Kinger entation sessions as you can, participate in as many activities as you can, II EIE
Sponsored by Canopy Pg 2 STUFF THAT MATTERS
A Canopy of all sorts... Canopy, located favourably on campus, offers quite the range the confused: try the double decker chilli sandwich if you’re in the mood of services – Laundry service to the hostels, a food court with spacious for lunch. If it’s dessert you’re after, I’d recommend the chocolate dream seating, a cab service so that you’re never stranded, an online handicrafts (a bit steeply priced, though. For the lighter pockets, take the softies. It store Mayjai which showcases the work of small scale artists thus pro- doesn’t matter which one.). When I’m feeling peaky, I always settle for the viding a wide selection of items that can be gifted, an online bookstore musk melon juice. (uread.com to be precise) which has already been demonstrated to this Canopy has plans for expansion; soon, there’s going to be another writer as selling books at prices lower than Flipkart’s offerings and food branch near TIFAC-CORE(right next to it as a matter of fact) which will delivery to the hostels. All of these services can be availed by accessing serve breakfast in the morning, sandwiches and juice at other times for and recharging your online Canopy account at canopy.sastra.edu. a quick pick-me-up, ice cream for the decadent and coffee at all times The food at the food court is an eclectic mix and it has caused for the sleep deprived and the sleepy. This is just the tip of the iceberg in many a student to linger confused near the token counter, unsure of what comparison to the other things that the Directors have in store for us. to order. With sandwiches, burgers, parathas, ice creams, pizzas, chaats, The Team would like us to mention that feedback is always wel- sodas and sugarcane juice, I’m sure that everyone is there at some point come, whether it is on the spot to the vendors or to the Directors. or the other. After nearly two years of being that student, I have gravitat- Aishwarya Hariharan ed to some standard choices and hence, am in a position to offer advice to IV CSE Crossing the Placement Hurdle
This is the time to get placed - transforming a careless student life Accept Rejection : to a responsible professional life has come for all the final years. Every- You may be rejected by one of the mass recruiters, or a dream company. body will go gaga over sample papers, interview questions and patterns of The mantra of successlies in how you handle rejection. When you leave TCS/Wipro and Accenture question papers. All the seniors will be remem- the room without an offer letter, you may be dejected. That is the time for bered; we are remembered only during the placement season. You will be self-assessment. Give yourself a break and analyze what could have gone asked to brush up the basics of most of the subjects and read one or two in wrong. If it was technical, go through it and polish your skills.But if it was detail. Here are a few things to keep in mind while sitting for placements. your attitude or the body language, reach out to seniors or friends you are comfortable with. Discuss with them and practice for the next opportunity. The Right People : I was part of a group who would never settle for anything less than Be in a group where everyone is preparing with the same passion as the best. We all had a common goal that we needed to crack Accenture you. There will be many guys who already have 320+ on GRE and have interview. We worked for it and achieved it. But that was not the end. We plans to fly abroad, and some will concentrate on MBA entrances. But worked hard for the dream companies - Rockwell Collins, Ascendant Tech., you have to be clear about what you want and how hard to work for KLA Tencore, Microsoft etc. I tried to figure out my mistakes, talked to some it. Conduct mock interviews within the group. The group of friends people about it and started preparing again. I was working with Accenture with you during the placement process matters a lot. Choose wisely. for 4 months, when I got an opportunity to interview at Samsung India Soft- ware Operations. I remembered everything that happened in the campus Motivate Yourself : interviews , prepared accordingly and I am a proud Samsung employee A quote from 3 Idiots comes to mind and holds true for placements also. now. Everything is possible, never lose hope, and always stay focused. You don't want to be the guy who is left out. When everyone around you, es- The writer is a SASTRA univerity passout from the 2011 pecially your friends are placed and you aren’t, that's the time when stress batch and is currently working in Samsung. He was also the first levels hit a high. Keep this in mind and it will work as a self motivating factor. Chairman of ICT@S and was also a Microsoft Student Partner. Kusumakar Dwivedi
PROF. VARADHARAJAN – 70 YEARS YOUNG!
People who achieve greatness as academics are the ones who ways of teaching have come up. Multimedia and internet play an impor-tant stand the testimony of time. We have amidst us, Dr. Varadharajan R. (ECE) role in today’s education. I support Wipro’s Mission10X where the agenda is who is celebrating 50 years of teaching. A brief interview with him reveals developing new methods to supplement the conventional “chalk and talk”. his youthful personality as he commemorates One Hundred Semesters of his teaching career. What are your alternative interests? I play cricket, tennis and badminton.I advise all the students to get in- Prof., can you tell us a bit about your schooling and collegiate years? volved in sport as it helps them increase their concentration and stay I did my schooling in a government school situated in Lal- active. I read a lot of books. This summer holidays, I finished reading gudi, Trichy. I completed my UG and PG in Physics from St.Joseph ‘The Kite Runner’ in one day! I also read ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ College, Trichy. Immediately afterwards in 1963, I joined as a lec- by the same author. The habit of reading books has always stayed with turer in the Physics department of National College, Trichy. I later ob- me. Reading helped me a lot to improve my vocabulary. I don’t fre- tained my PhD in “Liquid State Physics” from Madras University.I later quently watch movies. But I watched three movies in ten days during joined MAM College of Engineering as a Professor of Physics. Then the holidays. I like to listen to music and Hindi songs are my favourite. in 2001, I was appointed as Professor of ECE department in SASTRA. What is your opinion on Indian students going abroad for education Who was your inspiration? Are you in this profession by choice? and living? My father was a teacher and he was a great source of inspiration. I Students can go anywhere to enrich their knowledge depending on the made the decision during the study holidays of my first year PG. I had resources available. If they are able to make a global contribution, it is to stay close to home due to some circumstances. But I have no regrets not necessary for them to return to India.Have an ambition in life ac- for taking up this profession as I am a person who takes life as it comes. cording to your capability. Try to find ways of realising the goal by fair means. If you have other avenues of interest, nurture them and you will Do you think any changes that can be brought about at SASTRA?The come out in shining colours. teaching methods have changed a lot during the past fifty years. What The interview concluded with him quoting the lines “I can see is your take on it? farther because I stand on the shoulder of giants” referring to his role I feel the students are retained in classrooms longer than necessary. In- models. stead, they can be allowed to have more practical sessions. The lab prac- Hope to have you with us in the forthcoming years too! tice is insufficient in general in the engineering curriculum. I feel first S.NAMITHA Saturday soon after college re-opens could be a holiday. More scientific III ECE
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SCORE Wins, Yet Again!
The SCORE (or) SASTRA Community The primary focus will be on increas- My fellow batch mates, who were a part Outreach Program, an initiative started by our ing the self-sustainability skills by equip- of this program, were beaming proud when asked University not so long ago, had tasted suc- ping them with the power of education. This about their involvement with the program.. These cess in its maiden venture. Curiosity, apart paved the way for the school adoption drive students have made a solid contribution towards from killing the proverbial cat, led me to visit which forms an essential part of SCORE. Stu- change in the society. By covering this wonder- Dr. V.Badrinath, Dean, T&P, the man behind dents of SASTRA are planning to take classes ful initiative, I am constantly reminded of my the mission. I had a chance to interact with for the kids of the villages. Empowering them need to contribute towards societal upliftment. Dr. Badri sir, as he is popularly known, about with knowledge will reap rewards in the fu- “Give with your eyes open, take with your eyes their plans for the forthcoming academic year. ture. Arranging Career Guidance and Com- closed”. Something to ponder over, I must say.... With ataraxic ease, the genial puter Literacy classes are also on the agenda. Dr.Badrinath explained that this year was to The Community Welfare program, which be centred about overall community develop- involves adopting villages, has taken centre ment, and self-sustained development in areas stage. Clothes, food and necessary items would R. Sai Anand of Education, Employment, Health, Sanitation, be provided to the people and a free eye camp III Chemical Environment, Agriculture and Governance. will be organized. This is an example of the ho- “This is just the tip of the iceberg. There has listic approach adopted by SCORE. The move been a lot of effort put into the implementa- has come as a ray of hope to the villagers who tion of this wonderful programme”, he adds. have open heartedly accepted this kind gesture.
“FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH” : THE SEMESTER ABROAD EXPERIENCE
The Semester Abroad Program is a golden work in Bio-Engineering at SASTRA built up Bioinformatics student had to say: “An intern- opportunity offered by SASTRA each year to con- strong fundamentals, which are instrumental ship abroad teaches you way more than just sci- sistent performers in the V and VII Semesters of in our being able to carry out our tasks here.” ence! It will teach one how to deal with people, B.Tech and VII/IX semesters of M.Tech to spend Lakshmini is thankful she was mentored improve presentation skills and give you the a semester abroad in some of the top-class uni- by Dr.Piero Anversa, one of the world’s leading courage to take calculated risks” She admits versities in the world. The main criterion for se- cardiovascular scientists. She asserts that this ex- that there had been times when she wasn’t lection is a CGPA of above 7.5 with no history of perience has reaffirmed her interest in the pur- sure whether she would perform in informat- arrears. Following this, the short-listed students suit of research. She adds, “The SAP is a knowl- ics, given the little experience she had. “My are interviewed on career goals and areas of in- edge enriching experience, and it has built not mentors gave me the time to think and come terest. This year, 28 people made it through the only my professional contacts and opened up up with my own solutions despite the fact that SAP and set off to different parts of the world. multifold career options in future, but also made it took time. This was very important because “There are so many benefits for some- me witness and enjoy this multicultural milieu.” it taught me that there was something I could one like me, a research enthusiast. What more After achieving such a brilliant start to her career, do which I thought I was not capable of do- can one ask for, if one is selected into of the most Lakshmini has now taken up a yearlong research ing. This I believe is going to have a great im- prestigious labs in the world!” says an elated Lak- assistantship with the Stritch School of Medicine pact on my career.” Gayathri will attempt to shmini Balachander. Laksmini is a IV year BioE stu- along with two other SASTRAites, Swetha Ra- enter TCS R&D to further her research career. dent who was selected to the MIT-Harvard Labs. madesikan of Bio-E and Sudharshan Ravi of IBT. To both of them and to the other glob- “The abundant resources – in terms And “die Geschichte von Erfolg”(German: al SASTRAites, our hearty congratulations! of infrastructure, literature, and the exqui- “the success story”) continues with Gayathri site fields of study, set Harvard and MIT apart, Gopalakrishnan who spent her semester at Vidya.G and opens doors for students,” feels Laksh- Karlsruhe University, Germany, one of the most III CSE mini. When asked for her views on education famous, prestigious and oldest institutes in the in India, she says, “Undoubtedly, the course world. This is what the delighted fourth year VISUAL VICISSITUDES Its pronounced vi’sisi’tood, in case you don’t try this) and the guard staring at you This building can fool the brain (in more decided it was too much trouble. But if you’re grim faced, monitoring your every move. A than one way) because it appears so simple and a Vidyut Vihar student, that would be the least warm welcome indeed. That’s one of the un- unwound. Except, beneath this mask, lies the of your problems. No no, I do not mean the aca- intended positives about VV. It’s always warm, grand illusion. For instance, VV is quite possibly demic struggle you will face, unless you belong (literally only) even in the non-existent winter. the only building on campus whose numbering to *ahem*, or the boredom that will surely have The numerous stairways, most of which can be randomly generated by a piece of C++ you looking the window more often than not. are unchartered waters for the lot of you, remind code. For all the people who share the same dis- I am, however, referring to the obstacle course one of the moving staircases from the Harry Pot- ease as me, the innumerable doubts about direc- that is Vidyut Vihar, and I must say, Icarus got ter series. One time its there, and when you try tions, this place will only get you to feel special, away easy, perishing to his death. Even the looking for it again, you end up outside the Bio trust me. For the rest with a good memory, I might Minotaur could not have had VV figured out. Processing Lab… in JVC. Okay, that was a little too end up writing the same article in my final year. My looking forward to a “thought pro- much. But you get the idea. Some staff members My struggle wouldn’t have ended and I could get voking” experience in the second year of col- spend more time walking to and fro from class- embarrassed being guided by a junior instead. lege ended, not under the grounds of discov- rooms to their staff rooms, than actually inside ering the subjects, but the place instead. VV the classroom. VV is a must explore for all those was most definitely not how I envisioned it to with a sense of adventure, and attendance too! be. As the clocked ticked, my gaze rested upon The highlight of the building is the availability of the building I was destined to for the next three mobile reception even in the darkest of corners. Shwetha Srinivasan years. Long windows styled the French way, Surely Airtel must reach those in the middle of II ECE a pathway that numbed your senses (please a maze to offer them free relationship advice.
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D-Day : July 19th, 2012
Dr. Rajendra Prasad, S. Radhakrish- jee. This confounded even the most qualified, as If Mr.Mukherjee does indeed win the nan, Dr. Zakir Hussain, VV Giri, Fakhruddin Ali it is widely known that a move to Rashtrapathi election, as is largely expected, he will step into Ahmed, Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, Zail Singh, Bhavan signals the end of one’s active political the shoes of Pratibha Devsingh Patil, whose R Venkatraman, Shankar Dayal Sharma, KR career. The Trinamool Congress, one of the allies Presidency was underwhelming and disappoint- Narayanan, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, and Pratibha of the UPA in the alliance, decided to play spoil- ing. India has seen little or no development so- Patil. One position weaves them all together sport and put out a list of its personal choices cially under her, as was promised in her election in the fabric of history - The President of India. that contained the name of Dr.Manmohan manifesto. Considering that Mr.Mukherjee, or According to Wikipedia, the President Singh, the current Prime Minister of the nation. Pranab Da as he is respectfully known in politi- is the formal head of the legislature, executive This encouraged doubts over Dr.Singh’s role as cal circles, has had a four decade long career and judiciary branches of Indian Democracy and PM and was hotly contested across the globe. as the pillar of strength for the Indian Nation- is the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed However, the Congress refused to back down al Congress, the move to relocate him from Forces. Also, the President has the powers to and finalised Mr.Mukherjee as their candidate. North Block was seen as shrewd by experts. pardon and grant clemency. If you’re think- Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, President of India In that case, it is fitting that India be led from ing what I think you’re thinking, and no, not before Ms.Pratibha Patil, refused to stand for the front by a man who is respected all over that this is the civics textbook coming back to re-election four years ago citing lack of a con- the world for his acumen and humble attitude. haunt you, then you couldn’t be more wrong. sensus between the two parties. Once again, he To quote a few instances, Pranab Da When Lord Mountbatten, the last Vice- steadfastly maintained that he would only con- was the Finance Minister in the Indira Gandhi roy of India, took leave to attend the marriage sider it if there was a consensus. However, this government from 1982-1984, and was rated of Princess Elizabeth to his nephew Prince stand flipped nastily on him as his enthusiasm the World’s Best Finance Minister by a lead- Philip, C. Rajagopalachari was appointed the was half-baked and didn’t lead him anywhere. ing magazine. When the revered Rajiv Gan- Acting Governor-General of India. He contin- The AIADMK and the BJD proposed the name of dhi passed away, he was instrumental in Sonia ued in this capacity until June 1948, when Lord former speaker P.A.Sangma, and backed by the Gandhi entering politics and taking over the Mountbatten withdrew from India and two NDA, he is the second and final nominee in the reins of the INC. When a crisis sparks in the years later, in 1950, India had her first Presi- Presidential Election. It is ironical to note that UPA government, everyone turns to Pranab Da, dent in the form of Dr. Rajendra Prasad. How he his own party, the NCP deserted him and that his or the trouble-shooter. Be it the Bofors Scan- got there is another story, one that is not very daughter Agatha Sangma is the youngest elected dal, the 2G fiasco or the Office for Profit scam well known and will certainly have you gap- Member of Parliament, and ran on an INC ticket. of 2004, Pranab Mukherjee has seen it all. ing at the end of it. Since Dr. Rajendra Prasad, You have probably noticed that I kept On the other hand, P.A Sangma, the India has had many distinguished men as the mentioning that certain parties had to nomi- former Speaker of the House in the Lok Sabha, President of India, including two interim Presi- nate people for the post of President. The has been a source of concern. Some feel that dents – VV Giri and Mohammad Hidayatullah. 13th President of India will not be elected by his nomination is to prevent an unopposed The Presidential Election 2012 is sched- the people, not directly at least. He is elected victory to the UPA alliance. Also, as Meira Ku- uled for 19th July, 2012, while the counting of by the Ministers of Legislative Assembly and mar has aptly demonstrated, being Speaker of the votes and declaration of India’s new Head Members of Parliament in both houses, who the House entitles you to nothing. However, of State will happen on 22nd July, a few days be- in turn are elected by the people. The num- he is banking sharply on the tribal vote, which fore the end of the incumbent’s term. In nomi- ber of votes per eligible member depends on has so far pulled him along. P.A. Sangma has nating a candidate for President, both the ruling the size of his state and as this is a secret bal- been working diligently to undermine his ri- party and the Opposition can arrive at a consen- lot, one is not expected to declare his/her val by unveiling highly controversial docu- sus, thus unanimously electing the new Head loyalty to any one candidate. However, most ments, and so far, they seem to be working. of State. Unfortunately though, these particu- voters toe the party line and vote as a group. With the TMC still to decide on which lar elections will have to be won the hard way. When India celebrates its 65th Indepen- way it is going to vote, if it chooses not to ab- Prior to the filing of the nominations of dence Day, we will have a new President. Not stain, this Presidential poll could spring a few the candidates, much hullabaloo was created just a Pinocchio to a Geppeto, but a learned surprises. For one, we could be looking at our over the possible nominees from both the ruling man, an erudite being, one who is as well versed first ever tribal President. Or our first ever active party and the Opposition. The first name thrown in Bengali as in politics. Thankfully, I can freely politician turned President in the hot seat. One into the gauntlet by the UPA was that of current say that and not sound like the next President thing is for sure though – this election will set the Vice-President Hamid Ansari. Sushma Swaraj, has been decided. You see, both the nominees precedent for the assembly elections in 2014. the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, have Bengali as their mother tongue. In this cru- questioned Mr. Ansari’s stature and thus, this cial phase with the Lokpal Bill and the GST Tax Niranjan M name disappeared as quickly as it entered. Mean- Bill awaiting approval from both Houses, not to IV EEE while, the UPA Alliance entered a fresh horse mention the restriction on multi-brand FDI, the into the race – Finance Minister Pranab Mukher- President will have more than a perfunctory role.
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here are some examples: Internship @ IMSc 1.Is chess determined? i.e., can you come up Internship at NDTV’s The best place for Math with a winning/losing strategy for either of the players? Car & Bike Show enthusiasts 2.An ideal sphere is cut into a number of pieces After applying for seven summer in- and are put back to form two spheres which In-plant training and internships are ternships, the wait for the results was still a have the same volume as that of the original not just about certificates and an addition to skip-a-beat moment. One evening, I received sphere. Is it possible? your resume. They are all about identifying confirmation from IMSc that stated that I had 3.“This statement is false.” – Is this statement your cup of tea (or coffee, as long as it’s your been selected for their summer program in the true or false? cup!) – What works for you and what doesn’t. Department of Theoretical Computer Science. I 4.Does there exist a universal antivirus soft- You’re wondering what an engineer- was ebullient, as only five students across the ware? If no, why not? If yes, are the antivirus to-be (hopefully) was doing at a media heavy- country, get selected each year for the same. software companies cheating us? weight, one not even related to his domain. To For those of you who do not know, The Insti- 5.Can you solve the Travelling salesman prob- be honest, I was doing exactly what I wanted to tute of Mathematical Sciences is renowned for lem in polynomial time? do. I was at NDTV because my area of interest is their work in theoretical sciences and is hailed The way these topics were taught to- automotive evaluation and journalism; and the as the numero uno in Theoretical Computer tally changed my outlook towards finding solu- best person to do it under was India’s highest Science. Their research areas include Math- tions. It made me look at problems from a dif- automotive authority - Siddharth Vinayak Patan- ematics, Theoretical Physics, Computational ferent perspective. When I was stuck in traffic, kar (NDTV’s Car and Bike Show’s Anchor and Edi- Biology, Theoretical Computer Science etc. I was thinking about how a good algorithm for tor) himself. NDTV’s Car and Bike show is almost The program spanned a period of six clearing the traffic congestion over the internet 8 years old now and has a huge following and weeks. They had selected ten students along would easily solve the real-time traffic problem. respect in professional circles. I e-mailed their with me, in various other departments. Over the The last two weeks of the program were HR team stating my interest in interning on their course of my stay there, I had the opportunity committed to independent research. It was time team. I was later put in touch with a senior offi- to learn from the topmost brains in the country. for us to flap our wings and fly. The first four cial and a telephonic interview later, I was game. The areas covered included computational com- weeks gave me immense confidence and knowl- The best part is that there is no pot bellied plexity, randomization algorithms, distributed edge that enabled me to work on some of the man asking me my CGPA. If you have a penchant algorithms, polynomial equations, graph theory, open problems in the field of computer science for the media and can speak fluent English, you’re probability theory and game theory. If any of that like the chromatic number of planar graphs and in for an experience you will never forget. The sounds like gibberish to you, then you haven’t optimization algorithm for the Travelling sales- first few days at NDTV’s Delhi office were filled been to IMSc yet! There were topics ranging from man problem. Even though it might take years with a lot of people asking me what I was doing the eccentric “Relation between lock picking and or perhaps an eon for me to really solve an there... Call your colleagues by name and main- cryptography”, to hardcore math with “Why is open problem, it was nevertheless a good start. tain hierarchy through other forms of respect. the Travelling Salesman problem really HARD?” If a penchant for mathematics, an abil- Also, walk in whenever you feel like. But make Here’s an easy one - “How to cut a cake?” ity to learn quickly and thinking differently sure you complete your gig before the deadline. Feeling smarter than a fifth grader, aren’t you? are your ingredients, IMSc is the best place to Well, you won’t believe that it took almost four be. Generally, the students selected for the years to solve the problem of splitting a cake be- program have good academic records and a tween three people. It took four years more to few publications in either journals or inter- find the solution for doing the same between four national conferences. So for those of you, people. And it took another ten years to come up who aspire to be there, try to meet these pre- with an algorithm for a generic number of people. requisites to stand a good chance. After all, For those of you out there who wish to they teach you and pay you at the same time! My work description was simple but very take a sneak peek into what I (we) dealt with, C. Jagannathan taxing. The first few days of the week were our IV ECE research days wherein we procured information about the cars and bikes that we reviewed in the TCS Mobeel Challenge ected after an intensive survey of what was following episode. Once done, we move for the available in the market. With so many apps shoot, which I looked forward to because they al- The Android platform has come and available, it is very difficult to come with some- ways had a lot of testing, observation and evalua- swept away masses with its attractive inter- thing brand new but these students managed tion. Siddharth and I discussed what we liked and face and choice of applications. One can make to get an overall idea of all the health related what we didn’t like in the vehicle, what should their own mobile apps and put them in front apps available and create a new one which have been added, whether it had good value for of millions using Google Play, the Android was a culmination of the ideas. Their applica- money etc. Automotive evaluation is all about storefront for applications, movies and music. tion mainly calculated the number of calories mental comparison to a vehicle’s competition. Of late, our campus has been a breed- burnt alongside many other necessary features. The days when the episodes were shot ing ground for multiple mobile application de- PHOENIX was selected as one of the the were always packed with a lot of brainstorm- velopers. After Microsoft’s ‘I Unlock Joy’ saga top 10 in the country. The team added more ing about camera angles. When, where, how came the ‘TCS Mobeel challenge’. Students’ features which made it an exemplary show of to shoot and so on. The next phase was video hunger and quest for knowledge and expertise Android coding. When put to vote, team PHOE- editing where an episode’s shoot video was with a few published Microsoft applications NIX was right up front leaving the other nine edited, some music added and shots of the and a high-end Windows phone just didn’t die competitors far behind. On the day of the re- car were arranged to match dialogue.There out. ‘TCS Mobeel challenge’ had students all sults they were taken to the sprawling TCS Siru- were also a lot of days when I spent more over the nation participating. The team ‘Phoe- seri campus. A panel of experts reviewed all the than twelve hours at work. I came back roast- nix’ comprising of Ganesh (IV yr, CSE), Sudhar- applications that were developed and awarded ed and dehydrated every night, but with the sanan (IV yr, CSE) and Shrikanth R (IV yr, IT) them with a runner up prize. To show their ap- satisfaction of doing something that felt right. was SASTRA’s entry into TCS Mobeel. Ganesh preciation towards the hard work and dedication There is no qualifying degree or exam, was in charge of the GUI of the application. Be- of this team, TCS awarded them with a 32 GB CGPA required. It doesn’t matter what de- cause he was well versed in Adobe Photoshop iPod Touch, an offer letter to work in the mobile gree you have or where you have worked and other image editing and designing soft- application development domain and a three before. All you need to have is an undying ware, he could create mockups pretty quickly. month internship to do their final year project. passion for cars and a valid driving license. Shrikanth and Sudharsanan were taking care As they say, ‘hard work works!’ of the backend coding and as a result of their Here’s wishing them good luck in all their fu- combined effort they managed to bring out ture endeavours. a successful fitness monitoring application. Arvind Viswanathan Vignesh V Ramakrishnan The theme of their application was sel IV CSE IV Mech
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JJPK : Viva La Vivarium! Health food : Sundal of You’ve Got Mail ! The unassuming structure hidden away every type and colour from the pedestrian activities at the Chota Can- teen ostensibly plays host to a load of sinister go- SASTRA supports secularism and So you’ve been at this college for quite some ings-on. A modern day Frankenstein drama? Not gives it’s students the freedom to follow any time now(some of you might not even re- really. A chat with Dr. Panchapakesan, Director path to enlightenment. The students reverent- member a time before SASTRA) and you think of Jeeva Jantu Pariksha Kendra reveals the facts. ly consider SASTRA the temple of knowledge. you know most of the current email servic- This basic truth is ingrained in each and every es - Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail and so on The Central Animal Facility is fully air-condi- pupil’s mind. The institution, ever supporting, and so forth. All right, but were you aware of tioned with infrastructure for pre-clinical drug reinforced this belief by revolutionising the SASTRA’s own e-mailing service(especially testing. Here, researchers test drugs on live ani- snacks schedule. Thus the students get sundal before Hostel Registration. All ye, day schol- mals, as part of the standard protocols. This re- (kovil prasadam) for 4 days and Marie (Mary) ars, it is true ! We have a mailing service.)? quires highly sterile conditions and a controlled biscuits for the remaining 3 days of the week. And it is known as SHANmail. environment, both of which are available. The SASTRA also believes that enlightenment can The most important question(and there are CAF houses mice, rabbits and even SCID rats. be attained only when the individual is healthy, quite a few up there) that’s popping up in ev- These animals are the guinea pigs (literally) of both physically and mentally. It contributes to ery one’s mind: how do I find it ? Well, last experiments to test the efficacy of the drugs, this ideology by making the snacks totally oil year, if one typed in just “sastra.edu” you’d study their effects on live animals and conduct free. So for those concerned with losing weight magically find yourself at “Shanmail”’s page, toxicity tests. If successful, these proceed to clin- and being fit, it is very easy; they just have to an initiative powered by Zimbra Collabora- ical studies where the drugs are tested on hu- eat (or try to eat) the snacks regularly. Though tion Suite (we’ll get to that next). As of today, mans and can be put into therapeutic use. This this regime was implemented with good inten- one can log in only through the domain “mail. is in addition to the course (BioE/MNT) related tions, it failed to fulfil its purpose. After all, as sastra.edu” to access your very own account: work that is undertaken here. The labs are well they say, ‘ Too much of a good thing tends to
Sriram M IV ECE Aditya Kousik III CSE www.facebook.com/imprint
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The Studio: Dramatics The Speed of Light - Artz Club @ SASTRA! Was it you, who got thrown out of the class Before movies, before television, Celeritas after the teacher found that someone had even before radio stations – one of the old- Founded in 2009, Celeritas, an initia- doodled her in your notebook??? est forms of media known to man... oh al- tive of Dhananjay Ravikumar and mentored by NO WORRIES. There’s serious fun in store for right, we’ll cut the dialogue short. We are talk- Dr.John Bosco Balaguru, the forum for modern you(and yes, it is an oxymoron!) ing about theatre, and the dramatic events. physics at SASTRA provides a platform to nur- We offer shelter to all such born-artists in the The Studio is the name of the dramat- ture the curiosity of young minds interestedin ARTS CLUB!! Help get your due share of name ics club at SASTRA. We cover all stage events the vast area that is modern physics. Discus- and fame!! such as one act plays, monologues, mono- sions usually range from the tiniest of particles Club up with your like, develop your phenom- acting, sketches, skits, and in some cases, we to largest of black holes. Meetings take place enal ideas and create Chaos. tolerate musicals too. If you thought theatre once a week where a member of the forum will For those who find daily classes too mundane, was merely acting, think again. If you thought talk on a pre-decided topic and hence feeding the ARTS CLUB allows you to pamper the artist plays were boring monologues from Shake- a healthy debate on the topic during the ses- in you. speare (shoved into the school English curricu- sions. We also occasionally invite people from Obsessed with paints? Tired of brushes and lum by mad old educationists) or that scripts outside, to give a talk on cutting edge research palletes? are stories which are easy to read (because all going on at major physics laboratories across You could just throw it on your friends face and the boring narration is cut out, and there are the world. A notable example would be a live hope for a reaction - we are not fussed. We call only dialogues), you ain’t seen NOTHIN’ yet. video conferencing from CERN, Geneva where it face painting. Every Sunday, 3pm, Drama Club is Professor John Ellis, a seniortheoretical physi- Why so serious? held at Gnana Vihar. At these weekly ses- cist, talked about the physics at the LHC, which sions, we conduct events through which ev- atthe time was on the hunt for the elusive Higgs INSIDERZ
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THE UNCONVENTIONAL OPEN-ELECTIVE COURSES I wish to clarify that I have nev- for two months when I was 10 , all I remember was pretty much what I thought, they had er opted for an open elective, much less was the supine position and how I repeatedly quite an astute way of going about it. The one mentioned below. This piece is pure- fell asleep while in it (don’t blame me, it was 6 course was a melange of subjects, including ly based on information gathered from the a.m.) Did they bend themselves into those im- philosophy, time management, meditation etc. people who did take up these particular possible looking pretzel-shapes during class? Food Processing - A very close friend courses and of course, my personal views. How are they graded for the exams? Anyone of mine picked this course, so I didn’t feel the I vividly remember that day in my fresh- who can do a position without tearing a liga- necessity to hold myself back. I was told that man year when I heard about Open Electives. ment gets an S? My insane queries and mild sar- there was a section called pizza preservation Take one extra course per semester from the casm were put to rest as the student went on to - probably what attracted her to the course. fourth semester onwards, and be set free in explain how interesting it actually was and how But after every class she attended, she would the final semester. The way everyone went on nobody has missed even one class so far. The come armed with a bunch of food facts I nev- about it, you’d think it was the greatest thing course is divided into an hour of theory and an er knew. She professed true interest in the man had thought of since sliced bread. The first hour of practical every week. The theory class subject and was glad for taking it. In the end, time you chose an Open Elective would have explains the history and the purpose behind that’s what counts I guess; how much it cap- been out of interest in that particular subject. Yoga. It garnered a whole new level of admi- tivates and encourages the student to learn. Despite that, there is always the underlying ration when he mentioned that the class con- However, several other courses, in- question of, “Is this paper going to be easy (to sisted of a whopping 60 students. By the time I cluding Manusciptology, Vedanta, Basics of pass)?” and convenience. And who could blame was done questioning, I was left wondering if I Sanskrit and Mathematical Modelling must them; I belong to the brood that groan if the should have waited till college to take up yoga. be mentioned, as I was unable to reach stu- professor were to take class even a minute after Human Excellence – I didn’t even know dents from the same for comment. As an af- the bell. But our college does make it fun - the what to put in the questionnaire. What was I to terthought, I just realized that I will be allotted variety of courses it offers is just mind boggling ask? Is the aim of the course to make you an these very courses in my final semester.Pizza – some easy, some intellectual and some plain excellent human being? I was fairly certain I munching while in Padmasana, here I come! queer. Here are some that caught my attention. couldn’t ask that without earning a punch to my Yoga – I could barely contain my gig- face. So I just asked a student to tell me about gling as I made a list of questions I needed to it. The initial confusion was cleared in a few S.Muthulakshmi Pillai ask a student who took it. I took yoga classes minutes as she told me that, while the course IV BioInfo CINE QUIZ COLOSSEUM 2012 In Ancient Rome, The Colosseum was an iconic with athletes vying for an opportunity to etch 1) Which is the only film in which Goundamani symbol; something much more than a building their names in the annals of the Colosseum. and Santhanam acted together? as it represented their society. It was used for a Colosseum has a theme this year, “Road 2) Which Tamil actor is an ambassador for Green variety of reasons, to Rome”. Symbolizing the Revolution? to re-enact epic grit and determination of the 3) Which is the first Indian movie to use animat- battles fought by modern day athlete and their ed characters with actors? the army, scenes acts of bravery and courage 4) Name the only film directed by Gemini Ga- and episodes in the field would surely take nesan. from mythology the viewer back to the days 5) If Aboova Ragangal is for Kamal Haasan, what and most impor- of the Gladiators. The Colos- is it for Vikram? tantly Gladiato- seum has a Mascot which will 6) Which is the first movie in which Sivaji Gane- rial shows. The Gladiators were faced with in- soon be unveiled, along with the website and san and Rajinikanth appeared together? surmountable odds and are equipped with an android application to ensure that you are 7) When did Crazy Mohan first join hands with only a sword. Nothing but pure grit and deter- up to date. An array of shows is being planned Kamal Haasan? mination could ensure survival, and this is the for the Opening and Closing Ceremony. T-Shirts 8) Who was the first woman director/producer very reason that a Gladiator’s victory inspires and other merchandise will soon be on sale, so in Tamil cinema? so many people and captures their hearts. grab yours and be there to cheer for our team! 9) Which famous Hollywood star uttered this SASTRA University has its own Colos- City Union Bank is the title sponsor, Thyrocare line: “Sivaji Ganesan can act like me but I cannot seum, the annual sports festival being held for and Kannan Constructions are the Associate act like him” the 5th time this year. Colosseum 2012 prom- Sponsors and Jaya TV and Suryan Fm are the 10) Excluding Vairamuthu, who are the only two ises to be bigger and better this year, and the Media Sponsors. With the Olympics being held Tamil lyricists who have won national awards? organizers are leaving no stone in ensuring that in London and for those who cannot make the it is a grand success. Top class playing facilities trip, Colosseum 2012 is the next best thing. Courtesy: Mokkapadam.com. and infrastructure (add to it the recently inau- For answers, visit facebook.com/mokkapadam gurated Tennis Court), the Colosseum is sure Girish G Koundinya to attract the biggest names in Southern India IV ICT TOONSCAPE
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