The B-Y-O-A festival- Art for art's sake!

In a move to encourage the city’s upcoming artists, the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath will be hosting the ‘Bring-Your-Own-Art’ festival on December 7th, 8th and 9th. The event seeks to explore the talents of the ‘undiscovered artist’—anyone whose hobby is art—and participation is open to all.

The ‘Bring-Your-Own-Art’ (B.Y.O.A) festival works exactly as the name would suggest, with a novel do-it-yourself theme running through it. This forum gives the common man the chance to put his artistic skills on display. This event will also offer budding artists an opening to network with other members of the fraternity and will promote the work of local artisans. Entries are invited from all age groups and a background in art is not required.

The event is the initiative of three friends with a penchant for art- Jose P.L, a postgraduate in computers who moonlights as an artist, Stephen Dass, a freelance HR consultant and Rahul Thomas Venkatesh, a postgraduate in Fine arts who works with 2D animation films. The event is being organised under the banner of Eclipse Ventures, an event management company run by Stephen Dass.

Participation categories cover just about any form of artistic expression, from painting, sculpturing and murals to photography, collage, poster design and cartooning.
Entries are required to be photographed and sent to the aforementioned B.Y.O.A Committee and will be short listed for the exhibition at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishad. The last date for entries is the 30th of November. For more details on participation categories and the rules, visit the festival’s website at http://www.bringyourownart.com/.

The student's guide to television- Part 2

Here’s the much awaited sequel that I pieced together sometime over the last semester but never bothered to post. Forgive the lack of continuity, my bad.

You might also want take a peek at a few other T.V shows that do not underestimate the intelligence of the viewer. Here’s a self-compiled list of primetime television programs that are a must-watch for the couch potato who is armed with a TV remote and not afraid to use it.
HOUSE, tells the story of the cynical, anti-social Dr. Gregory House using sharply constructed plots and witty dialogue. The show has proved to be a lot more accurate than other stalwarts of the medical genre like ER. Also, the characterisation is very real, with the protagonist being one of the most interesting characters on T.V these days. Starring Hugh Laurie in his Emmy award-winning role, this medical drama plays on Tuesdays at 11:00 p.m. on AXN.

WE, THE PEOPLE, the opinion show that made Barkha Dutt a household name, enters another season with whole new series of discussions on issues ranging from homosexuality to cross-border terrorism. One does get the feeling however, that this discussion- based show is getting rather repetitive. The number of panel members has seemed to mushroom, often giving the topic dimensions that it could do without. As a result, it meanders into tangents that do not further the discussion. Sometimes, the show may not be as meticulously researched as it used to be and the interaction is often at a very superficial level. Having said that, this show is a clear favourite in a lot of households, which means that it is doing something right. And when held against the other passive paparazzi news junk like E! News, it is in a different league altogether. The show airs at 8:00 p.m. every Sunday night.

CHANNEL V LAUNCHPAD breaks the myth that contemporary Indian music is only about item-girls and bhangra. It showcases some of India’s best rock acts, competing for the grand prize: a chance to play Hard Rock Café, New York. The show does have a few hiccups, Luke Kenny’s ‘expert advice’ and annoying VJs to name a few. But it is quite encouraging to see major TV channels giving Indian bands some airplay, even if it is done in a very patronising manner. Tune in on Friday nights at 10:00 p.m. for an hour of pure musical talent.

THE SIMPSONS have been doing the same thing for fifteen long years: allowing its heterogeneous audience to enjoy television at different levels. On one level, it is pure slapstick, reminiscent of the classic Laurel and Hardy Show. On another level, it is probably one of the most scathing attacks on society ever made on international television. Homer and the residents of Springfield are not holding back any punches as they satirize the prominent members of society, even their network boss, Rupert Murdoch. Possibly one of the greatest social commentaries of its time, this revolutionary cartoon show has systematically exposed society’s hypocrisy and double standards. It is riddled with symbolism and clever double entendre. After all, it wasn’t declared ‘the greatest T.V show of all time’ by TIME magazine for nothing. If that doesn’t convince you, its prolific collection of Emmys should. This classic parody show plays everyday at 6:00 p.m. on Star World.

The student's guide to.....TELEVISION--Part 1

Picture this: A student returns after a gruelling day of college, barely managing to drag his person through the door and onto the couch. Any form of college literature, be it text books or photocopies of lecture notes, is gently guided to the bottom of an already dusty bookshelf. After managing to revive himself with the nearest source of sugar, the student reaches for the television remote. Unwind, he calls it. Relax, take a break….you get the idea. The idea however, is completely lost on his mother, who believes that her son should spend his time reading to improve his mind. No reading, he staunchly insists, after all isn’t that why he’s sent to college? Mum goes for a different approach, in an attempt to save this argument—what about reading for pleasure? She manages to procure, as if out of nowhere, a shiny edition of the first Harry Potter book. Oh, I think that’s playing tonight on HBO, the boy mutters before diving head first into the television listings. And with a large, intentionally audible sigh, Mum heads for the kitchen, the words “spoilt” and “eye doctor” emanating from her general direction.

IS THIS YOU? Well, we have some good and bad news. The bad news is that your mum is probably not going to cut you some slack anytime soon. The good news however, is that we have the perfect remedy for your hours of random, pointless, possibly fit-inducing channel surfing. A two-part guide to what exactly you should be watching, T.V programming that could do more than just kill off brain cells. We’re talking about shows that could influence your thinking, creativity levels and general awareness. Or maybe they’ll do exactly what T.V. was meant to do, provide some full-on entertainment. So read on and you’ll find that a television education is not limited to just the Discovery Channel or the 9 o’ clock news.

ON THE LOT: There seems to be no paucity of reality T.V, whether on the English channels or their vernacular counterparts. If it isn’t Simon Cowell playing bad cop on Fox’s American Idol, it’s Rakhi Sawant “being herself” on Sony’s Big Brother ( a diabolically poor rehash of the Channel 4 prototype, I must add). Two seasons on and you’re a victim of T.V show recycling, from “real” footage to Ryan Seacrest jokes to Tyra Banks outfits. And that’s why it came as quite a refresher when Mark Burnett (of The Apprentice fame) and Steven Spielberg teamed up to discover America’s next big director. For an hour every week, you are treated to some actual creativity and talent, courtesy budding young filmmakers from across the globe. And unlike shows like American idol, the studio audience doesn’t contain a phalanx of giggly 14-year old Lizzie Maguires, voting for the contest who they earnestly believe is “like so totally a hottie!” Maybe it’s just my untrained ear, but after a while all these singing sensations seem to sound the same—hitting every note with just as much precision and aplomb as the next guy. I suppose it then becomes all about the packaging or how old a certain contestant is. This is where On the Lot is different; unlike other reality shows, it doesn’t become a national obsession involving millions of crazy fans who create web pages dedicated to their favourite contestant’s fashion sense. The focus is on the art of storytelling that each director possesses. From outrageously funny plotlines to some mind-blowing visual effects, the directors are anything but amateur. Every week, the directors are given a theme within which they are expected to work. Their short films are screened the following week and subjected to a nation-wide vote. And you know the drill; the contestant with the fewest votes gets the boot.

Of course, even a Steven Spielberg offering isn’t infallible. As far as hosts go, Adrianna Lima is purely eye candy, much like her Rock Star: Supernova counterpart Brooke Burke. The judges Gerry Marshall (he directed Pretty Woman) and Carrie Fisher (no your eyes don’t deceive you, that is Princess Leia) are pretty inept. Their two cents are worth...well, two cents—especially the senile Gerry Marshall who will never fails to deliver his weekly brand of cheesy one-liners and quotes. Unsurprisingly, their opinions rarely have any significant bearing on the public vote. However, the saving grace is the guest judge who unexpectedly, is a pretty well-known member of the film fraternity and gives constructive advice. The show’s creators would’ve done well to capitalize on this and advertise the film personality’s presence in a bigger way.
All in all, this is one reality show that is definitely worth your primetime and it plays every Wednesday at 8.00 p.m. IST on Star World.

Independant Woman

Amidst the political frenzy leading up to Prathibha Patil’s ascent to the post of First Citizen, many believe that event clearly marks the emancipation on Indian women and the end of an era of persecution and struggle. However, others opine that Ms. Patil’s victory in no way signals a shift in the miserable state of most women in India. “Poverty is no more an economic term- we have a culture of poverty; absence of the quality of life”. Dr. Amartya Sen clearly alludes to the feminization of poverty that is present despite our current age of liberalization and globalization. The census shows a falling sex ratio, which ironically, is higher in Ms Patil’s very own home state of Rajasthan. The question is: can the law bring about social change?

Society has always been staunchly patriarchal-this longstanding bias is intrinsic due to irrational tradition and convention. Even the West only in recent times achieved some level of equality- adult franchise for women was ratified only in the 1940s’. Men and women have had clearly defined roles in the society of yesteryear. In today’s world, roles seem to overlap with the evolution of the character of women. However, this change has not permeated to the lower strata of Indian society. Women are poorly represented at the grassroots level in the village Panchayat.

Evidence has revealed that a plethora of laws do not necessarily enforce values. Lawmakers and the executive are inept if the mindset hasn’t changed at various levels. These laws can also be blamed for the low status of women. Despite the basic right under any convention being equality, the reality is much different. Here are some examples of the law’s double standards:
1.The Syrian Orthodox, which is governed by the Travancore Act, does not give women the right to equal property.
2. Conviction rates for crimes against women are less than 30%. Often, the victims are afraid to approach the law enforcers because the perpetrators constitute the latter.
3. The fallacy that even though he is wicked, man must be served as he is God still prevails
The IPC is increasingly losing its objectivity- people choose to interpret the law to suit their needs. The Widow Remarriage Act of 1856 was originally drafted to enable widows to remarry. Section 2 however states that the widow loses her right to inherit the property of the deceased. The blatant hypocrisy is facilitated by loopholes in the system.

Proponents of affirmative action are now beginning to realize that it will take more than just reservation to improve the plight to women. Empowerment must sweep over the nation from bottom up, right from the grassroots level. An increased representation of educated women in the Panchayat is desperately needed. Education is the key to mitigating most evils that plague Indian society. “Culture” is often used in the defense of the indefensible. It is a strong tool that fosters unequal power relations. Culture is evolutionary and this has to let gender roles be dynamic.

The media plays an imperative role in changing the minds of the next generation. It is time we stood up and gave everyone the right to choose. Biology certainly does not define our destiny.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: KJC and its eateries

Shalini Nair, a 1st year Bcom student, has resigned herself to the fact that she will never make it on time for first lesson. So, she catches a late breakfast at 9:00 at St. Mary’s Bakery. Eventually, as the day progresses, she discovers that an unfinished essay will probably cause her to take a detour from English class. She spends the remainder of her afternoon at the college canteen, steadily working the Kristu Jayanti social scene between bites of her chicken sandwich. She boasts that she spends more hours shuttling between these two places than she does attending classes.

Food joints have always been the cornerstone of the educational experience and with the student life at Kristu Jayanti College, it is no different. Owing to how cut off our college is from the rest of the city, the students do not have the Café Coffee Day or KFC option. Paul Dharamraj looks at popular eating choices in and around Narayanapura……

THE COLLEGE CANTEEN
The College canteen has provided for many a student, earnestly seeking refuge from the persecution of post lunch language classes. With its wide lunch tables and pebbled floor, it plays host to several spontaneously formed clubs- “The Paratha Appreciation Society” being a prime example. The canteen even has seating sections shaded by brightly coloured canopies for those who’d prefer just their food cooked to a crisp.

Hot favourites at the canteen include the aforementioned paratha(priced at rs.15) and the fried rice(Rs 20), that’s served in generous quantities. Beverage options are ever so slightly limited now that politics, pesticides and Pepsi have all added a new dimension to the cola wars. However, fear not, for the canteen staff has reverted to good old fashioned lemonade, the drink that fuelled every other Enid Blyton child detective and has been the American kid entrepreneur’s business model. This 3 parts water 1 part lime cocktail is recommended especially after a cumbersome commerce lecture or a football match that went into extra time.
The canteen is well staffed and its system of food coupons ensures that a senior doesn’t make a getaway with your order when you have your back turned. This writer’s circle of friends spends hours on end at the canteen. The topics of conversation usually revolve around schemes towards coupon counterfeit and how many rotis a certain ambitious friend can stuff into his mouth at once.

However this satisfier of the raging undergrad appetite is not without its flaws. To quote Mr. Sagu, the head of staff, “If it’s not the flies by day, it’s the rats by night, pa!” Futhermore, several students have complained that canteen food is widely viewed as the source of food poisoning. “The cholera seems to come free with your plate of biriyani- now that’s what I call value for money”, jokes Liban, a 1st year B.A student. And if that doesn’t entirely put an end to your appetite, the sight of chicken being dissected on an open counter should definitely do the trick. We promise.

THE BAKERIES:
The best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. And the best way to ending the term with critically low attendance scores is by bumping into that long lost friend at the bakeries. The above “friend”, who lasted attended class back when the second floor was still under construction, always manages to seduce you with the promise of BUN PUFF.
At this point, I feel the pressing need to describe the culinary miracle that is BUNPUFF to the uninitiated. BUNPUFF, as the name would have you believe is a puff (egg, veg or chicken) skilfully wrapped in a bun. Throw in a smattering of sauce and you’ve got a filling snack all for just rupees 8. The makers of the famous bunpuff have also developed its cuisine cousin, the BUN CUTLET. Mahalaxmi Bakery boasts of a state-of-the-art microwave and an adjoining supermarket. St. Mary’s is well equipped with seats and an escape from the college campus. “Both bakeries are well replenished with chips, cola and other forms of junk food”, says Rakesh.
Mary’s sees a variety of people- from the nervous post-grad preparing for campus recruitment to the sleepy undergrad that burnt the midnight oil in pursuit of “academic excellence”. St. Mary’s is also home to an afternoon session of impositions, projects that were due last semester and the heated, colourful lunchtime debates. Amidst the loud swearing and the flinging of text books, if you listen very carefully, you just might hear the Holy Virgin turning in her grave….

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that you the reader, is spoiled for choice…but I’m sure I’ve thrown some light on a few places you may not have tried. These places are especially recommended for hostel students on a shoe-string budget. So put that stone-cold, multi layered tiffin box aside and for once, try some bisi bisi local fare- bon appetite!

A decade of sound: SOAD

The year: 1995. The previously thriving grunge scene seemed to be on a decline, its retreating sound getting increasingly inactive. On the other side of the pond (read: the Atlantic),a group of Manchester lads who played under the name Oasis were on the verge of releasing one of the definitive pop tunes of the 90s’s—Wonderwall. That year saw Metallica make an unforgettable Monsters of Rock appearance with newbies, Machine Head. And in 1995, this writer was steadily working his way through primary school, multiplication tables and his uncle’s Michael Jackson collection. But somewhere amidst all this activity, a group of outspoken Californians were hurriedly piecing together their first demo tape. Little did they know that by the turn of the century, songs from that tape like Sugar and Mr. Jack would signal the rise of a new sound, one that was as eclectic and quirky as its creators.

Love them or hate them, you cannot deny that when it comes to sticking it to the Man, System Of A Down are not the kind to sugarcoat things. Their aggressive sound with its strongly anti-establishment undercurrent was a refreshing change from the radio-friendly, pop-punk clone bands that dominated the airwaves during the late 90s’. With their contemporaries Rage Against The Machine, they ventured into making music with a message, instead of capitalizing on “teenage angst” just to make a quick buck (*coughs……“Limpbizkit!”).

SOAD’s first release was the self-titled debut, System Of A Down (1998). Their raw sound which comprised of heavy riffage and incendiary lyrics got them quite a fan following, and their crazy stage antics when they opened for Slayer at the Ozzfest drew instant comparisons to scene veterans Faith No More. Sugar garnered much critical acclaim and got a large amount of airtime. Spiders and War? were the other two singles off that album that remained regulars on their set list. However, their appearances were still mostly underground…until Toxicity happened.

So what does the band that builds its career on launching scathing attacks on western capitalism and America’s greed do next? Sign up on a major record label, of course! Front man Serj Tankian admitted later that they “were a part of the consumer culture they spoke against, but if the only way to bring down the mainstream ideas was through mainstream reach, then so be it.” Toxicity was released by Columbia in 2001 and got them mainstream success by hitting number 1 on the U.S charts. Slightly more melodic than its predecessor, its accessibility established the Armenian foursome as one of metal’s big headliners. The first single Chop Suey (yes, I’m sure you’ve heard a zillion piss poor covers of this song at every other college fest) created quite a stir with its controversial lyrics. Owing to the volatile political climate post-9/11, it had to be taken off air. However, the band went from strength to strength, playing their other singles Toxicity and Aerials on the Pledge of Allegiance tour with Slipknot and Rammstein. With each album, their lyrics got bolder (“they’re trying to build a prison, for you and me to live in”) and sometimes, just plain ridiculous (“banana banana banana terracotta banana terracotta terracotta pie”).

Steal this Album was their third offering: it resembled a “burnable CD marked with a felt-tip pen.” John Dolmayan, the drummer said that he “didn’t care if fans downloaded songs off the internet as long as they didn’t get the tracks before the release date.” This album showcased a band that was now comfortable with pushing the genre envelope, a move that was viewed as blasphemy by their metal fan base. Nevertheless, tracks like Boom got heavy airplay and an anti-war video directed by Michael Moore (Farenheit 9/11, Bowling for Columbine).

Come 2004 and the band decided to put out a two-part, double disc album- Hypnotise/Mesmerise—six months apart. The single B.Y.O.B, with its catchy pop structure went on to win them a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2005. The albums received a mix response, but SOAD made sure that they weren’t compromising on any of their ideals.

A decade on and SOAD have put their stamp on metal, with their mix of genres (thrash, nu-metal, alternative, vintage), energy and a good measure of pure insanity on stage. Ironically, they were supported by Slayer at Donnington 2005—the very same band that patronized their work back in the early days. Despite much talk about the band splitting after they embarked on an indefinite hiatus, the members have assured their fans that they will be back, “stronger than ever.” By far one of the most entertaining metal acts of the last decade, their earlier stuff is certainly worth a good listen, especially if your knowledge of them is limited to the occasional Chop Suey karaoke.

Sounds like: Black Sabbath meets Faith No More meets a good measure of weird, insane ranting, courtesy Serj Tankian. Not to mention the eerie, Middle-Eastern influence on the later albums.

Line-up: Serj Tankian, vocals, keyboards
Daron Malakian, lead guitars, vocals
Shavo Odadjian, bass
John Dolmayan, drums

Little known SOAD fact: Frontman Serj moonlights as a member of the non profit organization, the Axis of Justice. Together with Tom Morello (Rage against the Machine), they put up benefit gigs with the likes of Chris Cornell (Audioslave), Maynard James Keenan (Tool/A Perfect Circle) and Flea (The Red Hot Chilli Peppers).

Recommended Downloads: Mr. Jack, Sugar, Ddevil, War?, Aerials, Psycho, The Prison Song, Chop Suey, Toxicity, Metro, Innervision, B.Y.O.B, Vicinity of Obscenity.

Paul's list of 10 things the world could use(apart from world peace and other cliches) :

1. Bread without crusts
2. A Woody Allen appreciation society
3. Fewer people picking holes
4. More people filling those holes
5. The resurrection of the Radio
6. Roads leading onward into the sunset
7. Fewer people who piss in your bucket and tell you it's raining(yes, they know who they are..)
8. Fewer consumers on autopilot
9. Fewer "freedom fries"( 4 decades on and the military quagmire that was vietnam hasnt taught uncle sam jackshit)
10. The year of the nice guy. Cut him some slack.