The power of the pen

Creative streaks

Most colleges in the City have their own in-house magazine and newsletter and for students, this is the perfect channel to voice their opinions.

These newsletters cover a variety of topics, ranging from internal events and competitions to profiles of students who have gone on exchange programmes or won laurels in other institutions. Some of them even include feature articles contributed by students who feel particularly strongly about something.

   Metrolife speaks to a few students and teachers to find out how involved they are with their college magazines and what content goes into them.

Most of them agree that putting together an in-house magazine is no easy task. It involves plenty of coordination, brainstorming, coping with deadlines and of course, editing. At Baldwin Methodist College for Women, for instance, an editorial board is put together to handle the responsibility.

Abraham, a professor with the college, says, “We have both a newsletter and a magazine. The newsletter reports on activities held in the college — like cultural events, sports-related programmes or union elections — as well as a few features on the inside pages, through which students voice their opinion on subjects like the safety of women and the environment. The college magazine tends to focus on department activities and includes news related to the teachers and articles contributed by the students.”

The editorial team comprises solely of students, save for a faculty member who runs an eye through the content that is being published. “It’s good exposure for the students,” says Abraham.

Nikita, the former president of the college union, spent a lot of time contributing to the magazine. “We had to give reports on all the events which were held, so we made it a point to speak to students and guests and put together all the necessary information.

A group of us — me along with my friends Sruthi, Ayesha, Archana and Hani, among others — helped pitch in to ensure there was enough content,” she explains. “In addition to the regular reports, we had some really bizarre stories as well — which, of course, were enjoyable to read. One of my friends wrote a story on how strange the English language is, for instance. We also had stories in other languages, like Hindi, Kannada and French and creatively-inclined students contributed sketches,” she adds.

Global Academy of Technology hasn’t had a college magazine so far but a group of students have taken the initiative to introduce one in the coming semester. Nithin, who’s a part of this group, says, “We felt that a newsletter would help bring all the talented students of the college together. We’re planning on reporting on cultural activities as well as other college events, like games and workshops.”

The initiative is still in its initial stages, but the students are already bursting with ideas. “We’ve already spoken to the principal and will be selecting students for the editorial team next semester. There will be a couple of faculty members to supervise the process,” explains Nithin.

At HKBK College of Engineering, the students bring out an annual journal of sorts, called ‘Quest’. “It covers details of the college, achievements of students and staff information,” says Syed Must­afa, a professor with the college. “Students from every department contribute articles to the magazine and it is put together by a committee, which comprises of both students and faculty members,” he concludes.