Korean Culture Day Through Our Eyes - Priyanka Hanumanth

The Honorary Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Hyderabad, organized the event 'Korean Culture Day' at Ravindra Bharathi on 12th October, 2019. They invited students of many educational institutions as well as general public to take part in the event, in which various programs where held to showcase authentic Korean culture.

When we first arrived at the venue, we were given our very own mock passports and then sent off to a faux immigration counter, to give off the feeling that we were actually traveling to South Korea. After that, we made our way to the activities section where there were different Korean games and activities being conducted. We started at a Origami stall and made the traditional Korean outfit, 'Hanbok or Choson-ot'. Apart from this, there were stalls of mask-making, authentic Korean food, and selling goodies like badges, key chains, etc. They also allowed us to try on the real Hanbok later on.

A few hours of activities later, the stalls were closed and we were asked to move to the auditorium for cultural programs. A dance face-off was held between the students, after the commencement of which we were provided with lunch. Post lunch, the main event kicked-off. It included performances by the members of the Korean Club and a dance group known as 'The Hustlers'. Apart from this, there was also a group of boys and girls belonging to the Korean club, showcasing their skills at Taekwondo– a form of martial arts.

The dance performances were based on popular songs of Kpop groups like BTS, EXO, RED VELVET, TWICE, SUPER JUNIOR etc. Live music was also performed by the bands of their club and a dance performance depicting the sorrows and joys of Korea.

Towards the end of the event, a short lecture was given by one of the members of the consulate followed by a vote of thanks. Overall, it was an amazing intercultural experience where we got a glimpse of traditional and contemporary Korean culture, through energetic dance performances, Taekwondo, k-pop quiz and much more. 

                                                                                                 -  H. Laxmi Priyanka, BA I Year.

Report Of The Good Talk Factory Event - Syeda Mariya

The Good Talk Factory (TGTF), a community based in Hyderabad, organized an event on 7th September, 2019 in collaboration with The Quills Literary Club of RBVRR Women's College, with the theme as PRERNA (Inspiration). The two-hour session was held at the auditorium of RBVRR Women's College from 10 AM, and hosted by Sri Lashya of BBM I Year.

The Program was initiated with a prayer song rendered by Sravanthi and Nikshiptha from BBM I Year. This was followed with a classical dance performed by student Monika. Dr. Jhilam Chattaraj, program coordinator and chief editor the Quills club, introduced Mr. Raghu Duth Degala, Founder of TGTF. In his speech, Mr. Raghu recalled that he started this organization with the objective of bringing to limelight 'the untold stories of people' which would inspire and motivate the audience. The aim was to provide one with a platform to share their personal stories and experiences, which could make a difference in another's life. 

The Keynote speaker of the event was Ms. Indu Gopalakrishnan, who spoke on the importance of mental health. She also briefly spoke about her voluntary work helping women deal with and overcome mental health issues. Ms Bushra, performed a spoken word poem, taking pride in belonging to the LGBTQIA community and conveyed a strong message that everyone should be treated the same irrespective of gender, sexuality; and that there's no shame in belonging to the Queer community. 

An open mike session was held where the students of the College took to the stage to narrate their own struggles. The speakers, Hiranmayee, Syeda Mariya, Vaishnavi and Tasleem moved the audience with their heart-felt speeches on issues like religious prejudice, sexual abuse, poverty and stage fear. Their words left a lasting impression on the audience, long after the curtains were drawn. Mehek from BBM II Year and Abhiroopa from MsCs II Year also recited poems on topics such as teenage struggles. A number of cultural programs were also held after the open-mike session. Hafeeza and team (BBM II Years) enacted a skit, while Chanchal and group (BBA I Year) performed a beautiful dance. Both the performances were layered with themes such as teenage angst and depression, to raise awareness.

A short narrative performance by poet Alick Bailey left the audience captivated and wanting for more. The performance was based on an anecdote from Mr. Alick's own life with a subtle moral message in it. The event came to an end with Principal Dr. Sarada, Head of Department of English, Suchithra Ma'am and Dr. Jhilam felicitating Mr. Raghu and his team members. A donation corner was also organized in the event where students donated books, toys, clothes and eatables. 
   

Once Upon A Blue Moon Night - Syeda Mariya

Once upon a Blue Moon Night
I was walking the George Street by the moonlight,
Far, very far, there up, very high up,
The stars twinkled like sparks in the sky;

I had a feeling, a creepy one, that I wasn't alone,
There was something unusual in the cold wind's tone,
My feet tightly dug in the ground,
Not a third soul could be found;

Standing behind the Old Banyan Tree,
I noticed someone staring at me!
I called her, asked 'Who art thou?'
'You got these wounds, when? how?'

She hath beautiful eyes- deep, dark, bold,
But somehow I felt something was untold.
'What is your name?', She said, 'Grace'
I smiled at her and took her to my place.

'At daybreak, I'll leave you at your house', I said
She quietly had her supper and went to bed,
At dawn, I searched for that damsel of fifteen,
But to my surprise, she was nowhere to be seen;

I went to Uncle David and told him the tale,
By and by, I noticed, his face grew pale;
'That girl Grace..', He was taken aback,
'She died a decade ago in a terrorist attack'

The words of Uncle David fell like Lightening,
The thought of her were very frightening.
Years have passed, but I still fear that Blue Moon Night,
When I was walking the George Street by the moonlight.

                                                                                         
                                                                                - Syeda Mariya, BA I Year.

Priming The Rookies: Report of the BA Orientation Program By Mounica

The BA Orientation program for this academic year was conducted on the 20th of July, 2019 in the seminar hall. The Departments of English, Journalism and History organized the event while the second and final years of BA delivered motivating speeches and mesmerizing performances for their juniors. Alumni Ms. Juveria Tabassum and Ms. Achasha Vajra were also invited to share their experiences with the students at the program. 

             

             

The event was initiated by a prayer song, performed by Sahithi of BA second year. The anchor for the day, Priyanka Singh of BA second year, then invited the Head of Department of English, Mrs. Suchithra to address the freshmen. She highlighted all the facilities of the College, urging the students to make use of them. She also stressed the importance of attendance before signing off with a warm welcome to the new joiners. Subsequently, The Heads of Department of Journalism and History, Mrs. Anuradha and Mrs. Hema Subramanyam also took to the stage to impart their wisdom upon the students. While Mrs. Anuradha spoke about all the exciting features of the college, Mrs. Hema narrated a fable to the students on never letting opportunities pass. "Some opportunities come knocking on your door, so try to grab them." she advised.  

     



















Following this, Hiranmayee of BA second year introduced the Alumni speakers and invited them to share a few words. Ms Juveria took to the podium first to relate her experience as the former student editor of the Quills Blog. While she encouraged her juniors to step out of their self-made boundaries, Ms Achasha opened up about the support she received from her teachers that helped her grow. 

A short poetry dance on 'Kubla Khan' by Sameul Taylor Coleridge followed which was rendered by the students of both BA second and final years. Immediately after, speakers: Mounica, Sreeja and Bhakti (final years); Veda, Harika and Nandini (second years), delivered speeches on their own struggles like insecurity, low self confidence, stage fear etc., and detailed how the college has helped them reach a better mind space. The floor was then thrown open for feedback in which, the first years enthusiastically took part in. The event ended with a short Vote Of Thanks by BA final year student, Akhila and the students all came together for a group pic.

Painting Stars - A Poem By Mounica

The clock strikes twelve 

And I try to see the stars beyond the dusty air

Shining on their own against a dark canvas;

I paint my canvas the same dark hue,

Hoping I make stars of my own.

Excited, hopeful and motivated,

I dip my paintbrush in stardust;

I'll make my stars bleed purple,

For it's my canvas.

The clock strikes one 

And the brush slips from my fingers,

Anxiety slips through the cracks in my paint;

And I rush to perfect my stars.

The real ones take millennia to form,

Humans do not have the same luxury.

I paint them over and over again,

My fingers shake and I grow frantic,

Desperate to create my own bright star.

The clock strikes two 

And suddenly the canvas looks bleak.

The dark color has an ominous feel to it,

And my mind chokes me with the same darkness.

My brush pauses, I try to recall why I started;

I look up, and I can't see the stars anymore. 

Why shine if you fade when dawn breaks?

Why rush to live when you die anyways?

The brush slips again; this time I don't pick it up.

- Mounica, BA final year.

I Love Her - A Poem By Rithika

                                                   

I love her.
I love everything about her.
The way her hair cascades down her back,
Glossy, shiny, thick and smooth.
The way her eyes glint in the light,
When joy consumes her whole.
The way her lips pout when she cries,
Or when she acts adorable.

I love her.
But this is the same beautiful hair,
She brushes all day and night,
She's become a master at it;
And now she ignores my feelings too,
Brushing them off her shoulder.

I love her.
But these are the same beautiful eyes,
Which are alight with accusation,
Saying I don't love her enough.
These are the same beautiful lips,
Which are crying and begging me;
To love her again like before, 
Claiming she can love me too.
I loved her,
Everything I've ever loved was about her.

                                                              - Rithika Varam, MZC final year. 




  

Trapped - A Poem By Veda Sri

 You are my inspiration,

 The soul of my verse.

 But the pain you have given me,

 Is no less than a curse;

 You are my dream,

 The one I strove hard to achieve.

 But you're like a star in the sky,

 That I could never seem to reach.

You are my light,

That once shone so bright.

But you left me in plight,

And there's nothing left in my sight.

You are my poem,

That I recited day and night.

But I never knew you abhorred reading,

Until you tore my pages apart.

                                       

                                                                       - Vedasri, BA II year. 

Madness & Literature - Report of QLC meet on June 29, 2019 by Shruthi

The first Quills Literary Club meeting of the new academic year kicked off with a grand celebration on 29th June. The topic chosen for the meet was 'Madness & Literature' on which students were encouraged to give presentations, talk or perform on abnormal characters/concepts. They were also encouraged to perform pieces on mental health.

A prayer song performed by BA second year students Tanuja and Mounika intiated the session and later, The Head of Department of English, Mrs. Suchithra, took over the podium with her warm words of encouragement for the new members of the club. Student Hiranmayee of BA second year, then took over the hosting for the program. The first piece of the day was a dance rendition performed by BA second year student Sahithi and her team on Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem 'Kubla Khan'. The quartet danced to the mystical and out-of-the-world scenes described in the poem. This performance was followed with a poetry recitation by BA final year student Mounica. She elaborated her struggle with anxiety and depression through her poem 'Painting Stars'.

Following this, second year BA student Ciri Kovida took the stage to talk about her favorite Harry Potter series which contains many abnormal elements in the story as well as unique characters that fit into the meeting's discussion on madness/chaos. Subsequently, a talk on Adolf Hitler was delivered by Shruthi of BSc second year. A short comic relief was provided by the club coordinator Dr. Jhilam Chattaraj when she recited a nonsense rhyme by Norma Livo and Sandra Rietz.

VijayaSree from BA second year then took over the stage to recite a poem dedicated to her brother 'Until We Meet Again'. The poem is interwoven with feelings of longing and reminiscence. Taking a short break from performances, the lecturers of English Department, Dr. Sumithra Jaiswal, Mrs. Jayanthi and Mrs. Merci Ma'am shared a few warm words with the students applauding the growth of the club. BBM second years, Mehak and group stole the thunder of the day by enacting a Mime performance titled 'Story of Maya: A Depressed Girl & How She Overcomes It'. The performance showcased the journey of a girl with depression so artistically that the audience were captivated. The last act of the day was a poetry piece on Adolf Hitler delivered by Ashwini from Bcom second year. 

                                   

The event wrapped up with all the students and lecturers huddling together for the camera; trying to capture the memories of the day in a blissfully chaotic picture. The Sun set for the day while the students and teachers alike, chattered over hot samosas and cool ice creams. 

                                                                                                             - R. Shruthi, Bsc II year. 

Humans As Books, A Modern Twist On Library

On 15th June, RBVRR Women's College hosted a Human library Hyderabad session in the auditorium. Hyderabad is the second city in all of India to have this concept of a Human library and the event was a success among the students. Human library is a unique take on the conventional library, where in people with a story become the 'books' and interact with the readers. There were 8 speakers/books in total who spoke on topics like Body shaming, sexual identities, disabilities and alcoholism. The members of QLC share their experiences and the books that moved them, in this post. 


I read 4 'books' in the Human library session conducted in the college. Going in, I had no idea what to expect as this was the first time I had even heard the term 'Human Library'. But at the end of the day, I felt a teeny bit wiser and a lot more understanding. The books don't tell conventional stories but they share their real-life struggles and how they've finally found acceptance. Books like 'My Happy size' and 'The Turncoat', which are on body shaming and atheism, resonated with me but it was books like 'Mothering LGBTQ children' that really moved me to tears. This was once-in-a-lifetime experience and I really hope to attend, if given the chance again.
                                                                                                - Mounica, BA III year

The Human Library conducted in our college, was a new and unique take on the original library. We spent quality time whilst attending the event and we learnt quite a lot from the stories of the speakers. This event revolved around stories of various social issues and situations. A conventional library might be an exciting experience for avid readers and book lovers but might not be enjoyable for people who don’t read as much. The Human Library provides an immensely engaging experience and a rejuvenating environment that will help everyone learn about real issues through a rejuvenating story telling process.

- Anisha Bodapati, BtCFs II year

I took part in the Human Library session which was held in the auditorium. There were three different books which I attended, or 'read'. One book spoke about a driving accident which cost him, his leg. Despite that, he did not lose hope and went on to win prizes as a para-athlete. Another book spoke about his experience as an Ex-Muslim and why he chose to be an atheist. Perhaps my most favorite book of all was where I learned what exactly LGBTQ entails. The speaker spoke to us on the struggles of being gay and what problems that LGBTQ community faces. This session totally changed my perspective towards many things. I learned to respect people and to not judge them by their height, color, weight or physical appearances.

- Hiranmayee, BA II year

The Human library Event was really interesting with many books. I read books  on Atheism and Veganism but I was most fascinated with the book 'Mothering LGBTQ children'. It was very emotional and heart touching. The speaker is mother of a gay son and she told us how she didn't even know what the word gay meant at first. However, she realized her child was different, so she stood strong for her son in the face of society. She didn't hesitate to cut ties with her relatives when they were against her son. She is an inspiration to all the mothers out there and it really helped me build different perspectives of the world. 

                                                                                                         - Bhakti Matur, BA III year

A Date with Literature, Culture and Art: What We Learnt at Hyderabad Literary Festival, 2019

 All Smiles: Members of Quills Literary Club enjoy some light moments at  Hyderabad Literary Festival, 2019. 

The 9th edition of Hyderabad Literary Festival (HLF) took place from January 25th -27th, 2019 at Hyderabad Public School. With this year's Guest Nation being China, the festival kicked off with showcasing many stalls and exhibitions celebrating literature, poetry and art in many forms. Numerous literary and poetry sessions were held throughout the 3 day celebrations along with stage talks and cultural events. Special focus was put on Chinese literature and films and delegates from China, along with other imminent personalities, spear-headed the festival. Some of the students of RBVRR Women's College, who volunteered at HLF this year share their interesting journeys. 

Our Lovely Lecturers at HLF , Department of English, RBVRR Women's College 

Mounica:  I was fortunate enough to volunteer as a content writer in the social media team at HLF 2019. My job as a volunteer differed from others as in, I had to write summaries/reports of the Literary sessions and workshops that took place at the Festival and upload them on a website to promote the Festival. I never imagined I'd find interest in our constitutional laws or the ambiguity of religions or if Gandhi would be relevant today; but throughout the duration of HLF, I was exposed to many amazing workshops and sessions that I regret not knowing about HLF before this year. Attending sessions and rushing to write reports was a little exhausting but at the end of the day, when I'd submit my reports to the team editor; the satisfaction I felt couldn't compare to anything else. I also had the privilege to meet famous authors, speakers and poets. The way people from all walks of life came together to celebrate literature was inspiring to me; I now dream to return to HLF a few years later as a speaker too. Volunteering at HLF is

easily the richest experience of my life and I can't wait to go back next year to learn and grow a little more.

Proud Moment for QLC Members: We received certificates from the Directors of HLF, Prof. T. Vijay Kumar and
Kinnera Murthy ma'am

Anisha: I’ve never had the opportunity to volunteer at a festival, let alone one pertaining to literature. This opportunity was completely unexpected. Initially, I was quite apprehensive but now I’m quite pleased that I had made the right choice in choosing to volunteer. The entire HLF experience was new and unique. Though it was hard work, I had taken to it and that’s when I perhaps found the running around and writing summaries as fun rather than tedious. Overall, HLF has been a platform through which I have been able to work on language and communication skills; and maybe I’ve taken a step further in dealing with my  fear of challenging social situations.

Proud to be nominated as 'Best Reading Club' by India Reading Olympiad

Pranathi: I volunteered for the Hyderabad literary Festival 2019, in the social media group as a content writer. This was my first time volunteering for such an incredible festival. This experience was a journey of self-discovery. As a student of  Business Management, it's important for me to be able to interact with others and improve my skills. HLF was a platform where I met new people an enriched my knowledge further. I volunteered for all three days of the festival, and every person I met was a veteran in some or the other field. My work at HLF included attending sessions, summarizing it and uploading it on social media platforms. This little work had given me a sense of responsibility and It feels special to be recognized by people for what we were doing. This journey taught me a lot and helped me discover myself. It was stressful but fun too. I hope to be a part of HLF as long as I can.

Anooksha: HLF 2019-The cocoon breaking experience of my life. All my fellow volunteers and I were nervous and excited before the initiation of the festival; I was hesitant if I would be good enough to volunteer for such a huge event. The very first day of HLF, I had already learned so much and I realized that nobody was expecting you to be perfectionist; mistakes are okay. The whole event was inspiring with beautiful poetry, interesting stage talks and beautiful art pieces.  Standing in the middle of a crowd full of intellectuals, great writers, important personalities helped me realize where I stood in life. Being in the visual-content creator team was a wonderful experience; covering the event, interviewing people, and capturing moments felt like a special job. We had to step out of our comfort zone to do the job so as to not let down our team coordinator and make the pictures of the event look as lovely and happening as it was in reality. In a nutshell, HLF is one of those experiences one needs to experience at least once in their lifetime; an journey where we learn, explore, reconnect with art and literature and find ourselves. The art, the book stalls, messages through the beautiful installations, the dances and cultural events in the evening and everything else was such a beautiful experience.

Rithika: We are always so focused on either being a part of the audience or being on stage that we never pay attention to the behind-the-scenes work. This is what I felt when I volunteered for HLF. It was refreshing and wonderful to see from a different perspective; to be that person who can observe everything that is happening around and capture them, not only on camera but also in our mind's eye. This experience has fueled my thirst for literature and showed me that there is a lot more I have to learn. HLF has given me a glimpse of a world where everything is overflowing with colors rather than the monotone of black and white.

We are incomplete without crazy Selfies :)