Lessons from the Year Past

The past one year just flew in a jiffy. However, contemplating on the things that one has learnt this whole year, it is difficult to believe that a person can make so many revelations in such a short span. One makes little discoveries in life quite often, but putting them down on paper makes you realise how overwhelming these can be, especially if you have learnt these things the hard way. Here are some lessons I learnt this year — nothing extraordinary — but I believe these will go a long way in making life a little better for me, and hopefully, for all those reading this post.

1.      Flowery Language Equals Bad Writing: I used to be the kind of person who would embellish all my writings with as many big words and metaphors as possible. The major aim was to sound like a professional academic, to the point of making my essays difficult to grasp, even to the professor evaluating it. It took me a while to realise that the concepts presented in the academic papers we were asked to read, were credible despite the difficult writings, not because of it! Surely, Shakespeare was not kidding when he said, “Brevity is the soul of wit.” A simple, straightforward essay backed by solid arguments can be far more effective than an over-stretched pompous-sounding one.

2.      Consider Words Precious: When you have a curriculum that encourages class participation, and allots a certain amount of marks for speaking in class, it is but natural that one would speak out whatever that comes to his mind. However, when done in excess, this can be detrimental to the progress of the class. Speaking for the heck of it, without reflecting is as good as adding on to the already existing chaos of arguments. Looking at the classroom as a microcosm of the society, the point becomes clearer — you cannot take a debate forward when the arguments are pointless and repetitive. It took a casual conversation with a faculty member for me to realise this fact, something that most people seem to be oblivious about.

3.      It is OK to be Unaware. Sometimes. : You don’t have to know everything – just keep the curiosity alive. As simple as that. There is a certain thrill in just sitting for a class you have absolutely no clue about, and coming out of it realising some things on your own. You don’t have to know everything about a subject before opting for it. A course becomes all the more special to one person because of all the unexpected but valuable lessons he learns on his own; and this will resonate differently with different people.

4.      Hate the Argument, Not the Arguer: Well, this sounds easy, but in fact is quite difficult to follow. Most of the times we either don’t agree to something said by someone we don’t like, or we start disliking a person for something he says that we don’t want to listen to. This can be a major barrier in one’s personal and professional growth.

5.      There is Something Positive About Everyone: You may not like someone, because of their opinions, their actions or the way they behave with you. But dig deeper, there is something positive about everyone, something that you can learn from them. Keeping this in mind and focusing on the positive part can surely help you in interacting amicably with them.

6.      The More You Enjoy Something, The Better You Perform: This is quite self-explanatory, but is amazingly true. Having realised this, what is important is how you make use of this fact. Not liking something is not a good excuse for performing badly, since you will be judged on the things that you don’t like but do well, rather than the things that you like and hence do well in. It definitely helps if you have certain people around, sharing with you these pearls of wisdom.

7.      Things Don’t Always Go Your Way: It is a good thing to be prepared for the worst case scenario. There will be people who don’t work according to your expectations; there will be times when you don’t work as efficiently as you are capable of. Just accept things the way they are, and move on.

This is not an exhaustive list; I certainly hope it isn’t. I am constantly adding new pointers to this. These may sound clichéd, but they make the most impact when you learn it by experience and find it within yourself.

By Manasa Gopakumar '15

The Shades of India

Somewhere amidst the chaos of beliefs and supreme powers, in the dark alleys of madmen brainwashed by the greedy politics of man, within the small joy of the known and the mysteries of the unknown, India sits at the roots of a tree, its back rested on the bark. It has no permanent address, no unique identity of its own, its eyes observing the affairs of the day, but weeping at its own helplessness. It walks with the cane of hope, its eyes hungry for a pacifying horizon. India lies in the alleys of Lahore, where a Hindu boy, plays hide and seek with a Muslim boy, India lies in the chaos of Chandni Chowk where the shopkeeper runs behind the customer with a worried smile of being able to give him what he forgot at the shop. India runs through its vast network of railway tracks encompassing the changing features of the land and the varied beauties of the faces of women walking back home after filling water at the well. India lies in the calmness of the temple courtyards, it lies in the homecoming of the eldest daughter in law, it lies in the eyes of a wife awaiting her husband as the sun sets.

As I stroll along the shores of this country, I often wonder how many shades has this portrait collected? How many colours fill this vastness with joy? On a rainy evening in Kerala, I long for a temple, where I could sleep to the music of the gods, I look out for a farmer, he alone could walk with me I suppose. I have nothing to offer him, and he has but only an embrace to offer me, and that is all I need,  I suppose. Caught up in the petty worries of our daily lives, in the mysteries of belief and belonging, in search of our own beloveds and clear identities, we are so blinded to the very hints that make us human, that make us boil down to one thing, that which is universal. Why do I feel a certain supremacy when I sit in a car and I see a farmer struggling with his cart, why do I long for a genuine smile when I'm so used to receiving that which looks beautiful, but really isn’t. Why does a tear roll down my eye when I sit at the dargah with all ears to the mysticism of Sufism, that which is not my own? Is it the language of love that I long to hear or is it the beloved that I'm searching for. Well, I found it. I found it here, in the lively alleys of this country, I found it in the dancing of children to hymns sung in praise of the one who knows it all, I found it in the peaceful silence of the night at a farmers hut, a place which did not exist for me. I found at the shores, where every wave re-inforced the rythms of my travels. I don’t know why im here, and I surely don’t where I would be, all I know is that I'm here, and the more I look, the more I smile and the more I embrace, I begin to wander into a world, the real world which is a sheer master piece. I believe India is a great country, a country with great powers to heal humanity of its wrath, to spread joy and above all to help one find himself, in the unheard stories of the invisible novels. Incredible India it is after all. That is where I rest, come along if you want to. It’s magical. 

By Raunak Deo

The Disappointment of Obama

David Remnick in discussion with Samanth Subramanian

The first lecture that I attended at the Jaipur Literature Fest was a discussion with David Remnick on Barack Obama’s Presidency. What interested me about this topic when I spotted it on the schedule of the JLF was that it was something that I had been hearing about for a while. It seemed that every week, whenever I did watch the news, there was someone on TV talking about how Obama was not doing what he was expected and what he should have done.

Personally, I felt similar, the enthusiasm that Obama had in his election was shared by people across the world. Now, it could have been because of the fact that George Bush was finally going out of the White House but I like to believe that “Yes We Can’ really made the world have a bit of a moral boost. In discussions that I overheard at home, between my relatives, people would mention how he promised to close Guantanamo Bay, how he promised to end the war in Iraq among other things. He got everyone up and enthusiastic looking forward to a complete u-turn.

This is when one starts looking at the other side of things, Obama did end the war in Iraq, but redeployed troops in Afghanistan, approved of a surgical strike to kill Osama in another nation without permission, and then there is the financial bailout.

This is where I become more accepting of the theory that Obama simply got a really bad presidency.

David Remnick is the editor of The New Yorker, an American culture magazine, and the author of several historical books most notably, ‘Lenin’s Tomb’ and ‘The Bridge’. David Remnick had a deep insight into the Obama campaign as he interview members that work very closely with the now President of the United States.

Remnick had a natural flair and charisma to him which instantly allowed every member of the audience to connect to him and every word that he uttered. Remnick was guided by Samanth Subramanian who in actuality, remained pretty quiet for most of the session as Remnick just rolled with the topics at hand.

As the talk began, Remnick was asked about how he came to know about Barack who, as a presidential candidate came out of the perceivable nowhere. Remnick discussed how the first time he’d heard of Barack Obama was in 2004 during a Democratic Party Convention in Boston. He recalled how the crowd

was actually enthusiastic during the speech and were engrossed with the words that Obama spoke. As Remnick said, “He knows how to give a speech”.

It was after this that the value of Remnick’s research and insight as a journalist came out as the topic of discussion dove into why it was a black candidate that won the elections, not a woman. As Remnick points out, it was as a result of the ‘Racial Struggle’, and how the idea of a Black president was introduced with Jesse James who actually managed to win in the state of Alabama, a ‘white dominated’ state.

Remnick compared the two Democratic Candidates as having very similar policies and near identical stances on certain issues which meant that the discriminatory factors had to be included in the decision. America had to decide whether it wanted a Black President or a Female President.

As the conversation between the two-man panel ended, Samanth asked David Remnick about his opinion on the disappointment of Obama. Remnick hesitated, and clarified, that as a journalist, his job was to criticise and in that respect, Obama hadn’t done even a quarter of the things he had promised. However, on the other hand, compared to other presidents, Obama stood in a much better standing. Remnick reasoned this as the result of the time that Obama was included into office: “I can’t even count the number of crisis’s”

I can’t say I disagree with Remnick, Obama was given such high expectations during an abysmal period that it’s hard to not feel disappointed with him, but on the flipside, when you see the problems that he’s had to deal with in 4 years, he hasn’t done that bad a job.

David Remnick provided one of the most interesting insights into the current US Presidents Campaign and political mindset. From looking at his influences, his aspirations and how the man went against the odds I have to admit that this was one of my favourite sessions at the Jaipur Literary Festival


Article and Photos by Virpratap Vikram Singh

Amber Fort – The Path Less Travelled By

The Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts visit to Rajasthan for the Jaipur Literature Festival wouldn’t have been complete without a visit to one of the forts that lie around the city centre.

When we all finally rose on the 19^th morning, we loaded into two buses and headed off into Jaipur with our destination being the ever popular Amber Fort. I had gone to the fort before, nearly 6 years earlier, but I still recognized the landmarks as we left Jaipur and up the rocky pass that we moved through. This also meant that I knew what we were expecting when we got there.

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The last time I had come to Amber Fort, my school had treated us to elephant rides to scale the mountain that Amber Fort rested upon, going up by elephant was is an incredible experience as you cringe at the smell emitted by the dung-encrusted elephants but can’t help but keep your mouth open as you move from the small town, up the stone-paved path that takes you higher with each lurch of the mighty pachyderm.

This time, my college had organised for a convoy of Jeeps, these Jeeps would take a maximum of 8 students up the side routes to the 'back door' of the fort. So when we reached the bus-bay to move from the buses to the jeeps, I immediately requested if I could walk up to the fort, since I’d been up before, I knew the route up so there wouldn’t be any chance of me getting lost...

After the flat response of "NO", we took some more photos at the dried up lake before, me and my friend Viren circumvented the chain of command, by asking another professor who was much more agreeable and gave us permission to walk up to the fort. And here is where this trip became well and truly spectacular.

From the bus bay, there was a solitary, surprisingly well paved road that led to the wall of the fort. As we walked, I was completely engulfed by the majesty of the fort, something that my younger self, could appreciate, but never truly grasp. Coming back, it was like a circle getting completed. I could now understand the scale of its construction, and how tactically, it was beautifully placed. The fort was on a 

spur of a mountain so that it faced the valley like a peninsula, it could face any army that would approach it from any side. The lake that once must have been filled, would have provided the fort with enough sustenance to ensure that even in the event of a siege they would be in a position to draw water.

Viren and I kept walking and eventually came across a bridge and our excitement doubled; Not only were we coming by a largely unorthodox method, but we were going to enter by a bridge! We started walking across and suddenly out of one of the windows; a man popped his head out and told us that we couldn't enter from here! I had a moment of panic; we would get into so much trouble if we had to get one of the Jeeps come back and get us.

As I had my moment of panic, the man explained that while that door was closed, there was another route in. He indicated below us, to the dried up riverbed. I remember that right then both of us just said something along the lines of "Wow, this is awesome". As we climbed down to the riverbed, we could not stop talking about how this was the way one was to experience the true majesty of a fort.

The walk into the fort was something, ethereal. From the shade cast by the wall, we came up the dried channel which must have allowed fleets of fishing boats to travel through or perhaps, where a Raja would take his Queen out onto the lake. 

As we calmed down we noticed the fort above us and the path that the lights from the sound and light show that marked a path towards the main entrance which lay above a small garden which tourists flocked to and a small lake where cranes flocked to

We began climbing and found some vendors selling Pagri's, we probably should have haggled a bit, but I was just so happy and full of enthusiasm at the fact that we had taken this different approach and not chosen to go up by Jeep that we simply smiled and paid. Our mood was very evident as we conversed with Hawkers about the fort and the people that visited it with a clear sense of enthusiasm.

We hung around for a bit at the crossroads of the walking path and the elephant’s path. Ecstatic tourists smiled as they snapped photos from the top of the mighty beasts and simultaneously, tried to shoo away hawkers who, even though their client were elevated a good meter above them, attempted to sell them some puppets or elephant carvings – A true testament to the determination of an Indian Hawker.

As we carried on, we came across a simple man, sitting with a small, covered, basket and a few pipes. Instantly, we knew that he was a snake charmer and we had to do this! We were tourists today, not Indians.

I sat and the man took out a small flute and passed it to me, trying to make me feel more part of the experience I figured. He took off the lid and began to play the flute, instantly, the pair of black snakes began to unravel from one another and rise. I tried to play the flute, but I simply lacked the lung power. So I began observing the snakes, they seemed to move based on the direction of noise; this led me to realise that they had been blinded. As if that wasn’t bad enough, they had also been defanged. I guess the business norms were simple; the snakes can’t have any ability to hurt the clients.

We noticed the time and we sprinted up the final staircase, finally making it to the gigantic gate. As we squeezed between two elephants that occupied both lanes of the entrance, I couldn't help but feel like I had gotten a journey up the fort that no one else would have ever experienced. It was one spectacular walk up and as we walked towards the rest of our group, we both knew that we'd get a scolding, but the look on the batches face as Viren and I walked towards them; Pagri's on our heads, a unique memory and an enormous smile pasted on (at least) my face I knew that it was worth it! 

Article and Photos by Virpratap Vikram Singh

Avkaash - A Play That Transcends Language

The Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts as put by our director, likes to support students in whatever they might be working on as extra-curricular activities.

On the 7th of January, we were able to support one of our own in a play. Avkaash had been presented earlier, so this event was an encore performance which SSLA proudly hosted at the Symbiosis Vishwabhavan Auditorium.

The play is made in Marathi, a language that I personally do not understand at all... well maybe a little bit, but certainly not enough to watch a play!





In the days leading up to the play it was great to see Aditya Joshi, the student who was acting in the play running around all excited about the upcoming event. He came up to me an he said,

"Vir, your coming for the play right?"
"Joshi, I'm not so sure, I mean I won't understand anything!"
"There's a bunch of us that speak Marathi, sit next to them! Oh and also attendance is compulsory."

Looking back now, I'm really having a good laugh, because, I really was pushed against a wall to come for this play. I took to passes with the immediate objective to find a Marathi translator.





Whether through some roll of the dice, the girl who was going to help me understand the play, got stuck in Bombay and wouldn't be attending the play. As I slid into my seat with my camera in hand, I was prepared to be bored for the next 1 hour.

I was so so wrong.

The play was unbelievable, from the script, the casting and the ultimate problem that the play sought to address. The play was about social networking and the problems it can have on a persons psyche. Granted, a story about a 18 year old schizophrenic facebook addict is a little hard to call normal, but the complexity of the story gave it a conclusion that allowed the play to move faster.



The actors were all in their late teens, but that had no impact on their acting skill as people in the audience next to me were in awe of the sheer intensity that all of them had on their face. And to me, that is the biggest problem for an actor, its to get into the role of the character so that the character becomes you. These guys got it down in spades.

By Virpratap Vikram-Singh

The Concept of Liberal Arts

As I write this, the Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts nears the end of its second month of classes. The classes have been different to say the least. Gone are the days where we learned history from boring textbooks and dictated scientific definitions like walking encyclopedias. We are students of Liberal Arts.

But what are the Liberal Arts?

Liberal What?

The term Liberal Arts refers to a curriculum or course of seven subjects that are designed to impart general knowledge while simultaneously stimulating a student’s rational thought capabilities. If you want to look at it in a much simpler term, the Liberal Arts are to make you street smart.

The concept of Liberal Arts has its root in Ancient Rome where liberal arts truly meant, the ‘free’ arts. It was labelled this as it denoted the status of a free person and their rights to think, as compared to a slave who only received manual skills.

In the 5^th Century AD, Martianus Capella, a writer from Algeria, classified the Liberal Arts into 7 subjects: grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy. These were further subcategorised into two parts, the Trivium and the Quadrivium.

Trivium and Quadrivium – Not elements from the periodic table

Trivium was a term that meant the ‘three ways’ in Latin or rather the ‘three roads’ of medieval liberal arts education. It included subjects like grammar, logic and rhetoric. The grouping could be best described as follows:

“Logic is the art of thinking; Grammar is the art of symbols and combining them to express thought; while Rhetoric is the art of communication to convey thoughts from one mind to another.”

The study of these three subjects was considered a necessity for the subsequent study of Quadrivium, sort of like the medieval equivalent to an undergraduate course.

Quadrivium means the ‘four ways’ in Latin and by extension means ‘the place where four roads meet’. The Quadrivium comprised of arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy which used the preparatory work set in place by the Trivium.

It was during the time of Plato that the outline of the Quadrivium course was laid out. According to them and early Pythagorean writings, all mathematical sciences could be divided into 4 parts.

One half dealt with quantity and the other half with magnitude. These both were described as being two-fold, i.e., having two parts, as quantity could be with regards to the character by itself or, in relation to another quantity. As for magnitude, it could be either stationary or in motion.

Keeping this in mind, arithmetic studies quantities; music studies the relation between quantities; while geometry looks at magnitudes at rest, and astronomy studies when magnitudes inherently move.

The completion of the Quadrivium entitled the student to the medieval equivalent to our current Masters of Arts degree. It was from here that the student would dive into the fields of Philosophy and Theology, sometimes known as liberal arts par execellence, where the art of thinking and conveyance of thought is crucial.

So there you have it, Liberal Arts, a concept of education that reaches further back in time than Newton’s Laws of Motion. A concept that was used to denote the freedom of the individual in the Roman Empire is now accomplishing a similar goal once again. By studying Liberal Arts, we are being giving the ability to think, and to share those thoughts, so that we can become the shapers of ‘tomorrow’ and not the preservers of ‘today’.

By Virpratap Vikram Singh

A New Beginning…

It’s true that often the best laid plans are best left to destiny. The rest of my classmates couldn’t possibly agree more to this, for none of us would have even thought of doing something as unheard of as liberal arts a few months back. In a world which is full of ruthless rat races and cut throat competition, all just to secure a seat in an institute, taking a conscious decision about joining a completely new college and taking up an unprecedented course was a huge risk. But at the end of two months, we are all proud to have gone for it.

So some of us gave up our dream colleges, some dropped out of their regular graduation and some came for the sheer passion to do something different. But we all had a purpose. We didn’t quite know what to expect, but we had a certain conviction and faith in our faculty.And thus began our four year journey. A little starting trouble and a bit of homesickness later, we are now a small family, as close knit as possible.

We,the batch of 2015. The first ever batch of SSLA.

SSLA is everything one could have asked for - an extremely well designed curriculum, wonderful faculty, a great community, the freedom to be one’s self and above all, ample opportunities to grow and evolve. All this, minus the drudgery usually associated with education. Unsurprisingly, common room cricket, occasional games of jenga, and the jam sessions are as important in an SSLA student’s life as the student presentations, class assignments and open book tests. In fact, SSLA is unimaginable without these things.

Even though we have been here and known each other for only two months, it seems like ages ago when we stood in a big circle passing nervous glances at the strange faces, wondering what lay in store for us in the next four years. It was the first day of our orientation. We sure have come a long way from there and to think that we still have around forty six months left here induces a sweet tingle in our stomachs.We are all living our dreams and we are enjoying every minute of it.

By Manasa Gopakumar