November, 2020
Volume V, Issue I
Fall XX
buX transforming online learning Irfan Akram Journalist In the initial stages of the pandemic, the abrupt shift to online learning posed various challenges for students all over the country. With the concept of regular online classes still foreign here, both students and teachers alike faced difficulties adapting to it. The challenges were augmented due to unstable internet connections in various parts of the country. To alleviate the difficulties of online learning, Brac University introduced ‘buX’ for its students in the subsequent semester - Summer 2020. buX is an online learning platform that is built on a similar world-class platform as edX, which was developed by MIT and Harvard. buX was built to address the issues faced by students during Spring 2020, with the aim to make online learning experience a bit more convenient for students, compared to regular online class sessions held through video conferencing platforms like Zoom. Through buX, faculty members are able to upload pre-recorded lecture videos divided into separate modules and segments, along with supplementary materials. The videos can then be availed by the students at their own preferred time and convenience. This provides a more feasible online learning experience for students with weak internet
connections. Furthermore, the option of availing materials at one’s own convenient time and not having to attend regular sessions has also been relatively less stressful for the students. For Amin Hannan (Senior, BBA), learning in buX has allowed him to spend more time on his business during daytime and catch up with his course materials at night. Leeyana Farheen (Senior, ECE), said, “buX allowed me to learn at my own pace by scheduling my courses more effectively, which has led to a better learning experience for me.” While many students believe buX is transforming online learning, some conversely expressed that learning via recorded materials on buX has drawbacks like reducing the two - way communication between the students and the teachers.
BRAC 1’s victorious run in Women’s Australs Imrul Chowdhury Tanzila Kaokab Journalists The Australasian Women’s Debating Championship (AWDC), also known as Wom*n’s Australs, that started on October 30th concluded recently on November 2nd. Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, the tournament was held online this year, hosted by the Malaysian Institute for Debate and Public Speaking (MIDP). Over 60 teams participated in this tournament. Among them was BRAC 1, a team hailing from the BRAC University Debating Club (BUDC). BRAC 1 consisted of Aliya Fairuz ( Junior, BBS) and Nayara Noor ( Junior, MNS). This year, they ranked seventh among the overall breaking teams and ended their journey qualifying as the BRAC 1 consisiting of Aliya Fairuz & Nayara Noor Open Quarter Finalists. Moreover, Aliya became the seventh ESL (English as a Second Language) speaker, with Nayara winning her own accolades as the second ESL and seventh Open Speaker of the tournament. “I judged a few debates as preparation before the tournament,” spoke Nayara when asked about their preparation. “Judging really helps me understand the technicalities of debate a lot more and realise what judges expect out of debaters. I think that definitely helped,” she added. Watching debate videos for individual preparation as a debater was also something she stressed the importance of. BUDC has been participating in both national and international debate tournaments since its inception. Aliya Fairuz, the current President of BUDC, speaking on the future asked aspiring debaters to not worry too much about results but to focus on “giving good speeches at a time.” This achievement by Nayara and Aliya will surely encourage the current debaters of Brac University to participate in the future competitions.
The homepage of buX
It has been four months since the advent of buX, and the University authority is continuously working towards gathering feedback from students and making improvements to buX. It recently introduced an option to integrate google calendar so students can get notified of important dates like new assignment updates. Overall, the pandemic and online learning is here to stay, hence all parties involved must cooperate and work together towards making learning through buX more immersive and efficient.
Departments urge students to refrain from cheating Mohaimenul Solaiman Nicholas Journalist On October 21st, an email from University Proctor, Abdullah R. Chowdhury, was sent out to raise awareness about Brac University addressing cheating as a significant offence and its constant effort in protecting academic integrity. Following this, another email circulated on November 3rd by the BracU Registrar, reporting the news of seven students being expelled for cheating, with one final semester student being suspended for two years. The latter email further emphasised the three levels of online cheating offences, with level one being the most severe and level three being the least. Level one was reserved for “influencers, persuaders and group or server admins in group cheating.” Level two had “active participants in cheating” and finally level three consisted of “passive participants of group cheating.” Those that were expelled were guilty of level one offenses. The email also ended by quoting the Student Honour Code and requested its recipients to adhere to it. If anyone is reported for cheating, the authority promises to take serious action against them.
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BRIEFS Stress management workshop organised by BUCSC
Deera Mahasin On October 28th, BRAC University Community Service Club (BUCSC) conducted a virtual workshop on stress management with Psycure Organization, a non-profit volunteer organisation working on mental health related issues. It was cost-free and open to all, as a part of Psycure’s month long event, “Spreading Mental Health Awareness”, taking place on Zoom. It was conducted by Farjana Sharmin, a counsellor of Migrant Resource Centre & International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). The session was arranged to help people manage stress and address the importance of how it affects our wellbeing.
Meditation Wednesday: a weekly meditation class
Sadiya Taher Brac University counselling unit is a place of relaxation, selfempowerment, and rejuvenation. Since the beginning of the lockdown, the counselling unit of BracU has been consistent with aiding people emotionally every week through a mediation program. This meditation program, called ‘Meditation Wednesday’, takes place once a week from 10 am to 10.30 am. Monzia Mushtaq, a psychological counsellor and lecturer in the counselling unit, operates this program. The session starts in the morning and focuses deeply on creating a relaxed space for everyone. Meditation Wednesday is thus a program open for all to cleanse their minds.
A short course on deciphering the genetic
Sadiya Taher Under the ‘Toolbox for success’ series, a short course on ‘Deciphering the Generic Message: Transcriptome Analysis’ has been hosted by the Department of Pharmacy, Brac University. This short course was held on October 31st the first time, then on November 7th for the second time. The program was open for the first 300 applicants, present in the two sessions, organised on Google Meet. Ridwan Islam, a PhD candidate in Biomedical sciences, was the instructor of this program. This short course covered the basic description of transcriptome analysis, different transcriptomic techniques, RNA sequencing, and data analysis.
November, 2020
CAMPUS NEWS
BRAC Intra Debating tournament 2020 Imrul Chowdhury Journalist BRAC University Debate Club (BUDC) organised the “BRAC Intra Debating tournament 2020” on October 29th. This year the event took place online on the “Discord” platform. According to the organisers, the main aim of the event was to encourage competitive debating within the university. A ProAm format was used for the tournament, where some of the most experienced members were paired up with new or first time debaters to help them learn the role of debating. A training video was also shown prior to the event for ensuring new debaters’ active participation in learning and enjoying debate. The Intra tournament had experienced debaters like Nayara Noor, Iffat Sumaiya, Parinda Rahman, and Inqiyad Patwary as the judges. The tournament was held in two preliminary rounds, with a direct break to Finals. Eight teams participated in total for a shot at winning the ultimate
title. After a series of invincible rounds, Aliya Fairuz ( Junior, BBS) and Esrat Jahan (Sophomore, ESS) of team “Dead Inside” won the title of the BRAC Intra 2020. In an interview with Aliya, who is also president of BUDC, she noted, “We wanted people to experience the thrill of delivering a debate speech and give them a peek of what we regularly spend our weekends doing!” Nayara Noor ( Junior, MNS), a judge for this event, further added “It is always a joy to see newer debaters being enthusiastic about this sport. I have been in BUDC for over two years by now and it is amazing to have many individuals who agreed to debate! Knowing that the future of the club is definitely in solid hands felt good!” BUDC has been hosting regular events throughout the year amid the current ongoing COVID-19 pandemic situation.
First Intra-Club Short Film Competition: BUFC Within Fardin Alam, Ahsan Habib Journalists BRAC University Film Club (BUFC) organised “BUFC Within” on September 11th. The online-based event was their first intra-club short film competition, as they started taking submissions on August 17th. With a duration limit of three minutes and the freedom of choosing any medium, participants had the liberty of expressing their creativity through the art of filmmaking. Following this, seven of these fantastic short films were exhibited in episode 4 of “BUFC talks,” which took place on 11th of September. The event was hosted by the club’s panel members, including Akil Tahseen (Senior, CSE), the president of BUFC. The special guests were Mamunur Rashid (Lecturer at BRAC Institute of Languages) and Nusrat Jahan Ema (Lecturer at BRAC Institute of Languages), the advisor and co-advisor respectively to the BUFC. They were joined by the National Award-winning filmmaker, Redoan Rony. The advisors laid out their visions for the club and took various questions from the live audience. The newly-appointed President, Akil Tahseen, spoke about his experience as a filmmaker and his journey through the multiple events he took part in.
The competitors had the liberty to follow any theme for their short films. As given pieces create a boundary for them to think freely, BUFC decided to make everyone think out of their box and come up with extraordinary ideas. The short films were judged by Redoan Rony and the club advisors. All of the films presented talked about contemporary topics that resonate with our life and society, allowing the participants to display their creativity in the midst of this pandemic. Even though all the short films were stunning, a few rose above the rest. As such, the competition’s champion was the team of Asmani, directed by Afnan Mahmud Chowdhury (Sophomore, BBS) with their story about Asmani, a house-maid, and her dream. The first runner-up went to the team of Doroja for the fantastic direction and development by Rifah Tasnia (Freshman, CSE), speaking to our hearts with her story. The second runner-up was awarded to the group of Abyakta, directed by Atqiya Maisha Talukder (Freshman, BBS) and Rafid Ariyan (Freshman, BBS). All of the short films can be watched from the official page of the BRAC University Film Club.
A Journey with the ENHers Fardin Alam, Ahsan Habib Journalists “E-learning: Presentation with Plays,” a student-led webinar, took place on October 16th, organised by the department of English and Humanities (ENH) at Brac University. Students from four major streams of the department – literature, Applied Linguistics and ELT, media and history – participated in the webinar. The event was divided into two main segments: “Academic Presentations and Film shows” and “Recitations and Performances from plays”. Throughout these segments, students from both undergraduate level and Masters level presented their work that had been done under various
courses offered by the department. They all came with their own works of art, poetry, animated videos, presentations of portfolios, papers and brochures, historical documentary projects and mesmerising performances of excerpts from plays such as Julius Caesar, Doctor Faustus and Oedipus Rex. The webinar also had respected department faculties Mohammad Mahmudul Haque and Seema Nusrat Amin as the panel members. Dr Ferdouse Azim, professor and chairperson of the department of ENH, was present as a special guest. The whole session was moderated by Samia Noor (Senior, ENH) and Sayada Mollika (Senior, ENH).
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November, 2020
OPINIONS & ACADEMICS
Whiz kid trio joins BracU
Priyong Sabastini and Abidur Rafi Hassan Journalists Since its inception in 1959 when only seven countries participated, the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) has grown exponentially, now involving over a hundred countries. The 61st instalment was held virtually this year from Russia, wherein one of the members of the Bangladeshi team won silver and the rest won bronze medals. Three of the bronze medallists, M Ahsan Al Mahir (Freshman, MNS), Raiyan Jamil (Freshman, MNS), and Soumitra Das (Freshman, MNS) have subsequently enrolled at Brac University under the Sir Abed Scholarship this fall semester. With the on-going pandemic impeding their much-anticipated trip to Russia, our resident whiz kids expressed some bittersweet sentiments toward the latest installation of the IMO. Regardless, they all unanimously voiced their appreciation for the invaluable help provided by the team coach of Bangladesh and Dean of BracU’s School of Data and Sciences, Professor Mahbub Majumdar. In the Olympiad, following the end of the examination, there is a procedure to coordinate and decide the scores of the participants. After checking the scripts, all team leaders and coordinators sit together and debate over score assignments. Generally, no participant attains a perfect score and thus team leaders fight in their stead for partial credit. This is where the math enthusiasts felt the Professor’s immense dedication. Professor Majumdar would spend hours on end fighting for more points. Jamil further added, “Mahbub Sir was really amazing as a coach. I really felt (at) ease coming to Brac University because Sir was here.” Additionally, Mahir and Das felt that Professor Majumdar always made time for them - providing problem sets and constantly emailing to check up on their progress. Owing to the Professor’s presence at the university, along with other teachers
Jamil (second from left), Das (fourth from left) and Mahir (fifth from left) with the 2020 IMO team
from Olympiad backgrounds, the math whizzes felt inclined to enrol here, with the Sir Abed Scholarship cementing their decision. An added incentive was the fact that unlike public institutions, BracU provides the option to undertake a double major, that too, in a stable academic environment. Furthermore, Mahir stated that he was “attracted to Brac University because of its growing research capabilities.” With the trio’s seemingly endless passion for math, moving forward, they expressed their interest in academia, with Jamil wishing to be a math professor, and Mahir wanting to conduct research in both math and computer science. The medallists’ enrolment, on top of expanding options and research opportunities, represents the possibility of opening new doors for BracU.
An unfamiliar kind of RS Farheen Chowdhury Journalist The Residential Semester (RS) of Brac University is one that is seen through rose-coloured glasses by most students. For those who have experienced it, they look back to it with pangs of nostalgia. For those who eagerly await their opportunity, they look towards it with hopes of what may be. With the pandemic however, RS was cut short for the Spring session and chances of there being one for the subsequent sessions also seemed dim. However, with the advent of buX, a new era of “Online RS” was ushered in – an era that was both unfamiliar and unprecedented. The mornings that were previously occupied with assemblies, breakfasts and running to class were now full of internet issues, email notifications of Zoom/Google Meet and static computer screens. Although much of the outward scenery changed, academia remained somewhat the same. The weeks were still full of assignments, quizzes, research papers and lectures. As stressful as it was, it was still a journey made together – all teachers and students alike. This was yet another constant that remained. The sorrow of missing the field visits, lost opportunity of gaining practical skills, dorm experiences, musical conversations,etc. were indeed causes of much regret. Even teachers reminiscing a ‘typical’ RS experience seemed painful as it reminded the students of what they were missing out on. Formal presentations and exams were replaced by their online counterparts, just as clapping and cheers were replaced by customised Zoom reactions.
Brac University Plagiarism detector service Farheen Chowdhury Journalist Brac University provides a plethora of facilities to both students and teachers that help to build a strong academic ground for the future. Checking for plagiarism is one of these services provided by Ayesha Abed Library that can be availed by the students as well as the teachers. This check is done by the help of Turnitin Feedback Studio, which detects plagiarism and has been used worldwide to improve academic writings. It encourages the use of resources to develop one’s writing skills and foster thriving academic integrity.
No longer were lazy afternoons and evenings spent hanging around the revered “Murchana” or “Anandapur.” Instead, alternatives were sought through various forms of social media. A virtual ambience was thus created in spite of the many limitations – friendships were formed, smiles spread, knowledge shared and wonderful bonds forged between students and teachers alike – in other words, the quintessential RS experience, all from within the confines of a room. Despite the obvious lack of anything close to a ‘typical’ RS, the willingness of hundreds of students embracing online RS is one that deserves recognition.
To avail this service, one needs to mail responsible personnel of the library following a specific format. The mail has to be sent to the address rokon.mahamud@bracu.ac.bd, while keeping the addresses librarian@bracu.ac.bd, omar. khan@bracu.ac.bd in the cc. A student wishing to avail the service should promptly introduce themselves and their student ID number first before asking the recipients to kindly check the paper they attached for plagiarism.
The semester, like any other RS, ended with pangs of regret, memories locked in virtual meeting apps and farewells expressing gratitude, strength and hopes for a better tomorrow. All in all, the first ever online rendition of RS was a unique experience that aimed to capture the essence of its traditional counterpart. Though it fell short in some aspects, in some others, it provided in ways that even an in-person RS could not. As most things in life, it was bitter-sweet, but perhaps a little sweeter than one would expect.
Teachers could also have an instructor’s account that could be accessed once requested through the mail (to: librarian@bracu.ac.bd). They provide swift responses within a day. Students can have a look at this effective service and utilise it at their convenience.
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November, 2020
SPECIAL FEATURE
November, 2020
SPECIAL FEATURE
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November, 2020
OFF CAMPUS
Student Entrepreneurship: Leading Ideas beyond Classrooms Nowshin Anjum Journalist
ShiftLogiQ Interactive is an online based IT service startup co - founded by two Brac University students, Shakib Mahmud (Senior, CSE) and Kaviul Hossain (Senior, CSE). Shakib and Kaviul started ShiftLogiQ Interactive last November with the purpose of making use of their academic knowledge before entering the job sector. They decided to pursue their very own sustainable business model that would enable them to hone their skills as well as provide personalised IT services to customers. Their business was curated to provide online based services that are currently of high demand in Bangladesh. Though their work is freelance based, they plan to get licensed officially in the near future. Currently they offer services like web design and development, digital marketing, software, and app development. They also provide graphic designing, corporate writing, and video & animation services. It is no question that organising and maintaining academics along with extra business-related responsibilities can be extremely hectic. Still, these enthusiastic students consider this as a learning opportunity. They feel that with proper time management, focus and dedication, completing projects is very much within the realm of possibility. However, they also admit that sometimes they have to sacrifice their weekends in order to meet deadlines. Shakib and Kaviul are also enthusiastic to collaborate with other individuals and companies in joint projects if circumstances are favourable. Interested individuals are invited to check out their website to know more. Theirs is a story that is surely inspiring for those who are still intimidated by the idea of entrepreneurship.
Shakib Mahmud and Kaviul Hossain (left to right) co-founded ShiftLogiQ Interactive
Visit at: https://shiftlogiqinteractive.com/
Upholding Brotherhood: The BRACU Response Team Maiesha Samiha Mahmood Journalist As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get access to reliable support and assistance. To directly address this issue, a group of students from Brac University initiated the “BRACU Response Team”. Over the past few months they received an appreciable response from the student body and so, what started as a handful of volunteers has now evolved into a dedicated platform that provides immediate assistance to whoever seeks help. The student-led team, now with over 100 volunteers working remotely, provides support to individuals associated with BracU: starting from fellow students, faculty, and their families. Primarily, their work focuses on facilitating the collection and delivery of plasma and blood donations. Information is collected by volunteers from nearby hospitals and blood banks and then used to keep their consolidated database updated with a verified list of donors. Following this, they try to connect patients to donors by crossmatching their respective blood groups. So far, the team has successfully handled over 180 cases as of November 10th. Apart from their central focus, the Response team additionally provides consultancy services and psychological support over the phone
and through a dedicated Facebook group. In this Facebook group, students can ask for assistance directly from the team. Reliable information and proper health and hygiene guidelines are also posted there to spread awareness about COVID related issues. The platform is also used to share personal experiences as well as updates regarding COVID-19 test centers and hospital locations- forming a connected and educated network. Humayra Mim ( Junior, BBA), General Secretary of the team, mentions that moving forward, the Response team plans to expand their horizons by reaching lives outside of BracU. They aim to extend their services to the underprivileged in the harsh months of winter as well as associate with NGOs to reach a wider community. As the number of cases keeps surging, the demand for a workforce increases. The team requires more volunteers and urges to spread the word about their services. They are accepting volunteers as well as donations and can be contacted through their Facebook page (https://www. facebook.com/buresponseteam/) and email (bracu.responseteam@gmail.com).
Team Bamboozle of BRAC University secures second runners-up at MindExperia Adiba Jahan Payel Journalist Team Bamboozle hailing from Brac University secured the second runners-up position in MindExperia, a competition organised by the BUP Robotics Club earlier this year on June 19th. The competition served as an inter-university idea contest where each team recognised problems due to COVID-19 and generated solutions through feasible technology. Team Bamboozle’s idea focused on making public transport efficient in helping people maintain health measures. They constructed a system that would track passenger numbers on buses and store that data in a cloudbased server. This system would contain the GPS location and bus number plates along with an alert system. As soon as any health regulations are broken, the nearest police station would instantly get notified with the GPS location of the bus. Team Bamboozle consisted of Atanu Roy (Sophomore, CSE), Marshia Nujhat (Sophomore, CSE), and Hafsa Maomi Barsha(Sophomore, BBS). Their preparation phase was not very easy as they had to overcome the limitations of being in quarantine. When asked about their strategies for winning, Atanu emphasised the importance of lessons from their previous experiences and all the setbacks they faced. He felt that they definitely helped make them better prepared. He also felt that BRAC University students should consider participating in competitions more. “We often focus too much on winning and that way people fear losing too much. We should normalise losing,” he added.
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November, 2020
SPORTS NEWS
Anata Choudhury: Chess prodigy and aspiring grandmaster
Khwaja Zohura Zanzabil Journalist As the Japanese saying goes, fall down seven times, stand up eight. Anata Choudhury (Freshman, MNS), was originally a talented cricket player at his school, Nalonda. However, a foot injury left him unable to pursue cricket further. During his recovery, he entered the world of chess. Ever since he started playing in 2015, Anata has participated in several tournaments, representing Bangladesh in the Delhi Commonwealth Chess Championship in 2017 and playing in the Bangladesh National Championship in 2018 and 2019. He has won numerous awards, including the Sheikh Russel Chess Championship multiple times. He has also achieved the National Junior Runner-up Prize in 2018. Anata is also a member of the BRAC University Chess Club (BUCHC), and has recently become the Champion in the Intra-University Online Chess Championship hosted by the club in Summer. Furthermore, Anata was part of the winning team that won the Inter-University Online Chess Tournament held on October 16th-17th, hosted by Daffodil International University. In addition to being part of the team that brought the trophy home, Anata alone scored 61 of the 123 points that put BUCHC at the top of the list. When asked about what drove him to come so far with chess, Anata simply answers that he is in it for the love of the game. According to him, chess is a battle of minds, and although it can be an unforgiving game, when even a slight mistake can result in defeat, the more he has learnt from this intellectually challenging game, the more passionate he has become. Anata also draws much of his passion
Anata in the Commonwealth Chess Championship 2017, Delhi
and motivation from his family, who have always been supportive of him. In the future, Anata has hopes of becoming a Grandmaster and to continue representing Bangladesh in international chess in addition to winning more tournaments.
Defense Hive brings online sessions on fitness and self Defense Samin Mahmud Khan Journalist “Defense Hive” is an academy providing a set of callisthenics programs to keep everyone’s physique in top shape. The Football Club of BRAC University (FCBU) has partnered up with “Defense Hive”, as a 6-month long program is underway, where they will provide self-defence classes and at-home fitness training for both females and males. Weighted callisthenics programs and weight loss programs are also being provided.
Free-hand training and self-defence program
With the pandemic taking a toll on everyone’s physical and mental health, Defense Hive, along with FCBU, is setting up this free-hand training and self-defence program in which anyone can join online. They reached out to FCBU at the early phase of the COVID pandemic and partnered up with them in the hopes of keeping a sedentary lifestyle at bay. Even though it is targeted towards BRAC University students, anyone can join when the sessions go live from FCBU’s page on Facebook and receive updates. The sessions are instructed by fitness expert Khawja Hanzala Musa, who is a world record holder as well as has several medals to his name. A focus of this program is self-defence that teaches everyone to evade our society’s burning issues like bullying, harassing, and burglary. When asked about the general response regarding the program, Nasik Ali Khan (Senior, CSE), the president of FCBU, felt that a good number of people were interested. He further mentioned that the main team players of the FCBU greatly benefitted from partaking in the program. Having self defense lessons so readily available was also greatly benefiting the general populace, he added. When asked about future plans, he hoped that the sessions would continue and grow bigger, as fitness, as well as basic defence techniques, help people both physically and mentally.
BUCC unites gamers though Knowscape 2.0 Tahmeed Mahmud Journalist ‘Knowscape 2.0’, an e-sports competition, was organised on October 29th by BRAC University Computer Club (BUCC). The game chosen for this competition was Valorant, a free-to-play online first-person shooter. According to BUCC Director of Finance, Ishrak Rahman ( Junior, CSE), the purpose of this competition was to introduce freshers to seniors so that they can be better acquainted with each other. He also stated that the competition was meant to entertain people in a time when they needed it most. Though there was no prize pool available for winning teams, 50 teams in total participated in this contest, proving just how enthused people were towards competitive gaming once provided a platform. A majority of the participants were BRAC University students, with a lot of them being BUCC club members. Faculty members were also invited to this competition, though they did not participate. Ishrak stated that some of the club alumni also joined in the event. The winning team of this competition was VT03, a team comprising of Mohammad Adituzzaman (Senior, CSE), Omar Sadat (Senior, EEE), Mohammad Shahriar (Senior, CSE), Tausif Ahmed (Senior, CSE), Shahmidul Islam (Senior, CSE). They won by a score of 13-8. When asked if similar competitions would be held in the future, Ishrak stated that BUCC was planning to host “BUCC week R@d!X,” a national competition involving Valorant with 64 participating teams from all over Bangladesh. They were also planning to stream the event over on Facebook. They further mentioned plans to host a DOTA2 competition in the future as well.
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November, 2020
Morbid Stuff: Candid takes on the misery discourse Tasfia Ahmed Journalist
Released on April 5th, 2019, PUP’s third studio album Morbid Stuff explores the various nuances of depression, anger and angst while attacking the problematic ways in which these emotions are portrayed in music and the media. Morbid Stuff has secured a place on various Top 50 Albums of 2019 lists, including a solid twenty-sixth position on New Musical Express (NME). PUP transverses through numerous subgenres of punk rock in Morbid Stuff by combining upbeat guitar riffs and bass lines reminiscent of pop-punk with shredded screams and explosive drumming. The resulting contrast helps induce an empowering shade of rage. While a majority of the songs on the record orbit around subgenres of punk, some transgress into foreign territory, with Full Blown Meltdown mingling with metal and Scorpion Hill heavily drawing influence from country music. Ultimately, the lyrics and hooks present in the album end up taking center stage for most of the listening experience. Morbid Stuff tells the tale of an individual going in circles with their mental health, from reaching the borderlands of stability to dipping back into indulgence filled self-sabotage. The narrative is doused with satire and overt criticisms of a wealth of issues that surround the
The Queen’s Gambit and a world of 64 squares Mysha Nowrin Alabbi Journalist
portrayal of mental health in the arts and the media, including the glorification of self-destruction, the romanticising of manipulative ex-lovers and the toxic positivity present in recovery narratives. Some songs are reserved solely for the criticism of the music industry itself, with lyrics such as “How long will self-destruction be alluring?/ It is good for business and baby, business is booming”. By disjointing the beauty associated with misery, Morbid Stuff offers a take on the discourse of mental health without walking on eggshells which makes it worth the listen.
Rebecca (2020): Definitely not a 20/20
“The Queen’s Gambit” is a seven-episode miniseries by Netflix, introducing its viewers to a world of addiction, trauma, obsession, and most significantly, the game of chess. The series masterfully explores a young girl’s unparalleled talent in a brutally competitive, male dominated world. Though other shows have explored similar themes in the past, what separates this series from others is its ability to portray the right balance of creativity with psychosis - all from a feminine perspective.
The story focuses on the life of a fictional chess prodigy, Beth Harmon, who gets instantly drawn towards the game of chess when she first walks in on the janitor of her orphanage playing a game against himself. As the series progresses, Beth’s journey through chess is Beth Harmon in Queen’s Gambit one that is captivating and thrilling, breaking all kinds of gender stereotypes along the way. Aside from her journey through the sport, a deeper and darker side of the story is also introduced as the show progresses – one that deals with themes of addiction and childhood drama. With its compelling storyline and striking visuals, Queen’s Gambit has already achieved universal critical acclaim. Watching this show is bound to make even the most indolent person want to take their dust-covered chess set out for a match.
Aysha Zaheen News Editor Rebecca is one of those movies that manage to linger at the back of your mind due to the deep chasm it burrows into the human psyche. The 1940 adaptation of the Daphne du Maurier novel is highly-acclaimed, being the only Hitchcock movie to have From left: Rebecca (1940) and Rebecca (2020) ever won an Academy Award for Best Picture. Despite the minor changes in the primary plot line, it still manages to become one of the most notable psychological thrillers. Given the universal acclaim of its forerunner, it was only natural to have high expectations from the 2020 remake. However, the recent adaptation faces a plethora of issues that make it pale in comparison to its predecessor. An example is its glaring casting issues, which could have been covered up with proper character development, but it lacked that as well. Additionally, the remake fails to cover even the surface-level complexities of the troubled characters which, in contrast, was portrayed masterfully in its predecessor. The 1940 classic carefully executed the storyline by building up atmospheric tension that not only made the whole experience thrilling but also made its viewers sympathise with the characters. Thus, refreshing your memory with the classic seems a much better option than sitting down with the underwhelming remake.
Board Members
Executive Panel
Album cover for PUP’s Morbid Stuff
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Sheersho Zaman Editor-in-Chief
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