Espoir April 2023

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"The artist sees what others only catch a glimpse of."

-Leonardo da Vinci.

As fellow mortals on earth, us human beings, in our attempt to escape or reminisce emotions of joy, agony, grief and solitude have created art. We all have at some stage in life, poured our souls on paper through colors, words, couplets and quatrains, captured moments in our lenses and created masterpieces which are to remain forever.

So, in an endeavor to bring forth all those hidden artists, photographers, poets and story-tellers within us, we molded a blank canvas and adorned it with your imagination and creativity, thus creating- Espoir. What started as a fragment of imagination, a wishful thinking to begin something new, has now traversed a long way in becoming a chef-d'œuvre! A place where the students divulge their creativity and works of art.

Our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Vandana Sonwaney (Director, SIOM) and Dr. Aasha Sharma (Faculty Mentor CommPR, SIOM) for their constant support to this initiative. Espoir would not have been possible without them.

Although a mere magazine, I believe this edition of Espoir is really a cacophony of all those feelings, breathtaking experiences and fading memories, which lay dumped, relinquished in a long-forgotten corner of our heart, waiting to find a release.

It was a joy perceiving all of your works. And as you open each page filled with beauty, Team CommPR hopes that you experience the same extravaganza of emotions flowing, creativity unfolding and magic unleashing. Happy Reading!

Bipasa Cha erj Editor-in-Chief

Curated with Love by CommPR 21-24

1. Indore - The flavour of India

INDORE

The Flavour of India

By Bipasa Chatterjee (MBA 21-23)

The desire to visit Indore had emerged long ago, from the many stories of its famous street food, clean roads and the recurrent disappointment of my friends over the breakfast, lunch and dinner table!

Not much of an explorer but the constant reassurances of the said friends and many accolades of food in Indore, finally persuaded us for a short trip to what I would like to call now, the flavor capital of IndiaIndore.

An overnight bus journey from Nashik led us to our destination. And as we set out with a lot of anticipation and delight in mind, the winter breeze greeted us in all its fervor and glory. Winters in Indore are chilly,

with the cold air intermittently hitting your bones and getting the shiver out of you.

Nevertheless, Indore was a delight! Just as sweet as its crunchy jalebis and as scrumptious as its many delicacies.

In the morning, Indore is a bride, colorful and vibrant with its numerous eateries, serving the most flavourful plates of Poha, the juiciest Jalebis and the crispy Kachories.

As the day sets in, Indore is almost a holy temple. Clean roads, buzzing with the people commuting to their mundane lives and sunlight peeking its way through the winter clouds.

Around sixty miles away from Indore, lies Ujjain, on the bank of the river Shipra, where Lord Shiva is said to reside in the form of Mahakaleshwar; one of the twelve Jyotirlings, hence an important pilgrimage site for the Hindus and a must visit if you're in Indore.

And if Indore isn't alluring enough during the day, it is an absolute treat to your taste buds during the night. The city hosts perhaps the biggest street food market at night in its heart- The Sarafa Bazar.

Everything that your soul could ever desire to taste, you would find in Sarafa. While in Indore, forget about a diet because one cannot help but succumb to the sight of the biggest of Jalebis, mounts of Momos, thickest of Parathas, the longest of potato twisters and whatnot. The famous Indori Dosas, Sabudana khichdi and Rabdi Malpua stole my heart away. The street is a sight at night, with crowds rushing in even at midnight.

And if any place else could beat the glamor of Sarafa, it's the tempting Chappan Dukan. Yes, 56 stalls in consecution, each serving an appetizing dish. Amongst all the delicacies, Johnny's Hot Dogs and Vijay's famous Khopra Patties were surely the showstoppers for the day.Prashanth's Kachories and Batata Poha were again a delight the next morning, when we set out to visit Maheshwar yet another holy city on the bank of the river Narmada.

In all senses, everything that Indore had to offer: the holy temples, cleanest of roads, the palatable poha, the lively Sarafa, the vibrant Chappan Dukan and of course the beautiful people with the warmest hearts was simply, amazing.

Change

By late Suraj S. (MBA 21-23)

Of tides, this is said to be in one’s favour Of that, this is said to be a reversal of opinion Of hands, this is said to be a bye Of game, this is said to be revolutionary Of routine, this is a departure from the normal way of things Of the sea, this is a transformation so profound Of time, this is a withdrawal from tradition

I’m sure some of you would have gotten an inkling of what this could be Seeing that we’ve gone through a partial variant yesterday, you see And yet we rarely speak of this as it unnerves us Because of its tendency to be unstable at best and downright chaotic at worst But, over the years, I’ve come to the realisation that this is the only constant in our lives Without which we would be boring, mindless drones, having a sense of self But no lows and no highs

If you haven’t been able to figure out what this is yet, don’t worry Because all the scholars in the world still have not been able to For this, in all of its glory is change.

In loving memory of our friend and brother. Our time together may have been brief and even though you are not physically here anymore, you will forever live on in our hearts and memories, Suraj.

A Symphony of Supply

By Rishabh Chauhan (MBA 22-24)

From farm to factory, goods are grown and made, Raw materials harvested, to products displayed. Transportation and logistics, move it from place to place, Retail outlets stock it, for consumers to embrace.

Quality control checks, ensure that it's sound, Inventories tracked, profit and loss is bound. Through the supply chain, goods are bought and sold, The cycle never ends, as demand is always bold.

क�वता का उ�म

By Chinmay Paradkar (MBA 21-23)

An Ode to MBA

By Harsh Srivastava (MBA 21-23)

Poetries

By Bipasa Chatterjee (MBA 21-23)

These poetries, the stories they don't come out of a place joyous enough. they are born out of anguish, of a place swept with desperation longing and desire. born out of a place so dark, it's unfathomable.

Of sorrow and suffering, of someone been left to die alone, in a dungeon covered in slime. Of someone been pushed away, turned down, each time they dared to love. of hatred for the unforgiving, unsparing world being nurtured everyday.

Of misery which must not go away, for 'tis what feeds the soul, lets the words

flow, poetries screaming in despair.

Visual Vignettes

By

Rahul Sahu

By Rahul Sahu

By Rahul Sahu

By Rahul Sahu

By Omkar Kamble

By Vidit Gupta

By Omkar Kamble

By Ankita Bhor

By Omkar Kamble

By Priyanka Dey

By Vidit Gupta

By Ankita Bhor

Literary Lobby

1. The Marble Collector

2. Turtles all the way down

The Marble Collector

Review by Bipasa Chatterjee (MBA 21-23)

The Marble Collector by Cecilia Ahern is a timeless novel about Sabrina Boggs whose world suddenly turns upside down when she stumbles upon mysterious possessions of her father, revealing secrets she didn't know existed. As the truth unravels, she goes on to realize how little she has known of the man she grew up with and the people around her.

While the story has been told from two different perspectives- Sabrina and her father, the importance of family ties, bonds and memories are central to the theme. As she discovers so much about her father's early life, Sabrina also comes to terms with her own identity in the process. Cecelia Ahern's mature writing style and storytelling amuses the reader and definitely wants them to go for more.

Turtles All The Way Down

Review by Piyush Deshpande (MBA 21-23)

How many times these days do we mindlessly talk about us having OCD , without even a hint of understanding what it means clinically. Want a

One should read "Turtles all the way down" which is a young adult novel by John Green (who has previously written novels such as The Fault in our stars )that follows the story of Aza Holmes, a 16-year-old girl who struggles with anxiety and obsessive - compulsive disorder while investigating the disappearance of a billionaire fugitive. The book offers a deeply personal and nuanced portrayal of mental illness and the impact it can have on individuals and their relationships. Green's prose is both insightful and poetic, capturing the inner turmoil and complexities of living with mental illness. Through Aza's journey, the novel explores themes of friendship, love, and the search for identity and meaning in life. Overall, "Turtles all the way down" is a powerful and moving read that offers a valuable perspective

Pranit Padhi

Daipayan Chakraborty

Vidit Gupta

Abilash

M.

D.

Pranit Padhi

Omkar Kamble

Omkar Kamble

Omkar Kamble

Shreya Datta Abilash M.D.

Abilash M.D.

Illusive Icaria

3. The

A Humorous Journey Through the World of Memes

1. Present and Beyond!!!

2. Green Room

Meme-oir:

Present & Beyond!

By Anshuman Choudhary (MBA 21-23)

As legendry Raj Kapoor once said, “The show must go on”; our MBA journey resembles pretty much the same. With no hopes of attending college to little hope when the doors got open, we all drove ourselves through this ambiguous yet eventful journey.

Looking back at the peer to peer sessions, I believe they set the foundation of our batch’s core strength. With a gentle mix of (little) study and (lots of) fun activities, we got our knowledge transfer covered. The batch of 23 was so proactive, that, the online setup couldn’t hold us up from having our share of celebrations. Be it “Cake cutting-From-Home” or “Late-Night-Gang-Calls”, we covered them all.

Being the 90s kids, from the times of Tom & Jerry, the best part about us is that we were never the Toms or the Jerrys alone, but we always were the Toms & Jerrys together, and it is this togetherness that distinct us.

From winning case studies to organizing fantastic events, from covering attendance to discussing exam shortcuts the night before, from ugly fights to crazy nights, from sharing to caring, and from Aarambh to Adhyant, we have taken SIOM a few notches uphill.

And now, There lies a bigger challenge in front of us, an open sea, full of competition and opportunities, where we are on the field for ourselves, all alone!!

Some might disagree about being alone, and it even might be correct on their part. After all, we surely have such exemplary friendships, relationships, and bonding that we all can count upon. New companies, new colleagues, new environments, and new challenges, all along with carrying the legacy of SIOM, the task is humongous, but so are we!!

We didn’t stop when lectures were from 9 to 9, we didn’t stop either when 10 assignments had deadlines in the upcoming 2 days, rather we thrived even when we had multiple exams on a singleday; it was not just Student-DRIVEN in our case, it was Student-ACCELARATED!!

Personally, this push has and even will help me to take on more. And I thoroughly believe, that a few years from now, when we have our reunion, we all will rejoice about our progressions, not only professionally but on a personal level as well.

With this, I feel let’s brace ourselves for the extreme transition; one from meeting numerous faces numerous times to hardly getting to meet; one from studies and exams to projects and deadlines; one from let’s meet to plan to let’s plan to meet; and one from being students to being professionals!!

There will be unclosed stories, there will be unfulfilled desires, there will be a sense of underachievement, that being the present, beyond all, there will be a vast network of individuals, relation with a great set of faculties, and finally, that one person/bunch of persons, whom we will truly miss, but who will make the Bid-Adieu easier with the sense of earning the person into our lives. And in the end, time heals it all!!

Green Room

By Niladri Hore (MBA 21-23)

“You know the best part of today, I will witness some ordinary becoming the stars,” – one of my friends told me before my first short film screening.

Did I become a star that night? Did any of us? I don’t know. All I remembered was the sparkle of light in my eyes, the spree of winning in my mind, and the heavy heartbeats indicating taking a step forward.

“Artists are usually emotional. Are you one of them?” – One of the questions from a Prominent B-School’s Interviewer during my selection process for an MBA took me somewhere I could rejuvenate so that I was not in the wrong place.

“We all are emotional, Sir! The only difference is that artists express it.”

What is art? Who is an artist?

When traveling from Jalpaiguri to Siliguri during undergrad, I always took the Kamrup Express at around 3.30 PM at the Jalpaiguri Road Station. There was a Didi, used to roam in the last few general coaches, used to carry a tambourine that was perfectly in rhythm with her “Pardesi Pardesi! Jana nahi, Mujhe chhodr ke…!”

Those thirty minutes of all my four years were dedicated to her. Was she that good? Maybe not! But she knew, indeed, how to express herself.

“Hey! Can you please write a poem for my boyfriend? He loves reading!” – I often heard it when I was a regular writer for little magazines and event promotions. I believe the poet zone is quite underrated, unlike the friend zone or bro zone, and we should talk more about it.

That day I had the taste of how to drape a saree and what is the sound of bangles. I learned how a woman’s heart beats. All her emotions harmonized in my mind and created the utopia one always dreamt of,

“In the woods, along the river, once you return from the war, With eyes full of kohl and a heart full of thirst, my man, I’ll be there.”

That day I realized one thing. Art is not gender bound.

“Your recitation has some vulgar elements, sorry! We cannot allow it! There would be professors and other delegates.”

Well! That was the poem I had recited in Ramakrishna Mission, my alma mater. And when did love and affection start becoming vulgar?

I was asked to move into some other day, some different slot. All other slots were filled. The only way to perform was to change my piece overnight. Sometimes a night is enough, just like the one before an exam.

So, I did it. Audience applauded. That day, the sound was a bit different. And I discovered the most crucial part;

“Artists are usually emotional. Are you one of them?”

“Yes, Sir! I am. But there’s a long journey between the green room and the main stage. We leave all our emotions on the way and wear our destined characters. It chooses its emotion.”

That was a cozy evening in Bangalore. It took me four hours to wear those 10 kgs of costumes and have that heavy make-up. It was someone in the mirror, not me, dressed for Yakshagana for the first time in my life.

The show was yet to begin. I started taking small steps, the fastest I could with those costumes. And I was accompanied by that friend in the short film screening, the interviewer in the MBA selection, that Didi in the Kamrup Express, my childhood crush who had poet-zoned me, and the organizers who had called my recitation gross. A few were carrying candles in their hands, and the rest were trying to blow. Who won finally? I didn’t know.

All I could sense was, it was the darkest at the end, where we had the entrance to the stage.

Once you hit the stage, there is only light, and with the first ray falling straight to the eye, you can see none, if they are sitting on the first row or the last, or if they have shown up at all! Are they shouting, cheering, clapping, or planning to take you down? You won’t know!

Once you are the light, the rest of the world is dark.

Once you are on stage, the green room shatters.

The Meme-oir: A Humorous Journey Through the World of Memes

By Daipayan Chakraborty (MBA 21-23)

Welcome to the world of memes, a place where absurdity reigns supreme and the only thing you can count on is that tomorrow there will be a new meme to make you laugh (or at least roll your eyes).

But where did these wacky internet phenomena come from? The history of memes dates back to the ancient Greeks, who used the term "mimeme" to describe "something imitated." Fast forward a few thousand years, and the word "meme" was coined by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book "The Selfish Gene." In it, he described memes as a unit of cultural transmission, much like genes transmit biological information.

But it wasn't until the rise of the internet and social media that memes really took off. The first true internet meme is widely considered to be the "Dancing Baby," a 3D animation of a baby dancing that became a viral hit in the mid-90s.

Since then, memes have evolved and diversified at an alarming rate. There are memes for every occasion and every interest, from political memes to cat memes to gaming memes. And let's not forget about the ever-popular "distracted boyfriend" meme, which has been used to comment on everything from relationships to the 2020 U.S. Presidential Elections.

But with the proliferation of memes, comes the risk of oversaturation. Every day there's a new meme flooding our feeds, and it can be hard to keep up. And don't even get me started on the proliferation of "dank" memes that try a little too hard to be edgy and cool. But despite the overwhelming number of memes out there, we can't help but keep coming back for more. It could be because memes provide a quick and easy way to connect with others and share our thoughts and feelings. Or maybe it's because they're just really, really funny.

So what makes a good meme? That's a tough question because what one person finds hilarious might not be the same for another. But some common elements of successful memes include absurdity, relatable content, and a touch of absurdity (yes, I said absurdity twice because it's that important, very, very important).

But memes aren't just for giggles – they can also be used to make a statement or spark important conversations. The "Black Lives Matter" and "Me Too" movements have been supported by powerful memes that helped raise awareness and inspire change.

So the next time you come across a meme that speaks to you (and let's face it, it's probably going to be soon, or by the time you are reading this, it probably already has), take a moment to appreciate the history and evolution of this quirky cultural phenomenon. And then share it with all your friends because that's what memes are all about.

But be warned – memes can be addictive. One minute you're scrolling through your feed and laughing at a picture of a dog with a caption that perfectly sums up your Monday morning struggles, and the next thing you know, it's 3 am and you're deep in the meme rabbit hole wondering how you got there and why you're still laughing.

So, you've made it this far and are still unsure what to make of this whole 'meme' thing. That's okay, I don't blame you. But here's the bottom line: memes are like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’ll get. Except in this case, it's always a picture of a dog with a caption that perfectly sums up your Monday morning struggles, and let's not forget the endless scrolling and procrastination! At least you're having fun!!

So embrace your inner meme-er and join the ranks of internet meme enthusiasts, but don't blame me if you end up flunking your final exams because you spent all night trying to come up with the next 'distracted boyfriend' meme, now that's truly dank."