[VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1]

[MARCH 2008]

THE BITS HERALD

English Press Club Publication

INSIDE
EDITORIAL SPREE 08 POWER CRISIS COMPLAINT BOX PS I - THE INSIDE STORY TYCOONS 08 TIDBITS WEEKEND DESTINATION NETRAVALI MOVIE REVIEW VANTAGE POINT 2 3 4 5 6

6 7 8

This year Spree, for the first time, was held as a stand alone event and more importantly, at a semi-national level. The event had more than its share of growth pangs. The Organising Committee and the sub-committees for Spree were formed well into this semester (a week after Quark to be precise). It left little time for preparation when compared to Quark and Waves. Also, the departments were very busy with the latter two and hadnt really planned for Spree. Add to that a meager budget and things looked pretty bleak for the event. But in the end, Spree did overcome all odds to emerge as a decent sports meet and all the credit goes to the organisers, the CSA and everyone else involved with the event. On the 21st March, Spree kicked off with the Marathon followed by an official Inauguration by our Director in the presence of all the teams. We had participation from reputed colleges from outside Goa. Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), which eventually took home the trophy, sent in a large contingent of players. SBM Jain College and RV College from Bangalore and DJ Sanghvi College of Engineering from Mumbai were the other big names. And of course, the Goan colleges showed up everyday despite the relentless rain.

Another positive aspect of Spree was the collaboration we had with various sporting bodies in Goa. The Goa State Chess Association provided us with the equipment used for the event. The referees for the table tennis events were called from the Goa Sports Association. Two of Goas top football clubs - Vasco Club and Sporting Club de Goa - played each other off in an exhibition match held in the recently inaugurated football ground. Vasco Club won 4-0. Taking a leaf out of Quark and Waves, Spree too had its specials. The Double Wicket tournament was a hit with cricket enthusiasts. A team of students put up a show of their Taekwondo skills during the inauguration. Then there was a show by professional skaters - all pre-teens - in the basketball court. A pool workshop was conducted over the 3 days. The Futsal (football with modified rules) tourney, was cancelled due to the unfortunate demise of our fellow student. All said and done, Spree 08 was a commendable effort. It is a success primarily because it gives us a lot to look forward to next year. With more planning, time and manpower, there is no reason Spree 09 cant be as big as its cultural and technical counterparts. Note: Elsewhere in this issue, you can find the tally of all events and their winners.

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FROM THE EDITORS DESK

THE FESTIVAL CHARTER The Edit Team: Krishna B (Ch. Ed) Shilpa G (Ed) Nalini Kumar (Ed) Ankur Kumar Aditya Sanyal Pratik M Sanjana Devaki Gaurav Singh Suramya Munshi Rithwik Abhishek A Rithika A Coordinator: Vivek Kumar G Faculty Coordinator: Dr. Joy Anuradha In our very first issue this academic year, the editorial was targeted squarely at the unimpressive state of the clubs and the branch associations at the time. Weve come a long way since and things have definitely changed for the better. We now have a definite structure for all the department associations. They did a commendable job during Quark 08 - be it event management or setting up department stalls. The clubs underwent a transformation too. They got their act together and some of them gave impressive performances in the auditorium during the first semester. They also managed events in Waves 08. The departments, which had been given their status at the beginning of the year, had their work clearly cut out and most of them did a good job. After having achieved all that, the CSA has one last ace up its sleeve. The Festival Charter, being made by ex-CSA member V. P. Srivatsan, the CSA and the CMB, aims to clearly define all the roles to be played by students in the 3 festivals Quark, Waves and Spree. The single most important change to the existing system would be the selection of the Organising Committee (to be called Coordination Committee). The CSA would be a part of the Co Co for all the fests. The rest of the members would comprise of the festival coordinators from select departments. Apart from the existing departments, several new departments have been proposed after consulting the Org Co members from this year. The roles of the clubs and associations have also been defined in the charter. There haven't been any significant changes in this regard. The Co Cos would have the option of forming additional sub-committees if deemed necessary. The biggest advantage of the new system, according to those responsible for making it, would be the elimination of politics to a large extent. This is because the Co Cos would not be selected by the CSA anymore. Also, the new system would speed things up as work for the fests could begin in the previous academic year itself. Another important advantage could be better communication between the departments and the Co Cos. There are a few areas of concern too. Earlier, the Org Cos were tight knit units whose top priority was their festival. Now however, it is likely that at least some of the department representatives would give their department higher priority than the festival. This could result in disagreements amongst the members more often than necessary. It is up to the CSA to ensure that this doesnt lead to a conflict and adversely affect the festival. All said and done, this charter could prove to be the right move. It sure does give the optimists amongst us something to look forward to.

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[MARCH 2008]

SPREE 08
Badminton 1st 2nd Volley Ball 1st 2nd Singles (B) SBMJC SBMJC BITS PCCE Boys MIT PCCE Classical BITS GEC Chowgule RIEIT Singles (B) PCCE DJSOCE Boys DJSCOE MIT MIT SBMJCE COLLEGE SBMJC BITS MIT GEC DJS PCCE` TOTAL 900 1300 1100 150 300 575 250 200 Doubles (B) PCCE BITS Girls MIT BITS Singles (G) GDC BITS Doubles (G) BITS BITS Girls SBMJC MIT Blitz BITS BITS Doubles SBMJC MIT Mixed Doubles SBMJC BITS Singles (G) SBMJC BITS

Basket Ball 1st 2nd Chess 1st 2nd Football 1st 2nd

Carom 1st 2nd Table Tennis 1st 2nd Tennis 1st 2nd

Above: The winners

Right: The final points tally

Chowgule RIEIT

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[MARCH 2008]

POWER CRISIS
We have already had two formal interviews with Mr. A. K. Patil, deputy maintenance head, regarding the power crisis prevalent (since September 2007) in our campus. This time, EPC decided to look elsewhere for information. We had a word with one of the electricians on campus, regarding the same problem, and tried to find a plausible explanation for the inordinate amount of time taken for the much needed repair. The power consumption in our campus, as we all now know, had long overgrown the transformer's capacity. And the reason the transformer broke down in the first place is not difficult to guess overload. When repair attempts failed, the authorities chose to run the campus on a 11 kV line (Rs. 10 lac per month) with support from the Diesel Generator (Rs. 6 lac per month). In happier times, the institute spent around Rs. 15 lac per month on electricity. (All the figures mentioned are approximate and are as quoted by the electrician we spoke to). The transformer did eventually get fixed but blew up again just prior to Quark 08. With crossed fingers and hopes held high, it was repaired once again but didn't work for long before breaking down for the final time. It's now been over six months since the transformer first broke down. Over this period, we have had no AC in the classrooms and have been subject to frequent blackouts that sometimes went on for hours together. Recently, even the geysers in the hostels have been shut off. All this time, we were paying the same amount every month towards electricity and maintenance as we do in normal times. Sadly, but not surprisingly, there has been no compensation of any sort yet. In fact, there has even been an apology of any sort for the inconvenience we are being put through. There is a temporary solution for the problem, that is being worked upon. The idea is to obtain a transformer on lease. Students can expect the air-conditioning system to be up and running as soon as the hired transformer arrives. With just over a month left before vacation, we can only hope that it arrives quick enough.

CARTOON CORNER
1st Law of Software Programming: Code Quality = (constant) x WTFs/min

GOOD CODE

BAD CODE

LESSON: There is ALWAYS a bright side!!

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COMPLAINT BOX
Listed below are some of our biggest complaints in college. They have been written in first person because they are meant to reflect the thoughts of most of us. This article will almost definitely make no difference. But thats not the point. Bitching is fun!! (All the views expressed are the writers own.) DISCONNECTED!! The internet connection in our campus has always been notorious. Slow speeds and irregular connectivity have haunted us all through our lives here. Recently though, we have seen an upturn in the state of things. The net speeds have been improved as a result of some drastic filtering of network traffic. (Too bad for those who spend half their lives social networking.) We would have appreciated the results better if they were achieved by upgrading the network rather than reducing traffic. While we revel in our newly found joy, however, there is one question that still remains unanswered. Why are we disconnected during the day? (Attendance is not very good anyway.) SHOPPING WOES A cooperative store like the one in Pilani - where students can buy stuff at prices lower than the market prices figures high on the list of student demands. Prices are not the only reason. It would also be a lot more convenient for us if SC stayed open for longer than 6-7 hours a day. LAUNDRY When we first came to the campus, the laundry charges were as little as 4 rupees a piece with maybe 5 for the ones that were harder to iron. Today, these prices have skyrocketed and we spend around 50% more than we used to. It is about time something is done about this. Note: In case you were wondering, power issues have been discussed elsewhere in the issue.

DAMN!! @$$@$&#&!!

PRISON BREAK Correct me if Im wrong, but I see absolutely no reason as to why we are not allowed to leave the campus during the day i.e. without going through an irritating procedure and a lot of explaining (lying??). Like it has been pointed out earlier, attendance is too poor anyway to be an excuse. Also, if I have an afternoon off, I think I should be able to go out freely if I so wish. Someone tell why me Im unable to do so.

PRISON BREAK: SEASON 2 The 11 oclock rule!! Its 11:30 now, isnt it? This rule is the Big Daddy of them all. For no rhyme or reason whatsoever, it just exists. It isnt there in our sister campus, the IITs (library timings - 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.) or in anywhere else I can think of. The only explanation for this that I thought came close to being half decent is security. But then, shouldnt the solution be tightening the security instead of locking us up? Life in college could undergo a sea of change (for the better) if this rule is abolished. Clubs and departments would have far more flexibility in operating. We would have our very own ANC (All Night Canteen.. Duh!!). The nerds could sit in the library all night! The list goes on...

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[MARCH 2008]

P S 1 - THE INSIDE STORY

Here is some advice for all those who are going to do their PS I this summer. PS1 is aimed at orienting students to the professional world. Its conducted at various professional settings such as national laboratories, financial institutions, R&D centers, software companies, health care organizations, etc. The students involve themselves in problemsolving activities of direct interest and relevance to the practice school centers. Its a 5 unit course that incorporates continuous evaluation and keeps a tab on the progress made by the students through GDs, quizzes and seminars. Now that we are done with the serious stuff (and hopefully you are still with us and havent drifted off) lets get to the fun part. Since this article is aimed at enlightening the second years about whats to come, lets start with the basic knowledge that one should possess before beginning PS1. Rule number one is to be dressed in formal clothes. This is one rule that is outrageously broken. So you dont have to really give a damn. Next we come to the all important PS diary. The PS diary is a book that has to be filled in everyday with all the major and minor occurrences at work. Its something that never happens. You will soon catch yourself filling in for about 10 days at once, making insignificant changes to the first and last lines of every entry. About 15 days into your PS, you will have Quiz 1, which basically tests how much you have grasped in the first week of orientation at your station. It can also be described as an exercise in testing your copying skills because its usually an MCQ. Then there are the GDs. TRW would have hopefully armed you with all the skills required to cope with this situation. GDs are a breeze. They last only for a few minutes and hence the rest of the day can be used in pursuing more productive stuff like surfing the net or catching a movie! The seminars need a little more preparation. You are expected to talk on your project and if your project is not good enough to be spoken about for 20 min, you are expected to make up stuff. A very strict format is followed in writing the report, copies of which go to the head of PS division in Pilani and also the station manager. Depending upon the gullibility levels of your instructor, it takes varying amounts of talent to hoodwink him into believing that you have done a lot of work at PS! Hoping that we have produced a very useful article, we sign off here. Have a great time at your PS!

TYCOONS 08
Tycoons 08 was a nation wide event aimed at identifying potential business leaders of the future. Round 1, which comprised an Aptitude test and saw participation from 2000 colleges nationwide, was conducted in BPGC by the Career Development Cell (CDC). Five students were selected for the next round - The City Finals. After the City Finals, participants had to fight their way through the Regional Finals into the Grande Finale. The first leg of the finals was held in Rishikesh where the finalists took part in sports like white water rafting and rappelling. They then attended a leadership summit in New Delhi were they interacted with the likes of Rahul Dravid and Mahesh Bhupathi. A few rounds later it was time for the winners to be declared.

Thats where BPGC comes in. The winner of Tycoons 08 was our very own Nishith Rastogi (2007S3PS554). He takes home a cash reward of Rs. 25,000 and an HCL laptop. He also gets a 100% scholarship for a PG course. Throw in a trip to universities like MIT and Stanford and you will realise Nishith is one very lucky guy. Kudos to him!! EPC wishes him all the best in his future endeavours.

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[MARCH 2008]

TIDBITS
PS II This year, Infineon Technologies and Cypress Semiconductors have got company in the most coveted PS II stations club. Histogenics is a tissue regeneration company based in New York, USA. It has signed up as a PS II station for the next semester. Select BITSians will now have access to some real cutting edge technology in the fields of advanced cell biology, tissue engineering, and materials science. It may be only for the M. Sc. Biology students, but it is good news nevertheless. GETTING TECHNICAL Recently there has been a spurt in technical activity in campus (Maybe Quark 08 has something to do with it Ed) Linux Users Group has announced a RedHat Certified Exam (RHCE) course to be conducted by RedHat. Students have an option of doing a short 2 day course or an extensive Sun Users Group, on the other hand, is starting a lecture series on Sun Microsystems new Sun SPOT - a wireless sensor network technology. Then there is the CY Club - mentioned elsewhere on this page. ISpeaks (a group of computer enthusiasts in campus who conduct lectures) has started a lecture series on Java recently. The associations have been busy too. Enigma has been conducting MATLAB lectures for interested students since quite a while now. And the DSP (Digital Signal Processing) Club has been formed by the EEE and ENI associations. The list could go on. All that is left to be seen is how well we students make use of use these opportunities. PSOC The recently started CY CLUB is organizing workshops aimed at teaching students about PSOC (Programmable System on Chip) Microcontrollers. PSOC is a promising new technology and is especially relevant to EEE and ENI students. During these sessions, participants are given an opportunity to work first hand with the Cypress kits using licensed PSOC software. RANG BARSE... Fun and frolic dominated the mood in college on the day of Holi. Enthusiastic girls and guys smeared each other with all varieties of colour during the Holi celebration which commenced at nine and went on for a good three hours. The tap and the water tanker made the empty ground in front of the workshop the perfect venue for all the colourful activities, which also included tearing off more than a few shirts. A Battle of Balloons was also organised nearby. Holika dehan took place the evening before. People paid homage to the story of the mythological Prince Prahlad before smearing each other with abeer and gulal. < CARTOON CORNER

Not everyone is as smart as Mrs. Dorsey. Good for us.

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WEEKEND DESTINATION - NETRAVALI

Netravali is a beautiful wildlife sanctuary located in the Western Ghats about 60-70 km from BPGC. Its location makes it perfect for some serious trekking. Some of our friends have been there and they tell us more about the place. The best way to get there is by cab. Leave early. Once there, a few places worth a look would the spice farm, the temple and 'Budbule Tale' (Bubble Lake) which gets it name from the weird bubbles that continuously pop out of it. Walking a mile or so down the tarmac would lead to a tribal village at the foothills. The villagers earn their living by producing 'feni' from cashew pulp. The trek route leads you across a fresh water stream and into the jungle. After that, there is no planned route as such. A good direction to head towards would be upstream where, about 4-5 km away, there is a waterfall. It is a treacherous trip but if you are up to it, you won't be disappointed. Keep close to the group because you sure as hell don't want to get lost. There is no connectivity and, well, it is the jungle after all. Once you reach the waterfall, take a break and enjoy the lush surroundings before you head back. Make sure you have enough time to get back before it gets dark. The journey, for us, was an amazing experience. We didn't even realize we had walked over 15 km. There were a few scary moments (like when we heard a distant growl of some unidentified beast). But overall, it was a fun trip that none of us would ever forget. If you are one of those who are willing to look beyond beaches for recreation, Netravali is a great option for you to explore. Tips: - The eating places are rudimentary at best so remember to carry food and water with you. At the same time, try not to overload your backpack. - If possible, take a professional trekker or at least someone with trekking experience along with you.

MOVIE REVIEW - VANTAGE POINT

Vantage Point (VP) revolves around an attempted assassination of the U.S. President at an anti-terrorism summit in Spain. The argued novelty of the script and director Pete Travis' approach is the multiple perspective angle to the plot (Remember Yuva?). We see the event from every possible point of view - none of them, unfortunately, even remotely gripping or entertaining. During a high powered public meeting between the United States and some Arab nations, President Ashton (William Hurt) is seemingly hit by an assassin's bullet. Seconds later, a bomb goes off in the square. As Secret Service agents Thomas Barnes (Dennis Quaid) and Kent Taylor (Matthew Fox) try to piece together the clues, camera-toting bystander Howard Lewis (Forest Whitaker) believes he has captured the entire event, including the shooter, on tape. A local policeman believes he knows who did it as well. Once everyone's vantage point is explored, the truth becomes warped and quite deadly. With a plot so twisted, VP promises much more than it can rationally deliver in eighty minutes. Yet, it is repetition that undermines it. The repeated revisiting of the crime provides little suspense and ca frustrating. VP violates the first rule of a thriller. It forgets to keep the viewer at least partially in the loop. From our own perspective, things just don't seem so pulsating.