CHALLENGE SEXUAL VIOLENCE!

Many of us are affected by sexual violence but hardly anyone talks about it. Maybe they don’t know what it is. Do you?

The Actual Definition : Rape is forced sexual intercourse, including vaginal, anal, or oral penetration. Penetration may be by a body part or an object while Sexual assault is unwanted sexual contact that stops short of rape or attempted rape. This includes sexual touching and fondling.

The month of April has been designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month, mainly in the United States. The goal is to raise public awareness about sexual violence and to educate communities and individuals on how to prevent sexual violence. This year, with rape in the headlines nearly every day, we speak out with even greater urgency to honor survivors and prevent sexual violence by highlighting sexual violence as a major public health, human rights and social justice issue and reinforce the need for prevention efforts. 

Statistics

Effects of Rape

Victims of sexual assault are:

·         3 times more likely to suffer from depression.

·         6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

·         13 times more likely to abuse alcohol.

·         26 times more likely to abuse drugs.

·         4 times more likely to contemplate suicide.

The Rapist isn't a Masked Stranger!

These numbers are real, but they don’t tell the whole story. They don’t tell of the broken trust when the attacker is a friend, a trusted colleague, or a family member.  They don’t tell of the suicidal feelings, the depression, or of the PTSD. And, they don’t tell of the courage that survivors demonstrate when they work every day to put their lives back together.

200,000 a year. That is 200,000 lives affected. By various factors such as post traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, self harm, Stockholm Syndrome, depression, sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, flashbacks, borderline personality disorder, sleep disorders, eating disorders, body memories, dissociative identity disorder, suicide, and military sexual trauma.

Two hundred thousand lives. You may already be one of them. Trying to fight your way back to life; or you could easily turn into one of them any day. Together, we need to work to change our culture so that one day, we don't have to fear men. The ultimate goal is to stop sexual violence before it begins.

Protect the girls in your life. Not because we are weak, but because often we believe we are too strong for our own good and choose to internalize issues of this magnitude. Each of us who are affected by these difficult situations have different mindsets and sometimes we don’t choose the right path to take. More often than not, we need help, but sometimes we are too afraid to ask for it.

 If this cause matters to you- don't be afraid, speak out. What will influence people is your story and the chance to make sure that future women never have to tell stories of rape again.

By:

Farzana Palathingal

1st Year BOT

Brida!!! Book Review!

Brida, ‘The International Bestseller’ written by Paulo Coelho of ‘The Alchemist’ fame is a moving tale  of love, passion, mystery, and spirituality from the master storyteller.


This is the story of Brida O’Fern, a beautiful young Irish girl and her quest for knowledge. She starts her path of spirituality by meeting the Magus. The Magus was far ahead in his spiritual search and had been living alone after being condemned to loneliness because of a sin he had committed. The Magus saw a gift in Brida and agreed to teach her. After the first test put forth by the Magus, Brida swore to not come back until she learns more about magic.

Another teacher of magic, Wicca, who also sees a rare gift in Brida, teaches her how to dance to the hidden music of the world but refuses to teach her about Soulmates. They start by going to a forest where Wicca performs a ritual which lets Brida go back to her past life, her lost love & the kingdom where she once lived. Brida conquers one lesson after the other & finds the answers that she had always been curious about.

 But the same question strikes back. How can she know who her Soulmate is? So Brida goes back to the Magus, but the Magus mustn’t tell her, he must only teach her how to find her Soulmate (which is him). Can he resist telling Brida about his love for her? And after she knows, who does she choose, the boy she has loved for long or the man she has just met?

‘But how will I know who my Soulmate is?’
‘By taking risks,’ she said to Brida.
‘By risking failure, disappointment, disillusion, but never ceasing in your search for Love. As long a you keep looking, you will triumph in the end.’

Take your journey with this passionate, young girl, Brida.

                                                           Isha Mody,(2nd Bpt)

AUTISM SPEAKS-it is time to listen!

Dan and Patricia made such a beautiful couple and when their son Mike was born, their family became just perfect. Mike was one of the most adorable kids in the city and Patricia was so proud of him. But on his first birthday, when Patricia went to hug Mike, he wouldn't let her! Dan brushed it off as a minor issue and Patricia too forgot about it eventually.

      Now, Mike had this habit of arranging his toys in a specific order. Also he ate the same brand cereal everyday for breakfast. He never spoke to any one and never made eye contact. The slightest sound of a person tapping his feet would irritate Mike to such a level that he would start yelling. But what worried Patricia most as a mother was that Mike didn't let her hug or kiss him. By now Dan too realized that the issue was getting serious and it wasn't Mike’s naughtiness but something else.

      Mike was referred to a Psychologist by a local doctor and on examination the psychologist told them that Mike showed signs of Autism.

What it autism?

Autism is a neural disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication and restricted and repetitive behavior  One in every 88 children is born with autism spectrum disorder in India, and about 10 million people diagnosed with autism in India. The earlier the diagnosis, greater the quality of life. 27% children remain undiagnosed till the age of 8.

  Few people with autism whom the whole world knows are Sir Isaac Newton, Mozart, Michel Angelo, Pablo Picasso and Lewis Carroll. Like them, Mike also had a special gift. He can replicate and play a piano piece by just hearing it once. That made him an ‘Autistic Savant’.

Dan and Patricia realized that Mike was different. They took Mike to a psychologist. The understood the situation and most importantly is that rather than crying over their fate, they decided to face the disorder with open arms. They didn't give up on their kid. They were not narrow minded.

Now I am a true Indian but I still feel that the awareness about mental disorders is very less in India. In India autism is mental retardation. A person with autism is permanently tagged as ”PAGAL” and socially outcast. No thought is given to how the kid can be helped, how the situation can be tackled but the kid is rather tortured more.

   So today, on World Autism Awareness Day, let us give a thought to Autism and lets try our level best to make people aware about Autism and tell them that Autism and Mental retardation are not the same. Being health professionals, we should shoulder the responsibility of accepting, loving, educating, and advocating autism to the world!!

Nirja  Kaplay

BPT 1st year

EASTER SUNDAY

It is the 31^st of March, It is the third day after Good Friday … for many of you it just might be another long weekend .A time to go home and spend it with family and friends. For me it is a time of homesickness and prayer.

  You might wonder why, so I’m going to explain.

Today is Easter and it is one of the most widely celebrated fest of Christians, even more than Christmas .It isn't just the fluffy chickens and the colorful eggs or the Easter bunny for that matter.

Easter chick 

Easter also known as Pascha, derived from the Hebrew term Pesach known in English as Passover,

Passover meal

Easter is preceded by Lent, a period of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter,

Palm Sunday

The week before Easter, known as Holy Week, the Sunday before Easter is Palm Sunday. The last three days before Easter are Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday (sometimes referred to as Silent Saturday).

 Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday respectively commemorate Jesus' entry in Jerusalem, the Last Supper and the Crucifixion.

 Many churches begin celebrating Easter late in the evening of Holy Saturday at a service called the Easter Vigil. In some countries, Easter lasts two days, with the second called "Easter Monday".

Easter is the day that Jesus was resurrected, giving us a new life in him. But just like Christmas, the real meaning has been forgotten. For those of us who are Christians, we understand what Easter is all about. I shall now share with you the Easter story.

In Old Testament times, the priest would bring bulls, goats or a spotless lamb without any blemishes to be sacrificed as a sin offering for himself and for the people. The blood would purify and make atonement (forgive, make amends) for their sins. This was the old order of atonement. 

When Jesus came, He was a representation of the sacrificial lamb to take away the sins of the world. He was crucified on the cross (the form of execution in those days). He was the final sacrifice. It's the sin of the world was upon Him, yet He was without sin and blameless. This is why Jesus is referred to as the 'Lamb of God'.

 He was bodily resurrected (came back to life)on the third day-- the day we now celebrate as Easter Sunday .This miracle is the basis of our faith. This shows how wonderful God's love really is & that nothing is impossible with the Lord.

The Risen Christ symbolizes the truth and the passion God has for us and is a chance for us to believe that if we love and believe in God; and truly repent for our sins, we will have eternal life with him in paradise.

As a part of celebration 

we give Easter eggs to symbolize the rebirth of man they were often coloured red to represent the blood of Christ.

 

Easter lilies are also given, as they are called the "white-robed apostles of hope," because they were 

 reportedly found growing in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus' sweat fell to the ground in his final hours

 If you still didn't understand the meaning of Easter it’s alright. Find it within yourself and celebrate it. Celebrate all expressions of joy and happiness however they manifest. Even if Easter has no meaning to you at all, it is just another day. Another day of the most beautiful of miracles.

So here’s wishing you all a very happy Easter!!

 Love,

Sue-Ellen Pereira

HOLI

Holi festival of colours 

Holi  spreads a bright carpet of amazing colours and symbolizes the victory of good over the evil. 
The story behind this festival goes back during the era of king, .during the reign of king Hiranyakashyap. He used to torture his son Prahlad as he was a true devotee of lord Vishnu instead of his father. His all methods went vein to kill his son. Then Hiranyakashyap asked his sister Holika to take Prahlad in her laps and sit in a burning fire.

Holika had boon that she wouldn't burn in fire. She did as her brother said but instead of Prahlad,  holika was burned to death/ashes. That is the reason on first day of holi in the evening a huge fire is lit with dry leaves sticks woodon logs etc. And from children to adults offer pradakshina (rounds) to the fire and pray that their sins should be burned away with Holika. On this auspicious day sweet chappati is prepared from gram flour and jaggery known as "Puran polis"! The puran poli and a coconut is offered in the Holika. Then arrives the second day which is"Dhuleti". 
On this day from morning people start colouring each other with various colours.! Till mid aftrernoon colourfull faces are observed everywhere. Children eagerly wait for this day. They start making water balloons buy pichkaris i.e water guns water bags and lot of different lively colors  Red blue green yellow magenta purple black orange etc all colours are seen splashed all around seems as if a beautiful bright coloured carpet is spread out. Children enjoy throwing water balloons from the building terraces which amazes them but is proved harmful for the passerby ! Every colour has its own uniqueness and  this festival of holi gives us a glimpse of all the colours which is a pleasure for vision. It is a festival o f  joy masti exitement and colour. If taken a wrong path this holi may prove a bad one. So everyone must play and enjoy holi safely...!! Soo have a great funnn this holi....HAPPPY HOLI!!!!

arya salgaonkar

A Step-by-Step Guide to Completing Your Assignment In Your Hostel

 1. Sit in a straight, comfortable chair in a well-lighted place. Make sure you have all the necessary stationary items/reference notes on the table, so you don't have to get up every five minutes to pick something up from the shelf. 

2. Read over the assignment topic and reference material carefully, to make sure you understand it. 

3. Walk down to Fresh N Honest and buy some coffee to help you concentrate.

4. Stop off at another floor on the way back and visit your classmate. If he/she hasn't started the assignment yet either, you can both walk to Shenoys and get grilled cheese sandwiches to help you concentrate. (Nobody wants to study with an empty stomach!!!)

5. When you get back to your room, sit in a straight, comfortable chair in a clean, well-lighted place. Again, make sure you have all the necessary stationary items/reference notes on the table.

6. Read over the assignment topic again to make absolutely certain you understand it.

7. You know, it's been long since you have texted your classmate back from school. You'd better text him/her now and get it out of the way so you can concentrate!

8. Go look at your teeth in the common bathroom mirror.

9. Switch to the 'Music' folder on your laptop and listen to that one favorite song of yours thrice and that's it-- I mean it! As soon as it's over, you are going to start that assignment  >:( 

 

10. Listen to it five more times.

11. Rearrange all the movies in your hard drive in alphabetical order.

12. Phone your friend on the other floor and ask if he/she's started writing yet. Exchange remarks about your teacher, the course, the university, and the world at large.

13. Sit in a straight, comfortable chair in a clean, well-lighted place. AGAIN, make sure you have all the necessary stationary items/reference notes on the table.

 

14. Read over the assignment topic again; roll the words across your tongue; savor its special flavor.

15. Go online and check the Wikipedia Episode Listings of your favorite TV show to check if the latest episode is out yet. If it is, download it from Torrents and watch it.

 NOTE: When you have an assignment due in less than 12 hours, any new episode of 'Grey's Anatomy' to 'How I Met Your Mother' to 'Bones' is truly worthwhile.

16. Phone your friend on the third floor to see if he/she has watched it. Discuss the finer points of the plot.

17. Go look at your tongue in the common bathroom mirror.

18. Look through your roommate's pictures from home. Ask who everyone is.

19. Sit down and do some serious thinking about your plans for the future.

20. When the clock reads 4 a.m., sit in a straight, comfortable chair in a clean, well-lighted place. Make sure you have all the necessary stationary items/reference notes on the table.

21. Read over the assignment topic one more time, just for the sake of it.

22. Write the assignment!!!

23. Complain to everyone that you didn't get any sleep because you had to write the assignment!!!

FARZANA PALATHINGAL

BOT 1^st year

RETHINKING SLEEP!

It’s World Sleep Day on 15^th March and Oh! How we all wish we could use this day to catch up on the lost sleep. Sleep deprivation is a serious problem affecting most of our teens and youth. So often we see our classmates getting yelled at because they fall asleep in a lecture. But have we ever dwelled on the subject and given it a thought? That why we fall asleep in a lecture or in a local train or a bus?? It is not always because of the spell of boredom that the lecturers cast. It is because of excessive sleep deprivation.

              Cutting down on sleep to spend hours online chatting to a buddy or playing games or to finish an assignment a day before the submission date or studying is such a common trend. It’s almost like a fashion statement. Something that makes you look “cool”.

                 

Ø Learning and memory: Sleep helps us register the information and store it as a memory.
Ø Obesity: Sleep deprivation over a long period of time leads to weight gain and when it is compiled with junk food the effects are even worse.
Ø Safety Issues: Falling prey to drowsiness has lead to road accidents.
Ø Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness.
Ø Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
Ø Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.

Few Tips For A Better Sleep:

·         Go to bed earlier — and at a set time. Sounds obvious right? The problem is there's no alternative. We already wake up at the latest possible time you think is acceptable. If you don't ritualize a specific bedtime, you'll end up finding ways to stay up later, just the way you do now.
·         Start winding down at least 45 minutes before you turn out the light. You won't fall asleep if you're all wound up from answering email, or doing other work. Create a ritual around drinking a cup of herbal tea, or listening to music that helps you relax, or reading a dull book.
·         Write down what's on your mind — especially unfinished to-do's and unresolved issues — just before you go to bed. If you leave items in your working memory, they'll make it harder to fall asleep, and you'll end up ruminating about them if you should wake up during the night

Here's what former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin had to say in his memoir White Nights about the experience of being deprived of sleep in a KGB prison: "In the head of the interrogated prisoner a haze begins to form. His spirit is wearied to death, his legs are unsteady, and he has one sole desire: to sleep .  Anyone who has experienced this desire knows that not even hunger and thirst are comparable with it."

NIRAJA

BPT 1st year