Indian National Anthem English Translation

2

IiNnDdIiAaNn NnAaTtIiOoNnAaLl AaNnTtHhEeMm

English Translation
Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,
Dispenser of India's destiny.
Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sindh,
Gujarat and Maratha,
Of the Dravida and Orissa and Bengal;
It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,
mingles in the music of Jamuna and Ganges and is
chanted by the waves of the Indian Ocean.
They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise.
The saving of all people waits in thy hand,
Thou dispenser of India's destiny.
Victory forever.
-Rabindranath Tagore

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Table of Contents
S.No Title Page No
1. Foreword 4
2. Acknowledgments 5
3. Message from the Advisors 6
4. Message from the President 7
5. ISA Committee Profile 8
6. 13
7. 15
8. 18
9. Student Articles and Contributions 19
Amidst celestial clamour 20
An accolade 20
Photos 21
Food for thought 22
23
Stealing her heart 24
Agony of Gujarat 25
Ugadi- The beginning 25
VTRUST Share to Care 27
Drishtikone 30
My Diwali 33
Soldier 33
Hyderabad-The Heart of Andhra Pradesh 34
Photos 36
Dinner in 20 37
Little Hearts- The Stillwater Fundraiser Initiative 38
Heaven waits on Earth 39
Photos 40
Paintings 41
Remembering our roots 42
Photos 43
The Maestro 44
A Love Story 47
Photos 48
A New Dawn 50
Photos 51
A personal reflection on Wesley foundation 52
From one Indian to another 54
Kavithai 54
Photos 55
10. ISA Events Gallery 57
11. Team ISA 68

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Foreword
When we first discussed the idea of bringing out the newsletter this year after a gap of two years, we were
skeptical at first, but we were confident that it can be done. It is indeed an honor to head the editorial team
2011-12 here at Oklahoma State
University. Continuing the stupendous work that has been done by ISA this current academic year, the
newsletter is among the final feathers in the cap. The newsletter would serve as an identity to showcase
what ISA is all about. ISA has been the largest student organization on campus ever since it was first
started in 1984. It is already in the stages of being recognized as among the best International Student
Organizations on campus. While the official cover of the newsletter was released by Mr. Tim Huff,
Manager, International Students and Scholars (ISS)
biggest event, the rest of the newsletter was put together over the last few months. This meant moving a
The very task of
bringing out the newsletter towards the end of the academic year summarizing everything ISA has done
and would like to do as well as fitting in valuable contributions from its members required meticulous
planning and effort. The ISA team wanted to be sure this newsletter was not left behind in its sets of
laurels achieved. Interesting additions and developments to the newsletter include welcoming articles in
traditional Indian languages and also articles from other student organizations. The ISA members deserve
accolades for their wonderful contributions in the form of small write-ups, opinions, poems, social service
work, photographs and much more. An exclusive photo gallery captures all the major ISA events that
occurred this year. Their contribution is something which would make this newsletter a benchmark over
the years. The ISA committee members have also pitched in with their reports and articles. We wanted to
make sure that this newsletter should be as good as any bestselling book that one would not put down
without completely reading it and would also cherish it for a long time. We hope you enjoy this edition of
-12.
Thank You
Karthik Ragunath Arjun Rajakutty
President, ISA (Supervising Editor) Event Coordinator, ISA (Editor)
Mr. Tim Huff officially releasing the cover of Surabhi 2011-12 on Diwali Night 2011, November 5th

5

Acknowledgements
The list of people ISA needs to thank not only for the successful release of this newsletter but their
support all throughout the year has been numerous. Perhaps the biggest support for ISA has come from
the International Student Organization (ISO) and Mr. Tim Huff, Manager, International Students and
Scholars (ISS). described in words.In this regard
ISA also wishes to thank Swapneel Deshpande, President, ISO and Dr. Shireen Hyrapiet from ISO for
their guidance and support. The ISA is extremely grateful to Dr. Sandip Harimkar, Advisor, ISA and Dr.
Priyank Jaiswal, Co-Advisor, ISA for all their logistic support and guidance throughout the year. The ISA
is nothing without the support of the Indian Community in and around Oklahoma State University. Last
but not the least the ISA is extremely grateful to all its wonderful members for all their support and
participation all through this year. The committee cannot thank itself but we are proud that we produced
excellent results this year working together as a team.
Thank You
ISA Committee 2011-12

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Message from the Advisors
I congratulate the Indian Students Association for putting up a creative collection of anecdotes,
lessons, and memories. I hope it helps them to connect to those who were once a part of it and
those who will become a part of it forever.
A graduate life is lived only once. Mostly it is impoverished and rushed. Students scurry to get it
slogging. What is intangible, and everlasting, are the bonds they make over tough times with
each other and with their alma mater.
I hope this publication stays with you and reminds you of all the good times you spend here and
encourages you to come back, over and over and over again.
Dr. Priyank Jaiswal
Faculty Advisor, ISA

7

Message from the President
I feel overwhelmed as I sit down to write this presidential message, honored and excited to have
served you as President of the Indian Student Association at Oklahoma State University for the
2011-2012 term. I am honored to represent such a distinguished group of individuals.
The goal of ISA was to create an atmosphere that fosters the needs and social well-being of its
students. ISA forms a comprehensive resource of information and advice on different aspects of
student life through our academic and professional activities. At the same time, we also work on
improving the quality of student life through fun and exciting social events. I would like to
congratulate the incoming Indian students for choosing an amazing institution with an incredible
array of opportunities for International students.
ISA recognized that, for Indian students it is important to have time to relax, shift gears and have
fun. Hence, we hosted an array of events ranging from SEWA Cricket tournament to Talent
night to Dandiya Night, where students and faculty members enjoyed good food, made new
friends and had raw fun. It would be unfair if I do not mention the successful organization of the
numerous activities and
opportunities, ISA has been among the Best Student Association on campus multiple times.
The success of ISA would not have been possible without the help of the advisors, whose
friendliness and cooperation has made life better for each and every student in ISA. Without their
support and advice, ISA would not have been able to flourish as it has in the past. I would like to
thank our advisor Dr. Harimkar and Dr. Jaiswal for all their support. Most of all, ISA could not
possibly operate without the dedicated student volunteers whose time and effort have helped us
run our events smoothly. Therefore, I would like to ask for your help in advancing ISA even
further in the coming years. Serving on ISA is a great opportunity to meet people, get involved,
and have fun at the same time. As a volunteer organization, we welcome your active
participation.
A sense of nostalgia and grief fills up my heart when I think that my eventful journey at OSU is
nearing its climax this semester. I take this as an opportunity to thank everyone who made my
tenure at OSU a great learning experience both academically and personally. I take this as an
members who stood by me even during
tough times. A special thanks to Mr.Tim Huff from Campus Life, Dr. Shireen and Swapneel
from ISO for all the help. I bow to all other ISA members and advisors who came forward to
give their unrelenting support to all the events and initiatives taken by ISA committee.
Karthik Ragunath Mariyappan
President, ISA

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ISA COMMITTEE 2011-12
Dr. Sandip Harimkar
Assitant Professor, Mechanical and Aersopace Engineering
Advisor, ISA
Dr. Harimkar has been the guiding force to this ISA team at the top. The
most positive aspect about him is that he gives freedom to the committee to
decide on their ideas and execute them. His suggestions and inputs to the
team have been outstanding. The ISA team is grateful to Dr. Harimkar for all
his logistic support and guidance throughout the year in all fields.
Dr. Priyank Jaiswal
Assitant Professor, Seismology and Inverse Methods
Co-Advisor, ISA
Dr. Jaiswal has also been another pillar of support to
ISA. His biggest boost to the ISA activities this year was
his involvement and encouragement in organization of
the SEWA cricket cup where he personally spoke to the
sponsors and made sure the event was a big success.
Besides this, Dr. Jaiswal has also guided the team in all
other activities.
Karthik Ragunath Mariyappan
President
Karthik has perhaps been one of the most
dynamic presidents ISA has seen in a very long
time. The Industrial Engineering and
Management graduate student has been the
with his all-round near perfect leadership skills.
Being at the helm of affairs, Karthik has made
sure he brings out the best in his committee. The
president is also a very good dancer and athlete.

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Dhaval Bhosale
Vice President
Dhaval comes out as Mr. Calm and Cool in the ISA
committee who is a good listener and negotiator and
completes tasks without much hype or fuss. He has been
organizations and acts as the liaison between ISO and
ISA. Being a graduate student in Industrial Engineering
and Management, Dhaval also lead the sponsorship
committee of ISA and is one of the primary reasons
behind record sponsorships for Diwali Night 2011.
Being a sports enthusiast, Dhaval is also a very good
pool player and plays defense for the ISA soccer team.
Kuldeep More
General Secretary
ing coordination among the
committee, ISA members and volunteers throughout the year. He has
been a guiding force and planner behind all ISA activities. The
Industrial Engineering and Management graduate student is a very
easy going person who exhibits patience and presence of mind even
during moments of crisis. He has been an asset to the committee.
Gautam Pangaonkar
Public Relations Officer
The PRO is the man for public affairs. Words are not
enough to describe his efforts in arranging temporary
accommodations and airport pickups for all new
students which can be a very taxing job. Gautam is also
a graduate student from Industrial Engineering and
Management and handles publicity and official
correspondence for ISA.

10

Geet Sangvikar
Sports Secretary
The sports secretary was the first to kick off ISA
activities this year by organizing the SEWA Cricket
Cup. His tremendous organization and coordination for
all sports activities throughout the year has been
excellent. He has made sure that ISA put up a good
show in the international Olympics and eventually
emerging as the overall champions. Geet is a graduate
student from Industrial Engineering and Management
and apart from organizing sports activities; He has also
provided rock solid support for all other ISA activities.
Vighnesh Naik
Treasurer
Vighnesh is the ever smiling treasurer of ISA and handles the most
confidential and perhaps taxing job of ISA affairs. He has been
of all sponsorship money and with a good database, he has done a
great job. The graduate student from Industrial Engineering and
Management is also responsible to keep track of ISA membership.
Harshilkumar
Social Chair
Harshil is a man of few words. The Electrical Engineering
for all social events and
handled mobilization of volunteers and provided other logistic
support from time to time. Harshil was in-charge of Diwali Night
2011 volunteers and handled this job with elan. Harshil also lead
ming parade.

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Arjun Rajakutty
Event Coordinator
Arjun as an event coordinator was a revelation and filled in new
enthusiasm in the ISA committee once he got selected after a
unanimous decision was taken to choose him for this position.
Through his zeal and high commitment, the ISA events this year
have not just been successful but have set a benchmark for future
ISA work. Being a Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Graduate student, his never-say-die attitude and friendly nature have
made him an instant hit amongst the committee members as well as
the Indian students on campus. Arjun is also a pretty good dancer
and is active in sports activities.
Rashmi Wadhwa
Cultural Secretary
Rashmi has the distinction of being the only girl in the committee. As
the cultural secretary, the graduate student from Electrical Engineering
has been responsible for mobilizing and handling all the cultural
activities for ISA. She has coordinated with performers for
successfully organizing Dandia Night, Talent Night and Diwali Night.
She is also spearheading the activities for Cultural Night 2012.
Mukul Gaikwad
Web Master
(Spring 2012)
Mukul stepped in as the webmaster from Spring 2012 to take care of
facebook and orkut pages apart from moderating the google groups.
Mukul has also been an active volunteer and provided tremendous
support in organizing all ISA events over the year.

12

Yogen Shah
Web Master
(Summer Fall 2011)
Yogen was the webmaster before Mukul stepped in to replace him.
e web by moderating the ISA
webpage, the Facebook and orkut pages as well as Google groups. His
prompt updates and maintenance of web resources has been an asset for
ISA. Yogen is a graduate from Management and Information systems
and also handled rrespondence with all Indian Faculty at OSU.
(Note: The committee profiles have been developed based on popular public opinion and compiled by
neutral observers.)

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Report from the Vice President
The Indian Student Association is one of the largest International Student Organizations on
campus. Being one of the largest brings its own share of constant pressure on ISA to live up to the
expectations of its members. It requires ISA to be innovative in hosting events for its members so that
they may participate in campus-wide activities. ISA has been involved in various cultural, social and
other international events on the Campus.
The first event hosted by Indian Students Association was the cricket tournament amidst the
arrival of new students. Five teams participated in the tournament and competed for glory in exceptionally
taxing climate. Tournament ended with an exciting final played between the Tamizh Tigers and Maratha
Warriors. Maratha Warriors were seemingly cruising towards victory but Tamizh Tigers fought their way
back and won the tournament.
The Independence Day Celebrations were carried out on August 15. Dr. Subhash Kak was the
guest speaker and initiated the proceeding with an inspirational speech. The program was attended by
more than 200 people and light refreshments were served.
The Indian Students Association organized Talent Night on September 23rd 2011, in order to
recognize the best talents in the Indian community. Around sixteen people showcased their skills in a
variety of genres to compete for the trophy. The audience and the chief guests were entertained with an
array of performances like singing, dancing and music by the artists. Dr. Shireen Hyrapiet, Roshan
Revankar and Priyanka Pottath were the judges for the evening. Jasodhara Sen was the winner and Priti
Kulkarni and Vrushali Musale were runners-up. Srihari Nagarajan was adjudged best male performer.
The event was wrapped up with serving of snacks.
On September 29, Dandiya Night was organized at the Student Union Ballroom. Around 250
people attended the event reflecting the splendid diversity at Oklahoma State University. Bharath Pakala
and Jinal Gala were recognized as the Best Male and Best Female Dancers respectively. Ketan Joshi and
Juhi Pandit were recognized as the Best Male costume and Best Female costume respectively. The
marvelous ethic attires made Dandiya Night a night to remember.
Continuing the momentum, ISA encouraged its members to participate in International Olympics
which was to be held from September 14 28. We emerged as the overall Champions winning 5 gold
medals and 4 silver medals. The Sports Secretary of triumphant ISA, Geet Sangvikar commented The
difference between try and triumph is a little umph."
hosted by the International Students Organization. ISA sold traditional Indian food and also had a
Championship Trophy for International Olympics.

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ISA organized an event on 14th
of October, 2011, where students got an opportunity to interact
with OSU alumni Mr. Ponnala Lakshmaiah, IT Minister, AP, India. Students were lucky to have Dr.
J.N.Reddy to attend the event. It was a very motivating and informative session.
ISA also participated in the World Café held on October 28th
and Homecoming parade held on October
29th
. Jasodhara Sen and Srihari Nagarajan represented ISA in the Mr. and Ms. International event. Srihari
won the first runner up prize.
the annual cultural extravaganza hosted by ISA. It is ranked as one of the largest
ced. Apart from the Indian
community. Authentic Indian food was served and around 800 people attended the event. Mr. Tim Huff
was the guest of honor and it was indeed an amazing evening to remember.
Spring semester started with Republic Day celebrations. Around 200 students attended the event
and paid tribute the nation. There were a few performances by students and Indian snacks were served.
Dr. Ranji Vaidyanathan was the guest of honor and he gave an inspiring speech.
The other big event of this year is the release of this newsletter Surabhi 2011-12 after a gap of
nearly two years. Elections will be held in April for executive positions and the onus will be upon the new
committee to keep the momentum going and take ISA to new heights. ISA is also planning events like
Holi and Bollywood Dance Night. ISA will also be participating in International Bazaar and Cultural
Night, both hosted by ISO with meticulous planning and support from volunteers.
The Indian Students Association team has worked very hard to host the events and make them a
grand success, which have set a benchmark for the future. ISA had a great mentor in Dr. Sandip Harimkar
and the organization has grown in strength and now stands with 150 new members.
Dhaval Bhosale
Vice President

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What a successful year this has been for the Indian Student Association at OSU! I say this with a great
sense of pride and fulfillment as I review the achievements of the past year. This year we saw the Indian
students taking part in different sports in different competitions and emerging victorious almost
everywhere. During the International Olympics held by ISO, the ISA was at the podium for almost every
sport conducted. Unlike other student organizations, ISA had a team in each and every event which goes
to show the enthusiasm among the participants. To see the Indian students winning in sports such as
badminton, table tennis, soccer, etc. and to emerge as overall winners of the Olympics gave a sense of
satisfaction for all the hard work that went behind it. And by hard work, I mean the efforts taken by the
participants in making sure ISA stays at the top of the medals tally. Apart from the Olympics many
students also participated in the intramural sports events and returned victorious even there.
We also hosted the SEWA Cowboy Cricket Cup during the summer of 2011. This was the first
time that the cricket tournament, which is arranged by ISA every year, got sponsored from a non-OSU
organization. The sponsors SEWA Houston gave us the financial backing without which it would have
been impossible to conduct the tournament at such a grand level. I would like to thank our ISA co-advisor
Dr. Priyank Jaiswal, who himself is a member of SEWA USA, in helping us profoundly to make sure we
have the financial support. We had five teams participating this year and Tamizh Tigers led by ISA
President Karthik Ragunath were the worthy winners of the SEWA Cup as they beat Maratha Warriors in
a dramatic final.
Also from Fall 2011 semester, the ISA in order to start a new tradition of some sort decided to
acknowledge one individual for his/her achievements. I would like to thank ISO President Swapneel
Deshpande for suggesting such a wonderful gesture that would not only be a boost for others to do well
d went to
Sanath Chilakala for his achievements in volleyball at OSU and ISA level.
I would like to congratulate all the participants and winners of ISO Olympics, SEWA Cup as well as
Intramurals for all the accolades and success which shone the name of Indian Student Association even
more throughout the campus wide sporting fraternity. I hope this trend continues and ISA keeps on
winning many such events in the future as well! Last but not the least the ISA with the help and support
of Carl Densem have again resurrected the Cowboy Cricket Club to participate in the Tri-State Cricket
League. It would again prove to be a motivation for the cricket fanatics at OSU to represent their
university at state level.
not made of gold or silver but they are made of sweat,
determination and a hard-to-
Thank You
Geet Sangvikar
Sports Secretary

17

M EDA L WINNERS F OR ISA IN ISO O L Y MPICS
G O LD
8 ball Pool: Dhaval Bhosale/Gunjan Talati (Doubles)
Badminton: Roshan Revankar (Singles), Roshan Revankar/ Aravind Jasti (Doubles)
Table Tennis: Santosh Kumar Rai (Singles), Santosh Kumar Rai/ Roshan Revankar (Doubles)
SIL V ER
Soccer: Atharva Barve(c),Dhaval Bhosale,Nikhil Devkar,Karthik Ragunath,Aditya Kelkar,Dhaval
Chaudhari,Yash Tamhankar,Viju Muthuppa,Ketan Joshi,Kunal Karandikar,Sagar Gadekar,Shreyas
Matade,Arjun Rajakutty,Jagdeep Podichetty, Gunjan Talati, Advait Bhat,Roshan Revankar
Volleyball: Balaji Jayakumar(c), Roshan Revankar, Shyam Kumar Ravikumar , Swarup C Jacob , Ravish
Ananda Shetty , Karthik Ragunath, Vijay Subramanian , Sanath Chilakala, Arun Prasad ,Sunil More,
Arjun Rajakutty, Aravind Jasti
8 ball Pool: Dhaval Bhosale (Singles)
Tug-of-War: Geet Sangvikar(c), Pratik Pevekar, Karthik Ragunath, Arun Prasad, Kuldeep More, Shyam
Kumar, Aayush Gupta, Kunal Karandikar, Naveen Raj Dhanpal, Kaustubh Ranade
SE W A CUP
Winners: Tamizh Tigers
Karthik Ragunath, Vignesh Ramamoorthy, Aravind Jasti, Praveen Kumar Devaraj, Rakesh, Arun Prasad,
Kishore, Harsh Chudgar, Prasana Bhaskar, Bobby Mahapatra, Faizan Shaikh, Piyush, Carl Ziggy
Densem, Victor, Ramanathan Shanmuganathan
Runners-up: Maratha Warriors
Kaustubh Manohar Ranade, Kuldeep More, Geet Sangvikar, Swapnil Sankaye, Dhananjay Dhane, Rohit
Harikrishnan, Sagar Gadekar, Nikhil Devkar, Sanjay Haladkar, Raveendra Singh, Pradeep Mulage, Rohit
Pillai, Gautam Pangoankar, Gaurav Desai
Best Batsman: Karthik Ragunath (Tamizh Tigers)
Best Bowler: Ramnathan Shanmuganathan
INTRA MURA LS
Badminton: Roshan Revankar/ Jeet Turakhia (Doubles)
Poker: Ketan Joshi (Ranked 6th
from among 100 participants)

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A Time Well Spent-
When I stood in the elections of the Indian Student Association in April 2011 for the post of Public
Relations Officer, I was told by the former PRO that this particular post had a lot to do. It included
communicating with the new students who were about to embark their journey by coming to the U.S,
helping them by solving their doubts, arranging temporary accommodation and pick up for them, and
publicizing about the events held on campus.
My journey as a PRO began in summer 2011 when new students started coming in. There were around
150 students from various departments who had contacted the Indian Student Association for temporary
accommodation and pick up. We had less than 15 houses, 3 cars and one ISA team and had to get all
those students safely back to Stillwater and also provide them with temporary accommodation. Spending
the whole day while receiving calls from the students, their parents and the student drivers and working
40 hours/week gave me one bumpy ride. The same scenario was in December 2011 when students for
Spring 2012 started communicating and I had to reciprocate but this was all a part of my duty.
Apart from this, we also had to publicize about the events that we were planning to host such as Talent
Night, Dandiya Night, Diwali Night, Masti Night etc. There was a lot to do than we thought for Diwali
Night as we had to publicize for an event this huge where 800 people came for the show on a game day at
OSU was not an easy task. We had a very good two way communication with ISO. They just swooped in
and assisted us in making this event joyous and a fruitful memory.
Last but not the least, I would like to thank the whole ISA team, our advisers Dr. Sandip Harimkar and
Dr. Priyank Jaiswal, Mr. Tim Huff and Dr. Shireen Hyrapiet (who represent ISO) who helped me make
this job commendable.
Thank You,
Gautam P Pangaonkar
Public Relations Officer

19

ARTICLES and
CONTRIBUTIONS

20

Amidst celestial clamor
All dark,
with a family to cheer,
scaring the wits end out of many a creature,
with a clamor heard and unheard,
the scent was so virgin,
the craving so divine,
she came to parch the mothers thirst,
amidst celestial clamor and dazzling streaks,
she fell on to the lap of the mother,
with a mellowed tone, she sang
I am raining......
Anand Govindarajan
PhD Student, Chemical Engineering
In this all God's creatures, you have lot of people around you.
Few for your money.
Few for your appearance.
And very few for your character.
But ever body leaves you when you are growing melancholy,
When you have lost your prominence or prosperity.
God blessed you with one distinctive soul,
Which never leaves you.
Until, he takes it away from you against your will.
That soul never expects anything from you.
Even after you harm the soul, the ensuing moment you fall down.
It will lend you the first assisting hand.
This soul is no one else, but your sweet mom.
The pity thing is... you will realize this, only after you miss her.
Karthik Nakkeeran
Graduate Student, Management and Information Systems

22

Sunil Kumar Lakkakula
PhD Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Food for thought:
The light of sun that brings the dawn though its time may be brief,
pierces the darkness of the night and portrays a wonderful tiff.
Though it may be short or weak just a few rays are enough,
the same goes for man though you may be feeble you just need the right stuff.
Armories don't win us wars nor do they save the weak,
Its only great minds and hearts that conjure courage when things appear bleak.
Kedar Pai
Graduate Student, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

23

OSU, the 27 year journey well represented saffron in this
orange country. I hold a heartwarming pleasure, being a spectator of this journey over the past few years
while my fellow Indians at OSU have worked their ways in upholding the Indian tradition through the
dazzling Diwali nights and Dandi
committees have been rendered well with the help and guidance of the preceding committee and faculty
members making it more appealing, both commendable and sincerely appreciated.
I am a witness to the joy and happiness that ISA has brought out to the community in this so-called small
and 42 degree C of dry heat never bothered the pride of the 22 yards in the Northwest side of the OSU
population in stilly has also been well represented in sports familiar to the other international student
community at OSU. ISA has competed in badminton, soccer, table tennis and volleyball (this game is the
closest to my heart), striking gold every year in most of these sports, and losing in some. I wish to revisit
2011 volleyball efforts, just to make sure we got what we deserved. But I tell myself and my
fellow-
waiting on 2012, since 2011 has been my best teacher. One of the saddest moments for us this year was
the passing of Dr. Ranga Komanduri, a renowned MAE Professor. Together, we mourn for the loss of Dr.
Komanduri, our heart goes out to his family. Our sincere condolences also go out to the families of Coach
Budke, Coach Serna, and Angela Spencer.
-
the National Championshi
h to bid adieu to the old man (Weeden) and Blackmon with hopes for the 2012 season. Football,
which was just an alien game, is today an interesting feed to a lot of us. Clearly, in more than one way we
bleed orange.
The Indian colors do exuberate a sense of beauty and interest. In my eyes, these colors fit together, like
Balaji Jayakumar
PhD Student, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineeering

24

Stealing her heart!
Its time
She is expecting his shrieks and cries
And there she hears
She rushes, for, he is her dear
But he refuses,
Turns his face away this way and that
And she yells-you brat
In it goes for the first time, soon after.
He continues his pranks,
Cries and acts gagged,
not long before,
He slips into oblivion,
Seeing the white wonder amidst golden jewels,
At times seeing the black cacophoner,
Perching here and there,
And there it goes the next gulp,
Totally unaware-of its passage.
Realizing-he continues the gag-unordered,
Tired and slightly harried,
She entices, enacts and croons,
He for one is resolute,
Not for long,
She wins and he wins too!
There goes the last one.
She just let him down,
And turned to see how he looks,
Afraid that she the best cook,
What a sight to behold,
Of smeared hand work,
Decorated by fleshy pouts,
Its now her turn,
To turn oblivious,
There he goes with his mumbles and fumbles,
Distractingly yet stealing her heart.
Anand Govindarajan
PhD Student, Chemical Engineering

25

Agony of Gujarat
partition,
But the agony continued in succession.
Gujarat was the land of the father of the nation,
But an earthquake gave a shock to the nation.
Thousands of lives shattered,
And properties battered.
Just as it was recovering from the shock,
The recovery came to a block.
As the burning of a train,
Brought the recovery down the drain.
People still wait for the dawn of a new day,
To be happy and gay.
Let us all pray to see an end to the agony of Gujarat.
Note: I wrote this poem back when I was in 10th
class in 2004, this poem is an homage just to assert that
we still remember what happened in Gujarat
Arjun Rajakutty
Ugadi- The beginning
The Ugadi or Yugadi (yuga "age" and "beginning": the beginning of an age) Festival is
celebrated in the Deccan region of India( Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra). The
festival marks the new year day for people between Vindhyas and Kaveri river who follow the
South Indian lunar calendar, pervasively adhered to in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Maharashtra and Goa. Ugadi marks the beginning of the Hindu Lunar calendar. Ugadi marks a
day of joy and happiness, aspirations and hope. The belief is that this day and its joy would
foreshadow the course of events for the upcoming year.
Ugadi in a Telugu Perspective
In Andhra Pradesh, Ugadi is the festival to rejoice the coming of the New Year. It gives the
people of Andhra Pradesh a reason to celebrate and hope for a very happy year ahead. The leaves
of mango tree (torana) are tied to the doors and the houses are decorated with fresh flowers. The

26

day begins with special Naivedyam (offerings) and Puja (Prayer) to the holy almighty to shower
his blessings on the mankind. Later, people traditionally gather to listen to the recitation of the
religious Panchangam (almanac) of the New Year, and the general forecast of the year to come.
This is called the 'Panchanga Sravanam', an informal social function where an elderly and
respected person refers to the new almanac and makes a general benediction to all present. Ugadi
celebrations are marked by literary discussions, poetry recitations and recognition of authors of
literary works through awards and cultural programs. Recitals of classical Carnatic music and
dance are held in the evenings.
There is a special dish called Ugadi pachadi that is prepared on the day of festival. The recipe of
this dish is a specific mixture of six tastes, symbolizing the fact that life is a mixture of different
experiences (sadness, happiness, anger, fear, disgust, surprise) which should be accepted together
and with equanimity in the Year ahead. The special recipe consists of:
Neem Buds/Flowers for its bitterness, signifying Sadness
Jaggery and banana pieces for sweetness, signifying Happiness
Green Chilly/Pepper for its spicy taste, signifying Anger
Salt for saltiness, signifying Fear
Tamarind Juice for its sourness, signifying Disgust
Un-ripened Mango for its tang, signifying Surprise
Ugadi Pachadi Bhakshyalu/Bobbatlu
Another special dish called Bhakshyalu or Bobbatlu are prepared on this occasion. It consists of
a filling (Bengal gram and jaggery/sugar boiled and made in to a paste) stuffed in a flat roti like
bread. It is usually eaten hot/cold with ghee. To sum up the entire experience of Ugadi festival
day, it can be said that the prime message behind its celebration is that the humans should rise
above the levels of sorrow, happiness, success and failure.
This year, the festival is on 23rd
of March. I wish the entire Indian community, OSU family
a very happy Ugadi.
Srikar Rayabaram

27

VTRUST Share To Care
Walking down the memory lane, I could catch up with traces of little dreams floating in a void space; no
destination, nowhere to go. Has it ever been possible to detect when I started building them up! I would
Winning running race in School Sports, hearing a great applause and uproar when I delivered my first
my dad whilst he
shared the news proudly when I won medal in Tae-Kwon-Do martial art.
All these were overtaken by the Joy in my heart when that most determined dream of mine started getting
a shape. Yes, starting a movement to voice for the less privileged children in my country. It was a dream
priceless suppo
did we do? We dint actually think of working on starting an NGO at the first place but to gather more
volunteers like us and pick up our feet to identify areas that require urgent attention in my country. I
- I can
never keep a Full stop here.
to 300 volunteers, helping 1 differently abled person to 26 student beneficiaries financially, 700 children
sheltered in care home covered with the project, Priyam [Love], by special team of volunteers, hundreds
of children in slums to
non-governmental group that strives to build a stronger India by 2020 under the influence of Dr.APJ
India is not a poor country. Stop categorizing India as a third world country. If anyone does, it definitely
is ridiculous. What do you think about India? A land full of Poverty? We have to know that some of
architecture, rich
wealth is not equally distributed. I see people in the streets, child labor, and many more stumbling blocks
growth. We, as a team have taken up the vision of empowering children
thereby making the backbone of our country strong.

28

Our Projects:
TIE Teach Illuminate Educate. So far, 26 students are being covered by this project. TIE deals with
educating the poor children, enlightening deserving students who are ready to study but set back due to
financial crisis. On thorough analysis of the background of the students, financial assistance for education
is provided, by the contribution of V Volunteers.
Priyam -
lives of children who rarely receive opportunities to interact with other people, apart from their school
Care to the children in their early childhood
s, acting as a
moral guide, mentor, almost a new family member. Working with orphaned children demands lots of
patience, as these children's harsh living conditions have often alienated them from society. The Project
Focuses on instigating one-to-one bond counseling
the children on their personal life, guiding the children with individual care in their career. Family love
has been offered to them which they have not been privileged with, presenting to them a reason to live as
normal as you and I.
Melody of Joy A part of Priyam Project, The fragrance of love, a color of fun, a taste of mirth and glee,
dreams of many. Melody of joy is a cultural event
specially designed to provide a platform for children in Special Homes and Special Institutions to

29

facilitate exhibit their talents to the people who never knew them and to the world which never identified
them. 700 children from 14 different charity homes were usually chosen to be a part of the grand fiesta.
More than 1000 individuals including the children, students from 26 Colleges in and around the city grace
the day. More than 200 performers ignite the spirit of the Fest with the kids and for the kids, who long for
Chennai, South India. Above all, the team is also building up groups to march for the marginalized. Rural
and Tribal children are being touched by these projects.
Life is never what one would wish. We are all unique, all of our lives are unparalleled, and we have the
responsibility of helping each other. My birth was not my cho
definitely responsible for the growth of our nation. And here is my small bit of contribution. This is just to
let you guys know that from my experience, I have seen and met a lot of youths in India who are working
for the development of the nation, sacrificing almost everything in their lives and unquestionably, they are
one of the Unsung Heroes!
Jai Hind!
Praveen Kumar Devaraj
Graduate Student, Industrial Engineering and Management

30

Drishtikone (Perspective)

32

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Drishtikone/284093054991330
Imagine being able to look back at any day of your year and recall what you did, who you met, what you
relationships. So it starts from here at 'DRISHTIKONE' which is Hindi for 'PERSPECTIVE'
Sagar Gadekar and Sandeep Banerjee
Graduate Students, Industrial Engineering and Management

33

My Diwali
Diwali is special
not only because of
the fireworks, new dresses, gifts and
get-togethers with friends and family
but because of her hand made chaklis
shankarpalis and nankatais;
The rangolis on the veranda;
The diyas she lights to decorate;
her house that is so homely
She gets mad if you ruin her rangoli
or mess up the dough of the chakali
And immediately feels sad about the shouting
Today miles away from home
I miss the lights, the noise, the rangoli
But mostly, I miss her embrace
That makes me feel almost holy.
Priyanka Pottath
Soldier

Away from his land and away from his home
Ever watchful on his post, day and night all alone,
There stands a soldier, brave and bold
Unmindful of the weather, which is harsh and cold
He is ready to fight and defend with all his might
So that his country men can be at peace without any fright
Fear is something his heart might never know
Obeying his orders without the word No!

34

The efforts and sacrifices he is ready to make
To see the Tricolor flag flutter and shake
His medals and laurels hardly speaks
Of his impossible feats and his courageous deeds
Not me...
I salute you soldier, with my chest full of pride
K rishna Conjeevaram Bashyam
Hyderabad- The Heart of Andhra Pradesh
mind when asked about Hyderabad. Firstly it is the capital of
Andhra Pradesh and second Hyderabadi Biryani. Well Hyderabad is known for many other things. It
is one of the fastest growing metros in India and the heart of Telugu film industry. It has an estimated
population of 1.7 Cr and sixth most populous city in India. It is also called the city of Nizams because it
was ruled by Nizam Nawabs for several years before independence. A typical Hyderabadi can either be a
Telugu or Urdu speaking person who can at least understand Namaskaaram and
in Telugu and Urdu respectively.
biggest film studio complex, bigger than the Hollywood studios. Many Tollywood, Bollywood and other
language movies are directed with many big stars at this place. It is a type of reverie world where visitors
will learn about the steps involved in the creation of a movie. Old city is another place and this is where
Charminar is located, it radiates the Nizam culture of the city. It was built in 1591 AD by emperor Quli
Qutb Shah. The area is famous for Laad Bazar which is very famous for the Bangles, also called
"Chudiyaan", and mainly worn by the women. The area is also famous for its variety of shops mainly
Gold Jewelry, Agra Mithai Bhandar for sweets and so on. During the season of Sankranthi, the area is
completely crowded with vendors selling kites. The other places are Golconda Fort, Salajung Museum,
Hussain Sagar and Shilparamam.

35

Above Clockwise: Ramoji Film City, Golconda Fort, Charminar, Shilparamam, High-Tech City,
Hussain Sagar, State Legislative Assembly.
Hi-tech city in Hyderabad is the IT hub of Andhra Pradesh. It has become home away from home for
American giants like IBM, Microsoft, Dell, General Electric and Oracle. Hyderabad draws as much as
25% of gross revenue from the Hitech city. Hyderabad is also the home for Rajiv Gandhi International
airport which is the sixth busiest airport in India in terms of international and overall passenger traffic.
Hyderabadi cuisine has a history of 400 years. Famous Hyderabadi dishes include Hyderabadi Biryani,
Hyderabad Haleem, Boti kabab and desserts such as Qubani Ka Meetha.
On the whole, a fun day in Hyderabad would start with Hyderabadi Biryani at Bawarchi Restaurant for
lunch followed by a sweet pan, followed by movie in IMAX Theatre and an evening hookah followed by
a drive in Necklace road around Hussain Sagar.
Proud to be a Hyderabadi!!!!
Sriram Ghattamaneni
Graduate Student, Management & Information Systems

36

Abhinay Burra Goud

37

Dinner in 20! Sindhi tomato curry
Preparation Time: 20 minutes, Serves: 4
its Rasam with a TWIST!
-
takes just 20 minutes to get it done!
Ingredients:
Oil 4 tbsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Green chillies 2
Curry leaves About 10-15
Methi / fenugreek seeds 1 tsp
Asefotida ( hing) A pinch
Besan / Bengal gram flour 3 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder 3 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Bhindi / okra ( optional ) A packet
Drumsticks ( optional ) A packet
Most important crushed tomatoes A 15 ounce can
Salt 2 tsp ( to taste)
Tamarind paste 1 tsp
Cilantro To garnish
Procedure:
1. Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan.
Add cumin, mustard, chopped green chilies, curry leaves, fenugreek seeds, hing.
Sauté for a quick minute.
2. Add besan and fry for another minute, till slight brown. Be careful, it burns too fast. The besan
and oil should form a paste. Add a little more oil if needed.
3. Before you proceed, make sure you have a big glass of water ready beside.
Now add ginger garlic paste, red chilli and turmeric powder. Fry for about 30 seconds, and
immediately add water.
4. Add bhindi /okra, crushed tomatoes and tamarind paste. Add another big glass of water.
Consistency should be like soup / rasam.
5. Allow cooking for 15-18 minutes, till bhindi / okra seems cooked.
6. Add salt to taste. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot, with hot rice and tell me how it was!
Rashmi Wadhwa
Graduate Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

38

LITTLE HEARTS - The Stillwater Fundraiser Initiative
Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you were by birth born differently??
Born in a way that is not considered normal?? Couple that with being abandoned for life by everyone
around you. Unimaginable isn't it?? Yet, it is true for many children.
There are scores of such children out there who are born autistic (with poor mental development) and
spastic (with no normal muscular movement). They do not have a long life span and usually die by the
time they enter their twenties due to lack of care and nourishment.
Little Hearts is one residential special school for such differently-abled children and people. It is a school
for the care and rehabilitation of abandoned physically and mentally challenged children in Chennai,
India. They currently care for over 130 children and some adults with special needs.
Do visit their website: http://www.littlehearts.in
Picture: Children with spastic disabilities at Little hearts
I have been a volunteer with Little Hearts for several years and it was a heart-wrenching experience to see
the children suffer so much. There are spastic children who cannot even swallow food or hold their heads
up straight because their muscles are weak and stiff. There are children who are bed-ridden and require
constant care. There are autistic children who must be given extensive It is needless to say that caring for
the children incurs a lot of medical and other expenses.

39

The least we can do is take a few minutes off our busy schedules to help these poor children out.
I am organizing a fundraiser this semester to raise funds for Little Hearts with the support of the Indian
Students Association. The fundraiser strategies are listed below.
1. $1 a week plan: Those who sign up can donate a minimum of $1 each week towards the school
2. Cookies / Cupcakes sale: Cookies and cupcakes will be sold outside the library or in the Student
Union (depending upon the climate and availability of space), the proceeds from which will go
towards the school.
3. Silent Auction: Items donated by volunteers will be sold for less outside the library or in the
Student Union (depending upon the climate and availability of space) the proceeds from which
will go towards the school.
If you would like to participate or just have questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to drop
in an email at: littlehearts.volunteer@gmail.com. Some volunteer activities include: managing the
fundraiser table, providing relevant contacts, helping to publicize the event, donating items for the silent
auction etc.
So, are you ready to make a difference in the life of these children?
Madhu Prabhakaran
Graduate Student, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Heaven waits on Earth
Reflections of past nowhere along the waves;
Soaring high in the sky,
Raging air tearing through my wings;
Scorching sun,
Burning throat,
And tears in my eyes;
The love for freedom and passion for flight
Excruciating pain gently dissolves into the emptiness of my heart;
Gravity fears my sense of belonging to this vacuum.
Peace and happiness: the ultimatum to any life
Is what now I feel and possess.
And then there was Light!
- Above is inspired from Jonathon Livingston Seagull.
For all those who,
Forget the cries of past

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Move ahead with the lessons learnt
Overcome fears and
Fill days with a burning passion of love and life:
Heaven waits on Earth!
Sai Brindha K.V.S
Glimpses of Washington D.C
Govindaraajan B.Y
Graduate Student, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

41

Lopeeta Tawde
Undergraduate Student, Jewelry Design

42

A sapling survives by feeding on the parent till it is able to survive on its own. But in no time it gives up
its parental roots. We human beings are not different. We let go of our parents at some point of time in
our lives. Right from childhood, our parents look after us, inculcating moral values and preparing us to
face the world with courage. But at the end, do we really follow all those values? Do our values determine
the course of action in our mundane lives?
We disown our roots, and thus we lead shallow lives and value wise people with bulging pockets!!! It
This is well illustrated by the situation we are in, having entered the USA recently, living a hassle-free
life, getting every little thing one could ever imagine. We are living our dream and enjoying it to the
fullest so much so that in coming times we would even despise our mother land when we do not get these
things there. Well, back home Wal-Mart is not open all 24 hours a day, and the world is not about to-go
boxes, home is a place where feelings and humans replace automation.
Tied to our ambitions, racing and marching ahead often conc
when the
sound of our native linguistic music, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu or Kannada falls on our ears? Why is an arrival
of a parcel from home beyond anything and everything for us; or why does an Indian movie release drive
us to Dallas? Why is it a feast for the eyes to see pictures of Indian food on Facebook? Is it all merely
incidental? Back home, we loathed going to the temple when parents requested us so much, but here, we
In fact, if rightly put, since birth, our sense of belonging to our motherland is what makes us happy. It is
really the connection with our roots that keeps the loving sap of our belonging flowing in us,
unknowingly making us homesick but also keeps us going. Keeping our roots close to our heart is the
easiest thing to do and no extra effort is required. It was always there within us and will always be,
although we shun it considering it unessential and outdated thinking of it as an old torn shirt which if
worn will ruin our perception completely.
While in our nation, foremost priority is given to family, our values, and having a consistent natural bias
towards everything that belongs to INDIA, it may not be so here. I assure all of you, if we have this sense
of belonging to our nation, we will be enriched as never before. It does not take away the so called
er pampers one as a person with gratitude towards his origin.
There also comes a school of thought about being honest with the land that is giving you something.
Every land has its own variety and specialty. For example, Chennai is known to make sambar better than
Delhi and the sambar will always taste awesome if the recipe basks from Chennai. You can watch Oscar
winning American movies and attend standup comedy shows, criticize about the things back home and
feel lucky that you have escaped the mess; but Brad Pitt is theirs and Govinda is ours. Criticizing the
roots will not diminish them, so in a sense do we have a choice of not loving them?
We have always had examples of well-known NRI's doing great deeds for India and this love for the
motherland is a testimony that India is not a eradicable phenomenon in our lives and thus even if the
world becomes a global village, one has to have respect for his home. Jai Hind!
Pratik Sharma

43

Ravish Shetty

44

The Maestro
28th
December 2011, 6 PM, Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai. An audience of over 10,000-comprising of
every kind of person you would find, waited with bated breath, with the tension of a father standing
outside the labor ward in a hospital waiting to hear the shrills of his first child. They waited for a dhothi
clad man of 68, who has since 1977 mesmerized millions with his music. Ilaiyaraaja or Raja as he is
affectionately called by his fans (who feel gratified calling themselves devotees) was back on a public
dais, performing Live after 6 years! 13 musicians from Hungary had specially flown in to pay tribute to
zz musicians. The entire troupe of Ilaiyaraaja
comprising over 50 people on a variety of percussion and non-percussion instruments was present. Ever
since released in 1977, for over a 35 years this man, nothing short of a genius has been
churning one master piece after another. This article is a short tribute to the Maestro who in the words of
is the only music director in India
Rewind 35 years back, to an era which was dominated by doyens in the industry such as
M.S.Viswanathan and K.V.Mahadevan, came Ilaiyaraaja with a blend of rural folk music of Tamil Nadu
and western orchestration. Throwing every single bit of conventionalism out of the window, he created
with such finesse some extra ordinary compositi Machana
patheengala or the haunting melody from his first
few compositions made it so obvious to the world that here was a man who would change the way music
is being made in India. Here was a man who could blend the best of Tamil folk, Western classical,
Carnatic, Hindustani, Rap, Pop, Jazz, Vedic, Arabic and yet maintain native splendor with such alarming
effortlessness. Just a few films old in 1978, Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna (considered a doyen of
to record a number for the movie expecting another folk song. Raja played out a classical
composition in Reetigowlai a Raagam (scale) so far (then) untouched by any music director in India and
Chinna Kannan Azhaikiran
Balamuralikrishna and a few million others.
From then on for the next 20 years Raja ruled the roost like no other in Tamil and to a great extent in
Telugu. The secret to a successful movie for most producers was to first get Ilaiyaraaja onboard the crew
of the film before they could sign up a hero. Hundreds of movies that would have sunk without a trace at
the box office ran to packed houses, thanks to this man. Whether it was Kamal Hassan or Rajnikanth or
Chiranjeevi or an unknown hero for that matter, almost every single movie from the late 70s till mid 90s
had Raja composing music. To date he has composed music for more than 950 films spanning across
Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi and Hindi. If that is an astonishing number, hold on, he has
composed several other albums such as with Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia,
which is a tribute to Bach and Saint Thiagaraja, -a
probably the jewel among all of them- with the Budapest Symphony Orchestra
playing to the tunes of Raja, to the lyrics of Manickavasagar a Shaivaite Bhakthi poet who lived during
the 6th
and 7th
century AD. He has to be credited with introducing Symphony to the Indian audience. The

45

hony Orchestra, a
fact that is bound to surprise many of you.
Raja shares a special rapport with different movie makers. The likes of Kamal Hassan, Bharathirajaa,
Mani Ratnam, Balki, Mahendran, K. Balachander, Balu Mahendra and not to forget K. Vishwanath have
always managed to bring out the best in Ilaiyaraaja. These were the film makers who leapt out of the
out with their association. Who can forget , from
from from
from from
, from from to mention
a few. Singers such as K.J Yesudas, S.P Balasubramaniam, Malaysia Vasudevan, Mano, S.Janaki, Chitra,
Anuradha Ramanan, Swarnalatha have always been his first choices and have given us a few thousand
melodies amongst them.
Raja redefined Background Music (BGM) and gave it a new dimension. BGM which was just a filler
until then (1970s), became a character in a movie and very central in many cases. There are scenes in
Nayagan that you can recognize listening to their BGM. No
wonder then, the first time when National Awards for BGM was instituted Raja bagged it for
. Get on to YouTube and search Ilaiyaraaja BGM and you get a library of those. Each one is a
-with the best probably
being where the protagonist (Kamal) is a blind violinist. The title track of the movie
begins on a serious Pantuvarali scale, with a Carnatic ensemble and ascends to a crescendo before
transitioning into a full-fledged western orchestration replete with drums and the bass guitar (nobody has
given the bass guitar an identity as Raja has done).
Raja has adorned several awards, and several more will follow suit. Not too long from now, Raja himself
will be the title of several awards. Raja is a Gold Medalist in classical Guitar from Trinity College in
London. He is the first Asian to have composed a full symphony that was recorded by the Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra in London (whose patron happens to be Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and

46

for them. which was his 400th
film is listed by the TIME Magazine as one of the top 100
movies from across the world to have ever graced the silver screen. British Broadcasting Corporation
sung by S.P.
Balasubramaniam and (Late) Swarnalatha for was listed 4th
. This after people from 155
countries voted. Raja is very widely respected in south India where he is worshipped by many, not out of
sycophancy but because of the pure bliss, jo
Government of India has conferred on him the Padma Bhushan (the third highest civilian honor). He has
also received the National Award four times, 3 for music direction (Sindhu Bhairavi, Rudra Veena,
Sagara Sangamam) and one for background score (Pazhassi Raja).
Mid-way through my effort I realize how silly it was of me to have attempted to reduce Raja to an article
in our Newsletter, when he is the subject of doctoral research for hundreds of music students around the
send us into raptures. Having said that, it is important for me to state why I decided to write this article in
the first place. We all hail from such diverse backgrounds of India, that it is difficult if not impossible to
relish different regional tastes and sensibilities. Raja is a genius whose creations are beyond the parochial
borders of language, culture and national identities. Unfortunately, that is not how we all view it. Satyajit
Ray or M.S Subbulakshmi or Hariprasad Churasia are legendary figures, but they were associated with
regional identities. Ask a cinema enthusiast from Gujarat about Satyajit Ray, he will go Wow! Ask a
music lover from Delhi about M.S. Subbulakshmi and they feel goose bumps all over. Is Raja such a
Thiagaraja, Tansen were to their generations. After all no other composer has composed a Symphony that
was recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London; and, no other composer who has
folk, Indian rap, jazz,
Isaignani, Padma Bhushan Ilaiyaraaja.

47

Many a tune, many a rhythm,
All that I feign is just ignorance,
This man is all providence,
Sixty eight golden years,
Thou has lived,
Marudhanayagam is all I am waiting for, to say I too lived,
Under your lordship,
Oh Lord! Oh Raja!
Many a tune, many a rhythm.....
Anand Govindarajan
PhD Student Chemical Engineering
A Love Story
It's been so long since we started a story,
We carried on to grow our love so strong.
There were times we cried the tears of pain
And in the rain, Darling we danced again.
I see your eyes talking to my heart, Dear,
I wonder how you make it beat so fast, Dear.
I longed for you through those dark nights,
Just to see together the shining light.
I feel the air all around me,
Growing warm with you beside me.
I wish for more, more than I can ever hold,
For the two of us a little heaven of our own.
Priyanka Pottath

49

Shyam Kumar Ravikumar

50

India is a land of diversity- diversity in tradition, culture, language, food, dressing sense and the list never
ends. But when it comes to a particular region, we hardly find any such diversity. However, we never
really experienced it back in India, since we were part of a group which has stayed at the same place for a
considerable amount of time. So, we kind of nicely gelled with the people in our region and never got a
real taste of diversity, though often heard about it all the time.
It was a shell wherein we had our own little world. Even in this shell, we had people belonging to
different cultures, regions and religions. Often, that special feeling of being Indian was lost somewhere
amidst this diversity. Though it sounds a little harsh, it was always- a Tamilian speaking or a
Maharashtrian speaking, a Bengali speaking or a Punjabi speaking! It was never a
After landing in the States, it took a 360 degree turn. Totally different lifestyle and totally different
culture welcomed us. Food, dressing sense, tradition, culture, languages and what not! Never in my
dreams, had I thought of experiencing diversity on such a large scale. However, I was not unhappy to see
so many people- people belonging to different countries, different ethnicity and having different
lifestyles. In fact I was quite excited because these are the things that define people; these are the things
that make you stand out! After coming here, I learnt- wherever we are, differences are bound to exist. We
just need to be open to them and embrace them so that we can concentrate on the bigger picture-
humanity!
We just need to broaden your outlook. Man is a social animal and that is the sole reason we cannot
survive with such man-created differences in mind. These differences are the ones that make us look out
for common things amongst all of us and nurture them.
Every nation or for that matter every small region has certain factors of its own which molds the life of
people staying there, with respect to food, dressing sense, tradition, culture and beliefs. The conditions
shape the lifestyle of the people. There is nothing that can be called superior or inferior in this regard. We
need to accept things as they are and we need to appreciate the differences, rather than pin-pointing them
and making an issue out of them. It is important that differences exist; because without those there would
be no spice in life. However, it is equally important for us to respect these differences and accept them as
they are.
the bigger picture in mind. What ultimately matters is our well-being as humans. What ultimately matters
is- humanity! Once we realize this, world would be a better place to live- free from hatred and free from
all the ill-feelings!
So, wake up and rise, my friends, a new dawn is awaiting us!
Harshilkumar Mohadikar
Graduate Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

51

Better to light the lamp than to curse the darkness!! Delicate feet on a crazy world!!
A true lover always feels in debt to the one he loves!!
Naveen Raj Dhanapal
Graduate Student, Computer Science

52

A Personal Reflection on the Wesley Foundation International Choir
with Indians when I was a student at Oklahoma State. Our interactions began with birthday parties at
midnight and dance parties in between, with communal mealtimes and chai in the break times. It
Raksha Bandhan and Christmas
to Diwali. These friendships continue to grow in duration and in depth, and I remain blessed.
Thus, the International Choir which I coordinate at the Wesley Foundation is, for me, an extension of both
itality which I believe Christ shares with the
world and a reflection of the hospitality which has been shown to me throughout my lifetime.
The Choir is also a personification of the diversity which we find within creation. Music is the medium
through w
The Choir began over five years ago when a group of African students gathered to sing and worship
together. It started as a very informal gathering; in fact, I still remember walking up to the Wesley
Foundation one night hearing just three male voices singing together in (what I now know was)
Kiswahili. The sincerity of their voices in the still night remains, for me, one of the most memorable,
intimate moments I experienced as a young woman.
The Choir has evolved over the years - the number of students, the variety of nationalities, the diversity of
religious backgrounds, and the style of music continue to change with the ebb and flow of the migration
of university students. However, its one foundation remains - friendship through music. We continue to
meet weekly in order to learn and to grow. We perform in churches, conferences, and cultural events. We
welcome new members of any background.
Balleilakka
process of learning the Tamil lyrics and of loosening up to include a bit of Indian flavor was full of
laughter, hard work, patience, and - of course - more laughter. What a joy it was for me to watch some of
our ladies wear a saree for the first time, as I still remember the first time I did when hosting the Diwali
Night show in 2007. Those kinds of opportunities are moments which are impossible to forget and which
sometimes help shape a lifetime. We remain grateful to the ISA committee for the opportunity to have
performed, and I remain thankful for the Indian students who participate in the International Choir.

53

Five years ago I stood outside the Student Union Ballroom marveling at the color and energy of the
Indian students who were dancing inside. I had never before witnessed such freedom, vitality and
expression. Thank God that I was welcomed and included inside... one could say that I left the ballroom
that night a different person.
Katrathu Kai Mann Alavu, Kallathathu Ulagalavu" (What you have learned is a mere
step or, perhaps,
a plunge. Find an opportunity beyond yourself, a group outside of your community, a friend different
from your family. Try something different. Open your hearts... your minds... your doors. Take the risk of
new friendships and, by the grace of God, I believe that we will all continue to learn from each other.
Janina Graves
Coordinator of International Student Ministries at the Wesley Foundation
& a long-time member of the Indian Student Association
To learn more about the International Choir e-mail Janina at osuwesleyinternational@yahoo.com or visit
www.wesleyosu.com/International-Choir

54

From one Indian to another

As Surabhi is being released after a hiatus of two years, I would like to share a few observations
that have concerned me during my seven years at Oklahoma State University. I am a third generation,
Armenian/Anglo-Indian born and raised in Calcutta, India. I never once paid attention to my identity
while I lived in India. For me, I regarded myself as an Indian. However, during my two consecutive years
in office as the President of the Indian Student Association, my identity was questioned and challenged
not by American people, but by my own countrymen and women. In hindsight, I realized that the biggest
challenge to a united India comes not from outside, but from within the country. We are often blinded by
our regional and linguistic identities, among others, and forget that at the end of the day, WE ARE
INDIAN!!
Traditionally, at Oklahoma State University we have always had over 400 Indian students from
diverse backgrounds. And I, like every other Indian, have always taken pride in this social, cultural, and
linguistic diversity which we stand as ambassadors for. However, when this operates in a divisive manner
to exclude and divide a community of Indians, it is a detriment. Unfortunately many Indians, including
myself, have experienced a sense of alienation or exclusion within the larger community on this campus.
To belong, one somehow requires the possession of group membership based on a regional or linguistic
identity. So, this is my strong call to all Indians on this campus to shed their regional biases. In the United
States, before we are Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Maharashtrian, Bengali, Gujarati or anything else, we are
Indian! We need to accept this fact, embrace it, share it, and dismiss our personal prejudices. We can do
so much more as a group when we stand un
-ness amidst our diverse identities and
culture. Jai Hind!
Dr. Shireen Hyrapiet
PhD candidate, Department of Geography
Former President, Indian Student Association and International Student Organization

,
!!!
, !!!
-
While engraving love, May be god was endured with pain!!
When I felt love, I was left with nothing but tears!!
Vignesh Ram

55

Priti Kulkarni

56

Piyush Pandey

58

Independence Day Celebrations 2011

61

International Expo 2011

63

Visit of AP Minister Mr. Ponnala Lakshmaiah October 2011

64

Mr. & Ms. International 2011

65

A Diwali away from home, but A Diwali no less
DIWALI NIGHT is easily the biggest, most popular and the most awaited event organized by the Indian
Student Association, in practically any University around. It is the one evening that we spend showcasing
the cultural extravaganza and diversity of India to our friends from all over the globe.
Every Indian student who comes abroad has definitely perused with great interest, the ISA website-
tournaments and all other events) attract the most attention. This makes every student inform their parents
then and there
It is the one event that is looked forward to every single year, that one event when we get to dress and
look all gorgeous and get together with the Stillwater Indian Family. The various multi-cultural
performances and all the pleasure of digging into that delicious food- the experience is simply beyond
words. D
t were showcased that night. One of the
best shows that night was by the International choir and band that performed a variety of Indian and
American songs, including songs like Ballelaka from Sivaji and Endrendum Punnagai. A change from the

66

stereotype wa
Malaysian drummers are now almost an integral part of Diwali Night; they give a splendid performance
every year. Various other performances included the Bollywood dance, a musical medley, a show by the
members of the Greek community at OSU and the International Fashion show, a unique show wherein we
had students from all over the globe dress in ethnic Indian wear and walk the ramp. The showstopper of
the night was without doubt, the ISA Dance Boyzzz who performed a power packed fusion performance
featuring popular hits from Telugu, Hindi, Tamil and English albums. The show of extravaganza was
followed by an Indian Dinner with mouthwatering exotic Indian delicacies, ranging from Samosas to
Paneer Masala, Chicken Curry and delicious mango custard.
Diwali Night involves months of meticulous planning, organization and implementation before the actual
event. I take this opportunity to thank our advisor, Dr. Harimkar and co-advisor Dr. Jaiswal, for their
constant guidance, support and encouragement throughout the planning and execution of the event. I
would also like to express a deep sense of appreciation and gratitude to every member of the ISA
Committee, for being pleasant and most helpful at all times, despite their hectic academic and work
schedules. And of course, all of our performers who did an excellent job with all the rehearsing weeks
ahead of Diwali Night particularly with the show being pre-scheduled by two weeks.
Rashmi Wadhwa
Cultural Secretary

68

TEAM ISA
ISA would like to thank the following people for their outstanding support to ISA in all its activities over
the year
ISA Newsletter Team
Karthik Ragunath
Arjun Rajakutty
Dhaval Bhosale
Geet Sangvikar
Kuldeep More
Gautam Pangoankar
Rashmi Wadhwa
Aravind Jasti
Naveen Raj Dhanpal
Madhu Ramachandran
Harshilkumar
Articles & Contributions
Anand Govindarajan
Karthik Nakkeeran
Kedar Pai
Balaji Jayakumar
Arjun Rajakutty
Srikar Rayabaram
Sagar Gadekar
Sandeep Banerjee
Aravind Jasti
Priyanka Pottath
Krishna Conjeevaram Bashyam
Sriram Ghattamaneni
Abhinay Burra Goud
Madhu Prabhakaran
Sai Brindha K.V.S
Govindaraajan B.Y
Lopeeta Tawde
Pratik Sharma
Shyam Kumar Ravikumar
Harshilkumar Mohadikar
Naveen Raj Dhanapal
Janina Graves
Vignesh Ram
Priti Kulkarni
Piyush Pandey
Volunteers
Aravind Jasti
Krishna Raju
Krishna CB
Madhusoodan Ramachandran
Akshaya Satpute
Ila Choudhary
Snehal Badhe
Jayalakshmi Nair
Udaya Suraya
Dhanashree Palande
Pranita Patil
Garima Sahney
Deepika Iyer
Juhi Pandit,
Nikhil Devkar
Dharmasimha Salla
Nikhil Tupkar
Dinesh Bhirud
Pratik Pevekar
Pratik Sharma
Atharva Barve

69

Anand Junnarkar
Arun Dhanpal
Nikhil Japtiwale
Aditya Gokhale
Kaustubh Chaudhary
Punit Singh
Prateek Rastogi
Deepak Padaliya
Aniruddha Kulkarni
Sandeep Hosangadi
Kunal Gandhi
Mukul Gaikwad
Amol Shenoy
Yuvraj Date
Aditya Dekhane
Sagar Gadekar
Nikhil Nagaraj
Praveen Chakravarthy
Karthik Bhat
Thota Sudheerbabu
Sandeep Duddukuri
Vinay Emmaadi
Harsha Kiran Kasha Jagadish
Raj Ramki
Srihari Nagarajan
Bharath Pakala
Pushpak Bhandari
Riya Gowda
Manushree Bharadwaj
Priti Kulkarni
Zain Shiek
Nikish Haware
Ramprasad Chandrasekaran
Karthik Nakeeran
Prasana Bhaskaran
Arun Prasad
Vinay Mekki Basavaraj
Anand Arulmozhi
Kannan Ramasamy
Shanmugam
Rajesh Suttar
Photographers:
Rajshekargouda Patil
Naveen Raj Dhanpal
Giridhar Sharma
Ravish Shetty
Hariprasad Malli
Shyam Kumar
Venkat Ramiah Gidda

70

TEN REASONS
TO JOIN THE
INDIAN STUDENT ASSOCIATION
http://orgs.okstate.edu/isa/
1. Largest international student organization on-campus
2. Get to represent ISA in frequent on-campus and off-campus
activities
3. Get discounts on entry fees during various ISA events
4. Get an opportunity to contribute for ISA towards exposing Indian
culture outside the organization
5. Get leadership and organizational experience by holding officer
positions.
6. An increased opportunity for social interaction
7. Activities for you and your family
8. Get tips and guidance from senior ISA members
9. Wear and be proud to show off traditional Indian dresses at ISA
events.
10. Become a member of ISA-OSU family.
All it takes to become a member is fill the membership form and submit it
to any current officer along with a nominal fee of $ 5. Once you become a
member then the discounts that you get throughout the year while
attending various ISA events always add up to be more than this
membership fee.

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