A lot happens when one moves from school to college. Uniforms go away to make room for one ‘own style and work ex periods or what used to be called clubs in school become societies in college. These societies drive the cultural life in college and student images too. These societies have their own significance which is distinct from academics. So, here’s presenting the five most prominent societies of Ambedkar University Delhi.
Odori
No college festival is complete without a power packed dance performance and that’s why there is hardly any college where its dance society does not gain prominence. Odori is the dance society of Ambedkar University Delhi, Kashmere Gate campus. the society traces its name from the Japanese word ‘odori’ which means passing on lineage, ‘odori’ can also refer to ‘Bon Odori’, meaning simply "Bon dance”. It is an event held during the Bon Festival, the Japanese Buddhist holiday to honour the departed spirits of one's ancestors. This is one of the few dance societies that do not create distinctions in terms of a choreography society, a western society and a classical society, a norm followed in most societies belonging to Delhi University. This is Odori’s way of maintaining and appreciating diversity in the society as all dancers are exposed to an array of dance styles and forms, so, for instance, a Kathak dancer will also be a part of hip-hop routines and a hip-hop dancer will also get to learn Kathak. Apart from its emphasis on valuing differences, individuals get to be a part of Odori based on their desire to dance rather than their talent or aptitude towards dance.
Post its inception, the focus of the society was primarily on creating dance dramas but now it has become a competing society in the Delhi University Circuit. So, from performing productions like ‘Shikhandi’, ‘7’ and its various versions (based on 7 leading women in the Mahabharat) it has managed to back stages like IIT Kanpur, performed in numerous Delhi University fests and secured the second position in New Delhi Institute of Management despite being a debutant team. Dance is a physically demanding and mentally rewarding activity, so the dance society works all year round to increase its standard and stupefy their audience. It gains greater significance during the annual festival, AUD@city when it graces the stage with soulful and fiery performances. It had also found a place in ‘Genre’, one of the leading college crew events and dance festival. The latest achievement that Odori boasts on its social media is its collaboration with Bumble, the app.
90s Kids, AUD Theatre Ensemble
Everybody acts or ends up acting in their daily lives, from giving excuses convincingly to pretending to agree and settle arguments. There is an actor that resides in everybody, all one needs is a space to keep it alive. One such platform in the college is Theatre society. The 90s kids are an open society and therefore does not hold any auditions for students interested in joining the society. However, it is expected of interested students or prospective members to be a part of all meetings and workshops that are organized. The 90s kids’ belief is what ensures that the society remains active and ever-improving is the commitment of its members. Apart from performing, hosting workshops for theatre enthusiasts and hosting ‘Halla - Bol’, the annual street play competition in AUD@city it collaborates with Theatre societies of other colleges to perform in front of the AUD community, it called upon ‘Up stage’ the Dramatics society of Gargi to perform for their home crowd.
What it performed last was its annual production 'Silence: The court is in session'. The play had been adapted from Vijay Tendulkar's Marathi play "Shantata! Court Chalu Aahe", first performed in 1967. A travelling theatre group stages a play revolving around the hypocrisy of the society where a woman is subjected to being characterless and has to prove her worth. With its striking name and striking performances, the 90s kids have created their niche and acted their way into their audience’s hearts.
Alankar
A word that one can associate with the Music Society of Hindu college, a cinema which now goes by 3C’s in Lajpat Nagar, the ‘alankars’ we learnt in Hindi and the music society of Ambedkar University Delhi. Lead by a passionate student and initially by the members of the faculty who had personally endeavoured to research and collect long lost music of freedom struggles from different parts of India in an album titled “Underscore Records”, the music society aims to provide a conducive space to express oneself musically within the campus premises. Inspired by music lovers among faculty and students, the Music Society was constituted in September 2011.
As of now the society has started to perform in the Delhi University Circuit and has created an acapella group as part of the society. Its members practice regularly and this is not hidden because during a lecture in some part of the campus you may end up listening to soft synchronized sounds of acapella singers or a soothing violin or the bass guitar, which is good to hear in case you dozed of during the lecture. Alankar, staying true to its meaning embellishes the annual fest AUD@city with its classical and western performances and by hosting ‘The Battle of the Bands’ and the group singing competition ‘Symphony’.
Terra Eco Club
In a cultural space where music, dance and theatre never fail to be out of the forefront, the Ecological or Environmental Club as some would call it has always managed to be in the limelight because of its consistent efforts and initiatives. Environmental society educates individuals and engages the AUD community in various ways. From organizing butterfly walks in Asola Bhatti, raising awareness about the United Nations Conventions on Environment, organizing writing and photography competitions to movie screenings, Terra does it all. Another interesting and admirable value of Terra is that it does not limit the idea of the environment to the physical space of the AUD campuses or Delhi at large, it also focuses on the space that humans create. With such a perspective it even organized a seed distribution drive to raise funds for flood victims in Kerala.
Some other activities that Terra engages in include air quality Index workshops, cleanliness drives, exhibitions on marine life and initiatives like A Bird's Life : Bird Modelling Workshop, How to live 101 : Zero Waste Lifestyle Workshop ,Poacher's Bait, Saaf Hawa Haq Mera: #myrightobreathe campaign enable it to be an important part of the student life at AUD. Terra truly lives and functions for the love of nature.
Society for Visual Culture
No one would wish to deny themselves the joy of clicking photographs and being clicked. A good photo does not only constitute good art but also qualifies for a good memory. The space to explore and enhance the talent of capturing things is the society for visual culture. It is the ideal place for all shutterbugs and photography enthusiasts. Anyone who is interested in movie making, photography- phone photography or camera, and anything one likes to relate to visual culture can be a part of this open and warm society. SVC never fails to contribute to all cultural events with its awesome exhibitions.
The different college societies functioning in a college add to the fun on campus and the college festivals. Some societies seem more prominent because they send frequent emails on the mail chain and their members are often seen running around the campus to get something done. Other societies work hard silently and are less visible to the students' eyes. But prominent or not prominent, it does not matter because these societies are not only the playground to explore one’s hobbies and talents, build friendships but also enable individuals to adapt to society in general.
- Maitreyi Mehndiratta
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