The campus has been a storm of enthusiasm for the past week, preparing for the Annual Clubs and Societies showcase, Jashn-e-Jazbaa. The two-day event was organized by the Office of Student Life and Jazbaa and had 22 different clubs putting up innovative and inspiring showcases. Jashn-e-Jazbaa encapsulated the true experience of being at college: students running from classes to practices in their sleep-deprived forms, determined to take over the world.
Day & Night 1:
The event began with high spirits and a well-decorated atrium set up with multiple stalls. The Feminist Collective engaged many students with their book exchange and played Privileged Twister among other things; Ricochet put up aesthetic merchandise and discounted yearbooks for sale; and Siyahi, the art society, put up a beautiful exhibition themed around ‘Daydreams’. The mess lawns weren’t left empty either, as Caperture the Photography Society teamed up with Vichitra the Queer Collective for an intimate and engaging exhibition with the theme ‘Expressing Queerness: Impact of the section 377 Verdict’ and Anime lovers united as The Anime Club brought magic realism alive through their screening of some unique anime short films.
The night started with Red Brick Words, the Slam Poetry Club’s two group pieces centred around home — both of which were powerful, mesmerizing and personal. It was followed by Vistaar, the Music Society, which saw a full auditorium of students screeching every time they heard a guitar riff. The musical performances brought the best of the best on stage, with some singing in Hindi or Tamil, some performing original music and others leaving the audience awe-struck with their crazy talent on the instruments.
Day & Night 2:
Day 2 saw even more enthusiasm throughout the day. Mad Batter, the baking society, organized a special English afternoon tea experience called the ‘Gastronomic Journey Series’. Even the gamers found their space in the event with R3spawn, the gaming society, hosting multiplayer games and comedy-lovers attended the Improv Dash hosted by Comic Relief. Sandhi, organized a performance featuring six poems in six different vernacular languages, bringing out the beauty of our country through its languages.
The team of Abhinaya, the Dance society, graced the stage with eight mind-blowing dance routines with no relief, as dancers would run backstage before the applause would end to change into their next costume. They set the stage on fire with explosive routines and brought life into the sleep-deprived students. The night ended on a high note with the last and most anticipated showcase of all: the representation of an Honest O-week at Ashoka by Kirdaar, the Theatre Society. The packed auditorium was in fits of laughter for the entirety of the play, as one reality of college after the other was showcased on stage — the play was a true Ashokan representation of how meme-worthy college life has become.
Jashn-e-Jazbaa was more than anyone could have anticipated — the two days were jam-packed but fulfilling. There was something for everyone, and the events showed the hours and hours of thought, planning and hard work put into them. Students wandered in and out of the atrium between classes the entire day and united at night for the group performances in the auditorium. Jashn-e-Jazbaa successfully lifted everyone’s spirits, before assignments and finals week pulls everyone back into the routine of cup noodles and all-nighters.
Edited by Pragyna Divakar (UG 2020)
All photographs captured by Surabhi Sanghi (HC Marketing Team)