Edited by: Mythili Kamath
I picked out my outfit for the day, did my soft glam make up and reached my first writer’s room right on time, coffee in hand, channelling my inner Jane Sloan.
…
That obviously did not happen. My life isn’t The Bold Type.
I reached my first writer’s room drenched from the Sonipat rain, hungry and ten minutes late after running from my back-to-back classes. Instead of the hard gaze of a Jacqueline Carlyle, I was greeted with a chorus of excited “hiii”s and concerned “are you okay”s. A part of me knew then that I had found my place.
Right from the beginning, everything about HCAU has been warm and homely. Unlike other club interviews, this one started with a check in :
“How was o-week?”
“Are you missing home?”
A part of me was perplexed. Weren’t club interviews supposed to be rigid, formal and terrifying events? I couldn’t help but think, “Are these trick questions? Am I being judged on my vocabulary?”
But boy, was I wrong.
This is not a propaganda piece for Her Campus Ashoka, or a list of reasons compelling you to join (though you really, really should). It’s an ode expressing my gratitude to the people that made me feel like I belonged, in a place where everything seemed alien.
Settling into Ashoka is not easy – some days you are battling an inferiority complex, others an impostor syndrome. On most days though, you’re doing everything you can to stand out, while simultaneously trying your very best to fit in; the pressure to say something intellectual (liberalism is dead) and prove your worth, is a constant reminder of your failure in this endeavour.
The HCAU writer’s room is an escape.
It is a community that lets you be you, without questions and without judgement. It’s full of laughter, deep and silly conversations, and a healthy dose of chaos. There is encouragement and appreciation, combined with jokes and digs, because as (someone) put it “I don’t hate you all, I just have a lot of suppressed sarcasm.”
Picture this : cosy blue couches, the soft pitter-patter of rain outside, a group sitting together discussing how their days have been going – just catching up. This was my first writer’s room.
It was very different from what I originally imagined. I assumed I would fumble because of nerves, and be forced to put myself under pressure to think of articles that were unique and artsy. But here is a little sneak peek into how we pitch articles:
“This might get me kicked out of Her Campus but-”
“I don’t eavesdrop but people are loud; the mess conversations are saucier than the food.”
“Have you been to the basement yet?”
“I get my entire personality from Pinterest.”
“I had the worst- oh it’s just been a day, I had the worst day.”
The HCAU writing room is a perfect example of how when you are surrounded by the right people, who match your energy and simultaneously expose you to different schools of thought, you reach your full potential. Most of the final articles are very different from the initial pitches, because surrounded by the right team, you automatically do better. It brings out a final product that does justice to the club and to you. As someone who was used to being constantly mansplained, talked over and restricted during high school, HCAU is a welcome break. The possibility of being as creative as I want to be, without limits is daunting but exciting.
There is a thread that connects us all, and a reason why HCAU is loved both by its members and students on campus. We all want to be heard, not just when it comes to political controversies but also when we want to capture ‘trivial’ day-to-day events and emotions. Reading about someone else feeling the same mid-sem anxiety or hyping up the new Taylor Swift album (did you know Midnights is out guys?!) makes you feel like a part of one big family. There is something here for everyone.
As a writer, it gives me the space to express myself and share my opinions on a very wide range of topics. Piece by piece, I hope to discover who I am. Additionally, I hope that through our articles, you discover pieces of yourself too.
At the end of the meeting, Vyshnevi said “If we look hard enough there might be a door to Narnia.” With HCAU, I found my door to Narnia, a place that is all mine to explore.
A very happy fifth birthday to HCAU, we are all so grateful you exist. After all, where else would we rant and be cringe, screen legally blonde and dress up as the most absurd pop culture characters?