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Slant MMXIX -- A Fest to Showcase the Best of Creative Minds

NSoJ's Journalism and Literary Fest had it all -- creativity, craft and curated events



Show producer for 94.3 Radio One,Sakshi Gowtam livens things up at SLANT

NSoJ Bureau

Roars of laughter, joy and excitement filled the air at the National School of Journalism (NSoJ) on September 6 when the college celebrated Slant MMXIX, it's annual Journalism and Literary Fest. The event began with a keynote speech by Kanhaiya Kumar, student leader and politician, followed by a panel discussion on 'Is the Indian Economy Punch Drunk?'.

The panelists included eminent personalities such as Vivek Subba Reddy, senior advocate and politician, Harichandran Arakali, Tech Editor, Forbes India, and Saswathi Chakravarthi, former Senior Editor, The Economic Times. Mr Kumar's speech and the subsequent panel discussion saw crowds thronging the open-air event. An interactive session followed.

Then, to give a creative start to the fest, the students of NSoJ performed the play, 'Out At Sea' directed by Ashish Sen, veteran theatre person. The play by Polish playwright Slawomir Mrozek is in the absurdist theatre tradition -- it features three marooned people, who realise they may have to eat one of their group, in order to survive. The NSoJ students brought in the current socio-political situation, through a satirical lens. It was greatly appreciated by the audience.

Enthralling events

Creativity was at its best throughout the event with the participation of students from prestigious institutions such as Bishop Cottons Boys' School, Christ University, M S Ramaiah, Presidency and, CMS Jain. The well planned events were meant to bring out the hidden talents of students and gave the participants the opportunity to showcase them.

A host of events were held to keep the participants engaged and also, engrossed. These included:

• Red Button: Apt for a Journalism Fest, this event challenged the reporting skills of the participants. The participants had to write up a 300-word report on the key note speech, panel discussion and the play, 'Out At Sea'.

• Mad News: One's presentation skill can turn any news into a breaking news! With a news topic given on-the-spot, a team of participants had to present it as 'breaking news' to the judges and audience.

• Extempore: Spontaneity brings out one's true self. This event was an amalgamation of spontaneity and creativity. With an intriguing topic given on-the-spot, the participants had to present it to the audience for three minutes. What's more, they only had 3 minutes to prepare their speeches!

• Tweet This: Watch a video, tweet out your opinions! Not as simple as you think, this event encouraged the participants to voice out their opinions in the truest sense.

• Aim & Shoot: A treat for photography lovers, this event brought out the visual and aesthetic skills of the participants.

• Fact Check: This quizzing event put the participants' General Knowledge to the test.

Apart from these events that were meant to test the participants' critical thinking and assessing skills, there were also some fun-filled cultural events. College bands vied for the top spot at the 'Battle of the Bands', while 'Move It', a dance-based contest, got the audience moving, adding some musical energy to the day. Of course, no college fest is complete without food and energising drinks -- Slant MMXIX, had that in abundance. A stall set up on the college campus saw students feasting on a range of food items -- from grilled sandwiches and burgers to pastries, ice creams, milk shakes and cold coffee.

The show came to a rousing end with the special emcee for the event, Sakshi Gautam, a show producer for 94.3 Radio One, announcing the winners for every event. NSoJ Chairman, Timothy Franklyn, and his band Level Rode, also entertained the audience with a medley of songs to which all the volunteers danced to their heart's content, leaving behind the day's fatigue and carrying with them all the sweet memories of the day.


All stories that are reported, edited and published on this platform are original, produced by the students and faculty of National School of Journalism, sometimes contributed by guest faculty and speakers. If you would like to contribute, please email us at tannoy@nsoj.in NSoJ is a news organisation and a highly-selective Journalism school that trains India’s best journalistic talents to become ethical journalists who care deeply about truth, justice and democracy. If you are passionate about journalism and care about the core values of journalism as we do, please apply for a place in one of NSoJ’s programmes - Bachelor of Arts or PG Diploma in Journalism at www.nsoj.in.