Dear Chooran

 Sidra Gufran

I am bored of writing about the university, I know it is our beat, but let's face it, it's been over done to the core. So, I thought for a change, I would write about something that would benefit mankind in general (read: my class fellows, juniors and some seniors).

We've been doing this assignment for over two months but nothing has been said in class about basic blogging ethics. Or, if there was then, I was probably taking a pleasure stroll in my very own lala land.

A follower of this blog, once brought me at the edge of my nerves by instigating and re-instigating me to reply to his comments, in the name of “basic blogging ethics”. I ended up fighting with him. Follower one, Sidrah zero. But thank you follower, because you made me explore a couple of links on blogging ethics since I belong to the Google world. So, yes, reading a couple of links on the topic automatically makes me an expert who can write a blog on it.

I also like to consider myself a journalist, so I reserve this post to journalistic blogging. The Society for Professional Journalists relates in its rule book “responsible bloggers should recognize that they are publishing their work publicly, and therefore, have certain ethical obligation to their readers, the people they write about and the society in general”.

Credibility is a must for blogging. This is one organisational structure where you are your own gate-keeper. Check and recheck your facts before you publish it. Your published work is like carving on stone. So never delete your post. What you've have posted is there to stay, and that it is why it is a good idea to think and rethink before you hit the publish button.

Do not lie about your identity, misquote a fact, rephrase a fact as an opinion or plagiarise it. It is true that the more eyeballs your content manages to roll, the more comments and followers you attract, but this is where you draw a line. Ethical journalism is ideally what we all are here to do.

Anonymity raises questions. So remain transparent about your identity. Own what you have written, and if a follower points out a mistake, accept graciously. The followers your blog attracts are basically like minded people who share similar perspectives gathered all together on a platform. Therefore do not disappoint them. Actively engage in comments and use this space to interact.

PS. With this one last post Chooran Chutney comes to an end. Followers and commentors, thank you for making this little venture a success. Chooran, you were a good candy. Ciao ragazzi.

Water trouble

By Shumaila Rais 

 I want to share a an interesting experience of mine with you.

One day our chair person, Rafia Taj, came and asked me, “Shumaila department mai Pani araha hai k nai?”  I was very surprised to find out that the chair person knew my name. I was confused. “Ji ma’am araha hai”, I answered in total bewilderment. 

 Actually this “pani scene” was a big fat joke amongst us friends. I could not understand how the chair person got to know about a joke that we shared, and to come out and ask me about it!. Let me share the pani scene with you guys.

There was shortage of water in the department and weather was very hot as well. We could not buy water bottles everyday because it gets expensive. We were thirsty, frustrated, and angry. So we went and nagged the "chamcha" of Rafia Taj, as we like to call him. Initially I went and told him that there was no water and he should something about it. I went again. He listened patiently. Then afterwards one by one every one of my friends went up and told the same thing till thhe man started shouting, "Mujhay pata hay pani nahi aaraha hay! Humayn bhi paani chahiyay hota hay! Nahi pata kab ayega pani! Mayn koi pani wala thori hoon!". There was still no water but we had managed to state our case, get rid of our frustration, and make that man go crazy which was the most pleasurable thing out of the whole situation which made us laugh till our stomachs hurt.

After a few days when the water problem was solved, the spoon-man came and said, “ab app ye nai bataeyay ga k aj pani araha hai”. 

Portrait of a writer as a writer

By Atiya Abbas

I am staring at the blank page before me and I am thinking about what to write. And then it hits me. Yes! A stream-of-consciousness piece would be a great idea. Of course, I cannot liken myself to the great stream-of-consciousness masters, James Joyce or Virginia Woolf but hey, it is worth a shot.

I once did this exercise for literature; trying to write freely about the senses with sustained attention for 10 minutes. I wrote everything about the fan and people coming and going to see how the action of the mind works and now, I am suddenly thinking as to why I didn’t take literature as a major or even a minor. I tell everyone that I wanted to keep a passion a passion, but shouldn’t one make a career out of what they love? That’s what most self help books say. I love literature…whoops there I go again staring into space, playing with my hair thinking about what to say because all this is starting to sound very clichéd. Think, think, think Atiya, what more can I say? Why not write about the blogging experience (now, there is something we have heard of before)? Nah…but I was telling Ayesha today that I don’t want this last piece to be about goodbye and all that because this is something that could materialize into something new if we try.

Wow, re-reading it again it does seem like a muddle of thoughts. I can just picture my fellow bloggers going through this, crossing out and fixing sentences, seeing how it is shaping it up. Sometimes there is a method behind the madness, but in writing there is no method, there is that ‘Eureka!” moment and sometimes it is “the sound and fury signifying nothing”…Oh way to go Atiya, literary references, that will make you sound so smart, NOT…and now I pause again thinking if that is too self-absorbed and weather my tone is coming off as sarcastic just like I want…don’t know if this will stay in the blog piece or not. Maybe by the time it goes up it will be completely changed. So there you have it, thoughts in their all their raw nature…I think that line in my brain just went straight now.

There's always a Price to pay...

Ayesha Ahmad

Our mentors, teachers, seniors, counsellors, and employers have always advised us to get involved in extra curricular activities and attend as many workshops as possible. As more the certificates, the finer your resume`. Therefore, when there was this workshop on investigative journalism, organized by the department, we were all too eager to become a part of it. The enthusiasm was not only due to the new tactics of journalism that we were going to learn but also because of the attainment of the much desired certificate without paying even a single penny in the name of the registration fee!

So, when the clock struck eleven on Thursday two weeks back, I bunked my dreadful History class and, with a lot of fervour and zeal, headed towards the auditorium with two of my other friends who were nearly as excited about this event as me. Upon entering the cool, air conditioned room, we soon realized that we were late, and in order to get room in the front we ended up cramming ourselves on a two-seater. After all the hustle and bustle, when we looked around, we saw people with neat blue folders, ball point pens, writing pads and other accessories like dandy bookmarks and brochures to name a few. That bit got us agitated but after going through some oddities, even we managed to get our hands on those 'captivating' supplements.

Once we settled down and felt that we were ready to get the knack of this amusing branch of journalism, droopy eyes and discreet whispers made us conscious of the tediousness revolving around the whole space. This interesting yet idiotic realization was followed by the hideous photo session via cell phones and incessant laughter over the wierdest matters. So much so, even the guest speaker took notice of this and shook his head while looking at us for a wakeup call. However, as stubborn as we are, we kept ourselves occupied with our crazy nitty gritties without paying any heed to whatever was going on around us.

The refreshment box given at the end of the event indeed made all the boredom worthwhile!  

 

Foreing students discuss their concerns with KU's Media Officer

Aden Dahir Salad
Karachi, October 27, 2010: Foreign student representatives from various disciplines of Karachi University met with the uninversty's Media Representative Officer to discuss their problems.

Meeting was held at the Administraion building Media Representative Officer of KU, Farheen Zehra, presided over the meeting. Other issues discussed included academics and envioronment.

Ms. Zehra sympathised with the concerns of the students and promised to forward them to the student advisor of the varsity.                       

The representatives highlighted their major problems of language barrier and lack of basic facilities in the hostels of both boys and girls.