WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY 2025

 A Vox-Pop 

by 

Team ASCOPE

I met her ...

Samanwita Das  

Pexels

I met my younger self for coffee today we arrived together both ten minutes late. with her huge backpack, she came rushing “The traffic was terrible” I say as I stride in she had a boy cut hair with two red strands wearing an outfit our mum chose I was dipped in pink, ear pods in and a little purse in my hand still wearing our mum’s choice but now with bows! she was mesmerised by my skin while continuously looking at herself in the mirror beside I complemented her strawberry freckles and told her, “It’s okay to hide” she asks me whether I still struggle with friendships i pat her head and said we found home in them now she cried about how she will never find the love that she offers I tell her how a boy loves her like it’s the easiest thing in the world now she makes me order her a cold coffee with whipped cream while I sip on my warm tea and look at her smile beam she swirls her fingers over her scars worried about never being good enough glancing at my wrists, I smile and tell her how she’s always been tough as she leaves, she asks me a question “Do we still dream? will we ever accomplish them?” I say I believe we will and we’re almost there now as we both walk away I realise that I became the person she’s strives to be and I will always let her live in me. I hope we meet for coffee again...

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AMIPHORIA’25 – The gala annual fest of AMITY

AMIPHORIA 2025

Samanwita Das, Hiya Mitra, Bhumika Shaw

B.A Sem 2

 

The much-awaited Amity University-Kolkata’s annual fest, AMIPHORIA 2025 set forth on March 6,7,8, 2025. This report captured a few glimpses of fun and frolic at the campus for three days.

On Day-One, it began with a spectacular ‘Opening Ceremony’, setting the stage for a vibrant celebration of culture, creativity, and competition showcasing the theme of Holi. The day unfolded with “Nrityadhwani”, a mesmerizing dance event that showcased diverse performances, followed by “Celestial Threads”, a fashion show where participants exhibited their artistic flair through stunning costumes and unique designs.  

The festival’s theatrical segment, “Natya Mancha”, captivated the audience with powerful storytelling and dramatic excellence. "Chromatic Echoes" showcased a vibrant artistic extravaganza, filling the air with creativity and talent. Literature and poetry lovers were enthralled by “Kavya Nabha”, a platform for poetic expression and spoken word artistry.

On the technology front, “Dev Drive” and “Trace Quest” challenged the participants with innovative coding and problem-solving tasks. Meanwhile, sports enthusiasts witnessed high-energy basketball and football matches, showcasing teamwork and athleticism. 

Innovation took center stage in the “Innovation” event, where creative minds presented groundbreaking ideas. “Small Actions Big Impact” highlighted inspiring initiatives with significant social influence on the environment. Lastly, the day concluded with “Pictale”, a storytelling competition that celebrated creativity through pictures and narratives. As the sun set on an action-packed first day of Amiphoria Fest, the excitement reached its peak with the star event of the night—a high-energy performance by DJ Lil B. The crowd came alive as electrifying beats and pulsating rhythms filled the air, turning the venue into a vibrant dance floor. Students and attendees grooved to chart-topping tracks, celebrating the spirit of the fest in an unforgettable musical spectacle. With an incredible mix of music and an electrifying atmosphere, DJ Lil B’s performance was the perfect grand finale, leaving everyone eagerly anticipating the next day’s festivities. With an exhilarating start, Amiphoria Fest promises even more excitement in the coming days, bringing together talent, passion, and unforgettable experiences.

Singer Snigdhajit

We kicked Day 2, with Khoj 3.0, covering the entirety of the campus, letting the treasure hunters explore a vast expanse, creating a great environment of competition. Rockmania, a clash of bands, captivated audiences at the main stage with energizing vocals and live band music. Amity School of Communication (ASCO) organised Cine Saga 2025 in their Big Studio which showcased the artistically genius short films created by the participants. The Dialectic Duel was an exhilarating clash of perspectives as debaters faced off in the ultimate test of wit, rhetoric, and insight. The Wellness Club organised the Fitflow Frenzy, a competition of peak body tonality and the Poster Roulette, where participants depicted mental health through their art. Historical legends were brought to life by cosplayers in the Historic Legends Cosplay Competition. The Plant on a Plate was all about creativity, sustainability, and the beauty of plant-based ingredients. The main stage was brought to the centre of attention once again by the Step Up Showdown brought the streets to life, one beat at a time. The Theatre Club organized Awaaz: The Voice of Change in the Amphitheatre, evoking emotions among the audience and judges. ASCO, once again, organized the Ad-Venture in their small studio, where creativity met strategy, and the participants created their most innovative ad campaign. Business Got Latent had teams clash to disrupt, defend and dominate in the ultimate branding showdown. The performing guest of the evening was Snigdhajit and Liveline. His performance was packed with nostalgia with timeless love songs, disco songs, bengali songs and even kirtans. He was greatly appreciated by the masses for taking song requests and crowd work. The Atrium, packed with students was extremely loud with students screaming their hearts out, singing along to the songs being sung.

Singer Asees Kaur

The final day began with a series of cultural events, highlighting India's diverse artistic traditions. The spotlight was on "Folk Unplugged," a soulful musical showcase where talented performers from different colleges captivated the audience with mesmerizing renditions of folk songs. The event paid homage to India’s rich musical heritage, leaving everyone in awe of the raw and powerful performances.  Other creative competitions like "Fight for Honor: Tekken Edition" and “WWE SmackDown’’  (ESports), "Lens League" (Video making Contest), "Web Master" (Website making Contest), and Beat Clash( Beatboxing Contest) also reached their thrilling conclusions. These events allowed students to express their artistic visions, and the best works were recognized with awards. As the sun sets, the most-awaited moment of the fest arrived—the star performance by Asees Kaur. The excitement was palpable as thousands of students gathered around the grand stage, eagerly waiting for the Bollywood sensation to take over. She opened her performance with the soulful track "Raataan Lambiyan", instantly mesmerizing the crowd. The atmosphere turned electric as she performed high-energy hits like "Akh Lad Jaave" and "Bolna", making everyone sing along.The audience erupted in cheers when she sang "Makhna" and "Ve Maahi", turning the venue into a sea of swaying hands and phone flashlights.The night reached its climax with the power-packed number "Jaan Ban Gaye", leaving everyone in a euphoric state. Asees Kaur’s charismatic stage presence and versatile singing style created an unforgettable concert experience. Students danced, cheered, and lost themselves in the rhythm, making it the perfect way to conclude the festival. As the concert ended, the closing ceremony began. Organizers and student leaders took the stage to thank participants, performers, and faculty members for making Amiphoria 2025 a massive success. Confetti rained down on the ecstatic crowd as they took their last selfies and hugged their friends, cherishing the three days of memories.

 

A CALL TO 1970

A short story by Samanwita Das

by Pexels

"Wrong Number" said a familiar yet a bit more euphonic and high-pitched voice from the other side of the very vintage telephone I had found when I first moved in my new house in Florida. I had spent weeks trying to repair the telephone and finally I repaired it and tried to call one of my close friends to see if its fully operational. “It’s me Yoora!” I answered but again it was the same absurd response from the other side. I stood there with the telephone in my hand thinking, how can my closest friend not recognise my voice nor my name? the weirder subject was that the person who picked up the call sounded very similar to that of my friend’s “I apologize, I tried to call my friend George but who’s this?” I tried to get to know the other person to understand the situation but to my surprise, it got more confusing “yes? It is me. I am George but I don’t recall knowing you” this response didn’t help the situation making it weirder as well as heart breaking to me. “Did he really forget me? Is this a prank? What is going on?” All types of questions popping up in my mind as I stood there looking out of the window trying to gather my thoughts when the person on the other side said again “hello?” “Well you have the same name and voice as the person I was trying to call…” I was suddenly interrupted by a radio speech which could be heard faintly from the person who was on the other side of the call. “This is a tragic loss for us as yesterday we lost our beloved Governor Schlatt of Florida due to a fatal heart attack” said a voice on the radio. This confused me even more because the news of Schlatt being dead was over fifty-five years ago… “the radio on the back, does it say that Schlatt died today?” I continued, replying to the person on the call. “Yes why? don’t you know? It is all over the newspapers” said the other person. “It must be a joke! he died in 1970 which is fifty-five years ago! Everyone knows it.” I replied in a slight louder voice correcting them. “It is the 1970…” the person stopped and thought “wait fifty-five years ago? You are from 2025?” they replied again but this time laughing loudly thinking all this is a prank. “Yes I am from 2025, wait this makes you from 1970?” I was shaken to my soul when I finally realised that I accidentally called a person in the past, from a very old telephone in my new house who supposedly has the same name and voice as my friend. Strange enough.

 Samanwita Das

 B.A Sem 2