Feature

Shamma M. Raghib

Valentines day to me is more like 'Single's Awareness Day', but to others it is a day full of hugs, roses and remembrance for those in love. Apart from the fact that Valentines Day helps Archies and Hallmarks' economy, Valentines Day also helps those little children who live by selling roses in roadside. North South University is always the first one to hop up when it comes to cultural/notable days…and this time it was no different. North South University started off the Valentines Day with fun filled session in the NSU Cafeteria. For one day the café turned into a nest with lovebirds and singles both looming around in cafeteria in the lunch hours. With most people having the least classes at lunch hours, the prestigious North South University Debate Club was right in picking out this venue to host the show called Cupid's Café.

The show featured a fun debate titled, ' Do looks matter in love?' Members of the prestigious Debate Club of North South University presented the debate with, style, composure and absolutely fun quotes and examples. The crowds cheered the teams when they came up with smart comebacks. For singles, looks didn't matter in love. But for those who were pretty enough, they had a second thought before clapping to the defendants' words!

The debate followed by another show called the Magic Box. By now, the whole cafeteria was jam-packed. In magic box, each participant was to take a note and write something that the next participant had to continue… so on and so forth. The show followed by an event absolutely for those in love. Each person of the couple was given a few questions about the other 'better half' that had to be answered. The person who got most of the answers right was judged the winner. In the end it wasn't a matter of who won a prize, it was more a question of how much one loved the other. Just imagine the joy of knowing that your better-half knows more about you than you do about him/her! That is the best gift someone could get. Thanks to NSU Debate Club, the Valentines Day Celebration was flamboyantly successful.

For those who were in love and happy, it was a celebration to remember and for those who were single, it was more of a 'Single's Awareness Day'…however enjoyable! Sigh!

Abu Kalam

Basanta Utsab 1413 on the first day of Phalgun (the first month of spring) was celebrated on Rajshahi University campus with a day-long programmes. The programmes started in the early morning at RU Fine Arts department Charu premises with the rendering of instrumental music. A colourful procession of the university students with musical instruments was brought out that paraded different streets of the campus.

A cultural programme titled 'Basanta Agomon' was held at Fine Arts department while department students presented individual drama, dance and music. Students of Bangla, Folk Lore, Music and Dramatic and Mass Communication departments also organized separate cultural programmes and cake festivals on the occasion.

The main festivity was observed at Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) campus, Rajshahi University College campus and Medical College campus.

The students crowded in the campus whole day long and enjoyed the day with various cultural programmes that included recitation and singing of Rabindra Sangeet.

Shushil, a flower trader of city's Shaheb Bazar told that he made a brisk business and sold at least 10,000 flowers on Tuesday.

Farhana Islam, a student of Mass Communication department of RU said, 'I along with my friends enjoyed Bashanta utshav much in the campus but the shower hampered the festivity.'

(RU Correspondent of The Daily Star)