Jamming Session 2015

THE ZEST JAMMING SESSION, 2015: A REPORT
By Mehul Rawat

Great things that ever were and great things that ever shall be often hide themselves in humble beginnings. But every such beginning has a certain brilliant spark that kick-starts the whole process and lofts it to stellar proportions. ZEST, the Department of English got its spark for the academic year 2015-16, with a complete four-hour interactive jamming session held on 21st of July, right on the 2nd working day of the year. Held in the MPR, it was a specially designed session, directed by Shri Ajay Manchanda, an eminent theatre personality, which meant to warm up every heart and cheer up all the new faces. The department with all its teachers and students came together for the first time this year.The primary objective of the session was to gel-up the entire department while highlighting the aspect of individuality, or the ‘self’ as it was.Particular focus was on the new students joining and becoming a part of the ZEST family.The session comprised of an introductory part which was instrumental in knowing oneself and about each other as well. Secure, strong, sympatheticintroduction, full of smiles and greetings, worked wonders in opening hesitant hearts and it might easily prove to be the beginning of life-long bonds. Theatre activities involving observations, gestures and postures, and on-the-spot improvisation brought out latent aspects of individual personalities. Pushed in by high-spirited enthusiasm everyone enjoyed a game of tunnel ball. Sweaty and short of breath, a relaxing, meditative journey exploring the ‘self’ was heartily welcomed. The music played during this activity really seeped into unexplored corners of the heart. Experiences were jotted down and feelings were drawn on paper. The session culminated with group-improvisations. With students from all the batches of ZEST working in good harmony, it worked out wonderfully well.

The session was really a great success with teachers and students alike coming out with positive feelings and happy reviews. Despite the length of the session, it was well received by the students who found it refreshing and transforming. According to Nishika, a first-year student, the jamming session helped her to realize her potential and capability to think and enact. “I also learnt the importance of being myself and of being a keen observer,” says Tanvi, Nishika’s classmate. As everyone vacated the MPR, content and smile on the face, and warmth and curiosity in the heart, happy anticipation for the days to come dallied in the air itself, and as Robert Browning puts it, perhaps, “the best is yet to be”.