HOWDY!!

by Sania Mumtaz Tahir 2nd yr 

It is to say, welcome juniors.

It is almost customary to say that, “juniors bohat over hain yaar!” and rightly so, because each year surpasses the last in its confidence, merit and perhaps, talent. Yes, it hurts a bit to admit this.

The first encounter of yours with your seniors, and attention, anatomical position!  No need denying it, everybody hates their seniors then. Some might go as far as cursing them which is definitely not good. Ragging is just a small intro to a lifelong friendship with the people who help you most.

But let’s hear it from the seniors first on how do they feel about their junior.

First impression: Hate them
First encounter: Hate them still, they have no respect for the seniors at all.

Slowly things might and usually do get better between us all. Thank God for that.

But the real reason behind all this hostility is not so hostile after all. Let’s consider a kid who is youngest in the family and after a year of being pampered as the youngest, there arrives a little sibling. The obvious reaction is being angry at the “new guy”. So that’s what it is, I think.   

You, first years, with all your medals and high achievements have taken our place as the freshmen. In hostel, you now live in the rooms that have so many of our memories attached to them. Isn’t it only fair if we do feel a bit territorial? A bit angry?

Giving up our place, no it’s not that easy, and in days to come you shall have to prove your worth, bring your forces and show us what you have got. 

In this entire scenario, you wouldn’t like us any better than we do, probably because we have known the place you love longer than you do. We are the senior who are safe from all the mockery that you will yet have to endure.

I clearly remember my senior telling me the 3^rd day of 1^st year, “being a first year is a taboo”. I respect my senior a lot, it was a good forewarning. Everywhere when somebody asked me which year I was from, I had to think twice before telling I am a first year k kahin daant e na parr jaye.

But is there a way to end this hostility?

There is a small key to getting a senior to be your friend, and that is respect. Respect is what we want and that is something that comes without a cost.

There is a saying around, “In K.E you can’t survive without your seniors.”
True, every word of it. You just can’t get through the whole year without nagging your seniors at each step. Never think that when you ask you senior anything, you are disturbing them.

Dumbledore said and I quote, “help shall be given to those who ask for it.”
Finally, make peace among yourself, work together as a class and take your identity as a challenge, as a way to prove yourself. It is always up to you what you make of this year. Either you can all live as you are, or you can turn this taboo into symbol of your pride just as we did.

And at the end of year, when somebody said, “Bohat over first year hai”, we used to say “we know! :D”