2022-2023

BY SAARANG CHARI ‘26   About 20 minutes into Shaunak Sen’s Oscar-nominated documentary “All That Breathes”, I had to pause just to make sure that I was, in fact, watching a documentary. It depicts a sincerity so poetic that it feels like it has to have been scripted. The film follows the lives of two siblings from Delhi, Mohammad Saud and Nadeem Shehzad, who have been rescuing and taking care of injured black kites since they were children. Set in one of the most polluted cities in the world, exploring themes of ecology and wildlife conservation, the film affirms that it is not simply a “nature documentary”. If the subject of the film is the brothers Nadeem and Saud, it does not observe just them. Rather, it is a meditation on human-animal relations, on the fraught politics o...

BY UTSHAA BASA ‘25 The 2008 graphic novel “Kari” by Indian author Amruta Patil, follows the titular character, a young woman attempting to navigate Mumbai alone after the departure of her lover and soulmate, Ruth. This follows after their failed double suicide. Kari as a protagonist is largely alienated from her surroundings, occupying space on the sidelines as a queer person in the heteronormative landscape of Mumbai, and as a self-proclaimed boatsman. Kari’s failed double suicide, that plunges her into a sewer, functions as a sort of a rebirth, resigning her to drift in the fluid space between life and death. In her sexual identity, Kari leans towards ambiguity as well. She attributes her confusion to labels, stating that the “circus is in her head.” Largely, the novel does not con...

BY SAIGOPAL RANGARAJ ‘23 The 2022 FIFA world cup broke many records. It was the first to be held in a Middle Eastern country; it was the highest-scoring world cup; and it was the most expensive sporting event in recorded history. After a final described as one of the greatest contests of all time and one that reaffirmed Messi’s GOAT status, the world seems to have moved on from Qatar and forgotten about the World Cup and what it has meant for people in Asia. For the people of Asia, this world cup will hold two very different meanings: for some Asians, it was a moment of pride and jubilation, while for other Asians it is a symbol of suffering and loss. On one hand, a record number of teams from Asia qualified for the 2022 World Cup. According to FIFA, five teams from Asia–the Islamic ...

BY SAIGOPAL RANGARAJ ‘23 Diwali, widely known as the “festival of lights”, is a religious festival celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, as well as many Buddhists across the world. The word Diwali is derived from the Sanskrit word deepavali, which translates to a “row of lights''. Diwali falls sometime in October or November each year, with the specific day being determined by the Indian lunisolar calendar. Diwali was celebrated on the 24th of October this year, with festivities occurring in the weeks immediately preceding and following that date. Despite common associations with fireworks, lamps, and a celebration of the triumph of light over darkness, the manner in which Diwali is celebrated varies greatly across communities and religions with different deities being honored on this...

BY ESA CHEN ‘25 Bubble Milk Tea, also known as Boba Milk Tea or Pearl Milk Tea, is famous and popular among many countries worldwide. Even so, do you know anything about where it all started? Bubble Milk tea is a beverage that was first created in Taiwan in the 1980s. It is typically made by putting chewy tapioca balls called pearls or boba into various kinds of tea. The most common varieties are to put black pearls into milk tea and white pearls into green tea. There are hundreds of different combinations and flavors to try. Many shops offer sizes and flavors of pearls as well as various kinds of teas both with or without milk. The drink can be customized even further by choosing how much ice and sugar is added. Due to its special and sweet taste and aesthetically pleasing appearanc...

BY SAARANG CHARI ‘26 Since its creation in 1949, the Indian Constitution has contained provisions for promoting social and economic equality through affirmative action in a deeply unequal society. . Affirmative action in India is not wholly unlike its counterpart in the US – it aims to increase the representation of historically marginalised groups in public institutions and in fields such as education, healthcare, banking, insurance, and the like. While affirmative action in the US focuses on issues of racial and gender-based discrimination, in India it has historically focused on that of caste[1]based discrimination. This is implemented by the provision of “Reservation Quotas”, through which a percentage of places in public or state institutions are reserved for people belonging to co...

BY ESA CHEN ‘25 Spirited Away is a 2001 Japanese animated film directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli. Chihiro Ogino is a ten-year-old girl. She is traveling with her parents to move to a new house. However, her father gets lost while driving and goes in the wrong direction. She and her parents mistakenly enter an abandoned amusement park. A witch, called Yubaba, runs an enormous local bathhouse which is the place where the eight million spirits of Japan such as the “stink spirit” are served to take the baths. There is a rule in this theme park: anyone who does not work in the town will be turned into a pig and be eaten. Chijii’s parents are punished for eating the food on the table without the consent of the shopkeeper and become pigs. In order to save her parents, Ch...

BY SAIGOPAL RANGARAJ ‘23 The Asian Studies program at Colorado College provides students with the opportunity to study the world’s most populous continent and its diverse peoples and nations through an interdisciplinary lens covering Asian languages, religions and more. The Asian Studies program offers three 12 unit major tracks – East Asia, South Asia or Global Asia. The first two tracks focus on a sub-region of Asia, while the third offers students the flexibility to study Asia and its connections to the world and to Asian diaspora communities. Each of these interdisciplinary major tracks requires students to take courses in Literature & Arts, Humanistic Inquiry, and Social Science Inquiry. Students majoring in Asian Studies will be required to conduct independent research and wri...

BY UTSHAA BASU ‘25 One of the more compelling offerings in this block has been DA341: Encountering Global Dance. Taught by Professor Pallavi Sriram, the Assistant Professor of Dance Studies, the course centers the study of dance works from both the US and international contexts, focusing on questions around forms and aesthetics. According to student Avery Carrington, 24’, the course follows a largely discussion- based format, with certain Fridays dedicated to dance and movement time. Carrington believes this time to be vital, as it helps him connect with his classmates, the professor and the class content. He also attests to the transformative effect of this class on peer dynamics, saying: “We were all very awkward until we had more vulnerable and authentic moments through dance.” ...