It feels weird to publish the first issue of ‘The Fine Print’ in the new academic year without the usual Brainstorm Room banter or a folding session at the Rotunda. The buzz that surrounds the start of a semester—the rumble of luggage, the trips to Akshay, and the chore of settling into a new room—is conspicuously missing. The two Psenti Speak articles in this issue perfectly encapsulate what life on campus was all about. The way things stand, many have been—and will be—robbed of the quintessential experiences of campus life, be it farewells for the outgoing batch or “interactions” for the incoming one. As we settle into the not-so-new normal by circulating screenshots of “voice isn’t visible”, it is time to lend an ear to what online discourse means for students of Pilani.

Quarantine has triggered a lot of discussion on various issues inclusive of—and not restricted to—the justification of a full tuition fee for an online semester, the falling NIRF rankings, and the logistics of academic functioning. The EPC attempted to figure out the first two using resources that were available online while the AUGSD has stirred a debate on free Saturdays versus overloaded weekdays. In an attempt to sustain the normalcy that most of us were used to on-campus, quite a few clubs, tech teams, and student organisations have done their best to keep their members and audience involved in a steady flow of content. Webinars are organised almost every day and there is a fair chance that you’re attending one while scrolling through the articles. In the spirit of lockdown productivity, this issue lists out a few student license benefits which can be accessed using the BITS email ID.

In spite of all the positive output, there are some people who have used online anonymity as a tool to shield themselves from the accountability of making damaging statements. Incidents of mudslinging and online harassment have reached worrying proportions. It begs the question of whether anonymous pages should be censored or at least, regulated up to a degree. Apart from this, there are laughingly retold stories of online lectures being flooded with spam. Hopefully, we as BITSians will display the due empathy and respect for professors, who are doing their best to adjust to a new medium of teaching. At a time when quite a few people have taken a hit to their mental health due to the ongoing pandemic, everyone can help by not deliberately aggravating it. Wrapping up, if you, the reader, wish to air your views about the state of things or provide feedback of any kind, drop a mail at epc.bitsp@gmail.com. Let us know what you want to read about campus!