Students taking journalism course, not interested in becoming a journalist...

We have come to an era where internet has revolutionised the way in which journalism works. Anyone who owns a laptop, computer or even a cell phone can be an active source of news. Today the people don’t rely on the traditional means to get news and information. We do not have to wait for the next edition of the newspaper to update us about an issue going around in the world. Advancement in technology has led us in a place where we as ordinary people can also contribute in giving news and dispersing it to other people through the internet. The popularity gained by the social media helps us in how we perceive the news today. Before it used to be a one sided news only but now since everyone can contribute in this process through the social media, it is not one sided anymore. While it can be beneficial to us, some journalists find it as a threat to their professions.  Since everyone can be a journalist through their own means. But the main thing is that one needs to follow the ethics in disseminating news.  Students who end up taking the course of Journalism not being interested in being a journalist is a growing concern these days. 

Currently, the youths of Bhutan are mostly not interested in being a journalist. Majority of them want to be a doctor, engineer or an architect.  Yeshi Choden, a student who is currently a journalism student in Bangalore when asked if she wanted to be a journalist, answered, “I’m currently in the second year after taking this course and i still do not feel like i want to be a journalist. I have no idea where i am headed for now.”

“Our country needs to improve the media sector so that we have a chance in getting jobs in the job market and many students will be interested in becoming a journalist”, says Yeshi.

 Our media is not as strong as the media in other countries. Majority of students in Bhutan don’t usually take up media course. The only college which offers a journalism course is Sherubtse College which started only from 2012. Currently the first batch of Media students from Sherubtse College is still yet to graduate in June 2015. Ugyen Choden, a student from Sherubtse college who is taking Media studies says, “My actual ambition was to become a Chef but since our country does not offer such course and going abroad would be too much pressure on my parents, I decided to take this course since I could not qualify for other science courses.” Many of the students who are taking the course of B.A in Media studies and English are students who took science stream during their High School days. Phuntsho Choden, also a student of Sherubtse College taking Media Studies says, “I took Science stream but now I ended up taking a B.A course. Some of my friends tease me about why i took science stream if I were to take B.A course.”

While there are those students who took this course seriously so that they can be good journalists and help the citizens. Deki Dolkar, a journalism student says, “I took this course because I wanted to do something for the people. I like writing and this course interested me since it provided a medium for those people who are un noticed and forgotten. Some are not interested in becoming a journalist because of the declining image of the media. Print Media is losing its charm, people focus more on rumours and gossips. Some, they choose this course because they had no other choice while others lack confidence to speak and explore. We live in such a country where people are shy and reserved. People are reluctant to speak up. We have to break this barrier and speak up.” The Bhutanese society is such a society where the people are brought up in such a way that people don’t usually speak up for themselves let alone speak up for others.

Rinchen Zangmo, a journalism student says, “I’m taking this course of Journalism because i got qualified for it and did not qualify for other courses. This course in Sherubtse attracted me not because I wanted to be a journalist but because it had a combination subject of Literature.” The course of journalism in Sherubtse College has a combination subject of English literature. The students not only have to study the subjects of journalism but also the English literature as a whole. 

So, by expanding the Media’s horizon and by making it a strong institute, it can encourage the youth to look up to it. By taking measures in improving our media sector and by giving chance to the people who want to speak up. If the current status of the Bhutanese Media is raised to a whole new level and made popular among the growing youths of this country, they can look up to it and  be interested in the profession of being a journalist.

Scary path to Om Bha Ye in Trashi yangtse. 

To be one.

Upon your name, people quiver

We have not seen you

Yet we still believe.

You tell us to behave in so many papers

 You tell us about life through other beings

But why are people still causing havoc, in your name.

We were born as one

But the world divided us in colours

Are we still not your children?

Children, we say but worse than the devil himself.

Awakening the demon inside.

Even Lucifer would seem small

For he had just pride

We, with all the sins any man could ever commit.

Come before us again

To create a new world without misery.

Surrender, we shall not

For we still have faith

Faith is what binds us together.

Faith will lead us to you.

Children, we bear shall not corrupt

With faith they will grow

To create a world with peace.

A dreamer, you may say I am

But I am not the only one

With hope that someday you’ll join us

And the world will be one.

This poem which i wrote is about man getting corrupted through time. About human beings causing misery and problems to each other while a ray of hope still exists for those with faith. Faith in the almighty, so that one can truly attain peace through this and work together in creating a better place to live in.  

Ismile Cafe in the girls hostel area. Sherubtse, kanglung.

view behind my house... it gets scary during monsoon when the river gets huge.. and we have no choice but to live there...     Dechenchholing, Thimphu.

in the east...

Truth or just rumours.

A lot of stories about ghosts and spirits keep on spreading from one student to another through time. It still isn’t clear if these stories are really true or just rumours.

Before coming to the college many students have heard stories of Sherubtse College. Stories about the ragging system which was going on in the past but the one that caught the students’ mind are the ghost stories. For some they may not find it scary while for some it is frightening. A lot of ghost stories are being circulated among the students and many believe it. Few places which are said to be haunted are: the area above the Degree Hostel2 near the water tank, the small pond in the B.Sc Peach garden, the junction near the boys hostels, the junction where the Namgyel Khangzang was built recently and hostel such as Thuptenling and Tshogayling.

Sonam Pelom, a college student taking Political science and Sociology currently in her third year said “I heard a lot of ghost stories from my friends. I do believe in ghosts and so I tend to believe these stories. I heard about two boys who got drunk late night. They were walking along the road and a strange dark figure started following them. They looked back and it disappeared suddenly and appeared in front of them. I think it was near the junction below the boys hostel.” She shared another story which one of her friend experienced, “It was during one of the department gatherings when my friend and another friend came back late at night to the hostel. My friend said she saw a girl with long hair sitting on the bench below the Tshogayling hostel. She tried showing the girl to her other friend but she did not see it. My friend was the only one seeing the figure of the girl. They got scared and quickly ran to their hostel chanting prayers.”

Dechen Pem who graduated last semester from Sherbtse College said that one night when she was walking alone near the Director’s house which is just above the Namgyel Khangzang Chorten, a huge shadow figure kept following her. She said there was no one around and she got scared. Since then she always took the long way to the hostel around the college.

There are stories going on about the hostels being haunted as well, Tshogayling in particular conducts annual rimdro. So just because Tshogayling hostel is the only hostel in the entire college to conduct the rimdro, people say it is haunted.

While most students get scared hearing these stories there are some who do not believe it. Tashi Choden, a third year student taking Economics and Sociology said “all these stories being spread may just be rumours. I do believe in ghosts and spirits but I’ve never encountered one. I feel that such experiences are a work of our mind when we are scared.”

Almost every place has a history of stories being spread which keeps changing through time. Ghost stories and experiences from past students keep on spreading to the next ones and the ones after that. We may never know if such stories are actually true or just rumours.