Summary
Students have been publishing Mailer Daemon for the last 17 years
Curated, designed and published by second, third and fourth-year students
We cover all the stories that the institute community might not otherwise hear about… — declares the bio of Mailer Daemon, a student organisation of the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines) Dhanbad that has been bridging the gap between students and the administrative body through a magazine.
The aim of this on-campus “media body” set up in 2004 is to identify the problem, present it and resolve the issue. Some of their milestone work includes writing about the change of Indian School of Mines into Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), advocacy of student issues like development of student activity centre, hostel in-time issues, closed campus, as well as the adoption of relative grading system instead of absolute grading system. Students are recruited when they are about to complete their first year at the institute.
“Our objective is to make the students aware of the latest affairs of the institute and developments in diverse fields such as career and student welfare. We also highlight the achievements of students, faculty, and alumni members over the last six months. The content of the magazine is from the point of view of the current students. We also publish a Fresher’s Guide for the new students with insights related to the institute,” said a final-year Electrical Engineering student, who is a member of Mailer Daemon.
Content of the magazine
From shortlisting articles to designing the magazine, everything is done by students. Students interview administrative authorities such as Debjani Mitra, professor-in-charge of the career development centre, and professor, Electronics and Communication Engineering, to discuss the changing trends in internship and placement recruitments.
The magazine also features philanthropic activities like IIT Dhanbad offering food to more than 300 stranded laborers in April 2020 through an on-campus staff-run cloud kitchen. In April 2021, a vaccination drive was conducted for professors and non-teaching staff. There are articles about new developments on the campus like the opening of the new canteen.
Articles are contributed by the members of Mailer Daemon. Their writing includes sarcasm, conversations, and references from fiction. Every issue has a cover article that highlights the central theme. The cover article of the October 2021 issue was F.R.I.E.N.D.S. It also included a survey of cultural clubs, a flashback of the initiatives undertaken by IIT Dhanbad during COVID, various entertainment activities and horoscope predictions. The next issue is coming out in March 2022.
Teamwork
Initially, the students brainstorm on the theme. Thereafter, the members propose their ideas, points and suggestions. The drafts go through successive readings and amendments by all the members. Editors determine the final content, while the reporters scout for events and conduct interviews. Videographers handle video content production. Designers assemble visual designs and infographics using typestyles, photographs, illustrations, and drawings. Developers are responsible for building and maintaining the website and Android app.
“We start from scratch and research on various topics, which the magazine will touch upon. Subsequently, our articles are moulded around the significant theme. The editing team is always updated on what’s happening around them since they need to write about it. The magazine helps students to think critically and their writing ability improves,” said a final-year Electronics and Communication Engineering student who is a member of Mailer Daemon.
The latest issues can be accessed at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13rs9BBx3qOVLIUqGaWGPKqa9X0Gmri0N/view
Last updated on 21 Feb 2022
