The week in re(ar)view
Could be a week taken from 500 BC

Here's our part in enriching your lives with news of current events. It could also be events that took place several million years ago that people still refer to in awe. Take for example the fact that dinosaurs were wiped out. People still shed a tear over their fossilized carcasses. People miss them. People want them. Dinosaurs would have made such a cool item during korbani eid.

Clean up or mess up?
The mobile food court is doing a laudable job so far of apprehending and punishing crooked food businesses. They have enriched the country's economy in the realized fines by 0.0000000420 percent. That calculation is done after the debts to all donor agencies have been paid off.

But the method they apply in this particular form of 'clean-up' is rather strange and crude. Whatever they find they throw it down the drain. That includes the machine oil used for cooking, textile dyes used for colouring and human sweat enriched flour used for making roti. There was a nice picture on the cover of September 23 where the smiling magistrates were smilingly dumping buckets of radioactive looking ice cream into the drains. All that goes into the rivers in their pure unadulterated form. The river waters come back into our drinking glasses. And then we have diarrhea and it goes out. Oh well, what goes around keeps going around!

Damn that fridge
On September 24, we read about the one single refrigeration unit in the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) morgue lying dead. It is sad that whatever goes into that place ends up dead and that includes non-living things as well. What's really amazing is that fridges and ambulances are never alive to begin but we manage to kill them anyway. It is our gift, it is our curse.

What's' really worrisome is that where are the attending doctors going to store their lunch now? The bodies of course can be stored under the open sky or on the trees just like the cops do with important crime scene evidence. No one cares about them anyway. But what about lunch?

Equal rights………to kill
September 23rd there was a report about Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) going o introduce women into their ongoing drive against crime. That's' right. Why should only men be allowed the joy and luxury of killing other men with highly stylized maneuvers such as crossfire? And why should the women "criminals" be discriminated against by not being killed in crossfire? Here's to women killing women. It will be a lot like women mud wrestling only difference is we won't actually see any "criminals" killed. We will just read about them in the paper in inverted commas.

Finally an improvement
September 30 we received surprisingly good news about Bangladesh. Seems this country went up 11 places in the ranking for countries with foreign direct investment (FDI). Now it is at number 122 as found by the World Investment Report (WIR) 2005. The growth has been 72 percent which is about the second highest in Asia. That is a refreshing difference from our usual participation in rankings for Most Polluted Countries and Most Corrupt Countries. However, our nit-picking attitude cannot help but wonder that a large part of that foreign investment calculation includes huge fees needed for bribing. So if you cut out the Foreign Bribing Investment (FBI) then the actual investment might be quite low.

By Gokhra and Mood Dude

Study Buddies

University requirements

Hey all welcome back. We said, this issue, we will talk about the entry requirements, selecting your unis/colleges and a few comments on selecting making your list…
Checklist:
· Major Requirements The US unis/colleges criteria
· Selection Tips

REQUIREMENTS
THE SATs
Frankly speaking one of the major requirements for entering US University is the SAT Standardized Aptitude Test. For most universities the SAT scores are mandatory other than a very few, for example Lewis and Clark. SAT is highly highly recommended, even if you are planning to enter a low-tier college. However, if you are aiming for a higher-tier university, like say a top 30, they usually want at least two SAT Subjects scores alongside. With excelling SAT I and SAT II scores, you are in a pretty strong position to get scholarships/aids. Regarding the subjects of SAT II, you are no longer required to give the writing section it has been inbuilt in the New SAT in case you didn't know now SAT has 3 major sections and is out of 2400. Instead in general, colleges expect one Mathematics and one Science/Humanities - of course again if you didn't know the only humanity subjects available are "Literature, US History and World History" which aren't well….. "our usual kinda thing". Here lies a problem, because many of you may not have the Science Subjects in your O and A-Levels. Luckily you need not worry, since some colleges will also accept Mathematics Level 1 and Level 2.

TOEFL
TOEFL is a completely ajaira test, but you gotta give it, since we are "international people"- but some unis are satisfied if you get more than 570 in Critical Reading of SAT 1, and a very few if you are in a school where the principal method of teaching is English. Most unis want an average TOEFL score above at least 250 - which should be really easy for most of you. Then again check the uni-website, and if you can avoid this ajaira hassle.

ESSAYS
Almost all unis require two-three essays, which you must submit. According to unis, an essay is a way the university gets to know you personally. One/two is the supplement essay of the uni/college which you can usually find with the supplement form and the other is the common application (see below) essay, which ranges from the cliché's like what inspires you the most to the most significant event of your life… blah… blah… blah…. But don't Don't and DON'T take it lightly. The essay plays a very important role in your application package.

RECOMMENDATIONS
Most unis/colleges want at least two teacher recommendations available with the common application complete set. For those who are not affliated with the common app, they have their own forms which you can download from their site. Be sure to give the recommendations to teachers who know you well and best and for a long time. Every word counts in the recommendations. There are yet again many places that let their students fill in their own teacher evaluations and the teachers just sign the forms… lucky devils…

SECONDARY SCHOOL RECORDS
Hear all you private kids - start crying. Most, unis require secondary school records - which obviously you can get from Nilkhet or from certain low-minded, corrupt schools - but we at RS firmly oppose such unethical and immoral actions... ehhh… what am I talking about, this is Bangladesh after all. However universities do accept home-schooled students. You have to catalogue all how you utilize your time, you have to write in detail about your study methods, grades taken, recommendation from your tutors, and in some cases…interviews - immediately cross out those unis from your list!!!... well unless you wanna spend enough cash to go to the interview which is, I remind you just in case, in US. Check out the respective uni/college website, for more details. But, for school-people, chill… You have your report cards; send attested copies along with your application. Most unis usually want 3-4 years of latest transcripts so send your class 9-11 and as much as class 12 you have for now. What's that I hear? Bad records??? Well I guess we all should have taken school more seriously.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
The Americans believe in diverse learning… that everyone should know something about everything. Extracurricular activities show your interest, involvement and activeness in other fields other than just studies. Volunteer work also your active participation. These activities add a huge plus point to your application package, of course alongside with your studies. It's always best you have some documents/recordings to back up your claims of activities. So all you solo singers and instrument players!!!... start practicing and record a track or two to send alongside with your application. Art students and amateur photographers!!!... get your portfolios ready. Theatre people!!!... get a good taped solo audition and some self written scripts ready. And all you Dancers!!!... Get a solo dance recorded. Check the respective university website to be sure of what they specifically want. Mail them if not posted in their website. Liberal Arts colleges put a lot of emphasis on ECAs so you have a good head if you have them.

OTHER Factors also include: character/personal qualities (which I have no idea how they judge), class rank, talent/ability, volunteer work, work experience, alumni relation, minority status, geographical residence and interview.

By Adnan M. S. Fakir & Golam Rezwan Khan

Cool Adda

Location: On the murir-tin bus top
Equipment: Blaring songs "jhakanaka deho dolana"
Chatters: Free bus riders
The murir-tin bus top is THE place for those of you who would like free transportation. The Adda is pleasant until and unless you are not accustomed to the smoky environment of Dhaka city roads! The bus top is particularly exciting when you can deduce that your beloved bus-driver is the one who is causing the traffic jam. You can see through the windows of surrounding houses as well as conveniently get a highly well mixtures bundle of the digested food inside your stomach. The James song 'jhakana' makes the scene more dramatic and realistic as well.

Hazards: RS would not be responsible for any unscrupulously idiotic fall from the bus top so be prepared to pay your hospital fee (if you do not have a life insurance).

Location: Toilet
Equipment: Mobile phone and someone on the other side.
Chatters: Usually people who are scared that they might be overheard in their own rooms (!)
Chat topic: Ranges from love to hate.
Apart from just a stench filled room, toilet is the safe haven for all sorts of people. Responding to nature's call is within itself a pleasure. Releasing of all tension and just sitting away idly on the pot is comfortable if you can accept your own waste's stench. Apart from all these, Toilet is THE place for those who want to keep their conversations secret. Due to the unacceptable stench of waste materials, no one dares to cross the door when somebody's inside so usually sounds cannot be heard from close proximities.
Word of caution: Doors should not be left open!
Word of advice: Eat more fibre and spices so that the stench is stronger and people would not dare come 5 metres near the door!

Location: Basketball Court
Equipment: Casual audience in seats and the players (of course with the basketball)
Chatters: Players and audience.
Chat topic: Variety (mainly about the players)
In between the practice sessions, and dodges and dunks, the players (especially the girls) find a lot to chat about. The topic usually range from cute guys in the audience, to how obnoxious an opposite team player is. There are times you may find the girls applauding the audience for cheering them…although what they don't realise is that the audience is cheering the cool girl/ guy who gave a perfect dunk, rarely for the whole team. If you were sitting in the audience you would be hearing from guys, "Wow what a throw!" or " Did you see how the girl ducked the ball? She's so cool and cute too!" From the girls you are likely to hear, " Number 28 is X's crush!" or " He's the sole star of the team!" You would also hear comparisons of the team members; their looks, styles, and heights being scrutinised and criticized with vivid details!
Word of caution: Parents shouldn't overhear.
Word of advice:
For audience: Don't criticize about a girl's looks loudly. Or you are likely to get a black eye after the game.
For players: Concentrate on the game before you concentrate on the audience. You do not want the coach to end your popularity. Fame is gain!

By Shamma M. Raghib