Page 14 - Spectrum Volume 14 Issue 3

14 2020 | Spectrum | Volume 14 Number 3
The Countdown Begins!

B.KAVYA SHRUTHI commemorate its beginning. and action pertaining to climate
More than 50 distinguished change. The event introduced
It has dawned upon humans individuals came together with radical concepts like climate
that time is now more valuable one shared emotion – care for justice, clean capitalism, earth
than ever as we’ve set to achieve life on Earth. His Holiness Pope resilience, integral ecology,
net-zero carbon emissions Francis, United Nations Secretary carbon budgeting, 15-minute
globally by 2050 under the General António Guterres, Former cities, data-driven environmental
United Nations’ Race to Zero United States Vice President Al apps, carbon negative concrete,
campaign. Two exemplary Gore, European Commission climate leader bootcamps, raise
organisations, TED and Future President Ursula von der Leyen of forest generations, stubborn
Stewards, have collaborated and Prince William were among optimism, and many more holistic
to establish Countdown, an the few notable speakers. Others approaches to fight climatic
initiative to embrace and enact included eminent scientists, adversities. Varun Sivaram, the
solutions to climate crisis. It is business leaders, politicians, Chief Technology Officer of
motivated by the single-minded activists, and artists from around ReNew Power, India’s largest
goal of cutting down greenhouse the world representing diverse renewable energy company,
gas emissions to half by 2030 cultures. emphasised on specific goals
ensuring a safe, clean and to harness India’s substantial Ice cap melts leave polar bears destitute in Churchill, Manitoba
fair future for everyone. An All of them delivered potential for solar and wind
elaborate Global Countdown remarkably revolutionary ideas on energy, as opposed to India’s supplies. The 6-hour event ended years reminding all that in the
Launch was released on 10th the topics of urgency, leadership, vulnerable usage of fossil fuels with a note of hope for intensive battle against climate change,
October, 2020, on YouTube to transformation, breakthrough for 75% of its current energy climate action in the next 10 it is this decade or never!

The thinking caps are on!

PRANAV. V

AARYAN SHARMA the SRM Ideathon provides a great platform
The IT Association of SRM for students of all streams and interests to
conducted the Ideathon ’20 come together and put forth their ideas.
recently without giving in to
the boundaries of the current
A startup required infinite patience, persistence and perseverance pandemic. Partnered by Coding the President of ITA, along with by Dr.Metilda Florence and
Blocks and Coding Ninja, the Mr.M.Vivekanandhan, senior Ms. Nithya. The top 5 teams
Student Startups SRM Ideathon provides a great consultant in Cognizant, and were declared and were given
platform for students of all
and Challenges streams and interests to come Mr.Balaji Srinivasan, an engineer a chance to pitch their ideas to
at Ushur. The shortlisted teams everyone. Riddles on Kahoot, a
together and put forth their ideas. went through 2 sessions. The nontechnical event was conducted
PRIYANK KAPOOR develop the right team for their The program commenced first session started at 11:30, to fill up the time for the judges
startup since at the end of the with the inauguration ceremony with 10 teams entering the to decide upon the winners.
As they say, innovation is day one cannot fly solo in the at 5 PM, with 17 ideas and 24 second session at 2:30 PM. The judges declared team
the key and this key is the most limitless sky of the market, so participants. The Technical Event Each team was given a time Tech Betas as the winner and the
essential part of any startup. his team can act as his wings. Organisers gave a brief overview, limit of 6 minutes to present team Code Hard as the runner
It takes both courage and an Another challenge is to perfect followed by the speeches of their idea and 4 minutes for the up. All the winners shared
innovative mind to come with the product, the idea might be the esteemed faculty members questionnaire by the judges. their experience and thanked
a startup of your own in this very innovative or out of the Dr.G.Vadivu, Head of the IT The closing ceremony started the jury and the team for the
very aggressive market. But, box but it needs to be properly department, and Ms.M.Safa, at 6:00 PM and was attended opportunity.
what happens when students executed as well. And with limited
or better quoted as ‘adults’ take time and resources available
this extreme and risky step to to students, the quality might
go for a startup. Well, this is suffer. They also need to find
now more common than before the right partners and investors
with more and more students for their firm. Sometimes this
coming up with their own firms competition and pressure can
while also pursuing their degree. be overbearing to the young
minds and they might just end
SRM, itself has 3 to 4 startups up losing their focus on core
running in the campus right goals.
now where students are actually
pushing themselves beyond These were the common
their boundaries to manage the challenges that every student
work while not ignoring their entrepreneur has to go through
academics. Startups themselves for their startups. The solution
to them is to be self-confident
face a lot of hurdles in the and patient. To the students
market but the intensity of out there, If you believe in
obstacles multifold itself in yourself and be patient you
case of student startups. will overcome any challenge
Student entrepreneurs need to that comes your way. The thinkers in action at Ideathon ‘20