Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and everyone in between, welcome aboard the Astrix newsletter! We've got a tornado of excitement lined up for you, so fasten your seatbelts and get ready to embark on a journey like no other.

First stop: Meet Samar Pratap Nayak, the business tycoon and a true Odia. Join us as he spills the beans on his ride from KIIT to IIM, along with the side-splitting lessons he's learned along the way.

But that's not all! Brace yourselves for a laugh riot with the comedian, Vivek Samtani, reacting to insane confessions (Prepare for a laughter-induced ab workout!)

Lastly, get ready to explore a fun feast of KIIT MUN 2023 and ASTRIX !!! bringing jamming sessions, global interactions, and exciting Astrix Merch giveaways.

Stay tuned for a hilarious and interactive newsletter experience that's about to rock your world. Don't miss out on the fun – we've got you covered!

Curious about why "samar_of_69"? Nope, it's not what you are thinking, you dirty mind! Samar's Insta handle is a tribute to Bryan Adams' iconic "Summer of 69," showcasing his music. He talks about the band he was in during his college days, dreaming of creating something big out of that, which eventually didn't happen, "the story of every young kid right"!

Samar diverts the conversation about his days at KIIT and the wild adventures at IIM-Ahmedabad. From feeling like a nerdy kid to cracking the innovative and mischief mindset! Talks about making friends, breaking norms, and avoiding getting caught after sneaking out from the college hostel!

You must have always wondered about the privileges that these IIMs & IITs people would get, right? Samar highlights

the importance of community and alumni connections in institutions like IIM-Ahmedabad for accessing resources and funding for start-ups.

Ever fantasized about the top 1% of people and what makes them different? Samar's got you covered! Explains how design thinking is not just for the tech geeks, but it's a lifestyle. It is required to discuss the 'why' of decisions and the joy of thinking outside the box.

Hold on, are you also someone who doesn't feel proud about being an Odia? He describes the role of Lord Jagannath and Odisha in this conversation and his journey from being bullied in South India as an Odia to establishing his livelihood here and promoting the culture and tradition of the state at the highest levels! Nayak believes that by changing the perception of the state and making it economically strong, every Odia will be proud to identify as such. He also mentions the recent moment of pride when the IMF Chief joined the Sambalpuri dance at the G20 summit, highlighting the need for more representation of Odia culture in the industry. So boy! Think twice before flaunting about Odisha from now on.

"Rasgulla is from Bengal", you must have heard this right, but Samar doesn't stand with this statement at all! With this context, he even talks about the historical aspects of Bengal and Odisha, tho he stood with his "rasgulla is from Odisha" statement till the very end.

India or Bharat? Amid this controversy, Host Shruti Sinha raised a new controversial issue of renaming Odisha as Kalinga! He explained the significance of inherent names and discussed about the difference between "changing a name" and "going back to the original name", don't worry! We didn’t raise a new hashtag of controversy on the internet!

Time to go the Astrix Way!

Astrix merch, anyone? We've grasped the eyes of samar_of_69 on our merch! If you were not there in our store, this is the right time for you to get here or in Samar's words "consume our merch". What are you waiting for then? The god of 69 himself is endorsing us now! You have no other way but to look us over!

Crazy Crazy News

Middle-East Turmoil Unveiled:

A Deep Dive into Israel-Palestine Conflict

Recent developments show Israel shifting from defense to offense with a 5-point plan. Gaza faces power shortages and a humanitarian crisis, with innocent lives caught in the crossfire.

Israel, supported by Western nations and advanced technology, faces off against Hamas, a militant group targeting Israeli territory. Saudi Arabia and Iran are on opposite sides, potentially escalating the conflict across the Middle East.

Hamas uses rocket attacks and cyber warfare. Israel leverages social media, like Twitter, for narrative control. This conflict underscores the need to address long-standing disputes and separatist movements with vigilance. We must also remember the human toll, irrespective of religion or ethnicity."

The Great Name Debate: India vs. Bharat

Delving into the India vs. Bharat identity debate, a historical clash of names during partition emerged. Initially, Pakistan considered being 'India,' while Nehru chose 'India' instead. The roots of both names trace back to the Vedic age and the Bharata tribe, known for its homeland, Sapta Sindhu.

In 2023, a tweet ignited a modern debate over renaming from 'India' to 'Bharat.' This isn't just about letters; it influences the nation's image, trade, and economy, with an estimated cost of Rs 14,000 crore.

This debate transcends semantics, delving into the nation's identity, history, and perception.

Labour Day 1: When we reached the site, around 9:30 AM we were warmly welcomed and I mean it WARM WELCOME. It was a sunny day, not that tropical, pretty sun-tan, girls running around in bikinis on a beach. It was you getting burnt and humid sunny. We stayed in that tent for like 4 hrs. Yet the two of us somehow sneaked out into the KIIT auditorium for the cool breeze of AC. Sometimes being a traitor helps. We only returned once we had the fan plugged in, while our salesman eve-teased people on the campus, practically embarrassing them into buying our merchandise. After the performance of Priyaranjan and Shreyash, we set out for giveaways while they continued to jam (and get pickled in the sun). In the giveaway, we interrupted not only the lovey-dovey couples but also included the Organizing Committee member and probably had the best experience!

Labour Day 2: This day was much smoother and more enjoyable, especially the evening when some of us attended the Mohammed Irfan concert. Our stall attracted a massive crowd, and our sales were through the roof. We even managed to rock the floor with some stylish ethnic wear and successfully carried out our giveaways. Avinash Patnaik graced our poor tent with presence and that was probably one of the best things.

Labour Day 3: This day was an absolute disaster. The closing day left us practically begging for mercy as we had no fans to cool us down. Our energy levels were plummeting, and we resorted to asking the weirdest, most random questions to anyone who passed by, which was pure violation. To top it all off, our CEO decided it was the perfect time to make a "What I do for a living" video inside an Auto. We finally called it a day at 9 PM, utterly exhausted and ready to retire from the laborious life of sponsor.

Private Spotlight

This wild kabaddi showdown took place back in October 2022! The rival house, with whom we had an epic history of showdowns, was our opponents. It's like we were in a real-life Bollywood rivalry movie.

First half, we were owning the game, leading like Kabaddi kings. But then, the other house unleashed their inner kung fu pandas or something, and it was chaos. One of those 10th graders had a vendetta against my shirt, and he yanked it hard tearing my shirt apart. Now, I was a die-hard Ronaldo fan, and I had a temper hotter than a dragon's breath. So, in front of the entire school faculty, I channeled my inner Ronaldo – shirt off, into the audience! We won, and I became a local legend, especially with the junior girls who were very impressed. But then, as we left the battlefield, the guy who started the shirt revolution came up to me. I gave him a look and said, "Hey, buddy, don't pull that stunt again." He replied, "Who are you to tell me that?" That's when my inner Hulk came out, and I gave him a friendly reminder with a slap. Suddenly, it was like a full-blown WWE match, and my friends had to save the day. And this is how the rift between 10th and 12th graders lasted for months.

Experience with Vivek Samtani (Founder's POV)

"When Vivek Samtani confirmed he'd be joining us for the podcast, let me tell you, I was over the moon. It's not every day you get to have a chat with someone who's not just a name, but a good name!’’

Now, podcasting might seem like an easy, but the behind-the-scenes chaos is unbearable. Setting up, planning, and the terror of having a stand-up comedian as a guest, it was all there in full display. But, despite the impending mayhem, the show went on, and let's just say, it had its fair share of 'after-effects' - a story for another time, perhaps.

Vivek mentioned he'd be staying at an Airbnb, so naturally, I had to get him out of bed. He was fashionably late, which worked out in our favor, giving us some bonus prep time. My crew is pretty good, they don't have a choice (I mean, I don't pay their salaries), but they had everything set up by the time Vivek reached.

Now, when Vivek started roasting us, our special segment, and everything about us, we knew we were in for a ride, lots of views. But as much as the video was appreciated, we got a few number of views, but what do you expect from a 120-subscriber YouTube channel, right?

My experience with Vivek? Well, he's a genuinely funny guy. He got roasted by our host, he had some payback up his sleeve. Even though we begged and pleaded, he never shared the podcast on his Instagram story or even considered collaborating, which, let's just say, was the 'murder' of our view count. Our relationship with him? It's kind of like the cheating story we shared in the podcast - you'll have to watch it to know!

So, go ahead, watch it all unfold, and trust me, you'll be in for some laughs and maybe a hint of tragedy too. Stay tuned!

Unseen Moments

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