Essay on Onkur Sen

An afternoon at a nail salon

Fri, 30 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Everyone has a story

Your student organization is a startup

Thu, 20 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000

In college most students are involved with some student organization; they bring diversity, fun, and multidimensional purpose to our time at university. During my time at Rice University, I’ve been involved with two such organizations:

I was the co-president (2012-2013) and treasurer (2011-2012) of the South Asian Society (SAS), a cultural organization that seeks to raise awareness of South Asian culture on campus and around Houston.
I was the co-editor-in-chief (2012-2013) and an executive editor (2011-2012) of Catalyst, Rice’s undergraduate science research journal that allows students to express their views on scientific topics.

In another world, I’ve also worked on the engineering team (with around 12 people at the time) at Plum District, a startup in San Francisco. Furthermore, Hacker News provides me with numerous accounts of startup life, advice, and experiences. Getting a chance to see what goes behind the scenes, I’ve discovered an interesting relation:

Week 1 at Palantir

Tue, 28 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Drinking from the hose and putting out fires

Enjoy Hunger.

Sat, 16 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Everyone gets hungry. Our metabolism causes us to digest food, leaving our stomach yearning for more. The natural response is, of course, to satisfy that need by consuming food when the urge hits us.

But what if instead of rushing to satiate this basic need, we take a moment (just a moment) to internalize this feeling, to savor this need?

To some, that may seem like an absurd thought. Enjoying being hungry? Why would we enjoy putting ourselves in a state of disadvantage? How can we relish the state of something so primitive as hunger?

A Four-Point Proposal for Effective Democracy

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Democracy was a concept that was originally envisioned by the Greeks as a political method to foster fair, equal representation of all citizens as well as the open discussion of ideas (indeed, the Agora was the notable Greek venue for such conversation).

However, if we examine democracy in a modern context, we see that both of these properties fail to hold. Not only is representation unfair (inherently, since a significant portion of the population does not participate in civic discourse), but the projection of ideas has become a question of volume rather than content. This can be seen most visibly through the efforts of lobbyists and the monetary leveraging of special interest groups. One could even say this is a form of corruption.

Writing and Creation

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Writing is at once the most difficult and most rewarding of professions. It takes true mastery to put words on paper that truly reflect what you are thinking. In that sense, writing is an art, a skill that must be crafted, honed, and developed.

Writing is also something that we share once we have managed to codify our thoughts. Although the process of writing is one that occurs in isolation, the product is something that can proudly be displayed to the world.

Rational Cleansing

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

A method to move past emotional obstacles

The Fall (and Rise from the Ashes) of the Intellectual

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

In today’s world, we are constantly obsessed with doing things for some practical purpose, some way to “make a difference.” This isn’t inherently a bad thing—numerous scientific breakthroughs and other progressive advances have made been made possible by the tireless efforts of individuals trying to achieve this kind of goal. However, it has also marked the decline—and perhaps the marginalization—of the true intellectual, one who thinks and does not to meet a deadline or to fill and order, but rather for no purpose, that is, just to satisfy his own driving impulses. In other words, the person who does things for their own sake is being outcast by people who do things for the sake of something else.

From Karate to Boogaloo

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

How Martial Arts Has Influenced Me as a Performer

On Sleeping

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

A blanket magically casts a shadow over the eyes—they begin to fall. The mouth, uncontrollably open, releases a slow expulsion of air. The body, twisting and turning, strives to push the soul out of this terrestrial bound. The world as we know it begins to retreat: sights become blurs, sound becomes white noise, touch is desensitized, smell and taste cease to exist. Nothing is in focus, everything is hazy. And yet… everything is correct. We have arrived at the realm in between. Consciousness has not been regained, but neither is it lost.

Alone

Sat, 09 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0000

A Perspective

On Waking

Sat, 09 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0000

The bubble of unconsciousness broke. Slowly, the world came back to me, albeit in a more frenzied form than when I had departed. This is not to say that the world had suddenly burst out of its usual serenity—no, indeed, I was the one emerging from my natural state, yet my senses blame the world as such. The heavy, pulsating breathing through my nose is the only constant thing in this otherwise chaotic world. The mind becomes restless, but the body remains staunchly defiant. Movements are lethargic, coordinations sloppy. Water accumulates in the eyes–not out of joy or sorrow, but because of this disturbance. A hint of dry mouth begins to noticeably manifest itself; water is needed.

On Hinduism

Sun, 03 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Hinduism is one of the more interesting religions I have encountered in my limited experience with such topics. My opinion is not particularly biased by my Indian heritage: in fact, although I regularly attended pujas in my youth, I never attached any religious or spiritual significance to them. On the contrary, I was more preoccupied with the social and cultural aspects of such gatherings. So why is Hinduism so intriguing and appealing?