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www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 4 CITY VIEWS March 20, 2026 Rutgers Sophomore’s Fight Song Project Snags Big Ten Prize The Business School student was recognized by the Big Ten Academic Alliance for her project using data to show what makes the Rutgers fight song the best R U Rah Rah means victory on the field and also for one Rutgers Business School soph- omore’s project in a Big Ten competition. Sakshi Sowmya Aravind analyzed the iconic Rutgers fight song as part of the Big Ten Academic Alliance’s Student Data Viz Champi- onship, claiming the Judges’ Award for Excellence. Data visualization requires taking raw numbers or other data and creating charts, graphs, or other representations to make the data easier to under- stand. The competition, part of Love Data week, challenged students to analyze a common dataset of Power Five conference fight songs and to design a graphic representing their findings. Competition winners received $500 scholarships from the Big Ten Academic Alliance. “Honestly, in the moment, I couldn’t believe it for my- self,” Aravind said. “I entered the competition so I could showcase my creativity and apply my knowledge from business research methods. When I actually won, I was like, wow – I did it!” “It was one of the highlights of my year, I would say,” she added. A Supply Chain and Finance double-major who takes classes on the Newark campus, Aravind dove into the challenge. After some preliminary research to prepare for the competition and a consultation with her professor, Nilofar Varzgani, Aravind formed her research question: What makes a college fight song engaging for the crowd? “For us, college football is the field, and the energy, you know?” Aravind said. “If you’ve been to a Rutgers game, it’s like, oh my goodness, the energy is crazy. I wanted to zero in on that idea. How does a fight song become some- thing an entire audience can sing?” With some additional research into football and music theory, Aravind found key factors that make a college fight song successful: mentions of winning, victory, or the school itself, and catchy parts, such as spelling the school name or the team name, or the use of “rah” to let the crowd sing along. Naming these factors “trope count” and “chantabil- ity,” Aravind presented these findings on a football field, representing individual songs as footballs and depicting those with higher trope counts, better chantability, or both as closer to the end zone. Through her research and analysis of the data- set, she determined that Rutgers’ fight song, “The Bells Must Ring,” scored highly in both factors, making it the ultimate crowd pleaser. “It actually raises the energy very quickly and effectively, and that’s what makes it the perfect fight song,” she said. “It rallies fans and addresses the crowd.” RUTGERS’ COMMUNITY BUILT FOR FUTURE WINS Originally from Bangalore, India, Aravind and her family lived in Pennsylvania before moving to Edison, New Jersey, when she was in elementary school. In addition to her academic studies, Ara- vind is the co-chair of professional development for the Association of Supply Chain Management chapter on the Newark campus. Ultimately, Ara- vind hopes to create her own consulting firm that combines her interests in business, data, and art and helps businesses stay creative, strategic, and innovative. She was drawn to Rutgers for its combination of pro- fessional development opportunities and academics. She recalled visiting Rutgers Business School during Admit- ted Students Day and listening to a faculty advisor speak about networking. “Networking is not something that’s just individual,” she said. “I really liked that the focus was on academics and your connections with people. Then I realized that’s the type of environment I want to be in, and Rutgers is the place that can help me do both.”. (This article first appeared on Rutgers.edu March 9, 2026. Usedwith express permission) By Eileen Oldfield Delaware’s Indian American Secretary Of State Presents Holi Proclamation To India’s Consul General S ecretary of State of Delaware Cha- runi Patibanda-Sanchez handed over the Governor’s proclamation recognizing the festival of Holi to Consul General Binaya Srikanta Pradhan March 11, 2026. Consul General Pradhan conveyed sincere thanks to her and Governor Matt Meyer for honoring Indian traditions. Secretary Patibanda-Sanchez has been Delaware’s Secretary of State since her swearin-in January 28, 2025. She is the third woman and the first person of color to hold the position in the State of Delaware. As Secretary of State, Patibanda-San- chez leads the most diverse department with responsibilities in virtually every aspect of Delaware state government, her official website says. The Secretary serves on the Board of Pardons, the Cash Management Policy Board, the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council (DEFAC), and the Port ofWilmington. Patibanda-Sanchez was previously General Manager of the New Castle County Department of Land Use. In that role, she oversaw the Department’s Development Services, Licensing, Inspec- tions, and Code Enforcement divisions. She also shaped the legislative priorities of the Department with an emphasis on the creation of affordable housing and redevelopment along New Castle County’s corridors. She also shaped the Depart- ment’s policy priorities and community engagement efforts, her official biography says. She also previously served as Economic Development Director for New Castle County and created several small business initiatives using the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) federal funding and wrote and won a grant from the Economic Develop- ment Administration. She was instrumen- tal in negotiating New Castle County’s first-ever Pay for Success contract to ex- pand home visiting to first-time mothers. Before returning home to Delaware, Pratibanda-Sanchez was an attorney in Los Angeles and co-founded The McO- sker Group, where she developed politi- cal strategies for a variety of hospitality, media, outdoor advertising, healthcare, and development clients. She also served in associate attorney roles with Shep- pard Mullin and GlaserWeil, both in Los Angeles, where she focused on land use, government contracts, and regulatory matters in the region as well as pro bono casework. She advocated for a broad range of economic development projects for her clients and worked closely with local elected officials and staff to shape municipal ordinances and public policy issues, including home-sharing, police reform, and other measures affecting the business and workforce environments. Born and raised in Delaware, Prati- banda-Sanchez is a graduate of Tower Hill School and the Red Clay public schools. She holds a law degree from Emory Uni- versity and BA/MA degrees in Economics from the University of Southern Cali- fornia. She currently lives in Pike Creek, where she grew up, and is married to her husband Marcos. By a staffWriter PHOTO:DAKOTA MOYER/RUTGERS ATHLETICS PHOTOS:X.COM @INDIAINNEWYORK Sakshi Sowmya Aravind analyzed the iconic Rutgers fight song as part of the Big Ten Academic Alliance’s Student Data Viz Championship, claiming the Judges’ Award for Excellence. Indian American Secretary of State for Delaware handing over Holi Proclamation yo India’s Consul General. Holi Proclamation issued by Delaware Governor Matt Meyer.