Dayana Alonso

I am a freshman majoring in public relations.



Projects by Dayana Alonso

Humraah reaches new heights through friendship and hard work

By Madeline Gray, Dayana Alonso and Zheyu Yang

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (April 3, 2025)

When Kavya Kaushik first joined Humraah last year, she had no idea what it would eventually mean to her. In fact, she only joined in the first place because Humraah’s schedule aligned nicely with her business fraternity. 

“I was like, ‘You know what? Let me just try Humraah,’” Kavya explained. “I had no idea that that would truly impact my college experience and my life.”

Little did Kavya know that not only would Humraah make a sizable mark on her life, but also on the South Asian A Capella circuit nationally, as the past two years have been nothing short of extraordinary for her and Humraah.

Sophomore and Alto Kavya Kaushik sings with Humraah during practice on March 31, 2025. Kavya joined Humraah last year as a freshman and loves how the group feels like a family.

Humraah, a South Asian a capella group at IU, has risen rapidly through the ranks of the South Asian acapella circuit over the past two years, topping the national rankings and preparing to continue their momentum into the end of this year and the years to come. While this ascent seems sudden, the members of Humraah know exactly how it happened – a dedication to hard work and each other.

Humraah started competing last year, and it was clear that they were starting out when compared to other, more established teams. The team was understandably less experienced in mixing songs than teams that had been doing this for years, and their nerves were evident. By the end of the competition season, Humraah was ranked 22nd nationally. 

However, Co-President Dhar Sriram noticed a change in the team and their level of performances this year at Spartan Sitara, an event at Michigan State University featuring teams from across the country, including from Duke University, the University of North Carolina, and The Ohio State University. This event was the first of Humraah’s competition season both years, and the difference in outcome for Humraah was exciting and a sign of greater things to come. While they didn’t place last year, this year, Humraah won it all against stiff competition.

“We really wanted to prove ourselves at a competition that we had already been to,” Dhar explained, “so to go there and see some of the same people and be in the same environment and do exponentially better meant so much to the team.”

Beyond Spartan Sitara, Humraah has also placed first in Gathe Raho at the University of Iowa and at IU Sing, an a capella competition here in Bloomington. They’ve risen through the ranks nationally to become the top ranked team in the South Asian A Capella circuit, and they show no signs of slowing down now. They spend hours each week in Briscoe meticulously practicing and perfecting their craft (although not without breaks to chat and raid the Briscoe C-Store), but what has truly motivated their rise to the top has been the depth of friendship that Humraah has achieved.

Walking into a Humraah practice feels like walking into a meeting between a large group of old friends because of how excited everyone is to see each other. Kavya admitted that the group has separation anxiety and love to be together, which Dhar expanded upon with a story from the day of the interview.

“I’m standing in the lobby of Hodge, and I see two Humraah people, then I see a couple more, and a couple more…” Dhar began. “It’s a group of 9 of us in the middle of the lobby, talking and chatting… we took a picture of us together and sent it to the group chat. Another member said, ‘You’re taking this photo like you don’t see each other everyday,’ which is true!”

Humraah Co-President Dhar Sriram demonstrates a part of Humraah’s choreography during practice on March 31, 2025. Dhar is excited to see the culmination of the group’s hard work at Nationals and beyond.

With all of the group’s success, it would be easy to sit back and allow for a moment of rest. However, Humraah has been busier than ever this past week while preparing for Nationals in San Francisco, which will take place this Saturday. The top eight teams nationally are invited, and the group is excited to prove themselves to the nation and to compete with teams that they’ve excitedly watched for years from afar. 

For Kavya, this moment represents everything that Humraah has worked for and reminds her of why they have put so much work in over the past two years, work that she could’ve never imagined paying off in the manner it has when she joined last year.

“Seeing everything from this year made all the troubles of starting a competition season and being the underdogs last year worth it” Kavya admits. “I’m really proud of everyone, lucky to have everyone, and grateful that we all found each other at the perfect time in life.”

Members of Humraah talk about their experience with the team and their recent success. They credit their newfound rise to the top of the South Asian A Capella circuit to their strong friendships.

 

Tim Cook Reveals the Future of the Apple Ecosystem

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tim Cook Reveals the Future of the Apple Ecosystem

Media Contacts
Annelisse Bruder
Cecilia Lomax
Dayana Alonso

Cupertino, California (Sept. 9, 2014) – Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled their newest venture, the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch, Apple’s newest product with its most personalized technology, combines the communication aspects of an iPhone with the directional and time-telling aspects of a traditional watch. 

One feature that makes the Apple Watch stand out from other watches is its communicative abilities. Users can make and answer phone calls or send and receive text messages, without even having to carry their iPhones on them. Users can dictate their messages the same way they would on an iPhone with the Smart Replies feature. This provides convenience like never before. 

Users can send unique messages from their Apple Watches, including their own heartbeat. They can also send voice memos through the Walkie Talkie features. They can even use the Digital Touch feature to send drawings to friends. They can customize their watch, so that their friends’ contacts are just one touch or click away, as they will be the first ones to pop up. This provides a unique experience separate from other Apple products.

College student studying at Franklin Hall. She is chatting with her friends through her Apple Watch.

The Apple Watch features a Digital Crown, a dial on the side of the watch to help users navigate their commands. It is comparable to the home button of an iPhone, and it is also a way for users to access the beloved Siri, Apple’s digital assistant. The Apple Watch is available in two different sizes, one that is 38mm and one that is 42mm.

“We thought not only of the function,” CEO Tim Cook said, “but also of the way it looked.” The Apple Watch has many different looks to appease many different audiences. There are many different watch bands, including the Sport Band, the Leather Loop, the Modern Buckle, the Link Bracelet, the Milanese Loop, and the Classic Buckle. Apple understands that this watch can be used in many different settings, and only offering one set watch band would not elevate the Apple Watch to its highest quality.

The Apple Watch also comes with 11 unique and different faces. From the classic analog clock face, to new and innovative faces, Apple has every user covered. The appearance of the Apple Watch faces are customizable, and can be personalized to a user’s individual liking. They can include a person’s activity statistics, their upcoming events of the day, the weather in their location, or even the current moon phases.

“Apple Watch, of course, is made to be worn,” said CEO Tim Cook, “and it can be worn all day, for any occasion.” Apple understands that many of its loyal customers have busy lives and are on-the-go, which is why Apple Watch has an Activity app to help with health tracking. The Activity app uses a built-in heart rate sensor, along with an accelerometer, to track activity. It is even able to measure calories burned. There is also a Workout app to help users achieve goals, and a Fitness app to track activity history and patterns.

A UPS worker delivering packages. He is using his Apple Watch for directions.

Like Tim Cook said, the Apple Watch can really be used for any occasion, and that does not just mean for time telling, communicating, fitness, or directions. The Apple Watch accesses Apple Pay, helping users pay for groceries or new shoes with just the tap of a wrist. It also accesses tickets and boarding passes, so no need for users to worry about losing the important documents when going to the airport or a sporting event. When watching their Apple TV, users can turn the volume up or down and pause or play a program without even getting their remote out, as the Apple Watch also has a connected remote feature.

The Apple Watch will be available for users to buy in 2015. It will be updated to the newest iOS. Prices will begin at $349 USD.

Tim Cook discusses the features of the new Apple Watch.

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