This is how we do it: An armyman explains the workings of a tank to two young visitors on the Maidan. Army tanks, cannons and Bofors guns will be on show at the Republic Day parade. Picture by Pradip Sanyal

The belief among city students that one?s college life isn?t complete without a visit to the IIT Kharagpur fest proved to be true this year, too. Spring Fest 2005, held in association with The Telegraph from January 20 to 23, was a highlight on the calendars of participants from 20-odd colleges across the country.

The sheer magnitude of the campus, with its breathtaking parks, buildings, stadiums and broad tree-lined avenues proved to be quite intimidating for the first-timers. However, the inaugural concert by ETMS (Eastern Technological Music Society), followed by powerhouse music by one of India?s best rock bands, Parikrama, and DJ Deep at the Tagore Open Air Theatre (TOAT) gave a taste of the fun that was to follow.

The second day started with the strains of electric guitars and beats of the drums at the most coveted event, Wildfire, in which amateur rock bands battled it out in front of 3,000 screaming fans.

With Impromptu, Turn Court Debate, Eastern Instrumentals and Western Vocals, there was more buzz on the campus than the wannabe singers, musicians and speakers could handle.

For those in the mood to party, the open-air discotheque Perpz and Frolicoholic, the game-show stall, were a real delight. Evening beckoned all lovers of music to TOAT again. This time, Indian Ocean got the audience swaying to original tunes like Hille re as well as covers of Pink Floyd.

The adulation was, however, reserved for the icons from across the border, Strings. It was difficult to determine whether it was the music or the looks of Bilal and Faisal that got the girls crooning in hordes.

The penultimate day saw the campus filling up to capacity as more students arrived to participate in the events. While the prestigious Mary Bucknell trophy got the quizzers scratching their heads to quizmaster Parnab Mukherjee?s trivia, the singers and the smooth talkers had a whale of a time at JAM, Antakshari and the panel discussions.

The most awaited event of the day was Nukkad, the street-theatre competition, which saw colleges dabble in everything from dark humour to politics and gender issues. TOAT was again filled to capacity as the guys and girls redefined dressing at Fine Frenzy, with Bhawanipur topping the style scale. For those who couldn?t catch the action as dance troop Beat Busters performed inside, a giant screen on the lawn outside was more than welcome.

The hectic line-up of events led to a flurry of activities on the last day. While Extempore, Business Quiz, Mime, Ad spoof, Sargam and Vateez set the pace, Centrifuge was the most coveted crown, with 13 colleges battling it out for the tag of the best movers and shakers on the dance floor. Bhawanipur College claimed the winner?s trophy here, too.

To counteract all the noise and madness, there were the soothing strains of sarod and tabla at Anubhav, where budding maestro Rahul Sharma captivated the audience with an hour-long performance.

Thereafter, music in all its forms ruled the schedule. The Latino tunes of Orient Express gave way to the heavy metal of the Wildfire final round. Northeast band Yellow took home the winner?s prize ? a motorbike. The eclectic beats of Zero provided the finishing touch.

With volunteers distributing roses to guest students and newly-made friends strolling on the grounds under the moonlight soaking up the Spring Fest spirit, college life for students found a new meaning at this magical offering of IIT Kharagpur.

Madhumita Das & Sangeet Shirodkar

Participants at the 50-year celebrations of Loreto TTC. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Of training teachers

The contribution of primary schoolteachers was given due recognition at the jubilee celebration of Loreto Teachers? Training College (TTC).

The college has weathered many storms for 50 years with the courage of the likes of Mother Patricia, Mother Paul and Austin D?Souza. They have laboured hard to bring to practice the theory that primary school teachers are ?specialists? in their own right.

Spread over three days, the celebrations commenced with a panel discussion ?Educating the Educator?, moderated by Neil O?Brien. It dealt with topics such as review of syllabi, primacy of method over content, needs of a primary schoolteacher and how to assess them in interviews.

Participants included Sister Cyril, Phyllis Bose, Rajeev Sinha and Marie Dayton, an ex-TTCian who is involved in personality development programmes in Australia. Also on the panel were Aniruddha Das, psychiatrist, and Shyamal Bose, behavioural scientist and management consultant.

Interesting workshops were conducted during the event like Sister Cyril?s ?Teaching Method vs Content?, Brendan Macarthaigh?s ?Sensitisation of Teachers towards Different Social and Community Values? and Evelyn Edge?s ?Evaluation of Student and Self?.

There was also an exhibition titled ?Let?s Start at the Beginning...? and a highly entertaining spot presentation of Jerome K. Jerome?s Three Men in a Boat.

But the main draw was undoubtedly the fun quiz conducted by Neil O?Brien. With women-oriented questions and his sense of humour, the quizmaster kept the mostly female contestants and audience engrossed for one-and-a-half hour.

O?Brien himself confessed to having had a great time: ?It was wonderful. I had a new experience watching the nuns and young teachers jiggle their brains and laugh and make merry alongside.?

The simplicity of the quiz, however, belied the preparation. ?Boys will be boys, and girls will be...," thundered Neil. After much racking of brain one of the contestants came up with the answer ? women.

The closing ceremony was thanksgiving by Father A. Bruylants. His words echoed the sentiments that pervaded the three days of celebrations: ?We need to adapt the principles of learning and teaching to the 21st century and a world both exciting and confusing and with vast potential.?

Organiser Ayesha Das expressed great satisfaction about the manner in which the events were conducted. She said that she only wished that the world would wake up to the importance of primary schoolteachers in the making of the great men and women of all times.

Kamya Jaiswal,
Loreto College

Quizmaster Derek O’Brien launching the Penguin India Reference Yearbook 2005 at Emami Landmark. The factbook also contains special contributions from people such as President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and author Khushwant Singh. Picture by Rashbehari Das

Reaching out

We are the world, we are the children We are the ones who make a brighter day

Physically and mentally challenged children, just like us, are entitled to the joys of this world, to fill the world with laughter and make a brighter day, for we are all the children of the same God.

For the past 25 years, Reach (Society for Remedial Education Assessment Counselling Handicapped) has been trying to add meaning to the lives of many children who otherwise are unable to understand the true meaning of their existence.

Every year, the staff of Reach helps to put together its annual show where the children exhibit their talents. This is probably the only day when we, the ?blessed? ones, get a peek into their lives ? something which we are otherwise completely oblivious of.

This year, the children are staging a programme entitled Phire Dekha at Gyan Manch where they fondly remember the days gone by. ?It is amazing to see these children perform. Some of them, who cannot hear, dance so perfectly to music,? says Moni Kanta Sen of Reach.

The organisation was founded by Purobie Bose, whose first exposure to disability as a volunteer for Oral School for the Deaf in 1969 inspired her for creating Reach. Particularly by the school?s founder, whose daughter was born with serious hearing impairment.

Reach has not only helped challenged children grow into confident adults but have seen to it that they are financially independent, too. Benu Gopal Rao, a former student with a hearing problem is now working with Tata Tea. Another student, Sandeepan Adhikari, who is affected with cerebral palsy, is now employed as an artist with Silence, an NGO. A few years ago he even had his solo art exhibition which received a lot of appreciation.

Reach itself has employed many of its students. If God has gifted all of us with talents, Reach helps these not-so-blessed children of God to recognise his gift to them. But it?s not just Reach but all of us who should be responsible to make their lives brighter.

Gargi Sen,
2nd year English, St Xavier?s College

Help in fun guise

Preparations were on at the MC Kejriwal Vidyapeeth for the annual sports day. But with the advent of killer waves, the plans had to be changed suddenly. The desire to lend a helping hand to the tsunami victims paved the way for a gala Rajasthani fete on the school premises. The proceeds from the two-day event will be donated to Prime Minister?s Relief Fund.

A show of Rajasthani culture in the very heart of Howrah intrigued one and all. Vibrant colours were added to the celebration by the visitors, who decked themselves up in traditional Rajasthani attire. Acrobats, fortune-tellers, potters and mehendiwalis were the major attractions. A children?s park, built exclusively for the fete, also helped in raising funds.

The visitors enjoyed themselves thoroughly at the various games and food stalls. There was more excitement in store in the form of an elaborate cultural programme, comprising Rajasthani songs, dances and folk arts.

The high point was when the audience was made to realise that the graceful ladies on stage were actually boys.

That the crowd enjoyed itself thoroughly was apparent from the overwhelming response. As for the school, it could not have found a better way to stand beside the unfortunate victims of the hungry tide.

Stuti Agarwal,
Class XI, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
& Puja Agarwal,B.Com (hons), JD Birla Institute