Football Fever: The battle with the ball is on in earnest at CC&FC, where the Linc-TTIS 5-a-side Football Tournament is on. Forty-eight schools are in the running for the trophy. On Saturday afternoon, the heat was no hindrance to the game. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Soccer season has kicked off around the world. Yet again, The Champions League is on in full swing. AC Milan and Juventus are tied in a see-saw battle in Seria, and Chelsea is in the home stretch to the EPL. Right here, East Bengal beat Mohun Bagan. And on the CC&FC grounds, an onfield battle is waging between 48 teams to decide the best of the school teams.

The Linc-TTIS 5-a-side Football Tournament, co-sponsored by Patton, kicked off on April 18. While the final match is still a week away, the football talents from Calcutta and its surrounding areas are already making a mark. Among the top scorers are Bishnupur Sir Romesh, Armenian College and Julien Day Kalyani.

Ask the three teams who?s going to win the trophy, and the answer is a resounding ?we are?. Confidence is a quality that?s not lacking ? ?We are very good,? grins an Armenian College player. Neither is skill and talent. Tuhin Pal from Julien Day has notched up more than nine goals so far, Armen Markarian from Armenian College has over 10 and Muzaffar Rahaman from Bishnupur has over 11. The soccer stars of the future are passionate about the sport.

Muzaffar?s father works in a brick factory, and while he doesn?t work, the 17-year-old can?t always make it to school. But the Class XI student can frequently be found on the field, at practice or in tournaments. ?I want to play the game after I leave school. I have an offer from somewhere already. Hopefully, it will work out,? he smiles.

The Julien Day Kalyani students are sporting champs in more ways than one. The school is three-time champ in the TTIS athletic meet. ?We don?t want to give up the title. We like to win, and will beat the competition here too,? says coach Ernest Grey.

There are some nail-biting moments, at other times, the half-hour matches end with scores like 7-0. But there?s talent aplenty to shout about. Central Modern Baranagar, Army School Barrackpore, Salt Lake School, Birla High School for Boys, Julien Day Ganganagar, North Point ? almost every match, a star is born. Catch all the action from 3.30 pm onwards everyday.

Tiny hands and creative minds get busy at a sit-and-draw contest at Nehru Children’s Museum. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Colours of abuse

Saturday, April 23, was the induction of two new members to the Elaan team. Sria Chatterjee and Nayani Chakravorty made their entrance into the Elaan headquarters, making for an interesting meeting and discussion after the screening of films based on the issue of child sexual abuse and incest.

Sria, or da Vinci as I nicknamed her, turns 17 this May, and is our official artist. She is responsible for all campaign-related posters, brochures and graphics. She has already started on the endeavour, with a few posters.

What separates Sria from other people her age, is the sheer originality of her work and her fearless use of colour on the posters, quite a task when you?re dealing with child sexual abuse. Also a swimmer, writer and poet, this fellow Martinian?s contribution to the creative department has been most valuable and we?re glad to have her on board.

Nayani is our counsellor, but prefers not to be called one as she claims not to have much experience in dealing with child sexual abuse. Then again, as she and I are both aware, sometimes professional qualifications and personal experience are on the same level, which is why Nayani is with Elaan and already making an impact.

During the post-screening discussion, we were inundated with questions ranging from self-defense to the role of parents in a young child?s life. The boss (yours truly) took a breather for once while Nayani explained, both from her experience as a counsellor during her 14-year stay in the UK, as well as from her experience as a little girl, the role of education and awareness for parents so that they could positively re-enforce this knowledge in the kids.

The importance of awareness and communication was unanimously agreed on, was the importance of self-awareness and self-defense. The discussion left people feeling confident and surer of themselves. One participant resolved to break down the barriers of communication between her mother and herself, while another swore to knee anyone who tried eve-teasing her.

With this, we decided to create a support group for people who want to speak out about their experiences and be there for people who may need a shoulder to cry on and a safe environment.

Some signs to watch out for in children are use of the colours black, red and purple. These are angry colours, which youngsters use when they?re disturbed, mostly when they?re facing sexual abuse.

For further information, email elaanspeak@yahoo.co.in.

Pranaadhika Sinha,
The boss, Elaan

Kids watch the German film Annaluise and Anton at Max Mueller Bhavan auditorium on Monday, about two friends from different social backgrounds. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Clean-up count

Lets get down and dirrrty ? that was the motto at The Great Jadavpur University Jheelpaar Clean-up Drive. The brainchild of professor Nilanjana Deb, this approximately weeklong project (to begin with) aims at clearing up the garbage piled along the banks of our much-loved and famous jheel. It began on April 18 and on the 21st, work was still on with much vigour.

From 2 pm the volunteers (sadly only a handful) would don rubber gloves, heave shovels and spades (we had only four), grab bin liners (plastic sacks) and get to the much-avoided work. Other professors joined in ? Rimidi and Tintinda (Rimi B. Chatterjee and Abhijit Gupta) ? rubber boots and fishing hat in place.

The worst part was people throwing garbage at the cleaners. But there was a silver lining in people being shamed into helping by watching the few so hard at work (including me). In the end, even the authorities put in their bit by getting workers to clean the area adjoining the loo (we helped there, too).

The proud moment was when the jheelpaar and the car park (also added to the list of areas to be cleaned) looked visibly clean. We got rid of the bottles, cigarette packets, food packets, kilos of plastic, glass, chayer bhaars and the rest unhazardously (to us and the environment).

Fav sight: inspired students tottering on the jheel banks picking up garbage.

Fav weapon: bin liner and phenyl (to pour on the ants nests)

Fav dialogue: ?We need more bin liners!?

Biggest regret: more people not joining to help. ?They are so shameless!?

Biggest deal on the line: ?We have to bargain for a vat to be placed in the nearabouts of the jheel and the car park.?

Adwaita Das,
Jadavpur University

School tool

Back in April 2002, Calcutta witnessed the birth of Pragati, an innovative teacher?s forum with the motto ?Moving forward with a vision?. The aim was to touch schools across the city with the magic wand of creativity and innovation. The forum has a broad spectrum, spreading word of the necessity for computers, as well as helping teachers and learners get a fun-filled experience through it.

Over the years, the forum has undertaken a number of programmes, like the introduction of the refresher course, showcasing the projects of national award-winners, hosting the science talent discovery fair orientation workshop, conducting training workshops, organising summer camps and so on. But it?s most memorable achievement was the introduction of the TAL course in schools and in the SOS village in Salt Lake. The response was beyond expectation.

Now, the co-ordinator of Intel Pragati, Master Trainer Club, are training other teachers, students and parents across the state and the country. Their second annual meet had the catchline Building Bridges. Last year, first annual meet in January saw the launch of its own website, www.pragatimt.com, and a panel discussion of principals on TAL vis-?-vis a syllabus for computer studies. This time, there was a grand gathering of more than 150 teachers, students, principal and others.

Pragati is successfully working towards creating a close interaction between every individual in the world of education and the goal seems not too far, as secretary Hira Prasad explained: ?It has already empowered us to make lessons more lively in classrooms.?

And like the other members, she is waiting for everyone else to ?join hands so that we can work together?. Contact pragaticlub@yahoo.co.in or 24747331 for more information.

Krishnendu Chakraborty,
1st year, English (hons), Asutosh College

Small talk

Raaga 2005 was held on April 22 at the American Center, organised by USEFI and RPG Enterprises. The three winners of the inter-school classical music competition were Patranjali Nandy from Ballygunge Shiksha Sadan in first place, Avari Mishra from Gokhale Memorial in second place and Sayak Gupta from AK Ghosh Memorial in the third place.

Asif Salam,
Asutosh College

Earlier this month, it was celebration time at Globsyn Business School. We gathered on campus for a celebration party for our batch?s 100 per cent placement even before our term was over. Organised by students and teachers, there were live band performances by students and fun games.

Manav Goenka,
2nd year, Globsyn Business School

The final-year students of Shri Shikshayatan College had a warm farewell ceremony recently. A list of programmes were lined up for the day, with a fashion show heading the programme schedule. The traditional outfits of the participants caught everyone?s attention and they were applauded. The seniors delivered their vote of thanks to the juniors and the staff members, for making the last day of college a truly memorable one.

Asif Salam
Asutosh College

whatsup

Culture fest

Spicmacay?s Calcutta chapter is organising Milaap 2005, an inter-school fest, on April 29 and 30, at St Thomas School, on Mirza Ghalib Street. The event, presented in association with TTIS, will be inaugurated on Friday, at 9 am.

Film feast

Children in Filmed Literature, the screening of three German films based on works by Erich Kastner with children as protagonists, is being held at Max Mueller Bhavan. On Tuesday is Emil and the Detectives and on Wednesday will be The Flying Classroom, both at 4 pm and 6.30 pm.

Fundraiser

Greenfields School is organising a fundraising event on May 4, at Uttam Mancha. The special children of the school will participate in the programme, from singing with Lopamudra to acting with Dolly Basu. Bangla band Chandrabindoo will also perform. Tickets are priced at Rs 50.