It's the lunch break and I've just returned from one of the most spectacularly organised and presented events of the year - Zinastini- Science with reason- organised by Prof.S.Srinivasan/HOD, Chemistry. I felt the event was a fitting finale for his career that has spanned three decades - (he's superannuating  in May), so well presented ! 

Dr. K.R.Murali, Deputy Director, CECRI, Karaikudi, the illustrious academic was the Chief Guest. His talk on Nano materials was immensely interesting. For me, personally, his talk drew me once to contemplate on the use of Nanomaterials in Children's Literature. 

The Principal spoke on scientific temper, innovation and the need for young people to become achievers, drawing the example of Ms.Sinduja, a Class IX student who is the world's youngest CEO from Tamil Nadu.

Prashanth, the Secretary was elegant, classy and tastefully dressed for the occasion in a well matched suit. He stands out as a leader par excellence, as I don't think anybody else could've carried off the suit with such comfort and ease. He effortlessly co-ordinated the whole show and led from the sides. His was an invisible force, that everyone quietly acknowledged and accepted. He is undoubtedly going to be one of the best leaders GCE has seen in a long time. 

He was ably assisted by Sharath, the comperes who performed like seasoned artists, Nivya and a team of discipline monitors. 

Dr.Dharanitharan was the master puppeteer - his strings were one of firmness, encouragement and quiet lead. 

As for the entertainment that followed, these were noteworthy for their attention to dignity in fun. The solo songs karoaked by Ashok, Jeeva and Lucky were stunning. 

A martial art show by a black belt holder had me in open mouthed awe, as he swung his Bruce Lee chain, stick and broke tiles. 

For the first time, Naga students performed their traditional dance in colourful attire and a vocalised humming that throbbed with intensity. 

The girls who danced were all graceful and obviously well talented. 

I'm sure that Dr. Srinivasan/HOD, Chemistry will remember this Zinastini as one of the best in his long career. I've a lot to learn from the enthusiasm and perfection of Prof.Srinivasan, whose long career has not dulled his interest or his passion for teaching. He's always there on the dot for his classes, his Chief Advisorship taken with a rare sense of responsibility and he always has a smile for his fellow teachers and students. GCE will certainly miss him the next year on.

Graduation Day 2011 was held at Periyar University auditorium. A huge, echo-less, well planned one with a lot of space in the front for a robing room and three rooms at the back for performers, in case of a performance. 

Well-lit and large enough to accommodate 1000 people, it excited a tinge of jealousy in us all. 

The ceremony was unusally well attended wih around 525 graduands and around 700 guests. 

Their P.A. system was fantastic. Wonder when the dream of the alumni to have such an auditorium in the college will come true!

Anna University Coimbatore Vice Chancellor Dr.K.Karunakaran was the Chief Guest and he gave a rousing speech on the need of the hour - employable graduates ready for the technology boom and value driven engineers. 

I met a lot of the old students and the moment I saw their faces, there were memories of them in the classrooms, playing mischief, playing truant, standing outside classrooms, sleeping inside, enthusiastically participating in the class, sharing their woes and joys  with me, surprising one with their intelligence, aritistic talents and joyful attitudes. And, today, there they were, happily queueing up to receive their degree certificates. I'm sure it was a moment of pride for their parents too. 

In fact, when graduands are asked to bow to the audience, they do not take it seriously and walk away. So, today, I gently reminded them to remember their families and parents who were responsible for their education and to bow down to them. There they were, bowing down humbly,  I'm sure , in silent acknowledgement of their contribution to what they are today. 

I did it at my Ph.D convocation, mentally bowing down to my husband who had been my inspiration through those five long years, and perhaps, that was what prompted me to tell the graduands the same.  

The ceremony began at 11.15 sharp and ended at 1.45. I was ravenous and so must have been a lot of others.

 

TCS Award 2010

The prestigious TCS Award presented to the topper in the Department of Computer Science was given away at a simple and elegant function in the auditorium. Mr.Paul, Senior Consultant from TCS and an old student of GCE was present at the ceremony. Ms.Poorani, a bright and talented topper aced her nearest competitor Mr. Rajkumar by a mere .04 points. My heart rejoiced at their achievement, but felt a little sad that Rajkumar could not be given the award too. 

The principal outlined some of the skills that the recruits would have to take with them,   such as soft skills and people management. The Principal brought out the wonderful coincidence of three alumni of GCE – the Chief Guest who belonged to the 90’s batch of ECE, Prof.P.M.Kavimani  and Dr. Wahida Banu, both alumni  too, getting together to celebrate the achievement of another GCEian.(  I always wonder how proud Prof.Kavimani must feel when he sees the college that he once walked around,  now growing and expanding under his administration. 

The Chief Guest recalled that he had last been on the stage as an orchestral member twenty years back, crooning English numbers and strumming his guitar. He asked the students to remember that life was different once they entered the competitive corporate world. He asked them to first  identify a goal and work towards that with ‘controlled aggression’. Next, he reminded them that pursuing a field of special interest or developing expertise in one software was acceptable, but  they would have to start exploring several fields simultaneously if they wanted to make a mark in their careers. He illustrated this with his growth being diverse and how he handled sales, consultation, project presentation etc to move ahead in his career. He advised them to become focussed and to be ready to accept responsibilities. He congratulated the recipient of the award and her parents and teachers. It was indeed a moment of pride for all. 

I had also been invited to talk and  spoke on some of the special qualities that I have observed in GCEians. I was glad that I could admit in public all that I had lovingly held close to my heart all these ten years in appreciation of the boys and girls of GCE.

Farewells are being given in departments and while their walls resonate with the shouts and loud farewells, I’m sure there is also a lot of forgiving, accepting, appreciation, fond memories of moments spent in fun, anger, fever, hunger, parties, sweat and tears. Life certainly does not change.

Was preparing the Convocation Address for the Principal and realised that there is a pattern to the cycle of events at college. Very late realisation...which however has not dampened my spirit. The grounds reverberated to AR Rahman's Jai ho and Thai manne Vannakkam late in the morning, in preparation for the Sports Day. 

I missed the opportunity to attend the function and meet in person, Dr. V.M.Periasamy, whom many in the college refer to as VMP, a former Principal, who seems to have given his job a dignity and openess. Wish I could've met him...

I feel sad that I did not even know what went on, since I was collecting information for the address and suddenly noticed that the time was around 4.30. 

There is also the TCS Award Ceremony tomorrow. TCS has advanced it this time, so it's getting over in March itself. Girls and boys of CSE are busy with the arrangements as they are doing everything possible to make the day a memorable one for one of their major recruiters and patrons from the industry. 

And, on Sunday, is the Convocation.
What a fantastic week it is.

We had it straight from the horse's mouth - the Principal is assuming charges at DOTE in the first week of April. He told us this at a meeting convened to discuss the Graduation Day.

He was, as usual, succinct and clear in his talk. He traced the events that led to the fixing of the venue and date, and hold your breath - the convocation is being held in the Periyar University auditorium, which is large enough to host 1000 invitees. I shall certainly miss the heat, the noise, the echo and the cramped spaces of the GCE auditorium! 

The meeting went on till 6.15 p.m. since the convenor Prof.PG Venkatakrishnan wanted everything spot on to make this a fitting finale to the academic career of Prof.P.M.Kavimani who has served this institution for about 27 years. There shall certainly be all efforts to make this a memorable occasion. 

This time, I hear from the to -be -graduates that quite a number can be expected since they have all completed their training. I hope they make it in large numbers, since it is specially being organised for them on a Sunday.

This time, registrations are being done online, through e-payment to ease the work of our ex-students. Perhaps, the right thing to be done for our tech savvy students.

 

Vidiyal, the inauguration of TLA went off with a small ceremony held in the auditorium.
Mekchat got off to a rousing start with the inauguration on 7th. Mr.Vijay Ramasamy, Manager/Caterpillar, India, the Chief Guest gave a spirited talk on Internal Combustion Engines that was informative, simple and easy enough to be understood and appreciated even by a layperson. The Principal's talk, as usual, was precise and sharp. He extorted the values of versatility, innovation and usefulness to the society. The large helicopter which was designed by the students with assistance from the lab attenders was a wondrously huge toy that served as a registration desk. 
The workshop by Tata Motors was also appreciated. 
Women's Day was celebrated on the 8th under the convernorship of Dr.Wahida Banu. The two chief guests, Ms.Archana, an entrepreneur and Dr.Kavitha, a surgeon who explained the importance of education to girls, the need to persevere in the midst of crisis and of giving pre-marital care of one's health in order to balance the home and the career, were loudly applauded by the women scholars of the institution. There was an interactive session too when girls sought counselling. It was a day also of celebrating the power of womanhood, as the girls revelled in creative exercises. 


 

It's time for MEKCHT11.0 to make its mark. The invitation itself holds promises of grandeur and high vision...the Chief Guest is Mr.Vijay Ramasamy /Manager-Caterpillar, India. They have had around 1000 registrations so far, the largest among all departments. They are offering a TATA Motors Certificate Course as part of the three-day fiesta. You can bet Mechanical guys will definitely come up something spectacular and mind blowing. 

This morning, I caught up with the embarassing 'puff and coffee' part of METMAT11, the symposium held by the department of Metallurgy - well, blame it on the classes that I had to finish and then rush to the auditorium to listen to speeches, instead to end up with puffs for the most unhealthy mid morning bite!! 

As for the exams, everything's uncertain! With the elections fitted right into the middle of academic assessments in universities across the state, everybody's wondering about the pre-poll noise and the post-poll restrictions and whether exams will be held earlier than scheduled or later than anticipated. 

Can one's calendar be so full that it's literally a case of one hopping from one exciting event to another? Hmmm...at GCE, this March, it is.

I attended COMPCOM 11, ECE department's annual symposium. I had classes, so caught just the last part of Prof.Kavimani's speech. He informed students that head hunters from different companies had given the feedback that while students had the intellectual acumen as engineers, they needed to know, understand and appreciate business, since all companies are driven by commercial needs. 

At this point, I recalled the Business English Certificate Course that we used to offer to students in the evenings- that course by Cambridge honed the learner's understanding of the business jargon, the practices and nuances of official and corporate activities.

The Chief Guest, Mr.TK Das, DGM/ Dalmia presented a picture of an economically strong India that requires quality engineers and so urged students to equip themselves for the demands of the corporate world. 

This week , girls hosted their hostel day, which I believe was a riotous, fun filled evening of dances, food and laughter. 

TLA is releasing 'Agaram', their magazine this afternoon. Gecofest is being held on 11th and 12th, rather unusually on a Saturday. I'm disappointed, as I will miss the fun on Saturday, due to a personal commitment.

On the first three days of the week, starting  on the 7th, is Mekchat, a grand gathering of students to attend a three day long symposia with a workshop conducted by TATA Motors to be the highlight, beckons one. I suppose that will be followed by  the Boys Hostel Day, TechnoBlaze and  MetMat11. I'm sure the Sports Day will be somewhere in between. 

With elections around the corner, life is going to be hectic with fun and books thrown in together, in a melee of days.