The undergraduate students of the English department of Scottish Church College celebrated Christmas this year in a very special way. The parents of students, all teachers, the Reverend Bishop, and other distinguished guests were invited to enjoy ‘The Concert of Christmas Carols’ held on December 20, 2006, on the college campus. The choir sang 18 carols at a stretch for about one-and-a-half hours. The girls and boys, all dressed in white, with matching red stoles, along with Prof. Allan de Silva conducting the music, were a very beautiful picture indeed. The carols were given a professional touch by using musical instruments like drums and the piano. The performance was so impressive that the students were given a standing ovation by the audience at the end of the programme.

Gargi Banerjee, first year, English honours, Scottish Church College

asansol
Christmas fervour

The Christmas celebration of the students of Assembly of God Church School, Asansol, Sodepur and Ukhra was held on December 13 and 15 at Asansol. Among the dignitaries present were Rev. David Luke, Sr. Pastor, A.G. Church School, Calcutta and Swapna Karmakar, principal, A.G. Church School, Durgapur. After a prayer by our principal, the programme began with the beautifully choreographed song Sing unto the Lord. The students also performed a couple of plays. The first, titled The Family Album, delivered the message that ‘the God of the universe became one of us so that we could become one of His’. The other one, named The Other Wise Man, depicted the story of the fourth wise man who had dedicated his life to helping others. The performance of the choir was commendable. A special word of praise for the tiny tots of Asansol and Sodepur who entertained all with their dance.

Sohini Gangopadhyay, Class VIII, A.G. Church School, Asansol

Assam
Inquizitive

The first all-Karbi Anglong inter-college quiz competition, organised by the Karbi Anglong Police administration and the Diphu Government College Student Union Society, was held on November 8 at Rangshina Auditorium, Diphu Government College. The event was inaugurated by the deputy commissioner of our district, Dr Angamuthu.

Five colleges took part in the contest. Besides the hosts, Diphu Government College, the other colleges were Rukasen College (Bakulia), Rangsina College (Dongkamukam), Diphu Girls College (Diphu) and Lumding College (Lumding). Each team consisted of three members. The DIG, L.R. Bisnoi, conducted the quiz in which the hosts emerged as the winners. Rukasen College and Lumding College were the first and second runners up respectively. The winning team received a cash prize of Rs 4,000, along with certificates and a trophy for each member. The second and third teams also received Rs 2,500 and Rs 1,500 respectively, along with certificates and trophies. Other participants were also given consolation prizes.

Tom Taro, HS first year (science), Diphu Government College, Karbi Anglong, Assam

calcutta
Tome tales

The education department of Shri Shikshayatan College had organised a visit to the Asiatic Society for its students on December 22, 2006. Sir William Jones founded the Society on January 15, 1784. The museum of the Society is now a research centre that houses thousands of priceless manuscripts.

The Society contains around 48,000 manuscripts in different Asian, especially South Asian languages. They include the translation of the Bhagavat Gita in Persian, several Buddhist works, and even an English translation of Abhigyana Shakuntalam by Jones. It also has a rich collection of Brahmi, Kharasthi and Sanskrit works.

The Asiatic Society, one of the oldest publication houses, also has a restoration library. The visit was a good learning experience for us.

Sweety Agarwal, third year, education honours, Shri Shikshayatan College

calcutta
Fun with fishing

The department of journalism and mass communication of Maharaja Manindra Chandra College (MMCC) conducted an educational excursion to Shankarpur for undergraduate students from December 11 to 13. The trip was mainly organised to expose the students to the various activities of fisheries.

The 48 students and the three faculty members accompanying them interacted with the fishermen and came to know about the activities associated with the fisheries at Shankarpur that were set up in the 1990s by the West Bengal government. We saw how the fishing trawlers work, how to weave fishing nets and how fish are dried and sold in the wholesale markets.

We learnt about the hardships fishermen face and the way they carry on with their work even if the weather turns hostile. Some of them explained to us the whole process of catching fish and also told us about their simple way of life. We also to came to know how the work they do is an integral part of their lives and how it is reflected in their culture as well.

However, it was not exactly all work and no play. We had antakshari sessions and camp fires on the beach and spent a whole night dancing and chatting under the open sky, playing games and enjoying the beauty of the sea. Bathing in the sea was fun too. The sunrise that we went to watch one morning and the walk through the forest on a moonlit night will remain etched in our memories forever.

Rahul Roy and Tuli Das, second year, journalism and mass communication, Maharaja Manindra Chandra College

WRITE IN Do you have any experiences or anecdotes to share with us? Send your contributions to
Campus Buzz, Careergraph, The Telegraph, 6 Prafulla Sarkar Street, Calcutta-700 001;
Fax: 2236 1208, 2225 3142;
e-Mail: career@abpmail.com