HAPPENING -- 19:

EVENTS TO IGNITE PATRIOTISM AND ECO-CONSERVATION

P S SUNDAR 

To ignite patriotism and eco-conservation among students, St Joseph’s College Alumni Association, Coonoor, conducted two contests for various schools.

“Our ‘Battle of the Bands’, contest devoted as a tribute to the Indian Armed Forces, evoked good response from many school bands.  The celebrated band of the Madras Regiment, the oldest regiment of the Indian army, judged the competition and declared the band of St Joseph’s Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Coonoor, as the Best”, Alumni President H Thiagaraj told  me..

The Madras Regiment band also gave a thrilling rendition of patriotic numbers.

Brig Atmanathan, former Commandant of Madras Regimental Centre, honoured the winning team.

“For eco-conservation, we conducted a marathon called ‘Greenathon 2017’ covering 6.3 kilometres on the theme ‘Save our Sholas and Springs’.  

At the event which evoked keen participation, St Antony’s Higher Secondary School, Coonoor, emerged overall winners for boys and St Ann’s HS School, Wellington for girls”, Thiagaraj said.

Dr Manivannan, Principal Scientist, Central Soil and Water Conservation Institute, gave cash prizes worth Rs 60,000 to the students who came within the first ten ranks.

Boys winners::

1.  Sree Kiren.. St. Joseph's/2nd.  Elim Thomas..Hebron/ 3rd. Srudhan...St. Antony's/ 4th.  Vikram...St. Antony's/ 5th..Vikas..St Joseph's/ 6th..Aravind..St. Antony's/ 7th...Rajkumar..MountainHome/ 8th...S.M.Nitish..St. Joseph's / 10th..Friedrich..Hebron

Girls  winners::

Overall winners..St. Ann's  Wellington

1. Dhanisha ...St. Ann's/ 2nd...Sornalakshmi..St. Ann's/ 3rd...Sarojini...St. Ann's/ 4th..Reshma..St. Ann's/ 5th..Haritha...Bullmore's/ 6th..Adithya..St. Ann's/ 7th..Subasri..St. Ann's/ 8th..Theresa Maria...St. Ann's/ 9th..Akilandeshwari..St. Ann's/  10th...Latha..St. Ann's

“Many organisations had lent their support to us in this mission.  We are working with them to take our commitment towards preserving sholas and springs on a regular basis”, Thiagaraj added.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

VOLLEY BALL - 5:

ST JUDE’S EMERGES NATIONAL CHAMPIONS FOR FOURTH TIME

P S SUNDAR

St Jude’s Public School and Junior College, Kotagiri, has scripted a new chapter in the history of Nilgiris volleyball by emerging as National champions for the fourth time in succession.

“Our boys’ team had earlier emerged champions of Tamil Nadu region and hence represented Tamil Nadu region in the Nationals where teams from 11 regions vied for the title.  In the Finals, our team defeated Punjab in straight sets and made Tamil Nadu proud”, St Jude’s Chairman P P Dhanarajan  said after complimenting the winners and the coach.

“We received another crown when our studentHiruthu Krishna was adjudged the Best player of the tournament”, Principal Saro said.

“Our girls’ team also did well and bagged Silver when Gujarat clinched the title after a tough fight.  Our girls’ team was the defending National champion”, Vice Principal Rajee said.

“In all, 280 players from various parts of the country enthusiastically participated in the two-day volleyball fiesta held in our new international-standard sports arena.  Former Secretary to Government of India Surjith K Chaudhary honoured the winners with trophies, medals and certificates”, Executive Director D Samjith added.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

HAPPENING-- 18

ST JOSEPH'S STUDENTS EXHIBIT MULTI-TALENT

BY P S SUNDAR

The iCreas programme conducted by Imageminds department at 127-year-old St Joseph’s Boys’ Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School, Coonoor, helped the students to thrill their parents with a showcase of their multi-talents.

“We conduct these value-added classes by Imageminds’ experts as part of regular curriculum in weekly two periods for primary and one period for others with accent on fine-tuning students’ creative skills.   Every student is required to gain proficiency in one of the very many Imageminds’ activities”, St Joseph’s Principal Bro Ramesh Amalanathan told me.

At the iCreas Programme, the students showcased their creations -- short films, on-campus radio with radio jockey, drawing, computerised arts, commercial arts, photography, clay sculpting and dolls and carry bags from waste materials.

At an impressive fashion parade, the students showcased their own designing of dresses under 15 categories – Indian culture, Flower Boys, Cowboys, Fashion Animal, Black Angel, Bikers, Cartoon, Fluoro Rock stars, Mix and Match, Street Fashion, High Fashion, Wealth out of waste, The Ocean, Black and White and Robo-17.

The judges questioned the in-charge of each category on the theme and the highlight of their costume.   The explanations given by the students reflected a high-level of maturity throwing up an opinion that they are ready to enter the commercial world with their creations.

Complimenting all concerned in my Chief Guest address, I said, “You have now the learnt the art of using digital gardets, mixing with mental imagination, constantly upgrading technology, thereby opening a plethora of career opportunity and chance for growth through constant research.   This is value-addition – more than the exam-related curriculum. This itself show how valuable – or invaluable – your days at St Joseph’s are. All you have to do now is to take these skills acquirted with you and apply them for success in studies and career.  When you do that, there will be none to defeat you because you will be prepared to face emerging challenges .. that means, “never Unpreprared” as your school motto says – Nunquam Nonparatus”.   

“On the one hand, you are proceeding towards Prime Minister’s ‘Digital India’ concept.  On the other, you are telling the world that you have creative mind to handle technology and art for creating a New India, Young India, Creative India, Imaginative India and Josephite India”, I said motivating the youngsters who have benefited from Imageminds’ year-long coaching.

Vice Principal Bro Gubendiran and I honoured the best creators.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

ACHIEVEMENT -- 2 ::

STUDENTS EXCEL IN ENGLISH DEBATE 

(My article in today's The New Indian Express)

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

ACHIEVEMENT  - 1 ::

ST JUDE’S VOLLEYBALL TEAMS TO GO FOR INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

P S SUNDAR 

The boys and girls volleyball teams of St Jude’s Public School and Junior College, Kotagiri, have done proud to the school, Nilgiris district and Tamil Nadu state by getting selected to represent the country in the international championship to be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in December.

"In the national youth championship 2016 held in Bengaluru, known as ‘The Big 7 Events and Entertainments’, where 32 schools from country’s different parts vied, our teams annexed the title and qualified to contest for international championship”, St Jude’s Chairman P P Dhanarajan toldme after honouring the players and coaches Ramesh and Vanaja Sekar. 

“Our girls defeated the reigning champion, Carmel Convent, Bengaluru, and our boys defeated VET School Bengaluru and got selected to go to Kuala Lumpur”,  St Jude’s Principal D Saro said.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

LANDMARK -- 1:

MADRAS CHRISTIAN COLLEGE ALUMNAE TO MEET AT OOTY

P S SUNDAR

The Nilgiris chapter of Madras Christian College Alumni Association (MCC-AA) will meet at Ooty on Saturday to enlist greater participation of Alumnae at the 125^th anniversary of the college Alumni Association.

“We have many Alumnae in Nilgiris and this meet will help us draft our strategy to contribute to the success of global re-union scheduled to be held in Chennai in August”, co-ordinator Ravichandran Broos told me. 

“Alumnae can contact me on phone 94435 24078, Devaraj (Kotagiri) 94864 50200, Desingh Rajan (Ooty) 94430 45593 and Sam Mathew (Gudalur) 94430 61309 for details of the meet”, he said.

The  MCC-AA was founded in 1891 and is hailed to be one of the oldest such bodies in the country. 

The illustrious Alumnae of this college include Dr S Radhakrishnan (India’s former President),

Indra Nooyi (CEO, PepsiCo)

and Raja Ramanna (nuclear scientist).

The Alumnae are widespread across the globe and hence the 125^th anniversary lays accent on the global re-union.

This re-union will reiterate the college’s watchword “EweR” where E refers to Excellence and R for Relevance and ‘We’ the student and faculty – which means, the student and faculty will work for Excellence and Relevance in every sphere.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

BILLIARDS & SNOOKER -- 6:

WORLD BILLIARDS CHAMPION MOTIVATES NILGIRI PLAYERS

P S SUNDAR 

Billiards and snooker lovers in The Nilgiris had a pleasant surprise with the visit of World under 21 Champion S Shrikrishna from Chennai.  He played many friendly frames with the lovers of these cue games from Nilgiris as also summer tourists. 

Mariam Agnish, India’s No: 2 and Tamil Nadu state title holder, added colour to the events with her games.

“Shrikrishna (16) is present title holder in World Billiards championship conducted by International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) at Russia.  He is the first Indian player to hold this title.  Likewise, Mariam Agnish (15) is the first player from the Nilgiris to participate in an official international tourney when she was selected to play for IBSF under-18 snooker championship.  We, therefore, organised friendly plays to encourage youngsters from Nilgiris and summer visitors.   The interaction with them has motivated even seniors to take the game seriously”, R Muralidharan, Member of Executive Committee of Nilgiris Billiards and Snooker Association, told me.

Shrikrishna’s father and coach N Suryanarayanan gave many useful tips to excel in international cue games.   “These have helped Srikrishna emerge as the first Indian to have won all six titles – sub-junior, junior and senior in both Billiards and Snooker”, he said.

“My target for 2016 is to win World Snooker Championships in Under 18 and Under 21 as also Billiards Championship in under 21”, Shrikrishna added.  

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)