Sunday 30 September 2007

Check back for Updates shortly...!

Dear Students, This blog is being updated. Check back soon for updates. Regards, Rufus

PS: Students of II BA English who have given their Revolutionary speeches thus far, find mention in the blog posted on September 27. Others who don't find your names mentioned, please relax. It's just a matter of a few more days before your speech finds a place here.
Regards, Rufus

Portions for III CIA

I BSc Pbt/Zoo: Students who've not attempted the Speech, are asked to write their III CIAs. Questions will be from the entire text book.

II BA Tam/Phil: Questions will be from the entire text book.

I BA English: Dr.SSJ & myself are sharing the III CIA between us, and questions will be based on whatever that has been discussed in Grammar in class thus far.

II BA English: Prof.RS and myself will be sharing the III CIA between us, and questions will be based on 'The Old Man and the Sea' & 'Ransom of the Red Chief.'
Students who have spoken out in class need not necessarily sit for your III CIAs.

III BA English: Mahasweta Devi's Mother of 1084 - an artistic cum critical perspective.

Holiday for students?

Dear Students, Uncertainties seem to be the order of the day - at least for today. As such, the management has decided to spare the students the trouble of coming to College tomorrow. Hence, students need not come to College tomorrow - Monday. However, this is NOT to be deemed an official announcement in any way whatsoever and as such, students are requested to clarify the same with the College authorities before arriving at any conclusions.
Regards,
Rufus

Thursday 27 September 2007

STUDENTS' SPARKLE

Students' Speak out!

JAYANTHI started off with her Revolutionary Speech on Puritanism. Tracing the Puritanic Revival in England, where vulgarity in all forms was banned till the Restoration, she added that this Puritanic revival, on the other hand, would start from within. 'Temptations oft times overtake us and overrule us, but I'd like to reconstruct the genuine love between God and man by my Revolution.' 'Remembering God at 20 is much much better than remembering God at 50,' she added. Spiritual Lethargy is another point that she wishes to address through her Revolution.
She summed up with a beautiful line "Having seen the world's fair beauty, Lord I would be blind once more."
Comments: You have a very good command over the language and the felicity and ease of expression, characterised by good communication skills and self-confidence, are your hallmark. Keep it up! Kudos! It was a great effort!

IRENE wanted to base her REVOLUTION on and within the framework of Christianity. Lamenting the plethora of sects available across the frontiers, on the religious front, she said, she wanted to unite all these sects under a single umbrella. Stressing the importance of the Cross, she said, "A single spark can bring about a great forest fire, and I would like to be this spark," she added. She expressed concern on the half-baked pastors who preach without proper training, and said, she would start a big Bible College to meet the demands. Quoting from the Scriptures in I Cor 1:18, she talked about worldly love which is enemity with God.
Comments: You've got Good language skills and good points, but a little more self-confidence and facing the audience might have proved better.

SAYUJYA based her revolution on a tirade against the present Education System. She came down heavily on the lots of technicality that has plauged the Education System and early schooling, which she feels, affects children greatly. Vocational Courses like Music and Arts, should be introduced at the early stages, where students' potential can be gauged, honed and effectively implemented, based on their preferences, likes and dislikes.
A practical side to studies, she felt, is the need of the hour. On the side of Implementation, she added that it should start from the higher echelons of the Government. A uniform syllabi is another agenda which would get adequate attention in her Revolution. The rural-urban divide should be bridged by deliberations and discussions with the Academic fraternity. In this regard, village planning has become indispensable, to make them self-sufficient. Water management, Solar power are some of the areas which she plans to look into, as part of the Village Planning agenda.
Comments: A good command over the language, self-confidence, and critical thinking are the highlights of your Speech. Added to that, some of the points on rural-urban divide were valuable and highly practical. Kudos! A noble effort!

RINILA's Revolution would be based on proper Garbage Disposal, and in this regard, her special focus would be on the youth, as she strongly feels that it is the youth who are going to take over 'tomorrow.' She would form a core group which would be divided into two main divisions, the first one to take on the government, and request for grants and rebates, while the second division would base itself on volunteers who would create awareness in schools and colleges through lectures, presentations etc. A perfect strategy for garbage disposal would be compost, where organic food is made into manure and put to effective use. With immense developments in the field of Biotechnology, she plans to hire people to help her in Idea generation, and also in garbage disposal. On the strategies she's planning to evolve to popularise her Revolution, she added that she'll make people excited about the Revolution through AD campaigns, slogans, etc. She cited Dharwad - a quiet, pleasant, and fast growing city in the northern part of Karnataka as a model district for garbage disposal and effective town planning.
Comments: You've got good communication skills, poise, and self-confidence, and the fact that you've come up with a pressing need of modern industrialised India, where the importance of cleanliness is and always been pushed to the periphery is laudable. Kudos! A good effort!

NOELINE spoke on revolution among orphaned children. Children who have lost both their parents, have become a victim to child labour, begging, AIDS, physical harassment, bonded labour in the guise of adoptions etc. In some instances, children are made to transport drugs too. Twenty years of war has left 40,000 children homeless in Sri Lanka. Thus, psychologically speaking, their mind is almost dead. Taking care of children and controlling them is quite a challenging task. Spending time with them daily, and listening to what they have to say, is a great source of psychological therapy for them. The Government and the media concentrate a lot on Scientific advancements, agriculture, sports etc, but nobody seems to be bothered about the children of today, to whom we are going to hand over the reins of tomorrow.
Comments: Your speech had a great impact because you spoke with conviction. Congrats. The Revolution that you've taken up is an indispensable necessity from the societal perspective, and as such deserve special kudos.! You were confident throughout, and you also have good communication skills. Keep up the good work!

Wednesday 26 September 2007

SPECIAL CLASS for I BA & II BA English on Saturday

Dear Students of I BA Eng & II BA Eng., You've got A SPECIAL CLASS coming up, on Saturday, 29 September 2007, at Selaiyur Hall Premises for giving final touches to the syllabus handled by me. I wish to emphasise that attendance will not be taken and participation is not mandatory. But participants make sure that you are present at least five minutes before the start of the class.

Time: 9:30 am SHARP till 12.30 pm (approx).

PS: Games and VLRefreshment form part of the agenda.

JOB FAIR for all GRADUATES @ CHENNAI

Saturday and Sunday, 29 and 30 September 2007 from 10 am to 6 pm at MAYOR SRI RAMANAATHAN CHETTIAR CENTRE, 75/2 Santhome Road, MRC Nagar, Chennai - 28. Click HERE to REGISTER FREE.

Monday 24 September 2007

Announcement for all my Students

Dear Students, With the Odd Semester of this academic year drawing to a close, I would like to remind you that marks of your I & II CIAs will be available for scrutiny, clarifications and corrections till Wednesday, 26 September of this week. After that, no changes or corrections whatsoever will be entertained, as the marks will be submitted to the coordinator the next day (Thursday). So it's your duty and responsibility to ensure that you check out on your marks with me personally, or through our website HERE.
Regards and all best wishes, Rufus

SPECIAL KUDOS TO THE SPECIAL SIXTEEN


The students, whose names are mentioned below, deserve a special appreciation and a special gift each, for a special reason. They made the teacher proud today.
And the sixteen good ones are:

From I BSc Pb & Pbt
Shain Samuel
Lalsangliana Ralte
Emmanuel Antony Raj
Alister, M
Darwin, C
Subhashini Sreedharan
Vignesh, K
Logeswari, S
Annie Jenifer
Ashwini, M


From I BSc Zoology (Reg)
Premalatha, M
Roselin, I
Tovito H.Sema
M.S.Dawngliana
Franklin, S
Sachin T. Jose

Saturday 22 September 2007

TOTO - THIRD ANNUAL AWARDS FOR YOUNG WRITERS

TOTO Funds the ARTS (TFA) invites entries for its third annual awards for young Indian writers (18 to 30 years) in English.
Two cash awards of Rs.25,000 each will be given in January 2008. Submissions can be a novel, short stories, play scripts or poetry and should ideally be not more than 10,000 words. Entries must be accompanied by a signed statement confirming the applicant's work has been published in print(give details), and also affirming that the submitted work is original.
Submissions can be mailed to totofundsthearts@yahoo.com or posted to TOTO Funds the Arts, H 301 Adarsh Gardens, Eighth Block, 47th Cross, Jayanagar, Bangalore, Ph 080-26548139. Last date for submission is October 20.

Thursday 20 September 2007

GOOGLE INDIA @ MCC

Dear final year UG/PG Students,
Prepare yourself for a challenging interview on Monday, 24 September 2007 at 9:15 am at the Botany Gallery, for the Position AD WORD REPRESENTATIVE @ GOOGLE INC. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed on 08 October 2007.
You are asked to bring your X, XII, UG/PG Originals. Come in formal wear for the Interview.
For more details, Contact The Campus Placement Cell.

Thursday 13 September 2007

I BA ENGLISH - WE AND WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO REVOLT AGAINST..!

It was the Social Ethics class, but with a difference. Dear Students, for once, you outshone the stars in the sky... given the chance to think on society oriented thoughts, each of you gave a logical, well structured response, and it's been crystallised in this post for further reference. Now that you have brought out the revolutionist within you, much depends on how you get the guts, to work towards achieving this Revolution, albeit in your own imaginative way, in pen and paper or speech and dais.

Arunan - A Revolution against GLOBAL WARMING

Georgy - A Revolution against increasing number of political parties.

Vivek - A Revolution against BEGGARY.

Madhavan - A Revolution against MIGRATION.

Prabhu Raj - A Revolution for the BETTERMENT OF SOCIETY.

Baskar - A Revolution for the IMPROVEMENT OF THE POOR.

Mainar - A Revolution in THE FIELD OF EDUCATION.

Charles - A Revolution against UNEMPLOYMENT.

Karthick - A Revolution against INDISCIPLINE.

Rajesh - A Revolution for SAFEGUARDING HUMAN RIGHTS.

Jaison - A Revolution for SOCIAL JUSTICE.

Tamilvanan - A Revolution AGAINST INCREASE IN POPULATION.

Martin - A Revolution AGAINST DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE.

Isha - A Revolution for BETTER AND CLEANER ROADS.

Navitha - A Revolution FOR COMPULSORY EDUCATION IN ENGLISH.

Thirumoorthy - A Revolution AGAINST CHILD LABOUR.

Nadia - A Revolution AGAINST EXPLOITATION OF ANIMALS IN LABS.

Nigel - A Revolution AGAINST ILL TREATMENT OF ANIMALS.

Dayanand - A Revolution AGAINST PRE MARITAL SEX.

Isaac - A Revolution AGAINST MALPRACTICES.

Vignesh - A Revolution AGAINST DOWRY.

Shloka - A Revolution AGAINST STAIRS.

Dolly - A Revolution AGAINST CORRUPTION.

Supraja - A Revolution AGAINST ILLITERACY.

Sylvia - A Revolution AGAINST LOVE MARRIAGE.

Kalpana - A Revolution AGAINST CASTE SYSTEM.

Sudha, M - A Revolution AGAINST INEQUALITY.

Sheela - A Revolution FOR ARRANGED MARRIAGE.

Sudha, S - A Revolution AGAINST DRUGS.

Stanley - A Revolution in THE FIELD OF MUSIC.

Ajit - A Revolution AGAINST THE PRESENT POLITICAL SYSTEM.

John - A Revolution AGAINST HOLLYWOOD, BOLLYWOOD AND KOLLYWOOD.

Priya - A Revolution FOR PEACE IN THE WORLD.

Shruti - A Revolution FOR CLEANLINESS.

Ashita - A Revolution AGAINST TERRORISM.

Ankita - A Revolution FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATURE.

Ebarish - A Revolution AGAINST CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

Riyukta - A Revolution AGAINST RELIGIONS.

Arun - A Revolution FOR SUBTLE PDA (PUBLIC DISPLAY OF AFFECTION).

Sam - A Revolution TO MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY.

Deepak - A Revolution AGAINST FICKLEMINDEDNESS.

PS: Thanks to Riyukta for the neat minutes.

Revolutionary Replies on the Revolution - II BA English do it with Aplomb:

The question was hypothetical in Nature, where students were asked, "If you had the means of bringing about a Revolution, a particular aspect in Society you feel needs a thorough overhaul, which aspect of society would you base your revolution on?"
The answers were Revolutionary going by any indication.
Richard's Revolution : Everything in today's political system has gone wrong. A radical change in the entire system should be brought about beacuse the future and destiny of the nation, lies more in the hands of the politicians.

Sujatha: The present education system should be thoroughly overhauled. A more practical approach is needed.

Allan Gladwin: Communism should be brought back, as equality will prevail if communism is ushered in.

Sidharth: There should be dual party politics as there is a profusion of political parties in India now, which is detrimental to National progress, and hence should be minimalised.

Pradip's Revolution: A revolution in the field of Humanism, where brotherhood and sisterhood will be promoted, and where humankind gets respected.

Sushant: A revolution against the current economic scenario. Now there's a huge gap between the rich and the poor, which is not good for the development of the Nation.

Srikant Reddy's Revolution: The Home Department should be completely revamped, overhauled and revolutionized.

Jayanthi: A revolution in Puritanism is the need of the hour.

Daniel: Revolution in the field of leadership.

Sam: A revolution against corruption.

Judah: A revolution against beggary.

Dhanasekar: Religion and caste should not be made use of, by politicians to their advantage.

Gifty: Red tapism has affected all strata of society. There is a great need for a revolution against red tapism and dirty politics.

Christina: A cultural revolution should come about.

Bestin: A revolution against all forms of addictives involving banning of drugs and tobacco.

Blaisen: A revolution against Brain Drain is a very pressing need of the hour.

Satchin: For changing the system, the good people of the society should use unethical ways to change the bad.

Ilenthirayan: A revolution in the field of Law and Order.

Shipporah: A revolution in each and every person's mind in society since society is made of individuals.

Kalaiarasi: Revolution should happen within the individual.

Karan: A revolution against all forms of terrorism, both local and global.

Noeline: A revolution against the plight of orphans.

Jennita: A revolution against Adulteration.

Adlin: A revolution against the quota system in Education.

Irene: A revolution in the field of Religion.

Cleeta: A revolution in the opinion of the people, directing their thoughts towards morality, manners etc.

Swaroop: Revolution in the field of Defence.

Vanlal: A revolution against discrimination

Sanjoy: A revolution to bring in Integration.

Rinila: A revolution against the exploitation of Nature

PS: Thanks to Bestin, for the lovely minutes.

Wednesday 12 September 2007

II BA English - Remarks...

Dear Students of II BA English Litt., Today it was a lively time with you all. Ardent, lively, enthused, inquisitive and interactive in every sense of the term. Whatever observation given by you, is very valid, and as such, this is to become an extended session as part of your III CA. Hence, work on the respective topics that you've brought out in class to the maximum and bring out the artist in you.
Regards and all best wishes,
Rufus

Monday 10 September 2007

ESSAY WRITING CONTEST

The Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Board has announced an essay writing contest on 'Female Foeticide.'

Those aged below 40 years can send in their entries to Chairperson, Tamil
Nadu Social Welfare Board, 21 Abdul Razack Street, Saidapet, Chennai - 600 015
on or before September 14.

According to a press release, cash prizes of Rs.10,000/-, Rs.5000/-, and Rs.3000/-, for the first, second and third places and Rs.1000/- as consolation prizes will be awarded at a seminar on female foeticide to be held by the month-end.

The TOPPERS..!

WINNERS OF THE GRAND PRIZE - The TOP THREE of the II CIA, Practical Introduction to Literature, have been chosen by a jury of two eminent experts and these are the winners:-
And these are the remarks of the adjudicators, in a nutshell:
1. Bestin Samuel, FOR A LOVLI 'MUSICAL'SYNTAX,
2. Sayujya, S, FOR GOOD STYLE AND SYNTAX,
3. Vanlalropuia FOR THE ART OF SCREEN PLAY, SYNTAX AND NEAT PRESENTATION.
CONGRATS DEAR WINNERS...

P.S: The WINNERS will be getting a Cash Prize of Rs.200/- each, and a citation, which will be presented by a special guest, at a class ceremony.

II BA TAM/PHIL MARKS UPLOADED

Dear Students of II BA TAM/PHIL,
Your First CIA Marks have been uploaded. CLICK HERE to access the marks. Clarifications, if any, can be made within ten working days of the publication of the results. Regards, Rufus

Saturday 8 September 2007

Our Deepest Condolences..:

We deeply condole the demise of our beloved Professor Dr.Vishnu Bhatt, [formerly Head, Dept.of English, Madras Christian College] this morning. The mortal remains will be at his house from 11.30 to 2.30 noon today. A man of great scholaticism, students admired him for his simplicity, and easy accessibility. He was an acclaimed scholar beyond compare.

A noble heart, he was a students' professor, who never had a 'no' for any of his students, who came to him for help. His guidance, love and easy-going nature, endeared him to all his students. His notes of lessons, and his scholarly essays are still a source of academic delight for all of us. We, as a Department, condole his death. May his soul rest in peace.

Friday 7 September 2007

Grammar Marks Uploaded

Dear Students of I BA English, Marks of your I CIA in Grammar and Linguistics have been uploaded on our WEBSITE. The overall performance has been encouraging and quite satisfactory. Kudos..! Keep it up, and do much better, in the third CIAs. CLICK HERE for the Marks.
Regards,
Rufus

Wednesday 5 September 2007

Teachers' Day - A Tribute


Today is a very special day. Why? It's Teacher's Day. It is the day we celebrate the great people who have transformed our lives for the better through the medium of education. The people who significantly contributed in promising a life of education, erudition and learning. It's our teachers.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. That's exactly what a teacher has done for us and we celebrate this joyous occasion in remembrance of one of the greatest teachers of India, on his birthday , our first Indian President, Dr.S.Radhakrishnan, a distinguished alumnus of our own Madras Christian College.

Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan was born on 5 September, 1888 in Tirutani, a well-known religious center in the Madras State. He was the second son of Veera Samayya, a tehsildar in a Zamindari hailing from a middle-class, respectable Hindu Brahmin family.

Dr.Radhakrishnan was married in 1906, at the tender age of 18 and while still a student, to Sivakamamma, and spent a happy married life with her for fifty years before she died in 1956.

Bright and precocious, with a scholarly disposition and a serene demeanor, from the very beginning, Radhakrishnan spent the first eight years of his life happily and fruitfully in his home town with his parents. The tranquil and challenging atmosphere of that famous and well-loved place, as well as the benign influence of his parents who, as was common in the South, were intensely religious in the traditional sense, went far in molding his character and sowing a lively seed of religiousness in him.

Dr. Radhakrishnan was educated at Lutheran Mission School, Tirupathi (1896-1900), Vellore College, Vellore (1900-1904), and finally the crowning glory of his education was at Madras Christian College (1904-1908) which shaped not only his destiny but also the destiny of our GREAT NATION.

On this special day, I deem it a humble privilege to remember MY GREAT TEACHERS, including Miss. Helen, Late Miss Noeline, Mrs.Sybll, Mrs.Rita, Mrs.Selvi, Mr & Mrs.Veeradhas, Dr.Suresh Frederick, Dr.Ranjan Samuel, Prof.P.Natarajan, Dr.Manalan, my admired librarian, Prof.R.Duvarakan, Prof.Daniel David, Mrs.Baby Eliammal, Dr.J.Edward Manickam etc., for making me who I am today, with their guidance, their encouragement, their appreciations, their commitment and their patient endeavour in bringing out the best in me. You have influenced me a lot, and shaped my way of thinking to a great extent, dear teachers. I am so proud that I had you as a part of my life. Your BLESSINGS sustain me and continue to direct my paths dear revered TEACHERS. Every word of wisdom and knowledge that you have told me, years ago, still keep ringing in my ears and they give me strength and nourishment for daily life. “A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others," goes a good old maxim. I thank you dear Teachers, for you have proved it true in my life.

*Thanks to Nikita C, for valuable inputs on Dr.Radhakrishnan.

For a beautiful speech on Teachers' Day by our beloved Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam, based on his own personal reminiscences, CLICK HERE.

Tuesday 4 September 2007

II BA English Students - A New Novel

Dear Students, We are on the road towards another interesting journey, and this time a shift from the woods to the city, where, instead of the woody Thornfield or Marsh End, it will be a shuttle between the two great Metros London and Paris. Come prepared with a working knowledge of this famous novel A Tale of Two Cities by one of the most famous novelists of the Victorian era, Charles Dickens. Regards, Rufus

Sunday 2 September 2007

Swan Song for JANE EYRE, come Monday

Dear II BA English Students, It's time we bid a tearful adieu to Jane Eyre cos come Monday, she's going to undergo a change for the better in her life, and we shall bless them "Showers of Blessings". So, if possible, be there.
Regards,
Rufus