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| Dr.Ganesh, after a mesmerising talk on the legendary Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan |
Akara’11 | A Report
The Annual Fest of the Dept of English, MCC
01 March 2011
Well, there’s a specific, beautiful stillness that settles in Selaiyur Hall, before a major event. It’s the moment when the last piece of decor is taped, the final microphone test is completed, and the echoes of student-energy lingers, awaiting the arrival of the first guests.
When all the hard work, nay smart work of our students starts bearing fruit.
When all banners lead to Selaiyur Hall - on the Red-letter Day - 1st March 2011 – the day that commemorates the “Poesia Letra” of the English Association, MCC.
Well, it is truly impressive to see the level of professional synergy the students have achieved for AKARA.
Organizing a departmental festival is no small feat, but securing such a diverse and impressive lineup of sponsors speaks volumes about their networking skills and the prestige of the English Association at Madras Christian College. In fact, it was a collective effort, where each and every student claimed ownership of the event.
The students deserve significant appreciation for bringing together a high-calibre collective of partners and thereby raising a huge sum of money, that helped fund the prizes and the local hospitality for the 14-odd colleges that had participated from across the city and beyond!
Firstly, securing a partnership with a renowned cultural foundation - Prakriti Foundation - dedicated to the arts shows that the students successfully positioned AKARA as a serious space for literary and cultural discourse. Added, gaining support from a major real estate firm like Ruby Builders, Tambaram, is no small feat!
The presence of these bigshot corporate logos on the “Poesia Letra” banner is a testament to the students’ initiative in bridging the gap between the classroom and the professional world. They didn’t just organise a festival; they managed a brand – the brand called Dept of English, MCC - that reputable organisations were proud to be associated with.
The large white banner at the front of the Selaiyur hall audaciously proclaimed that “Form is Born”.
In fact, student organisers worked diligently, day in and day out, moving between long rows of desks, their voices carrying under the high, beamed ceiling. Blue chairs were meticulously lined up at the foot of the stage.
The walls were so beautifully transformed into a silent gallery. Hand-drawn portraits looked down: a sketch of John Keats guarding the entrance near the Hall Office, a familiar Shakespeare near a chalkboard, and a striking modern silhouette of a woman’s profile, her mind a kaleidoscope of symbols from butterflies to gears.
In short, AKARA is a celebration of “Textual Transformations”. One chalkboard championed poetry as the art of creating gardens with real toads, while other posters celebrated poetry and textual creativity. It was a day where tradition, embodied by the heavy wooden furniture, met the creative fire of a new generation.
Beyond the sessions, the hall was a space for genuine connection. We catch quiet, intense moments with students – Dhana – the young man in a vibrant blue shirt, and the person behind the decorations, leaning back with a silver bracelet catching the light and a faint smile, perhaps reflecting on a successful plenary talk. Jack - sits at the wooden desks, his striped polo blending into the shadows as he watches the stage, where the Prakriti Foundation and other sponsors had helped make the vision a reality.
Connecting with Nature the Krishnamurti Way! #todayinMCC These snaps taken by our students today - Open Forum Day - bespeak to the fact t...
