Lookin' Back..!

This month, we celebrate eight fruitful years of blogging, and we've completed more than 8oo posts till date. Looking back, I just wonder at the pace at which Time flits by, on the wings of the whole wide web... 

Indeed it looks like, I wrote my first blog post just about yesterday!! What started off as a log/record of class activities for my students, quite soon expanded over a period of time to accommodate posts on general awareness, Educational scholarships, Association Activities, Recruitments, celebrating Student writers, acknowledging Student achievers, etc.

Herewith i would like to present memorable highlights of my blog - 

Personally, thus far, the cream of the blog, would be, Student Assignments which speak volumes to the creative abilities latent within every student. ‘Inspirational posts’ which are the lighthouse to the blog, serve to motivate students towards their goals!

Posts on ‘General Awareness’ have become a huge hit with netizens, particularly with my students - past and present, and I am sure convinced that they have been quite useful to the general reader too!

I would also like to say, with all humility, that we have got requests for lesson plans/lesson help/ lesson ideas/ lesson summaries from more than 200 netizens (students and/or researchers and/or fellow teachers) from across the world, and, thanks to my illustrious staff friends, we have been able to help out as much as possible, in the limited time available to us, everyone who has sought our academic guidance, totally free of cost!

Now for the acknowledgements - 

Topics for Oratory.:

Dear Students of II BA English Literature, 

Please find below the topics you've opted for, as part of your obligations towards your Paper on Rhetoric.

Your names are displayed against the topics you have chosen. Students who have not yet chosen your topic, may do so at the earliest. You can send me an email to rufusonline@gmail.com and confirm your topics. You may also start preparing for your Speech rightaway, by collecting data for the same. 

Criteria on what makes a good speech, will be displayed shortly. 

All the very best!

Regards, 

Rufus, Course Teacher

Topics for Oratory:

1.        Alcohol should be illegal. - ANTONY

2.        Children should provide room and board for their aging parents.

3.        Studying grammar is more important than practising conversation skills.

4.        Television is the leading cause of violence in today's society. - JENILA

5.        Dogs make better companions than cats.

6.        Smoking should be permitted in public places. - JEON

7.        Females are better students than males. - LOGESWARI

8.        Reading English is more difficult than writing English.

9.        Summer is the best season of the year. - SANDHIYA

10.     College students should wear uniforms.

11.     21 should be the legal driving age around the world.

12.     Rock and Roll is the best kind of music.

13.     "Is being happy connected with having a lot of money?" – JEEVAN / CHRISTINA GEORGE

14.     Beauty is only skin deep.

15.     The Olympics are a waste of money.

16.     Does violence in television and movies influence the way children behave?

Poetry Fest @ MCC | A Report

Our Principal, at the release of 'Cornucopia'

Sylvan Verses @ MCC | A Report

Global Voices Resonate Under the Trees at MCC’s Prakriti Poetry Fest

The rustic, sylvan locale of the Selaiyur Hall at Madras Christian College (MCC) transformed into a vibrant literary stage this December, as the college played host to the four-day Prakriti Poetry Reading Fest.

Held under the shade of the campus’s mighty, historic trees, the festival became a melting pot of culture, bridging the gap between the Mediterranean coast and the Coromandel, and connecting the ancient mysticism of Kashmir with the modern voices of cinema.

The South-South Parallel

The festival opened on Saturday, 10th December with an intellectual exploration of the “South-South parallel.” The session featured a distinguished “Mediterranean Poets” panel, including French-Lebanese poet and essayist of international renown, Salah Stétié, and Italian novelist and translator, Giuseppe Conte.

In a dialogue of verses, they were joined by Tamil literary figures Anand Krishnan, Kavitha Muralidharan, and Sivakami IAS. Together, the collective explored the threads connecting Mediterranean sensibilities with South Indian realities, reading from their works to an engaged audience.

Echoes of Kashmir

On the second day, the focus shifted from the ocean to the valley. Eminent poet Ranjit Hoskote took the stage to resurrect the voice of Lal Ded, the 14th-century mystic and forerunner of Sufism in the Kashmir Valley.

Hoskote presented selections from his translation of 146 poems from Lalla’s circulating corpus, rendering her ancient utterances into fresh, evocative English.

The audience was visibly moved as he recited -

I’m towing my boat across the ocean with a thread.

Will He hear me and help me across?

Or am I seeping away like water from a half-baked cup?

Wander, my poor soul, you're not going home anytime soon.

The session concluded with a dynamic interaction, as Mr. Hoskote fielded inquisitive queries from the students, bridging the gap between the medieval mystic and the modern youth.

Our Principal, releasing Cornucopia...

Tagore and the Modern Muse

The festival maintained its momentum on Day Three with a heartwarming recital by the Rabindranath Tagore Panel in the Selaiyur Hall guest room.

By Day Four, the atmosphere turned cinematic. Poet and filmmaker Arjun Bali took the podium, reciting his works to a rapt audience. In a unique twist, Bali opened the floor for a “listener’s choice” session, allowing the audience to curate the flow of the poetry.

A ‘Cornucopia’ of Talent

The festivities culminated in a significant literary launch. Dr. Alexander Jesudasan, Principal of MCC, released the first variety ensemble of TEA @ MCC titled Cornucopia.

The first copy of the book was received by Shri Arjun C. Bali in the presence of Dr. Felix Moses and Dr. Stephen Jebanesan.

From the shade of the ancient trees to the release of new books, the four-day Prakriti Fest was a resounding success, offering a rare space where eminent and emerging poets could cater to the mind and heart alike.

Bringing Poetry Closer to You...

Poetry with Prakriti @ MCC

The festival brings together eminent and emerging poets,

featuring readings to small, intimate audiences.

So,

 if there’s a poet in you waiting to come out,

Don’t miss out...!

The Schedule:

@ MCC

On Saturday, 10 December, 10 am – Mediterranean Poet Panel @ SH, MCC

On Monday, 12 December, 1 pm – Noted poet Ranjit Hoskote @ SH, MCC

On Tuesday, 13 December, 11.30 am – Rabindranath Tagore Panel @ SH, MCC

On Friday, 16 December, 11.30 am – Arjun Bali @ SH, MCC