Wednesday, 15 August 2007

Congrats Noeline..! We are proud of you..!


Noeline, a Literature Student from II BA English Literature has done us proud by winning the International Poetry Prize for her heart rending poem "Waves of Tears."
We are proud of her, and we wish her many more laurels and awards in the years to come! Kudos Noeline..! Keep up the Spirit...!

Kudos Ramnath..! You make us proud..!


Ramnath follows his passion of wildlife photography with zeal and commitment. He was in the news recently in Ananda Vikatan, a famed Tamil fortnightly, in its Independence Day special Issue. Kudos Ramnath! Keep up the good work!

Monday, 13 August 2007

Friday, 10 August 2007

Results of I CA for II BA English (Victorian Age )

Dear II BA English students, Results of the paper titled VICTORIAN AGE, have been put up in the following link - CLICK HERE to view them.
PS: I will be available for comments and clarifications, on all working days, till 2 pm, in the College premises. Clarifications, if any, should be made within ten days of the publication of the mark statement. No requests, whatsoever, shall be entertained beyond the said date.
Regards, Rufus

Possible Topics for Debate in Saturday's Workshop:

Dear Students, Our Language Workshop starts at 9.30 am, Saturday, 11 July 2007 at Selaiyur Hall Indoor stage premises. Apart from songs, games and Public Speaking, and for the first time, we shall have a DEBATE - A GREAT DEBATE, a fight till the finish - on any one of the topics given below:


Should Reservations be scrapped?
or
Should Strikes be banned
or
Should we have a proper Dress Code?
Come and let's battle it out...!
Advice on Debating with Others:
1.You need to be very polite when disagreeing with someone in English
2.Avoid the use of Never.
3.Avoid the use of Always.
4.Refrain from saying you are wrong.
5.You can say your idea is mistaken.
6.Don't disagree with obvious truths.
7.Attack the idea not the person.
8.Use many rather than most.
9.Avoid exaggeration.
10.Use some rather than many.
11.The use of often allows for exceptions.
12.The use of generally allows for exceptions
13.Quote sources and numbers.
14.If it is just an opinion, admit it.
15.Do not present opinion as facts.
16.Smile when disagreeing.
17.Stress the positive.
18.You do not need to win every battle to win the war.
19.Concede minor or trivial points.
20.Avoid bickering, quarreling, and wrangling.
21.Watch your tone of voice.
22.Don't win a debate and lose a friend.
Keep your cool - You're just debating...!

Regards and all best wishes,
Rufus

I BSc Pb&Pbt / Zoo Class - The Charmer and the Charmed..!

Every IV and VI DO will be time for Group Events in class. 

Yesterday, going by any indication, the Quiz, albeit a bit on the tougher side was cracked with consummate ease by a few groups, and kudos to them. 

Hopeland, demonstrated the Scorpion's stings and its structure with the help of a live scorpion. 











The sting of the scorpions is neurotoxic affecting the nervous system, and they are photophobic, and hence most of the time, they come out only during nights. Hence, we find most of the stings, nearly 75% are during the nights. 

The feel of the sting is like, getting a blow from a hammer. It's venom potential equals a cobra's. Once the venom is exhausted, it is expensive in terms of energy to produce it. A revelation to many indeed!

Thursday, 9 August 2007

In the City...!

Walk-in Interview: Transtaff Solutions, a HR company, will conduct an off-campus recruitment for arts and science graduates of the 2007 batch on Saturday. The recruitment is for Wipro Infotech, and will be held at Dr.MGR Janaki College of Arts and Science of Women in Raja Annamalaipuram. Candidates with over 60 per cent marks in Class XII and over 60 per cent aggregate in BSc are eligible for the walk-in interview.

Workshop: Shri Ram CHandra Mission will hold a workshop on "Living Purposefully and Developing Internal and External Leadership Qualities on August 12, at Babuji Memorial Ashram in Manapakkam at 10.30 am. For further details, rajesh_srimathi@vsnl.com

Monday, 6 August 2007

Results of I CA - II BA English

Dear Students,

Santiago was rewarded for his patience, and for showing grace under pressure. So, hold on till Wednesday evening for your coveted honors. Till then, keep the faith.
Regards,
Rufus

Language Enthusiasts' Meet - Saturday 11 August 2007

Dear Students, past and present, You are invited for a Language Enthusiasts' Meet this Saturday at Selaiyur Hall Indoor Stage premises between 10 am and 1 pm on Saturday, 11 August 2007.
Meaningful interactions, songs, participatory programs and a short play by the students of part-II English, will form part of the agenda.
This invite is for all my students, both past and present.
Regards,
Rufus

Saturday, 4 August 2007

I CA Internal Marks - I PBT / Zoo

Dear Students of I BSc Pbt / Zoo,
Results of the first CA have been put up in the following link. CLICK HERE to view your marks.
PS: Clarifications, if any, should be made within ten days of the annoucement of the marks. No requests, whatsoever, shall be entertained beyond the said date. Students who have performed well in the First CA will be intimated tomorrow after a careful perusal. Till then, keep the faith.
Regards,
Rufus

Friday, 3 August 2007

Announcements:

This week, we will not be having the Communication Skills Workshop. We shall meet next Saturday i.e 11 August 2007 at the same venue.

REGARDING RESULTS OF THE FIRST INTERNALS:
Dear Students, Results of your first CA will be displayed shortly here. Part II English students can access them by Saturday, and Literature students can access your marks by Sunday evening.

Monday, 30 July 2007

IT Shocks...!

Yesterday, during a training session, I happened to have an interesting chat with a software professional of a famous IT Company. He had a lot of thoughts to share and some of them were, from my perspective, quite shocking. Here begins his tale of woe:

My usual day at work starts around 8 am and I've to spend nearly 40 minutes speaking to my representative from the US, updating project details carried out the previous day and about upcoming tasks.

Being the PL (Project Leader) of a team of 20 members is a very arduous task in itself. In a team of say 20, CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL REPORT

Sunday, 29 July 2007

Interactive Seminar on Literature and Philosophy

A One-day workshop on Enjoying Literature through Philosophy is on the cards. A maximum of thirty students alone can be accommodated because of shortage of space and to facilitate better interaction with the Speakers.
Literature students who are really interested, can register themselves with me at the earliest. Nineteen more seats available.
The Workshop will focus on How to Enjoy Literature with focus on a Survey of literary theories, and its philosophical roots.
Participate and be enlightened.
Regards,
Rufus

Report on Communication Skills Workshop held on Saturday, 28 July

The Communication Skills Workshop held this Saturday had interactive sessions, and the main agenda was to analyse critically, the body language of every participant, as he/ she took to the stage. Then, we followed it up with pronunciation practice, and listening to good English numbers. Then, after outlining the essentials of a good Gropu Discussion, we had a GD on the topic, Should we retain our traditions, or should we make way for change?

Sakthivel was elected Leader of the group as he had polled more than one third of the 'valid' votes.

Details of the same, will be updated shortly.

Friday, 27 July 2007

Language Enthusiasts' Meet @ MCC - Saturday, 28 July

Dear Students, past and present, You are invited for a Language Enthusiasts' Meet this Saturday at Selaiyur Hall Indoor Stage premises between 10 am and 1 pm.
Group Discussions, games, interactions, and a short play by the students of part-II English, will form part of the agenda.
This invite is for all my students, past and present.
Regards,
Rufus

City Edu Info the week ahead...

Seminar on "The Outbreak of 1857" with a special reference to the anti-British rebellions that preceded it" on July 30 at World University Service Centre, Chetpet, by the Centre for Contemporary Studies.

V-Excel job fair - a recruitment programme for special educators on Saturday at V-Excel Educational Trust, 1, Norton Second St, Mandavelli between 10 am and 5 pm.
Candidates with a pass in HSC with good communication skills in English are eligible.
For details, 2462 0243

Career Plan holds an Interactive Session for students on management programmes offered by Loyola Institute of Business Administration at 10 am on Sunday. Entry is free. for further details, 4214 8494

Wednesday, 25 July 2007

Language Enthusiasts' Meet - Saturday, 28 July 2007

Dear Students, This week we have our workshop on Language Learning - titled Language Enthusiasts' Meet at the usual venue, Selaiyur Hall Indoor stage premises at 9.30 am. It goes on till 12.30 with a Tea Break in between. All my students, past and present are welcome to join in the joy of learning.
Regards, Rufus

Monday, 23 July 2007

English Oratorical Competition

THe "Talk your way to Japan" contest in English for College students in the State, would be held on August 18, 2007. For details, contact: 2374 3575, 2374 0318

In Progress...

I BA English - Sentence Patterns, Verb Phrase, Preposition Phrase, Noun Phrase etc.

II BA English - Ernest Hemingway's THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA (Pract.Intro)
JANE EYRE (Vict. Age)

III BA English - MOTHER OF 1084

I BSc Pbt/Zoo - Examinations, Churchill

II BA Phil/Tam - Literature and Science - Huxley

I MA English - MORPHOLOGY

Monthly Musings on my Classes... June to July 2007

After a month into the new Academic year at College, I blog my thoughts on Students and Academics from my point of view in our monthly review.

Starting with the I year Pbt/Zoo classes - I had made it mandatory that the class should bring along with them both their visa and passport, and till date they've been punctually and sincerely sticking to the unwritten rule of the thumb. The class gave me their feedback a fortnight ago, and I'm happy to say that the class has been so dynamic and proactive, encouraging their fellow classmates and making the class activities a great success.
Newspaper analysis, especially, hacking the Jumble, has met with quite a great amount of enthusiasm going by any indication. The fact that many a I Pbt/Zoo student can be seen reading the newspaper during any spare time in college speaks to their sincerity.
Mock Interviews have been a great success, starting from Melanshiya to Hopeland who literally brought a live snake to class to enthrall and surprise onlookers while enacting "Steve" Irwin, the famous crocodile hunter. Ten others have also done their part well, and the thunderous speech on Love by Elijah Victor deserves appreciation.
The communication skills time that we have in class has been roaring. Sentences for fluency practice are being practised with great gusto in and out of class.
As regards acting, so far, around 16 students have expressed interest and the skits, are being readied, and like the previous years, after practising for a couple of days, it will be staged, with all the sixteen taking part.
Encouragement and enthusiasm, they say, is contagious. The I BSc PBT and Zoology students are witness to this. Congrats dear Students. Keep up the good work. You make my day better.

I BA English class - A dynamic batch, I would say, with equal gusto and determination... together as a class of around fifty, they have been doing wonders in academics so far. The extra curriculars done in class have been met with great success, with students showcasing their latent talent, thus honing them. A host of personalities from Mother Teresa (2), George Bush, Sonia Gandhi, etc have made the audience lively with their thought-provoking replies. (except Thirumoorthy).
Keep up the good work. You are one dynamic and cheerful lot. Keep up the spirit dear students.

II BA Phil/Tam : A class with patient endeavour, perseverence and the will to succeed. The moment you step into class, you feel the aura of enthusiasm invigorating you to the core. A teacher's delight. They were firsts in everything. Submitting the front page design with alacrity and aplomb, they also did their first weekly test on Communication Skills very seriously and got flying colours. Proud of you dear students. The Philosophy class, which usually has a lot of sportspersons and hence lacks in attendance usually, turn up in full strength, much to my surprise and amazement. I promise you the best of whatever a teacher can give to you dear students.

II BA English - They were, i thought, very dynamic and forthcoming, but some of them lack the spark, and make the others also sparkless. "A Candle loses nothing of its brightness by lighting another candle." There are a regular threesome, who make it a point to stand out of the class and say hi to the teacher, and say, "Sir, Attendance, i need to do...." and it's a rarity to see them in class. Not even once have I seen them in my classes. Five colleagues testify to this fact about these particular students. Sad state of affairs.
The newspaper session in class, meant to make them more forthcoming in class participation, was a huge fiasco, going by any indication. I had to bug and beg to make things happen, which is a sorry state of affairs. But for these five students who make my heart sad while entering the class, the rest are enthused, lively, and dynamic. Thanks and kudos to them. Thus, cos of this fearsome five, I've decided against initiating them into a few things. Learn atleast your literature stuff better, and in this regard, i'll give you my best lectures. I assure you that.

III BA English class : A lively class replenished with enthusiasm and abundance of talent. I meet them just once a week this semester. The interactions we have in class, it has been going on from their II year, have been very lively and thought-provoking to the core. You are an enthusiastic lot with gusto and most of you have been very focussed. Commitment to work and schedule is another thing worth appreciating in you. I like coming to your class just for the enthusiasm you generate. It makes me double enthused. You are a teacher's delight. Keep up the spirit and the gusto.

All the Best...!

Dear Students, All the best for your upcoming Internal Tests. Honesty, Creativity and Neatness will be greatly appreciated. Do your best and leave the rest to your teacher.
Regards, Rufus

Friday, 20 July 2007

GOD'S GRANDEUR

GOD’S GRANDEUR

Introduction:

Gerard Hopkins wrote God's Grandeur in 1877 right around the time he was ordained as a priest. The poem deals with his feelings about God's presence and power in the world. He could not understand how the people inhabiting the earth could refuse or be distracted from God. This confusion was due to the greatness of God's power and overall existence that, to Hopkins, seemed impossible and sinful to ignore. However, as the poem progresses Hopkins expresses hope in the world and God's everlasting presence in it.

God’s Presence is Like an Electric Force and Like Rich Oil:

The first four lines of the octave describe a natural world through which God’s presence runs like an electrical current, becoming momentarily visible in flashes like the refracted glinting of light produced by metal foil when rumpled or quickly moved. Alternatively, God’s presence is a rich oil, a kind of sap that wells up “to a greatness” when tapped with a certain kind of patient pressure. Given these clear, strong proofs of God’s presence in the world, the poet asks how it is that humans fail to heed His divine authority.

The State of Contemporary Human Life:

The second part of the octave describes the state of contemporary human life—the blind repetitiveness of human labor, and the sordidness and stain of “toil” and “trade.” The landscape in its natural state reflects God as its creator; but industry and the prioritization of the economic over the spiritual have transformed the landscape, and robbed humans of their sensitivity to the those few beauties of nature still left. The shoes people wear sever the physical connection between our feet and the earth they walk on, symbolizing an ever-increasing spiritual alienation from nature.

The Continual Renewing Power of God’s Creation:

The sestet asserts that, in spite of the fallenness of Hopkins’s contemporary Victorian world, nature does not cease offering up its spiritual indices. Permeating the world is a deep “freshness” that testifies to the continual renewing power of God’s creation. This power of renewal is seen in the way morning always waits on the other side of dark night. The source of this constant regeneration is the grace of a God who “broods” over a seemingly lifeless world with the patient nurture of a mother hen. This final image is one of God guarding the potential of the world and containing within Himself the power and promise of rebirth. With the final exclamation (“ah! bright wings”) Hopkins suggests both an awed intuition of the beauty of God’s grace, and the joyful suddenness of a hatchling bird emerging out of God’s loving incubation.

Conclusion:

The poem reflects Hopkins’s conviction that the physical world is like a book written by God, in which the attentive person can always detect signs of a benevolent authorship, and which can help mediate human beings’ contemplation of this Author.

*****

Monday, 16 July 2007

Portion for I BSc PBT/Zoo Students - Part - II English

Dear Students, The portions for your first Internal Assessment Test are as follows:
Mending Wall, Frost
The Postmaster, Tagore
Examinations, Churchill
&
A couple of general questions on Communication skills done in class.
The Test will be for 50 Marks in total. Please bring the daily newspaper also for the test. (The New Indian Express)
Designing the Front Page will also be included as part of the Internals.
PS: Please look up the blog dated July 5, for information on designing the FRONT PAGE.
Regards,
Rufus

Portion for I BA English - I CA Test

GRAMMAR AND LINGUISTICS
I BA English students will be tested on the Sentence Patterns taught by Dr.V.R

Portion for I CA TEST - II BA English Litt.,

The following are the areas in which you will be tested for your First Internal Test which starts on 23 July 2007.

Practical Introduction to Litt:
The Nightingale and the Rose by Wilde
&
One general question.

The Victorian Age
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Chap 1 - 7
&
One general question.

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