I BA English - Topics for Assignment..:

Points to note before you ink: All assignments must be original, handwritten, in A4 size, in about 12 to 15 pages (min) and must have a bibliography - All sources should be acknowledged at the end of the assignment. The last date for submission of assignments is 29 September 2008.

Angel, G – Parts of Speech - Write an essay in about 250 words on why grammar is important to the study of language? Also, write short notes on : Closed-system items - Open-class items - Stative and Dynamic - Pro-forms - Question and negation.

Deborah, H – Write an essay in about 250 words on why grammar is important to the study of language? Also, write short notes on : Verbal forms and the verb phrase - The Morphology of lexical verbs - Regular lexical verbs - The -ing and -s forms - The past and the -ed participle.

Haritha, B – Write an essay in about 250 words on why grammar is important to the study of language? Also, write short notes on : The auxiliaries 'do', 'have', 'be' - The modal auxiliaries - Marginal modal auxiliaries - Finite and non-finite verb phrases - Contrasts expressed in the verb phrase.

Kalaiselvi, M – Write an essay in about 250 words on why grammar is important to the study of language? Also, write short notes on : Time, aspect and mood - Tense and aspect - The Future - The Basic Sentence Patterns

Kezia Gnana Kumari, W – Write an essay in about 250 words on why grammar is important to the study of language? Also, write short notes on : The basic noun phrase - Noun Classes : Proper nouns, common nouns, non-count nouns, determiners

Meenu Mary Jain – Write an essay in about 250 words on why grammar is important to the study of language? Also, write short notes on : The basic Noun Phrase, determiners, closed-system premodifiers, predeterminers, post determiners, quantifiers, gender and case, pronouns.

Parline Maria, A – Write an essay in about 250 words on why grammar is important to the study of language? Also, write short notes on : Parts of Speech - Closed-system items - Open-class items - Stative and Dynamic - Pro-forms - Question and negation

Rintu Elsa Jacob – Write an essay in about 250 words on why grammar is important to the study of language? Also, write short notes on : Verbal forms and the verb phrase - The Morphology of lexical verbs - Regular lexical verbs - The -ing and -s forms - The past and the -ed participle.

Sharnya, M – Write an essay in about 250 words on why grammar is important to the study of language? Also, write short notes on : The auxiliaries 'do', 'have', 'be' - The modal auxiliaries - Marginal modal auxiliaries - Finite and non-finite verb phrases - Contrasts expressed in the verb phrase.

Anand, K.S – Write an essay in about 250 words on why grammar is important to the study of language? Also, write short notes on : Time, aspect and mood - Tense and aspect - The Future - The Basic Sentence Patterns.

Arun Kumar, J – Write an essay in about 250 words on why grammar is important to the study of language? Also, write short notes on : The basic noun phrase - Noun Classes : Proper nouns, common nouns, non-count nouns, determiners,

Cerin P.Simon – Write an essay in about 250 words on why grammar is important to the study of language? Also, write short notes on : Parts of Speech - Closed-system items - Open-class items - Stative and Dynamic - Pro-forms - Question and negation

George Infant Arockiaraj – Write an essay in about 250 words on why grammar is important to the study of language? Also, write short notes on : Verbal forms and the verb phrase - The Morphology of lexical verbs - Regular lexical verbs - The -ing and -s forms - The past and the -ed participle

Johny Raj, S – Write an essay in about 250 words on why grammar is important to the study of language? Also, write short notes on : The auxiliaries 'do', 'have', 'be' - The modal auxiliaries - Marginal modal auxiliaries - Finite and non-finite verb phrases - Contrasts expressed in the verb phrase

Midhun K. Varghese – Write an essay in about 250 words on why grammar is important to the study of language? Also, write short notes on : Time, aspect and mood - Tense and aspect - The Future - The Basic Sentence Patterns

Paul Israel, I – Write an essay in about 250 words on why grammar is important to the study of language? Also, write short notes on : The basic noun phrase - Noun Classes : Proper nouns, common nouns, non-count nouns, determiners,

Rajeshwaran, S – Write an essay in about 250 words on why grammar is important to the study of language? Also, write short notes on : Parts of Speech - Closed-system items - Open-class items - Stative and Dynamic - Pro-forms - Question and negation

Samuel Praise, P – Write an essay in about 250 words on why grammar is important to the study of language? Also, write short notes on : The auxiliaries 'do', 'have', 'be' - The modal auxiliaries - Marginal modal auxiliaries - Finite and non-finite verb phrases - Contrasts expressed in the verb phrase

Siju Philip Rajan – Write an essay in about 250 words on why grammar is important to the study of language? Also, write short notes on : The auxiliaries 'do', 'have', 'be' - The modal auxiliaries - Marginal modal auxiliaries - Finite and non-finite verb phrases - Contrasts expressed in the verb phrase

Wesley, P – Write an essay in about 250 words on why grammar is important to the study of language? Also, write short notes on : Verbal forms and the verb phrase - The Morphology of lexical verbs - Regular lexical verbs - The -ing and -s forms - The past and the -ed participle.

Assignment topics for II BA English Litt., Students...:

Paper: A Practical Introduction to Literature

Points to Note before you start working on your Assignment:

The essays should be about 12 to 15 pages in length, proofed, and well thought-out. I see these assignments as a chance for you to explore more thoroughly some of the topics we have discussed / we will be discussing in class.
Also, when you write the essays, be sure to use examples from the text of the novel/short story concerned.

No further extension of the prescribed deadline is permissible under any circumstances. Creativity, Neatness and Originality will be rewarded suitably.

1. Ankita Harihar – Hemingway’s Vision of Heroism with reference to “The Old Man the Sea.”

2. Dolly Mary - To be a man is to behave with honor and dignity: to not succumb to suffering, to accept one's duty without complaint, and most importantly, to display a maximum of self-control. Discuss the above statement with reference to The Old Man and the Sea.

3. Hebzibah Nancy - 3. Discuss religious symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea. To what effect does Hemingway employ such images?

4. Nadhiya, N - Write a carefully planned paper in which you explore the meaning and the appropriateness of Hemingway's title. In doing this, you will need to examine carefully each word of the title and you will also need to consider other possible titles that Hemingway might have used.

5. Priya, P –A.) How much convincing evidence do you find for regarding the old man as a symbol of man in general? B.) How much convincing evidence do you find for regarding the fish as more than just a marlin? If the fish is a symbol, what does he symbolize?

6. Sheela, R - Comment on the major themes in the short stories of Oscar Wilde with spl reference to the prescribed short story, and also discuss Wilde’s achievements as a writer.

7. Shruthi, M.T - Analyze Santiago's inner conflict and introspection while at sea.

8. Sudha, M - What is the role of the sea and all its inhabitants? Does the sea, with all its elements of life and challenges, represent or symbolize the nature of society in general, and Santiago's fishing village in particular?

9. Supraja, P - Write a paper in which you comment fully and specifically on the significance for the entire book of Santiago's words, "A man can be destroyed but not defeated." (p. 103) To do this you will need to start with an exploration of possible meanings of the two words destroyed and defeated.

10. Ajit Daniel, C –

Answer the following questions in one or two sentences each:
1. How long had it been since Santiago had caught a fish?
2. Santiago's eyes were not old- they were the colour of the ______, and______?
3. How did the other fishermen react to Santiago?
4. How did Santiago and Manolin meet in the morning? What did they eat for breakfast?
5. Did Santiago realize that he was going "far out"? (give page reference)
6. Did Santiago speak of the sea as feminine or masculine?

7. Comment on symbolism in the novel in about 150 words.

11. Arun Prashanth:
1. In what direction was the fish pulling?
2. What did Santiago hope the fish would do? Why ?
3. What woke him up?
4. How many times had the fish jumped?
5. What did Santiago eat for breakfast?
6. Write a note on Existentialism in The Old Man and the Sea in about 150 words.

12. Baskar, G -
1. When was Santiago going to say 100 Our Fathers and Hail Marys?
2. Who met him in the morning? What did he do when he saw the old man?
3. How big was the fish? Did the fish beat Santiago?
4. What was on the walls of Santiago's shack? What used to hang there?
5. How did Santiago get his dinner that night, and what was it?
6. What does Santiago say is "his alarm clock"?
7. In his dreams, how did the lions play?
8. Write a short note on the life and works of Ernest Hemingway in about 150 words.

13. Dayananth, J -
1. On day two, when did Santiago think he would catch 'the big one'? (give page reference)
2. What did Santiago use for bait?
3. When the man-of-war bird dove into the sea, what happened?
4. On day three, what added drag to the line, and pleased Santiago?
5. What did Santiago eat for breakfast?
6. Santiago considered the fish his _______?
7. Write a note on the life and works of Oscar Wilde in about 150 words.

14. Georgy Varghese:
1. (On the fourth day,) When was Santiago going to say 100 Our Fathers and Hail Marys?
2. What was the fish doing all this day?
3. What did Santiago kill the fish with? What time was it?
4. What is Manolin determined to do now?
5. Who did Santiago give the fish head to? Why?
6. Write a short essay in about 150 words on Hemingway’s attitude towards God and man.

15. Jaison Mathew –
1. Did Santiago speak of the sea as feminine or masculine?
2. When did Santiago think he would catch 'the big one'? (give page reference)
3. What did Santiago use for bait?
4. Can Hemingway be a source of inspiration to today’s youth. Why or why not? Authenticate your answer from his life and works, in about 250 words.

16. Karthick, J.R –
1. How did Santiago get his dinner that night, and what was it?
2. What does Santiago say is "his alarm clock"?
3. How did Santiago and Manolin meet in the morning? What did they eat for breakfast?
4. Did Santiago speak of the sea as feminine or masculine?
5. The lights of what city are visible on the horizon?
6. Comment on the maxim “Man can be destroyed but not defeated” in about 250 words with reference to the prescribed novella.

17. Madhavan, M -
1. What was the biggest fish that Santiago had ever caught? Was he alone those times?
2. What did Santiago promise to do if God allowed him to catch the fish?
3. What did Santiago kill the fish with? What time was it?
4. The entire novel is a single unit as written, but it is possible to divide the book logically into parts. How many parts are there and what happens in each section? Although there is no single right answer, your explanation should demonstrate the logic and accuracy of your divisions, in about 250 words.

18. Martin, T -
1. What did Santiago drink throughout this ordeal?
2. What attacked his fish enroute?
3. On day five, who met him in the morning? What did he do when he saw the old man?
4. Hemingway might have written The Old Man and the Sea as a much longer novel, taking Santiago from his early childhood to his final dreams of the lions. What would have been lost if he had done this? What gained?

19. Praburaj, D
1. Did Santiago like the Portuguese man of war? Why?
2. Did Santiago realize that he was going "far out"? (give page reference)
3. Who did Santiago give the fish head to? Why?
4. Comment on the maxim “Man can be destroyed but not defeated” in about 250 words with reference to the prescribed novella.

20. Roshan Joseph –
1. Did Santiago speak of the sea as feminine or masculine?
2. When did Santiago think he would catch 'the big one'? (give page reference)
3. What did Santiago use for bait?
4. Can Hemingway be a source of inspiration to today’s youth. Why or why not? Authenticate your answer from his life and works, in about 250 words.

21. Samuel Gnanaselvan –
1. Use one word to describe how Santiago 'works' his big fish.
2. The lights of what city are visible on the horizon?
3. Who did Santiago wish was with him?
4. Santiago considered the fish his _______?
5. Comment on the symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea, in about 250 words with references to the text, wherever possible.

22. Thirumoorthy, N –
1. What did Santiago hope the fish would do? Why ?
2. What was the biggest fish that Santiago had ever caught? Was he alone those times?
3. What did Santiago do to convince God to allow him to catch the fish?
4. The entire novel is a single unit as written, but it is possible to divide the book logically into parts. How many parts are there and what happens in each section? Although there is no single right answer, your explanation should demonstrate the logic and accuracy of your divisions, in about 250 words.

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II BA English - I CIA MARKS - Practical Intro to Litt.,

Dear Students,
The following are your marks for the Paper "Practical Intro. to Literature"
Clarifications, if any, should be made before 26 September 2008.
1. Ankita – 54
2. Ashita – ab
3. Dolly – ab
4. Ebarish – 68
5. Hebzibah – 48
6. Kalpana – 48
7. Nadhiya – 40
8. Navitha – 56
9. Priya – 62
10. Riyukta – 58
11. Sheela – ab
12. Shloka – 72
13. Shruti – 50
14. Silvia – 54
15. Sudha, M – 46
16. Sudha, S – 50
17. Supraja – 60
18. Abner – 54
19. Ajit Daniel – 64
20. Ajit Joseph – 58
21. Arun Prashant – 60
22. Arunan – 40
23. Baskar – 16
24. Bharat – 38
25. Dayananth – 52
26. Deepak – 60
27. Georgy – 66
28. Isaac – 44
29. Jaison – 60
30. John – 64
31. Karthick – 58
32. Lakshmi Narayan – 64
33. Madhavan – 56
34. Mainar – 36
35. Martin – 70
36. Prabhuraj – 36
37. Rajesh – 58
38. Roshan – 52
39. Samuel Finny – 64
40. Samuel Gnanaselvan –ab
41. Thamizhvanan – 60
42. Vignesh – 40
43. Vivek – 56

Dear Students,

Click on THIS LINK to check out on how a group of youngsters is making a positive impact on the lives of many underprivileged children. T. VINODH VENKATAKRISHNAN, an illustrious alumna of our College profiles them through the pages of THE HINDU - NxG.

Regards, Rufus

Topics for Assignment - II BA English Litt., Students...:

Paper: The Victorian Age

Points to Note before you start working on your Assignment:

The essays should be about 12 to 15 pages in length, proofed, and well thought-out. I see these assignments as a chance for you to explore more thoroughly some of the topics we have discussed / we will be discussing in class.

Also, when you write the essays, be sure to use examples from the text of the novel concerned. JANE EYRE, A TALE OF TWO CITIES etc., have some very usable quotes: use them to your advantage.

No further extension of the prescribed deadline is permissible under any circumstances. Creativity, Neatness and Originality will be rewarded suitably. I would also like to add that I really enjoy reading your essays. All the best!!!

Ankita Harihar – In what ways might Jane Eyre be considered a feminist novel? What points does the novel make about the treatment and position of women in Victorian society? On a modern parallel, imagine Jane Eyre belonged to the present generation. What would have been the modern Jane Eyre's reactions to the atrocities against her? Discuss.

Ebarish Rebe, R – Compare and contrast some of the characters who serve as foils throughout Jane Eyre: Blanche to Jane, St. John to Rochester, and, perhaps, Bertha to Jane and so on. How do these contrasts aid the development of the book’s themes?

Nadhiya, N - Discuss the resurrection theme in A Tale of Two Cities. Which characters are “recalled to life”? How?

Riyukta Raghunath - One of the questions in the background of the book Jane Eyre is, What makes a lady? Is it birth, breeding, experience, money, or something else? What is the novel's answer? And what is your personal answer?

Shruthi M.T - Discuss Dickens’s attitude toward the French Revolution. Does he sympathize with the revolutionaries?

Sudha, S - How does Dickens reconcile his distaste for the Revolution with his identity as a social crusader? Does he believe in the people's right to revolt under an oppressive government?

Ajit Daniel, C - Discuss Jane as a narrator and as a character. What sort of voice does she have? How does she represent her own actions? Does she seem to be a trustworthy storyteller, or does Brontë require us to read between the lines of her narrative? In light of the fact that people who treat Jane cruelly (John Reed, Mrs. Reed, Mr. Brocklehurst) all seem to come to unhappy endings, what role does Jane play as the novel’s moral center?

Arunan, M - Attempt a character sketch of Jane Eyre.

Dayananth, J – Write a note on Realism in Jane Eyre.

Isaac Ebenezer, J - Keep a list of all the major female characters. What is each like? How is she like or unlike Jane? In what sense may she serve as a role model, either positive or negative, for Jane? What parallels are there between Jane and any of these other characters?

Karthick, J.R - What are the things you like about Jane Eyre, the girl, and what do you dislike about her. Discuss the good things that society can learn from a novel like JANE EYRE.

Mainar, V – Write a note on Miss.Temple and Helen Burns. How do they influence the life of Jane Eyre.

Praburaj, D- Examine the theme of resurrection in the novel "A Tale of Two Cities." Which characters are brought back to life and how? Is there any situation from which resurrection is impossible?

Samuel Finny, M - Does the plot's reliance on fate and coincidence--including the resemblance of Carton to Darnay, the discovery of Dr. Manette's document, and the double recognition of Solomon Pross a.k.a. John Barsad by Miss Pross and Jerry Cruncher--make the story less believable or less powerful, in the novel "A Tale of Two Cities"

Thirumoorthy, N – Write a note on the female characters in Jane Eyre and suggest in what sense each of them serves as a role model, either positive or negative, for Jane? What parallels are there between Jane and any of these other characters?

Assignment topics for III BA English Litt., Students...:

Topics for assignments for the following students who come under my purview:

Points to Note before you Ink: The essays should be about 12 to 15 pages in length, handwritten, proofed, and well thought-out, adhering to the MLA Style. Bibliography should be used, wherever applicable. I see these assignments as a chance for you to explore more thoroughly some of the topics we have discussed / we will be discussing in class. Also, when you write the essays, be sure to use examples from the text of the play/novel, which have some very usable quotes: use them to your advantage.

Creativity, Neatness and Originality will be rewarded suitably. I would also like to add that I really enjoy reading your essays, and remember, you should be able to make a presentation in class, in about five minutes based on your assignment.

Your marks will be based on the above parameters. All the best..!!!

Cleeta, S.J – “The reason and inspiration for my writing are those people who are exploited and used, and yet do not accept defeat,” opines Mahashweta Devi. Justify this statement of hers, with reference to her life and writings.

Jayanthi, L – Select any Indian woman writer of your choice and comment on her achievement as a writer.

Kamatchi, M – Quest for Identity in Modern Women Writers with specific reference to any one Indian Woman Writer in English of your choice.

Mercy Mary, D – Gender Consciousness in the works of any one Indian Woman Writer of your choice.

Sayujya Sankar – Realism in the works of Kamala Das.

Smitha Susan – A Study of Men in Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things.

Aadithyan Mohan – Do you think Indian Women Writers are highly subjective in their outlook? Argue for or against the motion citing one Indian Woman Writer.

Ashish Ityerah – Quest for Identity as a theme in Indian Women’s Writing with reference to any one Indian Woman Writer of your choice.

Daniel Jesudoss, J – Choose any one Indian Woman Writer of your choice, and say why you like or dislike her writing, with references from her works.

Juda Eleazar, J – Choose any one Indian Woman Writer and comment on her achievement as a writer.

Pradeep Kumar, E – Do you think Indian Women Writers are highly emotional in their writing? Argue for or against the motion, citing any one Indian Woman Writer of your choice.

Satchin Joseph – Choose any one Indian Woman Writer of your choice, and say why you like or dislike her writing, with references from her works.

Sushant Anugrah – Is Feminism still relevant in today’s society? Pick out any Feminist Woman writer of your choice, and say why she is relevant or outdated in today’s societal set up. Substantiate your arguments with relevant examples from texts.

Yerram Sreekanth – Man through a Woman’s Eyes - Choose any one Indian Woman Writer of your choice, and exemplify how Men are portrayed in her writings.

Topics for Assignment - Reg..:

Dear Students,
Topics for your assignment (for students who come under my purview) will be displayed in this, our academic blog, shortly.
Regards,
Rufus

Essay Competition for School and College Students..:

The Govt Royapettah Hospital invites school and college students to send in essays on the ill effects of consuming tobacco and alcohol.

The theme for this year is "Stay away From Tobacco and Alcohol, Save Your Life," aiming to address two of the leading causes of ill-health and disease among the general population.

The competition is open to students in recognised eduacational institutions in the State, in three categories: high school, undergraduate and post graduate college students; and medical students.

The essays must be original, and not more than 1,000 words in length. They should be emailed before midnight of August 8 to royappettahhealth@gmail.com

The two best essays in each category will be awarded a medal and a certificate each at the Independence Day function at the hospital. All participants will get certificates of appreciation. Prize winners will be intimated by email before August 12.

THE ENGLISH ASSOCIATION INAUGURAL - A REPORT...:

The English Association, Madras Christian College, kickstarted its Association activities for the Academic year 2008 -'09 with the Inaugural Address by Mr.Frederick Kaplan, Public Affairs Officer and Acting US Consul General, USIS, Chennai. Excerpts from his Address:

It's nice to see people giving a lot of value and importance to Literature, when lots more are worried about earning money. My fourteen-year old son asked, "Why study or read literature? Will it get me a job? My reply to my son and to others gathered here is that, literature is for pleasure, for sheer enjoyment, and secondly, it is there to instruct you.

The anthropologist or psychologist may discuss human experience, but literature presents life appealing to our feelings and senses, recreating experiences. "If you ask me what books one has to read in order to understand India, I'd suggest reading novels, rather than history or academic texts. By opting for a career in Literature, you're spending your time wisely and enriching your life in the process," he opined.

When I think of your country and mine, the word 'connectedness' comes to the forefront. In my job, I practice 'public diplomacy' a diplomacy that reaches out directly to people across schools and universities. Indians and Americans are always connected, today more than ever and probably even more tomorrow.

When President Bush visited India in March 2o06, he decided to open a new consulate in India at Hyderabad, at a time when we've been closing down on our Consulates the world over in the last 20 years, and that is because we have a lot in common. There has been collaboration in Academics, Agriculture, Science and technology, including the historic agreement on civil and nuclear energy.

A small example is Madras Christian College's partnership with Davidson College, USA. That's one example of how Americans and Indians work together without any governmental interference.

It's amazing to see people from India coming over to the US and vice versa in large numbers. We process 1400 visa applicants per day at Chennai - that gives you an idea of how much people travel from Chennai to USA. Roughly 3500 visas from the country are processed per day, amounting to a million visas a year. I attended the University of California, and at that time there wasn't a single student from India, but now there are thousands from India.

Vinod Khosla and Sabeer Bhatia studied in India and started huge companies. While the former founded Sun Microsystems, the latter developed Hotmail. One in every seven Companies in the US is founded by an immigrant from India. Even in politics, Indians do remarkably well. Bobby Jindal is a case in point.

Americans are getting Indianised without knowing it at all. Cremation was virtually unknown in the US thirty years back. But today, more than a third of the Americans are choosing cremation rather than being buried. Also, yoga has become popular in the US since the 1960s. Turn on any TV station and you can easily learn yoga.

He cited Thoreau as an example of the interconnectedness between India and the US.

So, reading Literature shows that we're all interconnected and the lives and destinies of the people in US and in India ar connected. Those who read and understand human connectedness would never succumb to extremism or terrorism. When we see that we are all together in this adventure called life, we'll all live together in peace and in happiness.

**********************************************************************************

In his vote of thanks, Dr.V.Rajagopalan, our beloved Head of the Department observed,

In a few minutes of phatic interaction between Mr.Kaplan and the Principal (Dr.V.J.Philip), Mr.Kaplan came up with several literary ideas that made me so happy that I came to the conclusion that an American diplomat is primarily a humanist before he is anything else.

He said any human being should know the literature of his own country before he learnt the literature of other countries. He also stressed the Eliotian idea of seeing holistically about the literatures of the world. He is very much informed about Thoreau, Emerson and Gandhi. He also said that he was advising his son to read great classics.

Lastly, Mr.Frederick Kaplan, we want to tell you we are thankful for your meaningful presence and address by stinting your time . We want to thank you through the via media of one of Shakespeare's characters who says, "beggar that I am I am poorer ever in thanks." The raison d etre of this inaugural has been completely vindicated by your wonderful inaugural address.

**********************************************************************************

Performances by our students followed the inaugural.

In Dumb Charades, that ensued, the freshers from I BA English and I MA English were split into four teams based on their respective months of birth. It was a neck-to-neck contest, and finally, the results tally thus:

Team I (Jan, Feb, Mar) bagged the Third spot clicking 38 seconds,

Team II (Apr, May, June) got the Second spot clicking 26 seconds, while

Team IV (Oct, Nov, Dec) bagged the First slot clicking 17 seconds flat.

Team III (July, Aug, Sept) scored the fourth place with 68 seconds.

**********************************************************************************

Freshers then introduced themselves to the English Department Family.

Dr.Ganesh, President of The English Association, then delivered the common Vote of Thanks.

Credit goes to the beloved students of our Deparment, especially the office bearers who made the occasion a very grand success. They will be acknowledged individually by the President himself very soon.

The program ended at around 12.30 p.m with delicious lunch for everyone.

**********************************************************************************

P.S: Snaps of the Inaugural will be posted soon, once we get hold of them.

Inauguration of THE ENGLISH ASSOCIATION...:

The English Department, Madras Christian College

invites you to the inaugural function of the activities of

THE ENGLISH ASSOCIATION for the year 2008-09

on the 31st of July 2008, at 10.20 am

at the Selaiyur Hall Indoor Stage.

Chief Guest: Mr.Frederick Kaplan,

[Public Affairs Officer & Acting US Consul General, USIS, Chennai]

this invite is on behalf of The HOD, Staff and Students of the English Department

& Dr.Ganesh, President,

The English Association

Essay Competition..:

An essay competition for College students on "Rampant Corruption in India - who is responsible?" is being organised by Nandini Voice for the Deprived an NGO. The last date for registration is Jul 25. A meeting would be held on August 15 to discuss the subject.

For details call: 2491 6037 / 2496 1346

A Guest Post Exclusively for our Blog by a great Writer...:

Dear Students, I reproduce below, a challenging article on Preparing for the Job Hunt, by an expert in the field, Heather Johnson, who has written the following article exclusively for our site. Wish you happy reading.

5 Ways College Seniors Can Prepare for the Job Hunt...:

Your senior year is going to be a lot of fun as you and your friends wind down a turbulent four years and get ready to go into the real world. There are going to be so many things going on that thinking about your career and where you’ll work once you graduate is an easy thing to avoid and push to the back burner. If you thought getting into college was competitive, wait until you enter the work force. It’s crucial that you utilize the skills you’ve acquired in college and apply them to your job hunt. Here are five tips for you as you consider your next move once graduation has come and gone:

Write a resume that highlights your education. Start out by coming up with your objective for your job search. Combine your educational background with the type of work you are seeking. Make mention of any internships you’ve had in the field you aspiring to join. This is your chance to put your education to work for you.

Open up your network. The friends you make in college are more than drinking buddies. You’ll all graduate and enter different fields but you should maintain contact with them even if they’re not great friends because fellow alumni love helping each other get jobs. Start networking online as well through Facebook or other medium; just be sure to take down any foolish pictures of you when you weren’t exactly thinking through all your decisions.

Assess your skill set. Figure out what your skills are and what type of job they’d fit best. Consider your interpersonal skills; should you be working with customers or be more behind the scenes. Your communication skills are heavily weighed by employers.

Go to the career center. Consider how much money you and your parents have poured into your education. Your college has a career center with highly trained professionals that are trained to help you figure out your career path. They will help you with your resume and can help you expand your network.

Hone your interviewing skills. The job interview can be a scary experience but it doesn’t have to be that way. Work with a friend that is entering the same field and quiz each other with applicable questions. Remember that you aren’t just answering questions, but should show that you’re actively listening by coming up with follow-up questions of your own.


This guest post is written by Heather Johnson, who frequently writes on ITT Technical Institute Online. She welcomes your comments and freelance writing inquiries at: heatherjohnson2323 at gmail dot com.

Seminar for a BETTER FUTURE...:

What is liberation and its meaning in the 21st century?

How can you contribute to a positive future through your own transformation? Who are we at the deepest level?

These are some of the many topics to be discussed at "Creating the FUTURE, Together - The Universe Project" on Sunday, 29 June, 2008.
The project is a collective process of interested people coming together to participate in the creative and exciting cause of the evolution of consciousness and culture.

For registrations, contact: 98407 55049

Poster Competition...:

A Poster Competition on the Importance of Literacy

is being organised by the State Resource Centre for Adult Education, in connection with International Literacy Day.

The posters must have a caption or a sentence.

Participants may send their posters

with their names and and contact address, phone numbers

to the centre's Director at

20, First Street, Venkatratnam Nagar Extension, Adyar, on or before July 15.

For details, contact the centre at 24914147.

Ushering in a New Academic Year...:

Dear Students,

Welcome to another dynamic year of Academics. For some of you this may be the last year of your graduation, while for some others, you've still got a year more to go.

Either way, I thought of enumerating below, Seven golden principles for my students, which I'm sure would effect a lasting transformation in YOU.

1. Always march to the beat of your own band - The most satisfying experiences in our lives are when we are engaged physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, or intellectually. Life is meant to be effortless. If you're tugging and pulling, and everything feels like an uphill battle, then you're doing the wrong thing. If you don't like a class, quit it. Don't try to march to the beat of your teacher, chugging and pulling, and distracting the attention of others around you in the process.

2. Dedicate Quality Time - Life is so precious; make the most of each and every day. Rise early, spend some quality time by yourself as well as with those you care about. Go for a walk, workout, read a book.

3. Be Passionate in Everything you do - Show passion in everything you do. Let it show in your body language, in your smile, in your voice. Let your eyes sparkle. Let the world see and hear your enthusiasm and let it feel your passion.

4. Always be true to yourself - Live a life of integrity. Take pride in whatever you do. Be proud of who you are and what you represent. Accept others with all their flaws. Show compassion and goodwill to your fellow human beings. Be dignified. Lead a life of purpose and be proud of your values.

5. Don't take yourself so seriously - Recognise that perfection isn't always the only option. Don't let life's imperfections bother you. Lighten up and see the funny side of things when they go wrong, the learning in them. Be tolerant, smile...don't waste your energies on the small stuff, you have much bigger fish to fry.

6. Show gratitude and say thank-you to the people who have helped you along the way. Send a handwritten letter to someone who has touched you. Call up a friend or loved one and tell them how much they mean to you. Compliment a friend or a class mate on a job well done. Show people you appreciate and care about them. Acts of kindness cost nothing but mean everything.

7. Be a role model and mentor for people - Serve others. Volunteer in your community and help others achieve their goals. Your world will be enriched and a better place for sharing your talents and giving freely of your time. Leave a lasting legacy.

Have a dynamic and lovli year ahead! All the best..!

Regards and all best wishes in all your endeavours...

- Rufus

(With due acknowledgements to Prof.Charles Marcus for his lively inputs)

Essay Competition for College Students..:

Topic of the Essay: "Rampant Corruption in India - Who is responsible?"
Maximum word length: 2000 w
Medium: Tamil or English
The essay should reach Nandini Voice for the Deprived
M060/1, 4th Cross Street, Besant Nagar,
Chennai - 600 090
or
email: nsvenkat@md4.vsnl.net.in
Last date for entries: July 15, 2008
Cash Prizes would be awarded to the best five entries.
For further details, check out their WEBSITE

Publication of Results - Regarding..:

Dear Students,

Your much awaited and anticipated results are expected to be made available to you by tomorrow, Friday, 30 May 2008

in our College Website, according to confirmed sources. However, kindly check with the exams office for confirmation.

Regards, Rufus

Join Yoga - Make a Huge Difference in your Life...:

Isha Yoga

7 - Day Program at Tambaram

starts on 28th May, 6 pm at Meenakshi Kalyana Mandapam,

150 Velachery Main Road, Tambaram (East).

For more details contact: 9941251010

Jeffrey Archer in Town...:

The man, Time magazine hailed as a 'master entertainer', a literary force who has continued to defy his critics and delight his fans for over 30 years, a storyteller, a politician, and an orator, the internationally acclaimed author and playwright Lord Jeffrey Archer will be in Chennai at 7 p.m on May 24 at Landmark to launch his new book A Prisoner of Birth.
Be there!

Symposium on Theatre...:

Symposium on Theatre:
Koothu-Pattarai organises a Symposium
at the Top Storey, Alliance Francaise, Nungambakkam
on April 21 and 22, @ 6:30 pm.
Prominent theatre personalities and actors will share their experiences.

Animated Story telling session...:

Animated Story telling session

on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 at 6:30 pm

at Landmark, Citi Centre, Mylapore

by Nathan Kumar Scott, playwright, puppeteer and storyteller.

Free Screening of ONE FINE DAY...:

One Fine Day, by the acclaimed South Korean filmmaker Hur Jin-Ho, about the awkwardness of attraction and the pain of burning passion suddenly doused, a movie, both solemn and beautiful, sound playing a central part, will be screened at the InKo Centre, RA Puram. Entry is free.

Date: Friday, April 25, 7 pm, @ Venue: InKo Centre

51, 6th Main Road, RA Puram. Contact: 044 - 2436 1224

The Four Major English-language Dailies: A Comparative Study | Celebrate the World Book Day @ British Council

And My Vote is for...

The Four Major English-language Dailies in Chennai City | A Comparative Study

The Hindu

The Times of India

The New Indian Express

The Deccan Chronicle

Pen is mightier than the sword... But how much mightier than the other?

This seems to be the question donning the dynamic brains at the four media giants of the Indian print industry, who have been vying with equal gusto to outrival and outsmart their opponent with more food, more mouth-watering menus, spread in delectable formats for their avid readers of all hues!

The past two weeks have been witness to media cold-wars raging to a new high, albeit on pen and paper!

This week, on 14th April 2008 to be precise, Chennai woke up to the changing times, with one more newspaper THE TIMES OF INDIA opening shop in Tamil Nadu.

[Earlier, we used to get the Sunday Times only on the next day, at the local newspaper mart!]

So with all eagerness and excitement, like a child all set to open his/her birthday goodies, I scanned through the newish newspaper in town, The Times of India, column by column, row by row, and assessing (in my own little way) how this paper is going to make its impact felt among the general newspaper reading populace of namma Chennai.

With yet an additional choice on offer for the English-language newspaper buff, in THE TIMES OF INDIA, and with the awesome foursome going all out to attract all sections by their myriad choices in subject matter and style of presentation, I set out to explore from a layperson’s perspective, what is common or unique to these major English dailies that keeps them ahead of the rest.

First, I did a simple comparison of the page vs price factor -

(of all the four English dailies on Monday, April 14, 2008)

The Hindu, ToI, NIE have two supplements each, while DC has one.

Pricing-wise, 

The Hindu is costlier than the rest, at Rs.2.50/- and NIE, DC are the cheapest at Rs.1.50/-

As regards total number of pages, TOI is on the higher side with 56 pages of news, followed by The Hindu and DC with 44 pages each, and NIE with 30 pages.

Coming next to City Coverage –

THE HINDU scores a point over and above its latest competitor, in its coverage of City News. TOI is not far behind. But, the NIE, sadly is not up to the mark, although with two pages, and DC obviously does not score in this section at all - with just one page of city news.

Now, to the State (TN) Coverage –

Two full pages of quality coverage from THE HINDU, and TOI draws a complete blank in this section - Nil Coverage!

Two pages of scanty news yet again from THE NEW IE, and there is no specific TN State coverage in DC.

On News Coverage from the South –

THE HINDU also scores well above all the other Dailies, in its coverage of the South.

THE TIMES and THE NEW IE don't have this Section at all, while DC tries to score brownie points here with an entire page of dedicated to news from The South.

On the National News Front,

The Hindu and TOI have done a commendable job, with three pages each, while it is two (too little) pages from THE NEW IE, and an apologetic one page from DC.

On the Editorial front again –

THE HINDU is quite readable with a presentable, quality layout, while it seems like TOI has got some of their priorities wrong in the Editorial page. (it's more a pot-pourri!)

THE NEW IE furbishes a new look in this page, which will take some time to get down well with the readers, while DC needs to take ideas from the other newspapers on how to design an Editorial page.

On the International front,

The Times is a cut above the rest, with an attractive array of news items on offer, with two full pages, while THE HINDU, THE NEW IE and DC have given one page each to International News.

As far as Business news is concerned,

both THE HINDU and THE TIMES, seem to be on equal footing.

Three full pages on the Business front in DC,

and just one page on Business news coverage from THE NEW IE.

However on the Sports front, yet again,

THE HINDU edges past THE TIMES with its variety, local flavour and style of presentation with three pages of sporting action.

DC has Three pages of DC SPORT to its credit,

while THE NEW IE has got just two pages of Sports.

As regards SUPPLEMENTS,

32 pages of useful City Info and Educational Info from THE TIMES,

20 pages of Metro News and Educational News from THE HINDU,

12 pages of City Potpourri and Educational Info from THE NEW IE, and

24 pages of Crappy stuff from DC.

The Supplement CHENNAI TIMES is below par, and not becoming of THE TIMES, but its other supplement on Education titled "Education Times, will surely make people sit back, look up and welcome such a dazzling compendium on the Educational Front, what with a full Sixteen-page broadsheet format,

compared to the twelve-page tabloid (Small sheet format) of THE HINDU, dedicated to Education (wow, that's quite a cynosure to the eyes!)

The Education Express from THE NEW IE is of lacklustre quality, and there’s still much spadework that needs to be done on this front.

Chennai is (as has been said time and again, and rightfully so,) by far mostly conservative,

- going by its nightlife, which is far less vibrant compared to a Bangalore or a Mumbai,

- going by its culture of Carnatic kutcheris and pattu pavadais, from close knit family bonds to the long-plaited pigtails of the womenfolk, Chennai has rarely gone beyond its conservative tradition and lifestyle (though highstyle techies from across the cities are trying their best to rejig the same)!

- in its food habits too, the diehard Chennaiite, for a very long time, was contentment personified to eat idli, sambar and thayir saadam at home!

- and going by its readers’ tastes - the diehard Chennai conservative would by all means stick to, and cherish News and articles that cater to his conservative values and family set up.

For the average Chennaiite, Home is where one has to gather grace! and rightfully too!

In this respect, THE HINDU lays claim to the heart of the average Chennaiite, with its intelligent coverage of news and views, followed by TOI, with its vibrant layout and presentation format.

NIE with its new stylish format, is yet to augur well with its readers, and DC, doling out news by the dozen, is dulling and lacks conviction.

On a personal note - 

Well, I’ve always been a votary of The Indian Express for long, but as of now, things seem to be not so bright for them. Just have a look at the front page! [in snap]. Just have a look at how weird they have designed the nameplate Indian Express :-( Not the good old Indian Express that we are accustomed to! But I’m sure they’d bounce back soon.

*****

Activities: 23 April of every year is celebrated as World Book Day. The BRITISH COUNCIL, CHENNAI has planned a range of activities during the week starting 21st till 26th April.

Online quiz : Between 23 and 25 April 2008, participate in the online quiz if you are a book lover or simply interested in reading and win prizes. Simply go to http://library.britishcouncil.org.in/chennai

Writer-speak: Tim Murari – well known fiction writer, will talk on the ‘World Book Day’ followed by an interesting Reading presented by Yog Japee’s ‘Theatre Y’ at 6.30 pm on Wednesday, 23 April 2008 at the British Council.

For further details, contact British Council, Chennai at 91 044 42050700.

Summer Programmes in the City..:

Dear Readers and Students,

Starting tomorrow, 17 April, a regular feature on Events and happenings in the city, from an educational viewpoint, will be up on this our academic blog on a regular basis.

Your feedbacks and suggestions, in this regard, are most welcome.

Regards, Rufus

Welcoming THE TIMES OF INDIA...:

Dear Readers,
Chennai welcomes yet another English newspaper - 'The Times of India' into its dazzling fold. What do these awesome foursome have in common or in contrast? Look for a comparison HERE.
Regards, Rufus