‘Ovations’, the inter-departmental cultural extravaganza of Loyola College here just got more interesting this year.
According to the students and faculty, this is the first edition of the annual event with a theme. ‘Ovations’, which was inaugurated by actors Madhavan and Andrea on Friday, is based on the theme ‘arresting global warming and spreading communal harmony.’
Besides a host of music, dance, oratorical competitions, the event also features an interesting ‘global village’ on campus. The stall showcasing Africa was abuzz, with eager visitors taking a look at the posters and artefacts on display. “There are several misconceptions about Africa. Many tend to think it is one country. This is a great opportunity for us to know about each other’s cultures. All of us [at the stall] are from different countries in Africa,” said Terence V. Silonda of Tanzania, studying final year computer science at the college.
The enterprising team even gave visitors print outs with information on different African countries, the languages spoken and traditions followed.
At the nearby Kerala stall, six-footer Unni Mathews attired in the traditional Kathakali costume caught visitors’ attention. “It is a great feeling to talk about our culture and State,” he said. Sowmya Maria and Pooja Maria Joy explained different customs followed in Kerala. Principal of the college Fr. Albert Muthumalai said that sometimes, students could come up with very creative solutions to big issues. “They have attempted something different this time. We are sure that students will have some interesting thoughts to share. The effort put in by them to organise this event is remarkable,” he said.
Student Union president Pradeep V.G.P. said that the students were very excited to have celebrities, actors and politicians addressing them. “All our events this year will be based on the same theme. We believe it is important to address such issues,” he said.
For first year student Harish Ramaswamy, it is a whole new experience. “The level of competition is really high and quite different from school. We are learning a lot and having a great time,” he said.
