Grad day Speech

A junior of mine asked me the other day, “What would take away from your stay in this college?” 

That set me thinking. It took me back to the nervous days of 1st year. We were stepping into an institution which had just been deemed Autonomous under VTU. There were new rules and a new structure of grading in place. Out went the advice of my brother, who had ordered me never to maintain an average below FCD, the concept of which held no relevance now. But then the situation did not turn out to be that bad. The subjects were an extension of 2nd PU, with a few additional concepts, nothing that one couldn’t master given some time. This comfort lasted until the actual meaning of Relative grading sunk in. Oh how silly that made us, measuring the performances of others and requesting teachers to set tough papers, so that everyone could equally suffer. Although FPS was the in thing in 2007, we were not ready to C2D.

Apart from academics, there were the fanciful clubs which we were coaxed to register for at the canteen and we did, fearing a friendly introduction session with the seniors if we didn’t. How naïve and innocent we were…

Second year was welcomed with a measured reaction. The joy of absolute grading on one side and the daunting task of facing the real subjects of your core engineering at the other. We understood the system, we played by the rules and we stood at canteens coaxing our juniors to join the clubs. We matured ever so slightly through the PDP courses and we learnt fanciful words in our subjects to impress others.

Third year brought with it the anxiety of planning for the future and the severity of the core subjects. Words from senior gave us no hope. “This year is the toughest” they said, “Expect no mercy from God or your evaluators”, they added. With much fear and sleepless nights, we sailed through, if not in flying colors, then in cantering grayscale. But did it end there?

The holidays following it were not holidays at all, for the preparation had to begin. To face the biggest challenge for which we had all chosen this college. For your parents to hold their heads high, while brimming with self esteem, you had to land in a good company. This would not only ensure owners’ pride but also neighbors envy. So out came the RS Agarwals and the QA books, with furious practice sessions and discussion of puzzles with different problem approaches. The pursuers of a Masters degree had a different set of challenges to overcome. For they had to learn to refer to dictionaries to know word meanings, a practice long forgotten after school. That they took to mugging the ready-to-mug-word-lists was a different issue.

The final year brought with it lessons of grooming and etiquette. How not to forget to knock the door while entering and to remember to say the right greeting at the right time. Ties were exchanged and so were the questions asked. Sheer disbelief from those who made it to some companies and from those who didn’t. Tears were shed; lessons were learnt, but our college being what it is ensured that nobody was left behind. And were the pursuers of MS far behind in the placement drama? Absolutely not and when asked why, some were brutally frank saying that needed a backup, while others threw the remark, “We want to prove it to ourselves that we are worth it”. 

In the midst of this frenzy, we made sure we had fun and how. We attended fests in the city and outside the city, we volunteered for activities, we organized events, we shared experiences, we made new friends, we fooled others and were made fools of, we loved, we lost and yet strangely we won. For subconsciously, these new activities had changed us, they had made us look at ourselves and others in a different light. It made us to learn how to accept others for who they are and enjoy each other’s differences. We forged bonds which are unlikely to be broken by time and distance. And we created Facebook albums as a digital reminder of the good times and more often than not the crazy times.

My FCD Brother said that friends and connections made in college can never be replicated anywhere and that I shouldn’t expect it in the corporate environment. So true isn’t it? From here on we are stepping out of our comfort zone which we created in college. It was a world within the real one, a familiar environment where we set the rules and we called the shots. Try that in the corporate world and before you do you have been warned.

So today in our dazzling suits and sparkling sarees we do realize that we come a long way from where we started. And as an answer to that impatient junior I said, “The College has given me lots of memories and experiences to recollect for a lifetime” She wasn’t impressed for she expected something along the lines of the placement offer that I had landed. But I guess she will agree with me when she is about to leave college.

Thank you.

Inaugural Address to the Freshers of 2010

My speech was labeled as 'Reflections of a Student'- by Nakul.P.S, 7th sem Telecom

Greetings to the dignitaries on stage and to the excited students and their parents gathered here. I welcome you all once again and I speak on behalf of the student fraternity of RV College.

When I read about the colleges being made autonomous in 2007, the year of my admission, which although gave them leeway to introduce changes in the existing system, it induced apprehensions in me. What would the changes be? Will the syllabus be tougher? Will my journey in RVCE be more arduous than I had imagined? And believe me, these were some of the many questions…

But these questions and more were answered within a few days of my being in college. The teaching staff and the administration made me feel at home, with interactive sessions about the road ahead, as to how the teaching staff now had more freedom in setting about the path and how the students should go about it. 

The orientation process allowed me to know the various facets of the college more intimately. Be it Sports, Cultural Activities Team, Social Services among others. What made the process more exciting was the legacy that the previous batches had left behind in their respective fields. Our victories at the University/ National level in many sports like Cricket, Tennis, Basketball etc. And then our achievements in Debating, Quizzing, Theatre, Engineering at so many levels, inspired me to make a mark and be associated with the greats that this institution has nurtured.

With the gradual and smooth adjustment to college life came in the wonderful interactions with the seniors, some of which contained advice for the right textbook for the subjects but most of which were intended in making us as a part of the RV culture. And in these interactions there never arose the question of Ragging, because the relationship was based on that of mutual respect. I shall cherish the moments that I got to spend with my likeminded and the most unlikely seniors, for a very long time to come.

The one aspect that I absolutely adore in the RV culture is the support and the opportunities that one gets to explore one’s the hidden talents and be the best at it. As an avid quizzer and a theatre artist I have made most of the QuizCorp and the CARV clubs in college, which have allowed me to avidly pursue my passions while striking a balance with Academics. Worry not, you shall have a detailed orientation process which will enlighten you to know more about the various clubs in RV and learn to be a part of it.

So apart from this, what makes RVCE, one among the leading institutes that impart technical knowledge? It is the distinguished teaching staff and the forays that we have made with cutting edge technology, which has made RVCE stand head and shoulders above other institutions of the kind. For the auto enthusiasts there are clubs like Ashwa, Garuda etc. and Frequency Club for the electronics enthusiasts, among others. These clubs have made a mark in national and international competitions, like the launch of STUDSAT, thus carving a niche for themselves. 

The Industry-Institute interaction which exists in the institution helps us immensely. Although one evaluates an institution by the number of companies which arrive for the placement process, its not the complete picture. The modern labs which have been instituted with their collaboration, of which the Wipro India Innovation Lab, Freescale Microprocessor Lab, Pace Lab for Video Engineering come to my mind display their belief, in the potential that we as students of RV College possess and thus have provided us with state-of-the-art facilities to bring us in tune with the current trends in the industry.     

 

So as you all stand at the threshold of 4 exciting years of college (5 in case of Architecture),  I would ask of you to make the most of your college life, with the support and the facilities that it offers and become well rounded personalities, entrepreneurs even, willing to give back to the society which nurtured them. 

I look back at the three years, which have passed as a student of Telecommunication, with great joy and a sense of satisfaction that I made the right choice on that fateful day in CET counseling, in choosing this college. So have you and I welcome you all aboard.

Alai Payuthey

Vokay readers, before you come to any conclusions about the tamizh (recently learnt about the usage of zh :D) title, i felt it is very appropriate to the post since it deals with a restless mind (or so my tamizh macha says)... You better be right about this KK..

The location of the story is our own college of engineering where i have spent a year. Introducing a cast; all of them amateurs...
Hero- Ravi ,
Heroine-Sneha,
Extras- Naughty classmates of Ravi
Direction- Alai Payuthey

Special thanks- Rains, trees which bring in the cool breeze to the campus and the wonderful koochi koo spots in the college. All of which act as lintels to a relationship.
(pardon me for the civil engg. reference but cant help it, as a VTU dudess put it "dude, the depth of foundation for all your topics in BCE course is very high and unnecessary".)


Ravi was a first year mech junkie and so was Sneha, but a circuit sundari (Elec.&Comm.). The very first day he saw her in the college bus, he knew she was the spark in the spark plug that ignited his adrenaline and set his heart racing.

He then went on a fact finding mission about her. Name, where she lives, how was she in studies etc. Never in his life had he dedicated himself so completely than in this work.

1) She caught the bus at the stop previous to his.( he too would catch it there from now on)
2)Pretty ok in studies(he thanked the "lord of seven hills" for that. He didnt want his ccd sessions to be tuition classes)
3)That she was a northie caused him to call out to the "lord of seven hills" once again.

"He has a fixation with lord venkateswara", you said? Not at all. You see he had an orthodox ajji for his grandmother. You know the 4am rising, mantra patanam doing, tulsi katte rounding kind. And boy was she exacting in these matters of alliance!!

First came color, the girl should be fair (even if she is unfair in other matters) and then belong to the same sub caste let alone caste. It brought some relief to our hero that she had dropped long hair, singing/dancing abilities and varadakshinam albeit grudgingly ...And with all this one mention of north indian beauties to her, you would be a proud spectator of a rendition of the ear clasping , eye closing , "rama rama" chanting scene straight out of any 60's,70's,80's movie of any wood for that matter.

So this was a cause for concern for Ravi for he had been witness to this when the family was involved in finding match for his bro . But those matters were secondary advised his naughty class mates. They prepared him for his first encounter with her.

There is a Kool Korner in campus, a student-friendly (you say "no money uncle , can i give later" and you get a smile as answer), everything-under-the-sun available and a place where you find 50% of college in the 11-11.20am break. She was there and so was he. After much goading from his friends one day, he gingerly went towards her. His Heart beats were audible to him, perspiration and hand shaking...." uh... hehe" ....he was ruining the moment. And after much deliberation he said " any idea as to the last date for paying exam fees?", "well, no..." said our sundari a bit amused and surprised at the whole situation...


He was the butt of the class for the whole day" go ask subject codes next", they said amid guffaws. " But her beauty, those fluttering doe like eyes , aur woh kali kali zulfien(even though interspersed with color color streaks) ... they made me dumb, guys...."

It was the period of his life that he would never forget. Getting groomed for college( spending time in front of the mirror, to the extent of getting some chiding from amma), admiring every little thing abt. her right from the way she put away those strands of hair behind her alphonso mango shaped ear, the way she gently held her books, the wonderous giggle when she was with her girlie gang, giving treats to friends when he thought she smirked at him.........

The rains have their part in any affair be it judaai or non-judaai. One fine day it started raining after college. Ravi trudged his way to the coll. bus, for it wasnt a pleasant day in class. If only he knew what was in store for him...

He threw his bag and sat down, cursing the CAED lecturer when he observed that she wasnt in her seat. He fidgeted for a while, as he had seen her in campus today. what had happened. He frantically looked through the windows, if he could spot her. The bus was filling up. Schumi, the driver settled down on his throne. Where the hell was she???

The engine started revving. He went near schumi and politely told him that a 'friend' had yet to climb the bus. The ever friendly schumi was not in the mood today. 'hmph', he said which meant 3 minutes and i am leaving. 30,60,90...179secs..... Gear shifted from to neutral to first with the simultaneous release and depression of the clutch and accelerator respectively.

Then he saw her...running... he quickly opened the door and held his hand out ddlj style, she too extended hers.... "come on you can do it......"he screamed.... the bus was exiting the gates....

She offered him a seat beside her. He was bloody beyond happy (for the fact that his hair had been perfectly set for the occasion; rain acting as the gel....). His class troubles vanished in an instant. Then she asked him
"why didn't you open the door, when you stood right next to the driver?....".
"Oh well never mind i was thinking about an SRK movie scene and schumi with his shout brought me back to this world, hope you didn't drench too much?"

She giggled, feeling sorry for this fool and his ways. He loved her and he would do just about anything for her. Someone played "And Nothing else matters"on the cellphone loudspeaker, from behind... He closed his eyes trying to soak in the rest of the journey back home....

8th mile

Our official college fest 8th mile (which was returning after a 5 year hiatus...) was never an event which caught our imagination. Rumors were abound about fund shortages, bad publicity among local colleges. The scheduling of the events was horrendous to say the least (51 events in 2 days...).Some of the reactions from RVCE dudes...

The snooty Deb Soc dude:" Bah, i dont really care about the fest. But belting NLSIU in Parliamentary Deb. will be nice..."(drools at the thought...)

The Northie hostelite (and forced volunteer) :"Plz buy the fest t-shirt otherwise seniors hame uDaadenge.."

Arbit 9+ pointer:" I would definitely look forward for the two day Robotics workshop (beams at the thought of building a line follower bot)...."

Lost in love macha:" I hope she turns up for the fest..."

Quiz corper to admin: "sir i need projector to conduct the gen quiz"
Admin:" Sell ten fest t-shirts and the projector is yours.."
Qc(to himself):" MC, BC, bloody i will put only peters..."


And somehow enthusiasm rubbed on to the others as the dates of the fest neared.

I enjoyed participating in many of the events and more so being a part of the audience. The events ranged from Ikebana to photography to short movie making to street play...

The fest ended with two concerts. One by world folk fusion music macha raghu dixit (which i missed unfortunately for i was busy beholding the short movie comp.).

The other was by Pravin Godkhindi, a familiar name if you watch Raaga Ranjini on Etv but to the uninitiated he is a second generation flautist in his family and his known for his command on the instrument and also for his pleasant fusion music.

He began the concert with the song Krishna which is also the name of the band. It was in raag Bhoop (mohana in Carnatic). A melodious simple raaga which brought about a sense of peace and goodness in the atmosphere. He later paused for a while to explain to the audience how to shout "Krishna", when the band played the crescendo part of the composition. He was amazed by our co-ordination. Later in an attempt to connect film music with classical raagas he played popular kannada hits composed in the same raga like "naa vaa duva nudiye kannada nudi"

Next he moved to Raag Bhimplas (closely resembles Abheri in Carnatic) where he played hits like, viraha nuuru nuuru taraha, gaganavu yello, tum hire-Criminal, Banna nanna olavina Banna, Gori tera roop..., Tu cheez badi hai-Mohra among others... and we never knew that these hits were based on something classical like Bhimplas...the rest of the band members gelled beautifully with him; anticipating his variations and sometimes providing their own!!

The last raaga was Mishra pahadi. He first demonstrated his skills with the instrument by playing out the sweet sounds of nature. The birds chirping, ripples of a nearby river.. I don't know about the audience but myself being a music aficionado this rendition certainly transported me to a different world altogether. He then resumed to playing popular hits in the same raga like tere mere hooton se, malgudi theme, Dooni saagali, Tum paas aaye-Kuch kuch hota hain, papa kehta hain, pardesi pardesi jaana nahin-raja hindustani...

He gelled very well with audience and proof is the fact that he made us all to write down the names of the famous tunes he played in a sheet of paper for a small prize in the end...

At the end he asked us all to pursue/listen to classical music now that they got a taste of it. It was a memorable evening. And getting his autograph was an icing on the cake.....

And thus the fest, like the big fat Indian wedding which would somehow transform from chaos on the brink to picture perfect, went to become a great success....