Colleges kindle their creative spirit

Most colleges have a wide variety of student clubs on offer. “We have all the usual clubs, such as Western Music, Western Dance, Light Music, Folk Dance and Dramatics, along with more offbeat ones like the Enviro Club and the Paw Pals Club,” says Nrithya Maria Andrews, the outgoing Cultural Secretary of Stella Maris College. While auditions are conducted to select the competitive teams for the performing clubs, “anyone can sign up for any of the clubs and membership is voluntary,” assures Nrithya.

James Matthew, the outgoing Cultural Secretary of Madras Christian College (MCC) says, “Each department has its own cultural activities and there are totally 32 departments in our college.” He explains that auditions are conducted for new students who want to represent the college in culturals, although any student is “more than welcome to join” societies such as the Film Club and the Reading Club. Shruti Sadani, a former Executive Member of the Student Council at M.O.P. Vaishnav College for Women, says that every department in her college has a club. “For example, the visual communications department has the Create Club and the commerce group has the Busibee club – these clubs channel the importance of their subjects,” she remarks. She also mentions the Literary Club, the Eco Club and the Rotaract Club, which are open to all students.

Most college clubs are very active throughout the year. “We take part in lots of culturals and we also have a very grand inter-departmental festival, in addition to ‘Ignite’, our annual cultural show,” says Arjun Kidao, the departing Cultural Coordinator at Loyola College. James from MCC declares, “The clubs are active throughout the year and have dedicated organisers and members. Since the college is so big, a lot of people are interested, so our clubs run the gamut of activities.” Nrithya from Stella Maris talks about ‘Nakshatra’, the annual fundraiser where “our students got the chance to perform alongside professionals from the fields of music and dance.”

She also commented on the activities of the Enviro Club, which runs the Green Squad, a group of students who spread awareness about environmental issues. Many colleges also conduct large-scale annual plays, for which professional directors and set managers are hired. As to why students should join these societies, Nrithya from Stella Maris says, “These clubs provide a nice atmosphere where like-minded people can enjoy each other’s company and experience another aspect of college life.” James from MCC notes, “You develop interpersonal and organisational skills, you get to know your seniors and classmates and you become a more all-rounded person.”

Arjun from Loyola College agrees, adding that being a part of a club can give students the exposure they need to display their talents. “The Loyola dance team is getting a lot of recognition,” he says. “Winning at culturals is good for the college as well. Also, it is important to look at something besides academics.”

Registering for these clubs is generally an easy and accessible procedure. “Information about joining a club is passed through the different departments to the juniors. Every classroom has a television, so we have news broadcasts announcing registrations for these clubs,” remarks Shruti from M.O.P. Vaishnav.

Nrithya says that the Students’ Union conducts an orientation at the beginning of the year, where the Cultural Secretaries tell new students about the various clubs.

“Every club has a break-time presentation to show freshers what they do. We then put registration sheets out and students can also register at the Union Office,” she adds. So if you have a talent you want to showcase, or if you just want to be a part of a vibrant, pass