The three-day Pre-university fest, Iris held at the college premises saw the first years come forward and participate in full steam.
It was a chance for the freshers to mingle with their seniors and none of them wanted to miss that. The events too were designed in such a way that the seniors and juniors got to work together.
The management of the fest, sponsorships and the events were completely designed and organised by the students themselves.
The three days saw more than 25 events. The fashion show, Indian and Western dance, rangoli and Western music events saw the maximum number of participants.
It was the first year Pre-university students who enjoyed the most. It was quite unlike school and the freedom to wear whatever they wanted was the one thing that these girls truly relished.
Fests like these boost their confidence. “It really helps us shed our inhibitions about college life and the fear created around our seniors. We have worked in tandem with the seniors for three days. The learning experience has been fruitful,” says Vyshaka, a first year student.
The theme on day one was retro and most of girls came dressed in the 60s isthyle. The elaborate hairdos, tight churidars with knee-length salwar and the prominent large flower completed the retro feel. A few of the faculty members too joined in and wore something retro. The flower rangoli saw the students come up with some innovative designs. It wasn’t the usual criss-cross rangoli designs. One group drew a circle that represented Kerala.
One half was the face of Kathakali and another were just coconut trees, representing the spirit of God’s Own Country. Another group was busy cooking without fire.
The Indian Dance Association had the groups blend Indian classical steps to Bollywood grooves and a bit of garba as well.
“The idea is to have a neat mix of all the dance forms. Pure Indian classical form would be a wee bit monotonous for such fests,” says Sowmya of the Indian Dance Association. The fashion show had both Indian and Western wear.
“It’s the spirit of the fest that we’re interested in. It’s not so much to win prizes and outdo one another. It’s togetherness that we feel throughout the fest,” says Deepika, a second year PCMB student.
The faculty was more than cooperative. They suspended classes for three days just to encourage the students to participate.