It's time to rock at campus!

Changing times

Walking the ramp ditto models in couture show, rocking environs with foot tapping music, staging skits with ease giving a run for professionals, and topping all, students displaying talents with aplomb. 

Hold your breath. Here, we are not saying about any bash, but the trend in campus, that has been fast catching up with young denizens, guaranteeing entertainment unlimited.

All these have become a ‘must’, under catchy banners in various colleges, especially engineering colleges in the cultural capital. While one calls it a fest, another describes it as an amalgamation of technical and entertainment. Likewise, all the five engineering colleges in the city have array of things on offer, transforming otherwise serene atmosphere into an electrifying experience.

National Institute of Engineering (NIE), which has been the alma mater of who’s who of the society started with annual art and music festival under the aegis of ‘Nagamani Cultural Festival’ way back in 60’s. The programme was named after the daughter of a faculty. It was a first of its kind event in the entire State then. Most of the eminent personalities who performed in All India Radio (AIR) found pride in repeating the show here, college Principal Dr G L Shekar told City Herald.

In the year 1983, Nagamani was rechristened as ‘techNIEks’ including the latest then, like- quiz, drama etc., The college management earmarks funds every year for the purpose, besides sponsors, who readily agree to extend their purse to the event, thanks to ‘brand NIE’, claims Shekar.

Adding to the attraction is ‘Department fests’. For the students of Mechanical, cogNIEscience is the banner, while for Civil its ‘Aakaar’ as they give shape to one’s dream, followed by NIEcesest of Electronics and Communication (E and C) and Sipe of Industrial Production (IP). What’s’ common in the names is ‘NIE’.

Above all, the institute has National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN) Onyx, another event, mainly aimed at exploring the entrepreneurship qualities among students. It was organised for the consecutive third year recently.

Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering (SJCE), another renowned institute, has been hosting ‘Jayciana’ for the past 32 years. Of late, it expanded its horizon giving a touch of glamour. While Kannada film actor Diganth was the star attraction previous year, this year it was actor Vijaya Raghavendra and other cast members of ‘Sri Vinayaka Geleyara Balaga, the movie slated for release.

Previously actors like Prem, Upendra and several others have made their presence felt here. Local lad Raghu Dixit who has been making waves both on national and international arena with his folk rock, performed to the applause of the gathering this  year. To encourage photography among the students, ‘Photo marathon’ was launched in the passing year. It is also open for outsiders. Not lagging behind, almost all the 12 departments in the college have been associated with their events. ‘Decibel’ of Electronics and Communication, Ciesta of Computer Science, Shrujana of Civil and Neogin, purely technical activities of Bio-technology are prominent among them.

For electrifying experience, you have ‘Vidyuth’ at Vidya Vardhaka College of Engineering (VVCE) at Gokulam. It was a student Pavan Bhotnar who coined the name- Vidya Vardhaka Youth Festival, which became ‘Vidyuth’ in short in 2000, the maiden year.

Since then, it has been the talk of the college. For the past four years, departments too have begun spreading wings with activities like- Crusades by Mechanical, Environ by Environmental Science, Surge by Electricals and Electronics, Impulse by E and C, Infosta by Information Science and Synapse by Computer Science, said Mohan Krishna a faculty of Mechanical Engineering Department.

Maharaja Institute of Technology (MIT), a new entrant into the band of colleges, has replicated ‘Naada Habba’ Dasara. Named ‘Mahadasara’, it completed its fourth year. It is a mélange of cultural and technical programmes. The specialty this year was the performance given by Chinese students. They are also beginning with Department fests, from Mechanical Engineering, said MIT secretary Krishnegowda. Vidya Vikas Institute of Engineering and Technology (VVIET) organises ‘Vikasothsava’.

If that was about the happenings in extra-curricular activities at engineering colleges, the only government owned medical college in the city-Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMC and RI) has ‘Parivarthan’ in its fold. All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) conducts ‘AIISH Aawaaz’, while Teresian Degree College hosts ‘Srishti’ and the list goes on...

With platform getting bigger every year, there is no dearth of talents, for whom these fests have become nothing but a jumping pad to highest levels.