When the campus came alive

Elections really bring out the best on campus. Students always give their best when given an opportunity to try their hand at democratic practices. It’s a time when their creativity peaks and they explore the elections with much fanfare.

Mount Carmel Pre-University College was alive during their five-day election campaign. Students were allowed to campaign only during breaks and these periods witnessed a riot of creativity. One group came dressed in different colours each day, all in an effort to promote their leader. Another group walked around campus with the name of their candidate tattooed and painted on their cheeks, arms, and the more creative among them wore T-shirts with the names of candidates. Another group wore crowns, portraying the candidate as a queen. 

In addition to relentless screams, shouts and whistles, another group was spotted walking around the campus with plates and spoons, making the maximum noise these utensils are capable of producing. These plates doubled up as drums and spoons became sticks — such is the fervour with which campaigning was on. The first-year students seemed to have made themselves comfortable on campus. Adrian, a second-year PECA student who is contesting for the post of general secretary, was seen wearing a crown and hailed as a queen by her supporters, 

“I am a very social person and if I get elected, I hope to inspire my fellow students to participate in as many activities as possible. I will also promote and popularise a campaign to keep the campus clean,” vows Adrian. 

Chinmayi, who was standing for the post of president, is a second-year PCMB student. Namrata, another second-year SMBA student, says, “We have studied here for a good year and we know the culture and the discipline of the college. This gives us the confidence that all our proposals and plans will be implemented. We also share a good rapport with the teachers.” The two girls have got head bands and T-shirts made, to be distributed among the students.

Namrata says, “We hope to make ‘Esplendida’, our annual fest, an inter-state affair.” Supreetha, who was running for the post of general secretary, got small visiting cards printed, complete with her picture and her campaigning point that read: ‘putting the stud back into the student union’. “Yes, I got these little cards made just to be given away. It not only doubles up as a perfect campaigning point but people will remember me,” explains Supreetha. 

 And Anvita, a first-year arts student, was the youngest member among the candidates. “This is my first such experience after school and it’s fun to be able to scream, shout and make so much noise — things we have never done in school. All the support that you see around is the show of strength and solidarity among the students,” she says. 

And the principal and faculty members are more than supportive of the student union’s activities. Padmalatha N, head of department of english, says, “There are two or three student welfare officers, who support the students. The students implement all decisions only after consulting the welfare officers.”