A Year’s Opportunity, A Lifetime’s Experience
A brief report on the inaugural ceremony of the Student’s Union 2017-18
‘Be humble in success and brave in failure’
The F Block assembly hall saw a mixed crowd on the evening of 11th July 2017. A group of five students stood huddled near the stage; draped in blazers and nervously going over their speeches as they were about to give their first official address as office-bearers of the Students Union for the academic year 2017-18. Next to them were a group of volunteers and faculty members who were part of the organising team for the inaugural function that was about to take place.
With the front rows of the hall being occupied by senior students and friends of the office bearers, the rest had students from all departments excitedly chatting away on account of their afternoon classes being cancelled. At 3:00pm, the event begun with the prayer song and the crowd fell silent.
Dr. K Natarajan, Dean Student Affairs, emphasized on the unprecedented number of girls in the newly appointed office bearers, with girls outnumbering boys for the first time in the history of the Students Union (SU). Taking this as a sign of progress, he went on to introduce the office bearers, and encouraged the students to actively participate in all clubs and extracurricular activities offered by the college to the utmost possible to maximize their potential. Ms. R.Sruthi, the Co-Chairperson, formally welcomed all present dignitaries. With short nods to each and every member on the dais, she expressed the collective delight of all attendees to have them in their midst. Mr. R. Shakthi Naarayanan, the Chairperson, then put forward the activity plan of the Students Union for the year, and expressed his excitement for implementing the same in the upcoming year. He also emphasized on the key objectives of the Students Union for the upcoming year, which are given below:
- Orientation programme for the first years
- Improvement plans for the standard of education
- Fixing of Budget for the various clubs and associations (including the SU itself)
- Independence and Republic Day Celebrations
- Organization of the College’s cultural fest: Intrams
- Planning and organisation of “the SU’s child”-the college’s technical fest- Kriya
- Tech Day Celebrations.
Being the Chairperson of the SU, the enthusiasm in his voice assured the crowd an eventful and prosperous year to bloom. Dr. R. Rudramoorthy (Principal, PSG College of Technology), gave the presidential address. He expressed his delight at the majority presence of girls as office bearers, and further went on to encourage all girls to similarly empower themselves and bring forward a much needed revolution. Emphasizing on a holistic learning experience, he encouraged all students to take all opportunities available to them to gain knowledge. Stressing on self development, he instigated students to innovate rather than invent, and see clubs as a stepping stone to go beyond classroom learning and unlock their potential.
Accentuating on the power of “why”s, the chief guest, Mr. George Cherian, Senior General Manager at Robert Bosch, Chennai, addressed the students, emboldening them to be the ones who can make a difference. He took a firm stand against traditional practices of rote learning and exam oriented learning, and encouraged students to go beyond what is usual, get their hands dirty, and challenge the existing systems. He pushed the students to develop curiosity and use the platforms present for the youth as an opportunity to grow. He highlighted the importance of soft skills and communication abilities in engineers, and requested students to develop the same. Stressing on the significance of the right attitude, he urged students to develop a positive attitude, with perseverance and humility. He ended his speech by asking students to look at the difference they could make as engineers, and thereby instill a passion in engineering within themselves.
The guest of honour, Mr. Anil Prakash, General Manager at Robert Bosch, addressed the gathering, highlighting the unique relationship between PSG College of Technology and Bosch. Appreciating the traction he enjoyed with the people at PSG, he described it as the ideal testing ground for many of Bosch’s programs, such as Bosch Day, automotive labs and e-curriculum. Attributing this to the inherent team nature and lack of “individual heroism” present in the students and faculty at the college, he encouraged the students to recognize the value of teamwork and cooperation. Furthermore, he encouraged students to actively meet challenges head on, with an agile and on-the-go attitude.
Dr. R Rudramoorthy presented the chief guest and the guest of honour with mementos, as a token of appreciation and respect for their time and knowledge spent with the students. Mr. M Ajith Kumar then delivered the Vote of Thanks, and concluded this momentous ceremony.
The passion and zeal that was showcased by the newly appointed office bearers of the Student Union 2017-18 was unparalleled and left the students of PSG Tech motivated for the journey upon which they were to embark.
