Of Old Friends and Lost Memories
Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light ~ Helen Keller
The sense of belonging – knowing your friends are there for you, feeling strong and on top of the world – is boundless. Bountiful emotions saturated the air of our campus this morning with a cloud of joy and cheer. To be able to feel the warm embrace of your old friend after years apart, is one of the very few feelings beyond words. At that very moment, regardless of our failures and successes, we find ourselves instantly taken back to the good old college days. Today was no different, with Alumni Congress 2016 attracting graduates from almost every single year, to converge, unite, and impart their invaluable experiences with their student friends.
Mr. R. S. Krishnaswamy, President of the Alumni Association, engaged the eager gathering: “It has always been a pleasure to commence the yearly alumni congress. This year (Alumni congress) presents the cusp of the achievements of the Alumni Association which has been actively involved in multi-faceted work for the betterment of the students, to promote philanthropy, and the betterment of the institution as a whole”.
“I also take this opportunity to wholeheartedly welcome Dr. V. Kovaichelvan, Vice President of TVS Motor Company, himself being an alumnus of our college”. He also expressed his utmost thanks to Dr. Chitra and Mr. Udayanand, for having arduously organized and made the event possible.
“This specific day is much more important since it marks the Diamond Jubilee for the 1956 batch of students and Silver Jubilee for the 1991 Diploma graduates”, he added.
Dr.R.Chitra, Chairman, Organizing committee for the Alumni congress gave the audience a first-hand account on the Alumni congress and released the souvenirs for distinguished alumni. She talked about how alumni act as the brand ambassadors for any institution and that the propaganda has been passed on to various parts of the globe through outstanding alumni. This function serves to honour them by acknowledging their efforts. She also expressed her gratitude to the dedicated team effort, whose synergy made the events of the day possible. Below are the various facts about the Alumni meet as put by Dr.R.Chitra:
Alumni Congress 2016 was backed by 13 well-knit teams consisting of 50 members and co-ordinators.
It is the brainchild of our principal, Dr.R.Rudramoorthy and Managing Trustee.
This year’s meet marked around 900 registrations.
For the 12th consecutive year, PSG is honouring 10 young alumni for their achievement.
In the afternoon session of the meet, 5th ‘Knowledge connect’ event witnessed 14 parallel sessions with 53 eminent speakers sharing their expertise with students.
‘Social connect’ was initiated in this meet which enabled the alumni and their families to take part in various activities organized by the club members.
Mr.R. Palanisamy, Past President of Alumni association enunciated the works of the alumni association for the past six years. “With numerous changes in its by-laws and workings, the association strives to be more transparent in its operations than ever before”, he mentioned. “To be able to build on the works of the alumni association, there will now exist a separate body called the Alumni foundation, in order to streamline all our activities”. “In expressing our gratitude to the great legend Dr.G.R.Damodaran, we now plan to construct a museum dedicated to all facets of science and technology at Neelambur”, he stated. He also expressed his gratitude towards all contributors, in their efforts to make the museum a grand success.
Dr. R. Rudramoorthy, Principal, elucidated the purposes of the newly- formed brainchild of the Alumni Association – the Alumni Foundation. “To promote education, extend financial support by means of awarding scholarships and endowments to deserving candidates, and to encourage underprivileged students to strive for success – these are some of the main purposes for the formation of the Alumni Foundation. The Foundation will also assist the management in promoting research activities, and conducting talent fests to identify and kindle young talent in students”.
With the crowd comprising of Young Alumni Awardees and GRD Talent fest winners, the smell of inspiration and achievement was further abound with the air of awe that encircled the chief guest, Dr. V. Kovaichelvan. “Having had humble beginnings, my thirst for knowledge was virtually unquenchable”, he said. “With PSG Tech being responsible in most part for my successes, I will always be indebted to the institution”, he mentioned. “With change being the only constant variable in the world today, one must always hone his hobbies and soft skills, for their importance is highly underrated in today’s ever changing world”, he said.
The crowd then witnessed in awe as past professors were felicitated by their alumni counterparts. It made a sight to behold. The alumni then recalled the various antics of past professors, notably those of the late Dr. Venkataraman, for his whimsical way of expressing his friendship with students and discipline in class. With many such memories being recalled, the room brimmed with wondrous stories and laughter. The young alumni awards, presented to those alumni having graduated later than 2005, presented a platform to showcase their immeasurable talents and achievements.
Longing for her speech, the crowd grew wild on witnessing Mrs. Uma Maheshwari, a prominent television debate person. With her tone sweeping the room with awe, she went on to describe and contrast the situation in today’s households, with those of yesteryear. She then went on to describe friendship as something much greater than love. “Time is fleeting, and external beauty fades, but the soul is something constant throughout one’s life. Friendship is one such feeling that touches the soul, and is timeless”, she mentioned. On witnessing the formation of the Alumni Foundation, Mrs. Uma Maheshwari also said, “It would be of great help to rural students if the Alumni Foundation considered improving the sanitary facilities in such schools, being of utmost importance. If my speech somehow brings out a positive outcome, that would make me a very happy person”, she said.
The GRD talent fest, having been conducted to students of classes 9 and 10 with over 240 schools participating and comprising of 1042 students, provided a platform to serve as an outlet to student’s creative and innovative ideas. Looking on in earnest, the winners were provided with their much-deserved felicitation by various alumni.
With the meet concluding with the vote of thanks by Mr.J.Udayanand, the quaint air of cheer never seemed to leave the hall, with it waiting to witness many more meets in the years to come.
