Hindi/English Poetry: Expectations were high as students assembled in LH 3 and LH 4 or the first event of the day, Poetry Writing in Hindi/English. Topics of Hindi poetry writing were ‘Desh hit’, ‘Jeevan’, and ‘Bachpan’ while English participants were assigned the topics: ‘Relationship’, ‘Rainbow’ and ‘Best Friend’. Students were given a time slot 60 minutes to compose a poem on any one of the assigned topics. Judges for the Hindi Poetry Writing were Dr. Deepak Singhal and Dr. Usha Pai. Dr. Prathiba and Dr. Meena judged the English Poetry Writing event.
Dr. Lochan, an intern at MCODS and winner of the Hindi Poetry writing event shared her thoughts with MTTN: “I felt Desh hit was too mainstream and Jeevan was too vague and eventually settled for Bachpan. I composed my poem in the form of a conversation between myself and a friend. We reminisce about the good old carefree days we lived as children and how we grow into adults who try to function independently but who still remember their childhood in rare moments of vulnerability. My poem turned out to be the longest one which was a good thing for me because I love reciting. My style of writing poetry allows me to voice modulate and add an element of role-playing. I’ve been participating in this event for the last 4 years and I’m pretty upset that this will be my last time. Poetry is something that I’ve always cherished and today it feels good to have won!”
Body art: The scene inside LH 2 was a scene of chaos and a veritable symphony of the sounds as participants painted artworks on their fellow students. Each participant had a time slot of 2 hours to paint on any topic on any body part of a friend. Some chose fictional characters using their friends’ faces, fine fingers, arms and chests as their canvases. Others chose to depict art based on constellations to patriotism. Time ticked on as artwork slowly came to life all around the room.
Paints were spilled, jokes were shared and gasps were heard as students added the finishing touches to their masterpieces.
Street Play: The emcee welcomed the judges for the evening: Dr.Yogesh Chhapawal and Dr.Karthik S. The occasion was also graced by the presence of Dr.Vineetha R. The rules were explained and the competition began in full swing with the introduction of the teams. Five teams performed on the various topics that were assigned to them which included a spectrum of social issues viz. racial discrimination in India, tax compliance, drug abuse amongst students, climate change and mental health amongst the student population. All the teams completed their respective performances within the assigned time limit. The performances were backed by tremendous audience support and encouragement. The energy fueled event came to end with the declaration of the results.
“It’s about the black money and people not showing their true income and how much it can affect the economy of the country,” says Soumya, a third-year student on being asked about the awareness that they aim to spread through their act. Roshan, another member of the winning team exclaims “This is the first time I’m doing a dramatic event and the experience has been brilliant for me.”
Hindi Debate: At 9 AM on a Sunday morning, students of MCODS assembled at CBS to bring out their razor-sharp skills and participate in the Hindi debate; the topic for the same was ‘Bharat me loktantra asaphal raha hai’ ( The running of India as a democratic nation has been unsuccessful). There were teams comprising of 2 participants each, who were to speak for and against the motion, with each speaker getting five minutes on the clock. The debate was judged by Dr.Karthik (Assistant professor, Department of Prosthodontics) and Dr.Saurabh (Associate professor, Department of Pedodontics). The event started with much fervor, with participants taking to the dais and putting across their points with eloquence. The teams presented with such facts and information that left the audience thinking. The debate left the audience in awe and riddled them with the morality of democracy in India. The judges cross-questioned them and engaged them in a healthy debate. The judges surely had a difficult time to pick the winners as the participants had put on an excellent debate.
Antakshari: Antakshari began at 10 AM, with much excitement and buzz surrounding it. The event involved more than 20 teams across all years, with a maximum of 3 members in each team. Antakshari involved a prelims round and final round, in which the top scoring, six teams from the preliminary round would advance to. The preliminary round involved the teams testing out their Bollywood knowledge as well as their wit to tackle 25 questions. The teams were definitely not sitting idle, discussing each question with much fervor. A time lot of 30 seconds was given to answer each question and 1 mark was awarded for every correct answer, there was no negative marking much to the relief of the participants. There were a few questions for 2 points and were given 60 seconds to answer those questions, no hints were provided by the organizing committee. The preliminary round drew to a close, and the answers were disclosed to the teams to cheers and groans of disappointment. Post this, a short break was given were the papers were corrected to select the top six teams and organize the room for the finale. After the quick break, the six teams qualifying for the final round were informed of the same; these included two teams from TIPS, two teams from the third year and two teams from the second year.
If the preliminary round was anything to go by, the finale was definitely going to be fantastic. The teams were to go through a series of six rounds involving quick thinking and applying the Bollywood wisdom that they would have culminated over the years. They were engaged in a series of activities which involved them singing songs of famous jodis to identifying songs and answering questions about them from just a short audio and video clip. These events definitely engaged everyone, prompting answers even from the audience. At the end of the final round, the winners were Lochan, Pallabi, and Aditi from TIPS. However, the teams that did not win weren’t dismal about losing because of the amount of fun they had and the memories they had made were enough to keep them satisfied, thanks to the organizing committee which include Pranjal (Intern) and Hrishikesh (intern).
Faculty Event: We’ve seen our teachers manage a class, we’ve seen them run departments; what we haven’t ever seen them do, is compete again each other in a completely non-academic setting. The much-awaited staff event on day 2 of Hues provided the talented faculty of MCODS a chance to showcase their prowess at cooking. Judged by the esteemed Chef Thiru of WGSHA, the rules of this event were fairly simple- homely, traditional food, elevated innovatively. The dishes featured include neer dosa, prawn cakes, arrowroot pudding, biryani, sweet pumpkins, bell pepper bowls and more!
“The participants all possess a passion for cooking that goes beyond their daily routine. I’m looking for innovative use of local ingredients, showcasing traditional dishes from grandmother’s recipe books. It’s time that we connect food and culture- teach the younger generation their roots.” said Chef Thiru. The contestants we judged on the following categories- authenticity, texture, taste, the degree of differentiation and flavor profile.
Sketching: A pencil, a blank white sheet and a time limit of 60 minutes were the only tools the 18 participants had at their disposal to freehand sketch the theme ‘global warming’. The most important rule was ‘no words’. The artists were not allowed to write or explain their artwork in any way. From the second the topic was revealed until the final bell rang, the room was silent except for the furious scratching of pencils against the paper and the faint beats of music from every artist’s playlist.
From veteran interns to young first years, every participant was a well of talent, and the judges Dr. Aditi and Mr. Surendran were hard pressed to choose a winner. The decision hinged on the finest of details and the smallest of mistakes.
Quiz Prelims: Quiz Prelims was the last event of the 1st session of Hues, day 2. The requirements- a sharp mind, analytical thinking and an encyclopedia of obscure knowledge. Hosted by the enigmatic and energetic duo Karan and Anirudh, this event was 30 minutes of the most intense question and answer session with the topics ranging from movie trivia to Nobel Prizes, whistleblowers and even wrestling! The array of questions was as eclectic as the participants themselves, ranging from first years all the way to postgraduates. They were competing in groups of 3, with 24 teams in the preliminary written round. There were 30 questions, with 45 seconds per question. Hints were given at the discretion of the quizmaster, but only if the house asked unanimously. It was an immensely enjoyable event and the winners will be announced following the final round to be held on March 6th.
Non-Classical Indian Group: There’s a special vibe to the amphitheater; hidden in the cost canopies of TMA Pai park, a stage with a beautiful backdrop of terracotta tiles and those granite slabs where you see the audience in all yogic positions enjoying the performers like in the comfort of their rooms. Imagine all this combined with the organizational marvel of Hues and the unquestionable talents of the students of MCODS.
With performances ranging in from Rajasthani beats to the romantic duets, Bollywood music was vividly celebrated. The ceremonial Farhan Akhtar and college specials brought huge cheers while the sensational ‘Rinkiya me papa’ made it to the stage too. Smaller slots and multiple performances lined up gave diversity to the event and thereby kept the audience engaged. A beautiful medley of retro and latest jingles by slot number 8 clad in red and jeans left many with a sore throat due to incessant cheering. The melodies melted many hearts. The moon rose and the day’s events came to an end.
Written by- Vinay R, Andrea Xavier G, Nitya Sai T, Rupa N
Photographs by- Nithin D, Sanket,
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