Inter house cultural competitions

Calvin Sushith Ambler, Cultural Programme Co-ordinator, Carey Society

The cultural wing of the Carey Society in the UTC conducted the cultural competitions on Nov 1 and 10, 2012. The events were inaugurated by Rev. Dr. Jones Muthunayagom. The competitions held were

MONO ACT: (3 minutes) (Only Two contestants from each house)

Criteria for judging:  a. Presentation   b. Creativity c. Skills of acting d. Character transmission e. Dialogue delivery. (Note: No particular theme)

PRESS CONFERENCE: (3 minutes) (Only Two contestants from each house)

Criteria for judging: a. Presence of Mind. b. Language c. Reason d. Sense of Humor & Fluency e. Impersonating.

Note: 10 well known personalities will be announced before one week. Take one from the lot and assume that you are the person mentioned. Answer questions from the Press Reporters as if you are that person.

SKIT: (10 minutes) (Only One Team from each House)

Theme: “WATER SCARCITY”

Criteria for judging: a. Theme & Interpretation b. Costumes & Setting

c. Characterization d. Technique f. Presentation.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC: (3 minutes) (Only Two contestants from each House)

i. Wind   (Harmonium will be provided)

Criteria for judging: a. Skill b. Rhythm c. Emotional Impact d. Elaboration of the time.

ii. Strings (The participant should bring the instrument.)

Criteria for judging:  a. Skill b. Rhythm c. Emotional Impact d. Elaboration of time.

iii. Percussion. (Instruments will be provided)

Criteria for judging: a. Skill b. Rhythm c. Emotional Impact d. Rhythm e. Elaboration of the time.

SOLO SINGING: (Only ‘Christian Devotional Songs’ not more than 5 minutes)

i. Western.

ii. Eastern.

Criteria for judging: a. Diction   b. Melody   c. Pitch   d. Tune   e. Presentation

Note: One Male and one female for this event.

GROUP SINGING: (Only One Team from each House)

(Only ‘Christian Devotional Songs’ not more than 5 minutes)

i. Western.

ii. Eastern.

Criteria for judging: a. Harmony   b. Melody   c. Pitch   d. Tune   e. Presentation

Note: 5 to 9 members can participate, including those playing musical instruments.

CHOREOGRAPHY: (Only One Team from each House)

(Not more than 7 minutes including the arrangement time)

Theme: “The Power of the Cross”

Criteria for judging: a. Choice of Music b. Grace. c. Movement d. Synchronizing

e. Interpretation and Expression. 

Note: 5 to 7 members can participate.

10^th November 2012 (Saturday) – INDIVIDUAL EVENTS

(Any number of contestants from each house)

Note: Theme & Paper will be provided on the spot.

Time   : 9:30 a.m.

Venue: …………………………………………………

PENCIL DRAWING:

Criteria for judging: a. Skill b. Creativity & Interpretation of theme c. Pencil Control d. Shading & Outline.

WATER COLOUR PAINTING:

Criteria for judging: a. Skill b. Creativity & Interpretation of theme c.Mixing Colour

d. Brush Control.

ESSAY WRITING: (Not more than 800 words.)

Criteria for judging: a. Thematic Coherence b. Language c. Sound Argument

d. Avoidance of Error.

SHORT STORY WRITING:

Criteria for judging: a. Language b. Suspense c. Flow of ideas d. Message.

POETRY WRITING: (Not exceeding 20 lines)

Criteria for judging: a. Interpretation b. Creativity c. Message d. Use of Words.

Note:  Children have separate competition for Drawing & Painting.                                                                                                                               

    FINAL RESULTS

1.Pencil Drawing (Children)

	Name	House
First Place	Avinash	Larsen
Second Place	Lincy	Larsen
Third Place	Sam Rishi	Larsen

2. Pencil Drawing (Adults)

	Name	House
First Place	Paul Karunakar Nalla	Devanandan
Second Place	Abu Issac Shalom	Larsen
Third Place	Stalin. S	Larsen

2.Water Colour Painting (Children)

	Name	House
First Place	Lincy	Larsen
Second Place	Anugrah James	Larsen
Third Place	Sam Rishi	Larsen

4. Water Colour Painting (Adults)

	Name	House
First Place	Paul Karunakar Nalla	Devanandan
Second Place	Abu Issac Shalom	Larsen
Third Place	Vikas Scott	Thorp

5. Essay Writing (Adults)

	Name	House
First Place	Archana. P	Thorp
Second Place	Solan Chelliah. D	Larsen
Third Place	Pumsuanlal Tombing	Herrick

6. Short Story Writing (Adults)

	Name	House
First Place	Navin Kumar John	Larsen
Second Place	Raja Samuel Kirubakaran	Thorp
Third Place	Archana. P	Thorp

7. Poetry Writing (Adults)

	Name	House
First Place	Santy S. Paul	Thorp
Second Place	Navin Kumar John	Larsen
Third Place	Ajilal.E.S	Thorp

8. Singing – Western Solo

	Name	House
First Place	P.A. Washington	Herrick
Second Place	Boto Hosheto Achumi	Thorp
Third Place	M. Temjenaro	Larsen

9. Singing – Eastern Solo

	Name	House
First Place	Steephen Jose	Herrick
Second Place	Ajilal.E.S	Thorp
Third Place	Rejin Raju	Devanandan

10. Press Conference

	Name	House
First Place	Chenijan Patton	Herrick
Second Place	Boquito K. Chishi	Devanandan
Third Place	Navin Kumar John	Larsen

11. Instrumental Music- Wind

	Name	House
First Place	Vanlalpeka	Herrick
Second Place	Shinemon. P.K.	Larsen
Third Place	Rohan. P	Larsen

12.  Instrumental Music- Strings

	Name	House
First Place	David Vishal Yadala	Herrick
Second Place	Arvind Theodore	Thorp
Third Place	P.A. Washington	Herrick

13. Instrumental Music- Percussion

	Name	House
First Place	D. Solomonraju Pallikonda	Devanandan
Second Place	Sunil Babu Talathoti	Devanandan
Third Place	Raja Baktha Singh. R	Herrick

14. Mono Act

	Name	House
First Place	Boquito K. Chishi	Devanandan
Second Place	Esther Parajuli	Larsen
Third Place	Vinod Shemron Saduri	Thorp

15.  Group Singing - Western

	HOUSE
First Place	Thorp
Second Place	Herrick
Third Place	Larsen

16. Group Singing – Eastern

	HOUSE
First Place	Thorp
Second Place	Herrick
Third Place	Larsen

17. Skit

	HOUSE
First Place	Thorp
Second Place	Larsen
Third Place	-

18. Choreography

	HOUSE
First Place	Thorp
Second Place	Herrick
Third Place	Larsen

 FINAL HOUSE POSITION:

1.      Thorp

2.      Larsen

3.      Herrick

4.      Devanandan

Judges

 

Carols unheard: A call for an inclusive Christmas

The Christmas season brings in memories of the commemoration of the birth of Jesus, celebration, carol songs, church services, community activities and sharing of food. Each church denomination celebrates the birth of Jesus with pre-prepared services and prayers. Carol songs in English and the vernacular are sung in houses and churches and people of all communities, castes and groups get together in their own celebrative ways.

The Carol songs we sing and listen to are traditional and well known to many. But there are limitations with language, context and lyrics. Many a time this is brushed aside and we get together in the spirit of the Christmas season forgetting everything else. But Carol songs are much beyond of what we know. Several communities have expressed their feelings and emotions about Jesus, his birth narrative and how Jesus gives hope and life in the midst of oppression and discrimination.

Such songs have been unheard, unseen and unsung by the mixed communities in churches, theological colleges and seminaries. Various dalit communities in different states of India have always sung from deep within their consciousness of being oppressed for centuries together. Such a deep consciousness finds support from the babe who was born in the midst of nothingness. Despite having everything, Jesus chose to be born in this nothingness, thereby associating himself with those who have been deprived their rights and their humanity. Carol songs gain deep meaning when sung from the consciousness of various dalit communities.

The United Theological College and the NationalCouncil of Churches in India (NCCI) have always stood for helping to build a church which should try hard in getting rid of caste, gender, and all sorts of discriminations within and outside the church. As part of this commitment the NCCI with support from the Evangelisches Missionswerk in Germany (EMW) and in partnership with the Department of Communication, UTC decided to bring out a CD on “Carols unheard: Christmas Carols from Dalit perspectives.”

The talks about how this could be done were done in the early part of 2012 with liaison work happening between Rev. Sunil Raj Philip, the secretary of the Dalit Desk of the NCCI, and an alumna of the college, and the Communication Department in the UTC. The actualization of the project happened on November 2,3,4 and 5 with recording done in the UTC recording studio. The release of the CD was held on November 6, 2012 with the first copy being released by the principal of the UTC, Rev. Dr. John Samuel Raj and the first CD being given to Rev. Dr. Vincent Rajkumar, Director of CISRS and Executive member of the NCCI. The students, faculty and staff of the college graced the occasion.

The songs have been written, set to tune and sung by students from various theological colleges and the UTC. The songs include Oriya, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, English and Malayalam songs. Students from various states starting from the North East till down South were the backbone of this venture. The songs reflect the self-determination of the dalit communities and will be an inspiration to all the churches in India. We hope that this Christmas season will be more meaningful with the dissemination of these songs.

The songs are available for free download from http://soundcloud.com/commission-on-dalits-ncci This we hope will ensure the easy and concerted distribution, listening, appreciation and internalizing of the songs by the UTC alumni, various church denominations and Christians at large in India and all over the world. May we listen to these songs and be able to hear the unheard during the birth of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.

(Photo credit: Rev. Sunil Raj Philip). JK

UTC Inter-Sunday school competition

The winning church with the Inter-Sun faculty advisor Rev. Dr. Evangeline Anderson Rajkumar

  The Junior Bible Fellowship of Carey society had its Inter Sunday school talent hunt on the 3^rd of November 2012. The event was based on the theme “germination in a busy network”. The concept means to say that the children these days live in a ‘busy network’ of life, with school in the morning, then the tuition, music classes, sports activities and many more, on the other hand ‘germination’, the process in which a seed becomes a plant, is compared with the seed sown by the Sunday school teachers in their respective Sunday schools. This is the meaning of the theme “germination in a busy network”.

Vegetable carving competition was an interesting addition this year

Explaining the concept to the judges

There were about 28 churches Sunday school that participated in the event. The program started off with the children bursting balloons and inaugurating the event followed by praise and worship lead by ‘Affirmation’. There were various events like group singing, group instrumental, bible quiz, choreography which were poised as the main events along with new events like grain art, and treasure hunt that were introduced and event like vegetable carving, rangoli and flower arrangement in which one Sunday school teacher was allowed to participate.

The competition was well attended by children, parents and teachers from various churches in Bangalore

`St. Mary’s Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church enthralled the audience with their amazing performance and enthusiastic participation and also won the over-all trophy yet another time, followed by St. Peters and St. Paul’s Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church who won the runners-up trophy. Since the theme is closely related to plants the trophies this time were also floral saplings, First prize- Chrysanthemum, Second Prize- Oleander and the Third prize- Rose. All who attended the program were enthusiastic and brought more colour to the event with their performances and their presence in the campus.
                                   Vinod Shemron, UTC Inter-Sun Co-ordinator.

The student co-ordinator of the UTC Inter-Sun competition, Mr. Vinod Shemron

(Photo credit to Mr. Joe Jacob)