h
     
     
 
 

     
Media must go to the roots of issues: Prof. Ramakrishna

July 8
"Media should give a background of the violence and politics of why these obnoxious clashes happen instead of blindly reporting what they see," said Professor Ramakrishna, a Human Rights Activist.
He was speaking at the release of a book on Kandhamal during the inauguration of the Centre for Social Concern (CSC) on Wednesday in Xavier hall.
Launching the book titled, "From Khandamahal to Karavali: The Ugly Face of Sangh Parivar," he opined that as responsible citizens, people should prioritise the human interest in stories rather than what generally appears in the media.
The book is a report jointly prepared by members of Human Rights Organisations and individuals on the large scale violence committed against Christians in Orissa and Karnataka by the Bajrang Dal and other associate organizations.
The main idea of bringing out the report is to disseminate the idea of communal harmony and to take up these issues for better understanding through practicality.
 Prof. Ramakrishna raised numerous questions on the existing government and how the law was being handled. He said that when communal clashes happened it was not only the religious structures that were demolished but also the harmony of the people.
"Our civil society is governed by the law and if so, where has the decency of the law gone?" he questioned. He added that people should not only start analysing the issues but move forward to bring about a change and development by joining hands.
Present on the dias for the inauguration were chief guests- Father Ambrose Pinto, Prof. Ramakrishna and Prof. Sridhar. Fr Pinto encouraged the members of CSC to work harder. "We have to be persistent in our efforts towards bringing about a change," he said.
Mr Benson Isaac, co-coordinator of CSC said that social concern was an intricate part of society rather an examination of ourselves on social issues.

 

Economics Forum holds first event
 

July 7
The Economics Forum hosted an event called 'Economaze' on Tuesday during the lunch hour. It was the first event of the year which comprised programmes such as pictionary, dumb charades on famous personalities etc. The event dealt with economics-related terms and aimed to get students more familiar with the subject.

"This event was conducted mainly to serve as a crowd puller for students and to familiarise them with the aims of the club and let them know what to expect in future," said Surabhi Rajagopal of III IES who is the president of the club.

The event saw a turn out of 17 students who formed groups comprising three members each. Finals of the event would be conducted on Wednesday, Surabhi said.

- Pallavi Uday
II MS Com
Jesuit Provincial inaugurates video studio
 

July 6
The Post-graduate Department of Communication inaugurated its video studio here on Monday, July 6, to facilitate video production skills for the students. It was inaugurated by Fr Francis Serrao, the Provincial of Karnataka Jesuit province.

Speaking on the occasion, Fr Serrao called upon media students to be credible. "The messenger must be credible in order to communicate with others. His manner must be effective and powerful. Today society is governed by power, profit and pleasure. Instead, the focus must be to be more kind, humane, caring and generous. A need to lead life by being more and not having more is imperative. Our message must be powerful and we must use the right platform," he said.

Fr Serrao also said that the media must give a message in a context. "The context today is very important. The media has many voices speaking to us. However, there are three main principles on which society runs. They are related to materials, humans and the Divine. Our common understanding is that material things are to be loved and accumulated. Humans are people to be used and manipulated and the Divine is to be worshipped. But things are to be used and not loved. People are to be loved and not used. The Divine is not to be only worshipped in a holy place but listened to and obeyed. This is will contribute to equality, honour and respect," he opined.

Father Principal stated that the media made us see what we wanted to see and this was not reality. Instead, "we must want to focus on and show reality. Media is a sub-set of society. We need to be voice of society and need to know what kind of society we really want to represent," Fr Principal said.

The inauguration was followed by the ribbon cutting, a prayer and blessing of the equipment. A demo session was conducted at the studio where questions on media were answered by the main speakers.

- Pallavi Uday
- Pics by Govind
II MS Com
   
     
Staff deliberates on evaluation system
 
Principal expressed satisfaction at the growth the College had achieved  

June 10
The teaching faculty gathered together in the College on Tuesday to discuss and debate to make the new academic year fruitful. In particular, the teachers discussed the evaluation system, its pros and cons and presented their suggestions to the management.

Earlier, inaugurating the new academic year, the Rector, Fr Terence said that only higher education could give leadership to nation. “Good engineers, doctors, lawyers etc can come only through quality higher education,” he added.

Thanking the teachers for all the commitment they had been showing in imparting quality education at St Joseph’s, he called upon them to further give stress to education that was nation-building. “We must aim at global competence. Our students must stand up anywhere in the world,” he said, adding that inculcating values among students, seeking quality always and promoting technology for greater knowledge needed to be given importance in the institution.

Principal, Fr Ambrose Pinto, in his address expressed satisfaction at the growth the College had made in the last four years of autonomy. He said that the staff was committed, and co-operative in the past year. “However, there is a small percentage of staff which is busy only with teaching and needs to go beyond. It must engage itself in research,” he advised.

The staff members deliberated in groups the strong and the weak points of the present evaluation system. In general, there was appreciation of the system, though certain improvements were desired. A few groups felt that exams were far too many and could be reduced to just two per semester and instead, seminars, group discussions and assignments could be increased.
   
     
First Years begin year with orientation
     

It was the first day first time for over 600 students on Thursday. They were on the campus for orientation programme. There was a visible excitement on the faces of most of them. However, there was also a certain anxiety on the faces of many of them as to what was in store for them in the year.

The orientation began with prayer and a message from both the Rector, Fr Terence Farias and the Principal, Fr Ambrose Pinto. Fr Rector called upon the students to strive hard to achieve greater excellence in academics and extra curricular activities so that students could grow as individuals to build society. The Pricnipal briefed the students on what makes Joseph’s different and special.

Later, students were explained the way of proceeding on campus. Among other things, there were sessions on the history of the College, autonomous system, credit system, dress code, discipline, associations etc. Dr Cherian Alexander of English Department took the students on a journey into the history of the College which began in 1882, through audio visual presentation. A short film on the College, Being Josephite prepared by the Communication department was also shown to the students in batches. Many students had queries regarding the norms and regulations of the College, besides their anxieties regarding credits and assignments.
 
The first convocation
 
     
Campus mourns Jacko's death
CAMPUS: He stormed the centre stage with his legendary scream and moonwalk; he was rightly named the 'King of Pop'. And now he has left the world leaving millions of fans heartbroken. Michael Jackson is dead, a fact that has left many of his fans in disbelief. Though he was in the limelight for wrong reasons, his music proved to be greater than the man himself. The Beacon caught up with some students on campus to pay tribute to Jacko.

His death came as a shocker to most students as they thought it to be a rumour or joke. "When my friends gave me the news this morning, I did not believe them. Michael Jackson is dead! The death of an icon is always shocking," said Jasmine Thomas of II HEP. She added that nobody could even come close to replace the 'king of pop'.

"Michael was always misunderstood. He had a bad childhood. All through his life he only craved for love and it's sad that he died without it," said Christine D'Sa and Aarthi D'Souza of III EPS. "Jackson was a nice human being. He was a crowd puller, now that he is no more I will miss his liveliness and definitely his moonwalk. Most importantly, I like him as a person," said Gabriel Richard of II MEC.

"His songs brought out his humanitarian nature. His message to the world seems to be clearer now. It's sad that he had to face so many problems during his lifetime," opined John Jepan of III CEZ. "I have grown up listening to MJ's music. I am his great fan and I do not know how to express my grief. His death marks the end of an era," expressed Niranjan Patel of I MA (English).

All in all, the students deeply mourn one of the biggest losses to music industry and the spirit of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop will continue to live on in the memories of his loyal fans.

- Hrithik Bagade
- Harshitha G.\
II MS Com
     
Glimpses of Visages - 2009
 
     
E Bizz helps build student forum, say students

Feb 20

 The All India Economics Summit ’09, Ebizz, kicked off on Thursday, February 19, at SJC. The fest, organised by the Economics Forum, had four out of station colleges and three city colleges participating in the three day seminar. The fest was inaugurated by Dr Rajeev Gowda, a lecturer at India Institute of Management, Bangalore. 
The first day of the fest saw preliminary events like war of the words, crack the case, economics maze and best manager. The second day had preliminary events like mock G8, can you convince, business plan and young economist. Participants from Sri Venkateshwara College, Delhi, IIT, Chennai, Madras Christian College, Chennai, Xaviers College, Ahmadabad, Christ College, Mount Carmel College and St Joseph’s College from the city, made their way to the finals of the above mentioned events.

     
     

“Organising the fest was a new experience, although a good one, as we got to interact with students from other colleges,” said Zakia Khatoon from II HEP.

“It’s a learning process as we learnt a lot of things. It’s nice to have out-of-station students as it keeps the interaction level high. The fest helps to build a student forum and a form of national students community that proves to be helpful for students who aim for a flying career,” opined Sharanya R. from III IES.

“We felt that event wise the fest was very ambitious, as there were a whole lot of creative events. All events were well organised and we really enjoyed being at the SJC campus. We hope to come back next year as well,” said Shantanu Chatterjee and Ananth Krishna from Madras Christian College, Chennai.

The finals of all the events will take place on Saturday at the PG campus from 9 a.m. onwards.
     
 

 
‘Fluorescence’ brings  budding scientists  together

Feb 7

 ‘Fluorescence’ a Science Fest organised by SJC kicked off today with 42 colleges from the city participating in the two day event. The fest was inaugurated by Dr Ramachandra from the Centre of Fundamental Research. Dr Madhusudhan, a scientist from the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium delivered a lecture on the application of physics and biology.
“The idea of hosting a Science Fest was conceived a year back by the students themselves,” said Keith Chen, teacher coordinator. The fest is being managed and sponsored by the Ministry of Madness, an event management company.
     
     


      “Events like quiz, dumb charades and crossword saw good participation from the students. The science exhibition had about 148 exhibits on display that will be judged and 15 prizes will be awarded to the most creative students,” said Madappa M B, another teacher coordinator.
“There is nothing impossible to achieve in life. Keep your ambitions firm. No matter whoever criticises, reach your goal,” said Sujit Lalwani, one of the youngest entrepreneur of India. He was delivering a lecture to the students.

“It was a great experience as everyone from the class worked as a team. We never knew that there was so much of creativity within each one of us. It was a good opportunity to get to know each other a little better and to work as a team. We really hope that we have the fest the following year,” said Angad Rao from II MCZ. 
     

Terror acts must not be seen in isolation: Principal

 Jan 27
“The Republic is battling terror,” said Principal, Fr Ambrose Pinto, here on Monday, January 26. He was delivering his Repblic Day message after unfurling the national flag.
Fr Principal said that 9/11 or 26/11 are not to be seen in isolation. “They have a root somewhere else. This country has seen different types of terror for centuries together. And to consider only some as terror acts and not others would be a grave mistake,” he said.

 He enumerated three types of terror the country has seen, namely caste terror, capitalist terror and religious terror. “For centuries together people in this country have been discriminated on the basis of caste, which amounts to terror. What happened in Nadigram and other places is capitalist terror and what happened in Malegaon, Gujarat and other places is religious terror,” he reiterated.
Fr Principal called on students to fight the forces that unleash such terror in society. “Communalism has no place in the country. So we must fight such and other terror attacks through our total pledge and commitment to the country,” he said.

Protocol officer Anup Lal led the function.
     

Economists deliberate development issues

Jan 23
The PG dept of Economics conducted a conference titled “National Economics Conference” on Friday, January, 23 at the Xavier Hall. The event whose theme was ‘India at 61: Towards a New Development Paradigm’ was attended by many students and lecturers from other colleges.
Subhashini, Head of the PG Economics department, explained, “The purpose is to get college teachers of economics to pursue research. We have received fourty research papers of teachers so far.”
Fr Principal highlighted the failure of following a purely market based model of development and how it could not address the problems of poverty, injustice and other development issues.
The presidential address was rendered by Mr B.K. Bhattacharjee, the former Chief Secretary of Karnataka. He took his discussion through the Keynesian economic model and its relevance in modern times. He also described the Nehruvian model of development and how this paradigm had shifted to limiting the role of government in economic affairs beginning in the 1990’s and today in the context of the unsolved development issues. “These issues cannot be solved by pure market models,” he added. 
The Technical session began at 11 a. m. with the topic ‘Redefining Approaches and Processes for a Poverty Free India’ which was explained by Dr S. S. Meenakshisundaram of the National Institute for Advanced Studies, Bangalore. He opined that poverty alleviation programmes were ineffective because of the lack of accountability.
Dr Abdul Aziz, visiting professor at the Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore, suggested better quality of education, so that firms could provide on-the-job training. Ms Ruchira Bhargav spoke on the role of women in economic development.
Post-lunch, Technical session II began with a lecture delivered by Dr Lalith Achut of the University of Agricultural Sciences, (UAS) Bangalore, who examined the growing retail sector in India and how the largest expansion was in the food sector. Dr Sreekanthamurthy of UAS highlighted the changes that occurred under the WTO regime, especially in the agricultural sectors of horticulture and floriculture. The day’s sessions ended with Mr Romal Shetty of KPMG South, who pointed out the task of industrial development to make the sector globally competitive. “The task is huge and most industrial changes are happening not as a result of serious policy issues, but they are only evolving themselves,” he said.

The conference will conclude on Saturday.
Hrithik Bagade
I M S Com
 
 

     
“She was a perfect human being”

Jan 12
 “It is always important to be human than to be important and Ms Barbara was down to earth human as much as she was intelligent,” said Professor Cherian from the Department of English.
He was speaking at the condolence meet of Dr Mrs Barbara Naidu, former teacher of English at SJC, held at the College on Monday, January 12. Ms Barbara passed away on Friday, January 9.
Prof. Cherian said that Ms Barbara would continue to live in everyone’s heart, though she was not there physically, for she touched everyone she met even for a short while.
Fr Principal compared Mrs Barbara with St Paul, saying that she had fought the battle bravely and now had gone to enjoy the company with Lord. “She was a perfect human being who was honest and     determined in her work. She was one of the most innovative teaching staff members of the English department,” he added
Vice Principal, Fr Clarence said that Ms Barbara was a mixture of the divine and the human. “She was very polite and warm in her dealings,”he said. 
 A couple of students too paid   tribute to Ms Barbara by highlighting the invaluable service she rendered at SJC. The Joseph’s Aids Awareness Movement (JAAM) was started by her, so were several Human Resource Development programmes, they said.
Many students and teachers took part in the condolence meet.

 

     
'Plight of women similar to plight of nation'
     

Jan 6
 “The word country has a direct association with the term ‘Bharat Mata’. For centuries we have viewed the country in the form of a woman, but sadly the plight of women today is unfortunate,” said, Kavita Krishnan, a women’s activist with the All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA).
She was delivering a lecture to the Post Graduate students on Tuesday, December 6. The lecture was organised by the PG Department of Political Science.
She spoke about the way people perceive India as the mother who is ever willing to support, care, nourish, nurture and do selfless work. “The other way of perceiving the mother is that she must not have any desires or wants to do anything which will not be accepted by society at large. In other words, she should be guarded in her ways and not be open to “pollution”. In a similar manner, many think that the country too should be guarded and policed,” she said.
She further said that it was unfortunate that the women were confined and preserved in their homes and were not supposed to enjoy any freedom or rights. “She is not supposed to have any freedom as explained in Arundati Roy’s ‘The God of Small Things’ where the widow in the novel is shunned upon for finding love again,” Ms Krishnan added.

She also emphasised the evils of customs such as Sati, child marriage, caste system, among others, and how at times Hindu girls were not allowed to mingle with people of other communities. This thought prevailed as the Hindu women were supposed to represent the Hindu Nation, she said.
She stressed on the popular T.V show ‘Balika Vadhu” which was aired on Colours channel. In this show the plight of a young girl who was married off at a tender age to a man much older than her is depicted. The point Ms. Kavita wanted to stress upon was that viewers looked at the role of the girl as being very likeable and sweet. Unfortunately they never thought of the customs as something to be banned and abolished.

The talk ended with a discussion that was open for debate. The informative session received healthy response from the students.

Pallavi Uday & Salma
I MS Com
     
Choirs raise hearts for Khandhamal victims
     
The Jyoti Nivas College auditorium wore a festive look on Sunday evening. Some of the best choirs in Bangalore came together to sing for a noble cause. St Joseph's College (SJC) in association with Jyoti Nivas College (JNC) and Mount Carmel (MCC) College organised a music concert to raise funds for the victims of Khandhamal.
The concert was held in the JNC auditorium in which 7 choirs participated:  four College choirs – SJC, Christ University (CU), JNC, MCC and 3 Church choirs –Ascension, Holy Ghost church, and Naga Christian fellowship.
CU choir enthralled the audience with unique renderings, especially a classical one, “Unto us a child is born”. The SJC choir had a special carol, exclusively composed for the victims of Kandhamal, while JNC brought in the mood of Christmas with their mellifluous singing of Silent Night, Joy in my heart, among others.

Principal of SJC, Fr Ambrose, in his message lauded the initiatives taken by the Colleges. He said: “Bangalore would have been poorer without Catholic Colleges which have a very secular outlook. We are here today to show our solidarity with the Kandhamal victims and also to show our solidarity to build human communities and unity in diversity.”

 

Principal of CU, Fr Thomas said that today there was increasing need to be interdependent rather than be dependent of independent. “It is only through this that we can bring about changes in the minds of people in Bangalore,” he added.

“It was a good opportunity given to the youth to be able to show solidarity and give help to the refugees of Kandhamal,” said Roshan Sylvester of MS Communication, who was part of the Ascension Church choir.

 “We enjoyed the concert and it gave us a complete Christmas feeling. We were happy that we did this so that somebody else can celebrate Christmas due to our efforts,” Said Mr Xavier, Lecturer of Department of Social work, who was part of the organising committee.
Indumathi,
I MS Com
Pics: Hepsibah I MS Com

 
     
Campus prays for Anand
     

Dec 10 
A condolence meeting to pray for Anand B C of II PMC, who died on Monday, December 8 in a road accident, was held in the quadrangle on Wednesday, December 10 at 1.30 p.m.
Giving a tribute to Anand, Principal Fr Ambrose Pinto said, “Anand is now a memory; but there is life beyond grief. My condolence to his family and the students of II year PMC. I was touched the kind of solidarity shown by students those two days in the hospital. Anand represented a true Josephite. He belonged to all us. He was deeply a human being beyond any caste and religion.

Shruthi, one of Anand’s classmates, said that Anand was a very friendly and caring person. “I used to walk with him and he used to give money to beggars everyday. If he did not have change to give, he would take out a fifty rupee note and hand it over to the beggar. He was concerned about each and everyone. Tears were his biggest enemy. He always made people smile.”

 “I am angry with him because he had a wish to die on the bike. I am angry with him because he is not here with us today. It is very sad to loose a friend who listens to you, who slaps his friends if they smoke and drink,” said Mr Stephen, Department of Science.

Ms Lora, Department of Physics said that life was a journey and all were travellers, but Anand’s journey was too short to live. “He always volunteered to get involved in all activities. He was a class representative not only in words but in action. He lived his life like a true Josephite,” she added.

She also said, “He continues to live in our hearts today and forever. All students should remember that whenever they ride they should be careful and take care.”

 Anand’s classmate Susan said that he had inspired her more than anyone else in her life. “He preferred perfection in everything. He had a heart of gold, always ready to help others. He was a talented boy, but always down to earth. He loved his family and specially his grand mother. Anand was an all rounder,” she said.

As the hymn ‘Abide with me’, was sung, students and teachers offered floral tribute to Anand. Anand's mother and relatives were present for the prayer meet.

 

Parandeep Singh

I MS Com
     
Campus mourns death of Anand
   

Anand B.C, a second year student of PMC passed away at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, November 8, at NIMAHANS hospital succumbing to head injuries sustained during an accident. He had met with a road accident on Saturday, November 6. Apparently, he was thrown out of his bike in mysterious circumstances and suffered serious internal head injuries. He was rushed to the hospital in an unconscious state and succumbed to injuries on Monday.
Anand was an active member of the NSS (National Service Scheme) and CSC (Centre for Social Concern), he was a hard worker, helpful, humble and loved by all and a good student. He was a promising all-rounder. He had contributed a lot towards social service and was also a human rights activist.  “He represents the philosophy of a Josephite who went out to help others,” said Principal, Fr Ambrose Pinto.
Anand was a friend of many. This was visible by the fact that a large group of students was with him in the hospital giving support to the family members.
 The College deeply mourns the death of such a dedicated student and pays sympathy to his family and relatives. “He was dedicated, hard working and was always ready to help anybody,” said John Anthony, NSS-CSC Coordinator.
“He was an active student. He was one of the most cheerful people in the campus,” said Golan, a student of I M.A. Political Science.
     
Shankar Narayan is national karate champ
     

Shankar Narayan S of I MEC won the gold medal in International Asia Wuko karate championship welfare cup 2008 organised by the All India Budokan Karate federation. The championship was held in Hyderabad from November 27 to 30.
This championship was held for the age group between 15 and 17 years from white to black belt group. Shankar Narayan won the IV place in individual championship and won I place in three members’ team championship against Chennai.
“The medal was given based on performance. It was a good experience for me personally to win this championship,” Shankar Narayan said.
Next year the competition will be held in Chennai and he said that he was very confident of winning again.

     
Candlelight vigil marks tribute to terror victims
 

BANGALORE: Even as the terror stricken city of Mumbai limps back to normalcy, the entire nation reached out to the Mumbaikars by condemning the attacks and extending as much support as possible. Students and teachers of SJC, over 500 of them, were not far behind as they organised a candlelight vigil near Gandhi statue on MG Road on Tuesday.

The vigil was a symbol of solidarity and oneness with all people of the city, the state and the country. It was also to pay tribute to the victims who were slain by terrorists and brave men of the police and armed forces who saved hundreds of human lives by laying down their own.

The vigil was organised by the Class Representatives association of SJC. Slogans condemning terrorism and promoting peace reverberated in the air as students and teachers raised voice in unison. The familiar tunes of ‘hum honge kamiyab’ were also sung to instil among people on roads a sense of oneness with the rest of the country.

Anand, the class representative of II PMC said, “The terror attacks have made us insecure and fearful. They have awakened us and made us to think of the future of the country.” He praised the support that the media rendered in highlighting the oneness and solidarity of the Josephites with the rest of the country.

Principal, Fr Ambrose Pinto opined that this was an attack against humanity and we must stand united amidst such crises. “We require better politicians now who will guarantee better security for us,” he added.

Mr John, the Co-ordinator of CSC/NSS who was present at the venue said, “We want to empathise with the people of Mumbai and reach out to the families of the victims and those who are injured.” He also stressed the need to fight back terror by joining hands.
Hema, from III CBZ, said that she got totally involved in the vigil and the atmosphere encouraged her to give her best in shouting out slogans with the rest of the crowd. “It meant a lot to me to contribute from my side to the country by being a part of the vigil. I felt and prayed for the people suffering due to these attacks.”

The vigil concluded with the rendering of the National Anthem that the gathering enthusiastically sang. The candles were lit and they illuminated MG Square which, in a way, seemed symbolic of the new era of young people who had taken up responsibility and were willing to stand with the rest of the country in moments of crises.
- Allan
I MS Com
     
Presidency College defeats SJC
     

 Nov 17
 SJC suffered a huge loss in the finals of the Centenary Cup, held here on Saturday. The loss was humiliating as the home side could muster only 71 runs which the Presidency College achieved in just 13 overs. Presidency College outplayed the hosts in all departments of the game. The captain of Presidency College said that they won because they stuck to the basics and that their all round performance was good. “I expected more from the opposition. Their problem was that the batsmen tried big shots early on. They could not keep the momentum going,” he added.SJC had no big partnerships going and some batsmen threw away their wickets carelessly. But the captain stood by his team and said that though the boys played well they did not have luck on their side. “If we had fielded first we might have had a better chance of winning. Today was our off day,” said Karthik Shivan
The dignitaries at the prize distribution ceremony were Principal,  Fr Ambrose Pinto, Principal of Presidency College, Mrs Rasquinha and the chief guest, Mr Joseph Hover, a well known sports journalist. When the Beacon asked Mr Hover about his response to such tournaments he said that it was sad to see the lack of enthusiasm on the part of spectators. “Such tournaments are very important for showcasing new talent which may not be found otherwise,” he said. Vikas Rajbhat of Presidency College was declared the Man of the Match, while Karthik Shivan received the best bowler award. Elango of SJC was the best allrounder.
- Aishwarya I MS Com
     
Campus charged up for grand finale
 

We have a game plan, says the team
Nov 14
On the eve of the finals between St Joseph’s and Presidency College, the Josephites seem to have a lot of expectations from the team. The players themselves are charged up and are ready to take on the opposition. Considered as the underdogs of the tournament, the team managed to defeat National College to reach the finals of the Centenary tournament.
“Nobody expected us to reach the finals, yet through sheer hard work and dedication we booked ourselves a berth in the finals of the tournament,” said Bharat Sequiera, a team player.

“Presidency College has a strong team with experienced players, but we are putting in our best effort. We have a game plan as we have studied each of the opponent players. So, I expect our team to win as we are giving it our best shot. Although a few players have been injured we are a dedicated lot and are raring to go,” he added.

Karthik Shivan, the team captain said, “It feels good to reach the finals. The energy level of our team is high. We are not tensed; we will be putting in not 100 but 200 per cent of our hard work into the game. We will surely win as we have the home advantage,” he opined.
Vincent Joseph, the vice captain said that their bowling and fielding was pretty good but their batting line up was an area of concern. He also stated that the players were more energetic now and were regularly coming to practice since they reached the finals.
When asked about what was the secret of the team’s energy he said, “I don’t know about the secret of the team’s energy, but mine surely is prayers and hardwork.” “Presidency College is a better team as they have experienced players. So we will have to give our best,” he added.

When The Beacon asked the students on the campus for their prediction of the match result, we had mixed reactions. “We obviously want our College to win, yet we feel that the best team should win the game,” said Rachna Patwardhan and Ramya from II B.Sc. “Presidency College might win the game as they have pretty good players, but being a Josephite I would vouch for the home team itself,” said Kaushik J from III B.Sc.
On the whole, they wish the Joseph’s Cricket team all the very best and want them to bring back the trophy after a long gap of six years.   
  - Harshitha G. MS COM
     
SJC in twenty-20 finals
 

Nov 13
The College cricket team has reached the finals of the Centenary twenty-20 Cricket Tournament. They defeated National College by 55 runs in the semifinals held on Wednesday, November 12. They will face Presidency College in the finals which will be held on Saturday, November 15
The College team scored 146 for the loss of 8 wickets. Vincent Joseph topscored for the host team, chipping 49.
In reply National College could muster only 91 runs.
In the other semifinals, Presidency College defeated Sri Mahaveer Jain College by 4 wickets. The finals will be played on November 15 on the College grounds.
The College has high expectations to bag the coveted championship. “It has been three years since our College reached the finals. This is a great achievement for the team as we fought to win,” remarked Bharat Sequiera, a team member.
Karthik Shivan, the skipper of the College team was elated at the prospect of the home team reaching the finals. “It is a big opportunity for the team to prove its ability. We will be positive and give our hundred per cent,” he said.
The winners will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 3000. 

     
Lohit Kumar Wins Taekwondo bronze
   
Lohit Kumar of III BA (EPS) Rahul Peter D'Souza of III B Sc (PEM)

Lohit Kumar of III BA (EPS) won the bronze medal in the 27th National Senior Taekwondo championship held between 17 and 19 October at PAP indoor stadium Jalandar, Punjab.
He had earlier won district and state championships and qualified for the National championship. It has been a very important year for Lohit and a major feat to win at the national level.
Principal has commended his achievement and congratulated him saying that it was an honour both to Lohit and the College.
Meantime, Rahul Peter D'Souza of III B Sc (PEM) represented the Bangalore University in the south-west zone inter-university chess tournament held between 17 and 22 October at Tumkur. The Bangalore University was ranked fourteenth.

     
Entrepreneurship seminar: A  day of innovation for staff
 
Oct 14
It was a day of break from the routine for the staff members of the College, as a seminar on Entrepreneurship was held on Tuesday, October 13. The seminar was co-ordinated by Poonacha Machaiah, CEO, ABO Ventures and an ex-Josephite, who rightly said that Entrepreneurship was basically an attitude more than anything else.
“To develop this attitude both among staff and students, we require awareness and start somewhere,” he said.Fr Ambrose in his welcome address highlighted the need of such a seminar in a context where more and more privatisation of higher education was taking place in the country so rapidly. “Higher education is changing so fast. Hence mere teaching and lecturing in the class may not be enough. We have to know what happens in the world outside,” he said.
The day was marked by a series of talks by various resource persons. Some of the resource persons included, Dr Rajini Srikanth, Professor of University of Mass., Boston, USA; Jason Hinton, President, Concept & Strategies, Washington DC; Dr Aparna Das from Indo-American Hybrid Seeds, Bangalore; Dr Maj. Guruprasad, ETI. The major point highlighted by most speakers was the need of collaboration between academia and industry in terms of Research and Development. A lively interaction followed each presentation. A brainstorming session took place at the end of the seminar on what the staff could initiate in their respective departments in terms of innovation and ways and means to have a useful collaboration with the industry.
     
Brinda, Patkar demand CBI enquiry into Church attacks
     

Oct 7 
National Alliance of People’s Movement (NAPM) leader Medha Patkar and CPI (M) politburo member Brinda Karat have demanded a CBI enquiry into the Church attacks in Orissa and Karnataka
They were addressing a massive rally organised under the banner ‘Save Democracy Save Secularism’ by Bangalore Citizen’s Initiative here on Monday.
Ms Patkar said that it was the strategic plan of BJP to create a vote bank in all the states where it was in power. “There has not been a single forcible conversion. It is a clever poly of the Sangh Parivar to annihilate all other religions in India. Nurturing one’s cultural traits is everybody’s right. Those who want to negate such right have no place in India,” she said.
Ms Patkar further added that secularism did not only mean ‘giving equal status to all religions’ (sarva dharma samabhava); it also meant being tolerant to other religions which the BJP and its affiliated militant organisations were systematically trying to destroy. “Freedom of religion basically is a freedom of conscience which our constitution upholds. No one has the right to question when someone wants to follow his or her conscience,” she re-iterated.
CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat said that there had been partisan approach as regards dealing with terrorists. “Those who infuse fear among people in the name of religion, destroy places of worship, rape and kill people are all terrorists. They all should be punished. Both the Central Government and the State governments have failed miserably in dealing strongly with such terrorising outfits,” she said.
Ms Karat came heavily on the hypocrisy of the BJP which raised the conversion issue. “Real forcible conversion is taking place in Kandhamal in the name of Ghar Vapasi where innocent poor people are terroried to forego Christianity and join Hinduism. The state government has become a mute a spectator to their misery which is unfortunate,” she lamented
All India Christian Council (AICC) president John Dayal held that protecting and defending Christians in India was the duty of all Indians. He sought all people of the country with secular mindset to give protection to minorities.

“There has been a conspiracy going on to wipe out Christianity from India. In Rajasthan they have a plan to throw out Christians by 2010. Similar is the situation in Kandhamal. But they will never succeed in their sinister designs, as all Christian bodies are united and we have great faith in our secular democratic State,"  Mr Dayal said.

Sri Basavaraj Devaru Swamiji of Mansur Matt, Dharwad opined that Bhajrang Dal and VHP should be banned as they had unleashed untold miseries on people who had served this country selflessly. "It is indeed a shame that a secular country like India cannot uphold secular values. No minority seems safe in this country as far as such terror groups exist. They should immediately be banned," he said.

Earlier a massive rally of over five thousand people took a procession from the Government Arts College to Jakkarayana Kere. In a rare expression of solidarity, as many as 48 civil associations took active part in the rally.
Melwyn Pinto SJ
Pics: Prachi Gupta, Hepsibah Rosario
     
     
'We are one' goes worldwide
     

Oct 3
In the presence of past and present students of St Joseph’s institutions, a website to harness national integrity and communal harmony was launched at the St Joseph’s Boys High School hall on Friday, October 2. The site was launched by eminent alumni Anup Sridhar, an Olympian and Sadanand Vishwanath, former cricketer.
The website is rightly titled ‘We Are One’ (weareone.org.in), as it seeks to foster qualities of harmony and peace among all Josephhites worldwide.
Launching the website Mr Sridhar said, “It was necessary now to establish a platform to reach out to India and world at large.”
Mr Vishwanath stressed that the making of the individual was vital. He said, “Every religion has a dharma, a duty to fellow human beings. If this is exercised the all round growth of the individual becomes a reality. Even in sport the essence of brotherhood is nurtured. A match between India and Pakistan is ultimately carried out by breaking barriers and nurturing brotherhood in this sense.”
“Gratitude only in words is not sufficient,” said Fr. Terrance Farias, the Rector of Joseph’s institutions applauding the concrete initiative of the alumni. Surely the attempt to contribute to society in such a manner would enhance the spirit of secularism and democracy, he said. He further urged both past and present students to give all that they could, following Mother Theresa’s call “Share till it hurts”, to make this world a better place of peace and harmony.
Mr Shankar Jaganathan, an alumnus, spoke of being peace brigades of Gandhian ideals. He pointed out the need of living as active citizens in society, above all, by having a living faith in non-violence. “We are one! And we should foster that feeling among all. Being an ex-Josephite, I have nurtured such a feeling all through my life and there is a greater need to foster such feeling with all,” he added.
The ceremony was further enlivened by the songs of national integration sung by the choirs of different institutions.
Sunil an alumni, working for an internet radio station said, “It is indeed a good idea bringing together all the Josephites to have a formidable voice that will be heard.” Benson, one of the architects of the website and an alumnus, when asked about his experience of making the website, said, “The idea is to make this website not ‘just another website’. We designed it to be representative and participative on a more experience base. Representation as Josephites still makes it even better.”

Chetan another alumnus and architect of the website said, “I witnessed the multicultural and multiethnic attribute of Josephites while working on this website. Indeed the feeling of oneness is a reality!”
On the momentous occasion all those Josephites gathered took a pledge reaffirming their commitment to harmony and national integration. The pledge was led by Anup Sridhar and Sadanand Vishwanath.
- Roshan Sylvester
I MS Com
Pix: Govind Menon
     
150 students donate blood
     
Sep 27
As many as 150 students donated their blood during the blood donation camp organised by the CSC, NCC and NSS. The blood was collected by doctors from Victoria Hospital.

The hospital was satisfied with the response received from the College as compared to other colleges in the city, according to Richard, a final year BA student.
“The organisers are happy that many students came forward and donated their blood. We collected 130 units of blood this time alone compared to 120 units collected last year,” he added. 
- Harshitha
I M.S. Com
     
“Save girl child must start at home”
     
Sep 27
“The protest against female foeticide should start from within a family,” said  Parvathi Menon, Resident Editor of The Hindu.
She was speaking at a seminar on Girl Child organised by NCC and NSS in the College  on Friday, Septgember 27.
Ms Menon said that the focus on the issue should be based on an individual contribution to the problem at hand. Media could play a major role here. “If there is some improvement in the in the situation it is largely because of the exposure given by media,” she added.
Ms Menon also spoke about ‘Vijanthi’, a real life documentary about the problems faced by a woman bearing a girl child. It was screened in the College on September 24.
Mrs Manonmani, Head of the Department of Kannada, Bishop Cotton Women’s Christian College, appreciated the initiative taken by the College and hoped that NCC could do more for the cause of the girl child. She stressed the importance of addressing the issue and also the need to educate both men and women about the problem that might grip the country, if it was left unchecked.

Fr Ambrose Pinto congratulated the organisation and said that such programmes were necessary and more programmes of this kind should be organised.
Later, the College Street Theatre team put up street plays on women’s issues.
The seminar was a follow up of the girl child week organised by CSC, NSS/NCC.
- Aishwarya
I M.S. Com
     
 
 
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