Activities
Back >>
Orientation:
The Orientation program for the batch of English Studies (2023-2024) was held on 21st November 2023, in the HRD hall. The event began with an introduction of all the students. The Department Co-ordinator, Ms. Shwetha Ravindra informed the students of the various events that organizes which include contributing articles for the Wall Journal ‘Alpas’ and becoming a part of the book club ‘Enheduanna’. The event concluded with a senior student Anushashree of II MA sharing her experience during the past year.
REPRESENTATIVE ELECTION AND INVESTITURE
The Postgraduate Department of English Studies organized an election on 4th December 2023 to elect representatives of class, culture, sports, and chapel for the first and second years, respectively. The nominated students addressed the entire class with a speech for about two minutes and each student was then allowed to cast their votes. The counting of votes was done by the Staff and the winners were announced. The results are as follows:
Second years:
| NAME | POST |
|---|---|
| Sadia Naaz | Class representative |
| Neha jha | Cultural representative |
| Anushashree | Sports representative |
| NAME | POST |
|---|---|
| Sowmya | Class representative |
| Afifa Fatima | Cultural representative |
| Vindhya Shree K.S | Sports representative |
| Abilin Sharina | Chapel representative |
VISIT TO CHAMPACA LIBRARY
On December 14th, 2023 the PG Department of English visited ‘Champaca’ on Queen's Road, Bengaluru. ‘Champaca’ is a Bengaluru-based library that has a contemporary collection of books for the public to access. The MA English students were taken to the library to get exposure to the contemporary range of books and writers available in various genres of literature. The visit was organized to inculcate an ardent reading habit in students and get access to books on Gender, Caste, Translation Studies, Postcolonial Studies, American Literature, Children's Literature and Research Writing. The visit exposed them to new authors in various areas of study. The visit was a fruitful and a first-time experience for many students. The department believes that such visits encourage critical and creative thinking skills in students and push their boundaries of interdisciplinary research. With this aim, the visit was a step forward to nurturing students onto a path toward practical experiential learning.
Bangalore Literary Fest
The 12th edition of the Bangalore Literary Fest was held on 2nd and 3rd December 2023 at ‘The Lalit Ashok’ in Bangalore. Diverse panelists were speaking on various genres of literature held throughout the two days catering to the interests of age groups of people. One section spoke on ‘Only Murders in the Building: Crime Fiction’ In this session, the author Shoba Narayan discussed her novel ‘Namma Bangalore: The Soul of the Metropolis’ and her experience living in Bangalore for over the last 2 decades. Students also attended the session on ‘Changes in Translation’ where the panelists highlighted the changes in translation practice with the introduction of artificial intelligence and the challenges of translation. After a brief address by the speakers, there was a time for discussion and interaction with the audience. Books published by authors who were part of the literary fest were on sale too. It was truly an enlightening and meaningful two-day literary fest.
One Day Visit to St Mark’s Cathedral
A one-day visit to the St Mark’s Cathedral as an Introduction to Colonial Architecture was organized for the PG Department of English Studies on Saturday 17th February 2024. The students were given a guided tour of the place by Prof Hephzibah S. Doss, former principal of Bishop Cotton Women’s Christian College and member of St Mark’s Cathedral Bangalore. In the enlightening session, Prof. Hephzibah S. Doss spoke about the beginning of the establishment of the British Colonial empire in India along with the introduction of Christian faith in India After the session, Prof. Doss enlightened the students of about the history of the church, the different monuments and scriptures within the church and the various events that take place in the church. Overall, it was a very informative session.
Peer learning on Computing skills:
The PG Department organized a Peer Learning Session for the students with Ms. Qudsia Fathima of III BCA. She led the session in showcasing computing skills associated with webinars and guest lectures. She demonstrated the method of making posters through Canva, registration, and feedback links along with auto-generated certificates. The students actively participated in the session and benefitted
The postgraduate department of English organized a guest lecture on "Whose plate is it anyway?": Exploration of food narratives and it's connection with culture and identity. It was an interesting session on exploring the connection between food narratives, culture, and identity. The speaker delved into how different cultures express their unique identities through food. It included the area of traditional recipes, cooking techniques, and the stories behind certain dishes. It was truly captivating to see how food can be a powerful tool for cultural preservation and self-expression. The lecture concluded on a newfound appreciation of food which shapes and is an essential part of each of our identities.
VISIT TO NATIONAL ART GALLERY OF MODERN ART
The postgraduate department of English Studies paid a visit to the National Art Gallery of Modern Art on March 6, 2024. The National Gallery of Modern Art was inaugurated in the year 2009. It showcases modern Indian art and houses paintings by Raja Ravi Verma, Jamini Roy, Amrita Sher-Gil, Rabindranath Tagore and a large number of modern and contemporary artists. Equipped with an auditorium, a public art reference library, a cafeteria, and a museum shop cum facilitation block, the NGMA Bengaluru looks to become a hub of art activities and a major cultural center in Bengaluru. In the gallery, there was an exhibition of art by legendary artist Haripura Panels by Nandalal Bose which are declared as National Treasures and form part of NAGMA's permanent collection. The visit included a tour of the premises, a close study of the art inside the galleries, and an engagement in a practical application-based writing exercise in the Art Library. The agenda of the visit was to explore the gallery, and the library, and indulge in reflective writing work based on the observations made by students on the various art forms in the museum. Students were asked to interpret art as poetry using various literary critical theories while appreciating the art. They were encouraged to find artistic equivalents of the various critical estimations of poetry and use them in the appraisal and understanding of art wherever applicable. The visit began at 11am and concluded at 4pm.
The paintings depicted Indian culture, human emotions, and modern art. After contemplating the story and inspiration behind many paintings the students headed towards the library to gather and recollect their thoughts. After a little while there was a discussion on the paintings- what one felt about them and what they represented. The students were able to actively participate in analyzing art critically. It was a new experience and it helped them to understand the theories better. More importantly, the students learnt that Literature and art are intertwined throughout history they convey human emotions, and expressions through language and imagery. Overall, it was new and interesting experience
The postgraduate department of English conducted a guest lecture on Choosing your research: Dilemmas and Challenges the resource person on 5th March 2024. The Resource Person was Dr Priyanka Mathur. The session provided us with much-needed insight into choosing topics of research along with the methodology and extension of research activities.
Guest Lecture: "Translation and Regional Literatures: representation of Caste,Class and Gender."
The post-graduate department of English organized a Guest lecturer on Translation and Regional literature by Mr. Jeffin Lijo, Assist Prof, St. Joseph’s College on 7th March 2024. The session focused on the play of language and the power of words. The speaker highlighted the essence of the source text and the translated text where one is a shadow of the other. Each one has a life of its own yet reflects the other. The speaker spoke on the need for sensitivity while translating a work. He also showed how words are specific to a particular caste, community and clan and the measures one ought to take while attempting to translate a piece of work from one language into another.
Guest Lectures Organised
A Guest Lecture on ‘Aboriginal Literature’ was held on June 24th 2024 at the HRD Hall. The Resource Person was Dr. Etinenne Rassendren. He spoke about the beginning of aboriginal literature, its nature and its aspects along with the features of aboriginal literature in context of the texts prescribed for study. He highlighted the style of writing of aboriginal writing and the manner in which they were in tune with nature and its surroundings. There was a time of interaction after the session encouraging the students to clarify their queries. The students greatly benefited from the session
The Guest Lecture on A Pale View of the Hills by Kazua Ishiguro held on 5th August 2024, was well received by the audience. Dr. R.V. Sheela’s insightful exploration of the novel’s themes of memory and the human condition resonated strongly with both students and faculty. Her clear and engaging delivery made the complex topics accessible and the session led to meaningful discussions. Overall the lecture was a valuabe academic experieince leaving atendees with a deeper understanding of Ishiguro’s work.
The interview with Ms Suryakumari Dennison was insightful in a number of ways. She took time to speak to us about her areas of interest , ways to improve one’s writing and even the aspect of a writer’s block . She told us that each of one could go through the aspect of writer’s block at some point in life and only with determination can one overcome the hurdles of writing. She also told the audience that often wrote of things she knew very well and most of her character are inspired from real life , This session was a wonderful time of learning about writing through this interview
