THE CARMEL BEAT
Academicia : A feast for the Mind
Schenelle
Mount Carmel College gave an intellectual spin to fests with Academicia on the 11th and 12th of October, 2021.
An academic fest was unchartered territory for Mount Carmel College. “Mount Carmel is always known for its cultural activities through Cul-Ah and various other events, but the academic perspective was completely missing. We did have different fests for each association, but not a full-fledged academic fest. We wanted to create a platform wherein an exposure like this can be provided for our students as well as other students from different colleges take part in '' says Vernica Garg, Vice president of Mount Carmel College.
The theme for this year was Stoicheia (representing the five elements of earth) which was an ode to Mother Earth who often influences and moulds us into who we are. With 37 diverse events, Mount Carmel was ready to serve as a stage for exceptional talent.
the history association event-the road not taken
The silent walls of Mount Carmel were once again filled with the usual hustle and bustle of the pre-pandemic era and this was a sight to behold. This was Mount Carmel’s first offline fest of the year and for many students, their very first fest in college. Carmelites who had come from all over India were now able to enjoy this spectacle in person.
Beginning with the inauguration at 9 am, Day 1 of Academicia started with a bang! The gates saw long lines as registrations kept pouring in. “It was a little stressful in the beginning, registering the proper number of teams for each event and accommodating them. But gradually, we began to get the hang of it. We got used to each other and the work became so much easier. The experience as a whole was pretty amazing and I really liked it,” says Namitha Bhandary, one of the core team members of the registration committee.
Apart from imparting wisdom and knowledge through this fest, the students at Mounts made sure that all present had their stomachs full. Various food stalls adorned the campus. From pani puri to pizza and ice cream to cakes, you would’ve found just about anything. Apart from scrumptious food stalls you also had stalls for accessories and clothing. Many small business owners set up shops to sell earrings, necklaces, tie-and-dye shirts, etc.
Day 2 was conducted both offline as well as online, and it was just as exciting. “It was a good chance to meet other people from different colleges and a good way to network. Other than Cul-Ah, we usually don’t have so many stalls for fests and seeing the preparations for Academicia really added to the Carmelite essence of fests” Anushka Kabra, a core team member of the humanities and psychology association, tells The Carmel Beat.
the German association's event
The online events that were conducted gave students who were unable to make it to college or Bangalore a chance to participate in the festivities. “The fest was very informative. Mounts did uphold that aspect of an academic fest” Says Prerna, a student from St Joseph’s College of Commerce who participated in Academicia.
Vernica also tells us about her experience and the response the union received, “It was an amazing experience and we received a remarkable response from other colleges, Carmelites and even teachers. However, a truly interesting aspect of the fest was that no stream had to stick to their own department. It became inter-departmental, allowing each student to experience the plethora of events we had going on. It felt so good to see students so enthusiastically take part in academic events that are different from usual cultural events and overall, it was an enriching experience for all of us.
The main goal of this fest was to help underprivileged children receive their right to be educated. This fest highlighted the importance of education and opened our eyes to the fact that thousands of children are missing out on education because of lack of finances.
With the collective efforts of the management, union and students, the two-day fest was a success.