Mcc Newsletter Madras Christian College (Autonomous)

themcc newsletterMadras Christian College (Autonomous)Tambaram, Chennai 600 059November 2009Vol. 1 Issue 5SymposiumSahitya Akademi, the National Academyof letters, which strives to enrich the literatureof all Indian languages, organized aone-day Symposium in collaboration withthe Department of Tamil on “PanmozhiPulavar Ka Appadurai” at Anderson Hall.The multi-lingual scholar’s birth centenarywas celebrated on 29th November,2009. Dr. Moses Michael Faraday, Head,Department of Tamil welcomed thegathering. Dr. R. Mohan, Head of theDepartment of Tamil, Madurai-KamarajUniversity delivered the presidential address.The Principal, Dr. R.W. AlexanderJesudasan, gave the special address.Dr. V. Gnanasigamani, former Professorof Tamil Christian Literature, Universityof Madras was felicitated. Thekeynote address was given by Dr. RamaGurunathan, Member of Tamil AdvisoryBoard, Sahitya Akademi. Prof ArulPadmarajan gave the vote of thanks.In the three academic sessions that wereheld, ten Tamil scholars presented theirpapers. The valedictory address was givenby eminent Tamil Scholar Dr. ErodeTamizhanban and Mr. Srinivasan, of SahityaAkademi proposed the vote of thanks.Silver Joy for Campus SchoolThe Campus School will be turning 25 this academic year. The school whichhad ten students and two staff in its first year in 1985, has come a longway since its inception. The school was initially housed in the St. Thomas’sHall annexe. The institution which is now recognized by the Government ofTamil Nadu is located on a four acre plot in the northeastern corner of thecampus. The driving force behind the development of the school in its earlyyears was Mrs. Anne Dayanandan.The campus school is an inclusive school catering to the needs of childrenfrom all sections of society. Drawing its inspiration from the motto “Learningwith joy and love of learning”, the school has been able to develop new modelsin education and foster creativity among its pupils. Classes in the schoolare named after national and international festivals like Ramzan, Deepavali,Baisakhi, Chusuk, Omisoka, Hina Matsuri and Pongal. Each class celebratesits festival at the appropriate time.This year the school has taken its first step to achieve the long cherisheddream of upgrading the school to a Senior Secondary School by includingclasses VI and VII. The school wishes to continue being a “model inclusiveschool” in Tambaram. It also offers a diploma course in ‘Montessori and PrimarySchool Teaching’ in the MCC School of Continuing Education. Beinga model program this course has attracted many aspiring teachers.In July this year, Dr. Vasanthi Vijayakumar, Associate Professor in Historytook over as the Correspondent. Ms. Erin Clement is the Headmistress of theSchool and she has been with the institution since its inception.The Tamil Department, which isknown for its rich contribution tothe development of Tamil literaturehas added another feather to itscap by organizing this Symposium.

November 2009Faculty AccomplishmentsVol.1 Issue 5Mrs. Miriam Samuel gave the keynote address at the GlobalLearning Symposium organised by Dr. Julie Drolet ofThompson Rivers University, Canada and the Centre for InternationalSocial Work, MCC on the 19th November 2009held at Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, Canada.Dr. P. David Prabhakar, Department of Tamil, presented apaper on ‘Computer Analysis for Tamil Verb Forms’ in the8th Tamil Internet Conference held at the University of Cologne,Germany, from 23rd to 25th October 2009. He alsopresented a paper on ‘Language of Valluvar” in the NationalSeminar on ‘Tamil Didactic Literature: Growth and Dimensions’organised by Indian Institute for Indian Languages atthe Bharathidasan University College, Perambalur on 25thNovember 2009.Mrs. V. Mahalakshmi, Department of Microbiology, presenteda paper on “Biodegradation of Plastics” at the 7thNational Level Conference on “Microbiology and its Impacton Environment Protection in Relation to Health and GeologicalSustainability” organized by Indian Association ofApplied Microbiologists held at SRM College of Arts andScience, Kattankulathur, Chennai on 11th and 12th December,2009. She also won the second prize for her researchpresentation.Ms. K. Kavitha, Department of Microbiology, who holds apost of Executive member in “Indian Association of AppliedMicrobiology”, served as a Chairperson for the oralpresentation of scientific paper session, held at SRM Collegeof Arts and Science, Chennai on 11th and 12th of December2009.Dr. R. Wilfred Sugumar, Department of Chemistry, presenteda paper on “Recycling using Household Chemicals”in ‘The 6th International Conference on Hands on Science(HSCI 2009)- Science for All: Quest for Excellence’ at theScience City, Ahmedabad from 27th to 31st October 2009.Dr. K. Mohandoss, Department of Chemistry, whoserved as a faculty of the Department of Applied Sciences(Chemistry Section), Higher College of Technology, Muscatfor a year returned to MCC on 13 November 2009.Dr. P. S. Raghavan, Department of Chemistry, delivered aguest lecture on ‘Designing New Electrical Conductors forFuture’ for the students of the Sairam Institute of Technology,Chennai on 24th October 2009.Dr. R. Chandrasekaran, Department of Statistics, gave a talkon Classification and Cluster Analysis using SPSS in the NationalWorkshop on Mathematical Softwares held at SRMUniversity, Chennai from 22nd to 23rd October 2009.Dr. Jayakishore Panda, Mr. Iyappan, Mrs. Nimmy Edwin,Mr. Prince Edwin Das, Mrs. Amirthavalli, Mrs. Jaba Priyaand Dr. Mary Verghese of the Department of Chemistryparticipated in a workshop on “The Basics of Biotechnologyfor non-Biology faculty” organised by the Department ofZoology, Madras Christian College from 26th to 27th October2009. The faculty also participated in the workshopconducted by the Department of Plant Biology and PlantBiotechnology, Madras Christian College on the same topicfrom 30th to31st November 2009.Mrs. T. Jaba Priya, Department of Chemistry, presented apaper on “Recycling using Household Chemicals” in theSixth International Conference on ‘Hands on Science (HSCI2009) - Science for All: Quest for Excellence” at the ScienceCity, Ahmedabad from 27th to 31st October 2009.Dr. R. Chandrasekaran, Department of Statistics, gave aSpecial Address on the Usage of Statistical Software Toolsfor Engineering Problems at the National Seminar on Scopeof Research, Methodology, Analysis and Evaluation heldfrom 8th to 9th December 2009 organised by the Departmentof Biomedical Engineering, SSN College of Engineering,Chennai.Dr. N. Gnanamalar David, Department of Mathematics,participated in the International Workshop on CoimbatorialImage Analysis (IWCIA 2009) at Cancun, Mexico from 24thto 27th November 2009 and presented a paper on “ParallelContextual Hexagonal Array Grammars and Languages”.He also visited the Department of Mathematics and ComputerScience, University of Bremen, Germany from 1st to5th December, 2009 and gave a lecture in the area of theoreticalcomputer science. He had a fruitful meeting withProf. Hand-Jorg Kreowski and his colleagues.Dr. D. Gnanaraj Thomas, Department of Mathematics,participated in the International Conference on Nature andBiology Inspired Computing Conference (NaBIC 2009) atPSG college of Technology, Coimbatore on 9th December2009 and presented a research paper on “t- CommunicatingIso-Array P System”.Ph.D Viva VoceThe Public Viva Voce of Ms. Deepthi, a doctoral researchstudent working under the supervision of Prof. M. K. Viswanath,retired Professor of Mathematics was held on 28th October2009. The Public Viva Voce of Ms. Geetha Lakshmi,a doctoral research student of Department of Mathematicswas held on the 11th of November, 2009. The thesis wasdone under the supervision of Dr. K. G. Subramanian, retiredProfessor of Mathematics.3

November 2009Alumni Chapter VisitWorld Quality DayVol.1 Issue 5The Department of Statistics in association with the IndianAssociation for Productivity, Quality and Reliablity (IAPQR)conducted a seminar on “Quality and Reliability of the Hardand Soft” as part of the World Quality Day program on12th November 2009.Visitors to CampusThe Principal rounded off his visit to the southern chaptersof the Alumni Association by visitng Visakhapatnamand Bangalore.The alumni of the Visakhapatnam chapter met on the 28thof October and the Bangalore chapter on 28th November.Both the meetings saw many members of the alumni attending.The Principal, Dr. R. W. Alexander Jesudasan, theJoint Secretary of MCC Alumni Association, Dr. C. Selvaraj(Head, Department of Economics) and the Alumni & PublicRelations Officer, Mr. John Rajkumar Devanboo werepresent at the meetings.Enigma'09The Department of Mathematics(SFS) organised ‘Enigma’09,an inter-school mathematics competition on the 30thof November 2009. Twenty five schools from all over Chennaiparticipated in the event. D.A.V school, Gopalapuramwon the overall championship. Dr. Indira Raja Singh, Headof the Department of Mathematics of Loyola College wasthe chief guest.New AppointmentsFollowing were the appointments made in the month of November2009. Mr. Kannan was appointed as Farm Manager,Mr. Jeba Praveen was appointed as House Keeper of theInternational Guest House and Mr. Kamalesh as Civil Supervisor.2Mr. Vinod Daniel, Head of the cultural heritage and scienceinitiatives, Australian Museum, Sydney, visited thecollege to interact with the Department of History andArchaeology on the 19th of November 2009. He is also aboard member of the Australia – India council.Dr. Donald E. Messer, Executive Director of the Centerfor the Church and Global AIDS, Denver, USA visited thecollege on 20th November 2009. Dr. Messer, an alumnusof the college, is known for his work on global HIV/AIDS,world hunger, and clean water. He has written several books,the most popular of them being “Breaking the Conspiracyof Silence: Christian Churches and the Global AIDS Crisis”.Dr. Messer was instrumental in arranging funds for theAIDS/HIV national conferences held in the college in 2006-07. During his visit to the campus, Dr. Messer also had widerangingdiscussions with faculty to explore new academicinitiatives.Training ProgramThe Department of Social Work and International JusticeMission jointly organised the Freedom Training Programfor 12 families released from forced bonded labour. Mrs.Miriam Samuel, Head, Department of Social Work and Mr.Prince Solomon, Faculty, Department of Social Work addressedissues on family relationships and domestic violence.The training program was held from 23rd to 27th November2009.Social Work ProjectThe Department of Social Work was awarded 8 lakh rupeesby the National Thermal Power Corporation for a Socio-Economic Survey at their project site in Marakkanam, VillupuramDistrict, Tamil Nadu. Mr. Prince Annadurai, Faculty,Department of Social Work is the Principal Consultant forthe project.

November 2009The shepherds went their hasty way,And found the lowly stable-shedWhere the Virgin-Mother lay:And now they checked their eager tread,For to the Babe, that at her bosom clung,A Mother's song the Virgin-Mother sung.They told her how a glorious light,Streaming from a heavenly throng.Around them shone, suspending night!While sweeter than a mother's song,Blest Angels heralded the Savior's birth,Glory to God on high! and Peace on Earth.She listened to the tale divine,And closer still the Babe she pressed:And while she cried, the Babe is mine!The milk rushed faster to her breast:Joy rose within her, like a summer's morn;Peace, Peace on Earth! the Prince of Peace is born.Thou Mother of the Prince of Peace,Poor, simple, and of low estate!That strife should vanish, battle cease,O why should this thy soul elate?Sweet Music's loudest note, the Poet's story,Didst thou ne'er love to hear of fame and glory?Make it Snow!Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)We wish you a Merry Christmasand a Happy New YearChristmas Schedule ’0919.12.09 SWAWSA-Christmas ProgrammeAnderson Hall 3.30pm20.12.09 Holy Communion Service, EnglishBp.Heber Chapel 7.30am20.12.09 Holy Communion Service, TamilBp.Heber Chapel 9.15am21.12.09 Community Christmas Get-togetherAnderson Hall 12.30pm22.12.09 Campus Carol roundsCampus 6.00pm25.12.09 Christmas service, Common fellowship BreakfastBp.Heber Chapel 5.30am27.12.09 Holy Communion Service, EnglishBp.Heber Chapel 7.30am31.12.09 New Year Covenant Service (Holy Communion)Bp.Heber Chapel 11.30pm03.01.10 Holy Communion Service, EnglishBp.Heber Chapel 7.30am04.01.10 Reopening day Holy CommunionBp.Heber Chapel 7.30am09.01.10 Retreat for InstitutionsAnderson Hall 8.30amBurger EuropasA group of twenty eight Germans as part of “Burger Europas”(Citizen Europe) visited the college on 20th November2009. The visit was sponsored by the European Union andDAAD (German Academic Exchange Services). Young journalists,film makers, teachers and civil servants who were partof the team met the representatives of the College UnionSociety to discuss various challenges facing modern India.Meeting with NAACThe Principal Dr. R. W. Alexander Jesudasan and theIQAC(Internal Quality Assurance Cell) Co-ordinator Dr. C.Selvaraj (Head, Department of Economics) met the NAACofficials during their recent visit to Bangalore on 30th November2009.Editorial BoardMr. John Rajkumar Devanboo (Convener)Mr. Surendran Purushotham, Dr. James Kurian, Mr. Jojan Job,Ms. Blessy, Rhea Abraham and Blaisen Bonney TomMail news and forthcoming events to: apro@mcc.edu.inPh: 044 - 22397731Vol.1 Issue 5