AUGUST 2004

Loyola Alumni Association Welcomes

The New Principal, Rev. Fr. A. Albert Muthumalai, S.J.                   The New Secretary, Rev. Fr. F. Andrew, S.J.

An Introduction

OUR NEW PRINCIPAL Rev. Fr. A. Albert Muthumalai, S.J. Brief Bio-Data: Born in 1954 - Entered the Society of Jesus in 1973 - Besides being Principal, he is teaching in the Department of Mathematics - Did B.Sc. (Maths) at Loyola College, Chennai, from 1976-1979 - Did M.Sc. (Maths) at St. Joseph's College, Trichy, from 1979-1981 - Joined the Department of Maths, St. Xavier's College, Palayamkottai, as a staff member in 1983 - Ordained as Jesuit Priest in 1987 - From 1988-91, he was Minister and Procurator, Arul Anandar College, Karumathur - He was the Vice - Principal & Director of Hostel, St. Xavier's College, Palayamkottai for six years (1991-97) - He was the Co-ordinator, Jesuit Alumni Association of Tamil Nadu (JAAT) - He has attended V Alumni World Congress in Sydney, Australia. He was the Rector for six years (1997-2003) in St. Xavier's College, Palayamkottai, he brought a lot of innovative changes in the structure in the campus, curricula and spiritual formation - During 2003 he was transferred from St. Xavier's, Palayamkottai to Loyola, Chennai - In the Academic year 2003-2004 he was the Campus Minister of Loyola - In 2004, he became the Principal of Loyola College. We wish him a fruitful Principalship.

OUR NEW SECRETARY Rev.Fr. F. Andrew, S.J. Brief Bio-Data: Born in 1961 - Entered the Society of Jesus in 1981 - Did B.Com in St. Joseph's College, Trichy and M.Com in St. Xavier's College, Palayamkottai - Went to Zambia for Regency for two years - Was ordained in November 1993 - After the ordination, appointed as the Director of the Jesuit Pre-Novices at Thirumanur near Tanjore for three years - He did his B.Ed in Thyagarajar College of Preceptors, Madurai - Besides his studies, he was also appointed as the Director of the Apostolic Home - In 1998 he was appointed the Mission Procurator of the then Chengai Mission and the present Chennai Mission - Entered into teaching career in August the same year and took up both the teaching and the procurator's work - Though he was stationed at Kuppayanallur, a village near Chenglepet, he was shunting between Loyola and Kuppayanallur for three years - In 2001 appointed Director of Loyola Hostel and Vice Principal of the Day College for a span of three years. He has registered himself for a Ph.D. in Management - He became the Secretary of Loyola College in 2004. We wish him a fruitful Secretaryship.

Loyola Alumni Association sincerely Thanks - Our Former team of Administrators for their continuous support and encouragement.

• Rev. Dr. V. Joseph Xavier, S.J., - Former Principal who has gone to teach in the Dept. of Health Services Studies,
  Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
• Rev. Dr. Francis M Peter, S.J. - Former Secretary, continues to teach in the Dept. of English and Director of ACE,
  Loyola College.
• Rev. Dr. Casimir Raj, S.J., Former Director of LIBA, took charge of the Director of XLRI, Jhamsehdpur.
• Rev. Dr. J. Inchackal, S.J., Former Procurator, has gone on sabbatical to Trivandrum.

Message from the Alumni Director

Dear Alumni/ae,

Consider the walnut!

It is common looking, rough, not particularly attractive, and certainly not very valuable.

Besides, it is small. Its growth is limited by the hard shell that surrounds it, the shell from which it never escapes on its own break a walnut open and look inside. See how the walnut has grown to full every nook and cranny available to it. It had no say in the size or shape of that shell, but given those limitations, it achieved its full potential of growth.

How lucky we will be if, like the walnut, we blossom and bloom in every space of life that is given to us.

Are we blooming and blossoming in every space of life that is given to us?

As the Director of Loyola Alumni Association this is the fourth year. For every Alumnus of Loyola, chances are given to become great, wonderful and serviceable. We have invited you time and again to get involved in the activities of Loyola Alumni Association. The response was very poor. I wish that every Alumnus of Loyola, sets apart sometime for the Alma Mater. We need you; your support and encouragement. It is not sufficient to think of this great Loyola during the Jubilees; let us spare sometime for the growth of Loyola. Moreover, may we spend few minutes in reflecting the spirit of Alumni Association of Loyola. `Service alone is the badge of greatness for every Loyolite.' We are invited to become people for others.' True greatness lies in that laying down one's life for others.

I wish every alumnus/a all the best.

Fr. S. Peter Xavier, S.J.

Loyola Alumni Association

Membership

Loyola Alumni Association is one of the important supportive agents of Loyola College. Becoming aware of the important role the Alumni Association plays in the growth of Loyola, more and more former students are coming forward to join the Alumni Association. Day by day the number of former students joining the Association is on the increase. Today the total number of registered students stands at 8,943. Our fond hope and wish is that many more enlist themselves as members of Loyola Alumni Association in order to bear witness to the values the Alumni have received from Loyola.

Lending financial support to the current needy and poorer students

Loyola Alumni Association stands for certain values in the campus. Help and encouragement are the two prime values of Loyola Alumni Association. Loyola Alumni Association also serves as a link between the management and the former students. The Association has given financial help to the tune of Rs.1,00,000/- in the form of college semester fees, examination fees and hostel mess fees for the academic year 2003-2004. Every year the number of student beneficiaries is on the increase. Seeing the plight of the poorer students, efforts are taken by the Association to find scholarships from the Alumni. During the 2003-2004 academic year Loyola Alumni Association has instituted two scholarships of Rs.50,000/- in memory of Rev. Fr. C. K. Swamy, S.J., who served Loyola in various capacities.

Encouraging batchwise creation of "corpus" for the needy and economically backward students

Different batch groups have been encouraged to create a corpus and scholarships for the poorer and needy students. Accordingly B.Com. - 1982 Batch, has created a corpus to the tune of Rs.2,20,000/- and sent the amount to Fr. Principal with the request that this amount may be a corpus and the interest earned from this corpus to be utilized towards the educational needs of the poorer students. The Golden Jubilee Batch of Economics has also created a scholarship for Rs.33,000/- for the deserving needy students. Batch 1978 has instituted Silver Jubilee Commerce 1978 - Scholarship with the initial amount of Rs.1,07,500/-.

Outreach programme in Loyola - Neighbourhood:

The Association has taken a lot of efforts for the Outreach programme and Industry - Institute partnership programme. Loyola College runs the outreach programme in order to help the students to inculcate an awareness among students and to bring about certain basic hygienic and health awareness to the slum dwellers in the immediate vicinity of Loyola College. This is a project, which had been envisioned and has been championed under the restructured syllabi to reach out the neigbourhood of Loyola. In close interaction with an NGO called Health first who will help the Outreach programme to become much more effective and penetrative. Hope the efforts will certainly bear fruits during the forthcoming academic year.

Academics and Industry Interaction

Loyola College has been sending the students for training at various industrial undertakings as part of their exposure to industry and business. While it has been successful for the B.Com., B.A. Economics, it has not worked out very well for B.Sc. Maths., B.Sc. Statistics, B.A. Tamil, etc. To help these students and also to gain industry experience, the Alumni Association has planned to offer these students to train the students with research organizations, higher educational institutions, press etc. whereby they could be given exposure utilizing their domain strengths.

Efforts are also taken up by the Association to collaborate more with the students Service Centre, College Union and AICUF to train and prepare the students for the future. Financial support has been rendered to the above groups for training and development.

The Reunions

The Association has also taken initiatives and encouraged the former students to have the get togethers. Thus two reunions were celebrated - one the Silver Jubilee of Commerce Students and the other of Economic Students of Golden Jubilee. It is really encouraging to note that the former students are becoming aware of their indebtedness to Loyola. Alumni Day was celebrated during the month of December with an intention of bringing the Alumni and thus the Association has encouraged them to get involved in the various activities of the College.

Loyola's History - An updated version

`Loyola College - our Alma Mater' is an updated edition of Loyola's history. By bringing out this edition, a corpus fund was raised to help the poor students. Alumni Directory is going to be online in our web site www.loyolacollege.edu.

By undertaking many more meaningful activities and endeavours the Loyola Alumni Association has become a wonderful agent to spread the light of Loyola.

Loyola Alumni Association activities for the academic year 2004-2005.

• Concentrating on the Neighbourhood ministry. Joining hands with the College outreach team. The alumni association is
  planning to concentrate on health and hygiene of the slum dwellers.
• Industry and Institute Interaction is another area where the alumni association is planning to involve.
• Jubilee batch get together is another programme of the year.
• Guiding the students for the placement - In collaboration with the Students Service Centre.

Loyola Campus News

Change of guard in Loyola

• Rev. Fr. A. Albert Muthumalai, S.J., is our new Principal.
• Rev. Fr. F. Andrew, S.J., is our new Secretary.
• Rev. Fr. Arockiaswamy, S.J., is our Vice-Principal (Self - Supporting Courses).
• Rev. Dr. Alphonse Manickam, S.J., is our Vice-Principal (Evening).
• Rev. Dr. Rajanayagam, S.J., is our Vice-Principal and Hostel Director.
• Rev. Dr. S. Peter Xavier, S.J., is the New Treasurer of Loyola Society and Vice - Principal for Finance and Development.
• Rev. Dr. Albert William, S.J., is the Director of Computer Academy and Loyola - Pondicherry University Twinning Programme.
• Rev. Fr. Christy, S.J., is the Director of LIBA.
• Rev. Dr. S. Xavier Alphonse, S.J., is the Director of LIVE.
• Dr. M. Selvanayagam is the Director of LIFE.
• The campus ministry team headed by Rev. Fr. L. X. Jerome, S.J., is looking after all the spiritual activities in the campus.
• Dr. P. Sagayaraj is the Dean of Students.
• Dr. (Mrs.) Vimalakalairasi is the Dean of Women Students.
• Prof. J. Dhanaraj of Tamil Dept., Dr. A. Ramanand of Physics Dept., Prof. Stanislaus A. Santiago of Sociology Dept.,
  Prof. V. Ashok Immanuel of Computer Science Dept., are the Heads of their respective Departments.
• Mr R. Natarajan is our Office Superintendent.

Warm Wishes to Jubilarians

• Dr. G.J. Sudhakar, Department of History.
• Dr. (Mrs.) Indra Rajasingh, Department of Maths.
• Dr. P. Chandrasekar, Department of Statistics.
• Dr. S. Xavier Jesu Raja, Department of Physics.
• Dr. S. Samikannu, Department of Chemistry.
• Prof. T. Ambrose, Department of Zoology.
• Mr. A. Michael, Office Assistant.

Retirements

• Rev. Dr. V. Joseph Xavier, S.J., has put on of 23 years of service in the department of Social Work. He has a special
  love for the poor and the marginalzed.
• Prof. V. Parameswaran is a senior lecturer in the Department of Commerce has 3 decades of service. He is gentle,
  compassionate and friendly.
• Mr L.M. Xavier, Superintendent of the Office, Special Grade, has been here for past 37 years with a committed service
  to the College. Mr. L. M. Xavier exhibits a high degree of professionalism in his work and dedication.
• Mr. R. Devadoss retires as an office assistant, served the College for 46 years of mammoth period. He is a silent worker
  and carries out his duties assigned to him with joy.

Alumni Association takes this opportunity to thank them for their service to the College and wishes them all many more years of good health and enjoyable retired life.

Student's Service Centre

(Training and Placement)

The Students’ Service Centre: Training and Placement cell was established to provide comprehensive information and training to the needy students of the college on career opportunities and job placements.

Part –Time Job:-

Another novel venture of the cell has been industry – institution interaction initiated with a view to help the economically and socially poor students to do part-time job.

This was felt necessary, not only to enable the students to earn while they learn but more precisely to create a sense of responsibility and commitment to serve themselves, family and the countrymen. We are happy to say that more than 250 students of different departments have found part – time job this year.

Feel Employable Programme :-

Mr. Sunny Tharppan of 13th Feb conducted the programme 15th Feb, About 170 students attended the programme of three – days. He imparted several skills that are needed for students to get employment.

Pre – Placement talks and campus recruitment :-

The changed socio – economic contexts caused by the advent of globalisation has taken the shine off many traditional careers but at the same time it has thrown up new career opportunities, which are up to us, to grab. The Service Centre has from time to time brought distinguished personalities from different fields to talk to the students so that they would be able to take right decisions at the right moments.

Besides, the notices and brochures of more than 172 reputed companies and 50 educational institutions of higher learning (both inside as well as outside of India) have been displayed at the centre’s notice board. The Student Service Centre has facilitated the campus recruitment of several organisations and agencies at our college too.

Data – Base of the passed – out students :-

Bio-Data form is given to every outgoing student of the college. The duly filled in form is kept with the centre and is given to various companies as and when opportunities for job arise. This year alone, about 44 companies have received our database. The centre seeks to help the Students’ community in more number of ways in the future.

Students' Union

The activities of the Students Union of Loyola College started off with the elections. Elected K. Jayaprakash as President, A. Tarun as Vice - President, B. Aranganathan as General Secretary and M.C. Bhinu Anand as Joint Secretary.

This year Dr. P. Sagayaraj, Dept of Physics, took over as the Dean of Students. It was with the co-operation of the Hostel Director Rev.Dr.Rajanayagam, S.J., and the management that the New Dean of Students was able to undertake the long pending request of shifting the Mid Day Meal Scheme from the Canteen to the Loyola Hostel. Presently, the management is providing satisfactory meals for 400 students with poor economic backgrounds, without any kind of discrimination. The Students Union thank Rev. Dr. B. Jeyaraj, S.J., Rector, Rev. Fr. F. Andrew, S.J., Secretary and Rev. Fr. A. Albert Muthumalai, S.J., Principal for their while hearted support to this scheme.

The Students Union has as always supported a variety of Co-curricular and extra curricular activities such as Rotract, NSS, AICUF etc. The students Union was also involved in project with voluntary organisation such as CRY and concern India foundation.

The Independence Day celebration of 15th of August 2004 was organised by the Students Union, where Mr. Vedamuthu, enior Lab Assistant, Dept. of Physics hosted the flag and Prof. D.P. Venugopalan, Former Vice - Principal, delivered an inspiring and soul shirring Independence Day message.

Further, the Students' Union is planning to hold the annual cultural event, the Ovations 2004 - 2005, during the second week of September.

We Acknowledge…

We acknowledge with thanks the following Alumni who contributed generously for Poor Students' Fund:

Mr. Krishna Rajangam - Rs.10,000/-

Mr Satha Loganaathan - Rs.1,000/-

Mr. V. Ravi - Rs.1,000/-

Mr. Ravish Nair - Rs.1,000/-

Capt Sebastian - Rs.1,000/-

Mr Ashok Kumar - Rs.1,000/-

Mr. Vinu Dev Sachin - Rs.1,000/-

Sqd Ldr Unni Nair - Rs.1,000/-

Mr. Paul Antony - Rs. 5000/-

Loyola Alumni Association gratefully acknowledges the generously and support of our Alumni:

Mr. Paul Antony, Vacha Fine Arts, Chennai - 600 034. For sponsoring the September 2004 Alumni Bulletin.

JAAT News

JAAT EC Meetings was held on 18th July 2004 in St. Xavier's Higher Secondary School, Tuticorin. Certainly there was meticulous planning and it was efficiently conducted.

The alumni were invited to get actively involved in helping our educational institutions to enhance infrastructure; to help the needy and neglected to come up in society; and help the outgoing students to get placed in the jobs. The Alumni should be role models for the present students.

Calling the attention of Loyola's Alumni/ae

To attend the 4th National Congress - 29th - 31st October, 2004, Jamshedpur.

The contact address :

Loyola Alumni Association,

Loyola School,

Jamshedpur - 831 001.

Obituary

• Mr K. Manjan, a former non-teaching staff, passed away on 5th September 2003.
• Prof. C. R. Babujee, retired member of the staff, Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology passed away on
  26th September 2003.
• Mr. W. Ritchie Ralston, a Management Staff, Department of Computer Science passed away on 13th October 2003.

May all the souls rest in peace.

Message and Sweet Memories from the Alumni of Loyola

We met and made our presence felt even there!

Way back in 1993, way up in at 12,600 feet AMSL, way away in the Base Camp of the Siachen Glacier, even now touted as the highest Battlefield in the world, 5 Ex-Loyolites met for lunch! It was a great feeling for all of us to be there. We shared a special bond!

Major ASM Porres, Indian Army Artillery, 1975 batch

Sqn Ldr Eslin D’Couto, Indian Air Force Pilot, 1983 batch

Sqn Ldr Dewotta, Indian Air Force Pilot, 1984 batch

Flt Lt Unnikrishnan, Indian Air Force ATCO, 1985 batch

Subedar Ghosh, Indian Army Education ,1978 batch

2. How many times do you chance on interesting meetings such as these amongst the Alumni. Time to bring them to the notice of the other stalwarts!!

More recently, on 08 Jul 04, we chanced to meet atop a terrace in Adyar!

It started with our friend CB, more well known those days as Gandhi Kannadi or ELE 7, dropping in while on holiday from the hotter climes of Dubai. He called Kumanan and then called Unni and then BG and Karuna and Ashok and Jude and the number carried on…Kenny and Jude and Ramesh and Arun, Maddy and another and another…whew!!

Can you imagine that within a day, rather a few hours we had managed to get together in Adyar and we ultimately ended up with about 15 Loyolites ranging from the batches of 84 to 86. The food didn’t matter. The present and the future really didn’t matter then. Our past kept us laughing all the time! Kindly note, we ended up the evening rather the morning quite early, close to 0300h. It was easy to get back home cos the traffic at that time was quite mangeable!!

It made us discuss something that we hope to fulfil next year! Twenty years since the 85 batch parted from the Alma mater. Can we make a gathering of Loyolites all over and put that down as something like ‘Bees saal Baad’ or something of that nature?

PROPOSAL FOR INTRODUCTION OF ADVENTURE IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS FROM EXCEL ADVENTURE!

ADVENTURE PUTS LIFE IN FOCUS

Welcome to the exciting world of Adventure! Even though it may make you a little weary and dusty at the end of the day, it removes the long accumulated dust and grime of everyday life from the soul!

There were times when the very life styles they had, led to a wholesome development of the child suited to make them equipped to face the rigours of Life, as a responsible, successful Individual. The duration and pressures of School/College and the pressures of growing up in larger families allowed for sufficient time spent outdoors, with Nature, with extra-curricular entertainment being an integral part of growing up. Times have changed and the pressures on nuclear families are high. Needless to say, these pressures allow little time to focus attention on the possibility of developing children and teenagers into more capable, complete and useful adults in the future. In place of all our children being engaged in some physical activity or the other, that could make them more agile, more dexterous, more active mentally, physically, socially or psychologically, we find precious few taking to such opportunities. We find them, mostly into activities that improve the dexterity of their forefinger alone; Computer games, and the Television. If bringing back a few moments of the long lost lifestyles and intermingling it with our current way of life were an option, then we do have the answer to solve the existing lacuna.

The aim is, primarily to build characters at an impressionable age, to inculcate basic values of Team spirit, esprit de corps and Leadership. All this done through a simple yet tangible integration of physical activity, Fun and Adventure. A multi-activity package, which could foster inter-personal relationship and wholesome growth.

In order to achieve the stated aim, we plan camps to include the following activity.

-Trekking

-Water-sports, which could include Kayaks, catamarans, etc.

-Para sailing, either on land or over water

-Horse Riding

-Swimming

-Games/Sports

-Yoga and Relaxation

-Music and Dancing

-Fitness and Aerobics

The conduct of these events, however, are subject to causal factors like the goal of the exercise, the average age/ability of the groups, the terrain, weather, season and infrastructure. As a general practice the number on these camps are limited to about 20 to 30, in order to be able to accord personal attention and allow each participant a good chance to indulge in all activities.

There are two ways of implementing this structure into Institutions. One, which would be a simple exercise of doing Multi-Adventure, Multi-activity camps for batches of about 25, whenever they can be scheduled into the yearly curriculum or during Summer vacations/Holidays. The other way would be to initiate an organized Adventure club in the Institution and plan activities at regular intervals for the entire year. This may also assist in drawing out better organizing and leadership skills among the children.

A third and preferred option would be to integrate the two methods, namely, to initiate Adventure clubs and also conduct camps during the Vacations. The modus of activating, operating and sustaining the operation is something that could be worked out in consultations and future interactions. Adventure tourism could also be included as a part of the curriculum for the Tourism Department of your college.

In retrospect, we are charged with creating new avenues of stimulating the over-stressed mind and body of our younger ones, translate it to build characters and to make them more suited to the future that will be theirs. To see it in a lighter vein, we are often privy to the proficiency of our youth when in front of the Computer screens, bleary-eyed, yet moving millions with that little mouse, but they hardly know how to scamper up a tree if confronted by a particularly hostile bandicoot in the backyard. The world, as we know it today may not have been, if Diversions, Entertainment, Explorations, Adventure and Discovery had not been an integral part of growing up. After all,

HUMANITY IS A RESTLESS BEING and ENERGIES NEED TO BE CHANNELISED

From

Sqn Ldr C K Unnikrishnan Nair

Formerly ELE 47, 1985 Batch, English Literature

N.B: Friends !

We are sending you one Life membership form. Kindly contact one of your classmates and send the form to him/her and thus help your Alma Mater to enroll many more Life members.

 

Loyola Alumni Association

MEMBERSHIP FORM FOR ALUMNI (India)

To

Director, Alumni Association, Loyola College, Chennai – 600 034, Tamil Nadu.

Dear Father,

Please enroll me as Life Member of the Alumni Association. I am sending you by DD / Cheque: Rs. 650/- as Life Membership fee.

Yours sincerely,

 

Signature

Kindly give the following particulars (All in Block Letter)

Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________

Year of study/ courses and subjects: ______________________________________________________________

Present Occupation: __________________________________________________________________________

Office Address: _____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Tel (O) ___________________________________Email: ____________________________________________

Address for Communication: ____________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Tel (R) ____________________________________Email: ____________________________________________

NOTE: Cheque for those who are in Chennai and DD for others. In favour of Director, Loyola Alumni Association, Loyola College, Chennai – 600 034