Act Apart

It's a rat race. One college starts a trend and the others follow. But for this one, they say, 8220;it8217;s just the need of the hour8221;.

An increasing number of city colleges are inviting experts on campus to polish students8217; extra curricular skills

It8217;s a rat race. One college starts a trend and the others follow. But for this one, they say, 8220;it8217;s just the need of the hour8221;. One that is beneficial, both to the college and the students. 8220;We get the goodwill while the students get the much needed skill set,8221; smiles Puneet Bedi, principal of MCM College, as she takes us to the auditorium where Amita Shabdeesh, a theatre artist, is helping the students prepare a play 8216;Jis Pind Ka Koi Naam Nahi8217;. 8220;A professional, Shabdeesh helps them learn the art in a perfect way,8221; Bedi says, as we all turn to see Ridhima Puri, a BA final year student8217;s act. Her voice deep, eyes filled with grief and legs shivering, she enacts her part and Deepika Duggal, a second year student takes on from there. 8220;Coaching has been on for about one and a half months,8221; chips in Shabdeesh, who has held classes in GCG 11 and Khalsa College, Ludhiana, in the past.

Elsewhere Michael, a Boogie Woogie winner, teaches the tricks of the dance floor to the students of University Institute of Applied Management Sciences UIAMS. 8220;Slide, step and move,8221; we hear him as we enter the old UIET building the slotted place for practice and follow the music. The room is buzzing with about 20 young faces. Rahul Rishi, a freshers turns and tells us, 8220;We got money for preparations sanctioned from the University authorities.8221; Here, from Salsa, Bollywood to Punjabi dance, they learnt it all for the freshers party.

While, colleges and the university make events an excuse to groom their products, 8220;The real cause is to develop them into all-rounders,8221; chirps Ashok Garg, incharge of cultural affairs at DAV College, who is set to make his students participate in all the 42 events in the PU Zonal Youth and Heritage Festival to be held from October 21 to 24 at GC-46. The will to win, he agrees, is a major criteria, 8220;but over and above is the endeavour to teach the students subjects we don8217;t even have,8221; he says.

Surinder Khan, a music expert, is busy honing the skills of students in Shabad, group singing, ghazal, folk songs, classical music vocal at DAV College. The college is also on the lookout for someone for the fine arts section to train the students in still life, landscaping and clay modelling.

At Government College, Sector 46, the focus is on Bhangra and Gidda. 8220;It8217;s an opportunity for the students to move away from studies and computers and do some physical activity,8221; chips in Dr Sahib Singh, organizing secretary of the Youth Festival. Paramjit Tewari, former Dean Students Welfare Women, too agrees. 8220;It8217;s an opportunity for those who want to become professionals in streams other than their subjects. And besides, it8217;s good for their mental health and wholesome grooming that multi-national companies need today.8221; Why even the girls8217; hostel at PU got a professional karate trainer? Need we say more!