XLRI was treated to some good old fashioned rock and roll by the grand rock n roll daddies (and one mama) of the east - Skinny Alley. 'Amperage' the show that marked the close of XL's inter-business school festival 'Ensemble 2004'. The JLT doesn't have a roof, or it would have been brought down by the sheer brilliance of the veteran musicians on stage, who belied their 40+ ages.
With a setlist as varied as mixed pickle, there was something for everyone, from Pat Mecheny to Audioslave, from Steely Dan to RHCP, from The Doors to ... well, let's stop there. Amyt Datta on guitar was in blazing form with a fluid tone that draped over all present like warm honey at times and sharp blades at others. Jeff Rikh behind the skins was in a thunderous rage as he destroyed the Tama kit while getting out a rock solid rhythm section that bassist Gyan clung on to and never let go. They mixed it up nicely with their originals, notably 'Swunk' that struck a such a chord with the ladies in the crowd that they played it a second time, the odd-time signatures on the jazz-rock tune ending with an explosion of coordinated pyrotechnics.
XLers got into the act as well with Skinny Alley inviting members of BodhiSapling on stage for a jam. A total of 7 musicians on stage played the BodhiSapling original dedicated to the mess - 'Too Many Potatoes' with guitarists Bharat and Amyt trading groovy blues solos as Narain took the crowd through the chorus, a song that appeals to everyone who lines up at the mess foyer at lunch! Special mention must be made of Poornima on drums - she was like a rock, it isn't often you see a budding lady HR manager playing drums on a rock band, do you? But that's what XL is about, in the end...
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
xlri campus welcomes students from SAARC
Hi,
The Telegraph sez (as in simon sez) that XLRI is opening its doors to students from the SAARC region. Thank god for NEWS PAPERS, there has been no INTERNAL communication on the matter.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1041011/asp/jamshedpur/story_3867571.asp
Mathai
The Telegraph sez (as in simon sez) that XLRI is opening its doors to students from the SAARC region. Thank god for NEWS PAPERS, there has been no INTERNAL communication on the matter.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1041011/asp/jamshedpur/story_3867571.asp
Mathai
Sunday, October 03, 2004
XL Utsav 2004 - Celebrations Abound!
Reporting from XLRI after a sleepless night on the JLT – it’s most amazing to be alive.
A weekend of a triumphant victory over IIM-C was followed by another of fun and merriment, music, games and food as the faculty, staff and student all alike came together on the first day of XL Utsav.
The brainchild of Dr. S. Sengupta, the initiative took off with a nod from Fr. Casamir Raj, the new Director, who was enthusiastic about the prospect of having neutral ground for all the members of the XL Family to meet. Although XLRI as a B-school has a culture quite distinct from other B-Schools, (mostly due to its setting in the small town of Jamshedpur), this two-day affair is a formal event to facilitate the informal interaction and develop the culture into a stronger bond.
The events kicked off at 9:20 a.m. yesterday with an inaugural session. Fr. Casamir Raj the chief guest for the occasion addressed the crowd. This was followed by a speech by Fr. James, who was the special guest for the same. The ribbon was cut, some sweets distributed – XL Utsav was on its way.
The first event of the day was for the children. A football match was held. At the end of the game, the scores stood tied with 1 goal apiece.
A cricket match between two mixed teams (A & D) comprised of faculty, staff and students was the next to be held. The sun beat down on the grounds – however enthusiasm did not waver and the teams, with the support of people on the sidelines hollering, played on. The winner at the end of the match was team A.
This was followed by a Ladies’ Throwball match. This proved to be a huge success. The women on campus (students, faculty and their families) not only got a chance to show off their atheletic prowess, but generated an immense amount of excitement and also a lot of amusement, over the game itself. It was definitely one of the most enjoyable moments of the day when the women proved the point – they could play their game and play it great!
After lunch, the second cricket match between teams B & C were played. As is bound to happen after a full meal on a hot afternoon, most of the crowd petered out in favour of an afternoon nap. However, the teams played boldly in face of the sun – letting neither heat, nor sweat nor grime come between them and their love for the sport. At the end of the day, the score stood in favour of Team C.
As the clock struck four – people started pouring into the JLT. All over people were busy settings up stalls. On one hand were the food-stalls full of yummy goodies – a healing sight for most of us ever-hungry students. On the other hand were the games. From darts, to guessing games to the shooting balloons – it was grand fete! Of course the most novel game was that of the chick race organized by the students of the GMP batch of 2004-2005. Men had the ‘birds’ eating out of their hands!
As the evening drew on, the XL Family felt no need for anything other than more enjoyment. SPICMACAY organized a cultural musical evening featuring the in-house talent. Showcasing the likes of Mrs. Ray, with the gorgeous voice, Payel with her violin and Vijay Shankar’s classical melodies, it was a grand affair and a huge success.
Not wanting to end the evening, the melodies turned lighter and the air was soon filled with catchy foot-tapping music as an orchestra accompanied singers that belted out numbers to keep the crowd entertained. A poem had the crowd in splits while a dance had them enthralled. Budding talent was spotted in the form of Shruti and Manasi, who played three of their original compositions. (Can we a have another performance of that soon ???)
As the weary faculty trudged towards a night’s sleep, and another jam-packed day, the students, not having enough of all that and Dr. Rao and Fr. James’ Housie and Dr. Sarin and Ms. Roshan’s quiz – decided it was a night to not waste but to make most of time. So the music played on….
And so, sitting here after sleepless night at XLRI, I reiterate – it’s most amazing to be alive!
A weekend of a triumphant victory over IIM-C was followed by another of fun and merriment, music, games and food as the faculty, staff and student all alike came together on the first day of XL Utsav.
The brainchild of Dr. S. Sengupta, the initiative took off with a nod from Fr. Casamir Raj, the new Director, who was enthusiastic about the prospect of having neutral ground for all the members of the XL Family to meet. Although XLRI as a B-school has a culture quite distinct from other B-Schools, (mostly due to its setting in the small town of Jamshedpur), this two-day affair is a formal event to facilitate the informal interaction and develop the culture into a stronger bond.
The events kicked off at 9:20 a.m. yesterday with an inaugural session. Fr. Casamir Raj the chief guest for the occasion addressed the crowd. This was followed by a speech by Fr. James, who was the special guest for the same. The ribbon was cut, some sweets distributed – XL Utsav was on its way.
The first event of the day was for the children. A football match was held. At the end of the game, the scores stood tied with 1 goal apiece.
A cricket match between two mixed teams (A & D) comprised of faculty, staff and students was the next to be held. The sun beat down on the grounds – however enthusiasm did not waver and the teams, with the support of people on the sidelines hollering, played on. The winner at the end of the match was team A.
This was followed by a Ladies’ Throwball match. This proved to be a huge success. The women on campus (students, faculty and their families) not only got a chance to show off their atheletic prowess, but generated an immense amount of excitement and also a lot of amusement, over the game itself. It was definitely one of the most enjoyable moments of the day when the women proved the point – they could play their game and play it great!
After lunch, the second cricket match between teams B & C were played. As is bound to happen after a full meal on a hot afternoon, most of the crowd petered out in favour of an afternoon nap. However, the teams played boldly in face of the sun – letting neither heat, nor sweat nor grime come between them and their love for the sport. At the end of the day, the score stood in favour of Team C.
As the clock struck four – people started pouring into the JLT. All over people were busy settings up stalls. On one hand were the food-stalls full of yummy goodies – a healing sight for most of us ever-hungry students. On the other hand were the games. From darts, to guessing games to the shooting balloons – it was grand fete! Of course the most novel game was that of the chick race organized by the students of the GMP batch of 2004-2005. Men had the ‘birds’ eating out of their hands!
As the evening drew on, the XL Family felt no need for anything other than more enjoyment. SPICMACAY organized a cultural musical evening featuring the in-house talent. Showcasing the likes of Mrs. Ray, with the gorgeous voice, Payel with her violin and Vijay Shankar’s classical melodies, it was a grand affair and a huge success.
Not wanting to end the evening, the melodies turned lighter and the air was soon filled with catchy foot-tapping music as an orchestra accompanied singers that belted out numbers to keep the crowd entertained. A poem had the crowd in splits while a dance had them enthralled. Budding talent was spotted in the form of Shruti and Manasi, who played three of their original compositions. (Can we a have another performance of that soon ???)
As the weary faculty trudged towards a night’s sleep, and another jam-packed day, the students, not having enough of all that and Dr. Rao and Fr. James’ Housie and Dr. Sarin and Ms. Roshan’s quiz – decided it was a night to not waste but to make most of time. So the music played on….
And so, sitting here after sleepless night at XLRI, I reiterate – it’s most amazing to be alive!
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
3 Decades, 2 B-schools and only 1 XLRI (The story in Parts)
Over the weekend, Jamshedpur witnessed mass exodus, quality action and history as XLRI and IIM-C met for the 33-year old sports meet.
Day 1 (Morning):
It all started on Saturday 6:00 am as 250 odds students from IIM-C arrived at the Steel City for the 21 events that would challenge both sides to their limits. As the buses rolled in, the Xlers, (who are normally getting into bed at such hours) were in fact wide-awake – ready to greet the archrivals. After all, not every day at XLRI brings along such history.
The tournament kicked off with the Women’s Throwball. For the XL women, it was cake-walk. Before they knew what was happening, IIM-C found themselves hit with a score of 0-1, as the first event went in favour of XLRI.
If the IIM-Cians thought that it was simply beginner’s luck, they couldn’t have been more wrong. The scene of action soon shifted to Mohan Ahuja Stadium for badminton. Xlers of course were on tenterhooks. IIM-C boasted of Lancy Vijay of international fame. How could XLRI even hope to win this one?
On the court, it was an easy win for Lancy. However, XLRI came back in the next single with a superb win from Vikram Dani and so the score for the event stood at 1 each. The doubles game that followed was quite something. With Lancy back in action, it seemed it would have been quite a match even if he were alone on the court, facing two Xlers. Lancy, with the scintillating performance, clinched it for IIM-C. However, another win in straight sets from John Jim brought XL back to 2-2. Who would win? That would be found out later as all dispersed for lunch and the cricket match scheduled right after.
The score so far: 1-0 in favour of XLRI.
Day 1 (Morning):
It all started on Saturday 6:00 am as 250 odds students from IIM-C arrived at the Steel City for the 21 events that would challenge both sides to their limits. As the buses rolled in, the Xlers, (who are normally getting into bed at such hours) were in fact wide-awake – ready to greet the archrivals. After all, not every day at XLRI brings along such history.
The tournament kicked off with the Women’s Throwball. For the XL women, it was cake-walk. Before they knew what was happening, IIM-C found themselves hit with a score of 0-1, as the first event went in favour of XLRI.
If the IIM-Cians thought that it was simply beginner’s luck, they couldn’t have been more wrong. The scene of action soon shifted to Mohan Ahuja Stadium for badminton. Xlers of course were on tenterhooks. IIM-C boasted of Lancy Vijay of international fame. How could XLRI even hope to win this one?
On the court, it was an easy win for Lancy. However, XLRI came back in the next single with a superb win from Vikram Dani and so the score for the event stood at 1 each. The doubles game that followed was quite something. With Lancy back in action, it seemed it would have been quite a match even if he were alone on the court, facing two Xlers. Lancy, with the scintillating performance, clinched it for IIM-C. However, another win in straight sets from John Jim brought XL back to 2-2. Who would win? That would be found out later as all dispersed for lunch and the cricket match scheduled right after.
The score so far: 1-0 in favour of XLRI.
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
Why this hasnt be updated.
Since I am out of campus for a while, I am unable to update this blog. I DO wish others would send contributions, etc. Anyway here is an email I received from Father Augustine. Please not the projects mentioned!
I am happy to inform you that:
1 Ms Ruchi Narendran has joined the institute as Coordinator, Entrepreneur Development Centre [EDC] which we are going to launch with the assistance from George Mason University and Industries Department of GoJ, effective from today, September 1, 2004. She will be working in close collaboration with Prof Sharad Sarin
Ms Narendran is an MBA and was with TAS [Tata Administrative Services]. She was employed at Tata Tea for the past 14 years.
2 Ms Smitu Seth Malhotra has joined the institute w.e.f. September 1, 2004 to assist Profs Sharad Sarin, Madhukar Shukla and Jittu Singh for “The India Project.”
3 Ms Nisha Nair has joined the institute w.e.f. August 23, 2004 to assist Dr Jittu Singh in the proposed and forthcoming XLRI Conclave scheduled to be held in December 2004.
We welcome them all whole heartedly!
Augustine
Monday, August 16, 2004
Independence day mixed with sadness.
Aug 15th is always a day of activities in XLRI campus. The day began with a flag hoisting in front of the new academic block. This year the address was delivered by Dr. Deepak Kapur. He told " The Political Independence that India attained in 1947 ensured that no longer did such things as ‘a Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi being thrown out of the First Class bogie of a Train’ or ‘a Jamshedji Tata being denied access to a Five Star Hotel’- happen to Indians. "
As you can see we had quite a turn out, seen here listening to Chandrakanth (student's Gen Sec). After the programme was over, true to tradition, EVERYONE was invited to tea and snacks at the enright hall.
The evening was a splash of colour when the cultural events kicked off.
(ABOVE) Jitesh, Prof. ISF Raj's son had a "run away success" dancing to the song "run away".
(ABOVE) A bright rising star that shone that evening, was Mansi, Prof. Madhukar Shukla's daughter who performed several of her own compositions that evening... I do wish I could have uploaded the audio files... I guess you will just have to invite her for a gig to hear her.
While independence day had many traditional patriotic events, the children performed John Lennon "Imagine". Challenging us to imagine a world without boundaries and without "religion or country to die for"!
(ABOVE) There was even an impromptu song by some of the staff, faculty and wives. Prof. A.K. Pani stands behind Prof. Sanjay Patro on the left of the pic. Next is George Francis and in front of him the guy with the beard is perhaps the best known face of XLRI on the internet... Prof. Madhukar Shukla. The man standing behind Prof. Srinivas's wife, Jaya (in purple saree) is NOT Prof. Srinivas, but Prof. ISF Raj! Next to Jaya is Jayashree (in yellow saree), Prof. H.K. Pradhan's wife, behind her you can see Navita trying to hide. Navita, who has been featured on this blog before, is Dr. Sanjay Kumar's Wife. Next to her is Prof. ISF Raj's wife, Uma, keeping a safe distance from him. The lady in the blue saree at the right end (back row) is Prof. Patro's wife, Sasmita..as you can see they like to keep everyone else between them! At the right extreme, in front of Prof. Patro's wife is Prof. Padhi's wife, Preeti.
The Dinner was a nice homely affair with great food. The man behind the spread was a person whose fame goes far beyond XLRI. Affectionately known as "Rama Sir" by everyone in Loyola School, he is the better half (to use a politically correct, updated phrase) of Janaki Ramachandran who is perhaps the next most popular name in XLRI, having first handled MDP responsibilities and now handles the dean's office. Don't forget to check out Janaki's jewellery!
Speaking of jewellery, the evening had plenty of glitter and stardust.. check out this pendant worn by Uma. 
Sadness It is always a sad thing to see friends move away. I guess its selfishness. I am sure Dr. P.K.De will do well wherever he goes. As he moves to Mumbai to be closer to his son, sadness seems rather out of place. Yet Dr. De has shaped XLRI over the years that he has worked here both as my colleague and faculty member and as my boss, as the Dean. The campus club said the official farewells well in advance of his leaving so that we could hide our sadness, to not let him know that even though its a happy moment for him, it is a sad one for us.
Nanda too, will forever be a part of the campus she has given so much to.
All's well that ends well.. well almost..if you do not the cribs from my wife Jessy who is angry because I dont have any pictures of her to put up!! There...at least I mentioned her!
....JAI HIND
Saturday, August 14, 2004
A Visual Tour
Instructions: You can see a bigger picture by clicking on any of the pictures in this post. When you have finished viewing them, click on the return (back) arrow of your browser to continue reading.
Marine Drive
Not very far from XLRI is Jamshedpur's own Sangam, a.k.a "River's Meet". The river Karkai and the river Subarnarekha (The Ggolden Line)meet and then karkai loses its identity. Interestingly there have been reports of families that still make a living panning gold from Subarnarekha!!
Markets
Jamshedpur has several markets, Bistupur is an "upmarket" market, while Sakchi is not so upmarket. On Tuesdays both markets are officially closed and the sakchi market is converted into a flea market! The health department wont allow us to actually sell fleas there, but you can get some nice clothes for under half a US Dollar!
Bistupur, on the other hand is a little more orderly! Shown below is the main street, the one you would pass if you came from the railway station.
Kamani Centre at Bistupur is a popular shopping centre, especially if you need computer spares, or eye-glasses!
The meatshop given below is at Dadhkidi. An area with a distinct muslim flavour, it has a wonderful mosque and is the closest shopping area to XLRI.
This image could be offensive to some people, and so it is not directly loaded here. If you want to see it, click here.
Marine Drive
Not very far from XLRI is Jamshedpur's own Sangam, a.k.a "River's Meet". The river Karkai and the river Subarnarekha (The Ggolden Line)meet and then karkai loses its identity. Interestingly there have been reports of families that still make a living panning gold from Subarnarekha!!
Dimna Lake: No tour of Jamshedpur is complete without a visit to the source of our drinking water. Located about 15 km away from the town, the lake supplies the township with water round the year. Here Dimna is seen in its monsoon beauty.
SMAXI : The Other Side of XL
What are enterprising, budding managers-to-be doing at XL when they are not busy with their assignments, reports, quizzes and innumerable other activities? Firing salvo on weird status messages on Yahoo messenger coupled with wit and satire. SMAXI (Status Message Association of XLRI) - that’s what the founding members christened it when this informal XLRI committee stuck roots on Monday, Nov 17, 2003.
SMAXI hopes to recognize the “lame” status messages put on yahoo messenger by some individuals. "To help them gain recognition in XLRI is our guiding principle” as Mr. Sudhir Singhal, the Self-appointed General Secretary of this committee puts it. The person with the most number of SMAXI “Lame” Awards in any given month gets the most-coveted SMAXI- Award. All prize-winning entries become property of the city of Jamshedpur and will be displayed in high visibility areas like teashops, paan shops, dhobhi ghat etc.
The Members to this association are encouraged to bring to the notice of the office bearers any status messages that they encounter and consider worth targeting. The person doing this also gets the ‘Good Samaritan Award’ for “extraordinary” service to Life@XL.
Since the launch of SMAXI, it has seen status messages ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous to the plainly desperate. SMAXI had to be on constant vigil to thwart any attempt at generating a deliberately lame status message. It reacted by opening up an espionage wing. Says a member of this wing on conditions of anonymity, “we are here to ascertain the authenticity of the ‘lameness’ before giving away any awards, lest a ‘deserving candidate’ go unrewarded”.
SMAXI subsequently introduced the concept of theme-based status messages wherein a theme would be announced a day earlier and the entries had to have something to do with the theme. “SMAXI is a revolutionary concept, one that we believe will be tremendously successful in eradicating lame messages on Yahoo Messenger” pips in Mr. Praveen Prakash, “Creative Head”, SMAXI. SMAXI’s punch line “You mind your status message. We'll mind yours” sums it all.
Meanwhile, the campus was abuzz with SMAXI related news and snippets. Suddenly students were getting more SMAXI-conscious. Corridor whispers, closed rooms, logged out Yahoo Messengers became the norm of the day. SMAXI was here to stay!
___________________________________________________________________
For the bold and the adventurous only:
A sample some nominations to SMAXI and the committee’s comments (to be taken with a pinch of salt):
“CD is on share, access when lift is out of order”
SMAXI: How does this guy do it? More importantly WHY DOES HE DO IT? He will probably enter the SMAXI Hall of Shame if he keeps going on at this rate.
SMAXI hopes to recognize the “lame” status messages put on yahoo messenger by some individuals. "To help them gain recognition in XLRI is our guiding principle” as Mr. Sudhir Singhal, the Self-appointed General Secretary of this committee puts it. The person with the most number of SMAXI “Lame” Awards in any given month gets the most-coveted SMAXI- Award. All prize-winning entries become property of the city of Jamshedpur and will be displayed in high visibility areas like teashops, paan shops, dhobhi ghat etc.
The Members to this association are encouraged to bring to the notice of the office bearers any status messages that they encounter and consider worth targeting. The person doing this also gets the ‘Good Samaritan Award’ for “extraordinary” service to Life@XL.
Since the launch of SMAXI, it has seen status messages ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous to the plainly desperate. SMAXI had to be on constant vigil to thwart any attempt at generating a deliberately lame status message. It reacted by opening up an espionage wing. Says a member of this wing on conditions of anonymity, “we are here to ascertain the authenticity of the ‘lameness’ before giving away any awards, lest a ‘deserving candidate’ go unrewarded”.
SMAXI subsequently introduced the concept of theme-based status messages wherein a theme would be announced a day earlier and the entries had to have something to do with the theme. “SMAXI is a revolutionary concept, one that we believe will be tremendously successful in eradicating lame messages on Yahoo Messenger” pips in Mr. Praveen Prakash, “Creative Head”, SMAXI. SMAXI’s punch line “You mind your status message. We'll mind yours” sums it all.
Meanwhile, the campus was abuzz with SMAXI related news and snippets. Suddenly students were getting more SMAXI-conscious. Corridor whispers, closed rooms, logged out Yahoo Messengers became the norm of the day. SMAXI was here to stay!
___________________________________________________________________
For the bold and the adventurous only:
A sample some nominations to SMAXI and the committee’s comments (to be taken with a pinch of salt):
“CD is on share, access when lift is out of order”
SMAXI: How does this guy do it? More importantly WHY DOES HE DO IT? He will probably enter the SMAXI Hall of Shame if he keeps going on at this rate.
Sunday, August 01, 2004
Some Images of Campus
Hi,
Here are some pictures I took of the campus a while ago. Check them out! Prof. Madhukar Shukla also has some pics, maybe we should make an online album?. If we do set up something, I will post them on this site. Apart from the pic of the sign at our gate above, I am providing links to the rest, rather than directly show them here. This should avoid clutter. If you have images that you would like me to upload, you can send them to me - now that I have found a place to uplaod them. Alternatively, you could upload them to an online photo site and send me the links.
URGENT NOTE: Students and residents of the campus are invited... no invited is not the right word...are strongly urged to submit articles for the blog. They will appear under the author's name, unless for whatever reasons, anyone wants to post anonymously. Under such circumstances, the editor (me) takes responsibility for anonymous posts.
Hope you enjoy thise pictures. Once you have seen a picture, click the back in your browser to go to the previous page.
View of Tatasteel from the terrace of our building.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v440/mathaifenn/blog/campus_tatasteel.jpg
The campus, a treetops view from the terrace.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v440/mathaifenn/blog/treetops.jpg
A path on campus, near the MDP Residence.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v440/mathaifenn/blog/path.jpg
A ground-level view of the path - with Prof. Premarajan on it!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v440/mathaifenn/blog/path2.jpg
Here are some pictures I took of the campus a while ago. Check them out! Prof. Madhukar Shukla also has some pics, maybe we should make an online album?. If we do set up something, I will post them on this site. Apart from the pic of the sign at our gate above, I am providing links to the rest, rather than directly show them here. This should avoid clutter. If you have images that you would like me to upload, you can send them to me - now that I have found a place to uplaod them. Alternatively, you could upload them to an online photo site and send me the links.
URGENT NOTE: Students and residents of the campus are invited... no invited is not the right word...are strongly urged to submit articles for the blog. They will appear under the author's name, unless for whatever reasons, anyone wants to post anonymously. Under such circumstances, the editor (me) takes responsibility for anonymous posts.
Hope you enjoy thise pictures. Once you have seen a picture, click the back in your browser to go to the previous page.
View of Tatasteel from the terrace of our building.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v440/mathaifenn/blog/campus_tatasteel.jpg
The campus, a treetops view from the terrace.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v440/mathaifenn/blog/treetops.jpg
A path on campus, near the MDP Residence.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v440/mathaifenn/blog/path.jpg
A ground-level view of the path - with Prof. Premarajan on it!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v440/mathaifenn/blog/path2.jpg
Invasion on campus (of geniuses?)
With the rains, soil on campus is wet and the large amount of foliage creates an explosion of Millipedes, the red long variety, with no stripes or any other colours. They are everwhere, especially if you happen live on the ground floor. A careful walk on the campus can often reveal small clutches of fresh hatchlings where there are groups of around 50-100 of them clumped together.
Millipedes belong to the class "Diplopoda", of the arthropod phylum, which represents one of the largest animal classes with about 80,000 species in it! Yet despite this there is not much known about this class and zoologists find that even their knoweldge about his class is limited.
By the way, did you know that milliepeds have sections on their body and each section has two pairs of feet? Someone once told me that people come to be known as geniuses, by the same process that people call millipedes by that name, not because millipedes have a thousand legs, but because most people cant count beyond 50! In fact the record holder, Illacme plenipes has 750 legs!
Here is a fun article on millipedes!
http://www.earthlife.net/insects/diplopoda.html
If you are considering keeping millipedes as pets, you should try this link.
http://www.earthlife.net/insects/milipede.html
Prof. Dr. Kubra Bano, from the Department of Zoology, University of Agricultural Sciences, G.K.V.K., Bangalore-560 065 has written a rather scholarly article on Millipedes (diplopods) and you can read it here.
http://www.wii.gov.in/envis/rain_forest/chapter5.htm
Millipedes belong to the class "Diplopoda", of the arthropod phylum, which represents one of the largest animal classes with about 80,000 species in it! Yet despite this there is not much known about this class and zoologists find that even their knoweldge about his class is limited.
By the way, did you know that milliepeds have sections on their body and each section has two pairs of feet? Someone once told me that people come to be known as geniuses, by the same process that people call millipedes by that name, not because millipedes have a thousand legs, but because most people cant count beyond 50! In fact the record holder, Illacme plenipes has 750 legs!
Here is a fun article on millipedes!
http://www.earthlife.net/insects/diplopoda.html
If you are considering keeping millipedes as pets, you should try this link.
http://www.earthlife.net/insects/milipede.html
Prof. Dr. Kubra Bano, from the Department of Zoology, University of Agricultural Sciences, G.K.V.K., Bangalore-560 065 has written a rather scholarly article on Millipedes (diplopods) and you can read it here.
http://www.wii.gov.in/envis/rain_forest/chapter5.htm
Friday, July 30, 2004
XLRI prepares for feast of St.Ignatius - 31st July, Sat
Supposing you went to war and had to have surgery on your legs and then you had to rest until they were better. What would you read while resting? Romance stories? In that case you and St. Ignatius of Loyola have similar tastes in literature... now, horror of horrors, what if the only book available is a book on the life of Christ? St. Ignatius decided to read it rather than die of boredom after having survived the war. Like most of us, when he was not reading, he dreamt of fame and glory, as well as the hand of his lady love (whose identity is a mystery). However he noticed that when he thought of the fame and glory, it left his mind troubled, when he read of the Christ he felt a sense of peace. This is the turning point of his life.
The Society of Jesus was formally recognized by the Pope on ( Estd. 27th Sept in 1540 ). The name Jesuit originally meant “One who used or appropriated the name of Jesus too often” was first applied to the society in reproach, but later came to be accepted in a positive sense. St Francis Xavier was a close associate of St. Ignatius and was one of six friends who came together to form the Society of Jesus. St. Ignatius himself a soldier called the society “The Company of Jesus” to show it’s military approach.
On January 1 2004 there were 20170 Jesuits around the world, making it the largest religious order or the roman catholic church. Rememeber that "religious order" means that they are monks and are different from the parish priest who is concerned with the management of the church and the welfare of his flock (people).
Events on Campus - 31st July, Saturday
Mass Celebrated at the Chapel 8:30 - Chief Celebrant Rt. Rev. Felix Toppo, S.J.
Bishop of Jamshedpur. Followed by refreshments - All are invited.
5:00 PM Small Auditorium - A brief presentation on the life of St.Ignatius and the Jesuits followed by Tea
To learn more about the Jesuits here are some good links.
http://www.jesuit.org/sections/default.asp?SECTION_ID=187
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14081a.htm
To learn about St.Ignatius Loyola, this is a good place
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07639c.htm
And here is one about St.Francis Xavier.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06233b.htm
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
UFO on campus?
An Unidentified (admittedly not-Flying) Object was spotted on campus. A sleek, brand new white Hyundai Accent was seen on campus today. Always the car enthusiast, Fr. James was seen whizzing it away. It was later learnt from reliable sources that the car is the new car for the Director of XLRI! There were hints at getting a "Treat" which the Director side-stepped with elan.
More on campus football - Surya S.
Wednesday 21st
FIFA Cup might be the greatest football fete for many people, but XLers beg to disagree. Nothing is as challenging as the Ratanjee Memorial Tournament, the annual Senior v/s Junior sports fete at XLRI – i.e. nothing other than an XLRI - IIMC match. So the juniors have been holding league matches among themselves to select the Ratanjee football team.
The third match started, and the teams (BM-A and PM&IR) got into the groove almost immediately. The scene was perfectly set, with the monsoon hovering above, and a very vocal bunch of supporters on both sides of the ground. For sheer throat power and enthu, there are not many on earth who can stand up to a bunch of XLers. Priya, the official amplifier of IR batch was leading the pack. Danty was providing ample support to the teams while Dijo, the official mascot of IRs was running around the field.
The BM gang was also well equipped. Monga was working his grey cells overtime, shouting for all he was worth. The rest of the BMs also were a very loud crowd, adding to the general display of enthusiasm by the crowd.
There was some neat footwork by both the teams. In the BM camp, Sudhir, despite his malnourished frame, did some neat foot work. Mohit was very much focused. Mrugank and Sumit were here, there and everywhere supported efficiently by the likes of Richik and Gautam.
But that doesn’t mean that the IRs were any less competent. Roshan and Fauji were tackling like anything, with Piyush, Rajiv, Ronel, Nikhil and others played a very coordinated game. The teamwork was supported by Desmond, the goalie, who never let the ball pass beyond him. The superior coordination and team work of the IRs were rewarded when Sanker score the first goal almost nearing the end of the first half. The spectators (who were mostly the IR bunch) went berserk with joy.
The second half was much more vigorous both on and off fields, with the players giving it there very best, and the steadily increasing bunch of supporters involving in shouting or booing each other down. Personal friendships took a backseat as bosom friends belonging to opposite camps were seen taunting each other. The game was becoming more and more competitive, with the BMs desperately trying to score and the IRs holding them down. With just a few minutes to go, Saurabh scored the second goal for IRs, bringing the game to a temporary halt with the IR junta overflowing with enthu on and off the field. A deserved photography session near the men’s hostel followed the 2-0 victory.
FIFA Cup might be the greatest football fete for many people, but XLers beg to disagree. Nothing is as challenging as the Ratanjee Memorial Tournament, the annual Senior v/s Junior sports fete at XLRI – i.e. nothing other than an XLRI - IIMC match. So the juniors have been holding league matches among themselves to select the Ratanjee football team.
The third match started, and the teams (BM-A and PM&IR) got into the groove almost immediately. The scene was perfectly set, with the monsoon hovering above, and a very vocal bunch of supporters on both sides of the ground. For sheer throat power and enthu, there are not many on earth who can stand up to a bunch of XLers. Priya, the official amplifier of IR batch was leading the pack. Danty was providing ample support to the teams while Dijo, the official mascot of IRs was running around the field.
The BM gang was also well equipped. Monga was working his grey cells overtime, shouting for all he was worth. The rest of the BMs also were a very loud crowd, adding to the general display of enthusiasm by the crowd.
There was some neat footwork by both the teams. In the BM camp, Sudhir, despite his malnourished frame, did some neat foot work. Mohit was very much focused. Mrugank and Sumit were here, there and everywhere supported efficiently by the likes of Richik and Gautam.
But that doesn’t mean that the IRs were any less competent. Roshan and Fauji were tackling like anything, with Piyush, Rajiv, Ronel, Nikhil and others played a very coordinated game. The teamwork was supported by Desmond, the goalie, who never let the ball pass beyond him. The superior coordination and team work of the IRs were rewarded when Sanker score the first goal almost nearing the end of the first half. The spectators (who were mostly the IR bunch) went berserk with joy.
The second half was much more vigorous both on and off fields, with the players giving it there very best, and the steadily increasing bunch of supporters involving in shouting or booing each other down. Personal friendships took a backseat as bosom friends belonging to opposite camps were seen taunting each other. The game was becoming more and more competitive, with the BMs desperately trying to score and the IRs holding them down. With just a few minutes to go, Saurabh scored the second goal for IRs, bringing the game to a temporary halt with the IR junta overflowing with enthu on and off the field. A deserved photography session near the men’s hostel followed the 2-0 victory.
Sunday, July 25, 2004
Mixing pop and politics
Sorry this article was meant for my other blog, hence I am removing it. Those who would still like to read it can find it at http://mathaifenn.blogspot.com/2004/07/pop-art-and-politics.html . This article has nothing to do with XLRI or XL campus, its my thoughts on popular art and politics.
Saturday, July 24, 2004
Fellows of FPHRD XLRI
Yesterday we had three candidates from the combined XLRI-AHRD fellow programme presenting their work and defending their thesis -Ms. Suneeta Mishra Ms. Anuradha Challu and Mr. Hari Iyer. I found Hari's work on Organizational Citizenship Behaviour rather an interesting concept. It apparently explains the reason why Job Satisfaction doesnt translate into better on the job performance. Defined as (as best as I could understand it) the activities that one does BEYOND what is expected from one's role and yet beneficial to the organization, I guess it means everything you do for the organization which you are not required to do, hence there are no rewards or punishments involved.... Ooops sorry guys I got carried away.
The evening ended with a small get together with the Director of AHRD, Dr. Uma Jain, Director of XLRI, Fr. N. Casimiraj, Dean Administration, Fr. E. A. Augustine, Prof. Srinivas (who coordinates the relationship between AHRD and XLRI), Prof. ISF Raj, Prof. Srinivas, Prof. Madhukar Shukla and Prof. Mathai Fenn. The evening was fun and ended with a trip to town to have CHAI as part of the celebrations for having got through the VIVA. Somehow I enjoy spending time with research students. Its fun to share the interest in theory.
The evening ended with a small get together with the Director of AHRD, Dr. Uma Jain, Director of XLRI, Fr. N. Casimiraj, Dean Administration, Fr. E. A. Augustine, Prof. Srinivas (who coordinates the relationship between AHRD and XLRI), Prof. ISF Raj, Prof. Srinivas, Prof. Madhukar Shukla and Prof. Mathai Fenn. The evening was fun and ended with a trip to town to have CHAI as part of the celebrations for having got through the VIVA. Somehow I enjoy spending time with research students. Its fun to share the interest in theory.
Thursday, July 22, 2004
Lonely Hearts Club?
Reality Bites:
-----------------
No not THAT kind of lonely hearts, but its first year first term... Homesickness is high among students who have come to stay in a hostel for the first time. Its actually high for even those who HAVE stayed in the hostel before. The initial euphoria of joining is over and now "reality bites". Yet its so hard to f ind someone to talk to. Everyone seems to be busy with their things. Everyone seems to have a happy life. Why am I the ONLY one to feel so left out? Maybe I am not strong enough?
Every year I hear this from students at this stage. I wish there was some way I could get them in touch with each other....so at least they know they are not alone. Hey guys and gals, say hello to that shy guy in the corner... or even to that popular girl... perhaps they need your help. Maybe we should start a forum to discuss loneliness?
Mathai Fenn
-----------------
No not THAT kind of lonely hearts, but its first year first term... Homesickness is high among students who have come to stay in a hostel for the first time. Its actually high for even those who HAVE stayed in the hostel before. The initial euphoria of joining is over and now "reality bites". Yet its so hard to f ind someone to talk to. Everyone seems to be busy with their things. Everyone seems to have a happy life. Why am I the ONLY one to feel so left out? Maybe I am not strong enough?
Every year I hear this from students at this stage. I wish there was some way I could get them in touch with each other....so at least they know they are not alone. Hey guys and gals, say hello to that shy guy in the corner... or even to that popular girl... perhaps they need your help. Maybe we should start a forum to discuss loneliness?
Mathai Fenn
The BM football match - Malhar Vadke (BM 1st year)
The match between BM A and BM B started with great enthusiam with all the team members and a grand crowd...of three present! This was supposed to be a run up to the Ratanjee Memorial Tournament and a proving ground for all the budding footballers to make it to the grand finale, the mother of all football matches "XL-IIMC"!
The first goal of the match was scored by Gautum Dalal for BM A in the first half - this really set the "ball rolling". Mohit Raina soon netted the ball to give BM A a second goal. Raina's amazing control of and accuracy with the ball through the entire match along with Sudhir Shukla's (BM A) talent for the game made it a combo BM B tried really hard to break through without any success. Combine that with Prithwiraj Deb and Richik Nandi (BM A), playing forward, sparing no efforts to give BM B as hard a time as possible with the the likes of Sumit Saluja(BM A) on the defense sealed off any hopes of the ball geting through to the other net.
Tejas Joshi, Himadri Shekar, Shailendra Barshikar and the goalkeeper Gautum Sood proved there was no lack of talent on the side of BM B, not mention Manish Kumar, the captain, who had to be pulled out due to an ankle injury. Gautum saved two goals and in the process complete devastation!
The talent on the side of BM B really did not have a chance to be on the offense with the full thrust of the BM A team forward with a policy of never passing the ball backwards, a change in that strategy could have been a change in the final result.
The last strike (literally) was by Richik (BM A) almost from the midfield! With that goal in the nets, and two minutes on the clock, the result was sealed, it was a resounding victory for BM A with the final scores being 3-0 !
Sunday, July 18, 2004
Fresher's Nite - Report by Mononeeta Law
Following the age-old tradition, the seniors got their act together – literally! With Dracula (Dramatics and Cultural Association) at the helm, the talented seniors worked very hard and finally the magic was unleashed upon the juniors on Friday night as they were caught up in one entertaining performance after another.
The juniors were asked to assemble on the JLT, from where they moved into the Small Audi for the performance. And oh what a performance it was!
There was the Jive, with Sukant and Indira leading the rest which was a really well-coordinated dance (definitely as compared to the others). And then the fusion dance with “Phanaa”, the latest hit Yuva number, where Priya and Ashwini looked absolutely elegant in the traditional Indian postures. And then of course the YMCA, with Hari, Sukant, Jayan and Harsh, which had all the girls screaming for more. Jayan was as always out of sync with the rest… but then that’s Jayan for you.
And then there were the songs with the XL band backing them up. Needless to mention that no performance by them is ever complete without the powerful music from Payel’s violin, as they rendered a superb performance of a self-composition called “Last Mile”…christened so by Dhunta!.
And finally not to mention, a wonderfully written play by Pappu, the creative head of RadioSMAXI – there was wild applause all around, not to mention the catcalls thrown in.
Of course, no Juniors’ Nite is complete without a sumptuous dinner. And so while the juniors sat at the tables, we ensured that they were dined adequately. It was almost 3:00 a.m when we called it a day.
Admittedly, it was a hot and humid night, especially now that the monsoons have started creeping into Jamshedpur and the juniors were all in suits and sarees, and there was an entire batch and half of another crammed inside the Auditorium and some of the juniors and seniors have a quiz today (including me!) – but that’s the bonding that will forever make XLRI stand apart.
The juniors were asked to assemble on the JLT, from where they moved into the Small Audi for the performance. And oh what a performance it was!
There was the Jive, with Sukant and Indira leading the rest which was a really well-coordinated dance (definitely as compared to the others). And then the fusion dance with “Phanaa”, the latest hit Yuva number, where Priya and Ashwini looked absolutely elegant in the traditional Indian postures. And then of course the YMCA, with Hari, Sukant, Jayan and Harsh, which had all the girls screaming for more. Jayan was as always out of sync with the rest… but then that’s Jayan for you.
And then there were the songs with the XL band backing them up. Needless to mention that no performance by them is ever complete without the powerful music from Payel’s violin, as they rendered a superb performance of a self-composition called “Last Mile”…christened so by Dhunta!.
And finally not to mention, a wonderfully written play by Pappu, the creative head of RadioSMAXI – there was wild applause all around, not to mention the catcalls thrown in.
Of course, no Juniors’ Nite is complete without a sumptuous dinner. And so while the juniors sat at the tables, we ensured that they were dined adequately. It was almost 3:00 a.m when we called it a day.
Admittedly, it was a hot and humid night, especially now that the monsoons have started creeping into Jamshedpur and the juniors were all in suits and sarees, and there was an entire batch and half of another crammed inside the Auditorium and some of the juniors and seniors have a quiz today (including me!) – but that’s the bonding that will forever make XLRI stand apart.
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Skill enhancement to tackle oligopolistic practices?
Auto rickshaws are an amazing invention, three wheels and a two stroke engine, I amazed at how they remain upright. Every morning I see one such vehicle, designed for three passengers (at most) and driver, overflowing with school children on their way to school. I suspect they must have an anti-gravity device somewhere to prevent them from toppling over when taking turns (I have seen these vehicles topple over on occassion). Yet it remains the preferred mode of transport for children from campus to make it to school. To top it all, Autorickshaws near XLRI have a monopolistic tendency. They will not allow other auto's to take passengers from XLRI. I have seen them blocking another auto and forcing the hapless passenger to board their own autos. Needless to say the local autorickshaw drivers charge more for trips from XLRI to anywhere. There is Rafeeq, the guy who can produce anything from car, to a bus on hire whenever XLRI needs it. There is Vasu, the stocky guy who is generally patient and well mannered, at least compared to Bala his brother a hot tempered guy who could give you a piece of his mind at the drop of a hat. There is also a Pillai who lives near by with a telephone and can come and pick you up by a phone call.
On campus I see that several faculty wives are taking driving lessons seriously. Prof. T.A.S. Vijayaraghavan's wife Sudha, Prof. Sanjay Patro's wife Sasmita and (believe it or not) my wife Jessy have taken to learning driving seriously. I suppose its also a mark of how little we faculty are available for the families when they need us. Do I see the possibility of a car-pool taking shape? Unnamed "SOURCES" say that there is no such thing and its entirely a fiction of my imagination.
On campus I see that several faculty wives are taking driving lessons seriously. Prof. T.A.S. Vijayaraghavan's wife Sudha, Prof. Sanjay Patro's wife Sasmita and (believe it or not) my wife Jessy have taken to learning driving seriously. I suppose its also a mark of how little we faculty are available for the families when they need us. Do I see the possibility of a car-pool taking shape? Unnamed "SOURCES" say that there is no such thing and its entirely a fiction of my imagination.
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
South Korea, here we come!
Tuesday, 6th July, I made a new resolve: to learn KOREAN! I opened todays Hindustan Times ("Jamshedpur Live" section and read this):
Steel City to get Korean 'sister', courtesy XLRI
"..a South Korean city, keen on getting into an agreement with Jamshedpur to forge a "Sister City" relationship, is learnt to have expressed interest in forging a fruitful relationship with ....Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI).."
I often wonder if we didnt get the daily newspaper everyday in the morning, no one on campus would have any idea what XLRI is up to. WOW! Talk of local news! I wonder if this blog will seriously help in bridging the information assymetry?
Btw, for years we have been saying that XLRI is NOT Xavier Labour Relations Institute. At least not any more than B.P.L. is longer British Phyiscal Laborotaries.
Steel City to get Korean 'sister', courtesy XLRI
"..a South Korean city, keen on getting into an agreement with Jamshedpur to forge a "Sister City" relationship, is learnt to have expressed interest in forging a fruitful relationship with ....Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI).."
I often wonder if we didnt get the daily newspaper everyday in the morning, no one on campus would have any idea what XLRI is up to. WOW! Talk of local news! I wonder if this blog will seriously help in bridging the information assymetry?
Btw, for years we have been saying that XLRI is NOT Xavier Labour Relations Institute. At least not any more than B.P.L. is longer British Phyiscal Laborotaries.
Saturday, July 03, 2004
Sravan leaves for Australia
Sravan, Prof. Venugopal's (a.k.a. the dean)older son is leaving for down under this afternoon. The family will see him off from Dum Dum (hmmm do two dums make one dumb?) airport later at night. Sravan after his 12th from Loyola School is going to take up studies in PSYCHOLOGY! Best of luck Sravan!
Jackfruit Season is here again
Once again, as is the case every year, there was an invitation from Fr.Augustine to everyone who wanted jackfruit. Between 12:30 and 1:00 the small garden between the Tome Residence and The Centre for Small Business was the focus of activity. There were cycles, scooters and Lawrence's car backed up while jackfruit was given away. Freddy was seen carrying one carefully wrapped in newspaper...perhaps to avoid having to share what he got?!
Friday, July 02, 2004
XL Campus Blog
Hi,
There is some talk of an "XL Family" intiative, which aims to rebuild a sense of community among all people who live on campus. The New Director and New Dean are working towards this. Though no formal announcement has been made on this initative, its a most welcome change. An important element of getting together is to have a newsletter of sorts. This blog is an online version of a campus newsletter. It is also hoped that people off campus too can get a feel for what is happening in campus as a result of this blog.
This is a unofficial blog intended for events that happen ON XLRI campus. I am currently looking for people who can contribute to this endeavour. If you are interested, please send me an email. While the editors of this blog will excercise a degree of editorial control, the opinions expressed on this blog are not necessarily the official views of the institute, or of the editors and all articles are written on a personal basis.
Currently we are looking for editorial material from students, faculty, staff and families who live on campus.
There is some talk of an "XL Family" intiative, which aims to rebuild a sense of community among all people who live on campus. The New Director and New Dean are working towards this. Though no formal announcement has been made on this initative, its a most welcome change. An important element of getting together is to have a newsletter of sorts. This blog is an online version of a campus newsletter. It is also hoped that people off campus too can get a feel for what is happening in campus as a result of this blog.
This is a unofficial blog intended for events that happen ON XLRI campus. I am currently looking for people who can contribute to this endeavour. If you are interested, please send me an email. While the editors of this blog will excercise a degree of editorial control, the opinions expressed on this blog are not necessarily the official views of the institute, or of the editors and all articles are written on a personal basis.
Currently we are looking for editorial material from students, faculty, staff and families who live on campus.
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