Department of Sociology and Social Work: Alumni Day Celebration

The Alumni Association of the Department of Sociology and Social Work Student Association organized a meet for the occasion of Alumni Day on the 26th of January 2022 from 11.30 am to 1:00 pm on Webex to reconnect with the former students of CHRIST. Various alumni joined the meeting and shared their precious memories of CHRIST, which triggered a string of nostalgia. The event emcee Meenakshi began by addressing the gathering and presenting an entertaining PPT. An exciting activity was given to the alumnus- a game of story chain associated with memories during their time at CHRIST with a specific theme. Many alumni participated in the activity, which turned out to be a beautiful story by itself.

To conclude the activity, the emcee introduced Mr. Samuel George, President of the Alumni Association of the Department of Sociology and Social Work, and asked him to conclude the activity with his own touch on the story. He then proceeded to give the welcoming address to the event.

Dr Sudipta Garai then welcomed everyone and briefly introduced the department and how the department has evolved since its inception. Following Dr. Sudipta’s addressing, Dr. Victor Paul, Head of the department, proceeded to address the gathering and talked about the three Cs – Connect, Communicate and Celebrate where the alumnus can refresh their relationships with their fellow batchmates, come up with possible collaborations and finally celebrate what they have. He also mentioned the kick-starting of the New Zealand Alumni chapter and the hopeful beginnings of different chapters around the country.

The floor then opened up for the alumni and the professors to talk about their cherished memories from the past. The professors identified their students and were delighted to see them back together again on the same platform. Followed by the professors, the alumni were sharing the mischievous memories that took them all down a very nostalgic yet beautiful memory lane. One of the alumni even penned a beautiful poem to recite about college life and the bond created during that time; it stays vital to date, which was heartwarming and overwhelming for everyone. Many of the students are faculties themselves now and were talking about how the professors at CHRIST helped shape them as faculties. The alumni were also sad that the pandemic had stolen their chance to meet everyone and revisit the campus and how the students attending online classes in CHRIST are missing out on a massive chunk of the extraordinary life that CHRIST has to offer.

With that, Mr. Samuel George gave a concluding speech. A group picture was also taken to have a memory of the Alumni Day. The vote of thanks was given by Neha Ashar and Ankitaa Mohanty, alumni coordinators of the department, and with that, the event came to an end.

Mandala Workshop: Unwind with Art

The Department of Sociology and Social Work Student Association organized the Mandala Art Workshop, hosted by Ms. Sara Jain. The facilitator for the event was Ms. Nandini Tikku. The event was kickstarted with Ms. Sara giving a short introductory speech about Ms. Nandini, a Postgraduate student of History in CHRIST (Deemed to be) University, Bengaluru. Ms. Nandini is a self-taught Mandala artist and has also conducted several workshops individually and in collaboration with Rotaract Clubs of various colleges. Art, for her, is an expression of herself and therapy.

In the introductory speech, Ms. Sara also familiarised the audience with the meaning of the word 'Mandala'- which has its origin in the Sanskrit language and signifies a circle or the center. After this, the session was handed over to Ms. Nandini.

Ms. Nandini further enhances the significance of Mandala art by emphasizing the impact it has on our mental and emotional well-being. She mentions three types of Mandalas- Teaching Mandala, Healing Mandala, and Sand Mandala. She clarifies that Mandala is not only a Hindu symbol but is used by many other religions. Ms. Nandini talks about how Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung introduced Mandala art in the West and its impact on people's lifestyles, including improved sleep patterns, concentration power, de-stressing activity, and something that added fun to their lives. With this, Ms. Tikku moved on to teach the audience the art of drawing a Mandala. The name of the Mandala that she taught for the session was- Connected or Connectional Mandala.

She mentioned that Mandalas are not always made with monochrome colors and that lines drawn within a Mandala circle need not be straight. Ms. Nandini taught the audience the technique of drawing leaves inside the Mandala circle and between the lines, spiral patterns inside the leaves, mounts within the lines, and even triangles. The key was to keep drawing designs within designs. She further asked people to fill in their Mandalas with the designs of their choice to nurture the audience's creativity for the event.

Finally, the audience was asked to share their work, followed by a feedback session from the participants in the workshop. Some of the feedback included-

• helped the participants to relax and not worry about being perfect their art
• Improved concentration power
• It worked like meditation for some
• Freeing the mind of stress
• Fun

The session was concluded by Ms. Adrija Dutta, who delivered the vote of thanks by thanking Dr. Victor Paul Sir (Head of the Department of Sociology and Social Work) for his support, Ms. Nandini Tikku for facilitating the event, and the rest of the participants for their efforts.