News report: 27th October, 2018 – 10th November, 2018
Sports Contingent at IIT-BHU
Around 150 students from NIT Trichy, as a part of the NIT Trichy Sports Contingent, traveled to Varanasi to take part in the annual inter-college sports festival organized by IIT-BHU. The 34th edition of the fest, Spardha ’18, spanned 3 days from the 26th-28th of October and witnessed participation from over 200 colleges from around the country.
After months of practice, the hard work put in by teams finally came to fruition. The contingent members comprising athletics, basketball, hockey, kho-kho, football, volleyball, kabaddi, tennis, table tennis, powerlifting, swimming, handball, chess, and carrom returned with an impressive showing at the games.
Some of the wins by the contingent include – the athletics men and women’s team having a total of 16 podium finishes, with 6 golds, 8 silvers, and 2 bronze medals. The men’s swimming team bagged 5 golds and 3 silvers in the individual events, while also placing first in both relays. The girls and boys kho-kho team were crowned champions while the boys’ tennis, table tennis and handball teams both finished runner-up in their respective events. The boys’ chess team also came first, and the boys’ volleyball team placed third in their event. Our contingent won the overall trophy – “Best Outstation College”, with the maximum points scored totally by a visiting institute.
Rapid Prototyping Workshop
On October 27th, RMI conducted a one of a kind Rapid Prototyping Workshop for first and second years at the Computer Annexe. The workshop was completely free, and those who attended got a first hand look at how the process of prototyping works. Starting with Creo, students were taught the basics of Computer Aided Design (CAD) and how to realise the designs for their prototypes. As the workshop progressed, the focus was shifted to 3D printing, and those in attendance were given a first hand look at RMI’s own 3D printer in action. Finally, they were given the opportunity to test their skills by 3D printing their very first CAD model.
Breast Cancer Awareness
A breast cancer awareness program was conducted by the A-Flight NCC NIT Trichy, on 1st November 2018 in the memory of Ex Cdt. Sgt. Anjali Anil. Organised in association with Harshamithra and Rose Garden Cancer Foundation, Tiruchirappalli, the event saw a number of lectures delivered a doctor and a counselor from the organisation.
Highlighting the importance of screening and self examination, the programme rang with the intention of preventing another life from being lost.
The series was started off by Dr. P. Sasipriya Govindaraj from the Foundation, who emphasised on the curability of both cervical and breast cancer(s). Beginning with mammogram, the doctor shed light on methods to detect breast cancer, including thermogram and sonogram. She also talked about the different options available for treating cancer, some of which include surgical chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
The next lecture was delivered by Mrs. Vaishnavi, the Counseling Head of the foundation. Her talk drew attention to the positive change in attitude that needs to be brought about in the society with respect to cancer. She also stressed on the importance of acceptance and determination, both in the patients, and those around them. This was followed by the vote of thanks delivered by Mrs. Kannathaal from the Inner Wheel Club of Trichy.
The event ended with registrations opening for the Thermogram screening camp that was held over the following weekend, from 03-11-2018 to 04-11-2018. The camp saw over a 100 registrations, with 85 people being screened for breast cancer.
Coffee with Climate Change
Builder’s Hive, the civil engineering and innovation club of NIT Trichy, conducted “Coffee with Climate Change”, a set of events targeted at creating awareness about the fragile state of the earth on October 29, 2018. The event kicked off with a discussion session, where participants were encouraged to voice their opinions and suggestions on the issue. A wide array of factors responsible for the changing climate were touched upon, including the huge role played by world leaders and by major corporates. This was followed by a debate on whether climate change deserves attention despite other issues like poverty, sanitation and illiteracy. Prof. Jeevan Joseph from department of civil engineering judged the debate. Two best speakers from each team were selected and goodies were awarded.
Talk by alumnus Cibi Pranav
Mr. Cibi Pranav, an alumnus of class 2015, former chairman of Festember 2015, gave a talk on “Creating Positive Habits”, as a part of Jitheshraj Mentorship Series on 5th November 2018 at EEE Audi. Currently pursuing his PhD in Georgia Tech University, Mr. Pranav gave his insights and suggestions on how one must convert an improvement to be incorporated into a habit.
During his talk, Cibi emphasised that consistency is key.
He emphasised the concept of “what gets measured gets done.” If we wanted to inculcate a particular skill, he said, it must become a part of our routine. Breaking the solution into steps, he recommended identifying habits that we wanted to inculcate. It could be hitting the gym every day, being more organised, converting weaknesses into strengths and so on. He emphasised that creating positive habits will bridge the gap between our aspirations and our personal weaknesses.
In the initial phase of creating a new habit, we need to reward ourselves for the positive change that we are trying to inculcate. Cibi pointed out that the reward could be “being more organised the next semester and peaceful” or “being fit” and so on. He explained that we would end up being so accustomed to this new practice that it becomes as natural as brushing one’s teeth. Once we reach that point, rewards are no longer needed.
However, it is easier said than done. He stressed on the deterrents to creating habits. The main reason why we face hurdles is because we are measuring ourselves and we are the measurers. There is no external being involved to monitor us and hence no external pressure. He reasoned out by saying that our mind is fickle in nature. To realise our pitfalls and overcome them, he insisted that we be mindful. To be mindful, we need to analyse our thoughts from a third person’s perspective and take appropriate actions. Journalising our thoughts in our phones or an a piece of paper can aid us in being mindful, he added.
He suggested that any big goal that we want to work on must be broken down into micro goals and be incorporated as a habit.
He concluded the presentation by saying that the frequency of following the routine is more important than its intensity. He summarised the four points that he wanted the audience to take away namely:
- Habits and Consistency are the keys to improvement.
- What gets measured gets done
- Understanding the habit and fitting in our behaviour into the routine
- Accepting and working on our limitations in developing a positive habit
Click here to read our full interview with Mr. Cibi Pranav.
Photo courtesy of Abishek Palraj.
Written by Santhosh Srinivasan, Koushik Kumaran, Nandini Ranganathan, Swedha Sankaranarayanan.
