Winners of Talents Day

Eastern Dance

1st place: Anjali, Gurpreet, Krystal, Karthika, Sonam, Sneha, Nimi, Rishmeet, Farzana and Deepa.

Photo by: Kulsoom Ali

Runners-up: Aishwarya, Aakanksha, Gloria, Poonam, Mita, Supriya, Kittu, Kate, Vidhi and Swetha.

Photo by: Kulsoom Ali

Skit

1st place: Nishant, Kwaja, Arun, Mohammed Riyas, Roopesh and Abbey (MBA Students).

Photo by: Kulsoom Ali

Runners-up: Ashwin, Deepa, Shihaab, Davis, Rahul, Nimi, Karthika and Anjali.

Photo by: Kulsoom Ali

Western Dance

1st place: Ashwin, Khushi, Ashima, Shihaab, Reon, Fahd, Farzana, Faris and Nandini.

Photo by: Kulsoom Ali

Runners-up: Aishwarya, Mita, Kittu, Aakanksha, Supriya, Gloria, Kate, Vidhi and Pritish

Photo by: Kulsoom Ali

Group Singing

1st place: Sheela, Jamila, Balqis, Munawara, Nilofer, Khyati and Alifeyah

Photo by: Kulsoom Ali

Runners-up: Karen, Miathreya, Jessica, Jerrin, Nigel and Joshua

Photo by: Kulsoom Ali

Bollywood Scene

1st place: Mufaz, Rahul, Naeem and Jasim

Photo by: Kulsoom Ali

Runners-up: Vaibhav, Sharat, Nikhil and Kutubuddin

Photo by: Kulsoom Ali

MAHE Performers Steal Spotlight Again

Dr. Popatlal (Sunny, 2nd year BBA) and Sukhiya Popatlal (Akanksha, 2nd year Media and Communications) enacting a twosome role in the adaptation of the play Fools. (Photograph by Reema Batheja)

The budding performers of Manipal University, Dubai campus fetched another victory yesterday at Stage Struck 2008- an intercollegiate drama competition, adding one more trophy to the existing collection of awards achieved by the University in the past.

The performers seized the second place in competition that was hosted by Rangmanch Theater Academy in association with American College of Dubai, losing the first place having secured by University of Wollongong, Dubai.

Displaying utmost theatrical talent on stage, students of Manipal University spellbound the audience by enacting an adaptation of the Russian play Fools, a light-hearted romantic comedy by Neil Eugene during the 1800s.

Sukhiya Popatlal (Akanksha, 2nd year Media and Communications) with her dumb daughter Roopmati (Aishwarya, 3rd year Media and Communications). Photograph by Reema Batheja

However, the award for the best actor in the individual play was honored to Akanksha Singh, second year student of Media and Communications, dramatizing the role of Sukhiya Popatlal - the mother of Roopmati (Aishwarya Shivkumar, third year student of Media and Communications). “I think we all performed brilliant. We wished we could’ve won the first place!” said Akanksha, all thrilled at the acknowledgement of her best performance in the play.

Hats off to all the participants of the play who collectively unmasked their hidden talent and made the day!

Proud winners and cheerers. (Photograph by Reema Batheja)

Music from around the world comes to sing its tune at MAHE

The group song competition held last Thursday, the 13th of March saw the end of the month long, in-house cultural competitions taking place at the MAHE Dubai auditorium. The competition began with a performance by MAHE’s official band – Novocaine. A very hard act to follow, judging by the audience's reaction. The group song competition saw five groups of five members each who were judged on the basis of melody, harmony and presentation. Music is truly global and can definitely speak to people and this was clearly visible through the choice and selection of songs from gospel to fusion and from a qawwali to a remix. The competition was judged by Mr. Vishwesh Akre from the IT department, Ms. Seema Upadhyay from the Biotechnology department and Ms. Seena Biju from the Management department.

The 2nd place winners presented the very powerful “Pray for me Brother” by A.R. Rahman which is the UN anthem. The group also had a persuasive presentation that backed their song, creating feelings of charity among the audience. Members of the group included: Anandha, Deepa, Sabrina, Nancy and Asma.

Ms. Seema Updhyay presenting the 2nd place prize to Anandha, Nancy, Sabrina, Asma and Deepa. (Photo by Dasney Pereira)

However the judges preferred the qawwali bollywood song “Pardah hai Pardah” from the movie Amar, Akbar and Anthony performed by the group: Jasim, Mufaz, Naeem, Rahul and Imran and adjudged it worthy of the first prize.

Jasim, Naeem, Mufaz, Rahul and Imran - winners of the 1st prize of the group song competition. The group performed the qawwali number “Pardah hai Pardah” from the movie Amar, Akbar Anthony. (Photo by Dasney Pereira)

Anil Kumble felicitates outstanding students

Excellence has always been rewarded at Manipal University - Dubai Campus and the visit by Anil Kumble, Manipal Education's brand ambassador yesterday was just the perfect opportunity to felicitate outstanding students. Two final year students from each department were felicitated and given plaques by Anil Kumble. One for the 'Best Academic Performance' and one for 'Overall Outstanding Performance'. The students are as follows:


Department of Management Studies:
For Academic performance - Simeen Ali Akbar
For Outstanding performance - Sidney Samuel D'souza

Simeen Ali Akbar and Sidney D'souza with Anil Kumble. (Photos by Arun Thomas)

Deparmtent of Interior Design:
For Academic performance - Anusha Parameswaran
For Outstanding performance - Abdul Wahid Pulikkal

Abdul Pullikkal being felicitated by Anil Kumble. (Photo by Arun Thomas)

Department of Fashion Design:
For Academic performance - Amruthalakshmi Rajgopal
For Outstanding performance - Nidhi Jain

Department of Media and Communications:
For Academic performance - Afshan Ahmed
For Outstanding performance - Maitri Kamlesh Somaia

Maitri Somaia being fecilitated by Anil Kumble. (Photo by Arun Thomas)

Department of Biotechnology:
For Academic performance - Sheela Rani
For Outstanding performance - Ruchika Bhatia

Ruchika Bhatia with Anil Kumble. (Photo by Arun Thomas)

Department of Information Technology:
For Academic performance - Farha Rashid Hussain
For Outstanding performance - Abhishekh S. Singh

Abhishekh Singh with Anil Kumble. (Photo by Arun Thomas)

Yes, the media is all about sensationalism today!

Thrilled champions of the debate flaunt their trophies.

Left to Right: Miss Supriya, Miss Ayesha, Miss Pooja and Miss Disha. ~ Photograph by Fatima Husain

“Wild ones attack seaside – 97 arrested,” began the first speaker Supriya Dominica of Team A, a third year student of Media and Communications during the heated debate held at MAHE auditorium on Thursday, 6th March 2008.

Two teams of four students each were all geared up to air their views on the topic: Is media today all about sensationalism? Participants of Team A: Miss Supriya (3^rd year Media and Communications), Miss Disha (1^st year Media and Communications), Miss Pooja P. (2^nd year Media and Communications) and Miss Ayesha (2^nd year Media and Communications) battled out their opponents of Team B to substantiate that the media indeed is all about sensationalism today.

Speakers were allotted four minutes each to present their understanding for the topic with an addition to a rebuttal of two minutes at the end for the teams to refute anyone’s argument put forward during the debate.

The forum moderated by Ms. Shubha, a faculty of Media and Communications, was assessed by a panel of four judges: Dr. Srikrishna Pandey (HOD of IT department), Dr. Sudhakar (Professor of Management) and Mr. Ashok Iyer (HOD of ID department).

The best speaker award was prized to Miss Pooja P. from Team A and Mr. Ritesh Jeswani (1^st year Media and Communications) from Team B.

“The debate was very challenging. We did attempt to put our points across but it is very obvious that media is all about sensationalism. What is true cannot be changed, isn’t it?”, said Ritesh from the defeated team but all jubilant for being awarded as one of the best speakers of the debate.