Spectrum '08 ends in Spectacular Style

Spectrum '08, the media extravaganza organised by the Department of Media and Communications, saw a huge turnout on its second and final day - May 21st, 2008.

Day II of Spectrum consisted of a series of workshops on topics ranging from multimedia to radio presentation and branding to personality development.

Mr. Murtuza Zakir, Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics, conducted the workshop on 'Multimedia, Animation and Special Effects'. The session gave students the opportunity to understand the reality behind the animation and special effects that are used in film and video content. Mr. Zakir ran through some popular designing softwares and compositing applications - Max and Combustion to name a few.

Mr. Zakir also demonstrated how to create a 3D object and techniques such as 'footstep animation' and 'motion capture', among other things. He also devoted a considerable amount of time to answering students' queries about job opportunities in the field of animation and graphic designing.

Mr. Murtuza Zakir shares his experience about animation and design softwares
- Photograph by Deepthi Unnikrishnan -

The workshop on 'Radio Presentation', by Mr. Sachin K., was devoted to the exploration of radio production and programming as well as a discussion on the various job opportunities that are available in the specialised field of radio. Radio production, programmme planning, radio events and music scheduling were some of the job avenues that were touched upon during this interactive session.

Advertisements, promos and scripting for radio were individually deliberated upon. News in radio and the multitude of jobs available in this sector were taken up as well. All in all, the 20-odd attendees at this workshop came out with a better idea about radio as a career choice.

Mr. Santosh Unnithan conducted a workshop dedicated entirely to 'Personality Development'. This interactive session gave the participants a better understanding of how best to carry themselves, build their confidence and enrich their personality.

The attendees engaged in the session wholeheartedly, in a bid to enhance their personalities and help them comunicate well with people.

The fourth workshop was conducted on 'Branding' by Mr. Sanjay Nair. Mr. Nair brought in various concepts like brand creation, brand presentation and the purpose behind branding, to the fore. These interactive sessions were both educative and interesting, providing the perfect platform for students to expose themselves to the reality of the media industry.

Said Melissa Khan, a 2nd year student of Media and Communications and a participant at the workshop on 'Multimedia, Animation and Special Effects', "I intend on taking up visual communication in my year of specialisation and thought this workshop would be extremely useful. The session was interactive and the clips shown were familiar to us, aiding us in understanding the concepts faster."

Most attendees at the workshops shared her sentiments. Almost everyone interviewed agreed that the workshops were interactive and conducted in a manner that was easy for a layperson to comprehend. Overall, they seemed extremely happy about the entire experience. These sessions were followed by lunch, after which the 'Year Book' was released by Mr. Santosh Unnithan and Dr. Firoz, Chair, Department of Media and Communications.

The much anticipated student year book is finally unveiled (from left to right): Mr. Sabir Haque, Dr. Firoz, Mr. Santosh Unnithan, Mr. Joseph John and Ms. H. S. Shubha

- Photograph by Deepthi Unnikrishnan -

In addition, there was an extremely vital session on 'Career Counselling'. Mr. Assis Cardos, Director - Creative Services; Mr. Murtuza Zakir, Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics and Ms. Fokiya Akhtar, Adjunct Faculty, Television and Video Production, Manipal University - Dubai Campus, all came together to share some of their experiences and views on their respective fields - that is advertising, animation/graphics and television/film.

Mr. Assis Cardos explains the importance of a secure career to the balance of life

- Photograph by Deepthi Unnikrishnan -

Each of them gave tips on the best way to enter the industry. From writing resumes to interview preparation and personality to prior experience - each concept was discussed in great detail for the benefit of students wanting to get a break in this highly demanding industry. As proceedings for the day came to a close, the event was declared a grand success. Having thanked the sponsors and support team of the event, the organisers - students and faculty members from the Department of Media and Communications celebrated the success of an event handled solely by them.

Spectrum '08 truly reflected a myriad colours of talent and creativity
- Photograph by Deepthi Unnikrishnan -

Kudos to the entire Department of Media and Communications for putting up such a spectacular show!

Spectrum '08 gets off to a flying start!

After all the initial hype and anticipation, it was finally time for Spectrum '08 to hit the road. An event organised by the Department of Media and Communications, Spectrum is meant to act as a platform to showcase the work of students from the department as well as provide the students with an opportunity to interact with professionals from the media industry.

The event is being held over a period of two days, May 20th - May 21st 2008. It was thus inaugurated on May 20th, in a most special way, with a recitation from the Holy Quran by Mr. Ashfaq Ahmed.

This was followed by an official inauguration in the form of a welcome speech by Dr. Firoz, Chair, Department of Media and Communications. In his opening speech Dr. Firoz summed up the concept behind the event, saying, "Spectrum, apart from exhibiting the creative portfolio of the graduating class of 2008, provides a serious platform for student, academic and industry interaction."

With this idea in mind, the department has put up a brilliant display of their students' best works. Creative photographs, advertising campaigns, short video productions and written articles by the media students are all on view for visitors to enjoy. Spread across the ground and second floor of Manipal University's Dubai Campus, these stunning exhibits bear ample testimony to the abundant talent that prevails in the Department of Media and Communications.

Visitors enjoy an exhibit of photographs shot by media students

- Photograph by Mitalee Kurdekar -

Having looked at some of the exhibits, Mr. Vivek Joshi, Senior Lecturer, Department of Business Management, commented, "Spectrum '08 is a great event, especially because everybody has contibuted to it. It is a pleasure to be here." He was especially impressed with the posters on child abuse and racism, he added.

But that was not all. Day one of Spectrum was also marked by an interesting panel discussion on "Consumerism: A Trend in Contemporary Media". The distinguished set of panelists included Mr. Ron Kapadia, COO, City7; Mr. Syed Ahmad Hussaini, MD, Impact BBDO; Mr. Raju Nagrajan, Managing Editor, The World Magazine and Mr. Navin Kapoor, a Managament Consultant. Each panel member had five minutes to put forth his views on the subject, as a result of which a number of issues were brought to attention during the course of the dicusssion.

Mr. Hussaini raises a pertinent point

- Photograph by Deepthi Unnikrishnan -

These were then taken up at the time of cross-questioning of the panelists. The discussion had a moderator in Mr. R. N. Shukul, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communications; while there were also two esteemed analysts in the form of Mr. Jacob John, Managing Director, SMTC Media Services and Dr. Firoz, Chair, Department of Media and Communications.

After deliberating over a considerable amount of fascinating perspectives on the subject, the panel then took questions from the audience members. By the end of the session, we ended up with more questions than answers on the subject - a rather conspicuous statement on the vastly intriguing nature of the topic of discussion.

This serious debate was then followed by lunch, after which there was an opportunity for students to learn about the finer nuances of television production. Mr. Rajeev Kheror, Head of Programming, ZEE TV, Middle East, conducted a seminar on 'Television Production: Planning and Programming'. Students looking to specialise in this fast-paced medium of communication had much to imbibe from this short, yet detailed session.

Mr. Kheror interacts with media students
- Photograph by Deepthi Unnikrishnan -

Mr. Kheror responded to queries about television that the audience members had posed, while at the same time offered tips on the best way to make a foray into the television industry.

The day ended on a high, with the promise of more to come on Day Two of Spectrum '08!

Programme Schedule for Spectrum '08

Spectrum '08 will be held from May 20th - May 21st 2008 at Manipal University's Dubai Campus.

The two-day media extravaganza is an initiative by the Department of Media and Communications to provide a platform for their students to interact with industry professionals as well as showcase their work to the world.

DAY I:

The inauguration for the event will take place at 9:30 am.

This will be followed by a panel discussion to kickstart the day's activities. The topic for the panel discussion will be "Consumerism: A Trend in Contemporary Media".

The panelists for this discussion include:

• Mr. Ron Kapadia, COO,CITY7


• Mr. Syed Ahmad Hussaini,MD, Impact BBDO


• Mr. Raju Nagrajan, Managing Editor, The World Magazine


• Mr. Navin Kapoor, Management Consultant

Analysts at the discussion will include:

• Mr. Jacob John, Managing Director, SMTC Media Services


• Dr. Md. Firoz, Chair, Department of Media and Communications, Manipal University, Dubai Campus
  

The second half of the day will be taken up by Seminars on:

• Television Production: Planning and Programming by Mr. Rajeev Kheror, Head of Programming, ZEE TV, Middle East


• Web and Multimedia Solutions by Mr. Prakash H, Director, Grass Media
  

DAY II:

There will be a series of Workshops held during the first half of the day:

• Personality Development by Mr. Santosh Unnithan


• Branding is not just a name by Mr. Sanjay Nair


• Multimedia, Animation and Special Effects by MAAC


• Radio Presentation by Mr. Sachin K., ARN/101.6
  

The second half of the day has been reserved for Career Counselling sessions by:

• Mr. Assis Cardos, Director, Creative Services


• Mr. Piyush Ghanatra, MBR, Dubai


• Mr. Puneet Agarwal, Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics


• Ms. Fokiya Akhtar, Adjunct Faculty, Television and Video Production
  

Media Student's Big Break at Fashionova 2008

Among the cluster of Top Models at Fashionova 2008, we spotted a familiar face who, by her confidence and determination took the stage by storm blending into the modeling scene with the greatest ease.

Aishwarya Shivkumar ~ Photo: Afshan Ahmed

Meet Aishwarya Shivkumar; a 3rd year Media Student who until now could be seen only walking the corridors of MAHE but after this big break may be seen walking at renowned Fashion Shows as well. Pursuing a specialization in Visual Communication, Aishwarya is a lady of many talents. A complete go-getter she can sing, dance, paint, play the piano and is up for any challenge that comes her way. Modeling being a personal interest since childhood she graced many ads and corporate calendars as a child. A favorite on the local scene and college competitions, Fashionova 2008, a Fashion Show with some of the biggest models walking the ramp, happened by chance and just the night before.

A little about her experience at this grand event:

Afshan: A Fashion show where Top Models of the industry walk the ramp every year… how then did Fashionova 2008 happen to you?
Aishwarya: Two of the designers wanted to showcase an extra garment in their collection at Fashionova. Since all the models were flown down from India they needed someone to step in at the 11th hour. Thus I was approached and was more than willing to oblige.

A:You got to model with some of the biggest names in the Fashion Industry! Tell us about the experience?

Click here to read the rest of the interview

Spectrum '08: On the eve of D-Day

It's finally time! MAC Spectrum '08 will take place from May 20th - May 21st 2008 at Manipal University's Dubai Campus.

The two-day event will see the entire Department of Media and Communications come together to put up a stunning display of their best work - a testament to their talent and creativity.

The event will also comprise of a panel discussion and a number of workshops for the benefit of the audience members.

From concept to organisation and planning to execution, the students from this department are leaving no stone unturned in making sure this mega-event is a grand success.

Students from the Department of Media and Communications busy themselves

with the final preparations for Spectrum
- Photograph by Mitalee Kurdekar

From stage decoration to lighting, every minute detail requires planning to perfection

- Photograph by Mitalee Kurdekar

Media students set up the stage for tomorrow's event
- Photograph by Fatima Husain

Here's wishing the Department all the very best in their huge endeavour!

Media Students bid their Seniors 'Sayonara'

The Department of Media and Communications recently held a farewell for their passing out batch of students. Held on Saturday, 10th May 2008, in the college auditorium, the event turned out to be a grand success.

The second year media students, with help from the first year students, put up a brilliant show for their seniors to remember them by. From hilarious skits to colourful dances and entertaining competitions to individual titles for each graduating student, the organisers left no stone unturned in making the day a most memorable experience for their seniormost batch.

Students from the Class of 2005 strike a pose

There was a very special audio-visual presentation to aid the final year students in recalling their time at university. Filled with candid pictures and sweet moments from the years gone by, the video was able to evoke a bittersweet feeling about passing out for the class of 2005.

But the moments of nostalgia were coupled with some fresh memories from the farewell, something that the first graduating batch of media students will certainly cherish in the future.

Certified Workshops at Spectrum '08

- Design by Joshua George -

Spectrum '08, as you are probably aware, is a two-day (May 20th - May 21st, 2008) event organised by students from the Department of Media and Communications. With the purpose of bringing together creative minds from the industry and media students at Manipal University, Spectrum is bound to be something worth waiting for.

The organisers have now released the workshops details for Spectrum. There are to be a series of six workshops, all of which are certified and have a limited number of seats available for registration. These workshops are to be open to all and will be offered at a nominal fee.

- Design by Gavin Gracias -

The workshops lined up on 21st May, 2008 are as follows:

1. Personality Development:

Speaker: Mr. Santosh Unniphan, Professional Corporate Management Trainer

Fee: Aed 50

Seats Available: 35

2. Multimedia and Animation:

Speaker: Mr. Puneet Agarwal and team, Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics

Fee: Aed 75

Seats Available: 40

3. Radio Presentation:

Speaker: Mr. Sachin K, 101.6/ ARN

Fee: Aed 50

Seats Available: 30

4. DJ'ing:

Speaker: DJ Adam

Fee: Aed 75

Seats Available: 50

5. Branding:

Speaker: Mr. Sanjay Nair, Director of Brand Services, Full Circle Advertising

Fee: Aed 50

Seats Available: 30

6. Motivational Speaking and Self Improvement/ Presentation Skills:

Speaker: Mr. Dave Krane, Channel 4 FM

Fee: Aed 50

Seats Available: 40

All workshops will be held between 9:30 am - 12:30 pm.

Lunch will be provided to participants.

Registration is compulsory.

Registration Details:

Time: 12:25 - 2:30

Venue: Sound Lab, Second Floor

Dates:14th May, 2008 - 18th May, 2008

For more information, contact:

Manisha: 050 8326411

Terry: 050 5064694

Students awarded certificates for participation in Intra-Class Drama Competition

The students of the first year, B.A. Media and Communications were awarded with certificates at the Prize Distribution ceremony in the College Auditorium, on May 8, for their participation in the intra-class drama competition held in January.

Following William Shakespeare’s advice, “All the world’s a stage”, the students staged exciting performances, reviving yet once again the magical aura of the Shakespearean times. Various plays written by William Shakespeare were adopted and performed by nine different groups.

The competition was held as part of the course curriculum, under the subject ‘Basic Writing Skills’, conducted by the faculty Dr. Anita Nair.

Transport details for Media farewell

As announced earlier, the farewell for Media Department seniors is being held tomorrow (Saturday, 10 May, 2008) in the auditorium.

Listed below are the transportation details for tomorrow’s event:

Sharjah:
Pick-up timings: 7:25am
Bus No. 19
Capacity: 34 seater
Pick-up stops:

• Mega Mall (at the main gate)
• Sharjah City Centre
• Rolla- UAE Exchange

Deira:
Pick-up timings: 7:00am
Bus No. 17
Capacity: 34 seater
Pick-up stop: United Hypermarket

Bur Dubai:
Pick-up timings: 7:25 onwards
Bus No. 9
Pick-up stops:

• Spinneys (next to Bur Juman)- 7:50 am
• Karama: Lulu Centre - 7:45 am
• Hostel Students- 7:30 am

Students are requested to reach their stops 5 minutes prior to the above mentioned timings. The bus will have the MAHE-Manipal logo for identification.

Kindly note that it is impossible to change the routes, so please cooperate. Students from other areas (such as Ghusais, Satwa, Jumeira etc.) are requested to reach the nearest stop mentioned above. All buses have to reach college by 9:30am (latest).

Students are requested to call up the students who are in-charge of the transportation to confirm their usage of the transport and their respective stops by TODAY, in order to avoid missing the bus.

Note to seniors: The juniors are trying their best to contact everyone concerned from all three batches of Media. Kindly help out and spread the word to as many of your classmates as possible to ease the work.

Lastly, please call them to provide confirmation for the transport so that they ensure you don't miss your respective buses.

Media Farewell Postponed

The farewell organised for the graduating batch of the Media Department has been postponed. The event that was due for tomorrow, Thursday, 8th of May 2008 is now postponed till further notice.

The Online Impact: Blogging

Jacob Joseph talking to 3rd Year Print Media students at the News Lab. ~ Photo: Joseph John Nalloor

"Leave a digital footprint, it will be good for your career." Words of wisdom by Jacob Joseph, the founder of India's largest political blog: mutiny.in. Mr. Jacob enlightened the 1st years and 3rd year print media students on blogging and how to enhance it for future success in a presentation on 7th May,2008.

In this age of 'click and go' where blogger's are a force to be reckoned with in the media, he laid down 11 tips on how to be a successful blogger. The audience was given insights on the benefits of creating a blog where they could express their opinions and also make money out of it. "Commercially it is more viable to set up a blog." he added. One can use tools and techniques to create a blog which are available online. He also explained the idea behind mutiny.in and how to navigate the blog.

Click and Go generation ~ Photo: Afshan Ahmed

At the end of the session the students resolved their queries on this new phenomenon leaving the room much more informed.

Mr. Jacob later met with the 3rd Year Print Media students for a discussion and in depth talk on the same topic. He stressed on the importance of creating a personality for oneself online and carrying the blog as a portfolio for ones career.

Industry trends made clear

A two-day workshop conducted by Mr. Ehtesham Shahid, Business Editor of Trends magazine arranged for the students of Print specialization of the Department of Media & Communications ended today. Being a close and compact group of eight students, it proved easier for Mr. Ehtesham to devote more individual attention and interact with the budding journalists on a more personal level.

The session concluded in the afternoon after an intensive session with Mr. Ehtesham covered topics revolving around the principles of magazine journalism. The first day of the workshop was held last Sunday (27.04.08) and saw students interacting with the editor on issues concerning idea conception, research interviewing, article structure and outlining. At the end of this, the students engaged in a fun exercise where they were provided with press releases and asked to determine if there was potential for a story in any of them. Although the exercise drove home how many hundreds of press releases are discarded by newspapers each day, it also emphasized the journalist's need to be well-informed of current happenings and world events, in order to see beyond the ordinary and churn out good stories.

Mr. Ehtesham's impressive work profile includes afflilations with big names like Indian Express Online Media, NDTV, Tata Interactive, BBC Hindi Service and CNN-IBN, New Delhi. In the span of these 11 years, he has also worked and contributed for the Financial Express, The Pioneer and Khaleej Times, to name some. His vast experience in the industry put him in a very apt position to field the queries about life in the industry that were lobbed at him. The students now eagerly await the promised industry visit to the Trends magazine's publishing house for a chance to experience the step-by-step process of the birth of a magazine up-front.

Trends is "the international magazine for Arab affairs" and is a respected choice for political and business leaders in and around the region. The print media students count themselves privileged in having had this opportunity to interact with an industry professional who held the calibre of showing them the art of setting trends.

Spectrum ' 08 to showcase a wide array of media talent

For the second year in a row, students from the Department of Media and Communications are joining hands to hold 'Spectrum '08', a two-day media event, which is seeking to spark interaction between industry insiders and media students. The event is expected to draw around a 100 media professionals to Manipal University's Dubai Campus.

The event comprises of an exhibition of media products, designed and developed by the students, as well as workshops and seminars by industry professionals.

Spectrum '08 is a departmental initiative meant to bring together working media professionals from various streams of the media and communication sector, in order to share their experience and expertise with the students.

The event is an initiative undertaken because the first batch of media students is passing out this year. The Department of Media and Communications wants to provide its students with a good understanding of what the media industry expects from them and also prepare them to face upcoming challenges with confidence.

Dr. Firoz, Chair, Department of Media and Communications, said about the event, "Spectrum was first held in the year 2007 to exhibit work by media students taking a course in Film and Video Production. It had a humble beginning, but the department felt the need to institutionalise this as an annual event for the final year students to showcase their work."

Meanwhile, students are gearing up for the event, handling everything from sponsors to schedules and finances to floor plans.

With all this and more to expect, be sure to attend this two-day media extravaganza!

Venue: Manipal University's Auditorium
Dates: 20th - 21st May 2008

Watch this space for more!

'Home of History...Future's Nation - A Documentary

Head out to Abu Dhabi for an initiative that documents archaeological facts on the history and culture of the UAE. Anasy Media Production invites you to attend 'Home of History... Future's Nation', a documentary screening for the public.
Find out the history and culture of UAE as they dig for their roots in the sands of the desert.

Date: 30th April 2008
Venue: Emirates Palace, West Park Marina

Schedule:

Session	Arrival	Screening
1st (Ladies Only)	3:00 p.m.	3:15 p.m.
2nd (All)	4:00 p.m.	4:15 p.m.
3rd (All)	5:00 p.m.	5:15 p.m.

The Making of the Mural

If you thought Leonardo da Vinci was one of the great masters of the Renaissance, then come witness the making of the mural by the inspired artists of third year Media and Communications, specializing in Visual Communication.

Dashing all their creativity and imaginations en masse on the wall of their classroom (second floor), the Visual Communication students are currently in the midst of furnishing a rich look with lively illustrations and colors on the wall.

Joshua meticulously employing his artistic flair (Photograph by Kulsoom Ali)

Prarthana enhancing a professional touch to her creativity (Photograph by Kulsoom Ali)

Dabbing multi-hued paints on the wall (Photograph by Kulsoom Ali)

Ingenious brains at work - A glimpse of the mural (Photograph by Kulsoom Ali)

Media Department Picnic

The Department of Media and Communications will be going for a picnic on Thursday, 3rd April, 2008.

Venue: Lulu Island, Abu Dhabi
Pick-up Point: Academic City
Time of Departure: 8:30 a.m.

Registration forms can be collected from Davis Francis, 3rd year, Media and Communications.

Media students attend Middle East PR Measurement Summit, Dubai - 2008

The students of the Department of Media and Communications, Manipal University - Dubai Campus attended the second PR Measurement Summit, Dubai - 2008, which was held at the Habtoor Grand Resort and Spa, Dubai from 31st March - 1st April 2008.

The Middle East Measurement summit provided a forum for information, knowledge sharing and best practice in all matters related to research and evaluation of media coverage and related communication issues.

The summit was a meeting point for industry professionals and experts to share and discuss diverse topics in Public Relations ranging from the importance of PR measurement to the tools and methods devised for such measurement. More emphasis was placed on the Internet and social networking phenomena and its impact on PR. Expert panels also discussed the effectiveness of PR campaigns building global brands, sports sponsorship and corporate social responsibility and journalism.

The speakers present at the summit were:

Mazen Nahawi, President - News Group International and Managing Director - Media Watch Middle East, who reflected on the importance of measuring PR and measuring journalistic integrity.

David Rockland, Ketchum, who spoke of how to write and measure communication goals and how to evaluate PR performance in a diversified global holding group, among other things.

Katie Paine, CEO - KD Paine and Partners, gave a presentation on the alignment of measurement with corporate objectives and communications goals and another one on tools of the trade. She also conducted a workshop for professionals, offering personal training in measurement best practice, dashboard technology, creating of measurement plans and implementation schedules.

The two days proved to be a learning experience for the media students who were able to witness first hand PR professionals openly discussing industry shortcomings, solutions and future trends. The students wish to thank Media Watch and Borouj Consulting for organizing this summit and extending an invitation to the Media students.

International Women's Day Campaign.....the countdown begins!

"Don't compromise yourself, you are all you've got."

-Janis Joplin

With just three days to go before the International Women's Day Campaign kicks off on Sunday, 9th March, the organisers - 3rd year students of Media and Communications, specialising in Advertising and Public Relations - are working tirelessly to ensure that the event is a grand success.

Invites have gone out to everyone, including the MAHE Dubai faculty, and last minute details are being finalised for the campaign. There is a feeling of anticipation among the staff and students alike, about what to expect on the D-day. There are loads of surprises in store for you, so get ready to participate in this grand celebration.

Here's to the success of the campaign.....and the spirit of womanhood!

Rules and Registration form for the eXpress Awards!

Entires for the 'Express Awards!' hosted by the Manipal Institute of Communication have to be sent in by the 18th of March 2008. There will be no extension of the deadline so make sure you courier in your entries well in advance.

No air travel will be provided by the host and foreign delegates will have to pay for their travel themselves, but food and accommodation will be provided by the institute. For further details on the rules and to download the registration form visit the Article-19 website.

The Charge of the 'Blue Brigade'

"We've chosen the path to equality, don't let them turn us around."

- Geraldine Ferraro

The first in a series of events meant to mark the International Women's Day Campaign was held on 5th March, when the Blue Brigade - comprising of a group of 9 boys - made their presence felt throughout the MAHE Dubai Campus.

The Blue Brigade, as their slogan ('You'll know more when we're around') suggests, went around college in a bid to create awareness and build up interest for the campaign that will take place on 9th March.

Steven John, a member of the Blue Brigade and 3rd year student of Media and Communications, said, "The Blue Brigade was formed to create awareness about the campaign. We want to speak about the importance of women around the world and highlight their achievements and contributions to this world."

Farzana Parveen and Ashima Bhatia, 2nd year students of Media and Communications, said that the Blue Brigade interacted with their class and spoke to them about the upcoming campaign.

"They conducted a small contest, gave away prizes and later included our lecturer in a discussion on Women's Day. Overall, it was a good experience," revealed Farzana.

The Blue Brigade interacts with a class

- Photograph by Pooja Unni

Syed Ziauddin, a 2nd year student of B.B.A., said about the entire initiative, "This is a great effort that is being made. It increases our understanding about the importance of women and ensures that they are given respect."

Members of the Blue Brigade (from left to right): Davis, Steven, Hasher,

Rohan, Shihab, Ashwin, Mario, Karthik and Terry
- Photograph by Pooja Unni

Steven further added that most women that he came across like the concept of celebrating International Women's Day. "They find it interesting since it is unique and unlike any other occasion that is celebrated throughout the rest of the year," he said.