A treat for the mind
S.S. KAVITHA
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The science fest, aimed to benefit rural students, was indeed a crowd-puller.
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Photo: K. Ganesan
Quest for knowledge: An eager audience.
Did you know that India had launched 45 satellites, including 22 satellites, since 1975? Of this, 19 were successful.
Students from rural schools who visited Vivekananda College were excited to know such interesting facts at the Vivekananda Science Exhibition to the Rural Masses –VISETORM –IV that showcased more than 500 exhibits from the departments of E
nglish, Tamil, Sanskrit, History, Botany, Zoology, Physics, Chemistry, Commerce, Economics and Computer Science.
Interesting exhibits
The exhibition showcased both live and preserved specimens to attract children, who were showing interest in at the real cocoon of the butterfly, fishes, snakes, rabbits, chameleons, and more than 40 medicinal herbs.
By spreading a mixture of iodine and ammonia on the floor, the chemistry department attracted the crowd by the crackling sounds on the floor. It was more like magic when red rose petals turned blue and naphthalene balls danced. There was also the burning currency and artificial volcano.
The language and maths departments taught grammar and formulae using cartoons and stories.
While the science departments modelled their exhibits on the higher secondary syllabus, the commerce, economics and Sanskrit departments facilitated the students to acquire knowledge on basic bank transactions and on the importance of insurance.
The Sanskrit department explained electricity, test tube babies and other scientific facts from the Vedas.
To stress the importance of self-employment, the department of botany detailed on sericulture, apiculture, aquaculture and mushroom culture.
Students of the Chemistry department made jams and inks.
E. Maripandi, a Std. IX student of Vellaiyampatti Higher Secondary School, explained global warming and the extinction of water bodies. He jotted down points to tell everyone in his village about the importance of trees. He meticulously wrote: “Water bodies — yesterday in ponds, today in taps and tomorrow in bottles.”
O. Raju, a Std. VII student of Karen Matric H.S. School had some real animals on display at the zoology department.
Service to mankind is service to God. The students and teachers of the college believe in this, said principal, R. Vanniarajan.
The visitors are provided with a sumptuous lunch and a snack in the evenings before they leave the college premises, said vice-principal R. Ilango.
The exhibition, organised once in two years, is aimed to help rural students gain knowledge.
When students visualise the concepts they had learnt in theory, it would stay fresh in their mind, said exhibition co-ordinators T. Rajendran and P. Rajendran.
As many as 10,000 students from 75 schools visited the exhibition.
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