Mangaluru: The St. Aloysius College (Autonomous) inaugurated its three-day annual national level Aloysian Fest on February 1. The formal inauguration of this fest scheduled from February 1 to 3, was held at the Mother Teresa Peace Park (Katte) and the chief guest was K Kishore Alva, Executive Director, UPCL and Joint President of Adani Groups Ltd. The guest of Honour was Govind Padmasoorya, actor and TV presenter. Rev. Fr. Dionysius Vas SJ, Rector, St. Aloysius Institutions, presided over the function.
The dignitaries present on the dais were Dr. A M Narahari, Registrar of St. Aloysius College; Rev. Fr. Pradeep Sequeira SJ, Finance Officer; Dr. Mukund Prabhu, fest coordinator; Dr. Narayan Bhat, assistant fest coordinator; vice principals of all the blocks and Aman Ahmed, President, Students’ Council along with the staff and student coordinators of the seven fests.
A cordial welcome was given by Rev. Dr. Praveen Martis SJ, wherein he quoted the great theologian and mystic Thomas Merton – ”Every moment and every event of every human being’s life on earth plants something in his soul.” He also congratulated the students for organising the mega event.
“College fests are the most effective way of bringing the youth to a safe platform and enhancing their social interaction, thereby facilitating an exchange of cultural ideas and thoughts”, expressed Kishore Alva. He remarked that the fests are the time where one breaks from a monotonous routine and showcases their talents. He recollected his days at St. Aloysius and felt grateful to the mighty institution. He also emphasised the importance of cultural activities and sports in building the students’ future. “Apart from focussing on careers, students must also concern themselves with society building,” he said.
Govind Padmasoorya, an alumnus of St. Aloysius College and an energetic actor, was overwhelmed to be a guest in his alma mater, and deemed it to be his greatest success. In his speech, he gave the students five effective points of success-Fight your fears, be yourself, dream big, choose wisely and be grateful.
Rev. Fr. Dionysius Vas SJ, in his presidential speech, acknowledged the success of the two alumni and remarked that the college was humbled by the glorious achievements of the students. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Mukund Prabhu, Coordinator for the Aloysian Fest.
The Aloysian Fest is an umbrella of seven fests- Artbeat, Composite, Acme, Imprints, Spinout, Aloysiad and Astitva, bringing together several colleges and providing a platform for thousands of students to exhibit their talents. It is an inter-collegiate fest which elevates the spirit and soul of every Aloysian.
