COIMBATORE December 2024-January 2025
Vol. 1 No. 4 Established 2025 10 pages
PURPLE
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A Unit of DOE, KCW
Insightful Internship Journey NEWS >> PAGE 4
The Hues of Harvest Festival
Student spotlight: celebrating talents
The Thrill of Sports in Manga
NEWS >> PAGE 3
LITERARY LENS >> PAGE 8
SPORTS NEWS >> PAGE 10
Back to College: The Dawn of Alumni Lecture A Journey of Contrasts JAISREE V K Series
She expressed immense gratitude to the department for instilling the confidence that fueled her career.
A group of 60 English major students set off on an adventurous trip to Dakshina Kannada, eager to explore new landscapes and cultures. Onboard the West Coast SF Express, their excitement was palpable as they shared food and stories, anticipating the journey ahead. Their days were filled with visits to historic sites like St. Aloysius University and ancient temples, where they marveled at frescoes and immersed themselves in local myths and legends. The trip also included a visit to Pilikula Biological Park, where the group admired diverse wildlife and lush landscapes.
The final lecture, Week 3, featured Dr. V. Umadevi, who reflected on her own academic journey and her time as a student. Dr. Umadevi, a proud Krishnammalite, moderated the students’ seminar and offered practical advice for improving paper In Week 2, Ms. J. Mruthula, a research scholar at IIT- presentations. She credited the department’s faculty Madras, took the stage. Ms. Mruthula, who was the for honing her skills and shaping her professional Secretary of the Literary and Debating Association expertise. from 2014-2015, recalled her time at Krishnammal College with great fondness. She shared how her The Alumni Lecture Series not only celebrated the professors and peers shaped her academic journey accomplishments of past students but also and encouraged students to take full advantage of the reinforced the strong bond between the department college’s resources. Her lecture focused on 'revisionist and its alumni. It reminded students that being a mythology,' where she examined the Mahabharata Krishnammalite means always staying connected and Western epics to rethink societal norms and and carrying the spirit of the college with them. gender roles. FULL ARTICLE >> PAGE: 3
However, the joy of exploration was soon tempered by a sobering realization. The students began to notice the environmental toll of tourism. They saw the stress on animals in captivity and the damage caused by overcrowding, mining, and waste pollution. What seemed like a paradise was also facing challenges brought on by human activity. The trip became an eye-opening experience, revealing the complexities of sustainable tourism and its environmental impact. While the memories of stunning landscapes will remain, the lessons learned about responsible travel will stay with the students forever. Read more on Page 3.
In December 2024, the Department of English at Krishnammal College launched a three-week Alumni Lecture Series, inviting distinguished alumni to return and share their experiences with soon-to-be graduates. This event aimed to inspire and guide the next generation of students by bringing back those who have carved successful paths in various fields.
Week 1 kicked off with Dr. J. Iswarya, an Assistant Professor at Emerald Heights College, Ooty. Dr. Iswarya, a 2007 B.A. graduate, reminisced about her college days, highlighting how her professors shaped her academically and practically. She shared her personal journey of overcoming stage fright and her determination to become an extraordinary professor after qualifying for the NET exam. She also provided valuable book recommendations on literary theory and English literature to help students succeed in the NET exam on their first attempt.
Mrs. J. Mruthula addressing the students during the session
DEMYSTIFYING THEORY: AN EYE OPENING LECTURE SRIDEVI MEENAL SHANMUGAM
‘Demystifying Theory’ as the lecturer's title suggests, aims to ‘demystify’ theories. As J.Iswarya the lecturer of that day so eloquently put it, “Theories are not the only thing that makes Literature what it is.” Literature is not just a tangle of webbed theories that needs to be detangled, it is more than just words written on a paper and theories applied to a subject matter. To understand theories we must firstly understand that they are a framework for analysis of a subject matter which helps us understand the socioeconomic background of a subject matter and leads to exploring more diverse ideas. Theories are unshakeable as they constantly make us question the stereotypes that society throws in our way and encourages us to challenge the norms. Let's take a look at Dr. Iswarya’s example of the character Kalyanam from the movie Jama. As a folk artist, Kalyanam is ridiculed for his feminine traits like his long hair,
his expressive makeup, his cooking skills, his easygoing nature and how he gossips with other women. He is deemed effeminate and unsuitable to marry a bride. Dr. Iswarya points out how the media has normalised the toxic masculinity portrayed on screen, one notable example being the movie Animal and also brings to light the consumers of these types of media which are young girls and boys who are easily influenced by anything they do see on screen. Dr. Iswarya cites another example of the movie named, ‘Oru nalla naal paathu solren’ which is a hilarious retelling of Ramayana where Sita escapes without waiting to be rescued. The common idea of the damsel in distress being rescued is changed in this film not only for entertainment purposes but also to eradicate the fragile and helpless stereotypes that women are fitted with. Dr. Iswarya touches upon idol worship and how it has spoiled our perception of consuming media and how it blurs out common sense of thinking.
She touches upon feminist ideas and patriarchy but reminds that feminism is not just one but a broad spectrum which consists of different types of feminism such as radical feminism and pseudofeminism. Dr. Iswarya shows how feminism is portrayed in bad light due to the stigma surrounding it and iterates the fact that while feminism also focuses on women empowerment its sole focus is to achieve gender equality and abolish the patriarchal society that discriminates against women. Dr. Iswarya says that to fully understand theories and their applications one must first understand their own self. When the question of ‘Who are you?’ can be answered with precision and clarity, only then can theories be understood in a way it's meant to be understood. Overall, the lecture was commanded by Dr. Iswarya with such an enthusiastic and amicable presence that no one dared to blink their eyes even for a mere second by keeping the audience engaged and well fed with knowledge.