Bangalore : The annual Deeksha Inter-Campus Extravaganza (dICE) this year brought out unique competitions such as creating ‘Wealth Out of Waste’ and ‘What’s on your mind?’ among others, bringing diverse student talent to the forefront. Flute players, Bharatanatyam artists, budding environmentalists, orators and artists, classical and western singers, etc. came together on a virtual platform to inspire each other and keep their creative juices flowing through the academic year. About 1600 students have participated till date in the year-long festivities.
‘Wealth out of Waste’, a competitive activity, saw enthused participation from students where they were required to create a product with 90% of its composition made of waste items and the remaining 10% with glue, threads, batteries, etc. Among many creative products, Arighna Chowdhury created a boat using green energy, Nandana Harshakumar created plant holders made from ID card tags, and twin brothers Deep & Veid Patange created a coffee table carved from a spare car tyre. Other unique creations included coconut shells which were scrubbed smooth and contrived into colourful bobblehead figurines.
“The challenges this year exceeded our expectations and were very exciting. It gave us a relief from the monotony caused by the pandemic and we always had a new and fun competition to focus on. We also bonded very well with each other through the various programs and made new friends too!” said Siddharth, a student of Deeksha.
Dr. Sridhar G., Founder, Deeksha, said, “It was really a delight to watch these little kids come up with such innovative ideas and their enthusiasm and positivity is commendable. Amidst the pandemic and being locked up indoors for past 18 months, students’ participation this year exceeded than the previous year. We are hoping the upcoming editions will see even more ingenuity and talent. Hearty congratulations to all the students.”
Fun challenges such as ‘What’s on Your Mind?’ brought back a golden era of the silent movies with a twist where students were challenged to rethink dialogue and character interaction in video material. Winners Anarghya Acharya, Suhas Hebbar, Nandana Harshakumar took away the prizes with their exceptional performances. Similiarly, ‘Pick n Speak’ gave students the opportunity to voice their opinions as the event tested the oratorical prowess of the participants, in three different categories – English, Telugu and Kannada. Students Lakshana Navasundi, Ch. Tanisha, Govinda V Mirji came out the champions in the event with a thoughtful discussion.
The Deeksha Inter-Campus Extravaganza also included a gamut of other events including Shutterbug, Sudoku, Flameless (Cooking without Fire), Poetry to keep students creatively engaged throughout the lockdown. As social ties are a crucial part of socio-emotional development, the team at Deeksha identified innovative ways to keep the incoming batch of 2021 – 23 engaged and interactive. Now, with campuses reopening, Deeksha has been geared to help children and parents with the transition and the academic calendar is dotted with the activities to facilitate the blossoming of children’s potential. At Deeksha, mentorship is defined by the ethos of Wellness and Care, and they constitute its pedagogical core.