The Department of English: September 2011

The Assembly Hall on Wednesday afternoon i.e September 14, was a battle ground. The swords were drawn and the battle began. "Are men more complicated than women", was the sentence that had triggered it off, for it was the topic of the Inter Collegiate Debate Competition jointly organized by the Department of English, Abeda Inamdar Senior College and the Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment.Teams from almost all the institutes from Azam Campus had participated and the winners were promised an entry into the preliminary round of the Debate competition that is organized by the Rotary Club each year. The contest was a keenly contested one and the reasons kept pouring in from the sides. The preparations for this had however been set in motion in the previous month as the Department had organized an orientation program for the participating teams on 22 nd August. Mrs Uslla Poonawala, Mr .Azhar Jambuwala and Mr. Sarfaaraz Potia as the judges of the competition didn't have it easy as the contestants brought out their arguments both for and the against the motion with ease.After all the nine teams had put their best foot forward or shall we say their best word forward, the tension in the hall was palpable. As Rotarian Kieth Kline, Chairperson of the Debate Committee announced the results the winners exulted in joy, for it was Ms. Nagma Shaikh of Abeda Inamdar Senior College who was adjudged the Runners Up in the Best Speakers Category while Mr. Ritshi Kanjilal of Abeda Inamdar Senior College was the Best Speaker who took home the first prize. The team from H.G.M Azam College of Education comprising of Ms. Sonal Devjani and Ms. Christina Charles secured the first Runners up position. The prizes which consisted of some of the best classics of English Literature were given away by Mr. Munnawar Peerbhoy, Chairperson Haji Ghulam Mohammad Azam Education Trust. Impressed with the performance of the students, Rtn Kieth Kline allowed the teams from A.K.K. New Law Academy and M.A. Rangoonwala College of Physiotherapy and Research to progress into the preliminary round in addition to the winning teams.