by Faizan Asad & Shaheen Raaj
Attending a cultural fest of a college is not really a tempting fare for us media scribes, especially being connected to the entertaining showbiz world. But attending the cultural fest of Utopia 2017 was not only a pleasant surprise but it also turned out to be a very entertainingly enriching experience (EEE), a rare one at that. And all plaudits & kudos goes to the organisers, the volunteers & the core PR committee of Symbiosis Institute Of Business Management (SIBM).
A one day trip to Symbiosis Institute in a far away Benguluru locale of Electronic City to attend the cultural fest was the only one of its rarest kind that yours truly Shaheen Raaj & my colleague Faizan Asad will never forget in a ziffy. As right down from the varied programmes like the dances, the basket ball – “Slam Dunk” game, the songs, the miming act, the nukkad natak performed so enthusiastically for blood donation drive, the fashion show and of course the hospitality, added with the to & fro journey from our office in Frazer Town to the SIBM institute in Electronic city in tandem with the luncheon treat peppered with the most spicy Hyderabi Biryani in lieu with other food stuffs, no doubt will remain etched in our memory for a long, long time to come.
So Utopia 2017, the International Cultural Fest of Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM) Bengaluru saw 598 students from 23 countries like Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Angola, Ivory coast, Camoon, Uganda, Benin, North Sudan, Sri Lanka, Hungary, Dic Congo, Yemen, Togo, South Sudan, Malawi, India, Afghanistan, Vietnam, UAE, Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria & Tibet came together to celebrate unity, peace & harmony, that are the foundations of a better world.
The theme for this year’s cultural fest of SIBM was “Cynosure”, meaning “Centre Of Attention”, you can also term it as “Centre Of Attraction”, which also refers to the North Star. Every year Utopia is celebrated by SIBM Bengaluru to honour the birthday of the founder of Symbiosis International University, Dr. S. B. Mujumdar who is currently celebrating his 82nd summer of his rewarding life.
In a world where new walls are built every day, the entire group of students National & International came together under one roof to celebrate a world without walls.
The director, Dr, Rajesh Panda in his inaugural speech averred, “In a time when there is a global uncertainty & turmoil, we are setting the stage for unity in diversity.” On the other hand Matic Kasnik, the Chief Guest of the cultural fest exulted, “Living with people from different nationalities, not only opens up one’s mind, but also opens you to new challenges.”
The 1st ever competition of the event “Danzon” saw a perfect mix of varied dance forms where the participants set the stage ablaze with their energetic dance moves. At the same time the basketball court came alive with the sports lovers sweating it out at “Slam Dunk” (Basketball) & “Joga Bonita” (Futsal).
This was followed by a street play (Nukkad Natak) dedicated to creating awareness for the blood donation drive which was organised on the same day by the Social Responsibility Committee of the SIBM College. This year the students collected 226 units of blood breaking their previous year’s record. One of the iconic events of Utopia was the Mime which transcended the boundaries of speech and successfully portrayed the angst caused by separation.
The music club of the college “Saaz” performed a heartfelt tribute to the Late Chester Bennington by performing his famous “Numb”. The day needed a splash of glamour & “Poise”, and the glittering fashion show provided just that. The participants from varied colleges sizzled the ramp with their exotic outfits. The event concluded with an enthralling “War Of The DJs” in which 8 DJ’s from across the city made everyone dance to their beats.
Pranav Jain, the coordinator of the organising committee stated, “SIBM Bengaluru has truly been the centre of attraction, echoing the theme for this year, “Cynosure”, having witnessed some spectacular performances throughout the day. It again proved to us that we really are One World, One Family.”
The fest ended on high spirits as the message of standing together in the face of adversity resonated throughout the walls of SIBM (Bengaluru).
In conclusion a word about Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Bengaluru. SIBM was established in 2008 as a constituent of Symbiosis International University with the aim of imparting world – class education to students and transforming them into top notch leaders of the corporate world. At SIBM Bengaluru, eminent faculty from across the country, holistic learning – focussed pedagogy, passion – driven students & world – class facilities meet the epicentre of knowledge to create the future business leaders.
