Media Release

Mangaluru, Feb 17: The students and faculty of French, of St Aloysius College (Autonomous) organized 'Un Jour en France - A Day in France' on Saturday, February 17 at Mother Teresa Peace Park at the campus, as part of 'Journée de la Francophonie, an annual French event held on March 20. This was a day-long event to celebrate the various aspects of living the French life, and was aimed at giving the attendees a glimpse of French culture.

The inauguration was held 9.30 am at the venue. Fr Dr Praveen Martis, principal, St Aloysius College and patron of the language, was the chief guest. In his address, he lauded the students for commemorating the event, and spoke at length about France and French. "The very experience of Paris is romantic. This language romanticizes human thought and action", he said. Dr Alwyn D'Sa, vice principal, Admin Block, Ronald Baptist D'Souza, staff convener, and Ancita Gonsalves and Ann Dehnuger, student conveners, were also present.

Partly sponsored by the Franco-German Institute, the event saw eight teams from colleges in and around Mangaluru like St Agnes College, Roshni Nilaya, Sarosh Institute and Manipal University participate in six events which incorporate French culture. The events conducted were - spell bee, treasure hunt, cookie art, mock personality and poetry recitation. In the end, Roshni Nilaya came first, bagging the overall prize.

A cultural programme was also organised. A drama, recreating the classic of Cinderella with a modern twist, was also staged by the students. Star Aloysian Nicky Pinto, of 'Dance Plus' fame, performed a dance number, while 'Vocal Rush', a popular band, entertained the audience with songs. Food stalls which sold cupcakes, macarons, momos and drinks were put up.

'Un Jour en France' was an earnest attempt by the students to depict life in France in an authentic and enjoyable way.

About St Aloysius College

St Aloysius College is a one hundred and thirty eight year old institution that has trained thousands of men and women in various fields, and presented them to the nation. Named after St Aloysius Gonzaga and founded by the Mangalore Jesuit Educational Society, the college aims to create men and women for others by reinforcing the motto ‘Lucet et Ardet’, which means ‘Shine to Enkindle’. The college became autonomous in 2007, and has been making rapid progress in all fields by introducing innovative courses and regularly updating teaching methodology. The college also boasts of an Olympic-standard swimming pool, inaugurated in 2017.