A celebration is not done in a day’s thought and a night’s effort. Maybe that’s why it took almost every day of steady grind since the beginning of this year by the sportsmen and sportswomen of GCT just so they could raise their chins up and keep their heads high on the long-hoped-for ‘THE ANNUAL SPORTS DAY - 2026.’

The physical director’s cabin on the fine morning of 5th March was full of chaos and anxiety. Going over and over the agendas, proofreading MC scripts, making last-minute changes—the people in the scene had only one thought in their head: ‘Can they pull this off?’

As the guests of honor, Er. Sai Deepa Devesan and Dr. Lakshmi Prabha reached the venue, it was time to blow the whistle and get the event started. Following tradition, the ceremony commenced officially with the TAMIZHTHAI VALTHU. The flag was hoisted, and the national anthem was sung. And no, no, that's not it; the centerpiece of the morning—the parade and the Olympic torch—were yet to be flaunted. The parade was trotted out meticulously by the span of students from NCC, Athletics, Badminton, Ball Badminton, Basketball, Chess, Cricket, Football, Handball, Hockey, Kabaddi, Kho Kho, Martial arts, Powerlifting, Silambam, Table tennis, Throwball, and Volleyball. Wow, that was a long list, I must say. Next, the showstopper—the Olympic torch was lit and carried with all its glory vested on the shoulders of those who bore it. Consequently, the Olympic oath was taken, and hence the gathering was dispersed.

For people who thought this was the end—na na nahh, the ceremony is just getting underway. All the faculties, teaching or non-teaching—it didn't matter who—all that mattered was that inner child wanting to play again. And I must say they had a great time participating in the rounds, cheering to support others, and guiding others if they were not getting it right. And the MC people had the most fun doing running commentary for the contests. Another thing to add on was the lemonade—the best I had.

The games went well; the roster of winners and runners-up was recorded; everyone had the best times. Now it was time for everyone to gear up for the long-awaited valedictory function that afternoon. This time the stage was graced by the enlightening presence of the principal, Dr. K. Manonmani; Prof. S. Bradeesh Moorthy; Dr. M. Isaac Solomon Jebamani; Dr. S. Sakthivel; Dr. Ramamoorthy; Dr. Lakshmi Prabha; and Er. Sai Deepa Devesan. As the curtains slid up and everyone was on the edge of their seats anticipating the honoring ceremony, the graceful and calming welcome performance brought down the anxiety of the spectators. The esteemed guests of honor on the dais edified the students on how physical wellness is something none should put off for any reason. That actually gave me the motivation to start my workout routine that I had pushed back for a long time for obvious reasons. The annual report of GCT sports was declaimed by the physical director, Prof. S. Bradeesh Moorthy, who was gleeful and prideful all at once. To be honest, the report was very impressive, and it portrayed the hard work that the students had put in throughout the year really well.

Next up was the long-awaited prize distribution. It felt nostalgic to watch lecturers being excited about the results and taking photographs with a wide smile on their face and pride in their eyes. After the honoring ceremony of the faculties and students ended, it was about time to honor the overall champions of the intramurals. This year the passing out final year students bagged the overall champions trophy, while the third year students grabbed the runner-up spot.

The speeches are done; the giveaways are done. Then what's more? Well, well, the cultural part was yet to be set. It was nothing short of a festival at that point. Not a single person in the venue was seated, everyone was on the floor dancing and just living the moment. As a spectator from the MC desk, it had me on tippy-toes to just vanish for a minute or two and have the dance of my life. I might or might not have done just that, though.

Now comes the bittersweet closing of the event marked by the vote of thanks delivered by the overall general captain Mahesh Kannan on a very emotional note. At the end, the former overall general captain Vasanth Kumar took over the event with his engaging, funny banter. Everyone at the main auditorium danced together one last time as the sports team of GCT that evening.

Although disparate purposes and ideologies, love for one brought everyone together—SPORTS!!!

Patron: Dr. K. Manonmani, Principal of GCT

Article prepared by: Sujithasri K (Civil 24-28)

Highlights of the 73rd Annual Sports Meet

Whenever there’s a function in our family, each relative comes and graces the occasion with their presence. Brothers and sisters meet each other after a long time, talk to each other, and make fun of each other. A vibe will be felt around the hall.

Sangamam gave that kind of feel to every GCTian. Everyone felt excited that the function had returned once again. Many GCT alumni also came, which made the Sangamam a real fest.

It all started on February 26. Am I sounding right? Partially, yes. I’m talking about the traditional oval of our GCT. The oval design for this Sangamam was very cold; it gave us chills whenever we saw it. The oval beautifully portrayed the theme of our Sangamam, “Seasons.”

The Sangamam officially started on February 27. It was kick-started by our respected Dr. Anbazhagan Vijay Sir’s felicitation speech. His speech covered each and every bit of sweat of the students, who are involved in organizing and working to make this event a grand success. The Chief Guest of the event, Ms. Kovai Santhamani, was presented with the creative works and books authored by our students. A special highlight of Day 1 was the release of the magazines of TMFA, LDS, and SJC. Most notably, the Aperture newsletter of GCT made its grand return after a two-year hiatus, reclaiming its place as the official voice of the campus. In addition, she officially released the books written by our GCT students, marking a truly special and memorable moment in their lives.

 After the installation ceremony marked by the grand opening of the Sangamam, the event started with our evergreen, "Pattimandram." As usual, Pattimandram was enjoyed by every professors, other staff members and the students. One thing to mention here, for Gen Z who are using their social media every day, is that the topic, speakers, and the judge made them sit and think. Each and every moment of the Pattimandram was literally a blast. The topic, the rise of social media, makes life happy or sad, struck everyone’s heart like a thunderbolt. Various aspects were covered by our esteemed faculties and energetic students, which made Sangamam a grand success.

Next in the noon of day 1, group dancers filled the arena with the students, not only with presence but also with celebration. The energetic dancers made every student’s dopamine increase, and all started enjoying the dance. Dance always has a very special corner, which is one of the art forms that will engage the audience, which makes one dance with no stress and constraints. The event will not be an event if there’s no “Nadagam” (drama). The auditorium got filled with emotions when dramatists engaged the stage with their acting skills. Everyone felt laughter, anger, sorrow, etc., which resonated with the seasons. To describe it in a word, "marvelous" the drama was. When Kollywood had hit the ground with Its jackhammer, Hollywood arrived. Through their creative and dramatic storytelling, audiences had no choice but to applaud. This reception from audiences made clear that good storytelling is the key for drama, not big cameos. When we speak about drama, there’s another form that conveys those emotions only through the light. “Oli Nadagam” is a special form of drama where all felt awestruck when artists performed their actions. It felt like aliens had come to the ground and performed. To describe the drama as a whole of this Sangamam in one line — “A visual treat and a roller coaster of emotions.”

The special art form, which marks the significant team effort, was performed by specially talented student artists. I’m talking about “Rithva Chitira.” What an art form. Combination and coordination, which are necessary for this form, were clearly evident. Everyone in the hall sat on the edge of their seat to see this artform. When they started performing their art, the silence disappeared; I mean, the applause was so high that it blasted soundly like an artillery bomb. Then came the eliminators who had set the stage on fire with their fiery moves that didn’t leave audience to take their fingers down from their mouths. Whistles echoed in each and every corner of the hall. The audiences came to their action mode when they saw student artists coming to the stage carrying instruments. That is none other than the Tamil Nadu’s finest art form, “Parai.” The sound from the party made audience jump from their chairs and they soon found their hands and legs weren’t in their control. Their movements were controlled by the beats of the parai. When the performance got over, the auditorium felt the blow of the parai all around. Nothing matched this energy of audience. With the end of the parade, day 1 came to an end. Also, this marked and set the standards for day 2.

The day 2 started even more vibrantly. The show started with one of the oldest art forms, “Villuppaattu.” It usually tells a deep story in a musical tone. Just like every year, Sangamam ‘26 pushed its limits and set the tone for Day 2. If there’s a chance that the lifeless cardboard could get life, then that could happen only through “Nizharpaavaiyaattam.” The artist’s strong and soulful voice filled the lifeless cardboard with life and a fruitful story. These art forms left the audience in the arena with silence, the story flow and their narrations made them feel mesmerized. When day 1 ended cheerfully, day 2 started sensibly.

Next, an unfiltered talents from unique participants was shown. Unominuto gave us a show, where variety of participants showcased their different varieties of skills, which made the gangsters in the room feel admired. Each and every show marked the variety of Tamil culture’s art forms and its real values. Then, Sangamam got ready to enter action mode when “Silambattam” artists entered the field like a lion. All eyes were locked on the sticks the artists holded. When the artists started to swing the sticks, the audience witnessed a great fight block, which matched the movie’s fight scenes. With different kinds of instruments, artists made the audience cheer throughout the performance. When the audience were engaged in a deep action block, then came a shift to an emotional block. “Veethi Nadagam,” another drama art form, had a simple setup, but their actions and script were out of the world. Their actions and emotions deeply penetrated into everyone’s art.

As action and emotion blocks got over, then came the music block. MuFX came up and entertained everyone for nearly 2 hours. It merely felt like a professional orchestra. Songs were of different genres, which pulled the audiences into the music world. From retro songs to modern Kuthu songs, everyone became their fans after the show. Thus, a magnificent musical craft was presented by the team MuFX.

GCTians once again proved that they’re also very strong in mythological storytelling with their “Karithramas” team. This show marked a long story of the Mahabharata, presented from the view of Draupadi, who is a symbol of “strength, intelligence, and beauty.” This historic mythological story got a new dimension by its story flow that showcased the women’s pain in their hearts. Every artist added a fire to the story with their fiery eyes and their excellent expressions. This show gave a cinematic feel to the audience. On day 1, women energized the auditorium with their parai; just like that, men were getting ready to spread the fire. When they kept their legs on the stage, the audience stood from their chairs. When the sounds of parai hit the audience’s ears, their hands and legs weren’t in their control; rather, in the control of the sounds of parai. The auditorium that was previously filled with vibrant feelings turned into an energetic arena. When the beat rose up, the audience were getting a high power that boosted their moves. With the end of Parai, celebrations came to an end. Prize distributions followed after the parade,where winners of various events were crowned with certificates and applause.

Then, the emotions by art forms officially got over, but the real emotions could be seen and sensed when the final-year students shared their love and their success. In this fine moment, the droplets of sweat turned to droplets of tears. Yes, they were soon going out of this palace. Months of hard work turned into minutes of mesmerization. The Sangamam stage belonged to those who came up with the courage and conquered the crown with their talents and patience. Sangamam ’26 officially ended on the fine evening of February 28.

The event may have ended, but the memories will be cherished for life, each and every moment. Through this article, I extend my wishes for everyone’s future.

Article prepared by: Mithilesh M B (EEE 24-28)

Sangamam ’26 – A Celebration of Seasons at GCT

"Health is wealth," the age-old proverb says, and this generation of youngsters

are well aware of it. The consumption of drugs is way less compared to our predecessors, the studies say. This generation cares more about their physical and mental health and does its best to pave a healthier path for its successors. 

At our college, GCT, Elixir was held for 3 days, starting from 28th January and ending on 30th January. It was a large-scale medical camp, brought into the campus with the help of Rotaract. A special thanks is due for Rtr. Abiram N and his colleagues made this event a great success. 

The event happened at the main auditorium. In the morning I went there, and the Rotaract volunteers welcomed me and guided me. I went for a general body check; the doctors checked my weight, height, and BP. They gave advice like "drink more water and stay hydrated. " I saw many people checking their BP, especially the elderly. 

Next, I went for a tooth checkup. They checked my teeth and offered me special privileges, like discounted treatment and specific advice, as I'm a student of GCT. I even got toothpaste for my participation. 

In this generation, many people are addicted to phones. Without a phone, you can't see anyone, anywhere. So an eye checkup becomes mandatory. The doctors and nurses were so friendly. They asked me to read the letters and tell them, but all I could do was give them a perplexed look. As this was my first time going for an eye checkup, I didn't know this is how eyes were checked, and that gave us a good laugh. 

A blood donation camp was stationed at the Platinum Jubilee Building. And I wished to partake in it and donate blood. The volunteers enrolled my name and checked my weight, the doctors checked my hemoglobin level, and finally, they did a general checkup. After all these steps, I donated my blood. The doctors and nurses were kind. After donating the blood, the Rotaract volunteers took care of me and gave me medicines. At that time, I heard one person came to donate blood who had one of the rarer blood groups, AB+. 

You know, in college life many confusions will arise regarding what to do next, and it will sometimes lead to mental trauma. So I went to a psychiatrist; they were supportive, asking what the problem was, and I took counseling. I am still not clear about my path, but at least the mental trauma is gone. There was also a skin care center; many people took treatment for their acne, acne scars, hair fall, or other related issues. It happened in a separate room for privacy, and I really appreciate that. PCOD and PCOS counseling was given to girls. They said the doctors made them feel comfortable, clearing doubts and creating awareness about that.

A lot of students and staff benefited from this event. The event ended without any disruptions, and it served its purpose completely.

Article prepared by: R Selvakumar (CSE 24-28)

The GCT Coding Club, guided by Dr. Devi R ma'am and patronised by Principal Dr.K. Manonmani, just dropped something exciting a Diwali coding contest in collaboration with C1X that could land you a 3-month paid internship. 

C1X is a tech company specializing in innovative digital solutions and has been a trusted recruiter for GCT College. Co-founded by G Rajkumar Madhuram sir, a GCT CSE alumnus from the 1995 batch, the company maintains strong ties with our institution. It's not every day that an alumnus comes back to create opportunities for current students, which makes this collaboration feel more personal than your typical corporate partnership. 

Let's be real most students are not aware that the Coding Club exists. But here's your chance to not just practice coding consistently, but also compete for substantial rewards. C1X regularly recruits from GCT, so performing well in this contest could open doors beyond just the internship prize. Even if you don't win the grand prize, 8+ contests over two months will seriously sharpen your skills. This opportunity comes from someone who sat in the same classrooms you do now and understands exactly what GCT students are capable of. 

Join the GCT Coding Club on Telegram: https://t.me/+tT_9-hMT7ZxjN2Fl Contest starts: October 25, 2025

Article prepared by: Mathimalar V (IT 23-27)

GCT Coding Club x C1X: Code Your Way to a Paid Internship

Expectation. It is derived from a Latin word, expectationem, meaning “an awaiting.” Awaiting can be cold, awaiting can be cruel, but to await is to hope, to await is to long for. And so I waited for the day when the oval was decorated, the shield was lifted, and the stage was set. And so, I waited for Brainstrain ‘25.

Brainstrain is the flagship event of the Literary and Debating Society, where wordsmiths from all over the world wrestle it out with their wits to win the war of words.

I know that some of you might already be thinking that there is an excessive use of “W”s in the last few lines. Well, well, well, let me add one more “W” to the list by letting you know that the theme for Brainstrain ‘25 was “Wizards.”

With a lot of whimsical wizardry and a ban on witchcraft, the big day was right around the corner. As someone who was a part of Brainstrain ‘24, my heart was filled with excitement and the weight of expectations placed on Brainstrain ‘25.

“The start of the day begins as soon as the night ends,” they say. But our night never ended, as the final stretches of preparation were in full swing. And finally, when the sun was ready to rise, we were ready to pull the event off.

Every great event must have a grand start. And Brainstrain ‘25 had its grand inaugural ceremony at the main auditorium in the presence of the club advisor of LDS, Dr. J. Anbazhagan Vijay, and the chief guest, Dr. Ayesha M.I.

The President of LDS, Bharani Ishwarya  and The Secretary of LDS, Akash spearheaded the event, acting as the vanguards and the participants from different colleges were doing their best to stay put as they were eagerly waiting to shoot out from their seats and enter the vocabularic battlefields.

As Dr. Ayesha M.I., with her bubbling personality and motivational demeanour, commenced the start of  event, the stored energy shot out in all directions, increasing the entropy of the universe as well as the excitement of the innerverse.

The preliminary rounds for household events such as JAM, Shipwreck, Debate, Quiz, Poem, Microtale, Unominuto, Drama, and Puzzle were conducted in the morning. The Arcane Challenge, a special entry to this edition of BS ‘25, was especially enjoyed by the young practitioners of magic.

The events were spread across the venues of Alumni Auditorium, Platinum Jubilee Building, Science Block, and the Main Auditorium. To ease the confusion regarding directions, the members of our club actively sought out the participants and guided them to the right venues.

Participants from colleges like Hindustan, TNAU, GCE Salem, Law College, etc., showcased their way with words and enthralled the panel of juries.

The battle of wits, especially between TNAU and GCE Salem, was the fiercest, as they were going spell for spell against each other.

If time was a round rock, it really did roll fast, as the stomachs gave a cue, and lunchtime arrived. Spoiler alert: people loved the food, especially the rosemilk kesari, which was later unanimously granted the title of “a divine delicacy.” I'm definitely not biased on this one. Maybe I am, but hey, so are most people.

Like sirens on the sea, magically alluring the sailors with their enchanting voice, team MUFX enchanted us all with their soul-soothing performance. Every song hit the right note, and every song hit the right place. The big bright star’s efforts to tire out spirits were thwarted by this revitalizing performance.

What follows a calming performance, you ask? A Warzone. Fighting with nothing but words and wits, the shortlisted mages entered their chosen battles, proving their might once again for the world to see.

When the dust settled and the sun started to set, it was finally time to acknowledge the valor showcased by the participants. And so the valedictory ceremony began. Participants from different colleges bagged the prizes one after the other, but none stood as tall as GCE Salem and TNAU.

GCE Salem were in high spirits; being the overall title winners of Brainstrain ‘24, they had their fair share of confidence in doing it once again. And on the other hand, catching everyone off guard, TNAU, snatched win after win cementing its place as the unsuspected underdog.

What started with expectation can only end with expectation. Only this time, I was not the only one expecting it, but the whole crowd was. Young and elderly, participants and organizers, students and faculty—every single one of them was on the edge of their seats, eagerly waiting for the final reveal. The grand reveal of the overall title winner.

The anticipation in the air grew thicker and thicker until it reached its peak. To end the climax with a bang, I took the mic, and with the crowd as my echo, my voice rang loud, ceremoniously counting down from 10.

“And the overall title winner is…TNAU,” and the crowd erupted in wild cheers. The champions of this edition,TNAU, came running to the stage, lifting the trophy high and proud. Joy and zeal, the only emotions on their face.

Pictures were taken, moments were captured, and memories were etched deep into the hearts of everyone at the scene.

I'm immensely grateful for every single participant, volunteer, member, flag bearer, and alumni who showed up just to help their juniors out, the faculty, and our club advisor who made the event as successful as it was.

“Expectations can never be fulfilled,” they say. And I would like to add more to it. Yes, expectations are not meant to be fulfilled. But meant to be exceeded, surpassed, and dwarfed upon. And Brainstrain ‘25 did exactly that and ended with the hearts of people already expecting the next edition.

Article prepared by: Sivasiddharth S S(MECH 23-27)

Brainstrain '25 - where wits met wizardry

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