CAPS newsletter

Leading from the front

Public Speaking Workshop To reduce the fear of public speaking and to improve body language, confidence, and pronunciation the Center for Academic and Professional Support organized a four-day public speaking workshop for the Christ university students. The workshop was conducted by Mrs. Lynette Nazreth and Mrs. Divya Shreedhar Sharma. Day 1- Participants were asked about their expectations and what they actually expect from the workshop. They were also asked to introduce themselves and feedback was given. Day 2- The day's activities included a story-building exercise and impromptu speaking. Participants had to pick up a random object, and speak about it for a minute and a half.

Day 3- Attendees were divided into two groups for a debate on the topic ‘Online or Offline mode of instruction: Which is better?’ It was followed by a rebuttal round. Next, the attendees were asked to present their 90-second prepared speech, recommending their favorite book, movie, or tv show. Feedback and tips on how to improve their presentation skills. Day 4- Following a breathing activity, names of all participants were written on different pieces of paper. The names were then called out and they had to present the 2.5 minutes of speech they had prepared. Welcoming Volunteers To encourage interaction among meaning of 'SUPPORT', an integral volunteers, the Centre for Academic part of CAPS. The lesson, though, was and Professional Support held its that each piece represents a first offline interaction session on volunteer and the perfect square 19/2/2022. It was conducted by our made by them represents the task. mentors- Mrs. Lynette Nazreth and Hence to accomplish the goal, each Mrs. Divya Shreedhar Sharma. The volunteer must join hands and fit session started with a formal themselves according to their skills introduction of CAPS following a fun and together make a perfect square. activity. Volunteers across all the wings and committees were divided into 15 groups. All groups were given puzzle pieces of paper and had to make a perfect square. During this activity, members weren’t allowed to talk among themselves nor ask for help by any means. The whole idea was to make volunteers understand the

CAPS Day I recall going to school and having delegate, Jayrajsinh Mahida, gave a sincere vote of gratitude at the end annual day celebrations. One day is of the programme, followed by ice- breaking exercises. set aside to honor our school and its achievements from its inception and for eons to come. On January 27th, the Centre for Academic and Professional Support (CAPS) commemorated CAPS Day in the same way. One day is set aside to honor the organization's volunteers and recognize its accomplishments and achievements. As is customary, Fr. Biju KC, Fr. Jiby Jose E, Meenakshi Ma'am, and student council delegate Jayrajsinh Mahida light the lamp. The theme revealed for this year's CAPS Day, \"Resurgence,\" was delivered by Operations student head Harshitha Bhargava and Connected Wide student head, Sushanth Prasad. It symbolized springing again into life from under the ashes like a Phoenix. The event's primary focus was the presentation of the bi-annual report, plans for the current even semester, and student testimonies from all three campuses. A sneak glimpse of the CAPS newsletter was followed by announcing the most promising volunteer from each wing/committee, each school, who had put in hours of hard effort and given their best. Our student council

Website Re-launch CAPS, or the Centre for Academic and Professional Support, has always worked hard to give students the finest opportunities and support possible to grow and develop in their many professions and according to their needs. CAPS had chosen to upgrade its website and re-launch it with an entirely new E-learning platform and podcast service to enhance the learning experience of students, in addition to the myriad of other services they give. Months of hard work by students from the Communication Lab, Tech Tank, Media, PR, and other CAPS wings and committees paid off when the website was re-launched on March 4th at the KE auditorium in Block 4 from 4 pm onwards with a Connect Wide felicitation. Fr. Vinod Micheal, the keynote speaker Mr. Francisco Saldhana, the Creative Director of The Scribble, and the CAPS mentors, Mrs. Lynette Nazareth and Mrs. Divya Sharma Sreedhar, graced the occasion. The celebration began with all guests lighting the lamp, followed by Fr. Vinod Micheal's welcoming message. Mr. Francisco then made the keynote talk before re-launching the website and announcing the E-learning platform's pre-launch. Mr. Chandan Perla, CAPS' Creative Director, gave an overview of the new website and its different features, and the website team was afterwards applauded. Students' learning experiences will undoubtedly be elevated thanks to the E-learning platform.

Leadership Training Workshop The Student Heads of CAPS from the Bangalore Central Campus, Bannerghatta Campus, and Kengeri Campus attended the Leadership Training Workshop. The goal of this course was to improve each person's leadership abilities. A night's stay on campus was included in the training. DAY 1 team had to advise the team leader on how the team should travel to On March 5, 2022, the bus from accomplish the goal. The volunteers Bangalore Central Campus left at gained a lot of knowledge from this 2:15 p.m. The bus from Central game, including the fact that our Campus then travelled to goals may change over time and Bannerghatta Campus to pick up that it is exceedingly difficult for a students before arriving at the team to attain its goal if the team destination. After arriving on leader is blinded. This activity campus, we were divided into three demonstrated how critical it is for groups and instructed to identify the team to let go of what they hold ourselves to one another, choose a dear to themselves from time to team name, a team war cry, and a time to benefit the group. Dinner team captain. The first activity was to was served to volunteers, and a take a 30-minute tour around the pleasant music session was Kengeri campus and learn more conducted in the campus about it. After the event, the mentors amphitheatre before everyone inquired about the locations where retired to their dormitories for the the volunteers strolled. The mentors night. then invited the volunteers to share their expectations and ground rules DAY 2 for the session. A game was played in the volunteers had to move to a goal Everyone started the second day (2 balloons from each side), and the with a morning stroll around the rest of the team had to follow a Kengeri campus. Breakfast was blinded team leader in a line. The

subsequently served, followed by Fr. team and were given a set of props Lijo's speech. Following that, the for the last exercise of the day. The volunteers participated in an crew had 30 minutes to create outdoor exercise in which each something utilizing a set of provided team tied ribbons linking their legs objects. The volunteers were forced to the rest of their team's. The to sit in a large circle and handed a teams had to cover specific goal sheet of paper and a pen for the last spots to win, and coils could only task. This had to be repeated until travel sideways according to the volunteer's sheet was returned to particular regulations. The teams them. All of the volunteers were completed this activity, and some of given time to read it and think about the takeaways included how it. Following that, all volunteers were important teamwork is, how asked to indicate in the charts everyone needs to hold on to each detailing the expectations and other to keep the group from falling ground rules whether or not the apart, how one must sometimes workshop met those expectations. take a hit for the team, and how important it is to listen rather than speak all of the time. The team leaders were expected to be different sorts of leaders to the

INSIGHTS FROM THE CAMP Here are three things that we found For example, if you were to subject a most meaningful from our carrot, an egg, and a couple of coffee experience in the Leadership Camp. beans to the same boiling water, the carrot would emerge from the trial Firstly, iron sharpens iron; and so, one softened while the egg hardened. person sharpens another. Through The coffee beans, however, made the spell of time we student heads coffee. Not only did it change the spent together, we learnt from each water it was boiled in, but it also other’s strengths and gained insight changed the air around it – in other into the effectiveness of different words, the coffee beans made the leadership styles. This brings me to most out of the trial it faced and my second observation: Great leaders managed to make its influence felt do not tell you what to do; they show beyond the realm of its presence. you how it is done. And so - under the guidance of our able mentors and Through our stay at the Kengeri the tasks they assigned – we were campus, we found anew the spirit of shown how to be the best possible leadership that lay within us and leaders we could be and pilot our have come back rejuvenated and wings towards their goals. But above raring to face all that may come our all this, perhaps the one thing that way. stuck with me was Divya Ma’am’s analogy for different people reacting to the same trying situation in different ways.

Artifex 2022 Artifex was a mini-fest initiated by the Peer Training Wing, in collaboration with the other wings at CAPS. With events like 48 Tunesmith Tales, Flex to Flix, Hues' Cues, Off the Cuff and Scratch Poetry, the learning outcomes of the peer-training sessions were inculcated in the participants by bridging the gap between theoretical learning and its practical application. The participants gave their all to win and made the event an enjoyable learning experience for everyone involved. The fest ended on an energetic high note with the open mic seeing enthusiastic participation from both students and volunteers.

Sports Day The main goal of CAPS Sports Day The team which covered the distance was to inculcate the idea of unity and in the least amount of time were make sure that every volunteer got to declared the winner. The second meet their fellow volunteers. The game for the day was the Spoon and event started with the Treasure hunt, Marble Relay race, where the same which involved the participating teams competed against each other teams to go to different locations, to complete a relay race, and two searching for clues, and each clue led teams, based on their performance, the team to the next location. Once were declared the winners. the teams completed the treasure hunt, the theme for CAPS Sports Day and CAPS Got Talent—Synergy— was revealed to the participants. The first game was 'Double Dribble Down', where teams had to dribble two balls simultaneously. The event ended with Dominic Sir discussing the importance of Sports in academic and professional life and its role in one's personal and team growth.

CAPS BGR CAMPUS ONE-ON-ONE PEER TRAINING WING The wing began with a focus on the outreach sessions for the semester, which were carried out online and offline in collaboration with the Media and PR wing. The outreach was carried out via formal mails, activity-based Instagram posts and stories. Around 25 One on One Peer Training sessions were completed during the period.Additionally, offline Group Peer Training sessions were conducted. GROUP PEER TRAINING WING CAPS group peer training wing successfully conducted 31 sessions in February and March combined, comprising the first-year to third-year students from different programs, and approximately 43+ professors were reached out to, as individual and collaborative outreach and the research wing and one-on-one peer training wing.

ASSESSMENT WING The Assessment Wing of CAPS BGR conducted several psychoeducation sessions impacting students and staff. The ‘Social Interaction Anxiety’, a session on Positive Thinking and 'PERMA- Model of Well-Being’ session, were some of the events held by the wing. CONNECT WIDE The wing conducted a Canva Workshop on 21st January 2022. Connect Wide also conducted four psycho-education sessions in collaboration with the Assessment Wing. With a vision to introduce various career opportunities in public policy, the Connect Wide wing conducted a session on ‘An Introduction to Public Policy’ and on 7th March 2022 a session on ‘An Introduction to Human Resources and Careers in Human Resources’. OPERATIONS COMMITTEE The Operations committee collaborated with the volunteers of the Central campus in organising one of the major events of CAPS, the CAPS Day. The committee also managed the process of ordering and distributing the newly introduced CAPS varsity jackets and badges amongst all the volunteers. Block Training sessions on ‘How to fill diaries’ were conducted by the volunteers for each wing and committee. The volunteers have also successfully coordinated as Point of Contacts (POCs) for all the Connect Wide Events/sessions.

RESEARCH COMMITTEE QC- CG COMMITTEE The research committee at the BGR The research committee at the BGR Campus has successfully launched Campus has successfully launched its Blog, ‘The Vue’, in November 2021. its Blog, ‘The Vue’, in November 2021. In three months, the blog has In three months, the blog has received national and international received national and international readership. The volunteers have readership. The volunteers have written insightful articles, which have written insightful articles, which been put up on the blog. They have have been put up on the blog. They also been engaged in writing have also been engaged in writing research articles, 6 of which have research articles, 6 of which have been selected to be published, been selected to be published, subject to clearance, in the subject to clearance, in the Newsletter of the Research Newsletter of the Research Committee, Research Voyage. Committee, Research Voyage.

MEDIA AND PR COMMITTEE The Media & PR committee supported all the wings and committees of CAPS in generating the posters and reels for their respective events. It contributed significantly to the outreach of CAPS amongst the Christite community as well as for Daksh ( Career Counselling fair). The Committee created reels for One on One Peer Training Wing outreach and promotion for the session on the “PERMA Model of Well-being’. COMMUNICATIONS LAB The Communications Lab of CAPS BGR started generating scriptwriting for three modules: Decision-Making, Introduction to Public Speaking, and Case Study Approach to Research. The wing has prepared animated videos for the former two for release after approval. The remaining scripts will be converted into complete videos in the coming weeks. KENGERI CAMPUS ENTREE OF CONCEPT OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP HAPPINESS The research committee at the BGR The research committee at the BGR Campus has successfully launched Campus has successfully launched its Blog, ‘The Vue’, in November 2021. its Blog, ‘The Vue’, in November 2021. In three months, the blog has In three months, the blog has received national and international received national and international readership. The volunteers have readership. The volunteers have written insightful articles, which have written insightful articles, which have been put up on the blog. They have been put up on the blog. They have also been engaged in writing also been engaged in writing research articles, 6 of which have research articles, 6 of which have been selected to be published, been selected to be published, subject to clearance, in the subject to clearance, in the Newsletter of the Research Newsletter of the Research Committee, Research Voyage. Committee, Research Voyage.

EnCAPSulation UNGA SOCHUM, Continuous Crisis Committee, World Superhuman ‘EnCAPSulation’ was all about Fictional Crisis Cabinet, and preparing students to deal with this International Press. The event lasted terrifying change. CAPS Kengeri for two days and were filled with conducted an 8-day long entrée of intense discussions and debates on peer training sessions. It was a great various topics.. The whole event was chance for the students to glance very well-received by all, and it can into the world of professionalism and be said that everyone who was a part how to navigate through it. The first of this successful event. day was all about professional communication, followed by a group ANTARCHAKSHU discussion the next day, which helped them understand how to use Antarchakshu | The Eye Within is an it to their advantage. On the third annual experiential workshop that day, knowledge was imparted on aims to provide a unique perspective various notions of writing a research into the lives of the visually impaired, paper. It was informative and organised by Xavier's Resource showed the participants how to Centre for the Visually Challenged, navigate through the very tiresome St. Xavier's College (Autonomous), process of publishing with ease. SOP Mumbai in collaboration with CAPS. Writing, resume writing, formal Mr. Warrier came with his zealous presentation, email etiquette and attitude and engaged the audience stress management on the following in many activities. The audience days were taken up. received the session well and was filled with laughter, energy, and lots MUN of deep insights. The session proved to be a fruitful attempt to help CHRIST Kengeri Intra MUN was held people put themselves in the shoes on the 5th and 6th of April, 2022. of visually impaired people for a This two-day event was packed with short while and understand the back-to-back sessions and had 100 more significant cause behind the participants. Day 1 started with the initiative. event's inauguration beginning with a fantastic performance by the most talented band – Taco. In this year’s MUN, the delegates were sorted into the following committees:

THE BIG QUESTION PODCAST CAPS at Christ Kengeri Campus, brings you The Big Question Podcast. The podcast is hosted by volunteers Tobias Saju, Stella Carvalho, and Malvika Mishra. Topics discussed include 'Fearing the unknown', 'Being stuck in a bubble', and 'The real meaning of being beautiful'. The podcast also brings in guests like Senior CAPS Volunteer Ashwin Abraham, Christ Kengeri Counsellor, Mrs. Smitha Keeran, etc. The guests offer their valuable views on the topic being discussed and make way for extraordinary insights. The podcast is currently available on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Google Podcast.

CREDITS EDITORIAL TEAM DESIGN TEAM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Navyaa Shukla CHIEF DESIGNER PHOTOGRAPHERS EDITORS Rajsree Menon Athil Shaham Siddharth Talreja Sarthak Kherde Ankita Dugar Srilakshmi TS DESIGNERS Anika Singh Samhitha BS Rishi Rajesh CONNECT WIDE Anoushka Larysa Menezes ARTICLES Kanav Sethi (CENTRAL CAMPUS) Sejal Mathur Anmol Agarwal Mayank Kothari OPERATIONS GROUP PEER TRAINING ONE-ON-ONE PEER ARTICLES ARTICLES TRAINING ARTICLES (CENTRAL CAMPUS) (CENTRAL CAMPUS) (CENTRAL CAMPUS) Nagaritesh Bredan Elvis Shakti VK Anirudh Rakesh Leann Philo Thomas Sukrit Bhukania Adiel Davis Vaishnavi Hiremath Rakshita Swati Agrawal Muskaan Harshita Bharghava