School News

Inter-house debate, quiz and elocution contest held
25 September 2008

On Thursday, 25 September 2008,As an essential part of extra-curricular activities, Our School held this year's second Inter-House Debate, Quiz and Elocution Contest at the School Hall. The contest function started with students saying Tibetan and Indian national Anthem followed by Words of Truth prayer and invocation prayers.

The Director of S.O.S. Tibetan Children's Village School, Bylakuppe, and Mr. Janyal Tamdin Tsering la was the Chief Guest. Sera Jey Khen Rinpoche Acharya Geshe Lobsang Palden, who is also Chairman of the School Governing Body, presided over the contest function. Khen Rinpoche was accompanied to the function by his monastic aides and functionaries. Also present were the heads of various autonomous educational and social service Organizations within Sera Jey Monastic community; all the Khangtsen heads and the representatives of the local( Sera Jey) legislative assembly.

Principal Acharya Rinchen Tsering welcomed the distinguished guests. First in the programme was quiz contest among the sub-junior students followed by senior students' Tibetan debate contest that stole the show. The spirited debate by the senior students compelled the audience to relive the traumatic experience and anguish that the Tibetans throughout the world underwent for months together since the March 10 heroic protest broke out in Lhasa and other parts of Tibet. Then followed Tibetan elocution contest by the junior students mostly in the age group of 6 to 8. The mastery of speech and flawless deliverance by the junior students in reciting beautiful and lengthy poetry replete with bombastic words impregnate with abstruse meaning that normally lay Tibetan children struggle even to read - kept the audience spellbound and enthralled. The main contest programme concluded with a speech by the chief guest of the function, Mr. Janyal Tamdin, Director, Tibetan Children's Village. He was full praise for the excellent performance given by the students. As the time neared for announcing the result of the contest, the students of the respective Khangtsens waited expectedly and anxious eyes are directed towards the podium where the co-coordinator stood with the result card of the respective contests. Finally the wait was over and the inevitable happened. The winning Khangtsen burst into cheers and joyous uproar while the not so lucky ones tried to suppress their disappointment with hushed murmurings.

The wining khangsen leaders proudly claimed their trophies and prizes from the Chief Guest and Khen Rinpoche who gave away the trophies and prizes.

After the prize distribution is over, Khen Rinpoche Acharya Geshe Lobsang Palden gave a brief speech praising the students' efforts and the dedication with which the school teachers and staff worked hard to consistently maintain the high academic standard and organizational success of the School. The headmaster, Geshe Kalsang A la, presented the vote of thanks. The contests went on till 2.00 PM.

Contest result of the Inter-House Debate (Senior) Quiz (Sub-Junior) Elocution (Junior) students

SL	Category	Events	Topics
1	Senior Students	Debate in Tibetan	For: We must strive to achieve our goals only through peaceful means Against: We must employ all methods to realize our goals
2	Inter Students	Quiz in Tibetan	History/Language/ General Knowledge based on Class IV to VIII, Tibetan Text Book
3	Junior Students	Elocution in Tibetan	Tibetan Poetry

Over all house wise position

Position	House	Points scored
First	Nyingje House	1138
Second	Lhaksam House	1097.5
Third	Shenphen House	1085
Fourth	Jamtse House	933.5