Enthusiastic NIFTians attend Converge-2014

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar, Dec 22: Monday mornings are usually glum for college-goers as they head back to classes after the weekend.But December 22 was a very different Monday for students of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Bhubaneswar.The day marked the beginning of `Converge-2014’, the three-day annual cross-centre sports and cultural meet for India’s most premier fashion institute.NIFT Bhubaneswar is the proud first-time host for three other centres – Kolkata, Patna and Shillong.The much-awaited event was declared open at a stunning ceremony on the morning of 22nd December.Fifty enthusiastic NIFTians represented their centres at Bhubaneswar this year.It was a clear, beautiful day, just the perfect weather for outdoor activities.At 7:30 am, the four teams turned up at the lush green field of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT).The students wore their team colours – green for Kolkata, yellow for Patna, red for Shillong and blue for Bhubaneswar.By 9 am, they had run through a quick practice session and assumed their positions on field for their chief guest, Ansuman Das, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of NALCO.K.C.S.Ray, Director, NIFT Bhubaneswar welcomed the chief guest and all the participating teams.Das raised the Converge-2014 flag and lit the torch to officially inaugurate the programme.In his inaugural address, Das pointed out that fashion design is a rare sector where it is possible to combine one’s profession with one’s passion.He added that it was a pleasure indeed to see so many creative young people engaged in sports and other events, while excelling at academics as well.The ceremony was also attended by the representative faculties from the four centres as well as the entire faculty and staff of NIFT Bhubaneswar.The students seemed to live up to that theme thereafter.All the events on the first day, from cricket to quiz, and from volleyball to Sudoku, saw neck-to-neck competition among the teams.But the evening was much more magical.The strongest adversaries on field were seen enjoying each other’s company in and around the sprawling NIFT Bhubaneswar campus.Perhaps that is the strength of NIFTians, to be able to gel-in and appreciate one another’s creativity, regardless of their differences.And that is the spirit that comes through in events such as Converge.