The Centre for Social Communications Media, Archbishop’s House started  a MEDIA COURSE  to the High School students of various schools of the ABE (Archdiocesan Board of education). One of its first sessions was held on the 25^th September at St. Theresa’s High School, Santo Estevao by the representatives of the Centre, Sr. Jolly Pereira, fmck and Irene Rocha.

About 33 S.S.C. students attended the presentation. We began by asking the students to introduce each other in an innovative manner. Each child was given a playing card and then grouped together and later paired. Each member of the pair had to introduce the other. Though we asked them to do so through either a sketch or a song or actions, most of them preferred to sketch their partner and his or her likes and dislikes.

A slide-show titled ‘Life – a Gift to Share’ was then shown to the children. It was a story of a generous king who gave five of his subjects a gift and how each one of them reacted. While the first four were indifferent, upset, ungrateful and even angry, the fifth subject was thankful and happy on receiving a gift from his king. In order to gauge the students’ understanding of the story and what moral they could derive from it, Sr. Jolly asked a set of questions which they had to answer in brief. They were then re-formed into three groups and allowed to have a small group discussion on what they learned from the story. A leader from each group then came up to the mike and gave a gist of their conclusions.

The students were then shown a short award-winning film titled ‘Chicken A La Carte’ which had a very strong message. It depicts the difference in lifestyle between the affluent sections of society who see no wrong in wasting large amounts of food, while for the poverty-stricken even scraps of food thrown away in the garbage are welcome and reason for them to give thanks to God. The students then shared their feelings on this film. While most of them said they felt pity for the poor, sad and even depressed, some of them had a wider viewpoint and asked, “Why does this happen?” and “What can I do to help?”

Sr. Jolly demonstrated the use of the primitive means of communication using two coconut shells attached by a cord. She then listed out the various means of communication that today’s world is bombarded with, viz. phones, internet, television, video-games, etc. and the more conventional modes like post, telegrams, and fax.  She also pointed out the various modes that we used today during the session, like cards, group discussions, speech, chalk-talk, art and drawing, PowerPoint presentation, visuals, film, eye-contact, gestures and body language, etc.

Sr. Jolly gave a short talk on the modern means of communication and how we should choose what we use with care. Just like music is enjoyed in different ways, so also it is with communication. Particular music is played with due regard to the place, the occasion and the mood of a person. Pop music would not be played in a place of worship and neither will soulful or prayerful music be played at a party.  In the same manner, while internet, mobile phones and television are very useful in today’s world, it is important to be prudent with their use and make sure that they are utilized for good and necessary reasons only. Internet for example, is a very good tool to download information related to various study matter that students may have. On the other hand, useless chatting on the net is just a waste of time and can also lead one astray. Mobile phones, while very handy for passing on important messages, are often misused by long and unnecessary conversations which only cost money and precious time, and are not at all beneficial. Video games also are a waste of time and take today’s children away from the benefits of outdoor games or group games with friends and peers. In such cases, personal relationships suffer.

Sr. Jolly mentioned the website www.ask.com which she said could help the students in obtaining information required for their study.

At the end of the presentation, the headmistress, Sr.Salvacao thanked Sr. Jolly and the DCSCM team for their time and effort in bringing the awareness of communications and media to the students.