President's Message
Summer is officially here. While the children are off for the summer and families are on vacation, the BAGC executive committee is hard at work to bring you exciting events.
I want to thank the community and the committee for their attendance at the Srikanto Acharya concert on May 19. While the concert was a big hit, I wish we had seen more from our community attend. Without your support, events like this simply can not occur. Our next special event, X-Trvaganza 2002, will be on July 20. We hope to see you there.
On a final note, if you know of someone who has not received a newsletter and should be, please let us know. Just as a reminder, membership is for a calendar year. It is not too late to become a member, since we have many more events to come. We do not want to exclude anyone.
I hope to see you at Banga Sanskriti Dibas.
This year has been a tumultuous year. Starting in the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy, followed by several tragedies within our own community which will leave indelible scars in our minds, we moved on to Banga Sanskriti Dibas, which showcased a collage of our community talent, novel items, the likes of which had never been presented before and open house discussions on the Banga Bhavan with wonderful presentations on this long-term project by the Building Committee.
We have had fun events like Carrom competitions, and social events like Special Olympics Aquatic Trials and Arbor Day celebration. The first of this year’s special event ‘Srikanto Sandhya’ brought Calcutta’s best contemporary music to Chicagoland.
As Spring breaks into Summer, rains drench Chicago, tender grass and leaves cover the world in green, The budding youth of BAGC win laurels at schools, colleges and universities and BAGC Drama troupe entertain outside Bengali communities and get presented with plaque. Yet, coming up are the annual Picnic (while the weather is just perfect for it and schools and colleges have closed for vacations), the table tennis and bridge competitions. July has the second special event of this year the Bengali X-Travagnza combining drama, skit and music, featuring well-known artists from Calcutta. Come August, we celebrate our Children’s Day, this time being held in a professional auditorium. This year we may actually be heading towards the Bengali classical ‘baaro mashe tero parbon’!
Keep sending us your articles, poems, stories, pictures, crosswords and feedback;: it is you readers / writers, who are making and shall continue making the Samaj Sangbad, a great plate for every palate.
STATUS REPORTAt the General Body meeting of November, 2000 President Elect Amitava Deb was entrusted with responsibility of designating a contact person to negotiate with the Cultural Association of Bengal (CAB). The purpose was for BAGC to host 2004 NABC in Chicago. At the request of Amitava Deb I agreed to become the contact person. Subsequently two additional persons were also selected to help with this endeavor. Two people chosen were Juthika (Dolly) Basu and Prithviraj Banerjee.
Throughout 2001 we made several contacts with various members of CAB. We got the impression that CAB was trying to string us along, making demands from time to time, which besides being unreasonable could not possibly be delivered by this committee. These included increased subscription from Chicago land area for their newsletter, volunteers from BAGC to help out in registration during Boston NABC etc.
Finally I let them know that we were not about to jump through the hoops to get NABC here in Chicago. Chicago hosted one of the best NABC in 1994. We have the necessary talent and expertise and have a class one infrastructure in place. While we are very much interested in hosting the NABC in 2004 we are not going to beg for it or go through a qualification process.
I was advised in November last year that since there was an election of CAB officers scheduled in early 2002 we should take up the issue with the new committee. I had provided a synopsis of what I said above in the last year’s General Body meeting in November.
Mr. Pranab Das has become the new CAB President. I have had numerous contacts with him in the past. Earlier this year, when he was still a candidate, Mr. Das advised me that if he were to be elected President he would push for Washington DC to host 2004 NABC. Then New York, being the 25th anniversary of NABC, would host 2005. Los Angeles will be hosting 2003 NABC. So the earliest date of hosting NABC that Chicago can hope for is 2006. I contacted him after election and his position stays unchanged. Now it is for the General Body to decide where to go from here. But whatever decision is made, I do not think that this committee has any effective function and should be dissolved at this time.
BANGA BHAVAN: AN UPDATE REALITYA formal presentation of this project was part of the BAGC forum at Banga Sanskriti Dibas celebration on April 20th, which has been covered by Aninda Roy in his article. A survey questionnaire on the opinion of the BAGC members on the scope and funding of the building has been mailed out recently. The following are being named as members of a formal committee for this project: · Manatosh Banerji (Chair) · Girin Roy · Subrota Mukherjee · Ranjit Ganguly · Malabika Palit · Sunondo Roy · Abhijeet Biswas · Nirmalya Ghosh
I thank them for accepting and committing to a fruitful completion. This committee will give periodic reports to the BAGC general body using various forums.
Forum on Banga BhavanIn Houston, Pujas are conducted daily at the 3000 sqare-foot Durga Bari which seats 60 to 100 people. The Durga Bari is also regularly rented out for weddings, ‘annaprasans’, birthday parties, or other private parties. This achievement of the Houston Bengali community cost approximately $365,000 ($250K building, $115 land) according to information gathered by Abhijeet Biswas, which has been paid out to about $600,000 out of collections. If Houston can do it, can’t Chicago Bengalis too? Do we have the interest and willpower? These were some of the questions on people’s minds at the start of Banga Sanskriti Dibas this year held on April 20th in Elgin. Dr. Manotosh Banerji presented the initial findings of the Building Committee to bring to life a dream for many BAGC members and the inspiration behind the Special Fund which holds $90,000+ today.
Dr. Banerji who is enthusiastic about the prospect of a “Banga Bhavan” in Chicago notes that “money will not be a problem, if we believe in the idea.” He acknowledges that this is a big “if” and what we must determine first: “Do we really believe in this as a community? If we do, raising money will not be difficult for such a prosperous community.” Dr. Banerji reviewed three alternative plans for the building and three methods of funding. The first alternative is a 4,000 square-foot facility with a multi-purpose room that can accommodate up to 150 persons and includes a ‘thakur ghar’ and storage space (see picture on last page). The second alternative is a 10,000 square foot facility for up to 500 persons. The last alternative investigated was for a large facility with an auditorium having capacity for 1200.
If there is a decision to buy a property and build a facility, a phased approach would likely be employed as we have seen with Chicago’s Hindu Temple or Houston’s Durga Bari. For example, Houston has initially built a temple on a portion of the 6-acre property and has plans to expand in future years with an auditorium and playground. Another financing option is to lease a facility. A key benefit of leasing is that it would make it possible to afford a facility in a central location. Moreover, it allows us to try out a facility for a few years and see if it sustains a critical mass of usage before the community gets into a long-term commitment.
From known examples, it is very clear that the only way the community will ever have a building is through a core of very large donations from a small segment of the membership, perhaps a combination of one or two huge grants and dozens of large donations. Again, even in Houston, where costs are far lower than in Chicago, a single person donated $87,000 and 20 donors provided in the $10,000 range. The need for a small group of very large donors also suggests the governing structure for a building will have to be very different than BAGC is today in order to safeguard the interests of the contributors.
Though the discussion was lightly attended by roughly 40 persons, those present were keenly interested in the discussion and participated during the question and answer session to clarify the new data being presented. Dr. Banerji is now in the process of making a wider survey of people’s opinions both through personal contact and a formal survey by the membership.
A community building is a natural expansion of our hopes as a community. The success of BAGC’s twenty-five years derives from its effectiveness in satisfying a strong need for association through event-based congregations (pujas, cultural programs) while handling specific constraints such as the need for a large auditorium, providing food at a reasonable expense, and managing an annual cash flow. Special interest groups such as Unmesh and Surodhwanee have sprouted along the edges of BAGC with smaller, more frequent events that meet a different need.
The success of a building committee will again depend on balancing needs with constraints. In this case, the need is to enable new kinds of activities that are more regular but with fewer people. The constraints are mostly financial: how can both the initial cost and on-going maintenance be funded on a long-term, sustained basis? The context for this effort includes more than only BAGC members – it includes other institutions such as the local temples and the other activities in which community members are heavily involved. These institutions and activities compete for people’s time and money, making the specific formula for a Bengali community center in Chicago very specific to our situation. While the general pattern may be evident from looking at others, we will have to collectively envision and evolve to a realization of our dreams that will be unique as we are.
LETTER TO EDITOR
Thanks to Dipu's website I had the opportunity to read the news of BAGC. As the editors Shubham Sanyal and Jasendu Chakraborty have done a wonderful job of creating a newsletter that showcases the Bengali community in its various aspects. It is a difficult job but you have a fan in me and my family. You truly have created a NEWSLETTER. I
would like to thank Jasendu for the courtesy and promptness he showed in helping me and my family to become members of BAGC.
The new generation has done a fantastic job of not only maintaining the organization but expanding the scope to outreach and involve the younger generation. Ananya Roy should be commended for creating the community service committee to be spearheaded by Nina Palit.
I have, after many years of separation, feel an attraction to rejoin the organization with my family. The energy and the news of the involvement of various members made me proud of my Bengali heritage. Also makes me happy to see the elders (experience not age) supporting the younger generation and the younger generation's appreciation for that help.
Gauri Roy's Nasi Goreng was quite tasty and Krishna Chakroborty's 'Mutterings Heard in the Soup Kitchen' made me feel I was there. The contribution of children were extraordinary. The various tournaments and the gracious hosts does create an atmosphere many of us are familiar with.
I look forward to becoming an active participant of BAGC.
Regards,
Swapna Baumann
BIRTH
Congratulations to Sarmistha Banerjee and Saunak Basu, on the birth of their son, Nikhil Indro Basu born on April 7, 2002.
Congratulations to Mahuya and Ramanuj Bhattacharya, on the birth of their son, Ramarko Bhattacharya born on May 5, 2002.
Congratulations to Samarpita and Shouvik Saha, on the birth of their daughter, Shayoni born on May 17, 2002.
CONGRATULATIONS
Dr. Dipankar Mukhopadhyay of River Forest, IL has been selected to receive this year's Archibald L. Hoyne award presented by the CPS – Chicago Pediatric Society. The award will be presented at the Annual Dinner of the Society to be held on Sunday, June 23 at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. This award is given each year to a single individual in the Chicago area for outstanding contributions to clinical pediatrics.
On behalf of the Society and the children of Chicago, the current President of CPS, Dr. A. Todd Davis congratulates Dr. Mukhopadhyay for his contributions to the field of pediatrics throughout the course of his career. In a letter to Dr. Mukhopadhyay, Dr. Davis says that the list of previous awardees is indeed a very distinguished one and Dr. Mukhopadhyay is definitely a most deserving addition to this list.
BEST WISHES
"Alibaba Panchali" which entertained hundreds
of spectators at BAGC's Durga Puja last year,
is going places! Across Lake Michigan on 13th
April, to perform at Nabo Barsho function of
Bichitra, the Bengali Association of Greater
Detroit. Keep the BAGC flag flying, Subhash,
Kumkum and team!
Bengal’s rich cultural tapestry is stitched in
multiple hues and fabrics over the last few
centuries. Indeed the Banga Sanskriti Dibas is
just a minuscule pageant, a small token of
reverence and remembrance of the great
cultural heritage of our roots: Banga-bhumi.
Nevertheless, this year in the Banga Sanskriti
Dibas, the pageant will cover a wide canvas.
Jaya Bannerjee and her choir of 15 will offer us
a choral bouquet, composed of rhythmic songs
from Nazrul, Tagore and Salil Chowdhury, sung
in harmony with background orchestra. There
will be poetry from Tagore recited by children
paralleled with a Western adaptation and
dramatic personification: a presentation that
will bridge two cultures. And also Tagore’s
famous ‘Karna-Kunti Sangbad’ by two great
performers, whose names we withhold as a
surprise for you. Another event that will be
display the East-West cultural synthesis is
Debashish Guptoo’s orchestra with a mix of
youth and adults treating us to Indian Ragas.
And finally ‘Nrityarghya’, a great dance
presentation from a Canada-based troupe.
Those that have seen Sukalyan’s group
performing before, know the quality of their
performance. All in all, we have an evening of
lovely entertainment coming up, which we feel
excited about.
That’s not all! Preceding the ‘Cultural Show’ at
the Banga Sanskriti Dibas will be a discussion
‘Forum’ for adults and one for youth. In the
adults forum, Dr. Manatosh Banerji, and others
active on the Banga Bhavan project, will
discuss the potentials, possibilities and paths
of realization for the Bongo Bhavan for BAGC.
There will also be a career guidance
discussion by Anindita Mukherjee.
If you like what you see at the Banga Sanskriti
Dibas you have only seen the tip of the
iceberg. Coming up on May 19th is ‘Srikanta
Sandhya’, an evening of soulful serenades from
Srikanta Acharya, the famous Bengali singer.
Following this on July 20th will be
‘X-travagenza 2002’ presented by a Calcutta
group, comprising of a package: a drama
‘Swarna Villa’, a mini-comedy ‘Borishaler Bor,
Kolkata’r Kone’ and ‘Indipop’ or popular Bengali
songs from Mou Mukherjee popularly known as
‘Miss Jojo’! All these will be ‘special events’
hosted by BAGC. So mark your calendars and
buy your tickets before they get sold out and
you have to stand outside the hall in the hopes
of a dropout audience! There may still be
another ‘special event’ in August but we are
keeping that a secret for now…… We are all
set for a great entertaining year!!
This volunteer event was our second one for the Arbor Day Celebration on Saturday, April 27 at The Morton Arboretum of Lisle, IL. We helped out for their Children's Day. They had a tent set up called the ‘Plant’ where there were various activities planned for the children and we were the ‘foremen (women)’ in the ‘Plant’ and helped out the kids with their activities.
This volunteer event was our second one for the Arbor Day Celebration on Saturday, April 27 at The Morton Arboretum of Lisle, IL. We helped out for their Children's Day. They had a tent set up called the ‘Plant’ where there were various activities planned for the children and we were the ‘foremen (women)’ in the ‘Plant’ and helped out the kids with their activities.
Come on Abani-s, Nando Lal-s, Jamini Roy-s and Raghu Rai-s and M. F. Hussain-s, share your wealth with all of us. There are so many of you, excellent artists and photographers within our community, many of whom are at professional levels. To share your creativity with all of us, BAGC plans to hold an exhibition of paintings and photographs during the Durga Puja this year. The topics include: 'Chicago', 'Calcutta', 'Children' and 'Choice-of-Yours'. There will be a separate section for children's paintings with the same topics, plus 'My Parents' and 'My Pet'. Please send in your works of art (paintings, sketches, photo prints as also photo transparencies) to Jasendu Chakraborty or Shubham Sanyal at their residential addresses. The last date for receiving entries will be 30th September, 2002. All entries will be returned to their creators at the end of the exhibition.
For us, Saturday nights were always kept aside for eating out .......... and all the Saturdays in the last 4 years have never been devoid of excitement and memorable 'eat-outs'. On N Broadway, among the many restaurants lining the street is a truly remarkable Ethiopian place, the 'Ethiopian Diamond Restaurant'. Apart from giving you a glimpse into Ethiopian history (the walls are covered with artifacts from the country's rich past), you get a unique dining experience coupled with the feeling of being at home. Eating in Ethiopia is a communal activity. Food is served on a common plate (unless you insist on being a pucca sahib!) surrounded by vegetables and meats cooked in a savory brown sauce. The bread called 'Injera' is thin and resembles our very own 'patishapta' ... but has a 'dosa' like taste ... you dip the bread into the accompanying entrés to eat in true Ethiopian style. To add to the mysticism of the evening is a live band that plays native folk songs, and you can join in they say! .... Now that's a fine way to spend a Saturday evening!
For those of us who would like to get the recipe every time we eat something truly wonderful, ‘Benihana’ is a must! Not only will the chef shares his recipe with you, he will prepare it before your very eyes Located on Higgins Road in Schaumburg, ‘Benihana’ is primarily Japanese Cuisine, but they do have the All American fries and chicken nuggets for their young patrons. We were seated at a large table together with some other folks joking, laughing and talking about the place when a rather short man appeared with a huge butcher knife, meat and vegetables in hand. We had been handed down the menu earlier and once we told him what we liked to eat, he sprung into action! I say that because I felt like I was in the sets of the next Jackie Chan movie. He (not Jackie Chan, I mean the Chef) swung his huge chopping knife like a sword and amidst the 'Clangs' and the acrobatics I noticed that the meats and vegetables were laying chopped on the table in amazingly equal sizes!! Soon he lit up the stove underneath and cooked up a delicious stir-fry meal with sauces and garnishes and yummy yummy it was the most delicious Japanese food I had eaten in a long time. All this on our very own dining table!
Talking of food being cooked before your very own eyes invariably leads me to mention yet another remarkable eat-out - ‘BD’s Mongolian Barbeque’. They have two locations, one in Naperville and one in Vernon Hills and I have been to both. To be honest, I would like to go there every day! Unlike ‘Benihana’, where the chef cooks at your own table, BD's has a central cooking area. A huge flat stir fry pan (very much like our 'tawa') What is unique is that they have a huge assortment of meats, fish and vegetables and an array of oils, sauces, vinegars and spices to choose from. All this is lined up in a Buffet style for you to pick yourself and hand over to the cook ......... so you're to blame if it doesn't taste good! But wait a minute, even a novice like me managed to cook up a winner, thanks to their great selection of sauces and spices. Along with your entrée that you actually assembled together, they also serve rice and tortillas at your table and soups and salads of your choice. Not only can you decide on what portion size you want but you can keep going back and cooking yourself some really delicious dinners!
Greek Food was something we always wanted to try, and working in the Oakbrook area at the time, we headed for 'Papagus' one evening .... the atmosphere is essentially home-style Greek with clanging pots and earthenware and wooden tables. We had ordered 'souvlaki' for the appetizers. It is a 'shish-kebab' like dish with meats and vegetables barbequed in oil and spices and served on skewers. The seafood and meat dishes (specially the lamb!) were a delight. Our waiter greeted us with 'Opa' - in traditional Greek style (holding a lamp in hand and doing a whirl in the air). That was pretty amazing and added a touch of romance to the evening!
‘Sabri Nehari’ has been a one of our favorite escapes for a while now. Our friends Priyanka and Alok first told us about the place (thanks guys!) and we hooked on more people to this delightful Pakistani Restaurant. Don't be misled by the interiors of Sabri. It doesn't stand out in terms of decor or ambience, but when it comes to the grub, Sabri wins hands down! I have had the best ‘Biryani’ at Sabri, and about the other entrees' - from the 'Frontier Gosht' to the 'Nehari', and the 'Paya' - Sabri has the best North West Frontier Cuisine in town. Apart from being reasonably priced, the portion size is huge and I don't remember a single instance when we did not walk out with boxed leftovers Sabri has two locations, one on Devon Ave in Chicago and one on Roosevelt Rd in Lombard.
I guess I can go on and on and on when it comes to food but I'll have to 'wrap' up now. Wait, I cannot do that before mentioning my most favorite restaurant in the entire world - that's not an exaggeration now because the Signature Room does literally stand high above everyone else. Located on the 95th Floor of the John Hancock building, in downtown Chicago, The Signature Room provides you with sumptuously delicious food and an unparalleled view of the city when you dine. I had been there for our first anniversary and kept going back. The interior is luxurious with soft classical music playing in the background, and most of the tables are located by the glass windows giving you Chicago at it's best The Signature Room is what Chicago is all about .... food and Fun!
Until next time ............... Bon Appetit !!
My parents have always involved us in their volunteer activities. All the children in our family were taught that we served God when we served our fellow humans. We were also taught to feel gratitude for the privilege of being able to give help and greater gratitude when the help was accepted. All my siblings including myself have always thought it was important to give back to the community. When I saw the community service committee in BAGC I felt interested and thought I would share my thoughts on volunteerism. Maybe I will get feedback that would make me better able to serve. The following is a short piece on what I feel about Volunteerism.
Volunteerism and Community InvolvementAppreciation and satisfaction do not justify the meanings of volunteerism and community service. Helping the less fortunate and giving back to the community does not articulate the vindication I receive after performing my job. I believe it is the desire and the determination to do it. I have always enjoyed helping people because I understand their hardships and feelings and the motives behind their actions. My definition of community service and volunteerism reflects on the understanding of people's thoughts and feelings and respecting what they had to go through to get where they are. My goal is not to be admired or be proclaimed a hero, but rather to understand people thus allowing me to better understand myself. My future goals certainly play a vital role with community service and volunteerism. I wish to become either a politician, a teacher or a counselor. No matter what occupation I choose, my past performance in community service and volunteering will provide me with the needed skills to accomplish what I want to achieve. Many people have told me I care more about other people than I do about myself. I believe that is true. Hopefully at the end people will say I was a nice, serious and intelligent person, but most of all people will remember that "I put People First".
Nasi Goreng, meaning fried rice, is Indonesia’s most popular dish, enjoyed by everyone, from the poor to the rich.
Ingredients
Flour - ½ kg
Egg - 3 nos
2-3 Carrots chopped
100 grams long beans chopped
1 bunch cilantro leaf chopped
2-3 green chillies chopped
Sugar - 2 tablespoons
Onion chopped - 2 nos
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil or Ghee - 200 grams
Method
Sift the flour. Form a soft dough with the flour, water, salt and sugar. Let the dough proof for 5 minutes. Mix chopped vegetables, salt , Pepper and onion, boil and little fry (otherwise chopped meat fry) and keep it in a bowl. Divide the dow into 5-6 equal parts. Take each part and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangular shape.
Beat the eggs with some salt. Fill half the rolled dough with vegetables and 3 table spoon eggs. Fold the dough half diagonally in traingular shape. Seal the sides with a little bit of water. Roll a little more and then fry with vegetable oil or ghee. Repeat for the rest of the pieces.
Serve the Muglai Parathas with salad, cilantro chutney and dry potato curry.
BAGC youth have, in the past, shone out, in the whole nation, as par-excellent achievers in their respective fields. This year as graduations take place, another crop of shining BAGC youth achieve fantastic results and do their parents, and indeed, all of us, proud at BAGC !
Paroma Banerjee, daughter of Bakul and Subrata Banerjee, graduated from Purdue University majoring in Electrical Engineering.
Leela Banerjee, daughter of Debdas and Sujata Banerjee, graduated from University of Wisocnsin, Madison, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, and was a member of the Pre-Medical Honor Society. She is currently working full time as OB-GYN tech at Evanston Hospital.
Sourav Bandyopadhyay, son of Ratna and Bhaskar Bandyopadhyay, graduated in Computer Science & Molecular Biology from University of Wisconsin, Madison, with Distinctive Scholastic Achievement. After working in a bio-tech company for a year, he intends to pursue Ph.D program in Bio-Informatics Engineering.
Sarika Das, daughter of Narayan and Rina Das, graduated from University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign in Premedicine/Biology Honors. She was a National Science Foundation Scholar for a summer internship program at Boston University, researching on a Genetic project and was recently named in 'Senior 100' by U of I Alumni Association. Sarika plans to pursue her career in Medicine.
Shamik Maitra, son of Rekha & Kalyan Maitra of Flossmoor, graduated from the Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California on May 19th. Shamik secured a place in the Dean's List and is currently working with Direct TV located in Los Angeles.
Shalini Roy, daughter of Devipriya and Subir Roy, graduated with honors from Northwestern University in Economics & Maths in the high Phi-Beta-Kapa category.
Shouvik Biswas, son of Sreeti and Prashanta Ghosh, graduated from Purdue University in Electrical Engineering, Shouvik may either join NSA (Natioanl Security Council) or pursue higher studies in Master of Electrical Engineering.
Angshuman Gooptu, son of Debasish and Chandrima Guptoo, graduated from Rolling Meadows High School on June 2, 2002. He was selected as one of three speakers for the final graduation ceremony. He is on the seven semester Honor Roll, and has been listed on the ‘Seniors Who Excel’ list. On 31st May Angshuman also received the President's Award for Educational Excellence from the US Dept of Education through the National Asssociation of Secondary School Principals. He will be going to the University of Illinois at Chicago for studying pre-medicine.
Shreerupa Dey, daughter of Basudeb and Jayshree Dey, graduated from Maine East High School on June 9. She will be going to UIC, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to study Pre-medical with Biology Major. Shreerupa was awarded the Illinois State Scholar Award, the Prairie State Achievement Award for Reading, Math and Science and also got her Three Year Varsity Award. Shreerupa co-authored a research project done on the subject of Gastroesophegal Reflex disease in the "Journal of Gastroenterology" (April 2002, Volume 122, Number 4 issue). The report was presented and accepted at the third annual meeting of the American Gastroenterological Association in San Francisco on May 19th 2002.
Debarshi Mustafi, son of Debkumar and Reba Mustafi, graduated from Kenwood Academy with flying colors. Debarshi has won a garland of awards and scholarships in the past, including Siemens-Westinghouse Science Competition finalist, numerous prestigious awards in City and State Science Fairs, First place in Intel International Science and Engineering fair at Louisville, Kentucky, First place in JSHS National Symposium at San Diego, CA, and an invitation to attend International Youth Science Forum in London, England. He has received several scholarships including National Merit Scholarship, Illinois State Scholarship, Siemens-Westinghouse Scholarship, Intel Scholarship, National Science and Humanities Scholarship, Summer Research Fellowship from University of Chicago, Chicago Public Schools Scholarship, Robert C. Byrd Scholarship etc. Debarshi has been a member of National Honour Society, French Honor Society, and has been the Captain of University Soccer team and Captain of Math team. Two of the nation’s top colleges Caltech and MIT were vying to enroll him as a member of their student body. After much deliberations Debarshi has chosen to join Caltech, majoring in Mechanical Engineering, with Biology as minor.
Summer should have been here by now. The cold weather should have said good bye to us weeks back. But Chicago has this uncanny affinity for lingering onto the chill, and this time it is no different. Hopefully, by the time you have the newsletter in your hand, and you will be reading this; the sun will be shining brightly outside, the temperature well over 80, and you have turned the air on!
We had a great carrom tournament. The turnout was much better than the last couple of years, and in spite of the rainy weather, we had over 13 participants. We enjoyed a lot. Those of you who missed it make sure not to miss the following events. A very special thank you to Mr Ranjit Roy and Mrs Esha Roy for letting us use their house for the entire day for the carrom competition.
The table tennis and bridge tournaments will take place in June. See below for the details. I am also going to arrange for a ladies evening: a mini-golf game for a couple of hours followed by dinner at a restaurant. Come on ladies, get excited. But I need your feedback. This will require some planning, so I will really appreciate if you can contact me and let me know if you are interested. By the way, no gentlemen allowed for that evening! I will be the organizer, so, of course, I will be there savoring the pleasure of the company of all the ladies!
Send in entries to sports@bagc.net or 630-499-7588
It began with the "show and tell" that Anita did about her Bharatnatyam costume in front of the fourth grade class two months ago. Last week, Mrs. Miller, her teacher asked her to perform the dance at the annual talent show. The whole idea seemed horrible to Anita, since Sushil, the other Indian boy in her class, made fun of her for weeks after the show and tell. Whenever she passed him in the hallway, he would nod his head imitating one of the Bharatnatyam movements while sticking out his tongue. His group of white friends jeered along. Her plan was not to tell her mother about it at all. However, when her mother came to school for career day, Mrs. Miller exclaimed, "We are really excited about Anita performing her Indian Dance at the talent show next week!" Her mother looked puzzled, but stammered out, "Of course!" On the day of the show, her mother dressed her up before dropping her at school. She opened the show. As the music began, she entered the stage in her full costume. Everybody became silent. Anita was amazed about how good she felt on stage. At the end of the day, Mike, one of Sushil's friends came up to her nodding his head "Anita, your dance was beautiful. Can you teach me how to nod my head like that?" However, the bus came and she had to go. As she sat down, she remembered the "Bindi", the red dot her mother placed on her forehead in the morning. She had removed it before reaching class in the morning. Now, she took it out of her lunchbox with confidence and put it back on her forehead.
A friend is a person who helps you
And makes things up too.
A friend is a person who is kind
And really doesn't mind
When you are upset at them.
They try to help,
But you only yelp,
Of the pain inside you.
A friend is like your mother
And I guess she's like your brother.
A friend shares your feelings
When you are feeling bad.
But when you're feeling better
You've got a friend you've never had.
The American Flag is as high as the sky,
When a war has ended it never is defeated.
People might say that we are not strong,
But as we stand together we are not weak.
The American Flag has courage,
And passes it throughout our entire country.
The American Flag gives us freedom,
That will always stay throughout our lifetime.
From time to time you think up some rhymes
Be sure to do it before 12 chimes!
Then be sure to write it down.
For if you forget you’ll look a clown!
But if you don’t, you’ll be a ‘Star’
And the road to fame will take you far !
And now you know how to write a poem.
So break a leg, go out and show ‘em !
The Youth discussion was very successful, and I must say I had a lot of fun. We talked about everything from school, to religion, to music. We had a great range in age group, from elementary to high school kids. After a little while of talking people got more comfortable and said a lot. We actually had to cut the forum short, but I promise we can get to the other topics next time. I had a lot of fun, and learned a lot about other people in the BAGC that I did not know very well before. I think the others enjoyed it too, and it was very helpful in getting to know each other better. We also had an excellent speech by Anindita Mukherjee (Tutudidi), who spoke to us about our future careers, and how to get there. Thank you very much Tutudidi. I plan on having more discussions at future functions. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions for me please feel free to give me a call, (708) 386-8121.
Salty, Crashing, Moving
The Ocean makes a restful sound
Sea
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