If there is one word to describe the freshers on the Orientation day, it has got to be anxiety. And that is exactly what I saw in the Purple tags as well.

The Registrar of Anna University, Prof. Ganesan proudly welcomed the gathering. He congratulated allthe students for getting into such a prestigious institution and appreciated their hard work. He also gave a cautious message on how to deal with the first year in college since it was going to be drastically different from school. The assessments, he added were going to be a huge transformation from school and keeping pace with the momentum was necessary. He also emphasized the need for hostellers to follow all the rules to ensure safety.

Next on the mike was the A.C.Tech Dean, Dr. S. Sivanesan, who encouraged the students to make the maximum use of the resources availablewith a warm hearty smile. He said that through the 4 years of experience gained at AU, he did not just want to see highly qualified graduates, but also socially responsible citizens. He requested the parents to co-ordinate with the class advisors, since the monitoring process isn't like in other private colleges. He also mentioned dearly about the alumni of the institution who are in notable  positions in the society. He concluded saying, "Try to think out of the box.For instance, become an entrepreneur. If you need any support, I'm always there to help you!"

Next, the Heads of the various departments were invited to talk to their department freshmen about thefaculty, placement records, facilities and future scope in the respective fields.

Chemical Engineering:

Dr. N. Nagendragandhi started by saying a simple yet unique statement. He said that life is unimaginable without chemical engineering. He also pointed out that all domains in the present era circle around this field.

Petroleum Technology:

Dr. S. Kalaiselvan pointed out the various programs available in the department such as Industrial Safety, which is quite popular. "I believe you are all chosen leaders and leaders don't just do different things. They do things differently. The very choice of this department is an act of leadership in a way,” he concluded.

Ceramic Technology:

Dr. K. Kalaiselvan spoke on the history of the department, which was established in 1992. The department got B.Tech, M.Tech and Ph.D. programs by 1998.He asked the students to have a great purpose in life and to plan for that purpose. He also added that one must work towards that purpose in his own track.

Textile Technology:

Dr. G. Subramaniam invited students of both textile and apparel engineering into his department.According to him, the labs of the department were established in 1945. He also added that the placements were quite outstanding. He encouraged the students to take the upcoming four years very sincerely and to make the most out of it.

Leather Technology:

Dr. J. Raghava Rao, welcomed his students, into what he called "a different phase of life". He asked them to  enjoy themselves but also warned them to stay cautious at the same time.  He then introduced the 70 year old CLRI and its distinction to the students. He proclaimed that the opportunities in the leather field are large and vast. He motivated his students to behave well and bring laurels to the department.

Biotechnology:

Dr. Anuradha, the only lady HOD of A.C.Tech, is the face behind Industrial Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical technology and Food technology, which all come under the Centre for Biotechnology (fondly called CBT). She spoke about research and other prospective opportunities of the department. She stressed on the importance of destiny and the need to balance it.She also warned that funand amusement will never always work out. "God can take the horse to the water, but ultimately only the horse has to drink it", she pointed out.

Once the Heads of the various departments spoke, Dr. Radha, the placement officer of the college spoke on the job opportunities available. Following this, the university library's head, Dr. Krishnamoorthy showed a short mental map through the library. Mr. George Washington, the head of AUKDC spoke on all the facilities available on the website “aukdc.edu.in”. Next, Mrs. Evelyn Synthiya, representing the sports board of AU, encouraged students to take up sports as seriously as their studies. Finally, Dr. Meenakshi Sundharam, the student advisor of the college, gave an outline about the Students Association and Arts Society (SAAS) of A.C.Tech and the events whichwill be conducted. He also reassured them that ragging is strictly prohibited.

We on behalf of The Guindy Times, welcome the purple tags of A.C.Tech, to  make memories in this historic campus and cherish them for the years to come.