The students of Symbiosis Institute of Business Management recently extended a welcoming hand to the City's international students — they hosted 'Utopia', a fest for students from overseas.
The fest included a host of cultural events and fun-filled competitions, which both entertained the students as well as gave them a chance to interact with one another.
Some of the countries which were represented at the fest included Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Indonesia and Tanzania. It was a quite a gala event, transforming into a platform for cultural and social interaction.
The fest was themed 'Nirvana' and the events which were conducted as a part of it were a treat for the students. Most of them witnessed enthusiastic participation. Some of the popular competitions were 'Twist' — a dance competition that was judged by dancer Lourd Vijay; 'Glitterati', which was a fashion show; and a food festival called 'Around the World in 80 Plates', among others. Sports enthusiasts could take part in football and basketball tournaments and there were other creative competitions as well.
For instance, art lovers were given chances to showcase their best in the caricature, placard and graffiti events. While 'Twist' witnessed some high-powered numbers which had the crowd tapping their feet to the rhythm, every college put in their best to make 'Glitterati' a successful event.
'Utopia' went on for fourteen hours — from 10 am to midnight — and students from 15 colleges in the City, representing 20 different countries, took part in the different events. Apart from the competitions, the students seized the chance to interact with people from different countries, understanding more about their culture, beliefs and traditions.
Ultimately, the Sri Lankan team from Sambhram Group of Institutions stole the show in the dance competition, 'Twist', and walked away with the first prize.
The team from Indo-Asian Academy emerged as the winners in the fashion show, 'Glitterati' and SPS College came first in the basketball tournament.