SEMINARY OFFERS  SURVIVAL AND ADVENTURE CAMPS AS PART OF DEGREE

By Jince Joseph SDB

DARJEELING, SAR News,15 July -- A seminary in Darjeeling provides three degree courses to every seminarian within three years, along with 15 day Himalayan Adventure and 10 day survival camp. This co-education seminary also offers outreach programme in 16 youth centers.

Saleasian College Sonada (SCS) located in the hills midway between Kurseong and Darjeeling on national highway-31 has three-year programme granting bachelor’s degrees in Arts, Philosophy and Computer Application.

The SCS computer center allows students access to library and data from their own classrooms. "What I like best about the computer lab is that everyone of us has our own email ID," said third year student Ms Kiran Gurung from Sonada.

The third year students participate in the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute’s 15-day course consisting of rock climbing, river rafting, trekking and camping in the mountains. "The training included a lot of physical strain, but it helped us to be tough and determined to face challenges of daily living," quipped Bro. Manoj Jose from Kerala.

The residential students go for the annual 10-day survival camp in the tea garden, where they live by the wages that they earn plucking tea leaves.

This rural hill college may be a rare case where seminarians study with the day scholars. The phenomena, which began in 1998, today has 25 boys and 35 girls along with 60 seminarians. "Through this experience of co-education, students both boys and girls become more integrated and develop a mature and wholesome personality," opined Bro. Jose Puthenpurackal, the Dean and the Vice-Principal of the college.

"It offers us excellent opportunity for personal growth and we get chances to share our feeling with each other," added second year student Smrithi Chamling expressing the sentiments of students. [END]