The sprawling 365-acre campus in east Tambaram in suburban Chennai is more than a jungle. The campus, filled with tall trees and dense shrubs, is abuzz with activity, almost every month of the year. Attracting students from every part of the country, Madras Christian College (MCC) today stands unique in many ways.
One of the oldest colleges in India, it was established in 1837, opposite the Madras High Court. “In 1937, the campus was shifted here. There were many reasons behind it. Keeping the faculty and students on the same campus was definitely one of the major reasons,” explains Joshua Kalapati, associate professor in philosophy. “Our history is very long and our heritage makes us proud,” adds Kalapati, who recently published a book on the 175-year-old institution, Life and Legacy of MCC: 1837-1978.
MCC was one of the first few colleges in the country to receive autonomous status from the University Grants Commission in 1978. “We were also one of the first to introduce semester system,” says R Sridhar, associate professor, department of political science.
“MCC has its own legacy and ethos. We focus on academic excellence, social relevance and spiritual vitality,” explains Sridhar. The social work department has adopted a village named Mappedu in the suburbs and runs learning and medical centres, exclusively managed by students.
Surprisingly, the campus is a man-made forest. “The entire campus was developed by the Barnes, a missionary couple. They occupied the first house in the campus. This campus was their dream,” says Kalapati. There are over 100 species of birds and rare trees. You might spot deer, peacocks, rabbits, porcupines or migratory birds while taking a walk.
Emphasising the rich flora of the campus, Dr D Narasimhan, professor of botany, says, “There are over 600 species of plants and trees in the campus. It’s a wonderful example of how a forest could be regenerated without destroying the native plants. What you see today is a 70-year growth. And there are over 150 native and migratory birds in the campus. The campus also has over 75 species of butterflies and five to six species of snakes.”
MCC is known for its rich musical heritage so it’s not a surprise if you see a student playing guitar in some corner of the college. “Music is a part of MCC. It just comes natural to us,” says Cijo Abraham John, a philosophy student and keyboard player. “Wait for Deepwoods-2011 and you will know what it is,” says John. Deepwoods is the annual intercollegiate cultural fest of MCC. Famous bands like Avial, Thermal and a Quarter and Udaan have performed in the past.
The college has over 30 partnerships with colleges abroad. “We have partnerships with colleges from the US, Britain, Australia, Taiwan, Holland, Hong Kong, Korea etc,” says R Sridhar, former director of the Davidson
Semester in India programme.
“I wanted a degree in zoology and got to know that MCC is the best in the South,” says Varun Warrier, a final-year zoology student. “The campus is very beautiful and it’s a pleasure to walk from the main gate to my department, under the cover of trees with deers and peacocks grazing alongside,” he smiles.
The college is also one of the few institutes to have implemented the co-education system as early as 1930s. It has a unique hall system for its resident students. “A hostel is where you stay and a hall is where you live,” smiles Smitha Susan Zachariah, general secretary of Martin Hall. It is called a hall because, unlike hostels, halls are run entirely by the students, including the financial matters, she adds. There are three halls for boys — Selaiyur, St Thomas and Bishop Heber and two for girls — Martin and Margaret.
—dennis@expressbuzz.com